Seafood Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce

 

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound penne rigate or bow tie pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 large shallots, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
A pinch or 2 crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock or seafood stock
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound shelled, cooked or raw bulk lobster pieces
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cream
A handful chopped chives or parsley or both

In a large saucepan boil water for the pasta. When water begins to boil add salt liberally, let water return to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic, red pepper flakes and saute 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sherry, stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a bubble. If using raw seafood, season with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat a bit then add the seasoned seafood and heat through or cook until just about firm and opaque, a couple of minutes. If using cooked seafood, season the seafood when you add it to skillet with lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Stir in heavy cream and toss hot pasta with sauce and chives and/or parsley, adjust seasoning and serve.

Seafood Ravioli w/ Chesapeake Style Sauce (Costco)

 

Garlic wine cream sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1.5 cups shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until browned. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add wine and let reduce by 3/4.

Slowly add heavy whipping cream while stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let come to a gentle simmer. Gradually add in cheese while stirring. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over hot pasta.

Amazing Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat (2%) milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese
1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese
0.25 cups chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes.

Add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Serve with pasta (1 pound) of your choice.

Cocktail Sauce

Ingredients

1 cups ketchup

1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

0.5 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoons horseradish adjust to taste

Mix all ingredients together until well-combined.  Chill and serve.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1.5 cups half & half
• 1.5 + cups grated parmesan-reggiano cheese
• salt/pepper to taste

Directions

1. saute shallots and garlic in butter
2. add cream and half & half; bring to a boil
3. reduce heat, simmer, reducing sauce for about 5 minutes.
4. stir in cheese until melted.  salt and pepper to taste.  add more cheese, if desired.

Pepperoni Sauce (from Top Chef)

Yield: 4 1/2 cups to 4 3/4

Ingredients:
6 tbsp EVOO
1 small onion
5 cloves of garlic, shaved or diced
1 lb. pepperoni, sliced
1 tsp fennel seed, toasted
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1.  Toast the fennel seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often to keep from burning.
2.  Heat the oil in a pot, add onion and garlic.  Saute.
3.  Stir in the pepperoni.  Cook for 1 minute.
4.  Add the tomatoes, the broth, and the bay leaf.  Once it bubbles, cover, lower heat, and cook for at least 45 minutes.
5.  Before serving, put in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce

Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce 

Ingredients:
-Gnocchi
-8 Tbsp. Butter
-12 leaves of Sage
-Mushrooms


1.  Chop mushrooms.  Saute with 1 tbsp. butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from pan.
2.  Boil gnocchi until they float.  Drain.
3.  Chop Sage
4.  In a large saute pan, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown.  Add mushrooms. Remove from the heat.
5.  Toss everything together.  Top with parmesan cheese. 

Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients

3  tablespoons  butter

2.5 pounds mushroom blend (cremini, shiitake, oyster), stems removed and sliced

1 cup chopped onion

2/3 cup finely chopped shallots

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1.5 cups whipping cream

1 cup grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons flour (optional)

1/4 cup water (optional)

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid evaporates, approx 30 min.  Add wine, cook 5 minutes.

Lower heat.  Add whipping cream, cheese, and parsley.  Stir to combine.  If sauce is too thin, combine water & flour in a small bowl.  Add water/flour mixture to sauce to thicken. 

Adjust seasonings and serve over pasta.  Great with Jeff's raviolis.

Macky's "Crack"

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp prepared horseradish

1 tsp dijon mustard

Combine ingredients, mix well.

Goes great with tacos. Can also be used as a dip for chips or crackers. Addictive. Courtesy of Macky.

S.C Mustard-style BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all ingredients together and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes.

For best results, make 2 days ahead of time. Store in refrigerator. Yields about 2 cups.

Salsa Verde

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 jalapeno, stemmed

1/2 small Spanish onion, quartered

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

2 large green chiles, (such as Poblano, Ancho, Anaheim or Hatch) roasted and skins removed

1 lime, juiced

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the tomatillos, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and 1 tablespoon salt. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes until the tomatillos are soft but have not burst. Add the cooked vegetables to a blender with the cilantro leaves, roasted chiles, and lime juice. Process to a coarse puree. Taste and adjust seasoning with more cilantro, lime juice, or salt.

Cilantro Garlic Yogurt Sauce

1 1/2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt

3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

3/4 teaspoon cayenne

Stir together all ingredients then chill, covered, at least 30 minutes (for flavors to blend). Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chili-based BBQ Sauce & Tacos

Ingredients

3 whole ancho chiles

3 whole pasilla chiles

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 pounds cooked pork shoulder, shredded

Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

Assorted taco toppings, for garnish

Directions

If the chiles are dried, soak them in water for 2 hrs to rehydrate.

Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl. Microwave on high

until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the

garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.

Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1

tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the

remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile

sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in

the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.

Toss the already cooked, shredded pork with the chili-based BBQ sauce.

Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with assorted toppings (cilantro garlic yogurt sauce, salsa verde, cheese, shredded cabbage).

Cucumber Dill Sauce

This sauces goes great on top of fresh salmon or chicken. Also good as a vegetable dip.

Ingredients
1 English cucumber, unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 bunch of dill, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
2 large lemons, juiced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine first four ingredients in a blender and puree. Gradually blend in mayonnaise, oil and yogurt and then season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Makes about 2 cups.

Chicken & Pasta with a Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1.5 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
12 ounces dried fettuccine or penne

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. Toss the pasta with 3 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper.

Plate the pasta, top with chicken mixture, and garnish with parsley. Serve.

Chef Jeff's Homemade Pasta Sauce

1 pound hot italian sausage
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 head (yes, entire head) garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded, and cut in half
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, with sausage it can make sauce too spicy)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) cans tomato puree
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter or sugar to reduce acidity
1/4 cup fresh basil

Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.  Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Once vegetables are cooked enough, add the tomato sauce, puree, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, other seasonings, italian sausage, and green pepper halves. Simmer uncovered over low heat as long as you want but at least 2 hours. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Remove italian sausage.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. Add butter or sugar to taste to reduce gravy's acidity.

Remove green pepper halves before serving.

Serve over fresh pasta.