Italian Sausage and Fennel Galette

Galette is just a fancy term for a free-form tart.  This sausage and fennel galette is the perfect fall tart with its warm sausage, earthy fennel and fragrant sage and rosemary.  At first I thought it would remind me of a pizza because it's round and has a crust and sausage and cheese.  But it really doesn't taste like pizza at all.  The crust is very crisp, the cheese is less prominent than in a pizza, and there's no red sauce.  It's its own thing.  A really good thing, too.

Just note that the dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes, which gives you time to make the filling before you bake the tart for about 35 minutes.  Assuming you cool the tart for maybe 10-15 minutes, the whole project will take you about 2 hours start to finish so it's maybe not a weeknight project unless you make the dough and the filling in advance.  In that case, it will take about an hour including cooling time.

Serve the tart with a bog green salad for a wonderful light fall or winter dinner.

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Italian Sausage and Fennel Galette

Serves 4

For the dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/8 cup cold water

For the filling:

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

½ lb hot Italian sausage (pork or turkey), removed from the casing

1 medium fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoons sugar

5 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry and thinly sliced

1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Black or white sesame seeds, for optional garnish

In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter and salt a few times until crumbly.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork. Put half the egg in a slightly larger bowl (refrigerating the remainder for brushing later) and add the ice water.  Whisk again to combine.

Add the egg and water to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together more or less.  Turn out on a floured surface and bring together with your hands to form a ball.  Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

While the dough chills, make the filling.  Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up with the edge of a wooden spoon, until the moisture has evaporated and the sausage is lightly browned.  Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.

Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté for a minute or two, then add the fennel and sugar and continue to sauté until the vegetables are softened and translucent (3-4 more minutes).  Remove from the heat and let cool.  When the sausage and vegetables are cool, combine them in a bowl with the cheese and fresh herbs.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375d.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a circle approximately 11” in diameter.  Gently fold into quarter and place on the parchment paper, then unfold.  Place the filling mixture in the center of the dough, then spread evenly leaving 1 ½“of dough uncovered around the outer edge.  Fold the edges over the filling and brush the edges with the remaining beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, optional.

Bake for about 35 minutes until the crust is golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spanish Omelet

Last year's post:  Cold Sesame Noodles with Cucumber
Two Years Ago:   Empanadas with Chicken, Corn and Zucchini

Although most people in the United States think of omelets as breakfast food, the Spanish omelet (or Spanish tortilla, not to be confused with Mexican tortillas) is a happy hour or dinner entree.  This omelet is one of the most common tapas items, found all over Spain.  A Spanish omelet closely resembles a frittata because it's cooked in a pan and then cut into wedges to serve.  Although it's typically fried in a fair amount of olive oil, then flipped and fried on the other side, this recipe is a lighter and simpler version.  It uses only the fat from the chorizo, and there's no flipping involved - it bakes in the oven, which makes it puff up beautifully.  It makes an easy, fast and delicious dinner.

One of my good friends in college spent a year studying in Spain.  When she returned, she made a traditional Spanish omelet for her buddies so we could try it out.  She fried potato slices and onions in a lot of olive oil, then added the eggs and let the bottom cook until brown.  She put an inverted plate over the frying pan with her hand on top, flipped the pan over so the omelet was on the plate, then slid the omelet back into the pan to brown the other side.  Impressive, but a little scary unless you don't care about your kitchen, which we didn't because we were in a college apartment, after all.

Anyway, as I mentioned this recipe has chorizo in addition to the potatoes, which really revs up the flavor. Make sure you buy Spanish chorizo - not Mexican chorizo - and take the paper casing off before slicing. If you do happen to buy Mexican chorizo by mistake (or can't find Spanish chorizo), just cook it and crumble it like Italian sausage and use it that way.  It'll taste a little different but will still be very good.

Shallots (a mild onion) are added to a parsley salad that goes on top of the omelet when served.  The lemon, shallots and parsley lend bright and tart notes that balance the omelet beautifully.

A brief discussion about pans - this recipe calls for a 7 or 8" nonstick ovenproof pan (or a larger pan if you're going to double the recipe to serve four).  I bought a cast iron skillet a few years ago to make cornbread, and it works perfectly for this recipe.  If you don't have one, consider buying one - they're cheap and they last forever.  Properly seasoned and cared for, they become perfectly non-stick.  All you have to do after making something is to rinse the pan with hot water (not soap) and scrub with a brush, then dry thoroughly and wipe with a drop of cooking oil.  I had absolutely no issue with taking the entire omelet out of the pan in one piece.  (Just don't use cooking spray, it becomes gummy and sticky and hard to remove.)

Spanish omelets are traditionally served either warm or at room temperature, so they're very versatile for parties (cut in small pieces) or family members who come home at different times.

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Spanish Omelet

Serves 2

1 red potato, about 3-4” in diameter, scrubbed and cut into chunks

4 eggs

Salt and pepper

4 ounces Spanish chorizo, paper casing removed and sliced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked

1 shallot, peeled and very finely sliced

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Put the potato chunks in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer until just cooked through but not falling apart, approximately 8 – 10 minutes.  Drain in a colander.  Beat the eggs with a fork in a mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.  Put the sliced shallot in a medium bowl with the lemon juice, some salt and pepper and the olive oil.  Stir and set aside for the shallots to soften while you make the omelet.

Heat a 7 or 8” nonstick (or cast iron) ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chorizo slices and potatoes and cook until everything is lightly golden, 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Sprinkle the rosemary leaves into the pan, then immediately pour on the egg mixture.  Add the chorizo and potatoes on top, spreading out evenly.  Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until the omelet is puffed and golden, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Remove the omelet from the pan and cut into pieces.  Add the parsley to the shallots and toss to coat.  Serve the omelet with some of the parsley salad on top.

The omelet may be served warm or at room temperature.

Cornmeal Herb Scones

 
Last Year's Post: Thai Lettuce Wraps
Two Years Ago:  Brandied Cranberries

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals, especially weekend breakfast - there's something luxurious about taking the time to have something special.  In a previous life, "something special" often involved large amounts of eggs, potatoes, and toast, or plates of pancakes or french toast that would make me feel like doing nothing more than laying on the couch for the rest of the day.  Ah, the good old days.  I still like a special weekend (or holiday!) breakfast, but I've learned to exercise a little restraint and these days it more often involves a bagel or pastry with a cup of really good coffee.  It's still a treat, it's just a smaller treat.

Hence the scones.  I've discovered that scones purchased in a bakery or restaurant can vary from cakey - much like a muffin - to hard and dry, so I've learned to rely on making them at home.  My ideal scone is tender and somewhat crumbly, but not cakey and not overly sweet.  I was attracted to this recipe because I like crunchiness of cornmeal and had never put it in scones before.  The original recipe called for a fingerprint of plum jam on top of each scone, which I swapped in favor of some minced herbs.  I expected the scone to be on the savory side, but was very surprised that it went incredibly well with raspberry jam - something about the herbs really complemented the flavor of the jam.  The scone itself is lightly crunchy from the cornmeal, yet not really what I would call overly savory or sweet - just right in the middle.  I was very pleased with the recipe.

The scones are very easy to make in a food processor, and they freeze beautifully.  You could make them a day in advance if you want to serve them right away in the morning, then reheat them briefly in the microwave.  (Ideal for busy holiday mornings.)

The recipe calls for the egg and the butter to be at room temperature which I've noticed before, and led me to wonder why.

Here's what I found at RealSimple.com after a little searching:

At room temperature, eggs, butter, and milk bond and form an emulsion that traps air. During baking, the air expands, producing light, airy, evenly baked treats. Batters made with room temperature ingredients are smooth and evenly incorporated. Cold ingredients don’t incorporate evenly to bond, resulting in dense cookies, rock-hard breads, and clumpy cheesecakes. Batters made with cold ingredients won’t come together smoothly.

Take eggs, butter, and other dairy products out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before baking. 

If you’re short on time, cut your butter into small pieces and microwave for a few seconds at a time, checking often, until they’re just malleable. Make sure to keep eye on it because microwaves vary.  Bring cold eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Don’t use hot water or put eggs on top of a hot oven—this will heat them unevenly, and the whites will start to set.

I always thought "room temperature" meant the ingredients had to sit out for hours, so I was glad to find this info.

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Cornmeal Herb Scones

Makes 8 scones

¾ c heavy cream

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced mixed herbs (thyme and rosemary)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Heat oven to 400d.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the egg and cream.

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and herbs.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.  Drizzle in as much of the cream mixture as you need to make a smooth, moist but not wet dough.  Save remaining cream mixture for brushing.

Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet.  Pat into a 1 ¼ -inch thick round.  Using a small knife, cut into 8 pie-shaped wedges and push them ½” apart using a small spatula.  Brush dough with the remaining cream mixture.

Transfer pan to oven and bake until uniformly golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating once.  Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Serve scones with butter and jam.

Note:  the scones freeze well wrapped in foil or in a zip top bag.  Thaw and reheat briefly in a microwave oven.

Rosemary-Lemon Grilled Ahi with Pearl Couscous

Last year's recipe:Salmon with Pumpkin-Seed Cilantro Pesto

Continuing a Healthy 2013
Tuna is a wonderful low-fat high-protein source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids as well as selenium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B complex.  The Omega-3's alone are associated with eye health, cardiovascular health, cognitive ability and cancer prevention.    Together with the pearl couscous loaded with veggies it's a meal in the Mediterranean-style diet that fits right in with your healthy resolutions.

I always like to try new ingredients and pearl (also called Israeli) couscous is the one for today.  Pearl couscous is larger than regular couscous but they're both wheat-based pastas.  My store carried two varieties - a plain wheat version with brown-ish couscous pearls, and a tri-color version where color is added via spinach powder and paprika extract.  I always think colorful food looks better so I chose the tri-color version.

Pearl couscous has an entirely different taste and texture than regular couscous.  A few people I know don't like couscous because they think the small grains taste gritty.  If you're one of those people, you might like pearl couscous as an alternative.  If you can't find pearl couscous you could always substitute regular couscous or rice in this recipe.

OK, enough of couscous.  The other interesting part of this recipe is the technique used to make the lemon olive oil basting sauce.  The lemons are broiled (aka torched) in the oven until very soft, then the pulp and the juice are mashed through a strainer.

The resulting flavor is different than fresh juice - I think it tastes more mellow, although still very lemony. The lemon olive oil is used to baste the tuna as well as a finishing sauce for the dish.

One thought about tuna - I always used to order it cooked medium-well in restaurants until a friend who is a fisherman from Maine begged me to stop ordering it that way.  He claimed that good quality tuna should never be eaten any more cooked than medium-rare or it gets dry and tough.  I followed his advice and never regretted it.  Now I always have tuna cooked medium-rare and it retains wonderful flavor, texture and moisture. If grilling isn't an option in your locale at this time of the year, you could certainly grill the tuna indoors or broil or pan-sear it.

Don't be scared by the length of this recipe - the lemon olive oil is made ahead and the couscous is served at room temperature so it can be made ahead also.  If you make it the day before you plan to serve it, I'd store the salad dressing and tomatoes separate from the couscous and toss the whole thing together at the last minute to maintain freshness.  Then all you have to do the night you serve it is grill the tuna, which takes just a few minutes.  You can also serve the tuna at room temperature so the whole meal is ideal for entertaining.  The couscous would also make a wonderful main dish salad with the addition of any leftover meat you have on hand so be sure to make extra.   Great salad for work the next day, even without meat.

P.S.  We had some leftovers, so I cut up the tuna and tossed it with the couscous,leftover sauce, and and a few more greens for a cold salad a few nights later served with french bread.  It was just as good as the first preparation.

click here for a printable recipe

Rosemary-Lemon Grilled Ahi with Pearl Couscous

Serves 4

For the lemon olive oil and ahi:

6 lemons, cut in half

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

4 center-cut ahi tuna steaks, about 5 oz each

For the salad dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

For the pearl couscous:

1 ¼ cups chicken broth

1 cup pearl (Israeli) couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

½ zucchini, coarsely chopped

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half or quarter depending on size

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ cup chopped arugula

To make the lemon olive oil sauce:

Preheat broiler.  Place lemons, cut side up, in a small non-aluminum baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast, about 6 inches below the heat, until very soft, about 20 minutes.  The tops will darken and caramelize.  Let cool in the baking dish. Squeeze the lemon pulp and juice and scrape all the cooking juices from the baking dish into a strainer supported over a bowl.  Force it through and add garlic.  Whisk in rosemary and olive oil.  Keeps up to 1 week refrigerated in a tightly sealed container.

To make the salad dressing:

Whisk shallot, juice, zest, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified.

To make the pearl couscous:

Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan until hot but not boiling.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat and add couscous, stirring until light brown.  Add the hot stock and stir, then simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes.  Cover pan and remove from heat.  Let stand 10 minutes, then uncover and stir.  Transfer to a large bowl and let cool. When couscous is cooled to room temperature, add the tomatoes, dressing, and remaining ingredients and toss.  Serve at room temperature.

To cook the ahi:

Preheat a grill or broiler.  Reserving a small amount of lemon olive oil for later, brush the tuna pieces with the oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over high heat, turning once and brushing again with oil, until medium rare.  Let rest for a few minutes, then cut into thin slices.  Serve drizzled with remaining lemon oil.  

Artisan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is very trendy right now - don't be surprised to find it on restaurant menus.  They typically will give it their own special twist, like this recipe.  I know the term "artisan" is over-used but it's the best term I can think of to describe this meatloaf.  It's the best meatloaf I've ever tasted and definitely worthy of company.  What makes it so special?  For one thing, the amazing variety of ingredients - everything from spinach to rosemary to parmesan.  For another thing, it uses a mixture of mild bison and spicy Italian sausage as the meat base.  It's stuffed with mild creamy fontina cheese and finished with a homemade tomato herb sauce.  The combination of flavors is absolutely irresistible.  It cuts beautifully and the leftovers make great sandwiches.

So let's talk about bison.  That probably gave some of you pause when you read it in the sentence up above, but it shouldn't.  Bison is a very mild meat that tastes almost identical to beef but it's better for you.  The animals eat grass for food, spend almost no time in feedlots, and are not given drugs, chemicals or hormones.  Bison is higher in iron and vitamin B-12 than beef but has much less fat, cholesterol and calories.  It's even lower in fat and calories than chicken!  Check out this handy little chart that I found online.  I knew bison was lean but I didn't know it was THAT lean.

 

 

I don't eat beef but I love (and eat) bison. We often use it as a substitute for beef in recipes. This particular recipe is made even healthier by substituting turkey Italian sausage for pork sausage. Even though the proteins are lean, the result is still very moist because of all the other ingredients that are added to the meatloaf.  If you're still not convinced, you could certainly make this recipe with ground beef but I would still save the fat and calories in the Italian sausage by using turkey sausage.  You can find spicy turkey Italian sausage links with the other turkey products in your grocer's meat case, and you can find ground bison next to beef in almost every meat case these days.  It costs a little more than ground beef but I really think it's worth it.

 

If you have leftovers and plan to make sandwiches, think about adding something crispy or crunchy for texture variation since the meatloaf is relatively soft.  I had tomato slices and fresh spinach in addition to the meatloaf so I added texture by grilling the Italian roll until crispy.  You could also add crunch by layering sliced radishes or fresh zucchini into the sandwich.

 

 

 

Tip of the day: next time you're at the grocery store pick up a package of plastic gloves like the ones that  doctors use - they're usually by the cleaning products. They come in handy for recipes like this where you need to mix raw ingredients by hand.  That way you know you aren't contaminating the ingredients or vice versa, espcially if you happen to have a cut or scratch on your hands.  Plus they protect your manicure.  Very important.

 

* * click here for a printable recipe * *

 

 

Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with Tomato Herb Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings

Like all good meatloaves, the leftovers make great sandwiches, especially in a French or Italian roll.

Meatloaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs (not dried or packaged)
1/3 cup milk
1 lb ground bison
1/3 lb spicy turkey Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 eggs, beaten
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and moisture squeezed out
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
5 ounces mild fontina or provolone cheese, cut into 3” long, ½” by ½” strips

Tomato Herb Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup carrots, finely chopped
¼ cup celery, finely chopped
¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups Italian-style diced canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Salt and pepper

For meatloaf: Preheat the oven to 350d. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Spoon mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.

Combine bread crumbs and milk in a small bowl, and soak 5 minutes. Squeeze any excess milk from bread and discard. Add bread to mixing bowl along with all the remaining meatloaf ingredients except the fontina cheese. Using clean hands, mix until well blended.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread half of the meatloaf mixture onto the paper to form a rectangle 4 to 5 inches wide and approximately 9 to 10 inches long. Lay the cheese in 1 or 2 rows down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border on all sides. Cover rectangle with remaining meat mixture, ensuring edges are well sealed. 

 

 

 

Plump up loaf with your hands to be 3 to 4 inches thick. Bake 60 to 75 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 150d.

Meanwhile, make the sauce while the meatloaf bakes. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and add carrot, celery, shallots, and garlic. Turn down to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Chop basil and add to the sauce; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cool 10 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor, adding water if too thick.

Remove meatloaf from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Cut into ½” thick slices and serve with sauce.