Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

Last night I was super upset. After two hours working on a blog post, I lost it all in an instant. Such a sinking and defeating feeling.

Today, I had a really rough day at work. All day I just kept telling myself, relax. It is not a big deal. You are a good person and you have a beautiful life.

Yet all I could do was think about all the bad.

Then I talked to my friend Nicole who is a high school guidance counselor and always manages to put things in perspective. She told me all about teens doing crazy things to themselves and others. Drinking too much and harming their bodies.

For sure there are times, days, even weeks when life is hard or just plain sucky. But you couldn’t pay me to go back and be a teenager who hadn’t figured out how to live in my own skin yet. Even on the worst days, I know that the worst is behind me and the best is yet to come.

I know what I want. And I want to be a good person who makes people laugh and cooks good food.

So I’m getting after it one insane dish at a time. And this is an all time top five.

You will need…

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Flour For Dusting

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. 

Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Fennel, Shrimp and Chorizo Ravioli with Mascarpone Cheese

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, white parts roughly chopped and greens reserved

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ lb chorizo

¾ lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined and tails removed

1 cup mascarpone cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Water

Homemade pasta dough

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce or White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

Start by heating the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the fennel and onion. Lightly toss to coat the onions and fennel and cook until they start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

When the garlic is fragrant, add in the chorizo and stir, breaking it up with your spoon.

Cook until the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the shrimp and cook, stirring often until the shrimp is just pink. About 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

In a food processor, blend together the cooked veggies, chorizo, shrimp and mascarpone.

When the filling is combined, season well with salt and pepper.

Heat a large pot of water till it’s boiling.

While the water is boiling, roll out your pasta dough into long thin strips about 3 inches wide.

Place about 1 tablespoon filling every 2 inches apart on a bottom layer of pasta. Gently brush the pasta sheet with water and place the top layer gently on top. Press with your fingers and cut with ravioli cutters or a knife.

Make sure to generously brush with flour so they do not stick.

Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until hot throughout and float to the top. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot with your favorite pasta sauce and topped with fennel greens.

Steamed Clams with Chorizo and Couscous

Practice really does make perfect.

That is not to say that I’m perfect. Far from it. Like, a really great distance away from it. We are talking continents people. But if you practice things, you do get better at them.

My cooking is a complete testament to that. When I started cooking I could barely cook a chicken breast. Look at me now! I mean, I’m no Wolfgang Puck, but I definitely don’t suck. In the beginning, I was just lucky if I served everything warm. These days, my dishes are a stand out more often than not.

I based this recipe off something I had at one of my family’s favorite Orange County eateries, Marche Modern.

The second Wes said he was in the mood for some seafood, I knew I had to do my best to knock off this unlikely but curiously good dish.

While this wasn’t an exact replica of its inspiration, it was a very scrumptious, Angela version of one. And being Angela, I highly recommend it.

You will need…

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

3 pounds Manila clams, rinsed

4 ounces chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 tablespoons butter

10 ounces couscous

½ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season well with salt. 

When the water boils, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.

In a large, deep skillet heat the oil high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and chorizo and cook until the juices of the tomatoes begin to evaporate. About 4 minutes.

When the liquid has evaporated, add in the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. About 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Pour in the clams and with the sauce simmering, cover.

Let the clams steam until they have all opened. About 3 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

When the clams have opened, remove the cover and add in the parsley.

Cook the clams for an additional minute.

Spoon the couscous onto a large serving dish. Pour the clams and sauce over the couscous and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Steamed Clams with Chorizo and Couscous

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

3 pounds Manila clams, rinsed

4 ounces chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 tablespoons butter

10 ounces couscous

½ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season well with salt. When the water boils, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.

In a large, deep skillet heat the oil high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and chorizo and cook until the juices of the tomatoes begin to evaporate. About 4 minutes.

When the liquid has evaporated, add in the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. About 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Pour in the clams and with the sauce simmering, cover.

Let the clams steam until they have all opened. About 3 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

When the clams have opened, remove the cover and add in the parsley.

Cook the clams for an additional minute.

Spoon the couscous onto a large serving dish. Pour the clams and sauce over the couscous and serve hot. 

Balsamic Onion, Chorizo and Avocado Sandwiches

So, I’m halfway through my four weeks of insane travel and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Never before in my life have I looked forward to NOT partying and having a good time for a few weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, I have really fun stuff coming up. A trip to Atlanta, my brother’s graduation and my good friend Shireen’s wedding are all on the horizon. And while I’m really excited for every one of those things, I also am ready to take a really LONG nap.

But while I do really miss getting consistent sleep, I miss cooking even more.

So every moment I have at home I’m spending in the kitchen.

Here is one of the many tasty things I’ve been cooking up. Just in time for summer.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 fresh chorizo sausages (about 6 ounces each) pricked all over with a fork

4 6-inch baguette pieces, split and toasted

¼ cup cilantro sprigs

2 avocados, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium heat.

Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onions and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Just until the onions have softened.

Stir in the honey and balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are caramelized. About 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, grill the sausages over moderate heat, turning occasionally until they are nicely charred and cooked through. About 15 minutes.

When the sausages are cooked, removed the sausages from the heat and roughly chop them.

Toss them with the onions.

Spread the mashed avocado on both sides of the baguettes.

Top the baguette with onions, sausage and cilantro and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Balsamic Onion, Chorizo and Avocado Sandwiches 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium red onions, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

4 fresh chorizo sausages (about 6 ounces each) pricked all over with a fork

4 6-inch baguette pieces, split and toasted

¼ cup cilantro sprigs

2 avocados, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your grill to a medium heat.

Then, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add in the onions and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Just until the onions have softened.

Stir in the honey and balsamic vinegar and cook over low heat. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onions are caramelized. About 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

While the onions are cooking, grill the sausages over moderate heat, turning occasionally until they are nicely charred and cooked through. About 15 minutes.

When the sausages are cooked, removed the sausages from the heat and roughly chop them.

Toss them with the onions.

Spread the mashed avocado on both sides of the baguettes.

Top the baguette with onions, sausage and cilantro and serve hot. 

Paella

When Eric and I took our trip to Spain in June, it was one of those amazing trips you know you will remember for a lifetime. It was our first time traveling together and while I think we were both a little nervous, we got along swimmingly. We swam, and hiked and biked and drank and relaxed and ate. We were together 24/7 and managed to not fight the entire time. That’s a lie, I did get a little snippy when I not so soberly fell down Jeanelle’s stairs and though I “broke” my arm.

The only complaint I had through out the entire trip was that the food was in my mind, sub par. I think the best meal we had the one I made myself. Almost everything was just alright. With one exception. Paella. Paella is delicious. It was something my formerly finicky taste buds had never experienced and it was heavenly. It was rich in flavor but not too heavy in my tummy. It had a whole meal in one little dish.

Paella is a Spanish saffron seasoned rice dish with shell fish and other proteins like chicken or sausage. I left out the other shell fish because I don't like the ones that really come in shells. Except for crab. And lobster. Those can stay.

When I left Spain I vowed to acquire a paella pan (you need a large pan to get everything in) and master it myself. Well, I failed at getting the pan (new brown suede heels were more important) but when Brett told me he wanted something with chorizo in it, I decided I had to go for it. Man oh man was it not a failure. It was actually really good. Despite the fact that I had to use a ridiculous amount of pots and pans, paella was actually really easy to make.

It even fed my brother and his army. Brett, Lindsey, Lish and I were able to get enough food because the boys couldn’t stay long. They had to head out for NGT. New Girl Tuesdayz.

Of course I couldn't just make one dish. I threw in a Potato Leek Soup and a Caesar Salad.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups enriched white rice

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1 bay leaf

1 quart chicken broth or stock

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3/4 pound chorizo, casing removed and sliced on an angle

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimp

18 green lipped mussels, cleaned

1 cup frozen peas

2 lemons zested

Garnish:

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

4 scallions, chopped

Lemon wedges

Crusty, bread for passing

Directions

In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.

In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add chorizo to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.