Dumpling Filling

My riff on Chinese dumplings.  The first version was good....

Ingredients:
2 small spring onions, sliced into thin rings, whites and light green parts
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 "pinky" size piece fresh ginger, chopped fine
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper as needed
1 pound ground pork

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours to let flavors combine.

Stuff into dumpling skins, approximately a teaspoon full for each.

Chili Lobster With Texas Toast

I have not yet tried this, but it is right up my alley...

Chili Lobster With Texas Toast
Adapted from Marc Forgione, New York.
From NY Times -    http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/12544/Chili-Lobster-With-Texas-Toast.html

Salt
3 or 4 lobsters, totaling about 4 1/2 pounds
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola oil
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups dry white wine
5 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs tarragon
1 bay leaf
6 cups water (reserved from poaching)

FOR THE CHILI LOBSTER
3 or 4 cooked lobsters (claws, knuckles, tails; see recipe above)
2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons sweet onion (like Vidalia), peeled and minced
1 1/2 cups lobster stock (recipe above)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, cut into chiffonade
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 to 2 limes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

FOR THE TEXAS TOAST
4 thick slices sourdough bread
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400. Fill a large pot with salted water and place it over high heat until it comes to a boil. Poach the lobsters for approximately 5 minutes, then remove from water and place in an ice bath to cool them quickly. (Do not discard the poaching liquid.) Once they are cooled, cut off the claws, knuckles and tails and refrigerate them until ready to prepare the final dish. Split open the heads, and remove the tomalley, which is delicious to some but not so pretty in this dish. Lift the legs away from the shell to reveal the gills, and cut them out using scissors. Break the heads apart by hand into large pieces.

2. Place a large, oven-safe saucepan over high heat, and add the oil, heating it until it shimmers and verges on smoking. Add the lobster heads to the pan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste to coat the shells. Add the shallots, stir to combine and put the pan in the oven. Cook for 8 to 12 minutes, or until well roasted.

3. Transfer the pan to the stove. Add the wine and herbs, bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. Add 6 cups of the reserved lobster poaching liquid to the reduced stock. Simmer the stock for an additional 90 minutes, reducing it. Strain through a fine sieve.

4. Make the chili lobster. Cut the tails into 1-inch pieces, then crack the claws and remove the meat. In a wok or a large skillet set over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil until just smoking. Add the ginger and onion and cook, stirring, for approximately 1 minute. Add the lobster tails, still in their shell, and the claw meat, turn heat down to medium and cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until hot. Add the stock, and return it to a boil. Transfer lobster pieces to a large serving plate, leaving the stock in the pan to reduce by half. Sprinkle the lobster with mint.

5. To the reduced stock, add soy and Sriracha and whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, one tablespoon at a time. Add a squeeze of lime juice, and adjust seasonings. Toast the bread, butter it generously and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cut into triangles. Spoon sauce over the lobster and garnish with sliced scallions.

Serve with toast
YIELD Serves 4

Tuna Cakes

I made these to get my daughter to eat more protein...but they are actually pretty good in general! Serve with a salad and a sour cream based sauce and it is a nice dinner.

Also, all of the veggies are for the obvious reason to get her to eat a lot of vegetables as well!

Ingredients:

2 large cans of tuna in water, drained (about 2 cups of tuna)

1/2 cup parsnips, grated

1 cup carrots, grated

1/4 cup celery, grated

1/4 cup onion, chopped very finely

1 clove garlic, chopped very finely

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped finely

1 cup corn, copped roughly (I use frozen and thaw in the microwave)

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup mayonaise

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Take parsnips, carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sautee in a little olive oil until soft.

In a bowl, break the tuna down in to small pieces and add in the red pepper, corn, Old Bay, paprika, salt, mayo, eggs, olive oil, breadcrumbs and softened vegetables. Mix together well.

Heat a sautee pan over medium heat and wipe bottom with a little oil. Make patties about 3/8 inch thick and 2-3 inches in diameter. Cook for 3-4 minutes and flip, cooking 3-4 minutes more. Both sides should be golden brown.

You can also add in a little hot pepper (which I like). And, if the patties fall apart, you can add a little milk plus more breadcrumbs to help hold it together.

Butternut Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds before cutting) deseeded and cut into 1-2 inch cubes (you can leave the skin on or peel it)

1 small onion roughly chopped

3 large cloves garlic roughly chopped

2 medium carrots roughly chopped

2 stalks celery roughly chopped

15 oz container of ricotta cheese

16 oz mozzarella cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups parmigiano reggiano, grated

1 pound rotelle pasta (wagon wheels)

2 cups water (or chicken or vegetable stock)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta about 3-4 minutes less than the package instructions (very al dente) in salted water. Drain and set aside.

Over medium high heat put olive oil, onion, carrots, garlic and celery along with salt and pepper and sauté until just tender and with some caramelization, about 15 minutes. Add in the cubed butternut squash and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is very tender.

Puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender). Taste for seasoning adding in salt and pepper as needed (or extra nutmeg). Add to the pasta along with the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmigiano reggiano and half of the mozzarella and blend well. Place in a buttered large baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmigiano.

Bake in a 375 degree oven, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is brown.

Texas Dry Rub

This is based on a dry rub associated with Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Texas (supposedly some of the best barbecue you will find...I can't wait to go there!).

Ingredients:

1 1/4 tablespoons kosher salt

1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

JC adds:

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

Sub oregano (Mexican if possible) for the thyme

Up the coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Cuban Pulled Pork

This was...awesome. I should have made 10 pounds...

Ingredients:

1 pound pork shoulder lightly trimmed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Use about a tablespoon of oil and coat the pork shoulder. Add the spices and salt and pepper and coat well. In a hot pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil brown the shoulder on all sides. Add in the orange and lime juice and bring to a boil.

Put the pan in the oven, covered, for two hours. Check that the meat should pull apart easy. Uncover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce and further brown the meat.

Remove from the oven, and put the shoulder in a separate bowl and shred with two forks. Add as much of the juice as you would like (I would suggest all of it).

Serve with tortillas, over saffron rice, with potato and apple latkes (awesome) or just eat it out of the bowl and lie to your friends that the dog ate it.

White Bean Crostini

As with any crostini, just get some really good bread, slice medium thick and toast. Put on any appropriate toppings...this is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cloves garlic chopped fine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, marjoram or tarragon

1 cup water (or stock for a richer taste)

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

Sautee the garlic over medium low heat until just starting to get light brown. Add in the beans, water and hot pepper (if using). Turn heat up to medium high and cook until beans are very tender (you may need to add a little more water). Towards the end add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and mash roughly with a fork. Serve slightly warm.

Homemade Merguez Sausage

I didn't use any casing on this, but it is very tasty! Serve on a roll with a yogurt sauce, or with lentils or couscous.

1 pound ground lamb

3 cloves garlic chopped, then mashed in a mortar/pestle with 1 T salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper and 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar/pestle

2 Tbl paprika

1 tsp cayenne

Lots of fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tbl olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together. Form into small, sausages or meatballs and fry in a non-stick pan until brown. Turn and finish cooking, being careful not to overcook, making them dry.

Yorkshire Pudding

Marlene’s Yorkshire Pudding (from Michael Rhulman's blog at rhulman.com).

1 cup/140 grams all purpose flour

1 teaspoon mustard powder

4 or 5 large eggs, enough to make 1 cup

1 cup/250 milliliters whole milk

6 teaspoons vegetable oil or beef fat drippings

Equipment

1 six-well popover pan or 12-well muffin tin

Sift the flour and mustard powder together into a large bowl. Add the eggs and milk and blend on high speed with a hand mixer until fully incorporated. Let the batter rest for 2 hours at room temperature, re blending now and then.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F./240 degrees C./gas 9

Place one tsp of fat in each cup of a popover pan or half a tsp of fat in the well of each muffin cup. Place the pan on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven to heat the oil when the oven is heating. When the oven has reached temperature, reblend the batter, remove the pan and pour the batter into the cups , dividing it evenly and filling the cups three-fourths full. Place the pan in the oven and turn on the light so you can watch them rise. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. and continue baking without opening the oven door, until the puddings are puffed and golden brown. 15-25 minutes depending on your oven. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 popovers of 12 small muffins; you can also bake it in 9×13-inch baking dish or in the beef’s roasting pan.

Roasted Winter Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

Of all the dishes I made this past Thanksgiving (2011) this was my favorite!

Ingredients:

4 medium winter squash (I used a combo of butternut and acorn), peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 stick butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh sage, chopped

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Toss the cubed squash with a little olive oil to coat, along with salt and pepper. Place into a baking dish and roast in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour, stirring once, until soft but not mushy.

Just before the rousing is done, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat until foam subsides and the butter starts to brown (not burn!). Add the sage and sautee a minute or two. Salt and pepper to taste.

Take butter and pour over squash and mix.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made this one up for Thanksgiving in 2011 - it was a hit! Add more chili peppers if you like a bit of a kick.

Ingredients:

About 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" slice (use a mandolin if you have one)

12 ounces heavy cream

1 head of garlic, roasted

1 small chili, seeded

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Take the cream, garlic, chili, a healthy pinch of salt and cracked black pepper and blend until smooth (about a minute).

Lightly oil a 9x12 baking dish and put down a first layer of the sweet potatoes. Lightly salt and pepper, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture, then a generous sprinkling of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat until you are done with the sweet potatoes (3-4 layers) and finish by topping with remaining cream and a healthy dose of cheese.

Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more or until the top is browned nicely and a knife slides into the potatoes without resistance.

Moroccan Lentils

This uses a variety of Moroccan spices to create a creamy and delicious side dish or main course. I prepared it with a terrific Merguez sausage.

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, chopped fine

1/2 medium parsnip, chopped fine

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 small hot pepper, chopped fine

1/2 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp corriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 pound lentils, inspected and washed

2 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Sweat carrots, parsnip, celery, hot pepper, onion and garlic in olive oil in medium heat until soft and a little brown. Add spices and stir, cooking only a minute or two being careful not to burn. Add lentils and coat, cooking for a couple of minutes. Add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook for about an hour. After 45 minutes check doneness, and add additional water if necessary.

Broccoli Salad

A recipe from Mrs. P. I think there is a bit too much dressing, so you may want to try a little at a time to get it to your taste.

Combine and refrigerate overnight:

1 cup mayonnaise ( I use light mayo)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Cut 2 bunches broccoli into tiny florets (you can cut the previous evening and bag in Ziploc bag with a paper towel)

1 small chopped red onion

1/2 pound crisply fried and crumbled bacon

Toss the above with the mayonnaise dressing prior to serving.

NOTE: Try it with golden raisins, dried cranberries, cashews or other nuts or dried fruits.

Texas Caviar

This was a dip a friend of ours brought over for a party. It was very, very good.

Texas Caviar

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 15 oz can black beans

1 14 oz can of white corn

1 can black eyed peas

1 jar chopped pimentos or 1 red pepper chopped

1 can chopped green chilies

3-4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 can chopped green chilies

1 small red onion chopped

Combine sugar, olive oil, apple cider vinegar in small saucepan and heat over med-low heat until dissolved.

Rinse and drain black beans, corn, black eyed peas, pimentos/red pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marinate overnight. Strain liquid next day and serve dip with tortilla chips.

John's Babaghanoush

This is not authentic, but close. Due to the lack of tahini (a traditional ingredient) I used what I had...

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut lengthwise

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Sprinkle eggplant halves with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and place on a medium-hot grill for about 30-40 minutes until very soft (don't worry if they get a bit dark - that is flavor!).

Once the eggplant has cooled scrape the flesh from the skin and add all other ingredients. Mash with a fork or potato masher until just a bit chunky.

Serve with good bread or homemade pita bread!

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 pounds new potatoes (I like getting some of the red, white and blue for color)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped dill or tarragon

1 head garlic

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt

Dash tobasco sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cut the garlic head in half and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until soft and golden brown. Remove and let cool. Squeeze into a bowl and mash to a paste with the olive oil.

Wash and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Boil for 20-30 minutes in well salted water until just fork tender. Drain and set aside in a bowl to cool for 30 minutes.

Mix the mayo, sour cream, herbs, roasted garlic, tobasco and salt and pepper and taste to adjust seasoning. Mix gently into the potatoes so as not to break them up too much. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

Mexican Inspired Marinade

This is a great marinade for pork, flank steak or even chicken. You can add extra peppers for spiciness! Also, the longer the marinate, the spicier the meat.

Marinade:

2 cans of chipotle peppers in adobo

1-2 jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 shallot, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

Small bunch parsley and cilantro, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper

Water if necessary to thin

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except water) into blender and pulse just a few times to blend to a chunky consistency. Place over meat and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Put leftover marinade into a pot and bring to a boil then strain for a nice, spicy sauce.

John's German Potato Salad

This is a riff on the traditional German potato salad, but with some influence from my Mom's family's recipe as well.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion, fine dice

5 slices good bacon, slided into "lardons"

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 T mustard seeds

1/3 cup sour cream

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel and cut potatoes into quarters then slice about 1/4" thick. Place in water and bring to a boil, cooking until just tender (don't overcook them!) about 15 minutes.

Combine vinegars and mustard seeds and set aside.

Cook bacon pieces until crisp. Reserve a little for garnish, then add onion and cook for just a minute or two to soften slightly. Add vinegar and mustard seeds to hot pan and cook for one minute then turn off the heat.

Once the potatoes are done, add the bacon/vinegar mixture, olive oil, parsley, sour cream, salt and pepper and gently fold together. Let cool to room temperature on the counter to let the flavors meld together.

Garnish with hard boiled eggs (sliced), reserved crispy bacon and extra parsley.

Blackened Hake with Cheddar Cauliflower

This is a riff I did on southern shrimp and grits. I knew I wanted to cheddar the cauliflower, but wasn't sure how to do the fish. Then, I thought of a great, spicy shrimp and grits I had in Charleston, and thought a blackening would work well.

Ingredients

Hake filet, about 14 ounces for two servings

Blackening spice (or mix together some paprika, cayenne, onion and garlic powder, salt and black pepper...possibly some dry thyme and parsley ground fine. Make it as hot as you would like!).

One head of cauliflower, ideally cheddar (orange color)

Two cloves garlic

A small handful of shredded cheddar cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut cauliflower into relatively small pieces. Peel garlic and leave in clove form. Put a sautee pan over medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add cauliflower and garlic to the pan. Roast for about 10-15 minutes until you get a little caramelization and the cauliflower gets tender. Add about a half cup of water to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Put into a food processor, and add the cheddar and process until just a little chunky. Add back to the pan to keep warm.

While the cauliflower is cooking, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Spread the blackening spices onto a board and roll the fish until covered. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan (it should just start smoking) and add the fish and cook until about 3/4 cooked through and nice and blackened (but not burned) on the bottom. Turn over and finish cooking on medium heat.

Add the cauliflower to a plate, top with the fish and enjoy!

Very Mushroom Risotto

I had a small epiphany when perusing one of Mario Batali's cook books. In it, he grinds dried porcini mushrooms into a powder to coat a steak. That made me think that doing the same thing in the risotto would make a really, really mushroom risotto...I was right!

Ingredients:

1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms

About a cup mixed mushrooms sliced (crimini, shittake, oyster)

1 medium shallot diced finely

1/2 stalk celery diced finely

1 large clove garlic, sliced finely

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves (or regular thyme)

8 oz risotto or orzo, about a cup

4 cups chicken stock (or about 2-3 if the orzo)

White wine

Olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Directions:

Take the dried porcini and break into smaller pieces so they can fit in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind until you have a very fine powder. You should have about 1 tablespoon.

Sautee the mushrooms over medium high high heat with some olive oil, until they are browned and cooked. Remove from the pan.

Lower the heat to medium, add a few tablespoons olive oil and add the celery, shallot and garlic and saute until soft, a few minutes. Add back the mushrooms (but save a few to garnish the plate) and then the risotto and thyme and cook a few minutes until the risotto is translucent. Add about a half cup of wine and cook down. Then add the stock about a cup at a time and cook until the rice is al dente.

You should have a slightly soupy mixture to which add a little more olive oil (or a couple of tablespoons of butter) and the parmigiano and stir. This should tighten the mixture, though it should not be too thick or thin.