Panfried Tofu with Mustard and Caper Sauce

This is a wonderful recipe to cook tofu in a classic European style instead of an Asian-inspired way. I make my own variation of it using a whole egg, instead of the two yolks, and slowly cooking the sauce over gentle heat. I also prefer asparagus to the beans and simply top the salad with the asparagus and tofu then drizzle it all with the sauce. Tatses much better than tofu could ever look.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Panfried-Tofu-with-Romano-Bean-and-Herb-Salad-354152

Smoked Salmon Salad with Asparagus and Avocado Dressing

This is a quick weeknight meal I made up on the fly after a long day. It has a nice flavor and is easy on the waistline. I made this up with what we have on hand, use whatever veggies suit you. Add some thinly sliced radish, or sliced beets. Peas or butter beans would also be nice in here. Explore.

Time it will take
10 minutes

Ingredients

Salad leaves of your choice (I like a dark green baby leafy mix)
1 Heirloom tomato, cut into wedges
8-10 asparagus stalks
6 new potatoes, boiled and quuartered (sounds medieval, don't it?)
1t fresh chives
1T minced red onion
2 oz smoked salmon, thinly sliced

for the dressing

1/2 avocado, chopped
5T olive oil
1T white wine vinegar
generous pinch coarse salt
1T prepared mustard
1/4t dried tarragon or 1t fresh leaves

Directions

Add salad ingredients except salmon and asparagus into a large bowl. Put all the dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Toss salad with dressing and plate. Top with salmon and asparagus.

Vegetarian Fajitas with Fresh Guacamole

I can't believe it's taken me so long to try doing these at home. Here's an uber simple way of getting a tasty meal on the table fast. I do like to marinate the veggies a little and usually do my chopping at some other point in the day or an hour or two before I plan on cooking.

Time it will take
Hands on 15 minutes, 1 hour and 15 minutes total

Ingredients

For the Fajita Filling

1 onion, cut in half then sliced thinly
1 red pepper sliced into strips
1 green pepper sliced into strips
A bunch of mushrooms, maybe 30 or so cremini, sliced
1T Paprika
1/4 t cumin seeds
1/4-1t chipotle chili powder or cayenne (to suit)
Juice of 1 lime
1t chopped fresh cilantro
3T olive oil
1/4t salt

For the Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
juice of 1/2 lime
2T tomato chopped fine
2T onion chopped fine
1T cilantro, chopped
salt to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed

To Serve

Grated cheddar
low-fat sour cream
tortillas

Directions

Toss the veggies in a large bowl with paprika, cumin, chile, salt, lime, cilantro and 1T of the oil. Let marinate if desired. Heat the remaining oil in heavy skillet over moderate to high heat. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add your veggies and stir and fry until vegetables are soft, slightly blackened and onions are transluscent.

Add all the guac ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until you reach the consistency you want. Hint: If your guac tatses bland add a little more salt. If it seems flat add a touch more lime. Too tangy? Add more avocado to smooth it out. No magic to perfect guac, just tatse it before you're done. There's only three main players in this dish, and it's a very forgiving food to make.

Let diners help themselves to the fixins. Serve veggies with the tortillas, cheese, guacamole and sour cream. That's all, she wrote.

Cooks note: You can use a tablespoon of chili powder instead of the paprika. Since we have some non-spice lovers, I often use paprika and mix it with a touch of chipotle to give chile infused dishes a great flavor without the heat.

Tequila Marinated Steak with cherry tomato relish

This isn't my recipe, I discovered it while researching recipes for a paid brainstorming session on the subject. Like many of the recipes on Epicurious (Gourmet and Bon Appettite magazine's website) reading the user reviews was very helpful. The taste was amazing. I followed a reviewer suggestion to reduce the leftover marinate and add a little to sour cream to make a nice sauce. I added a little extra fresh cilantro to the sour cream.

the recipe

Classic Stawberry and Gorgonzola Salad

An easy and delicious salad for a little change of pace. I've always been scared to try this, for some reason strawberries in salad always got a "yuck" from me. On a whim I tossed this together tonight and the results were fabulous. The pecan/strawberry combo gets a punch from the cheese and the balsamic vinaigrette pulls it all together. We had this with leftover rice pilaf from the kids' dinner and it was a light, yet satisfying meal.

Time it Will Take
10 minutes or less

Ingredients

For the salad adjust quantities to suit:
2-3 c dark green salad blend like baby spinach and arugala
5-7 strawberries, stems removed and cut into quaters
1/4 c roughly chopped pecans
1/4 c Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
1/2 avocado diced

For the dressing:
1 small garlic clove peeled and hit with the back of a knife to lightly crush OR 2t shallot minced fine
1/4 c olive oil
1T balsamic vinegar
1/2-1T honey
1/4 t coarse salt
2t mustard

Directions

Toss the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Rub the inside of a smaller bowl with the garlic clove, discard. If using shallot add shallot to the bowl. Whisk together honey, oil, vinegar, and salt. Toss salad with desired amount of dressing. Done!

Cooks note: I have a bit of a sweet tooth so 1T honey is fine with me. Half would do for most people since the balsamic adds a sweetness of its own. Overall this dressing should be dark, sweet, and tangy.

Chevre Stuffed Mushrooms

I hit the store today with pretty bare cupboards and found a few surprise sale items to make a nice mid-week treat. Everyone's noses perked up when I started cooking, and even my toddler wanted to taste the filling. My husband (not the biggest stuffed mushroom fan) finished every last one, including the extras I had made for lunch. All told I think I spent 6 dollars on the main ingredients. Not bad! I ususally keep a few large bags of nuts in the freezer like Pine Nuts, Walnuts, and Pecans. It comes in handy.

Time it will take
8 minutes hands on, 25 minutes total

Ingredients

6 Baby Bella Mushrooms or other suitable stuffers, rinsed and stems removed
2oz Chevre (Goat Cheese)
1/3 c Pecans finely chopped
1 large shallot
1T butter
1/4c breadcrumbs
1/4t dried thyme
1T finely diced, peeled apple
2t chopped fresh parsley (opt)
pinch of cayenne
generous amount of fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste


Directions

Heat butter in non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add pecans, apple and shallot and saute for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and golden, and shallots are soft. Set aside in bowl and let cool briefly.

Preheat oven to 375. Brush a baking sheet very lightly with olive oil and place mushrooms cap side down on sheet. Lightly salt the inside of the mushrooms.

Add remainder of ingredients to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is blended. Stuff each mushroom with filling (as much as necessary) and bake for 15-20 minutes until tops are golden and mushrooms are cooked through.

Serve with a green salad. Tastes wonderful as is or with a very light drizzle of balsamic dressing.

Grilled Zucchini with Ricotta

Ingredients

2 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4" strips
olive oil
fresh basil
2/3c Ricotta
1/4t herbs (oregano or basil)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 clove garlic
crushed red pepper (opt)
Cremini mushrooms sliced in half lengthways
Shiitake Mushrooms
Red Wine Vinegar
Mustard
salt and pepper

Time it will take

About 25 minutes

Directions

Whisk 1/4c red wine vinegar with 1t mustard, 1/2c olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and 1 clove garlic (crushed). Toss mushrooms with dressing and center on a sheet of tin foil. Foil up sides to make an open packet shape. Brush zucchini lightly with oil.

Add mushrooms packet to top rack or side of grill. Put zucchini directly on grill and grill for about 3 minutes per side, until tender. Mushrooms should be done around the same time (tender).

Mix ricotta with the remaining garlic and herbs.

Serve zucchini over a bed of tortellini (or other pasta) tossed with lemon and butter. Add scoop of ricotta and mushrooms on the side. Sprinkle lightly with crushed pepper and torn fresh basil leaves.

Eggplant Vodka

This is the kind of dish that makes even sworn enemies of eggplant swoon. I can't say I'm a huge fan of eggplant myself, but this dish I'll eat anyday. It's definitely one of my own creations I made specifically to try and come to a truce with eggplant. I've taken it to parties where the smell entices people to give it "a little taste" which always turns into a big helping. We tend to make this as a special treat with a hearty glass of merlot or, even better, a spicy red zinfandel.

Ingredients

One large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick slices
10 cloves of garlic
olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes
2T tomato paste
1/4c vodka
2T butter
1/3c milk or cream
1/4t red pepper flakes (opt)
1 egg beaten with 2T water (opt)
1c breadcrumbs
1/2c flour (opt)
coarse salt
1/2 fresh mozarella grated
1/2c parmesan

Instructions

For the Eggplant

You can prepare the eggplant in any way you like. We've used grilled, broiled, and fried. Our preference is for a simple broiled version or breaded and broiled. Whichever method you plan on cooking the eggplant you should salt it first. If you've never worked with eggplant before, pre-salting is a treatment to extract any bitter juices from your eggplant slices. Put your slices of eggplant into a colander and generously salt each slice. Let stand in colander for 30 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry the slices.

To broil simply, heat broiler on high. Brush each slice of eggplant with a thin coat of olive oil and arrange in a single layer in a baking sheet. Broil on high for 8-10 minutes, or until tender, turing once after about 4 minutes.

If you want a more classic version drege each slice of eggplant lightly in flour, then dip in egg mixture and roll in breadcrumbs. Cook as above under broiler.

For the sauce

Saute garlic over medium heat with 2T olive oil until fragrant and golden. Add tomatoes and 2/3c water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Add vodka and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Add milk and butter and stir until smooth. Transfer sauce to blender and pulse  briefly for a smoother texture. Return to pot and salt to taste, about teaspoon or two of coarse salt.

Adjust oven temperature oven to 350 degrees

To assemble, in a baking casserole add a layer of eggplant. Top with a ladleful of sauce and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, a little mozarella, and parmesan. Continue this way until the dish is filled, ending with a topping of cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is golden.

Planked Salmon with Cucmber Sauce

Cedar planks are very easy to come by and add a wonderful flavor to the fish. Be sure to soak your plank for at least an hour in water. I usually serve this with a side of rice pilaf. No picture yet, this disappeared before I could get a shot.

Update: Here's at least a hot off the grill shot.

For the Salmon

Salmon fillets
salt and pepper

For the Cucmber Sauce

1 large English cucmber, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1/3c Greek style yoghurt
1 small shallot minced
1T chppoed fresh parsley
2T white wine vinegar or lemon
salt and pepper

Instructions

Wash salmon and pat dry. Place skin side down (if has skin on) on pre-soaked plank. Salt an pepper fish. Grill with lid closed for 12-15 minutes or until done and tops golden brown. Check halfway through to ensure no flareups.

Make the cucumber sauce

Stir together yoghurt, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper, parsley. Add cucumber and celery and toss to coat.

Paneer

Paneer is an Indian cheese used in main vegetarian courses. You can buy it readymade often in the grocery store or an Indian food retailer. It's very easy to make at home and the taste will be much lighter and more delicate.

All you'll need to make paneer is some milk, a cheesecloth, and a curdling agent like lemon or lime juice. You can use vinegar but it can leave a slight taste in the paneer so the fruits are best. In a pich you can use something like rice vinegar.

Ingredients

1/2 gallon milk
juice of 1 lemon

In a large pot bring milk slowly to a boil. Don't scald the milk!. As soon as the milk comes to a full, rolling boil add the lemon juice. Make sure the curds have separated completely (you should see white curds and a greenish clear liquid, whey). If it curdles but doesn't finish separating add a little more juice or vinegar.

Remove from heat and strain into a cheesecloth. Wrap up the ends and twist tightly in cloth to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place cheese still in cloth on a draining surface and put something heavy on top to press the liquid out. Let sit weighted for about 30 minutes. When cheese is hard and most of the excess moisture is gone you can slice it into cubes as desired.

You can see videos on you tube but it's so easy you can't go wrong. The only disaster is if the milk scalds, everything will taste bad.

Enjoy!

Saag Paneer

I have to confess that Indian food at home for a long time never came out quite right. I have finally mastered at least a few dishes that resemble what I've had elsewhere. The secret? Heat. Not spice but the temperature you cook on. The flavor and scent change with proper cooking. Your best bet is to use a nice big wok and let it get hot before you start anything. Medium high to high works best. Most dishes start with a base of garlic, ginger and onion paste. I keep a tube of ginger paste on hand for this. Only add your ingredients when the wok is hot and stir and fry. You'll smell the transformation. Don't let things burn (do stir) but DO let them get brown and fragrant and really cook hotter than you would for anything European. Spices especially need to get hot to get the right flavor. And by the way, even the babies love this dish! They dive into the spinach with gusto.

Time it Will Take
20 minutes hands on, 50 minutes total

4T ghee or vegetable oil
1 onion, grated or finely chopped
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 four inch stick cinnamon
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
4 cloves garlic, minced
2t grated ginger
1t ground cumin
1t ground coriander
1/4t ground cayenne
1T tomato paste
2 large bunches of spinach washed well, stems removed, and leaves chopped small
4c water
1/3 cup milk
1 portion paneer, cubed
1-2t salt or to taste


1. (optional step) Heat 1Tghee in non-stick pan over medium high heat. When hot add paneer cubes and stir gently and fry until they have light brown edges. Remove and let drain on paper towel.

2. In a large wok heat remaining ghee or oil until hot but no smoking over medium high heat. Add ginger and onion and stir and fry until brown and fragrant.

3. Add garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves and continue to cook for a minute more over high heat.

4. Add ground cayenne, cumin and coriander and stir and fry for one minute. Paste should be brown and fragrant.


5. Add spinach, tomato paste, and water and bring to a boil.

6. Cover leaving lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to low. Let simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary.


7. If a creamy texture is desired, remove cardamom pods then add milk and pulse in a blender.

8. Return to pan and add paneer. Stir and let cook gently uncovered for 5 minute. Add salt to taste, usually 1-2t. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Like most Indian food, tastes better the next day. Serve with basmati rice and perhaps an Indian potato dish, like potato slices fried with lemon, black mustard seeds, and black onion seeds.

Halibut with Wine Sauce

This classic wine-butter sauce will work with any sturdy whitefish. The end result is a bit like shrimp scampi. You can adjust the butter in the sauce. Full amount for company and perhaps just 2-3 tablespoons for weeknights ;)

Time it will Take
15 minutes hands on, 20 minutes total

Ingredients
Halibut or other whitefish
1T olive or vegtable oil
1/2c butter
1 tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into small dice
1 clove garlic minced
juice of one lemon
1/4 white wine
salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium high heat. Cook fish for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Cover reduce to medium heat, and cook another 4 minutes, flipping gently occasionally, or until cooked through and browned. Don't overcook or the fish will be tough.

Remove the fish and keep warm. Add lemon and wine to the pan and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let cook for one minute. Add pieces of the butter one at a time, whisking until incorporated. When all the butter has been added and sauce is smooth toss in tomatoes and  garlic and drizzle over fish. Serve on a bed of pasta or asparagus.

Mutter Paneer

This is a quick and easy weeknight version of a favorite indian dish. Make your own paneer or use store-bought for a super quick meal. It seems like a simple recipe, but the result is delicious.

Time it will Take
15 minutes hands on, 20 minutes total

1 can tomato paste mixed with 2/3c water
1 can peas
1 package paneer cut into cubes
1t cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1t garam masala
4t lemon
1 green chile finely chopped (optional)
1/4t cayenne (or to taste)
1t ginger paste
3/4t salt
1/4t sugar
8oz milk or half and half
4oz butter (unsalted)

Directions

In a large bowl mix tomato paste with water. Add lemon, cumin, garam masala, ginger, salt, sugar, chile, milk, and cayenne. Mix well.

Melt half the butter in a wok over moderate heat. When hot add the panner and gently fry until cubes are golden. Add tomato mixture and peas. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining butter. Serve with Basmati Rice and other indian sides.

Kitchen notes

Ground roasted cumin is very easy to make. Set a skillet over high heat and when hot add seeds. Toast for about a minute or until fragrant. Grind with mortar and pestle. In a pinch I have added ground cumin to the wok first and let it roast for a minute, then added the tomato mixture, sauteing the paneer in a separate skillet.

My husband can't tolerate the spice, so I usually skip the chile and stick with just the cayenne. I add another 1/8t cayenne to my own serving.

Roasted Potato Salad

Time it will take
15 minutes hands on, 1 hour 15 minutes total


Ingredients

1.5 lbs new potatoes, quartered

2T olive oil (or a little more if needed)

1T dried rosemary (I do fine with 2 sprigs fresh)

8 cloves garlic minced

2t salt

1t pepper

1/2 c mayonnaise

3T fresh parsley, minced (optional, I don't always have it on hand and never miss it )

1 lemon

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 450

2.Toss potatoes, 2/3 of the garlic, salt, pepper, and oil until everything is well distributed. Spread potatoes in single layer, skin sides down in a large gratin dish.

3.Cook potatoes for about 45 minutes or until potatoes start to brown. During roasting SHAKE pan after the first 20 minutes, again after 15 more minutes.

4.Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

5.Carefully remove the potatoes from the gratin dish and place in large bowl. Stir together remaining garlic, parsley, mayo, and the strained juice from the lemon. Toss gently with potatoes. Best served warm.

Lentil Soup

This classic soup is simple to prepare and very nutritious. Serve with greens and Parmesan Biscuits or, as shown here, with roasted balsamic potatoes and zucchini fritatta.

Time it Will Take
15 minutes hands on, 50 minutes total

Ingredients

2T Olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 cup diced carrotts
1 large celery stalk chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
3/4 c lentils washed and drained
4c vegetable broth or chicken stock
salt to taste
pepper
Balsamic vinegar

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat and add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Stir and cook until soft. Add tomato, broth, and lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low/medium low and simmer 30 minutes or until lentils soft. Add more broth if needed. Puree 2/3 of the solids and return to pot. Add splash of Balsamic vinegar and salt to taste. For older babies (over 9 months) puree the baby portion until desired texture and skip the salt.

Leek And Potato Gratin

This is comfort food, plain and simple. It's great to make on days when you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen and can make something that just cooks in the oven while you do other things. There are a lot of variations of this classic, we like leek with cheddar best but any cheese will do, or none at all and add a little extra salt and another clove of garlic.

Time it Will Take

15 minutes hands on, 1 hour total

 Ingredients

1T Butter or Margarine
1 Clove Garlic
3lbs Russet or Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
2 leeks white part only rinsed well and chopped
4 cups milk
1 Bay Leaf (optional)
1T fresh rosemary or Thyme (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1c cheese (Cheddar, Gruyere, or 1/3c Parmesan)

Directions

Use some of the butter to grease the inside of a large baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large pot or dutch oven combine milk, herbs if using, potatoes, leeks, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes. Strain out potatoes but save the milk mixture.

Layer potatoes and cheese alternating until you run out of ingredients or the dish is 3/4 full, ending with a potatoe layer. Pour milk until it just covers the top layer of potatoes. Dot with remaining butter and bake until golden brown for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.