Extra Creamy Baked Ziti

I haven't posted in quite a while because I've been away, eating delicious things like Brazilian mariscada at Muqueca in Cambridge, dim sum at Perfect Team Corporation in Flushing, and a bucketful of creamy carbonara loaded with crispy bacon cubes for breakfast (yes, breakfast) at Prune in Manhattan. Since coming back to the Bay, I've been busy preparing to teach a new course, and have been making mostly old standbys that I've already posted or that don't particularly deserve a post.

But my latest rendition of Baked Ziti, based on my old recipe already featured here, might merit another posting. This time, I did a few things differently:

1. I made an enormous amount of bechamel, using an entire container (~4c) of 1% milk and copious amounts of mozzarella and parmesan. The result was an especially creamy, cheesy finished dish.

2. I used turkey sausage, which cuts down on the fat. I also browned the sausage meat separately and then drained it well in a strainer before mixing it with the tomato sauce I'd already prepared. Taking out the extra grease here helps the sauce stick to the pasta.

3. I mixed the pasta with the meat sauce, and put about half in the pan. Then topped that with half the cheese sauce; then the rest of the pasta & sauce, then the rest of the cheese sauce. Keeping the pasta and the bechamel separate is key here: it prevents the pasta from soaking up all the bechamel, so that the finished dish has distinct layers of cheesy goo. Yum.

Steamed Fish with Szechuan Noodles

This is a fast, healthy, and very flavorful meal that you can probably make from things you have around the house-- I use broccoli and pea shoots here but any vegetable would work (peas, carrots, green beans, etc). If you don't have szechuan pepper, get some. It's amazing stuff-- peppery, tingly, and basically fantastic. It really changes the flavor of this dish. If I didn't have it, I'd probably put ginger in the sauce instead.

You'll need (serves 2, but doubles easily):

2 fillets of ocean perch or any other firm white fish

1/2lb fresh spelt pasta (we used Phoenix Pastificio's) or buckwheat/soba noodles

broccoli, cut into small florets

pea shoots

6 cloves garlic

4 scallions

1/4c soy sauce

2T mirin (rice cooking wine)

1T rice wine vinegar

sriracha, to taste

1t cracked szechuan pepper

Crush 4 cloves garlic. Slice scallions. Place in small bowl with soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sriracha, and peppercorns.

Cook pasta until barely al dente. Drain and set aside.

Salt and pepper fish. Place in skillet with tight-fitting lid. Add 2T prepared sauce and 1/4c water. Cover and cook on low about 10 minutes, until fish flakes.

Steam broccoli in a large skillet; drain and set aside. Slice 2 cloves garlic. Add a little oil to the skillet and add pea shoots and garlic. Return broccoli to skillet with cooked pasta and prepared sauce. Cook until pea shoots wilt and noodles absorb sauce, about 2 minutes.

Remove fish from pan and reduce remaining sauce. Pour sauce over fish and serve with noodles.

Warm Caprese Sandwich

Although the weather staunchly refuses to admit that summer is near, I am starting to long for summer staples like fresh heirloom tomatoes, herbs and salads. I wanted a caprese salad today, and had all the ingredients ready, but the blustery wind made me crave a warm lunch. Here's what I put together. It was really good, both in flavor and texture-- the rich creamy mozzarella was offset nicely by the tangy, sweet tomatoes, and the radishes add a satisfying crunch.

You'll need:

1 handful cherry tomatoes

1t olive oil

1/2t salt

dried herbs, optional (I used herbed cooking salt)

1t balsamic vinegar

1 handful fresh basil leaves

4 slices fresh mozzarella

2 radishes

bread-- I used a "baguette piece", basically a small baguette roll, from the Cheeseboard

Cut tomatoes in half and cook in a small skillet over medium heat, along with olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs/spices, for about 5 minutes, until wilted and mushy. Their liquid should start to thicken. In the meantime, cut basil into chiffonade and thinly slice radishes. When tomatoes are cooked, turn heat to high and add balsamic vinegar to deglaze. Cook 30 seconds until thick. Turn off heat and add basil.

Heat bread in oven, then slice in half.

Layer cheese and radishes.

Top with tomato mixture. Serve open-face.

Couscous & Sundried Tomato Salad

This is a great dish to bring to a potluck, because it's transportable, can easily be made vegan, and highlights any fresh summer flavors you care to include. It's also easy to make in enormous quantities. The recipe below fed two separate BBQs; adjust accordingly, but it stays good in the fridge for a day or two, longer if you don't use cucumber.

You'll need:

3c couscous

3c water

1t salt

2T butter or olive oil

1 jar sun dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 bunch mint

1 large or 2-3 small cucumbers

1 small red onion

feta cheese (optional)

1 large lemon (or 2 small)

olive oil

Boil water. Pour couscous into a large bowl; add butter or oil and salt. Pour boiling water on top. Stir and cover for 5 minutes. Remove cover and fluff well with a fork.

Chop mint (you can use a food processor) and set aside in serving bowl. Chop tomatoes, reserving their oil, or pour the whole jar into a food processor and process for a few seconds (you don't want a paste). Add tomatoes and their oil to serving bowl. By hand, finely chop cucumber and red onion and add to serving bowl. Add couscous a little at a time, stirring well with a fork to combine. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper and lemon juice if necessary.

Top with feta cheese, if you want.

Stuffed Zucchini

This is my grandmother's recipe, except she doesn't use recipes, so it's an approximation. If you don't like zucchini you can stuff bell peppers, tomatoes, Italian eggplants, or pretty much any receptacle-shaped vegetable. This is also a lot easier than it looks.

You'll need:

6 zucchini (you can use the normal long ones but I like the round ones, because you can put more stuffing inside, and obviously the stuffing's the best part)

1 onion

2-3 cloves garlic

a few tomatoes or a 1/2c or so of tomato sauce

juice from 1/2 lemon

mint for garnish

stuffing:

1/2lb ground beef or lamb

1/3c white rice

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

a few tablespoons tomato sauce

spices-- I used tomato flakes & baharat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start with the stuffing. Chop onion & garlic. Saute in olive oil with spices-- cumin-based flavors are good here-- until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Pour cooked onion into a large bowl. Add raw meat. Rinse rice until it runs clear. Add rice. Add some olive oil and tomato sauce to moisten, and generously season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Chop the end of the zucchini (small end if you're using rounded ones) and remove the insides with a corer or a spoon. Discard insides. Don't cut all the way through to the other side. You should have zucchini shells now. Stuff them will the stuffing but don't fill all the way (the rice will expand).

Heat olive oil in a large skillet (the same you used for the onion is fine). Chop onion and garlic; saute until translucent. Add zucchinis to pan and oil if necessary; saute briefly on all sides. Add tomato sauce and a bit of water if sauce looks very thick. Add lemon juice.

If you have extra stuffing, make little meatballs and add them to the sauce too.

Cover pan and cook in oven until rice is done, about 45 minutes. You can reduce the sauce on the stovetop, uncovered, if necessary at the end.

Serve garnished with mint.

Roasted Asparagus

I used to hate asparagus. Now it is my favorite vegetable. This is the recipe that converted me. It takes 15-30 minutes and works with thin or thick asparagus stalks. 

You'll need:

asparagus

olive oil

minced shallot

red pepper flakes

lemon zest

kosher salt

pepper

Mix oil, shallot and spices in a bowl. Trim asparagus. Toss with dressing. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven until just soft enough to bite. 

Garnish with grated parmesan.

Chicken in Creamy Morel Leek Sauce

This is an easy but decadent dish, and can be made with skinless boneless breasts as well (just cut down on the cooking time). If you can't find fresh morels use dried ones, and use the reconstituting liquid in place of the broth.

You'll need (serves 4):

8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin and fat removed

1c flour

2-3 leeks

1/2lb fresh morel mushrooms

1/4c Pastis, Ricard, or vermouth

3/4c chicken broth

1/4c heavy cream

2T canola oil

1T butter

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet big enough to hold all the chicken in one layer. Dredge the chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown thighs over medium heat, smooth (former skin) side first, until dark golden brown. You can do this in batches. Remove browned thighs and set aside. 

Clean and trim leeks. Quarter and then slice thinly horizontally so you have small half crescent moons. Clean and trim mushrooms. Slice in half and remove any dirt or bugs.

Wipe any burnt bits from the pan. Add butter. Add leeks and saute about 7 minutes until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with Pastis.

Return chicken to pan, smooth side up. Add broth and bring to a boil (this should happen fast as the pan's pretty hot at this point). Lower to a simmer. Cover and cook 45 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan. Add cream. Bring to a boil, then simmer to reduce. Return chicken to pan and heat through.

Serve with a grain to absorb all the yummy sauce!

Silky Cauliflower Soup with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms

This soup has a remarkable texture, and is very versatile: you can make it simple, with cauliflower and water instead of stock, or you can use the cauliflower as a base for other flavors.

You'll need:

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

6c stock, water, or a combination

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2T butter

fresh porcini mushrooms for garnish*

*I put a few mushrooms in with the cauliflower but I don't think it added much. Keep them as a topping.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, about 10 minutes, until very soft. Don't let the onions brown.

Add cauliflower and salt (more if you're using water or no-salt broth). Add liquid to cover; bring to a boil, then simmer gently until cauliflower is soft (about 10 min). 

Puree in a blender (I tried using a hand blender but it didn't get the silky consistency) until frothy and smooth. 

Slice porcini mushrooms and saute in butter and salt. Serve soup garnished with mushrooms. I sprinkled Aleppo pepper on top as well.