Zucchini Vichyssoise

This is a recipe I've adapted for total deliciousness without a scary amount of fat or calories.  Traditional vichyssoise has a lot of cream and quite a bit of potatoes.  I think you'll find this one as equally rich in flavor, but perfect for keeping you skinny.  It can be served any time of year, hot or cold.  It's velvety and smooth and another really lovely first course at dinner or part of a light luncheon.  I've also occasionally added poached lobster medallions to the soup for presentation, but why not make a delicious salad with some chicken or your favorite seafood to serve along with it?  Call it the perfect meal.  Call it easy.  And call me later with a hug and kiss.

Zucchini Vichyssoise
(Serves 8-10)  Note: Leftover soup can be frozen if you don't add any cream.  Or if you're serving a small crowd, just cut the recipe in half.

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
3 large leeks, sliced in half, rinsed in cold water, drained and very thinly sliced
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped
4 medium-large zucchini, coarsely chopped
2 small potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. half and half or cream (optional)
Chopped chives for garnish

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Add the leeks and onions and reduce to very low.  Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until nice and soft.  Add the zucchini, potatoes and stock.  Stir in the salt and pepper.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for approximately 30-35 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.  Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very, very smooth.  It should not be chunky at all.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Add half and half or cream if using.  Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped chives.  (If serving cold, put the soup in the fridge for at least six to eight hours to chill completely.)

Pasta e Fagioli (or Pasta Fazool for the Sicilian in all of us)

This is something you should make for people you love. It's so easy, but sooo delicious; the air will be filled with that sense of togetherness that food has a way of doing for us when it's both simple and scrumptious.  This is the kind of soup that's good anytime of year too.  You can make a whole meal of it because of all the protein that's in there.  Add a delicious loaf of your favorite crusty bread (with a fruity extra-virgin olive oil on the side for dipping) and a simple salad too.  A glass of Chianti wouldn't hurt in making the whole thing completely perfetto.  Hello?  Is that Vivaldi I'm hearing? Or perhaps Pavarotti?  You'll swear you'll hear music coming from somewhere.

Pasta and Beans (Pasta e Fagioli)

1 2 1/2" onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15-1/2 oz.) can garbanzo beans
1 (15-1/2 oz.) can cannellini beans
1/2 can of water 
1 medium tomato, chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cup ditalini pasta, cooked al dente
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for passing

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions.  Turn the heat to very low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the chopped garlic and cook on very low for another 2 minutes.  Add both of the beans, with their liquid, to the pot and fill one can half-way with water and add that.  Stir and cover, and cook gently for 30 minutes.  Add the tomato, red pepper flakes and salt, pepper and another half-can of water.  Cook for another 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, add the cooked ditalini pasta until heated through, but be careful not to overcook the pasta.  Serve piping hot and pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano to sprinkle on top.

Caprese Tower Salad (A Must for Summer Entertaining)

What a happy day it is when I'm talking about one of my most favorite foods on this earth.  Fresh buffalo milk mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) is one of the most glorious tastes and sensations you could ever hope to enjoy.  It is an ingredient that stands alone and is second to none. It cannot be substituted with a different product and be expected to achieve the same eye-closing results.  If all you have or feel like buying is cow's milk mozzarella, this salad will only satisfy slightly, and it will not be nearly as luscious.  Please trust me.  There is no comparison.  And if you are going to the trouble of preparing a salad like this, then there is absolutely no reason to skimp on any of the ingredients.  This one takes some of your time to prepare (maybe 30-45 minutes), but the end results will be glorious.  It calls for using six hollowed-out tomato paste cans.  (I've found this is a spectacular way to prepare salads, as the presentation on the plate is gorgeous.  Save the molds for future salads and you can come up with endless ideas of layering different ingredients together.)  The combination of flavors here are the perfect mix of delicate and bold.  If you want something beautiful, delicious and memorable, then please, go get the finest ingredients, roll up your sleeves and have a go at this slightly new twist on an Italian classic.

Note:  You might be wondering what to do with the tomato paste that has to be emptied out of the cans.  If you're not planning on using it right away, simply freeze the tomato paste in individual zip-lock bags. 

Caprese Tower Salad with Tomatoes, Grilled Zucchini, Grilled Asparagus,  Buffalo Milk Mozzarella and Spinach-Basil Pesto


Serves 6

Ingredients:

Tomatoes -

3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into ½” dice or 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl toss tomatoes with the extra virgin olive oil and a little salt.

Zucchini -

2 small to medium green zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices

2 small to medium yellow zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/2" slices

Extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat grill to medium-high (alternately, use a grill pan and heat on stove-top).  Brush zucchini with a little olive oil and grill on each side for about 2 minutes.  Remove from grill and sprinkle with some of the grated parmesan.  Cut into bite size pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Asparagus -

1 bunch of asparagus, wood stalks removed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle asparagus with some olive oil and place on hot grill or hot grill pan.  Grill about 4 minutes on each side.  Remove from grill and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a touch of lemon juice.  Lightly season with salt & pepper.  Cut into ½” pieces and place in a medium bowl.

Cheese:

2 8-oz. balls fresh buffalo milk mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala), drained well and cut into ½” dice

Spinach-Basil Pesto -

2 cups baby spinach

1 cup fresh basil

1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

¼  cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place first 4 ingredients in bowl of food processor and process until coarsely chopped.  Slowly add olive oil through feed tube until fully combined.  Transfer to medium bowl and stir in cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly:

Clean out 6 small tomato paste cans and remove both top and bottom ends.  Place tomato paste cans on a clean baking sheet.  Make salads by placing 1 Tbsp. of the tomatoes in the bottom of a hollowed-out can, then place 1 Tbsp. of the zucchini, then 1 Tbsp. of the asparagus, 1 Tbsp of the mozzarella and 2 teaspoons of the pesto.  Gently press down on the layers with the back of a teaspoon so that everything slightly compresses.  Repeat layering one more time and then repeat with remaining molds.  (If making more than an hour in advance, put salads in the refrigerator.)  Before serving, slide a wide spatula underneath salad and place on serving plate.  Carefully unmold salad by pressing down on salad with fingers and lifting mold with other hand.  Decorate top of salad with a little bit more of chopped tomatoes and a fresh basil sprig.  (Feel free to be creative here.  Decorate with what you like.  Maybe some field greens, or a little curly frisee, even a bit of watercress.)  Drizzle around salad with a bit more of the pesto and carefully transfer plates to the table.

Wild Mushroom Soup

As a lover of all things mushrooms, I think this soup is one of the nicest ways to start off a meal.  It's light in calories and heavy-duty on flavor.  With this soup, you make a rich and delicious white bechamel that gives it its velvety texture, but without the over-the-top richness of soups made with heavy cream.  You can go totally veggie with this one by using a vegetable stock too. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

For the Mushroom Base:

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, kept whole and wiped clean with a clean towel or paper towel - do not wash!
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and kept whole

1 medium portabello mushroom, dark gills removed, sliced

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 small onion. (about 1/2 cup), coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp. flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

2 1/2 cups chicken or veggie stock

To Finish the Soup

2 Tbsp. vermouth or dry white wine

1/4 tsp. paprika

Salt and pepper

For the Bechamel Sauce:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. flour

1 cup whole milk

1 medium shallot or small white onion

3-4 whole cloves

1 small bay leaf

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper

In a large heavy soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat and add the mushrooms.  Let brown until golden , stirring occasionally.  Add the celery, onion, parsley and broth.  Bring to a boil and reduce to low.  Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat. Strain vegetables in a medium bowl.  Place vegetables in food processor and coarsely chop.  (Do not over-process!)  (Alternately, chop vegetables coarsely, almost fine, with a knife.)  Reserve vegetables and liquid separately.  Do not clean pot, set aside to finish the soup.

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil for about 2 minutes.  Add the flour and cook (do not brown) for 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add milk and whisk until smooth.  Push cloves into onion and add to the milk, as well as the bay leaf.  Cook until starting to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.  Cover and place in the preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove and strain milk through a fine-meshed sieve, pressing on the solids.  (Discard solids.)  Season with nutmeg and salt & pepper.

In the same pot the mushrooms and broth cooked, place the bechamel sauce and turn on the heat to medium.  Heat for 1 minute  and gradually add the mushroom broth.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.  Add the chopped vegetables and heat through (do not boil).  Add the vermouth or wine, paprika and salt and pepper.  Serve with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley leaf for garnish. 

Shells with Shrimp, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Are you ready for something new to add to your favorite pasta dishes?  This will be it.  This is so satisfying, yet light, you'll dream about eating it every day.  Here's the thing...the sauce comes together really, really fast so have all of your ingredients lined up and ready to go.  Start cooking the pasta before you even start the sauce.  Bring it all together in the end for a perfect combination of seafood, pasta and flavor.  This is one of those dishes that you'll never tire of and you'll fall back on it time and time again.  Just like a good friend - it will come through for you every time.

Pasta Shells with Shrimp, Artichoke Hearts and Sun-dried Tomatoes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

pinch of chili pepper flakes

1 pound of large, fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined (tails off)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 can of artichoke hearts (in water), drained and quartered

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 pound of medium shell pasta

 Have all the ingredients ready to go. 

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the pasta shells.    Bring back to a boil and stir frequently.

While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add the chili pepper flakes and let sizzle for about 1 minute.  Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until pink.  Add the garlic & sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 2 minutes.  Add the artichoke hearts and toss lightly.  Add the cooked pasta directly to the shrimp and artichoke hearts in the saute pan.  Sir in bread crumbs, salt, pepper and parsley.  Transfer pasta to large shallow serving dish. 

Serve immediately.

Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms & White Wine

This is a recipe very near and dear to my heart.  I had been living in Florence for over 6 months, immersing myself in my culinary education, as well as my cultural education.  I had to live on the budget of a student, which means something different for me than it might for others.  Even with very little or no money, I wanted to eat well.  I thought about it all the time and I wanted to get my hands on something delicious as often as possible.  Just because I was broke did not seem like a good enough reason to sustain myself with cereal and ramen noodles.  No, I still wanted the best I could manage.  Going to restaurants was an infrequent luxury, so I had to come up with dishes in my teeny apartment kitchen that I would pour my heart into.  I came up with this one after the Christmas of 1997, when my roommate and I had had a little party.  There were ingredients around that I sensed could be turned into something special.  It did.  The flavors from this came together in a way that even surprised me.  Give it a whirl.

Penne with Chicken, Mushrooms & White Wine
Serves 4-6

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 lb. white button mushrooms or 1/2 lb. white & 1/2 lb. mixed wild mushrooms
2 cups cooked chicken meat, pulled off the bone
2 cloves garlic, core removed and sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. penne pasta

In a large, heavy pot, make a roux by heating the oil over medium heat, add the flour and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high and let reduce to about 1/2 cup, about 10-15 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the wine and let reduce by half, about 7 minutes.  Stir in the cream, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to thicken slightly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and reduce heat to low.

While the stock is reducing, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and the mushrooms and garlic.  Cook until mushrooms are golden about 8-10 minutes.  Add the lemon juice.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of wine and rosemary.  Let the alcohol evaporate and the liquids reduce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, while the mushrooms are cooking, cook the pasta in abundant, salted, boiling water.  Drain, but do not rinse.

Just before serving, add the cooked chicken to the mushroom mixture.  Stir just until chicken is heated through.  DO NOT OVERCOOK THE CHICKEN!  Add the mushrooms and chicken to the reduced stock mixture and add the cooked pasta.  Stir together, adjust the seasonings and serve in a large heated bowl.

Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake

When is it ever wrong to have coffee cake??  Never! I'd like a piece right now - and I'm not even that hungry!  A homemade coffee cake with a crunchy, streusel-y topping is on everyone's list of favorite things.  I would go so far as to even say that non-dessert people (who are you anyway?) love streusel coffee cake.  Nearly impossible to resist folks.  Try if you like though.  But I know what you're eating at 3am when you thing everyone else is sleeping.


Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake
(As a tip, if you do not have cake flour, simply subtract 3 Tablespoons of regular flour from this recipe.  And for future use, if a recipe calls for cake flour, take away 1 Tablespoon for every one cup of flour, .)

1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (packed)
4 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
4 1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 16-ounce container sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Butter a 12-cup bundt pan.  Mix first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until blended.  Beat in eggs 1 at a time.  Mix in vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients and sour cream alternately into butter mixture in 3 additions.  Beat batter on high for 1 minutes.

Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with half of nut mixture.  Spoon 1/3 batter over to cover nut mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture.  Spoon remaining batter over to cover.

Bake cake until tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes.  Cut around pan sides to loosen cake.  Turn cake out onto rack and cool 1 hour.  Transfer to serving platter.

In a small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and milk until smooth.  Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.