Crayfish Timbale with Asparagus

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Serves 2

Ingredients:
A  dozen green asparagus spears
3 eggs
1/2  cup chopped onions
Zest of 1 lime
1/2 pounds cooked crayfish tails
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, for taste

 

For the Hollandaise Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1 teapsoon water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 

Directions:
For the Hardboiled Eggs: Place 2 eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and set aside 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, cool in ice water and peel.Coarsely chop the eggs  and place in a small bowl; add onions, salt and pepper and set aside.

To  make the Hollandaise Sauce: Pour 1-inch of water into a large saucepan; over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low.

Place egg yolks and 1 teaspoon water in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until mixture lightens in color, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and whisk for another 30 seconds.

Place the mixture over the simmering water and whisk constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, or until there is a clear line that is drawn in the mixture when you pull your whisk through, or the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the bowl from over the pan and gradually add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and whisk until all of the butter is incorporated. Place the bowl back over the simmering water occasionally so that it will be warm enough the melt the butter. Add the salt and lemon juice. Hold in a heat proof measuring cup or a  thermos to keep warm.

For the Asparagus:  Trim the woody ends and cook the asparagus in salted water for 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the asparagus and cool and set aside.

Using a  ring mold or cookie cutter, place place in the center of a plate. Add the   egg mixture inside the ring and cover with  the crayfish. Place six asparagus spears along side the timbale.  Garnish with Hollandaise sauce and  zest and serve.

 

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Mezzaluna Pasta with Spring Vegetables

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This is a fresh and elegant spring dish that you can whip up in no time with the availability of fresh made pasta that can be found in most supermarkets these days.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:
One bunch green asparagus
8 ounce  package fresh peas
Two 8-ounce packages of fresh mezzaluna pasta
1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped white onions
1 Tablespoon  minced garlic
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces. Cook the asparagus and peas for 3 minutes. Add the mezzaluna and cook for 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and vegetables and set aside.

While pasta and vegetables cook, zest the lemon. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and garlic until soft, 2 minutes. Add the butter, pasta, peas, asparagus and lemon zest and  gently stir until butter is melted and pasta and vegetables are coated with sauce, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

 

TODAY.com Parenting Team FC Contributor

Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Sauce

 

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Do not let the title of this recipe fool you. This dish is really a soup that brings out the best flavors of a homemade stock. You can serve it as a light lunch or it  can start off your dinner menu as a first course.

Serves  4 to 6

Ingredients:
Green Pasta Dough (Click Here for the Recipe)

For the Broth:
1 pound  white asparagus, trimmed
5 cups rich chicken stock
One 3-inch rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1 large bay leaf

For the Filling:
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
1/4 cup Mascarpone Cheese
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems removed
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
A pinch of salt

Special Equipment:
A pasta machine

Directions:
Make broth and filling while dough stands, coming to room temperature.Cut off asparagus tips, then halve each tip lengthwise and reserve.

Bring stock, cheese rind and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then add asparagus stems and cook, uncovered, until stems are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer stems to paper towels and cool slightly. Reserve the broth and set aside.

To make the filling: Purée asparagus stems in a food processor with grated Parmesan, Mascarpone, bread crumbs, parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place the filling in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the ravioli:Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap, then pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle and generously dust with flour.

Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Feed rectangle, a short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, a short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times, folding dough in thirds and feeding it through rollers, a short side first each time, dusting with flour to prevent sticking.

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Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding, a short side first. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until the second- or third-narrowest setting is used. Do not roll too thin or pasta will tear when filled.Mario Batali's Green Pasta Dough Recipe Text | Rouxbe Cooking School

Put the pasta sheet on a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a long side nearest you. Drop 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 10 inches apart in a row down center of right half of sheet. Brush pasta around mounds of filling lightly with water, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds.

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Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.)  Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, or a cookie cutter, cut the pasta between mounds, roughly 2-inch squares. Line a large shallow baking pan with a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling, transferring to lined pan.

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To cook the ravioli and asparagus tips:Bring a pasta pot of salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. Bring reserved broth to a simmer, then simmer asparagus tips, uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Season broth with salt, then divide broth and asparagus tips among 6 shallow bowls, discarding cheese rind and bay leaf. Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

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Lift the cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to  serving bowls  filled with  the broth. Repeat with remaining ravioli Garnish with shaved Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, if desired and serve immediately.

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Cook’s Notes:
The filling and broth, without asparagus tips, can be made 1 day ahead. Chill separately, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Wonton wrappers can be used instead of fresh pasta, if time is of the essence.