Mushrooms a la Grecque

Most people wouldn't think of cold mushrooms as something that would be appetizing.  I know that they kind of gave me a queezy feeling at first, but when done right, in a nice flavorful broth, they can be quite amazing.

Serve them by themselves, part of a vegetable platter, or even dare to heat them up and serve them with steak if you can't bare trying them cold.  Either way, they are tasty enough in whatever atmosphere you put them in.

Ingredients:

1 lb. portobello mushrooms (or any mushrooms for that matter)

Broth:

2-3 cups water
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
mushroom stems, optional
fresh green herbs, for garnish

You're basically going to create a really flavorful mushroom broth and pretty much simmer the mushrooms in that broth.  It's totally full of tons of umami and the stock can be strained and used for the base of soups, sauces, or whatever else you want - don't let it go to waste!

In a large saucepan, combine the water, lemon juice, green onions, celery, fennel, thyme, peppercorns, coriander, tomatoes, and mushrooms stems.  Heat under medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Slice up your mushrooms to bite size pieces (I made 1/2 inch slices on the portobellos and then cut those in half vertically - depending on the mushrooms you use, you can choose to slice them or not... just use your best judgement)

Add the mushrooms to the broth and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 10-15 minutes for the portobellos.  Again, depending on your type of mushroom you use, the cook time will vary.

Strain the broth and remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid for future use.  I know picking them out is kind of a pain, but you could always put the solid ingredients in a cheesecloth to make it easier.

Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Serve the mushrooms on a platter, or as a side dish for your proteins of choice.  Garnish with fresh herbs.

And voila, a tasty mushroom and a flavorful broth all in one.  Didn't think you'd get a two for one today, did ya?! 

Have a great rest of the week guys!

Joojeh Chicken w/ Grilled Vegetables & Rice

Middle Eastern cuisine and I don't really have a great relationship.  Not because I don't like or prefer it, but I just never am exposed to enough of it.  Sure, I've been to a couple Persian places around town, but I mean, I live in Kentucky.  There's not a huge Persian presence, and the restaurants that do offer this type of food, in my opinion, don't do it very well.  (Or in any special way to make me want to come back again and again).

Anyway, I stumbled upon a basic recipe for Joojeh Chicken - which is usually served in kabab form, but decided to forgo the sticks with this one and just use the marinade. 

The marinade seems simple, just a few staple ingredients (except the saffron, but it's worth the expense) - but they meld together to produce a complex and delicious flavor!

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts
Assorted Vegetables for grilling - we used tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, and zucchini
Cooked rice

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 onion, small diced
small pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon red chili flakes

In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, onion, saffron, chili powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. 

Add chicken breasts and marinate for at least 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and remove excess oil to prevent flare-ups.

Heat a grill to medium high heat.  Oil the grill grates or spray with pan-spray to prevent sticking and to get good marks.

Add chicken to grill and cook until white throughout.  You can also grill your desired vegetables at the same time.

Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes and slice.  Serve with grilled vegetables and rice.

Easy peasy, eh?! 

Well, I'm off to my volleyball tournament (last time playing with the team I've been playing with for the past 6 years!  Sad to say I'm leaving this team, but the new team I'll be playing on is just as fun!)  Wish us luck - trying for best of the worst (we're in the losers bracket, hehe!)  Have a great rest of the week, guys!

Roasted Chicken w/ Fettuccine

For those of you in the U.S., tomorrow is July 4th.  A day off from the monotonous work week and a day of remembering our Independence.  Cookouts will be in full force all over the country.  And of course, we cannot forget the fireworks! 

Andy and I don't really have concrete plans, we'll probably fly by the seat of our pants and do whatever comes our way.  Free concert and fireworks by the Waterfront?  Maybe.  Grill out at home?  Maybe.  Hang out with a bunch of friends?  Maybe.  Who knows... maybe none of those things will happen, but I'll be sure to give a report of what does the next time I post!

Roasted chicken is one of my guilty pleasures.  It takes at least an hour... more than that if you're willing to put your chicken through a brine - which is oh, so necessary, in my opinion.  The crisp, succulent skin, and the juicy meat is all it takes to put me in a blissful food mood. 

I had some heirloom tomatoes and mushrooms, so I just threw together a quick pasta to serve with the chicken.  It was quite tasty, and definitely hit the spot!

Ingredients:

Chicken Brine:
I always use this trusty quick brine from Michael Ruhlman

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs.)
salt and pepper, to taste
4 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2 oz. pieces

Pasta:

1/2 lb. fettuccine noodles
1 large heirloom tomato, cut into 8ths
1 cup mushrooms (I had creminis), sliced
1 small onion, julienned
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Madeira
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
butter, to finish
shredded parmesan, for garnish

If you don't want to brine your chicken, you can definitely skip that step, but I promise you it'll be so much more flavorful if you take the time to do it!

Preheat oven to 425 F.

After the chicken has been brined, pat it dry and carefully place butter underneath skin of chicken.  Season the skin with salt and pepper. 

Truss the chicken and place on a roasting rack, breast side up.  Place in oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until skin starts to become golden brown.  Turn oven temperature down to 375 F and carefully flip bird so that it is breast-side down.

Continue to cook until the chicken reaches 155-160 F.  Let rest for about 5-10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 and juices run clear.

Prepare the fettuccine according to package directions.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil under medium high heat in a large saute pan.  Add the onion and mushrooms and cook until both start to soften.  Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with the Madeira and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer until liquid is reduced by half.  Mount the sauce with a couple tablespoons of butter and season to taste. 

Toss the sauce in with the fettuccine and serve with roasted chicken.

Hope you guys have a great 4th of July!

Striped Bass w/ Cucumber-Jicama Slaw & Tomato-Peach Puree

Howdy guys! Happy Friday!

It's been a while, I know.  Life has been crazy!

My brother and sister-in-law are coming in to town from Florida tomorrow, so I've been busy preparing for their visit - and it'll be the first time I see their son, who's almost a year old!  So I'm pretty excited about meeting the little guy, too!

Anyway, I decided to make something quick (if you make the tomato-peach puree ahead of time, that is) and fresh for the hot weather we've been having.  This cucumber-jicama slaw can pretty much go on anything, but pairs perfectly with a light, moderately lean fish. 

Enjoy your weekend guys!

Ingredients:

2 6 oz. Striped Bass Filets
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Cucumber-Jicama Slaw:

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 jicama, peeled and julienned
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 tablespoon micro-basil, or basil chiffonade
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt, to taste

Tomato-Peach Puree:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, small dice
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. ripe peaches, washed and cut into 8ths
1 tomato, cut into 8ths
juice and zest from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon gochujang (korean hot chili) paste
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sorghum 
salt and pepper, to taste

To make the puree, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil under medium high heat.  Saute the onion and garlic until the onion starts to soften and the garlic is fragrant. 

Add peaches, tomato, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, chili paste, paprika, chicken stock, ketchup, and sorghum.

Simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the slaw, in a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, sesame seeds, chives, basil, and vinegar.  Whisk until combined. 

Place the julienned cucumber, jicama, and apple in another bowl.  Pour dressing over top and coat well.  Season with salt, to taste.  Reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Season the fish filets with salt and pepper, on both sides and dredge in flour.  Dust off any excess flour and add to pan.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.

To plate, place and circle of puree onto the plate.  Place slaw on top of puree and top the slaw with fish.  Garnish with a little micro-basil.

Simple and tasty!  I love the cold slaw paired with the fish.  It's definitely a bright summery dish that you can enjoy out on the patio or the porch!  Have a great weekend guys!

Filet w/ Turnips & Braised Kale

How is everyone's week going so far?!  It's been pretty crazy around these parts.  I'm in the process of transitioning between jobs... AGAIN. 


Working at Milkwood has proved to be a great learning experience, but the downside is that I've put in VERY long hours, and little time with my husband.  There's a lunch position (hello Monday-Friday work week!) opening up at the restaurant I used to work at, Jack Fry's, and I've gladly accepted that job.  Which totally means I'll be on the same schedule as Andy and be able to have somewhat of a life again, and not sacrificing on the quality of food that I prepare. 

It's been a whirl-wind, but I think it's all for the best.  Andy and I will just have to learn how to hang out with eachother on a regular basis again.  I'm sure we won't have any trouble with that =)

On my day off this week, I ended up making this for dinner and it was so so good.  Definitely a step up from your normal "steak and potatoes" type of dinner.

Ingredients:

2 6-8 oz. beef tenderloin filets
salt and pepper, to taste

Turnips:

1 large turnip, peeled and small dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup veal or chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Kale:

1 large bunch of kale, ribs removed (about 1/2 lb.)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 cup bulgur wheat, cooked
salt and pepper, to taste

The kale will take the longest, so you'll want to start with that first. 

In a medium stockpot, add the brown sugar and regular sugar.  Cook under medium low to medium heat until the sugar turns to an amber caramel.  Carefully deglaze the caramel with the vinegar and chicken stock.  Add red pepper flakes and bring mixture to a boil.

Add the kale and carrots to the pot.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes, then add bulgur wheat and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the turnips, melt the butter in a medium saute pan under medium high heat.  Add turnips and cook until edges start to caramelize.  Add stock and cook until almost evaporated and turnips are tender.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the filet, season both sides with salt and pepper.  Cook to desired temp (we grilled these babies to a perfect medium rare) and in desired manner. 

To put together, place a decent amount of the kale mixture and turnips in the center of the plate.  Top with the filet, and dig on in!

Definitely something that comes together fairly quickly and looks like you ordered it in a restaurant!  Have a great weekend, everybody!

Glazed Carrots

How was everyone's Memorial Day weekend?

We ended up having a pretty decent cookout - the forecast called for rain, but it stayed away and we enjoyed sunshine and great grilled food!  It was a nice way to kick off our grilling season.

I hardly ever put up any side dishes here on the blog so I thought I'd throw an easy one out there.  I know a lot of you may be growing carrots in your gardens this year, so this is a great side to use those babies up!

Ingredients:

1 bunch of carrots, sliced on the bias (about 2 cups)
1 cup veal or chicken stock
1-2 tablespoons sugar or honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons chopped chives

In a medium saute pan, melt the butter under medium high heat.  Add the carrots, stock (I used veal because we were serving these carrots with some grilled steak), and sugar/honey. 

Cook under medium heat until the stock is reduced and syrupy, stirring occasionally.  You basically just want a "glaze" of stock to be left.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with chopped chives or other fresh herbs.

And voila, a side dish that takes longer to prep than cook! 

What's your favorite way to prepare carrots?
 
Hope you guys have a great rest of the week!

Spinach Ravioli Stuffed w/ Crab & Ricotta

So I've been a little sparse in the posting lately.  Life has caught up with me and I just haven't had the time to sit down and blog. 

House hunting has become somewhat of a bust - between finding the right home and dealing with the bank... it just doesn't look like it'll be a possibility until the end of the year.  It bums out Andy more than it does me, but it's still a kick in the butt when we had our hopes so high up.

I hesitated to start the garden up this year because we thought we'd have bought a home by now, but it looks like I'll have time to plant one here after all.  I'm doing something different this year, too.  I'm trying the whole "urban gardening" method - growing everything in big planters on our back deck.  I've got one big pot for potatoes, and several medium-sized for bell peppers, tomatoes, and an array of herbs.  I'll keep you guys updated on how that all goes!

I had a bunch of spare time yesterday so I decided to take the time to roll out some fresh pasta.  Ravioli is one of the easiest things and the possibilities for stuffing are endless.  I had a ton left over and ended up freezing them - definitely will make for quick and easy meals later on!

Ingredients:

Spinach Pasta Dough:

3 eggs
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz. bread flour, plus more, if needed (you can use a combination or substitution of semolina, but I find it makes the dough harder to work with afterwards, and most people are more apt to have bread flour in their pantry than semolina)
4 oz. blanched spinach, pureed

Crab Filling:

4 oz. lump or claw crab meat
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
8 oz. ricotta
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste
 
Parmesan Cream Sauce:

5-6 sprigs thyme
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste

In the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, olive oil, salt, and pureed spinach.  Add about a third of the flour and mix until combined.  Switch to the dough hook attachment and continue adding flour until the dough is dry and cannot absorb any more flour (you may need more than the recipe says - I did).

Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can make your filling.  In a food processor, combine the crab meat, parsley, ricotta, and egg.  Mix until combined and season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

After the dough has rested, unwrap and cut into fourths.  Using one section at a time (make sure to cover the other sections so they don't dry out), roll out with a pasta machine or rolling pin (I keep it old school and do this).  You'll want the dough to be as thin as possible, but still pliable enough to work with.  Make sure to have some extra flour handy for dusting so the pasta doesn't stick to your machine or cutting board.

Using a round biscuit cutter (I used a 2" diameter round) or ravioli press, cut out an even amount of ravioli shapes. 

Pair up the rounds, one round will have filling (the bottom), one will be the topper.  Place about a tablespoon or so of filling on each bottom round (this will vary depending on the size of your ravioli) - you'll want a decent amount of space around the filling. 

Using a pastry brush, brush some warm water around the edges of the bottom round.  Place the top round on top of the filling, and sealing the edges.  Make sure to press around the filling so there are no air pockets.

Continue until all of the dough is used up.

Place ravioli on a baking sheet dusted with flour and place in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
You can also freeze the raviolis at this point for use later.

When you're ready to cook these guys, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the raviolis and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked.  Fresh pasta most always takes less time to cook than dried.  Drain and add into the sauce, or reserve and pour sauce over top.

To make the sauce, just add the olive oil to a medium saute pan under medium high heat.  Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so.  Add the cream to the pan and reduce until thickened.  Stir in the parmesan cheese until melted.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  You can add the raviolis to the sauce at this point or pour the sauce over top of the raviolis - whichever you prefer!

And voila - homemade pasta at it's finest.  Definitely easy and worth the little bit of extra effort!

Hope you guys have a great rest of the week!