boiled shrimp and a tasty dipping sauce

Shrimp with Mustard-Lime Dipping Sauce

Serves 4.  This tasty dish is from the June 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine.  It could also be an appetizer for about 6 people.  Cooking the shrimp in the shell ramps up the flavor profile.  The sauce is sweet and spicy and wonderful.  The shrimp can be cooked 1 day ahead.  Cover and chill.

            Shrimp:

            1½ lb. shell-on large shrimp                 

            kosher salt                                           

            ¼ c. plus 1 Tbs. Old Bay                     

              seasoning                                           

            3 lemons, halved                                  

            2 Tbs. olive oil                         

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley               

            Mustard-Lime Dipping Sauce:

            ½ c. mayonnaise                                              

            2 Tbs. spicy brown mustard                                                     

            1 tsp. fresh lime juice                                                   

            1 tsp. honey

            1 tsp. light brown sugar

            ½ tsp. dry mustard powder

            ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

            hot sauce

            kosher salt

            lime wedges (for serving)

Shrimp:  Using kitchen shears and working one at a time, cut along the length of the backs of shrimp, cutting through shells and just deep enough into flesh to expose veins; remove veins.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add ¼ c. Old Bay seasoning.  Squeeze lemon juice into water and add lemon halves to saucepan; return water to a boil.  Add shrimp, reduce heat, and simmer until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool.  Drain and pat dry.

Just before serving, whisk oil and remaining 1 Tbs. Old Bay seasoning in a medium bowl.  Add shrimp and parsley and toss to coat.    

Mustard-Lime Dipping Sauce:  Whisk mayonnaise, brown mustard, lime juice, honey, brown sugar, mustard powder, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl; season with hot sauce and salt.  Serve shrimp with dipping sauce and lime wedges. 

lamb sliders

Greek-Style Sliders

Serves 6.  We like to serve these on toasted slider buns. 

            1½ lbs. ground lamb                            

            1 onion, minced                                   

            3 cloves garlic, minced             

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint                    

            salt and pepper, to taste

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

            12 thin slices smoked mozzarella

            24 thin cucumber slices

            lemon wedges, for serving

Heat grill to medium high.  Mix lamb, onion, garlic, mint, parsley, salt and pepper in large bowl.  Shape into 12 small patties, and grill, turning once and melting smoked mozzarella on top, 4 to 8 minutes total.  Serve each person 2 sliders on toasted buns, topped with cucumber slices and a squeeze of lemon. 

burgers n' beets

I ground a combination of boneless short ribs and sirloin to make some sliders, I grilled them and topped with blue cheese and grilled red onion.  Also on the plate are some fried squash blossoms and this delectable beet dish (I used golden beets) from the June 2014 issue of Bon Appetit magazine: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/crushed-beets-with-lemon-vinaigrette

squash blossom time of year

I see what I can pick each morning from the garden and put them in a baggie in the refrigerator to fix with dinner that night.  Then I lightly rinse them and remove the center stamens.  I find that 18 large, or 36 small, blossoms are right for about 6 people.  Sometimes I stuff them with a soft cheese/herb/garlic mixture before coating and frying but sometimes I don't.  Sift 1.5 c. flour and 1 tsp. salt into a medium bowl.  Whisk in 2 c. water, 1 Tbs. olive oil, and a beaten egg.  Heat an inch of vegetable oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.  To your batter add 1 minced clove of garlic and 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley.  Dip blossoms in the batter, coating them inside and out.  In batches, fry 1-3 minutes, turning frequently.  Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve.  Sometimes I serve them on  a pool of garlic-chipotle salsa.

pasta, shrimp, spinach and bacon - yum!

Another enjoyable dish from Cooking Light magazine's May 2014 issue:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-shrimp-pasta-toss-50400000135382/

grilled chicken over arugula is a great summer salad

This is just the right note of protein, veggies (tomatoes straight from the garden), and flavors.  It is from the May 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-lemon-chicken-salad-50400000135390/

yummy lamb chops for summer enjoyment

Balsamic Lamb Chops with Stone Fruit and Arugula

Serves 4.  Thanks to Martha Stewart for this summer dish – I used farm fresh nectarines and enjoyed meat and salad all at once.  Marinate the lamb a couple of hours in advance.  Pepitas are hulled pumpkin seeds. 

            ¼ c. good-quality balsamic vinegar       

            ½ c. olive oil                                        

            pinch of sugar                                      

            8 bone-in rib lamb chops,                    

              (each about 1” thick)                         

            kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

            1 bunch arugula (about 8 oz.), trimmed

            2 plums or nectarines, cut in wedges

            3 Tbs. pepitas, toasted

            ¼ c. packed fresh mint leaves

Whisk together vinegar, oil, and sugar in a bowl.  Reserve ¼ c. mixture; transfer remaining marinade to a resealable plastic bag.  Season lamb with salt and pepper and add to bag, turning to coat.  Let marinate in refrigerator, turning occasionally, at least 1 hours and up to 4 hours.    

Let chops stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, remove lamb from marinade and add to pan.  Cook, flipping once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part (avoiding bone) registers 125 degrees, about 8 minutes total.  Transfer to a plate and let stand 10 minutes.

Whisk reserved ¼ c. marinade to combine.  Divide arugula, fruit, pepitas, and mint among plates.  Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with reserved marinade.  Top with lamb; serve immediately. 

make shortbread using ice cream!

3-2-1 Hidden Ice Cream Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 12.  This lovely method comes from the June 2014 issue of Food and Wine magazine.  If you don’t have any self-rising flour for the 3 c. called for in this recipe, just make your own by mixing up 3 c. flour with 4 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp. salt. 

            1 quart strawberries,                            

              hulled and quartered                          

            ½ c. sugar                                           

            1 pint vanilla ice cream             

            3 c. self-rising flour

            2 sticks (8-oz. total) cold unsalted

              butter, cubed

            1 c. heavy cream

            1 Tbs. honey

In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with sugar.  Let stand at room temperature, stirring, until very juicy, 3 hours.

Meanwhile, thaw ice cream in the refrigerator until soft, about 1 hour.  Spoon ice cream into a large bowl.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse flour and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir into the ice cream with wooden spoon until incorporated.  Using your hands, gently knead the dough until it starts to clump together.  Drop clumps of the dough into a 9-13-inch metal baking pan in an even layer.  Bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top.  Let cool slightly, then cut into 12 squares.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whip heavy cream and honey until soft peaks form.  Serve the shortcakes with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream. 

jambalaya - a one pot meal

Jambalaya

Serves 8-10 hungry people.  I made just half of it and ended up with 6 reasonable servings!  This dish has poultry, pork and seafood too.  I was happy to have some Carolina Gold rice straight from Charleston to use in this.  A hearty one-pot dish for many friends.

            2 Tbs. oil                                             

            1½ lb. skinless, boneless                      

              chicken thighs, cut                              

              into 1” pieces                                     

            1 lb. Andouille sausage,                       

              sliced                                                 

            kosher salt                                           

            fresh ground black pepper                   

            1 large onion, chopped            

            1 red bell pepper, chopped                  

            4 celery stalks, chopped

            4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

            2 Tbs. tomato paste

            1 pint cherry tomatoes, half left whole

              the rest cut in half

            2 c. long-grain white rice

            2 Tbs. Creole-seasoning

            2 bay leaves

            6 c. chicken broth, low-sodium preferred

            ¾ lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

            handful of fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a large pot set over high heat.  Add chicken and sausage; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, turning often, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.  Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it begins to darken, about 2 minutes.  Mix in tomatoes, scraping up brown bits, then mix in rice, seasoning, and bay leaves.  Add broth; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Turn heat down, cover with lid, and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, 20 -30 minutes. 

Season shrimp with salt and pepper; mix into rice.  Cover and cook until rice is tender and shrimp are cooked through, 5-8 minutes.  Top with parsley.  

smoked trout spread

Smoked Trout Salad

Makes about 2 cups.  This recipe from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine is great on bagels or as a spread for pita chips as an appetizer.  This can be made up to 3 days in advance, just cover and chill. 

            ¼ small red onion, finely chopped        

            1 celery stalk, finely chopped               

            8 oz. smoked trout, skin and bones      

              removed, flaked                                 

            ½ c. mayonnaise                                  

            ½ c. sour cream

            1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives,

              or parsley

            1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

            kosher salt, fresh ground pepper

Mix onion, celery, trout, mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, and lemon juice in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. 

a great ice cream topping

Blackberry-Vinegar Caramel Sauce

Makes about 1½ cups.  This was from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine and we loved it over vanilla ice cream but would also be good on waffles or pound cake or…I normally have trouble making caramel but this dry method seemed to work out.

            1 c. sugar                                   10 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries

            ¼ c. unseasoned rice vinegar          (about 2 c.)

Cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to turn golden brown around the edges.  Stir to incorporate melted sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is melted and caramel turns a deep amber color, 6 – 8 minutes. 

Remove pan from heat and carefully add vinegar to caramel (mixture will bubble vigorously and seize), then add berries.  Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until seized caramel is melted and berries are softened, 6-8 minutes.  Let cool. 

Caramel sauce can be made 1 week ahead.  Cover and chill. 

my favorite way to have a ham and cheese sandwich

Croque-Monsieur

Serves 4.  This was from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine and takes quite a commitment from us.  First, we make homemade ricotta (which has nothing to do with this recipe), then we make a lovely homemade white bread from the leftover whey (a GREAT bread for this recipe), then we make these sandwiches.  Great with a little salad for supper.  To make it an even more decadent Croque-Madame, top with a fried egg.

            Béchamel Sauce:                    

            ¼ c. butter                                 Assembly:

            ¼ c. flour                                  8 ½” –thick slices country-style bread

            1½ c. milk                                 6 oz. thin-sliced ham,

            2 Tbs. whole-grain mustard           about 8 slices

            ½ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg or    3 oz. Gruyère, grated (1½ c.)     

              ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg             1 tsp. herbes de Provence

            kosher salt

           

Béchamel Sauce:  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foamy.  Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale and foamy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add milk, stirring until mixture is smooth.  Cook, stirring, until sauce is thick and somewhat elastic, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in mustard and nutmeg; season with salt.  (This part can be made a day ahead.  Let cool; press plastic wrap directly onto surface and chill.)

Assembly:  Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Spread bread slices with béchamel, dividing evenly and extending all the way to the edges.  Place 4 slices of bread, béchamel side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet; top with ham and half of cheese.  Top with remaining slices of bread, béchamel side up, then top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with herbes de Provence.  Bake until cheese is brown and bubbling, 10-15 minutes.  (Sandwiches can be made – but not baked – 1 day ahead.  Cover; chill.)

lamb-beef sliders

Spiced Sliders with Date Ketchup

Serves 4.  This was from the May 2014 issue of Bon Appétit magazine and is a great combination of beef and lamb.  This makes more than enough date ketchup so you can use it for other places where a sweet ketchup would be tasty.  You can make the ketchup up to 5 days in advance, cover and chill.  Caramelize some onions for serving, and toast the slider buns, while you form and cook the sliders.

            Date Ketchup                                    

            1 Tbs. olive oil                         

            ½ small red onion, finely chopped        

            1 c. ketchup                                        

            1 c. Medjool dates, pitted, chopped     

            ½ c. pale lager beer                             

            2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar                    

            kosher salt                                           

            fresh ground pepper                             

            Sliders and Assembly                        

            ½ small red onion, finely chopped        

            2 garlic cloves, finely chopped  

            1 lb. ground lamb                                 

            8 oz. ground beef

            ¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley

            1 tsp. ground coriander

            1 tsp. ground cumin

            ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

            ½ tsp. ground paprika

            kosher salt

            fresh ground pepper

            1 Tbs. vegetable oil

            12 slider buns, split, toasted

            Bibb lettuce, caramelized onions, and sliced feta cheese (for serving)

Date Ketchup:  Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes.  Add ketchup, dates, and beer; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to prevent burning, until tick and slightly darkened, 20 – 25 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar.  Let mixture cool slightly.  Purée in a blender, thinning with water if needed, until smooth; season with salt and pepper; let cool. 

Sliders and Assembly:  Using your hands, gently mix onion, garlic, lamb, beef, parsley, and spices in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Form scant ¼-cupfuls of mixture into twelve 2” diameter patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place patties in skillet and immediately reduced heat to medium.  Cook about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Serve patties on buns with date ketchup, lettuce, caramelized onions, and feta. 

creamy chicken "enchiladas"

El Coyote’s “Enchiladas” Suizas

Serves 6.  This was from the May 2014 issue of Saveur magazine and is said to be inspired by the ones served at El Coyote restaurant in Los Angeles.  We are used to the traditional definition of enchiladas being made with corn tortillas so did a double take at the use of flour tortillas.  Think of them as insanely delicious chicken burritos, if you must.

            2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed,      1 c. sour cream

              rinsed                                             2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

            8 garlic cloves, unpeeled                  2 tsp. ground cumin

            2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed          kosher salt, to taste

            2 large white sweet onions,            ground black pepper, to taste

              such as Maui or Vidalia                3 Tbs. vegetable oil

              (1 quartered, 1 minced)                3 c. cooked shredded chicken

            1 c. chicken broth, heated             8 (10”) flour tortillas

            2 c. roughly chopped cilantro,        5 c. shredded Jack cheese

              plus sprigs for garnish

Heat oven broiler.  Place tomatillos, garlic, jalapeños, and quartered onion on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil until blackened all over, about 10 minutes for tomatillos and jalapeños, 8 minutes for garlic and onion.  Let cool slightly, then peel tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeños; transfer the vegetables to a blender.  Add broth, chopped cilantro, ⅓ c. sour cream, the lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper; purée until smooth.  Transfer enchilada sauce to a bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook minced onion until soft, 4-5 minutes.  Removed from heat; stir in 1 c. of the enchilada sauce, the chicken, salt and pepper. 

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Pour 1 c. enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish; set aside.  Dip tortillas in remaining enchilada sauce; divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas and roll tortillas tightly around filling.  Arrange tortilla rolls seam side down in prepared dish.  Pour remaining sauce over roll, and cover evenly with Monterey Jack; bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly, 18-20 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro sprigs and remaining ⅔ c. sour cream. 

pork scallopini with radicchio and marsala

This came from Martha Stewart - we left out the mushrooms because we just don't care for them.  Her recipe fails to tell you that you should fry the sage leaves in the oil for a minute (before you cook the pork), drain it on paper towels, and use as a garnish.  Ours is served with some garlic mashed potatoes!  http://www.marthastewart.com/1033656/scallopini-alla-marsala

raspberry pinwheels

This was a delicious baked treat from Saveur magazine.  Mind you, mine did not turn out as precisely lovely as the photo in the magazine but tasty none-the-less!  http://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/raspberry-pinwheels