Oh Snap! Banana Pudding

While I'm still a fan of the straight-from-the-box, Nillas and Nanners, made with Cool-Whip and instant pudding, I decided to try something a little more classic. This supposedly was the original recipe on the back of the Nilla wafer box. Me I used some hippie whole wheat cookies, but they were actually better that way with a flavor crossed between a graham cracker and a nilla wafer, put none of that hydro-gee-nated vegetable oil.

3/4 c sugar
3 Tbls All Purpose flour
dash of salt
4 eggs
 2 c milk
1/2 t vanilla
vanilla wafers
5 or 6 fully ripe, medium bananas, sliced

Combine 1/2 c sugar, flour, and salt in top of dbl boiler. Mix in 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks. Stir in milk. Cook uncovered over boiling water, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Spread small amount in bottom of 1 1/2 qt casserole. top w/nilla wafer, layer of bananas. Pour about a 1/3 of custard over bananas. Continue to layer, ending with custard.
Make a meringue of the 3 egg whites beating them until dry before adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Pile on top of pudding covering entire surface.Bake in preheated 425 oven 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or chilled.

Lamb Stroganoff(ish)

I made this recipe up, so forgive not staying true to any recipe here.

I had some lamb stew meat left over from the 1/2 lamb we purchased back in March. I wanted to cook the lamb up slow to get all the flavor out. I did note the flavor of the meat definitely improved the longer I cooked it (slowly mind you).

Slow cooked sauce:

3 large shallot bulbs, sliced into rings (~1/2 cup)
olive oil
1 cup lamb stew meat
1 carton of baby portabellas, sliced (~2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 fresh italian parsley, chopped.
1/2 cup heart red wine
1 cup chicken broth
water to keep sauce slow cooking
salt, paprika to taste

In a large saute pan, I browned the lamb bits on high for a few minutes with a little olive oil, then turned down to medium heat to saute the shallots and mushrooms. Once the shallots started to turn translucent, I tossed in the garlic and parsley, sauteing only about 30 seconds, then splash in the red wine, add the chicken broth and set the pan on low for 2-3 hours. I'd recommend not salting until the mixture cooks down a little, especially if your chicken broth is salted.
Add water if the sauce needs to cook longer and it has become too thick. You want to finish with something resembling the consistency of spaghetti sauce.

To brighten up the affair I decided to add extra veggies to the sauce at the end along with the pasta. English peas are in season so I added a bunch, snap peas would work if you can't get them.

olive oil
1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
i clove garlic, minced.
1 cup of English peas (shelled)

1 large dollop of sour cream.
1/4 cup fresh italian parsley, chopped
2/3 pound fettucine or parpadelle noodles
paprika to taste (see below)

Start the water boiling for pasta. When the water starts boil, start sauteing your mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat and drop the pasta for cooking. (You can always cook the pasta in advance) When the mushrooms reach a nice texture (I sauteed about 5 minutes) add the garlic and cook an additional 30-60sec. Turn the heat down to low, add the sour cream, parsley,your initial lamb sauce, and peas to mixture. Add paprika to taste. NOTE: We had both smoked and spicy paprika, I used a little of both. The smokiness adds a rich flavor and just a little spice works well with the sweetness of the peas. The peas should only cook a few minutes. Taste them occasionally while cooking. They should be bright and tasty but not crunchy. Toss in the pasta once it is cooked and garnish with more italian parsley.

Serve with a hearty red wine.

Spaghetti with Lamb, Broccoli di Cicco and Cipollini

from Joseph Manzare of Globe in SF

This is a really amazing dish. I accidentally added to much spice, but my guests really enjoyed it that way. Also, I since this is a rich dish, I back off the pasta proportion at times to prevent putting everyone to sleep. Or just serve smaller portions.

1 pound spaghetti
1 pound ground lamb
1 1/2 pounds broccoli di cicco (cut into 1/2 inch pieces, use the stem and leaves too!)
1 clove smashed garlic
4 large red jalapeños or 1 large red bell pepper (roasted, peeled and julienned)
6 cipollini (quartered) or 1 large onion (chopped)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons Capricious aged goat's milk cheese (grated) or parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic. Cook slowly (about 3 minutes) to flavor the oil. When garlic is slightly golden brown, add cipollini and broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender. Add lamb and turn up heat to high. Season lamb with salt and pepper. When lamb becomes slightly brown and cooked through, add pepper and parsley. Mix together and let simmer for about 12 minutes or just long enough for your pasta to cook. Cook pasta in salted water. When pasta is done strain, and keep just a little of the pasta cooking liquid with the pasta. Toss the pasta into the skillet with the lamb. Add grated cheese and mix well. Eat.

My Pizza Fixation

Intial recipe comes from the artisan bread in 5 minutes folks.....Dough was okay, didn't stretch well and not alot of flavor

This is the current recipe I am playing with: (from Peter Reinhart)


4 1/2 cups (20.25 ounces) unbleached high-gluten, bread, or all-purpose flour, chilled
1 3/4 (.44 ounce) teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon (.11 ounce) instant yeast
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil (optional)
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) water, ice cold (40°F)
Semolina flour OR cornmeal for dusting

1. Stir together the flour, salt, and instant yeast in a 4-quart bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). With a large metal spoon, stir in the oil and the cold water until the flour is all absorbed (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment), If you are mixing by hand, repeatedly dip one of your hands or the metal spoon into cold water and use it, much like a dough hook, to work the dough vigorously into a smooth mass while rotating the bowl in a circular motion with the other hand. Reverse the circular motion a few times to develop the gluten further. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are evenly distributed. If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, or as long as it takes to create a smooth, sticky dough. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet and doesn't come off the sides of the bowl, sprinkle in some more flour just until it clears the sides. If it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a tea- spoon or two of cold water. The finished dough will be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50 to 55F.

2. Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with baking parchment and misting the parchment with spray oil (or lightly oil the parchment). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you are comfortable shaping large pizzas), You can dip the scraper into the water between cuts to keep the dough from sticking to it, Sprinkle flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Lift each piece and gently round it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands, dip your hands into the flour again. Transfer the dough balls to the sheet pan, Mist the dough generously with spray oil and slip the pan into a food-grade plastic bag.

3. Put the pan into the refrigerator overnight to rest the dough, or keep for up to 3 days. (Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.)

4. On the day you plan to make the pizza, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator 2 hours before making the pizza. Before letting the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours, dust the counter with flour, and then mist the counter with spray oil. Place the dough balls on top of the floured counter and sprinkle them with flour; dust your hands with flour. Gently press the dough into flat disks about 1/2 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the dough with flour, mist it again with spray oil, and cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a food-grade plastic bag. Now let rest for 2 hours.

5. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone either on the floor of the oven (for gas ovens), or on a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven as hot as possible, up to 800F (most home ovens will go only to 500 to 550F, but some will go higher). If you do not have a baking stone, you can use the back of a sheet pan, but do not preheat the pan.

6. Generously dust a peel or the back of a sheet pan with semolina flour or cornmeal. Make the pizzas one at a time. Dip your hands, including the backs of your hands and knuckles, in flour and lift I piece of dough by getting under it with a pastry scraper. Very gently lay the dough across your fists and carefully stretch it by bouncing the dough in a circular motion on your hands, carefully giving it a little stretch with each bounce. If it begins to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue shaping it. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss as shown on page 208. If you have trouble tossing the dough, or if the dough keeps springing back, let it rest for 5 to 20 minutes so the gluten can relax, and try again. You can also resort to using a rolling pin, though this isn't as effective as the toss method.

7. When the dough is stretched out to your satisfaction (about 9 to 12 inches in diameter for a 6-ounce piece of dough), lay it on the peel or pan, making sure there is enough semolina flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide. Lightly top it with sauce and then with your other top- pings, remembering that the best pizzas are topped with a less-is-more philosophy. The American "kitchen sink" approach is counterproductive, as it makes the crust more difficult to bake. A few, usually no more than 3 or 4 toppings, including sauce and cheese is sufficient.

8. Slide the topped pizza onto the stone (or bake directly on the sheet pan) and close the door. Wait 2 minutes, then take a peek. If it needs to be rotated 180 degrees for even baking, do so. The pizza should take about 5 to 8 minutes to bake. If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone to a lower self before the next round. if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone for subsequent bakes.

9. Remove the pizza from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Wait 3 to 5 minutes before slicing and serving, to allow the cheese to set slightly.

Albondigas

Gonna try to make these at home as part of a larger tapas menu.


1/3lb each ground beef, lamb, pork , or veal (total 1lb)
Small onion - finely chopped
3 garlic cloves - finely minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves (optional)
1 oz dried breadcrumbs
1 egg - beaten
1 Tbsp single cream (light cream)
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil

*Sauce:
Can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves - finely minced
1/2 small onion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp smoked sweet Spanish paprika
1 bay leaf
ground sea salt

1. Combine the breadcrumbs, cream, and beaten egg in a bowl. Leave for about 10-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs has softened and absorbed the liquid.
Add in the meats, lemon, onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper. Mix well.
2. Form into 1-inch sized balls, and pan fry in batches in a pot with hot olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides.
3. *For the sauce: briefly saute the onion and garlic in the same pot where you fried the meatballs. Add the rest of the ingredients including the fried meatballs.
5. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring from time to time to prevent scorching at the bottom. The sauce should be quite liquid so add more water a little at a time if needed. Serve warm.

Lemon Mushroom Quinoa

The original recipe uses this mixture to stuff portabellas, but the stuffing part never worked for me. The quinoa though was tasty all by itself. I'll be making it to add to a salad for protein. Probably with arugula, and red peppers.

1/2 cup dry quinoa, washed
1 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped small.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp dried margoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup pecorino romano or similar hard cheese (optional)
1 scant teaspoon lemon zest (a couple of brushes with a grater should do)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Cook quinoa with 1 cup of water in a small pot, bring to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat until soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan low-medium heat, add onions and mushrooms, saute onions until translucent (3-5 minutes).

Add garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme and marjoram, saute until the garlic if fragrant (about 2 minutes).

Add vegetable broth, turn heat up to medium, let simmer 5 minutes.

Add cheese and parsley, stir until all cheese is absorbed, add lemon juice and lemon zest.

Orecchiette,Sausage and Brocolli Rabe

I am cheating on my diet and eating pasta. Why? because I miss it and ahve some brocolli rabe thats about to become useless... I promise not to like it too much


INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons salt

3 bunches broccoli rabe, about 1 1/2 pounds, coarsely chopped

10 ounces orecchiette (preferably Rustichella brand)

3 hot Italian sausage links, about 1 pound

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons very crunchy toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Return the same pot of water to a boil, add the orecchiette and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving the cooking water.

Split the sausages lengthwise down the middle and remove from their casings.

Heat the olive oil in a high-rimmed skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up as finely as possible. Add the broccoli and continue cooking and stirring until the broccoli breaks down to a saucelike texture.

Add the chicken stock and orecchiette. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, being careful it doesn't stick. You may have to keep adding a little pasta water, additional stock or tap water until the pasta is soft yet chewy (al dente), making sure not to overcook it.

Finish the pasta by folding in the cheese, a few squeezes of lemon juice and the optional breadcrumbs.

Serves 4-6