Sunday, April 25, 2010

Ginger Teriyaki Salmon


While in the grocery store last week, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted an interesting marinade.  A.1. has a Ginger Teriyaki marinade and my thoughts immediately went to the idea of salmon over soba noodles with some kind of veggie.  This week at the store, while the salmon is at home happily marinating away, I decided I'd go with a bag of broccoli slaw.  That's another item I've always wanted to experiment with, but never have.  Broccoli slaw is a mix of shredded broccoli, cabbage and carrots.  If you've never tried soba noodles, please do.  They complimented the lightly cooked vegetables perfectly.  I hope you enjoy this one.

2/3 cup A.1. Ginger Teriyaki marinade + 3 T.
4 - 4 oz. Salmon fillets
2 T. olive oil, divided
12 oz. bag broccoli slaw
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
8 oz. diced water chestnuts, drained
3 green onions, sliced thinly on diagonal
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
½ t. red pepper flakes
5 oz. soba (buckwheat) noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained
Sesame oil

In a large, resealable plastic bag, place 2/3 cup of marinade and salmon fillets. Marinate at least 1 hour.

Heat 1 T. olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Quickly saute broccoli slaw and mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Add water chestnuts, green onions, garlic, salt to taste and red pepper flakes. Remove from heat.

In a medium skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Remove salmon from marinade and quickly cook until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Return veggie mixture to medium high heat and add cooked soba noodles. Mix together well and add the remaining 3 T. marinade. Let cook for about one minute and remove from heat. Plate veggie/noodle mixture, place one salmon filet on each plate and drizzle with sesame oil. Top with additional thinly sliced green onions.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Chile Spiced Flank Steak Tacos


After making those corn tortillas, we needed something to go in them!  Introducing the best marinade for beef I've ever tasted.  There's two rib eyes in the freezer just waiting for this marinade one night this week.  But I digress.  Back to the tacos.

2 t. sweet paprika
1 t. ancho chile powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. light brown sugar
1/2 t. chipotle chile powder
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground coriander
1 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 T. lime juice
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs. skirt or flank steak
corn tortillas, pico de gallo, lime infused sour cream and shredded cabbage for serving

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the paprika, ancho powder, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, chipotle, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.  Add the lime juice and oil and shake the bag to blend.  Add the steak and seal the bag.  Let the steak stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan.  Grill the steak over moderately high heat, turning twice, until lightly charred on the outside and medium rare within, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the steak to a work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.  Thinly slice the steak and serve with tortillas, pico de gallo, sour cream and cabbage.  Top with cilantro if you like cilantro.

Adapted from May 2010 Food and Wine Magazine


Basic Corn Tortillas


I've had a tortilla press for quite some time now and finally decided that it's time to make tortillas at home.  From scratch.  I am totally embarrassed at how simple and fast these came together.  Next time flour tortillas.  I'm not a true fan of the corn version, but Sweet Harold loves them.  (Do you notice a trend here that I've not mentioned one thing he doesn't love?)

This recipe makes 12 corn tortillas.  You'll need a tortilla press, plastic wrap, masa flour and a sense of adventure.

2 cups masa harina flour
1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 t. salt
In a large bowl mix the masa, water and salt together with your hands until well combined.  Knead the dough very well until moist and smooth, but not sticky, about 3 - 5 minutes.  If the dough is at all crumbly or seems too dry, moisten hands with water, and knead some more.  If the dough sticks to your hands, add a little more masa, 1 T. at a time.  You don't have to worry about overworking masa dough because there's no gluten that can toughen as there is in wheat flour doughs.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest about 20 minutes before using.  Form the dough into 12 equal balls, about golf ball size.



Keep the dough lightly covered with plastic wrap while working, to prevent the dough from drying out.  Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Open the tortilla press and place 1 piece of plastic on the bottom of the press.  Put a ball of dough on the plastic and lay another piece of plastic on top of the dough.


Lower the hinged lid quite firmly to form a round tortilla.  Open the lid and lift the plastic wrap onto the palm of your hand.  Carefully peel off the top piece of plastic.  Pick up the tortilla from underneath, with the bottom piece of plastic still attached.  Flip the tortilla over in your hand and peel off the bottom piece of plastic.


 

Lay the tortilla on the hot pan.  Cook 20 to 30 seconds or until the edges look dry.  With a flexible spatula, flip the tortilla over, and cook about 1 minute.  Turn again and cook 15 seconds.  Put the hot tortilla between folds of a clean dish towel or a tortilla keeper.  Repeat with remaining dough.


Sunday, April 18, 2010

Pico de Gallo



This batch was just perfectly seasoned.  I love pico better than salsa.  It has a fresher, crunchier taste to me.  Try this version and see if you don't love it, too!

6 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
3 T. finely diced jalapenos
2 T. coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash of ground cumin

Mix all ingredients together and let rest for about 10 minutes to let all the flavors mingle before serving.

Black Bean and Corn Cakes


These were satisfying little nibblers to go along with the tacos last night.  In fact, half of them were eaten while we were making the tortillas.  Next time, I'll make them a little smaller and spread them out more.  They tended to "puff up" while cooking and were a little thicker than I would have liked. 

1 T. butter
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 cup soft white bread crumbs
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 small jalapenos, minced
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (11 oz.) Southwestern Style Corn (this is Mexicorn, but it also has black beans mixed in!)
2 T. vegetable oil
8 oz. sour cream
juice of one lime
zest of one lime

In a 12 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions, celery, jalapenos and cook for three minutes or under tender, stirring occasionally.

In medium bowl, stir vegetable mixture, and remaining ingredients (except oil, sour cream and lime) until well blended.

In same skillet, heat 2 t. oil over medium heat.  Cooking 3 or 4 cakes at a time, drop corn/bean mixture into oil by teaspoonfuls spreading each into 1 1/2 inch rounds.

Cook 1 - 1 1/2 minutes on each side, carefully turning once, until golden brown.  Cook remaining cakes using 2 t. oil for each batch. 

Mix sour cream with lime juice and zest and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.

Shrimp and Scallop Risotto


My first attempt at Risotto turned out so well, I decided I'd venture onto another version.  I liked the shrimp better than the scallops. 

2 1/2 cups water
2 8 oz. bottles clam juice
6 T. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped shallots
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1  14 1/2 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely chopped
1 pound bay scallops
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine 2 1/2 cups water and bottled clam juice in medium saucepan.  Bring to simmer.  Keep warm over low heat.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until light golden, about 4 minutes.  Add rice; sauté 2 minutes.  Add wine; stir until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Add stewed tomatoes; cook until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup clam juice mixture to rice.  Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often.  Continue adding clam juice mixture by 1/2 cupfuls until rice is tender but still slightly firm in center and mixture is creamy, simmering until liquid is absorbed before each addition and stirring often, about 25 minutes.  Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp, scallops and garlic and sauté until shrimp and scallops are opaque in center, about 6 minutes.  Mix seafood into rice.  Cook 3 minutes longer.  Remove risotto from heat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer to serving bowl.  Stir in chopped parsley and serve.

http://www.epicurious.com/

Orange Five-Spice Chicken


Chicken thighs were on sale and I was in the mood for something Asian. This one came together very easily.  Next time I'll add some orange zest and green onions on top. Maybe some bamboo shoots, too. 

1 cup orange juice
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. tamarin sauce
2 t. ground mustard
1 t. lemon juice
1 T. honey
2 T. light brown sugar
3 green onions, sliced diagonally (white and some green)
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 t. 5 Spice powder
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 t. granulated garlic
1 small can sliced water chestnuts
8 chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken.

Set aside while rinsing chicken. Pat chicken dry. Place chicken thighs into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Pour the orange juice mixture over chicken.

Bake uncovered for an hour and a half in the preheated oven. Baste every half hour or so. If using boneless chicken, reduce cooking time. Chicken should read 180 degrees on an instant read thermometer.  

Serve over rice. Top with additional sliced green onions and orange zest.



Saturday, April 10, 2010

Savory Waffles


This morning I decided to experiment with savory waffles. I'm not a huge fan of really sweet breakfast foods, so this one was more my style than the traditional waffle. Also, I only have a Belgium waffle maker. These are ultra thick.  Plus, I cheated by using a premade waffle mix out of a box. Feel free to mix up your own recipe for the batter and mix in the extra savory ingredients.

If using a pre-made mix, make enough batter for 12 waffles
1 T. butter
1 1/2 cups diced ham
1 1/2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 T. finally chopped fresh chives
3 T. Dijon mustard
6 T. maple syrup

Prepare waffle batter. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium high heat. Cook ham until edges of diced pieces are nicely browned. Remove skillet from heat and stir ham and cheese into batter and add diced chives. Spray waffle maker with non-stick spray. Cook waffles according to your waffle maker instructions. 

For topping, mix Dijon mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl with a whisk until thoroughly blended and smooth. Either spoon on top of waffles or serve on the side as a dipping sauce.






Thursday, April 1, 2010

Culinary Quote of the Week

This one is just for you Sweet Harold! 

No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut. ~ Channing Pollock