Mussels: Theme and Variations

When I posted this recipe for mussels recently, I mentioned that I don't even use a recipe very often any more. That's because that recipe and the one I've posted below showed me the basics. Now I can riff on that process with ingredients I have on hand or try new and different combinations every time I fix up a pot of these delicious shelled creatures.

Here's my technique:

Sauté your veggies.
In the pot you're using to cook your mussels, heat a tablespoons or two of olive oil. Add two or three veggies and saute for a couple of minutes. Of course, the obvious suspects are garlic and chopped onion, but you can also get exotic with jalapeño, red bell pepper, thinly sliced fennel, ginger, or your other favorites. After these sauté for a few, you could also add some diced tomato for a minute or two. Just think about your favorite flavor combos and experiment away.

Add the aromatics and spices.
Depending on what you're aiming for, you might use any variety of dried herbs. Oregano, thyme, Italian herb seasoning, crushed red pepper, chili powder, cumin, saffron, curry powder. Again, get creative. You'll just want to follow a theme throughout....more on that in a minute.

Time for the liquid.
Since you're essentially steaming the mussels, you need liquid. But not just water...you wnat something that will add another layer of flavor. Lots of recipes call for white wine and that's always a great choice. But you can get more exotic than that. I've used rosé wine. Even sparkling wine. But you could also go with beer. Dry sherry. And there are plenty of non-alcoholic options as well. Chicken, fish or vegetable stock. A can of tomatoes with their juice. Even coconut milk (yuck) for you real exotic types.


Dump in the mussels.
Make sure the mussels are all closed (discard those that aren't) and dump them in. They cook for about five minutes. This time, you discard those that are still closed.


Gild the lily.
A little greenery is always nice at this point. A handful of coarsely chopped parsley or basil. Even some baby spinach. Adds a nice color and texture to your final dish. Now all you need is that crusty bread I mentioned.

Keep with a theme.
Don't confuse your tastebuds by getting too creative. Think of a flavor profile and play within that category. For example, you can go Italian with onion and garlic, tomato, oregano and white wine. Or Southwestern with onion, garlic, red pepper, cumin, and tomatoes in their juice. get the idea? (One of my most successful experiments involved a little diced chorizo sausage, roasted red pepper, garlic, saffron, smoked paprika and a Spanish white wine. Delicious.)

If you're still worried about your improv skills, try this recipe from Food and Wine magazine inspired by the cooking of Galicia, a rugged coastal region in northwestern Spain. It will give you the basics. Then go for it.

Mussels in Sailor's Sauce
Makes 4 servings.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 large tomato—peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, lightly crumbled
Large pinch of Spanish saffron, lightly crumbled
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Albariño
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Crusty country bread, for serving

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, oregano and saffron and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir it in. Add the wine and mussels, cover the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the fish stock, parsley and lemon juice and cook over high heat, stirring, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes.

Discard any mussels that do not open. Transfer the mussels and their sauce to deep bowls. Serve at once with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Crab Quiche

I've always believed that real mean DO eat quiche. Especially when it's as delicious as this one. Add a green salad and a glass or two of your favorite crisply dry white wine, and it's bon appetit time.

Crab Quiche
Makes 6-8 servings.
(And it's delicious the next morning for breakfast.)

1 pie crust
8 ounces fresh lump crab meat
3 ounces grated Swiss cheese
4 eggs
2 cups milk or cream
1/3 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place pastry in bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp edges.

Over the pie crust, sprinkle the crab meat and grated cheese. in a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, onion, salt and cayenne until blended. Pour mixture over crabmeat and cheese. Sprinkle with parsley.

Place pie plate on a cookie sheet on middle rack of oven. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°. Bake 30 minutes more or until knife, when inserted, comes out clean. Remove quiche from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette

If you're looking for a new and different side to go with the steak you're throwing on the grill tonight, here's your solution. It goes well with other simply prepared proteins as well...salmon, tuna steak, veal chop or pork tenderloin. Splurge on the truffle oil. It's totally worth it. Yum.


Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Black Truffle
Makes six servings.


2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup white or black truffle oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound mixed mushrooms, including shitake, button and cremini, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
1 small shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
8 cups mixed baby lettuces, washed and dried


Whisk the sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the truffle oil until emulsified.


Melt the butter over medium heat in a medium skillet until it foams. Add the mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring, until warmed through and slightly tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add half of the chives and toss with half the vinaigrette to coat. season with salt and pepper and cover loosely to keep warm while preparing greens.

In a large bowl , toss the greens with the remaining vinaigrette and chives, and distribute among six salad plates. Top with the warm mushrooms and serve immediately.


Food/Wine Pairing: While a nice California Cabernet is usually my go-to wine with a steak, here the mushrooms cry out for Pinot Noir. And if you're splurging on the truffle oil, might as well have a top-notch bottle of wine. Two of my favorite Pinot Noirs are Goldeneye and Belle Glos (try the Telephone and Clark Vineyard). Both are well-worth the $50 they cost. Cheers...

Hash Brown Potato Casserole

This is much like the infamous "Mormon Potato Casserole" served up at buffet pot-luck dinners. It would also be perfect at your next brunch.

Hash Brown Potato Casserole
Serves 10-12.

1/2 cup butter
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1 pound frozen hash brown or O'Brien potatoes, thawed

In a small saucepan, heat the soup and butter until the butter is melted and well-combined. Blend in the rest of the ingredients and stir in the potatoes. Place in a 9x13 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Peach Pound Cake

Peaches are abundant at the farmers market right now. Here's a GREAT way to use them. It was a real hit at the lakehouse this Fourth of July weekend. Delicious for dessert and quite tasty for breakfast also. Make it extra peachy with some diced peaches and whipped cream on top if you'd like. (Thinking about it, it might love a drizzle of amaretto instead.)

Peach Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extract..

In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Fold in sour cream and chopped peaches. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake come out clean.

Best Grilled Cheese Ever: Grilled Gouda and Membrillo Sandwiches

Putting together my annual multi-course wine pairing dinner for my family is both art and science. Art in that I want it to be creative in a mind-blowing way. Science in that the progression from light to heavy creates some "rules" within which I work.


First course is almost always a sparkler. Second is a light white...like Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier. And 99% of the time the third course is a pairing with the king of the white grapes--Chardonnay.


I didn't have a great Chardonnay-pairing recipe in my files this time. So I depended on my good "friend" Andrea Immer Robinson and her A-List Wine Club. I found a Stuhlmuller Reserve Chardonnay in the cellar. her food pairing suggestion? This decadent delicious grilled cheese sandwich. It's like nothing you've ever had before, yet remarkably easy to make. Make yourself a batch and uncork a rich and honeyed Chard.

What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than a kicked-up grilled cheese sandwich?!? So yummy that I came home and fixed one after work just the other night.


Grilled Gouda and Membrillo Sandwiches
Serves 6-8 as a first course or snack.


8 slices multi-grain sandwich bread (I used a "three-seed" bread from my local gourmet market.)
8 ounces aged Gouda cheese, very thinly sliced (Use the good stuff.)
8 ounces membrillo (quince paste), very thinly sliced (or substitute 6 tablespoons apricot jam)


Place four of the bread slices on a work surface and layer with slices of the membrillo to cover (or slather generously with apricot jam).


Distribute the slices of Gouda cheese evenly over the sandwiches and top with the remaining bread slices.


Toast the sandwiches in a heated panini press until the cheese begins to melt and the bread is lightly toasted and crunchy.


Cut the sandwiches into triangles or squares with a sharp knife. Serve hot.

Asian-Style Veggie Noodles

My fascination with Asian cooking continues. I don't know whether it's because there in an inordinate number of those kinds of recipes in my favorite magazines. Or whether it's just a continued result of my wonderful field trip to Asia World Market here in Dallas. Maybe it's just because they are so darn healthy most of the time. Anyway...I digress.

This dish manages to be quite pan-Asian. Japanese, Chinese and Thai ingredients all combine for a delicious final result.

Asian-Style Veggie Noodles
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine.
Makes 4 servings.

Salt
One 12-ounce package soba noodles
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 head napa cabbage (about 2 pounds), tough center ribs removed and thinly shredded
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 bunch scallions, cut on an angle into 2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, halved, seeded and very thinly sliced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely chopped
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
20 basil leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the soba noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, in a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until rippling. Add the cabbage and edamame and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions, garlic, jalapeño and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Stir in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and black pepper. Add the soba noodles and basil and toss.

Shrimp Salad with Avocado/Lime Vinaigrette

Here's a great picnic recipe. Sweet shrimp, creamy avocado and tangy vinaigrette. With a nicely chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or even rosé, it's an afternoon delight.

Shrimp Salad with Avocado/Lime Vinaigrette
Serves 4.

1 bulb fresh fennel
3 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and dried
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 avocado, cubed
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 pinch chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 drops liquid smoke seasoning
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for cooking shrimp

Trim and discard the tops and stem end of the fennel. Quarter the bulb and shave with a mandoline. Place in a bowl with the spinach leaves and toss to combine.

Butterfly each shrimp by cutting part-way through with a paring knife along the vein side from the head to tail. Set shrimp aside.

In a blender, combine half the avocado cubes, the lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste and liquid smoke. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly to make a thick vinaigrette. Taste and add more olive oil and salt if needed to balance the tanginess of the lime.

In a heavy skillet set on medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon olive oil and add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and cook, turning each shrimp individually to sear the shrimp on all sides.

Add the shrimp and remaining avocado to the bowl with the spinach and the fennel; drizzle on about 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Taste and add more vinaigrette if desired. Serve immediately.

Crispy Goat Cheese with Oven-Dried Tomatoes

Here's a delicious appetizer that pairs perfectly with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc. You might just make a meal of it on one of these hot summer evenings.

Crispy Goat Cheese with Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Makes about 32 pieces.

8 plum tomatoes, washed and dried
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for sautéing cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 eggs 1/4 cup water
2 cups fine dried bread crumbs
baguette, sliced thinly and toasted

Preheat the oven to 350°. Allow goat cheese to come to room temperature for easier handling.

Meanwhile, trim ends from tomatoes and cut each into four slices of equal thickness. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange tomatoes on the pan, brush with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Place tomatoes in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, or until they release their moisture and become soft and chewy. (Begin checking after 15 minutes and remove any slices that begin to brown or become too dry.) Remove from oven and reserve. Tomatoes may be made a day ahead; cool, place in airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place goat cheese on a 20 inch piece of plastic wrap. Slice cheese lengthwise in half using dental floss. Place the cheese halves end-to-end on the plastic wrap. Roll plastic wrap over to cover, then roll and shape to round the edges and re-form the cheese into one long, thin log. Unwrap plastic and, with dental floss, slice into 32 rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Whisk eggs and water together to make an egg wash. Dip each goat cheese slice in egg wash, then in crumbs to coat all sides. Place rounds on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Allow tomatoes to come to room temperature. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy skillet to medium. Add goat cheese slices in a single layer and sauté until golden. Turn and sauté other side until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove to a platter and continue sautéing the remainder of the slices, wiping out the pan to remove brown bits and adding more oil as necessary.

For each hors d'oeuvre, place a tomato slice on each baguette slice and top with a slice of the cheese. Serve warm.

Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction

In the next couple of days, I'll be posting about my recent seven course wine dinner. It happens once a year when my family can gather themselves here in the same city. Lots of fun. Since it was already pushing 100 degrees in Dallas when we did it, there are some nice summery light dishes on there.

In that vein, this dish just screams summer. I'll go ahead and post it now so you can dash out and get those luscious peaches now showing up at produce stands and farmers markets.

Seared Figs and White Peaches with Balsamic Reduction
From Cooking Light magazine.
Makes 8 servings.

1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons butter, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 firm ripe white peaches (about 1 3/4 pounds), halved and pitted
8 firm ripe Black Mission figs, halved lengthwise (about 1 pound)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup crème fraîche
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cook peppercorns in a small skillet over medium heat 6 minutes or until fragrant and toasted. Cool. Place peppercorns in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Crush peppercorns with a meat mallet or rolling pin; set aside.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; stir in 1 teaspoon thyme. Add peaches, cut sides down, to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan.

Place 1 peach half, cut sides up, on each of 8 plates.

Melt remaining 1 teaspoon butter in pan; stir in remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Add figs, cut sides down, to pan; cook 2 minutes or until browned. Place two fig halves on each plate.

Add vinegar to pan; cook over medium-low heat until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Cool slightly.

Spoon about 2 teaspoons crème fraîche into the center of each peach half; drizzle about 1 teaspoon vinegar mixture over each serving. Sprinkle each serving with about 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle evenly with salt.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Bread-and-Butter Pickle Remoulade

I'd been eyeing the green tomatoes at the farmers market for a couple of weeks when I ran across this recipe in my "summer" file. I'd forgotten how delicious a fried green tomato can be. I fry yellow squash in a similar fashion every other week or so, but green tomatoes are even firmer and have a great sweet tanginess.

And this delicious remoulade simply gilds the lily. If you have some homemade bread and butter pickles you can use as an ingredient, all the better.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Bread-and-Butter Pickle Remoulade
Adapted from Southern Living.
Makes 6 to 8 servings

4 large green tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or milk)
2 cups cornmeal
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Vegetable or peanut oil

Preheat oven to 200°. Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle both sides of tomatoes evenly with salt and pepper.

Pour buttermilk or milk into a shallow dish or pie plate. Stir together cornmeal and Creole seasoning in another shallow dish or pie plate.

Dip tomatoes in buttermilk and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large cast-iron skillet; heat over medium heat to 350°. Fry tomatoes, in batches, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste.

Transfer to a wire rack; keep warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve with Bread-and-Butter Pickle Rémoulade.

Bread-and-Butter Pickle Rémoulade
Adapted from Southern Living.
Makes about 1 cup


3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Creole (or stone-ground) mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic pepper

Stir together all ingredients.

Note: This would also be a yummy sandwich spread. Including on a catfish or shrimp po-boy.

Sichuan Peppercorn Shrimp

Mouth-numbing. Not always a great term to hear. It makes me think of trips to the dentist and the rubber lips and embarassing drooling that follows.


In this case, however, it's music to my ears. My trip to the Asian market yielded me a package of Sichuan peppercorns, among other treasures, so I was excited to find this recipe from Food and Wine in my files.


After extensive research (i.e. a trip to Wikipedia via Google), the numbness has been explained. The pepper is not related to black pepper and not really "hot," but creates "a tingly numbness in the mouth (caused by its 3% of hydroxy-alpha-sanshool)." OK...lesson over. Go find some and fix this fantastic recipe.


Sichuan Peppercorn Shrimp
From Food and Wine.

Makes 4 servings.


1 1/2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns 1 pound large shrimp—shelled, deveined and butterflied
Salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 scallions—2 coarsely chopped, 1 thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
1 small ancho chile, seeded and very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Chile-sesame oil, for drizzling

In a small skillet, toast the peppercorns over moderate heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool. Transfer the peppercorns to a mortar or spice grinder and grind to a powder. Put the shrimp in a bowl, toss with 1 teaspoon of the ground peppercorns and season with salt.


In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry over moderate heat until almost cooked through, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Add the chopped scallions, garlic, jalapeños and chile and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the scallions and garlic are softened, 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ground peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the shrimp and lime juice and stir until the shrimp are just cooked through, 1 minute. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl. Garnish with the sliced scallion, drizzle with the chile oil and serve.

Cocktail of the Week: Ginger Cocktail

I've had the juicer out again for the last couple of weeks. It's great for the "leftovers" from my farmers market trips. Tops of celery. A few leftover beets. You get the picture.


So why not use the juicer for a delicious gin cocktail? Now beware...the ginger juice brings quite a bracing bite. You might want to reduce the quantity a little bit on your first try.


Ginger Cocktail
Makes one drink.


2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce ginger juice (recipe below)
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice


Shake ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass.


Ginger Juice

To make ginger juice, run enough fresh, unpeeled, washed ginger through a juicer for 6 ounces of juice (about 1 1/2 pounds of ginger). Combine juice with 1 cup sugar in a sealed glass jar and shake. Will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Roasted Salmon with Herbed Greek Yogurt

Every now and then, I discover another ingredient that becomes a pantry staple. It was chipotles in adobo sauce a year ago--great to have in the fridge to add a touch of heat to salad dressings, sauces or just to stir into sour cream for a quick dip. More recently, it's been soba noodles. I fix them as a side dish "starch" far more often than pasta or rice. (With a lower glycemis index, they fit into my attempt to eat more "good carbs."

So here's the latest: Greek yogurt. It's low-fat, slightly thicker than regular yogurt and I've found lots of recipes for it.

Here's one. The salmon is great chilled and then "smashed" onto a piece of whole-wheat toast for breakfast.

Roasted Salmon with Herbed Greek Yogurt
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.
Serves 8.

1/2 cup Greek yogurt (2%)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 side of salmon (3 pounds) or 8 fillets (6 ounces each)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine yogurt, mustard, dill, and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Place salmon, skin side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread yogurt mixture on salmon.


Roast until opaque throughout, 15 to 20 minutes (8 minutes for fillets). Sprinkle with dill sprigs and serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.

Cuban Mojo Sauce

I was lucky enough recently to win a mojito party from Bacardi. In a pretty original marketing ploy, they send a couple of folks out to your place with all the fixins' (rum included) so that they can teach you and your guests how to make a mojito...or eight.


Well, I felt obligated to provide some nibbles....and wanted to keep with the Cuban theme. So I put out some salsas and black bean dip purchased from a couple of local restaurants alongside tortilla chip and plantain chips. (Lord, I LOVE ethnic grocery stores.) Also some shrimp with a spicy orange rum dipping sauce I whipped up.


But the center of attention was make-your-own pulled pork mini-sandwiches. Very Cuban. I buy a pork butt or shoulder and slow roast it (technique to be posted soon). Then shred it and serve it on a big platter with little soft rolls next to it. And to finish things off, a bowl of this tasty tangy sauce. (Yes, you can buy it bottled, but it's so easy you might as well make it from scratch.)


Cuban Mojo Sauce
Makes about one cup.


1/3 cup olive oil
6 to 8 cloves garlic, finely minced (In a pinch, I have substituted a tablespoon of garlic pepper.)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
(or even better 2/3 cup freshly squeezed SOUR orange (the bumpy, thick-skinned variety you can find at Latino markets) juice)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a deep suacepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly toasted. DO NOT let it brown...about 30 seconds is plenty.


Add the juice, cumin, salt and pepper. (Be careful and STAND BACK; the sauce my sputter a bit.) Bring to a rolling boil. Taste and correct seasoning, if needed.


Cool before serving. Mojo is best served within a couple of hours of making, but will keep well for several days in a sealed jar or bottle in the fridge.

Sweet Potato Salad

OK...this recipe won't be replacing my other half's legendary and traditional potato salad at picnics and BBQ fests. But it's an interesting twist. Definitely worth a try...and hearty enough to be the centerpiece of my healthy lunch tomorrow.


Sweet Potato Salad
Makes 4-6 servings.
From Southern Living.


2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Vegetable cooking spray
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 celery ribs, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced green bell pepper
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
3 slices peppered or regular bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Arrange potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or just until tender. Let cool slightly.

Stir together remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, celery, and next 9 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Add potatoes, and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, if desired.


Serve warm or chilled.

Mussels in Tomato-Wine Broth

When I can't think of something else to cook for dinner, but I want something special, I will sometimes turn to mussels. I can stop at the seafood counter on the way home and buy a pound or two. Cooked with aromatics and some veggies and with a piece of crusty bread on the side, they make a perfectly satisfying meal.


Here's a simple recipe that has served as the inspiration for many a mussels meal. In the next week or two, I will post a few variations on it. You won't need to use a recipe ever again.


Mussels in Tomato-Wine Broth
From Cooking Light.
Makes two servings.


2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine (use whatever you're drinking)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (8 ounce) bottle clam juice
2 pounds small mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add wine, lemon juice, pepper, tomatoes and clam juice; bring to a boil. Add mussels.


Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until shells open. Remove from heat and discard any unopened shells.


Stir in parsley and serve.

Cheeseburger Meat Loaf

I cannot believe I haven't posted this recipe before. It is a family tradition, and no matter what other recipe for meat loaf I try, I come back to this one. It's rich and wonderful, but also complex enough that it deserves a good-quality bottle of wine. I'm thinking about pairing it with a wonderful (expensive) bottle of Patz & Hall Pinot Noir we brought back from our last Napa Valley excursion.

Cheeseburger Meat Loaf
Serves 4-6.

2 eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 slices stale bread, coarsely crumbled (I use Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread.)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (or 1 teaspoon celery salt)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground sirloin
3 slices American cheese (the secret ingredient...a pocket of cheesy goodness in every slice)
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar

Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl. Add cream and beat until well-combined. Add crumbs to egg mixture. Stir in and let sit until bread becomes good and soft. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese, ketchup and brown sugar and mix well.

Place 1/2 of mixture in loaf pan and flatten until even. Lay slices of cheese on top of meat, avoiding edges of the loaf. Place remaining meat mixture on top of cheese and shape into loaf shape, sealing cheese into middle of loaf.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine ketchup and brown sugar until brown sugar is dissolved and well-mixed. Remove meat loaf from oven and pour sauce over top. Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until done.

Let sit and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tequila Mayo Dipping Sauce

If I've had a light lunch, I can be starving before I ever start dinner. If I'm lucky and the fridge is stocked (or I've stopped by Central Market on the way home), I can pull out a half-dozen chilled peel-and-eat shrimp and mix up a small ramekin of this sauce. (I just drastically reduce the recipe and guesstimate the ratios.) Delicious. And definitely worth trying on a larger scale for your next party. It would be delicious to nosh on this while you sit by the pool or on the patio.


Tequila Mayo Dipping Sauce
Makes approximately 2 cups.


1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground cracked black pepper


Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine well. Serve chilled.

Cocktail of the Week: Bourbon-Spiked Iced Tea

The other day at lunch, a co-worker told a hilarious story of surviving a boring business dinner her husband hosted by conspiring with the waiter. She had him fill her regular-looking iced tea glass with a potent Long Island Iced Tea. I admire her initiative.


Here's another cocktail she could have used to outwit her tablemates. But no reason to hide this one...make up a pitcher and share!


Bourbon-Spiked Iced Tea
Makes one cocktail.


2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce Cointreau or triple sec
5 ounces unsweetened iced tea
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon simple syrup


Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the bourbon, Cointreau, iced tea, lemon juice and simple syrup and stir. Garnish with a mint sprig and lemon wedge.

Cheers!

Produce: What To Store Where...

Our kitchen is a veritable cornucopia these days. My weekly forays to the farmer's market are supplemented by herbs and peppers from our patio garden and treats from a green-thumbed co-worker. It can be overwhelming. And, unfortunately, I have sometimes let some of the bounty spoil by not storing it correctly. Sure a bowl of yellow summer squash looks great on the counter, but I've learned the hard way that that is NOT where they should be kept.

So I was thrilled to find this great list in a recent issue of Cooking Light magazine that tells me exactly what to put where (so to speak...).

Refrigerator
These items go in perforated plastic bags, in the produce drawers:

Artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, corn, cucumbers, figs, grapes, green onions, leafy greens, leeks, peas, radishes and summer squashes.

Countertop
Here's our opportunity to create a still-life worthy of Matisse. Just make sure you keep the produce out of the sun and allow for some air circulation.

Apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, citrus fruits, eggplant, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, peppers, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, pumpkins, tomatoes, watermelon and winter squashes. Note: You can extend the life of your avocados, kiwi, peaches, pears and plums by moving them to the fridge once they are ripe.)

Pantry
These guys need to stored away from light in a well-ventilated spot in your pantry or cupboard.

Garlic, onions, potatoes.

Beet Gratin

We love beets here at our house. And I have found a wonderful farming family at our farmer's market that sells them by the bunch. My standard treatment is to roast them and then serve them with a little tangy goat cheese and some toasted pine nuts. So I was intrigued by this recipe. And it's pretty good. But, honestly, I think the blue cheese is a little overwhelming. If I make it again (and I just might), I'd probably go back to goat cheese instead of Roquefort.

But try it and let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Beet Gratin
Makes six servings.
From Cooking Light magazine.

2 pounds beets
2 tablespoons water
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Roquefort cheese
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Leave root and 1 inch stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Reserve beet greens. Wrap beets and 2 tablespoons water in foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices.

Cook reserved greens in boiling water 2 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain and pat dry. Coarsely chop, reserving 3/4 cup greens; reserve remaining greens for another use.

Arrange half of beets in a single layer in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half the cheese, black pepper, salt, and sherry vinegar. Repeat procedure with remaining beets, cheese, black pepper, salt, and sherry vinegar. Spread greens evenly on top of beet mixture. Pour half-and-half evenly over greens; top evenly with panko. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until beets are tender.

Broiled Mussels with Smoked Paprika Crumbs

I have several mussels recipes on deck for the next couple of weeks. But this one needed to go up now. I fixed it the other night as a special treat with a glass of Champagne as I watched the Tony Awards. I am madly preparing for a multi-course wine dinner for my family in a couple of weeks and this one will make the cut for the first course and a glass of bubbly.

(Note: I only cooked one pound of mussels, so I had plenty of the delicious breadcrumbs leftover. They are going in the freezer to bread a tilapia fillet sometime very soon.)

Broiled Mussels with Smoked Paprika Crumbs
Adapted from Food and Wine magazine.
Makes 8 servings.

1/2 cup dry white wine
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed
3 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a pot, bring the wine to a boil. Add the mussels. Cover and cook over high heat, shaking the pot until the mussels open, 4 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer the mussels to a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Pour the mussel cooking liquid into a bowl. Loosen the mussels in their shells and discard the empty half of each shell. Spoon the cooking liquid over the mussels to keep them moist. Cover with plastic wrap.

Put the bread crumbs in a medium bowl. In a small skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the garlic, paprika and cayenne and cook over moderate heat until fragrant. Scrape the contents of the skillet over the crumbs. Add the thyme and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the plastic wrap from the mussels and top them with the bread crumbs. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, rotating the pan as necessary, until the bread crumbs are browned and crisp. Serve right away.

Cocktail of the Week: Smoky Mary

When I had the mega-smoker out for Memorial Day, I planned on doing some extra-special ingredients after the meat came off. I bought some poblano peppers, fresh corn and tomatoes. I was thinking a relish of some kind with the veggies. And this cocktail with the tomatoes.

Well...I never got around to putting those items on. (Grilling the corn and poblanos led to a great "salsa" for grilled chicken a couple of nights later.) But I still want to try this recipe sometime soon. It sounds wonderful.

Smoky Mary
Makes one cocktail.

3 ounces vodka
2 1/2 ounces smoked tomato juice (see below)
2 1/2 ounces tomato juice
1/2 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce Worcestershire sauce
Pepper/celery salt to taste
Dash of hot sauce

Shake all ingredients over cracked ice and strain into an ice-filled collins or cocktail glass.

Smoked Tomato Juice

Halve tomatoes and smoke over indirect heat on a charcoal grill using hickory or mesquite wood chips for 2o minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Transfer to a blender and process, then strain. Four medium tomatoes will yield about 2 cups of juice.

Lemon Chess Pie

OK...I'll admit it. I sometimes go to the cafeteria. It's hereditary...many a childhood night was spent at Luby's or Furr's. Especially when we went to Tulsa to visit the grandparents. (Just mention that to my siblings and they'll go into a riff on that salad lady.)

Anyway...there are two desserts I always grab for. (Oh, stop...of course I'm having dessert...the entree was chicken-fried steak or fried fish with lots of tartar sauce after all.) Chocolate icebox pie...you know, the one with the chocolate shavings on top. Or this. Lemon chess pie. Yum.

Lemon Chess Pie

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 1/2 teaspoons butter flavoring
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°.


Cream butter and sugar. Add flour. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add buttermilk and flavorings. Mix well. Pour into crust.


Bake for 50 minutes. The middle may be be a little jiggly when you take it out of the oven but will firm up as it cools.

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Dried Cherries and Rosemary

I am not usually a fan of fruit with meat. Fruits are for snacking or dessert. Not chutneys, not salsas, not compotes.

That said, I like this recipe. The combination of tart dried cherries with pungent rosemary (and wine and balsamic) adds a wonderful aromatic touch to what can be a bland cut of meat. Check it out...

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Dried Cherries and Rosemary
Serves 6.

2-1 pound pork tenderloins
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup cranberry juice or apple juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 shallots, halved lengthwise
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Rinse the pork tenderloin, pat dry and place in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish and set aside.

Whisk together the cherries, wine, vinegar, juice, garlic, shallots and rosemary in a bowl. Pour this marinade over the pork; cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight, turning the pork several times.

Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Remove the pork from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and place the pork in the heated skillet. Brown the pork on all sides, about 5 to 6 minute total.

Pour the reserved marinade over the pork and place the skillet in the oven. Roast, basting several times, about 20 to 25 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 150-155°. The meat will be a light pink color.


Remove pork from the baking dish and cover loosely with foil. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before carving.


Season the tenderloin with salt and pepper. Slice into 1/4 inch pieces and spoon the pan juices over the pork. Serve immediately.


Food/Wine Pairing: An aromatic dish with cherries? To me, that screams out for a light Pinot Noir. Go for it.

Classic Barbecue Sauce

For my money, this recipe from Southern Living is the best homemade barbecue sauce I've tasted in a long while. But for the Memoral Day Meatfest 2009 (brisket, ribs, pork, chicken and all the trimmings), I tried this one also. It's from Martha's magazine. It was tasty, but a little too "tomato-y" for my Texas tastebuds. As one of my guests said, "It's a lot like marinara sauce."

Still worth a try though. Maybe you can doctor it up some. Share your alterations with the rest of us in the comments section below.

Classic Barbecue Sauce
From Martha Stewart Living.
Makes 6 1/2 cups.

1/3 cup safflower oil
3 small onions, diced (3 cups)
6 garlic cloves, minced (3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (earthy.com) or regular chili powder
1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
4 cups crushed tomatoes (from two 28-ounce cans)
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water, plus more if needed

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and saute until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the chili powder, coriander, cumin, molasses, and sugar. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and cider vinegar, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and dark, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Reduce heat to low if sauce is simmering too quickly.

Pureé sauce in a blender. Add remaining 4 teaspoons salt, remaining teaspoon pepper, the white vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce, and puree. With blender running, carefully add water in a slow, steady stream. Blend until mixture is smooth and emulsified, adding more water if needed. Let cool, and refrigerate.

Oven-Poached Halibut Provençale

I've never been to Provence, but I can certainly pretend I am there when I fix this recipe, uncork a bottle of dry French rose and eat al fresco on the patio on a sunny evening.


Oven-Poached Halibut Provençale
Serves six.
Adapted from Cooking Light.


1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups diced tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add fennel, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in diced tomato; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fresh basil and fresh parsley.

Spoon half of tomato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place fillets over tomato mixture. Pour wine into dish; sprinkle fillets with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over fillets. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until almost done.


Combine the breadcrumbs, olives, herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon oil, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over fillets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Almond Cold-Oven Cake

Here's a flavorful pound cake that...as its name suggests...does not require pre-heating your oven. Perfect for summer baking. And perfect topped with summer fruit like peaches...


Almond Cold-Oven Cake
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds


Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition. Stir in flavorings.


Sprinkle almonds in bottom of greased and floured 10-inch tube pan; pour batter over almonds. Place in cold oven. Turn oven on to 350; bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake come out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Grilled Shrimp with Strawberry Salsa

Here's a summery recipe that pairs perfectly with a slightly chilled glass of rosé wine. Maybe the MacPherson from Texas or the Miner Sangiovese Rosato from California. Either way you have a success on your hands.

Grilled Shrimp with Strawberry Salsa
Serves four.

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots, divided
20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups strawberries, hulled and diced
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Combine the garlic, parsley and thyme with 2 tablespoons of the shallots and 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a small mixing bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thread shrimp on water-soaked bamboo skewers, five per "kabob," using two skewers per kabob so they will lay flat on the grill. Place the shrimp on a platter and brush with oil mixture. Place the shrimp skewers on the grill and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute the shallot until soft and fragrant, approximately 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the strawberries, vinegar and basil. Season to taste with lots of freshly ground pepper and serve with the grilled shrimp.

Linguine with Goat Cheese, Bacon and Roasted Garlic

This is comfort food taken to a new level. A gourmet variation of macaroni and cheese. Good grub.

I made it a couple of weeks ago to go with a bottle-aged Bordeaux that Andrea Immer sent along in my wine club shipment. It got the highest rating possible from my other half: "I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life."

Linguine with Goat Cheese, Bacon and Roasted Garlic
Serves six.

12 ounces linguini pasta
1 head roasted garlic*
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Bring a large pot of slated water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, chop 7 cloves of the roasted garlic, reserving the remainder for another use. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water. In a large bowl, toss the hot pasta with the garlic, bacon, goat cheese, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water, tossing well to melt the cheeses. Add more reserved pasta water if needed to make a "sauce" that clings to the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the parsley, tossing to mix. Serve immediately.

* To roast garlic, remove some of the papery skin from a head of garlic and cut the top third off to expose the cloves. Place on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and seal the foil into a package. Bake at 350° until tender, about one hour. Allow to cool. When ready to use, simply squeeze the garlic from the root end to extract amount needed.

Seared Tuna with Scallion Cream or Basil Oil

Tuna is a wonderful bridge kind of protein. It's the perfect choice when you want fish with a little heft...it might just be the next best thing to a good steak in my book.

And while it's wonderful as is, or crusted with sesame seeds, a nice sauce can make it truly special. Here are a couple: one with a bit of green and a bit of spice and the other a silky summer-infused oil.

Scallion Cream
Makes enough sauce for four tuna steaks.


2 green onions, trimmed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sake
Wasabi powder to taste.


Blend all ingredients in food processor and then heat to reduce by about half.



Basil Oil
Makes more than enough sauce for four tuna steaks. Use the leftovers to drizzle over steamed veggies or as the base for a delicious vinaigrette.


2 cups packed basil leaves
1 cup olive oil


Bring 4 quarts water to a boil and add 3 teaspoons salt. Set up an ice bath.


Blanch basil for two minutes in boiling water, then transfer immediately to an ice bath. Cool for 2 minutes; drain, then squeeze excess water from basil.


Blend basil and 1 cup olive oil in blender until well-mixed.


Strain through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.

Lemon-Spice Bread Pudding with Sauteed Peaches

Here's a summery take on bread pudding. Perfect topped with warmed peaches. Makes you want to run to the farmer's market, doesn't it?

Lemon-Spice Bread Pudding with Sautéed Peaches
From Bon Appetit.
Makes 8 servings.

6 cups 1-inch bread cubes from day-old rustic bread with crusts (about 11 ounces)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
4 cardamom pods, crushed
2 whole star anise
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss bread and melted butter on large rimmed baking sheet to coat. Place bread in oven and toast until golden, tossing occasionally, about 15 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan; add bean. Add milk, cream, cardamom, star anise, and lemon peel to pan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep 30 minutes. Strain.

Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Gradually whisk milk mixture into egg mixture. Add bread and toss gently to combine. Cover and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.

Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350F. Butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Transfer bread mixture to prepared dish. Bake until just set, about 55 minutes. Cool pudding at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with sautéed peaches.

Sautéed Peaches

4 peaches, halved, pitted, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter



Place peaches, juice, and sugar in large bowl; toss to coat. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add peaches; cook until juices thicken slightly, stirring gently, about 3 minutes.

Chile-Glazed Halibut with Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce

In this recipe, fish is given a kick in the pants with a delicious spicy-sweet glaze. The sauce makes it a perfect early summer meal.

Two notes: Instead of grilling, you can also simply bake the fish at 400° for 10 minutes. If you bake this way, you can use a more delicate (and less expensive) white fish like tilapia.

Chile-Glazed Halibut with Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce
Makes 6 servings.
From Bon Appetit.

Glaze:
6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
6 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauce:
1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled
2 medium tomatillos (about 4 ounces), husked, rinsed, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce

Combine all ingredients in blender; blend until smooth.

Fish:
6 5-ounce halibut fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
1 orange with skin, cut lengthwise in half, thinly sliced crosswise
Ground cumin

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Make crosswise slits in each fillet, cutting to within 1/4 inch of bottom and spacing slits about 3/4 inch apart. Brush glaze over top and into slits. Place orange slices in slits. Sprinkle fish with ground cumin, salt, and pepper. Place fish, orange side up, on grill; cover and cook until fish is opaque, about 8 minutes. Using wide spatula, carefully transfer fish to platter. Let rest several minutes. Spoon avocado sauce onto plates, spreading slightly. Arrange 1 fillet over sauce on each plate and serve.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Mayonnaise

Here's another recipe courtesy of Andrea Immer that I prepared to go with a bottle of wine her club had sent. The wine was a Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir from Gundlach-Bundschu and it was delicious. As Andrea describes it..."exotic and hauntingly subtle." The pork was just as exotic...serve it with your favorite Pinot or Syrah.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Hoisin Mayonnaise
Serves four.

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-14 ounce pork tenderloin
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a mortar or spice grinder, lightly crush the coriander and fennel seeds and pour onto a plate. Season the tenderloin on all sides with salt and pepper, then roll it in the seed mixture to coat evenly on all sides.

Roast the pork tenderloin about 20 minutes about 20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 145°. Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, Hoisin sauce and balsamic vinegar until well-combined.

Slice the pork into medallions, dollop with the sauce and serve.

Fettucine with Prosciutto, Wild Mushrooms and Sage

Here is a rich and earthy pasta dish...nothing light about it. And it's plenty complicated to make. But it's delicious...almost sublime with a big wine like a Riserva Rioja or a Super Tuscan.

Fettucine with Prosciutto, Wild Mushrooms and Sage
Serves four.

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
1 ounce dried mushrooms, preferably porcinis or morels
6 quarts salted water
3 teaspoons pure olive oil
3/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms (button or cremini mushrooms may be substituted)
3 ounces prosciutto
8-10 fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
8 ounces dry fettucine
Salt and pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the 1 1/2 cups stock or water to a boil and remove from heat. Add the dried mushrooms to the hot liquid and let soak for 30 minutes.

While mushrooms are soaking, bring the salted water and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil to a boil in a deep pot. Trim tough stem ends of shiitakes, if using. Slice the fresh mushrooms 1/4 inch thick and set aside.

Slice the prosciutto and the sage leaves into thin slivers and place in small containers, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Remove the dried mushrooms from the soaking liquid, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve. Strain the mushroom liquid through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter, and place it in a small saucepan on medium heat. Simmer until reduced by half, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, rinse the reconstituted dried mushrooms to remove any grit, pat them dry, and chop them fine.

In a wide skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 2 teaspoons of the olive on medium-high, and add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the sherry vinegar and reconstituted dried mushrooms and continue to cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Add the dry fettucine to the pot of boiling water and cook al dente according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, finish the sauce. In a skillet large enough to hold the quantity of cooked pasta and the mushroom mixture, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter on low. Add the prosciutto and sage strips, stir, and remove from the heat.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the hot cooking liquid, and add the pasta to the skillet along with the mushrooms and warm mushroom liquid. Return the skillet to medium heat and add 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water, stirring to mix and heat briefly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately in pasta bowls or deep, rimmed plates.

Pine Nut Crusted Tilapia

The other half and I were in Napa a couple of weeks ago celebrating another year of putting up with each other. We drank our way through the valley (with hired driver, thank you very much) and bought a bottle or two along the way. So, as the shipments start to arrive, storage has become an issue. We have a wine refrigerator that we use as our "cellar"--putting the more expensive (and for us that's like $30) bottles in there.

Problem is, we have too much of the "expensive" wine for too little storage. A couple of solutions present themselves. Get another wine fridge? Nah...not enough room. Drink some of the bottles already in there? You betcha!

Quite a few of the good bottles have come from the wine club I am in that Andrea Immer organizes. Wonderful wines from around the world that are always accompanied by informative tasting notes and delicious recipes to pair with the wines. That's the plan...several nights of great food and sumptuous wines.

Last night's bottle was a Napa Chardonnay...the 2005 Kuleto Estate Family Vineyards from Napa Valley. (On the list for the next Napa trip.) It was delicious. Not over-oaked, but full of balanced and concentrated complexity. It was the perfect foil to this really simple recipe. If you don't have a bottle of the Kuleto on hand, grab another Chardonnay...or even a smoky Sauvignon Blanc like Chateau St. Jean.

Pine Nut Crusted Tilapia
Serves four.

4 tilapia fillets (app. 6 ounces each)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 Panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup dry white wine

Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season tilapia with salt and pepper.

Toast the pine nuts in the skillet, tossing frequently, until evenly browned, about five minutes. (Watch them carefully and make sure they don't burn.) Remove from the heat and finely chop.

Toss the chopped pine nuts with the Panko and pour mixture onto a plate. Dip the fillets in the mixture and coat evenly.


Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet until hot. Add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the fillets in a single layer. Cook until the first side is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the fillets and continue cooking until the other side is browned and the fillets are cooked through, about 4-6 minutes.


Remove the fillets and set aside, keeping them warm.


Add the wine to the skillet and cook, scraping the bottom to loosen the browned bits and allowing the wine to reduce a bit.


Drizzle the wine reduction over the fillets and serve.

Cilantro Citrus Chicken

Here's a brightly fresh Southwestern take on grilled chicken.


Cilantro Citrus Chicken
From Cooking Light magazine.
(As written, the recipe serves twelve. I made the same amount of marinade and used it to grill four skinless boneless chicken breasts.)

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves
12 (8-ounce) skinless, bone-in chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray

Combine first seven ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Place six chicken breast halves and half of herb mixture in a large zip-top plastic bag. Place remaining breast halves and remaining herb mixture in a second large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bags occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Let chicken stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt, cumin, and pepper. Place chicken, breast side down, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 12 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 165°, turning once.


Serve with traditional Mexican sides, like black beans and rice. Or go exotic with an avocado sauce and cilantro-jalapeno pasta. Any way, it's delicious.

Penne with Vodka and Tomato Cream Sauce

Getting back to basics can be good. This is comfort food at its finest...not on my diet plan, but great for a cheat night or after a particularly long day at work.

Penne with Vodka and Tomato Cream Sauce
Serves four.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, seeded, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 pound penne pasta (any tubular pasta)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Minced fresh chives or Italian parsley

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until almost no liquid remains in pan, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Add cream, vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Bring sauce to simmer. Pour over pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives or parsley and serve.

Chilled Blueberry Pie

Blueberries are at the farmers market, so it's time for this pie to get in your belly....


Chilled Blueberry Pie


4 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust


Process one cup blueberries in food processor until smooth. Combine cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan, stirring until smooth. Add corn syrup, lemon juice and blueberry puree. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil one minute. Cool for one hour, then fold in remaining 3 cups of blueberries and set aside.


Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread in bottom and up sides of pie crust, forming a 1 inch thick shell.


Spoon blueberry mixture into whipped cream shell. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Two Southwestern Sauces

Who says grilled chicken has to be boring? These sauces take this everyday meal to a whole new level. They also would be great on salmon, slather on shrimp or topping pork or brisket tacos. In short, they need to be a part of your regular repertoire.


Guacamole Sauce
Makes about one cup sauce.


1/4 cup roughly chopped green onions
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 ripe peeled avocado, seeded and coarsely chopped


Place all ingredients in a small food processor or blender and chop until smooth. Sauce can be served cold or at room temperature.


Black Bean Sauce
Makes about two cups sauce.


1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup unsweetened orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic


Place all ingredients in a small food processor or blender and chop until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until heated.

Tilapia Baked in Couscous

I serve couscous quite often as a healthy side dish. Here's taking it one step further...crusting tilapia with a flavorful couscous mixture, then baking it. All you need then to complete the meal is a salad or green vegetable of some sort.


Tilapia Baked in Couscous
Serves four.
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray.


One 10-ounce box couscous
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Four 8-ounce tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the couscous, almonds, sun-dried tomatoes and cumin and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 cup olive oil and the lemon juice.


Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tilapia fillets in a single layer in the dish, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover the fish with the couscous mixture and arrange the lemon slices on top. Pour 2 1/2 cups water around the fish, cover with foil and bake until tender, about 25 minutes. Top with the parsley.

Cocktail of the Week: Blue Hawaiian

It's not quite summer yet, but drink one or two of these and you'll think it is.


Blue Hawaiian
Makes one cocktail.


1 ounce light rum
2 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce blue curacao
1 ounce cream of coconut
1 slice pineapple
1 cherry


Blend rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and cream of coconut with one cup of ice in an electric blender at high speed. Pour contents into a highball glass.


Garnish with the slice of pineapple and the cherry.

Mustard Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are an easy side dish, right? Sure...but they can get boring after a while. Even when enriched with butter, milk and generous amounts of salt and pepper. So I'm always happy when I learn of a new way to make them interesting. Here's one I should have thought of before. A bit of good quality Dijon mustard.

(And it's a perfect side dish for any meat that has a bit of mustard in the recipe. Like this rack of lamb or these easy chicken breasts.)

Mustard Mashed Potatoes
Makes six servings.

2 3/4 pounds medium-size Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup (or more) whole milk
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well.
Return potatoes to pot. Add butter and mash potatoes until almost smooth. Mix in 2/3 cup milk and Dijon mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pork Butt with Worcestershire Sauce

I'm not sure how "Hawaiian" this recipe is...even though that's its origin. What I AM sure of is that it's a great way to fix an inexpensive piece of meat with delicious results.

Pork Butt with Worcestershire Sauce
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

1 (5-pound) pork butt
6 tablespoons Hawaiian salt or kosher salt
10 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 banana leaves

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Slit the pork in several places and rub the salt, liquid smoke, and Worcestershire sauce all over the pork butt.

Wrap the pork in the banana leaves and then wrap it in foil. Place pork in a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 4 hours.

Once pork comes out of oven, shred with a fork and serve.

The Farmer's Market Rules!!!

OK...it's not quite summer here in Dallas. (Thank goodness...the humidity and 100° temperatures will come soon enough.) But it feels like it after one of my errands yesterday.

While downtown, I decided to stop by and see what early season veggies were in the farmer's shed. (Shed 1. Dallasite locavores...don't shop anywhere else.) I hit the mother lode. First and foremost, there are already East Texas tomatoes in. Both big beefy slicers and smaller heirloom types. The are sitting on a windowsill waiting to be sliced and topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

But that's not all....

Tiny baby beets perfect for roasting with thyme and Balsamic vinegar. Then sprinkled with good-quality goat cheese while still warm.

Turnips. I'll boil them and mash them with a little butter and salt to make my other half incredibly happy. Now, if I can just come with an interesting recipe for the greens.

Green beans that I'll simmer with bacon and chopped onion until meltingly tender. And new potatoes that will go in the green bean bath for the last hour or so of cooking.

And to gild the lily, wonderfully sweet spring red and white onions. They'll go on top of the tomatoes, in the green beans and are good enough to eat out of hand.

Also found some handmade pasta and the most wonderful farm-raised eggs. (They were perfect this morning in my Mother's Day Eggs Benedict.)

This is only the beginning. I'll be there almost every weekend. And my $20 or so will continue to yield a cornucopia of goodies. I already have my eyes on jalapeno peppers. Yellow squash. Cucumbers. And of course, more and more tomatoes.

Maybe I'll see you down there?

Fillet of Cod with Asparagus and Prosciutto

Combining healthy ingredients like cod and asparagus with a bit of prosciutto for richness makes these dinners in a packet a great weeknight meal.


Fillet of Cod with Asparagus and Prosciutto
Makes six servings.

From Bon Appetit.


2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 tablespoon plus 6 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 6-ounce cod fillets, pinbones removed
6 ounces paper-thin prosciutto slices, halved lengthwise

Cook asparagus in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well.

Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt to paste in small bowl. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon oil in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic paste; stir until pale golden, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 500°F. Cut out six 12-inch squares of parchment paper. Place 1 parchment square on work surface. Drizzle 1 teaspoon oil over parchment. Place 1 cod fillet in center of parchment. Spoon 1/6 of garlic-lemon mixture over fish. Cover with 1/6 of asparagus spears. Arrange 1/6 of prosciutto slices over. Fold 2 opposite sides of parchment in over fish and vegetables, then fold in remaining 2 sides, enclosing completely. Fasten parchment edges together with paper clips to seal packet. Place on large rimmed baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining parchment, oil, fish, garlic-lemon mixture, asparagus, and prosciutto. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate.)

Bake fish until just opaque in center (parchment will turn golden brown), about 12 minutes. Transfer 1 parchment packet to each of 6 plates. Open parchment packets and serve.

Whitefish with Radicchio, White Beans and Lemon Vinaigrette

In this recipe from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis, simple tilapia (or other fish fillets) become the centerpiece of a hearty dinner made fresh with a citrusy vinaigrette.


Whitefish with Radicchio, White Beans and Lemon Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings.

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio (about 12 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup fish broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 (5 to 6-ounce) whitefish fillets, such as tilapia
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the radicchio and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely. Shake of the excess flour and fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Spoon the radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

Almonds are good for you. I read recently that we should eat twelve a day to keep heart healthy. Now these almonds are not quite as healthy, gilded as they are with a bit of butter and a sweet spicy glaze. But a touch of decadence is almost always a good thing.


Sweet and Spicy Almonds
Makes 2 1/2 cups.


2 1/2 cups raw almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Roast the almonds in a baking dish about ten minutes, until fragrant and toasted.


Transfer the nuts to a bowl and toss with the butter. Sprinkle the sugar, salt and cayenne over the nuts and toss to coat. Let cool slighly before serving.

Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives

Here's another way to "gussy up" mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Chives
Makes 12 servings.
From Cooking Light.

3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup (6 ounces) goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Place potatoes in a saucepan, and cover with cold water to 2 inches above. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return the potatoes to pan over low heat; add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and butter to pan. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Add cheese and pepper to potato mixture; stir until cheese melts. Stir in milk; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in chives.

Southwestern Chicken Bundles

Here's a stuffed chicken recipe that's easy enough to fix on a weeknight. Especially if said weeknight is Cinco de Mayo.

Southwestern Chicken Bundles
Serves four.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (5 1/4 ounce) can whole green chiles, drained
4 (1 ounce) slices Monterey Jack pepper cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
Salsa

Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/8 inch thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Top each chicken breast with 1 green chile and 1 cheese slice. Roll up and secure with a toothpick.

Whisk together egg and 2 tablespoons water in a shallow bowl.

Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture and dredge in the crushed chips.

Place the rolls in a lightly greased baking dish.

Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.


Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.


Serve with salsa.

Spicy Shrimp Tamales with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Goat Cheese

Yeah...so the Life Should Be Beautiful mantra also says things shouldn't be overly complicated. But I also like a challenge. It's why I make fresh ravioli once every couple of years. (I just buy the high-quality frozen stuff available the rest of the time.) Why I have a recipe for homemade egg nog in my arsenal. And why I once made these delicious tamales. It's been several years...might just be time to make them again. How about for Cinco de Mayo?


Spicy Shrimp Tamales with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce and Goat Cheese
Makes about 15 tamales.


1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves
2 Anaheim green chiles, seeds and stems removed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cups prepared masa
6 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 bag dried cornhusks, cleaned and soaked
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, cleaned
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and green chiles in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor along with any juices that are at the bottom of the pan. Add the cumin, salt, and cilantro. Pulse the mixture until combined but still chunky. You may add a bit of water or broth if the mixture is too thick. Reserve half the sauce to serve with the tamales.

In a deep bowl, combine the masa and remaining half of the tomatillo sauce. Beat until fully incorporated and the dough is green. Fold in the softened goat cheese.

Set the cornhusks on a sheet pan covered by a damp towel. Lay the husk flat on a plate with the smooth side up and the narrow end facing you. Spread a thin, even layer of the masa mixture over the surface of the husk with a tablespoon that is dipped in water. Fold the narrow end up to the center then fold both sides together to enclose the filling. The sticky masa will form a seal. Pinch the wide top closed.

Stand the tamales up in a large steamer or colander with the pinched end up. Load the steamer into a large pot filled with 2-inches of water. The water should not touch the tamales. Lay a damp cloth over the tamales and cover with lid. Keep the water at a low boil, checking periodically to make sure the water doesn't boil away. Steam the tamales for 2 hours.

Coat the shrimp with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in a saute pan, cook the shrimp for 5 minutes until pink. To serve, unfold the tamales, top with the spicy shrimp and spoon the reserved tomatillo sauce over the top.

Sole Fillets in White Wine Sauce

Here's a fairly simple preparation of sole fillets that results in a delicious dish that is definitely dinner party material.

Sole Fillets in White Wine Sauce
Makes four servings.

8 button mushrooms
8 sole fillets
1 tablespoons chopped onion or shallots
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fish broth (or water in a pinch)
3/4 cup whipping cream (or milk to save fat and calories)
1/2 cup butter
Juice of 1/3 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Dill, to garnish if desired

Clean the mushrooms and chop finely.

Gently flatten the sole fillets and season with salt. Top fillets with chopped mushrooms and set aside.

In a wide skillet, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon butter until translucent. Do not brown.

Add fish fillets to pan. Pour in wine and fish broth or water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove the fish to a serving plate and keep warm.

Strain juices in to a saucepan. Add cream or milk. Cook until reduced by about half. dd butter, a teaspoon at a time, whisking. season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over fish. Garnish with fresh dill and serve.

Blueberry Crisp

Here's a simple and tasty way to prepare all those Texas blueberries that are plentiful and inexpensive at farmer's markets and grocery stores right now.

Blueberry Crisp

Toss 6 cups of fresh blueberries in a mixture of 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind and 1 cup sugar. Pout into a 7" by 11" baking dish.

To make the topping, combine the following with a pastry blender or in the food processor until crumbly.

2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
8 tablespoons butter, sliced into pieces

Sprinkle topping over blueberries and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes until filling is bubbly and topping is slightly browned.

Chicken Breasts with Prosicutto and Sage

These days we're all trying to be economical. Around here, I hit the grocery stores when meats or fish are on sale and buy plenty. Then I use my handy vacuum sealer and freeze them in dinner-size portions. A couple of chicken breasts. Couple of salmon fillets. You get the idea.


But then I'm faced with what to do with all that bounty. Grilled chicken...only good every so often. So I'm always looking for simple inspirations on ways to kick up the flavor a little. Here's a perfect example. Some fresh sage and a little prosciutto create a wonderfully complex tasting dish...without it being complicated to prepare.


Chicken Breasts with Prosciutto and Sage
Serves 6.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
24 leaves fresh sage, stems removed
6 slices prosciutto
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons dry sherry


Rinse and pat dry the chicken breast halves. Place them smooth-side up on a work surface. Place four sage leaves at an angle atop each chicken breast, spacing them evenly for a striped look.


Working one at a time, carefully center a prosciutto slice on each chicken breast covering the sage leaves. Wrap the slice around and secure with toothpicks.


In a nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Place the chicken breasts sage-side down in the pan. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Turn the chicken breasts and continue cooking, uncovered, until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and keep warm.


Add the sherry tot he pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, scraping to loosen any browned bits, until the liquid in the pan thickens slightly.


Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.


Food-Wine Pairing: Forget about the white wine with chicken rule for this one. The additions of earthy sage and sweet-salty prosciutto cry out for a red. Maybe a little fruit forward but still plenty of structure. Syrah? Super Tuscan? Merlot? Heck, try all three and let me know what you think.

Spinach and Leek Gratin with Roquefort Crumb Topping

Here's a side dish that is a bit fancier than plain 'ol spinach. But it's still really easy. I made it even easier by wilting the spianch and then just adding the butter and leeks to the same pan. I also substituted goat cheese for the blue...adding it to the veggie mixture and letting melt in slightly before putting it in the baking dish and topping with breadcrumbs.

Spinach and Leek Gratin with Roquefort Crumb Topping
Serves eight.
From Bon Appetit.

5 tablespoons butter, divided
3 1/2 tablespoons horseradish Dijon mustard, divided
2 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs from crustless French bread
1 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese (generous 4 ounces)
3 9-ounce bags spinach leaves
1 8-ounce leek, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Mix in 2 tablespoons mustard, then breadcrumbs. Sauté until breadcrumbs are golden, about 5 minutes. Cool briefly.

Mix in cheese.

Toss 1 1/2 bags spinach in large nonstick pot over high heat until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to sieve set over bowl. Repeat with remaining spinach. Press on spinach to drain.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in same pot over medium-high heat. Add leek; sauté 4 minutes. Add cream, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard, and spinach. Toss until thick and blended, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to 7x11-inch baking dish. Top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Parmesan Herb Baked Flounder

I love fish topped with breadcrumbs and flavor enhancers. Here's a great example.

Parmesan Herb Baked Flounder
Adapted from Cooking Light.
Makes four servings.

4 (6 ounce) flounder fillets
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Combine cheese, mayonnaise and green onion and spread evenly over fish.

Combine bread crumbs and remaining ingredients; sprinkle evenly over fish. Lightly coat fish with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Coconut Cream Pie

Here's an oldie, but a goodie. A former boss of mine LOVED coconut cream pie, and practically dared me to make one that he would like. He considered himself a connoisseur and was not going to be easily impressed by a half-hearted attempt. This one won him over. So I had to make one about once a month for us to enjoy at the office. Wish he was still around so I could bake him another one. This one's for you, Mr. Hughes.

Coconut Cream Pie
Makes one pie.

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a heavy saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook one minute.

Beat egg yolks; gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove from heat; stir in butter, vanilla and coconut. Pour into pie shell. Cool completely; cover and chill in refrigerator one to two hours.

Whip cream and sweeten with powdered sugar. Spread onto pie and garnish with toasted coconut if desired.

Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's can actually make gourmet cooking easier...and certainly more affordable.

I've been stocking up on meats at the grocery store recently...and not just chicken breasts (although them too). Gorgeous rib-eye steaks from Central Market. Huge shrimp. Pork tenderloins. And they all go in our newly purchased chest freezer in the garage.

I found myself in a cooking mood yesterday. Breakfast was an omelet with mushrooms, bell pepper and onions. Oh, and a little goat cheese. Delicious. And dinner had to be just as good. Luckily, I had a beautiful rack of lamb chops in the freezer. Here's how I prepared them:

Mustard and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb
(The recipe as posted makes eight servings. I reduced it to one rack and served two of us with a few chops leftover for lunch.)

1 1/2 cups fine fresh bread crumbs
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint (Note: I omitted the mint.)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 frenched racks of lamb (8 ribs and 1 1/2 lb each rack), trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat, then brought to room temperature
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Stir together bread crumbs, parsley, mint, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl, then drizzle with 2 1/2 tablespoons oil and toss until combined well.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400°F.

Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb 1 rack at a time, turning once, about 4 minutes per rack. Transfer to a 13- by 9- by 2-inch roasting pan, arranging fatty sides up.

Spread fatty sides of each rack with 2 teaspoons mustard. Divide bread crumb mixture into 3 portions and pat each portion over mustard coating on each rack, gently pressing to adhere.

Roast lamb until thermometer inserted diagonally 2 inches into center (do not touch bone) registers 130°F (for medium-rare), 20 to 25 minutes, and transfer to a cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes, then cut into chops.

Cocktail of the Week: Bacardi Cocktail

I've been limiting myself to one cocktail a night on "school nights" these days. So it has to count. I'm rediscovering the classics...gin martini, vodka gimlet, even a Manhattan. Here's one that uses rum as its main ingredient.

Bacardi Cocktail
Makes one cocktail.

2 ounces Bacardi light or gold rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce grenadine
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Shake the liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry.

Grilled Black Cod with Asian Glaze

Black cod (aka sablefish) is a white fish with a buttery-creamy texture (think sea bass). It feels decadent and tastes wonderful with this Asian-inspired glaze.

Grilled Black Cod with Asian Glaze
Serves four.


1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of half of a lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (6 ounce) skinless black cod fillets, about 1 inch thick


Whisk together the first five ingredients until well-combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Place the black cod fillets on a large piece of foil, season with salt and pepper and spread the mayonnaise mixture evenly over the fillets to coat. Place the foil with the fillets directly on the grill, close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked to your liking and the mayonnaise mixture starts to bubble and become a shiny glaze. Serve immediately garnished with additional cilantro if desired.

To Organic or Not To Organic?

I certainly try and buy organic produce when I can (or even better buy from local farmers at the market). Sometimes though it can get pricey. I recently ran across a couple of helpful lists. One of the fruits and vegetables that you should definitely buy organic since they are most likely to contain trace levels of pesticides. The other is the group that you can get by buying conventional since they are not likely to contain the toxic chemicals.

Best Produce to Buy Organic

• Apples


• Bell Peppers


• Carrots


• Celery


• Cherries


• Lettuce


• Nectarines


• Peaches


• Potatoes


• Spinach


• Strawberries

Safe Conventional Produce to Buy

• Asparagus


• Avocados


• Bananas


• Broccoli


• Cabbage


• Eggplant


• Kiwifruit


• Mangoes


• Onions


• Pineapples

Crab Filled Tomatoes

Here's a bright fresh nibble for the start of summer.



Crab Filled Tomatoes
Makes 30 appetizers.


1/2 pound crabmeat
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
salt and pepper to taste
30 small cherry tomatoes
1 bunch chives, chopped


Rinse crabmeat and drain thoroughly.


In a medium mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise and sour cream. add crabmeat and tarragon. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Slice off the top third of each tomato. Top each with a bit of the crabmeat mixture. Chill for up to two hours. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.


Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

How is it that healthy habits can lead to decadence? Here's a perfect example. As I was leaving the office and straightening things up today, I came across four almost-fruit-fly-ready bananas. They had been passed up for other healthy snacks over the past several days. I offered them to my officemates for banana bread, but no takers.

Rather than dump them into my compost pile here at home though, I decided I would make banana bread. I found this recipe online. If my co-workers are lucky, I'll take them some.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
Makes one loaf.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9 x 5 x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Combine chocolate chips and walnuts in small bowl; add 1 tablespoon flour mixture and toss to coat.

Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat in flour mixture. Spoon 1/3 of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of nut mixture. Spoon 1/3 of batter over. Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. Cover with remaining batter. Run knife through batter in zigzag pattern.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool.

Steamed Salmon Salad with Grapefruit-Ginger Dressing

I've been steaming salmon a couple of times a week and having it for breakfast on a piece of toast with a little cream cheese. It's a great way to start the day. The other day I fixed an extra piece and chilled it. Turned it into lunch the next day with this yummy healthy recipe.

Steamed Salmon Salad with Grapefruit-Ginger Dressing
Makes four servings.

1 lb salmon fillet, cut in half (to fit in a steamer basket)
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice from 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
8 cups mixed baby greens (I used spinach.)
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 pink grapefruit, pith and peel removed, segments separated
1/2 cup bean sprouts, thoroughly washed

Grapefruit-Ginger Dressing
5 tbsp grapefruit juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Season fish with salt, pepper, cumin, and lime juice and steam in a bamboo steamer or a pot with a steamer insert until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside 10 minutes to cool. With a fork, coarsely flake the fish; toss with greens and just enough dressing to lightly coat leaves. Divide among 4 plates. Arrange avocado slices and grapefruit sections on top of each salad and drizzle lightly with dressing. Top with bean sprouts.

Halibut with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth

A friend of mine needed a "date night" recipe recently, so he asked for some suggestions. This was what he ended up preparing...with impressive results. You can substitute another white fish like cod or tilapia if you'd like.

This one deserves reposting...and is in my meal plan for sometime in the next two weeks.

Halibut with White Beans in Tomato-Rosemary Broth
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine.
Serves four.
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 4)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
(My additions: 1 cup bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley)

Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and pepper. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove fish from pan and place in baking dish or pie plate. Cover fish in mixture of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place in oven and bake for ten minutes or until done.



Meanwhile, add garlic to skillet in which fish was cooked; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato, broth, wine, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Right before removing from heat, stir in one tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat; stir in rosemary.



Serve immediately by placing fish on top of bean mixture in rimmed bowls. Garnish with a fresh sprig of rosemary.



Food/Wine Pairing: This is one of those borderline dishes that gives you plenty of options. A Sauvignon Blanc or Albarino has the acidity to stand up to rich flavors. An unoaked Chardonnay would complement the creaminess of the white beans. And even a light Pinot Noir would work. I took the easy route...it's summer, so we uncorked a rosé. It was the perfect balance between richness and acidity. Try it and let me know what you think.

Goat Cheese Phyllo Puffs

This is a recipe I adapted from the original. The original recipe makes four large puffs that are cut into sections for serving. I changed things around so they are individual pillows of yumminess. Perfect for your next party.

Goat Cheese Phyllo Puffs
Makes 30 hors d'oeurves.

1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
App. 1/4 cup tomato preserves or favorite fruit preserves (I used a jalapeno jelly.)
3 ounces goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unfold one puff pastry sheet on work surface. Cut along natural seams to create three strips. Then cut each strip into five pieces. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. You should end up with 30 rectangular pieces of puff pastry.

Working with one piece at a time, place a teaspoon of preserves and a teaspoon-size piece of goat cheese in the middle of one end of the piece. Fold the other end over and seal edges tightly with your fingers.

Place puffs on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Let cool slightly before serving. (No need for burning your guests with hot goat cheese!)

They're perfect with a glass of bubbly!

Almond Cheesecake Tarts

I'm not supposed to be eating desserts on my weight loss plan, but every now and then that sweet tooth rears it's ugly head. Just might have to whip up a batch of these. They're sweet without being cloying. And since they're in individual portions, maybe I'll have one and then take the rest to the neighbors...

Almond Cheesecake Tarts
Makes twelve individual cheesecakes.

2/3 cup almonds, finely chopped
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar, divided use
1/3 cup butter, melted
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 eggs
Raspberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.

Mix almonds, crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter together. Mixture should be crumbly. Press into muffin tin lined with 12 foil baking cups.


Beat cheese, almond extract, lemon rind, lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Add eggs and beat until well-combined.


Spoon 1/4 cup filling mixture into each baking cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until centers are set.


Remove and cool. Chill overnight for best flavor. before serving, top each cheesecake with a couple of raspberries.

Herb and Garlic Goat Cheese Truffles

Who needs cheese balls? Me if they're these little bite-sized goodies...

Herb and Garlic Goat Cheese Truffles
Makes 24 truffles.

1-8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1-6 ounce log mild, creamy goat cheese
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 to 2 teaspoons minced roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

Bear first three ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in chives and next three ingredients. Cover and chill two hours until firm.

Shape mixture into 24-1 1/2 inch balls; roll evenly in pecans. Cover and chill at least one hour. Serve chilled.

Broccoli with Herbed Hollandaise Sauce

Here's another way to kick vegetables up a notch. And it's not just plain old Hollandaise. The herbs..especially the mint...give the sauce a wonderful bright freshness. With a spicy underpinning from the Tabasco. Lots going on here...

(Note that the recipe calls for roasting the broccoli. I steamed mine instead and still got wonderful results.)


(There is also a wonderful Hollandaise sauce mix available from Wolferman's if you want an easy way out.)


Broccoli with Herbed Hollandaise Sauce and Toasted Bread Crumbs
Serves four.
From Food & Wine.

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 slice sourdough bread (about 2 ounces), crust removed, bread torn into pieces (or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs...I always keep some in the freezer.)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli—peeled and cut lengthwise into long, thick florets
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Tabasco
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped thyme

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Skim off the foam from the surface of the butter. Remove from the heat.

In a food processor, pulse the bread to coarse crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small cookie sheet, toss with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for about 2 minutes, until golden brown.

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange the broccoli in an even layer and roast for about 15 minutes, until just tender and starting to brown.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. In a stainless steel bowl, mix the egg yolks with the tablespoon of boiling water. Set the bowl over the saucepan and whisk the yolks constantly until thickened slightly and bright yellow, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Gently reheat the butter; very gradually, whisk it into the yolks until a slightly thick sauce forms. Whisk in the lemon juice and a dash of Tabasco and season the hollandaise sauce lightly with salt and pepper. Whisk in the mint and thyme.

Transfer the broccoli to a platter; pour the hollandaise sauce on top. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and serve.

Potato Gorgonzola Gratin

It's tax day. So celebrate your refund...or drown your sorrows...with a great meal. Put a steak on the grill, toss a salad, and make these deliciously decadent potatoes. You'll never fix plain ol' scalloped potatoes again!

Potato Gorgonzola Gratin
Makes 8 servings.
From Cooking Light.

2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in the thyme. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; cook over medium heat until slightly thick (about 3 minutes), stirring constantly. Stir in the Gorgonzola; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Arrange one-fourth of potatoes in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; spoon about 3/4 cup sauce over potatoes. Repeat layers twice; arrange remaining potatoes over sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Prosciutto-Roasted Halibut with Fresh Thyme

OK...so wrapping fish in pork may take a bit of the healthy factor away, but it sure takes the final flavor to a whole new level. A side of couscous and a salad topped with shavings of Manchego or Parmesan cheese round the meal out nicely.


And uncork a bottle of Spanish Rioja to make dinner a truly special event!


Prosciutto-Roasted Halibut with Fresh Thyme
Makes two servings.
From Bon Appetit.


2 5-ounce halibut fillets
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 thin slices prosciutto
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle fish fillets with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon thyme atop each fish fillet. Place 2 slices prosciutto on work surface, overlapping slightly. Place 1 fish fillet crosswise in center of prosciutto; fold prosciutto over fish fillet. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and fish fillet.

Heat oil in medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto-wrapped fish, seam side down. Cook until prosciutto is brown on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer skillet to oven and roast fish until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plates.

Add shallot to same skillet; sauté over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add wine and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Simmer until sauce is slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Whisk in butter. Drizzle sauce over fish and serve.

French-Style Deviled Eggs

Leftover ham from Easter? Check. Too many eggs bought and boiled for dyeing? Check. Result...best deviled eggs ever.

French-Style Deviled Eggs

8 large eggs
1/3 cup minced reduced-fat ham (I used some diced prosciutto that I had in the freezer. You can buy it at warehouse stores, if you can believe it.)
1 tablespoon minced green onions
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
Cooking spray

Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover with water to 1 inch above eggs; bring just to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 12 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold running water until cool. Peel eggs; slice in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; discard 4 yolks. Place remaining 4 yolks in a medium bowl. Add ham and next 7 ingredients (through pepper); stir until combined. Spoon about 1 teaspoon yolk mixture into each egg white half. Top each half with 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, if desired.

Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Here's the cake I baked for Easter dinner this evening. I've already sneaked a taste. Delicious!

Glazed Lemon-Blueberry Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Cooking spray
1 1/2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
13 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon nonfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt); stir with a whisk. Add blueberries to flour mixture; toss to coat. Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup juice, and extracts. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. (Note: I added the blueberries at the end of mixing, folding them in so they didn't get mangled by the mixer blades.)

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool on rack.

To prepare glaze, place powdered sugar in a small bowl; add 1 tablespoon buttermilk and 1 tablespoon juice, stirring with a whisk until combined. Pour glaze over warm cake; cool completely.

Cocktail of the Week: Gin and Green Tea Martini

Regular readers of this blog know that I am a fan of gin. It's an interesting spirit and, these days, different brands bring very different flavors to the table. That said, I don't drink gin martinis very often at all. It's a drink that I always say "can put hair on your chest." But I'll have a craving for one every now and then.

Here's a cocktail recipe that might have me putting gin in a martini glass more often. The gin is tempered with a bit of sweetness and some green tea. Hey...green tea is supposed to have antioxidant properties. What better place for it than in a cocktail to counteract the effects of the alcohol!

Gin and Green Tea Martini
Makes one cocktail.

1 tablespoon simple syrup
2 ounces cold green tea (You can replace one ounce of the green tea with ZEN green tea liqueur if you have it...which I did.)
2 ounces gin

Shake in an ice-filled cocktail shaker and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint or basil for an extra herbal kick.

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

Here's a great way to use some of the strawberries that grocery stores are practically giving away these days. It can be refrigerated and served at room temperature, but is most delicioous when still warm from the oven.

Warm Strawberry Crumb Cake

FILLING
3 pounds strawberries, hulled and halved (8 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 1/2 tablespoons of water
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch slurry and vanilla seeds and let stand until the berries release some of their juices, about 30 minutes. Pour the fruit filling into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish set on a sturdy baking sheet.

CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients with your fingers until a coarse meal forms; press into small clumps.

CAKE
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Beat in the vanilla extract and scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk.

Spoon the batter over the fruit filling, spreading it to the edge. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling, the crumb topping is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly. Serve the crumb cake warm or at room temperature.

Spinach-Onion Salad

Here's a deliciously healthy salad. I gilded the lily a bit and added several wonderfully sweet grape tomatoes to the bowl. (I also thought about goat cheese...which would have been delicious, but was not necessary at all.) Make it a main course with the addition of a piece of steamed salmon.


Spinach-Onion Salad
Makes six servings.


Juice of 1/2 lime, divided use
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon honey, divided use
1 red onion, sliced into very thin rounds
2 teaspoon canola (or olive) oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
8 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds

To marinate the onion, combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon honey in an airtight container. Add the onion and toss to coat.


To make the dressing, mix the remaining lime juice, oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon honey and ginger in a small bowl.


Cover and refrigerate the onion and the dressing up to one day.


To serve, let the onion stand at room temperature one hour. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Discard the excess marinade. Add the spinach, dressing and almonds. Toss well.

Baked Eggs in Tomato-Parmesan Sauce

Eggs. Canned tomatoes. And a sprinkle of Parmesan. Isn't it great when the simplest of ingredients come together into a hearty and healthy meal? Everyday Food is fast-becoming one of my favorite recipe sources. Here's another one of their successes.

Baked Eggs in Tomato-Parmesan Sauce
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.
Makes four servings.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
2 cans (15 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set four 12-ounce ovenproof bowls or ramekins on a large rimmed baking sheet.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic and rosemary; cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes (with juice), crushed tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Season tomato sauce with salt and pepper.

Divide tomato sauce among bowls, reserving 1 cup. Crack 2 eggs into each bowl. Dividing evenly, top with reserved sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until egg whites are just opaque (yolks should still be soft), 24 to 28 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through.

Caesar Salad Dressing

I went over to a friend's place recently for a home-cooked meal of spaghetti and meatballs. I volunteered to bring the Caesar salad and decided I would make the dressing from scratch. The pressure was on though. These weren't run-of-the-mill meatballs. They were the delicious bundles of goodness that we Dallasites can buy at Jimmy's Food Store. The dressing had to be in the same league. And, with this recipe, it was. Tossed with some romaine lettuce, good-quality croutons and a little extra Parmesan, it was excellent.

Caesar Salad Dressing
Makes about 3 cups dressing. (That's plenty for two BIG salads, so I will cut the recipe in half next time.)

2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
6 to 8 anchovy fillets, minced (or substitute an equivalent amount of anchovy paste)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce
2 cups olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water, if needed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the egg yolks, mustard, anchovies, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice and a dash of Worcestershire into a blender or small food processor. Blend until well-combined. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow steady stream until it is fully incorporated and emulsified. Add the cheese and blend until just combined.

Red Snapper with Wild Mushrooms and Sesame

Serve these and your family and guests will thank you for the wonderful dinner they get to unwrap. Just like a great gift at Christmas!

Red Snapper with Wild Mushrooms and Sesame
Serves four.

4-6 ounce snapper fillets
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1/2 onion, very thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup white wine
4 sheets of parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Working one at a time, place the snapper fillet on one side of a sheet of parchment paper and cover with remaining ingredients, making sure that you divide things evenly.

Wrap packets in parchment, sealing all seams tightly.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Savory Croissant Bread Pudding

Do you need a recipe for a big family gathering on Easter morning? This one will do the trick nicely. It's a little more complicated than some brunch casseroles, quite yummy. And hearty enough that the only other thing you might need on your menu is some fresh fruit.

Oh, and mimosas!

Savory Croissant Bread Pudding
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
6 ounces Canadian bacon or baked ham, trimmed and diced
6 ounces hot sausage, removed from casings and crumbled or chopped
8 large eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning
8 cups cubed or torn stale croissants (about 8 croissants)
8 ounces grated Gouda or Fontina cheese (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

In a medium skillet, melt 2 teaspoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, green and red bell peppers, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the parsley, stir and remove from the heat. let cool.

In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon or ham and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk, cream, 1 teaspoon of Creole seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and whisk to combine. Add the croissants and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the cooked meats, the onion mixture and the cheese and stir to incorporate the ingredients. Pour into the prepared baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake until almost completely set, 50 to 55 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning. Uncover the pudding and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top. Return to the oven, increase the heat to 375 degrees and bake until the pudding is completely set in thecenter, puffed and golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Blue Cheese-Pecan Phyllo Bites

Sometimes I think this blog should be called Life Should Be Appetizers, since I post so many of them. It's natural though. We have three or four big parties a year, and it's more likely than not that I am preparing four or five completely new hors d'oeurves for each. (It's actually kind of an expectation our regulars have!)


Anyway...here's one I made recently for a shindig.


Blue Cheese-Pecan Phyllo Bites
Makes 30 hors d'oeurves.


1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 packages mini phyllo shells (30 shells)
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup dried cherries, snipped into very small pieces
Toasted pecans (or even better spiced pecans like these)


Place phyllo shells in a baking dish or mini-muffin tins. In each shell, place a bout a teaspoon of softened cream cheese and about a teaspoonful of blue cheese crumbles. Top with a few pieces of cherry and pecan pieces.


Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes or until cheese are slightly melted. Slighly press on the filling in each shell to "meld" it together.


Serve warm or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Cocktail of the Week: Pisco Sour

A pre-dinner cocktail doesn't have to be complicated. Gin and Tonic. Vodka and soda. Or even a glass of wine or a beer.


Sometimes, however, it's nice to be a little more exotic. Maybe even head WAAAAAY south of the border.


I bought a bottle of Pisco recently...an interesting Peruvian spirit distilled from grapes. When I searched the file folder of Pisco cocktail recipes (yes...I DO have one...), I found this one. It's delicious.


And stay tuned for more. I have to use the bottle up after all...


Pisco Sour
Makes one cocktail.


2 ounces pisco
1 egg white
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup


In a cocktail shaker, shake the egg white until slightly frothy. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.

Crab and Shrimp Salad on Cayenne Toasts

As spring arrives and summer knocks on our door, here's an appetizer to serve with a nice Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. if you can enjoy them on your patio or deck with friends, all the better.


Crab and Shrimp Salad on Cayenne Toasts
Makes 60 canapes.


16 slices firm white sandwich bread (like Pepperidge Farm)
8 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pinch of kosher salt
6 ounces medium shrimp
8 ounces crabmeat (preferably lump)
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stack bread slices and remove crusts. Cut slices into quarters and arrange on baking sheet. Melt butter, then stir in cayenne and salt. Brush tops of bread with cayenne/butter mixture. bake in middle of oven 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let toasts cool. (You can make these ahead and store at room temperature.)


Heat a medium pot of water over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the shrimp, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the water when cool enough to handle and peel and devein. Coarsely chop the shrimp and place in medium bowl.


Add crab to the shrimp along with remaining ingredients. Stir gently, and season with salt to taste.


Just before serving, mound a spoonful of the salad on each toast and garnish with dill sprigs if desired.

Grilling Tip

Here's a great Life Should Be Beautiful tip...

As every Southerner knows, it will soon be time to get ready for that all-important cooking technique of the south --- outdoor grilling!I have just found out there are many stores (not just in the South) where you can get a FREE Bar-B-Q grill! In these tough times, free, useful items are very welcome.

You can get a free BBQ grill from any of the following stores:
A&P, Albertsons, Costco, Dan's, Food Lion, Fry's, Home Depot, Big Lots, Brookshire's, Lowes, Publix, Safeway, Sam's Club, Tesco, Target, Vons, Trader Joe's, Wal-Mart, Winn-Dixie

I especially like the higher rack -- which can be used for keeping things warm! Just make sure to get a metal one... the plastic ones don't do so well.

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY!

Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus

As I've mentioned before, I've been buying...and eating...a lot of asparagus these days. But usually by myself. My other half insists he only likes the canned version. (No comment.)


However, bacon (or something like it) is always a secret recipe to get him to eat something. So I pulled out the stops and prepared this as a side dish tonight. It was wonderful (and yes, he ate it.)


This is wonderful as written, but also can be broken into its parts. The pancetta-wrapped bacon by itself is delicious. And the dressing would be yummy on plain ol' grilled or steamed asparagus (or another vegetable for that matter).


One note: Make sure you have the pancetta THINLY sliced (a la prosciutto) when you get it at the deli counter. Mine was a little on the thick side and didn't wrap (or stay on the asparagus) as easily as it should have.


Pancetta-Wrapped Asparagus
From Food & Wine.
Makes 6 servings.


2 pounds medium asparagus
1/2 pound very thinly sliced pancetta
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped thyme

Tightly wrap each asparagus spear in a slice of pancetta and refrigerate until chilled, about 20 minutes.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, stir the orange zest and juice with the mustard and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill the asparagus over moderate heat, turning often, until they are just tender and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the asparagus to a platter and drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle with the thyme and serve.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Wedges

Cabbage is cheap. Cabbage is good for you. And cabbage is easy to prepare. So why aren't you cooking cabbage more often?

Here's a great recipe to get this green head back in your side dish repertoire. (Note: I would adapt in next go-round and shred the cabbage to make sure it cooks through more thoroughly...make sure you still brown it in the first step though.)

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Wedges
Serves 4.
From Everyday Food.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 head green cabbage, quartered through the core
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add cabbage, and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Add vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 cups water; bring liquid to a simmer. Cook, turning once, until cabbage is tender (test by poking it with a knife) and liquid is syrupy, 12 to 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Remember foil packs? Hobo packs? You do if you were a Boy Scout or went camping growing up. The old fashioned version included ground beef, potatoes, onions and preferably little seasoning. If you cooked it in the campfire, you ended up with burned potatoes and raw meat in the middle. Ah....good times.

Leave it to Martha Stewart and her Everyday Food to update, flavorize and "health up" foil packs. This version includes classic Mediterranean ingredients and healthy chicken. They're a full meal on their own, but a little couscous or a green salad on the side wouldn't hurt.

Note: I am printing the original recipe, but I left the capers out. I don't care for them. And the packets took longer to cook that the 22 minutes listed.

Mediterranean Chicken Packets
Serves four.
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) dices tomatoes, drained
4 artichoke hearts (from a 14 ounce can), quartered
12 Kalamata olives, halved and pitted
4 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place four 12 inch squares of parchment paper or foil on a work surface. Place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2 inch border: season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers and feta. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and oil. Fold parchment over ingredients and crimp edges to seal.

Place packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until chicken is opaque throughout, 20 to 22 minutes. (Note: Mine took 35 minutes to get completely done.)

Food/Wine Pairing:
Do like the Mediterranean folks do and open a rosé with this one!

Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chops

Tired of fish and chicken the other night, the other half requested pork chops. From the trusty recipe file came this interesting recipe which gussies up traditional breading with the zing of lemon and the richness of pistachios. It's so good it doesn't need any kind of sauce.


Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chops
From Everyday with Rachael Ray.
Makes four servings.


1/2 cup shelled pistachios
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Salt
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Pepper
Four 1-inch-thick pork chops
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a food processor, finely grind the nuts, garlic, lemon peel and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a shallow bowl; whisk in the breadcrumbs.


Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Dip each chop into the egg, then coat with the nut mixture; transfer to a baking sheet.


In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chops and cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side; return to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 140°, about 20 minutes.

Carrot-Ginger Smoothie

Here's a healthy breakfast in a glass. I added protein powder and a tablespoon each of wheat germ and flax seed to mine this morning.


Make it even easier by "preassembling" it (minus the ice) in your blender container and refrigerating it overnight. All you'll have to do the next morning is add the ice and whir away.


Carrot-Ginger Smoothie
Makes one smoothie.

1 banana, cut into chunks
1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup bottled carrot juice (or even better...make your own fresh juice)
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3/4-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, coarsely chopped


Puree all ingredients in a blender.

Red Curry Shrimp Skewers

Here's a great and easy appetizer/snack. Most complicated part is putting the shrimp and basil on the skewer......


Red Curry Shrimp Skewers
Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres


2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
24 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
24 large basil leaves


Preheat broiler.


Stir together curry paste, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and atir into shrimp. Spread onto a broiler pan.


Broil shrimp 4 to 5 inches from heat until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.


Thread base of basil leaf on a skewer, then thread shrimp, cradling it in basil by skewering tip of leaf. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Here's a recipe that adds great flavor to a menu of simply prepared ingredients: tilapia, mashed potatoes and sugar snap peas (although I substitued some simply sauteed spinach since I had it on hand).


Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce, Thyme Mashed Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas
Makes 6 servings.
From Bon Appetit.


Thyme mashed potatoes
3 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
6 tablespoons (or more) warm whipping cream (or milk for a lower-fat option)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme


Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Add butter, 6 tablespoons cream, and thyme; mash. Season with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring often and adding more cream by tablespoonfuls if dry.


Sugar Snap Peas
2 cups sugar snap peas, strings removed

Cook snap peas in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Return to same pan; set aside.


Add 1 tablespoon butter to peas; stir over medium heat until warmed. Season with salt and pepper.

Tilapia
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 4- to 5-ounce tilapia fillets


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 large skillets over high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Sauté fish until golden, about 2 minutes per side.


Balsamic Butter Sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes


Simmer vinegar and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.


When all components of meal are ready, rewarm balsamic syrup over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup butter 1 piece at a time.


Divide potatoes, tilapia, and peas among plates; drizzle with sauce.

Two Asparagus Accompaniments

Asparagus is everywhere in the grocery stores and markets. Fresh and tender and inexpensive, it's a staple of my spring kitchen. Here's a twofer...a couple of easy ways to gild the asparagus lily.

Asparagus with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Mayonnaise has always been my secret weapon when it comes to steamed vegetables. Even if I'm not necessarily in the mood for steamed broccoli for example, I've discovered that a dollop of mayo on top makes it just that much more delicious. (Just don't overdo obviously.) Here's an easy sauce that kicks simple mayo up a notch.

In a bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over steamed asparagus (warm or chilled).

Steamed Asparagus with Warm Goat Cheese
I've prepared these little crusted goat cheese disks before...serving them on salad greens with a tangy sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. I'd never though of them as an accompaniment to asparagus, but it's a perfect pairing. This was dinner last night.

Slice a 5 ounce log of fresh goat cheese into 4 disks; dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg and then coat with panko breadcrumbs. Freeze for 15 minutes.

In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add cheese disks and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Season steamed asparagus with salt and serve with cheese disks and lemon wedges.

Food/Wine Pairing:
Asparagus is a challenge to pair wine with. It can often make even a good wine taste metallic or otherwise "off." No reason to skip the wine though. With both of these recipes, the creaminess of the mayo and the goat cheese offers something for your palate to grab on to. Try an herbal Sauvignon Blanc (maybe one from New Zealand?)

Sushi Etiquette

I've been eating lots of sushi these days. It's perfect as I work to lose some of this extra weight. Of course, I have to stay away from the decadently fried rolls that we Americans call sushi. And, more often than not, I'm ordering sashimi (sans rice) since I'm avoiding the dreaded "bad carbs."

So I was interested to read some tips on sushi etiquette in a recent issue of Bon Appetit magazine. I learned a few things...and it's been great conversation fodder with me and my sushi-eating companions.

• When you can, sit at the sushi bar. Get to know the sushi and become a "regular." You'll be most likely to get the best and freshest fish. And perhaps an extra treat or two along the way.
• It's OK to use your fingers for sushi or rolls. The loosely packed rice is likely to fall apart when you use chopsticks anyway. Just make sure you DO use chopsticks for sashimi.
• Don't overdo it on the soy sauce or wasabi. After all, the purpose is tasting the freshness of the fish. Nigiri sushi (with rice) has a dab of wasabi under the fish anyway.
• When you dip the sushi in the soy sauce, dip it in fish side first; the rice will soak up more soy sauce than you need. And place it in your mouth so the fish is the first thing to touch your tongue. Again, THAT's what you're there to taste.

Enjoy!

Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde

It seems as if everyone is looking for the most economical meals possible. Every e-mail newsletter I get from the various foodie outlets seems to be concentrating on that. Of course, I've always looked for those kinds of opportunities. There's no reason that the Life Should Be Beautiful life should be complicated or expensive.

Here's a recipe that I prepared this afternoon. It's really quite simple, and the results are delicious. The piquant sauce cuts right through the richness of the meat. I cut the huge roast (15 pounds!) I had in two and shared the plentiful final product with some neighbors and my parents. After a couple of sandwiches made with the leftovers, I figure that this cost about a buck a serving. Economical indeed.

If you're not serving lamb, this would be a great feast for your Easter gathering.

Pork Shoulder with Salsa Verde
From Bon Appetit.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Salsa Verde:
3 anchovy fillets (or substitute 3 teaspoons of anchovy paste...always a good ingredient to have in your pantry)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/3 cup (lightly packed) chopped fresh celery leaves (I have to confess I left these out and just increased the amount of parsley I used.)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (ended up using plain old rubbed sage here)
1/2 cup olive oil

With small food processor running, drop anchovies and garlic through feed tube and finely chop. Scrape down sides of bowl.

Add parsley, celery leaves, lemon juice, lemon peel, red wine vinegar, chopped rosemary, and chopped sage. Using on/off turns, process until almost smooth. With machine running, gradually add olive oil.

Transfer salsa verde to bowl. Season with salt and pepper. NOTE: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Pork Shoulder:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 8-pound whole bone-in heritage pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)

Position rack in lowest third of oven; preheat to 450°F.

Mix garlic, sage, rosemary, coarse kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in small bowl. Brush oil all over pork, then rub spice mixture all over.

Place pork on rack set in roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to roast until instant read thermometer inserted into center registers 185°F, about 6 1/2 hours.

Remove pork from oven; tent with foil to keep warm. Let rest 15 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces and serve with salsa verde alongside.

Mini Cajun Mushroom and Crawfish Tarts

These are wonderfully complex tasting. And simple if you take advantage of frozen crawfish tail meat that you can find at most grocery stores..

Mini Cajun Mushroom and Crawfish Tarts
Makes 30 hors d'oeurves.

4 ounces crawfish tails (or substitute shrimp)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package semi soft cheese with garlic and herb (like Alouette)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 packages mini phyllo shells (30 total)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop crawfish tails and set aside.


In a large skillet, cook the mushrooms in the butter until tender and liquid is evaporated (about 4 minutes). Add Cajun seasoning, lemon juice and pepper. Cook one minute more. Cool slightly.


In a medium mixing bowl, place cheese, egg and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Stir in the mushroom mixture, the crawfish tails and the parsley.


Place phyllo shells in a baking pan or mini muffin pans. Spoon filling mixture into shells. Bake about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, until filling is set. Serve warm.

Asparagus Potato Puff

As winter disappears and spring pokes its head out, it's asparagus season. At this time of year, with the green stalks plentiful and less expensive, we'll have it at least a couple of times a week. So expect quite a few asparagus recipes in the next several weeks. This one might even be nice for your Easter brunch.


Asparagus Potato Puff
From Weight Watchers magazine.
Makes four servings.


3/4 pound large red potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute (or use 1 1/2 cups egg)
1/2 cup fat-free milk
4 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 red onion, chopped


Combine the potatoes and enough lightly salted cold water to cover by 3 inches in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and boil 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus and continue to cook until the potatoes are fork-tender and the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the potatoes and asparagus in a colander and let cool.


Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Whisk the egg substitute, milk, 3 tablespoons of the cheese, salt, baking powder, and cayenne in a large bowl.


Spray a cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet with non stick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes.


Meanwhile, stir the asparagus and potatoes into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the skillet. Reduce the heat; cover and cook until the mixture is almost set, 10 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon cheese. and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the puff is cooked through and the top is golden, about 5 minutes.


Cut into wedges and serve immediately. (You can also refrigerate for up to 2 days and serve at room temperature.)

Pork and Lemongrass Wontons

When I was testing recipes for a post on Chinese New Year's a couple months ago, I made two kinds of steamed dumplings: these and these. But I also made these delicious deep-fried treats for my other half...he's a big fan of Chinese take-out crab wontons. They're delicious and the dipping sauce is a cinch to make.

Pork and Lemongrass Wontons
Makes 5-6 dozen.

13 ounces ground pork
1 teaspoon finely chopped (or grated) fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely sliced
1 can (7 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or scallions
1/2 teaspoon chili paste (or chili-garlic paste)
2 tablespoons plum sauce
1 teaspoon chili oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Wonton wrappers
Oil, for deep-frying

In a bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Mix well with your hands. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, place about two teaspoons of the filling in the center of each wrapper and wet the edge of the wrapper with a brush or finger. Gather up the corners, bring the edges together in the center and press firmly to seal. Repeat until all filling has been used.

Deep-fry the wontons, in batches, in moderately hot oil for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon chili oil

Stir all ingredients together to combine.

Creamy Hot Artichoke Dip

This is as easy as it gets. Dump it all together and bake it up. With a can of artichoke hearts in your pantry, you're always prepared for last-minute guests.

Creamy Hot Artichoke Dip
Makes three cups.

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and place in small baking dish.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices or veggies.

Warm Spiced Olives

Cold olives are a nice summery snack with a cocktail or a bracingly cold copita of manzanilla sherry. But there's no reason not to have them on a cool spring night as well. This recipe infuses a variety of olives with deep spicy flavors. Serve them warm with a rich red wine.


Warm Spiced Olives
Makes approximately two cups.


2 cups mixed olives
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 long strip orange zest
1 long strip lemon zest
Extra-virgin olive oil


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Place olives on 18 inch length of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Toss with the bay leaf and other spices. Add the citrus zests and drizzle with olive oil.


Wrap the foil around olives and seal seams.


Warm in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve while still warm.

Lemon-Shallot Scallops

Here's a wonderfully delicate, but delicious way to prepare scallops. I paired this dish with an equally citrusy French Chardonnay at the 2008 Wine Dinner, but it would also go well with a Spanish Alabarino or a slightly herbal New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.


Lemon-Shallot Scallops
Serves 6.


2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine (ideally the one you are pairing with the dish)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley


Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper and add to pan. Saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove cooked scallops from pan and keep warm.


Melt butter in same pan. Add shallots and garlic; cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and lemon juice; cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat; sprinkle with parsley.


Serve over cooked rice or couscous or lightly dressed salad greens.

Szechuan Spicy Noodles with Carrot-Cucumber Relish

Here's another entry in the ongoing transformation of this blog into "Life Should Be Beautiful...and Asian." Thanks both to my ongoing health kick and my recent trip to the Asian market, lots of Asian recipes are getting pulled out. And this is one of the best ones yet.


And it's what I call a triple play. The recipe itself is wonderful just as is. But you'll also discover it's a wonderful sum of some delicious parts. The peanut sauce (minus the pork) would be great on grilled chicken, grilled shrimp or even steamed vegetables like broccoli. The relish also can stand on its own as a cool accompaniment to roasted or grilled pork. Improvise away!


Szechuan Spicy Noodles with Carrot-Cucumber Relish
From Cooking Light.
Serves four.


Relish:
1 cup shredded seeded peeled cucumber (one cucumber)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded carrot (1 carrot)
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil


To prepare relish, place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, carrot, vinegar, sugar, and oil in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Noodles:
8 ounces udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles) (You could also substitute soba (buckwheat) noodles or even whole wheat spaghetti.)
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
Cooking spray
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (1 bunch)
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
6 ounces ground pork
2 garlic cloves, minced


To prepare noodles, cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.

Combine broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and chile paste in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions, ginger, and pork to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Pour broth mixture into pan; bring to a simmer, and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened.


Pour pork mixture over noodles; toss well. Serve with relish.

One Pot Ginger Chicken, Bok Choy and Couscous

Somehow I have become ad hoc Executive Chef to my parents. They're taking every opportunity they can for me to fix them a healthy dinner. This is what we had as we babysat my niece and nephew the other night. It once again fits in with the Asian/steamer bender I seem to be on.

One Pot Ginger Chicken, Bok Choy and Couscous
Serves four.

1/2 cup soy sauce
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
One 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 bunch scallions, half thinly sliced and half cut into 2-inch pieces
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and halved
Salt
One 10-ounce box plain couscous
1 1/4 pounds baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and rinsed

In a shallow baking dish, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and ginger; stir in the 2-inch scallion pieces. Season the chicken with salt and add to the marinade, turning to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Line a footed metal colander with 2 layers of damp cheesecloth, allowing 2 inches of overhang. Place in a pot and add enough water to just reach the colander bottom. Bring to a simmer; have a small pot of boiling water on the side. (Note: I just used my bamboo steamer lined with cheesecloth so the couscous didn't drop through.)

Pour the couscous into the colander. Place the chicken thighs on top in a single layer, pressing up the sides of the colander, if necessary; reserve the marinade. Cover and steam, adding more hot water as needed, until the chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, simmer the reserved marinade until thickened, about 4 minutes; strain.

When the chicken is almost done, scatter the bok choy on top, season with salt and steam for 3 minutes. Transfer the bok choy and chicken to a platter, drizzle with the marinade and top with half of the sliced scallions. Stir the remaining scallions into the couscous, season with salt and serve with the chicken.

Baked Lamb Shanks with Leeks and Carrots

In honor of my brother's birthday today, I'm posting a recipe from the wonderful wine dinner the whole family shared in December.

This was the main course. I paired it with a rustic, but refined Rioja Reserva. It's another winning recipe from Cook with Jamie.


I made a slight goof when I prepared the recipe. Thinking it was just another braised recipe, I put all the ingredients in my Dutch oven. That was probably all right, but my mistake was to let the shanks cook longer than the recipe called for. the lamb was wonderfully cooked and crusty, but the veggies on the bottom of the pan were blackened beyond edibility. So watch things carefully so they don't get overcooked.


Baked Lamb Shanks with Leeks and Carrots
Serves 4.


6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
15 fresh sage leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
Salt and pepper
4 lamb shanks, French-trimmed
12 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 large carrots, peeled and finely sliced
1 onion , peeled and finely sliced
1 leek, washed, halved and finely sliced
Olive oil
2 cups white wine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Pull the leaves off two sprigs of the rosemary and place them with most of the sage, the thyme and the butter in a food processor. Pulse until well-blended and season with salt and pepper.

With a knife, create a pocket between the meat and bone of each lamb shank. Divide the butter between the pockets, pushing the butter in with your fingers.

Tear off four large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Divide the vegetables and garlic among the four sheets, creating a pile in the middle of each sheet. Rub the lamb shanks with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place one shank on the top of each pile of vegetables. Top each with a sprig of rosemary and a few sage leaves.

Pull up the sides of the foil around each shank and pour 1/2 cup white wine into each. Gather the foil around the bone and pinch to tighten. Tear or cut excess foil off if desired.

Place the four parcels in a baking pan with the bones facing up. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Serve immediately.

Spanikopita Cups

Here's an easy appetizer that delivers the great taste of spanikopita without all the work. the recipe calls for puff pastry (and it's delicious), but I might try pre-made phyllo cups next time fo an even truer take on spanikopita.


Spanikopita Cups
Makes 24 appetizers.


1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 sheets puff pastry, thawed


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Cut twelve 2 1/2 inch rounds from each puff pastry sheet; prick each with a fork. Press into a mini-muffin pan.


Heat olive oil in medium skillet. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in spinach, feta and pepper. Fill puff pastry shells with spinach mixture.


Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 20 minutes.


Food/Wine Pairing: I served this at a wine dinner paired with an Italian sparkling wine, Zardetto Prosecco. I think the toastiness of sparklers (especially true Champagne) is great with any appetizer involving puff pastry. Try it and see.

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Snow Peas

One of my purchases on my Asian market field trip a couple of weeks ago was soba noodles. They're much like spaghetti, but made with buckwheat flour, so perfectly fine for me to eat as I look for "good" carbs for my diet.

With the soba in hand and a Martha Stewart brown rice bowl recipe as inspiration, I made a wonderful lunch of soba with shrimp and snow peas in a spicy-sweet sauce. It's easy, healthy and delicious.

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Snow Peas
Serves four.

4 servings soba noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and halved on the diagonal
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 tablespoon chile/garlic paste

Cook soba noodles according to directions. Drain and rinse with hot water. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce and next three ingredients and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet and add shrimp and show peas. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp are opaque and snow peas are bright green, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add ginger and chile-garlic paste and saute for another thirty seconds. Add sauce and stir until heated through, another thirty seconds.

Serve immediately over soba noodles.

Buttermilk Cornbread with Black-Eyed Peas

At my house, the other half "cushions" a bowl of my famous black-eyed peas with cornbread. This is the next best thing, I guess. The black-eyed peas are IN the cornbread. (Of course you can gild the lily and serve it with some more black-eyed peas dumped on top.) It would be great as a side with fried chicken or chicken-fried steak.

Buttermilk Cornbread with Black-Eyed Peas
From EveryDay with Rachael Ray.
Makes 12 servings.


2 1/4 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons butter, melted
One 15.5-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (I used two cups of leftover homemade black-eyed peas that I rinsed...still had yummy bits of bacon and onion in them.)
One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat the oven to 400°.


Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, cheese, eggs and butter. Stir in the black-eyed peas and the chiles, if using.


Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients; using a fork, stir gently until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes, then cut into 12 squares.

Baby Lobster Rolls

Here's an elegant appetizer that you should serve at an elegant dinner party or some other "dress up" occasion... Or just fix up a batch and sit on the couch! A bumper catch of lobster has prices at very low levels...so indulge.


Baby Lobster Rolls
Makes 16 appetizers.


8 slices dense white bread (like Pepperidge Farm) or 16 brioche buns
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 medium cucumber with half the peel removed in stripes and sliced into 16 paper-thin slices
1 cup cooked lobster meat
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste


Mix lobster, mayonnaise, tarragon, green onions and seasonings.


Use a small cookie cutter to cut sixteen bread rounds.


Brush both sides of the bread and toast them under a broiler until golden on both sides, turning once. Set aside and let cool.


Place a slice of cucumber on each round and top with a tablespoon of the lobster mixture.


Food/Wine Pairing: Lobster? Champagne or another of your favorite sparkling wines of course...

Wasabi Dressing

This feisty salad dressing is from a more complete salad recipe in Food & Wine. I post the dressing recipe by itself here, because it lends itself to so many salad ingredients.

Start with a bed of "neutral" lettuce like butter lettuce. Then, add your favorites. Poached shrimp or chicken. Asian pear. Cucumber. Avocado. Scallions. Celery. Water chestnuts. You name it. (Although notice that these are not strongly flavored ingredients. You want the dressing to star in this salad. So I'd avoid things like radishes and red onion.) Then, instead of croutons, top it with sliced almonds or even better...slightly crushed wasabi peas. Yum.

Wasabi Dressing
Makes almost one cup dressing.
(These are the original proportions, but I halved the recipe quite easily.)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons wasabi powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.

Cocktail of the Week: Caipiroska

A couple of nights ago, I hung out with a friend at Alo, a hip offshoot of La Duni here in Big D. I had a wonderful frozen concoction of lime juice, pisco and Pama (pomegranate liqueur) and it got me thinking about (and craving) those wonderful summer cocktails like the mojito and the caiparinha.

Well, the next day, I found myself in a conversation with a friend of mine who is gifted and talented in all things Latin American. I asked him about the difference between pisco and cachaça. (Yeah...our conversations are always that deep and philosophical.) Well, he set me straight, and after explaining the differences (countries and distillation sources), mentioned that he thought both tasted like (unmentionable). As an alternative he prefers, he offered the caipiroska (caipirinha made with vodka). So I tried it last night....

It was quite tasty. Smooth...almost like a vodka gimlet. (Not surprising since the ingredients are quite similar.) Here's the recipe I used. (Note: I like my caipirinhas/caipiroskas sweeter and limier than traditional recipes.) I have to admit though...I also still like the almost medicinal "bite" that cachaça can provide. Try both variations and see what YOU think.

Caipiroska
Makes one cocktail.

Muddle one lime cut into eight pieces with one tablespoon superfine sugar in an 8 ounce glass. Add the juice from one half lime. Fill glass with crushed ice and then top things off with vodka (use cachaça for the traditional caipirinha). Stir and drink up. Salud!

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Chili

I seem to be making a lot of chilies these days. And apparently the only thing that makes a soup a chili is the addition of chili powder. Here's one that utilizes another of my favorites...the good ol' Crock Pot. It's healthy too...a Mexican minestrone, if you will..,


(Note: Although the other half and a neighbor disagreed with me, I think this could use a little more spice. You might experiment with a bit more chili powder. Or add a dash of cayenne or crushed red pepper....)

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Chili
From Southern Living.
Makes 15 servings.

2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
2 celery ribs, diced (1/2 cup)
1 medium-size sweet onion, diced
Vegetable cooking spray
2 (8 ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large zucchini, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 yellow squash, chopped (1 cup)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 cups tomato juice
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained (You could use Rotel-style tomatoes if you'd like.)
4 (15 ounce) cans pinto, black, great Northern, or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

Sauté first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add mushrooms, zucchini, and squash; sauté 3 more minutes. Add chili powder and next 2 ingredients, and sauté 5 more minutes.

Stir together tomato sauce and tomato juice in a 6-qt. slow cooker until smooth. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 2 ingredients, and carrot mixture. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

Note: Cool leftovers, and freeze in plastic freezer containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to 2 months.

Spicy Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans with Peanuts

One of the treasures I found in my recent Asian market outing was Chinese long beans. While they are the same color and general shape as traditional string beans, they are much longer. I found this recipe that featured them. It was delicious...earthy, nutty, spicy. It's worth trying to find them. Although if you can't, try the same treatment with "regular" green beans.


Note: I didn't have fresh Thai chiles on hand (and there seems to be different definitions of what that means anyway) so I used a combination of one serrano and one jalapeno, seeded and diced finely. Plus I threw in a half-teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. I have posted the original recipe below, however.


Spicy Stir-Fried Chinese Long Beans with Peanuts
From Gourmet.
Serves four.


1 1/2 lb Chinese long beans
1/2 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts (2 1/2 oz; not cocktail peanuts)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 to 3 small fresh Thai chiles (to taste), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise, then very thinly sliced crosswise (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cook untrimmed beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain in a colander and pat dry with paper towels. Trim beans and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, pulse peanuts in a food processor until about half of peanuts are finely ground and remainder are in very large pieces (do not grind to a paste).

Stir together soy sauce, chiles, and salt in a small bowl.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water dropped onto cooking surface evaporates immediately. Add oil, swirling to coat wok, then add garlic and stir-fry until garlic begins to turn pale golden, about 5 seconds. Add peanuts, and stir-fry until all of mixture is golden, about 30 seconds. Add beans, and stir-fry until hot and well coated, about 2 minutes. Remove wok from heat, then stir in soy sauce mixture and shallot, stirring until shallot has wilted. Drizzle in lime juice and season with salt, then transfer to a bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blue Cheese and Scallion Dip

This dip is SOOOOO easy. And just as delicious. We included it in our Academy Awards Party spread. And I think I am going to make it tonight to have with cocktails before a small dinner party we're hosting...

Try it with a good quality thick-cut potato chip. (I've become a big fan of Kettle Bakes lately.)


It's versatile as well. I can imagine it stuffed into a baked potato, as a sandwich spread or even a cool sauce on a grilled chicken breast.


Blue Cheese and Scallion Dip
Makes about 2/3 cup.


2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped scallion greens


Gently stir together cheese, sour cream, and most of scallion, leaving cheese chunky. Garnish with remaining scallion.

Sausage with Escarole and White Beans

This was dinner last night. It will have you pretending you're an Italian peasant. (OK...maybe in this economy the Italian part is the only pretending you'll have to do!) It's easy to make and the end result is delicious. Plus it's healthy. Escarole is high in vitamin A, iron and potassium. And the beans are a great source of fiber and fat-free protein.

Pair this one-pot wonder with a fruity Italian red and some crusty bread and you have a wonderful meal.

Sausage with Escarole and White Beans
From Real Simple.
Serves four.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage (Use turkey or chicken sausage to make things healthier.)
2 small onions, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 19-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 small head escarole, tough stems removed and roughly chopped (You can also substitute chard or spinach.)
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sausage, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest, covered, at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Add the onions to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and broth and bring to a boil. Add the beans, escarole, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the escarole wilts, about 3 minutes.

Spoon into individual bowls and top with the Parmesan. Serve with the sausage and crusty bread, if desired.

Rich Mushroom Soup

Here is the delicious mushroom soup I paired with Oregon Pinot Noir for the 2008 Wine Dinner. Earthiness plays off of earthiness. And the thyme and Sherry are also particularly wine-friendly. It's perfect for a winter supper.


Rich Mushroom Soup
This recipe comes from Karen MacNeil's great book Wine, Food and Friends.
Serves 8.

2 tablespoons flour
1 cup boiling water
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
2 teaspoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 1/2 cups thinly sliced shitake mushroom caps (about 1 pound mushrooms)
2 (8 ounce packages) sliced button mushrooms
4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup dry Amontillado Sherry


Place flour in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook 2 minutes or until flour turns light brown, stirring constantly. Transfer flour to a small plate; cool.


Combine boiling water and porcini mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let steep 20 minutes. Strain porcini mushrooms through a sieve over a bowl, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.


Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute 30 seconds. Add shitake mushrooms and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add button mushrooms and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chopped mushrooms and chicken broth to pan.


Combine reserved porcini soaking liquid and toasted flour, stirring with a whisk and add to pan. bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add milk, simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in half-and-half and Sherry.


Place 2 cups soup in a blender; process until smooth. Return pureed soup to pan. Warm the soup over low heat or until thoroughly heated. Serve.


(Soup can also be refrigerated overnight and reheated before serving.)

An Oscar-Winning Champagne Cocktail

Here's a wonderful cocktail that someone came up with and christened the Kate Winslet. Fix a batch tonight in honor of her Oscar-winning performance in The Reader.


The Kate Winslet
Makes six cocktails.


2 tablespoons red currant jelly
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup London dry gin
1 bottle well-chilled Champagne or other sparkling wine


Heat the jelly and water in a small saucepan, whisking, until the jelly has dissolved. Stir in gin and chill until cold.


Divide gin mixture among six Champagne flutes, then top with Champagne.


Cheers!

Mardi Gras Snack: Oyster Tartlets

These delicious little nibbles were a hit at the Oscar party last night. They'd be the perfect Cajun snack for your Mardi Gras festivities.

Oyster Tartlets
Makes 24 tartlets.
From Food and Wine.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
24 prebaked mini phyllo shells
24 small shucked oysters (or larger ones cut into 24 small pieces)

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderately high heat. Stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking. Stir in the onion and bay leaf and simmer over low heat, whisking, until no floury taste remains, 10 minutes. Pass through a coarse strainer set over a small bowl; discard the bay leaf. Stir in the horseradish and season with salt and pepper. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the panko and cheese and stir in the olive oil. Arrange the phyllo shells on a rimmed baking sheet. Place an oyster in each shell. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the horseradish sauce into each shell, and sprinkle the panko mixture on top. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 10 minutes, until hot throughout and crisp on top. Serve right away.

Mardi Gras Madness: Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday is coming up this week. It's time to dust off those Cajun spices and let the good times roll!

Here's a recipe for gumbo that's on the healthy side. I "kicked it up a notch" by adding additional spices and seasonings.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Serves six.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (1 large)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green bell pepper (1 large)
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces light smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (such as Healthy Choice brand)
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans no-salt-added organic diced tomatoes
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon file powder
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
1/2 tablespoon blackening spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
3 cups hot cooked rice

Place flour in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook 20 minutes or until light brown, stirring constantly with a whisk. (If flour browns too fast, remove pan from heat; stir constantly until it cools down.) Remove flour from pan, and set aside.

Add oil to pan. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove onion mixture from pan; set aside.
Increase heat to medium-high; add chicken and sausage to pan. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is done; return onion mixture to pan. Remove pan from heat.

Sprinkle reserved flour over chicken mixture; stir well. Return pan to medium heat. Drain 1 can tomatoes; stir in 1 can drained tomatoes and 1 can undrained tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth, Worcestershire, bay leaves, file and spices; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Stir in salt and black pepper. Serve over rice with hot sauce to taste.

An Elegant Appetizer: Mini Goat Cheese and Parmesan Souffles in Phyllo Cups

This canape takes a little prep work, but is worth it. Delicate airy little souffles that are just perfect with a glass of bubbly. That's what I paired it with at our recent multi-course wine dinner. (And using pre-made phyllo cups from the freezer case of your grocery store, as I did, makes things a little easier.)

They might just be the perfect thing for our Acdemy Awards party tomorrow night...

Miniature Goat Cheese and Parmesan Souffles in Phyllo Cups
Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres

2 packages (12 each) phyllo cups, thawed according to package directions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (1 ounce) finely greated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup (5 ounces) soft mild goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place phyllo cups in greased mini-muffin tins.



Melt butter in a 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat then whisk in flour, making a roux. Cook roux, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Add milk in stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, while continuing to whisk. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. (Lots of whisking, huh?)

Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, yolks and 1/4 Parmesan cheese until combined. Then fold in goat cheese.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into sauce to lighten, the fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Spoon batter into phyllo cups and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake in middle of oven until souffles are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.

National Margarita Day!

It's National Margarita Day. So whip up your favorite version of the tequila-laced cocktail and sit down with some tortilla chips and one (or both) of these yummy Southwestern-style dips.

Corn Dip
Makes about six cups.

1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
12 oz. grated Cheddar (or Mexican-style) cheese (So easy when you buy pre-grated from the grocery store)
1 small can chopped green chiles
2 cans Mexi-corn (includes red and green pepper), drained
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and finely diced

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Chicken Enchilada Dip
Sometime I want to try this as a hot dip by baking for about twenty minutes at 350 degrees. Bet it's delicious that way.

3 large chicken breast halves, cooked and finely chopped (I poach three boneless chicken breasts I took out of the freezer for 35 minutes.)
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste) (I use some green chile powder--a natural with chicken enchiladas that I found in New Mexico.)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon paprika (I'm a big fan of Spanish smoked paprika.)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Red pepper sauce to taste
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained

In large bowl, blend cream and Cheddar cheeses until creamy. Add next seven ingredients and mix well. Stir in chicken, cilantro, green onions and tomatoes. Refrigerate overnight before serving.Makes six cups. Probably more than you need. You might consider doing a half batch, although it, like the corn dip, keeps well in the refrigerator for a week or so.

Crispy Fragrant Jumbo Shrimp

This is one of the appetizers that I paired with Prosecco at 2008's multi-course wine dinner. It's crispy, citrusy and herbal. It would pair well not only with dry sparkling wine, but also freshly light Chardonnays or Sauvignon Blancs.


The recipe (and the one for the lamb shanks I served that night also) come from a great cookbook featuring Jamie Oliver. Cook with Jamie is a soup to nuts guide with wonderfully simple recipes featuring flavorful ingredients. I'll be going back to it again and again.


Crispy Fragrant Jumbo Shrimp
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course.


Olive oil
3 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 large shrimp, peeled and butterflied
Seasoned flour, for dusting
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub a baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.


Mix breadcrumbs, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl. Spread on another baking sheet to dry.


Whisk the eggs and place in a shallow pan. Dip the shrimp in the seasoned flour and shake off excess. Dip shrimp into the egg and let excess drip off. Place each shrimp in breadcrumb mixture and toss to coat. Press crumbs into shrimp so each is completely coated.


Put shrimp on oiled baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crispy and golden.


Sprinkle shrimp with a little salt and serve.


Jamie suggests serving with a arugula lightly dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. He also says the same breadcrumbing technique works well on squid, scallops or sardines.

Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola

Don't worry...this isn't a recession-era recipe that cuts back on the size of your burger. Just a fun and different way to pack a lot of flavor into a little package. Go ahead...have two or three.

(I'm trying to figure out a way to make these and keep them hot for our Academy Award party this weekend. We'll see...)


And wine lovers, this is a good one for your favorite big red. Check the end of the posting for my suggestions...



Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola
From Everyday with Rachael Ray.
Makes 12 sliders.


12 mini dinner rolls, split
1 garlic clove, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups baby spinach, thinly sliced
3/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler to high. Place the rolls on a broiler pan and toast until golden. Rub with the garlic and drizzle with olive oil.


In a medium bowl, combine the beef with the Worcestershire sauce, sage, shallot and parsley; season with salt and pepper. Divide into 4 equal pieces and form 3 sliders from each piece, 12 mini sliders total.


Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the sliders for 3 minutes on the first side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other side for medium.


Top each bun bottom with some spinach, a slider and a few cheese crumbles. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese a bit, about 30 seconds, then set the bun tops in place.


Food/Wine Pairing: I actually served this at a wine pairing dinner. The sage and Gorgonzola make these sliders a great match with a red like Merlot. Columbia Crest Grand Estates is a good one. At our dinner, I poured one of my favorites, the Crios de Susana Balbo Syrah/Bonarda mix.

Heart-Healthy Valentine: Wok-Fried Edamame with Garlic and Chiles

Take care of your heart this Valentine's Day. (Get it?) Here are some tips that will protect your ticker with a sense of romance.


Have a glass of wine.
A recent study says that moderate alcohol intake, especially wine drinking, boosts omega-3 levels in the body. These fatty acids, also found in salmon and other fish, can protect against heart disease.


Listen to some upbeat music.
Play some joyful music in the background as you celebrate with your sweetheart. These tunes can make your blood vessels to dilate and thus increase blood flow.


Prepare these edamame.
Eaten regularly, edamame can lower cholesterol levels and decrease your risk of a heart attack. So spice up your night with these!


Wok-Fried Edamame with Garlic and Chiles
From Bon Appetit.
Makes six to eight appetizer servings.

1 pound unshelled freash or frozen edamame (soybeans)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 jalapeno chile (preferably red), seeded and finely minced
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cook edamame in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes; drain.

Transfer edamame to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain, pat dry and set aside.

Stir soy sauce, oyster sauce, jalapeno and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat peanut oil in heavy large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; saute until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add edamame and stir to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture; stir 1 minute to coat evenly and heat through. Transfer to platter and serve.

(These keep nicely in the refrigerator if you have leftovers and are yummy served cold or reheated for several days after you first prepare them.)

Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings

Here's the decadent dessert I served at the wine dinner a couple of months ago. It's wonderfully decadent and delicious with a glass of sparkling wine or Port. The perfect chocolatey dessert for Valentine's Day...


Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings
Serves 2.


1 3/4 cups cubed (1/2 inch) Hawaiian sweet bread
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 35o degrees for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.


Combine milk and next five ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.


Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6 ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle each evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins and top with remaining chocolate.


Place ramekins in an 8 inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth if 1 inch. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until set. Serve warm with whipped cream.