Recipes for Cook

Showing posts with label –. Show all posts

Showing posts with label –. Show all posts

Friday, May 2, 2014

Strawberry Granita – So Forking Refreshing

We never had air conditioning growing up, and the closest we’d get was a visit to the refrigerator. You’d open the door, and let the cool air wash over you, as you pretended to look for something to eat. Of course, after a few glorious minutes, mom would figure out what was going on, and yell to close the door. I wish I had known about this strawberry granita recipe back then.

You can make and serve this gorgeous granita any time, but it’s really best enjoyed during the summer months. Not only because it’s cold and delicious, but also because it forces you to stick your hot, sweaty face in the freezer four or five times to stir. It’s such a bracing and refreshing experience that I almost feel sorry for people that do have AC. Almost.

Besides a welcomed respite from the heat, this mandatory, periodical forking creates the dessert’s signature texture. By breaking up the ice crystals as the granita freezes, you’ll get what looks exactly like ground granite, which is where this sweet treat’s name actually comes from.

I know it’s still early spring, but strawberries are beautiful right now, so why not practice a few times before the serious heat waves hit? By the way, let me be the first one to say it to you this year…it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 servings:
(Note: Yes, this will work with other fruit and berry purees)

2 pounds strawberries

1 cup water

1/3 to 1/2 cup white sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
(Note: Ive not tried other types of sweeteners)

1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

very small pinch of salt
*Note: freezing times will vary greatly depending on how cold, empty, large, etc., your freezer is. Just keep checking and forking!

View the complete recipe

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Spring Pea and Stellette Pasta Salad with Fresh Mint and Parsley – We’re reaching for the Stars

This simple spring pasta salad is a lesson in culinary restraint. There are so many things we could add to this, but we’re not going to do it. I want to celebrate my tender and sweet spring peas, and delicate star-shaped pasta (Stellette) in a simple salad, and I’m not going to clutter it up trying to clean out the vegetable bins. Everything about this salad is subtle. The tender peas barely get cooked by sitting in the hot pasta for a few minutes. The dressing is nothing more than some lemon and oil. I finish with some fresh mint and parsley, salt and pepper and I’m done. Just stop and back away from the salad. There are many magical food pairings, but one of my personal favorites is mint and fresh peas. There is just something about those two ingredients getting together that makes both shine above and beyond what they are capable of alone.

Sure, usually pasta salads are a great excuse to chop up and use all those forgotten veggies in the bottom of the fridge yearning to be free, but not this one. Save that one for the company picnic. Today’s recipe is you and your lover, sitting on a blanket somewhere fresh and green, enjoying this and several others of life’s simple pleasures.

Ingredients:
8oz Stellette pasta
1/2 cup spring peas
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1.2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopper fresh mint
1/4 cup chopper fresh Italian parsley
*don’t forget to salt the water you boil the pasta in!

Friday, April 4, 2014

A Summer Scramble – Wet and Wildly Delicious

Cooking isn’t about always doing the right thing, and this summer scramble is a perfect example. Adding juicy, sweet cherry tomatoes to a scramble tastes great, but its not a common practice since having a pool of liquid under your eggs is considered bad form. I don’t care – I have toast.

I could have used the slow, low-heat scrambling method Ive demonstrated before, and tossed in the tomatoes and feta in right at the end, but I don’t feel the tomatoes and cheese really get heated all the way through. Besides, did I mention I had toast? Soaking up all that goodness is a big part of why I love this so much.

Anyway, cherry tomatoes are peaking right now, and the "Sweet 100s" variety I used here are, without a doubt, the sweetest fresh tomato you can buy at a grocery store. In fact, make that the only sweet, fresh tomato you can buy at a grocery store.

As I suggest in the video recipe, make sure you have all your prep done before a pan is placed over the flame. Start to finish, this will only take a minute to cook, and trying to slice and dice while the eggs are in the pan is a recipe for disaster. I hope you give this colorful, summer breakfast a try soon (or youll have to wait until next year). Enjoy!

Ingredients per portion:
olive oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon basil chiffonade
2 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese (try to find goats milk feta - its awesome)
pinch of hot pepper flakes
flaky sea salt to taste

Monday, March 31, 2014

“Steakage” – Changing the Shape of Your Steak Sandwich

Hot dogs and hamburgers are fine for the regular season, but when the playoffs and Super Bowl roll around, you need to upgrade the tailgate menu to something a little more special, like this “steakage” steak sandwich.

The name comes from the fact that the steak is being treated more like a sausage link. The problem with a traditional steak sandwich is it usually consists of a thin slice of beef, grilled and served on a thick sandwich roll. The steak to bread ratio is way off, and it’s very easy to overcook the meat.

Here, by cutting our steak into thick strips, we not only have a more geometrically appropriate piece of meat for our smaller bun, but we are able to get a nice sear on the outside without having to worry about the inside overcooking.

I used a gorgeous flat iron steak, and I really hope you can get one from your butcher, but if you can’t, this technique should work for other cuts of steak as well. NY strip, rib eye, top sirloin, and tenderloin could all be made to work. The key is something that can be cut into a large slab first, ideally about 1 1/2-inch thick, and then into strips about the same width, and as long as your bun.

I was very happy with these, and really enjoyed the little extra something the grilled mushrooms provided. The smoky salad added an earthy texture to the grilled beef, and it was all tied together nicely with the barbecue vinaigrette. To make this easy and versatile condiment, simply combine 3 parts barbecue sauce, with 2 parts vegetable oil, and 1 part cider vinegar.

So, if you were planning on splurging for your next backyard tailgate, and want to serve something a little out of the ordinary, then maybe give this whole “steakage” thing a try. By the way, it goes without saying that this would rock with cheese on it, but the American Kobe beef I was lucky enough to use was so exquisite that I didn’t want to cover it up. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 fully-trimmed flat iron steak

6 hot dog buns

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

mayonnaise and arugula leaves as needed

For the mushrooms salad:

8 oz brown clamshell mushrooms, grilled, separated

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

For the bbq vinaigrette:

3 tbsp barbecue sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp cider vinegar

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Lime and Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes – Wham Bam it’s not a Yam

OK, let’s clear up a bit of culinary confusion. In the produce department of your local grocery store, they sell both sweet potatoes and yams. The fact is they are all actually sweet potatoes. Some varieties of sweet potatoes, like Beauregard and Garnet, are often marketed as “yams.” So, in the clip when I say that you can use sweet potatoes or yams, what I’m really saying is you can use any variety of sweet potato available for this recipe. True yams are native to Africa

and Asia and are rarely, if ever, seen in our markets.

This simple roasted sweet potato video recipe is a perfect side dish to all those great, grilled classics you’ll be cooking up this summer. I’m sure you already know how much better for you the good old sweet potato is than the regular russet. Not only are they much higher in fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and vitamins, but

they also taste good. It’s a win win. I hope you’ve got your silicon baking mat ready, as it makes this recipe a snap as you’ll see in the video. Of course, you can really spice these up with a bit more Chipotle than I used, but the tablespoon I put in gives it just the right kick, plus that wonderful, slightly smoky flavor. By the way, the lime Chipotle mixture we create to start the dish is actually an example of a Citronette, which we explored in another recipe clip. If you haven’t seen that one, I’ve linked it in so you can check it out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes
1 large juicy lime
1 tbl Chipotle chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
*Note: we baked for 30 min at 375F, then tossed in the remaining lime mixture, and then finished at 450F for another 10-15 minutes until tender and nicely glazed.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Buttercrust Pastry Dough – Good Friday or Anytime

I knew better than to expect you guys to wait until next week for this buttercrust pastry dough, after teasing you with its flaky seductiveness during the apple hand pies video. Yes, the audience has spoken, and basically said, “post this before Easter or else.”

As I mention in the clip, you really want to use a food processor for this. You can certainly use a wire pastry blender and do it by hand, but it’ll take a while, and mixing in the ice water is so much easier with whirling blades. I’m not sure I’ve ever achieved that same gorgeous “breadcrumb” texture blending by hand.

If you decide to use this pastry for a savory recipe, I’d suggest cutting the sugar down a bit, but don’t be tempted to leave it out. I used the leftover dough from the apple turnovers video, which had all the sugar, for some duck pot pies, and it was really good, but maybe just a tiny bit sweet.

If you’re going to use this recipe for some Easter pies or brunch desserts, I hope you like the dough as much as I did. Just make sure your butter cubes are frozen, and your ice water is, well, ice-cold water. These are the keys. Do that, and you’ll have a pastry dough that tastes, feels, and sounds fantastic. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 pound pie dough (enough for 1 large pie or 4 turnovers):

2 cups flour (measure carefully, do not pack!)

1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz)

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

6 tbsp ice water

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Creamy Mushroom Meatloaf – An Experiment in Letting Your Meat Loaf

If you’ve ever said goodbye to someone, and on the way out added a hearty, “Hey, don’t let your meat loaf!” then I just gave you a virtual high-five. In this context however, we’re taking about letting your meat “loaf” for a long time in a low oven, sitting in a rich, creamy shiitake mushroom gravy.

The main point of this exercise was to determine the benefits of cooking a meatloaf and sauce at the same time, in the same pan, but I was also planning on giving you a very nice “three meatloaf” recipe (using beef, pork and veal). Unfortunately, I wasn’t totally thrilled with the results, so you’ll have to wait until I perfect the final formula.

This "Three Meatloaf" recipe was good,
but not Food Wishes good, yet. Stay tuned!

Regardless, this technique will work with just about any meatloaf recipe out there. I really liked how the roasting meatloaf fortified the sauce with its flavorful drippings. The meatloaf was very moist, and seemed to have picked up some nuances from the sauce as well. One negative is you do have to skim a lot of fat off the top, but that seems a small price to pay for a quality one-dish meal.

You can adjust the texture of your gravy by adding more broth if it seems to be drying out during the cooking time, or, like I did, boil the sauce for a few minutes at the end to thicken it up a bit. Anyway, the next time you’re in the mood for meat in loaf form, and a creamy mushroom gravy, I hope you give this tasty technique a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups cold beef broth

1/2 cup cream

1 ready for the oven meatloaf (2-3 pounds)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Broiled Salmon glazed with Romesco Sauce – aka Salmon glazed with “whatever”

Today’s video recipe will expose one of the great faux-gourmet tricks of all time. In the back of everyone’s refrigerator there is usually a collection of dressings, sauces and condiments. Many are almost gone, containing just a few tablespoons, yet you just couldn’t bring yourself to throw it away the last time you cleaned out the fridge. Thank goodness you didn’t! These last few spoons of “whatever” spread on some fresh wild salmon filets and then glazed under a hot broiler can produce some amazing “gourmet” results.

In this video recipe I used one of my favorite condiments, Romesco sauce, which is a spicy Spanish roasted red pepper and almond pesto type mixture. You may have seen me use this in a delicious stuffed summer squash recipe a while back. But, as you’ll hear me say in the clip, this can be done with almost anything; salad dressings like balsamic or lemon pepper, almost any aioli or mayo based sauce, any style bbq sauce, even pesto or olive tapenade will work. Since salmon goes so well with so many flavor profiles you have lots of options. The only thing to be careful with would be something that has a very high sugar content, which may burn before the salmon is cooked, since we are broiling the fish. If you do use something like a honey mustard dressing, you may want to cook it a little further away from the heat.

After watching this recipe, please, go out and buy some wild salmon (frozen is fine!) and go hunting in the back of your fridge. I would love to read your comments on what you found and used and how it came out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 six ounce salmon filets
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbl of romesco sauce, or “whatever”
*broil under high heat for 6-10 minutes until sauce is glazed on and salmon is cooked

Monday, March 3, 2014

Fondant Potatoes – A Creamy Crusty Blast from the Past

Every once in a while I get a food wish that instantly takes me back to culinary school. Things like aspic (not happening), larding a tenderloin (not happening), and pulled sugar (sort of already happened) always transport me back to those demos where the instructors fully admitted that we’d probably never use these skills, but since they were considered “classic techniques,” we’d have to spend time covering them anyway. Sure, makes perfect sense.

This fabulous fondant potato technique is a prime example. Made them a few times in school and loved them. Made them a few times at a hotel early in my career and loved them. Haven’t made them since, and not exactly sure why. They taste amazing, and as I try to make clear in the video, the texture this method provides is unlike anything you get by just roasting. The way the crusty, crunchy edges outside, works with the uniquely rich and creamy inside is truly a magical thing.

I just think that we’re so used to the usual rotation of potato side dishes; fried, roasted, mashed, etc., that it’s hard to push ourselves to do a potato recipe that has multiple steps. In fairness, the multiple steps are super easy, but still. Anyway, if you’ve never experienced the old world awesomeness that is the fondant potato, I hope this video inspires you to try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 fondant potatoes:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 large russet potatoes (other varieties will not work as well)

salt and pepper to taste

a knob of butter (a 2 or 3 tablespoon size chunk)

4 thyme sprigs

1/2 cup chicken broth or stock, more if needed
*Roast at 425 F until tender, about 30 minutes

View the complete recipe

Friday, February 28, 2014

Beef Satay – You Should Warn Your Tongue

Beef satay was the very first Thai food I ever tasted, and it was literally love at first bite. Ah, that sweet, spicy, salty, smoky, and slightly funky bite…I remember it like it was yesterday.

It helps that I ate this yesterday, but still. If you’ve never had satay before, its lightning bolt of flavor can be a bit of a shock to the system. A recipe for the subtle palate, this is not. By the way, I do know that satay was actually invented in Indonesia, but for the purposes of this blog post, were going with that its Thai.

This will work on just about any meat, but beef is my favorite. There’s something about beef and these particular spices that just sings. Also, the magic that Asian fish sauce always adds is never more apparent than with beef, especially if that beef destined for the charcoal grill. The same goes for the lemongrass.

If you look around the produce aisle at your town’s best (meaning most expensive) grocery store, you should find some lemongrass stalks. They also sell tubes of pure lemongrass paste online, in case that’s a better option. Some say you can get away with some lime and/or lemon zest and juice, but at least attempt to find some for your old friend, Chef John.

With grilling season still in full swing, you can never have enough new and exciting ways to enjoy beef, and this is certainly at least one of those things. And of course, stay tuned for the peanut dipping sauce recipe next. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

2 lbs beef top sirloin steak, sliced thin across grain, about 1/8-inch thick

Satay Marinade:

1 tbsp grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp minced onion

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 rounded tbsp minced lemongrass

View the complete recipe

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Almond Arugula Pesto – About as Subtle as a Shovel to the Face

This short, but very green video recipe for an almond arugula pesto, shows you one of my favorite uses for the ubiquitous bitter green. I like an arugula salad as much as the next guy, but its also nice to use the peppery green as something more than a lettuce.

Arugula is also quite a beautiful herb. Fragrant, spicy, crisp; it makes one hell of a good pesto. I paired it with raw almonds for a combo that was just amazing on the grilled hanger steak you can see here. Subtle its not, but thats okay sometimes.

I know the conventional wisdom with most sauces is that they should compliment the main ingredient, not overpower it. Here, that simply does not apply. Not only does this sauce overpower whatever you serve it with, it obliterates it completely. But, it works!

Ive posted the ingredients below, but I beg you not to measure as you make this sauce. This is one recipe that should come out slightly different every time you make it. If that seems like a strange statement, you may be missing one of the most important aspects of cooking – the rewards of randomness.

As you make this pesto, your subconscious will take over, and any variations in the final product will magically benefit whatever your eating this with. Of course, like most of my best theories, I cant prove this.

As I mention in the video, when shopping for the arugula, try and get some fully-grown leaves. That mild, ultra-baby stuff make a nice safe salad, but for a sauce like this you want the dangerous, fully developed flavor of the more mature leave. I hope you give this easy recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Large handful of arugula leaves, blanched
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup raw almonds
4 cloves garlic
salt to taste

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Cheater Pierogi – This is No Polish Joke

During this video for quick and easy cheese pierogi, I joke about my Polish grandmother rolling over in her grave, but after eating several batches of these delicious dumplings, I’m pretty sure Grandma Sophie would have approved.

I’ve always been a big fan of wonton skins. Not only have I used them for wonton soup, but also for tortellini, ravioli, and various other dumplings. They’re very user-friendly, but use a damp paper towel to cover the open package as you work, since they can dry out quickly and become harder to work with.

Whenever I post a video like this, the most common questions usually revolve around what alternative fillings would work. Let me handle that issue right now. Anything will work as a filling. Literally. Most high-end grocery stores will have farmer’s cheese, but if you can’t find it, a mixture of half cream cheese and half ricotta would get you very close.

I decided to break with family tradition and serve these with bacon and caramelized onions, as we usually just fry in a little butter and serve with sour cream. I blame Chicago’s Pierogi Heaven for this, since it was during a recent visit that I had a plate served similarly, and it was amazing.

Anyway, whether you’re an old pro, or brand new to the joys of pierogi, I hope you give these easy, cheesy dumplings a try. Remember the old saying...if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 50-60 Pierogi:

1 1/2 cups warm mashed potato

1 1/2 cup farmer’s cheese, or any cheese blend

1 large egg

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

50-60 wonton wrappers

sour cream and chives as needed

Bacon and Onion Sauce (enough to garnish about 12 pierogi)

4 slices bacon, sliced thin

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

2 tsp butter

*After bacon is crisp, drain excess fat, reserving about 2 tbsp to fry pierogi.

View the complete recipe

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Zen and the Art of Chicken Teriyaki – A Kitchen Koan

When I first got to San Francisco, having come from a very small town in Western New York, it was like arriving on another planet. I was fascinated by the amazing variety of foods and cultures, and began exploring them all. Growing up, my family and I had made the occasional trip to the local Americanized Chinese restaurant which was always an exotic treat, but now I was getting the real stuff; Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, I couldn’t get enough! At the same time I also became interested in the eastern religious philosophies, Buddhism, Zen, etc., which for a former alter boy was quite the experience. This was also when I learned about the Zen “koan.”

For those of you not familiar, a koan is basically a question, riddle, or story that has no obvious answer. It is used by Zen masters to teach or enlighten their students. Most of you have heard the most famous koan, “Two hands clap and there is a sound; but what is the sound of one hand?” What a great idea… teach students by making them even more confused! Well, since I’m doing Teriyaki today I decided to have a little fun at the end of the demo with a koan or two of my own.

A viewer to our site, Connie, had asked for a teriyaki recipe. So I did some research. I had enjoyed teriyaki many times, but always at Japanese restaurants. If I had made it at home, I probably just bought a bottle of teriyaki sauce and brushed it on some chicken. So, today’s clip is the true authentic version (which, of course, there are several sources giving different versions of what the “original” recipe is). I’m very glad I did it, but I’m not sure why. By the way, the term teriyaki comes from of two Japanese words "teri" and "yaki." Teri refers to the shine or luster of the glazed sauce, and yaki means to broil or grill the meat. Prepare to be enlightened… you’ve been warned.

Ingredients:
10 Boneless-Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 Cup Sake
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1/2 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp finely grated ginger or paste

1/4 Cup Chopped Green Onion

Wheat Flour Jaggery Bonda Sweet Bonda – Diwali Special

Diwali festival is Full of lights, May your life be filled with colors and lights of happiness.

Wishing All my Friends, Bloggers, Readers and Dear Ones A Very Cheerful and Sparkling Deepavali !!!

Hope you all had/having a great and safe Diwali :)

@Home

For this Diwali I made this Sweet Bonda which is simple and wonderful dessert and can be prepared easily on special occasions and whenever you want to have some sweet with jaggery.

My mom used to make them very regularly when we were kids as evening snacks and we used to enjoy them after coming back from school.

These are prepared by simple ingredients like Wheat Flour and Jaggery. Adding coconut, rice flour and milk gave a yummy flavor. If we want we can omit them and use water instead of milk.

If we want crispiness to bondas we can use rice flour, if not we can avoid it. To get better shapes of bonda we can use a deep curved ladle or an icecream scoop to pour the batter into oil.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Jaggery grated – ½ cup

Sugar (optional) – 1 tsp

Dry Coconut grated (optional) – 2 tsp

Elachi Powder – a pinch

Milk – 5-6tsps

Water

Salt a pinch

Oil for deep frying

Preparation

In a wide bowl take wheat flour, add grated jaggery , milk , sugar, elachi powder, coconut, salt and mix well.
Add little water if required and mix well till the consistency of batter will be like vada batter.
Keep this mixture aside for 1-2 hrs.
Heat oil in a pan; pour the batter into it with the help of ladle.
Cook well on medium flame.
Fry bonda’s well till golden color and drain them to kitchen towel.

Sending this to Dish it out - Wheat and Jaggery hosted by SouthIndianHome originally started by Vardhini, Serve It - Festival Potluck hosted by Krithi & Denny, Diwali- Festival of LIGHTS hosted by Anu , My Diwali MyWay hosted by Khusi, Only Sweets and Desserts hosted by Gayathri originally started by Pari and to my event CC-Festive Food

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

No Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake – Let Your Fruit Flag Fly!

I’ve been avoiding doing a no-bake cheesecake recipe, despite the many food wishes for it, simply because I love the dense, rich texture of the traditional baked version so much that it seems almost a crime to do something like this instead.

That’s a silly attitude, as these are two entirely different desserts, and since I needed a white canvas on which to demo the fruity, 4th of July flag design seen herein, I decided to go for it. The fact that we just had our first real heat wave of the summer didn’t hurt either.

That you can make this lovely, sweet treat without turning on the oven is probably enough of a reason to give this serious consideration. Besides the taste and texture, I think your guests will enjoy the iconic stars and stripes design provided by the fresh blueberries and strawberries.

Everyone knows that if you eat enough fresh fruit with a dessert, it cancels out the negative effects from the sugar and the fat, or at least that’s what I’ve always assumed. Anyway, there is no greater tribute an American cook can pay to this great democracy of ours, than to make a shortcut dessert that looks like our flag. USA! USA! USA! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

6 tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

For the filling:

2 cups (1 pound) cream cheese (I used half regular and half mascarpone)

2 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream (36% fat)

1/3 cup white sugar

View the complete recipe

Friday, February 7, 2014

Butter Bean Prawn “Scampi” – Culinary confusion at its best!

Growing up in upstate New York, any time my family would go out to eat at an Italian restaurant there were always the same two shrimp or prawns dishes on the menu. They were “Shrimp Cocktail” and “Shrimp Scampi.” By the way, as you hear me try to explain during the clip, the only difference between shrimp and prawn is size. I use both terms synonymously in my clips, and can’t pretend to really care that much about which is the correct term. I believe bigger shrimp are called prawns and smaller prawns are called shrimp. Hurry, someone call Alton Brown!

The funny thing about “Shrimp Scampi” is that the term “Scampi” was used to describe a style of dish; one where the shrimp are cooked in a garlic and butter sauce. But, “Scampi” is actually the plural Italian name for a shrimp-like creature that is really a small Norwegian lobster (Nephrops Norvegicus). Confused yet? Just have a glass of wine and enjoy the clip.

My one twist on this classic recipe is the addition of Butter Beans. I love the contrast in textures between the tender prawns and the creamy beans. I used lemon juice here as the acid, but a nice dry white wine also produces a great version. I didn’t add it in the clip but a big pinch of hot pepper flakes is highly recommended, and while the parsley is traditional, basil or dill will also work great as the fresh herb addition. The original dish I enjoyed as a child was always served over pasta, but here I used my carbo allowance on a couple of toast points to soak up the amazing sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pound peeled and de-veined prawns (16/20 per pound size)
12 oz jar butter beans, drained
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
2 tbl butter
2 tbl olive oil
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
2 tbl water
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
hot pepper flakes (optional)

Friday, January 24, 2014

Cooking Grass Fed Beef Episode 3 – Rib Eye Steak Steakhouse Style

This video recipe for Rib Eye Steak "Steakhouse" Style is the third in the series of videos Im doing that focus on cooking various cuts of grass-fed beef. As usual, this beef came from my friends at Normanton Farms.

The rib eye is most steak lovers favorite cut. A fatty and flavorful steak that can be pan-seared, broiled, or grilled with equally delicious results. I called the video Steakhouse Steak because Im showing two classic steakhouse techniques; a traditional dry-rub seasoning blend, and a flavored butter called a "beurre maitre d hotel."

Im doing a very simple garlic and parsley butter, but a "hotel butter," (aka compound butter) can be made with just about anything. They often contain shallots, vinegar, other herbs, and are often fortified with salt and pepper. I just left mine plain since I was serving it on a very well seasoned piece of rib eye.

Speaking of seasoning; I joked about this seasoning blend being a "secret," but this is a well-known steakhouse standard. The funny thing is, very few home cooks bother to use a rub like this and then wonder why the steaks at Ponderosa Petes House of Beef taste so much better.

As usual I remind the viewers that grass fed beef is lower in fat, cooks faster, and can dry out if over-cooked. I only cooked mine for 3 minutes per side and was rewarded with a juicy, flavorful steak. Adjust as you see fit. Enjoy!

Seasoning Ingredients:
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika

Hotel Butter Ingredients:
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 to 1 clove garlic, crushed fine
salt and pepper optional

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Fresh Mango – I Don’t Like Rice Pudding But I Love This!

I’m not a big fan of rice pudding, but curiosity got the best of me, and I needed to find out how much better/different a version would be that used Arborio rice, and the same basic technique as a savory risotto.

In addition to trying out a new cooking method, I also wanted to sneak in some coconut milk for a little tropical twist, and I’m happy to report great success on both fronts. The Arborio produced a wonderfully creamy texture, and unlike tradition long-grain rice pudding, the grains of rice maintained a certain textural integrity, instead of just disappearing into one big, starchy mass.

The coconut milk gave the pudding another layer of subtle sweetness, and also inspired the fresh mango garnish, which really elevated these bowls of comforting goodness. Of course the mango is optional, and you’re welcome to take your chances with raisins, preferably golden ones. If desired, those can be added at the same time as the sugar and salt.

Speaking of bowls, I generally don’t make dessert for three (except this one time, at band camp…), but I had some new porcelain ones I wanted to use, and didn’t bother to check the volume before ladling in the sweet porridge.

Despite my “odd” yield, you should get four nicely sized portions from the amounts below. And yes, if you can’t find coconut milk (which you can), simply use all milk. I hope you give this coconut milk rice pudding a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 tbsp butter

1/3 cup Arborio rice (Note: I haven’t tested this recipe using regular rice, so no idea if that will work here. My instincts tell me, not nearly as well)

1 cup coconut milk

2 3/4 to 3 cups milk, or as needed

1/4 cup white sugar

1/8 tsp vanilla

salt to taste

1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tbsp milk

For the garnish:

1/4 cup finely diced mango

pinch of Chinese 5-Spice

View the complete recipe

Monday, January 20, 2014

Turkey Chili – Mooooooove over Chuck!

The recently posted Garbage Plate video generated the most comments and emails of any clip I’ve done so far. That wasn’t surprising due to the shocking nature of that dish. What I did find amusing though was the several requests I got that asked for my Chili recipe so that viewers could make the Garbage Plate at home. So, I decided to show this very easy, and quite delicious, Turkey Chili.

As you’ve heard me say in many clips and posts, the main reason people don’t cook at home is the prep work required. While most people enjoy cooking, they just don’t enjoy all the slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing. So, I try to compose these recipes so that they require the least amount of work possible. This one is a good example; except for chopping an onion and a few cloves of garlic, you are pretty much just stirring a few times, and listening to this tasty chili simmer away.

Feel free to make this same recipe using beef (ground chuck being the best choice). But, I’ve been using ground turkey in my chili for a while now, and enjoy it almost as much as the higher fat beef version. I’ve heard Chefs on TV say, “This turkey chili tastes just like one made with beef!” No it doesn’t. Why? Because a turkey isn’t a cow. I know, a shocking revelation! Ground turkey just doesn’t have the same fat content and texture of a nice ground chuck, so we have to do a few tricks to counter this. We’re going to cook it for a long time so that the turkey is as soft and succulent as possible. I also served mine with some beautifully ripe slices of avocado that gives the final bowl another layer of silky richness. By the way, don’t let the cocoa powder in our chili spice mixture throw you off! It’s only a small amount and it really works. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 cans pinto beans (12oz cans)
1 cup tomato puree
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
Secret Chili Spice Mix:
1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1 tbl cumin
1 1/2 tsp chipotle
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbl paprika
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne
*my chili was garnished with sour cream, diced jalapeno, cilantro and avocado

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