As a kid with an
overactive imagination, I loved regaling in stories of shipwrecked pirates
eating this hearty, simple stew made from what they had on hand. I imagine now it was just some clever story
my Mom invented to get me to eat my dinner.
The great thing about this one pot wonder is it's versatility. You can add whatever you happen to have in the kitchen, from extra veggies to cheese. It's all fair game.This is one of my favorite comfort meals when the weather turns cold.
Shipwreck Stew
Serves
6
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1
medium onion, roughly chopped
1
pound of ground sirloin
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
Kosher
salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Meanwhile, place the cubed potatoes in a
single layer in the bottom of a 4-quart covered casserole dish. Pour the undrained kidney beans over
potatoes, then add the meat and the onion mixture. Top the whole thing with the tomato soup,
making sure to go all the way to the edge to form a seal. Lay the bacon slices over the top and cover
with the lid. Bake for 30 minutes
covered, then remove the lid and cook for another 20-25 minutes. It’s done when the whole thing is bubbling,
the bacon is crisp, and the potatoes are tender when a knife is inserted in the
middle.
It's eggnog season!You know it has officially arrived as soon as the red holiday cups and seasonal lattes reappear at Starbucks. When I was a kid, it was the Shamrock Shake at McDonald's that I waited for every March, all minty and cool. Secretly it's still a guilty pleasure, but for now, it's all about eggnog.
While it's in season, I take advantage of eggnog any way I can. Pancakes are the perfect vehicle for one of my favorite holiday treats.
Eggnog
Pancakes
Makes 10
pancakes
1 cup all-purpose
flour
3 tablespoons
granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking
powder
¼ teaspoon kosher
salt
Pinch of freshly
grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground
cinnamon
1 egg, lightly
beaten
1 cup good quality
eggnog
¼ cup
milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly
grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons pure
vanilla extract
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil, plus more for pan
Unsalted butter, for
the pan and to serve
Pure maple syrup, to
serve
In a small bowl,
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg,
eggnog, milk, lemon zest, vanilla and the oil.
Add the dry ingredients to the
wet, whisking to make sure everything is combined and there are no lumps. Allow batter to rest for 5 minutes.
Melt 1 tablespoon of
butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a medium, non-stick skillet or on a griddle pan
over medium-low heat. When butter starts
to bubble, drop pancake batter into the pan using a ¼ cup measure. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles form on
the surface of the pancakes and the underside is golden brown. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook for
another minute or until golden brown.
Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.
Braising
is brilliant! Why? Because with very little effort you can take an inexpensive
cut of meat and end up with something beautifully rich, tender and
melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The technique is simple; a bit of searing on the
stove top and then into the oven, low and slow for a couple of hours. Just set
it and forget it!
braise(brz)
tr.v.braised, brais·ing, brais·es
To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container.
Brilliantly
Braised Short Ribs
Serves
6 to 8
6
to 8 bone-in beef short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
Kosher
salt &freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin
olive oil
1
large sweet onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
2
ribs celery, cut into ½-inch pieces
2
carrots, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces
2
cloves garlic, smashed
12
ounces tomato paste
2
to 3 cups hearty red wine
2
to 3 cups beef stock
1
bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
2
bay leaves
Season
each short rib generously with salt and pepper.
Coat the bottom of a Dutch oven or large stock pot with olive oil and set
over high heat. When the oil is just
starting to smoke, add the short ribs to the pan and sear on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes each side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if
necessary.
Return
the short ribs to the pan and add enough beef stock to just about cover the
meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay
leaves. Cover the pan and place in the oven for 3 hours. Check
periodicallyand adding more beef stock, if needed. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of
cooking to let the short ribs get deeper brown and let the sauce reduce. When done, the meat should be incredibly
tender but not falling apart. Serve over mashed potatoes with
the braising liquid.
I encountered just such a person several years back, and like a Taylor
Swift song, I'll never reveal the person's identity. What I can tell you
though, is he arrived at a potluck party with the one dish there that blew my
mind. "It's pastalone," he said. "It looks delicious.What is it?" I asked
curiously. "Puerto Rican lasagna," he explained. I had no idea there was such
a thing, but he had me at "Meat filling and cheese, layered with fried
plantains." I was the first person to go in for his dish. It was awesome. I
don't remember anything else that lined the buffet table that night, or even
what I brought to the party, but I couldn't get the pastalone out of my head.With my mouth still full, I asked him for the recipe. And
just like that...
He shut me down.
He eyed me as if I was asking for his social security number. "This is my
Nana's recipe," he said flatly."I don't give it out."
Oh. Okay.
I suddenly stopped shoveling the pastalone into my mouth and looked down at
the few remaining bites on my paper Dixie plate. Like a CSI agent I started sifting through the
evidence. I had to figure out what was in this dish.And so I did.I pushed
through it with my fork, inspecting each ingredient that I could see; the rest
was reliant on my sense of taste.Obsessive?Sure, but I wasn't about to let
this dish slip through my fingers.I had to have it.
Meanwhile, back in my home kitchen...
I reconstructed the recipe as best I could. Surprisingly, I came pretty
close with my first attempt. One more pass and I was confident I had recreated
Nana's recipe, maybe even improved on it a bit.
And now...
When I go to a potluck, this is the dish I bring. And when I go to
a potluck, this is the recipe I share.
Pastalone
(My version of Puerto Rican lasagna)
Serves
8
2 tablespoons olive
oil
½ large onion,
chopped
½ green bell pepper,
diced
3 cloves garlic,
minced
2 bay
leaves
1 1/3 pound ground
sirloin
1 teaspoon dried
oregano
Kosher salt &
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
½ cup green olives,
pitted and chopped
1/3 cup golden
raisins
Vegetable oil (to
fry plantains)
4 large ripe
plantains
1 tablespoon
unsalted butter, room temperature, for buttering dish
In a heavy bottom
skillet heat enough vegetable oil to make a ¼-inch depth over medium high
heat. Peel and slice the
plantains lengthwise into 1/4–inch strips (about 3 per plantain) and fry until
golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
Allow to drain on paper towels.
Preheat the oven to
350 degrees.
To assemble the
pastalone: butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking dish and lay
the plantains in a single layer along the bottom, cutting to fit if
necessary. Sprinkle one cup of the
cheese over the plantains and layer the meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the
meat and top with another layer of plantains.
Whisk the eggs and pour slowly over the pastalone allowing them to seep
into the meat mixture.
Bake uncovered
for 20 to 25 minutes until eggs are set and plantains are tender. Allow the pastalone to rest for 10 minutes
before slicing and serving.
In a medium bowl,
combine the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme and shallots. Whisk together
and slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and
pepper.
In a large bowl,
toss together the endive, frisee, arugula, mixed greens and apples and blue cheese with the
vinaigrette.
To serve, place
greens in center of a plate. Crumble cheese
over the top, sprinkle on the walnuts and pomegranate seeds.
I've had a long love affair with Butternut squash. There's something about it's almost psychedelic orange hue that signifies the arrival of autumn. I love it mashed. I love it roasted with brown sugar and butter. I love it in a creamy risotto. I love it in a soup. Yikes! I'm starting to sound like Dr. Seuss.
Only recently have I tried Butternut squash in a lasagna! Lasagna is another of my great loves, but the typical meat-laden version can be a bit heavy. What I love about this version is that it has an incredible lightness to it. Not light in calories, mind you, but light and airy in texture. The pureed squash marries perfectly with the tangy goat cheese and together they make four creamy layers cradled between five layers of delicate, fresh pasta.
Fresh pasta is key! I'm not suggesting you make your own. Even I don't have the patience for that, but it can be bought. I found these lasagna sheets at Whole Foods. They were surprisingly inexpensive and they are a game changer. This dish also freezes well, so if you're making one, you might as well make two and tuck the other one away for later. If you're anything like me, you'll take comfort in knowing that your love affair with Butternut squash is never more than a quick thaw away.
Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna with Goat Cheese,
Sage & Crispy Breadcrumbs
(Adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 6 to
8
1 large butternut
squash (about 3 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
4 medium cloves
garlic, unpeeled
2 sprigs fresh thyme
plus 2 teaspoons chopped leaves
Extra-virgin olive
oil
Kosher salt and
freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
2 sprigs fresh sage
plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves
¼ cup all-purpose
flour
3 cups whole milk
8 ounces crumbled
goat cheese
1 cup finely grated
Parmesan-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
¼ teaspoon freshly
grated nutmeg
¼ cup coarse panko
breadcrumbs
2 (11 ounce)
packages fresh lasagna sheets
Heat the oven to
425°.
Place the squash cut
side up on a large sheet pan. Place 2
garlic cloves and 1 sprig of thyme in each cavity. Drizzle squash with a bit of olive oil and
season with salt and pepper. Roast until
the squash is browned in spots and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1
hour. Remove from the oven and let cool
completely.
Discard the thyme
sprigs. Peel the garlic and place in the
bowl of a food processor. Scoop the
flesh of the squash from the skins and add it to the garlic, process in batches
until smooth. Season to taste with salt
and pepper.
Reduce the oven to
350°.
Melt 4 tablespoons
of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage sprigs and cook until the butter
is fragrant. Add the flour and whisk
until smooth and golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking
constantly, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10
minutes. Remove the sage sprigs and stir
in the goat cheese, ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, 1½ teaspoons salt and
1 teaspoon pepper. Set aside 1½ cups of
the cheese sauce and mix the rest into the mashed squash.
Melt the remaining 1
tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, chopped
sage, chopped thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the melted butter and toss to combine.
Bring a large pot of
water to a boil, season generously with salt.
Add the lasagna sheets and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Remember, fresh pasta cooks much faster than
dried. Drain and rinse under cold water
to cool; pat pasta dry.
Spread ½ cup of the
reserved cheese sauce over the bottom of a 9x13x3-inch baking dish. Cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping
layer of cooked pasta sheets, cutting them as needed to fill any gaps. Spread 1 cup of the squash mixture evenly over
the pasta. Add another layer of pasta
and repeat the layers as instructed above, to make a total of 4 squash layers
and 5 pasta layers. Spread the remaining
1 cup cheese sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and the
remaining ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking
dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is
browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before
serving.
Make Ahead
Tips:
You can make the
roasted squash mixture up to 1 day ahead of assembling the
lasagna.
You can assemble the
lasagna up to 2 days ahead of baking it. Tightly wrap the baking dish in plastic
and refrigerate it. Let the lasagna come to room temperature before
baking.
If you're looking for a twist on the traditional pumpkin pie, this is it! Cloud-like layers of pumpkin mousse and sweet ladyfingers. This dessert is light, creamy and perfectly spiced. The added bonus - it's so much easier than pumpkin pie!
Pumpkin Tiramisu
Serves
8
1½ cups cold heavy
cream
3/4 cup
sugar
1 teaspoon pure
vanilla
1 (8-ounce)
container mascarpone cheese*
1 (15-ounce) can
pure pumpkin (not pie filling)
½ teaspoon
cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly
grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground
cloves
24 savioardi
ladyfingers
¼ cup Kahlua
8 crushed amaretti
cookies*
Beat heavy cream,
sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese, pumpkin, cinnamon,
nutmeg and cloves; beat just until filling is smooth.
Line the bottom of
9-inch-diameter springform pan with 12 of the ladyfingers, overlapping and
crowding to fit. Brush with ½ the Kahlua.
Spread half of the filling over
ladyfingers.
Repeat with
remaining ladyfingers, remaining Kahlua, and remaining filling. Smooth the top and wrap tightly and chill
overnight.
To unmold, run a small, sharp knife
around inside edge of pan. Release pan
sides; sprinkle with amaretti cookies.
*Mascarpone cheese
(Italian cream cheese) and amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons) are available at
many supermarkets and Italian markets.
Private chef and cookbook author David Lawrence grew up in a house where the kitchen was always abuzz with activity. He learned early the simple pleasures of cooking and spent years assisting in his Mother’s kitchen, a woman he affectionately describes as a Martha Stewart incarnate, minus the chic poncho and clunky ankle bracelet! From then on David knew his mission was clear, he wanted to feed and entertain people.
David’s cookbook, Boy Eats World! A Private Chef Cooks Simple Gourmet, (Lake Isle Press) is all about having fun in the kitchen and demystifies cooking for the Atari generation. David’s humorous style and easy to follow recipes will help even the most timid cook feel like a kitchen rock star!