Farm Vinaigrette Dressing February 17, 2008

Farm Vinaigrette Dressing recipe from Farm Country Caterers

pizza sauce / dough recipes February 13, 2008

 Trying to find the perfect homemade pizza sauce….these are a few I will try. I want my sauce to taste like Rosa’s Red Sicilian Pizza that I used to eat when I lived in Queens. IT was the best.

Rosa’s sauce

Furmano’s Sauce  

Recipezaar 

Furmano’s (w/ apple sauce) 

fornobravo 

 best

Gail’s 

Alton Brown 

 Pizza Hut

Exquisite Sauce 

pizza 

Warm Roasted Mushroom and Feta Salad February 9, 2008

Warm Roasted Mushroom and Feta Salad

Emiril’s salad.( sundried tomatoes) February 8, 2008

Emeril’s Salad Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004 Show: Emeril Live Episode: Emeril’s Classics

1 cup whole sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil 3/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 2 1/2 cups cubed white bread, crusts removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes Essence, recipe follows 12 cups loosely packed assorted baby greens 3/4 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 tablespoons alfalfa or broccoli sproutsPlace tomatoes in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for 2 minutes, or until plumped and tender. Remove saucepan from the heat and drain off the water. Heat the 3/4 cup olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a separate small saucepan, just until warmed through. Pour warm oil and herbs over the drained tomatoes. Cool and place tomatoes, oil, and herbs in a non-reactive container, in the refrigerator until ready to use. These will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Season croutons generously with Essence and toss to coat. Place croutons on a small baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until croutons are completely crisp. Cool completely. To assemble the salads, place lettuce and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Remove several tomatoes from the oil and julienne about 6 tablespoonfuls. Add the tomatoes to the lettuce. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the lettuce, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide the salad equally among 6 salad plates. Place 4 to 5 croutons on each plate and top each salad with 1 tablespoon of the sprouts. Serve immediately. Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast): 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon dried thymeCombine all ingredients thoroughly.Yield: 2/3 cup

Frisee Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Port Vinaigrette February 8, 2008

Frisee Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese, and Port Vinaigrette Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello Episode: Pumpkin Picking Party

Dressing: 1 cup port 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 shallot, finely minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salad: 8 cups loosely packed young frisee (curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces 1 1/2 cups ribbon-cut radicchio, soaked, drained, and dried 1 crisp red pear, halved, cored, and very thinly sliced crosswise 2-ounce chunk blue cheese, frozen 1 cup candied walnuts, or other candied nuts   Simmer the Port in a small saucepan until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Let cool, then whisk in the red wine vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper, to taste. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. In a large bowl, toss the frisee, radicchio, and pear. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Drizzle with the dressing; you probably won’t use it all. Using the medium holes of a box grater, shave the blue cheese in a fine snow-like shower over the salads. Scatter the walnuts on top and serve immediately.

Vietnamese Crispy Carrot and Cabbage Salad with Sliced Chicken and Chile-Lime Marinade February 8, 2008

Vietnamese Crispy Carrot and Cabbage Salad with Sliced Chicken and Chile-Lime Marinade Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005 Show: Emeril Live Episode: Pacific Rim Cuisine

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 7 tablespoons fresh lime juice 5 tablespoons fish sauce 6 tablespoons rice vinegar 3/4 cup cilantro leaves, shredded (stems reserved separately), about 1/2 bunch cilantro 3 tablespoons sugar 2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 teaspoon grated wasabi, optional 1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced 4 cups very thinly sliced cabbage 3 cups julienned carrots 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, shredded 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, shredded 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal 1/4 cup finely chopped roasted salted peanuts Crispy Shallots, recipe follows Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and add enough water just to cover. Add 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar, and the reserved cilantro stems and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the chicken to sit in the poaching liquid for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and allow it to cool completely. Transfer the chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight. In a non-reactive bowl combine the remaining lime juice, fish sauce, rice vinegar, the sugar, chiles, garlic, red pepper, and wasabi, if using, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. In a large bowl combine the cilantro leaves, onion, cabbage, carrots, mint leaves, and Thai basil leaves and toss to combine. Add 1/3 of the lime-chile mixture and toss. Let stand for 10 minutes, refrigerated, before serving. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates. Thinly slice the chicken breasts against the grain and divide evenly among the top of the salads. Garnish with the scallions, peanuts and crispy shallots and serve immediately, with the remaining lime-chile sauce on the side for dressing salads, to taste. Crispy Shallots: Peanut oil, for frying 2 large shallots, thinly sliced Salt Preheat the peanut oil to 360 degrees F. Add the sliced shallots, in batches, and fry until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the shallots using a slotted spoon or skimmer and transfer to paper towels to drain. Season with salt to taste. Yield: 1/3 to 1/2 cup

Couscous Salad with Tomatoes and Mint February 8, 2008

Recipe courtesy Food Network Kitchens Show: How To Boil Water Episode: Healthy Homemade Pasta Salads

3 cups (about 1 1/2 pints) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 2 kirby cucumbers, seeded, and diced 1 lemon, juiced 3 teaspoons kosher salt 1 1/2 cups instant couscous (a 10-ounce box) 2 cups water 2 wide strips lemon zest 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Pinch cayenne 1/2 cup torn mint leaves, stems saved 1/2 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley, stems saved 3 scallions (white and green), chopped 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, optionalToss the tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemon juice in a bowl with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Set aside.Put the couscous into a large bowl. Bring the water, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of the oil, the remaining salt, cayenne, and herb stems to a boil over high heat. Pour the liquid over the couscous, stir to separate any clumps. Cover with a lid, plate, or plastic wrap, set aside for 5 minutes. Remove the zest and herb stems and fluff with a fork. Add the tomato mixture, scallions, mint, parsley, and pine nuts. Drizzle the remaining oil over the salad, toss and serve.

Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola February 8, 2008

Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Show: Everyday Italian Episode: Eating Across America

7 ounces Gorgonzola 1 large egg, beaten to blend 3/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for deep-frying Salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 cups coarsely torn arugula (about 10 ounces)Blend the Gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Using 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese for each, form the cheese into 18 (1-inch) balls. Working in batches, coat the balls with the egg then with the bread crumbs. Repeat coating the balls in the egg and bread crumbs. Arrange the balls on a small baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, and lemon peel in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside. Add enough oil to a heavy small saucepan to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. At this point, remove the refrigerated Gorgonzola balls from the refrigerator. Working in batches, add the cold balls to the hot oil and fry just until golden brown, about 20 seconds. (It is essential that the Gorgonzola balls be cold when they go into the oil, otherwise they will fall apart in the oil. If they start to warm up at any point, return them to the refrigerator to firm back up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried balls to paper towels to drain. Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad on plates. Top the salads with the hot fried Gorgonzola balls and serve immediately.

antipasti salad February 8, 2008

Antipasti Salad Recipe

I want to grow peas and mint. February 8, 2008

I found out while watching the good eats
episode where he made his Green Peas with Cheese and Herbs.
This recipe sounds delicious, and since most peas are sold frozen, I want to grow my own. I love peas…and I love mint.