SKILLET GNOCCHI, SCAMPI AND MORE

 

                                Skillet gnocchi, scampi and more

           May celebrations are upon us starting with Mother’s Day, graduations and culminating with Memorial Day as we emerge in spring and look forward to gatherings with family and friends. More activities invariably translate in less time in the kitchen for everyday meals and the cook looks for interesting shortcuts to provide something tasty and interesting in relatively short order.

          Italian cuisine gives us both pasta and gnocchi as basis for quick and easy meals. Gnocchi differs from pasta in that it is made with mashed potatoes in addition to flour, eggs and salt. They are airy, versatile and filling small dumplings that can be fried or boiled and adapt well to flavored sauces. You can make your own, preferably with Russet mashed potatoes, or purchase them like fresh pasta at the market and ready to be cooked.

                                Skillet gnocchi with pancetta and sundried tomatoes

          Fry 2 oz. pancetta to crisp in a skillet, drain on a paper towel and set aside. Add 1 tbsp. butter to any fat in the pan and sauté 1 medium chopped onion for 5 minutes with 2 minced garlic cloves for an additional minute. Stir in ¾ cups water, 1/3 cup julienned sundried tomatoes, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, 1tsp kosher salt and 4 oz. canned mushrooms, drained. Cover and cook on medium heat for 6 minutes. Stir in 9 oz. shelf stable cheese-potato gnocchi, ½ cup heavy cream, bring to simmer and cook for 6 minutes on low heat with stirring. Plate them in shallow bowls with pancetta and grated Parmesan cheese.

          Frozen shrimp are one of my favorite backup ingredients for quick meals. They pair well with rice, pasta and even new potatoes and can adapt to many flavors.

                            Scampi with tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach

          Thaw and peel ½ lb. large shrimp and sauté them in 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter with 1 large, chopped garlic clove for 2 minutes. Set aside covered to keep warm.

          Add 1 tbsp. butter to the pan and sauté for 6 minutes: 6 large, quartered mushrooms, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. lemon pepper. Stir in 1 large, diced Roma tomato, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and ½ cup chicken broth. Simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach, cook with stirring for 2 minutes, return cooked shrimp to the pan to heat and serve with rice.

          Having desert ready on short notice is always a challenge. Fresh fruit or cooked fruit compotes are handy to have. For something slightly more substantial I like to have an unfrosted batch of cupcakes on hand. They freeze well and are easily reheated in the microwave.

                                           Orange-currant cupcakes

                    Whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. baking soda. In a large bowl beat 6 tbsp. room temperature butter to light and creamy. Beat in a scant 1 cup of sugar, 2 eggs-one at a time, 1 tsp. vanilla  and 1 tsp. lemon flavoring. Using a wooden spoon stir in ½ cup plumped dried currants and 2 tbsp. grated orange zest. Then stir in until smooth, flour mix and ½ cup buttermilk in 3 alternate portions, starting and ending with flour. Spray a muffin pan with 12 medium cups with baking spray and divide the cupcake mixture among them. Sprinkle each with some Demerara sugar and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15 minutes until done as tested by a toothpick. Cool on cake rack for 5 minutes before removing cupcakes from the pan.   

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

 

SPRING SOUP AND HAM-CABBAGE GALETTE

 

                        Spring soup and ham-cabbage galette

           Spring at last! May has finally given us some outdoor colors with daffodils, early tulips, hyacinths and even blue and yellow primroses in our garden. A couple of cardinals have claimed their territorial rights to our large everblooming lilac and even a bluebird graced the slowly emerging crabapple. But our days remain cool, and the cook needs to balance warmth and springtime flavors for meals.

                                                   French spring soup      

          Cut a large leek in half lengthwise, carefully rinse out all soil and thinly slice both white and tender green parts. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a 3 qt. pot and sauté the leek with 1 chopped medium onion and 1 large garlic clove for 7 minutes.

          Add 1 qt. chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt, ½ tsp. lemon pepper, 2 large, chopped carrots, 2 chopped potatoes, ¼ cup long grain rice and 1 cup asparagus spears cut in bite size pieces. Bring to boil and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

          Add 1 ½ cups thawed baby peas and 3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach. Cook for 5 minutes, stir in 1 cup heavy cream. Heat without boiling and serve hot with crusty bread or cheddar corn muffins.

                                                   Cheddar corn muffins

          Sift together 1 cup all purpose flour with 3 tsp. baking powder, 1tsp.sugar and ¾ tsp. salt. Stir together with 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tsp. garlic powder and 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

          In a large bowl whisk 1 large egg with 1 cup milk and ¼ cup vegetable oil. Spray a medium cup muffin pan with baking spray. Stir the flour mixture in the liquid ingredients until they are just blended. Fill the muffin cups ¾ full and sprinkle on top with additional shredded cheddar or Asiago cheese. Bake 17-19 minutes, till done by a toothpick test. Remove from pan and brush with 2 tbsp. melted butter.

                                                   Ham and cabbage galette

          Coarsely chop 3 cups of cabbage, 1 medium onion and 2 garlic cloves. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pan with a lid and sauté the vegetables with ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper and ½ tsp. carraway seed for 8 minutes.

          Add ¼ cup water, 1 tbsp. white vinegar and ½ cup chopped kimchi and cook covered for 6 minutes. Remove the cover and cook with stirring until all liquid is absorbed. Cool slightly and mix with 1 ½ cups diced smoked ham and 2/3 cup of pepper jack cheese.

          Spread out 1 sheet of Crescent dough (found in Deli case in markets) on a small sheet pan. Spread mix lengthwise on the dough, leaving 1 inch free on sides. Gently fold the sides over the mix. Sprinkle the filling with shredded Asiago cheese and brush the dough with heavy cream. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm slices of galette for lunch or dinner with a green salad.

          Spring in Maine unfolds slowly, but May is the month of promise that the sweet beginning of summer is on its way.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

 

 

CRISP WINGS AND PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

                    Crisp wings and pineapple upside down cake

 

          Perpetual hope has us glancing this year for spring like conditions, with a one-day tease of warmth the day before Easter, but not enough to get the daffodils blooming in front of our house. Even the birds seem confused looking for a house to raise their family in our crabapple tree that previous years was already in bud at this time, and now only can offer the protection of bare branches against the windy landscape.

          Chicken wings have always appealed to me in their various guises; hot Southwestern flavored, barbecued or Oriental with ginger and soy sauce. The moist meat of the wings makes it a favorite appetizer for game parties and can also provide the main course for a regular meal. Fresh meaty chicken wings in supermarkets have lately come from large birds which allows them to be baked in oven with a crisp coating similar to fried chicken, with a lower calorie load.

                                      Crisp oven baked chicken wings

          This recipe requires large wings, since the smaller variety will dry out with the baking process. Cut-apart 2-3 lb. large chicken wings at the joints, reserving the tips in the freezer for next time you make chicken soup. Pat the large pieces completely dry and toss with 2 tsp. vegetable oil to coat. Mix together: 2 tbsp. baking powder, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 ¼ tsp. white pepper, 1 tsp. paprika and 1 tsp. garlic powder. Toss wings with the mix and pat to adhere to each piece.

          Line a sheet pan with aluminum, place an ovenproof rack on top and spread the wings on the rack so they do not touch. Bake at 425 degrees in a preheated convection oven for 30 minutes. Turn the wings and bake for another 25 minutes. The wings will be moist inside and tasty crisp outside. If you still want to gild the lilies, dip them in buffalo sauce or Ranch dressing.

          Spring desserts with fruit are always eye-catching and upside-down cakes are tasty and easy to make. The following crushed pineapple and cranberry upside-down cake pleased both the eye and the palate.

                                  Crushed pineapple-cranberry upside-down cake

          Turn 1 ½ cups crushed pineapple in sieve over a bowl and drain out the juice. Blend 1/3 cup sugar with 2 tbsp. corn starch in a skillet and slowly stir in the juice, place the skillet over medium heat and cook with stirring until the sauce boils and is clear. Remove from heat, stir in 3 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. white corn syrup and the drained pineapple. Line an 8-9-inch cake pan with a circle of parchment.

          Sift 1 ½ cups flour with 2 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In a large bowl cream 1/3 cup butter with 2/3 cups sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. lemon extract. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. With a wooden spoon stir in the flour mix and ½ cup milk in 3-4 alternate portions, starting and ending with flour.

          Spread the pineapple mix on top of parchment in the pan. Scatter 15-20 fresh cranberries over the pineapple and press the berries down. In absence of fresh cranberries, cut 8 drained maraschino cherries in half and press cut side down. Spread the batter gently over the pineapple. Bake for 40-45 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven until the cake tests done by an inserted toothpick. Cool pan on a cake rack for 10 minutes, run a knife around the cake rim and turn it out on a serving plate with the parchment on top. Gently remove the parchment and serve this bright and moist cake warm or cold with a bit of whipped cream on top.

          To quote Anna Thomas: “We all eat, and it would be sad waste of opportunity to eat badly”.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day…”and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)