what-i-cooked: coq-au-vin pour deux

after booking our trip to paris and italy last week, i decided to try some french cooking and came up with this coq au vin.  this is a traditional rich stew of chicken and red wine and is great for a cool, winter-y day.

serves 2
ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
4 ribs celery
4 carrots
7 pearl onions (fresh)
7 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic
1 bottle bordeux 
chicken stock
salt
pepper
4 strips bacon
butter

directions:
pre-heat a dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and then after cleaning the chicken add it the pan and brown on both sides.  then add the chopped bacon and cook alongside the chicken.  in the meantime chop the celery, carrots, pearl onions and garlic and then layer on top of the chicken and saute for 5 minutes before pouring in 2 cups of the bourdeux with 1 cup of chicken stock and the fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste.  bring the mixture to a simmer and then cover, stirring occasionally for an hour and a half.  serve with some crusty bread for dipping.  

*regretfully my camera cord and car died within 5 minutes of each other and i am unable to post photos of this meal at this time- will post as soon as i get a new camera cord and hopefully the mini will be up and running soon too:)

what-i-cooked: spicy-lamb-burgers with a lemon-mint-yogurt sauce and mediterranean-orzo-salad

my favorite way to eat lamb is in the form of a burger dressed in a cool yogurt sauce. i decided to spice up my burgers tonight with some savory seasonings and added some citrus and mint to the yogurt sauce for a complementary cool clean taste.  this pairs well with my mediterranean orzo pasta salad and the recipes are posted below.

lamb burgers: (serves 2)
3/4 pound of ground lamb
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pinches ground cumin 
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tablespoon evoo
2 pieces of naan
mint leaves
crumbled goat feta

directions:
mix the spices and the chopped garlic in a bowl. then mix with the ground lamb and evoo. form the burgers in the palm of your hand- each should be about the size of a falafel and there should be 3 burgers per person.  then, heat a grill pan over high and cook the burgers until they are medium.  while the burgers are cooking, arrange some crumbled feta on top of the naan.  once the burgers are done, place them atop the crumbled feta and top each burger with a mint leaf.  drizzle with cucmber lemon yogurt sauce.

cucumber-lemon-yogurt-sauce   
ingredients:
1/2 cup of traditional greek yogurt (full fat)
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
7 mint leaves
small handful of chopped cucumber
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic

directions:
process the cucmber and mint leaves with the lemon juice and garlic in a food processor until smooth. then add the yogurt with two shakes of salt and pepper and process until fully blended. 

mediterranean-orzo-salad:
ingredients:
3/4 cup of orzo
salt and pepper
handful of chopped cucumber
handful of chopped goat cheese feta
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 shallot finely chopped

directions:
heat a pot with boiling water and two dashes of salt for the orzo and then cook the orzo until al dente. rinse the orzo with cold water after you strain it and then combine with the chopped cucumber and shallot before adding the balsamic and one shake of pepper. then, gently fold in the goat cheese feta before serving.  

what-i-cooked: caprese-lemon-anise-salad

i made julia child's boef bourginon this past saturday for my family and decided to whip up a tomato salad to go with it. i added some chopped anise to the dish which complemented the citrus perfectly- the recipe is posted below- enjoy!
serves 5

ingredients:
3/4 pound of tomatoes -preferably a mix of grape, yellow and cherry tomatoes
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 anise root
1/2 pound of pearl mozarella balls
20 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

directions:
chop the tomatoes into bite size pieces- i chose to halve my cherry tomatoes and dice my romano tomatoes. then mix with the chopped anise bulb and the pearl mozarella in a large glass bowl.  squeeze the juice from 3/4 of the lemon and add the evoo with some salt and pepper to taste.   wash the basil leaves and then roll them up and shred into ribbons before mixing with the caprese-salad.  enjoy! 

what-i-cooked: creamy-orzo-with-savory-peppers

this is one of my husband's favorite meals and although it is quite simple it definitely hits the spot when we're in the mood for some good comfort food.  this recipe was first developed in college with my friends maria and jodi and i have been transforming it ever since.  the recipe is posted below:
(serves 2)
ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1/2 box of orzo
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
cayenne pepper
italian seasoning
red chili powder
4 cloves of garlic
evoo

directions:
heat a pot of water for the orzo and then begin chopping the peppers and garlic.  place two swirls of evoo in a second fry pan and heat over medium before adding the peppers to the pan. season the peppers with 3 dashes of chili powder, 2 dashes of cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of italian seasoning.  when you have about 4 minutes left of cooking time for the al-dente orzo, add the garlic to the pan with the peppers and season with salt and pepper to taste. once the orzo has finished cooking, strain it and return it to the pan and mix with the butter, parmesan and milk.  divide the creamy orzo between two bowls and top with the seasoned peppers. 

what-i-cooked: chicken-in-wine-sauce and scalloped-potatoes

my mom used to make chicken in wine sauce when i was little and i always loved how the house smelled while it was cooking and always couldn't believe she was letting me drink wine (little did i know the alcohol was actually cooked off).  i attempted re-creating her recipe tonight which is super easy to make and perfect for a week night meal.
i chose to pair this with some tasty scalloped potatoes and posted my recipes below:
chicken in wine sauce (serves 2 but can be easily doubled)
ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
salt 
pepper
chardonnay
oregano
1 roma tomato
bacon (pre-cooked)
evoo

directions:
first pre-heat the oven to 375 and then rid your chicken breasts of all the gross white parts.  pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then sprinkle with salt and pepper before lightly browning on both sides (3 minutes) in a warmed saucepan with one swirl of evoo over medium heat. once the edges are lightly browned, transfer to a glass baking dish and layer each slice with two pieces of bacon-making an x, top with two slices of roma tomatoes and then pour wine in the pan until it reaches the same depth as the chicken breasts and sprinkle liberally with dried oregano.  place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.

scalloped-potatoes (serves 2):
ingredients:
2 potatoes ( i used one large red and one large yukon gold)
1.5 tablespoons butter
1 and 1/4 cups water
grated and shaved parmesan
1 tsp salt
1 tsp peper


directions:
pre-heat the oven to 375.  thinly slice the potatoes into scallops and then layer on the bottom of a glass baking dish, place the butter on top and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.  cover the potatoes with the grated parmesan first and then shaved parmesan second.  then pour the hot water on top and place in the pre-heated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. enjoy!
   

artichoke-parmesan-soup with a proscuitto-parmesan-crostini

last sunday my husband and i went to the beverly hills grill for dinner and i had the best soup that i have ever ate, artichoke parmesan soup.  i decided to attempt making my own and when my husband wasn't feeling well today i thought it would be the perfect light dinner for him and a great opportunity to attempt re-creating the soup.  the re-creation was a success and ryan thought he was even feeling a little better after dinner:)  i posted my recipe below..

ingredients:
3 yukon gold potatoes
2 cans artichoke hearts
evoo
1 and 1/4 cups grated parmiggiano reggiano
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
10 cloves garlic
2 shallots
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 parmesan rinds 
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

directions:
pre-heat the oven to 350 and start preparing the garlic infused olive oil to drizzle atop the soup.  place 6 large peeled garlic cloves in a small ramekin and cover with evoo. once the oven has pre-heated, place the ramekin in the oven until the garlic roasts (turning brown in color), approximately 30 minutes.  in the meantime, begin preparing the soup by peeling and quartering the potatoes and placing in a dutch oven over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of butter and two turns of evoo. then coarsley chop the remaining garlic cloves with the two shallots and add to the dutch oven.  saute the potatoes with the shallots and garlic for 5 minutes before adding the wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, thyme, parsley, and the parmesan rinds.  then, stir in the parmesan and add salt and pepper to taste.  bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 40 minutes.  after simmering, stir in 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and remove the parmesan rinds.  transfer the soup to a food processor (bit by bit) and process until smooth. once you pour the soup into bowls, place the proscuitto parmesan crostini on top and drizzle with the garlic infused olive oil.

proscuitto-parmesan-crostini

ingredients:
4 slices of bread
4 slices thinly sliced proscuitto di parma
shaved parmesan
evoo

directions:
pre-heat the oven to 400, then toast the crostinis with some drizzled olive oil for 3-4 minutes a side. after toasting, spread a light layer of shaved parmesan on top and then wrap with the proscuitto and top with extra parmesan. then return the toasts to the oven to melt the parmesan/crisp the proscuitto or, using a kitchen torch, brown the proscuitto and parmesan just lightly.
 

penne arrabiata di mozarella

penne arrabiata is one of my husband's favorite dishes.  when we lived in chicago, there was an italian restaurant across the street from our apartment that served a great arrabiata sauce- i've been trying to re-create their sauce for a while now and have come up with several different combinations.  the version i created tonight was far superior to my previous attempts and, as such, blog-worthy.  this version was also inspired by my grandma's delicious meat sauce- she taught me that processing the seasoning with the onions allows an equal flavor distribution in every bite- so with that wisdom - i decided to process my onions, shallots and garlic with the dried herbs in this sauce.  i think i finally captured the appropriate amount of spice :) - the recipe is posted below, enjoy...
ingredients:
3/4 of one yellow onion
6 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 tsp thyme (dried)
1 tsp (italian seasoning blend)
1 tsp oregano (dried)
3.5 teaspoons crushed red pepper divided
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon capers
1/2 tablespoon butter
evoo
1 28 oz can dei fratelli crushed tomatoes
1  mozarella round, diced
1 pound penne

directions:
quarter the onion and shallots and place in a food processor with the 6 cloves of garlic, thyme, oregano, capers, italian seasoning and 2 tsps crushed red pepper, process until smooth.  then transfer the mixture to a pre-heated pan with the melted butter and 1 swirl of evoo- heat over low-medium heat for 7 minutes to develop the sweetness in the onions- be cautious not to burn the garlic.  then, add the crushed tomatoes, 1.5 teaspoons crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper- turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2 hours.  about 20 minutes before the sauce is done stewing, heat a pot of water over high for the penne and chop the mozarella into small cubes.  cook the penne until al dente and then immediately after straining mix each serving with about 1/4 cup of diced mozarella- the mozarella will melt into the pasta and continue melting as you pour the arrabiata sauce over top of it.  once the sauce is done stewing and removed from the heat, mix in about 20 freshly cut basil leaves before pouring on top of the mozarella infused penne.

rockfish-with-a-dill-mango-blood-orange-sauce, citrus-haricots-verts, and creme-fraiche-mashed-potatoes

this meal was the born from the desire to use the mango chutney left over in my fridge.  i only use mango chutney for one recipe and every time i make that recipe i seem to have tons of it left over.  i decided to mix it with some crème fraiche and zest of a blood orange and to cut the sweetness  i added a little soy sauce, shallot and some fresh dill.  i had originally planned on pouring this sauce over a red snapper, but when whole foods didn’t have any in stock, i elected to use the rockfish instead.  rockfish has a taste very similar to red snapper but the consistency is more consistent with a scallop, almost buttery.  i love the color and flavor of blood oranges and decided to incorporate them into my side dish- citrus-haricots-verts. haricots verts are essentially a long and skinny green bean and go well with a lush butter or citrus sauce- i think the citrus sauce complemented our fish quite well.  to balance the meal off, i made some simple twice baked mashed potatoes using the left over crème fraiche and some butter.  the recipes are posted below- enjoy and have a great weekend!

rockfish with a dill-mango-blood–orange sauce and citrus haricots verts

ingredients:

4 oz crème fraiche

2 tablespoons mango chutney

zest from a blood orange

2 blood oranges

2 shallots

1 tablespoon fresh dill

2 filets of rockfish

2 cups haricots vert

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp soy sauce

directions:

first pre-heat the oven to 400 and heat a pot of water over high for the haricots verts.  then, combine 4 oz of the crème fraiche with the mango chutney, 1 teaspoon blood orange zest, 1 tsp soy sauce and the chopped shallot before gently mixing in the chopped dill, set aside.  season the rockfish with salt and pepper and place in a baking dish lined with parchment paper, pour the crème fraiche mixture on top of the rockfish and then top each piece with two slices of blood orange and bake until done, about 10 minutes.

while the rockfish is cooking, prepare the haricots verts by blanching them for 3 minutes in the pot of boiling water.   then in a separate pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with the juice from ½ of a blood orange and ½ of a lemon and 1 chopped shallot.  heat the mixture for 3-5 minutes before tossing in the blanched haricots verts.  sauté the haricots verts in the mixture with some salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated and then serve next to the rockfish.

crème fraiche mashed potatoes

ingredients:

1 pound red skin potatoes

4 oz crème fraiche

½ stick of salted butter

1 tsp salt

1tsp pepper

directions:

pre-heat the oven to 400.  heat a pot with boiling water and clean and half the potatoes.  once the water is boiling, slowly add the potatoes and then cook for approximately 25 minutes or until soft.  drain the potatoes and then place in a mixing bowl with the butter, crème fraiche, and salt and pepper- mix the potatoes on low until fully mashed and then transfer to a baking dish.  bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tips are a slightly browned color from roasting. 

bhan mi's with cilantro lime aioli

bhan mi’s are traditional vietnamese sandwiches. they come in multiple varieties but are always served on a crusty bread with a plethora of fresh vegetables and cilantro.  when i lived in houston there was a great vietnamese restaurant right down the street from my apartment- it was one of the few places my husband and i could walk to.  although houston is a major metro area, walkability is not one of it's strong suits so you can imagine the excitement i had when i found some tasty vietnamese in walking distance from my apartment.  

when my husband and i were reminiscing on our houston days this past weekend (which always includes food memories) i decided to attempt re-creating our beloved bhan mi and i think it was a great success! the recipe is posted below:)

bhan mi:

ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken

2 jalapenos

1/2 seedless cucumber

2 carrots

siracha

rice vinegar

1 lime

2 large handfuls of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper

1/4 cup of chicken stock

directions:

first pre-heat the oven to broil. then, julienne the carrots, jalapenos (leave some seeds on), and cucumbers and place in a bowl. then pour enough rice vinegar to just barely cover the vegetables and top with the juice from 1/2 of the lime.  set aside.

then, shred the white meat from your rotiserrie chicken and place in a pot with the chicken stock, 3 tablespoons of siracha and salt and pepper to taste and heat over medium low heat.

while the chicken is heating, make the cilanrto lime aioli- see the recipe below.

then, cut the french baguette into 6-8 inch sections and drizzle with evoo before transferring to an aluminum lined baking sheet.  once the broiler is ready, toast the bread until lightly browned about 2-5 minutes.

once the bread is toasted, begin sandwich assembly by placing a thin layer of cilantro lime aioli on the bottom layer of bread, then top it with the roasted chicken.  strain the vegetables and layer on top of the chicken.  top it all off with handfuls of cilantro (stems on) and then sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy! 

cilantro lime aioli:

ingredients:

3 cloves of garlic

1 handful of fresh cilantro

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

juice from 1/2 lime

directions:

place the 3 cloves of garlic into a food processor with the juice of 1/2 of a lime, process until very fine.  then, add the 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and a handful of the cilantro and process until smooth.

happy valentine's day!

tomorrow my husband and i are going out with our friends kim and tom to celebrate valentine's day but i thought you all might enjoy seeing the feast that i surprised my husband with last year.  for starters, i made a tomato artichoke soup using some fresh vegetables, white wine and pureed tomatoes (this was made from a combination of several recipes i found online) and topped it off with a parmesan crostini. our second course included a salad of baby rocket leaves (aurugula) with roasted cherry tomatoes and my lemon dijon dressing (see post from january 28th).  for the main entree, i followed giada's recipe for spinach and mushroom ravioli with my basic marinara sauce.  and for dessert, i followed a recipe for a honey lavender panna cotta that i found on apartment therapy's website topped with some balsamic and pepper soaked blackberries.  i've posted some pics below- hope you all have a great valentine's day!