Shrimp Cakes

Shrimp Cakes

Absolutely delicious shrimp cakes! Cooked shrimp, formed into patties with cooked sweet potatoes, garlic, red onion, breadcrumbs, jalapeno, cilantro, and spices, then fried.

•    Yield: Makes six large cakes.

INGREDIENTS

•    1 lb tan-skinned sweet potatoes

•    4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled

•    4 Tbsp (or more) vegetable oil

•    8 oz peeled, cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

•    2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

•    2/3 cup finely ground breadcrumbs

•    2 Tbsp finely chopped pickled or fresh jalapeños

•    2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion

•    1 1/2 teaspoons spice mix (recipe included below)

•    Flour for dusting (1/2 to 1 cup)

Spice Mix Ingredients:  notes: I did not make this but substituted with 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of listed items

•    1/4 cup cumin seeds

•    3 Tbsp whole black peppercorns

•    1 Tbsp coriander seeds

•    2 Tbsp sugar

•    1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

METHOD

Spice Mix Method

Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, and coriander to a heavy medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool a few minutes. Grind spices in a blender or spice grinder (can use a coffee grinder that has been cleaned by grinding raw rice) until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in sugar and salt. Makes about half a cup. You'll only need 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice mix for one shrimp cakes recipe, so store the remainder for future use.

Shrimp Cakes Method

1 Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake in microwave for about 15 minutes until done. Rub one tablespoon of oil over unpeeled garlic. Cook in microwave a few minutes, until soft. Let the garlic and sweet potatoes cool enough to handle. Peel the garlic. Cut the sweet potato in half and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Combine the cooked sweet potato and garlic in a bowl and mash until smooth.

2 Add the shrimp, cilantro, breadcrumbs, jalapeño, onion, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Spice Mix. Mix until well blended. Season with salt. Use your hands to form the mixture into six patties, 3-inches in diameter.

3 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly dust the shrimp cakes in flour. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the shrimp cakes until nicely browned, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side.

Place the shrimp cakes on a baking sheet. Bake until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Tastes great served with lemon, tartar sauce, and coleslaw.

Porcini Mushroom Tarlets

Last summer, friends in the neighborhood got together and brought appetizers and wine to Pat's house. The food, as usual, was delicious.  My favorite was the mushroom tarts that Marilyn brought. She shared the recipe with me--it's from a food magazine--not sure which one.  I've made it several times and we have found that is works well as a main course with a salad.  Now that fall season is here, a warmer kitchen feels good with stove on and I'm keen to getting back to cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
• 10 ounces frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed and chilled.  (I prefer Pepperidge Farm)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 lb medium porcini or cremini mushrooms, trimmed
• extra virgin olive oil for brushing
• snipped chives

Preheat the oven to 350º. In a pie plate, bake the walnuts for 8 minutes or until lightly browned, then let cool and coarsely chop. 

Line a medium baking sheet with parchment. Unfold the puff pastry and cut out anywhere from 4-8 (seems to make more than is indicated in the recipe) 4-inch rounds, about 1/8 thick. Transfer the rounds to the prepared being sheet and prick all over with a fork. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and set a baking sheet on top.  Bake the pastry for about 25 minutes or until it is cooked and browned; remove the pastry from the over.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add onions and cook, stirring over moderately high heat for 4 minutes; reduce the temp to low, stir frequently, until mushrooms are soft and golden, about 50 minutes; let cool. In a food processor, coarsely puree walnuts and onions and season with salt and pepper.

In a medium saucepan of boiling water, blanche the mushrooms until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and slice 1/4 inch thick.

Heat oven to 400º. Spread the pastry rounds with the puree and arrange the mushrooms overlapping on top. Brush with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Make ahead 1 day: onion & mushroom puree, and pastry rounds wrapped in plastic.

Lemon Sorbet

So refreshing on a hot summer night!  Serve it with a shot a vodka poured over the sorbet like they used to do at The New Yorker--delicous.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon zest *

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the sugar and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer without stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely. This is called a simple syrup, and may be made ahead in larger quantities to have on hand for making Fresh Lemon Sorbet. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

When cool, add the lemon juice and zest; stir to combine. Turn the machine on. Pour the lemon mixture into the freezer bowl, and mix until the mixture thickens, about 25 to 30 minutes. The sorbet will have a soft texture similar to a freshly scooped Italian ice. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours.
Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Merzullo su cipolle caramellate e pomodoro COD WITH TOMATO & CAMALERIZED RED ONION

Summer is winding down and evening temperatures are perfect for outdoor dining. Friends shared the evening together with a wonderful assortment of food and drink.

When sharing dinner with friends, I find it desirable to minimize time in the kitchen so I can enjoy time with friends.  For this recipe, there are a few "prep aheads" that allow me to accomplish that.  When I made this entree, it was for 10 of us, so the more I could in advance, the better.

The first thing I did was to caramelize the onions in the morning, which with cutting and cooking, took 30 minutes.  While the cooking was going on, I also did the task of peeling, seeding and slicing the tomatoes and then added, the salt and oil and placed them in the refrigerator.  The last task was to cut the fresh cod into pieces, drizzle with oil and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top--cover and refrigerate. This advance prep allowed me to spend only 10 minutes cooking the fish when it was time to prepare the main course.

I must also mention that friends brought appetizers, salad and dessert, all of which were delicious. This shared approach is nice in that no one does all the work and I think it makes it easier and more enjoyable for friends to get together for dinner.

RECIPE
Cod with tomato & caramelized red onion
4 Servings

4 (6-8 oz.) pieces of cod, about 1- inch thick
7 TBSP. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP. finely chopped fresh rosemary plus 4 small springs for garnish
1 pound of red onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP. sugar
Fine sea salt
1 1/4 pounds tomatoes (I used Roma)
Freshly ground black pepper

Fish Prep
On a large plate, drizzle fish with 1 TBSP. olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary; gently turn fish to coat both sides, then cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Onions
In a non-stick skillet, heat 3 TBSP. olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking, add onions, bay leaf, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is sweet and tender, about 25 minutes.

Tomatoes
Place tomatoes in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Remove from water, transfer to a bowl, then peel, seed and slice into 1/2-inch wide strips. In a bowl, toss tomato pieces with 1TBSP olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, set aside.

Divide onions and tomatoes among 4 plates. In skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat until simmering.  Season fish with salt and pepper and add to pan; cook 4 minutes, turn over and continue cooling until opaque and just cooked through, about 3 minutes.  Arrange fish over onions and tomatoes and garnish with rosemary springs.

Chicken Piccata

This recipe is so delicious and so elegant.  I served it with an arugula salad and good French bread; something to make over and over...

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Chicken Piccata
Total Time: 40 min
Prep:15 min
Cook:25 min
Yield:4 servings
Level:Easy

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-piccata-recipe2.print.html?oc=linkback

Sunset Beach

Great cocktail we had on the 2014 White Rim (along with others...)

For 8 servings:
12 oz. vodka
4 oz. peach schnapps
16 oz. cranberry juice
16 oz. orange juice

Pour over rocks and enjoy!

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.