Indian Chicken Curry

A traditional Indian curry.  You can ad meat, chicken, fish or tofu.  I made this dish for the kids the other night, served with rice and puppodums, a big hit it was!

Recipe for four:
1 13oz can organic tomatoes
1 13oz can organic stock (homemade is better)
1 large red onion chopped
4 carrots chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
4 cloves garlic skin removed
2" ginger skin removed
2 Tablespoons mild curry powder
2 Tablespoons coconut or olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 pack organic chicken tenders (optional)
8 Sharwoods plain puppodums available at gourmet galley
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup plain yogurt
2 three finger pinches of salt and pepper
Mango chutney

First turn your oven on to 325*  In a blender puree tomatoes.  place in a roasting pan along with the stock and cover with foil, place in the oven for two hours, checking once and a while making sure it doesn't dry out, adding more stock if needed.  Don't hurry this step, this is what gives the curry an intense flavor.  Tip: don't let the foil touch the tomatoes, tomatoes are acid and it will eat the foil!

Rough chop, onion, carrot, celery garlic and ginger.  Now place in the food processor or blender and puree,  if you use a blender you may need a little olive oil to make it work!  This will become the sauce.

Place a heavy saute pan over medium high heat with the oil or butter, when the pans good and hot, add the mixture and fry it, stirring so not to brown about 2-3 minutes.  Now add the curry powder and cook for another minute, season with salt and pepper.

When the tomatoes are done, add the vegetable mixture and stir, adding more stock if needed.  Place back in the oven for another hour.  Make sure there's enough liquid, don't let it dry out, add more stock if needed.  When it's almost done, start your rice.  While rice is cooking season the chicken tenders and saute in olive oil, browning both sides.  When cooked, add to the sauce.  If you're making this dish with beef or lamb,  flour and brown all sides, and cook with the sauce for about an hour.

Now cook the puppodums by frying in olive oil.  As soon as you put one of the discs in the oil, turn it and keep turning them.  They will cook very quickly!

When the rice is done, pull the curry out of the oven,  add the yogurt and cilantro and stir...  Serve over rice, with a little mango chutney on the side!  This sounds like a lot of work, but it's not, it takes time.

Bon Appetit!

Good Fats - Bad Fats...

Whether you want to believe it or not, FAT is essential to our existence!

In the photograph are some good fats.  Coconut oil, olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and butter!  According to my research, (which by the way you can see who's saying what in the side bar of my blog, entitled Research), these are the only fats that are good for us, and they help keep the heart and joints happy!

We are so lied to in this country, by people that just want to sell you something to get rich!

According to Dr. Mercola, at www.mercola.com,  Wesson Oils has a class action suit against them.  Apparently 95% of their oils, including vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil and best blend, contain GMO!

Incidentally, you should never consume canola oil, which is made of rapp seed oil, which is a member of the mustard family!  Like what mustard gas was made of!  You gotta love corporate greed...

Bon Appetit!

Portabella Mushroom, With Laura Chenel's Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a wonderful, holiday-time dish, that can be used as a appetizer, a main meal, or as a burger.

Recipe for one:
1 Portabella mushroom
1 Tablespoon tapenade
1 Tablespoon Laura Chenel goat cheese
1 teaspoon sun dried tomatoes sliced thin
1 pinch salt and pepper
A drizzle of balsamic reduction
A few arugula leaves

First wipe your mushroom clean and remove the black lungs with a spoon, being careful with the edges.  Brush with olive oil and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 325*.

While that's cooking, make your tapenade, by throwing a handful of kalamata olives in the blender (pits removed), with a good glug of olive oil, one clove of garlic, pinch of salt and pepper, and a little squeeze of lemon or orange juice.  Now puree.

Arrange arugula leaves on a plate.  When the mushroom is done, take out of the oven and pat dry.  Place it on the bed of arugula and add the tapenade.  Shave a little lemon or orange zest on at this time.  Now add the goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes.  Drizzle with balsamic reduction...

Bon Appetit!

Mushroom Monday!

How to clean, prepare and store mushrooms.  Did you know that a brown crimini is just a young portabella mushroom!

Delicious Screaming Hot Shrimp, Louisiana Style

The heat in this dish can be adjusted to fit your tolerance to spicy food.  Don't be put off by the heat, this dish is the most fantastic shrimp recipe you will ever have.   Recipe by Master Chef Paul Prudhomme.  Recipe adjusted by Chef Alan "Hobbes" Buchanan

Recipe for two:
1 yellow onion chopped finely
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup shrimp, fish or vegetable stock
2 dozen large shrimp, if you can get spot shrimp leave them whole, otherwise peel and de-vein
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
2/3 stick butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)

OK I'll come clean, in the video I forgot the onion...:-0)"

Start your rice, and set aside when cooked.  Put two plates into a warm oven.

Put a nice large heavy saute pan over high heat with the oil and 1/3 of the butter.  When the butter has melted and is really hot, add the onion and soften but don't brown.  When cooked add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, chili flakes, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Stir to mix and then add the shrimp.  With the heat still on high shake and toss the shrimp.  When the shrimp looks almost done add wine and reduce by two thirds, then add the stock and reduce the same way.

When done turn the heat off and add the rest of the butter shaking the pan (not stirring) until you achieve a nice shine on the sauce.  Serve over rice on warm plates, and prepare to be totally satisfied!

Bon Appetit!

Gourmet Turkey Sandwich...

Turkey sandwich with mayo, arugula and cranberry orange sauce...  Yum!   The one on the left is toasted...

Awesome Turkey Soup

Shear comfort food!

Make this soup with leftover turkey bones to make the stock, and this dish will be killer...   This is a quick dish to make, it's the stock that takes the time, but is well worth it, both in flavor and your house will smell wonderful.  If you want to make stock from scratch, see my basic chicken stock recipe in an older post.  It's the same recipe to make turkey stock!

Recipe:
4 cups turkey shredded
6 cups stock
4 carrots chopped
1 large onion chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
1 leek chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 three-finger pinches sea salt
1 three-finger pinch pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup +/- olive oil (not extra virgin)

Place the onion, celery, leek and carrot on a cutting board and roughly chop it together to infuse flavors.  This is now called Mirepoix.  Put a heavy saucepan on a burner over medium high heat, add olive oil.  When oil is hot add the Mirepiox, and cook until soft, but don't brown.  Then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Now add all the other ingredients except the stock, and stir until the mixture is all mixed.  Now add the stock and cook.  You may need to adjust or add more stock when the barley is cooked.  The same goes for salt.

Bon Appetit!

Shredded Brussel Sprout Saute, With Pear And Orange

Just a heads up, tomorrow's post will be a killer turkey soup recipe.  If you want to make turkey stock, just follow the same recipe that I used for chicken stock in an older post...

Recipe for two:
Juice and zest of one orange
1/2 cup white wine
1 small red onion chopped
1/2 cup sweet potato
1 small pear chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
12 or more brussel sprouts shredded thinly
1 Tbsp coconut oil

In a heavy saute pan, over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil.  When oil is hot add onions and sweet potato, stir to coat with oil, then add pears.  Cook until almost soft but don't brown.  Add the garlic and stir, then add the wine.  When almost all the liquid has evaporated add the juice.  When liquid has reduced add sprouts and lower the heat to low.  When cooked to your liking, serve and garnish with zest.

Bon Appetit!

Potato, Sweet Potato Cakes, With a Vegetable Saute

This is a fun little breakfast (or dinner) idea, and a good way to use up leftover mash!

Recipe for two:
1 cup leftover mash
1 small red onion chopped
1 small apple chopped
1/2 cup sweet potato chopped
1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 large handful spinach or other greens chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp coconut oil

Divide your potato into two equal balls, and form into cakes.  Place butter in a saute pan, and heat over low heat, place cakes into pan when butter has melted.  What you're doing here is warming the cakes through and giving them a little color as well.

While cakes are cooking, prep all the other ingredients.  After turning your cakes, add coconut oil to a saute pan over med-high heat.  When oil is hot, add onion, sweet potato and apple and cook, turning so not to brown.  When they're almost soft add the Madeira wine.  Cook until almost all the wine has evaporated, then add the greens and melt.


Bon Appetit!

Talking Turkey...

Think before you eat that turkey!

Has it ever seen a sunrise, or walked on grass?  Has it ever felt a rain drop on it's back, or laid out in the morning sun?

Or has it been raised in a cage, with a million other birds?  Raised in a building where the lights never go out!  Has it been fed nothing but corn, soy and other grains that have been so heavily laced with chemicals, so the animals don't get sick?

Birds raised in this manner can't even stand up and walk around, because they're so weak!

PLEASE DON'T SUPPORT FACTORY FARMING!

Choose only organic pasture raised animals.  Not grain fed!

Happy Thanksgiving,  Hobbes

Lamb Shanks in a Red Wine Sauce

Vegetarians turn away!

This dish takes a bit of time, but it's worth the wait...

Recipe:
1 onion finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped
3 stalks celery finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 small can tomatoes
5 cups stock
1 bottle red wine
2 lamb shanks
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
olive oil

First set your oven to 325*.  Puree one small can of organic tomatoes, and place in a roasting pan, add one cup of stock.  Cover with a lid or foil, then place in the oven for one and a half to two hours.  The flavors will really intensify by taking the time to do this step.  Make sure not to dry it out, add more stock if needed.

Take the shanks out of the fridge an hour before cooking them.  Place your chopped onions, carrot and celery on a cutting board and chop together a little more to infuse flavors.  This mixture is now called mirepoix.  Saute the mirepoix in a little olive oil until soft, add the garlic and then set aside.

Empty one bottle of red wine into a pan.  Over high heat bring the wine up to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and reduce the liquid by two thirds.  Now do the same thing with the rest of the stock.

When the tomatoes are done, remove from oven and set aside.  Now season the shanks with salt and pepper.  Using a saute pan over high heat with a little olive oil, brown all sides of the shanks.

Add the shanks, rosemary, mirepoix, wine, stock and a good pinch of salt and pepper to the tomatoes.  Cover and return to the oven for 3 hours.  After 3 hours, if there is a lot of liquid left in the pan, cook for another half hour with the lid or foil removed, but be careful not to dry it out.  A cast iron dutch oven works well for this.

Serve over sweet potato and potato mash...

Bon Appetit!

Sushi Night at Coho...

Deb and I went to Sushi Night last week at Coho, and what a great time we had!

We started with a seaweed salad and then moved on to a softshell crab roll, and a spicy tuna roll.  Fantastic meal in a warm, cozy environment.

Every Wednesday starting at 5:00 pm.

Check out these bad boys...

Tools of the Trade

Here's a few kitchen tips on pots, pans, knives and steels!

Kale Chips for My Friend Rose...

So here's a great little snack food dish that my friend Cynthia turned me on to.

Set your oven to 350*. Wash and dry a bunch of fresh kale, the flat leaf variety works better for this, like red Russian, Dino or white Siberian.  Now remove the stems and tear leaves into nice big or bite size pieces.  Place in a bowl and season with salt, pepper and chili flakes, and a good drizzle of olive oil.

Place leaves on a baking sheet and cook for around 15 minutes, turning the pan once.  They will crisp up like potato chips, but they are way better for you!

Kale can also be cooked like chard; see my older blog on chard with apples for the recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Clarified Butter...

Clarified butter is simple to make, and is the butter that Chefs use. It's just butter that has

been heated and the water has evaporated out and solids or proteins have dropped to the bottom, leaving behind a wonderful clear, golden liquid.

This is butter at it's purest. Clarified butter won't burn, smoke, or spoil, and it has a rich nutty flavor.

Here's how. You just throw four sticks of unsalted butter into a small pot and melt the butter over a low heat, taking care not to burn it. Simmer the butter until the solids have fallen to the bottom of the pan. This takes around 15 minutes, that's how low your heat needs to be. Remove from heat and strain through cheese cloth into a clean glass jar.

You will find that your food will brown more evenly, and will have a wonderful caramel flavor!

Bon Appetit!

Breakfast Pasta Pillow

Making good use of leftover food is really important to me.  So I came up with this simple breakfast dish that makes good use of leftover pasta.  It may sound weird and boring, but take it from me it's great!

In a pan over low heat, add a little olive oil, when the oil is hot add a handful of cooked pasta.  Press the pasta down and out to the sides with the back of a wooden spoon, so it's laying flat in the pan.  The idea here is to cook it slow to make sure the pasta is warm but also has a little color and is slightly crunchy.

Add a pinch each of salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flakes.  When it's looking like that side is done flip it over and do the same thing.  This only takes a few minutes to cook.  Now cook an over easy egg.  Plate up the pasta and serve the egg on top of the pasta.  Now add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce...

Warning:  Bacteria grows really fast on cooked pasta, so make sure to cover it and keep it cold.  Don't keep it for more than a day or two!

Bon Appetit!

The Cask and Schooner...

Being a Chef, I absolutely love it when a Chef has Balls!  I went to the Cask and Schooner the other night, and my friend Kurt ordered a classic Caesar salad.  When the salad arrived at our table, it had a beautiful Spanish white anchovy on top!

I could not believe seeing such true European style right here in Friday Harbor!  Bravo, good job mate!

Chicken Tenders with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

Hobbes' Chicken McNuggets!  Moms and Dads, this dish is fast, easy, cheap and the kids will love the stuff!

First get your oven nice and hot, around 375* works well.  Slice some potatoes and place in a large stainless steel bowl.  Now peel a sweet potato and slice it up, cut it so it looks like large french fries.

Pour in some olive oil, salt and pepper, paprika, fresh rosemary and a few whole cloves of garlic (skins left on).  Mix the ingredients to coat the potatoes with oil and seasoning.  Place on a sheet pan or roasting pan.  Tip to help with the clean up; use parchment paper if you want...  Throw these in the oven until done, 30-45 minutes.

While those are cooking, season your organic chicken tenders with salt and pepper, then cover with a little bit of flour.  Place a pan over high heat with quite a bit of olive oil (not extra virgin).  When the oil is really hot place tenders in the pan.  If you're doing a lot, then cook a few at a time, if you crowd the pan the meat tends to want to steam and not brown.  With tongs turn when brown, if you want you can finish them in the oven.  Tip:  These will cook fast so make sure your spuds are almost done!

Bon Appetit!

Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella Salad with Basil...

Balls to Winter, I'm just not ready for it.  So I'm having Summer!

Slice mozzarella cheese and tomatoes with basil, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic drizzle!  Serve with homemade croutons...

Bon Appetit!

Sherried Mushrooms With Spinach and a Baked Egg...

What a fantastic Sunday morning breakfast!

Recipe for 1:
1 shallot or 1/4 red onion finely chopped
6 brown mushrooms sliced
handful spinach chopped
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese

Over medium high heat melt butter in a saute pan. When butter is hot add mushrooms and brown. Then add shallot or onion and soften.  Pour in the sherry and reduce until all of the liquid has gone.   Add cream and spinach. Reduce cream a bit and wilt the spinach.

Transfer mixture to a ramekin and crack open an egg, and put it on top. Now sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese, and bake in a hot oven set at 350* for 15-20 minutes. When the egg is cooked add a pinch of nutmeg and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Fresh Tomato Pasta...

Quick, simple and cheap to make.  This dish will knock your socks off!

Recipe feeds 4:
1 packet good quality organic pasta
6 roma tomatos chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely sliced
1 handful basil chopped
loads of olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pinch chili flakes
Parmesan cheese

Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat, add a good three finger pinch of salt.  It's important to let the pasta have a lot of room in the pot, so make sure there's a load of water.

While the water is heating, slice the onion and place in saute pan with some olive oil and salt, pepper and  chili flakes, over medium high heat.  When the onions start to soften, turn heat to low and caramelize.  Chop your tomatoes and garlic.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and stir with tongs to make sure all the pasta is covered with water.  Bring back up to a boil.  When the pasta is close to being finished, bring the heat back to medium high on the onions and add the garlic and tomatoes.  Cook until tomatoes are warmed through.

Drain the pasta and return to the pot, add some olive oil and stir pasta.  Plate the pasta on a warm plate and add a little more olive oil.  Add some of the tomato sauce on top of the pasta and garnish with fresh chopped basil, then add a little more olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Celeriac or Celery Root...

Celeriac, sometimes called celery root, is a wonderful root vegetable, but few people know how to use it.  It has a great sweet and nutty flavor, which can be used in soups, mashed potatoes or for sauteing.

Recipe:
celeriac
shallots or red onion
sweet potato
garlic
paprika
salt and pepper
coconut oil, butter or olive oil
greens

Here's how I use it.  If your lucky enough to get a celeriac with the tops on, cut these off and stick them in the freezer, to use later in stock, they add wonderful flavor to stock...  Cut off the top and bottom of the root so you have a nice flat surface.  Now peel the root.  I find using a knife rather than a peeler works better for me, but that's your choice.

Slice the root and then cube the slices into 1/4" cubes and set aside.  Now peel and slice some shallot or sweet red onion.  Cube up some sweet potato the same size as the celeriac.  In a saute pan over med-hi heat melt the coconut oil, when the oil is hot add the onion, celeriac and sweet potato and stir or shake the pan.  Now season with salt and pepper.  Cook until almost soft, then add garlic and paprika, cook a little more, making sure not to brown the garlic, so keep it moving.  At this point you can lower the heat to low and melt in some greens like spinach, chard or kale. Or you could add the mixture without the green to mashed potatoes!

Bon Appetit!

Stormy Monday With Some Friends...

Thinking about taking the day off from cooking and writing tomorrow!

So just for fun, here's what I do when I'm not attached to the stove. Gosh I'm missing it already!

This is a good time to thank everyone who's been so supportive of me doing this thing!

First, thank you to my wife Deborah for helping me with this.  And to Ian Byington for all his help, support and love. Cheers Mate!

And thank you to Jim Le Blanc, Chuck and Ian Cooper, and all my Facebook friends...

Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic...

My friends love this dish.  Even if you hate cauliflower you will love this!  It's quick and easy, and you can serve it on its own or as a side dish.

Heat your oven to 400* then slice a cauliflower into 3/4" steaks.  Lay on a roasting pan or sheet pan, then drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Break open a whole head of garlic, and cut the little hard bit off on the root end.

Cook for 30-45 minutes, turning the cauliflower once.  What you will be trying to achieve is to caramelize one side before you turn it.  Isn't that  easy?!

If you're serving this own its own, try this simple little vinaigrette.  While the cauliflower is roasting,  mince and mash one garlic clove, add a pinch of salt, then whisk together with 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to taste.  Then finely chop 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives and combine with the other ingredients....  Yum!

Bon Appetit!

Grilled New York Steak With a Wonderful Herb Sauce...

There's a few of tricks to cooking a really good steak.  The first one is to take the meat out of the refrigerator an hour before you start to cook, as this brings the meat up to room temperture.  Whether you're cooking beef, pork, lamb, chicken or fish, the same applies, you just have to make sure the product is fresh!

The second trick is not to season too early, salt can dry out the meat.  The third trick is to have your grill, pan, oven or barbecue hot!  And the last trick is, after cooking, let it rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing or plating.  When the meat is cooked and rested, then slice and serve on hot plates.

Alright then, let's make the best herb sauce ever!  You will need to make this an hour or so before you serve.  I used three different types of thyme because I have a large herb garden, you just need one.   Lemon thyme is a big plus if you have it.  But they must all be fresh, not dried.

Recipe for two:
Start with a nice handful of fresh thyme, rosemary, tarragon and basil
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pick the leaves off all the stems and remove any woody parts.  Peel and rough chop the garlic.  Place the herbs and garlic on a cutting board and chop together until finely chopped, this infuses the flavors of the herbs and garlic together.  Move to a small bowl or ramekin and add oil.  Let sit for an hour or two...

We served our meat with roasted cauliflower and sauteed onion, celeriac and sweet potato.  Recipes to follow on my next posts.

Bon Appetit!

Fresh Berry Sauce For Fish Or Dessert

I just picked the very last of the strawberries, they were not quite ripe enough to eat, so I made a simple sauce with them.  You can use any kind of berry for this sauce which is great on fish!

Here's how:

Puree one cup of fresh berries using a blender.  If the berries have a lot of seeds, then you may want to strain the puree.  Heat a saute pan over high heat, and add one cup of white wine, and one tablespoon of Chambord liquor.

When liquid has reduced by half, add the berry puree, and reduce a little more.  Turn the heat off and add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of honey, shaking the pan back and fourth.

Bon Appetit!

Ginger Tea...

So, I was in the store yesterday, and heard two ladies complaining about how sick they were and that all their friends had the bug!

So here's a recipe to help you, if you have a cold, or if you just want to build your immune system up a bit...

2"-3" fresh organic ginger peeled and sliced
1/2 organic lemon
1 large teaspoon local honey

Bring two big cups of water to a boil and add ginger, turn heat down so you have a vigorous simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then strain liquid into a cup and add honey and the lemon half. The tea will be spicy hot so you may need more or less honey...

Cheers!

Robyn O'Brien TED Award Winner

This is a must see, if you care about your food and your health...

Killer, Killer Roasted Root Vegetables...

This Dish is Killer!  And It's Easy!


Tonight I roasted beets, turnips, apples and garlic.
Recipe for four:

6 red, gold or chioggia beets peeled and cut into wedges
6 turnips peeled and cut into wedges
1 large red onion quartered
1 medium size apple cubed
1 whole head of garlic separated and root end trimmed but leave skin on
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs lemon thyme
1 stick of butter
1 cup Madeira wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon each or salt and pepper
1 pinch chili flakes

Turn your oven on to 375*

This dish is flexible you can add carrots, parsnips or whatever else you want to cook.

.

First peel the beets and turnips, and cut into wedges and then cut apples in to cubes.   In a roasting pan, place beets, turnips, apples and garlic, and a good drizzle of olive oil and mix with your hands.  Then add all of the ingredients and cover with foil, and place in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.  This dish is fantastic, you can serve it with meat, fish, rice or quinoa...

Bon Appetit!

Sauteed Onions and Apples with Chard, Spinach and Arugula

It's the Fall, so cook with apples, pears and winter squash....

If your kids won't eat vegetables, I bet they will like this dish!  You can use chard, kale, spinach, arugula, beet greens or collards.  Or you can use a combination like I did.

Recipe for two:


1 small apple, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
A nice big handful of greens or your choice, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
Splash of balsamic vinegar

Put olive oil and butter in a pan over high heat.  When the pan is hot and butter foaming, add the onions and shake or stir pan.  Then add the apples and season with a nice big pinch of sea salt and pepper.

Cook for about 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and caramelize.  When onions and apples look cooked down (see photo), turn the heat up to medium and add your greens and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Keep stirring the greens to melt them down. Serve when melted...

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Garlic Soup

This soup is easy to make and is a fantastic seasonal Fall dish:

Recipe feeds around six:
1 small to medium sized butternut squash peeled and seeded and cut into cubes or wedges
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
16 oz cream
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
A few good pinches salt and pepper
About two tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Mirepoix:
     1 carrot, chopped
     1 small red onion, chopped
     2 stalks of celery, chopped

I make this soup with cream but you don't have to.  Heat your oven to 350* then get a nice heavy baking pan or sheet pan, spread the butternut squash and garlic out on the pan, and coat with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.  Don't skimp on the seasoning!  Then place in the oven for about 45 minutes.  What you're going to want to end up with is nice color on the squash but not burned.  The garlic will cook quicker, so you will have to take it out before the squash so you don't end up with a burned mess.

While the squash is cooking, heat a saute pan up over medium high heat and add butter.  Spread out chopped mirepoix on a cutting board and chop it all together a little bit more -- this will combine the flavors.  When the pan is hot and butter foaming, add the mirepoix and some salt and pepper, be generous with the seasoning!  You don't want to brown it so stir or shake the pan a lot, and just cook until soft.

When everything is cooked, place all the cooked food and stock in a blender and puree.  You don't have to add all the stock, or you can add more, it's up to you on the consistency you want to end up with.  When you have a nice puree place the mixture in a pan over medium low heat.  When it's warm enough add the cream, turn heat to low and stir until warm.  Ladle into a bowl and garnish with a drizzle of creme fraiche, and add chives or tarragon.

Bon Appetit!

Baby Leeks with Feta Cheese and a Balsamic Drizzle

This is a killer Fall lunch treat.

First set your oven to 350 degrees. Trim and clean your leeks -- with a knife take off the roots and the green tops, then lengthwise with your knife cut the leeks in half about 1" from the root end, which means you will have a leek that is cut in half but still attached! Holding the leek with root end or white end up, wash leek under running water so the dirt runs away from the attached end, then dry.

Place leeks in a roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for about half an hour, turn if needed, you don't want too much color, just a little.

When done, place leeks on a plate and crumble room temperature feta cheese on top, then drizzle with Balsamic drizzle and serve...

To make Balsamic reduction/drizzle: In a pan bring one bottle of balsamic vinegar to a boil, then simmer until reduced by about two-thirds of the volume. When the vinegar starts to stick to the spoon, turn off the heat and add a big tablespoon of honey and stir. You may not get this right the first time, but when you do, well baby, this is liquid gold! You Will Have To Hide It!!!

Bon Appetit!

Rock Cod with a White Wine Butter Caper Sauce

Don't be afraid of cooking fish -- the secret is having a good, heavy, shallow pan, and having the oil or butter hot!


Recipe for two:
Two 1/3 pound pieces of fresh rock cod, skin removed
A good pinch or two of salt and pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
About two tablespoons olive oil for cooking

Sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup vegetable, chicken or fish stock
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon butter

With fish already cut, cleaned, floured and seasoned, get your pan and oil nice and hot. Then add the fish, presentation (nice) side down, and shake it back and forth to keep it from sticking. Once it's seared the chances of it sticking are slight.

When it's cooked half way though, turn the fish with a good, wide, steel spatula and cook until it's almost done, then remove from pan, place on an oven plate, and finish in the oven.

Now wipe and/or scrape out your pan so it's free from bits of cooked fish, return pan to high heat. When pan is hot, add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, then add the stock and repeat the same steps. When you're happy with the amount of liquid, turn the heat off and add capers and butter, once again shaking the pan back and forth until the sauce has a nice shine. Do not add any heat otherwise the sauce will break.

Bon Appetit!

Hole in the Wall...

Here's a quick, cheap and easy breakfast for you Moms and Dads that are on the go and trying to

feed your kids good food, instead of that processed crap...

Hole in the Wall...

First cut a large hole in a piece of bread (I use sourdough bread from Bakery San Juan), in heavy skillet over medium heat add your fat of choice butter, olive oil or coconut oil. When the oil is hot place the bread in the pan, then crack an egg in to the middle of the bread, season with salt, pepper and little pinch of cayenne (trust me, the cayenne brings it all together), cook for about a minute and then flip and cook for another minute. Serve on a plate, or cook it a little longer so the egg's not runny, then they can eat it from a bag in the car!! Fast, simple and cheap...

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Curry with Indian Puppodums

This is a great dish, and it's quick and easy.

Recipe for two:
1 cup jasmine rice
1 large skinless chicken breast, sliced
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 sweet potato, cubed
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
Juice from a lime
1 cup stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Garnish with 2 scallions thinly sliced or you can use chives

First get your rice going, by placing rice in a small pot, add a pinch of sea salt and a little olive oil. Over high heat stir rice until you can hear it start to cook (don't brown), then add stock or water, enough to cover rice by about 1/4", bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.

Thinly slice chicken and season with salt and pepper, then in a large heavy saute pan, over high heat, add the coconut oil.  When oil is hot add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove cooked chicken from pan and place on a dish to rest. Still over high heat add the onion and sweet potato and cook until almost done, then add ginger and garlic, keep stirring ingredients so not to burn.

Reduce heat to medium high and add cumin and curry powder, stir and coat onion and sweet potato, then add stock, lemon juice and tomato paste. Stir and reduce heat to low and add yogurt and stir, add chicken and cook for a couple of minutes with heat still on low. Cook a little more enough to warm chicken, by this time your rice should be done.

Now fry your puppodums in a little olive oil -- the trick to these tasty little lentil rounds is when the oil is hot, with a pair of tongs place puppodum in oil and turn it over on the other side, keep doing this as they cook very quickly. Serve over rice and garnish...

Bon Appetit!

Sexy King Salmon, with White Bean Puree'

Don't let this dish scare you, it's easy and quick...

Recipe for two:
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 handfull chard leaves, chopped course
1 handfull spinach, chopped course
2 good pinches each salt (Eden is the best) and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 king salmon fillets around 1/3 pound each, skin and bones removed and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can organic (Eden) beans, pureed course

First stick two plates in a warm oven, then open a small can of white beans and place in a blender and puree course. Add beans to a small saucepan with a lid and warm over low heat; when beans are warm, then saute onion in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When onions are soft (1-2 minutes)  add the garlic and lower heat. In another saute pan over high heat, add the butter; when butter has melted and foaming add seasoned salmon presentation/"pretty" side down, cooking until brown on that side (about 2 minutes) then turn and cook the other side. It is important only to turn fish once! When salmon is almost done, remove from heat and place in an oven dish and place in the oven.

Turn the heat up to medium and add chard and spinach to the onions and melt greens. When greens are done, remove plates and salmon from oven, ladle some of the bean puree onto the middle of each plate and then place some of the greens on top of the beans, then place salmon on top of that. If you like you can drizzle any remaining butter from the pan you cooked the salmon in over the fish. It is really important to use salt on this dish, because the beans will make everything seem bland if you don't.

Bon Appetit!