Tag: Elegant

Dinners

Recipe—Limoncello Chicken

Diva di Cucina

After making two batches of fresh squeezed lemonade with lemons from my sister’s garden I still had some leftover. Lucky for you I made my limoncello chicken and decided to share the recipe. This recipe is so refreshing and light, perfect for summer.

Limoncello is a sweet and citrusy Italian liqueur. When you heat the liqueur the alcohol is cooked off and you are left with a sweet sauce that compliments the basil perfectly. Whatever you do, do not skip the fresh basil! Something about the flavors of the lemon and basil just work together perfectly. This dish pairs wonderfully with cooked rice. Limoncello chicken and rice was actually one of my son’s first non-pureed foods that he ate as an infant. He gobbled every bite of it up. Even the basil! Since then we have called him our little gourmet. It is still to this day one of his favorites. This recipe will be a hit with the whole family so don’t be surprised if they ask you to make it again, and again, and again. Good thing limoncello comes in such big bottles! In Italy limoncello is commonly served after dinner because it supposedly aids in digestion so pour yourself an after dinner sipping shot, kickback, and enjoy. Bottoms up!

INGREDIENTS
4–5 thin sliced chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging
1 tbsp butter
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c limoncello (lemon liqueur)
1 lemon, sliced and seeds removed
fresh basil leaves

STEPS

  • Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  • Dredge the breast with flour giving them a nice even coating.
  • Melt the butter in a large skillet and add chicken.
  • Cook over medium heat until both sides are a golden brown.
  • Add chicken broth, limoncello, and lemon slices.
  • Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Using the back of a spoon gently press the lemon slices to release any extra juices and remove from the pan. (Or you can save the cooked slices to serve with the chicken for an extra touch.)
  • Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet.
  • Turn heat up to medium-high and allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for a couple of minutes.
  • Remove pan from heat.
  • Spoon the limoncello sauce over the chicken (and rice if you made it) and top with fresh-snipped basil.
Dinners

Recipe—Shrimp Scampi

Diva di Cucina

I am a girl that loves her seafood. How can you be from California and not love fresh fish? Shrimp scampi is one of my favorite ways to eat these delicious little crustaceans. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also has a very elegant appeal to it. If you are a garlic and butter lover then this is right up your alley. I have been making this for years and I was shocked when I made this last week and even my toddler kept asking for more, and more, and more. The little guy just couldn’t get enough. I think it is safe to say he likes shrimp scampi and thankfully doesn’t have a shellfish allergy. Phew! Shrimp scampi is wonderful served over pasta and is just as good when eaten with a green salad and some crusty bread to soak up all the garlicky buttery goodness. This recipe really is quick and easy. Most of your time will be spent cleaning and peeling your shrimp so to help expedite the process I recommend purchasing shrimp that are already cleaned and out of the shell. You might pay a little more, but in my mind it is so worth it.

Note: Cooking time may vary based on the size of the shrimp you use. If serving with pasta I recommend linguine.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 c white wine
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c butter
3 tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp parsley
grated parmesan cheese

STEPS

  • In a large skillet over medium heat combine wine, olive oil, butter, and garlic. Bring just to a boil.
  • Allow sauce to simmer for 3–4 minutes to reduce.
  • Add in paprika, salt, and shrimp.
  • Cook for 6–7 minutes or until shrimp turns pink. Be sure not to overcook.
  • Mix in the chopped parsley and remove from heat.
  • If serving over pasta pour a good amount of the sauce into your pot of cooked, drained pasta and toss to coat.
  • Spoon the shrimp over pasta or onto a serving dish, top with more sauce, and finish off with a liberal amount of parmesan cheese.
Appetizers, Brunch

Recipe—Puff Pastry Spirals

Diva di Cucina

Puff pastry has got to be one of my favorite ingredients to work with. It is so incredibly versatile and is a must have item in my freezer at all times. This recipe is a great one to keep in mind when you need an appetizer that can be made ahead of time. Serve them warm or at room temperature. You really can make these with almost any combination of ingredients but these are my favorite. Both combinations are classic flavors, spinach with feta and ham with swiss. These can be prepared a day ahead of time and kept wrapped up in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. I have made these not only as an appetizer but also as a side dish for brunch. I personally love to serve them with champagne. Yummy!

Note: Be sure to remove as much liquid as you can from the spinach before adding it to the pastry otherwise it may make the pastry soggy.

SPINACH AND FETA SPIRAL INGREDIENTS
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c feta
1/4 c yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (1/2 package)
flour for work surface
1 egg
1 tbsp water

STEPS

  • Stir together the spinach, feta, yellow onion, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
  • Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold puff pastry.
  • Top puff pastry with the spinach mixture and evenly spread it out leaving one edge exposed about an inch back.
  • Starting at the edge opposite from the exposed edge roll up like a jelly roll.
  • Wrap your roll in saran wrap and chill in freezer for an hour or fridge for a couple of hours. (This will make it easier to slice through.)
  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
  • Remove the saran wrap and cut roll into 1/4″–1/2” slices.
  • Place the slices cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of each spiral with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the spirals from the baking sheet and allow to cool.

HAM AND SWISS SPIRAL INGREDIENTS
1 lb of thin sliced ham
1 c shredded swiss
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (1/2 package)
flour for work surface
1 egg
1 tbsp water

STEPS

  • Sprinkle flour on the work surface and unfold puff pastry.
  • Top puff pastry with an even layer of the ham and then sprinkle with cheese leaving one edge exposed about an inch back.
  • Starting at the edge opposite from the exposed edge roll up like a jelly roll.
  • Wrap your roll in saran wrap and chill in freezer for an hour or fridge for a couple of hours. (This will make it easier to slice through.)
  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • Beat the egg and water together in a small bowl.
  • Remove the saran wrap and cut roll into 1/4″–1/2” slices.
  • Place the slices cut side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  • Brush the top of each spiral with the egg wash.
  • Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove the spirals from the baking sheet and allow to cool.
Appetizers, Brunch

Recipe—Asparagus Gruyére Tart

Diva di Cucina

Since asparagus is plentiful at the market right now I thought I would post a simple, yet elegant asparagus recipe that will excite your palate. The final product looks impressive and tastes just as good. This asparagus tart is perfect as an appetizer or a side dish with brunch. You really can’t go wrong serving it warm or cold. It is very easy to make and requires hardly any prep time at all. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 c flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (I love Pepperidge Farms)
2 c Gruyére cheese, shredded
1 bundle thin asparagus spears
olive oil
lemon pepper
sea salt

STEPS

  • Preheat oven to 400º.
  • On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle and trim uneven edges.
  • Carefully move the pastry to a baking sheet.
  • Using a knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to give it a border. This is identifies the boundary you will put your cheese and asparagus in.
  • Using a fork, poke the dough inside the rectangle at 1/2-inch intervals.
  • Bake pastry until golden, about 15 minutes.
  • While the pastry is baking, trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell.
  • In a large bowl toss the asparagus with olive oil, lemon pepper, and salt.
  • Remove pastry shell from oven. (If your pastry swells up lay a clean kitchen towel over the top and gently press down until it is about a 1/2” tall.)
  • Evenly sprinkle with the shredded Gruyére.
  • Arrange the asparagus in a single layer over Gruyére, alternating ends and tips.
  • Bake until spears are tender, approximately 15–20 minutes.
  • Allow to cool and then cut into squares using a pizza cutter.

For some great information about asparagus check out a previous post of mine here: https://divadicucina.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/kitchen-tip-asparagus/

Dinners, Sauces

Recipe—Beef Wellington with a Red Wine Mushroom Gravy

Diva di Cucina

Still trying to rack your brain about what you will be cooking up your sweetie for Valentine’s Day? If you’re looking for a meal sure to impress, search no further. Beef wellington is very elegant and full of flavor. This has become my favorite dinner for special occasions. It is certainly a little more time consuming to make, but it is relatively easy and well worth it. I was skeptical of the liver pate at first, but paired with mushrooms and fresh herbs, the flavor is rich and fabulous. If you have never had a “foodgasm,” this will certainly cause you to have your first.  My husband and I were moaning through the entire dinner when I made it for the first time.

Note: This dish can be made with individual beef filets if you are unable to find a small tenderloin roast. You can prepare the pastry wrapped meat a day ahead of time for an effortless meal.

BEEF INGREDIENTS
2–3 lb beef tenderloin roast
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1/4 c butter
4 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1 (4 ounce) can liver pate
2 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

RED WINE MUSHROOM GRAVY INGREDIENTS
1/4 c yellow onion, minced
6 large mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 c red wine
1 (10 1/2 oz) can beef broth
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

PASTRY INGREDIENTS
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets at room temperature
1 egg, beaten

BEEF STEPS

  • Rub roast with garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Melt butter in large skillet.
  • Sear the roast in skillet over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes on each side.
  • Pour brandy over the roast and be sure to evenly coat it. (Flame brandy if you are comfortable with doing so.)
  • Remove roast from pan and set aside uncovered.
  • In the same skillet, sauté chopped mushrooms for 4­–5 minutes and set aside. Allow mushrooms to cool for a few minutes.
  • Mix pate with cooled mushrooms, green onions, and parsley.

RED WINE MUSHROOM GRAVY STEPS

  • Over medium heat, sauté yellow onion and sliced mushrooms using the same skillet.
  • Stir in flour and gradually add wine, broth, and bay leaf.
  • Stir until sauce bubbles and is thickened.
  • Season with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

PASTRY STEPS

  • Roll out pastry sheet and spread your pate mixture evenly leaving a one-inch border around the edge.
  • Place the cooked roast at one end of the pastry sheet and roll away from you.
  • Fold in the ends of the pastry being sure that the entire roast is covered.
  • Place seam side down on a cookie sheet or in a Pyrex dish.
  • Using the second sheet of puff pastry, finish off your wrapped roast with decorative elements if you’d like. I recommend using a festive cookie cutter. This extra step yields impressive results. Dough can be attached using beaten egg.
  • Brush pastry with the beaten egg.
  • Bake at 425º for 20–25 minutes, or until pastry is browned.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Transfer to cutting board and allow to rest for 3–4 minutes.
  • Slice roast and serve.

Dinners, Sauces

Recipe—Baked Sea Scallops with a Mushroom Cream Sauce

Diva di Cucina

I am a lover of all things seafood. Whenever I see seared scallops on a cooking show my mouth starts to water. They always look perfectly seared, and of course the professional chefs make it look so easy. Being a fan of scallops, I wondered why I had yet to ever cook them myself. I think it is the fear of cooking such an elegant piece of meat and ruining it. Over the weekend I was feeling adventurous and thought I would finally give it a shot.

This recipe turned out to be so easy and it looked like something out of a fancy restaurant. The scallops just melt in your mouth. The rich sauce paired really nicely with the scallops. In fact the sauce was so good I think it would pair well with beef or chicken too. I served my scallops over couscous, but I’m sure it would go just as well with rice or pasta. This sophisticated dish is perfect for your next date night. Give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!

INGREDIENTS
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
10 small white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c chicken broth
1 c heavy cream
Dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes hot sauce
14–20 large sea scallops, patted dry
1 c breadcrumbs (I use Texas Toast croutons coarsely crushed)
1/3 flat leaf parsley, chopped

STEPS

  • Place an empty baking dish in oven and preheat oven to 400º.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots and mushrooms, cook 5 minutes.
  • Add 2 tablespoons butter and flour to softened shallots and mushrooms and cook 1 minute then whisk in wine, reduce 30 seconds.
  • Add stock and bring to a bubble.
  • Stir in cream and heat through.
  • Season sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and a couple dashes hot sauce, and reduce heat to low.
  • Heat a skillet over high heat.
  • Season the scallops with salt and pepper and dress with 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • Sear the scallops to caramelize 1–1 1/2 minutes on each side.
  • Mix breadcrumbs with chopped parsley.
  • Transfer the seared scallops to the heated baking dish and cover them with sauce and your breadcrumb mixture.
  • Finish scallops in oven about 7–8 minutes until brown and bubbly.