International Night

Well, we were all over the map with this one. It was another chilly night here in the desert, so a big pot of beans was in order. Borracho beans, to be exact. A nice warm piece of Irish Soda Bread complemented the beans nicely, and we rounded out the meal with a hearty Cobb salad.

Enjoy.

Menu:
Drunken (Borracho) Beans
Irish Soda Bread
Cobb Salad with Oven-Dried Tomatoes and Creamy Peppercorn Blue Cheese Dressing


Borracho Beans

The Rancho Gordo Cookbook



4 cups cooked pinto beans, in their broth
1 bottle lager
2 slices high-quality bacon, diced
1/2 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 serrano chiles, seeded if desired, and chopped
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Lime wedges for serving

1. In a stockpot over medium heat, warm the beans and their broth. Add the beer and simmer to cook off some of the beer, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the bacon until the fat is nearly rendered and the bacon is brown, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pot. Add the onion, garlic, and chiles, and saute over medium heat until soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute until wilted and soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked bacon.
4. Add the mushroom mixture to the beans, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes.

Serve the beans with warm tortillas and lime wedges.





Irish Soda Bread
adapted from Baking With Julia


Hmm. This is a terrible picture; it looked much browner and more homey in real life.

serves 2

1 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Combine all ingredients to form a soft dough. Knead for 1 minute.
3. Form into a round loaf and bake for 25 minutes, or until browned.
4. Cut into individual servings.


Cobb Salad
adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc At Home



serves 1

2 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T red onion, diced
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced
1 bacon slice, crumbled
4 oven-dried tomato halves, diced (see recipe below)
1/4 of an avocado, diced
2 T Creamy Peppercorn Blue Cheese dressing (see recipe below)

1. Combine all ingredients, sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper, and serve.


Creamy Peppercorn Blue Cheese Dressing
adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc At Home



makes 3/4 cup

1/4 tsp black peppercorns, coarsely ground
2 T honey
2 T rice vinegar
2 T lowfat plain yogurt, preferably Greek
2 T lowfat mayonnaise or aioli
3 T buttermilk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 T crumbled blue cheese

1. In a small saucepan, heat the peppercorns, honey and vinegar to boiling. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and buttermilk. Stir in the warm honey mixture.
3. Stir in the garlic powder and blue cheese. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.


Oven-Dried Tomatoes
adapted from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc At Home



These are really good and easy, provided you think far enough ahead to account for cooking time. But even if you don't (like, say, you also need to oven for something else cooked at a higher tenperature), you can set the tomatoes aside temporarily and continued cooking them as you have time. These are not the rubbery, chewy, leathery tomatoes you're likely to find in the dried fruit section of the store; these are juicy and very concentrated, a great addition to salads and pastas. I have made them both with and without oil, and both ways work great. Also, the original recipe calls for thyme; I have only had oregano on hand each time, so I think any herb would do.

12 Roma tomatoes
ice bath
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme or oregano springs

1. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and topping it off with water. Set aside.
2. Core the tomatoes and score an X on the bottom of each one, extending the cut 2/3 of the way up the tomato.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop the tomatoes in and cook just long enough for the skin to start pulling away, about 30 seconds.
4. Plunge the tomatoes into the ice bath.
5. Peel the skins and cut each tomato in half lengthwise.
6. Heat the oven to 200F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sprinkle the herbs over the tomatoes.
8. Bake for 5-7 hours, or until shriveled. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The Great American Pastime

Game 3 of the World Series, and obviously, the dinner of choice is Cioppino!



No, just kidding, I really was just craving tomato-y seafood-y salty food tonight, so made a quick detour to Whole Foods on my way home from work to score some misto de mare. I pretty much just made this up as I went along, because basically cioppino is just mixed seafood braised in a tomato/garlic/wine broth. Easy peasy. This is usually served over or with pasta or garlic bread. We served it over steamed spinach.

Cioppino with Steamed Spinach
serves 2-3



1 tsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
3 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 T parsley, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c dry red wine
1 6-oz can chopped clams with their broth
1/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb raw bay scallops
1 small tilapia filet, cubed
1 small calamari steak, sliced into thin strips
1/4 c fresh basil, julienned
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb baby spinach

Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic and red pepper in olive oil. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, oregano, wine, and clams and broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the remaining seafood and simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Heat cooking spray in a large pan and had the spinach with a few spoonfuls of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
4. Divide the spinach between shallow bowls and spoon the seafood and tomato sauce over the top. Shave parmesan cheese over each serving.

When The Nate's Away...

...The Beck Will Play.

Solo dinner tonight, hence the following menu:

Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
Scallop and Plum Ceviche

Once again, Mark Bittman inspires with his brilliance. I never would have thought ceviche could be a dish I would try at home, but I saw this recipe whilst perusing The Times last night and could not wait to have a go at it. Hopefully eating raw scallops won't come back to haunt me tomorrow...

The ceviche was so easy and so tasty, I will definitely look for more ways to prepare this at home. I loved the scallops, but I have also had really tasty fish ceviche at restaurants (namely Hula's Modern Tiki's amazing version with lime and coconut), and look forward to trying a recipe myself.

The gazpacho was in the same feature article that day, and it looked so pretty that I couldn't not make it. It seemed the perfect accompaniment to the ceviche (in a "Nate would never eat this so I should make it while I'm eating alone" kind of way...I don't claim to be any sort of talent at food pairing). While mine came out decidedly pinker than the deep orange in the picture, it was still very good. I guess I should have expected pink when I mixed red and white...A word of warning, though: it is VERY garlicky (and this coming from a garlic-blooded garlic-lover!). Next time I might use roasted garlic or blanch it first to cut down on the garlicky bite.


Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
by Melissa Clark, originally published in the New York Times 7/9/10



serves 4, about 3/4c per serving

6 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (I used I T shredded cheddar per serving)
2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain sheep’s-milk or regular yogurt (I used nonfat Greek)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for serving (I omitted this)
12 basil leaves, roughly chopped, more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 scallions (white and light green parts), roughly chopped
2 ice cubes (I forgot this, it wasn't necessary)
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste.

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the cheese until browned on one side. Carefully flip in one piece and brown on the other side. Remove to a paper towel and allow to cool until crispy. Break into 4 pieces.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

3. Divide gazpacho into 4 bowls and garnish with basil leaves and cheese crisps.




Scallop and Plum Ceviche
by Mark Bittman, originally published in The New York Times 7/9/10



serves 2-4

1 pound bay scallops, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 plums, pitted and cut into 1/2" dice
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. The scallops will "cook" in the lime juice.

2. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

113F, 3% humidity

That's right, 3%. That's why they call it a Dry Heat. Perfect grilling weather! We don't even have to light the grill! We just throw slabs of meat out on the pavement for a few minutes.


No, just kidding, I actually lit the grill. I like having grill marks on my chops, and that's really hard to do on concrete.


Tonight's dinner for Elaine is brought to you by Mark Bittman. Both the main dish and the salad were adapted from his leaden tome, How To Cook Everything.

The salad was lovely, and I far prefer almonds to peanuts, so I would repeat that. Baby arugula is peppery and holds up really well to the spicy dressing. This was a perfect foil to the slightly sweet honeyed pork.


I'm rediscovering pork tenderloin lately. It's super-lean, fast-cooking, doesn't need much prep, and stores easily (it's tube-shaped and slides neatly into the freezer). It also makes great leftovers. Pretty much any recipe that calls for chicken can be made with pork, and vice versa.

Menu:
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Honey and Cumin
Tender Greens with Peanuts and Tomatoes
Grilled corn on the cob
Steamed broccoli
Grilled pineapple slices

Tender Greens with Peanuts and Tomatoes
How To Cook Everything

2 servings

2 c coarsely chopped young, tender arugula, dandelion, mizuna, romaine lettuce, or other greens (trimmed, washed, and dried) (I used baby arugula and did not chop it)
1 1/2 tsp peanut oil (I used 1 tsp dark sesame oil)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 c roasted peanuts, with or without salt (I used 2 T roasted, unsalted slivered almonds and a few grinds of the salt shaker)
1/2 cup cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe tomatoes (Feh! Who does all that to a tomato? Just chop it up and throw it in.)
juice of half a lime

1. Place the chopped greens in a bowl.
2. Place the peanut oil in a small saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, until the chili powder darkens, 30-60 seconds. Add the peanuts, toss, and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Add salt if necessary.
3. Toss together the greens, peanuts, and tomatoes. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Sprinkle the lime juice over all and serve.


Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Honey and Cumin
adapted from How to Cook Everything

1 lb pork tenderloin
juice of half an orange
2 T honey
1 T orange juice
1 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Squeeze the juice from half an orange over the tenderloin and let marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, combine the honey, 1 T orange juice, cumin, and garlic powder and mix well. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle the tenderloin with salt and pepper and sear over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes per side. Baste the tenderloin with the honey mixture and cook about 3-5 additional minutes per side or until cooked through to your liking. Watch carefully to avoid burning the rub, as honey will char easily.
5. Remove from grill and rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.
(This recipe originally called for chicken breasts rubbed with olive oil. I did not find that the tenderloin needed oil at all, nor do I think chicken would. I bet this would be really tasty on chicken thighs, too. Also, you can substitute sherry, white wine, or water for the orange juice in the basting mixture.)

Grilled corn and pineapple have become summer staples around here lately. They're both very tasty, very easy, and not too bad for you.

Corn: After the meat is grilled (or while it's on the grill), arrange the husked corn over the coals and grill, turning about every 3 minutes, until the kernels start to brown.

Pineapple: Place sliced pineapple over the hot coals and cook about 5 minutes per side until char marks appear to your liking. This caramelizes the sugars deliciously. Alternatively, eat it raw. It's great either way.

For an easy dessert, serve grilled pineapple over vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or minced fresh basil macerated with sugar. This also works well with grilled peaches.

Sparkle sez: I can has tenderloin? Or corn, I'm not picky...

What's for dinner tonight?

"So where does one get healthy, easy dinner ideas?"

This question was posed by my friend and former college roommate, Elaine, on Facebook recently. It prompted a slew of helpful suggestions from friends, and I started reporting my dinner plans as examples for Elaine. Elaine, in turn, started following my lead and recreating a version of my menus a day later.

In my words, Elaine is mooching off of my sweat and tears in the kitchen.

In Elaine's words, "Elaine is brilliant."

Then Elaine started to get demanding whenever I was late with the menu, so rather than continue to bore my Facebook followers with unending lists of what we eat, I thought I'd join the masses and create a blog to keep track.

I realized that, not only is it helpful for poor, starving Elaine to have a running supply of dinner ideas, but it is also helpful to me to have an archive of what I have thrown together on nights that seem to scream for takeout.

So for starters, I'm going to report on last night's dinner, simply because tonight is really just leftovers from that.

So here you go, Elaine: Eat up!

Big Tomato Sweet-Sour Salad
The Splendid Table's How To Eat Supper




Dressing:
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil or bacon fat (I used 1/4 cup oil)
1 medium red onion, thin sliced lengthwise into long strips
salt and fresh ground pepper
8 large garlic cloves, thin sliced
2 tight-packed tablespoons brown sugar

Tomatoes:
2 or 3 large, delicious, ripe tomatoes (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 medium green tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (You could easily use all red tomatoes, but the greens added some nice crunch)

Finish:
1/3 light-packed cup coarse-chopped fresh dill leaves (I could not find fresh dill anywhere, so I used about 1 tsp dried. Fresh would have been much nicer)

1. To make the dressing, first pour the vinegar into a small saucepan and boil it down to about 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a 10-inch skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil or bacon fat. Stir in the onion, sprinkling it with a little salt and a generous amount of pepper. Saute for a minute, or until the onion is softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. You want to soften the garlic but not brown it. Pull the skillet off the heat and blend in the brown sugar to melt it. (You can set the dressing aside at this point for several hours, or refrigerate it for up to a week.)
3. Put the tomatoes into a large serving bowl. When you are ready to serve, warm up the onion mixture if needed--it should be warm, not hot. Pull the pan off the heat, and stir in the boiled-down vinegar and any liquid from the tomatoes. Carefully (the dressing could be quite hot) taste for seasoning and sweet-tart balance. Pour it over the tomatoes, folding in the dill.
4. If you made the salad with olive oil dressing, serve it warm or at room temperature. If bacon fat was used in the dressing, it's best to eat it warm.
5. I broiled a salmon fillet and served it on top of the salad, spooning the dressing over all of it. The dressing was also quite tasty the next night served with grilled chicken breast basted with honey-barbecue sauce.