Pumpkin Butter

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

I love how rustic this picture looks. Lighting is odd but it is intriguing for me for some reason.

Ingredients
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup apple juice (use the good stuff - Simply Apple)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.

2.Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

This is quite obviously the easiest thing ever to make. Sure, you could beef it up by roasting your own pumpkin, which I am up for trying when I have a bit more time. However, this was absolutely delicious and now I am lucky to have a big jar full of pumpkin butter that I can eat just like applesauce. The original recipe called for 1.5 cups of sugar but I didn't want to add that much. I think the sweetness level with 1 cup of sugar is just perfect.

I also added more apple juice than the recipe called for, maybe even more than the 1 cup that I listed...I just did it to taste - and speaking of, it is so important to use good apple juice. The Simply Apple is infinitely better than that super sugary cheap apple juice. It tastes more like apple cider with a developed richness that is so delicious. It's about $2 more - just get it.

I've now had this on crackers, toast, a cinnamon raising bagel, from a spoon...it is good in every way.

OH how I love the flavors of fall...

Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Sour Cream and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Warm Spinach, Pear and Bacon Salad

It's pretty easy to get Derek to agree to a recipe for dinner. All I have to do is make sure it comes from either: Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, or Tyler Florence. Therefore, when I came across a delicious Bobby Flay recipe during my search for pumpkin soup, I knew we had a winner.

This year's Halloween was a bust. We spent Saturday night in the hospital, leaving our costumes at home and forefitting the party that we had planned on attending. All was OK - thankfully - but the excitement that usually coincides with Halloween was non-existent. That's why on the actual date of Halloween, Sunday, I wanted to do something at least remotely Halloween-ish. That's how pumpkin soup came to mind.

I must say, though, when we started to make the soup, I quickly realized that the recipe seemed a bit off. It called for 7 cups of water or broth to 1.5 cups of pumpkin. That, in my opinion, would only make a version of pumpkin broth...not soup. Therefore, I had to take the recipe into my own hands to come up with a wonderful final product.

Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon Sour Cream and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds with Warm Spinach, Pear and Bacon Salad
a tweaked Bobby Flay recipe

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 stocks celery, coarsely chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
2 cans pumpkin puree (15 oz cans)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons chipotle puree
1/2 cup sour cream, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish: 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (roasted with salt and EVOO - 375 for 12 minutes)

Heat the butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until soft. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Strain the stock into a clean medium saucepan and whisk in the pumpkin puree until smooth. Bring to a simmer and add the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, spices, honey and chipotle. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/4 cup of the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix together the remaining sour cream and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until combined. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cinnamon sour cream and a handful of pumpkin seeds.

I'm so glad that I have a sense of basic cooking - enough to realize that the original recipe was completely flawed. If I had simply followed that, the soup would not have been nearly as good as it was. I added more chipotle than it called for...and obviously more pumpkin. I think that the broth making process was unnecessay since I used vegetable broth to essentially make vegetable broth. I think the first step is in there if you begin with water only. Still, the broth was tasty.

I don't think I would add the sour cream to the soup next time. It didn't seem necessary and it actually didn't mix in with the soup when it was added (and yes, it was added off of the flame). We had to use a hand mixer to try to blend out the tiny white specks.

The flavor was really nice though, it was a little spicy, a little sweet - and perfectly comforting for a nice, calm, Halloween night.

Warm Spinach, Pear and Bacon Salad:
3 slices bacon, medium dice
1 small shallot, minced
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1 Bosc pear, halved, cored and thinly sliced

Saute bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Pour all but 1 teaspoon of the drippings out. Add shallots and cook until soft. Add vinegar, mustard and thyme; whisk to blend. Add oil and whisk to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a separate bowl. In the same pan, add the spinach, pears, and bacon. Saute over low heat for about a minute. Add back enough dressing to coat.

The original recipe for this called for pouring the hot dressing over the salad - we chose to just add the salad to the pan and then toss with the dressing. The reason for this? We had recently had a warm spinach salad with feta that was so delicious, we wanted to make sure the spinach wilted slightly. We also substituted bacon for pancetta as the original recipe has called for - I think both options would work just fine.

The salad was a big success - we both agreed. The serving sizes that I provided were good for serving two people...and I could have had even more - it was that tasty. The dressing really made it.

And for the accompanying beverage. We were recommended this beer while we were at Whole Foods. The fact that this was aged in a bourbon barrel really sounded interesting - and at the high price point of around $16, we suspected it was probably good - especially after the rave review that the store employee gave it.

Allagash Curieux

Here's what the brewery had to say about it:
In October of 2004, we released the first beer in our series of Barrel Aged beers, Allagash Curieux. To make the Curieux (French for "curious"), we age our Tripel Ale in Jim Beam barrels for 8 weeks in our cellar. During the aging process in bourbon barrels, the beer is totally transformed, and many new flavors and aromas develop. Most notably, the beer picks up soft coconut and vanilla characteristics...and also a hint of bourbon flavor!

This was a PERFECT pairing with the slightly smokey (from chipotle/adobo) pumpkin soup. It was really unique and a must-try for any bourbon lover. I, myself, am NOT a bourbon lover, however, I found the beer to be very nicely balanced and a surprisingly good food beer - or even good enough to stand alone. At $16 a bottle it probably will not become a regular in my refrigerator but when the mood strikes, I'd be very open to buying it again!

Asian Slaw with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms

Thursday's dinner had been already set. Derek wanted steak - I said "OK". However, when Thursday came around, I could only think of tofu. I had ordered a salad with grilled tofu from Pacific Catch the night before and enjoyed it so much that I had to have something similar again the next night. Perhaps it's sort of like how when I like a song, I keep playing it over-and-over-and-over again. The goal is not to get sick of the song - or the meal - but if it is something that is on my mind, why put a limit on my exposure?

Needless to say - I no longer wanted steak and let Derek know that he was on his own, knowing that the idea of tofu wouldn't excite him like it was exciting me. I picked out a recipe from Eatingwell.com that immediately stood out to me. I later realized that the recipe was quite similar to what I had eaten the night before - an Asian inspired tofu salad. Perfect.

Asian Slaw with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
12 ounces firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups lightly packed shredded napa cabbage, (see Ingredient note)
2 cups lightly packed shredded bok choy, (see Ingredient note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions
1.Whisk soy sauce, lemon juice, chili-garlic sauce and garlic in a medium bowl. Gently stir in tofu. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.Place cabbage and bok choy in a large serving bowl. Top with grated carrot.
3.Drain the tofu, reserving the marinade. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sesame oil; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the tofu; cook, stirring often, until the tofu is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Spoon the tofu mixture over cabbage. Add the reserved marinade to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour the hot marinade over the salad and toss gently to coat.
5. Sprinkle with peanuts and green onion. Serve immediately.

The addition of the carrot, peanuts and green onion was my only change to the original recipe. I thought the peanuts would add a nice additional meatiness and that the flavor would go superbly with the sesame-based dressing.

I ended up making a full recipe since I had so much bok choy, cabbage, and tofu. I knew this would be a delicious lunch (eaten the very next day, tofu overload perhaps). For reasonable serving sizes - meal sizes - I think you could get about three out of the recipe. For me, however, you can see that I mounded a bunch on a plate and probably had a bit more than necessary - it was just so good! Derek thinks tofu is tasteless. OK, maybe I'll give him that - but for some reason, I love it. The texture, the slight flavoring, the ability to take on other flavors...it works for me.

I'm not saying that a tofu meal is better than a good steak. That would be ridiculous. However, when the mood strikes, tofu can be an incredibly satisfying and delicious dish - at least according to my tastebuds.

Coconut Curry Halibut

A while back I received a recipe from my parents with a nice spice packet attached. The instructions said that I had been provided all of the spices that were required in the recipe, already carefully measured. All that I had to do was add the rest of the ingredients and follow the instructions. The recipe was for a Basil Chicken in a Coconut Curry Sauce. My first gripe about the original recipe (actually my only gripe) is the name. The chicken is actually the curry part...it is not a basil chicken...the sauce is coconut basil, if you will. So a more proper name would be Curry Chicken in a Coconut Basil Sauce...but that's just me being picky.

For about six months I held onto the recipe, still with the spices stapled to the front - saying to myself from time to time, "I need to make that recipe..." When I realized that I had leftover coconut milk in the refrigerator and a fresh bunch of basil, it dawned on me that this was the perfect opportunity to use this recipe.

Not being a big fan of dark meat, though chicken thighs are growing on me a little bit - not in a literal sense...- I was going to buy a chicken breast for myself and some thighs for Derek. But then I got to thinking - how boring, I would prefer fish. So I changed up the whole direction of the dish and bought two filets of halibut, actually one slab that I cut into two, and continued on with the basic recipe that my mom had provided me with.

Coconut Curry Halibut
formerly known as Basil Chicken in a Coconut Curry Sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric

2 filets of halibut (about 6 oz filets)
salt and pepper
1/2 large red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, and tumeric. Set aside.

Lightly pre-season halibut filets with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mix over all sides of the fish. Coat well and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature.
In a large skillet heat oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn startch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the worcestershire sauce, basil and ginger. Add the halibut filets. Cover the pan to let the fish cook, keeping the steam in the pan. Cook for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Serve over rice (brown basamati in our case).

I received good marks on this recipe from my single critic, Derek. He said he would just make more sauce, and I would agree. It cooked down a little bit since I cooked the fish in the sauce. I guess that's a good thing if you request more of something. I feel like I would have made my parents half-proud with this recipe since I didn't quite follow their recommendation. But perhaps that's just because of the way I am - I always like to take something and make it my own - this was no exception!

Spicy Pan Seared Scallops with Cilantro Chimmichuri and Baingan Bharta

I am so happy Derek got his allergy test last year and found out that he ws not, in fact, allergic to scallops, one of my all-time favorite foods. I would have to always get my scallop fix at the restaurant, where I end up paying $20-30+ for a dish and run the risk of the scallops being - (gasp) - overcooked. Now I can make a dish that is equally as delicious, for at least half the price - and can enjoy a good bottle of wine on the side, saving big $$$ there as well.

Not only does Derek now eat scallops - he willingly chooses them as the protein for his cooking. Tonight's primary recipe has 0 influence from me. I simply made the side dish to accompany it.

Spicy Pan Seared Scallops

Ingredients

1/2 lb fresh sea scallops
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic paste
Salt to taste
3 tbsp vegetable oil

For Cilantro Chimmichuri
1 bunch chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 green chili
2 tbsp chopped red onions
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Method
Prepare the chimmichuri first. In a food processor, place all the ingredients for the chimmichuri except for the oil and salt, and process till finely chopped. Add the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and keep covered in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, make criss-cross slits on top of the scallops. In a bowl, mix the spices, the garlic paste and salt. Roll the scallops in the spices to coat well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Heat a non-stick pan until very hot and pour the oil. When the oil gets really hot and begins to smoke, place the scallops in the pan flat side down.

Cook for 2 minutes per side, flipping once. Do not overcook the scallops, they will get rubbery. Remove the scallops from the pan, and save the left-over oil in the pan, this oil will be red in color from all the spices on the scallops.

To serve, spoon the chimmichuri in a plate, and place the scallops in the middle. Drizzle some spicy oil over the scallops.

Serve hot.


The scallops had the perfect level of spice to them. Derek thought that they could have used a little more, but he's also the one that loves to throw tabasco on everything. To me, scallops are so delicate in flavor that a little bit of spice or blod flavoring goes a long way. I equate scallops to a tender filet mignon, best dressed in salt and pepper so the true flavor of the meat can shine through.

I may have gone against my philosophy, however, when it came to the chimichurri sauce. If I had been in line with my - less is more - concept, I would have not have devoured as much of the delicious sauce as I did. It was delicious. I am a sucker for fresh herbs - especially cilantro, so it was an incredible addition to the meal.

I wanted to used eggplant in some form as the side dish to the meal. I thought that given the spiciness with the cayenne and the freshness with the cilantro and mint, an Indian-inspired side dish would go quite nicely. I decided it was time to try out an Indian classic - Baingan Bharta.

I only had one chinese eggplant so I had to make sure a little would go a long way. When I came across the following recipe, I thought it sounded authentic and substantive enough with the inclusion of tomatoes and pepper. Given that I only had one "small" eggplant - as in, not the large globe eggplant that the recipe likely called for - I did a half recipe.

Baingan Bharta

Ingredients:

1 eggplant (should be big and fat)
2 medium size tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/4 inch piece of ginger
3 tablespoons oil
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Method:

1. Cook the whole eggplant (put it on a microwave safe dish) in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes until it is tender. If you are using an oven, preheat the oven at 400 degrees F and bake it for about 45 minutes turning the sides every fifteen minutes. Be sure to first put the eggplant in an oven safe shallow bowl or a cookie sheet.

2. Let it cool and peel off the skin then chop the eggplant in small pieces and keep aside.

3. Blend the tomatoes, ginger and green chili.

4. Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high and stir fry the bell pepper for about a minute. Take out the bell pepper from pan and keep aside.

5. Use the same saucepan with remaining oil heat the oil little more. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away it is ready. Add asafetida and cumin seed.

6. After cumin seeds crack, add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili, and salt and let it cook for a few minutes until tomato puree has started leaving the oil.

7. Add eggplant let it cook on medium heat keep stirring the eggplant and mashing the eggplant as it cooks.

8. Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.

9. Add bell pepper, fresh cilantro, and garam masala to the eggplant and mix it gently.

I felt quite good when Derek said that the is something like they would serve at Kasa - the local Chipotle-esque Indian restaurant that, thankfully, serves some pretty good food! I didn't stray from the original recipe since it is Indian and I am still not 100% comfortable with playing around with the spices. Luckily, I was very pleased with this recipe and would use it again.

I am sure there was wine with the meal, though I cannot remember precisely which one we selected. In my opinion, it would pair well with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a slightly richer Viogner.

Oh...and the other exciting component to this meal...I finally got a roti to puff up!!

Success!!

Leftover Rotisserie Chicken and Dumplings

This is comfort in a bowl. When I look back at my childhood, this dish stands out in my mind as being one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. My Mom insists that chicken and dumplings must be made with her mom's - my grandma's - dumpling recipe. Though there have only been a couple times in my life when I have had chicken and dumplings that made from a different recipe (and clearly not in my parent's home) - I would have to agree. There's something so wonderful about the light and fluffy dumplings that I grew up with - other recipes can't hold a candle to the delicious result of the recipe I'll be sharing today. Whatever you do please, please, please NEVER use refrigerated biscuit dough for the "dumplings" in chicken in dumplings. I have had this one time in college - a poor version of the dish made with chicken broth, pre-cooked chicken and...maybe...just maybe some vegetables, I cannot remember if those were included or not. Though that thrown together soup was palatable, the heavy balls of dough were not - and seemed to further expand in my stomach post-consumption. Therefore, make your own dumplings - they are just as easy to make as opening one of those pressurized dough rolls...perhaps even easier since those don't always open - you slowly peel the seal on the container, anxiously anticipating the "POP" that happens to open the roll...only to get frustrated when you reach the bottom of the package having heard no pop - resorting to slamming the package on the counter to get it open. That's my experience at least.

I'll start with the recipe that my Mom sent to be for a true Chicken and Dumplings - made with an uncooked chicken. My version was a shortcut since I had leftover rotisserie chicken from a few nights back.

Nell's Chicken and Dumplings

1 (5-pound) stewing chicken, cut into service pieces
4 cups water
3 stalks celery with leaves, cleaned and cut into 1" chunks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup coasrsely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
Biscuit Dumplings (recipe to follow)
2 teaspoons minced parsley

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large Dutch oven with close-fitting cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Skim fat from broth. Remove chicken pieces and keep warm. Strain broth, measure, and add enough water to make 3 cups liquid. In covered jar shake flour and 1/2 cup milk together until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Return broth to Dutch oven and bring to boil. Stir in flour-milk mixture and cook until thickened slightly, stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. return chicken pieces to gravy and cover. Prepare dumplings. Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoonfuls into gently bubbling gravy. Cover pan at once and cook 15 minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

Grandma Carstens' Dumplings:

Mix:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp baking powder

Cut it:
3 TBS shortening

Mix:
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs

Add to other mixture.

Drop into chicken soup/gravy mixture in tablespoon-fuls. Cook for 15 minutes. Don't take cover off pan while cooking.


Now I must say that I did a slight modification of the dumplings that I will likely not do again, at least not with additional tweaking. I used half wheat flour, half all-purpose. The flavor was still great as I love wheat flour. However, the fluffiness was compromised just a little bit. To me, fluffiness > "healthy" wheat.

I also did a half recipe, PLENTY for two people.


And now for my modified Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Soup for the Chicken and Dumplings

I'm writing this as a full recipe, though I technically only did half since I just had a half chicken left.

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed, coarsely shredded and set aside
5 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 stalks celery with leaves, cleaned and cut into 1" chunks
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup flour
1 cup milk
Biscuit Dumplings

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large Dutch oven with close-fitting cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chicken is very tender. Skim fat from broth. Remove chicken carcass, thyme, bay leaf, and celery leaves. Mix flour and 1/2 cup milk together until smooth. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk. Return broth to Dutch oven and bring to boil. Stir in flour-milk mixture and cook until thickened slightly, stirring constantly. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved chicken and cook for about 10 minutes more. Prepare dumplings. Drop dumpling mixture by tablespoonfuls into gently bubbling gravy. Cover pan at once and cook 15 minutes.


Like is said, comfort in a bowl. Honestly. Simple ingredients but it is so good. It's a one dish meal - complete with protein, vegetables, and a starch. I think I did my Grandma proud.

Steamed Butterfish with Thai Gremolata and Coconut Curry Braised Kale

My trip to the Farmer’s Market this past Sunday was a very rapid shop-and-go. It was raining…and cold…and I wanted to be home and cozy and be lazy all day watching football and movies. Therefore, I picked up the first fish that appealed to me and made a single loop around the vendors and headed home. My catch? Butterfish.

The culinary description for butterfish is: “Butterfish have an excellent flavor. Due to the high-fat content, the meat is dark, but turns white upon cooking”

I have also read that the key to cooking butterfish is to not overcook it. I’d say that applies with any fish – the different between a perfectly cooked, maybe even slightly undercooked and an overcooked fish is day and night. That’s why I like getting my fish fresh and use it within a few days so that I feel a bit more on the safe side cooking the fish a little bit more on the medium/medium rare/rare scale rather than tipping over to anything with the word “well.”

I feel lucky being in such a culinary/fresh produce/meat/fish area where I have access to such a wide variety of products – right at my fingertips. This was really brought to light while talking to my parents who had A) never heard of butter fish and B) likely have no access to butterfish, and if they do, it is very unlikely that it is fresh. Welcome to the country in South Carolina I guess. At least you can buy Everclear there and make homemade limoncello without having to smuggle it illegally on a plane into San Francisco…they’ve got that over San Francisco.

For this dinner – because I chose the fish, I also chose the recipe. The task of cooking was shared.

Steamed Butterfish with Thai Gremolata

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 butterfish filets (approx. 6-8 oz. per filet)
• 2 banana leaves (we didn’t have any so we used dried corn husks instead, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes)
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. kaffir lime leaves

Thai Gremolata:

• 2 green onions, sliced (including the green stem)
• 1 serrano chili, seeded and chopped (use more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (we have a jar of chopped kaffir lime leaves that we keep in the refrigerator)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
• 1/2 loosely-packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Place butterfish filets in individual banana leafs (or corn husk…or tinfoil)
2. Sqeeze lemon juice over the fish, then sprinkle with salt. Top with kaffir lime leaves.
3. Wrap/fold the banana leaf so that the fish is encompassed within the packet.
4. Place the wrapped fish directly in a bamboo steamer, seam-side up. Cover steamer with lid and steam on high heat for 8-10 minutes (depending on thickness of the filet).
5. While fish is cooking, make the sauce by placing all sauce ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.
6. Pour the sauce into a sauce pan and gently heat up. You needn't boil the sauce, just warm it through.
7. To serve, remove filet from banana leaf and place on a plate (for presentation, you could keep it in the banana leaf – depending what kind of look you are going for). Top with a few tablespoons of the thai gremolata.

We served the fish with some Coconut Curry Braised Kale and brown rice, spiked with a little coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 pound kale, ribs removed
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid such as a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder, about 1 minute. Add half of greens and stir until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens, broth, coconut milk, and ¼ teaspoon salt; quickly cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
2. Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated (bottom of pot will be almost dry and greens will begin to sizzle), 8 to 12 minutes. Remove pot from heat; stir in lemon or lime juice and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Though I was really excited about the coconut curry braised kale, I wasn’t as impressed with the results. I think it would be best with a super coconutty flavor – so maybe a full can of coconut milk rather than the half coconut milk/half vegetable broth. Of course, that would up the fat content but from a pure taste perspective, I think that could be a good way to go. The recipe recommends sprinkling the kale with some toasted nuts (I was thinking macadamia nuts) and I do think this would be a nice addition – adding a touch more richness and a crunch. I must say, Derek thought the kale needed some acid so he put in a bit of apple cider vinegar – and though he maintains that he only put a little bit in, I think that is the culprit in the recipe as I had tasted it beforehand…and was OK with the result (but agreed it needed something) and was not a fan afterward – that could just be in my head though.

As for the butterfish…well I absolutely love butterfish. Some stores sell it as black cod and I’m not convinced that they are actually the same fish (they may be) but they are certainly very similar with the delicate flakey layers – more akin to a salmon layer than a tilapia flake – with easily defined pieces that just seem to fall off the fish. Ohh sooo good. I loved steaming the fish as it took in some flavor from the actual fish preparation but then with the gremolata – the flavor was explosive. I would use the gremolata recipe with other applications – other fish – thai beef – calamari salad…it was really versatile and fresh.

No wine – though it was wanted, this was a Monday night meal but I am thinking a dry Riseling would be a nice pairing – feel free to try it!

Seasonal Vegetable Soup

As mentioned in a previous post, for some reason we receive our vegetable/fruit shipment two weeks in a row. Therefore, we have an overabundance of vegetables - not a terrible problem to have. It is only bad when the vegetables start to go bad before you are able to use them so Derek and I thought we would make a concerted effort to prevent that from happening. Our strategy: soup. Soup is winter's version of a salad - a medium for throwing nearly any appealing ingredient in and so long as there is a decent base, it will work out.

Luckily our base for this was better than decent. Because I was too "lazy" to walk to the store just to get vegetable broth, Derek came up with the idea of simply making our own broth. While I have no idea what measurements he used, I can give a general idea of what went into making a very, very good vegetable broth.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

Water (enough to fill up a 5 qt pot about 2/3 full)
Leeks
Celery
Radishes
Carrot
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Onion
Garlic
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Mix all ingredients in a big pot and heat over medium heat. Let cook for about 30-40 minutes or so to incorporate all of the flavors. Once it is to your liking, strain the vegetables and (gasp!) discard, leaving a smooth liquid base. (Of course, me being me, I had to snack on some of the cooked vegetables since I could not possibly let them go to waste!! The radish and leek were my favorite!)

Soup Ingredients:

2-3 quarts vegetable broth
1.5 cups green Beans, cut into 3/4 in pieces
1.5 cups potatoes, cut into 1/2 in cubes (we used fingerlings)
1 bunch swiss chard, rib removed, roughly chopped
3 carrots, cut into 1/3 in. slices and halved
2 leeks, white parts sliced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
parmesan cheese
fresh black pepper

Saute the green beans, carrots and leeks in a pan over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add to a pot of vegetable broth along with the potatoes. After about 20 minutes, add the swiss chard and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for about 5 more minutes. Season to taste. Top with parmesan cheese (freshly grated) and black pepper.

Ok so this is nothing special - doesn't look incredibly appealing by looking at it but it was really the broth that made this. Specifically the inclusion of the shiitake mushrooms to really round it out. I recommend making your own broth when you have a bunch of vegetables that you want to use. There doesn't need to be a recipe - just throw in what you've got - same with the vegetables for the soup. If you wanted more substance (though there was plenty with all of the potatoes) you can add some chickpeas or other type of bean. A small pasta also would work.

As we approach fall - I am sure there will be many more "throw everything in the pot" soups coming out of our kitchen. I'm especially excited for this once we start using that wonderful winter squash....bring on the butternut squash!!!

Crispy Sole with Collard Greens and "Corn Pudding"

Somehow we ended up receiving our fruit and vegetable shipment two weeks in a row. Given that the shipments reflect what is in season, they were nearly identical, leaving us with four bunches of various leafy greens (collard greens, kale, swiss chard, mystery green). This meal was our attempt at using the collard greens. When I think collard greens, I think Southern. And when I think Southern, typically "healthy" is not an adjective that is associated with the theme. However, given that Derek and I are ultimately the chefs and in charge of the preparation of our cuisine, we made sure that we did a healthier take on a typical Southern-style dish. Here's how each dish was modified from a not-so-waist-friendly original:

Crispy Sole: Deep fried --> lightly pan-fried
Collard Greens: Cooked to death --> freshness preserved
Corn Pudding: butter/cream/eggs --> light butter/oil and shredded fresh corn

The adjustments were natual and the output was, in my opinion, significantly better than any of that southern food that leaves you feeling ill. While not incredible light - this turned out to be a balanced meal that didn't put us immediately to sleep!

The recipes:

Crispy Sole:

INGREDIENTS:
2 filets of patrole sole (a flat bottom feeding fish like flounder or substitute flounder or any white mild fish) - about 6 oz. portions

1 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne
1/4 cup flour

1 egg (whisked)

2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon oil

Panko breadcrumbs (enough to cover both fish) mixed with a tablespoon or so of Masa harina for corn flavor

Mix together the Emeril's Essence, cayenne, and flour. Dredge the filets in the flour mixture and excess.

Dip filets in eggwash. Be sure it hasn't clumped on any particular part of the fish.

Mix together panko breadcrums and masa harina. Dredge fish in crumb mixture (after the flour and then egg layers).

Heat butter and oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, pan-fry the filets 3-4 minutes on each side on medium-high heat.

DONT OVERCOOK


Corn Pudding:

INGREDIENTS:
3 large ears of corn, shucked
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded/cored and minced (we kept a few seeds since the pepper was more mild then normal)
1.5 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1.5 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt
Cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350° and place a 9- or 10-inch cast-iron skillet in it to heat. Using a box grater, coarsely grate the corn into a bowl, reserving all of the solids and juices. Add the oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. Mix the corn and juices and jalapeno together and spread in the skillet and bake for 45 minutes, until browned and crusty on the bottom. Scrape the corn into a saucepan and stir in the butter and lime juice. Season with salt and cayenne; keep warm.

Collard Greens:

INGREDIENTS:
2 slices of uncured bacon, diced,
1 small shallot, minced
1 pinch of red chili flakes
1/2 pound young, tender collard greens, stems discarded and leaves cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1/2 lime
Salt

Heat a saute pan and add the bacon. Cook until rendered (fat has been extracted, bacon is cooked and lightly crisp). Remove the bacon pieces, leaving about 1 T. of bacon fat and removing the rest.

In the same pan over medium heat, add the shallot and chili pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the shallot is translucent. Add the collard greens and mix well. Cook for about 5 more minutes or until the collard greens have reached your desired texture (this recipe doesn't "kill" the greens so the cooking time is shorter).

Season the greens with salt and squeeze lime juice on top - mix to incorporate.

The corn pudding was by far my favorite component of this meal. It was so fresh and naturally sweet with a nice hint of heat thanks to the jalapeno. The fish also came out really well - I love the added texture that panko and masa gives to a traditional breadcrumb crust. It crisps up so well and was a perfect light coating to the delicate and juicy fish.

The greens probably would not be a fan favorite for those who are used to over-cooked, buttery greens, however - I appreciate the simple sauteed preparation that nicely wilted the greens while maintaining their basic flavor and texture.

A bottle of Chardonnay went quite well with this one.

Chimichurri Skirt Steak with Roasted Vegetable Tamales and Pico de Gallo

Here is a preview of the delicious dinner that Derek made and has yet to provide any sort of recipe that will outline how it was made.

Chimichurri seems to be a common meal component on our table lately, showing up about three times within the past month. It is a great way to use up fresh herbs and adds a refreshing yet subtle richness to the dish that it accompanies. In this case, it was to enhance a marinated steak to bring a bright note to an otherwise "heavy" meat.

The steak itself was a simple skirt steak. When you buy a skirt steak - think PREPARE AHEAD OF TIME. These bad boys do so much better when they are marinated since by nature, they are a tougher cut of meat. The marinade serves to break down some of the tough fibers and to infuse flavor. Oil and acid are typical components of a good steak marinade - and I believe this case was no exception to that.

The chimichurri was made with cilantro and mint as the primary herb flavors.

One of the real stars of the dish was the tamale. We had some corn husks sitting in our pantry for quite sometime. The original purpose was to make tamales - which is a common use for the corn husks anyhow - so I was excited when the dish actually came to fruition. Tamales, though delicious, are not the healthiest dishes on earth but Derek made an effort to cut down on the amount of lard - yes, real lard, appetizing... - to minimize the waistline expansion. For the filling, he roasted some finely diced zucchini, pepper, and onion and then used them as a stuffing for the tamale. The tamale itself is a masa dough mixutre made with lard. The dough and vegetables are wrapped up in the pre-soaked corn husk and steamed until cooked through.

To accompany the tamale, Derek made a fresh pico de gallo - diced tomatoes, lime, cilantro, salt, red onion, EVOO - that went perfectly adding a pop of juiciness and freshness.

The overall meal was impressive. Though I found the steak to be a little bit oily/greasy - it had a ton of flavor and was tender. If you get that with a skirt steak, you know you have done a good job. I served my steak over a small bed of spinach to make a quasi-steak salad, my preferred way of eating sliced steak - so that would be a highly recommend way of putting the dish together. The chimmichurri acts as a sort of dressing in this instance. It reminds me of one of the dishes that my Dad would make when I was younger - a Tuscan Steak Salad. In this case, the Italian ingredients are substituted with Southwestern flavor.

If I get the recipe - I will post it, until then, the pictures will have to tell the story.

Herb-Seared Tuna with Caponata and Warm Lemon Creme Fraiche

Yes, we overcooked the tuna. This was upsetting for two reasons:

1) We had at first cooked the piece of meat "perfectly" with a nice red center, clearly just a seared piece of tuna should be. However because I mentioned that it looked "raw" (duh!) Derek stuck it back on the grill to let it cook just a bit more. A few minutes and a few distractions later - the tuna was no longer "perfect"

2) Upon removing the tuna from the grill for the second time, Derek proceeded to make connection between the hot spatula and my wrist, creating a nice "sizzle" to my skin and a painful evening.

Flavors were still great and the base of the recipe, the eggplant caponata, was certainly not messed up - it was awesome!

I used a Tyler Florence recipe that said it served 2. In this case, I'd say that was a bit off as I made a half recipe of the caponata and found that to be PLENTY for Derek and I.

Herb-Seared Tuna with Caponata and Warm Lemon Creme Fraiche
modified from the original recipe HERE - to actually serve 2

Ingredients

Caponata:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Italian eggplant (white)
1 tomato, halved and seeds squeezed out, coarsely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tablespoons capers, drained
1/8 cup raisins
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch sugar
1/3 bunch fresh basil, hand-torn
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon Creme Fraiche:
1 cups chicken stock
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
1/8 cup creme fraiche (I made homemade creme fraiche by adding some lemon juice to heavy cream and letting it sit overnight and throughout the next day)

Herb Seared Tuna:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sushi-quality tuna loin (we used about 3/4 lb)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, thyme, parsley)

Directions

To make the caponata: Pour the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies (or anchovy paste) and red pepper flakes and cook and stir for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Fry the eggplant in the anchovy oil, until it gets brown and sticky, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, onion, and garlic, continue to cook until the vegetables break down and soften, about 15 minutes. Toss in the capers, raisins, olives, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and basil; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and slowly simmer until thick, about 20 to 30 minutes. The caponata tastes great hot, cold or at room temperature.


To make the lemon creme fraiche: Put the chicken stock, garlic, and lemon zest in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Simmer gently until the stock is reduced by half and thickened slightly. Take the pot off the heat, fish out the garlic, and add the creme fraiche. Just before you are ready to plate the dish, buzz the sauce with a handheld blender until it's thick and frothy. (This didn't work out so well for us...I think we overblended it and didn't use the right kind of bowl from the beginning)


To make the tuna: Rub a little olive oil on the piece of tuna. and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Put the chopped herbs in a flat dish and roll in the herbs to coat. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil gets hazy, lay the herb-coated tuna in the hot pan and sear for approximately 1 1/2 minutes on each side; as the tuna cooks, the red meat will become whiter. Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and slice.


To serve: Spoon the caponata on the bottom of 2 plates, lay the herb-seared tuna slices around the center, and drizzle the whole thing with the frothy lemon creme fraiche sauce.

Again - looking at the picture, it can easily be critiqued what was not "perfect" - the doneness of the meat (overdone) and the non-existent "foam" - STILL flavors were great and I really enjoyed this meal. The overcooked tuna was still extremely tasty and that's a very easy fix for next time we make this dish - or any tuna dish. If you have fresh fish (which we did - another Farmer's Market pick) then less is more when it comes to cook time.

The lemon creme fraiche had a nice flavor but it was probably not completely necessary. It did add to the dish but I wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there. For the effort it takes to make it, I'd suggest skipping it.

The caponata, however, is a must. The sweet, salty, savory, spicy mix is so nice. Derek doesn't like raisins in cooking but he even added that the slight sweetness to the dish in contrast with all of the other elements was really nice. I would love this on a piece of crostini or with some burratta as an appetizer. It's very verstile and given that it can be served cold, I'd assume you can make a decent sized batch and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days of enjoyment!

Surf and Turf with Roasted Beets and Potato Puree

It was decided that Derek and I were going to have a "date night" though I'm not sure what that means anymore given that we spend all of our time together anyhow. We cook together, go out to eat together...so I guess what date night means now is that Derek pays. Therefore, I'm a fan of date nights.

Rather than going out to dinner - we decided to stay in and cook a good meal - open a good bottle of wine - and then head to the movies. To be even more unoriginal, we decided on surf and turf. Cliche and simple I guess but who says it always has to be difficult! To put a slight creative spin on the dish, we were inspired by a food presentation book that my Dad had bought for me, and decided to make the plate look unique.

I let Derek do ALL of the cooking AND the presentation...

This is probably not recipe worthy but I'll write down what each of the elements were how they were prepared:

- Grass-fed Ribeye Steak: Marinate in oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Grill until medium rare. Let sit for half of grilling time. Cut on a diagonal (against the grain).

- Scallops: Rinse and pat dry. Remove the "tab" on the side. Season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the scallops. I like them still rare inside.

- Potato Puree: Using a good amount of butter and oil, saute shallots and garlic over medium low heat to get a good caramelization on the shallots and so the garlic doesn't burn. Meanwhile, peel and cube a potato and boil in salted water until it can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain. Add potatoes to shallot mixture. Using a hand mixer, puree until smooth. If needed, put the mixture through a strainer (you shouldn't need to though). Add a bit of milk or chicken broth if needed to reach desired consistence. Top with minced chives.

- Roasted Beets: Roast whole beets in over until easily pierced with a fork (about 45-60 minutes). Let cool and remove skin. Cut into uniform cubes. Drizzle with quality oil. Season with salt.

Derek popped open a Merlot that he had tasted and purchased back in South Carolina. It was an awesome Washington State wine that was only around $20!! I was surprised, it was awesome...I'll need to get the name of it. Everything was cooked perfectly. I'm a lucky one. We finished the evening with a viewing of The Social Network (good) and another glass of wine at a nearby wine bar.

Cliche but enjoyable date night!


Side Note:

A different night, a different event.

Derek and I had a few people from our apartment building over for a little wine social and put out a small cheese plate. It comprised of:

- Brie cheese
- a semi-soft Goat Cheese
- Fig jam
- Pear
- Grapes
- Crostini
- Smoked almonds
- Salt and pepper cashews

I know that the neighbors probably thought that I put it together but credit has to go to Derek for arranging the components so nicely.

Thought I'd just share that!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chimichurri and Poblano Creme Fraiche

The original plan for the night was skirt or flank steak with a chimichurri (An Argentinean sauce/condiment, similar to pesto, that is popular throughout South America. The basic version uses fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, oil and vinegar and a little bit of chili pepper) obviously Derek's idea but it received the "OK" from me. However, as I sat through the day, feeling sick and sleepy, all I could think of was soup - and the last thing I wanted was steak. I wanted something "creamy" but not creamy - more like a potato soup and less of a cream of broccoli soup. I knew it was fate when the second recipe that I came across when I typed in "soup" into food52.com was this Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Chimichurri and Poblano Creme Fraiche. Perfect! The smooth cauliflower would satisfy my craving for creamy/smooth and the chimichurri oddly went right along the lines of what Derek had wanted.

We followed the recipe for the most part and I was quite interested to see how it would turn out.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup:

1 head cauliflower, sliced, including the core
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 leek, light green parts only, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, chopped
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chicken broth
2 1/2 - 3 cups water
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream

1.Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the slices of cauliflower on a dry cookie sheet and roast until tender, about 15-20 minutes (we did it for about 40 minutes - maybe the shorter cook time would be sufficient if you cut the cauliflower up into smaller pieces).

2.In a large heavy pot, heat the butter and oil until hot. Saute the onion, leek, garlic, and celery in the butter oil mixture until soft and very aromatic. Add the salt. Add the roasted cauliflower and toss with a large spoon until the cauliflower is completely covered with the onion mixture. Cook for another 2 minutes.

3.Add the broth and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender until fairly smooth. If you want it completely smooth, you'll need to use a food mill, but having some texture to it adds to the rustic nature of the roasted flavor. Pour back into the pot and reheat to a simmer. Add the parmesan cheese and cream. Stir in the chimichurri sauce until well incorporated. Serve hot in soup bowls. Drizzle some poblano creme fraiche over the soup.

Chimichurri Sauce and Poblano Creme Fraiche:

1 serrano chili, seeded, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped or smashed
2 cups cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons mint leaves
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 poblano or pasilla pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1 Tablespoon)
2 tablespoons creme fraiche (see NOTE)
pinches sugar

1.To make the chimichurri, place the first 7 ingredients in a blender and process until finely chopped.

2.To make the poblano creme fraiche, combine the next seven ingredients starting wtih the roasted poblano or pasilla pepper in a blender and process until very smooth. Once smooth, drizzle the creme fraiche on the soup.

NOTE: I did not have creme fraiche and did not want to buy a whole tub for just 2 Tablespoons so I saw a "vegan substitute" and thought I'd give it a try. Given the fact that I used real cream cheese, the substitute was no longer vegan, but I figured the components should work together...I used 2 T. cream cheese, a small squirt of lemon juice, and 1 T. almond milk - mix them together and there was my version of creme fraiche - it worked.

The cauliflower soup before the chimichurri was a little boring - as expected. But once you add the chimichurri - POW - it was a total burst of delicious flavor. Perfectly balanced on the spice side. We got ours pretty smooth using a hand blender - and I liked the slight texture that it did have.

I think you could do this without the poblano creme fraiche - not because it wasn't good, but rather because the soup alone packs such a great punch of flavor, anything else is just extra. However, it was very good and would be a nice spread on a sandwich or a dip for some vegetables.

This, to me, was the perfect compromise for Derek and I - and althought he didn't get his steak (he cooked a piece of salmon in addition), he was pretty pleased with the meal and so was I.