Chicken, Poblano, Avacado & Shallot Quesadillas- March 28, 2010

Going on the Mexican theme again, I decided to try a different quesadilla. Quesadillas are very easy and fun to experiment with. Use a nonstick pan or butter/oil the tortillas in a regular pan. Add whatever you like, but just remember to use a cheese that will melt and bind it together. For example, if you're using goat cheese, use something else mild in addition, like mozzarella, to bind the quesadilla together. This combo was delicious. We roasted the poblanos, sauteed the shallots and grilled the chicken. Then its just as easy as assembling them and cooking (and flipping... which I left to my husband) them. I usually serve them with salsa & sour cream. They are great the next day too.

Tu Y Yo Mexican Cuisine in Needham, March 27, 2010

Last night I visited friends in Needham and we went to Tu Y Yo Mexican Cuisine. It is less like a typical Mexican restaurant and more authentic/gourmet, with things like mole sauce and even grasshopper tacos. I love chili rellenos and so I tried their spin on one- a poblano filled with shrimp & goat cheese and topped with a red pepper sauce. Delicious!

Chicken Parmesean Burgers- March 26, 2010

This is from the March issue of Bon Appetite. I am not a fan of ground chicken in burger form, since I prefer white meat (and this is usually what is available in ground) and I often find it doesn't have enough fat, and gets dry. Of course an easy solution to that is to add some kind of fat- oil, salt pork, etc. This recipe covered that. These were yummy and easy. I served them with a side salad of mixed field greens with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Beef Stir-Fry- March 25, 2010

Tonight I made a quick stir-fry. I used a flank steak, which I sliced very thin and quickly marinated in some soy sauce and hot sauce. I seared that in the wok in peanut oil and added chopped bok choy, spring onions & summer squash. I normally serve stir-fry over rice, but I had some rice noodles I tried tonight. I added them to the stir-fry at the end. I was disappointed in the noodles, and I think I'll stick with the rice or the thicker, wheat soba noodles from now on.

Sushi- March 24, 2010

We stopped by Whole Foods on our way home from the airport and picked up some sushi for dinner. Our typical favorite is the spicy tuna, but tonight they had a "salad roll" that was a vegetarian roll consisting of cucumber, avocado, some sort of lettuce (spinach?) and carrot. It was served with that delicious Japanese salad dressing, and it took the cake!

Pear & Blue Cheese Salad- March 23, 2010

We kept it light tonight with a somewhat wintery salad. I used ripe anjou pears, blue cheese & toasted walnuts. I found a "pear infused" white balsamic vinegar that I made a light vinaigrette with. Simple and quick!

Gumbo Limbo at the Ritz Naples- March 22, 2010

One of my favorite things to do while visiting my parents in Florida is go to the Ritz to catch the sunset. They have a great tiki bar/restaurant there called Gumbo Limbo that overlooks the gulf and is very cute and tropical. We had some yummy appetizers- wings, conch fritters, coconut shrimp- but it was my son's meal that took the cake. The children's meal comes complete in its own little box with their choice (and I've never seen so many choices) of meal, fresh fruit, fries, a cookie and a drink. I would have liked one too.

Linguine with Clams- March 21, 2010

There is a great farmers' market in Bonita Springs every Saturday morning at The Promenade. Of my favorite things there are homemade pasta and (because I don't know what they call themselves...) the clam people. I picked up some of the tiny, hardshelled clams and some fresh linguine yesterday morning. I did a simple white wine sauce which I also added some spring onions and plum tomatoes (also from the farmers' market) to. It was a taste of summer!

Fire Pit City Grill- March 20, 2010

We met up with my brother's fiancee and her parents at the Fire Pit City Grill in Fort Myers tonight. There are more restaurants than you can imagine down here and just about all of them are packed on any given Saturday night! Fire Pit is in Gulf Coast Center not far from the airport. Like many of the large shopping/restaurant centers here they have live entertainment on Saturday nights in the courtyard areas. I had a greek flatbread that was good, but didn't rival my favorite flatbreads at Hola in Marshfield!

Pecan Crusted Tilapia with Twice Baked Potatoes- March 19, 2010

I am visiting my parents in Florida and my dad picked up tonight's dinner from their favorite grocery store down here, The Fresh Market. Its a great spot a lot like Whole Foods but a little smaller and more specialed in produce, meats and fish, mostly organic/high end. So it was just a matter of baking the fish and reheating the potatoes. Everything was delicious!

Burgers and Fries- March 18, 2010

There's nothing like a good burger, especially on a busy night. I usually make them myself but I bought some premade at Whole Foods this time. I prefer the 85%lean meat as opposed to the 90% for burgers. I find the extra fat adds more flavor. We like our burgers no-fuss- just some salt & pepper and American cheese and medium-rare to medium. I used some delicious brioche rolls, although they were really big. I usually buy the sea salt Alexia french fries as well.

Chicken Soup with Rice- March 17, 2010

I'm not much a fan of Irish food, or the American version- corned beef and cabbage. I do love scones though. Anyway, tonight I found a great new chicken soup recipe that was quick, easy and VERY good. I think I've mentioned I'm a huge fan of buying a rotisserie chicken for soup. This recipe actually tells you to do just that. You use chicken broth, but add extra flavor by making kind of a quick stock. Very yummy. And if you buy an organic rotisserie chicken, organic broth & organic veggies you can have an entirely organic soup.
Oh and see, now I just went on Epicurious and found that a great-looking recipe for beef and Guinness pie is featured. Well, maybe I'll have to revive St. Patrick's Day. Stay tuned.

Fingerling Potato, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pizza- March 15, 2010

I often make my own pizza. Its easy to make the dough and freeze it, as I think I've mentioned before. My dough recipe which I use for both oven & grill pizzas:
2 cups flour (plus more for rolling the dough)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 package quick-rising yeast
3/4 cup warm water
Mix the ingredients and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Place in a warm area and let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and divide into 2 balls. Allow to rest 10 minutes more. Use both or freeze one.
When I cook pizza in the oven I use a very hot (500 degree) oven and a preheated pizza stone. I find with this combo I don't need cornmeal even as the stone gets so hot. When I grill the pizza crust again a hot grill is good but I oil it and then turn down the temp on the grill. Once it puffs up I flip it and add toppings, but depending on the toppings I often end up finishing it off in a warm oven.
The sky's the limit with toppings- this combo I found on Epicurious.

Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin with Whole Grain Mustard Glaze and Mushroom & Celery Root Ragout- March 14, 2010

My husband cooked tonight so no recipe as usual- this is his own creation. Of course I am still so into spring food (as you'll see with the posts coming after this) that a winter vegetable ragout wasn't my first choice, but we had the items on hand and it went perfectly with the pork, which was out of this world in tenderness and flavor. Its funny, I often wonder if when he comes home each night he thinks "Well, I really didn't feel like that for dinner..." as I usually choose... oh well!

Vindaloo Chicken Curry with Green Beans- March 13, 2010

With not much time to cook one of my favorites is Maya Kaimal curry that is sold at our local Roche Bros. in the refrigerated section (its usually with the hummus and fresh pasta). My husband likes his curry on the spicier side so I usually get the Vindaloo, but they're all good. You saute some chicken (I've also used lamb, beef, shrimp), add the sauce and simmer it for a minimum of 15 minutes (longer and your flavors will meld a bit more). I added green beans near the end. Sometimes I do cauliflower too. I serve it over white or brown rice and of course don't forget the Naan- also something you can now readily find at most grocery stores in the bakery area.

Tuna Nicoise Salad- March 12, 2010

Can you tell I'm ready for spring? I've been glad to shed the heavier dishes of winter this past week and embrace the lighter fare of spring. Actually Epicurious has a whole spring recipes screen up on their iPhone app that I find ridiculously exciting. I love Nicoise salad and I usually prepare it in the deconstructed way. Tonight I used blanched green beans, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, hard boiled egg, boiled baby red potatoes, spring greens and of course some seared fresh tuna. I tossed the greens with a simple vinaigrette of red wine, olive oil & Dijon mustard and drizzled the rest with it as well. Light, simple and delicious.

Burrata Cheese BLT's- March 11, 2010

Every once in a while our local Roche Bros. has a special treat in the cheese section. Yesterday it was burrata cheese, which I've always wanted to try. It is a very soft cheese a lot like fresh mozzarella, but really just about spreadable and the flavor is a bit different. I found a recipe on Epicurious for a burrata cheese "blt" of sorts that I modified a bit. I only wish I'd had some good summer tomatoes, but those are a ways off still. The cheese, and the entire sandwich, really, was fantastic.

Rack of Lamb with Cilantro Pesto & Sauteed Fingerling Potatoes- March 10, 2010

Again my husband cooked the meat- although I always observe I just don't want to overcook it. He used a store-bought cilantro pesto rub and oven-roasted the lamb. Although I buy the lamb frenched, he always trims it out more so there is very little fat left and the bones are just about completely exposed. For the potatoes, we cooked them whole (they are small) in some butter, chicken broth and whatever seasonings go with the meal. They kind of sautee/steam and are always delicious and pretty easy.

Kurobuta Pork Chops with a Red Wine Currant & Blackberry Reduction & Butter-Poached Young Vidalia Onions- March 9, 2010

Its always dangerous when I go to Wellesley as I end up going to The Cheese Shop or John Dewar! Yesterday I went to John Dewar's for some Kurobuta pork. I don't love pork chops, but these are a whole different world. When meat gets that expensive I don't cook it, I have my husband do it. And you can rest assured whenever there is some sort of sauce involved he's cooked. He has a talent for just coming up with these things, really.

Potato Gnocchi with Simple Tomato Sauce- March 8, 2010

My husband once worked in sales at a local pasta company. The best part was that not only did we enjoy lots of gourmet ravioli, but he learned to make gnocchi amongst other things. It is very easy to make and although my son's a little young to really help yet, I know he'll love making it soon. You can find a basic recipe online but here's what I use for two large servings or three smaller:
1 lb. potatoes, 1 cup flour, 1 egg.
Easy to make more as its just a 1:1:1 ratio.
Bake the potatoes and cool them. Scoop out the potato and RICE them. You can't skip this step. Its key to the gnocchi forming correctly. You can get a ricer at BB&B or Homegoods- WS has them too I'm sure. Add the flour and egg and I find it easiest to mix by hand- its very messy though. Then take about a handful of dough and roll it on a well-floured surface into a log. Cut the log into 1 inch pieces and roll each piece with a fork or your finger once.
I always freeze them on a floured baking sheet even if I'm cooking them that day. Just to firm them up a bit and make them easier to handle. Cook them in well-salted water for 3 minutes or until they float plus 30-45 seconds.
I made a simple tomato sauce from some canned San Marzanos to go with it, but you could do just about anything with them. They're filling though!

Hola Takeout- March 6, 2010

Tonight we had takeout from Hola in Marshfield Center. This is by far our favorite local restaurant. They serve traditional Spanish tapas, some mexican dishes and creative, gourmet flabreads which are like pizza but served on a lavash-type base and very light. We had a regular favorite- curry fried green beans with lemon aioli as well as goat cheese & sweet anise crisps with spiced grapes & fried almonds, roasted dates & bacon with mango vinegar & radicchio and coffee & chipotle rubbed steak with fried potato wedges. We had two flatbreads, spinach, red onion, hot cherry peppers & asiago and mushrooms, asparagus, manchego cheese & truffle oil. The dishes are small so we do usually order that many.

Pork Dumplings with Fried Rice- March 5, 2010

I haven't made dumplings in a while but I'm pretty sure the last time I did I used the same recipe. These are fairly easy and they make quite a few. I use store-bought wonton wrappers. I had enough for at least 7 people with a side of rice. Luckily they freeze well. For the rice I precooked white rice then cooled it, cooked a scrambled egg in the wok with some peanut oil and added minced fresh ginger. Then I threw in the rice, chopped scallions & cilantro.

Steak, Tomato and Zucchini Kebobs- March 4, 2010

While we were in Texas we had some okra and it was so delicious that I was dying to try it again. Of course it is hard to find up here even in the summer, so needless to say I ended up substituting it. I had some tenderloin tips frozen from our last whole-tenderloin purchase. I marinated them overnight according to the recipe and served the kebabs with an Italian couscous mixed with onions, pepper & parsley.

Falafel Rollups- March 3, 2010

My husband introduced me to falafel as he used to enjoy them at one of his favorite spots in college. I usually make them from a mix- there are a few of them out there. I made them from scratch this time. They were good, but a lot of work and not a lot better than the mix. I roll them in lavash with tahini sauce, tabbouleh salad, cucumbers, tomato, hummus & greens.

Wianno Oysters, Charile Trotter Smoked Salmon, Assorted Cheeses & Charcuterie- March 2, 2010

Tonight to celebrate my birthday we had an assortment of some of our favorites. I love doing this- it cuts back on really having to "cook" anything and you can't believe how full you are after all those small plates.

Halibut with Cilantro Pesto and Grilled Vegetables- March 1, 2010

Tonight my husband grilled some halibut filets and finished them off with a store-bought cilantro pesto, which we've had before. He also grilled some peppers & squash and served it all over a bed of cilantro and white rice. It was a quick, healthy and delicious dinner!

Airplane Snacks- February 25, 2010

Yes, that's right, tonight it was an assortment of airplane snacks for dinner en route to San Antonio. MMMMM.....

Rudy's BBQ & Fralo's Pizza- February 28, 2010

Rudy's in Leon Springs, known as "The Worst BBQ in Texas" is nationally known now. We've seen it in magazines and on the Food Network. We ate their for lunch, and as usual the sampling of smoked meats, creamed corn, etc were all perfect. For dinner we tried Fralo's gourmet pizza also in Leon springs. We had the lamb/olive/goat cheese pizza as well as the BBQ chicken. Both were great!

Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Grilled Poblano & Okra- February 27, 2010

One of my favorite things to do while in Texas is go to the grocery store. I love the subtle cultural differences and the fact that they have a much larger variety of produce than anywhere around us at home in the winter. My husband cooked tonight and as usual the filets were cut and prepared perfectly. We got a whole tenderloin at Costco, which we do often as you can cut the steaks yourself and you get more for your money. The okra was out of this world- something we so rarely find fresh at home.

Papa Nachos Mexican Cantina- February 26, 2010

We are in San Antonio, Texas visiting family and we love to eat Mexican here since it is so authentic! We went to Papa Nachos up the street in Leon Springs tonight and we all had Fajitas of some kind. They were delicious as usual and so were the "borracho beans".