Coconut & Lime

Spicy Chicken Salad with Pickled Jalapenos

2012-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced pickled jalapenos
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cups cubed chicken breast
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon Hot New Mexican chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile
1/4 teaspoon ground lemon peel
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a medium bowl, toss together the jalapenos, onion and chicken. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices and mayonnaise. Drizzle over the chicken mixture. Toss to coat.

My thoughts:

My husband likes to make these rice cooker dishes to take in his lunches during the week. Some times he uses leftovers from other meals that we've made but if we don't have anything on hand, he picks up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery. Which generally are pretty good (although, there does seem to be a wider range of tastiness than one might think) but sometimes yield too much for his lunch. So then I get the leftovers to play with. He normally uses all of the dark meat leaving me with at least a little bit of the breast. Perfect for a quick chicken salad for my lunch! I was feeling spicy so I loaded the dressing up with ground chiles and instead of the more typical (cucumber) pickle, I diced up some pickled jalapenos instead. It was wonderful! It added the pickle-y note I like but some heat as well. I had it on crackers but I bet it would be great on a sandwich as well.

Seafood Paella

2012-05-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
8 cups shrimp stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
7 oz (Spanish) hot chorizo, sliced into coins
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 cups Bomba (paella) rice
6 oz frozen artichoke heart quarters, defrosted
15 oz (canned) fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
5 oz jarred fire-roasted peppers, drained and sliced
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
1 lb medium shrimp
1/2 lb catfish, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1/2 lb bay scallops
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Heat one cup of the stock and seep the saffron. Set aside. Heat the oil in a 14-inch cast iron skillet and saute the garlic, onion and chorizo until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and peppers and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Meanwhile, sprinkle the catfish with a small amount of the smoked paprika and cook, until nearly but not quite through, in a nonstick pan. Remove the fish from heat. Add the rice to the tomato-chorizo mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the stock, the saffron stock, remaining paprika, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes without stirring. After 10 minutes the rice should start to rise to the top and puff up. Add the artichoke hearts, catfish, shrimp and scallops. Cover. Cook about 10 more minutes or until there is nearly no liquid left in the pan. Add the peas and parsley. Cook 1-2 minutes or until the peas are bright green and cooked. A slight crackling sound means a thin layer of crispy rice is forming, it is the socarrat and this is a good thing! Remove the rice before it burns or worse, if it starts to look like it is heading towards becoming mushy. Serve.

My thoughts:

Whenever I think of paella, I am reminded of the Hamish Macbeth episode when the McLopez clan is in jail and keep asking for "pie-yella" to be served in keeping with their Spanish-Scottish heritage. Thankfully, I also think of a tasty rice dish, one that hopefully includes socarrat, the crispy bottom layer of the pan. Despite having nearly every kind of small kitchen appliance and pan know to man and womankind, I do not have an official paella pan. This is due in no small part to the fact that I until I made this, had never actually made paella before. But we had two other couples coming to dinner and I thought I'd give it a shot. Luckily, a cast iron skillet is more than up to the task. It is a bit of a task to track down all of the ingredients. Our local Italian store sells Spanish chorizo so that was easy but finding the official Bomba rice was trickier. Luckily, I found it at one of the two Wegmans that are roughly in our area. Saffron was ordered online. I made the shrimp stock the week before and froze it. Now I did take a short cut and used high quality jarred roasted peppers. Feel free to make your own but it seemed like the quickest thing to cut with the littlest effect on the final product. The end result is a relatively easy yet very, very impressive looking dish to serve guests. Try serving tapas-style snacks before hand but don't let anyone fill up! No one wants to miss out on this very most Spanish of dishes.

I'm part of a small group of bloggers who are posting regional dishes as part of Bravo's “Around the World in 80 Plates”. The show features chefs from all over the US racing through cities across the country and taking over restaurants to serve their version of the native cuisine. This week's show takes place in Barcelona, Spain. Tune in on May 23th, 10/9c. Check out their Facebook page and see pictures of what other bloggers are up to and to learn more about the show.

Broccolini Canadian Bacon Frittata

2012-05-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
1 bunch broccolini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
8 oz Parmesan cubes
10 slices Canadian bacon*, in 1/4 inch wide strips
9 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
1-2 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, heat oil and butter. When hot, saute the broccolini and onions until the onions are translucent. Add the Canadian bacon and saute just until it is warmed through. Whisk the spices and mustard into the eggs. Pour over the broccolini mixture. Evenly distribute the cheese over the egg. Tilt the skillet slightly and turn to coat the ingredients in the skillet with the egg mixture. Keep on medium heat and cook until just beginning to set. Place in the oven about 10 minutes or until the top is just beginning to brown. Check to make sure it is fully cooked by sticking it with a thin knife. Remove from pan and slice.

Yield: 8 servings

*My Canadian bacon slices were on the large yet thin side. Some brands may have thicker/smaller slices. If so, feel free to use more or less bacon.

My thoughts:

I always like finding broccolini at the grocery store. While I like broccoli, it is a little large and robust for everything I'd like to use it in. Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and gai-lan (Chinese broccoli) so it has that broccoli-like flavor but is smaller and tender. Perfect for dishes like this one. Canadian bacon was my go-to for the meat because of its smoky flavor which I thought would pair well with the broccolini. I chose the Parmesan for the same reason. I needed a fairly robust cheese to stand up to the other flavors. I used these pre-cubed Parmesan "nuggets" from Piacci which I liked a lot. It made the dish a lot easier to put together but it was still a very tasty cheese (unlike many pre-cubed cheeses I've encountered). They just melted right into the frittata while it was in the oven, forming the best little cheese pockets. Yum.

Chipolte-Cocoa Chili

2012-05-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb cubed sirloin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, minced
7 oz chipotles in adobe, minced (with sauce)
30 oz fire roasted (canned) tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon canela
1 teaspoon cocoa
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Quickly saute the meat and vegetables until the meat is just barely cooked on all sides. Add to a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. In a small bowl, stir together the chipotles in adobe, tomatoes and spices. Pour over the meat mixture. Stir to evenly combine. Cook on low 7-8 hrs and then high until ready to serve (up to 2 hours). Stir prior to serving.

My thoughts:

For some reason, I've been in a chili mood lately. It isn't something I eat or want to eat all the time but then I do want to, I want it now! When I saw a good deal on beef at the store I figured it was a sign. I brought it home and prepped the veggies so I could just pop in a a pan and then the slow cooker the next day. I can make chili on the stovetop but between working on a new big (top secret!) project and my husband taking up kung fu, I've been using the slow cooker more and more lately so I don't have to start cooking (often, again) so late in the day. Luckily, since writing 300 slow cooker recipes for my first book, I think I could make something for the slow cooker in my sleep. Or possibly as a zombie. I do think the slow cooker makes good chili. Cooking large chunks of beef takes forever on the stovetop and honestly, I think I get better results in the slow cooker. The meat always ends up falling apart tender and I don't have to keep stirring to keep it from burning.

For this chili I used up some chiles I had on hand and a can of chipotles in adobe. I was going to put beans in it but I realize we did not have any beans in the house besides chickpeas (and we had a million of those. No clue why. We never eat them) and I thought that would be weird. I don't think I've ever been without beans before. Normally I stockpile them like crazy but I guess I used up my last can without noticing. Despite the crazy amount of chipotle in the chili, it actually isn't very spicy, just very well and deeply flavored.

Pan Bagnat

2012-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 short loaf French bread or 1/2 long loaf*
1 (very loose) cup flat leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, smashed
10 oz canned tuna in olive oil
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced Nicoise and Picholine olives
1 anchovy, minced
1/4 cup sliced red onion
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
5-6 green beans, blanched, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

olive oil

Direction:
Slice the loaf in half longways. Scoop out some of the middle of the bottom half to form a sort of trough. Discard the insides (or nibble). Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil. Rub with the clove of garlic. Line the trough with parsley. Set aside. Chop any remaining parsley.

In a medium bowl, mix together the tuna, artichoke hearts, olives, anchovy, chopped parsley, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fill the trough with the tuna mixture. Top with green beans. Close the sandwich. Wrap the sandwich very tightly in foil, waxed paper or plastic wrap. Weight it down with a large cast iron skillet overnight**.

Cut the sandwich in half. Take a bite. Pretend you are in the French countryside.

Yield: 2 big sandwiches

*Take care to buy a wider, fatter loaf so there is plenty of room for the filling.
**I don't see any need to refrigerate this sandwich overnight because everything is safe at room temperature. However, if you do want to refrigerate it and cannot fit it and your cast iron skillet into the fridge, press it for a few hours then refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperature prior to serving.

My thoughts:

This is a wonderful, French twist on lunch. It is the perfect thing to take on a picnic or to work because not only is is dead simple to make, one makes it the night before. No work required the next day at all! There are a lot of variations on pan bagnat, which is basically Salade Niçoise in sandwich form. Some recipes call for hard-boiled eggs in the sandwich but I prefer to leave more room for filling and serve with one the side with some cornichons.

While you can eat the sandwich right away (I admit to eating some filling with a fork as I made it) it really is better the next day when the flavors have a chance to meld.

I'm part of a small group of bloggers who are posting regional dishes as part of Bravo's “Around the World in 80 Plates”. The show features chefs from all over the US racing through cities across the country and taking over restaurants to serve their version of the native cuisine. This week's show takes place in Lyon, France. Tune in on May 16th, 10/9c. Check out their Facebook page and see pictures of what other bloggers are up to and to learn more about the show.

Chedder Jalapeño Grits with Andouille Sausage

2012-05-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup stone-ground grits (not instant)
1 jalapeño, diced
1 medium onion,chopped
1/3 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
4 andouille sausages
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a skillet, saute the onion and jalapeño until the onion is soft. Remove from the skillet. Set aside. Broil the sausage until browned and cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. In a medium pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the grits and stir continually for about 10 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, salt, pepper and onion.

My thoughts:

I was in the supermarket the other day and saw grits on the shelf and it looked oddly good. I don't make a lot of grits but I do enjoy them and they have been on my mind lately when planning a trip to the South. We just don't see them on the menu here as often. Shrimp and grits, yes, they are oddly popular but grits for breakfast? Not so much. Then I saw that my husband had put a package of andouille in the cart (it was on sale!) I thought I'd take it from its usual use and turn it into a breakfast sausage to serve with my grits. A lot of old time Baltimoreans will eat straight up breakfast (link) sausage and hominy for breakfast so why not grits and andouille? It is just their further south cousins. I added cheese (because I could) and peppers (to tie in with the spicy sausage) and a delicious breakfast was done in about 10 minutes* with little fuss. Perfect for the weekend or weekday and a step up from the usual.

*Also: can someone explain to the appeal of quick cooking grits? They only take 10 minutes the "long way".

Sauerkraut Soup with Kielbasa

2012-05-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb kielbasa*, sliced into coins
1 large onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sauerkraut (drain if using canned/bagged)
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon caraway
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, saute the kielbasa, onion, and garlic until the onion is softened and the kielbasa is browned. Add to a 4 quart slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir. Cook on low 8-10 hours.

*light or turkey kielbasa works fine here.

My thoughts:

One thing that happens when you make a gallon of sauerkraut is that you wonder how you are going to use it all. I had some on half smokes but now what? I had heard of sauerkraut soup before but never had it or made it. Now that I had a bunch of really tasty kraut and a few dreary days, I figured it was the time to try it. I decided to use the slow cooker because 1. I'm busy, 2. I was baking that day and didn't want to have to worry about dinner and 3. while dreary, it isn't really cold out so why stand over a stove stirring. One could make it on the stove though, just brown the onions, celery, garlic and sausage, add everything else and simmer until the sauerkraut is soft and everything is fully cooked. Maybe it is a little out-of-season but I figure if restaurants can feature soup year round so can I. As for the flavor, even if you if you are a sauerkraut lover, you will love it. It is homey, comforting and makes you think of your ancestors. Well, especially if your ancestors were Eastern European. The sauerkraut gets really soft (and homemade kraut is pretty crisp) and the soup is much less vinegary-salty than you'd think, it is sort more like a very fragrant cabbage soup. I can't think of a word that describes it better than unami. It isn't sour, it is just very, very savory.

I thought this was going to be good but we loved, loved, loved this soup. We are not even soup people and literally ate all 4-ish quarts between the two of us in a single night.

Steak & Stilton Pasty (with a Cheddar Crust)

2012-05-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
for the filling:
1 lb flank steak, small cubes
3 tablespoons brown sauce*
1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 small onion, diced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

for the dough:
4 cups flour
1 1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
10-16 tablespoons ice water
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

egg wash:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

For the filling: Mix together the sauce and meat. Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to overnight. Add to a medium bowl, stir together the meat, onion and potatoes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the dough: Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheddar into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Divide the dough into 12 parts. Roll each out into a 6-8 inch round. Fill with 2-3 tablespoons of the meat filling (centered) and top with about 2 tablespoons of Stilton.

Fold in half. Dampen the edge and crimp shut along the side, not the top! Brush with egg wash. Place on lined baking sheets and bake 60 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Yield: 12 pasties

*aka HP Sauce. Look for it the British or International section of the supermarket.

My thoughts:

This in no way a traditional Cornish Pasty (a protected food!) but my take on some of the pasty variations one can find at pasty shop (pastyeries?) around England.I made a dough with British cheddar (did you know that cheddar originated in Somerset, England?) and another protected food, Stilton (which always makes me think of Chef!) The result? A crispy, flaky hand pie with a robust, flavorful center. Perfect for lunch.

I'm part of a small group of bloggers who will be posting regional dishes as part of Bravo's “Around the World in 80 Plates” premiering Wednesday May 9th at 10/9c. The show features chefs from all over the US racing through cities across the country and taking over restaurants to serve their version of the native cuisine. This week's show takes place in London. Check out their Facebook page and see pictures of what other bloggers are up to and to learn more about the show. I caught a preview of the first episode and it looks fun!

Dapple Dandy Pluot Ginger Thyme Balsamic Jam

2012-05-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 lb Dapple Dandy Pluot, de-stoned
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 box powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 inch knob ginger, sliced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Prep jars/lids for canning. Place the pluots into a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add the sugar, ginger, lemon juice, vinegar and thyme. (I just tied the thyme to the side of the pot with kitchen string) Bring to a boil, stirring and breaking up any big chunks (I used a potato masher) until it begins to reduce and thicken. Stir in the pectin. Continue cooking at a low (rolling) boil for 2-3 minutes or until it looks jammy. Discard the thyme. Fill the jars leaving 1/4 inch headroom. Process in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: 6-7 8-oz jars.

Note: A great source for canning information is the Blue Book guide to preserving. I highly recommend it for learning how to can. Here is a bunch of other canning books and equipment I find useful.

My thoughts:

To be honest, I bought these pluots because of their cute name. Dapple Dandy! We have a dapple dachshund so anything dapple catches my eye. Thankfully, they were also tasty. The best parts of plums and apricots. They were also very large (I've also seen this variety called Dinosaur pluots) and pretty firm-fleshed so they made wonderful jam. I know the title sounds like a mouthful but honestly, the ginger and balsamic only enhance the pluot's sweet-tartness.

Old School Tacos

2012-05-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chicken or beef stock
14 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons Hot New Mexican chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dehydrated minced onion
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
freshly ground black pepper

suggested toppings:
diced tomatoes
diced avocado
shredded iceberg lettuce
salsa
hot sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

Directions:
Brown the meat in a large nonstick skillet. Drain any excess fat. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft. Add all of the spices, tomatoes and stock. Bring to boil and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Serve on hard or soft taco shells. Top with goodness.

My thoughts:

This is how I remember eating tacos as a kid. Okay, if I wanted to be totally truthful, we normally use a packet mix and hard shell tacos but it didn't make sense to buy a packet when I had all of these spices at home and I can use the leftover flour tortillas for other things. I also probably wouldn't have avocado because it was never in the grocery stores when I was a kid. I don't think I had one until I was in college even. Now we can find pretty much anything! But back then, even the big stores were pretty limited produce-wise. But I digress. On the eve of what I think will be my busiest travel month ever (I am only home 12 days this month! I will be in California, Tennessee, Minnesota, Western Maryland and Maine for trips) I kind of wanted something comforting. I don't think I've had a ground beef taco for about 6 years or so. I kind of missed them. So if you want a recipe for homemade totally Americanized tacos, this is it. Resist the urge to gussy it up and use authentic Mexican cheese etc. Remember elementary school. But better.

Note: You can leave out the canned tomatoes but it does add flavor and helps stretch out the meat a bit.

Dijon Sesame Carrot Salad

2012-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1 mutant carrot or 2 normal sized ones, sliced very thinly
2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Arrange the carrot slices in a small bowl. In a second small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, parsley and spices. Drizzle over the salad. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

My thoughts:

There is something about this time of year that makes me think about carrots. A subliminal Easter Bunny=carrots=spring? I don't know but I do know my husband could not resist buying world's largest carrot when he came across it at our local farm store. Okay, it isn't really the world's largest but it was about the size of a chubby toddler forearm which is pretty big for a carrot. Normally with carrot salad I'd matchstick it but for this one, in honor of the world's (almost) largest carrot, I decided to use my mandoline and slice it coin-shaped. Why not? I don't have to play by the carrot salad rules. Anyway, I recently came across unfiltered apple cider vinegar which apparently is a thing. Who knew? It was only $2.89 for the organic bottle so I picked it up and it made its inaugural debut with this salad. I am not super sure the filtering is what did it but it was one super carrot salad. Tangy and bright. If you really like it, I am sure the recipe would double or triple well but we are a family of two humans, three dogs so I wanted to keep the batch size down. It is much better the first day.

Also: I used my new OXO mandoline. Look for a contest so you can win your own soon.

Baked Sunny Side Up Eggs & Bacon

2012-04-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
6 slices thick cut bacon
6 eggs
3 tablespoons grated aged goat cheese* (optional)
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 6 wells in a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Make a ring of bacon around the sides of each well, creating a "wall" of bacon. Some overlap with be necessary. Crack an egg into each well. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until desired doneness. Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and remove the egg. Eat immediately.

*I really like Beemster.

(please excuse my dark, early morning kitchen)

My thoughts:

I am always looking for interesting things to have for breakfast. It always seems to be shortchanged in this house, I work from home and tend to just eat lunch early and my husband eats at work. But sometimes I just feel like some eggs and bacon. This is a fun, easy way to do it. It takes like 5 seconds to put together and zero hands-on time after that. I was worried it might be greasy from the bacon but the fat all drips to the bottom and stays there when you remove the eggs. My eggs were pretty dry but you could blot them off if needed. The cheese isn't 100% necessary but I loved the flavor it added to the eggs. Sort of like a sunny side up faux omelet.

Homemade Sauerkraut with Caraway

2012-04-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
3 lbs cabbage, core removed and sliced thinly
2 large cabbage leaves
3 teaspoons canning salt
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons charnushka (black caraway)
9 black peppercorns

other equipment:
a plastic bag filled with water and tied closed
a pickling or other nonreactive crock
potato masher

Directions:

Whisk together the salt, caraway, charnushka and peppercorns in a small bowl. Toss 1/3 of of the spices with the cabbage in a large bowl. When evenly distributed, repeat twice more with the remaining spices. Allow to sit 10 minutes. Spread a small layer over the bottom of the crock. Pack down using the potato masher. Repeat until all of the cabbage is gone. Pour in any remaining liquid from the bowl. It should cover the cabbage by about 1/4 inch. If not, add distilled water to cover. The crock should be about 3/4 full. Cover completely with the cabbage leaves. Place the bag in the crock to hold down the cabbage. Place the crock or jar in a dark, warm (about 72-78°) place for three days. Then move to a dark, cool place (70°) for three weeks to ferment. Do not peek at any time! Remove the bag and large leaves and there you go: homemade sauerkraut. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: about 1 gallon

My thoughts:

I was a little scared to try to make my own sauerkraut but I am glad I did. It is a good introduction to home fermenting. Now this recipe is a little different in its use of flavoring that most recipes I've seen. Most recipes seem to call for juniper berries but I think I have a mild allergy to juniper so I used black pepper. I also added charnushka, which is sort of a slightly smoky tasting relative of caraway in addition to regular caraway. I really liked how it came out. It tasted like sauerkraut (obviously) but very fresh and with a wonderful spice note. Perfect to use in any way you'd use the store-bought stuff.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict with Old Bay Hollandaise

2012-04-20T00:00:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
4 English muffins, toasted
8 eggs, poached*
8 warm crab cakes

for the hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold water
4 oz hot melted butter
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon Old Bay

Directions:
For the hollandaise:
Place egg yolks, water, lemon juice and Old Bay in a blender. Close. Blend until the mixture is frothy. While the machine is running, stream in the butter very slowly. Continue to blend until a sauce forms.

Place each English muffin on the plate, nook and cranny side up. Place a crab cake on each English muffin half. Top each with egg. Drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with additional Old Bay.

*I use these poach pods. You just spray them with cooking spray, crack the egg in and float them in boiling water (covered) for about 6 minutes.

Serves 4

My thoughts:

This item is on the menu of nearly every brunch serving restaurant in Baltimore. It is always a treat both with locals and tourists since it combines a perennial favorite, eggs Benedict, with Baltimore's most famous dish, crab cakes. It normally is just sprinkled with Old Bay but I've always thought it would be better if the Old Bay was actually in the sauce. So I developed this quick, super tasty blender hollandaise that uses it instead of salt/pepper. It was so good! It really tied it in with the crab cake, more than it normally does. If you are making it at home, it is a good way to use up leftover crab cakes (not that we ever seem to have any) in a new way. I just popped them in the oven briefly to warm them up while I simultaneously made the sauce and poached the eggs.

Littleneck Clams with Linguica

2012-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
2 shallots, minced
1 lb linguica sausage, sliced
1 lb 8 oz small golden potatoes, halved
1 bunch Hakurei (I've seen them labeled "baby") turnips with greens attached, turnips halved* and greens chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/4 cup stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
50 littleneck clams

olive oil

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven. Saute the shallots until fragrant. Add the sausage, turnips and potatoes. Saute until the potatoes and turnips (not the greens!) are nearly fork-tender and the sausage is browned. Add the vinegar and stock and deglaze the pan. Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook until the clams open.

*The skin was so thin, I left it on.

My thoughts:

I was excited to see local littleneck clams back in the market again. They're from Chincoteague and like their oysters, always have a great, fresh flavor. I was also excited to see linguica sausage which can be tricky to find around here but tastes so good alongside seafood. I added the turnips and potatoes to found it out into a full meal. Simple yet so satisfying.

Ramps & Bay Scallop Quiche with a Gruyère Crust

2012-04-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
for the crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded Gruyère
2-4 tablespoons ice water

for the filling:
8 oz bay scallops
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 bunch ramps, chopped
3/4 cup shredded Gruyère
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheese into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into a ball. Roll out into a crust and place in a pie plate or quiche pan or tart pan. Prick with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until just browned. Turn oven down to 325. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and eggs. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Pour into the prepared shell. Bake 45-50 minutes or until fully cooked.

My thoughts:

It is still ramp season and I am using them in as many ways as I can. For this recipe, I simply chopped them up and folded them into a classic quiche. I like using bay scallops in quiche because they small and cook quickly and evenly. Just take care that they are not overly wet before adding them to the egg mixture. You can use both the white parts and the green of the ramp. The Gruyère was perfect for this dish. It held its own against the robust ramp flavor and made for a really nice crust.

Like ramps? One of my recipes (with picture!) is included in this cookbook, Ramps: Cooking with the Best Kept Secret of the Appalachian Trail and is available now!

Ramp'd Up Potato Salad with French Radishes

2012-04-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced and boiled
12 French Breakfast radishes (les radis petit déjeuner), diced
1 bunch ramps
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, quartered
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Toss together the potatoes and radishes in a medium bowl. Place the ramps, mayo, mustard and spices in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Pour over the potatoes and radish. Stir gently to combine.

My thoughts:
While on a recent trip to Washington DC, we had the opportunity to go to the Dupont Circle Farmers Market where they had not only the best looking radishes I've seen in years but ramps! We always seem to get up too late for ramps at our local market but since we were staying just steps away from Dupont Circle, we got there plenty early (if a bit bedraggled looking).Ramps have a strong, garlicy flavor that I think went well with the radishes. It didn't overpower them but between those two ingredients, it is a pretty potent potato salad.

Like ramps? One of my recipes (with picture!) is included in this cookbook, Ramps: Cooking with the Best Kept Secret of the Appalachian Trail and is available now!

Catfish Étouffée

2012-04-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

3-4 tablespoons bacon fat (or butter)
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
1/4 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced (including greens)
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
14 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/4 lb catfish, cut into 2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped ramps (or substitute chopped green onion)

cooked white rice to serve

Directions:

Place the butter, Creole seasoning, and flour in a All-Clad Stainless 10-Inch Fry Pan. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring twice. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and peppers. Sauté until the mixture is golden. Meanwhile, drain the liquid from the tomato into a 2 cup measuring cup. Add water to the tomato liquid until it reaches 1 1/2 cups. Add the tomato liquid, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the drained tomato, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Add the catfish, ramps and parsley. Stir. Cook 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Serve over rice.

My thoughts:

All-clad is hosting a fun contest for recipe bloggers. The winner gets their recipe inserted in all 10” fry pan boxes sold at authorized All-Clad dealers. How neat would that be? I thought I'd go with a nearly one-skillet meal (I used the rice cooker for the rice) so I created this recipe using one of favorite foods, catfish, and use the simplified roux technique I came up with years ago. I used bacon fat as the base because it adds flavor and a certain oomph to to the final dish but if you are a baconphobe or don't have any on hand, butter works just as well, I promise. The trick to is to lightly brown the flour then toss in the vegetables and continue cooking them so the vegetables get golden and the flour keeps cooking. Add the liquid and it thickens, just as it would if you made a traditional roux. Easy-peasy! The catfish cooks pretty quickly so you can get the whole dish finished and on the table in not much more than 30 minutes. The final dish isn't too spicy but it is very flavorful thanks to the two kinds of peppers and the touch of ramps at the end.

Ramp Pesto Ham & Gruyère Panini

2012-04-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

8 slices crusty white bread

8 thick slices Gruyère cheese

16 slices think sliced smoked ham

for the ramp pesto:
2 bunches ramps
3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 tablespoons toasted pinenuts
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well ground.
Place the cheese in a single layer on a slice of bread. Spread the ramp pesto on the cheese, top with ham and another layer of cheese. Cover the cheese with the other slice of bread. Lightly oil each side of the sandwich. Place on a panini press preheated to "medium". Press until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.

Yield: 4 panini

My thoughts:

Recently I was sent some yummy cheese from Emmi. I loved the Swiss Alp Bellevue and Winzer Classic so much but I thought the Gruyère would work well with the leftover ham I had. I also had some ramps leftover from some other dishes (recipes to come!) that were looking a bit limp so I thought I'd make a quick pesto with it. The sandwich ended up being a West Virginia meets Switzerland meets French sort of an affair which sounds crazy but was really, really good! I like making panini because some how they seem more special and oddly, more filling than regular sandwiches but I think this one would be good cold as well.

Like ramps? One of my recipes (with picture!) is included in this cookbook, Ramps: Cooking with the Best Kept Secret of the Appalachian Trail available now!

Pan-fried Turkey Sage Scotch Eggs

2012-04-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
1 3/4 lb bulk turkey sage sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup matzo meal

canola oil

Directions:
Place the beaten egg in a shallow dish. Place the matzo meal in a separate dish. Set aside. Heat 1 inch in a skillet.

Separate the sausage into 12 equal portions. Form each into a 1/4 inch thick patty. Place the egg in the center of each sausage. Wrap the sausage completely around the egg. Dip in beaten egg then dredge in crumbs. Fry the eggs in batches, turning frequently, until browned on all sides.

Drain on paper towel-lined plates.

My thoughts:

I love the idea of Scotch eggs but when prepared traditionally, they are a bit heavy. So when I saw turkey sausage at the store, I know I had to try a "lighter" version. Rather than deep frying, I fried them in a shallow bit of oil. It was a bit more hands-on than just dropping them into a vat of oil because I had to turn them frequently but it wasn't more difficult. The result? Flavorful, less heavy Scotch eggs!

Potato-Artichoke Heart Salad

2012-04-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked, finely diced potatoes
14 oz (canned) artichoke hearts in brine, drained and quartered
1 large shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced

dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Dijon
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon chervil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, artichoke hearts, shallot and celery. Drizzle with dressing. Stir to evenly coat the potato mixture in dressing.

My thoughts:

Spring comes and brings with it an excuse to make potato salad. It has been unexpectedly warm lately and warm weather makes me think picnic which logically leads me to potato salad. I like to make my potato salads with more than just potato but a trip to the market yielded little. Instead I used some very tasty brined (not marinated!) artichoke hearts and the result was my husband's new favor potato salad. Easy to make but full of flavor.

Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs

2012-04-02T00:01:00.011-04:00

Ingredients:
12 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced length-wise
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup flaked smoked trout
1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients:

In a medium bowl, mash together the egg yolk and trout until fairly smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pipe or spoon into the egg halves. Sprinkle with smoked paprika if desired.

My thoughts:

As you all know, I love a good deviled egg any time of the year but there is something about spring (Easter!) that makes me want to make them even more than usual. These eggs ended up bordering on being overstuffed but I wanted to make sure there was a lot of smoked trout goodness in each bite. The trout did add a ton of flavor and its soft texture blended into the egg yolk really well. The vinegar and tarragon added a herbal slightly sophisticated depth of flavor.

Oh, and just for fun, I soaked some (peeled, halved) eggs in some pickled cherry juice. It didn't add much flavor but turned them a pretty purple. One could also use pickled beet juice.

Coconut Marshmallow Cornflake Treats

2012-03-30T00:01:00.015-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
11 oz marshmallows (about 44 regular sized marshmallows)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste
6 cups cornflakes
1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Directions:
Coat a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside. Toss together the coconut and cornflakes in a large bowl. Set aside. Melt butter over low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add marshmallows and vanilla paste. Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted. Reduce heat to very, very low and stir in the cereal and coconut. Scrape the cereal into the prepared pan. Use the back of the spoon to press it firmly into the pan in an even layer. Cool completely then cut into squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

My thoughts:

I had some cornflakes leftover from my cookie experiment and had been trying to think of something else to use them in since I am not a big cold cereal eater. For some reason, springtime makes me crave marshmallows. Maybe it is all of the Peeps in stores this time of year? At any rate, I decided to make these chewy cereal bars using my favorite brand of marshmallows*, adding a dollop of super vanilla-y vanilla bean paste and another springy favorite, coconut. These bars are so marshmallow-y and so chewy! I love it! The cornflakes stay really crisp and since they are a little denser than bars made with crisped rice, they have more body without seeming heavy. The coconut adds just enough flavor and texture to make them interesting without being overpowering.

*You could go all out and make your own but for this, store bought is just fine.

Shrimp Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Dressing

2012-03-28T00:01:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:
1 small to medium head iceberg lettuce, quartered
1 1/2 lb medium shrimp, steamed
1 lb campari tomatoes, halved
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

for the dressing:
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 teaspoons minced chives
1 1/2 teaspoons minced dill
1 teaspoon dehydrated minced onion
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Refrigerate 1 hour to overnight. Arrange the wedges on four plates. Top with remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing.

Serves: 4

My thoughts:

While dining at a local restaurant, I spied a lobster wedge salad on the menu. I ended up ordering something else so I am not sure how it tasted but I took note and thought I'd make my own version at home. I thought shrimp would be a good swap for the lobster because 1. it is cheaper and 2. it is easier prep-wise. In fact, I steamed and peeled the shrimp, hard-boiled the eggs and cooked the bacon the night before I served this so dinner prep was super fast the night we actually ate this salad. And what a salad it was! Crisp, fresh and light. Exactly what I was in the mood for. I loved the dressing, it was sort of like a more assertive, grown-up version of ranch.

Apricot Filled Vanilla Cupcakes

2012-03-26T00:02:00.014-04:00

Ingredients:
3/4 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup apricot jam

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, yogurt, vanilla paste, milk and eggs. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Scoop out a small amount of the center and fill with apricot jam.

Ice with apricot jam frosting.

My thoughts:

I have a huge stash of spring sprinkles and cake decorations and I thought now was as good as time as any to bring them out! They're all so cheery. I had this cupcake corer I had received at an event and hadn't used it yet so I thought I'd jazz the cupcakes up a bit with some homemade jam. One really doesn't need a corer but it did make neater holes than the ones I normally gouge with a spoon or knife.

Another reason I was in the mood for cupcakes is that as you are reading this, I am in Orlando to watch (not participate!) the Pillsbury Bake-off. Looking at all of those recipes really made me want to bake! Check out my twitter feed and Facebook page for periodic updates of the event.