Stuffed Artichoke Hearts

An elegant start to any meal. You can trim a whole artichoke to get at the heart, or buy frozen artichoke bottoms at any Mediterranean market. The cooking method is the same whether fresh or frozen (no need to thaw the frozen artichoke bottoms). I served as a first course to a grilled New York steak with lemon-thyme butter and vegetable risotto.

Recipe

2 T. butter
2 c. chopped mushrooms (1/2" pieces)
1 T. cognac
2/3 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 T. chopped mixed fresh tarragon and parsley
1/2 tsp. potato starch dissolved in 1 T. cold water
6 artichoke hearts (bottoms)
2 T. freshly ground parmesan (or pecorino romano)

Cook the artichoke hearts (bottoms) in 4 c. water, 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 35-40 minutes until hearts are tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from heat, drain and arrange on a baking sheet.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the cognac and cook for 30 seconds (you can flame it, or not). Add 1/4 c. of the cream, salt, pepper and herbs and bring to a boil. Add the dissolved potato starch, mix well and boil to thicken. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler.

Whip the remaining cream until stiff and rapidly fold into the mushroom mixture; immediately fill the artichoke bottoms and sprinkle with the cheese. Put under the broiler for 2 minutes or until browned.

– Jacques Pépin, "Essential Pepin"

Ragout of Broccolini, Beans, Sausage and Clams

Fall has arrived just in time for a ragout of broccolini, beans, sausage and clams. The clams lend a bit of Spanish flair to this dish. I used a mild Portuguese linguica sausage but feel free to substitute a hot or mild italian sausage. Don't forget some rustic bread to dip into the delicious sauce!

Recipe

2 T. olive oil
6 oz. hot Italian sausage (remove casing), chopped
1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 small bunch broccolini (about 15 stems), chopped into 2" pieces
1 15.5-oz. can cannellini beans (I used mixed beans)
1 10-oz. can clams (or two 6.5 oz. cans)
Grated parmesan for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the sausage and brown for a few minutes. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flake, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccolini, salt, and the juice from both the can of beans and clams. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove cover and stir in the beans and clams. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes, uncovered.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated parmesan, with a crusty bread.

– adapted from Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Asparagus with Mustard Sauce

The mustard sauce adds a bite to the smooth taste of asparagus. Best when served immediately after cooking the asparagus, while it's still warm. The sauce can be made ahead of time - cover and keep refrigerated until serving time.

Recipe

2 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1-1/4 lbs. asparagus
salt
1 T. minced fresh chives for garnish

MUSTARD SAUCE
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. water
1 T. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

Put the hard boiled eggs, one at a time, in an egg slicer. Cut through them, then rotate 45-degrees in the slicer and cut through them again to create strips. If you don't have an egg slicer, chop with a sharp knife. Set aside.

If your asparagus are thick, peel the lower third with a vegetable peeler and snap off the ends, otherwise cut off the tough bottom part of the stalks. In a large saucepan, bring 3 c. salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus in one layer, cover partially and bring back to a boil; cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness of the asparagus) until tender but still firm. Remove from the pan with a slotted spatula and put on a platter.

For the sauce put all the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

At serving time, arrange the spears so the bottoms are close together and the tips are fanned out. Coat the lower third of the asparagus spears with the sauce and sprinkle the eggs and chives over and around them.

– Jacques Pepin, "More Fast Food My Way"

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm always on the lookout for a good Indian restaurant but in the last few years I have been unimpressed. My brother's favorite dish is chicken masala so I decided to make it at home. This recipe is fabulous, a real keeper! Serves 3 to 6, depending on how hungry you are. If you like more heat, increase the amount of cayenne and/or add a chopped jalapeno pepper with the onion.

Perfectly spiced chicken tikka masala, served with basmati rice, naan, and cucumber-mint raita.

Recipe

2 T. ghee
1 finely chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 T. fresh grated ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
14-oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. heavy cream
1-1/2 tsp. paprika
1 T. sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 tsp. curry powder
Cilantro for garnish (if desired)

Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cumin, salt, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon and turmeric, stir, and fry until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in the cream, paprika and sugar, bring back to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T. peanut (or vegetable) oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, sprinkle with curry powder, and sear, stirring, until the chicken is lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the chicken (and any juices) to the tomato sauce. Simmer for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with basmati rice.

Cucumber Mint Raita

A very refreshing yogurt-cucumber-mint mixture, this is a perfect complement to Chicken Tikka Masala. It would also go well with grilled lamb, chicken, or salmon, or as a dip with pita bread.

Recipe

1/2 large English cucumber (unpeeled), halved, seeded, and coarsely grated
1 c. plain yogurt
3 T. chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Wrap the grated cucumber in a kitchen towel and squeeze dry. In a medium bowl whisk the yogurt, mint, cumin, and cayenne to blend. Add the cucumbers and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Makes about 2 cups.

Stuffed Summer Tomatoes

This is the perfect recipe for summer tomatoes, stuffed with zucchini and mushrooms. It's still too hot to turn on the oven. I'd rather have a cool salad of refreshing vegetables anyway! It was surprisingly easy to transport – stuff and store stuffing side up in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe

4 firm tomatoes
1-1/4 c. diced (1/4-inch) white mushrooms
1-1/4 c. diced (1/4-inch) zucchini
1/3 c. chopped red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. diced (1/4-inch) baguette
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar

GARNISHES:
1/3 c. diced red onion
1/3 c. diced kalamata olives (or 16 pitted olives)
crumbled feta cheese
olive oil
Fleur de sel or coarse salt
4 sprigs fresh basil

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds, drain, and peel off the skin. Cut about a 1/4-inch slice from the stem end of each tomato and dice those slices for garnish.

Hollow out the tomatoes, removing the flesh, seeds and juice, which I did very carefully because the tomatoes I used were fairly ripe and not hard, so be careful! A serrated spoon would have worked well I think.

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Spread the diced mushrooms and zucchini on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 3-4 minutes to sweat and soften (I assume you could use a microwave for this step but I don't own one!). Transfer the softened veggies to a bowl and stir in the onion, garlic, walnuts, bread, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar. Mix well and spoon the stuffing into the hollowed out tomatoes. Refrigerate, stuffing side up, until ready to serve.

To serve, place the tomatoes stuffed side down on the plate and scatter the reserved diced tomatoes and garnishes around the plate and sprinkle with the olive oil and fleur de sel. Poke a tiny hole in the top of the tomato (I used a toothpick) and insert a basil sprig, and serve.

– Jacques Pépin, "More Fast Food My Way"