Jessica Rubano | DiCarlo Foods

Ingredients:

12 DFS Avocados
Fresh lime or lemon juice, as needed
Arneo olive oil, as needed
DFS Salt, as needed
6 oz. manchego cheese, shredded finely
4 oz. panela cheese, grated
2 oz. cotija cheese, shredded finely
DFS ground black pepper, as needed
2 lb. 4 oz. DFS poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, cut into thin strips
12- 10″ tortillas
DFS unsalted butter, as needed
Salsa fresca, as needed

Directions:

An hour or two before service: Cut each avocado half into 5 or 6 slices about 3/8 inch thick. Brush each slice on both sides with juice and oil; lightly sprinkle with salt. Grill, turning once, until lightly browned with grill marks; reserve. Thoroughly mix cheeses; reserve.

Serving Suggestion: Lay 1 tortilla on a work surface. Put 1/4 cup cheese mixture on half the tortilla. On top of cheese evenly distribute 1/2 ounce poblano strips (about 8). Top with 4 or 5 grilled avocado slices. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon salsa; top with 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Brown quesadilla on medium heat in hot butter on both sides. Cover pan for a minute or so to finish melting cheese. Cut into 4 pieces. Serve with 1/4 cup salsa on side.

Yield: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
36 asparagus spears, trimmed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix lemon juice, oil and lemon peel in 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add asparagus; turn to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast asparagus until crisp-tender, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. butter
3 garlic cloves
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. half and half
2 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
1 cup clam juice
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp. lemon juice
8 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 1/2 tbsp. chives, chopped

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the garlic. Saute until the garlic in fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine, half and half, and saffron; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, scallions, tomato, and lemon juice, scallions, tomato, and lemon juice; simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the mussels, cover, and steam until they are open, about 5-7 minutes. Shake the pot, holding down the lid with a kitchen towel, to redistribute the mussels. Discard any mussels that do not open. Divide the mussels into eight bowls; distribute the broth equally among the bowls and top with fresh chives.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup hazelnuts (3 oz)
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons hazelnut oil
3/4 lb arugula (9 cups), tough stems discarded
1/2 lb strawberries, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup mild fresh goat cheese (2 oz), crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Roast nuts in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Rub warm nuts in a kitchen towel to remove skins (don’t worry if some skins don’t come off). Cool nuts, then coarsely chop.
Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add oils in a slow stream, whisking until combined well.
Toss together arugula, strawberries, hazelnuts, and dressing. Divide salad among plates and dot with goat cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup boiling water
1 cup beef base (Prepared according to directions)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp olive oil
12 oz beef tenderloin, fat trimmed, cut into 4 pieces
8 cup baby salad greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Directions:

Prepare beef base according to package. Stir in vinegar and sugar.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook on each side for 3 to 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove from skillet. Slice beef into strips.

Divide baby greens and tomatoes among plates; top with beef.

Add sauce mixture to skillet; stir to loosen brown bits from bottom of skillet.

Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour over salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup torn crusty bread
2 tsp. DiCarlo extra virgin olive oil
1/2 sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 lbs heirloom tomatoes
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
2 cups soft lettuce of choice (arugula, spring greens, butter lettuce)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 oz. burrata cheese, room temperature
balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400′. Spread the torn bread on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are crisp and brown. Set aside.

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4” slices and arrange them on your serving tray in concentric circles. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and the chopped shallots. Chop the soft greens and basil together, toss them gently with 1 tsp. each olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then mound it in the center of the tomatoes. Distribute the croutons on top and then place the burrata in the center of the lettuce pile, breaking open the creamy center if you’d like.

Drizzle the burrata with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste and finish with a sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry white wine
1 large shallot (minced)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
4 oz. (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (zest optional)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Directions:

Cook the wine, shallot and garlic over medium high heat until almost dry (au sec) about 5 to 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter a couple of cubes at a time until melted and the sauce is thick and creamy; briefly return the pan to low heat if the butter is slow to melt.
Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and zest. Strain through a fine mesh strainer then add your dill. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

For the Salmon:
Preheat the broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until just cooked through and golden brown.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
3/4 cup beef broth, heated to a simmer
1/3 pound flat pancetta, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 pound ground beef (not lean)
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 pound pasta alla chitarra

Directions:

Whisk tomato paste into broth; set aside.

Cook pancetta in a wide heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add carrot, celery and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add beef and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and breaking up clumps into tiny bits. Season with generous pinch salt and pepper.

Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes, then add broth mixture, reduce heat to low and very gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add half of the milk and continue cooking, covered, for 30 minutes more. Add remaining milk, then cook, covered, stirring once or twice, for 1 hour more (total cooking time is 2 hours). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and immediately toss with ragù.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 large fennel bulb with fronds; bulb quartered, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices;
2 tablespoons fronds chopped, divided
2 6- to 7-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur

Directions:

Stir fennel seeds in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer seeds to small bowl; cool. Mix in butter, shallots, and 1 tablespoon fennel fronds; season butter mixture with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter mixture in same large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel bulb and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cover and cook until fennel is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Uncover skillet and sauté until fennel begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer fennel to plate.
Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon butter mixture to same skillet and melt over medium heat. Add salmon; cover and cook 5 minutes. Turn salmon over; add 1/4 cup water to skillet. Cover and continue cooking until salmon is just opaque in center, about 5 minutes longer. Slide salmon to 1 side of skillet; return fennel to skillet. Add Pernod, 2 teaspoons butter mixture, and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds; stir to heat through.

Divide fennel mixture between 2 plates. Top with salmon; spoon remaining butter mixture over salmon.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 ct Fresh Bnls/sknls Chicken Breasts
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
½ cup shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup water
1 bay leaf
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts; cook 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Add remaining oil, shallots and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute to soften. Stir in tomato sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, water and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in chili powder, oregano and pepper. Add chicken; cover and cook 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally or until chicken is fully cooked (thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast registers 170°F).
Serve chicken over rice, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings