Romesco Sauce

This sauce originated in northeastern Spain, made to eat with fish. And while it is great to eat with seafood, it also goes well with meat and vegetables. This is a good spread for a sandwich and would go well over pasta. The ingredients can be changed up, roasted garlic instead of fresh, hazelnuts are another nut addition, different chilies, vinegars, cheese added if desired.
Stale bread can be added as a thickener and the sauce keeps about a week in the fridge.

Romesco Sauce on Grilled Vegetables

4 ripe tomatoes, cored
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup Marcona almonds
1jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 dried Ancho chile, cored, seeded and slit in half (1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika could be substituted) toasted, soaked in a cup of hot water 15 minutes and drained.
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons dry red wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1 slice stale bread, torn, if needed

Preheat oven to 375F.
On a foil lined baking sheet, place tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil and roast about 1 hour. Pinch off the tomato skins and put in food processor.
Add the almonds, red peppers, chili, salt, garlic, vinegar and wine to the food processor. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil. Process until it comes together as a sauce, it should be thick and creamy. If it is too thick add more wine, if too thin add bread. Check seasonings, add more if needed and pulse.

Smoky Corn Chowder

I did not know that I had been spelling smoky wrong all these years, as apparently most Americans do!
Whatever, this is a hearty chowder and the smoked paprika gives this chowder, well a smoky flavor.
This recipe is slightly adapted from Real Simple magazine.

Smoky Corn Chowder

8 ounces apple wood bacon cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 small yukon gold potatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2- 10 ounce packages of frozen corn
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half
Kosher salt and pepper, 1/2 teaspoon each
4 green onions, chopped

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon abut 5-6 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and put on a plate lined with paper towel. Remove all fat from saucepan and return 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat.
Add onion to saucepan and cook until softened (about 5 minutes) add garlic, potatoes, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly.
Add corn, chicken stock, and half and half. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
Place half of soup in a blender to puree,  add salt and pepper.
Put the pureed soup back into saucepan and mix together, check seasonings.
Ladle into 6 individual bowls and garnish with reserved bacon and green onions.
Note: This soup freezes well.

Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad

Avocado Butter Lettuce Salad

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

1 head butter lettuce, cleaned

In a large salad bowl, whisk the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper together.

Add the avocado and onion, and toss briefly. Add the butter lettuce and toss well.

Check for seasoning.

Meyer Lemon Slush

After several hours of walking around the golf course, I purchased a frozen Lemon Ice. On arrival back at home we were given a bounty of Meyer Lemons and so a blender drink was made. I am not sure how this would fare in a regular blender but quickly put together in the Vita mix.

Meyer Lemon Slush

3/4 cup water
1 large Meyer lemon, peeled and seeded
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fine sugar
2 cups of crushed ice
mint and lemon peel to garnish

Blend the first 5 ingredients together in the blender. Pour into glass or serving dish and garnish with mint and lemon peel.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

I noticed there is a little bit of a mushroom theme this week, so I promise this is the last one for a while. After looking at the finished dish, a little parsley or a sprinkle of green onion over top would be a good finish.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

2 chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
2 Tablespoons butter
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Alfie's seasoning, to taste
1 small shallot, chopped
2 Tablespoon sherry
1 1/2 cups of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2/3 cup of chicken stock
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 400F.
Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Mix butter and 2 sprigs of thyme together and stuff a tablespoon of mixture under the skin of each chicken breast and season with Alfie's seasoning.
Over medium-high heat, place chicken skin side down in a large skillet and brown for about 3 minutes. Season other side, turn over and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Place chicken breasts on baking pan and cook in the oven until chicken reaches 160F temperature, set aside.
Meanwhile, add shallot to the brown bits in the skillet and deglaze the pan with sherry.
Add mushrooms, remaining sprigs of thyme and stir for a minute, then add chicken stock to pan and reduce by half.
Place cooked chicken breasts on serving platter. Add any juice on baking sheet to skillet.
Stir in mustard into sauce and cook, add cream and heat. Check for seasoning.
Pour mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

If you love mushrooms, you are going to enjoy this dish.

1 pound of pasta (I used GF rigatoni)

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

2 hot Italian sausages, casing removed and crumbled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound of mushrooms (I used baby portabella)
Alfies seasoning, to taste
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temp
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, add pasta and cook required time on package. Drain.
While pasta starts to cook, heat a large pan and cook sausage until no longer pink. Add olive oil, shallots and garlic to pan, cooking until softened.
Add mushrooms to pan and season, cook until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.
With heat on high, add red wine and cook until liquid evaporates. Add the stock and continue to cook until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and add cream cheese and sour cream, stirring well. Check for seasonings and add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Place drained pasta in a large bowl and top with mushroom sauce and top with remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh chives.
Serve.

Roasted Cauliflower-Potato Soup

Recently, it has been so cold outside and so for lunch made a hot cauliflower soup.

Roasted Cauliflower-Potato Soup

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 sweet onion, quartered
1-2 potatoes, washed and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Tablespoon olive oil
Alfie's seasoning
3 cups chicken stock
green onions, chopped (optional)
cooked bacon slices, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.
On a baking sheet lined with foil, toss the cauliflower, onion, potatoes and garlic with the olive oil.
Sprinkle vegetables with Alfie's seasoning and bake about 45 minutes until vegetables are soft and lightly browned.
Turn cooked vegetables into a large saucepan and add stock. Cook until heated throughout.
Blend with immersion blender or run through blender.
Serve and garnish with green onions and bacon, if desired