Savory and Sweet Stuffed Bell Peppers

Here is a bell pepper stuffed with chicken apple sausage, bread, rhinette cheese, Roquefort, fennel, pecans, marjoram, mushrooms, and a few dried cherries. It’s baked in a wine bath with caramelized onions (shown on top of the bell pepper), and served with a salad. This was another exercise in “what do I have in my fridge that would taste delicious together?”

Savory and Sweet Stuffed Bell Peppers

3 bell peppers, halved, stems, seeds, and pith removed

For the Stuffing:

1/2 lb chicken apple sausage (uncooked, casings removed)

2 cups stale bread, cubed (I used a whole wheat crusty French bread)*

2 eggs

2 T olive oil

1/2 cup Rhinette cheese, cubed

1 T Roquefort

4 T chopped pecans

2 T chopped dried cherries (dried cranberries could be substituted if you prefer)

1/2 large portobello or 2 small crimini (baby portobellos), chopped

1 T grated fennel

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

For the wine bath:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp sea salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1. Preaheat oven to 375
2. Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half, and remove stems, seeds, and pith. Set aside.
3. Mix stuffing. Place bread, eggs, oil, and sausage in a large bowl and knead with your hands. Set aside, and add the rest of the stuffing ingredients to the stuffing bowl as you chop them.
4. Knead the stuffing with your hands, and then let it sit while you make your wine bath.
5. Heat oil in a large heavy sauce pan (if you do not have an oven safe sauce pan, then you will need to transfer everything to a baking dish later).
6. Add onions and salt, and cook until onions begin to wilt, stirring occasionally.
7. As the onions are cooking, shove the stuffing into the bell pepper halves and set aside.
8. Add garlic, and cook until the onions start to caramelize.
9. Add wine, and bring to a boil. Stir.
10. If you are using an oven safe sauce pan, add the bell peppers directly to the pan, pepper side down (stuffing side up), cover, and place in oven. If you do not have an oven safe sauce pan, pour the contents of the pot into a baking dish, and then arrange the peppers on top of that. Cover with foil and place in oven.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes covered (the stuffing should spring back when you poke it, indicating that the eggs are done, and the pepper should be tender), and then about 15 minutes uncovered (to get everything nice and crispy).
12. Place on dish, and spoon the wine/onion sauce over the top of the pepper, as shown. Serve with salad.

*Gluten Haters

I’m working on a gluten free version of this that includes wild rice instead of bread. I’m thinking 1 cup of wild rice and an extra egg would do the trick and perhaps be more delicious than simply substituting gluten free bread product.

Farfalle with Fava Beans, Pancetta, and Mushrooms

Fava beans are in season! And they are still tender enough that you don’t have to do that thing where you par-boil them and then peel them a second time. That’s tedious, and who has time for it, anyway? Also, in honor of Hannibal Lecter, since this dish has fava beans in it, I recommend having it with a nice chianti.

Farfalle with Fava Beans, Pancetta, and Mushrooms

4 oz pancetta, cubed

Olive Oil, as needed (see below)

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sal

1.2 lb portobellos, cubed

1.5 lbs fava beans, shelled and rinsed (1.5 lbs before shelling)

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Dash red pepper flakes, if desired

1/2 lb farfalle, cooked al dente in salted water

Freshly grated parmesan for the top

• Place pancetta in large heavy sauce pan and brown slightly over medium heat.
• Remove pancetta from pan, and set aside.
• If you are not concerned with healthy vs unhealthy fats and would like to incorporate the deliciousness of the pancetta juices into your sauce, leave the pancetta juice in the pan and caramelize your onions in that, adding a drizzle of olive oil if you do not have enough pancetta oil in the pan to coat the onions.
• If you ARE concerned with healthy fats and would like to forgo the deliciousness of the pancetta juices, remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon, discard the juices, and drizzle some olive oil in the pan for onion caramelization.
• When the onions are transparent, add the garlic.
• Just as the onions begin to brown, add the pancetta back into the pot. Stir frequently as everything caramelizes.
• Add the mushrooms, fava beans, and spices.
• Stir, and then cover the pot.
• Stir occasionally as the mushrooms get juicy and saucy.
• When the mushrooms are tender and there’s liquid in the pan (from the mushrooms), keep the pot covered and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken broth or water if you need extra liquid (i.e. if it evaporates). The idea is to steam the fava beans in the juices from the other ingredients, but if those juices cook off, you might need to add extra liquid.
• Cook your pasta, drain your pasta, then put the pasta in the pot with the sauce, stir everything together, dish up, and top with parmesan.

I have a lot of this left over from the smoked ribs party we had yesterday, and I am planning on making ricotta tonight, so I’m working on a baked pasta solution that incorporates this and the fresh ricotta…I’ll let you know how it goes.

Smoked Ribs and Barbecue Sauce

Dan smoked some ribs yesterday, and they were DELICIOUS! I can’t really take credit for anything but helpful comments such as “So what if that’s what the recipe says? We don’t need to do it that way” and “Um, no, we’re not using store bought barbecue sauce. We’re making our own.”

Ribs waiting to be smoked with their friends The Salmons, also waiting to be smoked

Sorry, we don’t have pictures of the finished products because they just didn’t last long enough to take any. I’ve eaten a LOT of ribs in my life, and those were absolutely the best ribs I’ve ever had. I’m not even kidding.

Here’s the link to the recipe he used: http://virtualweberbullet.com/rib1.html, except that we omitted the MSG because MSG scares us, and we did not remove the membranes because they make us feel like cavemen, and we like that feeling.

Here’s the recipe for the barbecue sauce. I’m not totally uncompromising, so we did use regular store bought ketchup (rather than figuring out how to make that from scratch too). We did make a few adjustments, so I’ll write what we did below, but here is the original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Barbecue-Sauce-103642 (from Bon Appétit, July 2000).

Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup dark unsulphured molasses

1/3 cup bourbon

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon habanero sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 cup honey

• Combine all ingredients in heavy large saucepan.
• Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until sauce thickens and flavors blend, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes or so.
• Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill.

Minestrone for Everyone!

Back in my working days, I used to make a pot of this minestrone each week and eat it for lunch every day. It really is delicious, and it turns out a little bit different each time. This recipe can be made vegetarian- and vegan- friendly as well and still maintain the deliciosness of the original recipe.

2 – 4 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 – 1/4 of a stick of butter (omit for the vegan version)

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

Sprinkling of sea salt (maybe about 1 tsp)

—saute for a few minutes, then just add the rest as you chop:

3 red or yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed*

1 lb Green beans, chopped

2-3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

3 -4 small Zucchini, chopped

28-oz can of whole tomatoes with juice, chopped

1 lb bag of fresh baby spinach

2 (32 oz) boxes of chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian renditions)

1 can each of white and red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 lb browned ground beef (omit for vegan/vegetarian)

red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and course ground pepper to taste

1. Select a large pot (about 8 qt), preferably with a thicker bottom.
2. Saute your bunions, and then turn down the heat and throw the rest of the vegetables into the pot as you chop them, in the order specified above.
3. After you’ve added the broth, turn up the heat to high, and add your rinsed and drained beans, pre-browned meat, and seasonings.
4. I usually let it simmer for about an hour, turn off the stove, go to bed, then refrigerate it in the morning.

*If you know you are going to freeze this (it makes a really large pot), you may want to substitute 1/2 cup dry quinoa, which you’ll pour in at the end, after you’ve added your chicken or vegetable broth.

Quick “OMG, I only have an hour before people show up for coffee and I need something to feed them!” Scones

I was in a hurry and remembered reading this yummy looking recipe from Edible East Bay, but didn’t quite have what I needed to make them, or the time to make them. So I improvised:

2 cups white flour

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2.5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 stick butter, unsalted, directly from the fridge, nuked for 30 seconds on high

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup frozen blackberries

evaporated cane juice

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir with a fork.
3. Make a well in the center, and add the buttermilk.
4. Gradually incorporate the buttermilk with the fork.
5. Add the butter and stir.
6. Add the blackberries (you could use frozen raspberries or blueberries, or a combination thereof) and stir.
7. Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheets.
8. Sprinkle evaporated cane juice or coarse sugar on top of scones.
9. Bake for about 30 minutes until dough springs back when you poke it with your finger, and the scones are nice and golden brown. Check at 15 minutes to make sure nothing is burning.

Citrus, Avocado, and Pistachio Salad

This salad is obviously very dramatic, as you can tell from the dramatic lighting.

This refreshing salad is yummy. That is all.

Salad

Lettuce (ideally, a small head of butter lettuce, or 1/2 bag of pre-washed arugula)

2 navel oranges, peeled, sectioned, and sections halved

1/2 large avocado or one whole small avocado

handful of pistachio meats (maybe 1/4 cup)

Dressing

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 to 1 tsp pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp dill (fresh is best, but dehydrated will do)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1. Wash and dry lettuce, then tear into bite sized pieces and place in large bowl.
2. Cut oranges and avocado into bite sized pieces and place in bowl with lettuce.
3. Sprinkle pistachio meats on salad.
4. If you don’t like to measure your dressing ingredients, just sprinkle/pour/drizzle them directly onto the salad in the bowl. If you do like to measure them, mix them in a separate bowl or jar, and then pour all over the top of the salad.
5. Toss the salad.
6. Eat the salad.

Pasta Pizelle, the Creamy Mushroomy Kind

NO! I did NOT say anything about canned cream of mushroom soup. Ew. Take a deep breath and clear your mind of that grossness.

OK, so what I’m talking about here is the Chicken Sicilian sausage from TJ’s, portobello mushrooms, onions, garlic, peas (organic, of course), and MASCARPONE. Yummy! “Where did this notion come from?” you might ask. Well, the answer is Aunt Anne + a container of mascarpone that I couldn’t figure out what to do with. Aunt Anne was the genius behind pairing that sausage with peas and making it into a nice delicious hearty pasta dinner. I added the other stuff because I can never leave well enough alone, and we hit on something so delicious that the rest of the culinary geniuses in my family have also adopted this as a regularly occurring dish.

The recipe below makes enough for four normal sized adults for dinner, with a salad. If you make it ahead of time and the pasta starts getting mushy, just pour everything into a casserole dish and bake with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. This gets it nice and crunchy, which is another delicious incarnation of this dish, thought of by my own mother! That’s a good way to use leftovers of this, as well.

NOTE on the sausage: A lot of the flavor of this dish comes from the sausage. I know my poor Texas friends do not have access to Trader Joe’s, but maybe Whole Foods has something similar? You can use hot or mild (or a combination thereof) Italian sausage, but it won’t taste the same…or you can go to Whole Foods and find a similar sausage that contains Romano cheese, parsley, and tomatoes, or something along those lines.

NOTE on the pasta: Try to select a shape that is either small enough to fit more than one pasta unit into one bite with everything else (like the elbows in the picture), or something that the peas will get stuck inside of, like penne or orechietti (that one is my favorite, but it’s hard to find). Shells work great, or these Barilla Campanelle. Bow ties or wagon wheels are OK.

Recipe

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 – 6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 lb (1 package) Chicken Sicilian sausage from TJ’s (it’s the uncooked kind), casings removed

1/2 lb portobellos or crimini, cubed (or to quicken the process, just use one package of the pre-sliced kind)

1 lb frozen peas (organic, if possible)

8 oz mascarpone

red pepper flakes to taste

1/2 lb pasta, cooked and drained

1. Prepare bunions, stirring occasionally until they start to caramelize.
2. Add sausage (removed from casings), stirring to break up the meat as it browns. Add red pepper flakes now, if desired.
3. When sausage has cooked through, add mushrooms. Cover and stir occasionally until they have cooked through and have made a nice broth in the pot.
4. Add the frozen peas, cover again and stir occasionally until they start to shrivel a little bit.
5. When the peas start to get wrinkly, start your pasta water (in another pot).
6. When you put your pasta to the boiling water, that is when you should stir the mascarpone into the pea/sausage/mushroom mixture.
7. When all of the mascarpone has been melted/stirred into the sauce, turn off the stove.
8. Cook the pasta al dente, drain, and then add to the pot with the sausage/pea/mushroom mixture.
9. Stir it all together, and then dish it up.
10. Top with freshly grated parmesan and maybe some fresh ground pepper.
11. If you cook this in advance and the pasta starts to get mushy, pour it all into a casserole dish and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes to get everything nice and crispy. This is also great to do with leftovers of this dish.

Anna’s Working Person’s Chili

This recipe originally came from my good friend Anna, another culinary genius who I am lucky to have in my life. We sometimes meet for lunch exchanges since we are frugal and don’t like to pay other people to make our lunches. This is a quick and delicious chili that you can even whip up after you get home from work.

Recipe

1 batch of bunions (2 – 4 Tbsp olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 4 – 6 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp salt)

2 – 3 bell peppers, depending on size (yellow/red/orange are yummiest), chopped

2 poblano chiles, chopped

1 lb ground buffalo (extra lean ground beef works too)

28 oz can of chopped tomatoes with juice

6 oz can of tomato paste

8 oz frozen corn

two 15-oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

15-oz can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cayenne

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup cornmeal

1. Heat oil, add onions, garlic, salt, stir occasionally as you chop your peppers.
2. Add chopped peppers to pot and stir occasionally as they cook.
3. When peppers are tender, add ground meat IF you have the extra lean kind. If you do not have extra lean ground meat, brown it in another pan and drain off fat before adding to the pot of peppers.
4. Stir pot to break up meat as it is browning. When all meat has cooked, add tomatoes, tomato paste, and corn.
5. Add spices and then beans (drained and rinsed). Stir.
6. Add cornmeal to thicken the chili (this was a stroke of pure genius by Anna – to thicken the mixture with cornmeal).
7. At this point, the chili only needs to be heated through so cook for maybe another 10 – 15 minutes.
8. Top with chopped cilantro, a nice sharp cheddar, avocados, or sour cream.
9. The next morning, reheat and top with a fried or poached egg – IT’S DELICIOUS!
10. Also delicious with cornbread – I’ll post the recipe for this later.

Vegetarians, You’re in Luck!!

Substitute an extra can of rinsed and drained red kidney beans for the meat. The proportions are just right, and it will still be DELICIOUS.

Vegans, You’re in Luck, too!!

Substitute an extra can of rinsed and drained red kidney beans for the meat, and don’t top with cheese. The proportions are just right, and it will still be DELICIOUS.

Cocoa Nib, Chocolate, and Citrus Dacquoise

This weekend, I made two ganache-covered desserts because I am now obsessed with ganache. Why? Because it’s delicious, especially when you have extra and you dip fresh strawberries in it. The following recipe is what I made for my cooking group yesterday. Text was yanked from Epicurious, and the recipe is originally from Bon Appetit magazine. Definitely worth making again, but with a few modifications. It was DELICIOUS – a light yet chocolatey dessert, with a bit of tang and a delicious savoriness about it. My comments/modifications are in italics; the rest of the text is from Epicurious.

NOTES:

• The dessert can be made and assembled up to 3 days in advance of your event.
• The chiffon cake can be made in advance of assembly (like a day or so).
• The meringues must be made the night before assembly.
• The marmalade can be made far in advance (like a week).
• Do NOT overlook the importance of parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray in the baking of the meringues, unless you have enough 9″ silicone cake pans to go around.
• When using non stick spray for the merengues, note that they shrink, a lot. You may need to use an 8″ cake pan for the chiffon cake so that everything lines up properly, since that is how much the merengues shrink.
  

**Image stolen from Epicurious

A dacquoise is a French dessert made by layering nut-flavored meringues with whipped cream. In this version, cocoa nib meringues are layered with chocolate chiffon cake, mascarpone whipped cream, and blood orange marmalade, then covered in a rich chocolate glaze.

Blood Orange Marmalade:

2 cups sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups water, divided

1 blood orange or regular orange, thinly sliced with peel into rounds, seeded if necessary

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Campari

1. Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and orange slices in heavy medium saucepan.
2. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
3. Reduce heat to low; cook until orange peel is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour into strainer set over medium bowl.
5. Chop orange slices and reserve.
6. Discard syrup (I could not bring myself to do this because it was tasty and pretty, so I added 1/2 cup of blueberry pomegranate juice and 1 cup sugar, and reduced to make a delicious fruity syrup for waffles, pancakes, etc.)
7. Combine remaining 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and lemon juice in another heavy medium saucepan.
8. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
9. Add chopped orange.
10. Reduce heat to low; cook until orange is very tender and rind is translucent, about 30 minutes longer.
11. Mix in Campari.
12. Transfer marmalade to small bowl and cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

Meringues:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 cup cocoa nibs (about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces), finely ground in spice mill or small coffee grinder1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3/4 cup egg whites (about 6 large)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Line bottoms of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick spray. (I had two 9″ pans – a spring form, and a silicone one. The meringue baked in the silicone pan turned out perfect and required no parchment or nonstick spray. The one I baked in the springform pan, not so lucky. I got frustrated because I couldn’t spread the merengue onto the parchment, so I threw the parchment away since the pan is nonstick anyway. Then I ended up chipping it off of the pan and piecing it back together in the platter. I should have folded the parchment around the bottom part of the springform pan, and then fastened the wall of the springform pan around it.)
3. Sift powdered sugar and cornstarch into medium bowl; whisk in ground cocoa nibs and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.
4. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until thick and foamy. Adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, beat until stiff but not dry.
5. Fold in cocoa nib mixture.
6. Divide meringue between prepared pans, spreading evenly.
7. Bake meringues 1 hour. Turn off heat. Keeping oven door closed, leave meringues in oven overnight to dry (meringues will deflate slightly).

Chocolate chiffon cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray Parchment paper!

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1/3 cup canola oil or other vegetable oil

2 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat oven to 325 Deg F.
2. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter (actually, use an 8″ pan to account for the shinkage of the merengues) cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick spray (nonstick spray unnecessary here).
3. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients (all of the dry ingredients) in medium bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Whisk 1/3 cup oil, egg yolks, and 2 tablespoons water in large bowl to blend. Stir in dry ingredients.
5. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
6. Fold whites into yolk mixture.
7. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
8. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely; peel off parchment before assembly.
9. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.

Mascarpone whipped cream:

1 1/4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Beat just until mixture holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
3. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Glaze:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Place chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl. Combine heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons water, unsweetened cocoa powder, and light corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until blended and just beginning to boil. Pour mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Whisk in butter. Let glaze stand until thick enough to spread, 15 to 20 minutes.

THIS GLAZE SUCKED!!! I followed the directions EXACTLY (which we all know is unusual for me), and it separated. I had to throw it out, which was sad because there were good ingredients in there. Do NOT make this glaze. Make the following modified ganache from the double layer chocolate cake I made on Friday, which turns out silky smooth and beautiful and delicious every time:

1 pound fine-quality semisweet bittersweet chocolate such as Callebaut

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I was wondering if agave nectar might work, but didn’t want to screw up on and have to throw away another batch of ganache so I didn’t try it)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1. Finely chop chocolate.
2. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted.
4. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
5. Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency – I used Scharffenberger and it became spreadable just fine at room temp – took about an hour or so)

Assembly

1. Place 1 meringue on platter, flat side down; spread 1/2 cup glaze over.
2. Refrigerate until chocolate is firmly set, about 30 minutes.
3. Spread half of mascarpone cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over chilled chocolate.
4. Refrigerate 10 minutes.
5. Place cake layer on work surface; spread with 1/2 cup (a bit more would be better here) marmalade, then remaining mascarpone cream.
6. Carefully place cake layer atop meringue on platter.
7. Top assembled cake with second meringue, flat side up.
8. Spread 1/3 of glaze over top and sides of cake in thin even layer.
9. Refrigerate until coating sets, about 30 minutes.
10. Heat remaining glaze in microwave just until pourable but not hot, 5 to 10 seconds. Carefully pour glaze over cake, spreading to coat evenly. Chill cake until glaze sets, at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep refrigerated.
11. Cut cold cake into wedges. Serve with blood orange segments.

Kale n Shrimp “Scampi”

Inspiration

I had lots of kale from our CSA box, 1/2 lb of pasta left over from when I made the sausage n mushroom pasta, lemons from our tree, and an open bottle of white wine.

Sorry, I don’t have a picture because I was doing 20 things at once and slightly overcooked the kale, which made the whole dish un-picture-worthy, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Recipe

1 bunch of kale

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves of garlic, sliced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 tsp pepper

dash cayenne

juice of one lemon

1 lb shrimp

1/2 lb pasta, cooked al dente

parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

1. Place onion in pan with oil, butter, and salt over medium heat.
2. When onion starts to soften, add garlic.
3. Stir mixture periodically as you chop your kale (I had Red Russian, so that’s what I used, but I think pretty much any of the kales would be good in this recipe).
4. When bunions (the base of onions and garlic – term coined by Dan) have started to brown, add peppers, wine, and lemon juice.
5. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring periodically, until the mixture reduces to a nice creamy looking sauce.
6. Add shrimp and cook for just a few minutes, then add kale, tossing/stirring mixture to make sure everything is nicely coated with the sauce.
7. Serve over pasta (or rice or risotto if that is your preference), or just as is. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan.

Vegans AND Vegetarians, You’re in Luck!!

This is also delicious without the shrimp or butter. I’ve made it and I know. Trust me – you will not be disappointed. Just the kale in the sauce, with the onions and garlic – that really is a delicious meal.