Seared Bay Scallops with Cauliflower and Caper Berries

Ingredients:

1 small head of cauliflower trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 Pound of  Sea scallops (dry packed)
2 tbsp of unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry vermouth
8 large fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

6 large caper berries (optional)

15 golden raisins rehydrated in warm water. (optional)

Olive oil

Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until really hot. Add the cauliflower and cook, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Add more oil to the skillet. When it gets very hot, add the scallops.  Cook until golden brown and crispy outside. Turn and  cook until the scallops are barely cooked. About 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should be translucent in the middle. 

Put the butter into the pan and add the shallot. Cook it until softens and the butter starts to brown, about 1 minute.
Add vermouth and bring it to a boil, scraping the bits on the bottom of the pan. Put the cauliflower back in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, until the cauliflower florets are tender, about 6 minutes.

Return the scallops to the pan to reheat for a few minutes, sprinkle with the basil, caper berries, golden raisins and serve.

Caper Berries.

Leek and Feta Tartine

Ingredients:

2 leeks

3 tbsps of fresh parsley

4 tbsp of french feta or goat cheese

2 tbsp of greek yogurt

Olive oil

Multi grain crackers

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Clean the leeks and remove the dark green part. Place the cleaned leeks in a roasting pan drizzle with olive oil and shake to coat them well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and roast the leeks for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. Cook them uncovered for the last 5 minutes so they get a nice golden color. When cooked set them aside and let them cool. Then cut up the cooled leeks in very small pieces or place in a food processor. Add french feta, Greek yogurt, parley, olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and blend well until all the ingredients are combined. Spread the mix over the multi grain tartines. 

You can also make a creamy Dijon mustard vinaigrette with olive oil, geek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of agave and white balsamic vinegar; drizzle it over the roasted leeks and serve them as a side dish with fish or chicken. 

Italian Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion sliced

1 small garlic chopped

2 carrots (optional)

10 meatballs freshly made or store bought

1 cup of orzo pasta or other small pasta 

1 large bunch of escarole or spinach 

4 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of water 

2 eggs

2 tbsp of parmesan

olive oil

Cook the onion and carrots, in a soup pot with olive oil. Add the meatballs and brown, then add the garlic so it does not burn.  Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil add the escarole and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add water if necessary, bring to a boil and mix in the orzo pasta then cook for an another 8 minutes. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. In a bowl beat the eggs with the parmesan and while string the soup in a circular motion let the eggs drop very slowly into the soup to create strands or egg. Similar to those in Chinese egg drop soup. Cook for one extra minute.  Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on top. 

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

1 carrot thinly sliced (use a mandoline)

1 small clove of garlic chopped (optional)

1 stalk of celery thinly chopped

1 large yukon gold potato cubed

2 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of cooked canellini beans, or navy white beans (see recipe in archive below or use 1 can of store bought beans)

1/2 a teaspoon of thyme (optional)

A few leafs of  fresh basil (optional)

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of of medium sized pasta ( macaroni or rotelli)

1 medium bunch of chopped escarole (or any leafy greens)

Olive oil

Cook the onions, celery, garlic, and potato in olive oil until slightly golden brown. Add the 2 cups of chicken broth, salt and pepper bring to a boil and then lower to medium. Cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and very soft, try breaking them up a bit with a fork at this point (potatoes give this soup it's nice creaminess). Or use a hand held blender until you get a creamy consistency. Add 1 cup of water or less until desired consistency, bring back to a boil add the thinly sliced carrots and the pasta and cook  for 8 minutes or until pasta is almost al dente. Add the thyme, the cooked beans and the chopped escarole. Cook until the greens are wilted but still bright green. (You can add sliced and cooked Italian sausage to the soup if you don't want to make it vegetarian.) Season with  salt and pepper to taste. 

Soft Shell Crab

Ingredients:

2 soft shell crabs

1 tbsp of butter

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 small crushed garlic

Chipotle peppercorns (optional)

1/2 tbsp of sweet (or smoked) paprika 

For egg and panko batter (optional)

1 egg beaten 

Panko bread crumbs 

Clean the crab, rinse and pat dry. If using egg mixture. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Place the soft shell crab in the mixture and then in the panko crust. In a pan melt the butter and oil, put the crab in the pan and season with paprika,  peppercorns and salt. Lower temperature and put the garlic in at this point so it does not burn. (Add more butter on the side if necessary) Flip crab , season again and cook the other side until done. The pan can be deglazed with lemon or a dash of white wine to make a sauce. Serve with lemon and sprouts or watercress.  

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Salt Cod Brandade

• Ingredients:
  
• 
  
• 1/2 pound salt cod
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 head garlic
• 1/2 cup cream
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 pound Yukon potatoes
• 12 piquillo peppers
• 
  

Soak salt cod in cold water to cover for about 12 hours, changing the water twice during this period. 

Pour cream into a small saucepan, and add half a head of garlic. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to a minimum and infuse for 45 minutes. At the same time, pour 1/4 cup of olive oil into a small saucepan and add the other half head of garlic. Heat until garlic starts to sizzle, reduce heat to very low and infuse for 45 minutes. Strain cream and oil separately, and keep them warm.

 Combine 2 cups of the milk,  and the cod in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until cod flakes easily, about 15 minutes. While cod simmers, cook potatoes. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

 

Drain cod and potatoes, and transfer to a food processor. With machine running, slowly add the infused oil, followed by the cream. Pulse until smooth, then season with pepper to taste. Use a small spoon stuff 8 of the peppers with this mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can prepare the dish several hours in advance up to this point.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add stuffed peppers, and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. 

Recipe from New York Times

Chicken Curry Salad

Ingredients:

1 breast of roasted chicken cut into cubes or shredded

2 tbsp of curry powder

3 tbsp of Cashews or other nuts

1/4 cut of raisins (or cranberries or currants)

1 apple cut into small cubes

1 small stalk of celery cut into cubes

1 tbsp of coconut oil or canola oil

4 tbsp of mayonnaise  (can be replaced by coconut milk)

2 tbsp of chopped green onion (or shallot)

1 tbsps of lemon juice

For the dressing blend in the mayonnaise with curry powder and coconut oil and mix well. In a bowl combine the chicken, raisins, cashews, apple, green onion and celery. Mix the dressing with the chicken and season with salt and pepper and a squirt of lemon juice. Adjust dressing ingredients if needed. Let stand in the fridge for a few hours for all the flavor to blend in well. Serve over arugula or watercress. 

Redang Curry

This Malayan  curry can be done with chicken, beef for stew or beef short ribs. 

Ingredients:

1 cup coconut milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tbsp of chopped lemongrass

1 onion, peeled and quartered

4 garlic cloves

2 1/2 inches galangal or 2 1/2 inches ginger

1 -3 red chile, depending on how hot you like your curry (de-seeded if less heat is desired)

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

5 tablespoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon clove

1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp paste

2 whole star anise

-Place all sauce ingredients with a little bit of the coconut milk in a food processor and blend until a paste is formed.

- Put a small amount of canola oil in a dutch oven sear the meat until it gets a golden color

-Then fry the curry paste  in the bottom of the dutch oven, then add the rest of the coconut milk

-Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover, let the sauce reduce until it almost covers the meat for about 40 minutes, check constantly and add chicken broth if the meat is not yet tender but there is not enough liquid. (Be careful because the curry has sugar so it can burn easily)

-Serve with rice.

Lasagna Bianca

Ingredients:

This lasagna can be made just with mushrooms, or also with a combination of mushrooms and asparagus, cooked spinach, zucchini or green peas. 

Fresh lasagna or dried lasagna sheets

2 cups of mushrooms (cremini or mixed)

1 tbsp of rehydrated dried mushrooms (optional)

1 cup of other green vegetables, like spinach or asparagus or peas fresh or frozen (optional)

1 crushed garlic clove

1 diced shallot

1 tbsp of thyme or sage

1 1/2 cups of grated mozzarella or fontina

1/2  tbsp of chopped sage, basil or parsley (optional)

For the bechamel sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of white flour

2 cups of milk

Salt

Nutmeg to taste

In a pan with olive oil cook the, shallot and garlic for a few minutes.  Add the fresh mushrooms and saute for a 3 to 5 minutes. At this point you can deglaze the pan with a small amount of white wine and let it reduce, (optional). Mix in the green vegetables, the thyme,  and the re-hydrated mushrooms.  Season with salt an pepper and set aside.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. 

To make the bechamel in a medium size soup pot. Melt the butter slowly, in medium low heat so it does not burn, when melted and starting to bubble add the flour and stir constantly until a light golden roux in formed. Turn up to the heat to medium high, add 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk fast until all the roux in dissolved into the milk. Add the rest of the milk and bring to a boil. At this point the sauce should thicken to coat the back of a spoon. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

In a lasagna dish, put some of the bechamel on the bottom and spread well. Drizzle as small amount of olive oil to prevent the lasagna from sticking to the bottom. Put the first layer of lasagna pasta on the bottom, add the mushroom and vegetable mix on top, drizzle with bechamel and sprinkle with cheese. Do this again and again until you reach the top of the lasagna pan. Then cover with one last set of pasta sheets, pour bechamel and cheese on top. Cook covered with aluminium foil in the oven for 20 minutes, uncover and cook for another 10 minutes until the cheese on the top turns a golden color. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving. 

Next Day Roasted Chicken Soup

Ingredient:

1 shallot finely diced

1 clove of galic

3 carrots cut into rounds

1 left over roasted chicken with some meat left in it. 

1 zucchini sliced into moons (or swiss chard)

1/2 of brown rice (or barley, farro, noodles)

1/4 cub of white or black beans (optional)

1 spring of thyme (or some herbs de provence spice mix)

In a soup pot saute the shallot in olive oil, then add the garlic and the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the left over chicken bones and meat and cover with water by two inches.

Bring to a boil and cook in medium low for 30 minutes. Add the rice and the beans and cook for another 40 minutes, or until the rice and beans are almost done. Take the chicken out of the pot, reserve the meat and discard the bones, put the chicken meat back in the soup pot.  (If using noodles, skip the beans and put the noodles in the pot at this point)  Add the zucchini, or cut green leafy vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes. Until the noodles are cook and the zucchini is cooked.  Adjust the salt and pepper. 

Paprika Roasted Chicken.

Ingredients

Create a rub for the chicken by combining:

Dijon Mustard

Herbes de Provence

Tamari Sauce

Smoked Paprika

10 to 15  unpeeled cloves of garlic

1 onion

2 carrots

2 sliced yukon potatoes

Fresh thyme

1/2 cup of chicken stock

Olive oil

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper and rub with the seasoning mixture. 

On the bottom of a roasting pan put quartered onions, carrots, sliced potatoes and garlic cloves

drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix well and sprinkle with thyme. Put a rack on the roasting plan over the vegetables and place the chicken on top of the rack. Add some chicken stock and some wine to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the chicken in done for about 50 minutes. 

Romesco Basil Sauce

Eat with cooked asparagus, over fish, or tossed with tortellinis.

Ingredients:

1 roasted and pealed red bell pepper 

(or two large chopped tomatoes without seeds)

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tbsp of red wine or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup of toasted hazelnuts without the skin

(or toasted pinenuts)

Basil (Only if making pesto romesco)

Hot pepper flakes

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese (or 1 slice of stale bread)

Put all the ingredient into a food processor and blend until a smooth but slightly chunky consistency. Season with salt and pepper

Spinach Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Ingredients

For the gnocchis:

1 pound of yukon gold potatoes

1 bunch  of fresh spinach or 1/2 cup of frozen spinach (optional. The spinach can be blended into the gnocchi or mixed directly into the sauce)

1 cup of flour

1/8 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

For the sauce:

1 tbsp of butter

1 small shallot

1/2 tsp of parsley finely chopped 

1/4 pound of gorgonzola

1/4 cup of heavy cream

To make the gnocchis boil the potatos until tender about 30 minutes, drain and let cool. Peel them and pass them thru a grinder or mash them with a masher with not too much or they will become too starchy. Drain the spinach well to take out as much water out as possible and chop very finely or blend in a food processor and mix in nutmeg. (Add to the sauce later or blend into the gnocchi dough) In a tabletop with floor mix the potatoes with the spinach and the rest of the flour until forming a dough, adding a little flour if the dough is sticky. Roll pieces of dough into thin logs and cut in 1/4 inch pieces. Then shape the small peaces with a fork in the gnocchi shape (or leave as they are). 

The gnocchi can be put in the fridge in a single covered for up to 12 hours or frozen in a single layer and then put into plastic bags. 

To cook them, boil them in salted water until they float.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter, add the shallot and parsley and saute until translucent. Add the cheese and the cream and stir constantly until combined. A little water can be added to thin the sauce if preferred.

Toss the warm cooked pasta with the sauce and serve immediately. 

Tortellini with Artichoke Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup canned artichoke heart, quartered

2 large garlic, cloves minced 

1/2 cup packed fresh basil or parsley 

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tbsp of french feta or goat cheese or cream cheese (optional)

1/2 cup of cooked asparagus ( optional)

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and toss over cooked tortellini or ravioli. Mix in cooked asparagus and top with Parmesan cheese.