Shrimp and Corn Chowder

I use my blinker to pull into my driveway even if its 2 am and no one else is around. When the supermarket asks you to bring the cart back, I do. If a tag says don’t remove ,I leave it. I usually play by ALL the rules. But then there are some rules that just annoy me, usually ones that start with the anonymous “they”. “They” say you can’t wear white after labor day. Isn’t everyday technically after labor day? And what about winter white? “They” say you can’t serve hot soup in the summer? We eat other things hot don’t we? I just don’t like cold soups, I can’t wrap my head around it. Don’t get me wrong, gazpacho is delicious but I want a chip to eat it like salsa. And then there are some soups are kinda of rule breakers. This soup, maybe because of the whole summer, clambake, beachy, seafoody thing, is acceptable in summertime. I don’t care what the rules are, this is delicious anytime of year. Be a rebel, eat it hot.

Corn and Shrimp Chowder – lessonsinfood.wordpress.com original recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups seafood or chicken stock
1 large Yukon Gold potato or Red New potato, peeled and diced
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped
3/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 cup milk or cream
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood seasoning
2 teaspoons sherry
salt and pepper
parsley, minced

In a large saucepan, sweat onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
Add in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes.
Stir in flour to make a roux which will thicken the soup.  Cook while stirring 1 minute.
Whisk stock into the roux slowly and bring to a boil.
Add diced potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a knife.
Season with salt and pepper, taste and re-season.
Add in chopped shrimp, corn, Old Bay, milk and sherry.
Simmer 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
Adjust with salt and pepper.
Garnish with minced parsley.

Ina Garten’s Panko Crusted Salmon

Confession/Realization:

I have trouble making decisions.

The evidence: 

1.  I have been blacklisted from Express and their affiliate stores due to “excessive returning”. I am not joking, they took my driver’s license information in front of a long line of people, I felt like a criminal.

2. I can’t handle diners. The lengthy menus with too many options have been known to make me break a sweat.

3. When I find a favorite song on the radio I instantly have to check every other pre-set station to make sure there isn’t a BETTER favorite song on. If there is a tie, I have to switch back and forth to catch the best parts of each song.

As a culinary teacher, it is my job to stay aware of new trends and recipe ideas. My bedroom floor is covered in recipe clippings patiently awaiting their protective sheet covers, my biggest line of credit is to e-cookbooks.com and if the world was coming to an end and they didn’t announce it on Food Network, I wouldn’t know. So you would think I would know what to make for dinner without a problem. But, as noted above, my indecisiveness makes it quite the opposite. Maybe for other people they have their staple, go to recipes they make on certain days of the week. I on the other hand, can spend so much time in front of the meat case pondering endless possibilities, that I give up and take the walk of shame to the pizza place  to get take-out instead.  Sometimes dinner doesn’t need to be a masterpiece or a culinary revelation, sometimes it just needs to be simple, easy and delicious. Ina Garten’s new book, How easy is that? , is just that. I didn’t get paid to say this but it’s really a great cookbook full of simple, beautiful food at it’s best.

This simple recipe for salmon comes together quick , for nights when your brain cannot handle much more. 

  For the salmon: Adapted from:  How Easy Is That? by Ina Garten

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl combine 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 2 TBL  minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 2 Tbl olive oil , ½ tsp. kosher salt and ½ tsp. ground black pepper.

Spread 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard over the top of  4 (6-8 oz.) salmon fillets.  Press the panko mix on top of the mustard on each fillet .

Heat 2 TBSP of olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe saute pan for 2 minutes.  Add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes.

Transfer the pan to the preheated oven  and bake for  5-7 minutes until the crumbs have browned.   Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let rest 5-10 minutes.  Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

For the vegetables: From www.Lessonsinfood.wordpress.com

Wash and trim 1 bunch of asparagus and slice into bite size pieces, quarter 5 medium red potatoes and peel and slice diagonally 2 large carrots.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive to a large non-stick saute pan and saute the carrots and potato over medium heat until tender when pierced with a fork.  Season with freshly ground salt and pepper. Add asparagus and saute until tender but still crisp. Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Re-season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and toss with 2 tablespoons of butter.

Shrimp and Asparagus Penne with Concentrated Tomatoes, White Wine and Lemon

 

As you may have noticed, I’ve been away. We just moved out of our apartment into our first house. During Christmas. During presents. During parties.  During a major blizzard that paralyzed the city that never sleeps and slushed and iced its way in with the movers unto freshly stained wood floors.  As you can imagine, there has not been any cooking, a lot of take-out but no cooking.  Tonight I came home ready to cook and the realities of home ownership smacked me right in the face with a sobering 45 degree reading on the thermostat. The burner was down and I was confined to the bedroom with an electric heater. It wasn’t awful, I had nothing else to do but watch a few hours of the new Cooking Channel in bed. (BTW – isn’t this new station AMAZING??) Since the kitchen was too cold to cook in for too long, I resorted to the emergency pantry. Here comes the confession. I love the flavor of cheap, bright yellow, processed mac and cheese from the box. There is something about the flavor that I can’t figure out but secretly crave. So that was lunch, along with the remainder of a package of Sunkist fruit gems. All the good flavors were gone, the fresh and tart grapefruit ones are the first to go, and all that was left was the nasty red ones. Turning over the package to see what flavor the red one was supposed to be, I discovered in disgust that it’s raspberry! How could they have possibly misinterpreted the delicious and complex flavor that is raspberry?? And of course this got my little foodie brain thinking…

What is flavor? How do we achieve it?

There is a reason for every step within a recipe. Each part is essential, or should be, to flavor development or the cooking process.

 

The oil man came and fixed the heat and I was able to prepare a more proper meal for dinner. Here is a recipe that is full of flavor and important steps to achieve those flavors.

Shrimp and Asparagus Penne with Concentrated Tomatoes, White Wine and Lemon  www.lessonsinfood.wordpress.com original recipe

• 1 lb penne pasta (The shape of the penne is similar in size to the asparagus and pairs nicely)
• 6 cloves of garlic , thinly sliced ( The larger the pieces of garlic the more subtle and sweet the flavor becomes )
• 1 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined ( For protein, color, texture and a briny sweetness)
• 1 large bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces  ( For nutrients, freshness, color, texture)
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained  ( For sweetness, acidity, moisture and color)
• 1 cup white wine ( For acidity and brightness, complements the shrimp)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or tarragon ( For freshness and color )
• Olive Oil
• Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Begin to prepare the pasta according to the package directions. In the meantime, begin browning about a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. This brings out a nuttiness and depth of flavor to the butter. Just as the milk solids begin to brown, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to extend the butter and raise the smoke point of the mixture so it does not burn. Add the sliced garlic and watch carefully as it begins to turn lightly golden.

Pat the clean shrimp dry so it can sear up in the pan and achieve a crust rather than steam and become mushy. Over medium high heat, saute the shrimp. Flip to the other side once the first side becomes opaque and pink. Once the shrimp has been seared, remove from the pan and place on a plate. Add the asparagus to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes and remove from the pan. It is important not to over cook the asparagus because it will be put back into the pan later. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan along with the drained diced tomatoes. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, this will bring more flavor to the sauce. As the pasta boils, continue to cook the tomatoes over high heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the pan becomes dry, at least 10 minutes. This will concentrate the flavor as the liquid evaporates and the mixture reduces. Flavor = reduction. Taste the concentrated tomato mixture and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, the flavor will be tart from the acidic wine and lemon. The most important thing you can do to improve flavor in a dish is to taste often and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Kosher salt has a cleaner less chemical flavor and is larger and more jagged, so it seasons more evenly. Freshly ground pepper, especially the tri-color kind, blows the pre-ground stuff away with fruitiness and bite. Remove the cooked pasta directly from the water and place into the pan with the concentrated tomato mixture. Add olive oil and some of the starchy salted pasta water to moisten the sauce if needed. Add back in the shrimp and asparagus and fresh herbs of your choice. Toss together and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh lemon and freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese for a salty finish.

Enjoy a flavorful dish!

The Cooking Teacher

Arctic Char and Leeks in a White Wine Lemon and Butter Sauce

My husband used to be a waiter when we were in college. He pretty much hated it . When you don’t love your job, you’re not really all that enthusiastic about it. What he really hated was being asked questions about the food.  To solve this problem he just answered everything with the same response.

 For example: 

Question ”How is the chicken prepared tonight?”  Answer ” In a delicious white wine, lemon and butter sauce”

Question  ”What’s the salmon special?” Answer “ Tonight the chef is serving it in a delicate white wine, lemon and butter sauce”

To this day I laugh when I see this on a menu. Why take a chance and lie to people about a dish and risk being wrong? First off I guess he didn’t care.  Second, most of the time, that was such a restaurant standard, no matter where he worked, he got away with it and ended up being right.

Tonight I was a little unenthusiastic about my job; coming up with something for dinner. I made the mistake of stopping off at a very crowded store and picked up some fish and bolted out without anything else before I lost my mind. When I arrived home, tired and frustrated, I flipped through food magazines and cookbooks and rustled through the spice rack and produce bins for inspiration. I was just too tired to search and create. But what do I always have in the house? Little bottles of white wine, butter and lemons. And on the menu tonight folks we have a beautiful pan seared Artic char served with sautéed leeks in …drumroll please…a white wine lemon and butter sauce!

Okay so it’s not all that creative, but its a good standby to have.

Arctic Char and Leeks in a White Wine Lemon and Butter Sauce

www.lessonsinfood.wordpress.com  original recipe

Method:

Heat up some butter and olive oil in a pan until it screamin hot.

Season your piece of fish ( any type will work ) or chicken with salt and pepper.

Sear in the pan until cooked halfway through and flip. Sear on the other side.

Add in some aromatic vegetables if you want, such as the leeks I had on hand.

Right at the end, throw in a big splash of white wine and a squeeze of lemon and let it reduce until thickened.

Shut the heat and swirl in a big pat of butter. 

Sprinkle with some pretty fresh herbs if you’re feeling fancy.

Enjoy your simple and reliable stand-by meal.

Slow Roasted Brown Sugar and Soy Salmon with Bok Choy and Quinoa

 

High heat roasting usually means the death of another pan and an afternoon of me waving a magazine in front of the smoke detector because my non self cleaning oven gets pretty angry at anything above 450 degrees.  Despite this, I love roasting, especially vegetables because they take on a whole new sweet and intense flavor. On the other side of the roasting spectrum is slow roasting, which to me is more like dehydrating because of the low heat and long cooking time. It’s a cooking method that still intensifies flavor like high heat roasting and therefore is great for things like tomatoes. On the other hand, it is much more gentle than high heat roasting and therefore is great for a piece of protein, like salmon, that can otherwise become tough and dry very easily.  When the salmon comes out of the oven you would think it’s still raw because it’s so moist and still so vibrantly pink but I promise, it’s cooked through and deliciously tender.

Slow Roasted Brown Sugar and Soy Salmon with Bok Choy and Quinoa

Rub two pieces of salmon with dark brown sugar and place in a Ziploc bag. Add in 1 clove of chopped garlic and pour in enough soy sauce to coat the salmon. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. Remove the salmon from the marinade and wipe off excess sugar. Place in a baking dish and slow roast for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime clean about 5 heads of baby bok choy. Heat a non-stick skillet with a splash of sesame oil. Add bok choy and toss. Cover with about half a cup of chicken broth and let simmer until broth is reduced to almost nothing. Finish with a few splashes of soy sauce and a pat of butter.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook according to time on the package ( about 15-20 minutes).   

Place quinoa down first and pour bok choy and any remaining liquid on top. Serve with salmon and enjoy!

Bumper Crop – Basil, Tomatoes and Corn: Crab Fritters with Fresh Corn and Basil topped with Honey Lemon Cherry Tomatoes

Crab Fritters with Fresh Corn and Basil topped with Honey Lemon Cherry Tomatoes

I created this recipe tonight in hopes of using up some of the abundant basil and cherry tomatoes I have growing in the garden, as well as the corn I have been getting from the farmers market. I also have a little challenge going with myself to buy buttermilk each week and try to use it in as many ways as I can. This recipe was really simple because includes imitation crabmeat which does not need to picked through. I was a bit turned off by this product years ago but I grew to love it’s sweet taste in Sushi California rolls. I recently started buying it because I found that the fish it is made from is on my safe and sustainable pocket guide list ( see previous post) of best choices and it’s lower in cholesterol than real crabmeat.  This is a must try – very simple and so sweet and delicious!

Crab Fritters with Fresh Corn and Basil topped with Honey Lemon Cherry Tomatoes

www.lessonsinfood.wordpress.com  original recipe

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup grits
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup low-fat  buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 ears of corn, freshly shucked
• 1/2 package of imitation crabmeat, broken into pieces
• Butter and Cooking Spray 

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients into wet and mix until just combined.  Stir in corn, crabmeat and basil. Let batter rest 5 minutes. 

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and swirl a stick of butter around the pan once. ( I find this is the best way to use the least amount of butter) Spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of batter into the pan and cook 5 minutes on each side. Monitor heat and let fritters cook slowly and do not burn.

Quarter grape tomatoes and toss with a squeeze of honey, squeeze of lemon and a splash of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and small basil leaves.

 

Top fritters with tomatoes and serve alongside a green salad.

Enjoy and please let me know what you think of this new recipe!

Salmon Cakes with Crispin Apple Remoulade served with Roasted Cippolini Onions, Sauteed String Beans and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

Salmon Cakes with Crispin Apple Remoulade served with Roasted Cippolini Onions, Sauteed String Beans and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

www.lessonsinfood.wordpress.com original recipe

What’s in your wallet? I’ve got your basics, some coupons, shopping lists, credit cards and so on but the one thing that surprises people is that I keep a pocket guide to sustainable seafood in my wallet. http://www.edf.org/documents/1980_pocket_seafood_selector.pdf

My friend asked the other day “do you really whip that out at the supermarket?” Yes, I actually do. With all the changing news about what’s safe and sustainable, I found myself staying away from seafood all together, which was a shame considering all the health benefits.  So now, with my nifty pocket guide, I know what’s good for me and the oceans and I’m back to eating seafood on a regular basis.  Guilty food never tastes good anyway.  I recently found that my local wholesale retailer carries frozen wild Alaskan salmon so I picked some up. Unfortunately the frozen salmon has been a little dry and tough, but I found a few methods that work well for getting around that problem. The first method is making them into these cakes and the others I will share with you in later posts.

For 2 large cakes:

1 piece cooked/poached salmon.

 In a bowl mix about 2-3 TBL mayonnaise, 1-2 tsp whole grain mustard, 1/2 – 1 tsp old bay seasoning, salt, pepper and 1 egg.  ( other add-ins such as cooked onions or peppers could also be added) Flake salmon into small pieces and mix in. Add breadcrumbs until the mixture is dry enough to form into cakes. After forming cakes, dredge them in breadcrumbs. Heat canola oil in a saute pan and saute cakes until golden brown on each side.

Peel and chop a Crispin apple and toss half of it with a few tablespoons of mayonnaise and sour cream. Add mustard and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt, pepper and chopped tarragon or other fresh herbs.  ( save the other half  of the apple for dessert listed below)

Cube red potatoes and place in saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain and return to the hot pan and mash. Add butter, salt, pepper, chopped fresh rosemary, sour cream and half and half until desired flavor is achieved.

Wrap peeled Cippolini onions in tinfoil with salt, pepper, canola oil and fresh rosemary. Roast at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Finish carmelizing in a saucepan with butter to achieve further browning.

Remove tips from string beans. Heat a skillet with a pat of butter and a splash of canola oil. Add string beans, a squeeze of lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and freshly ground pepper. With heat on medium high, let beans blister and brown slightly. Saute for about 5 minutes so beans stay green and crisp.

Take remaining chopped apple and toss with a splash of vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste and add sugar until desired sweetness is achieved. Saute until apples are softened and serve with vanilla ice cream for dessert!