Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

WINE OF THE WEEK: 2006 Fontodi Chianti Classico

A remembrance of things past: a beautifully balanced Chianti Classico from the Fontodi estate in Panzano in Chianti, Italy. Tasting of black cherries, a little tobacco and cloves, this is an elegant, understated Chianti as it used to be made, a wine that anybody can appreciate. The texture is supple, the tannins soft and lush. And one sip leads to another. And another.

Chianti Classico is a tremendously versatile food wine. Drink it with bean soups, pasta dishes, grilled chicken or chops, pretty much anything except maybe seafood.

Region: Tuscany

Price: About $28

Style: Lush and easy to drink

What it goes with: bean and vegetable soups, pasta, grilled birds

Q: At an Italian restaurant in New York City, the special of the day was linguine with shrimp in a cream sauce that was incredible. The sauce was a bright yellow, which made me think it was made with egg yolks, but I haven’t been able to find any Italian recipes for this type sauce. Do you have one?

-K. B.

A: My guess is you were served a saffron sauce, popular in Northern Italy and also in Bordeaux. A friend recently brought me saffron she bought in Florence, so I was happy to make this with wonderfully fresh threads. When you buy saffron – which is astoundingly expensive – you want threads that are deep red. If there are yellow parts, they have little or no flavor. The threads should be so dry they will pound into powder easily, and they should give off a distinct aroma with no taint of mustiness.

I like to serve this sauce with lightly sauteed shrimp, scallops or other seafood tossed with linguine. But my absolute favorite is over fresh lobster ravioli.

LINGUINE WITH SAFFRON SAUCE

2 quarts (8 cups) chicken or vegetable broth

1 shallot, very finely diced

2 to 3 threads saffron, chopped or crumbled

1 cup heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter, chilled

1 pound linguine or other pasta, cooked al dente and thoroughly drained

Fresh parsley, chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped, optional

Shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese, optional

Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the shallot and saffron. Keeping broth at a simmer, allow it to reduce to about 1 1/2 cups. Stir in the cream and reduce sauce to the thickness you like. Add the butter a tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate.

Toss the pasta with the sauce to thoroughly coat. Garnish with parsley, tomatoes and cheese and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 610 calories (50 percent from fat), 33.3 g fat (19.4 g saturated, 9 g monounsaturated), 95.3 mg cholesterol, 17.1 g protein, 59.4 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g fiber, 1,053 mg sodium.

Q: My Uncle Eddie misses the sweet potato croquettes he used to get at S&S Cafeteria before it closed. Can you come up with a recipe?

-Sharon Louis

A: Happily, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published the recipe, from an S&S in Georgia. Now it’s kept alive on Internet blogs and over-the-fence recipe cards. We’re happy to pass it along.

Knowing that many readers are not comfortable with deep frying, I tried simply brushing the balls with melted margarine and baking them on a cookie sheet in a 300-degree oven for 25 minutes, until heated through. While you don’t get quite the crisp outside you do with deep frying, the results were still delicious.

S&S CAFETERIA SWEET POTATO BALLS

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes

4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) margarine, melted

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups (12 ounces) cracker crumbs, divided

Salt to taste

Vegetable oil for deep frying

6 large marshmallows, halved

1 slice pineapple, cut into 12 pieces

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes well. Place in oven and bake about 50 minutes, until very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. When they are cool, remove peel, cutting out all dark spots.

Place sweet potato pulp in bowl of a mixer and beat until smooth. Add melted margarine, sugar, egg, vanilla and half the cracker crumbs, mixing well. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions (a No. 12 scoop works well) and shape into balls. Roll balls in remaining cracker crumbs. Place balls on tray and refrigerate 2 hours.

Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees. Place balls into hot oil and fry about 3 minutes, until crispy and brown. Garnish each with a bit of pineapple and a half marshmallow held in place with a toothpick. Makes 12 balls.

Per ball (without frying oil): 322 calories (21 percent from fat), 7.6 g fat (1.5 g saturated, 1.2 g monounsaturated), 17.6 mg cholesterol, 5.1 g protein, 58.2 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g fiber, 140 mg sodium.

FROSTING TIPS

It’s important to follow the directions exactly when making the Marshmallow Frosting recipe we published recently. (Find it at MiamiHerald.com/Food; click Recipes and scroll down.) If the frosting seems too thin, as two readers reported, there are two possibilities:

You must wait for the melted marshmallows to come to room temperature before beating them into the butter. You want the butter to be incorporated, not melted.

You must beat the mixture long enough for it to both incorporate air and cool down so the gelatin begins to set. With my heavy duty mixer and paddle attachment it takes 3 to 4 minutes. A hand mixer may take longer.

Conversely, if you wait too long and allow the melted marshmallows to chill, they will turn into a single solid mass. If this happens, simply reheat gently to melt again.

It’s best to use the frosting right away. If you refrigerate it before spreading it on the cake, it will become too thick to spread. The solution is to allow the mixture to come to room temperature again.

Here’s a great tip from reader Katherine Morten for a quick marshmallow “frosting” for cupcakes. About 4 minutes before the cupcakes are timed to come out of the oven, top each with a single marshmallow. Return to oven for 2 minutes, until marshmallow is softened. Press each marshmallow down firmly with a spoon so it spreads a bit. Bake 2 minutes longer, or until cake tests done. Allow to cool before serving. The cupcakes will have a 1/2-inch tall “hat.”

“I use all different colors of marshmallows, or sometimes add a squiggle of chocolate syrup after I take the cupcakes out of the oven,” Morten says. “Children love this – and so do adults!”

You can also run the cupcakes with marshmallow under a broiler for about 20 seconds to get a caramel burnish. Watch carefully or the marshmallows will burn.

MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

32 regular marshmallows

2/3 cup milk

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the marshmallows and milk in a saucepan and cook carefully over low heat just until the marshmallows dissolve. Set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring often to keep it blended.

Cut the butter into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the marshmallow mixture, beating until it’s stiff as you like. Beat in vanilla. Makes enough frosting for a 2-layer cake or 24 cupcakes.

Per serving (based on 24): 86 calories (61 percent from fat), 5.9 g fat (3.8 g saturated, 1.6 g monounsaturated), 15.9 mg cholesterol, 0.4 g protein, 8.1 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 51.2 mg sodium.

SLEUTH’S CORNER

Q: I was born in the Caribbean, and we love ham there. The local grocers sold a ham made for the tropics that was only available around Christmas. It was packaged with an outer covering of “tar.” I think it was asphalt. I have been searching for this “tar” ham for some time. Can you help me locate a manufacturer or retailer of this ham? It brings back lots of memories to most of my friends and relatives.

-Charles Gokool, Cutler Bay, Fla.

(Contact Linda Cicero: lcicero(AT)MiamiHerald.com)

Here’s a lively, fresh Pinot Grigio from the vineyards of the Alto Adige region of Italy, near the Austrian border. Scented with flowers and sweet grasses, the 2008 St. Michael-Eppan Pinot Grigio comes from a great little cooperative in the region. I’m taken with its bright acidity and touch of minerality, along with its notes of pear and ripe apple.

Pinot Grigio is a tremendously versatile white wine that can go with all sorts of dishes. Minestrone and other rustic vegetable soups, pasta dishes, grilled fish and scampi come to mind first.

Region: Alto Adige, Italy

Price: About $20

Style: Floral and crisp

What it goes with: Minestrone, pasta dishes, grilled fish

Shrimp are one of those ideal go-to ingredients to have in the freezer. You can take them out and have them ready at a moment’s notice.

Baked, broiled or sauteed, these crustaceans make for a snappy meal and happy diners.

Shrimp go well with a huge variety of seasonings and flavors, and should thaw in less than an hour if you place them in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator.

Try pairing shrimp with another go-to pantry item, quick-cooking angel hair pasta. You’ll have an easy dinner in less than 30 minutes.

Choose extra-large or jumbo shrimp for this dish because they won’t get lost in the long strands of pasta. I always remove the shells but leave the tails intact because they make for a nice presentation.

Some stores now sell shrimp labeled “easy peel.” These are shrimp with the shell split along the back. The split makes it easy to remove the shell and leave the tail on.

Today’s dish pairs shrimp and asparagus tips with a light herb cream sauce and sauteed mushrooms. The dish calls for cremini mushrooms, which I prefer. Sometimes you will find these labeled mini portabellas, or what some folks call Italian mushrooms. They are simply a brown mushroom that’s a close cousin to the white mushroom.

With most pasta dishes I am on the cream sauce side, preferring rich buttery sauces. Trouble is, those sauces are loaded with fat and calories.

The cream sauce in this dish uses a tip from Lisa Lillien of hungrygirl.com – a Web site dedicated to helping dieters by providing product news and reviews, recipes and inspiration. Lillien uses wedges of the Laughing Cow brand of soft cheeses in many recipes for a creamy consistency without all the added fat and calories. Laughing Cow recently added light varieties to their cheese line.

For this recipe, use the garlic and herb cheese variety, which has only 35 calories per wedge. It melts nicely and has a good herb flavor.

SHRIMP WITH HERB CREAM SAUCE

Serves: 2 / Preparation time: 10 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes

4 ounces angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti

1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms

8 ounces extra-large shrimp, shells removed, tail left on

Salt and pepper to taste or favorite all-purpose seasoning

4 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup sherry or white wine

2 wedges light herb and garlic cheese (such as the Laughing Cow brand) or 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese

3/4 cup fat-free or regular half-and-half or fat-free milk

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-7 minutes. Reserve and set aside 1 cup of the pasta water; drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute 4 minutes or cooked through depending on the size; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the asparagus spears and saute 2 minutes or until they are crisp-tender. Transfer all the ingredients to a plate.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the sherry or white wine and deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese wedges and half-and-half. Cook and stir over low heat (so it doesn’t curdle) until the cheese is melted and the mixture is of a sauce consistency. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta cooking water a little at a time until desired consistency.

Add the shrimp and vegetables and the cooked pasta back into the skillet. Toss to heat through and coat with the sauce.

Place in large serving bowls and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 559 calories (30 percent from fat), 19 grams fat (7 grams sat. fat), 56 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams protein, 605 mg sodium, 194 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber.

If you’re hoping to stretch your grocery dollars in the new year, look to foods that can pull double-duty.

One such food is roast chicken. The leftovers can be transformed into many dishes.

You can toss leftover cooked chicken in mixed-greens salads or use it to make chicken salad, in a stir-fry or in sandwiches. You can also use it in casseroles, pasta dishes and soups.

Once you learn to roast a whole chicken, you’ll find that having cooked chicken on hand will be convenient in a pinch.

If you’re afraid one whole chicken won’t leave enough meat for leftovers, roast two at the same time. You’ll save time and only turn on your oven once.

When shopping, look for good-size plump chickens, some of which are labeled “oven roasters.”

These roasters are big and plump, but two whole 4- to 5-pound roasters will fit together on a broiler pan or large roasting pan. I prefer to use the broiler pan because the fat drips into the bottom of the pan and the whole chicken browns evenly on all sides.

Though the crisp chicken skin is the tastiest, that’s where all the fat is.

But chicken, whole or in pieces, cooked with the skin on will stay moist and juicy. You can remove the skin after cooking for huge fat and calorie savings, or give guests an option, too, at serving time.

To give roast chicken added flavor, I season it under the skin with herbs or a few pats of herb butter.

When storing leftovers, be sure to remove meat from the carcass. It is not recommended to store the carcass with meat on it. Use leftover cooked chicken within three days.

SIMPLY SEASONED ROAST CHICKEN

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus brining time) / Total time: 2 hours

1 whole chicken, about 5 pounds

BRINE

2 gallons water

1 cup kosher salt

1 cup sugar

SEASONINGS

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large clove garlic, pressed or crushed

2 tablespoons favorite fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon), chopped, or several teaspoons dried

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 medium onion, peeled, cut in half

1 large lemon, cut in half

2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth or more as needed

Remove the neck and giblets of the chicken for another use.

Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Pour in the water and sprinkle in the kosher salt and sugar, swishing it around to dissolve. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the brine, discard the brine and rinse the chicken well inside and out under cold running water. Pat the chicken dry. Place on a platter and return to the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the butter with the garlic and fresh or dried herbs. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels again. Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and place the onion and lemon halves in the cavity.

Gently loosen the skin of the chicken from the breast, thigh and leg, being careful not to tear it. Rub about half of the herb butter under the skin and on the flesh of the chicken.

Rub the remaining herb butter all over the outer skin, and season with salt and pepper. Loosely tie the legs together, and place the chicken in a shallow roasting pan. Add chicken broth to the pan.

Roast 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue roasting about 1 hour more or until nicely browned and cooked through. Baste occasionally with the pan juices. The chicken is done when the internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cook’s note: If desired, make a pan sauce with the drippings. Degrease the juices, and set the pan over 2 burners. Add broth or wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Knead together 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Whisk the butter and flour mixture into the pan to thicken.

From and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. Analysis includes skin.

434 calories (63 percent from fat ), 30 grams fat (12 grams sat. fat ), 0 grams carbohydrates, 38 grams protein, 116 mg sodium, 144 mg cholesterol, 0 grams fiber.

When schedules are hectic, a successful quick dish in my kitchen is one that doesn’t make a huge mess, uses minimal cookware and has some nutritional value.

Garden Primavera is one such dish. It’s chock-full of summer vegetables, uses common pantry ingredients and comes together in a snap.

Key to this dish is the angel hair pasta, which cooks in four to six minutes, and cooking the vegetables with the pasta during the last two minutes.

Angel hair pasta is my go-to pantry staple because it cooks so quickly and is versatile. The vegetables cook just enough with the pasta that they are crisp and tender but not mushy. You can cook them longer if you like. But be sure to cut them uniformly so they cook evenly.

One issue with pasta dishes is keeping the pasta warm while making the sauce.

I like to pour the sauce on just before serving so the pasta gets a nice hot coating. To keep the pasta warm while finishing the sauce, I recommend:

Draining the pasta into a heatproof colander, leaving about 1 inch of pasta water in the bottom of the pot. You should be able to set the colander inside the pot so it rests on the rim.

Place a clean kitchen towel over the colander – not touching the pasta. The heat from the water and pasta will keep the pasta warm until ready to serve.

Draining some of the pasta cooking water into a large serving bowl and leaving it there while you make the sauce. When ready to serve, pour out the water and wipe the bowl with a paper towel. Add the pasta to the bowl and pour the sauce over. The warm bowl will keep the pasta warm.

Because it uses heavy whipping cream, the sauce with this Garden Primavera is a fat and calorie splurge. You can substitute a light cream, which is sometimes labeled coffee cream, or half-and-half; just don’t bring it to a boil or it will curdle.

Gently heat it, whisking in more flour or cornstarch as needed to reach a desired consistency. Fat-free half-and-half will hold up better to the heat and provide more of a sauce-like consistency.

GARDEN PRIMAVERA

Serves: 6 (main-dish servings) / Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

12 ounces angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti or other favorite long pasta

2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1 1/2 cups fresh asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small zucchini or summer squash (or both), washed, thinly sliced

1 small red pepper, washed, cored, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, sliced

3/4 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 green onions, washed, ends removed, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh snipped basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt. Add the pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans, carrots, asparagus, zucchini and red pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. When the pasta is done, drain it along with the vegetables and rinse lightly with cold water to keep the vegetables from cooking further. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the onion and saute about 4 minutes, or until just tender but not brown. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Stir the flour into the whipping cream and stir into the chicken broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add the cheese and green onions. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more. If the sauce seems too thick, pour some of the reserved pasta cooking water in to thin.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with snipped basil and more shredded Parmesan if desired.

Adapted from www.mixingbowl.com. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

447 calories (42 percent from fat ), 21 grams fat (13 grams sat. fat ), 51 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams protein, 157 mg sodium, 69 mg cholesterol, 5 grams fiber .

LEFTOVERS?

Grilled Chicken Primavera: Cream sauces tend not to reheat well; add more cream or broth when reheating this leftover if needed. Add more vegetables as desired and serve topped with grilled chicken breast strips. You can also use this as a filling for lettuce wraps.