Tagliatelle 'Paglia e Fieno' con Prosciutto e Funghi
Oh.My.God.
I have died and gone to gastronomic heaven. And I'm loving every bit of it.
Victor has once again shown why I love La Cucina Italiana Magazine. And this months, The Pasta Issue.
After the fantastic pasta from yesterday, Victor decreed that, on Mondays, he would be making all of the various pasta dishes in the magazine. Starting today.
Today was Tagliatelle 'Paglia e Fieno' con Prosciutto e Funghi. "Straw and Hay" Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Mushrooms. The straw is the yellow pasta,, the hay is the green. Colorful names, these Italians have for their foods, eh? But colorful names aside, the key to this is the homemade pasta. And Victor made the lightest, most wonderful flavorful pasta one could ever imagine. Firm, yet silken. With body and substance without heaviness.
Perfection.
We've had the pasta roller for years and I do have to admit I haven't pulled it out in months. But after tonight, I think it's going to be a regular visitor in the kitchen - especially this fall and winter.
Tagliatelle “paglia e fieno” – (Straw and Hay” Tagliatelle)
Makes about 14 oz of Pasta.
- 4oz fresh spinach
- Fine sea salt
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
Parchment paper or wax paper
Trim stems from spinach, discard stems. Rinse leaves in cold water, do not dry.
In a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt, cook spinach over medium heat covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain spinach and let cool, then gently but thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid and very finely chop.On a clean work surface, mound 1 cup flour and form a well in the center.
Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and spinach into the well. Using a fork (or your fingers) gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour . Continue until the liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutesRepeat the process above with the flour and eggs to make the other half of the dough. Knead for 10 minutes and wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes
After the dough has rested:
- Take the spinach dough and divide into 3 equal pieces (cover the other two and set aside)
- Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
- Roll dough through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn the dough this time) until pasta sheet is a scant 1/16 inch thick.
- Cut sheet in half crosswise, lightly dust both sides with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper.
- Repeat the process until both types of dough is rolled out.
Cutting:
- Loosely roll up the pasta sheet and with a very sharp chefs knife, cut rolled sheet crosswise into ¼ inch strips.
- Unroll ribbons of pasta, lightly dust with flour and spread on a lightly floured baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.
To cook:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add Tagliatelle and cook until tender – about 3 minutes…no more.
- Drain and sauce with whatever sauce you are using.
Tagliatelle “paglia e fieno” con prosciutto e funghi – Straw and Hay Tagliatelle with Prosciutto and Mushrooms.
- Fine sea salt
- 6 oz 1/8 inch thick slices prosciutto – cut into matchsticks
- ½ lb button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tbls unsalted butter
- 3 large or 5 small sage leaves
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ¼ cup finely grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 recipe (14 oz) fresh straw and hay Tagliatelle or 14 oz dried from the store.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large skillet, combine shallot, butter and sage, heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until butter is melted.
- Add mushrooms and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
- Remove sage leaves at this point and add the matchstick prosciutto and cook until golden, but still tender (about 3 minutes)
- Add cream to the skillet, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in parsley and cheese, remove sauce from heat.
- When pasta is al dente, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water, drain pasta and add to the skillet with the hot sauce. Add a bit of the pasta water only if you feel you need to thin the sauce a bit. Toss.
- Serve and eat immediately.
I bought a loaf of fresh-baked crusty Italian bread at the store today in anticipation of this dinner. I sliced it - and didn't touch a slice. I was too busy loving every bite of the pasta.
And while it looks like a lot of work, it's not, really. And trust me - it is worth every second spent in the kitchen.
I can't wait until next Monday!
Tagliatelle “paglia e fieno” – (Straw and Hay” Tagliatelle)
Makes about 14 oz of Pasta.
4oz fresh spinach
Fine sea salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Parchment paper or wax paper
Trim stems from spinach, discard stems. Rinse leaves in cold water, do not dry.
In a medium saucepan with a pinch of salt, cook spinach over medium heat covered, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain spinach and let cool, then gently but thoroughly squeeze out excess liquid and very finely chop.
On a clean work surface, mound 1 cup flour and form a well in the center.
Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and spinach into the well. Using a fork (or your fingers) gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour . Continue until the liquid is absorbed, then knead for 10 minutes.
Wrap dough tightly in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes
Repeat the process above with the flour and eggs to make the other half of the dough. Knead for 10 minutes and wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes
After the dough has rested:
Take the spinach dough and divide into 3 equal pieces (cover the other two and set aside)
Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.
Roll dough through the machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn the dough this time) until pasta sheet is a scant 1/16 inch thick.
Cut sheet in half crosswise, lightly dust both sides with flour. Layer sheets between floured pieces of parchment or wax paper.
Repeat the process until both types of dough is rolled out.
Cutting:
Loosely roll up the pasta sheet and with a very sharp chefs knife, cut rolled sheet crosswise into ¼ inch strips.
Unroll ribbons of pasta, lightly dust with flour and spread on a lightly floured baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining pasta sheets.
To cook:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add Tagliatelle and cook until tender – about 3 minutes…no more. Drain and sauce with whatever sauce you are using.
Linguine al Limone
We were supposed to meet friends at a local church Italian Festival at 5pm. We didn't see them, didn't see a lot of 'festival" and it started raining. We came home.
Victor, who had been eyeing my most recent copy of La Cucina Italiana announced he was cooking dinner. I, of course, am no fool. I agreed heartily and left the kitchen.
The latest issue is The Pasta Issue. Pasta to an Italian is like - well... Pasta to an Italian. They just go together like Fred and Ginger, or Fred and Ethel, or Ethel and Merman. A perfect pairing no matter how you say it.
Tonight's pasta was Linguine al Limone. Linguine with Lemon. An interesting combination and one neither of us had tried before. And we had all the ingredients!
Linguine al Limone
- 1 pound linguine
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp whole milk
- 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, place egg yolks in a large bowl. Grate the zest of 1 lemon into the bowl. Add cheese and pepper; whisk to combine, then whisk in cream, milk, parsley, chives, and generous pinch of salt.
When pasta is al dente, drain and return to pot. Immediately add egg mixture and toss together to combine well, then divide among serving bowls. Grate fresh lemon zest (from the remaining lemon) and cheese over the top. Serve immediately.
This totally rocked. Totally and Completely. As in I cleaned my plate. Totally and Completely.
It absolutely had everything going for it. The flavors were perfect, nothing was overly-pronounced (I won't say I was concerned about the amount of lemon, but I did think it would be stronger) and it was perfectly balanced. I was impressed. So was Victor.
The best thing about this is Victor is going to make ALL of the pasta recipes in the magazine! Monday Pasta Day is being introduced - hopefully starting tomorrow!
I'll supply the bread.
Speaking of...
Another loaf of the no-knead bread. I brushed butter and garlic on top before I baked it.
Yum.
I can't wait for dinner tomorrow!
Pork Chops and Apples
After a couple of weeks of slight over-shopping, I'm in clean-out-the-refrigerator-mode. I have to do it, now and again. No shopping. Use what's in the house.
And in our house, that's definitely not a problem! It's Iron Chef without the TV cameras.
I had a couple of apples, a couple of potatoes, a couple of pork chops - and there's always frozen brussels sprouts. A dinner was born.
My original thought was to grill the chops and make an apple sauce to serve over it. But then I decided to pan-fry the chops with a cinnamon-flour coating.
Very simply, I added cinnamon, allspice, garlic, salt and pepper to some flour, dredged the chops, and browned them in a bit of olive oil.
I then cut the apples (I left the skins on) and added them to the skillet, along with a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar, a bit of water, and some brown sugar. I cooked it all down a bit, added some arrowroot to thicken, and voila!
I boiled the cut red potatoes, and when they were done, threw them into a skillet with a bit of olive oil and some minced fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Brussels sprouts with a bit of butter rounded out the plate.
Iron Chef. I like that.
Sardinian Couscous
I've just been introduced to Israeli Couscous' tastier Italian cousin, Sardinian Couscous, or Fregola Sarda (or just Fregola). It is a rougher, coarser - and toasted - couscous variation. And I like it. A lot!
There's more body and substance. It is durum wheat toasted pasta that is made by rubbing (fregare means 'to rub' in Italian) coarse semolina pasta and water together to make large granules which are then toasted.
Naturally, my rendition was about as Sardinian as I am, but it was pretty good for an Irish boy who's never been to Italy - let alone Sardinia!
I made a really thick ragu with ground beef, minced carrots, minced celery, minced onion, minced garlic, fresh tomatoes (I put it all in the food processor) with salt, pepper, fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary. I cooked it with some red wine, and just let it get thicker and thicker. A bit of asiago finished it off in the pot.
I purposely kept the couscous plain because I wanted to get a feeling for what it was like on its own. Next time around I will play with it.
And the leftover ragu?!? It's gonna make an outrageous sloppy joe tomorrow!
Eggplant
I love this time of year. Okay... clarification. I absolutely loathe and despise the weather. The heat and humidity is murder. But I love the produce!
Our tomato plants are doing well - the squirrels are having a feast - and our neighbor is keeping us supplied with zucchini and eggplant. I am the neighbor who welcomes produce with open arms. I do not run and hide when I see you walking down the street with a bag of zucchini. I run out to greet you. You have stuff you grew in your yard? I'm here for ya!
So... we we've been looking at a perfect eggplant for a couple of days. Wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. This afternoon I was looking at the basket with our summer bounty and eggplant wrapped around tomato sticks popped into my mind. I took it a step further and added some pecorino romano and fresh basil, but that was about it. Eggplant Roulade was born.
A mandoline really helps here with the cutting of the eggplant, but a sharp knife will work, too.
Eggplant Roulade
- eggplant
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- plum tomatoes
- basil
- pecorino romano cheese
- salt and pepper
Slice eggplant lengthwise no more than 1/4" thick. Lightly brush each side with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and broil about 2 minutes. Flip the slices over and broil another 2 minutes. Allow to cool.
Slice roma tomatoes lengthwise into matchstick-sized pieces. Shred fresh basil - about 1 leaf per roulade. Shred enough cheese for about 1 tbsp per roulade.
Sprinkle cooled eggplant with cheese and then basil.
Take a pinch of tomatoes and place along the top of the widest end of the eggplant slice.
Carefully roll and place seam-side down in a broiler-proof pan.
Broil until cheese melts and they are heated through.
These were fun. Great flavor and a great way to experience the flavors of summer!
I grilled a pork tenderloin to serve along with these. Marinated in red wine, olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
Now... If only the temperature would drop and the humidity would go away.....
Fresh Peas
Tonight's dinner came about because I had fresh peas that needed to be shelled and consumed. I had picked them up a few days ago without a real plan for them - they just looked good.
Victor's all-time favorite meal is meatloaf, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, and peas. I had the ingredients but thought a salisbury-type steak was in order instead of the meatloaf. Much, much quicker, too. I minced some onion, added it to the beef with garlic, salt, and pepper, and then grilled them. I then simmered them in the gravy while doing the peas and potatoes.
Fresh peas are the best. They don't even remotely resemble their frozen cousins - and I actually like frozen peas.
And they do take time to shell. Each pod has maybe 5 or 6 peas in it. And it takes time to get them open and out. It's not difficult. It just takes a bit of time. But it is definitely worth the effort.
I boiled them in a bit of water and then drained them and added a bit of butter, salt, and pepper.
They didn't need anything else.
Rustic Summer Tart and Tomato Salad
We had our semi-annual dinner with Linda and David on Saturday. It's always a really fun time - and there is always so much food it's ridiculous. They're under the impression we like to eat, and they really like to eat, so the food just keeps coming!
One fun thing Linda made was a Rustic Summer Squash Tart. She cut the recipe out of a Woman's Day magazine a couple of years ago and decided we were just the folks to try it out on.
I'm glad she did.
It was really good! The photo above is from the magazine. The actual recipe makes a single large tart. Linda served hers as an appetizer, so she made it thinner and wider. Her version was a lot easier to eat standing!
I decided to make two individual tarts for our dinner tonight. It also calls for a refrigerated pie crust. Naturally, I had to make my own, because... well... they're so easy to make and they taste so much better.
I followed the concept, but tweaked the filling a bit to use up some things in the refrigerator.
Rustic Summer Squash Tart Recipe
By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day | August 1, 2008
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutesRecipe Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb mixed summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash and pattypan), cut in 1/4-in. rounds
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or marjoram, plus sprigs for garnish
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 15-oz. box)
- 4 oz Roquefort cheese, Gorgonzola or other good-quality blue cheese
- 1 roasted yellow or red pepper (freshly roasted or from a jar), cut in strips
- 1 large plum tomato, sliced, seeds removed
- 1 large egg, beaten
Recipe Preparation
- Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add squash and shallots and cook, turning pieces as they start to color, 7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in thyme, garlic and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.
- Heat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; unroll or unfold pie crust on the parchment. With a rolling pin, roll crust to a 13-in. round. Crumble half the cheese over crust to within 2 in. of edge. Arrange squash mixture, pepper strips and tomato slices on cheese; fold edge of the crust over filling and brush crust with egg.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes until pastry is golden. Slide tart, still on parchment, onto a wire rack. Crumble remaining cheese over top. Let cool before serving.
For the filling, I used 2 pattypan squash, 1 zucchini, fresh spinach, and an andouille sausage that I sliced into rings and sauteed - and the other stuff listed.
I made my basic food-processor pie crust and put the remaining half in the freezer for another day.
And while I was relaxing, waiting for the tarts to cook, Victor moved into the kitchen and made Tomato Salad from some of our bounty of tomatoes from the garden!
Amounts are going to be determined by how many tomatoes you have. Don't worry. Just make it. Ya can't screw it up!
Tomato Salad
- Fresh tomatoes, sliced
- red onion, sliced
- minced garlic
- red wine vinegar
- olive oil
- fresh basil
- salt and pepper
Mix and refrigerate.
One of life's great pleasures is to have some fresh crusty bread to sop up all of that lovely juice in the plate. I didn't make any today because we were having the tart with a crust, but I did make a batch of dough so we can sop tomorrow!
Perfect.
Vaguely Mexican
I went a bit overboard on the rib-buying a while back and we've been coming up with clever ways to use them besides merely grilling them (which, of course, is wonderful, but.....)
After Victor simmered some in his pasta sauce, I thought a Mexican variation would be fun. Growing up out west, Vaguely Mexican is possibly my favorite no-recipe-throw-together-cuisine. I love the spices, the peppers, the heat... It's pretty much my ultimate comfort food.
Into a hot skillet, I added a chopped onion, chopped red pepper, and, from our garden, 4 hot Hungarian peppers. I then added a teaspoon of cumin and cooked it a bit. Then went in about 6 ribs, a jar of Sofrito sauce, and 6 chopped roma tomatoes from the yard...
I simmered it all for about 3 hours, added a can of pinto beans, an then 30 minutes before dinner, I added a half-cup of rice and cooked it all together.
Topped with shredded jack cheese.
It was just like a Mexican risotto. Or a paella. Or something.
I also made corn tortillas.
While they really tasted good, I doubt I would make them again without a tortilla press. Rolling them out wasn't difficult, it was just time-consuming. And they came out anything but round.
But the dough is simplicity.
Fresh Corn Tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina (corn flour - NOT corn meal!)
- 1 1/3 cups hot water
- pinch salt
Mix masa harina, water, and salt together with a fork. When it is cool enough to handle, knead for about 3 or 4 minutes until a smooth dough is formed that is not sticky. Divide into balls slightly larger than a golf ball.
For best results, use a tortilla press. Otherwise...
Roll them out between gallon-sized baggies. The baggies work better than plastic wrap because it is thicker. Dust with a small amount of corn flour before rolling.
Fry on a hot ungreased griddle or skillet about 2 minutes pr side.
They looked a bit bizarre, but they tasted really good!
Broccoli Rabe and Ravioli
Broccoli rabe. What great vegetable. Besides being good, it's even good for you... it's a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron. I love it when something I like actually has some decent nutritional value.
Broccoli rabe (which is actually closer-related to a turnip than to broccoli) can be a bit bitter, so I played with it a bit. The classic preparation is sauteed in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes. I expounded a bit.
Broccoli Rabe
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Roughly cut a bunch of broccoli rabe and blanch in boiling water about 3 minutes. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking and help retain color. Drain well.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add walnuts and garlic.
Add broccoli rabe and then tomatoes.
Add red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste and heat through.
Remove from heat, stir in pecorino romano cheese and serve.
I made a ring of the cooked broccoli rabe on the plate and filled it with cheese ravioli. I then topped the ravioli with the meat sauce Victor made the other day. (Leftovers are our friend!)
More cheese on top, and dinner was served!
This was definitely one of those presentation is everything meals. It was very basic and very simple, but the presentation really did bring it up a notch and make it special.
People really do eat with their eyes.
Restaurateurs know this well and have been overcharging people since the beginning of time by simply presenting their fare in an attractive manner. It's one of the first things I ever learned in this business nigh-on 50 years ago.
So think about it when you're making dinner. Use the "good" china and spend a tenth of a second longer putting the food on the table or onto the plates.
And then notice the reaction from your family.
Shrimp Cakes and Sweet Potato Fries
I knew at 5:30 this morning that dinner was going to be shrimp. By 8am I had figured on shrimp patties on rolls. By 10am I had a recipe in my head. Such is the creative process. Pick an ingredient, let it simmer a while, and a recipe, idea, or concept is bound to present itself.
There are just so many things one can do, it's often difficult to narrow things down. I find if I start with an ingredient (in this case, the shrimp), and then find another ingredient (the rolls), it's easier to focus on and/or come up with the final idea. And, of course, everything is subject to change the minute I start cooking.
I thought a fairly basic shrimp cake would be dine if I jazzed up the roll with some of our fried peppers. Lots of sweet heat. It worked.
Shrimp Cakes
(makes about 6 small cakes)
- 8 oz raw shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- 2 tbsp celery
- 2 tbsp red pepper
- 2 tbsp onion
- 2 tbsp panko bread crumbs (plus additional for coating cakes)
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Chop celery, pepper, and onion. Add to food processor. Add shrimp and pulse until fairly well chopped. Add mayonnaise, spices, and 2 tbsp bread crumbs. Mix.
Divide into 6 portions - about 1/4 cup each. Roll and press in panko bread crumbs. Fry in olive oil until browned and cooked through.
I served them on small egg twist rolls with a bit of mayonnaise and fried hot peppers I made on Monday.
And I broke out the deep fryer for the sweet potato fries. I do have to admit that I cheated. I bought frozen sweet potato fries instead of cutting and frying my own.
And they were really good.
I'm off to make blackberry ice cream right now.
It's to make up for slacking on the fries.
Salads and Wedding Bell Dreams
21 months ago Proposition 8 put a halt to our wedding in my hometown of San Francisco. Everything was planned, invitations had been sent, the whole family was ready and waiting. And then the impossible happened. Proposition 8 passed by a slim margin. Our wedding was not to be.
Regular readers will recall our train trip from San Fransisco back here to Pennsylvania - what was supposed to be our honeymoon trip. We made the best of it - hell, we had already paid for it - but it was bittersweet.
Disappointment doesn't begin to describe our feelings. Bitter and angry were more like it. And I've been carrying that bitterness and anger around since November 4, 2008.
Today I finally felt a bit of that bitterness and anger leave... 9th Circuit District Court Judge Vaughn Walker issued a 136 page decision overturning Proposition 8.
While it's far from over, his ruling gave me back a feeling of dignity and pride that was ripped away from me by the original vote.
Most of you out there probably don't really grasp what it is like to have your life put up to popular vote. It's a feeling that is pretty indescribable. And it is not something I would ever wish upon another. Judge walker stated the same thing in his decision:
Perhaps the most important political finding that Walker made was his conclusion that the fact that Prop 8 passed as a voter initiative was irrelevant as "fundamental rights may not be submitted to [a] vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections."
I hope this continues to hold true. I'm getting too old for this stuff.
And I write about this today - in my food blog - because for the past almost 5 years I've been writing this, the focus has always been about food and family. Both passions of mine. Food and Family. Family and Food. Our Family.
I think it's quite obvious that Victor and I are probably more married than the majority of the heterosexual population. But while we have the same obligations as the rest of the population - paying our bills, our taxes, concern over an aging parent, the lack of that marriage certificate has seriously hampered our legal status as a couple. From hospital visitation to health insurance, to rights of survivorship, we have to legally plan for every sort of situation - and still face the very real prospect of our legal forms being ignored.
How many of you married people out there had to submit your marriage certificate to add your spouse or children to your medical plan?!? None, right?!? We have to not only submit domestic partner registration, we also have to pay tax on the cost of the insurance. So much for separate but equal.
So... we celebrate today's ruling the best way we know how... with a simple salad. Grilled steak atop greens with homegrown tomatoes, peaches, plums, black grapes, avocado, bean salad, and a homemade ranch dressing.
Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp minced parsley
- salt and pepper
Mix everything together and chill.
And then we had some garlic bread made from yesterday's loaf of homemade bread. Because it is all about food and family, family and food.
And legal recognition.
Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
I've been dreaming of Sweet Potatoes. They're one of my favorite foods - yet, like a lot of things, they tend to get overlooked. They're almost always in the house - and almost always just get popped into the oven and baked. Until tonight.
I actually peeled one, sliced it thin, and made a sort of galette out of it. I'm going to eventually fry some sweet potatoes, I know. But not tonight.
Sweet Potato Galette
- 1 large sweet potato
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Peel potato and slice thin. Mix potatoes in bowl with brown sugar, spices, and flour. Mix well. Add 2 tbsp melted butter and mix.
Melt 1 tbsp butter in an 8" skillet and layer potatoes evenly, overlapping in concentric circles.
Press down, cover with foil, and place a 425° oven for about 45 minutes. Remove foil for last 15 minutes of cooking.
The cicken was marinated in olive oil, red wine, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs d'Provence and then grilled over indirect heat for about 45 minutes.
I made the bean salad yesterday.
Fresh Bean Salad
- 1 1/2 cups shelled cranberry beans (or a can of beans of your choice, rinsed and drained)
- several ounces of fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- fresh basil
- fresh oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cook beans until soft. Blanch green beans. Place both in ice water to stop cooking and quickly chill.
Drain. Mix in bowl with remaining ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
And I used up the last of the bread dough in the 'fridge for a fresh loaf of bread.
Time to mix up a new batch tomorrow!