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CookTeaser

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

Category Archives: Dinner

June 11, 2011 Crab Cakes with a Side of Dijon Mayonnaise


RECIPE Crab Cakes with a Side of Dijon Mayonnaise

Serves 2

I bet I scanned a dozen Maryland Crab Cake recipes to find the most authentic & most traditional. Except for minor variations such as bread crumbs vs cracker crumbs, dry mustard vs jarred Dijon, celery, onions or none, or one egg vs two, they were all basically the same. Therefore our recipe is derived from the search & I believe it’s as authentic as it gets, Almost all Crab Meat, no fillers, kept the mixture light in taste & relatively low in carb & calories. Instead of whole eggs I used only the whites. Actually the eggs simply provide the binding. The proof was in the tasting & we both thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.
As an aside when ready to form into Crab Cakes the mixture made nine 2 ounce patties.

RECIPE For the Crab Cakes

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound of Crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 tsp of Old Bay seasoning
1 TB of Worcestershire sauce
2 Eggs Whites
2 TB of Mayonnaise
1 TB of Colmans Dry Mustard
1 Dash of Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons Saltine Cracker Crumbs
1 tsp of White Pepper or to taste

METHOD

1. In a small bowl add the Old Bay seasoning, Mayonnaise, Worcestershire Sauce, Dry Mustard, White Pepper, Egg Whites & Pepper Sauce. Whisk it to a smooth consistency.
2. Add the Crabmeat & 1 TB of Cracker Crumbs & gently mix it all together.
3. Heat the oven to 425〫 F.
3. With a 2 ounce size ice cream scoop lightly sprayed with Olive Oil Pam, pick up a scoop full & place it on a foil covered cookie sheet, then gently flatten it to a pattie.
4. Place the cookie sheet onto the highest oven rack & bake for about 15 minutes, taking an occasional peek.
5. After the 15 minutes, turn the oven to broil for a few minutes to add color to the Crab Cakes.
6. Remove & plate.

June 11, 2011 A No Coating Soft Shell Crab


RECIPE Lightly Seasoned Soft Shell Crab.

No Breading, No Flour, No Deep Frying,
Just Soft Shells simply prepared & the result are Crabs that taste like Crabs.

Serves two

INGREDIENTS

2 Medium to large Soft Shell Crabs
Kosher or Sea Salt
Pepper & if available Lemon Pepper
Alleppo Pepper or finely ground Red Pepper
4 TB of Olive Oil
2TB of Butter

METHOD

1 Be sure that your fishmonger prepared & cleaned & the Crabs.
2. To the Crabs add Salt, Pepper & Alleppo Pepper & 2 TB of the Olive Oil.
3. Heat a saute pan to high, add 2TB of Olive Oil & 2 TB of Butter.
4. When the Oil & butter stop hissing it’s time to add the Crabs.
5. Lay them on their shell side & cook for
2-1/2 to 3 minutes, the shell will turn red.
6. Turn the Crabs onto their underside & cook for another 2-1/2 to 3 minutes.
7. Remove to a serving plate & dribble a few TBs of the Butter Oil mixture onto the Crabs. If you like you can garnish the plate with chopped Chives or Parsley. I would have if I had some!
8. Ready to serve.

 

June 11, 2011 Wild Striped Bass Lounging In a Coconut Curry Sauce


RECIPE Striped Bass Filet’s With a Coconut Curry Sauce
Serves 2INGREDIENTS

1 TB Canola of Vegetable Oil
1 Medium Onion thinly sliced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Curry Powder
1 Can unsweetened Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup of canned Chicken stock
2 Medium Carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size pieces
2 Striped Bass filets (5-6 oz. Each)
4 Scallions thinly sliced optional

METHOD

1. Heat the Canola or Vegetable Oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion, Garlic & Curry Powder.
3. Saute mixture until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
4. Mix in Coconut Milk & Chicken Stock; bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat & boil until liquid is reduced to a thin sauce consistency.
6. Add Carrots; simmer until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
7. Remove from heat; keep warm.
8. Preheat broiler. Place filets on a baking sheet, add Salt & Pepper.
9 Broil filets until just opaque in center, about 7 to 8 minutes.
10. Using a metal spatula, transfer fish to plates. Spoon sauce over fish.
Spoon sauce over fish.
11. Sprinkle with scallions.option


June 11, 2011 Yellow Fin Tuna Not Quite Sashimi But Definitely Asian 


On Wednesday Cath & I drove to NYC to visit two extraordinary food emporiums. Eataly on 

23rd Street & Buon Italia in Chelsea Market on 15th Street. I thought I've seen it all but both experiences were incredibly mind boggling to this food junkie. From farm produce to sweets from seafood & fish to meats & charcuterie from cheeses to pastas, it was more than my mind & my eyes could absorb.
The food displays tempted you so there was the urge just to reach into the display case. 

The only drawback was the incredible crowds. You would think you were at the MOMA not at
a retail store.
We drove home laden down with fresh Morels, Pea Ravioli made right in front of your eyes.
Imported Bucatini Pasta, Squid Ink, Buffalo Mozzarella, Rosemary Breadsticks & never ever frozen Yellowfin Tuna which comprised last night's dinner.
 We could have continued to shop, until the bankruptcy police dragged us away.

In no way was this your average daily shopping experience.


RECIPE  Yellowfin Tuna with Black Sesame Seeds & Asian Sauce.


Serves 2

INGREDIENTS  For Yellowfin Tuna1pound of Yellowfin Tuna
1 TB of Peanut Oil
Pickled ginger optional
S&P
Parsley & Sesame seeds for garnish
METHOD
1. Cut the Tuna into 1 1/2″ pieces.
2. In a large non stick frying pan heat the Peanut Oil.
2, When the oil is just starting to smoke, add the Tuna a few pieces at a time.
3. Sear untouched for no more than 15 seconds.
4. Turn the other side & sear again untouched for another 15 seconds.
5. Continue until all the Tuna is seared.
6. You will have lovely Tuna on the very rare side.
7. Plate & drizzle with the Asian sauce & sprinkle on Sesame Seeds.
RECIPE For Asian Sauce

INGREDIENTS

2TB of Soy Sauce
2TB of Mirin
1TB of Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup of Rice Wine or Sherry
1″ nob of Ginger grated
2 Garlic Cloves diced
1tsp of Sesame Oil
3 TB of Scallions white & green diced into 1/2 pieces.

METHOD

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.
2. Drizzle on to the plated Tuna & bring what remains to the table.

June 10, 2011 Cathie’s Cheese Souffle


Cheese Souffle

Cathie's Cheese Souffle

RECIPE

Cath’s Cheese Souffle

Serves 2

For as long as I know Cathie she has mastered replicating Julia Child’s Cheese Souffle, from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volume 1. When we both are all “fooded” out I’d ask, “Hey Cath how about a souffle?”.
This recipe looks complicated, but according to Cathie it’s quite easy.

METHOD Step by Step

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6 cup soufflé mold
1 TB Butter
2 TB mixture of Swiss & Parmesan Cheese

Butter inside of the souffle mold and sprinkle with Cheese. Save a little of the Cheese to sprinkle on top of the mold as it goes into the oven.

3 TB Butter
3 TB Wondra Flour (I think regular flour is too heavy)
1 Cup of boiling Heavy Cream (or you can use Milk)
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Pepper
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg

Melt Butter in 2-1/2 qt. Saucepan. Stir in Flour with a wooden spoon and cook over heat until Butter and Flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat; pour in boiling Cream. Add seasonings. Beat vigorously with wire whip until blended. Return over moderate heat and boil, stirring with whisk, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

5 Eggs, separated

Immediately start to separate the Eggs. Drop White into a separate bowl and the Yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the Yolk into the sauce and continue in the same manner with the rest of the Eggs. Correct seasoning. (May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of sauce with Butter.

The Egg Whites
Pinch of Salt
3/4 C. coarsely grated mix of Swiss & Parmesan or whatever you have on hand

Add pinch of Salt to the Whites and beat until stiff. Stir a big spoonful (about one quarter of the Whites) into the sauce. Stir in the Cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the Egg Whites. It will not look well mixed, but yellow with crests of white foam.

Turn the mixture into the prepared mold, which should be about 3/4 full. Sprinkle reserved Cheese on top. Set mold on rack in the middle of the oven and immediately turn heat down to 375. (Do not open the door for 20 minutes.) In 30 minutes the soufflé will have puffed up and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4-5 minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once.

Salda

Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Portobello Mushrooms & Shaved Cheese

RECIPE

Romaine Lettuce, Portobello Mushrooms & Parmesan Salad
Late in the afternoon the Romaine was picked from the garden. Searching through the fridge I couldn’t find an appropriate complement to the lettuce.
So I decided to broil three large Portobello Mushrooms & hope for the best. The result was all right but certainly not a winning combination. My advice is to be creative & experiment. There’s usually never anything to lose because most ingredients that can go into a salad contribute a dimension of flavor.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS For the Salad

1 Head of Romaine
3 Portobello Mushrooms
Olive Oil for the Mushrooms
Parmesan Cheese

INGREDIENTS For the Vinaigrette

1 tsp of EVOO
1/4 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
1 Large Shallot peeled & thinly sliced.
1/2 tsp of Colman’s Dry Mustard
Salt & fresh Black Pepper

METHOD

1. Set the oven to broil or a BBQ grill to high.
2. Lightly oil the Portobellos on both sides.
3. Broil or grill the Mushrooms cap side up. No need to turn the caps.
4. When cool to the touch cut the Portobellos into 1/4″ slices. Set aside.
5. Cut Romaine into 1″ pieces.
6. With a vegetable peeler take shavings off the Parmesan.
7. Toss the Romaine with the Vinaigrette & plate.
8. On each plate add the Parmesan shavings & the Portobello slices.

June 9, 2011 Chilean Seabass in a Miso & Soy Glaze


 

Soy & Miso Glazed Seabass

Soy & MIso Glazed Seabass

Serves 3

To achieve this appealing glaze we marinated the Bass in a mixture of ingredients listed below. Just before sending it to the broiler we added a Ginger Glaze to the surface of the fish.

The glaze is available from a company named Rolands. Check them out on Google. Their glazes come in different savory flavors.
Ingredients

1/3 Cup of Sake
1/3 Cup of Mirin
4 TB of Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup of White Miso Paste
Ginger Glaze optional

3 5 Ounce fillets of Chilean Sea Bass 1″thick
2 TB of thinly sliced Scallions
1 1″ Piece of fresh Ginger cut into 1/2″ matchsticks

Method

1. Whisk together the Sake, Mirin, Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, and Miso Paste in a bowl to make the marinade. Place the Chilean Sea Bass in a large sealable plastic bag or other container and pour the marinade over the sea bass. Chill in refrigerator 3 to 6 hours. Arrange the fillets on a baking sheet. Discard the marinade. Add the optional Ginger Glaze.
2. Preheat the oven’s broiler & set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Prop the oven door to remain slightly ajar.
3. Bake the Chilean Sea Bass under the broiler until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 7 to 9 minutes. Sprinkle with sliced Scallions & Ginger matchsticks & serve.

Spinach

Spinach with Garlic

Sauteed Spinach with Garlic & EVOO

Serves 3

Imgredients

2 10 Ounce bags of washed Spinach
2 Garlic cloves sliced
2 TB of EVOO+ 1TB for adding to the plate
Salt & fresh Black Pepper

Method

1. Rewash the Spinach & remove their stems. This is optional but desirable.
2. Tear into bite size pieces.
3. Heat a deep sided saute pan until hot. Add the Olive Oil. When the Oil is rippling, add the Garlic, cook until fragrant.
4. Add a large handful of Spinach, cover & allow it to wilt. Repeat until all the spinach is in the pan & wilted.
5. Toss the mixture & it’s ready to plate.

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May 27, 2011 May 26 – From Julia’s 1970 Classic, Caesar Salad


Caesar Salad

The Classic Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad Classic

Serves 4
‘From Julia’s Kitchen” deftly descibes the theatrical hand gestures of Senor Caesar when preparing his personal creation, the Caesar Salad, at tableside in his Mexico City restaurant.

This recipe lacks the Senor’s theatrics, but does include all of the original ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

4 Hearts of Romaine Lettuce
3/4 Cup of EVOO + 2 TB
3 TB of Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp of Salt & fresh ground Pepper
1/2 tsp of Coleman’s Dry Mustard
1 Garlic clove crushed
1 Egg
1 Small Lemon, Juiced, or to taste
1/4 Cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
1 1/2 Cups of homemade Garlic Croutons
1 2 Ounce can of Anchovy fillets

METHOD

1. In a bowl or a lidded jar, combine the EVOO, Vinegar, Worcester Sauce, Mustard, Salt, crushed Garlic, & Lemon juice.
2. Coddle the Egg by heating it in a pot of water brought to a boil, turn the burner off. Carefully drop in the Egg & let it coddle for about a minute. Remove & allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle crack open the coddled Egg & add it to the dressing. Whisk or shake until thoroughly blended.
3. Cut 2 or 3 pieces of day old loaf bread into Crouton size pieces. Put into a bowl, add 1 TB of EVOO & 1 tsp of Salt & toss to mix.
4. Heat a large frying pan & add the other 1 TB of EVOO, when heated add the crushed Garlic. When the Garlic is lighlty browned & the oil is fragrant add the Croutons. Saute until toasted. Remove to its prep bowl.
4. Time to prepare the Romaine hearts.
Cut them into bite size pieces, no more than about an inch wide & add them to a large salad bowl. (The Senor might have used a wooden bowl & rubbed all of the sides with a Garlic clove)
5. Add the Dressing to the Lettuce, moistening to your liking. 3 TB should more than do it. Toss in the Croutons.
6. Plate & top with the Anchovie fillets. If you don’t care for Anchovies just omit them & the dish is ready to serve

Note: In the quantity listed there will be Caesar Dressing left over. I believe that It can be kept refriderated for one week. I would not keep a dessing that contains an egg any longer.

May 24, 2011 Spaghetti with Puttanesca Sauce


Spaghetti wih Puttanesca Sauce

Last night’s wonderful dinner
Spaghetti with Puttanesca Sauce

This famous classic dish was named for the fact that Italy’s “Ladies of The Evening” could quickly prepare & eat it between client calls, it is just as fast and easy as the original and requires nothing more than some everyday items you probably already stock in your pantry.

The sauce originated in Naples. The Ladies prepared it right on the street in large empty oil drums that they fired up basically to keep warm. It was a quick & nourishing meal that allowed them to get the needed renewed energy to get right back to work. The slang interpretation of the name was & still is “Whores Pasta”.

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp of Garlic or more, finely chopped
2 Cans of flat Anchovies chopped & their oil
1 Large Onion chopped
1 Fresh hot Chili Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes to taste
1 28 ounce can of Italian Plum tomatoes, if available
San Marzano Tomatoes always preferred
2 tsp of black Pepper
2 tsp of chopped fresh Oregano or 1 tsp of dried
2 TBS of Flat Leaf Parsley finely chopped
1 TBS of Capers drained & rinsed
12 Gaeta, Oil Cured or Kalamata Black Olives pitted & cut in quarters
2 TBS of EVOO
Spaghetti or Linguine the amount required to accommodate the serving

METHOD The Puttanesca Sauce

1. Heat Olive Oil & the Oil in the Anchovy can in a large deep skillet till
medium high & saute the Anchovies until melted. Add the chopped Garlic & saute till golden.
2. Saute diced Onion for a few minutes until transparent & tender.
3. Add Tomatoes & their juices, smashing the Tomatoes by squeezing them through your fingers as you apply them to the skillet.
4. Add Chili or Red Pepper Flakes, Pepper, Oregano, Parsley, & rinsed Capers.
5. Cook uncovered at a simmer for 20 minutes or until the flavors merge.
use your judgement.
6. Add chopped Olives & cook for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Taste & adjust seasonings as desired.

METHOD The Pasta

1. Fill a pasta or soup pot with about 8 quarts of water, when boiling add 1 TBS of Kosher Salt.
2. Add the Pasta & bring the water back to a boil & boil until Al Dente. About 8 minutes for Spaghetti about the same for Linguine.
3. Drain & your ready to add to a Sauce.

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