Creamy Morel Mushroom & Chicken Liver Pasta

Take advantage of fresh Spring morel mushrooms for this rich, sumptuous, creamy pasta dish! I used fresh gluten free fettuccini pasta from my local grocery that only took three minutes to cook. The seared, slightly crispy chicken livers and morels are wonderful paired with fresh herbs, creme fraiche and concentrated lamb stock. Serve with a nice zinfandel or other hearty red wine. Using ghee (clarified butter) is important as it has a high smoke point, allowing you to quickly cook the chicken livers at high heat to get that nice crispy exterior without overcooking them.

Recipe

9 oz. fresh fettuccini noodles
1/2 lb. fresh morel mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise, and rinsed if needed to remove dirt
1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed, cut in half
3-4 T. ghee
2 large shallots, chopped
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. cognac
1 T. Glace d'Agneau Gold Classic Roasted Lamb Stock* (can substitute beef or chicken stock)
1/2 c. creme fraiche
2 tsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh chives, finely cut

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to the package directions. While the pasta is cooking make the sauce. If using fresh pasta, make the sauce first, then cook the pasta for about 3 minutes until al dente and drain.

Add 2 T. ghee to a skillet and heat to medium high. Add the chicken livers and cook about 2-3 minutes on each side until you get a nice dark sear. Remove to a plate. Add another tablespoon of ghee, the shallots and mushrooms to the pan and saute until somewhat soft, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cognac and boil for a few minutes until almost evaporated. Add the glace and creme fraiche, bring to a boil, stirring. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn off the heat, return the livers to the pan and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and tarragon.

Put the noodles on a serving plate, spoon the morel-chicken-liver-cream sauce over the noodles and sprinkle on the chives.

* I found this ingredient in my local, big chain grocery store in 1.5 oz. packages - well worth it!

Salmon Niçoise Salad

A take on Julia Child's composed Salad Niçoise, this dish includes baked salmon instead of tuna. A perfect do-ahead dinner served at room temperature, it was particularly perfect for today's unseasonably hot, 85-degree day! It can easily accommodate your vegan guests by eliminating the salmon and hard boiled egg. Serves 4 (adjust quantities for number of diners). 

Recipe

(4) 4-5 oz. salmon fillets, skin on
1 lb. baby potatoes, red or white (3-4 per person)
1 T. finely minced shallot
2-3 T. each white wine and water
1 head Boston lettuce, washed, separated into leaves, spun or blotted dry and chilled
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half (or 4 ripe tomatoes, quartered)
1/2 lb. fresh string beans, trimmed, blanched and chilled
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1/2 c. niçoise olives
2-3 T. capers
3 T. chopped fresh parsley

FOR VINAIGRETTE:
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. each lemon juice and wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2/3 c. olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. fresh basil, chopped

If serving this salad later, make the vinaigrette, hard boil the eggs, bake the salmon, blanch the green beans, steam the potatoes, and wash/dry the lettuce earlier in the day and assemble right before eating.

For the vinaigrette, mash the pressed garlic and salt in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, wine vinegar, and mustard and whisk to incorporate. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Add a grind of pepper and the chopped basil. Alternately you could put all ingredients in a jar and shake for 30 seconds to blend.

For the salmon, preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and put the salmon skin side down. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette on each fillet and spread to cover with your hand; let sit for 15 minutes. Put in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Use a metal spatula to separate the skin from the fillets; discard the skin. Put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the green beans, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the beans, bring back to a boil, and cook for 8 minutes (4 minutes for a crunchier bean). Drain well and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Spread the beans on paper towels and blot with more paper towels to dry. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the potatoes, steam whole for about 20 minutes. While still warm slice in half, then into 3/8-inch slices and put into a large bowl; immediately mix in the minced shallot, 1/4 tsp. salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Add the wine and water and toss gently; let sit for 5 minutes, tossing twice more, allowing the potatoes to absorb as much liquid as they will. Then fold gently with 1/4 c. of the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

When ready to assemble the salad you can put everything on a large platter for people to help themselves, or create an artful arrangement on each guest's plate. Put the lettuce leaves around the edge of the plate; put the salmon on one side. Place some potato salad in the middle. Arrange groups of tomatoes around the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and droplets of the dressing. Mix the green beans with a spoonful of the dressing plus a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste and put on the plate. Distribute the eggs, yellow side up, and drizzle with some dressing; add the olives and the capers to fill in. Sprinkle some dressing over the salmon and the rest of the plate and garnish all with chopped parsley.

Braised Chicken with Pomegranate Molasses

This is my first experience with pomegranate molasses and what a delicious one! The crispy chicken thighs are coated with this syrupy, tart sauce and topped with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped chives. I'll definitely be making this one again. You need one pomegranate to get enough seeds for garnish.

Recipe

Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your chef's knife
Red pepper flakes
8 chicken thighs, bone in, trimmed of excess skin
Kosher salt
1 c. pomegranate molasses
1 c. chicken stock
1 thyme bundle (fresh thyme sprigs tied with kitchen twine)
1 c. pomegranate seeds
1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and bring the pan to medium-high heat. When the garlic is golden, remove and discard.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and place skin side down in the pan. Brown on both sides, about 10-12 minutes total. You may have to do this in batches as you don't want to crowd the chicken or it may steam instead of sear. Transfer to a baking sheet lined in foil (easier for cleanup with the sticky molasses later). Pour out the oil from the pan and add 1/2 c. of the pomegranate molasses and 1/4 c. of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and let it evaporate by half, until it is slightly thick and syrupy.

Return the chicken to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes on each side in the sauce. Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet, put in the oven and roast for 12 minutes until cooked through.

While the chicken is in the oven, add the remaining 1/2 c. of molasses and 3/4 c. of stock, the 2 cloves of garlic, and the thyme bundle to the pan with another pinch of crushed red pepper. Taste and season with about 1/4 tsp. of salt if needed. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid is thick and syrupy, about 10-15 minutes. Discard the garlic cloves and thyme bundle. Put the roasted chicken on a serving platter, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and chives. Serves 4.

– Anne Burrell, "Own Your Kitchen"

Salmon Scaloppine with Sorrel Sauce

A wonderful way to use sorrel from your Spring garden or the farmers market. It's very acidic but when cooked in the cream and served on salmon, it offers a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the fish. 

Recipe

3 loosely packed cups of Sorrel (stems removed)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 salmon scaloppine (boneless, skinless, about 3 oz. each, 1/2-inch thick)

Roll up the sorrel leaves into a tight bundle and slice them crosswise into 2" wide pieces. Combine the sorrel, cream and half of the salt and pepper in a nonstick skillet. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and boil for about 1 minute – the sorrel will melt into a soft puree. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Wipe out the skillet and then heat it for about a minute. When hot, add the salmon scaloppine in one layer, sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper, and cook for about one minute on each side. No need to add any oil if using a nonstick skillet.

Arrange the scallopine on a serving platter and coat with the sorrel sauce. Serve immediately.

– Jacques Pépin, "Heart & Soul in the Kitchen"

Pasta Gratin with Salmon and Wilted Greens

You can use leftover fish for this delicious recipe, or use canned salmon as I did for an economical meal. I used Silk Almond Coconut Blend instead of cow's milk and it was perfect, rich and had a faint sweet flavor. When combined with wilted greens, pasta and a creamy sauce it's a winner!

Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces mixed greens (or spinach), washed and tough stems removed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
14.75 oz. can Salmon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons rice flour (or all-purpose)
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Heat 1 T. of the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the greens, still wet from rinsing, and cook covered for about 4 minutes until wilted. Add 1/4 tsp. each of the salt and pepper and mix well. Spoon spinach into a 6-cup gratin dish.

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot and add the pasta. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes until tender but still slightly al dente. Drain, then cool by running cold water over it for 30 seconds; drain well. Toss the pasta with the fish, breaking up the fish into bite-size pieces, and spread it on top of the spinach in the gratin dish.

Heat the remaining 1 T. oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for 30 seconds, whisking, then add the milk and bring to a boil, still stirring with the whisk. Remove from heat and add the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and mix well. Pour the sauce over the fish and pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and browned on top.

– inspired by Jacques Pépin, "Essential Pépin"

Arroz con Pollo with Salsa Verde

This is a solid 5 star recipe that I have been preparing for years! The first time I made it was in 2007 for my friend's dear mother who was battling cancer and did this ever wake up her appetite – she almost ate the whole thing by herself! It's that good.

Feel free to use whatever parts of the chicken you like best, bone in or not, skin on or not – a whole fryer cut up, or a few breasts and six thighs (boneless/skinless) like I did. I always have a tough time finding dried chorizo but a local butcher makes it fresh so I use that instead. Definitely make the salsa verde to garnish this dish, it's fresh, nutty, spicy hot and worth it! If you have whole almonds on hand it's easy to make your own blanched, roasted nuts (see instructions below). Serves 6 to 8 and is delicious hot or at room temperature and reheats well.

Recipe

8 to 10 pieces chicken
4 T. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 T. dried oregano
2 tsp. sweet paprika (I used a sweet smoked paprika)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb. chorizo (if dried, cut in 1" pieces)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 c. long grain white rice
(1) 15-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with liquid
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. pimiento stuffed green olives (I used a 5.75 oz. jar manzanillo sliced olives with pimiento)

Salsa Verde:
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 c. olive oil
1 lime, juiced

Rinse and dry the chicken with paper towels. In a large enough bowl to hold all the chicken mix 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika and cayenne. Rub the chicken pieces with the spice paste and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a heavy, ovenproof casserole heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and fry the chorizo over medium heat until it is crispy and renders its fat. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Put the chicken in the pan, skin side down, and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes (you may have to do this in two batches); remove from pan and set aside. Saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper and bay leaves until the vegetables are very soft and almost dissolved, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rice so the grains are well coated. Add the tomatoes and broth, season with salt and pepper. Return the chorizo and chicken to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and transfer pot to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done and the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Scatter the olives on top of the chicken and rice and serve with salsa verde.

SALSA VERDE:
Pulse all the ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor. With machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil to form a loose paste.

BLANCHED, ROASTED ALMONDS:
Pre-heat oven to 325-degrees. Heat 2 cups water to boiling, remove from heat, and add whole almonds (make sure they're completely covered by the water). After 3 minutes remove almonds to a strainer and run under cold water to cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze between your thumb and forefinger and skins will slide right off. Spread nuts on an ungreased sheet pan and put in the oven for 20 minutes until lightly browned, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and cool before using.

– inspired by Tyler Florence, Food Network