Steak

We love a good steak. We don't usually grill steak now but rather first char one side at high heat in a cast-iron skillet then transfer to a very hot oven. It works perfectly. You can get the Steak recipe on our blog of: Feb 17, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe. 

 

Fava Bean Pasta

We made one of our favorite pastas: Fava Bean Pasta. We really like the taste of fresh spring favas, bacon (my favorite seasoning), the sage and onion. We have published pictures and the recipe for the pasta many times. You can find it at our blog of: April 30, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. Tom, our neighbor grew Fava Beans this year and supplied us with some for this dinner. We augmented it with additional Fava Beans from Cookbook. If you never had made this recipe you must! We planted Fava Beans this year, but had a poor crop. Glad for Tom's contribution!

We started with a Caesar Salad.

Miso-Honey Chicken and Asparagus

 

Miso-Honey Chicken and Asparagus is a good sheet-pan recipe. The combination of Miso and Honey helped make the crispy skin delicious. We served it with Kasha.

Miso-Honey Chicken and Asparagus

New York Times

This quick and easy sheet-pan meal is broiled instead of baked, which chars the marinade slightly on the chicken, browns the asparagus for maximum flavor and cuts the cooking time to around 10 minutes. The miso-honey mixture packs a punch, with lots of garlic, ginger and as much hot sauce as you like. It doubles as a marinade for the chicken and a sauce to spoon over the chicken and asparagus once cooked. Make sure to arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer, so they cook and char evenly, and keep an eye on the pan, as some broilers have hot spots. Feel free to substitute broccolini for the asparagus, and serve with steamed rice, if desired. 
 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings
 
3                tablespoons white miso
3                tablespoons mild honey
3                tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1                tablespoon rice vinegar
2                teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
2                easpoons finely grated garlic
2                teaspoons chile-garlic sauce or other hot sauce
1                tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons neutral oil
1½ to 2     pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1                large bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
Salt and pepper
2                scallions, thinly sliced
Cooked rice (optional), for serving
 
 
PREPARATION
 
1. Make the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the miso, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chile-garlic sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon water. Refrigerate half the marinade for serving.

2. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the remaining marinade over the top. Toss the chicken until coated and let marinate in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. (A longer marinade may dry out the chicken.)

3. When you are ready to cook, heat the broiler with a rack set 6 inches below it. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, scraping off and discarding any excess. Place the chicken in a single layer on one side of the baking sheet, with the flatter side up. Place the asparagus on the other side. Drizzle the asparagus with remaining oil, then season the asparagus; toss to coat.

5. Broil until the chicken is cooked through with some charred spots and the asparagus is browned, about 10 minutes.

6. To serve, top the chicken with a drizzle of the reserved marinade and a sprinkle of scallions. Serve with rice, if desired.

Asparagus with Chopped Egg

 

We love Asparagus in the Spring. Interestingly there is less California grown Asparagus at the market compared to previous years. Most of it now comes from Mexico. I assume it is because of the draught last year. We had lots of rain this year, so maybe California Asparagus will return. We often serve Asparagus topped with a Fried Egg. This variation is served with Chopped Egg. It is also a good way to serve the Asparagus. When I made the Chopped Egg besides Salt and Pepper I added some Mustard. It was excellent.

Asparagus season is the forerunner to Cherry Season and this year the Cherries are excellent. Served over Chocolate Ice Cream with a splash of Kaluha it is a treat!

One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry Tomatoes

One-Pan Roasted Fish With Cherry Tomatoes was a great way to cook fish. I loved the tomato topping. We would definitely do it again. Try it!

In this quick, elegant dinner, Cherry Tomatoes are roasted with Garlic, Shallots, Sherry Vinegar and a drizzle of Honey, turning them into a sweet and savory condiment for simple roasted fish. This versatile, year-round recipe is delicious with juicy end-of-summer tomatoes or even with a pint from the grocery store. Thick white fish such as Cod or Halibut work best here. Serve with rice, couscous or your favorite grains, and a green salad. You can find the recipe on our blog of: June 10, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.
For the first course we made Asparagus with Green Garlic and Egg using a recipe that Jason the chief at the now closed Palate Food + Wine gave us. Green Garlic is in season now and it is a perfect match to the young Asparagus. You can find the recipe on our blog of: March 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Roasted Chicken Provençal

We really like Little Gem Salad With Garlicky Almond Dressing 

It was excellent. We have also made it without toasting the Almonds using Bagged Salted Almonds. Works just as well. You can keep leftover dressing in the fridge for a few days. You can find the recipe on our blog of April 10, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.

Roasted Chicken is something I never tire of. I love the crispy skin, which to me is the hallmark of great roasted chicken. There are many different Roasted Chicken  recipes we make all are good. This one is especially excellent. You can find the recipe for Roasted Chicken Provençal on our blog of April 6, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes turns the classic potato-chip flavor into a dinner party-worthy side dish. The potatoes get a double hit of vinegar: First, they are roasted in a simple vinaigrette, then are tossed with another smack of acidity just before serving. Use white-wine vinegar for a stronger vinegar flavor, or apple cider vinegar if you want a subtler flavor. You can find the recipe on our blog of: December 4, 2023. Click the date to get the recipe.

Tuna au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce

This was an excellent Tuna preparation. Since you can have Steak au Poivre With Red Wine Sauce, why not do the same with Tuna Steaks? It is very good with all of the Crushed Black Pepper and Wine! This is a good recipe if you like Tuna and can get excellent fresh Tuna Steaks. We are lucky to have Gelson's! You can get the recipe on our blog of: Feb. 6, 2023. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Stir-Fried Green Beans With Pork and Chiles

Stir-Fried Green Beans With Pork and Chiles is a favorite of ours, we make it often. The key is to purchase really good fatty Pork! Highly recommend this dish if for some reason you haven't made it yet! You can find the recipe on our blog of: Feb. 9, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.

Bacon and Snap Pea Salad

 

We made a salad with Bacon and Snap Peas. A simple salad that was excellent. We sprinkled Parmesan Cheese on top. I really like this salad. Of course Bacon is my favorite seasoning.

Roasted Asparagus and Soy-Butter Basted Scallops

Soy-Butter Basted Scallops With Wilted Greens and Sesame is one of those recipes that are so easy to make and always excellent. A riff on Asian ingredients makes for a great meal. We served it over Rice. I am always amazed of the variety of recipes made featuring Scallops. They  work so well with so many sauces and accompaniments. I don't think you will ever find this exact recipe in an Asian Restaurant, but it seems like you should be able to find it! I can't say for certain but I don't remember Asian recipes using Butter! You can find this recipe on our blog of January 15, 2024. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a new recipe Roasted Asparagus with a Savory Butter Sauce (using even more Butter!) don't tell our cardiologist about this dinner. We liked the Asparagus and we will make it again!

Our friend Kashmera had made some Potatoes for us. She has become an accomplished Indian Cook in addition to be a successful actress. The spicy Potatoes were excellent!

Roasted Asparagus with a Savory Butter Sauce
The Global Pantry Cookbook
SERVES 4
 

This is the type of dish that highlights one of our main techniques in this book: Adding a little bit of a highly flavorful global ingredient can take a dish from "fine" to "wow" without confusing the general idea; in this case, the global pantry star is oyster sauce, sweetly savory. Roasted asparagus is bathed in a two-ingredient sauce that elevates it to repeat-appearance status (Ann's family now requests this dish on the regular). Try it on other green veggies, too-green beans, broccoli, and bok choy in particular.
 
2       pounds medium-thick asparagus spears, trimmed
1       tablespoon olive oil
½      teaspoon kosher salt
¼      teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2       tablespoons unsalted butter
1½    tablespoons oyster sauce
 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with the rack placed in the center.

2. Place the asparagus on a sheet pan; drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat.

3. Roast until crisp-tender, about 12 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking, whisking frequently (this cuts down on sputtering), until deeply toasty-fragrant and about the color of light brown sugar, about 3 minutes. Pour the butter into a small bowl and cool for 2 minutes. Whisk in the oyster sauce.

5. Arrange the cooked asparagus on a platter; drizzle with the sauce.
 
Flavor Booster
Savory Backbone. Browned butter is a great way to finish simply cooked vegetables, and when you add a little oyster sauce, you create so much more depth. If you'd like to keep it meat-free, there is, in fact, a vegetarian oyster sauce.
Avoid This Mistake
 
Tame the Heat. Don't be tempted to stir the oyster sauce into the skillet when the butter is browned to your liking. We learned the hard way that this burns the oyster sauce, whereafter it seizes into clumps and refuses to incorporate into the butter.

 

 

Braised Chicken With Lemon and Olives

Braised Chicken With Lemon and Olives is a favorite of ours, crispy Skin (an unhealthy but delicious treat), the Olives, Garlic and Potatoes makes a wonderful combination. During the cooking the Garlic mellows out enhancing the sauce. This is a favorite recipe of ours. You can get the recipe on our blog of: May 6, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe.