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Tomato & Sea Bean Salad and Chicken Ravioli Stoup

Tuesday September 28th 2010

Yesterday I stopped by one my favorite little food purveyors in Dallas – Jimmy’s Food Store. If you haven’t been there, it’s definitely worth the trip over to East Dallas for the fresh pastas, Italian sandwiches and anything and everything Italian. Including delicious wine.

I wasn’t really sure what I was looking to make when I stopped there, but I couldn’t pass up the cheese ravioli (although it took me awhile to decide between the cheese, porcini or basil pesto). Once I decided on the ravioli, I picked up some chicken thighs, freshly grated pecorino romano, San Marzano tomatoes and some fresh basil to create some sort of chicken ravioli soup dish.

After stopping at Jimmy’s, I walked down a few doors to Spiceman’s FM 1410. This was my first visit to this unique Dallas “farm” slash “store,” but you may remember it from Angela’s most romantic Valentine’s Day EVER.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect, as it doesn’t really seem like a food market, but it doesn’t really seem a store either. Luckily, Cole (the spiceman on hand) was there to guide me around. I can’t say enough about the friendly service and the amazing produce I picked up there. I tested out the fresh arugula, sea beans, yellow tomatoes – and I picked up all of them to make a fresh salad – for just 5 bucks!

This was my first time to try a Sea Bean, and it’s such an interesting little plant. Sea Beans (aka Salicornia) grow wild in warmer months all over in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Eaten raw or cooked, its flavor can best be described as sea salty intense, with a sort of grassy asparagus aftertaste. When fresh, Sea Beans are crunchy like snap peas. A great addition to my salad!

Tomato & Sea Bean Salad

1 bunch fresh arugula (chopped into thin slices)
2 yellow tomatoes (cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced)
1/4 cup Sea Beans (roughly chopped)
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS Pecorino Romano
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine the vegetables in a bowl & then top with olive oil, salt & pepper. Sprinkle the pecorino on top. So easy and colorful.

Chicken & Ravioli Stoup

1/4 cup carrots
1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup celery
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cups chicken stock (or chicken broth)
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano or the Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS dried thyme
1 handful chopped arugula
1 cup small cheese ravioli (or any ravioli of choice – mushroom or basil would be good as well)
1/4 cup pecorino
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, celery and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and simmer 2 minutes.

Add chicken and then add stock. Cover pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano and thyme. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes.

Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Add ravioli, arugula and pecorino and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh chopped basil (and any additional pecorino).

Tomato Basil Prosciutto Pasta

Friday September 24th 2010

The other night I made an impromptu pasta dish that was so easy, and so delicious I have been so excited to share it with you!

I was originally craving a pasta carbonara dish with salty pancetta and cheese- but alas, at the Whole Foods where I had stopped, I forgot they almost never carry thick cut pancetta, only the paper thin slices are sold already pre-cut and packaged in the deli section. So I had to shift my plans. The deli man suggested I try prosciutto instead. Much less fatty that pancetta, but still a lot of flavor. And since I was being healthier with my leaner cut of meat. I decided to continue the trend and opt for a fresh tomato basil sauce instead of the creamy carbonara.

The result was a fresh and savory pasta dish that I am already craving again.

The two main things that make this recipe so amazing are- the slow roasted tomatoes, and the Maestri Pastai pasta noodles. I’ve mentioned Maestri Pastai before, I’m a big fan. The fine ingredients and unique craftsmanship they use to make their pasta creates a texture that is unmatched by any other I have ever tasted! For a pasta dish like this one- I highly recommend you spend the extra dollar and go for this brand because the rough porous texture on the surface of the noodle works to grip on to the pasta sauce and hold in the flavor. (I always find it in the cheese section of Whole Foods, not down the pasta isle.).

The roasted tomatoes are also a thing of beauty. So simple, so versatile, and so full of flavor. Now, for those of you who squirm at the site of tomatoes (I know who you are, you pick them off of sandwiches and turn your nose up at fresh pico, but for some reason you can eat them as tomato sauce and you love ketchup) I promise you, you will fall in love with roasted roma tomatoes. A simple roasted tomato is everything you love about tomato sauce, only freshly made in front of your eyes. It’s so easy to do- you just cut them in half, drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven for about half an hour- then presto, the fresh Roma tomatoes (which are typically pretty void of flavor) are now withered down in to concentrated flavorful goodness.

Tomato Basil Prosciutto Pasta

8-10 Roma tomatoes halved (lengthwise)

3-5 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup Asiago cheese

12 large leaves Basil, torn in to pieces

1/4 lb Prosciutto diced

1 hand full of Maestri Pastai spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place your tomatoes halves on a baking sheet (flesh side up) and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until they are withered down, but not totally dired out. Use more olive oil halfway through cooking if necissary.

Get your pot of water boiling and place pasta in to cook for about 10-15 minutes.

While your pasta is cooking, saute the prosciutto in a skillet to render the fat and lightly brown on each side.

Once pasta is cooked, drain the water reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. This starchy liquid will help to bind everything together.

In your pasta bowl place the noodles and hot roasted tomatoes fresh from the oven. Stir well to break down the tomatoes and coat the pasta. Add the grated cheese, prosciutto, and the pasta water- stir well to combine and melt the cheese with the hot noodles and tomatoes. Then toss in the fresh basil to serve.

Thai Coconut-Curried Salmon with Spinach

Tuesday September 21st 2010

When I lived in New York, I had some neighbors who seemed to be cooking curry 24 hours a day. I’m pretty sure they even made curry oatmeal every morning and then a turkey curry sandwich for lunch every day. At the time, the smell was nauseating to me. I didn’t like curry, and it definitely wasn’t the first thing I wanted to smell every morning.

Now that I love curry, I wish I would have befriended these neighbors so they could have invited me over for whatever curry dish they were making that day (and I promise you, they made one EVERY DAY).

I wasn’t quite so sure that I would like this salmon and curry combination, but it turned out quite nicely. I picked up some Coho Salmon from Central Market, and served it over Jasmine rice.

And I’m sure my neighbors were thrilled with the curry-scented hallway last night.

Thai Coconut-Curried Salmon with Spinach (adapted from Cooking Light)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons sugar (or you can also substitute Splenda)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon bottled minced ginger
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 (6 oz) salmon fillets, skinned
6 cups trimmed spinach (about 2 bunches)

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder; sauté 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and the next 7 ingredients (coconut milk through clam juice). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Add fish; cover and cook 4 minutes. Add spinach to dish; cover and cook 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve over Jasmine rice or with crusty bread.

Pickle Juice Brine- Pork Chops

Monday September 20th 2010

A food stylist friend of mine once told me the super top secret recipe to a very popular chain restaurants chicken sandwich… She said the secret to their chicken’s extra tender and juicy flavor is because they brine the chicken breast in dill pickle juice before breading and cooking.

Pickle Juice? I thought… how strange, yet that salty sour flavor makes perfect sense. I finally tried this pickly-brine technique the other night when I found pork chops on sale at the market, and I tell you- from here on out I’m not sure I will be able to ever eat and un-brined piece of meat again.

You can make a brine out of all sorts of flavors. In some cases sugar and spices can also me added, but salt is what makes a brine a brine (just like acid makes a marinade a marinade). Brining causes the meat to gain some saltiness and flavoring while plumping it up with water so that after cooking it still contains a lot of juices.

The science behind a salty brine is what makes the tart contents of your leftover dill pickles the perfect ready-made brine for all purpose uses. It’s a easy, no-fuss way to kick up your boring old chicken or pork recipe. The next time I brave a trip to Sam’s I think I might have to pick up one of those giant economy size pickle jars- just so I can always have a little pickle juice reserved on hand for brining. My favorite tart dill pickle brand is Vlasic or Del Dixi.

Brine Technique Recipe

Take your raw protein of choice (Chicken or Pork)

Place it in a bowl and cover with pickle juice.

Cover bowl and let it soak for about 1 hr- 1 1/2 hrs

When ready to cook, pour out the brine, pat your meat dry and cook as desired.

I breaded and fired my pork chops by dredging in flour first, then a dip in buttermilk (regular milk is fine too), then dredging in Italian seasoned bread crumbs.

Then off to pan-fry in the skillet with a little vegetable oil. Just a few minutes on each side depending on thickness.

Maple-Glazed Tuna with Pear-Potato Salad

Thursday September 16th 2010

I have such a crush on Marcus Samuelsson. First of all, he’s super cute, and secondly, he just seems so genuinely nice. But most of all, I haven’t met a recipe of his I didn’t like. And this recipe is no exception.

His cookbook, New American Table, is filled with over 300 recipes that make the at-home cook look like a professional chef. And they’re not overly complicated. This dish looks beautiful, but it took me less than an hour to make. I was pretty proud of the way it all turned out!

I honestly wasn’t sure about the pear, potato, curry combo, but it’s a really great flavor combination. I’ll easily make this side dish again with other proteins.

This will be my last recipe of the week as I’m off to Charleston for my favorite (and only) sister’s wedding. It’s my first trip to Charleston, so if you have any must visit restaurants or sites to see, please let me know!

Maple Glazed Tuna

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Four 6-ounce tuna fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cilantro sprigs (as you can see from my picture, I totally forgot the cilantro garnish – even though I purchased it specifically for this meal. Ugh)

Whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.

Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 30 seconds on each side.

Remove from the pan and brush both sides of the tuna with the maple-mustard glaze. Garnish with the cilantro & serve with the pear-potato salad.

Pear-Potato Salad

1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or 1/2-inch pieces
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup shredded baby spinach

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until golden, about 12 minutes. Add the pears, onion, garlic, almonds, and curry powder and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Toss with the lemon juice and spinach.

Spicy Asian Shrimp Stir Fry

Wednesday September 15th 2010

I was inspired the other day while strolling through the ethnic food section at Central Market. I’ve always seen Iron chefs like Morimoto toss around these fancy sauces and spices like it’s nothing and I’ve always wanted to try them. So while pausing in the Asian isle the other day, I finally got brave enough to just buy a few. I started with the ones that I always hear them using (and that weren’t too expensive) like Oyster Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and Sesame Oil. I already had some Garlic Chili Sauce on hand from a previous recipe so I was ready to go from there. The next step was basically throwing them all together in a wok with some protein and vegetables.

I bought the red Chili Garlic Sauce not too long ago, and it has become my favorite spicy kick to so many dishes already. I think it was only about $3.50 at the market and well worth it because a little goes a long way! The Oyster sauce was something I was a little hesitant to purchase because at every store they don’t seem to carry smaller bottles of it, you are basically committed to a large bottle- but again well worth the purchase, I’m betting you’ll see this turn up in a lot of my dishes come soon. It has a very versatile flavor. Don’t let the name (oyster) scare you. It’s not fishy at all. It’s kind of like a thicker, sweeter soy sauce. The flavor and viscosity reminded me a lot of teriyaki sauce, but with a much fuller flavor. I urge you all- TRY SOME!

Spicy Asian Shrimp Stir Fry

5-6 tbs Oyster Sauce (divided)

2 tbs Sesame Oil (divided)

4-5 tbs Garlic Chili Sauce (divided)

2 tbs Rice Vinegar

Chopped Assorted Vegetables to stir fry

(I used Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers, red Onion, Green onions, garlic, and Baby Bok Choy)

1/2 lb Shrimp (head still on if you can find it)

2 cups cooked Jasmine Rice

Cook Jasmine rice according to package instructions and set aside.

Begin the stir fry by heating 1 tbs of sesame oil in the wok (a saute pan works just fine too) over medium heat and coat the pan with oil, add the garlic and saute fro 30 seconds to flavor the oil. Add 2 tbs of Oyster sauce, and 1 tbs of Garlic Chili Sauce (if you like it really spicy like me, add a little more chili sauce), stir quickly to combine then add the shrimp. Cook only 2-3 minutes until almost all the way cooked through and opaque. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add the rice vinegar to the wok to de-glaze the pan. Add a touch more sesame oil if your pan if your pan is dry. Then add the rest of your Oyster sauce and Chili Sauce, and the chopped vegetables. Saute about 3-5 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add the shrimp back to the pan to warm through and finish cooking.

Serve stir fry on top of a fluffy heap of jasmine rice.

Sole Meunière

Monday September 13th 2010

Meunière (pronounced /mɜrniˈɛər/ (UK) or /mʌnˈjɛər/ (US), original French [mønjɛːʁ])^[1] refers to both a sauce and a method of preparation. The word itself means “female miller”. Thus to cook something à la meunière was to cook it by first dredging it in flour. A meunière sauce is a simple preparation — brown butter, chopped parsley, and lemon — and the name refers to its unelaborate rustic nature.

So that’s wikipedia’s explanation. My explanation is meuniere = buttery deliciousnessness. Although I’m pretty sure that’s redundant, as how can you have butter and not have deliciousness? And what does “female miller” even mean?

Anyway, fresh dover sole was on sale last week at Central Market so I decided to pick it up, and figure out a recipe based on the ingredients I had at home. Cream? check. Butter? check. Flour? check.

And this recipe was easy enough. Honestly, I’m not sure sole is my favorite fish, but I would definitely recreate this recipe again with any other firm white fish.

Sole Meunière (adapted from Food & Wine)

2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
Four 6-ounce sole fillets
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a shallow bowl, combine the heavy cream and white wine. Dip the sole fillets in the cream, then dredge them in a separate shallow bowl that has the whisked flour, salt & pepper and ground fennel.

In each of 2 large skillets, heat 1 tablespoon each of the canola and olive oils until they are shimmering. Add 2 sole fillets to each skillet and cook the fish fillets over high heat until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn the fillets and cook until golden brown on the outside and white throughout, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer the fish fillets to plates.

Wipe out 1 skillet and add the butter. Cook over moderate heat, shaking the skillet often, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the capers and shake the pan, then add the vinegar. Spoon the browned butter sauce over the fish, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Sunflower Sprouts

Tuesday September 7th 2010

I have had so much fun gardening this past spring and summer. Last weekend I planted some new vegetables for a fall harvest, and while at the North Haven Gardens store I picked up four different varieties of Sunflowers as well. I chose sunflowers because I do love to munch on the seeds, but mostly I’m just excited to have some big vibrant blossoms in my yard; and to my excitement, I recently found out that their young sprouts are also edible.

Plum & Asian Pear Bake

Friday September 3rd 2010

I’ve been in a funk all week because it has been rainy, gray and dreary for the past 6 days. I’m not complaining too much because it is a welcome break from the 100 degree heat, and that’s only helping my garden grow. But I just miss the sun. The overcast views outside my window make me want to crawl back up in bed or veg out on the couch with a hot cup of cocoa. So after a week of looking out my dreary windows I satisfied my gray-weather craving last night by making this- Red Plum & Asian Pear dessert.

I recently found these cute little individual pots at Tuesday Morning for only $3.99 ea.! They are the perfect size for an individual dessert serving like this. Though you could dump this recipe in to a larger baking dish and it would turn out just as good.

I had an over abundance of Red Plums and Asian pears from my last co-op share from Urban Acres. These fruits made for the perfect pairing in this dreary-week, pick me up dessert. The soft tart plums baked down to tender perfection, and the crisp Asian Pears still held their texture which make for an excellent contrast in flavors and textures. If you haven’t tried an Asian Pear before I suggest you run to the supper market immediately and pick some up. You don’t have to go to any specialty food store, I’ve seen them just about everywhere, you just have to know what to look for. Their skin resembles a pale yellow-green Bartlet pear, but they are much more round like an apple. The white flesh within is juicy, crisp and very sweet.

I didn’t have enough flour or sugar on hand to make a traditional crumble- so I improvised, and the result was so simple and delicious! I will definitely make this time and again with a variety of fruits. To create a buttery sweet crust on top I simply tore up some cinnamon raisin swirl bread and baked them in butter. As a rule of thumb, Butter + Sweet Bread + Fruit = always equals Awesome!

Red Plum & Asian Pear Bake

2-3 red plums, sliced

2-3 Asian pears, sliced

2 1/5 tbs lt. brown sugar

1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice

2 tbs butter

3 slices of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

In a mixing bowl, toss your sliced plums and pears in the lemon juice and brown sugar to coat evenly. Pack the fruit in to your baking dish. (don’t be afraid to pile it high, this will bake down and fruit will settle) Tear up your bread in to small pieces and cover the top of your dish evenly. Dot the top with butter evenly. Ten in to the oven you go- at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbly and bread on top is crisp and golden.

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yellow Curry Fried Rice with Scallops

Thursday September 2nd 2010

One of my go-to Asian restaurants for lunch is Asian Mint – located at Forest & 75 in the shopping center right behind the RIP Black Eyed Pea, soon to be Matitos. The service is always fast, the portions are ridiculously large (good for a big eater like myself), and the food certainly doesn’t disappoint – especially the Yellow Fried Rice.

This was my first attempt at trying to recreate this dish at home, and I’m pretty proud of my interpretation. It wasn’t as good as the original, but it was definitely a solid weeknight dish that could be perfected in time. I honestly couldn’t find a similar recipe for this dish online, so I started with a basic fried rice recipe and improvised the dish from there.

Yellow Curry Fried Rice with Scallops

8 ounces sea scallops (you could also substitute bay scallops)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
4 cups leftover rice, grains separated well
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground tumeric
2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste
Handful of cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, toss the scallops with the salt and pepper. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat, and add just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.

Add the scallops, quickly spreading out around the cooking surface area so that they are not overlapping. Let fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the scallops from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

Turn the heat to medium, let the pan heat up again. Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the pan into the same plate as the cooked scallops.

Either rinse out the pan or use paper towels to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and shallots and fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok.

Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the cooked eggs, scallops, tumeric, yellow curry paste and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, then taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed. Top with cilantro & serve!

Yellow Curry Fried Rice with Scallops

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