by Avery Aames
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Grilled Cheese, Apples & Onions
(PER EACH SERVING)
2 slices of bread, your choice
2 tablespoons butter
1–2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
1/4 Granny Smith green apple, peeled (4–6 slices)
1–2 tablespoons chopped red onions
2 ounces (approximately 6–8 thin slices) white Cheddar cheese
Butter each slice of bread on one side. Spread the cream cheese on the other side of the bread.
Spread mustard on the cream cheese.
To assemble: Now comes the tricky part. In order to construct this without everything falling out, it is easier if you set one of the pieces of bread, butter side down, on the grill (whether stovetop or panini maker—see below). Then top with apples, onions, and cheese. Top with the other piece of bread. Okay, proceed . . .
If cooking on a stovetop: Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Set the sandwich on the skillet (as instructed above) and cook for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the sandwich, using a spatula, and cook another 2–4 minutes. You can compress the sandwich with the spatula. Turn the sandwich one more time. Press down with the spatula, and remove from the pan. Let cool about 2–3 minutes, and serve.
If cooking on a panini or sandwich maker: Set the sandwich on the griddle (construct as mentioned above) and then slowly lower the top. Cook for a total of 4 minutes. Remove from the griddle and let cool 2–3 minutes, then serve. Beware, the inside ingredients might ooze out the sides. If the lid is too heavy, you might want to consider resorting to the stovetop method.
[Note from Charlotte: I was introduced to this grilled cheese sandwich while at the brain trust event. I mentioned it to Delilah, and now it is a regular offering on the Country Kitchen menu. The mustard and red onion makes the sandwich so savory. The apple pops with a delicious sweetness. Enjoy!]
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Penne with Tomato-Vodka-Cream Sauce
À la Jordan
(SERVES 6)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 28-ounce can mini-diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons vodka (*I use Grey Goose)
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (10 grinds of peppermill)
12 ounces penne, raw (about 4 cups cooked)
Extra Parmigiano Reggiano for garnish
Extra parsley for garnish
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic and paprika in the extra-virgin olive oil until the garlic sizzles, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes (including the juices) and the vodka. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid tilted slightly, or use a screen top so extra moisture escapes, and cook to reduce the sauce, about 10–15 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, cream, salt, and pepper. Simmer to integrate the cream, and reduce the sauce a bit more, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
Meanwhile, make the pasta according to package directions. Rinse in a colander with warm water.
To serve, divide pasta among four to six bowls. Top with sauce and extra Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a sprig of parsley.
Serve warm.
[Note from Jordan: This is my mom’s recipe. She wasn’t Italian, but when she was a girl, she fell in love with Italian food. As a teenager, she apprenticed in an authentic Italian restaurant. Later, she taught everything she learned to me. At The White Horse, I want to share these flavors with my customers. I’ll still give them what they expected from Timothy O’Shea and his terrific pub menu, but I hope to open their eyes and hearts to new food experiences.]
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Bacon Olive Cheddar Quiche
(SERVES 6)
4–6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
1/4 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
10–12 black or Greek olives, pitted and sliced in half
1 9-inch pie shell, baked (*see below) and cooled
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Pre-cook bacon. I like to microwave for no mess. To do so, on a plate, set a large piece of paper towel. Place 4–6 strips of bacon on top. Cover with another paper towel. Microwave on high for 3–4 minutes until very crisp. Let cool, then crumble into small bits. Set aside.
In a saucepan, heat cream and milk on medium-high for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs and seasonings. Add the eggs slowly to the hot cream and milk, stirring constantly. Stir in the shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, and sliced olives.
Pour the mixture into an unbaked pastry shell. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the custard is golden and set. It shouldn’t “jiggle.”
[Note from Charlotte: If you’d like this recipe to be gluten-free, all you have to do is switch out the pie shell. The ingredients are gluten-free. I’ve found some great frozen gluten-free pie shells at the store. Here are two recipes, below: one for regular pastry dough; the other for gluten-free pastry dough.]
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Pastry Dough for Quiche
(MAKES 1 PIE SHELL)
1 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
6 tablespoons butter or shortening
2–3 tablespoons water
Put flour, salt, and white pepper into food processor fitted with a blade. Cut in 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening and pulse for 30 seconds. Cut in another 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening. Pulse again for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with 2–3 tablespoons water and pulse a third time, for 30 seconds.
Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a ball using your hands. Wrap with wax paper or Saran wrap. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the covering. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a countertop. Place the dough on top of the parchment paper. If desired, cover with another large piece of parchment paper. This prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out dough so it is ¼-inch thick and large enough to fit into an 8-inch pie pan, with at least a ½-inch hang over the edge.
Remove the top parchment paper. Place the pie tin upside down on the dough. Flip the dough and pie tin. Remove the parchment paper. Press the dough into the pie tin. Crimp the edges.
Bake the pastry shell for 5–10 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
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Gluten-Free Pastry Dough Recipe
(MAKES 1 PIE SHELL)
1 1/4 cup sifted gluten-free flour (* I use a combination sweet rice flour and tapioca starch; you can use store-bought like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur gluten-free flour)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
6 tablespoons butter or shortening
2–3 tablespoons water
Put gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, salt, and white pepper into food processor fitted with a blade. Cut in 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening and pulse for 30 seconds. Cut in another 3 tablespoons of butter or shortening. Pulse again for 30 seconds. Sprinkle with 2–3 tablespoons water and pulse a third time, for 30 s
econds.
Remove the dough from the food processor and form into a ball using your hands. Wrap with wax paper or Saran wrap. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and remove the covering. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a countertop. Place the dough on top of the parchment paper. If desired, cover with another large piece of parchment paper. This prevents the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Roll out dough so it is ¼-inch thick and large enough to fit into an 8-inch pie pan, with at least a ½-inch hang over the edge.
Remove the top parchment paper. Place the pie tin upside down on the dough. Flip the dough and pie tin. Remove the parchment paper. Press the dough into the pie tin. Crimp the edges. [Note: Gluten-free dough, unlike regular dough, has a tendency to break. Don’t worry. Use a little water and with your fingertips press back together. Nobody will see the bottom of the quiche.]
Bake the pastry shell for 5–10 minutes until lightly brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
***
Pine Nut Carrot Quiche
(SERVES 6)
1 frozen 9-inch ready-made pie shell (regular or gluten-free)
2 cups shredded carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder (if you prefer, you can use 2 cloves real garlic, chopped finely)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove pie shell from the freezer and thaw for ten minutes. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for 7–10 minutes, until lightly browned.
Remove crust from the oven to cool.
Peel the carrots and chop finely, or if you have a Cuisinart or food processor, peel and chop the carrots, and then add to the Cuisinart and shred. So easy!
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on medium-high. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic powder (or garlic cloves, chopped), chopped carrots, salt, white pepper, and sage.
Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Stir in pine nuts.
In a small bowl, mix Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. In another bowl, whisk milk and eggs together.
Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese mixture on the cooled piecrust. Top with half of the carrot–pine nut mixture. Add ½ cup cheese mixture and then remaining carrot mixture. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese mixture.
Don’t worry—I didn’t forget the milk mixture.
First, place the pie pan on a sheet pan. Carefully pour in the milk mixture.
Bake for 40 minutes. Check. If necessary, cook another 5–10 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool slightly before cutting.
[Note from Charlotte: If you prefer to make a homemade pie shell, see recipe choices on pages 286 and 287. No matter what, savor the combination of the nuts with the carrots. This is a perfect quiche for the Thanksgiving holiday. Its autumn flavors are divine.]
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Peanut Butter Quiche
Gluten-Free or Regular *
(SERVES 6)
4–6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
1 cup milk
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked (*see below) and cooled
2 green apples, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup shredded Havarti cheese
Pre-cook bacon. I like to microwave for no mess. To do so, on a plate, set a large piece of paper towel. Place 4–6 strips of bacon on top. Cover with another paper towel. Microwave on high for 3–4 minutes until very crisp. Let cool, then crumble into small bits. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine eggs, milk, and nutmeg in a mixer bowl. Turn up speed to medium-high and whip 30 seconds more.
Add peanut butter. Mix on medium-high until well combined, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle bacon evenly in the bottom of a pie shell. Layer the sliced apples on top of the bacon. Pour egg–peanut butter mixture over both, and sprinkle with Havarti cheese.
Bake at 350°F for 25–35 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
[Note from Charlotte: I know, you’d never have thought to add peanut butter to a quiche, and neither would I, except I was in a playful mood and hoping I could stump my sweet grandfather when he wanted to taste one of the quiches we prepare at the shop. And this one did. He picked up on the peanut butter and the bacon, but he missed the apples, which add such a nice flavor to this dish. This can be served as an entrée or dessert quiche.]
[Second note from Charlotte: If you’d like this recipe to be gluten-free, all you have to do is switch out the pie shell. I’ve found some great frozen gluten-free pie shells at the store. Or use the GF pastry dough recipe on page 287 and omit white pepper.]
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Cheddar-Chocolate Stracciatella Ice Cream
À la the Igloo
(SERVES 6)
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons espresso coffee (brewed, liquid)
3/4 cup sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup Tillamook sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar, or your favorite dark chocolate
In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook whipping cream, espresso coffee, ¼ cup of sugar, salt, and evaporated milk. Cook for 3–5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form around the edges. DO NOT BOIL.
Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup sugar and egg yolks. Stir well. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly.
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, until tiny bubbles form again. DO NOT BOIL.
Remove the pan from the heat. Cool at room temperature and then set in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and churn for a half hour.
When the consistency of the ice cream is like soft-ice, melt the chocolate. Here’s how: Chop the chocolate and put into a microwave-safe small bowl. Set the bowl in the microwave. On medium-low, zap the chocolate for about 30 seconds at a pop, stirring in between; this usually takes 1–2 minutes.
Pour the chocolate very slowly into the ice cream as it churns. When the hot chocolate hits the cold ice cream, it will solidify into small pieces.
Freeze the ice cream per your ice cream maker suggestions.
[Note from Charlotte: I adore ice cream. The salty-sweet combination of the Cheddar and chocolate is delicious. A scoop or two, and it’s a perfect afternoon as far as I’m concerned.]
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Caramel Cheesecake
(SERVES 8–12)
1 pound (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/4 cup rice flour or tapioca starch or corn starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 egg whites (no yolks!)
1/2 cup MORE sugar
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers (*for gluten-free version of dessert, use gluten-free graham crackers)
2 tablespoons butter
&nbs
p; whipped cream, if desired
Caramel sauce ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
To make the caramel sauce:
Open the can of sweetened condensed milk and set the can in a saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water to halfway up the side of the can. Turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and let the condensed milk cook for about 2 hours, until it turns a warm brown color. [Make sure you don’t run out of hot water around the can; replenish if it starts to get too low!] Using tongs or mitts, remove the can from the saucepan and let cool. [This can be made a day ahead. Keep at room temperature.]
To make the cake:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix ricotta cheese, rice flour, xanthan gum, egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt until well blended.
Add cream cheese and sour cream and mix well.
In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, mix separately: egg whites (with no egg yolks in them) and the other ½ cup sugar until egg whites form a soft peak (about 6–8 minutes).
Fold the egg white mixture gently into the cheese mixture.
In a springform pan, set ½ cup crushed graham cracker cookies. [Note: if you want to ensure this is gluten-free, use gluten-free graham crackers.] Drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter and press with your fingertips to create a “crust.” Now drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the caramel sauce in concentric circles.
Pour cheese mixture on top of the graham cracker crust.
Bake for 60–75 minutes. Turn OFF the oven. Let the cake STAND IN OVEN for 2 hours so the cheesecake will set and not droop.
When ready, remove cake from oven and run a knife between the cake and the springform pan, then pop open the springform spring and remove the cheesecake from the pan.
