Maple Syrup and Dijon marinated Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Roasted Tomatoes

What says spring better then maple syrup? Spring lamb!  This maple syrup and dijon marinated lamb taste sweet and tangy and the fresh herb crust is a perfect match to the lamb’s rich flavour. 

Maple Syrup and Dijon marinated Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 4

1 8-bone lamb rack, french-trimmed

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 vine stems of cherry tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Marinate the lamb overnight with maple syrup and dijon. When ready to cook, let the lamb come to room temperature.Preheat oven to 400 degree F.  Brush the lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large non-stick pan over high heat and cook the lamb for 4 minutes on each side, just until browned and remove from heat. Place the fresh herbs in a bowl with bread crumbs and olive oil. Toss to combine. Press the lamb into the breadcrumbs and place on a baking tray. Place the tomato stems of the tray drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.  Roast for 15 minutes for rare or 20 minutes for medium. Let the rack of lamb rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Rice Pastiera with home-made candied orange

Pastiera Napoletana is a classic Easter dessert, it’s most commonly made using cooked wheat. Here I propose a version made with arborio rice and home-made candied orange. This dessert can be made a few days before Easter to let the flavors intensify, it is traditionally made on Good Friday to be had as a dessert on Easter Sunday.  

Rice Pastiera with home-made candied orange

Ingredients for pastry:

1/2 cup unsalted cold butter

2 cups of flour (substitute with rice flour for a gluten free pastiera)

1 whole egg, plus one yolk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup icing sugar

zest of 1/2 lemon

Ingredients for the filling:

2 cups cooked arborio rice 

1/2 lemon zest

1/2 orange zest

2 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

2 cups ricotta

2 whole eggs, plus two yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange blossom water

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 candied orange* recipe below

Ingredients for the candied orange

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

segments of 1 orange cut in cubes, 1/4 of the orange peel cut into tiny cubes

To make the pastry:

Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl. Chop the cold butter into small pieces and rub into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs (you can also use a food processor). Add the egg and vanilla essence, lemon zest and knead until the mixture comes together. Wrap in plastic film and chill for a couple of hours. 

Filling:

Follow the directions on the package of arborio rice to make 2 cups of cooked rice. Let cool. When you are ready to make the filling heat the rice in a saucepan over medium heat with the butter, milk and lemon and orange zest. Bring it to a low boil for about ten minutes and stir occasionally. Place the mixture in large bowl, let cool and place in the refrigerator. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and orange blossom water. Place in refrigerator. It’s best to make the filling one day before and allow the flavors to marry overnight in the refrigerator.

Candied Oranges

Bring water and sugar to boil in a skillet, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add cubed orange and peel to skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and barely simmer for about 40 minutes, turning occasionally. Allow the orange to cool in the syrup. Using a slotted spoon place the candied orange or a parchment paper until ready to use.

Roll out about two thirds of the pastry and place in a greased 11 inch springform pan or a deep tart pan with removable bottom. Gently cut off the extra pastry around the edges and add to the remaining pastry, roll out the rest of the pastry and with a crimper pastry wheel cut long strips about 1 1/2 inch wide.

Fold the rice mixture with the ricotta mixture and add the candied oranges. Fill the pastry lined spirngform pan. Gently place the lattice strips to the edge of the pastry in a criss-cross. Brush the lattice gently with some egg to make it shiny.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 395 degree F. for about 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The house will be filled with a beautiful aroma of orange blossom.

Allow to cool completely before removing from pan, it’s best to serve it one day after. The Pastiera can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days

Artichoke and Mascarpone Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

When preparing a big meal for family or friends it’s great to have time-saving short cuts. For this recipe I use won ton wrappers to replace fresh pasta and frozen artichoke hearts. The pre-cut noodle squares were just the size I needed and the artichoke hearts, once thawed, were ready to use which saved me hours of work. It’s easy, fast and delicious. 

Artichoke and Mascarpone Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Ravioli
1/2 box frozen won ton wrappers, thawed
1 egg, beaten
1 box or bag frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms, thawed and patted dry
1/2 cup mascarpone
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
Salt and peppers to taste

Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
8 sage leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano


To make filling, pulse the thawed artichoke in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed. In a bowl combine chopped artichoke with mascarpone, lemon zest, Parmigiano, salt and pepper.

Put about 1 packed teaspoon filling onto won ton sheet. Brush egg along the sides of both sheets. Put second dough strip on top of first and gently press edges to seal. Transfer ravioli to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Keep ravioli covered with a clean dishtowel until ready to cook.

Bring a large wide pot of salted water to a low boil. In the meantime melt butter in a 14-inch saute pan and continue cooking until it’s golden brown. Add sage leaves and remove from heat.
Boil ravioli in small batches until tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to the pan with the brown butter sauce and toss on medium heat to combine.  Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano.

Espresso Chocolate Mousse

With Valentine's day around the corner, I decided to dedicate 4 posts to feature Chocolate recipes designed to serve two lovers! These recipes are easy to make and decadent enough to satisfy any chocolate craving! 

Espresso Chocolate Mousse

1 cup bittersweet chocolate. finely chopped

3 tbsp water

2 tbsp of espresso or your favorite liqueur, or just water

4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

Pinch of salt

Combine the chocolate, water and espresso in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is almost completely melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool. 

In a clean, dry bowl place egg whites and a pinch of salt and whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. They should be thick and smooth.

Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the chocolate and fold gently. Fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula just until there are no white streaks left.

Portion the mixture into 2 serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Vanilla Ice cream and Salted Caramel

Chocolate Chunk Cookie with Vanilla Ice cream and Salted Caramel 


3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dark chocolate, cut or broken into chunks

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup salted butter

3/4 cup 35% cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter and both sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until just blended. Fold in chunks of chocolate.

Butter a small skillet and press in about 1 inch of cookie dough to cover the base of the pan (wrap the remaining cookie dough in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for fresh baked cookies anytime). Place the skillet on a baking sheet before placing in the oven. Bake until just golden brown around the edges, between 15- 20 minutes. While the cookie is cooling make the caramel sauce.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine sugar and water. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Add the butter, let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from heat and add cream, whisk to combine and put back on stove on low heat. Let it cook on low for about 25 minutes until it reaches a cream

Heart Shaped Nutella Cookie Sandwich

Chocolate Desserts for Two  ♥♥ 

 ♥ Nutella Cookie Sandwich ♥ 

1 cup Nutella + 1/2 cup for spreading

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup hazelnuts toasted and chopped

Preheat to 350F

With a spatula combine sugar, Nutella, egg, and flour. 

Place the dough between two piece of parchment paper (cut the paper the size of your baking sheet).

Roll out the dough over the paper to about 1/4“ thick.  Remove and discard the top piece of parchment paper and place the rest on a baking sheet.  With a heart -shaped cookie cutter press into the dough leaving about 1 cm between each cookie. Remove the excess dough between the cookies. Bake until the edges look done and the middle is just starting to look finished about 5-8min. Allow to cool on cookie sheet. 

Spread Nutella on the inside of a cookie and top with another cookie. Press the edges of the cookie sandwich in the chopped hazelnut. 

Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Tart

Dark chocolate and raspberry brownie tart

1/2 cup dark chocolate 70%, chopped

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp 35% cream

1 large egg

2 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup raspberries

Preheat oven at 300F. Place the chocolate, butter, sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Place the eggs and flour in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until combined. Pour into lightly greased round cake tins lined with non-stick baking paper and top with the raspberries. Bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. 

Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly

This eye-catching Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly is very easy to make and can be made a day or two before your event. I was completely inspired by fellow blogger Grace on La Mia Vita Dolce for the recipe. She made a coconut version, which I modified to vanilla.

Makes 12 to 15 shot glass servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk + 1/4 cup

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cups sugar

4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Place the gelatin in bowl and add 1/4 cup milk, stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes. Pour milk mixture into a saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves about 5 minutes. Do not let the liquid reach a boil.

Add 1/2 cup milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds and cook on medium heat for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup with a pour spout. 

For the tilted effect, place the shot glasses at an angle in an egg carton.  Carefully pour the panna cotta into tall shot glasses, filling 3/4 of the glass. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours.  

Pomegranate Jelly

3 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

1/3 cup (80 ml) cold water

2 cups Pomegranate Juice 

1/2 cup granulated white sugar, or to taste

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup of cold water. Let this mixture sit for about five to ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the pomegranate juice and sugar on medium-high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Do not let boil. Stir the softened gelatin into the hot juice and place this mixture over a low heat and stir constantly until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the panna cotta from egg carton and place on non-slip flat surface.  Pour equal amounts of the pomegranate jelly over the panna cotta and refrigerate about 2 - 4 hours or until set. Top with pomegranate seeds when ready to serve.

Crostini three ways

To make crostini: Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange baguette slices on rimmed baking sheet, brush each slice with a little olive oil. Toast in oven until golden, turning once, about 9 minutes. Cool. 

Pear and Gorgonzola Crostini

This classic flavor combination will start a party in your mouth! The rich buttery flavor of the Gorgonzola with the sweet crunch of the pears and the smooth velvety honey makes this crostino a crowd favorite.

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch at an angle

1 Bartlett pear, halved, cored and thinly sliced

1 piece of Gorgonzola cheese (about 150gr) , sliced into 12 pieces

3 Tbsp honey

Layer each crostino with a slice of Gorgonzola cheese then add two slices of pear and drizzle the tops with honey before serving.


Sweet Pea, Pine nut and Speck Crostini

Sweet, nutty and smokey. This crostini has a few preparation steps like toasting the pine-nuts and making the crispy speck, but the extra effort will be appreciated by your taste buds. 

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced 1/2 inch at an angle

1 package frozen peas, thawed (454 gr)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup pine-nuts, toasted 

1/2 cup Parmigiano, grated

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 slices speck

Heat a large skillet to medium heat, add pine nuts. Stir the nuts continuously. As the nuts start turning brown, remove them from heat and transfer immediately into a dish. Let cool.

Preheat oven at 350 degree F. Place slices of speck on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, remove from oven. Let cool and then brake into pieces.

In the food processor pulse together the peas, garlic, toasted pine nuts, Parmigiano, salt and pepper. While you are pulsing slowly pour the olive oil until well combined, about 1 minute. 

Top each crostino with 1 Tbsp of pea pesto and garnish with pieces of speck.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Crostini

The garlic sauteed mushrooms and the tangy goat cheese flavor work together perfectly on the crispy baguette. 

Servings: about 12 crostini

1 baguette, sliced at an angle in 1/2 inch
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups thinly sliced mixed mushrooms  1-1/2 lb (750 g) (I used king and brown button mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever is available: oyster, shiitake, chanterelles) 

1 tsp fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled soft goat cheese

In large skillet heat oil over medium- high heat. Add sliced mushrooms; sauté until the mushrooms are golden and the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Top each crostino with 1 Tbsp  mushroom mixture and crumble some goat cheese over the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil just before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature

Mussel Saffron Risotto

Flavored with saffron and white wine, this mussel risotto is perfect for a special occasion. 

Makes 10-12 canapé servings 

2 1/2 cups water 

1 cup fish broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed.  Use a brush to scrub mussels under running water. Discard mussels with broken shells or any whose shells remain open after you tap them lightly. Scrape away their beards (black fibrous string) with a knife . 

1/4 tsp saffron threads

1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp butter

1 onion, onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cups arborio rice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring water and wine to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Add mussels and steam until the shells open, 2 to 3 minutes. Pick out the mussels, discard any that have not opened and reserve the broth. Shell the mussels, set aside. Strain the broth through a filter-lined sieve into a small saucepan. Add fish broth (or water), salt, saffron and keep on back burner at a simmer.

Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rice and stir well to coat.  Add your first ladle of hot stock and a nice pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer and keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed by the rice. Keep adding 1/2 cup of stock at a time, allowing the liquid to be absorbed between each addition, stirring constantly. After about 18 minutes, test the rice. It should be soft but with a slight bite. Carefully stir in the shelled mussels (reserve 10 to 12 to use to top your dishes when plating) and parsley and season with more salt (if needed) and pepper.  Carefully plate risotto in individual dishes and top with mussel. Serve warm

Fennel, Mandarine and Pomegranate Salad

Lighten any meal with this fresh, festive and colorful Fennel, Mandarine and Pomegranate Salad.

Makes 8 to 12 canapé serving

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (reserve some fennel leaves)
3 mandarine oranges, supremes.
1 seeded pomegranate (the trick here is to de-seed it in a bowl of water - the seeds will sink to the bottom and your hands won’t get stained)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp juice from mandarins
Salt and pepper

Start by making the mandarine supreme. Using a sharp pairing knife cut off the ends, then remove skin in strips working from top to bottom. Cut along the side of the membrane to remove the sections of the citrus fruit. Set the supremes aside. Squeeze what is left of the mandarine over a strainer and reserve juice. Whisk 3 Tbsp of mandarine juice with olive oil and salt.

Assemble your salads by layering fennel slices, topping with mandarin supremes and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle the vinaigrette and top with fennel leaves.

Holiday Food Gifts: Cookie Mix in Jar

Tis the season to give! Turn your kitchen into Santa's workshop and give the gift of Holiday baking.  My next four posts are dedicated to Holiday Food Gifts! Falalalala lala lala!

This thoughtful gift is a great way of sharing your best cookie recipe with a loved one and it can be created in a few minutes, which makes it a great last minute gift idea. Simply layer the dry ingredients of this holiday cookie recipe in a jar and attach the directions.

Cookie Mix in Jar
Pistachio, Cranberry, Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Pour the dry ingredients in the jar in the following order:
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pistachio, shelled
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks


Attach these directions to the jar:
Empty contents of jar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 1 cup softened unsalted butter, 2 eggs and 2 Tbsp vanilla extract. Beat until creamy. Fold in dry mixture until well combined. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozens.

Decorate with a ribbon and bow and tie a measuring spoon or cookie cutter to the jar.

Holiday Food Gifts: Chocolate and Hazelnuts Mini Panettoni

If you’ve never attempted to make Panettone, I suggest you team up with a friend as it’s a daylong process. This was my first attempt and it turned out better than I could have hoped considering the fact that I modified three recipes to create something to call my own. For guidance and inspirations I turned to many sources: First I opened my Giorgio Locatelli cookbook to find that, although he dedicates two full pages to romanticize the art of Panettone making, he fails to offer a recipe. This made me hesitate. If a Michelin Star Chef leaves the Panettone making to the pros, why should I even attempt it? After looking through many recipes online and watching a few Panettone making videos my fear was gone and I was excited to get started. I decided not to try to recreated the classic Panettone but opted to make one with my favorite ingredients: chocolate and hazelnuts.

Chocolate and Hazelnuts Mini Panettoni

1/3 cup warm water
2 envelopes of active dry yeast (1 tablespoon in each envelope)
4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup warm milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, plus more for brushing over pannetone
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped in halves
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Freshly grated zest of 2 oranges
12 mini paper panettoni molds

SPONGE: With a fork dissolve 1 envelope of yeast in 1/3 cup warm water in a bowl. Then let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour and stir to make a very loose dough. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

MILK MIXTURE: In another bowl, pour warm milk and sprinkle with remaining envelope of yeast. Stir with a fork until yeast has dissolved, then let stand  5 to 10 minutes.

EGG MIXTURE: Meanwhile, whisk together sugar, whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, salt, and vanilla. Whisk in MILK MIXTURE.

In a large bowl, beat butter and remaining 3 1/2 cups flour with a mixer on medium speed until mixture is crumbly. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add EGG MIXTURE. Raise speed to medium, and beat until smooth.
Add SPONGE, and beat on medium-high speed until dough is elastic and long strands form when it's stretched, about 5 minutes (It will still be very sticky). Stir in orange zest, hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Transfer to a buttered bowl, and cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let dough stand in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and divide into 12 portions. Knead a few times, and shape into balls. Drop each ball into a paper panettone mold, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, and loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until dough reaches edge of mold, 30 to 45 minutes.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter. Cut an X in the top of each ball with a sharp knife and brush tops with butter.

Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake until tops are golden brown and rise above rims of molds, about 15 minutes. Transfer panettoni to a cooling rack. Enjoy at room temperature. Be sure that the breads have cooled completely before wrapping them, they can be stored for a couple of days.

To give the panettone as a gift, tie a red ribbon around it and make a bow. I gave mine away in Christmas paper bags. They can also be presented in a box or wrapped with clear cellophane.

Holiday Food Gifts: Christmas Bark Three Ways

This no-bake sweet treat is fun and easy to make. Get the kids involved and let them smash the candy canes or the nuts. Here I propose a bark divided in three sections. Be as creative as you wish with the toppings: nuts, dried fruit, candy, marshmallows...the possibilities are endless.

Christmas Bark

Christmas Bark Three Ways

1 lb (454 g) white chocolate

1 lb (454 g) dark chocolate (semi-sweet)

1 cup pistachio

1 cup dried cranberry

1 cup broken peppermints or candy cane

1 cup hershey kisses candy cane flavor.  

Line a 12- x 9- inch (30 x 23 cm) baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.

In a bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt the dark chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. 

With an offset spatula, spread the melted dark chocolate in an even layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the refrigerator to harden about 30- 45 minutes. In the meantime prep the toppings: break you candy canes or peppermints by placing them in a sealable plastic bag and hitting them with a rolling pin or a  meat tenderizer on the flat side.  Shell and chop the pistachios.  Unwrap the hershey kisses. 

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Spread on top of the dark chocolate layer. Working quickly before the white chocolate sets, sprinkle the crushed candy canes on 1/3 of the pan, the pistachio and cranberry on the next 1/3 of the pan and finally arrange the hershey kisses on the last part. Gently press all the toppings into the chocolate. 

Refrigerate until complete hard and set, at least 2 hours.

Break into pieces using your hands. Place pieces of bark in a food safe tissue paper-lined box and wrap with christmas themed paper. 

Holiday Food Gifts: Cranberry Almond Cake

The hardest part in this home-made gift is selecting the baking pan to give as a gift along with the cake. Once you buy that, all you have to to is bake a cake in it, tie a pretty bow around it an resist the urge to eat it!

Cranberry Almond Cake 

1 1/2 cup all purpose four
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. table salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature plus more for the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
Zest of 1 orange
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, picked through, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds + 1/2 cup more for topping

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a loaf pan:
9 x 5 x 3 or a 9 x 13 pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape the bowl after each addition. Incorporate the vanilla, the orange juice and the orange zest. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches. Beat at medium speed until the batter is smooth, about 20 seconds. Fold in the cranberries and almonds with a rubber spatula.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Top the batter with almond slivers.  Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool.

Styling tip:
A few moments after the cake comes out of the oven. Use a clean, damp cloth to pass along the rim and inside edge of the baking dish to removes traces of butter or bits of dough. It’s easier to do this when the baking dish is still warm but be careful not to burn any fingers in the process.

Once the cranberry almond cake is completely cooled adorn it with a festive ribbon.

Turkey Pot Pie

This turkey pot pie warms the soul. It's easy to make and perfect for turkey or chicken leftovers.

My mother in law was sweet enough to made us turkey broth a couple of days ago and she gave me the pot with the turkey in it. I drained the liquid, reserved five cups and froze the rest immediately. I then chopped the turkey breasts into cubes and cleaned the rest of the meat off the bones with the intent of making a salad with it tomorrow. Here is my recipe, it was modified from Ina Garten's chicken pot pie.

 

Ingredients

2 whole turkey breasts, cooked or 4 to 6 cups of cooked cubed turkey meat. I used turkey that was boiled to make broth but you can also use leftover roasted turkey or chicken

Sea salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

5 cups turkey stock, preferably homemade

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups leeks (white part only), chopped (about 3 leeks)

1 onion, chopped

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes

2 cups package frozen peas

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Store bought pie crust mix (make as directed and keep in fridge until ready to use)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the turkey stock and keep warm on back-burner. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the leeks and onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent (it will seem like there is a lot of butter at first). Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot turkey stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed turkey, carrots, peas, and parsley. Mix well.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls or 1 large family style dish. Divide the pie dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. 

Apple Hazelnut Crisp

Fall comfort food at it’s best! This delicious Apple Hazelnut Crisp is a great finale to any meal. 

Apple Hazelnut Crisp

Serves 6

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, cut in cubes

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup hazelnuts, 

6 apples, peeled and cored

Directions

Grease 6 small oven safe bowls or ramekins. Combine all ingredients except apples in a food processor and pulse until crumbly (if you don’t have a food processor just use your hands). Slice apples and place in greased bowls. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples and bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes until the tops are golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tagliatelle con Funghi (wild mushroom tagliatelle)

This wild mushroom tagliatelle recipe can easily be customized to your taste and needs, you can make your own fresh tagliatelle or use dry pasta if your time is limited. 

Tagliatelle con Funghi

Serves 4

Ingredients

400 g fresh tagliatelle

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and halved

1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom or 1 cup fresh porcini, cleaned and sliced

6 basil leaves, chiffonade to garnish

Sea salt

1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano

Direction:

Place the dried porcini in a bowl and pour 2 cups boiling water over them. Set aside for 30 minutes. Scoop the porcini from the water with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid.  Pour the mushroom liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel, discarding the gritty solids. Set the mushrooms and the liquid aside separately.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, the shallots and sauté until translucent about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shiitake and porcini mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they have released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and add 1/2 cup mushroom liquid.  At this point add the fresh tagliatelle to the boiling water cook your pasta until just under al dente (about 2 -3 minutes) and drain. Toss the tagliatelle in the pan with sauce. Add mushroom liquid if needed and bring to a boil for 30 seconds.  Plate in serving bowls and top with grated parmigiano, basil chifonnade and a drizzle of olive oil. 

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Bresaola Carpaccio

This simple appetizer consist of a few ingredients that marry together perfectly both in taste and sight.

Bresaola Carpaccio

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 pound  (250gr) thinly sliced bresaola

4 handfuls of baby arugula

6 thin slices pecorino pepato

4 lemon wedges

Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Arrange slices of bresaola, overlapping slightly, to cover 4 small plates. Top bresaola with baby arugula, add sliced cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with lemon wedge.

Peach Galette

This galette is so versatile because you can replace the peaches with almost any seasonal fruit. I've done this recipe with apples, pears, prunes, nectarines and berries. I love to serve this dessert because I can prepare it ahead of time, keep it in the fridge and pop it in the oven when we sit down for dinner. When we're finally ready for dessert all I have to do is top each slice with vanilla ice cream and serve.

Ingredients:

1 store-bought frozen butter puff pastry dough, thawed

4 peaches, pitted and sliced

1 cup, sliced almonds

2 egg yolks (keep whites for egg wash)

1/4 cup brown sugar

zest of 1 lemon

Direction

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a food processor pulse almonds, egg yolks, brown sugar, lemon zest until almonds are finely ground and the mixture is well combined. Unroll thawed dough onto baking sheet and spoon and spread the almond mixture in the center leaving a 3-inch border uncovered.  Arrange the peaches attractively over the almond mixture and fold the dough edges over the peaches, loosely pleating it and leaving the galette open in the center. Brush the dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes in a preheated oven until the crust is golden.