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CookTeaser

“Photos, Recipes & CookTales For Those Who Enjoy Cooking”

Monthly Archives: September 2011

10/09/11 Swordfish Paillard With An Orange Dijon Mustard Sauce, Leeks & Grilled Peaches


RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

How often have I praised Mario Batali? I can’t count the times. I was about to prepare his recipe for Swordfish with Leeks and Grapefruit, but there was no Grapefruit. I did have lovely Swordfish from Adam’s Fairacre Farm, a dozen young Leeks, purchased at the Saugerties Farmers Market (from a farmer named Jacob of Deep Roots Farm), and Peaches.
The result was different from Batali’s, but according to my dependable taster, Cathie, it was as good as the Grapefruit version.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 Pound of Swordfish, sliced horizontally into 2 pieces 3/8″ thick, (with a sharp boning knife or by the fishmonger)
Sea or Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1 TB of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
4 Small Leeks (the white part only, cut 4″ long & sliced horizontally in half)
1 Cup of Orange Juice
1 TB of Dijon Mustard
1 TB of Mustard Seed
1/3 Cup of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 TB of Lemon Juice.
2 Peaches (cut in half)
A pinch of Sugar (to help caramelize the Peaches)

METHOD

1. Prepare the sauce, by combining the Orange Juice, Dijon Mustard, Mustard Seed & the 1/3 cup EVOO. Whisk together to emulsify.
2. Heat in a small sauce pan. Simmer until it’s reduced to the consistency of heavy cream. Set aside.
2. Season the Swordfish with Salt, Pepper & 1 TB of EVOO.
3. Add Salt & Pepper to the Leeks.
4. Heat another sauce pan with 3″ of water. When it comes to a boil, add 1 TB of Salt & the Leeks. Reduce to a simmer & cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove & plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain well & set aside.
5. Heat a grill pan to high. Add the 2 slices of Swordfish & grill for no more than 1 minute a side. If you have one, weigh the fish down with a cast iron grill press. Remove & keep warm with a foil cover.
6. In the same grill pan wiped clean, add a splash of EVOO & the Peaches, cut side down. Grill for about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and keep warm with a foil cover.
7. Toss the drained Leeks in the Swordfish/Peaches pan for a few minutes to warm up.
8. Add all the components to serving plates.

09/09/11 Mussels With Curry Butter, Red Bell Pepper, Basil & Lime Slices


 

RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Google lists 2,380,000 recipes for Mussels. That’s too many lifetimes of never eating the same prepepration twice. No question Mussels must have something going for them. Last evenngs version caught my attention because the Curry Butter melts into each open Mussel. I adapted it from the website: musselindustrycouncil. a trustworthy name if there ever was one.

INGREDIENTS

3 TB of Butter, softened
2 Clove of Garlic, pressed
1 tsp Curry powder
1/3 tsp ground Cumin
1 pinch of Sea Salt
1 Lime, thinly sliced
1 Lime, cut into 4 wedges
2 lb fresh Cultured Mussels, Prince Edward Island preferred
1 Cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 Cup fresh Parsley chopped or fresh Basil Leaves cut in a chiffonade
1 Cup of White Wine

METHOD
1. Rinse the Mussels in tap water. Remove any beards.
2. Whisk together the Butter, Curry, Garlic, Cumin, & Salt in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large pot & add the White Wine.
4. Add the Mussels, sprinkle the diced Red Bell Pepper & Parsley or Basil over the Mussels. Cover with the Curry Butter mixture & top with the Lime slices.
5. Cover the pot & steam until the Mussels have opened in 5 to 10 minutes. The Curry Butter & all the ingredients will have melted & blended into the open Mussels. Discard any which hadn’t opened.
6. Transfer the Mussels to two bowls & garnish each with a lime wedge, to serve.

08/09/11 Grilled Loin Lamb Chops, Merguez Lamb Sausages, Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms and Roasted Japanese Eggplant


RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

The natural disaster of the day is flooding. The rain began on Monday, today is Thursday with no letup.
So into the freezer we searched and came out with Loin Lamb Chops and Merguez Lamb Sausage. We had on hand fresh Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms and Japanese Eggplant. A very easy-to-prepare dinner. The Lamb in a grill pan, the Mushrooms in a saute pan, and the Eggplant in the oven. The Tomato Jam made two days ago, came right out of the jar.

INGREDIENTS

2 Loin Lamb Chops (1-1/2″ thick)
1 TB of Pomegranate Molasses (available online & specialty markets)
2 Merguez Lamb Sausages
8 Ounces of Shiitake & Oyster Mushrooms
1 Japanese Eggplant
2 TB of EVOO
1 TB of Butter
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD For the Lamb

1. Season the Lamb Chops on both sides with Salt & Pepper & brush on the Pomegranate Molasses.
2. With a fork prick the Sausages.
2. Heat a grill pan to high, but not smoking. Add 1 TB of EVOO & add both the Chops & the Sausage. Grill the Chops for 2-1/5 minutes to a side, 4-1/2 minutes to 120 degrees. Remove to a warm plate. Keep grilling the Sausages until thoroughly cooked. Add them to the Chops. Cover with foil or place in a 110 degree oven to keep warm.

INGREDIENTS For the Mushrooms

1 Basket of Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms (8 Ounces)
1 TB of Butter
1 TB of EVOO
1/4 Cup of Dry Sherry
1 Ounce of Demi-Glace (dissolved in 1/3 cup of water)
Kosher Salt & fresh White Pepper

METHOD

1. Slice some of the Shiitakes & the Oysters & leave some whole.
2. Heat a saute pan to high, & add the Butter & EVOO. When the Butter stops sizzling add the Mushrooms. Saute until tender & beginning to brown. Carefully add the Sherry (it will splatter) toss & reduce it to a TB. Add the dissolved Demi-Glace and gently toss again. Saute for another minute or so.
3. Season to taste.

INGREDIENTS Japanese Eggplant

1. Eggplant sliced vertically in half
1 TB of EVOO
1 tsp of Salt + 1 tsp of Pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. With the point of a sharp knife cut a criss cross pattern lightly into the meat of the Eggplant. Add 1 TB of EVOO to both halves.
2. Place the prepared Eggplant in an oven proof
dish. Place in the oven & roast for 30 to 40 minutes. You want the Eggplant to be lightly charred & very tender.
3. Remove & keep warm

07/09/11 Stewed Squid With Tomatoes & Black Olives On A Bed Of Fettuccine


RECIPE
Seves 2
A CookTale

We had Mussels on our mind. Cathie traipsed to Adam’s for a 2 lb bag of PEI’s. She called to say that Irene struck again, and there are none to be had until possibly the end of week. Any other suggestions? I suggested Squid, both tubes and tentacles. I had my eye on a Squid Stew from Food Network for awhile, and tonight was the night to have it. We also had a box of DeCecco Egg Fettuccine as the bed for my Stew. Who needs Mussels?

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds small Squid, cleaned & rinsed
3 TB of EVOO
1 large Onion, minced
1 14 Ounce can of diced Tomatoes
1 TB of Tomato Paste
2 Garlic cloves, peeled & sliced
1 Serrano Pepper sliced (or Pepper Flakes)
1 Cup of a good quality Red Wine
1 Bay Leaf
Fresh Thyme Leaves
Salt & Pepper to season
1/2 Cup of Kalamata Olives (or other small black olives)
1/2 Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice to season
1/4 Cup chopped, flat-leaf Parsley leaves for garnish

METHOD

1. Slice the Squid cross-wise into rings. Seperate the Tentacles.
2. Heat 2 TB of EVOO in a sauté pan & fry the Squid, tossing occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove the Squid & set aside. Add another TB of EVOO to the pan & sauté the Onions until soft, but not coloured. Add the Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Garlic, & Hot Pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Return Squid to the pan, add the Wine, Bay leaf, & Thyme. Season with Salt & Pepper. Cover & simmer until the Squid is tender, 40 minutes.
4. Remove the Bay leaf. Stir in the Olives & Lemon zest & continue to cook uncovered to reduce the juices, 10 minutes.
5. The dish should be like a stew, not a soup. Squeeze in some Lemon juice.
6. Taste & adjust the seasonings. Scatter on the Parsley, & spoon the Stew over the bed of Fettuccine.

06/09/11 Rib Eye Steak, Hash Browns, and Tomato Jam


RECIPE
Serves 2
A CookTale

It’s been awhile since we dug into a great Rib Eye Steak with a side of delicious Hash Browns. And the newly made batch of a more savory Tomato Jam rounded out the flavor. On the side was a salad of garden grown Cucumbers, freshly grated Ginger and a sweet thinly sliced Onion sauteed with a dash of Tumeric seasoning. With full house power restored, mine was too.

INGREDIENTS Rib Eye Steak

1-1/4 Pound of Rib Eye (Smokehouse of the Catskills, prime)
Kosher Salt (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
1TB of CharCrust, Original flavor (optional, available online)
1 TB of EVOO

METHOD

1. Light a gas or start a charcoal grill.
2. Season the Steak with all the listed ingredients.
3. Grill to an internal temperature of 120 degrees for rare.
4. Remove to a cutting board & allow to rest for at least 5 minutes. Keep warm.

RECIPE Hash Brown Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

2 TB of Canola Oil, or Grapeseed Oil
1 lb Russet baking potatoes, peeled & grated
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the 2 TB of Oil in a large non-stick frying pan on medium high heat.

2. While the pan is heating, squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the grated potatoes. If you don’t have a potato ricer, use paper towels.
3. When the oil in the pan heats up to the point of shimmering, but not smoking, add the grated Potatoes, spreading them out along the bottom of the pan. The Potatoes should not be too thick in any one place, no more than a half inch thick. Sprinkle some Salt & Pepper on the Potatoes. After a few minutes, lift up one edge and see how done they are. If they have fried to a golden brown they are ready to flip. Use a large spatula to flip them over all at once, or divide the large Potato cake into halves or quarters & flip. Continue to cook until they are golden brown on the bottom.
4. Remove from the heat & divide betweent two serving plates.

05/09/11 Ginger Cucumber Salad


RECIPE

Serves 2

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds Cucumber, preferably thin Asian or English variety
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar or 1/2 cup White Vinegar diluted with 1/4 cup Water
2-inch piece of fresh Ginger, peeled and minced or grate
2 tsp Sugar
1 tep Salt
3 TB of grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 medium to large Onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground Turmeric, optional but necessary
2 TB of sesame seeds.

METHOD

1. With Asian or English cucumbers (or small garden cucumbers), slice thinly, preferably with a mandoline. With thick cucumbers, peel, halve lengthwise, and scoop out seeds before slicing.
2. Mix Vinegar, Ginger, Sugar and Salt, and toss with Cucumbers. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes. (Refrigerate if marinating for more than an hour in warm weather.)
3. Heat a saute pan & add remaining Oil, Onions and the Turmeric, Really try to use it. Cook until the Onion softens, about 5 minutes. The cooked Onions will take on the color of saffron.
4. Meanwhile, toast Sesame Seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir the Onions into Cucumbers, garnish with the Sesame Seeds & plate.

L

05/09/11 Insalata Caprese


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

With Fall lurking, this is the perfect way to keep the memory of Summer alive.
Simply, the Heirloom Tomato is combined with fresh Basil leaves and Mozzarella. One caution, do nothing to the Tomato until serving time except to slice it and place the slices on a paper towel to drain. Just before dinnertime add them to a platter, add Salt, the EVOO and the Basil leaves. By doing this, the serving plate will not not be saturated with Tomato water.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large ripe HeirloomTomato (thickly sliced)
Fresh Mozzarella
1 TB of EVOO
12 Basil Leaves
Kosher Salt

METHOD

1. Once the Tomato has properly drained, add the slices to a platter.
2. Top with  the Basil Leaves & the Mozzarella.
3. Just before serving time, add the Salt & the EVOO.
4. Seperate into two plates & serve.

05/09/11 Zucchini Fettuccine With Thai Peanut Sauce


 
RECIPE
Serves 2

On the seventh night with partial power and partial lights and no hot water, my self control also partially shut down. We agreed to a vegetarian dinner with as little stovetop cooking as possible. And it turned out to be a tasty non-fattening, low cal dinner. How did a kitchen ever function before the invention of the mandoline? On goes the Zucchini, a few very careful sweeps and out comes the Fettuccine. After all of that, at 5:26 PM, a time to be remembered, all power returned. But the vegetarian dinner went on as planned.

INGREDIENTS Thai Peanut Sauce with Zucchini Fettuccine

1 TB of Peanut Oil
1 tsp of Panang Curry Paste or Red Curry Paste (it’s very hot, I used 1/2 tsp)
1/4 Cup of Coconut Milk (more if needed)
1/4 Cup of Chicken Stock (more if needed)
3 TB of Thai Fish Sauce
2 TB of Lime Juice
1 TB of Brown Sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp of Chili Oil (or to taste)
2 TB of Peanut Butter
1 tsp of Sesame Oil
2 TB of Peanuts crushed (optional)
3-4 Zucchini (about 8″ long)

METHOD

1. Heat the Peanut Oil in a small pan.
2. Add whatever Curry Paste you’re using, & saute until fragrant.
3. Add the next eight ingredients & simmer to thicken slightly, about 2-3 minutes. It should be about the consistency of lightly whipped cream.
4. Add the optional Peanuts. Set aside to keep warm.
5. Make the Fettuccine noodles by adjusting the Mandoline for cutting noodle-wide sticks. You’ll need about 3 cups for 2 generous servings.
6. Heat a pot of water to a boil, add the raw Zucchini & parboil for no more than 45 seconds. Remove to a pan of ice water. Drain onto paper towels. It should be Al Dente.
7. Plate the Zuccini & toss with the Peanut Sauce.

03/09/11 Atlantic Char With A Creamy Broccoli Puree


 

 

RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

Last evening was the sixth night with limited house power. There was an amusing incident, if it can be called amusing — it was my wanting to add a Broccoli Puree to the dinner. I filled the blender with the steamed Broccoli, threw in a Garlic clove and heavy cream, and when it came to turning it on, there was no power in any of the five kitchen wall outlets. With blender in tow, along with the carton of cream, I proceeded to the only room with wall outlet power, The Bathroom! As Cathie laughed, I was determined to have that Puree. Ten minutes later, back I came with a blender containing a delicious Broccoli Puree. Talk about a last laugh?

INGREDIENTS For the Atlantic Char

3/4 Pound of Fish halved (Skin on or removed)
1 tsp of Sea or Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp of White Pepper
1TB of EVOO
2 TB of Butter (clarified preferred)

METHOD

1. Season the fish with the first three ingredients.
2. Heat a cast iron pan to high. Add the Butter (clarified preferred). When melted, add the fish & saute for 2 minutes: turn & saute for another 1 minute. The fish should be rare. If medium is preferred, cook for another minute or so.
3. Remove from the heat & prepare to plate or keep warm.
4. To plate, add the Fish & a spoonful of the Butter sauce.

Note: I fried the skin looking for a crisp result, but it was not worth describing other than as a garnish.

INGREDIENTS For the Creamy Broccoli Puree

2 Cups of steamed Broccoli florets
2 TB of Heavy Cream (more if required to make a puree)
1 tsp of Salt + 1/2 tsp of White Pepper
A small Garlic Clove

METHOD

1. Add the four ingredients to a food processor.
2. Process until you have a smooth Puree.
3. For a finer consistency add it to a blender.
4. Remove to a bowl.

02/09/11 Peach and Tomato Salad with Mint and A Dijon Vinaigrette


 
RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

When your “rush” for Watermelon and Tomatoes or Caprese salad, levels off, think about fresh local farm Peaches as a great alternative. Aided by a tangy Vinaigrette, it might even send those other Salads further back in your mind.

INGREDIENTS

3 Peaches (cut into a 1″ dice)
2 or 3 Heirloom Tomatoes (cut into a 1″ dice)
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp of dark brown Sugar (optional)
1 Clove of chopped Garlic
A Pinch of Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp of freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup of EVOO
1 tsp of Dijon Mustard

METHOD

1. Add the Peaches & Tomatoes to a large mixing bowl.
2. Place the next seven ingredients in a screw-top jar & shake to combine. Or simply whisk them in a small bowl.
3. At the last minute before serving, add your preferred amount of Vinaigrette to the bowl, & gently fold it all together.