Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone, Gruyère, and Chives, from Gael

Mushroom Risotto with Mascarpone, Gruyère, and Chives, from Gael

From Plated meal-kit service, made on 5-26-19, Memorial Day weekend. Yum! Such an easy risotto--all the wine goes in at once!

Comments from Plated: "Chef Giuseppe wows us with yet another luxurious risotto—this time featuring two forms of both mushrooms and cheese. He infuses warm broth with ground and dried porcini mushrooms, then roasts and sautés creminis for stirring into the finished dish. Nutty aged Gruyère adds richness, along with dollops of chive-laced mascarpone cheese."

10 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 shallots
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 teaspoons porcini mushroom powder
¾ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup white wine
3 packets unsalted butter
⅛ ounce chives
4 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Prepare ingredients and warm broth
Preheat oven to 425°F. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel and thinly slice. Peel shallots and mince. In a medium high-sided pan, combine bouillon cube, porcini mushroom powder (see recipe tip), and 3½ cups water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm until Step 4.

2. Roast mushrooms
Line a baking sheet with foil, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms, and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper as desired. Arrange in a single layer, spacing apart, and roast until lightly brown and crisp, 15–18 minutes.

3. Sauté shallots and toast rice
While mushrooms roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add half of shallots; sauté, stirring, until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring, until toasted and translucent, 2–3 minutes. (Toasting the rice adds a delicious nutty flavor and prevents it from absorbing liquid too quickly).

4. Simmer risotto
Add white wine to pot with rice, still over medium-high heat, and simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, 1–2 minutes. Then, stir in warmed broth and ½ teaspoon salt, reserving pan. Increase heat under pot to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender, 15–20 minutes more (see recipe tip).

5. Sauté mushrooms
While risotto simmers, heat butter in pan from broth over medium-high heat. When butter is foamy, add remaining mushrooms and remaining shallots; sauté, stirring, until browned and tender, 10–12 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper as desired. Remove pot from heat. Meanwhile, rinse chives and thinly slice. In a small bowl, stir together half of chives and 1 tablespoon mascarpone to combine.

6. Plate mushroom risotto
To pot with risotto, stir in Gruyère, sautéed mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons plain mascarpone (save remainder for a snack) to combine. Divide mushroom risotto between serving bowls. Dollop over chive mascarpone. Top with roasted mushrooms and remaining chives. Dig in!

Chicken Marsala Risotto with Chives and Dijon, from Gael

Chicken Marsala Risotto with Chives and Dijon, from Gael

From Plated meal-kit service, made on 6-17-19. So good -- really rich and decadent. Not low-calorie, that's for sure.

Comments from Plated: "Our chicken Marsala gets so many rave reviews, it has easily earned its spot in the Plated Hall of Fame. Here, we're channeling the same mouthwatering flavors into a creamy risotto. While Arborio rice simmers with Marsala wine and chicken stock, chicken breasts pan-roast until tender. To mimic the original dish's creamy mushroom sauce, we stir creminis sautéed in more Marsala into the rice mixture. Mascarpone provides extra richness, Dijon adds tang, and a chive garnish gives each bowl a pop of color."


1 chicken bouillon cube
6 ounces cremini mushrooms
⅛ ounce chives 1 shallot
½ cup Arborio rice
¼ cup Marsala wine
2 boneless skin-on chicken breasts
1 packet Dijon mustard
4 ounces mascarpone cheese

1. Warm broth and prepare ingredients
In a medium high-sided pan, combine bouillon cube and 2¾ cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm until Step 3. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel and cut into ¼-inch slices. Rinse chives and thinly slice. Peel shallot and mince.

2. Sauté shallot and toast rice
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add half of shallot; sauté, stirring, until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring, until toasted and translucent, 2–3 minutes. Add half of Marsala wine; simmer until liquid is mostly absorbed, 1–2 minutes more.

3. Simmer risotto
To pot with rice, stir in warm broth (see recipe tip) and ½ teaspoon salt; wipe pan dry and reserve, off heat, for the next step. Increase heat under pot to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender, 15–20 minutes. Remove pot from heat; cover to keep warm until Step 6.

4. Cook chicken
While risotto simmers, pat chicken very dry with paper towel (see recipe tip); season all over with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Return pan from broth to medium-high heat with 2 teaspoons olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add chicken skin-side down; sear until skin is golden and easily lifts from pan, 6 minutes. Flip; sear until no longer pink, 6 minutes more. Transfer chicken to cutting board; set aside to rest. Wipe pan clean for the next step.

5. Sauté mushrooms
Return pan from chicken to medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add mushrooms and remaining shallot; sauté, stirring, until mushrooms are golden and shallot is tender, 8–10 minutes. Add remaining Marsala wine and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated, 2–3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

6. Plate chicken Marsala risotto
While mushrooms cook, cut rested chicken into ¼-inch slices. Once risotto has simmered, stir in Dijon, sautéed mushrooms, 3 tablespoons mascarpone (see recipe tip), and half of chives to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide Marsala risotto between serving bowls. Top with sliced chicken and garnish with remaining chives. Enjoy!

Rapid Butternut Squash Agnolotti with Kale in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael (Hello Fresh)

Rapid Butternut Squash Agnolotti with Kale in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael (Hello Fresh)

9 ounce Butternut Squash Pasta
8 ounce Kale
0.25 ounce Sage
1 Shallot
2 cloves Garlic
0.25 cup Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoon Butter
1 ounce Pine Nuts

1

Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot into strands (from root end to stem end). Mince or grate garlic. Pick leaves from sage and discard stems. Roughly chop leaves.

2

Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add half the kale from the package (we sent extra) and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until kale is wilted and tender, 4-6 minutes, tossing. Add garlic and another drizzle of olive oil and toss until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from pan and set aside.

3

Once water boils, add agnolotti to pot. Reduce heat slightly and bring water to a low boil. Cook agnolotti until tender and warmed through, 5-7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

4

Add 2 TBSP butter to same pan used for kale over medium heat. Add sage and stir until butter is melted, starting to brown, and smells nutty, about 2 minutes.

5

Stir in agnolotti, kale mixture, and ¼ cup pasta water. Increase heat to high and let bubble until liquid is reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. (TIP: Add a splash of pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Gently stir in half the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6

Divide agnolotti mixture between plates. Sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining Parmesan.

Ginger-Tomato Sauce With Carrot Matchsticks, Over Rigatoni, from Gael

Ginger-Tomato Sauce With Carrot Matchsticks, Over Rigatoni, from Gael

--From May 2016 Vegetarian Times, made this 5/18/16 and enjoyed it. It's not an especially saucy sauce--best to toss the noodles in it rather than just try to spoon it over the rigatoni.

2 T olive oil
4 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 1/4 t grated fresh ginger
28 oz can fresh peeled tomatoes, crushed well by hand (I would suggest re
1/3 c fresh basil leaves

Heat oil in Dutch oven on medium-high. Add carrots, season with salt (I used a little garlic and a little red pepper and Italian herbs too). Cook 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until carrots are crisp-tender and slightly browned. Stir in ginger, tomatoes, and a handful of basil leaves.

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, cook 10-12 minutes or until carrots are fork-tender. Stir in more basil. Toss with rigatoni.

Can add sausage if you like.

Zucchini Carbonara Sauce on Spaghetti, from Gael

Zucchini Carbonara Sauce on Spaghetti, from Gael

Via May 2016 Vegetarian Times. Gael made it May 16, 2016 for a simple Monday-night dinner. A little bland, but you can spice it up how you like, and we ate the whole big bowl full.

3 T pine nuts (Gael recommends more pine nuts to serve alongside, you'll want more)
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/4 c whipping cream
3 T grated Parmesan plus more for topping
Small zucchini peeled into small strips with a vegetable grater
8 oz spaghetti.

Cook spaghetti and drain, Save a small amount of the pasta water.
Toast pine nuts in small skillet until browned. Transfer to plate to cool.
Whisk together egg, egg yolk, cream and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in zucchini and 3 T pine nuts (reserving some extra for top). Toss with 2-3 T of pasta water to obtain desired sauce consistency

Pumpkin Ravioli and Delicata Squash with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael

Pumpkin Ravioli and Delicata Squash with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael

(Via Seattle Times Magazine, 2015)

Serves 4

1 Delicata squash, halved, seeded, cut into ¼ inch slices

Olive oil


Kosher salt

Pumpkin or squash ravioli

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 sage leaves

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place squash slices on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush the tops with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, until tender and golden brown in places, flipping the squash pieces once.


2. Boil the ravioli in salted water according to directions on the package.

3. While the ravioli is boiling, brown the butter.** Add the sage leaves when the butter starts smelling sweet and nutty. The butter will foam up, and then the mixture will settle again as the sage leaves crisp. Swirl the pan gently to move the sage around so that you can watch the color of the butter. When the butter is ready, remove the pan from the heat and cover it while you drain the pasta.

4. To serve, spread the drained ravioli on a platter. Top with the squash. Spoon the brown butter and sage on top. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve right away.



**TIPS FOR BROWNING BUTTER

To brown butter, cut it into 1/4-inch slices and put them in a light-colored saucepan so you can watch the color change. Slowly melt the butter over medium-low heat, gently swirling the pan so it melts evenly. As the butterfat melts and the water is released, the liquid butter will begin to crackle and sputter, a white foam will begin to accumulate, and the bubbles created by the boiling butter will look thin and watery. Slowly the crackle sound will quiet and an oily sheen will cover the surface.

When the butter is almost silent, the bubbles that form will be tiny, and the foam that accumulated at the start will have dissipated and been replaced by a more bubbly foam. You’ll also begin to notice browning on the sides of the pan. At this point you should start checking the color of the liquid butter and of the milk solids on the bottom of the pan.

When it’s ready, foam will cover the liquid; the aroma will be sweet and smell like toasted nuts; and the color will have changed from yellow to golden to caramel as the solids turn brown (be sure they don’t turn black!). Use it right away or pour it into a container (leaving some or all of the solids behind) and refrigerate for later.

Quick Chicken Marsala, from Gael

Quick Chicken Marsala, from Gael

--From All Recipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.               

Serves 4. Ready in 30 minutes.

Garlicky spinach lasagna, from Gael

Garlicky spinach lasagna, from Gael

--from Rachael Ray magazine, Oct. 2011

Rachael's Tip: WIDE EGG NOODLES: They rarely clump together, are quick to cook and have a solid bite, so they're a natural substitute for traditional pasta. (Plus, you probably have some in your pantry right now!) The toasted breadcrumbs add a buttery crunch to the top.

Ingredients

For the lasagna:

1 1/2 lbs. baby spinach

4 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

8 oz. wide egg noodles

2 cups Creamy White Sauce

6 oz. fresh goat cheese

4 tbsp. prepared pesto

1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. EVOO

For the Creamy White Sauce

2 tbsp. butter

½ cup finely chopped shallots

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk warmed

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

For the lasagna:
In a large saucepan, bring 2 inches water to a simmer. Add the spinach in batches, stirring until wilted; cook until all of it is tender. Drain and let cool. Squeeze out excess moisture and chop.
In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach. Season lightly with salt and pepper; remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles, stirring often, until al dente. Drain— but do not rinse—and return to the saucepan. Stir in the white sauce to coat.
Lightly grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Layer in half of the noodles and press with a spatula.
Dot with half of the goat cheese, spread the spinach on top and press down. Stir 3 tbsp. pesto into the remaining noodles and spoon over the spinach. Dot with the remaining cheese. Cover snugly with foil and bake until hot and bubbling, about 35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine the remaining 1 tbsp. pesto with the EVOO. Drizzle the lasagna with the pesto oil and sprinkle with the crumbs.
For the Creamy White Sauce:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk; bring to boil and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and ½ each salt and pepper.

Margherita Pasta With Grilled Chicken, from Anne

Margherita Pasta With Grilled Chicken, from Anne

8 oz dry spaghetti
3 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes, 12 oz
2 cups diced fresh mozzarella, 8 oz
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. minced garlic
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
Toasted pine nuts
Chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 4 to 5 oz. each
olive oil, dried oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes

Preheat grill to medium high. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for
the spaghetti. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set
aside. Mix tomatoes and mozzarella for pasta in a bowl; set aside. Coat chicken
with oil, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Grill, covered, until
cooked through about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken from grill and tent with
foil; rest 3 to 4 minutes. Slice each breast into strips. Heat 1/4 cup oil in
skillet over medium low. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Toss tomato and cheese mixture with garlic infused oil and pasta. Stir in basil;
season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. To serve, divide pasta
mixture among 4 bowls, and top with sliced chicken and pine nuts.

Note: It's important to cook the raw taste out of the garlic so it doesn't
overpower the other flavors in the dish.

Anne was making this recipe when Gael visited in summer 2010. It was a huge hit with family and guests--Sam would come home from working at the snow-cone stand at Heritage Square at the State Fair and dish up a big bowl. It must be good if she prefered it to the endless fried food of the Fair!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce, from Gael


Butternut Squash Filling:
2 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (cut off top and bottom, then kind of skin it on sides to peel)
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 small shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c. cave aged gruyere, (about 2 oz.)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of cloves
Package of won-ton wrappers

Brown Butter Sauce:
1/2 c. salted butter
10 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 c. pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 lemon, juiced
Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a foil lined baking sheet, toss the butternut squash in olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes or until fork tender.

Meanwhile, saute shallots and garlic in 1/2 tbsp. olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Once squash is out of the oven, and slightly cool, combine shallots, cheese, egg, and spices in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add squash. Pulse until thickened. Taste for seasonings. You can add more salt and pepper depending on your taste.

Make ravioli according to the wonton package instructions. Fill the wonton wrappers with a small amount of filling (do not overfill or they will leak out while boiling). Then brush the sides of the wontons with a small amount of water. Seal the two long ends together to form a triangle.

Next, bring a large pot of water to boil for ravioli. Salt the water once it is boiling.


Drop a batch (about 12) of ravioli in the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, or until ravioli float to the top. Then take them out with a slotted spoon and place them in a large serving bowl making sure they are all separated. (I only made about 24 ravioli for dinner and left the other ravioli uncooked. I put them in the freezer. You can cook them again by putting them in boiling water for 4 minutes, or until they float to the top)

While the ravioli is cooking, heat 1 stick (1/2 c.) salted butter over medium heat. When the butter has just melted, add the cranberries, pecans, and sage leaves. Let butter cook until it is turns amber colored. Take it off the heat and add juice of 1/2 lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over the ravioli and top with grated parmigiano reggiano.

Gael made this on Nov. 2, 2010 and LOVED it.

Marge’s Spaghetti, from Marge via Mom and Gael

Marge’s Spaghetti, from Marge via Mom and Gael

The best spaghetti! Gael says: “I once ruined this by adding too much red pepper…learn from my mistake.”

SAUCE
2 cans pureed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2 big cans water
minced onion
salt
pepper
red pepper
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves

MEATBALLS
4 pounds lean ground beef
2 1/2 pounds not-so-lean ground beef
1 cup onion, grated
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups bread crumbs
1 egg per pound of meat, minimum 3
1 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon flour

SAUCE
Dump first 3 ingredients into kettle, boil HARD for first 20 minutes (**MUST DO THIS**) Then add 2 T or more of minced onion, salt, pepper, red pepper to taste, Italian seasoning to taste. Shake quite a lot of Parmesan into sauce. Mix sauce and taste, add more or less of spices to your taste. Cut 3 garlic cloves in half and add.

MEATBALLS
Put all in big bowl, keep dripping cold water on hands and mix. Squeeze meatballs so water gets in. Fry meatballs in pan.

Cook sauce a good hour before adding meatballs. Then cook with meatballs for at least an hour.