Cioppino: Seafood Stew - Quick & Easy

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium red onion
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
2/3 cup dry white wine
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 pound Pacific cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound medium to large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

• In a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil
• add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes
• add the garlic and cook another minute
• stir in the marinara sauce, clam juice, wine, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano.  Simmer uncovered, about 10 minutes
• add the cod and simmer for 5 minutes
• add the shrimp and parsley and summer until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 3 minutes
• serve immediately and garnish with parsley

Nutritional information: 221 calories; 43 calories from fat; 25 grams protein

Heirloom Tomato Concassé with Wilted Swiss Chard

Sweet, juicy and easy...from NY Times Cooking

INGREDIENTS

•    1 pound fresh, sweet, ripe heirloom tomatoes, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

•    1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced or puréed

•    Salt to taste

•    1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

•    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

•    Several fresh basil leaves, cut in slivers or torn

•    Freshly ground pepper

•    1 or 2 bunches Swiss chard (about 1 1/4 to 2 pounds), stemmed (keep stems if they are wide and fleshy), leaves washed in 2 changes of water

•    Feta for garnish (optional)

PREPARATION

•    In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with their juices, garlic, salt, vinegar, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half the basil. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes or longer. Stir, taste, adjust salt and add pepper.

•    Meanwhile, wilt chard by blanching in boiling salted water for about a minute or by steaming above 1 inch of boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes, flipping the bunch top to bottom using tongs halfway through. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, drain and squeeze out excess water, taking up the chard by the handful. Chop coarsely.

•    Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chard and heat through, stirring, until coated with oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove to a platter or to plates, spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle t remaining basil over the top and serve.

NOTE

Advance preparation: The tomato concassé can be made a few hours ahead. The wilted chard will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Savory Potato Tart

I subscribe to the New York Times Cooking newsletter and when I saw a photo of this recipe, I knew I had to try it.  Creme fraiche is not available in any local markets where I live but I found a substitute recipe-- 1 c. of heavy cream with 3 TBSP. of buttermilk mixed in--let it sit on the counter overnight. To my delight, every bite of this potato tart reminds me that the effort and time is well worth it.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PASTRY:

•   2 cups/250 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

•   ½ teaspoon salt

•   ½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter cut in 1/2-inch chunks

•   ½ cup ice water

FOR THE FILLING:

•   2 pounds medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled

•   1 ¼ cups crème fraîche

•   1 tablespoon kosher salt

•   ½ teaspoon black pepper

•   Pinch of grated nutmeg

•   2 garlic cloves, minced

•   2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

FOR THE EGG WASH:

•   1 egg yolk

•   1 tablespoon cream or crème fraîche

PREPARATION

MAKE THE PASTRY:

1.           Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl (or use a food processor or a stand mixer with paddle attachment). Add half the butter and mix well, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add remaining butter chunks and the water and mix until dough comes together. Remove dough, divide into two equal pieces and dust with flour. Quickly form each piece into a ball, then press down to make two 1-inch-thick disks. Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (May be made a day in advance or frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

MAKE THE FILLING:

1.           Slice potatoes as thinly as possible, using a sharp knife, mandolin or food processor. Put potato slices in a large bowl and add crème fraîche, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic and thyme. Mix well with hands, making sure all slices are coated and seasoning is well distributed. Set aside.

1.           Heat oven to 425 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll out each pastry disk to 12 1/2 inches in diameter. Line an 11-inch fluted French tart pan (with removable bottom) with one sheet of pastry, pressing in at the sides and leaving a 1-inch overlap hanging.

2.           Add the potatoes to the tart pan in even layers, making sure to scrape in all remaining crème fraîche with a rubber spatula. Lay the second pastry sheet on top. With a paring knife, trim excess dough and crimp the edges all around to seal. Make a few slits in the dough to allow steam to escape. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set tart on it. Stir egg yolk and cream together and paint the top of the tart generously.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour more, until top is golden and potatoes are tender when probed with a paring knife. Cool slightly, then set tart pan over a small, sturdy bowl, so that the bottom of the tart pan is elevated and the fluted ring comes off. Carefully transfer tart to a plate. Serve small slices, hot or at room temperature. May be cooled completely and reheated if desired.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

We had some delicious eggplant spread from Trader Joes on the White Rim trip over the weekend.  Since I have plenty of eggplant in the garden, I thought I should try making it.  This recipe is from "the Barefoot Contessa"-- Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.

Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

Cool drinks for summer's heat

Ruby Red Grapefruit Martini

I TBSP white sugar

2 oz. Ruby Red grapefruit juice

1 oz. vodka

1 oz. triple sec

1 cup ice

Sgroppino

Sgroppino, a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco, is common in Italy as a palate cleanser, a dessert, or a pre-dinner drink. We prefer this version by Marc Vetri's beverage director Steve Wildy, with the ingredients whisked together to create a chilly, frothy libation.

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup lemon sorbet

3 oz. prosecco

1 oz. vodka

INSTRUCTIONS

In a stainless steel bowl or cocktail shaker, whisk together the sorbet and a splash of the prosecco until fully incorporated. While whisking, slowly pour in the vodka and then the remainder of the prosecco. Serve in a martini glass or coupe.

Lavender Mojitos

My sister Ann sent me this recipe.  I love lavender and with several plants, there seems to be an adequate supply of lavender buds to use for summer drinks and sorbet.  This drink is so utterly refreshing that it has become my mainstay this summer.

Start by making lavender simple syrup:

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup lavender buds

Bring it to a boil, then simmer for five minutes. Strain and refrigerate. Should keep for 7-10 days

The mojito:
In a tall glass, combine these ingredients:

ice
1 shot rum
1 shot lavender simple syrup
1 sprig of mint, muddled
1 lime, juiced
top with club soda

Steak Au Poivre (filet mignon)

I saw this recipe in House Beautiful and it looked so simple and so delicious that I had to try it. Beef tenderloin is hard not to like and the sauce really is what takes the tenderloin to the next level.  I made this for my mother and sister and awaited their comments.  The sauce was divine but the peppercorn quantity overpowered the over flavors, so I have cut the quantity of peppercorns in half in this recipe. I served the steaks with a simple salad and the three of us were more than satisfied with the quantity of food.

4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 TBSP mixed cracked peppercorns (or black peppercorns)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pound beef tenderloin (filet mignon) cut into four, 4-ounce steaks
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive or canola oil
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP brandy
2 TBSP cream

• Coarsely pound the peppercorns in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.

• Combine salt, pepper and meat in a bowl and toss until the steaks are fully seasoned on all sides.

• In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, melt the butter into the oil. When the foaming has subsided, ad the steaks and sauté for about 1 1/2 minutes per side for perfect medium rare.
• Transfer the steaks to serving platter and cover to keep warm.  

• Add peppercorns, mustard, brandy and cream to the skillet, cooking for a minute or two until the ingredients come together to form a sauce, using a spatula to break up bits stuck to the pan. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately.

Banana Bread - simple

There are so many great banana bread recipes and sometimes the decision is made by what you have on hand.  Some recipes call for yogurt or buttermilk or sour cream and those are not items that I always have in the refrigerator.  So when the bananas are really ripe, this is the recipe I turn to because I always these ingredients. The recipe comes from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cup mashed, overripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten; add walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

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Honey-pear Bruschetta

These are very tasty and very popular when I serve them.

8 firm pears, diced
1 clove garlic, mined
1 c. honey
2-3 c. Sugar
4 sprigs of rosemary, minced
2 tsp. lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 lbs. brie cheese
1 baguette
1 c. toasted, chopped pecans

Combine the pears, garlic, honey, 2 c. sugar, rosemary and lemon zest in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Adjust the sugar and season to taste with pepper.  Cool and reserve. The honey pear preserves can be cooked in advance and frozen for up to one month.

To assemble, thinly slice the baguette into 50 pieces (you might need two baguettes...) Toast in a 350-degree oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Cool and reserve.

Remove the side rind of the brie, cut into slices 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cut slices into squares. Reserve.

Top each toasted baguette with a piece of brie and 1-1 1/2 tsps. of the honey-pear preservers. Garnish with pecans.

Just before serving, heat the bruschetta in a 350 degree oven until warm, about 10 minutes. Makes about 50 pieces.

Hot Spiced Wine

Great winter time drink after a day outdoors in the mountains.

2 bottles of light-bodied red wine
Or for a lighter version:
1 bottle of light-bodied red wine
3 c. of brewed apple-cinnamon tea
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
3 black peppercorns, crushed
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1  3-inch cinnamon stick, crushed
1 clove, crushed
1/2 c. Kirsch

In a large saucepan, combine wine (and tea, if going with less wine) sugar, and orange and lemon zests. Put the spices in a tea ball and add to the saucepan. Bring the wine to a very slow simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, discard the tea ball and stir in the kirsch. Ladle the spiced wine heatproof glasses and serve at once.

Make Ahead
The spiced wine can be kept overnight at room temperature and reheated before serving.

Mango Sorbet

One of my favorite sorbets when mangoes are on sale.

1 c.  sugar
3/4 c. water
2 ripe mangoes, about 1/2 lb. each
Juice of 1 lime

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup is clear. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Peel the mangoes and cut as much of the fruit as you can away from the large puts. If the mangoes are very ripe and juicy, squeeze the pulp and juice off the pits with your hands.  Very messy, so do it over a very large bowl.

Combine the cooled syrup, mango pulp and lime juice in a blender or food processor.  Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Still the chilled mixture, then freeze in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze at least two hours.