Shrimp and Prosciutto Penne Pasta

When it comes to carbs, I am the queen...  And when it comes to pasta, I'm an addict.  I'm a certified pasta junkie.  I'd have it every day and for every meal if I could...  Tomato sauce, cream sauce, butter, doesn't matter.  I love, love, love it.  One of my favorite comfort foods of all time is a pasta dish, and most people would cringe when they heard it involves a sauce that's like a creamy gravy, maybe some bacon, and a ton of cheese that I call "Slop."  I'm not joking when I say that I'm kinda a fan of pasta.

All that being said, why it took me so long to do this recipe...  I have no idea.

It has all of my favorites...  Cream sauce, cheese, prosciutto, basil, garlic, and of course pasta...  And it's thrown all together in less then 10 minutes.  The only mild catch for me was the shrimp, not because I don't like it, but I have a totally irrational fear of not cooking it properly.  A part of me is always mildly amazed that my entire household doesn't come down with food poisoning after I cook seafood.  I think my son subconsciously realizes this as it's one of the only foods he just won't touch.

Anyway, this recipe is a dream in every way, a complete and total home run.  I

love how quickly it came together and how completely foolproof it is.  Seriously, it's pretty much impossible to mess up.  It also looks beautiful when served.  I was very surprised that the creamy sauce didn't wash out the flavors of the prosciutto or the basil, or even the shrimp.  This is light and fresh, not your typical heavy creamy pasta.

I will say, if I were to make this again, I'd probably only use about a half a pound of pasta, or I'd double the shrimp, garlic, and prosciutto so that there was more of it distributed in the pasta.  I like a nice, meaty sauce, and I love my prosciutto, so that may be just my preference.  I also think a little splash of fresh lemon juice or maybe some zest would take this pasta to the next level.

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Shrimp and Prosciutto Penne Pasta

As is served at Grand Floridan Cafe, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

 

°o°  1 pound penne pasta 
°o°  2 tablespoons olive oil

°o°  1 tablespoon chopped garlic

°o°  10 ounces medium-sized shrimp

°o°  1/2 cup chopped prosciutto

°o°  1/2 cup white wine

°o°  1 cup heavy cream

°o°  1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

°o°  1/4 cup fresh chopped basil 
°o°  1/4 cup diced fresh tomato

Cook until pasta until al dente and drain.  Set aside and keep warm.

Warm olive oil in a large skillet or stock pot.  Add garlic, shrimp, and prosciutto and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until shrimp are pink, firm, and slightly opaque.  Add white wine and simmer for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add cream and cheese and gently fold in pasta until proscuitto and shrimp are evenly distributed throughout pasta.  Toss in tomatoes and basil and serve immediately, garnished with additional basil, tomatoes, and cheese.

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Grapefruit Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I've been dancing around doing this recipe for a long time...  While I'm a big fan of cakes, I really don't make them all that often.  They always seem like a major commitment in time and I have this abnormal fear of messing them up.  Plus, I don't have the patience to wait until they're cooled all the way before frosting them.  I know this all sounds utterly ridiculous, but it's true.

But this cake...  Something about this cake sounded so, so good.  I know it has a huge, devoted following of people who swear this is the greatest cake at Disney.  And researching this cake was actually pretty fun.  It's been on the menu forever, and it's gone through numerous updates and changes, so it was neat to see how it's evolved over the years.  I was pretty excited to give this recipe a try.

The downside to a cake that has such a long history is that it has numerous recipe variations (all of which are official), and a lot of them suffer from being scaled from Disney's massive batches to a single batch for the home chef.  The recipe I used is the most recent available and it came out flawlessly in terms of taste, but unfortunately, in order to get 4 layers (like they serve now), it really needs to be doubled.  The recipe as-is (and the way I'm sharing it), is only enough for two, maybe three very, very thin layers.  While this is almost exactly like it used to be served, now it's served with 4 layers. 

I have to say, for somebody who doesn't make cakes, I'm pretty proud of how this turned out.  It's so light, fluffy, and fresh tasting, really unlike any cake I've ever had.  It's spring on a fork.  I did use pink grapefruit because, for some strange reason, I couldn't find white anywhere...  But I love, love, love the color contrast that the pink grapefruit gives, and I know it's not unheard of for it to be served using pink grapefruit at the Brown Derby.  The cream cheese goes brilliantly with the airy cake and the sweet grapefruit, and it's deliciously creamy, without being gooey.  I'm not sure why, but I was so terrified this would fall apart when I sliced it, but it held together brilliantly.  All the little elements of it just meshed together beautifully. 

Had I to do over again, I'd probably keep the pink grapefruit, but I'd double the

recipe (including frosting) and divide it evenly between two pans (or cook this recipe twice) so I'd be able to get those extra layers, and use way more grapefruit.  I was also reminded of how much I hate to frost cakes.  I had way better luck frosting the inside and then frosting the sides and tops after I had my layers assembled.  Not sure if this is the right way to do it, but hey...  It's what I did.  And, for the record, I didn't use the food coloring.

I can completely see why this dessert has stood the test of time and survived several updates to the Brown Derby menu.  It's exotic and clean-tasting, relatively easy to make (though it is time consuming), and it looks really dramatic when sliced and garnished with the pink grapefruit.  This for sure is going into the recipe file I crack out when I want to impress people with my cooking awesomeness.

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Grapefruit Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

As is served at The Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood Studios

 

Grapefruit Cake
°o°  1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
°o°  3/4 cup granulated sugar

°o°  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

°o°  1/2 teaspoon salt

°o°  3 large eggs, separated

°o°  1/4 cup water

°o°  3 tablespoons grapefruit juice

°o°  1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

°o°  1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
°o°  1 can (16 ounces) grapefruit sections, well drained, dried

Cream Cheese Frosting

°o°  2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

°o°  1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

°o°  1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

°o°  1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

°o°  6 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan.  Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and lightly grease, if desired (not necessary with a springform pan).  Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks (reserve egg whites), oil, water, juice, and lemon zest until smooth.  Combine into the flour mixture, stirring until just moistened.  

In a third bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.  Using a rubber spatula or folding tool, fold stiff egg whites into batter until just blended.  Pour into prepared pan.  Tap down pan to help larger air bubbles to rise and ensure the mixture is evenly distributed.
 
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, or a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If using a cake pan, invert cake over a wire rack to cool, leaving the cake in the pan.  When cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully remove it from pan.  If using a springform pan, run a knife around the edges of the cake, release the springform mold, and cool inverted on a wire rack.  

Using a serrated knife or cake layer cutter, cut the cake horizontally into 2 layers, making sure both layers are even.  
 
Prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating cream cheese until fluffy, adding lemon juice and zest, and gradually adding sugar until blended, as well as food coloring (if desired).

To frost the cake, spread cream cheese over the bottom half of the cake and top with 2/3 the grapefruit slices.  Cover with second layer and frost the top and sides.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Before serving, garnish the cake with remaining grapefruit segments, cut, and serve.   

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Guinness Stew

I know I've had a far larger gap in my posts then I anticipated or wanted...  Unfortunately, I've been sick with the cold/flu/plague to end all cold/flu/plagues.  All I've wanted to do for the last 17 days is lay on the couch and wallow in misery...  And honestly, that's pretty much what I did.  And despite the fact that it's spring (sort of, anyway), all I've wanted to eat lately is soup.  Bowl after bowl after bowl of soup. 

I won't lie, being so sick has kept me almost entirely out of the kitchen, so my soups have been a from-the-can masterpieces, though I finally did venture out from under the blankets to try and come out from my medication-induced fog to make a soup from Disney.  I blame it on being sick and having to see Twitter update after Twitter update of people in EPCOT for their Flower and Garden Expo, but I just missed cooking and Disney so much that I needed a food related fix.  And even though I know this is so not a spring recipe, it's either soup or nothing for me right now.

I chose a nice, easy recipe from Rose and Crown...  Something that looked great and was fairly low-effort to put together.  And it had both beef and beer, so really, what is there to not love about this?  Granted, this is a stew and not a soup, but it is utterly soul-pleasing, especially for those of us who are sick and suffering from EPCOT homesickness.  Plus, I needed a good excuse to buy some good beer.
 

Besides totally hitting the spot, this dish is ridiculously easy to put together, makes the house smell amazing, and makes a fairly decent amount.  I really changed nothing, though I do think I let it simmer a bit longer as I was expecting it to thicken up a bit more then it did initially.  I know at Rose and Crown, they sometimes put a bit of mashed potato in the center of the bowl and top it with a cheese crisp...  But that was a little more commitment then I was willing to give.  That said, I bet it would have tasted awesome.  

But I'll let the recipe do all the talking, both because the dish is really that heartily delish, but after spelling "cheese" as "schese" it's evident I need either less cold pills or more sleep.  Or maybe more stew...

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Guinness Stew

As is served at Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room, England Pavilion, EPCOT

 

°o°  2 pounds sirloin steak, cubed
°o°  1/2 cup flour

°o°  2 tablespoons olive oil

°o°  2 bay leaves

°o°  1 clove garlic, chopped

°o°  1 cup yellow onion, diced

°o°  1/2 cup carrots, peeled and diced

°o°  1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

°o°  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
°o°  1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

°o°  1 cup Guinness Stout

°o°  4 cups beef broth

°o°  course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Put steak and flour in a plastic, resealable bag.  Seal and shake vigerously to coat the meat.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a large stockpot: add steak (reserving remaining flour in bag) and cook over medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally.  Add bay leaves, garlic, onions, and carrots, and cook about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Sprinkle in remaining flour, cook 1 minute while stirring constantly.  Add thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes.  

Slowly stir in Guinness Stout, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze the pan.  Stir until smooth, thickened, and bubbly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer gently for 5-10 minutes.  

Slowly add beef broth and bring mixture to a boil.  Boil about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour, allowing stew to continue to thicken and reduce by over 1/3.  Before serving, remove bay leaves.  

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Universal Chef Update

Happy April Fools!

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They Should Make This at Disney - Maple Creme Brulee Cupcakes

I know that I just did one in my "They Should Make This at Disney" series, but when I came across this one, I couldn't help myself.  I had to make it.  I found the recipe that inspired this dish on Pinterest...  Because Pinterest is the single greatest time wasting website of all time...  And then I adapted it to be more Disney.

Creme Brulee is one of those Disney dessert staples that people obsess over.  I've seem creme brulee crawls on various food blogs, people pleading on forums for the location of the most insanely delicious creme brulee, people mourning the retirement of a creme brulee from various restaurants...  The Disney creme brulee is practically a dining institution.  Just a quick Google search and I've found 21 different creme brulee offerings from around the World.  I have to admit, it's

I don't even think I need to talk up the Disney cupcake.  I mean, seriously, everybody knows that Disney does the best cupcakes in the world.  

My inspiration was Le Cellier...  If Le Cellier went the route of Be Our Guest and served high-end cupcakes.  My favorite creme brulee on property has to be the maple version at Le Cellier, so it seemed only natural (for me at least) to blend that with a cupcake.  Granted, Le Cellier doesn't use creme brulee mix, but hey...  I've never made the stuff before.  I've got to start somewhere, and I don't feel courageous enough to try a creme brulee from scratch yet.

To say these came out stunning is an absolute understatement.  They were pretty easy to make, the result was so gorgeous to look at, and the taste was out-of-this-world.  This is, for sure, the grown up version of cupcakes that I dare say cupcake haters may even like.

I have to admit, I came so, so, so close to garnishing this with a piece of brown sugar bacon...  But I decided against it.  However, if I were to do it over again (and who am I kidding, I totally will), I'd add the bacon.  I think that would make this such an incredible, unique, dessert that it'd be impossible to not be addicted to.  And the next time I make it, I'm going to overfill the creme brulee part a bit.  When I broiled the tops to get that nice, crunchy topping, the tops of the cupcake got very browned.  Surprisingly, it didn't taste burned at all, but it made the crystallization process a bit touchy for my taste...  This is one of those occasions where I wished I had a culinary torch. 

May I also say, I was really pumped that I am finally able to use my amazingly awesome cupcake accessories.  My Dad got me a cupcake corer for Christmas and I've been dying to use it, but I haven't had a chance to make anything where I'd use it.  Considering that cupcakes are one of my favorite things ever and I used to make them pretty much every week, I lay the blame for this pretty squarely on the fact that I'm trying to diet and train for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  I'm fairly sure that even the most liberal of runner's diets don't include cupcakes.  

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Maple Creme Brulee Cupcakes

Original recipe by The Disney Chef

 

Cupcakes

°o°  3/4 cup butter, room temperature 
°o°  1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

°o°  3 eggs

°o°  2 teaspoons baking powder

°o°  1/4 teaspoon salt

°o°  2 teaspoons vanilla

°o°  2 3/4 cups flour

°o°  1 1/3 cup milk

Creme Brulee

°o°  2 cups milk

°o°  2 cups whipping cream

°o°  4-6 teaspoons maple extract

°o°  2 3.7 ounce boxes creme brulee mix

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat together butter and sugar until well incorporated.  Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Add baking powder, salt and vanilla.  Add in milk and flour, alternating between the two to ensure batter doesn't become too watery or too tough/dry.  Pour mixture into lined muffin tins, filling each muffin liner 2/3 to 3/4 full.  

Bake for 24-27 minutes or until the cupcakes are slightly browned and the tops are slightly firm.  Allow to cool in muffin tin for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool another 30 minutes.

Using a cupcake corer or spoon, scoop out the center of the cupcakes, leaving about a half-inch on all sides and the bottom of the cupcake.  Set aside.


In a saucepan, combine milk, whipping cream, and maple extract (amount to taste).  Whisk in creme brulee mix ONLY (not sugar topping) and warm mixture just to boiling.  When mixture begins to thicken, quickly spoon into hollowed centers of cupcakes.  Fill them to the top, if not very slightly over (mixture will sink as it cools) so that the creme brulee is contained in the hollowed center, but not spilling down the top.  

Allow to cool at room temperature about an hour.  Refrigerate another hour, if desired.

Preheat broiler.  Top cupcakes with the sugar mixture from the creme brulee mix and allow to broil about 4 minutes, or until mixture has hardened and caramelized, but not burned.  Serve.  

Store leftovers in fridge. 

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Tostadas de Tinga

Every once in awhile, I get a recipe directly from Disney that I get really pumped to try.  Even though I've been sitting on this recipe for a year, this was one of those recipes I wanted to try so badly.  Not exactly sure why I waited so long...  But whatever.  Later is better then never, right?

Of course, at every available turn, I did my best to try to mess this recipe up as thoroughly as possible.

A little about this recipe...  It comes from San Angel Inn, one of my favorite (if not very favorite) restaurants.  Being a fan of almost nothing in this dish (my hatred of refried beans is well documented and I regularly go through "I hate chicken" phases), I tried it under duress, expecting to want to spit it into my napkin.  I was very happy to discovered that I love, love, loved it and regretted that there were only 3 on the dish, and that I had to share.  When I got home from Disney, I searched online and found nothing by way of a recipe, nor was it in any of my books.  So I reached out to my Disney source and, 3 months later, I had the recipe, directly from the chef himself.

 For reasons I can't quite explain, I've been obsessed with making this recipe recently, and I finally gave it a whirl.  And then I managed to make a ton of stupid little mistakes.  First I bought black beans instead of refried black beans...  They were next to each other on the shelf, I grabbed the wrong one.  Sigh.  Then I had a tough time with the chicken...  I didn't let it cook long enough, so instead of fork-tender, it was kind of rubbery.  Double sigh.  I accidentally added too much water to the sauce and had a bear of a time seasoning the chicken because I didn't let it cook in the marinade long enough.  Then, the biggest error, I bought verde sauce, which was mind-blowingly spicy, instead of using guacamole.  Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking there. 

In the end, despite my numerous mistakes, it actually came out really well and tasted almost the same as what they serve at San Angel.  Even the chicken was good after I let it cook for longer.  Probably won't make the verde sauce mistake again, though.  Yikes.

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Tostadas de Tinga

As is served at San Angel Inn, Mexico Pavilion, EPCOT

 

Marinated Chicken
°o°  8 oz chicken breast 
°o°  1/2 oz diced onions
°o°  4 garlic cloves, chopped
°o°  16 oz water

°o°  3 oz chipotle paste

°o°  3 oz tomato puree 

°o°  salt and pepper to taste

Tostadas 

°o°  8 oz cooked chicken (see above)

°o°  4 small corn tostadas (or corn tortillas, cut with a round cutter to slightly larger then chip size)
°o°  4 oz refried black beans, warmed

°o°  2 oz queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese

°o°  1 oz guacamole

°o°  2 oz sour cream

In a large pot with water, boil chicken.  Once cooked, cool down the chicken and shred.  Set aside.

Saute onions in a saucepan until they are caramelized.  Add garlic.  Add water, chipotle paste, tomato puree, and chicken.  Cook over medium for 30-40 minutes and salt to taste.

In a sautee pan with a thin layer or oil, fry corn tortillas until crunchy (step not needed if using small tostadas...  They should be crunchy already).  Allow to drain on paper towels.

To assemble, spread layer of warmed refried black beans on tostada.  Add shredded, cooked, marinated chicken.  Top with drizzle of guacamole, sour cream, and top with cheese.  Serve immediately. 

 

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