Farfalle Pasta with Grilled Shrimp and Fresh Puttanesca Sauce (no cook sauce)

Serves 4

• 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Lemon Zest
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp. fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 2 lbs. Jumbo Shrimp (U12/U16), peeled & deveined
• 1 lb. Farfalle Pasta
• 1 lb. Roma or Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. Nonpareil Capers, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, pasted with 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh Basil, chopped
• 4 Anchovies (fillets), patted dry and minced
• 3/4 tsp. Red Chile Flakes
• 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
• 3 fl.oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Parmesan Cheese

1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients.  Place shrimp in a resealable bag and pour marinade over.  Remove as mush air as possible from bag and seal, mixing shrimp with marinade to coat.  Let marinate 20 minutes.
2. While shrimp is marinating, combing all remaining ingredients (except farfalle) in a large mixing bowl, tossing well to combine.
3. Drain shrimp from marinade and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat.
4. Cook farfalle according to package directions to al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.  While pasta is cooking, grill shrimp 2-3 minutes per side, or until opaque and cooked thru (be careful not to overcook the shrimp)
5. Add cooked shrimp to the mixing bowl of “sauce”, along with farfalle, and 1/3-1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Toss well to coat, adding more cooking water if needed .  Season with salt & pepper, to taste.  Plate individually or on a platter, and top with cheese.

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Creamy Gorgonzola and Toasted Walnuts

Serves 4 / Makes 12 pieces

• 6 large fresh figs (black Mission; you can use dried figs when fresh aren’t available)
• 6 slices Prosciutto de Parma, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2-3 Tbsp. Gorgonzola Cheese
• 12 Walnut Halves, toasted
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (aged, or a Balsamic Syrup)

Preheat broiler to high, and place rack in the top position of the oven.

1. Stem and halve the figs.  Wrap each half with 1 strip of prosciutto, securing with a toothpick if needed (soak picks in water for 30 minutes prior to prevent burning).  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (be careful not to crowd).
2. Broil the figs just until the prosciutto begins to brown, 1-2 minutes), then flip and broil 1-2 minutes more, browning the other side. (keep an eye to prevent burning)
3. Remove from the heat and divide the Gorgonzola over the warm figs, and return to broiler about 30 seconds more, just to warm/melt the cheese.
4. Remove from the oven and top each fig with a toasted walnut half.  Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.

Pre-Pickle Salad

Serves 2-3

• 1 English (seedless) Cucumber, seeded, small dice
• 1/2 cup Vidalia/Walla Walla (sweet) Onion, small dice
• 1/4 cup fresh Dill, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
• 1 clove garlic, pasted with 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp.  White Vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Yellow Mustard Seeds, lightly cracked
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger (powdered ginger)
• 2 tsp. Black Pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp. Salt
• about 1 tsp. Sugar
• 3-4 fl.oz. Olive Oil
• Optional – Grape Tomatoes

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together pasted dill, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, ginger, pepper, salt, and sugar to combine.  Slowly whisk in oil to emulsify.  Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and sugar (if needed).
2. In a larger mixing bowl, mix cucumber and onions together.  Then re-whisk dressing and pour over cucumber mixture.  Toss well with the dressing and refrigerate about 30 minutes before serving. (optionally, mix in the tomatoes with the cucumber and onions)

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!!!

So, what’s a chef to do to celebrate the tasty-est, most versatile warm sandwich’s featured month?  Host a cooking class, of course!

The Grilled Cheese Class will be on Wednesday April 14th (a great way to relax before rushing home to finish your taxes!), at Balboa Food & Wine School.  Sign up for the class here.

The Menu:

• Classic Tomato Soup, for dipping, of course!
• Grilled Mozzarella, Basil, and Prosciutto on Focaccia
• Grilled Provolone, Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Granny Smith Apple on Baguette
• Grilled Fontina & Roasted vegetables on Rosemary Bread
• Even a Dessert Grilled Cheese: Vanilla Raisin Walnut Cream Cheese & Strawberry Jam

Leave me your favorite grilled cheese combination (breads, cheeses, and fillings) in the comments below!

Any questions? E-mail me at Chef@WannaBChef.com

Get Cooking!

-Chef Rich

My Website…

Hey everyone!

I have received several comment submissions recently asking about my website and blog.  Since I never know if it’s a real question, or spam, I decided just to put the info on here as a posting… My website was created and maintained by 4MoreHits.com.  4MoreHits.com specializes in SEO and website upkeep.  If you’re looking for someone to help re-tool your website, or to help drive more traffic to your site, please contact them via their website.

Le Creuset Giveaway from CiaoFlorentina

My GORGEOUS friend Florentina is giving away some Le Creuset Pinch Bowls to celebrate being one of the top 100,000 websites in the USA.  Interested in winning some? Check out her site, CiaoFlorentina.com, or click this link!

Good luck to everyone who enters – but I’m trying to win em too!!!!!

Happy Cooking

-Chef Rich

Private Classes

Have I mentioned that I am available for Private Cooking Classes?  They can be for individuals, couples, or groups – and the prices are flexible to reflect the size of the group.  We can set up classes at your home, a central location, or find another spot that works for everyone!  Or, if you prefer a more formal type of class, both of the schools I teach at offer private class sessions in their full kitchens.

Any questions?   Hit me up at Chef@WannaBChef.com

Keep Cooking!

-Chef Rich

What are YOUR favorite…..

…Comfort Foods or “Old School” Dishes?

Meatloaf?

Mac n Cheese?

Salisbury Steak?

What are the foods you used to it, but haven’t had in FOREVER?  Lemme know in my comments below!

-Chef Rich

Been Updating….

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for the delays, and technical issues, but you will notice that all of the recipes from classes are updated on the site.   If you don’t see what you’re looking for yet, please give it some time for the server to fully upload all of the files.

Happy Cooking!

-Chef Rich

Fruit “Tarts” a la Mode

Serves 6

• 1 Sheet Puff Pastry, thawed
• Seasonal Fruit – 3 Peaches or Pears or Mixed Berries
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
• about 6 Tbsp. Raspberry Jam
• Thinly Sliced Almonds, optional
• 1 Egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp. Water
• 1 Pint Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat the oven to 350F

1. Peel & seed the fruit, and slice thinly.  Mix with Lemon juice and Brown Sugar.  Reserve
2. Roll the Puff Pastry out and cut into 6 even pieces.  Using a paring knife, make a border indentation about 1” in from the edges (this will allow the outside puff pastry to rise more)
3. Spread some of the jam on the inner section of the puff pastry.  Then, arrange the fruit neatly, overlapping so that each piece of puff has about half of a full piece of fruit.
4. Sprinkle with almonds, if desired, and then brush the outer edge with some of the egg wash.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Serve immediately, with a scoop of the vanilla ice cream.