Oriental Chicken and Mango Cruch

Oriental Chicken and Mango Cruch

Recipe by Dorothy Ferreria

Ingredients: serve 4

4 chicken thighs

¹_/3 cup dice ripe mangoes

½ cup chopped spring onions

¼ cup coarsely chopped toasted cashew nuts

1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded

100 grams rice sticks (bihon noodles), deep fried in corn oil  ripe mangos, peeled and

    sliced (for garnish)

Procedures:

Remove the skins and bones of the chicken thighs. Slice meat into strips.

Make the marinade (recipe follows). Marinate chicken in the mixture for 20 minutes.

Grill chicken with a little oil until fully cooked. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Prepare the dressing (recipe follows)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, mangoes, spring onions, and cashew nuts. Pour in the dressing and toss gently to combine.

Line a serving platter with lettuce leaves. Arrange the fried rice sticks on lettuce leaves. Place the chicken mixture on top of the fried rice sticks. Garnish with sliced mangoes.

Marinade

2tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoon Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Combine soy sauce, Hoisin ginger and garlic.

Dressing

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoon sesame oil

In a small mixing bowl, combine Hoisin sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil, mix well

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe by Tina Conception Diaz

Ingredients: serve 8 to 10 Gingerbreads

3 ²_/3 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 cup butter, softened

2 teaspoon ground ginger

¾ cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

½ cup dark vanilla syrup or molasses

Royal icing

3 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 egg whites

Food colors, for tinting

Procedures:

Preheat oven to 325 ^oF

In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Whisk well with a wire whip. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed. Add egg and vanilla syrup or molasses and continue beating until well incorporated. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.

Gather dough into a ball. Divide into two, flattening each ball into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes of until firm.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Lift dough once in a while and rotate to keep it from sticking to the surface. Dust surface and rolling pin with flour as needed or when dough starts to stick. Dip cookie cutters in flour and use to cut cookie shape. Reroll scraps of  dough until all dough is used up. To keep from stretching the cut out dough, use a pancake turner to transfer the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Using a pancake turner, carefully transfer cookies to a flat surface and cool.

While cookies are cooling work on the frosting by placing powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Add egg whites and beat at medium speed until soft and fluffy. Tint icing using desired colors. Place frosting in icing bag with desired decorating tip and decorate baked cookies. Let frosting dry for several hours before handling cookies.

Note: if you do not have cookie cutters, cut out a pattern from a cardboard. Place over rolled cookie dough and cut using a knife.

Peaches and cream frozen Pie

Peaches and cream frozen Pie

Recipe by: Norma Chikiamco

Ingredients: serves 8 to 10

Crust

1 ½ cups graham crackers(about 9 strips or 27 pieces)

2 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cu melted butter

Procedures:

Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs. Mix together with sugar and butter.

Pres into tow 9 x 5 x 3 inch (standard size) loaf pans

Chill for 30 minutes then bake in a 350^oF oven for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Filling

2 cans( 16 ounce) peach slices, drained

3 cups whipping cream or all purpose cream, well chilled

2 cups confectioners sugar

Procedures:

Wipe the drained peach slices dry with paper towels. Set aside in refrigerator.

In an electric mixer, whip the cream at medium to high speed, adding sugar gradually. Continue beating until mixture is thick.

Arrange a layer of peach slices on each cooled pie crust. Spread a layer of cream. Repeat layers with remaining peaches and cream, ending with peaches.

Freeze 6 to 8 hours. Thaw in refrigerator 30 minutes before serving for easier slicing. 

Chocolate Christmas Tree

Chocolate Christmas Tree

Recipe By: Norma Chikiamco

Ingredients: serve 6 to 8

Cartolina

Baking paper

2 packs (8 ounces each) semisweet baking chocolate

1 cup all purpose cream

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup chopped nuts

½ - 1 cup mini marshmallows assorted cake decorations

Procedures:

Make the cone for the Christmas tree

Cut the cartonila into a rectangle 20 x 10 inches in size. Draw a line in the center. Attach the baking paper to the cartolina, making sure to cover all sides. Fold one side of the cartolina into the center, using the line as guide. Fold other end over to make a cone. Trim base so cone will stand straight. Seal with tape to keep in place. Set aside.

With knife, chop the semisweet baking chocolate into small pieces. Place in a heatproof bowl.

Heat cream in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles begin to appear. Remove cream from heat and pour it on the pieces of baking chocolate. Cover bowl for about 1 minute to allow chocolate to melt. Stir cream and chocolate together until smooth. Blend chocolate chips, nut and marshmallow into the chocolate mixture.

Stand the pointed end of the cone in side the tall glass(such as a pilsen glass or parfait glass). Spoon the chocolate mixture into the cone. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate hardens, about 4 hours.

Carefully unwrap the chocolate tree from the cartonlina and baking paper. Make the tree stand on a serving dish. Decorate with stars, chocolate dragees or with any desired confectionery. Using melted chocolate as glue.

Holiday Ham with Dried Mango

Holiday Ham with Dried Mango and Raisin Sauce

Recipe by Dorothy Ferreria

Ingredients: serves 6 to 8

1 kilo holiday ham

¾ cup white sugar

1 cup mango nectar

½ cup dried mangoes, finely chopped

1/3 cup raisins

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water, optional

For garnish

Lettuce leaves

Oranges slices

Red and green grapes

Prepare the ham

Preheat oven to 300 ^oF. place ham in roasting pan.

Make the sauce by caramelizing sugar in a saucepot over medium flame. Slowly add mango nectar, dried mangoes and raisins. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture for a thicker sauce, if desired.

Brush ham with some sauce and bake for about 40 minutes or until surface is golden brown. Pour ham drippings into a gravy dish.

To serve the ham

Place ham on a large platter. Garnish with oranges slices and grapes. Serve with mango sauce, glaze drippings, and if desired, candied yams on the side.

As an alternative to mango sauce, you may use pineapple sauce. Use dried pineapple and unsweetened pineapple juice in place of the dried mangoes and mango nectar.

Candied Yams

Candied Yams

Recipe by Dorothy Ferreria

Ingredients: serve 8

1 kilo yams or sweet yellow potatoes

For the sauce

1 cup white sugar

½ cup water

¼ cup butter juice of 1 orange

½ cup water

1 pandan leaf

¼ cup mango or pineapple jam or orange marmalade

Juice of 2 calamansi, optional

½ cup cooked red sago or red kaon

Procedures:

Wash yams or sweet potatoes well, removing all traces of dirt and grime. Peel and slice into large chunks.

To make the sauce

In a large saucepan or work, combine sugar and water.  Place over medium heat and allow to boil. Lower heat and allow to caramelize to a rice golden brown.

Working quickly, pour in butter, juice and rind of 1 orange, water, pandan and jam. Mix well.

Add raw camote cubes and continue cooking on low heat, stirring frequently, until camote cubes are fork tender. If desired, add the calamansi juice after cooking for a stronger citrus flavor. Remove the pandan leaf and rind before serving. Garnish with sago and kaong. 

Saffron Paella Recipes

Saffron Paella

Recipe by: Dennis Hipolito

Ingredients: serve 12

6 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing

1 head garlic, peeled and chopped, for rice

1 cup chopped onion, for rice

2 cups tomato concasse(blanched, peeled, and diced tomatoes)

½ teaspoon saffron

4 ½ cup rice (Dinorado, Calrose or Spanish rice)

7 to 9 cups chicken stock or broth

2 pandan leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil, for chicken

6 chicken drumsticks, halved

1 cup chopped ham

3 cloves garlic, chopped, for sauce

1 onion, chopped, for sauce

2 sliced bacon, chopped

2 fresh squids, cleaned and sliced

1 chorizo, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

2 to 3 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons rock salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 t6o 4 pieces crabs, split

1 can pimientos, drained and sliced

Procedures:

In a large deep sided pan, heat 6 tablespoons oil and sauté garlic and onions until translucent. Lower heat and cook further until the onions are starting to lightly color. Blend in tomatoes and saffron. Continue cooking over low flame until tomatoes break down and the mixture looks like a compote.

Add rice and stir until coated well.

Add about seven cups chicken stock and the pandan leaves. Boil gently until rice is cooked, adding enough seasoning and stock to almost cook and flavor rice.

In a paellera, heat two tablespoons olive oil and brown drumsticks. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same paellera, and ham, garlic, onion, and bacon. Cook through. Add squid, chorizo, tomato sauce paste, and remaining broth. Season with salt and pepper and sugar.

When mixture starts to boil, and shrimp, crabs, and the browned chicken. Simmer until sauce is greatly reduced. Add drumsticks and adjust seasoning.

When done, add cooked rice and determine desired consistency. Mix in pimiento. Add more stock if needed. Adjusting seasoning to taste

Cook in the paellera without stirring over low heat for about 30 minutes or bake in the oven covered with foil.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Capers and Onions

Pasta with Smoked Salmon, Capers and Onions

Recipe by: Aileen Anastacio

Ingredients: Serve 1

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced onion

8 pieces capers

½ cup heavy cream

100 grams spaghetti noodles, cooked as per package directions

¼ teaspoon salt

¹_/8 ounce smoked salmon, cut into bite size pieces

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Procedures:

In saucepan, melt butter, add onion and cook until translucent. Add capers, then the cream. Let sauce simmer until slightly thickened.

Stir in spaghetti noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the smoked salmon pieces.

Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving. Serve immediately. 

Roast Chicken with Fruit

Roast Chicken with Fruit and Beer Gravy

Recipe by: Luis Chikiamco

Ingredient: Serve 4 to 6

1 whole chicken (about 1.4 kilos)

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup pale pilsen beer

¼ cup liquid seasoning

1 10gram sachet chicken powder

1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

½ teaspoon sage

1 small apple, quartered

Procedures:

Rub chicken inside and out with a mixture of garlic, beer, liquid seasoning,

Chicken powder, rosemary and sage. Marinate for at least 1 hour

Place chicken in roasting pan, insert apple inside chest cavity of the chicken. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes per half kilo of chicken. (about 1 hour for 1 ½ kilos). Reserve drippings for gravy.

Fruit Gravy

½ cup pan drippings from roast chicken

1 cup orange juice

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 cup diced ripe mangoes

Procedures:

In a small saucepan, combine pan drippings, orange juice, sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add diced mangoes and heat through. Serve. With roast chicken 

Chilean Sea Bass with hazelnut Rolled Asparagus

Chilean Sea Bass with hazelnut Rolled Asparagus

Recipe by: Luis Chikiamco

Chilean Sea Bass with hazelnut Rolled Asparagus 

Ingredients: serve 1

1 carrot

1 onion

1 stem onion leek

2 mangoes

250 grams Chilean sea bass (or lapu lapu(, sliced into 2 salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup fresh milk

¼ cup water

½ cup cream, divided into 2 portions

4 to 5 asparagus stalks ice water

1 egg white

½ cup ground hazelnuts

¼ cup cooking oil

Procedures:

Preheat oven to 300^oF

Slice carrot, onion and leek into cubes to make a mirepoix. Set aside

Cut mangoes into large slices horizontally

Season fish with salt and pepper. Place 1 to 2 mango slices on each piece of fish(reserve remaining mangoes for sauce). Roll fish and fasten with a toothpick.

In a baking dish, pour in milk, water, ¼ cup of the cream and the mirepoix. Add fish. Cover baking dish with foil and bake until fish is fully cooked. Remove fish and reserve the liquid.

Cut out hard end of asparagus. Blanch asparagus in boiling water then immediately plunge into a bowl of ice cold water. Drain asparagus and dip in egg white. Roll in hazelnuts.

In a skillet, heat oil and fry the asparagus until nut coating is set.

Make Mango Sauce

In a blender, combine remaining mangoes, remaining ¼ cup cream and ½ cup of the reserved liquid. Blend until smooth.

To serve. Arrange fish on dinner plate. Add asparagus on the side. Pour in mango sauce.

Savory Holiday Beef Roulade

Savory Holiday Beef Roulade

Ingredients: Serve 6 to 8

Marinade

¼ cup oyster sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil ground black pepper, to taste

For the beef roulade

1 kilo whole beef kalitiran, sliced into ½ inch thick sheets(2 pieces)

6 pieces sliced ham

2 hard cooked eggs, sliced lengthwise into quarters

1 medium carrot, sliced into ¼ inch thick sticks

   All purpose flour, for dredging

¼ cup cooking oil

2 beef broth cubes, dissolved in 5 cups hot water

Salt and pepper, to taste, optional parsley, bell pepper and button mushrooms, for garnish optional

For the Gravies

Reserved both(from beef, about 2 cups), divided in half

½ can (420gram can) cream of mushroom soup

2 teaspoons onion powder, divided in half

¼ cup corn starch dissolved in ¼ cup water, divided in half

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Make the Beef Roulade

Procedures:

In a mixing bowl, combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Lay the beef sheets on a shallow dish and pour marinade, turning to coat the beef entirely in marinade. Set aside for 1 hour.

Drain beef slices and arrange on a tray. Layer ham, eggs, carrot on one side of each beef sheet.

Starting from the side with the fillings, roll the beef sheet carefully, making sure that the fillings are intact. Truss the rolls by tying at regular intervals using any kitchen twine. Dredge beef rolls in flour.

Dredge the beef rolls in flour

Heat cooking oil in large frying pan over medium fire. Brown the beef rolls on all sides in hot oil

Transfer the rolls to a large casserole. Pour in broth, cover the casserole and simmer over low heat until beef is tender, about 2 to 3 hours. Season will salt and pepper in the last 30 minutes of cooking, if needed. Remove beef from casserole and reserve the broth.

Make the gravy

For the mushroom gravy, strain the reserve broth. In a saucepan, combine half of the broth, mushroom soup, half of the onion powder, and half of the cornstarch mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Make the brown sauce

Fro the brown sauce, in a saucepan, combine remaining broth, onion powder, cornstarch mixture and soy sauce. Let simmer until sauces thickens. Season with salt and pepper

Garnish beef roulade with parsley, bell pepper and button mushrooms. Serve with 2 kinds of gravies on the side. 

Chicken Veggie

Chicken Veggie salad

Ingredients: serve 6

4 cups chopped roasted peppers

2 cups diced celery

2 cups cubed zucchini, parboiled for 1 minute

2 cups sweet corn kernels, drained

1 cup raisins

2 pieces chicken breast, poached, seasoned and cubed

2 pieces apples, diced, skin on

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, parboiled(blanched)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard salt and pepper, to taste

Procedures:

In a mixing bowl, combine peppers, celery, zucchini, corn raisins, chicken and apples. Toss to combine. Set aside.

In a food processor bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and mustard. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture then toss gently to combine.

Transfer salad to a serving bowl. Chill. Serve cold

Lamb Tartare

Lamb Tartare

By: Jaime Zavala

Ingredients: Serve 4

Rosemary oil

20 grams rosemary leaves

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Blanch rosemary leaves. Separate leaves form stems and place in a blender. Add the olive oil and purre until smooth. Set aside

Mushroom Relish

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup assorted mushrooms, sliced, with stems removed

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon orange peel, finely chopped

Procedures:

In a skillet, heat olive oil over moderate heat sauté onion and mushrooms. Add red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Place the mixture into a food processor and process until cut into ifne pieces.

Remove from the food processor and add the orange peel. Set aside.

Lamb tartar

Ingredients

¼ kilo lamb loin, ground or finely cut

¼ cup shallots, finely chopped

½ teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon truffle oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice salt and pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon chopped parsley rosemary sprig, for garnish

Procedures:

In a ceramic bowl, using two table forks, place the ground lamb, shallots, mustard, truffle oil and lemon juice. Mash until fine season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley.

On a dinner plate, place a 1 inch thick mold. Place a spoonful of lamb tartar inside the mold then flatten. Top with a rosemary sprig. Around the mold drizzle with the rosemary oil and place 1 teaspoonful of mushroom relish. Repeat procedure with the other three remaining dinner plates.

Remove mold before serving. 

Smoked Tanguingue Mousse

Smoked Tanguingue Mousse with Wasabi Cream Sauce

By: Jaime Zavala

Ingredients: Serve 10 to 12

Tanguigue mousse

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped smoke tanguigue(Spanish mackerel)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup chopped canned pimiento, drained

1 cup cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

¼ cup hot water

1 cup all purpose cream well chilled

Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh wansuy(cilantro) leaves

Procedures:

Softened butter, for brushing cucumber slices, for garnish

In a blender, puree the tanguigue, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and the pimiento to a coarse mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator

Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth and lump free. Gradually add the blended puree to the cream cheese mixture and chill in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle unflavored gelatin in the hot water and let stand until spongy, about 5 minutes. Microwave on low until dissolve about 25 seconds. Cool slightly.

Whip the all purpose cream then gradually add the gelatin mixture, salt, pepper and wansuy leaves. Whip until well incorporated.

Using a spatula or spoon, fold in by hand the purred fish, until the color is even. Pour into either a fish mold or a round mold brushed with a little softened butter. Chill until mixture is set, about 2 hours or overnight.

Wasabi topping

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup cream cheese or saour cream

3 tablespoons wasabi powder or wasabi paste in tube or to taste salt and pepper, to taste

Procedures:

Blend together mayonnaise cream cheese or sour cream, wasabi powder salt and pepper. Whip until well incorporated. Chill for about 3 hours.

When mixture is stable, pipe wasabi mixture on top of mousse. Garnish mousse with cucumber slices. Serve with crackers or melba toast.

Tuna White Bean and Fennel Salad

Tuna White Bean and Fennel Salad

Why this recipe works: This quick salad takes its inspiration from Tuscany, where hearty portions of round white beans and high quality canned tuna are lightly dressed with olive oil for an easy summer dinner. We wanted to toss in some sliced fennel for added flavor and depth, but we found its crunchy bite a bit distracting. So instead of cutting the fennel by hand, we use a mandoline to make paper thin pieces. This technique also gives us soft ribbons a visually appealing addition to this multi textured salad. The strong citrus taste of the vinaigrette stands up to the other flavors in this dish, but it can be a little cloying. To counteract the sweetness, as well as the peppery taste of the watercress, we bring in the strong, briny flavor of oil cured olives. We found that there are huge differences in quality from one brand of canned tuna to the next. It’s important to pay attention to the texture of the tuna, specifically we wanted flaky chunks, not cat food.

Tuna, white bean, and fennel salad with orange vinaigrette

Ingredients: serve 4

4 (3 inch) strips zest, pith removed, and sliced into thin strips, and ½ cup juice from 2 oranges

3 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme salt and pepper

2 bunches watercress, trimmed (about 8 cups)

1 (16 ounces) can cannelloni beans, drained rinsed

1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and sliced very thin on mandoline

½ cup pitted oil cured olives, halved

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

2 (12 ounce) cans tuna in water, drained and broken into bit size pieces

Procedures:

1. Combine zest, orange juice, and lemon juice in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl, whisk in oil and thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
2. In large bowl, combine watercress, beans, fennel, olives and tomatoes. Toss with vinaigrette until well coated and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on individual serving plates and top with pieces of tuna. Serve.

Smart shopping canned tuna

Given the minimal flavor differences in canned tunas, our test kitchen tasters focused on texture and that’s where chicken of the sea solid white albacore tuna in water gained an advantage over other tunas. This meaty canned tuna won raves for its moist texture, chunky appearance, large, beautiful flakes, and taste of the ocean.

Quick prep tip cutting orange zest

A vegetable peeler is a great tool for removing the zest from citrus fruit gently peel away a wide piece of zest, being careful to avoid any of the bitter white pith beneath it.

Chicken Goat cheese and cherry salad

Chicken Goat cheese and cherry salad

Why this recipe works: this salad boasts an array of complementary flavors and textures: from sweet cherries to tangy goat cheese, crisp pecans to tender mesclun. We use the brown then simmer method for cooking the chicken breasts, which results in flavorful meat that’s also tender and moist. Mesclun a colorful mix of baby greens and lettuce is our choice for this salads base, but baby spinach is a fine substitute if mesclun isn’t available. Bittersweet orange marmalade, woodsy sherry vinegar, and savory shallot make for a unique vinaigrette that promotes harmony among the salad’s various flavors. The sweet, caramel notes of pecans provide an especially nice finishing flourish, but if you prefer walnuts, they can be used instead.

Chicken, goat cheese, and cherry salad with toasted pecans

Ingredients: serve 4

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about ¾ pound) salt and pepper

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup water

2 ½ tablespoons orange marmalade

2 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

12 ounces cherries, pitted and halved

1 (5 ounce) bag mesclun greens

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Procedures:

1. In medium nonstick skillet, toast pecans over medium high heat until browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate, set aside, and wipe out skillet. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now empty skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip chicken, then stir in water and 1 tablespoon marmalade. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until chicken is cooked through, 5  to 7 minutes. Transfer to cutting board.
2. In large bowl, combine remaining marmalade, vinegar, and shallot. Slowly whisk in remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper. In small bowl, toss cherries with 1 tablespoons dressing.
3. Add  mesclun to dressing, toss to combine, and divide among individual plates. Top with cherries, pecans, and goat cheese. Slice chicken crosswise and arrange on top of salad. Serve.

Quick prep tip pitting cherries

For neater cherry pitting, place a large bowl of water in the sink. Add the cherries and then pit them at the bottom of the bowl. The pits float to the surface for easy removal, the cherries are rinsed in the process, and your hands( and the kitchen) aren’t bright red from the juice.

Smart shopping mesclun

Often labeled “spring mix” or “salad mix” mesclun is an amalgam of various small, young salad greens. Mixes vary, but arugula, dandelion, frisse, mizuma, radicchio, oak leaf, mache, and sorrel are commonly included. Chose mesclun with crisp leaves and no signs of wilting. 

Grilled Romaine and Steak Salad

Grilled Romaine and Steak Salad

Why this recipe works: here, we make grilling simple by taking away the timing element we just put everything on the grill at the same time and pull it off when it’s finished. Since we serve this salad at room temperature, we don’t have to worry about the quick cooking items getting cool while we’re waiting for the ones that take longer to finish up. We halve the romaine and grill it at a high temperature until it’s just charred; if the romaine stays on the grill too long, it wilts.

Grilled Romaine and steak salad with Dijon vinalgrette

Ingredients: serve 4

2 medium heads romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise through core

1 onion, cut into ½ inch rings

4 slices hearty white bread, 1 inch thick

¹_/3 cup vegetable oil salt and pepper

1 small flank steak(about 1 pound)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

½ cup crumbled blue cheese

Procedures:

1. Brush cut sides of lettuce, both sides of onion slices, and both sides of bread with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Season steak with salt and pepper. Grill steak directly over hot fire until well browned and internal temperature registers 125 degrees(medium rare),  4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil.
3. Meanwhile, grill onion slices around perimeter of grill until lightly browned and soft, 7 minutes per side, then transfer to platter. Grill lettuce on cut side only, with root ends in center of grill and leaves extended to perimeter of grill, until grill marks form, about 2 minutes. Transfer lettuce to platter and cut in half again, making 8 pieces. Grill bread until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side and transfer to platter.
4. combine vinegar and mustard in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Slice steak thin against grain. Arrange 1 slice bread on each serving plate and top each piece with sliced steak. Arrange 2 lettuce wedges beside each slice bread and drizzle steak and lettuce with dressing. Sprinkle onion slices and blue cheese on top of steak and lettuce. Serve.

Quick prep tip managing a full grill

Every grill has hot spots, so when grilling a variety of foods that cook at different rates, it is important to know where these spots are. The hottest area on a grill is directly over the source of the heat. The cooler spot are located away from the heat source, usually around the perimeter of the grill. For this recipe, we place the onion slices around the perimeter so they soften before they get to brown. E place both the meat and the bread directly over the heat source, paying close attention to the bread directly over the heat source, paying close attention to the bread as it will char quickly. We found it best to place the hearty root ends of the lettuce directly over the heat and the delicate leaves over the less intense heat of the perimeter. 

Shrimp Salad with Chili tomato

Shrimp Salad with Chili tomato Vinaigrette

Why this recipe works: shrimp is America’s favorite shellfish, and it’s no wonder: their subtle yet recognizable flavor works well in concert with any number of other ingredients and in just about any type of dish. For this shrimp salad, we begin by making the chili tomato vinaigrette. We found that using cherry tomatoes instead of a larger variety yields rich, full flavor of the salad, we needed our vinaigrette to be distinctive and bold, so we added a fresh jalapeño to the roasted tomatoes. For the salad itself, we prefer to make things simpler by using already cooked shrimps. If you are using uncooked, then poach them in salted water until they’re pink and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. We always use fresh seasonal corn if it’s available, but if it’s not, frozen kernels are acceptable as long as they’re thawed before they’re incorporated into the salad. We toss the arugula into the salad just before serving to keep the leaves from wilting.

Shrimp Salad with Arugula, Corn and Chili tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients: serve 4

2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut in half

6 garlic cloves, sliced thin

7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper

1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 pound precooked large shrimp

3 ears corn, kernels removed from cobs (about 2 cups)

1 (5 ounce) bag baby arugula

Procedures:

1. adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, toss 1 pint tomatoes and garlic with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange these tomatoes cut side up on rimmed baking sheet and roast until skins begin to brown on bottom, about 20 minutes. Return tomatoes to bowl and stir in jalapeño, remaining oil, and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, cut remaining tomatoes in half again to make quarters. In large bowl, toss these tomatoes with shrimp, corn, and roasted tomato vinaigrette until thoroughly mixed, then add arugula and toss until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Quick prep tip roasting cherry tomatoes

Once the tomatoes are tossed in the oil and seasoning, place them cut side up on a baking sheet for maximum moisture evaporation. Roast in a 450 degree oven, rotating the tray halfway through cooking to ensure even roasting. The tomatoes are done in about 20 minutes, when the skins begin to brown on the bottom. 

Grilled Eggplant Salad

Grilled Eggplant Salad with Chickpeas

Why this recipe works: we like to think of this grilled eggplant salad with notes of lemon and tahini as a deconstructed baba ghanoush a seasoned Middle Eastern eggplant puree often used as a spread or dip for flatbread. In our version, we cut the eggplants into planks, grill them until they’re well browned and tender, cut them down some more, then toss them with a dressing comprised of lemon juice, tahini, and soy sauce. We use the same dressing on the greens and the chickpeas before they’re added, which gives a unified flavor to the salad; we toss each ingredient separately, however, to ensure proper coating and seasoning. By tossing the chickpeas in the vinaigrette first, we allow them time to absorb some of the flavor as the eggplant cooks and the salad is assembled. It may seem as if the eggplant is not cooked enough when you take it off the grill, but even off the heat, the eggplant will continue to soften and be completely tender by the time you’re done assembling the salad.

Grilled eggplant salad with chickpeas and lemon tahini dressing

Ingredients: serve 4

2 tablespoons tahini

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons soy sauce

   Salt and pepper

1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each), trimmed and cut length wise into 1 inch

   Planks

1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach

Procedures:

1. Whisk tahini, 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, garlic, and soy sauce together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1/3 of vinaigrette to medium bowl and toss with chickpeas.
2. Brush both side of eggplant planks with remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant planks over hot fire until well browned and tender, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and cut in half lengthwise. Transfer to large bowl and toss with half remaining dressing.
3. toss spinach with remaining dressing and season with salt and pepper. Arrange eggplant spears on serving platter and top with spinach and chickpeas. Serve.

Smart shopping eggplant

Of the four eggplant varieties commonly found in supermarkets, the globe eggplant is the most versatile. Globe eggplants contain fewer seeds than their sister varieties, and their firm flesh retains its shape after cooking, making them an ideal choice for most cooking applications. Italian choice for most cooking applications. Italian eggplants are mildly spicy with lots of seeds; they’re best sautéed or stewed. Sweet and dry Chinese eggplants are great in stir fries, and thai eggplants, with their bright, grassy flavor and hints of spice, taste good enough to eat raw.

Campanelle with corn

Campanelle with corn and lima beans

Campanelle with corn and lima beans

Why this recipe works: the broad, twisted shape of campanelle pastas perfect  in the dish. The horns catch the tiny bits of corn and keep them from falling to the bottom of the bowl. The sweetness of the corn and mild nuttiness of the lima beans get a savory kick from the garlic and pecorino romano cheese, and the grape tomatoes add bursts of tanginess. The corn lima bean, and tomato mixture takes only about 7 minutes to cook just long enough to bring the flavor together without sacrificing the ingredients freshness. We heat the oil and garlic for the corn mixture just after adding the pasta to the boiling water so that the components are ready at about the same time. Fresh corn is preferable fresh flavor. But in a pinch, you can use 2 cups of thawed frozen corn, if grape tomatoes are not available, opt for cherry tomatoes, cutting them into quarters instead of halves if they measure 1 inch in diameter of larger.

Campanelle with corn, lima beans, and grape tomatoes

Ingredients: serve 4

1 pound companelle

   Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 earn corn, kernels removed from cobs

1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

¾ cup finely shredded fresh basil

1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and comanelle to boiling water and cook until pasta is al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil and garlic in large skillet over medium heat and cook until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add corn and lima beans, increase heat to medium high, and cook until corn is tender crisp and beans are heated through, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes, depending on their ripeness. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside off heat if pasta is not done cooking.
3. When campanelle is all dente, drain and return to pot. Add corn mixture, remaining oil, basil, and ½ cup cheese. Toss well and season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese. Serve.

Quick prep tip shredding basil

To shred basil or other leafy herbs and greens, simply stack several leaves on top of one another, roll them up, and slice with a chef’s knife. In the case of basil, we have found that rolling the leaves lengthwise from tip to tail minimizes bruising and growning.

Smart shopping grape tomatoes

Sweet yet acidic, with deep color and low moisture, grape tomatoes are oval in shape and small in size like cherry tomatoes. They’re available in supermarkets year round, but don’t expect the characteristic tang of a good vine ripened tomato. 

Pasta with Olives Salami

Pasta with Olives Salami and Mozzarella

Pasta with olives, salami, and smoked mozzarella 

Why this recipe works: Deli salami makes for a tasty, if unexpected, addition to pasta. Its slightly coarse texture and boldly seasoned flavor work great in concert with slippery, al dente pasta. We chose gemelli for our pasta, mainly because the twister spiral shape brings a unique visual element to the dish; feel free to substitute an equal amount of whatever variety of short pasta you happen to have on hand. Cooking the salami in olive oil before adding the other ingredients to the skillet allows the meatiness of the salami to permeate every element of the dish. Adding the mozzarella right before serving prevents the cheese from melting too much and becoming unpleasantly stringy.

Pasta with olives, salami, and smoked mozzarella

Ingredients: serve 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 ounces sliced deli salami, cut into ½ inch strips

1 (9 ounce) box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and sliced thin

½ cup mixed brine cured olives, pitted and halved

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 pound gemelli salt and pepper

4 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into ½ inch pieces

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add salami and cook, stirring constantly, until salami is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer salami to paper towel lined plate and set aside.
2. Add artichokes to fat in pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in olives, garlic, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat, cover, and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, add gemilli and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain gemelli, and return gemelli to pot. Stir in artichoke mixture, mozzarella, and parsley, adding reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle crisp salami over gemelli. Serve.

Smart shopping olives

Jarred olives come in three basic types at the supermarket: brine cured green, brine cured black, and salt cured black. Curing is the process that removes the bitter compound oleuropien from olives to make them suitable for consumption. Brine cured olives are soaked in a salt solution; salt cured olives are packed in salt and left to sit until nearly all their liquid has been extracted before being covered in oil to replump. Both processes traditionally take weeks or even months. For canned California olives, on the other hand, producers use lye, which “ripens” the olives artificially in a matter of days, then further process the olives to turn their green flesh black.

Whole Wheat pasta

Whole Wheat pasta with green and walnuts

Why this recipe works: we love the nutty, earthy flavor of high quality whole wheat pasta, and we found that it was a great foil for the vegetal taste of the kale. Unfortunately, the quantity of kale necessary for this recipe meant that we would have to cook the greens in several batches. Wanting to save time without skimping on the greens, we found the solution by wilting half of the greens in a hot pan with out onions early in the process, then adding the remaining kale with the chicken broth. We finish the pasta by simmering it right in the sauce, a step that helps to integrate the components of the dish. The pasta not only absorbs the flavor of the sauce, but it also releases some of its residual starch, which helps to thicken the sauce slightly.

Whole wheat pasta green, walnuts, and ricotta salata

Ingredients: serve 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onion, halved and sliced thin

6 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

4 anchovy fillets, minced

1 ½ pound(about 2 bunches) kale, thick stems trimmed, leaves chopped

2 cups low sodium chicken broth salt and pepper

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

1 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

1 cup shaved ricotta salata cheese

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, pepper flakes, and anchovies to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
2. Add half greens to pan and toss occasionally until starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add remaining greens, broth, and ¾ teaspoon salt; cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and spaghetti to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain spaghetti, and return spaghetti to pot. Stir in sauce with greens and reserved cooking water as needed. Simmer until pasta has absorbed the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle with walnuts and cheese. Serve.

Smart shopping whole whet pasta

While most of its whole grain brethren landed toward the bottom of our pasta ranking for their “sour” taste and “gritty” texture, one brand boasted the same “firm” bite as the pastas with few or no whole grains. Tasters lauded Bionaturae organic 100% whole wheat spaghetti for being “heartier than white pasta, without being to wheaty”

Quick prep prepping kale

To neatly trim and catch the leaves of greens like kale and collards, hold a leaf by the stem over a large bowl. Then, carefully use a sharp knife to slash the leafy portion both sides of stem.

Asian Noodles with Shrimp

Asian Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables

Why this recipe works: traditional Japanese ramen soup often includes exotic ingredients such as miso(a fermented soybean paste). Here, we use the unlikely combination of smoky bacon, shrimp shells, and chicken broth to mimic the complexity of a traditional ramen broth. We recommend buying shrimp intact, peeling them yourself , and suing the shells to flavor the broth. But if you prefer the convenience of prepeeled shrimp, add an additional strip or two of bacon to the broth to make up for the lack of shells.

Asian Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved (optional)

6 scallions, white parts halved lengthwise, green parts sliced thin

1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into ¼ inch rounds, and smashed

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

3 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, flavoring packets discarded

1 (16 ounce) bag frozen Asian vegetables mix

Procedures:

1. cook bacon, shrimp shells (if using), scallion whites, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in large saucepan over medium high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until broth is reduced to about 6 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain broth and return to empty saucepan. Stir in soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and shrimp. Cover and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, about 2 minutes. Add vegetables to pot and cook until vegetables are heated through and noodles are completely tender, about 1 minute longer. Drain well, then dividde noodle mixture between 4 large bowls.
3. return broth mixture to simmer over medium heat. Stir in remaining sesame oil. Ladle broth mixture over individual bowls of noodles. Top with scallion green. Serve.

Kitchen know how deveining shrimp

In a tasting of cooked shrimp that had a had not been deveined, we found that deveining generally does not make a difference in flavor. (the one exception was in shrimp with especially large, gritty viens.) because the appearance of an especially dark, thick vein can be unsightly, we recommend its removal with a quick slit and tug of a paring knife, even if this step is unlikely to change the flavor of the shrimp. According to our research, this “vein” is the digestive tract, which may contain partially or fully digested food. Sometimes the tract is empty, in which case you won’t quite be able to see it and don’t need to worry about removing it. 

Rigatoni with Zucchini Sauce

Rigatoni with Zucchini Sauce and pancetta  

Rigatoni with Zucchini Sauce and pancetta 

Why this recipe works: we thought pasta with vegetable sauce use some livening up. Instead of making our sauce with chunks of zucchini, we puree the cooked zucchini to make a creamy, vibrant sauce that coats the pasta beautifully. Rather than using thin slices of pancetta, we employ small cubes cut from a single thick piece for a heartier, meatier flavor. The slightly chewy, crisp morsels provide a nice textural contrast to the creamy sauce and tender pasta, and their gamy flavor is a great counterpoint to the vegetal flavor of the sauce. You can purchase thick slices of pancetta from the deli counter at your local supermarket.

Rigatoni with Zucchini sauce and pancetta

Ingredients: serve 4

¼ pound pancetta, cut into ¼ inch dice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 zucchini (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled, halve lengthwise, and sliced into ¼ inch thick half

   moons

4 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup white wine

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Cook pancetta in large skillet over medium high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer pancetta to paper tower lined plate.
2. Add oil empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add zucchini and cook until just tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook until liquid has almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add broth and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Puree mixture in blender( in 2 batches if necessary) with butter and parsley until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and rigatoni to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain rigatoni and return pasta to pot. Stir in sauce, ½ cup cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining cheese and pancetta over pasta. Serve.

Kitchen know how safely pureeing hot liquids

Using a blender to puree hot liquids is the best way to get a creamy texture, but it can also be quite in the jar forms a vortex, moving higher and higher up the sides of the jar. Hot liquids are generally thinner and less viscous than cold liquids can move all the way to the top of the blender, forcing the top to pop off and causing the liquid to spray everywhere. To make sure you don’t get burned, let the liquid cool down for 5 minutes before blending, don’t fill the blender jar past the halfway point, and hold the lid in place with a towel.

Linguine with Clams Arugula and Tomatoes

Linguine with Clams Arugula and Tomatoes

Linguine with Clams Arugula and Tomatoes

Why this recipe works: the clams get all the attention from eaters, but the real star of this dish is the wine. Dry white wine adds bright acidity to balance the brininess of the clams and the saltiness of the pancetta. The wine combines with the juices that the clams release to create a sauce for the pasta. Pancetta, an Italian unsmoked bacon, lends a rich, meaty flavor to this dish. The friend pieces sprinkled over the top of the pasta also and a welcome crisp texture. Discard any clams that do not open after 10 minutes of simmering.

Linguine with clams, arugula, and tomatoes
Ingredients: Serve 4
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
6 ounces pancetta, chopped
5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup dry white wine
3 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed (about 30 clams)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes salt
1 pound linguine
4 cups baby arugula, chopped

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta in large skillet over medium heat and cook until pancetta is crisp and browned, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to pepper towel lined plate. Discard all but 3 tablespoon fat. Add garlic and pepper flakes to skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and clams to skillet, distributing clams in single layer. Increase heat to medium high, cove and cook, stirring occasionally, until clams open, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer clams to large bowl, discarding any that do not open, and cover to keep warm. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
3. Meanwhile, add linguine and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water  and  cook until pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, add arugula, and toss to combine.
4. 4 divide pasta among bowls and spoon sauce over pasta. Top with clams and sprinkle with pancetta. Serve.

Smart shopping pancetta substitute

Bacon and pancetta are both cut from belly of the pig, but the products are not identical. Bacon is cured with salt, then smoked and sliced. Pancetta is cured with salt, black pepper, and spices and rolled into a cylinder. It is never smoked. Replacing pancetta with bacon won’t ruin a dish, but because bacon is overtly smoky, many recipes recommend blanching it before substituting it for pancetta. You can blanch bacon by submerging it in boiling water for two minutes. Because blanched bacon is not as fatty as pancetta, you may need to add extra oil to the recipe.

Chicken and Egg Noodles with Wine Sauce all recipe

Chicken and Egg Noodles with Wine Sauce

Why this recipe works: This quick but company worthy dinner comes together quickly in a single skillet. First, we cut the chicken into narrow strips, cook it in butter and remove it from the skillet, leaving its fond behind. We then add white wine to the skillet to deglaze it, which makes scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan easy. Once the browned bits are dislodged, we simmer them in the liquid we use to cook the noodles, thereby distributing the fond’s flavor throughout the dish. Shallots and tarragon make an elegant accompaniment to the mild taste of chicken breast, while a few tablespoons of cream add a sweet dairy richness to the dish. We use plain egg noodles, rather than a more exotic variety of pasta, in this dish because their wide shape and fluffy texture lend themselves to quick cooking in shallow liquid. The last thing we wanted to do was bring out a pot just to boil the noodles.

Chicken and Egg Noodles with tarragon wine sauce

Ingredients: serve 4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ¼ pounds), cut crosswise into ¼ inch strips

   salt and pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

½ cup white wine

4 cup white wine

8 ounce egg noodles

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon

Procedures:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and tent with foil.
2. Add shallots to empty skillet and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits of fond, until pan is nearly dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth and noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender and liquid has been absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir in cream, tarragon, and chicken, along with any accumulated chicken juices, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Sever.

Kitchen know how Shallots vs. Onions

Although they’re commonly substituted for one another, shallots and onions are not the same. Shallots have a unique flavor that is quite a bit milder and more delicate than that of onions, and, of course, they are also much smaller in size than most onions. When shallots and onions are cooked, the differences between them show up even more. In a quick cooking pan sauce for steak, for example, a shallot’s mild flavor will meld much more smoothly with that of the other ingredients. A finely minced shallot’s will also melt into the sauce until it’s all but indiscernible. No matter how finely you mince an onion, it’s not going to disappear into an otherwise silky sauce. An onion also needs much more cooking time before its flavor will mellow. In addition, a raw shallot will add gently heat to a vinaigrette or salsa, with a minimum of crunch. Use a raw onion in the same recipe and the pungent onion crunch may seem out of place.  

Grilled Onion an Sausage Pasta With Tomato Sauce all recipes

Grilled Onion an Sausage Pasta With Tomato Sauce

Why this recipe works: We know that grilling over a hot fire does wonders to enhance the flavor of meat in this case, packaged sausage but it also works a similar kind of magic on red onions. When grilled a red onion releases a little bit of sugar. The sugar caramelizes on the onion’s surface, and the onion tastes sweeter as a result. For this recipe, we put grilled onion alongside our smoky grilled sausage to tweak the flavor of this otherwise traditional tomato cream sauce. Any precooked. Smoked sausage such as andouille, linguica, chorizo, or smoked beef sausage will taste good in this recipe, so feel free to experiment. You’ll find these sausages alongside the bacon in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Grilled Onion and Sausage Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: serve 4

1 red onion, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper

12 ounces smoked sausage, split lengthwise

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

½ cup heavy cream

1 pound penne

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Procedures:

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Brush onion slices with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill onion and sausage over hot fire until lightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream and continue to cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add penne and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until all dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain penne, and return penne to pot. Stir in sauce mixture and basil, adding reserved cooking water as needed. Roughly chop onions and sausage and add to pot along with any accumulated juices. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Smart shopping penne

In the past, domestic brands of dried pasta have repeatedly won top honors with our testers, but now that more specialty brands and Italian imports have hit store shelves, we decided to give fancy pasta another taste. We tried eight brands, with some of the pricier entrants costing as much as $5 per pound. Tasters liked three of the Italian offerings, but top honors stayed right here at home with an American brand triumphing. Mueller’s Penne Rigate was the favorite, with tasters calling it “hearty” and “wheaty.” The bottom line: Money may buy you fancy packaging, but it doesn’t buy you better pasta. Pricey Italian imports aren’t worth the cost or the trip to the specialty store.