Tuna, Artichoke and Noodle Casserole

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 6 servings

    1 pound elbow macaroni                                         
    Salt and pepper                                                
    1/2 med. onion coarse chop                                     
    2 ounces anchovy fillets (ab. 10), drain                       
    14 ounces artichoke hearts (ab. 11), drain                     
    2 tablespoons capers rinse                                     
    3/4 cup parmesan cheese                                        
    6 ounces tuna drain, reserve 2/3 c water                       
    1/2 cup +2 tbsp evoo                                           
    1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest                                     
    1/4 cup fine chop parsley                                      
    1/3 cup bread crumbs                                           

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8- to 10-cup souffle or casserole dish. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until barely al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

Puree onion, anchovies, artichoke hearts, and capers in a food processor until smooth. Add Parmesan and reserved tuna water, and pulse to combine. With machine running, slowly add 1/2 cup oil, and process until emulsified. Season with pepper. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in drained tuna, lemon zest, parsley, and pasta. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour pasta mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Cover with parchment then foil, and bake until heated through, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and cook until breadcrumbs are lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

MY NOTE: Some complain it's too fishy, so you may want to halve the anchovies.

Split Pea Soup

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 6 servings

    8 peppercorns cracked                                          
    3 sprigs thyme                                                 
    2 sprigs parsley +M4G                                          
    1 bay leaf                                                     
    2 tablespoons safflower oil                                    
    2 med. carrots 1/2-in dice                                     
    2 stalks celery 1/2-in cube                                    
    1 lg onion 1/2-in dice                                         
    2 tablespoons garlic mince (6 cloves)                          
    7 ounces ham steaks 1/2-in cube                                
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt                                           
    1 pound split peas                                             
    8 cups water (more if needed)                                  

Wrap peppercorns, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth, then tie with kitchen twine.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 9 minutes. Add garlic, ham, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for 3 minutes. Add bouquet garni, split peas, and water.

Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are completely tender and begin to fall apart, 50 to 55 minutes. Discard bouquet garni. Season with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garnish with fresh herbs. (Soup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat, and thin with water to desired consistency if necessary.)

Peach and Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

    3 cups Classic Barbecue Sauce                                  
    1 pound peaches pit, dice                                      
    1 cup water +M if needed                                       
    2/3 cup bourbon whiskey                                        

Bring peaches and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until peaches are breaking down, 15 to 20 minutes. (If peaches get too dry, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to prevent peaches from sticking and burning.)

Remove from heat, and add bourbon. Return to medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add barbecue sauce, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

Puree mixture in a blender. With blender running, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup water. Blend until mixture is smooth. Let cool, and refrigerate.

Lemon Meringue Semifreddo

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 8 servings

    CRUST:                                                         
    1 cup +2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs fine ground (12 crackers)  
    2 ounces unsalted butter melt                                  
    1 tablespoon sugar                                             
    1/2 teaspoon salt                                              
    CURD:                                                          
    7 eggs 3 whole, 4 separate                                     
    1 1/4 cups sugar                                               
    2 tablespoons lemon zest fine grate                            
    1/2 cup lemon juice (3 lemons)                                 
    1/4 teaspoon salt                                              
    2 ounces unsalted butter small pieces                          
    1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup                             
    1/4 cup water                                                  
    TOPPING:                                                       
    Basic Italian Meringue                                         

Make the crusts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Spread mixture evenly in a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Press 3 tablespoons graham mixture firmly into eight 6-ounce glasses. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the curd: Prepare an ice-water bath. Whisk eggs, 3 yolks, and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl; discard remaining yolk, or reserve for another use. Add lemon zest and juice, and salt. Set bowl over a pan of simmering water, and cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter. Strain through a sieve into a medium bowl, then set in ice-water bath, stirring often, until cold.

Bring corn syrup, water, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook, undisturbed, until syrup registers 248 degrees on a candy thermometer. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

Meanwhile, whisk 4 whites with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, and pour hot syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form and mixture is no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add a third of meringue to chilled lemon curd, and whisk until smooth. Fold in remaining meringue in 2 additions.

Transfer lemon mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch plain round tip. Pipe on top of graham cracker crust, filling to rim. Freeze until filling firms slightly, about 1 hour. Spoon Italian meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch round plain tip, and pipe into each glass, covering evenly and swirling into a peak.

Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until meringue starts to brown. Alternatively, heat oven to 500 degrees. Place glasses on a baking sheet, and bake on top rack until meringue begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Helpful Hint
Use glasses that can withstand hot and cold temperatures. To ensure the towering desserts retain their loft even after freezing, gently fold the meringue into the curd in portions, not all at once.

Grilled Tomato and Mozzarella Sandwiches

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 16 servings

    1 loaf thin slice white bread (32 pieces), pref. pullman       
    2 pounds salted fresh mozzarella cheese slice 1/4-in rounds    
    4 med tomatoes slice 1/4-in                                    
    Salt and pepper                                                
    2 ounces soft unsalted butter soft                             

Using a 2- or 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (depending on size of tomatoes), cut out bread and mozzarella.

Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Sandwich 1 tomato slice and 1 mozzarella slice between 2 slices of bread. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, mozzarella, and bread to make 16 sandwiches.

Preheat a grill to medium, or heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush outsides of bread with butter. Grill sandwiches until golden brown and mozzarella is soft but not completely melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Clementine Vanilla Quick Bread

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes one 5-by-9-inch loaf

    10 clementines or tangerines                                   
    3/4 cup heavy cream                                            
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract                                   
    2 cups flour                                                   
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder                                     
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda                                       
    1/4 teaspoon salt                                              
    4 ounces unsalted butter                                       
    1 1/4 cups sugar                                               
    2 vanilla beans split, scrape                                  
    2 eggs                                                         

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Zest 4 clementines to yield 1 tablespoon zest. Juice 2 zested clementines and 6 remaining unzested clementines to yield 3/4 cup juice. Cut pith from 2 remaining zested clementines. Slice fruit along membranes to release segments into a bowl; discard membranes and any seeds.

Combine 1/4 cup clementine juice, the cream, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

Beat zest, butter, 1 cup sugar, and the vanilla seeds with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 4 minutes. With machine running, add eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low, and beat flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Fold clementine segments into mixture, and pour into pan. Gently smooth top using an offset spatula.

Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Meanwhile, bring remaining 1/2 cup clementine juice and cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove bread from oven, poke top all over with a skewer, and brush with half the clementine syrup. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool for 15 minutes. Invert pan to remove bread. Let cool completely on wire rack, top side up.

Brush remaining clementine syrup onto sides and again on top of bread. (Bread can be stored, wrapped, at room temperature overnight or refrigerated for up to 5 days.)

My Notes: This was pretty tasty, although not super orange-y tasting. I only put in segments from one clementine so that might be part of the reason. Next time I'd do 2 tbsp zest and perhaps a tsp of citrus essence as well. MXF

Classic Barbecue Sauce

Martha Stewart Living, 2009

Makes 5 1/2 cups

    2 tablespoons vegetable oil                                    
    1 small white onion dice                                       
    3 cloves garlic fine chop                                      
    6 ounces tomato paste                                          
    2 teaspoons ground mustard                                     
    28 ounces tomato sauce                                         
    1/4 cup unsulfered molasses                                    
    2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce                             
    2 tablespoons white vinegar                                    
    2 teaspoons salt                                               
    1 1/2 teaspoons pepper                                         

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until completely soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add tomato paste and mustard; cook, stirring constantly, until paste turns a brick-red color, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water, tomato sauce, molasses, Worcestershire, vinegar, salt, and pepper and stir until smooth.

Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low and partially cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours (thin with water if sauce becomes too thick). Season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let cool completely before using.