Made Potato Basil Puree

So you have committed to making the Veal Chops, now it's  time for a delicious side dish, also by the Barefoot Contessa.  She whipped up this Potato Basil Puree and I could not resist and had to try it.  I took this picture while prepping both dishes so be sure and don't combine your blue cheese and basil.

2 c. fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
2 lbs. large Yukon Gold potatoes (approx. 5-6)
1 c. half-and-half
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and fill a bowl with ice water.  Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds.  Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color.  Drain and set aside.  I don't often use the blanching process but it worked best using a large pot for boiling (I used the same pot and water that I used for the potatoes) and a mesh strainer to retrieve the basil leaves in one scoop.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters.  Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil.  Cook the potatoes for 20-25 minutes, until very tender.  Drain well, return to the saucepan, and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.

I continue to believe one of the best purchases I made this summer was this block of imported Parmesan from Jimmy's.  A great value for the number of times a recipe has called for freshly grated Parmesan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers.

Place the basil in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree.  Add the hot cream mixture and process until smooth.

With a handheld mixer with the beater attachment, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up.  Slowly add the hot basil cream, the salt and pepper and beat until smooth.  If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes.  Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, season to taste, and serve hot.

I added a little bit more half-and-half just before serving to make a bit more creamy - B was excited!!

What I would do next time:

Remember to prepare my bowl of ice water before dropping the basil into the hot water.  15 seconds is not much time to prepare the ice bath.

I went a little heavy on the pepper and would do a better job of taste-testing prior to serving.

Made Veal Chops with Roquefort Butter

Taking a deep breath in for this post - it is long to write and it was long to cook but entirely worth it for this comment, "best meal we have had in the past year…can we have this every week?"  What a sweetie and the answer is, "yes" if I get to increase my grocery budget.  When I saw Ina make this on her latest Postcards from Paris episode, I had to give it a shot.  So $37 later with the purchase of two "chops" I was on my way.  Yes, you read that dollar amount correctly but I was already on my way and could not turn back.  So here we go…

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 oz. good Roquefort cheese
1 tbsp. chopped scallions
8 (1-inch-thick) veal chops
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place the butter and Roquefort cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.  I actually used 2 ounces of blue cheese, which is comparable to the Roquefort.  Next time I will try the true french cheese.  Add the scallions and mix until combined.

Cut a strip of parchment paper 4 1/2 inches wide and place the mixture on the short end of the paper.  My perfectionism started to kick in and I was trying to flatten out the butter mixture so it would look like a stick of butter but clearly it was not happening.  So I just went with it and proceeded.  Roll into a log about 1 inch in diameter, rolling the parchment paper around the butter mixture.  Chill.

Sprinkle both sides of the veal chops generously with salt and pepper.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.  I kept wanting to take more pictures of the raw meat, which is not typical but this is my favorite early evening lighting location in my kitchen.  Meanwhile prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals.  We have a gas grill and it worked fine but I would be curious to taste the difference in cooking over the coals. 

 When your grill is hot, grill the chops for 6-8 minutes on each side, until almost cooked through.  

Remove to a platter and cover with foil, allowing to rest for 15 minutes.  Serve with 1-2 slices of cold Roquefort butter on each.  You are going to want to slices of butter…I can assure you!

Potato Basil Puree was our side dish and equally as good in a non-meat way.  That post up next!!

Made Fall for Dinner

Apparently the Texas heat is planning to be with us through mid-September.  So I welcomed fall into the Madeley house early since summer is going late…makes sense, right?!  I have not lit a pumpkin-spice candle yet but it is waiting in the wings…  This tomato basil soup recipe is amazing and super easy and found in one of loveliest cookbooks I have, "The Gathering of Friends Volume I."  And for the grilled cheese I will leave that up to you and what you like the best.  We are pretty simple with buttered bread, slice of our favorite bread and whole wheat bread.
 

1 26 oz. jar of Tomato Basil pasta sauce, Classico brand
26 oz. whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let it simmer until ready to serve.

What I did different from what the recipe calls for:

Used 1/2 & 1/2 instead of cream 

Added 1/4 c. suger instead of 1/2 c.

Made Campanelle Pasta Salad

I was so excited to try this recipe with some of my very favorite things like capers and artichoke hearts.  The ingredients definitely called for a trip to the grocery store and if you are a Dallas-ite Jimmy's Food Store for some authentic italian tuna.  Jimmy's was my go-to stop for cooking Bolognese earlier in the summer.

1 lb. campanelle pasta
1/4 c. olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
1 small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 oz.) can Italian tuna in oil, drained
2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
8 oz. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and quartered
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over hight heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain and reserve 1 c. of the pasta water.

 In a 14-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until soft, abotu 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add the tuna to the skillet and using a fork, break into chunks.

Add the cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, capers, and thyme.  Cook stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes.  I love the aroma of all these ingredients, especially the thyme, an herb I rarely cook with but might start…

Add the pasta, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and the parsley.  Toss until all ingredients are coasted, adding a little pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce.  I did not need to add the water but good to know I had it available.

Just had to take a single shot of this lovely Italian flat-leaf parsley.  Another first in using this type of parsley vs. the curly leaf parsley.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if you have it and serve warm or at room temperature.

What I would do next time:

Cook the noodles first so as to avoid overcooking your sauce

Stick to the campanelle pasta - I used penne but think the smaller noodle would have been ideal

More tuna!!

Source: Food Network

Made Garlic Chicken with Pesto Cream Sauce

On nights that my cupboard is bare I pull out Pesto Cream Sauce that I keep stored in my freezer.  When I made this sauce earlier in the summer, it made a ton and was SO rich that I froze half of the recipe.  For an easy Saturday night dinner after not cooking much this past week, I threw this quick and easy dish together.

Pasta Cream Sauce by Pioneer Woman
8 oz. angel hair pasta
2 tsp. olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp. garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated

Cut chicken breasts into thinly sliced strips for sautéing.  Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Saute garlic and chicken in skillet until chicken is cooked through and lightly browned on the outside.  Salt and pepper chicken as needed.  While chicken is cooking, boil pasta in separate sauce pan.  Add a splash of olive oil to avoid noodles from sticking.

Toss together in large skillet the angel hair and desired amount of pesto cream sauce, approximately 1/4 cup with garlic chicken.  Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

Made Hollandaise & Artichokes

I actually didn't make artichokes but rather steamed them.  Using "Made" as the beginning of all my posts is not typically difficult when I have made a sandwich, casserole, dessert or dip.  But you can't really "make" an artichoke - it just grows.  Anyone with me?!

I think artichokes are an interesting vegetable and quite lovely.  In the home of a sweet Tyler friend years ago, I witnessed the display of artichokes in such a neat way.  She had a long, narrow, hand-carved wooden bowl for the artichoke display.  She carved out the center of the artichoke to fit a slender, votive-sized candle.  For the artichoke to act as a candle-holder she of course had to chop off the stem and create a flat surface on the bottom-side of the artichoke.  If I could draw, I would sketch and scan a picture for you but I am hoping you can just imagine it.  She placed several artichokes, with the candles fitting into the center, and arranged in the wooden bowl for a centerpiece.  Not sure how long the table display kept but it was beautiful.

So they are pretty but how do you cook them?  I had no idea so went to the web and found this great step-by-step resource on How To Cook and Eat an Artichoke.  I was not willing to take a self pic with an artichoke leaf in my mouth so check out the steps and pictures in the link.  Other than artichokes, all you need is: water for boiling, a lemon slice, bay leaf and clove of garlic.

You can't eat artichokes without Hollandaise so I pulled a great recipe from our copy of the Bride and Groom First and Forever cookbook, which I have cooked out of before.  You can make this in a blender or stove-top.  I chose to use my great double-boiler pan and use the stove.

2 egg yolks
2 tsp. heavy cream at room temperature
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter (1 stick!!) unsalted butter, melted an heated until bubbling but not brown
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (use the same lemon from your slice, for steaming the artichokes)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Sugar

Setup double-broiler as usual with water in the lower pan, heat to medium-high heat.  Put the egg yolks, cream 1/4 tsp. kosher salt and cayenne in top pan of double broiler.  Stir with whisk until frothy.

While continuing to stir, add the melted butter lemon juice and white wine vinegar.  Continue stirring until the sauce has doubled in thickness.  Three out of the four burners occupied is not typical but I kind of like it…

Turn your heat down to low to avoid scalding the sauce.  Remove from burner, cover and set aside for serving.

Ready to start dipping into the rich, buttery sauce.

This is what success looks like - a discard bowl from satisfied Madeleys.
Stay tuned for what was in the third pan and our main entree…easy, no recipe!!

Made Basil Peach-Topping

If you live in Dallas we are in the 39th day of 100+ degree weather.  So grab some basil and fresh peaches and make this amazingly EASY and DELICIOUS summer treat.  I don't really know if Pioneer Woman comes up with her own recipes…a question I would love to ask her if invited to her ranch for a meal.  Whatever the case, Vanilla Ice Cream with Basil-Peach Topping was a hit with my family a few weekends ago.  After having Made Dinner with Mom we celebrated her birthday with this…

2 whole peaches, pitted and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
18 whole basil leaves, washed
Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (or whatever is your favorite brand)

Place chopped peaches in bowl.  Set aside.  In a saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Stir to combine.  Turn on heat to medium-high and boil for 3-5 minutes, until syrup is thicker but not yet starting to turn color.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Pour warm syrup in blender.  Throw in basil leave.  Pulse once quickly for larger chunks of basil; blend for a few seconds for a more green syrup.

 Pour basil syrup over chopped peaches.  Allow to sit a few minutes.  If your liquid is a green tint you are on track!!

I love these footed dessert bowls from Crate & Barrel - another wedding present we serve with often.

Spoon peach-basil mixture over your ice cream and serve immediately.  Refrigerate your sauce and have dessert a few more times days later.