I Love You More Than Food

Category: dinner

  • Mussels & Clams Pastis

    Mussels & Clams Pastis

    BiRite Market opened up a location a short bike ride from my house, and I’ve made it an excuse to shop in smaller quantities and incorporate the exercise of going to the store as an excuse to make even fresher meals. These beautiful PEI mussels were filled to the edge of their shells with meat, the freshest I’ve seen in a long while and exceptionally tender.

    When shopping for shellfish, always make sure your shells are not broken (throw the mussel out if it is!), that they close when you agitate them, are free of debris on the outside (scrub them with cold water), and that you toss any that don’t open after cooking (though a small crack open is perfectly fine!).

    In case you have not cleaned or bought bivalves before, here’s what I do to clean them up and inspect them:

    How to Clean Mussels and Clams

    1) Bring them home immediately, and if you aren’t using them in the next hour, open up their bag and put them in the refrigerator so they can breathe, or set them on ice and leave them out, as they do in the store. Always buy them the same day you intend to cook them.

    2) 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking, place them in very cold fresh water and leave them unagitated for at least 10 minutes. They will relax, open up, and use the fresh water, thus rinsing out any sediment, sand, etc from the inside of their shells.

    3) Before removing them from the water, inspect each mussel or clam for any missing chunks, major cracks, etc. If it has an imperfection, throw it out. If it does not close when you handle it, throw it out. Even when buying from a quality fishmonger, you’ll likely have 1-2 that get thrown out before cooking.

    4) Next, if especially dirty, replace the cleaning water and recover in very cold water. Remove any “beards” or seaweed looking bits that are hanging out the side of the mussels shells. Do this with a quick jerking action down towards the thickest side of the mussel. It will take a little effort, especially if they are very fresh. Strain them and cook them within 20 minutes or so!

    Mussels & Clams Pastis Recipe

    Serves 2

    1.5-2lb of mussels and clams
    2 T olive oil
    1 large shallot, chopped finely
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1/2 C white wine
    1 C Pernod or other anise liquor
    2 T fresh parsley, roughly chopped
    salt & pepper

    In a large pan that will fit all of the mussels and clams, add the olive oil and heat to medium. Add the garlic and shallot, cooking until nearly translucent or beginning to be translucent, but not caramelized or browned. Add some salt, the white wine and pernod, and reduce slightly, raising heat immediately to high or medium high.

    Add the mussels and/or clams and cover, cooking about 2 minutes before checking. Cover again if they are not all or mostly opened. When all are opened, remove lid and stir well, adding fresh cracked pepper. Remove the mussels and clams and set aside in a warm spot or in a heated bowl (or place into heated individual serving bowls). Change heat to high and reduce liquid by 1/2, then add the parsley and serve over the mussels and clams.

    Serve with french fries or bread with butter.

  • Rack of Lamb with Winter Vegetables

    Rack of Lamb with Winter Vegetables

    The lamb I made according to my Weeknight Rack of Lamb Recipe–hands down the easiest, tastiest rack of lamb recipe you’ll come across. The special part of this that will make you feel extra good after eating is all the delicious vegetables. I took a smorgasboard of what I had in the refrigerator–you can do the same–and cut, washed, and blanched (cooked in salted, boiling water for a few brief minutes) all of it. I then dressed it while still warm with excellent, buttery Spanish olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon zest.  Get creative!

    Warm Winter Vegetable Salad Recipe

    Serves 4
    1 sweet potato, cubed
    1/2 head romanesco or cauliflower (or 1/4 head of each), cut into small pieces
    1.5 C sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
    2T kosher salt (for boiling water)
    zest of 1 lemon
    1T olive oil

    Bring a pot of water to boil and add 2T kosher salt. Add the sweet potato, cooking for 90 seconds. Add the cauliflower/romanesco, and cook for 60 seconds more. Add the snap peas, and cook an additional 30 seconds. Drain all well, and serve with olive oil and lemon zest on top.

  • A Whole Roasted Trout Recipe

    A Whole Roasted Trout Recipe

     

    Whole Roasted Trout from McFarland Farms

    A few weeks ago, Peter served up a delicious, and, to my shock, farmed whole trout. He stuffed it with prosciutto and vegetables, preceded it with a baby beet salad with seasoned ricotta, and a great meal was had by all. This afternoon I braved the Thanksgiving crowds and visited Bi-Rite to get myself a trout and try it out myself.

    McFarland Farms Whole Roasted Trout Meat

    Whole Roasted Trout Stuffed with Prosciutto & Fennel Recipe

    Serves 3-4

    1 whole trout, 1.5-2 lbs (this is a rainbow trout)
    4 pieces freshly sliced prosciutto di parma
    1/2 head fennel, sliced thinly and sauteed until nearly caramelized in butter
    zest of 1/2 lemon
    salt

    Ensure the trout is gutted fully and clean; season with salt inside and line the cavity with the prosciutto slices. Toss the cooked fennel with the lemon zest; between the sides of flesh, stuff the fennel into the fish. If you have twine or something edible to tie the fish together, do so now. Roast at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes depending on the weight of your fish, on a foil lined pan, without cover.

    When serving, gently remove the skin from the top half of the fish and push the meat off the bones. When the spine is exposed, lift it up or turn the fish over to remove the rest of the meat. Remove the prosciutto sack and cut it into slices to serve along the fish.

  • Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomato Red Pepper Sauce

    Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomato Red Pepper Sauce

    A new favorite, this shrimp stuffed poblano peppers recipe can be prepared ahead and cooked on a weeknight, it’s healthy and chock-full of vegetables and lean protein. I clearly was lazy in peeling my peppers, but we didn’t mind a bit of charred skin here and there.

    [buymeapie-recipe id=’2′]Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Tomato-Red Pepper Sauce Recipe
    Serves two for main course

    The Peppers & Filling
    4 poblano peppers, charred over a flame and peeled or cooked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and peeled
    3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and chopped roughly
    2 cloves garlic, minced finely or mashed
    2 T fresh cilantro and/or basil, chopped
    1/4 red bell pepper, chopped finely
    1/2 tsp ground cumin
    3/4 tsp sea salt

    Combine all but the peppers in a bowl, and stuff the peppers with the mixture, closing them again as best you can. Bake in oven at 350 for 8-11 minutes, depending on size of the peppers. Shrimp will be completely white and pink when done.

    For the Tomato-Red Pepper Sauce
    1 large red bell pepper, roasted at 400 degrees, peeled, seeds removed and tossed into a blender
    2 ripe, never refrigerated roma tomatoes or one small can peeled roma tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
    2 cloves garlic, chopped
    1 tsp chili flakes or equivilent
    4 small-medium shallots, chopped finely
    2 tsp coconut oil or other cooking oil

    In a sauce pan, warm the coconut oil and add the shallots and chili flakes, cooking until shallots begin to go limp. Add the garlic and chili flakes, followed immediately by the tomatoes–slice thinly the tomatoes and add to the pan, cooking at medium heat until they are falling apart, about 20 minutes. Add it all to the blender with the roasted pepper and puree. It will likely be thicker than soup; you can thin it with vegetable or chicken stock, or serve it thick under the cooked peppers.

  • Lamb & Pork Albondigas in Sherry Cream Sauce

    Lamb & Pork Albondigas in Sherry Cream Sauce

    My new favorite party food! I whipped up a small batch of these a week ago as a cozy dinner for two, and last night I served them as host to a St.Louisan reunion over the Cardinals-Giants game at my home; they were a bit hit, and I know they will be for you too.

    Sherry Cream Sauce Recipe
    Makes about 3 cups of sauce

    3 fresh, ripe, never refrigerated roma tomatoes sliced thinly or 1 small can roma tomatoes, peeled
    4 cloves garlic
    1-2 tsp chili flakes or chopped dried chili
    5 medium-large shallots, diced roughly
    1 cup good Spanish sherry (olarosa, etc)
    1 cup homemade chicken stock, or whatever the next best thing you can find is
    2 bay leaves
    olive oil
    salt and pepper to taste

    In a large sauce pan or small coquette, warm about 1-2 T olive oil at medium heat. Add the diced shallots, dry chili,  and garlic. Cook until color is changing and shallots are becoming limp, about 5-8 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer for 15-45 minutes, depending your hurry. Remove the bay leaves and puree at least 1/2 of the mixture (or all of it) in a blender or with a blending stick.  Return to the pan and continue to keep heated on low if not serving immediately, or store for later at this point.

    Lamb & Pork Albondigas (meatballs) Recipe
    Makes about 30 1-inch meatballs

    1 lb ground lamb
    1 lb ground pork
    2 tsp smoked paprika
    1 tsp ground coriander
    1 tsp ground cumin
    2 tsp salt
    4 T (1/4 Cup) buttermilk, almond milk, or milk
    4 T (1/4 Cup) thinly diced white bread or other bread (I used a completely grain free cashew based bread that I make myself)

    Combine bread, milk, and spices, stirring gently. Add remaining ingredients and mix well, then forming the mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and placing on foil, parchment, or whatever item can hold the raw meatballs. In a large skillet (such as a 12″ cast iron), warm coconut oil or another high-heat oil at medium high heat. Cook the meatballs without moving them for the first few minutes as to form a caramelized crust on one side, then flip them over to ensure they cook through without burning. You may need to do this in batches.

    Serve the sauce over the meatballs family style or in individual bowls. It is ok to store the meatballs in the sauce for later use, however, they will lose any crispy coating they have developed from the cooking process.

  • Fennel & Stone Fruit Salad, Tri-tip on Coconut Corn Salad, Flourless Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglais Whipped Cream

    Fennel & Stone Fruit Salad, Tri-tip on Coconut Corn Salad, Flourless Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglais Whipped Cream

    Stone Fruit Salad with Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Peaches and Plums

    tritip on coconut corn salad

    quick flourless chocolate cake with creme anglaise whipped cream

    For seven weeks, we’ve had family staying with us. They’re really nice people, interesting, appreciative, but man.. It was rough. I wasn’t conditioned for this. Never in my life did I think I’d have people living effectively in my house for seven weeks in a go. I’ve barely cooked for two months because of it, but the eve before their (very recent) departure (which was followed by 24 hours of blissful retreat in Calistoga), I made a seasonal and tasty multi-course dinner for us all to enjoy. Then, I made it again, a little modified, in Calistoga for our hosts.

    Fennel & Stone Fruit Salad Recipe
    Serves 4-5 as a starter
    Very fast if you have a mandolin! See the mango version here.

    1 small head fennel, sliced very thin, with a mandolin
    1 white peach, sliced with a mandolin
    1 red plum, sliced with a mandolin
    1 black plum, sliced with a mandolin
    1 large cucumber, cut in half, seeds removed, sliced with a mandolin
    1 orange, yellow, or red bell pepper, diced
    1 T seasoned rice vinegar
    2 tsp mirin
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
    2 tsp toasted sesame oil
    raw sesame seeds to top

    Mix it all together, and serve in beautiful messy lumps, like bedhead, with sesame on top.

     

    Tri-tip on Coconut Corn Salad with Chard Recipe
    Coconut Corn adapted from Heidi Swanson
    Serves 4-5

    1.5-2lb tri-tip or flank steak*
    5 ears corn, kernels sliced off
    2 T butter
    1 T fresh thyme
    1/2 C raw, soaked almonds, chopped
    1 very small red onion (1/2 large)
    1 C raw, dried flaked coconut (The bigger the better), toasted freshly
    4 C torn chard

    Sautee on the corn in the butter at high heat, giving it color but retaining crisp texture. Add chard, thyme and some salt to taste. Turn heat off, mix in onion, almonds, and coconut.

    Season tri-tip with salt and pepper. Cook on low heat in a closed top grill for about 10 minutes each side. It will be medium.

    *You could also choose to make a roast (5 lbs=4 hrs in oven at 250=rare, delicious roast beef) and serve that on top instead, or use flank steak, which you may want to marinade in garlic, whiskey, sesame oil and soy sauce for at least an hour or no more than overnight.

     

    Quick Flourless Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglais Whipped Cream
    Serves 5-6

    No-Bake Chocolate Cake From Heidi Swanson

    I made creme anglais the evening before with Gran Marnier Souffle (which photographs terribly!), and had some leftover. I mixed it into whipped cream; it was divine.

  • Green Garlic Soup & Fennel Barley Salad with Roast Radishes

    Green Garlic Soup & Fennel Barley Salad with Roast Radishes

    Green Garlic Soup

    Fennel Barley Salad with Roast Radishes

    Paired with a quick asparagus appetizer, this Green Garlic Soup and Fennel-Barley Salad made a wonderful vegetarian 3-course meal. I made this for an old roommate who came to visit last night; were stuffed but happy and feeling good. Our fourth course was chocolate-covered honey cake with sliced mango.

    Green Garlic Soup Recipe
    Serves 4

    ~1lb green garlic, sliced roughly
    2 T butter or olive oil
    1/2 C dry sherry
    1 large turnip, roasted or boiled
    3-4 cups spinach
    8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
    salt & pepper

    In a soup pan, warm the oil or butter over medium high heat. Add the green garlic, cooking until nearly tender and beginning to color.  Add the sherry and cook 3-4 minutes until no brash smell remains. Add salt, and the broth, and bring to a simmer. Add the turnip and the spinach, cooking 1-2 minutes more. Puree in a high powered blender or by another method, being sure to go in batches if needed to avoid a mess. Adjust the seasoning, adding some sherry or wine vinegar if needed. Serve with delicious croutons and garlic chives on top.

     

    Fennel Barley Salad Recipe (with roast radishes and flageolet beans)
    Serves 3

    1.5 C cooked pearled barley
    1/2 head fennel, sliced very thinly
    1 C flageolet beans, cooked, or other salad bean
    9-12 stem on mix of easter egg radishes, french radishes, or petite turnips, roasted whole and sliced in half
    3-4 C mixed tender salad greens
    3-4 T Fennel Citrus Dijon Salad Dressing
    2 T olive oil

    On high heat, fry the cooked barley in olive oil until grains separate easily and everything is warm. Add the fennel for 1 minute, then turn the heat off and add the radish mixture and beans to the pan. Toss well. In a large bowl, dress the salad greens generously in dressing. Add the warm barley mixture and toss. Serve!

     

    Fennel-Citrus Dijon Salad Dressing Recipe

    1 T dijon
    1/4 C fennel fronds
    Juice of 1/2 large orange
    Zest of 1/2 an orange
    1 T honey
    1 T olive or sunflower oil
    2 T apple cider vinegar

    Blend all ingredients very well. Stores for up to a week in the refrigerator.

  • Easy Weeknight Rack of Lamb Recipe

    Easy Weeknight Rack of Lamb Recipe

    Weeknight Rack of Lamb

    This is painfully easy; it’s shamelessly stolen from artist Joanne Ruggles who treated a whole gaggle of us to it on New Years Eve this year. I’ve been making it every few weeks since–I even took a cooler pack of lamb with the ingredients up to Orr Hot Springs and made lunch out of it on a weekday–after which several people who saw me preparing it in their wonderful kitchen asked me for the recipe. Yeah, that good!

    Easy Weeknight Rack of Lamb Recipe

    Rack of Lamb, however much you want, trimmed of fat (this is important! slice that stuff off or you’ll be gnawing on it)
    Sweet Mustard
    Montreal Steak Seasoning shamelessly purchased from Costco (Yeah, I know. This is a serious tangent from this blog).

    Oven, 400 degrees. Slather that trimmed lamb with mustard, even the bones. Generously coat it in the steak seasoning. Throw it on some foil and put it in the oven for about 20-35 minutes, until medium or medium rare. If you like your lamb more cooked than that then you don’t deserve to make this.

    Serve it with anything! A big salad, some couscous, zucchini, asparagus, sauteed chard or spinach..Whatever!

  • Ginger-Miso Soba Noodles with Crisp Tofu & Red Cabbage Recipe

    Ginger-Miso Soba Noodles with Crisp Tofu & Red Cabbage Recipe

    Ginger-Miso Soba Noodles with Crisp Tofu & Red Cabbage

    A recipe for a quick and healthy weeknight meal; this is versatile, feel free to swap scallions for chives or spring onions, tofu for a tablespoon or two of raw cashews, red cabbage for arugula, napa cabbage, spinach, turnip greens or any other thing you’ve got hanging around.

    Ginger-Miso Soba Noodles with Crisp Tofu & Red Cabbage Recipe
    Serves 2

    2 rolls dry soba noodles (pre-bundled by most manufacturers)
    1/2 pack tofu (enough for two people), cubed
    1/4 head red cabbage, shredded thinly
    2 scallions (green onions), sliced thinly on the diagnoal
    2 T golden or light miso (just not the really really dark mugi type stuff)
    1 T fresh grated ginger
    2 tsp mirin
    2 tsp soy sauce
    2 tsp sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
    sesame seeds
    olive oil

    In a skillet, heat olive oil to medium high heat. Press dry your tofu and cube it, fry it in the oil turning every minute or two until golden all around. Set side if you’re done with it ahead of time.

    Bring a big pot of water to boil, add a tablespoon of salt and boil the soba. Plunge them into a bowl of room temp water when they’re cooked to rinse.  It’s important to rinse the starchy coating off soba.

    Whisk together the miso, mirin, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil until smooth. Add a touch of salt if needed.

    Add the soba to the fried tofu pan (while it’s still hot or you bring it back up to temperature), tossing. Add the sauce and toss until warm, in the hot pan over a medium flame, mixing in half the cabbage. Separate two servings into bowls, top with remaining cabbage and scallions, and a touch of sesame seeds.

  • Meatless “Meat” Raw Burger Patties

    Meatless “Meat” Raw Burger Patties

    Meatless Raw Burger Patties

    I love to serve these warm from the dehydrator with sundried tomato puree (with garlic and some vinegar), or broken up into raw chili.

    Meatless Sprouted Seed Vegan Raw Protein Patty Recipe
    Makes about 10

    1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours or sprouted
    1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked 4-6 hours or sprouted
    1/2 cup raw walnuts
    Juice of one lemon
    3 cloves garlic
    2 T sweet and/or barley miso
    Pulp (from juicing) of 6 carrots, 2 apples, 1 big bunch spinach (about 1/2-1lb)
    1 tsp kosher salt
    1 T mustard any kind
    1 tsp fresh ground pepper
    1T dry oregano or sub fresh herbs, chopped
    2 T capers, rough chopped
    1 red bell pepper, diced
    1/2 sweet onion, diced

    Puree soaked seeds and walnuts (can sub other nuts for the walnuts), lemon juice, garlic, miso, salt, mustard, pepper, herbs in a high powered blender. Mix resulting pate with vegetable pulp from juicing and remaining ingredients. Form into patties using a can with both ends cut out or a cookie cutter. Dehydrate on nonstick mats for 3 hours, then flip onto mesh screens and dehydrate 4-5 more hours. Eat warm or store in refrigerator for 5-7 days max. They freeze ok but defrost and then re-dehydrate.

    You can break them up into wraps or on salads, into sauces, you can serve them whole like a burger with or without a bun, on cabbage, with sour cream, etc. In this instance break them up loosely in a bowl of raw chili, recipe below.