recipes

kale and red quinoa tabbouleh

February 18th, 2011

kale and red quinoa tabbouleh

stats:

serves 8-10

what you need:

1 cup red quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups blanched kale (tuscan and curly), stems removed, finely chopped

1 red onion, diced brunoise
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
3 tablespoons finishing olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fleur de sel (or as needed)
1/2 teaspoon Xérès or Spanish vinegar (Vinagre de Jerez)

how to:

  • Cook Quinoa.  Gently rinse quinoa until water is clear.  Bring salted water to a boil.  Add quinoa.  Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and cover with a lid.  Fluff quinoa with a fork and let it come to room temperature.   You will yield about 2 cups of quinoa.
  • Blanche Kale.  Place kale in a pot of salted, boiling water for 2 minutes (place a lid smaller than the pot or something equally heavy on top of the kale to submerge it if it rises above the water line). Remove kale from the boiling water and plunge in an ice bath.  Drain and dry well. Finely chop.  You should yield 2 cups.
  • Combine Ingredients. Combine kale, onion, parsley, olive oil, zest, lemon juice, salt, vinegar, and quinoa.
  • Adjust Seasoning.  Season to taste with salt (you may need more salt, depending upon how salty your quinoa water was).
  • Serve. Serve chilled.

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stomach en route to heart

February 10th, 2011

stomach en route to heart:

winter tomato soup au gratin,
spicy espresso tournedos on creamy almond and leek risotto hearts,
and fresh tarragon green salad

If it is true that the way to a person’s heart is through his or her stomach, then Saint Valentine’s Day is a foodie’s dream for both the food preparer and the diner. Accordingly, this week’s simple pleasure is devoted to some Valentine’s treats: a winter tomato soup with a gratinée heart-shaped crouton, chili-espresso tournedos on heart-shaped beds of creamy leek and almond risotto, and a fresh tarragon green salad. If this sounds complicated, I can assure you that it is not. Below are some production and ingredient notes. The recipes are in separate entries so they can easily be printed.

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spicy espresso tournedos on a heart shaped bed of creamy almond-leek risotto

February 10th, 2011

spicy espresso tournedos on a heart-shaped bed of creamy almond-leek risotto

stats:

serves 4

what you need:

8 tournedos, 1 “ thick and 2  1/4” diameter
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground pepper (as needed)
1-2 tablespoons unsalted clarified butter

spice

2 teaspoons espresso, finely ground
2 teaspoons piment d’espelette
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon Midnight red cocoa powder (dutch pressed)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Read the rest of this entry »

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winter tomato soup au gratin

February 10th, 2011

winter tomato soup au gratin

winter tomato soup au gratin

stats:

yield:  approximately 28 ounces

what you need:

soup

1 1/2-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons  minced shallot
2/3 cup diced carrot
2  28 ounce cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes with juice Read the rest of this entry »

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fresh mâche tarragon salad

February 10th, 2011

fresh mâche tarragon salad

fresh mâche tarragon salad

stats:
serves 4-6

what you need:

salad

1 small head butter lettuce
4 cups of mâche
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced

dressing

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons nut oil (hazelnut, almond, or walnut)
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fleur de sel

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game on: super snacks for Super Bowl

February 2nd, 2011

meatballs in pan on napkin superbowl

game on:
super snacks for Super Bowl

 

True, the extent of my involvement in the Super Bowl is feeding people.  I may not know who is playing or what is the score, but I do know if the food is a hit; what passed appetizers are incomplete; and which ones made it home. Read the rest of this entry »

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spicy veal meatballs with dates and bacon

February 2nd, 2011

spicy veal meatballs with dates and bacon

spicy veal meatballs with dates and bacon

yield:

makes approximately 50 meatballs (1/2 ounce each)

what you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup onion, diced brunoise
1 tablespoon rendered duck fat
4 bacon slices, chopped and trimmed
1 pound ground veal  (or beef)
3 Medjool dates, pits removed and chopped
1 egg, mixed
2 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon piment d’espelette
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2  teaspoons kosher salt (and as needed)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (and as needed)

1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups of Pomi strained tomato sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock

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chicken drumettes simmered in beer with mustard sauce

February 2nd, 2011

chicken drumettes simmered in beer with mustard sauce

yield:

serves 12-14

what you need:

chicken

18-20 chicken drumettes (or 12-14 chicken legs)
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
all purpose flour  (as needed)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 can (12 ounces) pilsner beer
1 cup chicken stock
1 bouquet garni (with fresh Italian parsley and 1 fresh bay leaf)

sauce

2 tablespoons honey
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup reduced cooking liquid

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced

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green (bean) salsa

January 27th, 2011

green (bean) salsa

salsa verte à ma façon
(green salsa my way)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLV.  Next week I will post a couple of meat dishes that you can serve and enjoy during the game which involve the things you typically think of when you think of Super Bowl food (meat, a little spice, a little sweet, and beer).  However, this week I wanted to give you something lighter so this week’s simple pleasure is salsa (with a twist).

In anticipation of the game, stores everywhere are displaying game snacks, primarily corn tortilla chips and salsa. Admittedly, fresh tomato salsa is delicious and a perfect companion to tortilla chips but tomato season ended in September and salsa in a jar is more like a sauce or purée, neither fresh nor  chunky.  However, salsa does not have to be made only with tomatoes.   This green salsa, salsa verte (à ma façon), takes the idea of a salsa but uses haricots verts (green beans) instead of tomatoes or tomatillos (which are used in the “salsa verde” found in Mexican/Mexican-American cuisine).

There are many varieties of green beans and their peak season is late summer/fall. However, in California the season for green beans is relatively long and there remain delicious green beans at the farmer’s markets and grocery stores (although I would consider this to be the very end of their season so buy them now).

Green beans, snap beans and string beans are all the same thing: green beans where both the pod and the small seeds inside are eaten.  Today we rarely see green beans with the string filament on them (which is where the name “sting bean” comes from) so the designation “string bean” is obsolete.  “Snap beans” is just another name given to green beans due to the snapping sound they make when broken.  Green beans varieties include Blue Lake, Green Daytona, and common snap beans.  What Americans know as “Haricots Verts” and identify as “French green beans” are simply beans picked early and thus, thinner and smaller in size than the common green bean varieties that this salsa calls for.

A couple of ingredient and production notes.  First, use a standard-size green bean that is round (not flat) and make sure it is green. The reason is visual as well as for taste.   The yellow varieties are pretty but they have less flavor than the green.  The purple varieties turn dark green when cooked and the bright green of the green varieties looks nicer in the salsa.

Second, you must use fresh, quality ingredients: fresh cilantro (coriander), fresh green beans (not frozen…they can be soggy), a tasteful, ripe avocado, a crisp red onion, and fresh lemon juice.  The benefit to this salsa is the light, fresh taste with the crunch of the onions and beans with the contrast of the creamy avocado.  If your ingredients are substandard or tasteless, so too will be your salsa.

Third, cook the green beans in salty water for no longer than 2-3 minutes and then immediately cease their cooking in an ice bath and drain them.  If  you overcook the beans or leave them to soak in water, they will not maintain the bright green color that you want and/or they will be mushy.

In addition to a tortilla chip companion, this salsa can stand on its own and pairs well with grilled, pan-fried, or roasted steaks, chicken, and seafood (shrimp, salmon, tuna, and sea bass, to name a few).  The salsa takes 10 minutes to make and tastes good the following day.  It is not only a delicious change from the usual routine, but the salsa is good for you too which makes salsa verte a touchdown for everyone.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM

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goût de luxe: caviar taste. legume budget. perfect.

January 20th, 2011

goût de luxe:

caviar taste.  legume budget.  perfect.

Goût de luxe means “luxurious taste” or “taste of luxury.”   Sometimes you want to indulge your taste for luxury without paying the monetary price typically associated with it.   So what is easy to do that tastes expensive, but isn’t?  Beluga lentils and that is why a Beluga lentil hors-d’oeuvre is this week’s simple pleasure.

Lentils are a legume   (which is a fruit with edible seeds in a pod).  Other legumes include soybeans, green beans,  fava beans, garbanzo beans, and peanuts.  Legumes are full of dietary protein and fiber  (both soluble and insoluble) and are often used as a meat substitute.   Legumes are not only good for your health but a delight for your budget (compare one pound of organic aged beef which can cost around $22-24 per pound with a pound of heirloom beans for about $3-4).

When we think of lentils, generally most people think of the dark green Puy lentils from Velay, France (which admittedly are wonderful).  These green lentils are commonly prepared creamy-style or served in a salad (often with roasted red beets).  However, lentils come in a variety of sizes and colors, including red, orange, ivory, canary yellow, various shades of green and brown, and black.  The green, brown, and black varieties retain their shape better then the orange, red and canary colored varieties.  The orange, red and canary colored lentils are often found in Indian cuisine and take on a very creamy consistency when simmered.  Lentils (eaten out of the pod) do not need to be rehydrated and take only 20-30  minutes to simmer.

Beluga lentils look exactly like the famous caviar for which they are named.    They are shiny, dark black, small, and round.  Beluga lentils are delicate and mild-flavored.  They can be prepared al dente or simmered longer for a creamier texture.  They are wonderful additions to soups and salads and they pair well with fleshy white fish (i.e., Sea Bass or Cod) as well as with pork and game (including two of my favorites:  wild boar and crispy pork belly).   Beluga lentils are also good puréed.

This Beluga lentil hors -d’oeuvre is true to the caviar theme.  Beluga caviar is typically served with sour cream on top of halved boiled new potatoes (and accompanied by a bottle of ice-cold vodka encased in ice).  Here, instead of sour cream, we use crème fraîche with freshly grated horseradish.  Instead of potatoes or toast points, we use thinly sliced raw turnips.   Instead of water or vegetable stock (which is the typical fare in which to simmer lentils), we use white wine and fish stock, keeping with the caviar theme and giving the lentils a slightly salty, seafood boost.

This hors -d’oeuvre takes about 20 minutes active time.  It can be prepared in advance and tastes best when it has chilled overnight.  The crème fraîche and the turnips can also be prepared in advance.

So fancy, here is to your luxurious — budget and health conscious —  taste.   The chilled vodka is optional.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM

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