Leite's Culinaria » recipes

Warm Sourdough Bread Salad with Chicken and Pine Nuts

Julie Dreyfoos — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:13:42 +0000

Sara Foster with Carolynn Carreño | Sara Foster’s Casual Cooking | Clarkson Potter, 2007 | Serves 2 to 4

Bread salad is a traditional Italian way to make use of a day-old chunk of bread. When I added shredded cooked chicken and tossed it with a heap of greens, it became a well-balanced meal. Golden raisins and pine nuts are a really nice combination, especially if you like a touch of something sweet in your savory dishes.—Sara Foster

convert Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
1 lemon, halved
2 garlic cloves, skin on
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad
4 cups 1-inch chunks of crusty, rustic-style sourdough bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups loosely packed arugula, watercress leaves, or mixed baby greens, washed and drained
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

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Method
Start the vinaigrette
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Place the lemon, cut side down, and the whole garlic cloves in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast the lemon and garlic until they’re soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven (but keep the oven on) and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle.

Make the salad
1. Increase the oven temperature to 475°F (245°C).

2. Toss the bread chunks with the olive oil on a baking sheet and season with salt. Scatter the chunks in a single layer and toast until the bread is golden brown and the edges are crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

3. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Peel the garlic cloves, add to the bowl with the lemon juice, and smash them with a fork. Add the vinegar and gradually whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Add the chicken, raisins, pine nuts, and garlic to the bread and combine. Drizzle with half of the vinaigrette, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

5. Spread the salad on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the oven for about 5 minutes, just to warm it slightly.

6. Remove the salad from the oven and return it to the bowl you tossed it in. Add the arugula and scallions, and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Toss gently to combine, season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and serve warm.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Julie Dreyfoos — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:15:34 +0000

Linda Collister | Sweet Treats Just Like My Mother Used to Make | Ryland Peters & Small, 2010
Makes 12 squares

Sometimes it’s the plain cakes that are the best. This one is wonderfully buttery and zesty and is delicious served simply, cut into little squares. To achieve a really crisp, sugary crust on top, combine the sugar and lemon juice at the last minute and pour straight over the cake before letting it cool.—Linda Collister

Special equipment: 8-inch square cake pan, preferably with a removable bottom, greased and lined with parchment paper

convert Ingredients
For the cake
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon self-rising flour

For the lemony topping
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

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Method
Make the cake
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the lemon zest. Fold the flour into the mixture until well combined.

3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for about 20 minutes, until well risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Add the lemony topping
1. Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and prick the top of the cake all over with a skewer. Sprinkle the top of the warm cake with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Quickly combine the remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and immediately pour it over the top of the cake. Let it cool in the pan. Cut into small squares to serve. (Store the cake in an airtight container in a cool cupboard or the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

LC Note: If you don’t have self-rising flour, sift together 4 level teaspoons of baking powder for every two cups of all-purpose flour. This won’t create quite such a high lift as self-rising flour when baking cakes.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

David Leite — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:35:12 +0000

David Leite | Personal Recipe Collection | Serves 4, or 6 with the meal stretcher

The One and I have been making and enjoying this dish for years—in fact, it’s been in our arsenal for about a decade. Technically, it’s not a chili, as it doesn’t contain chiles or chili powder. It’s really more of a Mediterranean bean stew. What can I say, nicknames stick. What’s great about it is it’s a cinch to make (all of a half hour) and it’s surprisingly light. When we have weekend guests and don’t want to get bogged down with making six big, heavy meals, we turn to this for a satisfying lunch or a light supper, with a salad on the side.

Customarily, chilis and stews are made by first browning the meat then transferring it to a bowl while cooking the vegetables. Because there’s so little fat in the turkey sausage (and, admit it, they just don’t have that flavor punch beef does), I like to keep the turkey in the skillet while cooking the vegetables. This does two things: 1.) it really gives the turkey a good browning, which adds flavor, and 2.) it doesn’t overcook the red pepper. Oh, and whatever you do, resist the urge to muck this up by adding chili powder (yes, even though it’s called a “chili”). It would ruin the flavor profile.—David Leite

convert Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large garlic cloves, minced
One 15 1/2-ounce can cannellini beans, well-drained
One 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, undrained, tomatoes chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Swirl 2 tablespoons of the oil into the pan and then add the turkey. Cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with the edge of a wooden spoon, until the turkey is chunky and nicely browned, about 10 minutes.

2. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the turkey. Dump in the onion and pepper, sprinkle with the oregano, basil, and thyme, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables are just softened, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. The bottom of the pan may develop a brown coating—that’s good. It gives a lot of flavor. If it threatens to burn, drizzle in a few tablespoons of water and scrape it up.

3. Turn the heat to low and stir in the beans and half of the tomatoes and half their liquid. (Reserve the remaining tomatoes and liquid for a meal stretcher, see Note.) Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meal Stretcher Note: Unexpected company? No problem. Add a second can of drained cannellini beans and the remaining chopped tomatoes and their liquid. Simmer the chili until heated through. Serves six, easily.

Quick Navy-Bean Stew

Renee Schettler Rossi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:14:52 +0000

Editors of Everyday Food | Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast | Clarkson Potter, 2010 | Serves 4

This flavorful potato, bean, and mushroom stew is ready in less than an hour. You can use other beans, such as black-eyed peas, in place of the navy beans; kale or Swiss chard would be nice substitutions for the spinach leaves.—Editors of Everyday Food

LC Note: This versatile recipe, much like a proper minestrone, is more a general formula than an actual equation. In addition to trying the substitutions mentioned above, you can turn to other creative alterations. Vary the herbs as well, using a generous pinch of fresh thyme if you happen to have it on hand or omitting it entirely if you happen to have none on hand.

convert Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
4 small red potatoes (10 ounces), scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups water
One 10-ounce package baby spinach
One 15 1/2-ounce can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, optional

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Method
1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms and thyme and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato paste and the water. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Add half of the spinach to the skillet, cover, and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining spinach and the beans. Cook, covered, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, if desired. Season with the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Using Dried Beans
If you have a little more time, you could soak and cook dried beans, which would make the soup even more economical and a bit richer in flavor and texture.

Steamed Cod with Ginger and Scallions

Renee Schettler Rossi — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:51:12 +0000

Editors of Everyday Food | Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast | Clarkson Potter, 2010 | Serves 4

Steamed fish is a healthful and quick-cooking dinner option. Adding a few aromatics to the steaming liquid enhances the taste of the fish without using any butter or oil. Haddock, halibut, or other firm-fleshed white fish can be used in place of the cod.—Editors of Everyday Food

LC Note: We suggest turning the fish once during cooking to ensure the cod takes on as much flavor as possible from its ginger-and-soy poaching liquid. Discard the liquid before serving; all the flavor will have been absorbed by the cod.

convert Ingredients
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger (see peeling ginger tip below)
4 skinless (1 1/2 pounds) Pacific cod fillets
6 scallions

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Method
1. In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger. Season both sides of the cod fillets with salt and pepper and place them in the skillet. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the fish is almost opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut the green parts of the scallions into 3-inch lengths and thinly slice them lengthwise (reserve the white parts for another use). Scatter the scallions over the fish, cover, and cook until the fish is opaque throughout and the scallions are just wilted, about 2 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Tip: Peeling Ginger
When a recipe calls for peeled fresh ginger, reach for a spoon: Holding ginger steady with one hand, scrape the spoon toward you in short strokes. To reach especially tight crevices, you may need to slice off a knobby portion and then continue peeling.

Apple Fritters

David Leite — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:00:43 +0000

Thomas Keller | Ad Hoc at Home | Artisan, 2009 | Serves 6

I love the casualness and ease of this great finger food dessert—a plate of hot apple fritters, dusted with powdered sugar and passed around the table, is a satisfying end to a meal. While these fritters are wonderful to make when seasonal apples are abundant, you can also vary the fruit, using pears instead of apples, for example. If you like, serve them with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. They’re best hot, immediately after they are fried.—Thomas Keller

convert Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
3 large Fuji, Gala, or Golden Delicious apples
Canola oil for deep-frying
Powdered sugar, for dusting

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Method
1. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly beat the egg and milk in a small bowl. Whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. The batter can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 hours.

2. Peel the apples and slice the fruit from the core. Cut the apples into 2-inch-long, 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks. Gently fold the apples into the batter.

3. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of the oil to 325°F (160°C) in a wide, deep pot. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and line it with paper towels. Using two forks, lift up about 5 or 6 of the apple matchsticks from the batter, allowing the excess batter to drip back into the bowl. The mixture should be irregular in shape, with just a very light coating of batter enrobing the apples. Gently lower the batter-covered apples into the hot oil.

4. Repeat, adding a few more fritters to the oil without crowding the pot. Fry the fritters, turning them from time to time, until crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the fritters to the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining fritter batter, working in batches.

5. Stack the fritters on a serving platter, sprinkle with the powdered sugar, and serve immediately.

Brigadeiros

David Leite — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:04:09 +0000

Leticia Moreinos Schwartz | The Brazilian Kitchen | Kyle Books, 2010 | Makes 40 brigadeiros

Chewy, fudgy, addictive. These little chocolate fudge balls are as common and well-loved in Brazil as cookies and brownies are in the United States. Traditionally, brigadeiros are a simple mixture of condensed milk, sweetened cocoa powder, and butter, cooked to a fudge state then formed into little balls and rolled in chocolate sprinkles. I find this to be much too sweet, so I made a few changes to the original recipe, adding real chocolate, real cocoa powder, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Unless I know the chocolate sprinkles are made with real chocolate, like the ones from Guittard or Cocoa Barry, I prefer to use cocoa powder or grated chocolate for rolling—and the result is amazing. This is a perfect dessert to give as a gift for any occasion. Children will love it and so will adults.—Leticia Moreinos Schwartz

convert Ingredients
Two (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate sprinkles, preferably Guittard

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Method
1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, bring the condensed milk, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup to a gentle boil.

2. When the mixture starts to bubble, add the chocolate and the cocoa powder. Whisk well to prevent any pockets of cocoa powder.

3. Reduce the heat to low and cook the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly, until it is the consistency of a dense, fudgy batter, 8 to 10 minutes. You want it to bubble only toward the end of cooking, so it’s important to use low heat otherwise the chocolate will scorch. It’s done when you swirl the pan and the mixture slides as one soft piece, leaving a thick burnt residue on the bottom—that’s as it should be. If you undercook the chocolate mixture, the brigadeiros will be too soft; if you overcook them, they’ll be too chewy.

4. Slide the chocolate mixture into a bowl (without scraping the bottom of the pan) and let cool to room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the chocolate mixture for at least 4 hours.

5. Scoop the chocolate mixture by the teaspoonful and, using your hands, roll it into a little ball about 3/4 inch in diameter (roughly the size of a chocolate truffle). Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture.

6. Place the sprinkles in a bowl. Roll 4 to 6 brigadeiros in the sprinkles, making sure to cover the entire surface. Store them in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 1 month in the refrigerator.

Salted Butter Tart

Linda Avery — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:41:33 +0000

Jennifer McLagan | Fat | Ten Speed Press, 2008 | Serves 6 to 8

Video Interview

People often ask me how I get the ideas for my recipes. Some magically happen from ingredients in my fridge, others are inspired by restaurant meals or ingredient combinations that I like. And then there are those that come from the oddest of sources.

Several years ago I’d been perfecting my recipe for salted caramel sauce. When it comes to desserts, caramel is my weakness, and the combination of salted butter and caramel is close to perfection, with the salt accentuating the caramel and balancing its sweetness. During this time, one of the bakeries in my Paris neighborhood, which had been run by an accountant who had exchanged crunching numbers for kneading dough, was bought by the well-known Paris baker Eric Kayser. Just after Kayser moved into my part of town, my friend Laura dropped by with a copy of his new tart book. It was full of mouthwatering photographs with short, seemingly simple recipes, each of which fit neatly on a single page. I flipped through it, thinking that perhaps his tarts were better than his bread. (Believe it or not, the accountant had actually made better bread.) When I saw a recipe for tarte au beurre salé, or salted butter tart, I knew I had to try it. It took quite some tweaking, as the brief recipe instructions were not much help, but I finally made a rich, sweet, satisfying version of his tart. The secret, I found, is to be brave and cook the caramel until it is rich and dark without letting it burn and turn bitter. If you lack courage, the tart will still be delicious, just sweeter.

When shopping for the ingredients, buy extra cream so you can serve this tart with a cloud of whipped cream to cut the sweetness—yes, it does work, and yes, this is just another benefit of eating fat.—Jennifer McLagan

convert Ingredients
For the sweet-butter pastry
2 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
Pinch of fine sea salt
2/3 cup (5 ounces) cold unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg
1/3 cup (2 ounces) superfine (caster) sugar

For the tart
1/2 recipe Sweet-Butter Pastry
1 1/4 cups (9 ounces) superfine (caster) sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) salted butter, diced
1 cup whipping cream
Lightly whipped cream, for serving

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Method
Make the pastry
1. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles very coarse bread crumbs. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar. Pour the egg mixture over the flour-butter mixture and mix with a fork. Squeeze a bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface; if not, add a couple of teaspoons of ice water and test again. Knead gently and form into a ball, divide the pastry in half, and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

Make the tart
1. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line a 9-inch or 9 1/2-inch (23-cm or 24-cm) tart pan. Prick the base of the tart with a fork and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

3. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet. Line the tart with parchment paper and fill it with dried beans. Bake until the pastry is just set, about 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and continue to cook until the pastry is a dark golden color, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the tart to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

4. Combine the sugar and butter in a deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir to mix and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar caramelize, 10 to 15 minutes. The sugar and butter will go through several stages. First it will look like a flour-butter roux, then it will appear curdled, and then the butter will leak out of the sugar mixture. Don’t worry: It will all come together in the end.

5. While the caramel is cooking, pour the cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Keep stirring the butter-sugar mixture, watching carefully as it begins to caramelize and remembering that the heat in the pan will continue to cook the caramel once it is removed from the burner. You want a rich, dark caramel color, but you don’t want to burn the mixture, which will give it a bitter taste. When the caramel reaches the right color, remove the pan from the heat and slowly and carefully pour in the cream; the mixture will bubble and spit. When the caramel stops bubbling, return it to low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to dissolve the caramel in the cream. Remove the pan from the heat and let the caramel cool for 10 minutes. Slowly pour the cooled caramel into the baked pastry shell and chill the tart for at least 2 hours.

7. This tart is easier to cut when it is chilled. Remove the tart from the pan and, using a wet knife, cut it into wedges. Serve the tart at room temperature, however, for maximum flavor, with a dollop of whipped cream.