Archive for the 'sides & bites' Category

the last of summer’s grilled pizzas

Published by mel on September 3, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

the last of summer's grilled pizzas

I may be the last food blogger in the world to post about grilled pizzas this year. Most people think it’s a summer thing. And while this may be the case if you live in Arctic regions such as Alaska or Canada, early fall might just be the perfect time of year for hovering over a hot grill. I was at Lake Michigan over the long weekend and the weather was perfect — warm and sunny days, cool and cloudless nights. As is tradition, we made a bonfire on the beach, toasted up some s’mores and watched the stars while we sipped a Bell’s brew.

One of the nights was grilled pizza night. A new tradition, I think. I made 4 varieties:
yellow tomato, cinnamon basil, fresh mozzarella & prosciutto
sauteed mushroom, fresh spinach, mozzarella & prosciutto (pictured)
caramelized onions, oil-cured black olives, mozzarella & gorgonzola (the undisputed winner!)
fresh peaches, black pepper & gorgonzola

I won’t go into major details about how to make them, just a dough recipe and some pointers below. But, I will point you over to Heidi’s grilled pizza post. I read it through once and didn’t have to refer to it again. As always, she’s clear and detailed and I need not say anything more.

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spicy pozole with steak, avocado & lime

Published by mel on August 27, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

spicy pozole with steak, avocado & lime

Wikipedia says that Pozole is a traditional Mexican stew made from hominy that’s been cooked with meat and seasonings and topped with garnishes, such as avocado, cabbage, radishes and lime juice. It’s like a hearty, Mexican corn chowder. I actually spotted a recipe on Elise’s site awhile ago and knew I had to make it for Tom. He has an unnatural attachment to Mexican cuisine. Since I always lose them, I never printed out the recipe, but saw some dried pozole at the market and decided to wing it.

While you can use canned hominy, it has a much softer texture than the dried pozole kernels. You can get these online or at Hispanic markets, some grocery stores and Whole Foods. They’re like beans in that you have to soak them overnight, but their texture is much meatier and provides a nice chewiness to the dish.

They soak overnight and then stewed with dried chile de arbol and ancho peppers, making a nice, spicy broth. Just add a bit of cream to thicken it up, then top with your favorite garnishes. I used what I had on hand — avocado, red onion, thinly sliced skirt steak (leftovers!), sour cream, lime juice and cilantro. The garnishes are really the fun part. You can set them all up on the kitchen counter and have everyone assemble their own pozole the way they like it. It’s kind of like taco night with a spoon.

And it was delicious with all of the different textures and flavor contrasts. I think someone will be begging me to make it again quite soon.

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chilled fennel soup w/crab, avocado & grapefruit

Published by mel on August 25, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

chilled fennel soup w/crab, avocado & grapefruit

I had a perfect birthday. This year, it was on a Sunday and I was on vacation. I slept in, watched some Olympics, ate a Japanese hot dog, went shopping, toured the Vancouver Aquarium, took a nap and was taken out to a most fabulous dinner at Parkside. As with most meals on our Pacific Northwest adventure, Parkside is all about fresh, seasonal ingredients. Everything, including the wine, was responsibly farmed and delicious. The dishes themselves were simple, but interesting. For my appetizer, I had a very memorable chilled fennel soup topped with Dungeness crab, avocado and grapefruit. I knew I had to try to imitate it and noted as many ingredients as I could identify on my trusty iPhone.

I think I did an admirable job, though I definitely suffered from a lack of awesomely fresh crab. It’s just the wrong coast, I suppose. Next time, I think a juicy hunk of Florida Lobster tail will make a nice substitute for the crab, and is much more appropriate for the area. But the soup itself was Miami perfection. Light, refreshing and chilly enough to cool you off after a long, hot day on the beach.

Note: Where’s the crab in the picture? It sunk. I recommend using more shallow bowls if you’re trying for a nice presentation…

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classic waldorf salad, plus some twists on the original

Published by mel on August 20, 2008 in recipe and sides & bites.

classic waldorf salad

Everyone’s had a classic Waldorf salad right? Sliced or julienned apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise? Wikipedia says the Waldorf salad dates back to 1893 and was first served at The Waldorf Hotel (later the Waldorf-Astoria of many-movie fame). It’s sweet and tangy and crunchy. Perfect for a summer BBQ, you can make it a few hours in advance and best of all, you only need four ingredients.

The classic Waldorf is great. If you’ve had it, you know it’s pretty perfect. But some people don’t like mayonnaise. Some people want something more inventive. Some people (me) just can’t leave a recipe alone. So, I’m proposing some variations and twists on the original recipe. There’s really no way to mess this up, so feel free to play with the proportions and substitute anything you think might work here. Just make sure you taste it constantly so you know you’re on the right track.

Some twists on the classic (recipe for that below):

  • Substitute thinly sliced fennel for half of the apple amount
  • Add tarragon to the classic
  • Add thinly sliced Napa cabbage (or sub for half the apple amount)
  • Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise
  • Add some curry powder to the classic (or yogurt version)
  • Substitute any other nuts for walnuts
  • Add fresh basil, cilantro and mint (would be perfect in combination with the Napa cabbage)
  • Make it your own

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guava & cream cheese cupcake remix

Published by mel on August 18, 2008 in dessert, recipe and sides & bites.

guava & cream cheese cupcake

Guava and cream cheese. Some people reading this will probably think I’m crazy, but it’s really an amazing combination. Every day after school, my grandmother would layer soda crackers with a slice of guava paste and a little cream cheese. Sunday mornings my grandfather would deliver fresh-from-the-oven Cuban pastries filled with guava and cream cheese. And on the 4th of July, the guava and cream cheese empanadas were the first to go. They just feel right together.

So when my parents and their friends decided to celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversaries with a 70’s Party, I volunteered to make cupcakes for dessert. My special guava and cream cheese cupcakes, to be exact. In keeping with the groovy theme, I tried out a tie-dye look on the frosting, but I’m not sure how successful that turned out. Mostly, they looked confused. Some were yellow, some orange, some a swirly combination of the two. They may have been a little ugly, but they were darn tasty.

If guava paste weirds you out (it shouldn’t!) or if you can’t find it, you can substitute any kind of chunky fruit preseves. Just fold some orange marmalade, apricot preserves or strawberry jam into the batter just before you bake the cupcakes. The fruit makes is the perfect compliment to the cream cheese icing.

I posted this recipe here about a year ago, but was never really happy with the huge amounts of butter in the frosting and batter. I’ve tweaked the recipe and I think it works much better this way.

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fennel & fig salad | 10-minute honey mustard chicken

Published by mel on August 15, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

fennel & fig salad

Phew! I’m back from vacation! I was actually back on Monday, but have been so busy working and running around that I’ve neglected the blog, which is very very bad of me. But here I am, and so ready to start cooking.

I ate so well on my trip! We had farm-fresh salad, pork loin, blue cheese and tons of wine in Napa. Delicious chorizo and polenta mussels in Portland, which I am dying to recreate. Fried chicken on biscuits with honey, mustard and pickles (awesome!). Chilled fennel soup with dungeness crab, avocado and grapefruit in Vancouver. Oh! and Japanese-style hot dogs with terriyaki, kewpie mayonnaise and toasted nori (best hot dog ever!). And so many micro-brewed beers and local wines! I can’t wait to re-create all of those flavors.

But for now, I’ve got 2 recipes to post. (I’m trying to make up for being such a slacker.) The first is a pretty fig and fennel salad with shaved pecorino cheese and a lemony dressing. It’s a light and easy meal perfect for summer and fancy enough to serve guests. But you have to make it now before figs go out of season!

10-minute honey mustard chicken

The second is a 10-minute honey mustard chicken. It’s honestly as simple as five ingredients and a hot pan. The result is a sweet and tangy chicken perfect for a side of potatoes or on top of a salad. So easy and I bet you have the ingredients in your fridge right now.

This weekend, I’ll be making some new things inspired by my Pacific Northwest trip. I’m hoping they come out well enough to post some fun new recipes.

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red currant, necatrine & thyme crisps

Published by mel on August 5, 2008 in dessert, recipe and sides & bites.

red currant, necatrine & thyme crisps

Did you know that when red currants are baked they taste like candy? I swear! Just like candy. All red and sweet and sticky. If you’ve never tried red currants before, I think you should snatch some up and make this crisp. Wikipedia says that red currants are a bit sour and mostly used in jams and other cooked dishes. They’re definitely not conducive to snacking since they’re as tiny as a mini Altoid. But something happens when they’re baked and they just transform…into candy!

I paired them with some sweet nectarines and added bit of thyme as a contrast to the sweet crisp topping. I also used more salt than is usual, fancy fleur de sel to be exact, in the topping to really make the fruit pop. I loved how sweet, salty, sour and savory all combined to make this special summer dessert. I also loved how the scoop of Haagen Dazs Fleur de Sel Caramel ice cream we heaped on top made for the best dessert I’ve had in a long time.

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thick and hearty lamb ragu

Published by mel on August 1, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

thick and hearty lamb ragu

Who in their right mind makes a long-simmering lamb ragu in July? Well, I guess that would be me. Me who lives in a city with just two seasons - Spring (Warm) and Summer (Boiling Hot). Me who makes cold noodle salad in January and lamb ragu in July. Maybe you can bookmark this for Fall?

A good ragu is made from simple ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. Because the ingredients are so simple, it’s key that they’re good quality. Good olive oil, produce, garlic, tomatoes and meat. Throw it all in a pot and let it simmer slowly for a couple of hours until the meat falls apart and everything melds together into something deliciously comforting. A ragu is the perfect Sunday supper.

I made this for my easy, no-machine orecchiete but it’s perfect over any kind of hearty pasta or grain. And it’s even better when followed immediately by a nap.

On that note, recipes will be scarce for a bit because I’ll be exploring the Pacific Northwest with Tom. (I’ve even made a spreadsheet of all the restaurants we want to hit up.) So, I’ll post a sweet treat next week, but I won’t be as post-y as usual.

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easy, no-machine homemade pasta dough

Published by mel on July 28, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

I’ve always thought homemade pasta was more work than I cared to take on. Make the dough, knead the dough, cut it, feed it into a machine multiple times, then cut again. All that work for a few strands of fresh pasta that I could easily buy at Whole Foods? No thanks. Besides, I try to avoid foods that require special equipment beyond a mixer or food processor. Except for ice cream. I’ll store any machine for homemade ice cream.

So, I don’t want to buy the machine, but I’ve always wanted to at least attempt making my own pasta. I’m such a contrarian. Like when Tom asks me what I’d like for dinner and I’ll say pizza. So, he’ll ask me where I’d like to order from, but I can’t decide or I’m too lazy to pick it up, and we end up eating frozen burritos. It’s a bit like that.

Anyway, back to the pasta. I finally decided to make an attempt, but it would have to be one of those “rustic” pastas that have a more free-form shape. Something I didn’t need a machine or rolling pin to accomplish. Something exactly like Orecchiette. An ear-shaped pasta that doesn’t have to be perfect and only requires one piece of special equipment everyone, or at least most everyone, has handy — your thumb. This dough actually comes together rather quickly (about 30 minutes active time) and requires little of the tedious work associated with fresh pasta.

For Saturday’s dinner, I decided to make giant orecchiette to hold up to the hearty lamb ragu I served over it (recipe later this week). Usually, I’d make smaller shapes if I was pairing the pasta with a lighter sauce. I also used all semolina flour, which makes for heartier, less delicate pasta. You can follow the same method using cake (not self-rising) flour, or half semolina, half cake flour for a lighter texture. I also know that a lot of people use “00″ flour for homemade pasta, but I’ve never been able to find it.

If you’ve been wanting to make your own pasta, but don’t have the patience and cabinet space for a pasta machine, definitely give this recipe a go.

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my favorite grilled corn salad

Published by mel on July 24, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

my favorite grilled corn salad

You know that grilled Mexican-style corn that’s slathered in mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese, lime and chili powder? It’s just delicious. All tangy, sweet and spicy. But have you ever tried to eat it in front of other people? Mayonnaise on your chin, mayonnaise on your lips, and sometimes, mayonnaise on your forehead. At times, this is just fine. Other times, you’d prefer to eat a bit more civilly.

This grilled corn salad has all of the flavor of your mayo/parm/lime/chili corn on the cob without all the napkins, furious face-wiping and embarrassing teeth picking. This is a salad you could safely eat on a date, in front of co-workers, and even in front of Flickr-loving food bloggers.

There are so many reasons why this is my favorite corn salad. Grilling the corn lets you cook with one hand on the tongs, one hand on your beer. It goes with pretty much anything, and especially with grilled burgers or sausages. The ingredients are easy to find and I usually have them in my fridge. But really, it just tastes so good. Corn’s beautiful and plentiful right now and this salad is a perfect way to eat it.

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