A Winter Visit to Hawaii (without the airfare)

A chilly night last night prompted me to think about a warmer, more tropical climate (at least while preparing a menu for the evening). I headed to the fish purveyor and found some very fresh Mahi Mahi on display. Team that up with a crust of macadamia nuts and top it with a fresh mango sauce and you’re sure to feel you’ve arrived in Hawaii (ok, maybe not as fun but it sure was yummy).

Macadamia-Crusted Mahi Mahi with Mango Sauce

1 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup panko

½ cup flour

1 large egg

4 (6 oz.) mahi mahi fillets

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil, divided

Mango Sauce (recipe follows)

¼ cup sliced green onions

Basmati Rice, cooked according to package directions

Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Add panko, and pulse until combined. Place mixture in a shallow bowl.

Place flour in a shallow dish. Whisk egg in medium bowl. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge fish in flour, shake off excess, and dip in egg. Dredge fish in nut mixture, coating completely.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 fillets; cook 3 min. on each side or until golden. (If nuts brown too quickly, reduce heat.) Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oiland fish. Serve fish fillets on bed of basmati rice on 4 serving plates. Top with Mango Sauce, and sprinkle with green onions.

Mango Sauce

½ cup sherry

1 large shallot, minced

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and chopped

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 Tbl. rice wine vinegar

¼ cup butter, cut into pieces

½ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. white pepper

Combine sherry and shallot in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat about 4 min or til reduced to 2 tablespoons.

Meanwhile, combine mangoes, orange juice, and vinegar in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pureed mango mixture to sherry reduction, and reduce heat to medium. Cook 3-5 min. or til mxture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, 1 piece at a time, until thoroughly blended. Stir in salt and pepper. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.

The crust was absolutely fabulous and the mango sauce added just the right amount of tropic-essence (is that a word?). The meal conjured up hula dancers in grass skirts, tiki torches on the beach, exotic drinks with little umbrellas…and all without the price tag of airfares. Enjoy.

--The Mother

Just One Pan

I feel like my life has turned into a vicious cycle of constantly loading and unloading the dishwasher. I'm glad I have one, don't get me wrong, but I spend so much time rinsing, loading, washing, unloading....and repeating again. I'm amazed at how many dishes, bowls, etc I go through for just one meal. I love any recipe where I can throw everything into one pan without sacrificing taste or quality, because then its one less rinse cycle for me.

Picked up some frozen cod from Trader Joe's (I know, fresh is always better...but this working girl can't be picky), and decided to make a mediterranean veggie broth with fish and some crusty bread. You pretty much throw the fish & goodies into one pan, enjoy a glass of wine, and watch it cook. How great is that? I found a recipe in Sunset magazine with the headline..."One Pan Wonders", so I figured that was something I had to try.

Greek-Style Halibut (or whatever white fish you like)
2 tbsp. olive oil

Halibut fillets (about 4oz each)
Kosher salt

Pepper

1 Fennel bulb

2 Garlic cloves

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (14.5 oz) chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 tbsp fresh oregano

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan over med-high heat. Rub halibut w/ salt and pepper and lightly brown fish in pan on one side for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add remaining oil to pan and add fennel. Cook until light golden and tender (about 8 mins), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, chickpeas, S&P, and oregano. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer & lay halibut, brown side up, in sauce and simmer until fish is cooked through (5-10 minutes). Source: Sunset Magazine

Not only was it an easy clean up, but an easy meal for a weeknight. And the hubby was overly impressed that I could whip up such a fancy dish after working all day. I'll certainly take credit for the tasty meal, but little did he know it was just one pan!


-- the daughter

Under-The-Weather in Crummy Weather

Most New Years start off with a BANG. Ours started off with a “cough cough”. First, I managed to get sick right after Christmas and let it linger on until the New Year (while throwing a party, no less). Then, being the generous person that I am…gave it to my daughter. Happy New Year, Meg.

Since Meg was down for the count, I felt obliged to do the motherly thing: make soup. I know Chicken Noodle is a classic remedy but I decided to fix an equally satisfying and virus-busting soup, Provençal Tomato Soup. All the required get-well-quick veggies are present and accounted for, plus I like the rich taste that the seasonings bring forth. I make my Provençal a little different than most. During the last stage of cooking, I remove from the heat and pureé a portion of the soup in a blender, then add it back into the pot. This makes the soup a little thicker without adding the nasty calories of cream.

Provençal Tomato Soup

2 lb. tomatoes

2 med. onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 celery rib, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)

¼ tsp. fennel seeds

1 bay leaf

3 Tbl. olive oil

2 Tbl. tomato paste

2 cups water

1 ¾ cups reduced sodium chicken broth

¾ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

pinch crumbled saffron threads

1-2 tsps. sugar

¼ cup long-grain white rice

2 Tbl. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup chopped fresh basil.

Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato and blanch in pot of boiling water about 10 seconds, until the skin just begins to split. Transfer with slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.

Peel tomatoes, then halve crosswise. Squeeze halves gently, cut sides down, over a sieve set over a bowl to extract seeds and juices, then press on seeds and discard them. Reserve juice and tomatoes.

Cook onions, carrot, celery, garlic, zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and bay leaf in oil in a 3 qt. heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 min.

Add tomatoes with reserved juice, tomato paste, water, chicken broth, salt and pepper, saffron, and 1 tsp. sugar, then simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, 20 min. Remove from heat and allow soup to cool slightly. Put about one-third of the soup into a blender (may require a couple of blender batches to do one-third) and pureé til smooth. Return this to the pan with the remaining two-thirds soup and mix well. Bring back up to hot and stir in rice. Simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10-20 min. Discard bay leaf and stir in parsley, basil, sugar and salt to taste.

Meg made a full recovery and we can officially welcome the new year. Happy New Year, everyone.

--The Mother (Dr. Mom)

Autumn Salad

The sizzling days of summer are not the only times that a cool and luscious salad is in order. A rather hot Indian Summer day inspired me to fix this salad that I have enjoyed over the years (and have changed ingredients from time to time to fit my mood). The smoked turkey is easy, too, if you purchase a thick slice at the deli, instead of having to roast one yourself, and makes for a quick and simple dinner or luncheon salad.

Smoked Turkey, Apple and Roasted Walnut Salad

1 lb. smoked turkey, cut into strips

2 tart apples, cored and diced

3 celery stalks, sliced

3 cups watercress, chopped

Lemon Dijon Dressing (recipe follows)

Salt and pepper

Mixed spring greens

½ cup walnut halves, toasted

Toss the turkey strips, apples, celery, and chopped watercress in a bowl. Pour on Lemon Dressing (reserve a scant amount for drizzling on greens), and toss again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 4 hours.

Make a circle around edge of four plates with mixed greens and drizzle with a small amount of reserved Lemon Dressing. Mound the chilled salad in the center and then sprinkle with the walnuts.

Lemon Dressing

3 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 egg yolk

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup canola oil

Combine lemon juice with the mustard, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Whip until thickened. Add the oils slowly, until thickened.

Very fresh watercress from the local produce market, complete with roots…how fresh is that?

I love how the watercress tastes with the smoked turkey and Dijon…a great combination of flavors. I served it up with these hickory bacon and corn gougères to complete the Indian summer theme. They are great served warm out of the oven but are also quite tasty at room temperature. (They also keep for three days, well covered., so great as a make-ahead item.)

Hickory Bacon and Roasted Corn Gougères

4 hickory-smoked bacon slices (about ¼ lb.)

¾ cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 medium ears)

1 cup water

4 oz. unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup flour

4 to 5 large eggs

1 ½ cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (5 oz.)

2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbl. finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 375º with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cook bacon in skilled over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then finely chop.

Pour fat from skillet, then wipe clean. Add corn and pan-roast over med. heat, stirring occasionally, until kernels are mostly golden brown, 10-15 min.

Bring water to a boil with butter and salt in a heavy medium saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Add flour all at once and cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 2 min. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 3 min. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (Batter will appear to separate at first but will them become smooth). Mixture should be glossy and just stiff enough to hold soft peaks and fall softly from a spoon. If batter is too stiff, beat remaining egg in a small bowl and add to batter 1 tsp. at a time, beating and then testing batter until is reaches proper consistency. Stir in bacon, corn, cheese, chives and ½ tsp. pepper.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag fitted with 1/2” plain tip with batter and pipe about 35 (3/4” diameter) mounds, or spoon mounded teaspoons, ¼” apart, onto each sheet. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed, golden, and crisp, 25-30 min. total. Transfer to rack (still on parchment if using) and cool. Make more puffs on cooled baking sheets.

*note: These can be made ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled in sealed bags 2 days or frozen up to 1 week. Reheat, uncovered, on baking sheets in 350º oven for 10 min if chilled or 15 min. if frozen.

Makes about 140 puffs

FUN NOTE: I have often fixed them as an hors d’oeuvres with cocktails. Makes a LOT, which is easy on the wallet, and is an unusual but simple bar food. Looks dramatic piled high on a pedestal plate or spilling out of an autumn basket.

Enjoying the first days of fall and looking forward to spending more time in the kitchen…hopefully, with my daughter sometime (hint, hint, Meg).

--The Mother

Fresh and Local – and Making it Last

I try to hit up the farmer’s market on most weekends, because the ingredients I bring home automatically enhance my cooking without any extra work. The only hard part is that I tend to get distracted while I’m there, and often find myself in a frenzy over which amazing products I want to use. My inability to get in-and-out of the market in less than 30 minutes immediately rules out any chance I might ever have to be a contestant on Top Chef or Master Chef. It’s best if I’m given the freedom to wander the aisles and contemplate my menu decisions. It’s also best if my husband isn’t with me when I go, as it could be a monumental test of his patience.

At a recent visit, I picked up some delightfully fresh produce – some heirloom tomatoes, nectarines, corn on the cob, and zucchini - to name a few. It’s amazing how far a few tomatoes will go, and it was even more amazing that I was able to use all the farmer’s market produce without anything going bad. I don’t have the luxury of shopping every day for our food, so anything I can buy that lasts more than a day, is an exciting thrill for me.

While I don’t have any specific “recipes” to share, I wanted to highlight the variety of meals I was able to achieve with just a few items from my farmer’s market trip, and anything I already had on hand in the pantry:

Salad w/ Nectarines

- Bed of mixed greens

- Sliced nectarines

- Sliced salami

- Dressing: Olive oil and juice from an orange and lemon

Heirloom tomato salad

- Heirloom tomatoes

- Corn on the Cob

- Zucchini

- Basil

- Olive Oil

- Lemon

Zucchini and Tomato Gratin

- Tomatoes

- Zucchini

- Olive Oil

- Thyme

- Parm cheese

And the list goes on. I may not be able to construct every meal with the freshest ingredients and local products, I’m a working lady for goodness sake, but I can incorporate these throughout my week efficiently and cost effectively. I think I spent about $30 at the market that day. That’s about the cost of what - 3 frozen pizzas at Safeway? Given the option, I’d much rather have an heirloom tomato salad, wouldn’t you?

-- the daughter

Pizza My Heart

All of my favorite things, loaded on to a simple crust, makes for a pizza to fall in love with: fresh, seasonal figs, thinly sliced prosciutto, pungent and yummy gorgonzola cheese, a hint of balsamic and topped with fresh, peppery arugula. Sighting a display of figs at the farmer’s market this week, I was inspired to use them in this Bon Appétit recipe. While I usually like to prepare my pizza dough from scratch (see below), I knew I had some Trader Joe’s fresh-packaged variety in my frig. I also remembered that I had quite a bit of spinach in the crisper so I substituted it for the arugula (the arugula is really better on this but the spinach was a nice change).

Pizza with Prosciutto, Figs, Gorgonzola and Arugula

Cornmeal (for sprinkling)*

1 lb. pkg. purchased pizza dough**

2 cups (generous) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 8 oz.)

6 small fresh figs, cut into about 1/3” thick slices

2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar, divided (use fig balsamic, if you can)

8 thin slices prosciutto

1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 450º. Sprinkle large rimless baking sheet generously with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 12 X 10 inch rectangle; transfer to prepared sheet. Sprinkle Gorgonzola over dough. Sprinkle with pepper. Place figs in medium bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon vinegar over. Set aside.

Bake pizza until crust is golden brown on bottom, 15 to 20 min. Immediately drape prosciutto slices over, covering pizza completely. Arrange fig slices atop prosciutto. Bake until figs are just heated through, about 1 min. Transfer pizza to cutting board. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar and oil in large bow; add arugula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Mound salad atop pizza. Cut into pieces and serve.

*I didn’t have any cornmeal on hand so skipped using it to prep pan and the pizza did fine. Source: Bon Appétit

**Pizza Dough

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 ¼ cups lukewarm water

3 cups unbleached flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 Tbl. olive oil

In large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water. Let it proof for 10 min. Add the flour, salt, olive oil and remaining water. Mix well and knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 min. This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer with a dough hook. Add more flour as necessary to make a smooth, silky dough.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a cloth, and set aside in a warm place until it doubles in bulk. This should take 1 hour or longer. Punch down the dough and let it rest for another 10 min. It is now ready to proceed with rolling into a “regular” pizza or –continue with recipe above--

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I think the “draping” of prosciutto to enclose the whole pizza is such an interesting way of offering up something different. This was plenty for dinner since it even had the salad atop, but it would also be a good accompaniment to a great bowl of minestrone or other favorite Italian soup.

Give it a taste and you’ll see why it’s won its way into our heart.

--the Mother

Not Just Your Run-Of-The-Mill Burger

Meg may have wanted to shed the “Monday Blues” with her dinner but I also think Wednesday’s “hump day” deserves some effort…burgers, you say? Think about making them a little differently. One direction I like to take is to use ground chicken instead of the usual ground beef.

Chicken burgers are so lean and delicious, but they also tend to need a little help in the taste department. I like to caramelize shallots and add a little blue cheese to the offering. Simple ingredients can provide temptations to the tastebuds, while being mindful of the grocery list’s bottom line.

Chicken Burgers with Caramelized Shallots and Blue Cheese*

2 shallots

olive oil

1 lb. ground chicken

one garlic glove, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp. salt

4 kaiser or ciabatta rolls, toasted

Leafy lettuce

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Caramelize the shallots in a little olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Mix the ground chicken, garlic, rosemary, pepper and salt; then form into four patties. Brown in same pan with 1 tbl more olive oil. While burger is cooking, mix the mayonnaise and crumbled blue cheese til blended.

Serve burgers on toasted rolls with shallots, lettuce and a dollop of the mayo-blue cheese mixture.

*source: adapted from a Sunset magazine recipe

Served this mid-week sensation with a side of a large slice of beefsteak tomato, drizzled with a little light Italian dressing and topped with roasted corn. A little cold and hot side combo that seemed to work. Tomato was luscious and in-season and the roasted corn added a hot companion to an otherwise mundane side dish.

I had an extra chicken burger patty left over. Can’t wait to have it tomorrow, accompanied by another slice of tomato, as a great and light lunch. Total burger enjoyment…without the guilt. Maybe I’ll open my own burger stand someday. I think I’ll name it “Burger Queen”.

--the Mother