Monthly Archives: November 2012

Beef, Seafood

Surf And Turf Featuring Pan Roasted Beef Tenderloin Fillets And Pan Seared Sea Scallops

Serve with a baked potato and a Caesar salad.

Two Beef Tenderloin Fillets (About Six Ounces Each)
Twelve Large Sea Scallops
Six Whole White Mushrooms Sliced In Half
A Tablespoon of Unsalted Butter Divided In Half
¼ Cup Of Dry Red Wine
A Teaspoon Of Sea Salt (Approximate)
½ Teaspoon Of Ground Black Pepper (Approximate)
Two Tablespoons Of Olive Oil

Beef Tenderloin Fillets

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Wrap the fillets with butcher’s twine going around each fillet twice to form a round shape. Sprinkle each fillet generously with sea salt and ground black pepper. Press the seasoning with your fingers into the meat.

Put a non-stick skillet on high heat for four minutes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Place the fillets into the skillet. Cook without touching for three minutes until the cooked side achieves a dark brown crust. Place the mushrooms in the pan. Place the skillet in the preheated oven for 12 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the fillets to a plate. Put the pan on medium low heat and add the red wine. Cook for three minutes while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits that have formed. Turn the heat down to low and add ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter. Stir until the butter has melted into the sauce. Take the skillet off of the heat. Taste and add more sea salt and/or black pepper, as needed. Pour the sauce right over the top of the fillets and serve.

Sea Scallops

Sprinkle both sides of the scallops with sea salt and ground black pepper. Put a non-stick skillet on high heat for four minutes. Add ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook while stirring. When the butter has melted, add the sea scallops. Allow the scallops to cook without touching them for 3-4 minutes until a brown crust is formed on the cooked side. Turn the scallops over and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the scallops while basting them with the butter and the olive oil for three more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pizza

Tomato Pie

This pizza is a perfect way to utilize leftover tomato sauce or you can just use your favorite jarred sauce.

A Twelve-Inch Pre-Baked Pizza Crust (Available In Most Supermarkets)
Two Tablespoons Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ½ Cups Of Tomato Sauce
¾ Cup Of Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Evenly brush the top of the pizza crust with the olive oil. Spread out the tomato sauce uniformly over the top of the pizza. Sprinkle the grated cheese equally over the sauce. You can add more grated cheese, if you desire.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and the cheese melts slightly. Let the pizza cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Pasta

Pasta Shells with Pancetta, Tomatoes, and Potatoes

This dish is Italian comfort food at its best.

One Pound Of Large Pasta Shells
A Russet Potato Peeled And Diced Into About ½ Inch Wide Cubes
¼ Cup Of Cubed Pancetta
¼ Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup Of Chopped Italian Parsley
¼ Cup Of Finely Chopped Onion
12 Ounces Of Hand Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
A Minced Garlic Clove
A Tablespoon Of Finely Chopped Celery
½ Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
¾ Teaspoon Of Sea Salt

Combine the pancetta and the olive oil in a large pot. Cook on low heat until the pancetta becomes crispy. Add the potatoes and cook on medium low heat stirring frequently for three minutes. Add the onion, the tomatoes, the celery, the garlic, the sea salt, and the red pepper flakes. Continue to cook on medium low heat while stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Taste and add more sea salt and/or red pepper flakes, if desired.

In the meantime, cook the shells in a pot of boiling, salted water according to the package instructions. Before draining the pasta, remove one cup of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.

Drain the pasta well in a colander when cooked al dente (tender but still firm to the bite). Add the cooked pasta and the pasta water to the pot with the potatoes, tomatoes, and the olive oil. Cook on medium heat while stirring for two minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and then coats all of the shells. Add the chopped parsley and mix well. Serve with grated cheese.

Sauces and Dressings

Basil, Parsley, And Peanut Pesto

This pesto is great on spaghetti or any cooked vegetable.

Twenty-Four Large Fresh Basil Leaves (Without Stems)
Twelve Fresh Italian Parsley Leaves (Without Stems)
A Tablespoon Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
A Tablespoon Of Unsalted Peanuts
A Minced Garlic Clove
¼ Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Of Sea Salt
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until a smooth paste is formed. If the mixture appears too thick, add some more olive oil and pulse again to achieve the desired consistency. Taste and add more sea salt and/or black pepper, if desired.

Pork and Lamb

Braised Pork Shanks Osso Bucco Style

Four Pork Shanks
¼ Cup Of Roughly Chopped Red Onion
A Minced Garlic Clove
Two Fresh Italian Parsley Stalks
A Fresh Rosemary Stalk
Two Whole Fresh Basil Leaves
Two Fresh Thyme Stalks
A Cup Of Dry Red Wine (Select One That You Would Drink)
A Cup Of Tomato Sauce (You Can Use Your Favorite Jarred Sauce Or You Can Make My Recipe For Marinara Sauce Published On This Web Site 10/27/10)
A Teaspoon And A Pinch Of Sea Salt, Divided
¼ Teaspoon And A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper, Divided
Two Tablespoons Of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Season the shanks on both sides with a teaspoon of the sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of the ground black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium high heat. Add the shanks to the pot. Brown the shanks on all sides. Transfer the pork shanks to a plate.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add a pinch of sea salt, a pinch of ground black pepper, the red onion and the garlic to the pot. Cook while stirring for one minute. Add the red wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen the brown bits that have accumulated. Add the tomato sauce, the parsley stalks, the rosemary stalk, the basil leaves, and the thyme stalks. Stir well. Return the pork shanks to the pot along with any of the meat juices that are on the plate.

Cover and place the pot into the preheated oven. Bake for two hours removing the lid for the last thirty minutes of cooking time. Serve with polenta, rice, or pasta.