Two years ago Viking Cooking School and Culinary Shop opened in Glenview. Since that time I have attended 17 cooking classes. This week was a class on barbecue. There are two competitors for the best barbecue sauce. North Carolina sauce is vinegar based and Kansas City sauce is tomato based. In class we made both with 3 kinds of meat and a number of sides.
Pit Master's Fire and Spice Dry Rub
Fall Off The Bone Baby Back Ribs with Tangy Mop sauce
Low and Slow Pulled Pork with North Carolina Sauce
Bourbon Barbecue Glaze
Barbecued Chicken
Roasted Yukon Gold Potato Salad
Cast Iron Skillet Bacon Cheese Grits
Apple Brown Betty
The rub is made up of light brown sugar, black pepper, sweet paprika
chile powder, kosher salt, garlic and onion powder and cayenne pepper. The rub was used on 2 of the meats; the picnic shoulder for the pulled pork, the baby back ribs and in the marinade for the chicken.
The vinegar sauce uses apple cider vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, sugar, Worchestershire sauce, hot sauce, liquid smoke and a small bit of ketchup. Reserve some of the sauce to serve warm with the meat. The rest is used as a mop sauce for the pulled pork as it roasts in the oven for about 5 hours. Cool the meat slightly and pull apart with forks and serve with the remaining sauce. Put meat in buns or serve open faced.
The ribs are massaged with the dry rub, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 2 hours, 24 is better. Cook bone side down over indirect heat on a grill, turn meat about half way through. Cooking time is about 2 - 3 hours. Dry ribs need to rest 5 - 10 minutes. Wet ribs are 'painted' with Kansas City Rib Sauce: Ketchup, water, vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, garlic and cayenne. Brush the bone side first and then the meat side until lightly charred. Serve with more sauce.
Marinate chicken in apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes some of the dry rub, chopped yellow onion. Set aside about half of the marinade for mopping while chicken cooks. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. Pat chicken dry and cook over indirect heat, skin side down to start and baste several times with remaining marinade until chicken is cooked about 45-50 minutes. Serve with which ever sauce your prefer or bourbon barbecue glaze: ketchup, chile powder, sweet Thai chili paste, brown sugar, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar and bourbon.
The sides were very good. The potato salad was my favorite. Roast Yukon Gold potatoes which have been cut in 1 inch pieces, tossed with EVOO and salt/pepper. While the roast, saute bacon in skillet and remove with slotted spoon. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings for the dressing. Whisk together Dijon mustard, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Add EVOO and bacon drippings. Season with salt/pepper. When potatoes are cooked place in large bowl with thinly sliced green onions, diced tomato, cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Add just enough vinaigrette to moisten. Season and serve at room temperature.
In a medium saucepan heat milk and chicken stock to boiling. Stir in stone ground grits. Reduce heat and cook stirring constantly with wooden spoon until thickened. Reduce heat again and continue cooking until grits are soft and creamy, about 25 minutes, stir occasionally so as not to stick. While grits cook, bacon is sauteed in a cast iron skillet until crisp, drain and keep the drippings. Stir cream into grits and heat through. Add 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, cooked bacon and 1 cup grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese and one cup thinly sliced green onions. Season to taste. Pour grits into the cast iron skillet. Scatter 1/2 cup more cheese over top and brown under broiler. Garnish with about a quarter cup sliced green onions. and serve.
The Apple Brown Betty can be made ahead of time and put in the oven while barbecue is being consumed. Butter a round casserole. In a large bowl toss Granny Smith apples that have been peeled, seeded and thinly sliced with sugar cinnamon, nutmeg, a dash of salt and some apple juice. Pour into casserole and top with a mixture of crushed butter cookie crumbs, butter and light brown sugar. Bake until top is golden and serve with vanilla ice cream.
This was a wonderful meal and can be prepared inside or out. A great start to summer grilling season. Enjoy the warm weather and have a Happy Easter!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Lighter Lenten Fare
My only experience with cooking a whole fish goes back to summer vacations at the lake. Freshly caught perch, sunfish and small bass were caught, cleaned and fried crisp. Many a meal featured them. Later on at home, we wrapped a whole trout in foil with onions, lemon and potatoes and cooked the packet on the grill. During Lent many supermarkets feature fish not usually available. I decided I wanted to tackle a larger whole fish. Since Emeril always talks about 'if you can smell fish or ammonia in the store, go for the lamb', I decided it would be best to order something so it was fresh.
Baked Striped Bass with Tomatoes, Rosemary and Olives
Sauteed Broccoli, Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese
I have to admit when I got the 3 pound striped bass home, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. First I had to find a pan long enough to accommodate the creature. Then it was time to get started. Thinly sliced lemons and yellow onion were laid in the pan forming a bed for the bass. The fish was salt and peppered and the cavity filled with more lemon, onion and sprigs of fresh rosemary. Over the top slices of tomato cover the fish. Chopped kalamata olives and chopped rosemary were added along with a drizzle of EVOO. White wine is poured over all and roasted uncovered for about 20 minutes. More EVOO is added and the broth spooned over the fish and returned for another 15 - 20 minutes The fish flaked away into nice fillets. The broth and vegetables are spooned over. A very nice dish. Reheated on Sunday it was still tasty.
The broccoli dish went very will with the fish. Satueed with garlic until crisp but tender. Cut up roasted jarred red pepper is added with chopped green olives, parsley, green onion, dried marjoram, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When heated through it is served with crumbled goat cheese.
After last weeks heavier meal, this was very refreshing. I will not be intimidated by working with a whole fish again. Perhaps a red snapper next time.
Next week I will be spending a day in Galena for 'Wine Lovers Weekend' Lunch at Fried Green Tomatoes and a tour of 3 of the local winery's is planned. Will see what Sunday brings. I have some halibut I have wanted to work with. We shall see what I can come up for it.
Happy Spring!
Baked Striped Bass with Tomatoes, Rosemary and Olives
Sauteed Broccoli, Roasted Peppers and Goat Cheese
I have to admit when I got the 3 pound striped bass home, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. First I had to find a pan long enough to accommodate the creature. Then it was time to get started. Thinly sliced lemons and yellow onion were laid in the pan forming a bed for the bass. The fish was salt and peppered and the cavity filled with more lemon, onion and sprigs of fresh rosemary. Over the top slices of tomato cover the fish. Chopped kalamata olives and chopped rosemary were added along with a drizzle of EVOO. White wine is poured over all and roasted uncovered for about 20 minutes. More EVOO is added and the broth spooned over the fish and returned for another 15 - 20 minutes The fish flaked away into nice fillets. The broth and vegetables are spooned over. A very nice dish. Reheated on Sunday it was still tasty.
The broccoli dish went very will with the fish. Satueed with garlic until crisp but tender. Cut up roasted jarred red pepper is added with chopped green olives, parsley, green onion, dried marjoram, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When heated through it is served with crumbled goat cheese.
After last weeks heavier meal, this was very refreshing. I will not be intimidated by working with a whole fish again. Perhaps a red snapper next time.
Next week I will be spending a day in Galena for 'Wine Lovers Weekend' Lunch at Fried Green Tomatoes and a tour of 3 of the local winery's is planned. Will see what Sunday brings. I have some halibut I have wanted to work with. We shall see what I can come up for it.
Happy Spring!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
St. Patrick's Day.....Trattoria Style
A trattoria is an Italian eating establishment. My meal brings together the best of both the Italian and the Irish.
Butter Lettuce Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Oyster Mushroom Chips, Blue Cheese and Pears
Mini Irish Soda Bread
St. Patrick's Linguine
Irish Coffee Mousse
The salad was excellent however labor intensive. The prosciutto was cut in strips and sauteed crisp; drained on paper towels and tossed with a bit of red wine vinegar. The mushrooms where mixed with EVOO, red pepper flakes and salt. Baked in the oven until they were dry and crisp. The lettuce, blue cheese and pears were mixed with the prosciutto and mushroom chips and dressed with a bit of EVOO and red wine vinegar. A nice balance of sweet and tart. Will do this again.
The Irish soda bread is usually made in a large round loaf, but since it would take me a long time to eat the loaf, I made the dough into 10 small round loaves. I substituted dried cranberries for raisins (which I don't like except in oatmeal cookies) Now I have individual loaves in the freezer for another day.
The star of the show is the pasta dish. All the usual ingredients of a St. Paddy's Day meal in a different format. Sauteed diced carrots, cabbage, shallots, and garlic. Deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine and add chopped cooked corned beef. The 'gravy' is made of Dijon and whole grain mustard and a dollop of prepared horseradish stirred into a mixture of heavy cream and half and half. (Yes I can hear my arteries harden.) At the end a cup of shredded Irish white Cheddar cheese, and small frozen peas are added and then tossed with cooked linguine. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and the dish is complete. Very rich, but excellent. I may revisit this and use a white wine and broth base for the mustard's and horseradish. Should lighten it up considerably.
A couple of years ago I came across a Margarita Mousse recipe. Since a Margarita is not typically an Irish drink, I did some substituting. I used strong coffee and a bit of Irish Whiskey for the tequila and Triple Sec. This made up the custard base which is cooled and folded into whipped cream and egg whites. A very nice finish to a non-traditional St. Patrick's Day meal.
Whatever next week brings, it will be much lighter. Enjoy the nice weather and the return of the robins.
Butter Lettuce Salad with Crispy Prosciutto, Oyster Mushroom Chips, Blue Cheese and Pears
Mini Irish Soda Bread
St. Patrick's Linguine
Irish Coffee Mousse
The salad was excellent however labor intensive. The prosciutto was cut in strips and sauteed crisp; drained on paper towels and tossed with a bit of red wine vinegar. The mushrooms where mixed with EVOO, red pepper flakes and salt. Baked in the oven until they were dry and crisp. The lettuce, blue cheese and pears were mixed with the prosciutto and mushroom chips and dressed with a bit of EVOO and red wine vinegar. A nice balance of sweet and tart. Will do this again.
The Irish soda bread is usually made in a large round loaf, but since it would take me a long time to eat the loaf, I made the dough into 10 small round loaves. I substituted dried cranberries for raisins (which I don't like except in oatmeal cookies) Now I have individual loaves in the freezer for another day.
The star of the show is the pasta dish. All the usual ingredients of a St. Paddy's Day meal in a different format. Sauteed diced carrots, cabbage, shallots, and garlic. Deglaze the pan with a bit of white wine and add chopped cooked corned beef. The 'gravy' is made of Dijon and whole grain mustard and a dollop of prepared horseradish stirred into a mixture of heavy cream and half and half. (Yes I can hear my arteries harden.) At the end a cup of shredded Irish white Cheddar cheese, and small frozen peas are added and then tossed with cooked linguine. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and the dish is complete. Very rich, but excellent. I may revisit this and use a white wine and broth base for the mustard's and horseradish. Should lighten it up considerably.
A couple of years ago I came across a Margarita Mousse recipe. Since a Margarita is not typically an Irish drink, I did some substituting. I used strong coffee and a bit of Irish Whiskey for the tequila and Triple Sec. This made up the custard base which is cooled and folded into whipped cream and egg whites. A very nice finish to a non-traditional St. Patrick's Day meal.
Whatever next week brings, it will be much lighter. Enjoy the nice weather and the return of the robins.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Marilyn had a little lamb.....shank, that is!
This was a weekend of one pot meals.
Joe's Cafe Minestrone
First on Saturday I made a large pot of minestrone. The recipe came from a place in Santa Barbara California, Joe' Cafe. Have never been there, but the soup is fabulous. Lots of vegetables, some I've not had in minestrone before but will use again. Tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, and fresh spinach. I used black beans because I like them better than great northern and the pasta was whole wheat penne; and all cooked in beef stock with the usual carrot, celery, onion and garlic. A fragrant colorful bowl.
Braised Lamb Shank with Roasted Tomatoes and Toasted Orzo
Sunday was a one pot meal as well, just in different stages. Braising is a term that is comforting and a lamb shank requires this type of long slow cooking. It was browned in olive oil and them simmered in chicken stock, red wine and carrot, celery, onion and roasted garlic until tender. A couple of hours. Along with it is a toasted orzo and onion cooked risotto style using the strained braising liquid and chicken stock. Oven roasted plum tomatoes are stirred in at the end with lots of chopped parsley. Lots of flavor from the shank. The meat is taken off the bones, cut up and stirred into the risotto. A very nice dish on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
I should have leftovers for most of the week and look forward to them. Next week I will do a St. Patrick's Day meal, but with a bit of a twist. Not just your same old corned beef and cabbage. Take a look!
Joe's Cafe Minestrone
First on Saturday I made a large pot of minestrone. The recipe came from a place in Santa Barbara California, Joe' Cafe. Have never been there, but the soup is fabulous. Lots of vegetables, some I've not had in minestrone before but will use again. Tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini, cabbage, and fresh spinach. I used black beans because I like them better than great northern and the pasta was whole wheat penne; and all cooked in beef stock with the usual carrot, celery, onion and garlic. A fragrant colorful bowl.
Braised Lamb Shank with Roasted Tomatoes and Toasted Orzo
Sunday was a one pot meal as well, just in different stages. Braising is a term that is comforting and a lamb shank requires this type of long slow cooking. It was browned in olive oil and them simmered in chicken stock, red wine and carrot, celery, onion and roasted garlic until tender. A couple of hours. Along with it is a toasted orzo and onion cooked risotto style using the strained braising liquid and chicken stock. Oven roasted plum tomatoes are stirred in at the end with lots of chopped parsley. Lots of flavor from the shank. The meat is taken off the bones, cut up and stirred into the risotto. A very nice dish on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
I should have leftovers for most of the week and look forward to them. Next week I will do a St. Patrick's Day meal, but with a bit of a twist. Not just your same old corned beef and cabbage. Take a look!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Mostly for Chocolate Lovers
I promised 2 things last week: Chocolate and Paula Deen recipes. Well that is sort of true. Two of the 3 recipes came from one of Paula's shows when she had a guest. There is no butter in either recipe and the chocolate is actually cocoa powder. The dessert I had planned was scrapped after I came across something fun and interesting in the food section of the Chicago Tribune.
Roasted Beet Salad with Cocoa Vinaigrette
Chocolate Spiced Pork Chop
Spiced Mousse Minis
I've spoken before of my preference to roasting vegetables. Beets roast extremely well brushed with oil and salt/pepper and wrapped in foil. They were cooled and sliced. They top a mix of spring greens and are joined by orange segments, goat cheese, red onion and toasted pecans. The vinaigrette is made of red wine vinegar, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and pepper and EVOO. A nice dressing for the colorful salad. Will do this one again.
The bone in chop is rubbed with a mixture of Italian seasoning, onion powder, cocoa powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt/pepper. Let rest for 10 minutes and sear 3 minutes per side and finish in the oven; about another 3 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop. Nice crust and the cooking time left the chop moist and full of flavor. Will try this rub on other meat as well.
The original dessert I planned was Chai Spiced S'mores, but the mousse minis caught my eye and turned out to be a fun bite sized way to end the meal. The mousse is made up of cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, coconut milk and a bit of heavy cream. There were 4 different minis, but the same mousse is used in each. I chose the chocolate and strawberry ones. There were also banana cream and Pina Colada options. The fun part of the mini is that they are prepared and served in 2 ounce shot glasses. The chocolate one started with crushed chocolate wafers, the mousse, more cookie and a tablespoon hot fudge sauce. The second one was crushed shortbread cookies and crushed strawberries. I had no shot glasses and all I could find at Jewel were blue plastic ones. Probably would have looked better in clear glasses, but the color didn't detract from the yummy concoctions. I could see this on a build your own dessert buffet.
All in all a great meal on Saturday. Since I plan to watch the hockey game, dinner for Sunday was something I could prepare ahead of time and cook at the last minute.
Healthy Steak Tacos
Jillian Michaels is one of the trainers on 'Biggest Loser's'. Have never watched an entire program, but have read some about Jillian. Her philosophy on food is "If it didn't grow out of the ground or did not have a mother, don't eat it". This preparation is the first time I have worked with flank steak that it didn't come out like an old shoe. The meat is rubbed with a paste of chipotle and oil and grilled 5 minutes per side and then rested for another 5 minutes. I use a stove top grill pan. The meat sliced beautifully and was very tender. A bit spicy however. Next time I might cut back on the chipotle. The salsa was grilled pineapple, cut up, diced red onion and red pepper, fresh cilantro and red wine vinegar. Love grilled fruit (peaches and plums are my favorites) This was my first experience with fresh pineapple. A great addition to the other ingredients of the salsa. I have enough left over for lunches most of the week. Will see how it holds up.
I hope you try some of these and next week I'm looking at braising. Perhaps lamb shanks. Will see what I find. Have a good week and THINK SPRING!
Roasted Beet Salad with Cocoa Vinaigrette
Chocolate Spiced Pork Chop
Spiced Mousse Minis
I've spoken before of my preference to roasting vegetables. Beets roast extremely well brushed with oil and salt/pepper and wrapped in foil. They were cooled and sliced. They top a mix of spring greens and are joined by orange segments, goat cheese, red onion and toasted pecans. The vinaigrette is made of red wine vinegar, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and pepper and EVOO. A nice dressing for the colorful salad. Will do this one again.
The bone in chop is rubbed with a mixture of Italian seasoning, onion powder, cocoa powder, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt/pepper. Let rest for 10 minutes and sear 3 minutes per side and finish in the oven; about another 3 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop. Nice crust and the cooking time left the chop moist and full of flavor. Will try this rub on other meat as well.
The original dessert I planned was Chai Spiced S'mores, but the mousse minis caught my eye and turned out to be a fun bite sized way to end the meal. The mousse is made up of cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, sugar, coconut milk and a bit of heavy cream. There were 4 different minis, but the same mousse is used in each. I chose the chocolate and strawberry ones. There were also banana cream and Pina Colada options. The fun part of the mini is that they are prepared and served in 2 ounce shot glasses. The chocolate one started with crushed chocolate wafers, the mousse, more cookie and a tablespoon hot fudge sauce. The second one was crushed shortbread cookies and crushed strawberries. I had no shot glasses and all I could find at Jewel were blue plastic ones. Probably would have looked better in clear glasses, but the color didn't detract from the yummy concoctions. I could see this on a build your own dessert buffet.
All in all a great meal on Saturday. Since I plan to watch the hockey game, dinner for Sunday was something I could prepare ahead of time and cook at the last minute.
Healthy Steak Tacos
Jillian Michaels is one of the trainers on 'Biggest Loser's'. Have never watched an entire program, but have read some about Jillian. Her philosophy on food is "If it didn't grow out of the ground or did not have a mother, don't eat it". This preparation is the first time I have worked with flank steak that it didn't come out like an old shoe. The meat is rubbed with a paste of chipotle and oil and grilled 5 minutes per side and then rested for another 5 minutes. I use a stove top grill pan. The meat sliced beautifully and was very tender. A bit spicy however. Next time I might cut back on the chipotle. The salsa was grilled pineapple, cut up, diced red onion and red pepper, fresh cilantro and red wine vinegar. Love grilled fruit (peaches and plums are my favorites) This was my first experience with fresh pineapple. A great addition to the other ingredients of the salsa. I have enough left over for lunches most of the week. Will see how it holds up.
I hope you try some of these and next week I'm looking at braising. Perhaps lamb shanks. Will see what I find. Have a good week and THINK SPRING!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Double Header Meals
Round one this week involves brining. There are as many recipes for brine as there are proteins to brine. The brine I chose is the first one I ever used. I saw it a few years ago on Martha Stewart's show and did our Thanksgiving turkey in it. This week I chose a Cornish Game Hen (half on Saturday and half on Sunday)
Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen
Roasted Cauliflower with herbs
The brine basics are salt, sugar and lots of ice water. The rest of the ingredients are your choice. This one has whole cloves and black peppercorns and bourbon. Stir it all together until the salt and sugar dissolve. Submerge the hen and set a plate on top so it stays in the brine overnight in the fridge. If you are using a large turkey, an ice chest works just fine. Just be sure there is ice added to keep the brine cold. Remove the bird and pat dry. Prepare as usual. The hen is rubbed inside and out with lemon and orange zest, thyme and mint leaves, chopped, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil to make a paste. It is roasted in a bath of chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon and orange juice and dried cranberries. Save some of the broth to be used as part of a dressing for a green salad (day 2).
As I have said before, roasting vegetables has become my favorite preparation. The caulifloweretts are drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled with fresh herbs of choice, salt and pepper. Toss a couple of times during the roasting at 400 degrees. The leftover veggies were tossed with greens on day 2 with the broth for the dressing.
An excellent meal and I look forward to brining again with some other protein.
I mentioned last week that I was going to Kendall College Dining Room with friends. The menu featured foods from Chile and Peru. Having no knowledge of either cuisine, I did some research on the foods we were served.
Chilean Chick Pea and Chard Soup
Duck Escabeche with Quinoa Fritters
Mixed Greens with Charred Corn, Hominy, Chick Peas & Queso Fresco in a Vinaigrette
Peruvian Lomo por lo Pobre (Steak for the poor)
Almond Manjar Bianca with Berry Sauce
The soup was lovely. The peas and chard are lightly cooked and chopped. A flavorful broth is poured over the mixture table side. Escabeche is Peruvian and is a pepper and used to prepare the duck and served with the fitters (will need to find out how the fritters are prepared, excellent) The salad was a country combo, very pretty. The entree "steak for the poor' is a grilled steak served with an egg on top, on a bed of tomatoes, onions and potatoes. Dessert was a Peruvian dish as well. A custard that is more firm than I am used to and served atop the most amazing berry sauce. All in a all an excellent meal prepared and served by culinary students. Thank you Jane for the Chilean wine. We can do this again....anytime!
Next week is my first with Paula Deen recipes. All chocolate! Who doesn't like chocolate?? An entree, a salad and a dessert. I think you will be surprised how chocolate is used in all the recipes. AND each recipe does not begin with a pound of butter! Join me in the chocolate celebration!
Roasted Citrus-Herb Game Hen
Roasted Cauliflower with herbs
The brine basics are salt, sugar and lots of ice water. The rest of the ingredients are your choice. This one has whole cloves and black peppercorns and bourbon. Stir it all together until the salt and sugar dissolve. Submerge the hen and set a plate on top so it stays in the brine overnight in the fridge. If you are using a large turkey, an ice chest works just fine. Just be sure there is ice added to keep the brine cold. Remove the bird and pat dry. Prepare as usual. The hen is rubbed inside and out with lemon and orange zest, thyme and mint leaves, chopped, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil to make a paste. It is roasted in a bath of chicken stock, Marsala wine, lemon and orange juice and dried cranberries. Save some of the broth to be used as part of a dressing for a green salad (day 2).
As I have said before, roasting vegetables has become my favorite preparation. The caulifloweretts are drizzled with EVOO and sprinkled with fresh herbs of choice, salt and pepper. Toss a couple of times during the roasting at 400 degrees. The leftover veggies were tossed with greens on day 2 with the broth for the dressing.
An excellent meal and I look forward to brining again with some other protein.
I mentioned last week that I was going to Kendall College Dining Room with friends. The menu featured foods from Chile and Peru. Having no knowledge of either cuisine, I did some research on the foods we were served.
Chilean Chick Pea and Chard Soup
Duck Escabeche with Quinoa Fritters
Mixed Greens with Charred Corn, Hominy, Chick Peas & Queso Fresco in a Vinaigrette
Peruvian Lomo por lo Pobre (Steak for the poor)
Almond Manjar Bianca with Berry Sauce
The soup was lovely. The peas and chard are lightly cooked and chopped. A flavorful broth is poured over the mixture table side. Escabeche is Peruvian and is a pepper and used to prepare the duck and served with the fitters (will need to find out how the fritters are prepared, excellent) The salad was a country combo, very pretty. The entree "steak for the poor' is a grilled steak served with an egg on top, on a bed of tomatoes, onions and potatoes. Dessert was a Peruvian dish as well. A custard that is more firm than I am used to and served atop the most amazing berry sauce. All in a all an excellent meal prepared and served by culinary students. Thank you Jane for the Chilean wine. We can do this again....anytime!
Next week is my first with Paula Deen recipes. All chocolate! Who doesn't like chocolate?? An entree, a salad and a dessert. I think you will be surprised how chocolate is used in all the recipes. AND each recipe does not begin with a pound of butter! Join me in the chocolate celebration!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Simply Fish
After the feeding frenzy last week, I thought I should lighten up the cooking. I chose to do fish two ways:
Mustard Roasted Cod with Red and Green Peppers, Onion and Thyme
Steamed Green Beans with Lemon and Dill
Pan Sauteed Tilapia with Capers and Thyme
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Pepper and EVOO
I decided that cod is not my favorite fish. Bland even with the mustard and vegetables. Colorful however, and since green beans are a favorite, the meal was not a disaster. Will try it again with a different fish.
The Tilapia was a different story. Loved it. Dusted with a bit of Wondra, dipped in egg and sauteed in a bit of EVOO. Added a tiny bit of butter and white wine to the pan drippings along with the capers and thyme leaves for a nice light sauce. Toasted slivered almonds finished the dish. I think my new favorite way to fix vegetables is to roast them. Easy and they keep their color and crunch. Tossed the broccoli with EVOO, salt and pepper and roasted them until tender crisp. A bit of lemon pepper and they were good to go.
The two meals were pretty successful (except for the cod) and I didn't feel guilty eating them.
I think next week brining is on the table. Have not done it in a bit and really like what it adds to whatever protein used. Probably a Cornish hen or perhaps some pork....or both.
Also will let you know how my dinner with friends goes tonight. We are going to the Kendall College Culinary Arts dining room. The menu features foods from Peru and Chile. Don't know much about either so it should be an adventure.
Mustard Roasted Cod with Red and Green Peppers, Onion and Thyme
Steamed Green Beans with Lemon and Dill
Pan Sauteed Tilapia with Capers and Thyme
Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Pepper and EVOO
I decided that cod is not my favorite fish. Bland even with the mustard and vegetables. Colorful however, and since green beans are a favorite, the meal was not a disaster. Will try it again with a different fish.
The Tilapia was a different story. Loved it. Dusted with a bit of Wondra, dipped in egg and sauteed in a bit of EVOO. Added a tiny bit of butter and white wine to the pan drippings along with the capers and thyme leaves for a nice light sauce. Toasted slivered almonds finished the dish. I think my new favorite way to fix vegetables is to roast them. Easy and they keep their color and crunch. Tossed the broccoli with EVOO, salt and pepper and roasted them until tender crisp. A bit of lemon pepper and they were good to go.
The two meals were pretty successful (except for the cod) and I didn't feel guilty eating them.
I think next week brining is on the table. Have not done it in a bit and really like what it adds to whatever protein used. Probably a Cornish hen or perhaps some pork....or both.
Also will let you know how my dinner with friends goes tonight. We are going to the Kendall College Culinary Arts dining room. The menu features foods from Peru and Chile. Don't know much about either so it should be an adventure.
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