Very useful Eggs, A Christmas Brunch Recipe December 15 2017

Eggs are a very useful product in my kitchen… my family will eat them hard boiled, fried and scrambled.  This recipe for a brunch frittata is a great way to use up leftover pasta and any vegetables you have hanging around in your refrigerator. It is easy enough to make in the morning but can also be made the night before and warmed or served at room temperature.  The perfect breakfast for Christmas morning after opening all of your presents.

Happy Friday,

Julie

Brunch Frittata with Semolina Artisanal Pasta

Makes 6  servings 

Ingredients:

8 oz  piece of Semolina Artisanal Pasta Strozzapreti

8 oz fresh spinach

3 Tablespoons olive oil

8 large eggs

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

 Method:

-Cook Semolina Artisanal Pasta Strozzapreti  according to package directions.

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Crack eggs into a large bowl and beat together. Season with salt and pepper.

-In a 10 inch non-stick pan, warm olive oil.  Quickly sauté spinach in pan, add the cooked pasta and mix together.  When the pan is hot again add the beaten eggs.  Let cook slowly over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.  Avoid stirring the egg as you want a crust to form on the bottom of the pan.  Add the cheese to the top of the mixture and place in pre-heated oven.

-Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through and the cheese is melted.

-Let rest in pan for 5 minutes. To remove place a large plate on top of the pan and flip over.  Cut into wedges to serve.

Our Holiday Gift Guide is Here! November 17 2017

It’s gift giving time and we want to make that as easy as possible for you. Here is our 2017 Holiday Gift Guide filled with goodies for everyone on your list from Grandma Terry to Baby Felix. Well, maybe not the baby but you get the idea!

GIFTS OF WARMTH

The holidays are filled with gatherings of friends and family that give us the warm fuzzies.  Here are a few gifts that will literally warm you up from the inside out.

P & T Tea Bags: Our selection of teas from this German tea producer include Tip of the Morning, a traditional black tea blend; Berry Pomp, a fruit tea made from dried berries; Pu Er Bai Ya, a pure Chinese white tea guaranteed to warm you all of the way through; and Mighty Green Tea, a rich Japanese Sencha green tea full of all of those components guaranteed to improve your health.

Undone Chocolate Cacao Tea:  This is drinking chocolate’s lighter cousin.  While still having a distinct chocolate flavor Cacao Tea is much lighter than rich drinking chocolate making it perfect to sip on later in the day.  If you’re feeling especially festive, use the cacao shell tea as an infusion in your favorite vodka to have a Chocolate Martini when celebrating with friends.

Rococo Chocolates Drinking Chocolate: Winter wouldn’t be complete without a delicious cup of rich drinking chocolate.  This mix from Rococo Chocolates is pure dark chocolate making it perfect to mix with water or milk for a very rich drink sure to warm you on the coldest days.  The drinking chocolate can also be substituted in your favorite recipe in place of cocoa powder making that chocolate treat even more indulgent.

D.a.T. Sauce: This hot sauce provides a different kind of warmth using chilis to warm you up.  We’ve done a lot of testing and this hot sauce is great on EVERYTHING!  The perfect size for a stocking stuffer, pick up a bottle or 3 to give to your favorites this year.

GIFTS OF HOSPITALITY

The holidays are all about taking care of the ones you love whether it be at your place, theirs, or an impressive destination.  These gifts are all about spreading the hospitality that comes along with the festive season.

The Matzo Project Matzo Crackers:  These crackers might scream Passover but are actually perfect for Hanukkah, Christmas, Festivus and the New Year.  They make the perfect vessel for the rich, stinky cheese at your cocktail party or pair them with cream cheese and smoked salmon as a perfect brunch item.  With their quirky packaging these Matzo Crackers are also the perfect conversation piece during those slightly awkward moments at your neighbor’s holiday gathering.

Pasta Tonight Gift Set:  This gift set contains Semolina Artisanal Pasta Strozzapretti, Due Cellucci Tomato Sauce and FIVE Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  The combination of the three products makes an amazing and easy weeknight meal but are also special enough to serve for a festive meal.  Add a bottle of red wine and await you’re all set!

Essie Spice Sauces:  Essie’s sauces liven up any event starting with your taste buds.  Try the rich and savory Coco for Garlic or sweeten your dish up a bit with a splash of TamarindOh!.  This year Essie expanded her line beyond sauces introducing her Fi:Ye Collection. This collection includes handmade items for the kitchen and the table.  The Fi:Ye Small Dinner Plates are the perfect addition to your holiday table-scape. Head over to Essie’s site to learn more about this amazing project.

GIFTS OF JOY

The joy of the holiday season should be spread around all day, every day.  These items are perfect to pop in your bag for the unexpected meeting with a friend or to treat yourself to a little joy while out doing your holiday shopping.

Tiny But Mighty Microwave Popcorn: It doesn’t get easier than popping a bag of popcorn into your microwave and hitting start.  Pop ahead of time and pack in your bag for a delicious snack on the go.  If you don’t finish the entire bag, don’t fret, use the remaining kernels to make a garland to decorate your tree.

Nuts About You Ranch Salad Almonds:  While Ranch Salad sounds more like a summer staple, these almonds are great year-round.  Enjoy their great taste and the energy coming from this super food.  We’ve found these to be the perfect size to tuck inside your ski jacket for a quick snack before your next run.

Rococo Chocolates Holiday Bars:  The flavors Gingerbread Spice Milk Chocolate, Christmas Pudding Dark Chocolate, Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh Dark Chocolate and Moroccan Mint Dark Chocolate scream Happy Holidays! The packaging is so beautiful you don’t even need to worry about wrapping paper. Perfect for everyone on your list big and small.

We are also able to curate custom gift sets to fit your needs.  Please contact us at hello@juliesbeet.com or 917.951.6527 for more information.

Happy Holidays!

Julie

Falling for Autumn and Pumpkins October 13 2017

As the crimson and golden leaves jump from their branches and the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove dance in the brisk autumn air, fall into the season with a bowl of delicious, nutty, roasted pumpkin pasta. There is something so simplistic, yet decadently warming about roasted pumpkin, and paired with pasta, garlic, olive oil, and toasted walnuts, you are sure to have a quintessential fall dish. 

I, as I'm sure many of you do, love everything about the fall season. From the taste of all things pumpkin spice, to hot apple cider, to oversized sweaters, to the smell of toasted nuts and vanilla, there is something so internally warming about this time of the year. I vividly remember my childhood home being flooded with the scents of baked apples, cinnamon, and caramel -- a symphony of scents that I try to replicate every autumn. 

As I sit here sipping a hot toddy -- the weather in New York is finally getting cool enough to do so -- I am reminded of the impending fall season, and the nostalgic memories of pumpkin picking, pie baking, and jack-o-lantern carving that it evokes. So, if you feel inclined, mix yourself a lovely hot toddy using BeeLocal honey, and jump into the fall season with the beautiful pumpkin pasta mentioned above. I hope you enjoy!

Cheers! 

Payton

Ingredients: 

1/2lb (half package) Semolina Artisanal Pasta's Strozzapreti Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil, divided 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 inch cubes 

1 cup spinach, packed 

½ teaspoon chili flakes, more or less to taste 

1 teaspoon lemon zest, more or less to taste

Juice of half the zested lemon 

Salt and pepper to taste 

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 

1/4 cup dried cranberries 

Procedure: 

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

-Toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper, and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast until tender and caramelized, roughly 40 to 50 minutes

-Bring large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, but stop cooking a minute or two before al dente, as the pasta will finish cooking in the sauté pan with the remaining ingredients 

-In a large sauté pan, heat 2tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add minced garlic and chili flakes, careful not to burn the garlic

-Mash 1/5 of the roasted butternut squash with a fork, then add both mashed and cubed butternut squash to the sauté pan with the garlic and chili flakes

-Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water, and add to sauté pan. Add cooking liquid to thin sauce as needed

-Add spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

-Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest to taste

-Garnish with chopped walnuts and dried cranberries 

New to the Marketplace - Semolina Artisanal Pasta March 03 2017

By now you probably know we have an amazing new pasta as part of the marketplace, Strozzapreti Pasta from Semolina Artisanal Pasta.  Strozzapreti is an elongated version of of cavatelli and is not something you’ll typically find on the shelves at your local supermarket.  This is a pasta that needs a lot of attention when it is made and you’ll often find hand-rolled versions on restaurant menus.  When the ‘new’ Union Square Café opened recently in New York City, they had Strozzapreti on their menu.  You’ll also find it on the menu at Marea in New York City prepared with jumbo lump crab, sea urchin and basil.

Strozzapreti translates to priest-strangler and there are a couple of legends to explain the name.  One is that gluttonous priests were so enthralled with the savory pasta that they ate too fast and choked on it.  Hopefully, you’ll show a little more restraint when eating this amazing pasta.  It is perfect paired with a simple tomato sauce like the ones from Due Cellucci Tomato Sauces.  Strozzapreti also makes an amazing ‘mac’ and cheese. 

At Semolina Artisanal Pasta, founder Leah and her team, use the finest Durum Flour available in the United States to make their organic pasta.   Then they cut the pasta with bronze dies.  This creates a rough texture on the outside of the pasta which makes is perfect for ‘sticking’ to sauce.  I recommend keeping a bag of this pasta in your pantry. You will impress all your guests with the flavor of the pasta even if you are only able to cook it in  boiling water and toss it with a little olive oil.

Leave a comment below and let me know your favorite way to cook Strozzapreti.

Happy Friday,

Julie

The Ultimate Baked Pasta February 24 2017

My youngest son turned one yesterday and boy was it a day! I’ve been busy getting ready for his party this weekend but wanted to share this amazing recipe for The Ultimate Baked Pasta. I used Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce and our newest product Strozzapreti Pasta from Semolina Artisanal Pasta(more on this soon!). This dish is perfect for the chilly weather and is easy enough to throw together for a delicious weeknight meal.

Happy Friday,

Julie

The Ultimate Baked Pasta

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

16 oz Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta

1 – 24 oz Jar Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce

1 ½ cups Fresh Ricotta

½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Method

-Preheat oven to 350°F.  Cook Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta  in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente, drain.

-In a large bowl combine the cooked Semolina Strozzpreti Pasta and Due Cellucci Tomato Basil Sauce. Fold in Ricotta leaving large clumps. Spread about half of the past mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Sprinkle half of the Parmesan and Mozzarella over the pasta. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.

-Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. 

-Garnish with fresh basil, if desired, before serving.