Fish and Veggies

The bachelor brother returns . . . with pork

2012-01-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

My bachelor brother is growing up... He moved into a new house, cares for some ridiculously beautiful house plants, and even owns an apron! Let me remind you of his previous living arrangements. From beer bottles and pizza boxes, to aprons and marble countertops. Quite a transformation.

The time arrived for our second cooking lesson. So, me (and my giant baby belly) came over to teach the bachelor a basic meal, fit for his new digs.

I wanted to show him how to create a balanced meal in roughly 30 minutes. Having plenty of leftovers is still a requirement, so we decided on a Pork Tenderloin, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and an Arugula salad. All man-friendly and fairly well rounded.

First up . . . Pork Tenderloin. The brother followed instructions like a champ. He let the pork rest until it reached room temperature before we began. He didn’t put the raw pork on his wooden cutting board. Kudos on all fronts.

Then we got started. A healthy coating of salt and pepper on both sides of the tenderloin.

Then peel the garlic and slice into thin slivers. He made some sort of funny comment about making garlic shafts or blades, but I forgot. Growing a human has sucked all my brain power and my ability to remember (anything) words.

Notice the extremely large blade in the photo above. You will see it in all the photos. It’s a horrible blunt object, barely connected to a plastic handle. (Note to self: hook a brother up with a nice knife for his next birthday present.)

Brother bear plunged that crude knife all over the tenderloin. Then he slide the garlic slices into these slits. We’re all having fun now.

Now for the cooking. Brother remembered that searing meat before cooking helps keep it juicy. Searing also gives meat good color and a crispy touch to add texture.

So we heated oil in a cast iron pan over medium high heat. Once the oil was sizzling hot, the pork went in for a quick 1 minute sear on all four ‘sides’.

Once there is a nice sear, we added about a cup of chicken broth to the pan to keep it juicy. Then into a preheated oven at 400° for about 20 to 30 minutes.

We removed pork from oven, and covered with foil, making sure to let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. This keeps all the juices from running out to quickly.

Meanwhile . . . the sweet potatoes get their turn in the spotlight.

I cook and share these often. They are easy, nutritious and compliment almost any main dish.

The potatoes got a quick peel from the large knife-like object since the brother doesn’t own a peeler. No harm, no foul.

He chopped those sweet potatoes with confidence. We had a little chat about the benefits of chopping into even size chunks to make sure it all cooked evenly.

The artist admires his work:

I wanted to teach my brother that a light coating of corn starch helps these ‘taters get crispy. Always the adventurer . . . I see my brother take a bite of corn starch, which he astutely observes “does not taste good.” Well, now he knows.

Then a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt from the hand of God (as it appears below.)

And into the oven at 400° for about 15 minutes. Give a stir, and then broil for a few minutes to help them crisp up.

Mmm, sweet potatoes. You know they are ready when they have slightly charred edges, and you can easily pierce with a fork.

Now every meal needs a little green, and a simple arugula salad gets the job done. Peppery arugula is spread on a plate, then topped with shaved pecorino cheese. Pecorino is very close to parmesan, but I find it to be saltier (i.e. better!) Drizzle a little olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar (which my brother had stored in the fridge?) and an additional sprinkle of coarse kosher salt. Altogether, Yum.

Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1 pork tenderloin
2 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
A little olive oil

Let pork tenderloin rest at room temperature before cooking.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, while you liberally coat both sides with salt and pepper. Get crazy.
Peel garlic cloves and slice into very thin slivers.
Stab pork with a knife to create slits, and place garlic slivers into the slits.
Heat oil over medium/high heat in a pan that can easily transfer to the oven (cast iron, copper, stainless steel, etc.)
When oil sizzles AGGRESSIVELY if you splash a little water in it, add the pork, and sear on all four ‘sides’ for about 30 seconds - 1 minute each side. You should see each side turn a crispy, golden brown.
After the pork is seared, add about a cup of chicken broth to the pan. You could also throw in a little white wine.
Place in the 400° oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove and let rest covered with foil for 10 minutes.
Slice into 1-inch slices. Pork should be slightly pink in the very center, but definitely cooked through.

Roasted Sweet Potato recipe

And thank you to the man who makes this blog (and my life) beautiful:

Proscuitto and Manchego Croquettes

2012-01-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

And here’s another recipe from the Food52 community. Croquettes! I also called them “magic-Spanish-cheesy-balls-of-goodness.” To be honest, I’ve always thought croquettes were potato based, since they taste so fluffy. Nope. Just a beautiful dough of butter, oil, milk and flour that comes together to taste like creamy mashed potatoes.

This was my first foray into the deep-frying world. Deep frying is fairly simple . . . about an inch of vegetable oil in a large pot. I even found one article that said the moisture from the food rushes outward which keeps too much oil from seeping into the food. So maybe one could call it healthy? Probably not.

Regardless, these little crispy treats are a perfect appetizer paired with a smoked paprika aioli. (Fair warning, your house will smell a bit from the oil, but light a strong candle, and enjoy some croquettes!)

First up, heat a little oil and butter in a large sauce pot until butter is fully melted.

Add the flour while you whisk continually for about 2 minutes. Add the milk gradually, while you continue whisking for 2 - 3 minutes. (Confession . . . I completely forgot to add the milk and couldn’t figure out why the dough looked so slimy and gross. I went back and added the milk to my chilled dough and it all worked out. So don’t freak out if you mess a few things up!)

Switch to a wooden spoon (so your whisk doesn’t get gummy) and add ham, cheese and nutmeg. The mixture will start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Taste the dough and add any salt if needed.

Spread mixture on a cookie sheet and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 - 2 hours or overnight.

Using a spoon, scoop up chilled dough and form into little balls with your hands. Next time I will make them a little smaller, as I found it would be easier to eat if each one was bite sized.

Beat the eggs in one bowl, and place panko bread crumbs in another bowl. Salt both. Then dredge the balls in the egg mixture, and then coat with bread crumbs and replace on cookie sheet. Return to the fridge and chill for 1 more hour. (If they are not chilled thoroughly they will tend to fall apart in the hot oil.)

And now comes the fun part. Fill a pot with enough vegetable oil to cover the height of the rolled dough. Heat it on medium high heat until the oil reaches 350 - 375 degrees F. You can use a candy thermometer to monitor, or you can just wait 15-ish minutes. It won’t be bubbling until you add the dough.

Place each dough ball in the oil for about 2 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain. Serve with aioli (recipe below.)

And a few glamour shots . . .

Proscuitto and Manchego Croquettes

Recipe from Food52

Makes 20 - 25

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup finely chopped Proscuitto ham, about 1.8 oz
1/3 cup grated Manchego cheese, about 1.8 oz
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Heat oil and butter in a sauce pan until completely melted. Add flour and whisk continually for 1 - 2 minutes. Add milk and whisk for another 2 - 3 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon add the nutmeg, proscuitto and manchego and stir to combine. The mixture will start separating from the sides of the pan in a few minutes.
Spread the dough on a cookie sheet and let cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours (or overnight.)
Scoop chilled dough with a spoon and form into bite sized balls.
Beat eggs in bowl and add bread crumbs to a separate bowl. Salt both. Dip balls into egg mixture and then breadcrumbs returning to the cookie sheet. Chill for another 1 - 2 hours.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pot. There should be enough to cover the top of the balls. Heat to 350 - 375 degrees F. Working in batches, add balls to the oil for about 2 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown. Remove and place on paper towel to drain.

Serve with Smoked Pimenton Aioli:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Place in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

Christmas Eve Lobster

2012-01-01T16:51:00.001-08:00

This Christmas Eve was the second year the man and I celebrated with a special dinner for two. Last year I dropped a blade on my foot while doing dishes and have a “wonky” toe to commemorate our first Christmas Eve dinner.

This year was injury free. We reflected on our first year of marriage (exceeded all expectations!) and talked about the upcoming year-of-baby nugget (little chubby legs are coming!)

Regarding the menu, we decided to tackle a mutual cooking goal . . . preparing fresh lobster.

Truth be told, the entire lobster experience was a scene from Julie and Julia. I ran out of the room, with my 8-month-pregnant belly, while the man plunged them to their death. LOBSTERS TRY TO CRAWL OUT OF THE POT! It is scary. They push up on the lid. I couldn’t help but hide my head in my shirt while the man took care of the slaughter. We prayed a special prayer before we ate, and thanked God for his birth on Christmas, and the delicious sacrifice of the lobsters. There really is something powerful about eating food that you have seen alive.

We prepared Lobster Diavolo, featured by Food52’s Merrill Stubbs. The creamy, sweet lobster sits on top of spicy pasta. The combination was incredible, but we did reserve a large portion of the lobster meat to simply enjoy with melted butter. Merry Christmas to me!

Lobster Diavolo

source: Food52

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finishing
2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
2 live lobsters, 1 1/2 pounds each
1/2 pound spaghetti
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

Heat oil in large sauce pan, and add garlic. Sauté until softened and golden.

Add half of the red pepper flakes ( you can always add more later) and sauté for another minute.

Add the tomatoes and a healthy pinch of salt, and stir together. Taste and add more salt or red pepper based on your taste. Reduce heat to low and cover. Tomato sauce can simmer while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Now it’s time for the lobsters. In a large stock pot, boil one inch water. Place live lobsters in and immediate cover with lid (HOLD THE LID DOWN TIGHT). Cook lobster for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove and let cool.

While lobster is cooking, boil a large pot of generously salted water (it should taste like the ocean.) Cook spaghetti until al dente. Before draining, scoop out a cup of the salty/starchy pasta water and reserve for the sauce. Drain pasta and set aside.

Merrill Stubbs has a great description of how to break down the lobster on her Food52 recipe:

“To remove the lobster meat, twist both claws off the body at the shoulder joint. Use a lobster cracker or the back of a chef’s knife to crack the shell and remove the claw meat. Use a pick or a small fork to pry the meat from the knuckles, twisting at the joints to separate one knuckle from the next. Twist the lobster body from the tail and discard. Twist off the fans at the tail, and then gently insert your finger into the opening, pushing the tail meat out the other end (it should come out in one beautiful piece). Clean off any roe, fat and green goo, and remove the vein if you like by peeling back the strip of meat on the top of the tail.”

Meanwhile, turn the heat up under the tomato sauce to medium. Add the cooked pasta, with a little splash of the salty/starchy water to loosen it up, and use tongs to make sure all the pasta is coated with the tomato sauce. Feel free to steal a bite and add more salt or red pepper.

Top with fresh mint and slices of lobster meat.

Basic Roast Chicken

2011-11-30T12:53:00.001-08:00

My Colombian-born mother shaped the foods I learned to cook in my formative years. She taught me how to make arepas, arroz con pollo and how to drive to a Chinese restaurant (my mother doesn’t love to cook.)

But I never learned to make a few American classics. I have no clue how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. I was well into my 20’s when I made my first batch of chili, and I had never roasted a chicken.

Recently my friend Shelly sat me down over brunch and explained the simple beauty of roasting a chicken for dinner. The whole bird gets slathered in salt and butter and cooks over a bed of veggies. Dinner is DONE in one big pan. I like it.

Here’s a pro-tip: A 4-ish lb. chicken will take about 1 hour to roast. The veggies take about 30 minutes. So roast the chicken for 30 minutes, before flipping it over and adding your veggies. I did not do this. I roasted all the veggies for an entire hour. I had VERY mushy vegetables, which the man enthusiastically ate. He is nice to me.

Basic Roast Chicken

1 3 - 4 lb. chicken, insides removed
4 tbsp. butter, melted
Salt, A LOT
Pepper, not as much as the salt
1 lemon, sliced (optional)
1 bunch any mixed herbs (optional)
4-ish garlic cloves (optional)
Veggies sliced into 1 inch pieces: potatoes, broccoli, red bell peppers, leeks, mushrooms etc.

Preheat oven to 450.

Remove any ‘innards’ remaining in the cavity of the bird. (I’m a weanie and asked the man at Whole Foods to remove it for me.)

Rinse the entire bird, inside and out, under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Make sure you have a VERY dry bird, inside and out, or else the chicken will steam, instead of getting nice and crispy on the outside.

Place chicken on it’s back in a large roasting pan. The breast bone should be pointed up. Brush half the melted butter on the chicken and generously salt. Then shake on some pepper.

Here is the optional part: You can stuff the chicken’s cavity with garlic, lemon and herbs. I didn’t and it was delicious, but I’m sure it would only improve the flavor.

Roast the chicken on it’s back for 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the chicken over. Brush remaining butter on top of chicken and generously salt and pepper.

Surround chicken with the veggies of your choice. Potatoes are essential, but you can fill in the blanks after that. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and salt, and return to the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven, and you should have a golden, crispy skin. Let it rest for about 10 minutes to let all the juices settle back into it. Then slice into a bit to ensure it’s cooked through. Serve and enjoy!

Forks Over Knives: Pasta with Veggies

2011-10-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else seen the documentary Forks over Knives? The man and I watched it a few weeks ago, and we've been pounding the broccoli ever since. I'd love to hear what you thought of it. Loved it? Hated it? If you haven't seen it, check out the trailer below and then stream it on Netflix.

My only criticism . . . the film focuses so much on what NOT to do, without many practical suggestions if you're ready to make a change. So here is a pasta packed with veggies.

We topped with parmesan cheese which I don't think is Forks-over-Knives-approved, but it makes the pasta exponentially better. You weigh the pros and cons for yourself.

Pasta with Veggies

1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 cups broccoli florets
1 large zucchini, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon shallots, chopped
angel hair pasta
1 cup parmesan cheese, shaved
olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Put a large pot of generously salted water to boil. While you're waiting for it to boil, chop all of your veggies and spread on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and some coarse kosher salt. Roast veggies on 450 for about 15 minutes so they are cooked, but still a little crispy.

When water is boiled, add pasta to cook for about 3 - 5 minutes, so it is almost cooked to your desired tenderness, but not quite. Before you strain the pasta, scoop out about a cup of the starchy water and reserve (a thick mug works well.) Strain the pasta.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt better and add a little olive oil. Sauté garlic and shallot until tender and add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add all the crunchy veggies and stir together with garlic and shallots.

Then add your desired amount of pasta on top of the veggies. This is where the reserved starchy water comes in. Add it slowly to help loosen up the pasta. Mix together.

Top with the cup of cheese and give it a final stir. The cheese will melt and add a slight creamy texture to the dish. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Feel extra virtuous and serve with a salad of arugula, sliced tomatoes and a little more parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt. Enjoy!

The Cumbersome Pizza

2011-10-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as breezy. I want to be the kind of person you can invite to a lake house and I casually say, “I’ll take care of dinner.” Maybe I’ll look effortless chic and make a casual pizza from scratch. Roll out the dough quickly and top it with organic ingredients.

Unfortunately, I’m not breezy. There is 0% breeze going through my personality. I’m a slightly cranky pregnant lady who tried to make a damn pizza and ended up cursing and throwing away my pizza stone while proclaiming, “you’re dead to me!”

The full story:

I started with pizza dough from the infamous Jimmy’s in Dallas. Good start. Too bad I forgot a rolling pin. No problem. Breezy me can use a bottle of Worcestershire sauce to roll it out. I even remembered to flour the counter so it didn’t stick.

Then I transferred the dough to a pizza stone we received as a wedding gift. It holds more heat so the crust gets crispy. All sounds good so far.

I topped with some tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese and every veggie I could think of. I’m feeling effortlessly chic even though I’m wearing pajamas at 6 pm.

Into the oven as high as it will go, and wait 30 minutes. The veggies cook down significantly to look something like this:

Then the drama started. I forgot to flour the pizza stone. The pizza crust and the pizza stone had baked together into a new compound called “Screw-You-Catherine!” I also couldn’t wait until the pizza cooled. I had my mind set on salvaging this pizza and serving it while it was still hot. I took a meat cleaver to the bottom of the pizza trying to separate it. Not surprisingly I mutilated the pizza stone, mutilated the pizza, and somehow lit an oven mitt on fire. I proceeded to lose it. Through my meltdown, I salvaged a few hunks of veggies with melted cheese and served it to my unknowing sister-in-law and her very hungry boyfriend.

I scraped the burnt remnants free from the pizza stone and worked on toning my arms in the process. I thought I would give the pizza stone one more go-round while it was scraped and practically bloody.

I made pizza number 2. I floured the stone. I was set up for success.

Unfortunately, I assembled the entire pizza on the counter. Note to self: raw pizza dough loaded with toppings cannot be lifted. I could not transfer it to the stone no matter how I tried.

Surrendering to the pizza gods, I folded the entire pizza-baby in half and called it a calzone. It cooked unevenly. The insides were gooshy. But we ate it. Nobody went hungry.

Accepting my non-breezy-ness, I threw the damn pizza stone in the trash and committed to ordering takeout for future pizza nights.

**PS. The man would like to add that he cooked a drama-free pizza before I started my fiasco, and it turned out just great. His perfectly executed man-pizza is the top picture.

Human Kindness and Pasta with Fresh Truffle

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

There are a few moments in life where I have been struck by human kindness. True thoughtfulness and generosity. Last week, this manner of kindness left a comment on my blog.

A friend left a casual comment to my pregnancy announcement offering me fresh Italian truffles. How could I refuse such an offer? Before I knew it, she had dropped off an Italian care package for the carb-crazed pregnant lady (me). Out of the package I drew: fresh truffle, pine nuts, hand-pressed olive oil, green olives, fresh pecorino cheese and so much more. And just because she was thinking of me. Wow.

I made a mental note to do more nice things for people and started to day dream about cooking with Mr. Fresh Truffle. After a few Google searches and some very awkward YouTube videos, I learned that shaving the truffle directly onto the pasta was the best way to savor the flavor.

So if a culinary angel gifts you a fresh truffle, here's one idea for a creamy pasta dream:

Melt more butter than you think is necessary, and sauté garlic. Then shave that stinky little truffle directly into the sauce.

Cook pasta of your choice and then ladle it directly into the sauce pan with butter/truffle goodness. Add grated cheese and stir until every strand is coated in the creamy dream. Add a little of the starchy pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.

Top with more shaved truffle and chopped parsley. And while you're feeling indulgent, go ahead and enjoy this dish in the sunshine with good friends.

Pasta with Fresh Truffle

Serves 6 people

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 fresh truffle
1/2 cup pecorino cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 fistful of favorite pasta (I used spaghetti)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil water in large stock pot with about 2 tablespoons salt.
In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté garlic until softened.Shave truffle into butter sauce with microplane or mandolin. Add red pepper flakes and stir to combine over low heat.
Add pasta to boiling water. When the pasta is not quite at your desired consistency, scoop out a cup of the starchy boiling water and reserve. Then transfer pasta directly to the sauce pan with a slotted spoon.
With the pasta and sauce over low heat, add grated cheeses, and stir until pasta is coated in sauce. Add a little bit of the starchy cooking water to add a creamy texture. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on plates and shave more truffle on top for good measure. Feel free to add a little bit of fresh parsley for color.
Thank God for good friends

Pregnancy Potatoes

2011-08-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

The man and I have enjoyed married life so much, we decided to up the ante. Next February, our family will be expanding with a little baby nugget. We’re having a baby! We’re so excited, and the husband is winning all sorts of awards for how nice he is to me.

So there’s the good news . . . Now onto the melodramatic story:

I thought pregnancy was going to be a blissful, glowy time, where my hair would be shiny, and my skin would be dewey. Unfortunately, I feel like I have been to hell and back over the last 3 months. Nobody talks about how terrible the first trimester is.

The only thing I can compare it to would be a 3-month hangover. I felt so bad, I would beg to get sick just for a little relief. One pitiful night, I asked my husband (through tears) to take me in the backyard and shoot me. (really?)

The only food I could tolerate was crackers and gatorade for weeks on end. This quickly transitioned to even more legit hangover food: Pizza, quesadillas, mac and cheese. Usually in one sitting.

I remember the far gone days of organic groceries from Whole Foods. I confess that in recent weeks, I’ve demanded we drive to a McDonalds immediately. I NEED chicken nuggets and french fries. And I may or may not have insisted on a Double Decker Taco from Taco Bell. Yes, I have reached new levels of culinary shame.

And then there were the mashed potatoes. Heavenly. The man decided we could easily make some at home. By “we” I mean “he” because I could no longer look in the kitchen without getting sick. These potatoes were made with love, for a very emotional pregnant lady.

PS. I’m now in the second trimester, and despite having the energy of a sloth, I’m feeling much better.

Pregnancy Mashed Potatoes

(as dictated to me by my husband)

“Russet Potatoes, as many as you want, no measurements. You need to peel ‘em. You need to chop them in quarters, then put them in water. Just regular water. Then bring the water to a boil. Cook until potatoes are soft.

Drain ‘em. Then mash them up with a fork. Put in as much butter as you want. Then about ½ cup of cream. Then lots of salt and white pepper.”

If you are pregnant (or hungover), then you can add bacon and cheese to the top.

Toast with Avocado and Radishes

2011-07-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

I should have called this post “Trying to be Fancy” because that’s exactly what I was trying to do.

I have never purchased radishes at the supermarket, but I kept reading that a simple piece of bread with butter, sliced radishes and salt was one of life’s simple pleasures that I had never tried. Avocado is insanely nutritious and yummy so I threw that in the mix too.

Toast a few pieces of bread until golden brown. Trim off the crust and slice into triangles.

In a mixing bowl mash-up the avocado with the juice from half a lime, a sprinkling of fresh cilantro (about 1 tablespoon), 1/2 tablespoon melted butter and a little salt.

Then slice the radishes thinly about 1/8 inch. (If you are using a mandolin to slice them, you don’t want it so thin that they lose their crunch.) Layer radishes on top, and taste one of the slices for yourself. Add a little salt to the top if needed.

Cooking For Mr. Latte: Oven Fried Chicken

2011-07-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve admired Amanda Hesser for years now. Her writing in the NYTimes, her creation of Food52.com, and most recently her award winning The Essential New York Times Cookbook.

I finally read Cooking for Mr. Latte, her early tale of meeting her husband and the recipes that colored their courtship.

A few things struck me . . . 1) Amanda is a great writer. 2) I know very little about food.

I have never heard of most of the flavor combinations she talks about or the preparation methods her friends use for an easy dinner party. I tried to learn as much as I could.

And then I came across her recipe for FRIED CHICKEN. Now we’re talking. Her mother’s oven-friend chicken. Easy. Crispy. I won’t kid myself that it’s healthy, but it’s definitely not deep fried.

My favorite tip: soak the chicken thighs in salted ice-water all day. Apparently this helps the skin get crispier. I like it.

Judy Hesser’s Oven-Fried Chicken

From Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte

3 tablespoons sea salt
8 chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine salt with a little warm water and stir to dissolve salt. Remove the excess fat from the chicken thighs. Add the chicken to the bowl and cover with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Combine with hands until ice is surrounding chicken, and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take the chicken out of the water and pat dry with paper towels. Slice butter into the bottom of a roasting pan, and place in oven to melt the butter. In a plastic bag, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Shake to combine. Add 2 chicken pieces to the bag, seal bag, and shake until thoroughly coated. When removing chicken from the bag, shake vigorously to remove all excess flour. (If there’s a ton of flour, the chicken gets gummy instead of crispy.)
Continue with the rest of the chicken, and lay in the roasting pan skin side down, on top of melted better. Oven-fry until the skin turns a deep brown and crispy, which can take about 1 hour. Once the skin is deep-brown, flip with a thin spatula and cook the other side for about 30 minutes. Top with fresh pepper and sea salt before serving.

I served it with the corn tomato and basil side dish I posted last week.

Summer Side: Sweet Corn with Basil and Tomatoes

2011-06-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law recently sent me home with a bag full of fresh basil (please note that I have tried repeatedly to grow my own basil, and I tend to smother it with too much love/expectation and water. It dies every time.)

The bag of gifted basil was inspiring me to make something colorful, and I thought it would look pretty against yellow corn. Throw in a few tomatoes, and it's a party. Now, almost nothing beats simple corn-on-the-cob thrown on the grill. But sometimes I want to dress it up a little bit. So enjoy this dressy summer side . . .

Sweet Corn with Basil and Tomatoes

4 corn husks (canned corn works just fine too)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup basil, chopped
1 1/2 cups small tomatoes, chopped (I love using Nature Sweet)
pinch of sugar
tiny pinch red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Slice corn off the cob.

Melt butter over medium low heat in a large saute pan and add red onion. Cook until softened.
Add corn, basil, salt, sugar and a pinch of red pepper flakes and mix thoroughly. Let cook for 15 minutes or until you are finished preparing the rest of your meal. Stir in tomatoes (and more salt if needed) immediately before serving.

Caramelized Bananas over Vanilla Ice Cream

2011-06-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

In keeping with last week’s theme of “Sweet Things the Man Makes” . . . here’s our favorite weeknight dessert: Caramelized bananas over vanilla ice cream.

A few simple steps: Melt about 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir in about 1/2 cup brown sugar and a pinch of salt, and stir together until sugar is completely melted. Toss in sliced bananas, and stir around in caramelized mixture until completely coated and slightly softened (about 1 minute.) Let cool for the time it takes you to scoop vanilla ice cream, and serve bananas on top.This also works well with peaches, apples or pears.

Did anyone else read this article about the end of the food pyramid as we know it? According to the new Dinner Plate imagery, half of our plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables. So I’m feeling pretty confident about this dessert. (I’m not sure the first lady would be too pumped about the butter, brown sugar or ice cream . . . then again, maybe she would!)

The Little Palmier That Could

2011-06-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Some people call these cookies "Palmiers" (Palm-ee-yays). Some people call them "Elephant Ears." Regardless of their title, they are buttery, flakey and delicious. And they’re nothing I would normally post on Fish and Veggies. (They take several days to make and are neither fish nor veggies.)

So a big ‘thank you’ to my man for bringing sweet treats into my life that I would never make on my own.

The recipe comes from Baking by James Peterson, the baking tome featuring pictures of perfect palmiers . . . completely symmetrical and HUGE. Our Palmiers were tiny, twisted and lovable. Don’t worry about getting them too perfect. Their dimensions don’t affect their taste.

First up . . . make a classic puff pastry dough. Apparently this is just 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup water, 3 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1 cup butter (mmm butter!) Mix together everything but the butter with a mixer and then kneed with hands until it is a smooth, homogenous mass.

Form a square-ish disk, and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Then mix the butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. Then wrap the butter in plastic wrap to shape it into a flat square.

Flour your surface, then roll out your dough in a plus-sign shape. You want to form four flaps that you can hug around the butter. Place the butter in the center and wrap the butter with the dough flaps. The butter should be completely covered by a neat envelope of dough.

Roll the butter/dough mixture into a long rectangle, making sure that the butter reaches all edges. Then fold into thirds.

Roll out and fold in thirds a second time, then wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Repeat this process (roll, fold, wrap, refrigerate) until the dough has been folded a total of 7 times.

If you had the patience to make it to this point, congratulate yourself . . . and keep going. Instead of flour on your work surface, sprinkle granulated sugar. Roll your dough out into a 9x14 inch rectangle. Then roll the outside edges toward the middle, one inch at a time. Roll out the two flaps, then fold one over the other (as shown below.) Gently press out this precious log of butter and labor, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Once chilled, slice into 1/4 inch cookies. Arrange on a sheet pan with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Enjoy immediately.

Crispy Sweet Potatoes

2011-05-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

I always thought I made good sweet potatoes. I even blogged about them several times. I was feeling pretty confident in my sweet-potato-skills, until I read a recent copy of Cooks Illustrated.The freakishly patient people at Cooks Illustrated tested every possible way to roast potatoes to get them really crispy. The secret? Corn starch. Where have you been all my life?

So knowing what I know now . . . I'm blogging about sweet potatoes again!

Peel and chop the sweet potato, and toss lightly in corn starch. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil, and spread the potatoes on top. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and bake in the oven at 450 for about 10 minutes. Remove and stir the potatoes, and roast them for 10 more minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork (and the surface is CRISPY.) Serve alongside anything and everything.

Cooking Lessons for the Bachelor Brother

2011-05-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

My brother is a bachelor. He eats out 3x a day. He loves Luby’s cafeteria and Papa Johns Pizza.

He is busy succeeding in business and art and excellence in life that leads him anywhere but the kitchen. Just so he wouldn’t die of malnutrition, I agreed to give this bachelor-brother-of mine a few cooking lessons.

When I asked him what he wanted to cook, he had two reasonable requirements:

Not too many dirty dishes
Can serve several days of leftovers

This is what his refrigerator looked like before the cooking lesson:

Filled with sisterly-concern for his vitamin intake, I proposed a cooking lesson full of as many vegetables as I could sneak into one pot: Miso Glazed Chicken and Veggies over Rice. The brother was suspicious of the word "vegetables" but I assured him he would like it.

Grocery stores can be the most intimidating parts about cooking, so we decided to start with the shopping.

The brother admitted he had never set foot in the produce section, and was confused by the fact that we couldn’t put different veggies in the same plastic bag. “Very inefficient.”

While he questioned me several times if “this was too many vegetables for one dish” the brother was very agreeable, and we got all our greens home. Green = the color his kitchen has never seen.

Before we got started with the actual cooking, we chopped all our veggies.

Chopping up front saves you from frenzied stress once the cooking gets started. Which brings us to the knife skills part of our lesson. First model, then repeat. I showed him how to slice a bell pepper by putting the tip of the knife near the stem and slice all the way around the bottom. Slice around the stem. Remove the white rib and seeds, and chop pepper into bite size pieces. He repeated the process pretty well!

Now onions can be tricky. When I asked the brother to “peel the onion” his immediate response was “how shiny do you want it?” After laughing a little too hard in his face, I realized he meant, should he only remove the papery peel, or also peel off the first layer of onion, to reveal a much “shinier” second later. We decided we needed a “shiny” onion, so he peeled liked a champ.

Then he sliced the onion from root to stem, but slightly off-center leaving the stem in-tact. He made long slices following the lines of the onion, and followed with a few “latitudinal” strokes. Then chopped cross-ways to release large onion pieces.

The brother doesn’t own a large mixing bowl, so we put the chopped veggies and spinach leaves in a large pot he had leftover from college. All chopping was complete in 12-ish minutes.

Then we focused on the chicken. The breasts were trimmed of excess fat and dried off on paper towels and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Making sure the chicken is nice and dry will ensure a good “sear” – a golden crisp on the outside of the chicken, keeping the inside moist and tender. We coated the bottom of the cast iron pot with the oil (about a teaspoon) and heated on medium heat, until it sizzles if sprinkled with water. Then in goes the chicken for about 3 minutes each side. They don’t need to be cooked through at this point.

My brother’s dog Gorby oversaw the cooking lesson. This level of activity in the kitchen was very confusing.

Then the miso glaze is mixed together: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup miso, 1 cup soy sauce. Half of the sauce is poured over the seared chicken.

Then dump all the chopped veggies directly on top of the chicken.

Pack in as many veggies as you can. They will all cook down in the oven. Pour remaining sauce over all the veggies, and place in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Once the chicken and veggies is cooking in the oven, you have time to cook the rice. All the details are below. Serve the chicken and veggies over rice and enjoy.

My brother doesn’t have a kitchen table, so we ate on the coffee table, among magazines and iPads. Awesome.

Miso Glazed Chicken and Veggies

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken (I like legs, but breasts will do just fine.)
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 bunch green onions
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
1 cup mushrooms (optional)
2 cups broccoli crowns, chopped
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop all vegetables into bite size pieces, except ginger and garlic which should be minced as finely as you can manage. Set all aside.

Pat the chicken dry, trim off fat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat a little oil in a cast iron pan, and once the oil sizzles, seer chicken on each side (about 2 minutes.)

Mix the three sauce ingredients together, and drizzle half of the sauce over the chicken in the pan.

Dump all the veggies on top, cramming in as many as possible (they will cook down in the oven.)

Place in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Rice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup long grain rice (I like Jasmine or Basmati)
1 1/2 cup water
Salt
1/2 onion (optional)
1/2 green bell pepper (optional)

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add uncooked rice with a pinch of salt, and stir until all of the rice is evenly coasted with oil and has started to heat (about 2 minutes.) You can add half of an onion and bell pepper to the top of the uncooked rice. This isn’t essential, but adds a nice subtle flavor.

Add water and increase heat to high. Cover pan and bring to boil.
As soon as water boils, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.

Sprouted Kitchen: Scallops on Creamy Leeks

2011-05-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sprouted Kitchen continues to be one of my favorite food blogs. Mainly for the inventive recipes that are still appetizing, and her endearing writing style.

I saw this recipe for scallops on creamy leeks about a year ago, and the time was finally right to make it happen in my kitchen. Truth be told, I made it twice in one week. It's good.

The leeks lose their onion flavor and take on a mild comfort food appeal (thanks to the butter and milk!) and the scallops are a celebratory indulgence. The white wine, dijon mustard, shallot sauce was rich yet delicate . . . and I couldn't help adding pancetta to the mix.

Scallops on Creamy Leeks

From Sprouted Kitchen

3 Leeks (white and light green sections)
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 Cup Milk
Salt/Pepper
1/2 Lb. Fresh Scallops
1/4 Cup Flour
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup White Wine
1/3 Cup Chopped Shallots
3-4 Tbsp. Finely Chopped Parsley
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon

First you deal with the leeks. Remove the dark green leaves. Then slice the leeks in half, and slice very finely.

Place leeks in a colander and rinse thoroughly.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large saute pan. Here is a very dramatic picture of what this melting butter will look like:

Then add leeks to the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until softened (about 5 minutes.) Then add milk, stir and reduce heat to low. You can let this simmer away on low heat while you create the rest of the dish.

And now we focus on this fabulous sauce. Finely chop pancetta. Melt 1tbs. butter in a separate saute pan, and then cook pancetta until slightly crispy. Add white wine, lemon juice, parsley, shallots and dijon mustard. Stir together and cook about 3 minutes until sauce has reduced slightly. Remove sauce from pan, and reserve in a bowl.

Then pat scallops dry with a paper towel and dust scallops with flour. This ensures a nice crispy sear.

Heat a little butter (or oil) in the same pan as the sauce, and once the pan is very hot, sear scallops for about 2 minutes on each side.

Add the sauce back to the pan (on top of the scallops) and give it a shake to combine. Heat through for about 2 additional minutes.

Serve creamy leeks on a plate, and top with scallops and sauce. Shave a little lemon zest on top, and serve with a glass of chilled white wine.

Steamed Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

2011-04-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Life has become delightfully simple these days. The wedding is over, and we're happily settling into our married life. We drink coffee in the morning. We visit our day jobs, and then come home and eat dinner on the porch.

In keeping with our simple life, the man made us a simple dinner. A huge bowl of steamed shrimp and a spicy cocktail sauce for dipping, perfected from a lifetime in Baltimore.

We were up to our elbows in shrimp shells, Old Bay, and dirty napkins. Fine by me. We washed it all down with some cold beers, and felt grateful.

Coat shrimp (with shell on) in Old Bay seasoning and steam over boiling water, beer and vinegar for about 7 minutes.

Mix ketchup, horseradish,Worcestershiresauce, lemon juice, tabasco and black pepper. Chill and serve.

Enjoy these shrimp outside if possible.

Steamed Shrimp

Serves 2 people

1 1/2 pounds of shrimp with shells on
4 cups water
1 cup beer (any kind is fine)
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup - 1 cup Old Bay (just shake it on until you think you have completely overdone it.)

Bring liquids to a boil in a large stockpot that has an accompanying steamer basket. Put shrimp in steamer basket and coat with Old Bay and stir together. Place basket over boiling liquids with lid on for 7 minutes. Remove shrimp and serve in a large bowl with a second bowl for shells.

Cocktail Sauce

There are no exact measurements. These will give you a starting point, but change it up to your tastes.

2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershiresauce
A few drops of Tabasco
Juice of 1/2 of lemon
2 grinds of black pepper

Food52: Flambeed Short Ribs

2011-04-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Another hit from the Food52 community . . . short ribs doused in brandy and lit on fire. My kind of family-friendly fun.

It is nearly impossible to ruin short ribs. Cook them low and slow, and they will be instant crowd pleasers. But there is the rare recipe that can improve upon their natural beauty. This is it.

My recipe review for Food52:

These short ribs have become an instant family favorite. The cooking process feels ceremonious with it’s brandy bath and quick flash of fire, but after the chopping, browning and flaming, you throw it in the oven and relax for 3 hours. When the ribs came out of the pot, they literally fall off the bone, much to the delight of the onlooking recipe testers. You can taste the layers of flavor . . . the quick sear in bacon fat, a gentle hint of fennel, and the warmth of a good red wine. And the blood orange gremolata punctuates the flavors perfectly. We are thinking of excuses to make these short ribs over and over again.

See the full recipe. And now for the pictorial breakdown:

Gather your ingredients.

Cook the bacon in the large dutch oven until crispy. Then remove bacon, but reserve fat. Give that bacon a rough chop and keep it on the side for later (or eat some.)

Slice the rest of the fennel and carrot and garlic and saute in the bacon fat over medium heat until softened. You can see from my photo that I'm terrible at chopping things into a uniform size/shape. In this case, it doesn't matter. It all gets cooked. It's all good.

Remove the veggies and set aside. There should be bacon fat still on the bottom of the pot. My bacon fat looked like it was running slim, so I added a little olive oil. You just want a little bacon fat or oil to help sear the ribs. Then salt and pepper all four sides of those ribs, and take turns searing each side of all the ribs. I would say about 30 seconds each side.

Now comes the fun part. You pour in the brandy (or cognac, or bourbon or whisky) and light it on fire. I had visions of a 10 foot flame licking my ceiling, but the little guy you see above is about as crazy as it got. I poured a little more on. I lit it up again. A 2 inch flame peeked up and smiled at me. Apparently lighting short ribs on fire is a pretty tame affair. Who knew?

Then you add the red wine and stock and scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped veggies and the bacon back in, and toss it in the oven for 3 hours at 300 degrees. You can leave it for 4 hours with no harm done. The house will smell amazing. Not too strong. Just rich enough to keep drawing you to the kitchen.

While the ribs are cooking you came make the gremolata. Chop the flat-leaf parsley and garlic, and add the zest of several blood oranges. Mix together, and reserve in the fridge.

Then take pictures from all angles. None of the pictures will capture how tender these are, but that's ok.

Parmesan Fish Sticks

2011-04-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about the Food Network . . . we watch it all the time. A Theatre professor at my college taught me that good theatre evokes a reaction. The Food Network must be GREAT theatre because it definitely evokes a reaction: Ina Garten soothes my soul. Bobby Flay makes me want to punch him in the face and grill burgers at the same time. And Giada makes me grateful for my small teeth and normal speech patterns. While it's easy to criticize these characters (although I will never criticize Ina!), they make great dishes that are easy for home cooks. I'm grateful for this.

In other news . . . I married an amazing man. He's smart, hilarious, tall/dark/handsome, and he cooks me dinner too! He recently announced he was making me the Parmesan Fish Sticks we recently saw on Giada's show. (FINE BY ME!!) Halibut is soaked in buttermilk, then dredged in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Baked to crispy perfection. Thank you husband . . . and thank you Giada.

Parmesan Fish Sticks

Recipe inspired by Giadade Laurentiis

1 cup buttermilk
1 18-ounce piece of halibut, skin removed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Slice halibut into 2 1/2 inch long strips (or to whatever size you prefer your fish sticks)

Place halibut in a bowl with buttermilk and soak in the refridgerator for at least 1 hour.

Set up you dredging station: one bowl of flour, one bowl of eggs (beaten) with salt and pepper, and one bowl of the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixed together.

Remove fish from the buttermilk and dredge in each of your bowls (flour, eggs, then parmesan breadcrumbs) and place on a cookie sheet.

Drizzle fish sticks with olive oil and bake at 450 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tapas Night

2011-03-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

Friend and fellow-food blogger, The Internet Cooking Princess, recently hosted a Tapas Night. It was a wonderful evening with flowing sangria, scrumptious paella and a few other small dishes from myself and the fabulous Wendy.

Here are a few tapas highlights captured by my new husband:

The lovely hostess grilling some stinky cheese. What was it called again Meredith?

Sangria served in Spanish pitchers:

Delicious, bacon-wrapped dates courtesy of Wendy:

A ceviche of sea bass and halibut with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado. Recipe found here. I thought it resembled a chunky dip, so I served it with some bread for dipping.

And the star of the show … the paella that the hostess prepared in an incredible round tagine. This particular paella is the Food52 winning recipe for Moorish Paella.

Then the Internet Cooking Fiance broke out a little Vinsanto dessert wine they brought home from Italy. We all drank it like kool-aid (because we’re classy.)

And my new favorite salad, ripped off entirely from my new favorite tapas restaurant Si Tapas. Oranges, carrots, red onion and mint. Drizzle with olive oil and coarse salt, and you have a refreshing citrus salad with a nice crunch from the carrots. An unexpected combination that is surprisingly good.

Thank you to food-loving friends who brought a little Spain to Dallas for one night. Cheers!

Individual Potato Gratins

2011-03-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

Potatoes and Cheese. Almost nothing beats this combination. Layer with cream and sauteed onions, and we have magic.

These individual potato gratins are the creation of the delicious Stacey Snacks. A favorite food blog of mine for inventive, yet speedy meals.

She might have solved my dilemma of making big potato casseroles and wanting to eat the entire thing in one sitting. These individual ramekins look pretty on the plate and let each person enjoy their very own, personal gratin!

Individual Potato Gratins

Recipe from Stacey Snacks

2 Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced
Pinch of dried thyme (or any herb you fancy: Oregano, parsley, etc.)
4 tablespoons milk, cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and Pepper

Saute slices of onion in olive oil with salt, pepper and some dried herbs (thyme, oregano or parsley, etc.) for 4 minutes or until onion is softened.

Slice potatoes (skin on) with mandolin or sharp knife as thinly as you can.

Butter individual ramekins, and layer potatoes, onions and shredded cheese in as many layers as will fit.

Top with a layer of cheese. Add another sprinkle of salt and moisten with a drizzle of cream or milk.

Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and cover with foil.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Mushrooms Soaked in Butter and Garlic

2011-03-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

I used to be a high school Spanish teacher, and I still consider it my favorite job (or would that be the Arby's drive-through-girl?)

I am a sucker for Spanish grammer, Latin music and the amazing process of learning a new language. I liked to point out to the students that some words are simply more fun to say in Spanish. "Las Pantuflas" (Pan-tooo-flas) means slippers. It's just fun to say. I also have a soft spot for "Los Hongos" (Own-goes) which means "mushrooms." They taste good. They are fun to say. BRING ON LOS HONGOS!!!!

I saw this incredible recipe for mushrooms slathered in butter on Gourmet.com. Then one of my favorite food blogs SmittenKitchen featured the same recipe. I knew it was fate. These mushrooms were calling out to me.

And they are good! The mushrooms didn't disappoint, but sopping up the garlicky-butter-goodness with crunchy bread is really the highlight of this dish.

Roasted Mushrooms Soaked in Butter and Garlic

Source: Gourmet.com

1 lb mushrooms such as cremini or white, halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 450ºF with rack in middle

Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, and 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt shallow baking dish. Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley.

Married with a Little Chocolate

2011-02-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

We did it! We are married. The wedding was perfect. Full of love and happy tears and even some delicious food.

Newlywed bliss has engulfed us entirely . . . sleeping, snuggling, eating, repeating.

On the flight home from our honeymoon, I read Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. How have I not read this book before? It's Bard's love story about her husband and Parisian food. We're lucky enough that she shared some of her recipes . . . interspersed with her articulate wit.

So the new husband and I have been cooking several of these recipes to celebrate our own new-found happiness. Thank you, Elizabeth Bard, for introducing these Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes to our sappy new love nest.

Elizabeth Bard's Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes

From the highly recommended Lunch in Paris

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
5 ounces dark chocolate (70 perfect cocoa; the quality of the chocolate is essential - Elizabeth recommends Valrhona or Green & Blacks)
Large pinch of coarse sea salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon flour

Preheat the oven to 450.

Melt butter and chocolate together in the top of a double broiler or in the microwave. Add sea salt.

Meanwhile, beat together the egg, egg yolks, and sugar with a whisk or an electric beater until light and slightly foamy.

Add the egg mixture to the warm chocolate; whisk quickly to combine. Add flour and stir just to combine. The batter will be quite thick.

Butter small ramekins, or use Reynolds foil cupcake liners.

Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins. (You can make the cakes in advance to this point and chill them until you're ready to bake. Be sure to bring the batter back to room temperature before baking.)

Baking time will depend on your oven; start with 7 minutes for a thin outer shell with a completely molten interior.

Melt a little more chocolate to drizzle on top. Sprinkle a little more salt, and serve with ice cream.

White Chicken Chili

2011-02-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Dallas had a snow week. Schools have been closed for days. Roads are icy. Pipes are frozen. People are hungry.

This is a classic white chicken chili to warm your bones originally featured in Cooking Light. There are a hundred recipes for similar chilis, and this one isn’t superior. Just an easy reminder of how good chicken chili really is.

Use diced chicken, instead of ground, and it feels almost like a mexican soup. (Or maybe that’s the handfuls of cilantro I dumped in my bowl.)

White Chicken Chili

Source: Cooking Light

2 pounds chicken (I used chicken thighs)
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (such as Goya)
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan and brown chicken, cooking completely. Remove from heat.

In a large Dutch over, over medium heat, add onion and stir frequently until tender. Add garlic and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano and coriander. Add chilis, chicken, beans and broth and bring to a simmer while covered for 10 minutes. Stir in hot sauce. Add additional broth until desired thickness. Serve into bowls and top with cheese, cilantro and green onions.

Skinny Bitch Salad

2010-12-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

I re-read Skinny Bitch this week. BIG MISTAKE.

Once again, I swore off my beloved vices: coffee, Dr. Pepper and white wine. After a mind-melting headache that lasted four days, I am feeling clean and clear (and maybe a little cranky.)

But now I have to figure out the food. If I can’t cook with bacon and brown sugar, what do I eat? In a state of utter confusion, I walked into the grocery store and grabbed every crunchy thing in the produce section. By God! I can eat like a skinny bitch!

While I assembled the crunchy-salad-of-goodness, my sister and the man turned up their noses at every ingredient: “I don’t really like fennel” “Can you leave the jicama out of mine?” “Do sprouts even have any flavor?” But they ate it … They liked it … They thanked me for saving them from imminent heart disease.

Here is the cast of characters:

Arugula: peppery leaves rich in Vitamin C and Potassium
Jicama: sweet and crunchy and high in dietary fiber
Sprouts: crunchy and rich in Vitamins A, E, C and B complex which all aid digestion
Fennel: licorice (anise) flavor that is supposedly good for whatever ails you
Red Onions: sweet onion rich in flavonoids which are said to fight allergies and cancer
Walnuts: delicious and woody and said to strengthen kidneys, back and knees
Pear: Sweet and juicy and high in dietary fiber

Assemble ingredients and drizzle with olive oil, a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt.

Moo Shu Shrimp

2010-12-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

I grew up eating chinese food at Chien Garden … a magical place in Richardson, Texas. Moo Shu Pork (think chinese pork burritos) was my father’s go-to-meal. Our favorite server, Kevin, would prepare them table-side … rich sauce spread on thin tortillas, topped with pork goodness and then wrapped up with nothing more than chop sticks. Quite impressive actually.

I saw this recipe for Moo Shu Shrimp, and it brought back all the good memories.

Moo Shu Shrimp

Adapted from Food & Wine

12 small flour tortillas
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 large eggs, beaten
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cabbage, sliced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
Cilantro for serving

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the oven at 200 while you prepare the meal.

Heat a wok (or your largest saute pan) over HIGH heat. Add a little oil only after the pan is very hot. Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Place shrimp on a large plate. Scramble eggs in the wok and set aside with the shrimp.

Chop garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Add a little more oil to the wok and saute until tender (about 4 minutes.) Add cabbage and green onions and saute for an additional 4 minutes. The cabbage should be tender but still crunchy.

Add the shrimp and cabbage back to the wok and combine together.

Remove tortillas from the oven. Spread hoisin sauce on a tortilla and top with shrimp mixture.

Simple Linguine with Tomatoes

2010-12-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Simplicity is refreshing. Simple ingredients, prepared in a simple way. It's hard to beat.

So when a head chef of a fancy restaurant publishes a cookbook of simple dishes, I pay attention. Alfred Portale (Gotham Bar and Grill) is the subject at hand. He published Simple Pleasures several years ago, and it has risen to the top of my cookbook pile.

You might argue that peeling tomatoes does not qualify as ‘simple’, and I would agree. But this dish is good. It has a simplicity of flavors that rings through. A pasta caprese of sorts … fresh tomatoes, grated cheese and basil. Not a comforting winter meal, but a nice break from chili. (It’s really good cold too. Feel free to eat leftovers for breakfast like I did.)

Linguine with Heirloom Tomatoes, Ricotta Salata and Basil

Adapted from Simple Pleasures by Alfred Portale

2 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt
Black pepper
12 ounces linguine
1 handful ricotta salata, coarsely grated
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 handful Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 handful basil, chopped

Boil a large pot of water and place a large bowl of ice water right next to it. Mark an ‘x’ shape on the bottom of the tomatoes, just deep enough to puncture the skin. Place them into the boiling water for about 15 seconds. Place immediately into the ice bath. Now the skin will start to come away from the tomato. Grab a small knife and peel the skin away from each one. Chop the tomato in half, and squeeze out the seeds. Give the tomatoes a rough chop and place in a large bowl that will be large enough to hold all the ingredients. Add the garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, oil and vinegars to the tomatoes and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. While the pasta is cooking, taste the tomatoes and adjust seasoning as needed. Drain the pasta. Add to the tomatoes and toss together. Serve pasta and top with grated cheeses and basil.

Clam Chowder

2010-11-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and my man's family came over to eat with my family. All went better than expected. It's hard to go wrong with two saucy grandmothers, a few glasses of spiked cider and the world famous stuffing.

Today's the 'Day After', and we are taking a break from turkey and hub-bub. I sat still for exactly 30 minutes before I said, "I want to make clam chowder!" I have never made clam chowder, and I'm extremely lactose-introlerant. But why let that stop me? A few cups of cream and several slabs of bacon later . . . I had creamy, salty clam chowder. Helloo!!!

Either my man is really nice or the chowder was really good, but he said "I didn't know you could make something like this at home. You outdid yourself." (my swelling pride is fat and happy.)

Clam Chowder

4 slices thick slab bacon, diced
1/2 medium sweet yellow onion
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 - 3 cups half and half, whole milk or cream
2 cans clams
1 can corn, drained
Parsley, chopped for garnish

Heat large stock pot over medium heat. Add diced bacon, and let cook while chopping onion. Once the bacon is nice and crispy (about 5 minutes) add the diced onion and cook until softened (about 5 more minutes.) Add diced potatoes, and pour in half and half until the potatoes are barely covered. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until potatoes are tender (you should be able to easily pierce with a fork, but they shouldn't be too mushy.) Fold in drained corn and both cans of clams with all the juices. Simmer for 10 more minutes to let flavors meld. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped parsley on top, and toasted french bread on the side.

Italian Sweet Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

2010-11-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

It’s finally fall in Dallas. And by “fall” I mean that we are wearing scarves for fashions’ sake. It is below 80 degrees, which means it is high time to make Risotto.

Risotto is a time investment. The Arborio rice has higher starch levels, allowing it to absorb a glorious amount of chicken stock and flavors. You add a little stock every 5-ish minutes and stir continually. This can be exhausting, but the satisfying creaminess makes it worth the effort. I used mushrooms and sausage, but you can substitute your favorite protein and veggies (shrimp and asparagus works well too.)

Italian Sweet Sausage and Mushroom Risotto

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes and Made in Italy by Giorgio Locatelli

1 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped as finely as you possibly can
2-ish teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2-ish teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup dry marsala
5 garlic cloves
7 cups chicken stock
2 cups arborio rice
3 Portabella mushroom caps, chopped
8-ish Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese for serving

Heat olive oil in large saute pan and add sausage. Let sausage saute in clumps without breaking up entirely. This will form a nice sear on little sausage meatballs.

Add mushrooms, oregano, thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender.

In a second saucepan, heat chicken stock until barely simmering. In a third VERY large stock pot, melt butter, and saute chopped onion and garlic until tender. Add rice and cook for 3-ish minutes.

Add marsala and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Now the fun begins…add one cup chicken stock and stir continually until it is fully absorbed. Add another cup of stock and continue until the rice is tender and actually tastes good.

Once the rice is tender, add the sausage mixture and stir to combine. Serve with grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and enjoy!

Arugula Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella

2010-10-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

Some people debate "cooking vs. assembling." These days I have enough drama cooked up in my own life that assembling seems just about right. I try to start with delicious ingredients. Stack them together. Add a little salt, and call it dinner.

If you happen to have extra energy, you can make your own toasted croutons by drizzling bread cubes with olive oil and broiling for about 3 minutes. My sister busted out the garlic salt, and I confess these croutons were better for it.

Stack peppery arugula, thick slices of heirloom tomatoes, torn buffalo mozzarella (one of my favorite indulgences), chopped black olives, olive oil and a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar. A scattering of croutons and a sprinkle of salt finishes off the dish. This salad was inspired by a beautiful picture I found in a Donna Hay cookbook. She added basil, which would have been perfect had I not forgotten it at the grocery store. So add anything else that strikes your fancy. That usually means an avocado in my house. Here's to happy assembling of our food and our lives!

Sausage and Peppers

2010-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Fall is here! This means the return of football season and man meals. Today, I enjoyed both. The Baltimore Ravens won and my man cooked an amazing sausage and pepper sandwich. It was so easy, a little messy and perfect for Sunday Funday!

Grill spicy Italian peppers. Sautee onions and bell peppers. Top with marinara sauce. Serve in toasted rolls and enjoy!

Pork and Kimchi Dumplings

2010-09-29T05:37:00.000-07:00

I developed a love for dumplings when I lived in Brooklyn, NY many moons ago. (If you are anywhere near Williamsburg, I highly recommend the seafood dumplings from a place called MShanghai.) During my time there, I had a very functional, flip phone. Mr. FlipPhone had several buttons and I had to press them all several times to create even a single word in a text message. This process, combined with 'predictive text,' lead me to send some very creative messages. I often told my roommate that she was a 'sockstar.' And invited friends to meet me for 'dumkings' at MShangai.

Life has changed. My new phone only has one button, and I'm nowhere near good dumplings. So I decided to make my own . . . with significant help from a recipe in Food and Winea few months ago.

Am I the only one who didn't know you can make dough with flour and water? I thought that made glue. Nope. You make dumpling dough with ingredients even my brother has in his kitchen.

Put dough on floured counter top and kneed for 5 minutes until smooth. (If you have been dethroned as the best cook in the house by your significant other due to lack of dough knowledge, let someone else kneed the dough. See man-hands below.)

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Return dough to floured work surface and cut into quarters. Roll each piece into a 12 inch rope and cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll these pieces into little dough balls.

Roll these pieces into flat circles. Thinner the better. Mix the dumpling stuffing (kimchi, pork, shrimp, whatever you want) and drop a small spoonful in the center of the dough.

Bring dough edges together and pinch until sealed. Heat oil in saute pan, and place dumplings in pan pinched side up. Once bottoms have seared, add water to pan and place lid on top to steam the dumplings. Once stuffing has cooked through (about 5 minutes) remove from pan and serve with delicious dipping sauce (soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and red pepper flakes.)

Pork-and-Kimchi Dumplings

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine May 2010

Makes about 4 dozen dumplings

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup water
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped kimchi
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

For sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Put flour in medium mixing bowl, and add water while stirring continually. Place dough on floured surface and kneed until smooth, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.
In another large mixing bowl, mix pork, shrimp, kimchi, ginger, garlic, egg and salt. Set aside.
Return dough to floured surface and cut into quarters. Roll each piece into 12 inch rope, and cut into 1 inch sections. Roll into dough balls with your hands, then use rolling pin (or can/jar/drinking glass) to roll them into round sheets. Thinner the better.
Place a small teaspoon of dumpling filling into the middle of the round dough.
Pinch dough edges together to create a crescent moon shape, and press lighting on top to make them 'fatter' on the sides.
Heat oil in non-stick saute pan, and place dumplings in pan until lightly seared on bottom. Add a cup of water to the pan and top with lid. Let dumplings cook for about 5 minutes or until filling is cooked through. Remove lid and let cook for about 1 more minute until bottoms are well browned.
Place dumplings on plate, and mix all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Glazed Pork Chops

2010-09-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

I'm ready for fall, but it's still 101 degrees outside in Texas. I am craving chili, spaghetti, risotto . . . anything made in a big pot!!!

But these steamy days give me an excuse for more man-time/grill-time. Sweet and Sour Pork Chops from Saveur has been on my list for some time now. You make an ooey-gooey glaze (honey makes it sweet, balsamic vinegar makes is sour), which smells not-that-great on the stovetop. Luckily it transforms into something magical when it smothers the chops on the grill.

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops

Recipe Source: Saveur

4 10-oz. bone-in pork chops, frenched
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 sprig fresh rosemary, torn into 1" pieces

Put pork chops on a plate. Drizzle with generous serving of olive oil, salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes.
While grill heats up, combine vinegar and honey in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add butter and rosemary while stirring. Once butter is completely combined into sauce, remove from heat and set aside.
Place pork chops on the grill and baste with glaze. Cook about 7 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Let sit on a platter for 5 minutes before serving. (This helps the flavor soak into the meat, instead of escaping through the juices on the first slice.)

Blue Cheese Butter over Steak

2010-09-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

I like to pretend I live in Argentina and eat tasty steaks everyday. Shoot … while i'm beckoning heart disease, why not add some blue cheese butter to the top of that steak! The only word I can think of to describe this combination is ‘Sumptuous.’

I have seen versions of this recipe in several places, but I can’t remember the original source. If you are the creator of this blue cheese butter, please shoot me an email, and I will give you lots of credit for this creamy miracle that is keeping me and my man happy (and a little squishy around the edges.)

Blue Cheese Butter

Makes enough to spread over 2 large steaks

4 tablespoons butter (softened)
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

In a bowl, mash all ingredients together. Spread mixture over a juicy steak, fresh off the grill.

Summer Corn Soup with Shrimp

2010-08-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

So my ~~obsession~~ crush on Sprouted Kitchen continues. This Summer Corn Soup with Shrimp looked delicious on their blog, and even better after I made it. Fresh and satisfying. Shrimp over corn and potatoes with a red pepper kick. (There is also a surprise in one of the pictures below! Who can find it?)

4 Ears Fresh Corn
3 1/2 Cups Vegetable Stock (good quality)
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Sliced Thin
1 Large Yukon Gold Potato
1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Nutmeg
Cayenne or Red Pepper Flakes to taste
1-2 tsp. Oregano to taste
Salt/Pepper to taste
Light Sour Cream to taste (optional)
1 lb. Shrimp
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Large Avocado
1 Poblano Chile
Juice of One Lime
1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Cilantro
Scallions (optional)

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the chopped onions until they start to brown. Peel and dice the potato and add it to the buttery onions.

Using a sharp knife, slice corn off husk and add to soup. (see anything fun in this pic?)

Add the broth, salt and red pepper flakes. Let everything simmer until corn and potatoes are cooked through.

The original recipe asks you to blend it into a creamy soup, but I chose to keep it all chunky. If you aren't going to blend the soup, you can add the cilantro and scallions now and continue to simmer.

Then take your fresh shrimp and spread them out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes until they are pink and slightly curled. Once cooled, remove shells, slice into large chunks and place in a bowl.(my sister is repulsed by this picture.)

Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds. Place on baking sheet, skin side up, and broil until it starts to blister. Remove and once pepper has cooled, you can slip the skins off. Chop pepper, and avocado and add to shrimp in the bowl. Drizzle lime juice over the top and stir.

Taste soup for seasoning. Serve soup in bowls. Top with shrimp mix, and enjoy!

Blackberry Cobbler

2010-08-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

My man is a baker. He whips up desserts/muffins/cookies/breads/cobblers in the time it takes me to polish off a Dr. Pepper (about 5 minutes.)

He just ‘threw together’ this blackberry cobbler the other day. If you liked the Strawberry Shortcake from last week, you're going to like this post. Same song … second verse.

A few key differences … you bake the blackberries until they turn into tender, juicy sugar bombs. Then drop the biscuit dough on top and bake into a crispy-heaven-crust. Serve with a heap of vanilla ice cream, and pretend it's not over 100 degrees outside.

Blackberry Cobbler

6 cups blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour

Mix about berries, sugar and flour in a large baking pan. Bake at 375 for 30 min. (Test it to make sure the berries are sweet enough for your taste)

For the biscuits:

1.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar (I usually add more ;)
1/2 stick of butter (cold, unsalted)
1 Cup buttermilk

Mix everything together except the butter. Once it is mixed properly, use a cheese grater to make little pea-sized chunks of the cold hard butter. Mix these chunks into the mix. Drop large spoonfuls of biscuit mix on top of the cooked berries. Sprinkle some more sugar on top for fun and bake for about 20 min. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Strawberry Shortcake

2010-07-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Something sweet is in order! Let's put a hold on the fish and veggies and say 'he-llo' to sugar and ice cream. Even better when you add biscuits to the mix.

My man's mom is a phenomenal cook. She whips together this strawberry shortcake in two seconds flat, and it's GOOD. Sweet strawberries over crispy biscuits and vanilla ice cream to finish it off.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 pound strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar (for strawberries)
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of sugar (for biscuits)
½ stick of butter (cold, unsalted)
1 Cup buttermilk

Mix strawberries in a large bowl with 1/2 cup sugar. Stir, and set aside.

For the biscuits, mix everything together except the butter. Once it is mixed properly, use a cheese grater to make little pea-sized chunks of the cold hard butter. Mix these chunks into the mix. Don't worry about it being smooth. When baked, these butter chunks will melt into nice pockets of goodness.

Then make the biscuits, then dropping them with a spoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 20-30 min.

Top with strawberry mix and ice cream.

Grilled Goodness: Peppers, Salmon and Portobello Mushrooms

2010-07-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, Summer. Go ahead and try to kill me with your heat. I'll be too busy swimming and eating grilled food to notice.

My man gets his grilling skills from his father. Both men are masters at cooking things to a smoky perfection, and it satisfies my soul. We started with grilled mussels and moved onto this main course.

First up…grilled peppers (look at those colors!!!) Bell peppers (Green, yellow and red) as well as a few sweet anaheims and spicy poblanos and jalapenos.

Slice peppers, remove the ribbing and seeds, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill in basket for about 10 minutes.

And now for the star of the show…Grilled Lemon Pepper Salmon. Simply top with lemon pepper and you're ready to grill. The guys have a crazy ability to grill the fish until it is flakey but still pink and juicy. Heaven.

And I am of the firm opinion, that no grilled meal is complete without Portobello mushrooms. Clean with a wet paper towel, and brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Some people remove the stem, but I leave it on. More mushroom goodness to enjoy. Grill both sides for about 3 minutes. Remove from grill and top with goat cheese.

This final picture doesn't show the Corona I was enjoying, but I highly recommend an icy cold one with a lime.

Grilled Mussels in Awesome Sauce

2010-07-14T06:34:00.000-07:00

Those delicious doozies are grilled mussels. Yup. That's right. Mussels spread on the grill until they yawn open, and say, "I'm ready! Please drown me in delicious sauce and serve me with bread."

A few mussel tips before we get started with the recipe:

If you can buy de-bearded mussels from your seafood vendor…do. It will save you a lot of time scrubbing with a toothbrush.
Ask the seafood vendor to pick out only mussels that are tightly closed. Closed mussels are alive. (Alive = good). When they open they are dead. (Dead = bad)
Good seafood shops will give you the mussels in a net bag, so the mussels can breathe. If they give them to you in a plastic bag, this is fine. Just leave the bag open on the car ride home. Remove the mussels from the open bag as soon as you get home, and place over ice. If a few mussels die on the way home (they open up) that is fine. Just throw them away.
Some mussels will open slightly, and this doesn't necessarily mean they are dead and therefore bad for cooking/eating. Tap them firmly with your finger. If they are still alive they will snap their little shell shut. If they don't close when tapped, THROW THEM AWAY.
If serving mussels as a main course, I go with 1 pound of mussels per person. If this is just an appetizer, before a serious meal, you can do about 1/2 pound per person.

Grilled Mussels in Awesome Sauce

Serves 6 dedicated mussel fans

1 pound mussels per person
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups dry white wine
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
4 lemons, juiced
1 bunch flat parsley roughly chopped
3 splashes hot sauce (Tabasco or Franks)
2 teaspoons salt (or more if you're me)
1 loaf of crispy bread, thickly sliced

Melt butter and olive oil in LARGE stock pot. Saute garlic until softened. Add all ingredients except parsley and mussels. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until flavors have melded. Remove from heat, add parsley and set aside.

Spread clean mussels (all firmly shut) over a hot grill. When they open about 1/2 inch - 1 inch, they are ready. Remove from grill and place into pot of sauce. When all mussels have been added to the sauce, bring the pot to a table. Serve with crispy bread for sopping up the awesome sauce.

Honey Mustard Catfish

2010-06-29T20:03:00.001-07:00

I went to the store to buy red snapper. Then I decided to be thrifty, so I bought catfish instead. After a quick soak in an easy honey mustard marinade (to make: mix a glug of all the ingredients below), the man threw the catfish on the grill for about 2 minutes on each side. So delicious, easy and CHEAP!

If you aren't normally a “fishy person” you'll probably like catfish. It tastes ‘meatier’ than most fish. How's that for a scientific explanation?

Honey Mustard Catfish
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 filets of catfish

Mix all ingredients in a shallow dish (or large plastic bag) and marinate catfish in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove from marinade, and grill for about 2-3 minutes each side.

Fresh Raspberry Gratin

2010-06-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

My sister made her annual trip to the kitchen last week. She made Fresh Raspberry Gratin from Barefoot Contessa. This is a deliciously rich custardy/creme brulee-ish treat.

I had leftover marsala from a past recipe gone disastrously wrong. We spotted this recipe and redeemed that little bottle of marsala. It was good!

Preheat the broiler for at least 15 minutes, and get ready to make the sabayon (delicious mouse/custard topping.) Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and bring to a slow simmer. Not boiling. In a heat-safe bowl, whisk together 8 egg yolks and 2/3 cup superfine sugar over the simmering water. Don't just stir. Whisk like you've never whisked before. It should thicken and increase in volume in about 5-10 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup of sweet marsala and whisk for 5 more minutes until thick. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Remove from heat.

Place fresh raspberries in six gratin dishes.

Top raspberries with sabayon.

Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on top, and place about 5 inches under the broiler for 2 minutes. They should start to lightly brown. Don't sit down or look the other direction. It will BURN.

Poor sister made the saddest face when she saw a smoking black burning coming from her pretty gratin. We scraped off the burned layer, and pretended it wasn't supposed to have a crispy top.

Seaside Shrimp

2010-06-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

My mother passes along her old magazines, and a Southern Living recently made itself into my pack. It has never been my go-to mag, but I noticed an entire spread of easy Shrimp recipes in the April 2010 issue, including this 'Seaside Shrimp.' Easy, delicious and perfect for lazy summer eats.

Seaside Shrimp

from Southern Living, April 2010

1 cup bottled Caesar dressing
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 pounds peeled, large raw shrimp (31/40 count)

Preheat oven to 375°. Place all ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing to coat. Bake 18 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink, stirring after 9 minutes.

My lovely sister hates shrimp, but loves cute aprons. She put on her apron, just to take the casserole dish out of the oven. Then she helped me sop up the sauce with crunchy bread.

Food 52: Ham and Sweet Potato Sandwich

2010-06-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Testing Food52 recipes can lead to strange things…like sweet potato fries on a ham sandwich. I was skeptical at best.

Believe it or not…it was good! Think of the sweet potato fries as a sweeter version of caramelized onions. Quite delicious. The brie grounded the entire sandwich with creamy goodness. The ham was salty (and crisped in butter) while the arugula brought a peppery punch. Toast your bread in olive oil, and it can't really go wrong.

Be careful with the dijon mustard. It can overpower the delicious combination, so go easy.

Slice the sweet potatoes into matchsticks (skins and all) and spread on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a healthy sprinkle of salt. Place in preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes, stirring midway through.

Melt butter in a thick-bottomed pan and crisp ham slices, about 3 minutes each side. Set aside.

Toast thick bread (italian, french or sourdough all work well) in additional oil in the same pan. Assemble the sandwich: Dijon Mustard (just a little), Brie cheese, ham.

Then add a whopping heap of sweet potatoes fries and the arugula leaves. Slice in half to make it slightly more manageable.

Serve with your favorite chips and a pickle for good measure.

Wallaby Yogurt: Breakfast of Champions

2010-06-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

This post is not about a recipe. It is a love letter to Wallaby Organic Yogurt. This stuff is like eating cheesecake for breakfast. Creamy, vanilla cheesecake. Topped with fresh strawberries, it's pure heaven. It says 'low fat' on the package, but I think they are lying. It's stupid good. (Wallaby can be found at your neighborhood Whole Foods Market.)

Food52: Oma's Potato Salad

2010-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

I hate potato salad. I think it's mushy and squishy . . . and not in a good way.
So I was hesitant to test this recipe for Food52 but thought I should get out of my comfort zone. Thank you 'Oma' wherever you are, for creating such a great classic potato salad. Think less mayonaise, and more chunky potatoes with a zippy tang. Delicious actually.

A perfect side dish for summer barbecues. Check out the full recipe.

Love Blog & Farmers Market

2010-06-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have a good man in my life. He's a badass web developer by day, food photographer by night . . . (well MY food photographer at night.) We're a good team.

He hijacked the Blogger code to make things look a little prettier. So if you read Fish and Veggies in a RSS reader, go ahead and click over to the real thing. Check out the new fonts . . . the width . . . the HUGE pictures.

Here are some pics from a recent trip to the Dallas Farmers Market. The tomatoes are looking good.

Food 52: Overnight Apple-Cinnamon French Toast

2010-06-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

This Overnight Apple-Cinnamon French Toast from Food52 is the perfect dish for entertaining friends and family. It’s easy to assemble the night before, and makes your entire house smell like apple pie while it’s baking in the morning. Check out the ingredients. How could this go wrong?

Take a loaf of rustic italian bread and slice it 1 inch thick. Lay it in a baking sheet.

Now you make the magic (do I say that every recipe?). You mix 4 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar and a splash of vanilla and pour it over the bread. Thinly slice and apple and lay on top. Combine some sugar and cinnamon and crumble on top. Dot with butter. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, uncover and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Your house smells heavenly, and it crips into something delicious.

Serve it up with some maple syrup and fresh fruit. Enjoy!

Sprouted Kitchen: Crunchy Veggie Salad

2010-06-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I have a blog crush. Sprouted Kitchen. It's the blog love child of a ridiculously cute couple, Sara and Hugh. She creates the delicious eats, and he documents with excellent lighting.

Photo Source: sproutedkitchen.com

Sprouted Kitchen has inspired me over the last year, with unexpected culinary combinations. I saw this crunchy salad and had to give it a try. Radishes and Pineapples and Black Beans. How does she come up with this stuff?

Lucky for me, I have my own manly man that enjoys documenting me chopping fresh veggies. Pictures below.

We served this salad to his family this Memorial Day, and they loved the fresh crunch. People raved and served seconds. Always a good sign.

Slice radishes in thin slices and then quarter.

Chop pineapple and cucumber, and throw them in.

Add chopped basil and black beans.

Now for the dressing. Mix one avocado, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, juice of one lime, splash of tabasco hot sauce, salt/pepper to taste.

If you are fancy, you can make lettuce wraps with the veggies and dressing. If you are serving a huge group, you can chop up that lettuce and throw it in. Mix with the dressing, and enjoy!

Food52: Tangy Teriyaki Salmon

2010-05-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Some recipes make me feel skilled and accomplished. Others are easy Wednesday-whip-togethers. This Tangy Teriyaki Salmon from Food52, tops the chart in both categories. I had no idea making home made teriyaki sauce was so easy. A few ingredients makes magic.

Mirin is a common Japanese ingredient. It is a type of rice wine, like sake, but with less boozy-booze. It's about 50% sugar, which adds a nice sweetness to balance the soy sauce. It's just a clear liquid, and can be found at most grocery stores.

Heat 1 c. soy sauce, 1 c. mirin, 4 tbsp. lime juice, and 3 tbsp. ginger in a large sauce pan. Once the liquid is heated, place salmon fillets skin side down. Cook about 4 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. The salmon comes out silky and tender since you are essentially poaching it in the teriyaki sauce. When salmon is barely cooked through, remove fillets to plate.

Once the salmon is removed, add chopped green onion and sesame seeds to the sauce.

Stir continually for about 10 minutes. It will become a thick, salty glaze that would be fantastic over any protein: steak, scallops, chicken or a vegetable stir-fry. A great excuse to make it again and again.

Drizzle sauce over the salmon. And serve with rice and roasted broccoli.

Carnival Rides and Terra Verde Balsamic Vinegar

2010-05-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

I live in Texas, thus, I go to festivals. Outdoor carnival-like celebrations, with shifty men manning shifty rides that poor innocent children ride. The best thing about festivals/carnivals? Corndogs. Jumbo corndogs.

I went to a festival in Grapevine, TX this weekend. All pictures of me eating the above corndogs are understandably un-postable. But I did stumble across a vendor booth selling a gem: Terra Verde Balsamic Vinegar. I had no idea balsamic vinegar could taste so good. When fancy wine snobs can smell 'hints of this' or 'notes of that' i think they are lying. But I can actually smell and taste blueberries in this balsamic.

My favorite snack: a loaf of fresh bread with a dipping sauce of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I usually do about 3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic, but if your balsamic is this good, splash a little more in. I realize large amounts of bread isn't diet friendly. Then I remember I don't care, and tear off another chunk of ciabatta. Here's to breaking bread with good friends and good balsamic vinegar to top it off.

Birthday Steak and Cake

2010-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had a birthday last week and was showered with food and love all week long.

The man cooked me a birthday dinner, which was unbelievably good. My blog may be called 'Fish and Veggies' but I love-me-some-steak. It was the most delicious I've ever had. A juicy ribeye, dusted in salt and grilled to perfection.

Then he made me a cake with three layers. Cake icing, cake icing, cake icing! Truth be told, I took my final bite with no hands. Just plunged the face into the goodness.

A few friends stopped by to say 'Happy Birthday' and we enjoyed these mini-caprese-salad-toothpicks. Pear tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and tiny piece of basil. Drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. They were gobbled up faster than I could drink my birthday sangria.

Life is good. Here's to another year!

Food52: It's Fruity Cocktail Time

2010-05-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

This week's Food52 spotlight is a spring refresher (aka champagne mixed with fruit.) The man took the recipe test to the next level. He wanted to do the photo shoot up on the roof, which turned out to be one of the best ideas of the day. We spent the next four hours arranging fruit and props and dodging shadows to bring you these sun-shiny pictures. I think it looks like we're in Mexico. The drink actually tasted good too. But how could it not? Fresh mangoes, peaches, oranges and limes, mixed with ginger ale and champagne. Check out the detailed recipe.

Chop up 1 mango, 2 peaches and slice an orange in half.

Add the fruit to a blender…

And pulse for about 2 minutes or until completely pureed.

This recipe calls for making limeade icecubes. I'm not that type of girl, so I just made a simple syrup, squeezed the limes in, and added the whole thing to the pitcher.

Stir in about 8 ounces of ginger ale and 1/2 a bottle of champagne and serve over ice.

I am in Texas with my very manly man. We served our cocktails with Brisket.

Then I got excited playing with fonts. What do you think about me adding a colorful header to the blog?

Things I'm Liking . . .

2010-05-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

These things are tickling my fancy . . .

Allie Brosh's hysterical blog: Hyperbole and a Half. (Warning: Do not read this in the workplace. The fist-pounding laughter that you will not be able to hold in, will make you look unprofessional.) This post is one of my favorites.

photo source: Cookstr.com

Poached Salmon. Not as funny as Hyperbole and Half, and arguably not as delicious, but it is my new mainstay. I poach a few pounds of salmon on Sunday night and eat it all week long. Put it in pasta. Serve on top of an arugula salad. Eat it with roasted broccoli. (Please note: It is not good with scrambled eggs. Don't even try it. I can save you the pain.)

Directions: Pour an inch of olive oil into an oven safe pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over salmon fillets, and place in the olive oil. You can throw in any herbs you like as well. Cook in oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Jusmex. The Mexican diner near my new day job. They serve hashbrowns for breakfast. Their website has blinking lights. The man at the cashier shows you pictures of his babies and hands out unsolicited bible verses. Everything about it is awesome.

Food52: Scallops and Grits

2010-04-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

My Food52 love continues. This week, we tested Scallops Composed For a Dinner Party, although I like to call it for what it really is: Scallops and Grits.

This Mexican twist on a southern classic (Shrimp and Grits) doesn't disappoint. A quick read through the ingredients, and you know it's going to be good. Sweet scallops over creamy grits, with jalapenos to keep things kicky. And what can go wrong with bacon and cilantro in the mix?

I would recommend roasting the jalapenos with the vegetables, to help blend the flavors. Also, a quick pat of flour on the scallops will help create a light, crispy sear. This dish could definitely be the star of a dinner party, or a fancy brunch with mimosas on the side.

And here are pictures from my man that continually impress:

Heat milk (please note: If you are lactose intolerant, the lactose does not 'cook off' like alcohol. You will be in pain if you eat this.)

Slowly add grits to the milk and stir continually for 20 minutes.

Add butter (the key to all things delicious) and stir until smooth.

Cook bacon over low heat until nice and crispy. Set aside.

Slice jalapenos removing seeds and rib (or leave it on if you like the heat.)

In the bacon fat, roast veggies until soft and slightly charred.

Slice the cilantro. Don't forget to wash it like I normally do.

Sear scallops in grill pan, rotating after a minute to create char marks.

Serve the grits topped with veggies, bacon, salsa, mexican crema, scallops and cilantro.

Yes please!

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

2010-04-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

photo source: Saveur.com

I haven't cooked much lately. A new day job and a budding yoga practice have been great for my sanity. But both are sad for my stomach. I'm hungry.

This Lobster Mac 'n Cheese from Saveur magazine is my next dinner project.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

This dish is served at Macbar, a Manhattan restaurant whose menu lists a dozen mac and cheese variations.

Kosher salt, to taste

12 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1⁄4 cup flour

4 cups milk

11 oz. grated fontina (about 4 cups)

8 oz. mascarpone (about 1 cup)

3 tbsp. lobster or fish broth

3 tbsp. brandy or cognac

1 tsp. Tabasco

1⁄4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into 1" chunks

1⁄3 cup minced chives

2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

2 oz. grated sharp aged white cheddar (about 1 cup)

1. Heat oven to 375°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 2 cups fontina, along with the mascarpone, broth, brandy, Tabasco, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta to cheese sauce. Stir in half each of the lobster, chives, and scallions.

3. Transfer mixture to a 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining fontina and the cheddar. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining lobster, scallions, and chives.

Food52: Kummelweck

2010-04-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Buffalo-born boyfriend was ecstatic to see Kummelweck bread featured on Food52 this week. After raving about his beloved Beef on 'Weck, we wondered if this recipe would live up to the memories. Success! Not only is this recipe easy to follow, but we had fresh bread in about 1 1/2 hours. Kummelweck is known for the salt-crusted top (delicious) along with the caraway seeds, which are commonly known for flavoring rye bread. The butter and egg make this bread almost biscuit-like. Salty biscuits from heaven. We served with roast beef and said 'cheers' to Buffalo, NY.

Food52: Matilda, Maple & Garlic Pork Shoulder with Crispy Skin

2010-04-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Another week, another inventive recipe from Food52: Matilda, Maple and Garlic Pork Shoulder with Crispy Skin. It's hard to go wrong with pork shoulder cooked for 18 hours. Put any kind of rub on it and it's bound to be delicious. I was pleasantly surprised when this pork was just that ... surprising.

The rub has a powerful kick without overpowering the pork. The flavors meld perfectly, but you can still pick out the individual notes. If you don't like heavy heat, I would recommend cutting back on some of the cayenne and using more maple syrup.

The recipe still works well if you can't find pork shoulder with rind on. Just don't skip out on the bone. The tender pieces around the bone will make you weak in the knees.

Score the top so the flavors can seep in.

Add rub ingredients to mortal and pestle (or food processor) and make the magic.

Pour the magic over the non-skin side.

Bake to form this thin crust.

Flip over (fat side up) and pour remaining rub over the top. Roast for 18 hours.

After 18 hours of basting with fruity ale, it's time to enjoy,

Hello, delicious!

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Basil and Feta Cheese

2010-04-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

During my stint in Hipster-ville, USA (Williamsburg, Brooklyn), I learned about the miracle that is baked eggs. Every bunch spot featured about 10 different types of oozy eggs baked on top of some veggie ensemble. Then one of my favorite food blogs, Closet Cooking, featured Baked Eggs with Feta and Tomatoes. I simplified the recipe slightly . . . because that's what I do.

My photographer man was busy at his pesky day job, so I will bless you all with my lovely iPhone photos.

Raw egg. Pre-baking.

Post-baking. The yolk is set, but still runny.

Yum.

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Basil and Feta Cheese
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 1
1 egg
5-10 pear tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
5 basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Place tomatoes in a small ramekin and top with basil, oregano and feta. Crack egg directly on top of mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes or until yellow yolk looks slightly 'cloudy', but not fully set. Serve with bread/pita and tomatoes and avocado.

Greek Pizza with Shrimp

2010-04-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

I don't have a pizza stone. I have failed at all attempts to make homemade pizza crust. But I love-me some pizza and wanted to make it at home.

Greek Pizza with Shrimp

Feel free to swap any ingredients for your personal favorites: rustic bread, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, grape tomatoes, basil, anchovies, shrimp, capers

Heat oil in large skillet, preferably cast iron.

I sliced my favorite bread from Whole Foods (Sea Salt Ciabatta) and toasted in the olive oil, about 2 minutes each side. Feel free to use any thick, rustic bread.

Spread tomato sauce over toasted bread. Don't be shy. Next time I will use more.

Sprinkle with feta cheese, grated mozzarella cheese and sliced tomatoes.

Top with cooked shrimp and anchovies.

Throw on the capers and sliced basil. Grate extra mozzarella on top, just because you can and bake at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.

Things I'm Liking . . .

2010-04-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things that are making me smile these days:

1. This month's issue of Saveur Magazine. It helps me mourn the loss of Gourmet, and this month they feature traditional Roman dishes. Mmm . . . pasta and pork chops.

2. Alyssa Shelasky's Blog, Apron Anxiety. Her articulate sass is a daily highlight. I want to put her blog posts to music. Can't you hear Jay Z and Alicia Keys as you read this post?

3. The fact that this is what my man does in his free time. He sent me this picture of a the outdoor dinner he made the other night. We make a good team.

Miso Glazed Chicken and Veggies

2010-04-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

photo source:Epicurious.com

I did good! (I'm too busy impressing myself to worry about grammar.)

I have raved about Miso Glazed Salmon for about 4 years now. I thought I would try the same glaze with chicken since I'm broke at the moment. I also saw the Internet Cooking Princess do something similar, and it got my creative juices flowing.

This dish uses juicy chicken thighs and a mix of delicious veggies all in one pot. Think of it as a baked-stir-fry.

Miso Glazed Chicken and Veggies
6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 large bunch spinach, kale, arugula or any other green
1 pound sliced shitake mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1 cup soysauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup miso (light or dark)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Mix the soysauce, brown sugar, miso, garlic and ginger in a large plastic bag. Trim extra fat off of chicken thighs and place in the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
2. Roughly chop veggies and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Heat butter and olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat. Transfer chicken and marinade into pan and sear on both sides for about 2 seconds per side. Add veggies and stir until lightly coated with miso sauce.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove and serve over white rice.

Spring Pasta Free-For-All

2010-04-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining. Tank tops are out, and patios are packed. It's spring!

I want pasta. Not heavy lasagna, but light spring pasta. So pick and choose from the options below, and follow the simple formula to create your personalized spring pasta.

Spring Pasta Free-For-All
Choose a pasta:
spaghetti, linguine, bowtie, etc.

Choose as many veggies as you please:
mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, garlic, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers, etc.

Choose a protein:
shrimp, poached salmon, smoked salmon, smoked sausage, pulled chicken, etc.

Choose a 'finisher':
basil, parsley, capers, lemon, etc.

Additional ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, white wine and butter

Directions:
1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and saute vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add a cup-ish of white wine and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons-ish of butter and whisk together to finish the sauce. Add your cooked protein of choice and heat through.
2. Boil water and cook according to instructions on package. Remove pasta with slotted spoon or tongs and place directly into sauce.
3. Add 'finisher' and stir together.

Enjoy immediately for hot pasta, and enjoy chilled leftovers for 2-3 days.

Food52: Grill-Roasted Meatloaf

2010-03-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

The food52 community continues to produce shockingly creative recipes, including this delicious meatloaf draped in bacon, slathered in barbecue sauce and roasted on the grill.

Check out the full recipe and the step-by-step picture guide below:

Grill-Roasted Meatloaf

Recipe Source: Food52.com

Tear three pieces of sandwich bread and soak in a bowl of 1 beaten egg and 1/4 cup cream (or milk.) Set aside.

Chop the following into large pieces: 1 green bell pepper, 1/2 a sweet onion and 1 large carrot.

Add the chopped veggies into a food processor along with 1/2 tablespoon fresh Thyme, 1/2 tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, couple dashes Tabasco, 1 1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce. Pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Add the bread mixture and pulse a few more times.

Now for the fun . . . Place veggie/bread mixture into a big bowl along with 1 pound ground beef chuck, 1 pound ground sirloin and 1/2 pound ground pork. Mix with your hands. Form into two loaves and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small sauce pan combine 1/2 cup Ketchup, 2 tablespoons Molasses, 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper, 1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns

Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until it has thickened and your house smells like heaven.

Over medium heat, cook bacon for about two minutes. You want to start the cooking process, but it still needs to be extremely pliable.

Fire up the grill . . . the one thing you've never used to cook meatloaf.

Sear the meatloaf on the grill, about 2 minutes on every side.

Drape the bacon over the meatloaf. I cooked my bacon for too long, so it kind of jutted out on top. Oh well. If you can hug it around the meat loaf, this would be best. Whatever it looks like, drizzle the sauce over the top. Turn the heat as low as possible, and shut the lid. Then walk away for 30 minutes.

Baste the loaves with another layer of sauce, close the lid and walk away for another 15 minutes.

Bring it inside. Slice it up, and serve with roasted sweet potatoes and arugula salad.

Restaurant Spotlight: Neighborhood Services Tavern

2010-03-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Photo of original Neighborhood Services from The Dallas Morning News

I have very good news for Dallas-dwellers.

Neighborhood Services Tavern opened on the sly this weekend. (You might remember my post about the original Neighborhood Services.) The new abode is cozy (read tiny) and promises the same quality on a smaller scale. The cocktail list is impressive and has bloggers buzzing . . . but let's get down to brass tacks. The food. It's amazing and surpassed all my already high expectations.

First the mussels arrived steamed in a white wine/butter reduction, with smoked chorizo and roasted cherry tomatoes. I know it's hard to mess up mussels, but it's also hard to take them to the next level. These mussels just beat out the Porch for best mussels in Dallas. Just the right combination of acid from the tomatoes and wine, while the chorizo grounded the flavors without overpowering the mussels. (The classy quote of the evening came from a fellow diner who said, "I want to stick my face in these.")

The waitress recommended the scallops. I'm a sucker for scallops so I obliged. They were served on a bed of couscous with a beurr blanc sauce. The amount of butter was ~~ungodly~~ heavenly. I can't remember the last time I ate something so rich without being heavy. The scallops were seared to perfection with a slight smoke to them. I would skip the frisee salad that was served on top, but this was easy enough to scoot to the side.

My partner in crime got the steak of the day, a juicy rib-eye, served with roasted potatoes and horseradish dipping sauce. Check and check.

Then the dessert. The butterscotch pot de creme. The 'pot' was a mini mason jar with tiny wooden paddles to serve as spoons (remember the wooden things you used to eat the mini icecream cups when you were in elementary school.) It felt naughty, spooning something so rich directly into my mouth.

Only negative would be a few misplaced divider walls which chop up the space unnecessarily and leave you feeling slightly caged. Don't worry, I told the waitress my opinion, which was quickly dismissed with a polite smile.

Entrees are in the $15-20 range. Great for a date night. I can't wait to go again.

Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2010-03-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

Roasted sweet potatoes. I serve them with dinner about three times a week and everyone helps themselves to seconds. They're good.

But here's the rub . . . they never seem to get crispy enough. I have tried everything: lower heat, higher heat, broiling, more olive oil, less olive oil. They were always soft and tender, but not crispy.

After some internet sleuthing, I found the answer to getting crispy taters. Pan fry them after you pull them out of the oven. Just put them on the stove over medium heat, and cook for additional 3-5 minutes tossing once. They crisp right up! Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Peel and chop sweet potatoes into your preferred size. Spread into cast iron pan or baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle with salt. Place in oven at 400 for 30 minutes, tossing once. If using cast iron pan, move directly to stove top and cook potatoes over medium heat for 3-5 more minutes tossing once. If using baking tray, transfer potatoes to saute pan before crisping on the stove top.

Shellfish Cooking Class

2010-03-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

My man and I went to a cooking class dedicated to Shellfish: lobster, clams, mussels and five types of oysters. He got a new camera the same day, so here you have a fully-documented shellfish extravaganza.

First up: Lobster. I chopped up this little guy while he was still twitching. I even removed his intestinal track and stomach (the pictures were a little to graphic for blog posting.)

Then into the pot for him! Sauteed with shell on a mixture of ginger, soy, cilantro and fermented bean paste.

All the ingredients for our Oysters spread out, ready to go. I need these little plastic cups in my own kitchen.

A good start to any recipe!

Alcohol likes to catch on fire. Gratefully, we meant to do this. Oysters Rockefeller calls for a little flambe action. Add a little Pernod (licorice flavored liqueur) and let the gas flames get a hold of it.

Topping the oysters before a quick blast under the broiler. I snuck a few raw ones.

The final result: Fresh oysters on the half shell "five ways" (rockefeller, bienville, oscar, casino and horseradish cream with salmon caviar.) In my opinion, nothing beats a raw oyster, but adding butter and bacon sure does get close.

And a few of our other creations: mussels thermidor over linguini, panko crusted clams with spicy remoulade and a little lobster cameo in the back. We also made a steamed clam dish that was my favorite. I ate them too fast for a picture. Favorite recipes below.

Oysters Bienville
Recipe by Chris Svalsen
30 oysters
1/2 cup diced Applewood smoked bacon
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 minced onion
1/4 green bell peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano

Saute bacon. Add celery, onion and green peppers. When light brown add garlic, cream, salt and pepper. Cook until cream reduces to half, and add Parmigiano Reggiano. Place heaping mound on each oyster and broil for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Clams Oreganatta
Recipe by Chris Svalesen
12 clams
1 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
butter

Wash clams under cold water, being careful to not break their shell. Add red pepper and oregano to a dry pan over medium heat, and toast for about 2 minutes to release more of the flavor. Add all other ingredients, and cook on high until the shells open, 2-3 minutes. Serve in bowl with broth with a side of melted butter for dripping, dribbling, drizzling.

Restaurant Spotlight: Tom Colicchio's Craft

2010-03-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

My sister is a strikingly beautiful lady, who eats Potbelly sandwiches seven days a week, only taking a break if Bagel Bites are available.

I laughed out loud when she accidentally wound up at Tom Colicchio's Craft, and I asked her to write a restaurant review from her Potbelly-state-of-mind. Here's what we got:

Last night, I went to Craft. I never thought I would say that, but it's true. During the brief time that I lived in Los Angeles, Craft was moments from my office. I would drive by with envy, as I headed it 'In & Out Burger' for my version of dinner.

Now living back in Dallas, my office [my bosses office] happens to overlook Craft dallas in the W hotel. Although I usually enjoy a one-minute dinner of bagel bites at the office, last night was different. A friend and I wanted to be fancy, so we decided to 'grab dinner' at Craft before the John Mayer concert. There is nothing to 'grab' at craft... each morsel is suitable only for savoring.

Like most restaurants, they started us off with bread. We ate it all, considering we didn't know what to expect from the portions at these fancy places. Next came a complimentary fennel and pancetta soup, served in a shot glass. It was a potato soup pureed by angels.

I was pleasantly surprised with my glass of Joseph Carr Cabernet. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It cost more than the entirety of my usual bottle of wine.

After looking at the lovely menu with confusion, we decided to order whatever our waiter recommended. It wouldn't make a difference to me anyway...

Our surprise dishes arrived all at once, served family style in the middle of the table. The big eye tuna, which didn't taste much like the chicken of the sea, was delicious... diced, with some avocado goodness on top. A fantastic arugula salad paired well with the tuna. My sister has educated me on arugula, so I think I sounded smart when it arrived. We had two remaining side items. One looked like mac and cheese, the other looked like grits. Literally, grits in a pot. As it turns out, the 'mac and cheese' was Ricotta Cavatelli & Butternut Squash. The 'grits' were in fact Stone Ground Polenta & White Cheddar. Although both were absolutely fantastic, i liked the mac and cheese best.

We were somehow suckered into ordering desert. We decided on the Saffron Cake, Meyer lemon Compote & Almond Honey Ice Cream, which was preceded by another freebie. I have to say, that the freebie was my favorite part of desert. The white chocolate pancetta topped with some sort of orange sorbet was much more tasty that the bitter pound cake with seeds on it. It was the classiest dreamsicle I've ever had.

Overall, it was an amazing dining experience, crafted with excellence from beginning to end.

*I have been informed that these 'freebies' are actually a common practice in fancy places called an amouse bouche.

Julia Child and Sole Meuniere

2010-03-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

photo source: Spanish Recipes

My friend Annie is an international tour guide (that's right. Her job is an international tour guide.) She's finally settled in New York, where I have no doubt she will do something fearless with her amazing self.

She knew I loved Julie & Julia, but challenged me saying, "You HAVE to read Julia Child's My Life in France." So I am. It is phenomenal. Check out her description of her first meal in France:

"It arrived whole: a large, flat Dover sole that was perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. The waiter carefully placed the platter in front of us, stepped back, and said: "Bon appètit!
I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection."

I made it and was shocked at how easy it was. A light piece of fish dusted in flour and seared in a butter bath. I served with roasted broccoli and roasted sweet potatoes.

Sole Meuniere

1/3 c. all purpose flour

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

4 sole fillets, 4 - 5 oz. each

6 T. unsalted butter

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

juice from 2 large lemons (about 4 T - 5 T. lemon juice)

1 T fresh minced parsley

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.

While the pan is heating, fill plate with flour and season with salt and pepper. Pat the sole fillets dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle one side of each fillet with salt. Then, coat both sides of the fillets with the seasoned flour.

Add 3 T. of the butter to the saute pan. Once the butter starts to brown, place the two of the fillets in the pan. Cook for 3 minutes on medium low. Turn the fish carefully with a large spatula. Add half of your lemon juice (about 2 T.) and 1/2 tsp. lemon zest to the pan. Cook fish an additional 2 minutes. Carefully remove fish from pan onto an overproof plate. Pour the sauce over the fish and keep warm while you repeat the process with the other 2 fillets.

To serve, sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy Shrimp and Rice

2010-03-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick comfort-food that's on the lighter side for this glorious spring weather. (By 'lighter side' I mean it doesn't have any sausage.)

photo source: Rincon Culinario

Spicy Shrimp and Rice
1 cup rice
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup stock (chicken or seafood)
salt to taste
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 clove garlic
1/2 shallotpinch of red chili flakes
cilantro

For rice:
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoon butter in a medium pot. Once melted add rice and stir until slightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle rice with salt and then add stock. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer for 20(ish) minutes, or until rice is cooked to desired tenderness.

For shrimp:
Finely chop garlic and shallot. Melt remaining butter in medium sauce pan. Add garlic and shallot and stir until softened, about 2 minutes. Add chili flakes and shrimp and a pinch of salt. Once shrimp has started to curl into a C shape, remove from heat. (if it turns into a full O shape, it's overcooked.) Top with cilantro and serve over rice.

48 Nights: Sharon Hage

2010-03-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Collaboration. Cool people doing cool things. I experienced true collaboration this week as Sharon Hage (of York Street) served as the visiting chef for 48 Nights. In case you missed it . . . Sharon Hage is a James Beard Award Winner, and York Street was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the nation by Gourmet.

Photo source: Dallas Observer

A little back story:
Two great guys in Dallas, TX (Chris Jeffers, Chris Zielke) open a restaurant named Bolsa. It's based in the cool, yet rugged Bishop Arts District and focuses on fresh, local ingredients with a Latin flair. They team up with head chef, Tim Byres, and create Smoke, the hippest barbecue joint in the area. In comes real estate developer, Brent Jackson, who is dedicated to bringing 'cool' into the area without disrupting history. Before they rebuild a few buildings, why not do something AWESOME in the standing space?

48 Nights is born. Salvation Army provides all the furniture and mismatched plates and glass. Open only Monday and Tuesdays for exactly 48 Nights, and all proceeds benefit charities. You buy a ticket, not knowing who the chef will be. It could be Stephen Pyles or Bruno Davaillon of The Mansion on Turtle Creek.

If you're lucky (like me) you happen to buy a ticket for the night featuring Sharon Hage of York Street. Bring your own wine, and enjoy. Check out the menu and iPhone pictures below, and book a ticket for you and a loved one right now.

Cajun Dirty Rice Cakes

2010-03-09T20:30:00.000-08:00

photo source: EzraPoundCake

Have a pot of leftover Cajun Dirty Rice? Make rice cakes!

Scoop 2-3 spoonfuls of leftover rice into your hands and form into small cakes. Dredge in beaten egg, and coat with panko bread crumbs. Heat a little oil in pan over medium heat, and cook rice cakes for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with a fried egg on top. Leave the yolk runny, so when it pops you have a delicious sauce for your crispy Dirty Rice Cakes.

Blackened Catfish and Cajun Dirty Rice

2010-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

The man likes spicy food, so I decided to treat him to a red hot dish: Blackened Catfish and Cajun Dirty Rice.

The catfish is slathered in butter then coated with every spicy/flavorful herb I could think of. Seared in butter (of course) in a cast-iron pan. It gets smoky. Be warned.

Dirty Rice usually calls for chicken livers, but I stuck to my beloved pork sausage and called it heaven. Same spicy herbs went into the rice. Serve with roasted broccoli and pretend you're healthy.

Blackened Catfish
4 catfish fillets
2-4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1. Pat catfish fillets dry with paper towel, and spread half the butter on both sides of fillets.
2. Combine all spices/herbs in a shallow plate, and coat both sides of catfish in the spice blend.
3. Melt remaining butter in a cast iron pan over medium heat and cook catfish in butter for about 3-4 minutes a side.

Dirty Rice
1 pound spicy sausage
1 green bell pepper
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (adjust to personal taste)
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1. In large stock pot, brown sausage over medium heat. Remove sausage to plate, reserving fat in the pot.
2. Finely chop bell pepper, celery, onion and garlic and add to the pot. Saute over medium heat until softened through.
3. Add rice and all spices/herbs and cook for 3 more minutes.
4. Add sausage and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until desired tenderness.
6. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

Liddabit Sweets and Caramels

2010-03-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

I received a thank you note along with a little package of Liddabit caramels. 'What a thoughtful gift,' I thought. Then I actually tried the caramels and realized this gift was far beyond 'thoughtful.' My exact words were, 'Sweet lord, these are good!'

I went to the Liddabit website and learned it is the creation of two pastry chefs with a passion for local, fresh (delicious) ingredients. I suggest the ricotta orange caramels. I'm hooked.

Quesadillas: Shrimp and/or Chicken

2010-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

photo source: MyRecipes

I love shrimp. My sister can't stand the sight/smell/texture of shrimp. My man loves shrimp/chicken/anything edible.

We straddled the fence of likes and dislikes with quesadillas. I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it, keeping it separate from all other ingredients. I also kept a little bowl of baby shrimp on the side.

Then I made a huge bowl of delicious quesadilla goodness (shallots, garlic, mushrooms, corn, cilantro, etc.) and made everyone a personalized quesadilla (some shrimp, some chicken and BOTH for me.)

Quesadillas: Shrimp and/or Chicken
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 can sweet corn
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 baby pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups cheese Monterrey jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
Large flour tortillas
Avocado slices or guacamole
Sliced tomatoes
Sour cream

1. Saute the shallot and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. When softend add mushrooms and saute until softened.
2. Place in a large mixing bowl with cilantro, corn, cumin, hot sauce, and stir gently together.
3. In large nonstick pan, melt 1/2 teaspoon of butter over medium heat. Place one large tortilla on pan. Top with a hand full of shredded cheese, mixed goodness and either shrimp, chicken or both. Top with more cheese and another tortilla. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Make a personalized quesadilla for everyone around your kitchen table.
4. Slice quesadillas and serve with avocado, tomatoes and sour cream.

Boos Cutting Board of Love

2010-02-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend bought me a Boos cutting board today. He knows the kind of presents that make me smile . . . diamonds and cutting boards.

This is not just any cutting board. It fills my entire counter. It's huge. Forget a marble countertop. Now I have a huge cutting board. Tonight I chopped sweet potatoes, garlic and dill and they were all in their own piles on my new HUGE cutting board. I'm in love.

Scallops & Shrimp over Linguine with Baked Feta

2010-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

photo source: Food52

Last night I made another Food52 recipe: Scallops & Shrimp over Linguine with Baked Feta. It was hearty enough for the manly man, but still delicate. I worried that the feta would over power the seafood. Nope. It was perfect.

It was quick, easy and delicious. Check out the full recipe .

Poached Salmon with Mustard and Dill

2010-02-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

photo source: The Recipe Monster

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times – in water, in butter and in wine." - Polish proverb

How have I never poached salmon before? A delicious bath of butter, oil and wine seeps into the salmon. Then it's topped with dijon mustard and dill. It tastes like a tender piece of heaven.

I served with roasted sweet potatoes and arugula salad.

Poached Salmon with Mustard and Dill
1 lb. salmon, skin removed and cut into serving sizes
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons white wine
2 cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Old Bay Seasoning to taste

1. Melt butter over medium heat in a large non-stick saute pan. Add oil, wine and garlic and heat through for about three minutes.
2. Place salmon in the delicious bath of goodness, top side down. Top with the lid and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Flip salmon over, and spread a little dijon mustard on each piece. Spinkle Old Bay Seasoning, and top with dill. Replace lid and let cook for 3 more minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and ensure salmon easily flakes with a fork.

Scallop Gumbo

2010-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

photo source: The New York Times

Mark Bittman does it again with Scallop Gumbo. I thought the scallops might be too mild, so I threw in shrimp also, but he was right. I found myself fishing out the scallops because the flavor was so good.

This was my first time making a roux. My wrist was sore. My house smelled something serious. But the gumbo had a deep flavor, just like he promised. I suggest watching the video of Mark working his magic.

Serve over rice.

Scallop Gumbo
recipe from The Minimalist
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Salt and black pepper
2 to 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or water
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their juice (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
Cayenne to taste
1 pound scallops
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish.

1. Put oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add flour and cook, stirring almost constantly, until roux darkens and becomes fragrant, about 15 to 20 minutes; as it cooks, adjust heat as necessary to keep mixture from burning. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.
2. Stir in the stock, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, bay leaves and cayenne. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so soup bubbles steadily. Cook for about 20 minutes or until flavors meld. Add scallops and cook until they are no longer translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve, garnished with parsley.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Roasted Beets on Goat Cheese Toast

2010-01-31T20:47:00.000-08:00

photo source: Pro Bono Baker

Beets can be dangerous. They look kinda funny before they're cooked, and once cooked, they dye everything a deep crimson. But they taste GOOD!

Amanda Hesser, of Food52.com, shares her perfect method for roasting beets. The trick? Foil packets. I followed the instructions exactly with great success. Fair warning, my hands (and everything in my kitchen) were dyed a beautiful, beety red after I peeled the skins.

The beets found their home on rich, salty goat cheese toast, topped with peppery arugula leaves. (Thank you to StaceySnacks for the continual inspiration!)

Roasted Beets:
Follow these instructions

Broiled Goat Cheese Toasts:
Lightly drizzle olive oil on thick crunchy bread, and place in oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes. Remove and top with a thick slice/spread of goat cheese. Please under broiler for about 3 minutes.

Place beets on top of toasts. Top with arugula leaves and drizzle with favorite balsamic vinaigrette.

Food Failures

2010-01-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

photo source: FireFlash.org

Seeing other people fail is comforting. We can relate to failures. Julia Child's charm only increased when she dropped an omelet on the ground or spilt an entire dish onto her counter. I suddenly think, "Shoot, I can debone a duck. I might freak out and drop it on the floor? Who cares!"

Let's boldly attempt life (and recipes) and boldly share our failures.

Several friends have recently mentioned how tentative they are in the kitchen. Here are direct quotes that shall remain anonymous:

"I feel terrified even thinking about the kitchen. We just go out."
"I have sat in the parking lot of a grocery store and cried because I couldn't think of anything to feed my family."
"I read that recipe, but I just got scared."
"I smoked my entire apartment. I don't want to cook with xyz anymore."

They say they admire the way I can whip up a dish in the kitchen, so I hope to comfort them by sharing some (the list is endless) of my kitchen failures.

1. The other day I made lentil soup. The flavor was perfect. But I left it on low heat for about 1 hour too long. It turned into a pot of mush. A big pot of brown mush. I served it over rice for my lunch today. It looked gross. I ate it when I was all by myself.
2. I burn bread every time I toast it. Every time. I have to scrape off the top layer into my sink, which covers my kitchen in a weird black dandruff.
3. I have a tiny cutting board, and I get a little out of control when I chop. Little slices of mushrooms and onions cover my kitchen floor. You can feel them crunch when you walk around. This usually makes me curse profusely.
4. I made zucchini pancakes the other day. I was trying to be healthy but delicious. They were disgusting. They all went in the trash.

So there's a few. What are some of your kitchen fears/failures?

Vanilla Ice Cream with Balsamic Strawberries

2010-01-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

photo source: TasteDuds.com

Yvonne from the Fifth Tine recently shared her love of aged balsamic vinegar. She is fancy and makes delicious food, so this did not surprise me. But balsamic on ice cream? Now we're talking.

If you are currently unemployed/short on funds, a pricey bottle of aged balsamic is probably not on your shopping list. Fear not. You can use your cheap bottle of balsamic that you have in your pantry and simply reduce it on your stove-top. (Thank you TasteDuds for the tip!) This enriches the flavor without enriching the cost.

Simply pour a little balsamic in a small sauce pan, and let it reduce by half. Let cool, mix with sliced strawberries and serve over vanilla ice cream. I'm not going to say it tastes like chocolate sauce, but it's good!

Mark Bittman's Bok Choy with Shiitakes and Oyster Sauce

2010-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Photo source: Reader's Digest

Mark Bittman is a New York Times columnist and cookbook author. He's not a professional chef. Just a regular guy who cooks good food. He focuses on simple, comfortable food, and he inspires me.

I read his article (and watched the video) about bok choy and thought 'I could do that.' This was my first time to ever eat bok choy, a chinese leaf vegetable, and it's good!

Here are the shots from girls cooking night with Yvonne. (Every good cooking session starts with good wine.)

Bok Choy with Shiitakes and Oyster Sauce
Recipe by Mark Bitten for The New York Times

1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds bok choy, trimmed
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced

1/2 to 3/4 cup commercial oyster sauce.

1. Soak shiitakes in one cup of very hot water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Trim mushrooms and chop. Separate leaves and stems of bok choy; cut stems into 2-inch lengths and slice leaves into ribbons.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. When oil is hot, add bok choy stems, garlic if you are using it, reconstituted mushrooms, and about 1/4 cup reserved mushroom water. Cook, stirring frequently, until stems are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil; sauté fresh shiitake mushrooms over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until they begin to brown and crisp on edges.
4. Into the large skillet or wok, add bok choy leaves and oyster sauce and toss vegetables gently to combine; continue cooking until greens wilt, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately, topped with crisp mushrooms.

Yvonne's Brussel Sprouts

2010-01-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

photo source: RealSimple.com

Last night was a girl's-night-in sort of night. My friend Yvonne invited me over to cook some recipes we've been wanting to try. I brought one for bok choy in oyster sauce (coming soon.) She brought one for beef stroganoff (coming soon.) But when I arrived at her house, it smelled like bacon and I always like what that means.

Yvonne was whipping up some roasted brussel sprouts, drizzled in a maple syrup/shallot sauce. Oh, and crumbled bacon on top. I'm hooked. We ate them like popcorn.

Yvonne's Brussel Sprouts
1 shallot, finely diced
1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
salt to taste
2 strips thick cut bacon
brussel sprouts (as many as you want)

1. Place two strips of bacon on frying pan and cook over low heat. When crispy, set aside to cool. Then chop finely.
2. Boil pot of water. Drop in whole brussel sprouts for 2 minutes. Remove from pot and place into bowl of ice water. Cut brussel sprouts in half, and spread onto flat baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and lightly salt. Place on high shelf in oven and broil for about 7- 10 minutes or until lightly blackened.
3. In a saute pan, saute shallot in olive oil until tender. Add maple syrup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar and stir until slightly thickened. Toss in brussel sprouts and toss until coated.
4. Serve topped with bacon.

Shop Shop - Favorite iPhone App

2010-01-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

All this cooking calls for a lot of grocery shopping. Whole ~~Paycheck~~ Foods is my happy place, but my bank account makes me shop other places (sometimes.)

I often get to the store and forget that I need one hazelnut, or I can't remember if I need one can of tomatoes or four. My paper list is crumpled in my purse, and I end up pulling out twelve old receipts while trying to find my stupid shopping list.

This is where my new favorite iPhone app comes into the picture. ShopShop is a FREE app that will make grocery shopping a new joy.

Simple to create new lists, rearrange the items and the best part . . . when you tap an item, you see a satisfying red slash. Cross it off your list.

If you have ever hunted for your crumpled paper list, let me introduce you to ShopShop. I think you will be good friends.

(P.S. If you are a techie and would like to know about other apps for grocery shopping this article offers great reviews/comparisons of other grocery shopping apps.)

Man Meal: Herbed Chicken Cutlet

2010-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

Photo Source: StylishCuisine.com

Merrill Stubbs, co-founder of Food52.com, is newly engaged and cooking with love. Her New Year's resolution was to make more 'meat and potato' meals for her manly man. (I could almost hear my boyfriend cheering in the distance.)

The professionally trained chef is bringing it back to basics with these Herbed Chicken Cutlets.

I have never cooked a meal without at least one freak-out moment. The most simple meal can bring the 'we need to order pizza' panic. The following equation brought about this momentary panic: Cast iron pan + high heat + smoking oil = extremely smoky apartment and slightly burned chicken cutlets. My manly man played nice and ignored the slightly charred edges of the chicken.

I served with roasted potatoes and broccoli. My man cleaned the plate. Just like Merrill said.

Herbed Chicken Cutlets with Panko and Parmesan
Serves 2
Original Recipe by Merrill Stubbs at Food52.com
1 cup panko crumbs

1 tablespoon chopped assorted fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary)

1/3 cup grated parmesaan

Salt and pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/4 inch think

1. In a wide shallow bowl or pie plate, stir together the panko, herbs, parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. In another bowl, crack the eggs, add a pinch of salt and pepper and lightly beat with a fork. In a third bowl, stir together the flour and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.

2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet (if you use cast iron, make sure you are in a well ventilated area) over a medium-high flame. Add the butter. In the meantime, coat one of the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the breast in the egg mixture, and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing them lightly so that they adhere. Set on a plate and repeat with the other chicken breast.

3. When the butter just starts to turn brown, gently lay both of the chicken breasts in the pan, side by side. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown and crispy. Gently turn the chicken over and cook for another couple of minutes, until both sides are evenly browned. Remove the chicken and let it drain on the paper-towel lined baking sheet for a minute or so. Serve immediately.

Hummus

2010-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Photo source: TheNibble.com

Did you know you can make hummus in 10 minutes? It's true. (Having a food processor will help.)

I am now feasting on garlicky, lemony hummus spread over toasted pita. This Tuesday is shaping up just fine.

I based this on Ina Garten's recipe, with some slight doctoring.

Hummus
Original Recipe by Ina Garten
5 garlic cloves
3 cans chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hot sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Paprika for sprinkling on finished hummus

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Black Bean Dip

2010-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

photo source: 28cooks

This black bean dip is the dip-of-all-dips. Rarely do I fawn so intensely over my own food, but this is good.

Get ready to please anyone within chip-dipping distance.

Black Bean Dip
Based on this recipe with several modifications
Serves 6-8 hungry people
2 can black beans
1 can sweet corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 medium sweet yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup monterrey jack cheese (shredded)
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt to taste

1. Place black beans in a large bowl and smash slightly.
2. Heat oil in large saute pan and saute onion and garlic until translucent.
3. Add corn, tomatoes, beans, cumin, chili powder and heat through (about 5 minutes)
4. Remove from heat and add cilantro and grated cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
5. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Coffee

2010-01-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

photo source: Planet-Coffee.net

Turns out coffee is good for you! Check out this article that discusses it's power to help prevent diabetes, colon cancer, and Parkinson's disease. So take that 'Skinny Bitches.'

If you are in NYC, scoot over to Oslo coffee in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's my favorite coffee (and you'll feel like you can jump over tall buildings when you leave.)

Spaghetti and 'Meatballs'

2010-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

photo source: Gourmet.com

I made meatballs for the Italian Wedding Soup (see post below.) My man and I kept talking about the meatballs. They were so good and we wanted more!!!

So tonight I made the same meatballs (actually they are turkey/chicken-and-pork-balls), and served them with spaghetti and marinara.

I used a store-bought marinara, but I think these 'meatball's' would be fantastic with a puttanesca.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Meatball recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa
For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken thighs or ground turkey thighs
1/2 pound ground pork sausage
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
4 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
2 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb spaghetti pasta
1 jar marinara

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
While meatballs are cooking, boil water and cook pasta until tender. Heat sauce through, and add meatballs when they are finished.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Italian Wedding Soup

2009-12-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

photo source: WholeFoods.com

I had never had Italian Wedding Soup until a few days ago. I have been to 8 million weddings and I love-me-some-soup, but somehow this tradition passed me by.

After enjoying this meatball goodness at a local restaurant, I wanted to make my own. Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) has a great recipe that highlights the pasta/spinach/meatballs perfectly. I've copied the recipe below with my comments/alterations noted. Enjoy!

photo source: Smitten Kitchen

Italian Wedding Soup
Original recipe by Barefoot Contessa
Serves 6-8

For the meatballs:
3/4 pound ground chicken (I bought ground chicken thigh)
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed (I used ground pork sausage)
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs (I only had whole wheat bread and it tasted fine)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (I was all out, so I used all Parmesan)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock (I used store-bought chicken broth)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars (I used orzo)
1/4 cup minced fresh dill (I loved this. Boyfriend hated it.)
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Skinny Bitch and Organic Chocolate

2009-12-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

I recently read Skinny Bitch, the foul-mouthed manifesto about an organic, vegan lifestyle. It is extremely persuasive. So much so, that I completely weaned myself off of coffee, sodas and refined sugar. I was having visions of being the healthiest version of me (including the 6-pack I was sure I would have.)

I had a caffeine headache for four days. Then I woke up one morning and said, "screw the skinny bitches" and I made myself some coffee. My key takeaway from the book is that organic chocolate is good for you (well it's not BAD for you.)

Leave it to me to start eating more chocolate because of a diet book. I highly recommend this Dark Chocolate from Whole Foods. They even have some with mint crisps in them. Delicious!

Quick Paella

2009-12-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

Photo source: MyRecipes.com

Paella, the traditional Spanish dish with shellfish and saffron flavored rice, is one of my favorites. In it's original form it is cooked over an outdoor fire. I don't have that luxury, so I was happy to find this easy version on Gourmet.com.

It turned out great. Somehow more like a latin jambalaya. I left out the peas, and traded clams for mussels. Delicious.

Quick Paella
Originally featured on Gourmet.com
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup frozen onions and bell peppers (6 oz)
1 lb kielbasa (not low-fat), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (1 cup)
2 cups instant long-grain white rice such as Uncle Ben’s
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (10 fl oz)
1/8 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
20 frozen cleaned raw medium shrimp such as Contessa brand
1 1/4 lb cockles or other very small (1-inch-wide) hard-shelled clams, scrubbed
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup small pimiento-stuffed green olives

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until just smoking, then sauté garlic and frozen onions and peppers, stirring, until garlic and onions are golden, about 2 minutes. Add kielbasa and cook, stirring, until kielbasa is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add rice, wine, broth, saffron, and shrimp and cook, covered and undisturbed, over high heat until most of liquid is absorbed and shrimp are cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in cockles, peas, and olives and cook, covered, until cockles open wide, 2 to 4 minutes. (Discard any cockles that remain unopened after 4 minutes.) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

2009-12-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

photo source: Bon Appetite

I ran across a Sweet Potato and Chorizo soup in a Jamie Oliver book. I made it. It was good. But nothing to blog about. His recipe asked you to blend it up to a smooth, creamy soup, but i left it chunky. I just kept thinking, "it could be better, but with what?" Then i found this recipe from Bon Appetite and it takes the same general idea, but keeps it chunky and adds a little spinach. Now we're talking.

If you're cold and want to make a hearty soup, I highly recommend this one.

Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
originally featured in Bon Appetite October 2007
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10- to 11-ounce fully cooked smoked Portuguese linguiça sausage or chorizo sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams; about 2 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound white-skinned potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 9-ounce bag fresh spinach

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook until brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Using potato masher, mash some of potatoes in pot. Add browned sausage to soup. Stir in spinach and simmer just until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and serve.

Manly Roasted Potatoes

2009-12-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

photo source: PotatoPatchRecipes.com

My man is a sensitive, tenderhearted man. He loves refined food and even enjoys baking Christmas cookies. But a man has to be a man. Tonight he looked at me and said, "Enough with the fish and veggies. I need meat and potatoes."

So we made roasted pork tenderloin and simple roasted potatoes. And when I say simple, I mean simple. Olive oil, salt and pepper. That's it.

We beth kept gushing about the potatoes. They tasted like a blend between popcorn and McDonald's french fries.

'Manly' Roasted Potatoes
Take fingerling potatoes (as many as you want) and cut them in half. Spread evenly on cookie sheet. Drizzle generous amount of olive oil on top (you can't over do it.) Salt and pepper generously (you really can't over do this either.) Roast at 400 for 45 minutes, stirring once.

Thomas Keller: Ad Hoc Booksigning

2009-12-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

photo source: blog.fgworld.com

Thomas Keller is known for in culinary circles as one of the most technical, refined and ground breaking American chefs. He's put out several ridiculously advanced cookbooks, and finally one for home cooks. Ad Hoc at Home is filled with family style dishes that Keller makes for his friends and restaurant staff. Check out this excellent review on EatMeDaily.com.

photo source: EatMeDaily.com

So here's my story:
1. My friend Wendy told me Thomas Keller was at my local Williams Sonoma for a book signing. I booked it over there.
2. I ran into an old-schoolmate-turned-chef-and-food-orchestrator, Jordan Swim, of Food Creates Community fame.
3. I decided the line was way too long to get my book signed, so I walked to the front and took this unremarkable picture with my iPhone:

He seemed perfectly charming and knowledgeable, and now I'm more motivated than ever to cook some of his more 'accessible' dishes from Ad Hoc.

Shrimp Fried Rice

2009-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

photo source: Annie's Eats

I'm adding fried rice to my easy go-to dinners. My favorite part . . . it is even better if you use day old rice. So bust out your left over rice, and get ready!

Another quick tip from this great guide: don't touch it too much. Poking at the rice will break the grains, releasing starch and making it more 'mushy' than you want.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Modified from version on SimplyRecipes
8 ounces small raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

3 eggs, beaten

2 stalks green onion, minced

4 cups leftover rice, grains separated well

3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted (optional. I hate peas and carrots!)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Heat 1 tabelspoon cooking oil in large sauté pan on high heat.
2. Add the shrimp, let fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate.
3. Turn the heat to medium, and add the eggs. Stir quickly to scramble until they are almost cooked through. Remove eggs from pan and keep on the same plate as the shrimp.
4. Use paper towels to wipe the sauté pan clean and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of pan.
5. Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, until the rice grains are so hot they practically dance! Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.