Weekly Dish

Archive for November, 2005

Breakfast in a Tortilla

Tuesday, November 15th, 2005

Dinners borne out of a near-empty fridge and the end-of-the day exhaustion sometimes turn out to be a disaster. I’ve been known to throw all sorts of things into an omelet or a quesadilla or onto a pizza crust, and the results are not always as, well, as edible as I would like. Tuesdays often turn out to be the days that such disasters occur because it’s late when I get home, I’ve been in class all day, and even if I’ve planned a meal for the night, I often just don’t have the energy to go through with it.

This meal is the result of exactly those circumstances; I don’t remember what we were supposed to have, but I wanted something super fast with ingredients I had on hand. The next time you find yourself staring into your refrigerator, wondering what to make in less than 30 minutes, here’s a recipe I highly recommend. If you have: tortillas, eggs, and either a jar of pre-made salsa or a can of tomatoes and a pepper and an onion, you’re in great shape. If you have cheese, and some bacon and grits, even better. Here’s what I had in my kitchen and how it came together for a fast, satisfying dinner:

Super-Fast Breakfast Tortilla Supper

(these proportions are not exact, but that’s the beauty of super-fast cooking–no measuring!)

Tortillas

Eggs for scrambling (I had 4)

Milk (a tablespoon or so?)

Cumin

Chili powder

A yellow onion, diced (you may not need the whole thing)

Cheese of some sort (I used cheddar)

A jalapeno, sliced (seeded if you’re sensitive to spicy food)

Diced tomatoes (I used a 14-ounce can, drained)

Note: I started the grits and bacon in the microwave before cooking the eggs, so that everything would be ready at the same time.

Beat the eggs and milk and season with cumin and chili (I like the flavors, so I used a teaspoonful of both). Salt and pepper too, and set aside. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add half of the onion. (Note: if you have salsa already made, you can skip down to scrambling the eggs). Add the jalapeno, and cook until both are very soft. Add the tomatoes, and season with cumin and chili. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the rest of the onion (if you’ve got salsa, you pick up here). Cook until soft, and then add the eggs, scrambling them until they’re cooked as you like. Remove to a plate. Add more oil to the skillet and lay a tortilla flat. Spread the surface with grated cheese. When the cheese begins to melt, spoon eggs down the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa, and fold the sides up and over the eggs. Cook for a minute more, and remove to plate. Repeat until you have enough tortillas for everyone (if you’re cooking for several people, keep the cooked ones warm in the microwave). Top with more salsa, and serve with grits and bacon if you’ve got them. Start to finish: about 20 minutes, and it would have gone faster if I’d had salsa already made!

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Eggs, Main Dish, Vegetables | No Comments »

Shrimp Boil!

Sunday, November 13th, 2005

I know boiling shrimp is generally a summer tradition. But, the shrimp at the Farmer’s Market last week were such a good deal that I had to buy some. And, really, it reached 90 degrees here last week, so if I didn’t have a calendar, I might think it was August instead of November.

If I buy shrimp fresh, I really feel like I owe it to the little creatures to eat them in the purest way possible, protecting their sweet delicate flavor as best I can. To me, boiling them is the very best way to get the most unadulterated shrimp flavor. Boiled shrimp is also one of the quickest meals I know–throw together some cocktail sauce, a salad, and some buttered bread, and you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and dig in.

Everyone (especially here in south Louisiana) has his or her own favorite method for boiling shrimp. Some people like to use beer; other cooks use lots of different spices. Like most other recipes, I prefer mine simple. Some people object to using prepackaged spice mixtures, but I really like Zatarain’s liquid shrimp and crab boil–a tiny bottle lasts forever, and I think the flavor is subtle enough to provide a nice spicy kick without overpowering the shrimp.

Truth be told, boiling shrimp is one of those things you just have to do until you find the flavor combination that suits your taste. I offer my method here, along with my (ultra-simple) recipe for cocktail sauce, but the most important thing about boiling shrimp is not to overcook them. Texture is key, so don’t let them get soggy!

Boiled Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

2 quarts water

1 T. liquid shrimp and crab boil

2 lemons, halved

3 cloves of garlic, halved

1 T. Kosher salt

A handful of black peppercorns

2 pounds shrimp, heads and shells on

In a large stockpot, add shrimp boil, lemons, and garlic to the water. Boil for 15 or 20 minutes. Add the shrimp, and boil for 3-5 minutes. As soon as the shrimp begin to turn pink, remove the pot from the heat, and immediately drain off the water. Let the shrimp cool in the colander a bit, and then cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

For sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

Juice of 1 lemon

4 t. horseradish

Stir to combine. Peel shrimp, dip, and eat!

Posted in Basic Recipes, Main Dish, Sauces and Condiments, Seafood | 2 Comments »

Curing the Sandwich Blahs

Friday, November 11th, 2005

The last two meals we had for dinner this week were sandwiches. How boring! How trite! How…how…alas, how busy people eat sometimes. In case any of you food snobs out there are hesitant about serving sandwiches for dinner, here are four tricks I use to assuage my obsessive food snob side when sandwiches are really all we have time for:

Good bread. Bread can make a huge difference in the quality of your sandwich. I like to make my own (focaccia is my favorite easy one) on the weekend when I have time, but the bakery at our grocery store carries some nice ones too.

Cheese! I am a cheese fanatic, so most any sandwich filling could use a good dose of a good cheese, in my opinion. Be brave and add a bold cheese to a plain sandwich (I like blue cheese to liven up plain old turkey) or use a creamy cheese and make a nice spread (goat cheese and basil is a favorite around here).

Crunch. I really like for my sandwiches to have a variety of textures when I bite into them. Bread is nice and soft, cheese is gooey when melted, so something crunchy really adds a lot to the eating experience for me. Bacon works well, or a crunchy lettuce. A sprinkle of green onions or toasted nuts can also add a bit of texture to your sandwich.

Spread. The sauce part of a sandwich is really important to me. I HATE store-bought mayonnaise worse than anything I can think of at the moment, and mustard is okay, but really only on hot dogs. So, since I’m so fussy, I like to make something to spread on sandwiches. My favorite at the moment is an Artichoke-Caper Spread (recipe below) I adapted from Sara Foster’s Artichoke Aioli. Mine is not quite as complicated, and it makes a ton and keeps well. We spread it on everything from ham sandwiches to pizza.

The sandwich you see in the photo is Chicken Salad on Focaccia. The chicken salad is a mixture of: grilled chicken (from the salad last night), grapes cut in half, toasted pecans, green onion, tiny pieces of red onion, and shredded Parmesan cheese. I dress it with homemade mayonnaise, spiced with a little paprika and seasoned salt.

If you are philosophically opposed to sandwiches for dinner, these ideas work fine for lunch or picnics too! Here’s the recipe for the artichoke spread:

ARTICHOKE-CAPER SANDWICH SPREAD

2 cloves garlic

1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained

1 T. capers, drained

1 cup mayonnaise (I only use homemade, but I’m a freak about the store-bought stuff. It gives me nightmares)

A pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 t. Kosher salt

Juice of a lemon, if you have it

With the food processor running, add the garlic cloves until they’re minced. Then add the artichoke hearts, capers, salt and pepper flakes. Puree. Add mayo and lemon juice. Foster’s recipe also calls for horseradish and mustard, but I leave those two things out. Add them if you wish. Spread on French bread, add a slice of ham and a sprinkle of Feta cheese, and you have yourself a not-so-blah sandwich!

Posted in Basic Recipes, Main Dish, Sauces and Condiments | No Comments »

Autumn Salad

Thursday, November 10th, 2005

I really want to start making really autumn-ish dishes and telling you all about how warming and comforting they are. I’ve been trying to get in the spirit of the season. See, I made soup yesterday? But here’s the thing. It’s in the eighties still. I am wearing t-shirts and flip-flops to class. How am I supposed to assume my place stirring a big steaming pot of soup when I have the air conditioning running? I couldn’t fight it anymore this week…salad it is (or was).

To dress my salad appropriately for the season, I started by gathering the greens right from my backyard. David’s first official vegetables in our garden include an assortment of greens, but we aren’t sure exactly what all of them are. As best we can tell, there’s some kind of curly lettuce, a red-leaf one, kale, and a bright green one with small round leaves (baby lettuce? butter lettuce? David doesn’t remember).

Grilling seemed a good option since it had cooled off a little bit by dusk, so I marinated some chicken breasts in a sweet and sour mixture, and David grilled them for me. For the dressing, I wanted it to be warm to wilt the greens a little bit. So I started by frying some bacon, and then added shallots, pecans, and some diced pear. It turned out to be a lovely combination of flavors, and the warm dressing made it feel more like a fall dish (without the my-standing-over-a-hot-stove-for-a-really-long-time part). After the chicken is cooked, the salad comes together really quickly. Here’s how it worked:

SWEET-HOT GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

For the chicken:

2 pounds chicken breasts

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar (cider vinegar would work too)

2 T. dark cane syrup or molasses

2 T. sesame oil

1 T. fish sauce

2 T. hot chili sauce (I use Sambal, a Thai version)

Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all; marinate for a few hours or overnight. Grill chicken over medium flame.

For the Warm Balsamic Vinaigrette:

4 pieces bacon

2 shallots, minced

1/2 pear, diced

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 t. dark cane syrup or molasses

1/2 t. salt

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until done; remove. Add the shallots and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the pear and pecans, and cook about 5 more minutes until the pear is very soft. Add the vinegar, syrup, and salt, and cook another minute or two, stirring constantly.

To assemble the salad:

Mixed salad greens, washed and torn

Remaining half of pear, diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions

Spread greens on plate; top with pear, green onions, chicken, and bacon slices. Pour dressing warm on top of salad.

Posted in Main Dish, Meat, Salad, Vegetables | 3 Comments »

Are You Sick of Pesto Yet?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2005

A strange cat has been hanging out at our house lately. He’s pretty cute, brown and gray tabby with really bright green eyes, but Chester and Carmela are having a hard time adjusting to his presence. We often hear the yelps and hisses of kitty violence in our backyard, opening the door just in time to see our cats ganging up on this wandering neighbor.

A few weeks ago, I had the back door open because it was so nice outside, and I came into my kitchen to find a cat on the floor, one that doesn’t belong to me. He quickly sauntered back out when he saw me, but he isn’t afraid to intrude. His favorite spot in the backyard is near our enormous basil plants, so in honor of his persistent presence around our house, I named him after another constant in our kitchen: Pesto.

I’ve never had basil plants (or strange cats, for that matter) hang around this long. I don’t know if it’s because we planted them late in the season or because of the near-tropical climate, but they show no signs of fading any time soon. And so, I’ve had a never ending supply of pesto in my fridge (as I’m sure you’ve noticed!) and am trying to find new ways to use it. This soup is perfect for a fall use of the usually summertime herb; it’s warm and creamy but not too heavy. I adapted it from the recipe for Basil-Eggplant Soup in Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge’s Intercourses; my version differs only slightly from theirs.

Eggplant Basil Bisque

1 medium eggplant

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

4 large tomatoes, or 1 14 1/12 ounce can whole tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. Kosher salt plus more to taste

Cracked black pepper

2 ounces goat cheese

2 tablespoons basil pesto

Peel the eggplant, and cut into small chunks. Boil in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. (The original recipe calls for grilling the eggplant, which I’m sure would impart lots of flavor. I keep meaning to try it that way.) In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic together over medium-low heat until the onion is translucent and very tender but not brown. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the pot; cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft. Add the eggplant and chicken broth; season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat to cool a bit. Mix the pesto and goat cheese in the blender to form a greenish paste. Remove the pesto paste from the blender, leaving a little sticking to the sides. Puree the soup in batches, but be careful! Hot soup will blow the lid right off your blender. Reheat the pureed soup if necessary; serve with a spoonful of the basil paste on top. I didn’t have goat cheese when I made the soup you see in the photo, so I just used pesto. It was still good, but the goat cheese adds a nice creaminess that I like, so if you have it, use it. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Posted in Comfort Food, Soup, Vegetables | 2 Comments »

Paper Chef #12: A Cute Little Lamb?

Monday, November 7th, 2005

For this month’s Paper Chef competition, hosted by the dynamic duo over at Belly-Timber, contestants were given an unusual assortment of ingredients. Basil, oranges, and fish sauce were randomly selected from the list of nominees; for the final ingredient, Mrs. D and Chopper Dave chose a cuddly one: lamb.

I admit, I was daunted. My inexperience with cooking up Little Bo Peep’s charges gave me pause about participating in the competition this month. And, my sister was in town, and I have a presentation next week, so it would be a busy weekend…the excuses mounted up.

But, Saturday morning on my weekly trip to the Red Stick Market, I stumbled across Mr. and Mrs. Boggs, in from Sugartown, Louisiana, selling none other than the very creatures in question. I chatted with them about the various cuts and preparation methods for a while, and they convinced me to buy a pound of their best seller: lamb sausage! Mr. Boggs promised that I could use it just as I would any other bulk sausage,–not so daunting after all–and just like that, an entry in Paper Chef was a few ingredients away.

Basil still grows abundantly in my backyard (it’s 85 degrees outside here as I write this), and fish sauce is a pantry staple, so I only had to pick up a few oranges, and I’d be on my way.

So…what to do with lamb sausage, basil, oranges, and fish sauce, you ask? Well, stuff them in an acorn squash, of course! Okay, so maybe that idea didn’t come that easily, but at any rate, that’s what I decided to do.

I’ve been meaning to make a big batch of pesto anyway, and the basil-garlic flavor seemed a perfect accompaniment for the sausage. To thicken the filling and add some creaminess, I added bread crumbs and fontina cheese, which melted up nicely. I wanted to use orange pulp for complexity, but I didn’t want the sweetness to overpower the other flavors. So, I added some zest to the pesto and roasted the oranges, scooping out the pulp after the heat had mellowed the sweet acidic flavor just a bit. Fish sauce presented a bit of a challenge. Using it for the fishy flavor wouldn’t work with the lamb, and too much would overwhelm the filling for sure. So, I decided to use it as a substitute for salt. Instead of salting the squash before baking it, I rubbed the inside with fish sauce and some olive oil.

I served the squash with buttermilk basil biscuits and spicy orange marmalade over arugula with oranges, red onions, goat cheese, and a sweet-hot vinaigrette, made with orange marmalade, red wine vinegar, the juice from the roasted oranges, and a tiny bit of fish sauce. The vinaigrette complemented everything so nicely, I ended up drizzling it over the whole plate!

The lamb sausage filling really worked well with the squash: the eating experience involved mouthfuls of creamy, savory filling and sweet, buttery squash flesh, with hints of the sweet heat from the vinaigrette. The spicy bitterness of the arugula provided a strong backdrop for the oranges and red onions, and the spicy marmalade matched up nicely with the buttery flakiness of the biscuits.

All in all, I was happy I ran into Mr. Boggs; otherwise, this Paper Chef would have passed me by, and I would still be contemplating the ethics of eating those who I count before I go to sleep. As a matter of fact, I might have overcome that hurdle altogether: maybe in the coming weeks, you’ll see recipes for Lambsagna or Lamburguine. Who knows?

(more…)

Posted in Food Blogging Events, Main Dish, Meat, Vegetables | No Comments »

Comfort Food, Curry Style

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005

There are so many different versions of curry that you really never know what you’re going to get if you order it at a restaurant. What kind of restaurant helps–Thai curries are generally made with coconut milk, Indian ones with yogurt–but even then, some Thai curries contain potatoes, some contain eggplant; you really just never know. Which is part of what I love about ordering them–always a surprise.

A bowl of curry on a cold night is a richer, heartier version of chicken soup for me: comfort food. I like mine with coconut milk, which gives the broth a silky, creamy texture, and David likes it with beef to give the dish some protein-based substance. I’ve tried a number of different recipes, and this one is based on the Chiang-Mai Curry recipe from Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford’s lovely book Hot Sour Salty Sweet. Many of the ingredients their original recipe are difficult for me to find on a typical Saturday shopping trip, so I’ve adapted the recipe for what I can easily buy from my local grocer. My version is quick and easy, but I often wish that I made my own curry paste–I haven’t been able to find a store-bought version that I really love. Maybe in another life. If you’re interested in making your own, you should check out Thai cook extraordinaire Chez Pim; she has many versions with excellent instructions for the pounding of the curry.

If you’re looking for an Asian dish to try, this might be a good choice–it’s not any more difficult than chicken soup, and it’s much more flavorful. The fried noodles on top are completely optional–Duguid and Alford’s recipe calls for them, and I like the extra crunch. Also, you may need to adjust the amount of curry paste depending on how spicy you like your food and how hot the curry paste you use is. A good way to decide is to start with less and taste; you can always add more later. Here’s the method:

Curried Noodles

12 ounces egg noodles, 1 cup reserved if you’re frying them

1 T. peanut oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 serrano chilies, minced (seeded if you don’t like your food too spicy)

1 t. turmeric

1 T. sugar

3/4 pound beef, small-diced (meat cut for a stew works fine)

1 1/2 T. red curry paste

14 ounces coconut milk

1/2 cup water

3 T. fish sauce

2 limes

Cilantro, for garnish

Other optional garnishes: bean sprouts, slivered ginger, shredded cabbage, crushed peanuts

Cook the noodles until tender; drain, and set aside. In a very large skillet, sauté the garlic, chilies, and turmeric in the oil until the garlic is tender but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the beef, sugar, and curry paste, stirring frequently until the beef is coated with the paste mixture and begins to turn brown. Add the coconut milk, water, and fish sauce. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in the juice of 1 lime before serving. While the curry is simmering, you can fry the reserved noodles in 1 cup peanut oil for about 1 or 2 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Salt immediately. To serve, fill bowls with egg noodles. Ladle the curry on, top with cilantro and fried noodles, and garnish with lime wedges and any other toppings you like.

Posted in Comfort Food, Main Dish, Meat, Pasta, Vegetables | 1 Comment »

One Chick’s Pad

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005

When I worked at the Brick-Oven in Jackson, Pad Thai was one of my favorite pasta dishes. The chefs made the peanut sauce from scratch, and if they would have let me, I could have eaten it by the bowlful all by itself.

Even after I stopped working, David and I still ate there pretty regularly. Often, we went just because their Pad Thai was the best in town. When I ordered it, I never called it Pad Thai, and it took me a long time to realize that the reason our server chuckled when I ordered was that I still referred to the dish in kitchen-speak: I asked for “shrimp pad” instead of “Pad Thai with Shrimp,” as it was listed on the menu. I’m sure it sounded funny coming from the wrong side of the table.

Once, when I first started waiting tables, a restaurant reviewer and his wife sat at one of my tables, (I didn’t know who he was until later) and he ordered Pad Thai with Chicken. A little while after I brought it to him, I went back to the table to see how they were doing and found him flicking the green onions from the top of his pasta onto the table in front of him. When I asked if something were the matter, he went into this tirade about how much he hated green onions and insisted that he had ordered the Pad Thai without them. I didn’t argue–the customer is always right, after all–and asked if I could bring him something else. He declared that he’d solved the problem himself; I needn’t worry about fixing it. When I returned with the manager on duty, I found empty chairs around their green-onion-decorated table and cash in the middle–not even enough to cover the cost of the meal.

I was horrified that any grown man (he was probably my grandfather’s age) would act so ridiculously about something so trivial, but when I found out he wrote restaurant reviews, I was certain I would be fired. My manager was nice, but he did ask me numerous times if I was sure that he hadn’t asked for the Pad Thai without green onions. I have never been so sure of anything, but by then it seemed a bit irrelevant; the damage was done.

The following week, an anonymous food column appeared in the local paper giving the restaurant a glowing review; the writer was especially complimentary of the service. I will never be certain that he wrote it, but whenever I make this dish, I always wonder, and I cover my Pad Thai in green onions, just for good measure. And, I call it whatever I like.

Here’s my recipe:

Pad Thai, or Chicken Pad, or One Chick’s Pad

2 cups cooked chicken, diced (I had more leftovers from the Tandoori Chicken, but any grilled or sauteed breasts will do)

1 1/2 cups peanut sauce (see the recipe below in the Tuesday’s post)

A handful of snow peas

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped finely

1/2 cup bean sprouts

1 carrot, shredded

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

3/4 pound flat rice noodles or linguine

Cook the pasta until tender; drain and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the peanut sauce over medium-low. Add the chicken and snow peas and stir to coat. Cook just until the snow peas are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Pile a nest of noodles on each plate, and pour the sauced chicken over. Top with bean sprouts, carrot, green onions (as many as you like!), and crushed peanuts.

Posted in Main Dish, Meat, Pasta, Vegetables | 2 Comments »

Wrapped…Open Face

Tuesday, November 1st, 2005

My little sister introduced me to Thai cashew wraps at a little wrap shop called Roly-Poly last summer. They taste fresh and spicy, with the crunch of fresh cilantro and the kick of hot peanut sauce. But something about that flavor combination and a tortilla just doesn’t work for me. This sandwich is my attempt to imitate the flavor of the Roly-Poly sandwich, while improving the texture. Naan is a traditional bread served in India; like the chicken, it too is usually cooked in a clay oven.

For this bread, I used the recipe from The Joy of Cooking, but next time I make it, I will use yogurt as a thickening agent, as most traditional preparations do. I also will roll it flatter and rub with more butter and spices–mine is a little too flat and not crispy enough.

It worked well for these wraps, though, and if you’re in a hurry, any good store-bought flatbread would do. Here’s what I put on them:

Asian-style Wraps

Shredded chicken (I used the leftover Tandoori chicken from last night)

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced

1 cucumber, small-dice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 t. sesame oil

1 T. rice wine vinegar

Peanut Sauce (recipe below)

Flatbread

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cabbage, ginger, cilantro, oil, and vinegar. Lay out one flatbread per person. Top with a handful of the cabbage mixture, then chicken. Drizzle with peanut sauce and roll up. Serve with extra cabbage-ginger salad.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 bird chili

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 T. soy sauce

1 T. fish sauce

1 T. brown sugar

1 lime, juice and zest

1 t. fresh ginger

1 t. orange zest

1 t. orange juice

In a food processor, process the garlic, chili, and ginger until finely minced. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. This recipe makes a lot, but the sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. I’ll use some of it on my Pad Thai later in the week.

Posted in Main Dish, Meat, Sauces and Condiments | No Comments »