Creamy Pasta with Shrimp and Broccoli

Here's a shrimp scampi on pasta made unctuous with the smooth creaminess of creme fraiche.  A French wonder, creme fraiche is becoming more available, and is slightly less sour than sour cream - but either could be used here.
1/2 lb multicolor pasta
3-4 cups broccoli flowerets
1 leek, cleaned, trimmed and diced

2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
20 medium shrimp, shelled

1/4 cup creme fraiche, or sour cream
juice of 1/2 lemon

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil for the pasta in a medium pot. Salt generously and add the pasta. cook only just until al dente. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and and then drain the pasta mixture.

While the pasta cooks, add the leek and a dash of olive oil to a large non-stick skillet. Bring the leek to a nice sizzle and then add a tablespoon water. Cook until the leek softened nicely and the water all evaporates. Add the broccoli and stir fry for about 3-5 minutes, until the broccoli is heated through and is crisp-tender. Remove veggies to a bowl and keep warm.
In the same skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the garlic and jalapeño pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp just turns pink, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the veggie mixture to the shrimp.

Then gently fold in the pasta.

Now gently fold in the creme fraiche or sour cream and heat through.

Stir in the lemon juice and then immediately turn pasta mixture into four bowls and garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  You can use your favorite pasta for this - I like the multicolor flowers that match the broccoli flowerette shape well.

Brussels Slaw

Cole slaw is one of my favorite salads, and Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite cabbages.  Et viola.
4 cups finely sliced green cabbage
6-8 large Brussels sprouts, finely sliced
1/2 cup finely sliced red Bermuda onion
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

Dressing:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup good real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp salted sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Toss in the veggies and mix well. Allow to marinate at least an hour in the refrigerator. Toss well and tip into a serving bowl.  Garnish with sunflower seeds

Makes about 6 cups slaw.

Arroz Polo Camarón

Spanish Chicken with Pork and Shrimp

This is a hearty chicken and rice dish of Spanish origin; much like a paella, but done on the stovetop in a large pot.  There's something in this for everyone, and feeds a hungry crowd.
1/2 lb pork, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 chicken thighs (bone-in with skin)

1 small red pepper, diced (about 1-1/2 cups
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz frozen quartered artichokes, thawed (I used Trader Joe’s)

1 short grain white rice (like Valencia)
1/2 cup short grain born rice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pimenton, Spanish smokey paprika
3 cups water

1 dozen large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Brown the pork in a large pot with a dash olive oil.

Remove to a bowl. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove chicken to a separate bowl.  Now add the leek and red pepper into the pot and cook about 5-8 minutes to soften. Add the thyme, oregano and garlic, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the artichokes and heat through.

Remove veggie mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Return the pork to the pot and add the rice. Add a dash of olive oil and toast the rice for about 5 minutes with the pork.

Stir in the cumin and pimenton and cook another minute. Return the chicken and veggies to the pot and fold in gently with the rice mixture.

Add the water and bring to a gentle boil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about 20-30 minutes, until all the water has been absorbed.

Top the dish with the shrimp and cover again.

Cook over the lowest heat possible for about 5-10 minutes just to cook the shrimp through. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Cook's Note:  I used Valencia rice, but you could use whatever favorite rice you have on hand.  You could also use short grain brown rice but I would not recommend long grain brown rice as the chicken will probably overcook by the time the rice is done.

Sesame Fig Pancakes

These are tasty thin pancakes, just a bit more robust than a crepe, and with a nice crispy edge.  No sugar is used here - just sweetened with mission fig.  The sesame seeds complement the sweet fig with a savory note, especially when they get toasted on the skillet while cooking the pancake.
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
dash salt (about 1/8 tsp)

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp canola oil

6 black Mission figs, finely diced
1 Tbsp brown toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, coriander and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and oil.

Heat a large non-stick skillet with a dash of oil.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the figs and sesame seeds.

Spoon about 1/4 cup mixture onto skillet to form a pancake. Cook until just browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook through on the other side for just about a minute.

Serve immediately.

Makes about a dozen pancakes.  Double or triple as needed.

Cook’s note: I love pancakes with lots of butter and fresh maple syrup, but I know tastes vary. Top these puppies with your favorite pancake topping - perhaps jammed lingonberries and sour cream, for example. Or better yet, top them with a creamed chicken or shrimp number or something else savory - they could make a great platform for a lunch or dinner.

Cauliflower Anita

My colleague Anita is a real foodie.  She describes a clean, simple cuisine so attractive to the busy professional - wonderful food prepared quickly with simple ingredients.

Recently she described a quick dinner made of roasted cauliflower and pasta, flavored by toasted capers.  I reverse engineer it here, but had to add some garlic and peas to make it my own.  With or without garlic and peas, a fine inspiration from a like-minded foodie spirit - thanks Anita!
1 small head cauliflower cut into flowerettes, about 4 cups
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp capers
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup peas (if frozen, defrosted)

1/2 lb campanelle pasta

Preheat oven to 425F. Bring a pot with 3 quarts water to a boil for the pasta. Liberally salt the water with 1-2 tablespoons Kosher salt.

Toss the cauliflower with the red pepper and oil in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip cauliflower onto a rimmed roasting pan and shake to achieve a single layer evenly distributed. Roast in oven for about 20-30 minutes until browned, turning once or twice.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the capers and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes, until they are fragrant and begin to ‘pop’. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and then drain pasta.

Now add the garlic and shallot to the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and just heat through.

Return the capers to the peas and stir.

Tip the pasta, cauliflower and pea mixture into a large bowl and gently fold together.

Add a dash of the cooking water, just enough to moisten the dish to taste. Turn into a serving platter and garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 4.

Cook's note:  Though perhaps over adorning this simple wonderful combination, pass the parmesan, as many will appreciate it.

It may seem like a lot of olive oil in the skillet, but it becomes a very flavored oil with the capers, shallot and garlic, and is not too much to flavor a quart of cauliflower and a half pound of pasta.  Adjust to taste.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Black Bean and Kale

If you ever do get a cold day this mild winter, warm up with baked squash - a traditional winter dish.  Here I stuff a carnival squash with a mixture of black beans, kale and leek, baked under a toasted hazelnut topping sweetened with dried cranberries. Hearty, warming and stick-to-your-ribs.  And you get to turn the oven on in winter.
1 Acorn squash, quartered and seeded
1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1/2 purple Bermuda onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups Tuscan kale, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked rice

Topping:
1/4 cup hazel nuts
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Toast the hazelnuts in a 375F oven for about 3-5 minutes, just until aromatic. Watch, or they can burn quickly. Remove from oven and allow to return to room temperature. Keep oven at temperature.

Place squash, skin-side down, in a an oiled casserole. Sprinkle with sugar and season with coarse salt.

Roast covered in oven for about 15 minutes. Continue cooking uncovered about 15 minutes.

While squash cooks, sauté leek and onion in a skillet with a dash of olive oil.

After about 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the kale and cook another 10 minutes. Add the black beans and rice and warm through. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss hazel nuts, cranberries and garlic in a small food processor. Pulse to form a coarse meal.

Tip into a small bowl and toss with the olive oil.

Remove squash from the oven and carefully stuff the squash evenly with the kale mixture. Top each squash with the hazel nut topping, distributing evenly.

Return to the oven and cook another 30 minutes.

Serves 4.

Chicken Braised with 20 Garlic Cloves

Cooking from my library

I tried to cook Ina Garten’s Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic and ended up with a fantastic result - but not the one depicted in the picture in her cookbook ‘Barefoot in Paris’. Her pic showed chicken much more browned and crispy than I was able to achieve (twice I tried!) by braising in the wine as she specifies. Nonetheless, she remains one of my heroes and I will continue to tweak this recipe to see if I can achieve the dry browned crispiness depicted.

This is basically a Coq au Vin Blanc with lots of garlic - but no worries. As Ina says, the garlic is braised first to lighten it up and it is soft and sweet - not sharp as it is sautéed fresh.

A delicious dish and thanks to Ina. Here is my version.
6 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cream sherry
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 375F. Set two cups of water in a small pot to a boil. Toss in the garlic and cook for 60 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Heat a dash of olive oil in an oven-going pot or Dutch Oven. Brown the chicken thighs, about 3-5 minutes on each side until nicely browned.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add the blanched garlic and the thyme to the pot and brown the garlic just a bit - about 3-5 minutes. 

Add the cream sherry and cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken thighs back to the pot along with the white wine and chicken broth.

Bring to a gentle boil and cover. Place pot in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven when the chicken is done. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon to a plate and cover to keep warm. Remove 1/2 cup of the sauce to a small bowl and cool just a bit.

Bring the sauce in the pot to a very gentle boil. Whisk the flour into the cooled sauce in the small bowl, then whisk into the pot. Bring back to a gentle boil and allow the sauce to thicken a bit.

Serve the chicken with the sauce and garlic. Serve over rice and favorite vegetables, garnished with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

Serves 4.

Creamy Gnocchi Baked with Goat Cheese

Gnocchi - especially fresh - have this toothsome bite to them, that satisfies even meat eaters (I am one of them!).  While I will not claim this to be a healthful meal - too much simple carb, and cream and cheese - it is most certainly a wonderful dish.  Sometimes you should prepare a wonderful dish to enjoy and keep yourself going.  Then you can be good.
1 lb fresh gnocchi (I used Trader Joe’s)
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp snipped chives
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 lb goat cheese with herbs

Preheat oven to 400F. Melt the butter in the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the gnocchi and heat through.

Add the cream and the chives and bring to a gentle boil.

Season with coriander and then salt and pepper to taste. Allow the cream to boil down a bit to thicken up.

Transfer Gnocchi mixture to a medium oiled casserole. Top with the goat cheese and parsley.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes uncovered until brown and bubbly.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Rib Eye Mushroom Marsala

Here is a rich dish to win someone's heart with.
1 bone-in ribeye steak, about 1-1/4 lb
12 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

Melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet. Heat to shimmering and then add the mushrooms. Cook over high heat until the mushrooms release what water they will and brown up nicely. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Heat a dash of canola oil in the skillet until almost smoking. Add the steak and sear on one side for about 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper the steak to taste and flip the steak.

Cook another 2-3 minutes, until outside is nicely browned but still medium rare inside.

Remove the steak to a plate and cover to rest and keep warm. Add the shallot to the skillet with a tablespoon butter. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the shallot is softened. Add the marsala wine and then bring to a gentle boil to allow the alcohol to cook off.

Add the cream and allow the sauce to thicken. Stir in the mushrooms into the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the steak on a bias and serve with the mushroom Marsala sauce.  Serve 2.

Cook's Note:  The ribeye steak is the prime rib of the beef in steak form - I think the best steak there is.

Others might prefer the NY Strip, slightly less fatty, but also very, very good.  You could use whatever is your favorite steak for this dish, just be sure not to overcook, and to allow the steak to rest a few minutes before slicing.