Orecchiette with Broccoli and Chick Peas

Ingredients:                                                    Difficulty Rating: Easy

1 head of broccoli

1 lb orecchiette (little ears pasta)

6 cloves of garlic

6 anchovy fillets

1 can chick peas, well rinsed

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Percorino Romano

Some pasta water

Fill 2 large pots ¾ of the way with water and bring to a boil.

While the water is heating, cut the stems off the broccoli.  Peel the skin off the stems, cut into evenly sized bite-sized pieces.

Cut the broccoli flowerets into evenly sized pieces. 

When the water is boiling in 1 pot, add the broccoli and 1 teaspoon of salt.

In the 2nd pot, add the Orecchiette

Bring both back to a boil, then lower heat keeping the broccoli at simmer and the pasta at a low boil.

Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan, and turn flame on medium

Add the garlic and sauté until garlic is clear, but not burned.

Then add the anchovies and stir around.  The anchovies will disintegrate in the hot oil.

Add the chick peas and toss

The pasta should be cooked al dente, very al dente. Keep in mind that it will cook again in the frying pan, and you never want mushy pasta. 

Keep the pasta water aside, and add the pasta to the sauté pan and toss it. Put the flame on high for a little while to try to crisp the little ears (it's worth it) then add ½ cup of pasta water and lower the flame.

When broccoli is tender enough for a fork to go through, and its still al dente, remove about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the rest of the water from the broccoli and add it to the sauté pan and toss it.

Grind the pepper over the pasta, add the cheese and toss again.

Bring the sauté pan to the table to serve, or pour the pasta into a serving plate or bowl. But remember, the this pasta dish is always better the 2nd day.

Mangia!

Deviled Eggs are Back!

Ingredients                                                                            Difficulty Rating:  Easy

• 1 dozen eggs                                                    
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise 
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons capers
• Kosher salt - to taste
• Cayenne - to taste
• Sweet papkria (I use Hungarian)
• Smoked Salmon cut into  1 to 1 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch slices (I use Scottish Smoked Salmon - your choice)

In a pot large enough for 1 dozen eggs to move around, fill with enough cool water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch.  

Add the vinegar.

Gently add the eggs and put on a medium flame  - covered.

When it comes to a strong boil, shut off the flame and leave it for 10 minutes - don't remove the cover.

When the 10 minutes are up, drain the pot and add enough cold water to cover the eggs and add a try or two of ice.  

When the eggs are cool tap all sides on the counter to shatter the shell, and peel.Rinse the eggs as you peel them to get the tiny pieces of shell off the eggs.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. 

To remove the yolks I use a small spoon, and gently scoop around the outside of the yolk.  Then I slide the small spoon under the yolk and drop it into a medium size bowl.  Be careful so you don't rip the egg white.

Putting the prepared egg yolks back into the egg

Cut the smoked salmon (lox) into strips about 1 - 1 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide.

When you've scooped out all the yolks, add the mayo, cayenne, mustard and salt.  I use a potato masher to mas them, but a fork is fine.  Add the capers and mix them in well.

Using a teaspoon, or a small ice cream scoop that is about the size of a cherry, scoop out the egg yolk mixture and put it back into the egg.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the smoked salmon strips across the top lengthwise. 

If you don't serve immediately, cover with foil and refrigerate. 

They'll disappear fast, so if you're busy in the kitchen while you're serving appetizers, have one fast!

Nutella Crème Icebox Pie

                                                                                            Difficulty Rating: Easy
Pecan Crust (make the crust before you make the pie filling so it has time to cool)

·         1 ½ cups pecans (finely chopped)

·         1 1/2 T sugar

·         4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted sweet butter – melted

Nutella Crème Filling

·         2 cups heavy cream

·         2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese – room temperature *

·         2 1/2 cups Nutella (hold about 1/3 cup of the 2 1/2 cups out)

·         1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar,10x

·         1 Tablespoon vanilla extract  

* Note - I made this on Sunday (8/5/12) for my sister Cathy's birthday.  My son Marc said that he would prefer it with less cream cheese.  I like it the way it is, but we each our own taste. He would like it 'mousse-ier', but I don't now if that could still be a pie - it might might have to served in individual glasses - nothing wrong with that! Up the whipped cream, lower the amount of cream cheese, chill the crust mixutre in dessert or wine glasses for an hour or so, spoon in the filling, chill and voila!

Preparation

Combine butter and pecans in a medium bowl and mix by hand

Pecan Crust

In a 9” pie dish, shape the crust by pressing into the pie pan, making sure you push it up the sides. It will be crumbly

• Bake for 10 minutes until the pecans are toasted – you’ll notice that the sides of the crust will look like it s   shrinks down the sides of the pie dish
• Using the back of a Tablespoon, gently push the pecan crust up the sides
• Cool to room temperature
• When the crust is cool, spread the 1/3 cup of Nutella on the bottom, well, you can't actually spread it, use a teaspoon to drop the Nutella around the bottom of the crust.  If you try to spread it, it will pull the crust up.

While the crust is cooling, beat the heavy cream in the mixer using a whisk attachment on medium until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. Set aside

In another bowl, using the paddle attachment on medium-high and beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. 

Once it’s smooth, add the sugar, 1 cup of Nutella and vanilla and mix in well. 

When the Nutella is smoothly  combined with the cream cheese (use a rubber spatula to ensure that the bottom is well blended), add the second cup of the remaining Nutella - just a little don’t mix it in too thoroughly because people will want to taste big tastes of Nutella.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.  While you're doing this, gentlry drop in 1 Tablespoon (this can be approximate) of Nutella at a time and fold with the whipped cream.  You don't want the Nutella blended. Do this until you've used all the Nutella. 

Spread the filling in the cool pie shell. Smooth the top.

Store in a covered container and refrigerate for about 5 hours (or overnight) before serving.