Prepping: The Night Before

Knowing that I had a lot of components to pull together, and I couldn't get to Caputo's on Court Street until Saturday morning, I went to Fairway on Friday night to get almost all of the ingredients. The goal was to make the soup and chill it over night.

I was able to conquer the soup, cut and wash the arugula and chop all fresh herbs on Friday, making setting up to cook on Saturday much easier.

The recipe for Butternut Squash Soup was simple and the recipe (with my adjustments) is here, I took off Allrecipes.com, it was so easy and served with a salad could be a meal all on its own:



INGREDIENTS

* 6 tablespoons chopped onion
* 4 tablespoons BUTTER
* 2 Butternut Squashes, cut lengthwise and seeded
* 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
* Sprinkle of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
1. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to each piece of the Butternut squash, roast at 375-degrees for about 35-40 minutes. I roasted cut side up for first 25 minutes and then flipped.
2. Remove squash from oven and let cool, when cool enough to handle, scoop our center or peel and cut into cubes.
3. In a large saucepan, saute onions in butter until tender. Add squash, chicken broth, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes. Sprinkle in just a tiny bit of nutmeg.
4. Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. (If you are making in advance chill after this step.)
5. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

PS. I prepared the "bowls" the next day but they were surprisingly much easier to make than I expected. The directions are:

One large acorn squash for each person attending
Cut top off, like you are making a Jack-o-latern (reserve for when serving)
Scoop out seeds and insides - discard
Cut out any loose insides, being sure to not thin walls too much

Roast at 375-degrees cut side down for about 25 minutes, be very careful to not over roast because the bowls need to be strong enough to hold the soup. Also some acorn squashes have points on the bottom, just level them off before roasting, again being careful to not cut too much.

When there is about 5-10 minutes left, place the "tops" in the oven to roast with the shells.

Like I said, this was much easier than I expected, just work with a sharp knife, the presentation is worth the effort, it made the table look great and saved on dishes!

My first dinner party...Entry 1

I've set the menu:


Fresh Fig, Prosciutto and Arugula Salad with Parmesan Shaving

Butternut Squash Soup served in Nature's Bowl

Pumpkin Ravioli with Walnut Pesto

Individual Cornish Game Hens with Mustard and Rosemary
served with Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta

Diana to bring pumpkin pie and Scott to prepare a pre-meal cocktail.

The groceries are bought, the prep is underway. The main goal is to enjoy my company and not spend the day cooking...let's see how it goes. :)

And the table is set:

A Cool's Summer Seltzer

This summer's cocktail of choice when I'm not seeking the opportunity to drink my friend Juno's Basil and Lemon Vodka Gimlet (I'll pursuade her to sed along the recipe) is something not quite as intoxicating but yummy and refreshing during hot summer days:

Lemon and Lime Seltzer served over Ice
Splash of Lemon Juice
Three sprigs of fresh mint
Lemon Wedge

While I make this virgin drink each night to cool off...vodka wouldn't be a bad addition when it's a Friday!

If not too much vodka is added on Friday night...Bloody Mary's are a great drink to serve over bagels before heading to the beach with friends. Here's what I throw in mine:




Ice
2 Shots of Vodka
Fill Glass with Tomato Juice (I don't like V8 for this...tomato juice is a bit thicker)
Juice of half a lemon

This is where instead of sticking by just one recipe I've brought together a whole bunch...leave out ingredients that you don't have on hand.

-Salt and Pepper
-Spoonful of Horseradish (less if your taste buds are sensitive)
-Four drops Worcester Sauce
-A few splashes of Tabasco Sauce
-Celery Salt or Old Bay Seasoning (what ever you have on hand)
-A splash of the juice from the olive jar or pickle jar

Garnishes vary...
Celery
Pickled Green beans (I ordered mine off Amazon after a few glasses of wine but I think you can hunt down at the market)
Olives
A small dill pickle
Paper Umbrella (it's festive for a beach day!)

All your veggies and a nice start to Saturday morning! Cheers.

Ramping it up...and a stir-fry for tonight

I'm driving traffic to the blog with all my "food blogging" chit chat and so I think I ought to step up my posting frequency, which I promise to try to do. Here is something I make on occasion and it allows for a lot of variations.





Beef or chicken strips
One Orange
Can of baby corn
Can of water chestnuts
Snap peas
Red pepper
Onion
Ginger
Sesame Oil
Low-sod soy sauce

Mix juice and zest of one orange with 2 Tbsp. sesame oil and a quarter cup soy sauce, add ginger to taste but I would suggest 2 Tbsp. grated ginger. Hot pepper flakes if you want a hot bite.

Divide the sauce.

With one half of the mixture marinate the meat (shrimp works too) for and hour or more. Keep the remaining sauce on side.

In saute pan or a wok if you have one, coat with a bit of sesame oil and cook chicken or beef until just cooked through. Remove meat and keep warm while cooking the veggies.

Add onion and red pepper to pan with some slices of ginger. Cook for 3-4 minutes and add snap peas. Cook for 3 more minutes and add remaining sauce, water chestnuts (drained and rinsed) and baby corn (also drained and rinsed). Simmer for 3 minutes and add meat, simmering in sauce for a few minutes to combine all the flavors.

Serve over rice or stir fry rice noodles.

Potato Salad of Choice

Five pounds of this potato salad disappeared quickly at my last BBQ. I found it online last year and I believe the original recipe came from Good Housekeeping. It's a great dish, I typically use green onions instead of chives and make a little more lemon-dressing than recommended since I enjoy the lemon flavor so much.

Enjoy at BBQs all summer long...

Lemon-Chive Potato Salad

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds medium red potatoes (skins on if possible), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
salt
2 medium lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
5 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped chives or green-onion tops
chopped chives for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. In 8-quart saucepot, heat potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and enough water to cover to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.

2. Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 1 1/2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1/4 cup juice. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix lemon peel, lemon juice, oil, sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

3. Drain potatoes. Add hot potatoes to lemon dressing. With rubber spatula, stir gently to coat. Let potatoes cool at room temperature 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. In small bowl, stir mayonnaise, milk, sour cream, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add mayonnaise mixture, celery, and chopped chives to potatoes; stir gently to coat well. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate. Garnish with chopped chives.

Sweet Summer Salad

Quick dish for a warm summer night.


Serves 2

What you'll need:
Mixed Greens
1 Pint Strawberries (slice about 3/4 of the berries and save the rest for breakfast)
1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
2oz goat cheese
4 Tbsp Pine Nuts
2 thin chicken breasts - boneless
Rasberry Vinegarette

1. On grill or in grill pan (you can broil too) prepare the chicken.
2. Toast pine nuts in heavy bottom pan over medium heat (about 5 min).
3. Mix together greens, berries, oranges, goat cheese pieces.
4. Add nuts.
5. Slice chicken into cubes and ad to salad.
6. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and dressing to taste.

It's refreshing and takes less than 15 minutes to make. Enjoy.

Pasta Salad means Summer is Coming

I took the Pasta Primavera listed below and turned it into a pasta salad once the warm weather hit...here's the adaptation...

3/4 lb. Orecchiette, cooked and cooled to room temp.
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers
1 can Artichoke Hearts
1 pint Grape Tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half
1/2 Onion
20 leaves Basil, ribboned
1 Green Pepper
1/2 cup grated parmasean cheese

1/2 bottle of Newman's Light Italian Dressing

1. Dice the Green Pepper and Onion and mix with tomatoes.
2. Chop the Roasted Red Peppers and Artichoke Hearts.
3. Mix all veggies with the pasta and slowly add dressing keeping just a bit more on the side for before serving.
4. Add in almost all of the cheese saving a bit for the topping.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Stir in the basil.

7. Right before serving add a bit more dressing and garnish with remaining cheese.

Great served with grilled steak or tuna with a lemon and garlic marinade.

Enjoy!

Pasta Primavera (out of jars and cans)

With a few fresh ingredients...

Ingredients
3 Links Hot Turkey Sausage
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Green Pepper, Diced
1 can Chopped Tomatoes
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers, Drained
1 can Artichoke Hearts, Drained and Chopped
1 can Vegetable Broth

Fresh Basil
Grated Peppercino Romano

3/4 lb. Pasta (I used whole wheat and it was great!)

1. Bring water to boil for pasta while you begin the sauce.
2. In a large pan drizzle 1 Tbsp Ex Virgin Olive Oil. Remove the Sausage casings and brown breaking up the meat as you cook.
3. Add the onion and continue to cook until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and green pepper. Cook for three minutes.
4. Stir in the Roasted Red Peppers and Artichoke Hearts and add a can of vegetable broth.
5. Add the pasta to the boiling water and saute the sauce for 10-15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in cheese and basil to the sauce and then toss in the pasta and serve!

Enjoy

My Favorite Quick Afterwork Meal

I made this out of what I had in the house one night a few weeks ago and added some extra ingredients the second time around, fresh rosemary in the broth would add a lot of flavor but I didn't have any on hand either of the times I've made it - you can also forgo making this with meat at all and simply make the white beans, spinach and tomatoes for a tasty warm salad.

This dish is a great after work meal because it is a one pan recipe and takes under 20 minutes to prepare, there is little chopping and prep work involved and all of the elements cook very quickly.

What you need:
Shallot
2 Cloves of Garlic
Boneless Pork Chops
1 Can White Beans
1 Pint Grape Tomatoes
1 Bag Spinach
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp Flour

What would make it nicer:
Rosemary
Dry White Wine

1. Trim the fat and butterfly the pork chops and then flatten to about 1/4" thick. Lightly dredge through flour.
2. Using a large skillet add a small amount of olive oil and heat, saute pork chops for about 3 minutes on either side, until cooked through. Set pork chops aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. ExVirg OO in large pan, add shallot and saute till soft, add in garlic for about one minute more. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to pull up the flavor from the pork chops.
4. Add in Can of White Beans, chicken broth, and a splash of white wine - cook 2 minutes.
5. Add in bag of spinach and cover, stirring occasionally until spinach is cooked, about 4 minutes.
6. Add in cherry tomatoes and cooked pork chops for a just a few more minutes or until tomatoes start to burst.

This dish is nice and light, a simple baguette compliments it well but turning the bread into crostini is very yummy and a nice way to eat the warm white beans. To do this slice the bread 1/4" thick and brush each slice with ExVirg OO, place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes keeping a close eye that it doesn't burn.

If you are not a fan of pork this dish would work well with thin boneless chicken breasts as well.

Enjoy!

A Burger at Paul's

A burger review is a funny way to start a cooking blog...but my food life is made up of eating out, ordering in and cooking a lot so I'm going to try to chronicle what I like, what I hate, what I do well and what I need help figuring out from all of those experiences.

Tonight I didn't cook, instead I feasted on a fine burger from Paul's Place on Second Avenue and St. Mark's in NYC.


The burger was good, although the English Muffin not over sized making it difficult to eat the 8oz patty. The fries were slightly soggy but the brown gravy rich and yummy and together a perfect bite.

In the end it was a noteworthy burger but what really made Paul's standout is the large bowl of pickles waiting on each table, a tong and spare plate invites diners to help themselves even before the drinks are ordered. A yummy way to start any meal, these pickle chips were perfectly sour with a good crisp and made it a place to revisit...

At 6pm we had our choice of tables but the greasy inexpensive bites are the kind that will form a line later in the night as happy hours come to an end. Visit once to make sure you taste one of the city's better burgers (I didn't say the best).