Tendrons de Veau Le Caméléon

Tendrons De Veau Le Cameleon is one of my favorite pastas. It has a sauce that is incredibly succulent. We have made this pasta many times. You can get the recipe on our blog of: January 6, 2009. I highly recommend it. It also reheats without loosing any of its quality.

This dish turned out even better than it usually did, because we bought (new to us) noodles Cipriani Classica at McCall's Meat and Fish. The noodles were exceptionally thin and made the dish (along with the Oso Bucco from McCalls).

Swordfish Piccata

We had Swordfish Piccata at BarBrix and decided to make it at home. This recipe was in the New York Times. I liked it very much. Next time however, I think we will add some Pine Nuts to the sauce. I think it would be even better!

Swordfish Piccata

New York Times

Learning to build a pan sauce is the highest yielding 25 minutes you'll ever spend in a kitchen. Pay attention to the flame at each step. Use high heat to sear properly and develop fond in the pan, reduced heat to add acid and build flavor, and then no heat at all — turn the burner off! — to whisk in the cold butter and build up your elegant, emulsified, (life-altering) pan sauce.

Ingredients

1-1/2         pounds swordfish steak, cut into 3/4-inch slabs

Salt and pepper

½      cup Wondra flour

2       tablespoons grapeseed oil

9       tablespoons butter

1       tablespoon finely minced shallot

⅙     cup dry white wine

2       tablespoons capers

Juice of 1/2 lemon plus 2 lemon “cheeks” for garnish

1       tablespoon minced parsley, plus a sprig for garnish

Preparation

1-       Season the swordfish gently but evenly on both sides with salt and pepper.

2-       Dredge the fish in the flour, patting off any excess.

3-       In a cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat grapeseed oil until just smoking over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of the butter until melted and bubbling, about 30 seconds.

4-       Place the swordfish in the pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.

5-       Transfer the swordfish to a warm plate, and remove any excess fat from the sauté pan.

6-       While the pan is still hot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter, sweat the shallots and cook until soft and cooked through, being careful not to brown. About 30 seconds.

7-       Deglaze the pan with the white wine, and reduce by half.

8-       Add the capers and lemon juice, and cook for 1 minute.

9-       Take the pan off the heat, and add in the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, swirling the pan continuously to emulsify the butter.

10-   Add in the minced parsley, and season to taste.

11-   Spoon the sauce over the fish, and garnish with a lemon cheek and a parsley stem.

Garlic Soup

Winter calls for Soup! What better soup than Garlic Soup. This is a great recipe. You can find the recipe on our blog of: March 18, 2012. Click the date to get this good recipe.

Brown Butter Salmon with Lemon and Harissa

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We liked this spicy Salmon recipe from The New York Times for: Brown-Butter Salmon With Lemon and Harissa. We would make it again!

Brown-Butter Salmon With Lemon and Harissa

New York Times

More put-together than thrown-together, this weeknight salmon gets an upgrade with a tangy and spicy brown butter-harissa sauce. To make it a complete meal, serve the fish with a simple lemony salad and maybe a bowl of grains or roasted or boiled potatoes. This salmon is meant to be enjoyed on the medium-rare side. If you prefer your fish more well done (or if the fillet is especially thick), increase cooking time by a few minutes.

Ingredients

1-1/2   pounds skin-on salmon fillet (or use 1 1/2 pounds of individual fillets)

Kosher salt and black pepper

4          tablespoons unsalted butter

4          garlic cloves, sliced

2          tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

2          tablespoons harissa paste

4          tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving

1          small shallot, thinly sliced into rings

2          heads little gem lettuce or 1 head butter lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

¼         cup dill leaves, finely chopped, plus more for serving

4          thick slices of country bread, toasted, or boiled potatoes (optional)

Aioli or mayonnaise (optional)

Preparation

1     Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place salmon in a large baking dish skin-side-down and season with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, use a rimmed baking sheet.)

2    Heat butter in a small pot or skillet over medium heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until butter foams and browns, about 5 minutes. (The whisking will help release the brown butter bits from the bottom of the pot, and those are the bits you want.)

3    Add garlic slices, letting them sizzle and brown in the butter for 30 seconds or so, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot and whisk in harissa. Give it a minute or two to sizzle and toast a bit in the butter mixture. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water to the pot, whisking to incorporate.

4    Season the brown butter-harissa sauce with salt and pepper and pour over salmon.

5    Place in oven and roast until the salmon is just cooked through, but still nicely pink and medium-rare in the center, 12 to 15 minutes for a whole fillet, or 8 to 10 minutes for individual fillets. (If you prefer your fish well done, cook the whole fillet for 15 to 18 minutes, or individual fillets for 12 to 15 minutes.)

6    Meanwhile, toss shallot with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce and dill and toss to coat; drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

7    Once salmon is just cooked through, remove from oven. Use a large serving spoon to scoop large chunks of salmon onto a serving platter or individual plates, leaving the skin behind in the baking dish. (No need to worry if you get smaller chunks too, but try to get the largest pieces you can.) Spoon any remaining brown-butter sauce from the pan over the fish and squeeze lemon over the top. Sprinkle with a bit more dill, if you have it. Serve with dilly lettuce alongside, and, if you like, potatoes or toast and aioli.

Chicken and Mixed Sweet Pepper

Mexican Wedding Cookies

We made this Indian recipe for: Chicken and Mixed Sweet Pepper  but we didn't particularly like it. It might have been something we did, I found it very mushy. On the other hand, Cathy wanted to bake Mexican Wedding Cookies and they were delicious! Good cookie to make.

chicken and mixed sweet pepper

American Masala

pilaf (murgh pulao)

SERVES 6

Juice of 1 lemon

1             tablespoon ground coriander

½            teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼            teaspoon turmeric

Pinch of ground peppercorns

1-1/2      pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips

3             tablespoons canola oil

1-1/2      teaspoons cumin seeds

1             large red onion, halved and sliced

A            2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1             red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

1             yellow or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

2             garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1             jalapeno pepper (cored and seeded if you prefer a milder flavor), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1             tablespoon kosher salt

¾            cup chopped fresh cilantro

2             cups basmati rice

4             cups water

Mix the s on juice, coriander, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and ground peppercorns in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, toss to coat, and set aside.

Heat oil with the cumin seeds in a large pot or Dutch oven (preferably one with a lid) over medium gh heat until the cumin turns golden brown, about 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the onion ginger and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the bell pepper garlic, jalapeho, and salt and cook until the peppers soften slightly, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix the cilantro in with the chicken and add to the pot with the peppers, cooking until the chicken is browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Mix in the rice and fry for 2 minutes, stirring only once or twice. Add the water, bring to a boil, and cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve.

AT ITS MOST BASIC, a biriyanl is a layered rice pulao. They are laborious (some would say tedious) to make, so Indians cook them mostly for special occasions and celebrations. This chicken pilaf is much quicker to put together because the rice isn’t cooked separately. I make it whenever I have to feed a large group of hungry friends.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. Depending upon the amount of chili you add the pasta can have some heat! This is one of those dishes that makes me think I could be a vegetarian! You can find the recipe on our blog of: October 21, 2014. Click the date to get the recipe.

Pork Braised in Milk

This is another all-time favorite of ours: Pork Braised in Milk. We always serve it over Polenta. The milk curdles mixing with the pork juices as it cooks becoming a delicious sauce. I then usually have pork sandwiches for lunch with the leftovers. This is a GREAT dish that is very easy to make! You can find the recipe on our blog of: October 17, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe.

Braised Chicken Leg with Wild Mushrooms

We made this recipe for Braised Chicken Legs with Wild Mushrooms and liked it. Braises are great winter dishes. Give this one a try! 

Braised Chicken Legs with Wild Mushrooms

New York Times

A good roasted chicken is a simple pleasure, but a braised chicken dish is always more interesting. Here, dried wild mushrooms, smoked bacon and red wine perfume the sauce to give these chicken legs depth and character, with a flavor nearly similar to a game bird. Using turkey broth makes this braise even more heady. For a quick, concentrated broth, simmer 2 pounds of meaty turkey wings with 6 cups water for about an hour. Finding a dried wild mushroom is not like hunting for its fresh counterpart in the forest. Most Italian delis and nearly all supermarkets sell little packets of dried wild mushrooms.

Ingredients

1       ounce dried porcini

1       ounce dried morels

6       large chicken legs (about 4 pounds)

Salt and pepper

4       tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

2       cups finely diced onion

3       ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch wide

1       tablespoon tomato paste

2       garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of cayenne

2       tablespoons all-purpose flour

1       cup red wine

4       cups turkey or chicken broth

1       bay leaf

1       large thyme sprig

1-½  pounds small yellow-fleshed potatoes

3       tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

1.   Rinse porcini with warm water (they are often sandy), then place in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, soak the morels in hot water.

2.   Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken legs on a baking sheet in one layer. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove and set aside. Turn oven to 350 degrees.

3.   Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color.

4.   Add bacon and tomato paste, stir to incorporate with onions, and cook for about 1 minute, then stir in garlic and cayenne. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in turkey broth and bring to a simmer. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add bay leaf and thyme sprig. Drain porcini and morels and add to sauce.

5.   Submerge browned chicken legs in sauce and bring to a brisk simmer. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Bake for about 1 hour, until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and keep covered.

6.   While chicken bakes, make the potatoes: Put potatoes in a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. 

7.   Drain potatoes and let cool. Peel potatoes with a paring knife and return to saucepan. (Alternatively, potatoes may be peeled before cooking, or you may opt to leave skins on.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high heat to warm potatoes through, then set aside, covered.

8.   To serve, divide legs among 6 warm plates. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over each serving. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and place a few potatoes on each plate. Transfer remaining potatoes and buttery juices to a serving dish. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat if desired.

Lobster Fried Rice

Once again we made Lobster Fried Rice! It is definitely the best leftovers ever! We use the recipe for: Fried Rice with Crab from Thai Street Food by David Thompson. We simply substituted the crab with Lobster. It was as good or better than any Fried Rice we get a restaurants. This is a recipe (with Crab or Pork or Shrimp, or lobster) that you should try. We used the lobster shells that we brought home, plus the lobster shells from the lobster that we used in the Fried Rice and made lobster stock by just covering the shells with water and boiling for about an hour or so. We then froze the stock for future use. The fried rice was unbelievably good!

You can get the recipe for fried rice from our blog of: April 4, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

For dessert we baked Date Bars from the City Cuisine Cookbook. They easy to made and delicious. You must bake them!

Chewy Date Bars

City Café Cookbook

These great old-fashioned sandwich bars are crunchy on the top and bottom, and chewy insideUse them to stuff lunch boxes, serve with a bowl of vanilla ice cream for dessert, or cut into small squares for afternoon tea.

1          pound pitted dried dates, chopped

1          cup water

1          cup granulated sugar

½         cup fresh lemon juice

3          cups rolled oats

2-1/2   cups all-purpose flour

1-3/4   cups packed brown sugar

¾         teaspoon baking soda

¾         teaspoon salt

1-3/4   cups (3-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 35o0F. Generously butter a 9 x12-inch pan.

Combine dates and water in a saucepan. Cook at a low boil for 5 minutes, until mixture is as thick as mashed potatoes. Stir in sugar and remove from heat. Add lemon juice and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add melted butter to dry mixture. Stir to evenly moisten.

Spread half oat mixture in baking pan to form an even layer. Cover evenly with all date mixture. Spread remaining oat mixture over top.

Bake about 40 minutes, until top is golden brown and pebbly. The edges should start caramelizing. Set aside to cool, in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Run a sharp knife along inside edges to loosen. invert, trim edges, and cut into squares.

Makes 12 Large Squares