Entrees
Cracker Fish
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz I love crunch in a recipe and particularly when the star of the dish is soft and bland like most white fish. Bread crumbs are usually the crunch we reach for, but why not consider a cracker, particularly one that is presalted, like a saltine. This…
Middle Eastern Meatball Sandwiches with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz My favorite meat for these meatball sandwiches is lamb but if you are not a lamb fan go with beef or even turkey for the leanest option. Makes 4 servings Hands-on time: 20 minutes Total preparation time: 35 minutes 4-inch piece seedless (English) cucumber…
Penne a la Vodka
photo by Jessica Leibowitz Penne à la Vodka, Classic and Lite My daughter Ruthie is a big fan of penne á la vodka. I love it, too, but I wanted to figure out a way to make it less fattening than usual. That’s why there are two versions of penne…
Seared Beef in Autumn Broth with Wasabi Cream
Makes 4 Servings Hands-on time: 15 minutes Total preparation time: 33 minutes This dish began as a variation on a French recipe called boeuf a la ficelle (literally “beef on a string), which requires the cook to tie a string around some filet mignon and lower it into a pot…
Green Chicken Posole
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz Makes 4 to 6 servings Hands-on time: 25 minutes Total preparation time: 30 minutes Posole is a hearty soup from the Jalisco region of Mexico that is traditionally made with pork and hominy. Hominy is dried corn kernels from which the hulls and germs have been…
Sautéed Duck Breasts with Apricot Szechuan Peppercorn Sauce
photo by Jessica Liebowitz It’s much quicker to sauté duck breasts than to roast a whole duck, which is how you can manage to have duck for dinner on a weeknight. Whether or not you eat the skin, be sure to cook the breasts with the skin on. They’ll turn…
Beer Steamed Cheeseburgers
Det Burgers My first official cooking job was in the mid 70’s at a bar in Ann Arbor Michigan (where I went to college) called the Del Rio. The most famous item on the menu, invented by a bored cook one slow day, was a burger called the “Det Burger,”…
Chicken Saltimboca
Saltimbocca, which literally means “jump in the mouth” in Italian, is a no-brag-just facts description of the wonderfulness of the classic recipe made with veal scallopine, prosciutto and sage. My version substitutes chicken for veal and adds an artichoke sauce. This recipe would work well not only as a special…
Chicken Vaca Frita
CHICKEN VACA FRITA For the mojo: 10 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon black peppercorns ½ cup fresh orange juice ¾ cup fresh lime juice done 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil For the Chicken Vaca frita 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast 3…
Chicken Vaca Frita
For the mojo: 10 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon black peppercorns ½ cup fresh orange juice ¾ cup fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil For the chicken 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large white…
Duck Tacos with Quick Refried Beans
Makes 6 servings For the spice blend: ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon oregano, crumbled ½ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cayenne For the filling & toppings: 1 half, cooked rotisserie duck (for a mail order source, please go here) 1 tablespoon vegetable…
Chianti Tortelli
(Recipe courtesy of Allesio Bagnoli based on the family recipes of Veronica d’Entreves) Makes: 6 to 8 Servings Hands on time: 45 minutes Total preparation time: 3 ½ hours For the pasta dough: 3 ½ cups semolina flour 3 large eggs 2 to 2 ½ cups of Chianti Wine For…
Chianti Tortelli Filled With Asparagus and Goat Cheese
(Recipe courtesy of Allesio Bagnoli based on the family recipes of Veronica d’Entreves) Makes: 6 to 8 Servings Hands on time: 45 minutes Total preparation time: 3 ½ hours For the pasta dough: 3 ½ cups semolina flour 3 large eggs 2 to 2 ½ cups of Chianti Wine For…
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…
Shrimp Tikka Masala with Mango Chutney
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine 2008 (developed by Melissa Jones) Makes 6 servings Hands On Time: 45 min Total Time: 1 hour For shrimp: 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 (1-inch) piece fresh jalapeño, chopped (about 2 teaspoons) 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, chopped 1 large garlic…
Steak Mushroom and Tomato Salad with Bearnaise Dressing
Servings: 4 Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes (40 minutes without pre-salting) Hands on time: 20 minutes 1 pound 3/4- to-1-inch thick steak– such as flat iron, tri tip or boneless short rib Kosher salt 2 cups cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced seedless…
Meatballs with Cuttlefish and Peas
Makes 4-6 Servings Hands on time: 45 minutes Total preparation time: 1 1/2 hours For the meatballs: ½ pound ground pork ½ pound ground veal 2 cloves minced garlic Small bunch of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 large egg 1/2 cup all-purpose…
Meatball Tagine with Couscous
Serves 6 For the sauce: 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika 1 tablespoon ground cumin Salt Pinch of ground cayenne For the meatballs: 2 pounds ground beef chuck or lamb 1 medium onion, grated or finely chopped…
Spicy Tex-Mex Meatballs
Yields 4 servings Hands-on time: 30 minutes Total preparation time: 55 minutes 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 cup finely chopped onion 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh or pickled jalapeno 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped or 1/4 to…
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…
Broccoli with Feta and Angel Hair Pasta
Makes 4 Servings Hands-On Time: 10 Minutes Total Preparation Time: 20 Minutes 1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds) 12 oz angel hair pasta 2 c Homemade Vegetable or Chicken Stock or canned broth 1/2 to 1 t crushed red pepper flakes 6 oz feta cheese Kosher salt Bring a…
Duck Confit with Leeks and Sauerkraut
Start to finish: 35 minutes Hands on time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 3 tablespoons duck fat or olive oil 4 confit duck legs (purchased, or prepared following recipe below) 2 medium leeks, cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 cup sauerkraut (do not rinse it) 1 cup…