Tomato Soup

Shallot Tarragon Shrimp

You can't go to Anthony's Seafood in Middletown and not grab some fish to go. After Andy, his mom and I had lunch there then toured The Breakers, we headed back home with some fresh fish from Anthony's so I could cook up some dinner.

Andy's mom lives in St. Louis, so fresh seafood is a little more rare than it is here in the Ocean State, so I wanted to make a flavorful dish that celebrated the large succulent shrimp I picked up at Anthony's. I searched one of my favorite recipe databases, epicurious.com, and found this recipe for Shrimp with Shallot-Tarragon Sauce:

I made a few adjustments- I couldn't find fresh tarragon at my grocer, so I used dried, and instead of serving the dish over wilted spinach, I served it over a Trader Joe's pasta mix that Andy and I really love with Israeli cous cous, spinach orzo, dried garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. I also doubled the amount of sauce recommended in the recipe, because each serving deserves more than a tablespoon of its greatness. I served it with a tomato and edamame salad with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.

The shrimp were phenomenal- and not just the fresh shrimp themselves, but the sauce as well! It was rich, but not too over-indulgent because the parsley and tarragon helped to brighten the flavors, and I really think using dried tarragon did not sacrifice too much. I will absolutely make this dish again!

Moroccan Chicken

I recently started subscribing to Cooking Light, and this is one of the first dishes I made from the magazine:

Moroccan Chicken Thighs with dried apricots. I served the braised chicken thighs over a wonderful new discovery- whole wheat cous cous. I had never seen whole wheat cous cous before, and was thrilled to see a box of it at my grocery store. What thrills me even more about cous cous is its extremely quick cooking time- you boil water, dump the cous cous in, then take it off the heat- it takes only about five minutes to soak up the water and cook, and then you just fluff it with a fork!

It was the perfect accompaniment to this Moroccan dish which really benefited from the salty, meaty chickpeas and the handful of fresh cilantro I placed on top. I followed the spice amounts exactly, but next time I would add a pinch more of each, except the cinnamon. For all of the spices in the recipe, they didn't stand out as much as I had hoped. I also could only find Turkish apricots, but the recipe recommends California apricots because they are brighter in color and more sour. After biting into one of the Turkish apricots, I am positive that the California's would make a big difference.

Dining with the Parents

Although my parents love eating out (and so do Andy and I), there really is nothing like a home cooked meal- it's nice to be able to relax at home, be comfortable, and chat the night away at the dinner table or the couch, without feeling rushed.

Whenever my parents tell me they are coming to visit, I generally plan the menu weeks in advance. It's an opportunity for me to cook something new and exciting, or make something that has wowed me in the past, and would be a great experience for my parents. Because we were going out to eat so much while they were in town, I also wanted to cook something different- a cuisine that we weren't going to be feasting on at the various restaurants I had reservations. I decided on a Latin American theme and so started with an appetizer favorite that I love to make, Black Bean and Banana Empanadas (made previously for supper club):

My parents loved them, and they were as good as I remember. There is something about the sweetness of the banana and the saltiness of the beans that really elevates this empanada.

For the main, I made the chili verde from Simply Recipes again (which I made last time with chicken). This time, I followed the recipe closely with no changes or additions- except I used pork loin instead of pork shoulder, and cooked the whole thing in my crockpot:

I served this slow cooked pork with corn tortillas and Simply Recipes' fantastic recipe for Spanish rice. The recipe calls for long-grain white rice, but I substituted brown rice, which I think adds even more wonderful nutty flavor (and its healthier!).

My parents loved the meal, and I was happy to make it again! This is the perfect meal to serve to a lot of dinner guests because you won't be stuck in the kitchen all night, and you can make everything easily in large portions.

Bolognese

I am currently blogging from Vermont, where I am at graduate school for my 10-day residency in an MFA program in Creative Writing. I have a couple of posts in stock while I'm away, but my school is quite secluded- so the opportunities for eating out are few and far between! I am currently dining on cafeteria food, and while that may make an interesting blog opportunity, I think you all know what cafeteria food is like so I won't try to bring back any bad memories.

Last weekend, Andy's sister and her boyfriend came to visit us for New Years. To celebrate their arrival, I made dinner- the best way I know to celebrate! I had been wanting to try out a recipe for bolognese and figured this would be a great opportunity. The cooking time for the sauce is long, yes, but the active time is short and this is a great meal to make when you want to be socializing and not stuck in the kitchen.

I used a recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything but tweaked the meat a little bit. His recipe calls for half ground pork and half ground beef- but in an effort to maintain some healthy qualities (I doubled the recipe) I used 1 1/2 pounds of ground dark turkey, and 1/2 pound of mild chicken Italian sausage to add some more flavor. I also halved the amount of cream, which I think was a great choice- the sauce is rich enough even before any cream is added!

I served this beautiful bolognese (that simmered for approximately 3-3 1/2 hours) and served it over Venda Ravioli's phenomenal potato gnocchi, with a side of garlic bread:

The bolognese was fantastic, and the meat provided just the mix of flavors that I was looking for. The gnocchi were the perfect compliment and carried the sauce well. Next time I go to Venda Ravioli, however, I am going to try the lobster and sweet potato ravioli's!

To finish off this decadent meal, I thought I'd go for something even more decadent:

This is a slice of my reproduction of my mom's chocolate peanut butter pie. This slice does look a little sad, but I promise that the taste was anything but. It was as creamy and heavenly as I hoped- although I used a store-bought graham cracker crust and it wasn't nearly as good as my mom's. It apparently didn't matter much though, because Andy's sister and I found ourselves eating several slices throughout the week they were visiting!

Bison Burgers

A true pleasure is a great, meaty, juicy hamburger. So anyway I can find to have that same taste with less fat and cholesterol so I can have it more often works for me. Making a burger is also one of the fastest weekday meals, and that is something I can appreciate. For a long time, my stand-by hamburger alternative has been turkey burgers . But I've been getting tired of them lately, so I had to find inspiration elsewhere.

Inspiration came in the form of Bison Nacho's from the Schlafly Brewery (a post from November), and the realization that my local grocery store carries ground bison (also called buffalo) meat. Bison has a great, deep flavor like ground beef, but is leaner and lower in cholesterol. It made a great burger:

It needed slightly less doctoring-up then my turkey burgers because the meat has more flavor, and was a nice change of pace. My mom also uses bison meat to make meatloaf- a recipe that I am going to try sometime soon!

I'll be back after the holidays- after a trip to St. Louis and finally being able to walk without my walking cast on, I'll have lots of posts!

Strip Steak

As you may have noticed, my posts have not been as plentiful as usual. This is due to the fact that I fractured my foot over the Thanksgiving holiday and so have had limited opportunities to cook or eat out because I can barely walk!

But, on Saturday, I was getting a little anxious and decided I need to do something- and that something was cook up a nice feast for Andy and I.

It started with a recipe from the 2007 Food and Wine cookbook that my Aunt Sal gave to me for Strip Steak with Arugula Pesto.

I made the strip steak in a pan with butter, thyme, rosemary, and whole, unpeeled garlic cloves:

As the steak cooked, I basted it with the herb and garlic infused butter and made the accompaniment- the arugula pesto. The pesto is made the same as basic basil pesto, except the arugula is cooked in boiling water for about 10 seconds before it is pureed with the pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

I wanted to make a real steak and potatoes type meal (the temperature has really started to drop in Providence and I have been craving warm, hearty foods!) so I also made a garlic layered potato gratin:

This was an easy dish with lots of chopped roasted garlic, fresh thyme, nutmeg and thinly sliced potatoes.  Of course, there is a little cream and chicken stock- but just enough to flavor the potatoes and add a creamy texture to compliment the crispy top, not enough to make it unhealthy! The recipe came from Mark Bittman's "How To Cook Everything".

For the vegetable, I sauteéd some kale with olive oil, and here is the final plate:

I arranged the slices of steak on top of the arugula pesto and garnished it with some fresh arugula, the steak juices from the pan, and the whole garlic cloves. It really is a beautiful, bright plate full of bold flavors. The steak was juicy and every bite not only had big steak flavor, but also the more delicate flavors of the herb butter it was basted in. The arugula pesto added a nice, smooth contrast to the steak and was a great way to  take a steak to the next level. The meat would be delicious even without the pesto, if you wanted to eliminate some time and extra dishes, but it does add a special touch and a great visual on the plate. This meal definitely made the 25 degree, windy, snowy weather a little more bearable!

Thanksgiving in Atlanta

Andy and I spent Thanksgiving with my family in Atlanta, Georgia. My mom and various other family and friends cooked up the feast and here is a pictorial review of the most fantastic meal.

First, there was a "turkey cookoff" my mom versus our family friend Michael. My mom cooked the traditional roasted turkey with stuffing, and Michael made a Southern favorite- a deep-fried turkey:

My dad carving the roast turkey


The fried turkey rubbed with Cajun spices

I personally prefer the roast turkey. I truly think the roast turkey is more moist and benefits in the flavor department from consistent basting. Also, the idea of a fried turkey does seem a little silly and unnecessary! But, it was still tasty.

We also had pumpkin bread with chocolate chips:

Here is a picture of my (first) plate:

This plate had all the crucial elements (from left to right) brussels sprouts, peas, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatos, mashed potatoes, gravy and, of course, turkey.

Then, as if all of that wasn't enough, my mom made four of her famous pies:

Apple Cranberry


Pecan


Pumpkin



and...pumpkin pecan!

All of it was phenomenal, and I was lucky enough to enjoy several rounds of pumpkin pie during the long weekend!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Halloween Traditions

Last year, I attempted, for the first time ever, to make my dad's famous chili. Every year he makes it for Halloween and I consider it an important tradition to honor.

Luckily, this year, I didn't have to slave away in the kitchen for 4 hours making it, going over the recipe a million times to make sure I didn't miss anything, and getting nervous when Andy took a bite. Because this year, Andy and I joined my parents in New Jersey for a Halloween party with close family friends, and my dad decided to make it for the costume-fest.

He slaved away in the kitchen for 4 hours instead, adding all of his little touches that are hard to express in a written recipe. Andy and I salivated as we waited around in the house for party time- we had been thinking about this chili all month:

There was a much larger pot of the stuff, but this was the small pot of extra. Andy took one bite and said "this is way better than yours."

After he saw my shocked and insulted face, he amended his comment and said, instead "it is more balanced than yours." And that, I will admit. Actually, I will admit that it's way better, and it is going to take a lot more Halloween's for me to master this recipe. It is specifically true that my dad's chili is incredibly balanced. There is a powerful, upfront spiciness that as you chew through the kidney beans, sausage, and ground beef softens, leaving you with a smooth, tomato and chili-powder finish. He even makes a great vegetarian version- which he made on this night also so my friend Cailyn could enjoy some meatless bliss.

Topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and raw onions, the chili gets even better:

I really think my dad's chili should be entered into a contest. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a devoted daughter!

Chili Verde

There are several reasons why I love the website Simply Recipes.  First, the pictures are always fantastic. They always have the perfect lighting, and the food is always placed in color-complimentary and appropriate dining ware. Also, the recipes are always terrific. I have never been disappointed by anything I've tried- and to make it even better, they are absolutely simple. Some are more complicated than others, but they are all very manageable- and you can achieve a lot of deliciousness in Elise's easy recipes. Basically, I have blog envy.

So, whenever I get the chance and the inspiration, I try a new recipe from Simply Recipes. Last week, it was the Chile Verde:

I made it with chicken breasts instead of pork, and also made it during a weeknight, so I cut down on the simmering time. I only simmered the sauce for about 20 minutes (and eliminated the chicken stock used in this recipe to cover the meat), and added large chunks of fresh tomatoes.

I was at work until 7 pm, got home and whipped this up and was sitting down to dinner by about 7:45- there was nothing difficult about it. In fact, the only thing that tripped me up was when I cut the jalapeno and then accidentally rubbed my eye- and had to take a time out until my eye stopped stinging! I also didn't use either an anaheim or a poblano chile, but will add these and increase the cooking time next time I make them because I know it will make a marked difference in the flavor of the sauce.

Brussels Sprouts

When I was younger, I only ever ate brussels sprouts steamed, sprinkled with Molly McButter. Butter flavored sprinkles may be a frightening image, but those little flakes got me to like a rather unappreciated vegetable.

Then, recently, the brusssels sprout gained fame again when they were roasted in the oven. They became crispy and delicious, and drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper- they became a little more popular out on the table. I was certainly thrilled to ditch the Molly McButter in favor of a slightly classier way of eating the brussels sprout, and am always happy when I can turn someone into a fan of the vegetable.

And I am also happy when I find new ways to prepare brussels sprouts, like in the newest edition of Bon Appetit.

This particular recipe can be found here, and is called Brussels Sprout Hash with Caramelized Shallots.

What leaps and bounds away from Molly McButter this dish is! The caramelized shallots truly do the brussels sprout justice. The splash of apple cider vinegar and pinch of sugar enhanced the sweetness of the shallots, And were perfectly paired with the green vegetable. Along with the butter, this was a decadent way to enjoy brussels sprouts! This would be a great dish to add to your Thanksgiving feast!