Lauren’s Lenticchie ~ New Years Eve Lentils –that can be eaten all year long
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup of organic lentils
- 4 cloves of garlic, cleaned and pressed
- 1 cup of baby carrots sliced in small pieces
- 1 cup of baby fingerling potatoes sliced in small pieces
- two handfuls of chopped parsley
- two stalks of celery sliced into bite-size pieces
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- ¾ pound of ground chopped Sirloin
- 1 red chili pepper
- Extra Virgin first-cold pressed olive oil
Instructions
- First take a big, preferably ceramic soup pot.
- Drizzle the bottom of the pot with virgin olive oil until it is coated, slowly start to warm the oil on a very low
- Heat.
- Add the garlic and let sauté.
- Add the chili pepper, salt and parsley.
- Roll the chopped ground sirloin into tiny teaspoon size meatballs and let them start to roast over at the bottom of the pan.
- Meanwhile, take a cup of lentils and sift through making sure there are no rocks.
- Wash thoroughly.
- Add one liter of water to the pan and toss in the lentils.
- Add the carrots, celery and potatoes.
- Let it cook for about 40 to 50 minutes on a very low heat until veggies are cooked.
- Serve in a soup bowl.
- Garnish with garlic rubbed Italian toast.
- Drizzle a little virgin olive oil on the top.
Steamed Lobsters With Tomato And Basil Gelatin
Number of servings (yield): 4
Ingredients
- 2 live lobsters (approximately 1.7 pounds each)
- 2 cups loosely packed basil
- 2/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 new onion
- 4 leaves of unflavored gelatin
- ½ lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
- Soften the gelatin in cold water then dissolve it completely over a double boiler.
- Reduce the onion to a puree in a food processor; add it to the tomato sauce along with half of the gelatin mixture.
- Correct for salt, transfer to a mold and refrigerate until firm.
- Blanch the basil leaves in ½ cup of boiling water.
- Drain, refresh and puree in a food processor.
- Add the remaining gelatin, correct for salt, transfer to a mold and refrigerate until firm.
- Kill the lobsters with a neat slice through the head and steam them immediately for 4 minutes.
- Remove the meat from the tail and claws and cut into bite-sized sections.
Presentation: Arrange the lobster meat on 4 plates, accompany with cubes of the two types of gelatin and nap with a citronette sauce prepared from an emulsion of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
Zeppole Anacapresi ~ Traditional Fried Dough Ribbons
Courtesy of Chef Maria, Capri
Number of servings (yield): about 20 zeppole
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups 00 Flour
- 1 lb potatoes
- ½ cup sugar
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 eggs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 cakes (50g) natural yeast
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 ½ liters sunflower oil, for frying
Instructions
- Boil potatoes until tender (skin on).
- Drain and peal by hand.
- Pour the flour onto a work surface and make a well in the middle.
- Pass potatoes through a ricer onto the flour and mix potatoes with flour, sugar, butter, eggs and lemon & orange zest.
- In the meantime, dissolve yeast in the milk, then add to the potato mixture.
- Mix well and should make a fairly solid dough, not too soft.
- Let rise in a warm place for about half an hour.
- Roll out into coils and twist into ribbons.
- Set aside and allow to rise about 45 minutes.
- Put sunflower oil in a small pot and heat over low heat.
- Test oil by dropping in a zeppola- it should drop to the bottom, then rise to the top right away.
- Fry for 3-5 minutes turning until golden-brown.
- Toss with sugar and serve plain or with pastry cream and cherry- to taste.