Lately I have been very sludgy-the sort of feeling that comes on from eating too much processed food. I know that cooking my own meals will result in my feeling healthier but I have been having trouble getting off my butt as things like ice cream are easy & immediate fixes. Well, that changes today (and may change back tomorrow, but hey, one day at a time).
So this recipe may not technically be healthy because of the cheese and cream, it is made with fresh produce and has lots of good 'ole fiber, vitamins and minerals. Plus it is delicious, so that basically means it is good for me, right?
The custard recipe for this dish is from Epicurious's Asparagus Soup with Parmesan Custards-a very delicious, creamy and delightful soup (provided you have access to fresh asparagus).
For Custards
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 whole large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 recipe Slow Roasted Tomatoes
2 yellow crookneck squash
1 lb asparagus
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup basil, sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
To Make Custards:
Bring cheese, cream, and milk just to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and steep, covered, 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Prepare 1 recipe Slow Roasted Tomatoes while cheese-cream is steeping. Toss with sliced basil when done cooking.
Pour steeped cream through a very fine sieve into a bowl, pressing lightly on cheese solids and discarding them (Yeah I don't actually do this, Epicurious recommends it but I just whisk the mixture as it is getting hot/beginning to boil and never seem to end up with solids. And if I do, they are tasty solids). Whisk together whole egg, yolks, salt, and white pepper in another bowl, then add steeped cream in a stream, whisking until smooth. Divide among well-buttered ramekins.
Set ramekins in a baking pan and bake in a hot water bath in middle of oven until centers of custards are completely set, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer ramekins to a rack and cool 5 minutes (do not allow to cool longer, or custards will stick to ramekins).
While custards are cooking, prepare asparagus and squash.
Scrub outside of squash and rinse well to clean. Slice into long horizontal strips and toss with 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Rinse asparagus and cut off tough ends. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and asparagus. Let cook 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Toss with remaining pepper, garlic and olive oil.
When custards are removed to cool, turn oven to broil. Place squash in strips in large baking dish. Do same with asparagus spears.
Broil until vegetables are beginning to char, then remove.
Working with 1 custard at a time, run a thin knife around edge of each to loosen it, then invert a plate over ramekin and invert custard onto plate. Repeat with remaining custards.
Serve each custards in the middle of 3 stacks of roasted tomatoes, asparagus and crookneck squash.
Fra diavolo sauce, Italian for "brother devil," is usually tomato-based and always spicy. It's often served with a lobster tail or other shellfish. Here I prepare it with sauteed shrimp.
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (I like Delmonte or Contadina)
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 lb linguine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and turn heat to medium. Saute 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent being careful that garlic does not brown.
Add tomatoes and white wine and turn heat up to medium high until mixture is bubbling. Turn to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes.
After adding tomatoes and wine, heat up large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add linguine and stir to prevent noodles from sticking together. Cook according to instructions.
In separate saute pan, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the shrimp and crushed red pepper and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into tomato sauce and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in parsley and basil.
After pasta has been drained, toss with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Mix in shrimp-tomato mixture and plate fra diavolo. Grind a little black pepper over each plate and salt to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese.
This recipe is a modification of my mom's traditional Sicilian red sauce. I was in a vegetarian phase, and studying in Cuba, and I could buy most of the ingredients at the local agromercado (minus glorious Parmesan cheese, Cuba has no good cheese-I nearly died of sadness).
Ingredients:
3 14oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 onions
1 head garlic
1 green pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you prefer a spicy tomato sauce)
Optional: salt, if necessary
Dice onions and green pepper. Peel garlic cloves and mince garlic (as much as your patience allows-this recipe is forgiving, some big chunks are ok).
Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, green pepper and onion. Turn heat down to medium/medium-low. Saute about 10 minutes, stirring and adjusting temperature if need to make sure that garlic does not burn/brown. Add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and black pepper. If mixture starts to boil, turn down so that the sauce simmers but doesn't boil, as this can burn the sauce. Let cook 1 1/4 hour.
Add red wine, parsley and basil. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add parmesan cheese and cook 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Salt to taste and let cool.
Pour into mason jars and wrap green ribbon around lid. Affix tag to jar instructing: The sauce keeps 1 week in the fridge. Freeze to keep longer. OR: Make and feed to your loved ones. They will love you for it.
Ingredients:
Wonton wrappers
2 cloves garlic
1 can marinated baby artichokes, drained
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3/4 cup Belgioioso Fontina cheese, cut into small squares 1/4 inch thick
1 cup grated or shredded Belgioioso Parmesan cheese
1 cup Belgioioso Asiago cheese, cut into small squares 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup minced fresh basil (2 teaspoons dried basil may be substituted)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup cream or evaporated skim milk
Chop up artichokes. Mince sun dried tomatoes and mix with artichokes. Heat up oil from tomatoes in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add artichokes and tomatoes and turn to medium. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring to prevent mixture from sticking to pan. Remove from heat.
Chop up and grate cheese if needed. Reserve 1/2 cup Parmesan for use later. Mince basil and add 1/2 of the basil to the cheese mixture. Add cooled artichoke-tomato mixture to cheese and stir well. Add crushed red pepper if you want to add a little kick to the recipe.
Add a small scoop of cheese-artichoke-tomato mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper. Moisten the edges with water and seal, pressing the edges with your fingers.
Add a 1/2 tablespoon tomato oil to saute pan and at medium-high heat, add minced garlic. Turn heat to medium, cook about 5 minutes or until garlic is tender but not brown. Remove garlic from pan, reserve oil in pan.
In small sauce pan, heat up cream with garlic and parmesan cheese over medium heat, stirring until cheese has melted. Remove from heat, stir in remaining basil and set aside.
Heat saute pan at medium-high heat. Add wontons and brown them on both sides. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan and quickly cover to allow the wontons to steam through. Repeat this process until all wontons are first browned, then steamed; reserve and keep warm.
Drizzle parmesan-basil sauce over wontons before serving.
