Posts Tagged ‘food porn

17
Jan
10

Creamy Veggie Primavera with Penne Rigate

By msbutterton 3 Comments
Categories: Cream Sauce, Pasta & Noodles, Vegetable and Vegetarian
Tags: , , , , ,


:)

Creamy Veggie Primavera with Penne Rigate

(serves 4)


Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce

1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Coarse salt, freshly ground white pepper and cayenne, to taste

In a deep skillet, bring the cream to a slow boil, over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Whisk in the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest  and garlic.  Add the salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.  Keep the sauce warm.

Veggies and Penne

20-25 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
1 dozen Asparagus tips
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups Arugula, thoroughly rinsed
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1 pound Penne Rigate – Imported from Italy, whenever possible

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In an ovenproof pan, toss the peeled garlic cloves in 2 teaspoons Olive oil.  Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and place them in the oven.  Roast them for 40 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow them to cool.

Bring a large stockpot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the broccoli and asparagus for 1 to 2 minutes, until they’re tender but firm. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a colander and run them under cold water. Set aside. Leave the pot of water for boiling the Penne.

Add the Penne to the boiling water and cook it according to the package directions, about 10-12 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and pour it back into the pot. Add 1 ladleful of the sauce and toss well, until all the pasta is coated.

Add the pasta, asparagus, broccoli, arugula and roasted garlic in a large, family sized bowl. Pour in the rest of the warm cream sauce, the chopped cilantro and toss well.  The warm sauce will slightly cook the arugula.

I like this dish served family style!  Cheers!

:)

14
Jan
10

Coconut Chicken and Vegetable Curry

By msbutterton 1 Comment
Categories: Chicken, Main Course and Thai
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

My recipe for Chicken and Vegetable Curry varies, depending on what veggies are in the fridge that night.  This recipe consists of what was in my fridge last night!

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Coconut Chicken Curry

(serves 4)

3 Tablespoons Ghee or butter
1/2 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 scallions, sliced
3 carrots, thickly sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened Coconut milk
2 teaspoons Turmeric
2 tablespoons green Curry paste
5-ounces water
5 broccoli spears, halved
2 Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup cabbage, sliced
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut in sections
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 cup Plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Bamboo shoots
12 fresh pea pods, trimmed
1/4 fresh cilantro

Steamed Brown rice

Prepare the Brown rice, according to package directions.

In large skillet, over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, carrots and red pepper in butter or Ghee. Add the Coconut milk, Turmeric, Curry paste, water, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage and chicken.  Stir well.  Add the red pepper flakes, brown sugar and Garam Masala.  Cover the skillet with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 35-40 minutes.  Stir in the yogurt, pea pods, Bamboo shoots and cilantro, continue to cook for another 10 minutes.  Serve over brown rice.  Top with more sliced scallions and chopped cilantro.

Cheers!

:)

13
Jan
10

Cold Sesame Noodles

By msbutterton 6 Comments
Categories: Appetizers, Pasta & Noodles and Side dish
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

By now, you’ve probably sensed my love of ALL things pasta — even when dining on Chinese,  I love it!

This is my take on Cold Sesame Noodles – I used to make them with Tahini (sesame paste) only, but now I add a little peanut butter and brown sugar, to give it a little sweetness.

This sauce is similar to the Peanut sauce Thai restaurants serve with Satay dishes and can be used for making Satay, as well.  It’s so good, I find myself dipping into it the entire time I’m preparing it!

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Cold Sesame Noodles

1/2 pound noodles  (i.e. soba, spaghettini)
3 tablespoons Sesame oil  — divided
2 green scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Tahini
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon red chili paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water (more, if needed)

Garnish with:

1/4 cup peanuts, crushed
1 tablespoon sesame seeds,  toasted
4 cucumber slices
fresh cilantro sprigs
additional red pepper slices

Over high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil and cook the noodles until they are al dente.  Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water.  Place them in a medium bowl, pour 1 tablespoon of the Sesame oil over them and toss well.  Cover the bowl and place the noodles in the refrigerator to chill.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, sauté the scallions, garlic, ginger and red pepper in 2 tablespoons Sesame oil, until they’re soft.  Add the Tahini, peanut butter, Hoisin sauce, chili paste, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and water.  Stir well until the sauce is smooth and add more water, if necessary.  Remove from heat and let the sauce cool for 5 minutes.

Pout the sauce over the cooked noodles and toss well.  Return to the refrigerator to chill, for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with crushed peanuts, sesame seeds, cucumber and fresh cilantro.

Cheers!

:)

09
Jan
10

A Lemon-Garlic Salad Dressing, guaranteed to keep Dracula at bay

By msbutterton 4 Comments
Categories: Dips and Dressings and Soups & Salads
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

:)

This is one of my favorite salad dressings brought to you today, courtesy of my friends David and Evelyne.  David and Evelyne make a quart of this dressing each week and use it throughout the week for not only salads, but also as a delicious marinade for chicken.

The basic rule of making salad dressings is to use a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar (or lemon juice, in the case of a Caesar Salad), but this dressing breaks that rule and uses 2 parts fresh lemon juice to 1 part oil AND a whole lotta garlic!!!

I like using Romaine lettuce or shredded cabbage for this salad and often times, I add grilled chicken slices and avocado. This week I’ve joined the rest of America in the post-holiday dieting plan, so I’m eating lots of this and not feeling like I’m suffering at all.

If you have a mortar and pestle – use it.  A garlic “paste” is created by grinding the garlic and Kosher salt together in the mortar and pestle, that’s perfect for this dressing.  You can experiment with different ratios of the lemon juice and Olive oil.  Some people (like Dave) prefer this dressing be very tart, while others might not.  Also, some lemons are sweeter than others, some more tart – so you have to “judge” and make it according to your palette.

:)

:)

Cabbage Salad with Lemon-Garlic Dressing

(with extra dressing for the rest of the week)


2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
2-3 garlic cloves (depending on how garlic-y you like it)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil

4 cups Savoy or Green cabbage, shredded (or romaine lettuce)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shaved

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a mortar and pestle, grind the garlic and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt into a paste.  Add the Olive oil and lemon juice and mix. Transfer the dressing to a jar or container, with matching lid and shake vigorously.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use.

Slice a head of cabbage in half and shred. Rinse it well and dry. Using a strainer to strain the garlic, pour your desired amount of the dressing into a large salad bowl.  Add the cabbage and shaved Parmesan cheese;  toss lightly and serve with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In the above pics, I didn’t use grilled chicken slices or avocado, but this salad is delicious when you include them and makes a great meal!  Cheers!

:)

05
Jan
10

Cream of Spinach Soup

By msbutterton 3 Comments
Categories: Comfort food and Soups & Salads
Tags: , , , , , , ,

:)

This Cream of Spinach Soup is one of my husband’s favorites.  I have incorporated brown rice and potatoes, so it stands alone as a meal.  If you want to serve it as a first course, just eliminate the rice and it won’t be quite as filling.  I also top it with crumbled bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg – I guess I could have called it “Cream of Spinach Salad Soup.”

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Cream of Spinach Soup


4 cups fresh spinach leaves — thoroughly rinsed
4 strips bacon, fried and crumbled — with 2 tablespoons bacon grease reserved
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry White wine
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
4 cups Chicken stock
1/4 cup brown rice
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon mace
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Crumbled bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg, for garnishing

In a deep skillet fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Reserve the bacon grease.  When the bacon is cooled, crumble it.

In a deep stockpot, sauté the shallot, garlic, celery and potato in 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease for approximately 10 minutes.  Deglaze with the white wine when necessary to remove the browned bits accumulating in the pan.

When the veggies are golden brown, sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over them and mix well.  Pour in 2 cups of the Chicken stock, the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce and the spinach; cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.  Remove from the heat and let the soup cool.

When cooled, ladle the soup into a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes — until smooth.

Return the soup to the stockpot and add the remaining 2 cups of Chicken stock, 1/4 cup rice, cream, mace, salt and pepper (be careful not to over salt – the soup will be already salty from the bacon grease).

Simmer, uncovered over medium low heat for 45-50 minutes, until the rice is cooked and the soup is thick — not a full boil–just a slow, steady boil.

When you’re ready to serve, garnish with crumbled bacon and chopped hard-boiled egg.

Cheers!

04
Jan
10

Chicken and Goat cheese Raviolis with Lemon Basil sauce

By msbutterton 10 Comments
Categories: Cheese, Chicken, Cream Sauce, Italian Yummies and Pasta & Noodles
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

:)

I came up with the recipe for these raviolis after tasting one of my favorite cream sauces, that I did not invent.  Years ago, for my birthday, a friend gave me one of my favorite cookbooks, Alfred Portale’s “Gotham.” It contains recipes from the NYC restaurant, Gotham, including one for a cream sauce that features lemon, lemon zest and herbs, that is to die for!  It’s easy, takes just minutes to prepare and is perfect not only with pasta dishes, but also goes great over fish and chicken.

I’m always experimenting with different ravioli recipes – if you follow my blog, you know that I love making fresh pasta!  If you have a food processor and a Pasta Maker, (or a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer and its Pasta Attachment) it’s very easy to make.  If you don’t have the appliances or the time to make the pasta dough from scratch, you can substitute Wonton wrappers from your local market.

Whenever anyone asks what my favorite cookbooks are, “Gotham,” by Alfred Portale is always included on my list!  It’s a beautiful book, filled with tantalizing recipes, engaging stories and tips by the author and stunning photographs.  Here’s a link so you can peruse and purchase, if you like what you see.

http://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Portales-Gotham-Grill-Cookbook/dp/0385482108

:)

:)

Chicken and Goat Cheese Raviolis

(this recipe is enough for 4 people with extra raviolis to freeze for next time)

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Pasta Dough


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup Semolina Flour
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lightly beaten egg for assembling the raviolis

Add all the ingredients in your food processor and pulse/blend until it becomes a firm ball ( about 20 seconds) – you might have to add a few drops of water, but not too much – you don’t want the dough to be sticky.  Remove from the food processor, form into a ball and place it on a floured cutting board or counter.  Place a large bowl over the dough and let it rest for an hour.  If you don’t use the dough right away, you can cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.

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Chicken and Goat Cheese Filling

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1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
3-4 ounces Goat cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup Pignoli nuts
3 scallions, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium skillet, use half the Olive oil and saute the scallions, red pepper and garlic until tender.   In a separate skillet, use the rest of the Olive oil and cook the ground chicken over medium heat, until brown. Add the Goat cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat to cool slightly.  Stir in the beaten egg.  Add the mixture to your food processor and mix for approximately 1 minute.  Add the chicken/cheese mixture to the sautéed veggies along with the salt and pepper and mix together well.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the raviolis.

Insert  the “pasta sheet roller” on your Kitchenaid.  Set the dial on the end of the attachment to the “widest” option.  Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Turn the mixer on to a medium low-speed. Take a piece and run it through the “roller” a couple times.  Turn the dial to the next “thinnest” width and roll the dough through 2-3 times.  Repeat until you run the dough through the “thinnest” setting.

Work in stages, rolling out 2 sheets at a time so you can prepare the raviolis, then come back and make 2 more sheets

Lightly dust with flour, a clean kitchen counter or other long surface.  Lay 1 sheet of the rolled dough on the counter.  Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken/goat cheese mixture on top and repeat, about 2 inches apart. (see pics) With a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on the dough, around the chicken mounds.

Place the second layer of rolled dough on top and stretch it gently over and around the chicken to seal and to push out any air bubbles.  Press a ravioli cutter over the sections to seal the raviolis.  Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until ready to cook.

In a non-stick skillet, over a medium flame, heat the butter and Olive oil. Toss in 6-7 ravioli and brown on both sides.  Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, cover the pan with a fitted lid to allow the raviolis to “steam”.  Do this for approximately 1 minute, tossing occasionally.  I prefer this method of cooking raviolis, rather than just boiling them.  Serve immediately with the Lemon Basil sauce.

:)

:)

Alfred Portale’s Lemon Basil Sauce — from the Gotham Cookbook

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
Coarse salt, freshly ground white pepper and cayenne, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus whole fresh leaves, for garnish
2 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make a creamy sauce.  Whisk in the lemon juice and garlic.  Taste and season with salt, white pepper and cayenne.

Add the basil, chives and stir. Taste to check the sauce for an authoritative tang — season with more lemon juice, salt, white pepper and cayenne, as needed.

For my raviolis, I garnished also with toasted pignoli nuts.

Cheers!

:)

03
Jan
10

braised Beluga and green lentils – not just for New Year’s Day!

By msbutterton 1 Comment
Categories: Comfort food and Side dish
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Along with our New Year’s Day Beef Daube Provençal I also made braised lentils. In many cultures (especially in Italy) lentils are thought to bring prosperity and good luck for the new year.  This dish is delicious though, ANY time of the year!

I usually use red and green lentils for this New Year’s Day side dish, but this year I had a couple bags of Beluga Lentils in my pantry — courtesy of the Epicure Sale a couple weeks ago.

I love Beluga lentils.  They’re perfect for soups and salads and their resemblance to Beluga caviar eggs make for beautiful garnishes, in place of real caviar.  They are the smallest of the lentil family and they cook very quickly.

I also like to throw in a few fresh spinach leaves to my braised lentils before serving — just to add a little more “green” to the dish and to further emphasize “prosperity” for the new year!

In case Beluga Lentils aren’t available at your local grocery store, here is a link to buy them through Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Beluga-Lentils-1-lb/dp/B000FA68HY

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:)

1 cup Beluga lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 cup green lentils, picked over and rinsed
3 slices Pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 carrots, cleaned and sliced
2 celery stalks, cleaned and sliced
1/2 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh, rinsed spinach leaves

Additional water, when necessary

In a deep skillet or pot, over medium heat, sauté the Pancetta, carrot, celery, onion and garlic in the Olive oil for 10 minutes.  Add the rinsed lentils and continue to cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes.  Pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock and continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Repeat with 1 more cup of the stock.

Pour the remaining two cups of chicken stock into the pan, add the thyme, salt and pepper and cover the pan.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours, adding additional water when necessary.  Just before serving, stir in the spinach leaves.  Cheers!

02
Jan
10

Beef Daube Provençal ~ a New Year’s Day tradition, that changed a bit this year!

By msbutterton 3 Comments
Categories: Beef, Comfort food, Family and French food
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

:)

Making Beef Daube Provençal has been a New Years Day tradition in our house as long as I can remember.  It’s usually a three-day process – a lot, I know, but totally worth it!  It can be made anytime of year, but we only have it once a year – on New Year’s Day, with buttered, parsley egg noodles and braised lentils or black-eyed peas – both thought to bring prosperity and good luck to the new year.

Starting 2-3 days prior to serving, it’s recommended that you marinate all the ingredients with the wine, in the fridge for a day – then cook.  However, this year, we were delivered a curve ball, when my son booked a show in Las Vegas, just a week before New Years.  He invited us to come out for it.

Normally, we like to stay home on New Year’s Eve with a nice meal and champagne. NEVER in my life, have I had a desire to spend New Year’s Eve in Vegas with 250,000 people, but those of you who have kids surely understand, when they ask, you comply, whenever possible!  We had a fabulous time – BTW!

The first thing I thought of when we decided to go was, “what about my Daube?“  My method had to change a little this year.  I didn’t have time to marinate the ingredients – instead, I cooked the Daube Tuesday night and popped it in the fridge Wednesday morning, where it “married” until we returned on Friday, New Year’s Day.  When we got home, I took the pot out of the fridge, added the potatoes (I didn’t cook them the first day, or they would have fallen apart) and returned it to the oven for 3-4 hours.  It tasted identical to my traditional method – maybe even better, so that’s the recipe I’m sharing here today.

We had dear friends for dinner last night and rang in the New Year with the Daube, the braised lentils and a little Champagne.  My favorite way to start each new year.

I hope 2010 is a prosperous and happy year for all of you and I can’t express enough, how happy I am to have met so many of you through my little blog here – I look forward to great things happening this coming year – for ALL of us!  Peace!

:)

:)

Beef Daube Provençal

2 lbs stewing beef
1 pound short ribs
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
6 slices Pancetta
3 stalks celery, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 turnips, peeled and quartered
1 onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 orange — including peel
1 8 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 bottle dry red wine
12 pitted prunes
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups water
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned and quartered

Hot, buttered, parsley noodles for serving

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Add the Olive oil to a large Dutch-oven or oven-proof stockpot. Over medium heat, brown the short ribs, stewing beef and pancetta,  This can be done in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.  Add the garlic and continue to cook the beef for 5 minutes.

Peel the outer rind of the orange, then slice the orange.  Add the rind, and orange, along with the celery, onion, carrots, turnips and prunes.  Pour in the bottle of wine, the diced tomatoes and water.  Add the thyme, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste.

Cover the pot with a lid, or aluminum foil and place in the oven on the bottom rack and allow the Daube to cook for 7-8 hours.  Remove and allow the pot to cool completely.  Refrigerate for 1-2 days.

The day you’re ready to serve, remove the Daube from the refrigerator.  Heat the oven again to 350 degrees.  Add the quartered potatoes and a little more water, if necessary, and return to the oven for 3-4 hours.  Serve with hot buttered noodles and a crusty baguette.  Cheers!

:)

27
Dec
09

Lobster Fra Diavolo

By msbutterton 4 Comments
Categories: Comfort food, Fish & Shellfish, Pasta & Noodles and Sauces
Tags: , , , ,

I learned how to make Lobster Fra Diavolo from a Sicilian friend many years ago. The first time I tried it, I thought my lips would burn off – that’s how you know it’s great!  If you can’t tolerate a REALLY spicy sauce, use fewer pepper flakes, but the appeal of a good Fra Diavolo sauce (Italian for “Brother Devil”), is the burn!

I make this sauce with shrimp also – but for special occasions (like over the holidays) I use lobster.  I can only make it with the assistance of my husband or son, because I have NEVER been able to kill a lobster.  One of the quickest ways to kill a lobster, is to plunge the tip of a sharp knife about 1 1/2 inches down from the eyes and into the center of the head – Yikes! Even my husband and son had a hard time with this when they first learned how, years ago.  I remember them needing a shot of vodka to calm their nerves before doing it – It’s not the most fun process and I’ll tell you here and now, I’ll NEVER do it myself!

Hubby had the honors yesterday – so technically, this is OUR sauce!

:)

:)

:)

Lobster Fra Diavolo

(serves 4-6)

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2 – 1 1/2 lb. live lobsters
1/2 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
2 28-ounce cans Crushed tomatoes - San Marzano whenever possible
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 cups dry Red wine
1/2 cup Cognac
2 large shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme leaves
1 tablespoon crushed red chili flakes
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
Water – you’ll have to judge

1 box (1 lb) imported Italian fettuccine

Prepare the lobsters:

The quickest method for killing a lobster is to plunge the tip of a sharp knife about 1 1/2 inches down from the eyes and into the center of the head. Once the lobster is dead, cut the body in half lengthwise.  Remove the insides and thoroughly clean. (see pics) Remove the knuckles and claws. Remove the legs. Save the shells to add to the sauce.

Over a medium flame, in a deep stockpot, heat the Olive oil.  Add the legs and claws and sauté for 10 minutes.  Remove them and place in a large bowl.  Add the cleaned body of the lobster, including the tail and sauté for 5 minutes.  Remove it to the large bowl and allow to cool.  Repeat with the second lobster. (do this in sections so you don’t overcrowd the pot)  After the meat has cooled, remove it from the shells and lightly chop and reserve.  You might have to use a lobster cracker and cocktail forks.  Reserve the lobster shells.

Add the chopped shallot and garlic to the Olive oil and sauté, just until translucent.  Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Add the oregano, thyme, sugar, bay leaf, salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Stir well.  Add the red wine, cognac and 1 cup of water; stir well.  Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer.  Return the lobster shells to the pot, (the cleaned section of the head and tail still have lots of flavor and some meat inside) to simmer with the sauce.  Cook for at least two hours — adding water if necessary and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is done.

Before serving, return the reserved, chopped lobster meat to the sauce and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and all the lobster shells from the sauce and discard.

Bring a large stockpot full of heavily salted water, to a rapid boil.  Add the fettuccine noodles and cook, stirring very frequently (fettuccine has a tendency to stick together if not stirred)  Cook until “al dente”  (follow the cooking directions on the package)  Drain well, emptying the pot of water.  Return the pasta to the stockpot and add a couple ladles full of the sauce and the chopped parsley.  Toss together, until the fettuccine is completely coated.

Serve in a deep dish or pasta bowl and cover with more sauce and freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.  Arrange the lobster legs around the fettuccine.  Cheers!

:)

23
Dec
09

Macadamia Honey Shortbread Bars

By msbutterton 10 Comments
Categories: Baked Goodies, Butter and Desserts
Tags: , , , , ,

BTW ~ Merry Christmas Everyone!

This will be my last post until after Christmas, as I have a million tasks to finish, goodies to bake, presents to wrap — yada yada yada.

I made some Macadamia Honey Shortbread Bars this week and want to share my recipe with you.  My husband is crazy for  shortbread..my kids love Macadamia Nuts, so I came up with this recipe a while ago.  It incorporates an all-butter shortbread, topped with crushed Macadamia nuts, swirled in MORE butter and honey.  They’ve become a Christmas tradition here at our house!


Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!  Peace and Love to all!

:)


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:)

Macadamia Honey Shortbread Bars

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Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup cup granulated sugar
1 extra-large egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar, for 3-4 minutes, until smooth.  Add the egg and Vanilla and continue to mix.  Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and slowly pour it into the mixing bowl – on low speed.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an ungreased rectangular (9″by13″) baking dish/sheet   Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is a very light brown.  Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.

Topping

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel, grated
1/2 teaspoon orange peel, grated
1/4 cup heavy cream
16 ounces (1 pound) Macadamia nuts, chopped coarsely in food processor

In a deep saucepan, melt the butter, honey, brown sugar, and grated lemon and orange peel.  Bring to a slow boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the cream, vanilla and crushed Macadamia nuts. While warm, pour the mixture over the crust and spread to edges of the pan.  Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until cold. When completely chilled, Cut into squares. Cheers!

:)

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