Published by mel on May 28, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Now that Memorial Day is over, I assume it’s fair to say that summer’s here. I know, I know. Summer’s not officially here until June 21st, but it’s hot, humid and I’m at the beach every weekend. To me, that means Summer is Here. And with summer comes cookout season. That means you’ll most likely be asked to bring a side dish or two to a backyard BBQ soon.
Pasta salad has long since been a favorite potluck dish. It’s easy, you can make it well ahead of time and needs nothing more than a spoon to serve. It’s perfect.
And of course, everyone has their favorite version. Some are dressed with mayo and some with vinaigrette. Some are tossed with fruit, some with veggies and many with both. I was really craving cold soba noodles, but wanted to translate those flavors into something a little less…slurpy. Something that would be great on a buffet table.
I made this simple pasta salad with whole wheat shells, shredded carrots, green beans, green onions, cashews and a delicious tahini dressing. Topped with fresh herbs, this is going to be the pasta salad I bring everywhere this summer. It’s light and refreshing, but still unique and addicting. Best of all, it would be great with all manner of seasonal vegetables. Hello summer!
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Published by mel on May 22, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Anything Moroccan just sound exotic and scrumptious right? Well, I have to be honest. I’ve never had authentic Moroccan food, and I wouldn’t even know where to get it if I wanted it. But I found a Moroccan spice blend on epicurious and knew right away that I’d love the flavors.
Cumin, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, cayenne and coriander all mixed together in just the right proportions. I made the spice blend, skewered some chicken and sweet Vidalia onion onto kebabs and rubbed it all over with olive oil, salt and pepper and the spices.
Is there anything better than meat on a stick? I love that kebabs are easy to grill, easy to portion and look great. Once these came off the grill, I topped them with chopped olives. The kebabs were juicy, spicy and aromatic, and the olives were a perfect briny contrast to the seasoned chicken.
I’m glad I stumbled on this spice mix because I know these kebabs are going to be around all summer long. Say hello to grilling season!
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Published by mel on May 18, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Have you ever had a Lamb Saratoga chop? Neither had I. But they looked so pretty in the butcher’s case at Whole Foods that I splurged for a fancy Saturday night dinner. According to this site, a Saratoga roll “refers to a boneless center lamb roast obtained from the blade portion of the lamb shoulder and is also known as a chuck eye lamb roast.”
Now that we got the lamb anatomy lesson out of the way, I can tell you what it tasted like. My mom was right on when she said it was like a lamb filet mignon. The chops were small, very lean and super tender. Almost melt in your mouth tender. And since they were so lean, they didn’t have as strong a game-y flavor as most lamb chops.
I grilled the chops simply with a little salt and pepper, then topped them off with a little mint gremolata. Gremolata is just a fancy word for chopped herbs, garlic and lemon zest. The mint and lemon were an extremely refreshing counterpoint to the lamb, and the raw garlic added just the right amount of bite.
I served the chops with a simple heirloom tomato salad and Pepita Rice Pilaf. It was pretty much the perfect meal for a summer night and a great way to officially kick off the grilling season.
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Published by mel on May 15, 2009 in recipe and sides & bites.
Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely love beer? I’m not talking about Bud Light, Coors or the most-revolting Miller High Life. I’m talking about amber lagers, hoppy pale ales and creamy, mocha-flavored stouts. Last weekend in St. Augustine, we went to a microbrewery for dinner and found some pretty delicious beers. I love microbrewery menus. Yes, you can read all about the beer-making process, but you also get to see how that beer makes it into the food. Beer mustard, beer battered everything and on this particular menu, Cheese & Ale Soup.
Although tempted, I would have been crazy to order the soup. We were sitting out on the balcony and it was 85 very humid degrees. I would have melted. In the words of the Soup Nazi – No soup for me! But it sounded so good, I decided to make my own version, using potatoes as the basis.
I started with your basic soup starters – sauteed onions and garlic. Added a few diced potatoes, some stock and summer ale. After some time simmering and a quick run-in with the immersion blender, I stirred in the cheese and secret ingredients. Served with crumbled pretzels and more cheese, I finished up my beer soup. Beer, cheese, potatoes and pretzels. You really can’t go wrong there – the soup was great. So great and so easy, I can’t wait to make it again.
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Published by mel on May 14, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Vegetarian bar food is usually relegated to deep-fried cheese sticks, greasy potato skins without bacon and mayo-filled spinach and artichoke dip. Those are fine and dandy, but sometimes you want something a little healthier, and sometime you just want some bright orange, tangy and spicy buffalo sauce.
I came up with this recipe by accident. After discovering potato pizza, I’ve been dying to make a version with sweet potato. So, that was all planned. I was going to put pancetta and goat cheese on it and call it a day. But then I spied the half-full bottle of buffalo sauce taking up precious space in my refrigerator. I knew the sweetness of the potatoes would be perfect with the spicy, vinegary tang of the buffalo sauce. And once you’ve got buffalo in the mix, you’ve got to top it all off with blue cheese.
This pizza is nothing short of awesome. The potatoes give it a sweet and creamy base, the buffalo sauce gives it a hefty kick and the blue cheese adds deep flavor and a little decadence. Even if you’re not vegetarian, I can’t imagine a better pizza for a Friday night or Sunday afternoon. The perfect accompaniment to a frosty pint of beer.
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Published by mel on May 12, 2009 in entree and recipe.
I think I’m forgetting how to write a blog post. I’ve been away from my kitchen the past two weekends, first to New York for a wedding, then to St. Augustine for a relaxing weekend. I hadn’t even been to the grocery store in a month! Sacrilege.
In New York, I ate and ate – things like delicious Cambodian sandwiches from Num Pang and outstanding brussel sprouts and assorted goodies at Momofuku Ssam Bar. (Not to mention the warm cookies and milk at the Milk Bar next door – awesome on a plate!) In St. Augustine, we found the perfect gelato handmade daily by their gelato maker at Cafe del Hidalgo.
But as good as all that food was, I still missed my kitchen. And I’m pretty sure it missed me, too. So, what better way to kick off a week of cooking than with a pork loin roasted with orange and lime juices, garlic and onions? I seared the roast on all sides, then added the other goodies. After about an hour in the dutch oven, the onions and garlic caramelize with the juices and become a citusy, garlicky sauce that’s like pork’s best friend.
If anyone out there has a slow cooker, I think this is the perfect recipe for you. Just make sure to sear the meat before you slow cook to release the meaty goodness.
ps. You should stuff tacos with these. You just should!
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Published by mel on May 7, 2009 in entree and recipe.
Will I sound like a broken record if I say I don’t have time to write a post today? What I do have is a really delicious pork chop. That pork chop is covered in a Roasted Poblano and Goat Cheese sauce. And next to that pork chop is a fluffy pile of Cajun rice (though that recipe will come another day). Altogether, a surprisingly easy and delicious meal!
The roasted poblanos add a subtle, smoky, spiciness that plays well with the tangy goat cheese (thanks to Ile de France for providing me with such tasty ingredients!) and a seared pork chop is the perfect vehicle for scooping the sauce.
Overall, delicious, delicious pork, cheese and peppers. The perfect meal.
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Published by mel on May 1, 2009 in random.
Published by mel on May 1, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Tuna Melts are some of the best comfort food around. They’re warm, toasty and covered in melted cheese. I think melted cheese is the pinnacle of all things comfort food. Mac & Cheese, pizza, baked pasta, lasagna, etc, etc. And yummy, mayo-y, cheesy tuna melts.
Instead of going the traditional route, I made these Southwestern by mixing the tuna with roasted poblano mayonnaise, black beans and pickled jalapenos. Smother in shredded Jack and Cheddar cheese and you’ve got a big ole’ Southwestern Tuna Melt that’s creamy, spicy and absolutely delicious. Tom went absolutely crazy for it and I’m sure my sister-in-law will be making it as soon as she sees it. She’s obsessed with all things tuna and southwestern.
If I could choose one thing to eat every day, it might be this sandwich. It would probably be pizza, but it just might be this sandwich. It’s that tasty. Wish I had one right now!
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