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Cod en Papillote with Rosemary Walnut Tapenade and Pan Seared Zucchini

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 19, 2013 0 comments

Parchment is one of your kitchen BFF's. Especially when you want to delicately cook fish. 'En papillote' just means 'in parchment' in French. 'Al cartoccio' is the Italian equivalent. Cooking en papillote is so easy because it does the work for you. I'm a fan of any process where I can do little work and still produce a delicious meal. 

You'll want to start by making your tapenade, an olive spread originating in France. In a food processor, combine 1T of drained and rinsed capers, a 12" sprig of rosemary, 2 garlic cloves, 1T of anchovy paste, 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts (heat in pan over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes or until you can smell them), 1T of black pepper, and 2 cups of rinsed black olives. Pulse until you have a thick paste, then add the juice of 1/2 a lime, and slowly stream in 1/4 cup olive oil. Though you may be tempted to add a pinch of salt, DON'T. The capers are packed in brine. The olives are packed in brine. And the anchovy paste is made from salted, preserved anchovies. That's a lot of salt already, so no need to add any more or your tapenade will most likely be inedible. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter while you prepare your fish. 


To prepare your fish, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Take a 24" sheet of parchment and lie it on a baking sheet. Place two, 6oz. cod fillets in the middle of the parchment width-wise and place it lengthwise so that there are 8" of paper on one side, and 12" on the other. Drizzle with olive oil and 1tsp of honey. Add 2tsp of chopped rosemary and a pinch of black pepper. First fold the 8" piece over the fish, then do the same with each of the side pieces of parchment. Take the remaining 12" piece and crimp it in 1" folds under itself so that it is tucked under the fish. Cut a slit in the top of the parchment to let the steam out and bake for 25 minutes or until fish flakes apart easily. 


Finished product:


The zucchini is so simple, even a caveman could do it. Or your husband or wife who's never cooked a day in his/her life. Heat 1T of butter in a pan over high heat. Season the butter with a pinch of black pepper. Chop one 10" zucchini into 10 equal pieces and place the pieces flat into the pan. Cook on each side for 7 minutes or until golden brown. 


Serve the zucchini and fish hot with the tapende as the garnish. 




This normally robust cod is delicately cooked to succulent perfection. The honey only highlights the already sweet fish, and the tapenade is intensely tangy with a pungent flavor that overpowers your taste buds in a fantastic symphony of sharp tones. Lastly, the purity of the seared zucchini is a perfect compliment to the main dish. Buon appetito!

Spicy and Smoky Crockpot Chili Topped with Fresh Veggies and Aged English Cheddar

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 16, 2013 0 comments

 Fall, football, tailgates, rainy days inside, comfort food, pot luck dinners with friends. Chili is perfect for any said occasions. But instead of buying a couple quarts from the grocery store (or even worse...Wendy's), you can throw a few ingredients in a pot, leave it overnight, and you've got instant happiness by the ladleful...

Start by turning your crockpot to the highest heat (mine equates high heat to less cooking time, so I put it on 4 hours), and pouring in one 28oz. can of tomato puree, one 6oz. can of tomato paste, and 3/4 28oz. can petite diced tomatoes. Next, you will need 2 cans of dark red kidney beans, 2 cans of cannellini beans, 1 can of black beans, and 1 can of white and yellow corn. (I prefer using canned beans because it eliminates time and an extra step, but dried beans work perfectly. I recommend seasoning your soaking water with garlic powder and spices or using chicken stock to re-hydrate your beans.) Use a mesh strainer to thoroughly rinse your beans and corn under cold water; this gets rid of any added salt and starch from the water they're packed in. Plus, if you kept the canning liquid, you'd overflow your crockpot! Throw everyone into the pool.


Next you need to add your fresh vegetables to the pot: 2 seeded and diced jalapeños (keep the seeds if you like it really spicy), 2 large diced yellow onions, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Then add your meat: I used 1lb of angus ground beef (97/3 fat count), and 1lb of ground pork (80/20 fat count). The last thing is to add your flavorings. Mix 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 20oz. of Heineken or another pale lager (why use water when you can use beer?), 1/4 cup mesquite liquid smoke, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce. Add 2T of sea salt, 3T of black pepper, 2tsp of cinnamon, and 2T of paprika. Cover and cook for 4 hours or until you can't wait any longer!


Now you can prep your toppings. I like to use red onion, scallion, cilantro, a lime wedge, and a really sharp English cheddar. You need a cheese that will hold up to the strong flavors in the chili, and "mexican blend" from the store just won't cut it. 


You can also make some crostini to dip into the chili. I'm not sure where this fad of cornbread and chili started, but I hate it. Who wants to dip crumbly cornbread in chili for it to break apart? Terrible in execution, but good in flavor. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Brush olive oil on both sides of your favorite bread cut into small two-bite pieces, sprinkle salt and pepper, and bake about 10 minutes or until golden. 



Sweet, smokey, hearty, crisp, spicy, smooth, and tangy. The cheese cuts through the complex flavors from the Worchestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, and the crunchy toppings provide the ideal texture differentiation in chili and fresh veggies. The crostini soaks up the sauce, and lime juice adds the perfect kiss of bright acidity right at the end. Buon appetito! 

Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup

Posted by Unknown 0 comments

Chicken noodle soup is right up there with mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and chocolate in the comfort food lineup. There's just something soothing about a warm bowl of soup. Who can resist protein-filled broth infused with herbs, soft noodles, delicate veggies, and tender chicken? I certainly cannot...

Start by heating your oven to 375 degrees F. In a large soup pot, heat 1T butter, uniformly chop 4 large celery stalks, 4 large carrots, and 2 large yellow onions; add this mirepoix (meer-pwah) to the pot, and sauté until all the veggies are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, combine 1/2 stick room temperature butter with 1T chopped fresh sage, 1T chopped fresh thyme, and 1T chopped fresh rosemary in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt, and a few cracks of black pepper to the butter. Place your whole chicken in a large dutch oven or cast-iron pot. Now take the herb butter and use your hands to rub it under the skin of the chicken, making sure to coat the breasts as well as the legs. Rub any remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Quarter an additional yellow onion, cut 2 more carrots into thirds, and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken; leave any onion or carrot pieces that won't fit inside the bird in the pot. Then fill the pot halfway up the chicken with a dry red wine. I used cabernet sauvignon. Cover and bake for 1.5 hours or until the internal temperature of the chicken at the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F. 


 Once your mirepoix has finished cooking, add 2 quarts of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Add 2T each of chopped fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (hello Simon & Garfunkel) to the broth. (TayTip: to infuse your broth with another layer of flavor, finely chop and add the celery leaves from your stalks. They really drive home the tangy flavor of the celery.) Once your broth is boiling, add 3/4 of a large bag of egg noodles; one whole bag if you like your soup extra noodle-y. Add 2 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1T of cracked black pepper. Cook until the noodles are al dente, then reduce the heat to warm. When your chicken has finished roasting, remove it from the dutch oven, and place it on a cutting board to cool for 15 minutes so that you won't burn your fingers when chopping it. Pour the cooking liquid from the chicken into the broth with the noodles. When your chicken has cooled, remove the breast and leg meat, dice into whatever size you like, and add to the soup. 


SIDE NOTE: This is also the exact same base for chicken and dumplings. Instead of adding egg noodles to the boiling broth, mix 2 cups flour, 1T baking powder, 1tsp salt, and 1tsp pepper with 1 1/2 cups water until you have a batter. It should be thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than biscuits; add water or flour respectively depending on whether the batter is too thick or thin. (TayTip: this is basically Bisquick  minus the shortening. Use your favorite flour--all purpose, wheat, buckwheat, spelt, semolina--and quadruple the recipe without water. Keep it in an airtight container and use as the base for pancakes, dumplings, biscuits, waffles, etc. Homemade Bisquick at hand and much cheaper!) Take a large spoon and drop the dumplings right into the boiling broth so they form a layer on the top. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until your dumplings are cooked all the way through, but not dried out. 


The fresh herbs really are the stars of this soup. They add a flavor complexity that nothing else can. The combination of sage, rosemary, and thyme with parsley is that signature smell of savory Fall cooking. It instantly takes me back to Thanksgivings or Christmases growing up. Hearty, warm, scrumptious, and just what you need to say 'hello' to Fall. If you even have any leftover, you can pop it in a container and freeze for an entire season. Perfect for tailgates, if you're sick, rainy days inside, or anytime! Forget your soul, this chicken noodle soup is for your stomach. Buon appetito! 

No Flour Baked Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Dough Cookies (Vegan!)

Posted by Unknown Saturday, September 14, 2013 0 comments

These have no flour, no oil, no white sugar and are gluten free, dairy free, grain free, and vegan! And did I mention that I am a meat eater, dairy eater, and sometime grain and gluten eater? So why, you ask, would I make and eat these cookies? BECAUSE THEY'RE GOOD. Very good. In fact 'good' doesn't even begin to describe them: I'd actually refer to them as sinful(ly healthy). I was originally skeptical when experimenting with the recipe I saw on Pinterest, but after making them I am a full convert. The best part though is that they're made with chickpeas. So instead of using flour, sugar, and a bunch of eggs (which can be fattening in high quantities) to build your dough base, you're getting a bean that is full of protein, fiber, and copper. And it is very full of folate and manganese, which help in red blood cell production and blood circulation as well as keeping bones strong and synthesizing fatty acids. 

This is a one pot recipe...or in this case, one processor. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and add one 15oz. can of chick peas to a food processor with 1/4 cup of the best honey you can find. I made these at a friend's house, and forgot to bring my honey, but was pleasantly surprised to find he had a great local honey that was made from orange blossoms. Talk about complex flavor profile! Now for the peanut butter. You need natural peanut butter. As in the kind that's just peanuts and salt. No JIF here. (You can make your own by putting roasted peanuts in a processor with salt and pureeing for about 10 minutes until smooth.) The reason for the natural is that if you get the over processed kind, they add extra oils to make it smoother (so check the ingredients list to make sure it only has peanuts and/or salt). If you put that in these cookies without any flour to circumvent the oil, they will separate into a slick mess. Add 1/4 c plus 2T of the peanut butter to the mix. Then add 2tsp of baking powder for a little leavening, 2tsp of pure vanilla extract, 1.5T of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Puree until smooth and the chick peas are completely broken down. 

DISCLAIMER: This dough will be very thick and sticky (we're talking honey and peanut butter here, people!) and most likely form a big ball in the processor. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and do a quick blitz again to make sure everything is incorporated. 


Next remove the blade, and stir in 1/2c of the darkest chocolate chips you can stand (the darker the better, and the darker the healthier). Once you have a uniform batter, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then pour some unsweetened coconut flakes onto a plate. Form the dough into 1" cookies, roll them in the coconut and place them about 1/2" apart on the sheet. 


(TayTip: anytime you're working with a sticky, messy dough, keep a mug of water handy to dip your fingers in. If your fingers are wet, less dough will stick to them.) Bake for 10 minutes until the chocolate has melted and the coconut is toasted. Makes 21 cookies. 


Ooey-gooey chocolate and peanut butter goodness. Everyone knows the dough is better than the cookie, right? That's what makes these so good: the texture is smooth and thick and breaks apart easily like dough. Not to mention there are only 71 calories, 8g carbs, and 4g of fat per cookie. Hello healthy decadence! 

Buon appetito! 

Croque Madame with Oven Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 12, 2013 0 comments

Please forgive my absence. I know it's been almost two weeks since my last post, but I've been very busy and haven't been cooking much. I am happy to say that I got a full time job, and I'll be working soon. So bring on the late-night posts, the photo editing until the wee hours of the morning, and most importantly: the money to buy a few fancy ingredients every now and then! 

In other news, I'm weird. No really, I am. Ask my family or friends. Weird, that is, in the sense that I have a love-hate relationship with eggs. And it's mostly hate (on my end at least...I am not so presumptuous to assume insight into the mind of an egg). And I only say weird because I'm pretty sure that I'm part of the minority in disliking eggs. So, that's why this dish is so great: because it has eggs and I ATE IT. Croque (pronounced "croak") madame is a variation on a croque monsieur, which is basically a grilled cheese with ham. The croque madame adds béchamel and a fried egg (which makes it a madame and not a monsieur because the egg was said to resemble a lady's hat). There are many different forms which have come out of the original. I guess you could say that mine is a loose combination of the croque provençal with tomatoes, and the croque gagnet which uses andouille sausage. Plus, you know I can't follow the beaten path when it comes to cooking, so mine is a little different in ingredients as well as in execution. Instead of a sandwich, I'm doing a kind of egg-in-a-basket. Most Parisians would say that this couldn't be called a croque madame, but hey, there is always a time to follow the rules, and this just isn't it! 

First start by prepping your tomatoes. To do so, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make sure your paper can withstand the heat (most have temperature maximums). Then slice three vine ripened tomatoes in half lengthwise. You're looking for big chunks here. Drizzle with a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil--like three drops per slice--and 1tsp of balsamic vinegar per slice. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle 1tsp of sugar total on top, and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. I also put a head of garlic in there to roast. Just wrap in aluminum foil and throw it on the baking sheet. While you're at it, you might as well, right? The tomatoes should be shriveled a bit and charred on the edges when done. 


Next, brown 3oz. of sage sausage (my substitution for the traditional ham in a croque madame) and half of a medium yellow onion over medium-high heat. While that's browning, cut the edges off of three slices of sourdough sandwich bread. Then place them on your cutting board, and use a rolling pin to thin them out. This makes the bread denser, and will help make the slices crisp in the oven. Melt 3T of butter and brush onto both sides of the bread. 


Next, line a 3-inch muffin tin with the sourdough (one slice per hole). In each "basket" add 1/3 of the sausage and onion mixture, one tomato half, and crack one whole egg.
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Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20-35 minutes depending on how you like your yolk. Since I'm squirmish when it comes to eggs, I cooked mine all the way through. 

Ok seriously? Look at that down there. I'm a fan of anything that does that. 


Slice some scallions and sprinkle them on top. Et voila!

Crispy crunchy bread, savory earthy sage sausage, sweet and tangy balsamic tomatoes, and a pillow soft egg. Nestle with a blanket of cheddar and sharp scallions and you're in business. Plus, this is very easily made a vegetarian dish with the removal of the sausage. Next time you reach for a pop tart, remember you can make this instead. 

Buon appetito! Bon appétit!

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