8 minute (or so) Pomodoro Penne with Herb-Garlic Compound Butter

A frantic lunchtime was the inspiration for this recipe today. A lightning-fast, full-flavoured pasta dish that can be made in no time, and it is so delicious!

The base sauce is halved cherry tomatoes (although wedges of regular tomatoes work too), sauteed with olive oil and shallots (or onions and/or minced garlic). The heat quickly breaks down the tomatoes, releasing juices and dainty seeds to make an instant rustic sauce. A dash of pasta water brings it all together, before adding the pasta. The compound butter was a last minute flash of an idea, it adds specks of green and a light garlic aroma (and the richness of butter!). I was able to do a first harvest of my herb garden - chives, tarragon, and parsley, making it even more tasty.

For a spicier sauce, add a dash or two of hot pepper flakes to the hot oil and shallots.

My camera has malfunctioned, so you will be treated to the worst photos in blogging history, courtesy of my Blackberry.

8 Minute (or so) Pomodoro Penne with Herb-Garlic Compound Butter
Serves 2, or more as a side dish

2 cups penne (or other pasta of choice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot (or half small onion), thinly sliced or minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (larger tomatoes, quarter at least)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the compound butter (makes extra, great for garlic toast; freezes well):

Combine together:

2 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, parsley, etc.)
1 small clove garlic, finely minced

Boil a larger saucepan of salted water, and cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes, and saute until tomatoes breakdown to make a sauce, about 5 minutes. Add a 1/4 cup of pasta water (from the currently cooking pasta), and simmer to reduce slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce in pan to coat. Throw a nubbin (a tablespoon or more) of herb butter, and toss until it melts. The herbs distribute, and the sauce has a lovely glisten to it. Plate (or dish) and serve with Parmesan.

A delicate sauce in the making

Pre-butter toss - things are about to get real tasty!

Cornmeal fried Onion Rings

Something new in the Curious kitchen - deep frying! I wanted a little adventure and a little sinfulness, even if it is still Lent. To take the chill off the early spring, the menu on a Sunday was grilled ribeye steak with fresh-fried onion rings. The recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten.

I have not tried deep frying before because it seems to me it makes a great mess and maybe complicated too. To counter this, to fry I have used a deeper pot (a Le Creuset in this case) to prevent splattering, and had everything in place before starting the process. In the end, it was a simple recipe and the end result is addictively delicious!

Useful tools: deep and heavy pot, candy thermometer, metal tongs

Cornmeal-fried Onion Rings
Serves 4-6

3 yellow onions (or 2 Spanish onions) - peels and sliced to 1/2-3/4 inches
3 cups buttermilk or 3 cups milk and 3 tablespoons white vinegar (let sit 5 minutes)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup medium cornmeal
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable oil

Heat oven to 200F and have sheet prepared with paper towel, when ready to fry the onions.

Combine buttermilk, 2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add onions and soak for at least 15 minutes (up to a few hours). In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Soaking and dredging stations

Heat oil to 350F in large pot (use a candy thermometer or equivalent to measure). Working in batches, lift out some onions and dredge in the flour mixture. I found using a fork made this easy. The rings should be lightly coated - just this amount makes a crispy flavourful coating.

Ready to go in the fryer

Drop the rings into the oil (don't crowd), and fry for 2 minutes. Flip using tongs once, frying until golden brown.

Readjust the heat if the oil gets to hot or cools off

Put the finished rings onto the sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt.

Keep them warm in the oven until all the onions are fried. They keep for about 30 minutes. Serve them hot!

These were excellent with a hot grilled steak:

Spring Vegetable pasta with Lemon-Saffron butter

Another dish to celebrate spring! It is a simple saute of vegetables, livened with a hit of citrus, and the exotic flavour of saffron.

Saffron derives from the crocus flower, and is worth more than its weight in gold. Don't be put off by its very different scent (said to be like hay). When it is worked into a dish in the right amounts, it is magic. I am loving the wiki on this spice! Check it out for lot of fun chemical information (if that's up your alley).

Saffron was originally cultivated in ancient Greece - like here in Santorini (sigh)

This recipe is inspired by one of my favourites in Fields of Greens, a great vegetarian cookbook. If you can't find saffron, substitutions can include chopped basil, parsley or mint, or just plain butter. The original recipe calls for Orange-Saffron butter (use 1 orange for the recipe), and this is very delicious too (I just don't have oranges!). I think this would make a lovely Easter side dish.

Ps: My camera battery died, so not a lot of visualization here!

Helpful tools: Colander, zester (like a Microplane brand zester)

Spring Vegetable Pasta with Lemon-Saffron Butter
Serves 2-4

4 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 generous pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, woody ends removed, in 2 inch lengths
1/2 pound English peas (shelled, about 3/4 cup), or substitute frozen peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup wine or stock
Juice from 2 lemons
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 pound fresh pasta or dry spaghetti or linguine
Grated parmesan cheese

Set large pot of water to boil on stove (this can be used for both the vegetables and pasta). Cream the butter with the prepared saffron, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a few pinches of pepper. Set aside.

If using fresh peas, boil for 1 minute, scoop from water and rinse with cool water in colander. Boil asparagus for 3 minutes, until tender crisp, and repeat as with peas. Frozen peas can be added to the saute (see below). Keep water boiling for pasta.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, and add shallots. Saute over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then add leeks (and frozen peas), saute for another 2 minutes. Add garlic, wine or stock and lemon juice, and saute for another minute.

A fragrant saute of leeks, asparagus and peas, hurray for google search (food.rlove.org)

Meanwhile, cook pasta until just tender. Just before adding pasta, reduce heat on saute pan, and add asparagus (and fresh peas), 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the lemon zest. Drain pasta in colander, shake excess water and add to saute pan. Quickly toss the vegetables and pasta, then add the saffron butter. The butter will combine with the pan juices to make a light sauce. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

Gluten free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Quite the mouthful! A lovely reader requested this recipe - one I have never tried, but since this is a curious kitchen....

Gnocchi (nee-yo-kee), a soft Italian dumpling made of traditionally flour and potato, can be as delicate as a fluffy pillow, or as heavy and dead as its name implies (nocchio, knot of wood). The key is to have as little flour as possible, enough to hold the dough together, otherwise the gnocchi becomes leaden in the mouth. The wonderful thing about these dumplings is they can be dressed as you like, fried in butter, tossed in pesto, coated in your favourite pasta sauce with any variety of vegetables or meats, even broiled like a gratin. They can be a main course or an appetizer for a party; either way, gnocchi are versatile and delicious!

So what of our friends who must stick to gluten-free diets? Are they left out of the party? No way! With increasing understanding of food allergies, there are more products on the market catering to people afflicted with a gluten allergy. Supermarkets carry a wide variety of flour alternatives that do not contain gluten (Bob's Red Mill have a number of products). If you are making these for a 'GF' friend, check if you need to clean your utensils properly to remove any residual gluten (just in case!).

Here is a recipe I gleaned off the internet, adjusted to my specifications. In place of potatoes, are sweet potatoes (not as starchy and more moist than regular potatoes) - adds an additional sweet flavour and hit up of vitamin A etc. And in place of flour are a 'Gluten-free all purpose baking flour' from Bob's Red Mill, and hazelnut meal. To hold the dough together, whole milk ricotta cheese (do not substitute skim milk ricotta).

Helpful tools:
*food processor or blender
*food mill, or potato ricer, or potato masher


Gluten-free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium-large)

2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour, plus generous amount for the work surface
1/4 cup hazelnut flour/meal (can purchase, or make by processing to a fine powder, whole hazelnuts. See below for pictures)

Makes approximately 100 gnocchi.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice sweet potatoes in half. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.

Handy food mill - a potato masher is just as effective

Finished product - any extras can go straight to baby!

I processed the sweet potatoes through a food mill, which is highly effective for drier potatoes, but perhaps for these, may not have made a difference. Measure out 2 cups of sweet potato puree, and place in large bowl.
Add the ricotta cheese, salt, and pepper and fold in until well mixed.

Blend flours together in a separate bowl. Add the flours, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing gently each time. This dough does not become a solid dough like the regular potato-flour gnocchi, so look for the 'dough' to come together, but still quite wet.

A lone hazelnut on a field of his fallen comrades

Ready to go, mise en place

Folding in the flour - it is becoming 'dough-ier'

After becoming alarmed at how wet this dough was, I took a breath. Should I add more flour to this dough? So instead of likely ruining the batch, I generously floured the work surface before beginning the next step. The outer coating of flour helped the dough from sticking and helped with its shape very well.

Scoop out a handful of dough. On the floured surface, roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Re-flour surface in between each scoop.

Roll dough, moving hands from the center out, taking the dough gently with you

Still sticky! Just sprinkle a bit more flour and keep going

If you like, roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. This dough does not handle it very well, but the ridges formed help to hold sauce, and it just looks cute! I tried a few, but left the rest plain.Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

I left the extras on the tray - pop them in the freezer , bag when solid. Instant supper!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Salting the water after it has boiled gives the gnocchi a hit of flavour

Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

From here: you can do any number of methods to finish the gnocchi. I fried these darlings in butter (over medium-low heat) until crispy and browned, turning occasionally (about 5-7 minutes), and tossed with a Parsley-nut pesto. This browning caramelized the sugars in the sweet potato and gave that 'extra' something. The resulting gnocchi went as follows: bite, crispy-sweet-savoury, soft-gentle-light texture, smile.

Vegetable of the Week: Swiss Chard

Taken on a stroll in Richmond, outside London (sigh) - thanks E!

A lovely reader in London, England sent in a suggestion for an excellent recipe. Spring is sprung in many places (even in these snowy climes!), and one of the vegetables soon to be truely in season is Swiss chard. A member of the beet family (in fact descends from the native English sea beet), it is not only green and leafy, but has a tasty and colourful stem.

Whether you pan fry, stream, bake or broil, it will add the flavour of 'green' to your dish. The leaves can be used like cabbage, and wrapped into Gołąbki (cabbage rolls), with a juicy center of meats studded with sweet raisins, or meaty mushrooms. You could use them in place of pasta sheets, and make a very healthy lasagna. I very much love to use them in wintery or early spring pasta dishes, in combination with red onions, currants, and walnuts. The stems also add flashes of white, yellow, and red (try to find 'rainbow chard') to a quiche (or anything else), and might spark the interest of a young (or old) eater. Chard is also very high in vitamins A, C, and K, so why not? This vegetable is at the top of my 'to plant' list, and I can't wait to try some baby chards - would make a lovely salad!


Onto the recipe, from the famous Mark Bittman, who has come to embody (to foodies) everything simple in food (think simple chop+heat=hearty, healthy meal). Swiss Chard with Citrus and Shallots - earthy, green chard; bittersweet shallots (small purple onion); tangy, bright orange; and a complex splash of sherry vinegar (highly recommend adding this to your pantry, wonderful for salads). Makes a standout side or filling vegetarian main course. 



Chard with Orange and Shallots   


Recipe from How to Cook Everything.


Chard with Orange and Shallots


Makes: 4 servings


Time: 25 minutes


A perfect winter dish, this warm salad has vibrant color and tangy sweet-sour flavor. The skin of the orange or tangerine becomes almost candied and provides a nice chew, but if you’d rather not eat it, simply peel before chopping.


Other vegetables you can use: any chard, bok choy, kale, or any cabbage. For the citrus, use kumquats (quartered) if available.


1 pound chard, washed and trimmed


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


2 shallots, thinly sliced


2 tablespoons sugar


1 small orange or tangerine, seeded and coarsely chopped


2 tablespoons sherry vinegar


Salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Cut the stems out of the chard leaves. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons and slice the stems (on the diagonal if you like); keep the leaves and stems separate.


2. Put the oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the shallots and sugar and cook for a minute, then stir in the orange or tangerine bits and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar.


3. Return the heat to medium and stir in the chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften a bit, just a minute or two. Add the chard ribbons, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the chard steam for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir and re-cover the pan for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper and serve immediately or within an hour or two at room temperature.

Quesadillas

I caught a glimpse of my copy of Rick Bayless' Mexico - One Plate at a Time today, and was inspired to have quesadillas for a light and simple lunch.

Quesadillas are Mexico's answer to the France's croque monsieur, and America's grilled cheese. It is a meal in hand - crisp tortilla, and basically any filling you can think of, topped with melted, rich cheese. Flour tortillas are the norm in the US when preparing this dish, but the most traditional form is corn masa tortillas. Fresh ground masa is the ultimate choice (check out your nearest mercado that makes this fresh daily for a ball or two), but the home cook can find instant corn masa in most supermarkets. The flavor of fresh corn tortillas is only 2 minutes away! Corn masa tortilla dough is the basis for many traditional recipes, like gorditas and sopes, so keep this one in your back pocket.

For 4 small tortillas (following package directions):
1/2 cup masa flour
1/3 cup water
pinch of salt

Here's everything you need!

Mix ingredients in bowl until a soft dough. If dough appears dry, add extra water a tablespoon at a time until dough feels moist. Keep in moist towel to prevent drying out.

Divide into 4 equal pieces and roll into balls. To press into tortillas, you can use the traditional tortilla press, or your own creation. Mine are two ceramic baking pieces (see below). Cut open a freezer bag, and place ball in between layers. Press down to flatten, and peel tortilla carefully from plastic. Keep moist until ready to cook.

I made quesadillas today with prepared refried black beans, a local cow-sheep smoked cheese, and fresh cilantro. Bayless suggests squash blossoms, Oxacan string cheese and epazote leaves - will try this in the summer. On each tortilla, spread filling on one half, folding gently to enclose with the other. Press edges to seal - if tortilla is getting dry it will tend to split. This didn't seem to effect the cooking or deliciousness.

Bayless instructs to fry tortillas in 3/4 inch oil (375F) - a definite treat, but I pan fried with a coating of oil today. Fry on medium high heat, turning 2-3 times until browning and crisp. Enjoy!

With a side of summer squash, tomatoes, cumin and oregano - lovely!