Sunday Seafood Risotto and Caesar Salad

06/09/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Sunday was our 18th wedding anniversary! I wanted to make something new, different and a little bit special. Staying in and cooking was entirely my choice. I had 18 gorgeous roses sitting on the table, and with new blog friendly dishes, napkins, and placemats – it was almost like going out! I knew Caesar salad would be on the menu as there were 8 giant heads of romaine calling me from garden. As we spent the day running errands, I was thinking about what I’d like to go with that salad! I’m not sure if it came to me at Home Depot, Target or Pier 1 … but Seafood Risotto popped in my head! Not risotto with seafood mixed in, but grilled and placed on top! Yes – that was it. I made a mental shopping list and we made two more stops to gather the ingredients.

Caesar Salad – Laura’s Way!

2 generous servings

2 Romaine lettuce hearts, – about 5 leaves each

Rinse the lettuce well with cold water. Wrap in kitchen towel to remove all moisture and chill thoroughly prior to serving. Chill your salad plates.

2-3 cloves minced garlic, or one head finely chopped green spring garlic

3-4 anchovy filets, minced, and 3-4 anchovy filets for garnish

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup Cardini’s Caesar salad dressing

Stir the minced garlic, minced anchovy, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce, and salad dressing all together and set aside until ready to use.

I have made Caesar salad the traditional way for many years. Once I discovered Cardini’s Caesar dressing, I stopped. I think it is one of the best bottled dressings ever made. However, I like to customize it to our taste with the addition of garlic and anchovy every now and again. Give it a try and let me know what you think! (I am not being compensated in any way by Cardini’s.)

Parmesan and Garlic Crouton

1-2 baguette slices per serving

drizzle each slice of bread with a little olive oil

rub the bread with fresh garlic cloves

top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and a few herbs, of your choice

Broil until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted, just before serving.

When ready to serve, place the lettuce on a chilled plate. Top with the dressing and additional anchovies, if desired, and freshly shaved parmesan cheese. Add the crouton and sliced lemon, and plenty of freshly cracked pepper.

Laura’s Seafood Risotto

1 1/2 quarts seafood stock

1 cup of dry, white wine

1 cup chopped fresh leek, white part only

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon (reserve 1/2 teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons chopped green spring garlic – or, 2 cloves fresh minced garlic if green spring garlic is not available (reserve 1/2 teaspoon)

grated zest of one lemon – use a microplane grater (reserve 1/4 teaspoon)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, additional for garnish

4 Tablespoons of butter, divided

2 Tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

Assorted seafood to be grilled and placed on risotto for serving. We used scallops and prawns. (Placing the scallops on skewers makes it easier to grill them. If using bamboo skewers, be sure and soak them in water for 30 minutes or more, before using.)

Make a basting butter for the seafood with 2 tablespoons melted butter and the reserved garlic, tarragon and lemon zest. Set aside until ready to grill the scallops and prawns.

To prepare the risotto:

Place the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Reduce the heat to low.

Place the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in another saucepan. Warm over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the butter and oil. Add in the minced garlic, tarragon and lemon zest.

Add the white wine. Continue to stir over medium heat until the liquid has been absorbed. Begin adding the hot stock, a couple ladles at a time. Stir thoroughly and add more stock, after liquid is fully absorbed. This process will take about 30 minutes or so. Continue until all the liquid has been used. The mixture should be soft and creamy and the rice should be al dente. Stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and the 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Keep warm over very low heat while you grill the scallops and prawns

Baste the seafood skewers with the melted herb butter you prepared. Grill the seafood on a hot grill for about 4 minutes per side.

When ready to serve, place a generous portion of risotto on a plate. Top with the grilled shellfish. Garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese, fresh chopped parsley and freshly cracked pepper. If it is your anniversary, or even if it’s not, serve with a bubbly glass of blanc de noirs champagne!

Quick Clam Linguine

06/04/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

This is one of our favorite, quick week night meals. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. It is especially good when you have oregano, parsley and basil available from the garden but dried herbs will do in a pinch! We first posted this about a year ago. We decided to post it again with new photos. I hope you agree, the photos are improving!

Ingredients

6-8 servings

36-48 ounces canned clams, drained, juice reserved

2 cups dry white wine

1 large white onion

8 cloves of garlic

juice of 1/2 of a lemon – about 2 Tablespoons

1 teaspoon dried oregano – or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil chiffonade*

1/2 cup good quality, peppery olive oil

fresh ground black pepper

kosher salt

optional – 3-4 per serving fresh, clean steamer clams in shell

fresh grated parmesan for serving

additional minced parsley for garnish

linguine, prepared according to directions

Drain the clams in a colander with a bowl beneath it to catch the clam broth. Set both aside.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves, and set aside.

Chop the parsley, oregano and basil, and set aside.

Warm the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottom sauté pan. (It is a lot of oil, but it is the base for the sauce.) Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently about 5 minutes. Add in the oregano and the red pepper flakes. Sauté another 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce about 5 minutes. Add the reserved clam broth and the lemon juice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in the basil, oregano and chopped parsley. If you are adding fresh clams, place them in the pan now. Yes – there are some mussels in the picture. Dave keeps thinking he does not like mussels. I cooked a few as a “test”. He still thinks he does not like them! Is there anybody else out there that likes clams but not mussels?

Start your pasta water. Once pasta water comes to a boil, add the reserved clams into the sauté pan. Reduce the heat to very low. Do not simmer the sauce after you have added the canned clams, you want to just warm them. (Overcooking will make them tough and chewy.) I am sure you know to NOT eat any clams or mussels that did not open up, right?

Adjust the sauce for seasoning. You may need a little more salt or pepper. To serve, place a portion of fresh hot linguine on a plate or bowl. Top with the sauce and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and the steamed clams, if using. Serve with a tossed salad and crusty baguette bread top sop up the broth.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Ice Cream

06/02/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I am committed to using everything in my garden when it is ripe. Saturday, it was a small bowl of strawberries and a few stalks of rhubarb. Inspired by memories of fresh strawberry rhubarb pie and ice cream – it struck me! Why not skip the pie and put the roasted fruit in the ice cream? Neither my husband nor my mom sounded very enthused when I shared my idea, but that did not stop me!

Remove the stems from the strawberries. Chop the rhubarb into small pieces. Place all in a baking pan and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of sugar. Roast at 375′ for about 30 minutes, until the fruit is soft and caramelized. Place in bowl and chill thoroughly.

I am not sure how or when we ended up with the ice cream attachment for our Kitchen Aide mixer! As committed as I am to using all that my garden produces, I am also (newly) committed to using the wide assortment of “I must have this” (never used) kitchen gadgets I have accumulated. So, last weekend the ice cream attachment went from the box to the freezer, ready for it’s first performance.

I chose David Liebowitz Vanilla Ice Cream recipe. As I have never made ice cream before, I thought a tried and true recipe was the best place to start! I used organic milk, sugar and cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream

About 1 quart (1l)

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (500ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.

1. Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.

2. To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the heavy cream into the bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.

5. Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.

6. Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add about 1/4 cup of the chilled strawberry rhubarb mixture during the last 7 minutes of mixing / freezing time.

Memorial Day Fiesta – Chile Relleno

05/27/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

While at the market gathering ingredients for tamales, I noticed beautiful, fresh poblano chile peppers. Right then I decided I would serve chile relleno alongside the tamales. When I can, I use fresh Hatch green chiles from New Mexico. When Hatch chiles are out of season, I use poblanos. Either way, you want to use the freshest chiles you can find.

For the Chile Relleno

8-10 fresh Hatch or Poblano Chiles

1 pound Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese

1 cup flour

salt and pepper

4 eggs, separated

oil for frying

Begin by roasting the chiles. Roast them on a very hot grill, turning about every 5 minutes, until all sides are charred. Be sure and make a small slit in each chile to allow the steam to escape, prior to roasting.

It is important to wear gloves when handling the chiles. Once the chiles are roasted, place them in a plastic bag to “steam” about 10 minutes. Remove the chiles from the bag and gently peel away the charred skin. Cut a slit in one side of the chile. Pull out the seeds as gently as possible.

Cut the cheese into rectangles that will fit into the chile. Place a piece of cheese in each chile. Close the open edge with a toothpick.

Separate the four eggs. Beat the whites to form stiff peaks. Break up the yolks with a fork. Gently fold the yokes into the whites with a spatula. Place the flour on a plate or bowl that the chile will fit into. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Heat about 1″ of oil in heavy skillet, over medium high heat.

Dredge the stuffed chile in the flour.

Dip the chile in the egg mixture. Hold the chile by the stem and let the excess egg mixture drip off.

Place the chile into the hot oil. Brown on all sides.

Place the fried chiles on a rack over a pan. When ready to serve, heat them in a 350′ oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with red enchilada style sauce Be sure to let your guests know to watch out for the toothpick!

Memorial Day Fiesta – Pork Adobada Tamales

05/26/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

I began a rainy, drizzly Memorial Day weekend with another wonderful class at The Pantry at Delancey. This time it was a tamale class, taught by Rob Tallon. Yes, I have made tamales before, and yes I have posted them before… and as much as I liked my previous tamales, I was always left thinking they could be better! I was right. The tamales we made this weekend were outstanding, amazing, delicious, and absolutely the best EVER! [Read more…]

Spring has sprung….the crops are in!

05/19/2014 by Laura 2 Comments

I cannot believe it’s been over a month since the last post! Things got a little busy around here… plants needed to be planted, walls needed to be painted, an injured dog needed tending (Jasper dislocated his hip – he is fine now), and…. there was asparagus. I have written about this treasure of Spring a few times, but it is one of the biggest reasons I have not been posting any recipes. We (mostly me) have been eating it constantly! There was halibut with asparagus, salmon with asparagus, lamb chops with asparagus, steak with asparagus, poached eggs with asparagus, asparagus risotto and asparagus quiche. Would you really have come back if I posted 20 meals in a row featuring asparagus? Well, some of you would, but not all!

And….there was the garden. While soil prep and weeding do not create many photo ops or stories to tell, they are necessary steps for success. Since our weather has been very mild and the sun and rain are working in concert, I took a chance and planted things a little early. The zucchini and the basil may be premature, but they are easily replaced if the weather should turn! Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries all look like we will have bumper crops this year!

I found good size tomato plant starts in all my favorite varieties. Green Zebra, Black Prince, Juan Flamme, San Marzano, Sungold, and Early Girl. I also planted peppers, cucumbers and summer squash. There are beans, and peas and fennel, Brussels sprouts, garlic, basil, bok choy, radishes and lettuce. I cannot wait to create meals from the garden.

Our vegetable garden nourishes our bodies…..while our back yard garden nourishes our soul. I am so pleased with the flowers this year. The consistent and proportional rain and sun have created a beautiful landscape. I hope you all get out there and plant something! As Audrey Hepburn once said:

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Grilled Halibut with Pico De Gallo and Avocado Salad

04/14/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Dave and I spent a few hours at the Pantry at Delancey on Sunday afternoon, “sharpening” our knife skills. The class was taught by Chef Mataio Gillis from Ciao Thyme. After Chef Gillis inspected, sharpened and honed everyone’s knife, we reviewed types of knives and their function, proper knife care and body mechanics. My intentions for signing up for the class, were not entirely honorable. I wanted Dave to be more comfortable with slicing and dicing, so I do not end up doing all the “prep” work when we cook together. Even though I am pretty efficient with a knife, I definitely learned some new tricks! We practiced brunoise, fine brunoise, small, medium, and large dice, julienne, allumette and batonnet cuts on potatoes, carrots and celery. As for Dave, he is now in charge of all mirepoix prep and knife care!

The Pico De Gallo was the result of 15 students chopping tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and cilantro. As with all classes at The Pantry, we ended with a meal of Pico De Gallo, chips, guacamole and a cold beer! Since I had a beautiful filet of fresh Alaskan halibut on hand for dinner, I decided to take my portion home and serve it with the fish! I served an avocado and radish salad with a cumin – lime vinaigrette alongside the halibut. Just like the class and the beautiful spring day, the meal was fabulous!

For the Avocado and Radish Salad with Cumin and Lime Vinaigrette

For the dressing

1/3 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice

2/3 cup very light olive oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon honey or agave

salt and pepper to taste

For the salad

mixed lettuce of your choice – I used butter lettuce and watercress, torn into bite size pieces

about 1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro per serving

1/2 large dice avocado per serving

2-3 thinly sliced radishes, per serving

for the garnish – finely diced radish and lime zest

Toss the lettuce and radishes together. Add the dressing and toss again. Gently fold in the avocado. Garnish with the lime zest and diced radish

I don’t have permission to share the Pico De Gallo recipe we made in class. Just make your favorite! Also, when grilling a flaky fish like halibut, it is extremely important that your grill is very hot and very well oiled! It takes just a few minutes on each side for perfectly cooked fish.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Eggplant, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

03/26/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

One of my favorite resources for quick, weeknight meals is Saveur Magazine’s weekly email of Simple Weeknight Meals. Sourced from previously published recipes, they often call for ingredients that you probably have on hand. Today’s recipe, inspired by traditional pasta alla norma, is a great example. I made a couple of modifications to suit our taste. You could easily omit the sausage to make a hearty, vegetarian pasta dish.

pasta alla norma Laura, inspired by Saveur Magazine, Oct. 10, 2013, Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage

For the pasta

1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾″ cubes

5 tbsp. olive oil

12 cremeni mushrooms, sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage, we like Isernio’s Italian Chicken Sausage

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, undrained and crushed by hand

16 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

8 oz. rigatoni

2 – 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or parmesan, grated

Heat oven to 500°. (Yes that is correct.) Put eggplant and mushrooms into baking dish and drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning occasionally, until soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 325′.

Roasting the eggplant and mushrooms at this high temperature brings out a wonderful rich, smoky flavor.

Heat remaining oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic softens, about 3 minutes. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces until browned, 16–18 minutes

Add tomatoes and half the basil, season with salt, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer to tomato sauce. Stir in reserved eggplant and mushrooms and toss to combine. Stir in remaining basil and season with salt.

Transfer the mixture to the baking dish you roasted the eggplant and mushrooms in. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 325′ for about 15 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and a big bold Chianti.

Spring has Sprung! Lamb Chops and Roasted Asparagus

03/25/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

You know we’ve passed through that dark, seemingly endless tunnel of winter, into the lighter days of spring when those lovely green spikes begin “stalking” you! Yes, I am talking about ASPARAGUS! There are no in-betweeners when it comes to asparagus – you either hate it (Dave) or cannot get enough of it (me). And so it begins, lamb chops and asparagus, halibut and asparagus, asparagus and shrimp stir fry, asparagus quiche,…. and Dave repeatedly asking “asparagus AGAIN”? Ah, the cycle of life.

Laura’s Lemony Galicky Lamb Chops with Roasted Asparagus

2-3 chops per person

For the marinade

Juice of 2 large lemons

finely chopped lemon peel, from one lemon, for garnish

1/3 cup peppery olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped fresh oregano, plus a little extra for garnish

4-6 cloves of garlic

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients well. Pour over chops, cover and marinate at least two hours, or overnight. (I usually use a zip lock bag….but that is not very photogenic.)

While the grill is heating, prepare the asparagus. Trim the ends and peel the lower tougher part, if needed. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. I either place the pan on the grill, next to the chops or cook in my small toaster oven. Either way – it will take about the same time as the chops to cook – 10 minutes. Season asparagus and chops just prior to serving and garnish with the finely minced lemon peel and oregano.

We served our meal with a quick couscous side dish. I also like quinoa or Greek style roasted potatoes with this recipe. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Etouffee with Cheesy Grits

03/23/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

We are great fans of all things Cajun: the food, the music and the people. When Burk’s in Ballard closed years ago, it left a huge void in our dining routine. It was at that point we started making Cajun food at home. Our version of Shrimp and Grits is inspired by a dish at one of Dave’s favorite restaurants, The Cajun Queen, in Charlotte, NC, as well as recipes from Emeril and John Besh. We first posted this about a year ago. We wanted to update it with better photos. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Etouffee

6 Tablespoons High Heat Oil

1/2 cup flour

2 Cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste

2 tablespoons salt free Cajun seasoning

1 Tablespoon marjoram

1 quart seafood stock – homemade or Kitchen Basics

1 15oz. can diced, fire roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3-4 Andouille sausage (we love Whole Foods version)

1/2 cup sliced green onion for garnish

Chop all your vegetables and set aside in a bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly to make a roux. Continue to cook until the roux is the color of milk chocolate. Do not turn up the heat and rush this process as it can burn quickly. This process should take 7-9 minutes.

Add the chopped vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, cayenne, marjoram and Cajun seasoning. Cook for about 3 minutes and then stir in the seafood stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. While the etouffee is simmering, grill the sausages. (This adds a wonderful depth of flavor. You can brown them in a frying pan, if you’d rather not grill them.) You do not need to cook them all the way through, you are just getting color on them.

Let the sausages settle about 10 minutes after removing them from the grill. Slice into bite size slices. Add them to the etouffee and continue to simmer very low for another hour or more. (The longer the better as the sauce reduces and thickens and the flavors concentrate.) Taste for seasoning. You may need to add salt, pepper, additional cayenne. About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the grits. Add the shrimp into the pot 5-7 minutes before serving. Simmer gently – do not boil, as you will over cook the shrimp.

Stone Ground White Grits with White Cheddar Cheese

We love the Stone Ground White Grits from Geechie Boy Mill, Edisto Island, SC. (You can order them on-line.) John Besh loves them too, as we received a new package in our February Besh Box!

To prepare the grits

Heat 3 cups of milk, 2 Tablespoons of butter and one teaspoon of salt to a slow simmer. Add in 1 cup of grits. Bring back to a simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Add 1 cup grated, sharp white cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup sliced green onion, at the end of the cooking process.

To serve, place a small scoop of grits on a plate and add a spoonful of the etouffee. Garnish with sliced green onion.

Bon Appetite!

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