Tapas Dinner

I started cooking for Saturday night on Friday. My thought was a grilling Tapas dinner. Jim had a real hard time with the concept as I found out later that he was thinking Dim Sum. He kept saying, “You going to serve this food cold?” It’s 98 degrees outside; I don’t think anything is going to get cold. Most of the recipes came from Food Network Kitchens, Get Grilling. My friend Linda brought Gazpacho from Epicurious.com and dessert came from Williams-Sonoma Eating by Color. A lot of the dishes had to be started the night before as they needed to marinate.
The night before I wrapped the cheese and made the marinated the chicken and the pork.

Warm Goat Cheese wrapped in Grape Leaves 6-8 servings
2 or 3 large jarred, brined grape leaves, stems trimmed
8 oz Bucheron cheese
Slightly heaping 1/2t fennel seeds
Slightly heaping ¼ t crushed red pepper
2T EVOO
I served with grilled French bread
1. Soak the grape leaves in water for 5 minutes, then drain. Sprinkle the cheese with the fennel and pepper. Wrap a grape leaf around the bottom of the cheese. Wrap the top of the cheese with another grape leaf or two using just enough leaves to form a single layer. I then wrapped in wax paper and placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
2. Jim grilled over a medium high fire for 4 minutes. I had brushed the leaves with EVOO before he grilled them. He grilled the bread at the same time.

Pork Pinchos 4-6 servings
These were hotter than we expected
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1T kosher salt
1T hot paprika
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground cumin
2 t ras al hanout (recipe follows)
2 T EVOO
1 ½ T sherry vinegar
Black pepper
1# boneless pork shoulder cut in 1” cubes. Trim excess fat.
1. The day before mix put all the ingredients in a mini grinder. Process until well combined. Place pork in a plastic bag and add the marinade.
2. Soak wooden skewers. I had 18” skewers that I soaked all day. Jim burned them up while grilling the meat.
3. Prepare a hot fire. Thread 3 pieces of pork on each skewer. Lightly brush with EVOO. Grill 5 minutes per side or perfectly over done and skewers are charred and burned off in our case.

Ras Al Hanout
Makes about ¾ C
3 slightly heaping T 5 spice powder
2T ground cardamom
2 T ground ginger
1 T ground nutmeg
1 T ground turmeric
1T cayenne pepper
Mix all in a small bowl. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 months

Indian Spiced Chicken Wings 4 servings
8 T unsalted butter
1t crushed red pepper
2 slightly heaping T Madras curry powder
1 t ground cumin
¼ t ground cinnamon
½ medium onion, grated
1 1” piece peeled fresh giner, finely grated
3 T lime juice
2 T plain whole-milk yogurt
1 T kosher salt
2 # chicken wings
Mango chutney for dipping
1. The day before melt 4 T of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pepper and stir until fragrant. Add curry, cumin, onion, ginger and cinnamon stirring about 1 minute until fragrant and making a smooth paste. Cool completely.
2. Stir 1T of lime juice with the yogurt and salt. Add the curry mixture. Pat chicken pieces dry and place in a plastic bag. Add the mixture and refrigerate over night.
3. Heat the grill to medium hot. Have both direct and indirect sources on the grill. Melt the remaining butter and add the remaining lime juice. While grilling over the direct heat for 4 minutes baste with this butter. Finish the wings over indirect heat for an additional 4 minutes.

Except for the cooking I did all of the above before we went out to dinner on Friday.

Saturday morning I made White Sangria 4 servings
Quite frankly there was not enough liquid for all the fruit. We doubled the wine and amaretto
1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc
¼ C amaretto
Zest of ½ orange removed in wide strips
1 red skinned apple
1 ripe pear
Place all in a pitcher and stir. I put it in the refrigerator so it was very cold when served. I still added ice to the glasses as we were eating on the porch.

I made a salad of mixed greens including spinach, watermelon and goat cheese. I dressed it with the dressing I made last week for the lobster dish.

New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp 6-8 servings
½ C EVOO
8 T unsalted butter
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme
1 # large shrimp, shell on and deveined ( I took the shells off. This would be a horrid mess to peel and eat these shrimp.)
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 T kosher salt
1 T sweet paprika
½ t cayenne pepper
2 T dry sherry
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the EVOO, butter, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme in a large oven proof skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and the garlic and herbs are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Toss shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika and cayenne together in a bowl. Add to skillet along with the sherry and transfer to the oven. Bake about 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with lots of bread for sopping up the sauce.

Pomegranate-Glazed Figs, serves 4
2 t butter
8 fresh figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
½ C pomegranate juice
3 whole cloves
2 T mascarpone cheese
Unsweetened cocoa powder for garnish
This only takes under 15 minutes to make and cook.
Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Add figs, cut side down and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes. Using tongs turn figs and cook for 1 minute more. Arrange 4 fig halves on each of 4 dessert plates, with bottoms toward the center to make a star.
Add pomegranate juice and cloves to pan and boil until liquid is syrupy about 5 minutes. Discard cloves and spoon warm syrup over figs. Place 1 ½ t cheese in center of each plate and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve immediately.
My friend Linda made the following soup with fresh tomatoes from her garden. 
Gazpacho Cordobes  Yield:  5 1/2 Cups
2# tomatoes
2 red bell peppers
2 Kirby cucumbers
4 garlic cloves
2T Sherry vinegar
1/2 C EVOO
1/2 round loaf crusty bread ( about 9" in diameter)
1/2 t minced fresh tarragon leaves
2 t salt
1 t black pepper
Preheat over to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with foil.  Arrange tomatoes and pepper in the pan and roast in upper third of oven 30 minutes.  Transfer tomatoes to a large glass or ceramic bowl and continue to roast peppers until lightly charred about 15 min. more.  Transfer peppers, including any juices in pan, to another large glass bowl and let stand, covered until pepper are cool enough to handle. 
Holding tomatoes over bowl to catch juices, peel and cut into pieces.  Holding pepper over their bowl to catch juices, peel peppers and discard stems and seeds.  Tear pepper into pieces and add to tomatoes.  Pour pepper juice through a fine sieve into tomato mixture.  Peel and chop cucumbers.  Finely chop garlic and stir into tomato mixture with cucumbers, vinegar, and oil.  Cut four 1/2" thick slices from the cut side of loaf and trim crusts from slices.  Cut slices into 1" pieces and in a small bowl soak in water to cover 10 minutes.  Drain bread, without squeezing out excess liquid, and stir into tomato mixture with tarragon, salt, and pepper.  Chill mixture, covered at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.  In a food processor pure mixture, in batches if necessary, and return to bowl.  Chill gazpacho, covered for an additionl 2 hours. 

And that was dinner with friends. Aside from the Sangria, we finished 4 bottles of red Spanish wine and one bottle of white Spanish wine.

Sea Scallops with Zucchini Ribbons and Mint-Chive Oil

Dinner almost did not happen tonight. We had been warned that a big storm was going to be coming through tonight. We had one more stop while shopping when we saw the very dark clouds and lighting. I was afraid of hail so we drove home. Max was already in the basement bathroom wrapped around the toilet, his safe haven in a storm. I would not call it a big storm, but we got a lot of much needed rain. Unfortunately at about 3:30 PM the power went out. So we read and were hoping the power would come back on. Finally at 6:30 PM I made Max’s dinner. Jim went to get him to eat, very unusual as he demands dinner at 5:30 on the dot. I said we have left over noodles from last night and we could slice some of the great tomatoes we bought at the farm stand today for dinner. Jim said let me walk Max and then let’s go out. We had established through friends that the electricity was on in developments to the left and right of us so there were restaurants open. Jim walked out the front door with Max and all of a sudden all the appliances started talking to me. He called from their walk and said everyone has their lights on. I said you no longer shut the door than the lights came on. I raised the garage door for the reentry and started dinner. Jim walked in and said I assume we are back to plan A.
Plan A was great. It comes from Food Network Kitchens, Get Grilling. I grilled inside with my stove top grille as the outdoor was very drippy. It says four servings, but Jim ate it all.
1 large zucchini
1 ¼ # large sea scallops
¼ C roughly chopped fresh mint
¼ C sliced fresh chives
3 T freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T grape seed oil
1 T lemoncello
1t kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 large tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
This dish was not only delicious, but great to look at. For the skewers I used my curled skewers from Sur la Table. I could only get 2 to a skewer. I had really big scallops so I only used 6.

1. Prepare an outdoor (or indoor) grill with a medium high fire. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes. (I did it on my inside grille and did not have to soak them.)
2. For the scallops slice the zucchini lengthwise on a mandolin into thin slices, about ¼” thick. When you get to the seedy center, rotate the zucchini ½ turn and continue to shave slices until you hit seeds. I went all the way around the zucchini before stopping. You need the best of the strips to wrap around the scallops. If some did not fit all the way around I wrapped a second one to secure on the skewer. It all cooks up fine so do not worry. To most it would be a waste of zucchini, but Max loves zucchini, so I put the leftovers in a container after giving him some for a snack. Like I said, I had two per skewer. Salt and pepper each side and brush with grapeseed oil.
3. For the dressing I used my mini Cuisinart and put the mint, chives, orange juice, oil, lemoncello, salt and cayenne in the bowl. Turn on and blend.
4. Cut up the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper.
5. Brush scallops with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill turning to cook both sides until zucchini and scallops are cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Worked for me.
We also had grilled corn. It is summer, now is the time to eat corn if you like it.
Jim served a Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley, 2008 Fume Blanc. It went very well with the scallops. This would be an excellent dinner to serve to guests that like scallops. Very elegant, very good.

Buckwheat Noodles with Asparagus in Sesame Dressing

Tonight was vegetarian night. I made a noodle and asparagus dish from James McNair’s Cold Pasta Cookbook. It says it serves 10 – 12 as a side salad. We have about 2-3 servings leftover serving it as a main course. I thought it would also be good as a side salad with salmon and that is what I will us the leftovers for.
1 C soy sauce
¼ C reconstituted dashi or homemade chicken stock
1 T granulated sugar
3 T sesame seeds, toasted (You can buy them already toasted in oriental grocers)
1# dried soba noodles
1# fresh young asparagus, cut diagonally into 1 “pieces
6 green onions cut diagonally into ½” pieces

1. In a blender combine soy sauce, dashi, sugar and half the sesame seeds. Blend until smooth. Set aside, but blend again right before adding to the noodles.
2. Cook noodles in 4 Qts. boiling water until al dente, about 3 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Do not add salt like you would to regular pasta. Soy sauce is very salty. Drain and toss in a large bowl with reserved dressing. Cool to room temperature, occasionally stirring the noodles to coat thoroughly and to keep the noodles separated.
3. Cook the asparagus in boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes if it is nice and thin. Plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and add to pasta long with green onions. Sprinkle the dish with additional sesame seeds. 
Jim liked it a lot and he usually hates vegetarian night. I think it was due to the saltiness of the soy sauce. The onions were a little harsh. I can still taste them.  It would make a very pretty buffet dish. 
We tried a Trader Joe Coastal Sauvignon Blanc with it.  I bought it to make white Sangria this weekend and we did not want to poison the guests.  It will be fine for Sangria, but it was not my favorite.   

CHICKEN SAUTE WITH LEMON, CUMIN, AND PARSELY

The following recipe came from my friend Mary in Florida. When Jim saw his plate with raw spinach on it, you could read his mind. However, two bites and he was hooked. He said, "This is really good!"  While he was outside grilling corn, my neighbor called to ask what we were having for dinner. She said she opened her door and the most wonderful smell was coming over. Jim served a French white table wine. You definitely have to make this recipe. It is the greatest.

From Fine Cooking
Serve this brightly flavored dish over baby spinach, with crusty bread on the side
Serves 2 to 3
1 medium lemon
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion thinly sliced
1 medium clove garlic, smashed and peeled
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs(1 lb) trimmed and cut into ½ inch thick stripes
¾ tsp. ground cumin
¼ cup fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh baby spinach
Finely grate 1 tsp zest from lemon and then juice the lemon.
Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add onions and garlic and cook stirring frequently, until onion begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken, lemon zest, cumin,1/2 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper and cook stirring until chicken is just cooked through, 4to 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and 2 Tbs. of lemon juice discard the garlic, if you like.

Serve over a bed of fresh baby spinach.

Frozen Pizza for emergencys

No food blog tonight. We had our carpets cleaned today and everything is piled in the kitchen and the bathrooms. It should be dry by 8 PM, but we will just let it go until tomorrow. So we are having California Pizza Kitchen Pizza and salad. Our neighbor called and she has a peach pie. She is going to dinner with another neighbor and then we are all getting together for pie in her new screened in porch after.  Jim offered to take me to dinner, but I would have to wade through our bathroom and take a shower and dress. Not worth it. That is why I keep a pizza in the freezer.

Avocado, Fennel and Grapefruit Salad with Grilled Shrimp

It is the best day we have had all summer. We ate dinner on the porch also and I hated to come in. This meal is perfect for 2 as a main course. But I did share some of mine with Jim as it was too much for me. It was really good. This recipe comes from the Fine Cooking Grilling Cookbook that came in my winning basket from the Rally for the Cure.
Ingredients:
1 ruby red grapefruit
½ C EVOO
1 large shallot, finely diced (about ¼ C)
1T fresh lime juice, more as needed
½ t fennel seeds, lightly chopped
Kosher salt and fresh pepper
¾ # jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined ( 21- 25 per #)
1 large head Boston lettuce, washed and torn into large bite-size pieces (about 3 C)
1 C Mache sprigs
1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and very thinly slice or shaved on a mandolin
½ C loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (I used my fresh Italian parsley)
1 medium avocado
3 oz feta crumbled (about ½ C)
Assembly:
1. Slice the ends off the grapefruit and expose the flesh. Set the grapefruit on one of its cut end and slice off the skin in wide strips removing the bitter white pith. Working over a medium bowl, cut the segments free from the membranes. Squeeze the juice from the membrane and strain the juice into a small bowl. Segments one bowl, juice another.
2. Put 3 T of the grapefruit juice, oil, shallot, lime juice, fennel seeds, ¼ t salt and ¼ t pepper in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. Taste and add more lime juice if needed to make the vinaigrette bright and tangy. Reserve ½ C of the vinaigrette for dressing the salad and pour the remaining vinaigrette into a medium non-reactive bowl. Put the shrimp in the bowl with the vinaigrette, toss and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Preheat the grille and when ready, grille the shrimp 1 ½ minutes per side. Bring in and cool slightly.
4. Combine the lettuces and fennel in a large salad bowl. Drizzle 3T of dressing over the lettuces and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. Portion the salad on 2 plates. Scatter the avocado, grapefruit, and shrimp over the salad. Sprinkle with the feta and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and serve immediately.
Jim bought corn on his way home from golf yesterday so we used it with the Lime Butter Sauce from the Cooking Light Cookbook that I have previously blogged about. My brother has decided this is the perfect way to serve corn and I could not agree more.
Jim served a San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio that we purchased in NJ while up in PA for the 4th. It went very well with the meal.
Tomorrow my carpets get cleaned. I am excited.

Wheaty 'Bran Muffin' Waffles

Weeks ago this recipe appeared in the Washington Post. I’ve been saving it for a more pleasant temperature. We had Brunch on the porch, reading the Sunday paper. It was a delightful way to spend the morning.  We had ocasional intruptions to throw the ball and one attempt to eat Jim's tomatoes, but when breakfast appeared Max was all drool.  It is described as a “bran waffle.” They were very good and very filling. The recipe says it makes 4 large Belgian waffles. My waffle maker is rectangular and makes 2 squares at a time. It made 5 large Rectangles or 10 squares. They said to serve with maple syrup and toasted walnuts or jam and ricotta cheese. We went the syrup route, but I thought while eating them that just cheese would have been great.
Ingredients:
1 ½ C all-purpose flour
½ C unbleached whole-wheat flour
1/3 C wheat bran, not bran cereal (recommended Shiloh Farms Organic unprocessed coarse bran called miller’s bran) I used Organic Buckwheat flour.
1 ¼ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1/8 t salt
5 T light brown sugar, packed
7 T unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ C buttermilk
2 T molasses
3 large eggs
1 ½ t vanilla extract
Steps:
Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Combine and cook in your Belgium waffle maker. They recommend 1-1 ½ minutes per waffle. Mine has a light on top that turns green when the waffles are done. I had a plate in my warming drawer and transferred each one as they were done. I also served them with bacon, but I think Adel sausages would have been better. Next time.
By the way you can freeze the leftover waffles for future breakfasts or I put them in the refrigerator to toast like an EGGO for the next few days.