Bok Choy with Garlic

I made dinner after all last night as I was in no mood to go out.   My left cheek looked like I had swallowed a ballon.  I had Easter candy for lunch, Peeps.  The dentist said nothing hot, spicy or crunchy.  Those little yellow marshmallow shaped birds were calling my name and had the blessing of a medical professional. 

For dinner I tried another Bok Choy recipe.  In case you haven’t guessed it is my favorite vegetable.  I got this off the internet, but it says it was provided by Food and Wine magazine.  With it we had tilapia and boiled tri-colored potatoes.  I topped the potatoes with coconut butter and chives.  The coconut butter was really good on the potatoes.  I chopped up left over fresh basil and cilantro and baked the tilapia smothered in the herbs.  It ended up that only the potatoes and fish were soft enough for me to eat. 

Ingredients:

½ C chicken stock

2 t cornstarch

1 T vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic minced

2 # bok choy

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1.      In a measuring cup whish the stock with the cornstarch. 

2.      Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.

3.      Add the garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant. 20 seconds. 

4.      Add the bok choy and stir fry until the leaves start to wilt, 2 minutes.  Add the stock and cook, stirring until slightly thickened. 

5.      Remove the bok choy from the heat and season with salt and pepper.   

6.      Serve immediately

This was crisp and fragrant.  The cornstarch gives it that American Chinese restaurant look.  It was good, but unfortunately too tough for me to chew with the pulled tooth sore mouth.  Today we went to our golf club for Easter Brunch.  We then played 9 holes of golf.  This was followed by a nap.  Happy Easter!

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cheese

I’ve been having some issues with my gums.  Yesterday I chose to have all soft food so as not to aggravate the problem.  I got some of the split pea with potato soup (blog a couple weeks ago) out of the freezer.  I decided to make Jim my favorite appetizer to go with the soup.  After all, he was not on the same restrictions.  I learned to make this appetizer in a cooking class in Monteray, CA.   

Ingredients:

12 whole dates

3 oz. Manchego Cheese (Actually I had some apricot cheddar form Trader Jo I wanted to use up)

12 slices of lean bacon (I always recommend that you do not use thick slice.  It is all I had, so I just used 6 slices cut in half.)

Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1.      These can be broiled indoors or outdoors on your grill. 

2.      Slice the dates lengthwise just deep enough so that you can pull out the pits with your fingers.  Discard the pit.

3.      Cut cheese into sticks to fit in the dates.  Tuck some cheese inside each date, pressing to enclose the cheese.

4.      Wrap a slice of bacon around each date.  Secure with a toothpick.

5.      Season with salt and pepper.

6.      Grill or broil turning as needed, until the bacon is cooked through and crisp, about 10 minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.  My wisdom tooth was pulled this AM , so don’t expect much out of me for a couple of days. 

Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

This was easy and really good.  My only problem was space.  I think it works best if you actually have 4 people to serve.  I made this different than the directions.  You are going to get my directions.  This recipe was in Sunset Magazine,  April issue.  

Ingredients:

1 C ricotta cheese

1/4C grated parmesan cheese

1 C finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 cup leaves (This takes a very large bunch)

1 large egg

½ t kosher salt

¼ t pepper

48 won ton wrappers, round if you can find them.  (I used square, lucky I could find them)

6T butter

2 t lemon juice

Directions:

1.      Put the parsley that you intend to use as filling in the food processor and chop fine.  Add the remaining first 6 ingredients and blend well.

2.      Have your one cup of parsley leaves ready for final plating.   

3.      Lay 24 won ton wrappers on the counter.  Using a very small ice cream scooper divide the parsley cheese mixture evenly on the 24 wrappers.  1 wrapper at a time moisten edges with water and top with another wrapper.  Press to seal and make sure not to trap air.  As you finish each one place on a tray lined with parchment paper that you have sprayed with Pam.  I used a square ravioli press to make sure the edges were really sealed tight.  

4.      Put a large skillet on the stove and melt the butter.  Cook slowly until it turns light brown.

5.      Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

6.      Place 4 serving plates on the counter.  Have ready four pieces of aluminum foil to tent the plates.

7.      When the water boils, place one ravioli at a time in the water.  Do not crowd.  My pan took 5 at a time.   Cook for 3 minutes.  They will float when they are cooked. Place 6 on each plate, tenting to keep warm as you go.

8.      When the butter has browned remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and parsley.  Divide the sauce evenly among the 4 plates.

These were pretty and green.  I served this with fresh sliced tomatoes.   This would make an amazing pasta dish for a larger meal.  I would just serve 3 per person as a fist course.      

Orange-Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

I have been trying to make this dish for days, but something has always interfered.  It sounded really good, but sounded better than it tasted.  Don’t get me wrong, it was fine, just a bit of a letdown.  I think as a summer dish it would make a great alternate to the usual potato salad, macaroni salad (which I personally hate), etc.  No mayonnaise involved, so it is a perfect picnic carry along.  Maybe half the dressing and double the oranges would have been more to my liking.  Feel free to add more pistachios also.  This is an Ellie Krieger recipe.  I cut it out of USA Weekend, serves 6.

Ingredients:

2/3 C brown rice

2/3 C wild rice

3 C low-sodium chicken broth

3T chopped unsalted pistachios

1 orange

10 large fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

¼ C minced red onion

For the dressing:

1/3 C red wine vinegar

¼ C EVOO

1 T orange juice

1 ½ t Dijon mustard

1 t honey

¼ t salt

Directions:

1.      Combine the brown rice, wild rice and broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and the rice is fully cooked, 45-55 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool completely. 

2.      Toast the pistachios in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Cool completely.

3.      Grate the zest from the orange.  It took a whole orange to be a teaspoon.  I then peeled the orange and sectioned it for the salad.  I squeezed the membrane of the orange for the tablespoon of juice required for the dressing. 

4.      When the rice is cool, add the orange sections, the basil, onion, pistachios and orange zest.  Mix to incorporate.  

5.      Whisk all the dressing ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and pour over the rice.  Mix to incorporate. 

It takes a while to make this as the wild rice is a long cook and then you have to cool the rice.  I recommend making the rice early in the day and then when ready to do dinner, do the rest.  I served this with grilled tuna and artichoke hearts.  I threatened Jim with his life if he overcooked my tuna. 

Strawberry Salsa

Last night was the official start of grilling season at our house.  That to me signals over done food all summer as Jim is cooking.  Jim grilled chicken breasts last night and true to form they were shoe leather.  I found this recipe in Southern Living, April, 2012 issue and was able to lend taste to the chicken with the following.

Ingredients:

½ C red pepper jelly (I used Raven’s Raspberry Jalapeno Gourmet Jam)

1/3 C chopped chives

1/3 C chopped cilantro

1 T lime zest (2 limes)

¼ C lime juice (2 limes)

¼ t crushed red pepper

2 C chopped fresh strawberries

1/3 C sweetened dried cranberries

1 small avocado, diced

Directions:

1.      Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a small mixing bowl. 

2.      Stir in the strawberries and cranberries.  Cover and chill for 1 hour.

3.      Stir in the avocado just before serving. 

Serve with grilled meat, poultry, or seafood.

The night was also saved by a 1998 ½ bottle of Medoc, Chateau Le Pruil.  Jim does not remember where he got this bottle, but he has one more. 

The Catbird Seat

Sommelier Jane Lopes

Last night was an amazing dining experience.  We went to a new restaurant in Nashville called The Catbird Seat.  You arrive and are whisked up an elevator to your seat around the chef’s kitchen.  There are 22 seats at the bar and 2 side tables of 4 each.  The side tables do not have a view of the cooking.  It was this, along with communication with the chefs, that make this experience extra special.  The above photos that Jim took during the night show the courses but don’t come close to describing the taste or experience.  The first and last Oreos looked the same, but have completely different ingredients.  The beginning is porcini mushroom filled with parmesan cheese. The last is a coffee flavored Oreo.   The incredible preparation that goes into each dish and the attention to plating and taste is worth a gold medal at the Bocuse d’Or.  James Beard awards pay attention! I wish I could do justice to describing each dish but you just have to go and experience it yourself.  I will say that the pigeon course was hands down my favorite.  It was accompanied by hay infused yogurt.  I asked Chef Eric how it was made, and with his explanation knew that, I was in the presence of cooking geniuses.  There was also a mushroom based “cracker” provided to eat your pigeon moose.  The cracker had been shaped to resemble the pigeon’s claw.    Jim also loved the beef course.  They cook the beef using the hot water bath.  Those of you who get Williams Sonoma magazine have probably gasped at the cost, but after last night I can report they are worth the weight in gold they cost.  The sauce that the beef was topped with is Juniper infused and it is hiding a fabulous creamed spinach moose.  Sorry about that photo, but Jim started to eat it before he remembered to take the photo.   

What could possibly be wrong with a restaurant that has three dessert courses?  We did not catch the pastry chef’s name, but she is at the head of the class.  The egg shell has a heavenly custard topped with maple syrup and, yes, bacon.  Jim could not get over the ice cream course with bourbon balls.   I think he thought these could be made at home as he questioned the chef in detail as to their making.  The red crisp topping the last dessert is made from cherries.   

We chose to have the wine parings to go with each course and were delighted with Sommelier Joan Lopes’ choices.  The first paring was a drink that was made with a sugar cube softened with beer, then topped with sake and sparkling wine.  This one I can make at home and will.  Next we had a Rose’ form Languedoc, France.  Jim commented that it was very pale and had not been on the skins long.  The next white wine was from Tuscany followed by a Beaujolais Villages.  The red that accompanied the beef was from Spain.  We also had a house made gin cordial that was wonderful.  This I could not even come close to making.  Our dessert wine glasses were rinsed in bourbon prior to filling.  That was a sensation I want Jim to remember when he next serves a dessert wine at home.  Jim delighted in discussing the wines as they were served with the Seemlier and was introduced to the owner of Village Wines of Nashville who was dining with friends that night.  The words “Bon Appetite” have never more applicable than while dining in the catbird seat.     

Greeting Oreo and Last offering

Appetizer

Second Appetizer

Soup

Fish Course

Pigeon Course

Cheese Course

Beef Course

2nd dessert

1st dessert

Final Dessert

Chef Erik Anderson

Pastry Chef

Chef Josh Habiger

Japanese-Style Crisp Breaded Pork Cutlets

In order to make the wontons the other day, we had to buy four boneless pork chops.  So I was looking for something different to do with the remaining two.  In the Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook I found the following recipe.  I cut the recipe in half and used half the oil in cooking.  I rarely fry. 

Ingredients:

6 (3-4 oz.) boneless pork chops (My two chops weighed 12 oz.  I cut each one in half)

½ C cornstarch

1 ½ C Panko breadcrumbs or more

1 egg

1C + 1T vegetable oil (I used half the called for oil for cooking, it was plenty)

Directions:

1.      Place the chops between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound to ¼” thick

2.      Place the cornstarch in one pan.  The egg mixed with the 1 T of oil in the second pan.  And the panko in the third. 

3.      If making the full recipe, heat the oven to 200 degrees to hold the chops as you will be frying in batches. 

4.      Heat the oil until shimmering.  Not hot enough and your fried food will be greasy.  I have an infrared sensor and heated to 350 degrees.

5.      Fry for about 2 minutes per side.  I fried 2 at a time.  The full recipe fried 3 at a time. 

They were crisp and very tender.  I served this with baked sweet potatoes and stir fried cabbage, onion and carrot mixture.  I liked the stir fry.  Jim treated it like I was trying to poison him.