Recipes
Lemon Sugar Cookies
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on September 10th, 2011
I have not posted in a while, which is a combination of new job and computer crashed. The new job had me traveling every other week, so there was lots of take-out and not so much cooking/baking. The computer crashing was just frustrating and I was just lazy at re-installing everything. Almost a year later…here we are. I selfishly am only making these cookies because I bought an ice-cream maker and made fresh strawberry ice-cream and wanted to make ice-cream sandwiches. You could easily buy strawberry ice cream at the store and do this, but I had some extra time. Enjoy, these are perfect for the summer.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- Zest from 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
- 2 large eggs
- Juice from ½ lemon, about ¼ cup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the flat beater attachment, cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest until mixture is light and fluffy.
This can also be done with a hand mixer and a large bowl.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
With mixer set to the slowest speed, gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.
Shape cookie dough into 1½” balls and place on cookie sheet 2″ apart.
Bake cookies for 15 minutes, until cookies are firm, they’ll brown slightly on the edges.
Cool cookies on the pan for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.
Strawberries & Cream Cake
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on August 13th, 2010
I had mentioned in my post about Terry’s Strawberry salad, that I love using seasonal items and this is another perfect use for fresh strawberries. The recipe comes from The Hungry Mouse’s arsenal of recipe posts. I have never been unhappy with anything I’ve cooked off her website.
The best way to describe this cake is that its a strawberry shortcake party in your mouth, and no I am not referring to the cartoon character…although I wasn’t aware that she was a trademark of the American Greetings card company…who would have thought? Why the hell is her hat soooo big??
INGREDIENTS
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 Tbls. butter (that’s 1/2 a stick), softened
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
Oven Temp: 375 degrees F
Bake Time: 30 mins
As the Hungry Mouse had done, I used my stand mixer, but this can all be done by a hand mixer, or by hand.
Using a pen, trace out the bottom of a 9” pie pan and cut it out using scissors. You can just as easily cut a circle free-handed and just place it in as well. It doesn’t need to be exact. Then butter the pie pan and place the parchment round into the pan. Set the pan aside and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Next, add the sugar into the stand mixer bowl. Slice up the butter and add to the bowl as well. Crack the egg into a bowl/measuring cup, then pour into the bowl too (I always do this to prevent shells going into the mix). Using the paddle attachment on the mixer, beat well to combine.
Pour the heavy cream into the mixture, along with the flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat on High to combine, until the dough begins to come together and resembles soft cookie dough. Over mixing will result in the cake not being as moist.
Once its mixed, stir in the sliced strawberries. Stir well to make sure the strawberries are throughout the whole dough, but try not to crush them. Pour out into the prepared cake pan and smooth out with the back of the spatula or a spoon.
Bake at 375 degrees for approx 30 mins. Test doneness with a toothpick (stick it into the middle and it should come out clean).
With the cake still in the pan, cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, run a knife around the edges of the pan and the cake should easily come out. You can also keep it in the pan and serve it from there. I topped it with a little powdered sugar and served with whipped cream.
Swiss Chard Two Ways
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 29th, 2010
My co-worker has been generous enough to share some of the harvest from a farm co-op she belongs to. On my desk this morning was a bag of purple cabbage, lettuce, mariachi peppers, and Swiss chard. I am immediately picturing a light salad with the cabbage and lettuce and then using blanched Swiss chard leaves to roll up ground beef & the mariachi peppers.
In case you don’t know much about Swiss chard, here is the information from the farms website:
Chard is harvested as a green, leafy vegetable. Chard is in the spinach family but contains no oxalic acid which makes it easier for us to absorb the nutrients from the chard. These greens are high in vitamins A, E, & C and the minerals iron & calcium.
Cooking Tips
- If leaves are large & mature, remove the stem to cook separately.
- If the greens are young, cook whole.
- Use in place of spinach in most recipes.
- Sauté the leaves in garlic butter or olive oil & garlic.
- Steam large stem pieces for 8-10 min. & leaves for 4-6 min.
- Raw baby leaves are great in green salads.
- Toss steamed leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. OR with sesame oil, rice vinegar or soy sauce.
Let’s try these Italian inspired stuffed/rolled Swiss chard leaves
INGREDIENTS
- 2 TBLS Canola Oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard, stems removed
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cup cooked white rice/brown rice
- 1 Red/Green bell pepper (I am using mariachi pepper, which is hotter), diced small
- 1 cup prepared tomato sauce (homemade – take can of plum tomatoes, blend in blender, then cook on stove top to reduce by a 1/4)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In medium frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and diced peppers. Cook 3-4 mins until pepper softens. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, add ground beef , cooked rice, salt, and 2 TBLS of the tomato sauce. Mix well.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Take about 4-5 Swiss chard leaves at a time and blanch in boiling water for a minute and then transfer to ice bath. Remove from ice bath and pat dry with paper towels.
Spread 3-4 TBLS of Tomato Sauce onto bottom of Pyrex dish (enough to have a thin layer of sauce on the bottom)
Lay out leaves, smooth side down and place 3-4 TBLS of beef mixture on largest end of leaf. Roll towards the smaller end, until completely rolled up. Place seam side down in Pyrex baking dish. Continue with the rest of the leaves. Drizzle the remaining sauce over each roll.
Place seam side down in Pyrex baking dish. Continue with the rest of the leaves. Drizzle the remaining sauce over each roll.
Bake in oven 35-40 mins. Enjoy
So there was extra Swiss chard because some of the leaves weren’t big enough to make into rolls. So I removed the stems from the leaves and roughly chopped them.
Braised Swiss Chard w/ Feta & Craisins
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 bunch of Swiss chard
- 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup of diced feta
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 TBLS Canola Oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté. Place stems into pan first, 3-5 mins to soften them up. Then add leaves
Cook for 5 mins until wilted and then remove from heat. Add 1/2 tsp salt and make sure to taste it because chard can be quite bitter. Stir in feta and craisins.
Serve as a side dish or as a snack.
Mandel BRead (Almond Bread = biscotti)
By NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 15th, 2010
Biscotti literally means “twice-baked.” When I think of Biscotti, I think ITALIAN. The word is sacred to Italians, they own biscotti and no one should even attempt to compete with them. However, the Jewish have their own version of Biscotti that is up for the challenge. These cookies are called Mandel Brodt, which translates to “Almond Bread.” A very traditional Jewish cookie that is cooked in the same fashion as an Italian Biscotti and if one didn’t know any better, you could easily confuse the two. My mom has been making these for over 20 years and she was given the recipe from one of our Russian neighbors. We don’t exactly know where this recipe originated and if she added a Russian flare to these, but who cares, they’re delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- cinnamon, sugar (they sell this pre-mixed, but you can easily make your own by mixing 1/2 cup sugar with 1.5 TBLS cinnamon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In a large bowl, blend the vegetable oil and the sugar together with a hand mixer.
Crack the eggs into a bowl or measuring cup and then add the eggs one at a time to the bowl, blend well
Add vanilla to the bowl and also all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder). Mix well
Add in the slivered almonds and mix well until fully incorporated
Place 4 globs on 2 cookie sheets and shape like a loaf with wet hands (makes it easier to spread without sticking to your hands or the pan)
Sprinkle loafs generously with cinnamon sugar mixture
Bake at 350° 20-25 mins. When golden – cut into biscotti and turn on side sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake additional 10 mins. Then turn over on other side, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake additional 10 mins.
Cool on a wire rack and enjoy.
lobster roll sliders
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 12th, 2010
I have never cooked a full lobster, so where the hell do you even start. Well thanks to Google, I can not only cook a lobster, I can be a doctor and a lawyer. No but seriously, stop looking at WebMD to diagnose yourself, last time I put my symptoms in, I was dying and or pregnant. Thankfully I am not pregnant (although sometimes I eat as much as a pregnant woman), all I ended up having was some seasonal allergies. Back to the Lobster. The most popular ways to cook lobster and steaming and boiling. The site I ended up following is called “East Coast Gourmet: “
“Make sure you pick out a mad lobster. It’s easy to find one; it’s the lobster who will raise its claws and flap its tail. The mad, feisty lobster will be the freshest lobster! It’s best to cook lobsters the day your receive them. You can keep a good hard-shell lobster alive for a day or two in the coldest part of your refrigerator, usually the bottom shelf.”
I liked the reference to finding a mad lobster, last time I asked my lobster how he was doing, he didn’t respond, boo. So the gentleman at East Coast Gourmet, “Charlie,” prefers steaming over boiling because it makes less of a mess and cooks slower, so there is less of a chance of overcooking. Thanks Charlie, but how long do I cook it?
Directions for Steamed Lobsters
To steam live lobster: Fill pot so that water comes up sides about two inches. Add 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water. If you have sea salt-even better. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and put in lobsters, one at a time. ( Feel free to use a steaming rack to place the lobsters on or just add directly to the pot.) Bring water to a rolling boil over high heat. Place lobsters in the pot (head first), cover tightly, return to a boil as quickly as possible and start counting the time.
Steam a lobster for 12 minutes per pound, for the first pound. Add 3 minutes per pound for each additional pound thereafter. See chart below for approximate cooking times. Regulate the heat if the froth starts to bubble over.
Steaming Lobster-Cooking Times
Lobster Weight: Cooking Time
1 lb.-1-1/4 lbs. 10-12 minutes
1-1/2 lb. 12-14 minutes
2 lbs. 16-18 minutes
2-1/2-3 lb. 18-20 minutes
5 lb. 20-24 minutes
Good bye little Lobster…
Crackin’ Into and Eating Your Cooked Lobster
1. Remove lobsters with tongs and place in a colander to drain.
2. The head and intestines are not edible. Now twist off the claws, crack each claw and knuckle with a nut cracker. Remove the meat.
3. Separate the tail from the body and break off the tail flippers. Extract the meat from each flipper then insert a fork and push the tail meat out in one piece. Remove and discard the black vein that runs the entire length of the tail meat.
4. Separate the shell of the body from the underside by pulling them apart. The green substance is called the tomalley, the green tomalley is the liver of the lobster, some consider it a delicacy: it is used in sauces.
5. Open the underside of the body by cracking it apart in the middle, with the small walking legs on either side. Extract the meat from the leg joints and the legs themselves
Now for the Lobster Roll….
Lobster rolls in the U.S. are especially associated with the state of Maine, but are also commonly available at seafood restaurants in other New England states and on Eastern Long Island. I got my first exposure to them on Montauk, NY…here is a light, zesty version I used for 4th of July. Recipe is adapted from Food Networks Giada De Laurentiis:
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh chives
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 – 2 pounds cooked lobster, cut into large cubes
- 12 slider rolls or hotdog buns cut in half
Place the tarragon, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until the herbs are minced and the ingredients are combined. With the machine running, add the olive oil. Add the mascarpone cheese and cream and blend until mixed.
Transfer the lobster to a medium bowl. Add the herb sauce and stir to coat. Divide the lobster mixture among the rolls and serve immediately.
I experimented with hotdog rolls cut in half and slider rolls. I enjoyed both equally, the hotdog rolls are traditional, but the slider rolls made it a “slider.” I served with some pickles and they were gone in no time. Enjoy…remember not to pick out a happy lobster.
Strawberry pecan spinach salad
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on July 6th, 2010
Hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday. I certainly did. Sitting by the pool all weekend with friends and family, doesn’t get better than that. We were not shy with the food either. There was enough food to feed twice as many people as we had, so of course, we just had to invite more people over the next day to continue eating. This is one of my favorite times of year because seasonal fruits and veggies make their way onto my plate. Strawberry season is typically June-August for locally grown. Even though you can basically get anything you want year-round now, lets pretend that strawberries must be eaten ASAP.
This recipe was provided to me by one of our closest family friends, Terry. She always seems to come across some great recipes, and this is certainly one of them. Thanks Terry and keep all the recipes coming, we will certainly keep eating them.
Ingredients
- (2) 10oz bags of baby spinach
- (2) pints of fresh strawberries
- 6 oz sliced toasted pecans
Dressing
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 TBLS poppy seeds
- 2 TBLS sesame seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp minced onion
- 1 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or tarragon vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Wash and dry spinach or use pre washed. Place in large bowl.
Wash, dry and slice strawberries. Add them to the spinach.
Slice pecans and lightly toast in oven for a few minutes.
Put ingredients for dressing into a blender and mix 20-30 seconds. Add dressing to salad right before serving.
Mix well and enjoy. Thanks Terry 
Steamed Mussels & Pommes Frites
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on June 30th, 2010
I would never would have thought that people eat Mussels with French Fries, but it is a delicious combination. This is common on French & Belgian bistro menu’s. This dish pairs perfectly with a nice light white wine or a crisp Belgian beer. I plan on serving this with some Hoegaarden or Leffe, depending on what I can pick up. I just had fresh mussel’s this past weekend on Montauk, NY and now I am craving them again. They are one of the easiest things to make, they basically have a built in timer…once they open, they’re done.
I would urge you to make sure you get them from a trusted fish source, you want to make sure these little guys are alive.
Ingredients
STEAMED MUSSELS w/ PROSCUITTO (serves 4-6)
- 1 large fennel bulb with fronds, base trimmed, bulb & fronds roughly chopped
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 lemon, sliced
- Few Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 4 lbs mussels, debearded and scrubbed
- 4 TBSP butter
- 1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
- 3oz prosciutto, large diced
- Crusty French Bread
POMMES FRITES
- 6 Russet Potatoes
- 3-4 qts Corn Oil / Peanut Oil (depending on what you’re frying them in)
- Salt
- Old Bay
FOR THE MUSSELS
Put fennel, three-quarters of the onions, one-third of the garlic, lemon, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, wine, and 4 cups water into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid and boil over high heat for 2–3 minutes. Add mussels, cover pot, and give pot a good shake to mix mussels and the aromatics together. Steam mussels, giving pot a good shake occasionally, until shells just open, about 10 minutes. Discard any shells that don’t open.
Strain mussels through a colander set over a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the strained broth, then serve remaining broth, if you like, in cups, adjusting seasonings with a little salt, or save broth for another use. Cover mussels with a clean dishcloth to keep them warm.
Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add remaining onions and garlic, shallots, and prosciutto and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Discard aromatics from pile of mussels in colander, then add mussels to pot. Add reserved 1⁄2 cup broth, cover pot, and shake several times to mix mussels and ham mixture together. Heat mussels over medium heat until warmed through
Cut bread in half, drizzle with olive oil and throw on the grill or place under the broiler to crisp up. Cut up into strips to serve with the Mussels
Place the bread at the bottom of the bowl or off to the side and scoop the mussels on top of it, making sure to spoon some of the broth into the bowl as well.
FOR THE POMMES FRITES
Wash & scrub the potatoes. You can peel them or choose to leave the skin on them for a rustic look. Cut them into batons that are about the length and width of your index finger. I used a potato cuter that I had recently purchased. It ended up being very cheap and it was not worth the $20.00 I spent on it. I plan on upgrading to a commercial grade potato cutter
Preheat a deep pot of oil to 325 degrees F.
For the first fry, deep fry potatoes in the oil for 5 to 6 minutes, or until a light golden color. Do not over load fryer. Fry in 3 batches if necessary. Remove the potatoes using a slotted spoon, and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Raise the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees F.
For the second fry, deep-fry the potatoes for 2 minutes, or until crispy. Remove potatoes, and transfer into a colander or bowl. While still hot, salt the potatoes & sprinkle with old bay
Serve along side the mussels and a nice glass of white wine or a beer
Mussels recipe- courtesy of Saveur.com
Pommes Frites recipe- courtesy of Pommes Frites in New York, NY
Cranberry-Orange Scones
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on June 12th, 2010
When I hear “scone,” I think of the Queen of England or a tea party. As much as I love having imaginary tea party’s during my day, these scones are meant for the Queen. I was recently given a cookbook from my brother and cousin Anna, “A Taste of Wyoming.” It is surprisingly amazing. Who would of thought that Wyoming would be known for its food? I must say that of every cookbook that I have ever seen, this is the only one that I have wanted to cook and try everything in it. Each page has something new and exciting and these scones are only the beginning. This recipe was graciously provided by the "Wildflower Inn” at Jackson Hole. I did some research and this Inn is famous in the area for their breakfast. They have an open floor plan so you can see the chef’s cooking and they are happy to share their tips and tricks with you.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup firm butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh or dried cranberries
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 cup buttermilk
- cinnamon to taste
- sugar to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut the butter into the mixture with a fork until the dough resembles course crumbs
Mix in the cranberries and orange zest. Add the buttermilk and stir until a dough ball can be formed.
Divide the dough into 2 equal balls; roll out each dough ball on a floured surface to a 3/4” thickness. Cut each flattened dough circle into 6 equal wedges or use cookie cutters to shape them.
Place the cut dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Olive Tapenade & Goat Cheese Crostini
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on June 12th, 2010
Whose doesn’t love olives? I am Italian, so being from the Mediterranean, olives are kinda our thing. My mothers family still operates an olive farm in Italy, which one day I plan to visit and raid. This is a really simple, light appetizer that can be thrown together right before your company comes. If you don’t have a food processor, then you just need to chop everything up really fine, but this is much easier with one.
Ingredients
- •1 cup pitted Kalamata Olives
- •¾ cup pitted green olives
- •3 TBLS capers, rinsed and drained
- •2 tsp grated lemon peel
- •2 TBLS lemon juice
- •2 garlic cloves, quartered
- •1/3 cup olive oil
- •¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- •6oz goat cheese
- •1 8oz loaf baguette style French bread, cut into ¼” thick slices
Use a zester or cheese grater for the lemon zest. You can then squeeze the lemon into a bowl to save the juice or use a juicer
In a food processor, combine Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, lemon juice, and garlic.
Mix while gradually adding 3 TBLS of olive oil. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in lemon peel and crushed red pepper. Cover and chill for 1-24 hours to blend flavors.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F. Brush both sides of bread with remaining oil. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until browned.
Let olive mixture and goat cheese come to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
To serve, spread the bread slices with goat cheese and top with olive mixture.
frosted flake crusted french toast
by NICHOLAS AMMATURO on May 23rd, 2010
They’re GRRRRRREAT! Tony the Tiger is missing out on how good these are, but you don’t have to. I first saw someone make this with Corn Flakes, but I wanted something a little sweeter, so I decided to try it with Frosted Flakes. They really are a treat, I wouldn’t suggest eating them everyday. since you would probably weight more than a tiger, but its nice to treat yourself sometimes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed Frosted Flakes
- 6 pieces of bread (the thicker the better)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 TBLS melted butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Place the frosted flakes into a zip lock bag and crush them with the back of heavy pan or a rolling pin. Place the crumbs into a shallow dish/plate.
Next, mix the eggs, salt, vanilla and milk in a bowl.
Dip the bread into the mixture and then into the crushed frosted flakes, flip to coat both sides.
Place onto a greased & foiled baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.
