Sunday, December 27, 2009

Chefs Get to Make the Holidays Special – for others.


The holidays are notorious for taking chefs away from friends and families. It just so happens they tend to be one of my favorite times to work. This year for Thanksgiving I was especially lucky to have the opportunity to work for a wonderful family in California. For the family, Thanksgiving is the holiday where they all get together, parents, siblings, extended families, in-laws and close friends, all are welcome. The matriarch of the family has always done the traditional family dinner, using the family recipes passed down among the generations.

I flew in on Tuesday afternoon and we went over the family recipes, planned our shopping trip and wrote out our prep and cooking schedules. I was there mainly to facilitate the true chef for this event, the matriarch who has done this dinner for years. By incorporating my organizational skills and the tricks I have learned, the family’s traditional Thanksgiving meal went smoothly and everyone was able to sit back, relax and enjoy, letting me worry about the food and getting it out on time. Being able to do this for the family made my holiday special. There is no better gift than helping others enjoy fine food in the company of those they love while preserving a great family tradition.

Christmas was just as rewarding working locally for clients who open their home to family and friends who don’t have any place else to go. The gathering was filled with laughter and optimism for the New Year. I prepared a traditional prime rib, using a slow roast low temperature method. It never fails, but is often hard to do unless you have two ovens since it takes a long time and ties up your oven at a very low temperature (recipe is listed below). We also prepared a Yorkshire Puddings (I like to think of them as popovers on steroids), asparagus with Hollandaise, twice baked potatoes and finished up with a decadent chocolate soufflé with a white chocolate sauce.


Throughout this crazy busy season, I did get to spend one very special day with my family. Giovanni (my nephew) turned six on the 21st and we had a special Scooby Doo mystery birthday party complete with Chef Brook’s Scooby Doo cake, Happy Birthday Gio!













Slow Roasted Herb Crusted Prime Rib
(Serves 6 to 8)

3-rib standing rib roast (7 pounds) trimmed to 1/8 inch fat (ask your butcher for ribs 10-12 sometimes referred to as the loin end)
Small bunch of fresh; oregano, thyme, chives
3 twigs of rosemary
¼ cup of stone ground mustard with horseradish
¼ cup of Dijon mustard
A good quality sea salt or kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 200º
Heat a large roasting pan over two burners set at medium-high heat. Place roast in the pan browning on all sides, about ½ a cup of fat will be rendered (set aside if you are making Yorkshire Puddings) approximately 6 to 8 minutes. While browning, chop in food processor the leaves of; oregano, thyme, chives and rosemary, add the mustard to make a paste.

Remove roast from pan, set wire rack in pan, liberal salt and pepper the roast. Tie the meat to the bones between ribs 1n 2 and 2 n 3 (this helps to keep the meat from pulling away from the bones and makes for an even uniform cooking). Liberally rub the herb mustard paste all over the roast, set on rack in roasting pan cooking in 200º oven until a thermometer registers 130º (for medium-rare), about 3 ½ hours (or about 30 minutes per pound). Let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

Carving tip; even though it is pretty to carve the roast from the rib for more even slices carve the roast off the bone then place cut side down and carve the roast across the grain into nice thick slices.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Home Delivery Holiday Meal Special


As the holidays sneak up on you, you may find yourself short on time.  Let The Divine plate prepare some meals for you.  Listed below are some options I have on special this week, get your order in by Sunday 10am and have delivery on Monday or Tuesday.
Each entrée is available for 2/4/6 people (except quiche which is a regular 9” pie size)
Cost $12/$20/$27 quiche $14


Key:
Freezable – (frz)
Microwaveable – (mic)

Bacon and Spinach Quiche (frz, mic)

Pork tenderloin roulade with feta, cranberries and spinach (frz, mic)
Herb roasted potatoes (frz, mic)

Honey orange glazed chicken breast (frz, mic)
Wild rice medley and glazed carrots (frz, mic)

Black bean avocado and chicken burritos (frz, mci)
Spanish rice (frz, mic)


Roasted eggplant, vegetable and mushroom napoleon
Roasted garlic potato pancake (frz, mic)

Phyllo baked salmon (frz) with a lemon hollandaise sauce
Lightly herbed basmati rice and peas (frz, mic)

Three cheese, beef and sundried tomato lasagna (frz, mic)



Friday, October 30, 2009

Delicious and versatile quinoa


Quinoa is nutritional powerhouse. A relative of spinach, it is often referred to as a “super grain” because it contains 8 essential amino acids, 22 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber in a 1 cup (non cooked) portion. It can be used as a side, in salads, soups even desserts.

Native to the Ecuadorian Andes, many American may have never heard of it or just consider it “exotic,” but I have found it to be a versatile and healthy addition to my menus.

I have posted a few recipes below including a method for cooking quinoa, don’t be afraid to have fun as you can see from the recipes it has many uses both warm and cold;
Quinoa soup
Quinoa risotto
Roasted vegetable and quinoa casserole
Quinoa and shrimp salad


Quinoa Risotto

Olive oil
½ yellow onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup (6 oz) quinoa, well rinsed
2 ½ cups (18 fl oz) stock (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups chopped arugula (rocket lettuce) or spinach
¾ cup shredded carrot
½ cup shitake mushrooms (thinly sliced/ julienned)
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground pepper

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil
Add the onions sauté till translucent
Add quinoa and garlic, sauté stirring, for approximately one minute (do not let garlic brown)
Add the stock and stir-bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until quinoa is almost tender to the bite but still slightly hard in the center, about 12 minutes. The mixture will still be liquid. Stir in the arugula, carrots, and mushrooms and simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about two to three minutes more.
Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper.

Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa casserole

½ cup quinoa rinsed and well drained
olive oil
2 Tbls minced shallots
2 Tbls chopped carrots
2 Tbls chopped leeks
2 Tbls chopped celery
2 cups roasted corn (divided)
2/3 cups milk (soy ok)
8 slices eggplant ½ inch thick (skin on) roasted then cut into 2 x ¼ inch strips
4 scallions grilled then cut into ½ inch strips
½ tsp chili powder

1- preheat oven to 350°
2- dry the quinoa in the oven stirring occasionally until brown (about 10 minutes) set aside
3- heat a small amount of olive oil in a sauté pan, stir-fry shallots, carrots, leeks and celery for 2 minutes, set aside in pan
4- combine 1 cup of the corn with the milk in a blender and puree
5- combine sauted vegetables, roasted vegetables, corn puree, corn, chili powder, quinoa (all except 2 Tbls)
6- put mixture into lightly oiled loaf pan sprinkle remaining quinoa on top, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 more minutes.

Quinoa Shrimp Salad (warm or cold)

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
2 cups water or stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 Tbls butter
1 tsp salt

¼ cup peas (fresh if available) blanched (if frozen thaw in luke warm water and drain)
¼ cup cooked corn kernels
½ cup diced red, yellow, green peppers (any combination)
3 scallions finely chopped
2 Tbls finely chopped parsley
2 Tbls mayonnaise
2 Tbls fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 pound shrimp rubbed with 3 Tbls mixture below

1 - combine the quinoa liquid, butter and salt in a sauce pan, bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender (set aside)
2 – preferred cooking method: grill the barbecue rubbed shrimp lightly rubbed with oil, till pink on the outside and white on the inside. Other cooking method; heat a sauté pan on medium high heat sauté shrimp till done. Cut cooked shrimp into ½ inch pieces
3 – mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper
4 - mix mayonnaise mixture, shrimp, corn and peas together, then mix with quinoa. Serve warm or chill and serve later.
Barbecue Spice Rub:

Makes approximately 3 ½ cups
1 C paprika (Spanish preferable)
½ C ground ancho chile
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup ground chipotle chile
1/3 C dark brown sugar
1/8 C sugar in the raw
¼ C granulated garlic
¼ C granulated onion
¼ C freshly ground black pepper
Mix together thoroughly, all ingredients
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 6 to 9 months

Ecuadorian Quinoa Soup

3 Tbls butter
1 Tbls annatto (achiote) seeds
heat the butter and seeds together, simmer for 5 minutes, strain the seeds out and return the butter to the sauce pan add:
2 large onions finely chopped (one white one yellow)
6 large cloves garlic finely chopped
cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and soft

At this point there are a lot of optional ingredients, feel free to PLAY!
1 1/3 C quinoa, rinsed well
1 ½ # firm potatoes, peeled/or not and cut into 1-inch cubes, optional
¾ # fried pork rinds, optional
2 C milk
4 sprigs cilantro
2 ½ tsp kosher salt (if potatoes added more may be needed)
ground black pepper to taste
ground roasted peanuts (see recipe below),optional

Stir quinoa into the butter mixture, add 8 cups water
If using the potatoes add at this time with an additional 2 cups water
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes
If adding pork rinds add now
Simmer for another 30 minutes (even if you did not add pork rinds)
Stir in the milk, cilantro, salt and pepper
If using ground roasted peanuts add now
Reduce heat further and simmer for 15 minutes

Ground Roasted Peanuts
1 C shelled roasted peanuts, skins rubbed off (or raw unsalted peanuts)
Heat oven to 375°
In a baking dish roast the peanuts in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until light brown, be careful not to burn.
Cool peanuts completely!
In a food processor, pulse the peanuts until ground fine (do not grind to the point at which oil is released).




Quinoa

To cook quinoa:
1 C quinoa to a ratio of 2 C liquid (water or stock)

First rinse the quinoa thoroughly (it has a naturally occurring preservative on it which can leave a bitter taste if not washed off) and drain well.
Combine the quinoa and liquid bring up to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer, whole cooking time approximately 15 – 20 minutes.
For a nuttier flavor the grain may be toasted first.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Loving the Lavender


My sister just had her 40th birthday.  For the past year I have heard about these wonderful lavender shortbread cookies a friend gave her.  I got a hold of the friend’s recipe and decided to whip up a batch.  Upon receiving the recipe I decided it could be improved with a few adjustments. They were a hit with my sister and her friends.


You can use lavender from your own garden (make sure it has not been sprayed with pesticides) or we have a great place right here in Reno.  It has lavender in all forms for all ranges of applications; culinary, oils, bath products along with practical and just for fun gifts.  Lavender Ridge is located @ 7450 W 4th street Reno, NV 89523, 775-747-3222 web: www.lavenderridgereno.com email: info@lavenderridgereno.com

Once you have the lavender you’ll want to start to play; lavender salt, lavender sugar, mustard and lavender crusted lamb. The possibilities are endless, the salt and sugar make excellent gifts.




















Lavender Shortbread
Ingredients:
2 ¼ C butter (soft)                           
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 C white sugar                                    
3 ¾ C AP flour
1/3 C sifted confectioners’ sugar         
¾ C cornstarch
3 T chopped lavender buds          
¼ tsp salt
1 T chopped fresh mint

1)   In a medium bowl cream butter and sugars till fluffy.  Mix in lavender, mint and lemon zest.  Combine remaining ingredients then mix into batter until well blended.  Dough will be sticky, divide into three balls then flatten each to about an inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about one hour.
2)   Preheat oven to 325° F (165° C) On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut into shapes (rounds, decorative any you choose) you can use a cookie stamp if you like.  Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
3)   Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, just until cookie begins to brown at the edge.  Cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  These cookies freeze great


Lavender Salt - great on meats, fish, poultry

1 C kosher salt
1 heaping T dried lavender buds (or more if you wish)

Mix together store in an airtight container, let sit for at least 48 hours – lasts for months as long as it stays dry


Lavender Sugar – baked goods for an extra special touch, fresh fruit, tea

1C sugar
2 heaping T dried lavender buds

Mix together store in an airtight container, let sit for at least 48 hours – lasts for months as long as it stays dry


Lavender Mustard Crusted Lamb
Serves 2 – 3
8 to 10 oz lamb loin
¾ C Dijon mustard
1 heaping Tbls lavender
2 T honey
Brown off lamb loin in sauté pan with a small amount of oil, set aside.
Mix mustard, lavender and honey together, spread on lamb loin and refrigerate for minimum 4 hours, overnight ideal. Cook in hot oven 425° till crust is brown and cracked, to your desired temperature.  Remove from oven cover loosely with aluminum foil let rest for 8 to 10 minutes before slicing.



Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Goodbye to a dear friend – RIP Gourmet


Bon Appétit! “There, in two words, is the gourmet’s credo and Gourmet’s credo as well – good appetite! It is a hearty wish that one’s fellow man enjoy his food and drink. It is a toast to his health, for good appetite springs from healthy hunger, and good digestion awaits both” – The Gourmet Cookbook Volume One 1950

Today I mourn the death of a friend, a constant companion and noble institution. Gourmet magazine is no more. Growing up, Gourmet had a starring role in my mom’s kitchen. I don’t remember the magazine so much as I do the two bound sets of recipes. Printed in 1950 and 1957, the recipes were of the classic style; Kidneys Bourguignonne en Croûte, Canard Sauvage à la Presse, Pigs feet in white wine and many more. The cookbook, compiled of recipes from the magazine, was not for the “faint of kitchen”. Upon graduation from highschool I received my own bound set of The Gourmet Cookbook. Even at that point, I had been a subscriber to the magazine for years.

The magazine was a great representation of modern and old styles, a blend of regions, flavors and cultures. And thankfully, still not a collection of cookie cutter recipes anyone could turn out. Perhaps that contributed to its demise, as well. Today’s home chef doesn’t have the time, or perhaps the desire, to spend hours in the kitchen preparing a meal, which is a sad topic for another blog.


Looking back at an old issue (May 2008) I came across a recipe for Goan shrimp in roasted-coconut sauce, a dish from India taking 1 hour “active” time to prepare, but so worth it. This particular issue, besides having the great shrimp recipe, also highlighted cooking vacations around the world–Thailand, Philo, CA, Nice France, just to mention a few. These were not typical vacations, but took one to small, intimate, out of the way places, even private homes where great food was being created. I will miss those visits. I will miss Gourmet.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

What can you do with a 2½ foot zucchini?













If you are anything like me you have been enjoying the bounty of your garden and the local farmers market this summer.  If so you probably have also wondered what to do when your bounty spills over.  Imagine it happening in one fell swoop.  Never one to falter @ a challenge I took on the zucchini……All 2 ½ feet!




  • Bruschetta with summer squash, bacon and blue cheese
  • Grilled zucchini: vegetable lavash roll, salads, panini
  • Lasagna
  • Slaw
  • Zucchini chocolate chip bread


Prepping the zucchini: a mandolin is very useful but a knife will work also


4 C matchstick size
3 C shredded zucchini
Remainder 1/8 thick slices (sprinkle with oil, salt & pepper) grilled till golden brown


One thing to always remember when following one of my recipes, if it isn’t a “baked good” switch it up fudge and fiddle do whatever sounds good to you.  When baking be careful, if you substitute baking is a “science” liquid for liquid, dry for dry, leavening for leavening.


Bruschetta with summer squash, bacon and blue cheese
2 C matchstick size zucchini
1 Tbls red wine vinegar
3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
5 strips bacon: small diced fried crisp and drained on a paper towel
4 oz crumbled blue cheese
10 slices thick bread (IE: French Bread cut on a bias 1 inch thick) rubbed with a clove of garlic lightly brushed with olive oil and toasted till just golden brown…croutons


Toss all ingredients (except croutons) together, let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, divide mixture evenly among croutons, put under broiler until cheese begins to melt,  for approximately 1 ½ minutes.


Slaw
2 C matchstick zucchini
2 C matchstick yellow squash
1 C matchstick carrots
1 C seeded and small diced cucumbers
½ C chives freshly chopped
(feel free to add any other vegetables; jicima, bell peppers)
Vinaigrette
¼ C lime juice
¼ C raspberry vinegar
1 C light oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper
Blend vinaigrette ingredients with ¼ C of the chives in a blender/food processor


Mix all vegetables with remaining chives and toss with vinaigrette.  Chill and let sit for an hour before serving.  Try adding crumbled feta for an extra treat.


The grilled zucchini, a staple now in the refrigerator, use it in salads, pastas, sandwiches etc.


Vegetable Lavash Roll
Julienne: cucumber, bell pepper-red-yellow-green, carrot
Sliced and grilled: zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant


The beauty of this roll is you can add as much or as little as you want, as long as you can still “roll it”.
To assemble you will need a “glue/spread” some possibilities:
Hummus
Spreadable herbed cheese
Sundried tomato dip


Spread your “glue” of choice from the edge to the middle length wise. Starting on the opposite edge from the spread lay out the vegetables-thin layers leaving ½ an inch of the spread uncovered.  Roll the lavash from the vegetable side to the spread side; let the roll sit seam side down for a few minutes then slice into 2” thick rolls.


Lasagna
It’s all about the layers….and they can be whatever you want
Grilled: zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant
*Fresh diced tomatoes
*Fresh tomatoes pureed in a blender
Shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, Jack)
Ricotta, parmesan cheese
Basil fresh (chiffonade/thinly sliced)
Salt & pepper
Oregano
*canned may be used or a tomato sauce
Rub a casserole with oil than begin to layer vegetables;1) “liquid”-tomato puree and tomatoes 2) vegetables 3) cheese repeat 1 thru 3 till just below top finishing with cheese.
Cook in a 375º oven for 30 to 45 minutes till golden brown and bubbly.



Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
2C (high altitude plus 2Tbls) unbleached AP flour
3 C shredded zucchini (moisture squeezed out)
¾ C sugar
½ C pecans or walnuts rough chopped (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ C plain yogurt (whole, lowfat or non-fat)
½ tsp lemon juice
2 large eggs beaten lightly
7 Tbls unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ C chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375º adjust shelf to middle position, grease the bottom and sides of a 9"x5" loaf pan, dust with flour tapping to remove excess (set pan aside).


Toast nuts 5 to 7 minutes till fragrant – cool.
In a large bowl combine flour, nuts, baking soda, baking powder and salt
In a medium size bowl whisk sugar, yogurt, eggs, butter and lemon juice together add zucchini and chocolate chips combine.  Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture until just combined.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth surface with a rubber spatula.  Bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 55 to 70 minutes.  Rotate pan ½ ways through baking.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack, cool for at least an hour then wrap in plastic.