Smoked Salmon Pizzettes by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Flour, for work surface
1 (8-ounce) ball purchased pizza dough
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed, drained, coarsely chopped and dried on paper towels
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions

Special equipment: a 2-inch round cookie cutter

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pizza dough into a 1/4-inch thick round. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 15 circles. Arrange the circles on a heavy baking sheet. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the mascarpone cheese, sour cream and capers until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the mascarpone mixture into the center of each pastry round. Top with a piece of smoked salmon and press gently.

Arrange the pizzettes on a platter and sprinkle with chopped chives just before serving.

Pork Milanese with Creamy Caper & Lemon Sauce by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Creamy Caper and Lemon Sauce:
2/3 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup capers, drained and chopped
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pork Milanese:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 thin-cut pork chops

Directions

For the Creamy Caper and Lemon Sauce: Combine the mascarpone and mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Slowly add the milk, stirring as you go, until all the milk is incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Set aside.

For the Pork Milanese: Combine the flour and the 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a shallow dish and stir together. Crack the eggs into another shallow dish and beat until combined. In a third shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Dip the pork, 1at a time first in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs. Warm the vegetable in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot place the breaded pork in the pan. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a serving platter and serve with the sauce alongside.

Chicken & Orzo Frittata by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

3/4 cup orzo pasta
6 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup creme fraiche
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (about 2 cups)
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and creme fraiche and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are combined. Add the cooked orzo, chicken, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler until golden on top, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with a side salad.

White Hot Chocolate by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
6 cups whole milk
12 ounces white chocolate , finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 block dark chocolate

Directions

Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate into curls; set aside.

Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl; set aside. Place milk and cream in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around edges of pan (about 4 minutes). Do not boil.

Remove mixture from the flame. Immediately pour over white chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, gently stir to combine.

Whisk in vanilla. Continue whisking until light foam forms.

Serve immediately. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Big Boy Bolognese with Papprdelle by Rachel Ray

Ingredients

2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into small dice or ground
1 pound ground sirlion
1 pound ground pork
1 onion, cut into small dice
1 carrot, cut into small dice
2 celery stalks, cut into small dice
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, a couple of sprigs, chopped
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano leaves, 1/3 palmful
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups dry white wine
3 cups beef stock
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup whole milk or cream
1 pound pappardelle or fettuccine pasta
A few handfuls Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more to pass at table
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls, chopped

Directions

In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes. Add the sirloin and pork to the pot and brown 12-15 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and cook, stirring, until softened.

Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram or oregano, stir in the tomato paste for a minute or so then add wine and scrape up all the drippings. Reduce wine by half, 2-3 minutes then stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and thicken sauce 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Add milk or cream and simmer while water comes to boil and the pasta cooks.

When you're ready to serve, bring large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: just before draining reserve 1 cup of starchy cooking water.Drain the pasta and toss it back into the pot it was cooked in, along with the reserved cooking water, about a cup of grated cheese and a couple of handfuls of chopped parsley. Add half the pasta sauce and toss well to coat.

Serve the pasta in shallow bowls, topped with additional sauce. Pass the remaining cheese at the table.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Pie by Cindy Crawford

Ingredients

Crust
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons cold milk

Filling
1 1/4 cups plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups halved strawberries
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
2 tablespoons butter , cut up
2 teaspoons milk

Directions

To make crust, preheat oven to 400°. Mix flour and salt. Measure oil and milk together—don't stir. Add to flour. Make crust on wax paper.

To make filling, mix sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add fruit, stirring to coat. Can set aside in fridge and then drain later. Note: If adding blueberry or peach, add lemon zest.

Fill crust with filling. Scatter butter. Add top crust. Pinch edges and ventilate the top. Brush with milk. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake on cookie sheet for 50 minutes. Can cover edge with tinfoil if cooking too fast.

Allow to cool 1 hour before serving.

Beef Bourguignon by Tyler Florence

Ingredients

Canola oil
4 bacon slices
31/2 to 4 pounds beef chuck or round, cut in 2 3 2-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cognac
1 bottle dry red wine, such as Burgundy
1 (141/2-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Bouquet garni (1 fresh rosemary sprig, 8 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves,  tied together with a strip of leek)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups pearl onions, blanched and peeled
1 pound white mushrooms, stems trimmed
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Directions

Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat; drizzle with a 1/2-count of oil. Fry the bacon until crisp and then remove it to a paper towel; you’ll crumble it at the end and use it for garnish. Add the beef to the pot in batches. Fry the cubes in the bacon fat until evenly browned on all sides; turn with tongs. Season with salt and pepper. (Don’t skimp on this step—it’s key.)

After the meat is browned, put it all back in the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the meat; then stir to make sure the beef is well coated and there are no flour lumps. Pour in the Cognac and stir to scrape up the flavorful bits in the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir to evaporate the alcohol. Pour in the red wine and beef broth; then add the tomato paste and bouquet garni. Stir everything together and bring the pot up to a simmer. Cook until the liquid starts to thicken and has the consistency of a sauce; this should take about 15 minutes. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

Uncover the pot and add the garlic, pearl onions, and mushrooms, along with the pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes longer, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Remove the bouquet garni and then stir in the butter to finish up the sauce.

Bring water to a boil and add 200g of egg noodles cooking until just tender. Drain and toss with unsalted butter, salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Pile onto a plate and top with bourguignon, sprinkle over more parsley and crumbed bacon before serving.

Molten Lava Cake by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Melt chocolate on low flame in a bain-marie (double boiler). When melted take off flame and stir in diced butter until it melts. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.

Butter 4 individual ramekins and then pour in chocolate batter. Cook for about 10 minutes. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

Chicken Caesar Salad by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

4 whole free-range or organic chicken legs, skin on
1 loaf ciabatta bread (about 9 ounces), torn into thumb-sized pieces
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices pancetta or bacon
1/4 clove peeled garlic
4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, plus a few shavings to serve
1 heaped tablespoon creme fraiche
1 lemon, juiced
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 or 3 heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves discarded
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Directions

Place the chicken legs in a snug-fitting roasting pan with the pieces of torn-up bread. Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to make sure everything is well coated, then lift the chicken legs up to the top, so they sit above the bread. Pop the pan into the preheated oven.

After 45 minutes the chicken should be nicely cooked. Take the pan out of the oven, drape the pancetta or bacon over the chicken and croutons, and put back for another 15 to 20 minutes for everything to crisp up. The chicken legs are ready when you can pinch the meat off the bone easily. When they're cooked, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside for the chicken to cool down slightly.

Pound the garlic and anchovy fillets in a pestle and mortar until you have a pulp. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, lemon juice and 3 times as much extra-virgin olive oil as lemon juice. Season dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Pull the chicken meat off the leg bones - you can use 2 forks to do this, or your hands and tear it up roughly with the croutons and the bacon. Wash, spin dry and separate the lettuce leaves, tear them up and toss with the chicken, croutons, bacon and creamy, cheesy dressing. Scatter with some Parmesan shavings.

Old fashioned Chocolate Cake by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup best-quality cocoa
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons good-quality vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream
Special equipment: 2 (each 8-inch diameter) layer tins with removable bases, buttered

Frosting:
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
3/4 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract
Sugar flowers, to decorate, optional

Directions

Take everything out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put all the cake ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into a food processor and process until you have a smooth, thick batter. If you want to go the long way around, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture.

Divide this batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into the prepared tins and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes, but it is wise to start checking at 25 minutes. Also, it might make sense to switch the 2 cakes around in the oven halfway through cooking time. Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins. Don't worry about any cracks as they will easily be covered by the frosting later.

To make this icing, melt the chocolate and butter in a good-sized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you don't want any burning or seizing.

While the chocolate and butter is cooling a little, sieve the confectioners' sugar into another bowl. Or, easier still, put the icing sugar into the food processor and blitz to remove lumps.

Add the corn syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved confectioners' sugar. Or just pour this mixture down the funnel of the food processor onto the powdered sugar, with the motor running.

You may need to add a little boiling water, say a teaspoon or so, or indeed some more confectioners' sugar, depending on whether you need the frosting to be thiner or thicker. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off.

Choose your cake stand or plate and cut 4 strips of baking parchment to form a square and sit 1 of the cakes, uppermost (i.e. slightly domed) side down.

Spoon about 1/3 of the frosting onto the center of the cake-half and spread with a knife or spatula until you cover the top of it evenly. Sit the other cake on top, normal way up, pressing gently to sandwich the 2 together.

Spoon another 1/3 of the frosting onto the top of the cake and spread it in a swirly, textured way (though you can go for a smooth finish if you prefer, and have the patience). Spread the sides of the cake with icing and leave a few minutes until set, then carefully pull away the paper strips. Decorate with sugar flowers before serving.

Chocolate Cheesecake by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

Cheesecake base:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon cocoa

Cheesecake filling:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped small
2 1/2 cups cream cheese
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Sauce:
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dark corn syrup
Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the base, process the graham crackers to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tip them into the pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.

Put a kettle on to boil.

Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the cream cheese to soften it, then add the sugar and custard power, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and melted chocolate and mix to a smooth batter.

Take the springform tin out of the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of cling wrap, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath.

Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about half way up the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

Peel away the foil and cling film wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the refrigerator once it is no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with plastic overnight. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.

To make the chocolate sauce: very gently melt the chopped chocolate, cream and syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and pour it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate.

Chocolate Caramel Crispy Cakes by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients

4 (2-ounce) chocolate candy bars (recommended: Mars Bars or Milky Way)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups crunchy sweetened corn cereal (recommended: Cornflakes)
40 mini muffin papers

Directions

Break the candy bars into bits and drop them into a saucepan. Add the butter and melt, over lowish heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula. When everything is melted (the nougat-like layer takes the longest to go), tip in the cereal and turn them, with your rubber spatula, in the chocolate mixture until they are all pretty well coated.

Fill the mini muffin papers with the mixture and put in the refrigerator, on a small sheet pan or tray, for at least 1 hour.

Thai Sticky Chicken by Rachel Allen

Ingredients

1.3kg/3lb chicken drumsticks and thighs
2 red chillies, seeds removed, chopped
2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled, roughly chopped
1 lemongrass stalk, tough outer leaves removed, soft inner core roughly chopped
15g/1oz fresh coriander, roughly torn, plus extra leaves to serve
2 tbsp soft light or dark brown sugar
100ml/3½fl oz lime juice (about 2 limes)
3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

Directions

Using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the chicken drumsticks and thighs and place them in a wide bowl or large resealable food bag.

Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend to a rough paste. Alternatively, pound the chillies, ginger, garlic, lemongrass and coriander using a pestle and mortar and then stir in the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.

Pour the mixture over the chicken, turning the chicken around to coat in the marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film or seal the bag and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight if possible, turning the chicken around occasionally.

Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30-40 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and arrange in a single layer in a roasting tin. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is golden-brown and the meat is cooked and starting to come away from the bone. (The chicken is cooked if the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at its thickest part.)

Arrange the chicken pieces on a warm serving platter and place the roasting tin on a medium heat on the hob. Pour in the reserved marinade and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping up the sticky bits from the bottom of the tin, until the sauce is thickened and sticky.

Pour the sauce over the chicken, scatter with coriander leaves and serve.