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Tamarind Shrimp with Avocado Cucumber Salad

By Liz:

OK, this is a bit of a cheat because it's not new. But I just rediscovered it this week and remembered how much I liked it, so file under re-discovered weeknight staples.

I'm having one of those weeks (months?) where life doesn't leave much time for cooking, and we've defaulted to takeout more nights than I'd like to admit. So in an effort to reclaim my kitchen, I skimmed the blog for my favorite recipes in the last year.

All this takes is a little chopping and a quick stir fry - 20 minutes tops - for tart citrus shrimp, cool cucumber salad, and the crunch of crispy shallots and peanuts. Delicious.

Tropical Tamarind Shrimp with Avocado Cucumber Salad

3 T. peanut oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings 
3 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2-3 Thai chilies, with seeds, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Sauce

2 heaping teaspoons tamarind concentrate
3 T. sugar
2 T. soy
2 T. Asian fish sauce (nam pla)
2 T. lime juice

Salad

2 avocados, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large cucumber, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 half sweet onion, minced
3 T. lime juice
zest of one lime
1 t. sugar
1 t. Asian fish sauce (nam pla)
3 T. fresh coriander, chopped
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
steamed jasmine rice

Fry shallot and make tamarind sauce:

Heat oil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then fry shallot, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain (shallots will crisp as they cool). Reserve oil.

Combine all sauce ingredients – tamarind, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice – and stir until well mixed. (If you can’t find tamarind concentrate, you can soak 4 T. tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup boiling water until dissolved, and then strain out the solids).

Make salad and cook shrimp:

Combine all salad ingredients, minus the peanuts, in a bowl. Cover and set aside.

Transfer reserved oil to a heavy skillet and sauté ginger, garlic, chilies, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds (careful not to burn). Add shrimp and sauté until barely pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in tamarind mixture and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

Spoon shrimp and salad over rice, then sprinkle with peanuts and fried shallot.

Simple Smoked Trout Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

By Karena:

The perfect detox to a weekend of decadence, a simple salad of greens, smoked trout, chopped tomato and sweet pepper beckons.

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

- 1 lb. baby romaine or other greens

- 1 lb. smoked trout, torn into pieces

- 1 sweet pepper, diced

- 1 ripe tomato, diced

- a bunch of scallions, white parts sliced

- avocado, diced (optional)

For the Dressing:

- 3 T mayonnaise

- 3 T sour cream

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

- Chopped bunch of tarragon leaves

- 1 tsp. garlic powder

- 1 tsp. onion powder

- salt and pepper to taste

- Hot Spanish Paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Put the salad greens, trout, sweet pepper, tomato, scallions, and avocado (if using) in a bowl and toss together. 

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.

3.  Serve the salad in bowls and dress with the creamy tarragon dressing.  Enjoy!

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

By Karena:

So there has been some call for winter salad recipes. ;)  I think this works in any season, but is hearty enough for winter and works well with winter greens such as red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce with some persimmons or pears mixed in.  Nothing is more simple, rewarding and aesthetically pleasing than seared Ahi tuna.  Enjoy!

For the salad:

• 1 lb. of the freshest Ahi Tuna
• 1 lb. of greens (red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce work well)
• 1 persimmon or Asian pear, diced into bite-sized strips
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• tsp of sesame seeds, toasted
• a handful of sesame sticks or crackers for crunch (in the bulk section of most grocery stores)
• Diced scallion whites (optional)

For the dressing:

• 6 T olive oil
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 1.5 T soy sauce
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp honey or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil, if desired
• 1/2 tsp of dijon, if desired

1. Wash and dry the lettuce and place in a salad bowl.  Dice the persimmon or pear and add to the greens.  Add toasted sesame seeds and sesame sticks and toss. Add scallion if using.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. 

3. Season the Ahi steak with salt and pepper.  On a very hot pan, sear the tuna on both sides for only 1 minute each side or until desired done-ness.  Let rest for 4-6 minutes, then slice into wedges.

4. Toss the salad with dressing and put into salad bowls.  Top salad with seared tuna and serve!

Forgotten Summer

By Karena:

The seasons are far less defined in California than they are in the more Northern regions of the country.  The perfect Heirloom tomato still beckons until late October, fava beans still wear white after Labor day, and the grill never goes cold.  It's not until early November that we're finally craving the Fall fare of buttery root vegetables, cinnamon-dusted apples, and roasted butternut squash.  Nonetheless, I realize some of the following recipes come a little late.   So think of them as an ode to the end of summer, (or take them for what they really are - my procrastination posts from last month) or embrace them as something to freshen up that rare sun-soaked Autumn evening, when all you need is a sweater and a good glass of wine to keep warm.

1. Angel Hair Pasta with cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella:

Serves 2-4

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, some chopped, some left whole
• handful of Basil, some chopped, some left whole
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces by hand
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• A block of parmesan/pecorino cheese for grating

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the dried angel hair pasta.

2. Meanwhile, warm a saute pan with 3 good glugs of extra virgin olive oil, add the garlic and saute until fragrant and cooked. 

3. Toss in some chopped basil leaves and chopped tomatoes to the olive oil mixture.  Keep warm and add more olive oil if needed. 

4. When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the olive oil and garlic mixture and toss to coat.  Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Toss in the whole cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pieces, whole basil and grate some fresh parmesan to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

2. Frisee Salad with Pancetta and a Poached Egg

Serves 2-4

• 1 lb. Frisee lettuce
• 2-3 slabs of bacon or pancetta (lardons)
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• Red Chili flakes to taste (our addition, not exactly traditional)
• 1-2 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 T Champagne vinegar
• 1 t Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

1. Heat a grill pan and fry the bacon or pancetta until crispy; break into little pieces and drain on a paper towel.

2. Meanwhile, wash the frisee and spin dry.  Add some chili flakes and salt and pepper to the salad greens and toss.

3. Make the salad dressing by whisking together the extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper and dijon until you reach the desired consistency.

4. Poach as many eggs as desired according to your best method. :) While they are cooking, toss the frisee with the dressing, mix in the bacon bits, and separate into salad bowls.

5. Take each egg out with a slotted spoon and top each bowl of frisee salad with desired amount of poached eggs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Enjoy by breaking open the poached egg and watching it ooze into the salad!  yum!

3. Tri-color Heirloom Tomato Salad with Fresh Chilis

Serves 2-4

• 3-6 orange, red, and yellow ripe heirloom tomatoes, sliced
• 1-2 fresh red chilis, de-seeded and chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of Fresh Basil, chopped
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the sliced tomatoes on a plate and drizzle with sea salt, pepper, olive oil and basil.

2. Sprinkle chopped fresh red chilis on top, if desired, and enjoy!

4. Gnocchi with Fava Beans, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach in a Parmesan Brodo

Serves 2-4

 

• 1 lb. fresh gnocchi
• 1 lb. fava beans, peeled and blanched
• 10 whole sun dried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water for 10 minutes
• Handful of Baby Spinach leaves
• 5-6 Parmesan/Grana Padano rinds
• Sea Salt and Pepper
• Bay Leaf

1. If you don't have ready-made parmesan brodo in your freezer, you will need to make the brodo first, just like you'd make a vegetable or chicken stock ahead of time for a recipe. (I never did until I learned about this and now we always have some on hand).  Brodo is just the Italian word for broth, and I really like pairing brodo with simple fish or pasta dishes for a new take on "Sauce".  Once you make it, you can store it in the freezer for up to three months or a week in the refrigerator and use as needed.  We first tasted parmesan brodo at A 16 in San Francisco.  We found it in their cookbook and use the following recipe whenever we make it.  You can make brodos out of anything - proscuitto brodo is another idea they suggest.

2. To make the brodo, collect parmesan rinds as you use blocks of them or ask for them from your cheese provider.  Whole Foods actually sells cheese rinds by themselves if you don't have a collection of rinds in your refrigerator.  Combine 2 quarts of water, as many cheese rinds as you can muster and one bay leaf.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat and stir so that the cheese rinds don't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Lower to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 hours or until the broth has a nutty, creamy flavor.  Skim the broth as needed and when ready, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean container or into another pot if using right away. 

3. Keep the brodo warm in a pot on the stove and, meanwhile, boil some salted water for the gnocchi.  If the gnocchi is REALLY fresh, you need not boil it, but if it was from the store in a plastic container (like we did), you'll need to loosen it up a little in boiling water for about 90 seconds or until al dente.  

4. When the gnocchi is cooked, spoon some into a pasta bowl, add the blached fava beans, re-constituted sun dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach leaves.  Pour the brodo over the top of all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. (Remember the brodo will add some saltiness so you may not need much).  Serve hot and enjoy!

Arugula, Shrimp & Roasted Potato Salad

March in New York is such a tease. It shows just enough spring to get your hopes up, and then turns the cold shoulder. 

I left the house today all pleased with my spring skirt and daringly bare hands, and then made the mistake of talking to my parents in southern California, who were welcoming the season with blooming wisteria and sun-heated pools. Suddenly, my spring coat didn’t seem so celebratory.

But what my mom lacked in seasonal empathy, she made up for in recipes. She reminded me of one of my favorite warm weather dishes, a light arugula and shrimp salad with lemon and roasted potatoes. 

It was one of the first meals I learned how to prepare, part of the inaugural cookbook we carefully assembled before I went off to college. (I also left for my Eastern education without winter boots, pants, or any semblance of a coat – in retrospect, it wasn’t the most practical packing job).

But there’s a lot to be said for the California approach to cooking – just a few simple, fresh ingredients. I may not be eating this salad poolside, but it definitely added a shot of California sunshine to my almost-spring dinner.

Warm Arugula, Shrimp and Potato Salad

1 lb. shrimp, unpeeled*
7 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. small potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (best to get multiple colors)
2 small cloves garlic, grated
4 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
20 calamata olives, pitted and halved
1/4 lb. baby arugula (4 cups loosely packed)

Heat the oven to 425. Toss potatoes with 1/2 T. olive oil, half the minced rosemary, more salt and pepper. Pour onto another baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, until tender and slightly crisp.

Toss the shrimp with 1/2 T. of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour onto a large rimmed baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 7-8 minutes. Peel shrimp.

Meanwhile. Add garlic and two pinches salt and smash to a coarse paste. Add lemon juice, zest, remaining rosemary, and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Whisk in 5-6 T. olive oil. Taste and add more lemon juice and a pinch of sugar, if needed.

Add all ingredients to large mixing bowl and toss with dressing. Serve.

*If you’d rather not roast the shrimp, you can just shell them when they’re raw, and quickly stir fry them with a little olive oil on the stovetop.

Roast Chicken and Frites!

By Karena:

Dave and I are in grilling withdrawal.  Every time we think of a good idea for dinner, we stare longingly at our cold, sheathed grill on the balcony, banished by the Apartment-Complex Gods for being a fire hazard.  On April 1st the ban will be no more as we move to our new East Bay alcove of an apartment, complete with a place to grill and eat outside just in time for Spring and Summer. Until then, we've turned to roasting, and this recipe adapted from Thomas Keller's Poulet Roti is no disappointment.  Quick to make and pairs well with so much.  We fried our own hand-cut frites, made a simple arugula and radish salad, finished a bottle of Beaujolais between us, and truly enjoyed one of our last evenings in our soon to be vacated apartment.

 

Roast Chicken:

• 1 2-3 lb farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 t of minced thyme
• 2 t of minced rosemary
• Unsalted butter
• Dijon mustard (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
2. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out
3. Salt and Pepper the cavity, then truss the bird
4. Salt the chicken.
5. Place the chicken in a saute pan (we did this and it worked great!) or roasting pan and place in the oven.
6. Roast until its done (50-60 min), then take it out and add the thyme and rosemary to the drippings in the pan.  Baste the chicken with the juices and herbs and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
7. Slather with butter and carve and serve with Dijon mustard (optional)

Home-made Frites: (or chips - adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's "The River Cottage Meat Book"

• 2 large, floury potatoes, such as Russet (serves 2-4)
• A quart of vegetable oil or peanut oil for frying
• Sea salt
• Old Bay

1. Cut the potatoes into fairly thin frites and put in a large bowl of cold water and swish them around to remove some of the starch
2. Drain well on a kitchen towel
3. Heat plenty of oil to 285 degrees F in a deep-fat fryer or deep saucepan (We used our large Le Creuset pot)
4. Put a batch of the frites into the basket or oil and fry for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and flabby, but not colored.  (This takes some practice, some of ours colored too quickly and tasted burnt)
5. Drain on paper towels and do the same with the other batches. (All of the above steps can be completed several hours ahead of time)
6. Just before you want to serve the frites, heat the oil to 375 degrees F and fry the frites in batches again, until crisp and brown (Only about 2 minutes)
7. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with sea salt and Old Bay, if desired

We served with homemade Aioli (third time's the charm!) and they were delicious!

Coq Au Vin and Blood Orange Salad

By Liz

I have to hand it to Eric Ripert: his food is really good. When John, Judy and I decided to spend our evening cooking coq au vin, we viewed it largely as an excuse to drink wine and dabble in food photography.

The recipes looked simple, and unexceptional. So we were surprised to find ourselves exclaiming over oranges and moaning over silken chicken.

Turns out, another word for simple is understated. It was a great reminder that a few good ingredients, cooked well, can be extraordinary. As Judy said, “I thought the food would be good. I didn’t realize it would be sumptuous.”

The only hiccup: AvecEric.com only accepts horizontal contest images, and they only tell you that when you’re finally ready to upload, which is rather unsporting. That means Sauced gets first dibs at our best shots, below, and Eric gets the castoffs. Hopefully, they’ll still be good enough for a camera… or two…

Frisee Salad with Roasted Blood Orange, Hazelnut, and Feta

Serves 8

3 small heads frisée (curly endive)
5 blood oranges
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and lightly chopped
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash and trim the frisee into bite size pieces.

Remove the skin and pith from 4 of the blood oranges and slice crosswise 1/4- inch thick. Lay the orange slices in a single layer on a baking tray and set aside.

Juice the remaining blood orange into a mixing bowl and add lemon juice and sugar; slowly whisk in canola oil and season with salt and pepper.

Adjust the oven rack as close to the heating element as possible and heat the broiler on high.

Drizzle olive oil over the blood orange slices and season with salt and pepper, broil the orange slices about 5 minutes, just until they start to caramelize. Cool to room temperature and arrange on the bottom of a serving tray or on individual plates.

Dress the frisee in a large mixing bowl with the blood orange vinaigrette and arrange on top of the roasted oranges. Sprinkle with hazelnuts and feta.

Eric Ripert’s Coq au Vin

Serves 8

2 chickens, cut up
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup canola oil
1 slice smoked bacon (optional)
1 cup celery, medium diced
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced onion
4 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
6 ounces button mushroom, washed and diced
1 cup brandy
2 bottles red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprig fresh thyme
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 package egg noodles, cooked

Lay the chicken pieces on a parchment lined baking pan; season chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust with flour.

Heat canola oil in a heavy bottomed stock pot, slowly add the chicken and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.

Remove chicken from pan and discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Render the bacon until crisp and add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and mushroom; cook until lightly caramelized.

Deglaze the pan with the brandy and add the browned chicken, red wine and tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer on very low heat for about 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and starts falling off the bone.

Carefully remove the chicken from the sauce and reduce the sauce by half. Once the sauce had thickened, add the chicken and season to taste. Serve over egg noodles.

 

Warm Squash Salsa

By Liz

I’ve been thinking recently about seasonal cooking. Maybe it’s the sudden flop from summer to winter, or the inability to justify $5 blueberries. Either way, I’ve decided to explore what winter has to offer.

Before today, I had cooked butternut squash precisely once. I grew up in a squash-adverse house, and only encountered it hiding under pools of brown sugar and butter at holiday tables.

But in Australia, it was absolutely everywhere, lurking in soups and salads and sandwiches. I was taken off guard – what was this stodgy winter gourd doing in my summer veggie wrap?

I decided to give it a go. For inspiration, I looked to Marcus Samuelsson, the Swedish-raised Ethiopian chef who presents African flavors with a Nordic aesthetic. In The Soul of a New Cuisine, Samuellson adapts a traditional Moroccan dish, Warm Eggplant-Butternut Squash Salad. I had made it once before (my first butternut experience), and loved the salad’s intense flavors but wasn’t crazy about the eggplant.

Using the Samuellson’s adaptation as a starting point, I added a southern California flair. The tangy, spicy sauce balances nicely with the squash, but it needed a crunch. On a whim I bought red and yellow mini peppers, a more delicate, sweeter version of a standard pepper. And any good salsa needs jalapenos and cilantro, so I threw those in too.

The resulting salsa was sweet, tangy, crunchy, and spicy all at once. It would be great as a dip, a side for roast meats, or as a warm salad (which is how I ate mine).

Warm Squash Salsa

1 lb. butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper, to taste

1 T. olive oil
1 inch of ginger, peeled and sliced
zest of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped with seeds
 
1/4 cup water
2 T. honey
juice of 1 lime
4 red and yellow mini peppers, finely chopped
chopped cilantro
Acorn squash, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss squash in a lug or two of olive oil until coated, and salt and pepper. Spread out on baking sheet and roast until just tender, around 10-15 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan on low heat. Add ginger, lemon zest, garlic, and jalapeno until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add honey and water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes until reduced. (It will be cloyingly sweet at this point, but don’t worry). Remove from heat. Add lime juice to taste, and strain out the ginger and garlic.

Remove squash from oven. Toss with sauce, peppers, and cilantro. Cut top off acorn squash and scoop out the insides. Fill with the squash mixture, and serve warm.

Serves 1 as a main, 2-3 as a side or dip.

Bone-in Lamb Chops, Polenta, and Pear Walnut Salad

By Karena

It was New Year's night and Dave and I went to the market to "see what looked good". We found some bone-in lamb chops and decided to season them simply, grill them, and serve with a side of parmesan infused polenta and an easy side salad.  We also discovered a bottle of Mumm Napa Brut Prestige NV, a new favorite after our jaunt to Wine Country with Lizard last weekend. :)  Happy New Year!!

Lamb Chops: (Serves 2)

2 Bone-in Lamb Chops
sea salt/pepper
garlic cloves, roughly chopped
rosemary sprigs
olive oil

Heat a grill pan or fire up an outdoor grill to high heat.
Rub or marinate the lamb chops in oil, garlic, and rosemary.
Generously season the chops on both sides with sea salt and pepper.
When the grill is hot, place both chops down and leave alone for 2.5 minutes.
Rotate chops 90 degrees and grill for another 2.5 minutes. (This creates the desired "checkered grill-marks" effect).
Flip the chops over onto their other side and grill for 2.5 minutes.
Rotate 90 degrees and finish for an additional 2.5 minutes.

Parmesan Polenta: (Serves 4)

1 Cup Polenta (coarse corn meal/grits)
1 Quart Chicken Broth
sea salt/pepper
1 T butter
1/4 cup cream or milk
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

Add the chicken broth to a large stock pot and bring to a boil.
Whisk in the polenta and stir occasionaly for 20 minutes or until desired thickness is reached.
Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, cream, and parmesan.
Season with a very small amount of sea salt and a LOT of freshly ground black pepper.

Pear, Walnut and Stilton Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette: (Serves 4)

1 lb. Arugula and/or other Mixed Greens
1 Bosc Pear, diced
1 Handful of Walnuts, crushed
1/4 cup crumbled stilton or other mild bleu cheese

For the vinaigrette:
4 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 T Champagne Vinegar
1 tsp. Honey
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
sea salt/pepper to taste

Wash salad greens and place in salad bowl.
Toast walnuts over medium heat until browned and fragrant.
Add diced pear, walnuts, and crumbled bleu cheese to salad greens.
Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together and toss with salad.

Serve Immediately!