Plated: Fusilli alla Caprese

Something we love to do on a relaxing weekend afternoon is to grab a glass of wine and watch our favorite chefs make their dish of choice on Food Network or the Cooking Channel.  One Saturday we were watching reruns of Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis and caught this easy to make, light and refreshing Italian dish, and we are so happy we did. This is a simple but delicious week night dinner that can make a great lunch the next day too!  

One tip is to plan ahead and swing by your local artisan cheese shop to get the freshest buffalo mozzarella you can. At our shop, Artisan Cheese Gallery they also had a tantalizing Pecorino Toscano from Tuscany that we grated on top rather than your traditional parmesan.

Ingredients for Fusilli alla Caprese:

1 lb fusilli pasta (we used gluten free pasta)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 

12 oz. fresh Mozzarella, cubed

1/4 cup Pecorino, freshly grated (we used Pecorino Toscano but Romano is fine)

1/2 cup packed fresh basil, julienned

3 tbs olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Rinse tomatoes and basil and cut accordingly. Set aside. Cube the mozzarella into about 1/2 inch cubes. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up, until ready to add to the pasta.
2. Bring a large pot of salt water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Do not overcook the pasta because you don’t want it falling apart while incorporating the other ingredients in the other pan. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and let cook until the tomatoes have softened. Once soft, smash the tomatoes with a fork to release the juices. Cook for another 4 minutes until the tomatoes have turned into a chunky style sauce. 
4. Remove skillet from heat and add the pasta directly into the pan. Be sure to include about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to keep the pasta moist. Add the mozzarella and basil and toss to combine. 
5. Add the Pecorino and a light drizzle of olive oil with a few baby basil levels as garnish.
6. Eat and Enjoy. 

Plated: Beer Steamed Mussels + Basil Sweet Potato Fries

One of our monthly pleasures is hitting up our local gastro pub, Laurel Tavern, for their amazing ale steamed mussels with a side of fries and a few craft beers and laughs. Since we enjoy this so much we decided to take a shot at this delicate dish ourselves. The key to any dish, especially mussels, is to get the freshest ingredients as possible. So, plan on buying your mussels the day you are putting on your culinary cap, other then that have fun.. 

Number of Plates: 2

Ingredients for Beer Steamed Mussels:

2 lb mussels, scrubbed and bearded

1 tbsp olive oil

8 fl oz / 1 cup beer of choice (we used an organic lager, an ale would  work well too)

1/2 stick butter, chopped into cubes

2 heads of shallots, finely chopped

1 loose cup arugula

3 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 sprigs of thyme

1/2 cup extra arugula for garnish

1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, for dipping (we grilled ours for flavor)

Ingredients for Basil Sweet Potato Fries with Blue Cheese Aioli: 

10 oz frozen sweet potato fries (or enough for two)

7 large leaves of basil, julienned

3 tbsp mayonnaise (we used vegenaise, either will work)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp crumbled blue cheese

1 quarter of a lemon, squeezed

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt to taste, for the fries

Tools needed:

1 large saucepan, with cover

1 medium saucepan

whisk

strainer

tablespoon measure

chef’s knife

cutting board

bottle opener

baking sheet

Method:

1. Soak mussels in ice water for about 1/2 hour, then scrub and de-beard mussels. Return mussels to a fresh, ice water bath until ready to cook. Discard any partially open mussels prior to cooking, they are most likely dead and inedible.
2. Finely slice shallots, cube butter and julienne basil leaves. Set aside.
3. For the aioli: add mayonnaise (vegenaise), olive oil, blue cheese, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until a smooth consistency. 
4. Follow the directions off the bag of the frozen fries. The mussels will only take about 5 minutes to cook from beginning to end so the trick is getting the fries to be done right as the mussels are finishing up. Preheat the oven and put the fries in on the baking sheet accordingly.
5. Heat the large saucepan over high heat until very hot. Add the oil, shallots, garlic, mussels, thyme and bay leaves and quickly toss. Add the beer then cover and let steam for about 3 minutes or until the mussels begin to open. Uncover, add the arugula, and toss thoroughly. 
6. While the mussels are cooking, get the medium saucepan ready by heating it over a high heat. Strain the mussels and add the liquid to the medium saucepan. Return the mussels to the large saucepan (removing the mussels that did not open and discarding them). Cover the mussels and keep warm. Bring the liquid from the mussels to a boil and let cook for another minute. Then, add the butter and whisk until all has melted. 
7. The fries should be golden brown and done. Place the fries and basil in a bowl with salt and toss to coat. Then, place the mussels in your serving bowls and pour over the beer and butter sauce. Sprinkle over some more fresh arugula, serve immediately, and enjoy.  

Note: using a wide flat bottomed serving bowl will make it easier for the mussels to remain submerged in the sauce, getting the most flavor in each bite!

Our mussels came out absolutely delicious. We think you will find our recipe is similar in taste to a wonderful light white wine flavor. We think the next time we do this dish, which will be soon, we will use a Belgian white beer (unfiltered wheat beer) or perhaps a Hoppy IPA to add some more bold flavor. 

Keep in mind this is our first post and we are still learning how to share our experiences and new tastes through this blog. Any suggestions or comments are always welcome. Just shoot us an email at platedandtasted@gmail.com