GREEN RICE

Servings: six to eight.


Rich and refined, arroz verde is one of the most popular dishes I present to cooking classes.


Ingredients
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro sprigs (about 1/2 oz.)
1 cup tightly packed fresh stemmed spinach leaves (about 1-1/2 oz.)
1-1/4 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth
1-1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced

Nutritional Information

Preparation
Put the cilantro, spinach, and broth in a blender and blend until the vegetables are puréed. Add the milk and salt and blend a bit more until well combined.
In a medium (3-qt.) heavy-based saucepan (with a good lid) over medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter. When the butter is melted, add the rice and sauté, stirring about every 30 seconds, until it just begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the contents of the blender, stir well, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, turn the heat to very low, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir the rice carefully to avoid crushing it, cover, and cook another 5 minutes.


Take the pan off the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pot for 10 minutes. Serve hot.

BAKED ZITI WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA AND SAUSAGE

Servings: four.


Try to find freshly made ricotta and mozzarella to see how good this rustic dish can be.


Ingredients
Olive oil
1 large onion, cut in small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage, removed from its casing and crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
35-oz. can whole plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh marjoram or oregano (from about 6 large sprigs)
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated mild pecorino cheese
Pinch nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 lb. dried ziti
1/2 lb. mozzarella, preferably fresh, cut in small cubes

Nutritional Information

Preparation
Heat the oven to 425°F. Lightly oil a large, shallow baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
In a large skillet, heat about 2 Tbs. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crumbled sausage and sauté until the sausage starts to brown. Season with salt and pepper. If the sausage gives off a lot of fat, pour off most of it, but leave a little to add flavor to the sauce. Add the red wine and let it boil until it’s almost gone. Add the tomatoes with all of their juices and cook, uncovered, at a lively simmer for about 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add the marjoram or oregano and taste for seasoning.
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, about half of the grated pecorino, the nutmeg, and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.


Meanwhile, cook the ziti until al dente. Drain well and toss it with the ricotta mixture until well coated. Add the sausage and sauce and mix again. Add the mozzarella and toss gently. Pour everything into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining pecorino on top. Bake uncovered until lightly browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Serve right away.

RASPBERRY COULIS

Yield: Yields about 2/3 cup.

The simplest and most adaptable of dessert sauces. Spoon onto ice cream; drizzle across plain cakes and pastries; pair with fruit tarts and chocolate desserts.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) very ripe fresh raspberries (or frozen, thawed)
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

• In a blender, purée the raspberries with the lemon juice. Add sugar to taste. Strain through a fine sieve. Cover and chill. Serve cold.

Other fruit sauces: Use other ripe berries (such as strawberries or blackberries) or any other soft, ripe fruit (such as peeled and pitted peaches or mangos, or peeled kiwis) in place of the berries.

Add brandy: Add a splash of a complementary fruit brandy, such as Kirsch or Poire William, to the finished sauce.

Fruit fool: This is more a mousse than a sauce, but it can be used to top cakes, shortcakes, and fresh fruit. Whip 1/2 cup chilled cream until it forms soft peaks. Fold in the fruit coulis. Serve loose as a sauce or chill to firm slightly.

SUMMER SQUASH WITH THYME AND PINE NUTS

Servings: eight

Pattypan squash is especially pretty in this dish because of its scalloped shape, but zucchini or crookneck squash work well, too.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. small pattypan or other summer squash
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 to 3 Tbs. mild-buttery extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts

Nutritional Information

Preparation

• Cut the squash from stem end to blossom end into slices about 1/4 inch thick (if using yellow or crookneck squash, just cut into 1/4-inch rounds). Fit a steamer basket in a pan, add water up to the basket level, and bring the water to a boil over high. Add the squash, season generously with salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and steam until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the thyme. Cover to keep warm. Just before serving, drizzle with the olive oil and gently lift the slices of squash so the oil gets distributed. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

SUMMER SQUASH WITH THYME AND PINE NUTS

Servings: eight

Pattypan squash is especially pretty in this dish because of its scalloped shape, but zucchini or crookneck squash work well, too.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. small pattypan or other summer squash
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 2 to 3 Tbs. mild-buttery extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs. toasted pine nuts

Nutritional Information

Preparation

• Cut the squash from stem end to blossom end into slices about 1/4 inch thick (if using yellow or crookneck squash, just cut into 1/4-inch rounds). Fit a steamer basket in a pan, add water up to the basket level, and bring the water to a boil over high. Add the squash, season generously with salt and pepper, and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and steam until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the thyme. Cover to keep warm. Just before serving, drizzle with the olive oil and gently lift the slices of squash so the oil gets distributed. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve immediately.

MOORISH ICE CREAM WITH SHERRY AND PRUNES

Yield: Yields about 1-1/4 quarts.

I tried this terrific ice cream in Campeche and was fortunate enough to find a recipe for it in the Guía Gastronomía series (published several years ago by the magazine Mexico Desconocido) that I used as a starting point for my own. Don’t let the prunes put you off. If you like rum raisin ice cream, you’ll love this.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• Pinch salt
• 1-3/4 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sweet or medium sherry (not dry)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup chilled evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup chilled whipping or heavy cream
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup prunes, soaked in hot water for 1 hour, drained, patted dry, and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (1-1/4 oz.) coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually stir or whisk in the milk, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Add the sherry, continue simmering for 1 min., and then remove the pan from the heat.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until blended, about 30 seconds. Whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot milksherry mixture into the yolks and then whisk in another 1/2 cup. Slowly whisk in the remaining hot liquid and then pour the mixture back into the pan. Heat the mixture on medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 180°F and just begins to thicken; it will look like it’s about to boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla, whisking until the mixture begins to cool. Strain to remove any cooked pieces of egg and refrigerate until it’s colder than about 60°F, at least 2 hours or as long as 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Add the prunes and walnuts, if using, and freeze the mixture in an ice-cream machine (following the maker’s instructions) until the ice cream is very thick and cold. Transfer to a resealable plastic or stainlesssteel container and freeze until it’s firm enough to scoop, at least 3 hours.

PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES

Yield: Yields eighteen 2-1/2-inch sandwiches.

This peanut butter cookie is head and shoulders above the others; it’s a hefty sandwich cookie with great peanut flavor in both the chocolate-flecked cream filling and the crunchy-light cookie. This recipe can be mixed by hand or in an electric mixer—just be sure to use smooth peanut butter rather than chunky. You’ll get good results with Skippy.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 6 oz. (1-1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 oz. (2/3 cup) cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter, completely softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

For the filling:

• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3 Tbs. heavy cream
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate, or mini semisweet chocolate chips

Nutritional Information

Preparation

To make the cookies

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, sift together the two flours, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg; continue creaming until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer (longer by hand). Stir in the flour mixture by hand just until it’s incorporated; don’t overmix or the cookies will be tough. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter, spaced about 2 inches apart, onto the lined baking sheets. With floured fingers, flatten each dab of batter into a 2-inch round. Bake until the cookies are puffed and golden, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets if needed for even baking. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.
  
  Instead of cross-hatching with a fork, use your fingers to press and decorate. 

While the cookies cool, make the filling

• In a small bowl, cream the confectioners’ sugar, butter, and peanut butter until smooth. Add the heavy cream; continue creaming until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the chopped peanuts and chocolate.

To assemble

• Transfer the cooled cookies to a work surface, flipping half of them over. With an offset spatula or a butter knife, spread a scant teaspoon of filling onto each turned-over cookie. Set another wafer on top of each filled cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling. Store sealed at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
  
  An offset spatula is handy for spreading the cookie filling easily and evenly. A blunt table knife works, too.