FFwD Dressy Pasta “Risotto”

AKA Fancy mac and cheese!   I enjoy risotto and was slightly disappointed when I read through the recipe to find out it’s everything but.  But man do I LOVE mac and cheese.  Like LOVE.  It is just the definition of comfort food.  This fancier version might now be my go to for mac and cheese.  I normally make a roux, dump some cream in, melt the cheese and add the pasta.  This was SO much easier.  Dorie calls for chicken stock – lucky for me I made chicken stock earlier in the day.  I had chicken parts in the freezer and was looking to free up some space.  It’s getting colder here at the beach thanks to snow storm Hercules, so homemade soup will be happening later this week.  The local fish market is having a HUGE sale on clams so I’m also thinking clam chowder is going to happen in the very near future.  The perks of living at the beach!

Back to that risotto … Onions, butter, chicken stock, pasta, cream, fresh grated parmesan and mascarpone.  MMM. Dorie.  It’s like you wrote this recipe just for me.  Taking one of my favorite things to eat, making it fancy AND it’s a one pot wonder.  Gah! I served mine up with some pork chops (thanks for the chops, Mom!) and greens.

This was a hit all around.  I will make this again that is for sure.  Check out what the other Doriesters are doing with their dressy pasta risotto here.

Now I will stay indoors all day.  It’s cold here!

So pretty!

Update — Beach snow photos! 🙂

Apple Turnovers

So over the weekend I made the compote de pommes as part of French Fridays with Dorie.  The bonne idee for the compote was to use it in some turnovers/hand pies.  What a bonne idee it was.  And so stinking EASY. The compote was super easy to begin with and why not make two things out of one recipe?  Consider me sold.

Thaw the puff pastry, roll it out and cut some circles.

Stuff this with some compote, close it, crimp it and add a little egg wash for shine.

Let it do it’s thing in the oven for 20-25 minutes and boom.  Turnovers/handpies.

So simple! The puff pastry had a lightness to it but still buttery and delicious.  The apple filling is simple and tasty.  Personally, I enjoyed this turnover cold.  There’s something about cold applesauce and that buttery crust that makes me happy.  Now, what else can I stuff in these?!

French Friday with Dorie – Compote de Pommes

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in a French Friday with Dorie recipe. I could list excuses but I’m not going to.  I’ll just get back in it! I love reading the posts the others in the group share and the camaraderie this group has created and I’ve missed contributing to it.  This past Friday’s FFwD recipe is Compote de Pommes two ways.  That is applesauce for you who don’t know the lingo.  There is a straight forward recipe and the second one is a thicker, gussied up version with butter.  I opted for the first go at it and will make the turnovers tomorrow for a fancy breakfast.

Apples, peeled, cored and chopped up.

About halfway there.

Dorie suggests milling, pushing the apples through a sieve or leave them whole. I don’t have a mill, no patience for the sieve and I don’t like an overly chunky applesauce. To the food processor it goes!

Finished compote de pommes.

I took a taste. Delish.  I didn’t add the butter or vanilla, which were optional.  I thought this was good as is.  The compote is now chilling in the fridge waiting to be tucked in some puff pastry and enjoyed as a hand pie.  But Dorie also suggests adding some creme fraîche and enjoying it as a delicious dessert.  Perhaps I’ll do both.  Perhaps I’ll try to nestle this in to something for thanksgiving … Hmm… Posts to come!

Check out the other FFwD compote de pommes posts from fellow bloggers!

PS – It feels good to be back to FFwD! 🙂