Christmas Salad

 Christmas salad

Now that the holidays are here and we are relying on memories rather than in person celebrations, I am reflecting on the traditions of yesteryear.

I am not sure why I call this Christmas salad, except that my sister in law (Kate) made it for our annual Christmas dinner at her house. This was a lovely tradition,with all of the in-laws, kids, cousins, nieces and nephews, totaling up to 25 or more. The noise level was insane and I really miss it. This salad was presented every year, is super easy, festive and delicious.

It reminds me of so many wonderful times. I will make it this year in honor of Kate and hope you will too.

2 Boston lettuces, ends cut off, leaves separated and torn if large, washed and spun dried

1 can mandarin oranges- 12-16 oz, drained

1/2 thinly sliced red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup toasted almond slices ( I toast on a sheet pan in a single layer at 375 for 7 minutes - or until fragrant but not burned…which I am sadly famous for)

1/2 cup chopped celery (optional)

Toss lettuce, oranges (save a dozen or so for decoration) and red onions in a large serving bowl.

Top with cranberries, almond slices and celery (I don't mix in as they all fall to the bottom)

Arrange remaining oranges in circular pattern in center of salad to make it look extra special.

JUST BEFORE SERVING (as this type of lettuce wilts very quickly), toss with 1/2 cup (or more if necessary) of poppy seed dressing, either homemade or store bought.

Merry Christmas!

Peruvian Roast Chicken

Maybe I say this about a lot of dishes but this time, I mean it: this was the best recipe I've made in a while. 

There are Peruvian chicken restaurants here and there in larger cities, usually tucked away in an otherwise unremarkable corner of a strip mall, serving moist and succulent savory chicken with all the fixins- black beans and rice, grilled plantain, seasoned green beans, a corn fritter.

This recipe achieves the huge yumminess of that chicken at home.  It's not much more work that just throwing some lemon pepper on the bird & cooking, and it is *so* worth it!  

The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, and I give it to you below as it came to me.  Now here's what I did differently:  

1) Although I did roast a whole "stuffer" size chicken, I may try it on breasts & thighs next time to cut the cooking time.  The leftovers from the whole chicken we very good the next day and could be used in chicken & noodles, chicken salad, tostadas,fried rice with black beans & vegies.

2) True confessions- I didn't let it marinate 6 to 24 hrs. I smeared the seasonings under the skin & popped it straight into the oven.

3)  I'm not a huge mayo fan. But you really do want to make the Spicy Mayo as an accompaniment.  I didn't make my own mayo though; to 1/2 cup Hellman's I added some lime juice, prepared yellow mustard, onion and garlic powders, dried cilantro, kosher salt and jarred pickled jalepenos with a little bit of the jalepeno's vinegar brine. It worked fine.

I served it with a homemade ricearoni-type dish  and steamed broccoli.  Sorry, but I didn't get a photo of the whole chicken. It smelled so good I forgot!

Peruvian Roast Chicken

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

6 medium garlic cloves, chopped 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon table salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons finely grated zest plus 1/4 cup juice from 2 limes

1 teaspoon minced habanero or serrano chile

1 (3.5 to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded

1 cup Spicy Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

1. Process all the ingredients except the chicken and mayonnaise in a blender until a smooth paste forms, 10 to 20 seconds. Use your fingers to gently loosen the skin covering the breast and thighs; place half of the

paste under the skin, directly on the meat of the breast and thighs. Gently press on the skin to distribute the paste over the meat. Spread the entire exterior surface of the chicken with the remaining paste. Tuck the wings behind the back. Place the chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-lock and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a vertical roaster on a

rimmed baking sheet. Slide the chicken onto the vertical roaster so the drumsticks reach down to the bottom of the roaster, the chicken stands upright, and the breast is

perpendicular to the bottom of the pan. Roast the chicken until the skin just begins to turn golden and the thickest part of the breast registers 140 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes.

Carefully remove the chicken and the pan from the ovenand increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees.

3. Once the oven has reached 500 degrees, place 1 cup water in the bottom of the baking sheet and continue to roast until the entire chicken skin is browned and crisp,

the breast registers 160 degrees, and the thighs register 175 degrees, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through roasting.  Check the chicken halfway through roasting; if the top is becoming too dark place a 7" square piece of aluminium foil over the neck and wings of the chicken and continued to roast.  If the pan begins to smoke or sizzle add additional water to the pan.

4.  Carefully remove the chicken from the oven and let rest still on the vertical roaster for 20 minutes. Using 2 large wads of paper towels carefully lift the chicken off the vertical roaster on to a carving board. Carve the chicken and serve serve with Spicy Mayonnaise.

Spicy Mayonnaise

 Makes about 1 cup

If you have concerns about consuming raw eggs, 1/4 cup of an egg substitute can be used in place of the egg.

1 large egg

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon minced jarred jalapeños

1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

14 teaspoon table salt

1 cup vegetable oil

 Process all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor until combined about 5 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil in a steady stream until a mayonaise-like consistancy is reached, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Asparagus en Fete a Jacques

 Quite a few years ago (like over 20), I had the great fortune to meet my idols - Jacques Pepin and the legend herself, Julia Childs, at a book signing in Baltimore.I bought several copies of their new book - "Julia and Jacques Cook at Home" and had them autograph them for me. But I didn't stop there - I brought 35 of my collection of their cookbooks and they gratiously autographed them. I did something else too… I had purchased the first Harry Potter book for my son and it was in the autograph pile. When Jacques saw the book he was confused - I told him about the purpose and he laughed, saying that he had wanted to pick up a copy for himself. I told him I would be honored to gift him the book. He countered with autographing a copy for my son and had me autograph his copy. He then invited me to come upto New York and attend a few classes at the French Culinary Institute, where he taught. Alas, I never took him up on it, but this was certainly a highlight of my culinary life.

Sadly, a week ago, he lost his beautiful wife (Gloria) of 54 years. This is one of my most favorite, simple recipes of his and I offer (slightly adjusted) as a tribute to him.

To Jacques - HAPPY COOKING! (his trademark saying)

Asparagus en Fete a Jacques

1 1/2 pounds of asparagus ( about 20 stalks), peeling and trimmed

1 cup water

3/4 cup black olives (sliced in halves), kalamata are great here but regular is good as well

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 ripe tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2 dice

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, flat-leaf is best, divided

Lemon- Mustard Sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Steam asparagus in 1 cup of water in saucepan until just tender but firm ( 4-6 minutes).

Spread out asparagus in single layer to cool. When cool enough to handle, measure about 5 inches from top and cut the stalks, cutting the bottom portions into 1 inch dice.

Add olives, capers, tomato and all but 1 tablespoon parsley with diced asparagus to bowl.

Starting at the bottom, use a sharp knife to split the stalks, just up to the tips.

Combine sauce ingredients (except oil) in small bowl. In a steady slow stream, wisk in the oil. Pour 1/2 over  mix vegetable mix and stir to combine

Plating - on 5 salad plates, arrange four asparagus stalks with tips extended to edge of plate and carefully open up split portions to overlap adjoining stalk in compass presentation (creating frame). If serving 4, use 5 asparagus stalks and arrange in star pattern. Spoon vegetable mixture in center, add some more sauce and top with parsley.

Elegant, easy and delicious.

Thank you Jacques and Julia for all of your inspiration!

Super Fast and Easy Creamy Chicken and Broccoli

 Sometimes we get back late from a wonderful day on the water or are late getting to thinking about dinner. It is those times that I look for a go to recipe that is delicious and comes together fast.

I stumbled on a Keto recipe from "Gimme Delicious" and made my own modifications.

When we buy chicken breast on sale, we individually freeze them to make pulling this together very fast. Sometimes I cut them into dice when partially frozen and add a couple of minutes cooking time.

I can start the rice and throw this together by the time the rice is done!

Feel free to add in more veggies or substitute for what you have in the fridge.

Super Fast and Easy Creamy Chicken and Broccoli

1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch bite size pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano

1/2 teaspoon Badia seasoning blend- or 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

2 cups broccoli florets

1 green or red pepper, sliced in thin strips, optional

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice, optional

1/2 cup shredded cheese (whatever you have on hand)

1/2 cup cream cheese,softened

2 tablespoons chopped parsley,optional

Heat oil in large pan until shimmering. Add chicken and onion,sprinkle with seasonings, and saute for 3-5 minutes, until chicken is browned and just cooked through.

Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add tomato, broccoli, pepper strips, and celery and saute for additional 4-5 minutes or until broccoli is crisp tender.

Stir in cheeses, just until melted.

Delicious over rice, noodles or penne pasta. If looking for a healthier fix, try over zoodles, cauliflower rice or spaghetti squash.

Mississippi Pot Roast

My husband pointed to a pot roast recipe and said "Can we try this?"  We very, very rarely have a meat'n'potato meal, despite the fact that I grew up outside of St Louis MO where that's the typical every day menu.  Even though I enjoy a very different way of cooking now, I do love the memory of my mom's pot roast & mashed potatoes swimming in savory gravy.  This recipe is a bit different from my childhood meal though.  Cooked in an Instant Pot, flavored with pickled peppers and dill. 

It couldn't be easier- brown the roast, dump everything into the Instant Pot and go read a book for an hour until dinner's ready.  We whipped up some mashed potatoes (skins-on) and a side of green beans. Pretty doggone simple. And very tasty!

Before:

After:

Honestly I think the butter is unnecessary, so save some calories & consider omitting it.  If you don't have the ranch dressing and au jus packets in your cupboard I have given my substitutions.  I thickened the gravy with some additional cornstarch before serving.

Mississippi Pot Roast (Instant Pot)

3 lb beef roast

1 Tbl canola oil

1 large yellow onion cut into 1/2" vertical slices

1 pkt Ranch dressing mix*

1 pkt beef au jus gravy mix*

6 whole pepperocini or 1/4 pickled cherry pepper slices plus 4 Tbl brine

1 cup beef broth*

2 Tbl unsalted butter

Sear roast in canola on saute setting of the Instant Pot. Once seared, add onion slices, dry ingredients, peppers, beef broth and butter.  Seal Instant Pot, cancel the saute setting, and reset for 40 minutes on high pressure without venting.  When cooking time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally.

*If you don't have ranch dressing mix, substitute:

2 Tbl buttermilk powder (I suggest you whisk this into 1/4 cu beef broth to make sure it dissolves properly)

1-1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the au jus mix, substitute:

 3 beef boullion cubes

1 tsp dried parsley

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbl corn starch

For the beef broth, substitute:

 1 beef boullion cube dissolved in 1 cup water

Take Out Style Sesame Noodles

It may look like mild mannered spaghetti noodles on that plate, but they are actually a very flavorful version of the Chinese take out menu favorite: Sesame Noodles.  This recipe is sized for two adult portions.  It is a frequent side dish when we are out cruising on our boat since it is so easy!  Plus the sauce ingredients can be mixed ahead of time in a jelly jar and kept until you're ready to cook the noodles, pour on the no-cook sauce and eat.

It does contain peanuts, so obviously be aware if there are food allergies in your family.

Sambal Oelek is one of the ingredients; it's a Southeast Asian chilie/garlic sauce condiment that is readily available in American grocery stores.  You can add as much as you want if you like it spicy (like I do!)  but the 1 tsp the recipe calls for will probably not be too much for those who are "heat sensitive".

1/2 lb spaghetti or linguine pasta

SAUCE

1 Tbl toasted sesame oil

2 Tbl soy sauce

1 Tbl Chinese rice vinegar

1 Tbl tahini (sesame paste)

1/2 Tbl peanut butter

1/2 Tbl sugar

1/2 finely grated or minced fresh ginger

1-2 cloves finely minced garlic

1 tsp sambal oelek

For garnish: 

cucumber cut into thin matchsticks

2 Tbl chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Lime wedges

Cook pasta per package directions.

While pasta is cooking, mix sauce ingredients in a bowl until homogeneous.

When pasta is cooked, drain well. Toss noodles with sauce to coat.  Garnish with cucumber & chopped peanuts if desired,  serve with a lime wedge for diners to squeeze over the top. 

(The photo shows these noodles served with Sesame Hoisen Pork Chops and Ginger Sauteed Kale.)

Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Bunless Burgers on Zoodles

 We are always looking for multi dimensional meals that add extra veggies to substitute for the bread component - to add extra nutrition and keep calories in check.

I got this idea from the Tasty app, but changed it up a bit and love the texture difference with the zoodles. I promise you that you will not miss the bread! Feel free to exchange riced cauliflower, spaghetti squash or even toasted buns for the zoodles.

We had our son (Tom) and his girlfriend (Paige) down this summer and always cook new things with them. Showing them that this comes together in a snap, is healthy and incredibly delicious were added benefits. Breading the burgers and frying them for a bit adds such a great, unexpected crunch and is genius! Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Parmesan Bunless Burgers on Zoodles

Breading

1/2 cup bread crumbs plain or seasoned

1/2 teaspoon salt - I used Badia Complete Seasoning as I like its flavor profile

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

Burger

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or fresh if you have it)

2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon oil

4 slices mozzarella cheese

1 cup marinara sauce - I am hoping Lois posts her amaing homemade recipe as it is to die for!

Zoodles

2 zucchini squash - spiraled or peeled in thin strips using vegetable peeler

1 clove chopped garlic

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix breading items in medium size bowl and set aside.

Mix all burger ingredients together, except chicken. Add chicken, and using your fingers, lightly combine until just mixed, being careful not to overwork the chicken.

Divide into 4 servings and create burger patties

Carefully dredge in breading mixture, pressing into burger and set each one on baking sheet

Heat oil in sauce pan and brown patties on both sides for 4 minutes each.

Transfer to baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until done, adding a slice of mozzarella 5 minutes before done

While the burgers are baking, heat up marinara sauce in microwave or stove and heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add zoodles and saute until just al dente, about 3 minutes.

When burgers are done, plate 1/4 of the zoodles on each plate, top with burger and drizzle 1/4 of the marinara sauce on each burger. Top with chopped fresh basil or parsley if desired.

Farro Bowl

This farro dish was one of the best things I've made in a while. Although tonight it was served as a base for blackened salmon, I would not hesitate to feature this as a vegetarian main dish next time. The dressing was light enough to not overwhelm the flavor of the veg, and the grain was delightfully chewy and nutty.

I did use farro, an ancient Mediterranean grain.  None of the three groceries in our small rural town in Virginia carries farro, so we ordered from Amazon. Brown rice or barley could be substituted.  Since I didn't have spinach in the frig I substituted the quartered brussel sprouts. (Have I ever followed a recipe exactly??)

And did I mention the dressing?  

SO. EASY. 

3 ingredients: Dijon mustard, pomengranate juice and red wine vinegar,  no cooking, and it would be very good on a green salad or other cooked vegetables. Tonight I made a little extra & tossed those brussel sprouts in it.  The recipe calls for pomengranate juice; I used pomengranate molasses (the substitution I use is 1 cup juice =1/3 cup molasses)

1 ½ cups farro

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¾-in. chunks

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 large shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups baby spinach

1 medium fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced, plus chopped fronds for serving

½ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 oz.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Stir in farro and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.

While farro cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add sweet potato, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover and steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until water evaporates and sweet potato is tender and browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with farro.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over medium. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pomegranate juice; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ½ cup, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, mustard, pepper, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Remove from heat and gradually whisk remaining ¼ cup oil into dressing.

Add ¾ cup dressing to farro mixture and toss to coat. Add spinach and fennel; toss gently. Divide among 4 bowls and drizzle with remaining dressing. Top with cheese and garnish with fennel fronds.

Recipe originally from https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/farro-bowl-pomegranate-vinaigrette-recipe

Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup

 

My friends Lois and Brent left on a three week sailing trip and left me in charge of watering their indoor plants (a gutsy challenge if you know my history with plants) and let me raid their garden.

The most wonderful butternut squash was in full bounty and I did not hesitate to grab a few. We were headed to a dinner with some friends and I quickly whipped up this soup.

Due to the beautiful just picked squash, it was delightful and full of fresh flavor. I altered a recipe for Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup from Cook's County for this quick version.

Southwestern Butternut Squash Soup

Preheat oven to 450

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds) , peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks. I tackle it raw but you can microwave it for five minutes to soften it up a bit.

1 large onion roughly chopped.

2 tablespoons freshly chopped garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste ( I use 1 teaspoon salt or sometimes 1 teaspoon of Badia Complete Seasoning and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup half and half or milk

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (or cilantro)

1 tablespoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (optional)

Drizzles of sour cream (optional)

Pepitas or sunflower seeds

Mix first five items together and spread in one layer in large roasting pan and bake for about 45 minutes, turning once or twice to get nice carmelization.

Remove from oven and add 1/3rd cup broth and scrape to deglaze pan.

Add 1/2 of squash with 2 cups of broth to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into large saucepan and repeat with remaining squash and broth.

Add honey, lime juice, cumin and half and half (or milk) and simmer, adding more broth or water as necessary to bring to desired consistency.

Ladle in soup bowls, sprinkle with parsley, chiles, pepitas, drizzle some sour cream and enjoy!

Thanks to the Sparks for the squash!

Try different seasonings at the end to make it your version!

Pan Seared Shrimp with Peanuts, Black Pepper and Lime

On our way through town today we stopped at Miss Mary's, a terrific local shop for very fresh, high quality seafood. The shop has limited hours, and it's rare that we catch them open. But there it was: the bright orange neon OPEN sign in the window!  We picked up a pound of shrimp for tonight and some tuna steaks for tomorrow.

I had a shrimp recipe from Cooks Illustrated that sounded interesting tucked away to try: pan seared shrimp tossed with a nice sauteed spice mixture. Although the flavor is not overtly Asian, a side of fried rice loaded with veg made a perfect side.  The shrimp were savory but not spicy hot.  It got a big thumbs up all around the table.

One word of advice is to have all ingredients measured, chopped & ready before you begin cooking, because the dish is done before you know it.  The technique of starting the shrimp in a cold cast iron skillet and finishing them off-heat worked and they were perfectly cooked.

Cook Time: 45 minutes 

Serves 4

3/4 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 garlic clove, minced
9/16 teaspoon sugar, divided
1/16 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
1/2 tablespoon lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
1 1/2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse

Toss shrimp and ½ teaspoon salt together in bowl; set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, grind coriander seeds and peppercorns using spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to small bowl. Add paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir until combined.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon oil and remaining ⅛ teaspoon sugar to bowl with shrimp and toss to coat. Add shrimp to cold 12-inch nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet in single layer and cook over high heat until undersides of shrimp are spotty brown and edges turn pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Working quickly, use tongs to flip each shrimp; let stand until second side is opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to platter.
Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty skillet. Add spice mixture and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, return shrimp to skillet. Add cilantro and lime juice and toss to combine. Transfer to platter; sprinkle with peanuts; and serve, passing lime wedges separately.

Notes:

Shrimp are so small that it's hard to brown them before they overcook. We started by briefly salting them so that they retained moisture even as they were seared over high heat. Sprinkling sugar on the shrimp (patted dry after salting) and waiting to add the sugar until just before searing them boosted browning and underscored the shrimp's sweetness. To cook them, we arranged the shrimp in a single layer in a cold skillet (nonstick or carbon-steel to ensure that the flavorful browning would stick to the shrimp, not the pan) so that they made even contact with the surface. They heated up gradually with the skillet, so they didn't buckle and thus browned uniformly; slower searing also created a wider window for ensuring that they didn't overcook. Once the shrimp were spotty brown and pink at the edges on the first side, we removed them from the heat and quickly turned each one, letting residual heat gently cook them the rest of the way. A flavorful spice mixture for seasoning the shrimp came together in the same pan used to cook them.

Source: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/13320-pan-seared-shrimp-with-peanuts-black-pepper-and-lime 

Spiced Tuna with Mediterranean Wine Sauce

I'm always puzzled when presented with a nice tuna steak to cook.   So many recipes have  tomato-based sauce that overwhelms the subtle flavor of the meat. This wine-sauced dish has become one of our favorites because the crushed fennel seed crust highlights the tuna's flavor, and the wine sauce.... well, just make sure you have a crusty baguette loaf to sop up every drop. I think this also works well with a chicken cutlet that's been pounded thin.

4 servings

 Ingredients

1 cup dry white wine, divided

8 sun-dried tomato halves, packed without oil

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 (6-ounce) tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)

Cooking spray

3 tablespoons chopped pitted Greek olives

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 cups hot cooked angel hair pasta (about 4 ounces uncooked pasta)

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Combine 1/2 cup wine and tomato halves in a 1-cup glass measure. Cover with plastic wrap, and fold back a corner to vent. Microwave at high 1-1/2 minutes or until mixture boils; let

stand, covered, 15 minutes. Strain tomatoes through a sieve into a bowl,

reserving liquid; chop tomatoes. Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup wine, and

orange juice to the reserved tomato liquid; set aside.

Place fennel seeds and peppercorns in a spice or coffee grinder: process until

finely ground. Pour into a small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, orange rind, and garlic. Spread spice mixture evenly over 1 side of each tuna steak. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add steaks, crust sides down, to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until fish is medium-rare or desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; keep warm. Add wine mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt,

olives, and black pepper to skillet; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3

minutes). Combine pasta, 1 teaspoon oil, and cheese in a bowl; toss well.

Serve tuna over pasta; drizzle with wine sauce.

Recipe originally from Cooking Light www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spiced-tuna-with-mediterranean-wine-sauce

First Place Blueberry Pie

One of my most enduring conquests in competing in fairs is making pies. Learning that the judging was based on the prominence of the fruit flavor, it took me awhile to make sure that I didn't keep adding spices and other flavors that would mask it. And getting the right, flaky but tender crust is always a fun challenge. Enjoy!

First Place Blueberry Pie

4 1/2 - 5 cups blueberries (fresh or not thawed if frozen)

3/4 Cup sugar

3/4 Cup water (or juice from blueberries is thawed from frozen)

4 Tablespoons corn starch (mixed with 1/4 cup water)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons butter

Double pie crust**

Preheat oven to 425

Cook sugar and water until boiling - add one cup of blueberries

Simmer for several minutes

Combine corn starch with 1/4 cup water and stir into boiling blueberry mixture

Cook, (stirring constantly) until liquid becomes very think and clear

Poor hot blueberry mixture into bowl with remaining blueberries and stir.

Add lemon zest and butter, stir, and let cool to almost room temperature

Pour into prepared pie crust and top with remaining crust (either whole or lattice) and flute edges to seal

Cut air slits if whole top crust is used or make decorative cutouts

Cover edges of crust with pie rim or aluminum foil (recommendation)

Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes

Turn temperature down to 350 and bake around 30 minutes longer or until instant thermometer is at 200

Cool pie to room temperature before slicing.

** Pie crust for double

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups butter flavored Crisco shortening

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 egg 

1 teaspoon white vinegar

5-6 tablespoons ice water

Pulse first 6 items in food processor until resembles corn meal

Slowly add ice water and pulse until it comes together and forms a ball

Pull together in ball with as little handling as possible and form into disc.

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before rolling out

Who are Jane & Lois?

Jane and Lois are friends and neighbors in a small town in rural coastal Virginia.  Their shared love of cooking and baking led to sharing recipes and a little healthy competition for outdoing each other with gourmet treats.

Jane is an award winning baker and specialist in canning and preserving.  Her name is regularly on the list of top winners at county and state fairs in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.  Among her accomplishments are 1,700 ribbons (over 1,000 blue) and 12 best of show awards. She loves the friendly competion and comraderie and has even trained and become a certified judge in the tri state area.  Outside of baking, candy making and canning, her cooking style is fairly traditional American faire with some dabbling into ethnic arenas. 

Lois is an adventurous cook specializing in bread baking and ethnic foods from all over the world.  Her flavors tend to be spicy and have deep unami.  Meat'n'potato meals are very rare in her household. Trying new recipes is the norm, and a dish that gets repeated has passed a high bar for tastiness.  She has been baking bread for 40+ years.

We hope to share some recipes with you that we feel are interesting and will delight you.  Some will be old family recipes, some will be treasures from other modern chefs, some will be original.  All will be delicious.