Pasta, Beaches and Vampires. Oh My.

I hope that everyone had a very happy Fourth of July! I decided not to create a recipe for the occasion because, taking place on a Wednesday and having to wake up for work the next morning, it didn't really inspire me to do much. Oh well.

Luckily I did make it to the beach last week and thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic lobster roll at Banzai Burger. Get thee to that restaurant stat. Everything that I had was super delish, including a wild striped bass fish taco. Obviously I had to have an appetizer before my lobster roll. Duh.

Since my beach excursion I haven't gotten around to doing any shopping so the contents of my fridge and cupboards are at a minumum. This pasta recipe has minimal ingredients and since I happen to always have walnuts and garlic on hand  (random I know), it was perfect for me. And the extra added garlic will keep vampires at bay.



Speaking of which, is anyone else as not into True Blood this season as me? I am starting to get a little bit bored (even with the addition of Chris Meloni) and when I thought I had missed an episode with this weird work week, I didn't really care. And that made me sad. C'mon True Blood. Get it together!



Pasta with Ricotta, Garlic and Walnuts
Adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound dried pasta
1 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, divided
2 heaping tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 3 large lemons)
4 ounces walnuts, toasted well and roughly chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan over medium heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, very thinly slice the garlic. Add to the oil, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is pale golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain the garlic chips in a sieve set over a large bowl. Reserve the oil. Spread the garlic chips on paper towels; season with salt.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just barely al dente. Drain. Add the pasta to the oil, and toss. Partially cover, and let cool at least 20 minutes and up to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Roughly chop 3/4 cup parsley leaves, and add them with the lemon zest and walnuts to the pasta. Toss to combine. Dot with the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine, being careful not to fully incorporate cheese. Garnish with remaining parsley leaves, and serve with garlic chips. Serves 6.

Milk Bath

Apparently I am the only person who hasn't made this Jamie Oliver chicken recipe before. Granted, my friend David did tell me about it about at least two years ago, but I was like, "Gross. I'm not roasting a chicken in milk." Then when I mentioned it to my friend Karen this past weekend she was like, "Oh, I make that all the time. I told you about it!" OK OK I have a faulty memory, obvs! (Funny though, because Karen and David know each other. Clearly a conspiracy!)

I have to say, I really like this alternative to a plain roasted chicken. The very subtle cinnamon with the lemon and sage provides a really interesting flavor profile that makes me want to serve it with a jasmine or basmati rice rather than the mashed potatoes that Jamie suggests. But that's just me. I was skeptical of the milk bath to begin with, so what do I know?


Chicken Roasted in Milk
Adapted from Jamie Oliver

1 (4 pound) organic chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cinnamon stick (about a 1-inch piece)
1 handful of fresh sage leaves (about 12 - 15)
Zest of 2 lemons
10 whole garlic cloves, skin left on
2 cups whole milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place a medium, heavy pot over medium heat (just large enough to fit the chicken) and add the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper.



2. When the butter is melted and the pot is hot, add the chicken, breast side down, and cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for 6 minutes more. Remove from the pot from the heat and remove the chicken to a plate. Discard the oil and butter that is left in the pot. Keep the sticky browned bits at the bottom of the pan as they will provide additional flavor to the sauce.



3. Return the chicken to the pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. Baste with the cooking juices about every 30 minutes. (Don't be alarmed if the sauce looks curdled. It's fine and tastes great.)



4. To serve, cut the meat from the bones and divide it onto plates. Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds. Serve with wilted spinach or greens and mashed potato or basmati rice. Serves four.

Mayo. Yo.

I've never been a fan of mayo. Or sour cream. Or yogurt. Blech. So why did I decide to make homemade aioli (that's garlic mayo, y'all)? It must be because all of the healthy veggies that I've been eating. That's so not meant to last. And...I did happen to come home with a couple of heads of smoked garlic. Totally random. I had never seen it before, but it just seemed like the perfect ingredient for a smoked garlic aioli with patatas bravas...aka Spanish fries. Oh. Yeah. And aioli just sounds so much better than mayo.



Apparently smoked garlic is popular in France where it is known as Ail Fumé. In all of the days (!) that I've been there, I never noticed it in markets or on menus. (Francophiles? Any insight?) Anyhoo, it evidently exists in New York grocery stores and I am it's happy recipient. It smells a lot more smokey than it tastes, but proves the perfect partner for my aioli. Well, after I made it a second time. The first one kind of broke. Whoops!


Broken.

Fixed.

When you make your own mayo BY HAND, you have to be patient and initially only add a few drops of oil at a time so that it thickens gradually without breaking. I guess my arm was getting tired of whisking (it was about to fall off!) so I added the oil too quickly. Don't despair. There is a way to bring it back! Add a single room temperature egg yolk to a medium bowl, then slowly whisk the separated aioli into it. The additional yolk re-emulsifies the sauce. Boom.

I didn't deep fry my potatoes because all of that hot oil kind of scares me, but I did recall that my mom used to saute sliced potatoes for a dinner side dish sometimes. They look super tasty, right? They were! Even though they weren't deep fried. Just add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan, heat, then add sliced potatoes in a single layer. Cook for 4 minutes then flip and cook about 4 minutes more until golden. Toss with salt. Eat.



As good as this crispy potato-smoked garlic aioli combo is, I'm still not down with mayo. Or sour cream. Or yogurt. Or pudding...



Smoked Garlic Aioli

2 smoked garlic cloves
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Mince the garlic and then mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. (Or, use my new technique and grate the garlic cloves on a microplane.) Whisk together the yolk and mashed garlic in a bowl. Combine the oils and initially add just a few drops at a time to the yolk mixture, whisking constantly, until the aioli begins to thicken. Then add the oil slowly in a very thin stream (whisking constantly!) until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is emulsified. (If the mixture separates (see photo of my broken aioli!), stop adding the oil and continue whisking until the mixture comes together, then resume adding oil.)

2. Whisk in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. If aïoli is too thick, whisk in 1 or 2 drops of water. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

Guarded by Garlic

So did you catch the True Blood Season 3 premiere last night??? It was awesome! Fabulous bloggers, Wendy and Stacy, came over to hang out and to watch the awesomeness unfold. Even more awesome? Wendy brought me my new stake necklace just in time to wear at our personal premiere party! She revealed the new necklace design just in time for the show. (I love that the photo of Eric on her blog features him wearing a similar necklace.)



I didn't really plan my True Blood menu (at all), so the only thing linking the recipes below happens to be garlic. It's in everything. (Sorry, ladies. I hope peeps didn't have to move far away from you at the gym today!) According to folklore, garlic was used to keep vampires away. According to Google, it repels mosquitos. But after watching last night's episode, we'd really, really rather not keep Vampire Eric away.



Garlic Bread
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
4 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
Coarse sea salt
1 baguette, halved and split lengthwise
Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika), optional



1. Preheat the broiler. Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and any loose herbs to a small bowl and mash to a paste. Season the garlic-herb paste with salt.

2. Spread the baguette with the garlic-herb paste, brush with the melted butter left in the skillet, then sprinkle with salt. Season lightly with smoked paprika, if using. Broil the bread for about 1 minute, or until sizzling and browned. Serve hot.




Eggplant, Garlic & Feta Dip
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

2 (1-pound) eggplants
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pita chips

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, roast the eggplants, turning once, until they are very soft and blackened, about 1 hour. Let cool.

2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the pulp into a strainer. Let drain for 10 minutes, shaking the strainer occasionally.

3. On a work surface, finely chop the parsley with the garlic. Transfer the eggplant pulp to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add three-fourths of the parsley mixture, and season with salt and pepper and pulse just until blended. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and stir in three-quarters of the feta and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley mixture and feta, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve. Serve with pita chips or crusty bread. Makes about 2 cups.




Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad
(Adapted from Gourmet)

1 cup lentilles du Puy (French green lentils) or brown lentils
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil leaves (or a mixture of all)
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool the lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

2. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil and add the couscous and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let the couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the lentils and dressing into the couscous. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

4. Just before serving, stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Garlicky Garlic Bread

I feel like I should save this post for when True Blood finally comes back on. (When is it coming back?!) This is one garlicky garlic bread. My awesome friend Chad decided that we needed this alongside the Coconut Cupcakes (I mean roasted lamb!) that we had for Easter and I'm glad that he did. (Hmmm...I'm just realizing that we both separately consulted Ina Garten for recipes. Thanks Ina!) This is some of the tastiest garlic bread that I've had in a long time and I'll tell you why. 1/2 cup of olive oil. That may seem like a lot of oil for one loaf of bread but it's what makes it taste so good! Oh, and the garlic. And the butter. And the herbs...

UPDATE: Chad just informed me that he added an ENTIRE stick of butter to our garlic bread instead of the measly 2 tablespoons Ina's recipe calls for. I guess THAT's why it tasted so good! (Note to self: Fact check.)



Garlic Bread
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons (or 8!) unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper and pulse twice. Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, and add the olive oil and the garlic mixture. Stir for 30 seconds and then remove the pan from the heat.

2. Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally and spread the butter on one half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and then put the halves back together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

3. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot. Makes about 6 servings.