Farfalle with Braised Leeks and Prosciutto with Porcini Breadcrumbs

Recipe shared by Jen Eisenman (these are her notes below)

Notes:  I used four leeks, but since they cook down so much, you could add more if you like.  Prosciutto is plenty salty and so is parmesan cheese, so I only ended up adding a pinch of sea salt at the very end of cooking.  Buy the best prosciutto you can afford, the imported stuff was the same price at Whole Foods and Lunardis.  I guesstimated the amount of bread and porcini, feel free to adjust.  The leeks can be made ahead the night before with no ill effect.

Farfalle with Braised Leeks and Prosciutto with Porcini Breadcrumbs

Leeks:
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter, separated
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
4 medium leeks, cleaned and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces (white and light green sections only)
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 lb prosciutto or parma ham

Porcini Breadcrumbs:
3 slices bread
small handful dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbs olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, squashed and peeled
Sprig of rosemary

1 lb Farfalle Pasta
Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil and 1tbs butter over medium heat in 12 inch nonstick frying pan.  Add garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.  Stir in leeks to combine.  Add wine, simmer until wine is nearly evaporated, then add chicken stock.

Cover as much leek mixture as possible with prosciutto, turn heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes until liquid has almost evaporated.

Bring water to boil for pasta.

Pulse bread and porcini mushrooms in food processor until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Heat olive oil in frying pan over high heat, then turn heat to medium and add garlic cloves and rosemary sprig.  Let garlic and rosemary cook for several minutes then add breadcrumbs and fry for a couple of minutes stirring occasionally until brown and crisp.  Transfer breadcrumbs to paper towel lined plate and remove garlic and rosemary. 

Remove prosciutto from leek mixture and slice into smaill pieces.   Mix remaining tbs of butter and sliced prosciutto into leeks.  Season with pepper (and salt if needed).

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente and drain.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.  Add pasta to leeks and mix well.  Add pasta water if needed.

Top with breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

Catfish Soup

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2010

Ingredients

• 2 cups dashi (fish broth or you can use chicken broth)
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon julienned galangal or ginger
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves
• 1 habanero pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 pound US farm-raised catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 14 ounces coconut milk

Directions

Bring the dashi to a simmer in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, habanero, fish sauce and lime juice and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the catfish and the coconut milk and cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately
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Salmon Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Salmon Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce 

Very easy and very good! I love the lemon yogurt sauce.

Gourmet | August 2008

by Ruth Cousineau

Yield: Makes 4 servings Active Time: 20 min Total Time: 25 min 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 (6-inch) pita rounds or 3 slices firm white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons chopped chives, divided 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Accompaniment: lemon wedges Mix together salmon, pita, mayonnaise, egg, coriander, cayenne, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Season with black pepper and form into 4 cakes (4 inches in diameter). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook salmon cakes, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total. Stir together yogurt, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining tablespoon chives, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon zest. Serve salmon cakes with sauce. Serve with: Moroccan eggplant salad; sliced tomatoes drizzled with fruity olive oil; or celery and potato salad (serve in place of the yogurt sauce)

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Lebanese Lamb Chops with Lemony Lettuce

This was really good and really easy. I made it in the oven since we didn't have time to grill. I served with couscous with peas and mint.

Gourmet | September 2009

by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

No, its not the title of a lost Dr. Seuss opus, but a perfectly grown-up dish in which the richness of grilled spice-rubbed lamb chops is cut by lemon (both zest and flesh). Chances are you'll want to eat it anywhere. Yield: Makes 4 servings Active Time: 35 min Total Time: 35 min 2 large lemons 1 teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon baharat (Eastern Mediterranean spice mixture; see cooks' note, below) 8 (3/4-inch-thick) rib lamb chops (2 pounds) 2 heads Bibb lettuce (about 3/4 pound each), torn into large pieces 1 1/2 cups mint leaves Grate 2 teaspoons zest from 1 lemon. Trim ends of both lemons, then stand lemons on a cut side and cut peel, including white pith, from lemons with a sharp paring knife (discard peel). Cut segments free from membranes, then cut segments crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss lemon segments gently with sugar in a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons oil. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes for flavors to develop. Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir together with baharat, grated zest, remaining tablespoon oil, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Rub all over lamb chops. Toss lettuce and mint with lemon mixture. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure . Grill chops, turning once, about 6 minutes total for medium-rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest, loosely covered, 5 minutes. Serve chops with salad. Serve with:  orzo Cooks' notes:  •You can make your own baharat by grinding 1 teaspoon each of whole cloves, cumin seeds, Maras or Aleppo pepper, and a 3-inch cinnamon stick (broken in half) in an electric coffee/spice grinder until finely ground. •Chops can be cooked in an oiled hot 2-burner grill pan over medium-high heat, turning once, about 6 minutes. •Lemon mixture keeps at room temperature 2 hours. Toss with lettuce and mint just before serving.

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Lamb Sausage Patties with Fresh Mint, Feta, and Garlic

HG note: This was really easy and very, very good. I served it with pearl couscous with broccoli, nuts and mint. 

Bon Appétit | February 2008

Molly Wizenberg

Yield: Makes 12 sausages 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb shoulder 2 large garlic cloves, pressed 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Place lamb in large bowl. Sprinkle garlic and salt over. Gently toss lamb to blend. Combine feta and mint in small bowl. Divide lamb into 12 equal mounds. Using damp hands, shape each into ball. Working with 1 ball at a time, poke thumb into center to make hole. Press 1 teaspoon feta-mint filling into hole. Pinch hole closed, then press ball between palms to flatten into 3/4-inch-thick disk. Repeat with remaining lamb and feta-mint filling. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 250°F. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook lamb sausages until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer sausages to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Serve hot. 397 calories, 29g fat (12g saturated), 125mg cholesterol, 290mg sodium,1g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 31g protein See Nutrition Data's complete analysis of this recipe › Nutritional analysis provided by Nutrition Data

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Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Thai Coconut Sauce

Bon Appétit | July 2010

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Serve this with jasmine or basmati rice on the side. Yield: Makes 4 servings Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 8-ounce bottle clam juice 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam) 1 to 2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano chile 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided 4 tablespoons minced green onions, divided 4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Combine first 6 ingredients in medium skillet. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons serrano chile, depending on level of heat desired; boil until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and 2 tablespoons green onions. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Brush fish all over with 1/4 cup sauce; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill fish until opaque in center and grill marks appear, 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish. Divide coconut sauce among 4 plates; top with fish. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions. Per serving: 219 calories, 4 g fat, 0.4 g fiber Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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Engagement Chicken

Engagement Chicken 

HG note: keep an eye on the chicken pan/juices the first 30 minutes to be sure there is enough moisture. I needed to add some water. 

Epicurious | April 2011

by Cindi Leive and the Editors of Glamour
100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know

Here it is: the recipe that started it all. And once you've made it, you'll know why. It serves up the kind of home-cooked goodness that no restaurant meal can top. The chicken's crispy skin is drenched in herb-infused juices (don't forget to pour the pan dripping back over the chicken before serving or, alternately, to drizzle them over individual pieces on the plate), and the trick of turning the chicken 15 minutes into cooking keeps the meet uniquely moist. Any simple sides will work with a min course this splendid. You can go with either white wine (in which case a Riesling would be nice) or red (try pinot noir). Happy cooking-and an even happier future to you and the lucky person you've deemed worthy of this dish. Yield: Serves 2 to 4 1 whole chicken (approx. 4 pounds) 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons ­including 1 sliced for garnish 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley) 1) Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes. 2) Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fitted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out. 3) Prick 2 whole lemons three times in three different places on each with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.) 4) Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes. 5) Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast-side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes for a stuffed chicken that is 4 pounds. 6) Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here's the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken&151;this is the "marry me juice." Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices. Glamour girl tip: Carving a bird takes a lot of practice, so don't expect it to be perfect on your first try. The most important thing is to have a sharp knife (preferably one made specifically for carving). Start by slicing the breasts, removing as much meat as possible, and then remove the legs and the wings (using kitchen shears work swell too). Don't worry if it looks messy; it will taste just as good.  Source Information Reprinted with permission from 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life by Cindi Leive and the Editors of Glamour. Copyright (c) 2011. Published by Hyperion. All Rights Reserved.

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