Diane’s Ricotta Gnudi with Mushroom Sauce December 5, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Diane’s Ricotta Gnudi with Mushroom Sauce 2013-12-05 13:33:03 Serves 4 Print Ingredients Gnudi 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese 1 large egg 1/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus additional for serving 1/2 teaspoon salt large pinch of ground white pepper 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus additional for coating Sauce 5 T extra virgin olive oil, divided 4 oz. pancetta, diced 2 large shallots, minced 2 lbs. cremini mushrooms (baby bellas), sliced 6 fresh thyme sprigs 2-3 cups low salt chicken broth 1 T Butter Truffle oil or salt to garnish (optional) Instructions Gnudi Line medium strainer with several layers of paper towels. Spoon ricotta cheese into strainer and let drain at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Beat egg, 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add ricotta and stir. Slowly mix in flour to combine. Cover and chill dough 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day in advance up to this point) Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. On floured surface roll piece of dough into 3/4” log, then cut into 1” pieces. Toss with flour on surface and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough adding flour as necessary. (Can be made 4 hours ahead) Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and reduce to a gentle boil. Add Gnudi and cook until floating, puffed and tender about 4-5 minutes. Strain and add to sauce. Sauce Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook stirring occasionally until brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Add shallots to pan and sauté until soft. Add mushrooms and thyme and sauté until browned. Add chicken broth to cover and reduce to desired consistency. Taste; add salt and pepper as needed. Add 1 Tablespoon butter. Add gnudi to sauce and gently toss. Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Truffle Oil or salt. By Diane Sibon Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Rita’s Butterscotch Cut-Outs December 5, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment Rita’s Butterscotch Cut-Outs 2013-12-05 13:28:07 Print Ingredients 1 cup butterscotch chips 3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup butter, softened ½ cup sugar ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 egg 2 Tablespoons milk 2 teaspoons vanilla Decorator sugars, if desired Frosting, if desired Instructions Melt butterscotch chips in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (3-5 minutes). Pour mixture into large bowl; add all remaining ingredients except decorator sugars and frosting. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap; flatten slightly. Refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour). Heat oven to 375. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated) to 1/8” thickness. Cut with 2 1/2” cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle with decorator sugars, if desired. Bake 5 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely; decorate with frosting, if desired. By Rita Cevaal Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Who’s Cooking Now? By Lynn Dugan December 5, 2013 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment My slow cooker broke! The liner cracked in half and it is inoperable. Who will do the cooking now? There were nights this week I heard, ‘Mom, what’s for dinner?” and the answer would have been obvious if the aroma of a slow cooked meal filled the kitchen. As a mother of four, I can attest that this is a very busy season and I have relied on my slow cooker weekly since the kids started back to school (and hockey, soccer, basketball, trumpet… you get it!). I know I’m not alone in proclaiming that there are simply not enough hours in a day! But just about 15 minutes spent on prep in the morning guarantees a home cooked meal come dinnertime. It’s that easy. That is why Marcel’s loves the slow cooker by Cuisinart. It has a browning feature so unlike most slow cookers, you don’t have to brown in one pan and finish in the slow cooker. Easy for prep and easy for clean up! I’ll be teaching a ‘Savvy Slow Cooker’ Midday class on January 9, 2014 and will share three deliciously healthy meals your family will enjoy. Until then, here is the recipe for Mediterranean Chicken, one of my family’s new favorite slow cooker recipes. I’ll be making it again very soon! Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken with Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Capers (serves 6) 4 golden potatoes, skin on and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1/4 cup capers 1-15 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes, do not drain 1-15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup red wine 1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts salt and pepper 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley as garnish, if desired Coat slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer potatoes, capers, tomatoes, beans and garlic in the cooker. Pour wine and chicken broth over veggies. Add chicken, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook covered high (4 hours) or low (6-8 hours). To serve, place veggies on platter and top with chicken. Sprinkle with feta and garnish with parsley.