Recipes

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

You see food before you eat it...and I love looking at these fancy little squash blossoms. The inside of these squash are meatier than their zucchini or summer squash companion so they don't need to be salted to bring out the moisture, just throw the flesh into the onions as they are browning for the rice mixture and to allow it to get some color, that's where the great flavor comes from. The size of the squash will vary week to week at the market, some being as big as softballs, others smaller like the ones I used. Both are equal in flavor. Enjoy the small veggies as a side dish, or the large ones as an excellent vegetarian main course. Have fun!

 

• 4-6 patty pan squash, depending on size
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 onion chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup roughly chopped spinach
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Use a saute pan with lid that will fit all 4 squash on the bottom. Add about 3" water, lightly salt and bring to a boil. Place squash in boiling water, cover, and allow to cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Once squash is done, remove them gently and set aside. Clean pan. Return pan to stove and heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add onions and cook 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more.

4. Add uncooked rice to skillet and stir to coat, saute for about 30 seconds, add broth and bring to a boil, season. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender.

5. While rice cooks, cut off tops of squash and scoop out inside flesh, careful not to cut through bottom or sides, stir flesh to onion and garlic mixture to slightly brown.

6. When rice is cooked and tender, add 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.  

7. Stuff rice into squash, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.

Recipes

Sunday morning I visited the farmer's market on Ivar and Selma in Hollywood (near Amoeba Records). I am a frequent visitor to this all organic market, I work at a lovely flower shop called My Secret Garden which has a new outpost in Space 15Twenty, nearby. This week I was excited to come across fresh black eyed peas in the shell. Their pods are so interesting, ranging from cheery spring green to a deep cherry brown, some striped or color blocked. While I have never actually cooked them before, I couldn't resist their playful costume, so home they came. I also bought a nice sweet onion, crimini mushrooms, garlic, and some herbs. Turns out, after sniffing around in some cook books, these peas are delicious with ham or pork and I had some bacon on hand, perfect. You can substitute the bacon in this recipe for many things such as diced ham hocks, or prosciutto if you're fancy, (snap). Also, I realize that polenta in tube form does not sound entirely appealing, but it's yummy! Well, it ain't like mama makes it, but a nice find at Trader Joe's or other specialty grocers, so don't shy away. One last note, fried chicken is definitely the best accompaniment to these southern sides, but chicken cutlets sauteed in some olive oil is a lighter week day meal option. Have fun and enjoy!

Pan-seared Chicken Cutlets,

Black Eyed Peas &

Herbed Mushrooms over Polenta

 

  

For chicken: 

• 1 lb chicken breasts
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced 

For black eyed peas:

• 1 1/2-2 lbs of fresh black eyed peas in their shells
• 2 slices thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper

For polenta & herbed mushrooms:

• Slice-able polenta (in tube form) 
• olive oil
• 1 carton crimini mushrooms, sliced 
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 cup sliced basil
• 3 tbsp chopped scallion or chives
• salt & pepper

1. Shell peas and discard pods, set aside. Slice polenta into 1/4 inch rounds, set aside. Trim fat from chicken breasts and place between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound chicken with mallet or small skillet until it is an even 1/4" thickness.
2. In a medium skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, reduce heat to med, and cook until they release their juices, about 10-12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium high heat. Add bacon, cook for 3-4 minutes until edges start to curl. Next add onions, and cook about 2 minutes until beginning to soften. Add peas and toss to coat. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until peas are still firm to the bite, not mushy.
4. In another large skillet, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. gently add polenta rounds to skillet and cook until moist and softened, about 4 minutes per side. Remove polenta and set aside, keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towel, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over med-high heat. Add chicken and saute until juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side. 
5. Toss parsley, basil, and scallions with mushrooms and season with salt and pepper just before serving. Serve mushroom mixture over polenta.

Recipes

          Stuffed Pork Tenderloin 
       with 
      Crispy Kale & Fingerling Potatoes

 

 

For Pork:

• 1 (1-lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots, browned in olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup fig jam (apricot is a good substitute)
• 2 cloves roasted garlic, crushed (recipe to follow)
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For Potatoes: 

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes, peeled
• Salt & pepper to taste

For Kale:

• 1 bunch of Kale, washed and trimmed
• 1 lemon, zested & juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Slice tenderloin lengthwise and open like a butterfly on a flat surface. Place a piece of plastic wrap over top and pound meat until 1/2" thickness. Spread jam on tenderloin, sprinkle with thyme, shallots, and toasted walnuts. Roll up, lengthwise and secure with butcher's string or toothpicks. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and spread top with roasted garlic. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place potatoes in pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften. Drain, set aside.
4. Spread kale on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon zest. Set aside.
5. Heat olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Place pork in pan and brown on all sides. Toss drained potatoes in skillet and coat with pan juices. Place skillet in oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until cooked though. Remove from oven, keep warm and tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Raise oven temp to 425 place prepared kale in oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy. 
7. Slice tenderloin into 1" pieces and serve with roasted potatoes and kale.

Recipes

I really love sweet potatoes, but don't eat them nearly enough. Usually I simply bake them whole in foil as you would a regular tuber, but decided to chop and bake them with vegetable broth and spices. Wow! I was so pleased with the results. The potatoes are so naturally sweet, the celery is a bright touch and soaks up all the yummy dish juices. This meal definitely put a smile on my face. :)

Baked Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

with Steamed French Green Beans

 

• 2-3 large sweet potatoes, cut into a 1/2" dice
• 1 small onion, cut in half and sliced
• 3 celery stalks, cut long-ways into quarters then into 1/4" slices
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and pound to 1/4" thickness
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 dish.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Saute sweet potatoes, onions,  and celery until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Toss veggies in the pan until coated. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer 2 minutes. Veggies will still be a bit hard. Pour into 9x13 dish, set aside and keep warm. 

3. In the same pan, pour 1 tbsp olive oil add garlic and chicken breasts. Brown chicken on both sides, but do not cook all the way through. Place skillet contents on top of sweet potatoes in dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until potatoes are soft, shaking pan half way though.

For Green Beans:

1. Place steamer basket in pot on stove with 1" of water, bring to a boil. Add green beans, cover and steam for 5-6 minutes until bright green and still crisp.

Trainspotting

I have a love affair with trains. The supreme power, the rhythmic sway, the shadowy romance of it all. I can only imagine what the first passengers aboard a steamer in the 1800's must have felt. There were no panes of glass in the windows and planks of wood on which to sit. The dirt and debris of the thick black smoke that coughed out of the regulator pipe was so dense it covered passengers with a layer of soot. But for the first time they witnessed the blues of the sea, the golds of the flatlands, and the purples of the mountains, how exhilarating! Obviously things have changed, but the excitement I feel with every "all aboard!" still warrants the same pioneer feeling.

As a kid I would take the train from Baltimore to Manhattan to take dance classes and see Broadway shows. Taking that New York subway was so intoxicating! Dirty and terrifying, it always seemed to ignite my adoration for the city. The griminess was symbolic of freedom. If I could make it here...you know the rest. Years later, as a bona fide California girl, I yearned to be free of the freeways. The monotony of being solo in a cage, slowly creeping across the infinite web of concrete, felt so...mundane. I decided I was going to employ the Metro line that wove beneath the city streets which was so underutilized, it was almost secret. I was struck by how little traffic there was, the trains were clean and on time, and only $1.25 to ride. What had I been thinking? I rode with the day-workers headed to MacArthur Park and teenage kids skipping school. I made friends with mom's pushing little brown babies to the flower market Downtown and the concert-goers avoiding the $30 parking fees around Staples Center. There were homeless folks, the occasional business person, the ironically adventurous hipsters, hospital workers, people reading scripture to the car, and all the while I did my crosswords, quietly observing and enjoying my time on the train. It wasn't until our time living in Japan that taking the train became less of a lifestyle choice and more of a necessity. That experience changed my life for many reasons, but the whole getting from Point A to Point B thing was an everyday adventure. I planned my routes early in the morning, taking notes and drawing cartoonish maps of my destinations. I tentatively boarded the trains that kept the choreographed chaos of the city in motion. There are unwritten rules and manners associated with riding the train in Tokyo. The first person on the platform is the first to board, and the subsequent line that formed behind said passenger must snake into the car fast because the doors WILL shut on you. I know this from (many) experiences almost losing a purse, or arm, in the jaws of time conservancy. The trains are rigorously kept on time and nothing, not even an extremity, will delay them. Once you actually get in the car, you will be face-to-face, shoulder-to-shoulder, knee-to-knee with strangers who ignore you. I imagine this is ingrained into the culture in order to maintain some semblance of calm amongst the confusion, but let me tell you, it can get anonymously squishy.

My favorite times were riding the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and all the way to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The lightning fast (300+ mph) train feels like you are traveling though time, and often it did appear you warped back in time like when a silent, beautiful Geisha tip-toed past or the bell of an ancient temple was rung symbolizing a prayer was made. I can picture all 15 of us running, sprinting even, through packed stations, my husband carrying our 70 lb suitcase over his head, trying to make the transfer line to the next city. Collapsing into laughter and high-fives if we made it or cursing and searching for beer if we did not. Sometimes people would get left behind, sometimes we waited. One of us always forgot something in the previous city, and all the hostels were predictably impossible to locate. But it was the trains that made all of these amazing things possible. Now I often wonder how we get by without them. Then I get behind the wheel of my dirty, old, beat-up car, start the engine and ease back into traffic.

                           

 

 

 

Recipes

This colorful pasta is such a satisfying summer dish! Feel free to substitute any of the vegetables (and pasta) for the fresh ones you have on hand. I highly recommend investing in a lemon zester, lemon zest truly brightens vegetable dishes and adds a very satisfying acid to the "grounded" taste of broccoli and mushrooms. This dish is also excellent the next day. It's ok to cook too much, you'll have a delicious lunch after all the flavors have a chance to meld overnight. I hope you enjoy this light pasta as much as I do!

Vegetable and Chicken Rigatoni

 

 

• 1 lb pasta of choice (I used rigatoni)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 12 oz fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 pint fresh mushrooms (baby bellas or white), sliced
• 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

1. Cook pasta according to package.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and garlic until cooked through, remove and keep warm.

3. Pour the chicken broth and white wine into same pan, scraping brown bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to light boil and add broccoli and mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Add Artichokes, tomatoes, cook 1 minute. Add chicken, garlic, and cooked pasta. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until heated through and sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper, and toss.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with Parmesan and parsley. Serve warm or at room temp.

Tips & Techniques: Kitchen Essentials

I put together a list of items I like to keep the kitchen stocked with. These are things that make cooking convenient and affords you the chance to experiment with recipes more easily. I usually have recipes already in mind when I hit the market, otherwise I would stand in front of the meat section for an hour, and that can get...cold. So I recommend knowing what cuts of meat, specific veggies, or other perishables you plan on using that week before you arrive. There are of course some specialty items that are not listed such as curry paste, firm tofu, or kimchi that last a good amount of time and are also nice to have on hand. Every kitchen is unique after all (I know I could definitely eat more fruit) but this is simply a guide if you are in need of a pantry update. Feel free to comment things that are always on YOUR shelves!

Recipes

Cilantro-Basil Pesto Pasta 

with Chicken

 

  

For Pesto:

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino

For Chicken & Pasta

• lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 pint baby bella or white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb pasta of choice (I used Fettuccini Regate because it has grooves that catches the pesto nicely)
• Parmesan or pecorino to garnish

For Pesto:

1. Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon, juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend into a paste, scraping sides with spatula. Slowly add olive oil with processor on to make pesto smooth.

For Chicken & Pasta:

1. Heat salted water until boiling, cook pasta according to package.

Meanwhile,

 2. Place chicken between plastic wrap and pound until 1/4" thick. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, and squeeze lemon on breasts. Heat oil in skillet at medium high. Place chicken and mushrooms in skillet and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove and keep warm.

3. Drain pasta when just al dente, reserving about 1 cup of cooking water. Toss pasta in skillet used for chicken (wiped out) and toss with pesto and a little olive oil over low heat. Stir in cooking liquid until pasta is coated. Grate cheese over top. Serve with sliced chicken and mushrooms.

Recipes

Salmon with Dill Sauce,

Spinach and Mushroom Saute,

and Pine Nut Cous Cous 

 

Salmon with Dill Sauce

• 4 (6-oz) Salmon fillets, with or without skin
• 2 tbsp olive oils
• 1 1/2 cups creme fraiche (or sour cream as a sub)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• 3 tbsp finely chopped shallots, slowly sauteed in olive oil until golden brown, about 10 minutes
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon or any white wine-based Dijon is good)
• salt & pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl whisk fresh dill, creme fraiche (or sour cream if using), cooked shallots and Dijon mustard together. Season with pepper and salt to taste, blend well. Let stand for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. 

2. Brush each fillet lightly with olive olive all over, especially on skin (if using).  Rub minced garlic on all fillets. Season well with salt and pepper and sprinkle zest on flesh, set aside.

3. Meanwhile heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, lay salmon, skin side down and reduce heat a bit. Spoon 1/3 of dill sauce over flesh as cooking. Do not move fillets, allow to cook for 6-7 minutes, flip and cook additional 3-4 minutes. Remove salmon from skillet and keep warm.  Reduce heat to low and pour remaining dill sauce in skillet, cook until heated through, about 1 minute and serve over salmon.

Spinach and Mushroom Saute

• 1 pint of white mushrooms, chopped
• 10-oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add garlic, cook less than a minute. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes, add balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes more.
2. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pine Nut Cous Cous

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots (1-2 shallots)
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade, or water
  
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cous cous
• 1/2 cup pine nut, toasted
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 

1. In small skillet toast pine nuts until fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool. 

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots and cook them over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Stir in the couscous, cover the pan, and set aside for 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and parsley and fluff with a fork to combine. Serve hot.

I Love NOLA

New Orleans. Just saying the words makes me think hot, sweaty, sexy, defiant, proud, mischievous. The air feels different here. It hovers, so in the distance the filtered neon lights glow through mist in the most coyly inviting way. You know your a visitor when you're here because the language is meant for natives only. There is a unshakable bond among the New Orleanians. They know their food, their music, and their city is special...unchanged in spirit if not by landscape. They watched their city be swept away and it took a long time, years in some cases, for people to come back. But once the foundations were reestablished, albeit some cracked and eroded, the tentative music began playing again. 

I visited with a native Louisianaian, born and bred in the shadows of the Big Easy. Having lived elsewhere in the recent past, you could tell the city still had it's enchanting affect on him. Here romance has a palpable heartbeat yet the atmosphere is still somewhat unsavory and slightly insidious. Founded by the French, ruled by the Spanish and with the roots of Acadians ("Cajuns" from Canadian Island region of Nova Scotia and all the way down south to Maine) the food and culture that has been maintained is an evolution of artists and heavy on musicians. There wasn't a moment in time during my visit that there wasn't music in the air, whether it the deep throaty song of the tree frogs coming off the marshes or the wail of the saxophone from inside a local venue. New Orleans thumps, it beats, and it never sleeps. I fell in love...