Savory Seafood Saute

If you've got a variety of seafood, some broth in the cupboard and some vegetables hanging around, this easy, quick seafood medley is for you.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:

STEP ONE:

Chop 1/2 large onion and saute over medium heat with a 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1 tsp. of white pepper and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt or seasoned salt (I used a seasoned salt from Penzey's Spices until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes.

STEP TWO:

Add sliced mushrooms and cook until lightly browned.

STEP THREE:

Throw in the sliced pepper and cherry tomatoes. Cook for another 4 minutes.

STEP FOUR:

Pour 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock into the wok. Stir. Add 4 finely chopped garlic cloves.

STEP FIVE:

Cut the salmon into 1 1/2 inch pieces and add to the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes.

STEP SIX:

Add the sea scallops and stir. Allow to simmer for 1 minutes.  If you have any saffron, now's the time to sprinkle in a couple of pinches. Stir.

STEP SEVEN:

Nestle shrimp into the wok and simmer for 1 minutes. 

STEP EIGHT:

Lastly, add the clams and cover. Steam until all the clams open, about 4-5 minutes (discard those that don't).

STEP NINE:

Serve in bowls with a crusty bread for dipping.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Salmon with Fresh Curry Leaves

Cooking with fresh curry leaves lends a plethora of rich yet subtle flavor.  My friend has a bush on her deck and gave me a large bunch to experiment with. I decided to make a curried salmon dish with some of it and wasn't disappointed.  My curry dishes are usually made with a variety of spices including turmeric, cumin, coriander and cardamon. Using the fresh leaves is a new direction, and it's wonderful! The leaves look and feel sturdy but once touched by the heat, they rapidly turn soft and fragrant. These will definitely to be a staple in my kitchen going forward. They keep in the fridge for about three weeks too. I wrapped mine in waxed paper and inserted them into a plastic bag.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:









One and a half pounds of wild Atlantic salmon, three Roma and several cherry tomatoes, one medium onion, three-inch piece of ginger (peeled), 3 large cloves of garlic, a bunch of fresh curry leaves, green beans, turmeric, smoked paprika, sea salt and grapeseed oil.



STEP ONE:



Chop the onion, garlic and ginger into a dice.

STEP TWO:



Use a mortar and pestle to grind ginger and garlic.

STEP THREE:



Saute onions in a T. of grapes oil until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and allow to cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

STEP FOUR:

Add the tomatoes and curry leaves to the pan along with a tsp. of turmeric, a tsp. of smoked paprika and a 1/4-1/2 tsp. of salt and allow to cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

STEP FIVE:



Add the salmon to the pan skin side down and allow to cook on medium heat for 6 minutes. Turn the fish and cook for another 6 minutes or until it's done. Try not to overcook or it will be dry. If the vegetables are becoming overcooked, remove from pan and keep warm. While the fish is cooking, saute the green beans in a little olive oil with salt and pepper. Can squeeze some lemon juice on them when done.

STEP SIX:



Plate the fish by setting on top of sautéed green beans. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top.  Enjoy!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Burmese-Inspired Ginger Salad

I'm claiming this recipe as Burmese inspired since my Burmese friends told me how to make it. I didn't write anything down, and I'm sure it's not throughly authentic. They saw the photo of the finished product though, and told me it looked really good. The next time I'll bring some over to get their feedback. One mistake I made was to put the crunchy beans into the salad instead of sprinkling on top. Lesson learned. This salad is easy and delicious and pairs well with curries. It can really be served with just about anything savory.  It should be made with young ginger that is supposedly lighter in color, milder and softer than the common ginger we find in the grocery store. It can be found in Asian markets in the spring. In fact, it is called spring ginger.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



4.5 inch piece of ginger, 3 cloves of garlic, lemon, 3 small tomatoes, red onion (not pictured), half head of Napa cabbage, sea salt, 2 T. fish sauce, pinch of sugar, 2 T. oil (olive or canola), dried cooked beans. The beans were given to me by my Burmese friends. You can use toasted sesame seeds instead. Then it will truly be Burmese-inspired and not an authentic dish. Thin, dried coconut slices can also be sprinkled on top. Try to find the bean mixture in an Asian market (I haven't yet looked). This dish is made in two stages. The ginger needs to marinate in lemon juice overnight.

STEP ONE:

Prep: Cut ginger into very thin slices, squeeze about 2 T. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. salt onto the ginger and allow to sit overnight in the fridge. The ginger will take on a nice pink color.





STEP TWO:



Cut garlic cloves into thin slices. Chop tomatoes. Cut half a small red onion into thin slices. Cut cabbage into chunks. Place cabbage into a food processor and pulse until the cabbage has been cut into a cold slaw consistency.

STEP THREE:





Put cabbage into a large bowl, squeeze the liquid out of the ginger and place in bowl. Add garlic, chopped tomatoes, sliced onion, 1 T. of fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. Stir in a T. or two of oil. Mix and add more salt to taste. Place in serving bowls and sprinkle the dried bean mixture on top (or toasted sesame seeds).

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

I needed a side dish for my book club meeting and had a couple heads of cauliflower sitting around looking bored. I thought I'd wake them up with a mild yet spicy rub and roast them. I also had a lot of cheese on hand, so I melted it down into a fondue-type mixture and added it to the cauliflower after I roasted it. The dish was then placed under the broiler until it achieved a deep golden brown. Here's the result:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Cauliflower, red pepper, orange pepper, lemon, flat-leaf parsley, garlic, gruyere cheese, emmenthaler cheese, smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin seeds, nutmeg, white wine, panko bread crumbs, dijon mustard, seasalt, black pepper, cornstarch.

STEP ONE:







Preheat oven to 425.

Break cauliflower into florets and coat with 1/4 cup olive oil and the spice mixture:

1 T. cumin seeds
2 T. tumeric
1 T. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt
20 grinds of black pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic

Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy.

STEP TWO:

Prepare cheese sauce.








1. Grate 1 cup each of gruyere and ementhaler cheeses and mix with 2 T. of cornstarch.
2. In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup of white wine, the minced garlic and 1 T. lemon juice to a low
    simmer.
3. Add the cheeses a little at a time to make sure it melts as you go. When all the cheese is incorporated, whisk in the 1 tsp. dijon mustard and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg.
4. Pour over the cauliflower and top with panko bread crumbs.
5. Bake for 5 minutes and then place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the dish is
    browned on top.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

I decorated the top with "flower" peppers that were cooked in a little olive oil. A black olive was placed in the center of each flower.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

BLA When You Can't Have a BLT

Looking for sandwich material and hoping for a BLT. No tomatoes, but bacon and lettuce are on hand. I also have an avocado and some sundries tomatoes. Here's a good sandwich that was put together in no time. Turns out a BLA with sundried tomatoes is a great (and healthier) alternative.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



Bacon, avocado, grated gruyere cheese, green leaf lettuce, 1 small orange pepper, 1 large clove garlic, sundried tomatoes,  toasted baguette.

STEP ONE:

Fry the bacon and toast baguette. Saute pepper and minced garlic in 2 tsp. of olive oil. Arrange ingredients to start assembling the sandwich.

STEP TWO:



On one side of bread, spread avocado. On the other side, sprinkle with grated gruyere cheese.

STEP THREE:



Cover avocado with sundried tomatoes.

STEP FOUR:



Cover cheese with sautéed pepper and garlic. This will start to melt the cheese.

STEP FIVE:



Place the bacon on both sides. Or not! This sandwich is a good vegetarian option.

STEP SIX:



Add the lettuce.

STEP SEVEN:



Take a big bite and enjoy!

Sandwich making is a very creative endeavor. It's especially creative when you make a sandwich with whatever you have on hand. Adding cheese, sundried tomatoes and avocado to a BLT alternative cuts out the mayo (fat) and replaces it with good fat (avocado). The peppers and garlic give it some serious flavor. Make sure you drizzle the olive oil on the bread when you add the pepper/garlic mixture. And of course, use good bread!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

A Riff on Bouillabaisse

What to do with some fish, a sausage, white wine, peppers, garlic and herbs? Make a fish stew or a matelote if you want to get pretentious. I looked up the difference between a bouillabaisse and a matelote. Saffron is the big difference. I actually had a little saffron, but didn't use it in this dish because I forgot I had it! No big deal. This stew was good enough that a friend who tasted it asked for the recipe. Here it is:

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



12 oz. salmon, 3 jumbo shrimp, 1 sausage link, 3/4 cup shitake mushrooms, 2 celery stalks, 1 small onion, 3 large garlic cloves, 1/3 orange pepper, 1/3 green pepper, 1 small can crushed tomatoes, 1 can seafood stock (I used Bar Harbor), 1/2 cup white wine, 2 T. ghee (clarified butter), 1 tsp. olive oil,
1/2 tsp. herbs de provence,  1/4 tsp. smoked paprika, 2 sprigs fresh thyme.
wood smoked salt, freshly ground pepper.

STEP ONE:



Slice onion, chop celery, mince garlic and thinly slice peppers. Heat 1 T. ghee in a pan over medium heat (I used a paella pan) and add the vegetables minus the garlic. Stir for a minute and
add 1/2 tsp. herbs de provence, 1/4 tsp. smoked salt and a generous grind of the pepper mill. Continue stirring for a minute or so and then add two springs of fresh thyme, the sliced
mushrooms and the garlic along with another T. of ghee and 1 tsp. olive oil.



STEP TWO:









Cook for a few more minutes until the peppers soften a little. Add the sliced sausage and allow to lightly brown and then add three small ladles of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat. Add seafood stock and allow pan to come to a simmer for 3 minutes. Add salmon chunks and cook for 4 more minutes. Add shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Can serve in a bowl or over pasta. I served it over pappardelle the first night and then had it solo in a bowl for lunch the next day.  Remove thyme springs first and adjust salt according to taste.



ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Super Easy, Quick Way to Serve Summer Fruit

I wanted to add something hot and delicious to a cold salad I made this evening. The salad consisted of smoked salmon and spiced shrimp on a bed of spinach, tomatoes and sprouted green lentils (I also threw in some previously grilled hot Italian sausage I had in the fridge from a few days ago). I had some peaches and figs in the fruit bowl and decided to roast them on high heat. Here's a very simple and delicious way to cook them:

STEP TWO:



Preheat oven to 450.  Cut peaches and figs in half
and sprinkle with hot paprika. Spread about a 1/4
tsp. of ghee (clarified butter) on each half. Roast
on the highest shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes
or until the fruit just starts to brown.

STEP TWO:



Serve with a salad made up of whatever you have
in the fridge. You can also serve the fruit with grilled
chicken, pork or vegetarian choices.

I hope everyone is having a great summer!

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!

Lurkers in the Fridge with Black Bean Sauce

I conducted an inventory of my fridge this afternoon.  I've really been working on keeping it under control except...I found a couple of lurkers in the vegetable bin: beets and green cabbage and some broccolini. Into the wok they go! This meal fed two.

ON THE CUTTING BOARD:



A 1/4 bunch of broccolini, 1/3 head green cabbage, medium onion,
2 beets, 4 shitake mushrooms, 4 small red peppers, 1 jalapeño pepper,
tofu, lime, black bean garlic sauce (available in asian
markets and most grocery stores).

STEP ONE:



Roughly chop the broccolini, slice the cabbage, thinly slice the
onion, peppers and beets, slice the shitake mushrooms and mince
the jalapeño. Cut the lime in half and crumble about 1/4 cup of tofu.

STEP TWO:





Heat 2 T. canola oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high
heat. When oil is hot, add the onions and beets and stir-fry constantly
for a few minutes until the onions soften and start to brown. Add
the jalapeños.

STEP THREE:







Toss in the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few more minutes on
medium high heat.  Add the cabbage and red peppers and keep
on stirring for a few minutes; add the broccolini and stir fry for
another couple minutes until it wilts a bit.

STEP FOUR:



Add 1 T. of black bean garlic sauce to wok and stir well. Keep
stir frying for a couple of minutes to be sure the sauce is worked
through the vegetables. Squeeze in the lime juice.

STEP FIVE:



Add the tofu and enjoy this quick and
nutritious meal.

I served the vegetables with blackened salmon
and basmati rice cooked Persian style but it also
makes a great vegetarian meal.

ALLA VOSTRA SALUTE!