Spaghetti Squash Calzone

This recipe was inspired by two recipes in the Moosewood Cookbook that happened to be on adjacent pages.

For the dough: Soften 1.5t dry yeast, 1T honey and 1 C warm water. In a separate bowl combine 1.5t salt, 2.5-3C flour (I used 1.5C whole-wheat and 1C bread flour). Add the water mixture to the flour along with 1/2t olive oil and knead for 10-15min. Cover, and place in a warm place until double in size (1hr). This makes 4 large/6 small calzones.

For the filling: Microwave 1 small spaghetti squash until soft, ~6min. Once cooled, scoop out squash and puree in food processor. Place in colander to drain. Gently press to push out excess water. Saute 1 small onion chopped, 1-2 cloves garlic, and mushrooms until nearly cooked. Add fresh spinach until just welted. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2C ricotta, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and any combination of (oregano, basil, thyme and parsley). Add the squash and stir.

Preparing the calzones: Roll dough into rounds 1/4in thick on a surface lightly floured with cornmeal. Fill one half of the center with filling leaving a 1/2in rim. Moisten rim with water and fold the empty side over. Crimp the edges with a fork and prick the calzone a few times. Bake at 450 on an oiled pan for 15 min.

Serve with warm marinara sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Make the dough in the morning or the night before and refrigerate it during the day. The filling and baking only takes about 30min! Provecho!

Spaghetti Squash Delight!

This was a yummy side dish. We had goat cheese and used it instead of the feta, but it could have used the saltiness so we would suggest no substitutes for the cheese. Jason found the recipe on allrecipes.com. We served it with a delicious maple syrup pork chops (recipe follows the squash) which we found on simplyrecipes.com.

Spaghetti Squash Mediterranean Style

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Vermont Maple Syrup Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 6 pork chops (we used only 2 but kept most of the flavorings the same quantity and they were juicy!)
  
• Oil as needed for browning
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp apple cider or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt to taste
• Flour as needed to thicken the gravy

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly brown the pork chops in a small amount of oil, then place them in a flat baking dish with sides.

2 Combine the other ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until warm; pour over chops. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, basting occasionally.

3 Place the pork chops on a warming platter and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Thicken it slightly with flour to make a gravy, salt to taste, and serve it over the chops.

Spaghetti Squash it is...

Hey guys,

Since Jason came to visit this weekend, we jumped on the opportunity to pick the ingredient of the month and cook it....so here it is...
Spaghetti Squash!

Stringy and yummy...can't beat it.

Katie

Lemon Lemon

Sachin and I invented two and a half recipes for this month...inspired by lemons and available produce at our Farmer's Market. We went to the market with a recipe for Soba noodles with pea shoots, lemon, shitake and etc, but they didn't have all the needed ingredients, so we invented this instead.

Lemon Hibiscus Herbal Tea & two variations on Asparagus, Pea Shoot, and Lemon Papardelle












Lemon Hibiscus Herbal Tea

This is a serious recommendation to try out and enjoy. Barefoot Contessa has a similar recipe that we used for inspiration. The tea will replace soda and canned beverages in our house for the summer and has inspired us to try variations on the herbal tea/fruit/sparkling water beverage. It is low cost, low packaging, low calorie, and no caffeine. I take it to work in old glass bottles from Tazo tea or nantucket nectar that I reuse.

Ingredients:
Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger (so fun to say) and Red Zinger
Boiling Water
Lemons and or Limes, 2 to 4
Sparkling Water, cold
Sweetener to Taste--we used Agave Nectar on one batch which was unbelievably sweet and quick dissolving. honey for the other. superfine sugar would probably work fine too.

Directions:
Boil water, brew a strong tea with half lemon and half red zinger tea bags. Let cool.
Add juice of 2-4 lemons/limes to taste and throw in the peels.
Fill glasses with ice and then add tea until 1/2 full.
Top off with sparkling water, sweetener to taste, and slice of lemon to garnish. and maybe some mint if its in season!


Papardelle Pasta with Pea Shoots, Asparagus, Lemon and _______ (you choose--Parmesan or ricotta)
This is simple and fresh for an easy but elegant and healthy dinner.

Ingredients
Pasta--your pick. we got fresh papardelle pasta, it was unreal.
Pea Shoots--I think any delicate flavored green leaf would work here.
Asparagus, a handful per person
Lemon Zest, to taste its a small amount, but in this delicate dish it really stands out!
Shallot, minced--about 1 shallot or 1-2 Tbsp. per 2 servings
Olive oil, Salt, Pepper, reserved pasta water.
and
Parmesan, grated
OR
Ricotta, whole milk, 2 TBSP per person.

Directions
Boil salted water for pasta. Cook pasta to al dente with an attempt to have it ready just as the veggies will finish. Reserve at least 1/4 cup of pasta water per person when you strain it.
Wash and trim asparagus ends. The chop roughly into 1-2" pieces. Blanch for a few minutes in boiling water until bright green and not yet completely cooked. Rinse in ice cold water to stop cooking.
Mince shallots and cook till over medium low heat in skillet with a swirl of olive oil until translucent. Don't brown.
Add washed and trimmed, roughly chopped pea shoots to skillet and cook until leaves are wilting. Add asparagus back to skillet for the last few minutes. Take off heat.
Ricotta option: Add 2 TBSP of ricotta to a small cup with lemon zest and 1-2 Tbsp of hot pasta water. Mix to form thinner paste. Mix into a pasta bowl with pasta and vegetables. Garnish with zest and black pepper.
Parmesan option: Pour pasta and vegetables into pasta bowls for serving. Cover with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper.



Can't wait to see everybody in Atlanta!!!

Lemon Lemon Lemon!

Katie and I made some wonderful lemon treats a few weeks back when I was visiting her in Reno. First, we made an Asian fish recipe cooked in fish sauce with plenty of lemon added to it. We served it on a bed of jasmine rice with some vegetables.


Then we made some incredible lemon curd, using this recipe: http://video.about.com/americanfood/Lemon-Curd.htm A very helpful video from Chef John Mitzewich.

Then we used the lemon curd in a lemon mousse recipe from the Barefoot Contessa's book: Back to Basics.

Ingredients

3 extra-large whole eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
Kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good bottled lemon curd, at room temperature
Sweetened Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Sliced lemon, for garnish

Procedure

1. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is thick like pudding. (I whisk when the mixture starts to get thick.) Take off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes.

3.Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until completely chilled.

4. Place half the egg whites and a pinch of salt in the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed.

5. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny.

6. Carefully fold whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula.

7. Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.

8. Carefully fold whipped cream into the lemon mixture.

9. Fold in the lemon curd and pour into a 7-inch-diameter, 3-inch-deep souffle dish. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices that have been cut into quarters. Chill and serve cold.
Sweetened Whipped Cream
Ingredients

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Procedure

1. Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium and then high speed until the cream just forms stiff peaks.

2. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Plan on the whole thing taking about 1.5 days. It wasn't a lot of work, but it takes some time for the various stages to set/harden up in the fridge. We found the lemon mousse and lemon curd recipes to be absolutely fabulous. I'll add some pictures shortly.


It was great seeing everyone in Boston!

The Most Deliquent Couple

We've made a few good things and a few not so good things....

Blood Orange Month:

pretty, but pretty much not that tasty: blood orange roast pork.

the blood orange, arugula, and blue cheese salad was tasty, easy, and would do it again.

Hazelnut Month:

hazelnut pesto

good enough to share the recipe.

1 c hazelnuts, roasted and skins removed.

2c packed flat fresh leaf parsley, washed and dried.

2 large garlic cloves

3/4c olive oil

2 TBPS hazelnut oil (who finds this stuff?)

black pepper and salt to taste.

Blend the above in a cuisinart and pour over fresh pasta. fast and easy. yum.

Email Notification

Hey everyone,
There's no way to make the site inform you of when someone posts. So I would suggest the following: after you post someone and view the blog you'll see a little letter icon beneath your post. This will enable you to email the post out to people (I believe you can create an address book). Then we'll all know that someone posted.
jason

Charles and I finally made our recipe for Hazlenuts. We chose this recipe for scones. They were super easy and quick to make. Overall turned out pretty good. Would definitely make again. Hopefully we'll get the lemon recipe posted on time.

Hazelnut Scones
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, husked, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1Preheat oven to 400°.
2Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl.
3Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4Stir in nuts.
5Whisk milk, sour cream, egg and vanilla in medium bowl; set aside 1 1/2 Tbsp for glaze.
6Make well in center of dry ingredients; add remaining milk mixture.
7Stir just until dough forms.
8Let stand for 3 minutes.
9Turn out onto floured surface.
10Using floured hands, knead gently until dough comes together.
11Pat into 7 1/2-inch round.
12Using sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges; brush with glaze.
13Sprinkle with sugar. Transfer wedges to baking sheet spacing apart.
14Bake scones until golden and crusty for about 20 minutes.
15Transfer to wire rack and cool slightly. Serve warm.

April-May Ingredient of the Month

Well, I'm not sure our blog is going to make it. My feeling is that it's going to fade away, but for those of you still contributing here's the ingredient for the next 1.5 months: LEMON. You can use it any way you want BUT one of your dishes must be Asian-inspired. Good luck. In the unlikely event that several recipes are posted within the next two weeks then we can do a separate ingredient for May.

A Romesco Sauce of Sorts

Makes: 3-4 servings Total Time: 10min

What you need:
1 slice firm white bread, toasted
7oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
¼ C roasted, shelled hazelnuts
1 large garlic clove
½ C reduced sodium chicken broth
¼ C extra virgin olive oil
1 t. red wine vinegar
¾ t. salt
¼ t. hot red pepper flakes
10oz frozen spinach

What to do:
Thaw and drain spinach; set aside. Tear toast into pieces and blend in food processor with red peppers, hazelnuts, garlic, broth, oil, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes until smooth or desired consistency. Transfer sauce to a 12-inch heavy skillet. Add spinach and bring to a simmer. Add water (pasta water if applicable) to sauce as needed.

Gustavo and I made this delicious sauce and served it with veggie sausages over pasta. I imagine that it would also be tasty with fish, roasted vegetables, or spread on a baguette. It is ridiculously simple and fast to make.

I adapted this recipe from the original, Gourmet March 2006, which called for almonds instead of hazelnuts and peas instead of spinach.

Hazelnut Romesco with Oregano Vinaigrette on Pork Loin

Katie and I made our first hazelnut recipe together in Reno! The company was fantastic! but the food was mediocre at best. I guess I am not a fan of hazelnuts as an entree flavoring. We made a hazelnut romesco to go on grilled pork loins; you can search for the recipe at www.foodnetwork.com, but I wouldn't bother. The basic romesco ingredients included olive oil, garlic, red bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, red wine, hazelnuts, honey and S&P to taste. These get sauted and tossed in the food processor, and then spooned (consistency of cold mashed potatoes) onto the grilled pork with the vinaigrette (vinegar, mustard, honey, shallots, oregano, and S&P). It wasn't bad, but it just wasn't good either. We also made a nice salad and used the combined sauces as a dressing. We would not recommend this dish. I am anxious to see the other Hill's creations with hazelnuts. We did find some chocolate-covered hazelnuts flavored with chipotle at Trader Joe's though!

ANNOUNCING THE FEBRUARY-MARCH INGREDIENT!!!!

(drum roll and the silver dome is lifted off the plate.....)

In recognition of a tasty treat in Roma and Momma Jinx's request for a dessert-friendly ingredient, I would like to inform you that the ingredient of the month is

hazelnut = filbert = cobnut Notes: Hazelnuts have a crunchy texture and an appealing flavor that goes especially well with chocolate. Unshelled nuts show up in the produce department of larger supermarkets in the fall and winter. Shelled nuts are available year-round near the baking supplies. Before you use them, toast shelled hazelnuts in a 325° oven for ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. As soon a you take them from the oven, rub the nuts vigorously with a towel to remove their bitter brown skins.

What is the New Ingredient?

Shoot the month is already 1/2 over. We need the new ingredient. do we have suggestions? I might have a couple.

ok so I tried this tart- the crust is not flakey enough and you have to be real careful making the caramel sauce or it burns- PU---it tasted ok but did not serve pretty so i give it a 1 out of 4 and my tart looked really good- I just have to figure out how to get a picture on to the blog page- help all you computer GURUs! can't wait for the next months surprise ingredient cuz I have WIN club and have to impress the ladies.

Bon Appétit | January 2002

user rating

92% would make it again

user rating:
3½ forks

more resources

Food Dictionary Wine Dictionary cooking videos

enlarge image

yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

If you can't find blood oranges in your supermarket, you can substitute regular navel oranges in both the tart and the Orange Caramel Sauce.

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Ingredients

Orange curd

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh blood orange juice
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon grated blood orange peel
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, room temperature

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 large egg yolk

• 8 blood oranges
• Orange Caramel Sauce

Preparation

For orange curd:
Whisk sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, and orange peel in medium metal bowl to blend. Add butter; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until curd thickens and instant-read thermometer inserted into curd registers 175°F, about 12 minutes (do not boil). Remove bowl from over water. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd; chill at least 1 day and up to 3 days.

For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and cut in, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and egg yolk and process until dough clumps together. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Fold dough overhang in and press onto pan sides, forming double-thick sides. Pierce crust all over with fork; freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on rack. Spread curd evenly in cooled crust. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments. Transfer segments to paper towels and pat dry. Arrange orange segments in concentric circles atop orange curd. Chill tart up to 1 hour.

Remove pan sides. Cut tart into wedges. Drizzle lightly with Orange Caramel Sauce and serve.

add your own note

Blood Orange Salsa atop Mahi-Mahi with a salad

Mahi-Mahi with Blood Orange, Avocado, and Red Onion Salsa

• 3 blood oranges
• 1 cup 1/3-inch cubes avocado (2 avocados)
  
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced red jalapeño
• Juice of 2 fresh limes
• Salt
  

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets...or 2-3 and you will have extra salsa

• 1 cup of rice...I used Basmati

Preparation:

Put the rice on to cook.

Make the salad and dressing (see below)

Peel the oranges. Using small sharp knife, cut/peel white pith from orange. Working over small bowl, cut between membranes and peal the skin from the wedges. Add avocado, onion, jalapeño, and lime juice to oranges in bowl; stir gently to blend. Season salsa to taste with salt.

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to skillet and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Place fillet on its own plate. Spoon salsa atop fish and serve.

I served it with a green salad filled with veggies and dried cranberries topped with Blood Orange Vinaigrette which is yummy on the rice too.

Blood Orange Sherry Vinaigrette

• 2 small blood oranges
• 1 medium shallot, minced 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar...I used apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  

Preparation:

Juice and strain the blood oranges. Measure 1/4 cup of juice. I put the pulp in the salsa.

In a medium bowl, whisk the juice with the shallots and the sherry vinegar; season with salt and pepper to taste and let the mixture marinate for 10 minutes.

Whisk in the olive oil to taste. Add more olive oil if the vinaigrette is too acidic for your palette. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

I got the salsa recipe from www.epicurious.com and the vinaigrette recipe from
http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0506a.htm

I forgot to take pictures...but these are colorful and delicious.

Blood Orange Punch

Hey Guys,

So this might not be the winner for most inventive, however it was fairly good and super easy to make. Julie and I had Jenny and Alex Bonzer over on Friday. After a nice dinner at Splash, we capped the evening with this little doozie.

Juice from 6 blood oranges.

One Bottle Sparkling White Wine

One small bottle of Oragina

Add Bacardi to your desire (or leave it out altogether) The recipe I was working from suggested a cup.

If I was making this punch again, I would think more Orangina.

Blood Orange Pie

Alright! The lighting is awful, but the pie was outstanding and easy to make.

1/2 cup fresh squeeze orange juice
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 to 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest, divided
5 egg yolks
2 TBSP of chopped blood orange pulp

I got this recipe from www.seriouseats.com. Whisk sweetened condensed milk with the egg yolks. Whisk in Mascarpone cheese. Stir in whipping cream, orange juice and lemon juice. Stir in 1 teaspoons orange zest (save the remainder to put on top after baking), and cut-up pieces of the blood orange pulp. Pour into a prepared crust (see below) and bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes.

For the crust I made my own lemon cookie crust.

1 1/2 cups of finely ground lemon cookies.

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons of melted butter

I ground up 2 packages of lemon cookies with a rolling pin and then hand-mixed everything together for 20-30 seconds. Then bake at 375 degrees F for 5-7 minutes. So this crust actually gets baked twice. Once empty, and once with all the filling. Let the pie cool in the fridge for 1 hour before service. Decorate top of pie with blood orange sections before serving and sprinkle with zest. I ran out of cookie grounds so I couldn't extend the crust around the flat part of the pie plate. Enjoy!

Esti's Beantown Creation

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad
inspired by Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home


Essentially the picture at left is what you are trying to make: a refreshing and zingy salad.

2 fennel bulbs
4 blood oranges
juice of 1 lemon
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Remove the feathery leaves and stalks of the fennel. Slice each fennel bulb crosswise into thin slices. If the slices are too wide to be bite-sized, cut them in half. Cut thin slices of the oranges to form round discs. Place fennel and orange into a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil, and the salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve.

Note: I didn't follow the slicing guidelines above when I made it (note photo), but am recommending them.

Here's another photo of the dinner that Elizabeth and I made (bake tofu in almond meal, brown rice, and sauteed veggies). The salad was a lovely accompaniment.

I think we may need to consider creating some kind of rating scale considering such factors as preparation time, chilling/cook time, total time, healthiness, uniqueness, affordability, tastiness, presentation, or whatever. This recipe is pretty tasty and obviously simple. Try it!

Julie and I are hoping to get this recipe done. We are running out of time and Julie is out of town this weekend at a funeral. Can I apply for an extension?

Welcome Hill Family

Our first family blog! You should have each received an email invite and you'll all have power to publish posts and to edit the look of things if you want. We can post pictures and links to recipes here. I will shortly get us started.