November 12: Bacon-Wrapped Beef Supper Salads

4 slices bacon
4 1-inch-thick beef tenderloin steaks
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling the steaks

SALAD
3 tablespoons EVOO, plus some for drizzling
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 romaine lettuce heart, chopped
2 cups chopped arugula
4 plum tomatoes, halved and cut into half-moons
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and thinly sliced

16 caper berries, for garnish
16 large good-quality olives, for garnish
   Crusty bread

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Line up the bacon on a meat-safe cutting board and center a steak across each slice of bacon. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then wrap the steaks in the bacon. Do not overlap the bacon, just let it travel around the meat like a stripe on a barber pole. Add a generous drizzle of EVOO to the pan and add the steaks. Cook the bacon-wrapped steaks for 4 minutes on each side, or until the bacon is crisp and the meat feels like it is just beginning to firm up. Let the meat rest for 5 minutes.

While the meat is working, in a salad bowl, combine the shallot with the mustard and vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes.

Whisk in the 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a slow stream. Add the lettuce, arugula, tomatoes, and artichokes and toss to combine. Season the salad with salt and pepper and divide among 4 plates.

Slice the meat on an angle into 4 slices per steak. Arrange the meat on the salad and serve with the caper berries, olives, and bread.

4 SERVINGS

This is one of Rachael Ray's "Super Supper Salads." It was pretty good. I liked the balsamic dressing. The veggies were good (but the lettuce was a little bitter), and the meat was good. I cooked it a little longer than called for because I don't like my meat rare. I used mock tenderloins, and I think I like them better than real ones (gasp). Something about the tenderness of the steak ruins the flavor. I think it tastes like liver. Anyway, I really liked this salad. The bacon just makes it better. :)

November 11: Lemon and Artichoke Risotto with Shrimp

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups warm chicken stock (keep over low heat on the stovetop)
1 pound small peeled, deveined shrimp
   Zest of 1 large lemon
1 15-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
   A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
   Dark green salad

Preheat a deep, sloped skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, garlic, and onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, add the rice, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the wine and cook away, 1 minute. Add a few ladles of the warm stock, just to cover the rice. Stir frequently and continue to ladle in stock until the rice is cooked al dente, and the risotto is very starchy, about 22 minutes total cooking time. Add the shrimp about 15 minutes into the cooking process. Stir in the lemon zest, artichokes, and rosemary.

Add the peas in the last minute or two. Stir in the cheese, adjust the pepper, and serve with the chopped parsley.

4 SERVINGS

This was a good version of the risotto. It is the second variation. I used jumbo shrimp, coarsely chopped, instead of the small shrimp because that's what I had on hand. The flavors worked really well together.

November 10: Zucchini Pizza

   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

2 pizza dough rolls from a tube, such as Pillsbury brand

   Coarse salt and coarse black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

8 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 medium to large zucchini

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle EVOO on one large or two small cookie sheets, then roll out the dough. It's already in a rectangular shape; just pat it out a bit. Poke with the tines of a fork, season with salt and pepper, and place in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with the garlic. When you remove the dough, cover it evenly with the ricotta cheese. Top the ricotta with a layer of mozzarella cheese, then return it to the oven on the center rack and cook until golden, 12 to 13 minutes more.

Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Trim the ends off the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise, no more than 1/4 inch thick. Trim a sliver off the skin on one side if you need to make the zucchini more stable while you slice it. Fill the dry skillet with a single layer of the zucchini strips and cook for 5 minutes, turning once. Remove to a cutting board and repeat.

When all of the zucchini is cooked, pile a few slices at a time into stacks. Cut the cooked zucchini across into thin sticks. Pile the sticks together and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the sticks across the pizzas in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking time.

Serve large squares of the pizza hot from the oven. Ah, Roma!

4 SERVINGS, 1/2 PIZZA EACH

RR says: "This is a pizza I discovered on a trip to Rome as I wandered the side streets with my mom. It became such a favorite of mine that, on a return trip I made in the cold late fall, I think I ate hot, half-kilo blocks of it every day for a week. This is my at-home version. I love the feeling of giant slices of this hanging from my mouth. It really brings me back to Roman Holidays." I must not have read this recipe very well. It really doesn't even look like I followed the instructions. The store was out of the pizza dough tubes, so I bought the already-baked crusts. They're so much easier, and I didn't have to do the first step of baking them. I just warmed them for a couple minutes. I didn't read the part about cutting the zucchini into slices lengthwise, so I just julienned them. I guess that worked too. The pizza is really pretty good, but I think it could do with some more veggies... like more zucchini or some tomato sauce instead of ricotta. The garlic does make the ricotta taste better, though. Not so bland.

November 9: Scotch and Wiild Mushroom Risotto

4 cups warm beef stock (keep over low heat on the stovetop)
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped
16 shiitake mushroom caps, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup really good Scotch
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
   A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
   Dark green salad

Steep the dried porcini mushrooms in the warm beef stock to reconstitute.

Preheat a deep, sloped skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, garlic, onions, portobello and shiitake mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms darken, then season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the Scotch and cook away, 1 minute. Add a few ladles of the warm stock, just to cover the rice. Stir frequently and continue to ladle in stock until the rice is cooked al dente, and the risotto is very starchy, about 22 minutes total cooking time.

When all the beef stock is added, remove the tender porcini mushrooms, coarsely chop the porcini mushrooms, and stir into the risotto. Stir in the cheese, thyme, and parsley and serve.

4 SERVINGS

RR says: "John, my sweetie, loves my wild mushroom risotto, which I used to make with a little brandy in it. John loves Johnny Walker like a brother, so I make his risotto with Scotch - more than a little, too. (Sadly for him, the alcohol cooks off. However, the smoky flavor left behind is great with the earthy mushrooms. To the wise: The better the Scotch, the deeper the effect.)" This risotto was pretty tasty. I didn't have any Scotch, and I didn't want to buy a huge bottle of it, so I used the vermouth that I had in my cabinet. I guess it did the trick.

November 8: Mexican Tomatillo Stoup with Chorizo

3/4 pound chorizo, casings removed, diced
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds diced peeled Idaho potatoes
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced, washed, and drained
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 jalapenos, fully seeded and very thinly sliced
1 cup Mexican beer or chicken stock
2 tablespoons EVOO
20 tomatillos, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock or broth
1 cup grated Manchego cheese

Saute the chorizo in a tablespoon of EVOO to start the stoup.

Remove with a slotted spoon and cook the potatoes, onions, and leeks in the renderings.

Add the garlic and jalapenos and cook for another minute or two. Add the beer or first cup of stock and cook off. Add the tomatillos, cilantro, just a little salt (you'll get a lot from the chorizo), and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

Place the chorizo back in the pot. Add the remaining quart of stock and crank up the heat to a boil, then reduce to low and adjust the seasonings. Serve with the crushed chips and grated Manchego to garnish.

4 SERVINGS

RR says: "A stoup is thicker than soup and thinner than stew." I made this for the potluck at church because I knew my husband wouldn't like it. But we wound up taking most of it home as leftovers. I liked it, except that it was very spicy. I had to put a lot of tortilla chips in there. I didn't have any Manchego cheese, so I left it out.

November 7: Boo-Sotto

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Arborio rice
2/3 cup barley
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups warm chicken stock (keep over low heat on the stovetop)
1 pound ground veal or turkey
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
   A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
   Dark green salad

Preheat a deep, sloped skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, garlic, and onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, add the rice and barley, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Add the wine and cook away, 1 minute. Add a few ladles of the warm stock, just to cover the rice and barley, then drop the ground meat in small bits. Wash up.

Stir frequently and continue to ladle in stock until the meat is cooked, the rice and barley are cooked al dente, and the risotto is very starchy, about 22 minutes total cooking time. Stir in the cheese, adjust the pepper, and serve with the chopped parsley.

4 SERVINGS

Rachael Ray says: "This is a risotto my mom and I created for my dog Boo. As she got older, she needed a careful balance of carbs and meat: mostly carbs (that's my girl!) Mom and I would eat as much as Boo. Now that she has gone on, we eat this in her honor."
I know this looks like dog food, but it's really not that bad. I don't think the veal was necessary. It is just a glorified hamburger helper, so ground beef would have sufficed.

November 6: Mexican Pasta with Tomatillo Sauce and Meatballs

   Coarse salt
1 pound fettuccine

MEATBALLS
   Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 pound ground pork or chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon allspice
   A few dashes of hot sauce
   Coarse black pepepr

SAUCE
2 tablespoons EVOO
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, fully seeded and very thinly sliced
1 cup Mexican beer or chicken stock
20 tomatillos, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Manchego cheese
   Crusty bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt the water and cook the pasta al dente.

While the pasta works, add a generous drizzle of EVOO to a mixing bowl. Place the meat in the bowl. Add the egg, bread crumbs, cilantro, the thyme, scallions, allspice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine. Form 2-inch meatballs and arrange on a rimmed nonstick cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Heat a deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the garlic, onions, and jalapenos.

Cook for 5 minutes, add the beer or stock, and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatillos and the cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender and saucy, about 10 minutes.

To serve, toss the drained pasta with the sauce and meatballs and the Manchego cheese. Ole! Pass crusty bread for mopping.

4 SERVINGS

Rachael Ray says: "Tomatillos look like green tomatoes, but they're not. They are related to gooseberries and they are sour to taste. This dish is a funky, fun twist on spaghetti and meatballs. It's crazy - crazy good!" My husband and I have never had tomatillos before, and we know now that we don't like them very much. This pasta sauce was pretty sour. The meatballs and the pasta were pretty good otherwise. I couldn't find any Manchego cheese, so I used Parmesan.

November 5: Sausage, Fennel, and Tomato Soup with Triple-Cheese Toast

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 softball size firm yellow onion, sliced
1 thinly sliced fennel bulb
4 garlic cloves, crushed
   Salt and white pepper
1 cup white wine
2 cups beef stock or broth
1 28-ouce can crushed tomatoes
8 1-inch-thick pieces of crusty bread
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1 cup shredded Provolone cheese
1 cup shredded Scamorza cheese (smoked, firm mozzarella)

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and brown the sausage.

Remove with a slotted spoon. Slice and drop the onions, fennel, and garlic into the pot as you work. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the sausage back, deglaze the pan with the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Preheat the broiler.

Char the bread under the broiler on each side.

Mix the grated cheese and cover the bread with the cheese. Return to the broiler and melt. Serve shallow bowls of soup with a gooey, cheesy floater on top and a second piece of cheese toast alongside, for the second half of the bowl.

4 SERVINGS

This is the variation on the triple onion soup. I like it much better. The broth has a good flavor and the sausage adds a lot. Instead of Provolone and Scamorza, I used 2 cups of an Italian blend, and I used the smoked Gouda instead of Fontina. I liked this cheese toast a lot! (No harvest grain this time.) I put the toast on the side instead of on top of the soup and just dipped it a little at a time so it didn't get too soggy.

November 4: Turkey Tacos

1 package super-size taco shells, such as Old El Paso or Ortega brands
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package ground turkey breast
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 cup beer or chicken stock
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 romaine lettuce heart, shredded
2 firm plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup green olives with pimiento
1 cup salsa verde, green chili salsa, or your choice of salsa or taco sauce

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place 8 large taco shells on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 6 to 7 minutes, until crisp but not brown. Remove.

Meanwhile, heat a large  nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO. Add the turkey and break up with a wooden spoon. Season the meat with salt and pepper and poultry seasoning. Add the garlic, onions, and raisins to the meat, then season with the chili powder and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the beer or stock and deglaze the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Fill the shells with a couple of spoonfuls each of meat sauce. Top with the cheese and return to the oven to melt, 3 minutes. Top with the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and salsa verde, green chili salsa, or your pick of salsa or taco sauce. Serve.

4 SERVINGS, 2 TACOS EACH

RR says: "This one is fun for kids, like me. Serve as is, or accompany with black beans or refried beans and plain or flavored rice, prepared according to the package directions." Her tidbit is: "The golden raisins keep the meat moist and balance the spice. You don't even notice them once they are plumped and cooked." I completely disagree. The raisins were very noticeable and very out of place. Other than that, these tacos were really good. I didn't read the part about melting the cheese in the oven, so we skipped that part. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway, because I couldn't find the super-sized taco shells.

November 3: Triple-Onion Soup with Triple-Cheese Toast

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 softball size firm yellow onions, sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 leeks, trimmed, cut into half-moons, then washed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
   Salt and white pepper
1 cup white wine
6 cups beef stock or broth
8 1-inch-thick pieces of crusty bread
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded smoked Gouda cheese

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium-high heat. Add the EVOO, then the butter. Slice and drop the onions, shallots, and leeks into the pot as you work. Add the thyme, salt, and white pepper.

Cook for 20 minutes, or until the yellow onions are soft, lightly golden all over, and sweet. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute, then add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.

Preheat the broiler.

Char the bread under the broiler on each side. Mix the grated cheese and cover the bread with the cheese. Return to the broiler and melt.

Serve shallow bowls of soup with a gooey, cheesy floater on top and a second piece of cheese toast alongside, for the second half of the bowl.

4 SERVINGS

This soup was very weird. I don't think I'd ever make it again. There were just too many onions, and the broth didn't taste very flavorful. The onions were not cooked right either. The toast was good, but I used some nutty kind of bread (harvest grain, I think), and it would have been better with just white bread. I used Swiss instead of Gruyere (it's much cheaper). The toast was better out of the soup.