Fazzoletti (Pasta Handkerchiefs) stuffed with ricotta and Swiss chard

 

OK, now don't turn away because you don't want to make your own pasta. You can buy fresh lasagna sheets at many supermarkets (although they won't be spinach pasta, most likely) and present your family and friends with this delicious pasta dish. You can even make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge ready to bake at the last minute. Think of this as free-formed ravioli that are much easier to make and just as delicious. I stuffed them with ricotta and Swiss chard, but you could just as easily use spinach, or even forgo the greens and make a strictly ricotta filling. But if you go the Swiss chard route, you'll roughly chop the greens, then saute them in a little olive oil until cooked through - just a few minutes should do it.

Make the spinach pasta (or buy fresh lasagna sheets) and cut into  four inch squares. It's ok if they aren't perfectly square, or if they're a bit smaller or a bit larger.

Then briefly cook them in boiling water, and drain on paper towels.

Mix the filling ingredients - the cooked Swiss chard, ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Dab a bit in the center of each pasta square.

Fold over into a "sort of" triangular shape.

Place into a buttered shallow baking pan. It's ok if they touch a bit but try not to overlap them. Use a second pan to accommodate the rest of the fazzoletti.

Place a slice of mozzarella on top, sprinkle with parmesan, chopped walnuts and finish with a sage leaf.

Bake for about 20 minutes, and serve. (I had to remove and replace the sage leaves because they got too dark in the oven.)

Slice into this goodness and enjoy. Drooling allowed.

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Fazzoletti (Pasta Handkerchiefs) stuffed with ricotta and Swiss chard

(Makes about 12 stuffed fazzoletti)

For the Pasta:

(You may get more pasta than you need for this recipe, so just cut the rest into fettuccine and use another day.)

1 10-ounce box frozen spinach

2 cups 00 flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt 

For the Filling:

1 cup ricotta, preferably drained overnight

1 small bunch of Swiss chard, chopped roughly and sautéed in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft

1 egg

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

a few gratings of nutmeg

salt, pepper

To Finish:

1 8 oz. ball of fresh mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

fresh sage leaves

Instructions:

1. FOR THE PASTA:
2. Drain the spinach thoroughly, squeezing out all the water you can with your hands.
3. Then press it with paper towels to get out any remaining water.
4. Place the spinach and the two eggs into the food processor to break down the spinach.
5. Start adding the flour.
6. You may need as little as a cup and a quarter of flour.
7. It’s easy to add more flour later, but much harder to work the dough if you place too much flour into the food processor.
8. Add just enough flour and process until the dough comes together into a ball.
9. It will be sticky.
10. Place the dough onto a wooden work surface, add more flour until the stickiness disappears and the dough seems more “homogenized” and softer.
11. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a bowl and let it sit for at least 1/2 hour.
12. Roll the pasta into sheets, then cut into approximately 4" squares.
13. Boil the squares until al dente, then place on paper towels to drain before stuffing.

FOR THE FILLING:

Mix the ricotta with the cooked Swiss chard and the rest of the filling ingredients.

ASSEMBLY:

Dab a hefty tablespoonful of the filling into the center of each pasta square. Fold one edge toward the opposite edge, forming a sort of triangle.

Place each triangle into a buttered baking dish, trying not to overlap them. There should be just one layer. Use more baking dishes if needed.

Cover each triangle with a small slice of fresh mozzarella, some walnuts and a sage leaf.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

If necessary, remove the sage leaf and replace it with a fresh one before serving.

Celery, Date and Walnut Salad

 All hail the humble celery -- so underappreciated and used mostly in soups, or tuna salad (at least by me). In this recipe, however, it gets top billing. I'd been seeing similar salads all over Instagram, including one from my friend Stacey who adds apples to the mix. When I saw Philly Food Girl make it on her Instagram page and declare it was one of the top five salads she'd ever eaten, I knew I had to give it a try. It certainly did not disappoint.

For all you sitting on the fence thinking "It's celery, it can't be that good," think again. When combined with the sweetness of dates, the crunchiness of toasted walnuts and the salty umami of parmesan cheese, you get a melding of flavors that will keep you going back for more. 

The original recipe comes from The Four Horsemen, a restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y., and has been adapted in many permutations by many people, including me. Their recipe uses Piave Vecchio cheese, but I used Parmesan, a similar hard, aged cow's milk cheese. I skipped the mint leaves the first time I made it since I didn't have them on hand. It was delicious, but if you've got mint leaves, they'll add another level of freshness and flavor.

Make it your own by adding more of any particular ingredient you're partial to. Me, I'm always going to wind up with more parmesan cheese. If you don't like walnuts, use pecans or almonds. But don't mess with the dates. They're a crucial part of what makes this so delicious. It's good leftover the next day too -- if you have any leftover, that is. Perfect to take to a dinner party or picnic too. 

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Celery, Date and Walnut Salad

Adapted from The Four Horsemen

8 stalks celery, sliced with a mandoline, at an angle

1 shallot, finely minced

10 or 12 pitted dates (depending on size), sliced

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon (or more, to taste if the lemon is small)

3 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt, to taste

fresh mint leaves, scattered in

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted in the oven and chopped

1/2 cup freshly shaved shards of parmesan cheese or more if you like 

In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot, dates, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. 

Slice the celery at an angle using a mandoline. Add to the bowl along with the toasted walnuts and parmesan cheese and mint and toss everything together, but first save a bit of the parmesan cheese shards to sprinkle on top.  Taste for seasonings, and adjust if necessary, then scatter the remaining parmesan cheese on top.

Chocolate and Nut-Covered Toffee

Looking for a last minute gift for friends, neighbors or relatives? You still have time to make this, and it’s really great to give away — not just because it’s delicious and a nice thing to do at holiday time, but also because it’s so darn addictive, you’ll have to get it out of the house before you eat it all. It makes a lot, so you’ll have plenty for passing to sweets lovers.

The hardest part is making the toffee, because it can easily burn if you’re not keeping an eye on it. Conversely, if you don’t cook it enough, it will be too soft and won’t have that crunch you associate with toffee. If you have a candy thermometer, you’re one step ahead of the game. I found mine broken in a drawer, so I had to rely on another way to gauge whether it was ready  — dropping a bit from a wooden spoon into a glass of ice water. If it’s still pliable after you’ve dropped it in the water, it’s not done. If it snaps crisply, it’s done, so you can pour the syrup over the nuts and chocolate.

Spread half of the nuts (toasted to bring out the best flavor) over a sheet of parchment paper, then spread  half of the chocolate that you’ve broken up either by hand or in a food processor. Pour the syrup over everything.

After you’ve poured the syrup over the nuts and chocolate, then spread the remaining chocolate over the syrup. Wait a few minutes for the chocolate to soften, then smooth it over the candy with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top and wait for it to cool. Take a knife, and cut into pieces. If you’re like me, you’ll have a lot of loose bits that won’t look too great as gifts, so save those for yourself to eat out of hand, or for using as an ice cream topping.

Place into attractive boxes, tins or jars, and spread some good cheer to others before you eat it all.

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Chocolate and Nut-Covered Toffee

Author: Ciao Chow Linda via King Arthur Flour

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (298g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional; for enhanced flavor
• 3 tablespoons (43g) water
• 1 tablespoon (21g) light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda, optional (see “tips,” below)
• 2 cups (227g) diced pecans or slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 2/3 cups (454g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; or chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a large, deep (3 quart) saucepan, melt the butter.
2. Stir in the salt, sugar, espresso powder, water, and corn syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Boil gently over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture reaches hard-crack stage (300°F on an instant-read or candy thermometer; you’ll be taking it off the heat a few degrees sooner).
4. The syrup will bubble without seeming to change much for awhile, but be patient; all of a sudden it will darken, and at that point you need to take its temperature and see if it’s ready.
5. (If you don’t have a thermometer, test a dollop in ice water; it should immediately harden to a brittleness sufficient that you’ll be able to snap it in two, without any bending or softness).
6. This whole process should take about 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Pay attention; too long on the heat, and the syrup will burn.
8. While the sugar is boiling, spread half of the nuts in an even, closely packed layer on a parchment-lined 9″ x 13″ pan.
9. Top the nuts with half the chocolate.
10. When the syrup has reached 295°F, remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda; it will foam up, so use caution.
11. Pour the syrup quickly and evenly over the nuts and chocolate.
12. Top with the remaining chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, until it softens; spread the chocolate with an offset spatula in an even layer and immediately sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
13. While the candy is still slightly warm, pull it out of the pan and use a thin spatula to loosen it from the parchment.
14. When completely cool, break into uneven chunks.

3.5.3251

 

 

 

Upside Down Pear Walnut Cake

I know, I promised to eat fewer sweets at the start of the new year, but this has three pears sliced on top, so doesn’t that count as health food? (Don’t answer that.)

Seriously, I had to make this cake, if only because I wanted to use some of those delicious boxed pears sent to us for Christmas by our friends Jan and Dave. We still had five uneaten pears left in the box, despite having had a houseful of family and visitors over the holidays. Yes, of course we could have just eaten them raw, but when you have a husband whose idea of the perfect wedding vow includes a commitment to provide cake each night, well, you try to obey (No, neither the cake nor the obey part was part of the vows). Truth be told, I was longing to make this dessert since I saw it being whipped up on the TV program, “America’s Test Kitchen” recently. And with ample pears in the house, it was good timing.

I’ve made a lot of upside down cakes in my life, from my childhood favorite, pineapple upside down cake, to peach, to cranberry, to plum, to fig, to blood orange. 

All of them are made with a basic white or yellow cake, but this one is very different. It does use a little white flour, but it’s got one dominating ingredient that gives the cake a distinct look and flavor.

Can you guess?Maybe now you can, after seeing this cut slice. It’s toasted walnuts, giving the cake a delicious walnut-y flavor. It’s also very moist with a delicate crumb. And it’s easy to make too – using a food processor instead of a mixer.

The only thing missing is perhaps a little whipped cream or creme fraiche.

If you want to be really wicked, maybe a scoop of ice cream. Oh what the heck, go for it. Bathing suit season doesn’t start for a while.

Upside Down Pear Walnut Cake

printable recipe here

Ingredients

• From Cooks Illustrated:
• For the Topping:
• 4 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
• 2 t. cornstarch
• 1/8 t. salt
• 3 Bosc pears – 8 ounces each – (I used Bartlett and it worked out fine)
• For The Cake:
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 4 T. unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 vegetable oil

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOPPING:
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.
3. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. (I strongly suggest using a cake pan that is 2″ high, or use a springform pan. The batter is almost too much for a regular 9″ cake pan.)
4. Pour melted butter over bottom of pan and swirl to evenly coat.
5. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl and sprinkle evenly over melted butter.
6. Peel, halve, and core pears.
7. Set aside 1 pear half and reserve for other use.
8. Cut remaining 5 pear halves into 4 wedges each.
9. Arrange pears in circular pattern around cake pan with tapered ends pointing inward.
10. Arrange two smallest pear wedges in center.
11. For The Cake:
12. Pulse walnuts, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until walnuts are finely ground, 8 to 10 pulses.
13. Transfer walnut mixture to bowl.
14. Process eggs and sugar in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes.
15. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream until incorporated.
16. Add walnut mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses.
17. Pour batter evenly over pears (some pear may show through; cake will bake up over fruit).
18. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, rotating pan after 40 minutes.
19. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.
20. Carefully run paring knife or offset spatula around sides of pan.
21. Invert cake onto wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; discard parchment.
22. Let cake cool for about 2 hours.
23. Transfer to serving platter, cut into wedges, and serve.

3.5.3229