Pressure Cooker Short Ribs

It’s just about the time of year I start to get really sick of summer. It’s been in the 80′s and 90′s every day for at least 4 months and I’m just over it. I can’t wait for cooler breezes and less humidity. Sure, it’s going to stay in the 80′s until at least November, but it would be nice to wake up to temperatures that start with digits below 8.

My longing for cooler weather isn’t just about comfort. As with most things in my life, it’s also about the food. I love roasting vegetables, braising meats and making soups and casseroles. The kind of cool weather food that simmers all day and makes your house smell wonderful. It also makes your kitchen too warm to tolerate in summer months. But when I get a craving for something, I will not stop until I’ve had it and I wanted my short ribs now. This is where my pressure cooker comes in very handy indeed.

It took just an hour on the stove for tender, fall-off-the-bone, no-knife-needed short ribs. My “braising liquid” consisted of some red wine, beef stock and coffee. I also added toasted ancho chiles for a little bit of kick. After the pressure cooking, I reduced the liquid into a beautifully rich sauce.

The short ribs were nearly as good as the long-braised version I make in the oven, but they were done in a third of the time. Look at them – don’t you just want to tear into a bowl of polenta and short ribs right now? If you’re on the fence about whether or not to get a pressure cooker, these short ribs should convince you. If they don’t, then maybe this amazing Pork Ragu will? If you’re still not into pressure cooking, I highly recommend bookmarking this recipe for long winter days when you actually want to keep the oven on all day.

If you’re sold, go ahead and buy a pressure cooker from my store:

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Poblano Chicken Salad

I was never one to go for chicken salad. I thought it too mushy, too mayonnaise-y and bland. This was my stance on the ubiquitous cafeteria fare until I got to college, where there was a sandwich place on campus that was only open for lunch. They made all kinds of sandwiches to order and the line was generally out the door. Bored of turkey and tuna, I bravely ordered the chicken salad after much urging from my friends. That sandwich was a revelation. Yes, it was chicken salad, but it was made with pieces of real chicken and studded with slightly crunchy celery and red onions. Sure it was covered in mayonnaise, but it was delicious with some salt and vinegar chips and a Diet Coke. This lunch sustained me for 4 years in Boston and fueled many afternoon shifts at the Student Services counter.

Fast forward an undisclosed number of years and I still don’t really like chicken salad all that much. Unless it’s made right, I don’t want it at all. Though I loved my college lunch, this poblano chicken salad has nothing to do with the standard cafeteria fare. It all starts with real chicken. Chicken thighs, to be exact. I rub them in olive oil and chili powder and roast them alongside whole poblano peppers. The chicken emerges from the oven juicy and flavorful, poblanos soft and smoky. The peppers’ skin is removed, seeds discarded and the flesh is blended with just a little bit of mayonnaise and lime juice. This spicy, creamy and tangy sauce is mixed with red onions (for crunch) and the shredded chicken into the most wonderful salad.

Squashed between two slices of whole wheat bread, it’s lunch nirvana, something to sustain me through long afternoon meetings.

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Yellowtail Snapper with Corn Salsa

Things I love about living in Miami:

1. The beach is across the street and I can use it 9 months of the year.
2. Abundant and cheap Cuban food.
3. Cuban coffee. (a.k.a. nectar of the gods)
4. It’s almost always flip flop weather.
5. I can get really good tomatoes all year long. (Don’t hate!)
6. Local Stone Crabs in the winter! (Mustard sauce!)
7. Running outdoors October – May.
8. Yellowtail snapper.

Yellowtail snapper is everywhere down here – swimming around while you cool off in the ocean and piled up in the fish cases at all the grocery stores. It’s a really delicious local white fish that’s tender and flaky, but still sturdy. If you can get a hold of some, a simple preparation is all you need to make a good meal. But even if you can’t find yellowtail near you, this is still a great recipe for your favorite fish – halibut, cod, striped bass, tilapia, rainbow trout, etc. Just make sure the fish you buy is a good environmental choice for your area.

The accompaniment is a super-simple corn salsa perfect for the last days of summer. It’s bright and crunchy, providing a sweet textural contrast the to the rich butter-seared fish. This is one of those recipes you make when you want something special, but don’t want to expend a lot of effort. Just simple ingredients at their best.

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Corn, Bacon & Basil Spaghetti

A few weeks ago I made a Corn Chowder with Bacon & Basil that I absolutely devoured. Fresh and seasonal, I loved the contrast between the sweet corn, smoky-salty bacon and fragrant basil. So when I saw a recipe for Pasta with Bacon & Corn Pesto on Serious Eats last week, I decided I had to make it immediately.

Instead of going the pesto route with pine nuts and olive oil, I wanted something more reminiscent of creamed corn. I crisped my bacon, then cooked the corn in the bacon fat. I pureed some of the corn with a little cream and Parmesan cheese into a creamy yellow sauce which was tossed with the bacon and spaghetti and topped with basil ribbons and lots of freshly ground pepper.

This pasta is even better than the chowder. Same lovely flavor combination with all the addictive goodness of pasta. I followed my meal up with a juicy peach, making me glad that it’s summer despite the stifling heat. A perfect meal.

Related:
Corn Chowder with Bacon & Basil

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Thai Curry Mussels

Those of you who know me, know that I have a rambunctious puppy named Mussels. Why Mussels? Well, we wanted to name her something food-related and she was the runt of the litter. We thought Mussels would be funny. Little did we know, Mussels is the perfect name for a 10-pound terrier who thinks she’s a 90-pound Pit Bull. She sure is cute though!

Another reason for the name: we love mussels. You know, the bivalves. They’re briny and tender and are usually accompanied by a slurp-worthy bowl of broth. And this broth was definitely worth slurping. Coconut milk and curry paste, cilantro and lime. It was even better than the chorizo-infused broth I usually make. You know it’s good if I prefer it to chorizo.

If you’re not into mussels, this broth would also be a very delicious way to poach shrimp, or eat with noodles, or drink from a cup…

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Heirloom Tomato, Olive & Goat Cheese Tart

I was going to call this a “rustic” or “freeform” tart, but let’s be honest here. This is the tart of a lazy person. A person without one of those cute tart pans with the scalloped edges. Someone who has no patience for trimming dough or crimping edges. This is a haphazard, thrown-together kind of tart. And it doesn’t matter one tiny little bit. It’s still delicious.

Tomatoes have always been one of my favorite foods. Growing up, I’d sneak the them from the cutting board while my mom prepped the salad. I can eat simple, naked tomato slices all day long. Especially the juicy heirloom varieties piled up at Whole Foods this time of year. So, imagine my dismay when I discovered that my boyfriend (now husband) was no fan of tomatoes. Inconceivable! Over the years I’ve managed to sneak him enough good tomatoes to change his mind. They’re still not his favorite food, but he doesn’t pick them out of salads and sandwiches anymore.

And he most definitely wouldn’t pick them out of this tart. The tomatoes practically melt into a sauce over the goat cheese and the olives add just the right amount of briny contrast. Sprinkled with basil ribbons and drizzled with really good olive oil, this is just about the most perfect summer tart. It’s not fussy or finicky or time-consuming. The hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven. This is the tart recipe for those of you without the fancy tart pan, but who still crave a flaky, buttery crust filled with summer’s best.

While I love the rustic and lazy nature of this tart, I would put in the extra effort to make it pretty for parties. This nonstick Tart Pan is a good place to start:

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Key Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I grew up in Miami where Key Lime pie isn’t exotic or hard to find. It’s a staple dessert – on every menu, at every party and on the table with Cuban coffee after every meal at my uncle’s house. Key Lime pie is his specialty. It’s cool and tangy and graham cracker-y and just about the best thing ever when it’s sweltering outside. In fact, Tom loves to get a frozen, chocolate-dipped key lime pie on a stick every time we go to Key West. I’m a key lime purist – always opting for the regular slice.

But just because I’m a purist when it comes to key lime pie, doesn’t mean I don’t like my key lime other ways. I’ve been dying to try key lime cupcakes all summer, but never got around to it. Then I was going to make a key lime cake for my sister-in-law’s birthday, but she was out of town and I didn’t have a cake pan. Key lime cupcakes it is, then. I made mini ones because I can’t stop at just one and I’ll do less damage this way.

These cupcakes were better than I’d imagined. The citrusy key lime balances out the sweet cream cheese icing perfectly. I will warn you though – the batter is a little scary. When I poured that key lime juice in with the butter and sour cream, I was sure these were destined for the trash can. As you can guess, the batter curdled. But it’s nothing to worry about – it’s just like making your own buttermilk or ricotta cheese. The batter blends perfect once you add the dry ingredients and it tastes great even before you cook it. I may have licked the spatula. Just maybe.

If you want a little taste of Miami without the expensive plane ticket, make these little beauties and then come back and tell me how much you loved them.

Related:
Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Almond Frosting
Guava & Cream Cheese Cupcakes

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Easy Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I could use this space to complain about my crazy busy week, but I won’t do that. Isn’t it more fun to wax poetic about the wonders of pasta salad? I think so. A lot of you have asked me for quick and easy dishes. The kind that you can throw together with little preparation and pack for lunch. You also wanted more vegetarian dishes and less sausage. Unfortunately, I can’t promise less sausage. Chorizo is my fifth food group.

This pasta salad is a really easy dish, but still super flavorful. Because I gotta be me, it also has a little Portuguese Linguica sausage in it, easily left out or substituted with chickpeas for those of you going meatless. I also used cherry tomatoes, oil-cured black olives, fresh arugula and feta cheese. I made a simple smoked paprika vinaigrette which gives the dish more depth, and is especially nice if you omit the sausage.

This salad proves that even on the craziest days, you can throw something together that’s good and healthy and puts a smile on your face.

And now on to some fun news about the site. I’m happy to announce that next Tuesday (my birthday) I’ll be partnering with OpenSky to launch my very own Bitchin’ Camero store! I’ll sell products that I use in my own kitchen and think you should use, too. If you haven’t heard about OpenSky, head on over to their site and see what they’re about, especially if you’re a fellow blogger who wants a store of her (or his) own. Exciting things are happening here and I’m glad you can all be a part of it!

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Pancetta, Golden Beet & Gorgonzola Pasta

Because I live in a place without real seasons, everything is a little bit backward here. Our growing months are actually November through April, so unlike the rest of the country, I haven’t gotten a CSA box in a long time. When I was getting my weekly box of produce, I would often have an overwhelming number of loose beets.

Now don’t get me wrong, I actually love beets. In cooler months, I like to roast them with other root vegetables. They turn slightly sweet and work really well with parsnips, rutabaga and potatoes. In warmer months, I like them sliced paper-thin and tossed with salad greens, toasted nuts and blue cheese. But no matter how many different dishes you make, there always seem to be more beets in your box than you can use in a week.

This pasta is a really good way to get rid of those extras. The beets are simmered in beef stock until they’re tender and slightly sweet. The gorgonzola adds richness and flavor, while the pancetta lends just the right amount of salty pork flavor. Chopped pistachios are sprinkled on top for a little texture and crunch. It’s a simple dish that’s full of flavor and a great way to put those extra beets to good use.

Even if you’re not that into beets, I promise you’ll love this dish. If you’re family’s not that into beets, just don’t tell them what’s in it until after they’ve taken a bite or two and started to make “mmmm” sounds. They’ll be asking for more beets in no time.

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Angry Potatoes! (Patatas Bravas)

I am a lover of all things carbohydrate – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes – they all have a special place in my heart (and my stomach). I shudder at the outrageous thought of a low-carb life. The Atkins diet makes me cringe. I would rather run an extra mile a day than go without my daily starch quota. And I especially love potatoes for their unrefined, carby awesomeness. I like them fried, roasted, mashed, boiled and especially totted (as in tater tots).

So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite tapas dishes is Patatas Bravas, which roughly translates to Angry Potatoes. What makes these potatoes so damn angry? Roasted grape tomatoes, olive oil, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper all blended together into a fiery sauce. If there’s one thing I love more than carbs, it’s all manner of spice. You could say that this dish had me at hello, but that would be a mighty cheesy way to end a blog post.

Blog note: I finally got rid of that silly “/mel/” in my URL. From here on out, you can find all posts and recipes at www.bitchincamero.com. Not to worry – all old and bookmarked links will still work. Many thanks to my friend Chris for his technical expertise.

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