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Grilled Prosciutto, Soppressata, and Mozzarella Panini

panini

From www.foodtv.com.

I realize most people don’t need or want a recipe for a sandwich, but I’ve been all over them since getting a panini press. Sure, I can come up with combos on my own, but this inspires me to try new things. Like soppressata! How it’s different from salami I couldn’t tell you, but it was a tasty sandwich.

Be sure to scrunch up the meats instead of laying them flat so the cheese can seep through the sandwich and glue it all together.

3 tbs plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 slices ciabatta bread, or other rustic Italian white bread, thinly sliced
2 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella
1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto
1 ounce thinly sliced soppressata

Heat panini press to high.

Brush or spray one side off bread with 1 tsp olive oil. Turn this side down.

Whisk 3 tbs olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Using a brush, divide the vinaigrette equally among 1 side of each slice. Divide the mozzarella equally among the bread slices. Top 2 of the slices of bread equally with the prosciutto and soppressata and then place the remaining 2 slices on top.

Grill for 4-5 minutes, pressing down for the first 30 seconds.

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Raspberry Conserve

3 quarts hulled rinsed raspberries (3 lbs)
2 c. + 2 T sugar (9.25 oz)
1 c + 2 T water (15 oz)

In a large-diameter pot combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Add 3 to 4 cups berries (so that they are in a single layer) and boil 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a colander suspended over a bowl to catch the syrup. Reduce the syrup in the pot to 2 cups and repeat the procedure with more berries. From time to time return the syrup that drains from the cooked berries to the pot. Skim the white foam from the surface. When the last batch of berries is completed, boil the syrup down to 2 c (210F). Sieve the berries to remove most of the seeds. You should have 2 c raspberry pulp and .67 c seeds Return the berries to the syrup and simmer 10 minutes or until reduced to 4 cups.

This works equally well with fresh or frozen berries. I make up at least a double batch each summer and freeze in half pint mason jars. It could easily be canned, but since I have the freezer space I prefer keeping it fresher by cooking it less.

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Fresh Margaritas

Margaritas

Simply the best margaritas. We no longer bother getting them out because they never measure up.

4 tsp lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup superfine sugar
pinch salt
2 cups crushed ice
1 cup 100% agave tequila, preferably reposado
1 cup Triple Sec

Combine zests, juices, sugar, and salt, cover, refrigerate 4 to 24 hours (or longer)
Add alcohol & half the ice, shake well to combine.
Salt the glass rims
Serve over more ice.

I often use regular granulated sugar instead of superfine, it just needs more mixing. Giving it a whir in the food processor would work too.

I generally make up the mix (using a lot of long strips of zest–easier to strain out) and then make up margaritas as desired using equal portions of mix, tequila, and triple sec.

The sour mix freezes well in ice cube trays, then turn out into a zip-top bag. Combine equal portions mix, tequila, and triple sec and shake until the sour mix melts. Then add ice and continue as per above.

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Shortbread

This is my most-coveted Christmas cookie. Amounts following ingredients are for a double batch, which is all I make.

1.75 cups (8 3/4 oz) flour (1 lb 1 1/2 oz)
.25 cups (1 3/8 oz) rice flour (2 5/8 oz)
.67 cups (4 3/4 oz) superfine sugar (9 1/2 oz)
.25 t. salt (1/5 tsp)
16 Tbs (8 oz) cold, unsalted butter (16 oz)

1 tsp sugar for sprinkling (2 tsp)

Preheat oven to 425F. Line ungreased 9-inch round cake pan with parchment of wax paper; set aside

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flours, sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Cut butter into .5″ cubes with .25 cup flour mixture on a sheet of parchment paper. Add butter and any remaining flour on parchment to bowl with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until dough is pale yellow and resembles damp crumbs, about 4 minutes.

Press dough into pan. (With my pans, a single batch is 2 lb 3 oz–useful info for splitting the double batch.) Unmold onto cookie sheet, use 2″ cookie cutter to remove center and set aside on cookie sheet. Replace cookie cutter. Place shortbread in oven, immediately reducing temperature to 300F.

Bake 20 minutes, remove from oven, score into 16 wedges and poke design with skewer. Bake an additional 40 minutes until pale golden. Cut on score marks, slide shortbread onto rack and cool thoroughly.

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Mexican Wedding Cakes

These are my favorite Christmas cookie. They don’t ship as well as some of the others but I love them so my cookie recipients get a ziplock of crumbs every year. 🙂

2 cups whole pecans or walnuts, 1 cup chopped fine, one cup ground until the texture of coarse cornmeal
2 cups flour
.75 tsp salt
16 Tbs (8 oz) softened unsalted butter
.33 cup superfine sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 325F

Mix nuts, flour, and salt, set aside.

Beat butter and sugar on medium until light and creamy, about 1.5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and bat at low speed until dough just comes together. Working with one tablespoon (I use a #70 disher) at a time, form dough into rounds.

Bake 17 to 19 minutes until the tops are pale golden

Once cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar.

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Caramel Pecan Bars

Another favorite Christmas cookie. This recipe leaves a lot of edge trimmings which are unsuitable for company and must be disposed of…somehow.

1 recipe Sugar Cookie dough
12.5 oz (1.75 c.) sugar
1.5 oz (2 Tbs) corn syrup
.75 c water
7 oz. (14 Tbs) unsalted butter
8.5 oz (0.75) cup honey
1 cup heavy cream
17 oz. toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350F

Roll out dough, line half sheet pan, chill until firm. Bake with foil & pie weights 20 min., remove foil & weights, bake an additional 10 minutes until completely set. Cool completely.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture becomes amber, 350F, remove from heat. Carefully add butter and honey, return to heat, stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture back to a boil and carefully add cream. Boil the mixture until it reaches 250F. Quickly combine nuts & caramel, spread in cookie crust. Bake 20 min. or until the topping begins to bubble.

Once cool, cut by turning upside down onto cutting board, scoring through the crust, then cutting through the caramel with a chef’s knife.

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Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookies

These are delicious on their own, even better as the crust for caramel nut bars.

14 oz. (28 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
1.5 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
5 3/4 oz (.75 cup) sugar
.5 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
21 oz (1 lb 5 oz, 4.67 cups) flour

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine butter, zest, sugar, and salt, beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat it in well. Add vanilla. Stir in the flour until blended. Spread the dough out, about an inch thick, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm.

Roll dough, cut with cookie cutters, and bake for 15 to 20 min until the edges turn golden.

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Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients Single Batch Double Triple Quadruple
Flour 1 1/2 c (7.5 oz ) 15 oz 1 lb 6.5 oz 1lb 14 oz
cinnamon 1 1/2 t 1 Tbs 1 1/2 tbs 2 Tbs
baking soda 1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tbs 1 Tbs + 1tsp
salt 1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tbs 1 Tbs + 1tsp
ground ginger 1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tbs 1 Tbs + 1tsp
ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1/2 tbs 2 tsp
ground cloves 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
baking powder 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 3/4 tsp 1 tsp
milk 1/3 c 2/3 c 1 c 1 1/3 c
vanilla 1/2 tsp 1 tsp 1/2 tbs 2 tsp
unsalted butter 6 T (3 oz) 6 oz 9 oz 12 oz (3 sticks)
sugar 1c (7.5 oz) 15 oz 4 c 1lb 14 oz
brown sugar 1/3 c (2.5 oz) 5 oz 7.5 oz 10 oz
eggs 2 4 6 8
pumpkin puree 1 c. 2 c 3 c 4 c
coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted 1/2 c 1 c 1 1/2 c 2 c

Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 5×9 loaf pan.

Whisk together first 8 ingredients.

Combine milk and vanilla in another bowl.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar and beat on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin and beat on low speed just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts, beating on low speed or stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Fold in walnuts. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding to cool completely on the rack.

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Country-Style Greek Salad

Greek Salad

From Cook’s Illustrated

They also have a traditional greek salad with lettuce, but this all-cucumber version’s my favorite. If making up more than will be consumed in one sitting, don’t add all of the tomatoes and feta. Add them at serving time so the tomatoes aren’t refrigerated and the feta is freshly crumbled.

Vinaigrette
1 ½ Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
6 tbs olive oil

Salad
½ medium red onion, sliced thin
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
6 large tomatoes, cored, and cut into 12 wedges
¼ c torn fresh parsley leaves
¼ c torn fresh mint leaves (optional)
6 oz jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into ½ by 2″; strips
20 large kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise
5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in large bowl until combined.

Add onion and cucumber and toss; let stand to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes, parsley, mint, and peppers to bowl, toss to coat.

Transfer salad to wide, shallow serving bowl or platter; sprinkle olives and feta over salad. Serve immediately.

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Grilled Hot Wings

As difficult as it might sound, grilling is about the best way to cook chicken wings. Grilling allows the fat to drain away and gives you a nice, crispy wing without a lot of excess fat. Of course the real challenge in grilling chicken wings (beside them falling into the fire) is flare-ups and burning. To resolve this keep a medium flame. You don’t want too high of a temperature. You will also need to turn the wings frequently to avoid burning. It will mean standing by the grill, but you can cook a lot of chicken wings in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Since you will need to pay some extra attention to you wings while they grill you can afford to use sauces that could normally cause burning. When it comes to chicken wings it’s best to apply the sauce before or early in the cooking time. Marinades don’t add a lot to wings. When grilling chicken wings you will want to turn the wings every 3 to 4 minutes. It is also a good idea to keep a portion of the grill clear in case of a flare-up that requires you evacuate your chicken wings to another location.

A large batch of wings should be on the grill for about 15 to 20 minutes. As always with poultry overcook, don’t undercook. Test your chicken wings when they are getting close by removing one and cutting it open. There should be no pink inside and any juices should run clear. Wings are best served hot from the grill so plan everything ahead to get it done on time.

Deep fry your wings in 350 degree hot oil for 20 minutes or until desired crispness is achieved. DO NOT BAKE YOUR WINGS. You can tell they are done on the inside when they float, then just make sure the outside meets your crispness standards.

For the sauce, it’s simple. Use 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of “Franks Louisianna RedHot Sauce”, a capfull of lemon juice, a capful of vinegar, salt and pepper.

Now, the introduction of the sauce is critical. After you take the wings out of the fryer, pat them off with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Shake salt and pepper over them. Put the wings in a tupperware bowl of some sort. Pour the melted butter over them, put on the lid and shake. Take off the lid and pour the remaining ingredients in (already mixed) and shake again. Now you have some damn good wings.

If you want to spice them up some more, add crushed red pepper, or your favorite suicidal hot hot sauce to your taste.

Serve with Blue Cheese dressing (I prefer Wishbone) NEVER RANCH DRESSING and celrey stalks.