Cooking for Ukraine with Chef Alba - Supporting World Central Kitchen

To register for this online cooking classes go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cooking-for-ukraine-with-chef-alba-supporting-world-central-kitchen-tickets-299096093467?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

Join Chef Alba for an online cooking demonstration. All funds collected will be given directly to World Central Kitchen to support Ukraine.

About this event

Recipes included are Chicken Kiev with Roasted Garlic Butter and Potatoes Ukraine style. All funds collected will be given directly to World Central Kitchen. The World Central Kitchen team is distributing nourishing food and fresh meals across the region, including in Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. The meals World Central Kitchen serves are primarily based on local recipes.

About Chef Alba: Chef Alba is a cooking instructor, a personal chef, cookbook author, recipe writer, editor and tester, and a food blogger with over 18 years of experience. Born in Naples, Italy and raised in Tunisia, North Africa, she gained practical knowledge of traditional techniques and ingredients which she shares with her students and clients. Alba’s expertise is in Regional Italian, Moroccan, Greek, Turkish, and other Mediterranean Cuisines. Alba is currently teaching virtual adult cook along classes for Howard County Parks and Recreation, various other venues, and privately. She also teaches in person cooking classes in Annapolis for Whole Foods. Alba has appeared on FOX DC, CBS DC, and PBS Virginia performing live cooking demos. She also conducts culinary trips to Umbria and Tuscany in the Spring and Fall of each year. Alba is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).

About World Central Kitchen: World Central Kitchen has provided tens of millions of fresh, nourishing meals for communities around the world. Your donation today will be used to support their emergency food relief efforts and resilience programs in Ukraine.

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Spaghetti al Vino Bianco e Arugula

Spaghetti al Vino Bianco e Arugula 

1 pound dried spaghetti

3 ounces minced pancetta 

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil                                                        

2 cups dry white wine, divided

Salt

Black pepper

Red pepper flakes

1/3 cup heavy cream                                      

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese, more for topping               

5 ounces baby arugula, roughly chopped

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, roughly chopped

15-20 pitted black olives   

Add 5 quarts water to large pot, add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt; cook over high heat.  When water comes to a full boil, add the spaghetti and until al dente. Note:set aside 1 cup of pasta water before straining.

In a large skillet, add the pancetta; cook over medium heat until crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add the garlic and the oil to skillet; sauté on medium-low heat until barely golden.  Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of wine to skillet with garlic. Raise heat to medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes or until wine has reduced by half. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

When the pasta is ready, strain and transfer to the skillet with the garlic. Add another ½ cup of white wine to skillet; cook until the wine has been fully absorbed, tossing the spaghetti constantly.   Add the cream, the grated cheese; toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Use pasta water if too thick: add a little at a time. Finish by adding the crispy pancetta, arugula, and pine nuts and fold to combine.   Top with the black olives. 

  

Country Side of Orvieto where the grapes grow

 Those who love good food know how to appreciate it, especially in the simplest forms. With just a few easy steps, you can prepare this delicate and elegant recipe. My white wine of choice is the Orvieto White.  You can use a Pinot Grigio if you prefer.

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Honey Dew and Crispy Prosciutto

Honey Dew and Crispy Prosciutto

1 small ripe honeydew melon cut in bite-size cubes
½ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

¼ pound paper thin sliced Prosciutto di Parma

3 tablespoons chopped arugula

Dressing:
5 tablespoons Secolari Arbosano extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Secolari Pear or Blueberry balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon plain honey
Secolari fleur de sell

Freshly ground black pepper

Place the prosciutto in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook until prosciutto is just crispy, turning only once.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the dressing except the arugula. Whisk well to combine.

Arrange the melon on a platter, add the Gorgonzola and crumble the prosciutto. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel.  Drizzle the platter with oil, then honey, and balsamic vinegar.  Add the chopped arugula on top. Serve immediately. 

Prosciutto

Refreshing, cool, crispy, sweet, savory, fruity... just a few adjectives to describe this recipe. You can certainly use any extra virgin olive oil and balsamic you like, however the products I used was for a cooking class at Secolari.. and can I say, it was quiet in the house while clients savored this dish. If you like to order Secolari products go to https://secolarievoo.nrostores.com/

Secolari Artisinal Oils and Vinegars

This is a great dish to serve as an appetizer or side for picnics, a summer BBQ, wedding showers, birthdays, and other special occasions. 

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Zucchini Arugula Yellow Squash Frittata

Zucchini Arugula Yellow Squash Frittata

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 small zucchini
2 small yellow squash
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups baby arugula
Kosher salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 large eggs
1/2 cup Romano or Parmesan Grated cheese
1/2 - 1 cup grated Fontina cheese

Fresh Arugula

Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Butter a baking pan on all sides

Sauté the zucchini and yellow summer squash in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 10-14 minutes or until the vegetables are partly golden.  Do not overcrowd the pan if you want to avoid watery vegetables. (Cook in 2 skillets or cook in 2 batches). Add the garlic, arugula, season with salt and pepper; add red pepper flakes and oregano cook for a minute. Transfer to buttered pan.

Beat eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Add the cheeses, mix again. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables.  Bake 18-25 minutes until just golden on top.  Serves 4. 

 

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

 If you like a cheesier frittata, add additional grated cheese on top and place under broiler for about 2 minutes after baking. This frittata can be served as Tapas, appetizer, side dish, or even an entrée with a side salad
 

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Chicken Apple Salad & Fruit and Cheese Plate

Fruit and Cheese Salad

 

Don’t have time to prepare a healthful meal?

When this happens to me, I surfed my frig and pantry to see what I can come up with. 

I decided to take the fruit and cheese from the frig and created a fruit and cheese platter.  I simply added a thread of olive oil on the mozzarella cheese and placed fruit around it on a plate. It took only a few minutes to assemble this recipe.

Chicken and Apple Salad

I purchase a rotisserie chicken every week and make many dishes without having to take the time to bake the chicken myself.  I decided to make Chicken salad, so I  cut up the rotisserie chicken into small cubes and I added toasted pecans, 1 apple with skin removed and cubed, shredded carrots and broccoli from a bag, a handful of golden raisins, and 2 spring onions. I took some mayo from the frig, added some freshly squeezed lemon juice and paprika and mixed it well with the chicken salad.  I placed the chicken salad over a bed of baby arugula, and frisée lettuce. I added some sliced cucumbers, baby yellow peppers, tomatoes, grain salad on each corner of the plate. For the salad dressing, I simply poured a few treads of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil and threads of pear flavored balsamic vinegar of the greens.  The chicken salad recipe took about 10 minutes to make from ingredients I already had in my frig and pantry.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

I love it when I can come up with tasty dishes that do not require much time at all and are also healthful to eat. 

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