Savory Frittata

So you come home from work and you are trying to think of what you can make for dinner.  Take a look in your refrigerator and see what kind of leftovers you have.  Maybe it's leftover chicken, beef or pork.  Or, maybe no meat at all.  Check the crisper to see if you have onions, peppers, potatoes, etc.  You can build an easy and delicious meal around this recipe by just using things you have leftover in the refrigerator - be creative!  You'll love it!  In this demonstration, I try to give you an idea of things I had to make this recipe.  But, feel free to substitute and come up with your own combination for this dish.  Eggs are a must, so make sure you have them on hand.  In this demonstration, I used the following:


Ingredients:
½ c. each: diced onions, bell pepper, sliced button mushrooms
2 T. chopped parsley
1 c. diced potatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 links sausage (any other meat product may be used)
8 eggs
½ t. dried thyme
2 T. heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. unsalted butter
3 T. extra virgin olive oil (2 T. to fry, and another 1 T. before putting in oven)
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice), shredded

Dice potatoes into half inch cubes.  Place them in a pot of salted water.  Cook until fork tender.  Drain, and return to covered pot until ready to use.

 

In a non-stick frying pan, melt 2 T. butter and 2 T. olive oil.  Add onions, peppers and mushrooms.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  Sauté until vegetables are tender.  Preheat your oven to 375º.

 

In a small saucepan filled with cold water, add the sausages (I used chorizo, but any sausage is acceptable).  Boil for approximately five minutes to reduce the grease before frying.  Remove from pan to plate and allow to cool.  Once cooled, remove casings from the sausage and cut into ¼ inch slices.

Add the cooked potatoes, sausage and garlic to the vegetables.  Sauté together for 2 - 3 minutes.

 

In a bowl, beat 8 eggs with a whisk and add heavy cream, thyme and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Whisk to combine.

 

Pour egg mixture over the sauteed vegetables.  With a spatula, mix the egg into the vegetables until the egg begins to set.  Move the egg mixture away from the sides of the pan and add the remaining 1 T. olive oil around the perimeter.  This will keep the eggs from sticking on the sides and bottom of the pan.  Place frying pan into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until eggs are set.

After 15 minutes, remove from oven and turn off.  Sprinkle cheese over top of frittata and return to the oven 2 - 3 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and add parsley.  Allow to stand for 4 - 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Jambalaya

I know it's a little early to be thinking about lent and Mardi Gras, but we were in the mood for shrimp today, and this jambalaya recipe is one of our favorites.  It's delicious and easy, and I hope you'll try it!


Ingredients:
3 links chorizo, cut into bite-sized pieces (if you cannot find chorizo, kielbasa may be substituted)
1 c. cubed, fully-cooked ham
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. canola oil
2 c. chicken broth
14½ oz. can stewed tomatoes
2 T. fresh parsley, minced
½ t. salt
¼ t. dried thyme
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. chili powder
1/8 t. black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 c. uncooked long grain white rice
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined*

 

In a large Dutch oven, add oil, ham, chorizo, onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender.

 

Stir in broth, tomatoes, parsley and bay leaf.  Add salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper and chili powder.

Bring to a boil and stir in rice.  Reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice is tender.

*If using uncooked shrimp, add to pot, stir in, and simmer until the shrimp turn pink.  If using pre-cooked shrimp, add to pot, stir in, remove from heat, and allow to set for five minutes before serving.  Discard bay leaf prior to serving.

Strawberry Linguine with Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

Flavoring:
8oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high quality 62% cacao or higher)
½ c. heavy whipping cream
1 t. vanilla extract (or almond extract)
In this demonstration, 1-2 T. Amaretto was substituted in place of vanilla extract


Truffle coating: (choose one)
cocoa powder (used in this demonstration)
finely chopped walnuts
finely chopped almonds




Strawberry coulis:
2 16oz. packages frozen whole strawberries, unsweetened
½ c. sugar








Phyllo bundles:
16oz. box frozen phyllo dough (allow to defrost in refrigerator for two hours)
liquid butter spray
sugar


Garnish:
Kiwi
4 oz. white chocolate

In a small heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer.  This may take a while - be sure to stir and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula every few minutes.

 

With a sharp knife, cut chocolate into very fine pieces.  Place in a bowl.  Pour hot cream over the chocolate and add the vanilla extract.  Let stand for a few minutes, then stir until well-combined.  (This base is called a ganache).  Allow to cool.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate for two hours.

 

Remove from refrigerator.  With a one ounce scoop (or teaspoon), roll balls of ganache in your hands quickly, as it melts from the heat of your hands.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment (or Silpat) and place in refrigerator overnight.  Roll in cocoa powder (or nuts) and return to refrigerator until needed.

 

Put strawberries into food processor and purée until completely smooth.  (It is not necessary to strain the seeds).  Pour into a heavy sauce pan with sugar.  Slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so that it does not stick.  Reduce until thickened.  (If there is a foam on the strawberries, after it is done, remove from heat and skim foam).  Allow to cool to room temperature then refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove phyllo from refrigerator.  Each box usually contains two rolls of dough.  Each roll should yield six bundles (12 total).  Remove dough from plastic sleeve.  Unroll, then re-roll without the plastic.  Using a sharp knife, cut into approximately ¼ strips.  Using your hands, lightly toss the pieces to separate them.

 
On a cookie sheet lined with parchment (or Silpat), place phyllo strips into six bundle and pile high.  Spray each bundle with butter and sprinkle ½ t. sugar on each.

Preheat oven to 375º.  Place bundles into oven for 5 minutes.  Watch carefully until they are lightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 1-2 hours to completely dry out.  They are very fragile, so make sure to handle them carefully.

To assemble, place one phyllo bundle on each plate.  (A white plate is suggested to show the color).  Place 2-3 ounces of strawberry coulis over the bundle.  Peel kiwi, then slice and dice into small pieces.  Sprinkle over the strawberry coulis.  Using a grater or microplane, shave white chocolate over dessert to resemble Parmesan cheese.  Place two or three chocolate truffles on the side, to resemble meatballs.