Pesto

I've started a garden for the first time, so I'm having to come up with twelve different ideas and ways to use basil, tomatoes and cucumbers. Life could be worse.

So as I mentioned I'm growing basil and Holy Basil, so I figured this would be a good time to show you how to make simple pesto. Pesto is so great because you can spread it on sandwiches or - like I'm doing - toss it with some pasta.

For this recipe you will need a processor. You could try a blender, but I recommend a processor.

What you need:

4 cups of fresh basil (about 2 bunches)
Maybe try parsley or a cilantro pesto for tacos.

1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts 
I actually substituted walnuts - play around and try your favorite nuts for a flavor you will love. 

1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Again, use Asiago or Pecorino - just be sure to use a hard cheese.

1-2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil 
(Refer back to my post on olive oils.)

salt and pepper

I served mine up with some sautéed chicken.

Simply garnish with some fresh grated cheese, maybe throw some tomatoes in there and call it a meal. 

Thanks for reading. Don't forget I LOVE answering any questions you may have.

The Perfect Meal From a Grill

'Tis the season for grilling, and I have it on my mind!

GRILLED CORN on the COB

1 Stick of butter
1 Garlic clove minced
1 Tbs. fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives)
1.5 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 Cup Parmesan
1/4 Cup of Japanese bread crumbs
4 Ears of corn husked

Turn your grill on medium-high. 
The easiest way I've found is to throw your butter in a heat proof bowl and put it on the grill to melt with garlic, spices and herbs. You'll need a brush.

Brush your corn with olive oil, turn on all sides until all sides are charred and tender. 

Combine Parmesan and bread crumbs.

Remove from grill and brush with your butter mixture. Then roll in your cheese mixture. You can get creative & mess around here, maybe add some pine nuts or crushed up cereal. 

If you don't have a grill, roast it under your broiler.

RIBS with homemade sweet and spicy sauce.

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup smoked paprika
2 Tbs cayenne pepper (or 1 Tbs crushed red pepper)
2 Tbs garlic powder
3 Tbs salt 
2 Tbs cumin
* Don't feel totally confined to this list of spices, feel free to mess around with the spiciness or substitute some.
2 St.  Louis style pork ribs or baby back (3-4 lbs)
1/2 stick butter
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine your dry ingredients to make a dry rub. 

Reserve 1/4 cup of mixture for later. Then PAT DRY your ribs with paper towels and rub with remaining mixture. Be sure to really massage and get the rub everywhere. 

Wrap each rack in tin foil crimping the edges to seal. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and in preheated oven. You want your meat to be fork tender but not completely falling off the bone, 2-3 hours. 

You'll notice a lot of liquid on the bottom of your sheet pan, drain off into a container. Let the juices settle so the fat surfaces and you can skim it off. 

Then add the juices from the ribs and the spice mixture, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until a good basting consistency. Make sure your butter is cold and MONTER AU BEURRE your butter into the sauce (using a whisk gradually add your butter) then add vinegar and season.

** Au Beurre is a french expression that means "with butter". So Monter au beurre means "to mount with butter". It's done as a finishing touch on a sauce to give it a richer flavor and feel.**

Char your ribs on your hot oiled grill and baste with sauce for 5-10 minutes.
Be sure to let your meat rest (ALWAYS let your meat rest) for 5 minutes then slice between the ribs.

For my next post look for a chilled green bean salad, a great side in the summer.

Flank Steak with Chimichurri

To all my followers, I've decided to get on a more regular schedule of posting, so look for new posts on MONDAYS (and maybe a few more if I'm feeling inspired, but definitely Mondays). Thank you for continuing to follow and enjoy my blog, I do apologize for my long absence.

Since I just shared about indoor grilling, what better way to follow that than with a marinaded flank steak and a chimichurri sauce. Chimichurri is a great sauce for grilled items, like steak, with its bold flavors of fresh herbs and garlic. 

Chimichurri:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced

1 shallot finely chopped

1.2 cups fresh cilantro with stems pick out

1 cup fresh parsley (flat leaf preferred) 

1/3 cup fresh oregano

3/4-1 cup EVO (refer back to my post of Olive oils)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (more or less depending on you level of spice)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all your ingredients except your olive oil in a food processor, while it's running gradually add your oil. Done! 

With the flank steak it is best to marinade (which is a form of tenderizing). You can can go any direction with your marinade, just keep these things in mind when making a marinade:

Salt is essential - it penetrates and goes deeper than the outer surface. Soy sauce is a common form of salt.

Sugar, when used in moderation, will help the meat brown better on the grill, creating strong smoky, charred flavors.

Aromatics are mainly a surface treatment, but they can still be quite powerful. Garlic, shallots, dried spices, herbs, or chilis are all good things to experiment with.

Oil is often a primary ingredient in marinades and helps spread flavors evenly across the surface of the meat, as well as lubricating the meat.

Acid can denature proteins in the meat so use sparingly. With very acidic marinades, it's particularly important to not over marinade or it will get grey and mushy overtime. Vinegar or lemon juice are common acids in marinades.

For Flank steak, ideally you want to marinade 4-8 hours, you don't want to marinade too long or it could change the texture of the meat.  

The secret to a tender flank steak is to cut AGAINST the grain. Flank steak is a great piece of meat to start learning how to cut against the grain. Watch this helpful video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRdX4U6hNLY

Thanks for reading, don't forget to comment with what you've been cooking and any questions you have. 



Mcnackskitchen. (2013, April 8) Cutting against the grain on a bias. [Video File] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRdX4U6hNLY

How to grill inside

A dear friend of mine asked for some ways to "grill" without a grill. I am going to give you a few tips and ideas for "grilling" inside.

First, you will want to invest in a cast iron grill pan - an investment that you will not regret. You can get a pretty good cast iron pan for $35. They are great for quick recipes, but don't really achieve that smokey taste people love.

You may hear people say to "season" your cast iron but what does that mean? You don't ever want to use soap on your cast iron, you simply use 1 TBS of salt (not the real fine stuff but the gritty kind) and scrub/work it into the cast iron. Works like a charm. Depending on how bad it is, you may want to use a steal wool. If you just bought a cast iron pan, simply coat with oil and place upside down in a 325 degree oven, use tinfoil or pan to catch the drippings.

So now that you have your grill pan, you can either get it piping hot on the stove top and grill as usual or you can rediscover your broiler. Think of your broiler as an upside-down grill. Even though you won't get those pretty grill marks or the smoky flavor you'd get from charcoal, you can get a pretty good char. Set your oven rack about 6 to 10 inches from the broiler and use your grill pan, or a pan with ridges, so that the fat is able to run down. As you are cooking you want to check your food frequently so it doesn't burn. After about 4 to 6 minutes pull your steak, pork chop or lamb (whatever you're cooking up) and flip it, then cook for 4 to 6 more minutes for medium rare. One big problem I see with home cooks is constantly wanting to turn and mess with your food to see if it's done - don't do that! Simply trust the clock, and turn it when it says you should. 

So thirdly, I would suggest using smoked spices. For example, hickory smoked salt - which I love - can be found at whole foods, or even online. It's easy to achieve smokiness with spices, so drizzle your fish or vegetables with chili infused olive oil, or smoked paprika. You could even make your own blend with dried chipotle chilies. If you do use liquid smoke be careful not to get carried away, too much and your food will taste like an ashtray. 

Be sure to throw some garlic and fresh herbs on the grill with whatever you're cooking - you could even infuse olive oil with some smoked salt, herbs and garlic and brush it down as you cook. 

Best of luck, let me know what you've been cooking up! 

To-ma-to, To-mah-to!

My tomato plants are growing so fast and it couldn't be fast enough. I love Spring, gardens, flowers, farmers markets with fresh fruit and vegetables! So vibrant in color it's hard to know where to start - it's all so magical! Tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors - it's hard not to get excited about them. 

First lets learn a culinary term today - concasse, refers to a tomato that has been peeled, seeded and roughly chopped. 

Get some water boiling and an ice bath ready (this is crucial when it comes to cooking vegetables, you want to be able to plunge your hot vegetables into an ice bath to stop the cooking)

Reasons behind concasse is that sometimes seeds can create a bitter taste and the skin can be tough and not appetizing. I've been that girl that pulls skin from my mouth like a fatty piece of meat, not attractive.

So first score the bottom of your tomato with a small knife in the shape of an X, not too deep. 
Place in boiling water for about 30 seconds (depending on size, but really no more than 30 seconds otherwise mush happens).

Then plunge into ice bath to cool.

The skin should peel off easily at this point. Cut the tomato in half and squeeze the seeds out and roughly chop.

I want to show you how versatile and unique tomatoes can be with some recipe ideas.

Stuffed cherry tomatoes

18 Large cherry tomatoes (try and get a variety of color
1-2 TBS pine nuts
3 TBS EVO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 Zucchini cut 1/4in diced, seeds removed
Garlic crushed
Thyme chopped fine
1 cup basil leaves
Salt and pepper

Concasse your tomatoes, then remove 1/4in from the top after removing the skin.

Scoop out the insides (this might be a little tedious, I suggest using a melon scoop).

Toast pine nuts (I always toast any nut that I cook with because by toasting them you are releasing their natural oils that otherwise you wouldn't. Don't be afraid to get some color on them).

Saute zucchini, garlic and thyme. I suggest using butter here (be creative here, substitute sausage, or nice chunks of sourdough bread). Set aside.

Then combine basil, pine nuts, and EVO in a blender (maybe add some Parmesan cheese here).

Toss with your zucchini mix, season with salt and pepper, and fill your tomatoes, then set aside.

Tomato Dressing

3 Heirloom tomatoes chopped 
2 TBS EVO
1Tsp cornstarch mixed with a dash of water (the consistency should be like half 'n' half, you just made a Slurry).
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper

Cook for one hour in a double broiler allowing the tomatoes to break down, then strain, saving the pulp.

Bring the tomato juice to a simmer and thicken with your slurry. Then puree with the tomato pulp, salt and pepper, and a dash of hot sauce. Maybe throw in some fresh basil or honey if you want it sweet - this is a great dressing base to play with flavors you like. If it's still chunky, you may want to strain it again. Chill.

So here you can build an epic tomato salad.

I would pick up some:
Arugula
Heirloom tomatoes
Ricotta salata (or a nice Parmesan)
Sherry vinaigrette/EVO
If you can find some micro basil it adds such  nice finishing touch.

Slice your heirloom tomatoes to a nice thickness, season with salt and pepper. I suggest letting them drain on paper towels so that they don't bleed all over your plate. 

Dress your tomatoes  and arugula with oil and vinegar (maybe some shallots and garlic and fresh herbs).

Arrange on a platter or plate top with your stuffed tomatoes, arugula, dressing, and cheese. Enjoy this lovely fresh vibrant salad, great for appetizers too!

The possibilities are endless - tomato pie, homemade salsa, bruschetta, or just simply toss them on the grill and enjoy. Come back and we will discuss Gazpacho!

Happy Spring! What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?

Cooking with Wine the DOs and DONTs

Cooking with wine is a great way of adding flavor that chicken stock or other liquids can't achieve. People have tons of opinions on this matter - some I agree with, others I don't. But like I always say, it's about preference and knowing your ingredients, it's the same with wine.

First, what is the difference between cooking sherry and sherry?

So, sherry is a fortified wine. Just think for a minute how much sherry could enhance a simple soup, stew or sautéed dish. Not only is it a wine, but it's fortified with whiskey or brandy. Just like wine there are different variations to sherry, I will just discuss two that I recommend for cooking with. If this is something that interests you, you will discover the vast differences and variations, and how this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Amontillado wine has a salty taste, tends to be a little nuttier, and goes well with cheese and fresh greens, like arugula and spiced nuts. I think it tends to go better with lighter meats, like chicken or duck. 

Oloroso is more on the spicy side, full bodied and aromatic lending itself to go well with strong bold dishes, like braised beef and a pungent blue cheese.

Cooking sherry appeals to the woman who doesn't want to spend $10-20 dollars (depending on the type of sherry) and is attracted to being able to screw the lid back on and it keep for seemingly forever (or until next time). If you aren't going to drink sherry and your sole purpose is for cooking, then by all means buy a bottle of real sherry and keep it the fridge, the added alcohol will help keep your sherry longer than most people think. The flavor won't be optimal but its better than buying cooking sherry.

The reasons I don't like "cooking sherry" is that is it just not comparable. Its flavor profile can change your dish for the worse. Cooking sherry is a thin, cheap, watered down wine that has food coloring and salt added to extend the shelf life.

What kind of wine is best for cooking?

You will hear people say, "Don't cook with wine that you wouldn't want to drink." I don't think this is necessarily true - now don"t misinterpret that as a suggestion to buy a $3.99 bottle of wine and think it will taste good in your dish.

You will also hear them say, "Don't cook with old wine." I don't think that is necessarily true either. OF COURSE newly opened wine would be better for freshness of your dish but dont throw away wine that isn't good to drink, simply cork it and refrigerate to keep longer. Plus, after cooking that acidic, "old" taste will be so subtle you won't even notice. 

I'll be honest, I think boxed wine it the best bang for your buck for cooking, you don"t have to fret over tannins and acidity (too much) and you aren't worried about it going bad as quickly as a bottle would. 

So here are a few rules i like to follow.

Rule number one: Don't panic and fret over which wine to choose, I promise you'll be fine!

When picking out a red wine to cook with, it's usually safest to go with a Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, if your recipe calls for a dry red wine, think about what your cooking and the heartiness of it - are you simmering a leg of lamb or sautéing a veal chop? Then you need something with enough body and boldness to pull out the flavors of your meat, so think more along the lines of Petite Syrah. 

A lighter dish like, oh maybe coq au vin, goes well with a chianti. A chianti can range from light to full body, but is usually a dry wine with flavors like tart cherry and is very fruit forward (as a general rule, this isn't ALWAYS true). 

With white wines, I tend to lean more towards Sauvignon Blanc or a buttery Chardonnay. I usually avoid cooking with Reisling because it is sweet, but again if you are poaching pears than maybe you want a sweeter wine.

I hope this gives you more confidence in cooking with wine, and again, like I always say, play around with flavor profiles and you will learn to enjoy picking out a wine to cook with instead of that swelling feeling of anxiety. 

Ask question! Share what you have been cooking this week!

Brussel Sprouts baby

I am a brussel sprout lover and you will be too after these easy recipes. 

Let's jump right in and play around with some different ways to prepare brussel sprouts (oh and we will have non brussel sprout lovers asking how they ever lived without them).

This recipe is so simple and so delicious.

What you will need:
About 1 pound of Brussel sprouts 
(Ok, side note here, please feel the freedom to change the amounts up, with cooking it's not an exact science, if you think it needs more bacon then add more bacon. That is what is so great -you get to explore; just use these measurements as a guideline).

6-8 slices of bacon cut into lardons (remember my trick to toss your bacon in the freezer and then simply cut your bacon into thin strips).

1 Onion

1 Garlic clove chopped 

Butter/ oil for browning 

Salt and pepper 

Start by cleaning your brussel sprouts. Using a pairing knife, trim the root end and then cut the brussel sprouts in half. At this point, the outer layers will easily come off. 

Render your bacon (we talked about this as well in my last post).

Strain off some of the fat, saving for later, but leave a fair amount in the pan. Use your judgement - you may not need to strain off any depending on the bacon you used. 

Remove the rendered bacon from the pan.

I went ahead and posted this short video on how to cut an onion so you can know the different ways - trust me this will change your world in the kitchen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQZtCVkypAo

For this recipe, I like to cut my onion Julianne (thin strips - the first example he showed in the video without the root).

Turn your heat up. Using the same pan you have been using, add some fat to the pan. Add your onion to the bacon grease and don't stir them for a good 5 minutes, then give them a stir.

Turn your heat down, then add your garlic. 
Once the onions are caramelized how you would like them, add them to your bacon.

Now, get the same pan (trust me) really hot. Add your brussel sprouts cut side down if at all possible. The pan should sizzle when you add them. Don't stir - let them get caramelized then flip. You may need to do these in batches. 

Here is where it comes down to you and your preferences. Ff your brussel sprouts are small and you let them sear in the pan long enough you may not need to cook them longer. If they are bigger, you will need to toss them in the oven for a bit to cook them through. Use your best judgment.

Easy, right?

The best part is once you've perfected them, you get to change things up - toss in some fresh lemon juice or vinegar, or bake them with fresh Parmesan cheese, maybe some fresh herbs. 

The second way I like to cook brussel sprouts is to shave them and make into a salad almost. 

For this you will need a mandolin, or a food processor to shave them thin. 

What you need:

2 pounds of brussel sprouts shaved.

Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes.

For the dressing:

1/2 to 1 Tbs minced or grated ginger

1 Shallot minced 

1 Garlic clove minced

1/2 cup orange juice

1 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil 

1/2 cup olive oil 

1 Tbs honey

Heat oil in a saucepan and add your garlic, ginger, and shallot. 
Sauté them without getting a lot of color on them, then add everything except your oil. 
Simmer, then gradually whisk in your oil. 

Toss your brussels in the dressing and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and maybe cilantro, if you like. 

Let me know how those turn out and which one is the bigger hit! 

Youtube. (2012, April 26). How to Chop an Onion with Jamie Oliver. [video file] retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+cut+an+onion