One of the best things that has happened for me through LivingTastefully's Passions to Pastry is the people I have come in contact with and the friendships that have developed. One of those I now consider a friend is fellow Francophile Stacey of Stacey Snacks. Can't decide what to make for dinner tonight? Go to Stacey Snacks for inspiration. There's a new recipe posted almost daily, and it's always the kind of food I like to eat!
This Cherry Tomato & Corn Clafoutis is from one of Stacey's recent posts. I made if for dinner last night (I finally have some cherry tomatoes to work with -- no thanks to my French Bulldog Pipi who finds the ripe tomatoes before I do!), and my family loved it! The only change I made to the recipe was to add just a few more tomatoes. I served it alongside a dry-rubbed, grilled salmon and a salad of greens, roasted beets from my garden, toasted walnuts, and fresh goat cheese -- all tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette.
I'll send you to Stacey's post for the recipe. And please, if you haven't been to Stacey Snacks before, take some time to look around. Enjoy!
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During the summer I grill a lot of meat and fish, and serve them with fresh salsas. Since my tomatoes up until now have been slim-pickings, I made Pineapple Salsa to spoon over pieces of grilled salmon with a dry spice rub.
PINEAPPLE SALSA
• 1 pineapple, flesh cubed into small chunks
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• red onion, small dice
• jalapeno pepper, small dice
• juice of 1 lime
• pinch of kosher salt
• cilantro, leaves chopped
1. Combine ingredients. Amounts of each are up to you.
SALMON SPICE RUB
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1. Mix together spice rub mixture. Rub into salmon fillet pieces. (Remaining spice mix can be kept in an airtight jar or zip-lock bag for a later time later use.) Arrange fish on a plate in one layer and chill fish, covered, for 2 hours.
2. Grill salmon and smother in fresh pineapple salsa. ENJOY!
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Inundated with green beans today, I decided to make Tuna, Green Bean, and Potato Salad. (Text below originally posted May 2009. Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)
What a great salad this is! I will be making it often this summer when the green beans from my garden are ready. Be sure to use tuna that is canned in olive oil. Also, the recipe calls for orzo, but I substituted Acini Di Pepe. It's a tiny, tiny, tubular pasta. If you can find it (I purchased the DaVinci brand), use it in this recipe.
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pounds thin green beans, halved
• 2 large Red Bliss potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup Acini Di Pepe, or orzo
• Two 4.5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the beans to a colander. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the colander. Add the Acini Di Pepe to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain well.
3. Add the green beans, potatoes and pasta to the dressing and toss gently to coat. Fold in the tuna, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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• + • + • + • + •
My ANTIQUE-of-the-WEEK sister Susan flew into town to host a bridal shower for my daughter. I made the food...
My daughter was greeted with congratulatory kisses by the guests.
Appetizers were served on the deck.
The table for dining was set up on the patio and crowned with a canopy to protect the guests from the slight possibility of rain.
A beautiful day spent with wonderful friends!
The main course was a salad of chicken, wild rice, and watercress with a tarragon vinaigrette. I have been making it for years with no recollection of where I found the recipe.
:: Chicken with Wild Rice and Watercress
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• Salt
• 3 cups diced, poached chicken
• 1 cup watercress leaves
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup toasted, blanched almonds
TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Rinse the rice under cold water. Place in a saucepan of salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 25 to 35 minutes. Rinse the rice under cold water and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, watercress, green onion, and diced celery, mixing gently. When ready to serve, top with the toasted almonds.
TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE
Slowly whisk the oil into the vinegar. Stir in the tarragon, salt, and pepper. Pour a small amount of the vinaigrette over the chicken salad and mix gently. Add additional vinaigrette until the salad is evenly coated. You will probably not need all of the vinaigrette.
SERVE THE SALAD SLIGHTLY CHILLED
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Coleslaw is a seasonal thing for me. I'm not exactly sure why that's the case, but I only make it in the months of spring and summer. If I'm craving coleslaw, this is the recipe I use...
:: Coleslaw
recipe from Grilling by Louise Pickford
• 8 ounces white cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 6 ounces carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Place the cabbage, carrots, and onion in a colander. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and vinegar and stir the mixture well. Set the colander over a bowl to drain for 30 minutes
2. Using your hands, squeeze all the moisture you can out of the cabbage mixture. Transfer to a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, cream and mustard. Stir this into the cabbage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving time.
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I had never eaten fish tacos until a trip to Healdsburg, California, a little over a year ago. Yes, I know... it's hard to believe (should I even admit to it?). My daughter and I found a little Mexican restaurant right in the heart of Healdsburg where we ended up for lunch every day of our stay in that sweet town.
Now, whenever I'm at a restaurant that has fish tacos on the menu, I will most likely try them. None, however, seem to hold a candle to the tacos I ate in Healdsburg, forcing me to start making my own. This was my latest attempt. My family loved them and I thought they were pretty darn good.
Fish Tacos
+ an adapted recipe from Simply Recipes +
• 1 pound fish fillets (recipe recommends hailbut -- I used tilapia)
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
* 12 corn tortillas (3 per person)
• Salsa (I used a purchased Mango Salsa)
• 2 ripe avocados
• Red cabbage, thinly sliced -- about 3 cups
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Salt
• Diced tomatoes
• Lime wedges
1. In a bowl, combine cabbage and vinegar. Add salt to taste, approximately 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon. Slice or cubes avocados; drizzle with lime juice and set aside.
2. To warm corn tortillas: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a tortilla and heat until air pockets form; flip tortilla and heat the other side. Remove onto a plate and quickly fold tortilla. Repeat with the other tortillas.
3. Salt and pepper the fish. Heat some olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook until just cooked through. Do not over-cook.
4. Assemble tacos with cabbage, avocados, salsa, fish, dice tomatoes, and a squeeze of lime juice.
SERVES 4
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So simple, so basic, and so good. Pieces of bread spread with salty French butter, thin slices of crisp, spring radishes, a sprinkling of Fleur de Sel. This is what I've been making lately -- more radish seeds have just been sown.
A late day appetizer with a frosty glass of rhubarb slush -- or pretend you're in the south of France and pour a glass of Rosé.
I was fortunate to receive a gift of French salted butter -- picked up for me by a stewardess-friend on her international flights to Paris. I have been very judicious in its use. It resides in my freezer and is only pulled for something special, like a baguette with radishes and fleur de sel!
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Back in the 70's when I lived in Missouri while attending the Kansas City Art Institute, followed by two years in New Jersey where my husband took a job just outside of NYC, and finally the past 26 years in St. Paul, Minnesota, I have been visited almost every year by Renate -- a childhood friend from my hometown of Amana, Iowa. I look forward to these reunions. Not only do I get to see Renate and hear about what she's been doing lately, but also because I take a break from the every day -- which means I get out of my kitchen. During a visit in April, Renate and I spent a morning at an antiques flea market and an afternoon at a craft fair. We also spent a lot of our time dining out at different restaurants in different parts of the Twin Cities. In fact, we stopped at a local "French Bistro" three times -- one time eating dinner at the bar, another time lunch in the dining room, and the third for appetizers and drinks on the patio. On one visit we both had a bowl of French Onion Soup, which led me to ask... Why don't I make this more often? When Renate returned home and I was again spending the days in my kitchen, the first thing I made was a big pot of French Onion Soup. And for the recipe, I turned to Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, of course.
Another Paris Moment, I'd have to say...
Recipe from Julia Child | Mastering The Art of French Cooking
"The onions for an onion soup need a long slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2 1/2 hours at least from start to finish." J.C.
FOR 6 to 8 SERVINGS
• 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced yellow onions
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• A heavy-bottomed, 4-quart covered saucepan
Cook the onions slowly with the butter and oil in the covered saucepan for 15 minutes.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar (it helps the onions to brown)
Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes stirring frequently, until onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown.
• 3 tablespoons flour
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes.
• 2 quarts boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of boiling water and 1 quart of stock of bouillon.
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• Salt and pepper to taste
Off the heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine, and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct the seasoning.
Set aside onion soup, uncovered, until ready to serve. Then reheat to the simmer.
• 3 tablespoons cognac
• Rounds of hard-toasted French bread, spread on one side with grated cheese and sprinkled with drops of olive oil. Browned under a hot broiler before serving.
• 1 to 2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese
Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour into soup cups over the round of bread, and pass the grated cheese.
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I didn't like asparagus as a child. How could that be??? But things have changed, and I love it now. One of my favorite ways to eat asparagus is to drizzle with a balsamic vinaigrette and top with big shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano (get recipe HERE).
Another simple preparation of asparagus that I eat often is... 1. Trim a bunch of asparagus and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet with 1-inch sides. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the middle rack of a 375˚F preheated oven. Roast asparagus, turning occasionally, until done. The time can vary depending upon the thickness of the stalks. Watch closely. It usually takes about 10 minutes. 2. While the asparagus are roasting, either poach or fry eggs. (I like a runny yolk.) 3. After pulling asparagus from the oven, sprinkle asparagus and eggs with sea salt or fleur de sel and serve with some good, crusty bread.
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I'm taking a break from grapefruit (but I'm sure it won't be for long). Right now the "it" food in my kitchen is beets. I would NEVER eat beets as a child when my mother made them. But fortunately my tastes have changed. Now beets are one of my favorite root vegetables. I used to limit my use of beets to the summer months when I have them growing in my own vegetable garden... but not anymore. I buy them frequently, roast them, and have them on hand for salads and tarts year-round.
Beet Tart with Walnut and Black Pepper Crust
• 4 medium sized beets, roasted
• Walnut and Black Pepper tart crust, recipe below
• 4 ounces blue cheese
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• mixed spring lettuces
TO MAKE THE TART: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Place the dough-lined tart pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Crumble all of the blue cheese and 4 ounces of the goat cheese evenly over the crust, drizzle with the heavy cream, and return to the oven. Bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with sliced and cubed roasted beets. Crumble remaining 2 ounces goat cheese on top of the beets. Make a vinaigrette of red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss with the spring lettuces and serve alongside the beet tart.
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
• 1 3/4 cup pastry flour
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 4 tablespoons ice water
1. Place flour, walnuts, peppercorns, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the walnuts are finely ground.
2. Add the butter and pulse until the size of small peas. Slowly drizzle in the ice water while pulsing, until the dough just starts to come together. Wrap the dough in plastic and press into a disc. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.
3. Place the dough between lightly floured sheets of waxed paper and roll to a 1/8-inch thickness. (This is very delicate dough. You may want to chill the rolled dough briefly before turning it into the tart pan.) Line a 9-inch round tart pan with the pastry dough and trim the edges. If there are breaks in the dough, simply patch with the left-over scraps. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and place in the freezer until ready to bake.
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