Spinach and Cheese Tart

Dave and I moved to San Luis Obispo last week and with that I have a renewed commitment to start cooking and blogging again. Another great thing about this is that Natalie and I can now cook together! We decided to cook a feast this weekend in celebration of our house (mainly kitchen see above) finally being assembled. The menu included the following:

• Spiced white bean dip with whole wheat flatbread
• Spinach and cheese tart with cornmeal crust
• Grilled portobello mushrooms with pesto and Swiss cheese
• Grilled tri tip
  
• Mache salad with sun dried tomatoes, lentils, and Parmesan cheese

There is a vegetarian blog I follow regularly called 101 Cookbooks that has some amazing recipes. The post last week was a for a turnip greens tart. I have never made a tart before, but it seemed like a good challenge. I made this for our dinner this weekend, but I modified it by using spinach instead of turnip greens. I will warn you for those of you who have never made a tart that it is extremely time consuming. That said, I would still do it again. I would probably add a little more cheese, some caramelized red onions, and maybe some minced marinated artichoke hearts to give it more texture. The recipe makes two shells so I will probably attempt this soon...keep you posted! (recipe in the hyperlink above)

Natalie will have to post the mushrooms and salad recipes because these were her incredible contributions to the feast. Below is the dip recipe I created, which was really simple, but a great appetizer for a complicated dinner menu. Enjoy!

Spiced White Bean Dip

1 can white cannellini beans, drained

1/8 c olive oil

1/8 c lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 t kosher salt (more to taste if desired)

1 t crushed red pepper flakes

1 t toasted cumin seeds

1 t coriander powder

1/2 t white pepper

dash of red wine vinegar

Directions

In food processor, pulse all ingredients until smooth. I put in a bowl and drizzled with a little more olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, and some feta cheese. I served this with store bought whole wheat flat bread that I toasted and cut into triangles and carrot sticks.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Nutty and cheesy with a toasty hazelnut crunch. Not meant to be eaten alone. Not meant for those watching their caloric intake.

This was a pretty darn good version of roasted butternut squash lasagna that I found on Food Network via Michael Chiarello. I made this for a small dinner with friends and we really enjoyed it. It was a balanced, hearty meal that went well with wine. In addition, it was also my first successful venture at creating a bechamel sauce that didn't resemble paste.

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash, about 3 to 5 pounds
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 t Fennel seeds, crushed
1 t cinnamon
2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese (or a 15-ounce container)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 large eggs
1 pound dried lasagna sheets (about 24 sheets), each 6 1/2 by 3 inches
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup toasted, crumbled hazelnuts

For the sauce:
2 quarts 2 percent milk
6 T unsalted butter
1 T sage, minced
2 t minced garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 t salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg

Lasagna Assembly Extras
Butter, for dish
1 pound mozzarella, grated
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the squash's hard shell. Trim about 1/2-inch off the top and bottom ends so you can set each section of the squash flat on a cutting board. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop the seeds out with a spoon, and coarsely chop the squash into 1/2-inch chunks. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl, toss the squash with the oil, sage, fennel, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper. Spread the squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the squash in the oven until very soft and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove the squash from the oven and puree in a food processor with fresh nutmeg.

In a large bowl, mix the squash puree, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until ready to use.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the lasagna sheets until al dente. Drain the sheets and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with oil and set aside.

Prepare the sauce: In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a slow simmer over medium heat. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sage and garlic to the butter, cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and stir. Add about 3 cups of the milk, and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, while whisking continuously. Add the remaining milk and whisk again. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust the heat to low to maintain a slow simmer, and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Makes about 8 cups.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Spoon a ladle of bechamel into the dish and spread to coat the bottom. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top of the bechamel. Spread some of the squash mixture evenly over the lasagna sheets and sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top. Repeat this step until all ingredients are used, starting with 2 to 3 ladles of bechamel for each layer. Keep building the layers until the pan is full to about 1/4-inch from the top. Finish with cheese and sauce directly over the noodles. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour. Remove the cover, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Right before removing from oven, sprinkle with hazelnuts. Allow lasagna to rest before slicing. Serve warm.

Notes:

• The leftovers of this are especially delicious
• I made a half version of this recipe (it would still be enough to serve 6 people minimum because it is such a rich dish)
• If you have extra bechamel sauce- mix it with marinara and toss over whole wheat spaghetti for a quick meal
• This recipe is quick for a weeknight if you roast the squash the day before
• You can also use frozen or prepared butternut squash cubes to cut out extra prep time
  

Coq Au Vin

French for "chicken in wine," this rustic dish is one of my favorites to make because you get to light things on fire. I paired this with mashed potatoes and a salad of fennel, tomatoes and goat cheese (and a bottle of Pinot Noir). I saw Casey Thompson make Coq Au Vin on Season 3 of Top Chef and wanted to learn how to make it. This recipe is adapted from Williams Sonoma: French.

















Ingredients
4 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup flour
salt and fresh pepper to taste
4 - 6 Assorted cuts of chicken- on the bone with skin
olive oil

1/3 cup brandy

1/2 bottle full-bodied red wine
1 small can tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 box mini portobello mushrooms (or cremini mushrooms)
1/2 bag frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 T finely chopped Italian parsley













Directions
In a large stock pot, cook bacon for 4-5 minutes or until crisp.

Put flour in a large zip bag and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to bag and shake until well-coated. Shake excess flour off of chicken and cook on each side in olive oil in frying pan for 7 minutes.

Put chicken pieces into stock pot and add brandy. Let brandy heat for 30 seconds, turn off heat, and then light on fire with a long kitchen torch. (do this promptly or you could end up with an unexpected fireball in your face) After alcohol burns off, add wine, tomato paste and garlic. Cover and cook chicken over medium-low heat for 50 minutes, turning once.

When chicken is almost done, cook mushrooms and onions in a small fry pan with olive oil and seasoning for 5 - 7 minutes or until tender.

To plate, put down chicken and top with extra sauce. Top with mushrooms and onions and finish with parsley. Serve at once.

Penne with Sausage and Peppers

I have the Everyday Pasta book by Giada De Laurentiis and first of all must say that everything I have ever cooked from this book is fantastic. One night I had a bunch of leftover chicken jalapeno sausages from fondue night the evening before so I looked up sausage in the index to see what I could find. I did not have Marsala wine so I used white wine instead and it worked out just fine.


Ingredients:
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (recipe calls for sweet- I used jalapeno)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 t salt
1 t ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 c chopped fresh basil
2 T tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine (I used sauv blanc)
1 large can diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes (I omitted due to the usage of jalapeno sausages)
1 pound rigatoni pasta
fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown (about 1o minutes depending on size). Remove sausages from pan and place on a towel lined plate.

Add bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions are cooked through, about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, oregano, and basil, cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, add wine, tomatoes with juice, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, scrape bottom of pan and bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into bite sized pieces. Return to sauce pan. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain the pasta and add the sauce, toss to combine. Plate and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.



This was a great dish and kept really well for leftovers the next day. Unless you like really hot food, I would recommend using sweet Italian sausage. It was really spicy!

VDay My Way

I made pan seared steaks with blackberry Merlot reduction, garlic mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, artichokes, and raspberry vanilla bean cream brulee for Love Day. Natalie taught me how to make steaks in a fry pan like this and I prefer them to cooking steaks on the barbecue because they are much more tender and it is easier to control the desired doneness of the meat. The blackberry Merlot sauce has been a family favorite for many years. I remember having it for Valentine's Day when I lived at home. I usually use filet Mignon, but have found that good quality top sirloins are more inexpensive and the added fat actually adds a lot of flavor. It was a hit with the husband!

Ingredients
Steaks
2 top sirloin filets, about 1/2 pound each
4 sprigs of rosemary, stemmed
1/2 stick of butter
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
salt and pepper

Blackberry Merlot Reduction
2 T minced shallots
2 t minced garlic
2 oz seedless blackberry jam
1 cup good Merlot- I used 05 Meridian
1 cup beef broth

Asparagus
1 bunch of petite asparagus rinsed and ends trimmed off
3 T olive oil
4 sprigs of fresh thyme, stemmed
3 T store bought crumbled Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
4-5 small Yukon gold potatoes rinsed and chopped with skin on
1 head of garlic
2 T fresh Italian parsley
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the end off a head of garlic and wrap in foil. Place in hot oven for about 20 minutes. Boil medium pan full of water. Add potatoes and cook until you can easily pierce with a fork, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil, spread asparagus over baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, Parmesan cheese, thyme, salt and pepper, set aside.


In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together chopped shallots, garlic, jam, Merlot, and beef broth. Bring to a rolling boil and let reduce about 2o minutes until sauce will coat a spoon.

In large fry pan that has sides, slowly heat 1/2 stick of butter, rosemary, and chopped garlic together. Do not let butter burn. Dust top sirloin with salt and cracked pepper, press into sides so it sticks to the meat. When garlic is cooked through and begins to sizzle, add the steaks to the fry pan. Cook about 4 minutes on each side, rotating pan so outer layer browns, but does not burn.

Take seared steaks out of the fry pan and place in a glass baking dish. Pour remaining butter garlic and rosemary mixture over the top. Put a meat thermometer in the center of one of the filets. Put filets and asparagus in the oven about 12 minutes. Cook steaks to 150 degrees in the center (for medium rare).

While steaks and asparagus are finishing in the oven, drain the potatoes and bring back to pan on the stove. Squeeze roasted garlic out of the skins into the potato pan along with 1/4 stick of butter. Mash with a potato masher until blended. Heat half and half in a Pyrex measuring cup in the microwave. Slowly add heated half and half, salt, pepper, and chopped Italian parsley to pot. Whip with potato masher until desired texture is achieved.

Remove steaks and asparagus from oven and plate, plate potatoes, top steaks with blackberry merlot reduction. We enjoyed our dinner with an excellent bottle of Laetitia Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve. It was fantastic!