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Showing posts from December, 2018

Sole Meuniere

I've been a little mesmerized recently by Julia Child's French Cooking. This is the dish that made her fall in love with French cooking. As I came across this simple recipe online, I realized it's quite similar to the fish my Mama Tica used to make me in Costa Rica. The difference is - this fish emphasizes butter, butter, and yes, butter. *edit - I made this the other night with tilapia and it still turned out well! I think you can use any white, mild tasting fish. This recipe takes less than 10-15 minutes to make and is extremely elegant. Perfect for a weeknight meal! Ingredients - all purpose flour - boneless sole or other thin fish fillets, patted dry - kosher salt (to taste) - fresh ground black pepper - butter - 4 tablespoons minced parsley - 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving 1. Heat oven to 200 degrees and place large baking sheet inside 2. Place flour onto large, shallow plate. Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Dred

Shrimp Scampi

This is a VERY easy recipe to make for those busy week nights and also requires minimal prep and ingredients! This recipe is very simple to follow, no need to even follow the measurements. Stumbled upon this NYT Shrimp Scampi recipe and it's a keeper! INGREDIENTS 2   tablespoons  butter 2   tablespoons extra-virgin  olive oil 4   garlic  cloves, minced ½   cup  dry white wine  or broth ¾   teaspoon kosher  salt , or to taste ⅛   teaspoon crushed  red pepper flakes , or to taste   Freshly ground  black pepper 1 ¾   pounds large or extra-large  shrimp , shell on (preferably)  ⅓   cup chopped  parsley (or grind)  OPTIONAL:    Freshly squeezed juice of half a  lemon   Cooked  pasta  or crusty bread PREPARATION 1. In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine or broth, salt, red pepper flakes and plenty of black pepper and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes.  ** I actual

Sage and Sausage Stuffing

I didn't go home for Thanksgiving this year. Instead, my friends met me Chicago and we created our own Thanksgiving meal. My friend got this recipe from a cookbook and we decided to make it. The verdict? A win! A recipe I will add to the cookbook.  Serves 10-12 people Ingredients - 2.5 lbs (about 2 loaves) high quality sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread, cut into 3/4 inch dice (about 5 quarts) - 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter - 1.5 pounds sage sausage, removed from casings (I used Italian sausage)  - 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups) - 4 large celery stalks, finely chopped (about 2 cups) - 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons)  - 3/4 cup minced fresh sage (or 2 teaspoons dried sage) - 4 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken or turkey stock - 3 large eggs - 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley - kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1. Adjust oven racks to lower- and upper-midd

Seared Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme

A quick and simple way to use up leftover mushrooms in your fridge. An instant side dish to supplement any elegant meal, or in my case - pasta with canned vodka sauce The trick to browning mushrooms is not to overcrowd the mushrooms! A tip I learned from reading about Julia Child's work. And a little patience goes a long way in searing. Time: 10 minutes Ingredients - 2 tablespoons olive oil - 12 ounce mushrooms (such as maitake, oyster, and/or king trumpet) cut into large pieces - kosher salt - freshly ground pepper - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces - 2 springs thyme - 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1. Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in single layer and cook, undisturbed , until bottom side is golden brown (about 3 minutes). 2. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Toss mushrooms, continue to cook, tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid scorching, until golden brown all