Thai Pineapple--Shrimp Fried Rice

There are many variations of Thai fried rice. It's not as dry as Chinese fried rice. Because of its ingredients. Thai fried rice is moist and flaky. And delicious!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped shallots
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup sliced pineapple
2 to 3 tablespoons fish sauce
10 cooked shrimp
1/2 cup peas
Garnish: thinly sliced green onion, red chile peppers, Chinese parsley

Directions

In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat until oil i shot. Add onion, shallots, and garlic and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture is light brown. Add eggs and immediately add the rice, pineapple, fish sauce, shrimp and peas. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly
mixed.

~Based on a recipe from

Keo's Thai Cuisine Revised

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Asian Slaw

This was very tasty. And easy to make!

Ingredients

3-4 cups shredded cabbage
1 large carrot shredded
1 Shallot halved, quartered, thinly sliced
1/2 orange pepper sliced
1/2 red pepper sliced
1 cup broccoli florets thinly sliced
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/3 cup mayo
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp+ Frank's Hot Sauce
1/4 tsp sugar

Directions

1. Toss cabbage, carrots, shallot, peppers, broccoli in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together vinegar, mayo, sesame oil, hot sauce, and sugar until smooth. Taste; add salt if needed.
3. Pour dressing over shredded vegetables and toss to combine. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours (I chilled mine.) Toss again before serving. Finish with a dusting of sesame seeds or chopped peanuts.

I served this with a Turkey--Oat Meatloaf and Parslied Basmati Rice:

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Salmon alla Perricone

With Quinoa Pilaf and Sautéed Spinach with Garlic & Onions.

Ingredients

1. 1 8 ounce Sockeye Salmon
2. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
3. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Season salmon with salt and pepper. Combine sesame seeds in shallow baking dish. Brush salmon fillets lightly with oil and dredge the flesh side (not skin side) in the seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (I used a cast iron pan). Sear the salmon seed-side down in the pan just until it is light golden – do not burn the seeds or they will be bitter. Lightly brown skin side also.  Transfer fillets, sesame seeds up, into the baking dish (or simple use the cast iron pan) and place the salmon in the oven. Roast 8-10 minutes.

~Based on a recipe from Dr. Perricone

 

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Pan-Seared Hanger Steak with Mushroom-Merlot-Balsamic Reduction Sauce and Braised Brussels Sprouts

I loved the Dijon-Maple Syrup Sauce from Mollie Katzen so much, I made it again for this dinner.

Let's start with a photograph of the meal and then we will proceed to the recipes:

Braised Brussels Sprouts via Mollie Katzen

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup minced shallot (about two 3-ounce shallots)
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons water


Directions

1. Use a very sharp knife to cut off and discard the base of the Brussels sprouts. (As you do so, the out leaves will fall off. Keep and use any that are not bruised!) Then slice a piece from one side, place the sprout cut side down (for slicing stability), and cut the sprout crosswise into about 5 slices (more or less, depending on its size). Repeat until you have cut up all the sprouts in this way.
2. Place a large (10- to 12- inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the shallots, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the Brussels sprouts and salt, pour in 3 tablespoons of the water, and spread everything evenly across the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
3. Turn the heat to low, and cook, undisturbed, for another 3 minutes. Stir again, and decide if you like the sprouts cooked to this degree or if you want to cook them a bit more. You can leave the skillet on the stove over low heat for up to 5 minutes longer, in which case the sprouts will brown and become more intensely flavored—it’s your call.  Serve with Mollie Katzen's Dijon-Maple Syrup Sauce.

Pan-Seared Hanger Steak with Mushroom-Merlot-Balsamic Reduction Sauce

This recipe is inspired by one I saw in the beautiful and practical cookbook, The Winemaker Cooks, by Christine Hanna.

Ingredients

1 tpsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 5-6 ounce hanger steaks (or other flat steak)
Salt and Pepper
4 oz mushrooms, stemmed, brushed clean and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup Merlot
2 tpsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions

1. In a large, heavy saute pan (I used cast-iron), heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and pepper, then sear in the hot oil until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the mushrooms to the pan and return to medium-high heat. Ass the garlic and stir to combine. Add the wine and Balsamic vinegar and cook 2-3 minutes. Return the steaks to the pan, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Serve the steaks with the sauce.

Bon Appetit!!!

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Delicious Fennel & Ginger Roast Chicken

This roast chicken was one of the best I have made in a long time.

It is a recipe from Claire Robinson. I found it in her new book, 5 Ingredient Fix, which is very beautiful and filled with "Easy Elegant and Irresistible Recipes."

Ingredients

1 organic roasting chicken (about 4 pounds)

One 6-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½ lemon, and slices of ½ lemon for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

2 whole fennel bulbs, with fronds

Directions

Remove the chicken from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut off a 1-inch piece of ginger, grate it on a microplane, and transfer it to a bowl with 4 tablespoons butter. Add the lemon zest. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the butter; slice the other half and reserve. Season the butter with salt and pepper and mix well.

Put the chicken in the roasting pan on a rack. Loosen the skin of the chicken with your fingers under breast and down the thighs. Stuff the ginger-lemon butter under the skin and, using your fingers, spread the paste evenly over the breast meat and thighs. Rub the exterior of the chicken with the remaining butter and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove the fronds from the fennel and reserve; trim the stalks from the bulbs and stuff them into the cavity of the chicken. Cut the fennel bulbs into ¼-inch wedges and reserve. Using kitchen twine, tie the chicken legs to enclose the cavity.

Roast the chicken 20 minutes; remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Slice the remaining ginger into chunks and add to the roasting pan along with the fennel wedges and lemon slices. Pour in 1 cup water and return the pan to the oven and continue roasting until internal temperature registers 170 degrees F, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork, about 1 ½ hours more.

To serve, scatter the roasted fennel and lemon slices around a serving platter, rest the roasted chicken on top of the vegetables, and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

My dish:

I also roasted some Brussels Sprouts and Carrots, cooked a wild rice mixture, and Susan made cranberry mango sauce.

YUM!

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Turkey Carrot Cilantro Burgers

This entire meal was inspired by my friend Mollie Katzen.

She posted the following on Facebook and I thought to myself "How can I create entire meal around this wonderful recipe."

Mollie writes:

Prepare to fall in love with this ridiculously simple little sauce. Best on roasted Brussels sprouts, but good on fish, tofu, portobellos, eggplant slices - any savory cooked anything.

Please don’t use any syrup other than pure maple. Nothing “maple-ish” or “maple-esque,” or heaven forbid, “maple-flavored.” Promise me. And I promise you your ingredient integrity will be rewarded.

It keeps forever in a tightly lidded jar or container in the refrigerator.

1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Optional: A few drops of chile oil or some red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a medium-small bowl, and whisk until blended. Serve at room temperature.

Makes just under 1 cup.

I didn't have Brussels Sprouts, which Susan and I love and eat once a week, but we did have asparagus.

To 1/2 pound of ground turkey I added 1 finely grated carrot, 1 finely diced shallot, 1 heaping tablespoon of chopped cilantro--who knows, maybe it was closer to 2 tablespoons! Some salt and pepper and three incredibly tasty burgers.


Now, you may wonder to yourself, "Why only 1/2 pound.?"


I will explain. I am usually cooking only for Susan and I and I used the other 1/2 pound of ground turkey the night before for Stuffed Peppers:

Continuing right along, I made three burgers (Susan's Mom ate over for dinner). I roasted the asparagus for about 10 minutes at 450. And I toasted the Quinoa to which I added 1 finely diced shallot and a cup of currants.


Mollie's simple, but magical sauce, we all enjoyed on the asparagus, the quinoa, and the burgers!

I recommend you visit Mollie's website!

You can follow her on Twitter, too.

And on Facebook.

I would love to hear from you!

If you want events in your life documented or are looking for distinctive nature, portrait or wedding photography--photography with soul that inspires you

to live a more artful and beautiful life,

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Tuscan Pork Loin

This is a wonderful and easy technique for pork roasted inside a baguette with wonderful fresh herbs and of course garlic and olive oil! I'm sure this will become a favorite of yours too - it's great to bring on a picnic lunch!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage
2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen*
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 loaf crusty baguette

Directions

1. On a work surface, mince the sage, rosemary, pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and fennel pollen together.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the pork in the herb mixture and set aside. 3. Cut the baguette in half the long way and scoop out the soft insides. Brush the inside of the baguette with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place the pork on the inside of the baguette so that the pork is completely enclosed. Trim off the excess ends of the bread. Tie the baguette, at 1-to 2-inch intervals, with kitchen string.

4. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Place the pork on a baking sheet and roast until done, 155°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes. Remove the strings and cut into slices. Serve.

Serves 4
~from Joanne Weir

P.S. I have made variations of this. I cut the pork open like a book and stuff it with spinach, pine nuts, or kale, raisins and Parmesan, etc.

Braised Cod and Golden Onions

Simple and Delicious. I served it with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans.

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. 2 Cod Loin, about 4 ounces each
3. 1 large onion, thinly sliced
4. 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, crumbled
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 1/4 cup homemade stock + 1/4 cup ginger ale
7. Chives

Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add oil. Add sliced onions and cook until golden and soft, stirring frequently, about 12-15 minutes. Add thyme and bay leaf to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season cod with salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Add stock and ginger ale. Bring liquids to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover skillet, and braise cod until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives.

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