Bekah Kate’s Weblog

Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients
•    1 quart milk
•    2 bay leaves
•    1/2 cup unsalted butter
•    1/2 cup flour
•    Pinch salt and white pepper
•    4 garlic cloves, crushed
Directions
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and 1 bay leaf to a gentle simmer, stirring so it doesn’t scorch the bottom of the pan. Keep the milk on low heat.
Make a white roux by melting butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Do not allow to brown. Remove from heat, then gradually add a bit of the warm milk to the roux and whisk vigorously. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring up to a low simmer, continuing to add more milk and whisk. Cook for 5 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Check seasoning; add salt, white pepper, garlic and the remaining bay leaf.
To prevent a skin from forming as the sauce cools, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Crab Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
•    1 can white crab meat
•    1- 8oz pkg louis kemp chunk crab
•    4 cups béchamel sauce
•    4oz mascarpone cheese
•    4oz goat cheese
•    1# rigatoni pasta cooked
•    1 ½ cups fresh spinach chopped
•    2 tablespoons melted butter
•    ¾  cup of bread crumbs
•    ¼ cup wasabi peas crushed
•    Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauce pan, heat béchamel sauce. Do not allow to boil. When sauce is hot, add cheeses and stir till melted in. Remove sauce from heat and fold in spinach. Add salt and pepper if needed. In a large bowl, mix the crab and cooked pasta together. Be sure not to break the crab up too much. Next add sauce to pasta and crab mixture. Pour casserole into greased desired baking dish. Mix wasabi peas, bread crumbs, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over casserole and bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot in the center.

Gorgonzola Mac N Cheese

Ingredients
•    1# small pasta shells cooked
•     1 cup crumbled gorgonzola
•    4 cups béchamel sauce
•    4oz pancetta or thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
•    ½ cup bread crumbs
•    2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
•    Salt and Pepper to taste
•    2 tablespoons butter melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat béchamel in a sauce pan and add fresh thyme, crispy pancetta, truffle salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, fold together crumbled gorgonzola and pasta. Be sure not to break up the gorgonzola too much. Add the sauce to the pasta mixture. Pour mac n cheese into greased casserole dish. Mix the melted butter and bread crumbs together. Season topping with salt and pepper. Sprinkle bread crumbs over casserole. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot in the center.

Truffled Tater Tot Hot Dish

Ingredients
•    1# cooked stew meat or leftover pot roast
•     6oz haricot vert or French green beans (frozen)
•    4 cups béchamel sauce
•    8oz mixed mushrooms
•    1 pkg tater tots
•    2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
•    1teaspoon truffle salt (can substitute truffle oil)
•    Salt and Pepper to taste
•    3 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Sliced the mushrooms and add to the pan. When mushrooms are ¾ of the way cooked, add béchamel sauce, truffle salt and fresh thyme. Stir and allow sauce to heat up and mushrooms to finish cooking. In another pan, heat meat in a small amount of the cooking liquid or broth.
When oven is done preheating, cook tater tots according to package. In a sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cook haricot vert. Salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to leave them al dente.
When tater tots have finished cooking, place a few green beans on each plate. Next top each plate with some of the hot meat, mushroom sauce and finally cooked tater tots.

~You can also layer all ingredients in a casserole and serve family style if you would like.

LAMB RAGU WITH CAVATAPPI                                     Serves 4
 
 
Meat Sauce
2T extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb. lean lamb or beef, ground
½ c red wine
1c beef stock
3T tomato paste
2t cinnamon, ground
1T fresh mint, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
 
½ lb. cavatappi or any tubular dried pasta such as, penne or elbow.
 
In a large skillet, heat oil.  Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute or so until garlic is cooked but not browned.   Increase heat and add meat.  Cook until browned.  Remove meat from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Drain fat from skillet.  Put meat back into pan and add the wine.  Cook over high heat for 1 minute or until it is nearly evaporated.  Add the stock, tomato paste, mint, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thickened. 
 
Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.  Drain.
 
Add the pasta to the ragu and toss until meat sauce is incorporated. 
 
Serve with a Greek style salad.
 
 
CHICKEN CUTLETS with Spicy White Beans & Kale                             Serves 4
 
 
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally
4 T all purpose flour
Sea salt and black pepper
½ c extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 c diced onion
4t all purpose flour
2t fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 ½ c chicken broth
2 cans (15oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 c kale leaves, stemmed and sliced
1 ½ t chili garlic sauce or to taste
2 T chopped fresh parsley
 
 
Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap until each piece is 1/8 inch thick.  Stir together the 4T of flour seasoned with salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
 
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. 
 
Dredge cutlets in flour mixture and shake off the excess.  Heat 4T of oil in pan and sauté chicken cutlets until they are browned, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer to a warm plate cover with foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
 
In the same pan, sauté onion in remaining 4T of oil over medium high heat until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the 4t of flour and rosemary; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
 
Deglaze the pan with the broth, bringing the liquid to a boil and cooking until mixture is slightly thickened. 
 
Stir in the beans, kale and chili garlic sauce; cook until kale is wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.
 
Serve with cutlets.
 
 
GAMBERI IN GUAZZETTO                                                           Serves 4
Prawns in White Wine
 
 
 
 
1 lb. large prawns
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1 T Italian flat leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ c dry white wine
1 t lemon zest
Pinch of salt
 
 
 
Wash and de-vein the prawns, leaving the shells on.  If using frozen prawns, buy uncooked, de-vein and rinse well under cold water.
 
 
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Add the prawns and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side, turning the prawns only once.
 
 
Add the chopped parsley, minced garlic, white wine, lemon zest, and salt.  Continue to sauté over low heat for 5 minutes or until prawns turn bright pink and are opaque.
 
 
DO NOT OVERCOOK OR PRAWNS WILL BECOME TOUGH!
 
 
Serve immediately with rice or noodles dressed with pesto paired with a simple steamed vegetable or salad.

Almost No-Knead Bread from Cook’s Illustrated
Published: January 1, 2008
Makes 1 large round loaf

An enameled cast-iron Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid yields best results, but the recipe also works in a regular cast- iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot. (See the related information in “Making Your Dutch Oven Safe for High-Heat Baking” for information on converting Dutch oven handles to work safely in a hot oven.) Use a mild-flavored lager, such as Budweiser (mild non-alcoholic lager also works). The bread is best eaten the day it is baked but can be wrapped in aluminum foil and stored in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days.
INGREDIENTS

3      cups  unbleached all-purpose flour (15 ounces), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4      teaspoon  instant or rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2      teaspoons  table salt
3/4      cup plus 2 tablespoons  water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4      cup plus 2 tablespoons  mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1      tablespoon  white vinegar

1. Whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. Add water, beer, and vinegar. Using rubber spatula, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.
2. Lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. Shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. Transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. Carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. Pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). Cover pot and place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Transferring dough to a preheated Dutch oven to bake can be tricky. To avoid burnt fingers and help the dough hold its shape, we came up with a novel solution: Let the dough rise in a skillet (its shallow depth makes it better than a bowl) that’s been lined with greased parchment paper, then use the paper’s edges to pick up the dough and lower it into the Dutch oven. The bread remains on the parchment paper as it bakes.

Dutch Baby Pancake

3T Butter
3 Lg Eggs
¾ Cup whole milk
½ Cup Flour
¼ t salt
½ t vanilla
¼ cup sugar
1T lemon juice

-Melt 2T butter in Le Creuset Braiser Pan.  Set aside.

- In blender combine: eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and sugar.  Blend until foamy, about 1 min.  Pour batter into skillet, bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned.

-Quickly dot with butter, sprinkle 1T sugar and 1T lemon juice and serve immediately.

-Slice into wedges.

Frittata

8 Lg eggs (beaten well)
6 med sized potatoes (peeled and sliced in thin ¼ in circles, about 4 cups)
3 T c green onions or chives
½ C ham, diced (Can substitute bacon, chorizo, prosciutto or sausage or leave out meat)
1/3 C milk (2% or whole)
1/3 C onions (finely chopped)
1 C Parmesan or Asiago Cheese (freshly grated)
2 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

~Par boil potatoes by either placing them sliced in a bowl of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or boil them on the stovetop.  You don’t want them too soft.
~Beat Eggs and milk together and salt and pepper well.
~Heat oil in Le Creuset Braiser Pan over medium high heat.  Turn oven onto low broil.
~Lightly sauté onions and meat together.
~Pour in potatoes and blend well with meat and onions, Turn heat down to Medium-low Cover and let stand 3-4 min.
~Stir potatoes.  Pour Egg mixture into pan.  Cover for 3 minutes.  Mixture should be almost completely set.
~Sprinkle Cheese and chives on top and broil until firmly set and nicely browned.
~Cut into wedges and serve.  Serve with nice crunchy toast.
~Can be served hot, cold or room temp.  Can be eaten for breakfast lunch or dinner!