Fresh Plum Crostata

One day we were watching Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network and she made a beautiful Apricot Crostata. We immediately went to the store and got the ingredients and enjoyed it that evening. The crust was flakey, buttery and wonderful and the dish itself was savory and sweet at the same time. It paired beautifully with Sauvignon Blanc. In June 2011, I made Apricot Crostata for my daughter’s baby shower as well and it quickly disappeared.

This summer we have an abundance of plums so I decided to make the Crostata with the plums instead of the apricots and twist it up a little. It was even better than the Apricot. There are so many wonderful things you can do with Giada's wonderful Crostata crust. I think I’ll just keep coming up with more fillings. Stay tuned.

Fresh Plum Crostata

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons cold, butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup cold mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 2 cups plums, sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons corn starch.
• 8 ounces Fontina cheese, rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Set aside:

• 1 egg, beaten with ½ teaspoon water

Directions

Crust: Add the flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Add the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disk, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the Plums, Pecans, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt and honey. Stir in the corn starch and carefully blend until all the ingredients are coated. Stir in the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Put the chilled dough on a floured, non stick flat cookie sheet. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Put the plum filling in the center of the dough, spreading evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edges of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough. Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg.

Bake until the crust starts to turn golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. Cover the crostata loosely with a piece of foil and cook until the crust is golden and the cheese has melted, another 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the crostata from the oven and allow to cool somewhat. Place on a cutting board and slice with a large sharp knife. Arrange on a serving dish.

Enjoy!

Pan Seared Cold-Smoked Shrimp

Pan Seared Cold-Smoked Shrimp

First off, soak a handful of apple wood chips.

3 Pounds large Shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

½ Teaspoon Salt

Pinch Crushed Red Pepper

Dash of Black Pepper

Combine the above green ingredients and toss together with the shrimp. –Set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set up your smoker to cold smoke.

Make a pan of ice water and place directly beneath where the shrimp will smoke.

Place 8 Charcoal Briquettes in a charcoal chimney and burn until light gray in color.

Place your marinated shrimp on a pizza pan with holes in it, or directly on the grill one rack above the ice water so that the ice water keeps the shrimp cool.

Place the briquettes on your smoker tray and put the handful of wet chips on the briquettes, then close the smoker and smoke for 20 minutes, being careful that the smoker stays cool as not to cook the shrimp.

A little Smoke action.

Preheat a cast iron pan to medium/high. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan 1/8 of an inch. Place the shrimp (in batches) in the pan, remembering the order you placed them in and cook for 1 minute on each side. It should sizzle a lot and get crispy. Be careful not to crowd the shrimp or it will steam instead of getting crispy.

Place the cooked shrimp on a cooling rack with a paper towel under the rack to catch the oil drips.

I have served this shrimp with risotto, on salads, and in tacos.

Enjoy!

-Susie Tronti

I haven’t tried this recipe over an open campfire instead of the smoker, but am excited to try it. Instead of cold smoking the shrimp, I thought, after marinating them, I would place them in a grill basket like this one,

and putting over hot oak coals and maybe serving with baked potatoes, wrapped in foil over the coals then making a nice crispy salad. If I do this, I’ll link the blog to this post.

Honey-Lime Spiced Cherry Wood Smoked Salmon

What makes this dish successful is the sweetness of the honey combined with the smoky flavor of the cherry wood and spices. If you don’t have a smoker you could always use a charcoal grill and add in some cherry wood chips for the flavor. Some gas grills have containers for smoking as well. If you do grill, use the hot part of the grill to get a nice sear, making sure not to overcook the inside. It is best served medium rare.

Ladies, do not be intimidated by outdoor cooking. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to cook in your house again. I have a page dedicated to outdoor cooking for reference.

Honey-Lime Spiced Cherry Wood Smoked Salmon

3 Pounds Salmon

2 Tablespoons Susie’s White Spice Rub

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Lime

1 Bottle Honey

Cherry Wood Chips

Soak ½ cup of cherry wood chips in water.

Combine the White Spice Rub, olive oil and lime. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Pat dry the Salmon with a paper towel then liberally brush the salmon with the spice rub mixture. Lightly squeeze a thin stream of honey over all the salmon making sure to cover a good amount of the fish. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the smoker to 375 degrees and add the cherry wood chips.

Place the salmon directly on the grill of the smoker, or on a pizza pan with holes in it. Smoke at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

-Susie Tronti

Smoky Chicken Breast Buffalo Wing Strips

I know I’ve already given you 2 versions of great Buffalo Wings to try out but why not shake things up a bit and add at least one more. Some people don’t like the mess of the actual kind on the bone, but love the flavor, and many people have different tastes when it comes to good wings. This one is super easy to make and would be great for get-togethers and parties. You will need to prepare this the day before to make sure that your chicken has a chance to really soak in the marinade. I cook mine in the smoker but if you add smoked paprika to the marinade you can easily bake them and still have that great smoky flavor.

Smoky Chicken Breast Buffalo Wing Strips

8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, thawed

½ Cup of Susie’s Red Spice Rub

½ Cup Olive oil

*1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika (only if not using a smoker)

1 Bottle of Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce

Recipe for Chive and Roasted Red Pepper Ranch Dip. –See below

To make the marinade, mix together the olive oil and spice rub. (and smoked paprika if not using a smoker) Thoroughly coat each piece of chicken with the marinade and store overnight (24 hours) in an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag.

Preheat your oven or smoker to 325 degrees. Cut each breast into thin strips and reserve your marinade to give the strips one last toss before baking off in a shallow baking dish. (You may need to shallow baking dishes for this amount.) Bake until golden and thoroughly cooked. Toss with Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce and serve with Chive and Roasted Red Pepper Ranch Dip.

This appetizer pairs nicely with Peju Province, a Rose Wine, or a Sauvignon Blanc.

Chive and Roasted Red Pepper Ranch Dip

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Sour Cream

½ Cup Feta Cheese

2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives

1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper

1 package of Ranch Dip Mix

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

-Enjoy!

Susie Tronti

Click here for my other 2 buffalo wing recipes. -Let me know which one you like best.

Juicy, Fall of the Bone, Smoked Baby Back Ribs

Randy and I have been super busy with remodeling our home's exterior. I haven’t been able to cook as much because we work until there is no sunlight, or when the mosquitoes come out, whichever comes first. One thing we are taking advantage of is the barbeque and the smoker for cooking bulk meats so we can grab a quick something to eat while laboring in the hot sun. I like to have some fresh veggies and homemade beans on hand with the meats for a fast meal.

2 days ago, we bought a big package of Baby Back Ribs from one of those big box grocery stores. I brought them home and generously sprinkled some of my red spice rub (Click for recipe) on both sides of the ribs, stacked them on top of each other, then vacuumed sealed the ribs with the Food Saver for 2 nights. When you vacuum seal them, it forces the flavors into the meat, making the meat tender and juicy. I have also learned that when you buy the ribs from the big box store, they’re much meatier than regular grocery stores.

So here’s the scoop for making these Juicy, Fall of the Bone, Smoked Baby Back Ribs. I’m giving you directions for smoking them, but if you don’t have a smoker you can always use the oven. If you go the oven route, buy some smoked paprika and sprinkle it on the meat before applying the spice rub so you can still have a smoky flavor.

I’m also recommending the use of a vacuum sealer, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have one. Just store the rubbed ribs in an airtight container for a couple of days and that should do the trick.

You will need:

1 Large package of Baby Back Ribs from a big box store.

A Generous Amount of Susie’s Red Spice Rub (click for recipe)

A Smoker

Hickory and Oak Wood Chips

A Rib Rack (for stacking the ribs)

Your Favorite Barbeque Sauce

Heavy Duty Foil

Time on your hands to smoke all day

Generously apply the Red Spice Rub on both sides of each rib, using your hand to pat the rub into the meat. Stack each set of ribs on top of each other and place in a vacuum bag. Vacuum seal the bag and be sure it is completely sealed so no air gets in. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 nights.

In the morning, get your smoker ready. I used both hickory and oak wood. Cut each rib slab in half and place on a rib rack. You can get a rib rack at any barbeque cooking store and even some hardware stores that sell barbeques and smokers. Place the rib rack on a shallow baking pan to catch the fatty drips that will fall off the ribs during the cooking. Place in the smoker for 5 hours at 250 degrees. Keep your eyes on the temperature to make sure it maintains 250. Add more wood if needed during cooking process.

After 5 hours, take the ribs off the smoker. Generously brush the ribs on both sides with barbeque sauce and wrap tightly in Heavy Duty Foil. Place the wrapped meat on the shallow pan and put back on the smoker, only this time turn the heat up to 300 degrees and continue to cook for 2 more hours.

That’s it. It’s really that easy. Unwrap the foil and you have tender, moist ribs that will fall of the bone. 

The most important thing about making these ribs is to know your smoker.  I have a section in my blog dedicated to Barbeques and Smokers that may help you in shopping for the right smoker. This website was also very helpful to me in researching smokers: http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/

-Susie Tronti

Randy’s Pasta e Fagioli

This is another one of those fabulous Italian recipes that Randy grew up with. Throughout the years he’s tweaked some of the ingredients and spices thereby perfecting this dish with the freshest of ingredients. You will need to start this dish the night before by soaking your beans in 4 times the water overnight. The next day give yourself a few hours to simmer the beans until soft, before you start the rest of the dish.

If you are intimidated by doing your beans from scratch or don’t have the time for soaking and cooking, you could always go and get 4 or 5 cans of Great Northern beans, which is totally fine, but the effort into starting your beans from scratch makes a huge difference in the freshness.

Randy’s Pasta Fagioli

1 Pound Great Northern Beans –soaked in water overnight

1 Pound Penne Pasta, cooked to al dente

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1 Onion, diced

6 stalks Celery -hearts of celery with leaves included is best for optimum flavor

6 Carrots, thinly sliced

1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano

1 Teaspoon Dried Basil

2 Tablespoons Susie’s White Spice Rub

Salt and Pepper

6 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

¼ Cup Flour

½ Cup White Wine

2 Bunches Swiss Chard, Cleaned, de-stemmed, and roughly chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1 Quart Vegetable Broth

Parmesan Cheese for Garnish

Let’s start with the beans. Place them in a large pot and fill with 4 times the amount of water and allow to soak overnight. The beans will grow to about 3-4 times in size. Drain and rinse the beans, place back in the pot and fill up to 3 inches above the bean line with water. –Just water, nothing else and let simmer for about 3-4 hours or until the beans are soft. –You should be able to easily squeeze them between your fingers. Once they are soft enough, add 1-2 tablespoons of salt. Stir and taste and add more salt if necessary. Set aside the beans but do not drain. The broth in the beans is used for the dish.

Now start your pasta water. Add salt and olive oil to the water and bring to a boil. When you’re about 10 minutes away from serving your dish, add your pasta and cook according to package directions to al dente. When combining all the ingredients, the pasta will cook a bit more.

In a large pot, add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper, the diced onion, celery, carrots, oregano, basil and White Spice Rub then sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the white wine and Swiss chard. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the chard, then season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a light boil, thoroughly stirring to incorporate the flour mixture with the broth. It should thicken a bit. Add this mixture to the bean mixture and bring to a light boil for about 5 minutes. Taste to see if salt is necessary. Drain the pasta and add to the bean, vegetable mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes. See if any more broth or water needs to be added if it starts to thicken up too much. It should be a thick soupy consistency.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Can be served with Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread.

-Randy Tronti

Cheese Stuffed Tortellini with Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara

With summer shortly arriving, this is a light dish for a warm summer evening. The sweet onions mellow out the acidity of the tomatoes while the fresh basil adds a light freshness to the palate. The heavy cream is the finishing touch and smoothes out the marinara, creating a harmonious comforting flavor when paired with the tortellini. Enjoy!

Cheese Stuffed Tortellini with Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara

1 -24 Ounce package Fresh Cheese Tortellini, cooked

¼ Cup Olive Oil

½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

1 Onion, diced

½ Teaspoon Oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

½ Cup Black Olives, chopped

1 Pound Vine Ripe Tomatoes, chopped

¾ Cups Vodka

½ Cup Heavy Cream

¼ Cup Chopped Basil

Parmesan Cheese for Garnish

In a large pot, heat the water for the pasta to a light boil.

In a separate large pan, sauté the onions in olive oil, crushed red pepper, oregano, salt and pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the olives and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are tender. Taste to see if more salt is necessary. Turn off the heat and add the vodka. Carefully turn the heat back on to medium and reduce the vodka by at least half. (Vodka is flammable to be careful not to splatter.) At this point while the vodka is reducing add the tortellini to the lightly boiling water and bring back up to a light boil and cook for about 5 minutes or according to instructions on package. You may need to lightly stir the tortellini occasionally because they float and they need to be immersed in the water to cook. Once the vodka is reduced, add the heavy cream and simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Pour the marinara over the Tortellini and add the chopped basil and toss lightly.

Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.

Pairs beautifully with Peju Provence or Mumm Brut Rose.

-Susie Tronti