To Catch a Cook

Pan Roasted Branzino Best way I’ve found to get good at a...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:07:27 -0400

Best way I’ve found to get good at a recipe is to practice. Here’s my 2nd attempt at a branzino recipe I made just a few weeks back (here’s attempt #1). This time used some fresh oregano instead of rosemary. As a side, I roasted some diced potatoes for about 25 minutes. You can use the same oven temp as the fish - just get the potatoes in while you’re prepping the fish and they’ll be done about the same time. After the fish came out of the oven I used the same pan to wilt spinach with dried cranberries tossed in for flavor. What’s the verdict of this 2nd attempt? It’s hard to be to prescriptive since it was delicious both times!

Tomato Gazpacho It’s a warm early spring day here in NYC,...

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:18:00 -0400

Tomato Gazpacho

It’s a warm early spring day here in NYC, and I’ve been craving gazpacho. This recipe worked great. Since tomatoes still aren’t at their peak I followed the recipe’s advice and used canned fire roasted tomatoes. I also roasted my own red pepper, which gave a great bright red color to the soup. Finally, I had some nice mango salsa sitting in my fridge that added a great hot / sweet flavor. I saved a little bit of the chopped veggie mixture (along with some chopped avocado) for garnish. The soup went great with some black bean and cheddar nachos on the side.

Spicy Thai Shrimp with Cucumber Raita Red Thai chili paste made...

Thu, 09 May 2013 20:46:47 -0400

Spicy Thai Shrimp with Cucumber Raita

Red Thai chili paste made these shrimp very spicy! Next time I might try mixing in some tomato paste just to get a good coating on the shrimp without too much heat. The dish was still pretty tasty, though. And I liked it with the cucumber riata and rice on the side (I added a little vinegar and fish sauce to the rice to amp the flavor). I’d make this one again.

Beef and Sweet Potato Chili Winner, winner, chili dinner: a...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:39:34 -0400

Beef and Sweet Potato Chili

Winner, winner, chili dinner: a delicious, quick weeknight dinner that’s also great for leftovers. I got home from work just in time to get this prepped and on the stove in advance of a late work call (we’ve been trying to coordinate with co-workers in Hong Kong, so there have been a lot of calls at odd hours!). Only substitution was using ground beef instead of ground pork (since that’s what I had on hand). By the time the call was done, the sweet potatoes were tender so we could sit down and eat. Not quite sure if this is what people are referring to when they talk about “work / life balance,” but I suppose it works for now!

Pasta with White Beans, Pesto and Sun Dried...

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:31:37 -0400

Pasta with White Beans, Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Here’s another good, quick, weeknight meal. I used some ramp pesto that was leftover from the Pasta with Fiddleheads that I made a few nights ago. Serve over cavatappi pasta with a good bottle of Italian wine, and you can’t go wrong.

Pasta Paella with Clams and Spicy Sausage I’ve tried...

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:20:42 -0400

Pasta Paella with Clams and Spicy Sausage

I’ve tried several recipes recently that feature the awesome combination of littleneck clams and Italian sausage (see my last post for steamed clams with spicy sausage here). So far, this is my favorite! You start of by toasting your noodles (vermicelli if you’ve got it, spaghetti if you don’t). I used canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of plum tomatoes. The zucchini was a nice touch. Oh, and the recipe calls for just 12 clams to feed two people, but I don’t like to skimp, so I added a dozen clams to each bowl (half in shells and half without). I’d definitely make this dish again.

Derby Day 2013 Our annual Kentucky Derby party has become a...

Sat, 04 May 2013 22:54:00 -0400

Derby Day 2013

Our annual Kentucky Derby party has become a favorite tradition for me, my husband and our friends. I keep the food simple: deviled eggs, benedictine dip with crudites, tea sandwiches, fresh strawberries, chips with salsa, and a mint julep bar (of course!). For the tea sandwiches I sauteed green onions in butter and folded that into softened goat cheese. Then I spread the goat cheese on both sides of bread, add a layer of sliced radishes in between, and cut into crust-less triangles. For the benedictine dip, I actually skip the traditional cucumber and use a package of grated tomatillos - I did this on a whim last year when the Derby fell on Cinco de Mayo, and it was so tasty that I’m going to keep doing it! I still need to work on peeling my hard boiled eggs (this is the most time consuming bit of the whole spread!), but other than that I think this party is almost perfected. Oh, and I also need to work on my horse picking skills (I had Orb to win, but lost to my friend Ted in the tie-breaker with my second place pick of Itsmyluckday, who came in 15th!).

Black Bean Soup Here’s a rif on my go-to black bean soup...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:01:14 -0400

Black Bean Soup

Here’s a rif on my go-to black bean soup recipe. I had some time on my hands, so I mothered the ingredients a bit. I roasted and chopped the red pepper and sauteed the onion and jalapeno before tossing all the ingredients in a crock pot. Towards the end I added some diced ham that I’d saved and frozen from Easter dinner and served the soup over rice. The basic recipe is great, but these extra steps helped with the depth of flavor and made for a tasty Saturday dinner.

Grilled Goat Cheese Panini I made these lovely...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 13:01:03 -0400

Grilled Goat Cheese Panini

I made these lovely little sandwiches for lunch today. Didn’t follow a recipe, but it all came together pretty intuitively. I sauteed some green onions in olive oil and then folded the warm onions into some goat cheese. I spread the goat cheese on bread that I’d buttered on the outside, and then added some strips of roasted red pepper. I used a grill pan to toast the sandwiches and then added arugula before slicing diagonally and serving with green olives.

Pasta with Fiddle Heads, Ramp Pesto and Avocado Cream...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:01:20 -0400

Pasta with Fiddle Heads, Ramp Pesto and Avocado Cream Sauce

Ramps and fiddle heads are both in season now. It’s spring on a plate! The ramps added a great tang to the pesto. And I’d never heard of an avocado cream sauce before, but it actually worked out (avocados just melted into into the butter and milk). It’s hard to add this to the “regular rotation” since ingredients aren’t available for long, but this was a fun spring recipe to try.

Asparagus with Eggs I forgot to snap a picture before plating,...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 20:01:41 -0400

Asparagus with Eggs

I forgot to snap a picture before plating, but this dish is a great “one skillet” meal. You broil the asparagus an onions in the pan and then push them to the side and crack 4 eggs in the middle. Another minute under the broiler and dinner is ready. I served the dish over polenta and dressed with lemon juice and grated parmesan.

Quinoa and Mushroom Soup A tasty and inexpensive weeknight meal....

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:01:40 -0400

Quinoa and Mushroom Soup

A tasty and inexpensive weeknight meal. Quinoa is a complete protein in and of itself, but added some toasted walnuts and goat cheese for garnish anyway. Oh, and the garlic cheesy bread made a nice side, too!

Thai Style Fried Rice So I’ve been trying to find a way to...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:59:32 -0400

Thai Style Fried Rice

So I’ve been trying to find a way to use these thin little cutlets of pork that are sold by Flying Pigs Farm and delivered by FreshDirect (my last attempt was this tasty little recipe for Sage Seared Pork Cutlets). I must say, this Thai Style Fried Rice recipe is a winner. The fish sauce, lime, and green chilies give the dish a beautiful salty, tangy flavor. Cucumber is a great contrast to the meaty bits of pork. I just finished eating, but I’m already craving it again!

Fish Tacos Tacos are a weeknight standard in my house. This...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:49:25 -0400

Fish Tacos

Tacos are a weeknight standard in my house. This time around I decided cook fish tacos rather than our regular veggie or beef. I used some flounder that was on sale, though in hindsight I probably should have gone with a firmer fish. I cut the flounder into strips, and you can see it breaking-up a bit in the photo above. Still tasted delicious, and the cabbage slaw with red onions (I used shallots) and cilantro worked great with the fish. I served the tacos with plain yogurt (a good substitute for sour cream) and salsa.

Pan Roasted Branzino I always forget how much I like Branzino...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:01:48 -0400

Pan Roasted Branzino

I always forget how much I like Branzino until I try it again. It’s easy to prepare - just some sliced lemons, rosemary, butter and salt inside the fish. I made this a one-pan meal by charring some sliced cubanelle peppers in a cast iron pan. Peppers came out and fish went in. I seared my fish in a hot skillet and then roasted at 425 for 10 minutes. The peppers were tossed with feta cheese and I served everything with buttered rice. Fast and tasty.

Israeli Couscous and Snap Peas I’ve made some version of...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:01:19 -0400

Israeli Couscous and Snap Peas

I’ve made some version of this dish a couple of times before. Let’s see…there was the version with fiddleheads and mushrooms, and there was another time with dill snap peas. Sometimes I use feta. Sometimes I use goat cheese. Sometimes I add slivered almonds. All of them have Israeli couscous and some type of vinaigrette dressing. So this is a versatile dish for sure, but always quick, easy and delicious for a spring weeknight dinner.

Stout Braised Short Ribs I prepped this dinner on a Sunday by...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:01:38 -0400

Stout Braised Short Ribs

I prepped this dinner on a Sunday by mixing the spices, rubbing the meat, and chopping the veggies. Then on Monday evening my husband threw everything into a pot. Since he works from home, he could mind the oven without too much trouble. By the time I got home from work the whole apartment smelled delicious. We served the ribs over polenta. Marital cooperation never tasted soooo good.

Green Soup It’s been more than a year since I last made...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:01:22 -0400

Green Soup

It’s been more than a year since I last made this soup, so I figured it was overdue. One tip: this is not one of those soups that gets better the longer it’s cooked. I ended up letting it go a little too long this time and it ended up more “boiled green” than “bright green”. Still tasted fine, but next time I’ll make sure to add the greens late and not overcook.

Flounder with Jalapeno Cream Here’s another dish that I...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:01:30 -0400

Flounder with Jalapeno Cream

Here’s another dish that I absolutely loved the first time I made it, but when I checked my archive I realized it’s been a year and I hadn’t gotten back to it! I made it with fresh grape tomatoes this time - I’d used canned the first time around. And while this fish was tasty, I have to say that canned tomatoes worked just as well - perhaps better since tomatoes aren’t in season. I also remembered it being too hot on my first attempt, so I only used one jalapeno and I actually removed the seeds to moderate the spice, which I think was the right move. Next time I’ll make this with canned diced tomatoes, one jalapeno and no seeds. Practice makes perfect!

Asparagus, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad Rounding off the posts...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:49:15 -0400

Asparagus, Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Rounding off the posts from last Sunday’s Easter Dinner, here’s the photos and recipe for my appetizer course: a beautiful roasted beat salad. The only tricky part was getting the shaved asparagus right. Too thick and it wouldn’t mound properly. Too thin and it just wilted into the dressing. I still need to perfect my technique, but I think this came out pretty well for a first attempt.