Bring 8oz. of feta, 4 oz. of ricotta, and 2 oz. of
sour cream or yogurt to room temperature then blend smooth with a tablespoon of
extra virgin olive oil, a couple tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, a quarter
teaspoon of red chili flakes, and a bit of salt and pepper.
After a minute or so, when it’s real smooth, stop and taste
to see if it needs anymore salt, pepper, or chili flakes. Once, you’re happy
with the flavor, scrape it into a bowl and stir in about five tablespoons of
honey. Cover with saran, then refrigerate until you’re ready to go.
As a sauce, puddle it under your grilled meat or veggies. As
a dip, garnish with some sesame seeds, za’atar, harissa, or chili flakes and
serve with some toasted pita chips.
Happy September!
For the dressing, combine the juice from two limes with an
equal amount of rice wine vinegar, a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil, three
tablespoons of fish sauce, a tablespoon of honey, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the skin from half of a ripe pineapple, remove the core,
cut into quarter inch slices, then chop into smallish bite-size pieces. Combine
with a quarter to a half of a thinly sliced green cabbage depending on the size,
some coarsely chopped jicama, scallion, finely minced Thai or serrano pepper,
and a generous amount of finely chopped mint or cilantro.
Add the dressing, toss, and salt and pepper to taste. If it
seems dry, you can always add some more lime juice.
Happy August!
Start with the vinaigrette, these quantities will yield
enough for the salmon and a salad to serve it over. Mix together the juice of
one and a half to two lemons, two minced garlic cloves, two tablespoons of
tahini, a quarter cup extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper to
taste. Adjust the consistency by adding
some more oil or even a little bit of warm water.
Next, place your heaviest oven proof frying pan on the
stove over medium heat, or on high if you’re cooking on a gas barbeque. Cut a
pound and a quarter of salmon into four serving sized pieces, generously salt
both sides, then season the top with zaatar. Swirl a teaspoon of vegetable oil
around the hot pan to coat the bottom then place the salmon in skin side down.
After approximately four minutes, no need to flip, simply
transfer the pan to a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for another five
minutes, or until it’s done to your liking. For grill users, turn the burner
off under the pan, leave the far burner on medium, and close the lid of the
barbeque. Either way, when it’s done be sure to remove the salmon from the pan
immediately to prevent it from cooking further.
For the salad, coarsely chop some endive, radicchio, and
cucumber, then toss with a handful of kalamata olives, and the dressing…making
sure to save some to drizzle over the salmon when serving.
Our local farmers are amazing! It’s only the beginning of
June and at last week’s Waitsfield farmer’s market I saw asparagus, spinach, Russian
Kale, radishes, broccolini, onions, herbs, scallions, turnips, greens, and more.
Be sure to check it out!
I used the parsley, spinach, and onions I bought along with
the first of the Florida corn from the grocery store for my first lentil salad
of the season. Lentil salads are about three things, lentils, dressing, and all
the other stuff.
You want your lentils firm…not hard or mushy. For a cup of dry lentils, eleven to twelve
minutes at a low boil is usually about right. Rinse with cold water and drain
after cooking.
The dressing is where most of the flavor comes from, so don’t
hold back on the garlic, herbs, and spices! Start by mincing a clove of garlic
or two in the Cuisinart. Next, add a full bunch of parsley, stems and all, a
quarter teaspoon of kosher salt, and a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive
oil. Pulse into a coarse paste.
The oil and vinegar go in later, but for now, stir the
parsley paste together with the drained lentils in a large bowl and set aside.
As far as all the other stuff goes, there are countless
options. Some of my go to ingredients include kale, arugula, squash, sweet
potatoes, dried cranberries, scallions, carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, bell
pepper, dates, garbanzo beans, corn, feta cheese, olives, capers, and fresh herbs.
For ingredients like squash and sweet potatoes, it’s
necessary to either sauté or roast them ahead of time. Corn, onions, and
peppers can be used raw or cooked.
This time around I sauteed the onion and corn before mixing
them together with the lentils and some sun-dried tomatoes. I then added some extra
virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and red wine vinegar using a 50/50
oil to acid ratio. And as always, salt and pepper to taste.
For an easy one plate meal, throw some spiced shrimp, chicken, or tofu over the top.
In a small bowl or jar with a lid, combine the juice from
half a lemon, twice that amount of extra virgin olive oil, a thinly sliced
shallot, a handful of finely chopped mint, salt, and pepper. Mix or shake well
and set aside.
Remove the coarse bottoms from a pound of asparagus spears,
cut into two-inch pieces, then blanch for a minute or two in a pot of simmering
salted water. Once the asparagus is tender but still firm, drain in a colander and
run under cold water to keep them from cooking any more.
Five minutes before serving, adjust the dressing if needed with
more lemon, oil, salt, or pepper. Then, in a large bowl, combine the asparagus,
two ounces of pea shoots, four ounces of crumbled feta, another helping of
chopped mint, and the dressing. Toss well.
Happiness, right? Spring is here!
Remove the casings from four Italian sausages by slicing
them down one side and peeling them away from the meat. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a large pot
then sauté the ground sausage and a chopped shallot until the meat is nearly
cooked through. If you want to spice it up, this would be the time to add some
red pepper flakes…or extra garlic as well.
To finish, simply pour in a jar of your favorite marinara,
simmer for 10 minutes, then toss with a pound of cooked pasta and some
parmesan.
For a raw Brussel sprout salad I figure about six sprouts
per person. Start by removing the discolored outer leaves then slicing as
thinly as possible and set aside in a salad bowl. Sometimes it easier to cut
the Brussel sprout in half first then slice with the flat cut half against the
cutting board.
Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a small bowl, add
a handful of dried cranberries and soak for at least five minutes. Next, prep
the parmesan using a cheese planer or the coarsest side of a box grater…shave
about a half a cup and set aside.
When you’re ready to go, drizzle some extra virgin olive
oil onto the sprouts along with the cranberries and lemon juice. Toss well, add
the shaved parmesan then salt and pepper to taste. Depending on how wet you like
your salads, you may want to add some more lemon juice or olive oil.
Preheat your oven to 425. In a small bowl, mash together two
minced garlic cloves, some black pepper, the zest from half a lemon, two
tablespoons of olive oil, and a tablespoon each of room temperature butter,
Dijon mustard, and if you’re a real Caesar fan, anchovy paste.
Stir in a half a cup each of grated parmesan and panko and
combine well to form a coarse paste. You may have to loosen it up with another
splash or two of olive oil.
Cut about a pound of cod into portion sized pieces and put
them onto a butter smeared baking sheet or roasting pan. Use your hands to form
a quarter inch layer of the mixture on the tops of the fillets and bake for 15
minutes. Turn up the heat to 450 or 500 and cook until you start to see some
browning…probably no more than five minutes.
Give each fillet a big squeeze of lemon juice and serve.
Warm a few splashes of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed
pot over low heat. Add a couple thinly sliced cloves of garlic and cook until
fork tender and the flavor is imparted into the oil.
Next, pour in a half a cup of water, vegetable, or chicken
stock along with a bunch of coarsely chopped kale. Turn the heat to medium
high, cover, and cook for approximately five minutes. Uncover and simmer until
all the liquid has evaporated.
Salt and pepper to taste. And if you have it, drizzle with
a fine extra virgin olive oil.
Happy spring!
Slice a large eggplant in half the long way, cut each half
into three long triangular wedges, then cut each of those wedges into two-inch long
pieces.
Set your heaviest skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, coat lightly with some veggie
oil and place the eggplant wedges cut side down.
Being careful not to let them burn, cook for a couple of
minutes until they’re charred on the bottom. Flip to the other cut side, cook
for another minute, then turn the heat down to low and leave on the heat until
they’re tender and cooked through…about two minutes. Set aside and let cool.
In a medium bowl, mix together two thinly sliced scallions,
a small thinly sliced deseeded Fresno chili, a teaspoon of fish sauce, and two
teaspoons each of minced garlic, toasted sesame seeds, and soy sauce.
Shred the eggplant pieces lengthwise with your fingers and
toss together with the dressing…done! They’re as good at room temperature as
they are chilled, and last for a few days in the fridge.
Cut about a half an inch from the bottom of the broccoli
rabe stocks and discard. Cut the remainder of the bunch into thirds and blanch
for a couple of minutes in a large pot of salted water. Drain and run under
some cold water to keep it from cooking any further.
Heat a generous pour of olive oil in the soup pot then stir
in a few good shakes of red pepper flakes and a couple of finely chopped garlic
cloves. After a minute, add the broccoli rabe, stir it around a bit, then add
about six cups of chicken or vegetable stock.
Bring to a boil, then quickly turn down to a simmer. Stir
in a drained can of cannellini, navy, or northern white beans and simmer for
another twenty minutes. Salt to taste.
A little parmesan grated over the top is never a bad idea.
But let’s talk about the puree. Peel, deseed, and cut a
butternut squash into one-inch chunks, toss with a little olive oil, salt, and
pepper, and roast at 400 until very tender. You could boil it, but roasting
really brings out the flavor of the squash.
Once it’s cool enough, mash or throw it into the food
processor with a couple of tablespoons of honey. The amount of yogurt depends
on how thick both your puree and yogurt are, but I would say you should add at
least a few tablespoons. Once you’ve got your desired consistency, salt and pepper
to taste and reheat in a Teflon pan when you’re ready to serve.
Salt and pepper the pork chops and place in a hot pan with
just a dab of oil to help kickstart the browning. Give them less than a minute on
each side then turn down the heat to low. Add a cup of salsa verde, flip the
chops a couple of times to coat with the salsa, then cover the pan and let
simmer.
Depending on the thickness, they’ll be done in anywhere
from two to five minutes. Serve with the salsa verde spooned over the top.
In a jar with a lid, combine the juice from two limes, two
tablespoons of honey, a third to a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, a
teaspoon of Dijon, a half a teaspoon of kosher salt, and a quarter teaspoon
each of black pepper and cumin. It’s the
cumin that really takes it over the top.
Shake vigorously, taste for salt, then toss with the red
cabbage. I didn’t have any on hand, but some chopped scallion or cilantro would
have been great.
With just a small splash of vegetable oil, lightly brown
two pounds of bone in chicken thighs or legs in a large heavy pot and set aside.
Add a third of a cup of sesame oil, six to eight peeled whole garlic cloves,
five scallions cut into one-inch pieces, a 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and
cut into 1/8” slices, and three halved small Thai red chiles…one if you’re not
a fan of spicy. Leave on medium heat for three to four minutes.
Return the chicken to the pot along with any juices that
accumulated, a cup of sake or dry white wine, half a cup of soy sauce, and two
tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil then quickly reduce the heat and simmer
uncovered for approximately 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked
through.
Set the chicken aside and lightly boil the sauce until it’s
a syrupy consistency, shouldn’t take long. Turn off the heat, stir in a few
forkfuls of jarred Thai basil leaves, return the chicken to the pot for a few
minutes and serve with some rice.
They don’t require any prep, just remember to pull them out
of the freezer a couple of hours before dinner. And even if you forget, you can
put them in a strainer and run them under some warm water to defrost quickly.
Unlike most sauteed vegetables which I do at high heat, I do
edamame a little differently. I start with a generous pour of olive oil in a
large sauté pan and a couple of minced garlic cloves over low heat to let the
garlic impart its flavor into the oil.
Then, after a few minutes I turn up the heat to medium low,
add the edamame, a couple of chopped scallions, some salt and pepper, and cook
for five minutes and done.
Over a medium flame, use a pair of tongs to char two large
poblano peppers on one of your stove’s gas burners. Once they are completely blackened
place them in a bowl and seal tightly with saran. Wait ten minutes, remove the charred skin
with your hands, deseed, cut into one-inch pieces, then set aside.
In a large pot, lightly brown two pounds of ground beef
then remove and set aside. Add a third of a pound of diced bacon and a large chopped
onion to the pot, sauté for ten minutes or until the onion starts to brown.
Add a can of tomato paste, a tablespoon of cumin powder,
two tablespoons of chili powder, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, two minced garlic
cloves, two chopped jalapeno peppers, and three finely chopped canned chipotle peppers
in adobo sauce. Stir often and adjust the heat if necessary to ensure the
spices don’t burn.
After a couple of minutes, return the ground beef to the
pot along with three14oz. cans of diced tomatoes, a large cup of strong coffee,
six cups of chicken stock, and a 12 oz. beer of your choice. Cover, bring to a
quick boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for an hour.
Rinse three cans of black or pinto beans in a strainer, stir
into the chili with the poblano pepper pieces and simmer for another hour
covered.
If it’s too soupy after it’s finished cooking, continue to
simmer uncovered until it reduces to your desired thickness. Salt to taste.
Preheat your oven to 400, then, in a small bowl stir
together three tablespoons of gochujang paste, half a teaspoon of grated fresh
ginger, and a tablespoon each of sesame oil, honey, and rice wine vinegar.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat with just few drops of
vegetable oil. Salt and pepper your salmon filet and set it in the pan skin
side up. Wait two minutes, flip, brush the glaze over the top, cook for another
minute, then pop it into the oven for 10 to 15 more depending on how you like
it cooked.
Gravy comes down to two things, a stock and a roux. As far
as a stock goes, I use Better Than Bouillon chicken, beef, vegetable, or
mushroom base, all available locally. If you are roasting chicken or beef, you
can add the drippings as well. Whichever stock flavor you use, it’s best to
dissolve the base in hot water beforehand and set aside to cool slightly while
you’re making the roux.
The roux is what will thicken the stock into a gravy, it’s simply
equal parts butter and all-purpose flour. For four cups of stock, melt four
tablespoons of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium to medium-low heat. Once
melted, add four tablespoons of flour and let it cook for approximately ten
minutes, whisking frequently. You’ll know it’s done when you get a faint smell
of toast and the color starts to brown…but be careful not to let it burn.
When your roux is ready, add the pot of stock a ladle at a
time, whisking as you go to keep it from getting lumpy. Then turn the heat to
low and simmer for another 15 minutes to let it fully thicken, salt and pepper
to taste.
