Grilled Squid and Plum Salad with Cilantro, Mint, and Peanuts

It seems like we've bring quite fond of cooking squid. I'm not sure if it is because it is relatively inexpensive or if it is because we love it so much. Probably a combination of the two. If cooked correctly, squid can be a delicious protein that is quick to prepare and very good for you.

I briefly came across this recipe while I was looking up a "plum salad" to accompany the ravioli meal a few nights earlier. It immediately caught my eye and I knew it would be just a few days until I tried it. It wasn't until I made the dish that I realized why it looked so good in the first place - it was essentially a delicious version of the Thai Squid Salad that I have been obsessed with lately. The major difference is that this version does not contain fish sauce, though I'm sure it would be a good addition.

We did a full recipe for two people though the original says it serves four. We had some basic salad leftover but ate all of the squid and only used two pluots rather than four.

Grilled Squid and Plum Salad with Cilantro, Mint, and Peanuts
original Epicurious recipe found here

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon Asian chile paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 lb cleaned small squid
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 firm-ripe medium pluots(1 1/4 lb), halved lengthwise, pitted, and each half cut into sixths
3/4 lb Napa cabbage, thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chile paste, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Cut squid bodies open to make flat pieces and, holding knife almost parallel to work surface (at a 30-degree angle), score inner side of flattened squid in a crosshatch pattern (do not cut all the way through). Pat squid bodies and tentacles dry and toss with vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Heat lightly oiled grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then grill squid bodies, in batches if necessary, crosshatch sides down first, turning once, until just cooked through (squid will curl up as it cooks), about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board as grilled and keep warm, covered. Grill tentacles in same manner. Cut squid bodies crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Grill plums, in batches if necessary, turning once, until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes. Transfer as grilled to a bowl.

Toss cabbage with cilantro, mint, scallion, 1/4 cup peanuts, half of dressing, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mound salad on plates and top with squid and plums. Drizzle with dressing to taste and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup peanuts.


This really was fantastic. I love the lime and sesame flavors. It was refreshing and unique, like a burst of flavors all working together to make a perfect masterpiece - isn't that how all cooking should be? With the leftover salad I packed it in some tupperware, topped it with half of an avocado and there was lunch for the next day!

If you are looking for a unique salad as a side dish - just omit the squid and serve alongside some thai-inspired meal.

Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

A few posts back I had made this incredible lamb ragu to accompany some fresh pappardelle pasta that I picked up at the Farmer's Market during my Sunday trip. I mentioned that next time I would try one of their raviolis that looked incredible. Their range of flavors is amazing - Caprese, Lobster, Pear and Pecornio, Ham and Gouds, Butternut Squash...I've had my eye on the Pear and Pecorino since I fist saw it but came to the dilemma of what "healthy" sauce could I pair with it? The recommendation is alfredo and that frankly disgusts me. Derek and I decided on a simple Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese - and based on how awesome the pappardelle was, we were very excited about making it.

To go alongside the ravioli we bought a pint of orange cherry tomatoes and some basil. The plan was to do a basic saute of the fresh ingredients and toss them with the pasta and that's precisely what we did!

Goat Cheese Ravioli with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

4 T. EVOO
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 package of Santa Cruz Pasta Factory Roasted Garlic and Goat Cheese Ravioli (10 oz)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 bunch basil
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare ravioli according to package directions (fresh = 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Heat EVOO in a pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and saute until slightly browned (cook at a low temperature so the garlic doesn't burn). Cook time is about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, with the back of a spoon, lightly smash some of the tomatoes (about 1/2) so that the juices seep out. Stir in the basil and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ravioli to the tomato "sauce" and cook until the pasta has "re-heated" and has been tossed well with the tomato mixture.

Serve!

We served this with a salad of butter lettuce, plums, and roasted almonds. The dressing was a grapefruit/red wine vinegar/honey/EVOO mix. It was fine.

No wine...again!

I was a little disappointed with the ravioli. The pasta itself was good but the filling seemed too standard for me. It had ricotta (which is not my favorite) and not enough of a goat cheese taste. And as for roasted garlic - if it was there, I couldn't tell. The simple saute, however, was as expected - light and fresh. If I had been expecting standard ravioli, I would have been very happy with the results of the meal.

Grilled Opah with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Corn Saute

Another Farmer's Market inspiration - another Derek meal.

Though I cannot say much about the preparation of this meal since I spent my evening reading a book - I can say that it was A) delicious and B) a new type of fish for me.
I think we had tried some opah in Hawaii but as for having a piece to myself? this time was a first. Opah (do not get confused with Oprah, though I can't help but think that every single time I see the name) is described, in cooking terms as:

"The tender top loin of Opah is a light salmon-orange or pink-rose color and is often used for sashimi. The flavor of the top loin is sweet & lean with a texture somewhat like tuna.

The side and lower flesh of Opah is the same light salmon-orange color at the top but fades to a paler color at the bottom and is too fibrous to be used for sashimi but still becomes very tender after cooking. It is higher in fat than the top loin and also has a flavor similar to tuna or swordfish.

The cheek meat is dark red. And the breastplate flesh is bright red. All the flesh turns white after cooking except for the breastplate which turns brown."

Derek came up with this recipe all on his own - so essentially, the "Derek Original":

Grilled Opah with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Corn Saute

Fish
3/4 lb. fresh opah
30 min marinate in some evoo
seasoned with salt and pepper

Grill on a heated, lightly oiled grill or grill pan. Cook to desired doneness - though this fish can be eaten raw (if fresh). Derek cooked to a medium rare so that it was still pink (meaning rareish for this fish) in the center. He rotated the piece of fish on all sides to ensure an even cook.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1 red pepper, roasted
1 jalapeno, roasted (recommends using more next time)
1 T tomato paste
2-3 T EVOO
2-3 T water
small handful of cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Corn Saute
EVOO
2 ears of corn
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, diced small
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 a lime's juice
cilantro
1/2 t ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Heat EVOO in a saute pan. Add red onion and jalapeno and cook until onion is translucent. Add the corn and cook on medium until the kernels start to brown. Add the tomatoes, lime juice, cumin. Saute for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

The fish may not look beautiful in the picture as we split one large piece and therefore, had to cut it up, but when it came off of the grill, there were perfect grill marks. This fish really stands up to grilling. Just make sure to not overcook it since it is essentially like tuna in that it can be seared (or eaten raw) and served.

The corn added a create texture and flavor burst in contrast to the meaty fish. I was worried that the red pepper sauce would be a bit much for the fish but it really stood up to that at well.

No wine to be had tonight - though I know a good bottle of Beringer Alluvium Blanc would have been awesome with it!!

Elderflower Sabayon with Berries

This recipe was my excuse to finally break down and buy the coveted St. Germain liqueur that has been on my mind ever since Derek and I made incredible strawberry daiquiris in Vegas this summer using the liqueur as a sweetener of sorts. I've moved on to adding it to bubbly, a classic combination, or gin...vodka...and every time I order it at the bar, I am saying to myself "I need to buy this!!"

With a price tag of around $35 - I always had a good excuse NOT to cave in and buy it, this time I finally had a good excuse to take the plunge.

For a girl's night out dinner party, I was in charge of making the dessert. In order to ensure that it would in fact be a girl's night out rather than a girl's night in - I wanted to make a dessert that wouldn't leave me feeling heavy and ready for sleep. I had fruit on my mind and wanted to jazz it up to make it look like a dessert. Angels started singing when I came across this recipe. It was THE ONE.

Elderflower Sabayon with Berries
original recipe from Food & Wine

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup St-Germain liqueur
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 
  
• 2 pounds mixed fresh berries (I used blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and plums)
• 1/3 cup mint leaves, chiffonade
• 1 T. sugar
• 1/8 cup St-Germain liqueur

Directions

1. In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with the 1/4 cup of sugar, the liqueur and lemon juice over moderate heat until thick and pale and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the mixture registers 155°, about 7 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let the sabayon cool.
2. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until firm. Fold the whipped cream into the sabayon and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

In another bowl, toss the berries with the 1 taplespoon of sugar, mint, and St-Germain liqueur and let stand for 10 minutes. Spoon the berries into bowls, top with the sabayon and serve.

I served the dessert with homemade Lavender Sugar Crisps that were made from just a few simple ingredients: eggs, lavender infused sugar, oatmeal, lemon juice, flour (very little), salt...perhaps something else as well. They cooked up nice and crisp and were the perfect compliment to the cool, refreshing dessert.

Lavender Sugar Crisps

No pictures of the final product since I didn't want to be a food geek at the party - but it came out beautiful and was complimented by all. It was light, refreshing, but still impressive and attractive.

And now I have St. Germain at home - it worked out perfectly :)

Thai Basil Eggplant

I was so looking forward to a calm Friday evening, not going out anywhere...just staying in and cooking a decent meal, sipping on some sort of alcoholic beverage. This was a much needed relief after a long spurt of having guests in town and endless activity. Peace and quiet and a good, but easy, meal is just the cure for winding down. With a beautiful purple chinese eggplant from the Farmer's Market sitting in my refrigerator, making a thai basil eggplant dish seemed to be the perfect task for the evening.

Having never made thai basil eggplant before, I was surprised by how simple it was with relatively few ingredients. I had eaten it several times in the restaurant so recall fresh, bold flavors - so I had no idea what my version would be like given that it consisted of only a few simple ingredients!

Here's what I did:

Thai Basil Eggplant

Serves 1

1.5 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 bunch Thai basil, leaves picked from the stem
1.5 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 chinese eggplant
1 red chili pepper

Slice the eggplants into irregular shapes for easy turning in the pan. When it is sliced into a small disk, it tends to stick to the bottom of the pan and makes it difficult to flip or turn.

Chop garlic and slice chili peppers. Pick the leaves from the stem of the Thai basil.

Heat a pan or wok over high or medium high. Add oil, chili peppers and garlic. Stir until the garlic turn golden brown. Add eggplant and stir. Add a cup of water and cover the pan or wok with a lid. Keep the lid close until the eggplant is cooked. It should take about 5-7 minutes before the eggplant is done. The eggplant turns from white to translucent when it is done. Almost all of the water should have been evaporated at this point. If the eggplant is still not cooked, add a little bit more water and keep lid closed until the eggplant is ready. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and sugar and stir. Add Thai basil and quickly stir to heat the basil, so that it retains it color. Turn off heat immediately.

Serve hot with brown jasmine rice.

The funny thing was when I chopped and cooked the chili pepper - the apartment filled with an intoxicating "sting" that made my eyes water and breathing a bit more difficult. This to me was a bit of a scary sign that my dish would be unbearably spicy. I used a chili pepper that was more round than long and quite wrinkly. I had no idea what kind it was because it came in a mixed pepper bag in our vegetable shipment. Mind you, I did try the pepper before I put it in the dish, and it was spicy...but not unbearably so. Still, when I felt the wrath of the little pepper storm through the kitchen, I was a little afraid. LUCKILY, the dish and the heat was PERFECT. I like spicy, and spicy it was, but I didn't have to chug my cold sake that accompanied the dish.

This was so simple and so perfect for my relaxing night in.

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

This dish may have been executed due to another Farmer's Market find - however, the inspiration for the meal dates way back...and oddly so. For some reason, I had my eye on this dish since the fish time we crossed paths on FoodandWine.com. The odd part is the fact that it containts three primary ingredients that are typically not super appealing to me: pasta, lamb, ricotta. Still, I've been thinking about this recipe for over a year so when I saw some absolutely fresh, delicious looking pappardelle pasta last Sunday at the Farmer's Market (ok so I have seen it for weeks now and finally caved in to buy it)...I was set on creating this dish. And given that the pasta was fresh and wouldn't last for forever, I knew that the execution of the dish was inevitable within the next couple days...an exciting feeling for the build up this recipe received.

The original dish showed an image of the food as having an extremely wide pasta (yes, I've NEVER had pappardelle before).


However, the pasta that I picked up was quite a bit thinner, just slightly wider than fettuccine. Though I was a little disspointed at the lack of similarity, my disappointment disappeared immediately as I took my first bite of this incredible fresh, soft, did I say incredible? pasta.

Pasta brand:

Close up of un-cooked pasta:

Our last time cooking with fresh pasta was slightly disappointing (see ravioli recipe with tomato brodo). Not only did the dish not turn out perfectly, the pasta itself had a slightly odd, unpleasant odor...one that I could pinpoint precisely but in the interest of appetites, I'll refrain from posting.

This pasta was the star, as Italians seek to highlight. The traditional pasta dish is pasta first-and-foremost, sauce second. I would agree with that with this dish, so PLEASE use some fresh pasta!

I made this dish (as well as the previous night's gazpacho) all on my own. I'd say that I was 2 for 2. Here's how I did it:

Adapted from: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pappardelle-with-lamb-ragu

Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu

Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
1 large shallot, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
3/4 pounds ground lamb
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine (used a unique Frick Winery rhone blend)
5 vine-ripened tomatoes, blanched and skin removed
3/4 cups beef broth
3/4 pound pappardelle
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped mint

1.In a large cast-iron casserole, heat oil. Add the carrot, onion and celery and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 minutes. Add the lamb, coriander, fennel, cumin, rosemary and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the liquid evaporates, 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and cook over moderately low heat until the liquid is slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes.

2.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, shaking well. Add the pasta to the sauce. Serve the pasta in bowls, topped with the ricotta and mint.

I still don't love ricotta, but I must admit, it goes really well with this dish. The slight creaminess, paired with the refreshing mint and the slightly spiced lamb...wonderful. I wouldn't mind a touch of heat so I would consider adding in some red pepper flakes - just a few. I also had to add a little salt on top but that's probably because I didn't salt enough while cooking. I also wouldn't mind a few more tomatoes.

We served this with Frick's 2005 Carignane- just $22/bottle. It was fabulous.

I had the leftovers last night and was in heaven. I am set on buying some more of this incredible pasta - at just $4.50 per pack, I think I can handle it. Though, their raviolis are $8.50 - and with flavors like pear/pecornio and caprese...I think that will be the next Farmer's Market pasta purchase.

Gazpacho with Corn and Avocado Relish

While tomatoes are in season - MAKE THIS DISH!!

Alton Brown typically delivers solid, practical recipes, and this is no exception. I have typically stayed away from gazpachos as they are the antethesis to what I typically associated with eating liquid out of a bowl. Typically it is warm and comforting. Gazpacho, clearly, is not that. However, I had some incredibe gazpacho a few days earlier so I was anxious to make use of the tomatoes that we had on hand and try to whip up my own version.

I made only a few slight additions/substitutions to Alton Brown's recipe - I think it was a fabulous base and would be just fine as it was written out. My changes were simply to suit my cravings for the evening.

Link to Alton Brown's recipe HERE

Gazpacho with Corn and Avocado Relish

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (I used a couple heirloom tomatoes as well), juices reserved
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (threw in some purple pepper too!)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1 ear of corn
1 avocado, diced
juice from 1/2 lime
salt

Directions
Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil.

Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute. Remove and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl in order to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible to bring the total to at least 1 cup.

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight.

To make the corn and avocado relish. Roast corn by either grilling it or placing it on a gas stovetop over the flame. Keep turning the cob for an even roasting of the corn. This should take about 6-7 minutes total When cool enough to handle, cut the corn off the cob. Combine it with diced avocado. Sprinkle with lime juice and salt and mix.

Serve gazpacho wth corn and avocado relish and cilantro.

This was so refreshing and delicious. The avocado served to add some additional substance so the gazpacho could serve as a main dish. I cannot wait to go to the farmer's market this weekend and pick up some more fresh vegetables and make another great big batch of this next week. The full recipe was enough for two dinner servings and one lunch serving - and the lunch...the leftovers...were equally fantastic! TRY THIS RECIPE!!

Fudge Cardamom Pistachio Brownies

I was inspired to make these after having some chocolate cardamom ice cream at work. The flavor combination just worked for me so I eagerly looked online to see what kind of dessert has been previously made with the two ingredients. Then these brownies just popped out at me - seeming easy and with relatively few ingredients. I figured I'd go back to my days of grade school when I would bring in oreo brownies for my classmates on my birthday. Now - a few years later - it was a slightly more grown up brownie, brought to my co-workers...

Fudge Cardamom Pistachio Brownies

10 Tbs. butter
8 oz. quality dark chocolate
10 cardamom pods, deseeded
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract)
5 Tbs and 1 tsp. all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted pistachio nuts
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 Degree F. In a large microwaveable bowl, break the chocolate pieces and cube the butter. Stick it in on medium heat for three minutes until lumpy but melted. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and smooth.

Grind the cardamom seends with a pestle and mortar until powder-like. Add this to and the vanilla to the chocolate and mix thoroughly until smooth.

Now, lightly beat the eggs and stir them into the chocolate along with the sugar. Then fold in the flour and the peeled pistachio nuts gently.

Pour batter into a greased square baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes (I recommend about 10 minutes more).

I was very pleased with the flavor of the brownies. Cardamom and chocolate are a killer combination, meant for the slightly adventurous palate. There are two main changes that I would make to the recipe:

1. Cook for a little longer. The brownies turned out precisely how they looked in the original blog that I pulled this recipe from. They are fudgy, almost underbaked. I personally like it a bit gooey and this wasn't to the point where it was oozing or anything - but it is definitely all about a taste preference and in my opinion, they could have used a few more minutes.

2. Use salted or roasted pistachios. They seemed to get a little lost since they have a subtle flavor. Roasted or salted nut would have added another dimension to the brownies.

It is key to use too chocolate - I think I spent about $6 on my chocolate - maybe even more...so these are a bit more pricey than the boxed store-bought brownies but they are (almost) as easy to make and quite delicious.

Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce

The impetus behind this meal came from a very special visitor who was not familiar with Indian flavors.

(please disregard terrible post-gym, pre-shower picture)

This recipe immediately popped into my head since I had run across it just the previous week and had already planned on making it in the very near future. Though this is very far from any sort of authentic Indian dish - the use of curry and some exotic spices (i.e. lemongrass) takes a relatively simple mix summer vegetables and brings it West (or East depending which way you fly!) to Asia.

The recipe is written out to be a vegetarian meal, however, comes with the suggestion of adding shrimp or lamb for those requiring a bit of meat. Rather than shrimp (Derek is "allergic") we chose to pan-fry some scallops to put on the side. Though I wanted to keep this dish vegetarian, you will never see me object to scallops - perhaps the best meat product known to man.

Derek started the meal off with a simple appetizer portion of spearfish (otherwise known as marlin) that was poached in a coconut, pineapple, curry liquid. It was good - but not great. I guess I'm not a huge fan of marlin, it's a bit fishy for my taste.

I took the lead on the main dish and followed the recipe (for the most part).

Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce

Ingredients

Curry sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped and pounded with meat mallet to flatten slightly
1 1-inch piece unpeeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons curry powder (Derek made his own - our place reaked of Indian spices)2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups fresh carrot juice

Vegetables (my comments in bold)

1 1/2 pounds eggplants (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes (used 1 "large" chinese eggplant)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided (probably used a little less - maybe 3)
1 pound assorted summer squash (such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan), cut into 1-inch pieces (used two squash - one green, one yellow)
1 pound green beans, haricots verts, and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths (used perhaps 1/2 lb)
4 ears of corn, husked (used 1 large ear)
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained (omitted due to scallops)
2 cups (packed) arugula
1/4 cup torn fresh basil (omitted)

Directions

For curry sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, lemongrass, and ginger; sauté until slightly softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add apple and curry powder; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in carrot juice; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to generous 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through fine strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

For vegetables:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place eggplant cubes in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil (I sprayed liberally with misto) and toss to coat; sprinkle with salt. Spread eggplant cubes in even layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Toss squash and remaining 2 tablespoons oil (again, used the EVOO holding misto) in same bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash in even layer on another large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash and eggplant are light golden and tender, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes for squash and 40 minutes for eggplant (I did both for about 25 minutes total - the chinese eggplant seemed done). Remove baking sheets with vegetables from oven and set aside. Fill large bowl with water and ice. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on size of beans. Using tongs, transfer beans to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Maintain boiling water in same pot; add corn. Cook until corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain corn. Cool slightly. Cut kernels off corn cobs; discard cobs.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix garbanzo beans into vegetables; bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. (omitted this step since I did not use beans)

Combine vegetables and hot curry sauce in pot, heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in arugula and basil (omitted basil).

We served the dish with the seared scallops - EVOO, salt, pepper, hot pan, about 2 minutes per side - done - and some brown basamati rice.

I am a sucker for summer vegetables so any dish that combines them in some delicious way is A-OK for me. My only change and critique would be that it was super carroty with the fresh carrot juice. I would have maybe preferred a simple vegetable stock. It wasn't bad but you have to be a fan of carrots. The corn is a MUST - I loke the sweet pop of flavor amongst the tenderness of the eggplant and zucchini and the crunch of the green beans.

I'll keep this vegetarian next time I make it and will use the garbanzo beans. I'm not saying that the scallops were not delicious - they were - however, they were sort of a side item of the dish. For a complete one-dish meal, the addition of chickpeas and perhaps the exclusion (or maybe half/half with vegetable stock) of the carrot juice - it's expensive anyway - will be quite good.

Wine? Beringer Pinot Noir - nothing special.

Sea Bass with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette, Stuffed Summer Squash and Fried Zucchini Blossoms

This meal was a true Farmer's Market inspiration. Each component was carefully selected from the multitude of fresh meat and produce that arrives at the Fort Mason Farmer's Market every Sunday. It has become a recent tradition of mine to wake up Sunday Morning and walk down the street to where tons of local vendors have set up stands selling their freshest goods. I make my first stop the Reader's Cafe (formerly just another tent, now a real cafe) to grab a cup of Blue Bottle drip coffee - now $2.50 a cup rather than the previous $2. After a decent wait for the freshly made coffee, I take my coffee to go and start perusing through the market.

While snacking on my breakfast of samples - fresh fruit, cheese, baked goods, I try to decide what stands out to me as my key inspiration for cooking. This week it was the corvina sea bass. The man behind the counter informed me that they had caught the fish the night before and had fileted it that morning. It is sold in little ziplock bags in individual portions, so it was easy to pick out exactly what I wanted. I ended up getting probably a little more than I needed to - and realized that when the total bill was $27 for two pieces of fish. Better make this meal GOOD.

Next stop was to the veggie stands to pick something out to accompany my pricey fish. Two things caught my eye - the first being globe squash - with a sign next to it recommending to stuff the vegetable.

The second "vegetable" of inspiration was squash blossoms. Actually not a vegetable at all, these are the flowers of the zucchini plant - so I deemed this an OK compliment to the squash - not sure yet of how to prepare them.

With my findings in hand, and a stomach satisfied from samples, I treked back to my apartment to come up with a game plan for the evening meal.

The focus was simple and fresh - well for two of the dishes at least.

The Main:
Sea Bass with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoons drained capers

2 5- to 6-ounce sea bass steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Preparation
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic clove and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Season sea bass steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill steaks in grill pan over medium-high heat until just cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Rewhisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining basil and serve.

Side #1
Stuffed Globe Squash

Ingredients

Globe Squash
EVOO
Garlic
Red Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Dry Vermouth
Red Chili Pepper Flakes
Basil
Salt
Pepper

Remove the top from the squash and scoop out the inside, leaving at least a 1/4 inch thick shell. Chop up the meat into small diced.

In a pan, heat the EVOO over medium to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.

Add the red chili pepper and zucchini meat and cook for about 3-5 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes and dry vermouth. Cook until the tomatoes begin to soften.

Remove from heat and add the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Spray globe shells with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the globe shells with vegetable mixture and bake in a preheated oven (375) for about 20 minutes.

Done!

I had about a 2:2:1 ratio of tomato:zucchini:onion and used one garlic clove, generous splash of dry vermouth.

It's really whatever tastes good to you!!

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

24 zucchini blossoms
3⁄4 lb. mozzarella
12 anchovy filets
4 eggs
1 cup flour
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Salt

1. Remove stems and stamens from zucchini blossoms; wash blossoms and pat dry.

2. Cut mozzarella into small dice, coarsely chop anchovy filets, and combine in a mixing bowl. Stuff each blossom with mixture and twist petals to retain stuffing.

3. Beat eggs in a small bowl. Pour 1 cup flour with freshly ground black pepper into a second shallow pan. Heat 2 1/2" vegetable oil in a skillet over high heat until very hot.

4. Working in small batches, dredge each stuffed blossom in flour; dip into eggs, turning to coat well, then dredge in seasoned flour. Fry blossoms, turning frequently, until crisp, 3–5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.

This meal required a good bit of preparation with three main components. However, each component was relatively simple. I was pleased with each recipe and for the most part - with each execution.

I have to say - my globe squash was really good! I think it is such a fun side item to have - like a mixed bowl of goodness all packaged up in a decorative and edible shell. I didn't follow a recipe for this one - just put in what tasted good! I think the red chili peppers are a must - adds a perfect little kick to the dish.

The zucchini blossoms were amazing. I had never had them before and though they weren't the healthiest dish on the menu, they were such a fun and fairly easy impressive side.

Finally the fish - besides the fact that I had purchased a bit more fish than I needed - I enjoyed the flavors. The intense fresh lemon with the salty capers is a classic mix. Sadly, this dish seemed to leave Derek a little depressed because he "overcooked" the fish. He followed the cooking temperature directions to cook until the fish reaches 160 degrees. This is too high. What a fish that could have been eaten as sashimi - freshly caught the day before - there is no need to fully cook the meat. That's the great thing about getting fresh fish! Mind you, I didn't complain or get sad at my fish like Derek did, I rather enjoyed it - however, it certainly wasn't perfectly cooked and for $27, that's a shame!

French Dip Sandwiches

While in Maui, one meal that Derek and I really enjoyed was a simple sandwich from this little deli and bakery in downtown Lahaina called Banyan Tree Deli & Bakery. They had homemade fresh rolls that they stuff with freshly cut deli meats, lettuce, tomatoes, and best of all - sprouts! On the side, they served a fabulous jus that I made sure to dunk each bite into - it was a fabulous combination. The combination was not foreign to me - I've had a french dip sandwich or two in my life. The odd part was that I had ordered a turkey sandwich - no roast beef in site - and the result was just fabulous.

This wet my appetite for the more familiar french dip sandwich that I remember having seen slow-cooker recipes for in one of my recipe browsing sessions. Thus, I dusted off the old crockpot, dented and looking far too used for how little use it has actually had, and stuck Derek with the task of making the meal (who really wants to cook before work - even if only throwing ingredients into a crockpot).

Here is the basic recipe that we followed - from Allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Note: this is the original recipe, we scaled this down for just under 2 lb. of meat

Ingredients

4 pounds rump roast
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1.Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add the beef broth, onion soup and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.Split French rolls, and spread with butter. Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
4.Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

From the pictures, you can tell that the meat is not super tender. It was by no means dry but I think the recipe could be improved with the following:

- NOT starting the roast on high heat - Derek started the roast around 1:30 PM...therefore, he put it on high for the first four hours or so.
- Pan-searing the roast before putting it in the slow cooker - this would trap the juices in.

Regardless, I found the sandwiches to be delectable. Dipping the crisp but not over toasted bread (an Acme Bread torpedo roll - freshly made that day) into the jus, that I must admit, I sipped on after finishing the sandwich - and justified my actions with the fact that it is essentially french onion soup - the taste was just killer. Juicy, crunchy, meaty...and EASY. Slow cookers are fabulous because you just throw ingredients in and leave it for the rest of the day. You come back at dinner time, spend a few minutes doing the last minute steps and you're ready to eat!!

Overall - really tasty, all of the elements went so well together - what I would try next time is searing the meat prior to putting it into the crock pot.

Roasted Fennel Salad with Fried Egg

This was an odd night. Derek informed me that he would be going out with a friend at night and therefore, would not be joining me for the typical evening of spin class, dinner and frozen yogurt. This was fine – I carried on with my normal routine and came up with my own idea of what I wanted to make for dinner. Fast forward – Derek’s friend delays their outing, and then it is cancelled – leaving the two of us on separate schedules, still sharing the same house. Derek had take out and ate alone – and I took the second shift in dining solo with my own creation. The night did, however, come back together when he ran and got his own frozen yogurt so we could enjoy that together.

Perhaps this does not seem like an odd occurrence to most, but when you are used to cooking and dining together, or alternatively, being completely alone, the dining in shifts while still together is just a bit odd!!

Going for simple and without a need for ingredient purchase – I came up with the idea for a salad with a fried egg on top. Knowing that there should probably be a different ingredient in the salad besides lettuce and egg, I remembered we had some fennel. With our knives, it’s difficult to cut the fennel thin enough to be good on a salad, so it popped in my mind to roast it! There you go – salad of roasted fennel and fried egg with shaved pecorino romano on top.

Roasted Fennel Salad with Fried Egg

Mixed salad greens
Fennel bulb, cut into 1/3 in pieces (wedges)
EVOO
Lemon Juice
Salt
Pepper
Egg
Butter
Pecorino Romano

To roast the fennel, spread out on a greased cookie pan and sprinkle with lemon juice and EVOO. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, until tender but not burnt.

To fry the egg, heat a mixture of oil and butter in a omelet pan. Once hot, add the egg and let fry for about 4-5 minutes, until the whites on top are no longer translucent. If desired, give a quick flip on the other side for “eggs over easy”.

To assemble, place greens on a plate. Sprinkle a little lemon juice and EVOO on top. Top with fennel. Place fried egg in center and season all over with salt and pepper. Shred cheese over the top and serve!

Alongside the salad I served a piece of toasted ciabatta bread with goat cheese spread all over it and topped with the chopped roasted red pepper.

I didn’t cook the egg properly, at least to my taste. I prefer sunny side up but for some reason tried the over easy technique. The yolk was only slightly runny and the white was a little rubbery. I wanted the yolk to act as a bit of a dressing for the salad so I’m glad I had put the lemon juice and EVOO on instead. My greatest discovery of the night was roasted fennel. I don’t think I’ve ever had it before and it was sooo tasty!! The anise flavor is subtle but still there – and it was tender and really just quite wonderful overall.

Not a gourmet meal produced by Derek but good enough for me :)

Roast Chicken with Broccolini

I guess I already broke my meat-free week when on Sunday I had halibut. However, I was then going to just stick with fish and vegetarian. This was then broken on Tuesday. I guess there is no point in making any type of dining limitation. Derek wanted to make a roasted chicken and there would be no convincing him that an eggplant dish would be better. Battle Chicken vs. Eggplant? Chicken wins.

The poor soul that was purchased was perhaps not so poor - the little guy had a nice life as a free-range, organic chicken (read more about it at http://www.maryschickens.com/). He was fed all vegetable products and was allowed to bask in the beautiful California sunshine (or so they say). Mr. Chicken was then simply and elegantly adorned with the finest herbs and lemons to take a final bask in the intense heat of the oven.

Perhaps that is bringing it a little too much to life - truthfully, I don't really like to think about what the little chicken did during his life - to me, his life begins and ends in the exact state that I see him when he is purchased in the store. However, it is nice to know that the chicken wasn't subjected to some of the horrible conditions that have been brought to light about the chicken farms. And they say that the free-range/natural chickens are not only better for you (no hormones and healthy diet) but that they also taste better.

Derek used the recipe entitled "My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken" from Epicurious as his base and then added a few additional ingredients to make it a little less simple.

Roasted Chicken with Thyme and Lemon

1 whole chicken (about 2.5 pounds)
salt and pepper
a few slabs of butter
fresh thyme
fresh parsley
1 whole lemon, cut into wedges

The following directions were followed with just these few additions:
- Stuff cavity with lemon wedges and a handful of fresh thyme
- Add a few pats of butter underneath the skin of each chicken breast
- Add some chopped parsley and fresh thyme underneath the skin throughout

Directions from Epicurious Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each.

Not surprisingly, the chicken was very tender. I am not a fan of skin but I did try just a little bit and thought it had a great flavor. I would have liked a little bit more of a lemon flavor on the chicken but that's just my preference.

We served this with some simple roasted broccolini that was simply prepared with EVOO, salt and pepper. Derek mentioned that the veggies should have been blanched before roasting so they didn't dry out, but I really like the slight bit of crunch that they had - again, personal preference.

The surprise star of the night was the Terisa Napa Valley Chardonnay - $40

We pulled this wine out of our refrigerator not really remembering what it tasted like or where we got it from. This is what the website has to say about the wine:

"2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a pure expression of Chardonnay grapes, highlighting the character of the vineyard with layers of layers of flavor supported by light touches of French Oak and even lighter touch of butter. Aged 10 months "sur-lies" with hand stirring of lees every week. Terisa Vineyards' 2007 Napa Valley Chardonnay has a luscious taste with a crisp and mouthwatering finish. A crisp acidity = great compliment with food"

Great compliment with food? I'd completely agree. It was also a perfect compromise Chardonnay between mine and Derek's taste (actually it's precisely what I love - so perhaps the fact that Derek loved it too was a bonus). After my first sip I remember why I had bought this wine in the first place - it was buttery from the start and then toned to a nice crisp, wonderful wine.