Pizza with Zucchini Crust (Gluten free!)

This is really something special, if I do say so myself. It's a pizza with a crust that's made from shredded zucchini with cheese and baked to a crisp deliciousness. My little sister Caroline made this for me one night when we were making a variety of yummy pizzas, and I found this not only a good stand in for normal pizza dough, but almost preferable, as the cheese in the crust really makes for a nice crisp, savory taste.  I altered Caroline's recipe to use ground almond meal/flour, which has the additional benefit of lowering the carb count and makes it a great gluten-free pizza choice.

I use a food processor to grate the zucchini, but you could also use a box grater. The important thing is to dry the zucchini once it has been shredded-otherwise, the pizza crust won't be as deliciously crisp!

Ingredients
2 large zucchini
1/2 cup almond meal
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
Pinch of oregano
Salt
Garlic powder
Food Processor or box grater
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat

Pizza toppings (optional-dress your pizza as you see fit)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella
1.5 ounces of pepperoni
Mushrooms

Method:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, use the grater attachment to grate the two zucchini. Place on a cutting board and cover with a towel, then place something large and heavy to encourage it to dry.

2.) After 5-8 minutes, toss the shredded zucchini in a bowl and add eggs, Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, oregano, garlic and almond meal and mix well.

3.) Spread the zucchini mixture onto parchment paper or silicone baking mat and bake for 30 minutes. It will start smelling REALLY good.

4.) Remove pizza from oven, and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for another 10-12 minutes.

5.) Eat greedily.

I don't have a pizza pan right now, but this gives you the general idea. It tastes amazing!

Zucchini and fennel gratin

This is one of those quick recipes that is often a hit-it's gooey, creamy, and can be as light or heavy as the need, one's mood, or inventory demands.  As is often the case with yummy, savory dishes, it all starts with a little olive oil and some sweet or Spanish onion. This recipe also uses zucchini, which is a perennial favorite. It's a gratin, and really you can make a gratin out of just about any vegetable-you can make a spinach gratin, a cauliflower gratin, and of course the famous potato version. It's a fun recipe to make, and employs a smallish version of a bechamel sauce and cheese.

  Another notable, ingredient that I use in this dish that's slightly off the beaten path is fennel. Often referred to as anise due to similar tastes, fennel is actually a different plant than anise. They both share a hint of licorice flavor, but this fades when it is cooked-it takes on a rounder, deeper flavor that I love.

Fennel!!

I've made this for my friend Cindy a number of times, but the fennel is a recent addition. I used to use just zucchini and onion, and give it the gratin treatment. The fennel can be left out, but if you've got the fennel on hand, or can pick some up at the store, I strongly recommend it. 

This recipe also uses a dash of nutmeg, but if you don't care for the taste, then by all means leave it out.

I went to make this one night only to find that I didn't have any cream, half and half or whole milk in the house, so I used almond milk instead. The slightly nutty taste of the almond milk really compliments the dish. If you were to use no butter or cheese, you could also make this if you or your friends are vegan. If you use almond milk or a lower fat milk, just know that you'll have to reduce it for a bit before it will be ready, whereas a version with half and half or cream will be ready almost instantly.  

As I stated earlier, this is a relatively quick and easy dish, but it is always a crowd pleaser. If you're feeling very decadent, you can top it with breadcrumbs before putting it under the broiler.

Gratins

Ingredients

1 medium or 1/2 large sweet or Spanish onion

1/2 a bulb of fennel

3 zucchini, sliced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 teaspoon of butter

1 tablespoon of flour

1 cup of milk, cream, half and half, almond milk or soy milk

Grated cheese such as Swiss, Gruyere, or Parmesan (optional)

Salt, pepper and thyme

Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Method:

1. Turn the broiler on. In a saute pan, add the chopped onion and fennel, and cook slowly over medium low heat until mellow (the fennel will deepen in color after about 3 minutes.) 

2. Add the chopped zucchini and either cook until soft (medium heat) or slightly browned (medium high heat,) about 3-6 minutes. Add some salt and pepper, and thyme.

3. Add the butter, and once it has melted, add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes (otherwise there will be a raw flour taste.)

4. Add the milk, and bring the heat up a bit. When the sauce has thickened, grate in a bit of nutmeg (if using,) top with a bit of cheese (if using) and stir.

5. Top with breadcrumbs (if using) and place under the broiler for 4 minutes until browned and bubbly on top.

6. Eat greedily.

The gratin in the pan

Olive oil carrot cake

In my experience, suggesting the use of olive oil in a cake provokes two reactions: either the listener recoils in horror, or they've had cakes made with olive oil and they know how wonderful they can be. This cake is no exception, and it's invariably a hit whenever I make it. While I do use normal extra virgin olive oil in some of my cakes (later this spring I'll share my olive oil lemon rosemary cake) for this one I use a light and mild olive oil-the subtler background makes for a delicate flavor, while ensuring a soft (though sturdy) and moisture rich cake.

A caveat about this cake: grating your own carrots with a box grater (or the like) can be a pain in the neck, but it is absolutely worth it.

Grating the day away...a pound of carrots takes about 10 minutes. I know that's not a lot of time, but it is when you're grating something....

This isn't a difficult recipe, but the preliminaries (and, in fact, the baking) are a little time consuming. Don't make this one if you don't have about 90 minutes; if you want to make something quick for dessert, make some cookies.

Though you could easily omit nuts from this cake (I sometimes do) toasted pine nuts, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts all do really well in this cake; use what you like (or what you have on hand.)  There is nothing wrong with using vanilla extract,  but if you also have some other liqueur, you can certainly substitute it. Frangelico, Amaretto or the like are very nice. 

I use a very normal cream cheese frosting-if you have a recipe that  you prefer, by all means use it. My portions here make a generous amount of frosting, but this is a big cake.

Ingredients

Cake:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/3 cups light and mild olive oil

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or the like

2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins (golden are nice, but regular is also fine)

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

1 pound carrots, grated

3/4 cup diced pineapple (I normally use pineapple from a can, but I do drain the juice)

For the frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

Method:

1.) Prep cake pans with parchment paper, butter and a bit of flour. If you're not familiar with prepping cake pans a quick (albeit overly fussy) tutorial can be found here. 

2.) Preheat oven to 350.  Grate the carrots. Yes, the entire pound.

3.) In a mixer (or whisk by hand) mix the olive oil and sugar together for a few minutes, then add eggs and beat well, until a light yellow.  

4.) In another bowl sift flour, leavening, salt and cinnamon together. 

Sifting the day away. I think baking is positively therapeutic.

5.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat slowly just until incorporated. If you over beat the batter, it will become tough.

6.) Add hazelnuts (or any nuts) and raisins. 

7.) Add the carrots and pineapple and mix well. with a spatula.

Mmmm cake!

8.) Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Depending on the day, it may take a smidge longer. The cake is done when a knife comes out clean.

Frosting:

For the frosting, I find it much easier to use room temperature cream cheese and butter.  Sift the powdered/confectioner's sugar so you don't get lumps. You can use the suggested vanilla or add a little frangelico to echo the hazelnuts, or just stick to vanilla for a nice classic taste.  

1.) Mix the cream cheese and butter together.

2.) Add vanilla or liqueur

3.) Sift the confectioner's sugar and add it slowly-only add until you find it sweet enough-taste the frosting at 1/2 a pound, 3/4 and so forth-you need not use the entire pound of confectioner's sugar.

4.) Let the cakes cool, frost them, and eat greedily!

Arugula and Fennel Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil

Sometimes, a deftly underplayed hand can be just the ticket! I think that this is very much the case with this salad-it's so simple, I hesitate to call it a recipe. This is my Mother's favorite salad at the moment-we had something like it at my wedding last year at a local Italian restaurant, and this is my replica (I simplified the "dressing" a bit-I just use some lemon juice and olive oil.)

I think that if you were to add some toasted walnuts or pine nuts, you'd have something like a crouton as well, and it would make the salad a bit more filling.

Ingredients
2.5 ounces or about 2 cups of arugula
1 cup of thinly sliced fresh fennel
About 1/2 cup of shaved parmesan cheese (this is a great place for good cheese, like a parmigiano reggiano or grana padano)
The juice of 1/2 a medium, or 1 small lemon
Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup of toasted walnuts or pine nuts (optional)

Method:
1.) In a serving bowl, toss in the arugula, and scatter the sliced fennel and most of the shaved parmesan.
2.) If you're having nuts in your salad, lightly toast them in a pan. Walnuts won't be super fragrant, they create more of a delicate hazy smell when they are toasted. Pine nuts will darken a bit.
3.) Cut the lemon, and try to remove any seeds if you can. Squeeze half the lemon over the salad (or use all of it if you like.)
4.) Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil, toss in the nuts, add pepper to taste, salt, and toss well.
5.) Garnish the top of the salad with the remaining parmesan.
6.) Eat! I hope you enjoy this refreshing and crisp salad as much as I do.

I already had started munching away by the time I remembered to take a photo-sorry!

Mini molten chocolate heaven for you and your sweetheart

Happy Valentine's Day! I've always had a soft spot for this particular day to celebrate love. I also think that love should be celebrated whenever possible (not just on Valentine's Day) and should not necessitate large expenditures of money, or even another person. Take time to treat yourself with a a movie, a walk, a workout, some yoga, a book, a show, or anything at all! I love to have some chocolate on Valentine's Day, and if I have the time to make it for myself and my honey, all the better.

There is a dish that I make that almost all my friends fall head over heels in love with. It's tough to describe-the top is crunchy and stiff like the top of a crème brûlée, but beneath is luscious, flowing warm chocolate. Mr friends Matthew and Matthew named it "heaven," while my Mom calls it "molten" and my friend Sharee simply calls it "The Chocolate." I love all of these names, so I've incorporated all of them into the title for this dish, and I've put them in little ramekins (also not unlike crème brûlée.)

I will give you the caveat that this can be a fussy dish, so please follow the directions carefully. Not to sound like a school marm lecturing you, but baking is a science. One can often fuss with procedures or quantities, but I really wouldn't recommend it here. Please, even if it's only for this recipe, preheat the oven 10 minutes ahead of time, sift the dry ingredients (there are only two,) use all the sugar, and beat the eggs for the suggested time frame. Your reward will be one of the most decadent, lovely and fairly inexpensive chocolate desserts you can make without visiting a bakery or a nice restaurant.

Ingredients

Ramekins (if you don't have one, you could just use a big sturdy pie dish)

A roasting pan 

3 eggs that are at least extra large (I recommend jumbo sized eggs. If you only have large, then use 3 1/2 or so.)

1 3/4 cups of plain white sugar (NOT turbinado, NOT stevia, NOT splenda etc. The only acceptable substitution for this would be superfine, and I'm not 100% sure about that. I promise this is one of the only times I'm this fussy!)

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1/2 plus 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (I use plain Hershey cocoa powder. I've successfully made it with nicer cocoa powder as well.)

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 teaspoons of Kahlua (you may substitute other liqueurs or or omit)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and take out your ramekins and roasting pan.

2. Melt the butter either on the stove using low heat, or in 20 second intervals in the microwave. 

3. In a standing mixer mix the eggs and sugar (this can be done by hand, but it is a JOB.) Beat on medium/medium high speed for 5-8 minutes. The color will lighten considerably, and a "ribbon" will form (remember the ribbon from the chocolate mousse entry?) This takes a lot of strength (or friends who are willing to help) to do by hand.

At first, it's a sunny, deep yellow

The eggs and sugar are become more and more aerated, and are lightening and swelling. Notice the start of the ribbon!

3. Sift the cocoa powder and flour together (I don't have a sifter in NYC, so I just use a strainer.)

4. Once you have achieved the ribbon, add the vanilla and kahlua (if you're using it.)

5. Turn the mixer down to the lowest setting (or off) and add the dry ingredients. Once everything has gone a dark, beautiful brown, the it is time for....

6. Add the butter, mix until everything is incorporated and the butter isn't "standing" on the chocolate mixture.

7. Spoon/pour the mixture into your ramekins. I'd go just over 3/4 full (these don't grown much.) Set the ramekins in your roasting pan.

Starting to look heavenly!

8. Pour/run hot tap water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the side of the ramekins. This helps keeps the middle gooey.

There's a bit leftover...cook's treat!

9. Bake about 50 minutes. The tops will be firm to the touch.

Before going into the oven.

10. I don't have to tell you to eat greedily on this one, I think. Tell me what you think!

This tastes so good!!!!!!! I can't wait for Paul to get home...I'm going to have to have some now! Besides, I have a rehearsal-I need my strength! :-)

Center cut pork chops with a bourbon and mustard cream sauce

I made this for a friend recently who said this should come with a warning about how easy and addictive these are. Consider yourself warned! I made this to go with my old fashioned spinach pasta, and they paired quite nicely.

I love bourbon, but I haven't found many savory things to put it in.  I think that it pairs really nicely with the pork, but you could just as easily make this with chicken too, if you prefer.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1-3 center cut pork chops (I used boneless, but use whichever cut of meat you like)
3 (or so) tablespoons of grain mustard (I used inglehoffer stone ground mustard)
1/4 cup of bourbon
Cream, to taste (or rather to make the sauce)

Method:
1. Heat olive oil in a saute pan.
2. Cook the pork chops. Add a bit of salt and a grinding of pepper to each. Depending on their thickness, they should just take about 3-4 minutes a side.

Mmmmm, happy pork chops!

3. Remove the chops. You will notice that there are brown bits in the pan-they will help make the sauce round and delicious!
4. Add the mustard.
5. Add the bourbon right on top of the mustard-it will likely sizzle and make some noise. Don't be alarmed. Stir the bourbon in the pan. When you add alcohol to a hot pan, the scent can sometimes jump out and slap you in the face. Stir the mustard and the bourbon together, and you will notice the bourbon reducing.
6. Once the sharp alcohol mellows, add cream (to taste, but don't be too stingy, this is your sauce!)
7. Either drape the sauce on the chops, or return the chops to the pans and toss.
8. Eat greedily.

Pork chops ready to go! This sauce tastes like heaven.

Pork chop along side spinach pasta (I do sometimes just serve this with a green salad-as always, suit yourself.)

TBT: Old fashioned Spinach Pasta

No, dear friend, I am not unearthing some forgotten, lost recipe of the late Marcella Hazan. I've chosen to participate in throw back Thursday, culinary style! Let me explain: this dish is old fashioned in the sense that it is a recipe I concocted and started making a little over a decade ago it's one of my first creations! I haven't made it in ages, but the weather in New York is snowy and cold, and I was feeling like taking a cozy ride through memory lane, and food can be a nice mode of transportation for the trip.

In some ways, it would be nice to go back to a time when we were young. I'm really happy right now though, so while I wouldn't necessarily like to be 21 years old again, it is fun to fiddle with recipes that I used to make.

I remember making this for friends and family with my friend Crystal (we didn't use the white wine, and probably used too much garlic, but we were learning and having fun.) We on occasion used to make dishes at ridiculous hours (11 PM....1 AM...3 AM....sometimes later/earlier! In those days I worked late, and we would often go for a long walk (4 or 5 miles) and then we'd be hungry! I've always been something of a night owl, which is a plus since I've chosen a life as an opera singer.

Anyway, back to food. This, like many Italian (or rather, Italian-esque) dishes is simple and yummy. I suggest using a short pasta onto which the sauce (such as it is,) spinach, and meat will cling. My current favorite pasta shape is casarecce. I fell in love with this shape while singing and teaching in Palermo last summer-casarecce seems to be the most popular shape on "bedda sicilia" (lovely Sicily.) That being said, I think short fusili would also be a superlative choice. As always, do as you please. By the way, the pasta in the pictures I'm sharing are actually torcetti, which are also lovely.

With this dish, don't expect a big gloppy sort of sauce-this really is somewhere between a pasta dish and a vegetable treatment. I do think it benefits from a generous strewing of grana padano or parmigiano reggiano.

As an alternative to the ground beef or turkey (I almost always use ground turkey, since it's more affordable in my neighborhood,) this is also a nice dish to prepare with flaked broiled salmon-you prepare the onions as directed, but then incorporate the spinach and pasta in immediately, and toss lightly with the salmon after (unsurprisingly ground beef or turkey is much more resilient than a delicately cooked piece of fish.)

I often recycle my water from the spinach to cook the pasta. I don't think this harms anything at all (unless you have some very dirty spinach...but aren't you rinsing your spinach before you cook it?) I find this saves on washing pans (which is anathema.) Of course, you could bring two big pots full of water to boil....suit yourself.

Ingredients
A big saute pan
A stock pot
Drainer/Colander
2 tablespoons plus a drizzle of Olive oil
1 sweet onion (I might substitute a few leeks if I have around-up the green ante a bit)
1 pound of ground beef or turkey
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 pounds of spinach (I like baby spinach a lot)
1/4 cup of Vermouth or white wine (whichever you have on hand-if you have sherry or brandy, they'll do.)
Herbs- fresh or dried. I have fresh thyme and parsley, so I'm using them. Generic dried "Italian seasoning" is also fine.
Lots of grated Parmesan

Method
1. Put your pot (or pots) on the stove to boil. Salt the water!
2. Chop your onion and garlic, and begin to saute the onion in a saute pan (reserve the garlic.) If you're using dried herbs, add them to the oil to sweat them out so they'll release their lovely flavor.
3. Brown the meat, which should take about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, and cook 2 minutes, then add the vermouth or wine. Turn the heat down a bit to simmer.
5. If your water is boiling, add your fresh spinach-it will be done in about 3-4 minutes. It will loose a LOT of size.

This is that fun part of making dinner when everything is on track and the kitchen smells heavenly.

6. Drain the spinach and spray with some cold water from the sink. If you're using the same water (which works if you have a removable drainer) Add the pasta. You want it to cool well, because the next step is to ring out the spinach in a colander/drainer. Do this well-really squeeze the liquid out.

Spinach out....

Pasta in! No, the green water won't hurt anything. Remember, we're combining the pasta and the spinach in the end.

Cool your spinach off, or you run the risk of burning your hand off. Seriously, boiled spinach is HOT, folks.

Squeeeeeeeze!!!

7. Form the spinach into a square on the cutting board. If you're using fresh herbs, add them to the top and chop the spinach left to right, turn and then repeat (so the spinach finely chopped.)

Chop one way...

Rotate board, chop the other way! Notice the little ramekin of parsley-I point it out because I am proud that I had the presence of mind to reserve some for the end!

8. Add the spinach to the pan with the meat and toss. Turn your heat to medium or so, as you'll need to warm the spinach back up. When everything is warmed through, add some cheese, and add s bit of water from the pasta-this helps bind the elements together and gives you a bit of a sauce.

The starchy water has a funny contribution-it's smooth and really melds everything together nicely.

9. Drain the pasta.
10. Toss the pasta, spinach and meat together. Taste it for seasoning-make sure it isn't too bland (it might need a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper.)

Nearly ready to eat!

11. Transfer the pasta to a serving dish. Top with more cheese, a bit of olive oil if it needs, and maybe a little fresh parsley if you have it.

Finishing touches, first a bit of oil...

A bit of cheese...

And a bit of parsley

La cena è pronta!

12. Eat greedily!

Quick Crustless Quichelettes.

I do love sweet breakfast items like pancakes, scones and muffins, but I find that I don't do as well (and get hungry faster) then if I stick to protein like eggs and ham. I find that if I've had french toast or the like I feel droopy and bloated by the afternoon.

These breakfast "muffins" or cups are sort of like mini crustless quiches, or an egg strata without the bread. They are very easy to make (quick prep, plus, it's one of those "bake at 350 til done" affairs,) and you can make them in small batches, so you can have them fresh more than once per week if you like!

It's worth mentioning that I use a nonstick muffin tin to make the little quichelettes. Also, I've used sausage and peppers, which are not really what I think of as quiche flavors. You can certainly use any combination of ingredients-this is just a blueprint. Bacon and leek would be yummy, as would spinach and bell pepper. Please, play around with these!

Ingredients
1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 green onions
1 red pepper
1 lb of light pork sausage
Grated cheese of your liking (or for ease you could use a grated one from the store, like monterrey jack, etc.)
Beaten eggs-figure about 1 egg for two quichelettes

Method:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop green onions and sautee with olive oil. After about a minute and a half, add the red peppers.
2.) Add the sausage and brown-no pink bits here, please. Also, while you might want to add a bit of black or red, pepper, I suggest not adding any salt-the sausage with be salty, and your cheese will also have some salt. You can make the recipe up to this point and then put the leftovers in fridge.

Mmmm sausage.

3.) If you're using a non-stick muffin tin, you won't need to grease it-if you don't have a nonstick muffin tin, grease it. Place about a tablespoon or a tablespoon and a half of the sausage mixture to the bottom of each muffin slot.
4.) Add a pinch (to taste) of cheese to the top of the muffin tins.
5.) Top with the beaten eggs until the cup is just under full. you might grace the top of this with some more cheese (I don't, but do as you like.)
6.) If you are making them fresh, they will need about 10 minutes in the oven. If you're making a few the next day from leftover sausage, bake them for about 16 minutes.

Almost there....

7.) Let the quichelettes stand for about three minutes. After that time, they should come out very easily-you might try to "turn" them with a spoon or fork (I find that very, very effective.)
8.) Eat greedily.

Now where did I put my coffee?

2/13/14:

I made these again today, but since I don't have a muffin tin in my NYC apartment, I used my ramekins with leek, sausage and red peppers with some parmesan cheese.  

Here's 3 quichelettes in various stages of prep: sausage/peppers, then cheese, and topped with egg.

Now all three topped with cheese, ready to go into the oven.

These puffed up beautifully! They are almost souffles today.