Delightfully Wicked Recipes

 
BUTTERMILK PEPPERCORN DIP

1 cup sour cream

3 oz cream cheese

2 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk

1 teaspoon coarsely ground mixed peppercorns

2 teaspoons minced chives

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 shallot, minced

Stir well to combine.  Serve with crudités such as snap peas, carrots, red peppers and with baguette.

RAVIOLI

Basic egg pasta dough, Kitchen Aid

4 large eggs

1 TBS water

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Place eggs, water, flour, and salt in mixer bowl.  Attach bowl and flat beater.  Turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds. 

Exchange flat beater for dough hook.  Turn to speed 2 and knead 2 minutes.  Remove dough from bowl and hand knead for 1 to 2 minutes.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutews.  Divide dough into 4 pieces before processing with pasta sheet roller attachment.  Seal the seams of ravioli with egg wash to help them stay closed.  Freeze or cover before use.  

CHEESE AND HERB RAVIOLI FILLING

-Tyler Florence

3/4 cup ricotta cheese, well drained

6 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature

1 cup fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, marjoram), chopped

1 egg

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator a few minutes to firm up the filling.

*To Fry:  Dip ravioli in buttermilk then in Italian seasoned bread crumbs.   Fry until golden brown.  Keep warm in oven until ready to eat.

KIM’S FRESH MARINARA SAUCE

1/2 Onion diced

2-3 cloves garlic chopped

Zest and juice of one Lemon 

2 cans diced tomatos

3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

salt to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in saucepan to soften, add remaining ingredients and simmer until ready to eat.  This is a great go-to sauce that I use for a dipping sauce, a pizza sauce, and for a pasta sauce.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

2 medium butternut squash

1 onion


1 royal gala or pink lady apple


1/4 cup butter


1 900-mL carton chicken broth


1 cup whipping cream


1/2 tsp. dried sage leaves, crumbled


Generous pinches cinnamon and salt


 3 Tbsp. maple syrup

Peel squash. (Microwaving one whole squash at a time on high for 2 minutes makes peeling easier.) Cut in half and discard seeds. Chop into small pieces. Finely chop onion. Peel apple, then thinly slice.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and apple. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to soften; about 5 minutes. Add broth, cream, squash, sage, cinnamon and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered and stirring often until squash is very tender, from 20 to 25 min.

Ladle about 1/3 of soup into a blender and whirl until puréed. Pour soup back into saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup and add more broth or water if it needs to be thinned. Stir until hot.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. 

Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated, up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.   Makes about 9 cups.

 
SALAD

Parmesan Cheese Bowls

Grated, bagged Parmesan cheese

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until edges are golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Using a spatula, carefully remove cheese mixture and immediately drape over the back of a small bowl. Allow cheese to cool. 

Fill bowls with Spring Mix lettuce and add Caprese skewers and top with balsamic dressing.

Caprese Skewers

Cherry tomato, fresh basil, mozzarella ball, drizzle with balsamic vinegar

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

salt and pepper

You can whisk all the ingredients together really well or put them in a bottle and shake. I put everything in the blender and pulsed until mixed.

CHICKEN BREASTS IN SHERRIED TOMATO CREAM

Recipe by-  Karin Gehrke (Kim's friend)

2 lbs chicken breasts

salt, pepper, nutmeg

1 1/2 TBS butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/3 lb sliced mushrooms

1/4 Tsp dried basil

1/3 cup dry sherry

1 Tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup peeled, seeded, diced tomato

1/2 cup whipping cream

Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Sate in butter until brown.  Add onion and mushrooms around the edges, sprinkle chicken with parsley and basil, pour in sherry.  Simmer, covered until chicken is done. (15-20 minutes)  Transfer chicken to plate.  Stir mustard into pan liquid, add tomato and cream and let simmer to reduce slightly.  Add salt, pepper, or more sherry to taste. Option- thicken slightly with cornstarch and milk.  Serve sauce over chicken.  Goes great over pasta or rice.  Don't forget to make it beautiful with fresh parsley and shaved parmesan. 

GNOCCHI

-Anne Burrell

5 large Idaho Potatoes

2 eggs

3/4 cup grated Parmigiano

3 to 4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 or 400 degrees F.

Bake the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check them!

While the potatoes are still hot peel and pass them through a food mill or ricer. (I find that the food mill works just as well as a ricer and is much easier to handle) onto a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. When doing this pay       careful attention to keep the potatoes as light and fluffy as possible. This will aid in keeping the gnocchi light. Refrigerate the potatoes on the sheet tray until cold. This is also a very important step. If the potatoes are warm while adding flour they will require more flour, which will result in a much heavier finished product.

When the potatoes are absolutely cold, transfer to a clean work surface. Beat together theeggs and cheese and pour onto the potatoes. Season with salt. Cover generously with flour. It should look like snow on the mountains. Crumble the potato flour mixture between your fingers. Begin to knead the dough until it is a dry homogeneous mixture. The dough should feel slightly moist, but not tacky. If too tacky, repeat the snow on the mountains stage.

Form the dough into a large log. Cut slices off the log and begin to roll into long ropes that are about 1-inch in thickness. Cut the ropes into 1/2-inch lengths. Cover generously with flour. Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a sheet tray dusted with flour. DO NOT PILE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER!!

Use or freeze the gnocchi immediately. If freezing, place tray directly into the freezer. Once frozen, the gnocchi can be stored in plastic bags, in the freezer, indefinitely. When cooking gnocchi they can go directly from the freezer into salted boiling water.

Note: It is a general practice to take gnocchi out of the water when they float. This is a big mistake. Gnocchi need to be cooked in boiling water until they float and get nice and puffy. Not cooking gnocchi long enough will also result in heavy gnocchi.

P.S. These are Chef Anne "Secrets" to great gnocchi, use them and you will be successful every time.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE AND SALTED CARAMEL CAKE

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

For The Cake

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tablepoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Coarse salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For The Caramel

4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 cups heavy cream

Coarse salt

2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

           

For The Frosting

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Coarse salt

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled

Garnish: flaked sea salt

Mascarpone Creme-  Mix together 1 tub of Mascarpone Cheese,  1/4 cup powder sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.   

   

Directions

.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons course salt into the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

.    Divide batter among pans. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.

 Make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter); stir until smooth. Return to heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.

Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Cut each in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top. Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Sprinkle with sea salt.  Serve with Marscarpone cream.

Cook's Note:

To make this cake ahead of time: The caramel can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before using. Cake layers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days (they actually taste better when refrigerated and have a better texture for stacking). When finished, the frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.