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Grilled Swordfish with Tomatoes, Capers and Pine Nuts

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Ever wish you had a recipe that is company-worthy, requires only a handful of ingredients, can be made ahead, and can be served at room temperature. Look no further than:

Grilled Swordfish with Heirloom Tomatoes, Oregano, and Pine Nuts.

I am a great fan of swordfish. Like steak it has an umami taste. If you are not familiar with the term, umami is considered the fifth basic taste. It was discovered in the early 20th century – the four basic tastes: sweet; sour; salt, and bitter have been known for millennia. Umami is described as savory and mouth-watering. It can be found in many foods but is most often identified with a thick juicy steak.

Since swordfish are large, It is usually sold as steaks. The meat is relatively firm, and can be cooked in ways more fragile types of fish cannot (such as over a grill or on skewers). As opposed to fish fillets, which are cut parallel to either side of the spine, fish steaks are cut perpendicular to the spine and tend to offer a thicker, more substantial serving.

This is a great dish for a summer dinner party or potluck. It goes well with pasta salad, Caesar salad, grain salads, roasted vegetables and of course grilled corn.

INGREDIENTS

  •  ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the grill
  •  2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 4 5 – 6-ounce pieces of swordfish steak, about 1” thick
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
  •  ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  •  2 tablespoons drained capers, finely chopped (I often leave them whole depending on their size)
  •  1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano, plus 2 sprigs for serving
  •  ½ teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

For the Marinade

We normally think of a marinade as something we use prior to cooking to flavor or soften a protein. In this recipe the marinade is added at the end and serves as a sauce.

Whisk vinegar, capers, chopped oregano, honey, and ½ cup in a small bowl to combine. Set aside.

For the Platter

Cut the tomatoes crosswise into thick slices. Sprinkle with salt. If heirlooms are not available, use other meaty ripe tomatoes, such as beefsteak.

For the Fish

Prepare a grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grill
Pat swordfish dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes
Rub swordfish all over with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and grill, undisturbed until grill marks appear, about 4 minutes. The fish is ready to turn when you can easily release it from the grill. Carefully turn it over and cook for another 4 minutes or until the fish looks opaque. I test for doneness with a thermometer.

To Plate the Dish

Place the fish on top of the tomatoes and top with oregano sprigs. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper as needed. Pour the reserved marinade over the dish and let rest at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. Just before serving sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts.

Vietnamese Steamed Salmon with Garlic/Ginger Sauce

Steamed Salmon with Garlic and Ginger

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When I was growing up in Queens New York during the 1950s,  the only Asian food available to me was Chinese, specifically Cantonese.  Fast forward to now, I live in Washington DC where restaurants and shops from different Asian countries abound. Chinese is the most ubiquitous and the offerings go far beyond Cantonese, but Thai, Korean, and Vietnamese are also very popular.

Among these Vietnamese is my favorite. This recipe comes from  Into The Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen.  Vietnamese cuisine uses a lot less oil and many more herbs and spices than Chinese and is not as spicy as Thai. Because Vietnam was occupied by multiple  countries over the centuries its cuisine includes elements from all of them. China dominated Vietnam for centuries so it isn’t surprising that it had the most influence. This recipe was given to the author’s family by a Chinese friend.

Rice is the staple of the Vietnamese diet. Jasmine rice is the preferred type. It is aromatic and has a flowery and sweet bouquet. It is also slightly sticky.

One thing that sets Vietnamese cuisine apart is its use of whole sprigs of fresh herbs, soft lettuce and cucumber slices. It accompanies many dishes. Popular herbs used in Vietnamese cooking are: cilantro; Thai basil (or sweet basil if not available); lemongrass and garlic chives.

This recipe has lots of guest appeal. It is prepared in a bamboo steamer which can be brought to the table. Most steamers have a second tray into which you can put a vegetable: spinach; baby bok choy, or peapod leaves (which is my favorite). When plated the vegetables will soak up some of the sauce.

The sauce includes sugar, pepper, scallions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and as the name of this dish implies, garlic and ginger. These aromatic seasonings combine with the salmon juices to create a wonderful flavor that adds dimension to the taste of the fish and the accompanying rice.

Note: You can use salmon steaks or fillets to make this dish. I like to use the steaks because they add an element of surprise since fillets are so ubiquitous. Striped bass is a good substitute, but you will lose the beauty of the salmon’s rich pink color.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded
  • 3 scallions, green part only, chopped

For the salmon

  • 1 scallion, white part only, cut lengthwise into strips
  • 1 1/4 pounds salmon fillet, cut crosswise into 2 pieces
  • 4 sprigs cilantro

Directions

For the sauce

  1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, pepper, oyster sauce, and soy sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the oil into a small saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the ginger and cook until it is also fragrant, about one minute. Pour in the sauce, stir well, and wait for it to come to a boil. Then add the scallions, turn off the heat, and stir to combine. Set aside.

For the salmon

  1. Fill a large pot with a steamer tray halfway up with water, and bring to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, find a heatproof plate or nonreactive plate or pie pan that will hold the salmon fillets and will also fit in the steamer tray with about 1 inch left around the edges.
  3. Toss half of the white scallion strips into the pan, and then place the salmon fillets on top. Pour the sauce on top of the salmon.
  4. Transfer the pan to the steamer tray. Cover the pot, and cook until fish is cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. A knife should be able to be inserted into the thickest part of the flesh easily. When done, turn off the heat.
  5. Pour the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the remaining scallion strips and the cilantro.
  6. Carefully pick up the plate from the steamer and bring it to table.

Serves 4 – 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes

Fritattas are Ancient Fare

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Frittatas (albeit not by that name) have been around for centuries, originating in Italy and Spain as open-faced, unfolded vegetable omelets. With most people living on farms, eggs were plentiful and so it is only natural that cooks would have used them in multiple ways. The word frittata derives from “friggere” meaning fried, a general term that referred to cooking eggs in a skillet. It wasn’t until the 1950s that frittatas were differentiated from omelets. Since then they’ve become very popular because the ingredients are inexpensive to buy and preparation is easy.

Despite this I’d never eaten one, nor even heard of them until I fell down the stairs and wrenched my left shoulder (of course because I am a lefty) which caused me to register an “8” on the pain scale every time I tried to move it. Friends and neighbors came to our rescue until I recovered. Evelyn, who lives across the street, introduced us to fritattas. She came over one evening with a pan filled with a golden circle of egg.  The edges were charred and puffy. It was topped with glistening globs of melted cheese and sprinkled with herbs. It looked magnificent, smelled divine and tasted so so good. We were hooked. Google introduced me to many recipes, and I started to create some of my own. Here are some of my favorites

  • Tomato, onion, spinach and mozzarella
  • Leeks, kale, and parsley with fontina
  • Asparagus with goat cheese
  • Roasted vegetable sprinkled with parmesan
  • Blistered green-bean and corn
  • Bacon, onions (red, yellow, green), spinach or arugula, Swiss  Recipe follows.

Ingredients:

  1. 6 large eggs
  2. 1 1/2 tablespoons milk or cream.
  3. ½ teaspoon salt
  4. 2 -3 cups  of the onions, spinach or arugula
  5. 3 – four slices of crisp crumbled bacon
  6. 4 oz crumbed, grated, or diced cheese
  7. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  8. For garnish – chopped, torn, or sliced basil, parsley, chives, or a combination

Directions:

  1. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, add the dairy, salt and pepper and whisk just until the yolks and whites are blended. Be careful not to over mix them.
  2. In a 10-inch cast iron or oven-save skillet add the oil and once shimmering add the onions and cook for a few minutes until soft.
  3. Add the greens and cook until wilted.
  4. Add the bacon.
  5. Wisk the eggs once more and pour over the filling. Stir briefly with a fork to combine and distribute the mixture evenly across the pan.
  6. Let the eggs set a little and then using a knife or small spatula, lift an edge of the egg and let the loose egg seep beneath. Keep doing this until the eggs are almost set but still moist in the center.
  7. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the eggs
  8. Place oven shelf about 4 inches from the top;  turn on the broiler and put the pan in the oven.
  9.  Cook for 2- 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and edges are charred.
  10. Remove the pan from the oven and let fritatta rest. THE HANDLE WILL BE VERY HOT. WEAR OVEN MITTS.
  11. Add your garnishes, slice with a sharp knife and serve directly from the pan.

 

Soup Stock Broth

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SOUP STOCK BROTH

One of my fondest memories from childhood is the smell of chicken soup that emanated from the kitchen on Friday nights. Mom would put a whole chicken in a big pot of water along with carrots; celery; parsley and onions, salt and pepper.  I think sometimes she added parsnip too. The soup cooked for hours. When mom took the chicken out of the pot, the poor thing looked shrunken and sad, as if it had wandered into a steam bath and couldn’t get out, which if you think about it, is exactly what happened.

Mom always said that chicken soup had medicinal properties and was really good for easing cold symptoms. She also said that using a kosher chicken gave the soup a deeper flavor. Turns out she was right on both counts. Bone broth has a high concentration of minerals, as well as collagen and gelatin, which can boost the immune system. To kosher a chicken you salt it to draw out all the blood. In the cooking world we’d say the chickens were brined.

I use a lot of chicken broth and sometimes stock when I am cooking. I load up on the cans and quart size packages whenever they are on sale. I finally decided it was about time I tried to make my own.

I met Chef/Instructor Mike Selman at Sur La Table. I had signed up to take his knife skills class. It was really good. Since the pandemic he has been teaching classes via Zoom. Since I have attended most of them, we developed a friendship. I asked him to explain to me: what was the difference between broth and stock, since some recipes say you can use either.

This is what he told me: “If you want to make stock, plan to be at home all day.” Chicken broth isn’t as time intensive, but it also doesn’t have the same rich flavor that comes from the bones that are used in making stock.”

The main difference between broth and stock is that broth is made primarily with chicken meat – thighs, breasts, etc. and is simmered on the stove for a relatively short amount of time.

Stock is made from chicken bones (such as the wings) whch you cook for many hours. The increased cooking times pulls more collagen from the bones, which deepens the flavor of the stock and can boost the immune system.

NOTE: Some chefs like to roast the bones before putting them in the pot because they think the roasting adds a sense of richness to the stock. Try it both ways and see which you prefer. 

MIKE SELMAN’S CHICKEN STOCK

Makes about 3 quarts

 Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. chicken wings
  • I large onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 rib celery
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 2 – 3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed (optional)

 Directions

  1.  Roughly chop the carrot, celery and onion
  2. Rinse chicken wings and place in a stock pot or other large pot
  3. Add water to cover by 2 inches (at least 4 quarts)
  4. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer
  5. When foam starts to collect, skim it.
  6. Repeat skimming until all the foam is gone
  7. Add the rest of the ingredients.
  8. If necessary add more water to ensure everything is covered by 2 inches
  9. Cook the stock at a low simmer for at least four hours or up to 6 hours
  10. Let cool and strain the stock through a fine sieve into as many containers as you need
  11. Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours to cool completely
  12. Skim fat that has risen to the top of the pot and solidified
  13. Stock will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or up to 4 months in the freezer.

 

 

Italian Grain and Bean Soup

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 As the days get shorter and the air gets colder many people,including me, turn to soup as the magic elixir. When I was growing up my mom made chicken soup every Friday. As it simmered on the stove and as the aroma wafted through the house, I knew that all was right in my world.

But let’s face it; you don’t always have the time to let soup simmer on the stove all afternoon. You need something easy, fast, nutritious, and delicious that you can have on the table in less than an hour. One of my favorite “simple savory soups” is Italian Grain and Bean. It is made with canned tomatoes, chicken broth, and cannellini beans, which cuts down on the prep and cooking time.

In this recipe, the grain of choice is farro, an ancient grain that is an ancestor of wheat. I love farro because of its nutty flavor. For me it has more umani than other grains.You can use barley in this recipe, but the soup won’t taste quite the same, and it will take longer to cook. Today farro is readily available in well stocked supermarkets, and of course on line.

Serve the soup with crusty bread. Add fruit and cheese (and a glass of wine ) for a complete meal.

This recipe serves 6..

Ingredients 

  • 1  tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1  medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (not drained)
  • 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup farro
  • 1 14.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Parmesan rind (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a 4 – 6 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat
  2. Add onion; carrot; celery, parsley; basil, and garlic. Cook stirring often, until the onion and carrot begin to soften, 3 – 4 minutes
  3. Add tomatoes; their juice, and the chicken broth
  4. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil
  5. Add farro and beans
  6. Season with pepper
  7. When the soup returns to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the grain is tender, 30 – 35 minutes. (If using barley cook for 40-45 minutes)
  8. Remove Parmesan rind if using
  9. Sprinkle each serving with cheese

The recipe comes from Eating Well Magazine, Winter 2003

Meatless Meat Sauce with Chickpeas and Mushrooms

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It is definitely an oxymoron (love that word). Whoever heard of meatless meat sauce? I hadn’t until I found a recipe for it in Cooks Illustrated. If you aren’t familiar with this magazine I think you should be. It isn’t like any other cooking magazine I’ve ever seen. It takes a scientific approach to getting recipes right. Apparently it’s all about the chemistry. Who knew?

Read more…

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