Happy Holidays

It's Food Day!

 

 

YES, IT'S A REAL THING. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement for healthy,
affordable, and sustainable food.

 

How do you plan on celebrating?

 

Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Orecchiette

    w/ Sausage & Broccoli Rabe a la Joy of Cooking

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

Months back, my friend Layth gave me a most thoughtful gift.  After speaking at length about the love of cooking and recipes and such, he gave me a copy of "Joy of Cooking", which is like the Bible of cooking.  I say this without the slightest hint at hyperbole, it is one the top 5 most thoughtful gifts I've received to date. 

To call this book a "cook book" would be an insult. And not just because it is probably the first book I've ever read the introductory pages to (including notes from Julia Child, co-author Ethan Becker and Acknowledgments).  The book opens with some history of the authors, the book and how the recipes have been updated (for today's standards) and re-tested and goes much further to speak about things like nutrition (and it's slanted importance over time), safety, table setting and parties, just to name a few.  In short, it has everything...including my fleeting attention.  I have trouble putting this sucker down sometimes.

I struggled picking the first recipe out of here that I wanted to try for the blog and would end up reading and flagging, reading and flagging.  Over and over I would do this on multiple dates where I ended up not deciding and doing one of my stand-by recipes.  What am I an idiot? 

So here it was, Sunday and I didn't want to just make my sauce, so I cracked open the book and picked a pasta.  One of my favorites: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 lb orecchiette
1 lb Italian sausage hot/spicy turkey sausage removed from casings
3 4 or 5 large cloves garlic diced
1/4 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large bunch broccoli rabe trimmed and chopped
salt
pepper
romano for sprinkling

Boil water and cook pasta as directed.  While your pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet and add sausage.  Brown your sausage and carefully salt and pepper to taste* and add your garlic and red pepper.  Mix in your broccoli rabe and cover.  Allow to cook for 10 minutes or so.

Add your cooked pasted to your pan and mix it up some.  Plate and top with some romano cheese.

Notes:

I have to admit, mine came out a little salty this first time.  I had never used the brand of turkey sausage I bought today and it was saltier to begin with then I had expected).  It wasn't the end of the world. 
I LOVE this dish and eat it all the time and am unsure why I have never made it as it is SO easy.

Tweaks:
I added more garlic and more crushed red pepper.  I like it hot!

Healthy Tweak:
I used turkey sausage instead of "regular" sausage or, as it is wonderfully used at one of our fav places, Bottino, boar sausage.  It's a little less fattening and a little lower in cholesterol.

Any suggestions?  e-mail me: theManicCheater@gmail.com

Fried Ravioli

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

I'm not feeling 100% today and I decided that I wanted to make some food that A) is easy to make and B) can be handled without passing any germs onto my bf.  Neither of us can be sick right now due to work (it's one of those crucial times for both of us) so I have to take precautions to contain anything even dancing on the precipice of illness.

So what better way to guarantee bacteria and germs are warded off?  Deep frying.  It kills everything. 

I chose to make a favorite dish that I have never made before: "Fried Ravs", as we used to say in our restaurants.  So easy that I should make these all the time.

Ingredients:

oil (canola, vegetable, etc...NOT olive oil)

1 cup buttermilk *see my cheat

2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs  **I don't have anby so I "made" some.
24 store-bought cheese ravioli

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 jar store bought marinara heated (no need for forgiveness, ma, I have some leftover home-made)

Either fill you deep fryer with new or reserved oil (I've mentioned before that I keep oils as long as they are re-usable: oil for fish for example should be used for fried chicken) or enough in a deep skillet to be 2" deep.  Heat it until it is 325°

While he oil heats, put the buttermilk mixture in one bowl and the breadcrumbs in another.  Dip each ravioli in the buttermilk and toss in the breadcrumbs to cover.  Make sure to allow your buttermilk to drip off, otherwise it will make your breadcrumbs clump and will make it harder to coat the ravioli as you go along.  Place your ravioli on a baking sheet.

When the oil is heated, fry the ravioli in batches (turning occasionally if using a pan) until they are golden.  Allow the oil to drip off when you remove your basket (for a deep fryer) or use a slotted spoon if using a pan and lie the ravioli on a paper towel to soak up excess oil.  Sprinkle with some grated cheese and serve with warm marinara and crunchy bread or my Prosciutto Bruschetta.

Notes: 

So easy and so good.

So unhealthy, even if I had used my home-made whole wheat breadcrumbs, but did I mention how good they are?

Does anyone else find it weird that I live in NYC and don;t have a cooling rack or room for a lot of pots but I have a deep fryer??

**I only had plain breadcrumbs from my clams francaise recipe, so I made them into Italian by adding 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 pinches of oregano.

Cheats:

*1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon lemon yields buttermilk substitute after it has had a chance to curdle (about 15mins).

I am not feeling well and I still haven't bought a new grater, so I did not freshly grate the parmesan.


Have recipes for me?  Send to : theManicCheater@gmail.com

Orange Soda Cupcakes

Verdict: Success
Neighbor-worthy

While joking around with neighbors about my brother's affinity for orange soda, I learned that my neighbor Grace is also a fan of flavored "pop", as my Rochester/Western NY readers would refer to it.  Referring to soda as "pop" not only annoys me to the core but it may be one of the top 10 reasons I moved to NYC.

In one of the many cook books I have bought in the last number of months, I came across a recipe for orange soda-flavored cupcakes and took that conversation as a sign of what my next kitchen endeavour should be.  The neighbors in question, GeFaan and Grace, are good buddies of mine and have been integral to my blog as recipients of many kitchen attempts.  They are 2 of neighbors who find little packages outside their doors when a recipe is deemed "neighbor-worthty".  This one ended up outside their door as one of the last treats they will get still warm from the oven as they are moving :(.  No worries, my kitchen will still send its love along with mine as we will be in touch.  Nonetheless, they will be missed and the floor will not be the same without them.  Enjoy guys.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1/3 cup butter softened

1 cup orange soda(pop)

2 eggs

powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners (or use the foil wrapped ones on a cookie sheet.)

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix the ingredients with a hand mixer (Low speed for 30 seconds, then Medium for 2 minutes.  Divide your batter amongst your cups and throw in the oven for 20-23 minutes.  Cool and top with powdered sugar.  Eat or pack for friends.

Notes:

Mmmm.  I hate orange soda but these are frickin' yummy.

Recipes?  Gimme.  Holiday recipes?  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Santa's Birthday are coming up... TheManicCheater@gmail.com

Baked Clams Francaise

 

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

The bf and I are so fond of this dish at one of our fave restaurants by our apartment (Moran's) but really have no idea how or why it is so good.  His mother makes the most incredible clams oreganata at Christmas every year that can't be topped--EXCEPT by these.  Thank goodness she doesn't do the internet otherwise she'd kill over that statement. 

This recipe was a complete guess as it isn't even listed as francaise dish at the restaurant but it has this wonderful lemon sauce incorporated in it that remains on the plate and begs for bread dipping.   So I am trying to incorporate this recipe for baked clams oreganata and tweaking it some--by using a stand-by francais sauce that I make--to try to come close to what we had just a few nights ago.  (It's that good that I'm already ready for it again).

Ingredients:
1 dozen little neck clams scrubbed
1 cup PLAIN breadcrumbs  (I used Italian breadcrumbs once and it ended coming out so salty we had to order out.)
2 cloves garlic cloves smashed and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cups chicken stock
+ 1/2 to 3/4 cups francais sauce (recipe below)

Francais Sauce:
1 tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper (plus more if necessary)
zest of one lemon
juice of two lemons (and 2 thinly sliced rings of lemon)
1/2 palmful fresh parsley leaves chopped
2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450° or turn your grill in High if you want to start there and go into your kitchen for the final step.

Do your francaise sauce first...Season some flour with the salt and pepper and set aside.  Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over High heat.  Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and whisk until the butter has melted.  Lower the heat to Medium.  Add the garlic, pepper flakes and the rest of your olive oil.  Add the flour and whisk for about a minute.  Add the wine and the stock and cook for another minute.  Add your zest and lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat and throw in the rest of the butter and whisk 'till it has melted. If the mixture hasn't thickened at this point, throw in a teaspoon of flour and whisk.  When you get the desire thickness add your parsley and your lemon rings and set aside.

Clams...Place the clams on your grill if you live in the suburbs or on a cookie sheet if in a city.  (City dwellers: put the sheet in the oven.)  Cook 'em till they start popping open.  Remove from heat and crank your broiler on and pry them open with something less than sharp--you can cut yourself doing this or shucking oysters and it's a downer.  Also look for chips on the ends, the little pieces can cut like glass. Tear off the top half of the clam shell and throw out.  Remove the clam from the shell and replace it in the reserved half shell. 

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.  Add the olive oil and mix well.  Add the measured francaise sauce until pretty wet. Pack each clam full of your breadcrumb mixture and pack down tightly.  Put the clams on the a cookie sheet, add a 1/2 cup of water to the pan and place it on the top rack in your oven.  Cook the clams until the crumbs start to pass golden and darken a little but KEEP YOUR EYE ON IT, you don't want them to burn.

Add the remaining francais sauce to a large plate and arrange your clams on top of the sauce.  Eat and dip some bread in the sauce when done....If you did this right, the plate should be completely dry after the meal.

Notes:
I like trying to duplicate recipes which is why I ran with this. The francaise approach can be skipped if you want to go simple.  Just skip that step and replace with the original chicken stock.

Tweaks:
The addition of the francaise sauce instead of the stock and practically altering the nature of the recipe is a pretty big tweak.
I dropped the chicken stock in the clam prep in favor of the francaise sauce.
I love me some Kosher salt but I keep forgetting to buy it so I used "regular".

Cheats:
I did not buy fresh oregano.  I already had to buy too much parsley for the recipe...I wasn't going to waste more money on another bushel for a pinch ingredient.

Injury:
I cut the my finger with a clam shard.  Just a little nick bled for about an hr.


Send me recipes and leave me comments please.  theManicCheater@gmail.com.   

Croque Monsieur w/ Healthy Tweaking

Verdict: (Read to see*)

Neighbor-worthy?*

Have you ever made a meal based on a recipe you found online?  Probably.  Ever try to repeat it only to fail locating it again?  I was there today.  The internet can be a bitch.  All the information in the world at your fingertips and the thing you want to find eludes you.

A while back I found a recipe that I followed for Croque Monsieur that was incredible.  Truth be told, it may not have been the recipe nor my skill (this was before I really dedicated myself to my kitchen, mind you) that made it so good.  It's engulfed in cheese.  You could cover a shoe in cheese and it'll still be tasty. 

I could not find that exact recipe so I tried this one and voilà (see what I did there?  French)....

BUT-here's the challenge and risk....can I tweak this to make it a little less fattening and more heart healthy without ruining the joy of this indulgent eat.....?

Ingredients(for a bunch):

2 tablespoons butter fake butter

3 4 tablespoons flour

2 cups hot milk (I used 1%)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

pinch nutmeg

3 cups gruyere grated (dear god do I want to use it, but in the name of the blog...) low-fat swiss chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

16 8 slices of white bread with crusts cut off

dijon mustard

8 oz baked Virginia low sodium ham

Pre-heat oven to 400°

Melt fake butter in a saucepan over Low heat and add all of your flour.  Stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.  Pour in your milk slowly and continue to stir while it cooks until it is thick.  Take the mixture off the heat and mix in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1/2 cup of the swiss and all of the parmesan and leave on side.

Lay out your bread on a baking sheet and throw in oven for 5 minutes.  Turn slices over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Brush the toast with some mustard, add a slice or 2 of the ham and sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining swiss.  Top with another piece of toast.  Douse the sandwich with the cheese

mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the swiss.  Bake the cheese-covered sandwiches for 5 more minutes.  Finish it up by turning the broiler on for 3-5 minutes--Keep an eye on it--DON'T BURN IT. 

Eat it.

*Notes:
This was indeed a success and worth sharing with neighbors.  The tweaks I made were in favor of healthy (heart healthy and waist-conscious) choices and to test how far I could push the envelop without completely abandoning taste.  This is (obviously) not as good as the "real" gruyere heavy recipe, but it was damn tasty!

Tweak:
I didn't make a million sandwiches.   (1,000,000=8)

Healthy Tweaks:
I used fake butter
I substituted low-fat swiss cheese slices, diced up, instead of gruyere
I found low-sodium ham...well, lowER sodium than what I typically would've used.

Cheat:
I did not use freshly grated parmesan.  My grater broke and I am too cheap to go buy a new one yet.  Oh, and I woulda been too lazy to do it after work anyhow.

Any cholesterol, fat heavy recipes I can play with?  Send 'em to me.  theManicCheater@gmail.com.