Appetizers
Three Melon Soup (Two Ways)
This soup, a real showstopper, is as much fun to look at as it is refreshing to eat. The key, though, is to start with the ripest and most fragrant fruits available. In the case of the cantaloupes and honeydews, the first move is to smell the stem end to…
Smoked Trout on Grilled Bread
This is a substantial hors d’oeuvre which can play the role of entrée if you combine it with a few other hors d’oeuvre or side dishes. And the best part is that it only takes 15 minutes to make. Make 4 servings, a scant 2 cups Hands-on time: 15 minutes…
Sushi: California and Cucumber Rolls
Serves 4 Hands-On Time: 45 minutes Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours For The Sushi Rice: 2 ½ cups Calrose medium grain rice 2 ½ cups water 1/3 cup rice vinegar 1 ½ tablespoons Kosher salt 1 ½ tablespoons sugar For The Sushi Roll Fillings: 1 seedless English Cucumber 1…
Sushi “Burgers”
Serves 4 Rough note for inspiration: Matthew took the liberty of coming up with a Sushi Burger, using the the same rice as we did – with the vinegar seasoning and used the same toppings Billy and I used in the sushi rolls. That said, his creative use of creating…
Southwestern Gazpacho
Start to finish: 1 hour plus chilling time Hands-on time: 1 hour Servings: 4 (about 6 1/2 cups) 4 cups coarsely chopped, peeled, English (seedless) cucumbers plus 1 cup diced peeled cucumber 2 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes plus 1 cup finely diced tomatoes 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1…
Butter Lettuce Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 6 For the dressing: 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil For the salad: 4 heads butter lettuce or…
Lemony Spot Prawn Risotto with Asparagus
Serves 6 For the stock: 1 pound prawn heads and shells (about 8 cups), rinsed 4 quarts of cold water ½ medium onion, sliced 1 rib celery, cut crosswise into ¼ inch pieces 1 carrot, roughly chopped Kosher salt For the risotto 7-8 cups prawn stock 1 ½ -2 pounds…
Wonton Ravioli Stuffed with Three Cheeses
Makes 4 servings 3 cups Quick Tomato Sauce (recipe below) or your favorite store bought brand ½ cup defrosted frozen peas ½ cup coarsely grated mozzarella ½ cup ricotta (whole milk or low fat) ½ cup freshly microplane grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus extra for sprinkling ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Kosher…
Butternut Squash Farrotto
Roasted Butternut Squash Farrotto with Prunes and Fried Sage Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes Hands-on time: 25 minutes Servings: 4 to 6 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), halved lengthwise or 2 cups frozen defrosted squash puree (available in the frozen food section of many supermarkets) Vegetable…
Sauteed Baby Egg Rolls
Makes 30 egg rolls For the Egg Rolls: 1/4 cup olive oil One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced 1 garlic clove, minced One 1/2-pound boneless pork chop, cut into thin strips 2 scallions, white and 1 inch of the green parts, thinly sliced 1 carrot, julienned 1 large…
Bulgogi Dumplings
Note: We made an half recipe on the show, the following amounts are for the full recipe Makes 30 to 40 dumplings Prep time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes For the filling: 1 pound ground beef ½ onion, finely chopped 4 green onions, finely chopped 5 garlic…
Yunnan Tea Eggs
Makes: 6 to 8 eggs 6 cups water 3 pieces star anise 3 bay leaves 3 garlic cloves 1 cinnamon stalk 1 cup regular soy sauce 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce ½ tablespoon citron peppercorn 1 ½ teaspoons five spice powder ¼ cup Yunnan Mountain Black tea 3 pieces dried…
Smoked Tofu Topped with Wakame Salad
1 package extra firm tofu 3 tablespoons Lapsang souchong black tea 1 cup water 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon uncooked rice Wakame salad, shredded nori, kimchee and black sesame seeds for garnish Slice tofu into quarter thick slices. Rinse 1 tablespoon of the tea. Bring the water…
Alsatian Onion Pie
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes Servings: Makes three 10- x 12-inch pizzas 6 ounces bacon, sliced thin crosswise 4 cups thinly sliced onion salt and black pepper 8 ounces crème fraiche 1 large egg yolk pinch nutmeg 3 ounces coarsely grated gruyere cheese Pizza dough (recipe below) or…
Mushroom String Cheese Dip
10 sliced mushrooms (Refika used Fairy Ring Mushrooms, which I am not sure are easy to find in this country), your choice 2 big strips string cheese, separated into strings 5 garlic cloves salt and pepper 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3 tablespoons olive oil flat bread as an accompaniment Preheat…
Pan Con Tomate
Pan Con Tomate 1 loaf of crusty bread Ripe tomatoes (see note) Extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt Slice the bread. Slice the tomatoes in half crosswise. Rub the halves of the tomato directly onto to the bread. Sprinkle with salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Note: A viewer, Kathy Dobrowolski,…
Spanish Omelet
Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Omelet) Makes 4 – 6-Servings Hands on time: 20 minutes Total preparation time: 40 minutes 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 large onion, sliced 3 potatoes Kosher salt 1 cup dry white wine 5 large eggs Place a medium size sauce pan, filled with salted water…
Last Sunday, Easter, I splurged on oysters for the family and am so proud of myself for finding just the right platter to put them on.
Last Sunday, Easter, I splurged on oysters for the family and am so proud of myself for finding just the right platter to put them on: I dusted off some artichoke plates I use maybe once or twice a year (artichokes are expensive! but then again so are oysters…) Anyway,…
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds – Plain or Spicy
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, right? In the same vein, I propose that when fall gives us pumpkins, we should make toasted pumpkin seeds. We have to scoop them out anyway when we cook the squash itself, so why not turn them into something delicious instead of tossing…
Rice Puppies
Who’d like a rice puppy? Here’s how to prepare this crispy treat (from rice farmer Eric Vaught, who I cooked with in episode 705 of Sara’s Weeknight Meals). 1 cup long grain white rice 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1…
I have been challenging myself to new baking projects and just made Gougeres from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe.
I, like you, have been challenging myself to new baking projects and here is one which made me enormously happy – Gougeres – totally addictive French cheese puffs. And it gets better – I learned from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe, gougeres can be frozen in the raw state and then just popped…
Raw Asparagus, Mushroom and Parsley Salad with Pistachios and Parmesan
Raw Asparagus, Mushroom and Parsley Salad with Pistachios and Parmesan Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 pound thick asparagus, tough stems discarded and the stems peeled 1 cup flat leaf…
Last week at Lake Austin Spa I demo’ed this Raw Asparagus, Mushroom and Parsley Salad. Here is the recipe.
Here is the recipe for the Raw Asparagus, Mushroom and Parsley Salad that I demo’ed at the Lake Austin Spa Last Week. It is topped with pistachios and parmesan, dressed with evoo and fresh lemon, and embellished with extra herbs from their garden – orange mint, lemon thyme and chervil…