Ciopinno, Hearty Seafood Stew!!!

Tis the season for special meals and family gatherings. Sunday night I had reason to celebrate with a friend and with seafood on sale all over town I thought that wonderful bowl of Cioppino would be the perfect thing! Cioppino originated in San Fransisco where the Italian and Portuguese fisherman would make this seafood stew from the remainders of the day's catch.

After scouring the local stores I assembled a medley of fresh seafood. For this stew the type of fish and shell fish you choose can totally dependent on what is fresh and looks good in the local markets. You don't need a lot of any one thing, but a nice blend of several types of seafood will make this something special.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh fennel chopped.
2 Shallots finely chopped.
1 medium onion chopped.
1 28oz can of chopped tomatoes undrained.
11/2 cups fish stock.
1 cup white wine.
1/4 cup tomato paste.
1/2 green pepper small diced.
1/2 red pepper small diced.
1 cup chopped Italian parsley.
11/2 tspn dried oregano.
1 teaspoon dried thyme.
1 tspn dried basil.
1/2 tspn chervil.
11/2 tspn red pepper flakes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
2 tbsp olive oil.

You can use any combination that suits your taste I used these because they were all on sale.
3/4 lb. Mussels scrubbed, beards removed.
4 scallops.
8 clams, scrubbed.
8 shrimp peeled veins removed.
6 oz cod loin cut into 11/2 inch cubes.
1 Snow Crab cluster.
Lobster Claws.

Making Seafood Stock

A word about the stock. Making your own stock is easy and really enhances the flavors of the soup or sauces you make. I made my own seafood stock by simmering the crushed crab and lobster shells, in wine and water with onion, carrot, celery, a dab of tomato paste, and a bouquet garni. Just simmered gently for a couple of hours while I watched the football game! (Go Vikes!)

Preparation.
Crack and removed the meat from the crab and lobster, reserve the shells if using for stock. Refrigerate the crab and lobster meat until ready to to use.
Heat oil a large stock pot. Saute shallots until softened, add onion, fennel, and peppers. Saute until soft.
Add the dried herbs, and red pepper flakes. Saute 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, wine, and stock. Stir to blend then allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes.This allows the flavors to blend.
Add mussels and clams cover and simmer about 5 minutes, or until the mollusks are open.
Add the shrimp, fish, scallops, and crab and lobster meat. Simmer about 5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked through.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more pepper flakes if desired.

Serve hot with crusty Italian bread for dipping!

The Seville Omelet

The other night I made Spanish Rice for my dinner. Nothing fancy mind you, but one of my easy fix staple meals for when I don't feel like cooking big. I use simple ingredients, rice of course, a can of petite diced tomatoes, a little green pepper and onion, and some simple spices. For protein I usually add ground turkey, but beef would do as well or even without the protein. It was tasty and satisfying and there were enough leftovers for a few more meals too!

But this post is really about breakfast! Omelets have long been a favorite of mine having made them all the time in my youth. What I love about them is the versatility and simplicity! They are the perfect vehicle for using up the leftovers in the fridge. In the past I've made pot roast omelets, even turkey stuffing omelets, hence Spanish Rice and the Seville Omelet.

This simple and delicious omelet simply combines the Spanish rice, some shredded cheddar cheese, a little salsa, and a dollop of sour cream. This may be my favorite omelet of all time! (So far...)

Here are some omelet basics.
First the perfect omelet is made with two eggs not three! If you're looking for that crepe like thin rolled omelet you need less eggs and less air whipped into them. So two eggs, a tbsp cool water, wisked with a fork and left to stand while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.

Use the right size pan. I greatly prefer a 10 inch non stick skillet, use enough butter/cooking spray to cover the skillet. With two eggs this allows for the thin layer. Many 8 inch skillets are referred to as omelet pans, and they work well if you are after a fluffier French style omelet.

Allow the eggs to set well, they should be nearly dry on top before flipping. By the way its really helpful to learn to flip eggs by tossing them with the pan. It takes a little effort but it is worth it and will be useful in other ways as well.

Make sure to heat the filling ingredients fully before placing it with the eggs. Place the filling in the center across the eggs. With a silicone spatula fold one side over the filling. Slide the omelet, folded side first, onto your plate folding the other edge over with the pan as you slide it off. Its easier than it seems.

Top lightly with garnishes or add them to the side. The result is an omelet that looks and tastes as made by a professional!

Enjoy! 


  

Broiled Basa fish with Lemon Chive Beurre Blanc.

This is day one of my sauce project and today's adventure is Beurre Blanc. A terrific white sauce excellent with fish and seafood. A pretty simple sauce with just a few ingredients but requiring a little patience. I found these at Trader Joe's for under $5 per pound.

Basa fish is a very mild white fresh water fish, very light texture. The fillets tend to be long and about 5-7 ounces each perfect portion size. The flavor is similar to catfish. I broiled it about 8 minutes until opaque and flaky. the veggies on the side was a medley of yellow squash, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, grape tomatoes, and Yukon red potatoes. All sauteed in olive oil, with garlic, shallot, and thyme.  

Beurre Blanc

3 tbsp white wine
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 small shallots, minced
1 cup butter chilled and cubed
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly squeeze lemon juice to taste
1 tbsp freshly snipped chives

Place the wine, vinegar, shallots, in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Boil until reduced to about 2 tbsp.
Reduce heat to low and ad the butter a couple of pieces at a time whisking it in as you go.
The sauce will become light in color and creamy in texture.
Once all the butter is all incorporated remove from heat and add the lemon and chives and stir.
Serve hot!

Saucing it up with the classics.

I'm embarking on a project to seriously upgrade my basic skills and general cooking knowledge. Now I've been fairly successful using my toss it in style of cooking combined with some reasonably solid basic techniques. But if I want to grow further as a cook I need to add some of the classic foundational techniques to my repertoire!

So the sauce project is first. I reason that if I can make a wide range of sauces from the classic mother sauces to down style BBQ  I would increase my versatility greatly and have some wonderful meals along the way.

I will be working my way through a variety sauces in the coming weeks and will making note of the successes and the disasters right here.

Just a note it is my intent to move the location of the Artichoke Blog in the near future I will make note of the coming change as I get it all figured out.

OK lets get saucy!

Tim

Pan Fried Tilapia with Fettucini and Heiloom Tomatoes

This is simple and flavorful way to enjoy this versatile fish. Served with pasta and a light fresh baby heirloom tomato sauce.

2 small Tilapia fillets per serving.

Flour for dredging.

11/2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes. (I like these for color, but grape tomatoes will also work well.)

1-2 eggs beaten.

1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend.

Grape seed oil for pan frying.

2 medium shallots, minced.

1 large clove garlic, minced.

1 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves.

Extra Virgin Olive oil.

Salt and Pepper.

Your favorite long pasta.

Season the flour with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning blend.

Heat olive oil and shallots in sautee' pan until oil is hot.

Add tomatoes and sautee' over medium heat add garlic. Allow the tomatoes to cook and burst stirring frequently.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add basil stir for 1 minute and serve over al dente pasta.

Heat grape seed oil in skillet until almost smoking. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Be sure to use a skillet large enough so the fillets don't touch when cooking.

Pat the fish dry, dredge in the egg and then the flour until evenly coated on both sides.

Place in skillet and fry 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve immediately with pasta and tomatoes.

Roulade of Pork Tenderloin with Sundried Tomatoes and Herbs.

This is a dish I'm particularly proud of. I had been thinking about trying to make Roulade for while and as I was running around today I decided on how I would fill it. Tender and moist with intense flavors of the sun dried tomatoes and herbs, but still allowinf the meatiness of the pork come through. Really wonderful!


1 fresh pork tenderloin trimmed, silver skin removed about 14 ounces.
3-4 medium garlic cloves, minced.
1 large shallot, minced.
2 tbsp chopped basil.
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves.
2-3 tbsps marinated sun dried tomatoes, Julienne cut.
1-2 tbsps chopped Italian parsley.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
2-3 tbsps grape seed oil for sautee'.
1/2 cup dry white wine.
1 cup Chicken broth.
Cold butter pieces.
Salt and pepper.


Filet the tenderloin. Using a sharp knife make a slice lengthwise about one third of the way in opening up the flap created. Turn the tenderloin and make a similar slice and unfold. This will make a flat even piece.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Season the pork with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the pork with the olive oil.
Place 2 tbsps of the tomatoes and some of the garlic along the long edge of the pork nearest you. Roll the edge of the pork tightly over the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the remaining garlic, shallots, and herbs over the rest of the pork. Reserve some of each for the sauce.
Roll the pork tightly and tie with cooking twine.
Brown the tied tenderloin in a hot pan.
Place in center of oven for 18 minutes.
Allow to rest 5 minutes. The pork should be slightly pink.

Pan Sauce.
In the pan used to brown the pork.
Add the wine, shallots, and garlic. De-glaze the pan scraping all the brown bits up for flavor.
Add broth and last tbsp of tomatoes and herbs.
Allow sauce to reduce stirring frequently. Add more broth as needed.
When sauce begins to thicken add butter pieces to finish.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the tenderloin and plate with the sauce.

Sauteed Lamb Chops, with cherry and thyme, red wine reduction.

This was a real treat, I rarely make lamb but I was able to purchase these from my local store at a a crazy price!

Serves 2

4- 4 ounce chops.
1 cup red wine.
10 to 12 Fresh red sweet cherries, pitted and chopped.
1 tbsp minced shallot.
1 large clove garlic pressed.
11/2 tbsp cold butter. In small pieces.
2 sprigs fresh thyme.
Granulated garlic.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Grape seed, or other light oil for the saute'.
1 tbsp olive oil.

Reduction sauce.
Combine olive oil, shallot, and garlic in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Saute' until shallot is softened, about 1-2 minutes.
Add cherries and saute' 2-3 minutes.
Add wine and thyme, stir and simmer to reduce.
When the sauce is reduced by half, crush the cherries in the pan. Stir and then strain. Return the remaining liquid to reduce more.
As the sauce thickens add the butter to further thicken and create a smooth texture. Reduce until the sauces is opaque and fairly thick.

Chops
Allow the lamb to come to room temp before cooking.
In medium skillet add oil to well cover the bottom of the pan, medium high heat.
Dust the chops with granulated garlic.
Saute' about 3-4 minutes on the first side or until a nice brown crust is formed.
Turn and saute 2-4 minutes or to desired temp.
Remove from heat and allow to rest 2 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste, serve over sauce.

Plating
It is preferable to serve the lamb over the sauce as opposed to pouring the sauce over the lamb. Preserve the crust brown appearance of the lamb with the deep red reduction sauce is very attractive. Be sure to put enough sauce on the plate so that every bite of meat can be enjoyed with the sauce!
 

Linguine alla Carbonara

This is a traditional rustic Italian preparation, presented in a Parmesan cup! Just a few ingredients, wonderful rich flavor, pleasing to the eye!

Serves 2

2 eggs beaten in a steel or glass bowl.
An equal amount of Pecorino cheese finely grated.
3-4 tbsp finely cubed pancetta.
Freshly ground black pepper.
Drizzle of extra virgin live oil.
Linguine for two.

Boil the linguine in salted water for 9 minutes drain quickly leaving some water in pot.
Crack eggs into bowl and add pecorino, pepper, and oil, wisk together.
Saute' pancetta in medium skillet until brown but not crisp.
Hold bowl over boiling water to heat enough to allow the mixture to become smooth.
Add pasta and a little water to skillet, add smooth mixture from bowl, and remove from heat.
Stir thoroughly, the eggs will cook enough from the heat of the ingredients, serve immediately.

Parmesan Bowl.

In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat,
Place grated/shreaded Parmesan cheese, enough to cover the bottom of the skillet completely.
Allow to melt and get bubbly, about 7-8 minutes, 
Loosen the edges with a spatula, remove pan from heat and let cool.
When the cheese is still quite flexible place the disk of cheese over an overturned small bowl or ramekin and allow to stand to cool.
Turn over and remove the ramekin and fill to serve.

Note that a thinner layer of cheese can result in a crispier cup in the end but is much more brittle. This can also be made in the oven. Place cheese on a silicone mat on a cookie sheet, oven set to 350 degrees until melted.

Carmelized Wax Beans with Shallot and Cherries.

This was my first attempt at this sweet/savory combination. You may want to add purple or green beans for color. This was a very nice side dish that will compliment many main courses without overpowering them.

3/4 pound fresh wax beans. Trimmed.
1 medium shallot diced.
1/2 cup dried sweet cherries.
1 1/2 tbsp butter.
Salt and pepper.

1. Blanch the cleaned beans in boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, shock in ice water to stop cooking.
2. Saute the shallots and cherries in butter until shallots are softened and becoming translucent.
3. Add beans and saute until starting to caramelize about 6-8 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Halibut en Papillote with carrots and leeks.

This is a wonderful way to make halibut, cod, or other thick fish fillet. En Papillote is the technique of steaming the fish in a sealed packet in a hot oven. Its a simple and flavorful way to create a great seafood meal.

The packets can be made with parchment paper making for a nice presentation, or in foil for an easier method, and then transferred to the plate.

Serves 4.
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened.

1 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest. Cut lemon into quarters and reserve.
2 cloves garlic minced.
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves.
2 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley.
Salt and freshly ground pepper.
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks.
2 medium leeks white and light green parts, cleaned and cut into matchsticks.
4 tbsps dry white wine.
4 skinless fish fillets, halibut or cod, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. About 6 ounces each.

1. Combine butter, 1/4 tsp zest, 1 tsp garlic, thyme, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl, combine the parsley and the rest of the zest and garlic in a small bowl. Place carrots and leeks in medium bowl and toss with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 450 deg. Cut 8 pieces of foil each about 12 inches square.
3. Divide the carrot and leeks between 4 foil sheets, ct0reating a mound in the middle. Pour one tbsp of wine over each of the mounds of vegetables.
4. Pat the fish fillets dry with a paper towel. Divide and spread the butter evenly over the fish, and place the fillet on top of the vegetables on each foil sheet.
5. Place additional foil sheet on top of each fillet and fold the edges with the bottom sheets forming a tightly sealed packet about 7 inches square. Place packets on rimmed baking sheet.
6. Place packets in oven for 15 minutes. Open foil making sure to avoid the hot steam. Slide the fish and veggies off onto the plates with a thin spatula, drizzle with any juices. Sprinkle with parsley mixture and serve.

Herbes de Provence Glazed Lamb Chops.

Wonderful lamb loin chops coated with Herbes de Provence and grilled to med rare! Herbes de Provence is a dried herb blend made of basil, lavender, marjoram, fennel, thyme, rosemary, sage, and savory. A classic blend from southern France.

I rarely have cooked with lamb, mostly due to the expense. Loin chops  run around $16 per pound at the local stores, much higher at the premium food stores. In my regular shopping I ran across a "Manager's Special" offering vacuum packed chops for $1.99 LB. This is not a misprint. These packages needed o be used or frozen within twos days from the day I found them. I bought all they had, 5, 3 chop packages. I froze them immediately. I can tell you they tasted fresh!

I regularly shop this way. I've found that if used right away or frozen, the quality is excellent and the value outstanding.

For the glaze.
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 clove finely minced garlic
4, 3-4 ounce lamb loin chops

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.
Pat the chops dry with a paper towel.
Coat the chops on both sides evenly.

Grill the chops about 4 minutes per side or until desired temperature.

I served this with whole grilled baby red potatoes, just lightly tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper, and steam broccoli spears.

Thick Cut Pork Chop Heaven!

Lately I've been experimenting with sweet and savory combination's. I have always enjoyed this and was looking to make a great meal. This one turned out wonderfully, a juicy thick cut chop with a savory crust, and topped with a pans sauce made from dried cherries. balsamic and a little bit of butter. The sweet and savory combo was terrific!

This is a bit labor intensive but worth it in my opinion. I'm a pork chop lover and the time was well spent in creating a juicy chop that still had a nice crust. This is difficult especially with thicker cuts. Here's how.

First a bone in chop is best for flavor. Salt the chop on both sides and let stand for 45 minutes. This allows the salt to pull moisture from the chop and then allows time for the moisture to be reabsorbed evenly, in effect basting the chop. The time also allows the meat to come to room temperature. While the chop is sitting pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees.

When the chop is done basting pat it dry if needed. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. This low temp allows the chop to cook slowly. There is a chemical released in pork when it reaches 120 degrees that helps to break down the fiber and will make the chop more tender. Slow cooking the chop keeps the temp at the 120 range longer. When the 45 minutes are up the surface of the chop should be dry and the internal temperature around 130-140 degrees.

The dry surface of the chop is perfect to get a nice crust when placed in a hot saute' pan with some oil. About 4 minutes a side should be enough, then use tongs to hold the chop and brown the edges.

Sauce

1/4 cup dried cherries
1 cup water
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Italian Stuffed Peppers.

Ingredients:

Two Bell Peppers, Green, Red or both. Caps off seeded and cleaned. Blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinsed in cold water. Note, select peppers wit even bottoms that allow them to stand upright.
2 Sweet Italian Turkey sausages, fresh not pre-cooked.
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice.
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/4 cup small diced red pepper.
1/4 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced
3 cups pasta sauce (I prefer Trader Joes Tomato basil Marinara)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove casings from sausages and brown in skillet over med-med hi heat.
When the sausage is showing only a little pink add garlic and onion and saute until soft, add red pepper and saute until softened.
Add rice and stir. Add sauce slowly while stirring. The mixture should thick with no running sauce. Alow mix to simmer and allow the moisture to be absorbed before adding more sauce. Add mushrooms and spices. Simmer 5 more minutes.

Spoon mixture into peppers. The peppers should be well filled as the mixture will contract while cooking. Place in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

While in oven heat the rest of the sauce on stove in small uncovered sauce pan. Allow the sause to simmer and cook down, concentrating the flavor.

Plating: cover bottom of plate with sauce. Place the pepper in the center on top of the sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan, and fresh basil if desired.

Some notes: This recipe does not have ANY added fat. The sausages have 6g of fat each, and provides all the fat needed for cooking. The flavors are robust and fresh.

Garlic Pork with Tomato and Basil.

This dish is from Cooking Light. A very healthy Asian inspired meal. Cooking Light is a great source of flavorful recipes that are low in fat and calories, but will please a family. No one will notice anything that screams low fat!!!

Annually Cooking Light produces a hard cover book of that years recipes, plus tips and etc. the books have a cover price of about $35, but I've found that a search on Amazon will yield used copies starting at about $5 or $6 plus shipping. This will save you a ton!

When using a Cooking light recipe you will find some elements you may not like. As an example the Garlic Pork dish called for brown rice. (YUK!) I used pasta in instead. Yes, the calories in the dish went up because of this as did the carbs. But the basic meal was much lower in fat and calories anyway. It represents a great and healthy improvement over many other recipes, and still allowed me to enjoy all aspects of it. To me this compromise is the key to sustained healthy eating.

Be dedicated to using fresh, high quality produce, low fat proteins, use cooking spray whenever possible, and you will dramatically reduce calories and fat content, and you won't feel like you're sacrificing.

Seared Scallops with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette, Angel Hair with Fresh Tomato basil sauce.

Last night after seeing the movie Julie and Julia, I was inspired to go home and cook. This was the result.

For this night's meal I had an able sous chef for slicing and dicing. The timing of a meal like this is challenging. Scallops can go from tender and wonderful to rubber in just a minute. Serving it all hot and just right takes some thought before starting. It's worth the extra planning time.

3-4 good size sea scallops per person.
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Vinaigrette (enough for 4 portions)
3 Tbsp Lemon Olive Oil
1.5 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
1 small shallot minced
Lemon Zest from 1/2 lemon
1/2 tbsp chopped Fresh dill
Salt and Pepper to taste.

Pasta Sauce

3 (per serving)Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Splash of dry white wine
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade
Small pat of butter

1. Combine vinaigrette ingredients mix thoroughly, set aside.
2. Melt butter in med pan, and stir garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes.
3. Boil water for the pasta. Angel Hair will take about 4-6 minutes, time accordingly.
4. Add tomatoes stir and allow to simmer. 10 minutes, add oil, and basalmic, wine, oregano and simmer on low heat. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Heat vegetable in saute pan, until hot.
6. Pat scallops dry to aid browning.
7. Place scallops in pan, about 4 minutes until well browned on one side. Turn and saute 2 more minutes. Removed from pan. (Scallops will continue to cook after removing from pan. This method will create perfectly done scallops)
8. Heat the vinaigrette in the microwave to warm.
9. Plate the scallops and drizzle with warm vinaigrette, garnish with fresh dill.
10. Plate pasta, and cover with sauce and garnish with fresh basil. Add Parmesan if desired.

I served roasted asparagus with this.

Snap or cut the ends. Peel the lower half of the stalks. Place in shallow roasting pan, coat lightly with live oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. (will vary by the size of the stalks) This is my favorite way to make asparagus.

Sauteed Chicken Breast with White Wine and Caper Pan Sauce, Bucatini with Fresh Tomato and Oregano.

With daughter Katie as the sous chef a dinner of chicken was decided. The plan was to simply saute the chicken and deglaze the pan making a rich and wonderful sauce. Both of us enjoy the lemon/caper combination so it was decided to make use this in the sauce. Bucatini was her call. I had planned to make angel hair with the tomato sauce I used with my scallops dish. Bucatini is a much heavier pasta, essentially long spaghetti straws that would handle a more robust sauce. I used the same basic sauce but added more garlic and oregano, and shallot. I also allows the sauce to reduce more, deepening the flavors. The result was a much more intense flavor without the thickness of added tomato paste, giving a lighter feeling to the sauce.

2 chicken breasts pound to even thickness.
2 tbsp grape seed oil. (higher smoke point, better for saute than olive oil)
1 Medium shallot mince.
Juice of 1/2 lemon.
2 tsp capers.
1/2 tsp dried oregano.
2 tbsp fresh basil divided chiffonade and minced.
5 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped.
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Low sodium chicken stock/broth for deglazing.
White wine
1 small pat cold butter. 


Heat grape seed oil in stainless steel pan until hot.
Pat chicken breasts dry, place in hot pan.
Saute on med high until golden brown about 4 minutes. Turn.
Season with salt and pepper.
Saute additional 3-4 minutes. The chicken should be very nearly done when removed from the pan. It will finish cooking while resting and you are making the sauce.

Add shallots to the pan, saute 1 minute.
Add 1/2 cup chicken broth to deglaze, being sure to scrape the brown bits from the pan.
Add 1/2 of the lemon juice, the tbsp white wine, and the capers. Saute and allow to reduce. Add butter to thicken. Taste and add lemon if needed, or add broth or wine if needed to balance flavor.
Plate the chicken and drizzle sauce.

For Consistency build a pantry of staples, Part One, Cooking Oils.

Part of the secret to producing consistently good food is to have a well stocked pantry of staple ingredients that allow you to make a wide range of recipes without the need for additional shopping. In addition, having a consistent stock of these items allows you to become familiar with them and how to use them. I found that I developed base recipes using these ingredients that are used as the beginning of many other recipes. All of this plays a very important part of creating consistency in your cooking.

I've created a list of the staple ingredients I try to keep on hand at all times. They include various oils, vinegars, produce, seasonings, and fresh and dried herbs and spices. This list a very good foundation, plus it includes a number of items that represent the types of cuisines I enjoy making.

Part One, Cooking Oils:

Canola Oil or vegetable oil.  
Extra virgin olive oil.   
Grape seed oil.
Sesame oil.
Peanut oil.
Cooking spray.    

Each of these oils serves a different purpose and many can serve several purposes. There are two key factors in the choice of oil.  First do you want the oil to impart flavor to the food? Second what cooking methods and heat level will be used when cooking with the selected oil?

Canola oil or vegetable oils have minimal flavor themselves and a high smoke point that makes them a good choice for deep frying, sautéing, and as an ingredient in pancake batter etc.

Extra virgin olive oil has a fruity flavor that varies by the region from which it was made. A staple in Italian food that is commonly used for salad dressing, pasta seasoning, and in light low heat sauteing. An example of this are the herbed potatoes I mention in some of my recipe posts. They are sauted at medium heat slowly so the oil never reaches the smoke point, the flavor comes through nicely.

As an alternative Grape Seed Oil is a good choice. Lighter in flavor and with a higher smoke point it can be used to sauté very effectively.

Sesame Oil is commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is made from toasted sesame seeds and imparts a nice sesame flavor. Typically used in very small amounts added to cooking foods to add flavor.

Peanut oil is favored for stir frying. A generally high heat style of cooking that requires an oil with a very high smoke point. Very light to neutral flavor.

Cooking spray is a no fat option when you only need a coating of oil, such as for eggs etc.

In addition there are many variants of each of these oils. Trial and error will help you find the types you like the most.  I use a number of infused oils made by placing dried herbs and seasonings in olive oil or grape seed oil and letting the flavors of the herbs be absorbed by the oil. My favorites are basil infused and Lemon infused olive oil.

For heath concerns it is important to know that all of these oils have the same amount of fat per serving (14g). They vary only in the amounts of saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fat. Olive oil and grape seed oil would be the most healthy choices.

Papparadelle with Heirloom tomatoes and Sweet Basil Sausage.

This was a pantry and fridge clearing meal. The wonderful fresh sweet flavors of the baby heirloom tomatoes was present in every bite. Dressed light lightly with herbs and olive oil. The recipe below will serve 2.

2 Turkey/chicken based sausages. Available in various flavors, I used a precooked sausage be sure to adjust cooking time if using uncooked sausage.
6 ounces papparedelle pasta.
1 cup baby heirloom (multi color) tomatoes halved.
3 cloves garlic minced.
2 tbsp finely chopped onion.
1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley.
2 tsp mince fresh thyme.
Salt and pepper.
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil separated.

Bring water for pasta to boil.
Heat 1/2 the oil in skillet.
Brown the sausage on all sides 5-8 minutes.
Place the pasta in the boiling water. Read package for cooking time.
Add onion and garlic to pan and saute until softened and slightly browned.
Add tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Saute 5-8 minutes.
Remove sausages from pan and reserve.
Drain pasta and place in pasta bowl.
Spoon tomato mixture over pasta, drizzle with remaining olive oil and toss.
Add sausages on top and serve.

The sausage I used was found at Trader Joes. Each link has 21g of protein and only 8g of fat, and they are full of flavor!

Roast Pork and Polenta, with Summer Squash.

Polenta is one of my favorite Italian staples. For this recipe I added corn cut fresh off the cob and Italian seasoning. The result was wonderful the sweetness and texture of the fresh corn added greatly to the enjoyment of this dish.   

Ingredients
1/2 cup dry polenta corn meal
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tsp Italian seasonings
Kernels cut from one ear sweet corn.
1 tbsp Italian Parsley chopped.
Summer Squash sliced about 6 slices per serving
Bell Peppers cut into strips.
1/4 red onion sliced.
1 thick cut pork loin chop.
Pasta sauce of choice.

Start with the polenta.

I use Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits/Polenta (available at many grocery stores). These are not instant but do not take long to prepare.
Boil broth in a small sauce pan.

Add polenta while stirring. Continue to stir until back to boil. Add corn and seasonings reduce heat. Stir frequently for about 10 minutes.
Polenta should be thick and smooth.

Spoon into a greased glass pie plate. (I used cooking spray) Smooth out polenta evenly in pie pan. Place in refrigerator to set.

Pre Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Sear pork chop(s) in grill pan or saute pan to mark and seal the juices.
Season the Chops with salt and pepper to taste, add additional italian seasonings if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.

The veggies are simply roasted with salt and pepper and olive oil. I finished them with fresh parsley and a tiny bit of butter. They need about 18 minutes at 425 degrees. They should be started when there is ten minutes left on the chops.

Heat a saute pan or grill pan on the stove.
Cut the polenta into pie shapes.
Place wedges in saute pan to lightly brown.
Begin this when you remove the pork from the oven.

Important: allow the pork to rest covered in foil for 8-10 minutes after removing from the oven. The chops will be much juicier this way.

Assemble on plate adding a small amount of warmed pasta sauce on top of the polenta.

When

Italian Sausage Cheeseburger, with Mastaccioli Salad!

This was a pantry clearing menu for a Friday night. I needed only to grab the ciabatta roll finish it up.

Two fresh Italian turkey sausages, casings removed. Makes one large burger.
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped red onion.
1 Tbsp dried bread crumbs.
Sliced provolone cheese
Sliced tomato.
1 clove garlic.
1/4 cup warmed marinara.

The salad was made from left over pasta, I added some black olives, onion, and cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper and fat free Italian dressing.

Gently mix the onion into the sausage, add the bread crumbs.
Form into a patty. Do not make the patty too thick.
Grill about 5 minutes per side. This is a turkey patty and must be cooked to 160 degrees internal.
Slice the garlic and rub the cut side of the bun the garlic.
Brush bun lightly with olive oil and grill or broil. (toasting makes the bun too crisp)
Assemble burger and drizzle with marinara.

The resulting burger was juicy and bursting with flavor. I used a ciabatta that tasted great but was probably too firm. I would try a softer bun in future efforts!

The Bologna and Apple Omelet.

Some things are better left as memories. More than 35 years ago when I was a budding chef cooking things based solely on what was on hand (I was maybe 12 or 13) I learned to experiment with all kinds of ingredients. Omelets were a particular specialty as they lent themselves well to my "toss it in" style of cooking. One evening my brother had some friends over and I was making an omelet for myself, he asked if I would make one for them as well. "Of course!" I replied! Thus was born the bologna and apple omelet.

The only ingredients on hand in sufficient amounts were apples and and good old Oscar Mayer! So I chopped up an apple, a little onion, and peeled and cut up an apple. In they went. Some garlic salt, some American cheese was added at the end. This wondrous creation was received with raves from my brother and his friends. (there is currently some disagreement whether this was alcohol or marijuana induced) Needless to say I was proud of my culinary achievement, and I never forgot the day I made the Bologna and Apple omelet!

Flash forward to 2009, now at 51 and seriously ought to have known better, I decided to re-create the B&A Omelet! To prove once and forever that it was flavorful, delicious dish, if still a bit unusual.

Ingredients were acquired. A thick slice of Bologna from the local deli, a little bit of muenster cheese, and I had Pink Lady apples on hand. I used water in the eggs instead of milk as this works better to smooth the mixture and will not hold as much air. I did not want the eggs to be fluffy. I sauted the chopped bologna and apples for a couple of minutes before putting them in the omelet pan with the eggs. I added the cheese and let it get melty before folding. The entire time my mouth was watering and in my head I was standing in my childhood kitchen with my brother and his friends in the background.

The omelet slid off onto the plate. It looked fabulous and smelled like a wonderful memory! After taking my pictures I sat down and prepared to be amazed at this masterpiece of my youth and imagination...

OK, some things are better left as memories.

Gazpacho, Served COLD!

I've loved Gazpacho for years after having a great bowl of it when I was living in California. The bright fresh cold flavor was a perfect summertime starter!

8 fresh roma tomatoes chopped.
3/4 cup chopped cucumber seeds removed.
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion.
1/2 cup Green and yellow bell pepper chopped.
2 large cloves garlic minced.
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish.
3 cups tomato juice.
1/3 cup olive oil.
1 tbsp Worcester sauce.
2 tbsp red wine vinegar.
1 tsp dry oregano.
salt.
Fresh ground pepper.

Mix all chopped ingredients and divide in 2.
Place 1/2 of the vegetable mixture, 1/2 of parsley, olive oil, Worcester Sauce, wine vinegar in a blender and run until smooth.
Combine juice, chopped and pureed vegetables in large container with cover.
Season with salt and pepper, oregano.
Stir and refrigerate for up 6-12 hours.

This is a good basic recipe. From here there are many ways to modify it to your taste. I garnished with avocado and parsley. Balsamic vinegar could be added, some add beef broth. The possibilities are endless.

Flat Iron Steak, with Linguine and Tomato Sauce, Mushroom and Black Olives!

Tonight I decided that I wanted a steak for dinner along with some pasta. I discovered Flat Iron steaks while I was living in LA. They're typically found packaged. The cut is also called flap meat. Flat Iron Steaks are fairly new on the scene, but is starting to appear on some restaurant menus. These steaks can be as tender as tenderloin when cooked to medium rare. The are more marbled than a filet and have good flavor. Best of all these can be had at your local grocer at around $5-6 a pound packed in roughly 1 1/2 pound steaks. I cut them in thirds and freeze the extra portions. Now steak is on the menu in a more regular basis.

Tonight I added sauteed mushrooms and black olives to some jarred pasta sauce over linguine, and sliced the steak thin. The steak was seared in the skillet and then placed in a 475 degree oven to finish. Seasoned with Canadian Steak Seasoning (mixture of garlic, pepper, sea salt, and herbs).

Overall a simple meal, fast and easy, and very tasty!

Homemade Potato Gnocchi with Puttanesca Sauce.

I have always wanted to make my own Gnocchi, and today being Labor Day why not labor over a splendid dinner.

I compiled recipes from several sources to make the gnocchi and it was time consuming. The results were pretty good. I do not have a potato ricer so the finished product was a bit heavier than I would have liked. I seasoned the gnocchi only with white pepper and pinch of nutmeg, and finished with some mince fresh parsley. I will post a recipe once I have made it in way i am completely happy with.

The sauce started as Trader Joes Tomato Basil Marinara and ended as Puttanesca. Puttanesca is a robust sauce with the sharp flavors of capers and green olives. It goes great with substantial pasta and gnocchi, and works great with or without the  sausage.

Your favorite jarred sauce.
1/2 cup chopped onion.
2 cloves garlic minced.
1/3 cup each black and green olives, sliced.
2 teaspoons capers.
2 Italian sausage links fresh. (I use Turkey) removed from casings and formed into small balls.
1 teaspoon minced fresh Italian parsley
1 tbsp olive oil.

In a 2-3 quart sauce pan.
Add olive oil and onion, allowing the onion to soften.
Add garlic and saute one minute.
Add Sauce 1/2 jar, and capers.
Simmer until bubbling.
Add olives reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Boil the gnocchi for about 2-3 minutes or until it is all floating in the water. Drain and toss with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve with sauce. Garnish with shaved Parmesan if desired.

Sauteed Tilapia with Orange Pomegranate Sauce and Spring Vegetables

This is wonderful meal that it light and fresh. The sauce is slightly sweet and the fish a nice crusty brown. 

This recipe serves two.

2 Tilapia fillets roughly 6 ounces each.
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 small onion halved and sliced
1-2 zucchini green
1-2 yellow zucchini squash
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 carrot sliced into thin rounds
1 cup quartered white mushrooms
Juice from one large orange
1 large pomegranate seeds removed and pressed for juice
1 small shallot minced
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh cilantro minced
1 tsp dried parsley
2 pats cold butter
1 cup dry white wine
Dash of low sodium soy sauce


Chop all the vegetables into uniform thickness, cut the peppers into strips. Combine and set aside.

Mix flour and parsley, add salt and pepper mix.
Crack and beat one egg until blended, add 2 tbsp water. This is an egg wash used to coat the fish before dredging in flour.

Heat additional oil in separate large pan.
Add veggies and stir fry until tender. Add salt and pepper. About 8-9 minutes.




Heat oil in stainless steel pan. Use enough oil to cover half the depth of the fish filet.

Dredge fish in egg wash and flour and place in hot stainless skillet. Filets should not touch each other. Saute about 4-5 minutes until golden brown, turn and saute and additional 3 minutes until golden. Remove from heat.

Drain excess oil from pan, place back on heat.
Add garlic and shallot saute 1 minute. Add wine to de-glaze pan. Scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow alcohol to evaporate, add orange and pomegranate juice, 1/2 cilantro. Allow to reduce over Medium High heat. Add butter and stir. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken, add dash of soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.




Plate veggies first place fish on top and cover with sauce. Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Carmelized Braised Brussels Sprouts.

I am posting this recipe by request! I must admit that I sit here poised over the keyboard thinking about the concept that someone would request one of my recipes, and not quite believing it! Next to enjoying one of my dishes when I serve it, a recipe request is the greatest of compliments to me!

This dish can made with or without the vinegar. I find the vinegar adds a bit of sharpness to the flavor that I really enjoy!




3/4 LB brussels sprouts, stems cut and halved.
Chicken Stock
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/4 cup slice (round) baby carrots
1 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Butter divided
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp Olive oil

Heat oil in deep stainless steel sauce pan over med high heat.
Add 1/2 Butter
Stir in shallot and saute 1 minute.
Stir in carrot saute 2 minutes until beginning to soften.
Add brussels sprouts, stir to coat thoroughly.
Allow to cook several minutes allowing them to brown slightly.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1/2 cup of stock, stir and let simmer about 10-12 minutes. The liquid will reduce while simmering, add additional stock as needed.
When the sprouts are tender add white wine vinegar, simmer 2-3 minutes.
Add remaining butter and stir to thicken remaining sauce.
Serve hot!

Sauteed Tilapia with Mango Salsa and Avocado Sauce.

I was thinking about mango salsa all week and decided tonight would be the night. This salsa goes well with almost any fish, grilled or sauteed. I made mine mild, just add a small amount of finely minced jalapeno to heat it up! The avocado puree makes a very nice garnish and adds to the overall flavor of the dish. Its very simple to make.

Simple mango and black bean salsa.

One large mango peeled and diced small.
1 small tomato cored and seeded, diced.
1 1/4 cups black beans rinsed well.
1/2 Red pepper finely diced.
1/4 cup red onion finely chopped.
1/2 tbsp olive oil.
2 tsp cilantro finely chopped.
2 tsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Adjust lime, salt and pepper and cilantro to taste. Set aside.

Avocado puree.

1 large Florida Avocado (lower in fat) or 3 Haas avocados, seeded and pulp removed.
1/4 cup red onion chopped.
1-2 cloves garlic crushed.
Olive oil
Lime juice to taste 1-3 tsps.
Pinch of salt.

Place first three ingredients in blender and puree adding oil until the mixture is very smooth, add juice and salt blend to mix. Puree should be very smooth but not runny.

The Tilapia was dredged in egg wash and a flour mixture of regular flour, salt and pepper, parsley flakes, and 3 dashes of cayenne pepper. This added just a bit of heat to the crust of the fish.

Plating.

Place the avocado puree down first. Be generous.
Place the fish on top across the puree.
Place salsa on top of fish.

I finished this with some toasted strips of whole wheat tortilla, lightly seasoned with herbs, salt and pepper. A nice crunchy finish.

Scampi, Pappardelle with Tomato Garlic and Basil.

Tonight's dinner was inspired by a recent restaurant meal. I had the basics on hand including Trader Joe's Pappardelle. This is a packaged dry pasta that I've found to be wonderful. One serving has 8 grams of protein, so additional protein may not be necessary. This recipe was pretty simple and full of fresh flavors.

1/2 pound fresh shrimp peeled and deveined.
1/2 pound dried pappardelle pasta
1/2 pint grape tomatoes.
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced, separate one lg clove.
2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes (oil packed)
1 small shallot, minced.
2 tbsp basil, chiffonade.
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, minced.
3 tbsp olive oil.
Small pat of butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring 4 qts salted water to boil. Add Pasta, about 11 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in med saute pan on med heat.
Add 4 cloves minced garlic, shallot and tomatoes and saute. The garlic will get golden brown, and the tomatoes will burst.
Heat remaining oil in small saute pan, add one clove garlic. stir one minute add shrimp, butter and salt and pepper. Saute until shrimp almost done.
Remove and drain the pasta, add to tomato mixture, add shrimp and parsley. Toss thoroughly over med heat. Add basil and toss one minute.
Serve with Parmesan cheese.

This is a very simple dish that looks and tastes great. Timing is the key, the shrimp need to finish in the pan with the pasta and tomatoes.

Tossing the pasta in the pan with the sauce is a technique many chefs use to finish the pasta allowing it to absorb the flavors of the sauce!

Tuna Tataki and Maki Sushi

With some very good local sales on tuna and crab I was able to make some great sushi last night. I've been working on the Sushi making technique for some time now and my skills are slowly growing, very slowly. I've been able to make rolls that were very tasty but have not been able to make them beautiful yet, although the appearance is getting better.

There are some very good Sushi resources on line. Makemysushi.com is a very useful site. A very good video on making maki sushi here.



Last night I made Tuna Tataki. A very nice piece of tuna about 1 inch tall and wide and about 5 inches long. Simply rolled in pepper, salt, and garlic and lightly seared on all four sides. Sliced and drizzled with a teriyaki sauce.

For the Maki (rolled sushi) 4 different rolls were prepared.

A classic California Roll. Crab meat, Avocado, carrot and cucumber.
Tuna Sushicado Roll. Tuna (yellowfin), Avocado, cucumber.
Dynamite Roll, Spicy tuna, Crab Meat, Avocado, cucumber.
Maryland Crab Cake Roll, Crab salad, Avocado, carrot.

For the spicy tuna.

1-2 ounces of fresh tuna finely minced.
Siracha pepper sauce to taste. 
Mayonnaise 1-2 tsp to desired consistency.

Siracha is pretty powerful so add slowly until you find the right heat level. The mayo helps with the consistency and fades in the background of the flavors.

Crap Salad.

1-2 ounces fresh real crab minced.
Mayonnaise to desired consistency.
1-2 Tbsp Stone ground mustard to taste.

This was a happy experiment. The mayo and mustard mix is used in classic Maryland Crab cakes, It worked very well here. It provided an unexpected and wonderful flavor. In future versions I'll try some different mustard's to test different flavor profiles.

Rustic Caprese

It's been a while since my last post, so busy with a new job, and life in general. So tonight I will posting a few ideas and recipes! Enjoy.

This a fast and delicious Caprese, a beautiful opening stanza to a fine Italian meal! Simply slice a medium tomato, I used a beefeater, and some fresh mozzarella into slices of equal thickness. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stack in center of plate. Sprinkle with dried oregano, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, garnish with fresh basil. You'll love this one!

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom White Wine Sauce

This is a take on chicken Marsala. I used a nice fresh pork tenderloin instead and the white wine was a competent dry table wine.

1 pork tenderloin approx 1 pound trimmed and silver skin removed. cut in half to form two cylinders.
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 large shallot minced.
1 large clove garlic minced.
2 cups sliced mushrooms white and crimini.
1/4 cup chicken broth.
1 cup flour seasoned with salt pepper and Italian seasoning mix. For dredging.
Garlic powder or granulated garlic.
Olive oil.
1 tbsp butter.

To make flat portions of the pork cut lengthwise about 1/3 of the way through, open the cut and amnke another slice allowing the pork to be rolled out flat. Pound with fry pan bottom to make and even thickness.

Heat pan over medium heat, add olive oil.

Coat the pork with the garlic powder/granules and then coat in flour.
Place the pork in the pan and saute until brown. About 3-4 minutes per side.
Remove and keep warm.

Add butter, shallot, and mushrooms to pan. Saute 1 to 2 minutes, add wine and broth. Allow to simmer and reduce. Salt and pepper to taste. A little more butter can be added to thicken a little more.

Place the pork on the plate and cover with the pan sauce.

I served this over portabella mushroom ravioli.

Mussels with linguine and tomato, wine, and garlic.

This was my second try at preparing mussels the first try was only fair, this was a winner!

1 pound fresh live mussels, cleaned, beards removed.
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup clam stock
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream if desired)
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium shallot minced
2 tsp Italian Seasoning mix (dried basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, and sage)
Several fresh basil leaves chiffonade.
Salt and pepper to taste
Siracha chili sauce to taste.

Clean and de-beard the mussels, leaving them in cold water while preparing the broth.
In a large skillet melt butter and lightly saute' the garlic and shallots, do not brown.
Add canned tomato with liquid, white wine, and clam stock bring to boil.
Add seasoning mix, simmer broth 10 to 15 minutes allowing it to reduce slightly. Add siracha sauce for spice to taste. (1/2 tsp will give slight heat to the broth, noticeable but mild enough for those who don't want a lot of heat.)
Drain mussels and place in pan, cover and simmer 5 to 8 minutes. Until all the mussels are open. Discard any that do not open.
Remove mussels from broth and set aside. Add half and half (or cream) and simmer to reduce.
Add fresh basil.

Serve piping hot over linguine.

Some additional tips.

When cleaning any mussels that are opened before cooking should be discarded. Most mussels are farm raised today and have very little beard to remove. Always leave the beards until just before cleaning for preparation as a de-bearding often kills the mussel.

Buy your mussels from a store that sells them in bulk. Ask to have dead mussels removed. Pre-bagged will have a a good number of dead and unusable mussels. IN the long run it's less expensive to by bulk at 5.99/lb versus bagged at 3.99/lb.

Grilled Teriyaki Tuna Steak with stir fried oyster noodles.

Topped with sweet fresh grilled pineapple this tuna steak was a real treat!

Tuna steak 5-6oz. I used a very nice Yellowfin steak.
Your favorite teriyaki sauce for marinade.
2 fresh slices pineapple
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup sliced onion
1 cup cut asparagus, blanched
2 tbsp finely diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp oyster
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 cup cooked spaghetti

Start the pasta first. Allow the pasta to cook about 8-9 minutes, drain.

Marinate the tuna steak for at least 30 minutes. Grill over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side or until desired temperature.
Combine the oyster sauce and light soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil.

Stir fry the onion, garlic, peppers, in 1 tbsp oil until starting to soften.
Add pasta, toss.
Add blanched asparagus and oyster sauce mixture. Stir fry 2 to 3 minutes.
Grill pineapple slices 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Plate the pasta first, lay the tuna over the top and add the pineapple slices. This makes a wonderful dinner that looks and tastes great!!!

Curried Mussels and Rice, Crimean Plov

This dish is a take on a popular dish served in Russia. Eastern states typically used lamb. In the Crimean region mussels were more commonly used. My friend Natalia was born and raised in the USSR in the Crimea (Southern region on the Black Sea) she described this dish to me, and this was my take.

1 lb cleaned live mussels beards removed.
1 cup Basamati or other long grain rice
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 gloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes un-drained
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil

Allow mussels to soak in cold water while prepping.
In a large skillet or pot sautee' the onion, garlic, celery, carrot until soft.
Add broth and tomatoes, curry powder and salt and pepper, cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes.
Add rice and stir, bring mixture to gentle boil.
Drain mussels and add to skillet, stir and cover mussels with mixture in skillet.
Reduce heat to low and cover for 15-20 minutes. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

This dish can have more heat by adding extra curry powder if desired.

Garlic and Rosemary Game Hen with Artichoke Risotto

This was a very special dinner made for my daughter Katie and her boyfriend Travis. Each of my children received a certificate for a catered dinner for two prepared by the chef at Trattoria di Sommer (me).

She is a real chicken lover and I have never been a huge fan of cooking chicken, so to liven it up I decided to make game hens for an elegant and interesting change of pace. The meal started with grilled vegetables including red and yellow peppers, zucchini ribbons, Eggplant, and some sweet onions marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh squeezed lemon.

This recipe is based on 4 birds so figure accordingly for larger or smaller numbers.

4, 20-24oz game hens thawed and rinsed well.
1 large lemon, quartered.
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
16 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled.
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 450.
Sprinkle the cavities of the hens with salt and pepper.
Place lemon section and one sprig of rosemary in the cavity of each hen.
Brush the hens with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle lightly with Italian Seasoning.
Place bird on rack in large roasting pan.
Arrange the garlic cloves around the birds.
Place in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Combine the wine, broth, remaining oil.
After 25 minutes pour the sauce over the birds, reduce heat to 350 and roast for an additional 25-35 minutes or until juices run clear.
Baste with liquids from the pan every 10 minutes.

When the birds are done, remove from roasting pan to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
Transfer juices and sauce to a skillet and reduce over med high heat until thickened.
When the sauce is thickened pour over birds including the whole garlic cloves and serve.

Artichoke Risotto

1 very large artichoke
2 cloves garlic smashed
1 medium shallot sliced
1/4 cup diced Onion/Shallot
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp olive oil divided
1 tbsp butter
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1 Cup Aborio rice
3 1/2 cups heated chicken broth

Start by preparing the artichokes.
Clean the artichokes and remove the stem and the small outer leaves.
Rub the base with lemon to prevent browning.
Place about 3 inches of water in a large stainless steel pot.
Add one medium shallot sliced and two cloves of garlic smashed.
Bring the water to a boil, place artichoke in pot stem down.
Boil 40 minutes or until inner leaves pull free easily.
Remove and cool.

Remove the all the outer leaves and retain. Scrape the hair like choke out and discard with the smaller tiny inner purple leaves. Trim the bottom of the heart of any fibers from the stem. Place trimmed heart into small blender/food processor. Next scape the larger leaves with a spoon to remove the soft flesh and add to the heart. Puree with about 1 tbsp olive oil, juice from 1/4 lemon, until smooth. Set mixture aside.

Saute the diced onion and minced garlic with the oil and butter in a large non stick pan until soft.
Add the rice and stir 2 minutes.
Add broth about 1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly until absorbed.
Continue to add broth 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is al dente but cooked through. 
Add the artichoke puree before adding the last of the broth. stir until well mixed with the rice.
Add the last of the broth and stir until done.
Serve with the hens.
Add Parmesan if desired.