The Home Creamery (14 page)
Authors: Kathy Farrell-Kingsley
2.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the Madeira and simmer until almost all of the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, crème fraîche, and thyme. Stir in the remaining roasted mushrooms and mushroom purée. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
SERVES 6
CREAMY BROCCOLI-CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Homemade yogurt gives this soup a creamy consistency and great taste while keeping the calories down. If you prefer a chunkier consistency, don’t purée the soup all the way. Serve with crusty French bread.
2 cups broccoli florets (about 1 pound)
1 cup cauliflower florets (half of large head)
1 large all-purpose potato, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 (14½-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup milk
½ cup
HOMEMADE YOGURT (
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, plus additional for topping
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper
1.
Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, potato, onion, and 1 cup of the broth in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process (in batches if necessary) until smooth. Return the purée to the pan and add the remaining broth and milk. Whisk in the yogurt until blended. Stir in the thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until heated through; do not boil.
3.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with additional yogurt.
SERVES 4
CHILLED PEA SOUP
This classic is an English favorite. It’s the perfect refreshing dish for a hot summer day.
2 cups
HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK (
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, stirred well
4 cups shelled peas, plus more for garnish (about 4½ pounds in the pod)
⅛ teaspoon salt
10 fresh mint leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.
Bring the buttermilk to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add peas and salt. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring often so that the buttermilk does not boil.
2.
Transfer the peas and liquid to a blender, add the mint leaves, and process until puréed (hold the lid on firmly with a dishcloth).
3.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a large bowl; discard the solids. Place the bowl with the strained mixture inside a larger bowl full of ice water. Stir continuously until cool. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SERVES 4
POTATO PANCAKES WITH GOAT CHEESE
The addition of goat cheese turns this simple side dish into a satisfying lunch or dinner. To grate the potatoes, use a hand grater or a food processor fitted with the shredding disk to grate the potatoes.
4 roasted garlic cloves
4 russet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and grated
½ cup finely chopped scallions
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ounces)
HOMEMADE GOAT CHEESE (
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2 eggs, at room temperature ½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Combine the garlic, potatoes, scallions, flour, goat cheese, eggs, and salt in a large bowl and mix until blended.
2.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. For each pancake, spoon about ⅓ cup batter into the skillet and flatten slightly to about 4 inches in diameter. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp.
3.
Transfer the pancakes to paper towels to drain, then transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter and serve warm.
MAKES 8 TO 10
THE MAIN EVENT
Along with ease of preparation, these main-dish recipes highlight the great variety of flavors that cooking with fresh cheese and dairy products offers. I know from experience that good food needn’t take long to make — and in this chapter there’s nothing really time-consuming; just easy and delicious recipes.
Penne with Herbed Goat Cheese and Tomatoes
Grilled Steaks with Flavored Butters
Crab Cakes with Horseradish Cream
Broccoli Rabe and Ricotta Frittata
SPINACH LASAGNA ROLL-UPS
This recipe is easier and faster to make than traditional lasagna, but just as delicious.
16 dried lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (1 pound)
HOMEMADE RICOTTA (
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1 (16-ounce) package frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 ounces
HOMEMADE MOZZARELLA (
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1 egg
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1.
Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2.
Cook half of the lasagna noodles in the boiling water until al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon to a large bowl of cold water. Repeat with remaining noodles. Lay noodles flat on a kitchen towel and cover with plastic wrap.
3.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup of the onion mixture. Add the flour to the pan and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer
and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Spread ½ cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
4.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the reserved onion mixture, ricotta, spinach, and mozzarella in a food processor and pulse until well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the egg and pulse to blend.
5.
Spread about 3 tablespoons of spinach mixture over one noodle. Roll up firmly and place seam-side down in prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining noodles and filling. Spoon the remaining sauce over the lasagna rolls and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
6.
Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and golden. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
SERVES 8
BROCCOLI-STUFFED SHELLS
These pasta shells stuffed with broccoli, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil can be made ahead up to 1 day. Cover and refrigerate and bring to room temperature before baking. For a little extra flavor, try adding 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds to the filling. You can also substitute 4 cups of fresh spinach, lightly steamed, for the broccoli.
2 cups broccoli florets (from about 1 pound of broccoli)
24 jumbo pasta stuffing shells
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1¼ cups (10 ounces)
HOMEMADE RICOTTA (
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¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups homemade tomato sauce or 2 (26-ounce) jars prepared sauce
1.
Place broccoli in a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and steam broccoli until tender, about 10 minutes.
2.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add the pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold running water, and drain again. Pat dry with paper towels.
3.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Scrape onion mixture into bowl of food processor. Add the broccoli, basil, and lemon juice and process until broccoli is chopped finely. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and process to blend. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread half of the tomato sauce in a large, shallow baking dish. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling into each shell and arrange stuffed side up in the dish. Cover with the remaining sauce. Cover the casserole with foil and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese if desired.
SERVES 6 TO 8
PENNE WITH HERBED GOAT CHEESE AND TOMATOES
The herbed goat cheese gives this pasta dish a creamy sauce with lots of flavor. The recipe calls for penne, but it can also be made with pasta twists or bowties. I like to use whole-wheat pasta here; its nutty flavor pairs well with the tangy goat cheese sauce.
1 pound penne
1½ cups (12 ounces)
HERBED GOAT CHEESE (
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½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup pitted, sliced black olives
1.
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions; reserve ½ cup cooking water and drain.
2.
Return the pasta to pot and toss with the goat cheese and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Stir in tomatoes and olives and serve right away.
SERVES 4 TO 6
CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA
This satisfying pasta dish is simplicity itself. Keep the ingredients on hand so it can be assembled quickly during the week. It’s a great kid-friendly dish.
1½ pounds chicken cutlets
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces fusilli
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved