2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 11 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Mashed Potato Fudge

By Chef Lippe

Yes you read that correctly and I know it may sound funny and not very tasty but I swear this is so good you will thank me for giving you the recipe! It is a little bit like an Almond joy candy bar without the almonds.

Ingredients

¼ cup hot mashed potatoes (I used 1 baked potato and scooped out the insides

1 teaspoon butter

2 ½ cups confectioners sugar

1 ½ cups shredded coconut

½ teaspoon vanilla

Pinch of salt

6 oz of chocolate chips melted

Line an 8×8 pan with foil and butter the foil. In a bowl, mix the potato and butter until blended. Add the sugar gradually and beat until well blended. Add coconut, and salt. Spread in pan and spread with melted chocolate chips. Chill until firm cut and enjoy.

Broccoli and Pasta Sicilian Style

By Chef Lippe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

10 ounce bag of fresh pasta

1 head of broccoli florets, rough chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup red bell peppers minced

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ cup bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Gently sauté garlic, red bell peppers, breadcrumbs and walnuts in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, just until toasted, add lemon zest.

In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli. When water comes back to a boil add pasta. Cook for 3 minutes. Ladle cup of pasta water into bowl with raisins.

Drain pasta and broccoli and toss everything together

Broccoli Soufflé

By Chef Lippe

I know that I have been on a Broccoli kick for a while now, but the Florida Broccoli is just coming into season and when picked and cooked all in the same day it is the best! The taste is not the only reason to eat it, just think of all the health benefits you get with it. See my post  Did-you-know-broccoli from a few days ago to see some of the other reasons to eat it. Soufflés are a classic French dessert, but most Americans are unaware that savory soufflés made with vegetables and cheese are also common and easy to make. This delicious broccoli version is well-suited for a any holiday meal and the kids will love it.

 

Ingredients

2 ounces soft butter

2 ounces grated parmesan cheese

10 ounces broccoli peeled and trimmed

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg

1 ounce Gruyere cheese diced

2 egg yolks

4 egg whites

Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat the inside of a ramekin with softened butter and dust with Parmesan cheese.

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water until just tender and drain well. Purée in a food processor.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the purée. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the Gruyère cheese. Add the egg yolks.

Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in the vegetable mixture. Pour into prepared ramekins. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and add hot water to about 1/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 10 minutes until risen and browned on top.

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes – A small taste of heaven

By Chef Lippe

 

Slow-roasting tomatoes intensifies and concentrates their natural sweetness. This recipe can easily be halved or multiplied. Larger tomatoes require a longer roasting time.  I am going to use these slow roasted tomatoes in a mozzarella log. They are also good in the stuffed baked lemons or eaten just as them come out of the oven.

Makes about 2 cups of tomatoes
Active time:  15 minutes
Total time:  4 hours 15 minutes

2 pounds small to medium tomatoes
2 large cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Few twists freshly ground pepper
Large pinch coarse salt
Optional: few sprigs fresh thyme and/or rosemary

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Core, and halve the tomatoes. Toss them with the sliced garlic, olive oil, pepper, salt and optional herbs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place the tomato halves cut side down on top of the herbs and sliced garlic. Space the tomatoes so they aren’t touching one another.

Turn the tomatoes cut side up. Bake for two more hours.

When done, their fragrance will be heavenly. The tomatoes will be soft, shriveled and their edges caramelized. Slow-Roasted Tomatoes will keep a week in the fridge. Or store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Stuffed, Baked Lemons

By Chef Lippe

For to nights Farmers Market in Orlando I am making my favorite! Baked Stuffed Lemons. If your in the area come and get a taste!

• 3 nice yellow juicy lemons
• 4 oz. Fresh Mozzarella cheese
• 12 oven-roasted or soft sun-dried tomatoes
• 12 black olives
• 12 large or 24 small Basil leaves
• 6 slivers of anchovies
• 1 – 2 dried red chilies, crumbled (optional)
• French bread to make crostini
• Olive oil

1.  Line an oven tray with grease proof paper and preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry lemons and slice pointy ends off the top and base, being careful not to slice right through – you want the lemons to collect the cooking juices and not leak away.
2. Slice each lemon in the middle to give two halves. Using a knife, cut round the edge of the lemon and try your best to scoop out the inside being careful not to pierce the base (Keep the excised innards for other lemony delights)
3. In each lemon half, place a slice of mozzarella in. Add 2 large or 4 small basil leaves on top. Follow that with 2 pieces of oven-roasted tomatoes and stud with 2 olives. Add a sliver of the anchovies, a sprinkling of crumbled dried chilies and finish off with another layer of mozzarella.
4. Set all the lemon halves on the tray and place in the center of your oven.
5. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes till the cheese melts………eat with some delicious French bread drizzled with olive oil and toasted.

Did you know… Broccoli

By Chef Lippe

• The word broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium and the Italian word braccio, which means “arm”.

• Broccoli is a part of the cabbage family.

• Eating broccoli reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and death in postmenopausal women.

• A compound found in broccoli appears to have more effect than modern antibiotics against the creation of peptic ulcer causing bacteria.

• Broccoli is a cool-weather crop and grows poorly in the summer.

• Broccoli is high in Vitamin C and also soluble fiber. A cup of broccoli contains twice the minimum daily requirement of Vitamin C. Imagine that! The Vitamin C in broccoli promotes healthy skin and helps combat cold and flu symptoms

• Eating Broccoli Regularly Reduces the Risk of Cancer. Research has shown that eating broccoli regularly can reduce the risk of prostate, colon, breast, bladder and ovarian cancer. Broccoli’s dark green color contributes to its cancer-fighting properties.

• Broccoli Combats Eye Disease. Broccoli contains a high concentration of lutein, a valuable antioxidant that promotes eye health, prevents cataracts and protects against macular degeneration and other chronic eye diseases.

• Broccoli Promotes Bone Health. Broccoli is a potent source of calcium, and as such helps promote strong bones and teeth. You can eat as much broccoli as you like and not gain weight because it has only 3 calories from fat per cup, unlike other sources of calcium.
•  Broccoli Lowers the Risk of Birth Defects. The risk of birth defects can be significantly reduced by including broccoli in a pregnant or nursing woman’s daily diet. Broccoli contains folate, a vitamin B supplement that helps the baby develop strong bones.

Okay now that we have the healthy reasons to eat broccoli here are my favorite recipes.

Broccoli Timbales

“Drinking cup” is the English translation of the French word “timbale”. Traditional dessert timbales are simply brioche pastry cups filled with a fruity mixture. This version of the timbale, a cup-shaped custard with minced vegetables, is a lovely side dish for elegant meals. This recipe allows for about 12 timbales as guests rarely enjoy just one.

1/4 cup butter
1 large brown onion, minced
3 cups cooked broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus Parmesan shavings for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cups heavy cream
6 large eggs

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add onions to broccoli in a bowl, and stir until combined. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line 12 cups of a muffin pan with foil cups. Spray cups with nonstick cooking spray. Beat cream and eggs in a large bowl until just blended. Pour egg mixture into broccoli, and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared foil cups. Fill a large baking pan halfway with hot water. Set the muffin pan inside the pan of water and place on lower rack of oven. Bake 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted off-center of timbale comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Remove timbales from muffin pan and gently peel away foil cups. Place upside down on a serving platter or individual plates and garnish with a shaving of Parmesan. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes about 12 timbales

Note

These timbales can be made 1 day in advance and reheated when ready to serve. After timbales have fully cooled, remove them from pan, keeping timbales in their foil cups. Place timbales on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, gently peel foil cups away from timbales and place upside down on a baking sheet. Warm timbales in a 350F oven for 10 minutes. Or, place timbales upside down on a plate and microwave until warm. Place timbales upside down on serving plate, garnish, and serve.

Or

Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 bunches broccoli
• 1 pound fresh pasta
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup ricotta or Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Meanwhile, separate broccoli florets from the stalks (or peel the broccoli stems and cut into small cubes.) Add the broccoli to the boiling water and cook until tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove broccoli with slotted spoon.

Add pasta and cook to desired doneness.  Drain reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and hot pepper flakes. Saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained broccoli. Mix in ricotta cheese and pasta, until sauce is creamy. If sauce is too dry, add as much pasta water as desired to get a creamy consistency.

 

 

Carrot Cauliflower Sauce with Coriander and Sage

By Chef Lippe

 

One way to get your kids to eat their vegetables is to hide them in cheese and pasta! This sauce taste good over any flavor of fresh pasta, however, a spinach or basil is my favorite, but even store bought pasta will taste great with this sauce.

Ingredients:

½ medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped cauliflower

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cups vegetable stock

½ cup of half and half

2 teaspoons flour

¼ teaspoon coriander

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon black pepper

Salt to taste

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

 

Directions

• Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat, add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, 3 – 4 minutes.
• Add cauliflower, carrots, and stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the vegetables are cooked about 10-12 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and add your half and half. Use an immersion blender or transfer to counter top blender and blend until smooth. Add flour and whisk into the sauce. Turn the heat back on and simmer until the sauce thickens.
• Stir in your coriander, nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper. Add cheddar and stir until smooth.
• Serve over pasta of your choice. (I like spinach and garlic).

Did you know…

DID YOU KNOW…

The scientifically tomatoes are a fruit.  However, in 1893 a Supreme Court decision classified tomatoes as a vegetable.  In Nix vs. Hedden the court ruled that tomatoes must be classified as a vegetable due to their inclusion in ketchup, which was considered a vegetable for school lunch classification purposes. However, subsequent research revealed that the number-one ingredient in ketchup was high-fructose corn syrup. Hence, ketchup is not actually a vegetable but a fruit.

Tomatoes are actually a fruit, not a vegetable. Even though it is not called a fruit by people, it is indeed one. Tomatoes, or lycopesicon sculentum in Latin, directly translates to Wolf peach, was named by a French botanist named Tournafort, as it was thought to be poisonous, the word Wolf a result of the “poisonous” quality and the word peach due to its round shape.

These luscious looking fruit is a member of the night shade family and is native to Western South America and Central America, but will grow just about anywhere and is used to disguise immature Cannabis plants. The color of the tomato in its native country is yellow and it is a small cherry size, unlike the luscious red tomatoes we are all used to hence the reason it was considered poisonous, although the tomato plants leaves are indeed poisonous.

The national cancer institute has proven that consuming large amounts of tomato can reduce the risk of contracting Cancers like prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, pancreas cancer, colorectal cancer, esophagus cancer, oral cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. These scientists are not sure exactly what it is in the tomato that is so beneficial, but it is the general consent that it could be the lycopenes or the bioflavonoids, these are closely related to beta carotene. Cooking tomatoes is proven to be almost double as effective as eating tomatoes raw.

Tomatoes are excellent for the skin and can be used to do a home facial.

As a face peel you simply rub slices of tomato directly onto the face, concentrating on the areas with a lot of blackheads or blocked pores, the vitamin c content of the tomato has healing powers and the acid unplugs pores as well as removes dead skin. It is also effective as a mask, using thin slices of tomato, placing them on the face and lying down for 10 to 15 minutes there after using the thin slices to rub the juice into skin, and removing the excess leaving the juice on the skin it restores the natural pH of the skin.

Fun tomato facts about eating

American habits. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat between 22- 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year. (More than half of those munchies are ketchup and tomato sauce.)

Popularity. The tomato is America’s fourth most popular fresh-market vegetable behind potatoes, lettuce, and onions.

Ketchup, the leading condiment in America, found in 97% of kitchens, did not begin as the tomato-ey concoction that is now a part of the fabric of our culture. (in my case, also part of the fabric of many t-shirts) The roots of ketchup are traced back to China, with a sauce they called ke-tsiap. Tomatoes were not found in the sauce, or in China at all for that matter. The primary ingredient was fish brine mixed with herbs, and this ke-tsiap was a watery sauce. When it arrived in England in the 17th century, then called catsup, it was being used to make pickled anchovies.

About that time, the Spanish found the tomato in South America and started spreading it around. One hundred or so years later, ketchup met tomato in Mexico, producing a similarly watery sauce. Things started to firm up when F&J Heinz started production in 1876 with their now famous “Tomato Ketchup” recipe.

Bonus fact: While they did have plenty of varieties, the number 57 was made-up by Heinz. He thought it sounded good, and liked the 7 for the “psychological influence of that figure and of its alluring significance to people of all ages.”

Veal Piccata

By Chef Lippe

Veal Piccata is classic comfort food that can be served with pasta, or with buttered noodles, or mashed potatoes. It’s made with thin veal cutlets that are first browned in butter and then simmered in a tangy, lemony sauce.  Depending on how thin the veal cutlets are to start with, you can ask your butcher to flatten them for you, or you can do it yourself at home.  You can also use chicken in this dish.  I love flavored fresh pasta and usually use a garlic with lemon or spinach.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 8 small veal cutlets (about 2 oz. each), pounded flat
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ½ cup dry sherry (see note)
• 1 lemon
• 2 Tablespoons capers
• 1 cup veal stock or chicken stock
• 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Squeeze the juice from the lemon and set the juice aside.

To flatten the cutlets: Stretch a piece of plastic wrap across your work surface, place the veal cutlets on it, and lay another piece of plastic wrap on top. Then, using a meat mallet, rolling pin or similar object, flatten the cutlets between the layers of plastic wrap until they are about ¼ inch thick.

Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate or in a shallow baking dish.

Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat for a minute, then add the olive oil and heat for another 30 seconds or so. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until the onion is slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set them aside.

Add the butter to the pan and let it heat until it turns foamy.

Now dredge both sides of the veal cutlets in the flour mixture, shake off any excess flour and add them, one at a time, to the hot pan. Work in batches if necessary, rather than overcrowding the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until the cutlets are nicely browned. Remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate, covered with foil, while you make the sauce.

Add the stock, sherry, lemon juice and capers to the pan and scrape off any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Then return the onion-garlic mixture to the pan and heat it through, adding a bit more oil or butter if necessary.

Return the veal to the pan, bring the liquid to a boil, then lower it to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by about one-third. Add the chopped parsley just at the end of the cooking.

With a pair of tongs, remove the veal cutlets and plate them, two cutlets per person. Adjust the seasoning on the sauce with salt and lemon juice. Sauce generously and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings (two cutlets per person).