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Category Archives: Dressings and Condiments

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

Posted on August 12, 2010 by amydeline

The summer night is quiet. A couple rests peacefully in their comfortable feather-topped bed. The windows are open; the low hum of a fan filling the air as it sends a soothing breeze throughout the room. The couple has drifted off into a tranquil dreamland, never suspecting what lie ahead.

Down the hall, a door swings open; the constant murmur of the fan providing cover to the sound.

Tap.

Tap. Tap.

Tap, Tap, Tap.

Taptaptaptaptaptap.

The sound of small, bare feet on hardwood floors.

She doesn’t feel the breath upon her face. She isn’t aware that she is being watched. Until it yells, Snuggle up!

The Snuggle Monster (post watermelon feast)

Startled and confused, she reaches over and lifts the small, warm person into bed and does as he commands. Snuggle up. And they begin drifting back to sleep; the midnight snuggle attack a roaring success. Until the small person begins talking. Mommy? Mommy? Mommy? At which point the slumbering man awakes and demands that the small noisy person return to his bed.

Don't be deceived by the snuggle monster's cute ploys.

Thus began a mostly sleepless night.

And so it is a great joy to me that today’s post was actually last night’s dinner. Cooking complete. Food taste-tested. Photos taken. Recipe written. Just a matter of a few edits and done for the day. Leftovers for dinner…

Above all else, tasty food starts with tasty ingredients. Fresh ingredients at their prime require minimal fuss to produce outstanding results. When it comes to homemade tomato sauce, most of the year, your best bet may be canned tomatoes. Has lack of sleep made the gourmand mom lose her mind?? But, no. Tomatoes are canned at the peak of their ripeness at the peak of their season, their flavorful prime. You’d be hard-pressed to find fresh tomatoes nearly that tasty mid-winter. When tomatoes are not in season, canned crushed or whole tomatoes will offer you the most flavorful, nutrient-rich option.

But, there is a window of time when the ripe tomatoes, fresh from your garden, the farmer’s market, or your local grocery store are bursting with flavor. And in the Northeast, that time is now.

We’ll start with ripe, fresh tomatoes. (Taste one to ensure that they have vibrant, sweet tomato flavor.) Use a knife to make an ‘x’ at the bottom of each tomato. This will allow the skins to slip off easily.

Drop a few tomatoes at a time into a pot of boiling water. Allow them to sit in the boiling water for about 30 seconds.

Use a slotted spoon the remove the tomatoes.

Immediately place them into an ice bath to cool. The skins should begin slipping off on their own. Use your fingers to peel the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes have been peeled, they’ll only require a few simple steps and a handful of fresh ingredients to become a flavorful marinara sauce. Make a big batch and freeze a few containers for some fresh tomato sauce, post peak tomato season.

Serve the sauce over pasta as is, or add a few more ingredients to make your own tomato sauce variation. Try olives, ground meat, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, or roasted garlic.

Basic Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 pounds ripe Plum/Roma Tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
  • 2 small Onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Basil, chiffonade*
  • Salt (about 1 1/2 tsp)
  • Crushed Red Pepper, to taste

*Click here to see my photo guide on How to Chiffonade Basil.

Directions

Cut the top off of the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze the seeds from the tomatoes into a strainer. Reserve the strained tomato liquid. Rough chop the tomatoes. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and smashed garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato liquid to the pan. Cook for about 25 minutes over medium heat, until the tomatoes have broken down. For your safety, allow the mixture to cool slightly. Then, use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to blend the mixture to your desired consistency. Be careful while blending hot liquids. Add the basil and season with salt and crushed red pepper. Continue cooking for about 10 more minutes to allow the flavors to blend and condense.

**You can make this recipe using canned tomatoes too. Look for canned whole or crushed tomatoes with no added salt. If you really want to use fresh tomatoes, but they’re not at their flavorful best, try adding a bit of tomato paste. The concentrated tomato flavor will do wonders for your sauce!

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Cheese Please!

Posted on August 6, 2010 by amydeline

It’s wine and cheese night over here! Family and friends have gathered and we’re ready to eat cheese! Earlier today I shared my recipes for three olive tapenade variations.

Enjoy the tapenades on their own or pair with cheese. Olive tapenade is especially delicious with feta cheese. Spread it on a baguette or make little tartlettes like these…

Simply buy a package of phyllo/fillo tartlette shells, fill with a bit of cheese, top with tapenade and bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is warm and delicious. You can make these tartlettes a hundred different ways. Try gorgonzola with finely diced dried apricots and prosciutto, brie with fig preserves or a cranberry chutney, or cheddar with poached pear and perhaps a piece of ham. The options are truly infinite. So easy and delicious!

Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella with Basil Pesto


Fresh tomato and mozzarella always works well for a wine and cheese night. There are many different ways to present the dish. Tonight, I arranged the tomato and mozzarella in overlapping rings. Then, I drizzled the plate with fresh basil pesto. Alternately, you can layer fresh basil leaves with the tomato and mozzarella and drizzle the dish with balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with a platter of sliced baguette and let your guests create their own Caprese appetizers.

For the basil pesto, I made a very slightly modified version of my regular pesto. This version simply contains a bit more olive oil and is blended longer so it has a consistency more like a dressing than a sauce. You can use the same recipe to create a spread or sauce for pasta by blending less and using a little less oil.

Basil Pesto Dressing

Ingredients

  • Big Bunch of Basil (about 2 cups Basil Leaves)
  • 1/4 cup Pine Nuts
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil (plus more, if necessary)
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Pull the basil leaves off of the stem.  Place in a food processor and pulse slightly, giving the leaves a coarse chop. Add all other ingredients, except the oil, and mix until well blended. Gradually incorporate the oil until you reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Baked Brie en Croute


We’re big fans of brie around here. One of my favorite ways to serve brie when we have guests is wrapped in puff pastry. It’s a simple preparation which makes an elegant presentation. You can wrap the brie on its own or pair it with preserves, dried fruits, spreads or nuts. Simply thaw one puff pastry sheet, which you can usually find in the frozen foods section of your grocery store. Spread a small circle of preserves or the filling of your choice in the center. Place an 8 ounce round of brie on top of the preserves. It’s not necessary to remove the rind from the brie. Wrap the puff pastry around the brie. Cut off any excess pastry. Lightly beat an egg with a splash of water. Brush a little on the seam side. Place the wrapped brie seam-side down on a baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture. Bake in a 400 degrees oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with baguette.


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Tapenade Three Ways

Posted on August 6, 2010 by amydeline

Earlier in the week, my sister sent me a message to let me know she’d be coming over for wine tonight. Ok. Two days later I received another message, which read simply, Tapenade, please. This is how my family functions. I love that about my family. So tonight, we’re having a wine and cheese gathering. I’ll be making a few of  my favorite tasty cheese preparations; brie and peach preserves wrapped in puff pastry, goat cheese on baguette with fresh strawberries and almonds, fresh mozzarella and tomatoes with a basil pesto, and feta tartlettes with tapenade. There will also be pizza and charbroiled wings from a local pizza shop, as requested by my visiting brother-in-law.

My tapenade-craving sister is in for a treat. Not only am I making the traditional olive tapenade she’s requested, but I’m also preparing two other tapenade variations. The beauty of tapenade is that it’s almost impossible to mess up. Pulse some olives in a food processor with a bit of garlic, splash of lemon juice, pinch of rosemary, a touch of other flavors. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pulse until it seems right. That’s about all there is to it. In addition to the basic olive tapenade, I’m making a sundried-tomato tapenade and a fig and black olive tapenade. Tapenade is delicious spread on slices of baguette on its own or paired with cheese. It also makes a great sandwich spread!

Basic Olive Tapenade


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Mixed Olives, pitted
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Rosemary Leaves, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Capers
  • 1 Tbsp Parsley
  • 2 tsp Mustard
  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1/4-1/2 cup Olive Oil

Directions

Add all ingredients except olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until it begins to form a chunky paste. Add olive oil a little at a time and pulse until the tapenade reaches your desired consistency. (I prefer to leave it a bit chunky, but a fine spread consistency is also appropriate.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.

Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade


To make a sundried tomato tapenade, follow the same recipe as above, plus add 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Use the type which is found jarred in oil (drain the oil) or rehydrate dried tomatoes prior to adding.

Fig and Black Olive Tapenade


Follow the Basic Olive Tapenade recipe above, only use all black olives (Nicoise, Lyon, or Greek) and add 3/4 cup of dried Black Mission figs, which have been rehydrated by simmering in water until tender, about 20 minutes. (Inspired by Carrie Brown’s recipe as found on David Lebovitz’ blog, here.)

More pics and details about the other cheese dishes coming up later~

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Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

Posted on July 22, 2010 by amydeline

In general, I like to alternate heavier meals (like last night’s Chicken Cordon Bleu) with something a bit lighter. A fresh salad of spinach in a citrus vinaigrette with beets and a bit of herbed goat cheese seemed perfect tonight. Since my hubby always likes to have some sort of meat or fish protein with dinner, I’m also roasting up a few Sweet Apple Chicken sausages. But the real star of tonight’s dinner is the salad.

I’ve made beet salads a few different ways, sometimes slicing and stacking the beets, other times cutting them into little cubes. Today it occurred to me that I could have a little fun with the stacked beets. So, I pulled out my bin of cookie cutters to find one which would be the right size for my beets. Apparently, my cookie cutter bin has a magnetic pull on my three-year-old. He was content in the living room playing with his cars and motorcycles, but the moment the bin came out, he was magically by my side asking to help. How can I say no to my little sous chef?

Little chef, making teddy bear and gingerbread man shaped beets.

This particular little sous chef happens to be quite the picky eater, albeit a very eager and creative chef. He was the mastermind behind Ice Cream Pizza, the artist behind teddy bear beets, and has recently been suggesting I make Vanilla Soup. (I’m still working on that one.) He’d eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and popcorn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, every single day, if I let him. Which, much to his dismay, I do not. I just keep plugging along, exposing him to a variety of foods and hoping that if he’s hungry, he’ll eat. But it’s also my hope that by involving him in so much of the cooking process, he’ll be more likely to try new things. We’ll get there eventually.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 4 Beets
  • 4 ounces Goat Cheese
  • 4 cups Baby Spinach
  • 1/4 cup Walnuts, chopped

For the Dressing

  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • Juice of 1 Orange
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 Shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Zest from the fruits, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top and bottom of the beets. Wrap the beets in foil. Make sure they are thoroughly wrapped. Place the foil packet of beets in a baking dish on the middle oven rack. Cook for 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the beets, until the tip of a knife inserts easily. Cool. Using a knife, remove the skin. Slice or cut as desired.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients. (You should have about 1/2 cup combined juice from the orange, lemon, and lime.) Whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional olive oil, if desired.

Toss the spinach in a little dressing. Create a tower of alternating layers of roasted beet slices and goat cheese. Drizzle a little extra dressing on top. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and citrus zest.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu and Green Beans Almondine

Posted on July 21, 2010 by amydeline

Chicken Cordon Bleu has been on my mind recently. I just love the crispy breaded chicken breast combined with salty prosciutto and cheese. Yum… Cheese. Lately, I’ve been acutely aware that if you don’t like cheese, you probably hate my blog. I’ve kind of got a little thing for cheese. I sure hope you like cheese too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu can be made a number of different ways. The most common procedure involves stuffing or rolling a chicken breast with ham or prosciutto and some type of swiss cheese, then breading and cooking. That approach will work, but I’ve had issues with the cheese oozing out during cooking. I hate to lose even a bit of cheese. So, I’ve come up with a different way of making chicken cordon bleu. I roll prosciutto in chicken breast, bread it, brown it in olive oil until golden brown, and finish the cooking in the oven. While the chicken is baking, I make a basic white sauce, or bechamel sauce, and then melt in some tasty Gruyere swiss cheese. No cheese is lost in the cooking and you get a nice creamy sauce to drizzle over the chicken. And who doesn’t like having a sauce to dip in??

On the side, we’re having green beans prepared my favorite way; sauteed in a bit of olive oil with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of salt. To make things just a smidgen easier, I buy the cleaned and cut fresh green beans, which can be microwaved right in the bag. I typically cook them for less than the recommend time, so they do not become mushy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • 4-6 slices Prosciutto or Ham
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Gruyere Sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Dash of Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere (or other swiss cheese), shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pound the chicken breast between plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick.

Lay slices of prosciutto or ham on top of the flattened chicken breast. Roll the chicken and tuck in the ends. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken roll in flour. Dip into the lightly beaten eggs. Then, roll in the bread crumbs until well-coated. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the chicken rolls in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side, until lightly browned.

Place the browned chicken into a baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a couple minutes while stirring. It should have a paste-like consistency. This is your roux (roo) which will thicken your white sauce. Scrape the roux from the pan and set aside. Add milk to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Using a whisk, incorporate the roux into the milk until smooth. Simmer for a few minutes until the milk begins to thicken. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn down the heat and add the shredded Gruyere cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.

When the chicken has finished cooking, spoon some sauce over each chicken roll and serve.

Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

  • 1 package Cleaned and Cut, Fresh Green Beans, steamed
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until almonds just begin to toast. Add the steamed green beans. Use tongs to toss the beans in the oil and almonds.

Cook for a minute or two. Taste and adjsut seasonings if desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Green Beans Almondine

If you have any leftover chicken and sauce, it makes an amazing sandwich! Spread the leftover sauce on a ciabatta roll. Slice the chicken. Place the slices onto the roll. Sprinkle a little extra swiss cheese on top, if desired. Wrap it in foil and bake in the oven until heat through. Excellent!

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Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Posted on July 16, 2010 by amydeline

During college, I spent some time waitressing, bartending, and short-order cooking at a local bar and restaurant. Hands down, the most popular item on the menu was the Buffalo Chicken Wings. By my hundredth order, I was quite the expert. I don’t make wings at home very often, because I can’t stand the clean-up. But, on occasion, I’ll make Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, as I’m doing tonight. Great taste, without the chicken wing bones or the mess!

At the restaurant, which was located just a short distance from Buffalo, we used Frank’s Red Hot, which is purportedly the hot sauce used in the original Buffalo wings. Like your wings hot? Use straight hot sauce. Like them medium-spicy? Use half Frank’s and half melted butter. For mild wings, increase the butter. Good, good stuff!

Since I had all of the ingredients on hand, I made my own bleu cheese dressing for tonight’s sandwich. Sans mayonnaise, of course. A prepared dressing would work great too. (FYI, my preferred bleu cheese dressing is Marie’s. You can usually find it refrigerated in the produce section.) Adjust the butter and hot sauce ratio according to your tastes. Following my recipe as written will give you a medium-hot sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 1 pound Thin-Cut Chicken Breasts or Chicken Tenderloins
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • 4 Tbsp Butter, melted

For the Dressing

  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese (such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola)
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Sandwich

  • 4 Rolls
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato Slices

Directions

For the dressing, combine sour cream, crumbled bleu cheese, lemon juice, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, if possible. Stir before using.

For the chicken, season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken breast or tenderloin in flour, so they are lightly coated. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium/medium-high heat. Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned and fully cooked. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the middle should read 165 degrees.

Combine melted butter with the Frank’s Red Hot. Toss the cooked chicken in the sauce. Spread bleu cheese dressing onto the rolls. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and the sauce-coated chicken.

Makes 4 Sandwiches

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Turkey Burgers with Fresh Tomato Salsa and Avocado

Posted on July 13, 2010 by amydeline

Recently, one of my readers wondered if I took requests. Sure, said I. This particular request was for a fresh tomato salsa recipe, the only requirement being that it contain lots of fresh cilantro. To be completely honest, when it comes to chips and dips, I’m more of a chile con queso kind of gal. I don’t make or use salsa too often. But if there were going to be a time for a tomato salsa recipe, that time is definitely now. Tomatoes are hitting their flavor peak and backyard barbecue season is in full swing, with bowls of tortilla chips begging to be dipped in salsa.

When I do have salsa, I like it to be singe-your-tongue spicy, but I recognize that not everyone wants to experience pain while they’re eating. So, I’m going to share two salsa recipes with you. The first is a basic mild-medium tomato salsa with jalapeno pepper and lots of fresh cilantro. The second variation features the addition of pureed chipotle pepper for a punch of smoky heat and a handful of sweet corn for a nice contrast to the spice.

To make it a meal, I decided to use my salsa on turkey burgers with a bit of fresh avocado. Turkey burgers are a delicious, leaner alternative to a traditional beef burger. But the lean meat can sometimes be prone to dryness. To combat this issue, I’m adding a beaten egg and some grated onion for moisture. A bit of grated cheddar will contribute additional moisture and flavor. Serve the burgers on a soft roll over slices of fresh avocado and topped with your homemade salsa.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 Ripe Tomatoes, seeds removed, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 Red Onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced*
  • 2 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup Cilantro Leaves, coursely chopped
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • Salt and Pepper

*Use a teaspoon to easily remove ribs and seeds.

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Let the salsa sit in the fridge for at least an hour. As it sits, the salt will draw out some of the tomato juices and the flavors will marry. If a saucier salsa is desired, pulse the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add additional jalapeno pepper for a spicier salsa.

Corn and Chipotle Variation

To the above recipe, add 1 pureed chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotles in adobo) and 1/2 cup sweet corn kernels. Stir to combine.

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Ground Turkey
  • 1 Egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup Grated Onion
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 tsp Salt

Directions

Preheat broiler. Using your hands, gently combine all ingredients. Form into 4 patties. Broil for about 10-12 minutes until fully cooked. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the middle should read 165 degrees.


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Chilled Avocado Soup and Crab Cake with Chipotle Remoulade

Posted on June 21, 2010 by amydeline

Tonight’s meal was initially intended to be two separate meals.

Meal #1: Chilled Avocado Soup
Meal #2: Crab Cake Sandwiches with Chipotle Remoulade

Then, it occurred to me how marvelously the two would go together, like peas and carrots. You see, avocados and crab love, love, love each other! If it were socially acceptable for a fruit to marry a crustacean, the two would run away together and make millions of adorable baby crabocados. Until that day, we’ll just have to settle for joining them in perfect culinary union. With that in mind, tonight we’re making Chilled Avocado Soup decked with a Crabcake and dressed with Chipotle Remoulade.

We’ve really got three separate recipes going on here. And, they’re kind of like those items in your wardrobe that you can mix and match with other outfits in all sorts of ways. Make these recipes together, as I’m doing tonight, or use them in other ways. The crab cakes are fantastic as a sandwich or on their own, served on a bed of slaw. They’re wonderful full-sized or make perfect bite-sized hors d’ oeuvres. Serve them alongside a filet mignon with bernaise sauce for a really special dinner. The remoulade, a seasoned mayonnaise-based sauce, is great on seafood, but would also be delicious with chicken or roast beef. It also makes a great sandwich spread. Even I, the despiser of mayonnaise, enjoy this remoulade. The chilled avocado soup can stand alone (with a little dollop of creme fraiche) or top it with grilled shrimp, lobster, or broiled sea bass. Your options are truly unlimited.

Chilled Avocado Soup

  • 2 Ripe Avocados, skin and seed removed
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock (plus more, if desired)*
  • 1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (or sour cream)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1/4 cup Parsley Leaves or Cilantro
  • 1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp Salt (plus more, if desired)
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, chopped fine (optional)*

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Add additional broth to make the soup thinner, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

*Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian soup.

* To add some spice without compromising the bright green color, add jalapeno pepper.  I did not have a jalapeno on hand when I make this soup today, but my guess is that 1/2 jalapeno should be about right.

Broiled Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

  • 1 pound Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, cooked*
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs or cracker crumbs)
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp Old Bay or Creole Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Mustard
  • 1 tsp Garlic, minced

*You can steam and pick your own crabs, if you want. But, I always buy steamed jumbo lump crab meat, that’s been hand-picked and packaged. It’s a time-saving and mess-saving option, which in my opinion, makes very little difference in the quality of the final product.

Preheat broiler. Combine all ingredients, except the crab meat, in a bowl. Mix until well blended. Gently fold the crab meat into the other ingredients, taking care not to break up the chunks too much. Use your hands to form four equal sized balls of the crab mixture. Place the balls on a baking sheet and gently flatten into thick patties. Place under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes until completely heated through.

Chipotle Remoulade

  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 Chipotle Pepper (from can of chipotles in adobo)
  • 1 Tbsp Capers
  • 1 Tbsp Chopped Pickle
  • 1 Anchovy fillet*
  • 1 tsp Mustard

*Run your fingers along the anchovy, as you rinse it under running water to check for and remove any larger bones. If you choose to omit the anchovie, you may want to add a dash of salt to the sauce.

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To compose the dish:

Ladle some soup into a shallow bowl. (You don’t want the crabcake to drown in the soup, so don’t fill the bowl too deep.) Place the cooked crabcake in the center of the soup. Drizzle chipotle remoulade over the crab cake.

A little trick for drizzling the remoulade over your crab cake – Spoon some of the sauce into a small sandwich bag or ziploc. Use a pair of scissors to cut off a tiny bit of one corner.  Squeeze the sauce through the hole onto your crabcake.

Crab Cakes and Avocado. What The Gourmand Mom has joined together, let no one put asunder.

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Strawberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese and Almonds

Posted on June 14, 2010 by amydeline

Dear Yesterday’s Strawberries,

I feel compelled to offer you the sincerest of apologizes for my actions.  In choosing to engulf you in a layer of sugary gelatin, I disrespected your fresh-picked strawberry goodness. It was a mistake. You’re good enough.  You’re sweet enough. And, doggone it, people like you. I’m going to make it up to you! Today, I will enjoy your brethren in all their unadulterated natural goodness in a salad of fresh spinach and strawberries, adorned with goat cheese and almonds, and dressed in a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. It’s the least I can do!

Sincerely,

The Gourmand Mom


Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • Baby Spinach, washed
  • Strawberries, quartered or sliced
  • Goat Cheese
  • Almonds, sliced

For the Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette:

  • 1/8 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
  • 3 ripe Strawberries
  • 1/2 Tbsp Honey
  • 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
  • Salt

Directions

In a blender or food processor, combine oil, vinegar, strawberries, cinnamon and honey. Blend until well combined. Season with a sprinkle of salt. To compose the salad, toss the spinach with a small amount of dressing. Top with strawberries, crumbled goat cheese, and almonds.

Make it a meal by adding a sliced chicken breast! I seasoned my chicken with a little salt and pepper. Then, I placed it in a baking dish, poured a bit of balsamic over it and baked in a 375 degrees oven. Perfect with the salad! Light, refreshing, and incredibly satisfying!

This is how to use fresh-picked strawberries!!

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The World’s Greatest Penne ala Vodka

Posted on June 7, 2010 by amydeline

This, dear friends, is your lucky day. I am about to share a recipe for the best Vodka Sauce you’ve ever tasted. Seriously…this stuff is a. maze. ing. This recipe comes from a lovely friend, Erin, who acquired it from her uncle, whose friend, Charlie, came up with it. Follow all that? The first time I had the pleasure of this sauce was during college, when Erin whipped it up to the great delight of everyone in our sorority house. We were all hooked. Our biggest problem after that, was figuring out who was old enough to buy the vodka, so we could make it again.

This is a rich sauce; not exactly what you would call diet-friendly. But, all things in moderation. It’s worth it! Just hold your breath while you pour in the quart of cream and drop in the stick of butter. It’s gonna be a long run for me tonight!

Mise En Place

A little note about Mise En Place – The French phrase, Mise en Place, pronounced MEEZ-on-plahs, roughly translates to “everything in its place”. In the culinary field, this refers to the practice of gathering, preparing, and organizing ingredients prior to beginning the cooking process. I’ve mentioned this all before, but I say it again because I truly believe that mise en place is the #1 thing you can do to make cooking a successful, enjoyable experience. Now, my mise en place isn’t always nicely arranged on a tray.  That just makes a pretty picture.  But, I do prepare my mise en place almost every time I cook. Sometimes I do it just prior to cooking.  Other times, I gather, measure, and prepare things whenever I have a moment over the course of the day. This way, when dinner time rolls around, I’m ready to cook! The practice of preparing your mise en place will save you many headaches and a lot of frustration. It will save you from burning the soup, while you’re searching for a spoon or from overcooking the green beans while you’re chopping the garlic. You’ll be just like those chefs on TV, skillfully whipping up delicious meals with ease.

But, enough about mise en place. Let’s get cooking!

Penne ala Vodka

World’s Greatest Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 shots vodka
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 can whole plum tomatoes
  • 2 small cans tomato paste
  • 1 qt heavy cream (or you can use a combination of light and heavy cream)
  • 1 small bunch of fresh basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Chop onion and garlic and cook in olive oil until soft.
  • Add prosciutto and cook for a few minutes.
  • Form mixture into a circle with a hole in the middle, pour vodka in the center of the circle and allow to cook off (about 5 minutes). **Pour vodka into a shot glass or other wide-rimmed container before pouring into the pot.  Never pour alcohol directly from a bottle into a hot pan. It is flammable and there is a chance that flames could find there way into the bottle and cause it to explode.
  • Rinse plum tomatoes under water and rinse out all the seeds. (Seeds make the sauce bitter.)
  • Cut into quarters or eighths and add tomato pieces to mixture.
  • Add cream and tomato paste, stir until combined and hot.
  • Chop approximately 5 basil leaves and add to the sauce. (Save additional basil leaves for garnish.)
  • Add cheese and butter and simmer over low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. About 1-2 tsp of each should be good.

Serve over penne pasta. This dish pairs nicely with steamed asparagus or peas.

The sauce will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you don’t put it on the pasta. (Pasta with the sauce already on it does not reheat well.)

Italian Bread with Roasted Garlic Butter

Remember that garlic we roasted last week?  (Click here for a reminder.) Combine 1 head of roasted garlic with 1 stick of softened butter. Cut a loaf of Italian bread in half lengthwise. Spread the roasted garlic butter on both halves. Put the halves back together.  Wrap the loaf in foil.  Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with the Penne ala Vodka.

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Posted in Breads, Cheese, Culinary Techniques, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Sauces and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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