Oui, Chef

Minted Beets with Cumin, Lemon and Pistachios

As a child, there were very few vegetables that I really liked at all.   In fact, the list was dismally short, and included just peas and beets....it's a miracle I lived past the age of ten on such a "vegetables prohibited" diet.  What do these two lovelies have in common you might ask?  Certainly not their size or color, nor their botanical specifics, the green pea being technically a seed, the beet a root vegetable.  What they do  have in common is their relatively high concentration of natural sugars that make them among the sweetest "vegetables" around, and a certain hit with almost all kids.  Nature's candy, I like to call them.

This dish is layered with great flavors, none of which are so strong to offend the average kidlet, and yet are sophisticated enough to appeal to the stuffiest gourmand.  The whole shebang can quite easily be prepared by most kids all by themselves.  Roasting the beets does take a bit of time, so plan accordingly, but the balance of the dish can be prepped in just a few minutes. 

If needed, the dish can easily be presented in stages.  For the least adventurous in your crowd, perhaps a few slices of roasted beet with a little butter and salt.  For those willing to stretch a bit, toss the beets in the cumin dressing before serving, and for the full fledged foodies among you, chuck all the beautiful mint, pistachios, chevre and lemon zest at them and watch them quiver with delight. 

Have a camera ready for this quivering thing, as they'll never believe it if you don't capture the moment.

Recipe:

Minted Beets with Cumin, Lemon and Pistachios

Adapted by: Steve Dunn from a recipe in Gourmet Magazine - May 2007

(Print Friendly Version)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, pan toasted and lightly crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium or 2 large beets (1 1/2 pounds), cleaned and trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
• 1/2 cup raw pistachios, pan toasted and roughly chopped
• Micro-planed zest of 1 lemon
• 1 ounce goat cheese, crumbled

Method:

1. Zest the lemon and reserve the zest for service.  Stir together lemon juice, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk in oil and let stand while roasting beets.
2. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
3. Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If using 2 large beets, cut them in half, and place them cut side up in the foil wrap.  Let the beets cool enough to be able to handle in the foil package, about 15 minutes.
4. When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges, or dice them, as you prefer.
5. Toss warm beets with dressing. Stir in mint and pistachios just before serving.  When plating, top with lemon zest and crumbled goat cheese.

Yields: 6-8 servings

Penne with Asparagus, Lemon and Proscuitto

This dish is our interpretation of a recipe from the fabulous "Al Forno" restaurant in Providence, RI.  Their original can be found in the terrific cookbook Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno written  by the restaurant's owners, Johanne Killeen and George Germon. 

The key to it's success comes from baking it in a large enough pan to hold all the pasta in a very thin layer. This allows the pasta to cook to al dente, and the asparagus to just cook through in a short amount of time in a very hot oven. The flavors of the lemon, tarragon, proscuitto and asparagus marry perfectly....don't expect any left-overs.

It is an easy dish to make on a weeknight, requiring just a few minutes to slice the asparagus and par boil the pasta before tossing it into a large baking dish (or roasting pan) and placing it into the oven.  For those of you who have been with us a while, you may notice the breadcrumbs we use as a topping here are the same ones from our Macaroni and Cheese with Ham recipe.  If you haven't already, make yourself a batch of these and toss them in your freezer, you'll reach for them frequently to top pasta, fish, salads, you name it.

There is plenty of slicing and grating to keep idle young hands busy while making this dish, so by all means, grab one of your kids by the ear and drag them along to help.  This one became an instant classic in our household, I'm sure it will in yours as well.  Cheers - S.

Recipe:

Penne with Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Lemon

Inspired by a dish from: Al Forno's "Cucina Simpatica"

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Penne Rigate
• 3/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup rich chicken stock (2 cups good quality low-sodium stock, reduced by half)
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon
• 1 bunch asparagus, washed, dried and root ends trimmed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 ounces thinly sliced imported prosciutto, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and a few grinds of white pepper
• 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Method:

• Preheat oven to 500 ℉
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta
• For the breadcrumbs - in a saute pan heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat and toast 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until golden brown.  Spread on a plate to cool.  (Keep for 2 days in the fridge, or a long time in the freezer)
• In a large bowl, combine the cream, reduced stock, lemon zest, cheeses, salt and pepper
• Slice the asparagus on an extreme bias, about 1/8-1/4” thick and toss into a small bowl with the melted butter, mix to coat
• Boil the pasta for 4 minutes, then drain and toss into the bowl with the cream and other ingredients, mix well
• Pour the pasta into a large baking dish or roasting pan so that it fits comfortably in a thin layer no more than 1” deep.  Sprinkle the sliced asparagus and chopped prosciutto on top and toss it into the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling, and the pasta is just starting to take on color.
• Remove from the oven and serve, passing breadcrumbs and grated parmesan to sprinkle on top if desired.

Gemelli with Rapini, Sausage and Raisins

This is absolutely one of my favorite pasta dishes, and one that is an excellent vehicle for introducing rapini (or broccoli rabe) to your kids.  Rapini is a delicious bitter green, that served on its own, is a tough one for kids to love, the flavor being just a little too sharp and funky for your average ankle biter.  In this dish, the sweetness of the raisins, and the luxurious mouth-feel afforded by the fat in the sausage, keep the bitterness of the rapini in check, much to the delight of the youngsters.  It is a quick meal to toss together, and so easy that it can be prepped top to bottom by anyone old enough to use a knife, just be sure to save the act of slipping the sausage meat from their casings for your least squeamish child.  Serve it with a simple green salad and a crust of country bread

Recipe:

Gemelli with Rapini, Sausage and Raisins

By: Steve Dunn

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Gemelli or other small shell-shaped pasta
  
• 1 pound (about 4 links) sweet Italian sausage
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, stem bottoms trimmed, washed well
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, reduced in half
  
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
  
• 1/2 cup golden (or dark) raisins
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
  
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Fresh ribbons of parmesan cheese, peeled with a vegetable peeler

Method:

Set a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Place low-sodium chicken stock in a pan and reduce by half to 1 cup, add dry white wine and reserve.

Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry skillet, reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When shimmering, squeeze sausages from their casings, dropping bite-sized pieces in the hot skillet to saute, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned.  

Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausages to a bowl, leaving behind the drippings in the skillet.

Cook the pasta to producers instructions for al dente.

Trim the ends, wash, dry, and cut the brocolli rabe into 1-1/2” pieces.  Add to the drippings in the skillet and saute over medium-high heat until wilted and just starting to take color.  Add the sliced garlic and pepper flakes and cook 1-2 minutes, add the reduced chicken broth, wine, and raisins and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is just starting to soften, but still has a nice bite to it.

Drain the pasta and add to the skillet, chuck in a few large knobs of butter and the pine nuts, and toss to combine.  Check seasoning for salt and pepper, and serve topped with ribbons of freshly peeled parmesan.

Butternut Squash, Browned Butter and Sage Couscous

 

For those of you pulling your hair out over the complexity and time required to pull together the recipes of some of our recent posts, like Bouchon's Quiche Lorraine or my Chicken Pot Pie, here is a delicious and simple side dish that you can put on the table tonight in about 20 minutes.

I have always been enchanted by the promise of couscous, a fine grained pasta that only takes about 5 minutes to cook, but to be honest, I've often found the recipes I've tried to be bland, dry and altogether forgettable.  Couscous really well done can be a delight, when it is not, it can be like eating a bowl of sand.  I don't know about you, but my kids stopped eating sand a couple of years ago, and I've no interest in getting them hooked all over again, it was a hard habit for them to break.

My wife inspired the creation of this recipe by asking that I deconstruct a squash and sage ravioli dish that she had recently enjoyed.  The resulting course is a deliciously simple, yet richly flavored dish that would be equally at home served with a braised lamb shank, or a simply prepared fish filet.  I made the dish with a small grained couscous, but I’m sure it would work as well with the larger, “Israeli” variety.

I hope you enjoy it. 

Recipe:

Butternut Squash, Browned Butter and Sage Couscous

by: Steve Dunn

(Print Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 15 medium sized, fresh sage leaves, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup couscous, cooked to the producers instructions, and kept covered and warm.
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts, lightly toasted in a skillet.
• 2 cups 1/2” x 1/2” cubes of butternut squash.
• Fresh parmesan cheese for grating.

Method:

• Peel, seed, and cube the squash, steam for 8-10 minutes, until just cooked through, remove from heat and reserve.
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until the milk solids turn a lovely golden brown (see the brown flecks on the couscous in the photo above?  That's what your looking for, and it is key to the success of this dish).  When that happens, and with the butter still on the heat, add the chicken stock, sliced sage, and the freshly grated nutmeg (I used about an 1/8 teaspoon, use more or less as you wish).  Cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm.
• To serve, fluff the cooked couscous with a fork, and toss it into the pan with the sauce.  Add the cubed squash and chopped walnuts, stir to incorporate and reheat gently if required.  Make a final check for seasoning and serve with a light dusting of freshly gated parmesan.

Chicken Pot Pie "Provencal"

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had holidays filled with lots of love, laughter and great food!  We here at "Oui, Chef" are just starting to get back into the swing of things after our holiday travel.  We're warming up the stove, cleaning the cobwebs from the pantry, and re-stocking the fridge so that we can share more fun, family friendly recipes with you as we launch into 2010.  Today we're sharing a chicken pot pie recipe that I came up with earlier in the Fall, and I have to say that I'm really proud of this creation....it ROCKS! 

The recipe calls for doing EVERYTHING from scratch, and as such, it is not a recipe that you will be whipping up for a weeknight dinner, it is more of a Saturday or Sunday cooking project.  That said, there are a number of shortcuts (I list them at the end of the post) that you could take when making this that would make it much less time intensive, and if you wanted to serve the filling "chicken ala king" style over some rice or pasta, you could easily pull this together during the week.

I have always been a big fan of pot pies, and I dare say, this was one of the best I've ever had, I do hope you give it a try.

Brussel Sprouts with Fennel and Cider Cream

I can't think of a vegetable that I disliked more as a kid than brussel sprouts.  I mean, what was mother nature thinking when she dreamed up those nasty little things, huh?  Thankfully, my mom didn't cook them often, so it was rare that I had to feign having contracted the ebola virus, and excuse myself from the table to avoid eating the dreaded buggers. 

Sadly, my kids feel the same way about brussel sprouts as I did as a youngster, and now that I have come to love them, I've found myself working overtime to come up with a recipe that would make the little cabbages more appealing to the kids.  After a few false starts, I think I've done it.  In fact, not that he would ever admit it, but I saw Grid head back to the kitchen for seconds of these the other night....Eureka!

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Cider Cream

This is a favorite recipe from Epicurious.com that I have cooked for years.  Each Fall when butternut squash are abundant, I make a huge batch of this soup and freeze about a half-dozen gallon sized ziploks of the stuff to get us through the Winter.  The recipe calls for a little cream which can certainly be eliminated if you are trying to watch such things.  When I make this, I do not add the cream prior to freezing, but will swirl a bit into the soup after it has thawed and been reheated.  This allows me to serve some without if someone requests it that way.  The drizzle of cider cream on top at service is a delicious touch, one I recommend you NOT skip unless you really must.

This year I got my squash from my guitar teacher, who, much to his surprise, found a bevy of the beauties growing out of his compost pile behind his garage!  How cool is that?

Soup au Pistou

This is a dish that may not be a home-run with very young kids because its absolutely packed with veggies (YUK, what are you trying to do, poison me?), but its easy, flavorful, and can provide plenty of room for creativity for your budding teenage cooks.  Soup au Pistou is a traditional Provencal dish that is made in as many different ways as there are cooks who make it.  Loosely speaking, it is a summer vegetable soup served with a blast of fresh pesto, and many serve it, as I do, with a pesto topped crouton floating on top as well.

This is a great soup to make on your local Farmer's Market day.  If you can, bring the kids with you to meet the farmers who grow your local veggies, and let them choose some of the bounty that will find its way into the soup.  There are no hard and fast rules as to what to include, and in fact, every time I make it, I end up with a distinctly different soup in the end.  As long as you buy the freshest veggies you can get your hands on, and work to include a variety of color and texture in your choices, you'll have a beautiful, fresh and satisfying soup in the end.  If you use a store bought chicken stock, make sure it is a low sodium brand, and if you have the time, allow an hour at the start to infuse it with some aromatics to add a little more interest and depth to your soup.

Peyton missed the trip to the Farmer's market this time around, but was fully up to the task of practicing her knife skills (which are really coming along) by prepping our mise of chopped, sliced, and diced veggies.  While she was busy doing her ginsu thing, I crafted a little sachet that included, white peppercorns, anise seed, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary, and set it steeping in our barely simmering store bought stock.  The finished soup is delicious hot or cold, with a crusty bread as accompaniment. 

Recipe:

Soup au Pistou

By: Steve Dunn

(Print Friendly Version)

Ingredients:

1 16 ounce can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths

10 leaves of swiss chard or kale, sliced into 1/2" thick ribbons

1/2 cup of shelled peas

2 cups of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cob

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced into rounds (on a  Kyocera Adjustable Mandoline Slicer, Red , if you have one)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

EVOO

Salt and Pepper

Basil Pesto

aromatics - 1 stem fresh rosemary, 3 stems fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1 teaspoon anise seeds

Method:

Place chicken stock and water in a sauce pan over low-medium heat.  Add the aromatics tied in a cheese cloth bundle, and simmer for 1 hour.  Remove the bundle and reserve the stock.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottomed soup pot over low-medium heat.  Add the onion and carrot and saute 15 minutes to soften.  Raise the heat to medium, and add the green beans, zucchini, cannelini beans, tomatoes, and chicken stock to the pan, and cook 10-15 minutes.  You want the soup at a simmer, not a rolling boil.  Add the corn, peas, and swiss chard and cook for another 5 minutes.  Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into warm bowls and top with a spoonful of fresh pesto.  You can also make a crouton by taking a slice of baguette, topping it with some gruyere cheese, and toasting it under the broiler.  Spoon some pesto onto the crouton and float it on top of your soup.  Oh, la, la.

Serves 6

Provencal Wheat Berry Salad

I was alone this weekend.

Totally alone. 

No wife, no kids, no pets (except for Monty, Boris’ Ball Python).

So this post will be a little different from the rest.  On Saturday I was not cooking to teach, or to satisfy a crowd, I was cooking for me.  So....what was on the menu you ask?  Let’s see....I had some fresh herbs and arugula from the garden, and some impossibly sweet corn, fresh garlic, and cherry tomatoes from the farmer’s market.  I had some wheat berries in the pantry that I was itchin’ to put to use, and a lovely, locally raised skirt steak for the grill.  All the makings of my favorite kind of meal.  Fresh, healthy and locally produced.

The steak got about 4 hours in a South American style marinade before it spent a scant 4 minutes ( 2 min. each side) on the searing hot grill.  It was served with a chimichurri sauce made from my garden herbs and freshly chopped garlic.  The corn stayed on the cob, simply steamed and served with plenty of butter, salt and pepper.  The wheat berry salad I threw together turned out really well, so I thought I’d share the recipe with you all.