quick – Page 4 – Sue's Seasonal Palate

December 6, 2015 Miso Marinated Salmon

During this busy holiday season it’s good to have a few recipes you can pull out that are quick, easy and most important, delicious too. Miso glazed salmon is one recipe that certainly fills that bill.
This is a Japanese technique that was used to preserve freshly caught fish for it’s journey to land. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa made the preparation famous with his black cod recipe and it has become a popular restaurant dish. Just four ingredients, miso, mirin, sake and sugar make up the marinade. If you are not already familiar with any of these, here is a little background information on these important staples of Japanese cooking.

Miso is fermented soybean paste. It is made by steaming and crushing soybeans, then adding salt and koji, a culture cultivated from rice, barley or soybeans that triggers fermentation. The flavor of miso has been described as salty, earthy and rich in umami. Miso ranges in color from white to pale yellow to a deep chocolate brown. The lighter the color, the sweeter (less salty) it will be. A light miso paste is most likely made from rice and is best suited for fish and light sauces.
Sake, pronounced SAH-keh, not sa-kee, is quite often described as Japanese rice wine. It is actually more akin to beer than wine since it is made from a grain, rice, and not a fruit as wine usually is. Unlike wine, sake is produced by a brewing process similar to that of beer. The alcohol content of sake usually is from 15-20 percent, compared to wine’s 9-15 percent content.
Mirin, is a type of rice wine but with a higher sugar content and lower alcohol. It is golden in color and it’s syrupy sweetness contrasts nicely with the saltiness of soy or tamari sauce.
Miso is easy to find in organic markets and large supermarkets. I definitely would recommend the white or shiro miso for this recipe. My favorite brand is Miso Master Organic Mellow White. You can use it for soups, sauces and dressings too. It will keep in the refrigerator for nine months. Mirin is an increasingly easier find, the Kikkoman brand seems to be prevalent in the Asian section of most supermarkets. If you don’t like the idea of purchasing a bottle of sake just for a few tablespoons used in the recipe, dry sherry or vermouth can fill in. Honey or another sweetener could possibly substitute for granulated sugar but I have not tried it this way. You could also cut the recipe in half if making for two.
Whisk the four ingredients together in a medium bowl. I use a fork to smooth in the miso before I attempt to whisk it. Use a bowl or container that will hold the fish snugly. I pour enough of the marinade to coat the bottom of the container and place the fish in skin side down. Then I pour the rest of the marinade on top. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate until a half hour before you are ready to cook the fish. Preheat the oven to 450° F and measure the fillets using the Canadian Fisheries method to determine cooking time. Remove the fillets from the marinade, wiping off the excess and place leaving about an inch between each piece on a well oiled baking sheet or pan. I like to sprinkle the top with a sesame seed mixture, but it is fine without it too. Cook fish for the determined amount of time, between 10-12 minutes.The finished internal temperature of the fillet should be 125°F. Since you are cooking in a very hot oven, I turn the oven to broil at the end to brown the top of the fish a little bit. Transfer fish to warmed plates or a serving dish and serve with lemon wedges.

DSC_5296a — Four ingredients make up the marinade.

Miso Marinated Salmon

Serves 4

Ingredients

½c white miso paste
¼c granulated sugar
3T sake
3T mirin
4 6-8 ounce salmon fillets (skin-on)
Sesame seeds or sesame spice mixture
Lemon wedges

Directions

Whisk miso, sugar, sake and mirin together in a medium bowl until sugar and miso are dissolved, the mixture will be thick.
Pour some of the mixture into a container that will fit the fillets snugly. Place the fish on top and pour the rest of the mixture over the fish. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
A half hour before cooking bring the fish out to bring it to room temperature. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 450°F.
Wiping excess marinade off the fillets, place on an oiled baking sheet or pan, leaving about an inch between each fillet. Sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the sesame seeds or sesame spice mixture.
Timing is always a function of the thickness of your fish. Measure fish at the thickest part of the fillet with a ruler, one inch of thickness equals about 10 minutes of cooking time.
Transfer cooked fish to a serving platter and serve with lemon wedges.

October 25, 2015 Broccoli Leek Soup with Fresh Ginger

The fall crop of broccoli is making it’s appearance in our farmers market and I love making broccoli soup now that the cooler weather is upon us. This time I combined it with leeks and shallots from our own harvest and one of the more unique offerings at our local farmers market, freshly harvested ginger.

This ginger is younger than the ginger you buy at the grocery store. The skin is a yellowish beige with pink and purple markings. The flavor is milder and the flesh is delicate and juicy, not fibrous. This is the ginger commonly used in pickled ginger. You can substitute fresh ginger in any recipe, but because of it’s milder flavor, you will need to use more.

Ginger from the grocery store that has sprouted can be planted but there is no guarantee if it will be disease and pest free. Our local farm, Blooming Glen Farm buys rhizomes from certified organic farms in Hawaii. They start their plants in the spring and grow them in conditions that are similar to the warm temperatures the plants are accustomed to in Hawaii. The rhizomes are ready for harvest by mid October. A bit pricey, 18.99 a pound, but a nice splurge this time of year. I’m going to hold a few aside for Joe to plant so we can have our own ginger next fall. This soup comes together very quickly and the frizzled leeks that top it are very easy to do and add a nice textural contrast.

Broccoli Leek Soup with Fresh Ginger

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients

2-3 T olive oil
¼c chopped shallots
1T finely chopped fresh ginger
3 large leeks, sliced, white and light green parts only
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
4-5c chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Frizzled leeks as garnish-see recipe following

DSC_4970a — Fresh ginger from the farmers market.

DSC_2854a — Part of the fall leek harvest.

Directions

Add olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Stir in the chopped shallots and ginger and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the broccoli florets and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender. Add additional stock if the soup is too thick.
Season to taste with salt and pepper
Garnish soup with frizzled leeks.

Frizzled Leeks

Ingredients

1 leek, trimmed
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Cut leek in half lengthwise and rinse away any grit. Slice thinly and pat dry to insure the oil will not splatter.
In a small skillet over medium heat, warm ¼ inch olive oil. Add a handful of leeks and fry until golden brown, about a minute or so. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining leeks.

August 20, 2015 Cucumber, Basil and Peanut Salad

These days Joe is bringing in more cucumbers than I know what to do with them. I’m really not complaining, the season is short and I am using them in as many salads and cold soups as I can find recipes. Native to India, cucumbers require 70°F plus soil and air temperatures to grow but have a relatively short time from sowing to harvest. He has had great success growing them in the greenhouse that is situated in the garden. That environment provides just slightly warmer temperatures.
Since cucumbers are 96% water they are happiest when watered on a consistent basis. A well watered cucumber vine will produce the sweetest fruit. We stick with two varieties that produce well, Persian and Bush Champion. Persian cucumbers are small, about 6 inches long and 3/4 inch diameter with smooth edible skin and undeveloped seeds. They are the perfect size for pickling, if that is your inclination. Bush Champions are a bush variety that take one third of the space and are also suitable for containers.

One of my all time favorite cucumber salads to make is a Thai cucumber salad. Light and crunchy, it is quick and easy to make, combining sweet, spicy and tangy flavors. The dressing draws most of it’s ingredients from the Asian pantry. Seasoned rice vinegar is either made from sake or by adding salt and sugar to regular white rice vinegar and is an easy boost to the sweet, salty and tangy elements of a dish. Plain rice wine vinegar is a bit more versatile and could be substituted. Just remember to adjust the seasonings accordingly. Whether you call it nam pla, nuoc nam or patis, fish sauce is made from the liquid drained from fermented anchovies and is a flavor enhancer like salt or soy sauce. A little goes a long way here. I am partial to the Three Crabs brand that is readily available in Asian markets. Sesame oil was one of the first exotic ingredients to grace our kitchen. Be sure to look for toasted sesame oil. It is dark in color and has a very intense aroma and flavor. Use Thai basil in this salad if you can find it. The beautifully named Siam Queen is one of the varieties we grow. The plant is more compact in apppearance than the standard Italian basil with smaller bright green leaves. There are clusters of purple flowers at the top of the plant. It has an intense licorice aroma and flavor.

To make the salad, add the rice vinegar, sesame oil, lime juice and fish sauce to a large bowl. Peel about 1½ lbs cucumbers, I leave a little skin on for color contrast. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slice diagonally into crescents. Peeling the cucumber allows the flavors of the dressing to be absorbed right into the flesh. Add cucumbers, basil and peanuts to the bowl, toss and serve. So simple to make, refreshing Thai cucumber salad is as much a natural next to a grilled satay as it is with your standard picnic fare.

This little flower is the beginning of a cucumber.

Persian cucumber in the middle, flanked by the spiny Bush Champions.

Cucumber, Basil and Peanut Salad

Adapted from Fine Cooking magazine

Serves six

Ingredients

3T seasoned rice vinegar
1t Asian sesame oil
1t fresh lime juice
1t fish sauce
1½lb cucumbers
¼c torn basil leaves (Thai is preferred)
¼c coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients.
Peel cucumbers (I like to leave small strips of skin for contrast), slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and slice diagonally into ¼ inch crescents.
Add the cucumbers, torn basil and peanuts to the bowl with the vinaigrette, toss and serve.

July 23, 2015 Zucchini Pesto Frittata

If you’re like me and not always in the mood to cook something when you get up in the morning for breakfast, but still want a little something to eat, a frittata is a great choice. Made the day before, they warm up quickly and also taste good at room temperature. But frittatas aren’t just for breakfast, they make a nice lunch, light supper, sliced thin as an hors d’oeurve or anytime you just want a little nibble. This time of year they are a great way to showcase farm fresh eggs and produce.

For this recipe I chose the smallest zucchini I could find in the garden. Since their seed pods are still underdeveloped, they have a sweet nutty quality to them. I wanted very thin slices rather than shreds which is the usual method of preparation. Slice by hand, or for real uniformity, I used the 2mm slicing disk on the food processor. Larger zucchini should be shredded and salted then squeezed dry before adding to the frittata. If you skip that step, when you cook the zucchini you essentially will be steaming, not sauteing it. A couple of tablespoons of a chopped fresh herb is a welcome addition to a frittata, but since I had just made some, I opted for pesto, a delcious addition to this dish.

A 10″ non stick skillet with an oven safe handle is essential for this recipe. Begin by cooking the zucchini until it releases some liquid and the slices start to brown and become tender, this should take about 5-6 minutes. Set the pan aside.

Preheat your oven’s broiler and place a rack in the upper middle position. Beat the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Stir in pesto and the cooked zucchini. Add the rest of the oil to the empty skillet and heat to medium. Add zucchini-egg mixture and cook for 4-5 minutes, frittata will look set around the edges. Move the skillet to the broiler and leave a potholder on the oven door, that handle will get hot. I set a timer now for 90 second intervals. It took about 2 intervals for the frittata to get brown, which translates to about 4 minutes.

Using the potholder, remove frittata from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.Run spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the frittata. You can serve the frittata warm right from the skillet, or slide unto a platter for a prettier presentation.

Zucchini Pesto Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients

2T olive oil
1 1/3 lbs. of very small zucchini, washed and ends trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1-2T pesto or freezer pesto, thawed with cheese added
6 large eggs
3T grated Parmesan cheese
2t olive oil

Directions

Heat broiler.
Slice trimmed zucchini by hand or with the thinnest slicing blade of the food processor.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini; cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Beat six large eggs with 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Stir in pesto and cooked zucchini into beaten eggs.
Heat additional 2 teaspoons oil in the now empty skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, pesto and egg mixture; cook until frittata is almost set, 4-5 minutes.
Slide skillet until the broiler and cook until frittata is set and the top is browned.
Serve directly from the skillet or flip unto serving plate. Serve hot or at room temperature.

The seed pods are not developed yet in baby zucchini.

July 3, 2015 Oven Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

My original idea for this post was to make a salad, but sometimes the simplest things are the best. Freshly harvested broccoli and carrots are tossed with a good quality extra virgin olive oil, salt, freshly ground black pepper and my favorite ingredient to add to the roasting mix, aleppo pepper. Aleppo pepper, as I have mentioned before in a previous post is one of my favorite new ingredients of the past several years. It is dark red in color, flaky and somewhat oily in texture. It’s flavor profile is rich, sweet and fruity with hints of cumin. Aleppo’s heat profile is moderate, only just a little hotter than paprika.

Begin by cutting your vegetables in relatively uniform pieces; in this case; the broccoli in individual florets and carrots in one inch lengths so they will roast in the same time as the broccoli. Remember that vegetables shrink when roasting so always cook more than what you might if you were steaming or sautéing.

Although some recipes have you do it right in the pan, vegetables are more evenly oiled and seasoned in a bowl . Use just enough oil to give an even coating, about two tablespoons for this quantity should be enough. Season generously with salt, freshly ground pepper and whatever herb you might choose. In addition to Aleppo pepper, I have used paprika, chipotle pepper, cumin, thyme, it all depends on what compliments your vegetables best.

Roasting should always be done on a large shallow sided sheet pan. The ones I use are called “half size” and have a 18″x13″ dimension. They are relatively inexpensive and available in most big box stores. I consider them indispensible and have about a dozen from my catering days. Using a pan or baking dish with high sides will cause them to steam rather that roast because of the high water content of vegetables.

Give the vegetables room for roasting, everything should be in a single layer on the pan with a little room between each piece. I like to roast on a relatively high heat, 425°F to 450°F to insure they will caramelize on the outside and be nice and tender on the inside. I like to stir or shake the pan every five minutes or so to roast every surface. Time may vary for desired doneness, that’s why I check them frequently. The larger your pieces are, the longer it will take them to cook.

For a finishing touch to my roasted vegetables I added some cashews and a little fresh cilantro. In this case, simple was the best.

DSC_3352a — Cut vegetables into uniform pieces and spread out evenly on a sheet pan.

Oven Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 large head of broccoli, florets chopped off the stalk, about 6-7 cups
3 medium carrots, cut in half and into 1″ lengths
2-3T extra virgin olive oil
2-3t kosher salt
2t freshly ground black pepper
1t Aleppo pepper
1/4c unsalted cashews
1/4c cilantro leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F.In a large bowl, toss the vegetables together with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Transfer vegetables to a large sheet pan, spreading them out evenly.
Roast vegetables, shaking the pan every five minutes or so to be certain all surfaces are roasted. My vegetables were very fresh and took about 15 minutes total to cook. Your time may vary.
Transfer vegetables to a serving bowl. Garnish with cashews and cilantro.

June 14, 2015 Crustless Spinach, Mushroom and Canadian Bacon Quiche

Consider a humble little package of frozen chopped spinach, a convenience and a staple in many kitchens, including mine. You might be quite surprised how many cups of fresh spinach it takes to make that 10 ounce brick of frozen. That was the information I was looking for this week.

Our spinach plants are going to seed and it was time to do one last serious pick before pulling them out and getting the space ready for another planting. When picking spinach, especially in the extreme hot weather (95°F) it is important to not use a metal bowl or colander, they will put your freshly picked leaves into immediate wilt that will be hard to revive from. I prefer using a clear plastic “pebble” bowl, sturdy hard plastic bowls I used in my catering business. I snip off the best leaves with scissors, leaving the plant and damaged leaves behind for the mulch pile. Next, I soak the spinach in a clean sink of cold water. I start the process by swishing the leaves around in the sink. I let them sit for a few minutes, the spinach will float to the top, and the dirt and debris will sink to the bottom. Then I gently lift out the leaves and transfer them to a colander. I will repeat the process again to be sure all the dirt is removed. I refrigerated the spinach in the large bowls with some plastic wrap draped over the top.

Now it was time to find ways to use up this bounty. Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrition, low in calories, a rich source of iron, vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, calcium and magnesium. End of the season spinach is still very good, but not necessarily something you would want to use in a salad. So I was on the hunt for recipes with cooked spinach. Frittata, quiche, spanakopita, all good choices but many recipes just call for that ubiquitous ten ounce package of frozen spinach. I needed to find the conversions to take that very large bowl to the amount of cooked spinach I needed.

Spinach is 90% water in composition and when cooked, 1 pound of fresh spinach is equivalent to 10 to 12 cups and will cook down to 1 cup. One 10-ounce package of frozen spinach is the equivalent of 1 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach or about 15-18 cups of spinach. In my pictures you will see a before and after of the spinach. To reduce it, I cooked the spinach in a 10″ sauté pan using just the water that clung to the leaves. Then I drained it thoroughly in a fine mesh colander, squeezed it dry and chopped it roughly.

My efforts paid off. With the spinach I picked, I was able to make all three, frittata, quiche and spanakopita. This quiche can be put together in minutes since the most time consuming part is eliminated, making the crust. I added some sauteed sliced mushrooms and Canadian bacon. In case you didn’t know, American bacon comes from the fatty belly of the pig and Canadian bacon is cut from the loin. Of course a 10 ounce package of frozen spinach can be substituted in this recipe. It makes a nice breakfast or light lunch and reheats well the next day.

DSC_3115a — Fifteen to eighteen cups of fresh spinach.

Crustless Spinach and Canadian Bacon Quiche

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1c finely chopped onion
1c sliced fresh mushrooms
1T vegetable oil
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach or 1½c cooked and chopped fresh spinach
2/3c finely chopped Canadian bacon
5 large eggs
3c shredded swiss cheese (other cheeses will work too like cheddar or Monterey Jack)
1/8t freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, sauté onion and mushrooms in oil until tender.
Add spinach and ham, cook and stir until the excess moisture is evaporated. Cool slightly.
Beat eggs, add cheese and mix well. Stir in spinach mixture and season with pepper; blend well.
Spread evenly into a greased 9-inch pie plate or quiche dish.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

June 6, 2015 Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Still on the hunt for spinach themed dishes, I found this recipe for Spinach and Chickpea Curry in Fine Cooking. It is similar to a northern Indian dish called palak chole, palak being the Punjabi word for spinach and chole the word for chickpea. The dish can be made in no time at all with some basic pantry ingredients.

Curry powder, a staple in many kitchens, is not a single spice like basil or oregano but a combination of ingredients and will vary by region and country. Most curry powder recipes include coriander, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, ground ginger and mustard seed. To add to the confusion, there is also a curry plant that is supposed to smell like curry and a curry leaf plant. The leaves of the curry leaf plant are used mostly in the cooking of southern India. The leaves look like small bay leaves but are edible and have a lime-lemony taste.

Garam masala is the other spice blend in this dish. Garam is the Indian word for warm or hot and masala is a mixture of spices. Garam masala is a blend of dry roasted ground spices from northern India. Dry roasting adds to the complexity of garam masala and it is not as hot and spicy as other blends. It may contain up to 12 spices including black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chilis, mace, nutmeg and other spices. As with all spice blends they should be kept in a cool dark cabinet and have a shelf life of about six months.

Saute onion, ginger, spice blends and cayenne over medium high heat. The fragrance is absolutely intoxicating. Stir in drained and rinsed chickpeas, canned diced tomatoes and a little kosher salt. Next, add handfuls of spinach, stirring to wilt as you go. The recipe calls for baby spinach but I used garden spinach that I cut down to size and removed large ribs and stems from. This was a dish that came together in less than an hour, and that including picking, washing and trimming the spinach. Serve garnished with cilantro and some plain yogurt to stir in if you choose. Next time I think I will make some naan to sop up the juices. Leftovers are fabulous, that is, if you have them. This dish was so good, it was requested two days in a row.

Spinach and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

3T canola oil
1/4c chopped red onion
2T finely chopped fresh ginger
1T curry powder
1t garam masala
1/8t cayenne pepper
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 14½oz can diced tomatoes
1¼t kosher salt plus additional for final seasoning
7-8c fresh spinach, torn into 1″ pieces
¼c chopped cilantro
Plain Greek style yogurt for serving

Directions

Heat canola oil in a 12″ sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion, ginger, curry powder, garam masala and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often until the onion is softened, 2-3 minutes.
Stir in one can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, one can of diced tomatoes and 1¼t salt.
Add spinach by the handful, stirring to wilt as you go. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the spinach is completely wilted and the flavors have melded, 4 to 5 minutes more. Season to taste with more salt. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in ¼c cilantro.
Spoon onto a platter and serve with Greek yogurt for dolloping on top.

April 21, 2015 Shrimp Scampi

It’s not every day that fresh Florida shrimp are available at my local fish market, that was reason enough for me to prepare a dish that showcases their pristine sweet flavor, shrimp scampi.

Most “fresh” shrimp sold in supermarkets are shipped frozen and thawed for the seafood counter. That means the shrimp you will find with the frozen seafood is exactly the same and maybe even a little cheaper than what is being presented as fresh, it just hasn’t been sitting on a bed of ice all day. Thawed shrimp are a convenience to use only when you need them immediately. The shelf life of thawed shrimp is only a day or so at best, while frozen shrimp retain their quality for several weeks in the freezer.

Most shrimp sold today are IQF or individually quick frozen, so it is easy to remove the amount of shrimp you need for a recipe. The best way to thaw shrimp is to put it in the fridge overnight or for a quicker thaw, put it in a colander of cold water and let some cold water trickle into the bowl while the excess goes down the drain. The shrimp should be ready to cook in about 15 minutes.

Shrimp are sold by the count, the number of shrimp to make a pound, so the lower the count, the bigger the shrimp. The names that correspond with the sizes range from extra colossal, under 10 per pound to extra small, 61 to 70 shrimp per pound. The descriptions are not standardized however so one vendor’s extra large could be another’s jumbo. So it is always best to stick with looking at the count when buying shrimp.

According to Italian cookbook author Lidia Bastianich, shrimp scampi is one of the those creations in which immigrant cooks adapted Italian techniques to American ingredients. Scampi is the Italian word for a prawn or langoustine, more closely related to lobsters. One traditional way of preparing them in Italy was to sauté them with garlic, onion, olive oil and white wine. When Italians immigrated to America they adapted the preparation, substituting the more readily available shrimp. The dish was called shrimp scampi and the name stuck, meaning shrimp prepared in the scampi style.

This recipe is from Melissa Pellegrino, cookbook author and contributing editor to Fine Cooking magazine,. What makes this interpretation of shrimp scampi unique is the addition of shrimp stock which further enhances the flavors in this dish.

Begin by peeling the shrimp, you can leave the tails on for presentation if you choose. The next step is to devein the shrimp, which isn’t a vein at all but the digestive tract. It is not absolutely necessary and you can eat shrimp with the vein still in, but one thing I know for certain, it will always get you Chopped. To devein, make a shallow slit down the middle of the back which exposes the intestine. Lift the vein out with the tip of a paring knife and wipe the blade with a clean paper towel. You can also do this under cold running water. There are also inexpensive tools that allow you to devein in one fell swoop.

The shrimp stock is made with the shrimp shells along with the usual ingredients used in stock making, onion, celery, carrot and a bay leaf. The ingredients are brought to a boil, simmered and strained. Only ¼ cup of the stock is needed so the rest can be frozen for future use.

Aromatic garlic, parsley and lemon peel are added to melted butter in the skillet. The shrimp are cooked in this mixture until they turn pink. Wine and shrimp stock are reduced to make a sauce with a final additon of pepper flakes, lemon peel and, of course, more butter. Served over pasta, rice or just accompanied with some crusty bread, shrimp scampi is a quick delicious entree easy enough for weeknights and elegant enough for special occasions.

DSC_2338a — Shrimp shells are used to make a flavorful stock.

Shrimp shells are combined with onion, celery, carrot and a bay leaf.

I used the juice and peel from our Ponderosa lemon.

Shrimp Scampi

Serves four

Ingredients

1½ lb. 16-20 count shrimp (these may be called jumbo or extra jumbo) peeled and deveined (shells reserved) tails may be left on if you choose
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
1 small yellow onion, halved
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4T unsalted butter
¼c finely chopped Italian parsley
2T minced garlic
1T finely grated lemon zest
¼c dry white wine
1t fresh lemon juice
Crushed red pepper flakes
Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan , combine the reserved shrimp shells, carrot, celery, onion and bay leaf. Add four cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve ¼cup for the scampi. The rest of the shrimp stock can be frozen for future use.
Pat the shrimp dry and season with ½teaspoon salt and a grind of pepper.
In a 12-inch heavy skillet, melt 3Tof the butter over medium heat. Add the parsley, garlic and lemon zest and cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp and cook until they start to turn pink, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to coat.
Transfer the shrimp to a serving plate using a slotted spoon. Whisk the remaining 1T butter into the sauce. If the sauce seems too thin, simmer for a minute or so to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pour over the shrimp and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

April 14, 2015 Beet Chutney

The good thing about cooking a ton of food for a holiday is that chances are, you will have lots of leftovers. The challenging part is finding ways to repurpose those leftovers into something different and delicious. Smoked turkey was good on a salad, leftover roasted vegetables topped our homemade thin crust pizzas. In previous years I made moussaka with leftover lamb, this year we decided on lamb wraps. In addition to the usual tzatziki sauce that I would serve with lamb, Joe suggested “something spicy.” I had some ideas but after googling it, found an interesting recipe for beet chutney.

As a beet lover, I enjoy their earthy quality and thought the sweet and sour quality of a chutney would be a nice contrast to the creamy coolness of tzatziki. The chutney comes together quickly and benefits from being made ahead, allowing the flavors to blend together. The recipes calls for a two inch diameter beet, which turned out to be just a little bit less than a cup. Tweak the sweet and sour elements to your own liking. I used golden raisins because that’s what I had on hand, dried cranberries might be nice as well. Dried cranberries would fit the color scheme and would fit right in with a Thanksgiving menu. The chutney would also be good as a appetizer on top of a cracker spread with goat cheese or Brie.

Beet Chutney

Makes about a cup

Ingredients

1/4c olive oil
1 ½c red onion
1 2-inch diameter red beet, peeled, cut into ¼ inch cubes
½c water
½c red wine vinegar
3T raisins (I used golden raisins)
3T sugar
2t chopped peeled fresh ginger
1t yellow mustard seeds
Pinch of cumin seeds

Directions

Heat olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped red onion and beet cubes. Cook until onion is tender but not brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes
Add ½c water. Increase heat to high and boil until mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, raisins, sugar, ginger, mustard seeds, and a pinch of cumin seeds. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beet cubes are tender and the chutney is thick, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool.
Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

October 9, 2014 Broccoli Soup

One day last week I received several phone calls and a text message from my husband at his office in a very short period of time. I wasn’t sure what was up since I had just been there, so I had to find out what was so urgent. “Are you near by? he asked, “A patient came in and brought me some of the biggest broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage I’ve ever seen.” I wasn’t, nearby that is, so he planned to bring them home that evening.

When he came in that evening, something was missing, the vegetables. Joe left them in the computer room on his way out and since computer rooms can get a little warm, we promptly hopped back into the car and back to the office to rescue the Brassicas and the computer room from smelling like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage!

With the advent of autumn and cooler temperatures a new harvest of Brassicas are arriving at local farmers markets.Brassicas are a genus of plant in the mustard family. They are less frequently referred to these days, as cruciferous vegetables, giving note to the crosslike shape of plant’s flowers. The usual suspects we think of most are broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts but they also include all types of radishes, turnips and even watercress. Brassicas are counted as some of the healthiest vegetables around containing high amounts of vitamin A caretonoids, vitamin C, folic acid and fiber.

With these huge veggies staring me down every time I opened the refrigerator door, the obvious question came, how was I going to use them? Cauliflower was an easy start, I like to toss the florets with olive oil, kosher salt and Aleppo and chipotle pepper. Roasted until it was a warm golden brown, we devoured the whole tray, before we even sat down to dinner one night.

Broccoli soup has always been a cooler weather favorite of ours. Previous recipes I have made were heavy in the cream, butter and cheese department. My rich broccoli cheddar soup was a yearly birthday request from one of my co workers many years ago. This time I wanted to try something a little lighter. The recipe I chose this time showcases the sweet and flavorful broccoli, accented by just a little bit of fresh herbs. Don’t forget to use the broccoli stalks as well, especially when you have very fresh broccoli, they have as much flavor as the florets. Half and half is optional, I thought the soup had a creamy texture without it.
This is a healthy soothing soup that would pair well with a salad for lunch but is elegant enough to serve as a first course when you are entertaining. Now it’s back to the kitchen for me to find creative ways to use cabbage!

DSC_9202a — A very healthy head of broccoli.

Broccoli Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

1T butter
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1t each of fresh parsley and thyme
8c chopped broccoli (use both the stems and florets)
6c reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2c half and half (optional)
Freshly ground pepper and kosher salt to taste

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add garlic, thyme and parsley; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broccoli. Add broth; bring to simmer over high heat and reduce heat to maintain the simmer. Cook until the broccoli is very tender, about 8 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in half and half if desired.