Beet Pesto Pasta April 27, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Beet Pesto Pasta 2016-04-27 15:35:02 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 1 pound spaghetti 2 cloves garlic ½ cup pistachio nuts plus 2 tablespoons for garnish 2 large purple beets, boiled until fork tender 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice kosher salt 1 cup grated Parmesan Instructions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. In the bowl of a food processor add the garlic cloves and pistachios and pulse until the nuts are a fine meal and the garlic is minced. Add the beets, olive oil and lemon juice and pulse until you have a smooth pesto sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt. Using a spatula, fold in the Parmesan. When the pasta is done, toss with the pesto and season to taste with kosher salt. Serve hot. Notes Alternatively, if you wanted to serve the pasta at room temperature or chilled than you should rinse the pasta with cold water before tossing with the pesto. By Heather Christo Adapted from The Generous Table Adapted from The Generous Table Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Potato Skins with Smoked Cheddar & Bacon April 27, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Potato Skins with Smoked Cheddar & Bacon 2016-04-27 15:28:25 Serves 8 Print Ingredients 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes 4 slices (4 ounces) thick cut bacon 2 T. canola oil fine sea salt freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup (3 ounces) grated smoked cheddar cheese 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal sour cream, for serving Instructions Preheat the oven to 250 F. Wrap each potato in a layer of aluminum foil. Put the potatoes in a baking dish and bake until tender when squeezed through the foil, about 1 hour. Unwrap and let cool a bit. Raise the oven temperature to 400 F. Slice the bacon crosswise into narrow strips, and fry them in a skillet over medium eat until chewy and slightly shrunken but not crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain and reserve. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise. With a large spoon, scoop out the potato flesh (reserve it for another use), leaving a 3/8 inch thick shell. Rub the shells evenly, inside and out, with the oil*, and sprinkle the insides with a little salt and pepper. Arrange the potato skins on a large baking sheet and bake until the edges begin to brown, 25 minutes. Divide the bacon and cheddar among the hollowed-out potato skins, and bake until the cheese has melted and the edges of the potato skins have crisped and turned brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish each potato skin with a few pieces of sliced scallion and a small dollop of sour cream, and serve immediately. Notes *With potato skins, the crisp edges are everything so be sure to coat that part with plenty of oil. By Amy Thielen Adapted from The New Midwestern Table Adapted from The New Midwestern Table Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Decadent Baked Strawberry French Toast en Casserole with Roasted Strawberries April 18, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Decadent Baked Strawberry French Toast en Casserole with Roasted Strawberries 2016-04-18 15:30:19 Serves 8 Print Ingredients 1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and diced 4 T. sugar 1 ½ pounds challah loaf, crust sliced off 4 eggs 3 cups half and half 1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered 2 T. maple syrup 1 T. canola or grapeseed oil pinch of salt erizzle of balsamic vinegar Instructions Place 1 pint strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender and puree. Set aside. Slice the challah into ½ “thick slices. Arrange one layer in the bottom of a buttered 13 x 9” casserole or baking dish. Arrange the next layer in the opposite direction. Continue with a third layer in the first direction. Pour the strawberry puree into a large bowl and add the eggs and half and half. Whisk to blend. Pour the mixture over the sliced bread. Push down on the bread with your hands to fully submerge the bread. Cover loosely with foil and place on a sheet pan. Place boxes of pasta or stock on top of the French Toast to weight it and keep it submerged. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, make the roasted strawberries by arranging the berries (1 pint) on a Silpat lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the maple syrup, grapeseed oil and salt. Roast in preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes, or until the berries have darked slightly. Let cool a few minutes then dribble with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Let cool to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350. Carefully remove the foil. Bake until puffed, golden, and fully baked (pierce the center with a small knife to insure no liquid comes out). Let cool, then cut into squares. Serve topped with a bit of the roasted strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup. By Robin Nathan Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
70 Years of Tradition by Jamie Bordoshuk April 14, 2016 by Jill Foucre 4 Comments This June marks the 70th Annual Bordoshuk picnic. Our family tradition started back in 1946 when my parents decided to round up their family and friends for a day in the country. They were eager to escape the hustle and bustle of Chicago and enjoy fresh air, each other and of course, food. Little did they know that this one day would be the first of many years to come. I come from a big Polish family. Though we are scattered around the country, no one would dream of missing picnic day. And our picnic is only getting larger as we introduce new spouses, babies and friends. After 69 years, we’ve become a well-oiled machine when it comes to the food. The picnic tables are lined with a wide array of delicious dishes, some of which have become staples year after year. It wouldn’t be a picnic without Auntie Rose’s potato salad, Cousin Audrey’s chicken enchiladas or Auntie Elaine’s pastries. The star of the show has always been my mom’s polish sausage and sauerkraut. I love honoring her memory every year by recreating her recipe down to the last caraway seed. On June 12th, you can bet that the Bordoshuks will be toasting each other on achieving this milestone and already looking forward to next year. Sto Lat! Polish Sausage, Caraway and Sauerkraut 2016-04-04 16:14:17 Print Ingredients 2 lbs. smoked polish sausage 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 16 oz. can sauerkraut ½ lb. bacon 1 T. caraway seeds Instructions In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove. In drippings, cook onion until tender, approx. 6-8 minutes. Add sauerkraut and toss until thoroughly mixed. Return bacon and add caraway seeds. Cut sausage links into 2-3 inch pieces and add to pot. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. By Jamie Bordoshuk Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Stuffed Portobello with Melting Taleggio April 12, 2016 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Stuffed Portobello with Melting Taleggio 2016-04-12 16:24:17 Print Ingredients 4 large portobellos (or another similar mushroom), stalks removed 6 T. California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil salt and black pepper 1 small onion, finely diced 1 celery stalk, finely diced 2 cups finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ cup grated Parmesan 1 T. chopped tarragon leaves 4 T. coarsely shredded basil leaves 3 ½ oz Taleggio, sliced Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the mushrooms, stalk-side up, on the baking sheet and drizzle over a little oil and some salt and pepper. Put into the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to soften. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a sauté pan, add the onion and celery and cook on low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown; stir every few minutes during cooking. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool down. Once cool, add the Parmesan, tarragon and half the basil to the mixture and season with pepper. (You can add a little bit of salt but not too much because Taleggio is very salty.) Pile up the filling on the whole mushrooms and top with the Taleggio slices. Return to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the mushrooms are tender. Transfer the mushrooms to serving plates and drizzle with oil. Garnish with the remaining basil and serve right away, with a green salad. By Yotam Ottolenghi / Plenty Cookbook Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/