Summer Halibut

I made a recipe this last week, of halibut, roasted with sweet onions, citrus and fresh herbs. It was so delicious and simple, that it felt slightly sinful to eat. Remember that fresh (truly fresh) fish will not have that unpleasant "fishy" flavor, so if yours has that, you may want to seek a more reputable fish monger. Alternately, you could visit a lake or stream near you.   After doing a little research, check out what I found out about the health benefits of halibut:

Just Two Servings of Omega-3-rich Fish a Week Can Lower Triglycerides
Protection against Fatal Heart Arrhythmia
Help Prevent and Control High Blood Pressure
Stroke Prevention
Eating Fish Daily Provides Substantially More Protection against Heart Attack
Fish, Fruit and Vegetables Protective against Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism
Promote Detoxification
Cancer Protection
Lower Your Risk of Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma, and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Halibut and Other Fatty Fish Highly Protective against Kidney Cancer
Fish -- Food for Better Thought as We Age
Omega-3 Fat, DHA, Destroys Alzheimer's Plaques
Omega-3-Rich Diet Improves Mood, Reduces Depression

Who knew eating something so delicious would be so good for you?

I recommend serving this fresh steamed or sauteed green beans, and roasted potatoes or quinoa.

4 (approximately) 6oz pieces of fresh Halibut

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

One sweet onion (white or yellow)

1tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbs. butter

2 tsp. fresh thyme

1 Tbs. fresh chives 

2 lemons

Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400*

Slice the onion into thin rings and arrange them in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.  Drizzle them with the Olive Oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Place the pan in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.

In the mean time, season the fish with salt and pepper, garlic powder, half of the herbs, and the zest of one of the lemons and the juice of one lemon.  Lay each fillet in the pan on top of the onions and place in the oven to roast.  You should roast it for 10 minutes per inch of thickness on your halibut steaks.

While your fish is roasting, combine the remaining herbs and juice of the lemon along with the 2Tbs of butter.  Stir to combine.

Once your fish is done roasting, remove it from the oven.  Divide the herb butter in 4ths, and spread each portion over the fish fillets.

Plate, serve and EnJoy!

Fire roasted Artichokes

My friend Keri makes the most wonderful artichokes you’ve ever had. She’s a genius really. This is sort of her recipe, but I have a horrible memory, so I’m sure I’ve messed up something. Fortunately this recipe is pretty flexible and is good with just about anything, as long as you do the dipping sauce with the same herbs that you flavor your artichokes with during the boiling process. I love this recipe so much that I ate a whole one by itself today for lunch.  Ok, fine I admit, it was one and a half...but that was it, no chips, cookies or even a chicken breast.  Just a big old pile of artichoke....yummm.  And by the way, I am not prone to eating a singular item as a meal by itself…unless it’s a carbohydrate, then I have a problem….This is a VEGETABLE people and I am far from a vegetarian. Trust me these are game changing artichokes. I dare you to try them.

Three artichokes
4 large sprigs of basil, or about 20 leaves (fresh only please)
4 sprigs of thyme (fresh only please)
Three medium lemons
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/3 cup Olive Oil
2 tsps garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Dash of seasoned salt (or regular if you prefer)

Cut your artichoke(s) in half the long way. I recommend using a sharp knife, as this can be a bit hard to do without sacrificing one or two of your fingers. Ok, I exaggerate, just be careful is all I’m saying. Place your artichoke(s) in a pan (whatever size is appropriate for your quantity of artichokes you have chosen) Fill with water just to cover the artichokes. Place 2 sprigs of basil, all of the thyme and one lemon in the water with your artichoke (squeeze the lemon first, but go ahead and throw the whole thing in there as well. Bring this to a boil and simmer on medium heat until the stem and heart of the artichoke are tender when you insert a knife in them.

The purple part and the small white area
under it is the "choke".  It is not enjoyable to eat.

 

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt and set aside.

Now make your dipping sauce by chopping the remaining basil leaves (finely). Combine the basil, mayonnaise, juice from one lemon and stir to combine. Remember that you have another half a lemon to use if you desire, this part is all about personal preference. Taste the dipping sauce and see if it’s lemony enough for you. I prefer mine super tart, so I go all the way with my lemon, but you might prefer a little less.

Drain the artichoke(s) and place on a cookie sheet. Take each half and scrape out the choke (the weird hairy part in the center), leaving a little well in the middle. Be careful not to remove the heart, that would be tragic. Brush each half on both sides with the oil/garlic powder mixture and place on a hot grill or under the broiler for about 3 minutes per side. The goal is to get the edges slightly charred all the way around. Char equals flavor, so please feel free to be liberal with your broiling. Once you have a liberal amount of charrage ( I know it’s not a word), remove them from the heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Suggestion: You may want to double the dipping sauce. I know it seems like a lot, but people tend to be extra generous in their dipping on this one.

Italian Cream Cupcakes...These are not overrated. Yummm!

I have a strange relationship with baked goods  I learned to cook before I learned to bake, so my cooking skills have always been a step ahead of my baking ones.  Which at some point made me really angry.  Why can I cook a pretty okay four course meal but fail miserably at making a decent cookie?  Good baking contains some sort of magic ingredient, which arguably is different for every baker and every baked good.  Sometimes it's patience, sometimes it's extra cinnamon, who knows?  Here's the most important thing I learned along the way.  Great and inspired cooking requires flexibility and willingness to experiment with flavor and ingredients, but great baking is a precise science, you HAVE to learn the science before you can get creative with the "extras".  My recommendation:  Subscribe to America's test Kitchen online and really pay attention to the articles.  Then, start making their recipes and you'll start to understand what their lessons are really talking about.

On the other side of the coin, I don't really have a sweet tooth.  I will bake all day long in an attempt to make the prefect cookie, but I will only actually end up eating one or maybe two of them.  I typically give the rest away.  So if I can actually manage to bake something that I want to eat more than one of, I know it's a success.  My least favorite baked good is cake.  Which means cupcakes are in the same category.  They're just too much sweetness...Until I met this recipe.  It is adapted from a recipe out of Cuisine at Home magazine (not sure of the issue). 

Despite my non-favor of cake,  I'll eat at least two of these!

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened ( 1 1/2 c)
6 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons hazelnut syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, chopped
Cream Cheese Icing
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened ( 1 1/ c)
3 tablespoons hazelnut syrup
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F
Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners and coat with nonstick spray.
Separate the egg, placing the whites in a mixing bowl with wire whips.  Whip the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.  Set aside for later use.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside.
Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium speed until white and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in syrup and vanilla until incorporated. Mix 1/2 the dry ingredients into butter mixture, followed by the buttermilk, then remaining dry ingredients; blend until just incorporated.  Fold in the egg whites, coconut and hazelnuts.  Fill each muffin cup to the top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes  then remove from the pan and let cool the rest of the way.

For the icing:

Place butter and cream cheese and cream in a mixer and stir until well combined and slightly fluffy.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir until well combined and stiff enough to hold it's shape on your cupcakes.  Adding powdered sugar as necessary.

Top each cupcake with toasted coconut and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Arancini Chapter Two

I hosted a Bridal Shower recently and one of the requests was for these (to die for) little Italian treats. I've posted about Arancini before, so I will spare you the story (go here to read my adventure).
Arancini is a delish little Italian treat (directly translated to mean "little orange").

This is simply one of the most perfect appetizers ever. There are endless combinations of what you can stir into these little bites. I got this recipe from Williams Sonoma but made it my own, as I really always try to do when cooking. I personally find deep reward in re-writing something to suit either my taste buds in the moment, or sometimes just to fit the ingredients I happen to have on hand.


2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup medium-grain white rice such as Arborio
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 whole egg
2 cups fine dried bread crumbs (preferably Panko)
2 oz. Salami
2 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped
Olive or canola oil for deep-frying

Directions:
In a saucepan over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Stir in the rice, butter and salt. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes.

Transfer the rice to a bowl and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and salami. Let cool slightly, then stir in the whole egg, and basil. Let cool completely. This is an important step. Don't cheat and try doing it while the rice is still warm. Disaster will ensue...

Spread the bread crumbs on a dinner plate.

Moisten your hands with water. Scoop up 1/4 cup of the rice mixture and place it in the cupped palm of one hand. Flatten out the mixture slightly and place 1 piece of the mozzarella in the center. Mold the rice over the cheese, adding a bit more rice if needed to cover it completely. Shape the rice into a ball. Roll the ball in the bread crumbs and place on a rack. Continue with the remaining ingredients to make 12 balls total. Rinse your hands frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to them. Let the balls dry on the rack for at least 15 minutes before frying, or refrigerate the balls for up to 24 hours.

Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 200°F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and set it next to the stove. Pour the olive oil to a depth of 3 inches into a deep, heavy fry pan and heat to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. The oil must cover the balls by at least 1 inch so they will cook evenly and not burst.

Using a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, gently lower a few of the rice balls into the hot oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and crisp all over, about 2 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer the arancini to the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Fry the remaining arancini in the same way, allowing the oil to return to the original frying temperature before adding the next batch.

Arrange the arancini on a warmed platter and serve immediately, or hold in the warm oven for up to 1 hour before serving.

Bolognese

Ok listen people. I'm not Italian, but I'll be honest and say that I kind of wish I was. Who doesn't love pasta and wine with every meal? Actually, didn't I say this about rice in my "I think I might be Asian" post? I digress... 

In my quest to make a good Bolognese, I looked at 100,000 recipes, and they each claimed to be the only "authentic" version on the web. *(read this in a monotone voice like the pharmaceutical commercials please...I make no claims about this being an "authentic" recipe, so if you happen to have the only authentic Bolognese recipe on earth and mine doesn't even come close to it, please don't yell at me) All I will say is that it's pretty darn yummy. 

I used Anne Burrell's recipe from the food network as a starting point, but modified it a decent amount. I also included heavy cream in my recipe as half called for some sort of cream or ricotta and half did not. I love cream, so I included it. I found that it rounded out the richness of this sauce really nicely.

I recommend making this in a large deep saute pan of sorts (see pics). The large surface area makes it easier to do all the reducing and sauteeing that is required in this recipe.

4 Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery
One large Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Pound of Ground Beef
1 Pound of Ground Pork
1 Tbs. Porcini Mushroom Powder (this is totally optional, as I realize most people will not have this on hand.

It does however add a nice earthy flavor to your sauce)
2 small cans of Tomato Paste
2 Regular cans of Diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of chopped fresh basil
3 Cups of red wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream (you don't have to add this, but why not?)

I wonder who will comment on this picture first?

Roughly chop the Carrot, Celery, onion and peel the garlic. Place all of these in a blender or food processor. Process them until a paste forms. Heat a large skillet or saucepan on high heat and place two tablespoons of Olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add your "paste". Season with Salt and cook until all of the moisture has evaporated and your paste is starting to brown. And for crying out loud (no really, you'll be crying from the onion fog in your kitchen) OPEN A WINDOW! and be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves, thyme and half of the basil and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the water evaporates you may need to add more, about 1 cup at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and taste frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook as directed.

In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the remaining basil and 1/4 of cream. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano. Serve immediately.

I think I might actually be asian.

Ignore the pasty white skin and strawberry blonde hair...Since I was born in Indonesia, I grew up with a great love and respect for all things asian.  Obviously there is quite a variety from Vietnamese to Thai to Chinese to Indonesian, but the spices and techniques are so similar.  Not to mention the types of vegetables available in those countries does differ a decent amount to what we naturally have here in the US.  Fortunately, I am not alone, and we can really find relatively decent substitutes here in the US for those foreign ingredients.  This recipe is one that I came up with in an attempt to copy a Vietnamese dish at a wonderful restaurant in Portand Oregan called Pho Van.  While this is not the same as thier delicious dish, it is really good.  And since I'm asian at heart, I will say that this recipe can definitley compete.

Stef's Pho Vietnamese lemongrass chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Large cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bullion paste
2 stalks of lemon grass, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
juice of one lime

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl and stire to combine well.  Place the chicken breasts in a large zip loc bag and pound each one out so that it is equal thickness all the way across the piece (about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch).  I use my rolling pin to achieve this, but you could also use a can of soup, a heavy metal bowl or a small fry pan.  Once you have pounded out your chicken, place your marinade in the bag along with the chicken.  Squeeze out all of the excess air and seal your bag.  Let marinade for at least one hour, and preferably 4-6.

Preheat your bbq grill to medium high heat and place each chicken breast on the grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade every few minutes.  Once chicken is cooked through, remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  This ensures that the chicken retain it's juicyness.

Serve over steamed white rice

The Ultimate Man's Meal

I made this pot roast recipe a few years ago at my sisters house and while I expected it to be a hit with her husband, I have to admit I was a little skeptical myself. I do love beer, maybe it's the German, Scottish and Irish in me?  My genetics scream for meat, potatoes and copious quantities of glorious wheaty beer. My only downfall is my distaste for Guinness. However, I have finally found a way to use Guinness that pleases me oh so much!  Despite my title of this being the "Ultimate Man's Meal", this really does please everyone I've ever made it for, despite gender (including a girls weekend in the mountains).

The cut: Start with a cut of beef from the chuck (shoulder).  Since these cuts have a lot of fat marbled within the meat, first trim off the excess from the outside of the roast.

Tip:  This recipe calls for you to sear the meat in a pan on top of the stove, then add the remaining ingredients and place the whole shebang in the oven, so think carefully when choosing your pot.  Choose one with a tight fitting lid that will be oven safe. Also, when searing the meat, don’t move it around until it is ready to turn! It needs constant contact with the pot to develop that dark, rich flavorful crust.:

1 boneless chuck pot roast 3 – 3 1/2 lbs.
Salt & pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Cups mushrooms, stemmed, halved (3 1/2 ox.)
1 1/2 Cup onions, diced
2/3 Cup carrot, diced
2/3 Cup celery diced
1/4 Cup garlic, thinly sliced
1/2t. red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1/2 Cup pretzels, finely ground (I put them in a zip loc and pound them to a pulp with a rolling pin..Fun and stress relieving :-)
2 bottles Guinness or other dark beer (12 oz. each)
2 Cups beef broth
2 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce


Preheat oven to 325

Trim: meat of excess fat and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil over medium-high in an ovenproof Dutch oven. Sear roast on both sides until brown, 8-10 minutes total. Remove roast from the pan.

Sweat: Mushrooms, vegetables, and seasonings in the pot for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, cook 2 minutes, then stir in the pretzels.

De glaze with Guinness, scraping up the brown its on the bottom of the pan; stir in broth, Dijon and Worcestershire. Return the seared roast to the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot, then transfer to the oven; braise roast for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove pot from the oven and turn the roast over.

Add: Carrot chunks, then cover and return pot to the oven. Braise another 45 minutes, or until the meat is spoon-tender. To serve, transfer roast and carrots to a platter and cut meat into chunks. Bring sauce to a simmer, skimming off fat, then spoon it over the roast.

Garnish with: parsley.  You can certainly add potatoes to this during the cooking process, but it is so good served over mashed potatoes.

enJoy!