Chicken Polpettine in Spicy-Garlic Tomato Sugo over Smoky Cannellini Beans with Escarole

This recipe came to me after I had already made a lovely pot of smoky Cannellini beans.  The beans alone could have served as a hearty if not somewhat boring meal, (or pasta e fagioli).  However, I am no longer allowed to make pasta e fagioli for my husband and kids.  The comforting dish which practically occupied its own tier of the food pyramid in my Italian family has been outlawed in my own household.  

It would seem that I played that song one too many times for my captive audience.  On the last occasion I prepared pasta e fagioli, I believe my 12 year old said, "I would rather listen to Disney's "it's a small world", relentlessly, rather than eat another bite!"  Point taken.  

In an attempt to a least salvage the glorious beans which are the underpinning, I reworked the culinary equation to look like this: 

pasta e fagioli  + escarole - pasta + chicken polpettine (meatballs) = approval!  

And guess what?  The recipe got healthier in the process with the addition of lean protein, greens, tomatoes, and removal of the starch laden pasta.

Smoky Cannellini Beans with Escarole
1 pound dried Cannellini or Great Northern beans, soaked overnight
5 quarts chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
1/4 cup high-phenol, Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 small onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf torn 
2 heads of escarole, torn
2 smoked turkey wings or 1 tablespoon sweet or hot Spanish smoked paprika
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a heavy 8+ quart stock pot over medium heat saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent.  Add the garlic and paprika (if using) saute for another minute.  Add the stock, turkey wings (if using), beans, and bay leaf.  Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, add the escarole during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Meanwhile, make the polpettine...

Chicken Polpettine   
2 pounds lean ground chicken or turkey
2 sliced of white or french bread
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup super fresh, high phenol Ultra Premium Olive Oil

Soak the bread in the milk.  In a large mixing bowl combine the ground poultry, onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper. Squeeze the soaked bread of excess milk and add to the bowl.  Mix the contents thoroughly and portion out 1" diameter meatballs. (I like to use a small cookie dough scoop here) 

Heat a large skillet over medium -high heat.  Brown the meatballs in batches until golden, and set aside.  

Sugo
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons  super fresh, high phenol Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon dried oregano
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste 

Drain all but a small amount of the oil from the skillet used to brown the meatballs.  Place over medium heat and add fresh olive oil.  Add the garlic and chili flakes.  Saute for a minute being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the white wine and scrape up any browned bits adhering to the bottom of the pan from the meatballs.  Reduce the liquid by half and then add the tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and reserved meat balls. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

To serve this dish as pictured above. Ladle the beans on to a plate and top with a scoop of meatballs and sauce.      

Makes 6 hearty portions 

Chicken Saltimbocca... With Creative Liberties

This is actually a mash-up of Chicken Saltimbocca with Chicken Piccata.

4 - boneless skinless, preferably free-range chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to 1/4" thick
4 pieces of thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
1/2 cup really good quality, super fresh, high oleic, low FFA, high phenol extra virgin olive oil with a throaty-peppery kick (400+ smoke point)

Heat olvie oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Lay each breast out flat and lay a piece of cheese on each breast.  Roll as tightly as possible.  Being careful not to   unroll each breast, dredge in flour.

Add the breasts to the hot oil until golden-brown on all sides, once again turning carefully so as not to unroll the breasts.  (Some cheese may ooze out of the ends of the roll and this is o.k. as long as it doesn't begin to burn in the oil)

Once the breasts are golden brown, and  have cooked through (about 5 minutes per side) and have lost their pinkness, remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Drain off all but a couple tablespoons of olive oil from the pan.  Place back over medium-high heat and add the shallot. Saute for approximately two minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the garlic, saute for another minute, then add the wine, continuing to scrape up any frond from the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken stock and capers, continue to simmer until the sauce is reduced by half and slightly thickened.  Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and fresh ground pepper if desired. Add the breasts back to the pan, spooning sauce over the tops, to warm for another minute, and then serve sprinkled with flat leaf parsley over polenta or pasta, if desired.  

Serves 4

Rub Some Vermont Maple Cured Apple Wood Smoked Bacon On It

Caramelized Wild Mushroom Ragu over Pecorino Polenta with Truffled Mascarpone

Polenta
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dried polenta
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a simmerin a heavy 6+ quart pot.  Slowly whisk in the polenta.  Cook on low stirring frequently for approximately 25-30 minutes.  Remove from heat an stir in the cheese and olive oil.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired.

Wild Mushroom Ragu
3 cups assorted fresh wild mushrooms such as oyster, shitake, cremini, etc. wiped clean, tough stems removed
2 tablespoons Certified Ultra Premium Organic California Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine (I used extra dry Prosecco)
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

While the polenta is cooking, heat the extra virgin over medium-high in a large 12" saute pan. Add clean, dry mushrooms to the pan.  Cook until the mushrooms caramelize and become crusty golden-brown.  Add the shallot, and saute for two minutes, add the garlic and saute for a minute.  Add the wine and cook scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduced by half.  Add the stock and cook until reduced by half.  Taste and adjust with salt and fresh pepper if desired.

Truffled Mascarpone

1/2 cup mascarpone
1 teaspoon white truffle oil


Stir the truffle oil in to the mascarpone.

Serve the wild mushroom ragu over the hot polenta.  Add a dollop of the truffled mascarpone, a sprinkle of pecorino cheese, and a pinch of minced parsley.

Serves 4-6

Smoked Muscovy Duck Breast Salad on Caramelized Onion-Pignioli Sfincione

Cream Puffs With Pete's Coffee Arabian Mocha-Java & Dagoba Chocolate Ganache

Indecent...  that is all.

Cream Puffs
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Heat the water, butter, and salt in a 2 quart sauce pan until it reaches a simmer.  Remove from heat and add the flour mixing vigorously until no dry spots remain.  Add the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium-low speed, adding an egg at a time until incorporated thoroughly.  The batter will be glossy.

Pipe or scoop the batter in to teaspoon-sized mounds on the parchment.  Bake for 20 minutes until uniformly golden brown, light, and seemingly hollow inside.  Cool, split, and fill with Chantilly cream, and brush or drizzle with mocha-chocolate ganache, if desired.


Mocha-Chocolate Ganache
1/4 cup freshly roasted coffee beans, ground for drip
1/2 cup cream, heated almost to a simmer
1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped in to pieces or chips

Place the chocolate in a medium-sized heat proof bowl.  Place the ground coffee in to a separate medium-sized heat proof bowl.  Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer. Pour the steaming hot cream over the ground coffee and allow to steep for a minute while stirring.  Using a fine mesh coffee filter, or paper filter in a colander set over the bowl with the chocolate, pour the cream and grounds in to the filter.  Allow the the hot mocha cream to melt the chocolate for one minute, and then stir to smooth out the ganache until no lumps remain. Cool slightly and then drizzle or brush over the cream puffs.

Chantilly Cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until medium peaks form.

Slow Roasted Golden Beet & Tangerine Salad Over Baby Arugula with Blue Cheese & Olio Nuovo-Citrus Vinaigrette

The sweet earthiness of the golden beets, along with the salty blue cheese, nutty arugula, tangy tangerines, and pungent olio nuovo olive oil make this salad a virtual party in your mouth.  Beyond that, the impeccably fresh seasonal ingredients are visually arresting, and resemble a ray of golden sunshine on the plate.

Ingredients

4 cups baby arugula

3 medium sized golden beets

2  medium Satsuma Tangerines, 1 peeled and divided in to segments, the other juiced

1 tablespoon white balsamic

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon Peppery Olio Nuovo Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup good quality, crumbled blue cheese

Sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup Tarragon Olive Oil Croutons (see recipe below) - or store bought croutons

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.  Scrub the beets removing any debris, roots and green parts.  Place the beets on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fully enclose the beets in to a package.  Drizzle the beets with a tablespoon of olio nuovo olive oil, a sprinkle of sea salt, and 1 tablespoon of water.  Seal the package by crimping the foil and roast the beets for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a knife.  Allow to cool and then peel.  Cut the beets in to six wedges and set aside.

Just before serving, whisk the tangerine juice with the Cara-Cara Orange White Balsamic and a pinch of salt.   Slowly drizzle in the remaining olio nuovo while whisking constantly to make a vinaigrette.  In a large bowl, gently toss the arugula with 1/2 of the vinaigrette and then arrange on a plate or platter.  Arrange the tangerine segments, golden beet wedges, and blue cheese over the arugula.  Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the top, then add the croutons, and finish with fresh ground pepper if desired.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 generous salad portions

Tarragon Olive Oil Croutons

Ingredients

2 cups of fresh or day old sourdough bread cut in to 1/2" cubes 

1/3 cup Organic Tarragon Fused Olive Oil (or you can use any infused olive oil you desire)

1 teaspoon sea salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375.  On a baking sheet large enough to hold the bread cubes in a single layer, toss the bread cubes with the infused olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper if desired. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the bread cubes are golden brown.  Cool and store in a zip lock bag or air tight container.

Makes 2 cups

Bacon Pecan Pie Ice Cream in a Hand Rolled Sugar Cone

My bacon pecan pie was a hit.  Everyone swooned, but I made two large pies, and ended up with copious leftovers.  After the party ended, my kids, bonefide goody-aholics, eventually turned their noses up to the array of  leftover confections.

As I pondered on what to do with the assortment of hand crafted desserts, my eldest son said, "I would eat that if it were in ice cream".  I thought about it for a second, and then realized that by incorporating the pie in to ice cream, I could essentially reincarnate it while also putting it in to a quasi stasis.  What's more, is that the sum of the parts ended up completely dwarfing the parts themselves.

So if you're fatigued of said holiday desserts and looking to reincarnate your left over pies, cakes, and cookies, I suggest making them in to ice cream.  

Pictured here is a simple brown sugar ice cream base with chunks of leftover bacon-pecan pie folded in.  The results were absolutely spectacular.


Brown Sugar Ice Cream Base
 
3 cups Half & Half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/1/2 cups of left over pie, cookies, or cake cut in to 1/4"-1/2" chunks, and frozen

Heat the half & half, cream, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk the egg yolks and sugars in a medium sized bowl until light, creamy, and almost doubled in volume.  Just before the mixture comes to a gentle simmer remove from heat.  While whisking constantly, add approximately 1/4 cup of the hot cream mixture in to the egg yolks.  Add the tempered egg yolk mixture in to the saucepan.  Whisk constantly while, heating the custard mixture over medium low heat until it thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Chill the custard thoroughly and then follow your ice cream machine's instructions for freezing.  Once the custard is semi-frozen, fold in the chunks of cookies, pie, or cake.  Place in the freezer for at least 12 hours to harden.