Hardy Party Review: Recipes

Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Fresh Lima Beans

Most of us only see these beautys in a bag at the back of the freezer with perma-frost on them. You know... they've been lurking there since last Thanksgiving's Succotash extravaganza. If you can find them fresh, however, it's a whole new ball game.

I sauteed mine with shiitake mushrooms and prosciutto ham. Delicious.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Chanterelles: Who needs Morel mushrooms anyway?

So I missed Morel season again! Last year, I bought a small bag of Morel mushrooms at the farmer’s market in Baltimore, and then somehow lost them without realizing it. It was the last week for Morels. Oh gloom and despair! Not to mention $10 down the drain.

Determined to find Morels this year I hit a couple of the farmers markets I know, but always came up empty handed. This past weekend, we revisited the Farm Fresh Market in Annapolis and to my delight, discovered that a mushroom vendor had joined the ranks of this newly launched market. However, when I queried about Morels, “We sold out of our last Morels last week” was the reply.

NOOOOOOOOOO! My disappointment was clearly visible. “If it’s any consolation,” the lovely mushroom girl said, “This is the first week for Chanterelles, and we should have them for a couple of months”

As a matter of fact, Chanterelles turned out to be a marvelous consolation!

Whole Wheat Pasta with Pan Roasted Chanterelles, Crab and Shrimp

1 lb Whole Wheat Spaghetti (Ronzoni is the best)
½ lb Chanterelle Mushrooms, rinsed and halved
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ Cup Chicken Stock
12 Large Prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Cup Jumbo lump crab meat
2 Tbsp Prepared Pesto Sauce

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and cover with a lid. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil until wisps of smoke appear and the oil begins to shimmer. Smash the garlic cloves, but do not remove their paper. Add directly to the pan. Rinse and halve the mushrooms, just prior to cooking. When the olive oil is ready add the mushrooms to the pan and stir to coat. Reduce the heat and let the mushrooms begin to caramelize, stirring only occasionally. When a fond has begun to appear on the bottom of the skillet, remove the garlic and add the chicken stock. Reduce to a simmer and let the mushrooms absorb all of the liquid. Once all of the liquid has evaporated, remove the mushrooms and reserve until later.

Drop the pasta in the water and cook until done.

In the same pan used to cook the mushrooms, add the large shrimp. You may need to add a little more olive oil. As the shrimp are cooking, squeeze the juice from the half lemon and add the lemon zest. Add the two Tbsp of pesto sauce and the crab meat. Return the mushrooms to the pan and stir. Using a ladle, add a small amount of the pasta water to the pan to remove any of the fond that has formed. Add the cooked pasta to the sauté pan, mix well and serve.

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

*For my weight watchers friends, this turns out to be 5 points per serving.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Slim Coq Au Vin

I love Coq Au Vin (Chicken with Wine), but when you're trying to watch your calories, all that butter and chicken fat in a tradtional Coq Au Vin can add up quick. Here is my recipe for Coq Au Vin that misses none of the lusciousness of the traditional recipe but with a fraction of the fat and calories. For those of you keeping track, this recipe is 6 Weight Watchers points per serving*.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup red wine
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup mushroom(s), cut in half
4 cooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
1 leaf bay leaf
1 Tbsp parsley
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp black pepper, to taste
1 tsp table salt, to taste

Instructions: Place flour in a plastic bag. Put the chicken in the bag and shake to coat the chicken with the flour. In a dutch oven, place the olive oil and heat until small wisps of smoke appear. Add the garlic and chicken. Salt and Pepper the chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Add the wine and chicken broth along with the herbs and let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and add the onions and mushrooms. Let the sauce reduce by three fourths and then return the chicken to the sauce. The sauce should have body but not too thick. Create a slurry with 1 Tbsp of flour and a small amount of water and add to the sauce to thicken if desired. Serve immediately with noodles or mashed potatoes.

Serves 4*

*special note to my weight watcher friends, if you turn this into 2 servings (as we would at our house) then this has a point value of 9.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Skinny Turkey Piccata

O.k. so this isn’t really a true Piccata, but it’s a great little weeknight dinner for two. I’ve added some things here to make the dish a little more interesting and I’ve replaced the oil and butter with chicken stock to make this “health-friendly”. It’s loaded with flavor, so you won’t miss the extra calories.

Turkey Piccata

4 Turkey Cutlets
¼ cup and 1 Tsp All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
½ cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Juice from 1 lemon
¾ cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp Capers

In a wide bowl place the ¼ cup of all purpose flour. Dredge the turkey cutlets in the flour, making sure to shake off any excess, and set aside.
Over medium heat spray a large nonstick sauté pan with Pam (or any other such product) and add the turkey. Cook on one side until almost done and turn over, approximately 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. To the pan add the mushrooms. Make sure all of the mushrooms have contact with the pan and do not stir them. Let them brown a little before turning. Once the mushrooms have browned add the chicken stock and lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Let the sauce reduce by half and return the turkey cutlets to the pan. Add the cherry tomatoes. Stir in the remaining teaspoon of flour to thicken the sauce. Be careful here, you want a light sauce, nothing too thick. Use less flour, or none at all if your sauce has already thickened. Add the capers. Taste the sauce, and add salt if desired.

Serve immediately over Whole Wheat Penne Rigate. In my opinion, Ronzoni makes the best whole wheat pasta.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Ode to a Grecian Olive Oil

After seeing my poll on which country produces the best olive oil my good friend John gave me a bottle of home pressed olive oil from his mother-in-law’s own olive tree orchard from the state of Patras in the Katoahaia region, near the Ionian Sea in Greece. The olive oil is fantastic; very fresh, clean and herbaceous with a nice peppery bite. At home we have been concentrating on eating healthy and I find olive oil to be essential in that endeavor. In honor of our new Grecian olive oil, I put together this very quick and easy recipe last night. Thanks to John and Katrin (John’s lovely wife) for the inspiration.

Grecian Lemon-Garlic Chicken

2 Chicken Breasts, sliced thin
4 Cloves of Garlic, pressed through a garlic press
2 Tbsp Grecian Olive Oil
½ Tsp Salt
Cracked Pepper
¼ cup Chicken Broth
Juice of One Lemon
1 Tbsp Capers
1 oz Reduced Fat Feta Cheese Crumble
Chopped Parsley

Place the chicken in a large bowl and top with the pressed garlic (if you do not have a garlic press, then simply mince the garlic very fine until it makes a paste consistency), 1 Tbsp Olive Oil (reserve 1 Tbsp), salt and pepper. Mix well to coat all the chicken. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

In a large sauté pan, heat the additional olive oil over medium high heat until you see it shimmer across the pan. Add the chicken and sauté until almost done, approximately 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue to sauté until the juice of the lemon has reduced in half. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. Be sure to scrape up all the bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan to bring up all that luscious flavor. Remove from the heat and add the Capers, Feta Cheese and Chopped Parsley. Stir to warm the remainder of the ingredients and serve immediately over Grecian Bulgur Wheat Pilaf.

Serves 3-4

Grecian Bulgur Wheat Pilaf

2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 tsp Grecian Olive Oil
1 Cup Uncooked Organic Bulgur Wheat
¼ Cup Kalamata Olives, sliced
½ Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes cut in half
¼ Cup Sliced Almonds

In a covered pot heat the Chicken Broth and olive oil until it boils. Add the Bulgur Wheat and the remaining ingredients and let the mixture return to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the mixture well and serve.

Serves 3-4

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Real Good Chili Real Fast

It's January and when the weather turns cold my thoughts run toward homemade chili. There is nothing so satisfying as a big bowl of hot spicy chili that has been cooking in a pot for several hours letting all the flavors meld as the aroma wafts through the house, enticing you with its subtle charms. That topped with some “made from scratch” home-baked corn bread hot from the oven, butter dripping down the sides is all I need to feel complete as a man.

Unfortunately, I live in the real world. Who has the time? I usually spend no more than 30 minutes on a meal during the week and less if I can get away with it. With that said, I see no reason to deprive myself of one of life’s greatest pleasures, homemade chili. Over the years I have devised a few tricks to creating a good “homemade” chili in a fraction of the time it should take.

Here is what I do

2 Dried Ancho Chilis
2 Cups Boiling Water
1 Medium onion diced
2 TBSP Olive Oil
3 TBSP Chili Powder
2 TBSP Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
½ Tsp Dried Chipotle Pepper Powder or Cayenne Pepper
1 TBSP Dona Maria Mole
2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 lb Coarsely Ground Beef
½ Tsp Mexican Oregano
Dash of Cinnamon
1 14.5 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes (Preferably Muir Glen Organic)
Salt to taste
1 Can Red Kidney Beans (Drained)
3 TBSP Masa Harina (MaSeCa)
Splash of warm water

In a small bowl, place the dried chilis in the boiling water and let them soak for approximately 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven heat the olive oil and sweat the diced onions for about 3-4 minutes until they are translucent.

Secret Weapon Number One: Add the chili powder, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, and dried chipotle pepper to the onions to “bloom” the dried spices. They will create a dry paste in the pot.

Secret Weapon Number Two: Dona Maria Mole, available in most supermarkets in the international/ Mexican aisle. It has a pry off tin lid and once you open the jar you will find a lot of oil. Don’t worry about it, just scoop out a good heaping spoonful (it will be thick and pasty) and add to the pot. Let it melt down a little and then add the ground beef and cook until browned. Then add the crushed garlic, oregano, can of diced tomatoes and salt to taste.

Secret Weapon Number Three: Remove the dried ancho chilis from the water, seed and loosely chop them. Place them in a blender with about half of the hot water. Blend well and add to the chili pot. Partially cover the chili and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat.

Secret Weapon Number Four: In a small bowl, add the Masa Harina (corn flour) to some warm water and create a slurry. If you can’t find Masa Harina, you can use corn meal, or, if your really in a pinch, soak some corn tortillas and crumble them into the chili. Add the slurry to the chili, mix well, then add the kidney beans and cook for an additional five minutes.

Serve immediately. For a change of pace, don’t put grated cheddar cheese on your chili, try some grated Gruyere cheese. The nutty flavor and melty nature of Gruyere makes a delicious topping to chili. I also like shaved parmesan.

Serve with some freshly baked corn bread. You can make it yourself from scratch, and it’s really good that way, but I cheat. Use a corn muffin mix, follow the instructions on the box and add what you would like. I’ve added canned corn, roasted red peppers, jalapeno peppers just to name a few. I bake mine in a cake pan and top with a dusting of turbinado sugar and cayenne pepper. 16-18 minutes to perfection.

The last great news about this chili recipe is that if you do find yourself with a couple of hours the longer you let this simmer, the better it tastes. Be sure not to add the beans until the very end. It also makes a mean chili dog the next day.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Nouvelle Slinger

In Saint Louis you can get a dish called a “Slinger”. Its origins are clouded in mystery and much debate, but it is likely that it started at O.T. Hodges Chili Parlor, a mainstay chili joint that has been serving Saint Louisans since 1904. It has certainly been on their menu for decades. Essentially a white trash version of Eggs Benedict, a slinger is composed of two cheeseburger patties, hash browns, topped with chili and two fried eggs.

You might as well take one of the burgers and lodge it directly in your aorta because the slinger has so much fat and cholesterol in it that it’s really just a heart attack on a plate. Oh, and be forewarned if the fat and cholesterol doesn’t get you, the gas and indigestion will. We’re talking Science Fiction Channel type gas and indigestion.

Needless to say, I love them, but haven’t had one in quite a while. Last night I realized that I had hamburger in the fridge but no buns for a proper sandwich. So I decided I would make a slinger. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any chili either, and I didn’t want to stop at the supermarket to pick some up. I decided to improvise. Here is what I did.

Chili Flavored Cheeseburgers with Fried Eggs and Salsa

¾ LB Ground Beef
4 TBSP Dried Chili Powder
3 TBSP Ground Cumin
2 Cloves Pressed Garlic
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper
¼ tsp Sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste
4 Slices American Cheese
4 Eggs
Salsa (Store-bought or Homemade)

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the ground beef with the chili powder, ground cumin, garlic, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper. Please note, you need a fair amount of salt to bring out the flavors of the chili. Fry the patties in a pan to desired doneness and top with the American Cheese. In a separate pan, fry the eggs to an over easy consistency. You want the yolks to be runny as that will create a sauce for the dish. Place fried eggs on top of burgers and top with salsa. Serve immediately.

“I don't reckon I got no reason to kill nobody” Billy Bob Thornton from the movie "Sling Blade'

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Cookie Monster!

My friend Michael sent this to me. Some of you may have already seen this forwarded via email. If you like to bake cookies this is the cookie motherload.

Just click on the name of the cookie and you will be redirected to the recipe. Happy Baking!

Friday, October 5, 2007

Who You Calling Chicken?

My co-worker Maria is a Portuguese woman who hails from Goa, India who until recently was living in London. As such, she has quite the “cosmopolitan” taste in food. Some time ago, she brought me a Biryani spice blend to make with rice and chicken. I have to admit that I avoided it for a while, because I was afraid it would be too difficult, as I have heard that biryani is a very complex meal to make. Earlier this week, however, Maria and I were discussing our dinner plans and my thoughts turned to the biryani spice blend. She assured me that it was quite simple and that I should give it a go. The result was utterly spectacular and I can’t wait to make it again. This is not exactly what you might get in a proper Indian kitchen. I altered the recipe with some non-traditional items to suit the ready available ingredients I had on hand, (as well as my own taste) but I believe there was no disparity in the quality of the dish. Here is what I did.

"Frightless" Chicken Biryani

2 TBSP Olive Oil
½ Chopped Onion
2 Medium Chicken Breasts cubed
5-6 Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into quarters
1 TBSP Fresh grated Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
6 TBSP Garam Masala or Biryani Spice Blend*
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Cup Water
2 Medium Tomatoes cut into wedges
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Chiles sliced thin (Optional)
Cilantro
2 cups cooked Basmati Rice

Method:
In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and sweat the chopped onions. Add the chicken and potatoes and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and spice blend and toast the spices a bit before adding the yogurt and water. At this point, reduce the heat and cover, let the dish simmer until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are fork tender, approximately 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the sour cream to help thicken the broth. Serve over cooked Basmati rice and top with cilantro and sliced chiles.

Traditionally, you would serve this dish with Naan, or even pita, but since I had neither, I heated up some corn tortillas instead. Not traditional but it sure was tasty. If you need a little help "putting out the fire in your mouth" try a little Raita as a condiment on the side (Recipe follows).

*Garam Masala and Biryani spice blends are not available in most supermarkets. You can purchase Biryani spice blends over the internet or in a specialty market.

Raita

½ cup plain yogurt
¼ chopped cucumber
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well and serve chilled.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Summer Pasta

Here’s a quick summer pasta recipe that is as spectacular as it is easy. I threw this together last night and I really don’t know what to call it. It’s sort of a combination of Carbonara and Amitriciana. Traditionally, Carbonara or Amitriciana would be served with spaghetti, but I used penne rigate and it was fantastic. Honestly, this would go well on just about any non-filled pasta.

Patrick’s Summer Pasta

1 lb dry Pasta
1 TBSP Olive Oil
4 strips bacon or pancetta (cut into bite sized pieces)
½ onion (diced)
1 large homegrown tomato (chopped)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
3 egg yolks (lightly whisked)
2 TBSP heavy cream or water
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil and parsley

Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box. As the pasta is cooking you can start on the sauce. On medium heat add olive oil to a large sauté pan. Add the bacon or pancetta to the pan and let it render. You are looking for crispy bacon pieces. Halfway through the cooking of the bacon, add the onions to the sauté pan. Toss in the crushed red pepper flakes and once the bacon is thoroughly crispy, drain the pan of most of the bacon grease and set aside.

Once the pasta is cooked, set it in a colander to drain. DO NOT run cold water on the pasta or even shake the colander. You want to retain some of the pasta water on the noodles as it will impart extra starch that will help thicken your sauce.

Pour the drained cooked pasta into the sauté pan and return to medium heat. Pour the whisked egg yolks over the pasta and add the grated parmesan cheese. Mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for NO MORE that one minute. You just want to make sure the yolks are up to temperature. After taking the dish off the heat, add the chopped herbs and mix again.

Place in a large bowl and serve immediately. Offer additional fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese as a condiment.

Serves 4-5 people, unless Steven is one of those people, then it only serves 3

Dinner in 15 minutes, what could be better than that?

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

The Beet Goes On

A friend of Steven’s from work gave him some home grown beets the other day after he had driven her home. Steven said she was growing beets in her yard and that he had never seen so many beets in one place at one time. Half the garden was dedicated to beets!

I have never been a fan of beets, which you typically get out of a can, and for which, I have likened their flavor to tasting something like pickled dirt. With that said, here I was…faced with fresh beets and a lot of them. I remembered that Tyler Florence on the Food Network had made a panzanella out of beets once, and I thought that was intriguing. Panzanella, if you don’t know, is a simple Italian toasted bread salad.

I borrowed heavily from Tyler Florence’s recipe, but with a few of my own twists here is what I did.

Summer Beet Panzanella

For the Salad
1 Bunch of Beets
½ pint Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
½ Red Onion (sliced as thinly as possible)
1 Bunch Arugula

For the Croutons
½ Loaf Quality French Bread*
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Garlic Clove
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

For the Dressing
1 Shallot (Diced Fine)
¼ cup Honey
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp Fresh Marjoram
1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

Begin by roasting the beets. Thoroughly clean and trim the beets leaving just a little of the stem for easy handling later. Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil and douse with a little olive oil. Fold the aluminum foil into a packet and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees in a pre-heated oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until beets are tender. Remove beets from oven and let cool. You can place them in the refrigerator and cool them overnight if desired. Once cool, using plastic gloves, remove the outer skin of the beet simply by rubbing it. The skin should slide off easily. If you do not use gloves, the beets will stain your fingers.

To make the croutons, cut of the crust of some quality French bread. Cut into 1 inch slices and then cube into 1 inch squares. You want big pieces of bread. In a bowl, add minced garlic and olive oil. Place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and coat with the garlic and oil. Toss the parmesan cheese over the cubes and mix well. Make sure the bread is lightly coated, but not drenched. Place the bread in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes. You want the croutons to have a nice crunch on the outside, but still remain slightly soft.

To make the dressing, place the minced shallot into a bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil and Dijon mustard. Strip the leaves off the fresh marjoram and give a loose chop. Add to the dressing and whisk to combine. If you don’t have marjoram, try fresh thyme, oregano or basil. All would work fine in this recipe.

To assemble the salad, place the dressing at the bottom of a large salad bowl. Cut the beets in half or quarters depending on how large they are and place in the bowl. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion and the arugula. Add the croutons and toss until the dressing is well incorporated. The croutons should take on the beet color. I grow nasturtiums in the summer and the edible flower makes a lovely topping to the salad.

*Use a light French bread. You do not want a dense or crusty bread as that will create croutons which are too hard to chew.

Variations: Mix in sliced cucumbers and dates to the salad for some added sweetness. Another suggestion is to top the salad with some crumbled goat cheese or feta for an added twist.

*****
As I look at this recipe, it seems that there is a lot of work here, but in actuality, this was very simple. You do have to plan ahead, since you have to roast the beets, but once that is done; it’s smooth sailing; just some chopping and tossing, really.

The verdict: I liked the salad. I liked the taste of the beets, especially with the dressing which has a lot of sweetness to it. Apparently, it’s a good thing, because Steve’s friend confessed that she can’t have beets and promised to provide us with lots more.

Oh, and by the way, after Steve tried the salad, he was reminded that he hates beets and it really doesn’t matter what I do to them, he is going to continue to hate them. It looks like I have a lot of solitary beet consumption ahead of me. Now where did I see a recipe for Borscht?

Monday, July 23, 2007

Farmers Market Tomatoes

If you are not buying your produce at your local farmer’s market right now, then you are missing the boat! Supermarket produce simply can’t compare to the freshness, quality and variety you are afforded at a farmer’s market.

Tomatoes are in season right now and they are fantastic. Yesterday, I picked up some yellow cherry tomatoes that were as sweet as candy. Try some heirloom tomatoes for something different with extraordinary flavor.

If you have a good pizzeria near you, here is a great trick for a quick and delicious summer meal. Try topping a simple white pizza with your own tomato salad. Order a white pizza of the best quality you can find. We have a great pizzeria near us that makes fantastic wood-burning oven pizzas. The true hallmark of a great pizza is the crust. The variations on this trick are endless, but here is my recipe:

Tomato/ Arugula Salad over White Pizza

1 Large White Pizza (from your local pizzeria)
2 Large Heirloom Tomatoes (Diced)
1 Bunch of Baby Arugula
1 TBSP Capers
2 Anchovies (Optional)
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Dice your tomatoes and place in a colander to drain for two minutes. It’s important to drain the tomatoes or you salad will be too soggy when placed on the pizza. Place the drained tomatoes in a bowl and add the arugula, stems removed. If desired, dice the anchovies into very small pieces and add to the tomatoes. This will add a salty and nutty note to the salad but will not overpower the flavors of the tomatoes. Add capers. Top with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and spoon the salad on top your white pizza covering the pizza completely. Serve immediately.

This salad would also be fantastic as a topping for bruschetta, or even as a condiment to grilled swordfish or salmon.

See you at the market!

www.pickyourown.org/

Hardy Party Review