Gremolata Topped Roasted Cauliflower

Gremolata Topped Roasted Cauliflower 

This recipe is simple and delicious and if you have someone in your household that does not like cauliflower, this may surprise them. Roasting the cauliflower, like roasting most every vegetable brings out the deep flavors of the essence of the vegetable and caramelization ads a touch of sweetness. You can use Panko Crumbs or traditional bread crumbs. I have even used crackers and potato chips to make the crumbs. Panko is ideal though. This recipe serves two as a vegetable main course, but you could probably serve 4 as a side dish. and easily double or triple it for a large group. This can also be made vegan if you omit the butter and use only olive oil for toasting the bread crumbs.

1 head (medium to large) of cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (about a half teaspoon of each)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of Panko or other bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
zest of a Meyer lemon
4 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
a squeeze of lemon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Trim the cauliflower into florets about 1.5 inches or smaller

In a bowl, add cauliflower, olive oil, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes. Toss. Place on a Silpat covered baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes, remove and stir, then 10-15 minutes more, till the edges of the cauliflower have browned a little bit.

Remove from the oven.
In a frying pan, melt butter with the olive oil and garlic and then toast the bread crumbs till golden, stirring frequently. Squeeze the lemon in. Stir. Add the herbs and remove from heat.
Put the cauliflower on a serving dish or plate and top with the Gremolata.

Wordless Wednesday: Trick or Treat

 

 

 

 

 

Pizza for Breakfast: A Tale of Two Pies

Pizza is one of my favorite foods to make. The dough is one of the breads I enjoy getting my hands into and the toppings are unlimited. It just depends what I have in the fridge and garden. Last night I made a couple of pies and have some leftovers for breakfast. I love cold pizza for breakfast. I keep pizza dough in the freezer and take some out when the mood strikes me. Here is my Pizza Dough Recipe as well as the formula I use for making Garlic Butter Bread Sticks with the dough.

Last night I made two distinctly different pies. One with red sauce I had left over from a pasta dinner . The sauce had spinach and Italian Sausage in it and I added pepperoni, porcini mushrooms,

mozzarella & raw red onions with fresh basil and oregano from the garden. 

The second pizza was made with no sauce, caramelized onions, 

Gorgonzola cheese, Puna Goat Cheese (available at Island Naturals) with mac nuts and basil, 

mozzarella cheese, porcini mushrooms, rosemary and  a sprinkle of Parmigiana Regiano. After baking for 5 minutes at 550 degrees on the hearth stone, thin slices of prosciutto are added and it is baked for 1 more minute.

Simply Delicious Blue Burger...

Take all of these good things.. and make the best burger of your life. I KNOW this sounds sinful... and maybe it is. I am not telling you to eat this every day... though you WILL crave it often. You can skip dessert and double up on your Zocor. Please, just click on the picture so you can see it up close and personal. 

Hawaiian Sweet Bread 

Local grass fed ground beef

Home rendered lard 

Home grown Heirloom "Pineapple" tomatoes

Locally grown organic arugula

Homemade bread and butter pickles

Homemade Thousand Island (*recipe below)

Slices of Red Onion

Good quality Gorgonzola Cheese

Make patties and season with smoked salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

In a hot flat bottomed skillet, melt 1/4 cup of lard (if you cannot find local fresh lard or make it yourself, use butter)

Place the patties in the hot lard. And sear on both sides, cooking for a total of 5 minutes with a nice crust on each side. Top each patty with Gorgonzola and as it starts to melt remove from the pan and place on a plate to rest. Toast buns in the remaining lard. 

Put the burgers on the buns. Dress the burgers with the above listed ingredients.  

Serve with Polenta Crusted Onion Rings and Lilikoi BBQ Sauce (click for the recipes)

*Thousand Island Dressing

• 1 Cup of good quality mayonnaise (home made is best for eating plain but store bought holds up to the other ingredients for this dressing. 
• 1/4 cup of home made ketchup 
• 1/2 cup of pickle relish
• 1 Tablespoon horseradish
• 1/4 cup finely diced shallots
• Juice and zest from a Meyer lemon
• Splash of Worcestershire Sauce 

Mix all together. Leftovers can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. 

Silent Sunday: My Pictures from Bonaire

Gnocchi in Sage Cream Sauce

Last month I spent 36 magical hours at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona. During my visit I had the chance to dine twice at Beach Tree Restaurant and spend an afternoon with the charming Chef de Cuisine of Beach Tree, Nick Mastracusa.

I will be doing a further blog about him and the dining experience at Beach Tree, but this one is about something he taught me! I have made gnocchi before and eaten them in many forms at restaurants, but they always seem dense and doughy. Nick gave me and my friend Janet a lesson in the way his family makes gnocchi.

In Beach Tree Style, this included some awesome White Sangria

The secret is in using *00* super fine flour, ricing the potatoes and making the dough by hand. The result is a lighter fluffier pillow of pasta. When we made the Gnocchi with Nick he invited us to stay for dinner, where we would dine on the gnocchi with a slow cooked sauce made with braised oxtails. Unfortunately, I had another commitment, one which I was highly tempted to skip, but he packaged up our gnocchi, gave us sauce, fresh mozzarella and herbs and we took the goodies home to cook later. 

I made gnocchi again last night using his method, 3:2:1, three large russet potatoes, 2 cups of *00* Superfine Italian Flour, and one large egg. I had one little disaster the night before. I had set out the flour from my flour vault. We cannot buy this flour here in Hawaii and I have to import it from Italy. While I am normally a localvore, I do take exception when it comes to ethnic foods, where I believe ingredients are key and this is one of them. In the middle of the night, my kitten, Pili jumped up on the counter, grabbed the bag of flour, hauled it up two sets of stairs and across the bedroom where he proceeded to tear it apart and paint the floor with it. Fortunately I had back up flour.

For the dinner party last night, the gnocchi was a side dish and I used a Sage Cream sauce to top it. It was a gift of love to my guests.

The recipe is in this picture... a menu from the Beach Tree that Chef Nick gave me to make notes on.

Double click for detail... 

The sauce is easy too...
1/2 cup of butter
18 sage leaves chopped lightly
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of home made chicken stock.
1 cup of parmesan finely grated

While the gnocchi is boiling, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add sage leaves. When the leaves start to brown, add the cream and stock and reduce to about half. Then add the parmesan and stir for a few minutes. Add the drained gnocchi and serve. I think next time I may add some buttered bread crumbs.