White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

I had an epiphany tonight. Cooking seasonally is not just about the ingredients. It goes beyond my produce selections in the grocery store and spills straight into the dishes that I’m creating.

Tonight is really the first cool night in southern California and all I could think about was fresh autumn ingredients and cooking something that warmed me from the inside out. And there are few things more warming than a cheesy, creamy white wine sauce.

You will need…

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup grated parmesan, plus the rind

¼ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the olive oil over medium heat.

When the olive oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the white wine and bring the liquid to simmer. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the liquid has started to reduce and stir in the chicken stock.

Add parmesan rind and bring the liquid back to a simmer.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and the butter. 

When the flour is completely incorporated with the butter, whisk the butter into the sauce.

When the butter has been whisked into the sauce, add in the parmesan cheese and cream and continue to whisk until everything is hot throughout and completely combined.

Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

White Wine Parmesan Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup grated parmesan, plus the rind

¼ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the olive oil over medium heat.

When the olive oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the white wine and bring the liquid to simmer. Simmer for about 2 minutes, until the liquid has started to reduce and stir in the chicken stock.

Add parmesan rind and bring the liquid back to a simmer.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and the butter. When the flour is completely incorporated with the butter, whisk the butter into the sauce.

When the butter has been whisked into the sauce, add in the parmesan cheese and cream and continue to whisk until everything is hot throughout and completely combined.

Season with salt and pepper and serve hot. 

Creamy Smoked Salmon Fettucini

Ya know. I knew when I woke up on the day I turned twenty-seen. This was year was going to be the tough one. It seems that no matter who I talk to, most people have had a year in their life that really made them feel the reality of aging.

This is not to say that I am old. I’m many years young. If I’m lucky and do my best to take care of myself, I will live a long and full life. But this is the first year I really feel like I’ve grown up. I guess the best way I can describe it is that in my youthful mind, by twenty-seven I would have my shit together. Who knows why that was the year. Maybe because at seventeen, I thought I would have all four of my imaginary children would be popped out by thirty. Unless I get really busy and have a set of twins or two, that obviously isn’t happening.

Why praytell am I boring you with my long winded and mildly depressing monologue? Because this weekend was my college alumni weekend and it all came crashing down on my again.

Meeting new alumni who were not even at LMU when I graduated was pretty shocking. I have now been of college longer than I was IN COLLEGE. How did that happen?

But, hanging out with them help me see that I don’t want to go back there. Being five years out of college is SOOOO much better than being right out of college.

No part of me longs for the first days of my first job. The uncertainty of new tasks, rent, boys. Sure it was cool and exciting then. But it was stressful. Not only that, but it was a time before I found my real passion. Cooking.

These days, the food is better, the entertainment is better, the love is strong, and life is steady and beautiful. 

So while I will admit it was REALLY fun reliving my college days all weekend, I’m happy to be back to my steady life and awesome kitchen.

You will need…

4 cups broccoli florettes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup cream

6 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped

½ cup parmesan, freshly grated plus extra for serving

1 lb fettucini, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water has boiled, toss in the broccoli and cook until just barely tender. Immediately remove from the water and plunge into ice water. Let the broccoli soak until it has cooled and drain. Set aside.

Refill the water, add salt and bring it back to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, heat the olive oil in a large pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the onions and cook till they are trasnslucent.

Add in the garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and the white wine and bring the liquid to a simmer.

As soon as the liquid simmers, add in the chicken stock and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

Pour in the cream and stir until combined. Continue to slowly simmer the sauce until the pasta has cooked.

Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Add the pasta and ½ cup cheese to the sauce and stir will until the pasta is lightly coated.

Toss in the salmon, parsley and broccoli and toss until everything is well combined.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Smoked Salmon Fettucini

4 cups broccoli florettes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup cream

6 ounces smoked salmon, roughly chopped

½ cup parmesan, freshly grated plus extra for serving

1 lb fettucini, preferably homemade

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the water has boiled, toss in the broccoli and cook until just barely tender. Immediately remove from the water and plunge into ice water. Let the broccoli soak until it has cooled and drain. Set aside.

Refill the water, add salt and bring it back to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, heat the olive oil in a large pan.

When the oil is hot, add in the onions and cook till they are trasnslucent.

Add in the garlic and season well with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and the white wine and bring the liquid to a simmer.

As soon as the liquid simmers, add in the chicken stock and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced slightly.

Pour in the cream and stir until combined. Continue to slowly simmer the sauce until the pasta has cooked.

Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water.

Add the pasta and ½ cup cheese to the sauce and stir will until the pasta is lightly coated.

Toss in the salmon, parsley and broccoli and toss until everything is well combined.

Serve hot.

Creamy Spring Onion Soup

We may be well into Spring, but the heat hasn’t really hit us with any consistency in southern California. And I’m pretty sure that it snowed in Minnesota and Colorado last week. That’s right. Snow in May.

So even though I’m headed to ninty degree weather in a handful of days, I’m not ready to say my goodbyes to hot soup season.

This is my hot, deliciously, soupy homage to the onion. It’s featured in multiple forms with decadent additions.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bunches green onions, white part and tender green parts chopped and reserved, green tops chopped and reserved separately

4 leeks, white and tender parts thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 cups dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces softened herbed goat cheese

2 cups homemade croutons

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Toss in the white and tender parts of the green onions, leeks, onion, and fennel. 

Season well with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. About 15 minutes.

Add in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid until barely any remains in the bottom of the pot. About 12 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the potatoes are tender. About 30 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, toss in the dark green onion tops and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Use your emersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth.

Pour in the cream and continue to blend until the cream is completely incorporated.

Serve the soup hot, topped with a dollop of goat cheese, chives and homemade croutons.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Creamy Spring Onion Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 bunches green onions, white part and tender green parts chopped and reserved, green tops chopped and reserved separately

4 leeks, white and tender parts thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

2 cups dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces softened herbed goat cheese

2 cups homemade croutons

2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Toss in the white and tender parts of the green onions, leeks, onion, and fennel. Season well with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften. About 15 minutes.

Add in the wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the liquid until barely any remains in the bottom of the pot. About 12 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and the potatoes and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer until the potatoes are tender. About 30 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, toss in the dark green onion tops and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Use your emersion blender, blend the soup until completely smooth.

Pour in the cream and continue to blend until the cream is completely incorporated.

Serve the soup hot, topped with a dollop of goat cheese, chives and homemade croutons. 

Almond Crusted Halibut with Blood Orange Sauce

 Well friends, I think I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

What I thought be a delightfully dull weekend turned into one super fun party with lots of appearances by different friends and lots of good food and drinks.

And now I’m fighting just to keep my eyes open.

But I didn’t to go to bed with out sharing this show stopper.

If you are looking for something that is light and tangy and stunning, this fish dish is for you.

You will need…

For the Fish:

4 halibut filets, about 6 ounces each

½ cup roasted and salted almonds

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

1 cup blood orange juice (6 to 8 oranges depending on how juicy) plus 1 extra blood orange, segmented

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Micro greens

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

 

Start by pouring your blood orange juice into a small sauce pan simmer over medium heat until it has reduced to about ¼ cup.

While the juice is reducing, place the almonds in a food processor and blend until the almonds are very fine.

Then in a medium sauté pan, combine the olive oil, shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent.

Add in the vinegar and reduce the liquid by about half.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cream.

Lower the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon butter at a time until it is completely combined.

Heat over low heat just until the sauce has thickened to the desired thickness.

While the sauce is thickening, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Pat the fish dry and season it well with salt and pepper. Dunk one side of the fish into the finely chopped almonds and ad it to the hot oil almond side down.

Sear the fish about 4 minutes a side, just until the fish is cooked through, flipping once.

Serve the fish hot over a bed of the cheesy cauliflower, topped with a couple of orange segments, some micro greens and drizzled with the sauce.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Almond Crusted Halibut with Blood Orange Sauce

For the Fish:

4 halibut filets, about 6 ounces each

½ cup roasted and salted almonds

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Sauce:

1 cup blood orange juice (6 to 8 oranges depending on how juicy) plus 1 extra blood orange, segmented

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Micro greens

Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Start by pouring your blood orange juice into a small sauce pan simmer over medium heat until it has reduced to about ¼ cup.

While the juice is reducing, place the almonds in a food processor and blend until the almonds are very fine.

Then in a medium sauté pan, combine the olive oil, shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent.

Add in the vinegar and reduce the liquid by about half.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cream.

Lower the heat to low and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon butter at a time until it is completely combined.

Heat over low heat just until the sauce has thickened to the desired thickness.

While the sauce is thickening, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Pat the fish dry and season it well with salt and pepper. Dunk one side of the fish into the finely chopped almonds and ad it to the hot oil almond side down.

Sear the fish about 4 minutes a side, just until the fish is cooked through, flipping once.

Serve the fish hot over a bed of the cheesy cauliflower, topped with a couple of orange segments, some micro greens and drizzled with the sauce. 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Well my friends, it was only a matter of time.

I’ve been on a pretty solid streak of not getting hurt, but my good friend clumsy Angela finally came for a visit this weekend.

Wesley and I go for lots of bike rides on the weekends. I like to park my car on Friday night and not move it till Monday morning.

Sidebar, it really is amazing I don’t get hurt more.

On our way home from dinner Saturday night we decided to take a “shortcut” since it was so cold and we wanted to get home faster.

About one foot up the dirt road that was our quick fix and I had pretty much slammed to a dead stop. Catapulting the side of my knee into only God knows what.

Don’t worry, I’m totally fine. With the exception of the bruise on my leg and the matching one on my biking ego.

We should have just stayed home, where it was warm, eating something warm.

And tasty. Just like this soup.

You will need…

12 ounces crimini or baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced  

               

1 ½ ounces dried porcini mushrooms

8 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 leeks, sliced (white parts only)

2 shallots, roughly chopped

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 parsley sprigs

3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon marsala wine

¼ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the broth to a boil in a large pot. As soon as the broth boils, turn off the heat and add in the dried mushrooms.

Let the mushrooms rehydrate for about 20 minutes.

Pour the broth and mushrooms over a strainer and reserve the broth. Roughly chop the mushrooms.

Then, heat the butter in the same large pot over medium-high heat.

Add in all the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and somewhat dry. About 6 minutes.

Add in the leeks and shallots and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks and shallots are translucent. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously until all the mushrooms are coated and there are no clumps. About 2 minutes.

 Pour in the reserved mushroom broth and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.

Tie up the parsley and thyme together with kitchen twine and toss it in the soup with the bay leaf.

Add in the marsala wine and lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and remove the herbs.

In a blender in batches or with your emersion blender, puree the soup.

Add in the cream, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Cream of Mushroom Soup

12 ounces crimini or baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced                 

1 ½ ounces dried porcini mushrooms

8 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons butter

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 leeks, sliced (white parts only)

2 shallots, roughly chopped

7 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 parsley sprigs

3 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon marsala wine

¼ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the broth to a boil in a large pot. As soon as the broth boils, turn off the heat and add in the dried mushrooms.

Let the mushrooms rehydrate for about 20 minutes.

Pour the broth and mushrooms over a strainer and reserve the broth. Roughly chop the mushrooms.

Then, heat the butter in the same large pot over medium-high heat.

Add in all the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are softened and somewhat dry. About 6 minutes.

Add in the leeks and shallots and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks and shallots are translucent. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring continuously until all the mushrooms are coated and there are no clumps. About 2 minutes.

Pour in the reserved mushroom broth and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.

Tie up the parsley and thyme together with kitchen twine and toss it in the soup with the bay leaf.

Add in the marsala wine and lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and remove the herbs.

In a blender in batches or with your emersion blender, puree the soup.

Add in the cream, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.