Published by mel on August 17, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
After much Googling, I’ve finally found a CSA that I think I’ll like and that I don’t have to drive 30 miles to get to. Because it’s too hot and a little backward down here, our season is actually November – April, but you can order tropical fruits, eggs, avocados and fresh herbs during the summer. So, Saturday morning I picked up my delicious, multi-colored eggs, fresh lemongrass, curry leaves, mint leaves, raw honey and just about the biggest avocados I’ve ever seen. I kid you not – these guys are at least 18 inches long and twice the width of a softball. I can’t wait for them to ripen!
So, what does any of this have to do with rice? Not much, really. But I thought it was a nice story and I did use the fresh mint in this unusual side dish. Rice is usually boring – a base for the more interesting things it’s served with – Green Curry, Ropa Vieja or Sushi. But rice can be dressed up and made into a side dish that’s as good as the main.
I grilled some local lobsters with lemongrass and curry leaf butter and wanted a rice dish that stood up to the lobster and paid its respects. I toasted some unsweetened coconut and slivered almonds then tossed them into the rice cooker with chicken stock and brown Jasmine rice. Stir in mint and cilantro and you have an exotic rice that pairs perfectly with grilled anything (and especially lobster). This is no sad side of rice – it’s jubilant and addictive and i can’t wait to make it again.
Continue reading ‘Toasted Coconut & Almond Rice with Mint’
Published by mel on August 12, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I rarely make the same thing twice in a month. Even rarer for me to make something four times in a month. And it’s quite possibly unheard of for me to serve the same dish to guests twice in a week. Well, I think I’ve made this salad five or six times in the last month. And since it’s become Tom’s favorite, he’s been asking for it constantly, and I’m finding myself more than happy to oblige.
So, what is it about this salad that makes it so irresistible? I think it’s the bright and slightly sweet dressing, the freshness of the mint and cilantro and the fact that you can eat a whole heap of it and still feel really good about yourself. It’s one of those rare meals that is immensely delicious and really healthy. Best of all, it keeps in the fridge for a few days, even after it’s been dressed, making for some tasty leftover lunches.
I like top mine with some sliced steak, but it’s equally good with grilled chicken, pork or shrimp – just use whatever you happen to have on hand. It’s the ideal salad for the end of summer heat.
Continue reading ‘Tom’s Favorite Vietnamese Noodle Salad’
Published by mel on July 17, 2009 in recipe and sides & bites.
Is there anything more refreshing than a cold, crisp Mojito when it it’s 200 degrees outside? I don’t think so. Nothing says summer like lime and ice and mint leaves. Roasted potatoes? Those are more like fall and winter. A summer potato is usually smothered in mayo and plopped on a picnic table. Delicious yes, but sometimes cold potato salad isn’t what I’m craving.
So, here’s my attempt to bring the refreshing summery-ness of a Mojito to the lowly potato. I roasted them with garlic, olive oil, lime zest and salt, then tossed them with lime juice and fresh mint. The caramelized potatoes and garlic added just the right amount of sweetness so that it really reminded me of a Mojito. The lime and mint brightened them up and added a good bite. They were really good and kind of addicting in that way that only roasted potatoes can be.
Although I loved them this way, I think I’ll try a cold, salad version of this recipe next time. Just boil the potatoes instead of roasting them and toss them with the rest of the ingredients once they’re cool. I bet that salad would be a big hit at my next BBQ!
Continue reading ‘Mojito Roasted Potatoes’
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.
Continue reading ‘Lamb with Mint Gremolata’
Published by mel on April 20, 2009 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I really love when I find a great recipe that’s 5 ingredients or less. These Garlic & Mint Shrimp are simple, easy and really delicious. I had actually planned on making and mint gremolata for some grilled lamb chops, but the grocery store let me down. No lamb chops for me. Instead, I found some nice looking shrimp and decided to saute those in garlic and olive oil, then toss them with mint.
The mint lends a refreshing flavor to the whole dish. We ate them alone as an appetizer, then tossed the leftovers with jasmine rice for a really quick and tasty meal that’s perfect for Spring and Summer. They’d also be delicious tossed with some pasta, orzo or even farro. Next time, I think I’ll also add some thinly sliced hot peppers for a little bit of a kick or some bacon. Everything is better with bacon.
Although I had really been hoping for that lamb, I’m glad the grocery store was out. I love everything about these shrimp, and I really love their simple goodness.
Continue reading ‘Garlic & Mint Shrimp’
Published by mel on September 5, 2008 in entree and recipe.
The idea for this sandwich started out as a vague thought about Vietnamese-style tacos. Why Vietnamese-style tacos you ask? Well, I’m not sure. I was thinking that taco toppings are like Vietnamese-style salads with generous amounts of fresh herbs, cabbage, onions and hot peppers.
So, I tried it. I marinated some pork tenderloins with shoyu, honey and ginger. I made a slaw from mango, cucumber, serrano peppers, mint, cilantro, green onions and lime juice. (Napa cabbage would be great here, but I didn’t have any.) Then I stacked everything on a corn tortilla. Hmmm, interesting, but ultimately the corn flavor of the tortillas didn’t complement the Asian flavors.
Not to be deterred, I tried again with ciabatta rolls. Much better this time! The sweet and spicy slaw was perfect on the pork and the ciabatta roll didn’t compete with the other flavors. I love a good sandwich for dinner, and I think this one might be making another appearance soon.
Continue reading ‘pork sandwich w/ spicy mango cucumber slaw’
Published by mel on July 9, 2008 in dessert, recipe and sides & bites.
Nothing says summer like watermelon and mint. Watermelon is a summer staple – so juicy, sweet and refreshing. Ricotta salata is a firmer, saltier version of standard ricotta and resembles feta in texture, though it’s slightly creamier. It’s also the perfect contrast to the sweet melon.
I love this salad because it’s so versatile. You can serve mini versions as an hors d’ouevre as I did on Saturday night. Or as an appetizer, snack or even dessert. Depending on how your serving it, you can season it differently. If you’re going savory, drizzle the salad with some good-quality olive oil and a pinch of salt. If you’re serving it as a dessert or snack, drizzle it with honey and a sprinkle it with a coarse, finishing sugar.
Either way, it’s a delicious and unique salad perfect for hot summer evenings.
Continue reading ‘watermelon, ricotta salata & mint salad’
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 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’
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