THE BUDGET GOURMET

Carpaccio di Salmone

pronounced: car-PAH-cho dee sal-MOH-neh
Raw cured salmon salad




Carpaccio is traditionally a dish of raw meat or fish (such as beef, veal, venison, salmon or tuna) generally thinly sliced or pounded thin and served as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 salmon fillet (skin-on OK)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp capers
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 sprigs flat parsley (optional)
Lemon or Orange slices (optional)

Method:

1. Season salmon generously with kosher salt and ground pepper on both sides.
2. Refrigerate salmon 24 hrs, flipping it in it's brine every so often.
3. Freeze salmon fillet.
4. While frozen slice paper thin on a bias.
5. Arrange slices on platter.
6. Dress with a little olive oil
7. Top with capers and onion slices
8. Garnish with parsley, lemon slices or orange segments (optional)

Variations

Use fresh tuna or even trout.
Top with parmigiano shavings.
Serve on a bed of arugula or mesclun greens.
Add a few oil-cured olives.
Add to a tomato-wine cream sauce at the last second and toss with penne.


Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Insalata Caprese

pronounced:in-sah-LAH-tah cah-PREH-seh
Tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella salad
Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil. In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto (first course), not a contorno (side dish).
Like many other mixed salads, insalata caprese is sometimes called insalata tricolore, tricolore referring to the three colors of the Italian flag.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1-2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• Whole fresh basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Method:
1. Stack sliced tomato with mozzarella first, then basil leaf
2. Dress with olive oil
3. Season with salt and fresh cracked pepper

Variations:
Garnish with oil cured olives.
Add prosciutto or anchovies and their oil.
Makes a great sandwich on focaccia or ciabatta bread.

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons or more olive oil
2 garlic cloves, or to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup roasted red peppers
A good dash of cumin or more to taste
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

In a food processor combine garlic, beans, tahini, cumin and/or cayenne, salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and water if necessary & process until smooth.
Add red peppers and process until desired consistency is obtained. Add a little water if still too dry.
Garnish with parsley and lemon, cumin and/or cayenne.
Serve with hot pita bread, bruschetta or other crusty bread.

Variations:

Make with canned or soaked chipotle peppers, olives, spinach, artichoke hearts, different spices etc.
Substitute sunflower seed butter for the tahini.
Sprout the chickpeas to amke a RAW hummus.


Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Rustic Garlic Bruschetta

pronounced: Brew-SKEH-ttah

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf rustic bread like ciabatta, boule',baguette or other crusty European style bread
• 1 clove or more of fresh garlic per slice
• Olive oil
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Assorted toppings such as tomato and fresh basil, red onions, artichoke hearts, olives, roasted red peppers, white beans and tuna, wilted greens, store-bought bruschetta topping, salsa, tapenade, etc. (but very delicious justt by itself).

Method:

1.Slice bread 3/4 to 1 inch slices.
2.Toast in toaster, hot oven, or grill.
3.Briskly rub toasted bread with a fresh clove of garlic on both sides,
4.Drizzle with olive oil.
5.Season with salt and pepper.
6.Top with additional toppings if desired.


Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Focaccia

pronounced: foh-KAH-cha
Makes 5-7 focaccias

Ingredients:

• 4 cups bread flour
• 4 cups very warm water
• 1 Tbs or 1 packet instant dry yeast
• 1/4 cup salt or less to taste
• 1/4 cup olive or other shortening

Method:

Mix ingredients in a large bowl making a batter. Cover with plastic or a wet towel and place in a warm spot for about 40 minutes to an hour until visibly fermenting with plenty of bubbles.
Add more flour in increments of a cup or a little more at a time, fold in well by rotating the bowl and working from the sides inwards with a large spoon or spatula, trying not to deflate or over mix the dough. You should allow some resting time in between adding the flour (20 minutes or more on average) using up to 4 cups or a little more to achieve roughly a ratio of 2 parts flour to one part water (this will make a very 'slack' or wet dough, if you find this too difficult to work with, just add or dust with more flour).
After adding all the flour to achieve a dough that will start to come off the sides of the bowl, replace plastic or towel, put back in a warm spot and ferment until at least double in size. Afterwards, pour dough unto a clean smooth surface generously dusted with flour. With a dough cutter or other tool, fold dough in three - letter style. Allow dough to rest and repeat this step a couple of times while incorporating a little more flour. Allow another resting period before cutting and portioning dough. You should be able to make 6 to 8 pieces at least, depending on the focaccia size you wish to obtain.
After cutting, allow a final resting and rising period (about 1/2 hour) and then you are ready to bake it in a very hot oven (450° to 550° F.) which you will have preheated at least one hour ahead of time.
If using a peel/paddle and baking stone/tiles, dust paddle with flour then shape dough by pushing with your fingers into a flat shape. If using a sheet-pan lightly grease it, then follow procedure as described above: by shaping the dough right unto the sheet-pan.
Top with favorite toppings and herbs (thinly sliced apples, potatoes or pears; tomatoes, onions, garlic, olives, artichoke hearts, olives, roasted or raw red peppers, rosemary, oregano, cayenne or pepper flakes, cheese or whatever you wish) season w/salt and pepper drizzle with olive oil and you are ready to bake.
If using a paddle or peel slide right unto hot stone/tiles, otherwise just place sheet-pan in oven.
Bake anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes depending on temperature and kind of oven, until bottom crust is well done and the top a golden color.

Variations:

You can also make one or two full-size rectangular loaves in a sheet pan, depending on the size of the pan. Using this method you should grease the pan well and do the final rise right in it before baking, just like you would for a Sicilian-style pizza. The same dough can be used to make rustic ciabatta bread (pronounced: cha-BAH-tah) and pizza.

Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet