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Orange and Fennel Salad with Arugula

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I don’t remember where I saw this recipe, but I do remember thinking that it looked like a wonderful and different combination of flavors and that it was defiantly one that I was going to have to try.

Winter salads are a challenge, the veggies that are available are few and far between and just not the quality that you find in the summer. Let’s face it the tomatoes and cucumbers you do find in the grocery store are iffy at best. This is the time I like to branch out and try something different. Citrus is in abundance and it’s bright crispness is a wonderful compliment to the heavier fare we tend to go for in the winter.

Orange and fennel salad with arugula is just the ticket when you are looking for something different this winter. The fennel has a crunchy texture almost like celery but with a tiny bit of licorice flavor to it that goes perfectly with the sweetness of the orange, while the arugula brings a depth of spice to the mix with it’s slightly peppery flavor.

The original recipe called for blood oranges. You know the ones that have a reddish tint to the peel and when you cut into them the pulp is a gorgeous deep red color. I can find these during the winter months but they are best in the very early winter, before they have been sitting around for a couple of months. Later in the winter they tend to be smoochy and on the verge of drying out. For some reason they just don’t keep as well as navel oranges. For that reason I tend to use a good old fashion navel orange in this recipe they taste just the same, the only difference is the color. If you can find a good blood orange go for it. The bright red color is a nice addition to the salad.

The original recipe, as I recall, also had a recipe for a dressing, but being the lazy person that I am I opted to go with my favorite standby. I mean really why make your own when you have the perfect dressing in the fridge. As I have said before this dressing is good on almost anything, so next time your at the store pick some up, you won’t be sorry.

Henderickson’s Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil Salad Dressing

Orange and Fennel Salad with Arugula

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salad
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Small Navel Oranges
  • 1 Head Fresh Fennel
  • 5 oz Baby Aruglua About 4 cups
  • 2 tbsp Hendrickson’s Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing

Instructions
 

  • Peel and slice the oranges in quarters. Cut the bulb from the fennel, then cut in half and cut the core out. Lay cut side down and slice as thinly as you can, then cut the slices in half. Add the orange and fennel to a bowl, top with the Arugula and dressing and toss to mix well.

Succotash

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Here’s a good old fashion Southern classic, Succotash. I already know what you’re going to say, “Lima Beans, Yuck!” Well, you’ve just never had them like this before. I have served this to some of the pickiest eaters I know and they have all loved it. The smokiness of the bacon,( I mean really doesn’t everything taste better with bacon) the sweet corn, onion, garlic. Mix it all together and it just doesn’t get much better.

The trick to this is the way you cook it. I’m sure you’ve had Lima beans before that are tasteless and kind of waxy in texture. I know I have and I’m not a fan, but I figured out how to cook them so that they come out soft and creamy instead of dry and waxy. First of all use frozen Lima beans, then you have to cover them with water and cover the pan and let them do their thing for about 15 minutes until the water has evaporated and they loose will that dry waxy texture. I try to keep them at a gentle simmer because if you get them boiling too fast the water will evaporate before the beans soften. Sometimes this is easier said than done especially if your in a hurry. I always give them a taste and if they are still kind of waxy I add a bit more water and let them cook for a few more minutes.

Next time your at the store grab a bag of frozen Lima beans when you grab that bag of frozen corn and make a new and different side dish that your family will love.

Succotash goes great with a pork chop, or chicken and it will cook up in the time it takes to cook your meat. It’s a hearty and satisfying side dish for a cold winter night.

Succotash

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices Bacon
  • 1 cup Onion chopped
  • 1-2 cloves Garlic about 1 tbsp
  • 2 cups Lima Beans Frozen
  • 2 cups Corn Frozen
  • 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional

Instructions
 

  • Slice bacon into 1/4″ strips and brown over medium heat in an 8″ skillet until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add chopped onion to the pan and saute until it starts to get soft, about 5 minutes then add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Don’t let it burn. Add the Lima beans and just barely cover with water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the water has evaporated. Give the beans a taste and if they still have a waxy texture to them add a bit more water and continue to simmer for a few more minutes. When the Lima beans are soft add the corn and red pepper flakes, (if desired) along with the cooked bacon and heat to serving temperature. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

Wait to add the salt until the very end of the cooking process. Salt has a tendency to break down the beans and if you add it during the cooking process you may end up with a big pot of mush, and that is not what you want.

Poblano Corn Chowder

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Another cold snowy day, another bowl of stick to your ribs goodness. When it’s freezing outside there is nothing better than a hearty bowl of Poblano Corn Chowder. The heat from the chili’s and the sweet corn are the perfect combination. Garnish with a sliced green onion and a bit of cilantro and dig into a soup that will warm you to your toes.

This soup comes together in about 45 minutes and in my house it’s a pantry staple as I almost always have the ingredients on hand.

I have grown to love Poblano Peppers. They’re the mild cousin to Jalapenos and they add such a wonderful flavor to soups, stews and sauces. The great thing about them is that like Jalapenos you can freeze them. Yep that’s right, take them straight from the store to a zip lock bag and pop them in the freezer. Then, when you want one, take it out, run it under some warm water for a minute or so and dice. They’re a wonderful freezer staple to keep on hand for when ever the mood strikes you. So much better than canned chilies, the flavor doesn’t even begin to compare.

Like Jalapenos, Poblano peppers can and will vary in heat. We had friends over for dinner a year or so ago and the husband made Jalapeno poppers. His wife and I took one bite and started coughing. They were so hot we simply couldn’t eat them. I swear they were the hottest jalapenos I had ever had. So remember, when working with Poblano’s to take a taste of the pepper before you start cooking so you know what you’re getting yourself into. This time around my Poblano was very mild. So much so that I added a pinch of chili flakes to give my soup a bit more kick. Sometimes I get one that is pretty hot and end up using only half the pepper instead of the whole thing. So, give it a taste and use your own judgement.

Poblano Corn Chowder

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Southwest
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Slices Bacon
  • 1/4 Large Onion diced about 1/2 cup
  • 1 Stalk Celery diced about 1/2 cup
  • 1 Large Carrot diced about 1/2 cup
  • 1 Medium Poblano Pepper diced
  • 1 Large Potato diced about 1 1/2 cups
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 tsp Chicken Soup Base
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 14.75oz can Creamed Corn
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn
  • 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes optional
  • 1/2 cup Condensed Milk or Half & Half

Instructions
 

  • Cut bacon into 1/4″ slices and brown over medium heat in a 5 quart sauce pan. When nicely browned remove from the pan, drain on a paper towel and set aside. While the bacon is browning chop up your vegetables. When you have removed the bacon from the pan add the carrot, celery, onion and pepper with a pinch of salt and saute until they start to become soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the potatoes and and stir to incorporate them with the rest of the vegetables. Add water, chicken soup base, oregano, and cumin. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. About 10-15 minutes. Give the potatoes a bit of a mash with a large spoon to break them up a bit and thicken your chowder.
    Add creamed corn, frozen corn, milk and season to taste with salt, pepper and red chili flakes if desired. Bring up to serving temperature and garnish with the cooked bacon, sliced green onion and cilantro.

Lobster Bisque

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If I had known how easy Lobster Bisque is to make I would have been making it for years.

I just love really good Lobster Bisque and order it out just about anytime I see it on a menu. For years I thought, one of these days I’ll keep the shells from the lobster, boil them down to make stock and I’ll make Lobster Bisque. Ya right, who am I kidding. I never saved the shells because I knew I would never take the time to boil them down, press them through a sieve, strain the liquid and cook it some more.

Then I found “Better than Bouillon” Lobster Base.

This stuff is amazing, just add water and you have stock. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Now, having said that this stuff can be very hard to find in grocery stores. There is one little market on “The Hill” in St Louis that carries it but it’s the only place in the city that I have found it. I have found it on Amazon. It’s about $7 a jar and it will last for up to a year in the fridge, so it’s worth the money.

I bought some of this several years ago to make a lobster sauce for pasta but for some unexplainable reason I never thought to use it to make a bisque until yesterday. My husband wanted soup for dinner again and I was in the mood for something a bit more exotic than chicken noodle. I knew I had some of the lobster base in the fridge so I started googling to find a recipe.

I looked at several that of course required you to make a stock from the lobster shells. Well, we know that was not going to happen but the rest of the ingredients for the soup looked good. I basically used a couple of different recipes and interchanged the ingredients to come up with the taste I was looking for.

Then it was time to start cooking. The Lobster Bisque came together in about 30 minutes and it was everything I hoped it would be. Every bit as good as any I had ordered in a restaurant.

Lobster Bisque

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Soup
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Chopped Carrot
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Shallot
  • 1 Clove Garlic Minced
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 1/4 tsp Thyme
  • 1/4 tsp Paprika
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 cup Dry Sherry
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Lobster Base
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a 6 quart sauce pan over medium heat, add the chopped carrot and shallot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. (Cut your carrot up a small as you can to reduce the cooking time. They take a while to get soft and the smaller they are the quicker they cook.) when they start to get soft add the garlic and spices and cook for a couple more minutes. Add the flour and let it cook for a minute or two to get the raw taste out of it then slowly stir in the sherry. Add the tomato paste, lobster base and water and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sharpness of the sherry has cooked out and the soup has thickened up. Turn the heat off and using an immersion blender, blend until the carrots and shallots are smooth. Add the cream and bring back up to serving temperature.
    Serve with croutons or pieces of cooked lobster, crab or shrimp.

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup with Stuffing Crouton

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Last week my friend Tony “Tomato” White “I know, sounds sort of like he’s a member of the mafia.” posted on face book that he had some fresh chanterelles coming in and he wanted to know who was ready to play around with them. I said, Me, Me, Me, Me!!!! Can you bring me some? Sure enough Wednesday evening he showed up at my house with a big box full of these gorgeous Yellowfoot Chanterelles that had just come in from Oregon.

I pick out about a pound of them of these delicate little beauties and tucked them away in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel knowing that I would be making Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup with Stuffing Crouton on Friday. It was girls night again and my friend Kathy just loves mushroom soup.

When we were in Salzburg this fall I had the most wonderful mushroom soup. They brought it out in a shallow bowl with this interesting crouton in the middle of it. As I dug into the crouton I realized that it was stuffing. Yes, that’s right, stuffing just like you would have at Thanksgiving except that it was loaded with tiny pieces of mushroom and shallots. They baked it up in a muffin tin so that the edges got all crispy and crunchy. The rosemary and sage in the crouton were the perfect compliant to the creamy mushroom soup. I knew right then and there that I would be making this when I got home.

This soup is really easy to make and comes together quickly so it’s perfect for a week night dinner and defiantly date night worthy. If you ever decide to host a fancy dinner party this soup would make a fabulous first coarse. You can make it a head and have it sitting on the stove ready to go when your guests arrive.

Wild Mushroom Soup with Stuffing Crouton

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine French
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

  • 1 1/2 Lbs Wild Mushrooms Chanterelles, Shiitaki, Cremini, etc
  • 1/2 Stick Butter
  • 1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary 1/4 tsp dried
  • 1 1/2 cup Chopped Yellow Onion
  • 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/3 cup Dry Sherry
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Stuffing Crouton

  • 3 Cremini Mushrooms
  • 1 Shiitaki Mushroom
  • 1 Shallott minced
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Fresh Rosemary minced 1/4 tsp dried
  • 1/2 tsp Fresh Sage minced 1/4 tsp dried
  • 2 cups Stuffing mix
  • 1 cup Chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Clean and slice your mushrooms into 1/8″ slices. Melt butter in a large dutch oven over med heat. Add the onion, garlic and rosemary and saute until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high and add the mushrooms with a bit of salt and saute until they give off their liquid and get soft, about 20 minutes.
    Add the sherry and water and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so until the flavors blend together.
    Using an immersion blender blend the soup to a smooth consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a regular one but let the soup cool for a few minutes before you blend and make sure to keep the lid on the blender. Once the soup has been blended to your desired consistency return to the pot and add the cream along with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffing Crouton

  • While the mushrooms are cooking get started on the stuffing. In a small skillet melt the butter over med high heat and add the mushrooms and shallot along with the rosemary and sage and saute until they become soft. Add the stuffing mix and just enough chicken broth to moisten it up. Somewhere between and 1/4 and 1/2 cup should do it. Spray a muffin time with cooking spray and fill with the stuffing. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.

Mussels in Marinara

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It’s date night again and after all the heavy food we’ve been eating over the holidays I was having a hard time getting motivated to fix something date night worthy. I was getting ready to make a Costco run and go to the store so I asked my husband what sounded good to him. He said “Well, if your going to Costco pick up some mussels if they have them.” I knew this was a long shot in the middle of the week and sure enough they didn’t have any. However, to my great surprise when I got to the store they did. Who’d have thunk it. Every once in a while I get lucky. Looks like Mussels in Marinara tonight.

Mussels are one of those things that looks intimidating, but in reality they are very easy to make and cook up really quick. Just perfect for a weeknight supper and just fancy enough for date night.

Here’s what you need to know about cooking mussels. Depending on where you buy them they may be cleaned really well or you may have to get your scrub brush out and go to work on them. If your mussels are farmed raised they are usually pretty clean and the beard has been removed, but if they are wild you may have to remove the beard.

Just grab hold of it and pull, that is all there is to it.

The other thing you need to be aware of is that they should be closed if they are still alive. During travel from the store to your house or the process of cleaning some of them may open up. Give them a flick with your finger and if they react and start to close up then they’re good, if not you should probably toss them. They don’t have to close all they way but they should show signs of movement. Any that don’t open during the cooking process should be discarded. If it doesn’t open enough to easily access the mussel, you better not eat it. Remember “When in doubt, throw it out” It is not unusual to have several that don’t open.

So now that the mussels are clean, put them back in the fridge while you put together the marinara. Once the marinara has come together dump the mussels in and cover it for 10-15 minutes until they have all opened up and you’re ready to serve.

Mussels in Marinara

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs mussels
  • 1/2 yellow onion chopped About 1 cup
  • 2 cloves garlic minced about 2 tbsp
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz can tomatoes sauce
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 tbsp light sambuca optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large dutch oven or other large pot, saute your onion in a little bit of olive oil until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and stir to incorporate cooking for a minute or so. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, spices and sugar and simmer for about 30 minutes to let the flavors combine and let the sauce cook down and get thick.
    Add the mussels to the pot and stir to cover in the sauce. Cover and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes until mussels are cooked through and have opened up.
    Serve in a shallow bowl with thick slices of garlic bread to soak up the sauce.

Notes

Sambuca is an Italian liqueur that has a licorice flavor. It gives a wonderful depth to this dish as it adds a bit of sweetness and anise flavor without using fennel. If you don’t have any or don’t like licorice don’t use it.

Waldorf Romain Salad

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Well it’s that time of year again. We survived the holidays, hopefully without too much weight gain, and now we are starting to think light and healthy. Salads are always a good choice but in the winter good fresh veggies are hard to come by. I love to use fruit in my salad and in the winter apples and citrus are plentiful while good cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. can be hard to find.

This is also a good choice for the kiddo’s. If you’ve tried to get them to eat salad without success give this one a try. Waldorf Romain Salad is a good gateway to a more serious salad. The apples are sweet, the celery’s crunchy and there is just enough lettuce to hold it all together.

Several years ago I was making dinner and wanted a salad only to realize that I was sorely lacking in salad fixin’s. Seems all I had in the fridge was lettuce. So I scrounged around and found an apple, I did have some celery in the fridge, and thought to myself, Grandmother’s Waldorf Salad. I remember she would make this when I was a kid with apples, celery, nuts, and a dressing made from mayo and a little sugar. So I checked the pantry and sure enough I had some pecans and some crazins. Now, how to dress it. Mayo was too heavy, so I reached for my all time favorite, Hendrickson’s Sweet Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing.

If you haven’t try this yet you need to put it on your shopping list. I swear I buy it by the case and use it in everything from salad to roasting veggies. It really is just about the best and most versatile salad dressing on the market. It’s low in fat and only 70 calories for a 2 tbsp serving. You simply can’t beat it.

Waldorf Romain Salad

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 2 People

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 Large Honeycrisp or Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 Stalk Celery
  • 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
  • 1/4 cup Craizin’s
  • 1 Romain Lettuce Heart About 3 cups
  • 3 tbsp Hendrickson’s Sweet Vingar and Olive Oil Dressing

Instructions
 

  • Cut apple into 1/2″ slices. Slice celery, Mix with nuts and Crazin’s in the bottom of a salad bowl. Toss with the salad dressing. Chop the lettuce into small pieces and place on top of the apple mixture until ready to serve, then toss.

Nonna’s Ragu

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This is another one from the European Road Trip. Our little restaurant in Stresa gave me such wonderful dishes to recreate and this one has quickly become a family favorite. Nonna’s Ragu is the perfect “Sunday Dinner” for a cold winter day when you have the time to let dinner simmer on the stove for several hours. It’s worth the time I promise.

Italy is a country of many regions and each region has it’s own flair and style. St Louis has a huge Southern Italian population and the Italian food in our area is typical of what you will find in Southern Italy; heavy tomato sauces, fennel, oregano, and lots of basil. As you travel north the climate changes and so do the ingredients that you find in the food.

Stresa is in the northern most part of Italy not far from the Swiss and French borders. The closer you get to the border the more the food styles start to blend, and this dish is no exception. It’s really more like a good beef bourguignon than what I think of as a traditional ragu, yet at the same time it holds on to it’s Italian roots.

This is what we had in Stresa.

I made a few changes putting this together. First, what we had in Stresa was made with veal. They didn’t have any veal stew meat when I went to the store so I was forced to use beef. It gives the dish a heartier, meatier depth than you would have with veal. It’s still very good and cheaper too. Second, because I was using beef instead of veal I used red wine instead of white, which is what they used in the original. Again, the red wine gives the dish a bit more heft than white wine would. If using veal, substitute the red wine for white.

You will notice that the tomatoes are added at the very end and I use fresh. Grape tomatoes are readily available year round any more and they are the perfect finish to this dish. They cook up quickly and add a light freshness that you just won’t get from canned.

Nona’s Ragu

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1 1/2 lbs Stew Beef
  • 1 cup Chopped Onion
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Carrot
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic 1t garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 cup Red Wine
  • 1 14 1/2 oz can Beef Broth
  • 1/2 pint Grape Tomatoes Quartered about 12-14

Instructions
 

  • In a large dutch oven brown your stew beef in a little bit of olive oil. You will need to do this in a couple of batches so that it browns well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
    Add onion and carrot to the pot with a pinch of salt and saute until soft, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and and stir to combine, cooking for a minute or two. (don’t let it burn.)
    Add the beef broth, and stir to get all of the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, then add the wine, tomato paste, spices and add the meat back to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer.
    You want to see some bubbles but it shouldn’t be a rolling boil. Cover and simmer for 2 1/2 -3 hours. As it cooks and the meat becomes tender the sauce will thicken up as it reduces. 20 minutes before serving add the quartered grape tomatoes and stir to combine. Let them simmer with the rest until you’re are ready to serve.
    Serve with pappardelle noodles

Notes

You can make this dish with veal instead of beef. If you do use white wine instead of red.
Depending on your dutch oven you may have to add more liquid during the cooking process. Some pots release more moisture than others, so check on this from time to time and add water if it looks like it’s getting too dry. It will take every bit of 2 1/2 hours for the meat to become tender, so if you pot looks dry at 1 1/2 hours you need to add at least 1 cup of water. 


Portuguese Fish Stew

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Christmas Dinner in my family is always a huge Prime Rib Roast served with Aunt Marie’s Cheese Grits, Green Beans and Popovers. With that big heavy dinner on the horizon Christmas Eve is always something light, and nothing is better on a cold winter night than a bowl of Portuguese Fish Stew. It’s loaded with roasted veggies and seafood in a light spicy broth. A big piece of crusty garlic bread to go with it and your all set.

The beauty of this dish is that you can use almost any kind of fish or seafood. I really like fresh clams and mussels in mine but when I went to the store to make this they didn’t have any. So, I scoured the seafood department and bought what they had. This time I used crab legs, shrimp, scallops and a nice piece of cod. Really, anything you can find in your locality will work so don’t think you have to use the seafood I used to make this dish.

This dish calls Spanish Chorizo and it’s different than Mexican Chroizo. It’s a hard precooked sausage more along the lines of Pepperoni or Salami but with a different flavor. In fact if you can’t find Spanish Chorizo you could use Pepperoni instead, but you want to buy a whole piece of it not the pre-sliced kind. The pre-sliced is sliced too thin and it won’t give you the right consistency.

The other thing I do with this recipe that is a bit different is I roast the veggies in the oven. This gives them great flavor and texture. The potatoes hold together and don’t fall apart in the liquid. When I’m  ready to serve I simply spoon a serving of the veggies in the bottom of a shallow bowl and ladle the stew on top.

Portuguese Fish Stew is the perfect quick and easy Christmas Eve dinner that looks and tastes fancy enough for the occasion.

Portuguese Fish Stew

Marie Cook
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4 People

Ingredients
  

For the Veggies

  • 2 Medium Potatoes
  • 2 Large Carrots
  • 1/2 Large Fennell bulb
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1t teaspoon Crushed Rosemary

For the Stew

  • 8 Pieces Crab Claw
  • 16 Medium Shrimp
  • 8 Scallops
  • 1/2 lb Firm Flesh Fish Such as Cod
  • 1 Small Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon Saffron
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1/4 Pound Spanish Chroizo Sausage
  • 1 Pint Grape Tomatoes
  • 32 oz Seafood Stock

Instructions
 

For the Veggies

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut up the potatoes, fennel and carrots in about 1 1/2″ pieces. Try to get them close in size. Mince the garlic and combine with the olive oil and rosemary in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chopped veggies and toss to coat well. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

For the Stew

  • Cut the Chorizo in quarters lengthwise and then slice into 1/8″ pieces. Chop the onion and mince the garlic. Use a large dutch oven. Get it hot and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the Chroizo and onion and cook until the Chroizo starts to brown and the onion starts to get soft. About 10 minutes. Quarter the tomatoes and add them to the pot with the minced garlic. Stir briefly and let them cook until the tomatoes start to get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the seafood stock, saffron, crushed red pepper and let it simmer for a few minutes more to let the flavors come together. Add your seafood cover and steam until cooked through. This will take about 8 minutes.

Bring it all Together

  • When the veggies are done take them out of the oven, they can rest while the stew finishes up. Spoon a serving of the veggies into a shallow bowl and ladle the stew on top dividing the the fish equally between the servings.
    Serve with crusty garlic toast.

Notes

You may feel that you don’t have enough liquid for this to make enough for 4 people before you add the seafood. Don’t worry, the seafood will let off quite a bit of liquid while it cooks and you will be just fine.
You can use almost any kind of seafood for this recipe. If you are using fresh clams you need to put them in before everything else and give them about 5 extra minutes to cook. They take a bit longer because of their hard shell.
You can also substitute celery for the fennel and Pepperoni for the Chroizo.


Vietnamese Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Cucumber Salad

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I don’t know about you but after all the heavy carb laden food I have been eating over the Thanksgiving holiday I was ready for something different. I was craving something light yet flavorful, and simple. Enough already with the dishes that take hours to prepare; I have Christmas decorating and shopping to do, I want easy and this is it. Vietnamese Spiced Pork Tenderloin is just the ticket. It’s loaded with all the classic Asian flavors I love and the crisp cucumber salad is light and sweet and tangy. It’s the perfect light supper after days of gorging on heavy food.

I found the original recipe in my favorite place, The New York Times Cookbook. It’s a recipe by David Tanis for Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs. I’ve made the ribs before and they are wonderful but it makes enough to feed an army and it’s a two day process to really do it right. Having said that the flavors are fabulous, so I tweaked it a bit and used a pork tenderloin instead of the ribs and it turned out just perfect.

The original recipe calls for lemongrass stalks and fresh ginger. Where I live fresh lemongrass is almost impossible to find but in the produce section I came across Gourmet Garden Lemongrass paste. It’s comes in a refrigerated tube and lasts for up to 2 months. Much easier than trying to smash and very finely chop fresh lemongrass any day.The evening before or in the morning, depending on your time schedule get the tenderloin in the marinade and let it do it’s thing all day or over night. When you get home in the evening all you have to do is pop it in the oven for 30 minutes while you throw the salad together and you have a great light supper. If you want something a bit more substantial you could serve it with some fried rice or if your feeling adventurous some spicy noodles or ramen.

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Vietnamese Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Cucumber Salad

Prep

Cook

Inactive

Total

Yield 2 Servings

Ingredients

For the Pork:

1 med shallot finely chopped

1T lemongrass paste

1T soy sauce

1 1/2 t fish sauce

1T  chili paste

1t kosher salt

1T brown sugar

1t chinese five spice

1T grated garlic

1T grated ginger

1 1-1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin

For the Cucumber Salad:

2 medium cucumbers

2 med radishes

2 green onions

1 large carrot

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)

For the Dressing:

1T grated ginger

1T lemongrass paste

1T honey

1T chili paste

1t salt

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup oil (any light vegetable oil will work)

Instructions

For the Pork:

Combine all ingredients except the pork, in a small mixing bowl and stir well. Place pork in a zip lock bag, add the marinade and smoosh it all over the pork coating it well.  Place the pork in the fridge and let it marinate for 8- 24 hours. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the pork on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. You can also grill this outside weather permitting.

For the Salad:

Peel and seed your cucumbers and slice into 1/4" half moons. Thinly slice the radishes and green onion. Grate the carrot.  Combine in a large bowl. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing except the oil in a small mixing bowl or measuring cup and stir to combine. Slowly whisk in the oil until you get a nice smooth dressing. Pour over the cucumbers and stir to coat well.

Slice the pork in 1/2" slices and serve with the cucumber salad.

Notes

You can buy grated garlic, ginger and lemongrass in most grocery stores. It's a bit more expensive than buying the real thing and grating it but it is also a great time saver. In most cases the shelf life of the prepared items is longer than the fresh item as well.

Use any kind of good Asian chili paste in these recipes they all work really well.

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Vietnamese