These Alessandra Branca’s Holiday Recipes

The interior designer shares simple recipes that will have guests raving. Italian born designer Alessandra Branca finds this dinner menu perfect for any wintry gathering, especially with its delectable pairing of pomegranate sauce flavored veal and sweet potatoes. Finish off the meal with a dessert like coffee you’ll crave even after the decorations are put away. The interior designer shares simple recipes that will have guests raving. Let find out These Alessandra Branca’s Holiday Recipes below.

These Alessandra Branca’s Holiday Recipes

Crostini With Chopped Tomatoes

Ingredient

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 sprig Italian parsley

 salt and pepper

 small French baguette, sliced on the bias, ¼” thick

Brush slices of bread with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast slices of baguette at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients except toast, and let sit for 20 minutes. Top toast with mixture.

Crostini With Wild Mushrooms

Ingredient

2 cups wild mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons shallots, finely chopped

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon fresh thyme

½ teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

slivers of Parmesan cheese as garnish

small French baguette, sliced on the bias, ¼ thick

Heat a sauté pan until just smoking. Add oil and mushrooms. After 2 minutes, stir mushrooms and add shallots. Continue to cook mushrooms until moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Add vinegar, thyme, and chopped parsley. Let cool. Top toast with mushrooms and garnish with cheese.

Crostini With Smoked Salmon

Ingredient

6 slices smoked salmon

¼ cup crème fraiche

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 sprig dill

capers for garnish

freshly ground black pepper

small French baguette, sliced on the bias, ¼ thick

In bowl, combine crème fraiche, dill, lemon juice, and pepper. Whisk until combined. Spread mixture on toast. Top with slice of salmon. Garnish with lemon zest, capers, and more cracked pepper. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.

Mushroom Risotto With White Truffles

Branca says, Risotto is a great, foolproof one pot meal. It takes a lot of stirring, but it’s done in twenty minutes. The amazing thing about truffles is that you can taste and smell them as you’re eating them. They’re intoxicating.

1 pound mixed wild and portobello mushrooms, sliced thinly

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound Arborio rice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cups dry white wine

1 quart vegetable broth

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

fresh white truffles

Heat a 12 skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and mushrooms to pan. Cook 3 to 4 minutes without moving pan. Stir and cook until moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Add remaining oil to pan. Sauté shallots for 1 minute. Add rice. Stir for 2 minutes until opaque. Add wine and stir until evaporated. Add enough broth to cover rice, and stir until liquid evaporates. Continue adding broth gradually and stir continuously. Cook until rice is al dente. Add mushrooms and stir until fully combined. Stir in butter and remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until creamy. Shave fresh truffles over dish. That is once of These Alessandra Branca’s Holiday Recipes.

Espresso Pot de Creme

Branca serves this recipe in demitasse cups for extra flair. She says,I love espresso pot de creme because it combines dessert and coffee all at once and gives me a great excuse to serve something in an unexpected way.

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons instant espresso

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided

½ cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

ground espresso for garnish

whipped cream for garnish

Whisk together milk, espresso, cornstarch, ¼ cup sugar, and a small pinch of salt in a heavy, medium sized saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Transfer to a metal bowl set in an ice bath. Cool in the bowl, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Pour into cups or ramekins to chill, uncovered, for 20 minutes. That is once of These Alessandra Branca’s Holiday Recipes.
For whipped cream: Beat cream, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with an electric mixer just until soft peaks form. Spoon whipped cream onto pudding. Dust cream lightly with espresso powder, and top with additional whipped cream.