Green bean salad

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Source: Jamie Deen – Food Network

Does not need almonds or basil

Ingredients: 

Kosher salt
1 pound slender green beans, ends trimmed
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 large garlic clove minced
Fresh ground pepper

Directions: 

Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the green beans and cook until tender crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a spider to remove to a bowl of ice water. Drain well, pat dry and place the beans in a large bowl. Combine with the feta cheese, tomatoes and red onions.

Toast the almonds in a small skillet, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, basil, garlic and some salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the green beans and sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Cod Cakes

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Servings: 4 to 6 servings as a main course, 6 to 8 servings as an appetizer
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour, plus chilling
Source: Sam Sifton https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017976-cod-cakes

Cod cakes are terrific with cod, but can be made with any white-fleshed fish. Poach the fillets in bay-leaf-scented water, then flake the cooled meat into a New Englandish mirepoix of sautéed onions and celery. Eggs and cracker crumbs will help bind everything together below a drift of spice. Make sure to leave some time to chill the resulting patties in the refrigerator – the cold will help them set up so they don’t fall apart in the sauté pan. A light smear of mayonnaise on the exterior of the cakes before you fry them will encourage the most glorious crust. Serve with a thatch of green salad, a bowl of chowder or a neat pile of slaw.

Ingredients: 

4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 lemon, cut into eighths
1 pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ribs celery, trimmed, peeled and diced
1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
1 ‘‘sleeve’’ unsalted saltine crackers, crushed, or 1 heaping cup panko bread crumbs
½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup neutral oil, like canola

Directions: 

Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set aside to cool.

Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and allow it to melt, swirling it around the pan. When the butter foams, add the celery, onions and garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, salt, pepper and seasoning salt (or paprika and hot-pepper flakes), then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the crushed saltines or bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.

Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for a main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.

Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Work in batches if necessary. (A small smear of mayonnaise on the exterior of the patties will give them a crisp crust.) Serve them alone, or with greens dressed in a lemony vinaigrette, with the remaining wedges of lemon.

Broccoli Rabe and Potato Pizza

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Servings: 6 to 8
Preheat: 450
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: Fine Cooking Issue 145

Broccoli rabe and potatoes, a classic Italian combination, is even better topped with creamy, smoky mozzarella.

Ingredients: 

1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 1 cup)
2-1/2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary 12 oz. broccoli rabe, trimmed and finely chopped (about 7-1/2 cups)
All-purpose flour, for the pizza peel
1 lb. store-bought pizza dough, at room temperature
6 oz. coarsely grated mozzarella
4 oz. coarsely grated smoked mozzarella
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced lengthwise
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 oz. finely grated Grana Padano (1/2 cup)

Directions: 

Position a pizza stone on a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 450°F.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the potato slices for 1 minute. Rinse under cold water, gently pat dry with paper towels, and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium-high heat. add the rosemary and cook, stirring often, until crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the broccoli rabe to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the stalks are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

Generously flour a pizza peel or a large cookie sheet. Stretch the pizza dough on the peel to a 14-inch circle. Evenly distribute half of both mozzarellas over the dough, then half of the potatoes, half of the broccoli rabe, and all of the garlic, covering most of the surface. Crumble the fried rosemary leaves over the pizza. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, broccoli rabe, and mozzarella. Season with a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of pepper, and carefully slide onto the pizza stone.

Bake until the crust is browned and the cheese is just melted, 13 to 15 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven, top with the grana Padano, and drizzle with the remaining oil. Cool briefly and serve.

Phat Thai

Servings: 1
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: Pok Pok by Andy Ricker

SERVES 1 AS A ONE-PLATE MEAL !!!
I edited ingredients slightly to facilitate purchasing of common items.
Note, the tamarind water and palm sugar syrup can/should be made ahead of time and frozen.

Ingredients: 

SHRIMP AND SAUCE
1 tablespoon medium-size dried shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
3 tablespoon Tamarind Water, page 275
2 tablespoons plus ¾ teaspoon palm sugar simple syrup, page 275
1 ½ tablespoons Thai fish sauce

STIR FRY
2 ¼ ounces (dried “phat thai” noodles, soaked in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes
2 tablespoons rendered pork fat or vegetable oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 ¼ ounces extra firm tofu, cut into small pieces about 1” X ½“ X ¼“, about ¼ cup
1 tablespoon shredded salted radish, soaked in water 10 minutes then drained
2 ounces bean sprouts (about 1 cup, lightly packed)
2 ounces medium shrimp (about 4), shelled and deveined
¼ cup very coarsely chopped (about 1-inch lengths) garlic chives or scallions, plus a pinch or two for finishing
2 generous tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

TO SERVE ALONGSIDE
2 small lime wedges
fish sauce
granulated sugar
Vinegar soaked chiles
Toasted chile powder

Directions: 

TOAST THE SHRIMP AND MAKE THE SAUCE

Heat a small dry pan or wok over medium heat, add the dried shrimp, and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re dry all the way through and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Set them aside in a small bowl. Covered at room temperature, they’ll keep for up to 1 week.

Combine the tamarind water, simple syrup, and fish sauce in a small bowl and stir well. Measure ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons, discarding the rest.

SOAK THE NOODLES AND STIR-FRY THE DISH

Soak the noodles in lukewarm water until they’re very pliable but not fully soft, about 20 minutes. Drain them well and snip them into approximately 8-inch lengths just before stir-frying.

Heat 3 large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat (or a wok over vary high heat), add the pork fat, and swirl it to coat the sides. When it begins to smoke lightly, crack the egg into the center of the pan (it should spit and sizzle violently and the whites should bubble and puff). Add the tofu, radish, and dried shrimp beside the egg. If you’re using a skillet, decrease the heat to medium; if you’re using a wok, keep the heat very high.

Cook, stirring everything but the egg, until the edges of the egg are light golden brown, about 1 minute, then flip the egg (it’s fine if the yolk breaks), break the egg into several pieces with the spatula, and stir everything together well.

Add the noodles and bean sprouts, and stir-fry (constantly stirring, scooping, and flipping) until the noodles and bean sprouts have softened slightly; about 1 minute.

Add the shrimp, then stir the tamarind mixture once more and add it to the pan. Stir—fry, making sure the shrimp get plenty of time on the hot surface, until they are cooked through, just about all the liquid has evaporated, and the noodles are fully tender and no longer look gloppy or clumpy, 2 to 4 minutes.

Add the chives and 1 tablespoon of the peanuts. Stir-fry briefly, then transfer it all to a plate, sprinkle on the remaining peanuts and chives, and serve with the lime wedges. Season to taste with the fish sauce, sugar, vinegar—soaked chiles, and chile powder.

Smoked-Trout Spread

Servings: 8
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Source: New York Times, FLORENCE FABRICANT

The guests are trickling in, and soon the table will be overflowing. But not just yet. What to do? Several days in advance, you may want to whip up your own smoked trout spread to pack in a bowl and offer with bagel chips or squares of pumpernickel. Those impatient stomachs will thank you.

Ingredients: 

6 ounces skinned, boned smoked trout, about 2 fillets
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
Ground black pepper

Directions: 

1. Break up trout into food processor, add chives and grind until finely minced. Pulse in lemon juice and yogurt. Season with pepper.
2. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Add additional to thin

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion with Tahini and za’atar

Servings: 4
Preheat: 475
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Source: Jerusalem – A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

The flavors here are incredible–the earthy tahini is a perfect match to the sweet squash and onion, while the za’atar adds a pop of sharp, herby pungency and the pine nuts offer richness and a bit of textural contrast.

Ingredients: 

1 large butternut squash (2 1/4 lb /1.1 kg in total), cut into 3/4 by 2 1/2-inch/2 cm by 6 cm wedges
2 red onions, cut into 1 1/4-inch/3 cm wedges
3 1/2 tablespoons/50 ml olive oil
3 1/2 tablespoons light tahini paste
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 small clove garlic, crushed
3 1/2 tablespoons/30 g pine nuts
1 tablespoon za’atar
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 475°F / 240°C. Put the squash and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper and toss well. Spread on a baking sheet with the skin facing down and roast in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables have taken on some color and are cooked through. Keep an eye on the onions as they might cook faster than the squash and need to be removed earlier. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

2. To make the sauce, place the tahini in a small bowl along with the lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or tahini if necessary

3. Pour the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil into a small frying pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the pine nuts along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat and transfer the nuts and oil to a small bowl to stop the cooking.

4. To serve, spread the vegetables out on a large serving platter and drizzle over the tahini. Sprinkle the pine nuts and their oil on top, followed by the za’atar and parsley.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1.5 hours
Source: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/grilled_pork_tenderloin.aspx

Brining makes for an incredibly tender and moist meat. A light coating of the Birch Island rub is perfect for grilling.

Ingredients: 

Brine
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 quart water

2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds total)

Dry rub
http://www.danderecipes.com/2016/06/19/birch-island-pork-shoulder-rub-and-sauce/

Directions: 

Brine the tenderloins
In a medium bowl, mix salt and sugar with 1 quart cool water until dissolved. Trim the tenderloins of excess fat and silverskin and submerge them in the brine; let stand about 45 minutes. Remove the pork from the brine, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry.

Season and grill
Rub the brined tenderloins all over with the dry rub just before grilling. Set up coals for indirect grilling. Position the pork directly over the hot coals, and cook (covered), turning once, until nicely seared on both sides. Move the tenderloins to the coolest part of the grill (over no coals), close the lid, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Vietnamese Zoodle Salad with Fragrant Herbs and Roasted Peanuts

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Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 45 min
Source: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/vietnamese-zoodle-salad.aspx

A tool called a spiralizer turns zucchini and other vegetables into long, curly, noodle-like “zoodles.” If you don’t have (or don’t want to buy) one, you can use a julienne peeler.

Ingredients: 

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
3 medium zucchinis, spiralized
2 medium carrots, peeled and spiralized
1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts
1/4 cup very thinly sliced red onions
1/4 packed cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/4 packed cup torn fresh cilantro
1/4 packed cup torn fresh mint
Sriracha sauce, for serving

Directions: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Add the zucchini and carrots to the mixture, along with the peanuts, onions, basil, cilantro, and mint.

Toss well to combine. Transfer to bowls and serve with Sriracha on the side.

Rethinking Cornbread

Servings: 8
Preheat: 400
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Source: Erika Bruce from Cook’s Illustrated, January &February 2005, pages 10-11.

Before preparing the baking dish, measure out the frozen corn and let it stand at room temperature until needed. When corn is in season, fresh corn can be substituted for frozen corn. This recipe was developed with Quaker Yellow Cornmeal. A stone-ground, whole-grained cornmeal will work but will yield a drier, less tender cornbread. We prefer a Pyrex glass baking dish because it yields a nice golden brown crust, but a metal pan will work.

Ingredients: 

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly.
1 ½ cups (7 ½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 ½ ounces) Quaker Yellow Cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) packed light brown sugar
¾ cup (3 ½ ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

Directions: 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Spray an 8” square baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Whisk the flour, the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Set bowl aside.

In a food processor or blender, process buttermilk, corn, and sugar until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined. Corn lumps will remain about 5 seconds longer.

Use a rubber spatula. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine. Add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into a prepared baking dish and smooth surface with rubber spatula.

Bake until cornbread is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the wire rack. Turn right side up and let cool another 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Strawberry/Eton Mess

Servings: 4 to 6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 
Source: Joan Berman

Great summer dessert.

Ingredients: 

3 Cups Strawberries
2 TBS. Sugar
1 TBS. Amaretto or Cointreau

2 Cups Whipped Cream
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 TBS. Sugar

1 1/2 Cup Crumbled Meringue Cookies

Directions: 

Hull and chop the strawberries. Place them in a bowl with sugar and liquor.
Remove 1/2 cup and macerate with a fork

Whip cream until thick with soft peaks

Crumble the meringue cookies, Need some big pieces to provide texture.

Take 1/2 cup of the macerated strawberries and fold into the whipping cream

Gently fold in the remainder of the strawberries and chopped cookies into whipping cream