Acini De Pepe Salad

(originally published here 5/30/2011)
It all started with a mystery ingredient in the chefs basket on the Food Network show, "Chopped".  The ingredient was Fregula--a small round pasta from Sardinia.  Ronnie searched for it at the Italian grocers in Hartford--the Italian-straight from Italy had never heard of it and when I described it over the phone to him, he suggested I use Acini de pepe (translation: peppercorn).  Ronnie picked up a couple of boxes and because he left the next day for Richmond, it started Meghan and I on a week-long mission of coming up with ways to use it as we had the opportunity to mess up the kitchen as much as we wanted.  We discovered we LOVED this type of pasta, as you can add anything you want.  We even tried pan-toasting it the next day to see if we could add a 'crunch' to it.  Alas, the tiny little pearls of goodness kept wanting to pop out of the pan.

Anyway, here our recipe-if you can call it that:
It can be served hot, cold…or my favorite--room temp. You can add anything you have on hand…..the secret is to sauté the garlic in browned butter.  In a large bowl, I put whatever ‘stuff’ I want to add, I then pour over the browned butter mixture, then mix in the freshly cooked hot pasta. IMPORTANT; dry out the pasta!!  

DIRECTIONS:  Melt  a couple of tablespoons butter in sauce pan, as foam subsides and starts to brown, add some good quality extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic (I squeeze it right out of a garlic press into the butter).   Add some red pepper flakes for some ‘zing’.  Warm briefly…don’t let the garlic burn.

VARIATIONS:

• Kalamata olives and sautéed garlic is the simplest version;
• Chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped kalamata olives and feta cheese (top with toasted almond slivers);
• Add chopped scallions;
• Try adding any leftovers you might have….I added leftover chopped roasted garlic-ly broccoli (topped with toasted sesame seeds) one time –it was fantastic;
• Arugula gives it a nice peppery flavor and gets wilted nicely when you pour the brown butter over it before adding the hot pasta.  (or baby spinach works too)
• (I can’t wait to try some leftover grilled corn cut-off-the cob  with fresh chopped garden tomatoes this summer!)

CUCUMBER ASPARAGUS RICE SALAD

I found this recipe in an RV cookbook that Kevan gave me for my birthday one year. It’s a great dish to make a for a crowd.

1 ¾ cup water

1 cup long-grain white rice

Bunch asparagus, steamed, stir fried or roasted, cut into 1” pieces.

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

2 Tbls Dijon mustard

1 Tbls (or a bit less) sugar

1 Tbls white wine vinegar

½ ts dry mustard

2 ½ Tbls vegetable oil

1 tsp dried dillweed

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add rice, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

 In a serving bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, sugar, white wine vinegar, dry mustard, vegetable oil and dried dillweed. Add cooled rice, asparagus, cucumber, green onions to bowl.  Toss until well incorporated.

PAN-ROASTED MUSSELS- NORMANDY STYLE

Found this in a local tourist magazine while camping in Rhode Island.  The Kalberers liked it, I’ll have to make it again so Ronnie who was sick at the time can try it.

6 oz. smoked slab bacon (I used Applewood) cut into 1/2” cubes

2 Tbls butter

2 small shallots, sliced into thin rings

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 McIntosh apple, peeled and cut into ½” cubes

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 lbs (about 35-40) mussels, scrubbed, beards removed

2 springs fresh rosemary

5 whole sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish

1 bay leaf

3 Tbls Calvados (apple brandy)

½ cup apple cider

1 cup heavy cream

1-2 French baguettes or your favorite crusty bread

Add bacon to a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot set over medium heat and let cook 5-6 minutes. Once the fat is rendered and bacon is turning golden drain the excess fat; add butter, shallots, garlic and apple. Season with salt and pepper and continue to stir an additional 4-5 minutes.

To the same pot, add cleaned mussels and fresh herbs. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook mussels for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add brandy, cider and cream to pot scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot; bring contents to a light boil. Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer until all the mussels have opened. Check seasoning again before serving.

Ladle into bowls, top with broth and garnish with thyme  OR  just gather around the big pot and everyone shares. Serve with lots of warm crusty bread. Serves 6.

Lamb Stew with Guinness

8 teas olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1 tbls chopped thyme
1 1/2 teas chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teas salt, divided
1 teas freshly ground pepper, divided
2 cups Guinness Stout
1 Tbls tomato paste
3 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 cups cubed, peeled Yukon gold potato
2 cups 1-inch-thick diagonally sliced carrot
8 ounces baby turnips, peeled and quartered
1 Tbls whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large Dutch oven over med-heat. Add 2 teas oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and rosemary, saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place onion mixture in large bowl. Salt & pepper the lamb and dredge pieces in  flour and shake off excess. Work in small batches and add meat to bowl with onion.

Add beer to pan, bring to a boil, scrapping bits from sides. Cook til reduced to 1 cup (about 5 minutes). Return onion/ meat mixture to pan. Stir in tomato paste, cook 30 seconds. Add broth and bay leaf, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, stir in potatoes, carrots and turnips. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Add another teaspoon each of salt & pepper and the Tbls of Dijon mustard. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

Cooking Light Magazine

Poblano Pepper Cream Sauce with Mexican Crema

This is delicious over grilled chicken.  I am going to try some on fried fish tonight.

3 fresh Poblano Peppers
2-3 teas oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup milk
4 Tbls butter
1 Tbls flour
1 cup Mexican Crema (directions below--MAKE at least 3 hours ahead)
Salt to taste

Roast the poblanos over an open fire, until the skins are blackened (or roast in oven)
When roasted, place in zip lock baggy for several minutes until the skins loosen up for easy peeling.

Remove seeds and the stem, Rough chop and place in a blender.
Heat oil in a medium size pan, saute the onions and garlic until tender. Add to the blender along with the 1/2 cup milk. Pulse.

Wipe out the pan and melt the butter...add the flour and brown lightly, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and pour in the poblano puree mixture and stir until smooth. Add the Mexican Crema, stir constantly until it's bubbly and beginning to thicken. Remove from heat and add salt to taste.

Mexican Crema:
In a large bowl combine 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup sour cream and 1 teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours. Transfer to serving  bowl and enjoy or place in refrigerator until ready to use. The crema will last as long as the sour cream that is used, so pay attention to the expiration date on the sour cream container. Let come to room temperature before eating.  Makes about 2 cups.

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

Makes a elegant looking appetizer or side dish.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups (5.5 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
1.5 lbs medium or thick asparagus
1 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. on a floured surface, roll the pastry into a 16x10" rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, light score pastry dough 1" in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork pierce dough inside the marking and 1/2" intervals. bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove pastry shell from oven and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20-25 minutes.

Zoodles with Creamy Avocado Pesto

So delish!

Zucchini, spiralized
1 tbls olive oil

Sauce:
ripe avocado
1 cup basil (or spinach leaves)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)
2 tbls lemon juice
salt, cracked black pepper to taste
3 Tbls olive oil

Spiralized zucchini and set aside on paper towel to soak up excess water.
Put the sauce ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Then with the motor still running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified and creamy.

Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat then add zucchini noodles, cook for only a minute or 2. Add zucchini noodles to a large bowl and toss with avocado pesto. Season with salt and pepper and a little Parmesan.