Salmon and Artichoke Pizza

Finally I made something good.  And it is an original recipe.  Previously when I made pizza dough, I had placed half in the freezer.  It was whole wheat pizza dough.  I made the following pizza using this dough.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat pizza dough

Artichoke pizza sauce from Williams Sonoma

Canned salmon 6 oz. (I prefer the canned salmon from Costco, it tastes great and has no bones or skin in it like that I have purchased in the grocery store in the red can)

Italian Seasoning, pinch

Hot pepper flakes, pinch

Salt, pinch

Pepper, pinch

Manchego cheese, about ½#

Parmesan cheese, about 1/4C

Directions:

1.       Roll out the dough for thin crust

2.       Spread with ½ bottle of artichoke pizza sauce

3.       Drain and flake the salmon and crumble across the top of the sauce

4.       Shred and scatter the Manchego cheese over the pizza. 

5.       Scatter the seasonings over the cheese and top with the Parmesan

6.       Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

7.       Bake for 15 minutes. 

White Balsamic Pork Chops, Rice and Artichokes

I thought I was going to cook a good dinner tonight.  I think I am losing my touch.  If you follow you will remember that I had a disaster with artichokes that I bought at Costco the other night.  I cooked them the same way I have cooked them for years.  So I went on the internet and pulled up a Tyler Florence recipe.  He should know what he is doing, right?  Well these were really bad artichokes, that looked perfect or neither of us know what we are doing.  He says they are done when a knife is inserted into the base and there is no resistance.  There was no resistance and the bottom leaves were hard as ----.

I also thought all the ingredients that he used would add flavor to the artichokes.  I have always used just water.  It did not.  But here it is.  If anyone has a good idea, please write.

Ingredients:

4 sprigs parsley

4 garlic cloves

2 bay leaves

2 lemons, cut in half

¼ C white wine

2 T EVOO

1 qt. chicken broth or water   

Salt and pepper, to taste (I added 1 ½ t salt and 1 t pepper to the broth)

2 whole artichokes

Directions:

1.       Put the parsley, garlic, bay leaves, lemons, wine, oil and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer.  Season the liquid with salt and pepper. 

2.       In the meantime prepare the artichokes.  Wash artichokes under cold water.  Using a heavy stainless steel knife, cut off the stems close to the base.  Pull off the lower petals that are small and tough.  Cut off the top inch of the artichoke and rub with half a lemon to preserve the green color.  Trim the thorny tips of the petals with kitchen shears and also rub with lemon.   

3.       Place the artichokes in the steaming liquid, bottom up.  (I think this is wrong.) Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. 

4.       The artichokes are done when a knife is inserted into the base and there is no resistance.  (Mine actually cooked longer than 30 minutes as I had trouble with the rice and the pork chops.)

The rice I bought at Trader Jo’s.  Sounded good, it is called Sprouted Rice and Quinoa Blend.  The directions said to boil the water and cook for 25 minutes or until the water was gone.  Try 60 minutes to get rid the water absorbed.  No matter the directions, I will make rice only my way.  Soak it for one hour with one cup rice to 1C and 1T water.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn off the heat for 10 minutes. 

Finally the pork chops.  I always have trouble getting them done and I like them pink or medium rare.  I am not sure where one gets skinny 1/2 “pork chops that the recipes call for.  I tried to compensate with the time and still did not get it right.  Maybe I need to butterfly my chops.  This recipe is from the December Fine Cooking magazine. 

Ingredients:

¼ C plus 1 T canola oil

¼ C white balsamic vinegar

3 medium cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste

1 ½ t minced fresh rosemary

1 ½ t crushed red pepper

4 ½” thick boneless pork chops (about 1 ½# total)

3 T cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1.       Marinate the pork.  In a shallow glass or ceramic dish wide enough to fit the pork chops in a layer.  Whisk the ¼ C oil with the vinegar, garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. (I used the mini blender to grind up the garlic and rosemary to a paste.) Add the pork, turn to coat, and leave at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for about 20 minutes, turning once. 

2.       Remove the pork chops from the marinade and reserve the marinade. 

3.       Wipe the marinade off the chops and pat dry with paper towels.  Lightly season the pork with the salt and pepper on both sides.

4.       Heat the remaining 1T of oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. 

5.       Add the pork chops in a single layer and cook, flipping once, until browned on both sides and slightly firm to the touch, about 6 minutes, total. (I did a total of 10 and they were raw after even letting them sent tented.  So I put them in the microwave.) Transfer the pork to a platter, cover and keep warm.  Discard any oil remaining in the skillet.

6.       Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, boil for 1 minute.  Lower the heat to low and shish in the butter.  As soon as the butter is melted remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the pork. 

I thought the pork chops were dry the rice was boring and I have already complained about the artichokes.  The only saving grace was the wine.  It is called Evolution by Sokol Blosser Winery.  It is just called an American red, so I have no idea where it comes from, obviously blended, and very good.   

Gnocchi, my favorite pasta

Our bad weather continues.  We were supposed to have dinner tonight at our Golf Club but the weather could be really bad.  Roads tend to ice up here.  I bought Gnocchi at Costco some time ago and recently bought an artichoke sauce at Williams Sonoma.  I combined the two and cooked up some shrimp, perfect and easy.  Cold and damp and my body do not work well. 

Dry Rub Baby Back Ribs, Crisp English Potatoes and Salad

Thank you for all inquiring if I am OK.  Can you believe, I have actually been eating out.  Since returning from VA for the NY, I have mostly been dining out.  None were significant to be writing home about.  Yesterday, I actually cooked a lot, but do to the rain; we could not cook the ribs and the other appetizer I made from my new Barefoot Contessa Cookbook I made as it could be frozen and then cooked when company comes over.   I will report on the Crab appetizer when it is actually served.  In the middle I made an excellent soup with all leftovers from the freezer.  How can I blog about that as it is not reproducible.  Yesterday I was going to have ribs on the grille.  I developed this desire watching a Paula Deen segment on TV.  Tonight Jim once again managed to burn the dinner to death on the grille.  I will never again make a gilled recipe unless I do the grilling. I bought him the world’s most expensive grille thinking it would help his cooking.  Not!

These are probably wonderful if you have a person to take the responsibility to actually man the grille.  This recipe is from The Deen Brothers, Dry Baby Back Ribs. 

Ingredients:

1 T paprika

1 ½ t dark brown sugar

1 ½ t finely grated orange zest

1 ¼ t salt

¾ t ground cumin

½ t ground black pepper

¼ t cayenne pepper

4 # baby back ribs, cut in 2 rib portions

Directions:

1.       In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients except the ribs.  Rub spice mixture all over the ribs.  

2.       Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate ribs for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. 

3.       Preheat the grill to medium heat.

4.       Arrange the ribs on the barbeque and grill for 40-45 minutes, turning with tongs occasionally until meat is tender and crisp on the outside, not burned black.

I made a simple salad and these potatoes from my new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof.  They were great and I watched them and did not burn them up. 

Ingredients:   

2 ½ # Yukon potatoes, unpeeled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. pancetta, 1/2” diced (I used bacon)

2 T EVOO

¼ C minced flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1.       Cut the potatoes in quarters if you are using small potatoes or in 1” chunks if you are buying big Yukon’s. 

2.       Place in a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with water by 1” and add 1 T of salt. 

3.       Cover and bring the water to a boil. 

4.       Uncover, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.  I did this earlier in the day, drained and kept covered on the stove until I needed to finish.  (Great for Company)

5.       BC asks you to grasp the pot with the lid on and shake the potatoes vigorously for a full 5 seconds to rough up the edges.  I did this and it made no difference.  However when watching Dr OZ tonight and learning that if you cannot open 3 jars of pickles in a very short time, you are probably a candidate for a stroke, I am more likely to have a stroke than open a jar of pickles.

6.       When ready to cook heat the oven to 425 degrees.

7.       Place the pancetta or bacon on a roasting pan and roast for 5 minutes.

8.       Add the drained potatoes, EVOO, 1 t salt, and ½ t pepper to the pan and toss with a spatula.

9.       Roast the potatoes and pancetta for 45 minutes, tossing occasionally until browned and crisp. 

10.   Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper, serve hot. 

We did have a very good malbec, Salentein, 2005.  Too bad about the burned ribs. 

Sauerkraut with Polish Sausage and Potatoes

This is an old standby of mine.  Jim is never happy when I serve it.  It says it serves 4-6.  We always finish it.  Actually when young we always had leftover and the next morning my mom would slice up the sausage, fry the left over potatoes, warm the sauerkraut and mix it all with eggs and scramble.  It is probably my favorite breakfast.  Number two is left over pizza.  Alas, with Jim there are never leftovers.  I adapt this recipe from the Time Life series German cookbook.  Mom never wrote down making this recipe.  She probably never heard of juniper berries or whole allspice, and I am sure added much more caraway. 

Ingredients:

2 # sauerkraut

1 T bacon grease or lard

½ C finely chopped onions

1 T sugar

2 C cold water

5 whole juniper berries

6 whole black peppercorns

2 small bay leaves

¼ t caraway seeds

1 whole allspice

1 pkg. (13 oz.) Polish sausage (I use the turkey polish sausage)

1 large potato, peeled and cut in large chunks

Directions:

1.       Drain the sauerkraut, wash it under cold running water, and let it soak in cold water for 10-20 minutes, depending upon its acidity.

2.       A handful at a time, squeeze the sauerkraut vigorously until it is completely fry. 

3.       In a heavy 3-4 qt. casserole or saucepan, melt the bacon fat over moderate heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 4-6 minutes, or until the onions are a light brown, do not burn or let get dark. 

4.       Add the sauerkraut, sugar and 2 C of water, and mix together thoroughly, separating the strands of sauerkraut with a fork.

5.       I just scatter the spices in the mixture, place the sausage cut in quarters on top and the chunks of potato on top of the meat. 

6.       Cover the casserole and cook over low heat for 1 ½-2 hours, or until the sauerkraut has absorbed most of its cooking liquid and the sausage is tender.   

Vegetarian Chili

I pulled the Soup of the Day cookbook and the chili appealed to me.  It called for 2 cups of dried pinto beans.  I only had black beans and substituted those.  They were to soak 4 hours to overnight.  I only had 4 hours and it was not quite enough.  It was good, not great.

Ingredients:

2 C dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed

3 T canola oil

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 T plus 1 t dried oregano

1 T plus 1 t ground cumin

1 t coriander

1 T paprika

¼ t cayenne pepper

¼ C chili powder

1 can diced tomatoes

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced

3 C vegetable broth

1 T balsamic vinegar

3 T finely chopped cilantro

Salt

Directions:

1.       Place the dried beans in a bowl with cold water to cover and soak for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.  (I recommend overnight) Drain and set aside.

2.       In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over medium heat. 

3.       Add the onions and garlic and sauté until softened, about 7 minutes.

4.       Add the oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and chili powder and stir to combine.

5.       Cook, stirring for about 3 minutes.

6.       Add the tomatoes, chipotle, broth and beans and bring to a boil.

7.       Reduce the heat to low and cook, partially covered, until the beans are tender yet firm, 1-1 ½ hours.

8.       If the chili seems too thick, add a little more broth.

9.       Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute.

10.   Stir in the chopped cilantro and season with salt.

Lobster Thermidor and a French Fry Recipe from Heaven

This is my first day of cooking after a wonderful holiday visiting friends in VA.  While there I learned of a fabulous recipe for making French fries.  If you have been following you will note that I was ready to send Jim to MacDonald’s if I had a desire for fries.  All my tries have been a pain in the neck and not very good.  My friend Mike discovered this recipe on Shine from Yahoo.  It was developed by a very famous French chef Joel Robuchon.  These are the easiest and most delicious fries you have ever tasted.  This to me is the recipe find of the century. 

Ingredients: 

2# large russet potatoes; cut into long French-fry sticks, about 3/8” x 3/8” thick. 

Vegetable oil to cover the potatoes by 1”

Salt

Directions:

1.       Rinse; and shake off the water from the peeled and cut potatoes.

2.       Transfer the potatoes to a large deep heavy pot, spreading potatoes so they’re no more than 2 layers deep. 

3.       Pour in safflower or vegetable oil to cover the potatoes by 1”. 

4.       Place pot over medium heat. 

5.       Cook for 15 minutes (oil will begin bubbling gently.)

6.       Continue cooking, occasionally loosening potatoes from the bottom of the pot with a heatproof spatula, until potatoes are very tender, 25-30 minutes more.

7.       Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes longer (oil will bubble more vigorously. 

8.       Using a slotted spoon, transfer fries to paper towels to drain.  Season with sea salt. 

This recipe is truly sent from heaven, thank you Mike!

I accompanied these fries with Lobster Thermidor from Jean Pierre Tardy’s cookbook.  I was going to make this Christmas Eve as a follow up to the Lobster Bisque, but lunch at Jim’s cousins was so big we were not hungry enough.  So back to cooking and why not start with a bang.

Ingredients:

3 lobsters (1 ½#) cooked and cooled (I used 2# of the cooked lobster I had purchased at Costco)

¼ C crabmeat, diced

½ C each of red and green bell pepper, diced

1 egg white

¼ t cayenne pepper

3 T sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)

3 T bread crumbs

# T Parmesan cheese

1 C fish stock

1 C white wine

Directions:

1.       Split lobsters lengthwise and remove all lobster meat.  Dice lobster meat.  Retain 6 lobster shell halves. (My first Christmas married to Jim, my young brother-in-law Vince gave me lobster shell shaped dishes.  We have used them many times with corn on the cob, but I think this is only the second time I have actually made lobster thermador in them.  I altered the recipe slightly to accommodate these dishes.)

2.       Combine lobster meat, crabmeat, diced peppers, egg white, cayenne pepper, and sour cream in a large bowl.

3.       Fill empty lobster shell halves with lobster meat mixture.

4.       Cover lobster meat mixture with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

5.       Place filled lobster shells win a large baking pan.  Add fish stock and white wine to baking pan. 

6.       Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees F. 

As I was not using real shells, I added a total of ½ C of white wine to the lobster in the dishes and then topped with the crumbs and cheese.  I did not use the fish stock at all.  The dishes were also bigger than the tale of the size lobster he cooked.  The recipe says serves 6 but it is part of a whole lobster feast that includes the puffs and bisque that I made Christmas Eve and Lobster tower which is kind of a salad with lobster. 

Jim served a Chardonnay by my favorite winemaker Ferrari-Carano 2010.  Jean suggests a white Chateauneuf-du-Pape but we did not have any.  This was a good as going out.