Tortellini Salad with Asiago, Peas and Proscuitto

Tortellini was a new food to me when we moved here to the Chicago area years ago ~ it was absolutely love at first bite!

The legend of tortellini is a little amusing: 

Fresh Tomatoes à la Hasselbacken

You’re most likely familiar with Hasselback potatoes ~ what about Hasselback tomatoes?

This trendy little side dish might make you hesitate, but once you try it, you may be sold on it!

“Hasselbacking” has been around since the 1950’s, when cooks at the Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, were peeling and partially slicing large potatoes, brushing them with butter, sprinkling them with bread crumbs, and baking them. 

Not only did patrons like the looks of the vegetable, they enjoyed the savory taste and variety of textures it offered.  To this day, it’s still on the hotel’s menu.

Instead of potatoes, this Cook’s Country  recipe focused on tomatoes.  They doubled-down on, flavors, and stuffed the tomatoes with savory pesto and tangy pungent Gruyère cheese. 

 

Instead of baking the concoction, the tomatoes were given a short blast under the broiler to lessen oven time, allowing the tomatoes to retain some summery freshness.

Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead when I wanted to take photos of cutting the slices in the tomatoes.  See the same method here with potatoes, showing the wooden spoon handles used to guide the knife when slicing the tomatoes.

 The end result was fresh-tasting tomatoes, melty cheese, and crunchy crumbs.  A great side dish for you tomato, pesto and Gruyère lovers out there!

Yield: 4-6 servingsAuthor: Pam

Hasselback Tomatoes

Accordian-like tomatoes, filled with pesto and Gruyère cheese, a great side dish for your dinner table!

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ripe plum tomatoes, cored
• 7 ounces Gruyère (1-1/4 cups) shredded
• 1-1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 6 tables extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and seasoned pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set wire rack in sheet, set aside. On a cutting board or plate, using serrated knife, cut 1/4-inch-thick slice from 1 long side of each tomato. Turn tomatoes onto cut sides so the sit flat, then slice crosswise at 1/4" intervals, leaving bottom 1/4" of each tomato intact.
2. (Place the handles of wooden spoons on either side of tomato to prevent the knife from cutting through.)
3. Process 1/4 cup Gruyère, basil, oil, panko, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until smooth, scrapping down sides of bowl as needed, about 10 seconds.
4. Adjust oven rack 6" from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Carefully open tomato slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using small spoon, spread basil mixture evenly between tomato slices (about 2 tablespoons per tomato.)
5. Arrange tomatoes on prepared wire rack. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over tomatoes. Broil until cheese is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
   Serve

Created using The Recipes Generator

Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus in Pesto Sauce

OK, would somebody please help me…  

I’ve seen many of you writing about gnocchi and a lot of you have even made it from scratch.  It’s new to me.  It took me 10 minutes, at least, to find a package of the potato dumplings in the grocery store the other day and they only had two of them. 

If I had known how to pronounce the word, I would’ve asked the clerks what aisle to go to find it.   So, please tell me ~ is it gnocchi with a “hard” G as in good or is it gnocchi with a “silent” G as in gnat?

However it’s pronounced, we think it’s great and I’m sorry it took us so long to meet. Gnocchi is a great hearty alternative to pasta and a perfect addition in this recipe!   I loved the texture and size of it and how quickly it cooked.  The taste of the shrimp, fresh asparagus, and homemade pesto sauce with the gnocchi was absolutely delicious!!!  

Would you just please tell me how to pronounce it…

Gnocchi with Shrimp and Asparagus in Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) package vacuum-packed gnocchi

4 cups asparagus (about 1 pound), sliced into 1” pieces

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1 cup basil leaves

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pan.

Add gnocchi and cook 4 minutes or until done.  Gnocchi will rise to the top.

Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and keep warm in a large bowl.

Bring water back to a boil.

Add shrimp and cook until done, drain well.

Meanwhile, in another pan, add asparagus and cook until tender, drain well.

Add shrimp and asparagus to gnocchi bowl.

Combine 1 tablespoon water, basil and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor.

Process until smooth, scraping sides.

Drizzle oil through food chute with food processor on; process until well blended.

Add basil mixture to shrimp mixture.

Toss to coat.

Serve immediately

4 servings

It’s delicious!!!

Pam's note:  For a better procedure, see StephenC's second comment, #17.

Be sure to enter the $65 CSN giveaway I posted on Sept. 15^th!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and the 4 cookbooks she's giving away!

Sole Piccata

When I buy fish, it is usually orange roughy, tilapia or turbot but, this time I saw sole and wanted to try it.

Sole is a delicate fish in more ways than one.  It has a mild delicate flavor but is downright frail as it cooks and you must be careful when handling it.  So, turn it carefully, plate it with even more care and hope that it does not break apart.  If it does, don’t worry about it ~ just eat it.

Since sole is a mild fish, it needs some help and capers come to the rescue.  If you have never cooked with capers, you are in for a treat as they definitely have a unique taste.  

A caper is a spiny perennial bush that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and white to pinkish-white flowers that grows like a weed in the Mediterranean.  A caper is also a pickled bud of this plant.  They have a sour, salty taste from the pickling and come in a variety of sizes; small is better.  One of the classic ways to eat capers is a lemon sauce which leads us to this delightful Sole Picatta. 

The sauce in this dish combines butter, garlic, lemon juice, wine and capers.  Whatever white wine you are enjoying with your dinner will also be fine in the sauce.  This will actually work well with most thin skinless fillets of fish.  The combined flavors are great and it is quick to prepare.  I served it with brown rice and steamed broccoli for a healthy delicious meal. 

By the way, here’s the definition of piccata:  Piccata is an Italian word meaning “larded.”  It is used in reference to a way of preparing food; it means “sliced, sautéed and served in a sauce containing lemon, butter and spices.”  So, here’s the Sole Piccata recipe:

Sole Piccata

Ingredients:

1 pound sole fillets

¼ cup flour

Salt and pepper

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped

½ cup white wine

2 tablespoons small capers

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method:

Season the fillets with a little salt and pepper.

Dust with flour.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat.

Add the sole and sauté until the fillets are a little browned, a minute per side.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the butter and add the garlic and onions, cook for about 2 minutes.

Deglaze the skillet with the wine, scrapping up any bits.

Add capers and lemon juice. 

Bring back to a simmer.

Place the fillets carefully into the sauce.

Sauté the fish for about 3-4 minutes per side.

Arrange the fish on serving platter and pour remaining sauce over the fish.

Serve immediately

Pam’s note:  I like this sauce so much that I double the recipe!  

ENJOY!!!