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Month: March 2010

Pear Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Honey & Almonds

yholmes 2 Comments

Bolsa in Oak Cliff is hands down my favorite place to eat, drink and be merry. The atmosphere is laid back and you can’t help but feel at home. 1/2 price wine on Tuesday nights makes me feel even more at home. The food is fresh, local, fun and not over the top. The menu does change on a daily basis but there are a few mainstays I indulge in on every visit. The bruschetta flight is a delightful array of 4 variations on this ever popular appetizer. Tomatoes, Proscuitto, Salmon and my personal favorite: Fuji Apple with Honey & Almonds.

I made a few tweaks with the addition of the goat cheese and chose a juicy Bosc pear at the market. I am making this again today with a Honeycrisp apple – which I imagine will be the nuts! You can use any crusty bread you like. I think slices of kaiser buns will also be perfect for this simple bruschetta recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 slices crusty bread of your choice, toasted lightly
  • 2 ounces Goat Cheese
  • 1 Pear or Apple, sliced
  • 1-2 tablespoons Honey
  • 2 tablespoons sliced Almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Lightly toast slices of bread in 350 degree oven for 5-6 minutes.

Spread each piece of bread with a thin layer of goat cheese. Fan 4-5 slices of pear over the goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle the top of each with the sliced almonds.

The Spotted Pig Deviled Eggs

yholmes 2 Comments

The Spotted Pig is my favorite place to eat in New York City and when I am in the city I will always wait to get a table. The place is small. The lighting is dim but the small votive candles give the loveliest of glows to the BEST DEVILED EGGS I’ve ever put in my mouth.

On my last trip to the city in February with my beautiful sister, Suzanne, we of course ended up at The Spotted Pig our first night in town. We just couldn’t wait any longer for an Old Speckled Hen on tap. We were shown to the third floor bar (didn’t even know it existed) to wait for our table and ordered a few killer starters… bring on the deviled eggs! It was my lucky night as the sweet lady tending to us gave me a few secrets to these devilish treats:

  1. They DO use mayonnaise in the egg mixture. BUT…. It’s homemade from some of the finest olive oil in the world. Tip: Don’t ask for mayo on the side of that blue cheese burger – you’re not getting any. April Bloomfield says so.
  2. Now on that olive oil. The award winning olive oil from Chile – Olave Organic Olive Oil – is the oil of choice for all of the food in the restaurant (drizzling, dressings, mayos, etc). I’ve since ordered 2 bottles for the sister and myself.

I can tell you these were a hit when I made them a few weeks ago for a family dinner. They were buttery, smooth and thick with a nice zing of vinegar. I did go to the trouble to make the homemade mayonnaise (recipe link below) and it does make a difference!

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 teaspoons champagne vinegar
  • Maldon sea salt
  • Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
  • Olive Oil for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large sauce pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place cold eggs in single layer in the saucepan and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 13 minutes. Drain eggs and run cold water in the pan. When water is slightly cooler, add ice to the pot and let eggs sit in ice water for 15 minutes.  Crack each egg on a hard surface and roll lightly to break the membrane seal. Eggs should peel very easily. With a thin knife carefully slice eggs in half and place yolks in a bowl.

Break up the yolks with a whisk until they are fine. Add olive oil, mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegars and whisk briskly until smooth puree forms, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

Transfer mixture to plastic zipper-lock bag. Cit corner off the bag and pipe filling into the egg white halves.

Sprinkle eggs with Maldon salt, Aleppo pepper and chives. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Shrimp Biryani: Indian Shrimp and Rice

yholmes 1 Comment

The aromas alone are worth giving this dish a try. When you take your first bite you will be sold.

The flavors are not overpowering. They are subtle with a perfect balance of spice and sweetness from the shrimp and onions.

My friend Catherine of Fish and Veggies recommended this dish and passed on some great advice: put the whole spices in a cheesecloth sachet to avoid biting down on a whole peppercorn or clove.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 1 pound Shelled and de-veined Shrimp or crab (see Harbour House Crabs)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro
  • 2 serrano chilis (seeds removed)
  • 1 – 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 4 large cloves of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons oil
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 10 – 12 whole green cardamom pods
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 sprigs mint
  • salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash the shrimp and drain it well. Add the salt and turmeric and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Peel the ginger and garlic and use a food processor to blend it to a paste with the cilantro and chilis. You can use a little water if it is too dry.
  4. Chop the onion and mint and leave to the side until needed.
  5. Heat the oil on medium in an oven safe dish. Add the peppercorns, cloves, cardamom and 1 bay leaf to a sachet of cheesecloth and tie securely. Add the sachet to the oil with the cinnamon stick and saute until fragrant, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the chopped onion and saute until light brown, stirring constantly.
  7. Add 1/2 of the paste and saute for another minute or two.
  8. Add water and salt (1-2 teaspoons depending on taste) and bring to this to a boil.
  9. Add the rice to the boiling water and add the butter and mint. Bring this to a boil, cover and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
  10. When the rice has been in the oven for about 10 minutes heat some oil in a saute pan and add the remainder of the paste along with the other bay leaf. Saute this for a minute or two and add the shrimp. Saute the shrimp until done (they should be light pink) about 5 minutes.
  11. Remove the rice from the oven and remove the spice sachet and cinnamon stick. Top it with the shrimp and serve.

Chicken, Shrimp & Chorizo Paella

yholmes 1 Comment

This was my first time to make real Paella. My dad started making Paella last year and for Christmas I gave him a proper Paella pan, golden saffron and 2 Spanish chorizo links. It was the real deal gift. Then the Paella pan I ordered arrived and it was barely big enough to stir the rice. Oh well – it was still a creative gift for someone who really wants underwear and socks.

A few weeks ago I lucked into the estate sale of my dreams! I scored French crêpe pans, French copper, and ebelskiver pan (thrilled about this find) and a huge Paella pan made in Italy. I passed the pan on to my dad and he invited me up to make Paella last weekend. We didn’t go all out with mussels and seafood – but this Paella was delicious and the true Spanish Chorizo (can be found at Central Market) was incredible and just oozed of orange paprika.

If you don’t have a paella pan – use a nonstick skillet or a wok!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 chicken breasts, cut into pieces (skin on) and marinated in spice mixture (see below)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Spanish chorizo sausages
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 Spanish onion, diced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped OR 1 can 14 ounce whole tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, julienned
  • 2 cups Spanish rice, short to medium grain, like Valencia
  • 1 generous pinch saffron threads
  • 4 1/2 cups warm stock or water
  • 1 pound jumbo shrimp
  • 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
  • Lemon wedges

Spice Mix for chicken:

  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered.

DIRECTIONS

Marinate the chicken for 1 hour and remove from refrigerator.

Heat the oil in a paella pan or wide skillet. Brown the chicken on all sides, when nearly cooked through, add the chorizo links and brown.

Remove the chicken and sausage from the pan. Cut the sausages into slices and set aside. Drain out excess oil but don’t clean the pan.

Sauté the garlic, onion, tomatoes and bell peppers. Cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the rice, stirring to coat the grains.

Add the stock and saffron and simmer for 15-20 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks and absorbs evenly. Do not cover or constantly stir like risotto.

Add the shrimp and the reserved chicken and sausage. Simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, about 10 minutes.

Scatter the peas on top and continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed. Allow to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with lemon wedges.

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