Olympic Challenge: Week 2

Butternut Squash & Prosciutto Gnocchi w/ Sage Butter

So simple, yet oh so yummy. This is one of our favorites from the UK's Two Fat Ladies. Yes, the UK. Jennifer Paterson spent part of her life in Italy and is a total Italiophile.

Source: Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies
Serves: 4

1 small butternut squash, cut in half and seeded
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
6 slices prosciutto, minced
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
4 T butter
6 sage leaves, cut in chiffonade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until tender. Scoop out and mash the flesh. You will only be using 1 cup of the mashed squash so if you have more, freeze it to use another time.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine squash, egg, cheese, prosciutto. Mix well using the paddle attachment. Gradually stir in flour and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture becomes slightly elastic. Add nutmeg and salt/pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot full of salted water to a boil. Make small ovals of the dough using two teaspoons and drop the gnocchi a few at a time into the water. When they rise to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue until you've used up all the dough. THe recipe can be made ahead until this point. If you want to finish later, toss the cooked gnocchi with a little bit of olive oil, cover, and refrigerate.

When you are ready to eat, melt the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan and add the sage. Saute a few seconds then add the cooked gnocchi. Brown the gnocchi on all sides. Serve with additional Parmesan grated on top.

Braciole

As much as I hate the show, Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentis (I mean how fake can her smile get! Petty, but there you have it.), I have to admit her recipes are mighty tasty. I served this with lemon scented broccolini (add strips of lemon zest to the cooking water) drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Source: Giada De Laurentis via The Food Network
Serves: 4

1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated Italian cheese blend
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, pounded to a 1/3 inch thickness
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 cups marinara sauce

Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.
Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine or food loops, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30
minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve.

White Bean & Sausage Soup

Substitute the chorizo with Italian sausage. Voila! Classic Tuscan classic. I tweaked this a bit but you can see the original recipe by following the link.

Source: Bon Appetit, February 2006
Serves: 8

1 pound dried cannellini or Great Northern beans
8 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves; 1 smashed, 2 chopped
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 pound fresh chorizo link sausages, casings removed
1/4 cup half & half

Place beans in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water to pan to cover beans by 4 inches. Let beans soak overnight at room temperature.
Drain and rinse beans; return to same saucepan. Add 8 cups water, smashed garlic clove, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until beans are just tender, 1 to 11/2 hours. Season to taste with salt. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.)
Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme; sauté 2 minutes. Add 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and beans. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Cool soup 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté sausage in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up lumps with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to paper towels to drain.
Using slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups bean mixture from soup; reserve. Working in batches, puree remaining soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Stir in reserved whole-bean mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, chorizo, and half & half. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold. Cover and keep chilled.) Rewarm soup over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Divide soup among bowls and serve.

Olive & Parmesan Skillet Cornbread

Perfect with the bean & sausage soup on a cold Oregon day....

Source: Bon Appetit, February 2006
Serves: 8

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup milk
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place 9- to 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet (do not use nonstick) on center rack in oven. Heat for 30 minutes.
Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk egg and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Whisk 1/4 cup oil, then milk into egg mixture. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; stir batter just to blend. Stir in cheese and olives.
Remove skillet from oven. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; swirl to coat bottom and sides. Spoon batter into hot skillet. Place skillet in oven; reduce temperature to 400°F. Bake bread until golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then invert bread onto rack. Turn bread over. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tilapia w/ Citrus Bagna Cauda

I had a heck of a time finding an easy Italian fish recipe that did not require a whole fish of an esoteric variety. This fit the bill nicely. Couscous (it's semolina) and roasted asparagus rounded out the meal nicely.

Source: Giada De Laurentis via The Food Network
Serves: 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
4 anchovy fillets, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 (6-ounce) skinless tilapia fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the butter and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over low to medium heat just until the butter is melted, stirring frequently. Add the anchovies and stir until the anchovies dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Stir in the orange juice, basil, and lemon and orange zests. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt. The bagna cauda sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and brush both sides of the fish with remaining 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Working in 2 batches, fry the fish until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter. Cover
with foil and keep warm in the oven while cooking the second batch of fish. Drizzle the sauce over and around the fish and serve.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

I fell in love with this pasta on our trip to Italy last year. A Roman classic. Covering the pasta prior to serving infuses the noodles with spicy goodness.

Source: The Classic Pasta Cookbook by Giuliano Hazan
Serves: 4-6

1 lb spaghetti
4 T butter
1/2 c finely chopped onion
2 oz pancetta, cut into thin strips
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet over medium-low. Add the onion and cook until it turns golden. Add the pancetta and saute until lightly browned but not crisp. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the butter, 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring four quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 T salt and the pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
Add the sauce, remaining butter, and cheese. Toss well. Cover the bowl with a large plate or lid and wait two minutes prior to serving.

Chicken Marsala

Another heavily tweaked recipe to make it healthier than the as-written version. The original recipe was for veal but chicken works just as well.

Source: 30 Minute Meals 2 by Rachael Ray
Serves: 4

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half and pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 c dry Marsala wine
1/2 c chicken broth
1 T half and half
8 oz dried pasta (penne, fettucine, whatever you like)
1/4 c Italian parsley, chopped

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1/2 T salt and pasta. Cook to al dente then drain.

Season flour with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil and butter. Lightly dredge the pounded chicken with the seasoned flour and brown in the skillet, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to warm plate and set aside.

Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and saute 5 minutes. Add marsala to the pan and scrape up all the browned bits. Add chicken broth and reduce slightly. Finish sauce with parsley and half and half. Return chicken to skillet and heat through. Serve over pasta.

Osso Bucco

I couldn't find veal shanks anywhere this weekend so I used some thick veal loin chops instead. Lamb shanks and beef short ribs would also work. We had this with polenta ans sauteed spinach.

Source: Real Kitchen by Tyler Florence
Serves: 4-6

1/4 c all purpose flour
1.5 lbs veal shank cut into approximately 3" sections
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
Zest of one lemon, peeled in fat strips using a veggie peeler
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/4 c finely chopped Italian parsley
1 c dry red wine
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice
1 14 oz can chicken broth

Gremolata
1 anchovy fillet
2 garlic cloves
Zest of one orange, finely grated
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season flour with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil and butter. Dredge the veal lightly in the flour and sear on all sides until it turns a rich golden brown. Remove veal and set aside.

Add onion, celery, carrots, lemon zest, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley to pot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender and start to turn golden. Return veal to pot and pour in the wine. Simmer until wine is reduced by about half. Add broth and tomatoes. Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. The veal should be tender and falling off the bone.

Prepare the gremolata by mashing the anchovy and garlic together well. Fold in the orange zest and parsley. Sprinkle gremolata over the osso buco before serving.

Mushroom Risotto

You've seen this before. A Tangled Web classic...

Gateau au Yaourt

The basic recipe is from the famed food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini but in true *Clotilde* fashion, I tweaked it a bit with what I had available.

First off, I used Tillamook Marionberry yogurt for that Oregon touch.

I increased the vanilla to 1 T then instead of rum, I decided limoncello would taste better with the berry-flavored yogurt.

And finally, I baked twelve cupcakes, in Dora liners of course to please the little guy, instead of a single cake.

Olympic Challenge: Week 1

Agnolotti alla Piemontese

Since the Games are in Torino, I wanted to open with a traditional Piedmontese specialty so had to do a bit of research since I typically cook Tuscan or Roman dishes at home. Most books cite this meat filled ravioli as something everyone has to try if in Piedmont.

Source: The Silver Spoon
Serves: 6

Prepared Pasta Dough - Make your own or buy prepared lasagna sheets or wonton/gyoza wrappers
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
14 oz ground beef
8 oz ground pork
1 egg and 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
One recipe Pink Tomato Sauce (omit the half & half)

Combine spinach, beef, pork, eggs, and cheese. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. On a strip of pasta dough (about 4 in wide), Place stuffing at 2 in intervals, 1/2-1 t of stuffing per ravioli. Moisten edges and fold over. Press to seal making sure to work out all air bubbles. Cut into squares with a fluted cutter. Wonton or gyoza wrappers are even easier since they're already precut and ready to stuff individually!

Bring four quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and carefully slide the ravioli in. Cook to al dente. Drain and toss gently with the sauce. Serve at once.

Bistecca a la Fiorentina

Simple Tuscan cooking at its finest. We enjoyed this with roasted rosemary potatoes and a spinach braised with a little bit of butter and white wine.

Source: My Head
Serves: 2

1 12-14 oz rib-eye steak
Salt and Pepper
Good Balsamic Vinegar (I use a 10 Year Aged Vinegar I buy from Zingerman's)
Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Break out the special stuff for this. Use the best you can afford.)

Season steak with salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you preheat the grill.
Grill steak 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Slice into thin slices and fan out on two plates. Drizzle with a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Chicken Cacciatore

I tweaked this recipe big time to remove all the extra things which added fat & calories but no flavor to the party. That way, we can enjoy it more often without guilt. So good-bye, egg & milk batter and 14 tablespoons of olive oil (eek!). Since the chicken is braised in an intense vegetable base, you don't miss a thing. We had this with our favorite baked polenta (recipe included below). Check out Tyler Florence's cookbook for the original recipe.

Source: Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen
Serves: 6

6 red bell peppers
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/2 c all purpose flour
2 T garlic powder
1 T dried oregano
6 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
6 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 large tomoatoes, coarsely chopped
Zest of one lemon
3 anchovy filets
1 T capers, drained if in brine
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 bunch fresh basil, hand torn & divided
1 c dry white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray and place cut side down on a small baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until peppers are soft and the skins are beginning to turn black. Remove from the oven and place peppers in a covered container (I use Tupperware but Ziploc bags also work) to steam for at least 10 minutes. When peppers are cool enough to handle, remove skins and chop roughly.

Season the flour with the garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour and tap off the excess. Heat 2 T olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the chicken in batches and set meat aside under aluminum foil. Add garlic, onion, tomaotes, lemon zest, anchovies, capers, red pepper flakes, half the roasted peppers, and half the basil to the drippings in the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often until everything breaks down.

Add the remaining roasted peppers and basil. Tuck the chicken pieces into the vegetable mixture and pour in any chicken drippings which may have collected on the plate and the wine. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Fettucine al Pesto

Always a favorite around here!

Source: Pesto from Cooking Light
Serves: 4

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts or pine nuts (since we're nut free for the time being, I just ditched these)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb fettucine, cooked al dente

Drop nuts and garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced. Add oil; pulse 3 times. Add basil, cheese, and salt; process until finely minced, scraping sides of bowl once. Add to hot cooked pasta and toss well.

Seafood Risotto

A variation on my favorite pressure cooker risotto. This was the foreward to Chad's gelato!

Serves: 2

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 c arborio or carnaroli rice
3 c chicken broth
1/2 t minced garlic
1 T butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
12 oz assorted shellfish & seafood (I used the frozen calamari, shrimp, & scallop mix from Trader Joe's)
2 T half & half
1 oz grated parmesan cheese
3 T finely chopped green onions, green parts only
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley
Salt & Pepper

In a pressure cooker, sweat the onion, olive oil, and sprinkle of salt over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Do not let the onion brown.

While onion is cooking, melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add seafood and lemon juice and cook for two minutes until seafood is mostly cooked (final cooking will happen in the risotto). Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Turn heat under onions to medium high and add rice, turning to coat. Add broth, turn the heat to high and cover. Cook under high pressure per your manufacturer's instructions for four minutes. Quick release the pressure. Stir in the seafood and return to medium heat until the consistency is how you like it and the seafood is cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, parsley, half & half, and cheese.

Grilled Cheese Pizzas

Our favorite pizza dough makes another appearance. Follow the dough recipe for the Grilled Apple and Sausage Pizzas but top with marinara sauce and your favorite italian cheeses!

Roasted Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, & Prosciutto Calzones

Pizza dough....take two. Since my favorite dough recipe makes enough for two meals, we turned the second half into these calzones.

Source: My head
Serves: 4

3 red bell peppers, roasted per the instructions in the chicken cacciatore recipe above and chopped finely
4 oz fresh chevre
1 oz finely grated Parmesan
4 slices prosciutto, chopped
1 egg white beaten with 2 T water for egg wash
Kosher Salt
Cornmeal, for dusting cookie sheet
1/2 recipe Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine peppers, chevre, parmesan, and prosciutto. Divide dough into four equal portions and roll each portion into a 6-8 inch circle. Divide filling across the four calzones. Fold circles in half enclosing the filling and crimp to seal. Dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal and arrange calzones over the cornmeal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and delicious.

Pork with Scallions and Capers

This is probably my favorite recipe from Marcella Hazan's book, Marcella Cucina. Simple but packed with flavor. Another good one with our favorite baked polenta.

Source: Marcella Cucina
Serves: 4

15 scallions, trimmed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 T capers, drained if in brine and chopped
1 lb thinly sliced boneless pork loin
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1/2 c all purpose flour
Salt and Pepper

Using a meat pounder or a mallet, lightly pound the pork slices to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy frying pan. Season flour with salt & pepper. Dredge the pork scallops in flour and brown meat in batches over medoum heat. Transfer the meat to a warm plate and set aside.

Lower heat to medium low and add the scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are very soft, about 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and add the capers. Saute for 30 seconds. Add remaining butter and pork. Cook until the meat is just heated through.

Classic Baked Polenta

I can eat this stuff all day. Creamy with a slight grittiness and best of all, no stirring!

Source: The Back of a Golden Pheasant Polenta Bag
Serves: 4

1 c polenta or coarse stoneground cornmeal (I'm currently using a Piedmontese polenta from Zingerman's but coarse cornmeal from Bob's Red Mill is great too)
3 1/4 c lukewarm water
1 t salt
1 T butter
1/2 oz grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray. Combine polenta, water, salt, and butter in the dish and stir with a fork until blended. Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. Run a fork through it and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Stir in cheese.

Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato

Source: Mio Gelato via The Oregonian
Makes: About 1.5 Quarts

2 cups hazelnuts, toasted (see note)
1 cup whipping cream
3 cups milk
7 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
Mint leaves (garnish)
Fresh raspberries (garnish)

Cool the toasted nuts and reserve a few for garnishing the finished gelato. Grind the rest to a coarse meal in a food processor; do not overprocess.

In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer (165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), and add ground hazelnuts to the hot mixture. Remove from heat. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, and then strain through a colander lined with a few layers of dampened cheesecloth. Press the mixture firmly with the back of a spoon to release all of the liquid. Return the hazelnut milk to a pan and heat gently to a simmer.

Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Using a whisk or a mixer, beat until the mixture is smooth and a pale yellow color, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture while stirring. Return to the pan and slowly heat while stirring until the custard thickens (180 to 185 degrees).

Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until thoroughly blended. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill finished custard in refrigerator until completely cool, 4 hours or overnight.

Freeze in ice cream freezer as directed by the manufacturer. If you like firmer gelato, put it into the freezer for 1 hour before serving. Garnish with mint leaves, raspberries, reserved whole hazelnuts, if you like, and serve.

Note: To toast hazelnuts, spread the shelled nuts in a shallow pan and roast in a 275-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the skins crack. To remove skins, rub nuts while warm with a rough cloth.