Haricot Verts with Dijon Mascarpone

Haricot Verts with Dijon Mascarpone
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com
4 servings

Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon or Whole Grain Mustard
1/2 cup mascapone
1 pound haricot verts (or other green beans), remove stem ends
Lemon zest
Salt and freshly crack black pepper, or tri-color pepper
Method:
(Make the Dijon Mascarpone at least 1/2 to 1 hour ahead of serving time and refrigerate:)
Allow mascarpone to come to room temperature. Using a whisk or silicone spatula, mix the mustard into the mascarpone until well combined, season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour (until firm.)
Just before serving; cook the beans:
1.) Line a rimmed baking pan with a clean kitchen towel, or double thickness of paper towels. Set aside.
2.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about 2 Tablespoons salt for each quart of water. Add the haricot verts to the boiling water, cook until just tender but still firm (about 3 to 4 minutes.)
Using a slotted or wire spoon remove the haricot verts from the pot and drain in prepared baking sheet. Grate the lemon zest over the top.
3.) Transfer the beans to a warmed serving bowl and top with spoonfuls
of the Dijon mascarpone. Sprinkle with more lemon zest and freshly ground black pepper. The mascarpone will begin to melt over the beans;
serve hot.

Enjoy! ~Mari


Recipe has been adapted from www.cooktasteeat.com


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Jacques Pepin's Easy One-Pot Bread

As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari

www.onceuponaplate1.com

Note: It is crucial to use a non-stick pot in order to keep this a one-pot recipe ~ I used a 4-quart saucepan. (Although you could mix up the dough in a bowl, then transfer to a greased baking vessel ~ that would defeat the idea of a simple one-pot bread, yes?)

Here's what you need and how to do it:
Non-stick pot

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups lukewarm water

2 tsp salt

1 tsp yeast

4 cups flour

Method:

In a non-stick pot combine all ingredients with a wooden spoon. Place lid or cover on pot and proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes.
Break proofed dough down (deflate), replace lid and place pot in the refrigerator overnight; 10 to 14 hours or so.   As Jacques suggests, I mix up the dough about an hour before retiring for the evening, then it's ready to bake in the morning.
When ready to bake, remove lid and place pot in (preheated) 400º(F) oven ~ bake for about 40 minutes until deep golden brown. If you're not sure, an instant read thermometer inserted in the hot-from-the oven bread should read between 190º to 200ºF. 
It's excellent toasted, and you can also vary the recipe by adding herbs of your choice, minced onion, roasted garlic, etc. to the dough while mixing the flour, yeast and water together.

Jacques give a great tutorial for making the bread during  the first few minutes of this youtube video from his series on PBS "Fast Food My Way", episode 209:

Hope you enjoy!

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Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts

Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate
Recipe adapted from "How Easy is That?" by Ina Garten

6 servings

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups couscous (12 ounces)
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan melt butter and add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a full boil. Stir in the couscous, turn off the heat, cover, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork, stir in the pine nuts, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

Note:  I always add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to couscous, and a few shards of fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese.  In the photo above I also added some fresh, chopped basil to the parsley, as it was in season. ( You can any favorite fresh herb that you like.)

Recipe adapted from "How Easy is That?" by Ina Garten

Nectarines Wrapped in Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar Syrup Drizzle

Nectarines or Peaches Wrapped in Prosciutto with Balsamic Vinegar Drizzle
4 servings
2 nectarines or peaches
6 slices prosciutto, halved
3 or 4 ounces arugula or other tender salad greens
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
cracked black pepper
Method:
Cut each nectarine (or peach) into 6 wedges then wrap in the prosciutto.
Arrange greens on four plates, divide the wrapped fruit evenly among the plates.
To make Balsamic Syrup:
In a small pot or pan combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, place over high heat and boil until thickened. Cool slightly and spoon over the greens, sprinkle with the cracked black pepper and serve.

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay

Sole Meuniere ~ Super Easy

Sole Meuniere2 servings


Ingredients
•1/2 cup all-purpose flour
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each
•6 tablespoons unsalted butter *
•1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
•6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

•1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley


Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready

In a large shallow plate (or pie plate) mix the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, set aside. Rinse the sole fillets and pat dry with paper towels then sprinkle one side with salt.

In a large (approx 12-inch) skillet melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until it just begins to brown. in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dip 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour, coating both sides lightly, then place them in the hot butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side is cooking, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan.

Carefully place the fish filets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

* Note: To reduce cholesterol in this dish I substitute half of the butter with olive or canola oil.


Recipe adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa

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Italian Wedding Soup ~ Barefoot Contessa's

We really like this one ~ very satisfying, yet not too filling. In a word? Delicious!

Italian Wedding Soup
Adapted from : "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics"
8 servings

Note: I have substituted ground turkey, and turkey sausage in this recipe with great success. I use orzo pasta.

Ingredients
To make the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, and more for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta (I use orzo, but any tiny pasta will do)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the meatballs~ place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon or small portion scoop, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (Makes about 40 meatballs.) No need to strive or perfection, they needn't be perfectly round. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

While meatballs ar baking, prepare the soup broth: heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed; I always add a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice to heighten the flavors.

Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted.

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan. Really good with garlic bread!

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Chicken Cacciatore ~ Lidia Bastianich's

Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatore)
from "Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen" by Lidia Bastianich.

"The caccia in cacciatore means "hunt," so this is chicken hunter's-style. Somewhere along the line, probably on its trip from Italy to America, the hunter's pheasant or guinea hen in this dish was replaced by chicken.

If you don't want to cut up a whole chicken, you can buy pieces. Get all legs and thighs, if that's what you like; they are very good in this dish.

It can be made using only chicken breasts if that's your preference, but to keep the chicken from drying out, you should cut the cooking time in half and reduce the wine to 1/4 cup and the tomatoes to 3 cups."

Ingredients:

2 broiler chickens (about 2 1/2 pounds each, preferably free-range)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with liquid, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably the Sicilian or Greek type) dried on the branch, crumbled
2 cups sliced white or shiitake mushrooms, about 8 ounces
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch strips (about 2 cups total)

To prepare:

Cut each chicken into 12 pieces. With a sturdy knife or kitchen shears, remove the backbone by cutting along both sides. Remove the wingtips. Reserve the backbone, wingtips, and giblets -- except for the liver -- to make chicken stock. Or, if you like, cut the backbone in half crosswise and add it to this dish.Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board and cut the chicken into halves by cutting through the breastbone lengthwise. Cut off the wing at the joint that connects it to the breast, then cut each wing in half at the joint. Separate the leg from the breast. Cut the leg in half at the joint. Cut the breast in half crosswise, giving the knife a good whack when you get to the bone in separate the breast cleanly into halves. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the pieces in flour, coating them lightly and tapping off excess flour. In a wide (at least 12-inch) 5-quart braising pan, heat the vegetable oil with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until a piece of chicken dipped in the oil gives off a very lively sizzle.

Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as will fit without touching. Do not crowd chicken; if the skillet is not wide enough to fit all of the chicken, brown it in batches. Remove chicken pieces from the skillet as they brown, adding some of the remaining pieces of chicken to take their place. Remove all chicken from the skillet.

Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook, stirring 5 minutes.Pour the wine into the pan, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and oregano, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the sauce, adjust the heat to a gentle boil, and cover the pan.

Cook, stirring a few times, 20 minutes.In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and peppers, and toss until the peppers are wilted but still quite crunchy, about 8 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt.

Stir the peppers and mushrooms into the chicken pan. Cook covered until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Check the level of the liquid as the chicken cooks.

There should be enough liquid barely to cover the chicken. If necessary, add small amounts of water to maintain the level of liquid as the chicken cooks.

Makes 6 servings.


"Note: When you cut up chicken, or anything for that matter, your knife should glide along. If you're struggling, stop for a second and take a look at what you're cutting; you should be cutting between the bones at the joints, not actually cutting through the bones. If you're off target, just wiggle the blade of the knife to get a feel for where the joint is, then make another cut. With practice, you'll get a sense for where the joints lie."

With thanks to my friend Linda, for sharing the recipe.

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