Herbed Shrimp and White Bean Salad

This is your Tuesday night throw-it-together dinner!  This salad has so many good things going for it.  Arugula is the peppery flavor base.  Creamy cannellini beans mean you won’t miss the cheese.  Toasted pine nuts give you the crunch you need.  Finally, roasted red pepper strips for the color you eat with your eyes.  Fresh herbs are a must in this recipe don’t use anything else.

Saucy Tips:

*Roasting a red pepper is easy – follow the instructions in this recipe but use a zip lock bag for steaming them prior to removing the skin.

*Roasted pistachios or macadamias would be a great substitute for pine nuts

*The vinaigrette in this recipe (starting with the lemon rind through pepper) isn’t enough for the amount of salad you’ll produce. Double the lemon juice, olive oil, and add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a spoon full of the chopped herbs.
*If you don’t like chunks of raw garlic in your salad dressing, mince it and place it in a pile on your cutting board with a little salt.  With the tip of your knife, smash the garlic and salt to make a paste.  In this form, the garlic will mix into your vinaigrette evenly.

*You eat with your eyes first, so I layered the salad on the plate instead of mixing it together:

RayFactor: 7

Falling On The Swordfish

Grilled Swordfish with Lima Bean Herb Butter

Lima Bean Herb Butter???  You heard me.  The only thing better about butter is COM-POUND butter!  The swordfish is great but its merely a vehicle for this butter.  You don't even have to be a fan of the lima bean.

Recommendations:
Swordfish can be expensive and you can easily feed two adults with one steak.  Unless you're planning a dinner party you only need 1-2.  I dusted the steaks with salt and pepper but fried them in a corrugated grilling pan instead of using the grill.  This method worked great and produced a moist fish.
I doubled the lima beans in the compound butter and it was much better.  Don't compromise on the fresh herbs though, they are the main attraction.

Serve With:
Wild Rice
Sauteed Broccoli with Parmesan and Garlic

RayFactor: 8

'Q it Up!

North Caroline BBQ Pulled Pork



Mustard Slaw

Grilled Pound Cake & Peaches



There’s something about the open air, the hiss of the grill, and the smell of charring meat. Any time the rain stops is the perfect time for BBQ in the Northwest. Since we grill year round, it’s good to have a few stand-by menus to take advantage of when the mood strikes. Steven Raichlen is the Guru of BBQ. In his cookbook BBQ USA, he gives detailed instructions to walk you through the charcoal or gas grilling process of virtually every BBQ region and technique in the United States. I found a couple of my favorite Raichlen recipes online, very close to the cookbook version.

Before You Dive In:
This recipe calls for hickory wood chips. These can be found at any hardware store selling grills but smaller bags are often found in the picnic isle of your grocery store. If your grill doesn’t have a smoking box, you can easily make a smoking pouch with the soaked wood chips and some heavy duty aluminum foil (www.grillingcompanion.com).
Place 1 cup of the soaked wood chips in a sheet of foil and wrap like a burrito. Poke several holes in the foil with a knife and lay it on or to the side of a heat shield under the grate of the grill. When the pouch begins to smoke, you’re ready to grill. I also tried this without soaking the wood chips first but they burn too quickly and the amount of smoke just about choked me each time I opened the grill.
Time – the prep time is quick but cooking takes several hours so plan ahead and allow 4 hours before this roast is ready to eat.

North Carolina Pulled Pork

The recipe calls for a 5-7 lb. bone in pork shoulder. I used a 2.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder which cooked in about half the time but only yielded about 4-6 sandwiches. If you’re going to spend the time cooking this, make it worth your time by choosing the larger roast.
I used the rub Raichlen suggests but put it on the grill immediately instead of refrigerating. He tells you to cook to an internal temperature of 195°. This seemed way too high for pork, but trust him, it works! The sauce made with the Mustard Slaw is perfect for the pork as well.

Mustard Slaw
A perfect side dish for the pulled pork is this Mustard Slaw. If you like to “hit the sauce”, double this recipe so you have enough for the slaw and the pulled pork. Better yet, pile the pork and slaw on the same bun for a perfect sandwich!

Grilled Pound Cake and Peaches
Grilling dessert is just fun and it impresses the guests. This one is simple but the grilling process makes it so much better.

1 bakery fresh or frozen pound cake
6 ripe peaches – halved and pitted, skin on
Whipped Cream

Slice the pound cake. Place the pound cake and peaches, cut side down, on indirect heat on the grill. Grill slowly until the cake is a little crispy on the outside and the fruit has nice caramelized grill marks. Once removed from the heat, the skin of the peach slides off easily. Serve a slice of cake with 2 peach halves and a dollop of whipped cream.

Revelaciones españolas

I can’t decide which is most surprising, that a great restaurant serving Spanish tapas can be found in Mill Creek, or that I’d never heard of Charmoula.   This is one part restaurant review, two parts recipe and a total revelation. 

Tablas Woodstone Taverna – Mill Creek

Mediterranean / Spanish influenced small plates.  This restaurant is a find in the underdeveloped culinary outskirts of Seattle.   Why would anyone drive all the way to Mill Creek for good food?  Some of us actually LIVE here so good food is moving North!  Hot and cold tapas, baskets of lovely fried things, flatbreads - you can’t go wrong here.  The only thing you’ll regret is not being able to order everything on the menu. 

Charmoula is totally new to me but so fabulous.  It’s an oil and herb sauce similar to vinaigrette but with the same meat-pairing properties as the Argentinean chimichurri.  Cumin is the first thing that hits you along with notes of cilantro and parsley.   I tried several recipes for this and your preference really depends on texture.   Use toasted cumin seeds if you like texture, or cumin powder if you like a smooth sauce.  I highly recommend a mini chopper for this recipe instead of the mortar and pestle. 

Charmoula

 

Ingredient Switch:

1 tablespoon cumin seeds = 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Since Charmoula pairs so well with everything from vegetables to duck and seafood, I found a close approximation to what Tablas served with it:

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

There are so many recipes for this dish.  They’re simple but can easily be overcooked so here’s what I did:

12 large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on (frozen works well, just thaw prior to cooking)

12 slices thin-cut bacon

6 Bamboo Skewers soaked in water for at least 20 min.

Partially cook the bacon on low for about 5 - 8 min. turning frequently.  The bacon should still be pale and very pliable.  This is bacon that is still too raw to eat, but some of the fat has rendered off and it’s cooked about half way.  Drain on paper towels and cool completely.  Wrap each shrimp in one slice of bacon overlapping the slice at each turn so it stays in place.  Skewer the bacon wrapped shrimp 2 per skewer and refrigerate at least 30 min.  This cools the shrimp and bacon enough to help them cook evenly.

Heat your gas grill on high so the temperature is hot but turn it down to low before adding the shrimp.  Shrimp cook very fast so watch them closely.  Grill for 5-8 min turning once.  As soon as they turn pink, remove them from the grill.

Pair the bacon wrapped shrimp with the charmoula, grilled peppers, zucchini, and red onions and some hearty bread.

Arugula - gets the motor runnin!

I tasted this peppery green herb for the first time in Italy a few years ago where they use it in everything.  It adds a nice kick to any dish but pairs especially well with pungent salty cheeses and vinaigrettes.  Throw it in a salad, pasta dish, on a pizza, or in an omelet.  Ancient Romans used arugula as an aphrodisiac so there's no end to its virility...uh versatility!  Arugula is high in vitamins A and C.  While you can find it in most stores, its easy to grow in the Northwest.  Just be ready to harvest and use it because it goes to seed quickly.   I planted mine from seeds 2 weeks ago and baby arugula is ready to eat now.  If you replant every 20-30 days you'll have a nice bunch all summer. When arugula is young, the leaves are little ovals and the flavor is lighter.  As the plants age the leaves become longer and ruffled on the ends and the flavor is stronger.  This is what you normally find in the grocery store.  Store bought will last about a week in the refrigerator and I love both leaf and stem in whatever recipe you use.

Pizza with Arugula and Prosciutto

I found the basic idea on Epicurious but I eliminated the red pizza sauce and opted for a basic olive oil base.

Fresh Pizza Crust - I use www.essentialbaking.com frozen crust from Central Market.  Thaw according to package instructions

1 large red onion halved, sliced ¼ in.

1 c. arugula Leaves

6 thin slices of prosciutto, chopped or shredded

1/4 c. pine nuts

3/4 c. shredded mozzarella

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

Good Olive Oil

The crust is best if cooked on a pizza stone.  If you have one, put it in the oven before turning it on to preheat at 400°.  Allow the pizza stone to heat up with your oven and this creates a nice crispy crust.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and rub the top of the pizza dough with olive oil.  Layer on the arugula leaves covering to the edges. Spread caramelized onions, pine nuts, and prosciutto shreds around evenly.  Top with the two cheeses and another light drizzle of olive oil.  Spread a thin layer of cornmeal on the pizza stone and transfer the pizza onto the stone.  Bake the pizza for 18 min. or until the crust is nicely browned and the cheese is bubbly.

Penne with Pancetta and Arugula

Pasta is such an easy “go to” meal because it adapts to virtually anything you have in the refrigerator, especially leftover veggies.  Normally I top pasta dishes with fresh, chopped parsley, but arugula is the perfect earthy alternative.

4 Slices pancetta chopped

2 zucchini sliced in rounds

1 c. chopped arugula

3 cloves garlic minced

1 red onion, chopped

3/4 c. parmesan cheese

whole wheat penne pasta

3/4 c. pasta water

Saute the pancetta in a pan until some of the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Start cooking the pasta to package instructions.  In the pancetta fat, saute the onions and garlic until they begin to caramelize.  Add the zucchini and saute just a few minutes more - zucchini cooks quickly and you don’t want mushy!  Add the pancetta back in to the pan and set aside until pasta is al dente.  Drain the pasta reserving ¾ c of the pasta water.  Drain the pasta and add it to the zucchini / pancetta mixture adding the pasta water to create a light sauce.  Add half the cheese and stir well to combine.  Remove from the heat and top with the chopped arugula.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and more cheese. 

Crazy Vietnamese Fusion

Vietnamese Caprese

Vietnamese / Italian fusion you say?  Grab the fish sauce, slice the fresh mozarella and sign me up!  This is yin and yang at its best.  Yes, that's Chinese, but roll with me here - hot-cold-sweet-sour-crunchy-soft all in one crazy bowl. Make the meatballs right before cooking - they would have been spectacular if they were lighter and fluffer than the recipe version which calls for overnighting in the refrigerator.  The tomato water was fun to make and turned out tasting like killer tomato soup.  I got much more than the 3/4 cup the recipe promised but I used it more like a soup than a salad dressing.  Every component tasted overly salty until you combined them at the end.  This was a fun summer dinner and a surprise hit.

Ingredient Switch:
Thai Chilies - we always buy them and end up throwing them away in the grocery unpacking frenzy.  So tiny they look like an empty produce bag.  Luckily I had a jalapeno which was just as good.

The tomato pulp is too beautiful to waste.  Tomorrow night have it on some grilled bread with a little olive oil!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream for more!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/salted-caramel-ice-cream-10000001981734/

I was watching FoodTV tonight while working out at the gym.  I realize the irony of this.  Still, I choose the elliptical machine right in front of the big screen.  It’s Guy Fieri, Triple D, highlighting ice cream.  Let’s face it, I really only work out as a means to eat my next meal guilt free.  300 calories burned doesn’t come close to my next meal – but I did something! 

I’m watching gigantic bowls filled with every flavor you can imagine (sweet potato? THAT I have to try!)  BINGO –inspiration to share my all-time favorite homemade ice cream recipe. The salted caramel thing has been overdone.  One could say its run its course.  You won’t care.

Nothing changes in this recipe – good as is.  If you freeze the custard without an ice cream maker, which some of you will be tempted to do, it works out okay but ends up a little more like a slushy than the creamy stuff.  Ice cream maker is best and serve it right out of the freezer bowl.  The photo shows little ginger cookies and those are a great idea along side.