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Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp Sauce

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I’ve heard of the wonders of spaghetti squash for some time, but was always convinced that it wouldn’t be filling enough and that the effort to payoff ratio would never be worth it.  I was proved very, very wrong last week when I really, really wanted to make a tomato and shrimp pasta sauce but wasn’t particularly keen on making pasta noodles.

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Turned out to be very easy to just roast the spaghetti squash, and then using a fork, just scraped it out of its skin.  I then added the sauce and bam! Very easy to make, delicious, filling, and wonderful that I found a new vehicle for the tomato pasta sauces that I looooove eating.

Ingredients

  • 1, ~2 lb. spaghetti squash
  • 1 bunch of arugula
  • 1, 28 oz. box Pomi tomatoes
  • 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 chopped medium white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes

Directions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to about 400 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and then drizzle with olive oil and place on a baking sheet covered in foil.  Bake squash for about 30 minutes.
  2. While the squash is roasting, take a large skillet and put it over medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and after it has heated up, saute garlic and red chili pepper flakes.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.
  3. Add in the tomatoes, red wine vinegar and honey and bring to a boil, and then stir in the arugula, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
  4. In a separate skillet, heat up some olive oil with the pan on medium-high heat and saute the shrimp until opaque – about 3 minutes – just be sure to not overcook the shrimp!
  5. After the tomato sauce is ready, add the shrimp and mix through and turn the heat off.
  6. When the spaghetti squash is done cooking, take it out of the oven and let it cool, and then scrape out the insides using a fork.  You’ll find that it will come right out, and really look like angel hair pasta.
  7. Scoop some squash into bowls and add sauce.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Multi-grain Bread Extraordinaire

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

multi-grain-bread2It’s not my name – okay?! This recipe also comes from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. This is perfect baking weather – not too hot or too cold and not damp. We plowed through the Anadama bread that I made last week. It was wonderful for sandwiches but was particularly scrumptious, toasted and spread with unsalted butter and drizzled with honey. I will definitely be making that again, but I wanted to try something different that I could still use for sandwiches and looked no further than this multi-grain loaf. 

Years ago I had bought old-fashioned rolled steel bread pans and that’s what I used for this bread. It makes a wonderful crust and this time served to very briefly make me forget that it was 2016. It’s going to take an awful lot of bread baking to help me survive the next 4 years…

Multi-grain Bread Extraordinaire by Peter Reinhart from the Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Yield: One 2 pound loaf

Ingredients

For the Soaker

3 Tablespoons coarse cornmeal or polenta (you could substitute millet, quinoa or amaranth)

3 Tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats

2 Tablespoons wheat bran

1/4 cup water, at room temperature

For the Dough

3 cups bread flour plus up to one cup more to add when kneading

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon instant dried yeast

3 Tablespoons cooked brown rice (I cooked up some brown rice, served some with dinner and froze 3 Tablespoon packets for future baking)

1.5 Tablespoons honey (or substitute Agave or other vegan sweetener, if so desired)

1/4 cup buttermilk (you can use any kind of “milk” and if you add 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar to it and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes, you will have a buttermilk substitute)

3/4 cup water, at room temperature

About 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds for topping (optional)

Directions

  1. Just before going to sleep the night before you bake the bread, prepare the soaker. Combine all of the soaker ingredients in a small bowl. The water will barely hydrate the grain. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to initiate the enzyme action.
  2. The next day, stir together the flour, brown sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, using the paddle attachment. Add the soaker, rice, honey, buttermilk and water. Stir until the ingredients start to form a ball. If using a mixer, do this on a low speed. If there is some flour remaining, add a few drops of water.
  3. Either knead with the dough hook for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour in small amounts until the dough is pliable but not sticky or knead by hand on a floured counter. I used my mixer but then still had to knead by hand, adding about 1/2 to 3/4 cup additional flour to get the dough the right consistency. The dough should be smooth and slightly shiny when it is ready. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the  bowl, rolling it all around in the oil. Cover the bowl and allow it to ferment for 90 minutes or until doubled. Mine took exactly 90 minutes.
  4. Remove the dough from the bowl and press it by hand into a rectangle that is about 6 inches wide and 8 to 10 inches long. Fold it into thirds and pinch together the seams and fold under the ends. Place this packet into your oiled 9 x 5 inch bread pan. Brush with tap water, sprinkle on your poppy seeds, if using, and then spray lightly with oil (or a spray like PAM). Lightly cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for up to 90 minutes or until the dough crests fully above the lip of the pan, doming about 1 inch above at the center. Don’t get hung up on the timing. Mine took just one hour to get there. Start heating your oven to 350 degrees F. after 30 minutes so it will be nice and hot by the time the dough was ready. 
  5. I baked mine for a total of 58 minutes, but every oven is different. I baked it for 25 minutes and then turned it. After 50 minutes, it looked like it wasn’t quite brown enough for me so I turned it again and gave it 8 more minutes. When I rapped on the top of the bread and it sounded hollow, I knew it was done. Turn it out immediately onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. When it is totally cool, you can wrap it tightly in foil. The bread should also freeze well should you be making a bigger batch. img_2459

 

 

Beef Stew

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

img_2350My sister has been after me to make my beef stew and since the weather has turned autumnal, I’m happy to comply. I’ve made Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and frankly, I like this better and it is much less fuss. There is also a lot of built-in flexibility with my version. I happen to like really big chunks of meat and LOTS of vegetables. Sometimes I actually run out of room in my cocotte and I have to leave out the mushrooms. It still is wonderful. I always use wine in my stew but you could use only beef stock and it would still be delicious. The one thing I am adamant about, however, is that the meat you use should be a well-marbled chuck roast. This is cooked “low and slow” and something that is leaner will end up like shoe leather. I buy my chuck roast whole and trim and cut it myself. It really only takes about 15 minutes to cut up yourself and is well-worth the time. Other than peeling the potatoes, there isn’t that much active time with this dish, so take the time and cut the meat yourself. This way you can have lovely large, meaty, moist chunks of beef and who wouldn’t want that?! I have made this in a slow cooker but prefer the results when I make it in the oven. This dish can – and should – be made ahead. The flavors only improve with age and reheating. Purely for aesthetics, I would, therefore, only add my peas just before serving when I am heating the stew through or I add them straight from the freezer into the hot stew after I have turned off the heat when I know that I will be only reheating this once. You can of course, make this and eat it in the same day. It just is even better when made a day in advance.

Lisa’s Beef Stew

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

4.25 pounds of untrimmed chuck roast (This will yield about 3.75 pounds trimmed)

2 Tablespoons EVOO

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste (don’t be too stingy)

2 cups beef stock

2 cups red wine (Use what you will be drinking – a cabernet or malbec or zinfandel)

28 ounces canned tomatoes, preferably fire roasted

5 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca

1 Tablespoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons sugar (brown or white)

1 pound baby carrots

1.5 pounds small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled but left whole

10 ounces pearl onions (Use frozen – it is NOT worth the effort to peel fresh ones. Trust me, I’ve done it!)

10 ounces frozen peas (If you prefer, you could use green beans, cut into thirds, but I always use peas…)

8 ounces of brown mushrooms like a Cremini or Baby Bellas, halved or quartered (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Trim the roast and cut into large chunks (2 x 2 inches)img_2344img_2345
  3. Toss the meat with salt and pepper
  4. Brown on all sides in a heavy Dutch Oven or Cocotte in the heated EVOO. I did this in two batches. When your last batch has browned, add back all of the meat along with the bay leaves and canned tomatoes.
  5. Sprinkle the Tapioca, sugar and thyme over the meat and mix through. Add the wine and beef stock. Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 1.5 hours.
  6. After 1.5 hours, add in the carrots, onions and potatoes and gently stir through. Re-cover the pot and place it back in the oven for another hour. If you are using the mushrooms, add them now and cook for another 30 minutes. Otherwise just cook the stew for the additional 30 minutes for a total of 3 hours. Turn off the heat and add in the frozen peas, gently mixing through. Allow the stew to cool, covered. I don’t bother refrigerating it if I am using it the next day but feel free. When you are ready to eat the stew, place it in a 300 degree oven for about 30 – 45 minutes until heated through. Adjust your seasonings if necessary.

Note: Because you are using the Minute Tapioca, there is no need to thicken the sauce or to add a roux. I told you this was easy! Serve this with a crusty bread and a green salad.

Slow Cooked Beef with Pappardelle and Mint

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I LOVE eating pasta.  To the point that it’s not terribly healthy for me to have leftovers around as I end up picking at it.  But on the other hand, this braised beef with mint seemed like such an interesting combination that I had to try it.

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Luckily for us our grocery story only seems to sell fresh pappardelle in 12 oz portions so between us we had not worries about leftovers.  When I first set about to marinade the beef for this, we were rushing home after a fun dinner out (since it’s always nice to pepper in date nights) to get to the grocery store before it closed.  We were able to get in and out in the nick of time, but I realized upon coming home that I had totally forgotten the mint.

I did however have fresh thyme lying around, and so threw that in the marinade for the meat, and then after doing some research, felt okay about continuing with add the mint in the next day for the final product.  It’s not clear to me that the thyme made that much of a difference, but I’m including it here since that’s how we made this pasta that ended up being spectacular.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb trimmed boneless beef shank, cut into 2-inch pieces (or just beef stew cubes)
  • One 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
  • 15 mint sprigs, stems reserved
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • One 35-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 pound fresh pappardelle
  • 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp fresh thyme (optional)
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions

  1. In a large resealable plastic bag (or a glasslock container or just a big mixing bowl), combine the beef with the wine, thyme and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°. Drain the beef, reserving the marinade; discard the mint stems. Pat the beef dry. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half of the meat to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until well browned all over, about 12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Brown the remaining meat over moderate heat.
  3. Return all of the meat to the casserole. Add the marinade and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, until the meat is very tender.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and shred with 2 forks. Boil the braising liquid until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pappardelle until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the meat and the reduced braising liquid and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the pasta is well coated with the brasato, about 2 minutes.
  6. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the mint leaves and cook for 10 seconds. Pour the garlic-mint oil over the pasta and toss. Serve in shallow bowls, passing the cheese alongside.
Adapted from Food and Wine, Beef Brasato with Papperdelle and Mint 

Beet and Chickpea Quinoa Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments

I used to live right above a Le Pain Quotidien and as it was one of the few restaurants in my neighborhood where I could just sit with my newspaper and eat my favorite soft boiled eggs.  They also had some light, rustic French fare that included this tasty quinoa salad.

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We try to pack our lunches during the week, and lately I’ve been making a lot of quinoa salads, but it felt time to mix up the type of quinoa salad.  I suddenly remembered this one, and it ended up also being a delicious brunch when set over some lightly dressed arugula and a side of avocado toast.

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Add some eggs and then you truly have a healthy but elaborate brunch. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 medium beet, chopped (I like to buy the precooked, prepeeled beets and just dice them)
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas

If you’re serving this over an arugula salad… then also:

  • 2 cups arugula per serving

And if you want to add eggs…

  • 3-4 eggs/person

Directions

  1. Begin by preparing the Quinoa salad. In a medium bowl, mix the cooked quinoa, beet, parsley, and chickpeas. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper until fully incorporated.
  2. If you’re serving over arugula, add arugula to your serving plates, and then add about a cup of the quinoa salad.
  3. If you also want to add eggs, heat olive oil on a medium sized skilled, crack your eggs into the skillet and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the whites are not runny anymore.  Serve on top of everything else!

Adapted from Le Pain Quotidien, Quinoa Taboule Salad Recipe.

 

Shrimp and Arugula Avocado Pesto Pasta

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

We don’t tend to eat pastas that often, but when we do, we try to go for interesting flavors.  I’m always also looking for easy recipes that I can throw together in the evenings after work, and this concept was recommended to me by a friend at work.

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I came home to assemble it and it tasted like one of the healthiest pastas I’ve ever had!  Plus it helped that it had one of my favorite ingredients, shrimp!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb linguine pasta
  • 1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil for sauce, 2-3 tbsp olive oil for cooking shrimp
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • 2 avocados

Directions

  1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook linguine according to box instructions (usually about 13 minutes).
  2. In a medium sized bowl, toss the shrimp with the paprika, about 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp of lemon juice.
  3. In a large skillet, spread some olive oil and when hot, add the shrimp.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the shrimp has lost the translucent color.
  4. In the bowl of a food processor, add the arugula, avocado, and olive oil and pulse and puree until creamy.  Feel free to add more olive oil if you want a thinner sauce.
  5. Once the pasta has been cooked, drain and return to pot.  Add in the sauce and stir all together.  Add the parmesan cheese here, as well and stir.
  6. Serve onto shallow pasta bowls and place shrimp on top.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Easy Feta and Roasted Tomato Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Light salads often feature as a first course in our more elaborate dinners on the weekends.  Oftentimes I know I want to make a green salad but am never sure what to throw into them.  The best salads, though, are often when you discover leftover bits and pieces in  your fridge, that when assembled look picture perfect.  This was one of those.

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I happened to have a bunch of roasted tomatoes leftover from a previous brunch, and so decided to throw them into this light salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 block of feta cheese
  • 5 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 1/2 lb arugula
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • pinch of kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Cut your tomatoes in half and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with foil with the flesh sides up.   Season with salt and pepper and oregano.  Bake for about 35 minutes or until the tomatoes look slightly browned.
  2. In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, olive oil and lemon juice.
  3. Cut the block of feta cheese into 2″ squares and set aside.
  4. Once the tomatoes are done, let them cool for about 15 minutes.
  5. Assemble the salad by placing the arugula in a shallow bowl, followed by an arrangement of feta and tomatoes to your taste.
  6. Serve immediately!

Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

While technically Autumn has started, it still feels warm and muggy in New York.  This soup was a nice antidote to the hot air outdoors, and was refreshing to eat.  While I’m not sure if I could taste the added flavor from them, the rose petals do add a flair of “fancy” and can be found at Kalustyans.com.

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dried rose petals (optional)
  • 2 cups 2 percent plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups ice water
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 seedless cucumber, peeled and finely diced (1 cup)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped mint
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Ground sumac, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate (or just a baking sheet lined with foil) and toast for about 10 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, cover the rose petals with cold water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the petals and squeeze dry.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt with the ice water. (You can add water if it seems too thick). Stir in the raisins, cucumber, mint, dill, chives, walnuts and rose petals and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until very cold, about 1 hour. Serve the soup in shallow bowls, sprinkled with sumac.

 

From Food and Wine

Catalan Fish Stew

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been reading quite a few articles in the paper lately about Catalan cooking and so when I came across this recipe, knew that I had to make it.  The mix of olives and fish and jamon make for a very hearty dish that comes together pretty easily for a weeknight.

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I have also never understood how one is supposed to box grate a tomato (which the original recipe calls for) since it usually ends up with a sad looking mush of tomato and not nearly the yield that I would have expected.

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I started substituting this with my favorite boxed tomatoes (which is always good to have around the house, especially for those nights when you’re too tired to cook but can make a simple pasta).  Once the substitution happened, not only did it speed up my cooking, but I was less averse to trying all these recipes with the box grated tomatoes.

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Just make sure to go easy on the dollop of the mayonnaise sauce – the stew itself is already pretty rich and hearty so start with a small dollop per serving, and then add it on if you want more of that flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 28 oz box finely chopped or strained tomatoes (I always buy Pomi tomatoes)
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup bottled clam broth (same as clam juice)
  • 4 ounces sliced serrano ham, cut into thin strips (Jamon and Proscuitto work, as well)
  • 1/3 cup pitted green olives, chopped
  • 1 1/2 pounds halibut fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)  or regular paprika

Directions

  1. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and half of the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until they are softened and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add the box of tomatoes and cook over high heat until it is thickened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the clam juice and boil until it is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the serrano, olives and halibut and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the fish is cooked through and the stew is thick, about 5 minutes longer.
  5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash the remaining garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, pimentón and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
  6. Serve the fish stew in shallow bowls with a small dollop of the pimentón mayonnaise.  

Adapted from Food and Wine

Chicken Chasseur (Hunter Stew)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

img_2233I enjoy broiled, baked or roasted chicken as much as the next person, but it does get boooooring! While staring at my fridge and pantry hoping for inspiration, I realized that I had all of the makings for chicken chasseur. I’m sure that there are many versions of this dish, some that are more complicated and also fattier. I have nothing against some good old fat – especially butter  or lardons- but this version is based on one by Jacques Pepin from his cookbook Jacques Pepin’s Table. His version calls for chicken thighs on the bone, which are flavorful and less prone to drying out than the breast meat; however, I had boneless chicken breasts in my fridge so that is what I used. I made a couple of other small adjustments to suit personal taste. This version is delicious and simple enough to make on a weeknight and is ready in under an hour.

Chicken Chasseur

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon EVOO

About 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (If they are large, cut them into two pieces each)

1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced (White and light green part only)

1 large shallots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1.5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup dry white wine (I happened to have an open dry rose so that was what I used)

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes in their own juice (I like fire-roasted)

6 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped (about 1 Tablespoon)

12 ounces of small to medium mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (Cut in half  or even quarters if they are larger)

1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh

3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1.5 teaspoon fresh

3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1.5 teaspoons fresh

1 teaspoon Kosher or Sea Salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat the EVOO in a large non-stick or heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the chicken breasts in one layer and cook them for 5 minutes on each side over medium high heat. Transfer the breasts to a large platter and cover lightly with foil to keep warm.
  2. To the drippings in the pan, add the leek and onion and saute for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix it in well for about 30 seconds. Then pour in the wine and tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
  3. Add back the chicken breasts. Stir in the garlic, mushrooms and all of the herbs and seasonings EXCEPT for the tarragon. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes more. If you are using chicken on the bone or dark meat, you may have to cook a little longer.
  4. When ready to serve, sprinkle in the tarragon. This is delicious as is but I like to serve it over a flat ribboned pasta like a pappardelle. It only needs a green salad to complete the meal – well and wine, of course!

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