Chipotle Shrimp Chowder

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Dinner Ideas and tagged with Chowder, Shrimp January 26, 2014

Chipotle Shrimp Chowder

Inspired by Smokey Corn Chowder with Shrimp from Bev Cooks and Smokey Corn Chowder from Real Simple

Having grown up on the Gulf coast of Alabama, I’m very fond of seafood, to say the least. Whenever I go home for a visit, I eat it non-stop, boiled, sautéed and fried-you name it. So I was so happy to find frozen shrimp at my local grocery store caught down in good ole Bayou La Batre. I had recently made gumbo, so I started the search for something different.

A while back I tried the Smokey Corn Chowder recipe that I had pinned from “Bev Cooks” and it was awesome. Her recipe is just for two, which worked out great. This dish was a big hit but it occurred to me that potatoes would be a good addition, giving the chowder a hearty, thicker base. Today I’d like leftovers, so between the two recipes I made some adjustments and created my own version.

I haven’t been successful in finding smoked paprika in the grocery store so in searching for a substitute I decided on Chipotle peppers in adobo. I love it’s intensely smoky flavor and it gave my chowder just the right amount of kick.

This recipe makes 4 main course portions or 6 first course portions.

6 slices bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large sweet onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Chipotle Pepper minced and 1 teaspoon Adobo Sauce
3 cups frozen corn
2 cups small diced potatoes
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup half and half
One pound (21-25) large shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tails removed. Cut all but 4 of the shrimp in half (or 6 if serving as first course)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro or parsley for garnish

Heat a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Add shrimp and cook just until no longer pink (do not overcook). Remove shrimp. Add onions and sauté until translucent.
Add the garlic and sauté for just a minute being careful not to burn. Turn up the heat and add the corn, potatoes and chipotle pepper and adobo, broth and half and half and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 15- 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Don’t be alarmed if the half and half appears to be curdled.
Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a blender. Puree just until you get a smooth, thick consistency. Return to pot and add salt and pepper to taste. Add cut shrimp just before serving. Serve in soup bowls and garnish each with the bacon and a whole shrimp and cilantro.

Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Dinner Ideas and tagged with gnocchi January 21, 2014

I’m a big fan of Pinterest, but I’m not overly zealous when it comes to pinning. I only pin things I truly have an interest in and would like to try and I’ve actually made quite a few of the dishes I’ve pinned.

I love gnocchi and I’m always looking for a new way to incorporate it in a dish. Potato gnocchi is a plump pillowy dumpling that marries well with a robust flavorful sauce. I’ve used it mainly in soups, so I was intrigued when I came across a baked gnocchi recipe. Paired with a spicy tomato sauce and baked with a top layer of mozzarella, this dish comes together quickly for a hearty week night meal. Add a salad and crusty warm bread and you’ve got an easy dinner for 4.

My version is adapted from Alida Ryder’s recipe at Simply-Delicious.co.za

You will need:

1 pound potato gnocchi
1 teaspoon salt
6 ounces pancetta diced. You can use regular bacon, but the pancetta lends a rich flavor to the sauce.
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canned chipotle chili sauce (you’ll find this next to the chipotles in adobo sauce at your grocery store)
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons cream (you can use plain yogurt or half and half)
1/2 teaspoon Italian herb mixture
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Start a pot of water to prepare the gnocchi. When water comes to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt. Cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain.
Dice pancetta and add to a large heated skillet. Cook until fat has rendered and pancetta is crisp. Remove all but one teaspoon of fat.
Add garlic and continue to cook for about a minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
Add tomatoes and herbs to the pancetta and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add cream, remove from heat.
Add the cooked gnocchi to the sauce.
Pour the gnocchi and sauce into a oven proof baking dish and top with the grated cheese.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

And there you have it. Oohey, gooey, cheesy. spicy and delish.

Ragu alla Bolognese with Penne

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Dinner Ideas and tagged with Bolognese, pasta, penne, ragu January 12, 2014

Having a Melt Down

In a weeks time we have gone from scary low temps and severe wind chill warnings to heavy rains and flood warnings. A 57 degree temperature change in 4 days.
And while the temps may be climbing, winter is far from over. It’s still very damp and cold out and I need to be warmed from the inside out.

Today I’m feeling rather saucy. A bolognese, perhaps. Now, a genuine bolognese is a meat based sauce, that is slooooow simmered. Like 3 and 1/2 hours slow. It’s traditionally paired with tagliatelle, a fresh broad flat egg noodle which is similar to fettuccine. But since I spent the majority of the day running errands and dodging pot holes, I just don’t have 3 hours to simmer, and well, homemade pasta, not going to happen. Someday when I’m retired, maybe. Let’s be real. Probably not. Sorry Martha. I’m feeling so ashamed.

Here’s my version of this amazing pasta sauce.

Ragu alla Bolognese with Penne

1 lb Penne Pasta ( I like De Cecco)
Freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 teaspoon
3 ounces pancetta, smalled diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion red onion, minced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, minced (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, minced (1 cup)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes. Preferably San Marzano.
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine (something you like to drink, do not use cooking wine)
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Mince carrots, celery and onion

Dice pancetta

Heat a saucepan, add the butter and oil. Add pancetta.

Sauté on medium high heat until crisp and fat has rendered.

Reduce heat to medium and add the minced carrots, onion and celery. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook until softened another 2 minutes.

Push vegetables to the outside of the pan. Add another teaspoon of oil and add ground beef in center of pan.

Break up the meat and cook until no longer pink.

Add oregano and basil, salt, pepper and tomato paste, stir well. Add tomatoes and red wine.

Break up tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add milk and stir.

Cover and continue to simmer on very low heat for another 45 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Top penne with sauce, grated parmesan, parsley and serve. So yummy.

Chunky Potato Soup with Perfect Thyme Popovers

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Dinner Ideas and tagged with popovers, Potato soup January 9, 2014

For some reason whenever the weather forecast calls for measurable snowfall, I feel the need to run to the grocery store and stock up like the end is near. You’d think I was shopping for 8 people instead of just 2. I always feel the need to make sure my pantry and freezer is stocked full of every imaginable ingredient needed for endless culinary possibilities. I mean, what if I never make it out again? Seriously, I can practically see Target and Walmart from the end of my street. I suppose I could walk there. Well, maybe Wes could walk there.

So as I ponder over the mounds of potatoes in my basement, it occurs to me- January is National soup month! And what warms the soul more than a steamy bowl of hearty homemade soup? Well, how about potato soup with a beautifully puffed and crusty popover?

Chunky Potato Soup
6 servings

You will need:
¼ cup butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup flour
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
4 cups warm chicken broth
1 cup grated carrots
4 cups yukon gold potatoes, peeled and medium diced.
1 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp dried tarragon
2 ½ cups half and half
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided.
Sliced green onion and cooked crisp bacon for garnish

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in butter over moderate heat until soft. Stir in flour and dry mustard to make a basic roux. Cook the flour mixture on low heat for about 3-4 minutes until cooked but not browned. You want to be sure the flour is cooked otherwise your soup will have a raw flour taste.

Slowly add the warm chicken broth and bring to a low simmer, stirring until soup is smooth. Add the carrots and potatoes, tarragon and thyme. Continue to simmer partially covered, for 30 minutes. Add half and half and bring again to a simmer. (Tip: I warm the broth and milk in the microwave before adding so the soup comes up to temperature quicker).

To thicken the soup, remove 1 cup of potatoes and liquid from your saucepan and pour into a blender. Pulse until thick but no longer chunky. Add back into the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and stir in 1 cup of the cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with remaining grated cheese, sliced green onion and diced bacon. Dress it up pretty and serve.

Now for 6 popovers you will need:

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose ﬂour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

For best results, you will need a six cup popover pan which is designed to promote the proper air circulation and amount of heat that allows the popovers to rise properly. Simply double the recipe for 12 popovers. Wow, I’m a math genius.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray the wells of your popover pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 tsp. of the melted butter into each cup.   Next, whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium bowl then whisk in remaining melted butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, thyme and salt, then whisk in the egg mixture. Whisk vigorously until smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk, Whisk Whisk! Did I mention you will need a whisk?

Divide the batter among the prepared cups and bake for 20 minutes.

Watch through the window of the oven door as the batter rises up to glory, but resist the temptation to open the door! Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and invert the pan onto a wire rack.

Now savor all the joy of that buttery, steamy, airy, flaky deliciousness.

(Popover recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma Kitchen)

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Dinner Ideas and tagged with chicken, chicken pot pie, pot pie January 3, 2014

The winter weather here in the western suburbs of Chicago is, shall we say, a tad colder than where I come from. I recall growing up in L.A. (Lower Alabama), playing volleyball in the front yard on Christmas day, wearing shorts and a T-Shirt. So it “tickles” me when I see a Facebook post complaining about the “cold” weather back in Bama. I guess it’s all relative, right? One girl’s 30 degrees is another girl’s 7 below zero. And since that’s the kind of weather we are all having lately, I thought it would be good for the first recipe I share to be tummy warming comfort food. So let’s talk about Chicken Pot Pie.

I start getting those cravings for fall soups and fare around mid October, when the leaves start to change and there’s a little nip in the air. Chicken Pot Pie is one of my husband Wes’s favorites, and because I enjoy making his tummy, you know, happy, happy, happy- it’s one of the first fall recipes I like to make. Sometimes I’ll make it as an actual pie, baked in the oven, which is great if you’re having company or want leftovers (no, Wes, you can’t have a 3rd piece). Here’s a version I make just for the two of us. It has only a top crust, made from puff pastry, which is baked separately. The cooked filling goes into individual bowls with the pastry on top. It’s a very nice presentation (hence, the flair), which I’m all about. You eat with your eyes first you know. This will make 2 large portions or 4 medium portions. Hope you like it.

Ingredients for about 4 cups of filling:

1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast cut into cubes

¼ cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 ½ cups chicken broth

½ cup milk

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 medium potato, pre-cooked and cubed

1 package frozen puff pastry

1 egg

The night before, following the directions on the package, thaw the puff pastry in the refrigerator. Thaw one sheet for 2 servings, or both sheets for 4 servings.

Roast the chicken. I find this method to produce a more flavorful, and moist chicken breast than boiling. Take one large chicken breast, (bone in and skin on), place it on a foil lined sheet pan. Brush the chicken with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper and Herbs de Provence.

Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until the skin is crisp and lightly browned. Roasting time will vary depending upon the size of your breast (I’m referring to the chicken, here, of course). Use a instant read thermometer if you are unsure. The chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, which is a safe minimum internal cooking temperature according to food safety.gov.

Let the chicken rest until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and shred or cut into bite size pieces.

Cook the potato. You can bake in the oven or microwave just until tender, but still firm. Cool and dice.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until the flour mixture is bubbly.

Stir in the broth and milk. Heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken and vegetables until heated through. Keep warm while you prepare the pastry.

Make an egg wash. Crack one egg into a bowl and add a teaspoon of water. Beat egg and water.

Carefully unfold one of the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured board. Gently press at the seams. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut length wise into 10 strips.

Cut those strips in half so you have 20 strips.

On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, place 5 strips, about a 1/4 inch apart.

Weave 4 more strips into a basket weave pattern. (over, under, alternating rows). Repeat with the remaining strips (you will have 2 strips left over).

If you are making 4 servings, repeat this process with the second pastry sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Herbs de Provence or dried thyme.

Bake in a 400 degree oven until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.

Divide mixture into serving bowls. Top each bowl with puff pastry and serve.

If you prefer to make this recipe into a pie, you will need a double pie crust instead of the puff pastry. Place the bottom pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate. Spoon the prepared filling into the crust, place the second crust on top and flute the edge. Cut 4 slits in the top and cover the edges of the crust with foil to prevent over browning.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 425 until crust is golden brown.

A Flair for Fare

Sharing my love of food and stories of inspiration

Category Archives: Dinner Ideas

Chipotle Shrimp Chowder

Baked Gnocchi with Bacon, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Ragu alla Bolognese with Penne

Chunky Potato Soup with Perfect Thyme Popovers

Chicken Pot Pie with Puff Pastry