Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Coconut Red Curry With Tofu


We made Coconut Red Curry With Tofu from a recipe in The New York Times. Once again the magic wasn't there for us, but it is always fun to try a new recipe. Sometimes you find a real winner. This one wasn't for us! Maybe our veg friends will like it.


Coconut Red Curry With Tofu

New York Times

This simple weeknight red curry relies on jarred or canned red curry paste for flavor, which you can find at larger supermarkets and specialty markets. Transfer leftover canned curry paste to a jar, top it with a little oil and store in the refrigerator for up to a month. Or freeze for longer storage. Feel free to substitute other vegetables for the mushrooms and snow peas, though you might have to increase the cooking time slightly if using something dense like carrot or cubed winter squash.

INGREDIENTS

                14 ounces extra-firm tofu
                1 tablespoon peanut or safflower oil
                1-inch ginger root, peeled and minced
                2 shallots or 1 small onion, minced
                2 garlic cloves, minced
                1 Thai chile or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
                2 tablespoons chopped cilantro stems
                8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
                ½ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
                3 tablespoons prepared red curry paste
                1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
                2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
                Zest and juice of 1 lime
                1 cup snow peas
                Basil and/or cilantro leaves, for garnish
                Brown or white rice, for serving

PREPARATION

                Cut tofu into 1-inch slabs and place on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Cover with another layer of paper towels and place another baking sheet on top. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
                Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ginger, shallots, garlic, chile and cilantro stems, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Stir in curry paste and cook 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, scraping up any curry paste with a wooden spoon. Add fish sauce, lime zest and juice. Add tofu cubes and snow peas. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the snow peas are tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste and add more salt and/or fish sauce if needed.
Serve warm with brown rice and a scattering of torn basil and/or cilantro leaves on top.


Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Papa Al Pomodoro


Papa Al Pomodoro, is a very thick tomato and bread soup. We use the recipe from Italian Country Cook Book by Rogers / Gray. They have the fabulous River Café in London. This is almost a soup that you can eat with fork. In every respect you would think it should be a winter dish it is such a hearty soup, but it is best made with fresh tomatoes. I really recommend this dish! You can get it from our blog of: August 2, 2006. Click the date to get the recipe. Unfortunately for us, we had just had the soup at Barbrix for my birthday and their version was so much better! We need to figure out what Don did!

Monday, July 27, 2015

Chicken with Figs



We continued to eat summer fruit salads. This one is with Nectarines and  Burrata.


Figs were now in season, so it was time for Chicken with Figs served over cous-cous. This is regular for us when figs our in season. We really like this recipe from Zuni Café. You can get the recipe from our blog of: July 27, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Bathazar Swordfish

Tomato Salad with Olives, Burrata and Pesto
Beautiful Swordfish from McCall's
Grilled Swordfish with Beurre Noir   




It was a warm summer night and we invited Tom and Scott to join us for dinner outside on our deck overlooking the city. We purchased swordfish from McCall’s and made a wonderful recipe: Grilled Swordfish with Beurre Noir. This is a great fish recipe. Balthazar in New York City is a favorite of ours and their cookbook is excellent. You can get the recipe for the fish from our blog of: September8, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.


We have been eating A LOT of tomatoes this summer. We started with a Tomato Salad with Olives, Burrata and Pesto. It was a beautiful night.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Clam Pasta with Scallops



We wanted to make Clams with Pesto, however there were no clams in the market. We decided to substitute Scallops for the Clams. We enjoyed the dish but decided next time we would try it with shrimp. The delicate Scallops taste of the sea is overwhelmed by the Pesto. The pasta (with Clams or possibly shrimp) is excellent and you should try it. You can get the recipe from our blog of: September 10, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Prosciutto and Melon Salad.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Sweet Corn Polenta with Eggplant



Eggplant with home made Creamed Corn is a wonderful summer dish. This is another winner for all our vegetarian friends. We really like this dish. you can get the recipe on our blog of: August 11, 2011. Just click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Fig Salad with Prosciutto and Almonds. A dinner that celebrates summer!

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Salmon with Mustard Sauce


Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't. We made Roasted Salmon Glazed with Brown Sugar and Mustard from a recipe in The New York Times but we weren't thrilled with it. Try it, let us know what you think. We served it with leftover Brussel Sprouts from Republique (a favorite) and Rice.


Roasted Salmon Glazed with Brown Sugar and Mustard

New York Times

We all want to eat more fish. Here's a quick and easy recipe for sweet and savory salmon. Once you try it, we bet you'll add it to your weekly menu rotation.

INGREDIENTS
                Salmon fillets, preferably wild or farmed organically
                Dijon mustard
                Brown sugar
                Salt and black pepper

PREPARATION
                Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
                Make a mixture of Dijon mustard and brown sugar to the degree of spicy-sweetness that pleases you. Salt and pepper the salmon fillets.
Place the salmon fillets skin-side down on a lightly oiled, foil-lined baking sheet. Slather the tops of the fillets with the mustard and brown sugar glaze and slide them into the top half of your oven. They ought to be done in 12 minutes or so, and they pair beautifully with simple braised greens.



Thursday, July 16, 2015

Signora Bimbi's Peppers


In summer when Peppers are at their peak and beautifully colored,  I love to make this recipe. If for no other reason than I like its name: Signora Bimbi's Peppers. This is a great side dish that can be served for several days with different main courses. You can get the recipe on our blog of: May 19, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Miso Cod



We started with a Tomato and Mozzarella Salad this is such an easy salad to make when tomatoes are at their peak.

We then made Black Cod with Miso Sauce. This is a great recipe! We have made it many times. You can get the recipe from our blog of: May 12, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe. We served the cod with Rice seasoned with Ochazuke Wakame (Seaweed and Rice Cracker Mix) and Pickled Ginger on the side.

Friday, July 10, 2015

Scallops with Plums





Tom and Scott joined us for dinner. We started with fresh Melon and Prosciutto I always squeeze some fresh Lime Juice over the melon. I think it brings out the flavor of the melon.


Tom and Scott joined us for dinner. We started out with Prosciutto and Melon. The melon is fantastic right now. Our cat Polenta loves to lick the melon after we have eaten the flesh. Parsifal ignores it.


For the main course we made: Grilled Scallops and Plums with Sweet Mirin Barbecue Sauce. This is a wonderful preparation. We serve it with Rice. The plums are heated on the grill and make a delicious accomniment to the scallops. You can get the recipe from our blog of: August 18, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Peach Salad


Fresh Peaches, Burrata, Almonds: What more do I need to write?

Tuesday, July 07, 2015

Tomato and Balsamic





Shumon came over for dinner. We started with a salad of Cherry Tomatoes, Mozzarella Balls and Pesto.


We followed with one of my favorite pastas: Penne with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar. This makes for a very rich tomato sauce. You can get the recipe from our blog of: October 26, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015

Lentil Pasta

A Perfect Summer Drink: Gin and Tonic!
Tomato Salad with Burrata, Pesto and Bagel Chips

Lentil Pasta made with Candied Tomatoes
I went to the Silverlake Farmer’s Market and bought lots of Tomatoes. We wanted to make Lentil Pasta. This is a dish we always make in the summer. The key is making the Candied Tomatoes first. They are very easy and a great way to preserve tomatoes. You can find the recipe in our blog of: July 22, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.


It was a hot night and I started with a delicious Gin and Tonic (although I don't need a perfect summer night to justify drinking one), using my favorite Gin: Old Tom. We then had a Tomato Salad, topped with Burrata and Pesto. We love the Bagel Chips from Joan’s on Third, and I used a few as Croutons in the salad.