Homemade Vanilla Pudding

This easy recipe can be used on many different desserts like fruit tarts and various pies. If you have the time, it is healthier to make your own vanilla pudding than using a mix.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch, and salt and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until pale and frothy, about 3 minutes. Slowly add about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking to combine. Add the egg mixture to the hot milk mixture and return to the heat. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a heavy wooden spoon, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

Transfer to a clean container and press plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, 4 hours or overnight, before serving.

Makes 4 cups.


Recipe of Emeril Lagasse

Delicious Creamy Seafood Pasta

Last night we were fortuned to have two of our friends over for dinner. It was a very pleasant surprise! When I learned we would have guests for dinner I had to figure out what to cook. I was craving some sort of pasta with creamy and cheesy sauce, so I just had to think of what else to add to this pasta dish. I remembered I had cooked shrimp and blue crab meat in the fridge and “voila”! I just needed to add some of my other favorite ingredients and a new dish was born!  I hope our friends enjoyed it as much as I did.

Mascarpone Cheese & Seafood Pasta:

Ingredients:

1 cup of mascarpone cheese

4 cups of uncooked pasta

1lb of cooked large shrimp

6oz of blue crab meat

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup of sliced green onions or scallions

½ of roasted sweet bell pepper, diced

1 cup of tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

½ cup of milk

½ cup of parmesan cheese

_1/3 cup of half & half

8oz of fresh baby spinach

1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs seasoning

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water with the starch from the pasta.

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and roasted bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese, milk, half &half and stir until mascarpone cheese is fully melted. Stir in green onions, Italian seasoning and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

Fold in cooked pasta, crab meat, shrimp and parmesan cheese. Stir in the reserved cooking water as needed to obtain the desired sauce consistency (1 tablespoon at the time). Check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Note: You can add left-over grilled or baked salmon and cooked clams.

“Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0.” Sophia Bush