salmon n cabbage: mmmm good 5/5!

so here's the latest. we tried something a little different and it was delish! so this is this interesting salmon and cabbage dinner with very few ingredients that still has a complex, round flavor and was very satisfying. you can pick out the flavor of each ingredient (if you really try) while you enjoy or you can just appreciate how they all come together beautifully. it took me a couple of bites to really form an opinion (it took me that long to really taste everything) but every bite tasted better than the first. and the best part was that tom agreed! but it was easy. i did the prep and cutting (and a horrible job skinning the salmon fillet; any suggestions from anyone??) and tom did all the cooking. it really turned out delightfully and we drank some lovely cab franc with it that we picked up in virginia at a bed and breakfast. maybe not the best pairing (a white may have been better) but tasted so good anyway! so, back on track, make this if you like salmon, bacon and cabbage because it's GOOD!!




from martha's everyday food jan/feb 2007

salmon with braised napa cabbage

Prep: 5 minutes Total: 30 minutes

have you tried? napa cabbage

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 Pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces (lengthwise, then crosswise)
coarse salt and ground pepper we only had a 1lb fillet and can someone please tell me the easiest way to skin a fish? this was hard for me and i think there was more fish on the skin than i would have liked to leave...
1 medium napa cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
3 Tablespoons white-wine vinegar


Directions
1 In a large, deep skillet with a lid, cook bacon over medium until crisp, turning occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
2 Raise heat to medium-high. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side (salmon will finish cooking in step 4). Transfer to a plate and reserve.
3 Add as much cabbage to skillet as will fit; add vinegar. Cover skillet, and cook over medium-high, tossing occasionally. Add remaining cabbage as there is room, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
4 Stir in bacon, and place salmon on top. Cover skillet; cook until salmon is opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer cabbage and bacon onto four plates, placing salmon on top.

this recipe was flawless in instruction. came out exactally like they said and looked just like the picture! hope you try it and let us know what you think. keep eating (and hit the gym too)!

next in the turkey "bag" 5/5

this would be the recipe that follows the spiced turkey so make that one first! the couscous is amazing and the spinach salad was delicious with the homemade dressing. tom claims this was very easy to make but i can offer no personal input because i didn't have to lift a finger. not to cook anyway. this was during the paper-writing-night that i spoke about in the previous blog. but i say it's probably worth making even if you have to help!

from martha's everyday food jan/feb 2007

Turkey with Two Salads

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 40 minutes
Look for Israeli couscous (sometimes called pearl couscous), a big brother to the regular variety, near the rice and grains. The flavors are similar, but this one's texture is even more pleasing.

Ingredients
6 Teaspoons olive oil
1 package (10 ounces) white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup Israeli couscous i just bought the regular stuff, couldn't find this kind at the commissary
2/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 packed cups loose spinach (about 5 ounces), trimmed, well washed and dried
1 Pound cooked turkey (1/2 reserved Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast), thinly sliced, room temperature

Directions
In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and have released their liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
Reduce heat to medium-low. In same skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in couscous, 1 1/4 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until couscous is tender, 8 to 10 minutes (liquid should be completely absorbed). Stir in dried cranberries.
Meanwhile, make vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 4 teaspoons oil, lime juice, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Pour half the vinaigrette into another large bowl. To first bowl, add couscous mixture and mushrooms (along with any accumulated juice), and to the other, spinach. Toss contents of each bowl until well combined.
Divide spinach among four serving plates; top with turkey slices, and serve with couscous.

so good; really extravagant tasting but not heavy. just all around a fantastic meal! keep eating...

all in one bag 5/5

so here is the first installment of the "bag" recipes i've been talking about. there is a series of 5 recipes (3 turkey, 2 beef) that you make and then use the leftovers for consecutive meals so the cooking time is shorter and prep is easier. this recipe is for the spice rubbed turkey that was used in the chunky turkey soup. i suggest that if you make this recipe you try the other 2 turkey recipes too. they're totally worth it.

from martha's everyday food jan/feb 2007

Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes

Prep: 10 minutes Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Pair this protein-packed, nutrient-rich recipe with Sauteed Escarole for a great, light family dinner. You'll have enough cooked turkey left over for dinner later in the week. Try our recipes for Turkey with Two Salads, or Chunky Turkey Vegetable Soup.

Ingredients
1 1/2 Teaspoons dried crushed rosemary
1 Teaspoon sweet paprika
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime)
6 Teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless turkey breast halves (about 2 pounds each), skin removed we used big skinless turkey tenderloins and it worked great
2 sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), halved lengthwise

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix rosemary, paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lime juice, and 4 teaspoons oil; rub all over turkey. Leaving space between them, place both halves in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet.
Brush cut sides of sweet potatoes with remaining 2 teaspoons oil; place, cut side down, on sheet with turkey. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each breast half registers 160 degrees, about 50 minutes (potatoes should be tender). Let stand 10 minutes, loosely tented with aluminum foil to keep warm (temperature will rise by 5 degrees).
Cut of one breast half into thick slices (reserve remaining turkey; see step 4). Cut potato halves into wedges. we waited too long to cut our potatoes and they got too soft for wedges but they were yummy anyway. Transfer turkey slices and potatoes to a serving platter, drizzling turkey with any juices from baking sheet. (Optional: Serve with Sauteed Escarole.)
Cool remaining turkey completely. Divide leftovers evenly between two airtight containers, or wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.

this was done pre-pictures so i don't have anything to show for this recipe. i would like to say, however, that tom cooked this up while i furiously typed away at a paper that was due that, as usual, i wauted until the last minute to write. the amazing parts about it though are a) he was able to find everything he needed in the kitchen without bothering me (much) which some may know is a tremendous feat considering i rearrange the cabinets on a regular basis and b) he actually made the following turkey recipe first so when he got to the "use the turkey you already made" step, he still had to make it! what a guy. and it came out great! awesome treat after a long boring paper. keep eating well...

FAO Schwartz fun!

so this is just a cooking kind of night! no recipe to go with this one because it was a gift! when sarah came to visit us a couple weeks ago she brought presents from fao schwartz! my favorite! we got candy and cookie mix with cookie cutters and other yummies. so tonight was a green theme and we had the spinach pesto for dinner and these cutie gator cookies for dessert. i mixed, rolled and cookie cuttered while tom did all the decorating, baking, cooling and eating! turns out our milk was sour though (unfortunately tom was the one to discover this yucky fact) so we just munched with beer instead. just as tasty though!

spinach pesto (another grown-up pasta) 4.75/5

so here's a delish dish that takes no time at all to make and is very good and satisfying. not the most complex flavors but very comforting and smooth, probably even better with a dry white wine (tom's vote is a chardonnay). i wouldn't suggest it for kids unless they're not finickey about verries though; it's VERY bright green! i'm sure my dad wouldn't have eaten it at all (something about soilent green...) but i thought it was the perfect meal for a spring evening. reminds you of the green to come (on the leaves outside anyway) and had a less intense and traditional taste of the normal basil pesto. definitely worth the 10minutes or so that it takes to whip up this healthy dinner!

from martha's everyday food march 2007

Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto

Prep: 25 minutes Total: 25 minutes
We added a twist to a classic pesto sauce by replacing the basil with spinach.
Ingredients
12 Ounces fettuccine

we used whole wheat which added more "substance" to this lightish dinner
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/3 Cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, plus more for serving (optional)

i think it would have been better if the pine nuts were toasted first, either in the toaster oven for a couple minutes or in a pan on the stove, for a more complex, smoother taste
1 garlic clove
1 Teaspoon grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

didn't use any zest, probably would have been good though; added zing
1/4 Cup olive oil
Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; immediately drain pasta, and return to pot.
While pasta is cooking, place spinach, Parmesan, nuts, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a food processor. Process until a paste forms. With motor running, add oil and cup cold water; process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pasta; toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is thinned slightly and coats fettuccine (you may not need all the water). Serve, sprinkled with additional Parmesan and nuts, if desired.

our own, homemade roast beef! 5/5

so now i'm playing catch up. this is a recipe that tom and i made about a week ago that was part of the "one bag" set of recipes. it was surprisingly easy to make and the garlic thing was pretty cool. the roast beef left over gets sliced for a later sandwich recipe which was also really good. but this was a really yummy dinner that was very manly, stick-to-your-ribs, meat and potatoes kind of thing. not usually my top pick for dinner but surprised me with the amount of flavor. roasted veggies and garlic cloves are just so damned good!


from martha's everyday food jan/feb 2007 issue

Roast Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes

Prep: 20 minutes Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
A lean cut of tender beef takes center stage in this meal. Store the extra pound of cooked roast beef in the refrigerator for another meal; try our recipe for Beef with Mango Wraps.
Ingredients
3 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 yellow bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1-inch-wide strips more chunks than strips (see picture)
2 medium red onions, halved and cut into 1-inch wedges
3/4 Pound white new potatoes, well scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
5 garlic cloves, peeled (3 left whole and 2 cut into 12 slivers) we used like 10 shoved into the meat
2 Tablespoons olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 1/2 Pounds eye-of-round beef roast
3/4 Teaspoon dried thyme
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peppers, onions, potatoes, and whole garlic cloves on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with half the oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
Using a paring knife, make 12 small slits in top and sides of roast; push in garlic slivers. Move vegetables to sides of sheet. Place beef in center, and coat with remaining oil; rub all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme.
Roast 40 to 50 minutes, tossing vegetables occasionally, until tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of beef registers 130 degrees for medium-rare. i think this was too cooked and would say our oven cooked it to medium in just 40min. if you like it more rare (like me) cook for shorter time and just cook the veggies longer if they need it. Let meat stand 10 minutes, loosely tented with aluminum foil to keep warm. Cut half into very thin slices (reserve remaining half for leftovers). Serve with vegetables.
Cool remaining beef to room temperature; place in an airtight container, or wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.

definitely save the rest for sandwiches! i highly recommend the beef and mango wraps whose recipe will follow shortly. keep eating...

sophisticated pizza 5/5

so tom had some pretty low expectations for this non-traditional pizza but we were both pleasantly surprised by the complex flavors and "grown-up" taste! that and the fact that it took like 5 minutes to prepare and only 20 to cook was awesome too. but really, it is definitely worth tasting and it would be a waste not to because it's so easy! we were thinking that they might make nice appetizers too whether sliced up into mini pizza pieces or maybe even using mini pitas as the crust instead. just another thought...

thinnest-crust pizza with ricotta and mushrooms
serves 4 prep:15m (took us less), total: 35m

2t olive oil w/ more for baking sheet
2 whole-wheat sandwhich wraps (12 in) we used 3 personal thin crust pizza shells which helped make this an actual meal
2oz asiago cheese shredded (1c) so i couldn't find asiago at the commissary so we just did with 4 cheese which was like asiago, parmesean, romano and something else and VERY good
2/3c part skim ricotta
1 pkg (10oz) white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 sm red onion halved and thinly sliced
course ground salt and pepper

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. brush 2 rimmed baking sheets with oil or line with parchment paper furst and then oil the paper. place one wrap on each sheet and brush with 1t of oil
2. sprinkle wraps with asiago then dollop with ricotta. sprinkle with shrooms and onion; season with salt and pepper

3. bake pizzas until crust is crisp and very brown all over, 20-25m, rotating sheets from top to bottom and front to back twice during baking. cut in half with a pizza cutter or knife; serve on half per person.

it's that easy and tastes so good! keep eating... (and working out too!)

turkey soup 5/5

so here's another tasty dish we made tonight but didn't eat it for dinner. we decided to get it together and eat it the rest of the week since i'm on call tomorrow night. i haven't posted the rest of this series yet (but i'm working on it...) but it's from "1 bag" a set of recipes for the week from leftovers and other stuff. cool idea from martha. so we tasted it when it was finished cooking and it's delish! so the rest of the recipe is below...



chunky turkey veggie soup
from jan/feb 07 everyday food

serves 4, prep 15m, total 40m

Every ladleful of this colorful soup brims with turkey, sweet potato, escarole, and tomato in a soothing broth.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 large sweet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 Teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 Pound turkey (or, 1/2 of Spice-Rubbed Turkey Breast), cut into bite-size pieces
1 small head escarole (about 8 ounces), trimmed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces and washed well used baby spincah instead which was probably even better than escarole (which i couldn't find at the commissary!)
Directions
In a large saucepan with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste.
Add sweet potato, tomatoes and their juice, broth, 1 cup water, and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until potato is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
Stir in turkey; add escarole or spinach in two batches, waiting for the first batch to wilt before adding the second. Cover, and simmer just until turkey is heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

super good and very easy. tom and i both gave it a 5. i'll put up the spiced turkey recipe soon too so you can see the other recipes from this "bag". keep eating!

tastee aisian dinner 4.5/5

so here's tonight's recipie. i give it a 5/5 and tom gives it a 4. it was super easy to make and i'll include the changes that i did or would make on the recipe. use a big pot and prepare to be really full!

whole wheat spaghetti with veggies and p nut sauce

serves 4, prep 15m, total 20m

from martha stuart's everyday food, march 2007

Ingredients
8 Ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 Ounces snow peas, tough strings removed
3 medium carrots, halved, and shaved with a vegetable peeler this was good but i think i'd go with the pre shredded carrots and use more of them (carrot flavor undetectable)
1 container (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes tom thinks it would be good with chicken too; i'm sure he's right
3 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter used natural which has a fabulous grainey texture, would probably use a little less next time because it was so overwhelming
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons light-brown sugar use a little less; too sweet
Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Add snow peas, carrots, and tofu to pot; immediately drain pasta mixture, and set aside.
In pasta pot, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Add reserved pasta mixture; toss gently, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats spaghetti (you may not need all the water). Season as desired with salt and pepper. Serve.

and voila! tastee aisian FILLING meal with enough for 2 more meals! hope you enjoy...

opening day

welcome to the culinary blog of our life; the beach's gustatory adventures whether here at home, home cooked with love or out on the town (or city...) with pinache. anyway so today was notable for a late breakfast in silver spring, md at a place called eggspectations (the website is http://www.eggspectations.com/html/home.html ) pretty good place that we've frequented over the past year or so. christina, my friend from USF was here doing a hospital rotation in the city so we thought we'd take her out for some tasty nibbles. she and i split the bagle eggspectation which is mostly just a egg and cheese bagle sandwich with potatoes and onions on the side and then we also split a yummy plate to texas style french toast with cinamon and chocolate; ah perfection. overall a satasfying meal with fairly decent coffee to match. and then tom surprised me by ordering up a huge piece of carrot cake to round out the meal. and what a let down. don't get me wrong; i still ate it, but it was no where near the quality and flavor of publix. the creamcheese frosting was skimpy and tasteless and had cocanut all over the outside which was not good. the cakey bit was okay but not as scrumptous as i was expecting. so i've still yet to find a carrot cake that can stand up to the publix challenge so i'll have to keep looking. and that's the food story so far today. we'll see what unfolds later...