Polenta With Wild Mushrooms and Gorgonzola

Polenta With Wild 

Mushrooms And Gorgonzola

Polenta is a staple grain in northern Italy and is often combined with mushrooms and Gorgonzola. Using a mixture of mushrooms such as shiitake, button, oyster and portobello is best.

Ingredients:
Mushroom Mixture

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
½ lb sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme or parsley
Salt and black pepper

Polenta
2½ cups water
½ tsp salt
¾ cup instant polenta
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
Crumbled Gorgonzola

Directions:

1. Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until it begins to foam. Increase heat to high and add mushrooms. Cook, stirring until mushrooms are lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and herbs, stir 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

2. In a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until creamy (like a thick porridge), 2 to 6 minutes depending on instant polenta used. Stir in Parmesan and butter.

3. Serve polenta in wide pasta bowls, topped with mushrooms and sprinkled with Gorgonzola.


Substitutions
If you can't find instant polenta, available in some supermarkets and most Italian grocery stores, polenta also comes cooked and formed into a log shape. Slice log into ½-inch-thick (1-cm) slices and cook in olive oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick frying pan until crispy and hot. Serve mushrooms and Gorgonzola over top.

Serves 2 to 3

Panko Topped Broiled Oysters In A Scallion Cream Sauce

PANKO-TOPPED BROILED OYSTERS  IN A SCALLION CREAM SAUCE

To serve, we love the look of a tray or platter of carefully washed pea gravel or natural aquarium gravel with the cooked oysters nestled in. Figure on four oysters—or more—per person. Also, note, there is no need to add salt to the recipe; the oysters are briny enough! The only salt called for is used as a bed to stabilize the sauced oysters for roasting.  Ingredients: 4 to 6 cups coarse or rock salt, depending on size of cookie sheet 24 to 30 fresh oysters; always buy a few more than the recipe calls for in case some are bad ½ cup butter, divided 1 tsp pepper, divided 3 tbsp flour 1 bunch (6 to 8) scallions, washed and trimmed, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced, about cup sliced ¼ cup dry white wine ½ cup 10% cream (half and half). ¾ cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives Directions: Spread out the coarse salt in a thick layer over a cookie sheet; set aside. Rinse oysters in the shell under cold, running water to remove any sand and grit. Shuck oysters into a sieve set over a bowl. Set aside in the fridge and allow oysters to drain, reserving oyster liquid. Nestle the deeper, more bowl-shaped shells into the salt on the cookie sheet; set aside while making the sauce and crumb topping. Into a saucepan over medium heat, add ¼ cup of the butter, ½ tsp pepper and the flour, stirring constantly until the flour and butter mixture is thick and developing some colour, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the scallions and continue cooking and stirring constantly for about another 3 minutes or until the scallions are beginning to soften. Add the wine and ¾ cup of the reserved oyster liquid; stir to combine, then add the cream, stirring constantly until the sauce becomes thick and begins to bubble, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside. To make the crumb topping, add the panko crumbs, remaining ¼ cup melted butter, remaining ½ tsp pepper and chives to a bowl; stir to combine well. 9. Return the drained oysters to their shells, then top with about 1 tbsp of the sauce. Try not to overflow and make sure the shells are nice and balanced in the salt. Now, top each oyster with about 1 to 2 tsp of the crumb mixture, depending on size of shell. 10. Just before ready to serve, pop the oysters onto the middle rack in a preheated 400°F oven for 5 minutes, then turn the oven onto broil. Rotate the pan once or twice, keeping an eye on the colour of the crumb; don’t let it get too dark or it will be very bitter, about 5 minutes. 11. Transfer oysters to serving platter of clean gravel and serve while hot with small forks. Serves 6  Makes 24 to 30 oysters and about 1¾ cups sauce.

Gingerbread Cupcakes With Brown Butter Cream-Cheese Icing

Gingerbread Cupcakes With Brown-Butter Cream Icing Icing It wouldn’t be the holiday season without ginger in some form, so why not use fresh ginger whenever possible. Both the cookies and cupcakes featured here call for finely chopped fresh ginger—no need for the powdered form. The cookies can be left plain, dusted with icing sugar, or decorated with royal icing and sparkly sugar. Because they’re so small, there will be plenty of extras. The cream cheese icing on the cupcakes is beyond the ordinary with its use of browned butter and real vanilla.  Ingredients:  Mini Gingerbread Cookies  1¼ cups all-purpose flour  ¼ tsp baking soda  ⅛ tsp salt  ¼ tsp nutmeg  ½ tsp cinnamon  ¼ tsp cloves  ⅛ tsp ground pepper  ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature  ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar  ¼ cup fancy molasses  1 egg yolk  1 tbsp very finely chopped fresh ginger  Royal Icing (optional) 1¼ cups sifted icing sugar, divided  1 egg white  Coarse sugar for dipping cookies, optional  Gingerbread Cupcakes  1½ cups all-purpose flour  ½ tsp baking powder  ½ tsp baking soda  ¼ tsp salt  ¼ tsp nutmeg  ⅛ tsp allspice  ⅛ tsp ground pepper  ½ cup fancy molasses  ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature  ½ cup packed dark brown sugar  1 egg, room temperature  3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh ginger  Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting  ¾ cup unsalted butter  1 vanilla bean  2 cups icing sugar, sifted  2 pkgs. 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature  Directions:  Cookie dough; sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ground pepper and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses and beat to combine, followed by the egg yolk and fresh ginger.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Form the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. The dough can be made a day ahead.  Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick and cut out with mini cookie cutters. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and feel barely firm when touched gently. Cool on wire racks. The cookies can be baked 1 or 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.  Royal Icing, whisk together ¾ cup (175 mL) of the icing sugar and the egg white in medium bowl. Add the remaining sugar and whisk until smooth and thick. Using a small paper piping cone, or a pastry bag with a small round tip, pipe decorations on the cookies. Before the icing sets, dip the cookies in coarse sugar, if desired. For the cupcakes, line 16 muffin cups with paper liners, then place the muffin tins on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice and ground pepper and set aside. Combine the molasses and buttermilk and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth and lightened in colour. Beat in the egg until combined, followed by the fresh ginger. (The mixture may look curdled after the addition of the ginger but will come together with the addition of the remaining ingredients.).  On low speed, add the molasses mixture alternately with the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling them no more than two-thirds full.  Bake the cupcakes until they’ve risen to the tops of the liners and are dry on top, about 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. The cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.  Icing, place the butter in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the black seeds into the butter; add the vanilla pod. Place the pot over medium heat and cook the butter until the foam subsides and the butter takes on a light, nut-brown colour. Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pod and transfer the butter to a bowl. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.  Transfer the cold butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the icing sugar and beat on medium speed until the butter is smooth and creamy. It will look dry and crumbly at first, but will come together after a few minutes. Add the cream cheese a few tablespoons at a time and beat until smooth. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe the icing overtop each cooled cupcake. Decorate with 1 or 2 mini gingerbread cookies. Serve at room temperature.  Makes 16 cupcakes, with extra cookies

Shaved Butternut Salad

SHAVED BUTTERNUT SALAD By: Christopher St. Onge

This one is for the social media foodie—it’s unusual enough that it’ll get your dining companions talking, and it’s fetching enough to inspire them to take a pic. There’s little need to think ahead—it all comes together in under 10 minutes. If prepping at home, rub your bowl with garlic and assemble everything in it up to a day ahead, but dress and season only when you’re close to eating. Toast your almonds dark for this—a little bitterness is welcome here. Ingredients: DRESSING ⅓ cup olive oil 2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar 1 tbsp lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large clove garlic, peeled 2 lbs butternut squash Pinch chili flakes ¼ cup finely chopped mint 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley ⅓ cup chopped toasted almonds ½ cup loosely packed shaved or coarsely grated Parmesan Dressing, whisk together oil, vinegar and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut garlic in half and rub insides of serving bowl with exposed surfaces; discard garlic. Salad: Peel squash. Using a peeler (a y-peeler is ideal for this), create long thin strips of squash. Add to prepped bowl. Continue until the neck of the squash becomes so thin this becomes impractical; keep remaining squash for soup, or discard. Sprinkle squash with chili flakes, mint and parsley, then with almonds and cheese. When ready to eat, pour dressing over and toss to combine. Check seasoning; adjust if necessary. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 to 10

Mushroom And Sweet Onion Gnocchi Casserole

Mushroom And Sweet Onion Gnocchi Casserole

Puffy gnocchi in a savoury, creamy sauce laden with mushrooms and sweet onions makes for a nice change from tomato-pasta casseroles. Having a few dishes of this comfort-food meal tucked in the freezer for a simple reheat can save the day when the holiday preparations are in full swing. If you prefer to use one larger casserole dish, use an 8-cup shallow dish and allow 24 to 36 hours to thaw (or defrost in the microwave); the reheating time will be the same. You can also double the recipe easily: just sauté the mushrooms in two separate batches. Serve a crispy, vinaigrette-dressed green salad on the side.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1 lb gnocchi
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup dry white wine
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups 10% cream, heated
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Additional 10% cream or milk, warmed
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add mushrooms, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper; sauté for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms have released their liquid and are lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add remaining butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add onion, rosemary and ¼ tsp salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Reduce heat to medium- low and cook, stirring often, for about 20 minutes or until soft and golden.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring often, for about 3 to 4 minutes or just until they rise to the surface (do not overcook). Using a metal sieve, scoop gnocchi out of water, draining well, and transfer to a large bowl, reserving cooking water. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to gnocchi and stir gently to coat. Set aside to cool.

Add garlic to onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Increase heat to medium-high and pour in wine. Bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits in pan. Boil for 2 minutes or until reduced by about half.

Whisk flour into cream and gradually pour into skillet, while stirring. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into bowl with mushrooms and let cool.

Pour mushroom sauce over gnocchi in bowl and stir gently to coat. Add reserved cooking water, a little at a time, to moisten as desired. You want the gnocchi to be quite saucy as the liquid will be absorbed upon baking. Stir in parsley.

Spoon gnocchi into three or four 2- to 4-cup shallow baking dishes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap then place dishes in freezer bags or cover with foil. Freeze for up to 1 month.

To serve, let gnocchi thaw in refrigerator for at least 12 hours or for up to 2 days (alternatively, microwave baking dishes, one at a time, loosely covered with plastic wrap, on defrost/ 50% power, stirring every 2 minutes, until thawed, being careful not to let them heat).

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove plastic wrap and cover baking dishes with foil. Bake gnocchi for about 45 minutes or until hot and bubbling around the edges. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes to brown top lightly.

Serve with a little warm cream to stir in and thin sauce, as desired, then sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 4

No Bake Kit Kat Cheesecake

No Bake Kit-Kat Cheesecake

A delightful cheesecake starring a classic candy treat that everyone will love. Not only that, it is simple to make, there is no baking and it can be frozen for up to a week before serving.

Ingredients:
Butter for greasing springform pan
4 regular Kit-Kat bars (73 g each), divided
7 graham cracker cookies or 1 cup crumbs
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 8oz. (2 cups) blocks cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp. orange zest
Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)

Directions:

Grease an 8-inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Combine 2 Kit-Kat bars, graham crackers and butter in a food processor and process until crumbly. Press into prepared pan.

Combine cream cheese, cream, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a food processor and blend until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Chop the remaining 2 bars and fold most of it into cream mixture leaving a few pieces for garnish. Spread over crust and freeze until firm, about 4 hours. This gives the cheesecake a better shape.

Run a thin knife around the edge and transfer cheesecake to a serving platter. Drizzle cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce. Garnish with reserved (plus additional, if desired) chopped KitKat. Allow to soften for 1 hour before serving. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Serves 8

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

A rich chocolate sauce that can be repurposed as a fondue dipping sauce if any is left.

½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
1 cup water
½ cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt

Sift cocoa and sugar into a medium pot. Slowly add water to cocoa mixture while whisking. Bring mixture to a boil. Add cream, bring mixture back to a boil then reduce to medium and simmer, whisking often, until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt. Cool slightly before serving with cheesecake.

Makes 1 cup sauce