Category: one-pan recipes

  • Spicy Scallops on Pasta with Fiddlehead Ferns and Mozzarella

    Spicy Scallops on Pasta with Fiddlehead Ferns and Mozzarella

    spicy scallops on pasta with fiddlehead ferns

    Weeknight Pasta with Spicy Scallops, Fiddlehead Ferns and Mozzarella
    For Two

    4-6 scallops
    2 oz dry spaghetti (I used whole wheat bionaturae spaghetti. I actually like the flavor of it.)
    1-2 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped into chunks
    1 medium leek, chopped in short thin strips, white & light green only
    4 oz fiddlehead ferns, cleaned and trimmed (can sub asparagus, tender wild greens, or chicories)
    1 C white wine
    1 T butter
    2 tsp chili flakes, divided
    salt & pepper

    Salt & pepper the scallops; sprinkle sparingly with chili flakes. Bring water to boil, and prep all ingredients.

    Begin cooking the pasta. Meanwhile, cook the leeks at medium low heat for 5-10 minutes until coloring. Add 1 tsp chili flakes and fiddlehead ferns. Cook 2 minutes at medium high heat. Add about 1/2 C white wine and cover loosely with a lid; reduce heat to medium.

    In a very hot pan (cast iron would work best), sear the scallops and turn only when browned at high heat. If sticking when turning over, do not force. Add 1/2 cup wine, wait a moment and wiggle them free to flip.

    Add the pasta to the fiddlehead and leek mixture, turning heat up to medium high. Add the mozzarella and toss quickly. Plate with the scallops on top.

  • Scallops in Fava & Pea Puree, Littleneck Clams on White Beans, Sausage & Chard, Creme Fraiche Pannacotta with Strawberries

    Scallops in Fava & Pea Puree, Littleneck Clams on White Beans, Sausage & Chard, Creme Fraiche Pannacotta with Strawberries

    [donotprint]

    creme fraiche panna cotta with strawberries (sunday suppers at lucques)

    I had occasion to cook last night– a Sunday– and was feeling pretty inspired by a very solid weekend of good eats. Friday night a feast in our back yard, Saturday a hike from our doorstep to the top of twin peaks, down into the mission for a stop at Delfina Pizzeria, an errand at Tartine (here’s a hint: it involved walnut bread, croissants and an eclair) and another at BiRite (which involved this steak) and yet another feast in our back yard.

    There is a huge collection of cookbooks in my living room. You can tell they aren’t used often because they’re behind glass, stacked with ornamental things on top that would have to be moved to use them. I woke up around 9 on Sunday and tip toed into the living room to loot a few, returned to bed and did the most serious reading I’ve probably done since college…and the result, my final paper, if you will–this menu.[/donotprint]

    Scallop in Fava & Pea Puree from Amuse Bouche (slightly altered for scale and for oil content)
    With Vouvray

    Clams with White Beans, Sausage & Chard from Amuse Bouche (altered significantly)
    With Vermentino from Sardegna

    Creme Fraiche Pannacotta with Strawberries (From Sunday Suppers at Lucques — perfect as is but would use more milk/less cream next time)
    with Moscato di Asti

  • Ribeye from BiRite Market in San Francisco

    Ribeye from BiRite Market in San Francisco

    ribeye steak from bi rite market in san francisco

    Saturday night dinner for two. Birite MarketFive Dot Ranch.

    The fat was so tender and tasty; just salt & pepper and the fat was catching on fire at the grill. Crispy on the outside, rare on the inside.

  • Park Chow’s Cinnamon French Toast with Marscapone Cream

    Park Chow’s Cinnamon French Toast with Marscapone Cream

    [donotprint]Home made version of Park Chow's Cinnamon French Toast (recipe)

    For those of you in San Francisco, you can go and make your own comparison–but for the rest of you, you’ll have to trust me: the best French toast you’ll ever have is at Park Chow in San Francisco. It’s light, it’s crispy, it’s moist, it’s sweet and cinnamony. And, for weeks, I worked on perfecting my own version for a cinnamon french toast recipe. Here you have it–enjoy! (and if you’re really in for the whole experience, get some coffee from Thanksgiving Coffee Company–it’s where they get their custom blend!)
    [/donotprint]
    Mascarpone Cream Topping Recipe
    1/2 C heavy whipping cream, whipped very firm
    1/2 C room temperature mascarpone cheese
    1/2 C powdered sugar
    1/2 tsp vanilla
    2 T whiskey, creme de cocoa or other liquor of your preference

    Mix all ingredients with a hand mixer. In an ideal world, you’ll cover it (or put it in a mason jar like I do) and refrigerate it until very firm.

    Cinnamon French Toast Recipe – serves 3-4
    4-5 1 inch thick slices Semifreddi’s cinnamon twist bread (a brioche style loaf with a slightly stick outside & cinnamon layers), quartered to triangles
    3 eggs, whisked
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
    1/2 tsp cinnamon
    1 1/2 cup milk

    Whisk everything but the bread together, and then begin soaking the bread slices in the mixture. They should be pretty darn soggy.

    Cook in 1-2 T butter in a 10-12 inch skillet at medium high heat. If your slices are very thick, or seem not to be drying out, reduce heat and cover lightly with a lid to steam through. Serve with real maple syrup, warm.

  • Easy Sunday Brunch

    Easy Sunday Brunch

     

    eggs baked in collard greens

    almond beignets (cafe du monde mix)

    No-stress Sunday Brunch

    – Almond Beignets using Cafe du Monde mix and adding 1 tsp almond extract

    Baked eggs in dandelion greens & collards with nutmeg & cream (modified from smitten kitchen)

    – Arugula salad with yogurt-citrus dressing, cara cara oranges, watermelon radish & ruby grapefruit

    Butternut squash-lentil hash with goat cheese (make ahead)

    – Lots and lots of mimosas

    – A bit of coffee to straighten up

  • Gorgonzola and Pear Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola e Pera)

    Gorgonzola and Pear Gnocchi (Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola e Pera)

    Gnocci with Gorgonzola and Pears

    Gnocchi alla gorgonzola e pera is actually a pretty common dish in the northern half of Italy; the kind of thing any restaurant that might be serving tourists would throw on (without regard to seasonality, local cuisine, etc), and while that might turn you off, it’s actually quite good. That said, I ate it several places in Florence, and am fairly certain I spotted it on other menus around the way.

    I couldn’t find much on the history of this dish, so I think it’s more of a modern classic–prior to not-too-many-years-ago, most classic products of regions didn’t get transported or heavily used much in other regions. There was a time when gorgonzola is what you ate when you were in piedmonte; risotto is what you ate in Milan and in the far north, you ate potatoes in Alto Adige and maybe in Emilia-Romagna. Less so now, with the best of the best being desired by Italians everywhere loving food.

    Gnocchi is, however, typical of Alto Adige (where potatoes are most common), and gorgonzola–if it is officially DOP gorgonzola–is from Piedmonte. For this dish, you’ll want to use the opposite of what you’d likely want to snack on in a cheese plate. You’ll use Gorgonzola Dolce, which is the young, “sweet” gorgonzola. As the cheese ages it becomes more “piquante” or spicy, hot. It’ll tickle your throat if it’s the wrong type for this job. If you don’t have a quality cheese chop that carries both and can point them out, look for gorgonzola (imported, not pre-crumbled) that has a more soft, creamy texture with less blue bits–that’s usually it.

    For 3-4
    3 oz gorgonzola dolce cheeese
    1 ripe pear, diced
    1 T butter
    2 T flour
    1 cup light vegetable stock
    1/2 cup milk
    fresh gnocchi*
    salt, fresh ground pepper

    Boil your water and have it ready. If you are using fresh gnocchi (which you could be!), they require VERY little cooking time, take what you think they take and cut it by half. Seconds! Otherwise, they’ll fall apart, and you’ll regret it.

    Dice your pear, have your ingredients ready. You may or may not need slightly more or less veg stock & milk. Create a roux by heating the butter in a small sauce pan, until clear and stopped bubbling, medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until color darkens slightly, about 2 minutes. Continue whisking and slowly add the vegetable stock, then the milk, until you get a mac-n-cheese type consistency, or slightly thinner. Add the gorgonzola and continue whisking until smooth.

    Add the gnocchi to the water and cook; remove the gnocchi as soon as they float to the top of the pan using a slatted spoon or gnocchi paddle. Add the pear to the sauce and let it warm up, adding the gnocchi to the sauce and stirring gently to coat, with a large wooden spoon (don’t use metal, you’ll chop up the dumplings).

    Add some salt and black pepper to taste, serve!

    Fresh gnocchi makes a huge difference over the vaccu-packed kind you’ll find on the pasta isle. It’s much less dense and has the texture of a down pillow, collapsing in your mouth. I buy mine in bulk from Rainbow market or from Faletti Foods; both carry gnocchi by the bay area’s “Pasta Shop,” which lots of local stores retail products from.

  • Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Chili

    Rancho Gordo Heirloom Bean Chili

    home made chili with rancho gordo heirloom beans

    Delicious chili made from Rancho Gordo heirloom organic beans, adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

    olive oil
    2 large yellow or sweet onions, diced
    1 T minced garlic
    2 large carrots, cubed
    1 cup dry pinquito beans
    1 cup dry yellow-eye steuben heirloom beans (also rancho gordo but they aren’t selling them online! if you’re in SF try Rainbow’s bulk section)
    3 lbs ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork (I used mostly beef/pork, but a little ground chicken too)
    1 green bell pepper
    1 red bell pepper
    4 T chili powder
    1 T cumin (ground)
    2 T paprika
    1 T dry oregano
    1 T chili flakes
    16 oz tomatoes chopped or stewed/pureed (I use POMI)
    2 C beef broth or veal stock
    1/4 C cider vinegar

    Garnish:
    Cheddar cheese, grated
    Red onion, diced

    Serve with macaroni  OR bread

    Beans: Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water. Do not soak more than 9 hours or they will probably burst. They may be mixed for soaking. Try to pre-cook ahead, but if not, start cooking the drained, rinsed, soaked beans in fresh water in a seperate pan as you begin making the chili. Cover and be sure they are cooking at at least a simmer, but not a boil. You want them tender before you add them to the chili at the end. They like to be cooked about an inch of water over the beans; just drain off the extra water if they’re cooked through.

    Chili: In a soup pot or dutch oven, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil or butter. When hot, add diced onions. Cook until almost translucent, at medium heat. Add the garlic & carrots, cooking another 2-3 minutes. Add the meat, and let it cook through.

    While meat is cooking, dice your peppers and gather your other ingredients.

    When meat is cooked, add all of the spices. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beef stock, and vinegar. You may wish to reserve additional beef stock in case you prefer looser chili. Prepare your garnishes. Add the drained, cooked beans to the chili and you may serve in 10 minutes (simmering) or any amount of time after. The longer it sits, the better; I like to put the lid back on the pan and let it cool down very slowly, so that the flavors meld.

    Serve with cheddar and red onion on top.

  • Spaghetti & Shrimp in Spicy Chevre Sauce (Pasta with Goat Cheese Sauce)

    Spaghetti & Shrimp in Spicy Chevre Sauce (Pasta with Goat Cheese Sauce)

    bionaturae whole wheat spaghetti in goat cheese sauce with shrimp

    I was reading the Times a couple of days ago and saw an article about whole wheat pasta and its merits. Yeah, it’s merits. I haven’t tried the stuff in years and 100% agreed with the starting sentiment of the article–it’s icky stuff, and I’m a pasta traditionalist, picky as hell about my Italian food in general.

    But the author won my trust as I read and knowing I could get their “favorite” brand at my neighborhood grocer, I grabbed some when I was at the store later in the week and gave it a go. It’s really non offensive. It even has a nice texture. We’ll try rigatoni next time.

    Also, I just returned from a fabulous trip to Mexico with my S.O., and am seriously craving some pasta! We ate pretty much meat, and a little bit of vegetables, and a lot of coconut milk and wine (oh come on, not together!).

    Bionature whole wheat spaghetti with shrimp in goat cheese sauce

    Pasta with Goat Cheese for two:

    12 shrimp of your preference (blue Mexican gulf prawns for me, until they don’t have them next year..)
    2 T butter
    2 tsp olive oil
    2 T goat cheese
    3/4 C vegetable stock
    1/4 C heavy cream
    120 grams spaghetti (I used bionature whole wheat organic spaghetti)
    1 tsp chili flakes
    2 cloves garlic
    1/2 tsp mixed Italian dry spices
    salt & pepper

    Start your water to boil and chop the garlic finely. When you add the pasta to the boiling water, warm a skillet to medium high heat and add the butter and oil.

    When the oil and butter are hot, reduce to medium and add the garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, add the veg stock, cream, chili flakes and spices.

    De-vein and peel your shrimp, patting dry and tossing with a little salt. When the sauce is bubbly and slightly reduced, add the goat cheese until incorporated, and then immediately the shrimp.

    The pasta should be about done; drain and add it immediately to the sauce*. If you should need to wait for it to finish, DO NOT over cook the shrimp–take them out slightly underdone and set aside, re-adding them with the pasta. Simmer a bit as you see in the picture above and serve it up!

    *You could also add some swiss chard, kale, or spinach to this dish at the end, throw a lid on it to wilt and serve.

    *In my opinion, the trick to really good home pasta is to simmer the pasta a bit in the sauce, getting it really hot.

  • Rigatoni Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Chard

    Rigatoni Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Chard

    [donotprint]Rigatoni Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Chard

    Homemade pork sausage, chard, tomato paste/veg broth/creme fraiche sauce with rigatoni pasta.

    Lots of pasta dishes lately, as they make for quick weeknight meals.[/donotprint]

    Rigatoni Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Chard
    This recipe is forgiving and many things can be substituted to accommodate what you already have around. I will try to provide some guidance.

    50 grams dry pasta per person (for entree size)
    1/4 lb ground pork per person (or Italian sweet or spicy sausage, without casing)
    1/2 C shallot, onion, or fennel per person, sliced in nice edible size pieces
    2 cups raw greens per person (spinach, chard, kale, other braising green)
    1-2 T tomato paste per person
    1 C vegetable stock (or chicken, etc) per person
    heavy cream or creme fraiche, about 1-2 T per person

    If you are working with ground pork and not pre-seasoned sausage, season your sausage with what you have on hand: paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, salt, pepper and even rib rub. Mix well.

    Boil water for the pasta and begin cooking the pasta. In a large skillet on high, cook the ground pork in chunks, separating bits with your hands and tossing into the pan; when all pork is in the pan, add the onions/fennel/shallot. When pork is browned on one side, stir vigorously and add enough stock to cover the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and stir to dissolve, add salt. Add greens to wilt, and as the pasta is finishing, add the cream or creme fraiche to taste. Serve in warmed bowls.

  • Rigatoni with Tomato Cream Sauce, Peas, Chard (Pasta with Spring Vegetables)

    Rigatoni with Tomato Cream Sauce, Peas, Chard (Pasta with Spring Vegetables)

    Pasta with spring vegetables - Rigatoni with fresh english peas, chard, and tomato cream sauce  weeknight pasta

    Feel free to improvise the dairy combo in this; I used what I had on hand–full cream or whole milk would suffice, or you can combine skim and sour cream, whatever you have around. Ultimately this is pasta with spring vegetables, and you can substitute where it makes sense to.

    For two

    150 grams rigatoni
    1 cup milk
    2 T creme fraiche
    1/2 tsp Italian dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, any combo thereof)
    2-3 T tomato paste
    1/2 cup peas, shelled
    1 1/2 cups cleaned, chopped chard or kale

    As you start the pasta is cooking (bring water to boil first before starting the sauce), use a large skillet to gently warm the milk and tomato paste. Add some salt.

    When steaming or very lightly simmering, stir mixture and add herbs and peas. Continue cooking a few more minutes.

    When pasta is done,  drain and add to the sauce pan, adding the chard and creme fraiche, covering, and letting wilt. A little parm or pecorino on top is nice.