Published by mel on April 30, 2008 in recipe and sides & bites.
It’s like everything I make lately is stuffed into a wonton wrapper! I actually made these dumplings last week, but the new steaming method I used didn’t quite work out so I didn’t want to post the recipe. I thought about it a little more and decided that didn’t matter because the stuffing and sauce were a hit.
Where did I go wrong? Well, my new microwave has a “steam” button and even came with a special dish for steaming. I thought that would be better than the pan-steaming I usually do. Nope. Wrong. The wrappers dried out and became too chewy, which was really sad!
For the stuffing, I browned Merguez sausage (no casing) with some green onions, then added some raisins and pine nuts. Dumplings are no fun without a dipping sauce, so I blended some greek yogurt with mint leaves, garlic cloves and pinch of salt because lamb and mint are a match made in heaven.
They had a great Middle Eastern flavor, and if you’re not into mass-producing dumplings, the sausage stuffing would be perfect tossed with pasta. If you go that route, I’d skip the yogurt and sprinkle some mint leaves over the top right before serving.
Continue reading ‘merguez dumplings w/mint yogurt dipping sauce’
Published by mel on April 28, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I learned a valuable lesson on Saturday night: Don’t start making ravioli 30 minutes before your guests arrive. Especially if you’re not dressed yet. Especially if your shopping bags are littered on the floor and counter top. Especially if your guests are punctual.
Thank God my guests were not very punctual. I pinched the last ravioli together 5 minutes after they were supposed to arrive and I still had time to throw on some clothes and makeup.
The ravioli in question were stuffed with a blend of peas, whole milk ricotta and a pinch of cardamom. I really wanted the creamy mixture to shine so instead of drenching them in sauce, I poached the ravioli in a concentrated Parmesan broth and served them in that. I think this is my new favorite method for serving ravioli. The chicken stock and Parmesan rinds had been simmering for about 3 hours by the time we ate and the stock turned a deep, nut brown color. The whole apartment smelled of Parmesan. It was wonderful!
And the ravioli were really good. Creamy and pea-y and a nice contrast to the tangy broth. The meal turned out great and I’ll definitely make it again. Though next time I hope to give myself a bit more of a head start.
Continue reading ‘ricotta & pea ravioli in parmesan broth’
Published by mel on April 25, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
When we were in Austin for SxSW this year, we followed someone’s recommendation to get some tacos at Torchy’s. I can’t remember where I read about it or who recommended it, but I wish I could thank them. The tacos were fresh and inventive and your tacos are cooked to order in an old van. You can also order a bucket of beers from the bar next door. Too bad I had a raging hangover from too many free Phizz-tinis the night before. (Don’t ask.) I had a seared tuna taco and shredded pork one. We ate them at a tiny metal garden table as the sun set. It was a perfect last meal in Austin.
Since my husband is addicted to all manner of Mexican food, I make tacos regularly and have started branching out from the traditional meat with onions, cilantro and lime juice. Last night, I broiled a couple of salmon filets simply with salt and pepper. Then I topped them off with a salad of yellow onion, radicchio, yellow carrots, cilantro, lemon & lime. They were really light and refreshing. Perfect for a sunset and a beer. Too bad all we had was seltzer and the TV.
Continue reading ‘citrusy salmon tacos’
Published by mel on April 23, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I love to dip my bread into sauces and dressings. If it were up to me, I could make a full meal out of marinara sauce and a big hunk of bread. In fact, I’ve often been caught bent over a big pot of something, scooping it straight into my mouth with a piece of bread. Oops.
Panzanella is a bread salad, which means that it’s basically crunchy bread soaked with dressing. Like my perfect meal. Wikipedia says that panzanella is often thought of as a “leftover salad.” This definitely applied in my case since the bread in question came from a leftover (stale) loaf of Ciabatta. As for the vegetables, I just used whatever I had lying around — sliced fennel bulb, sliced apple, chives and some greens.
I made a nice, acidic dressing with lots of white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil and fresh garlic that soaked into the bread. The bite of the mustard was a good compliment to the sweet apples and crisp fennel. And I got to eat a big bowl of bread and still get away with calling it a salad.
Continue reading ‘apple & fennel panzanella’
Published by mel on April 21, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
In honor of Earth Day, I made green rice and beans. Green lima beans, green chives, green spinach, green basil and green lime for lots of color. All natural and organic products for environmental friendliness. I decided not to go the more traditional Latin or Mexican route because I had no cilantro and because it just felt wrong to not use pinto, kidney or black beans. So, I opted for a more Thai-inspired dish with coconut milk, red curry paste, basil and lime.
The dish is fragrant and spicy and wholesome. And it was done in 15 minutes. The perfect lunch.
In other “green” news. Serious Eats has a nice piece on how to decode PLU stickers on produce. Seems like you should stick to 5-digit numbers that start with a 9 and beware of numbers starting with 8!
Conventional produce gets a four-digit number.
Organic produce gets a five-digit number that starts with 9.
Genetically modified items also get a five-digit code, but that code starts with 8.
Examples
4139: Conventional Granny Smith apple
94139: Organic Granny Smith
84139: GMO Granny Smith
Continue reading ‘green rice & beans’
Published by mel on April 17, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
After 45 minutes of prepping, cooking and plating I discovered that I’d left my camera at work. And every other camera in the house was busted, so I had to use my phone’s camera. What a hideously unappetizing photo. But, the food was too good to not post the recipe. One day when I have my camera, I’ll get around to making it again and will replace the grainy picture you see today.
I’ve been toying with the idea of lettuce wraps for a long time. At first, I was thinking of onions, cilantro, beans and lime for Mexican/taco twist, but I wasn’t really inspired. Instead, I went with the more traditional Asian inspiration. Lettuce, pickled vegetables and some protein.
They would have been tasty just like that, but I find that I have no energy for my 6am workout if I skip the carbs the night before. Would I add brown rice? Quinoa? Farro? They all seemed too heavy for the delicate lettuce. But bulgur seemed just right.
For the protein, I couldn’t decide between steak and tofu, so I used both. I marinated them (separately) in tamarind juice, shoyu, chipotle pepper and garlic cloves for a salty sweet flavor. The steak and tofu were a match made in heaven and their slight sweetness complimented the acidity in the salad. Overall, it was exactly what I wanted. Full of flavors and textures, but still light and refreshing. And that bulgur powered me through a tough pre-dawn workout, so I’m sold!
Continue reading ’steak & tofu lettuce wraps with bulgur salad’
Published by mel on April 16, 2008 in entree and recipe.
We’re experiencing a freak cold front down here (55 degrees in April? What?) and I was craving a weather-appropriate meal. Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It’s creamy and cheesy and has the satisfying crunch of oven-crisped pasta. I wanted to make healthier weekday update to the classic that omitted the cream and introduced some vegetables.
So, I decided on peas because they looked vibrant and spring-like and added some basil for color and freshness. I also threw some Thai chiles in there for kick. I subbed skim evaporated milk for cream, but kept the Gruyere cheese so that the dish would still have the rounded richness of traditional mac and cheese.
I was really happy with the final product. Overall, it felt light while still retaining it’s comfort-food-ness. The Thai chiles made up for any flavor that might have been lost by omitting the cream and butter. Next time I make it, I might also add some crisp turkey bacon for that delicious smokiness.
Continue reading ‘cheesy pasta & peas (or, grown-up mac & cheese)’
Published by mel on April 14, 2008 in recipe and sides & bites.
My parents threw a Cuban-themed party last week and served made-to-order Mojitos. To make a long story short, my mom had about 2 pounds (yes, pounds) of leftover fresh mint. I promptly came to the rescue and packed up about half the amount for myself. I forsee a lot of minty recipes being featured on the site in the next week or so.
Anyway, I had a lot of mint. I also had a few people coming over for Sunday supper. I decided to make a ricotta spread with lots of mint, garlic and freshly ground pepper. Instead of just putting it in a bowl as a dip, I smeared it onto toasted baguette slices with a few drops of good olive oil and a pinch of pretty black poppy seeds.
The ricotta was creamy, the mint was refreshing and the olive oil lent a nice richness to the toasts. This spread would also be great on sandwiches with fresh greens and prosciutto or as a dip for pita chips or crudite. It was quite a hit with the supper crowd and makes an easy, delicious addition to the hors d’ oeuvres table.
Continue reading ‘refreshing ricotta & poppy seed toasts’
Published by mel on April 11, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Earlier this week I posted a dish inspired by fall. Not very timely, though I hear it’s still snowing in some parts. In an effort to be more season-appropriate, I made a spring soup with a light broth, mini meatballs and fresh asparagus.
For the meatballs, I ground the pork myself from some cutlets. I also threw some turkey bacon in the food processor for that smoky depth and rounded it all out with fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. I’d never ground my own meat before, and honestly, it was a cinch. Just place everything in the food processor and run it for a minute or two. It’s a lot fluffier (for lack of a better word) than the compacted stuff you get at the butcher counter, and I bet freshly ground beef is the key to the perfect burger.
Anyway, nothing says spring like crisp asparagus. Washed and sliced, it went in at the last minute along with some lemon juice. The soup was somehow light and hearty at the same time. All it needed was a nice heap of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a big spoon.
Continue reading ’spring asparagus soup with mini meatballs’
Published by mel on April 9, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
So, it’s no secret that I absolutely love Spanish chorizo. I especially love the spicy kind and it somehow finds its way into a lot of my cooking. A little bit goes a long way in terms of flavor and color. It’s also no secret around these parts that my husband loves Cuban food. I mean, loves.
One of his Cuban favorites is the frita — a small, griddled burger flavored with paprika and onions. The ground beef can also be mixed with some ground chorizo for a more intense flavor. This is the route I chose to go with dinner last night. I also made them slider-sized instead of the more traditional jr. cheeseburger size. The beef to chorizo ratio was 2:1, which I thought would be too much, but ended up being just right. I added a thin slice of cucumber to each slider as a cool contrast to the hot chorizo, a tiny squeeze of mayo and housed everything in toasted ciabatta bread.
They were beefy, smoky and really fun to eat. Like a grown-up, ethnic White Castle.
Continue reading ‘cuban frita sliders’
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