Paleo Eggplant Lasagna at Christine’s

March 15, 2019September 20, 2016 by Michel

Paleo Eggplant Lasagna at Christine’s

The crusty almond flour coating on the eggplant helps to soak up the meaty bolognese goodness getting ooey, gooey and decadent. Like making you feel warm all over on a winter’s day. That’s how my friend, Christine, describe’s her Paleo Eggpalnt Lasagna that we made at her house last week! She hit it right on the money.

It was Christine’s cross-fit community that introcuced her to this fresh Paleo way of living. Even though It did take a year before fully committing she has been following it for a couple of years and really loves it. Paleo refers to foods eaten during the Paleolithic times so basically if the cave man didn’t eat it, neither can you. There are different levels of Paleo, but true Paleo doesn’t allow any dairy or legumes. Not sure if being a true Paleo is exactly for me since I live for cheese and cetainly wouldn’t give up beans. Although, there are certain aspects of Paleo I think are wonderful like the fresh way of eating, nothing manufactured or processed! Like Christine say’s, everything in moderation.

This Paleo Eggplant Lasagna is definitly a guilt free dish that shouldn’t taste this darn good! You don’t even miss the cheese here because every bite is luscious! I highly recommend that you to get on the ball and check out this fresh Paleo way of eating. You won’t regret it one bit and may find yourself with a big ole smile on your face!

While you are on a freshness roll you may want to try my Guacamole, Pulled Beef and Mango Salsa, Salmon B.L.T Sliders, Seared Sea Scallops or Sweet Potato Fries with Green Goddess Sauce!

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
5 eggs
1 recipe tomato-basil sauce (30 minute sauce) adding in an extra 28 oz can of puréed whole peeled tomatoes to the recipe OR Slow Cooked Old Style Italian-Tomato Sauce 101
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. gound veal
1 lb. ground lamb
1 pkg. almond flour
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coconut oil spray
grapeseed oil for sautéing the meats

Directions – Pre-heat Oven to 350º

Make tomato- basil sauce and leave simmering on low, ready for the meats to be sautéed and added
Sauté the pork, veal and lamb separately and drain the oil from each of the meats after each sautéing, this will take about 5 minutes each
As each meat is finished draining stir it into your tomato sauce
Peel and slice 2 lg eggplants approx. 1/8″-1/4″ thick
Whisk 5 eggs in a medium bowl
Add 3-4 cups almond flour in another bowl for dredging the eggplant
Cover cookie tray with foil and spray with coconut oil
Dip each eggplant slice into the egg, then dredge into the almond flour flipping a couple of times to get a good coating on there
Then begin to lay the coated eggplant slices on the cookie trays
No need to spray the tops of the slices
Pop them into the oven for 20 minutes, just until tender
Note: the tops of the eggplant slices will not turn golden when baked
Begin to layer the pre-baked eggplant slices in a 13″ x 9″, 12″ x 8″ approx. baking dish
Spray bottom of baking dish with coconut oil
Begin with a sauce layer, then eggplant slices, meat sauce, eggplant, meat sauce and so on until you reach the rim of the baking dish ending with a meat sauce layer completeing the Paleo Eggplant Lasagna
Change foil layers on cookie tray to clean foil
Place the Paleo Eggplant Lasagna onto the foiled tray and bake for approx. 35 minutes still on 350º until bubbly all over
As with a traditional lasagna you want to let it sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing after you take it out of the oven…Mangia, mangia!!

Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

March 15, 2019September 13, 2016 by Michel

Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

When the aroma from your fresh garden tomato sauce smells exactly like a tomato plucked right out of your garden on a sultry summer day you know you have the right recipe! With all the beautiful weather we have had this summer everyone has an abundance of produce coming out of their garden’s. What a better way to dive right in and try your hand at making your very own tomato sauce. And when you taste how delicious the puréed tomatoes are as a raw sauce you may just stop right there. After that first taste of the raw tomato sauce there might not be any left over to go to the next simmering step!

I was very excited when some friend’s of mine, Becky and Mike, offered up a large bag of their fresh garden plum tomatoes. I knew I wanted to make fresh garden tomato sauce with them right off the bat. This is a bit nastalgic for me because it reminds me of when my mother used to make fresh garden tomato sauce for us when I was young.

It’s really an easy process of peeling, seeding and then puréeing the tomatoes with some sautéed onions and garlic. The more tomatoes you have the longer it well take but it’s so worth it. The fact that you can freeze the sauce for a later date makes it all worth while! What I love about making this fresh garden tomato sauce, other then the fact that it smells utterly amazing, is it’s just as delicious eating it raw as cooked. In fact, when I make this I can’t decide which I like better so I continue on to make both cause it’s so darn simple to do that once you are in the process.

Once you see how easy to make your own sauce it may become a new family staple for you. You just might get inspired to make it a family affair having everyone join in to make homemade gnocchi or zucchini pasta too. Don’t forget the gourmet Caesar salad and then of course there’s an amazing ricotta pie or go for the death by chocolate meringue pie!

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Ingredients:

91 fresh garden tomatoes OR as many as you have
1 tbsp sea salt, LESS if you have a smaller amount of plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp finely ground pepper
5 lg fresh basil leaves
1 lg dried bay leaf
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup red wine – for the simmered sauce
1 tsp finely ground Italian seasoning
1 small Vadalia onion finely chopped
4 extra lg OR 6 medium size garlic cloves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine to de-glaze the sautéed onions and garlic

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil adding in 1 tbsp of salt
Core the stem side of all your tomatoes
Get a large bowl of ice water ready to put the tomatoes in after you blanch them
Add plum tomatoes to boiling water, 25-30 at a time and blanch for 30-45 seconds, it’s totally fine if it goes past 45 seconds cause it’s going to take you a minute or two to scoop the tomatoes out
Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and submerse into the ice water
Repeat until you have gone thru all your tomatoes
Begin to remove the loosened skins from the tomatoes then placing into another bowl as you go
Cut or tear tomatoes in half with your hands and remove most of the seeds putting pulp in one bowl and tomato flesh in another
Spoon off any excess water that rises to the top of the bowl with all the tomato flesh
Sauté chopped onion and garlic cloves til tranlucent
De-glaze onions and garlic with 1/4 cup white wine
Let the alcohol burn off and reduce slightly
Begin to purée tomatoes and sauteed onions in the food processor in batches
Add the puréed tomatoes/onions back into the large pan that you blanched the tomatoes in as you go along
When done puréeing add salt and pepper to taste and voilà there is your raw sauce
FOR RAW SAUCE: top pasta with raw sauce and sprinkle some fresh julienned basil, Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
FOR COOKED SAUCE: Put the pot of puréed tomatoes/onion back on the stove and add in the 5 extra lg fresh basil leaves, bay leaf, sugar, Italian spices, red wine and simmer for 1-2 hours…mangia mangia!!

Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie!

March 16, 2019September 2, 2016 by Michel

Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie

“Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie” is the perfect title for this recent cooking show taped at my foodie friend’s, David and Eileen’s house. When you taste this most chocolatey mousse-like filling topped with fluffy peaks of meringue you will think you have died and gone to heaven! This wonderful chocolate meringue pie recipe came from David’s mother, Alice, and has always been a family favorite for the holidays! With four boys in his family growing up, David said his mother was always welcome to the idea of having more cooks in the kitchen. You could only imagine that with four boys you’re going to need more then just one pie. David and his brothers happily learned at an early age how to pitch in and get this task done.

David uses the “chocolate fudge” flavor of Jello brand, the cook and serve, not the instant. Come to find out, this “chocolate fudge” flavor can be a difficult category to find. But using Jello brand’s “chocolate” flavor is the next best thing, so don’t fret. Make sure to keep an eye out for the “chocolate fudge” flavor next time you are at the store and shoot me an email if you strike “fudge”!

What takes this Jello cook and serve chocolate fudge pudding to a completely different universe, into a rich, chocolate mousse-like texture is the addtion of egg yolks, sugar, butter and pure vanilla extract. You will find yourself eating each bite of chocolate meringue pie very slowly just to savour every luscious bite. Part of this decadence comes from the rich, flaky crust made with a special lard David gets from Firefly Farmers in Stonington, CT. You can purchase their products at the Stonington, Waterford and Bozrah Farmers Markets. It definitely makes a difference in your pie crust to use both butter and lard like in my Perfect Pie Crust in 5 Minutes but using this lard that David use’s really puts the crust over the top!

Last but not least is the meringue that tops this incredible chocolatey filling and brings the whole pie together. Whipping the egg whites to soft peaks is important to achieve the elegant curly cues you can create when dipping a spatula gently into the surface of the meringue. Then off to the oven briefly until those beautiful peaks turn golden.

This wonderful chocolate meringue pie recipe could have easily remained a family secret but David and his mother were gracious enough to share it with us. The only option I see here is for you to get busy and make this luscious dessert for your next holiday! Don’t forget to share the YouTube link to the show 🙂 ENJOY xxoo

You should check out David and Eileen’s Lobster Mac & Cheese show if you are looking for an amazing entré, Pulled Beef Taco’s or Salmon B.L.T. Sliders at Marco’s would make for very tasty dishes also. Try my Guacamole or Homemade Salsa 101 to start everything off!

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Ingredients for David’s Pie Crust – 1 Crust for lg Deep Dish Pie Plate (measurements below are 3/4 of full recipe):

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup lard frozen, grated
1/4 cup butter refigerated, grated
3/4 tsp salt
approx. 2-3 tbsp ice cold water

FULL PIE CRUST RECIPE – 2 Crusts:

2 cups flour
1/3 cup lard or crisco
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp ice cold water

Directions for Pie Crust – Pre-Heat Oven to 400º :

Measure lard or crisco and put into freezer
Grate lard or crisco and butter and place in separate bowls back in the frig til you are ready
Add flour, salt, lard or crisco, and butter to food processor or mixer and begin to mix with paddle attachment slowly
Then slowly add in 1 tbsp at a time while mixing, you may need to add another tbsp of water to have dough come together
When dough comes together in 1-2 minutes turn dough onto wax paper forming into a disc shape and place into the freezer for 15 minutes
Begin to roll out dough between wax paper until its large enough to fit pie plate
Gently peel over top layer of wax paper flipping over into pie dish
Gently push edges in all around and remove the other piece of wax paper
Scallop the edges of pie crust
Prick inside walls and bottom of crust with a fork
Place into a 400º oven and bake 10-15 minutes until slightly golden around the edges
Let pie crust cool and begin to make the chocolate filling

Ingredients for Chocolate Filling:

2 boxes COOK and SERVE Jello brand “chocoate fudge” or “chocolate” pudding – NOT INSTANT
NOTE: I can only find “chocolate” so I mix “bittersweet chocolate chips & semi sweet chocolate chips heaping 1/4 cup of each and this tastes exactly like “chocolate fudge” brand of Jello 🙂
4 egg yolks
3 1/2 cups WHOLE milk
1/2 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp pure extract vanilla
1 pre-baked pie crust cooled

Directions for Chocolate Filling:

Separate 4 egg yolks from whites and place into separate bowls (yolks for filling and whites for meringue)
Add 2 boxes of chocolate fudge pudding mix to medium size sauce pan
Add in chocolate chips, 4 egg yolks, sugar, 3 1/2 cups of milk over medium heat
Continue to whisk while bringing ingredients to a boil, it will thicken quickly
When it thickens take off of heat
Whisk in 3 tbsp of butter and 1 tsp vanilla
Pour into the cooled pre-baked pie crust and let cool just a bit to a warm TEMP but NOT COLD– DO NOT put into the fridge because you DON’T want to put whipped meringue on a COLD pie, it will cause meringue to weep 🙂

Ingredients for Meringue:

4 egg whites
8 tbsp sugar – 2 tbsp per egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Directions for Meringue – Pre-Heat Oven to 375º :

Whisk egg whites until soft peak begin to form then start to add sugar 1 tbsp at a time
Keep whisking unitl you get soft – stiff peaks – in between peaks – NOT STIFF
Pour onto WARM chocolate pie filling
Begin to smooth meringue over to touch edges of the pie crust making sure meringue seals all along the edge of the pie crust
Once the meringue completely covers the chocolate filling begin to dip spatula in and out of meringue creating curly cue peaks
Place chocolate meringue pie into 375º oven until peaks are golden approx 10-15 minutes – if the meringue is undercooked the it will weep
Take out and let meringue cool, slice and mangia mangia!

MERINGUE TIP: Do not put whipped meringue on a COLD pie, a warm filling is better than COLD. Be sure to cook meringue through because undercooked meringue will weep 🙂

Secret Meatball Recipe at Glenn’s New Haven Apizza

March 16, 2019July 1, 2016 by Michel

Secret Meatball Recipe at Glenn’s New Haven Apizza

One of the most delicious meatballs you’ll ever have and the mammoth size will knock you for a loop! Glenn Proto, at New Haven Apizza & Bakery, right here in our very own Madison, CT, shared his mother, Annette’s, secret meatball recipe with me this week. The ingredients he use’s in his meatballs couldn’t get any fresher because he even grind’s his own meats for these meatballs. Freshly ground brisket, short ribs, 80/20 beef and Longhini sweet sausage are the main ingredients in his meatballs. Oh, but let’s not forget what he calls his “secret” to the meatballs, his addition of finely chopped pepperoni! Glenn says this is what give’s these authentic Italian meatball’s that extra special something!

Once we get past all the freshly ground meat that goes into Glenn’s meatballs the love doesn’t stop there, he then caramelizes red onions, adds in Ricotta fina (a special and costly ricotta from the very best Liuzzi Cheese in North Haven,CT, eggs, grated Romano cheese, Italian cubed up bread soaked in heavy cream, and fresh garlic and herbs! Wow, he doesn’t hold back on quality that’s for sure. What an incredible ingredient list for these most flavorful and succulent morsels. Maybe I shouldn’t use the word “morsels” either because the size of these meatball’s are cray cray! It was a blast rolling the meat mixture into bigger then baseball size meatballs with Glenn and his son Dylan. Isn’t it wonderful how the tradition carries on as Dylan and his siblings grew up making these incredible meatballs just as Glenn did. And now, we can add some of this lovely tradition into our kitchen’s since Glenn was so kind as to share his family’s recipe with all of us. He believe’s traditions and recipe’s are meant to be shared so everyone can enjoy them!

Hope you enjoy this secret meatball recipe show and remember he serve’s up 3 of these colossal meatballs in one “spaghetti and meatball” order from his restaurant! You might want to start with a few appetizer’s like my crab cakes, buffalo chicken dip, Mediterranean layered dip, spanakopita or my hummus!

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Glenn’s Mammoth Size Meatballs – makes approx 10-12 Colossal Size…Can make them smaller to yield more meatballs!

2 1/2 lbs. of ground beef (.75 lbs ea. of ground brisket, short ribs and 80/20 ground beef)
1 1/4 lbs. Longhini sweet sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped pepperoni
2 cups Italian bread after soaked in heavy cream and squeezed slightly (1 lb. about 1 loaf of Italian bread, cubed and soaked in heavy cream)
2-3 cups heavy cream – to soak cubed up Italian bread
3 lg eggs
1 cup grated Romano cheese
3/4 cup ricotta (ricotta fina if you can get it)
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
1/3 heaping cup finely chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup caramelized red onions (finely chop 2 med. size red onions and sauté on medium/high with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter for 5 minutes and then twenty minutes on low with adding 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt)
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp finely ground pepper
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400º
Cube up the Italian loaf of bread to 3/4″ pieces
Add cubed up bread to 2 – 3 cups heavy cream – should be enough to have all the pieces get saturated and soak for approx 15 minutes
Add beef and sausage to a large bowl and combine with your hands
Add in the pepperoni and the rest of the ingredients in the list and combine with your hands – Don’t over mixed meat …just until combined
Begin to roll meat mixture into desired size meatballs dipping your hands in the left over the heavy cream to help smooth the edges of the meat while shaping them
Place the meatballs onto a cookie tray..they can be right next to each other
Note: the larger they are the longer you will bake them
Bake for 45-60 until the tops are crispy and brown …mangia, mangia!

Seared Scallops

March 16, 2019June 20, 2016 by Michel

Seared Scallops

Seared scallops are so gosh darn delicious you really don’t need anything else to accompany them. They have a succulent and creamy texture that’s so tender they melt in your mouth when cooked correctly. All that is needed to sear sea scallop’s is a hot non-stick pan, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, butter for basting at the end, a squeeze of fresh lemon and violà, you have an amazing seafood dish in 4 minutes.

Butter is just one of additions to seafood that always seems to give one last flavor boost. That’s why I have you baste the scallops in the last few seconds in the show. Butter makes everything better, right? You can’t get any easier then making scallops in mere minutes. It is best to use a non-stick pan to sear these though because it will make for a smooth ride home and super easy to flip them over to get that golden sear on the other side of the scallop.

You really need to try my cold cucumber and fennel soup to go with your seared scallops. The flavors you will get from all the vegetables and herbs in the soup to the creamy scallops will put you over the top. The green goddess sauce II goes without saying when paired up with the seared scallops. If I’m serving the scallops for an appetizer I set a small bowl of green goddess sauce right in the middle of a platter for dunking and scallops placed all around…YUM!

You may want to add something hardy to compliment the fish so if you haven’t tried my family recipe for the best pasta fagioli you will ever have you should get on the ball. You could go the zucchini spaghetti route or even my amazing melt-a-away homemade gnocchi with a bolognese sauce, and who doesn’t love sticky buns with their coffee for dessert!

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Ingredients:

1 large NON-STICK pan
1 lb sea scallops – you want 3 per person for appetizer and 4-5 for entré
1 bag pre-washed spinach, sautéed
1 recipe Green Goddess Sauce II
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: Cold Cucumber & Fennel Soup Recipe

Directions:

Heat non-stick pan to high heat
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on both side of the scallops
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and begin to add scallops
If you have a medium size pan you will have to do this in 2 batches
Sear scallops about 2 minutes on each side until golden
Optional: add 1 tbsp butter and baste scallops in the last 20 seconds
Take off the heat and squeeze 1/2 lemon over scallops
Remove scallops immediately from hot pan to a serving dish
Plate each dish with a sautéed spinach in the center, top with scallops and drizzle with green goddess sauce around outer edge of the plate…enjoy!
OR top cold cucumber & fennel soup with seared scallops!

BBQ Sauce – BEST Homemade Sweet & Tangy!

May 26, 2017June 9, 2016 by Michel

BBQ Sauce – BEST Homemade Sweet & Tangy!

It’s like BBQ sauce candy! My Homemade BBQ Sauce is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy and a little spicy! This recipe is one of my versions of a classic “Kansas City” style sauce, meaning it is a tomato based sauce with a sweetener and a vinegar. Ketchup, dark Molasses, brown sugar, cider vinegar and spices are the core ingredient’s that make up this delicious blend of barbecue sauciness. It’s not too sweet or too tangy and it has just a pinch of heat to remind you that it’s a BBQ sauce. It really can’t get any easier to make BBQ sauce then this here recipe. It will definitely make it hard for you to go back to the bottle stuff with the high fructose corn syrup. In fact, I guarantee that you will find yourself dipping that spoon back into the pot to get one more lick of this homemade sassy sauce!

One of my favorite things to do with this sauce is adding a couple tablespoons of bourbon in the last 5 minutes of simmering. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe for sure! If you have a mix of adults and children spilt the sauce into 2 portions, keeping one with bourbon and one with out.

Using the liquid smoke, which is simple to find at your local grocer now a days, is ideal for emulating that smokiness you would get with outdoor barbecuing. I have you adding in chipolte chile powder and a Spanish smoked paprika too which gives off a delicate flavor to the sauce without being too overbearing.

The 3 basic BBQ sauce type’s out there are a tomato based, a vinegar based and a mustard based. Believe it or not, there actually is a mayo based as well. The “Kansas City” style is the tomato based and probably the most popular through out the U.S. There’s a “Memphis” style similar to Kansas City with the tomato base but a thinner, more vinegar type sauce. The actual vinegar and mustard type sauce’s are quintessential to the Carolina’s. South Carolina being partial to the mustard type sauce and North Carolina to the vinegar type sauce. Then there’s that white BBQ sauce that’s mayo based, a signature sauce of Big Bob Gibson out of Alabama.

Once you see how easy it is to make your own delicious, sassy BBQ sauce I have a feeling there will be no stopping you! Enjoy your summer with this introductory BBQ sauce recipe! You might want to tag team all this barbecuing with some crab cakes, zucchini spaghetti, or spanakopita, and end with my amazing blueberry pie made with my perfect pie crust in 5 minutes!!

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Ingredients:

2 cups Ketchup
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp garlic granules
1/2 tsp onion granules
1/2 tsp chipolte chile powder (If you can’t find “chipolte” chile powder just use chile powder it will still be wonderful)
1/2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
2 dashes of Wocestershire sauce
2 tbsp of Bourbon – If you are a party of adults …it’s AMAZING!

Directions:

Put all above ingredients into medium sauce pan and whisk to combine
Bring to a low simmer 20 minutes
The sauce will be delicious in only 5 minutes – delvelops more depth of flavor by simmering longer!
Basting your grilling meats in the last 3-5 minutes with BBQ is deal so as not to burn and oven cooking meats in the last 10 minutes (the sugars in the BBQ Sauce will burn if you put it on too early)

Green Goddess Sauce ll

March 15, 2019May 29, 2016 by Michel

Green Goddess Sauce ll

Having my green goddess sauce ll at your next party will be sure to turn heads. It’s kind of like wearing a new party dress! This green goddess sauce is made in mere minutes in a blender. It’s a blend of Greek yogurt, mayo, fresh mint leaves and cilantro, garlic, green onion, lemon juice, olive oil and rice wine vinegar. You don’t even have to waste time chopping finely because it all get puréed anyways!

Decorating your party plates with my green goddess sauce will make for a lovely presentation, a more formal one, but having a bowl or pouring cup of the sauce on the table will do the trick quite nicely! In fact, the latter might be better since there’s a good possibility your guest’s will be going back for seconds.

This green goddess sauce is so versatile because it literally goes with all foods! It’s heavenly on seared scallops…all fish for that matter, swordfish, rack of lamb, pulled beef tacos, Sweet Potato Fries , Baked Crispy Fries, or Baked Coconut Shrimp and even cut veggies!

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Ingredients:

1 cup plus 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayo (I use Hellman’s)
1/2 cup packed mint leaves (1 cup loose)
1 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove put thru garlic press
1/2 jalapeño diced
4 lg stalks, 6 small of green onion chopped coarsely
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp “seasoned” rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar – (NOTE: I forgot to add this in the show, but it really needs this for balance 🙂
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If it’s not hot enough with the jalapeno add a dash of Siracha

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients into a blender an purée for 10 seconds…be patient – you may need to stop and stir everything to get it going but do NOT add any more liquid
Stop blender and scrap down sides to get the larger leaf pieces and blend for 5 more seconds and violà!
Taste here and add salt and pepper
Add a dash of Siracha – you need to taste the sauce first, sometimes a jalapeño can be super hot and other times it can be a mellow hot
This sauce gets even better if you can pop it into the fridge for an hour and let the flavors mingle, the sauce will thicken up a little too!
Make this ahead of time and keep sauce in a plastic container and refrigerate. It stays nicely for days in frig.
This green sauce is absolutely delicious on so many things…be creative.

Best Shrimp Scampi!

March 16, 2019May 15, 2016 by Michel

Best Shrimp Scampi!

shrimpy Shrimp scampi is one of those delicious dishes that’s sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face just on aroma’s alone! Shrimp sautéed in olive oil and butter with lots of garlic, shallots, clam broth, and white wine topped with fresh lemon juice, parsley and Parmesan make’s for a grand party atop a pile of linguine!

This quickie gourmet sauce I have created for you in this shrimp scampi dish is a light sauce, yet packed with flavor. The way we do this is by concentrating the juice’s released from those sautéed shrimp along with a couple of bottles of clam stock simmering for a brief seven minutes. The traditional and time consuming way to create this lovely stock would be to simmer the shrimp shells in white wine for a while like you would for a lobster bisque stock. The objective here was to take a short cut to accommodate our busy every day lives without foregoing taste by using bottled clam stock. Voilà, you have an amazing flavor base for our shrimp scampi with linguine in seven minutes.

One of my favorite way’s to serve the shrimp scampi with linguine is by offering up a Parmesan with red pepper flake’s mixed right into it. It’s nice to offer two small dishes of Parmesan, one with the pepper flakes and one without. By adding the red pepper flakes to the grated cheese guests are less likely to accidentally sprinkle on too much because it’s dispersed throughout the cheese.

You might want to try some homemade pasta to go with this wonderful shrimp scampi or even a Caesar Salad. Some chocolate crackle cookies would be great for dessert or homemade chocolate eclairs with an incredibly easy and luscious vanilla filling. Then again there those drunk blondie bars with the bourbon caramel sauce that are to die for! Enjoy! 🙂

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Ingredients for Shrimp Scampi with Linguine – 6-10 People:

1 – 1 1/2 lbs of peeled & deveined large shrimp (ask for a certain number of shrimp …2-5 per person depending on what other side dishes you are serving)
2 bottle of Snows clam broth
1/2 cup white wine – pinot grigio
4 lg garlic clove finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped shallot
2 lg garlic clove smashed
1/4 cup finely chopped FRESH FLAT LEAF Italian parsley
5 Tbsp salted butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb pasta – linguine or linguine fini
2 lemons
Reggiano Parmesano
Red pepper flakes -OPTIONAL
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and devein shrimp
Bring large pan of salted water to a boil
Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter and 2 lg crushed garlic cloves to large sauté pan over med/high heat
When the pan is hot add in the shrimp
Saute for 2 1/2 minutes per side
Remove shrimp and garlic – set aside
Add in 1 tbsp olive oil, finely chopped garlic and shallots into the same pan and saute til soft (lightly golden) for about 2-3 minutes
Then pour in both cans of clam juice with the garlic and shallots
Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to a low simmer for 7 minutes
Add pasta to boiling salted water and cook until aldente (don’t over cook!)
Let pan with the clam broth/garlic simmer and reduce by 1/3
Add shrimp back into reduced clam broth/garlic
Add in juice from 1 whole lemon and 3 tbsp of chopped parsley to shrimp scampi
Add in salt and pepper here to taste
Simmer on LOW for 2 more minutes
Drain pasta and pour out pasta into a large serving platter or bowl
Add in 4 tbsp of butter to pasta and toss, add in salt and pepper to taste …taste the pasta and make sure the pasta is PROPERLY seasoned at this point
Pour the shrimp scampi mixture over the pasta
Sprinkle with more fresh chopped parsley and grated cheese and serve…YUM!
NOTE: Make sure that each person gets some of that tasty broth in their dish

Best Braciole Ever!

March 15, 2019April 11, 2016 by Michel

Best Braciole Ever!

Making Braciole for dinner or the holidays is one of those authentic comfort foods that’s so delicious it could easily become a tradition for you and your family, even if you are not Italian. Some of you may be asking yourself what is braciole? Well, it’s thinly sliced flank steak that’s rolled up and stuffed with Reggiano Parmigiano, Asiago, and fresh herbs. The braciole is sautéed in olive oil and garlic cloves and then simmered in a tomato-basil sauce for a couple of hours until tender and juicy. And I tell you it’s even better when re-heated the next day!

The Italians aren’t the only ones who have come up with this fun and creative idea of rolling up and stuffing thinly sliced beef then simmering or braising in a gravy until tender. There’s a German dish that I absolutely love that’s just as flavorful as braciole called beef rouladen. German beef rouladen is made up of thinly sliced top or bottom round stuffed with mustard, onions, bacon and pickles, then sautéed and braised in the oven with veggies in a beef and wine gravy until tender. It’s serve with sautéed red cabbage and spaetzle or potatoes and ooh is that scrumptious too! That will have to be another show I will put together for you!

Now that I have you in the mood for some creativity in the kitchen …get to work! lol You will be very happy to expand that recipe repertoire of yours after making this wonderful Italian braciole for dinner. Make sure to serve up your sliced braciole with a dollop of ricotta cheese on top of the pasta to give it that unexpected extra flavor and creaminess. I will get working on the German beef rouladen show for you:)

If you are going for the Italian theme you might as well treat yourself to some of my appetizer’s like baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, or crab cakes with a homemade remoulade sauce. Then you can really go for it with my SECRET manicotti recipe or homemade spaghetti that’s totally fun for the whole family and easy to make! Then end it all with some chocolate eclairs with the BEST vanilla custard you have ever had …enjoy! 🙂

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Ingredients:

2 lb flank steak sliced horizontally into 3 layers
1 cup grated Reggiano Parmigiano
1 cup grated Asiago
1 tbsp dried ground Italian seasonings
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch fresh basil
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 recipe tomato-basil sauce but simmered for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
1 cup ricotta
1 cup red wine or white (I actually prefer to deglaze here with red)
1 lb rigatoni

Directions:

Start sautéing the veggies for the tomato-basil sauce and use the same pan for sautéing the braciole logs
Slice or have your butcher slice the 2 lb piece of flank steak into 3 horizontal layers
Then cut those pieces in half so you now have 6 semi-equal pieces
Sprinkle 1 tbsp each of Reggiano and Asiago on each piece
Lay whole basil leaves or chop basil and parsley and sprinkle onto flank slices
Roll up starting at the small end
Cut approx 40″ of cotton string and tie a knot at one of the ends
Then keep wrapping string all around the length of the rolled up flank til you are at the other end
Now come back tucking under each row of string going across like shown in the video til you get to the end and tie off a knot with the original piece of string you started with
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil a large pan and a few large cloves of garlic kept whole for extra flavor and sauté 3 rolled up pieces of braciole at a time
Brown on all sides on medium/high heat about 3-4 minutes each side (remove the garlic coves when golden and smear on a baguette and dip into the tomato-basil sauce when you start to simmer with braciole…YUM!)
After browning the second batch of (3) braciole add back in the first 3 and de-glaze with red wine (I used white in the show but prefer to use red here)
Add in puréed tomatoes and simmer for 1 1/2 – 2 hours
Take braciole rolls out and slice 3/8″-1/2″ thick
Serve with pasta (rigatoni) and a dollop of ricotta on top with a few slices of braciole and grated Reggiano…mangia, mangia.
PS- It’s even better re-heated the 2nd day! 🙂

Chocolate Eclairs with The French Club

October 21, 2019April 1, 2016 by Michel

Chocolate Eclairs with The French Club

Making Chocolate eclairs with The French Club this week made for an incredibly fun afternoon! The Chocolate eclair shells made from pâte à choux, a french pastry dough, is a cinch to make and so delicious you may find your self wanting to make them this weekend.

The method I use to make the pastry cream is simplistic and straight forward. This method for making the pastry cream I got from one of Martha Stewart’s chefs, Thomas Joseph. I wanted to show you an easier way to prepare the custard then your traditional tempering of the eggs method, especially if you have never tried to make this before. The actual recipe for the pastry cream is from my own collection and playing around with recipes over the years.

As for the pâte à choux dough, what can I say, but wow! Although, this is a French dough with French ties it is also noted that Catherine de Medici left Florence in 1533 to marry the Duke of Orleans who later became Henry II, King of France. She brought with her the entire court which included her chefs! Smart woman is all I can say. A few years later her head chef, Panterelli, invented a hot paste-like dough and called it pâte à Panterelli. Of course, the recipe has evolved some what since then and with a couple of names changes too but with the same idea. It’s a dough with a paste like texture that use’s heat and moisture-steam for a raising agent instead of the baking powders that we use so much today.

These chocolate eclair’s are easy to follow and so worth the effort. You should really give it the ole college try because your family and friends will be thanking you! In between making the pastry cream and the pâte à choux you may want to prepare some other great dishes like lobster mac & cheese, pulled beef taco’s and mango salsa or some homemade pasta and Turkey meatballs that are simpler then you think! And for a nice salad you could check out my Caesar salad with homemade croutons …that’s always a crowd pleaser!

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Ingredients for the Pâte à Choux: :

1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour – all purpose
1 tsp sugar (only for desserts) (not for gougeres)
1/2 tsp salt
4 lg eggs
1 egg + 1 1/2 tsp water whisked together – for egg wash

Directions for the Pâte à Choux:

Preheat the oven to 400º degrees
Line a cookie tray with a piece of parchment paper – when you are done making the pate a choux squeeze out 4 dime size pieces of dough on each corner of the cookie tray, then place parchment over that – to hold in paper in place while you form eclairs
Bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat in a medium size sauce pan
Stir in all of the flour and continue to stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 1 1/2 minutes – which will start to make a film on the bottom of the pan
Turn out flour-egg mixture into a large glass bowl and stir to cool for 1 minute
Crack eggs into a bowl to make sure there are no shells
Begin to add one egg at a time into the dough and keep mixing with a wooden spoon
The mixture will look broken up at first but no worries because it comes back together
After each egg is absorbed into the flour mixture ADD another egg and repeat stirring
Spoon the Pate a Choux dough into a pastry bag … I don’t even use a tip here
Cut about 3/4″ off the end of the pastry bag
Twist down the open end of the bag a little to keep dough enclosed and to put pressure on the cut off end
Squeeze out 3-4″ x 3/4″ rows of Pate a Choux dough to form eclairs making sure they are about 2″ apart
Brush with egg wash and smooth with your finger if needed to smooth any bumps
Put into 400º oven for 15 minutes
Turn down to 350º for another 25 minutes
Turn oven off and open door 5″ but leave eclairs in the oven to dry out another 10 minutes

Ingredients for the Pastry Filling:

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
2 cups half and half room temperature
6 lg eggs yolks room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions for the Vanilla Custard Filling:

In a medium sauce pan add sugar and corn starch and whisk to combine
In a medium bowl whisk milk and egg yolks until combined
Whisk in milk and egg mixture into sugar and corn
Turn heat to medium and bring to a bubbling simmer, so the mixture can begin to THICKEN
As soon as it begins to thicken whisk 5 SECONDS more and TAKE OFF HEAT continually whisking, after 5 seconds put BACK ON heat for 5 SECONDS and IMMEDIATELY take off heat
DO NOT BOIL ON HEAT FOR MORE THAN 10 SECONDS after this point or the texture will become grainy
Add in butter and vanilla while still whisking
Strain the custard into a glass bowl
Stir to cool slightly and cover directly onto custard saran wrap OR Pour into a prepared tart shell, then into the frig and when cooled and thickened top with fresh sliced fruit and voilà another dessert! …just saying 🙂
Place into the frig for atleast 2 hours up to 3 days
Take the thick pastry cream out of frig and whisk til smooth -5 seconds and the texture will become smooth and ready to place in the pastry bag to pipe

Ingredients for the Chocolate Dipped Toppping:

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup confectioners sugar to desired thickness

Directions:

Heat the cream to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and vanilla in a medium size bowl and let it melt the chocolate for 2 minutes
Whisk the cream and chocolate until smooth
With a whisk slowly add in confectioners sugar while whisking until smooth
If the chocolate gets cooled and too thick to dip heat for a minute over double boiler
Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze
Set on a cookie tray
Place into the frig uncovered for at least 1 hour to set the glaze
Serve chilled…YUM!