The Culinary Chase

Swordfish and Vegetable Kebabs with Charmoula Sauce

2013-05-16T21:16:42Z

This is my new go-to BBQ sauce…I want it on everything! On Tuesday I attended a cooking class compliments of my daughter (for Mother’s Day) and really wasn’t sure what to expect. The menu appealed to me but I wasn’t sure how the instructor would come across. It’s so important to hit the ground running and chef Michael Proietti nailed it! You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. A smile came over my face as I watched his enthusiasm grow with every step. He engaged all seven of us with a bit of humor thrown in and instantly made us all feel more comfortable with him. The last cooking class I took was back in Thailand at the Blue Elephant cooking school (2009). I must say I thoroughly enjoyed Tuesday’s class at Sur la Table.

The menu, a Moroccan Feast, consisted of fish and vegetable kebabs with charmoula sauce, chicken and lemon tagine, marinated carrots with cumin, cilantro and mint followed by a coconut-orange cake with honey whipped cream…drool! The charmoula sauce really makes the kebabs shine. Charmoula is a marinade used in Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking.

Serves 4
adapted from Sur la Table

1 1/2 lb. swordfish or other firm fish fillets (cod, halibut, tuna, grouper, shark, monkfish or seafood), cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large red bell peppers, halved and seeded and cut into chunks
1 or 2 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into half-inch rounds
wooden skewers, soaked in water (30 minutes)

Charmoula Sauce -
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro/coriander, coarsely chopped
2 small cloves of garlic, skins removed
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

To make the sauce, place cumin seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly – 2 to 3 minutes or until a shade darker and fragrant. Allow to cool and place in a mortar or spice grinder and grind finely. If you are using a mortar, add the rest of the spices and stir to combine. If not, add remaining spices to a small bowl and combine.

In a blender, combine parsley, cilantro, and garlic and process to a paste. If using a mortar, pound with pestle until a paste is formed. Gradually add the spices and process. With the motor running, slowly add oil. If using a mortar, slowly add the oil to the paste until blended. Season to taste and adjust accordingly by adding more salt and or cayenne and lemon juice.

Place fish in a bowl and spoon charmoula sauce over (about 3 tablespoons), making sure to coat the fish well with the sauce but not too much. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

In a large bowl combine bell peppers and zucchini. Add 3 tablespoons of the charmoula sauce and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate with the fish.

Thread the fish and vegetables onto skewers. Lightly brush with charmoula sauce. To cook, use the broiler in your oven – about 4 inches from the heat or cook on a barbeque. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender and fish is opaque in the center.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Serve this with seasoned couscous. Charmoula sauce works well with chicken, beef, pork, vegetbales etc. so don’t worry if you have any leftover. It will keep in the fridge for at least a month. If you have a pestle and mortar, I highly recommend using this in lieu of a food processor. I find the sauce tastes better, it’s not as refined and for me it feels more authentic. Enjoy!

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Stone Fruit Cobbler

2013-05-13T23:55:43Z

Are we bypassing Spring this year? The weather has been up and down like a toilet seat at a mixed party! I made this cobbler in the hopes that it was going to be warm soon. The winter wasn’t particularly harsh but the cooler temperatures with a few spikes in heat has made it feel as though winter is still nipping at our heels. Oh well, give it a few weeks and we’ll be complaining it’s too hot.

Serves 4 to 6
adopted from Chef Megan Garrelts

3 nectarines, pitted and chopped
3 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 cup assorted berries, hulled
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch
butter
citrus sugar cookie dough (click here for recipe)

Preheat the oven to 350°f (180°c).

Butter four 8-oz. ovenproof ramekins or a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Dust the buttered ramekins or dish with sugar. In a large bowl, toss the fruit together with sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, orange juice and zest, ginger, and cornstarch. Depending on the sweetness and ripeness of your fruit, you may need to add more sugar, or a smidge more cornstarch (not more than 1 teaspoon).

Mound the fruit mixture into the ramekins or baking dish. The fruit will collapse as it bakes so you want to heap it so the fruit peaks above the top of the baking dish, and dot with cubed butter. Slice the sugar cookie dough and top the cobbler, distributing it evenly over the fruit. Bake the cobbler until the cookie dough is golden brown and the fruit begins to bubble, about 20 minutes.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: While it’s not stone fruit season yet, frozen fruit is a good alternative. And you don’t have to use the exact fruit mentioned in the recipe…use whatever frozen fruit your family enjoys. Make sure to place ramekins on a baking sheet as the juice from the fruit will bubble over (yum!). Cardamom is an ancient Indian spice and while it is used primarily in savory dishes, its lemony undertones is a surprising compliment to the fruit in this cobbler. Enjoy!

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Baked Avocado with Egg, Tomato and Bacon – Happy Mother’s Day!

2013-05-10T16:11:37Z

I don’t think there’s an avocado recipe I haven’t enjoyed and this dish is so easy to make. The avocado has been around for thousands of years and is rich in potassium (helps regulate blood pressure) and vitamin A (helps your eyes). Avocado paste can be applied to the skin to help with rashes and to smooth rough skin. Looking for a new breakfast/brunch recipe for Mother’s Day? This fits the bill perfectly! Experiment with other toppings that mom will like.

ripe avocado, halved and pit removed
eggs
chopped tomato
cooked bacon, diced
salt and pepper
cilantro, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375c. Arrange avocado halves on a roasting pan. If they are on a slant, slightly trim the bottom. Depending on how big the egg is, you may want to scoop out some of the flesh to keep the egg from spilling over. Season with salt and pepper and then add an egg to the avocado half. Bake in the oven 20 to 30 minutes until egg is cooked to your liking. Remove from the oven, add chopped tomatoes and bacon.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: You may want to cook the avocado halves for 15 minutes before adding the egg if the flesh of the avocado is firm. Enjoy!

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Roasted Acorn Squash and Beet Salad

2013-05-08T16:02:52Z

If you’ve been following my blog you know how much I love a salad. For me a salad can be as simple as leaves such as rocket (arugula) gently tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper or dressed up where the veggies are grilled such as this zucchini ribbon salad. Salads can make good use of whatever is leftover in your refrigerator. Pomegranate is one of the oldest known fruits and is the most powerful anti-oxidant of all fruits. It’s a good source of vitamin A, C, and E as well as a good source for folic acid. Acorn squash contains vitamin A and C. The yellow-orange flesh helps reduce the free radicals in the body.

Serves 4
acorn squash
mixed beets
pomegranate seeds
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
salad leave mix
1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional)

Preheat oven to 375f. Cut squash in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds (save the seeds and roast for a snack). Cut the squash again into wedges – you can use the ribs of the squash as a guideline. Remove the skin by using a potato peeler or knife. Arrange on a cooking tray, add a splash of olive oil, cumin and toss to combine. Bake 40 minutes or until fork tender.

To prepare the beets, make a pouch out of tin foil and leave an opening to place beets in. You can also used a dish with a lid but I like using the tin foil pouch as there’s no mess to clean up. Use a different pouch for lighter colored beets otherwise the juice from the darker ones will bleed into the lighter ones. Add a splash of olive oil and roll up the pouch. Place pouch on a cookie sheet and bake 40 minutes or until soft at 400f. Remove and allow to cool enough to peel the skin – the skin can be easily slipped off with your fingers.

Arrange leaves on a platter followed by squash and beets. Sprinkle over the salad with pomegranate seeds. Add a splash of extra-virgin olive oil and season to taste.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Serve this with the veggies still warm or room temperature. Enjoy!

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Yorkshire Pudding

2013-05-07T00:56:37Z

Our Sundays typically consist of a quick breakfast, chat on skype with John’s sister and mom in England and then off to church. I’m usually thinking about what to serve for dinner when all of this is going on and I have to thank Angie, my sister in-law, as she was having roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for her dinner. After John ended the skype chat he said that sounded like a good idea.

Yorkshire is a county in northern England and the first recorded evidence of Yorkshire pudding came from a recipe for ‘A Dripping Pudding’ published in The Whole Duty of a Woman (1737). The recipe is made from an egg, flour and milk and cooked in a large shallow tin containing a layer of very hot beef drippings (fat). Individual puddings are not considered authentic. To be proper, the pudding is cut into squares and served with gravy before the meat – to take the edge off any hunger pains. I grew up with individual puddings and on a few occasions mom would serve it the authentic way. But, for the culinary artist in me, I’ll make the individual puddings and take absolute pleasure watching them rise.

Makes 6
adapted from Jamie Oliver

3 eggs (room temperature)
115g flour
285ml milk
pinch of salt
olive oil (or beef drippings)
6 cup popover pan

Preheat oven to 450f.

Whisk the eggs, flour, salt, and milk together really well in a bowl to make your batter. Pour the batter into a jug, and let it sit for 30 minutes before you use it. Place popover pan in oven for 5 minutes or until hot. Remove from oven and add 1 tablespoon of oil (or beef drippings) in each muffin hole. Place popover pan back into the oven and heat until oil is very hot (about 5 minutes). Open oven door, slide the tray half out, and carefully pour the batter into the muffin holes – make sure it’s evenly distributed. Close the door and cook for 15 – 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: The secret to the perfect popover is a hot oven, batter at room temperature, the pan hot and with hot drippings or hot oil. And, DO NOT open the oven door while they’re baking! Enjoy

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Pistachio Purée and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza

2013-05-02T13:57:55Z

Tandoori Naan bread is one of my favorite go-to flatbreads. Not only is it perfect for mopping up the sauce from an Indian dish it’s just the right size for personal pizzas. This pistachio purée has a buttery, rich flavor and might seem odd to spread on a as a pizza base, but let me tell you, it was delicious! Pistachios have been around for centuries and pistachio trees were said to have been in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (700BC). Pistachios are nutritionally beneficial and should be included in your diet. They’re good for heart health, eye health, immune system, and skin health. For more details, click here. The best part of this dish – dinner in 20 minutes!

Serves 4 to 6 people
pistachio purée adapted from Saveur

Tandoori naan bread
fresh mozzarella
basil leaves, torn
button mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
olive oil, for drizzling

Pistachio Purée -
1½ cups shelled pistachios
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
½ cup olive oil, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste

Purée pistachios, Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, salt, and ¼ cup water in a food processor until smooth. Spread the purée on the naan bread, followed by mushroom slices, basil leaves and topped with fresh mozzarella. Drizzle olive oil over cheese and broil in the oven until cheese has melted.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Pulse the pistachios first in the food processor before adding the rest of the ingredients. You may need to add more juice or water depending on the consistency you desire. Enjoy!

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Radish, Carrot & Edamame Stir-Fry

2013-04-29T23:19:26Z

A stir-fry is a perfect excuse to use up odds and ends in the refrigerator. I’ve had some carrots laying in the bottom crisper for what seems like a long time and wanted to use them before they reached their expiry date – you know they are near the end when the carrots start to grow whiskers! I saw this recipe for a stir-fry using an interesting combination of ingredients and felt this is what was needed to rescue the carrots. Edamame (pronounced eh-dah-MAH-may) is the name for boiled green soybeans. Boil the edamame in water, drain, salt and serve…plain and simple. And as for health benefits, this star legume shines! Rich in vitamin C and B, a great source of fiber along with a natural source of anti-oxidants and protein-rich. We first got hooked on the green soybean when we lived in Bangkok. I made a grilled asparagus salad with the green soybeans and loved it. It’s great dressed up with other ingredients or on its own.

Serves 4 (as a side)
adapted from Fine Cooking

2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
5 medium carrots , peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 lb. radishes (about 2 bunches), trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2/3 cup shelled edamame (thawed, if using frozen)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the mirin and soy sauce.

Heat a 14-inch wok (or a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet) over high heat. Swirl in the oil. Add the carrots and radishes and stir-fry until the edges begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Add the edamame and soy sauce mixture and stir-fry until just heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in the sesame seeds and serve.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Cut the veggies similar in size so that they cook at the same time. This stir-fry is super easy to make and so nutritious! Enjoy!

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Citrus Sugar Cookies

2013-04-25T17:08:16Z

Sugar cookies aren’t high on my list…they just never have been until now. I find them to be, quite frankly, boring! However, add some citrus juice and zest and you have a sugar cookie that won me over. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, the American habit of making up rolls of cookie dough and keeping them in the refrigerator or freezer may have come from Germany; the doughs for some German biscuits were chilled before slicing. Pieces are sliced off ad baked as required – often known as ‘icebox’ cookies. In Scotland, the term ‘cookie’ has been in use since 1700.

Makes 25 cookies
adapted from Chef Megan Garrelts

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
1 large egg

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice, and lime juice and zest. Scrape down the sides, then beat in the egg. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in thirds, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Continue mixing until a loose dough forms, about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a log and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375f. Remove cookie dough from fridge and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Place 1-inch apart on a baking sheet and bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Remove and place cookies on a cooling rack.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Hints of citrus carry this humble cookie to new heights. If the cookie dough gets too warm, place it back into the the fridge for 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will make slicing easier. Enjoy!

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Avocado and Cheddar Quesadilla

2013-04-22T19:41:33Z

Looking for an easy dish to whip up for dinner? Quesadillas are a cinch to prepare and take minutes to cook. Brie and mango quesadilla was one of the first ones I ever made and it stands as a family favorite to this day. Quesadillas are perfect as a snack or party food. Dress them up with your favorite condiments such as sour cream, salsa, or guacamole. Healthwise, avocados are a good source of fiber, vitamin c, folate, anti-inflammatory benefits (arthritis) and more.

You will need -

ancient grain tortillas (or favorite tortilla)

cheddar cheese, grated (or favorite cheese)

cilantro, coarsely chopped

ripe avocado, mashed

Cut avocado in half, remove pit and skin. In a small bowl mash avocado. Place one tortilla on a board and add some of the mashed avocado making sure to spread it to the edges of the tortilla. Next, add cilantro and top with cheddar. Place another tortilla on top and lightly apply pressure (to help the ingredients adhere to the tortillas). In a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add quesadilla. Cook like you would a grilled cheese sandwich…a few minutes per side and remember to be careful when flipping. The tortilla is done when the cheese has melted.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Add chopped tomato for a bit of color and texture. You can make just about any combination that suits your fancy or whatever is in your refrigerator. Another quesadilla idea? Try this chicken and sweet pepper quesadilla. Enjoy!

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Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Pizza – hello wordpress!

2013-04-18T18:09:41Z

I’ve been ‘meaning’ to switch from blogger to wordpress for ages and finally I decided to take the leap! I’m not technically inclined – I think that logical side of me is buried deep within. I don’t, though, hesitate to take on new projects except when it comes to computers and software. There’s something far too technical about them that keeps me at bay. I am what you would call WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) and I don’t want to have to think about all the ‘logical steps’ that goes into processing a command on the computer…perhaps that’s why it executes my mistakes perfectly and the end result isn’t at all what I intended it to be! The thing is, I do enjoy using a computer but it drives me nuts when logic takes over and clouds my artistic thinking. It usually takes me a few times to get it wrong in order to get it right or it’s the groans from my daughter when I ask her how it’s done – for the third time! Once I master it, the magical aha! moment erupts and I feel as though I’ve mastered the hardest task in the world.

But I digress. Choosing someone to help migrate your site to another can seem like a daunting task but check around, ask questions and fondly enough, you’ll find someone. That’s what happened to me. I was searching sites using the keywords ‘blogger to wordpress migration’ and found Jeni. Her site, The Blog Maven, is geared perfectly for what I wanted and more. She was so patient with me and answered my wild/quirky questions. The transition, thus far, has been seamless. Now I have to fiddle with the design elements of my site, get out of my blogger comfort zone and get more familiar with all that wordpress has to offer. The new layout for posting is going to take some bit to get used to but in no time I’ll look back and laugh at what I thought was difficult to do.

Serves 4

inspired by Grace Parisi

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

4 large plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick

olive oil, for brushing

1/3 cup chopped green olives

1 to 2 teaspoons chili flakes

1/4 cup finely shredded basil

6 oz. Fontina cheese (or your favorite cheese), thinly sliced

Brush eggplant and tomato slices with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Grill eggplant in batches over moderately high heat, turning once, until softened and lightly charred, about 4 minutes. Place tomato slices on foil and grill until soft but still intact.

In a bowl, combine the olives, chiles and shredded basil. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In the center, arrange half of the eggplant in a 9-inch square, overlapping the slices slightly. Top with half of the grilled tomatoes, olive mixture and Fontina. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the cheese.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!).

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I made this again it’s that good! This dish is also very tasty the next day…if you have any leftovers. Enjoy!

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