November 25, 2010
Puerto Vallarta Red Snapper, in Crème de Colorado, Junior League of Denver, pg 164
6 red snapper fillets
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 fresh Anaheim chiles or fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled or 1 28oz can tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp oregano
¼ tsp thyme
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
3 T butter
Rinse and pat dry the fish fillets. Place in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic and lime juice. Pour over the fish and let marinade for 2 hours.
Heat the olive oil in 2 skillets. Divide onions beteen the pans and sauté until transparent. Divide chiles, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and cilantro between the two skillets. Simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside. Reheat gently before serving.
Ten minutes before serving, heat the butter in 2 skillets over medium high heat. Discard marinade and sauté fillets in the skillets for 2-3 minutes per side. Fish will begin to flake when done. Transfer to plates and cover with warmed sauce.
How I did it: I don’t understand why you need two skillets. I used one large skillet that would accommodate the fish in one layer. Why dirty two?
I didn’t use 6 fillets because it was just for me and I didn’t need that much.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Pumpkin mousse
November 25, 2010
Pumpkin Mousse, Home recipe, inspired by something I read online for chocolate mousse.
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 egg whites
Drain the pumpkin into a cheese-cloth lined strainer and set over a bowl for about 30 minutes. When drained, add ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir well.
Whip the egg whites on the high speed of a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat to firm peaks.
Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mix until it is all incorporated. Spoon into serving dishes. Serve room temperature or chill.
How I did it: I didn’t drain the pumpkin, which is why I know you need to do this. The mousse separates and needs stirred before serving. Don’t put it into a pie shell or it will make it soggy.
This was delicious and seemed very rich but is low cal and no fat.
Pumpkin Mousse, Home recipe, inspired by something I read online for chocolate mousse.
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
3 egg whites
Drain the pumpkin into a cheese-cloth lined strainer and set over a bowl for about 30 minutes. When drained, add ½ cup sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir well.
Whip the egg whites on the high speed of a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat to firm peaks.
Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mix until it is all incorporated. Spoon into serving dishes. Serve room temperature or chill.
How I did it: I didn’t drain the pumpkin, which is why I know you need to do this. The mousse separates and needs stirred before serving. Don’t put it into a pie shell or it will make it soggy.
This was delicious and seemed very rich but is low cal and no fat.
Italian Frittata with tomatoes and peppers
November 25, 2010
Italian Frittata with tomatoes and peppers, in The New Mediterranean Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg, 93
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
a handful of coarse parsley, basil or a mix
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 to 8 large eggs
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a large, oven proof skillet, heat 2 T of the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. Sauté until softened, about 20 minutes. Add the basil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
Beat the eggs, add abut 1 T water, and season with salt and pepper. When the vegetables cooled enough, add to the eggs and blend.
Add 1 T oil to the skillet and heat to medium. Add the egg mixture. Cook, lifting the edges to let the uncooked egg mixture flow under the cooking egg mixture. When the bottom is set, and the top is almost firm, top with the cheese.
Heat the broiler, place the skillet under the boiler to set the top and melt the cheese. Broil for a few minutes, watching closely.
Slice into wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature.
How I did it: I used 2 T olive oil and 2 tsp butter, split in half. I didn’t have any fresh basil so I used 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp thyme, which was very good. It took longer to cook than I expected and the top was not setting up, so I put it in the oven @ 350° for about 10 minutes then broiled the top to brown it a bit more.
This was fabulous! It had great flavor with the thyme and butter
Italian Frittata with tomatoes and peppers, in The New Mediterranean Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg, 93
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
a handful of coarse parsley, basil or a mix
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 to 8 large eggs
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
In a large, oven proof skillet, heat 2 T of the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and peppers. Sauté until softened, about 20 minutes. Add the basil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.
Beat the eggs, add abut 1 T water, and season with salt and pepper. When the vegetables cooled enough, add to the eggs and blend.
Add 1 T oil to the skillet and heat to medium. Add the egg mixture. Cook, lifting the edges to let the uncooked egg mixture flow under the cooking egg mixture. When the bottom is set, and the top is almost firm, top with the cheese.
Heat the broiler, place the skillet under the boiler to set the top and melt the cheese. Broil for a few minutes, watching closely.
Slice into wedges. Serve hot or at room temperature.
How I did it: I used 2 T olive oil and 2 tsp butter, split in half. I didn’t have any fresh basil so I used 1 tsp dried basil and 1 tsp thyme, which was very good. It took longer to cook than I expected and the top was not setting up, so I put it in the oven @ 350° for about 10 minutes then broiled the top to brown it a bit more.
This was fabulous! It had great flavor with the thyme and butter
Monday, November 22, 2010
onglet aux echalotes (skirt steak with shallot sauce)
November 21, 2010
Onglet aux échalotes (Skirt steak with shallot sauce), The Secrets of French Home cooking by Marie-Pierre Moine, pg 122
1 to 1 ½ oz butter
2 top-quality skirt steaks
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp oil
1 scant tsp chopped parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To prepare the steaks: chill half the butter and divide the rest into 4 pieces. Over a low heat, melt a piece of the butter in a frying pan. Tilt the pan to coat. Take off the heat. Put the steaks in the pan and press gently to coat with butter, turn to coat the other side. Transfer the steak to a plate season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Put the minced shallots in a small sauce pan and cover generously with water. Bring to a simmer. Cook over a moderate heat until the water is absorbed and the shallots are soft. Reduce the heat to very low.
Meanwhile, cook the steaks: heat the frying pan to very hot over a high heat. Add the oil and add the 3 pieces of butter. Add the steaks to the hot pan and reduce the heat a little. Cook until done with your liking, turn halfway through cooking.
Cut the chilled butter into dice. Turn the heat up under the softened shallots and whisk half the butter dice into this, then tip the buttery mixture over the steaks. Leave in the pan for a few seconds, then transfer to plates.
Whisk the rest of the butter into the pan, stir in the parsley and dribble this over the steaks. Scrape the pan well in order to get all the sauce.
How I did it: I was drunken-cooking with this. I did the shallots according to directions, then I fried the steak in the butter. I didn’t add the extra butter and parsley.
This was very good. It has a lot of possibilities, maybe make the steak au poivre, maybe add some brandy and a bit of brown sugar to the sauce. Who knows?
Onglet aux échalotes (Skirt steak with shallot sauce), The Secrets of French Home cooking by Marie-Pierre Moine, pg 122
1 to 1 ½ oz butter
2 top-quality skirt steaks
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp oil
1 scant tsp chopped parsley
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
To prepare the steaks: chill half the butter and divide the rest into 4 pieces. Over a low heat, melt a piece of the butter in a frying pan. Tilt the pan to coat. Take off the heat. Put the steaks in the pan and press gently to coat with butter, turn to coat the other side. Transfer the steak to a plate season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Put the minced shallots in a small sauce pan and cover generously with water. Bring to a simmer. Cook over a moderate heat until the water is absorbed and the shallots are soft. Reduce the heat to very low.
Meanwhile, cook the steaks: heat the frying pan to very hot over a high heat. Add the oil and add the 3 pieces of butter. Add the steaks to the hot pan and reduce the heat a little. Cook until done with your liking, turn halfway through cooking.
Cut the chilled butter into dice. Turn the heat up under the softened shallots and whisk half the butter dice into this, then tip the buttery mixture over the steaks. Leave in the pan for a few seconds, then transfer to plates.
Whisk the rest of the butter into the pan, stir in the parsley and dribble this over the steaks. Scrape the pan well in order to get all the sauce.
How I did it: I was drunken-cooking with this. I did the shallots according to directions, then I fried the steak in the butter. I didn’t add the extra butter and parsley.
This was very good. It has a lot of possibilities, maybe make the steak au poivre, maybe add some brandy and a bit of brown sugar to the sauce. Who knows?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Artichoke-stuffed chicken breasts, grilled
November 15, 2010
This was terrific! The stuffing is really easy to make and everything is ready just as the briquettes are ready.
Artichoke-stuffed chicken breasts, from Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 252
For the stuffing:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes
1 jar (7 oz) artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp sea or kosher salt
¼ freshly ground pepper
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 T minced sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed
2 T finely chopped fresh basil
4 large boneless chicken breast halves
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
to make the stuffing: In a skillet or sauce pan, add the oil, thyme and red pepper flakes. Heat to warm. Add the artichoke hearts and garlic salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chopped artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. Let cool.
In the mean time, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Lay flat and stuff with stuffing (half a side only). Fold over and pin closed with toothpicks. Lightly cover with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Grill over Direct Medium coals for 8-12 minutes, turning once during cooking. Remove from the grill and remove the toothpicks.
How I did it: I didn’t have fresh basil (oops) or dried basil (double oops) so I used its herbal cousin, oregano. This was really good. Some toasted pine nuts might be really good with this, or toasted almond slivers. Hmmm... I served it with grilled zucchini and summer squash—cuz how easy is that?? Cut the squash in half, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and grill flesh side down until done (same length of time as the chicken). Grilled asparagus would also be good.
This was terrific! The stuffing is really easy to make and everything is ready just as the briquettes are ready.
Artichoke-stuffed chicken breasts, from Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 252
For the stuffing:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp crushed dried red pepper flakes
1 jar (7 oz) artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp sea or kosher salt
¼ freshly ground pepper
3 oz crumbled goat cheese
3 T minced sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed
2 T finely chopped fresh basil
4 large boneless chicken breast halves
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
to make the stuffing: In a skillet or sauce pan, add the oil, thyme and red pepper flakes. Heat to warm. Add the artichoke hearts and garlic salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the chopped artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. Let cool.
In the mean time, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of wax paper and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Lay flat and stuff with stuffing (half a side only). Fold over and pin closed with toothpicks. Lightly cover with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Grill over Direct Medium coals for 8-12 minutes, turning once during cooking. Remove from the grill and remove the toothpicks.
How I did it: I didn’t have fresh basil (oops) or dried basil (double oops) so I used its herbal cousin, oregano. This was really good. Some toasted pine nuts might be really good with this, or toasted almond slivers. Hmmm... I served it with grilled zucchini and summer squash—cuz how easy is that?? Cut the squash in half, coat with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and grill flesh side down until done (same length of time as the chicken). Grilled asparagus would also be good.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
update on tuna with radicchio, chickpeas and rosemary
When I made this on 11/7, I didn't particularly care for it. The tuna was dry and I didn't really like the texture of the chickpeas with it. I thought back to what the author liked so much, which were little jars of the tuna in oil with the chickpeas and thought I'd give it a go. I added more oil to the tuna, chickpeas and radicchio and refrigerated it.
Yesterday, I made some brown-rice penne pasta, drained the pasta and added olive oil, salt and pepper, then stirred in the tuna, chickpeas and radicchio. It made a tasty, light pasta salad. Good use of the tuna, I think.
I like this much better than the original recipe.
Yesterday, I made some brown-rice penne pasta, drained the pasta and added olive oil, salt and pepper, then stirred in the tuna, chickpeas and radicchio. It made a tasty, light pasta salad. Good use of the tuna, I think.
I like this much better than the original recipe.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Bistec Ranchero
November 12, 2010
This was interesting. It has a lot of potatoes (which I’m not supposed to have) and very few flavorings (salt, pepper and cilantro). I can’t imagine making this without an electric slicer or good mandolin.
Bistec Ranchero, from A Gringo’s guide to Mexican Cooking, pg. 73
1 T salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 lb breakfast steak (round steaks thinly sliced)
2 T corn oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb white potatoes, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
Mix together the salt and pepper and generously coat the steak and shake off the excess.
Pour the oil into a large unheated skillet. Layer all of the onions, then the garlic, then the potatoes, then the tomatoes, then the cilantro. Finally add the beef to the skillet in one layer. It is important the steaks do not overlap. Do not do two layers, make two batches if needed.
Cover the skillet, place on the burner and turn the heat to medium. Slow-cook without stirring until the beef is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with corn tortillas, jalapenos en escabeche (pickled) and refried beans.
How I did it: I didn’t have breakfast steaks so I used a petit sirloin I had frozen. I let it partially thaw and sliced it to ¼ inch thick. I marinated it with balsamic vinegar in hopes of tenderizing it a bit. It didn’t work. The steak was hard and somewhat dry. So don’t substitute steaks!
This has a mild but nice flavor. With all the moisture released from the potatoes and tomatoes, I think you could reduce the oil to 1 T.
I think this could have a few adjustments and be more Mediterranean or Italian. Add more herbs, use olive oil, add some olives to the mixture… don’t know, but it seems worth experimenting with.
It would also be good as a breakfast casserole with poached or scrambled eggs.
I served it with Charro beans (July 4). This time I used great northern beans and beef steak tomatoes. Mistake. The tomatoes got too mush when broiling and couldn’t be diced. The white means change the flavor quite a bit compared to the pinto beans. Not nearly as good as the first time I made it. Word to the wise: Always use roma tomatoes for this dish!
This was interesting. It has a lot of potatoes (which I’m not supposed to have) and very few flavorings (salt, pepper and cilantro). I can’t imagine making this without an electric slicer or good mandolin.
Bistec Ranchero, from A Gringo’s guide to Mexican Cooking, pg. 73
1 T salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 lb breakfast steak (round steaks thinly sliced)
2 T corn oil
1 white onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb white potatoes, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
a few sprigs of cilantro, finely chopped
Mix together the salt and pepper and generously coat the steak and shake off the excess.
Pour the oil into a large unheated skillet. Layer all of the onions, then the garlic, then the potatoes, then the tomatoes, then the cilantro. Finally add the beef to the skillet in one layer. It is important the steaks do not overlap. Do not do two layers, make two batches if needed.
Cover the skillet, place on the burner and turn the heat to medium. Slow-cook without stirring until the beef is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve with corn tortillas, jalapenos en escabeche (pickled) and refried beans.
How I did it: I didn’t have breakfast steaks so I used a petit sirloin I had frozen. I let it partially thaw and sliced it to ¼ inch thick. I marinated it with balsamic vinegar in hopes of tenderizing it a bit. It didn’t work. The steak was hard and somewhat dry. So don’t substitute steaks!
This has a mild but nice flavor. With all the moisture released from the potatoes and tomatoes, I think you could reduce the oil to 1 T.
I think this could have a few adjustments and be more Mediterranean or Italian. Add more herbs, use olive oil, add some olives to the mixture… don’t know, but it seems worth experimenting with.
It would also be good as a breakfast casserole with poached or scrambled eggs.
I served it with Charro beans (July 4). This time I used great northern beans and beef steak tomatoes. Mistake. The tomatoes got too mush when broiling and couldn’t be diced. The white means change the flavor quite a bit compared to the pinto beans. Not nearly as good as the first time I made it. Word to the wise: Always use roma tomatoes for this dish!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives & Preserved Lemons
November 9, 2010
I love this. The sauce was so tasty! It took longer to prep than I thought, so don’t try this when you’re rushed.
Morocccan chicken with green olives & preserved lemons, in All About Braisining, by Molly Stevens, pg 169
Spice Mix:
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp saffron threads
The braise:
½ cup green olives in brine
one 3-4# chicken, cut into pieces
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
coarse salt
1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz), thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾ cup water
1 lemon, halved
1/3 cup mixed chopped flat-leaf parsley and cilantro
1 whole (4 quarters) salt-preserved lemon*
freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, combine the spices for the spice mix. In a separate bowl, cover the olives with water and set aside.
Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and pat dry (completely dry). In a large, deep sided skilled or shallow braising pan, heat the oil and butter until hot. Lightly salt the chicken pieces. Add the chicken in one layer to the hot oil and brown for about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate, brown the remaining chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
After the chicken is browned, pour off all but 1 T of the oil from the pan. Add the onion and garlic and brown for about 3 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté for 1 minute longer.
Add the water to the pan, stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. When the water begins to boil, add the chicken legs, thighs and wings. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken breasts atop the chicken and squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the chicken, add ½ the chopped herbs. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
While the chicken braises, prepare the olives and preserved lemon. Drain the olives. If they need pitted, crush them with the flat side of a large knife and remove the pit. If they don’t, remove the stuffing (pimento) and cut the olive almost in half so it lays flat. Rinse the preserved lemon peel and remove any pulp. Cut into ½ inch pieces.
*If you don’t have preserved lemons, use the lemon zest of one whole lemon.
After the chicken has braised for 30 minutes total, turn the pieces and add the olives and lemon. Replace the lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer or until the thighs are done (the juices will run clear when pierced with a sharp knife). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Raise the heat in the pat to bring the juices to a boil. Add the juice of the remaining lemon. Boil for about 6 minutes or until reduced by half.
Drain into a fat separator. Return the olives, onion, etc to the pan and stir in the remaining chopped herbs. After the fat has separated from the broth, return the broth to the pan with the vegetables.
Serve the chicken with the sauce over top.
Be careful about the salt because the preserved lemons and olives are salty.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. I didn’t do my preserved lemons right and they have way too much salt, so I soaked them a bit before adding them to the dish to try to bring the salt level down.
This is definitely a keeper!!
I love this. The sauce was so tasty! It took longer to prep than I thought, so don’t try this when you’re rushed.
Morocccan chicken with green olives & preserved lemons, in All About Braisining, by Molly Stevens, pg 169
Spice Mix:
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¼ tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp saffron threads
The braise:
½ cup green olives in brine
one 3-4# chicken, cut into pieces
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
coarse salt
1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz), thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾ cup water
1 lemon, halved
1/3 cup mixed chopped flat-leaf parsley and cilantro
1 whole (4 quarters) salt-preserved lemon*
freshly ground pepper
In a small bowl, combine the spices for the spice mix. In a separate bowl, cover the olives with water and set aside.
Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and pat dry (completely dry). In a large, deep sided skilled or shallow braising pan, heat the oil and butter until hot. Lightly salt the chicken pieces. Add the chicken in one layer to the hot oil and brown for about 6 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate, brown the remaining chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
After the chicken is browned, pour off all but 1 T of the oil from the pan. Add the onion and garlic and brown for about 3 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté for 1 minute longer.
Add the water to the pan, stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. When the water begins to boil, add the chicken legs, thighs and wings. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken breasts atop the chicken and squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the chicken, add ½ the chopped herbs. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes longer.
While the chicken braises, prepare the olives and preserved lemon. Drain the olives. If they need pitted, crush them with the flat side of a large knife and remove the pit. If they don’t, remove the stuffing (pimento) and cut the olive almost in half so it lays flat. Rinse the preserved lemon peel and remove any pulp. Cut into ½ inch pieces.
*If you don’t have preserved lemons, use the lemon zest of one whole lemon.
After the chicken has braised for 30 minutes total, turn the pieces and add the olives and lemon. Replace the lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer or until the thighs are done (the juices will run clear when pierced with a sharp knife). Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Raise the heat in the pat to bring the juices to a boil. Add the juice of the remaining lemon. Boil for about 6 minutes or until reduced by half.
Drain into a fat separator. Return the olives, onion, etc to the pan and stir in the remaining chopped herbs. After the fat has separated from the broth, return the broth to the pan with the vegetables.
Serve the chicken with the sauce over top.
Be careful about the salt because the preserved lemons and olives are salty.
I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful. I didn’t do my preserved lemons right and they have way too much salt, so I soaked them a bit before adding them to the dish to try to bring the salt level down.
This is definitely a keeper!!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
best ever taco meat AKA ropa vieja
November 7, 2010
Best ever taco meat
Ropa Vieja, from “A gringos guide to authentic Mexican cooking” by Mad Coyote Joe, pg 76
1-2# beef roast
1 T red wine vinegar
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp corn oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ white onion, diced
1 chopped tomato
2 roasted poblano chiles, peeded & diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
½ tsp Mexican oregano
Preheat the oven to 300° Place the roast in a heavy roasting pan. Sprinkle with vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Slow roast for 1 ½ hours or more. Remove roast from heat and allow to cool. Shred the meat or cut into thin slices.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan & cook the onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic until they are soft. Add the beef and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Serve with chopped tomatoes, slice avocados and lettuce.
How I did it: I had the steak mostly thawed and placed it in the pan. Since it was still semi-frozen, I didn’t try to tenderize it (beat it with the mallet). I roasted it for about 2 hours. I didn’t have fresh peppers so I reconstituted dry peppers in hot water. The meat was taking a long time to cook to get tender so I decided it would be better to add the peppers into the cooking meat to incorporate the flavors. Good idea.
Shred the meat and fold in all the peppers and juices. Serve in tortillas with chopped tomatoes, avocados, shredded lettuce & salsa if needed (Pace hot Picante is best). Coat the left over avocados with lemon or lime juice to keep it fresh.
This meat was wonderful the way I did it. Would be good in salads or on tostadas.
Best ever taco meat
Ropa Vieja, from “A gringos guide to authentic Mexican cooking” by Mad Coyote Joe, pg 76
1-2# beef roast
1 T red wine vinegar
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper
2 tsp corn oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ white onion, diced
1 chopped tomato
2 roasted poblano chiles, peeded & diced
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
½ tsp Mexican oregano
Preheat the oven to 300° Place the roast in a heavy roasting pan. Sprinkle with vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Slow roast for 1 ½ hours or more. Remove roast from heat and allow to cool. Shred the meat or cut into thin slices.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan & cook the onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic until they are soft. Add the beef and stir to incorporate all ingredients. Serve with chopped tomatoes, slice avocados and lettuce.
How I did it: I had the steak mostly thawed and placed it in the pan. Since it was still semi-frozen, I didn’t try to tenderize it (beat it with the mallet). I roasted it for about 2 hours. I didn’t have fresh peppers so I reconstituted dry peppers in hot water. The meat was taking a long time to cook to get tender so I decided it would be better to add the peppers into the cooking meat to incorporate the flavors. Good idea.
Shred the meat and fold in all the peppers and juices. Serve in tortillas with chopped tomatoes, avocados, shredded lettuce & salsa if needed (Pace hot Picante is best). Coat the left over avocados with lemon or lime juice to keep it fresh.
This meat was wonderful the way I did it. Would be good in salads or on tostadas.
World's best braised green cabbage
November 6, 2010
World’s best braised green cabbage, in All About Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 59
I love this recipe. It’s wonderful! I add the balsamic vinegar at the end, but you can omit that if you prefer.
1 medium head of green cabbage
1 large yellow onion (about 8 oz), thickly sliced
1 large carrot, cut into ¼ inch rounds
¼ cup chicken stock, preferably home made
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
sea salt
2 T balsamic vinegar (optional)
cut the head of cabbage in half and remove the core. Slice into 8 wedges. Layer the wedges in a baking pan in one layer. If you can’t fit it all, keep the extra for salads or slaw. Add the onions and carrots, drizzle with olive oil, add the broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake at 350° until tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage over about half way through. Use tongs and try to keep the wedges together. During the last 10 minutes, add the vinegar. Raise the heat to 400° and roast uncovered until browned.
How I did it: I slivered the onion, which wasn’t such a good idea as it turns out. I love roasted carrots, so I used more and cut them into bigger chunks. I omitted the red pepper flakes.
Seriously love this recipe. It’s my favorite thing to make with cabbage, only down side is it takes 2 hours or so.
World’s best braised green cabbage, in All About Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 59
I love this recipe. It’s wonderful! I add the balsamic vinegar at the end, but you can omit that if you prefer.
1 medium head of green cabbage
1 large yellow onion (about 8 oz), thickly sliced
1 large carrot, cut into ¼ inch rounds
¼ cup chicken stock, preferably home made
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
sea salt
2 T balsamic vinegar (optional)
cut the head of cabbage in half and remove the core. Slice into 8 wedges. Layer the wedges in a baking pan in one layer. If you can’t fit it all, keep the extra for salads or slaw. Add the onions and carrots, drizzle with olive oil, add the broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake at 350° until tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage over about half way through. Use tongs and try to keep the wedges together. During the last 10 minutes, add the vinegar. Raise the heat to 400° and roast uncovered until browned.
How I did it: I slivered the onion, which wasn’t such a good idea as it turns out. I love roasted carrots, so I used more and cut them into bigger chunks. I omitted the red pepper flakes.
Seriously love this recipe. It’s my favorite thing to make with cabbage, only down side is it takes 2 hours or so.
Tuna braised with radicchio, chickpeas & rosemary
November 6, 2010
Tuna steaks braised with radicchio, chickpeas & Rosemary, in All About Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 111.
This recipe is based on an Italian favorite, tonno ai ceci, which is olive packed oil and chickpeas (sold in jars). The author adapted this recipe from that. I really like the radicchio and the flavor, but the tuna is dry. It would be better broken up and mixed with the chickpeas and served over pasta or greens instead of served as tuna steaks.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
2 tsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium head radicchio (about 6 oz)
1 cup chicken broth, preferably home made
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
one 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
coarse salt
1 ¾ pounds tuna steaks, about 1 ¼ inch thick
2 T coarsely chopped Italian parsley for garnish
In a 12” skillet, add the oil, garlic, rosemary and pepper flakes, heat over low to medium heat to infuse the oil with the flavors. Cook for about 5 minutes, don’t let the garlic brown too much.
Cut the radicchio in half and remove the core. Slice into ½” strips. Raise the heat to medium, add the radicchio to the oil, cover and allow to wilt for 5 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium high, add the chickpeas, broth, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 8 minutes. Turn the tuna and cover with radicchio and sauce and cook a remaining 5-8 minutes until done to your liking.
Remove from heat and cut the steaks into serving size. Add salt and pepper to the radicchio and pan juices. Serve the tuna topped with the vegetables and sauce.
How I did it: I followed the recipe. I think I'll flake the tuna and mix it in with the chickpeas and put it over lettuce. It was too dry for me for a main dish.
Tuna steaks braised with radicchio, chickpeas & Rosemary, in All About Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 111.
This recipe is based on an Italian favorite, tonno ai ceci, which is olive packed oil and chickpeas (sold in jars). The author adapted this recipe from that. I really like the radicchio and the flavor, but the tuna is dry. It would be better broken up and mixed with the chickpeas and served over pasta or greens instead of served as tuna steaks.
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into slivers
2 tsp fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium head radicchio (about 6 oz)
1 cup chicken broth, preferably home made
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
one 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
coarse salt
1 ¾ pounds tuna steaks, about 1 ¼ inch thick
2 T coarsely chopped Italian parsley for garnish
In a 12” skillet, add the oil, garlic, rosemary and pepper flakes, heat over low to medium heat to infuse the oil with the flavors. Cook for about 5 minutes, don’t let the garlic brown too much.
Cut the radicchio in half and remove the core. Slice into ½” strips. Raise the heat to medium, add the radicchio to the oil, cover and allow to wilt for 5 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium high, add the chickpeas, broth, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cover. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 8 minutes. Turn the tuna and cover with radicchio and sauce and cook a remaining 5-8 minutes until done to your liking.
Remove from heat and cut the steaks into serving size. Add salt and pepper to the radicchio and pan juices. Serve the tuna topped with the vegetables and sauce.
How I did it: I followed the recipe. I think I'll flake the tuna and mix it in with the chickpeas and put it over lettuce. It was too dry for me for a main dish.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
apple-leek stuffed trout with brown butter sauce
November 2, 2010
This is really good. It will definitely go in the “favorites” file, to be used any time trout and leeks are available.
Apple & Leek stuffed trout with browned butter sauce, Weber’s The Art of the Grill, pg 134
For the Stuffing:
2 T unsalted butter
1 ½ cups thinly sliced leeks, including the tender green parts
1 ½ cups finely diced green apples
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
½ tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 cleaned whole trout, 9-10 oz each
2 T olive oil
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
5 T unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
3 T capers, drained and rinsed
To make the stuffing: In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the apples and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Fill each trout cavity with about 1/3 cup of the stuffing. Close with wooden toothpicks. Lightly brush the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the fish directly over medium heat of 12-14 minutes, or until opaque.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until just browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the sauce warm over low heat, but don’t let the butter burn.
Remove the toothpicks from the trout. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over the top.
This is really good. It will definitely go in the “favorites” file, to be used any time trout and leeks are available.
Apple & Leek stuffed trout with browned butter sauce, Weber’s The Art of the Grill, pg 134
For the Stuffing:
2 T unsalted butter
1 ½ cups thinly sliced leeks, including the tender green parts
1 ½ cups finely diced green apples
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
½ tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 cleaned whole trout, 9-10 oz each
2 T olive oil
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
5 T unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
3 T capers, drained and rinsed
To make the stuffing: In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the apples and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lemon juice, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Fill each trout cavity with about 1/3 cup of the stuffing. Close with wooden toothpicks. Lightly brush the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the fish directly over medium heat of 12-14 minutes, or until opaque.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until just browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the sauce warm over low heat, but don’t let the butter burn.
Remove the toothpicks from the trout. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over the top.
lemon stuffed trout, Salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze
August 7, 2010
I doubled up because I had fish that had to be used. I’m still struggling with the briquettes. I can’t seem to get them hot enough and last long enough.
Both recipes are from “Weber’s Art of the grill: recipes for outdoor living”.
The trout is adapted because I didn’t have the ingredients to make the apple-leek dressing but needed the info on cooking time, etc.
Lemon stuffed trout
1 trout per person
½ sliced lemon per trout
thinly sliced onion
dried dill or chopped fresh dill
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Rinse the trout and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt, pepper and dill, layer the lemon and onions in the cavity. Close using wooden toothpicks.
Grill over medium direct heat for 12-14 minutes until opaque.
Salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze, pg 123
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsps butter
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T soy sauce
1 T olive oil
2 tsps grated fresh ginger
1 whole salmon fillet, skin on
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and honey. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Allow to sit.
Place the salmon skin side down in a dish or on a plate. Cover with the sauce and let sit while the briquettes heat.
Cook the fish over medium-high direct heat, turning once, for about 12 minutes each side.
Serve immediately with skin off.
I doubled up because I had fish that had to be used. I’m still struggling with the briquettes. I can’t seem to get them hot enough and last long enough.
Both recipes are from “Weber’s Art of the grill: recipes for outdoor living”.
The trout is adapted because I didn’t have the ingredients to make the apple-leek dressing but needed the info on cooking time, etc.
Lemon stuffed trout
1 trout per person
½ sliced lemon per trout
thinly sliced onion
dried dill or chopped fresh dill
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Rinse the trout and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt, pepper and dill, layer the lemon and onions in the cavity. Close using wooden toothpicks.
Grill over medium direct heat for 12-14 minutes until opaque.
Salmon with brown sugar and mustard glaze, pg 123
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsps butter
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T soy sauce
1 T olive oil
2 tsps grated fresh ginger
1 whole salmon fillet, skin on
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and honey. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Allow to sit.
Place the salmon skin side down in a dish or on a plate. Cover with the sauce and let sit while the briquettes heat.
Cook the fish over medium-high direct heat, turning once, for about 12 minutes each side.
Serve immediately with skin off.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Roast fish in Moroccan Marinade
October 31, 2010
This is dinner tonight. It has to marinate for 2-4 hours. So plan ahead.
Roast Fish in Moroccan Marinade, William Sonoma’s Food and Wine paring. Pg 54
1 small onion, grated
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 T minced garlic
1 T ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
4 firm white fish filets
salt and pepper to taste
Combine the onion, parley, cilantro, mint, and garlic in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a measuring cup (it doesn’t matter which you add to the other, but slowly pour one liquid into the other while whisking continually). Add the cayenne and cumin to the olive oil/lemon juice mix. Pour over the herbs, garlic and onion.
In a non-reactive pan, coat both sides of the fish with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Transfer to a baking dish, lay the fish in one layer and coat with the marinade. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
How I did it: My pan wasn’t big enough for marinating and I didn’t think I had any gallon zip bags (I did, but I discovered that after the fish was already in the pan). The marinade is thick, more like a paste. I put some in the bottom of the dish, added a layer of fish, covered those with marinade, then added the next layer of fish and topped with the remaining marinade. I transferred it all to my paella pan to bake (I really need a 12” skillet!)
I think this had too much cumin powder. It was overtly hot and not as savory as I'm used to in N. African cooking. I would suggest: more mint, more cilantro, 1 1/2 tsp cumin or, even better, toast 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds then grind them in a spice mill.
I served it with rice and steamed asparagus. My new favorite trick is to trim the asparagus, rinse well, place in a baking dish, season with sea salt, cover with foil and bake with whatever you are cooking for dinner. At 450, it takes about 15 minutes, at 350, it takes 20-25 minutes. I like it.
This is dinner tonight. It has to marinate for 2-4 hours. So plan ahead.
Roast Fish in Moroccan Marinade, William Sonoma’s Food and Wine paring. Pg 54
1 small onion, grated
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 T minced garlic
1 T ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
4 firm white fish filets
salt and pepper to taste
Combine the onion, parley, cilantro, mint, and garlic in a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice in a measuring cup (it doesn’t matter which you add to the other, but slowly pour one liquid into the other while whisking continually). Add the cayenne and cumin to the olive oil/lemon juice mix. Pour over the herbs, garlic and onion.
In a non-reactive pan, coat both sides of the fish with the marinade, cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Transfer to a baking dish, lay the fish in one layer and coat with the marinade. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
How I did it: My pan wasn’t big enough for marinating and I didn’t think I had any gallon zip bags (I did, but I discovered that after the fish was already in the pan). The marinade is thick, more like a paste. I put some in the bottom of the dish, added a layer of fish, covered those with marinade, then added the next layer of fish and topped with the remaining marinade. I transferred it all to my paella pan to bake (I really need a 12” skillet!)
I think this had too much cumin powder. It was overtly hot and not as savory as I'm used to in N. African cooking. I would suggest: more mint, more cilantro, 1 1/2 tsp cumin or, even better, toast 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds then grind them in a spice mill.
I served it with rice and steamed asparagus. My new favorite trick is to trim the asparagus, rinse well, place in a baking dish, season with sea salt, cover with foil and bake with whatever you are cooking for dinner. At 450, it takes about 15 minutes, at 350, it takes 20-25 minutes. I like it.
Tuscan bean and spicy sausage soup
October 31, 2010
I made soup for the week and fish for tonight. So, you get a two-fer.
Tuscan Bean and spicy sausage soup, Food for Friends, pg 24
2 T olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz pancetta or prosciutto, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can cannelloni beans, drained (about 2 cups)
3 spicy Italian sausages
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. When hot, add the onions and sauté about 3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté. Add the chopped carrot, celery, pancetta or prosciutto and cook for about 10 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the beans, sausages, stock, bay leaf and pepper (do not add the salt until after it has finished cooking). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any excess fat, remove the sausages and cut on a diagonal, return to the soup. Stir in the parsley. Taste the soup and see if it needs any additional salt.
How I did it: I had a package of prosciutto in the freezer. It’s easier to dice when it’s frozen. I used the whole package (5.5 oz). I used packaged chicken broth that I hadn’t checked the sodium content on—960 mg per serving!! Are you kidding me? Between the broth and the prosciutto, I new it would be salty so I didn’t add any extra salt at all. I used Trader Joe’s Sicilian Chicken sausage, which is spicy and lower fat than non-chicken sausage. My carrots were kind-of small so I used 2. I didn’t have Italian parsley, so I used regular. It seemed to work out fine.
It’s good soup. I’m going to add it to the list of favorites.
I made soup for the week and fish for tonight. So, you get a two-fer.
Tuscan Bean and spicy sausage soup, Food for Friends, pg 24
2 T olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz pancetta or prosciutto, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can cannelloni beans, drained (about 2 cups)
3 spicy Italian sausages
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. When hot, add the onions and sauté about 3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté. Add the chopped carrot, celery, pancetta or prosciutto and cook for about 10 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the beans, sausages, stock, bay leaf and pepper (do not add the salt until after it has finished cooking). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any excess fat, remove the sausages and cut on a diagonal, return to the soup. Stir in the parsley. Taste the soup and see if it needs any additional salt.
How I did it: I had a package of prosciutto in the freezer. It’s easier to dice when it’s frozen. I used the whole package (5.5 oz). I used packaged chicken broth that I hadn’t checked the sodium content on—960 mg per serving!! Are you kidding me? Between the broth and the prosciutto, I new it would be salty so I didn’t add any extra salt at all. I used Trader Joe’s Sicilian Chicken sausage, which is spicy and lower fat than non-chicken sausage. My carrots were kind-of small so I used 2. I didn’t have Italian parsley, so I used regular. It seemed to work out fine.
It’s good soup. I’m going to add it to the list of favorites.
Roasted chicken with lime and herbs
October 30, 2010
I have a room mate now, so I may be adjusting or abandoning the project. We’ll see. At least now, I don’t have to eat all of this myself.
Roasted Chicken with Lime and Herbs, Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain, pg 78
4 chicken quarters
2 T virgin olive oil
1 tsp ginger pulp’
1 tsp garlic pulp
4 T lime juice
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
6 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh mint
salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced
lime wedges and shredded mint leaves for garnish
Remove the skin from the chicken and prick all over with a fork. Set aside in a heatproof dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the oil, ginger pulp, garlic pulp, lime juice, chilies, cilantro, mint and salt to taste. Mix well and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with black pepper and top with the sliced tomatoes. Cover and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Cook for 35-40 minutes until brown and cooked through, basting a couple of times. Serve with limes wedges and shredded mint.
How I did it: I used 1 T of the garlic pulp and ginger pulp because I don’t think they have enough flavor. You can also substitute fresh minced ginger and garlic for the pulp. I didn’t have a green chili so I used two red ones.
The chicken wasn’t browning well, so I upped the heat for about 10 minutes toward the end. It helped.
I served this over long grain white rice topped with the sauce. It was really good. If you have the time, defat the sauce and simmer (reduce) it to enhance the flavors.
I have a room mate now, so I may be adjusting or abandoning the project. We’ll see. At least now, I don’t have to eat all of this myself.
Roasted Chicken with Lime and Herbs, Healthy Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain, pg 78
4 chicken quarters
2 T virgin olive oil
1 tsp ginger pulp’
1 tsp garlic pulp
4 T lime juice
1 fresh green chili, finely chopped
6 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh mint
salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced
lime wedges and shredded mint leaves for garnish
Remove the skin from the chicken and prick all over with a fork. Set aside in a heatproof dish.
In a small bowl, mix together the oil, ginger pulp, garlic pulp, lime juice, chilies, cilantro, mint and salt to taste. Mix well and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with black pepper and top with the sliced tomatoes. Cover and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Cook for 35-40 minutes until brown and cooked through, basting a couple of times. Serve with limes wedges and shredded mint.
How I did it: I used 1 T of the garlic pulp and ginger pulp because I don’t think they have enough flavor. You can also substitute fresh minced ginger and garlic for the pulp. I didn’t have a green chili so I used two red ones.
The chicken wasn’t browning well, so I upped the heat for about 10 minutes toward the end. It helped.
I served this over long grain white rice topped with the sauce. It was really good. If you have the time, defat the sauce and simmer (reduce) it to enhance the flavors.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Tarragon Lime bay scallops over angel-hair pasta
October 26, 2010
I didn’t read the recipe I’d chosen for today completely and it called for a lot of cream. I can’t have cream, so I changed it to this one.
Tarragon Lime Bay scallops over Angel-hair pasta, Gourmets, 5 ingredients, pg 41
It needed some modifications since it was a last minute addition.
¾ lb dried angel-hair pasta
1 ½ lb bay scallops or quartered sea scallops
¾ cup butter
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T finely chopped fresh tarragon
Cook pasta in 6-8 cups of boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid, drain the pasta.
Rinse the scallops and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 T butter in a 12” skillet over moderately high heat, until foam subsides, then cook half the scallops, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cook remaining scallops in the same manner. Return scallops to the skillet and add lime juice and tarragon.
Toss pasta in a bowl with half of the scallops and ¼ cup cooking liquid. Top pasta with remaining scallops and sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
That’s how they said to do it. Here’s how I did it.
I had frozen sea scallops, so I defrosted them in cold water, patted dry and cut into quarters.
I used cellophane (Chinese Rice) noodles, which are cooked differently from wheat pasta. Bring the water to a boil, add the pasta, boil for one minute or so. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Drain.
I used less butter because 6 T (1/3 cup) seemed excessive. I heated the butter, sautéed the scallops until done and drained. I didn’t have fresh tarragon (because this wasn’t planned) so I used dried. Combine the lime juice and tarragon and pour over the scallops.
While the scallops were cooking, I steamed a bunch of spinach.
To Serve: layer noodles and noodles on a dish, top with scallops.
It seemed overly lime-y, I think I’d use less when I make it next time. Other than that, it was pretty good.
I didn’t read the recipe I’d chosen for today completely and it called for a lot of cream. I can’t have cream, so I changed it to this one.
Tarragon Lime Bay scallops over Angel-hair pasta, Gourmets, 5 ingredients, pg 41
It needed some modifications since it was a last minute addition.
¾ lb dried angel-hair pasta
1 ½ lb bay scallops or quartered sea scallops
¾ cup butter
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T finely chopped fresh tarragon
Cook pasta in 6-8 cups of boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid, drain the pasta.
Rinse the scallops and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 T butter in a 12” skillet over moderately high heat, until foam subsides, then cook half the scallops, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Cook remaining scallops in the same manner. Return scallops to the skillet and add lime juice and tarragon.
Toss pasta in a bowl with half of the scallops and ¼ cup cooking liquid. Top pasta with remaining scallops and sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
That’s how they said to do it. Here’s how I did it.
I had frozen sea scallops, so I defrosted them in cold water, patted dry and cut into quarters.
I used cellophane (Chinese Rice) noodles, which are cooked differently from wheat pasta. Bring the water to a boil, add the pasta, boil for one minute or so. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let sit for about 20 minutes. Drain.
I used less butter because 6 T (1/3 cup) seemed excessive. I heated the butter, sautéed the scallops until done and drained. I didn’t have fresh tarragon (because this wasn’t planned) so I used dried. Combine the lime juice and tarragon and pour over the scallops.
While the scallops were cooking, I steamed a bunch of spinach.
To Serve: layer noodles and noodles on a dish, top with scallops.
It seemed overly lime-y, I think I’d use less when I make it next time. Other than that, it was pretty good.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Spicy Lamb shanks
2 large oranges
1 ¼ cups beef broth
1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground tumeric
½ tsp ground pepper
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
1 ½ cups boiling onions, peeled*
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4# lamb shanks
2 3” cinnamon sticks
2 T water
4 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved, if desired
1 tsp snipped fresh cilantro
*to make the onions easier to peel, blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Trim off the end, then squeeze out the onion (or peel).
Using a vegetable peeler, peel one orange and cut the zest to 1” pieces, to1/4 cup. Set aside. Juice the oranges. Add the broth, orange juice, cardamom, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a 4-5 qt crock pot, add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Add the cinnamon & orange zest. Place the lamb atop the veggies, cover with the orange juice/broth/herb blend. Cover and cook for 8-9 hrs on low or until the meat shreds easily.
Drain off the liquid into a sauce pan. Mix the water and corn starch. Slowly add to the broth and cook until thickened. Serve with the meat and veggies.
HOW I DID IT: I had leg steaks instead of shanks. When it was done, I cooked the liquid down to ¼ cup (about 20 minutes) since I can’t have corn starch. I shredded the meat and mixed it in with the onions and carrots. During that time, I roasted some baby potatoes, cut them into quarters and added them to the mixture. I like to add salt after the fact because you use less and it tastes better. I didn’t top with olives or cilantro, I ate it more like a stew.
It was really good. I wasn't sure about the orange, but it turned out well.
1 ¼ cups beef broth
1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground tumeric
½ tsp ground pepper
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2” pieces
1 ½ cups boiling onions, peeled*
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4# lamb shanks
2 3” cinnamon sticks
2 T water
4 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved, if desired
1 tsp snipped fresh cilantro
*to make the onions easier to peel, blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Trim off the end, then squeeze out the onion (or peel).
Using a vegetable peeler, peel one orange and cut the zest to 1” pieces, to1/4 cup. Set aside. Juice the oranges. Add the broth, orange juice, cardamom, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a 4-5 qt crock pot, add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Add the cinnamon & orange zest. Place the lamb atop the veggies, cover with the orange juice/broth/herb blend. Cover and cook for 8-9 hrs on low or until the meat shreds easily.
Drain off the liquid into a sauce pan. Mix the water and corn starch. Slowly add to the broth and cook until thickened. Serve with the meat and veggies.
HOW I DID IT: I had leg steaks instead of shanks. When it was done, I cooked the liquid down to ¼ cup (about 20 minutes) since I can’t have corn starch. I shredded the meat and mixed it in with the onions and carrots. During that time, I roasted some baby potatoes, cut them into quarters and added them to the mixture. I like to add salt after the fact because you use less and it tastes better. I didn’t top with olives or cilantro, I ate it more like a stew.
It was really good. I wasn't sure about the orange, but it turned out well.
Stuffed peppers with beef &rice (yemistes piperies me moscharaki kai rizi)
Stuffed peppers with beef &rice (yemistes piperies me moscharaki kai rizi)
How to Roast a lamb, by Michael Psilakis, pg 173
2 T olive oil (or a 90/10 mix of canola/olive oil)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
½ small sweet onion, finely chopped
¼ fennel bulb, finely chopped
12 oz ground beef
½ cup white wine
kosher salt & ground pepper
½ cup uncooked white rice
3 cups water or broth or mix
2/3 roughly chopped fresh herbs (parley, dill, mint)
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T garlic puree
6 bell peppers
Heat the oil until very hot. Add the onion, celery and fennel. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown well. Deglaze the pan (remove the meat etc but leave the liquid) with the white wine, cook until the wine is absorbed (reduced by about half). Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, then add the water or broth and bring to a boil (add the meat & vegs back into the mixture). Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in half the herbs, the lemon juice and the garlic puree.
• garlic puree: 3 cups garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves
• 8-10 fresh thyme leaves
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• about 2 cups blended oil (canola and olive)
Put the garlic in a heavy, covered braising pan. Add the bay leaf and thyme, a scant Tbsp kosher salt and 15-20 peppercorns. Barely cover with oil.
Cover the pan and braise in a 300°F oven until the cloves are pale and golden and very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.
Transfer the garlic and the oil to a sterilized jar. Press a square of wax paper over the oil, seal tightly. After ever use, press down the wax paper. Keep refrigerated. Keep for 3 weeks.
Let the beef mixture, rice and garlic puree stand for a couple of minutes while you prepare the peppers.
Wash the peppers, cut about 1” below the top, reserve the top to cap later.
Cut the tops off the peppers about 1” down, core the peppers.
Heat the oven to 400°. Place the peppers in a Dutch oven or other baking dish that will hold the peppers upright. Fill the peppers to within ¼ inch full, spoon the pan sauces over the peppers, salt well. Bake until done, about 40 minutes.
HOW I DID IT: When it was all finished there was a lot of juice in the pan. I kind-of missed the part about the garlic puree and covering with the tops (I noticed it after I’d chopped 3 of the pepper tops). OOPS.
Ultimately, after it was done, I scooped out the mixture and added the chopped pepper tops and pan juice, cooked it down and added it back to the peppers.
I like the technique for peppers with the turkey-stuffing better. Cook the rice, blend in the meat and herbs, onion etc, stuff & bake or BBQ (over indirect heat). Much sturdier.
How to Roast a lamb, by Michael Psilakis, pg 173
2 T olive oil (or a 90/10 mix of canola/olive oil)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
½ small sweet onion, finely chopped
¼ fennel bulb, finely chopped
12 oz ground beef
½ cup white wine
kosher salt & ground pepper
½ cup uncooked white rice
3 cups water or broth or mix
2/3 roughly chopped fresh herbs (parley, dill, mint)
2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T garlic puree
6 bell peppers
Heat the oil until very hot. Add the onion, celery and fennel. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown well. Deglaze the pan (remove the meat etc but leave the liquid) with the white wine, cook until the wine is absorbed (reduced by about half). Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, then add the water or broth and bring to a boil (add the meat & vegs back into the mixture). Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in half the herbs, the lemon juice and the garlic puree.
• garlic puree: 3 cups garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves
• 8-10 fresh thyme leaves
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• about 2 cups blended oil (canola and olive)
Put the garlic in a heavy, covered braising pan. Add the bay leaf and thyme, a scant Tbsp kosher salt and 15-20 peppercorns. Barely cover with oil.
Cover the pan and braise in a 300°F oven until the cloves are pale and golden and very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.
Transfer the garlic and the oil to a sterilized jar. Press a square of wax paper over the oil, seal tightly. After ever use, press down the wax paper. Keep refrigerated. Keep for 3 weeks.
Let the beef mixture, rice and garlic puree stand for a couple of minutes while you prepare the peppers.
Wash the peppers, cut about 1” below the top, reserve the top to cap later.
Cut the tops off the peppers about 1” down, core the peppers.
Heat the oven to 400°. Place the peppers in a Dutch oven or other baking dish that will hold the peppers upright. Fill the peppers to within ¼ inch full, spoon the pan sauces over the peppers, salt well. Bake until done, about 40 minutes.
HOW I DID IT: When it was all finished there was a lot of juice in the pan. I kind-of missed the part about the garlic puree and covering with the tops (I noticed it after I’d chopped 3 of the pepper tops). OOPS.
Ultimately, after it was done, I scooped out the mixture and added the chopped pepper tops and pan juice, cooked it down and added it back to the peppers.
I like the technique for peppers with the turkey-stuffing better. Cook the rice, blend in the meat and herbs, onion etc, stuff & bake or BBQ (over indirect heat). Much sturdier.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
chicken braised in beer
October 9, 2010
Wow! I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since I’ve cooked. But it’s true. I’ve been going out or eating things from Trader Joe’s, falling back into old habits.
Tonight I decided to try a variation of Beer-can (beer-butt) chicken. I can’t make the regular recipe because my Weber grill isn’t deep enough.
This is a traditional braising technique for chicken. Usually, I use traditional herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme), onions, garlic and white wine. I thought I’d see how this technique works with the ingredients for beer-can chicken.
The spice blend is Emeril’s Essence (or Bayou Blast):
This makes 2/3 cup of spice. Store it in an air tight container.
2 ½ T paprika
2 T sea salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T cayenne powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
Use hot paprika and Mexican oregano if possible.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can of beer
1 T oil
2-3 T spice mix
1-2T brown sugar
Heat the oven to 275°.
In a small bowl, mix the spice mix and brown sugar together. Set aside.
Remove giblet bag if present. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Loosen the skin on the chicken, spread the spice mix and brown sugar under the skin and on the outside of the chicken. Salt and pepper the cavity of the chicken.
In a large braise pan or dutch oven, heat the oil until hot. Brown the chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until golden, about three minutes.
Add the chicken back to the pan, add the beer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and the lid.
Bake for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until done.
Remove the chicken, drain the liquid into a separator, pour off the fat. Discard the onions and garlic. Add the liquid back to the pan and reduce by half.
While the liquid is reducing, raise the heat in the oven to 400°. Cut some small potatoes (red or white) into bite size pieces or use fingerling or other small potatoes. Coat lightly with olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh rosemary. Place in one layer on a baking sheet and roast until done.
How it worked out:
The chicken was drier than usual for this braising technique. The spices didn’t infuse into the chicken like they do when you BBQ the chicken. The reduced liquid wasn’t savory and didn’t have a pleasing flavor. All in all, not that good. This isn’t going onto the “favorite” list.
Use the technique for making regular chicken and keep the beer-can chicken on the grill.
Wow! I can’t believe it’s been three weeks since I’ve cooked. But it’s true. I’ve been going out or eating things from Trader Joe’s, falling back into old habits.
Tonight I decided to try a variation of Beer-can (beer-butt) chicken. I can’t make the regular recipe because my Weber grill isn’t deep enough.
This is a traditional braising technique for chicken. Usually, I use traditional herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme), onions, garlic and white wine. I thought I’d see how this technique works with the ingredients for beer-can chicken.
The spice blend is Emeril’s Essence (or Bayou Blast):
This makes 2/3 cup of spice. Store it in an air tight container.
2 ½ T paprika
2 T sea salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T cayenne powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
Use hot paprika and Mexican oregano if possible.
For the chicken:
1 whole chicken
1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can of beer
1 T oil
2-3 T spice mix
1-2T brown sugar
Heat the oven to 275°.
In a small bowl, mix the spice mix and brown sugar together. Set aside.
Remove giblet bag if present. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Loosen the skin on the chicken, spread the spice mix and brown sugar under the skin and on the outside of the chicken. Salt and pepper the cavity of the chicken.
In a large braise pan or dutch oven, heat the oil until hot. Brown the chicken on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until golden, about three minutes.
Add the chicken back to the pan, add the beer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and the lid.
Bake for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until done.
Remove the chicken, drain the liquid into a separator, pour off the fat. Discard the onions and garlic. Add the liquid back to the pan and reduce by half.
While the liquid is reducing, raise the heat in the oven to 400°. Cut some small potatoes (red or white) into bite size pieces or use fingerling or other small potatoes. Coat lightly with olive oil, season with sea salt and fresh rosemary. Place in one layer on a baking sheet and roast until done.
How it worked out:
The chicken was drier than usual for this braising technique. The spices didn’t infuse into the chicken like they do when you BBQ the chicken. The reduced liquid wasn’t savory and didn’t have a pleasing flavor. All in all, not that good. This isn’t going onto the “favorite” list.
Use the technique for making regular chicken and keep the beer-can chicken on the grill.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
grilled swordfish with tomato braised cauliflower
September 19, 2010
Grilled Swordfish with tomato braised cauliflower,
How to Roast a Lamb, by Michael Psilakis, pg 52
2 T olive oil
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
sea salt and freshly gound pepper
large pinch of ground cinnamon
½ large Spanish or sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 T tomato puree
2 T red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups water
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 swordfish steaks
sea salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil
In a large skillet, heat the oil until very hot, but not smoking. Add the cauliflower florets and season with sea salt and pepper and dust with ground cinnamon. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the onions, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-or so minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until the vinegar is absorbed. Add the water, Dijon mustard and thyme. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 20 minutes until tender.
Choose your medium of cooking: broil, grill pan, BBQ. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Coat with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Do not over cook the fish. When you pierce it with a fork, it should penetrate easily.
How I did it: I Followed the recipe. I like the cauliflower mix over the fish, not as a side dish, as I find the swordfish to be a bit dull by itself.
Grilled Swordfish with tomato braised cauliflower,
How to Roast a Lamb, by Michael Psilakis, pg 52
2 T olive oil
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
sea salt and freshly gound pepper
large pinch of ground cinnamon
½ large Spanish or sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 T tomato puree
2 T red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups water
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 swordfish steaks
sea salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil
In a large skillet, heat the oil until very hot, but not smoking. Add the cauliflower florets and season with sea salt and pepper and dust with ground cinnamon. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the onions, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-or so minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until the vinegar is absorbed. Add the water, Dijon mustard and thyme. Heat until boiling, then reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 20 minutes until tender.
Choose your medium of cooking: broil, grill pan, BBQ. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Coat with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Do not over cook the fish. When you pierce it with a fork, it should penetrate easily.
How I did it: I Followed the recipe. I like the cauliflower mix over the fish, not as a side dish, as I find the swordfish to be a bit dull by itself.
sauteed salmon with gremolata
September 10, 2010
Sautéed Salmon with Gremolata
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 71
What is Gremolata? I was a bit confused with the recipe. Gremolata is an herbal accompaniment made of parsley, garlic and lemon zest. I screwed it up twice. First time, I didn’t chop it finely enough. Second time, I used the food processor, which turned out well, but I forgot to refrigerated it and had to toss it the next morning. It would be really good as a sauce with a little olive oil.
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
4 salmon filets
1 T olive oil
Toss together the parsley, lemon zest and garlic to make the gremolata.
Pat salmon dry and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-hot heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté the salmon, skin side down for 4 minutes. Turn salmon over and cook the other side until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve, skin side down, sprinkle with gremolata.
How I did it: I screwed up the gremolata twice. The first time I didn't chop everything fine enough. Second time, I used the food processor for the chopping, but I forgot to refigerate it. I think it would be with better with some olive oil to make a sauce.
Sautéed Salmon with Gremolata
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 71
What is Gremolata? I was a bit confused with the recipe. Gremolata is an herbal accompaniment made of parsley, garlic and lemon zest. I screwed it up twice. First time, I didn’t chop it finely enough. Second time, I used the food processor, which turned out well, but I forgot to refrigerated it and had to toss it the next morning. It would be really good as a sauce with a little olive oil.
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
4 salmon filets
1 T olive oil
Toss together the parsley, lemon zest and garlic to make the gremolata.
Pat salmon dry and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-hot heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté the salmon, skin side down for 4 minutes. Turn salmon over and cook the other side until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Serve, skin side down, sprinkle with gremolata.
How I did it: I screwed up the gremolata twice. The first time I didn't chop everything fine enough. Second time, I used the food processor for the chopping, but I forgot to refigerate it. I think it would be with better with some olive oil to make a sauce.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Oven Poached fish in olive oil
September 9, 2010
Oven Poached fish in olive oil,
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 75
I've been spending a lot of time at Mac's this last week. So, between eating out and finishing the left-over stuffed peppers, I haven't cooked much. It's time to get back to it. So, here we go...
I had serious doubts about this recipe. I like all the ingredients, but it cooks in A LOT of oil.
¼ cup capers, rinsed
2 ½ pounds scrod or halibut
1 ½ large lemons, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Sprinkle fish with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes. Chop half the capers. Arrange half the lemon slices in an 8-inch baking dish and arrange fish in 1 layer over the lemons. Top with whole and chopped capers, remaining lemon slices and 3 T parsley, then pour the oil over the fish.
Bake, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until the fish flakes easily, about 1 hour.
Serve fish with some of the lemons, capers and oil spooned over. Garnish with parsley.
How I did it: I used Mahi Mahi. I seasoned it with Mediterranean salt, failing to realize that that much lemon and capers would dwarf the taste of the salt. I could have used my regular sea salt. I didn’t measure the oil, I just used enough to cover it completely. Save the remaining lemon oil to use in salad dressing (strain it through cheese cloth or a fine sieve first. Keep refrigerated).
This turned out better than I thought. The fish was a little over cooked (tough) but not at all dry. But, then again, how could it be since it was cooked in oil.
Oven Poached fish in olive oil,
Gourmet’s Five Ingredients, pg 75
I've been spending a lot of time at Mac's this last week. So, between eating out and finishing the left-over stuffed peppers, I haven't cooked much. It's time to get back to it. So, here we go...
I had serious doubts about this recipe. I like all the ingredients, but it cooks in A LOT of oil.
¼ cup capers, rinsed
2 ½ pounds scrod or halibut
1 ½ large lemons, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 250°F.
Rinse the fish and pat dry. Sprinkle fish with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes. Chop half the capers. Arrange half the lemon slices in an 8-inch baking dish and arrange fish in 1 layer over the lemons. Top with whole and chopped capers, remaining lemon slices and 3 T parsley, then pour the oil over the fish.
Bake, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until the fish flakes easily, about 1 hour.
Serve fish with some of the lemons, capers and oil spooned over. Garnish with parsley.
How I did it: I used Mahi Mahi. I seasoned it with Mediterranean salt, failing to realize that that much lemon and capers would dwarf the taste of the salt. I could have used my regular sea salt. I didn’t measure the oil, I just used enough to cover it completely. Save the remaining lemon oil to use in salad dressing (strain it through cheese cloth or a fine sieve first. Keep refrigerated).
This turned out better than I thought. The fish was a little over cooked (tough) but not at all dry. But, then again, how could it be since it was cooked in oil.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Turkey stuffed peppers
September 4, 2010
Turkey Stuffed Peppers,
Williams Sonoma Backyard BBQ, pg 49
I modified their recipe to accommodate the ingredients I had. I had ground turkey breast that needed using soon, so I used that instead of turkey sausage that they called for. This is my adaptation:
6 green bell peppers (or mixed colors)
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 gloves garlic, minced
1 T curry powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
½ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup cooked white rice
3 T dried bread crumbs
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
Start the grill.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and seed the peppers. Chop the tops and set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients and the chopped pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix together using your hands or a wooden spoon. Stuff the peppers.
Grill over a medium-hot fire for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
Notes: Since turkey breast is bland, I added extra spice (noted in the recipe above). If you’re using Italian style turkey sausage, omit the oregano and thyme, reduce the salt to ¼ tsp, reduce the garlic to one clove, reduce the onions to one. If you're using ground turkey (mixed with dark meat, not just the breast) omit the olive oil because it has enough fat.
Turkey Stuffed Peppers,
Williams Sonoma Backyard BBQ, pg 49
I modified their recipe to accommodate the ingredients I had. I had ground turkey breast that needed using soon, so I used that instead of turkey sausage that they called for. This is my adaptation:
6 green bell peppers (or mixed colors)
1 pound ground turkey breast
2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 gloves garlic, minced
1 T curry powder
1 T dried oregano
1 T dried thyme
½ tsp ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 cup cooked white rice
3 T dried bread crumbs
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil
Start the grill.
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and seed the peppers. Chop the tops and set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients and the chopped pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix together using your hands or a wooden spoon. Stuff the peppers.
Grill over a medium-hot fire for about 40 minutes or until the peppers are tender when pierced with a fork.
Notes: Since turkey breast is bland, I added extra spice (noted in the recipe above). If you’re using Italian style turkey sausage, omit the oregano and thyme, reduce the salt to ¼ tsp, reduce the garlic to one clove, reduce the onions to one. If you're using ground turkey (mixed with dark meat, not just the breast) omit the olive oil because it has enough fat.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Caribbean influenced chicken
I still haven’t been cooking much. I spent too much time at Mac’s last week, ate there a couple of times. I think I’m done with that for awhile. A few too many conversations that required me to "suffer fools gladly", which I do not do well. But, I did get to give out more constitutions, which should indicate the types of conversations.
I’ve had a whole chicken in my fridge (sealed air-tight) in the fridge for the last week, so I had to do something with it soon.
I modified a chicken recipe (really, I only took part of the ingredient list from a recipe). Since it doesn’t bear any real resemblance to the original recipe, I’m not counting it in the “used recipe” file.
Caribbean influenced chicken
1 whole chicken (remove giblet bag), rinse inside & out.
2 large onions, cut into slivers
1 large green pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 red chiles, seeded
large sprinkle of allspice
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 T Worcestershire sauce
3 T Braggs Aminos (substitute for soy sauce)
2 T ketchup
2 tsp dried thyme
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
Place the chicken in a 5-6 qt crock pot, add the onions, garlic, ginger, chiles, pepper, wine, broth, allspice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (or aminos), and ketchup.
Cook on high 4 hours or 11 hours on low. Remove the chicken to a platter. Add the cilantro and parsley to the cooking liquid. Reduce heat to low. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, (10 minutes) remove the skin and bones, and shred the chicken. Strain the cooking liquid and drain off the fat. Return the broth to the cooking pot or a serving bowl and add the shredded chicken.
This is how I did it. I used the ingredients I had. You can use a jalapeno instead of the red chiles, a red pepper instead of the green pepper. Add more garlic and onions, or less. It’s adaptable. This way turned out tasty.
This would be good with rice and cooked plantains, or in salads or tacos.
I’ve had a whole chicken in my fridge (sealed air-tight) in the fridge for the last week, so I had to do something with it soon.
I modified a chicken recipe (really, I only took part of the ingredient list from a recipe). Since it doesn’t bear any real resemblance to the original recipe, I’m not counting it in the “used recipe” file.
Caribbean influenced chicken
1 whole chicken (remove giblet bag), rinse inside & out.
2 large onions, cut into slivers
1 large green pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 red chiles, seeded
large sprinkle of allspice
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 T Worcestershire sauce
3 T Braggs Aminos (substitute for soy sauce)
2 T ketchup
2 tsp dried thyme
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 T fresh cilantro, chopped
Place the chicken in a 5-6 qt crock pot, add the onions, garlic, ginger, chiles, pepper, wine, broth, allspice, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce (or aminos), and ketchup.
Cook on high 4 hours or 11 hours on low. Remove the chicken to a platter. Add the cilantro and parsley to the cooking liquid. Reduce heat to low. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, (10 minutes) remove the skin and bones, and shred the chicken. Strain the cooking liquid and drain off the fat. Return the broth to the cooking pot or a serving bowl and add the shredded chicken.
This is how I did it. I used the ingredients I had. You can use a jalapeno instead of the red chiles, a red pepper instead of the green pepper. Add more garlic and onions, or less. It’s adaptable. This way turned out tasty.
This would be good with rice and cooked plantains, or in salads or tacos.
Lamb shanks with rosemary and olives
Lamb shanks with rosemary and olives, Better Homes and Gardens Slow cooker recipes, pg 182
1 pound boiling onions
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 meaty lamb shanks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
snipped fresh parsley for garnish
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker, place the onions and olives. Arrange the lamb in the cooker. Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour broth over all.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or on high setting for 5 ½ to 6 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb, onions and olives to a serving dish. Reserve cooking juices. Skim fat from juices. If desired, strain juices and serve with the meat.
How I did it: I used two large onions, sliced into slivers. I used three large sprigs or fresh rosemary. I used lamb shoulder chops instead of shanks. Once cooked, I shredded the lamb, strained the broth and added the lamb back to the cooking juice.
It was ok. I would use more pungent olives than Kalamata (green maybe?) and add some red wine or balsamic vinegar to make it more savory.
1 pound boiling onions
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
4 meaty lamb shanks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
snipped fresh parsley for garnish
In a 5-6 qt slow cooker, place the onions and olives. Arrange the lamb in the cooker. Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour broth over all.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 11 to 12 hours or on high setting for 5 ½ to 6 hours.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer lamb, onions and olives to a serving dish. Reserve cooking juices. Skim fat from juices. If desired, strain juices and serve with the meat.
How I did it: I used two large onions, sliced into slivers. I used three large sprigs or fresh rosemary. I used lamb shoulder chops instead of shanks. Once cooked, I shredded the lamb, strained the broth and added the lamb back to the cooking juice.
It was ok. I would use more pungent olives than Kalamata (green maybe?) and add some red wine or balsamic vinegar to make it more savory.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Fish Fillets with lemon and coriander
Fish fillets with lemon and coriander, The Best of Casual French Cooking: Bistro, by Gerald Hirigoyen, pg 58
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T water
¼ cup roasted, peeled, chopped red peppers
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp ground white pepper
4 firm white fish fillets such as cod or sea bass
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Roast the peppers under the broiler until skin is blistered. Place in a paper bag and let steam for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop the peppers.
In a blender, add the coriander seeds, lemon juice, water, bell peppers, olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Blend on high speed until thick and smooth, about 1 minute.
Rinse the fillets and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a steamer rack over gently boiling water. Cover and steam until opaque, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to plates and spoon the sauce over the tops and sides of the fish. Garnish with chopped parsley.
How I did it: I have no idea. I have this recipe marked as completed and noted it was good. I don’t own a fish steamer, so I have no idea how I cooked this. I know I would have used tilapia because it’s readily available and I like it.
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T water
¼ cup roasted, peeled, chopped red peppers
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp ground white pepper
4 firm white fish fillets such as cod or sea bass
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Roast the peppers under the broiler until skin is blistered. Place in a paper bag and let steam for a few minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop the peppers.
In a blender, add the coriander seeds, lemon juice, water, bell peppers, olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Blend on high speed until thick and smooth, about 1 minute.
Rinse the fillets and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a steamer rack over gently boiling water. Cover and steam until opaque, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to plates and spoon the sauce over the tops and sides of the fish. Garnish with chopped parsley.
How I did it: I have no idea. I have this recipe marked as completed and noted it was good. I don’t own a fish steamer, so I have no idea how I cooked this. I know I would have used tilapia because it’s readily available and I like it.
Fennel, Zucchini and Tomato Soup
Fennel, Zucchini, and Tomato Soup
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 135
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized zucchinis, sliced
6 tomatoes, peeled, sliced and chopped (or 1 28 oz can)
8 fresh basil leaves
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish
If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in hot water to make peeling easier.
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one additional minute. Add the fennel, zucchini, tomatoes and basil. Stir well, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the stock or water and the wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve soup hot. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
How I did it: I used vegetable broth and it was very light. I like fennel so I really enjoyed this soup.
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 135
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
2 medium-sized zucchinis, sliced
6 tomatoes, peeled, sliced and chopped (or 1 28 oz can)
8 fresh basil leaves
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish
If using fresh tomatoes, blanch them in hot water to make peeling easier.
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Sauté the onion for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one additional minute. Add the fennel, zucchini, tomatoes and basil. Stir well, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the stock or water and the wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, simmer for 10 more minutes. Serve soup hot. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
How I did it: I used vegetable broth and it was very light. I like fennel so I really enjoyed this soup.
Zuppa di Pasta e fagioli
Zuppa di Pasta e fagioli
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 93
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-oz can Italian tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp fresh or dried basil, chopped
4 springs fresh Italian parsley
4 cups precooked white beans or 1 15 oz can cannellinii beans
6 cups water
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz dried pasta
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary, basil and parsley. Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the precooked beans or can of beans (drained), water, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, covered, over medium heat. Do not overcook. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Serve hot, topped with grated cheese.
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 93
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-oz can Italian tomatoes, chopped with juice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp fresh or dried basil, chopped
4 springs fresh Italian parsley
4 cups precooked white beans or 1 15 oz can cannellinii beans
6 cups water
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz dried pasta
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, rosemary, basil and parsley. Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the precooked beans or can of beans (drained), water, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, covered, over medium heat. Do not overcook. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the soup rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Serve hot, topped with grated cheese.
Minestra Tuscana (soup)
I haven't cooked anything since last Tuesday. Just haven't been in the mood. I ate out way too much, so here are a few old recipes that were very good.
Minestra Tuscana
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 139
½ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups white wine
1 bouquet garni (sprigs of thyme, oregano, bay leaf tied together)
salt and pepper to taste
2 carrots, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 zucchini, diced
16 spinach leaves
½ cup olives (black or green, pitted), sliced
½ cup Italian rice or equivalent
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion for about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, bouquet garni, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium.
Add the carrots, pepper, zucchini, spinach and olives. Cover the pot and cook slowly for 1 hour. Add the rice and more broth or water if needed, simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Remove the boquet garni. Serve hot. Top with grated cheese.
How I did it: I used vegetable broth which made the soup very light. Using chicken broth would make it heartier.
This is a nice light vegetable soup. Very good. Worth repeating.
Minestra Tuscana
12 Months of Monastery Soup, by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette, pg 139
½ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups white wine
1 bouquet garni (sprigs of thyme, oregano, bay leaf tied together)
salt and pepper to taste
2 carrots, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
1 zucchini, diced
16 spinach leaves
½ cup olives (black or green, pitted), sliced
½ cup Italian rice or equivalent
grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Heat oil in a large soup pot. Saute onion for about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, bouquet garni, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium.
Add the carrots, pepper, zucchini, spinach and olives. Cover the pot and cook slowly for 1 hour. Add the rice and more broth or water if needed, simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Remove the boquet garni. Serve hot. Top with grated cheese.
How I did it: I used vegetable broth which made the soup very light. Using chicken broth would make it heartier.
This is a nice light vegetable soup. Very good. Worth repeating.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Braised chicken thighs with "pizza" spices
August 16, 2010
Braised chicken thighs with “pizza spices”,
Cuisine a Latina, by Michelle Bernstein & Andrew Friedman, pg 180
½ cup plus 3T olive oil
8 chicken thighs
kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
1 shallot, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp crushed red peppers flakes
4 jarred peperoncini, drained and chopped
Heat the oven to 350°.
In a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat 1 cup of olive oil. Season the flour with salt, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Shake off any excess. Working in batches, brown the chicken in the hot oil, skin side down, turning once and cook in until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper toweling.
Pour out the oil and gently wipe the pan. Add 3 T oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add the onions, bell peppers, and shallot. Cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, parley, oregano and pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up and spoon the sauce over it. Add the peperoncini and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven and braise until the chicken is cooked through, 35-40 minutes.
How I did it: I used two legs and thighs, Mexican oregano, one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper. I coarsely chopped the vegetables instead of dicing them because I like them better that way. I used tapioca starch for the dredging and it was very good. I didn’t have tomato sauce, so I used 2 T tomato paste diluted with water.
I really liked this. It was very good and pretty easy to make.
I served it with Mexican Rice:
1 cup long grain white rice, soaked and rinsed
1 ½ tsp whole coriander seeds
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
salt and pepper
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion diced
1 T olive oil
1 T tomato paste
Toast the cumin and coriander in a dry skillet until fragrant and slightly brown. Grind in a spice mill or coffee grinder.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until soft, add the spices and stir well. Add the rice and stir to cover with the oil. Stir in the tomato sauce and add 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Cook until the water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
You can add chopped tomatoes, corn, carrots, peas to this, if desired.
Braised chicken thighs with “pizza spices”,
Cuisine a Latina, by Michelle Bernstein & Andrew Friedman, pg 180
½ cup plus 3T olive oil
8 chicken thighs
kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
1 shallot, minced
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp crushed red peppers flakes
4 jarred peperoncini, drained and chopped
Heat the oven to 350°.
In a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat 1 cup of olive oil. Season the flour with salt, dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Shake off any excess. Working in batches, brown the chicken in the hot oil, skin side down, turning once and cook in until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper toweling.
Pour out the oil and gently wipe the pan. Add 3 T oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add the onions, bell peppers, and shallot. Cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, parley, oregano and pepper flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up and spoon the sauce over it. Add the peperoncini and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven and braise until the chicken is cooked through, 35-40 minutes.
How I did it: I used two legs and thighs, Mexican oregano, one green bell pepper and one red bell pepper. I coarsely chopped the vegetables instead of dicing them because I like them better that way. I used tapioca starch for the dredging and it was very good. I didn’t have tomato sauce, so I used 2 T tomato paste diluted with water.
I really liked this. It was very good and pretty easy to make.
I served it with Mexican Rice:
1 cup long grain white rice, soaked and rinsed
1 ½ tsp whole coriander seeds
1 ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
salt and pepper
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion diced
1 T olive oil
1 T tomato paste
Toast the cumin and coriander in a dry skillet until fragrant and slightly brown. Grind in a spice mill or coffee grinder.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes until soft, add the spices and stir well. Add the rice and stir to cover with the oil. Stir in the tomato sauce and add 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover. Cook until the water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
You can add chopped tomatoes, corn, carrots, peas to this, if desired.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
stir fried strips of lamb with peppers and pineapple
August 14, 2010
This is easier if you’ve already been to the Indian Market and bought coriander powder and mango powder. I don’t know what you’d substitute for that.
To know if a pineapple is ripe, pull on one of the inner leaves. If it gives easily, it’s ripe. But the core might still be too hard to use. If you have time, leave it on the counter for a couple of days. If in doubt, when you are cutting the pineapple, stab a fork into the core. If it penetrates easily, you can use it. If not throw it the core away.
Stir fried strips of lamb with peppers and pineapple,
Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 96
8 oz boned lamb, cut into strips
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp mango powder
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tsp hot chili sauce (Sriracha—with the rooster on the label)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
¼ tsp tumeric
sea salt
Combine all the ingredients. Add the lamb slices and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2 T corn oil
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
12 chunks of pineapple
2 T fresh chopped cilantro
1 T sesame seeds (optional)
Heat the corn oil to very hot. Add the lamb. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add 2/3 cup water. Simmer for 7-10 minutes until tender and the liquid is reduced (longer if too much liquid). Increase the heat and add the peppers and pineapple. Cook until crisp-tender. Add the cilantro. Serve with sesame seeds.
How I did it: I have been unhappy with the ginger puree over many recipes, so I substituted chopped fresh ginger. I also substituted chopped fresh garlic for the garlic puree. I liked it much better.
There seemed to be too much liquid, so I let it simmer longer, but after it cooled, the liquid was absorbed--also a good reason to serve it with rice, it absorbs the liquid. I like more vegetables with everything, so I used one whole green pepper and one whole red pepper and doubled the pineapple. I bought the pineapple today at Trader Joes and juiced what I needed. The core was not ripe enough and I should have tossed it. I served it over rice (below) with steamed green beans.
African (inspired) rice (from a refugee family I knew):
4-6 cardamom pods
2 shaves of cinnamon (cinnamon sticks)
4 whole cloves
1 tsp sea salt
1 T olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
Heat the oil, add the spices and cook until fragrant (about two minutes). Add the rice and sauté until coated. Add 2 cups of water. Boil for one minute. Reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove the spice bits and crush or chop them. Add them back into the rice. Good on day one, better after it sits for a day and absorbs the spices.
This is easier if you’ve already been to the Indian Market and bought coriander powder and mango powder. I don’t know what you’d substitute for that.
To know if a pineapple is ripe, pull on one of the inner leaves. If it gives easily, it’s ripe. But the core might still be too hard to use. If you have time, leave it on the counter for a couple of days. If in doubt, when you are cutting the pineapple, stab a fork into the core. If it penetrates easily, you can use it. If not throw it the core away.
Stir fried strips of lamb with peppers and pineapple,
Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 96
8 oz boned lamb, cut into strips
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp mango powder
½ cup pineapple juice
1 tsp hot chili sauce (Sriracha—with the rooster on the label)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
¼ tsp tumeric
sea salt
Combine all the ingredients. Add the lamb slices and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2 T corn oil
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
12 chunks of pineapple
2 T fresh chopped cilantro
1 T sesame seeds (optional)
Heat the corn oil to very hot. Add the lamb. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add 2/3 cup water. Simmer for 7-10 minutes until tender and the liquid is reduced (longer if too much liquid). Increase the heat and add the peppers and pineapple. Cook until crisp-tender. Add the cilantro. Serve with sesame seeds.
How I did it: I have been unhappy with the ginger puree over many recipes, so I substituted chopped fresh ginger. I also substituted chopped fresh garlic for the garlic puree. I liked it much better.
There seemed to be too much liquid, so I let it simmer longer, but after it cooled, the liquid was absorbed--also a good reason to serve it with rice, it absorbs the liquid. I like more vegetables with everything, so I used one whole green pepper and one whole red pepper and doubled the pineapple. I bought the pineapple today at Trader Joes and juiced what I needed. The core was not ripe enough and I should have tossed it. I served it over rice (below) with steamed green beans.
African (inspired) rice (from a refugee family I knew):
4-6 cardamom pods
2 shaves of cinnamon (cinnamon sticks)
4 whole cloves
1 tsp sea salt
1 T olive oil
1 cup long grain rice
Heat the oil, add the spices and cook until fragrant (about two minutes). Add the rice and sauté until coated. Add 2 cups of water. Boil for one minute. Reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove the spice bits and crush or chop them. Add them back into the rice. Good on day one, better after it sits for a day and absorbs the spices.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Braised fish steaks
August 8, 2010
Braised fish (salmon, halibut) steaks
The New Mediterranean Diet, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 361
2# fish
A little (non-gluten) flour for dredging
3 T olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, sliced
1 glove garlic, minced
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp sweet paprika
juice of 1 lemon
Dredge the fish in 1 T of flour. Heat 2 T olive oil. Sauté the fish in the hot oil until slightly brown on each side. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°.
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and salt to the pan. Stir to mix. Cook until the onions are soft, about 10 mintues. Remove the bay leaves. Add the paprika and lemon juice. Place the fish in a baking dish, cover with onion/sauce. Cook until done, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
How I did it: I didn’t dredge the fish with flour. I made it with Swai, my new favorite white. Everything else was according to recipe. The onions are wonderful.
Braised fish (salmon, halibut) steaks
The New Mediterranean Diet, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 361
2# fish
A little (non-gluten) flour for dredging
3 T olive oil
3 medium yellow onions, sliced
1 glove garlic, minced
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp sweet paprika
juice of 1 lemon
Dredge the fish in 1 T of flour. Heat 2 T olive oil. Sauté the fish in the hot oil until slightly brown on each side. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°.
Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, and salt to the pan. Stir to mix. Cook until the onions are soft, about 10 mintues. Remove the bay leaves. Add the paprika and lemon juice. Place the fish in a baking dish, cover with onion/sauce. Cook until done, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.
How I did it: I didn’t dredge the fish with flour. I made it with Swai, my new favorite white. Everything else was according to recipe. The onions are wonderful.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
lime cilantro grilled cornish hens
August 5, 2010
Dinner was supposed to be “Peppered Cornish Hens and Asparagus with lemon and marjoram”, Food and Wine Italian, pg 137, except I didn’t have any lemons and asparagus is out of season in August. I was at three stores today but never realized I needed lemons. I have a bowl full of limes, a tree full of over-ripe grapefruit, woodpecker eaten oranges and a couple of tangelos but no lemons. I wasn’t about to go out again to get lemons. Since I didn’t use the recipe, I’m putting it back in rotation.
The original recipe:
6 T olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried (oregano is a good substitute)
2 Cornish Game hens, split
1 pound asparagus
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and marjoram in a small bowl. Rinse and pat dry the split hens. Cover with the dressing (about ¼ cup), turn to coat.
Trim the hard ends off the asparagus and then toss with 2 T of the rest of the dressing.
Heat the grill to moderate. Cook the hens for 12 minutes, basting with the dressing and flipping once. Grill the asparagus at the same time, about 12 minutes, turning once. Serve warm with the asparagus and the extra dressing.
How I did it: Since I didn’t have lemons and I had a bunch of limes, I made a dressing of limes, garlic, cilantro and sea salt.
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T cilantro, minced
2 T olive oil
Combine and marinate the hens in a plastic zip bag. Start the grill for a hot fire. Grill the hens for 12 minutes or until done. Turn once during cooking.
Make additional dressing. Since asparagus is out of season, I served the hens over rice and spinach with the additional dressing poured over all.
I was using charcoal from Whole Foods instead of briquettes and it took longer and didn’t get as hot. The hens were a bit undercooked, but after micro waving to heat them up for left-overs they should be just right.
It was pretty good. A little too limey for me, but I was winging it.
Dinner was supposed to be “Peppered Cornish Hens and Asparagus with lemon and marjoram”, Food and Wine Italian, pg 137, except I didn’t have any lemons and asparagus is out of season in August. I was at three stores today but never realized I needed lemons. I have a bowl full of limes, a tree full of over-ripe grapefruit, woodpecker eaten oranges and a couple of tangelos but no lemons. I wasn’t about to go out again to get lemons. Since I didn’t use the recipe, I’m putting it back in rotation.
The original recipe:
6 T olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh marjoram or 1 tsp dried (oregano is a good substitute)
2 Cornish Game hens, split
1 pound asparagus
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and marjoram in a small bowl. Rinse and pat dry the split hens. Cover with the dressing (about ¼ cup), turn to coat.
Trim the hard ends off the asparagus and then toss with 2 T of the rest of the dressing.
Heat the grill to moderate. Cook the hens for 12 minutes, basting with the dressing and flipping once. Grill the asparagus at the same time, about 12 minutes, turning once. Serve warm with the asparagus and the extra dressing.
How I did it: Since I didn’t have lemons and I had a bunch of limes, I made a dressing of limes, garlic, cilantro and sea salt.
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T cilantro, minced
2 T olive oil
Combine and marinate the hens in a plastic zip bag. Start the grill for a hot fire. Grill the hens for 12 minutes or until done. Turn once during cooking.
Make additional dressing. Since asparagus is out of season, I served the hens over rice and spinach with the additional dressing poured over all.
I was using charcoal from Whole Foods instead of briquettes and it took longer and didn’t get as hot. The hens were a bit undercooked, but after micro waving to heat them up for left-overs they should be just right.
It was pretty good. A little too limey for me, but I was winging it.
fresh herbed turkey breast
August 4, 2010
I went to Mac’s for happy hour and had wings and a salad. So, I didn’t come home and make the salmon like I’d planned. I’ll do that later.
Here’s a recipe I made this summer. It was very tasty.
Fresh Herbed Turkey breast
Crockpot Best Loved Slow Cooker recipes, pg 164
2 T butter, softened
¼ cup fresh sage, minced
¼ cup fresh tarragon, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 split turkey breast, about 4 pounds
1 ½ T cornstarch
Thaw the turkey breast (if frozen), remove skin. Combine butter, sage, tarragon, garlic, pepper and salt. Rub mixture all over turkey.
Place in the slow cooker, cover. Cook 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.
Transfer turkey to a platter, cover with foil to keep warm. Turn the crock pot to high, add the cornstarch to thicken the cooking liquid. When thick and bubbly, pour over the turkey. Slice and serve.
How I did it: I couldn’t find a turkey breast so I used a turkey roast. Mistake. I should have just used turkey cutlets instead. The flavor was terrific. I don’t use cornstarch, so I transferred the sauce to a small frying pan and brought to a simmer to reduce the liquid by half.
I went to Mac’s for happy hour and had wings and a salad. So, I didn’t come home and make the salmon like I’d planned. I’ll do that later.
Here’s a recipe I made this summer. It was very tasty.
Fresh Herbed Turkey breast
Crockpot Best Loved Slow Cooker recipes, pg 164
2 T butter, softened
¼ cup fresh sage, minced
¼ cup fresh tarragon, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 split turkey breast, about 4 pounds
1 ½ T cornstarch
Thaw the turkey breast (if frozen), remove skin. Combine butter, sage, tarragon, garlic, pepper and salt. Rub mixture all over turkey.
Place in the slow cooker, cover. Cook 8-10 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.
Transfer turkey to a platter, cover with foil to keep warm. Turn the crock pot to high, add the cornstarch to thicken the cooking liquid. When thick and bubbly, pour over the turkey. Slice and serve.
How I did it: I couldn’t find a turkey breast so I used a turkey roast. Mistake. I should have just used turkey cutlets instead. The flavor was terrific. I don’t use cornstarch, so I transferred the sauce to a small frying pan and brought to a simmer to reduce the liquid by half.
southwest sirloin with corn salad
August 3, 2010
Southwest Sirloin with corn salad
Weber’s big book of BBQ, by Jamie Purviance & Sandra S. McRae, pg 112
For the rub:
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 sirloin steak, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, about ¼ inch thick, trimmed of fat.
Grind the peppercorns and cumin seeds. Place in a small bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Press the rub into both sides of the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.
Lightly brush or spray both sides with vegetable oil. Grill over medium direct heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once during the cooking. Remove from the grill and let stand for 5 minutes.
Corn Salad:
2 cups freshly cooked corn kernels
¼ cup finely diced red pepper
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1 tsp minced jalapeño pepper, with seeds
3 T vegetable oil
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T granulated sugar
1 T finely chopped fresh dill
¼ tsp kosher salt
Combine the corn, red pepper, red onion and jalapeño.
In a sauce pan, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, sugar, dill and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the warm mixture over the corn. Toss to mix. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
How I did it: Originally, I was going to make the Molto Bene steak, but didn’t read the recipe and didn’t marinate it for 3 to 6 hours. Good thing this recipe was on the same page.
I started the grill because I have finally discovered that a hot grill takes about 30 minutes. Then, I made the rub and prepped the steak. I didn’t make the corn salad, but the recipe sounds a lot like Trader Joe’s corn salsa (except for the dill).
This rub was really good. It would be a good addition to your grilling repertoire.
Southwest Sirloin with corn salad
Weber’s big book of BBQ, by Jamie Purviance & Sandra S. McRae, pg 112
For the rub:
2 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 ½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp granulated garlic
1 sirloin steak, 1 ½ to 2 pounds, about ¼ inch thick, trimmed of fat.
Grind the peppercorns and cumin seeds. Place in a small bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
Press the rub into both sides of the steak. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling.
Lightly brush or spray both sides with vegetable oil. Grill over medium direct heat for 10-12 minutes, turning once during the cooking. Remove from the grill and let stand for 5 minutes.
Corn Salad:
2 cups freshly cooked corn kernels
¼ cup finely diced red pepper
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1 tsp minced jalapeño pepper, with seeds
3 T vegetable oil
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T granulated sugar
1 T finely chopped fresh dill
¼ tsp kosher salt
Combine the corn, red pepper, red onion and jalapeño.
In a sauce pan, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, vinegar, sugar, dill and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Pour the warm mixture over the corn. Toss to mix. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.
How I did it: Originally, I was going to make the Molto Bene steak, but didn’t read the recipe and didn’t marinate it for 3 to 6 hours. Good thing this recipe was on the same page.
I started the grill because I have finally discovered that a hot grill takes about 30 minutes. Then, I made the rub and prepped the steak. I didn’t make the corn salad, but the recipe sounds a lot like Trader Joe’s corn salsa (except for the dill).
This rub was really good. It would be a good addition to your grilling repertoire.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Fish with crispy caper dressing
August 2, 2010
This is terrific! It’s fast, easy and delicious.
Fish with crispy caper dressing
Flavors, by Donna Hay, pg 140
4 pieces of white fish, 6 oz each (swai, tilapia)
2 T olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh dill, chopped
4 baby cos lettuces, halved lengthwise
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 T capers, drained
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the fish with oil on both sides. Season with salt, pepper and dill. Prepare the grill or broiler. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
While the fish cooks, heat the oil and butter. Add the capers and fry for about 4 minutes until crispy. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice.
Place the lettuce on a plate, place the fish atop the lettuce and pour the caper dressing over it.
How I did it: I used tilapia, because that's what I had thawed and ready to use. This would be wonderful with swai. I used the electric grill for the fish (first chance I had to use it). Broiling or pan frying would have been good too. I don’t know what cos lettuce is, but from the picture it looks like hearts of romaine. I served mine over raw spinach.
This is so good!
This is terrific! It’s fast, easy and delicious.
Fish with crispy caper dressing
Flavors, by Donna Hay, pg 140
4 pieces of white fish, 6 oz each (swai, tilapia)
2 T olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground pepper
1 T fresh dill, chopped
4 baby cos lettuces, halved lengthwise
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 T capers, drained
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the fish with oil on both sides. Season with salt, pepper and dill. Prepare the grill or broiler. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
While the fish cooks, heat the oil and butter. Add the capers and fry for about 4 minutes until crispy. Remove from heat, add the lemon juice.
Place the lettuce on a plate, place the fish atop the lettuce and pour the caper dressing over it.
How I did it: I used tilapia, because that's what I had thawed and ready to use. This would be wonderful with swai. I used the electric grill for the fish (first chance I had to use it). Broiling or pan frying would have been good too. I don’t know what cos lettuce is, but from the picture it looks like hearts of romaine. I served mine over raw spinach.
This is so good!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
herb crusted salmon with horseradish bread sauce & cole slaw
August 1, 2010
Herb-crusted salmon with horseradish bread sauce
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 162
½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
¼ cup fresh dill
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
1 small shallot, minced
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup plus 1 T prepared horseradish
coarse sea salt or kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup plus 3 T extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless salmon fillets
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the parsley, dill, tarragon, shallot, 1 T of the lemon juice, 1 T of the horseradish and 1 large pinch of salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in 3 T of the olive oil to form a thin paste. Reserve ¼ cup of this herb paste to use as garnish. Lay the salmon in a pan in a single layer and brush with the remaining herb paste, turning to coat both sides of the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500° F or light the grill. Unwrap the salmon.
In the oven: Place the salmon in a roasting pan and roast until done to taste, about 9 to 12 minutes.
On the grill: Place the salmon on the grill (or use a grill basket) and cook, turning once until done to taste, about 4-6 minutes per side.
While the salmon is cooking, place the bread crumbs in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the remaining ¼ cup horseradish, 1 T of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil and process until smooth.
Whisk the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice into the reserved herb paste, add a little more olive oil if necessary to make a pourable herb oil. To serve, place a pool of the bread sauce on each plate, top with a salmon fillet, then drizzle the fish and plate with the herb oil and garnish with fresh dill.
How I did it: I used an 8 oz fillet, skin on. For the herb paste, since you pulse it in the food processor, I didn’t chop the herbs or the shallot too much. Tasted the sauce and adjusted the flavors, coated the fillet (top only) with the marinade, and sat it aside.
Started the briquettes. And this time, I waited long enough for the briquettes to get really hot. I should have started them before starting on the herb paste.
I made the bread sauce. I used almost all of the horseradish in the remoulade yesterday and the herb paste today, so I didn’t have nearly enough for the bread sauce. I reduced the recipe down to work with the horseradish I had and it didn’t work well. I used brown rice bread crumbs which have a much coarser texture than wheat bread crumbs. There wasn’t enough of the mix to blend into a paste in the food processor. Through no fault of the recipe, it didn't work out. I threw it out. I'll try it again later when I have all the proper ingredients.
Then I made cole slaw. That was an adventure!
Cole Slaw
½ head green cabbage
1 granny smith apple
½ yellow onion
celery seeds
½ cup mayonnaise, or so
1T rice wine or white wine vinegar, or so
2 tsp Dijon mustard, or so
2 tsp sugar, or so
(If you like to make cole slaw, invest in an electric slicer. They're reasonably cheap and very handy).
Cut the half head of cabbage in half again. Slice thinly using a mandolin or electric slicer. Shred the apple and the onion in the food processor, combine with the cabbage. Sprinkle liberally with celery seeds.
For the dressing: Start with about half a cup of mayonnaise, add 1 T rice wine vinegar and 1 Tsp Dijon mustard, stir and taste. Add about 1 tsp of sugar. Stir and taste. Adjust the vinegar, Dijon and sugar to your taste, make sure you have enough dressing to cover the cabbage mixture to your liking. (I don’t like mine too soupy).
How I did it: I had all the vegetables shredded when I remembered that I used all my mayonnaise in the remoulade yesterday. So I had to make some mayo. I washed the mixing bowl of the food processor three times making this dinner!
Mayonnaise
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
salt
In the bowl of the food processor, crack the egg and turn the motor on. Add the mustard, vinegar and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running continuously. After all the oil has been emulsified, turn off the motor and taste the mayo. Add more vinegar, salt and mustard to suit your taste.
The type of olive oil you use will make a huge difference in the flavor of the mayo. This time I used Spanish olive oil and it was very fruity when finished, so I added more vinegar, salt and Dijon. Usually, I use extra light virgin olive oil and it needs very little adjusting at the end.
Congratulations, you just made mayonnaise in under four minutes, with no trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated oil.
Remember that you can mess with this mayo recipe in so many ways! Add garlic, add roasted garlic, add onion, add herbs, change the vinegar, change the mustard, add tomato paste, change the olive oil, omit the egg (I’ve never done this, but I think it would work). I wonder how it would be using a nut oil instead? Walnut mayo? If you try that, skip all the other ingredients, turn on the motor and drizzle the oil over it until emulsified. Then taste it and see what would go with it. Hum...
Herb-crusted salmon with horseradish bread sauce
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 162
½ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
¼ cup fresh dill
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
1 small shallot, minced
3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup plus 1 T prepared horseradish
coarse sea salt or kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup plus 3 T extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless salmon fillets
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the parsley, dill, tarragon, shallot, 1 T of the lemon juice, 1 T of the horseradish and 1 large pinch of salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in 3 T of the olive oil to form a thin paste. Reserve ¼ cup of this herb paste to use as garnish. Lay the salmon in a pan in a single layer and brush with the remaining herb paste, turning to coat both sides of the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 500° F or light the grill. Unwrap the salmon.
In the oven: Place the salmon in a roasting pan and roast until done to taste, about 9 to 12 minutes.
On the grill: Place the salmon on the grill (or use a grill basket) and cook, turning once until done to taste, about 4-6 minutes per side.
While the salmon is cooking, place the bread crumbs in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the remaining ¼ cup horseradish, 1 T of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil and process until smooth.
Whisk the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice into the reserved herb paste, add a little more olive oil if necessary to make a pourable herb oil. To serve, place a pool of the bread sauce on each plate, top with a salmon fillet, then drizzle the fish and plate with the herb oil and garnish with fresh dill.
How I did it: I used an 8 oz fillet, skin on. For the herb paste, since you pulse it in the food processor, I didn’t chop the herbs or the shallot too much. Tasted the sauce and adjusted the flavors, coated the fillet (top only) with the marinade, and sat it aside.
Started the briquettes. And this time, I waited long enough for the briquettes to get really hot. I should have started them before starting on the herb paste.
I made the bread sauce. I used almost all of the horseradish in the remoulade yesterday and the herb paste today, so I didn’t have nearly enough for the bread sauce. I reduced the recipe down to work with the horseradish I had and it didn’t work well. I used brown rice bread crumbs which have a much coarser texture than wheat bread crumbs. There wasn’t enough of the mix to blend into a paste in the food processor. Through no fault of the recipe, it didn't work out. I threw it out. I'll try it again later when I have all the proper ingredients.
Then I made cole slaw. That was an adventure!
Cole Slaw
½ head green cabbage
1 granny smith apple
½ yellow onion
celery seeds
½ cup mayonnaise, or so
1T rice wine or white wine vinegar, or so
2 tsp Dijon mustard, or so
2 tsp sugar, or so
(If you like to make cole slaw, invest in an electric slicer. They're reasonably cheap and very handy).
Cut the half head of cabbage in half again. Slice thinly using a mandolin or electric slicer. Shred the apple and the onion in the food processor, combine with the cabbage. Sprinkle liberally with celery seeds.
For the dressing: Start with about half a cup of mayonnaise, add 1 T rice wine vinegar and 1 Tsp Dijon mustard, stir and taste. Add about 1 tsp of sugar. Stir and taste. Adjust the vinegar, Dijon and sugar to your taste, make sure you have enough dressing to cover the cabbage mixture to your liking. (I don’t like mine too soupy).
How I did it: I had all the vegetables shredded when I remembered that I used all my mayonnaise in the remoulade yesterday. So I had to make some mayo. I washed the mixing bowl of the food processor three times making this dinner!
Mayonnaise
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
salt
In the bowl of the food processor, crack the egg and turn the motor on. Add the mustard, vinegar and salt. Drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running continuously. After all the oil has been emulsified, turn off the motor and taste the mayo. Add more vinegar, salt and mustard to suit your taste.
The type of olive oil you use will make a huge difference in the flavor of the mayo. This time I used Spanish olive oil and it was very fruity when finished, so I added more vinegar, salt and Dijon. Usually, I use extra light virgin olive oil and it needs very little adjusting at the end.
Congratulations, you just made mayonnaise in under four minutes, with no trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated oil.
Remember that you can mess with this mayo recipe in so many ways! Add garlic, add roasted garlic, add onion, add herbs, change the vinegar, change the mustard, add tomato paste, change the olive oil, omit the egg (I’ve never done this, but I think it would work). I wonder how it would be using a nut oil instead? Walnut mayo? If you try that, skip all the other ingredients, turn on the motor and drizzle the oil over it until emulsified. Then taste it and see what would go with it. Hum...
Horseradish burgers with Havarti and tomato remoulade
July 31, 2010
Horseradish burgers with havarti and tomato remoulade
Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, pg 172
Tomato Remoulade
2 cups mayonnaise
1 T tomato paste
2 T caper, drained
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsps Dijon mustard
1 anchovy fillet, coarsely chopped
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
dash of Tabasco sauce
1 dill pickle, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the remoulade. Pulse a few times to combine. Cover , refrigerate until ready to use.
Burgers
2 pounds ground chuck
¼ cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
½ bunch chopped chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
16 slices Havarti cheese
8 large hamburger buns, split
cooked bacon, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onion for garnish
Put the beef in a large mixing bowl, add the horseradish, chives, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands, a large spatula or wooden spoon.
Preheat the grill until very hot (burgers stick to a cold grill). Grill the burgers for 8 minutes per side for medium, 7 minutes for rare.
During the last minute, add two slices of cheese to each burger.
After removing the meat from the grill. Wipe off any stuck pieces. Toast the buns cut side down for 1 minute. Serve the burgers with the remoulade and any garnishes you like.
How I did it: I messed up the remoulade. I’d been reading a couple of recipes and confused them a bit. For some reason, I thought I read that the remoulade had a piece of bread in it (no, that’s a different recipe). OOPS. I over pulsed the remoulade so it didn’t have large chunks in it. I’ve never had remoulade so I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like, but mostly I taste the mayonnaise. Next time, I’ll pay better attention (not add things that don’t belong) and use more tomato, pickles, anchovies, mustard, etc.
The briquettes would catch fire! I had a terrible time getting the grill going. It wasn’t as hot as it should have been. Since I use a Weber, I feel compelled to cover everything. I covered the burgers, and probably shouldn’t have. They overcooked (for my taste). With the horseradish, I’d like a more pungent cheese, maybe sharp cheddar.
The burgers were very tasty, but I’d like more horseradish. And, I don’t know how much a “half bunch” of chives is. I used about 3 T.
All in all, it was good. A lot of room for experimenting. I really like the addition of horseradish to the beef.
Horseradish burgers with havarti and tomato remoulade
Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, pg 172
Tomato Remoulade
2 cups mayonnaise
1 T tomato paste
2 T caper, drained
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsps Dijon mustard
1 anchovy fillet, coarsely chopped
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T chopped fresh tarragon
dash of Tabasco sauce
1 dill pickle, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the remoulade. Pulse a few times to combine. Cover , refrigerate until ready to use.
Burgers
2 pounds ground chuck
¼ cup grated fresh or prepared horseradish
½ bunch chopped chives
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
16 slices Havarti cheese
8 large hamburger buns, split
cooked bacon, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onion for garnish
Put the beef in a large mixing bowl, add the horseradish, chives, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands, a large spatula or wooden spoon.
Preheat the grill until very hot (burgers stick to a cold grill). Grill the burgers for 8 minutes per side for medium, 7 minutes for rare.
During the last minute, add two slices of cheese to each burger.
After removing the meat from the grill. Wipe off any stuck pieces. Toast the buns cut side down for 1 minute. Serve the burgers with the remoulade and any garnishes you like.
How I did it: I messed up the remoulade. I’d been reading a couple of recipes and confused them a bit. For some reason, I thought I read that the remoulade had a piece of bread in it (no, that’s a different recipe). OOPS. I over pulsed the remoulade so it didn’t have large chunks in it. I’ve never had remoulade so I don’t know what it’s supposed to taste like, but mostly I taste the mayonnaise. Next time, I’ll pay better attention (not add things that don’t belong) and use more tomato, pickles, anchovies, mustard, etc.
The briquettes would catch fire! I had a terrible time getting the grill going. It wasn’t as hot as it should have been. Since I use a Weber, I feel compelled to cover everything. I covered the burgers, and probably shouldn’t have. They overcooked (for my taste). With the horseradish, I’d like a more pungent cheese, maybe sharp cheddar.
The burgers were very tasty, but I’d like more horseradish. And, I don’t know how much a “half bunch” of chives is. I used about 3 T.
All in all, it was good. A lot of room for experimenting. I really like the addition of horseradish to the beef.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Four season grilled chicken
July 30, 2010
I’m still cooking off the food that I already have, so I’ve had to rummage around the list to find something that fits the requirements.
Four-Season grilled chicken
Better Homes and Gardens Chicken, pg 89
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 T butter
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground red pepper
6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded lettuce (optional)
chopped tomato (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Cook the onions and garlic until tender. Add the chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with half the onion mixture.
Grill chicken on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 minutes. Turn, brush with remaining onion mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is done. (Or broil 5-6 minutes 10-12 inches from heat source, turning once during cooking.)
Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and avocados if desired.
How I did it: I had some trouble with the directions. Was it supposed to cook onion mix side down? Or not. I cooked it that way and I’m pretty sure most of the onions fell off. I need to work on the spice mix some. I didn’t have chili powder so I used chile powder with salt and Mexican oregano. I oopsed and used more chile powder instead of ground red chilis. It turned out ok, but it could have been been better, if I’d done it like it said.
I’m still cooking off the food that I already have, so I’ve had to rummage around the list to find something that fits the requirements.
Four-Season grilled chicken
Better Homes and Gardens Chicken, pg 89
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 T butter
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground red pepper
6 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded lettuce (optional)
chopped tomato (optional)
sliced avocado (optional)
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Cook the onions and garlic until tender. Add the chili powder, cumin and ground red pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Brush with half the onion mixture.
Grill chicken on an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 6 minutes. Turn, brush with remaining onion mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is done. (Or broil 5-6 minutes 10-12 inches from heat source, turning once during cooking.)
Garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and avocados if desired.
How I did it: I had some trouble with the directions. Was it supposed to cook onion mix side down? Or not. I cooked it that way and I’m pretty sure most of the onions fell off. I need to work on the spice mix some. I didn’t have chili powder so I used chile powder with salt and Mexican oregano. I oopsed and used more chile powder instead of ground red chilis. It turned out ok, but it could have been been better, if I’d done it like it said.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Provencal Braised Tuna
July 29, 2010
Provencal Braised Tuna
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 358
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 large lemon, thinly slices
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T coarsely chopped rosemary needles
2 pounds tuna or swordfish steaks, 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, skinned if necessary
1/3 cup chopped black olives, preferably oil changed
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
In a large casserole, place half the onions, top with half the tomato and half the lemon slices. Place the tuna on the vegetables in one layer, season with salt, pepper and half the rosemary. Cover with remaining lemons, tomatoes, onions. Add more salt, pepper and the remaining rosemary to the top layer of onions. Tuck the bay leaves and thyme around the onions. Pour the wine over all.
Cover the pan tightly. Bake at 375° for 1 – 1 ¼ hours or until tuna is done.
What I would do differently next time: I chopped the onions too finely (and they weren’t fine at all!), so I’d quarter them or slice thickly. I would add more sea salt and pepper (season to taste is always tricky)
I served it with rice and Belgian endive and apple salad with Walnut dressing:
3 Belgian endive, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
7 whole walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Walnut dressing is under “my favorite dressing” post.
Provencal Braised Tuna
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Nancy Harmon Jenkins, pg 358
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 large ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 large lemon, thinly slices
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 T coarsely chopped rosemary needles
2 pounds tuna or swordfish steaks, 1 ½ to 2 inches thick, skinned if necessary
1/3 cup chopped black olives, preferably oil changed
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 thyme sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
In a large casserole, place half the onions, top with half the tomato and half the lemon slices. Place the tuna on the vegetables in one layer, season with salt, pepper and half the rosemary. Cover with remaining lemons, tomatoes, onions. Add more salt, pepper and the remaining rosemary to the top layer of onions. Tuck the bay leaves and thyme around the onions. Pour the wine over all.
Cover the pan tightly. Bake at 375° for 1 – 1 ¼ hours or until tuna is done.
What I would do differently next time: I chopped the onions too finely (and they weren’t fine at all!), so I’d quarter them or slice thickly. I would add more sea salt and pepper (season to taste is always tricky)
I served it with rice and Belgian endive and apple salad with Walnut dressing:
3 Belgian endive, coarsely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
7 whole walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Walnut dressing is under “my favorite dressing” post.
Flank steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
July 28, 2010
I work late on Wednesdays, and since I’m cooking out of the stuff I have in the refrigerator or freezer, I’ve had to adjust a lot. I didn’t know what I was going to make and I had a lot of left-overs, so I had left-overs.
Here’s something from the past.
Flank Steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
Cooking up an Italian Life, Sharon Sanders, pg 177
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank steak
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 bag (10 ounces) spinach, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 T olive oil
1 chunk (1 ½ ounces) Parmesan cheese.
Marinate the flank steak in the balsamic vinegar in a zip bag or dish, turn to coat the meat. Marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the steak from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a glass measuring cup and set aside.
Grill the steak over the heat source for 8 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is 145°. Remove and set aside on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices.
Meanwhile, place the spinach on dinner plates or a large platter Microwave the reserved marinade for 2 minutes, or until boiling. Remove and allow to cool.
Cut the steak into thin diagonal slices. Arrange over the spinach. Drizzle with the oil. Cut shavings from the parmesan cheese and scatter over the steak. Serve with reserved marinade.
Notes:
This is fabulous. Balsamic vinegar makes a terrific marinade. The flavor is wonderful.
I work late on Wednesdays, and since I’m cooking out of the stuff I have in the refrigerator or freezer, I’ve had to adjust a lot. I didn’t know what I was going to make and I had a lot of left-overs, so I had left-overs.
Here’s something from the past.
Flank Steak Carpaccio-style with spinach and shaved Parmesan
Cooking up an Italian Life, Sharon Sanders, pg 177
1 ½ to 2 pounds flank steak
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 bag (10 ounces) spinach, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
4 to 6 T olive oil
1 chunk (1 ½ ounces) Parmesan cheese.
Marinate the flank steak in the balsamic vinegar in a zip bag or dish, turn to coat the meat. Marinate for at least one hour in the refrigerator. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Remove the steak from the marinade. Pour the marinade into a glass measuring cup and set aside.
Grill the steak over the heat source for 8 minutes each side or until the internal temperature is 145°. Remove and set aside on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices.
Meanwhile, place the spinach on dinner plates or a large platter Microwave the reserved marinade for 2 minutes, or until boiling. Remove and allow to cool.
Cut the steak into thin diagonal slices. Arrange over the spinach. Drizzle with the oil. Cut shavings from the parmesan cheese and scatter over the steak. Serve with reserved marinade.
Notes:
This is fabulous. Balsamic vinegar makes a terrific marinade. The flavor is wonderful.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
keoki-tini and other drinks
This was a fun experiment in drinking. I had an afternoon off and experimented with making new martini drinks. We only came up with one name though.
If you're familiar with a Keoki coffee this will be familiar.
Keoki-tini
2 parts Kahlua
1 part Crème de cacao
1 part Brandy
fill with Vanilla vodka
Shake all the ingredients over ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.
variation of Roman Nights coffee (this needs a name)
1 part Frangelico liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
2 parts kahlua
fill with vanilla vodka
Orange stick (needs a better name)
1 part cointreau
1 part crème de cacao
fill with vanilla vodka
Raspberry stick (needs a better name)
1 part chambord liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
fill with regular vodka (vanilla makes it too sweet)
If you're familiar with a Keoki coffee this will be familiar.
Keoki-tini
2 parts Kahlua
1 part Crème de cacao
1 part Brandy
fill with Vanilla vodka
Shake all the ingredients over ice and serve in a chilled martini glass.
variation of Roman Nights coffee (this needs a name)
1 part Frangelico liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
2 parts kahlua
fill with vanilla vodka
Orange stick (needs a better name)
1 part cointreau
1 part crème de cacao
fill with vanilla vodka
Raspberry stick (needs a better name)
1 part chambord liqueur
1 part crème de cacao
fill with regular vodka (vanilla makes it too sweet)
My favorite salad dressings
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients.
Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground (optional)
slowly add the water to the tahini, stirring until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt.
Classic citrus dressing:
1/2 cup mild and fruity olive oil
4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Walnut vinaigrette
2-3 T Sherry or white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnut oil (not the clear type, comes in a dark bottle or can)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
whisk all ingredients together.
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Mix all ingredients.
Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup tahini
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground (optional)
slowly add the water to the tahini, stirring until smooth. Add the lemon juice and salt.
Classic citrus dressing:
1/2 cup mild and fruity olive oil
4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Walnut vinaigrette
2-3 T Sherry or white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup toasted walnut oil (not the clear type, comes in a dark bottle or can)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
whisk all ingredients together.
Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
3-4 T balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil
Grilled scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens
July 27, 2010
I’m cooking off the ingredients I have in the refrigerator or freezer, so I had to adjust a few things on this weeks menu. We’ll see how this week goes.
Grilled Scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens in a fresh cilantro dressing
A Spoonful of Ginger, by Nina Simonds, pg 182
1 ½ lbs sea scallops
Ginger Marinade:
2 T rice wine or sake
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
6-8 10-inch bamboo skewers or metal skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound tender greens (spinach, chard, snow pea shoots)
2 tsp canola or corn oil
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
2 T rice wine or sake
1 tsp salt
Place the scallops in a bowl. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the scallops, tossing lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
If using grill, start the briquettes for a medium hot fire while the scallops marinate.
Mix the cilantro dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the greens, removing any hard stems. Heat the oil in a skilled over high heat. Add the greens and garlic and toss lightly about 20 seconds, then add the rice wine and salt, and toss lightly over high heat about 1 minute or less, until the greens are slightly wilted but still bright green. Spoon the greens onto plates in a mound, so the scallops can be served on top.
Alternately skewer the peppers and scallops onto the bamboo skewers, starting and ending with peppers. Brush the scallops and peppers with the marinade.
Grill the skewers 3-4 inches from the heat source for 3-4 minutes on each side (skewers can be broiled), brushing with marinade.
Remove the scallops and peppers from the skewers. Arrange the scallops and peppers over the greens with dressing on top or on the side. Serve warm.
How I did it: I used spinach for the greens but I didn’t have enough. I didn’t have sake, so I used Mirin (rice cooking wine). I didn’t have fresh ginger, so I used 1 T ginger paste from the Indian market and added an extra 1 tsp ground ginger.
I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s, and olive oil instead of the corn or canola oil. It doesn’t get as hot, but I like it better.
This was really good. It would also be good without the cilantro dressing and served over long grain white rice.
I’m cooking off the ingredients I have in the refrigerator or freezer, so I had to adjust a few things on this weeks menu. We’ll see how this week goes.
Grilled Scallops and rainbow peppers over wilted greens in a fresh cilantro dressing
A Spoonful of Ginger, by Nina Simonds, pg 182
1 ½ lbs sea scallops
Ginger Marinade:
2 T rice wine or sake
2 T soy sauce
1 T minced ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 red pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 orange pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1 ½ inch squares
6-8 10-inch bamboo skewers or metal skewers. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes.
Cilantro Dressing:
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup clear rice vinegar
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 ½ T sugar
1 ½ T rice wine or sake
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 pound tender greens (spinach, chard, snow pea shoots)
2 tsp canola or corn oil
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
2 T rice wine or sake
1 tsp salt
Place the scallops in a bowl. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the scallops, tossing lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
If using grill, start the briquettes for a medium hot fire while the scallops marinate.
Mix the cilantro dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the greens, removing any hard stems. Heat the oil in a skilled over high heat. Add the greens and garlic and toss lightly about 20 seconds, then add the rice wine and salt, and toss lightly over high heat about 1 minute or less, until the greens are slightly wilted but still bright green. Spoon the greens onto plates in a mound, so the scallops can be served on top.
Alternately skewer the peppers and scallops onto the bamboo skewers, starting and ending with peppers. Brush the scallops and peppers with the marinade.
Grill the skewers 3-4 inches from the heat source for 3-4 minutes on each side (skewers can be broiled), brushing with marinade.
Remove the scallops and peppers from the skewers. Arrange the scallops and peppers over the greens with dressing on top or on the side. Serve warm.
How I did it: I used spinach for the greens but I didn’t have enough. I didn’t have sake, so I used Mirin (rice cooking wine). I didn’t have fresh ginger, so I used 1 T ginger paste from the Indian market and added an extra 1 tsp ground ginger.
I used frozen scallops from Trader Joe’s, and olive oil instead of the corn or canola oil. It doesn’t get as hot, but I like it better.
This was really good. It would also be good without the cilantro dressing and served over long grain white rice.
broiled shrimp with lemon & thyme, vegetable risotto
July 26, 2010
I haven’t been cooking lately. I didn’t feel well last week and I had a lot of leftovers, so I decided not to add to the chaos in the refrigerator. Now that it’s under control and I feel better, it’s time to get back to it.
Vegetable Risotto, home recipe
Inspired by Country-style vegetable risotto,
Risotto, by Ursula Ferrigno, pg 30
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups of chopped vegetables (broccoli, peas, squash, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, tomatoes (seeded), greens.
1 cup risotto rice
herbs
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 T butter
Peel and chop the vegetables. Heat 1 T in a skillet, sauté the heartier vegetables (carrots, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, zucchini, squash) for about 5-8 minutes, add the softer vegetables (tomatoes, greens, peas, beans). Sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the broth to near boiling in a separate pan. In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil until hot, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 1 minute until glistening with oil. Add the white wine. Stir until absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at a time. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables and herbs (your choice—sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon). Continue adding broth one ladle at a time until the rice is al dente (about 18 minutes). Add the remaining ladle of broth. Add salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and butter.
How I did it: I used carrots, one parsnip, and one potato. That’s what I had at home. I think I’ll stir in some peas tomorrow. I used sage and thyme for the herbs. I used the broth that was thawed in the refrigerator, not sure what it was, either chicken or a mix of chicken and vegetable broth.
Broiled Shrimp with lemon and thyme, home recipe
I read the recipe and decided it seemed really easy, so I didn’t get the book out when I made it. I skilled the oil entirely and it turned out pretty well anyway.
Inspired by Grilled Shrimp with thyme and lemon
Simple to Spectacular, Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman,
pg 216
Serves 1-2
6 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
juice of 1 lemon
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
Combine the lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat the broiler. Place shrimp on the broiler pan about 4 inches below the heat source. Cook until pink.
I haven’t been cooking lately. I didn’t feel well last week and I had a lot of leftovers, so I decided not to add to the chaos in the refrigerator. Now that it’s under control and I feel better, it’s time to get back to it.
Vegetable Risotto, home recipe
Inspired by Country-style vegetable risotto,
Risotto, by Ursula Ferrigno, pg 30
4-5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups of chopped vegetables (broccoli, peas, squash, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, tomatoes (seeded), greens.
1 cup risotto rice
herbs
salt
pepper
1 cup shredded parmesan
1 T butter
Peel and chop the vegetables. Heat 1 T in a skillet, sauté the heartier vegetables (carrots, broccoli, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, zucchini, squash) for about 5-8 minutes, add the softer vegetables (tomatoes, greens, peas, beans). Sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the broth to near boiling in a separate pan. In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil until hot, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and sauté for about 1 minute until glistening with oil. Add the white wine. Stir until absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at a time. After about 10 minutes, add the vegetables and herbs (your choice—sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon). Continue adding broth one ladle at a time until the rice is al dente (about 18 minutes). Add the remaining ladle of broth. Add salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan and butter.
How I did it: I used carrots, one parsnip, and one potato. That’s what I had at home. I think I’ll stir in some peas tomorrow. I used sage and thyme for the herbs. I used the broth that was thawed in the refrigerator, not sure what it was, either chicken or a mix of chicken and vegetable broth.
Broiled Shrimp with lemon and thyme, home recipe
I read the recipe and decided it seemed really easy, so I didn’t get the book out when I made it. I skilled the oil entirely and it turned out pretty well anyway.
Inspired by Grilled Shrimp with thyme and lemon
Simple to Spectacular, Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman,
pg 216
Serves 1-2
6 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
juice of 1 lemon
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
Combine the lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and set aside for about 10 minutes.
Heat the broiler. Place shrimp on the broiler pan about 4 inches below the heat source. Cook until pink.
Jumbo shrimp dopiaza with mango powder
July 25, 2010
Here’s is something else I made this spring. It was good, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I ended up omitting the chiles, cilantro, curry leaves and onion seeds. Don’t skip them, they’re essential to the flavor.
Jumbo Shrimp Dopiaza with mango powder
Healthy Indian cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 58
14-16 peeled jumbo shrimp
2 T corn oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
large pinch of onion seeds (buy at the Indian market)
4 curry leaves (can substitute bay leaves)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp chili powder
salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp mango powder (buy at the Indian market)
2 fresh green chilies, sliced
2 firm tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion seeds, curry leaves and stir fry for about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add the garlic, ginger, chili powder, salt, turmeric, and mango powder. Stir fry for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, tomatoes, chilies and most of the cilantro. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are just firm and cooked through. Serve garnished with the remaining cilantro.
Here’s is something else I made this spring. It was good, but I didn’t have all the ingredients so I ended up omitting the chiles, cilantro, curry leaves and onion seeds. Don’t skip them, they’re essential to the flavor.
Jumbo Shrimp Dopiaza with mango powder
Healthy Indian cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 58
14-16 peeled jumbo shrimp
2 T corn oil
4 onions, thinly sliced
large pinch of onion seeds (buy at the Indian market)
4 curry leaves (can substitute bay leaves)
1 tsp garlic pulp
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp chili powder
salt
½ tsp turmeric
2 tsp mango powder (buy at the Indian market)
2 fresh green chilies, sliced
2 firm tomatoes, quartered and seeded
1 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Rinse the shrimp and pat dry.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion seeds, curry leaves and stir fry for about 2 minutes, until aromatic. Add the garlic, ginger, chili powder, salt, turmeric, and mango powder. Stir fry for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, tomatoes, chilies and most of the cilantro. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are just firm and cooked through. Serve garnished with the remaining cilantro.
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game Hens
July 24, 2010
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game hens,
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 264
I’m still not cooking. I have several left overs and am still dealing with all the rice from Monday. Crazy amount of rice.
I made this sometime in 2010. Probably in the spring.
For the Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 T honey
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Cornish game hens, 1 ½ to 2 lbs each
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade.
Remove the giblets from the hens and discard. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. With poultry or kitchen shears, remove the backbones and cut in half.
Place the hens in a gallon zip bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade evenly. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the hen halves from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the hens bone side down over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Honey Lime grilled Cornish Game hens,
Weber’s big book of BBQ, pg 264
I’m still not cooking. I have several left overs and am still dealing with all the rice from Monday. Crazy amount of rice.
I made this sometime in 2010. Probably in the spring.
For the Marinade:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 T olive oil
2 T honey
2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Cornish game hens, 1 ½ to 2 lbs each
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade.
Remove the giblets from the hens and discard. Rinse the hens, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. With poultry or kitchen shears, remove the backbones and cut in half.
Place the hens in a gallon zip bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade evenly. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove the hen halves from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the hens bone side down over indirect medium heat until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 30-40 minutes. Serve warm.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
July 23, 2010
It’s Friday, which means (you got it) Happy Hour at Mac’s. I had the bleu cheese peppercorn burger (no bun) and steak fries. Their burgers are fabulous. I love the fries, but that is a one-way relationship, sadly. Remember Fry Sauce? Maybe it’s just a Utah thing, but I hear you can buy it at the Super Walmart (?). It’s essentially mayo & ketchup. The trick is getting the mixture right. It should be a salmon color, or so. It also takes a perfectly good, low cal condiment and makes it 100% fat.
Here is something else from the past.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 110
¼ cup whole grain mustard
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus a couple of sprigs for garnish)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 whole chicken breasts
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a very large bowl, whisk together the mustards, chopped thyme, and pepper with 2 T water. Whisk in the olive oil. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the over to 500° or start the grill. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In the oven: lay the chicken breasts skin side down in a roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, turning once and basting with the marinade, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
On the grill: lay the chicken skin side down on the grill and cook, covered, until well seared, about 8 minutes. Turn the breasts, brush them with the marinade and grill for another 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.
Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet.
Serve the chicken breasts garnished with the almonds and thyme sprigs, season with salt.
It’s Friday, which means (you got it) Happy Hour at Mac’s. I had the bleu cheese peppercorn burger (no bun) and steak fries. Their burgers are fabulous. I love the fries, but that is a one-way relationship, sadly. Remember Fry Sauce? Maybe it’s just a Utah thing, but I hear you can buy it at the Super Walmart (?). It’s essentially mayo & ketchup. The trick is getting the mixture right. It should be a salmon color, or so. It also takes a perfectly good, low cal condiment and makes it 100% fat.
Here is something else from the past.
Chicken breasts with grainy mustard, almonds & thyme
High Heat, by Waldy Malouf, pg 110
¼ cup whole grain mustard
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus a couple of sprigs for garnish)
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 whole chicken breasts
coarse sea salt or kosher salt
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
In a very large bowl, whisk together the mustards, chopped thyme, and pepper with 2 T water. Whisk in the olive oil. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Place in the bowl and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the over to 500° or start the grill. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In the oven: lay the chicken breasts skin side down in a roasting pan. Roast for about 25 minutes, turning once and basting with the marinade, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
On the grill: lay the chicken skin side down on the grill and cook, covered, until well seared, about 8 minutes. Turn the breasts, brush them with the marinade and grill for another 10 minutes, until crisp and cooked through.
Toast the almonds in a small, dry skillet.
Serve the chicken breasts garnished with the almonds and thyme sprigs, season with salt.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta (long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
July 22, 2010
I caught a bit of a stomach virus from one of the drooling kids. It happens, but it’s annoying. This too shall pass, but I don’t feel like eating, much less cooking. So, here is a recipe from the past. I don’t know when I made it, except it was in 2010. It was really good, but that’s the only note I have on it. This takes a long time because it marinates for 24-36 hours, then is slow cooked at a low-ish temperature.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta
(long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
All about Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 260
The marinade:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 oz total), coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, cut crosswise in half
2 bay leaves
two 3-inch leafy rosemary sprigs
½ tsp black peppercorns
one 750 ml bottle fruity dry red wine (like Valpolicella or Chianti)
one 3 ½ to 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
coarse salt
24-36 hours before:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and sauté, stirring intermittently, until the vegetables are tinged with brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and peppercorns. Pour the wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the wine with the essences of the vegetables. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Using kitchen twine or string, tie the roast into a neat package. Season all over with 1 tsp coarse salt. Put the roast into a gallon zip bag and place in large dish. Cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning once.
For the Braise:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grappa or brandy
1 cup beef stock
½ pound pancetta in one piece, about 1 inch thick
freshly ground pepper
Heat the oven to 300˚. Remove the roast from the marinade and place on a rack set over a platter to drain. Reserve the marinade. Pour any drips from the meat back into the marinade and set aside. Wipe the meat thoroughly with paper towels. If it’s damp, it won’t brown properly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the meat and sear it on all sides, using tongs to turn it, until mahogany in color. Because of the wine, the sear will be darker than usual. Transfer the meat to a 3 or 4 quart Dutch oven or heavy lidded casserole.
Pour most of the fat from the skillet and discard. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towels if it appears burnt at all, but if there are any taste looking brown bits, be careful to leave those behind. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and carefully pour in the brandy or grappa (it may ignite, so stand back). Bring to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to about 2 T, about 3-4 minutes. Strain the marinade into the skillet, reserving the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Boil the marinade until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and boil again to reduce down by half, another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tuck the chunk of pancetta under or alongside the roast. Scatter over the reserved vegetables and seasonings, and reach in and push some vegetables under the roast as well. Pour the reduced braising liquid over the roast and cover the pot with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so the paper almost touches the meat and the edges extend about 1 inch over the sides of the pot. After the first 15 minutes, check to see that the liquid isn’t simmering too furiously. If it is, lower the over temperature 10 or 15 degrees. Roast until fork tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Lift the beef from the braising liquid, using a slotted spatula to support it so it doesn’t fall apart, and transfer it to a shallow platter to catch the juices. Strain the braising liquids into a saucepan, reserving the pancetta and garlic and discard the spent aromatics. With a wide spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the braising liquid, and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the consistency is right. Test and add salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, make the garlic paste and mince the pancetta: Squeeze the garlic from the cloves into a small bowl. Smash into a paste using the tines of a fork. With your hands, pull apart the pancetta. You can keep or toss the fatty part of the pancetta. Add the shredded pancetta to the simmering sauce.
Serve with some sauce over each piece and a bit of the garlic paste.
How I did it: I’ve never been able to pull off the parchment bit of the braise recipes, so I just seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on that.
I caught a bit of a stomach virus from one of the drooling kids. It happens, but it’s annoying. This too shall pass, but I don’t feel like eating, much less cooking. So, here is a recipe from the past. I don’t know when I made it, except it was in 2010. It was really good, but that’s the only note I have on it. This takes a long time because it marinates for 24-36 hours, then is slow cooked at a low-ish temperature.
Stracotto with garlic & pancetta
(long cooking Italian wine pot roast)
All about Braising, by Molly Stevens, pg 260
The marinade:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 oz total), coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 head garlic, cut crosswise in half
2 bay leaves
two 3-inch leafy rosemary sprigs
½ tsp black peppercorns
one 750 ml bottle fruity dry red wine (like Valpolicella or Chianti)
one 3 ½ to 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
coarse salt
24-36 hours before:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the celery, onions, and carrots and sauté, stirring intermittently, until the vegetables are tinged with brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, and peppercorns. Pour the wine and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the wine with the essences of the vegetables. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Using kitchen twine or string, tie the roast into a neat package. Season all over with 1 tsp coarse salt. Put the roast into a gallon zip bag and place in large dish. Cover with the marinade. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning once.
For the Braise:
2 T extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup grappa or brandy
1 cup beef stock
½ pound pancetta in one piece, about 1 inch thick
freshly ground pepper
Heat the oven to 300˚. Remove the roast from the marinade and place on a rack set over a platter to drain. Reserve the marinade. Pour any drips from the meat back into the marinade and set aside. Wipe the meat thoroughly with paper towels. If it’s damp, it won’t brown properly.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the meat and sear it on all sides, using tongs to turn it, until mahogany in color. Because of the wine, the sear will be darker than usual. Transfer the meat to a 3 or 4 quart Dutch oven or heavy lidded casserole.
Pour most of the fat from the skillet and discard. Wipe out the pan with a damp paper towels if it appears burnt at all, but if there are any taste looking brown bits, be careful to leave those behind. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and carefully pour in the brandy or grappa (it may ignite, so stand back). Bring to a boil, and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced to about 2 T, about 3-4 minutes. Strain the marinade into the skillet, reserving the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Boil the marinade until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and boil again to reduce down by half, another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
Tuck the chunk of pancetta under or alongside the roast. Scatter over the reserved vegetables and seasonings, and reach in and push some vegetables under the roast as well. Pour the reduced braising liquid over the roast and cover the pot with a sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so the paper almost touches the meat and the edges extend about 1 inch over the sides of the pot. After the first 15 minutes, check to see that the liquid isn’t simmering too furiously. If it is, lower the over temperature 10 or 15 degrees. Roast until fork tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.
Lift the beef from the braising liquid, using a slotted spatula to support it so it doesn’t fall apart, and transfer it to a shallow platter to catch the juices. Strain the braising liquids into a saucepan, reserving the pancetta and garlic and discard the spent aromatics. With a wide spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the braising liquid, and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously over medium high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the consistency is right. Test and add salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, make the garlic paste and mince the pancetta: Squeeze the garlic from the cloves into a small bowl. Smash into a paste using the tines of a fork. With your hands, pull apart the pancetta. You can keep or toss the fatty part of the pancetta. Add the shredded pancetta to the simmering sauce.
Serve with some sauce over each piece and a bit of the garlic paste.
How I did it: I’ve never been able to pull off the parchment bit of the braise recipes, so I just seal the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place the lid on that.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Rice with salmon-colored lentils and vegetables
July 19, 2010
My stomach hurt all day today so the thought of food was just not appealing. I rearranged the plan and went for something lighter.
Rice with salmon lentils and vegetables
masoor dhal khicheri with vegetables, Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 100
masoor dhal are salmon colored lentils
khicheri is rice cooked with lentils or legumes
The garlic puree and ginger puree are available at the Indian market
You can substitute bay leaves for the curry leaves
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup masoor dhal (salmon colored lentils)
2 T corn oil
4-6 curry leaves (substitute bay leaves)
¼ tsp mixed mustard seeds and onion seeds
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp garlic pulp
½ tsp tumeric
1 medium carrot, diced
2 oz shelled peas
2 oz green beans, sliced into short lengths
salt to taste
1 T chopped cilantro
Rinse the rice and lentils. Set aside in a bowl and cover with water. Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy bottomed pan over medium high. Add the curry leaves, mustard and onion seeds, and onion. Fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
Lower the heat and add the ginger, garlic, tumeric, carrot, peas, green beans and salt to taste. Drain the water from the lentils and rice and add to the spiced onion mixture. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add 4 cups water. Stir gently and add the cilantro. When the water begins to boil, lower heat, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Leave to stand off the heat, still covered for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with additional cilantro.
How I did it: I added more carrots, peas, beans than called for. I used olive oil instead of corn oil, which may have affected the flavor.
Things I’ll change for next time: The vegetables were really good, but the rice didn’t absorb the spices. Next time, I’ll use fresh ginger and fresh garlic instead of the pastes. I haven’t been overly fond of the results of any of the recipes I’ve used the ginger puree in. I’d use more lentils and less rice.
This got better as the week progressed. The rice picked up more of the spices.
My stomach hurt all day today so the thought of food was just not appealing. I rearranged the plan and went for something lighter.
Rice with salmon lentils and vegetables
masoor dhal khicheri with vegetables, Healthy Indian Cooking, by Shehzad Husain, pg 100
masoor dhal are salmon colored lentils
khicheri is rice cooked with lentils or legumes
The garlic puree and ginger puree are available at the Indian market
You can substitute bay leaves for the curry leaves
2 cups basmati rice
1 cup masoor dhal (salmon colored lentils)
2 T corn oil
4-6 curry leaves (substitute bay leaves)
¼ tsp mixed mustard seeds and onion seeds
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger pulp
1 tsp garlic pulp
½ tsp tumeric
1 medium carrot, diced
2 oz shelled peas
2 oz green beans, sliced into short lengths
salt to taste
1 T chopped cilantro
Rinse the rice and lentils. Set aside in a bowl and cover with water. Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy bottomed pan over medium high. Add the curry leaves, mustard and onion seeds, and onion. Fry for a few minutes until the onions are soft.
Lower the heat and add the ginger, garlic, tumeric, carrot, peas, green beans and salt to taste. Drain the water from the lentils and rice and add to the spiced onion mixture. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add 4 cups water. Stir gently and add the cilantro. When the water begins to boil, lower heat, cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Leave to stand off the heat, still covered for 5 minutes before serving, garnish with additional cilantro.
How I did it: I added more carrots, peas, beans than called for. I used olive oil instead of corn oil, which may have affected the flavor.
Things I’ll change for next time: The vegetables were really good, but the rice didn’t absorb the spices. Next time, I’ll use fresh ginger and fresh garlic instead of the pastes. I haven’t been overly fond of the results of any of the recipes I’ve used the ginger puree in. I’d use more lentils and less rice.
This got better as the week progressed. The rice picked up more of the spices.
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
July 21, 2010
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
Gourmet’s Five ingredients, pg 55
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 ¼ pounds chicken cutlets
¼ cup chopped, fresh, flat leaf parsley
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry capers, stirring, until slightly crisp and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Add parsley and lemon juice to the skillet and simmer over moderately high heat for one minute, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over chicken and top with capers.
How I did it: Whole foods didn’t have chicken cutlets, so I used a whole breast. After browning on both sides, I covered the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until done.
I didn’t dry the capers and splattered hot oil all over the cookbook and the stove. OOPS.
Chicken cutlets with fried capers, parsley and lemon
Gourmet’s Five ingredients, pg 55
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 T capers, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1 ¼ pounds chicken cutlets
¼ cup chopped, fresh, flat leaf parsley
1 ½ T fresh lemon juice
Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over moderate high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry capers, stirring, until slightly crisp and a shade darker, about 2 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Pat chicken dry and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat oil remaining in skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken in batches, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.
Add parsley and lemon juice to the skillet and simmer over moderately high heat for one minute, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour sauce over chicken and top with capers.
How I did it: Whole foods didn’t have chicken cutlets, so I used a whole breast. After browning on both sides, I covered the skillet and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until done.
I didn’t dry the capers and splattered hot oil all over the cookbook and the stove. OOPS.
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