Saffron Orzo With Shrimp

Everyday Pasta
Giada DeLaurentiis

I came across this recipe years ago and was intrigued because I love shrimp, and lemon, and saffron.  I expected to enjoy it, but I didn’t expect the reaction it would get from friends and family.  They absolutely love it and request it pretty frequently.  I don’t make it as often as they’d like, but I’m going for that “always leave ’em wanting more” vibe.  🙂

One of my favorite stories about this dish comes from one of my closest friends, Jennie.  She loves this dish and loves to recommend it, suggest it, request it…  The only problem is that she can’t ever remember what it’s called.  🙂  So it’s become a fun little game we play when she talks about how much she loves it.  I don’t know about her, but I sure enjoy playing!

What I love about this dish is that you can serve it hot, right after you toss the shrimp in with the pasta, or you can serve it later on at room temperature.  Either way, it’s delicious and a real crowd pleaser.  Or so I’m told.

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Ingredients:
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 pound orzo (small, rice-shaped pasta)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

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1. In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, bringing the broth to a simmer.  Add the saffron, stir, and simmer until the saffron has “bloomed,” about 5 minutes.  Return the heat to medium and bring the stock to a boil, then add the orzo and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the orzo and transfer to a large bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, the parsley, half the lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and combine thoroughly.
2. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining lemon juice.  Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons  of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until the shrimp are just turning pink, about 2 minutes per side.  Add the shrimp to the bowl with the orzo.  Toss to combine and serve.

 

Tips/Notes:

• While the recipe calls for parsley, I don’t use it very often because it’s not very popular at my house.  The lack of parsley doesn’t take anything away from the dish itself, it’s just a matter of preference.
• The recipe calls for the juice of one lemon, however, I always add extra for a little bit of tanginess.  
• If you like shrimp, nothing says you can’t add more, I do.

Fabio’s Mom’s Meatballs

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

Admittedly, I am not a big meatball person.  Was never really a fan.  Even growing up, my mother never really made meatballs very often.  It just wasn’t a big thing in our family.  In my experience meatballs were always somewhat dry, kind of flavorless and just blech.  So I was never really inspired to attempt meatballs until I came across this recipe.  Fabio’s Mom is a genius.  This meatballs are tasty, moist, and throughly enjoyable.

Once the meatballs are prepared and ready to be cooked, you just throw them into a sauce recipe of your choice and allow them to cook.  The recipe suggested in the book was Fabio’s Tomato Sauce, but you can use any sauce recipe you like.  They can be adapted to any sauce.

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Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
4 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, grated
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, mined
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups Fabio’s Tomato Sauce (or any sauce of your choice)
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

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1. Place all the ingredients except the tomato sauce, the parsley, and the extra-virgin olive oil in a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly by hand until they are completely combined and the mixture is uniformly firm.
2. Coat your hands in olive oil, and form balls slightly bigger than a golf ball
3. Heat the tomato sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, then drop the meatballs into the sauce and add enough water to allow the sauce to reduce and simmer but not so much that the sauce is totally liquid. Cook for about 10 minutes on one side, then turn the meatballs over, add some more water, and cook for another 10 minutes, using a spoon to cover the meatballs with the sauce as they simmer.  Remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
4. Serve with chopped parsley, salt and pepper, more Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a frizz;e of extra-virgin olive oil, of course!

Braised Veal Shanks with Grandma’s Gremolata

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

First and foremost, I want to go on record as saying that this is not my Nonna’s gremolata. It’s Fabio Viviani’s.  So in the interest of full disclosure, I wanted to get that out there.  (For those that aren’t familiar with the word, Nonna is the Italian word for Grandmother, or Grandma.)

Braised veal shanks (otherwise known as Ossobuco) are one of my favorite meals.  Cooked properly it is one of the most tender and delicious dishes ever.  It tends to be a pricier cut of meat so I always take extra care in the preparation and tend to hover over the stove to make sure it cooks properly.  The secret to a tender ossobuco is to cook it low and slow, and I tend to stir it a lot to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

I’ve made this with and without the gremolata and it’s delicious either way.  The gremolata is more like a garnish for added flavor, but you can easily serve it without the gremolata and still enjoy it.

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Ingredients
For the gremolata:
1 cup parsley, finely minced
4 small to medium cloves of garlic, very finely minced
1/2 cup lemon peel, finely minced
1/4 cup capers, finely minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the veal:
6 veal shanks, 10-12 oz. each
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups red wine
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium red onions, diced small
3 carrots, peeled and diced small
3 stalks celery, peeled and diced small
10 medium cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
10 large sprigs fresh rosemary
5 sprigs parsley
3 cups beef stock
2 cups Fabio’s Tomato Sauce

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1. Mix all the gremolata ingredients together in a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator
2. Preheat oven to 325° F
3. Season shanks on all sides with salt and pepper
4. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven and sear the shanks over medium heat until browned.  Remove the shanks from the pan and set aside.
5. Add the wine to the pan, scraping the bottom to loosen and dissolve any brown bits.  Once the wine is reduced by half and there are no brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan, remove the reduction from the heat and drizzle it over the shanks.
6. Return the pan to the burner and add the butter.  When it has melted, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and all the herbs.  Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes, then urn the heat up to hi and add the beef stock and tomato sauce.
7. Add the veal shanks and juices, evenly distributing them in the pan.  Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pan with aluminum foil perforated in a few spots to release steam, and place it in the oven.  Cook for about 2 hours.
8. About halfway through, turn the shanks over in the pan and place back into the oven.  The shanks are cooked when the meat falls easily off the bone when pulled with a fork.  If the sauce is still too watery, remove shanks from the pan, set aside, and reduce the sauce to desired thickness on the stove.
9. Serve with about 1 tablespoon of gremolata on top of each portion.

Seafood Risotto

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

It’s no secret that I love seafood.  So any recipe that includes seafood and I’m all in.  Cooking seafood can be a little tricky.  Not long enough and it’s still raw, cook it a minute too long and it becomes rubbery.  In addition to which, when cooking seafood, it’s not something that you can stir and walk away from.  It needs constant attention. But practice makes perfect, and the end result will be absolutely delicious.

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
10 clams, or one 7 1/2 oz can minced clams*
2 cups fish or shelfish stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 mussels*
1/2 cup calamari, bodies and tentacles, sliced
1 teaspoon butter
12 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/3 cup  dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
A dash of red pepper flakes**
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

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1. Drain the tomatoes and – if using canned clams – the clams, reserve all liquid, and set the clams aside.  Combine the tomato juice and clam juice (if you have it) in a large measuring cup, then add enough stock to make 3 cups of liquid.
2. Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan and cook the clams and mussels over medium heat until all the shells have opened (for a faster result, cover with a lid).  Discard any clams or mussels that have not opened, then add the calamari and remove from heat.
3. Put the butter in a large sauté pan and cook the onions and garlic over medium heat until the onions are tender but not brown.  Add the rice, wine, salt, thyme, and red pepper flakes and reduce, stirring often, until the white wine has disappeared.
4. Start adding the stock, one ladle at a time, just enough to cover the rice.  As the stock is absorbed and the rice cooks, site in more stock, each time adding just enough to cover the rice.  Stir often, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Once you have added all the stock and the rice is tender, remove from heat and stir in all the seafood.  Cover and let stand for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

 

* 10 clams and 8 mussels?  Seriously?  I want to be able to enjoy the clams and mussels, not give the illusion of clams and mussels.  So I up the ante and always put in a nice, healthy dose of clams and mussels.  I don’t have a specific amount, but I put in as many as the recipe can handle.  Also, when it comes to clams, I use fresh and canned.  Can’t ever have enough clams.

** A lot of recipes call for red pepper flakes to give the dish a little kick.  But I think that’s a judgment call as to whether or not you want to include them.  Sometimes you’re in the mood for spicy, sometimes you’re not.  You can decide as you prepare the dish.

Saffron Risotto

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

Saffron is one of my favorite spices to cook with.  It’s a little on the expensive side, but worth every penny with the flavor it provides.  Having said that, I will go on to say that I love risotto.  I usually make this particular saffron risotto as a side dish because it compliments any protein served with it.

Usually, risotto requires a lot of attention and constant stirring.  This particular recipe is the exception to the rule which makes it creamier and allows it to stand up to whatever protein is served with it.

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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup pancetta, diced
3 cups chicken or beef stock
1 teaspoon saffron
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
A dash of pepper

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1. In a medium saucepan, cook the onion and the pancetta in the butter over medium heat until the onion is tender but not brown.  Stir in the stock, saffron, rice, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to low.  Cover with a tight-fitting lid.
2. Continue cooking for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.  Remove from heat.  Let stand, covered, for 5-8 minutes.  The rice should be tender but still slightly firm, and the mixture should be creamy.  If necessary, store in a little water to reach the desired consistency.
3. Serve immediately.

 

Fabio’s Tomato Sauce with Oil and Garlic

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

This is a quick sauce that I make on a night where there isn’t anything planned, we don’t feel like ordering out or picking anything up, and I just want to get something fast and simple on the table.  And good.  No sense making it if it isn’t good.

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of this one yet, but I’ll add one the next time I make this particular sauce.

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Ingredients:
6 cloves garlic
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-oz can of whole plum tomatoes (packed only in tomato juice)
Salt and pepper
10 basil leaves

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1. Smash the garlic with the flat side of the knife.  Place the garlic and 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden brown.  Add the tomatoes and generous pinches of salt and pepper.
2. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is thick and no longer watery, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and turn the heat to high.  Stir, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.  Cook until the oil turns red, then turn off the heat and add the basil at the very end.

Grandma’s Roasted Chicken

Fabio’s Italian Kitchen
Fabio Viviani

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This is s favorite at my house. It’s quick and easy and it never disappoints.  I will admit, however, that I omit the sage most of the time.  As for the thyme, it depends on my mood. But the rosemary is always included.  I love rosemary so I never forget the rosemary.

Also, I wanted to make a point of noting that the roasting times listed in the recipe are a little off.  While oven temperatures most definitely vary, the way I gauge when to turn the chicken is based on the color.  When it gets to a nice, golden color, I flip it as the recipe dictates and finish cooking it according to the instructions.

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Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (2-4 lbs)
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, sliced
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs sage
2 sprigs rosemary
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

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1. Preheat the oven to 450° F
2. Remove the organs, gizzards, and neck from the chicken and rinse it inside and out with cold water
3. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels so that the oil and seasonings will stick.  Rub olive oil all over the skin and season heavily with salt and pepper.  Stuff the cavity with the garlic, lemon, and herbs.
4. Place the chicken in the roasting pan, breast-side up, and put it into the oven.  Roast for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the skin is crispy and brown*
5. Put a meat thermometer in the breast, turn the chicken over so it is breast-side down, and turn the oven down to 350° F.  Continue roasting until the thermometer reads around 150° F.  Then turn the oven off and let the chicken stay in the hot oven until the thermometer reaches 160°-165° F.
6. Cut the chicken into thighs, drumsticks, wings, and breasts, place the pieces on a platter, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and garnish with the roasted thyme, sage, and rosemary.**

* This is what I was referring to above…  15-20 minutes isn’t always enough to get that golden brown color that he talks about before turning the chicken breast-side down.  It usually takes closer to 30 minutes.  I sometimes use the convection feature on my oven to cut a few minutes off the cooking time, but that shortens the overall cooking time and not necessarily those first 15-20 minutes.

** I tend to just toss the herbs after cooking.  We’re not big on garnish at my house.  We’re all about the food.  🙂

Creamed Corn

The Hell’s Kitchen Cookbook
Gordon Ramsay

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This was some of the best creamed corn I’ve ever had.  Rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious.  Worth making again.  And again.  And yeah…  again.  And it complimented the Chicken Breast with Maple Jus beautifully!

I took the easy way out and used frozen corn instead of shaving it off the cob.  I don’t always have the luxury of time when I’m cooking dinner because of my schedule, so I opted for the frozen vs. having to remove the corn from the cob myself.  But fresh or frozen, it was still delicious!

P.S. I’m not a fan of chives so I left them out.  Since it’s only used for garnish at the end, I decided to exclude them because I didn’t think I would lose much not including them.

Ingredients:
6 ears corn, shucked, or 3 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the corn from the cobs, place kernels in a bowl, and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add half of the corn, the garlic, and the shallot.  Toss to coat and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.  Add 3/4 cup of the cream, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
3. Place the corn mixture into a blender or use an immersion blender to puree.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup cream and continue blending until the mixture is almost smooth.
4. Return the puree to the saucepan and stir in the remaining corn.  Gently simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Roasted Chicken Breast with Maple Jus

The Hell’s Kitchen Cookbook
Gordon Ramsay

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When I came across this recipe it sounded yummy.  Spices, the sweetness of the maple syrup.  Good stuff!  So why not give it a shot!  We loved it.  The recipe calls for chicken breasts, but I had some wings in the fridge so I threw them in the pan as well.  There’s something to be said for spontaneity.

All in all, it was delicious.  But just for my own personal taste, I’m planning on upping the maple syrup component for a little more sweetness to contrast the other seasonings.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 450° F
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper
3. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Lay the chicken into a 13×9 inch baking dish in one layer.  Pour the olive oil mixture over the chicken and turn to coast.  Sprinkle with rosemary and thyme.
4. Then transfer the pan to the oven to the lower rack.  Roast until the internal temperature is 165F* in the thickest part of the breast, about 35-40 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan to make the jus.  Place the pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the stock and, with a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Boil until reduced by half.  Add the maple syrup, cook 1 more minute, then strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter.  Keep warm.

To Plate
Cut the breasts off the bone and slice.  Fan the chicken over the squash.  Whisk the maple jus again to emulsify and drizzle over the chicken and around the plate.

Chicken Fried Ribeye with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes and White Truffle Cream Gravy

The Hell’s Kitchen Cookbook
Gordon Ramsay

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I wasn’t too sure if this one was going to be a hit or not because while the husband is a meat and potatoes guy, and this is definitely meat and potatoes, it’s not the meat and potatoes that he’s used to.  But he loved it!  And said he’d have it again.  So there will be a repeat performance of this one at our house.

I have to say…  that Gordon Ramsay knows what he’s talking about!  I’m loving the recipes he included in this book.

Ingredients:
Yukon Mashed Potatoes
1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Chicken-Fried Steak and Gravy
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Vegetable oil
4 thinly sliced (1/3 inch thick) boneless ribeye steaks, trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil
Chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish

 

For the Mashed Potatoes

1. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by two inches.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to simmer, cover the pot partially, and cook until the potatoes are very tender when tested with the tip of a sharp paring knife, 25-30 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes, reserving some of the cooking water
3. Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
4. Put the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill and return them to the pot over low heat.  Add the hot cream-and-butter mixture and mis with the wooden spoon.  If the potatoes are too thick, add a small amount of the reserved cooking water until they are the consistency you like, or use a hand mixer for a smoother texture.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to keep warm.

 

For the Chicken-Fried Steak and Gravy

1. Set up two shallow bowls, one with 1 3/4 cups flour seasoned with salt and pepper, one with the eggs.  In a large, deep cast-iron skillet, pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and begin to come about a quarter inch up the sides.  Test that the oil is hot enough by putting the handle end of a wooden spoon into the oil.  If the oil bubbles vigorously around the handle, it’s ready.  Season the steak with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess, then put the steak into the egg and back into the flour.  Once the oil is hot, carefully add two of the steaks to the pan and fry until brown and crispy, 4 minutes on one side, 3 minutes on the other.  Use tongs to transfer the steaks to a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet to drain.  Repeat with the remaining two steaks.
2. Pour off all but 4 tablespoons of the frying oil and return the pot to the stove over low heat.  Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup flour to the pan.  Use a wooden spoon to continue stirring continuously until the mixture becomes a golden color.  Slowly whisk in the milk, then season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the truffle oil and serve over the steak.

 

To Plate
Place the mashed potatoes in the center of each plate.  Rest the steak over some of the potatoes and top with gravy.  Garnish with chopped parsley.