balsamic

Fresh Corn & Sun Dried Tomato Angel Hair Pasta

Fresh Corn and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
By jgreghenry Published August 21, 2010
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 t sugar
  • 1 lb angel hair or other thin pasta
  • 0 salt as needed
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 3 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 sli shallot, peeled and minced
  • 2 T fresh oregano leaves, minced
  • 3 ears of fresh corn kernels
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 T flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 0 freshly cracked pepper

Directions

Cut the tomatoes into fine julienne and place them, along with the sugar in a small bowl. Pour in just enough hot water to cover. Set aside to hydrate until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain well, squeezing out excess liquid. You may skip this step if you choose oil packed or pre-marinated sun-dried tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add good amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Retain some of the pasta water for the sauce. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and shallots; saute briefly until lightly colored. Add the oregano, corn, balsamic and about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Cook, uncovered, until the corn is just tender, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes, half of the Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon of the parsley and toss well. Toss with more of the reserved cooking water, if necessary, to moisten. Pour the pasta into a warmed serving bowl, dust with a little more Parmesan, and scatter the remaining parsley on top, and give it a good grind of pepper. Pass the remaining Parmesan at the table. Serve immediately.

Notes:

serves 4 to 6 Source: Inspired by Napa Style

Kabob Party- Easy Grilled Plums with Rosemary Balsamic Glaze

03 Jul 2010
Sippity Sup Makes Grilled Plum Skewers

 

What’s a summertime Kabob Party without dessert?

But can you really grill fruit? Sure they do it on the Food Network, but can you really do it at home? More importantly can I?

I’ll be honest I had my doubts about this one. But one thing about summer is it’s a good time to brush up on my grilling techniques. Sure, anyone can barbecue a steak, but it takes a real man to grill fruit!

In theory grilling fruit is sexy, succulent, and sophisticated. The fire actually coaxes a sweet, caramel quality out of the fruit and onto your plate. Good grilled fruit has a magnified, intensified fruitiness that is hard to beat. It pairs well with ice cream or for a more elegant approach you could try mascarpone cheese.

Still, I had my fears about a grilled fruit kabob. Would the fruit get mushy? Would it fall off the stick? Would it get burnt or worse yet taste like old meat?

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Grilled Plums with Rosemary Balsamic Glaze & Mascarpone

Grilled Plums with Rosemary Balsamic Glaze & Mascarpone
By jgreghenry Published June 30, 2010
Prep time: 60
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 0.5 c sugar
  • 1 T rosemary leaves
  • 0.25 c honey
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • 0.5 c mascarpone cheese at room temperature
  • 3 very ripe plums, halved and pitted
  • 0 lemon zest for garnish
  • 0.5 c water, plus more for soaking

Directions

Make the glaze: Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes. Pour liquid through a wire-mesh strainer into a cruet or airtight container, discarding rosemary sprigs. While the liquid is still warm stir in the honey and balsamic. Glaze may be stored in refrigerator up to 1 month. Stir about 1 tablespoon of the glaze into the mascarpone cheese until well combined. Set aside. Cover the plums with col water and let them hydrate about 20 minutes. Also soak 4 sturdy rosemary branches or bamboo skewers in water for about 10 minutes. Thread 3 plum halves onto each one. Move the skewers to a plate. Brush the fruit generously with the glaze. Prepare barbecue for medium-high heat. Grill the plums over indirect heat until heated through, turning once, about 2-3 minutes per each side. Brush with a bit more glaze during cooking. Arrange each skewer, cut side up, on an individual serving plate. Spoon some creme mascarpone mixture into the plate. Garnish with lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:

serves 4

Remembering Beets So Red It's Fusilli!

01 Dec 2009
red beet fusilli

I am "Cooking Red To Remember" today. Because today is World AIDS Day. Angela at SpinachTiger organized this as a way to remember that AIDS is not over. Not by a long shot. So please visit SpinachTiger to fully understand why this day and this event is so important to her. As for my own reaction and my own feelings about this tragic disease, you may read my previous post about this event here.

But today is about remembrance and it need not be sad day. Even under these circumstances. So I am reaching back into the archive of this blog and pulling out a memory of my own. Red Beet Fusilli with Balsamic, Poppy Seeds and Mint. I am reaching backwards both as a tribute to this day, and also because I never cooked more RED in my life! My brother has his own way to remember, so he's also brought us an excellent wine pairing for this recipe. A red wine naturally, and an Italian wine to boot, appropriately remembering Angela's heritage. Sipping Red To Remember! Good job, lil bro!

So let's all jump in and remember joyfully and with a real showstopper? Are you ready? I mean really ready! Because a showstopper is what this really is.

Sippity Sup Continues »
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Red Beet Fusilli with Balsamic, Poppy Seeds & Mint

Red Beet Fusilli with Balsamic, Poppy Seeds & Mint
By jgreghenry Published November 30, 2009
Prep time: 20
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 4 T poppy seeds
  • 6 T unsalted butter
  • 1 lb fusilli or other "ribbon style" pasta
  • 0 salt and pepper, to taste
  • 0.5 c grated parmigiano-reggiano
  • 0.25 c balsamic vinegar
  • 1 lb beets, washed trimmed but left unpeeled
  • 0.5 c mint leaves, julienned

Directions

Using food processor grate the beets and set them aside in a large serving bowl. Put the poppy seeds into a large saucepan set over over medium-high heat. Toast the seeds about 3 minutes until they are fragrant, stirring constantly. Transfer them to a small bowl and set them aside. Using the same saucepan add 4 tablespoons butter and cook over medium heat. Once it begins to brown remove it from the heat and pour it over the raw beats. Season with salt and pepper and the balsamic vinegar. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, boil the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta reserving about 1-cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring until melted. Follow the butter with the grated cheese, reserved poppy seeds and the beets; then add the reserved pasta water and stir quite well. Adding the butter first keeps the cheese from clumping. The heat from the pasta is all the cooking necessary to melt the cheese and cook the beets. Add the reserved poppy seeds. Garnish with mint. Serve with a little more cheese passed at the table.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: This is my simplified slightly lighter version of a Melissa Clark recipe