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CookTeaser

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

Monthly Archives: April 2012

30/04/12 Green Beans With Parmesan Bread Crumbs & Gorgonzola Cheese


Recipe

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

12 oz fresh Green Beans
2 TB freshly made Bread Crumbs
2 TB of Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TB of crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
1-1/2 TB of EVOO
Salt & fresh Pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Parboil 12oz of Green Beans for 5 minutes.

2. Drain, blot dry & add EVOO. Toss & add Parmesan Bread Crumbs & crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese.

3. Roast in a 450 oven until they’re caramelized & slightly charred. About 15 minutes or to taste.

30/04/12 Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Lamb Chop & Roasted Green Beans With Parmesan Bread Crumbs & Gorgonzola Cheese


RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

It’s fun being inventive, though I admit it’s a far cry from being a well-trained cook. As an amateur I believe there’s a place for both, and that’s in the finished plate. Case in point was last evening’s dinner. Two very basic ingredients taken to another level. Classically trained chefs, please forgive me.

INGREDIENTS For Green Beans With Parmesan Bread Crumbs & Gorgonzola Cheese

12 oz fresh Green Beans (stemmed)
2 TB freshly made Bread Crumbs
2 TB Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TB crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
1-1/2 TB of EVOO
Salt & fresh Black Pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Parboil 12oz of Beans for 5 minutes.

2. Drain, blot dry & add the EVOO. Toss & add Parmesan Bread Crumbs & crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese.

3. Roast in a 450 oven until caramelized & slightly charred. About 15 minutes or to taste.

4. Plate & serve.

INGREDIENTS For Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Lamb Chops

2 Loin Lamb Chops 8 oz each
2 TB Pomegranate Molasses
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1 TB of EVOO

METHOD

1. Season the Chops & marinate them with Pomegranate Molasses. Set aside for 30 minutes or more.

2. Heat a non-stick grill pan to high. Add the Chops & pan grill for 2-1/2 minutes a side. Do not overcook the
Lamb.

3. Plate with the roasted Green Beans for an easy & delicious combination.

26/04/12 Duck Breast on a bed of Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Once again the picture says it all. The dinner couldn’t have been simpler. Exactly how I wanted it to be. Not ready for intricate dining. Matter of fact the simpler the better works for me these days.

INGREDIENTS For Cannellini Beans and Toamoes

1 cup dried Cannellini Beans
1 can diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, (minced)
1 Small Onion (chopped)
1 tsp of dried ground Thyme
1/2 TB of dried Basil
1 TB of EVOO

METHOD

1. Saute Onion & Garlic until Onion is translucent. Add dried Thyme & Basil. Continue to saute for 5 minutes.

2. Add the Tomatoes. (Add water if necessary). Continue cooking about 7 minutes.

3. Add Beans & Basil & cook another 7 minutes.

INGREDIENTS For the Duck Breast

2 Duck Breasts (about 1 pound)
Kosher salt & fresh Black Pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
With a sharp knife score the fat of the Duck Breasts in a criss-cross pattern. Season the Duck with Salt & Pepper.

2. Warm a heavy-bottomed ovenproof grill pan over medium heat. Place the Breasts, fat side down, in the skillet to render off the fat, about 6 minutes. Reserve rendered Duck fat for another use.

3. Turn the Breasts over & sear for 1 minute. Turn the fat side down again & place the skillet into the oven to roast for 5 minutes, until Breasts are medium rare. Let the Breasts rest for 5 minutes then slice into pieces.

25/04/12 Tomato & Endive Salad with Chunks of Grilled Chicken


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Combining the Salad on the same plate with the Chicken worked well for me. The Chicken juices mixed beautifully with the Salad ingredients and the Vinaigrette. Without planning it as such, It became a very special Chicken Salad. Another unexpected surprise of cooking.

INGREDIENTS

4 Ripe Small Campari Tomatoes (quartered)
1 head of Belgium Endive (chopped)
1/3 cup of Bleu Cheese (crumbled)
1 TB of a Basic Vinaigrette
Kosher Salt & Pepper
Grilled Chicken (cut into bite size chunks)

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, add the Tomatoes, Endive, Salt & Pepper, Vinaigrette & crumbled Bleu Cheese. Lightly combine.

2. Add a generous portion of the Salad to the serving plates accompanied by chunks of the Chicken. Add a splash of the Vinaigrette to the finished plate. This is optional but desirable.

25/04/12 Half A Chicken Butterflied & Grilled


RECIPE
Serves 2

A CookTale

My second attempt this week at cooking a main course, and I was very pleased with the result. What made it special was a coating of Butter and Paprika that was brushed on. Once again, a sizzling hot stove top grill pan afforded me much more control than I would have had with an outdoor gas grill. On top of which it was too nasty out there to enjoy the experience.

INGREDIENTS

1 3 lb organic Chicken (butterflied)
3 TB of Butter (softened)
1 tsp of Sweet Paprika
1 tsp of EVOO
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, mix or whisk the Butter, Paprika & EVOO to a smooth emulsion. Brush the mixture onto the skin side of the Chicken. Add Salt & Pepper & set aside.

3. Heat a grill pan to smoking hot & add the Chicken skin side down. Weigh it down with a grill press for 8 minutes. Turn Skin side up & turn off the heat.

4. Place the pan in the heated oven for 10 minutes. At this point the Chicken should be ready, not overdone, & juicy. The Breast’s internal temperature was 135 degrees. The Thigh 145 degrees. Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes to redistribute the juices.

09/04/12 Gratin Dauphinois


RECIPE

Serves 6

A CookTale

A wonderful dish prepared by Cathie from “Mastering the Fine Art of Cooking” by Julia Childs. It tasted as mouth watering as the photo looks. And it was a perfect partner to the Lamb Stew.

INGREDIENTS

2 lb starchy Potatoes
1 clove unpeeled Garlic
4 TB Butter (if you omit the cheese, 6TB)
1 tp Salt
1/8 tp Pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Swiss Cheese
1 cup boiling Milk or Cream

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Peel the Potatoes & slice them 1/8 inch thick. Place in cold water. Drain until ready to use.

2. Rub the baking dish with cut Garlic. Smear the dish with 1 tablespoon of the Butter.

3) Drain the Potatoes & dry them in a towel. Spread half of them in the bottom of the dish. Divide over them half the Salt, Pepper, Cheese, & Butter.

4) Arrange the remaining Potatoes over the first layer & season. Spread on the rest of the Cheese & divide the Butter over it. Pour on the boiling Milk.

5) Set the baking dish in upper third of preheated oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the Potatoes are tender, the Milk is absorbed, & the top is a golden brown.

09/04/12 Easter Lamb Stew


RECIPE

Serves 6

A CookTale

On Easter eve we enjoyed the evening with good friends and good food. The Lamb Stew was a variation of the Veal Stew we prepared a week or so ago. The cubed Leg of Lamb worked out as well as the Veal, matter of fact Lamb is more tender and tastier. Dinner was accompanied by a delicious Gratin Dauphinois, prepared by Cathie. Excellent Wine rounded out the dinner and the evening.

INGREDIENTS

2 TB EVOO
2 TB Butter
2 pounds of Leg of Lamb cubes, no side larger than 1 1/2 inches
fresh Tarragon, or 1tsp of dried Tarragon
1 lb of Shallots, peeled (if large, trimmed and halved)
Salt & freshly ground black Pepper
1 cup of White Wine
2 cups fresh or frozen Peas
Red Wine Reduction sauce (available online from More than Gourmet, through Amazon

METHOD

1. Put a 12-inch skillet over high heat, a minute later, add EVOO and Butter. Add the Meat, in one layer (you may have to cook in batches). Cook, undisturbed, until the meat is nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.

2. Add Tarragon, Onions & Salt & Pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until Onions soften & any Meat stuck to bottom of pan is released, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the Wine, stir, reduce heat to low, & cover. Cook about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the Lamb is tender.

4. Uncover, add Peas & raise the heat to medium. Cook about 3 minutes, until the Peas are done. Adjust seasoning, garnish & serve.

07/04/12 Maple Glazed Cornish Game Hens


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Not a lot so say about his easy to prepare dinner. We like Game Hens, an one adequately serves us. The roasted Carrots, Onion and Garlic accompaniment rounds out the plate.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup OF Maple Syrup
1 tsp of ground Cumin
Kosher Salt & black Pepper
1 Cornish Game Hen (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 tsp of EVOO
3/4 pound of Carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 medium Red Onion, quartered
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs of fresh Thyme
Lemon Juice for the Vegetables

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Whisk together the Maple Syrup & Cumin. Season with Salt & Pepper.

2. Remove the Hens backbone. Place it skin side up & with the palm of your hand flatten it. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub with 1 tsp of EVOO,
season with Salt & Pepper.

3. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet from oven & add Carrots, Onion, Garlic & Thyme. Toss vegetables with 2 teaspoons oil. Season with Salt & Pepper. Add to the Hen, Roast for an additional 15 minutes.

4. Brush the Hen with the Maple mixture. Continue to roast, brushing twice more, until the juices run clear & the internal temperature registers 135 degrees. Do not overcook.

5. Transfer the Hen to a cutting board & let it rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss the Vegetables with lemon juice. Cut the Hen in half & garnish the plate with the Vegetables.

06/04/12 Northwestern Char With A Reduced Balsamic Butter Sauce


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Start with an excellent fillet of organic Char. Treat it with the simple care it deserves and you will be gifted with a wonderful meal. Undercooking is always the better choice, and a light basting sauce adds a delicious glaze.
From my point of view, that’s what good cooking is all about, simplicity and permitting the flavor of what’s being cooked to dominate.

INGREDIENTS

2 6 oz fillets of Char (or Salmon)
Sea or Kosher Salt & Pepper
2 TB of Butter (softened)
1 TB of Balsamic Vinegar
2 TB of EVOO + 1 tsp

METHOD

1. Season the Char. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the Butter along with the EVOO. Add the Balsamic Vinegar, whisking to emulsify the ingredients. Reduce to consistency of coating the spoon. This will be the basting sauce. Set aside.

3. Heat a saute pan to medium high, add the tsp of EVOO, & the fish skin side down. Cook for a few minutes & add the basting sauce, spooning the sauce continuously over the fish. Cover the pan, lower the heat, & in about 5 minutes the fish will be ready to plate.

05/04/12 Spicy Shrimp & Vegetable Stir Fry


RECIPE

Serves 2

A CookTale

Planning, shopping, preparing and cooking most nights of the week can get a bit tedious to an amateur cook. So last evening in a mood of rebellion I asked, and Cathie agreed to, a simple stir fry dinner.
With all the ingredients on hand, it was a cinch, and it tasted, in its own way, as good as a grilled piece of meat and most likely that much healthier.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of Soy Sauce
1/4 cup of Sake
1 TB of Sugar
1 TB of Sesame Oil
1 TB of Garlic (chopped)
1 TB of Ginger (chopped)
1 cup of Red Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
1 cup of Onion (thinly sliced)
1 cup of Cabbage or Romaine Lettuce (thinly sliced)
1 cup of Carrots (sliced)
1/2 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)
12 large Shrimp, halved (shelled & deveined)
Sesame Seeds (for sprinkling)

METHOD

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Soy Sauce mixture; cook until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the Vegetables & Red Pepper Flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables are soft, about 2 minutes. Add Shrimp & 1/4 cup of water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until Shrimp are just cooked through.

2. Divide among 2 plates or bowls, add Sesame Seeds & serve immediately.