Carpaccio Sandwiches

This is a dish that I adapted from something similar that Shells and I ate years ago in Prague at La Degustation.  I love good beef carpaccio, and this was a fun way to serve it and for folks to enjoy it.

The trick to carpaccio is fresh meat (preferably fillet steak) that is prepared almost immediately before consuming.  I like to shave the sides and top and bottom from the filet to ensure that none of the meat I am using has been exposed to air before I prepare it.  Traditional carpaccio adds a raw egg yolk to the top of meat, but I don't go that far with these.

Carpaccio Sandwiches
6-8 oz filet
8 wafer crackers (the thinner the better)
1 tbsp capers
3 tbsp roasted red peppers (chopped)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard

Chop the beef into chunks and place into a food processor with the capers, roasted red peppers, salt, pepper, oil and mustard.  Pulse in the food processor until the mixture is smooth (add a little extra olive oil if needed, but not too much).  Using a knife spread the mixture between four of the crackers and then top with the other four.  Apply a little bit of pressure to the crackers to even the mix out, and then use the knife to remove any excess from around the edges so that the crackers are flat.  Plate with accompaniments of your choice (I use sriracha and caper berries usually) and enjoy!

Bastille Day ... a little late

Since I was traveling during the actual Bastille day, Shells told me that I needed to turn a nice "French" dinner out as part of my return to cooking.  I decided to take a little bit of a liberty with what I was going to serve this year.

I led in with an old favorite, an ice cold vodka martini and some roasted oysters.  For this dinner I roasted the oysters with chopped wild mushrooms and topped them with a triple cream cheese.  Roasted at 425 until the cheese was bubbly ... perfect!

After enjoying the oyster course, I served up a nice 09 Grand Cru Chablis for the next two courses.  The next course I served up was a recreation of Louis Outhier's great creation (and one that has been continued by Jean-Georges Vongerichten) the caviar egg (and yes, I will be the first to admit that my first attempt at this course needs some work on presentation).

This course encompases three of the greatest delacacies ... perfectly scrambled eggs, stiff fresh cream and caviar.  It was tasty.  Next I served up a batch of squash blossoms that Shells had found at the farmer's market.

I stuffed the squash blossoms with a lobster and cheese stuffing and then dredged them in a flour, garlic and pepper batter before frying them.  While this was wrapping up, I tossed some popper potatoes in a 425F oven to get started for the final course.

For the final course I cracked open an 06 1er Cru Red Burgundy and then Shells and I got to shucking ... black eyed peas that is.

I cooked the peas in a covered saute pan, adding white wine and water (alternating as needed) to allow them to continue to poach a bit.  While those were cooking, I heated a saute pan to medium high heat.  I added a dab of butter, and then laid down the veal rib chop that I had selected for the next course.  I allowed that to cook for about 8 minutes (it was about 1.25 inches thick).  I then removed the potatoes (and covered them) and then turned the oven on to broil.  I cut into the chop from the non-bone to the bone side to create pieces that we would be able to cut off the bone and then flipped it, topped it with a little butter and transferred it to the broiler.  About 5 or so minutes in there (it took me 7) and then take it out and rest it.

I plated the potatoes on one side and the peas on the other then topped that with the veal.  Over the veal I layered a red wine shiitake sauce, but you could use whatever you like ... enjoy!

Another quick & easy pasta - Spicy Cavatelli with Zucchini & Leeks

As I have mentioned before my creativity in cooking is lacking so I usually spend time the weekend before I will have to cook to research some recipes for inspiration and direction.  I have been pleased so far on the recipes I have found!  This one was so easy almost as easy as the Pasta with tomatoes & mozzarella!  I found the recipe on Bon Appetit.com, Spicy cavatelli with leeks & zucchini.

I followed the recipe other than making less as I was cooking for myself and adding garlic :-).  I could not find cavatelli so I ended up using campanelle.   This recipe was so easy and very quick.  I highly suggest reading through the recipe a few times and have your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  You don't want to overcook the leeks or the zucchini while you are still waiting for the pasta to finish cooking! 

You could easily get creative with this recipe and add in a protein of your choice, tomatoes, artichokes or any other vegetable that you enjoy!  Be creative! 

See recipe below or follow links above!

On another note - Tom is back from traveling so he will be cooking for a few days until we head to the pacific northwest for a wedding!  

Ingredients

• ½ pound cavatelli
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and pale-green parts only, chopped
• ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large zucchini, grated
• ⅓ cup grated Pecorino

• Instructions
• Cook cavatelli; drain, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leek and red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Toss in pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid; cook until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes. 
• Toss in Pecorino.

Source - Bon Appetit.com

Israeli Coucous Tabbouleh!

As I still have limits to my creativity I still depend on some weekend scrolling of Food & Wine and Epicurious while at the pool.  This weekend I found a recipe for a tabbouleh made with Israeli coucous.  I'm a big fan of israeli coucous so thought it might be fun to try out.  I followed the recipe from epicurious.

I followed the recipe to make a day in advance and waited to add the herbs until I served.  The herbs were fresh and flavorful by delaying the addition of them to the tabbouleh.  The recipe was very easy to make and could easily be a side to take to a party!

I served with a lamb sausage and a side salad.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Israeli couscous
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 English hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, finely chopped
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Cook couscous according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

Whisk shallot, oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a large bowl. Add couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, and mint; season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired, and toss to combine.

DO AHEAD: Israeli Couscous Tabbouleh can be made 1 day ahead (omit herbs). Cover and chill. Fold in herbs just before serving.

Tasty oysters & tilefish

I decided to have some fun with seafood for this dinner, which we enjoyed outdoors.  I decided to start with some oysters and then move on to some grilled fish.

For the oysters, I got a mix of: Olde Salts, Battlecreek & Rappahannock.  I topped the oysters with an avocado champagne sauce.

Oysters with Avocado Champagne Sauce

9 oysters

1 avocado (very ripe and soft)

1/3 cup champagne

Truffle salt

Mash the avocado and then add the champagne to the bowl.  Whisk until smooth (adding small amounts of water as needed) and then pour over the oysters.  Sprinkle truffle salt over the oysters, serve and enjoy!

In addition to the oysters I grilled up a beautiful piece of tile fish that I served over shiitake white beans and sauteed kale.

Sausage stuffed peppers (again) and salad!

Just a quick blog to remind everyone to definitely take advantage of the summer season and the fresh peppers that are available.  As you have seen we tend to love our stuffed peppers.   I went back to my old stand bye after I bought Santa Fe chicken sausage and couldn't decide what else to do with them.

I did not have black beans and rice to stuff along with the sausage so I used shredded cheese and panko to hold together the mixture.

I personally prefer the black beans and rice but this worked just fine.  I still roasted in our small oven at 450 for ~45-50mins.  I served with cheese quesadillas and a salad.

A quick note about the salad.  We normally buy a lot of the Dole Chopped salad mixes as they are so easy to bring out and add on to any meal.  Yesterday, I was at Whole Food's shopping and they do not have salad kits.  I chose a romaine salad and decided to make my own from what I had around the house!

Don't be afraid to go against the norm when making a salad.  I went with what I thought would taste good to me and compliment the peppers.  I chose artichoke hearts, avocado and roasted garlic with a sun dried tomato & artichoke dressing (not pictured).  I have to say it was fantastic and I realized that I do not need to depend on the pre-made salad kits all the time!

Eggplant and sausage parm

Eggplant parm isn't a dish that screams summer, but with some beautiful looking eggplant showing up at the farmer's market, I really had no choice but to make it.

Eggplant & Sausage Parm

2 large Eggplants

3 Cilantro Chicken sausages (casing removed)

1 Mozzarella ball

1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

8 basil leaves

Peel and cut the eggplant into slices.  In a saute pan over medium-high heat cook the eggplant for about a minute on both sides.  In an oven-proof pan, spread a layer of sausage on the bottom of the pan, completely covering it.  Put any leftover sausage in the saute pan and cook.  Put a layer of eggplant over the sausage, cutting some pieces as needed to create a full layer.  Slice the mozzarella ball and make a layer with the slices of cheese.  Spoon tomato sauce over the cheese and then cover with foil and cook at 425F for thirty minutes.  Take it out of the oven and remove the foil ... then top with the parmesan and cooked sausage.  Switch the oven to broil and put the parm back in until the top bubbles and the edges get crispy.  Enjoy!

Steak and "starchy, veggie goodness"

I have talked before of my love for the Whole Foods dry aged NY Strip, and I just want to take a minute to reiterate that ... it's AWESOME!

For this dinner, I prepared it simply with a little black dress (salt and pepper) and grilled it.  The steak was definitely the star of the show, however the veggie mix was a good counter weight to it.

Starchy, veggie goodness
1 14.5oz can Cannellini beans (drained)
1 bunch collard greens
8-10 medium shiitake mushrooms
2 small yellow squash
1 small yellow onion
1 jalapeno pepper

I washed and chopped all the veggies.  In a saute pan I added some oil and cooked over medium high heat.  I started with the mushrooms, onions & jalapeno. and once the mushrooms had released their water and pulled back in I added the squash and the beans.  I cooked the squash and beans for about five minutes, using a wooden spoon to agitate and then added the greens and covered to allow them to cook down.  I splashed a little white vinegar and hot sauce on top and stirred to finish and then it was ready to plate ... enjoy!

Cheesy stuffed peppers

There's something fun about stuffed peppers, and these were no different.  For these guys I went with a little bit of a different take than normal.  I used bell peppers, instead of the usual Anaheim peppers, and by slicing the tops off just below where the stem comes through I was able to pop the stem out and still maintain the top to go back on the peppers.

I stuffed the peppers with a mix of (left over) black beans and rice, cilantro chicken sausage and cheese.  Once I had the stuffing done, I topped with a little more cheese and then put the "lids" back on.  Into the oven they went at 425F for about 30 minutes (the peppers nicely charred and the cheese bubbly).

Cachaça cocktail for the fourth of July? Why not?

In honor of Brazil playing Columbia on the 4th, I decided to make something Brazil themed to go along with the game.  What could be more Brazilian than something with Cachaça ... given that we were having people over and I didn't want to be making drinks all night, we went with something that was a punch.

Shells found some Cachaça cocktail recipes online, so we decided to try one out.

Cachaça Cocktail with Summer Berries
1 bottle Cachaça
1 bottle St. Germaine (elderflower liqueur)
Sour Mix
Strawberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Grapes
Blackberries

Muddle fruit in a pitcher (I used about 1/3 of each container, but you can do more or less to your liking).  Add Cachaça and St. Germaine, stir well and top with a splash of sour.  I added a couple of big ice cubes to chill down the mixture in the pitcher a bit without watering it down too much.

Using toothpicks make skewers of fruit that people can use to garnish their glass.  Enjoy!

What a catch on some Tuna

Even though Shells is not a big tuna fan, sometimes it just looks too good to pass up, especially when Whole Foods is having a fire sale on it (seriously, $11.00/pound instead of the regular $23.99).  Since I know that even that good a deal won't make it taste better to her, I got Shells a piece of white fish.

The fish went on to the grill and I cooked up a batch of greens and did some smashed popper potatoes with cheese and hot sauce to go with our fish.

I cooked one side of Shells fish and then added mine to the grill once I flipped hers.  This allowed me to cook my piece to a perfect rare, mmmm was it tasty.

Scallops, beans and veg ... yep a pretty standard night for us.

This was a simple dinner that turned out to be super tasty without being too filling.  I made my standard white beans and served them on top of sauteed asparagus and greens.  I seared some beautiful 10 - 20 count scallops (with a little butter and truffle salt) and served them over the beans and veggies.

Squash Blossom fun

Coming back from traveling, I wanted to have a leisurely dinner with a couple of courses that wouldn't be too heavy.  I headed off to Whole Foods to see what I could find while Shells went to the farmer's market to do the same.

Shells came back with a cool surprise, squash blossoms!!  These are fun flowers that are very common in Mexico ... but I haven't seem them recently here at home.  I decided to try and prepare them two ways: fried and roasted.  The roasted ones I stuffed with a little bit of cheese, while the fried ones I just dipped in a simple batter and fried straight.  They were both good but the roasted ones got a bit wilted and limp, in the future I am going to try to combine the crispy goodness of the fried ones with the cheesy middle.

For the second course I picked up a new item from the frozen section at Whole Foods ... bacon wrapped scallops on a cedar plank.  I roasted them until the bacon was crispy, not too shabby.

For the final course I continued my summer obsession with skirt steak but doing grilled skirt steak over refried black beans with an avocado salsa.

Squash Blossoms Fritti
8 squash blossoms
8 cubes of cheese (I used Mt Tam)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Gentle peel open the flower part of the squash blossoms and stuff with one cube of cheese each.  Mix the flour, salt, pepper and water in a bowl and whisk until smooth with a consistency similar to pancake batter, adding a little more water if needed.  Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat, dredge each blossom through the flour mixture and add to the hot oil.  Fry the blossoms until golden brown, enjoy!