New Twist on a Classic: Recipe

Making changes to an old stand-by can run the risk of being too radical but if it's done right, it can be a smash. However, like everything else, "smash" is purely subjective. I saw a Ming Tsai recipe for "Asian Sloppy Joes" and I was quickly drawn in. I followed the basics but make significant enough changes that I'm confident this is my recipe, now...And, we all laughed when my oldest came out with the perfect name - The Sloppy Dog.

Ming's recipe called for only a pork and beef mixture - I added in veal. He suggested using celery, and red onions only - I used a red bell pepper, and half a red onion and half a yellow onion, instead. His recipe used far more heat than this one and instead of iceberg lettuce, I used arugula and added freshly cubed avocado. And for the kicker: hot dog rolls, instead of hamburger buns.  The kids got a kick out of it and the littlest one ate hers deconstructed - she consumed the sloppy dog mixture and the roll separately.  This was a great meal! The Ming Tsai Hoisin-Lime Sauce was really delicious and added that perfect tang to the meat. This is one we'll eat again and again!

Sloppy Dogs
makes 8-10

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
1 lb. meat mixture: ground veal, ground beef and ground pork
1/2 lb. plum tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cup Hoisin-Lime Sauce* (recipe to follow)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
8-10 hot dog buns, top sliced
1 large ripe avocado
1 large handful fresh arugula, washed and dried

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, pepper and jalapeno and mix well - saute till soft, about 5-7 minutes. Next add in the tomatoes and saute again - another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add in the cilantro and the meats. Cook the meat till browned, break up large pieces with the back of a wooden spoon - about 6-7 minutes.  Add in the sauce and raise the heat to high - bring the mixture to a boil, stir often, and allow it to thicken so it is no longer soupy - about 20-25 minutes. Take off the heat.

Line the rolls with arugula, top with meat mixture and then sprinkle with avocado.


Ming Tsai's Hoisin-Lime Sauce
makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cups hoisin sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium saucepan until hot; add in the ginger and the garlic and saute over medium-high heat for about one-two minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and stir about one minute.  Add in the mine juice, mix well, and allow to come together for about one more minute.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend, drizzling in the 1/2 cup of oil. Cool well before refrigerating (can be stored for up to two weeks).

Afternoon Treat for All: Recipe

I've seen tomatillos in the supermarket lately and wanted to buy them but every time I passed the display I wound up distracted and somehow kept walking. Today was different though; I was far more determined and succeed in taking them home. I found a Rick Bayless recipe for roasted garlic and tomatillo salsa and I followed it but as I tasted it I realized it was a bit too hot - even for me - so I altered it slightly by adding some fresh yellow pepper and a squeeze of lime which toned it down a bit.

The kids and I made a quick saute of onion and bell peppers and added some fresh cilantro at the end.  Then we heated up some black beans and together we made a few quesadillia with Mexi-Style shredded cheese.  We all sat down for a 3:00 p.m. treat. and a chat. I steered the kids away from the salsa but man was it GOOD!

Roasted Garlic and Tomatillo Salsa
1 large garlic clove, peeled
4 large tomatillos, husked, washed and halved
2 small chipotle chilies, from the can
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 yellow bell pepper, coarsely chopped

In a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat, place the tomatillo halves cut-side down along with the garlic clove and cook about 4 minutes - turn and cook 4 more minutes on the other side. Place the tomatillos and garlic into a food processor along with 1/4 cup water, pepper, lime and chipotle chilies. Puree until all ingredients are a smooth consistency.

Suddenly Salmon: Recipe

Recently my son - who is five and a half - informed me that he really likes salmon. I know I've made salmon before but I haven't made it recently so I was unsure where he had eaten it and discovered that he "really likes salmon."  But since he was so thrilled about it, I made it the other night for dinner with lemon, olive oil and dill and it was okay. My oldest daughter hated it but my son gobbled it up - we actually didn't have enough food for the three of us that ate it, so it wasn't too terrible that my daughter didn't like it! 

Since he liked it so much, I opted to try it again tonight and this time I decided to venture into the Asian flavors that I love.  I found a recipe to use as inspiration and came up with a thick syrup made with lime, soy sauce and brown sugar.  It was delicious! The salmon fillet was purchased at Costco and to be honest...their fish was unreal - absolutely perfect: fresh, bright, and non-smelling...just as fish should be!

This was very easy to do - practically no cooking to be done!

Lime-Soy Syrup
Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3 small/medium limes), both halves of one cut lime, reserved
Peel of 1 whole lime

In a medium nonreactive pot, combine all ingredients - including the cut lime pieces and the peel - and heat over medium-high heat until small bubbles begin to form on the outside. Lower the heat to medium-simmer and allow it to reduce for 45 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely and toss out the lime pieces.

Mixture will keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge.


Broiled Salmon with Lime-Soy Syrup
Serves 6

2 lbs. salmon fillet
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Lime-Soy Syrup
2 cups hot prepared sushi rice*
Juice of 3 limes
1 medium scallion, thinly sliced (greens, as well)

Heat a heavy pan in the oven under the broiler.  Sprinkle the salmon lightly with salt and pepper.  Remove the pan from the oven and spray with nonstick spray and place the salmon on the tray - flesh side down. Broil for 4-5 minutes. Turn and baste with syrup and broil again for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the lime juice and scallions with the hot rice, mix well and mound 1/2 cup in the middle of the plate and serve with salmon piece on top. Drizzle syrup over salmon.

* Be sure to follow directions well and don't burn the bottom of the rice pot!

Hearty Vegetable Sauce: Recipe

If you're like most people I know, you don't have a recipe for "sauce." Likely it comes out slightly different each time you make it - even if you use all the same ingredients each time. But tonight I needed to use a perfectly perfect eggplant before it became a victim of science in the fridge. My husband loves Caponata so I used that as my inspiration and came up with a thick and hearty sauce that was delicious and healthy.

Even with this recipe, be sure to experiment and use what you have on hand...

Hearty Vegetable Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
1 1/2 cup eggplant cut into small pieces (about 1/2 a large eggplant)
1 medium onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 medium green zucchini cut into small pieces
28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, lightly pureed
1/2 cup black Kalamata olives - pitted and finely chopped
1/2 cup red wine

In a food processor, chop the onion into fine dice and saute in heated olive oil over medium-high heat until soft and translucent - about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, chop the eggplant and zucchini into smaller pieces and add them to the pot. Pour in the additional two tablespoons of oil and mix well. Lower the heat to a medium and saute about 10 minutes.  Add in the red wine and saute another 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add in the herbs, garlic and olives and saute another 5 minutes over medium heat - stir well. Finally, add in the tomatoes and simmer about 20 minutes longer.

Low-Fat but Big-Taste Meat Sauce: Diet Friendly

We happen to like bison meat - it's much lower in fat than its cousin, the cow. But prepared the same way, it can be big on taste. Tonight I came home to a thundery, rainy, day and decided that barbecuing bison burgers would be out of the question and frying mini bison meatballs wouldn't work, either - too hot and sticky for that.

So quickly I was able to put up a pot of sauce and get the heck out of the kitchen while it cooked. It feels like you're eating beef and that you're eating something that's high in calories. In fact, when I went to the Weight Watchers site and "built" my recipe, I realized that it was a perfect dinner dish - just 4 points for one cup of sauce.

Bison Meat Sauce
serving size 1 cup

1 lb. bison meat
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
5 oz. baby carrots, finely chopped
2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano
5 medium fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
a few grindings of black pepper

In a large pot heat oil and saute the onion, shallot, carrots and celery till soft - about 8 minutes over medium heat. Add in the meat and raise heat to high - saute until brown and no longer pink.  Next add in the garlic, parsley, oregano and red pepper - saute another 2 minutes. Add in the wine and mix two or three times.  Add in the tomatoes and black pepper. Mix well, lower the heat to simmer and leave uncovered for about an hour, mixing a few times. Add in the basil leaves and mix.

Marinade for Spare Ribs: Asian Inspired

I think everyone has a particular flavor-bent: you know what I mean...the way you return to certain ingredients when you reach into the cabinet or the 3-5 restaurants you go to over and over. I can delve into many different flavors and be happy but I really love Asian flavors and tend to seek out ways to incorporate them into our daily menu.

I made this marinade because I didn't feel like making a rib-rub and thought I'd marinate the meat for a few days - and I was glad I did. The soy just seeps into every open pour on the meat's surface and what leaps back at you is so rich and tangy. I marinaded 3.5 lbs. pork spare ribs - on the bone - from Sunday to Tuesday night. There was plenty of extra marinade that I could have "basted" the meat a few times before the cooking process was complete. While it marinaded in the fridge, I turned the bag a few times.

I'd say you can use this for any meat - flank steak, skirt steak, pork chops, or even chicken, etc. It's easy to make and even easier to enjoy.

Asian Inspired Meat Marinade
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1 Tbsp. old fashioned BBQ sauce
1/8 tsp. dry wasabi mustard
1/8 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
3 scallions
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until no large pieces of garlic remain and it's well combined. Place meat into a large bowl or a zip bag and pour mixture over the meat. Marinate from 24 -48 hours in the refrigerator. Cook meat according to directions

Only in the Summer: Recipe

This dish happens to be one of the best I make - it's so fresh that you feel as though you can only eat this outside on a wonderful evening! Break out a crisp white that will pair nicely and relax. This sauce won't get cold!

Linguine with Fresh Plum Tomato Sauce
2 Lbs. very ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh, chopped basil
1 small onion, minced
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of pasta, linguine or angel hair is best

Cut an "X" into the tops of each tomato - not too deep, just barely going below the skin's surface. Drop tomatoes into boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove to a colander and when cool enough, peel off skin, starting at the "X" and squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes coarsely and put into a large mixing bowl. Add: onion, basil, garlic, oil, salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for about one hour - mix regularly. Add cheese, mix, and serve over hot pasta.

Roasted Garlic and Corn Salsa: Recipe

Recently my husband and I watched a show on Rick Bayless and his salsa line which inspired me to decide that I should sample a ton of salsas and then blog about them. More on that later.

Today I was hungry for a warmer version of my usual salsa (http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/05/memorial-day-weekend.html) and given the year anniversary of Meredith's Food for Life is fast approaching, I thought that it would be a good time to update an old favorite.

This was easy to do - really easy - and the whole batch was gone by the end of the day. The consistentcy was thick enough to stick to your chip was not too thick that it was qualify as chunky. The flavor had a bit of a smokey-ness to it and certainly had heat. Gotta love jalapeno peppers.

Roasted Garlic and Corn Salsa
3 large ripe tomatoes on the vine (almost 2 lbs)
1 medium jalapeno
3 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
1 small-medium ear of corn
1 yellow pepper (whole)
1 organge pepper (whole)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 2 limes

Preheat oven to 475. Place tomatoes, corn, garlic, jalapeno, and peppers onto a large heavy baking dish. Roast in the oven about 15 minutes, turning once. Allow the items to cool slightly and peel off the toatoe skins, leaving the whole tomato in tact. Place in a food processessor and add the garlic, 2-3 thin slices of jalapeno, oil, lime juice.

Scrape the kernals off the corn cob and add to the processessor. Finally, peel off the skin from each pepper and slice off the stem and remove seeds. Cut off 1/3 of each pepper and slice into chuncky pieces and add to the processesor.

With tight fitting lid, puree the ingredients to desired consistency and serve.

Sundried Tomato Pesto: Recipe

This is another really easy thing to make for a holiday meal - especially since it looks like you either bought it (making people think it was expensive) or slaved over something to make it! So here you go - a great accompaniment to many dishes. You can toss this with hot pasta for a terrific light meal. Or you can spread it on crusty bread for an easy hors d'ouevre. It's terrific with fresh mozzarella and serving it side by side with Mozzarella di Bufala is an awesome pairing.

Just be sure to serve it at room temperature for this dish.

Sundried Tomato Pesto
5 oz. sundried tomatoes in oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 Tbsp. capers
1/3 cup very good olive oil
1/4 cup pecorino, grated

Combine all ingredients, except the cheese, into a food processor and puree well. Add the cheese and pulse a few times to incorporate well. Serve immediately or refrigerate but be sure to remove and warm up to room temperature before moving ahead.

Sauces: Recipe

My goodness...there are so many ways to make sauce and to be fair, I'm not sure I repeat my own sauce recipe the same way each time I make it. I do try though, I promise. But this is the sauce I made to go with the calamari I'm serving on Christmas Eve and the Vodka Sauce for the pasta. This is a light marinara sauce and it's delicious. The other is thick and rich and super creamy.

Several mentioned that this was incredible vodka sauce - perhaps the best they'd eaten! If that isn't a fantastic compliment, I don't know what is...


Marinara Sauce
2 28-oz. cans whole plum tomatoes, from San Marzano region
2 small onions, sliced really thin and then chopped very fine
3 gloves of garlic
1 heaping Tbsp. dried oregano
1 heaping Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves

In a food processor, chop well the carrots and celery and set aside. Then in the processor, chop the garlic very well, too, and set aside. Next, in two batches, puree the whole tomatoes by placing them into the processor - without the added juice.

In a large pot, heat the oil for about 1-2 minutes or until very hot. Add in the onion and saute well for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Next add in the carrots and celery and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Then add in the herbs and salt and saute another 3 minutes. Finally, add in the tomatoes and bay leaves and mix well. Allow it to simmer for about 1 hour. Mix it a few times while simmering. Serve immediately or set aside and allow it to cool and then place in glass jars. Refrigerate up to three days and warm, gently, before serving.


Vodka Sauce
2 28-oz. cans tomato puree, from San Marzano region
1 large onion, sliced really thin and then chopped very fine
8 oz. prosciutto, finely chopped
5 gloves of garlic
1 heaping Tbsp. dried oregano
1 heaping Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream, room temperature

In a food processor, chop well the carrots and celery and set aside. Then in the processor, chop the garlic very well, too, and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the oil for about 1-2 minutes or until very hot. Add in prosciutto and saute over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the prosciutto and set aside. In the oil that remains, saute the onion for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Next add in the carrots and celery and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute another 3 minutes. Then add in the herbs and salt and saute another 3 minutes. Add back in about 3/4 of the prosciutto. Finally, add in the tomatoes and bay leaves and mix well. Allow it to simmer for about 1 hour. Mix it a few times while simmering.

If serving immediately: add in the vodka and mix well and allow it to simmer about 20minutes. Then add in heavy cream and mix well and let simmer another 5 minutes and serve.

If not serving immediately: allow sauce to cool and then place in glass jars. Before serving, heat, gently, on the stove and continue with the vodka and cream as directed above.

Sunday Dinner: Recipe

For someone who isn't Italian, I sure do love pasta for Sunday dinner. I suppose that is a rather silly thing to say given the fact that probably most people I know love pasta for dinner. Regardless, today was a rather hectic day filled with errands put off from yesterday and by the time I turned around it was too late to make anything that required a long, slow, simmer.

What to do on such a nice day? Fire up the barbecue, of course. We made a pinwheel sausage accompanied by a light pasta dish I made up. The sauce was so delicate that it required a pasta equally as delicate - Angel Hair. And what could be better than watching two kids slurp in the long strands at the dinner table?

Angel hair with Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Lb. Angel hair
2 Tbsp. lemon Olive oil + 2 more Tbsp. reserved
5 garlic cloves, mashed and chopped fine
2 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb. thin fresh asparagus, washed and using only 2/3 of the tops
1 lb. very ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine + 1 Tbsp.
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to directions.

In a large pan, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium high heat. Add 1/4 of the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add in the mushrooms and saute another 4-5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add in the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add in the remainder of the garlic and continue to stir. Then add in the tomatoes and cook over steady even heat about 5 more minutes. Add in the 2/3 cup of wine and allow it to boil for about 4 minutes, stirring often. Once the pasta is finished cooking, add in the cheese and the parsley to the sauce and add 1 Tbsp. oil. Drain the pasta and pour into a large serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss well. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil over the tossed pasta as well as remaining tablespoon of wine. Toss once more and serve.

Simple Veal Sauce: Recipe

Marcella Hazan has an awesome recipe for a simple meat sauce for a weeknight. I have been very tired lately but there is no excuse that can be used when it's dinner time. People are hungry!

I do love this recipe but of course, as you know, I needed to alter it (but only slightly). This was quick - 30 minutes - and it was delicious. I think the alteration was excellent. In fact, it was Marcella who inspired my minor change in her recipe. She suggests serving this veal sauce with fresh pasta made with ground rosemary. Of course! Rosemary and lamb are like...Batman and Robin or Bagels and Cream Cheese! But, I didn't have fresh pasta and I'm not insane enough to make it on a week night...so, I decided to use fresh rosemary in the sauce instead and it was a perfect enhancement.

Simple Veal Sauce with Rosemary
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 lb. ground veal
3 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 1/2 cup whole, peeled, tomatoes and a bit of juice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Lb. pasta

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute about 5 minutes. Add the herbs and saute another minute. Add the veal and saute about 10 minutes or until the meat turns white, stirring often. Add the tomatoes and mash them with the back of a wooden spoon. Simmer on low, uncovered, about 20 minutes, while pasta cooks. Remove sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese. Toss with the pasta.

Friends during the Week: Recipe

I love to entertain but entertaining during the week scares me. I want to be sure that my guests feel like they've gotten a good meal while I balance the more important role of mommy. That said, we don't often entertain guests during the week but I've not seen my childhood girlfriend and her boyfriend for weeks and it was time for us all to get together...and since our schedules don't mesh well they agreed to make the 50 minute treck here during the week and I agreed to make dinner (seemed like a fair trade to to me).

Aside from my two little ones running around begging our friends to play with them at every moment, and everyone speaking at the same time, it was a really nice visit. Dinner was tasty and I think this is the kind of everyday dish that you can easily serve to your family - with or without guests.

The chicken was rounded out with boxed-rice (how dare I!), steamed corn, and a fresh tomato salad with basil, kalamata olives and feta cheese drizzled with lemon oil and white balsamic vinegar.

Chicken with Soy-Ginger Marinade
3 Lbs. chicken pieces (legs and thighs work best)
2/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 scallions, sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
5 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

In a food processesor, combine all ingredients, except for the chicken, and process till well incorporated and smooth. Put chicken into a large zip bag and pour in the sauce mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 and place all chicken into a large oven proof pan. Do not stack pieces. Bake 1 hour and serve, turn pieces at the half-way mark.

Dinner in a Hurry: Recipe

Making dinner is clearly a passion of mine. But obviously the point is to make a meal that is innovative and tasty and with two children (4 and 2) naturally there is a need to deliver it quickly. Trying to fit that set of criteria onto one plate is...well, a tall order!

Recently I read through the September issue of Bon Appetit mag and I saw a spread on hazelnuts. I have an awesome recipe for a flourless hazelnut cake that I make at Passover so I usually have a batch of nuts in the cabinet. I must have reviewed a recipe in that magazine that sounded good and the basic components must have been committed to memory because I made a quick dinner last night and when I went back to the recipe in the magazine I discovered it was very similar.

Regardless, there were enough edits to make it my own and I will say that the sauce was wonderful. Full of flavor and the perfect consistency. It was really well done. The pork I used was perfect in texture and cut but I over salted it - so don't try that at home. The slightly heavy hand with the salt made the pork and the sauce compete in your mouth. What follows is a corrected version.

Pork Cutlets with Hazelnut Cream Sauce
1 1/4 lb. thinly sliced pork cutlets
3 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup hazelnuts, lightly ground
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
salt and pepper

In a large frying pan, melt 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add about 4 pork cutlets, do not crowd the pan, and lightly salt and pepper each one. Cook pork about 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Turn once the first side begins to brown. Remove and place on a plate. Repeat with next batch.

Add in the remaining tablespoon of butter and then add in the shallot. Pour in the collected juices from the plate the cutlets are sitting on. Next saute the shallot until golden and soft, but do not burn, about 3-4 minutes. Raise the heat to near-high and add in the brandy; allow it to bubble and scrape up the bits. Then add in the heavy cream and allow it to come to a boil for about 2 minutes, until it becomes thick. Add in the nuts and mix well. Then add in the parsley. Spoon over the pork and serve.

More from the Garden: Recipe

I don't know about you but we have had the worst summer dealing with mosquitoes. I don't ever recall it being this bad - we could barely let our children outside for fear they would come in with tremendous welts the size of quarters from the little buggers.

This morning my daughter and I went outside and I took a peek in the garden. There were green tomatoes and pink ones all over but inside the marigolds that I've used for the past 5 years to "protect" the herbs from pests, there were tons of mosquitoes. In my typical rash way, I grabbed the garbage bin and I hauled them all out - tomato plants, marigolds, pepper plants, and even an eggplant stalk. In the process, my daughter and I were completely bitten up and I discovered about three feet of rosemary growing under all those tomatoes.

I grabbed some basil and some rosemary and made a new pesto sauce. It was lunch on some hot pasta...and it was good! The only real difference I noticed was the consistency of this pesto - it was much thicker than regular pesto. But the flavors were a bit more complex and certainly it was not overpowering with that spicy basil bite.

Rosemary-Basil Pesto
1 cup fresh rosemary, off the stem
1 1/2 cup fresh basil
4 garlic cloves
4 1/2 oz walnuts
1 1/4 cup Romano cheese
1 cup olive oil

In a food processor combine all ingredients except the oil and cheese. Process about 10 seconds and pour the oil into the liquid tube so that it slowly pours into the bowl of the processor. Turn on the processor and allow mixture to become completely Incorporated and smooth. Add in the cheese and pulse about 5 times.

A Complete Sunday Meal: Recipes

I have to admit that I'm itching for the cooler weather. I love cooking in the cold weather - the soups, stews, and other goodies made in the oven or on top of the stove. I guess I've just had about enough of the warmth. On Sundays in the fall and winter I tend to make tons of food and enjoy stirring a pot. Today was one of those days where I had the hankering to cook, despite the heat.

The other day I went to the grocery store and there was a club steak on sale - which I swear was the best deal I've bought in a long time. It was about 2 1/2 lbs. of meat, pretty well marbleized, and it cost about $5.45 (total!!!). How could I resist? Admittedly I kept it in the fridge far longer that I had intended but when I took it out to marinate, it was still ok! The steak was about 1" thick. Perfect. So I marinated it in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, scallions, sesame oil and a little sugar. You can be creative with the proportions (try using 2 sliced scallions, 2 garlic cloves finely chopped, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tsp. sesame oil and 3/4 cup soy sauce and mix really well).

This was an overnight marinating job and as I usually do, I scored the beef in several places to ensure the marinade seeped deep into the steak. It worked. The steak was grilled about 7 minutes per side and then I let it rest for about 7 more minutes and it was juicy and flavorful and just plain awesome.

With it we had mashed potatoes and a tomato salad. There was plenty of steak and potatoes left over - another recipe will be posted in the next day or so using the left overs creatively. Watch for it.


Mashed Potatoes
2 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed well and quartered (with the skin on)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk

Drop potatoes into boiling water for about 25 minutes or until they are very soft when poked with a fork. Drain well and put them back into the pot. Mash with a potato masher until well all pieces have been squashed. Add butter and salt and mash and mix well. Add milks and repeat - mash and mix well.


Tomato, Olive and Feta Salad
4 medium, very ripe, tomatoes, washed, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Nature's Bounty: Caponata Recipe

I don't have a huge spot for gardening - the backyard is not terribly large and there is a wonderful spot for entertaining along with the much needed grass! But there is a small little plot that has become my herb/vegetable garden. To be honest, I love planting everything at the start of the season but by mid-July I truly hate to weed, but do reluctantly, and by late August I can't wait to pull everything out of the ground...despite the fact that I still have a huge crop growing.

In anticipation of a vacation, I tried to harvest what I had and then began to fret over what to do with it all. I've got about 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes that are perfectly ripe. A dish made with them surely will show up on tomorrow night's dinner menu. And I made a batch of pesto sauce with the abundant basil. I will gather tons of herbs together tomorrow and make a butter that I can freeze for the winter months. I already made rosemary oil...and I do not care to dry the herbs. Oh more ideas will spring to mind, I'm sure.

That left me with about 8 ripe full size tomatoes, 4 Itchiban eggplant and 4 or 5 green peppers. I began thinking about a stew-like dish that could morph into caponata. It smells and looks delicious with so many colors and flavors. I highly recommend this even if the wares did not come from your own garden. You can use this as a great sauce over a hearty pasta or it can be used as a dip with toasted bread. You could also use it, simply, as a side dish with rosemary-garlic lamb chops.

Garden Caponata
1 onion, finely sliced and diced
1/4 cup Rosemary Oil + 1 Tbsp.
3 large garlic, minced
4 cups Itchiban eggplant, diced into 1 1/2" pieces (about 3 medium/large)
2 small or 1 large green pepper, diced
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, removed from stem
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh basil finely chopped
2 tsp. capers
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
pinch of salt and pepper

In a large, heavy, pot warm 1/4 cup oil over medium-high heat and saute onions about 5 minutes, stirring well. Add garlic and saute another 5 minutes, lowering heat if garlic looks like it will burn at all. Then add eggplant and saute another 5 minutes, stirring well. Add peppers and all remaining ingredients. Stir well and lower to low-simmer and cook, uncovered, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring well. Do not let mixture boil at any time.

Spoon about 3/4 of the mixture into a blender pitcher and pulse 5-6 times until blended very well and smooth. Mix in remaining caponata and serve over pasta or as a side dish. Alternatively, cool over night and serve as a dip with toasted bread.

Sweet Pepper and Goat Cheese Pesto: Recipe

So all "flops" don't have to be. In fact, many food myths depict a chef who intended to make one thing and because of a missing ingredient or a lack of ingredients wound up making something else that, obviously, became an international sensation (i.e., Cesar Salad).

Yesterday I was playing around with ingredients and intended to make a pepper and goat cheese filling for homemade ravioli. I did all of the things correctly (taste-wise) except that I didn't have any ricotta cheese and the filling I created really needed something heavier to bind it all together. So I filled a few ravioli and boiled some water to test them before I went any further. The filling was just too loose to hold inside the wanton wrapper. Oh well. I saved it for today and voila - an instant "sauce" for pasta. Kids loved it and my husband finished several bowls.

Sweet Pepper and Goat Cheese Pesto
2 Tbsp. butter
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Yellow peppers, peeled and sliced thin
2 Orange peppers, peeled and sliced thin
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped fine
8 oz. goat cheese
1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off each pepper. Remove the stem, membranes, and seeds from each and slice thin into strips. In a large pan, melt the butter and saute garlic quickly over med-high heat. Do not burn. Add the peppers and saute over med-high heat for about 15-20 minutes or until very soft. Add rosemary and saute another 2 minutes.

In a Cuisinart, combine cooked peppers, both cheeses and the basil. Puree until smooth. Serve over hot pasta.

Poll Results: Ming Tsai Recipe

I can't believe it. Not one person who voted on this poll would choose to dine with Ming. How can that be? His food is delicious and so I thought it would be a good idea for you to try a recipe. This comes from his book, "Simply Ming." His food is fresh and innovative. I love this recipe and it wasn't until just now that I remembered just how much.

Pan Seared Soy-Dijon Hamburger on Toast, by Ming Tsai
serves 4

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade (see below)
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
8 slices of bread, toasted
8 tender leaves of romaine lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced

In a large chilled bowl combine the meat and marinade and using your hands mix gently just until the marinade is incorporated. Don't overwork mixture. Form 4 patties. lightly season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. add the butter and when it melts swirl to coat pan. Saute burgers, turning once until done 2-4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Place a slice pf toast on 4 serving plates. cover with romaine and top with burgers, tomato and onion. top with remaining toast and serve!


Soy- Dijon Marinade
Makes 6 cups, lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns
salt to taste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
2 1/2 cups canola oil

In a small, dry saute pan, heat the peppercorns over medium-high heat until they are fragrant and beginning to smoke, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer to medium glass bowl and add salt, wine, mustard, soy sauce, thyme, and garlic. whisk in oil gradually to emulsify the mixture.


Poll Results:
Which celebrity chef would you most like to dine with?
44% said...Julia Child (and who wouldn't! I wish she were still alive to do so)
22% said Mario Batali (my 2nd choice behind Julia...so in essence, my first choice!)
22% said Paula Deen
11% said: Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, and Giada
0% said Ming Tsai and Cat Cora

Wise Old Sage: Recipe

By now you know that weekly meals in my house are made short on time but big on taste. This dish is no different - and this was a huge hit with the little ones. I love this meal and it can be augmented, of course, but why bother? It's simple and it's simply perfect in its ease. A nutty brown flavor, flecks of browned butter, a subtle hint of fresh herbs...hmmm. This dish tends to show up on menus in the fall for Thanksgiving coupled with pumpkin ravioli (and that is awesome) but I think when you have really green sage growing like wild in the backyard you should pick and use.


Ravioli with Sage Butter

3 pkgs. of frozen mini ravioli
8 large sage leaves, washed and dried, stems removed
10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil water for ravioli and cook according to directions. With about 3 minutes left in the cooking for the ravioli, melt butter over high heat in a large saute pan. When butter is thick and foamy and all pieces have melted, toss in sage leaves and swirl around with spoon about 1 minute.

Drain ravioli and pour into large serving dish. Pour sauce over ravioli and stir. Serve with grated cheese.