Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp and Asparagus

 Spanish Scrambled Eggs with Shrimp and Asparagus

8 large eggs

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

12 ounces extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled, halved crosswise and patted dry

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 

8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more to serve

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; set aside.  Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.  In a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil until almost smoking.  Add the shrimp in an even layer and cook without stirring until deep golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the vinegar and stir until the vinegar has reduced and the shrimp are opaque throughout, another 20 to 30 seconds.  Transfer the shrimp to a plate. 

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering.  Add the asparagus and a pinch of salt, then cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Reduce to medium and pour the eggs into the center of the skillet.  Cook, using a silicone spatula to stir continuously, pushing the egg mixture toward the middle as the edges begin to set, until the eggs are shiny and softly set, about 2 minutes; the curds should not be runny. 

Remove the  pan from the heat.  Pour off and discard the accumulated shrimp juices, then add the shrimp and paprika to the skillet.  Fold until the shrimp are evenly distributed, then taste and season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with additional paprika, if desired, and the parsley.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Tuesday Nights Mediterranean

Penne alla Silana

 Penne alla Silana

1 pound penne pasta
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 to 4 ounces pancetta, chopped (or bacon)
3/4 to 1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
28-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
4 ounces Genoa salami or spicy salami, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 ounces provolone or aged provolone cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated 

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil.  Add the pasta and 2 tablespoons Kosher salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.  Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain and return the pasta  to the pot.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the onion and the pancetta, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften and the pancetta is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the pepper flakes and tomatoes with juices.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add the sauce to the pot with the drained pasta, along with the salami, provolone, half the basil, half the pecorino and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water.  Toss well, adding more pasta water if needed so the sauce coats the noodles.  Taste and season with salt and black pepper.  Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil and the remaining pecorino. 

Serves 4-6

Recipe slightly adapted from Tuesday Nights Mediterranean cookbook

Pasta with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

We checked out the new Milk Street cookbook, Tuesday Nights Mediterranean and we're really enjoying it.  For this recipe I used dried shiitake mushrooms because I had those on hand, and it was delish.  But feel free to get porcinis if you prefer.  It called for 12 oz. of pasta but I used about 18 oz and it was great. They recommend using turkey or chicken Italian sausage, but we had regular pork Italian sausage on hand so we used that.  We also didn't have fresh basil so I just sprinkled some dried basil on top.

Pasta with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

12 oz. dried pappardelle or tagliatelle pasta
Kosher slat and ground black pepper
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed 
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small  pieces, rinsed and drained
1 C. chicken broth
1/4 C. heavy cream
1/2 C. finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 C. lightly packed fresh basil, roughly chopped.

*Don't forget to break the porcini mushrooms into small pieces BEFORE rinsing.

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil.  add the pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain and return the pasta to the pot.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil; set aside.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small bits, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the onion, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms, then add the broth and scrape up any browned bits.  Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes.   Add the cream and cook, stirring, for about 1  minute.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and add the Parmesan.  Cook over medium, stirring often, until the sauce clings to the pasta, about 2 minutes; add reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time if needed so the sauce coats the noodles.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  serve sprinkled with the basil and additional Parmesan.  

Recipe altered slightly from Milk Street Tuesday Nights Mediterranean cookbook

Bacon in the Oven (Easy & Crispy)

 This isn't anything new, but the parchment paper method is way easier to clean up than using a cooling rack on a cookie sheet.

Bacon in the Oven (Easy & Crispy)

Ingredients

• Package of bacon

Instructions

1.                Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, then place the bacon side-by-side on the tray.

2.      Cook the bacon for 18-20 minutes or until it's reached your desired level of crispiness. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer the bacon with tongs to a paper towel-lined plate.

3.                Pour fat into metal can and freeze.

Garlic Naan

 

Garlic Naan

INGREDIENTS  

·        3.25 cups +3-4 tablepoons all purpose flour 423 grams + 27-36 grams)

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        1 cup water lukewarm, 8 oz

·        1 tablespoon sugar

·        2 teaspoons active dry yeast

·        1/3 cup milk lukewarm

·        2 tablespoons plain yogurt or sour cream

·        3 tablespoons oil I used vegetable

·        2 large garlic cloves grated

Garlic Butter, to brush on naan

·        3-4 tablespoons butter

·        3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional

·        2 teaspoons minced garlic

·        ½ tsp garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

 

1.       In bowl of stand mixer add lukewarm water and then add the sugar and yeast. Let it bloom for 5-10 minutes.

2.       Once the yeast in activated, add to it lukewarm milk, yogurt, salt and oil. Mix.

3.       Add the flour and pressed garlic - mix until combined.

4.       Add more flour as needed, but do not overdo it. The dough should be tacky.

5.       Knead with the dough hook attachment of your stand mixer for 1-2 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover and let rise for 30-60 minutes, or until doubled in size.

6.       Divide the dough into 8 equal parts (around 100-105 grams each). Dough will be sticky so oil your hands while dividing the dough. Cover the dough balls with a kitchen towel and let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

7.       Meanwhile, in a microwave safe cup or bowl melt 3 tablespoons of butter, add minced garlic and chopped cilantro to it. Keep the garlic butter ready to brush on the naan.

8.       Heat up a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. I really recommend using an iron skillet to make these naan. 

9.       Take a dough ball and press it into a round or oval shape - about 10 to 11 inches long and 6 inches wide. Apply little oil on your hands before you stretch the dough.

10.   Transfer the rolled naan onto the hot skillet. Let it cook for couple of minutes until you see bubbles on top. Flip and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Remove to plate and brush top with garlic butter.

 

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/restaurant-style-garlic-naan/

SLOW COOKER INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN

  SLOW COOKER INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN

 

INGREDIENTS:

·        1 cup basmati rice

·        1/2 cup chicken stock

·        1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

·        2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

·        1 teaspoon garam masala

·        1 teaspoon ground turmeric

·        1 teaspoon kosher salt

·        1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

·        1 sweet onion, diced

·        3 Tbsp butter

·        3 cloves garlic, minced

·        1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

·        1/2 cup heavy cream

·        2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

·        2 tablespoons light brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.      In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

2.     In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and pepper.

3.      In medium skillet, cook onion in butter until translucent.

4.     Place chicken, onion, garlic and ginger into a 4-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock mixture.

5.     Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours. Stir in heavy cream, lime juice and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

6.     Serve immediately with rice and garlic naan.

Perfect Prime Rib

 Perfect Prime Rib

4 lbs prime rib roast

¼ C. unsalted butter, softened

1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

Rosemary, thyme, garlic, to taste (or 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence)

Kosher salt

Place rib roast on a plate and bring to room temperature, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine butter, pepper and herbs in a bowl; mix until well blended.  Spread butter mixture evenly over entire roast.  Season roast with kosher salt.

Roast the 4-pound prime rib (see footnote if using a larger or smaller roast) in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.  

Turn the oven off and leave the roast in the oven with the door closed.  Let the roast sit in the oven for 2 hours.  Remove from oven, slice and serve.

NOTE: Your cooking times will vary depending on the size of your roast.  To calculate your cooking time, multiply the exact weight of the roast by 5.  Round the resulting number to the nearest whole number.  Therib is cooked at 500° for exactly that many minutes.  For example, for a 6 pound roast: 6x5=30, so cooking time is 30 minutes.   Turn the oven off and wait 2 hours before opening the oven door.  Remove the prime rib and slice into the most perfectly medium-rare meat you’ve ever seen.

Recipe from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/221958/chef-johns-perfect-prime-rib/

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FLOATING TACO BOWLS WITH CREAMY LIME DRESSING

 FLOATING TACO BOWLS WITH CREAMY LIME DRESSING

TACOS:

·         2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

·         1/2 cup chopped onion

·         3 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

·         6-ounce can tomato paste

·         15-ounce can tomato sauce

·         3 cups chicken broth

·         1/2 cup long grain, basmati, or jasmine white rice

·         15-ounce can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained

·         3/4 tablespoon chili powder

·         2 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet

·         1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

·         1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

 

 

CREAMY LIME DRESSING:

·         1 cup buttermilk

·         1/2 cup mayonnaise

·         4 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature

·         1/4 cup fresh cilantro, more or less to taste

·         2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon onion powder

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·         Pinch of black pepper

TOPPINGS:

·         Tortilla chips, lightly crushed

·         Shredded cheese

·         Chopped or shredded lettuce

·         Sliced olives

·         Sliced or chopped avocados

INSTRUCTIONS

1.      Stovetop Directions: In a large pot, electric skillet, or saucepan set over medium heat, cook the onion in olive oil. Add a bit of water, turn the heat to medium low and cover pot with lid to let onions steam and soften the rest of the way. Remove lid and ad garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.

2.      Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, kidney and black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until the rice is tender. Stir often and moderate heat to prevent sticking.

3.      Slow Cooker Directions: brown the onion and garlic the same as in step #1 above. Transfer the mixture to a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, oregano and pepper. Stir well to combine.

4.      Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

5.      For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Make ahead if possible to let flavors meld.

6.      Serve the taco mixture over crushed corn chips. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, dressing, and any additional toppings your heart desires (like, tomatoes, olives, avocados, etc).

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/FLOATING-TACO-BOWLS/