Courgette Carbonara

Courgette Carbonara

Ingredients:

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 6 medium green and yellow courgettes

• 500g penne

• 4 large free-range or organic egg yolks

• 100ml double cream

• 2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• olive oil

• 12 thick slices of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, cut into chunky lardoons

• a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)

• optional: a few courgette flowers

Method:

Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that’s what really helps to make this dish amazing. I’m using a flowering variegated variety of thyme but normal thyme is fine to use. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I’ve been told by Italian mammas (who I don’t argue with!) that penne is the original, so that’s what I’m using in this recipe. Before you start cooking, it’s important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting tray so you can give the pasta a good toss.

1.Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger courgettes lengthways. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the courgettes at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller courgettes can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions.

2.To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly and put to one side.

3.Heat a very large frying pan (a 35cm one is a good start – every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the courgette slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the courgettes become coated with all the lovely bacon-flavoured oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.

4.It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the courgettes, bacon and lovely flavours, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you’ll scramble the eggs.)

5.Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straight away. While you’re tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you’ve managed to get any courgette flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.

Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta

Ultra-Thin-Crust Pizza with Onions, Mushrooms, and Ricotta Recipe

Ingredients:
Olive oil1 small red onion, halved and thinly slicedPinch of sugar1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar2 large flour tortillas (sandwich wraps)1 cup shredded Asiago cheese (about 2 ounces)2/3 cup ricotta cheese6 button or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly slicedKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment needed:It really helps to have a baking stone and a pizza peel. If not, you'll use a rimmed baking sheet with some parchment paper.

Method:
1(a). If you are using a baking stone, place the stone on top of the middle rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Allow the oven to stay at 450°F for at least 15 minutes before cooking, to thoroughly heat up the stone.
1(b).If you are NOT using a baking stone, place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2 Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small sauté pan on medium hight heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Add a pinch of sugar and the balsamic vinegar, cook for a few more minutes until the onions are thoroughly softened and translucent .remove from heat.

3(a). If you are using a baking stone, sprinkle some corn meal on your pizza peel and place one tortilla on top of the pizza peel. (If you don't have a pizza peel, you can use a rimless baking sheet.) Thoroughly brush the top of the tortilla with olive oil.

3(b). If you are not using a baking stone, line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with olive oil. Place a tortilla on each baking sheet and brush each with olive oil.

4.Sprinkle each tortilla with half a cup of shredded Asiago cheese. Add bits of ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup for each tortilla. Sprinkle with mushrooms and with the slightly caramelized onions. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

5(a). If you are using a baking stone, and can fit both pizzas on the stone (it depends on the size of your tortilla) do it. Use the pizza peel to transfer the pizzas to the stone in the oven. If your tortillas are large, you'll need to cook them one at a time. But that's okay. Cooking on the stone goes very quickly. Bake the pizzas until the crust is crisp and very brown - 5-7 minutes using the baking stone. Cut with a pizza cutter or a knife.

5(b).If you are using baking sheets, place the baking sheets in the oven. Bake until the crust is crisp and brown all over (the time varies, depending on the oven and if your cookie sheet has already been heated, start with 10 minutes and check), rotating the sheets to ensure even baking. Cut with a pizza cutter or a knife.
Each pizza serves 1-2, depending on how hungry you are!

Onion Rings

Onion Rings Recipe

Ingredients:
2 large yellow onions, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick ringed slices, rings separated
2 cups buttermilk, or 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1 cup milk
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup cornmeal OR 1 cup prepared cornbread flour plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 or 3 cups of grapeseed oil, or other high smoke-point oil such as canola oil or peanut oil

Equipment needed:

a 5-quart heavy-bottomed dutch oven, tongs, candy thermometer, paper towels, cookie sheets

Method:
1. Combine the buttermilk (or yogurt and milk) with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Add the onions to the buttermilk mixture and coat thoroughly. Let sit at least 15 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl combine the flour and cornmeal, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Set aside.
3. Add the oil to a largish Dutch oven pan - about 5-quart or 6 quart size. Make sure that the pan is absolutely dry inside before you add the oil. Any water droplets in the pan will cause the oil to splatter violently as it heats up. The oil should create a layer anywhere from 3/4-inch to an inch thick. Use more oil if necessary. Heat the oil to 350°F. Use a candy thermometer to measure the heat of the oil. You may need to tilt the pan in order to cover the thermometer's sensor completely and get an accurate reading. I have found some instant-read thermometers to be useless for this purpose as their sensors are 2 1/2 inches up from the bottom. A good old fashioned metal-encased thermometer works best.

Be very careful whenever handling hot oil. No running kids in the kitchen. No distractions. Do not answer the phone if it rings. Pay attention. Have the pan's lid close by.

You can test if the oil is ready by moistening a little bit of the flour and dropping it in the pan. If it sizzles and fries, it's ready. If it burns, take the pan off the heat and let the oil cool down a bit.

4. Working in batches, lift some onion rings out of the buttermilk and coat them in the flour mixture. Use tongs to place them one by one in the hot oil. Fry for a minute on each side, until golden brown. Do not crowd them. Place finished onion rings on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Keep the complete onion rings warm in a 200°F oven while you fry the rest. Between batches, if you end up needing more oil, add some. Let the temp get back up to 350°F before starting the next batch.
Serve hot.
Note: It's best not to pour the leftover oil down the drain. Better to pour into an extra empty jar, and discard with your trash.

Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj)

Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj) Recipe

Ingredients:
2 globe eggplants (about 2 lbs)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp roasted tahini (sesame paste)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Juice of one lemon - about 2 1/2 tablespoons

3/4 teaspoon salt

Cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes. Place the eggplant in a colander to drain and cool for 15 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of the skin.
2. Combine the eggplant, remaining olive oil (about 2 Tbsp), tahini, garlic, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice, the salt, and a pinch of cayenne in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the eggplant is somewhat smooth but retains some of its texture.
3. Allow the baba ghanouj to sit for an hour at room temperature, then season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Toss in cilantro and serve.
Serves four. Served traditionally with pita bread, and can also be served with crackers, toast, sliced baguette or celery.

Cheesy Bread

Cheesy Bread Recipe

Ingredients:
8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 lb shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 to 1 cup chopped green onion (to taste)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream (optional)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup, 4 ounces), softened to the point of being slightly melted
1 to 2 loaves of French or Italian bread (I used Ciabatta), depending on the size of the loaves.

Method:
1 In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses and the green onion. Stir in the mayonnaise and sour cream. In a separate small bowl blend the butter and garlic until smooth. Add the butter mixture to the cheese mixture.
2 Preheat broiler. Slice loaf of bread in half horizontally, lay crust side down. Spread cheese mixture over the bread. Place under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3 Remove from broiler and let sit for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle. Slice the bread with a bread knife. Serve.
Makes 30 to 40 slices.

Baked Brie

Baked Brie Recipe
Can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients:
1 large sheet of puff pastry dough or 1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 round or wedge of Brie cheese
Raspberry Jam, or other sweet jam
Brown sugar
1/4 cup of maple syrup.

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. On a stick-free cookie sheet, lay out the puff pastry or the crescent rolls flat; put brie round or wedge on top.
3. Spread jam on brie, fold dough over top. Drizzle maple syrup and place a handful of brown sugar on top.
4. Bake at 350º for 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with crackers and apple slices.