With coronavirus sweeping the nation, people are being advised to work from home and restaurants are being mandated to close for in-dining experiences indefinitely. Keeping yourself occupied and busy will absolutely be a challenge for some, so I wanted to share recipes from notable chefs across America that will keep you busy in the kitchen and you and your family happy and well-fed. The lights may have got a little dimmer but here are four recipes from notable chefs from NYC, Vegas + San Diego to really heat up your kitchen.
Executive Chef Joe Zanelli (Greene St. Kitchen at PALMS Casino Resort), Bravo’s TOP Chef Tom Colicchio (Crafted Hospitality + The Jersey Tomato Co.), Executive Chef Jose “Jojo” Ruiz (Clique Hospitality’s Lionfish and Official James Beard Certified Smart Catch Leader), Chef Lee Davidson (Hearthstone Kitchen & Cellar at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa) and Chef Enzo Eposito (Side Piece Pizza at PALMS Casino Resort) share some recipes for some of their top dishes! It’ll be like going out to a top-tier restaurant.
Joe Zanelli’s Butternut Squash Ravioli
Ingredients
Pasta
OO Flour – 8 Cups
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1 TBL
Whole Eggs – 12 Total
Salt – 1 TBL
Filling
Roasted Butternut Squash – 1.5 lbs
Mascarpone Cheese – 0.5 Cup
Parmesan Cheese 1.5 Cup
Lemon Zest – 1 Full Lemon
Crumbled Amaretti Cookies – 3 oz
Garnish
Fried Sage – 3 Leaves
Crumbled Amaretti Cookies – 1 TBL
Butternut Squash – 2 oz (Diced and Blanched Tender)
Whole Butter – 2 TBL
Parmesan Cheese – .5 Cup
Directions
In a mixer add flour and salt. Turn on slowly to medium power and add the extra virgin olive oil, eggs until the pasta dough comes together.
Remove from the mixer and knead for five min by hand. Rest and cover for one hour or overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.
Cut squash in large chunks, skin on and roast in the oven at 325 until tender. Remove the skin and cool. Combine the Lemon Zest, Parmesan Cheese, Mascarpone Cheese, and Amaretti Cookies until smooth. Place in a piping bag.
Roll out the Pasta Dough until thin on an electric roller. Place the filling in small portions on the sheets of dough. Egg wash around them and place another sheet of pasta on top. Using a round Ravioli Cutter punch out the ravioli and place it on semolina in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
In a pan, sauté the pre-cooked butternut squash in a pan with butter allowing it to turn brown. Add 2 oz of the pasta water to stop the cooking process on the butter. Cook the ravioli in salted water 3-4 min and transfer to the pan. Finish with parmesan cheese whole butter and chopped fresh sage.
Garnish with crumbled Amaretti Cookies and Fried Sage Leaves.
Tom Colicchio’s Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
Six chicken thighs and legs
Three strips thick-cut bacon, sliced across
One rib celery, sliced
One small red onion, sliced lengthwise
One red bell pepper, sliced
One fennel bulb, sliced, fronds removed
Three garlic cloves, sliced
¼ cup olive oil
One qt. chicken stock
One bay leaf
One tbsp fresh rosemary
½ red wine vinegar
25oz The Jersey Tomato Co. Marinara Basil Sauce
½ cup Oil-cured black olives, pits removed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large heavy sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high. Season chicken with salt. Add pieces to the pan and sauté just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, sauté it in 2 batches.
Heat remaining olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottom (oven resistant) pot. Add sliced bacon, celery, onion, garlic, red pepper and fennel. Sweat the veggies such that you do not add color. Once softened, add chicken stock, vinegar, Marinara sauce, bay leaf and rosemary.
Place chicken into the casserole dish such that the crisped skin is not submerged in the veggie mixture. Lower to a simmer and add olives.
Place casserole dish in the oven for 45 minutes, uncovered.
Serve with roasted potatoes.
Jose “Jojo” Ruiz Garlic Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Crema and Avocado Chimichurri
For The Tacos
Two tbsp. chopped cilantro
Four garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
One tbsp. olive oil
One lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Two limes Juiced
Kosher Salt to taste
Eight Tortillas, warmed, for serving
For The Cabbage Slaw
One c. shredded green cabbage
1/4 c. cilantro
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
Juice of one lime
One tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt
For The Garlic-LIme Chipotle Crema
1/3 c. Sour Cream
Two tbsp. Chipotle in Adobe
One lime’s juices
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt to taste
Avocado Chimichurri
Six avocado diced
Four garlic cloves, microplaned
Four shallots, brunoise
1⁄2 tsp cumin, powder
2⁄3 cup lime juice
1⁄3 cup white wine vinegar
Two bunch parsley, fine chopped
One bunch cilantro, fine chopped
Two cups olive oil
Salt to taste.
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, cilantro, garlic, Smoked Paprika olive oil, and season with salt. Add shrimp and cover with plastic wrap. Let marinate 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
Make slaw: in a large bowl combine all slaw ingredients. Toss gently to combine and season with salt.
Make garlic-lime Chipotle Crema: in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Whisk and season with salt.
Make the Avocado Chimichuri : in a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. And season with salt.
Preheat a Cast iron pan to medium heat. Sauté shrimp until pink and opaque, about 3 minutes per side.
Build tacos: add a scoop of slaw, a few shrimp, and a drizzle of the garlic-lime chipotle Crema and A spoon of the Avocado Chimichurri to each taco. Garnish with cilantro, Lime and serve.
Chef Lee Davidson’s Hearthstone Mediterranean Salad
Ingredients
One head baby iceberg lettuce chopped 1/2”
Two sliced pepperoncinis
FIve heirloom cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Ten sliced Kalamata olives
1/8 cup thin sliced red onion
Eight thin slices of radish
1/8 cup cucumber 1/4 slices
Four oz herb lemon vinaigrette
1/8 cup crumbled vegan feta (can use regular as well)
Directions
1) Place iceberg in a mixing bowl and add 2oz of vinaigrette, mix well and then place on the bottom of the serving bowl
2) Place all other ingredients except feta into the same mixing bowl and add the other 2oz of vinaigrette to the bowl and mix well.
3) Place all ingredients on top of the lettuce and then finish with the feta cheese
Enzo Esposito’s Side Piece Pizza
Ingredients
Four cups of water
3.5 pounds
Half cup of extra virgin olive oil
One teaspoon of dry yeast
Directions
Mix all together for 15 minutes
Put the dough on the tables covered, let rest for two hours
Portion a ball of about 8oz and place covered, room temperature on tray for eight hours
Preheat over at 550 degrees
Stretch and add any sauce and toppings you like
* Chef Pizzaiolo Enzo recommends sauce made of San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella and sausage.
Take out of the over and let it cool for 3 minutes. Cut with a pizza utter and enjoy!
