Grilled Baby Peppers Stuffed w/ Spicy Swai

Baby Sweet Peppers

This recipe was inspired by a Spanish tapa that I tried recently.  The original dish used salt cod and a mildly spicy pepper.  Salt cod is cool, but I wanted to make a dish that did not require a 24 hour prep. time.  What I had on hand was frozen Swai burgers.  What is Swai?  Presumably it is some kind of mild and easily caught white fish that resides somewhere far away from Vermont.  I prefer a more locally sourced, less ambiguous product for the most part, but I am a sucker for inexpensive, low-cal “fast food” from the freezer section.  And I generally have something like this I can prepare quickly.  If you don’t, ideally you would use some sort of ground fish for the dish.  You could also try substituting canned tuna.  But, for my part, I think this worked pretty well.  Although you could prepare this dish in a broiler, the grill is the way to go.  These baby sweet peppers are colorful, flavorful, and tender, and really are perfect for grilling.

Recipe (Serves 2-3)

15 baby sweet peppers, tops removed and seeded

2 Swai Burgers, defrosted, or 6 oz of raw, ground fish

1 Jalapeno, seeded and minced

Juice of 1 lemon

1 t paprika

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt, pepper, olive oil

Tools: grill, grill rack to keep the peppers from slipping through grill, grill tongs or similar

Prepare your grill (either charcoal or gas) to a medium heat.

Begin by squeezing out most of the liquid from the fish and crumbling it into a bowl.  If there are any still frozen bits, break them up.  Mix in the lemon, jalapeno, garlic, paprika, and a little salt and pepper using your hands until well combined.  Using the back of a spoon or another tool you find more useful fill the peppers with the fish mixture.  Make sure you really squish the mixture down into the pepper.  Fill to 1/2 inch from top; it should be packed in firmly.  If you have an extra pepper or two just go ahead grill them, too.  Toss the peppers in olive oil, salt, and pepper and place on a grill rack.  Place the grill rack on the grill and cover.  Lower the heat so the peppers can cook without blackening for about 15 minutes total, flipping after about 8.  The peppers are done when slightly charred (grilling is not a perfect science, but the inside should be hot and the outside still colorful).  Remove from grill and serve with a peppery green salad and watermelon, or other grilled items, or whatever you want!

A package of frozen Swai burgers

 

Sunday Dinner, June 19, 2011

Sea Bream on the Grill

Last Sunday’s dinner proved fantastic, and for the dish I prepared I will provide a recipe in my next post. (It’s a good one, if I do say so myself!) Photos of the rest I feel I must include to document another memorable Sunday dinner.  Thank you to all my friends!

To begin with: Turkish Feta, watermelon and Prosciutto di Parma

Ozzy's making lobster stock.

Here's the Seam Bream again.

Here comes the Salmon Cucumber Rolls.  The recipe for those is coming soon!

Salmon Cucumber Rolls with Mystery Caviar

It's never a party without raw oysters. We are having raw clams, too.

The big bottle of Champagne, please.

That's me, I look happy! What is Luther doing?

Three Hungry Buddies

Boys...

Thanks for a great night!

 

Warm Spring Chicken Salad

Warm Spring Chicken Salad

This veggiliscious chicken salad uses the great green things that are the first produce produced in Vermont.  It is served warm, not hot, and may be just right for a day too hot for hot food, but when you want something more substantial than a typical salad.  Rather than oils and such for a dressing, we use lemon and mustard.  It may be a bit closer to a stir-fry than a salad, but call it what you will, it has a lovely color, and though it is cooked, the vegetables retain their crisp snapiness.  Fresh, healthy, delicious…

Recipe (Serves 2)

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

6 shitake mushrooms, sliced

8 or so asparaguses, the ends discarded and cut in half

2 stalks celery, sliced roughly

2 cups coarsely chopped kale (curly, flat, or a mix)

5 big basil leaves, torn

Juice of a lemon

1 T mustard

Cooking spray, salt, pepper

Heat the cooking spray In a pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken and mushrooms. Allow them to brown , but not burn.  Into the pan with the celery and asparagus until the asparagus has softened.  Thicker asparagus will, of course, take longer than thinner.  Add the Kale once the rest is nearly done; it doesn’t need more than a minute or two.  Toss in the lemon and mustard and salt and pepper, which is all the dressing you need.  Transfer to a serving plate and top with the basil.  Allow the plate to rest for 30 minutes before eating (if possible). Enjoy!

Green stuff for the salad...

 

Roasted Chicken with Kimchee and Vidalia Onion

Roasted Chicken with Kimchee and Caramelized Vidalia Onion

Kimchee is a great condiment, but it’s also a great ingredient.  It lets you cheat a bit; instead of compiling all the requisite ingredients for a flavorful dish, you must simply open a jar.  Of course, you can and should make it yourself if you have a good recipe.  I have never tried it, but the homemade version far surpasses anything that comes in a jar and keeps well, too.  If you want  to do a dish even simpler than this, you could skip all the ingredients but the chicken and kimchee; throw some chicken pieces into a pan and cover with Kimchee.  Roast until cooked through, and serve with rice.  Simple as can be!  The addition of the caramelized onion mixture sweetens the dish and balances the vinegary, peppery flavor of the kimchee.  The glaze does the same and enhances the texture of the chicken.  The combo of the Kimchee and other vegetables also makes the dish complete- no starch is needed, and the one pot dish creates its own sides.  If, like me, you try to avoid starchy sides, than I think you’ll find this dish gives you everything you need for a satisfying meal.

A note: I have never used Kosher chicken in my cooking.  I do usually opt for local or at least “all natural” and “free-range”.  I find these more flavorful, and I feel better about eating them.  The rules for raising and slaughtering of Kosher animals are at least as strict as those required for these other labels.  So you will be getting an animal that has been raised with strict care and consideration.  A non-Jewish foodie introduced me to these chickens, and I must tell you that this was the best roasted chicken breast that I have ever had!  I flatter myself to think that it was because of my cooking method (it is important, too!) but I think that this was a superior product.  As we all know, boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts can be dry and bland, but this was tender, juicy and full of flavor.  Give it a try!

Another note: I use a simple salad of tomato and herb in this recipe to freshen the dish.  There are not always edible tomatoes to be had (I’d recommend “Nature Sweet” brand cherry tomatoes if there’s nothing fresher.)  You can just use the herbs without the tomatoes; it will still add the fresh, herbal element that helps to complete this dish.

Recipe (serves 2)

2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts, about 6oz each and Kosher

1 large Vidalia onion, cut in half and sliced thickly

6 button mushrooms, sliced thickly

3 cloves garlic, minced

Ginger, minced, equal amount to garlic, about 1 T

1 cup prepared Kimchee

That's the stuff, the one in the front.

2 T, divided Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam, by Stonewell Kitchen or other savory jam, sweet Asian sauce, or 1 T honey, or 1 T balsamic reduction or 1 T apricot jam.  We want something sweet and flavorful to use as a base for the glaze.

1- 2 cups chicken stock, divided

1/2 cup chopped tomato (only if you have a good one, otherwise omit)

Edible, but not awesome tomatoes...

1 T chopped flatleaf parsley

1 t chopped dill

1 t lemon juice, about 1/4 lemon (omit if not using tomato or if tomato is farm fresh)

Salt and pepper

Cooking spray

1/2 T butter

Begin cooking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

The chicken has been browned, and I'm deglazing the pan.

Warm a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat with a coating of cooking spray or enough oil to cover. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts on both sides, and add them to the pan.  Brown on both sides.  Set the chicken aside, and add a splash of chicken stock to the pan to deglaze.  Gently scrape up any bits from the pan, and add the onion and mushroom.  Add the butter to this, and sautee gently for a few minutes.  If the onions are browning, reduce the heat.  We want them to caramelize gently.  Once they’ve softened add the garlic and ginger.  If you are using a salt-free stock, then add some salt and pepper here.  Also, stir in 1/2 of your savory jam or other glazing sauce.  This will add even more sweetness to help these ingredients caramelize.  After about 5 minutes, the garlic should be soft and mellow.  Remove pan from heat.

Taking the remainder of your savory jam in a small bowl, stir in a splash of chicken stock to thin it a little.  Place the chicken breasts over the onion mixture in the pan, and coat the top of them with the savory jam glazing mix.  Arrange the Kimchee around the pan, topping the visible onion mixture, but not the chicken breasts.  Pour enough chicken stock into the pan to cover the onions and just touch the chicken.

Roast uncovered in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.

Meanwhile, stir together tomatoes and herbs with a little salt and pepper and the lemon juice.  Set aside.  If not using tomato, mix the herbs with some salt and pepper.

Remove the chicken from the oven.  If there are more than a couple Tablespoons of liquid in the pan, use a slotted spoon to place solid ingredients on to 2 serving plates, and return the pan to the stovetop to reduce the juice to just enough for a sauce.  Then pour over chicken.  If the juice is mostly gone,  just pour it over top of the other ingredients.  Place the tomato mixture to one side of the chicken, or sprinkle the herb mixture (if not using tomato) over everything.  Voila!

Ready to roast!

 

Always prick an eggplant before roasting…

 

Early Passover at the Giral’s.

Here’s some pictures from our Passover Seder,  Sorry about the poor quality; I really must find myself a flash.  Thanks, everyone!

Herbed Matzo Balls (made with dill and lamb fat).

Matzah, rye bread, and bagels.

Tradtional Dombro family Seder Plate, complete with parsnip "lamb shank".

Haggadim

Ozzy's taking some pictures.

...so is Garth.

Everyone likes Matzo Ball Soup.

Ria's homemade rugula.

What am I, chopped liver?

Try some of this...

...with some of this.

My homemade yarmulke.

Marc is happy!

We like bourbon.

Happy Passover!

 

Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwich with Truffled Asparagus

Here’s another quick and easy snack.  It’s a variation on an egg salad sandwich, richened by light cream cheese and flavored by green stuff and truffle.  I like it over a piece of crusty, brick oven bread or rye.

Open-Faced Egg Salad Sandwich with Truffled Asparagus

Recipe (serves 1)

1 hard-boiled egg, smashed

2 small cornichons, chopped

1/2 stalk celery, chopped

1 T chopped chives

1 T light cream cheese

5 stalks asparagus, ends trimmed

1 slice bread

1 t truffle oil

cooking spray

Freshly cracked pepper and salt

Spray a pan with cooking spray.  Heat the bread and asparagus over medium.  Remove the bread when it’s warm and the asparagus when it’s soft.

Combine first 5 ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the asparagus with the truffle oil and salt and pepper.  Top the bread with the asparagus and then the egg mixture.  Snack away!

 

Yogurt with Banana and Cucumber

I’ve decided to post a couple simple snacks.  This is the easiest and healthiest thing you could ever prepare, and it’s pretty unusual.  Yogurt with cucumber is everywhere, and yogurt with banana is an obvious choice, but when you put it all together it becomes sweet and salty, crunchy and smooth and really pretty satisfying.  Give it a try!

Yogurt a la Marz

Recipe (for 1)

1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

1 small sliced banana

1 small unwaxed cucumber, quartered and sliced (or peeled and sliced if it is waxed)

1 t extra virgin olive oil

Freshly cracked pepper and sea salt

Mix up the yogurt, cucumber, and banana.  Drizzle with oil, and top with salt and pepper.  Yum it up!

 

Cornmeal Crusted Wild Salmon with Acorn Squash Puree, Blood Orange and Myer Lemon Jus, and Truffled Arugula

The completed dish

This was a tasty one.  If you are fortunate enough to find yourself with delectable citrus fruit, rich, heady lobster stock and a couple filets of fish, this dish will not disappoint.  The squash is satisfying, yet light and airy and absorbs some of the sweet, tart, and savory sauce.  The combination of flavors is bold, yet they balance each other well.  Crispy cornmeal, fresh, peppery arugula, moist salmon, and juicy squash present an array of textures and colors to delight the senses.  As with most of my dishes, this is really as healthy as it gets and really quite easy to prepare.

A note: if you find yourself with a little extra of the cornmeal topping, try sprinkling it over soup for a little extra zing.  Enjoy!

Acorn squash and the citrus fruits

Recipe (serves 2)

For the salmon:

Salmon, ready for the oven

2 6 oz salmon filets

1 small blood orange, zested

1 Myer lemon, zested

1/4 C corn meal

1 clove garlic, minced finely

1 T chopped flat leaf or curly parsley

1 pinch cumin

1 pinch paprika

1/2 cup arugulu

1 t truffle oil

Salt and pepper

Cooking spay

For the squash:

Pureed squash

1 small acorn squash, cubed

1 clove garlic, minced finely

1 t ginger, minced finely

Pinch cumin

1/4 cup stock

Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

The sauce

2 blood oranges

1 Myer lemon

1 big orange

1 small onion, halved and sliced

1/4 cup reduced lobster, fish, or chicken stock

1 t rice wine vinegar or other mild vinegar

1 t vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Start by preparing the squash.  Boil the squash in water until soft.  When it is soft, mash it with a potato masher or fork, or process it with an immersion blender along with the remainder of the ingredients.

Prepare the topping for the salmon.  Combine the zest of the lemon and orange and the rest of the ingredient to make a flavorful cornmeal crust.  Generously season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

And for the sauce: You will need to remove the flesh from two small blood oranges and one Myer lemon,  Begin by peeling the fruit with a knife (you can use the zested fruit from the salmon topping) removing all the bitter pithe.  Taking a sharp knife, cut the triangles of flesh away from the membranes, leaving delicate wedges of fruit.  The skin can be disposed of.  Juice the large orange.  Sautee the onion in the vegetable oil until it begins to color and sweeten.  Remove from heat and add the orange juice, vinegar, stock, and fruit, and set aside until ready to serve.  When serving, return to high heat and reduce for about 2 minutes until the sauce has reduced by half and is thick enough to call a sauce.  At this point the addition of a bit of unsalted butter can only make it better, so do so at your discretion.  Butterless is just fine, too.

To cook the salmon, spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.  Place the salmon on skin side down (if there is a skin side.)  Top the salmon with the cornmeal and spray generously with cooking spray.  Cook in the oven for about 6-8 minutes, until it reaches your desired temperature.  I like it a bit transparent in the middle.  Transfer to a broiler for one more minute to crisp up the coating if it hasn’t happened already.  Toss the arugula with the truffle oil and some salt and pepper.

To assemble.  After checking the pureed squash for seasoning, create a mound on each plate.  Top with the salmon, and then top that with the arugula,  Spoon the sauce (also checked for seasoning) around the outside of the dish.  Voila!

Blood orange and Myer lemon

 

Humble Stew a la Charlie Bucket

Any Willie Wonka fan remembers the day that Charlie brought home a loaf of bread to supplement his family’s regular dinner of cabbage water. His mother exclaimed, “Tonight we’ll have a feast!”  But Charlie didn’t want cabbage water again.  Poor Charlie and his cabbage water turned me off of cabbage soup for most of my life until an off encounter with something creamy and bacony brought it into the spotlight.  This recipe falls somewhere in between.  The key is good stock, any kind, either homemade or store-bought.  The soup relies heavily on the flavors of the stock, but unlike poor Charlie, we’ve got other veggies, spices, and plenty to go around.

Chopped veggies...

Recipe (big batch)

2 small turnips, chopped coarsely

2 small carrots, chopped coarsely

2 stalks of celery, chopped coarsely

1 potato, peeled and chopped coarsely

1 onion, chopped coarsely

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T ginger, chopped

1 small green cabbage, stem removed, quartered and sliced

1 t cumin

1 t crushed red pepper

1 t dried mint leaves

salt

fresh ground pepper

2-3 quarts of good stock

1 T bacon fat

Start with a big pot over medium heat.  Warm the bacon fat, and then add the first 7 ingredients, all the veggies but the cabbage.  Toss around for a couple minutes, letting everything sweat but taking care not to let the ginger or garlic burn.  Deglaze the pan with a splash of chicken stock, and scrape up any bits from the bottom. Add the cabbage and the spices.  If your stock is unsalted add a good amount of salt here, about 2 t. You may add more later to taste. If you’re using a salted version, hold off until the end.  Season with some pepper, as well.  Add in the stock.  The stock should cover everything, depending on the size of your pot and veggies the amount will vary.  It’s ok to save some for later to ensure you’ve got your desired liquid to solid ratio.  Cover, turn up the heat to get the pot boiling, reduce to a simmer, and leave pot covered only partially.  Continue to simmer for 45 minutes.  The veggies should all be cooked and the flavors merged.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed.  Serve topped with extra dried mint and crushed red pepper and a fresh loaf of bread if you are so lucky.

Humble Stew a la Charlie Bucket