I thought we would celebrate Valentine’s week with several pink and red recipes … here’s the first.  If you’ve never had vodka sauce before, don’t be  scared.  It’s not anything like bellying up to the bar for dinner.  The sauce simmers for about half an hour and the alcohol cooks out; the vodka flavor is subtle in the end.  As a matter of fact, the only thing I would cut back on if I was serving this to kids is the red pepper flakes – a quarter teaspoon doesn’t sound like much, but after my sauce reduced for half an hour, it did end up having quite a little kick.  Just something to keep in mind!

Add a protein to this if you’re so inclined - sliced grilled or sauteed chicken, shrimp or even some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage would be awesome.    Have a great week!

PENNE ALA VODKA
Makes 3 cups; enough for 1 pound of pasta
SOURCE:  foodandwine.com, recipe by Grace Parisi

1/4 c. good olive oil (Sendik’s Olive Oil is on sale if you’re running low)
2 oz. pancetta, small dice (ask them to cut you a smallish chunk in the deli)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c. vodka
1 T. tomato paste
1 28 oz. can whole peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices, crushed by hand
pinch of sugar
2 basil sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. heavy cream

Hot cooked penne pasta (DaVinci Short Cuts are on sale)

In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Saute the pancetta, garlic and crushed red pepper over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with vodka.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the canned tomatoes with their juices.  Stir in the sugar and basil, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Simmer the sauce over low heat , stirring occasionally, until it thickens and is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes.  Taste sauce and season again with salt and pepper if desired.  Discard the basil sprigs and the garlic.  Add heavy cream and simmer 5 minutes; toss sauce with hot pasta and serve.

I was looking for a showstopping cookie for an exchange I’m going to next week – ’cause go big or go home is what I always say  – but I thought for sure any attempt at meringues would be fighting outside my culinary weight class.  I’ve never made them before and I was pretty sure they were complicated and putzy to make.  Happily, I was wrong.  These cute little cookies are high brow, low cost, and fat freaking free, all at the same time.  Gluten free, too — whoopee!!

Give them a try, they’re easy like Sunday morning.  You’ll be the star of your cookie exchange!

PEPPERMINT MERINGUES
YIELDS: 60
SOURCE:  BonAppetit Magazine, December 2011 issue; also available on epicurious.com. 

3 large egg whites, room temperature (ShurFresh Large Eggs)
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar (C&H Sugar)

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

12 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until white and foamy, about 1 minute. With mixer running, gradually add sugar in 3 additions, beating for 2 minutes between each addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes longer. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract; beat to blend, about 1 minute.

Dot coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form swirls when piped). Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted
with a 1/2″ tip (alternatively, spoon into a plastic freezer bag, then cut 1/2″ off 1 corner.) Twist top; pipe 1″ rounds onto prepared sheet, spacing 1″ apart.  Bake meringues until dry, about 2 1/2 hours. Let cool completely, about 1 hour (meringues will crisp as they cool).

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

There’s nothing scary about this soup, and it is the epitome of autumn in every way!  I’m serving it tonight with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, but it would be a stellar first course at any dinner party – Thanksgiving included.  It really is that delicious.  Hope you like it!

Also, I have two loaves of this bread cooling on my kitchen counter.  They smell heavenly!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & LEEK SOUP
Serves:  8 as a first course
Source:  foodandwine.com

4 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, halved top to bottom
5 T. butter (I used 4)
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and coarsely chopped (leeks are on sale)
7 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 t. dried (I used dried)
5 c. chicken stock or unsalted canned broth
1 1/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. sour cream (**see note**)
about 3 T. chopped chives
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350.  Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes (for me this took almost an hour).  Let cool slightly.  Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds.  Scrape the squash from the skin.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the leeks and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, about 40 minutes.  Discard the thyme sprigs.

Stir in the stock and the squash.  Simmer over moderate heat for 20 minutes.  In a blender or food processor, carefully puree the soup in batches until smooth (I used my stick blender).  Pour the soup back into the pan and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 teaspoon chives, and a sprinkling of bacon.

**NOTE**:  Vermont Creme Fraiche is on sale if you’d like to use it instead of sour cream. 

Dinner time has been interesting too - when these sweaty people drag themselves through the door at 5:30, they are flat out STARVING, a little grumpy, and they want something “GOOD” – and preferably consisting of bread, pasta, or potatoes.  Especially potatoes.  Last night I was flipping through this month’s issue of Food Network Magazine, did you see it?  They have a pull-out booklet with 50 preparations for stuffed potatoes – ideas ranging from your basic combo of cheddar and chive; to the dressed up Chicken a la King; to the uh, unusual mango and black bean (really?).

Tonight’s dinner is version #8:  brie & ham.   I just ate one from the photo shoot and it was really yummy!  My apologies for such a basic ‘recipe’ today, but honestly, what’s not to like about a three ingredient main dish?  When you’ve got a famished family and large piles of homework, sometimes keeping it simple is key.

Along with a big green salad, dinner is served.  Have a great week!

POTATOES STUFFED WITH BRIE & HAM
Serves: 4
Source:  Food Network Magazine, October 2011.  Special pullout section.

4 russet potatoes (10 lb. bags of Idaho potatoes are on sale this week, 9/14/11 – 9/20/11**)
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
1+ c. diced ham (Boar’s Head Honey Maple Ham is on sale this week, 9/14/11 – 9/20/11, just ask for a chunk)
1 wedge brie, diced (Sendik’s Brie is on sale this week, 9/14/11 – 9/20/11)
Chopped fresh parsley
Chopped fresh chives or scallions

Bake the potatoes in a 400 degree oven until tender, 1 hour.  Maintain oven temperature.  Split potatoes open and fluff each one with a fork.  Season potatoes with a little salt and pepper.

Cook ham in olive oil until browned.  Spoon onto fluffed baked potatoes and top with cubed of brie (I kind of smushed the ham and cheese down into the potato).  Warm in the oven to melt cheese (about five minutes); top with chopped parsley and chives and serve.

**NOTE:  These potatoes are on the smallish side — I made 10!

Whatever you serve it with, you’ll be thanking your heavenly stars that sweet corn, tomatoes, and fresh basil ever found their way to planet Earth.  And that you can find them quite readily in the produce department at Sendik’s.

And that it’s still summer.     

RISOTTO WITH CORN, TOMATOES AND BASIL
Serves: 6 as a side dish
Source:  finecooking.com

4 c. chicken broth
2 ears corn, shucked and cleaned of any silk
2 T. butter or olive oil
1 shallot or small yellow onion, minced
1 c. arborio rice
1/3 c. dry white wine
1 c. chopped plum tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are on sale)
2 t. olive oil
3 T. torn fresh basil leaves, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. good quality grated Parmesan

Heat the broth in a pot or saucepan large enough to fit the corn over medium-low heat to just below a simmer.  Simmer the corn in the broth for 4 minutes and transfer to a plate; reserve the broth and keep it hot.  Using a chef’s knife, slice the corn kernels off the cob into a large bowl (you should have about a cup).

In a heavy based deep skillet or wide saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) over medium heat.  Add the shallot or onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the rice and stir until the grains are well coated with butter or oil.  Pour in the wine, stir, and cook until the wine is absorbed, about 1 minute.

Ladle in about 1 1/2 cups of the hot broth, and cook stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 3-5 minutes.  Continue adding broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring and simmering until it’s absorbed each time, at intervals of about 3 – 5 minutes.

While the rice is simmering, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of the basil in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

When the rice is just barely tender, after about 16 minutes, stir in the corn.  Continue adding more stock and stirring until the rice is creamy but still firm to the tooth, 20 – 25 minutes total.  Remove from the heat, fold in the Parmesan and then the tomato-basil mixture.  Top each serving wtih the remaining basil and serve immediately.

I’m not going to get to visit the beach this summer, but when I go out to the lake I sometimes pretend I’m back in South Carolina.  I put on my floppy beach hat, sip cold beer on the dock, and make this recipe (aka Frogmore Stew) for dinner.  It’s almost as good as being at the beach in person, minus the sand, crashing waves, salty air, beach music and my beloved boiled peanuts – sigh.  Okay, the lake is not like the beach at all.  But I can pretend.

You need to give this a try, and I’m fixin’ to tell you how to do it.

You’re going to need a pretty large, tall pot.  The biggest, deepest one you have.  I bought a huge one at Marshalls a few years ago – strictly for the purpose of Low Country Boil - for not that much ($30.00 maybe?), and I’ve gotten my money’s worth for sure.

This is the perfect dinner for entertaining, especially if you have guests who don’t mind getting a little messy.  For serving, line your picnic table with layers of newspaper, and set out plenty of cocktail sauce (the spicier the better, IMO) and lots of butter and kosher salt for the corn and potatoes.  Make sure you have plenty of napkins, cold beer and pitchers of sweet ice tea.

“Can I get you some sweet tea?  It’s the house wine of the south” - movie line?

Just a side note, I had roommates that drank sweet tea for breakfast, because apparently, it’s an appropriate beverage choice for any meal of the day.  Southern children are started on sweet tea shortly after they’re weaned from formula.  Personally, I prefer my iced tea unsweetened, but then again, I was raised in Minnesota.

I’m just a Carolina-girl wannabe.

LOW COUNTRY BOIL
SERVES:  6-8
SOURCE:  foodnetwork.com, recipe by Tyler Florence.

Water
2 lemons, halved, plus more for serving
2 bay leaves
2 t. kosher salt
1/4 c. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 bunch thyme, tied together
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 serrano chiles, split in half lengthwise
1 head garlic, halved
1 1/2 lbs. baby new potatoes
3 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
1+ lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into chunks
2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, the biggest you can find (I used jumbo easy-peel prawns)
Cocktail sauce and butter for serving

Fill a huge stockpot with about four quarts of water.  Keep in mind that when you add the solid ingredients, the water level will rise, so don’t fill the pot up more than halfway.  Squeeze the lemons into the water, tossing in the halves too.  Add the bay leaves, salt, Old Bay, thyme, onions, chiles and garlic; bring broth to a boil over medium high heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Taste it; don’t be afraid to make it strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the potatoes and other ingredients.  Adjust seasoning with salt.

Add the potatoes to the pot and give them a head start; simmer for 15 minutes.  Next add the corn and sausage; cook another five minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the cooking liquid.  Add the shrimp, stir everything together.  Cover pot and shut off the heat.  Let shrimp steep for 15 minutes.  Drain pot and spread the shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes out on a newspaper covered table.  Serve with extra lemons, cocktail sauce, butter, and plenty of napkins.

I grew up in Minnesota and never had grits until I landed at Winthrop in 1987.  The college cafeteria is really a lousy place to try grits for the first time, even if said college happens to be in South Carolina, because plain cafeteria grits have the look, taste, and texture of wallpaper paste: bland and boring.  My opinion changed when I went home with a friend from Atlanta for a weekend, and her momma fixed ‘em up right:  she stirred in half a stick of butter, and handfuls of crispy bacon bits and shredded cheese.  With a side of scrambled eggs, are you kidding me?!  That weekend in Atlanta introduced me to my favorite breakfast of all time.

It really was no small wonder my button fly GUESS jeans didn’t fit long into sophomore year.

I still love grits for breakfast, of course.  But shrimp and grits are also about the most delicious thing you’ll ever eat.  I have two recipes that I love – one comes from a restaurant called The Boathouse on the Isle of Palms.  It’s to die for, but I only bring it out on special occasions.  Like when I’m entertaining in the dead of winter and everyone’s wearing big sweaters and it feels perfectly acceptable to serve a sauce whose main ingredient is two cups of whipping cream.  Remind me in January, I’ll make it for you.

In the interest of swimsuit season and keeping things quick and easy for summer, I make today’s recipe when I need a fix.  It comes from Cooking Light and I’ve been making it since I first saw the recipe in 2010.  I’m not sure why I’ve never brought it out before now.

Maybe I had to make sure you really liked me before I hit you with a recipe for grits.

SPICY SHRIMP & GRITS
Serves 4
Source:  cookinglight.com

3 c. 1% milk
1 c. water
1 T. butter
1/2 t. salt, divided
1/4 t. black pepper, divided
1 c. uncooked quick-cooking grits**
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 lb. peeled, deveined large raw shrimp (these are on sale this week, 7/6/11 – 7/12/11)
1 c. thinly vertically sliced white onion
2 c. grape tomatoes, halved (on sale this week, 7/6/11 – 7/12/11)
1 t. Tabasco sauce
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. scallion strips for garnish

Combine milk, water, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a saucepan over medium high heat.  Bring to a simmer; gradually add grits, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Reduce heat to medium, cook 4 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

While grits cook, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, discarding all but 2 teaspoons of drippings; crumble bacon.  Add shrimp to remaining 2 teaspoons of drippings in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove shrimp to a plate.  Add white onion to pan; saute 1 minute.  Stir in bacon, tomatoes, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; saute 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add shrimp, Tabasco, and cayenne; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are heated through.  Serve over grits; garnish with scallion strips.

** You’ll find them in the cereal aisle, right next to the oatmeal on the bottom shelf. 

Anyway, I made these potatoes to go along with the lobster, and I bring them up today because they are an awesome compliment to any shellfish, and would be great alongside the crab legs that are going on sale tomorrow.  I made a batch the other night, and I threw in extra because I planned on leftovers.  But when I took out the container a day later, there were only two measly potatoes left.  Two.

Who does that? Does anyone at your house?  Like with Cheerios or Pringles or Oreos?  Munch a bunch and then leave two for the next poor sap to come along and find?  For the love of Pete, just finish them, right?!

Found out NTYB had scarfed the potatoes for a midnight snack.  You know they’ve gotta be good if HE’S eating them.

For such a simple recipe,  you’ll be surprised how addicting these ’taters are.  The butter browns slightly on the bottom of the pan, which gives the potatoes a rich and nutty flavor I can’t resist.  I hope you like them!

PARSLEYED REDSKIN POTATOES
Serves:  4

10 large redskinned potates (Arizona Big Red Potatoes are on sale)
kosher salt
chopped Italian parsley, large pinch plus additional for garnish
4 T. butter (I know.  It’s okay.)

Cut your potatoes into quarters (for medium size) or eighths (if they’re large).  Place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Add a hefty pinch of kosher salt.  Bring potatoes up to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes, or until you can barely pierce them with a knife.  Drain potatoes and return them to the pan.

Sprinkle the chopped Italian parsley and kosher salt (to taste) over the potatoes.  Place the butter on top of the potatoes.  Cover pan and place over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

Other than my brief time spent as a waitress at Red Lobster back in the late 80′s (it’s true), I have had very little experience with crab legs.  Truthfully, the home cook in me has always been a little intimidated by cooking larger shellfish of any sort, so when I was asked to chat about snow crab here today, I nearly collapsed in a blubbering heap.  The last thing I wanted to do was flunk Crab Legs 101.  So I gathered my courage, pulled myself together, and got to work.

A little r & d was all I needed, and I found that from boiling, to baking, to steaming, there are many, MANY methods of cooking snow crab legs.  After reading countless recipes and many differing opinions, I decided to apply the KISS principle.  I settled on an uncomplicated steaming process and I’m happy to tell you, it worked like a charm.  The crab doesn’t really need much in the way of effort to taste delicious;  a quick, no-frills steam allows its natural sweetness to shine.  Lemony butter on the side adds a tangy, rich touch.

You won’t believe how easy it is to make this gourmet treat at home.  But feel free to let Dad believe you worked your tail off all afternoon. 

Note:  The snow crab legs you’ll find at the Store are already fully cooked.  You’re really just heating them through, so don’t let them steam too long or you’ll end up over-cooking them.
STEAMED CRAB LEGS
Serves:  2, can easily be multiplied

2 clusters of frozen snow crab legs, rinsed to remove any bits of ice (on sale)
1 lemon, sliced
Italian parsley, small handful
Several garlic cloves, smashed
Kosher salt

4 T. butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Additional lemon wedges for serving

Helpful to have on hand:
crab crackers and small seafood forks or picks
plenty of napkins and wet-wipes
finger bowls of lemon water (if you’re feeling extra fancy)
a basket to collect shells

You’ll need a pan large enough to hold the crab in one layer (I used my roaster).  Add enough water to come approximately 2 cm. up the sides of the pan.  Add lemon slices, Italian parsley, garlic cloves, and a hefty pinch of kosher salt to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium high heat; continue to simmer several minutes to dissolve salt and blend flavors.  Add the snow crab clusters and cover pan tightly (I used a large piece of foil).  Steam crab until heated through, about 7 minutes  (adjust time accordingly if you’re working with more crab).

While crab is steaming, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add pressed garlic and saute lightly; swirl in fresh lemon juice to taste.  Pour butter mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into a small bowl.

Transfer crab legs to a serving platter and serve immediately, along with the melted butter mixture and additional lemon wedges.

These delicious skewers made the cover of last June’s Bon Apetit, so you know they’ve gotta be good.  They’re the perfect do-ahead dish and would be an excellent main course for any weekend entertaining you’ve got planned.  Change out the sausage based on whatever you like; last time I made them with andouille (super yum), but today I swapped in Usinger’s Chicken Sausage with Cilantro and it was also delish.  I’ll just toss this in too:  I might have gotten a little heavy handed on my pepper flakes today – my skewers got a little spicy.  Just keep that in mind if you’re feeding a spice-sensitive crowd.

I think that’s it.  Except, I forgot to say that these are really nice with a little rice pilaf on the side.

Now, I’m off to help three twerps clean out their lockers.  Jealous much?  :-)

GRILLED SHRIMP & SAUSAGE SKEWERS WITH SMOKY PAPRIKA GLAZE
Serves 6
Source:  Bon Apetit Magazine, June 2010.  p. 82

3/4 c. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
2 T. chopped fresh thyme
5 t. smoked paprika
4 t. Sherry wine vinegar
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. dried crushed red pepper
12 uncooked jumbo shrimp (CenSea Brand are on sale)
12  1″ long pieces of andouille or other fully cooked smoked sausages
12 cherry tomatoes (One Sweet Cherry Tomato tomatoes are on sale)
12 2-layer sections of red onion wedges
Cooking spray

6 metal or wooden skewers (soak wooden skewers for a good hour before threading ingredients)

Whisk oil, garlic, theyme, smoked paprika, Sherry wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper in medium bowl to blend for glaze.  Transfer half of glaze to small bowl and reserve for serving.

Alternately thread shrimp, sausage pieces, cherry tomatoes, and sections of onion wedges on each of the 6 skewers.  Arrange skewers on a large rimmed baking sheet.  (Can be made up to 6 hours ahead.  Cover and chill skewers and bowls of glaze separately).

Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).  Brush skewers on both sides with glaze from one bowl.  Grill until shrimp are opaque in center, turning and brushing occasionally with more glaze, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange skewers on platter.  Serve with remaining bowl of glaze.