Cannoli Cream recipe

Sorry for the long absence. We were out of town for a little over a week, out of country to be exact! We enjoyed our little vacation :) You should go on one to recharge and hopefully be stress-free while away. Since I'm in a good mood, I decided to post something sweet ;)

There is nothing wrong with shortcuts, I welcome them if they will make my life easier! We are gonna do Cannoli Cream two ways and having store-bought cannoli shells and pie crust surely cuts preparing time more than half! But hey, if you really want to, go knock yourself out and make your own cannoli shells and pie crust. No one's stopping you.

I've used both regular size and mini cannoli shells. You'll see pictures of both below the recipe. By the way, cannoli is plural of cannolo/cannolu. The more you know..

Printable Recipe

Cannoli Cream

Cannoli

For the Filling
ingredients:
• 32 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1¹⁄3 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Grand Marnier orange liqueur
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
other ingredients:
• cheese cloth
• 24 mini cannoli shells, store-bought
• powdered sugar for garnish
• cocoa powder for garnish
• mini chocolate chips for garnish

instructions:
1)  Place a strainer over a bowl then place a cheese cloth over the strainer. Add the ricotta cheese and fold the edges of cheese cloth over the cheese. Put a salad plate over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let strain in the fridge 1 day prior to making the cannoli.
2)  The next day, transfer the strained ricotta into a bowl. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, orange liqueur, and cinnamon; whisk until smooth, but avoid overmixing. Place a plastic wrap directly on the filling and chill for at least 4 hours.
3)  Fold the chocolate chips into the filling. Scoop some filling into a zip top bag, seal the bag, and cut off one corner tip.
◘ tip: The hole should be fairly small -- big enough to let chocolate chips pass through but not so small that chips clog the hole.
4)  Pipe filling into the cannoli shells. Garnish the edges with mini chocolate chips. Spoon a bit of powdered sugar and cocoa powder in a small strainer and dust this mixture over the top of cannoli.
◘ note: Save the rest of the filling to make the pie (recipe follows). Place a plastic wrap directly on the filling and refrigerate until needed (2 days max).

Cannoli Cream Pie with Nutella
ingredients:
• leftover cannoli cream filling
• 9-inch frozen regular pie crust, store-bought
• ¼ cup Nutella

instructions:
1)  Preheat oven to 325° F.
2)  Put Nutella in a small bowl (or keep it in the measuring cup) then place this bowl over another bowl of hot water. Replace hot water when it starts to cool until Nutella softens.
◘ note: I placed the Nutella on top of the stove as the oven is located under it. The heat was enough to soften the Nutella.
3)  Give the leftover filling a final stir, then pour filling into frozen pie crust.
4)  Transfer softened Nutella into a small zip top bag, cut a small tip off one corner, and pipe this onto the pie -- decorating it however you like.
5)  Place the pie over a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes.
◘ note: The pie will rise in the last 10-15 minutes, but it will return to normal as it cools.
6)  Transfer the pie to a cooling rack, let cool for 1 hour. Put the cooled pie in the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours before cutting into it.

Cannoli
        

Cannoli Cream Pie with Nutella
   

Smokey Israeli Couscous recipe

"Better than Texas de Brazil's couscous!", according to my husband. He does not lie. He ignores the couscous at the salad bar, but whenever I make this couscous he makes sure everything is scraped out of the pan. Absolutely none wasted!

Texas de Brazil's couscous is on the citrusy side of the flavor spectrum, and it's one of my favorite side dishes from there. Is my couscous better than theirs? You decide :)

Printable Recipe

Smokey Israeli Couscous

ingredients:
• 1 cup Israeli/pearl couscous
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped (about 4-5 halves, packed in oil & Italian herbs)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1¼ cup unsalted chicken stock (Kitchen Basics)
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped + more for garnish

instructions:
1)  Heat oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning the shallots.
2)  Add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, and couscous; cook for 1 minute.
3)  Add chicken stock, salt, ground black pepper, and cilantro; give it a stir.
4)  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and put the lid on. Simmer for 10 minutes, giving it a stir at the 5 minute mark.
◘ note: Don't worry about the bottom being stuck to the pan halfway through simmering.
5)  Turn off the heat after 10 minutes but do not remove the lid. Let stand with the lid on for 5 minutes. The browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan will loosen up after the rest period.
6)  Give couscous a final stir, scraping up the bottom of the pan. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves.
   

Loaded Golden Mashed Potatoes recipe

I think most of us are familiar with Loaded Mashed Potatoes that you get at restaurants. I said "most of us" because there are those who follow different types of diet, me included. No, I'm not a vegetarian or vegan; I'm simply an omnivore. But when it comes to side dishes, if steamed broccoli is available then that's what I'll have; other than that, regular mashed potatoes will do if nothing else on the menu interests me. I really don't know what loaded mashed potatoes taste like. I mean obviously I see potatoes, some bacon bits, and shredded cheese -- I can imagine what that taste like. Do I know the rest of the ingredients exactly? No. So I decided to make my own version, using my Simply Heavenly Mashed Potatoes recipe as a guide.

My husband loved this version!
"I could eat this all day! But I'm going to save some.. so I can have it again tomorrow!" His exact words.

I don't know about you, but we love a few grinds of black pepper on our mashed potatoes before devouring it. I think it may be the aroma of freshly ground black pepper that we love, or simply the taste. Who knows.

Printable Recipe

Loaded Golden Mashed Potatoes

ingredients:
• 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & chopped
• ¼ lb prosciutto, chopped
• ½ cup heavy cream, scalded
• ½ cup half & half, scalded
• 1 stick unsalted butter, divided use
• 2 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/8 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided use
• freshly ground black pepper
• chopped chives for garnish

instructions:
1)  Put potatoes in a pot and add cold water just enough to cover them.
◘ tip: Make sure the potatoes are uniform in size for even cooking.
2)  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.
◘ tip: Leave the lid slightly ajar if the lid doesn't have a vent hole to let steam escape. Use a fork to check for doneness, not a paring knife.
3)  Drain the potatoes; set aside. In the same pot, add the prosciutto and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir constantly.
◘ tip: Cook the prosciutto longer if you desire crispy bits; stirring constantly to prevent it from sticking to the pot too much and being careful not to burn them.
4)  Transfer prosciutto to a plate. Add the potatoes back in the pot and turn the heat on to the lowest heat setting.
5)  Add half of the butter, half of the scalded dairy, 1 tsp salt, and some pepper. Mash a little bit using a potato masher.
6)  Add the rest of the butter and scalded dairy, cream cheese, sour cream, prosciutto, 1 tsp salt, and some more pepper. Mash again just enough to get the rest of the ingredients incorporated.
◘ tip: Do not overmash. Switch to a spatula or a wooden spoon if you need to stir the potatoes a little more.
7)  Garnish with chopped chives.
     

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Shrimp recipe

This pasta dish is a lot lighter than my Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon recipe. Just because it feels lighter in the tummy, doesn't mean compromising the flavor! I think I actually like this better -- the shrimp may have played a part in that decision. If you want yours to have a little bit more sauce, use a total of 2 eggs and 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, and salt to taste. Speaking of eggs, use pasteurized eggs if you think raw eggs are sketchy.

For extra flavor, you may drizzle shrimp with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 400° F for 8 minutes. I just chose to boil the shrimp because I didn't want to add another thing to wash after dinner. I boiled the shrimp first, then used the same pot for cooking the pasta. Ha, I thought it was genius. Oh, don't forget to serve this dish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a few grinds of black pepper. It really makes a difference.

Printable Recipe

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Shrimp

For the Shrimp
ingredients:
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• water

instructions:
1)  Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt and shrimp, give it a stir. Cover the pot and turn the heat off. Let shrimp sit in hot water for 2 minutes. Drain shrimp and set aside.

For the Pasta
ingredients:
• ½ lb spaghetti or thin spaghetti
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• water

instructions:
1)  Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt and pasta, give it a stir. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Before draining pasta, save ¼ cup of pasta water; set aside.

For the Sauce
ingredients:
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ lb pancetta, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped + more for garnish
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper + more for serving
• 1 egg
• ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

instructions:
1)  Beat egg and Pecorino Romano cheese in a bowl, set aside.
2)  Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add pancetta, saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook for 30 seconds.
3)  Add pasta to the pan and turn the heat off. Add salt, ground black pepper, parsley, and egg-cheese mixture. Toss a few times to get the egg-cheese mixture incorporated with the pasta a little bit. Pour in the reserved pasta water and continue to toss until it reaches desired consistency.
4)  Turn on the heat to low. Add the shrimp and toss for 1 minute to heat the shrimp through.
5)  Put a serving in a dish or bowl. Serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, few grinds of black pepper, and garnish with chopped parsley.