Leek Cauliflower and Potato Soup

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Leeks, washed and cut into thin slices

2-3 cups of cauliflower florets cut into bite-sized pieces

2-3 cups of fingerling potatoes, sliced in half length-wise and then in bite-sized pieces

6 Tablespoons of butter (divided)

1/4 cup flour

2 garlic cloves minced 

4 cups chicken broth or stock

1/2 cup of half and half

Directions:

Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a large pot then add the leeks, cauliflower and potatoes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes then add the 1/4 cup of flour and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes adding a tablespoon or two of butter if flour seems too dry.

Add the chicken broth or stock and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked and soft when probed with a fork. Add the half and half and cook an additional two minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper prior to serving.

Traeger 3-2-1 Baby Back Ribs

 

Ingredients:

2 racks of baby back pork ribs

1/3 cup of yellow mustard

1/2 cup apple juice, divided

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

Pork Butt Rub

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of honey

1 cup of BBQ Sauce

1. Remove the silver skin membrane from the bone side of the ribs by working the tip of a butter knife underneath the membrane over a middle bone. Use paper towels to get a firm grip then tear off the membrane.

2. In a small bowl combine the mustard; 1/4 cup of apple juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix and rub on both sides of the ribs. Season ribs with Pork Butt Rub or substitute with other rubs based on your preferences.

3. When ready to cook, set the Traeger to 180 degrees F and preheat. Smoke the ribs meat side up for 3 hours. (I use apple pellets)

4. After the ribs have smoked for 3 hours, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet and increase the grill temperature to 225 degrees F.

5. Tear off four long sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Top with a rack of ribs and pull up the sides to keep the liquid enclosed. Sprinkle half the brown sugar on the rack, then top with half the honey and half the remaining apple juice. Use a bit more apple juice if you want more tender ribs. Lay another piece of foil on top and tightly crimp the edges so there is no leakage. Repeat with the remaining rack of ribs. 

6. Return the racks to the grill and cook for 2 hours.

7. Carefully remove the foil from the ribs and brush the ribs on both sides with Traeger 'Que Sauce. Discard the foil. Arrange the ribs directly on the grill grate and continue to grill until the sauce tightens, 30 to 60 minutes more.

Let the ribs rest for a few minutes prior to serving.

Egg Pasta Dough (Based on Helen Rennie YouTube)

Pea Puree Ravioli

Ingredients:

300 grams "00" flour or 300 grams bread flour
2 eggs
3 egg yolks
Cold water to bring the liquid weight to 185 grams

2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Instructions:

Weigh out 300 grams of flour and add to the bowl of food processor. Add the 2 teaspoons of salt and pulse briefly to combine.

Add a bowl to the scale and zero out (tare) the weight of the bowl. Add the eggs and egg yolks to the bowl and note the weight. DO NOT REZERO THE SCALE. Carefully add water to the bowl until the weight of the eggs and the water equals 185 grams.

Add the 185 grams of liquid to the food processor and pulse until the ingredients gather into a ball.

Remove all of the dough and any bits of unincorporated flour onto a smooth counter surface and combine the remain bits into the overall dough. Then, knead the dough for 8 minutes. Wrap in cellophane and let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

The dough can then be rolled based on use. Generally, I will cut the dough into quarters prior to rolling. Take one quarter and roll out to make pasta or ravioli. While rolling the first piece you want to cover the remaining three pieces so they do to dry out. 

You can use the scraps to roll together and make pasta or ravioli. Once batch of dough can make 60 raviolis using a ravioli tray.

Note I roll the dough to a setting of six (6) on the kitchen-aid

Spinach, Ricotta and Pine Nut Ravioli

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 pound baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim)

8 Tablespoons of toasted pine nuts

3 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté the shallots for about 1 minute then add the spinach in batches  and cook, stirring from time to time until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool then grab the cooled mixture and squeeze the water out of the spinach doing small handfuls at a time. Finely chop the spinach and combine with the ricotta, parmesan and pine nuts and place in refrigerator to cool prior to using to fill the ravioli.

Tom Keller's Pea Puree Filling

300 grams of frozen peas (I used a complete package of 368 grams)

150 grams of marscapone (I used a complete package of 227grams)

75 grams of panko bread crumbs

Instructions: 

Blanch peas in a large pot of well salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Then drain and place on cotton towel and squeeze extra moisture from the peas. Place the peas into a food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until there is a smooth paste. Place the filling into a bowl and place in refrigerator. 

Making Ravioli:

Follow the egg pasta dough recipe above and place rounded teaspoons of filling between sheets of pasta and form the raviolis by hand or with the use of a form.

Makes 72 raviolis

Sun-dried Tomato and Ricotta Ravioli

300 grams of Ricotta cheese

2/3 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (in oil) finely chopped

3-4 basil leaves (chiffonade) 

1/3 cup Parmesan

Salt and Pepper to taste