adapted from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool.
This terrific salmon recipe sounded pretty weird to me (goat cheese and salmon, are you kidding?) but I took a chance with it and it turned out to be one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. Serve it with white rice (or brown if you are just one of those people who HAS to do the right thing) to soak up the yummy juices. Make sure you have parchment paper for this. I buy rectangular sheets of the stuff but you can use the rolled up grocery store stuff, too. If worse comes to worse, foil will do as well.
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 c raisins
1/8 t nutmeg (preferably freshly grated...easy to do with big seeds and microplane grater)
1 1/2 T capers
4 salmon fillets (about 1 lb. total)
salt
freshly ground pepper
juice of one orange
2 T finely chopped fresh chives
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, raisins, nutmeg and capers (yeah, I know it sounds weird, but it totally works!)
Cut 4 sheets of parchment, approximately one foot longish off the roll or cut a rectangular sheet in half. Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Place each one one fillet in each sheet, about 1 1/2 - 2 inches from one of the edges of the paper. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.
Place one quarter of the cheese mixture on top of each fillet. Sprinkle with one quarter of the orange juice and the chives. Fold the parchment in half and starting in one corner, make small folds to seal the parchment paper into a half circle. Place the packets on a baking sheet and cook for 5 minutes.
Mound some of your rice on the side of a plate and put a parchment packet on it as well. Instruct your guests to open their packs and wait for them to say...oooh and ahhhh... because everyone likes getting a wrapped present for dinner!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Poached Eggs with Prosciutto on Toast (or the best egg mcmuffin ever)
This is a very simple breakfast, lunch or light dinner that ends up being a whole lot better for you than the old brunch stand by, Eggs Benedict. It's not fancy, so I wouldn't serve it as part of a brunch, but it sure is delicious.
Eggs
1/4 lb prosciutto
Really good sliced bread
parm cheese, sliced
So, the key is really the poaching of the eggs, which I used to screw up monumentally in the past. But then I came across this lovely under 4 minute video on Facebook and it changed my egg poaching life for the better: Perfect Poached Egg. So, now you poach your eggs, toast up your bread, put the eggs on the toast, add salt and pepper, cover with a slice or so of prosciutto and shred a few slices of parm cheese on top. You can even eat it with your hands. But make sure you have a napkin, as that runny yummy yolk can be a bit of a mess.
Eggs
1/4 lb prosciutto
Really good sliced bread
parm cheese, sliced
So, the key is really the poaching of the eggs, which I used to screw up monumentally in the past. But then I came across this lovely under 4 minute video on Facebook and it changed my egg poaching life for the better: Perfect Poached Egg. So, now you poach your eggs, toast up your bread, put the eggs on the toast, add salt and pepper, cover with a slice or so of prosciutto and shred a few slices of parm cheese on top. You can even eat it with your hands. But make sure you have a napkin, as that runny yummy yolk can be a bit of a mess.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Spicy Corn and Chick Pea Soup w/ Chiles
This recipe is adapted from Field of Greens by Anne Sommerville. The Greens restaurant in San Francisco is a terrific vegetarian place, elegant and delicious. Although the book is quite bare bones, i.e. not one photo in the whole thing, everything I have made from it is beautiful and tasty. The original recipe called for soaking dried chick peas for an hour, using the resulting liquid as the broth base for the soup. I am lazy, so I use boxed veggie or, gasp, chicken broth and canned beans. It is a great cold weather soup with very clear and distinctive flavors.
1 large yellow onion, diced
salt
1 1/2 t cumin (preferably whole seeds, toasted over heat and ground)
1/2 t dried oregano (no, you don't have to grow it, dry it and flake it.)
cayenne pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, diced
2 ears of corn, shaved, or 2 c frozen
1/2 c hominy (look for it in the Hispanic section of Ralphs or your local supermarket)
1 can chick peas
1 28 oz can of tomatoes w/ juice, chopped
1/2 t chipotle puree (get a small can in the Hispanic section, puree contents of can in blender or food processor, put in tupperware and leave there for a very long time after using it for this recipe, or you can mix a bit into mayo for tuna, or look for my chicken salad #2 recipe elsewhere on this blog)
2 green jalepenos, seeded, coarsely chopped and pureed w/ 1/2 c water (yes, this is the biggest pain of this recipe, but necessary.)
2 Q chicken or veggie broth
2 t lime juice
1 T chopped sage (I just used rubbed since it was in the pantry.)
Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, 1/2 t salt, toasted cumin and oregano and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are soft, about 7-8 min. Then add garlic, peppers, corn and hominy. Cook for about 5 min and then add the chickpeas, tomatoes, 11/2 t salt, chipotle puree and the broth.
Season the soup with the jalepeno puree (I used the whole 1/2 c), lime juice, sage and you can add a pinch of sugar to brighten it up if you want. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. You can pretty it up with cilantro if you want before serving.
1 large yellow onion, diced
salt
1 1/2 t cumin (preferably whole seeds, toasted over heat and ground)
1/2 t dried oregano (no, you don't have to grow it, dry it and flake it.)
cayenne pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, diced
2 ears of corn, shaved, or 2 c frozen
1/2 c hominy (look for it in the Hispanic section of Ralphs or your local supermarket)
1 can chick peas
1 28 oz can of tomatoes w/ juice, chopped
1/2 t chipotle puree (get a small can in the Hispanic section, puree contents of can in blender or food processor, put in tupperware and leave there for a very long time after using it for this recipe, or you can mix a bit into mayo for tuna, or look for my chicken salad #2 recipe elsewhere on this blog)
2 green jalepenos, seeded, coarsely chopped and pureed w/ 1/2 c water (yes, this is the biggest pain of this recipe, but necessary.)
2 Q chicken or veggie broth
2 t lime juice
1 T chopped sage (I just used rubbed since it was in the pantry.)
Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, 1/2 t salt, toasted cumin and oregano and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are soft, about 7-8 min. Then add garlic, peppers, corn and hominy. Cook for about 5 min and then add the chickpeas, tomatoes, 11/2 t salt, chipotle puree and the broth.
Season the soup with the jalepeno puree (I used the whole 1/2 c), lime juice, sage and you can add a pinch of sugar to brighten it up if you want. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt. You can pretty it up with cilantro if you want before serving.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fettuccine with Swiss Chard, Currants, Walnuts and Brown Butter
1/2 stick of butter
1 T dried currants
2 T golden raisins
1 bunch red or green chard
1 T olive oil
1/2 med sized red onion, sliced thin
1/2 t salt (plus more for pasta water)
freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
fettuccine
1/3 c walnut pieces, toasted
fresh grated parm cheese
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. As it simmers, the butterfat and solids will separate. When the butter turns a nice golden color (about 8 min), remove pan from heat. Pour through a fine sieve lined with paper towel.
Cook fettuccine in salted water
Meanwhile, plump currants and raisins by placing them in a small bowl and covering them with 1/4 c. hot water.
Trim stems of chard and slice leaves across into 2 inch wide ribbons.
Heat olive oil in large saute pan, cook onion, 1/4 t salt and some pepper for about 5 min. Add garlic, chard, and another 1/4 t of salt. Saute for 4-5 min, then reduce heat to low.
When the pasta is tender, drain and add to the saute pan along with the plumped fruit, walnuts and brown butter. Toss together with salt and pepper to taste and finish off with parm.
So freaking yummy. From Field of Greens Cookbook by Annie Sommerville.
1 T dried currants
2 T golden raisins
1 bunch red or green chard
1 T olive oil
1/2 med sized red onion, sliced thin
1/2 t salt (plus more for pasta water)
freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
fettuccine
1/3 c walnut pieces, toasted
fresh grated parm cheese
Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. As it simmers, the butterfat and solids will separate. When the butter turns a nice golden color (about 8 min), remove pan from heat. Pour through a fine sieve lined with paper towel.
Cook fettuccine in salted water
Meanwhile, plump currants and raisins by placing them in a small bowl and covering them with 1/4 c. hot water.
Trim stems of chard and slice leaves across into 2 inch wide ribbons.
Heat olive oil in large saute pan, cook onion, 1/4 t salt and some pepper for about 5 min. Add garlic, chard, and another 1/4 t of salt. Saute for 4-5 min, then reduce heat to low.
When the pasta is tender, drain and add to the saute pan along with the plumped fruit, walnuts and brown butter. Toss together with salt and pepper to taste and finish off with parm.
So freaking yummy. From Field of Greens Cookbook by Annie Sommerville.
Orzo with Shrimp and Tomatoes
Having tried a few new recipes that were less than stellar (sorry, Rick Bayless, your tortilla soup did not make the cut), I made an old forgotten favorite from the Sofi cookbook last night that reminded me of why I do these posts....great food fairly quickly, and generally not too bad for your waistline. You can even use the peeled raw frozen shrimp in a bag to make less work for yourself.
3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped*
1 T fresh basil or 1/2 t dried if it is winter
2 T dry white wine
salt and pepper
bag o' shrimp, raw and peeled (tails on are ok)
3 oz feta...best quality you can get (bit under a cup)
1 lb orzo (yes, they have it at the market...Barilla makes a decent one)
Put a big pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Dump in the orzo and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over med heat and, when hot, add the garlic. Stir quickly and try not to let it brown. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Raise heat to med high and add basil, wine, salt and pepper to taste and shrimp. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Add the feta.
Drain the pasta and put back in the pot. Add the shrimp and tomato mixture and stir over med heat for a couple of minutes and then serve.
*to peel tomatoes, cut an "x" in the bottom of the tomato and put in a small pot of boiling water...cook for a minute and then put tomato in ice water to stop it from cooking. Peel the skin right off of it!
3 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped*
1 T fresh basil or 1/2 t dried if it is winter
2 T dry white wine
salt and pepper
bag o' shrimp, raw and peeled (tails on are ok)
3 oz feta...best quality you can get (bit under a cup)
1 lb orzo (yes, they have it at the market...Barilla makes a decent one)
Put a big pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Dump in the orzo and set the timer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over med heat and, when hot, add the garlic. Stir quickly and try not to let it brown. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Raise heat to med high and add basil, wine, salt and pepper to taste and shrimp. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes until the shrimp turn pink. Add the feta.
Drain the pasta and put back in the pot. Add the shrimp and tomato mixture and stir over med heat for a couple of minutes and then serve.
*to peel tomatoes, cut an "x" in the bottom of the tomato and put in a small pot of boiling water...cook for a minute and then put tomato in ice water to stop it from cooking. Peel the skin right off of it!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Black Cod with Miso
So this dish is based on the famous Nobu Matsuhisa dish. The original recipe called for marinating the fish for 2-3 days, but this recipe allows for merely an overnight stay. And you can make the marinade up to a week in advance. The marinade is a bit stinky and it takes a leap of faith to believe that it will come out fantastic, but it will. Serve with rice and something green.
In a small sauce pan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until it has dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until dissolved. Let cool and then pour into a big ziplock baggie and add fish. Cover and fridge overnight, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a grill pan and oil it. Scrape off excess marinade from fish (yes, it is very stinky at this point) and cook over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky.
Serve and be amazed.
- 3 T mirin (available in the asian section of the grocery)
- 3 T sake
- 1/2 c white miso paste (available in the refrigerated healthy section of the grocery)
- 1/3 c sugar
- four 6-7 oz skinless black cod fillets, about 1 1/2 inches thick (fyi, black cod is not actually a cod at all, but a sable fish.) I have made this recipe with just two pieces of fish and the proportions are fine.
- canola oil (for grilling)
In a small sauce pan, bring the mirin and sake to a boil. Whisk in the miso until it has dissolved. Add the sugar and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until dissolved. Let cool and then pour into a big ziplock baggie and add fish. Cover and fridge overnight, turning occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a grill pan and oil it. Scrape off excess marinade from fish (yes, it is very stinky at this point) and cook over high heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip the fish onto a heavy rimmed baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, until flaky.
Serve and be amazed.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Fog City Diner Sirloin and Black Bean Chili
What better thing to make on a cold, cold day in LA (that means below 60 degrees during the day, with the windchill making it feel like 32 degrees to our thin blooded bodies) than a big pot o' chili? This weekend looks like another cold and rainy one, so stock up on the ingredients and make this Sat. morning for yummy chili whenever you want all weekend. It takes about 2 hours to make, including all the chopping, but you can pretty much sit on your tush for about an hour of it. If you need masa harina, you can either pick it up at your supermarket in the flour/sugar section or feel free to stop by and pick some up from me...I have a giant bag full.
2 lbs boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 c olive oil
2 med. yellow onions, chopped
2 T finely chopped garlic
5 (yes, 5) jalepenos, seeded and finely chopped
3 T chili powder (the chili powder mix, not pure ground chili)
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t cumin
1/4 c masa harina
3 1/2 c beef broth
2 c cooked black beans (can use canned...rinse and drain. I used two whole cans because I misread the recipe, but it was still so awesome!)
Heat the oil in a large pot over moderately high heat and brown the meat in batches. Remove the meat using a slotted spoon and set it aside.
Using the same pot, reduce the heat to moderate and saute the garlic, onions, and chiles until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and stir for another 3 minutes. Add masa harina and stir for 2 minutes (mixture will be dry.)
Add the broth, water and beef to the masa harina/onion mixture and simmer for 45 mn uncovered, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and simmer 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve the chili with sides of cheese, lime wedges, avocado and/or cilantro.
2 lbs boneless sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 c olive oil
2 med. yellow onions, chopped
2 T finely chopped garlic
5 (yes, 5) jalepenos, seeded and finely chopped
3 T chili powder (the chili powder mix, not pure ground chili)
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t cumin
1/4 c masa harina
3 1/2 c beef broth
2 c cooked black beans (can use canned...rinse and drain. I used two whole cans because I misread the recipe, but it was still so awesome!)
Heat the oil in a large pot over moderately high heat and brown the meat in batches. Remove the meat using a slotted spoon and set it aside.
Using the same pot, reduce the heat to moderate and saute the garlic, onions, and chiles until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and stir for another 3 minutes. Add masa harina and stir for 2 minutes (mixture will be dry.)
Add the broth, water and beef to the masa harina/onion mixture and simmer for 45 mn uncovered, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and simmer 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve the chili with sides of cheese, lime wedges, avocado and/or cilantro.
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