Heirloom Tomatoes & Basil Pappardelle

Artichoke Gratinata

Artichoke hearts are a thing of beauty to me.  They are so incredibly delicious and hidden so well amidst all those protective layers; it is the closest we may come to finding that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  However, I love them so much that sometimes I don't want just one (heart, that is).  So last night I opted for an entire batch of them.  This recipe makes for a beautiful side dish - and it is rather painless.  I find them to be so satisfying though, that I was content to pair them with a green salad (topped with the ultimate vinaigrette of course!) and call that dinner.  I prefer frozen vegetables over canned ones, so I warmed these little hearts up in my saute pan along with garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  After they browned slightly, I simmered them in chicken broth and a bit of Marsala wine.  This is when my kitchen began to smell amazing!  Not being that experienced in cooking with Marsala - after this dish, I will now look into it more.  The Marsala wine straight from the bottle makes me feel as if I am sipping Sunday communion.  But in cooking, it's pretty outstanding as a flavor agent. The recipe called for a topping: bread crumbs (I like using Panko), a bit of butter, and parmesan.  These are all delicious eats by my standards so I knew as I sprinkled this trio atop the gorgeous hearts that smelled so good that I was in for quite a treat.  The whole pan went straight into the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp and brown the topping and that's it.  There were no leftovers to speak of :)  Thanks Giada.

Make it again:  In my opinion, artichoke hearts far outshine peas and carrots as a starlet veggie you can serve to guests you have over.  This recipe will go into my rotation of items to serve to guests, no doubt.  And at the same time, I plan on enjoying them when it's just the two of us as well!

Improvements:  None to speak of at this point.  These were beauties all on their own.

Here's the recipe for you to try:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/artichoke-gratinata-recipe/index.html

Roasted Vegetable Tarte Tatin

 

Happy New Year!  I thought I'd start off 2011 by sharing an absolutely delicious creation.  To my surprise, the Food Network Magazine consistently delivers solid recipes that rarely fail to please.  This was my favorite from all of my holiday cooking.  I had never heard of a Tarte Tatin, but in doing a little research I learned that it was created in error as two French sisters attempted an apple pie gone wrong.  What you're looking at above are gorgeous roasted root vegetables: sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, leeks and garlic all slow-roasted first to bring out their flavor.  As they cooked, I created a little caramel and then proceeded to assemble this dish upside-down.  The caramel went down first, followed by sage and oregano.  As the root veggies came out of the oven I positioned them in the caramel which hardened very quickly.  I was afraid at this point because the caramel wasn't perfectly covering the bottom of my baking dish - thankfully this all smooths out when you put it back into the oven.  A small sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and a final layer of puff pastry were the final toppings.  It baked for only a short time before smelling divine.  Once it came out I had to invert it.  This was the scary part - the pan had to cool for a bit but remain relatively warm for the Tarte Tatin to pop out.  I held my breath as both myself and my mom (assisting me as sous chef for this dish) had four hands working to flip it.  To my great surprise, it worked!  The picture you see is only moments after it came out of the pan.  We sliced it up immediately and it was pure heaven!  The sweetness of the caramel sauce pairs amazingly with these root vegetables.  A total winter treat in my opinion :) 

Make it again? This is sure to impress any dinner party.  In fact, it is pretty enough to place as your centerpiece.  Serve it right on your cutting board covered in parchment paper and scatter it with a few more herbs for a rustic, beautiful focal point.  I plan to use it for dinner parties and holiday gathering throughout the winter months.

Improvements?  No improvements to this recipe are needed.  It is perfect.  Variations could be fun though.  Different herb combinations as well as alternate root vegetables could be used.  I used leeks because I had them on hand even though the recipe called for a regular onion.  Purple potatoes would also add to the presentation.   

Here is the link for the recipe, enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegetable-tarte-tatin-recipe/index.html

Green Beans, Sauteed

 

I am a huge supporter of vegetables done simply and deliciously.  When it comes down to it, that is all we need to enjoy them.  With green beans being SO plentiful in the fall, I will have many opportunities to cook them up in different ways until my husband and I find the way we like them best.  On this night, I blanched the green beans in boiling water for one minute.  While they blanched, I heated some olive oil in a skillet.  The GBs went straight from the pot to the skillet and I topped them immediately with tons of minced garlic, red pepper flakes and s&p.  They only took a minute or two to saute and soak up their seasoning.   

 

Make them again?  Yup.  They were goooooood.  

Improvements?  One of my favorite seasoning combos is garlic, red pepper, s&p.  I'd like to stick with that, but if I come along another awesome spice blend, I wouldn't hesitate to dress them in that.