Thursday, January 1, 2009

Coming soon....


Two exciting recipes coming your way in 2009 from very special contributors. Pierre's Improvised Thai Beef Salad & Madeleine's World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Mushroom & Parmesan Salad


This recipe is a staple in our family and could not be easier to make. I used to hate mushrooms as a child and this salad single-handedly convinced me to start eating them. The parsley adds a touch of freshness to the woody mushrooms and Parmesan and brings the whole recipe together. Perfect for an unusual substitute to the every day mixed greens salad !

Mushroom and Parmesan Salad
Recipe for about 6 people

- ½ pound of mushrooms
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup of fresh Parmesan shavings (use a vegetable peeler to make them)
- ½ cup of freshly chopped flat-leave parsley
- 1 tbsp of olive oil

Clean and cut the mushrooms in thin slices. Toss with the Parmesan shavings and add the lemon juice. Finally, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and toss with the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

New Year's Fettucine with Salmon, Peas and Dill


This is a simple and delicious recipe that you can use over and over... It always ends up being delicious. The lemon cream sauce base is loosely adapted from Ina Garten but you can easily make this recipe your own by changing some of the ingredients (using smoked, instead of cooked salmon, adding salmon roe, or making it vegetarian by adding lots of fresh vegetables such as arugula, cherry tomatoes and some fresh Parmesan.) It was a real crowd pleaser at our New Year's eve dinner and i hope you will enjoy it as much.

New Year's Fettuccine with Salmon, Peas & Dill
Recipe for about 6 people
- 1 pound fresh fettuccine
- 2 salmon fillets (cooked and broken up in bite-sized pieces)
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 lemons (juice and zest)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1 handful chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons of capers (optional)
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan (for serving)

In a large serving boil, toss the cooked salmon pieces with the capers and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and cook on medium heat for about 1 minute, until shallot becomes translucent. Add heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste, and, about a minute later, add the lemon juice and zest. Bring the whole mixture to a boil on medium/high heat and then lower to medium heat, simmering the sauce for about 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
While the sauce is thickening, bring water to a boil in a large pot to cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to directions on the box. Add the frozen peas about 2 minutes before pasta is fully cooked. Drain the peas and pasta. Toss cooked pasta and peas in the bowl with salmon and caper and add lemon cream sauce. Add fresh dill and squirt the juice of half a lemon on top right before serving.
Serve Immediately and enjoy with some freshly grated Parmesan.