2-13...Salmon - asparagus cream sauce

We ate very well tonight...Fusilli in a creamy salmon - asparagus sauce.   It has been a while since I've prepared this, but it was worth the wait.

INGREDIENTS:

Fusilli
Salmon
Asparagus
Olive oil
Garlic, shallots
Lemon juice
Butter
Dry whit wine
Heavy whipping cream
Dry dill, basil, and oregano
Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

PROCESS:

Cook the garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft.  Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and add to the pan, along with the seasoning/herbs and cook for several minutes.  Then add the wine and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the salmon, butter, and lemon juice and continue cooking over low heat.  About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready add the cream and stir frequently.

Toss the sauce into the pasta, mix well, and enjoy.

COMMENTS:

This tasted especially good to Patience and me tonight, perhaps because we haven't had it for a while.  Or, perhaps because it was prepared with extra amounts of love, after all, tomorrow is Valentines Day and I'm "warming up".

12-21…Capellini with creamy tomato – crab – spinach sauce plus shrimp

I will say right now that this dish was not just a winner… it was a GRAND WINNER.

INGREDIENTS:

Angel Hair pasta
Olive oil
Garlic and shallots
Lump crabmeat
Shrimp
Dry basil and oregano
Heavy whipping cream
Fresh spinach
Sweet vermouth
Peeled whole tomatoes

PROCESS:

Saute the garlic and shallots in olive oil, add the tomatoes and cook until the liquid is almost gone. Add the crabmeat, spinach, and herbs and cook for about 15 minutes, adding a splash of the wine about midway.

Place the sauce in a blender or food processer and puree to a smooth consistency, return to the pan and add the cream and stir frequently over low ot medium heat. Just before the pasta goes into the water add the shrimp to the sauce.

Place the pasta in a serving bowl and mix in the sauce. Serve with parmigiano reggiano cheese.

COMMENTS:

This was not a homerun…it was a grand slam, one of the best dishes I’ve prepared. You gotta try it.

11-19…Fettuccini w smoked salmon, peas and artichoke hearts, in lemon cream sauce

After an opening reception for an amazing show at Philosophy gallery Patience and I, and friend Keyth returned home for some fun conversation, laughter, and another pasta dinner.



INGREDIENTS:

Fettuccini
Smoked salmon
Frozen peas
Artichoke hearts
Heavy whipping cream
Mascarpone cheese
Butter
Dill
White wine
Fresh Lemon juice
Garlic and shallots

PROCESS:

While the pasta is cookining sauté the garlic and shallots in olive oil and butter., then add the salmon, peas, artichoke hearts. Cook for several minutes before adding the wine, dill, and lemon juice. Cook for several minutes more, then add the cream and mascarpone cheese.

Add the pasta to the pan, plus pasta water as needed to keep the consistency loose. Serve with grated Parmigano Regiano cheese.

COMMENTS:

Easily a ten!

11-7…Chicken, shrimp, and other stuff.

It is 5:30, and I’m not feeling very inspired. Pickings in the fridge are slim, and the freezer and pantry are not much better, even after looking at both at least 3 different times. Eventually I settled on chicken…and thawed a boneless breast in the microwave. From there dinner evolved to include shrimp and fresh herbs in a lemon-cream sauce.



INGREDIENTS:

Tomato-basil fettucine purchased at Tuesday Morning (I am not a foodie.)\
Boneless chicken breast
Fresh dill, basil, and parsley
Olive oil
Butter
Heavy whipping cream
Shallots (I am embarrassed to say I am out of garlic)
Lemon
Shrimp

PROCESS:

While waiting for the water to boil brown the chicken in olive oil and butter and remove. Deglaze the pan with white wine if needed. Add more olive oil and sauté the chicken, adding the herbs and lemon juice. About the time the pasta is placed in the water add the shrimp to the pan followed by the cream. Stir frequently, and when ready, add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, and serve with Parmigian Reggiano cheese and a sprinkling of fresh dill.



COMMENTS:

For a last minute effort, this was delicious and I encourage everyone to try it. Any past will do, but I would recommend linguine or fettucine.

And neither Patience or I missed the garlic.

Ravioli in oregano based cream-lemon sauce 8-3

I’m really winging it tonight folks. I heard LRK on Splendid Table say that fresh oregano, lemon, garlic, and olive oil made a wonderful sauce to put on grilled meat. So it seemed obvious that with a little cream and butter it could make a delightful sauce for stuffed pasta…and it did!



INGREDIENTS:

Olive oil
Butter, 2 tablespoons
Cream, about ¼ cup
Fresh oregano leaves finely chopped…about 2 tablespoons
Lemon zest and juice from ½ lemon
Black pepper
Garlic, one small clove through a garlic press

PROCESS:

In a mortar and pestle grind the oregano, garlic, and lemon zest with enough olive oil to create a paste. (The amount was too small to justify the food processor.)



While the pasta is cooking cook the garlic, oregano, lemon zest, with the butter in olive oil. Add the cream and stir constantly. The sauce was too thin so I added about 1 tsp of cornstarch to thicken it. You have to adjust this as it cooks.

Place the ravioli on the plates and cover with the sauce. Add grated cheese and a few fresh basil leaves.

COMMENTS:

Fresh oregano is a strong force…the 2 tablespoons was more than enough for this sauce for two. If you plan to be serving 3 or 4 I would not add much more. Patience and I both thought it was great, and I’m thinking of other uses for this sauce.

PASTA QUEST…JUNE 22...BROCCOLI AND SMOKES SALMON.

The organic veggies from the Amish farm are accumulating in the refrigerator faster than I can use them…at least it seems that way. This week's box contained, among other things, two heads of broccoli and several large bunches of beets, as well as green onions. Last night I used the green beans and some of the potatoes. Tonight I’ll tackle the broccoli. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the beets. Several years ago I prepared a pasta dish with beets…I don’t remember what I did but do remember how the pasta took on the deep scarlet color of the beets. It looked a little strange.



Broccoli, smoked salmon in obscene cream sauce

INGREDIENTS:

Farfalle pasta
2-3 Slices of smoked salmon cut into small pieces
Broccoli florets
Shallots, garlic
Fresh chopped basil, parsley, and Thyme
White wine…dry
Butter, heavy whipping cream
Mascarpone (about 2-3 tablespoons) and blue cheese (about 1 teaspoon)
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

While the pasta cooks, sauté the garlic and shallots then add the broccoli and smoked Salmon, herbs plus a splash of white wine. Cook for 5-7 minutes then add butter and blue cheese. When this melts begin adding the cream and the mascarpone. It’s at this point when all directions breakdown. I add the stuff by intuition, maybe more, maybe less; you have to judge for yourself. I don’t think there is a “correct” amount. I even added a teaspoon of cornstarch, which I got all over my blue shirt, to thicken the sauce.

Toss the pasta in the pan, mix thoroughly, and enjoy…we certainly did.

COMMENTS:

I’ve said it all, but be forewarned…it will be easy to overindulge!