Chicken Panang

I'm a sucker for good Asian food.  Chinese, Japanese, Thai and everything in between.  I love it all.  A few years ago, I tried curry for the first time.  It was an acquired taste for me, but once I discovered Panang, I knew I'd hit a home run.  It's spicy, a little sweet, and luscious, with a peanut butter finish.  Great with any meat or veggie (or whatever the hell you have in the fridge), this is a must-keep recipe to add to your repertoire for those often craved exotic evenings.  

Panang Curry 

Chicken Boobs
2 T. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
3/4 Onion, diced
1 1/2 C. Carrots, chopped into small rings
1/2 Zucchini, chopped
3 T. Panang Curry (found in a pouch or a can in Asian grocery stores)
1 Heaping T. of Peanut Butter
1 14 oz. can of Lite Coconut Milk
1 T. Fish Sauce
1 T. Brown Sugar
Basil, nuts and lime juice, to garnish

Sprinkle your chicken with salt & pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat until it glistens.  Add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes per side or until you get a nice, golden brown edge.  Make sure the chicken is cooked through.  Remove from the skillet and set aside.  When the chicken has had a chance to rest for 5 minutes, slice into pieces about 1" thick.

Add the onions to the skillet.  Cook until they are soft but not browned, about 6 minutes.  Add the carrots and zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes.  Stir in the panang curry and peanut butter, allowing it to coat the veggies.  Pour in the coconut milk and stir to thoroughly combine.  Stir in the fish sauce and sugar.  Taste and add more sugar, peanut butter or fish sauce as needed.  Add the chicken back and stir gently to cover it in the sauce.

Serve over rice and garnish with fresh basil, nuts of your choice and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Shish Kebabs

There is not much in this world as satisfying as grilling meat on a stick over flames.  Maybe it's my id, a yearning for simpler times, or gee whiz, maybe it's that fahwesome taste of char and caramelized sugars all over my food that only fire can lend.   In any case, I encourage you to unleash your inner cave man, break out the grill and start cooking like summer intended.  This weekend, my new obsession Christian and I grilled some shish kebabs using my dad's infamous recipe.  These shish kebabs are tender, juicy & fresh, and packed with sweet, teriyaki flavors.  

Shish Kebabs

1/2 lb. of Beef Tips (or your favorite protein), cut in large chunks

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

1 Red Pepper, cut in large chunks

1 Pint of Button Mushrooms, with stems on

1 Onion, cut in large chunks

1 Can of Whole Potatoes

1/2 C. Teriyaki Sauce (we used San-J gluten-free)

1 C. Pineapple, cut in large chunks (optional)

Wooden Skewers, soaked in water

Preheat your grill to nice and hot.  Season the beef with salt & pepper.  

Start to assemble the kebabs by starting with a piece of red pepper or onion.  This will secure the pieces so they don't slide off the end of the skewer.  Continue by adding the other ingredients.  Finish the skewer with another red pepper or onion chunk and set the kebabs in a shallow baking dish.  Repeat this until you've used all the ingredients.  

Drizzle your teriyaki sauce over the kebabs, making sure that each piece gets nicely coated.  Drizzle with a smidge of olive oil.  This helps prevent sticking on the grill and helps your food to get an extra crunch.  

When the grill is hot, carefully add the kebabs, perpendicular to the metal grates.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, until you get a good char.  Turn and cook for another 5 minutes on the other side.  Make sure your meat is cooked to a safe temperature.  Remove from the grill.  Drizzle with fresh sauce if you desire (NOT the sauce that collected at the bottom of your baking dish).   Serve with quinoa, couscous and something green.  

Patio Weather

When I moved to Ohio, some friends told me that I had just missed "patio weather" and that I would not find anything better in this new state.  I nodded and smiled politely, all the while thinking how sitting on my patio sounded like a true bore.  Well, I don't think I've ever eaten my words (or thoughts) any faster than when patio weather did come around again.  It is now absolutely my favorite part of Ohio's spring and summers.  There's something so peaceful and satisfying about being outside on a beautiful patio eating good food, drinking cool drinks and enjoying the company of close friends.  The following recipes are inspired by good friends and fabulous patio weather.

Grilled Crostini with Dara's Hip Hoppin' Morockin' Carrot Dip  

My friend Dara Schwartz recently launched a line of all-natural dips made from local Ohio ingredients that are unbelievably flavorful and healthy.  My favorite is the Hip-Hoppin' Morockin' Carrot - Moroccan Carrot Dip.  It's spicy and exotic with a hint of raw honey.  Dara shared this appetizer recipe with me to enjoy the dip.  Try it tonight - you'll be blown away by the rocking' combo of flavors and textures.  

Hip Hoppin' Morockin' Carrot - Moroccan Carrot Dip

Baguette

White cheddar cheese, in thin slices

Preheat your grill to medium high.  Thinly slice your baguette on a bias (diagonal).  Grill them to your desired level of crunch.  I like mine burned and crispy.  In the last 2 minutes of crisping, add a slice of cheese and let it melt a bit.  Remove from the heat and top with a spoonful of carrot dip.  Garnish with something green and enjoy.  

Check out Dara's site @ www.daristacafe.com

Grilled Salmon with Dijon Maple Hollandaise and Pistachios

I've been on a huge salmon kick lately.  I love the crispy skin and the rich flavor packed into this hearty, but light, pink fish.  I've been experimenting with some different flavor profiles and this is one of the winners.  The salmon is grilled simply but adorned with some delicious, well-balanced accoutrements.  

Salmon fillets, skin on

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

1 Packet Hollandaise Sauce Mix

1 C. Milk

1/2 Stick of butter, melted

2 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. Maple syrup

Pistachios, roughly chopped

Preheat your well-cleaned grill to medium high.  Drizzle your salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature.  

In a small grill-safe saucepan, whisk together the Hollandaise mix, milk, butter, mustard and syrup.  Set the saucepan on the grill and stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil.  Move the saucepan to the corner of your grill, so it's not over the highest heat.  Keep and eye on it and stir frequently.  

Carefully place your salmon on the grill, skin side down.  If you're worried about it sticking, place a piece of aluminum foil on the rack and place the salmon on top.  Close the grill and let the salmon cook for about 5-6 minutes.  Don't touch it - you want the skin to be nice and browned.  When the skin is looking crispy, carefully flip it and brown the other side for another 4-5 minutes.  Technically, salmon is supposed to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145.  I take mine off a few minutes before this and cover it with foil because it will continue cooking for a short while once off the grill.  

To plate, spoon the Dijon Maple Hollandaise onto the plate in a swirl.  Add the grilled salmon on top and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.  

Happy Patio Weather!

Apricot BBQ Meatballs with Basil & Peanuts

Sometimes, one recipe's just not enough.  Awhile back, I learned about Grape Jelly Meatballs, the best and easiest meatballs you'll ever make.  After making them a hundred times over the past 2 years, I decided I was ready to switch up the recipe.  This is a take off of that recipe, with a few new flavors added to the mix.  These meatballs are sweet and robust, with a hint of asian flare.  They are splendid as a party food or appetizer or as a main course served with rice and veggies.  

Apricot BBQ Meatballs with Basil & Peanuts

1 C. of Apricot jelly

1 Small can of crushed pineapple

1 C. of BBQ sauce

1 Pinch of red chile flakes

1 Bag of traditional frozen meatballs (not italian flavored) 

Basil, sliced thinly 

Peanuts

Turn your crockpot to low heat.  Add the apricot jelly, pineapple BBQ sauce and chile flakes.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  Add the meatballs and gently toss to coat them in the sauce.  Cook on low heat until they are cooked through, up to 8 hours.  Toss them a couple times so the meatballs soak up all that great flavor.  To garnish sprinkle with basil and peanuts.  

*You could use this sauce as a mild, sweet version of General Tso's chicken, especially for kids.

Honduran Holiday Pork

This recipe is inspired by a traditional holiday meal served in Honduras.  I fell in love with it over dinner with a friend’s family and now I make it every year around the holidays.  This pork is dynamic and robust, with wonderful citrus flavors and smoky spices.  It’s incredibly easy to make and it will fill your home with delectable aromas.

Guide to Latin T Dishes:

Torta - sandwich on soft bread
Tortilla - obvious, but flat bread made from corn or flour
Tostada - crispy tortilla piled high with latin goodies
Taquito - rolled and fried tortilla with meat and cheese
Taco - if I have to explain this one to you, you may be reading the wrong blog

Crockpot Orange Pork

1 Pork Shoulder (one that will fit in your crockpot)
Salt & Pepper
1 T. plus 1 t. Smoked Paprika, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Cumin, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Sugar, divided
2 Red Onions, cut into slices
2 Oranges, cut into large chunks
1 Lime, cut into large chunks
¼ C. Olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
Cilantro, Orange slices & Avocado, for garnish
Tortillas, for serving

Add the pork and onions to a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and the spices.  Squeeze the citrus over the pork and drizzle with the olive oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight. 

In the morning, squeeze whatever is left from the citrus over the meat and onions.  Remove the citrus from the bowl and discard.  Carefully transfer the pork, onions and marinade from the bowl to a crockpot.  Set to high and cook for 8-9 hours until the pork is cooked through, tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. 

Move the pork to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks.  Skim the fat from the juices in the crockpot and doctor up the sauce with the butter and about one teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the meat back to the crockpot so it can soak up all those good flavors. 

To serve, pile the pork onto a warm tortilla and garnish with fresh cilantro, orange and avocado. 

Happy holidays and happy eating!

Baja Burritos

I love making savory latin dishes with hints of fresh sweetness.  Whether it's a quesadilla with slices of apple or Honduran orange pork, fruit adds a dynamic twist to an everyday favorite.  These burritos are no exception.  Packed with tender chicken, caramelized peppers and onion, highlighted with chunks of sweet pineapple and a BBQ-inspired enchilada sauce, these burritos are spicy and sensual and a welcome summer surprise.  

Baja Sauce:

6 T BBQ sauce

1 Can Red Enchilada sauce

2 T. Worcester sauce

2 t. Cumin

Salt & pepper

Filling:

Onion

Red Pepper

Chicken boobs, in chunks

Pineapple, without juice

1 jalapeño, finely diced, no seeds

Tortillas

Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to low simmer.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bring a large skillet to medium heat with 1 T. olive oil.  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until golden.  Remove and set aside.  

In the same skillet, sauté onion, red pepper, jalapeño and pineapple until slightly charred.  Add the chicken and toss to combine. 

Spoon the mixture into the tortillas and roll to make burritos.  I eat them just like this OR fry them lightly for a crunchy edge.  Serve them with the Baja Sauce for dipping. 

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos.  They can be really good or they can be RULL bad.  These ones are the former.  Crunchy, zesty, flavorful, fresh and delicious.  They always take me back to the first fish tacos I had, in Oceanside, CA at a restaurant that jutted out into the sea.  They were fabulous.  This is my easy homemade version that you could effortlessly make on a weeknight.  Feel free to switch up the garnish and make them your own!

Fish Tacos
 

Fish Sticks or fillets of white fish, such as tilapia or cod (1-2 per taco)

Tortillas

Cilantro Sour Cream (for the recipe, click here)

Tomato, avocado, cilantro & lime, chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven and bake the fish sticks according to the package's instructions.

Meanwhile, light the flame or electric burner on your stove and using tongs, toss the tortillas over the heat, allowing them to char slightly. 

Once the fish is cooked, place a fillet in each tortilla.  Top with tomatoes, avocado, sour cream and cilantro.  Spramp with fresh lime and enjoy.

Pasta Rossa

I have a thing about spaghetti noodles.  I don’t like them.  There’s something about the shape and the way it doesn’t hold sauce that distracts me.  Ridiculous, I know.  But I like to pay attention to that kind of thing.  It’s the perfectionist in me that I can’t seem to suppress.  The way I see it, why not make a simple change, like the type of pasta, and arrive at a result that much closer to perfection?  No distractions.  Just pleasant-looking, sauce absorbing, delicious, reassuring pasta. 

With that said, I LOVE ‘spaghetti sauce!’  This recipe really is closer to a Bolognese, so, I’ve renamed it Red Pasta for the sake of simplicity.  But by George, feel free to use whatever your favorite shape and size of pasta is and call it whatever the hell you want!

This red pasta sauce is thick and sumptuous, packed with veggies and meat and deep, rich flavor. 

Good to know:

Marinara Sauce – a simple, tomato-based sauce with basil and garlic.

Spaghetti Sauce – an “Americanism” for a basic red pasta sauce normally served with spaghetti pasta. 

Bolognese – a tomato and meat sauce made with onion, carrots, celery, beef & pork. 

Puttanesca – a tomato sauce with anchovies, chili flakes, olives and capers, named after ‘women of the night.’

4 slices of bacon

1 lb. of ground Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

4 medium-sized carrots, diced

4 ribs of celery, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 C. of your favorite red wine

1 jar of pasta sauce (like garlic & onion OR use several Tablespoons of tomato paste)

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Basil, julienned (thin strips), to garnish

Bacon, crumbled to garnish

Italian sausage, to garnish

Parmesan, to garnish

Your favorite pasta, cooked al dente

In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium-low heat.  By cooking over low heat, you will render all that fat from the bacon, which will help give this sauce even more depth.  Remove the bacon when it’s chewy and cooked through.

Add the Italian sausage to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat, stirring the meat to break it into pieces.  When it has turned brown, remove the sausage and set in a bowl to rest.  Add the diced onion, carrots and celery to the bacon and sausage grease.  Cook this trinity of vegetables (called mire-poix in French, pronounced “meer-pwa”) over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  You want them to turn translucent and start to brown.  Do not let them burn.  Add the garlic and stir to mix it into the veggies.  Cook until it’s fragrant – less than a minute. 

Add the wine to the veggies and bring the mixture to a boil.  Turn down the heat slightly and let the mixture simmer until the wine has reduced and thickened and coats the veggies, about 7 minutes.  *As Ina says, choose a wine that you would actually drink.  If you don’t, then you wont want to eat it either.  If you absolutely HATE red wine, choose a bold white wine like Chardonnay.  It will stand up to the strong meat flavors.  Really, you’re just looking for depth of flavor. 

Once the wine has reduced, add the canned tomatoes and the pasta sauce.  Add the Italian sausage back to the pot as well, reserving just enough to garnish at the end.  Stir to combine and turn the heat to low.  Let this sauce cook for about 30 minutes to all day long.  The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.  If it starts to get too thick, just add a bit of water.  Taste it along the way as well and season with salt and pepper, if needed. 

When you’re ready to eat, cook your pasta to al dente.  This just means that it’s still got a bite to it so it’s not mushy and saturated with water.  You know, like those awful noodles you find in cans of chicken noodle soup! 

I like to drain my noodles thoroughly and then add them right to the sauce.   This way each and every bite of pasta gets coated by sauce.  To garnish, sprinkle with the reserved Italian sausage and bacon, Parmesan cheese and basil.  Serve with garlic bread. 

Squisita!  

*This makes a ton of pasta sauce, so eat some and store the rest in the freezer for later.  

 Like this red pasta?  Try this white one too:

Pasta Bianca