The Cooker Man

Stuffed Flank Steak

2011-10-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

I was perusing the meat aisle, as I usually do, seeing if the meat cutters got creative with their craft, when I spotted a 1 lb piece of flank steak that had been butterflied out. It's rare to find flank steak divided or pre-cut, and even rarer to find it butterflied. The head meat cutter happened to be out checking stock, so I asked him about this. He said that a customer requested a piece of flank for stuffing, so he went and made similar cuts with the rest "just to see if it sells". Sold!

Flank is a delicious cut of beef, full of flavor and juicy, so long as it isn't overcooked, at which point your Grandmother would come out and fuss about "cooked to leather" while you were in charge of Easter Sunday grilling. Sorry Grandmom. Well, that was 30 years ago, and I've learned to appreciate that particular cut, and how to cook it.

So, for tonight's rolled flank steak I borrowed some ingredients from my grandmom's braciole recipe, a rolled stuffed Italian version of this, but usually, but not necessarily, cooked in sauce. She cooked her's in a flavored stock. This will be oven roasted, after browned on the stove, chilled, then sliced. Great party fare for appetizers!

Stuffed and rolled flank steak in a deli platter

Stuffed Flank Steak

1 lb flank steak, butterflied
1 tablespoon grated Parmigiana Reggiano ( or Locatelli or Pecorino Romano cheese)
several thin slices salami (or capicola, ham, or prosciutto)
1 cup meatball mix (or sausage)
several slices Fontina (or Provolone, or Muenster or Mozzarella)
1/2 cup chopped, cooked and seasoned spinach, drained thoroughly, the squeezed out until dry.
5 ounces mushrooms, sliced, then sauteed and seasoned with sliced garlic and dried thyme, cooked until dry.
salt and pepper
kitchen twine and scissors

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Lay the butterflied flank steak on a heavy cutting board. With a meat mallet or heavy pan, pound the steak until it is as thin as possible, about 1/4" or so. Season the exposed side with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Lay the cured meat in overlapping layers on top of the grated cheese.

Spread the meatball mixture carefully over the salami, without disturbing the layering. Don't spread any of the ingredients too close to the edge of the flank steak, as they will just get squeezed out when rolling. Lay the Fontina slices on top of the meatball mixture. On top of that, lay the spinach, then the sauteed mushrooms. Press down gently to compact the layers and even them out.

Have some kitchen twine handy. Grabbing the long side of the flank steak, carefully but firmly, roll it up jellyroll style, or, roll it over like making a burrito. Pull the meat and ingredients in on each other so the roll is tight. You will probably get some ingredients coming out of the end. That's expected. Try to shove them back in. If they won't, no worries.

Now, cut some twine and start tying the rolled steak up. make sure you get the ends closed as much as possible. (see photo). When done, heat a large skillet or griddle. Season the outside of the steak generously with salt and pepper. Coat the pan with a little oil and brown the rolled steak until golden on all sides.

Now, place the steak in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. Note - your time will vary depending on circumstances - thickness of steak, ambient temperature, oven accuracy - so check for doneness but don't overcook (or my Grandmother will pay you a visit!).

At this point you can let it set for a few minutes, then slice, or as I did, let it cool completely then wrapped it and refrigerated it, to slice later. Pretty good eating, either way.

Carnitas

2011-10-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

The first time I had pork carnitas was at a wedding reception some 38 years ago. It was part of a Mexican bounty of food offered by the bride's parents, and after a couple of bites I knew I had discovered something special.

Pork is slowly braised in pork fat for a few hours, resulting in a semi-crispy outside and a succulent, tender inside. I've made it this traditional way a few times, and it's easier to make in this manner when making a large quantity, which includes copious amount of lard to cover the meat. Since I was making dinner for just my wife, I made the carnitas yesterday in this much easier, smaller batch, and I was very happy with the results. It's easy as making a pork roast, and you'll find yourself nibbling at the meat, uncontrollably, while cutting it up.

Carnitas
3-4 lbs pork shoulder (Boston Butt)
lard
salt

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Cut the pork into large pieces, Try cutting between the muscles to remove as much as the stringy fat and connective tissue as possible. The solid, white fat is okay to leave on. Salt the pork pieces on all sides. Place the pork in a oven-proof casserole that is barely large enough to hold the pieces. Cut three, thick (3/8"- 1/2") lard pieces and place on top of the pork.

Place the casserole in the oven. After 30 minutes turn the oven down to 300F. Turn the pork pieces over in the melted fat every 40 minutes or so. This gives the pork a chance to get browned, and to get braised on all sides. you'll do this several times. Check the pork for tenderness at the three hour mark. The largest pieces should pull apart quite easily, and show definite tenderness. Cook longer, up to four hours, if necessary.

When the meat has cooked to the desired color and texture, remove the casserole from the oven, and allow to cool a bit before handling. Remove each piece to a cutting board. Using a knife, cut/shred the pork into large, bite-sized pieces, trimming any extra fat off as you work.

You can eat it like this, or, as I did yesterday, added some color and crispness by placing the now bite-sized pieces on a metal sheet pan, and gave them few minutes under the broiler, rotating the pan 90 degrees every couple of minutes.

Carnitas

We ended up having burritos, with re-fried beans (using a bit of the leftover pork fat to fry the beans with) salsa and guacamole. So good and so easy.

Cannellini Bean and Meatball Soup

2011-09-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

Leftover ground turkey from sliders (mini burgers), half-used box of chicken stock, vegetables needing to be used up, and a can of cannellini beans sitting in the pantry seemed to cry out "soup!" So, soup it was, and boy, what a quick, delicious mid-week meal we had.

If you've only ever used ground beef for meatballs, I encourage you to try these turkey versions. They're extremely light and tender by comparison - perfect for a soup. I use 93/7 lean-to-fat ground turkey. Any leaner and they would lack flavor and tenderness. Cannellini beans are an Italian white kidney bean, but unlike the typical red kidney bean, there is no chalkiness, in fact, cannellinis are quite tender and creamy. You should be able to find them at the higher-end grocers, or specialty stores like Sprouts, Clarks or Trader Joes. If you can't seem to find them, you could use a white Great Northern Bean.

With the cooler seasons fast approaching, it's a great time to make stocks and freeze them. You can get a very nice soup from some of the commercial brands out there (I like Wolfgang Puck's), but you can get GREAT soups by making your own stock. I need to get busy myself.

Hope you give this a try. I think you'll enjoy it.

Cannellini Bean and Meatball Soup
makes 4 nice bowls

Meatballs
8 oz ground turkey (93/7 lean-to-fat)
2 T dried Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 T milk
2 T grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiana Reggiano
2 T finely chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper

Gently mix all ingredients to combine, place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Soup
olive oil
1/2 large brown onion, diced
2 stalks celery, small dice
1-2 carrots, sliced
4-5 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T chopped parsley
1 plum tomato from a can, chopped fine
6 cups chicken stock
1 14oz can cannellini beans
salt and pepper

In a 4-5 quart heavy pot set over medium heat, coat the bottom with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, sweat the onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms until cooked down and fairly soft, 6-8 minutes, adding the thyme, red pepper, parsley, salt and pepper at about the 4 minute mark. We're not looking for very much color, so adjust the heat if browning too much. When soft, add the tomato, stirring, until it has cooked down a bit, 3-4 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, stirring, and bring to a hard simmer. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the turkey mixture from the fridge. Uncover the soup pot. With a small scoop, or using your hands, form 1" meatballs and gently drop each one into the simmering soup, as quickly as you can. When all of the turkey is used, gently stir the soup and meatballs to ensure they are not sticking together. Did I mention stirring gently? Recover the pot and continue to simmer on low for about 30 minutes more.

I like to turn the fire off at this point and let the soup sit, uncovered for at least 5 minutes. The soup cools and settles a little, making for a better eating experience in both flavor and texture.

Serve in bowls. Pass a little grated Parmesan around to top the soup, if desired

Cook's Notes
• If you like more color on your meatballs, you can form them and either fry them in a little olive oil, or bake them on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a 400F oven until browned, then place in the soup to finish cooking. They won't be as pillow-tender, but they'll have a crust on them that will be good in another way.

Orzo in Brown Butter and Cheese

2011-09-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

Looking for a side dish for roast chicken that wasn't rice or potato-based led me to this dish from Joy Davies 'Noodles and Pasta'. Based on a Greek pasta called Kritharaki, Orzo substitutes nicely in this very flavorful, bright and satisfying pasta dish.

I found some largish whole wheat Orzo at Trader Joes and really liked the extra texture it added as well as flavor. I chose to use the two fresh herbs I had on hand; cilantro and flat leaf parsley. Feel free to improvise on the herbs. Basil would be a good choice or a little fresh oregano. Keep in mind that the stronger the herb, the less you'll want to use as to not overpower the dish. Mix them up - experiment. Also, the amount of herbs in the recipe will result in a fairly herb-y dish, almost like a Greek tabbouleh, so adjust according to your taste.

Myzithra cheese is excellent. It's worth seeking it out at one of the higher-end markets. It tastes like a very light and mild feta, or ricotta salata. You could also use kasseri.

Orzo in Brown Butter and Cheese

serves 4-6

4-5 cups chicken stock, or plain water

1 1/2 cups orzo, plain or whole wheat

5 tablespoons butter

juice of 1 lemon (or a little less - to taste)

3/4 cup finely grated Myzithra cheese

a small handful of cilantro, chopped (or other herbs of your choosing)

a small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (required)

6 scallions, green part only, finely sliced*

salt and pepper to taste

Bring the stock or water to boil in a large saucepan. If using water, salt it. Cook the orzo until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Drain again.

Gently heat the butter in a small saucepan for about 10 minutes until deep golden brown. Keep the heat low or the solids will burn. Strain through 2 layers of cheesecloth into a bowl. Add all but 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice.

Return the orzo to the pan set on low. Add the butter mixture, cheese, herbs, parsley, scallions and remaining lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir just to mix, heat until warm. Serve.

Cook's Notes

* The original recipe calls for the scallions listed here. I didn't have any, and the dish was excellent just the same. Next time, I'll use them (or some) as called for.

Bacon - Oven Method

2011-08-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

Are you still frying your bacon? Personally, I'm an oven convert, and for a few good reasons.

Recently, while assisting my mom and dad with some computer issues at their home, Mom made me a breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and the most perfectly cooked, delicious, large pieces of bacon that I've had. They looked and tasted "showroom perfect". I asked how she got her bacon so perfect and she reminded me that she cooks her bacon in the oven. I knew of this method, even tried it once, but just hadn't been employing it. I do now.

When cooked in the oven, bacon gets radiant heat, rather than the bottom-only heat from the pan on a stove, so it doesn't curl up, doesn't burn on the bottom if you're not watching it like a hawk, and doesn't shrink nearly as much by the time it cooks through. The fatty ends that usually don't cook as well, are gone in the oven version, and (best of all) there is no oily grease splatter all around the stove-top to look forward to after you've eaten.

There are a couple of methods for preparing to cooking bacon in the oven. The first, and healthiest way, is to place a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet, which elevates the bacon from the resulting grease while it cooks. The second method (the way I do it) is to place a piece of parchment directly on a rimmed baking sheet, then place the bacon on the parchment. This allows the bacon to essentially fry in its fat, and is indistinguishable from stove-top, but with better collateral results (albeit, not as healthful). Either way, you'll be pleasantly surprised - and maybe an oven-convert to boot.

Bacon in the Oven

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a piece of parchment in a large, rimmed, baking sheet, or alternatively place a wire rack (cookie cooling rack) in a large rimmed, baking sheet. If using the wire rack, lightly spray with PAM, which makes clean-up much easier.

Place bacon strips on the parchment or on the wire rack, and when the oven is up to temperature, place the bacon on a middle rack and cook, approximately 15 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven and immediately remove the bacon to a serving dish while hot, to prevent sticking.

Torta

2011-07-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

The torta is Mexico's answer to hamburger, but with infinite taste and texture combinations. I'm not saying it's necessarily better, although there might be a lively debate going on about it, but there's no doubt that the torta combines all the best aspects of the hand-held burger, the myriad of different ingredients of a cold submarine sandwich, or a hot-pressed version of the panini, if you choose to go that route.

The first time I had a torta was while at work and on lunch break. I ventured in to a small Mexican food joint that was advertising "Estilo Jalisco" - Jalisco-style Mexican food. Always up to try something different, I ordered a Torta Milanesa, which has for the main ingredient a breaded and fried cutlet (think schnitzel). This particular torta is assembled and pressed, like a panini or Cuban sandwich. After one bite I had that "epiphany" moment and knew that I had discovered an entirely new favorite class of food. Extremely delicious!

If you decide to make your own, and they are as easy to make as a burger, I have a couple of "mandatory" requests if you want the torta to taste its best:

1. The bread. Traditionally a large round telera bun is used. You can also use a bolillo roll. Whichever you choose, buy it freshly-made from a bakery. Don't use a packaged bun. And don't use an American-type Sara Lee roll. They aren't nearly the same and you'll be cheating yourself and the final dish. Mexican panaderias have them for about 25 cents each and many Food 4 Less stores bake them daily if they have a large Latino clientele.

2. The beans. Please don't use canned refried beans. They smell like Alpo and taste canned. Some alternatives; buy a side of refried beans without cheese from any Mexican stand. You only need enough to spread on a cut side of a bun. Not much; or buy a 40 oz can of whole pinto beans, drain slightly, add a little lard or veg oil to the bottom of a saucepan and simmer the beans for about 45 minutes, then salt and coarsely mash.

That's it. The rest is up to you and feel free to add or subtract things as you see fit. Just like any sandwich, use your imagination and have fun!

Torta - Carne Asada

Ingredients
4 sirloin tip steaks sliced 1/4" thin by the butcher
handful cilantro, chopped
refried beans, pinto or black
finely chopped white onion
very ripe thinly-sliced tomatoes
shredded or crumbled cheese, queso fresco, cotija, jack (optional)
lettuce, shredded or whole leaf
pickled jalapenos
sliced avocado (1/2 avocado per torta)
chipotle mayo (recipe follows)

Preparation
On a very hot outdoor grill, or indoors on a hot cast iron pan or griddle, sear the tip steaks a few minutes on each side until just done, salting both sides to taste. When done, allow to stand a few minutes to cool, then using a large, sharp, heavy knife, chop or slice the steaks into small bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl and toss with the chopped cilantro.

The beans should be warming on low heat. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick pan to medium-high heat and cut the rolls in half, lengthwise. When the pan is hot, place the rolls cut0side down until toasted a light golden brown.

Assemble the torta. Place the bottom bun-half down, facing up. Spread a generous amount of hot beans on the bun, about 1/4' thick. Top with the carne asada, then some chopped onions, cheese (if using), 3 thin-slices of tomato, lettuce and some pickled jalapenos.

On the top bun, spread a generous amount of the chipotle mayo, then slices of avocado. Quickly flip the top bun over onto the bottom half, slice the torta carefully in half. Enjoy!

Chipotle Mayo
(this can be made with canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, but I was out, so I substituted Chipotle Tabasco sauce in. It was very good. Below are approximates. I didn't measure when combining)

2-3 teaspoons Chipotle Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
juice from 1/2 lime (gently squeezed)

Combine all, mixing well. Taste and adjust as desired.

Pit Beef

2011-06-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ever since I saw Guy Fieri from Food Network do a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives episode on Baltimore Pit Beef, I've wanted to do a version here at home, but Tri-Tips kept getting in the way. After all, open pit cooking - direct heat on the meat over hardwood chunks - is the same for Baltimore Pit beef as it is for Santa Maria Barbeque Tri-Tips, which we do quite often here on the Left Coast. But tonight, I changed up and grill smoked it back-east style.

Typically, the bottom round, or rump roast is used for this style. It's lean, singularly muscled (good for slicing) with the only real fat occurring on the outside of the roast, making it easy to remove. I like to use the pointed end of the rump because that particular cut is the most tender of the lot. Being a lean cut of round, it's important not to cook it past medium-rare, or barely medium, then slice it as thinly as possible. Do this, and the resulting meat will be as tender as the sliced roast beef you get at delis. I happen to have a small deli/meat slicer that cuts perfect slices for this, but with a very sharp slicing knife and patience, you can achieve fine results.

On assembling the sandwich, a couple of things should be mentioned. The rolls should be the soft kind that seem to squish and form around the meat. It's important not to get a big, sturdy roll here. We want the meat to shine. I couldn't find a round roll that fit that bill, and I didn't want to use a burger bun, so I opted for these bolillos, which worked out great. They were fresh, had a slight crunch on the outside, but were light and tender inside. Bolillos can be found at Mexican bakeries and many full-service grocery stores now make decent ones (Food 4 Less makes very good ones. Not the ones in plastic bags, the ones made fresh in the cases). Another thing I like to do that I didn't see them do on the show is to toast the cut side of the bun. A little butter and a quick golden-browning on a griddle adds nice texture and flavor to this all meat offering.

Simple and satisfying. Add a beer and some potato salad and enjoy the evening!

Pit Beef

1 Beef rump roast, around 3 lbs
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared horseradish (or more to taste)
squeeze fresh lemon juice

Rolls
Sliced white onion (no brown onions here!)

Several hours before grilling, mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. With your hand, sprinkle all surfaces of the roast with a good amount of the seasoning. You probably won't use all of it -use just enough to cover. Wrap the roast in plastic wrap tightly and refrigerate. About an hour before grilling, remove the roast to the counter to come to room temperature.

Prepare a hardwood charcoal grill. If using briquettes, you may want to buy some oak chips to help flavor the smoke. If using lump charcoal, that will be fine. When lit, and ash is covering about half of the charcoal, spread them out a little larger than the size of the roast. Place the roast fat-side up over a medium-hot part of the fire. Turn the roast every 15 minutes or so, browning all sides and aim for an internal temperature of 125 - 130. Remove the roast from the fire and let it rest for around 20 minutes or more.

In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the mayo, horseradish and lemon juice. Use your personal tastes here to mix as you see fit. A nice bit of horseradish really works well against the smokiness of the beef. Set aside

Slice the buns in half lengthwise, spread a little butter if desired, and place face down in a fairly hot pan or griddle to toast. Set aside.

Take the semi-cooled roast, and slice it as thinly as you possible can against the grain. This is important again, for tenderness. Also the thinner it is, the more tender it will be to bite.

To serve - Place sliced beef piled high on the bottom roll. Spread some dressing on top of the beef, followed by a slice or two of white onion. Top with the other half of the roll. Enjoy!

Grilled Fish and Noodle Salad

2011-04-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Modeled loosely after the Vietnamese Noodle 'Bun' Salad, this quick and easy midweek dish can be put together in 30 minutes or less. I used some Thresher shark here, but any firm-fleshed fish would do nicely, as well as chicken, pork or beef would. Marinate them for the best flavor, before grilling.

You could vary the dressings here, also. To keep in the spirit of southeast Asia, I used a combination of sweet, sour, salty and a little heat to make a quick dressing that's short on ingredients but long on flavor. We don't always think of green salad and noodles together, but it really works, and makes for an interesting and satisfying meal.

The recipe below is not meant to be taken literally, as a lot of small adjustments went in during the process, but if you try this, you'll do just the same to get the balance of flavors right for you. Think of the salad as your canvas - with there being no "right or wrong", have fun and enjoy!

Grilled Fish and Noodle Salad
serves 2

2 fillets firm-fleshed fish (or other meat)
marinade (dry or wet, your choice)
salt and pepper

1/2 package Thai rice stick noodles (about 6-7 oz., dry)

Salad
2 cups Romaine lettuce
1/2 red pepper, seeded and julienned
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped Thai or regular basil
1/2 cup chopped sugar snap or snow peas

Dressing
1/3 cup peanut oil, or other vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1-2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons small diced red onion
1-2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons fish sauce
squeeze fresh lemon juice
salt (if you think it needs it still)

Garnish
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

Place all the Dressing ingredients (except the salt) in a Tupperware style container, sealing the lid. Shake vigorously until the dressing is combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Set aside.

Marinate or dry season the fish fillets. When the fish has marinated for at least 30 minutes, grill the fillets until just done, then transfer to a cutting board, allow to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

While the fish is cooking, bring a large pot filled with 3-4 quarts salted water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package. When done, drain and rinse with cold water, then plunge into a large bowl with ice water to stop the cooking and cool the noodles enough to use in the dish. Drain thoroughly. Set aside.

Combine the salad ingredients and noodles in a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and briefly mix. Add the fish and toss gently to coat. Place on a plate and garnish with the
peanuts.

Cook's notes - I would definitely add bean sprouts to this next time. I was out.

Pork Adobo

2011-03-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

My sister introduced this dish, actually the chicken version, to us eons ago. It's one of those miraculously easy dishes to prepare, uses about six ingredients, but is long on flavor and is sure to illicit requests for second helpings, if not just for the resulting sauce over rice alone.

As mentioned above, we always had this as a chicken version. It's quite delicious, but like any long-simmering chicken dish, the breast meat can get dried out. If you substitute chicken for the pork, either use all thigh meat, or remove the breast meat, reserving, after 20 minutes or so, and let the dark meat continue cooking, and flavoring the sauce.

As far as the pork, I recommend using leaner cuts from the shoulder. Loin, chop and even leg meat tend to overcook here. Shoulder (Boston Butt) has just enough fat to keep the meat moist, but also cooks away in the process.

Serving suggestion

Pork Adobo
serves 4

2 1/2 lbs, pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cubed to 1 1/2"
6 garlic cloves (or more to taste), chopped
3-4 bay leaves, roughly torn apart
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
10 whole black peppercorns
salt and pepper - optional

vegetable oil for frying

Cooked white rice - hot (Jasmine or basmati is recommended)

Place the pork cubes, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large bowl, mixing. Pour the soy sauce and vinegar over the pork mixture, then mix thouroughly. The pork should be immersed in the liquid. Marinate for 30-60 minutes, turning and mixing every 20 minutes.*

Heat a heavy bottomed pot or saucepan over medium high heat. Pour the pork misture into the pot, and bring to a hard simmer, then immediately turn down the heat so the pork gently simmer, covering the pot. We want to cook the pork until it is tender to the bite, but not falling apart. The time to cook will depend on the size of the cubes, your pan and the heat used. Start checking after about 50 minutes.

Cooked and browned pork. Green Beans cooked with garlic and sesame seed oil.

When the pork is done, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Strain the remaining sauce, keeping it warm on low heat. Taste the sauce, and if desired, add salt and pepper to taste. I added pepper, but no salt. In a separate, large frying or saute pan, heat to medium high and add enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the pork cubes, allowing them to brown and crisp up for a few minutes.

Serve over hot rice, spooning sauce on top

Cook's Note
* The marinating process isn't mandatory. The marinating process allows for a stronger flavor of soy sauce and vinegar in the meat. If you want a more pronounced pork flavor, omit the marinating process and go straight to the cooking procedure. Either way is a winner.

Chicken Hoppin' John (Black-Eyed Peas)

2011-02-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

Before I got married, I don't recall ever eating black-eyed peas, and if I had it was in passing. My wife, whose family lived in the southern state of Louisiana during her early years, insisted that we adhere to the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day to usher in Good Luck vibes for the next twelve months. Being from So. Cal., I had been eating menudo on that day as my culinary rabbit's foot, but traditions change. Besides, I can always go get a bowl of that Mexican goodness anytime I want.

I don't recall exactly when we started using the recipe published here, but it's one of those back-of-the-package dishes that really works. Manufacturers are clever. They publish "send us your favorite recipe using our product, and the winner receives $200!". No doubt they get thousands of entries by some very serious amateur cooks around this fine country, and of course, part of the fine print is that the recipe becomes their property. That's why we can actually find some pretty worthwhile offerings printed on the back of their products.

This dish has it all; bacon, chicken, rice, bean-like black-eyed peas, all sitting in a light, slightly spicy sauce. It goes together very easily and takes a little over an hour, mostly in simmer mode. Give this one a shot. I can't guarantee luck for the rest of the year, but you'll feel fortunate that this tasty dish is sitting on your table.

Chicken Hoppin' John

serves 4

3 slices bacon, diced

Tony C's or other Creole/Cajun salt-based seasoning, or regular fine salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 cup long-grain rice

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 cups chicken stock or broth

1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp tabasco , or to taste ( I use much more here)

1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley

1/2 tsp crushed, fresh thyme leaves

1 chicken, cut up*

Crispy bacon, awaiting it's turn; Chicken, rice and peas getting ready to simmer

1 In a pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove, drain, and reserve. There should be about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat left in the pot.

2 Season the chicken with the seasoned salt (or regular if you choose) and 1/8 tsp pepper then briefly brown in the same pot used to cook the bacon. After the chicken is browned on all sides, turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes; add the rice and onion to the pan and cook for several minutes until soft, stirring. Add the 1/2 tsp salt and Tabasco to the stock, stirring then pour over chicken into the pan. In a medium bowl mix the peas, parsley and thyme. Add the pea mixture to the pan and stir gently to mix. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes more until rice is cooked and chicken is tender. Serve the bacon as a garnish on the rice and peas.

Cook's Notes

* The instruction for cooking the chicken are taken from the original recipe as published. I find that the white meat, when browned, simmered for 15 minutes, then again for 25 minutes gets a little overcooked for my liking. You might like it more on the well-done side. Try it once and decide for yourself. What I do is during that initial simmer of 15 minutes, I remove the breast portions after five minutes, leaving the dark pieces to continue cooking, then replace them after the rice and onions have cooked soft, and the broth is being added.

• I like to cut the breast halves in half again, crosswise, through the bones before the initial seasoning. I feel they taste better and are more manageable on the plate when serving.

Turkey Meatloaf

2011-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

I can't remember when the last time I made a meatloaf with beef. It's not that I don't like beef meatloaf, it's just that I REALLY like meatloaf as leftovers, and turkey does a better job of lasting in the fridge before starting to dry out. Plus, there's not as much fat in it so when it gets refrigerated, there's none of that funky saturated hardness that occurs in the beef version. I'm not putting beef down, I'm just stating the case for turkey. Prepared correctly, the turkey version is mighty delicious.

When buying ground turkey, it's important to not buy ground breast (hate that stuff) or buy it too lean. We want some of the dark meat in there to hold moisture, stay tender and produce flavor. 93/7 (93% lean to 7% fat) seems to be a good mix here. The recipe I've taken to using is one that the Barefoot Contessa published, and I've thrown in a couple of things from Cook's Illustrated's version that I like also. So here it is: Turkey Meatloaf. I guess technically we should just call it Turkey Loaf, but that title is off-putting.

Be sure to make the glaze. The sweet and sour bites you get around the edges really make this sing. I made this specifically for the sandwiches I made (see photo below). Grilled sourdough, swiss cheese, turkey with a little quickie thousand island sauce (mayo, ketchup and sweet pickle relish). If you have the time, saute some sliced mushrooms to go on top of the turkey, before the second slice of cheese. Too good!

Turkey Meatloaf

1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (¼ tsp dried)
2 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock
3/4 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 1/2 lbs ground turkey (93/7, no leaner)
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten

Glaze
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp white or apple-cider vinegar

1 Preheat oven to 375°
2 In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until translucent, but not browned, about 8-10 min. Add the worcestershire sauce, chick stock, tomato paste amd dijon mustard and mix well. Allow to cool to room temp.
3 Combine the turkey, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a loaf and place in a casserole or loaf pan. Spread the glaze evenly on top.
4 Bake around an hour and fifteen minutes, or until the internal temp reaches about 160°F and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.)

Lentils and Rice - Mujadara

2011-01-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

This is one of those recipes that got stuck in the Recipes-that-I've-cut-out-or-been-given-that-I-intend-to make-someday - - really! file folder, that just seems to keep swelling year-in and year-out. Well, I was going through and cleaning out ones that I had second thoughts about when I came across this one that my mom had given me some years back. It even had her hand-written notes on it that said "Delicious!" and some other variations she employed. Good enough for me, so I decided to give it a go.

Mujadara is a simple, filling and very healthy no-meat dish that is eaten throughout the Middle East. I was reading about the variations: tomato paste, crushed red pepper, different kinds of lentils. It will be fun to try them in future versions. Mom used Persian lentils, as indicated in her margin notes, so I hunted them down at a nearby health food store, but feel free to use whatever lentils you use and like. The Persian lentils aren't easy to find. There is a version of this dish that uses the small red lentils that completely break down after cooking a short while, but for this version you should use a lentil that holds it shape well.

We had this along with a hearty green salad for a light dinner. It would also serve as an excellent side dish for roasted lamb or another grilled meat. The caramelized onions really make this dish, and add the needed moisture to balance the otherwise drier rice and lentils out. Give this a go, I think you'll like it. Your stomach and heart will!

Lentils and Rice - Mujadara
serves 3-4 as a main dish, more if used as a side

8 oz lentils
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp fine sea salt
8 oz Basmati Rice
2 cups more water
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium brown onions, peeled and sliced

Persian lentils have a pleasant, not-as-earthy-taste as the common lentil, and hold their shape well.

Rinse the lentils in cold water and drain. Place the lentils in a 4-qt saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Add the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until almost all of the water is absorbed and the lentils are partially cooked, 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of lentil.

Rinse the rice several times in a bowl of cool water to remove the starch. After the 3rd washing, the water should be fairly clear. Drain. Add the rice to the lentils with 2 cups more water, black pepper and cumin, stir. Bring to a boil and continue to simmer slowly on low heat, covered for 20 minutes, until rice is done.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, covered for about 10 minutes to soften. Uncover, lightly salt, and cook until the onions are caramelized to a nice golden brown.

Spread the rice and lentils onto a large serving plate. Pour the oil from the onions all over the rice-lentil mixture. Spoon the onions evenly on top. Garnish with a little chopped parsley, if desired

Chinese Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables

2011-01-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

I'll be the first to admit that Asian dishes aren't my strong suit. I love the cuisine, but it's not one that I've practiced enough to be really good at. Part of it is the rotation of different spices and sauces that aren't used in Western cuisines. If I need some red bean paste for a dish, I'm going to have to buy a whole jar of it, and there it will sit in the fridge, a tablespoon shy of a whole jar, until I probably throw it out some months down the road as we're getting ready for Easter. And company.

This noodle dish we had tonight uses pretty straight-forward, commonly used ingredients. It goes together easily, is very tasty and satisfying. Noodles, shrimp, vegetables in a toasty sesame oil flavored sauce. It's hard not to like it, and it looks great in the bowl. Obviously, there are countless variations and add-ins you could come up with here. I immediately thought that some chopped peanuts would be a nice addition.

Chinese Noodles with Shrimp and Vegetables
serves 2-4

8 ounces Chinese noodle, chow mein or other similar
3 teaspoons sesame oil, plus a few drops for sprinkling
6 ounces fresh mushroom, shitake, oyster or other mushroom, sliced
8 ounces fresh shrimp, shelled, deveined and sliced in half, lengthwise
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 ounces small bok choy leaves, with stems, sliced
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, sliced
3 scallions (green onions), cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup unseasoned chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peanut or vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper

Cook the noodles in a large quantity of salted water until barely done. Don't overcook or the noodles will be mushy. Drain, run under cold water until the noodles have cooled and stopped cooking. Drain again. Place in a large bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil. Set aside.

Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl and toss with the cornstarch and remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside.

Combine the bok choy, bamboo and scallions. Set aside.

Combine the chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Stir to mix. Set aside.

Heat 1/2 cup of the peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or large, deep skillet until it is hot, but not smoking. Add the shrimp, stirring to separate the pieces. Cook until just done, remove to drain. Drain off the oil and reserve it.

Clean the wok, and put it back on the heat with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil. When hot add the mushroom slices, stir briefly, then add the bok choy mixture. Cook over high heat stirring vigorously to coat the vegetables with the oil. Add the chicken stock mixture and cook for another minute or so, stirring the vegetables until they wilt. Add the noodles and toss until they are piping hot. Add the shrimp and toss for another 30 seconds or so. Sprinkle with a little black pepper. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes
• Recipe adapted from "Big Bowl, Noodles and Rice" by Bruce Cost
• The cooking times are approximates. Timing will depend on the heat you use and the pan. Check the mushrooms and bok choy for proper doneness.
• The original recipe calls for adding 1/2 cup of bean sprouts in after pulling the wok from the heat. Feel free to do so, if desired.

Green Chile Quiche

2011-01-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

I like this dish. It's light, simple and makes for an easy morning weekend breakfast, especially delicious if served with freshly-made salsa. Different from a lot of the great breakfast casseroles I've had, this one uses just a few ingredients and comes out in taste and texture somewhere between a quiche and a thick omelette. It's really good. We had it yesterday morning to start the New Year with.

Some may wonder about the use of cottage cheese here. I was when I first saw the recipe (Gourmet Magazine) but rest assured there is no pronounced cottage cheese texture in the finished product. It blends with the eggs and jack cheese to create a smooth, cheesy (but not so rich) filling. Give this a try sometime. It's a great dish to prepare if you have overnight guests and want to serve that's both satisfying and special.

Green Chile Quiche

makes 6 servings

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/2 lb (about two cups) grated jack cheese

7 oz can diced green chiles

Fresh salsa

1	Preheat oven to 350°. Place rack in the middle level. Grease a 9-inch glass pie plate
2	In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
3	In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs until doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, flour mixture, and cottage and jack cheese and beat well. Stir in the chiles and pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.
4	Bake until the top is puffed and golden brown and a tester comes out clean, 40-50 min.
5	Serve immediately - it will fall slightly - with the salsa on the side

Muffaletta

2010-12-27T19:33:00.000-08:00

Never having been to New Orleans, or even having what I could absolutely say is an authentic, down-to-the-bone Muffaletta, I'm having to go on instinct and plenty of excellent sources on the web. Thanks to nolacuisine.com in particular for everything you need to know about the New Orleans food experience. An excellent resource.

One thing about this sandwich is that it takes some advanced planning. The olive salad should be allowed to marinate about a week. After that fourth or fifth day, the flavors really start to blend and complement each other. If you make the gardiniera, you need a few days there also. But it's worth it!

This version of the vaunted Muffaletta will no doubt have folks from the Big Easy scoffing at first sight. A real Muffaletta is assembled on a round, sesame seed-topped loaf, approximately 10" diameter. It is then quartered into 4 large triangles and eaten in that form. Well, I don't have access to that special loaf (at least ones that have the flattened round shape and correct texture for a sandwich) and I needed to feed a crowd of about sixteen, not four. I elected to use a 16" Semolina loaf that had great texture and taste, and yes had sesame seeds baked into the top. I ordered the loaves to be baked and picked up that morning, as bread freshness is paramount for any successful sandwich. I sliced the sandwiches crosswise into 2" sections.

As far as the rest of the ingredients, I've seen versions from New Orleans vary somewhat in the kinds of meats, and in the composition of the olive salad. Besides the Genoa Salami, Mortadella and Capicola, I had some large diameter, paper-thin sliced pepperoni on hand that I used, and really like the additional flavor it added. Experiment! Some versions use ham instead of the Mortadella. Some use hard salami instead of Genoa.

Whatever combinations you use, there is just something about the way the olive oil, salty/spicy olive salad, rich savory cured meats, and aromatic fresh bread come together in a kind of Sicilian dance. All of the flavors and textures are represented there, and it's hard knowing that you're coming to that last bite.

Muffaletta
1 16" sandwich

1 recipe olive salad
1 fresh, 16" long loaf Semolina or French Bread*
1/4 lb Genoa Salami, thinly sliced
1/4 lb Mortadella or Boiled Ham, thinly sliced
1/4 lb, Hot Capicola (cooked) thinly sliced
1/8 lb large diameter pepperoni, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 lb Provolone cheese, thinly sliced
1/4 lb Mozzarella or Muenster, thinly sliced

Sliced the loaves in half, lengthwise. Place about a half-inch thick portion of the olive salad evenly across the bottom loaf half, making sure some of the oil (but not too much) from the olives makes its way on to the sandwich also. Then, spread the meats and cheeses in this order: salami, pepperoni (if using), mortadella, provolone, capicola, mozzarella, then top it off with more of the salami.

On the top half of the bread, scatter a small amount of the olive salad (more about the oil here than the olives) acroos, then quickly flip the top half over the bottom half. At this point it can be sliced, or can be tightly wrapped in Saran wrap, then aluminum foil and refrigerated until ready to use, at least two hours. Some place an object on top of the sandwich to weight it down, slightly pressing the layers together.

Cook's Notes
• The bread is pretty important here. It has to have that "squish" factor, meaning when bitten into, it should collapse around the ingredients, like a hamburger bun does. If there is too much bread, or it is too dense, the flavors of the sandwich will be lost. Also, avoid a baguette or anything that has a hard, artisan-style crust, Those are too hard and chewy for this beast.
• As I'm looking at these photos, next time I'll have the cheese sliced thinner to match the meats. Poor deli folks get in a hurry around the holidays!

Cheers!

Olive Salad

2010-12-27T18:02:00.000-08:00

Olive Salad
This is best made about a week before you use it. It takes at least several days for the flavors to blend properly. Makes approx. 1 1/2 qts

Olive Salad

2		5.75 oz Early California brand (or other) medium pimento-stuffed green olives, crushed by hand
1/2 cup		Kalamata olives, pitted and torn by hand
1/2 cup		black olives, crushed and torn by hand
1 cup		giardiniera, slightly chopped if necessary (home made if possible, or jarred)
1 cup		chopped, canned artichoke hearts in brine (not pre-marinated), rinsed and squeezed dry (optional)
1 cup		sliced, then roughly chopped celery
3 Tbs		capers
1 Tbs		fresh parsley, chopped
1		large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbs		dried oregano
1 tsp		celery seed
1/4 cup		peperoncini rings, chopped
3-4		garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp		red pepper flakes
1 tsp		salt
1 tsp		black pepper
3 Tbs		red wine vinegar
3/4 cup		extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup		canola/olive oil blend

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight lid 1 week before using. Refrigerate, flipping and turning occasionally, or gently turned with a spatula.

Cook's Notes
• I've veered here some from ultra-traditional olive salads. I've added the chopped artichoke hearts in this version. I love them and think they add a little different texture - kind of a smooth, vegetal quality that counter-balances the salty-tartness of the olives. You can, or course, leave them out.
• I've elected to use pimento-stuffed green olives, instead of imported green olives and roasted red peppers. I like the way the pimentos and olives already work together and it saves some time from roasting peppers.
• Peperoncini rings instead of whole chiles.
• My apologies to purists out there, but this is a pretty tasty version. As always, feel free to adjust the recipe to your own tastes.

Swiss Chard and Sausage Soup with Acini di Pepe

2010-12-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's always fun to take ingredients you have on hand and create a twist on a typical weeknight meal, like soup and sandwiches. It only takes a bit longer than opening a can of soup, and you get the satisfaction of eating real food that tastes so much better.

I had a bit of ground sausage that I made a couple of days ago and we've been growing some Swiss Chard in a pot on the back patio. Soup sounded good (as it usually does) and the rest of the ingredients are pretty typical (onions, carrots, celery, chicken broth). So, soup it is. I also made some grilled Muenster cheese and tomato sandwiches to go along with the soup (buttered bread, cheese, sliced tomatoes, cheese, buttered bread. Grill on both sides).

The pasta in the soup is called Acini di Pepe. They are small, BB-sized pasta that go great with lighter soups, as they don't overtake the broth, but provide a nice bite of pasta with each spoonful. They're not always the easiest to find. Orzo or tiny ditalini would be pretty good substitutes. My grandmother used Acini de Pepe in her soups, so naturally these remind me of her wonderful presence and food. Enjoy!

Swiss Chard and Sausage Soup. Grilled Muenster Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches.

Swiss Chard and Sausage Soup with Acini di Pepe
serves 3-4

olive oil
6-8 ounces Italian Sausage, removed from casing and chopped up
1 medium onion
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 ripe, Roma tomato, chopped fine
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
red pepper flakes (only needed if sausage isn't the hot veriety)
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
8 oz Swiss Chard, tough stems removed, leaves chopped
32 oz chicken stock
salt and pepper
several fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup Acini di Pepe or other small pasta
Parmigiana Reggiano or Pecorino Romano, grated

Put a large, heavy pot on medium heat. When hot, coat the bottom with a little olive oil, the brown the chopped sausage just until it is no longer pink. Add the onions, carrots and celery. Salt the vegetables. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the onions become soft. Add the chopped tomato. Cook until it breaks down, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped thyme leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook, stirring for about a minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat then add the Swiss Chard. Make sure the soup is on a low simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes. The chard leaves should be tender. Taste for salt and pepper. Season to taste. (more below...)

Growing Swiss Chard in a pot couldn't be any easier. Baby Swiss Chard is tender!

When the chard leaves are tender, add 1/2 cup of Acini di Pepe or other pasta to the soup. Add the torn basil leaves here also. Cook until the pasta is al dente (6-10 minutes, depending on choice of pasta). Taste for final seasoning, serve hot in bowls with grated cheese on top.

Homemade Italian Sausage

2010-12-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

Like the Rotisserie Chicken I posted a couple of months ago, the tradition of making sausage was passed to me from my Grandpa Galante. I remember the set-up like it was yesterday. He had it all laid out, in precise order; cubed and seasoned pork, mixer with grinder-sausage attachment, pan underneath to catch dripping water. He showed me how to rinse and soak the casings, and then to carefully mount the casings on the funnel-shaped stuffer (which I believe he made in a metal shop). The trick, he explained, was to stuff the meat into the machine with one hand, and then to catch the meat, inside the casing, applying the right amount of tension so the sausage is perfectly formed, with the other hand. And that is exactly correct. That is the trick, and it takes a little practice to get it just right.

So why make your own sausages, when there are pretty good sausages at the local market? Well, besides the fact that old-time butchers would have some choice words for what we consider "good sausages", for me it's honoring a tradition, satisfaction and control of the ingredients. Take the last one, first. In my sausages, I use pork, salt, water and spices. That's it. In the most popular brand of sausage at your local market, besides pork, salt and spices, you'll also find things like MSG, dextrose, "flavoring", corn syrup, BHA, propyl gallate, citric acid. And that's just from one manufacturer. No wonder sausages and hot dogs have a bad rap.

Making sausage, getting the balance of flavors right, using fresh, simple ingredients and serving it up, whether as bulk sausage or in links, is a very satisfying thing, especially when it's layered upon a family tradition. If the idea of stuffing the ground meat into natural casings is a deal breaker, then your experience just got easier. You can stop at the grinding point and have fresh ground sausage to use on pizza, in sauce, or in a host of other recipes. Change up the ingredients and you can have a nice breakfast sausage. Try making turkey or chicken sausage. If you don't have a way to grind it yourself, by all means buy the pre-ground meat and mix the spices as you see fit. It's no different than making a meatloaf, really. I hope you give it a try sometime. At least once. Start your own tradition!

Freshly-Made Italian Sausage Links

Homemade Italian Sausage
(These are considered Hot Italian Sausage. They are a little spicy, but you can always back off on the red pepper to make them milder)

3 pounds pork butt (shoulder)
3/4 pounds pork fat
2 tablespoons fennel seed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4-1/2 cup water, as needed
about 6 feet medium hog casings, rinsed and soaked in water

Cut the pork into 1 1/2" cubes, discarding as much of the intramuscular stringy fat as you can. Cut the pork fat into 3/4" cubes. Place the pork and fat into a large bowl and add the fennel seeds, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, cayenne, parsley and 1/4 cup of water. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Cubed & Seasoned Pork - Ground Pork - Casings Getting Stuffed

Grind the pork mixture using a coarse plate (usually 3/8"). Form a patty and fry until it's just done. Taste for seasonings and make any adjustments at this point. (This is my favorite part. I usually make two patties).

If the mixture seems a little dry, add more water, mix. If you are stopping at this point, place the sausage in an airtight container and refrigerate up to two days. Freeze after that.

If you are going to stuff the sausages, place the bowl or ground sausage in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Don't let it freeze hard, though. Set up your sausage stuffer. When the meat has chilled thoroughly, stuff the casings. Refrigerate for 2 days, then freeze after that.

Sausage Patty - Testing for Seasonings

Cook's Notes
• I use a separate sausage stuffer, not the one attached to my Kitchen Aid mixer, so I didn't go into the method for actually stuffing the casings. If you have a sausage stuffer, or attachments, then you probably already have experience with them, so again, I didn't go into that somewhat hard-to-describe-method.
• Bruce Aidells has a great book called Complete Sausage Book, if you want an excellent source for making a variety of different sausages.
• There are online sources for the hog casings. I think a small package runs about $8 and will last forever. If you have a butcher shop close by, they will sometimes sell a small amount. Today, I got mine from Sprouts market, where they make their own sausages as well.

Broccoli and Leek Soup with Rice

2010-12-01T15:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes big flavor comes from a plain-looking dish, as is the case with this Broccoli and Leek Soup with Rice. To look at the photo, you might think "well, it looks like another watery, vegetable pureed soup" but let me assure you, it is not the case. This recipe is adapted from Joe Famulare's Good and Garlicky, Thick and Hearty, Soul-Satisfying Italian Soup Cookbook, and he wasn't just being flashy with the title. I've done several of the soups from this book and have always enjoyed the outcome.

The potatoes used in this soup add that soul-satisfying body, while the broccoli and leeks add delicious vegetal flavor, then the parmesan added at the very end makes the whole thing come together into what almost tastes like a cheesy-cream soup. But there is no milk or flour involved here.

The soup can easily be made vegetarian by substituting the chicken stock for a rich vegetable stock. Next time I would make some croutons to garnish the soup, and to add some extra crunch. The original recipe calls for white Aborio rice, probably because it holds it's texture well. I used brown rice here. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time for whatever rice you are planning to use.

Broccoli and Leek Soup with Rice

Broccoli and Leek Soup with Rice
serves 6

1 bunch fresh broccoli, trimmed, stems peeled and head cut into florets, or 2 packages (10 ounces ea) frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white parts only, well rinsed
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" dice (about 4 medium-small russets)
7 cups chicken or rich vegetable stock
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup rice, Aborio, Brown or White
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (no green cans here!)
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Place the broccoli, leeks, potatoes and stock into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a slow but steady simmer and cook, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, 45minutes or so.

Either using and immersion blender, food processor or blender, puree the soup, then return to the pot. You will probably need to do this in batches. Stir in the butter and the rice, Cover and cook at a slow but steady simmer until the rice is al dente 9tender but still firm to the bite). The time will vary depending on the variety of rice you use.

Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese, salt and a liberal amount of pepper. Serve in warmed bowls.

Grilled Lamb Sandwich

2010-11-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

The wife is out for dinner with her friends, which means I get to whip something up that she wouldn't want me to make for us when she's here. Thoughts sway toward lamb...

I pop over to the local market and I luck out. There is a single lamb shoulder steak hiding under a half-leg of lamb, obscured from sight. I grab it and a package of French rolls, and I'm out of there. I have everything else I need for the sandwich I'm about to make. BTW - that piece of lamb cost $2.34. It's a cheaper cut of meat, much akin to the beef chuck steak, but with a little prep, we'll pull big flavor out of it.

First thing to do is to cut any bones and obvious fat from the steak. The shoulder usually has a round bone and a portion of the ribs, so cut those out with a paring knife. Trim as much fat as you'd like from the outside, keeping in mind to leave some for flavor. To give it a quick flavor boost before cooking, I let it sit in a marinade for 20-30 minutes, blotted it fairly dry, then set it on a hot grill pan. The aroma of that lamb and spices hitting the hot pan is worth the price of admission, let me tell you. It only takes a few short minutes. You want to cook lamb only to the point of pink in the middle. If you cook it past medium, it becomes tough and less flavorful.

I made a greek-style salad with feta, red onion and kalamata olives in a lemon vinaigrette to go on the warmed roll with the lamb. Give this a try sometime. It's really quite good.

Grilled Lamb Sandwich
serves 1

The Meat
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small sprig thyme, leaves removed and chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 lamb shoulder steak

Combine all of the ingredients except the lamb to mix. Place the lamb on a plate and spread the marinade over both sides of the meat, covering all surfaces. Let sit for 20-30 minutes.

Someone else in the house spots the lamb steak marinating...

The Salad
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 roma tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
a few lettuce leaves (We had the lettuce pictured growing in the yard. Any lettuce will do)
1 jarred roasted red pepper, sliced
4 kalamata olives, cut in half
salt and pepper
lemon vinaigrette or Italian Dressing

Combine the ingredients, but dress the salad with the vinaigrette right before making the sandwich to avoid soggy leaves. Salt and pepper to taste

Mayo-Mustard Dressing
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

in a small bowl, combine and stir.

1 French roll, or similar.

To Assemble
Preheat an oven to 400F. Wrap the French roll in a single layer of aluminum foil. Heat in the hot oven for about 5 minutes, or until it is warm and a little crispy (but still soft). Remove to the counter

Heat a grill pan, skillet or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Blot the steak fairly dry on both sides, then very lighty sprinkle with a little Kosher salt. Cook the steak briefly on both sides. We want to sear and color the outside, but leave the inside juicy and pink in color. Remove and tent with aluminum foil to rest for a few minutes. (Sorry, the photo I took of the steak cooking didn't come out)

Dress the salad with the lemon vinaigrette or Italian dressing. Open the roll up and smear some of the mayo-mustard on the bottom half. Place the steak on the bottom, then top with a generous amount of salad. Place the top roll on, slice in half and serve.

Cook's Notes
• I had to cut the steak to fit the roll after it was cooked, otherwise it would have been too wide and too short in length to fit properly.
• This would be delicious with cold, cooked and sliced leg of lamb. Leg meat sliced thin is tender and very tasty.

Turkey Burger with Bacon and Avocado

2010-11-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

What's a week without a burger of some kind? Whether it's good old beef (thick or thin patties, both are good!), fish, veggie, or these turkey burgers, it seems that getting that juicy sensation of bun, meat, veg and dressing all sort of melding into that big-bite sensation is what fun eating is all about. We actually only have these every couple of months, but it's always a meal we look forward to.

For the turkey, be sure not to use ground turkey breast. It's too lean and dry, and doesn't taste right as burger fare. 93/7, lean to fat, seems to be about right for these. For the bun you can go whole wheat or white, but just be sure that it's not too firm. You want that "squish" factor, and don't want it to be all about the bread. For those living in southern Cal, Stater Brothers brand Whole Wheat buns work really well here. They are the larger variety, and we need that here because the patties are 4-5" wide.

Be sure to wear a bib for these!

Turkey Burger

Turkey Burger
serves 4

24 oz		ground turkey, 97/3

		Mayo
		Tabasco Chipotle Hot Sauce
		sweet pickle relish
		garlic salt


4		large hamburger buns
		sliced pickles
		sliced onions
		sliced tomatoes
		lettuce
8		bacon slices, cooked
2		avocados, sliced
4		slices pepperjack cheese, if desired, room temperature. salt and pepper

Divide meat into 4 equal pieces, each weighing 6 oz. Make 4 evenly-thick patties, each about 5" diameter, making a slight indentation in the middle of each patty to combat puffiness. Set aside.

Heat a heavy skillet or heat the grill up to medium-high heat. Toast each bun on the cut-side until nicely browned. Set aside. Season both sides of the turkey patties with salt and pepper, then lay each down on the skillet or grill, when hot. Grill, flipping until a meat thermometer just registers 160F when placed in the middle of the patty. Just before removing the patty, lay a cheese slice on top.

While the burgers are grilling, combine 1/2 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish and several squirts of the chipotle sauce. Add a pinch of garlic salt. Stir, taste and adjust any of the ingredients to your taste. The sauce should be a little sweet, smoky and with a little bite of spice.

Build the burgers before they are ready to be taken off the grill. We want to lay them directly on the buns, and not lose juices or heat. On the bottom bun, spread a generous amount of the mayo sauce, then 2 or 3 sliced pickles, onion, tomato and lettuce. On the top bun, spread more sauce, then take a few slices of avocado, place them on the sauce, followed by 2 slices of bacon, broken to fit if necessary.

When the patties are done, remove each one from the pan or grill, and place directly on the dressed bottom bun. Place the top bun with the avocado and bacon. Serve hot!

Sweet and Sour Ribs

2010-11-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

This is a family fave supplied by my late grandfather, James Galante. He was stationed in Hawaii while in the U.S. Coast Guard, made friends there, and they in turn supplied him with some tasty recipes that have been passed down to us lucky ones. This came from a Chinese friend of his, and is just a real comfort-food type of dish. Tender pork ribs bathed in a sweet and sour soy sauce are hard to stop eating when you should. But then being full isn't necessary a red light when it should be, is it?

Below is the original recipe, as he typed it (I mentioned that he was meticulous in a previous post). It's hanging in my kitchen. Notice the staining from the sauce. Circa 1960s.

Sweet and Sour Spareribs

serves 3-4

2 lbs pork spareribs

1 large onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

2 strips of bacon, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons corn starch

3 Tablespoons water

1/4 cup vinegar

1 20oz can cubed pineapple in heavy syrup

4 cups hot cooked rice

Have your butcher slice the rack of ribs in half, across the ribs, so you now have two racks of half-length ribs. They're easier to cook and eat when smaller like this. When prepping to cook, remove as much of the tough membrane from the backside of the ribs as possible. Loosening a piece from an end rib with a knife, grabbing hold with a paper towel and pulling, has proven to be the easiest for me. When the membrane is gone, cut the ribs between the bones to make riblets. The recipe calls for two pounds. If you have a scale you can weigh them out. If not, use about two-thirds of a 3 1/2 lb rack.

Riblets cleaned and ready to go

Put a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the bacon pieces. When brown, remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Turn the fire to medium high. When hot, brown the ribs on both sides, starting with the fattiest side down, initially, then flipping when nicely golden. Remove from the pot and reserve with the bacon.

Riblets after browning

Turn the heat back down to medium. Add sliced onions and green peppers. Soften for about 5 minutes, stirring. Add sliced garlic, cook about a minute, stirring so they don't burn. Add 1/2 cup of the juice from the canned pineapple, mixing. Return the ribs, bacon and any meat juices back into the pot. Turn the heat to a low setting so the ribs and juices are slowly simmering. Cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Make a slurry with the water and corn starch. Remove the lid, add the cornstarch mixture in, the brown sugar, the pineapple chunks and any remaining pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce, stirring to mix. Let simmer about 45 minutes more, until the rib meat is tender, nearly falling off the bone. Taste the sauce now. I added salt, even with the soy sauce in the dish.

Ribs fully cooked. Mmm!

Serve with hot rice

Shark Tacos

2010-11-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, shark, but any fish worth grilling would work great in these juicy, flavorful tacos. I went to my favorite fish restaurant where they have a retail fish counter. There was Mahi Mahi, Yellowtail, Bluefin Tuna, huge shrimp and these beautiful Thresher Shark fillets. I haven't had shark in quite awhile, so decided to go for it. I've mentioned in a previous post how fresh the fish is here, at the Market Broiler in Riverside, and these fillets were no exception. They smelled like they just came from the sea, and having that ocean-fishing experience with my Pop all those youthful years, I appreciate what fresh fish smells (and tastes) like. If you haven't had Thresher Shark before, try to find some. Properly cooked, you can't help comparing it to chicken (I know, I know) but it's more tender than chicken with a flavor all it's own. Delicious!

It was 96 degrees here yesterday - on November 2!! I should be making beef stew or some hearty soup to take the chill off. Nope, it was a good day to keep it light and fresh. A quick marinade for the fillets, followed by a searing grill on the Weber out on the patio, stuffed into small corn tortillas, two kind of sauces and some crunchy, finely shredded cabbage, and we were transported back to the beginning of Summer. Serve these with a black bean and corn salad along with your favorite cold one.

Shark Tacos

makes 8 tacos

Marinade

1/4 c + 2 tablespoons olive oil

juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Goya Adobo powdered seasoning (or other seasoning salt)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large Thresher Shark fillet (or other firm, grilling fish)

Chipotle Sauce

1/4 mayonnaise

1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream*

2 chipotle chiles in adobo (canned)

juice from 1/2 lime

2 tablespoons water

salt to taste

Process food processor until pureed. Reserve. *If using sour cream instead of heavy cream, a little more water may be needed to thin. You be the judge here.

Avocado Sauce
1 large, ripe avocado
1/2 serrano pepper, slit lengthwise, seeded and deveined
1/2 cup water (may need more or less depending on avocado size)
3/4 Tbs white vinegar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or 3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 Tbs minced cilantro
2 Tbs finely diced white onion

Process the first six ingredients in a food processor until pureed. Remove to a bowl and add cilantro and onion. Reserve.

Taco assembly
About an hour and a half befor ready to grill, combine the marinade ingredients together. Place the shark in a ziplock bag, then pour the marinade over to cover. Close the bag, purging any air, and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, flipping a couple of times.

In a large bowl, combine:
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1 finely shredded carrot
1 cup chopped cilantro

Or... if you can find a coleslaw mix that looks good, feel free to use it, adding only the cilantro later on.

Have ready 16 4" corn tortillas

Preheat the grill to medium-high or high (depending on your grill) or, get a fairly hot two stage charcoal fire going. When ready, remove the fillet from the marinade, carefully. Try to keep it in one piece. Gently shake or wipe off excess marinade. Lightly salt both sides, then lay on the grill. The fish should take several minutes on both sides (I lowered the cover for even, quicker cooking). Cook until it's not pinkish in the middle, but don't overcook or dry it out. Brush with a little melted butter if you like. Cut across the fillets into strips. Reserve on a cutting board.

Have the sauces and cabbage ready. Heat the tortillas on a griddle or frying pan. When thoroughly hot and pliable, stack two together, then spoon some of the avocado sauce down on the tortillas. Lay two strips of fish down, followed by some cabbage and then some chipotle sauce. Repeat with the others. Serve.

Cook's Note
• Next time I'm going to lay the chipotle sauce down on the bottom. It's a little spicy (in a good way) and I think it would be better against the fish and tortilla. Either way, though. If you try this recipe, do it both ways. I'd like to hear if it makes a difference.

Barley Mushroom Soup

2010-10-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

With little Treat-or-Treaters getting ready to descend on the neighborhood and with us getting the pumpkin carved and all the spooky decorations up, it's nice to have a quick, self-serve meal staying warm on the stove for when you're ready for a bite. A nice bowl of home made soup fits the bill, and with it being a cool evening, I ended up making a hearty barley and mushroom soup tonight.

Barley oxtail (beef) soup has been in my extended family's repertoire as far back as I can remember. My Grandmother would have a pot of it warming on the stove, plus a pot of chicken soup for us when we'd show up midday for holidays and other family gatherings. Her barley soups, all of her soups, just had that great flavor and comfort to them that made it impossible to stop at just one bowl (even though the main meal was just a couple of hours away). My Mom makes this great soup as well as some of my siblings.

Tonight, I made a meatless version that uses mushrooms standing in for the beef, and it came out better than I expected it to. I used Wolfgang Puck's vegetable stock, rather than the most common brand, and it is extremely dark and flavorful. I think he roasts his vegetables and adds malt to the broth, enriching it and making it extremely tasty. This would be a good one to serve an unfamiliar crowd because it's long on flavor and if you get surprised by a vegetarian or vegan, they can have some too. I'll be adding this to my "keepers". It's that good, vegetarian or not.

Barley Mushroom Soup

serves 4-6

olive oil

1 medium onion, small dice

2 medium carrots, peeled, small dice

2 medium celery stalks, small dice

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried

pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

12 ounces mixed mushrooms (cremini, white button, oyster, fresh shitake), chopped*

3/4 cups pearl barley

2 tablespoons flour

6-8 cups rich, dark, vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

salt and black pepper

Worcestershire sauce (optional, and omit for vegetarians)

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a medium-sized Dutch oven to medium. Coat the bottom with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, saute the onions, carrots and celery until soft and starting to take on color, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne, if using. Add the thyme leaves and the chopped mushrooms, cooking until the mushrooms are fairly soft, 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Season. When softened, add the barley, stirring for a few minutes more, allowing the barley to toast a little. Add the flour, stirring to incorporate, and continuing to stir for a couple of minutes. Don't allow the flour to burn on the bottom of the hot pot.

After 2 minutes or so, add 6 cups of the stock, the parsley and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture up to a boil, stirring to break up any lumps from the flour. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, covered, for 45-60 minutes, or until the barley is tender to the bite. If too thick, add a little of the reserved broth to thin. Taste and season if necessary. I use lots of black pepper in this soup. At this point, I also added about 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. I only wanted to perk up the final flavor, not actually taste the sauce. You can do the same with fresh lemon juice, especially for vegetarians. Both are optional here.

Serve hot with crusty bread and a green salad.

Cook's Notes
• You can use any combination of mushrooms you like, or use just one variety. For this soup I used a 6 ounce package of Creminis, a 3.5 ounce package of oyster mushrooms and 3 ounces of white button mushrooms. The variety is nice with slightly different textures and flavors.

Shredded Beef

2010-10-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

I love flank steak, and often use it when a dish calls for shredded beef. There are other good choices also, such as chuck, brisket and bottom round. Each has it's own flavor and texture, but I like the combination of flank's pronounced grain, it's after-cooking tender-yet-chewy bite and beefy flavor. The takeaway from flank is it's price. Try to find it on sale when using it for shredding, otherwise one of the other cuts will be half the price and thus, more practical to buy.

This braising method works for the above-mentioned cuts, or even for a pork shoulder. What you do with the shredded meat afterwards, I'll leave to your imagination. A nephew mentioned that he made machaca the other morning - that Mexican shredded beef and egg breakfast dish - and now I wish I had some of this leftover for that. Oh well, next time!

Shredded Beef

(1) 2 lb Beef Flank, Chuck, Brisket or Bottom Round (rump) roast

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

1/2 medium onion, left whole

2 cloves slightly smashed garlic, left whole

6-8 cups water or stock, depending on size of pot

salt and pepper

You'll need a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot or pan, large enough to hold the meat flat in it. Heat the pot to medium high. Season the beef on both sides with salt and pepper. When the pot is nice and hot, film the bottom with the oil, and when it starts to shimmer, lay the beef down to brown. This will take a few minutes on each side.

When the beef is a rich brown, carefully add enough water to the pot to just cover the meat, being mindful that there could be steam and some oil splatter. With a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add 1 teaspoon salt, the onion, bay leaf and garlic into the pot. Bring the mixture to a soft simmer, there should be a few bubbles visible. Cover and let cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The meat will be ready when you can easily pull it apart at the grain.

When it ready, remove the beef from the pot, setting on a cutting board. Let it cool 15 min or so, until it's cool enough to handle. Observe the grain. We want to cut against the grain into strips that are roughly bite-sized widths. Then take each piece of sliced meat, and using two forks, shred the meat. The meat should shred quite easily if it has been cooked long enough. Remove any bits of fat or connecting tissue. Cover tightly and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Cook's Notes

This is a very basic but good braising liquid. There are all sorts of add-ins you could use, depending on how you want the beef flavored (think chiles, herbs, etc)

Green Chili Chicken and Rice

2010-10-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

This is another quick, finger-licking good, dish from my Mom's recipe vault. Actually all of the food she makes is that good. You know when someone says that their mom is the best cook in the world? Well, mine actually is. No, really - she is! Trust me. Better yet, ask people she's fed that aren't in the family. The response will be near unanimous, with a few exceptions - like those that suffered taste-bud damage somewhere in their past.

Now, this is a simple dish and not one of her actual creations, but you'll make a bunch of friends if you serve this sometime. Juicy chicken smothered in a sour cream/green chile sauce, served with rice with a little of the sauce spooned over and you'll soon see why Mike's Mom truly is the best cook around. Swear.

Green Chili Chicken and Rice
Serves 4

1 chicken fryer, cut up
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 4oz can chopped green chiles
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
4 cups hot steamed rice

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cayenne, cumin and salt, mixing. Rub the outside of the chicken pieces with the spice mixture. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to medium-high, brown the chicken on all sides.
When brown, remove the chicken to a plate, reserving. Turn the heat down a little at place the onions in the pot. Cook the onions for 2 or 3 minutes, then add the garlic and green chiles, cook for 30 seconds, then add the chicken stock. Put the chicken pieces back into the pot, skin-side up and bring the mixture to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cover and remove the chicken breasts, setting aside. The breasts should be just cooked through. Put cover back on and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, until the thighs are quite tender. Remove the rest of the chicken and reserve with the breasts.

Skim any obvious fat from the sauce left in the pan. Blend the flour and water, whisk into the sauce. Cook stirring eliminating any lumps and bring to a simmer to achieve full thickness. Stir in sour cream. If the resulting sauce seems too thick, add a little extra stock or water to thin.

Cut the breast halves in half, crosswise, then put the chicken and any remaining juices back into the pot, turning to coat. To serve, place a cup of hot rice on a plate with two pieces of chicken, spooning sauce over rice.

Stromboli with Penne Marinara and Spinach

2010-10-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

Some may be looking at the title of this dish, and the photo, and wondering about the combination of pasta and bread crust. Though it's not a regular menu item in your typical red-and-white-checkered tablecloth Italian joint, the combination (if not this particular dish) is Italian. Italian Easter Pie often has the addition of pasta inside as well as its brethren Pizza Rustica, both wrapped and baked in a dough crust. If you're a fan of the movie Big Night, you'll recall Primo's masterpiece - a magnificent timpano stuffed with meats and pasta, baked in a fabulous drum-shaped crust.

This recipe is a quick weeknight version of the above mentioned dishes. I used leftover penne in marinara from last night, I bought the pizza dough at Trader Joe's, and the cheeses I had in the fridge. Seriously, 30 minutes later this stromboli emerged for tonight's dinner. Served with leftover marinara sauce on the side and a big green salad, we're good to go.

Stromboli with Penne Marinara and Spinach
Serves 3-4

2 cups cooked penne in marinara sauce
1/2 cup ricotta
2 tablespoons Parmigiana Reggiano
several basil leaves torn up
pinch red pepper flakes
handful of tender, stemmed, raw spinach leaves
5 slices Havarti cheese (feel free to use Mozzarella here. I had the Havarti on hand)
salt and pepper
1 egg

16 oz pizza dough, let come to room temp if refrigerated (about 20-30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cooking tray/sheet. Don't place the tray in the oven yet.

In a bowl, combine the penne, ricotta, Parmigiana, basil leaves and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Taste for salt and pepper, season if necessary.

On a floured surface, lay the dough out in a rough rectangle. Flour the top surface very lightly. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to approximately 10"x15" (this will vary) and about 1/8" - 1/4" thick.

Lay the Havarti or Mozzarella slices down, leaving a 1" border. On top of that, lay the spinach leaves. Feel free to use more than I did here if you like spinach. I probably will next time. Then carefully lay the pasta on top so that it doesn't fall onto the border area. Starting on the long side, fold it over, and roll it up, compressing it with your hands into a round log, keeping it fairly tight. Pinch the ends and fold them under, then lay the stromboli seam-side down on the baking sheet. In a small bowl or cup, whisk the egg with a couple of teaspoons of water. Brush the top and sides of the stromboli. With the tip of a sharp knife, make four 1/2" slits in the top to allow for steam to escape. Sprinkle a little shredded Parmigiana on top is desired.

Bake at 400 for approximately 30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is oozing out of the slits. Cool at least 20 minutes, slice and serve. Excellent at room temperature!

Before and After

Corn and Potato Chowder

2010-10-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's been drizzling and cool all day today, so what better way to warm up with than a comforting hot soup and sandwich dinner? It seems like everyone in my life is having the same thoughts. My sister in San Francisco sent me pics of a beautiful warmly-spiced pumpkin soup she made last night, and my other sister texted that she was going to make a potato soup herself, for tonight. Well with that kind of inspiration it seemed liked a good idea, especially since I had just about everything I needed on hand.

This is the kind of chowder I like - thicker than a regular brothy soup, but not so thick that you feel like you're eating spoonfuls of creamy gravy. I had what I consider to be the perfect bowl of clam chowder in Cambria (central California coast) several years ago, and I've tried to emulate the consistency and texture of that dish ever since. This chowder turned out really well. Potatoes, corn, bits of bacon, a little spice. I even broke ranks with traditional chowders by adding just enough shredded Cheddar in at the last minute to give it a little extra richness. I hope you like it!

Corn and Potato Chowder served with a Tuna Salad Sandwich on Toast

Corn and Potato Chowder
serves 4

3 slices thick bacon, cut to 1/4" dice
2 stalks medium celery
1/2 large onion, medium-small dice
1/2 medium red pepper, medium-small dice
2 tablespoons grated carrot
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
dash Cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, medium diced (peeled or unpeeled is fine)
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
2 11oz cans Green Giant vacuum packed corn niblets
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Put a heavy bottomed pot on medium-low heat. Slowly cook the bacon until crisp (not burned), remove and reserve the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot. Sauté the onions, celery, red pepper, carrot and thyme leaves, stirring, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add in a dash of Cayenne pepper. Salt and pepper the vegetables while cooking. Raise the heat a little if necessary. When the vegetables are softened, add 2 tablespoons of the butter into the pot, stirring. When melted, add the garlic, stir, then 30 seconds later add the flour, stirring to mix. Continue to stir and cook the flour about two minutes, then add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Use a whisk if necessary to get rid of any lumps.

Add the diced potatoes into the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, the reduce the heat and simmer for around 15 minutes. Stir, being sure to loosen any bits sticking to the bottom of the pot during this time. The potatoes should be fairly tender now. Add the cream and corn, simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, season. A couple of minutes before serving, slowly add the shredded Cheddar in, stirring to melt. Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the bacon back into the pot also. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes
• Bottles of Tabasco or other hot sauces are fun to pass around with potato soups. There are so many different flavors now and they can really accent food for the better.
• Vegetarians could easily make this dish happen without the bacon and cheese. Use the butter in the beginning of the dish to cook the vegetables in, rather than the bacon. The chicken stock can be substituted with vegetable stock.

Chicken Cacciatore with Sausages

2010-10-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

This dish is a family favorite. My earliest memories are of my grandmother making it, then my own mom growing up. As a kid I remember that it seemed like a doubly-special meal because not only did we get a plate full of pasta, but there was this succulent, juicy, tender chicken served with it. Oh boy!

The addition of sausage started in 1982 for my sister's wedding, and it went over so well that we now include it as part of our permanent way to make it. The sausage flavors the sauce nicely, even adds nice heat if you use the hot Italian variety, plus adds nice variety to the chicken plate. Cacciatore is one of those dishes that has numerous varieties. In Italy, depending on the region, tomatoes may be used, or not. Some regions use white wine, others use red, or maybe no wine at all. The variety of vegetable differs also. Meaning "Hunter's Stew", the dish was constructed for long braising, to tenderize game meat like rabbit and wild birds. This dish takes about an hour and a half to complete using store-bought chicken.

Even in my own family there are varieties. Sometimes wine is used, sometimes not. One of my sisters makes an excellent cacciatore, but doesn't always use mushrooms and green peppers. A nephew uses red peppers instead of green. Feel free to experiment on this dish. One thing all the varieties have in common, especially if using tomatoes, is that the sauce is measurably better the next day. If you have the time, make this the day before. Keep the chicken separate from the sauce. Heat the sauce back up, slowly, then add the chicken and sausage pieces back in to just heat through. It doesn't get much better.

Chicken Cacciatore with Sausages
serves 4

1 whole broiler/fryer, 4-5 lbs
1/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage links, cut in half.
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2" strips*
6-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2-3 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 28oz can plum tomatoes, in juice, undrained
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Preparation
I like starting with a whole chicken because the pieces are smaller than the ones you usually find packaged separately, which also means that the the pre-packaged pieces could be cut from an older, less tender bird. If you don't want to cut up a whole chicken, try to find cut up pieces that look like they weren't cut from a huge Foghorn Leghorn-type bird.

I like cutting the chicken into 16 pieces rather than the usual 8. The smaller pieces with bones exposed add to the richness of the sauce, and the smaller pieces seem to absorb more of the sauce. It's not required, however for the dish to be excellent. If cutting into smaller pieces, rinse each piece under the faucet, checking and removing any bone fragments.

Cut the chicken up into 10 or 16 pieces, leaving skin intact.
10 pieces - 4 breast pieces, 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings (tips removed and discarded
16 pieces - 4 breast pieces, 4 leg pieces, 4 thigh pieces, 4 wing pieces (wings separated at joint)

Whole chicken cut into 16 pieces

Heat a large dutch oven or heavy pot to medium high. While waiting for the pot to heat, lightly season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dust the pieces with flour, tossing in a large bowl to very lightly cover. There will be hardly any flour on each piece. The flour is used to help brown the pieces but mostly to add fond to the bottom of the pot to build a flavorful sauce.

When the pot is hot, place the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in the pot to heat. If there isn't good coverage, add the second tablespoon of oil. When hot, shake any loose flour from the chicken then add half of the chicken pieces, skin-side down to brown. Don't move the pieces for a few minutes. When brown, flip over to brown completely. Remove from pan, the brown second batch the same way. When done, remove from pan and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and add sausage pieces, browning and crisping casings. When browned, remove and reserve with chicken.

Browned chicken and sausage, sauteeing vegetables, cacciatore simmering

When the pot has returned to a medium heat, check to make sure there is enough fat covering the bottom of the pot. There should be, but if not add in a little more olive oil. Add in the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and thyme springs, cooking for 6-8 minutes, stirring often to soften and brown. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Add the chopped garlic in. Cook for about a minute, then add the wine in. Turn up the heat, scraping the bottom of the pan completely, dislodging any browned bits. The wine should reduce to almost nothing during this time. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes in (the tomatoes can be crushed by hand in a separate bowl to desired consistency). Add the dried basil, oregano and bay leaf in. Bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, remove the skin from the chicken pieces, except the wings. If any skin is stubborn, and trying to pull up meat with it, leave it on (sometimes happens on the bottom part of the legs). The skin has done its job, rendering out in the initial browning, adding to the sauce. Leaving it on now just results in soggy skin which most discard anyway, plus it can add unwanted fat back into the sauce, making it greasy.

Uncover, and taste for salt and pepper then adjust to taste. Turn the heat to medium low. Add the chicken pieces and sausages back into the pot, turning to coat. We want a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the cover and remove the breast pieces from the sauce. They should be done cooking. Reserve in a covered dish. Cover the pot and cook about an hour more.

After an hour, remove the cover and observe the sauce. Taste to see if the seasoning are right. The consistency of the sauce shouldn't be too soupy. If it is, then turn the heat up a little and let it cook down some, uncovered. Conversely, if it's too thick, add a little more chicken broth or water to loosen. The chicken pieces should be very tender at this point also.

When ready to serve, place the breast meat back in to warm briefly, then place the meat pieces on a serving dish, with a little sauce on top. (There should be enough sauce using this recipe to dress 8 ounces (uncooked) pasta, if desired)

Cook's Notes
* Green peppers add a distinctive taste to this dish. Many prefer it without. If you like green peppers in sauces, fine, but feel free to omit them.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake

2010-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, that's the name I came up with anyway. I didn't know what else to call it. "Casserole" to me conjures up a dish that has no structure or layers, as this does. "Lasagna" should really be reserved for that Italian dish layered with pasta. Strata? Torte? However the name eludes, the final taste didn't. A nice creamy, cheesy, mildly spicy chicken and tortilla dish for a weeknight. It comes together very quickly. Much faster than traditional enchiladas, and is lighter, without the handfuls of cheese usually involved.

One of the shortcuts I took was to buy a small rotisserie chicken from the store. It's a quick way to get a couple of cupfuls of shredded chicken when you don't feel like, buying raw chicken, poaching said chicken, cooling cooked chicken, then chopping/shredding the chicken. Although those rotisserie chickens are generally overcooked, this chicken was going in a sauce, so...problem solved.

Total time, including time in the oven was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Not bad, since forty-five of those minutes was smelling that bubbling, cheesy sauce cooking. I'll do this one again.

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Bake
serves 4-6

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 4-oz cans, chopped green chiles
1 cup grated Cotija cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons. finely diced white or red onion
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano - optional

18 4-inch corn tortillas** (more or less, depending on size of baking dish)
Salsa for serving

For the Green Chile Sauce
Place a medium heavy-bottom pot over medium heat with the 4 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the flour, stirring, making a roux. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly so the flour doesn't burn. The flour will darken a little. Add the chicken stock, whisking to dissolve any lumps. When the mixture comes to a soft boil, it should thicken noticeably. Slowly add the heavy cream, whisking again. Add the garlic powder and cayenne, stirring to mix. Add the green chiles. let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. Reduce the heat and slowly add the grated Cotija cheese, stirring. Taste for salt, adding up to 1/2 teaspoon as needed. When the cheese is incorporated, turn the heat off, reserving the sauce for later. Try not to eat this like a bowl of soup, as I found myself tempted to do. It's really good at this point.

For the Chicken Filling
Combine the chopped chicken, cilantro, chopped onion and Mexican oregano, if using. Taste for salt. Note- rotisserie chickens are pretty salty. I didn't add any salt here, but you be the judge, depending on your chicken. Reserve for later.

Heat your oven to 375°F.

The next step will depend on the size baking dish you are using. For this recipe, a 9x13" may be a little big. I had just enough sauce. The pan I used is an 8x11", an oddball size. You could probably use an 8x8" or 9x9" easily.

Spray the inside of the baking dish with a cooking spray. It really helps to remove the portions in one piece later on. Paint the bottom of the dish with a little sauce. Then cut a few of the tortillas in half, and lay them down with the cut side bumped up against the side of the dish (see photo) overlapping slightly. Lay a couple of whole tortillas down across the middle. We want to create a gapless layer of tortillas to hold the sauce in each layer. Next, spread some of the chicken mixture down, getting complete coverage, but not too heavy. On top of the chicken, spoon some sauce as shown.

Repeat more layers with tortilla-chicken-sauce. You should have four layers of tortillas. When you get to the final top layer of tortilla, don't add any chicken (if you have any left over). On top of the final layer of tortilla, you'll spoon the rest of the sauce over, spreading to cover. You can sprinkle a little extra grated Cotija on top if you have some extra.

Before and After Baking

Place in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. The top will have browned and the sides of the dish will be bubbling. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes so you and your guests don't have to go to Urgent Care with weird lava-like burns in and around the mouth. Slice and serve.

Cook'sNotes
** I specified 4" corn tortillas because that is what I happened to have in the pantry. Naturally you can use whatever size corn tortillas you have, or buy. Just cut to shape.
• To fry or not to fry. I elected not to fry the tortillas in this dish. Not frying allows the sauce and tortilla to become more integrated - softer, if you will. Now, next time I just may lightly fry the tortillas so they stand on their own and provide a slightly crispy "bite" when eaten. It's nice to have the choice. Not frying simplifies the process, cutting down on prep time and ingredients used.

Burrito with Soyrizo and Potatoes, Chiles, Black Beans and Rice

2010-10-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love Soyrizo! There, I said it, Yep. Me, a life-long, die-hard, home made pork sausage-maker is sold on this soy-based version of the Mexican chorizo. This is one of those vegetarian/vegan products that actually stands on its own as a delicious food in its own right, rather than trying to be a pale, bland imitation of another dairy or meat product found in the carnivore world. Admittedly, chorizo found in the supermarket while tasty, is a little bit of a turn-off for many due to the primary ingredients like salivary glands, lymph glands and god-knows-what else.

I had a chance to try Soyrizo from my daughter's food stock, and I'll probably not buy any of the meat-based ones anymore. This is just as good in many ways, though not an exact duplicate. One thing you'll notice right away is that you don't end up with that fatty orange grease that you could die basketballs with. One food blogger said she served some to her Mexican father and he didn't notice anything different. So I set out to make burritos last night, and decided to incorporated potatoes and Soyrizo into the ingredients, making for a meatless, outstanding burrito. I encourage you to try this out, especially if you've been avoiding it, but otherwise like the flavor.

Burrito with Soyrizo and Potatoes, Chiles, Black Beans and Rice
makes about 4 large burritos, or several smaller ones

1 recipe Black Beans (click here for method see Beans)

Rice
This is a good, quick way to make Mexican Rice. If you have a favorite recipe, feel free to use it instead.
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons small diced onion
1 1/2 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups water or stock*
1/4 cup plain tomato sauce
salt

Heat the oil to medium in a large pan or small pot. Soften the onions for about 5 minutes then add the rice, stirring to coat. Saute the rice until it becomes opaque, even starting to turn light golden. Add the tomato sauce, stir, cooking for a minute of so. Add the water or stock, stirring to break up any rice clumps. Taste the broth for salt, adding to taste. Bring the mixture up to a hard simmer, then cover, lower the heat and barely simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside when done.

Soyrizo and Potatoes

vegetable oil
2 Poblano peppers, cored, seeded and cut into strips
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed. Peeling is not necessary
1/2 link Soyrizo (about 4-5" piece)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add potato cubes and cook until just barely done. Drain, set aside. In a large skillet, bring 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil up to medium high heat. Add the pepper strips, saute until just beginning to soften. Add potatoes and cook for several minutes, stirring and tossong. Season with salt and pepper. The potatoes will start to take on a little color, and will be cooked through at this point. Squeeze the Soyrizo out from its casing directly into the potato mixture, breaking it up and incorporating it into the mixture. Cook, stirring and tossing a few minutes more. Taste for seasoning. Add cilantro, mixing. Reserve.

Burrito Assembly
1 recipe Black Beans
1 recipe Mexican Rice
1 Recipe Soyrizo Potatoes
Extra Large flour tortillas (about 12-14" dia)
shredded cheese
guacamole
salsa
shredded lettuce

Heat a flour tortilla either on a large frying pan, cast iron pan or over an open flame. When hot and pliable, place the tortilla on a flat plate. Spread a little beans down, followed by some rice, followed by some potato mixture. Top with some cheese. At this point you can add salsa, guacamole, (sour cream if desired) and a little shredded lettuce for crunch. Wrap it up and serve.

Cook's Notes
* Vegetable stock works really well here because it gives the rice a little "oomph" inside a crowded burrito, allowing it to be tasted, rather than just as a filler.
• Watch how much of each ingredient you layer. Before you know it, the burrito could be too full to close up properly.

Pizza with Zucchini, Mushrooms and Fresh Tomatoes

2010-10-03T09:03:00.000-07:00

I love dishes that allow the use of ingredients that you have laying around that need using up, as I've mentioned in previous posts. Pizza fits that bill. The very last tomatoes from our garden are sitting on the counter as the plants are being yanked from the ground today, spent for the season. Thank you, tomato gods! We also had half a zucchini and some white button mushrooms in the fridge that I put to use, and they made for a pretty darn good pizza. I shredded and dressed the zucchini in a little olive oil and salt beforehand, allowing the heat of the oven to really cook and soften the pieces. My wife who isn't that big a fan of cooked zucchini really liked it on this pizza. It counter-balanced the earthiness of the mushrooms and the brightness of the tomatoes nicely. All-in-all, a winner.

Pizza doesn't have to be a big production with a little prep. You can make dough at your leisure and freeze single portions. Even the sauce which comes together in minutes can be made in larger batches, and any unused portions can be frozen, again in single-use portions. What's left are the toppings, and those can be pulled together in mere minutes. A freshly baked pizza with a big green salad is just about 30 minutes away.

Pizza with Zucchini, Mushrooms and Fresh Tomatoes
1 14" pizza

The Sauce

1 14oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced or pressed garlic
3/4 teaspoons fine salt

Pour a little, but not all of the juice from the tomatoes out. In a large bowl with a bean or potato masher, crush the chopped tomatoes to a consistency you desire in a sauce for your pizza. Personally I like smaller chunks or tomatoes. Let the toppings add the texture.

Add the rest of the ingredients and allow the sauce to sit for awhile to let the flavors blend.

The Pizza

1/2 portion Pizza Dough
1-2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 1/2 cups mozzarella (more if desired)
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 medium zucchini
1 medium tomato
olive oil

preheat oven to 500°

Note - All of the pizza recipes I post will show the method for baking pizza on a pizza stone. You can get decent pizza cooking straight on a metal pizza pan, but for that really risen, crispy crust with a soft interior, a pizza stone is the best way to go.

If you have a mandoline, using the julienne blade, shred the zucchini. Otherwise, cut the zucchini crosswise very thinly, then julienne each portion by hand. See photo for approximate shape. In a small bowl toss the zucchini slices with a teaspoon or so of olive oil and a wee amount of salt.

Core, seed and peel the tomato resulting in tomato fillets, slice so that you have 1" pieces, or just coarsely chop if you prefer.

When ready to assemble the pizza, on a lightly floured surface, stretch the dough to a 13-14" round shape. If the dough starts to resist, cover and walk away for 5 minutes until the dough relaxes. The dough will win every time if you try to muscle it. You are no match, take it from personal experience.

Transfer the pizza to a wooden pizza paddle, or pan, if that is what you are using. Spread about 1/4 cup or so of the sauce down, leaving about a 1" border, "painting" the dough, avoiding too much sauce application. Sprinkle the Romano cheese over the sauce, followed by the mozzarella, covering up to the sauce border.

On top of the mozzarella, lay the mushrooms down, then the zucchini followed by the tomatoes.

TIP - avoid laying too many ingredients toward the center of the pie. As the crust puffs on the edges, the melted cheese and topping tend to gravitate towards the center anyway, and we want the pizza to be as evenly distributed as possible.

Slide the pizza onto the baking stone and bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown and the topping are cooked. Remove from the oven, wait a few minutes, slice and serve.

Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts

2010-09-30T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that when growing up and Brussels Sprouts would show up on the dinner table, whatever teenage exuberance I had about eating one of my mom's usually wonderful meals would vanish into a sigh of resignation. I hated Brussels Sprouts, and although they didn't show up often, my strategy was one of Eat Them First, Eat Them Fast, Wash Down With Lots of Milk. Then, the rest of dinner could be enjoyed. My sister's strategy was one of attrition. She'd roll those suckers around on her plate long into the night, hours after we all had eaten, slowly finding nooks, crannies and places in her clothes where she could eventually go and flush them away. Well, that was a lifetime ago, and I can now say that I enjoy Brussels Sprouts immensely.

This dish comes together in the time that it takes to boil and cook the pasta. The somewhat cabbage-like bitter aspect of the sprouts seems to disappear with the sauté, with the garlic and shallot flavors coming forth to make the sprouts taste kind of sweet. Give this a try, I think you'll add this to your repertoire.

We like Barilla Plus, kind of a cross between regular pasta and whole wheat. It has nice texture without seeming dry or stiff, but has the added benefit of extra fiber that plain pasta doesn't.

Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts
serves 2-4

8 ounces enhanced wheat or whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta.
salt
1 pound Brussels Sprouts, stalk trimmed and tough outer leaves removed
2 medium shallots, sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
olive oil
salt and pepper
Parmigiana Reggiano, grated - optional

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt and pasta. Cook according to instructions on the package.

While that is happening, take the Brussels Sprouts and either run them through a food processor using the slicing disk attachment, or finely slice them by hand, using a sharp knife. The processor, needless to say, is preferred if you have it. Put a large skillet on medium high heat. Melt the butter, adding a little olive oil so the butter doesn't burn. Sauté the shallots for about a minute or two, until they start to soften. Add the Brussels Sprouts and garlic into the pan and saute, mixing and tossong so that all surfaces have a chance to caramelize some. Add the vegetable stock or water, tossing. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the sprouts are taking on some color and are tender to the bite.

When the pasta is done, drain and dump into the skillet with the sprouts. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the pasta. Toss thoroughly with the sprouts, tasting for seasoning. This dish is great with lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot with grated cheese on top if desired.

Black Bean Tostadas with Shrimp and Zucchini-Corn Salad

2010-09-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Tostadas make great party fare. They're one of those hands-on kind of dishes that lend themselves to variety, interactive participation and conversation. Some of the best feedback from dinner guests has been the "tostada bar" meals where guests take an empty tortilla shell and work their way down a line filled with fun, creative toppings, add-ons and salsas. Plus, a lot of it can be done ahead of time, making the host's job easier.

No party tonight, but we had a little fun with the ingredients anyway. The black beans were flavored with a little chipotle, the guacamole was thinned out to make a kind of thick sauce, we browned some zucchini up and made a topping with corn and chiles that would satisfy any non-meat eaters in the house, and the seasoned shrimp added that juicy, spicy bite on the top. A little queso fresco and tomato salsa; it's a great meal. Each bite was a little different in taste and texture, which is the name of the game when you're feeding folks. Delicious and interesting.

Black Bean Tostadas with Shrimp and Zucchini-Corn Relish
this recipe makes nine 4" tostadas

The Beans
2, 30oz cans black beans (use any kind that doesn't have sugar as an ingredient. I like Sun Vista)
2 tablespoons solid shortening or vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, small dice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deribbed and diced
1 tablespoon sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
1/4 cup water

About an hour before making the tostadas, heat a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan with the shortening to medium heat. Place the onions and jalapeno in the pot and cook 6-8 minutes until softened. Don't allow them to brown. Season with salt. Drain the liquid from the beans and place them in the pot stirring. Add the liquid from the chipotle pepper. Adjust the heat so that the beans are bubbling softly. Beans tend to stick and burn on the bottom of the pan, so use a lower heat to accomplish a low simmer. Cover the pot, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, even a little longer.

Remove the cover. If the beans need liquid, add the water. Taste the beans and adjust the salt. With a bean or potato masher, mash the beans to a thick, spreadable consistency. Stir, cover and reserve on the lowest heat possible until ready to use.

Avocado Sauce (similar to El Pollo Loco's green avocado sauce)

1 large, ripe avocado
1/2 serrano pepper, slit lengthwise, seeded and deveined
1/2 cup water (may need more or less depending on avocado size)
3/4 Tbs white vinegar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or 3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 Tbs minced cilantro
2 Tbs finely diced white onion

Process the first six ingredients in a food processor until pureed. Remove to a bowl and add cilantro and onion. Reserve.

The Zucchini-Corn Salad
3 medium zucchini, julienned into 1" sticks
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped roasted red pepper, from a jar - optional
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup corn niblets, the vacuumed pack variety (Green Giant)
seasoned salt*, or plain salt
black pepper

In a large skillet, heat a 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to medium high heat. When hot, add the zucchini, onions and jalapeno and saute until starting to take on color, 5-8 minutes.Add the corn and cilantro, mixing. Taste the mixture and season with seasoned salt and black pepper. Heat through, turn off the fire and reserve.

The Shrimp
27 medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned
seasoned salt*
juice from half of a fresh lime

30 minutes prior to cooking, season the shrimp and let stand in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, heat a large skillet or wok to high. Put a small amount of oil in the bottom of the pan, heat until shimmering. Place shrimp in the pan and saute, flipping and stirring until just cooked through 2-3 minutes or so. Squeeze lime juice on shrimp, stir, reserve.

Tostada Assembly
(9) 4" corn tortillas
oil for frying
1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresco
1/2 cup (or so) chopped cilantro
Red Salsa, either home made or bottled

Black Beans
Avocado Sauce
Zuchini Corn Salad
Shrimp

Fry the tortillas in hot oil until golden and fairly crisp. Drain on paper towels. To assemble, spoon some black beans on a tortilla, spread to edges. Layer some avocado sauce, then some of the zucchini-corn salad. Top with 3 shrimp then some of the Queso Fresco cheese. Top with chopped cilantro and salsa if desired.

Cook's Notes
• I like using the smaller 4" corn tortillas here. They're easier to handle, they stay firmer without sagging in the middle, and if you have a large variety of toppings, it's easier for guests to go back for more to try the other toppings without getting too full.
• For vegetarians, simply leave off the shrimp. For vegans, leave off the cheese also. The resulting tostada is still full of flavor and variety.
• *Seasoned Salt - In this recipe I used an Adobo seasoning made by Goya. Any seasoned salt will do. If you don't have any, regular salt and pepper will work just fine.
• Queso Fresco is a fresh Mexican cheese that is soft and crumbly. It reminds me of a cross between ricotta and a very mild feta. Delicious. You could use a little Monterey Jack instead.
• For a crowd, I would have made three different kinds of salsas, Red, Green and a Pico De Gallo. I would have probably made a batch of Pinto Beans along with the Black Beans for variety. Some grilled chicken and steak, cubed for easy serving would have rounded the choices out. Maybe offered a couple of different kinds of cheeses. That and some Margaritas and you have a party.

Stromboli

2010-09-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

If you've ever had pizza, and especially if you've had a calzone, you are fairly acquainted with stromboli. It's basically a pizza, rolled up jelly-roll style (like a burrito), baked, then sliced. It's a somewhat different eating experience because the marinara sauce generally isn't part of the stromboli itself, but it comes on the side to dip in.

So how then is it different than a calzone? Well, if you Google stromboli and calzone, there isn't a definitive answer, but it goes something like - a calzone usually has ricotta and tomato sauce inside, and is folded over to look like a big turnover, whereas the stromboli is generally rolled-up, as mentioned, is baked without sauce inside, and most of the recipes that you see for it included deli meats and cheese, so it comes out like a baked sandwich. Now, just to prove me wrong, there's a pizza place right around the corner from me that sells excellent stromboli, but to look at them, they look just like what you would expect a calzone to look like - a turnover. Noticed I used the word generally a lot. That's for a good reason.

So I had half of a pizza dough recipe hanging out in the meat section of the fridge. A three-day cold rise matures the dough and the resulting taste is markedly different than a one-day dough. I decided to do the stromboli instead of pizza for a change. I had spinach and mushrooms available and just needed the cheeses. Feta goes great with spinach (think spanakopita, which my sister Becky is a pro at making) so I picked some up along with the mozz. I had some marinara in the freezer, so that was taken care of. I was good to go!

This was a real treat, I must say. The crust was chewy, the mozzarella was melted all over everything, the feta and spinach were doing their salty dance, and the mushrooms added a meatiness to an otherwise meatless dish.

Strombolis are perfect served at room temperature or slightly warm, which makes it a great buffet dish. Needless to say, anything a pizza can have on it, so can a stromboli.

Stromboli
serves 4-6 or more as a buffet dish

half of a pizza dough recipe enough to make a 14-inch pizza, taken from the fridge about an hour or so before baking.

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, cut into small dice
5 cups washed, chopped, fresh spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz washed, stemmed and sliced button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 large eggs, beaten and divided
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
2/3 cup shredded Romano Pecorino cheese, divided
8 oz shredded or thinly sliced whole milk mozzarella
salt and pepper

In a large pan on medium heat, melt the butter and pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan. When hot, saute the onion several minutes until soft. Add the chopped spinach and garlic. Cook until the spinach has wilted. Season very lightly, as the feta and Romano are salty. When done, remove with a slotted spoon, squeezing against the side of the pan slightly, to a strainer set over a bowl, allowing the mixture to drain and dry out some.Reserve.

In the same pan, using the same oil mixture, cook the mushrooms until brown and soft. Add the crushed red pepper and thyme. Use the extra olive oil if needed if the pan gets dry. When done, again remove with a slotted spoon to a strainer set over a bowl. Allow the mixtures to cool.

When the spinach and mushroom mixtures have cooled, add 1 beaten egg and the crumbled feta cheese to the spinach mixture, mixing well.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cooking sheet. Spead a little cornmeal over the paper if you have some.

Take the pizza dough that has been sitting on the counter and place on a floured surface. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle roughly 15"x9". If the dough resists, cover with a towel and let it rest for 5 minutes.

When the dough has been rolled out, put the mozzarella on the bottom layer, leaving a border of at least an inch. Next spread 1/3 cup Romano over the mozzarella, then the spinach mixture followed by the mushrooms.

With the remaining beaten egg, add about 2 teaspoons of water to it, creating an egg wash. Brush the far edge of the stromboli with a little amount of the egg wash, to help it seal when it gets rolled up.
As pictured, fold the long side over, tucking the ends in, and roll the stromboli up fairly tightly, sealing the edges and ends by pinching the dough together. Set the stromboli seam-side down on the baking sheet, With the egg wash, brush the top of the stromboli, covering. With a sharp knife, make 4 or 5 small incisions to allow steam to escape.

Place in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer dings, open the door and sprinkle the remaining Romano cheese on top of the stromboli. Close the door and set the timer for another 10 minutes. The stromboli should be a golden brown, the crust firm, with some of the inside cheese bubbling out of the knife holes, just like the Italian volcano called Stromboli!

Do not cut this open for at least 20 minutes, even longer, or all of the insides will just run out.

Seasoned Salt

2010-09-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

How many times have you needed to salt something, but also needed a little extra something to perk up the dish? We then go through the process of layering different spices and seasoning on top of the salt you've already added, trying to guess how much to add, and what it will taste like when you're all done.

Now I'm not suggesting that making your own seasoned salt will solve all of those issues, as different foods need different flavors, and that nuanced application you do as a cook makes the difference, but a lot of the time you might need a quick go-to seasoning that you've created that has just the right balance of flavors that you and the family like for everyday use. I've been using a blend that I put together that I really like. It has the salt I need, some savory flavors from garlic and black pepper, and a little zip from a shot of cayenne and paprika.

I don't much care for the big names in seasoned salt - they have an off-taste to them. Maybe from the anti-caking powders? I don't know, but I encourage you to make your own. What's the worst that could happen? You spend 35 cents and don't like it. You can always tweak it again or toss it. I think you'll find the convenience of having it handy, and the customization aspect a winner.

Seasoned Salt

1/2 cup kosher salt
1/8 cup ground black pepper
1/8 cup garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika (half-sharp or sweet)

Blend, store in an airtight container.

Notes
The varieties of options here are endless. Add-ins could include but not limited to: cumin, onion powder, ground mustard, ground or crushed herbs (sage, thyme, oregano etc), smoked salt (remove an appropriate portion of the regular salt), crushed red pepper, turmeric, sugar - or whatever you can come up with. You could develop one for meats, one for veggies, or one for barbecue.

Ribollita

2010-09-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

According to the wiki entry, 'Ribollita is a famous Tuscan soup whose name literally means "reboiled". Like most Tuscan cuisine, the soup has peasant origins. It was originally made by reheating (ie. reboiling) the leftover minestrone or vegetable soup from the previous day.
There are many variations but the main ingredients always include leftover bread (without salt), cannellini beans and inexpensive vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, beans, silverbeet, cavolo nero (Tuscan Kale Lute) and onion.'

I made a version of this soup last night - there are many - and I'm putting it on my "go-to" list for quick, satisfying, weeknight meals. It comes together in less than an hour, is very satisfying, and is really a meatless dish for those that are trying to eat better, or don't eat meat at all. I used chicken stock in this version because I had it and needed to use it up, but a hearty roasted vegetable stock would work perfectly here. What's really nice is that you can go through the crisper section in the fridge and use up any vegetables that need it. I used some spinach and a leek, along with the cabbage.

The bread, having soaked up the broth makes the soup, as far as I'm concerned. We all like to dip our bread in the soup, well here it is already there, and with crispy edges to boot. As far as having day-old bread, what I ended up doing was buying a new loaf of French bread, cubing it, then putting the cubes in a hot oven to crisp them up some. The toasted flavor and texture added a nice aspect to the soup. My wife really liked this Ribollita, as witnessed by her return trip to the pot on the stove.

Ribollita
serves 6-8

1 onion, diced
1 leek, cleaned, white and light green part chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 celery stalks, sliced
3 med Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 head cabbage, Savoy or Napa
2 cups, washed, trimmed and chopped spinach leaves
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes with juice
6 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
2 14oz cans Cannellini beans, drained
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
bay leaf
loaf of French or Italian white bread
Grated Parmigiana Reggiano

Procedure

Heat a 5-6 quart heavy pot and coat the bottom with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, cook the onion, leek, carrots and celery for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add in the potatoes, cabbage, spinach and zucchini, stirring, and allow to cook for a few minutes more. Add the tomatoes, stirring, and cook until the tomatoes soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the stock, stirring. Bring to a simmer.

Take about 1/3 of the beans and place in a large bowl. With the back of a large fork, or using a bean/potato masher, smash the beans as much as you can. You should have a thick bean paste. Add this and the remaining whole beans to the pot. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Simmer the soup for about 45 minutes, tasting and seasoning with salt and pepper when the contents have heated and blended some.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cube enough bread into large croûton-sized pieces to get about 2 cups of bread cubes. Lay the cubes on a cookie sheet and place in oven 5-10 minutes until the cubes are a very light golden and a little crispy on the edges.

A few minutes before eating, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and discard, then place the bread cubes into the soup, stirring. The bread cubes will soak up the juices, soften, and your soup will be ready to serve.

This soup is fantastic with some grated Parmesan sprinkled on top at the table.

Products We Like

2010-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Masala Dabba - Indian Spice Box

Doesn't it seem like you're always reaching for the same six or so spices over and over again, and all that reaching, screwing and unscrewing spice tops, realizing that your measuring spoon doesn't always fit in the jar, just get to you after awhile? It does for me. Well, a few years I solved my problem with an eastern kitchen utensil - the Masala Dabba. Indian cooks do a lot of spice mixing for curries, and came up with this extremely practical solution for quick retrieval and use of spices. With seven containers, you can store within easy grasp your most often-used seasonings, making life at a rapidly sauteeing pan, much easier.

I seem to use a lot of these seasonings, so I keep (clockwise from the top): crushed red pepper, cumin, black pepper, granulated garlic, Mexican oregano, Ancho chile powder, and kosher salt on hand. I could use another one of these, actually...I don't recommend completely filling up each container so that the spices will remain at their freshest. The stainless steel box comes with a tight-fitting inner lid to seal out the air, and a larger, decorative lid (shown here). You can find one online for about $30 from Amazon or other web stores. If you're into Indian cooking, many of the boxes come filled with seven Indian spices as an added bonus.

Whole Wheat Bread

2010-09-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

Why go through all the trouble of baking bread when there is "freshly baked" bread in the bakery sections of the local grocery store for around 3 bucks? Admittedly some of those breads are pretty good, like the one I used for my Cuban-style sandwich a few posts ago. They are way better than any packaged rolls or breads you can find, are pretty good tasting, and you don't have to go through the process of mixing, kneading, rising and baking dough to have a loaf of bread. So, why would anyone want to bake bread at home?

For me it's a couple of things. One is the satisfaction. Cooking is all about creating and sharing something that comes from me and I can then give to others. It sounds kind of simple, but that's really it, and it adds an extra punctuation mark to the end of my day. Providing food is basic, and providing good food that others enjoy is uplifting.

Secondly, like all food that you make at home vs. store-bought, is freshness and control of ingredients. Even though many of the freshly baked loaves of bread at supermarkets are pretty good, instead of a few ingredients; flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar etc, you start seeing ingredients like Azodicarboanamide and Calicium propanate, which are probably preservatives and dough conditioners and things like that, but who needs them, and they must effect the overall taste to some degree. A really freshly baked loaf of bread with the basic ingredients only lasts for a day, then it's croûton or French toast-making time.

Now, having said that, and hopefully passionately and not preachy, I buy store-bought bread the vast majority of the time. Who really has the time to make it daily? But making a loaf at home once a week or so isn't out of the question, especially if we are having pasta or a soup of some kind that begs for a good bread. The aroma of it baking in the house, and the literal breaking of the bread at supper helps to rivet that bond of those sharing a meal, sharing a life.

Home Made Whole Wheat Toast with Apple Butter and Bananas

Whole Wheat Bread
makes one large loaf

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour*
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons 7-grain cereal -optional**
2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten - optional**
1 cup water (more or less depending on time of year, temperature, etc)
3 teaspoons solid shortening

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, whole grain cereal and wheat gluten, if using in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add the water to the flour mixture, form into a rough ball, 1-2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest 20-30 minutes, allowing time for the flour to absorb the water (autolyze).

Add the shortening to the ball (I kind of smear it over the surface, using my thumbs to press it inside the ball), then remove the ball from the bowl and knead by hand for about ten minutes. After eight minutes or so, you should feel the dough starting to develop a little resistance, as the glutens are forming, and this is a good thing. The dough should feel supple, yet shapable. Form the dough into a ball and place in a covered bowl or container for the first rise. The dough should double in bulk, about 1 - 2 hours, depending on weather conditions.

Remove the ball from the bowl. Flatten the dough slightly, but not too much, then fold the dough in half on itself about 15 times. Form the final dough into the shape you want, round or oval, and place in a piece of parchment paper on the counter if using a clay baker, or on a baking sheetpan. Cover with a floured tea towel, or an extra large bowl which will allow it to double in bulk again.

Note - I use a clay dome-shaped baker that fits into the oven, which is great for forming a flaky, not too dense crust. This loaf can be baked, openly, on a cookie sheet pan on a piece of parchment. You may have to adjust the heat and time to your oven after making a trial loaf. The temperatures and times here are for a clay baker. If you like to bake breads, I would highly recommend one. You can see them here at this website and others. They also come in a rectangular shape for baguette-style.

Place the empty clay baker into the oven, if using. Heat oven to 450F. When the risen loaf has doubled, sprinkle a little flour across the top of the bread then take a very sharp knife and put a shallow slash or two across the top, scoring, for control of the rising bread. Picking up the loaf, whether by parchment paper if using the clay cooker, or by the baking sheet, place in the baker or oven and close the door, setting a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer has dinged, reset the timer for 28 minutes and lower the heat to 400F. The loaf should be well-risen, golden brown, and should register 205-210F internally.

Cook's Notes
* I like this white whole wheat flour that's available now. You get the softness of white bread, but the health benefits of whole grain breads. You can also use regular all-purpose flour, bread flour or a mixture in this recipe. It's very versatile.
** The whole grain cereals just add those little bits of crunch that you find in whole grain breads. I like them, especially when toasted. You can find them usually in clear, 1 lb bags in the health food sections of stores. Bob's Red Mill makes a nice variety.
** Vital Wheat Gluten is commonly used when using whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour doesn't have the oven spring that regular flour does, and helps the final bread rise higher, making it less-dense and airier. It's not required, however.

Portabello Burger

2010-09-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

Boy do we love burgers, and since there is an endless variety of things to put in a burger, only limited by imagination and palate, we can make decisions based on dietary requirements and preferences without sacrificing taste or health. We felt like having a big, juicy burger tonight, but wanted to lighten it up and still get the feeling of satisfaction that a burger leaves you with.

I thought a big portabello, seasoned and grilled sounded pretty good. We like mushrooms anyway around here, so lets put it in a bun, dress it up and see what happens. Instead of the usual mayo/ketchup/pink sauce dressing I'd normally use for a beef patty, How about a batch of red pepper hummus to lay down on the bottom bun, providing some zip and moisture? Well, best laid plans... as I was coming back from the store, I dropped the bag with the jar of red peppers - all over the driveway. Improvisation time. I ended up making a cilantro hummus which worked really well, giving the burger a little herbiness from the cilantro. For some texture and added taste, I seasoned some extra firm tofu (I love this stuff) and fried it until it was light and crispy on the outside. To be transparent in my reporting here, the burger would have been just fine without it. By itself it was really tasty, but got kind of lost in the burger. My daughter thought it added a nice texture, so I'm including it in the recipe.

On the top bun, I mashed an avocado, salt and pepper and that added a nice creaminess. Add a tomato and lettuce and we had a very nice, filling, juicy, tasty burger on this Saturday night. As much as I like a good beef burger, I enjoy finding alternatives that do the job without so much of the guilt.

Portabello Burger

serves 4

Cilantro Hummus
14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
juice from 1- 1 1/2 lemons
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup tahini
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and re-season. Reserve.

Tofu Squares (if using)
1 block extra firm tofu
Seasoned salt
oil for frying

Drain and remove the tofu from its package. The tofu comes in a rectangular shape. Cut one end of the block to form a square of tofu. Stand the square of tofu on end, and slice into four equal pieces, each about 1/4" thick. Lay these on a board with paper towels, placing more paper towels on top. Lay another board or heavy pan on top of the paper towels, weighing down on the tofu pieces. Leave on for 30 minutes. This presses extra water out of the tofu slices.

After 30 minutes, heat a pan and coat the bottom with 1/4 of oil, heating the oil up for frying. Blot the tofu pieces dry with a new piece of paper towel, then season with a seasoning salt of your choice. You can use plain salt if desired. I used a blend of salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne tonight.

Fry the tofu pieces in the hot oil a few minutes on each side until golden and the edges are crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Avocado Mixture
1 avocado, pit and peel removed
salt and pepper
hot sauce - optional

Mash the avocado, season with salt and pepper and if desired add a little hot sauce to add some zing. Reserve.

Burgers
4 extra large bun-sized portabello mushroom caps, stems removed, cleaned
Seasoned salt, pepper
olive oil
4 slices red-ripe tomato
lettuce
4 whole wheat buns

You can cook the portabellos on the stove or outside on the grill. The grill naturally will give added taste. Tonight I went stove top.

Heat a large griddle or pan. Toast the buns, cut-side down until they are a light golden-brown. Reserve.
With a sharp knife, lightly score the tops of the portabellos in a criss-cross pattern. Brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Flip, and brush with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lightly coat the cooking surface with a little olive oil, and place mushroom caps stem-side down. Cook until the caps begin to brown and soften on their underside, Flip over the caps, and cook until they soften and color more, and a knife can easily pierce through the center. (Use your discretion here as to how firm you want the mushroom).

In the meantime, place the bottom buns each on separate plates, and cover each bun with a nice amount of hummus, followed by a tomato slice. When the mushroom caps are ready, place a cap on top of the tomato, then a tofu square on top of that. On the top buns, spread some of the avocado mixture on, covering. Put a little lettuce on the tofu square, then place the top bun down on top of that.

Braised Short Ribs

2010-09-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Talk about back-dooring dinner. What started out as a salsa-making exercise, turned into something totally unexpected, but related, nonetheless.

Our good friends, Wil and Gayle, dropped by some great-looking chiles they grew in their garden. Cool, we'll make salsa, right? Ok, so I grabbed a few and started charring them on the stove-top, and noticed that the longer chiles were probably Italian frying peppers, a mild chile unlike the serranos I was prepping. So, my mind started wandering and I decided at that point to make a chile-infused cooking liquid, so I could also use up the mild peppers. OK, with that decided, what to cook? Pork? Chicken? Beef? Yes, beef sounded good, and short ribs came to mind. Yep, a long braising would add a ton of flavor back into the piquant sauce, and allow the tough but flavorful rib meat to practically melt with tenderness.

After the beef had cooked, I decided to shred the meat off of the bone. I know, if I was serving this in a restaurant, that meat would stay on the bone and would be served in all its glory to someone willing to pay a bundle for it. But we're cooking for families here, and my wife doesn't like pulling, gnawing or cutting meat off of bones, so I oblige. I could have served the rib meat with, or over, potatoes or rice, but I ended up serving it over small tubular pasta. It was excellent; kind of like an adult Chili Mac. If you haven't had the pleasure of having really tender short ribs, do yourself a favor and try some. They're full of really great beef flavor and they stay juicy even after three hours in the oven. The process here is a little involved, by my own doing, but I'll give some much quicker alternatives in the Cook's Notes section at the end.

Braised Short Ribs

Serves 2-4

For the Chile-Tomato Sauce *see Cook's Notes for a much easier method

2-3 Serrano or Jalapeno peppers

1 dried Chile de Arbol pepper

1 Italian Frying pepper, or other small mild pepper - optional

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

3/4 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

Over an open flame, char the Serrano or Jalapenos until blackened in spots. Set aside. Take the Arbol chile and literally wave it through the flame (using tongs) a couple of times. It should smell toasted. If it has blackened at the tip, throw it away and start over. Burnt chiles are bitter. When toasted, break apart and shake the seeds out, disposing of them. Snap the stem off if it is still attached, discarding also. Take the Serrano and Arbol pepper, do a rough chop and put them in the bow of a food processor. Chop the Italian or other mild pepper up and place in the processor bowl also, followed by the garlic and onion. Pulse a few times to chop as fine as it will allow. Now put the crushed tomatoes, water and salt in and process until a fairly smooth sauce has formed. Reserve.

For the Short Ribs

2 lbs meaty bone-in short ribs

1 large onion chopped

2-3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

olive oil

chicken, beef or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

1-2 sheets parchment paper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano

juice from 1/4 of a medium lime

6oz tubetti, or any kind of small, tubular pasta.

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Trim any excess fat from the ribs, but don't trim the connective tissue holding the meat on the bone. Heat a 5 quart, or so, Dutch oven or heavy pot and coat the bottom with olive oil. Salt and pepper the short ribs, and in batches if necessary, brown the meat thoroughly on all sides. Remove from the pot, reserving. In the same pot, lower the heat to medium, and add the onions, cooking until soft 5-7 minutes. We're not looking to put a bunch of color on them, so adjust the heat if necessary. When soft add a little stock to deglaze the pot, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Now, add the reserved chile-tomato sauce, thyme and bay leaves, stirring to mix. Lay the browned short ribs in the liquid in a single layer. Add enough stock to come about 2/3 the way up the meat. Bring the pot to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Lay a piece of parchment paper down into the pot, but not laying on the meat, while at the same time overlapping the sides of the pot. If another sheet is needed to form a seal so no gaps are showing, use it. Place the lid over the parchment paper and place the pot in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (I checked at 2 1/2 hours and the meat was pretty tender, but not falling apart tender, so I stuck it back in for 30 min). At the halfway point, take the pot out and flip the ribs over in the liquid. When the meat can be pulled apart easily, it is ready. Carefully remove the ribs from the pot. Let cool on a plate.

Note - there is an advantage to doing this the day before. The flavors in the sauce will meld and be even better the next day, and after refrigeration, any hardened fat layer can be removed prior to eating.

The sauce will have thickened after the long braise, so add about 1/2 cup of water to thin. Taste, and add salt and pepper to season. Add the chopped cilantro and the Mexican oregano, rubbing it between your fingers to crush. Add the lime juice. Bring the heat up to a low simmer.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, separate the edible meat from any remaining fat and connective tissue, and coarsely shred with your hands. Return the meat to the pot with the sauce, mixing.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, the add the pasta. Cook accordingly, the drain. Put the pasta back into the pot (not over any heat), and add some of the juice from the sauce, mixing with the pasta to absorb. Serve family style by placing the pasta on a medium serving dish, and ladle the short ribs and sauce over. Serve hot.

Cook's Notes

• There is a much easier way to produce the braising liquid than the method described above. You can purchase El Pato Salsa de Chile Fresco (Tomato Sauce) found in any grocery store. It is simply a tomato sauce flavored with chiles. You'll need about 2 cups, so buy the larger size can. It's fairly spicy, so you may need to mitigate it with more water.

• 6 oz of noodles produces the right amount of sauce for the amount of pasta. If you need to feed more, naturally you would need to increase the amount of liquid and beef in the recipe.

• I thought wide egg noodles would've been really good in this dish also.

• For anyone curious, these were the meatier Chuck Short Ribs, not the Short Ribs from the Plate.

Jambalaya

2010-09-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Admittedly I have never made Jambalaya before. I've eaten it once, and you won't believe where. I was a teenager and had just come off of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at D-Land and decided to eat at that "Bayou" restaurant adjacent to the ride. I ordered the jambalaya probably because it had shrimp in it. It was, well, as Disney food goes, mediocre at best.

So, here I am ready to plunge head-first into the soupy, spicy dish that is jambalaya. It has everything I like in a dish - different meats, rice, highly-seasoned broth and that soul-satisfying feeling after you've gone back for thirds. So I perused the internet for methods and styles, called my mom for her pearls of cooking wisdom, and settled on using a version from Emeril Lagasse. Say what you may about his stage persona, but the man is the king in the French Quarter, and his take on jambalaya looked well-balanced and interesting.

Like gumbo, this is the kind of dish that is hard to stop eating. It's lighter than gumbo, because it's not roux-based, but has a lot of the same kinds of seasonings in it. The holy trinity of onion, green pepper and celery, cayenne pepper, hot Louisiana sausage. It's all there. I varied a few ingredients and methods, like the amount of spice. I backed off of the seasoning for the chicken and shrimp from his recipe, and the dish will still be borderline too spicy for some. Check the Cook's Notes for adjustments. Make this, though. You won't regret it. I guarantee!

Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken and Hot Sausage
Serves 2-4

12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined. Reserve shells.
4 ounces chicken breast, diced (about half of a half-breast)
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning (I like Tony C's)
5-6 ounces hot Louisiana-style smoked sausage, sliced
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup small diced onion
1/4 cup small diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup small diced celery
3/4 c rice
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Rotel or regular canned chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
3 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper

Procedure
In a small saucepan, place the reserved shells from the shrimp and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and let the mixture steep until ready for use. This isn't in the original recipe, but adds extra depth to the stock

In a small bowl, combine the shrimp and chicken with the two teaspoons of Creole seasoning, mixing thoroughly. Set aside.

In a heavy dutch oven type pot, heat about a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage slices, stirring to until they start to take on a little color, and some of the fat is rendering in the pot. Don't overcook the sausages, we're only looking for a quick sauté. Remove the sausages and reserve. Now we have a little flavor in the pan for the trinity. Add the rest of the olive oil, and saute the onion, pepper and celery until starting to get soft. At this point, add the rice, stirring. We want the vegetables to soften further and the rice to become opaque, and even start to take on some color, if possible. Now add the garlic, stirring, for about thirty seconds or so. Add the tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook, stirring to break down the tomatoes a little. Add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire and hot sauce, and then the infused chicken stock. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Open the cover and add the chicken and shrimp and reserved sausage slices. Cook about another 10 minutes until the chicken has cooked through. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting if needed.

Serve in bowls garnished with sliced green onion, if desired. Great with a crusty loaf of French bread.

Cook's Notes
• If spiciness may be an issue, you can go different ways. You can use milder sausage instead of the hot ones used here. You can also not use the hot pepper sauce indicated in the recipe, or use less then called for. You can always add some in at the table.
• I used Rotel canned tomatoes as I thought that the mild green chiles in them would work well in this dish, and it did. You can easily use regular canned tomatoes, however.
• I added a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce for a little more body, richness and color.
• I sauteed the rice in oil instead of just dumping it in with the stock for extra flavor and to keep the grains from mushing up. I like the result. I used Basmati, but any medium or long grained rice will do.

Cuban-Style Sandwich

2010-09-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

What do you do with a marinated pork rotisserie roast that you had the night before, but only ate a fraction of? When you think about it, there aren't a zillion options there, as there might be with say, a leftover rotisserie chicken. Luckily, there is a delicious option originating from our neighbors to the south. No, not those guys, the other guys. The ones below and a little to the right of Florida. That's it. Cuba!

In America we have the grilled ham and cheese. The Cubans have taken that concept and elevated it to a big, crunchy, melted, two-kinds-of-pork delight that every American should take the time and try. If you're lucky enough to live near a reputable Cuban bakery or restaurant, go try one. If you don't, it's not that complicated to make at home. It's more dependent on the ingredients than the method.

If you ask a Cuban, they'll tell you that it's not really a Cuban sandwich without Cuban bread. Lightly crunchy exterior, soft, slightly sweet crumb. Similar to French bread, but not a baguette. The crust on a baguette is too hard. I found a fresh loaf at my local Von's (Safeway) that does a pretty good job. They call it French Artisan Pain. It's a long loaf with a flaky crust and soft interior. Also, it's not too wide, making it perfect for lining up the ingredients. Now, if you are one of the really fortunate ones to have a Cuban bakery close by, by all means, go buy the loaf there.

The sandwich I made came out really good. The toasted buttered bread had a nice crunch, the pork loin had those great flavors see Grill Roasted Pork Loin recipe, and the cheese was perfectly melted, gluing the whole concoction together. The ham and pickle each added their own levels of salt and tartness that just make the whole thing work. I varied from an authentic Cuban sandwich in that I used Muenster instead of Swiss cheese. I like the nutty smoothness of Muenster. I also use a mayo-mustard blend rather than just plain yellow mustard. I find that the blend has a rounder flavor and works really well with the pork loin, rather than overpowering it. Of course this is just my take on the sandwich and I encourage you to experiment accordingly to your palate.

Cuban-Style Sandwich

Serves 1-2

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/8 teaspoon Creole seasoning salt (Tony C's)

10" of French Bread, split length-wise, but not cut all the way through.

3 thin slices kosher pickle

3 slices Muenster cheese

3-4 thin slices seasoned pork loin
2-3 thin slices deli ham
butter or margarine

Preheat a panini press or a large heavy-bottomed pan large enough to hold the sandwich, to medium/medium-high. If using a stove top pan, have a heavy pan ready to place on top of the sandwich, for use a s a weight.

Combine mayo, mustard and seasoning salt. Open the bread like a book, being careful not to break the halves apart. Spread about a tablespoon of the mayo-mustard blend on each side of the loaf. Lay the cheese down, overlapping the center a bit (see photo), then the pickle slices, the pork loin and ending with the ham. (Some lay another layer of cheese on top, though I don't find it necessary). Fold the sandwich up, making sure none of the ingredients are being pushed out. Tuck them in if that's the case.

Lightly butter the outside of the loaf, top and bottom, then lay the sandwich in the press, lowering the lid, and gently pressing the lid down to cook. If using a stove-top pan, place the sandwich carefully upright in the pan, then using the extra heavy-weight pan, place on top to weight the sandwich down, pressing lightly to cook. The stove-top sandwich will have to be flipped when the bottom bread is browning and the cheese is starting to melt.

When the bread is lightly but thoroughly toasted, the sandwich is pressed down to about 2", and the cheese has melted, it is ready to eat. Slice diagonally and serve.

Cook's Notes
• It's important that all of the ingredients are at room temperature when assembling the sandwich. If they aren't, the bread may be cooked and ready to come off, but the ingredients inside may still be cold.
• I've noticed that a lot of the photos online depicting Cuban sandwiches show varying thicknesses and amounts of meat. You can see from these photos about how much meat I used. I like the balance there. If you like more, by all means...

Grill-Roasted Pork Loin

2010-09-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

Having just spent a week away in the beautiful city of Carmel we were cruising down Route 1, the highway that hugs the California coastline, on our way back home to Realityville. What a beautiful way to travel. Soft winding roads, the blue ocean in every direction, wind-swept trees, it was a perfect end to the week. Oh, and since we left early on a weekday, there was no one except us on that road. No one. We were relaxed and enjoying the scenery, when I started thinking about our coming home meal.

Whenever we come home from a long trip, we have this habit of eating something that says "we made it home and all is well". When our kids were still at home that meant grilled cheese sandwiches. Comfort food. But I was thinking about something a little more substantial. Something I could put on the grill, kick back and enjoy the afternoon. I turned to my wife and told her I was thinking about putting something on the rotisserie, and she suggested a pork roast. Perfect! Nothing says "home" like a marinated pork roast in garlic and herbs, mashed potatoes and veg.

I used the rotisserie on this, as it self-bastes, but the roast could easily be done on a gas or charcoal grill using indirect heat. Or, this would be perfectly suited to go into the oven. Baste occasionally in these cases.

Grill-Roasted Pork Loin
Serves 6-8

6 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp rubbed sage
2 tsp kosher salt, or 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds - optional

4lb center cut pork loin

In a small processor, place the garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, sage and salt and process until chopped. Add the olive oil and continue to process until a slightly rough, loose paste forms. Add the black pepper, crushed red pepper and fennel seeds, if using, and pulse a few times to mix.

Lightly score the fat on pork loin, making a cross-hatch pattern. Lay the loin on a large sheet of plastic wrap, then pour the marinade over the top of the loin, flipping it and working the marinade around so the meat is completely covered. Wrap the pork up in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, up to six hours.

A half hour before roasting, remove the pork from the refrigerator, and prepare it for rotisserie, or regular roasting, allowing it to come to room temperature (at least taking much of the chill off).

Prepare the fire as needed. Roast the pork over medium heat, until it measures just under 160F in its thickest part. Remove from the grill, or oven, and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing.

Cook's Notes
Fennel seed is an acquired taste for many, so I made it optional to use. I was introduced to it in my family's Italian sausage dishes. It goes great with pork.

Tomato and Onion Tart

2010-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

I saw Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, do some Tomato and Goat Cheese tarts awhile back, and they looked so appetizing that I'm surprised I haven't done them before this. I like her take on food; fairly simple, fresh ingredients, maximizing flavor and ease of preparation. Her presentations are always beckoning, without being ostentatious.

So I basically used her template for the tart, with a few changes. I like goat cheese, but I love Feta cheese, so I opted for that instead. I also made one larger family-style tart instead of the smaller, circular ones she did. I provided the link to her recipe and video if you care to see her method for cutting out the circular shells. The tart was delicious, and didn't take any time to put together. Flaky crust, juicy tomato, savory onion with the salty Feta, you can't go wrong. Served with a salad and you have a very satisfying and filling weeknight dinner for four (or two if you live in my house).

Tomato and Onion Tart

Olive oil
2 large onions, sliced 1/4" thick
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
5-6 mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
pinch of sugar
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup Parmigiana Reggiano or other high quality Parmesan
4 large slices ripe tomato, cut 1/4" thick, or 6 slices if the tomato is smaller
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese
10 basil leaves, chopped
salt and pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Preparation
About 45 minutes before cooking, remove from its bag and thaw the puff pastry on the counter.
Preheat an oven to 425F

In a large pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, 2-3 tablespoons. Set on a medium low heat. When hot, place the onions and garlic in the pan and toss in the oil. Cover the pan and let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring the onions occasionally. After 15 minutes or so remove the cover, raise the heat a little, add a pinch of sugar, the leaves from the thyme sprigs, the mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, then add the Worcestershire sauce, and give the lemon a squeeze over the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste, and continue to sauté until the onions turn a nice dark golden color and are fairly sweet to the taste. Let cool a little.

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry and sprinkle a little flour on the top. With a roller, roll the pastry in an up and down pattern to form a rectangle that is approximately 12" long. Place the pastry inside a sheet pan that has had parchment paper laid out on it. With a sharp knife, score a line 1/2" from the edges all the way around the inside of the pastry. Don't cut all the way through the dough. You'll have a rectangle inside a rectangle. Now with a fork, dock the dough by pricking inside the rectangle you just made all over the surface of the dough. This keeps it from rising except around the edges.

Take the Parmesan and sprinkle all over the dough inside the scored area. On top of that, lay all of the onion mixture out evenly. Then place the tomatoes on top of the onions. Brush each tomato with a little olive oil, and add little salt and pepper. On top of the tomatoes, scatter the basil, then scatter the Feta over the tomatoes and the rest of the tart. All of the toppings should be inside the scored area, or the edges of the tart will not rise properly.

Place the pan with the tart in it in the hot oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust has a nice golden brown color. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Products We Like

2010-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hand-sliced deli turkey can be hit or miss as far as I'm concerned. Boar's Head always seems to have outstanding taste and texture, but with the price at $10.99 per pound and up I usually reserve buying that brand for holiday gatherings and other special occasions.

I happened to try Butterball's Thanksgiving Roast Turkey a couple of weeks ago, and it is a cut above many of the other brands out there, in my opinion, and certainly better than is available prepackaged. I had the deli person slice a pound, not shaved, but fairly thin. The texture was firm but tender, and best of all, not slimy. Although salted, as all deli meats are, it was at a pleasant level letting the oven-roasted turkey flavor really come through. My wife noticed the difference between this and the previous turkey we had been buying, right away.

At the time of this writing, I paid $6.99 lb at a local market.

(I do not get paid or compensated in any way, shape or form from any company or organization for recommending or sharing an experience with any product. If I find a product that I think others will like based on the quality and/or price of that product, I recommend it as any friend would. Simple as that!)

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-08-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

So I'm checking Facebook and there's a message on my wall from my nephew, James, requesting that I post a recipe for cheese enchiladas with red sauce. Cool. That's why I started to post on this blog in the first place - to share my take on what we eat and how we go about it, and enchiladas are certainly near the top of that list

In America, a lot of the foods we think of as Mexican, are actually Mexican-American, in the same way that Italian foods served here are largely Italian-American. Spaghetti, Pizza, Lasagna is dressed differently here than in Italy. Generally we use heavier sauces and thicker crusts. That's not to say the American version is inferior, it's just what we've come to love in America.

For the sauce on these enchiladas, we start with a light roux, and build a slightly thicker sauce than what is traditionally found in Mexico. But we've all had this sauce since we can remember in Southern California; a spicy reddish-brown sauce with melted cheese, with the extra sauce mingling with the shredded lettuce and rice on the side of the plate. The kind that tastes so good you want to pick the damn plate up and start licking it, but instead you use any extra chips to scrape up every last drop you can. Well, maybe I should speak for myself...

As I mentioned, my Nephew asked for the cheese version of these, but I'm doing chicken tonight because I need to use some breast meat up, but the recipe can easily be adjusted to accommodate a cheese only version. Better yet, try this chicken recipe and see if you don't find yourself licking the plate.

Chicken Enchiladas

makes about 8

The Sauce

5 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard*

2 tablespoon California chile powder

2 tablespoon Ancho chile powder

2 teaspoon cumin, ground

2 cups water, warmed

2 cups low sodium canned chicken broth, warmed

2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, rubbed between fingers (do not use Italian or Greek oregano)

1 teaspoon fine salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste)

Put the oil in a pot or large pan that has been set to a medium low heat. When the oil has heated, spread the flour around the surface of the oil and stir. We're making a roux so it is important to stir the flour so that it doesn't stay in one place and burn. After two minutes of this it will have darkened slightly and should smell like buttered popcorn. Add the chile powders and cumin, stirring. We want to toast the chiles slightly. After 30 seconds, slowly add the water and broth, stirring with a whisk to break down any lumps. Add the oregano, salt and garlic powder. Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat back to a low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Keep covered, reserving until you need to assemble the enchiladas. You will want to make this a little ahead of time so the sauce has had time to cool down, enough to handle. Also, the sauce tends to thicken as it stands, so a little water is recommended and a thorough stirring prior to use. We want a sauce, not a gravy.

The Enchiladas

2 cups shredded, then chopped cooked chicken breast.**

1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, divided

1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1/4 cup white onions, small dice (always use white onions in Mex cooking)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

8 large corn tortillas (labeled King Size, about 6 1/4" dia)

In a large bowl combine the chicken, and 1 cup each of the cheeses, reserving a 1/2 cup each of the cheeses for later. To the chicken mixture, add the olives, onions and cilantro, and a little salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

In a frying pan, heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil or lard to a medium high heat. Briefly fry each tortilla, flipping after a few seconds to fry both sides. Remove to paper towels to drain, stacking them as you go.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375, and have an oven proof pan ready, usually a 9"x13"

Assembly

Line up from left to right: the tortillas, the sauce, the chicken cheese mixture, the pan for the oven.

Take a little of the reserved sauce and "paint" the bottom of the pan that the enchiladas will be warmed in.

Next, grab a small plate to do the rolling on. Take one of the fried tortillas and lay it on top of the sauce, then flip it over to coat the other side. Remove and place it on the empty plate you're holding. We're looking to just make contact and and coat the tortilla, not teach it how to swim, and we don't want it soggy. Next, take a generous 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture (less if you ended up buying the smaller tortillas) and place it down the center of the tortilla at its widest. Roll the tortilla up around the filling, snugly, and place the enchilada seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

When all of the enchiladas have been assembled, spread about a tablespoon or more of the sauce on top of each one, then sprinkle with the reserved cheeses. Place in the oven until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is bubbly. 20-30 minutes.

Remove from oven. You can garnish with sour cream, guacamole, fresh tomatoes or shredded lettuce as pictured below.

Only two of us eating tonight, so I made individual portions as pictured here.

Cook's Notes

* I used vegetable oil in this recipe, and they were very good. To get an added burst of true Mexican flavor though, you should use lard in place of the oil. I guarantee every Mexican joint you ever stumbled out of that blew you away uses lard, and usually lots of it. Your first clue is in their beans. No lard = so-so beans. Lard in small quantities isn't any worse than other fats like butter or Crisco.

** The reason I call for shredded, then chopped, is this. If you just take a cooked chicken breast and cube it up, the texture of the filling is too, well, clunky in my opinion. It's like having a mouth full of dice. By hand-shredding it first, then chopping up into smaller pieces, the chicken flows with the rest of the filling and melds with the flavors. I know, picky, picky, but the little details add up in the finished product.

• If you use the smaller, more common tortillas, you will probably end up with about 12 finished enchiladas.

• In the spirit of tweaking, remember this recipe is only a guide. Feel free to experiment with different chile combinations. New Mexico for heat, Chipotle powder for smokiness and heat, Guajillo for that familiar bright red sauce. Have some fun!

Fish Burger

2010-08-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

My sons were ribbing me about posting photos of the food we eat, and one smugly asked why I don't post a pic of a tuna fish sandwich, while the other son went into a story about how I would only cook ramen noodles handmade by an Asian artisan. This is my life.

Tuna fish sandwiches and Top Ramen soup have to be in every parent's arsenal. Heck, they were in my own mother's arsenal, and guess what? We loved it! Freshly-made tuna salad with a little pickle relish on white bread. A hot bowl of steamy ramen noodles. It was quick. It was dirt cheap. And no complaints from the eating gallery.

So, considering my son's challenge about posting a tuna sandwich, I came up with a cousin of that humble family standby. I wouldn't, couldn't, post a regular old tuna sandwich. I think even my sons could figure out how to open a can and add those few ingredients. I know you all have your favorite way of making it, and your kids probably love it. Instead I offer this fish burger. A firm piece of yellowtail marinated in a ginger sesame-soy mix resting on top of a bed of slaw, dressed in a ginger dressing, and topped with fried wontons for crunch and flavor. My requirement for any burger, beef, turkey or fish, is that it is juicy. It should leave juices on the plate, and is hard to put down because it tastes good. This burger fit that bill.

A quick word on fish. It is my belief that a lot of Americans just don't seem to care for fish, and I attribute this to a few reasons. First, it's hard to find fish that is truly fresh, so a lot of fish smells, well, fishy. It shouldn't and you shouldn't eat it if it does. Fresh fish should smell like the ocean. A little briny, a little sweet. I buy all of my fish at a local fish restaurant call the Market Broiler. They have a retail counter and cut fresh fish three times a week. Wonderful fish.

Second, a lot of folks grew up with bland, fried, overcooked or undercooked fish dinners. Not a great way to get to love fish. So they gave up trying. They in turn didn't expose their kids to it, so the cycle of fish-haters multiplied.

Third - creativity. Look at the way Asian and Latin countries treat fish. Fish isn't served with some heavy mayo and pickle concoction, it's served with a myriad of spices, sauces, salsas and garnishes that accentuate the moist, tender, flakiness that is fresh fish. We could take a lesson.

Fish Burger with Udon Noodle Soup

Serves four

The Fish and Marinade

2 large fillets of any firm fleshed fish. Yellowtail, Swordfish, Mahi Mahi, Shark, Salmon (enough to cover four burgers when cut in half).

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

2 hours before grilling, mix marinade together thoroughly making sure the sugar has dissolved, then place the fillets in a large ziplock bag, pour the marinade over, seal and refrigerate.

For the Slaw

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

6 tablespoons mayo

1/3 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced celery

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

2 tablespoons, peeled, diced ginger

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon catsup

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground

3 cups finely shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage)

Place cabbage in a medium sized mixing bowl. Place all of the other ingredients in a food processor (except the coleslaw mix) and process until smooth. Measuring about a half cup at a time, pour the dressing over the cabbage and combine. 3 cups of cabbage should take about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dressing, or less, depending on how wet you like it. Be the judge here. This can be made a couple of hours ahead of time, refrigerated.

Fried Wontons

6-8 wonton wrappers, stacked, then sliced about 1/4" wide

oil for frying

Heat oil in a pan to about 1", hot enough to fry in. Add as many of the wontons that will fit in the pan without overcrowding, and quickly fry until golden. Remove to paper towels, and lightly salt. Repeat.

Burger Assembly

4 burger buns, whole wheat or white

4 slices tomato

Prepared slaw

Fried wontons

Marinated fish

Heat a grill to medium high. Remove the fillets from the marinade and pat dry. When the grill is hot, oil the grates, then lay the fillets on the grill for a few minutes on each side, until just done.

While the fish is cooking, lightly butter the cut side of each half of the bun, then brown on a frying pan that has been set to medium high heat until a nice golden crust has formed. Set aside

When the fish is done, cut the fillets so there are four equal pieces. Set the bottom half of each bun on a plate. Pile some slaw on each one, followed by a tomato slice, a fish fillet and top with the fried won tons. Serve with soup.

For the Udon Noodle Soup

2 packages prepared fresh (not dried) Udon Noodle soup package with seasoning packet

1 package stir fry vegetable mix (found in produce sections)

Here I just followed the directions on the package for stir frying the noodles, and added some of the vegetable from the mix, and extra vegetable or chicken broth to make a soup. I also added soy sauce to the broth.

Cook's Notes

Since tomatoes are in season, I used them here, otherwise I would have grilled a thin slice of pineapple and used that, as it would have complemented the soy marinade.

Frittata with Brown Rice, Mushrooms and Green Onion

2010-08-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's 6am, I'm downing my first cup of coffee, and my 1 year-old Welsh Corgi is sitting two feet in front of me, staring. We both know what that means because she's trained me well. It's time for her walk. I actually enjoy the walk as it's good for both of us. If not for her reminder, I'd still be sitting in the chair, drinking coffee, poking at icons on the iPad.

So there we are, about 15 minutes into the walk, minding our own business when some rude, inconsiderate person has the unmitigated gall to be frying bacon in that early hour. That's right, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That aroma wafts our way and all of a sudden I'm Bugs Bunny, floating sideways off of the ground, eyes closed, nose leading me to that alluring piece of smoked pork... Actually what it did was get my stomach growling.

So we make it home and I check the fridge. No bacon, no sausage, no ham, which is a good thing in the end I guess. But there are eggs. I love eggs. I could eat them everyday. Hard-boiled, scrambled, fried, I don't care. This day, however, I set out to make a two egg frittata. Italian cousin to the French omelette, it's easy to make, very satisfying and would ultimately quell the hunger in me that started on our walk.

The great thing about frittatas is that they are a terrific way to incorporate leftovers or other items that are just hanging out in the fridge with no particular purpose. For this one, I used some of the plain, unused brown rice leftover from making the pot pies, some mushrooms and green onions. It was delicious, and made me forget about that bacon. At least for now.

Frittata with Brown Rice, Mushrooms and Green Onion

serves 1

olive oil

2-3 mushrooms, chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 tablespoons cooked brown rice (or any leftover rice)

2 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature

1 teaspoon Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat a 6" non-stick skillet to medium high and place the mushrooms it the pan. Brown the mushroom about two minutes, stirring. Add the green onoins and cook 1 minute longer. Add the brown rice and cook 1 minute longer. All of the ingredients should be heated through.

Add the cheese to the eggs and add a pinch of salt, mixing. Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Immediately lower the heat to medium, medium-low (depends on the power of your burner). What we're looking for is an initial sizzle around the edges of the egg. This helps set the frittata. After a few seconds, grab the handle of the pan and give it a shake, or swirl. This in effect briefly stirs the egg without scraping the pan itself. If you feel more comfortable, you can briefly stir the contents with a rubber spatula, but remember we're forming a crust on the bottom. Scrape down any thin layer of egg from the sides of the pan towards the frittata.

After a few minutes, the edges should be a little golden, with bubbles coming up showing that the dish is cooking. The middle of the eggs will still not be set completely. This is okay. Check underneath by gently lifting up one side with a fork. Check for color. It should be a nice golden brown.

You can go two ways, next. To finish cooking the top you can place the pan briefly under the broiler or in a hot oven, and it will puff up nicely when done. This is usually not recommended for non-stick pans, but folks do it anyhow.

The other way is to place a flat dish over the top of the pan. Place a towel on the dish to protect your hand from the heat. Placing one hand on the towel and the other grasping the handle of the pan, in one motion invert the plate and pan over 180 degrees. The plate will now be on the bottom, the pan will be upside-down, on the top. Now, remove the pan and place it back on the stove with the fire on. Next, take the plate with the frittata on it now, and slide the frittata back into the pan to finish cooking the unset eggs. You may need a rubber spatula to help it off of the plate. Push any loose eggs under the frittata. The frittata only needs a brief cooking, maybe less than a minute, to finish. With the pan, flip the frittata over again so the pretty side is facing up, onto a serving plate

It sounds like a lot of work, but believe me when I tell you the entire process is 5 minutes, tops. It's well worth it.

Cook's Notes

When flipping, make sure you have a firm grasp on the top and bottom, then don't hesitate and invert in one swift move. Otherwise, you could end up with a mess and hot eggs all over the place, especially if and when you move on to larger frittatas with 6 eggs or more.

Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie

2010-08-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at my keyboard trying to remember how it was that I came up with doing any kind of pot pie when it was 109 degrees outside today. Pot pies are usually regarded as a comfy winter dish that you can warm up with on a couch, by a fire...

Whatever the reason, I'm glad I did them. And so are my wife and daughter. They loved the caramelized, roasted broccoli and cauliflower, the meatiness of the mushrooms and the satisfying chew of the brown rice, all pulled together in a rich, creamy sauce filled with that "comfort" factor. When my wife says "I'd pay big money for this", that means I'd better write down what I did because she'll be requesting it again.

So here it is. Charge them big money.

Roasted Vegetable Pot Pie
makes 3 or 4 pot pies, depending on size of ramekins

For the Roasted Vegetables
12 oz Broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
12 oz Cauliflower florets, cut into bite sized pieces
1 6 oz package whole Cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, cut in half
1 medium zucchini, cleaned, chopped into bite sized pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper
*********************************
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red, brown or white onion, medium dice
1 large carrot, peeled, small dice
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
1/3 cup flour
2 small to medium garlic cloves, minced
3 cups vegetable stock, warmed slightly
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked brown rice*
1/2 cup heavy cream - optional
Creole Seasoning Salt*
Freshly ground black pepper

1 box puff pastry (2 sheets)

1 egg, beaten
water

Preparation

Remove the puff pastry from its box and plastic wrap and lay the two sheets, still folded, on the counter, at the same time that the vegetables go into the oven for roasting

Preheat an oven to 400F. Place the vegetables for roasting on a rimmed cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan. Pour the olive oil over and sprinkle the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper on top. Mix the vegetables thoroughly with your hands to ensure complete coverage. Roast the vegetables for about 40 minutes, shaking the pan at 20 minutes and tossing the vegetables over. Remove the pan from the oven.

Keep the oven set to 400F

About 10 minutes before the vegetables are done roasting, heat a pot on medium heat and coat the bottom of it with olive oil. Sauté the onion, carrot and thyme leaves until softened 5-8 minutes, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. When soft, sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir, mixing well. We're making a little roux, so don't let the flour burn. After about 2 minutes, add the minced garlic, cooking for about 30 seconds. Immediately add the vegetable stock, stirring vigorously to mix it with the flour. Add the roasted vegetables and bay leaf into the pot. Add the rice into the pot and gently mix. Add the heavy cream if using. Taste and add the Creole salt (or plain salt if you prefer) and black pepper. When the mixture comes back to a soft boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and let the mixture blend, making sure that the carrots are cooked through.

While the mixture simmers, prepare the pastry and ramekins. Spread a little flour down on a work surface and unfold the puff pastry into a sheet. Flour a rolling pin and gently roll the sheet out and flatten slightly. Using your ramekins as a template, cut out the puff pastry with a sharp knife, but cut it so the resulting shape is larger than the ramekin by about 3/4" on all sides. Do this for all the ramekins.

In a small bowl mix the beaten egg with a little water to make an egg wash.

Ladle enough of the pie mixture into each ramekin so that it comes at least 3/4 of the way to the top. On the side of the puff pastry that will face down towards the bowl, brush a little of the egg wash around the rim of the pastry. This will act as a glue. Place the pastry over the ramekin, pressing the pastry against the sides of the ramekin. Don't freak if it's not perfect or gripping 100%. On the top of the pastry brush a little of the egg wash. Poke a couple of holes in the top with a tip of a knife for venting. Place on a rimmed cookie sheet. Do the same with the other ramekins. Place all of the pot pies in the 400F degree oven for about 20 minutes. The pies should be puffed, golden and beautiful!

Wait 5-8 minutes before serving. They're way too hot to heat, and taste much better as they cool a bit.

Enjoy!

Cook's Notes

• We like to use one of those bagged brown rice mixes you find at Trader Joe's or Sprouts. Lundgren makes a good product. There are 3 or 4 varieties going on in each bag, and the contrast of textures is great.

• The reason I'm calling for a Creole seasoning salt here is that it imparts great taste, a little heat and a lots of different flavors. Pure vegetable dishes can be delicious, but they benefit from the levels of seasoning that you impart. I use Tony C's. It's been around a long time. It doesn't make the dish Creole by any means, but it adds wonderful taste. You can use regular salt if you wish. No problem.

• Instead of heavy cream today, I actually used some soy milk creamer, so my vegan daughter could eat the dish. I couldn't taste the soy aspect, but it did add the creaminess I was looking for. The dish can be made successfully with no cream at all, if you prefer not to use it.

Chicken Chili Stew with Maiz Morado

2010-08-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

What?? Maiz Morado? What's he talking about? For those of us that are Spanishly-impaired, a quick wiki lookup produces "Purple Corn". It is used extensively in southern Mexico and points further south. How and why did I end up with a large can of purple corn? Let me explain.

Do you ever go to the store and see a food item that you don't really have a clue how to use, but it looks intriguing, a little familiar and you feel up to a challenge? Well, last week I was perusing the canned food aisle at the 99-cent store because I'm always on the lookout for canned items that are half the price that I'd be paying elsewhere. I got to the end of the aisle where they keep the hominy, and there were these 28 oz cans of Maiz Morado. The picture on the can looked similar to white hominy, but firmer, more like a purplish corn nut. So I bought a can.

Next decision - what to do with it? Well, not having the time to sacrifice a pig's foot or two to the posole gods and with only a short time left for dinner, I thought about something a little more Southwestern, like a quicker soup/stew dish that could come together in about an hour or so. I had chicken breasts and some stock in the fridge, and the rest of what was needed were staple items. This stew/soup is what I came up with. It was really good that day, but even better the next day. The purple corn tasted great, like hominy with a little more firmness and nice color. I recommend substituting it for hominy the next time you make a soup calling for it, just to give it a try.

Chicken Chili Stew with Maiz Morado (Purple Corn)
serves 4-6

2-3 Tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons pure chile powder (I used 1 T Ancho and 1 T California chile) *see Cook's Notes
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 14oz can chopped tomatoes
4 oz can fire roasted green chiles
1 28oz can Maiz Morado or regular hominy, drained
6 cups chicken stock, preferably home made
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 half-chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper

For the Garnish
1/4 cup white onion, small dice
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
2-3 corn tortillas, quartered and fried into chips

Preparation
In a medium to large pot, heat the oil and when medium-hot, sauté onions and the jalapeño until the onions are getting soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and chile powders and cook for about 30 seconds, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Immediately pour the entire contents of the canned tomatoes into the pot stirring. We are avoiding burning the chile powders and garlic by doing this. Add the can of green chiles and this time also, stirring, Let this mixture simmer for about five minutes. The tomatoes should be breaking down some at this point.

To the pot add the stock, the corn/hominy and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir. Bring to barely a boil, then turn the heat down, cover and gently simmer for about an hour.

Remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator, season with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan then coast the bottom with vegetable oil. Brown the chicken pieces lightly, removing from the pan to drain on paper towels. When all of the chicken is done browning, add the pieces to the pot, along with the lime juice and cilantro. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes, making sure the chicken is cooked through, but not getting tough.

Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Serve the stew and pass the garnishes around.

Cook's Notes
• As mentioned above, this stew-soup can easily be made with regular hominy. The difference will mostly be in the texture of the corn
• Next time I'd like to add zuccini to this dish.
• Since I had breast meat on hand, I used it, but I really prefer well-trimmed thigh meat. It's more flavorful and you don't run the risk of overcooking it, especially if you're holding a low heat on the soup say for guests. If I did use thighs, they would have been browned first, before the onions, then removed. The recipe would continue as written, except the thighs would go back in with the maiz/hominy, adding to the flavor of the broth.
• This is a fairly spicy dish. Ways to tone it down; leave the jalapeno out altogether. Also, you could use regular chili powder like Gebhardt's instead of the pure chile powders. If you do this I would also recommend cutting back on the cumin by half.

Rotisserie Chicken

2010-08-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

I think the earliest, clear memory I have of my maternal grandfather was standing in front of his covered charcoal grill, the heat from the grill hot on my face while he instructed this then five year-old on the nuances of spit roasting a chicken. Mind you, at the time I had no real idea of what he was talking about, but bits and pieces have stuck and are now part of my mechanics; balance, basting, heat consistency.

His name was James Galante, "Jimmy", the son of Sicilian immigrants, and he took the things that he did pretty seriously, and he expected me to listen and not "horse around" as he would put it. So I didn't. He was also one of those brainy mechanical types, always looking to improve on the job at hand. And he did. He worked at, or had access to, a machine shop at the time, and actually used a metal lathe to fashion screw-together counter-balances for the rotisserie, so whatever was being grilled would rotate at a consistent speed. Seriously meticulous.

Well, beyond the impressions of a young lad looking up to his Grandpa, the aroma of a bird being cooked slowly over a flame, fat hitting the heat, and the kind of relaxed, joyous atmosphere that seems to accompany it was enough for me to break out the spit and motor myself this Sunday. We didn't have company today, but that's OK. I'm sure Gramps was looking over my shoulder and somehow making sure that the bird was balanced, that I basted at the right time, and that the heat was correct.

Rotisserie Chicken - Gas Grill
(No rotisserie? See Cook's Notes below)

1 3.5 - 4.5 lb whole chicken, giblets removed, and cleaned

Marinade
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
zest from the lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Bijol* - optional

Baste
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
A little salt and pepper

4-6 hours before grilling, combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Using your fingers, loosen the skin of the chicken in four places; two at the top of each breast (with the chicken on its back), and two at the bottom of the thigh where the tail starts (with the chicken breast-side down). Pushing your fingers up firmly, but gently so as not to tear holes in the skin, form four pockets as far as your fingers will allow. Each pocket should be about the length of your index finger. Using a teaspoon, ladle two teaspoons of marinade into each pocket to distribute the mixture under the skin of the bird. Work it around for evenness. With your hands, pour the rest of the marinade around and inside the chicken getting as much distribution as you can. Truss the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine or silicone rubber bands. Place the chicken into a gallon ziplock bag. Close and refrigerate. Flip the bird occasionally. Oh, come on...!

About an hour before grilling remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Thread the chicken onto a spit fitted with rotisserie tines, making sure the heavier breast side is on the opposite side of a counter-balance weight attached to the spit rod. Snug the tines toward the chicken and fasten in place. 10 minutes before putting the bird on, heat the grill using the burners not directly under the bird. The temperature for the interior of the grill with the lid closed should be about 400F, or a little under.

Place a drip pan under where the chicken will sit, then place the mounted bird and spit into the motor. Turn on the motor and close the lid.

Baste the chicken with a brush at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and 40 minutes with the melted butter mixture. Do this as quickly as possible to minimize heat loss. The bird will be done when the thigh meat registers 180F. I find that a 4.5lb bird, cooked at 400F for 1 hour 15 minutes, comes out beautifully. Of course this will vary depending on a lot of little things, but use it as a guide.

Remove the chicken from the grill, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the spit, then carve.

Happy eating!

* Bijol is a Mexican powdered condiment of sorts. It doesn't really add any taste in this amount, but it adds a nice reddish-orange color to the chicken skin thanks to the annato seed. See how yellow the marinated bird starts out in the first photo? That's the Bijol at work, You can leave it out without any problem. It can be found in Mexican grocers. It comes in a little round container near the seasonings.

Cook's Notes
• If you don't have a rotisserie that's no problem. The marinade is still a great one on grilled chicken pieces. If using a cut-up chicken, you can omit the steps about making pockets at the breasts and thighs, since the marinade will be rubbed over each chicken piece, resulting in complete coverage. You may want to increase the olive oil slightly in the marinade since there will be a little more surface area to cover. Grill like any other chicken, until the skin is crispy and the juices run clear.
• When cooking a whole chicken, one of the challenges is to cook the leg and thigh meat thoroughly but not drying out the breast meat, since the breast comes to the ideal 160F before the leg and thigh gets to 180F. Dry brining - salting the chicken ahead of time- helps, but a long roasting still takes it's toll. Getting the leg and thigh meat to room temperature, but keeping the breast meat chilled seems like the perfect solution, so I tried this:

after removing the chicken from the refrigerator, I set it breast-side down in a bowl filled with ice cubes contained in a ziplock bag. I positioned the bird so only the breast meat was iced, but not the legs or thighs. I was hoping to close the gap in the time the breast meat was ready and the thighs needing more time. As it turned out, although the breast meat went over 170F before the thigh meat was 180F, I think the chilling delayed the breast from being cooked way too long at too high a temp and getting totally dried out. The finished breast was still pretty juicy and the legs and thighs were perfect. I'll keep experimenting.

Chopped Salad with Grilled Steak and Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

2010-08-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

We love a good salad around here. Heck, my better half probably has more salads than there are days in the week, often enough, between work and home. Typical green salads can get mundane however, so with a little planning and a nice variety of ingredients, both in the pantry and in the fridge, a salad can be interesting and flavorful. Also for the meat eaters in the family, the thought of a salad for dinner doesn't have to be a negative one.

Our tomato plants in the backyard are yielding nice fruits now, but we can see the end fast approaching. I grabbed a couple for tonight's meal and decided to include one in the dressing itself and use the other fresh. In just a matter of a couple of weeks or so, we'll be looking at store-bought tomatoes or canned again. Summer spoils us.

I also grabbed a New York Strip Steak I had vacuumed-sealed in the freezer I had bought back in April from Costco. If you don't have one of those gadgets, get one. You will not regret it. I'll talk about our experience with this in another post.

For this salad, plan on making the dressing about 2 hours ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend and the artichoke hearts to marinate. After that, it's just a matter of chopping veggies, grilling the steak and a nice, fresh interesting salad, with a piece of delicious steak, is to be enjoyed. Simple, quick and delicious.

Chopped Salad with Grilled Steak and Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

Serves 2 for dinner

Vinaigrette
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1 medium very ripe tomato, skinned, cored, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper

Salad

1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 large tomato, sliced into bite sized pieces (not diced)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts packed in water from a can, not marinated.
1/4 cup small diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup small diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup small diced red onion
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/8 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup, slivered almonds
2 green onions, chopped small, both white and green parts
1 Romaine lettuce heart, chopped into bite-sized pieces

The Steak
1 8 oz New York strip steak, about 1 1/2" thick

Preparation
Around 2 hours before eating, mince the garlic as finely as possible and place in the bottom of a small bowl. To this add the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. Mix thoroughly. To emulsify the dressing, slowly, a few drops at a time, start adding the olive oil whisking vigorously, blending the oil into the mixture. Continue to do this, whisking the entire time. As the dressing comes together, the oil can go in at a slightly faster rate. the result should be a slightly cloudy, smooth dressing. Chop the basil if using fresh, and add this and the chopped tomatoes into the dressing. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

Remove a 1/2 cup of artichokes from the can, draining and rinsing them in water. Quickly dry them on a paper towel then submerge them in the just-made vinaigrette. This will marinate the artichokes for the salad.

About 1 hour before grilling, generously salt the steak and place back into the fridge. About 15 minutes before grilling, take the steak out of the fridge and put on the counter.

While the steak is in the refrigerator, assemble the salad. With a slotted spoon, remove the artichokes from the marinade. The tomatoes from the marinade will also come out. That is okay. Put them in a large bowl.

Toast the slivered almonds by heating a small frying pan, and when fairly hot, place the almonds in the pan, and stir and toss until the almonds start to toast. Don't let them burn. When done, remove from the pan and cool briefly on a paper towel.

Place the remaining salad ingredients into the bowl with the artichoke hearts. Add the almonds when they have cooled. Toss. Refrigerate.

Pat the steak dry, wiping any excess salt from the surface. Season the steak with pepper, and place on a hot grill. When the meat has reached 125-130F degrees internally, remove it from the grill (for medium - pink, not bloody). Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, then slice on the bias,

Take a portion of the dressing and wet the salad, tossing. Assemble individual portions on a plate, using the entire salad. Place half of the steak on top of each salad. Serve, passing around the remaining dressing.

Cook's Notes
• If very ripe tomatoes aren't available for the dressing, use a good quality chopped tomato from a can
• Any tender steak can be used; filet mignon, top sirloin, even chicken breast or salmon
• Get creative with the ingredients. I would have used an avocado if I had one.