Feeling like chicken tonight?

Helloooo Cleveland!!! First of all I'd like to send a hearty thanks to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport for having free wi-fi so that I could finish this post during my 2 hour layover (except for the part where it lost connection and I lost half of this post). Why every other airport seems to charge $9.95 for wi-fi access is beyond me. Anyhoo...I have been experimenting with making something other than shrimp lately. I know, cooking chicken breasts is hardly an experiment, but making it taste like something other than the shoe leather that you typically get in caesar salads IS a challenge! It's a really good base for trying out sauces and toppings if you can keep yourself from over cooking it. (A key is bringing the chicken to room temperature first so that the inside doesn't remain cold while the outside over cooks.)

Wondering about the purple chicken above? That was my experiment with using red wine in my mushroom sauce. Typically I really like reduced red wine sauces, beurre rouge and whatnot, but the color made the chicken look...weird. So I went back to the beige sauce made with stock. And in an effort to clean out my fridge before my weekend trip, I sauteed grape tomatoes and garlic and topped it all off with feta. Pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself. It would even be good on fish. Or shrimp.



Sauteed Chicken With...

Mushrooms

2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup chicken stock (or white wine)
1 tablespoon heavy cream



1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts, add to the pan and cook, about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. (Resist the urge to move them around the pan so that you get a nice golden crust on each side.) Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. To the same skillet, add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, and stock and cook until reduced by about half. Add the cream and cook until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve. Serves 2.



Cherry Tomatoes

2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/2 cup crumbled feta

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken breasts, add to the pan and cook, about 6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. (Resist the urge to move them around the pan so that you get a nice golden crust on each side.) Remove to a plate and set aside.

2. To the same skillet, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and cook stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with additional olive oil. Spoon the tomatoes over the chicken, sprinkle with feta and serve. Serves 2.

Curry in a Hurry

There's almost no point to making Thai food at home when you live in NYC. There are no less 18 Thai restaurants within a 10 block radius of my apartment. I took a Thai cooking class at ICE years ago and it was awesome, but I have yet to EVER make the recipes ever again! So why make a green curry at home? Because I need another way to make shrimp! Haven't you noticed how many posts I have on shrimp? They cook quickly and are tasty but I can't keep making garlic shrimp over and over again (but I do). And this green curry is not made like it was in my Thai class where we made the curry paste from scratch. I just bought the little jar o' paste at the grocery store. I don't think the addition of peas is authentic, but I like the slight sweetness paired with the spicy sauce. And the extra green looks purdy.



Shrimp Curry with Coconut Rice

Cooked basmati rice
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped basil leaves
3 tablespoons minced cilantro
Freshly ground pepper

1. In a medium skillet, toast the coconut over moderately low heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Sprinkle over the cooked rice.

2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the jalapeño and cook for one minute. Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute per side. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and the ginger and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the coconut milk, stock, and curry paste and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, until thickened. Add the cooked shrimp, peas, 1/3 cup of the basil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and simmer until heated through, 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of basil, 1 tablespoon of cilantro. Serve immediately with the coconut rice. Serves 4.

Eggplant Assemblage

Holy cow. How good does that look?!? Sometimes I totally surprise myself. Thank you Melissa Clark. Thank you The New York Times. Thank you random folder of recipes that I keep even after the invention of this thing called the web. This recipe is delish.

I've been feeling super lame because I haven't been blogging regularly (get ready because that is going to change!) so this past weekend I decided that I wanted to make something simple yet seasonal and I think I hit the nail on the head with this deconstructed eggplant parm by Melissa Clark. It's fresh and flavorful and you don't have to bake it in the oven! There are more steps than I normally endorse, so takes awhile (2 hours if you are talking on the phone at the same time) but it's worth it! You cook the eggplant, cook the sauce, brown the bread crumbs, assemble, and voila...a gorgeous veggie starter.



Eggplant Parmesan Assemblage

1 large eggplant sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
Black pepper to taste
About 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
5 garlic cloves
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 sprigs fresh oregano
3 sprigs fresh basil, plus 5 large leaves
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup ricotta
2 ounces fresh mozzarella

1. Place the eggplant slices in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Drain and pat the slices dry with a paper towel. Season with pepper.

2. Working in batches, heat some of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (you will need about 1/2 cup total for frying, less with a nonstick pan). Add as much eggplant to the skillet as fits comfortably in a single layer. Cook, without moving, until the undersides are dark golden, about 4 minutes; flip and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the eggplant to a platter. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggplant.

3. Let the skillet cool for a few minutes. Return it to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the oil. Smash and peel 4 garlic cloves and add them to the skillet. Cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Cook, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spatula, until the tomatoes start to form a sauce, 15 minutes. Add the basil sprigs and 4 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Simmer 5 minutes longer.

4. While the sauce simmers, in a small skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mince 1 garlic clove and add it to the skillet with the bread crumbs. Toast, stirring, until the bread crumbs are just golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the 1 remaining tablespoon of Parmesan and a pinch of salt.

5. Arrange the eggplant on a large platter. Spoon dollops of the ricotta over the eggplant and top with the sauce. Scatter the bread crumbs over the sauce. Top with the mozzarella and garnish with torn basil leaves. Drizzle with more oil and serve. Makes 6 to 8 side dish or appetizer servings.

Hellooo!

I'm still here! My blog hasn't died a long slow death! I just got really, really, really lazy after going on vacay...check out some pics I tweeted (and some I didn't) while I was away! And now all I do is shout!!!


Backcountry Picnic Spot


Jazz Aspen Pre-Steely Dan performance


Premiere Picnic Table


Hiking


The View


Sepia Hike


View of downtown Aspen and Ajax Mountain from my hike

With fall approaching, I am ready to get back into the swing of things and cook like the wind! Fortunately I came across a cookbook, Ying's Best One-Dish Meals, that held a promise of good eats. I uncovered it when I had the good fortune to pack years and years and years of office crap to move to a new (smaller!) office space. It sucks to pack your own stuff for your own move, but let me tell you, it sucks a million times more to pack the accumulated works of other people! Who you've never even met! Now that I think about it, I've had to move at nearly every job I've ever had. Coincidence? Bad timing? Or maybe I just linger too long at these jobs...Hmmm. So between purging old magazines and outdated files, and taking home nonsense that had piled up in my office/closet/annex, I decided to keep this one particular cookbook that looked simple and healthy, and had some interesting recipes.

I first tried the shrimp in spicy garlic sauce, which was essentially a healthier version of General Tso's, but without all of the fried tastiness. It was good, but I would suggest that calling this a garlic "sauce" is a stretch. It's a stir fry. There needs to be liquid to make a dish sauce-y. I did decide to take a few extra minutes to make my own candied walnuts though. The recipe calls for a purchased version, but since they are really easy to make and super delish on salads...or to snack on while watching the Real Housewives of Anywhere, I made my own. Even if you don't make the shrimp, try making the walnuts. Trust.



Spicy Garlic Shrimp with Candied Walnuts

3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 medium bell peppers, cored and cut into strips
1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup candied walnuts (store bought or see recipe below)

1. Whisk the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat a nonstick saute pan over high heat and coat with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the shrimp, reserving the marinade. Cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes. Remove and place on a plate.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the peppers, onion, salt, additional red pepper flakes if using, and the reserved marinade. Cook until the onion and peppers soften, about 5 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to heat through. Garnish with the candied walnuts. Serve immediately with rice or quinoa. Serve 4.



Candied Walnuts

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces walnuts (about one heaping cup; try not to use pieces)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, cayenne and salt.

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Add the walnuts and blanch them for 2 minutes. Drain well and then immediately roll the walnuts in the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. (The sugar will melt slightly.)

3. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet or pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully because the sugar can burn easily. Let cool completely before serving.

Vodka Sawce

Yo. The fact that I have not commented on Season 4 of Jersey Shore is ca-razy. First of all: Jersey Shore as a show at all is ridic. Second of all: This group of Eye-talians being filmed in Italy, having never been there before (or any other country for that matter) is ridic. I mean, how many times have they referred to the Duomo as the Vatican or some other prominent Roman architectural location? They don't even know where they are. But who cares? Wherever they are, they manage to find gyms, spray tans, laundromats, and clubs that play house music. And I watch.

I think it is only appropriate to make an Italian-American meal to enjoy while watching the Jersey Shore, even though they are in Italy. Somehow I don't think that the kids are ready for crostini di fegato or pappardelle sulla lepre, so they're probably searching high and low for some chicken parm and sausage and peppas. I figured that penne alla vodka would be perf because they would actually be able to find canned tomatoes in the market (even without being able to speak the language) and you know that the first stop upon arriving in Florence was to the liquor store to stock up on vodka for Ron-Ron Juice. (Nevermind that J-Woww doesn't eat anymore and Snooks will probably have to run up and down the stairs about 50 times to work it all off. Check them out pretending to eat in the photo above!) But hey, I'm not on TV, so I'm going to make a plate and enjoy!



Penne Alla Vodka

Salt
One (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their liquid
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed hot red pepper
1/3 cup vodka
1 pound penne
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Pour the tomatoes and their liquid into the work bowl of a food processor. Briefly process the tomatoes with a series of quick pulses just until they are finely chopped.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower the work bowl with the tomatoes close to the skillet and carefully (they will splatter) slide the tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil, season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper, and boil 2 minutes. Pour in the vodka, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and simmer about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, stir the penne into the boiling water. Bring the water back to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Just before the pasta is done, pour the cream into the tomato sauce. If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, drain the pasta from the boiling water and add it directly to the sauce in the skillet. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt and red pepper if necessary.

6. Remove the pot from the heat, sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese if you like.

Oh, Gratin

I remember going to a restaurant called Bill Knapp's when I was growing up. We would only go after church on Sunday and I would only order the au gratin potatoes. I liked to call them "oh rotten potatoes" because I thought I was funny. Now that I think about it, they weren't all that gratinéed, but I do remember that they were one million degrees, (probably from being put under the salamander right before being served) and they were definitely bubbling, cheesy potatoes with a bruléed top.

That was the start of all things au gratin for me. I remember making an awesome leek gratin for Thanksgiving one year and now there's this tomato gratin that I made at the beach this past weekend. I actually had it for the first time a few weeks ago when I made these Cowboy Cookies, and my friend had made the recipe for the first time. It was super delish and looked EXACTLY like the photo in her cookbook. Three of us devoured the entire dish in a matter of minutes, so we decided to make it again to go with our freshly caught Montauk sea bass. My friend mentioned that it had taken a while to prep everything so I offered to help, and then ended up making the whole thing.


Grilled Montauk Striped Bass

The first go around my friend seeded all of the tomatoes. This time we decided to seed only half of them, figuring that the juices would be soaked up by the bread cubes. And they were. The recipe doesn't call for seeding the tomatoes, and it doesn't really matter if you do, but if you are using extra-ripe, end of summer tomatoes, you might want to seed at least half. After you've finished your prep work and thrown the tomatoes in the oven, pour yourself a glass of rosé and get ready for the cheesy goodness.



Tomato Gratin
(Adapted from Ina Garten)

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups (1/2-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed
16 plum tomatoes (or heirloom tomatoes), cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

2. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

3. Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

Feeling Blue

The end of summer can never come soon enough as far as I'm concerned. Hot, steamy subway platforms and the odiferous people that you encounter there will never convince me of the supposed pleasures of summer. I guess it's fine if you have a pool or a shore house near Karma, but otherwise it sucks. Although tasty summer treats like fresh corn, ice cream, and fruit pies sort-of, kind-of remind me of why it could be nice, it's usually September before I realize that I haven't had a single ear of corn or slice of peach pie. But hey, it's only August and I've made a pie!!



How good does that look? Making a crumble topping saves you from rolling out a second disk of pie dough and...it's crumble topping! Hello! If you're afraid of rolling out even one disk of dough, just buy it premade. Your pie will still taste better than if you bought it. Trust. (Make sure to taste the blueberries first and adjust the sugar that you add to the filling according to their ripeness. If they are a little tart, add 1/2 cup sugar. If they're really ripe, add only a 1/4 cup.) Serve it while it is still warm from the oven with a side of vanilla ice cream and even if you're in your crappy walk-up apartment on a 90+ degree day, you can pretend that you're...not.



Blueberry Crumb Pie

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Basic Pie Dough, store bought or homemade
Crumble Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
Filling:
2 pints (about 6 cups) blueberries, picked over
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a disk of dough to a 12-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, dust off any excess flour. Fit the dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate, pressing it lightly into the edges. Trim the dough to a 1/2-inch overhang all around. Fold the edge of dough over or under, and crimp as desired. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, light-brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. With a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands, work in the butter until large, moist clumps form. Chill, covered, until ready to use.

3. Make the filling: Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place the blueberries in a large bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the chilled pie shell, mounding the berries slightly in the center. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the blueberry mixture.

4. Place the pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust edges begin to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚F. Continue baking, rotating the sheet halfway through, until the juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely.