My Favorite Go-To Pasta Dish

My garden has not been great this year: too much rain and too many pests. Still, it is the high holy season when my all efforts have come to fruition, and I am trying to use up everything I harvest in delicious and creative ways. So today, I made a seafood stir-fry fettuccine dish with onions, peppers, garlic, zucchini, sweet corn, spinach, and lots of fresh herbs. I've been making slightly different versions of this dish for nearly 30 years. It's quick, it's easy, it's good for you, and it's soooooooooooo YUMMY!

Seafood Stir-Fry Fettucine with Seasonal Vegetables and Fresh Herbs

1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, diced
1 hot pepper, seeded and diced (or use a sweet pepper for a mild dish)
1 small zucchini, cored and sliced*
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. surimi "krab" (thawed)
2 ears of corn, steamed, and cut from the cob**
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned salt (your favorite blend)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 to 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup each fresh chives, parsley, and lemon basil, chopped
1 lb. fettucine, cooked until al dente, drained and pasta water reserved (or pasta of choice)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a 3 1/2 quart Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, hot pepper, zucchini, and garlic and saute for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the surimi and corn and cook for a few minutes until the seafood has softened. Season mixture with red wine vinegar, sugar, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Add the fresh herbs, the hot pasta, about 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, and the Parmesan, and fold everything together gently to combine.

*I had zucchini and leftover corn to use this time, but I often used sliced mushrooms in this dish.
**I happened to have leftover cooked corn on the cob, but of course, you can cut the kernels off of raw corn, and then cook the corn with the other veggies at the beginning of this recipe.

Ina Makes Pasta, So I Make Pasta

Ina Garten is my spirit animal, and she prepared a lemon cream pasta on her show recently that inspired me to make something similar. Unlike Ina, I topped mine with some succulent smoked salmon that I brought home from St. John, New Brunswick, where I spent part of my summer vacation. What a fabulous combination! (Any seafood would be great with this pasta.)

Lemon Cream Angel Hair Pasta

In a medium hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter and add:
1 hot pepper, seeded and minced
2 large shallots, peeled and minced

Saute until the veggies are tender.

Add:
zest and juice of two lemons
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the sauce with one pound of angel hair pasta, cooked al dente and drained. Gently mix in chunks of smoked salmon. Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

Surviving the Holidays with Food and Friendship

Christmas/Winter Break is going to be rough for me this year, but thank goodness I have friends who are helping me through it. They don't have to do much except invite me over to sit on the couch and watch something together. And if there are also good eats to share, more's the better! Recently, my friend Sally, who has been one of 2016's very few blessings in my life, invited me over for a fusion meal of chicken lettuce wraps and taco soup with rice while we watched Frozen.

So tonight, I decided to return the favor by trying out a new recipe on her from a Delish video that scrolled through my Facebook feed the other day for Garlicky Shrimp Alfredo Bake. Sally loves shrimp, as do I, and nothing can ever be too garlicky for me, so I declare this dish a real winner, and a cozy casserole to share with dear friends.

Garlicky Shrimp Alfredo Bake
(Source: Delish)

10 oz. penne
3 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, chopped (about 1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic, shrimp, and two tablespoons parsley. Season with salt. Cook until shrimp is pink and no longer opaque, two minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate. (Keep juices in skillet.)

Add remaining two tablespoons butter to skillet to let melt, then add flour and whisk until golden, one to two minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Return shrimp to skillet. Add tomatoes and cooked penne and toss until combined. (Add more milk if mixture is too thick.) Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and two tablespoons Parmesan and bake until melty, five to seven minutes. Broil two to three more minutes until top is golden (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!).

Garnish with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.

There's still time for summery pasta salads!

There is precious little of summer--and my summer break--left, but I am trying to relish every last minute of it! I have been hanging at home, organizing lots of long-neglected home repair projects. While I wait for handymen and contractors to come, I try to tend to some inside projects as well. In fact, it's only 1:30pm, and I already had dinner ready!

I made this shrimp pasta salad, adapting a recipe from Cooking Light. Before serving, I will throw some little cocktail or cherry tomatoes in there for some much-needed color and a little extra flavor. But I already tasted it, and it's YUM! I think I will make a second batch for some friends who are going through some difficult medical treatments right now. This is a perfect dish to share with friends and neighbors, because it can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Warm Pasta Salad with Shrimp
(Source: adapted from Cooking Light)

3 cups uncooked farfalle (I used multi-grain rotini)
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used the whole can, so about 2C)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used 2T)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (or 1T!)
2 tablespoons chopped capers (I didn't have any, so I swapped out a little minced pickled jalapeno slices)
1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon seafood or Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach (I doubled this)
1/4 cup minced red onion (I used a sweet onion)

*I also added 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, finely-shredded Grana Padano cheese (or any hard cheese of your choice), and pine nuts. Oh, and like I said, a chopped-up tomato would not be wrong in this.

Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and cool to warm. Toss the drained beans in there as well.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, minced jalapeno (if using capers, add those at the end), olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss the warm pasta and beans with the dressing.

In a skillet over medium, heat two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss the shrimp with the seafood or Cajun seasoning ad the lemon pepper. Sauté for about a minute on each side and remove from heat. Add the shrimp (scraping the goodness from the pan) into the pasta and bean mixture. Stir in the chopped spinach, onion, basil, shredded cheese, and pine nuts. Serve immediately for a warm salad, or make a day ahead and chill.

CLCA Days 21-22 and An Awesome Seafood Salad

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 21
Breakfast: Hard-Cooked Eggs
Lunch: Turkey and Cheese Sandwich on a Whole Wheat Tortilla
Dinner: Bunless Baconator from Wendy's (uh-oh)
Snack: Dill Pickles

CLCA, Day 22
Brunch: Eggs and Ezekiel Toast
Dinner: Barbecue Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Sauteed Squash/Peppers/Onions
Dessert: "Carb Smart" Ice Cream
Snack: Bologna and Cheese Sandwich on Whole-Wheat Tortilla (Well, at least she's getting her appetite back, so I'm turning a blind eye to some of her recent choices.)

Not that I'm one to talk. I had to break away from the primal lifestyle temporarily to make this awesome pasta salad with crab, avocado, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, and peas that was recommended by our favorite lobster vendor, Mother Shuckers Clam Shack, in Maine. GOOD STUFF! (I did use high-fiber fusilli if that counts for anything.)

I would totally make this again, but in the future, I would either omit the cheese or use something milder--the sharp cheddar tends to overwhelm the delicate flavors of the crab and avocado. Oh, and a teaspoon or so of Old Bay never hurt anything either. This dish would be terrific for those last summer potlucks--there's still about a month until Labor Day! *sad trombone*

As for the recipe, I will quote the hilarious Mother Shucker herself:

Crab and Avocado Pasta Salad

1 box of curly pasta. Curly pasta "grabs" the crabmeat. Rotini, Gemelli, ones like that ...are good, but elbow IS NOT. You get the drift? You need that curl and length. It really does make a difference! Boil pasta el dente and then strain in cold water. Dump into a BIG bowl and add:

1 cup frozen, cooked peas, cooled
1 block of sharp cheddar cheese cubed small (8 oz)
1 cucumber cubed small
1/2 avocado cubed small (or use the whole thing, duh)
4 boiled eggs, cubed
1 lb crabmeat (sorry, we don't sell it, but find it, buy it, TRY THIS!)
1 heaping spoon of HELLMANS and 1 heaping spoon of Miracle Whip. No matter if you like mayo or salad dressing or NOT, you have to use half and half. Don't argue! Just do as I tell you
A little salt and pepper to taste!

Note: If real crab isn't in your budget, I used imitation krab, which I quite enjoy. Or tuna would be good, too.

CLCA Day 6: A High Protein Salad for Lunch

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 6

Breakfast: Strawberry-Mango Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad--pictured
Dinner: Roasted Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Mash and Sautéed Zucchini--pictured
Dessert: I am suspecting Sugar-Free Jell-O, though I wasn't around to witness it. ;-)

Tuna and Chickpea Salad

(Source: Miracle Whip's web site)

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cans (5 oz. each) white tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 stalk  celery, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Mix first three ingredients until blended. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Add dressing mixture; mix lightly. Serve with crackers, or spooned over torn mixed salad greens.

Spring into spring rolls!

I am so susceptible to suggestion when it comes to cooking. If I see something prepared on t.v. that looks good, I sprint to the kitchen immediately to try to recreate it. So when my friend, Mike, made spring rolls and posted a pic to Facebook recently, I had no choice but to make spring rolls of my own. And since it seems like spring has FINALLY come after the world's longest winter, what better thing to make as an homage to the season than spring rolls?

I used Alton Brown's recipe, and I followed it pretty closely, except that I mixed all of the filling ingredients together like a noodle salad of sorts, and then filled the wrappers. Spring rolls may seems intimidating, but they aren't that hard to make. However, I have two pieces of advice to help your learn from my mistakes. First, DON'T overfill the wrappers (as pictured below) or they will explode and make a big old mess--albeit a tasty one--when you try to eat them. Also, don't place the finished rolls on unlined plate or tray as you're making them. As they sit there, they will glue themselves to the surface, and you'll have a devil of a time picking them up without them splitting and, once again, exploding. That's where the lettuce leaves come it. Lay them out on your plate or tray and set a roll inside each leaf as you go, then roll up and devour!

Thai Shrimp Spring Rolls
(Source: Alton Brown via Food Network)

5 ounces thin rice stick noodles
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 pound unpeeled large shrimp
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon sambal chili paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 large cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3/4 cup fresh mint, chopped (I omitted the mint, as I don't dig it)
12 (8 1/2-inch) round rice paper wrappers
12 leaves Bibb, Boston, or other soft lettuce

Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Soak the rice sticks in enough hot water to cover by 1 inch for 15 minutes.

Bring 1/2 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot set over high heat. Add one tablespoon soy sauce. Add the shrimp and cook until just firm, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the cooked shrimp to a cutting board and cool for three minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel, devein, and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Return the water-soy sauce to a boil. Drain the rice stick noodles and add to the hot soy-water. Cook until tender, approximately three minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lime juice, remaining one tablespoon soy sauce, chili paste, and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl.

Drain the noodles in a colander. Add the noodles to the lime juice mixture, toss, and set aside while preparing the vegetables.

Toss the cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and mint (if using) together in a small bowl. Transfer any unabsorbed liquid from the noodles to the cucumber mixture and toss to combine.

Cut the noodles into small 1 to 2-inch pieces with kitchen shears.

Fill a pie dish with warm water. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the water for 10 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board until the wrapper is pliable and slightly tacky, approximately one minute.

Place 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture on the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper nearest to you. Spoon two tablespoons chopped shrimp on top of the vegetables. Top with 1/4 cup noodles. Bring the bottom edge of the wrap tightly over the filling, and then fold in the two sides. Finish rolling from bottom to top until the entire wrapper is rolled. Be careful not to tear the rice paper. Place on a parchment-lined half sheet pan and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers until the filling is gone. Wrap each roll in a lettuce leaf and serve with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce.

Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce:
Add all of the ingredients to a lidded jar and shake well to combine. Serve as a dipping sauce for spring rolls.

Saying Goodbye to The Rustique

I complain all the time about the lack of decent food in my fair city. Therefore, every so often, my friends and I travel to the county line to dine at a restaurant called The Rustique. It's cozy, the food is good, and it's closer to where three of my most frequent dining companions live, that is, in Saranac, NY. Sadly, the good folks at The Rustique announced in the fall that they would be closing up shop and retiring at the end of the year. :-(

So my friends I went for one last meal there in December, and I had a Greek-inspired pasta dish called Shrimp Athena with lemon, feta, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes, and shrimp, of course. It was simple, but simply SCRUMPTIOUS! So now that The Rustique is gone (boo hoo), I guess I have to learn to make something similar at home. Here's what I came up with:

Shrimp Athena

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1 lb. large (raw) shrimp peeled, deveined, butterflied
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup julienned sundried tomatoes (or swap out halved grape tomatoes, if you prefer)
1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 lb. pasta, prepared according to package directions (al dente)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 oz. feta cheese

In a large sauté pan, add olive oil. Coat shrimp with flour that has been mixed with lemon pepper and shake off the excess. Cook shrimp on medium heat for about two minutes until golden brown on both sides. Remove the shrimp from the pan. 

Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add white wine, tomatoes, olives, lemon zest and juice, and simmer for an additional two to three minutes. Melt the butter into the wine and veggie mixture, then toss the cooked pasta around in the pan to coat. Add the chopped parsley, feta cheese, and the reserved shrimp and toss once more before serving (with crust bread to sop up the yummy sauce).

*Note: A pound of cut-up boneless chicken breasts can be substituted for the shrimp.

Best. Party. EVER.

My friends, Joanna and Donnie Jackson of Woven Meadows Farm, threw a FABULOUS party over Thanksgiving weekend! The food was great (potluck) as was the fellowship, and we had LOTS of fun playing parlor games. One was a movie mashup game that was the brainchild of Professor Jackson.

She gave us two--or even three--movie descriptions where the ending of one title shared a word or letters with the adjacent movie title. An example would be if Kevin Spacey and John Cusack stared in a low-budget gore fest directed by Sam Raimi where antiques dealer, Jim Williams, encounters spirits inhabiting a cabin deep in the woods in Savannah, you would have Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Dead! Get it?

The rest of the night, we played a game that was like an extreme version of Celebrities called Salad Bowl. You fill a bowl with names of famous (or locally-known) people, then break into teams, and each player gives verbal clues to their teammates, trying to get them to guess as many answers as possible in one minute. Then the second round, you put the papers back in the bowl, and go again, but this time, you can only give one-word clues. For the third and final round, you do it one more time, but you can only act out the clues, like Charades. It was a RIOT! (Yes, we North Country folk have to work hard to make indoor fun when we have seven months of winter. Tee hee.)

Anyhoo, as I said, it was a potluck. And as I blogged before, I made some weirdly-addictive cracker candy thingies that both befuddled and delighted the guests. I also took a crock pot of my famous turkey wild rice soup, and it was very well-received (I had several recipes requests, as I always do). Though I was deeply offended when my (former?) friend, Tracy Guynup, declared it the "second best" soup he'd ever eaten, then started babbling about some Bookbinder Seafood Soup he'd had at a local deli (Broadview Deli) before it closed.

So I searched the interwebs and discovered that Red Snapper Bookbinder Soup is the signature dish of the Drake Hotel in Chicago, and the recipe has been widely circulated. I made some tonight for dinner. It was very good--but not even in competition with the beloved turkey wild rice, day-after-Thanksgiving soup! HMPH! (To be fair, my soup only had tilapia in it, and the one Tracy had was reportedly brimming over with different types of seafood. Maybe I'll try adding some shrimp and scallops next time.)

Red Snapper Bookbinder Soup
(Source: adapted from The Chicago Tribune)
Yield: 8 servings

Soup base:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 each, chopped: carrots, celery ribs, garlic cloves
1 onion, chopped
1/2 each, chopped: red and green bell pepper
12 crushed white peppercorns (I used multicolored)
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons each, chopped: fresh thyme, rosemary, cilantro
8 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt to taste

Red snapper:
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 to 2 fillets (10 ounces total) red snapper (I used tilapia)
1/4 cup sherry (I used cream sherry)

1. For soup base, heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, garlic, onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Stir in peppercorns, bay leaf, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and cilantro. Cook 2 minutes. Add 7 cups of the broth: heat to boil.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan; add flour and cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 1 cup broth until roux is smooth. Add roux to soup base; cover, simmer over medium-low heat 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Strain through fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth; discard solids. Return broth to pot.

3. For snapper, heat water to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery; blanch until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon; add to broth. Boil fish in same water until cooked through. Remove fish from water; flake very finely with fork. Stir snapper and sherry into soup base; heat through.

Bow Down Before This QUEENLY Salmon!

Dear readers, I may not be rich in material possessions, but I am extremely wealthy when it comes to friendships. One of my favorite people on the planet is my colleague and friend, Chris Ford. Chris teaches computer science at my school, but he is a man of many talents, including kiteboarding, jump-roping (earning him an appearance on The Gong Show in his youth!), filmmaking, cooking, and fortunately for me, fishing! Last week, he brought in some extra-smoky salmon to work to share with me that he had caught and smoked himself. It was SO delicious--savory and salty, not unlike bacon. I used it on a wonderful entrée salad for dinner one night.

As if that weren't enough, Chris showed up at pub trivia at a bar in Peru, NY called Pasquale's where my team was playing Tuesday night, and hand-delivered the amusing cooler pictured below which contained fresh salmon (already cleaned and filleted!), a little baggie of wood-smoking chips, and two recipes. One was for the extra-smoky fish that I used on the salad, and the other was for a preparation called Kingly Salmon, from Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

So tonight, in perhaps the last firing of the R2D2 smoker unit for the season, I prepared a QUEENLY salmon that literally had my roommate and I groaning in pleasure as we ate it. It is CRAZY good! So now I am going to have to work out a bartering system, baked goods for salmon, while they are still running and Chris is still fishing. And I also want to try creating a stovetop smoker to do it inside during the colder months. (I will report back on that.)

If the salmon are running where you are (or even if you find some nice fillets from your local fishmonger), you MUST try this recipe! By the bye, I used only half of the recipe as written, and that was perfect for four fillets.

 

Kingly Salmon
(Source: Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Pacific king salmon butterflied tail section (or use coho or silver salmon)

Alder wood for smoking

Rub:

1/4 cup dill, dried

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
*I added 2 teaspoons granulated garlic, optional

 

Optional Mop:

Remaining rub

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup oil (canola or corn)

The night before you plan to barbecue, combine dill, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Open the salmon flat and massage it well with about 2/3 of the rub, reserving the rest of the mixture. Fold the salmon back into its original shape, place it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it overnight.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 180 to 200 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you plan to baste the fish, stir the remaining rub together with cider vinegar and oil in a small saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat.

Transfer the salmon to the smoker skin side down, placing the fish as far from the fire as possible. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, mopping it after 10 and 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate for your style of smoker. The salmon should flake easily when done. Have a large spatula and a platter ready when taking the salmon off the smoker, because it can fall apart easily. Serve hot or chilled.

BBQ Tips:
Alder remains the best wood for smoking Pacific salmon. Alder chips are fairly common across the country, but you may have more difficulty finding the wood in chunks or logs. Fruit woods are the best substitute, particularly when mixed with smaller pieces of alder.

Yield: 8 servings

Seems a little fishy to me...

Last night, my friends and I went to see another wonderful Shakespearean production (The Comedy of Errors) by the National Players at Clinton Community College. Before the show, we had dinner at the bistro just down the hill, Latitude 44. I've been there a few times, and mostly I prefer it for brunch. I have yet to try a dinner entrée there that really knocked my socks off...until now.

I ordered the Crab-Stuffed Sole with Roasted Red Pepper Cream sauce--gorgeous and so delicious! In fact, it was so good, I wanted to try and prepare something similar at home. Now, I didn't bother with rolling my fish, but topped it with the "stuffing" instead, Southern style. Also, I used both red and yellow roasted peppers, so my sauce was orange in color, but equally flavorful. And I served it all over some yellow rice with fresh corn and black beans for a zesty complement.

Baked Haddock with Crabmeat Stuffing

(Source: Epicurious)

Notes: You could use cod instead of haddock, and milk instead of half and half. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. This stuffing is also good in baked stuffed mushrooms.

2 pounds haddock (or cod), rinsed and patted dry
1 to 2 teaspoon lemon juice
Butter to grease baking dish

Stuffing:
1 tablesoon butter
3 scallions, sliced
7 ounces fresh Maine crabmeat
1/2 cup fine, plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons half and half
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Lay prepared fish in pan, cutting as necessary to fit, layering thinner pieces on top of one another to make a uniform thickness (I fold the thinner bits underneath). Brush fish with lemon juice.

Prepare Stuffing:
Saute scallions in one tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat until slightly soft, but tops still bright green. Remove pan from heat; cool two to three minutes. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients, tossing lightly to mix. Larger pieces of crab should still be intact.

Spoon stuffing evenly over haddock. Bake at 350 degrees, or until the fish flakes. Do not over bake, or fish will be dry and tough.

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
(Source: adapted from AllRecipes)

1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into chunks

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

 
Combine the peppers and heavy cream in a pot and bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the cream reduces to about one cup, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika, lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Pour the sauce into a blender (I used a stick blender in the pot). Hold the lid firmly with a towel while blending, using a few quick pulses to get the sauce moving before leaving it on to blend until smooth. Serve hot.

Bringing NYC to the Infirm and Gall Bladder-Less

So I just got back from a FABULOUS--though hot and exhausting--trip to NYC. I saw FOUR shows in two days, plus got to see some wonderful friends. One night, we splurged on a fancy dinner on the Upper East Side at a restaurant called Rouge Tomate. We started with cocktails. My favorite was a Moscow Mule made with their spicy, housemade ginger beer. Once we sat down to dinner, the chef treated us to an amuse bouche of pumpernickel crumbs topped with beets tartare and a horseradish foam. For an appetizer, we had these lovely little toasts with different toppings--mine was avocado and sweet corn with blue crab. After that, I had this fabulous carrot gazpacho, and for my entree, I had branzino with couscous, fennel, almonds, apricot, asparagus, and purslane. YUM!

Unfortunately, my dear roommate couldn't go with me to the Big Apple, as she had to have her gall bladder out--poor thing! Of course, I brought her home some of the beloved Doughnut Plant doughnuts (the summery blueberry ones are to die for--perhaps literally, as one is not supposed to eat fatty foods for a month after gall bladder surgery, oops). On top of the sweet treats that I imported, I also wanted to make a special get well dinner for her that was reminiscent of the one that I had at Rouge Tomate. Not only was it delicious, but fairly healthful and lack-of-gall-bladder friendly as well.

We started with a Moscow Mule, which wasn't as awesome as the one made with homemade ginger beer, but using Reed's Extra Ginger Brew was a decent substitution. And the cocktail is so simple: Ice, juice of half a lime, 2 oz. citrus vodka (I'm a big fan of Sobieski), then fill up the glass the rest of the way with ginger beer. Very easy and very refreshing! (However, one is not supposed to drink for a month after gall bladder surgery either...oops again.)

Next, for our appetizer, I think I did an EXCELLENT job of cloning that carrot gazpacho. In fact, I'm not sure that mine wasn't a bit better, if I do say so myself. I didn't hide bits of veggies in the bottom of the bowl like they did at at restaurant, but I topped mine with some avocado slices and a big dollop of homemade roasted tomatillo salsa. YUM! And the gazpacho is fat-free and vegan, for those of you who care about such things.

Carrot Gazpacho

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 quart vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup carrot, mango and ginger juice (or plain carrot juice), or to desired consistency
salt and pepper, to taste
sriracha, to taste (I used about a teaspoon)

To a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and cook the onions until they started to turn golden brown. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook another minute or two. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sherry vinegar. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

When the soup is thoroughly chilled, add the cucumber, carrot juice, salt and pepper, lime juice, and sriracha. Blend again until very smooth. Serve cold, garnished with any of the following: avocado slices, tomatillo salsa, sour cream, cilantro leaves and/or chives.

Lastly, for our entree, I prepared some glazed cod fillets and apricot and almond-studded version of my favorite Israeli couscous mix from Trader Joe's. So simple, so easy...so delicious! (Note: Tomate Rouge's version also had asparagus in it, so feel free to blanch some spears, slice them up, and throw them in as well, if you are of a mind to.)

Glazed Cod and Curried Couscous Blend with Fresh Apricots, Sliced Almonds, and Apricot Vinaigrette

Couscous:
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend (or just use plain Israeli couscous)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 large (or two small) apricots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apricot pepper jelly (or apricot jam)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the couscous blend, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for ten minutes. Fluff with a fork, and stir in the almonds, chopped apricots, curry powder, salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot pepper jelly (or apricot jam), olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add about half of the vinaigrette (just eyeball it) to the couscous mixture and stir gently to combine.

Season a pound to a pound and a half of a mild white fish of your choice--I used cod because it was on sale today--with a spice rub of your choice (I had them add lemon pepper and Asian ginger spice blends at the fish counter). Melt a tablespoon of butter on a stovetop griddle along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the fish on both sides, and glaze with the remaining apricot vinaigrette when the fillets are almost done. Serve the fish on a bed of the couscous.

Book Club Gathering with a Spanish Flair

Several months ago, my friend Domenica told me that she and some friends from work had discovered that they were all reading Gone Girl at the same time, so they decided to form a book club to discuss it...and also to drink wine and eat good food together. Tee hee. I am sad that I missed the first meeting--especially as I have read all of Gillian Flynn's books and enjoyed them. But she invited me for the second book, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, another book I read and enjoyed very much; in fact, I use a quote from it as a heading to this blog!

Because the book is Spanish, Domenica decided on a tapas theme for the book club meeting. And the membership did not disappoint! The sangria flowed freely, as did an odd drink of red wine and Coke called kalimotxo. For the savory nibbles, there were stuffed mushrooms, little cheeseballs rolled in nuts and skewered, crackers and hummus, olive and cheese bread with tomato sauce to dip into, and a beautiful Spanish tortilla (like an Italian frittata).


For the dessert course, our lovely hostess made churros and a thick, decadent chocolate sauce to dunk them into. Another gal made some gluten-free lemon bars that were nutty and tangy, but the real showstopper was this gorgeous dulce de leche flan cake atop a brownie-like base. YUM!

As for my contribution, I am still without a range in my kitchen, so I wanted to make something simple, something that I could cook quickly at the party, right before serving. What could be more perfect than some spicy, garlicky shrimp and a crusty baguette to sop up the yummy juices? Easy, delicious, and you will always bring home a clean plate if you serve this dish at a party!

Gambas al Ajillo (Spicy Garlic Shrimp)
(Source: adapted from Lisa and Tony Sierra)

1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, 25 count to a pound (I used frozen, ez-peels)
6 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika, plus 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 (up to one whole) teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons (up to 1/4 cup) cognac or brandy
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon for juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 fresh baguette, toasted and sliced

Mix the shrimp with the garlic, all the seasonings, cognac, and olive oil. Saute in a large skillet in a single layer, just a couple/few minutes each side, until they are pink throughout and just starting to curl a bit (not all the way to a "c" shape). Transfer to a serving dish along with the seasoned oil, squeeze the lemon over the top, and garnish with the fresh parsley. Serve with slices of crusty bread to soak up the yummy juice!

Most of life's hardships can be soothed with some spicy shrimp and grits.

Even though the semester just started, things are already crazy. After a week of temperatures that hovered just above or dipped below zero, we had a pipe burst in the kitchen. So we've had Roto Rooter in and out of the house last week.

And in truly tragic news, one of our cats has a malignant inoperable tumor under his chin, and he may have just a short time left. The vet prescribed antibiotics to treat a secondary infection, and if we can clear that up and get him to eat, we'll try to keep him comfortable until it appears that his quality of life has diminished. Poor old Shmoopy, who is not even that old, maybe eight or nine (he was a barn drop-off at the old house). He has always been such a lovely, sophisticated gentlemen...that is, until I tried to give him his medication with a syringe in his sore mouth. So now I'm sporting a painful bite on one of my pinkies, and a couple of lacerations to the face as well.

The straw that nearly broke my camel's back was when the same d*mn pipe froze again today! But bless my dear roomie's heart: Not only did she come home from work at lunchtime to thaw out the frozen pipe, she made THIS glorious meal of Spicy Shrimp and Andouille Sausage with Cheesy Grits for our dinner! ALL HAIL CYD, my hero!

 

 

Shrimp and Grits
(Source: Bon Appétit)

Grits:
1 cup yellow grits (not instant)

1 cup grated sharp white cheddar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 jalapeño, seeded, diced

1/4 cup heavy cream 
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
 

Shrimp:
1/2 cup 1/3" cubes tasso, andouille sausage, or bacon

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (optional)

3 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, divided

16 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined

1/4 cup (or more) beer

1/4 cup low-salt chicken stock

4 large eggs, optional                                           

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon                                            

Bring three cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits. Turn heat to low; gently simmer until grits begin to thicken. Continue cooking, stirring often and adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if too thick, until tender, about one hour. Stir in cheese, butter, and jalapeño, then cream. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add tasso; sauté until fat begins to render, about five minutes (if tasso is very lean, add one tablespoon oil to skillet). Add garlic and one tablespoon butter; stir until butter melts. Add shrimp. When garlic begins to brown, add beer and chicken stock. Simmer until shrimp is cooked through, about two minutes. Remove skillet from heat; set aside.

 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet; swirl to melt and cover bottom of pan. Crack eggs into pan and cook until whites are just set but yolks are still runny, about three minutes. (We did not top the dish with eggs this time, though I'm sure it would be yummy.)

Divide grits among bowls, forming a well in center. Spoon shrimp mixture into center of grits. Top with egg. Sprinkle tarragon over.  (We omitted this because the fresh tarragon in our grocery stores looked awful. So we topped the dish with a drizzle of leftover salsa verde.)

Follow-Up (2/9/13): For an awesome brunch made with leftovers, form patties with cold cheesy grits and fry in a little butter. Top with poached eggs, and serve with salsa verde, and some grilled smoked sausage on the side. DELISH!

GO, RAVENS!

HAPPY SUPERBOWL SUNDAY to you! As I have made perfectly clear, I hate football. But my roommate loves it, and I like making yummy game day party food and watching the commercials and the halftime show, so it's all good. At my house, we are rooting for Baltimore. For Cyd, it's because they beat her beloved Patriots. My arguments are much more reasoned and germane: I love Baltimore crab cakes, I loved the movie The Blind Side, and I love the purple in their uniforms (my signature color). But mostly, I don't love that the 49ers are harboring hate-mongers on their team--from San Francisco no less! So...GO RAVENS, say we!

I decided to forego the traditional wings and seven-layer dip this year, and I ended up assembling an international smorgasbord of sorts. First, I made a batch of salsa verde based on the one I had at a Halloween party at my friends' house in New Jersey. Of course, I changed it fairly significantly, as is my way. Here is my version:

Salsa Verde

1 poblano + 1 jalapeno, stems and seeds removed
1/2 white onion, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, peeled
juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
half a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup olive oil
salt, to taste

Roast poblano and jalapeno in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients except olive oil. and salt. Blend well and then slowly add olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt to taste.

Will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge.

For our second dish, I made a salad that I saw Ina Garten make on her new series about her visit to Napa wine country. It's made with tuna and my favorite Israeli couscous, and it's easy and delicious. Definitely a keeper and one to make again. It would be a great for a luncheon or to take along to a potluck.

Israeli Couscous and Tuna Salad
(Source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa)
Serves 6-8

2 cups Israeli couscous (10 to 12 ounces)
2 (7-ounce) cans or jars Italian tuna, drained and flaked
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup pitted, oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)--I used green 
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, medium-diced (4 ounces)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped scallions (6-8 scallions)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed--I used 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
Juice of half a lemon
Bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the couscous and reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the couscous is just tender. (Pull the pot halfway off the heat.) Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, combine the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, olives, red peppers, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Pour the hot couscous into the mixture and stir well. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the scallions, basil, juice of the half lemon, and one more teaspoon of salt. Taste for seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with small tomato wedges, if desired.

Lastly, I made some terrific pork and kimchi potstickers for us, using my homemade kimchi and some pre-fab frozen wrappers that I bought at a little Asian market in Burlington. These are easy to make and super-fun--perfect for any party!

Pork and Kimchi Dumplings, or Potstickers
(Source: Food and Wine)

1 pound ground pork
3/4 cup chopped kimchi
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

about 40 round gyoza wrappers

Spoon one tablespoon of the filling onto the center of each round wrapper. Wet all around the edges with a little water using your fingertips. Bring up the sides of the wrapper; press and pleat the edges to seal in the filling. Lift each dumpling by the pleated edge, transfer to the baking sheet and press down lightly to flatten.

In a nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons of the oil. Arrange half of the dumplings in the skillet, pleated edge up. Cook over high heat until the bottoms are lightly browned, 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook until the filling is cooked through, 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until the bottoms are well browned, 1 minute; transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining dumplings and serve.

Make Ahead: Freeze the uncooked dumplings on a floured baking sheet. Store in a plastic bag for up to one month. Cook from frozen. Serve with dumpling dipping sauce.

Dumpling Dipping Sauce
(Source: Food and Wine)

1/2 cup soy sauce (I used the kind with ponzu)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Chinese chile garlic sauce (or sriracha)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the rice vinegar, chile-garlic sauce and sesame oil, then serve.

Make Ahead: The dipping sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Oh, fishy, fishy, fish...that went wherever I did go.

I love fish. I don't know why we don't have it more. Oh...yes, I do. It's expensive, and I'm always afraid I'm going to cook it wrong. I worry that it'll either turn out raw, or more likely, I'll over-correct and make it dry and rubbery, and then all that money will be wasted. But in a brave moment at the supermarket the other day, I bought a pound of Atlantic cod that looked good and was on sale (merely exorbitant, down from truly outrageous). Now what to do with it?

I surfed the web, and the first recipe I found for baked cod was this rather simple, cracker crumb-topped affair, where the fish is bathed in white wine, butter, and lemon, that looked easy and tasty. And it turned out GREAT! As an quick side, I steamed some of my favorite Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's (Israeli couscous, baby garbanzo beans, orzo, and red quinoa) with some sauteed shallot and green peas, as we had a deliciously, satisfying dinner in thirty minutes for about $3.50 a person. Not too shabby! The baked cod recipe--which can be made with any firm, white fish--is definitely a keeper and worthy of going into our regular dinner rotation.

Baked Cod with Cracker Crumb Topping
(Source: adapted from AllRecipes)

4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 sleeve buttery round crackers such as Ritz®, crushed (I used some thin buttery cracker crisps like Cabaret)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 pound thick-cut cod loin (I used 2 half pound fillets)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced (the other half cut in wedges)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place two tablespoons butter in a Pyrex baking dish in the oven to melt as it preheats (about three minutes). Meanwhile, melt another two tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir the crushed crackers into the melted butter and toast the crumbs in the pan for a couple of minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the granulated garlic, lemon pepper, and the chopped parsley and green onion.

Remove baking dish from oven and coat both sides of cod in the melted butter. Pour the white wine all around the fish and squeeze half a lemon over the fillet(s). Place the cracker topping evenly on top of the fish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. (I had to cover the baking dish loosely with foil for the last ten minutes to keep it from getting too brown.) Serve with lemon wedges.