Cooking Caribbean!

I know this isn't terribly mouthwatering, but I find that people often ask me what flank steak looks like. Here you have it. This is the steak often used when making fajitas. Last night, we made Caribbean flank steak in class. It's outrageous when you cook it on the grill but, unfortunately, we can't offer that indoors. So, instead, we cooked it under the broiler. It was delicious. It was served with greens and a Caribbean dish called pigeon peas and rice.

The recipes appear below.







Caribbean Spiced Flank Steak

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic
1 small yellow onion
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup Magic Hat beer*
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 tbsp fresh chopped oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup olive oil
2 lbs flank steak

Directions

Place garlic, onion and cilantro in a food processor and chop. Then, add lime and lemon juice, the Magic Hat, black pepper, salt and Tabasco sauce and process until mixed. Add the oil and blend until smooth. This is your marinade. Put the steak in a re-sealable zip lock bag with the marinade and leave it in the refrigerator for a minimum of eight hours. Ideally, overnight is the best method.

Heat up the grill (or the indoor broiler) and slap on the steaks! Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, freely brushing on the marinade to maintain moistness.

*No Schlitz, Miller, Coors or other traditional beers in this recipe, please. It doesn't have to be Magic Hat. It can be Red Hook, Blackened Voodoo, Sam Adams...look around for a "little" beer and be selective.


Ass Kickin' Greens

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
3-4 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp malt or cider vinegar
1 lb fresh collard greens* (torn or cut into 2" pieces)
1 cup chicken broth
Red pepper flakes (to taste)

Directions

Put the canola oil and bacon into a large saute pan and cook until the bacon is well done. Remove from heat, break into pieces and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar of your choice to the same pan (don't clean it out) and cook until the onions and garlic become translucent. Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, then the collard greens. Cook until wilted. You may add more chicken broth as necessary. However, I like my greens a bit "al dente" and not watery, so I generally stop at 1/2 cup.

Add the bacon bits and red pepper flakes. Toss well and serve!


Pigeon Peas and Rice

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups white rice
2-1/2 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup unsweened coconut milk
1 (15 oz) can pigeon peas, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp salt
Garnish: Fresh parsley springs

Directions

Place the garlic and onion in a Dutch oven with the oil and cook over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the rice, water, chicken broth and coconut milk. Stir well and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (not mushy). If your rice doesn't cook to your liking within 25 minutes, add a bit more broth and simmer a bit longer. Remember this will depend upon the type of cooking element you use, electric or gas.

Stir in the peas, parsley, lemon rind and salt. Stir well, add garnish and serve. Delicioso!

A Wine Recommendation from Good Karma!

Every once in a while, we're going to feature non-recipe information. I've been meaning to give a plug to Yellow Tail wines, very unpretentious and very tasty Australian wines. These wines were introduced back in 2000 and have grown exponentially since then.

I'm a personal fan of the Shiraz and the Shiraz-Cabernet mix, but that's because I much prefer red wines to white. Not only that, I don't think the food police should tell you that you cannot drink red with fish or white with beef. You can drink anything you want!

You may want to check out their web site:

http://www.yellowtailwineusa.com

Grab a bottle this weekend and enjoy!

Another of My NECC Course Recipes!

Here's another recipe featured in my NECC course. This one is a delicious mussel recipe, very simple but very tasty. The most difficult part of this recipe is cleaning and debearding the mussels! This process doesn't take rocket science, just good old fashioned elbow grease.
I'm including a recipe for a salad that provides a great accompaniment without stealing the show from the mussels.





Classic French Mussels with Arugula-Frisee Salad

Ingredients

2 tbsp. salted butter
1/4 cup shallots (minced)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. fresh chopped thyme
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 lbs. mussels, cleaned & debearded
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Melt butter in a medium-sized stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent.

Pour in the wine, the thyme and the mussels. Steam over medium-high heat for about five minutes or until the shells open.

Pour mussels and broth into a serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately with a crusty French baguette and an Arugula-Frisee-Tomato Salad (see recipe below).

Arugula-Frisee-Tomato Salad

Ingredients

4 cups baby arugula (washed)
2 cups frisee (washed)
1-1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
1 small Bermuda onion (cut in rings)
Simple French Salad Dressing (recipe follows)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a salad bowl and serve with Simple French Salad Dressing.

Simple French Salad Dressing

Ingredients

6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
Salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the first four ingredients into a tightly covered jar and shake. Each individual should add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

A Simple and Quick Pasta Dish!

I've been growing fresh basil and oregano on my patio this summer. Last evening, I found myself struggling with what to make for dinner. I was positive about one thing: I did not feel like a trip to the grocery store. So, I improvised and now I'm passing the recipe on to you!






Farfalle with Fresh Basil and Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 lb. of Farfalle (bowties)
3-4 medium sized fresh tomatoes (cut to 1/8" slices)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
a bunch of fresh basil
Pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil (or canola if you prefer)

Chef's Disclaimer: Again, I'm sorry for the lack of measurements. I find writing recipes harder than cooking because I'm used to "winging it." I love spices, so I tend to be heavy handed with them, but you are welcome to adjust things to your own taste. As far as I'm concerned, recipes are guides and individuals should be able to customize them to their pleasure.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the farfalle. (Do not thoroughly cook as this dish will end up finishing in the oven.) While the pasta is still a bit "crunchy," remove and drain well.

I have a great 2-1/2 quart stoneware baking dish that works perfectly with this recipe. That's the attitude you're looking for here. Sprinkle the bottom with oil and put down a layer of sliced tomatoes, followed by a layer of basil (about 8 medium-large leaves, spread out), pepper, and parmesan cheese. Then, lay down a layer (about half) of farfalle pasta and repeat the process (tomatoes-basil-pepper-parmesan). Do it one more time so that you have essentially two layers of pasta. The top layer should be the tomatoes, the basil, the pepper and parmesan.

Once assembled, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with shaved parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.

A Preview of My NECC Course!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm teaching at NECC this fall. Here's a preview of my recipes. The idea with this recipe is to use the long cut fusilli rather than the traditional short cut version.

This photo shows tri-color fusilli. This would work well in the recipe. If not, regular fusilli will be just fine.



Fusilli with Artichoke Hearts, Pancetta, Peas & Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

1 lb. long cut fusilli pasta
1/4 lb. pancetta, cut into small cubes
1 can artichoke hearts, halved
2 cups frozen peas
5 cloves thin sliced garlic
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Shaved parmesan cheese
Hot red pepper flakes

Directions

First, put a large pan of salted water on to boil. This will ensure that it's boiling by the time you're done preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Cut the pancetta into cubes and place in a saute pan with 1 tsp. of the canola oil. Saute over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then remove the pancetta and set aside. Reserve the pan "as is" for later.

Place the sliced artichoke hearts on a cookie sheet, brush with canola oil, season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until slightly charred. Remove and set aside.

Defrost the frozen peas and set aside. The best way to do this is in the microwave to keep the peas from being over cooked and becoming mushy.

By now, the water should be boiling. Add the fusilli and, once it has settled into the water, stir to prevent clumping. The fusilli should be "al dente." This usually takes about 7-9 minutes. Frankly, I allow it to boil for several minutes, then reduce the heat to very low and allow it to cook the rest of the way by "sitting" in the hot water.

While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in the same pan you originally cooked the pancetta in. Add the sliced garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the garlic has become translucent and the oil infused. Add the chopped basil and saute for an additional 3-5 minutes.

When the fusilli is done, remove from the heat and drain it. It's important to eliminate as much of the water as possible or the oil will not adhere well.

Place the fusilli in a large pasta serving dish. Add the pancetta, artichokes and peas and toss. Then add the garlic and basil-infused olive oil and toss well. Serve with shaved parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

Try Our Three-Egg Garden Omelette!

Although I'm not much of a breakfast eater, I confess to making omelets for dinner every once in a while.

Be sure to choose a saute pan that can be used both to pre-cook the veggies and also make the omelet. It should have a cover.

I use Omega-3, organic eggs when I make egg dishes, but this is not something you have to do to make this omelet delicious!


Three-Egg Garden Omelet

Ingredients

3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 small green pepper
1 small red onion
1 small tomato, sliced thinly
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Directions

Cut the pepper, remove the seeds and stem, and slice into thin strips. Peel and cut the onion into thin strips. Place them in a saute pan with the oil, garlic, rosemary and some salt and pepper. Saute until the onions become translucent and the peppers have softened, but do not allow the veggies to become limp and overcooked. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the eggs, milk, thyme, and more salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated. Using the same pan (do not wash it out, just make sure you've removed all the veggies), add the butter or margarine and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cover. Cook for 1 or two minutes over medium heat, then lower the heat and allow the eggs to cook slowly. Because I rarely time such things, it's hard for me to tell you how long this takes. It depends upon what kind of stove you are using, but I'd say it takes at least 5 minutes when the heat is on "low." You'll know when the eggs are completely cooked.

Remove the top and add the sauted peppers and onions on one side of the omelet. Then add the thin sliced tomatoes and grated cheddar. Return the cover until the cheese melts. Once the cheese has melted, fold the empty side of the omelet over the veggies. Return the cover and allow to sit over the heat for an additional minute.

With the help of a spatula, you should be able to slide this omelet onto a plate intact. It takes practice, so don't expect perfection the first time you make it. All that matters is how it tastes, and this one is delicious.

I usually garnish this omelet with chives and serve it with multi-grain toast. Enjoy!

There's Nothing Like Curry!

Yes, there's nothing like a good curry. I thought I'd refine this recipe while cooking dinner and serve it to you this evening on the blog!

Here goes!


Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

4-5 fresh carrots, peeled and cut into medium chunks
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into medium chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red onion, peeled and cut into medium chunks
2 fennel bulbs, washed and cleaned, cut into medium chunks
1 large green pepper, washed, seeded and cut into medium chunks
1-1/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup coconut milk
1 10-oz. can chopped tomatoes and chilis
4 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. butter
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. fresh, grated gingerroot
2 tbsp. madras curry powder (divided)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. chili powder

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut milk, 1 tbsp. curry powder, the cumin, the chili powder, the salt and the ginger. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 4 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, the garam masala and 1 tbsp. of the curry powder. Saute until onions have softened and are translucent.

Add the last 2 tbsp. of butter to the sauteed onion, then add red onion, peppers, carrots, potatoes and fennel. Saute for about 5 more minutes, then add the can of chopped tomatoes and chilis and the frozen peas. Cook for about another 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk mixture and incorporate completely, lower the heat and allow to simmer on the stove for another 5-7 minutes. The sauce will thicken.

Take a spoonful of this curry and you will not believe how good it tastes. It's excellent served with white rice or with couscous. It can also be served with a great Indian Naan bread (minus the rice and/or couscous, of course).