Steak and Potatoes...of a sort!

This menu, from Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis, is entitled "Dead-of-Winter Dinner from the Supermarket." Now, wait a minute...it's not winter! I know, I know, but I was intrigued by this menu because of something the author says in the introduction to this group of recipes. David Tanis was upset by the amount of pre-packaged foods and pre-made condiments on the shelves at his local supermarket. "The companies that make all these prepared sauces prey on our fear of cooking, and on the notion that we somehow inherently believe we do not have time to cook." This sentence really struck a chord with me, because that's essentially what I'm trying to counteract with this blog! Anybody can cook from scratch, any night of the week, and this menu is a perfect example of fresh, easy-to-find ingredients being pulled together to make a delicious, well-balanced meal in the span of an hour. I thought this would take me much longer, but it really came together quickly and easily...a weeknight meal that anybody could put together!

First up on the menu, we have Romaine Hearts with Shaved Parmigiano and Lemon Dressing. This was a really simple one to pull together. You can buy romaine hearts in a package of three, at the grocery store. I only used two since there were two of us, chopped off the ends and cut them into large pieces. The dressing consists of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, dijon mustard, a garlic clove smashed to a paste with a bit of salt, and some olive oil. Once everything is whisked together, it can be seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. After tossing the lettuce with the dressing, I added some Parmigiano flakes to the salad and tossed again. This was a really delicious salad, along the lines of a Caeser, but not. It's simple, it uses ingredients that you most likely have lying around the house, and pulls together quickly and easily!

The main course is a Pan-Fried Steak with Steak Sauce. The steaks you buy should be about an inch thick, but the recipe gives a lot of leeway for the reader to decide which kind of steak to purchase. After seasoning them with a bit of salt and pepper, I placed some sliced garlic on top of each steak, coated them with olive oil, rubbed everything into the meat and then allowed everything to sit at room temperature for a little bit. When it was time to cook, I heated a cast iron pan until it was really hot, and then placed the steaks in the pan, after removing the garlic slices. After 3 minutes, I flipped the steaks to find a beautiful sear on the first side. After two more minutes, I transferred the meat to a platter, and poured some beef stock into the pan, de-glazing with a wooden spoon. As the stock thickened, I threw in a few pats of butter and some parsley. This made a really delicious, and HOME-MADE, steak sauce that beats any pre-packaged sauce at the store. And what's even better - you can pronounce everything in it!

While I let the steaks sit with their olive oil and garlic slices, I prepared a Classic Potato Gratin, and put it in the oven. Here's where a mandoline comes in really handy. I quickly, and thinly, sliced 4 russet potatoes, and layered them in a baking pan that I had thickly slatered with some butter. As I completed a layer, I seasoned it with salt and pepper, before starting the next layer. Once all the potatoes were in the baking dish, I poured some heavy cream on top, tilting the pan to and fro a bit to distribute everything evenly. Finely, I dotted the surface with small pieces of butter before placing it in a 375 degree oven. I forgot to cover the pan with foil for the first half hour it was in the oven, but I think it's okay. The potatoes came out creamy, well-seasoned and delicious!

Last but not least, of course, is the dessert! This was a really simple Broiled Pineapple with Rum. All I had to do was cut my pineapple, sprinkle the slices with some brown sugar, and broil them for about 10 minutes. Once the slices were slightly browned, I removed them from the oven and poured some rum on top. With a lighter, I gently lit the rum in order to flambe the pineapple slices. ready to serve! This was a really tropical dessert that was totally simple to make, and it only took 10 minutes! 

This was a really simple meal to put together for a weeknight. I loved the simplicity of the ingredients, and the complexity of the finished flavors. And on top of all that, this menu proves, without a doubt, that we can make home-cooked meals without the use of pre-packaged, pre-made ingredients! Buy fresh, and make your own, because there really is no substitute for homemade!

Leftovers and Leeks

I didn't feel like going to the store for ingredients this evening, so I looked in my fridge for something I could piece together. I had leftover chicken from last week's Brunoise dish, and I also had a really pretty bunch of leeks from the farmers market that I needed to use before they went bad. My first thought was of a really delicious recipe for braised leeks with thyme and garlic, from Jamie's Kitchen, by Jamie Oliver. When I flipped to the page, however, I noticed a note at the bottom, directing the reader to add a little cream, a handful of parmesan cheese, and toss with pasta for a yummy main course.

Okay, so left over chicken, with a side of spinach fettuccine mixed with this leek recipe! Sounds like a plan to me! I cut the leeks, and sauteed them with some butter, garlic, and thyme, before adding some chicken broth and wine. The whole pot went into a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. If you have large leeks, go for more like half an hour, but the leeks that I had were on the smaller side, and I didn't want to overcook them. Meanwhile, I put a pot of water on to boil for the fettuccine. 

Once the leeks were done, and the pasta was cooked, I mixed the two, along with a touch of cream and a nice, healthy handful of grated parmesan. I seasoned to taste and voila! A really tasty pasta dish that paired really nicely with my already-prepared chicken breasts. If you can recall, there were even leeks in the chicken dish, so the flavors overlapped and tasted really nice together! And, I got to finish off the bottle of wine that I was using to cook with, too! That's a win-win for a Monday, if you ask me!

20,000 Hits!

from Flickr - by Birdman of El Paso

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every reader that has visited this site since January. Since it's inception, this blog has brought me much happiness, and enjoyment, and I hope that it has done the same for you. I can't believe that it's only been 10 months, and I've received 20,000 visits to this site! Thank you, all, for your constant support! Stay tuned for much more to come in the months and years that follow! I've only just begun!

A Tropical Dish for a Summer-y Evening

I went to Whole Foods with a list of ingredients needed for the menu using lamb from the current list. I came home with swordfish and mango salsa. Let me explain. The current menu is chock full of meals for fall! I planned to fill our bellies with warming meals including heavy, stew-like dishes, and hearty meats because it's getting colder outside, but it was 80 degrees today! Originally, I was going to make lamb anyway, because everything to do with that menu sounds delicious, and it's a weekend, which means I can take my time with a meal that will take a few hours to prepare...but lamb shoulders are crazy-expensive right now at Whole Foods, so I scanned the weekly specials for a back-up plan. Swordfish is on sale for $9.99 a pound, for a savings of 50%!? Okay...let's start with that! When I think of swordfish, I think of mango salsa - I don't know why exactly, but I always associate the two, so after getting my fish packaged, I headed to the produce department. Alas, the mangoes were the opposite of ripe, so I then made a beeline for the salsa and chips aisle, where I picked up a jar of shelf-stable mango salsa. I know, I normally don't buy packaged items like this, but...this was an emergency! :)

I also grabbed a bottle of Caribbean mango marinade from the seafood department, and some berries and Mascarpone for a dessert I was contemplating. The rest of the ingredients...well, I had those already. Once I arrived home, I placed the swordfish steaks into a dish and coated each one with marinade, turning it a few times. I covered the dish with plastic wrap and threw it in the refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, I pulled out some baby greens with herbs salad mix, some baby arugula and a giant red pepper that I bought at the farmer's market last week. Voila! Side dish - accomplished.

I used another bottled product here, because I love these salad dressings! Cindy's Kitchen makes a line of refrigerated, all-natural dressings with some wonderful varieties, and while I usually only have one bottle at a time in the fridge, they come in very handy for quick salads! My husband found this new variety last time he came with me to the grocery store, and we both love it! The Fresh Avocado Vinaigrette has great flavor, coats the greens in a salad very nicely, and is a really cool green color too! It's delicious, and I highly recommend it...or any of the other flavors offered by Cindy's Kitchen!

When my broiler was preheated, I took the swordfish out of the fridge and placed it on a broiler pan. Into the oven it went, for about 4 minutes. When the timer went off, I took the pan out of the oven, flipped the swordfish steaks, and basted them with a bit more marinade before returning them to the oven for another 4 minutes. At that point, the steaks weren't completely cooked, so I put them in for another minute...and...perfecto! If you cut into the fish, you'll see that it's flaky, and can remain a bit pink in the very center. You don't want to overcook it! I served the fish with mango salsa on the side, although the marinade was very flavorful and it didn't need much in the way of extra sauce!

After we'd both enjoyed our meal, I went back into the kitchen to whip up a quick dessert. I had bought some fresh berries, and some Mascarpone. I added lemon zest and some confectioners' sugar to it, and stirred it all together...that part's done! I poured the berries into a pot with some more confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and a splash of limoncello (because dessert is always better with a little liquor!) After allowing that to cook down and macerate for about 10 minutes, I removed it from the heat and allowed it to cool for a bit before using some of our water glasses to assemble a very pretty sort of trifle. I layered the Mascarpone mixture with the berry mixture, and it made for a delicious, albeit very quick, dessert. I think the berries are at the end of their season though - they were a bit tart. It may be 80 degrees outside, but the effects of Fall can be tasted in most ingredients that are not native to this time of year. It must be time to move on to apples, and other fall-ripened fruits!

Blue Inc.

My co-worker/friend and I visited Blue Inc. today for lunch, for the first time. We were celebrating her birthday, as well her proclaimed "Mere-Day," which represented my birthday and Administrative Assistant's day, which took place a few months ago! I had told her that I really wanted to try this restaurant since it's recent opening in June, and so today, we finally took a walk down to Broad Street, and got ourselves a table. It's a good thing I made a reservation since every table in the place was booked as we enjoyed our meal! The atmosphere is fun and modern, getting most of their light from the giant windows at the front of the space. Gordon Ramsey's autographed picture greeted me as I walked into the outer vestibule, since Jay Santos, chef/owner, was runner-up on Hell's Kitchen a few seasons back. The blue-haired culinary master opened Blue Inc, after leaving his gig at Gargolyes on the Square early this year.

My friend saw a deliciously-pink drink arrive at a neighboring table, so when we were asked if we'd like something to drink, we ordered two of those! They turned out to be cranberry lemonade, which was tart and sweet at the same time, and wonderfully refreshing! The best part? They came around with a pitcher of the lemonade every few minutes and refilled our glasses!

The lunch menu boasts sandwiches, salads and burgers, with a special section on the menu for liquid-nitrogen milkshakes. While I didn't try one this time around, that Butterscotch and Black Truffle milkshake is calling my name for my next visit, I'll promise you that! We decided to start with a dish that doesn't seem to be on the online menu: Lobster Arancini. Oh my goodness, these are delicious! If you've read my blog before, I'm sure you are well-aware that I love lobster, in all it's shapes and forms. This appetizer was right up my alley, and did NOT disappoint. The four arancini came lined up in a lovely boat-like dish, on a bed of delicious dipping sauce. They were crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside, with recognizable chunks of lobster in each bite. They were the perfect temperature, and the dish was definitely meant for sharing!

I was torn between a few things on the menu, but I think I made the right decision in the end. I went for something called "The Ultimate Grilled Cheese." This, too, is not listed on the online menu, so I think it's safe to say the menu changes frequently, according to the seasons. Nothing to complain about there! I love a rotating menu! The "Ultimate Grilled Cheese" is yummy, gooey cheese with chunks of braised short ribs and sweet, warmed apples. It is sandwiched between two pieces of hearty raisin bread that adds another unique element of sweetness to a very savory sandwich. The short ribs were tender and flavorful, just spot on! On the side of the plate, I found some chunky slices of pickle, and a small slice of jalapeno. Jalapeno-infused pickles? Oh yes, my goodness! They had the perfect amount of heat to leave the taste of jalapeno on your lips. It was not overdone at all, and they were delicious!

I will definitely be frequenting Blue Inc on a regular basis. It's affordable, delicious, and offers a lovely atmosphere for a break from the hub-bub of a work day! I'm looking forward to trying their dinner menu as well...the entrees look amazing, and I think the first thing I'll try is Grilled Salmon, served with Parma ham wrapped salsify, wild mushrooms, warm mussel and herb salad, and a vanilla veloute. I am absolutely intrigured by the creative flavor profiles that this menu offers and I can't wait to go back!

Blue Inc can be found at 131 Broad Street. You can reach them at 617-261-5353, or go to Opentable.com for a reservation.

What's a Brunoise, anyway!?

A brunoise, according to Wikipedia, is "a culinary knife cut in which the food item is first julienned and then turned a quarter turn and diced again, producing cubes of a side length of about 3mm or less on each side." Now that we have the defining out of the way, brunoise is the main knife skill needed for tonight's recipe. This is the first meal I'm making from my new cookbook, The Boston Chef's Table: The Best in Contemporary Cuisine, which is a very cool compilation of recipes from restaurants in and around the city of Boston. Ironically, I chose a dish from a restaurant I've never been to before, but it sounded interesting. Coriander Bistro is located in Sharon, MA, and run by Chef-Owner, Kevin Crawley. His Boneless Chicken Brunoise, is approachable, and simple to make. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of instructions, and even happier with the outcome!

The recipe is laid out very methodically, listing ingredients that need to be prepared, followed by the steps in cooking that portion of the meal, before moving on to another list of ingredients and instructions. The first step is the brunoise, and the step that took the longest to prep. I had to use the specific knife cut to get a 1/4 cup of each of the following: carrots, celery, onions, shallot, zucchini, red pepper and leeks. Once all of my vegetables were cut, I lightly sauteed them in a pan with some olive oil. When they had been heated through, and the onions were translucent, they were removed from the heat and set aside.

The second step was to create a quenelle, or a sort of dumpling using pureed chicken mixed with egg whites and cream. This was an easy step! I cut a chicken breast into large chunks and put it into the small bowl of my food processor, along with an egg white, chopped shallot, some freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper. After a few pulses to blend the mixture, I poured some cream in as it pulsed, until I had a paste-like consistency. This got set aside, right next to my brunoise.

Now for the main part of this process...the CHICKEN! I placed 4 chicken breasts in between two sheets of plastic wrap before pounding them out so that they were an even thickness. Once ready, I placed them in a 13"x9" baking dish and began to spoon and spread the quenelle on top of each chicken breast. On top of that, I spooned the brunoise. Everything got drizzled with a bit of olive oil, and then I poured some white wine and chicken broth into the pan, before placing it in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Mine took a few minutes longer than that, actually...but start conservatively and put it back in the oven if you have to. There's nothing worse than overcooked chicken!

While the chicken cooked, I had to make the sauce that the chicken would rest on. This was simple! I added a cup of red wine to a saucepan along with a bay leaf, a thyme spring, some salt and pepper and some veal demi-glace. You can buy the Veal Demi-glace at specialty shops, and if you can't find it there, it's sold on Amazon.com, as well! All I had to do was allow it to simmer until it had reduced by half, and was thick, with a lovely sheen. 

It was time to plate, and it hadn't even been an hour! I swiped a nice amount of the red wine sauce on to each plate in a pretty design and then placed a chicken breast, topped with the quenelle and brunoise, on top of the sauce. Yummy!

Now, I was supposed to serve tonight's meal with a dessert, making it a menu. However, I couldn't find heavy cream at the store this evening, and I knew that I couldn't make a maple custard with light cream. I'm going to save it for another evening, when I can make it using the correct ingredients! Be on the lookout for a separate post on that one! 

Of Buckwheat and Mussels

Well, I said I was going to make menus and this is certainly just that! Five components make this meal a daunting task, but I have to say, it was well worth the time I spent in the kitchen. David Tanis, the author of Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys, spent some time in France, specifically off the coast of mainland Brittany, on the Ile de Brehat. Buckwheat is grown, and ground, here in this area. The French call it ble noir, which is usually translated incorrectly to black wheat, but buckwheat comes from a leafy plant, rather than a grass at all. In this region, chefs use the buckwheat to make galettes, similar to crepes, but usually filled with savory ingredients rather than sweet. Mussels in French cuisine are somewhat like fast food, according to David Tanis. However, if a tourist strays from the regular track, they will find small, local restaurants who prepare their mussels as they are best, a la mariniere, with white wine and just a few aromatics.

The first component of this meal are Buckwheat Galettes with Ham and Cheese. I had a bit of difficulty making these "galettes" without them sticking to my pan. I finally switched to a non-stick pan and used non-stick spray as well, and was able to obtain some sort of results, but this one might take some practice. I managed to get two of them that worked well. The batter for the galettes consists of buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, eggs, whole milk, salt and some roasted buckwheat groats, ground to a fine powder. After 2 hours in the fridge, the batter was a bit thicker then when it went in. I ladled a small amount of the batter into the well-oiled pan and spread it around, allowing it to brown on one side. With a spatula, I flipped it over and allowed it to brown on the second side as well. Once the galettes were cooked, I used some ham and grated gruyere cheese to layer one half of the galette, and flipped the other side over, like a quesadilla. I allowed them to heat in a 400 degree oven until the cheese was melted and the outsides were crispy.

The next component of this menu is a Mache Salad. I have seen mache rosettes in the grocery store in the past, but I couldn't find any today, so I opted for baby greens with herbs instead. To dress the greens, I used a mixture of diced shallots, sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, olive oil, and walnut oil. The salad also had some crumbled hard-boiled egg in it, which was a really nice touch. This was the easiest of the components and the one that I completed first, so that it was done and out of the way.

Now, for the main course in this fabulous menu: Mussels Mariniere, Brittany-Style. In this recipe, butter is melted in a hot pan, and diced onions are added, allowing them to soften in the butter for about 5 minutes. Some salt, pepper, garlic cloves smashed into a paste with some salt, a thyme sprig, a bay leaf and 2 cups of dry white wine are added to the pan, and then the mussels are added as well. After about 10 minutes of allowing the mussels to steam, I threw in a large handful of parsley and mixed everything well. Dinner was finally ready!

While I was making all of the above, I was also working on the last two components of this dish...the dessert components. The Apple Compote was simple to make, and really delicious. I don't usually like applesauce but this was like nothing I've ever tasted before! Using only four ingredients (apples, sugar, a lemon slice, and water) made this a brilliant little gem that I will definitely be making again. The lemon slice really made this dish unique - the bit of tartness among all of the sweet was just pure yumminess.

Finally, I also made some dough for butter cookies! The dough had to sit in the refrigerator for an hour before I could safely slice it for baking, so I did that at the beginning of the process, right after making the galette batter. 2 sticks of butter (they are butter cookies, after all), sugar, egg yolks, salt, vanilla extract and flour made this crumbly cookie dough. I was able to make two logs of dough for the fridge so I saved one for later in the week. I did make about 16 cookies though, and enjoyed one with my apple compote. It was very sweet end to a truly delicious meal!