Pumpkin Parmesan Popovers

I had some leftover canned pumpkin the other day (after making my pumpkin spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting) and I didn't want to waste it.  I somehow knew that I must be able to make a popover or something with the pumpkin - even though I have never made a popover in my life, and may have only ever eaten one.  I checked out a few different recipes, and eventually came up with one that I thought might work.  For a dinner party.  Yes - I am one of those people who makes things they have never made before for guests and prays that they turn out.  Yes - I am a mediocre baker who probably shouldn't risk baked goods given the number of flops I have brought to family dinners.  None of these facts are enough to deter me, so off I went, and you know what?  Even though I forgot about them for a minute and let them get just a * little * bit too brown, they were damn near perfect - just a bit crisp and browned on the outside, but soft and a bit wet in the middle.   They were delicious and four of us polished off 12 of them.  Win!

Pumpkin Parmesan Popovers
4 eggs
1 c milk (I used fat free)
1/2 c pumpkin (canned is fine)
3 tbsp butter - melted
1 c flour
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper
Parmesan cheese (oh go on - you know how much you like; just keep in mind that the Parm keeps the popovers from, well, popping over, so you might want to go easy on it.  I probably used a pinch per popover.)

Preheat your oven to 375 and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (I used butter flavored).  Whisk together the wets: eggs, milk, butter and pumpkin.  Combine the drys (flour, salt, chili powder) and whisk those into the wets.
Pour into the muffin tin; filling each no more than 2/3 full - this was just enough batter for 12 popovers for me.
Sprinkle a pinch of Parmesan on top of each.
Bake for 30 minutes or so; slit tops to allow steam to escape and bake 10 minutes more.

And yes, you can do these in advance and reheat them - I'd say a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so should do it!

A big ball of meh.

Had the parentals over for dinner this weekend, something it seems I don't do often enough. I was working with a few restrictions (no bell peppers, no citrus, no pork since they had it the night before).
I had been on a mad hunt for verjus (or verjuice, but verjus sounds much more sophisticated, non? Plus it's how I heard about it first, so that's the term that sticks in my memory.) since I thought I could take advantage of it's acid type flavors to use in place of citrus juice versus vinegar which is TOO acidic and vinegary for many recipes in my opinion. I finally found some at Andronico's (thanks Chowhounds) but then didn't even end up making chicken paillard, which is what I had planned.
Because I was now stuck rummaging through cupboards and cookbooks for some other interesting variation of "chicken breast," I had to make do. I found a raspberry chicken breast recipe similar to this one, and altered it based on what I had.

The recipe actually called for raspberry vinegar (I had fig), Worcestershire sauce (I had!), red wine (I had, but thought port would go better with the fig), and garlic (I only had powder - who doesn't have garlic?!?!). I marinated it for an hour or so in that mixture which didn't seem to be long enough. Grilled it up (and yes, the marinade does burn) and it turned out okay. I wasn't wild about it, but everyone else said it was good and they ate it, so you know. It's not poison at least. Maybe next time reserving some of the marinade and cooking it down to use as a drizzle on top would make me happier.

The next semi-fail came in the way of Ina's string beans with shallots. The recipe calls for three shallots which seems like a lot to me. I knew I had one shallot at home so I picked up one more. Only to find out once I arrived home, that not only was the garlic gone, but so was my other shallot. Having roommates is such a surprising and action packed way of life sometimes! So now, with only a third of the required shallot, I made do. Guess what, the recipe could've used more shallot. Again, it was still a hit and everyone ate it all, but I was unimpressed. I mean, nothing is Aylene's green beans aside from Aylene's green beans, but I did at least want to TRY to branch out.

Finally - a recipe I have had bookmarked for YEARS. And it's not like I forgot about it. It's in my bookmarks, so every time I start to type "foodnetwork" it pops up as an option. Yippee, I was finally making it!!!! And hey, guess what, I totally didn't like it. It was more cheese than cauliflower and I didn't think the flavor was good at all. Again, everyone else liked it - was I having an off tastebud night or am I just too critical? Don't answer that please. At least now I can let go of the dream. Dad doesn't like cauliflower much, but even he liked this (not too surprising since seriously, there were more bites that were just cheese and no veggie at all). I did tweak it a bit though. . . . me and my fat free half and half. . . .

Cauliflower Goat Cheese Gratin
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups (1 pint) of ff 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 pound Monterey Jack, coarsely grated (I used Clover Organic)
2 c grated Parmesan (I got mine from the cheese section at Andronico's)
8 oz goat cheese, broken into small pieces
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix the cauliflower, heavy cream, and the 3 cheeses in a large bowl and then transfer to a medium casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

We wrapped up with the God awful black bean brownies which were politely tasted, not really enjoyed, and abandoned altogether once I shared how they were made. I'm not sure that my folks will ever come back after this, no matter how much fun they had playing Wii.

Pan Seared Gnocchi

I'm in love. It's not new really, I've felt this way for a few years, from the first time we met. It was definitely love at first bite (too far?).
This link will probably break (just like my heart) because the chef's latest restaurant was closed THE DAY AFTER I LAST VISITED. Thank GOD I got in one more time. In any case, chef Sean O'Brien makes the most heartbreakingly angelic gnocchi you will ever have the honor of caressing with your mouth. If the link is broken google him! You'll know you've found the right one if it says he worked at Myth & Zinnia in San Francisco.
Seriously, the man is a gnocchi genius. And his wild boar ragu? Do NOT get me started (where can I even get wild boar?! * note to self; befriend hunters).

And now, NOW that I can no longer saunter down and stuff myself full of potato fluff goodness (with a delicate crispy coating) I have to dedicate the rest of my life to perfecting his craft. At least until he opens something else in the area. (Sean, it's not YOU - it's the space. It's cursed, I'm sure of it.)
Obsessed much? Yes.

I give you, the starting point recipe. . . (also, how do I get invited to this mystical gathering of Bay Area Food Bloggers please and thank you?) I am NOT currently interested in these shell beans however; I favor parmesan crusted, brown buttery goodness to start, and then maybe the wild boar ragu. But, we all must start somewhere and this Heidi Swanson dame has got my mouth watering so I'll forgive her her summer version.

Golden, Crispy Gnocchi
Look for fresh shell beans, still in pods at your farmers' markets. This time I used cranberry beans, not being able to resist their vibrant, mottled pink pods. I also added a few handfuls of butter beans, and of course favas (which I can get here at the market through November). Most beans you can pop right out of the pod and throw into a pot of boiling water to cook. Favas you need to remove the beans from their big outer pods, give them a quick boil (a minute or two), drain, rinse with cold water to cool them off, and then pop them out of their light colored inner shell. Intensive but worth it.

I buy fresh gnocchi from a pasta maker at the farmers' market as well. Throw them right in a well-seasoned pan with some clarified butter, toss and let them brown on each side, no boiling. This is not a typo.

fresh shell beans (try a mix of fava, cranberry beans, butter beans), shelled, roughly three cups of beans

1 pound fresh gnocchi

1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms (optional - if you can't get chanterelles, skip the mushrooms)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced

a big handful of small cherry tomatoes, halved

clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil

splash of cream (optional)
freshly grated parmesan (optional)

Take the shelled beans and cook each type of bean in its own pot of water. They will take between 10 and 20 minutes to cook (taste to tell when they are done). Drain and salt to taste. Set aside. See header notes re: fava beans.

Heat a couple tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil) in a large well-seasoned (or non-stick) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and toss to coat with the butter. Let them cook until they are golden brown on the bottoms and then use a metal spatula to flip the gnocchi. Cook until they are golden all over. Salt, transfer to a platter and set aside.

Clean out that same big skillet, add a bit more butter or oil, and over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms, shallots and thyme along with a few pinches of salt and pepper. The mushrooms will release a bit of moisture, keep cooking, and let them get a bit of color (another minute or two).

Toss the cooked shell beans into the skillet with the mushrooms, add the tomatoes and cook for another few seconds. Remove from heat and stir in a splash of cream if you like. Pour the beans and mushrooms over the gnocchi and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Serve family style on a big plate or platter.

Serves 4-6.

Wait. What do you mean I just pan sear them in butter? That's it? That's all? This doesn't require virgin sacrifice and listening to old Beatles records backwards? No chanting? No dancing? Just. . . butter?
I'm a little disappointed.

Okay, looks like it's time to start working on that wild boar ragu then.

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Quinoa is a nice, South Beachy grain, and it's actually quite tasty, especially combined with the yummy, earthy flavors of wild mushrooms. Even if you cook too much of the liquid off (which I may have done) and it's not quite as soft and creamy as risotto typically is, the dish is still pretty damn fine overall. This is a great, easy, totally straightforward recipe. I loved the addition of goat cheese due to my severe goat cheese addiction. I typically use grated Parmesan or Romano cheese which are much more true to a standard risotto. This time around I used a little bit of both. This dish is much less labor intensive than a true risotto as well, since you add all of the liquid at once and leave it to simmer, rather than adding it ladle by ladle (though you can do that too!).

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, oysters, or porcinis, cleaned and chopped
1 cup quinoa
2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 cup white wine (I used a chardonnay)
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled AND/OR 1/4 - 1/2 cup grated hard Italian cheese such as Parmesan

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the shallot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

2. Add the olive oil and mushrooms, season again, and cook for another five minutes, or until mushrooms have begun giving off their water. (You can prepare the dish up to this point and set aside for an hour or two, or refrigerate overnight.)

3. Add the quinoa and the wine and broth, stir, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook at a bare simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan and the goat cheese until both have melted, season to taste, and serve hot. You could also stir in some additional butter at this point if you're more interested in richness than waistlines.

Italian Dinner in Chester

I spent the weekend in Chester with my darling friend Shannon and her family, soaking up sun, eating, and drinking wine. And catching up too, I'm sure we did that at some point. To thank them for having me (and feeding me, and pitching a tent-suite for me in the back yard because I am horribly, horribly allergic to their darling cat Murphy, even though I love him big time), I made an Italian dinner, inspired by the squash blossoms I saw in Shannon's gorgeous garden.
I managed to stay South Beach about 60% of the time, and ate fried things and burgers and delicious chocolate-banana milkshakes and s'mores the rest of the time. Whoops.
We had chicken Friday night, so we decided to go with an eggplant parmigiana and Giada's squash blossoms. I knew I had a recipe in my cookbooks at home, but as I was about five hours away from them, I had to rely on the interwebs.
It turned out wonderfully, and while it was a little bit time intensive, it was super easy. The kids ate it up, as did the husband, and of course, us girls. This will definitely be made again.

Sauce - Shannon had a premade garlic/tomato one (Shan, if you read this and remember, comment on it!)

1/2 small onion, sliced, chopped, whatevered

1/4 tsp minced garlic, preferably fresh

1/4 c. olive oil

8 oz. fresh mushrooms

eggplant

lowfat mozzarella

Parmesan

Spray 2 cookie sheets with olive oil (or Pam). Slice an eggplant into 1/2" slices. Now, spray the tops. At 350-degrees, bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned. Turn after about 15 minutes.

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomato sauce and mushrooms. Stir well. Simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally.

Layer in a baking dish: 1 c. sauce (or more), eggplant, and then on each slice of eggplant - shredded/sliced mozzarella, sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, sauce, and top with mozzarella and a little Parmesan.

Bake at 350-degrees about 30 min. or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

And because Giada's recipe is hard for me to find, I'm going to repost that here as well.

Fried Squash Blossoms
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sparkling water
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/3 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cream cheese, at room temperature
2 teaspoons heavy cream - I've used whole milk (AND nonfat milk) and it's been fine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves - this last time we used lemon basil and OMG - use lemon basil
1 green onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
8 zucchini blossoms* see Cook's Note
Vegetable oil, for frying
Serving Suggestion: serve with your favorite marinara sauce or vinaigrette
Cook's Note: Zucchini blossoms can be found at farmer's markets and specialty grocery stores.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water and salt until smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream (or milk), basil, and green onion. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling into each blossom. We used this handy dandy little gizmo from the pampered chef and it could not have been easier. The kids, Shannon and I then licked the entire contraption clean which helps with cleanup. Close the blossoms and gently twist the petals to seal.

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 minute.) Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels.

Season with salt and serve with your favorite marinara sauce or vinaigrette. If you're having this with the eggplant, you can use some of that sauce.

Zucchini & Sausage Carbonara

Another recipe you may not want to quote me on since I was inspired by a couple of recipes when making it. I'd say I was inspired by Emeril's use of sausage, but more closely followed Jamie's.

Zucchini & Sausage Carbonara
2 Johnsonville sweet Italian sausages, removed from casings
1/4 lb ground turkey (I had it on hand and threw it in, but you could easily just use another sausage link)
2 green zucchini
2 yellow squash
(I also used one variegated green/yellow squash, but you can just use one more of a green or yellow)
1 pound of freshly made whole wheat fettuccine from the farmer's market (or dry, whole wheat penne)
4 large egg yolks
1/2 c cream (I filled my measuring cup half to 2/3 of the way with cream, and then filled it the rest of the way with ff half and half)
2 good handfuls freshly grated Parm (I had shredded, so that's what I used)
1 tsp of thyme (smoosh it up in your hand or between your fingers before adding)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller zucchini can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions. If you're using fresh pasta - hold off on this until the sausage and zukes are cooked since it will cook up so quickly.

Add a couple of tsp of olive oil to a pan and heat over med-hi. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up into small crumbles as you go. Depending on how big your pan is, maybe you can get the zucchini in too, but I took the meat out, leaving all of it's meaty goodness behind in the pan, and cooked the zukes up with some salt, pepper, and the thyme so they dry fried a little, getting nice and brown in some spots, but soft and cooked through overall.

To make the carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini & sausage, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)

Add more of the cooking water if needed to get a nice shiny sauce and top with the rest of the parm. I tore up some squash blossoms on top as garnish as well. Serve immediately!

Beignets

I've been having some good ones lately, but I usually think of beignets as sweets. Out here on the east coast, there are plenty of seafood based doughnuts - which totally makes sense, but I still don't really think savory when I think donut. But then I came across these little darlings and I'm all over them!
Thanks to chef April Bloomfield and Martha Stewart.

Makes 60 beignets

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups finely grated Gruyere cheese
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 large eggs
• Coarse salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup water and butter just to a boil. Whisk in flour and stir with a spatula to blend completely. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
2. Add cheeses and mix on high speed until well combined. With mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; season with salt. Transfer batter to refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.
3. Drop tablespoon-size balls of batter about 1-inch apart onto 12-by-2-inch pieces of parchment paper; refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days. Beignets may also be frozen for up to 1 month.
4. Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot 4 inches high with oil. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, carefully place entire piece of parchment into hot oil. Using tongs, carefully remove parchment from oil and discard. Fry beignets until golden and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

LOVE LOVE LOVE that you can be all little Suzy Homemaker and make these in advance and have them in the freezer "for when company drops by." Cocktails and homemade Gruyere and Parmesan Beignets? Hot damn. The parchment trick is cool too.

Chicken Paillard

We can thank Tyler Florence for making me crave this one. Maybe while I'm up in wine country I can make it for lunch. Open a nice crisp white, sit out on the patio. . . mmmm.

Chicken Paillard with Creamy Parmesan Salad

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs, whipped slightly with splash milk
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 egg yolks*
• 2 clove garlic, smashed
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup organic grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 bag fresh baby arugala
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, boccancini, halved
• Shaved Parmesan, for garnish
• Lemon wedges, for garnish
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Begin by pounding out the chicken breast gently between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.

Prepare a breading station with flour, whisked eggs and milk, and panko crumbs. Season all with salt and pepper. Coat the breasts in flour, egg then panko. Lay the coated breasts out on a flat tray and refrigerate to let the crust dry out (about 10 minutes) this will ensure there is less moisture and less chance your coating will break when frying.

Shallow fry the paillard in hot oil for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side depending on how thick the breasts are. Drain well, season with salt and set aside when done.

Put the anchovies, egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan, season with salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper; set aside. (Refrigerate the dressing if you will not be using it right away.)

Prepare the salad by splitting the grape tomatoes in half through the middle lengthwise, mixing all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and toss the salad well.

To serve lay the warm, crispy chicken paillard on the base of the plate and top with the salad. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese, a wedge of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil.

I might forgo the egg in the dressing altogether to lighten it up a bit - I'm already frying the damn chicken.

Carbonara

So I was hanging out with Jamie Oliver this weekend - in my bed if you can believe it! (Yes, fine, he was on tv, I was in my bed, whatever spoilsport.)
The point is, Jamie was making carbonara, which is a pasta dish I've never made. As a kid, I didn't like peas believe it or not, so it never really called out to me. As an adult, I don't really like to be fat, so I avoided it still. But Jamie, as he does, made it look so damn easy and delicious, and fresh, and somehow healthy, that I had to give it a shot. My recipe, thrown together as most of my recipes are: one part actual recipe, one part, "I think this is what I remembered him doing. . . approximately," turned out really really well if someone's three helpings are any indication (don't look at me, I only had one).
Penne ala Carbonara - serves "2"

• whole wheat penne pasta - enough for 2 people; feel free to ignore petulant comments about it being "so little" - it'll be plenty, even for three helpings it seems
• 1 small yellow squash - Jamie said to, "Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the courgettes at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne," so I did
• 7-8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 5 stalks of broccolini
• 1 clove of garlic, diced
• 2 oz chopped pancetta
• 2 egg yolks
• parmesan cheese - a handful
• olive oil
• TJ's ff 1/2 & 1/2
• red pepper flakes
• s&p

Again, this is a TJ's meal. The prechopped pancetta is a godsend, and they almost always have my beloved broccolini, and well, everything else.

Get the pasta water going, salt it, cook it, etc. You know the drill - but it'd be perfect if the pasta was done right around the same time as the sauce. Be sure to reserve a bit of the cooking water in case your sauce needs thinning.
I tossed a small glug of olive oil into a pan and let it heat up, then added the pancetta. Once it was maybe half way "done" I threw in the garlic and kept chopping all the rest of my veggies, then threw them in as well. This I let cook until it was all just tender and took it off the heat.
If I was smart, I would've started the sauce as soon as I put the veggies in, but I forgot.
So if you try, you'll need to multitask - keeping an eye on the pasta, the veggies, and creating the sauce.
Get your yolks into a medium sized bowl and add a handful or so of the parmesan cheese and whisk. Get it all stuck in the whisk and realize you also need to add the 1/2 and 1/2. Do so, and whisk some more - you can also add olive oil if you like. I only seasoned with pepper since (Jamie and) I think there is plenty of salt in the pancetta and cheese, but that's up to you. I'd wait until the very end on that however. Get the sauce into the still hot (but off the heat) pan of veggies and stir constantly so the egg can cook. Because I waited, I put the heat back on low and stirred for a while to be sure the sauce was cooked through, and tossed in a little pinch of red pepper flakes, you know, all BAM! like.
If you have not taste tested at this point, and there is no royal taster to do so for you, grab a nibble and decide on seasoning and doneness. Drain the pasta, adding a bit of the cooking water to the sauce to thin if needed. Add the cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and veggies and stir to coat.
If you're planning on leftovers, you may want to put them away first, before serving any hungry people. If you just did it for two, you're good to pig out.