Strip Steak with Morrocan Green Beans

I am very upset!  Our favorite local Chinese restaurant closed down.  The landlord raised the rent too high.  It will probably be replaced by a bank or a drug store.  There are lots of banks in the area, and at least six drugstores.  But there is nowhere to a quick dish of really good dry sauteed string beans in an emergency.  You just never think of all the possible negative side effects to your lifestyle when the neighborhood starts to improve.....sigh. 

These green beans aren't Chinese-y but they are delicious.  There is one slight drawback - you do have to make them yourself. 

Ingredients
(for the beans)

• 1 lb green beans
• 6-8 large caper berries, chopped (or 15-29 small capers)
• 1 small handful raisins, chopped
• 1/4 preserved lemon, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp lemon pepper (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• 1 - 2 tablespoons butter

Ingredients (for the steak)

• 2 strip steaks
• 1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
• sea salt & fresh pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp hot cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 cup Crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 branch fresh rosemary

Method

 First cook the beans in cup of water until fairly tender.  Then rinse with cold water (to preserve the green color) and set aside.

*

Season the steaks both sises with the paprika, salt & pepper, cinnamon, & cayenne.

Heat the grill.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onions & mushrooms, saute until soft and golden.

Add the balsamic and rosemary branch.

Simmer until reduced to a syrup.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

*

Add the steaks to the grill

*

Melt the butter in another skillet.

Add the caper berries, raisins, preserved lemon, garlic and mix into the butter.

Add the beans, toss, and heat.

Season with lots of lemon pepper & sea salt.

Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by a good cut of meat.  ~Fran Lebowitz

Piggies in a blanket & Spicy Vegetable Frittata

 This is a fun way to do Sunday brunch sausages and eggs...and easy to do with one eye still shut.  Although very little gets done in my house until I've had a least 2 cups of coffee first  - so I do have both eyes open by the time I get to making any food.

Piggies in a Blanket & Spicy Vegetable Frittata

Ingredients

• 1 can of crescent roll dough (such as Pillsbury)
• 8 breakfast sausages.

Method

This is so simple, I hate to insult you by writing down - but I will anyway.  Open the can of crescent roll dough & separate (duh!).  Wrap individually around the breakfast sausages.  Bake in the oven at 350 F degrees for approx. 35 - 40 minutes. (You want the pastry to be brown but you have to make sure the sausages are cooked through.)

Vegetable Frittata

A frittata is an omelette that is baked in the oven and can be served at room temperature.  It's like a quiche without the crust. I usually make it with potatoes which makes it more like a Spanish tortilla - a popular tapas dish.  You can make it with whatever ingredients you have at hand.  Note: you need a small cast iron frying pan to make it properly (or a skillet you can bake in the oven).  

Zoe, do not try this with a regular frying pan, the handle will melt if you put it in the oven!

Ingredients 

• 6 - 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup light cream (half & half)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, or 1/2 regular tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 8 thin slices of stale baguette
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Method

Beat the eggs with the cream. In a separate pan, saute the onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes in 1 tablespoon oil until soft. Heat the cast iron frying pan and add the remaining oil.  When it's sizzling, add the beaten eggs and lower the heat to low. Add the sauteed vegetables and distribute them around (don't just dump them all in one spot).Sprinkle salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce all over. Add the goat cheese Butter the slices of baguette Arrange the slices of baguette on the surface, butter side up.Cover with grated cheese.
Bake in the oven at 350 F degrees for about 30 minutes, or until it's puffy and golden. 
(You can tell when it's ready because it won't jiggle in the center - if it does, that means the eggs aren't cooked yet.)

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." 

Lewis Carroll

Calamari with Garlic and Parsley

Mario Batali and I bought calamari last night at Eataly.  Well, probably he didn't have to pay for his.  But anyway, he was getting it at the fish counter and so I got some too.  Had to be fresh if he was buying, right?  It was.  I know that I made fun of Eataly in a previous mention because the prices are too high.  But, if you look around you can find a few decently priced items that make it a handy resource in the neighborhood. This is what I recommend: fresh bread, mushrooms, onions, chicken breasts, sausages, canned tomatoes (there is one affordable $2.50 can tucked amongst the $6 cans), some pasta (not the $12 packages).  Also the wine shop has some really good $12 to $15 selections. Here's the trick - bypass all the $50 bottles.  Pick out the lower priced bottles.  Take them to the cash register.   Don't feel intimidated and imagine the staff are looking down their noses at you for buying the least expense bottles. That's just your paranoia - they're not buying them either.

This is a dish we all  love and and always used to order at the beach in Mallorca.   

Calamari con Ajo y Perejil

(Squid with Garlic and Parsley) 

• 1 pound squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 3/4-inch-thick rings, tentacles left whole (I just asked for only tentacles!)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsely leaves
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• Salt
• fresh ground Pepper
• Chili pepper flakes
• lemon wedges

Method

This just could not be easier.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat until hot.
Add chili pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Add squid 
Add butter, garlic, and parsley. (If you want to be traditionally Spanish, only use olive oil. )
Season with salt and pepper.
Cook, tossing frequently, until squid is opaque and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes (They cook really quickly so don't walk away or you'll be get something very rubbery!).
Serve with lemon wedges and some nice fresh Italian bread.

"Fish, to taste right, must swim three times: in water, in butter and in wine." 

Chicken Parmesan

Hmmm...I might have to call this my "fried food blog" soon.  But I hope you'll forgive me because, lacking a working oven, I am kind of stuck with stove top preparations for the time being (the "time being" is about 2 years and counting!)  That's a pathetic excuse because Chicken Parmesan is a household favorite so I would be making it even if I had the Wolf professional series 42 inch oven! 


First, here is a brilliant idea that I borrowed from Nigella....buy those little containers of marinated Mozzarella bocconcini balls for your Chicken Parmesan ingredients.  Then before  you start dipping the chicken into the egg, flour, and breadcrumb mix (you don't want to do it after you have dipped in the raw chicken, obviously), quickly whip up these delicious little Mozzarella snacks for your hungry crowd.  Just roll them in the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and fry them in the hot oil until golden.  They only take about 2 minutes - any longer than that, they lose their round shape and flatten out to a melted cheese pancake.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

for the Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/2" tenders
• 1 lb spaghetti, or linguine
• 1/2 olive oil, or vegetable oil

• 1 cup white flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 cup breadcrumb, seasoned with the following:
• 1 tblsp  Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute which contains: Onion, Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Cayenne Pepper, Parsley, Basil, Marjoram, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Thyme, Savory, Rosemary, Cumin, Mustard, Coriander, Garlic, Carrot, Orange Peel, Tomato Granules, Lemon Juice Powder, Oil of  Lemon, and Citric Acid.(if you don't have it, you can make your own mix of seasonings)
• 6-8 mozzarella bocconini balls
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan

for the Sauce

• 4 mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 sliced clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp chili peppers
• 4-5 sliced pitted olives (optional)
• 2 sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Method

 

Set your pot of pasta water to boil

 

• Slice the chicken breasts into tenders of about 1/2" each 
• Coat with flour 
• Dip in the egg, which you have beaten with a little chili pepper sauce & crushed garlic
• Coat with the seasoned breadcrumbs
• Heat oil in a large frying pan
• When it is sizzling, add the chicken piece by piece

Note: this is a hands-on type of dinner and you can't really walk away and check your emails in between or you will burn it!

• Saute the mushrooms
• add can of tomatoes
• add crushed garlic & herbs
• add sugar & salt
• add olives & sun-dried tomatoes, if desired
• Simmer while chicken is cooking.

Try to time it so that you put the pasta in when the chicken is already cooked through.  As you put it in the pasta, now add the sliced mozzarella on top of the chicken pieces - it will melt by the time the pasta is cooked.

 

This peeled garlic was a useful discovery I found at my local Korean grocery store on 32nd Street!

 

 

 

 

 

*** "I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate."

Julia Child

Cupids arrow.....recommended wearing.....

Shrimp wrapped in Filo

I know I live in the NYC and it's supposed to be a food mecca so dare I even say this?  I will say it - it's my blog!  Here it is: I am becoming less and less satisfied with eating out.  What with the lousy service, the out of control diners who apparently cannot modulate their voices, the guffawing drunks, the crammed together tables, and the mediocre food - well, let's just say for the sake of kindness, that I am enjoying my own cooking more.  Wait, one more thing....if I sit down at another table that wobbles so much that it threatens to spill my drink in my lap, I don't know what I'll do!

Last weekend we waited for 30 minutes at The Breslin for brunch.  Okay, no big deal.  I totally get that they make most of their money at the bar, so they want you to sit there and have a drink first.  Fine.  But, at least, for the love of all that makes sense, send the blasted waiter over to take the drink order!  I'm not going to grovel at the bar trying to get the bartender's attention.  Eventually we were seated and ordered the lamb burger which is also a staple at The Spotted Pig - it's decent enough and, frankly, it's the cheapest thing on the menu. (I do think they should re-think the cumin mustard they serve with the so-called thrice cooked french fries.  Not too good.).  However, Tom had to eat the whole meal with one elbow on the table to keep it from rocking back and forth.

So, as you can tell, I really am of the opinion that it's more enjoyable to eat at home, at least while it's so cold out.  Wearing all these layers becomes a problem when you are taking them off as the hostess is seating you and you are trying not to knock into everyone. And shoving a bulky coat (and maybe a couple of sweaters) into your seating area is not very convenient, especially if it's a small booth. 

I have been trying to come up with some stay-at-home fun food.  This is one of those appetizers you can pass around the kitchen while everyone is hanging out waiting for dinner, chatting, and sharing a bottle of wine.  It's really so simple to make.

Shrimp wrapped in Filo

Ingredients

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and cleaned, with tails left on

1 box of filo dough, defrosted

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 vegetable oil (for frying)

1 tbls chili powder

Method

Note: The filo dough really does have to be defrosted which is a problem if you just bought it at the grocery store with the intention of making this right away.  So you can microwave it a little, if you find yourself in that situation  That's not ideal, from my experience, because it makes the layers harder to manage.  But it's not the end of the world, either, because you roll up the shrimp and it all seems to turn out fine..  Just make sure you have a damp tea towel to cover the dough with, after you open it up, because it will dry out otherwise. 

• Lay out 6 layers of filo on top of each other
• Brush the top layer lightly with melted butter
• Cut into 1" wide by 9" long strips
• Place 1 shrimp at the bottom end of a strip and roll it up
• Repeat for all the shrimp
• Heat the oil in a frying pan until it sizzles
• Fry the filo shrimp until golden
• Sprinkle with Chili powder

Serve with Chili Mayonnaise:

  Mayonnaise blended with 1 tsp szechuan chili paste & 1 crushed clove of garlic 

& other favorite dipping sauces.

"I went into a French restaurant and asked the waiter, 'Have you got frog's legs?' He said, 'Yes,' so I said, 'Well hop into the kitchen and get me a cheese sandwich.'"

Tommy Cooper

I would suggest something stylish to wear while lounging around at home.

Olivia's Fabulous Pork Basil Dumplings

When Zoe is home, the menu has to encompass a large selection of Asian food which - since our Christmas snow storm has turned the streets into a mushy mess - also fits into our current plan of not trudging too far afield in the slush with bags of groceries.  So we are shopping closer to home at our local authentic Korean grocery store in Little Korea on 32nd Street.  They stock a wide selection of mysterious food products.  Certain things intrigue me, but I am not sure if I would be bold enough to try them - like the bag of tiny dried fish.  I think they might be dried anchovies.  But what to do with them?

Olivia has perfected the art of dumpling and won ton making.  No one else can fold such precise little half moon pouches of deliciousness and her skill has to be utilized whenever possible - it's a joy to watch her quickly and neatly assemble a mountain of them. And they are so good to eat!

Pork Basil Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 finely chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tblsp soy sauce
• 1 package of dumpling wrappers
• 1 cup vegetable oil (for frying) 

Method

Prepare the filling mixture by mixing together all of the ingredients thoroughly (except for the dumpling wrappers and the vegetable oil!)  The fresh basil gives a Thai influence to the flavor.  Get a little bowl of cold water. Then start filling the wrappers, using a small tablespoon amount in each one.  Wet the wrappers slightly around the edges and press together, crimping 4 times to form the purse shape.  If you have 2 people working on them, one can start frying while the other one prepares them.  Heat the oil to sizzling and begin frying them in batches of around 10 at a time.  Watch them to make sure they don't burn.  Cook until golden brown and drain on paper towel.  They do stay extremely hot while you prepare the next batch.  Serve them with a variety of dipping sauces, such as Thai sweet chili sauce, and Gyosa dipping sauce, or Thai peanut sauce, easily purchased at your grocery store.

"You don't sew with a fork, so I see no reason to eat with knitting needles." 

Miss Piggy

Yes!  Dumplings can be sexy, if you try a little harder....

Happy New Year Shrimp Pasta a la John de St. Jorre

Happy New Year!  New Year's is typically the day when we tend to stop and think about what progress we made over the last year, and how we might improve in the new one.  I like to make this dish on New Year's Day to remind myself of things not to miss about past years.  This dish was a specialty of an erstwhile friend named John de St. Jorre, an ex-pat Brit who wound up, after many years of globe-trotting, settling in Newport, Rhode Island. He rented a large furnished house on the sea from September to May every year for several years and threw a New Year's Eve bash for 1999.  We used to see a lot of John.  He made himself quite at home in our home, came and went as he pleased several days out of the month when his business as a journalist brought him to New York.  He was a good guest - wore a bathrobe in the mornings, and kept the bathroom neat, and was never flatulent - so we gave him a set of keys to our apartment.  His family stayed here quite often as well, especially if we were out of town, and made free use of our abode.  John was an affable fellow who always had a good story to tell.  I considered him a good friend, actually.  That said, it goes without saying really that I was rather hurt when he wrote those awful things about me in my ex-husband's divorce papers.  Apparently, he considered ME quite the cold fish and all those times we socialized - over a span of 15 years or so - he was only putting on a good face (or stiff upper lip) at having to put up with me and all my darned hospitality.....I remember the weekend my ex made a special secret trip up to Newport to work on John's affidavit for the divorce papers.  Together, they came up with a doozy - I envision them enjoying a grand old boys weekend together, smoking John's stash of Trojan cigarettes, and getting really creative with their collaborative writing effort.  In keeping with tradition, my ex goes up to stay every New Year's, now with his new girlfriend - whom I hope is more to John de St. Jorre's liking.  In fact, I am sure she is.   In the spirit of the new year 2011, here's my version of John's shrimp and pasta dish - served hot and spicy!

Ingredients 

1 lb cleaned shrimp
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 thinly sliced onion
2 tblsp olive oil

1 can whole tomatoes
1 clove sliced garlic

handful olives, sliced (no pits)

1/4 cup corn

1 clove sliced garlic

1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

1 tsp smoked Spanish Paprika

1 clove sliced garlic

fresh grated black pepper

1 tblspn cream cheese (optional!)

1 box Capellini pasta 

Put your water on to boil for the pasta.

Slice the mushrooms, and onion and saute until golden in olive oil.  Add the sliced garlic and lightly brown.
 Separate the canned tomatoes from the juice (reserve the tomato juice, about 1 cup) and chop - add to the onion mixture, cook for 3 - 4 minutes.

Season with the smoked Spanish Paprika, hot chili flakes, and add the olives.

Add the reserved tomato juice and the chicken boullion and heat until simmering

Add corn kernels and olives

  Add the brocolli and cover - steam for 2 - 3 minutes

Now cook the capellini pasta in the pot of boiling water (it only takes a few minutes)

Toss in the shrimp into your mix and cover - steam and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.

Taste and season to your liking... 

Serve piping hot!  You can add some freshly grated Parmesan although I think technically you're not supposed to serve seafood pasta with Parmesan - but do the old rules apply anymore?  Certainly not the rules of etiquette or manners, anyway.

“Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential.”

William Cuppy 

 

If you must be a house guest, at least wear something nice to breakfast...

Southern Style Fried Chicken, Biscuits & Gravy & Candied Pecan Salad

I guess when you are a southern guy living in the city, the holiday blues can hit you hard (sniff).  Normally, I would say, darling, I love you, but give me Park Avenue.  But other times I also secretly wish I could just run out the door, jump in the pick up, and drive to the mall....which is why I prepared him this down home fried chicken dinner. When I mentioned it was on the menu, his eyes lit up - but then he asked seriously, do you know how to make it?  So I had to do a bit of research to make sure I got it right   This is very satisfying to make because the chicken gets an impressive crispy brown coating which creates a lot of excitement....and I was quite surprised to discover that it stays very moist inside.  Although you obviously can't eat this every day, it's definitely a winner!

Southern Style Fried Chicken, Biscuits & Gravy & Candied Pecan Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (bone in), cut up into frying pieces (also, cut the breast in half) 
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

beat together: 

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white flour
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tblsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt

blend together: 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tblsp garlic salt
• 2 tblsp onion powder
• 1 tblsp paprika
• 1 tsp pepper

Also, blend with the above flour mixture, a combination of herbs & spices, such as the following:

• 1 tblsp powdered sage leaves
• 1 tsp powdered dry ginger
• 1 tsp crushed rosemary leaves
• 1 tsp sweet marjoram
• 1 tsp hot cayenne pepper

Method:

Roll each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.
 Dip in the egg mixture and again in the flour.

Heat the oil in the skillet until it's hot enough that it sizzles when you add the chicken.

Add each of piece of chicken and fry for about 15 minutes on each side - you'll also need to turn some of the thick pieces on all 4 sides to get every spot browned.

At this point, if you are making your own, start preparing your Mac & Cheese:

Ingredients:

1 box penne or traditional macaroni
2 cups milk or half & half
1/4 cream cheese
1/8 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
2 cups cheddar cheese (grated)
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup rich crackers, or bread crumbs
2 tblsp butter, in pieces

 Method:

Make a nice cream sauce with milk and add a blob of cream cheese.

....or, for a really rich sauce,  use cream  AND add the cream cheese.   

Season with paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder. 

Heat the sauce and whisk in the cream cheese until blended.

Layer the cooking pan with half of the cooked penne and a generous portion of grated cheddar cheese.

Repeat another layer and pour all of the cream sauce over the pasta and grate more cheddar cheese on top.  Grate crackers or bread crumbs to make the crust

Dab with chunks of butter and Parmesan. 

Bake in the oven at 350 until the sauce is bubbling and the top is crispy and browned. 

(I would say that you need to cover the pasta generously with the sauce - even if it looks like it might be too much - because otherwise it comes out too dry, and you want it to be creamy)

  Next, put your biscuits in the oven - they are actually easy to make from scratch but I'm not ashamed to admit that I used the refrigerator kind (Pillsbury or Trader Joe).

Then quickly toss up with a green salad with my home-made balsamic dressing topped with candied pecans, for the final Southern touch.

Helpful hint: what to wear after preparing Southern Fried Chicken...

 

 

“If a mans gonna eat fried chicken, he's gotta get greasy.”

Anonymous

 

 

Curried Tilapia Fish Pie

If you had leftover mashed potatoes from my last recipe (or one of your own!), then you would be able to make this dish in a snap. It doesn't involve any complicated cooking of the fish and can be baked in one dish - in the ubiquitous toaster oven, even. It's a really nice easy Sunday night meal and surprisingly delicious. 

Ingredients

• 4 pieces Tilapia fillets (or other types of fish fillet), no skin!
• 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds (organic preferably so you don't need to peel)
• 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 onion, finely diced
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tblsp butter
• 1 cup to 1 &1/2 cup half & half
• 1 tsp cornstarch 
• 1/4 tsp Tumeric
• 1 tblsp Curry powder
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 cups mashed potatoes 
• 1/4 lb shrimp (optional)
• 1/4 cup grated cheese, such as a mild cheddar 
• paprika
• chopped parsley for garnish

Preparation
 Preheat the oven to 400°F
Cook the carrots and corn together (cover with water) in a little saucepan - cook until tender.
In another pan, saute the onion and mushroom  together in butter, until soft.
Add the seasonings.
Blend in the cream, whisk together, and heat (but don't boil - it might separate!).
Add cornstarch (always mix first with a little cold water before adding to a hot sauce).
Combine the carrots and corn with the creamy sauce.
Spread the bottom of your casserole with about 1/4 cup of the sauce.
Layer the fish (and shrimp).

Pour the remaining sauce entirely over the fish.
Spread the mashed potatoes on top.
Cover with grated cheese & sprinkle with paprika.
Cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges, the potatoes are browned and the cheese is golden.
Serve with the fresh chopped parsley.

YUMMY!

Suggestion: if you are going to serve a man Fish Pie, make sure you end the evening with something like this......

"All cats love fish, but fear to wet their paws."

Chinese proverb