Sunday, November 28, 2010

Savory Bread Pudding

( #Recipe, #BreadPudding )

Credit: SFGate.com
INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh cranberry sauce or cranberry chutney (see Note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + more if needed
1/4 cup finely diced red onion, green onion or shallots
2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
1 teaspoon finely diced garlic
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt or mayonnaise
-- Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups shredded green cabbage (about a 2-pound cabbage)
3 to 4 cups shredded turkey
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Place the cranberry sauce in a large bowl and use a potato masher to mash down any large berries. Add the canola oil, vinegar, onion, mustard, garlic, yogurt or mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water, or enough to thin the dressing so it will coat the cabbage evenly. Add the cabbage and toss until well coated, then add the turkey with more salt and plenty of pepper to taste. If it's too sweet, add a little more vinegar.

Place the salad on plates and serve, topped with the almonds.

Note: If using canned cranberry sauce, which is sweeter, start with a smaller amount and add more vinegar to taste.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Sweet Potato Gratin

( #SweetPotato, #Gratin, #Recipe )

CREDIT: Kitchen Daily

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into1/4-inch thick crosswise slices
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into1/4-inch thick crosswise slices
1 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cups breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cups coarsely grated Gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425F. Arrange potato slices, alternating between sweet and russet, in a buttered 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Whisk together cream, broth, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Pour over potatoes in dish. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake in middle of oven 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove and discard foil. Stir together breadcrumbs and cheese. Sprinkle over potatoes evenly and dot with butter. Return to oven and bake until crumbs are crispy and liquid is bubbling and reduced and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes more.

Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Gianni's Porchetta

( #Porchetta, #Pork, #Recipes )

Don't freak out, I am still going to do recipes, but I found this during my browsing this week and I really appreciate the production value for being home-made.



Text Directions from Giannitv

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients
2-pound pork loin. Have your butcher butterfly it to about ½ inch uniform thickness.

For the paste filling
The leaves of 1 branch of fresh rosemary
6 leaves of fresh sage
12 fresh flat Italian parsley leaves
3 large cloves of garlic, smashed
1teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the roasting dish
1 fresh rosemary branch
6 fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs of parsley
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO}
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking Directions
Finely mince the herbs and the garlic. Place in a small bowl. Add the EVOO and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Roll out the butterflied pork loin. Evenly spread the herb/garlic paste to cover the entire surface of the loin. Don’t go too close to the long sides, leave about a 1/2 inch border. Tightly roll up the pork loin. Tie with string to keep the paste from leaking out and to maintain the shape of the pork loin roast. Rub the outside of the roast all over with some EVOO. Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper all over the outside of the roast.

In a roasting dish or pan, put the herbs and garlic to form a bed for the roast. Place the pork loin on top of the herb garlic bed. Pour in the wine and water and drizzle the liquids with EVOO.

Put the pan on the middle shelf of the oven pre-heated to 425 degrees. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until a golden crust starts to form on the roast. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and roast until the internal temperature of the roast is 145 degrees. Take the roast out of the oven and let it rest. The temperature of the roast will continue to rise to about 160 degrees.

Pour the liquid in the roasting pan into a small pan. Use a wire mesh to catch the herbs and garlic. Skim out any fat on the surface. Simmer the sauce on a low flame.
Slice the porchetta into ½ inch slices, top with some of the warm au jus or pan gravy and serve.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Joey's French Onion Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 stick of butter
5 large Spanish onions
40 oz of beef stock
Crusty bread
Swiss Cheese (shredded)
1 bay leaf
1/3 tablespoon of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of apple cider

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut the onions into half moons and set aside
2. In a large pot, melt on stick of butter on low heat. Add the onions to the pot.
3. Place a piece of butter on top of each onion, add salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and cover for 3 minutes.
4. Add the apple cider and cover for 3 minutes.
5. Uncover the onions and stir every five minutes for 35 minutes.
6. When the onions are brown and delicious, add the beef stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then drop down to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
7. Place the soup in a crock, add a nice piece of bread, and cover with cheese. Put the crocks on a baking sheet and place in an oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.