Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Pastitsio

IMG_1597I’ve already written about Pastitsio. But since it didn’t exactly get its close up last time, I figured it was time for a redo. Pastitsio, btw, is a baked pasta dish, layered with meat sauce, bechamel and parmesan (or kasseri). Even though there are a few steps (and several pots and pans) required to make this dish, the flavor is out of this world. It all started when I bought some ground lamb on impulse. Tired of chicken or beef or beef or chicken, I reached for the lamb. Then days passed as I’d open the freezer door, stare at it to figure out what I could do with it (meatballs, kebabs), then close the door again. Then I decided, it was time to remake this lovely casserole. I had to buy some ground beef anyway, as the combination of the two types of meat helps mellow the strong flavor of the lamb. The cinnamon and lamb is such an unlikely combination, but it just works. Along with the thyme, garlic and oregano, the aromatics perfume the whole house. This time though

  • I substituted portobello mushrooms in lieu of some of the meat,
  • Decreased the amount of cinnamon from 1 tablespoon to 1 teaspoon and really preferred it that way,
  • Used large eggs instead of extra large (sorry Ina, that’s just what I have on hand),
  • Used regular whole milk yogurt that I strained in a paper towel in bowl to get rid of the excess moisture,
  • And didn’t have fresh thyme so dried it is!

This is the recipe according to the way I made it this time. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 large Spanish onion, minced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil olive oil
  • 3/4 lb ground beef
  • 3/4 lb ground lamb
  • 1 tbsp (or 3 large cloves) garlic
  • 2 portobello mushroom caps, cut into about 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1.5 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream (that’s right, butter, cream, beef and lamb. in one dish.)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 cup parmesan
  • 3/4 lb small or medium shell pasta
  • 3/4 cup parmesan

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the meat and lamb, breaking up the chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, chili powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. While that’s going, bring a pot of water to boil for pasta. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour. Whisk together and cook the flour for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk and cream, whisking constantly to ensure there are no clumps. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens (about 4 minutes). It should be thick enough so when you pull a wooden spoon out of it, you can run your finger down the sauce on the back of the spoon and it stays separate. Off the heat, add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and parmesan.
  4. Cook the shells according to the directions on the box, taking care not to over cook it (as it continues to cook in the oven). Once it’s done, add it to the meat sauce and stir to combine.
  5. To assemble: lightly grease a casserole dish. Add pasta with the meat sauce. Add the bechamel sauce over. Then sprinkle the rest of the parmesan (I accidentally added the pasta to the bechamel sauce first, so everything kind of got combined beforehand…no complaints here!).
  6. Baked in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling.

Julia Child’s Ratatouille

IMG_1558So, I’ve renamed my blog! Kitchen3n.com is now your source for traditional Bangladeshi as well as updated American and Mediterranean recipes. Please spread the word!IMG_1549Also, we have a winner for our giveaway! Congratulations to @DistractedDebra on winning the $50 gift card to Sur La Table! Happy shopping!IMG_1550It wasn’t going to be long before I posted something from my copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (thanks to the hubby for the perfect birthday present!). My first attempts were some of the omelettes, the techniques for which she describes in painstaking detail. I had always heard that eggs were to be cooked low and slow…but she cooks them over very high heat for just a few seconds. And with all kinds of jerking, shaking and flipping action. All of which I failed at, miserably. So, I tried my hand at the ratatouille. Mainly because I had most of the ingredients on hand (a little short on the green pepper so I subbed red pepper). Also, I’d never had ratatouille before and seeing as how I LOVE eggplant, didn’t mind trying it a new way. IMG_1571And yes, that is a ruler you see in the previous picture. She is very specific about cutting the eggplant and zucchini into 3/8 inch slices (if my zucchini looks funny, it’s because TJ’s ran out of regular zucchini and only had baby zucchini left). The total cooking time was 1.5 hrs (active). I’ve never spent that amount of time on a vegetable casserole. But I wanted to do something by the book, and I wanted to make sure I did it just right. I didn’t by the way. In the final cooking, after the vegetables are layered and are set over a low heat to mellow out for ~20 minutes, she says to take care not to scorch the vegetables on the bottom. I scorched the vegetables on the bottom. Like many others, I will probably be making my ratatouille in the oven from here on out. The main flavorings come from the slow stewing with the tomatoes, a little bit of parsley and garlic. I would probably remake in the summer, when the tomatoes are at their ripest and have a lot to offer to the dish.

Not to say that it wasn’t tasty. You can definitely taste all the TLC (tender loving care) that went into its preparation. I would probably add a bit more seasoning next time (increased salt and pepper, perhaps some herbs de provence, more garlic). I’m not sure how it’s traditionally eaten in France, but it was fabulous alongside a piece of baguette and yes, you guessed it, even rice.

From Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. eggplant
  • 1 lb. zucchini
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lb thinly sliced yellow onions
  • 2 sliced green peppers or 1 red, 1 green pepper
  • 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced (you can also use whole, peeled tomatoes in a can, just cut them across and squeeze gently to dispose of seeds and excess juice)
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp minced parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Peel the eggplant and cut into lengthwise slices 3/8in thick, 3in long, and 1in wide. Prepare the zucchini similarly. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and arrange on a wire rack over a baking sheet to let the excess moisture out (about 30 minutes).
  2. Heat up the olive oil in a 10 to 12in skillet over high heat. Fry the zucchini and eggplant, one batch at a time, for about 1 minute on each side until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. Add more oil to the pan and sauté the peppers and onion until soft (about 10 min). Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Slice the tomatoes into 3/8in strips. Place them atop the peppers and onion. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Then, uncover and baste the vegetables with the juices rendered. I turned off the heat at this point, which is why my ratatouille was saucy, but the original recipe directs to cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
  5. Layer the casserole in a cast iron or other fire proof casserole dish (2.5 qt): 1/3 tomato/pepper/onion mixture and 1 tbsp parsley, then half the zucchini/eggplant. Followed by another 1/3 tomato mixture and 1 tbsp parsley. Then the rest of the zucchini/eggplant. Finish with the last third of the tomato mixture and last tbsp of minced parsley.
  6. Cover and cook at low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 15 min, basting occasionally with the juices rendered. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Pastitsio

This will likely be the first post of many about an Ina Garten recipe. The woman is a genius. What I would give to be one of her gay hamptonites solely for the pleasure of her food. Um, I mean company. Her approach to food, cooking and entertaining has significantly influenced mine. From “turning up the volume on classics” to her emphasis on only using the best ingredients in her cooking – I adore the balance she’s struck between tradition and modernity. Reverence for what works and adaptability for what doesn’t has become a core part of my cooking.

Anywho, she is just a pleasure to watch. Her show is as technical as it is therapeutic. And it’s about the food, not the boobs (sorry, Giada. Though I appreciate your taking it down a notch from your Everyday Italian days).

This is actually my second Ina recipe this week. I made Pappardelle with white truffle butter as a midnight snack (hey, I’m pregnant) but exhausted it too quickly for any photographic evidence. Either way, it was divine and I’d highly recommend it. These recipes are not for the faint of heart (there might be enough saturated fat to send even a small calf running to the vet). I tweaked her recipe quite a bit (due to availability of ingredients in my fridge). You can find the original here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

For the Tomato Meat Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 2 small onions or 1 medium chopped
  • 1 cup of chopped carrots (i used half a bag of baby carrots)
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmeggiano Reggiano
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 pound shells or some other ribbed pasta (I used cellentani)
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into florets (can sub broccoli or just nix the veggies for 1/4 lb more pasta)

Directions

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it’s no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Ladle off any excess liquid. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup ofParmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don’t over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside. Boil the cauliflower florets in the same pot for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the pasta and cauliflower to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.