Parmesan Popovers

If you haven't guessed it yet, from the many recipes I tried of Giada de Laurentiis and showed in my foodie blog, yes indeed she's on top of the list of my fave chefs on Food TV Network. Here's another of her dishes, the Parmesan Popovers, a perfect partner to any pasta dish. These popovers are light and airy and can be eaten at lunch or dinner.

PARMESAN POPOVERS

INGREDIENTS:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence (recipe here)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, and parsley. Blen on medium speed. Turn the blender to low and slowly add the milk, then the cheese.

2. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove the popovers from the muffin pan and serve hot, or cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

YIELD:
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Shrimp Lasagna Rolls with Creamy Marinara

This is another recipe from my fave chef Giada de Laurentiis from her cookbook Everyday Pasta. Shrimps and pasta noodles are staples in my freezer and pantry so anytime I want to cook this dish, I have them ready. In this dish just don't overcook the lasagna noodles when boiling as they will finish cooking in the oven.

SHRIMP LASAGNA ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lasagna
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt and ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (15-ounces) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 5 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimps with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and the garlic to the pan and saute until the shrimp are cooked, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and let cool. Coarsely chop the cooled shrimp and place in a large bowl with 2 cups of the ricotta cheese (one container and about 1/3 of the other), the Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.

3. In another bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the remaining 1 cup of ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

4. To make the lasagna, cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of the marinara mixture. Lay 4 noodles flat on a dry work surface and cut in half (to make 8) Spread about 2 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture evenly over noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat twice more to make 24 lasagna mozzarella.

5. Bake until the lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

Yield:
Makes 6 servings

Chicken Carbonara

The traditional carbonara is made of eggs, pancetta, Parmesan cheese, and spaghetti, but this one has a different twist for added texture. Instead of pancetta which is kind of pricey I just used strips of bacon. This is another recipe from Giada de Laurentiis of Everyday Italian.

CHICKEN CARBONARA

INGREDIENTS:
2 tsps olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tsps minced garlic
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
salt
1 lb spaghetti
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (see how to toast nuts here)
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool until lukewarm.

2. Whisk in the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, parsley, and garlic. Stir in chicken.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add teh spaghetti and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.

4. Add the spaghetti to the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil). Season the pasta to taste with pepper.

5. Transfer the pasta to a large, wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with the walnuts and lemon zest, and serve.

YIELD:
Makes 6 main course servings.

Close Encounter With Giada

Italian food is one of my favorite dishes and I'm an avid fan of Everyday Italian hosted by Giada de Laurentiis at Food TV Network. I'd say that my cooking is mostly inspired by her recipes which are very simple and easy to make. I don't like very fussy and complicated dishes, I always go for the more convenient and practical ways to prepare meals for my family.

In 2006 when I learned that she's coming to MA to do book signing, I was very eager to go to see her face to face. I went with my girlfriend Lea to The Mall at Chestnut Hill in Sur La Table where she did the book signing. A lot of cooking aficionados showed up and we waited in line for hours to have our cookbooks signed by Giada. She's very pretty and petite and very nice, she answered questions from the fans. I remembered I just tried to cook a fish dish of hers where she used Tilapia, but I told her I used Salmon instead, she beamed and told me "there you go, it's good with other fish too."