Wow, what a spectacular holiday show at WTNH, Channel 8 on CT Style last Friday! I can’t even begin to tell you how special it was doing my cooking segment with this talented crew at Channel 8. Not to mention, Santa was there making the rounds!

I was excited to show you how easy it is to make this vodka sauce for your holiday cooking. In my recipe I add in coconut cream along with heavy cream giving this vodka sauce that extra special something. You can make this with rice noodles and omit the heavy cream all together if you prefer. On CT Style I did both coconut cream and heavy cream giving it a nice balance. Like everything in life finding a balance is important.

This Vodka Sauce with Coconut Cream would make a perfect party dish because it can totally be made the night before. Then you add in the raw shrimp on the day of the party right as you are re-heating the sauce while your pasta is cooking, minutes before you serve it!

I love tradition so I made my homemade potato gnocchi again this year for the CT Style cooking segment. Last year I showed you how to make my bolognese sauce which I served up with the homemade gnocchi. 

Other festive salads you may want to serve up for your holiday celebration might be a nice Caesar Salad, a Roasted Beet, Feta & Mint Salad or even a Candied Bacon, Iceberg Lettuce & Roasted Blue Cheese Dressing Salad!

Enjoy, be safe and have a Happy New Year!

Ingredients:

• 2 28 oz.cans of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion finely chopped
• 2-3 large garlic cloves
• 1 c. heavy cream  OR 1 c. coconut cream
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. finely ground Italian seasonings
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 c. red wine (1/4 to deglaze/ 1/4 for sauce)
• 1/4 c. vodka
• 1/4 c. extra dry vermouth or white wine
• 1/4 c. of Reggiano Parmesan
• 1 lb. favorite pasta
• OPTIONAL: 1 lb. raw, peel and de-veined extra large shrimp
• OPTIONAL: 5 dashes of Siracha OR 1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in evoo (extra virgin olive oil) until lightly golden on edges in medium pan
2. Deglaze pan with 1/4 c. red wine and simmer on low until wine evaporates
3. Add this to a food processor with 1 can whole peeled tomatoes and purée until smooth
4. Add this puree back to same pan, puree the other can slightly chunkier, add to pan also
5. Add in red wine, white wine, vodka, cream, Italian seasonings, sugar, s & p, bay leaf and fresh basil and bring to a simmer
6. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour on low
7. If adding in shrimp add now and keep simmering for 5 minutes more
8. Take of heat and add in 1/2 c. fresh grated Reggiano parmesan
9. Remove bay leaf and fresh basil, serve with favorite pasta and garnish with julienned basil and more grated parmesan

I love preparing for my live cooking segments and being a part of this incredible “CT Style” family on WTNH Channel 8! It’s wonderful cooking with Teresa Dufour and Sarah Cody, so natural and as always we are full of giggles and everything seems to fall into place. All my spooky food decorations from the ghost face on the lasagna, bloody almond sugar cookie fingers, spiderweb Boston Cream Pie top, and the homemade guacamole coming out of the carved pumkin came together with the smoky dry ice effect.

Having a holiday to base my theme on totally helps you to get creative with the food. I wanted to show you how to serve some healthy dishes for this holiday on CT Style and still keep a spooky allure to it. Zucchini lasagna came to mind! I used a gluten-free flour to make the bechamel and substituted the pasta sheets with zucchini strips. The most important task here is to extract as much moisture out of the zucchini as possible so it’s not watery in the end. You can see how I do this in the written recipe below. Hope you enjoy the show and have a Happy Halloween!

Here are some other dishes you could make for halloween like my Spooky Chocolate Cake, Eilieen’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chic Pea Guacamole, My Guacamole (featured on CT Style), Or My Homemade Salsa 101!

Ingredients:

• 9 x 13 x 3 baking dish
• 4 lg zucchini sliced 1/4″ thick
• 1/2 c. Emmental cheese shredded
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 8 oz. ground turkey
• 8 oz. ground Italian fennel sausage
• 2 lb. whole milk ricotta, “Fina Style” from Liuzzi Cheese
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (I like Cento)
• 3/4 c. finely diced sweet onions (1/2 c. for the meat sauce, 1/4 c. for the béchamel sauce)
• 2 lg garlic cloves, grated
• 1/4 red wine
• 1 tsp ground Italian seasonings
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt (1/2 for meat sauce and 1/2 for béchamel sauce)
• 1/2 tsp finely ground pepper (1/4 for meat sauce and 1/4 for béchamel)
• 1 c. fresh basil, 1/2 c. julienne for 1 lasagna layer, and 4 whole leaves for meat sauce
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. rice flour
• pinch nutmeg

Directions:

1. Slice Zucchini lengthwise on a mandolin to 3/16″ thick
2. Lay zucchini strips on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper
3. Lightly salt zucchini strips and let sit for 30 minutes
4. Pat dry with paper towels all the water that renders out of the zucchini strips
5. Put zucchini into a 375º oven for 10 minutes, take out to pat dry and flip over, then bake 10 minutes more, take out and pat dry again
6. Then move zucchini strips to a platter lined with paper towels and let cool
7. Make the meat sauce: add turkey, sausage and 1/2 c. chopped onion to sauté pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil and cooked until browned
8. Add in grated garlic cloves and de-glaze with 1/4 cup red wine
9. Add 1 can of chopped up whole peeled tomatoes, 4 fresh basil leaves (remove this after simmering) Italian seasonings, salt/pepper and sugar and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes
10. Make the Béchamel Sauce: Start with a Roux…Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a sauté pan on medium heat and add in 3 tbsp. Rice flour, keep whisking to get a smooth consistency
11. While whisking, heat thru to cook out raw flour taste 2 minutes, but do not brown roux
12. Add in 1/4 c milk to start while continuously whisking so as to not develop lumps
13. Then add in another 1/2 cup of  milk while whisking and lastly whisk in the final 1 1/2 cups of milk
14. Simmer this mixture for 15 minutes making sure to keep whisking every few minutes so as not to get a thick coating that could burn on the bottom of the pan
15. You want a very thick consistency thru out when done, set aside and let cool to get thicker
16. Begin to layer the lasagna adding approx 3/4 c. meat sauce to the bottom of the bake dish
17. Lay down strips of zucchini going all the way across the dish
18. Next layer, add spoonful’s of ricotta every couple of inches onto top of zucchini strips
19. Add spoonful’s of béchamel every few inches in between ricotta
20. Next, sprinkle on 1/2 c. mozzarella, 1/4 c. Swiss and julienned basil (basil for this layer only)
21. Next, spoon 3/4  c. meat sauce
22. Then add zucchini strips again and 2x repeat steps 17-20
23. The last, top layer add ricotta, béchamel, meat sauce and save the mozzarella for the top
24. Place baking dish on cookie tray and bake on 375º for approx. 50 minutes, if the top get too brown cover with foil
25. Take out zucchini lasagna and let sit for 30 minutes for moisture to evaporate, slice and garnish with grated cheese and basil…mmm!

What fun on the CT Style set today with Teresa Dufour and Scott McDonnell making an Italian family favorite, Pasta Fagioli! Plus, it was our beloved producer, Joyce Ogirri’s birthday, so I made her a celebratory key lime pie.  After the live segment we had a cheerful get together eating and catching up, my favorite part! It was so nice to have Gil joining in on the festivities too.

Pasta Fagioli is a traditional Italian soup where the recipe differs from family to family and region to region, gourmet couldn’t get any easier. My favorite part of the soup is dunking the crusty Italian bread…mmmm!

This Key Lime Pie is super easy in effort and time, you just can’t go wrong here! I forgot how much I love this dessert, it’s back to being one of my favorites. You can view the recipe below.

In addition to all the cooking segment excitement,  Mark Deaton from Madison Lyrics Stage Company was there talking about his up and coming show, Hansel & Gretel! This is one of the most engaging venues I have ever been to. It’s an immersive opera that takes place at the Deacon John Grave House right here in Madison, CT. We are so fortunate to have such a display of talent in our own back yard. You should really check this out and seats are limited so don’t wait to purchase your tickets!

Here are some other comforts food you may want to try like my Turkey Chili, Pulled Pork While You Sleep, Homemade Baked Beans, or Ricotta Gnocchi! …Enjoy

INGREDIENTS For Pasta Fagioli:

• 2 cans cannellini beans
• 1/2 -3/4 cup ditalini pasta ( 1/2 if you want it looser soup-like consistency …remember it just keeps getting thicker even after you take it off the stove as the liquid evaporates)
• 1 qt. (4 cups) chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine-pinot grigio or what ever you are drinking -(1/2 to deglaze pancetta and veggies and 1/2 when you add stock
• 1/3 cup each diced carrots, celery and onion
• 3 tbsp garlic put thru a garlic press
• 2 cups whole peeled tomatoes with some juice, broken up with your hands – NOTE: USE 3 cups if you are not using a cup of “leftover pork & sauce”
• 1 cup pork in tomato sauce OR 1 lb. sausage taken out of the casing ready to sauté OR omit all together
• 2 1/4″ sliced of pancetta diced up or bacon
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 2 of fresh thyme tied in up with string
• Fresh basil -julienne to add at the end
• grated Reggiano Parmigiano and some to shave for decoration
• good olive oil to drizzle at the end
• 1/2 tsp salt -add 1/4 tsp at the addition of sauteing veggies and 1/4 tsp when you add beans and broth
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes if you like a pinch of HEAT

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add diced pancetta to a large pan and begin to sauté for 8 minutes on med heat
2. Add in broken up sausage to brown with the pancetta If you do not have “pork in sauce”
3. On med/low heat add diced carrots, onion, celery and garlic with 1/4 tsp salt (along with 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes if you want a little heat) to the same pot with 1 tbsp olive oil extra – sauté til veggies are tender 10 minutes
4. De-glaze with 1/2 cup white wine and simmer 5 minutes
5. Add in beans, pork-sauce, whole peeled tomatoes, herb bouquet, chicken stock, 1/4 salt, 1/4 pepper and simmer for 30 minutes
6. Remove herb bouquet from soup
7. Take 4-5 ladles of beans out of the soup to puree for a little creamier then adding back in
8. Simmer 5 minutes and add in 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
9. Cook til pasta is cooked – approx 7 minutes
10. Plate up and drizzle olive oil, sprinkle parmigiano cheese and fresh basil and mangia mangia!

Ingredients for Key Lime Pie:

-Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:

• 11 graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 tbsp melted butter

-Directions for Crust:

1. Put graham crackers into food processor and pulse til a fine crumb
2. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl, add sugar and melted butter and stir until well combined
3. Press crumbs into a 9″ deep dish pie plate going up the sides as well
4. Bake on 350 for 10 minutes, take out and let cool

-Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup lime juice (you’ll need about 25 key limes or 20 key limes and 3 regular limes OR 8 regular limes
• 2 14 oz. cans of condensed milk
• 5 egg yolks
• 2 heaping tsp lime zest
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream and 2 tbsp sugar for topping

-Directions for Filling:

1. Beat egg yolks with condensed milk for 5 minutes til pale and thickened on med/high
2. The briefly beat in lime juice and lime zest on low speed so as not to splatter
3. Pour into pre-baked and cooled graham cracker crust and bake 20 minutes
4. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 2 days
5. Whisk heavy cream with 2 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks and pipe onto refrigerated-cooled pie, garnish with a little lime zest

Cooking on CT Style with Teresa Dufour and Scott McDonnell making my classic carbonara, Roman style, with shrimp and bacon was an absolute blast this week! Traditionally, carbonara is made without the shrimp but we had a few birthdays here at WTNH Channel 8 this month so I wanted to make it extra special. The Americanized version of carbonara has the addition of heavy cream and peas.

You’ll be amazed to see how easy it is to make this scrumptious carbonara, Roman style. I love showing you how to make simple dishes with gourmet results . The only ingredients you’ll need to make this classic carbonara are eggs, bacon, grated cheese and pasta water! There’s nothing better then being able to whip up something incredible for your family or surprise guests in a snap with staple ingredients right in your frig!

The very cool wedding topper candle was donated by my friend Sandra and it’s has changed my whole outlook on putting ordinary candles on a cake. It lights up big enough to get the oohs and ahs, then disappears into thin air…a great invention!

You shouldn’t think twice about making this Pavlova for your Labor Day celebration either! It’s light and refreshing and you’ll seriously find yourself going back for seconds. Enjoy your weekend!

Here are some other recipes you may want to make for your festive weekend like Roasted Blue Cheese Dressing on Ice Berg Wedges with Candied Bacon, Mini Beef Wellingtons, Shrimp Jambalaya, Buffalo Chicken Dip or even something sweet like Eileen’s Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. bacon cubed up or thick cut bacon
• 1 lb. extra-lg shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1 lb. Spaghetti
• 1/3 cup hot pasta water
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 whole eggs
• 2 tbsp finely diced shallots
• 1/2 cup Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup Pecorino, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed blk pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley & 1/2 cup grated cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Whisk egg yolks and whole eggs together in a large bowl
2. Whisk in both grated cheeses to combine, then set aside
3. Begin to bring salted pasta water to a boil
4. Cook cubed up bacon in a large sauté pan until golden
5. When golden and crispy remove bacon and drain reserving 2 tbsp
6. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al-dente, having some tooth
7. Add 2 tbsp bacon fat back to pan, then add in shrimp and shallots and cook thru, approx. 2 minutes on each side
8. De-glaze shrimp & shallots with 1/3 cut white wine
9. Simmer 1 minute to reduce, then add cook bacon back in and remove from heat
10. Add in 1/3 cup of the hot pasta water to sauté pan
11. Drain cooked pasta
12. Add hot, drained pasta on top of shrimp and bacon in sauté pan
13. Pour egg/cheese mixture on top of the pasta and begin to swirl pan and mix vigorously with tongs helping the liquids to emulsify the egg mixture into a creamy sauce
14. At this point you can transfer this mixture back to “egg/cheese mixture” bowl for more room to mix the pasta around
15. You can add more grated cheese at this point to thicken up the sauce if its too loose (DO NOT put back on the stove)
16. Pour out onto a large platter and top with 1/2 cup Parmesan and parsley

CT Style Making Watermelon Gazpacho with Teresa Dufour and Scott McDonnell!

This Watermelon Gazpacho is perfect for these hot summer days! This past Thursday, on “CT Style”, Teresa Dufour, Scott McDonnell and I had some fun showing you how to make watermelon gazpacho! What a refreshing, healthy and delicious cold soup recipe this is. It’s made with tomatoes, watermelon, cucumbers, Vidalia onions, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice and fresh herbs like basil and dill. I like to top this watermelon gazpacho with some watermelon cubes, Valbreso Sheep’s Milk feta, fresh dill sprigs, basil and crushed garlic croutons for texture and flavor.

Nothing better then a refreshing cold soup on a hot sultry night then Watermelon Gazpacho. I really love planning ahead for this cold soup and getting all the chopping done at your convenience a day or two before makes all the difference in the world. You can even buy chopped veggies at the market and then give them a finer chop when you get home to save some time. This soup will last for a few days in the frig so leftovers are perfect for those surprise guests. For this reason I would suggest only topping each serving of cold watermelon gazpacho soup with feta, dill, and crushed croutons instead of all of the soup as one.

Other refreshing summer dishes you should try are Panzanella, Salsa 101, Mango salsa, Cold Cucumber Soup with Seared Scallops and some Berry Granita for dessert!

INGREDIENTS Watermelon Gazpacho (for approx 6 people)

• 3 1/2 cups seedless watermelon, 2 c. coarse cut, 1/2 c. fine dice to go back into finished purée, 1 c. small cubes for garnish
• 8 medium ripe stem tomatoes, 7 seeded and coarse cut, 1 seeded & fine dice to go back into finished purée
• 1  lg cucumber peeled and seeded & coarse cut
• 1/2 European cucumber, with skins on, all fine dice to go back into finished purée
• 1 1/2 red pepper, 1 pepper seeded & coarse cut, 1/2 fine dice to go back into finished purée
• 1/2 orange pepper, all fine dice to go into finished purée
• 1 lg jalapeño, without seeds, 1/2 coarse cut, 1/2 fine dice to go back into finished purée
• 1 1/2 med. Vidalia onions, 1 onion coarse cut, 1/2 fine dice to go back into finished purée
• 1 lg garlic clove put thru garlic press
• 2 basil leaves goes into blender
• 1 bunch fresh dill, 2 tbsp goes into blender, the rest for garnish
• 1/2 cup Greek Feta, good creamy feta crumbled for garnish (I use Valbreso Sheep’s Milk French Feta)
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, plus 1 tbsp
• 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 /4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup crushed Garlic Croutons for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare the coarse cut veggies for the blender:
2. Slice tomatoes in half, then into 6ths making it easier to remove all seeds with a spoon or your hands
3. Place seeded tomatoes into blender or food processor and purée with olive oil
4. Poor into a large bowl and set a side
5. Place 2 tbsp dill, 2 fresh basil leaves plus 2 c. cut up watermelon, cut up Vadalia onion, cucumber and red pepper into blender, and purée with red vinegar, and rice wine vinegar
6. Add this purée to the lg bowl with the tomato puree and mix together
7. Taste for seasoning, add salt, pepper and honey and all the “fine diced” tomatoes, English cucumber, orange, red peppers and jalapeño
8. If possible, let sit in refrigerator for 2 hours to allow spices and veggies to marry
9. Ladle watermelon gazpacho into bowls, top with drizzle of evoo, diced watermelon, crumbled feta, fresh dill sprigs and 1 tsp crushed garlic croutons

WARNING: Addictive Candied Bacon Recipe on CT STYLE with Teresa & Sarah!

Love, love, love cooking live on “CT Style”! Truly an exceptional group of people that work here at WTNH, Channel 8. I feel very fortunate to be able to come here and share creative and delicious recipes with all of you on a regular basis! “CT Style” is such an informative platform while entertaining us all at the same time. This time around I had double the fun with both Teresa Dufour and Sarah Cody. Ryan Kristafer, was away handling the Travelers Championship coverage at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT.

Who doesn’t go crazy for bacon and making it candied pushes it right over the top! After sampling my batches of candied bacon for CT Style my kids asked, “can you make this every day”! I think you’ll love the simplicity of my recipe. Some recipes for candied bacon have you fussing with the strips every 5 minutes during the baking process while others have you melting a concoction to brush on. Both these steps are unnecessary. The whole idea behind my recipe testing over the years is to eliminate all the extra fuss yet still arriving at an exceptional finish.

One of my pet peeves with salad dressing is being served bottled blue cheese when I’m out at a restaurant when it’s a really easy thing to whip up! Making blue cheese dressing is one of my favorite things to make and my recipe couldn’t be any easier. It’s luscious and mild all at the same, it will rock your world! Roasting the creamy blue cheese makes it more flavorful and that much easier to whisk by hand.

As for my garlic croutons, these are a no brainer! Crispy & garlicky little morsels that will keep you wishing for more. Your guests will be reaching for the bowl of these to snack on, so it’s wise to tuck some away in the freezer in a ZipLoc as soon as they cooled when making them. You should always have these in your freezer ready to go! You don’t even need to thaw, go directly from the freezer to your plate.

While these Roasted Blue Cheese, Candied Bacon & Garlicky Crouton recipes will be perfect for your next pool party you might want some delicious summer appetizers to go along with them like Best Guacamole Ever, Crab Cakes, Cold Cucumber soup, Seared Scallops or my New England Clam Chowder! And I have to give a shout out to Davis Pools in Clinton, CT for doing such a great job getting our pool open and ready for summer fun!

CANDIED BACON INGREDIENTS:

• 10 Slices of good bacon (Oscar Meyer or Boar’s Head)
• ¼ cup real maple syrup
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• Cookie rack
• Cookie tray
• Parchment paper

 CANDIED BACON DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º
2. Place a full piece of parchment paper covering entire cookie tray
3. Lay cookie rack over tray
4. Lay 10 full bacon strips onto cookie rack and bake for 12 minutes
5. Put out tray, flip bacon over, brush bacon strips with maple syrup & sprinkle 3/4 tsp brown sugar on each one
6. Put bacon back in oven for 12 minutes
7. Pull bacon out of oven and repeat step #4, then bake 12 more minutes more (if you are using THICK bacon you’ll need to cook for longer …13 min., 13 min., 13 min.)
8. Remove hot bacon strips to a plate covered with parchment and let cool at least 30 minutes
9. NOTE: If you let bacon cool on rack they will harden & stick and you won’t be able to take them off

ROASTED BLUE CHEESE DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup Creamy Italian Blue cheese (If using the food processor you can make with Danish or Maytag)
• PLUS 1/3 cup blue cheese extra for sprinkling on top of dressing when you plate the salads
• 2/3 cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise (I ONLY use Hellman’s)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. “seasoned” rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Siracha (Asian hot sauce you can find at local Stop & Shop with all “hot Sauces”)
• 1/2 tsp Coleman’s Dry Mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt each and finely ground pepper
• 3 tbsp. buttermilk or ½ & ½
• 2 heads Iceberg lettuce cut into 3”-4” wedges
• 1 basket Cherry tomatoes sliced in ½
• 1 recipe Candied Bacon
• 1 recipe Homemade Garlic Crouton
• ¼ cup fresh chopped chives

ROASTED BLUE CHEESE DRESSING DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Place Blue Cheese in a small baking dish and bake for 8 minutes, then cool slightly
3. Put warm roasted blue cheese and above ingredients into a large glass bowl and whisk until you get the desired smoothness
4. Arrange Iceberg & tomatoes on a platter then pour dressing over the Iceberg wedges and top with fresh chopped chives, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, candied bacon and garlic croutons

GARLIC CROUTONS INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large loaf Ciabatta approx.14-15 cups
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 stick butter (salted) melted (For 10 cup of bread cubes….1/4 stick, 2 tbsp olive oil per tray)
• 4 large garlic cloves put thru garlic press
• 4 tsp garlic granules (not powder) – Sprinkle 2 tsp per cookie tray
• 1 tsp salt (1/2 tsp for each tray)
• A couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce Siracha -you can find this with the other hot sauces at the super market
• 2 cookie trays, you want all croutons in a single layer

 GARLIC CROUTON DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º
2. Slice bread into 3/4″ slices length wise
3. Then slice into 1/2″ squares
4. Melt 3/4 stick of butter
5. In a large mixing bowl whisk 1/4 c. olive oil, 3/4 stick melted butter, 4 garlic cloves thru garlic press, 1/2 Tsp salt
6. Divide this mixture into 2 cookie trays spreading them evenly all over the tray
7. Divide up bread cubes onto the 2 cookie trays
8. Mix bread cubes to evenly coat using a pastry scraper or spatula
9. Push coated bread cubes out into even layer on cookie trays and sprinkle 2 Tsp of garlic granules
10. Put into the oven for 12-15 minutes
11. IMPORTANT – they go quickly at the end so you really need to watch them so they don’t burn
12. If not using all the croutons put cooled garlic croutons into a Freezer Ziploc baggie
13. I usually keep them on the counter in a ZipLoc for a few days then throw them into the freezer to store and keep fresh

CT Style with Ryan & Teresa Making Fresh Shrimp and Chive Rolls!

Making fresh shrimp and chive rolls with Ryan and Teresa was a blast yesterday on CT Style! When Teresa walked into the studio at WTNH, Channel 8 with a pink and blue dress on I couldn’t believe my eyes. Teresa, Ryan and I were color coordinated in our pink dresses and Ryan in his blue and pink tie and we hadn’t planned any of it!

These delicious little shrimp bundles are so fun to be creative with and a total make ahead dish, you can make them the night before! You literally roll up these moistened rice papers with what ever you favorite ingredients are. I was craving Chinese dumplings from a restaurant called Dol Ho that I used to frequent in San Francisco, CA years ago and that’s how I came up with this particular recipe with the sautéed veggies giving the rolls a creamy, flavorful texture.

It may take a few trys to get used to handling the moistened rice paper, but you get many of them in a package so you’re are able to get in some practice rounds! The ginger-soy dressing in a no brainer, it’s so easy to make you could do it blind folded. The flavors of the fresh ginger, slightly salty soy, a bit of sweet with the seasoned rice wine vinegar and a hint of nutty with the toasted sesame oil is a go to Asian dressing/dipping sauce you will want to keep in your cooking repertoire. This dressing makes a wonderful cold asparagus side dish!

I will be posting the recipe for those Game of Thrones, Sansa’s Lemon Cakes, or should I say my version of lemon cakes that I featured on CT Style next week. My version of lemon cakes are mini pound cakes with lemon curd filling, and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting that melt in your mouth…mmm!

Here are some other deserts you can check out until I get you my mini pound cake recipe like Pavlova, Lemon Mousse Cups with Ginger Cookie Crumble, Berries in a Dreamy Cream, Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie or Blondie Bars with a Bourbon Caramel Sauce!

INGREDIENTS – For The Ginger-Soy Dressing- Put all the following in a mixing bowl and whisk:

• 1/4 cup soy
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup green onion finely sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Squeeze from 1/2 fresh lime
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

INGREDIENTS – For The Shrimp & Chive Spring Rolls:

• 20 lg Shrimp (15/16 per lb.)
• 20 round or fan shaped rice papers
• 1/2 c. each carrots, celery, onion finely chopped
• 1 whole daikon radish -(Japanese radish) and 1 whole peeled carrot -BOTH ZESTED and set aside
• 1 bunch of fresh chive cut into 3/4″ pieces
• 1 c.  thinly slices green onion
• 1 c. coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp white wine (Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)

DIRECTIONS – For The Shrimp & Chive Spring Rolls:

1. Clean and devein shrimp
2. Fill a small pot with water and 1/2 tsp salt, bring to a boil
3. Add all of the shrimp to the pan & bring back to a simmer no longer than 2 minutes until opaque, REMOVE SHRIMP from heat IMMEDIATELY
4. Drain shrimp and put into an ice bath
5. Take shrimp out and pat dry with paper towels
6. Slice shrimp in half, set aside
7. Sauté finely chopped carrots, onions and celery til soft on medium heat, 10 minutes
8. De-glaze veggies with 2 tbsp white wine
9. Remove from heat and Comletely cool sautéed vegetables, set aside
10. Put 1 1/2″ deep, luke warm water into a pie plate
11. Immerse 2 rice paper wrappers at a time into water filled pie plate to soften, about 10 seconds
12. Take out, place on cutting board and pat semi-dry just the tops to remove too much excess water
13. Arrange all of you stuffing items around board
14. Place 1 shrimp down on rice paper up 1″ from the bottom
15. Add spoonful each of cooled veggies, chives, green onion, cilantro/mint leaves
16. Fold in sides of wrap and then roll up from the bottom to form enclosed roll
17. Repeat until all rolled up
18. Arrange on a platter as you go, lay down zested carrots and or daikon radish on the side
19. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top of rolls & serve with ginger-soy dipping sauce

Guinness Beef Short Ribs on CT Style!

My favorite part of the live cooking segment on the “CT Style” show might very well be the fun gathering we have afterwards, eating and catching up. It’s just like if I were home having family and friends over except we are in The Bender Kitchen at the WTNH Channel 8 Studio! This is a special group of people that work here. It was also exciting to meet a recent addition to Storm Team 8 yesterday, Ashley Baylor. She is warm, funny and genuine. Ashley came over to have a bite of the Guinness braised beef short ribs with the rest of us and said “It smells so good in here, I was worried I would say it’s raining beef!”

Ferraro’s Meat King contributed to my cooking segment on CT Style with their gorgeous beef short ribs. They offer first class customer service with amazing butchers who will help you to figure out anything you need. You can even call up or order online to be delivered to their Madison location for pick up!

One of the reasons I love making Guinness braised beef short ribs is you can totally get this done the day before. This dish gets even better when you reheat it and now you have more time with your party guests.

The very fun dress I wore for this cooking segment came from A’s Unique Boutique in Guilford, CT. Their selection of gorgeous dresses is huge and they help you from the moment you walk in to find that perfect dress.

You may want to have some delicious salads to go with you Guinness Braised Beef Short Ribs like my Home Caesar Salad & Croutons,  Fennel & Citrus Salad, Roasted Beet & Feta Salad, Thai Quinoa Salad, or the amazing Panzanella Salad!

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. Beef short ribs English & Flanken Cut – Half of each cut in 2” pieces
• 2 bottles STOUT
• 1 cup red wine, cabernet and more to add to reduced sauce at the end
• 2 cup beef stock, and more to add to reduced sauce at the end
• ½ cup whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 lg onion coarsely chopped
• 2 celery stalks coarsely chopped
• 1 lg carrot coarsely chopped
• 4 lg garlic cloves coarsely chopped
• 1 leek coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 1 recipe Yukon Mashed Potatoes, plus 1 sm. head steamed broccoli pureed added to mashed potatoes for St.Pat’s, place the cooked broccoli into the food processor with the cream you would add to the potatoes to help puree smooth, then add to mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS for Beef Short Ribs:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º
2. Rub spice mixture all over ribs and marinate for 30 min.-2 hours
3. Pat dry ribs without removing all the spices
4. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pan
5. Begin to sear beef short ribs in pan with olive oil, do this in two batches so you don’t crowd the pan
6. Sear the ribs 3-4 minutes on each side until browned
7. Remove 1st batch of ribs, set aside in a lg bowl and brown 2nd batch of beef short ribs
8. Remove 2nd batch of ribs to bowl
9. Then add in mirepoix with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper to Dutch oven
10. Add all of the beef short ribs back into the Dutch oven
11. Add in 2 bottles stout, 1 cup cabernet, 2 cups beef stock, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes and 1 bay leaf to Dutch oven- it may seem like a lot but I will reduce considerably while braising
12. Bring to a simmer on the stove for 15 minutes and skim off any foam
13. Cover Dutch oven and place into a pre-heated (325 convection) 350º oven for 2 ½ -3 hours
14. Every 60 minutes check on the ribs to flip over and make sure you don’t need to add more liquid – it shouldn’t be dry (if it is you can add a splash of water, red wine, or more beef broth…all will work great)
15. Remove beef and set aside, then begin to remove oil lay from the pan
16. Tilt Dutch oven pan to the side to skim oil off the top of braised veggies
17. Push all the braised veggies thru a strainer set over a bowl to catch all the juices
18. Make sure to scrape juices on bottom of the strainer into the bowl too
19. Add the strained gravy juices to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer on low for 5 minutes
20. If it gets too thick you can add in a ¼ c. of red wine or beef broth
21. Place the Flanken Cut pieces and English Cut short ribs on top of pile of mashed potatoes with a drizzle of gravy and a sprinkle of chives
22. NOTE: If you are not eating ribs right away, and want to re-heat add to a heat proof dish, add 1/4-1/2 cup of red wine and beef stock and re-heat on a 350º oven for 30-40 minutes

Spice Rub Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic granuales
• 1 tsp onion granuales
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp five spice
• 2  tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp blk pepper