tuna tacos with onions

This fast and tasty dish came from Food and Wine.  I couldn't tell which was spicier - the onions or the salsa.  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tuna-tacos-with-onions

In a few days I will post the information about the grilled kale you see on the plate here with the tacos:

tasty version of three cup chicken

Three-Cup Chicken

Serves 4.  I saw this on the NY Times Cooking site.  The name comes from a Taiwanese recipe that calls for 1 c. each of the soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil.  This is a saner version and gets dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.  I didn’t feel like getting out the wok so I cooked it in a slope-sided heavy skillet.  I liked it served over rice. 

            3 Tbs. sesame oil

            1 2-3” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into about 12 ‘coins’

            12 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole

            4 whole green onions, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

            3 dried red peppers or 1 tsp. red-pepper flakes

            2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

            1 Tbs. brown sugar

            ½ c. rice wine

            ¼ c. light soy sauce

            2 c. fresh Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves

Heat a wok over high heat, and add 2 Tbs. sesame oil.  When oil shimmers, add ginger, garlic, green onions, and peppers, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Scrape the aromatics to the side, add remaining Tbs. oil and allow to heat through.  Add chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and crisping at the edges, approximately 5 – 7 minutes.

Add sugar, and stir to combine, then add the rice wine and say sauce, and bring just to a boil.  Lower the heat, then simmer until the sauce has reduced and starts to thicken, about 15 minutes. 

Turn off the heat, add the basil and stir to combine.  Serve over white rice. 

delicious steak au poivre

I served mine with creamed fresh spinach.

Steak au Poivre

Serves 4.  I have a supply of Sichuan pepper from a local Asian market.  This is a great use for them but you could just double up on the black pepper if you don’t have the Sichuan peppercorns.  I believe this is attributed to David Tanis.

            4 beef tenderloin steaks, 6 oz. each, cut 1” thick

            salt

            1 Tbs. coarsely crushed black pepper

            1 tsp. coarsely crushed Sichuan pepper

            2 Tbs. butter

            2 large shallots, finely diced

            1 ½ c. chicken or beef broth

            1 Tbs. cognac or bourbon

            ¼ c. crème fraȋche

            1 bunch watercress, for garnish

In a shallow dish, season steaks well on both sides with salt, then sprinkle each side with black and Sichuan pepper; press pepper in with hands.  Let meat rest 10 minutes.

While meat rests, place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.  When surface is nearly smoking, swirl in 1 Tbs. butter.  Add steaks, adjusting heat to keep them sizzling briskly.  Cook on first side 2 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Flip and cook 2 minutes more.  Transfer steaks to a warm platter.

Add remaining Tbs. butter to pan.  Add shallots and sauté 1 minute, stirring, until they begin to brown.  Add broth and bring to a brisk simmer.  Add cognac; simmer until liquid is reduced by half 3 to 4 minutes.  Stir in crème fraȋche and cook until sauce is lightly thickened.  Return steaks to pan.  Spoon sauce over them, turning once.  Transfer steaks to plates and top with more sauce.  Garnish with watercress bouquets. 

orecchiette with cherry tomatoes and arugula

Another winner from the NY Times cooking site:  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12861-orecchiette-with-cherry-tomatoes-and-arugula

I modified it a bit and it was still great.  I had some leftover baby spinach so I used that instead of arugula (so mine was probably milder).  And, I had some fresh mozzarella that I also threw into the mix.  This is a dish that can be served hot or just warm.

salted caramel brownies

Salted Caramel Brownies

This is a non-recipe – you can find plenty of good brownie recipes on your own.  I tend to put a bit of espresso powder, and chocolate nibs, into every batch of brownies I bake. 

            A pan of brownies

            A jar of salted caramel sauce from Trader Joe’s

After the brownies have baked and cooled completely, turn out of the pan.  Cut the sheet in half (you are making 2 layers, each layer being half of the sheet of brownies).  Slather caramel sauce on top of one layer (you probably won’t use the whole jar).  Place the other ½ sheet of brownies on top.

At this point I like to refrigerate it all, covered, so it gets firmer.  Cut into individual servings and enjoy.    

Foolproof method for pan frying fish fillets

Have I mentioned how much I am enjoying the NY Times cooking site?  This was fast, easy and so delicious:  http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017360-pan-roasted-fish-fillets-with-herb-butter

a warm pork salad in 25 minutes

Thanks to the June 2015 issue of Cooking Light magazine and their article on summer markets (this one credited to Philadelphia):  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pork-loin-medallions-spicy-greens-provolone