Egg Islands - Any time of day or night!

Ingredients                                              Difficulty Rating:  Easy

• 2 egg, room temperature.  If you don't want to leave them out, put them in a cup and let them sit in   some warm/hot water for a little while. 
• 2 slices of bread.  We always had corn rye bread, and I still think that's the best. But you can use any bread you want.
• Butter or margarine (or Olive oil)
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)  I use freshly ground white pepper and sometimes I sprinkle a little cayenne over them as they cook.

Preparation:

Put some olive oil in a tick proof saute pan (you can use butter if you want, but I prefer olive oil)

Butter both sides of the bread and cut a hole in the center saving the cut out pieces of the bread.

When the pan is hot, place both pieces of bread, plus the cut out pieces, in the pan

When the bottom is golden, turn the bread over and let that side become golden.

Break the eggs gently into 2 cups I find doing it this way causes the yolk to break much less often

Turn the bread  again and put a drop (or spray) or olive oil in the hole

Gently drop the eggs into the holes and cover the pan for about 1 minute or until the white starts to cook, but it isn't all the way cooked.

Remove the lid, shut off the heat and gently turn each piece

Remove the Egg Islands after about 30 seconds so the yolk is still runny. 
Yum!

These Egg Islands are ready to turn

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Chick Peas

Ingredients:                                                    Difficulty Rating: Easy

1 head of broccoli

1 lb orecchiette (little ears pasta)

6 cloves of garlic

6 anchovy fillets

1 can chick peas, well rinsed

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Percorino Romano

Some pasta water

Fill 2 large pots ¾ of the way with water and bring to a boil.

While the water is heating, cut the stems off the broccoli.  Peel the skin off the stems, cut into evenly sized bite-sized pieces.

Cut the broccoli flowerets into evenly sized pieces. 

When the water is boiling in 1 pot, add the broccoli and 1 teaspoon of salt.

In the 2nd pot, add the Orecchiette

Bring both back to a boil, then lower heat keeping the broccoli at simmer and the pasta at a low boil.

Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan, and turn flame on medium

Add the garlic and sauté until garlic is clear, but not burned.

Then add the anchovies and stir around.  The anchovies will disintegrate in the hot oil.

Add the chick peas and toss

The pasta should be cooked al dente, very al dente. Keep in mind that it will cook again in the frying pan, and you never want mushy pasta. 

Keep the pasta water aside, and add the pasta to the sauté pan and toss it. Put the flame on high for a little while to try to crisp the little ears (it's worth it) then add ½ cup of pasta water and lower the flame.

When broccoli is tender enough for a fork to go through, and its still al dente, remove about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Drain the rest of the water from the broccoli and add it to the sauté pan and toss it.

Grind the pepper over the pasta, add the cheese and toss again.

Bring the sauté pan to the table to serve, or pour the pasta into a serving plate or bowl. But remember, the this pasta dish is always better the 2nd day.

Mangia!

Deviled Eggs are Back!

Ingredients                                                                            Difficulty Rating:  Easy

• 1 dozen eggs                                                    
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise 
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons capers
• Kosher salt - to taste
• Cayenne - to taste
• Sweet papkria (I use Hungarian)
• Smoked Salmon cut into  1 to 1 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch slices (I use Scottish Smoked Salmon - your choice)

In a pot large enough for 1 dozen eggs to move around, fill with enough cool water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch.  

Add the vinegar.

Gently add the eggs and put on a medium flame  - covered.

When it comes to a strong boil, shut off the flame and leave it for 10 minutes - don't remove the cover.

When the 10 minutes are up, drain the pot and add enough cold water to cover the eggs and add a try or two of ice.  

When the eggs are cool tap all sides on the counter to shatter the shell, and peel.Rinse the eggs as you peel them to get the tiny pieces of shell off the eggs.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. 

To remove the yolks I use a small spoon, and gently scoop around the outside of the yolk.  Then I slide the small spoon under the yolk and drop it into a medium size bowl.  Be careful so you don't rip the egg white.

Putting the prepared egg yolks back into the egg

Cut the smoked salmon (lox) into strips about 1 - 1 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide.

When you've scooped out all the yolks, add the mayo, cayenne, mustard and salt.  I use a potato masher to mas them, but a fork is fine.  Add the capers and mix them in well.

Using a teaspoon, or a small ice cream scoop that is about the size of a cherry, scoop out the egg yolk mixture and put it back into the egg.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the smoked salmon strips across the top lengthwise. 

If you don't serve immediately, cover with foil and refrigerate. 

They'll disappear fast, so if you're busy in the kitchen while you're serving appetizers, have one fast!

Nutella Crème Icebox Pie

                                                                                            Difficulty Rating: Easy
Pecan Crust (make the crust before you make the pie filling so it has time to cool)

·         1 ½ cups pecans (finely chopped)

·         1 1/2 T sugar

·         4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted sweet butter – melted

Nutella Crème Filling

·         2 cups heavy cream

·         2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese – room temperature *

·         2 1/2 cups Nutella (hold about 1/3 cup of the 2 1/2 cups out)

·         1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar,10x

·         1 Tablespoon vanilla extract  

* Note - I made this on Sunday (8/5/12) for my sister Cathy's birthday.  My son Marc said that he would prefer it with less cream cheese.  I like it the way it is, but we each our own taste. He would like it 'mousse-ier', but I don't now if that could still be a pie - it might might have to served in individual glasses - nothing wrong with that! Up the whipped cream, lower the amount of cream cheese, chill the crust mixutre in dessert or wine glasses for an hour or so, spoon in the filling, chill and voila!

Preparation

Combine butter and pecans in a medium bowl and mix by hand

Pecan Crust

In a 9” pie dish, shape the crust by pressing into the pie pan, making sure you push it up the sides. It will be crumbly

• Bake for 10 minutes until the pecans are toasted – you’ll notice that the sides of the crust will look like it s   shrinks down the sides of the pie dish
• Using the back of a Tablespoon, gently push the pecan crust up the sides
• Cool to room temperature
• When the crust is cool, spread the 1/3 cup of Nutella on the bottom, well, you can't actually spread it, use a teaspoon to drop the Nutella around the bottom of the crust.  If you try to spread it, it will pull the crust up.

While the crust is cooling, beat the heavy cream in the mixer using a whisk attachment on medium until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes. Set aside

In another bowl, using the paddle attachment on medium-high and beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. 

Once it’s smooth, add the sugar, 1 cup of Nutella and vanilla and mix in well. 

When the Nutella is smoothly  combined with the cream cheese (use a rubber spatula to ensure that the bottom is well blended), add the second cup of the remaining Nutella - just a little don’t mix it in too thoroughly because people will want to taste big tastes of Nutella.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined.  While you're doing this, gentlry drop in 1 Tablespoon (this can be approximate) of Nutella at a time and fold with the whipped cream.  You don't want the Nutella blended. Do this until you've used all the Nutella. 

Spread the filling in the cool pie shell. Smooth the top.

Store in a covered container and refrigerate for about 5 hours (or overnight) before serving.

Brisket for Pesach and Beyond

Ingredients                                                               Difficulty Rating - easy to medium

·       1 5-6 lb brisket (first or 2^nd cut is fine, it should have about ¼ inch of fat to keep it from drying out, more than that would be too fatty )

·       About 2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

·       4 cups of beef broth (or a full bodied red wine if you prefer, or half of one, half of the other)

·       8 carrots – 4 whole and 4 peeled and cut into 2” pieces

·       4 medium potatoes – peeled and cut into 2” pieces

·       6 medium onions – 3 whole and 3 peeled and sliced

·       5 whole cloves of garlic - peeled

·       2 whole bay leaves (Turkish)

·       1/2 teaspoon thyme

·       Kosher salt

·       Freshly ground black Pepper

·       ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, cayenne isn't something you think about on Pesach, but it's always good to step it up a notch)

·       Garlic powder (when you make a rub, powder is just easier)

·       1 Tablespoon potato starch (if you choose to thicken the gravy.

Preparation:

Rub prep:

Make a rub of 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Brisket prep:

Pat brisket dry with paper towel – rub all over with the salt/pepper/garlic rub - put it back in the refrigerator for an hour or more to give the flavors a chance to sink in.

Put the Dutch oven or big casserole on the stove with the oil and a medium flame (don’t use olive oil, it burns too quickly).

When the pot is really hot (but before the oil is burning) put the meat in to brown – first do it fat side down – about 5 minutes

Turn it with the

tongs and brown the other side for about 5 minutes

Remove it from the heat, and lift the meat with tongs and scrape the bottom of the frying pan to loosen whatever stuck to the bottom

Put the meat back in the pan

Add the whole carrots, garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaves and whole onions (if the onions  & carrots don't fit, cut them in half)

Add enough broth (I prefer a full bodied red wine, but it’s up to you) to cover about 3/4 of the brisket

Cover pan tightly

Check the brisket about every 45 minutes to make sure the liquid level covers about 3/4 of it, if not, add more

Braise (cook in liquid) for about 2 hours The meat should still be fairly stiff – remove the meat using tongs

Carefully slice across the grain (make the slices about ¼” thick or less if you'd like)    

Using a slotted spoon, remove the veggies that have been cooking with the meat. 

Return the sliced meet to the pot

Add the remaining peeled and sliced carrots, potatoes and onions - if more liquid is needed, add it.

Cook for another hour – check occasionally to see if more liquid is needed

If it is not super tender when you touch it with a fork, cook it more.  It doesn't need to be falling apart, but it needs to be tender.

Add more salt if needed.

Let it cool then take the brisket out of the Dutch Oven and either wrap it in aluminum foil or put it in something smaller - refrigerate over night – covered.

Pour the juices and veggies into a container and refrigerate.

About 2 hours before you serve it, take the brisket and the juices out of the refrigerator.  Let the brisket sit at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Scrape the top layer of fat off the juices as soon as you take it out of the refrigerator.

Note: Some people like to put the veggies and the juice in a blender to make a gravy.  We don't do that in my family, it's up to you.  

Pour the liquid and veggies into a saucepan and heat it. If you think there isn't enough liquid add some more now. Don't bring it to a boil, just make it hot.

Return the meat to the Dutch oven or a large oven proof skillet, pour the juice and veggies over it.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and reheat the brisket in the liquid until it is warm (about 1/2 hour). 

Note: if you choose to thicken the gravy, the time to do it is right after you reheat everything and remove the meat. Put the Dutch oven on the stove top on medium heat.  First you need a slurry.  I make the slurry in a small jar, add 1 Tablespoon of Potato Starch and 1/4 cup of water or red wine.  Put the top on the lid and shake it up until it's smooth.  Pour a small amount of the slurry into the pot and stir, it will start to thicken immediately.  If needed, add more, but don't overdo it.

When you serve it, take the meat out and put it on a platter and pour the liquid & veggies over the meat or if your Dutch oven is nice enough, service it family style out of the same pot in which it was cooked.

Polenta - the almost no stir method

Ingredients:                                                                                      Difficulty Rating:  Easy
3 cups water
1 teaspoon regular (table) salt
1 'pinch' bakinig powder
3/4 cups course Stone Ground corn meal
1 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano - whichever is your favorite.

In a medium size heavy pot bring the water to a boil - put the heat at medium low
Add the salt and baking powder and stream in the corn meal slowly while stirring and keep stirring so lumps won't form - be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pot whiling you're stirring to it doesn't stick and burn.
Keep stirring for about 2 minutes, then lower the heat to it's lowest setting, stir again and cover.

After about 5 minutes, uncover and stir it again and scrape the sides and bottom again.
Then cover it and let it cook for about 25 minutes, still with a very low flame.  We're not looking for corn meal mush here, so there should be a little resistance when you taste it, a little al dente

Remember that when you cook polenta, it will be lose until it starts cooling

Remove it from the heat, stir in the olive oil, butter, pepper and cheese, and recover.  Let it stand for about 5 minutes and serve with Kosher salt, more grate parmigiano or pecorino, and freshly ground pepper so people can adjust it to their tastes.

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

Ingredients:                                                                    Difficulty Rating: Easy

2 T olive Oil

• 5-6 cloves fresh garlic - chopped
• 2 carrots - chopped
• 2 T water
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 3 cups Veggie Broth (or Beef or Chicken, depending on your tastes and preferences)
• 2 cans of whole Italian Tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano)
• 1/2 pound pasta (I prefer a whole grain pasta pasta integrale to stand up to this soup, it adds a nutty flavor)
• 1 can of Cannellini beans, well rinsed
• Kosher salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Plenty of Parmigianno Reggiano - grated
• Either microwave or steam the carrots for about 4 minutes - just enough to take away the crunch, but not to make them mushy

In a large soup pot saute the diced onions, garlic and crushed red pepper in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until they are translucent, be careful not to burn them.  Note: when you saute garlic and onions in a soup pot try to keep them out of the center of the pot.  The bottom of soup pots are often raised in the center, so keep the garlic and onions around the outside of the pot to saute.

Add the tomatoes and the broth.

 

Use a tomato squisher to squish the tomatoes.  I prefer not to put them in the blender  Squishing them gives the soup extra substance. 

 

Cover and bring it to a boil. 

Lower the heat, keep the cover on partially - stir often.

Continue simmering for about 25 minutes

While simmering, bring another 2/3 filled water to a boil.

When the water for the pasta boils, add the pasta and cook for less time than you would normally cook it.

That is, cook it even less than you would for al dente, because it will continue cooking in the soup. It must be firm.

Drain the pasta when its done and add a little sauce to it so the pasta doesn't stick together.

After the soup cooks for about 25 minutes add the rinsed beans and the pasta.

Continue simmering for about 5 minutes

Add Parmigiano Reggiano.

Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve in big soup bowls with a crusty Italian bread, preferably pane integrale, whole grain. And don't forget to pass extra Parmigiano Reggiano around the table.

Note: The pasta will soak up most of the soup in a few hours, so when you serve it the next day you can either serve it as a pasta dish, not a soup, or you can add more broth to bring back the soupiness.

Spaghettata di Mezzanotte (aglio olio e peperoncino)! Midnight Spaghetti Party!

Ingredients                                                                             Difficulty Rating = Easy

·         A big pot half full of boiling water (A pot that is big enough to hold the pasta without breaking it in half.  It doesn’t have to be a giant pot, as you put the pasta in the boiling water, you push it down and that’s fine)

·         1 pound (approximately ½ kilo) of spaghetti

·         Sauté pan – big enough to hold the pasta after it is cooked.

·         Olive Oil – about ½ cup, plus more for later

·         5 or 6 good sized cloves of garlic (if your garlic cloves are small, add a few more or if you're crazy for garlic, add more)

·         1 ½ teaspoons crushed dried red pepper flakes (peperoncino) – if the flakes look brown, the taste is dead or dying, so make sure the flakes are nice and red.  (If you love HOT, add more - but consider your guests).

·         Salt & black pepper

·         Parmigiano-Reggiano – if you can get one big piece and each take what you want with a grater,that is good.

When it comes to a boil, add the spaghetti, stir and let it come to a boil again.  The pasta should be cooked about 6-8 minutes because you want it al dente – firm to the bite, not mushy.

Stir it after you put it in.

While the pasta is cooking:

Chop up the garlic into small pieces – It doesn’t have to be super small. Everyone has different opionions about this.  Marcella doesn't chop them at all, she justs throws them into the oil, lets them cook and then takes them out.  There's plenty of garlic flavor there, but I prefer them chopped pretty well.

Pour about ½ cup Olive Oil into a large sauté pan and put it over medium heat.  Add the garlic & pepperoncino and sauté until garlic is translucent, and turn off the heat. The garlic should get a little golden, but not burnt. 

When the spaghetti is al dente(you can usually tell when the boiling spaghetti forms a circle in the pot as it boils- taste it.  It should be firm, not hard, not soft, but firm) – put the frying pan back on the heat. By the way, 'al dente' means 'to the tooth', that is, when you bite it the pasta shouldn't be mushy, it should be firm enough for to bite it.

Put the pasta into the sauté pan and mix it with the garlic and pepperoncino.   Do not pour out the water that the pasta cooked in yet.



So many types of pepper.
Most are great tasting adventures!

I like to add about ½ cup of the cooking water  to the pasta and mix it again – let it cook just a little.  If it is too dry, add ¼ cup more water and try again. You do not want it like a soup – but you don’t want it super dry either.  When you taste the spaghetti, it should be firm, you should taste the oil and garlic and some heat from the pepperoncino – and it should be moist – it should not be swimming in oil or only have the taste of garlic.  It should just be delicious.

 

Serve with the cheese – as much cheese as you want.  Also put the olive oil on the table, people often want some more. And if you're anything like my friend Marcella, put the peperoncino on the table too.  She can't get enough! 

Cannellini Bean & Tomato Salad and Garlic Shrimp Risotto - An Unplanned and Delicious Dinner Menu

Salad for 4                                                                    Difficulty Rating - Easy

Ingredients

• Arugula
• grape tomatoes
• 1/2 can cannellini beans (or more if you like)
• 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or spray with your Misto
• Juice & zest  from Meyer Lemon if available, if not use a regular small to medium lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Rinse and dry arugula either using a salad spinner or use paper towels (remember, don't believe it when it says 'prewashed')

Rinse tomatoes and cut in half

Rinse Cannellini beans very well

Spread arugula over a serving plate

Add the tomatoes and beans on the top - arranged as you wish

Don't add the oil mixutre until you are ready to serve the salad

Whisk together 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, mustard, cayenne and kosher salt. and pour over the salad.

Garlic Shrimp and Risotto for 4
Preheat to 425

Ingredients:

•  6-8 shrimp per person
• about 8 medium size garlic cloves, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon Spanish Smoked paprika (if you don't have this it's OK, but it is smokey and delicious)
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian Sweet paprika
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Red Crushed Pepper (depending on the amount of heat you like)
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt - or to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups water
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese - about 1/2 cup, depending on taste, you can always put some on the table and let your guests serve themselves.
• As a special treat during Meyer Lemon season, I add the grated zest and the juice from a Meyer Lemon. If you want to try this and Meyer Lemons aren't in season, try it it with regular lemons.It's an optional addition to this recipe.

If you have frozen shrimp, they don't need to be fully defrosted.  Either defrost them in the refrigerator or, if you don't have time, defrost them in the microwave, at a low power - you don't want them to cook.  Take them out of the bag, put them in a bowl and every couple of minutes toss them to bring the bottom shrimp to the top.  When they are slightly defrosted, they are done. Pour out the water from the defrosting, but don't rinse the shrimp.

Have a pan (or cassarole) that is large enough to lay out the shrimp, without layering them.
Put the shrimp in the pan or cassarole
Dice the garlic
Add garlic, both paprikas, Kosher salt, pepper flakes and olive oil to the shrimp.  Mix it around so the shrimp of covered
Cut the butter into small pieces and place on top

Cook for about 5-8 minutes depending on the number of shrimp you're cooking.  It should not be cooked all the way through.  If the cooking rack is very close to the heat, cook less - keep an eye on it.
Use a spatula and turn the shrimp and cook for another 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven.
Remove the shrimp from the pan, leaving all the garlic and oil. The shrimp can finish cooking in the rice.  The last thing you want is chewy shrimp, so don't overcook.

Put the garlic and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add the rice and stir it.  Let it cook for about 2 minutes stirring intermittently.
Add 1/2 cup water and stir.
When the water is soaked into the rice, add another half cup of water, stirring occassionally.
Risotto should be creamy, so keep adding water.

If you've used all two cups, taste the rice, if it's hard, add a little more water.
As soon as the rice is done, lower the heat, add the shrimp and the parmigiano (and the lemon if you decide to use it).  Stir and serve.

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Chinese Tea Egg - Happy Lunar New Year!

Ingredients:                         Difficulty Rating - Easy, but be careful peeling the shell from the egg

• Hard boiled eggs (as many as you want)
• 1 cup Black tea - brewed
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce (I cheated and used low sodium, I just can't do the full sodium soy sauce, even for a salt lover like me, that is way too much)
• 2 Star Anise - broken
• a pinch of cinnamon (optional)
• Some orange rind, and you can squeeze in some juice too (optional)

The optional ingredients - I saw cinnamon and orange rind in various recipes for Tea Eggs, but my friend Xixi Chen never heard of using either in Tea Eggs. I also saw a teaspoon of 5 Spice Powder.  I'm trying it every way and deciding what I like best.   Also, Xixi's mom's hint is to make sure you put the eggs in cold water after the 1st boil so it is easier to peel the shell from the egg after the second boil.  I had a really hard time peeling the shell from the egg and ruined 2 of the 3 I made - but I'll get better.

Put cold water in a sauce pan with the eggs.  Make sure the eggs are covered by at least 1/2 inch of water.
Cover the sauce pan and bring it to a big, rolling boil.
Take the sauce pan off the heat, leave it covered and let it stand for about 10-12 minutes
The eggs should be hard boiled, but not too hard boiled, unless that's how you like it.
I like the eggs to be hard boiled but with moisture left in the yolk.

Remove the eggs from the sauce pan but don't dump out the water. Save it.
Run the eggs under cold water this is a tip from my friend Xixi Chen.  Her mom said that it helps make the shell break away from the egg easily.

Take the eggs and tap each one gently with the back of a spoon to make a marble-like series of cracks in the shell.  If your cracks don't turn out perfect, that's fine, it will just be a different design.  You can also try rolling the egg around in your hands if you're not getting the look that you want.

Bring the water in the sauce pan back to a boil.  Add the brewed black tea, the soy sauce, the cinnamon, the broken star anise and then add the eggs.

Some people told me to bring them to a low boil or simmer and let them simmer for about 2 hours. Others said to let them in overnight. Since Xixi told me to do the 2nd boil, I did it her way.

When they're done, gently peel the shell and there you have your marbled Tea Egg.  Taste it and smile.

Easy, Sweet, Delicious, Little Roasted Sweet Peppers

Preheat 400                                                                                         Difficulty rating - Easy

Ingredients

• Small, sweet peppers    
• Kosher salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. 

Rinse peppers (remember, even if the package says prewashed don't believe it - rinse them well)

Put all the peppers on the baking pan

Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sprinkle with Kosher salt

Spread the peppers out so they aren't touching.

Roast on first side for 12-15  minutes

Turn the peppers over with a spatula and roast for another 12-15 minutes.

The peppers should be soft and the skins should be a little browned - I like them more than a little brown, that's a matter of personal taste.

Then the most important part - just pop 'em in your mouth - Delicious!  Oh, and no, you don't have to peel the skin, just eat them as they are.  So easy!

Sopa de Milagros (Spanish Garlic Soup of Miracles)

Ingredients:                                                                                     Difficulty Rating - Easy

• 8 medium to large  (not giant) cloves of garlic - leave one whole, dice the rest
• Olive oil - 1 Tablespoon to saute the garlic, some more to sprinkle or spray on bread (I often use my Misto to spray the bottom of the pot with olive oil when I add the Tablespoon of olive oil)
• about 3 quarts chicken stock (I use veggie stock)
• Spanish paprika - optional.  This is smokey and much more flavorful than a regular grocery store paprika.  And it is much different than sweet Hungarian paprika, so the first time you use it, use it sparingly.  If you love it, or hate it, you can use it or not)
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper - optional, and its worth it
• 1 piece of toasted or grilled Italian, French or Spanish bread
• 1 egg per person

Peel the garlic cloves, keep one aside and dice the rest

Add olive oil to soup pot

Add the diced garlic , crushed red pepper and  pinch of Kosher salt

Sauté at low heat to get the garlic golden but not burnt.

Add chicken (or veggie) stock

Bring to a gentle boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes.

Slice bread into about ½ inch slices.

Toast till golden brown

Rub bread with the remaining garlic clove

drizzle with a little (very little) olive oil

Place in each soup bowl

When you are ready to eat put a ladle full of soup around each piece of toasted bread

Poach 1 egg per person in the soup, or you can put a touch of oil on the inside of a ladle and crack one egg into the ladle.  Lower into the pot of soup and stir into a circle. 

Gently drop the egg into the soup bowl

add more soup and serve with the remainder of the toasted bread.

 You might want to toast some extra bread.  People will probably want to do some dunking.

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cookies

Preheat oven to 350         Difficulty Rating = Easy 

Put waxed paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and cover lightly with olive oil.

Ingredients: 

 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus some to prep the cookie sheets
1 egg
Zest from 2 Meyer lemons
Juice from 2 Meyer lemons (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt - not table or fine salt.  Use either Kosher or a sea salt that's not overly chunky.
1/4 teaspoon dried sage or 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage well chopped

Note, if you can't get Meyer lemons, use regular lemons.

Preparation:
In a large bowl whisk together the Olive Oil, Egg, zest and juice from Meyer Lemon and sugar.  I did it in a counter top mixer with a whisk attachment.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sage, and add to olive oil mixture, scraping the sides until it all holds together. It shouldn't be too wet.


Scoop balls using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, and squish gently with bottom of olive oil treated glass

After it's all mixed together, scoop out about 1 Tablespoon at a time (I use a 1 T ice cream scoop to make m all the same size) and put each ball on the cookie sheet leaving about 2 inches between each one.

 

When you're done placing them, take a water glass, smear olive oil on the bottom and press each cooking ball gently to form circles. 

Bake for about 13 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Let them sit for a few minutes, then use a thin spatula to remove and place on a rack to cool and get crunchy.

They have exactly the citrus savor taste I was looking for with just a tiny reminder of Olive Oil Tortas from Seville, Spain.

Monday January 9, 2012 - I brought some to work, just to see if they were as good as I thought.  Notice that I'm speaking in the past tense.  Everyone love them and came back for seconds and thirds! YAY!

Blackened Shrimp and Arugula Salad

   Ingredients:                                                                Difficulty Rating - Easy

• 8 shrimp per person
• Blackening seasoning - I only use Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish seasoning.  I used to make my own, but this is really good.
• Arugula
• Tomatoes
• Mushrooms - sliced
• Carrots - sliced thin
• Clementine (optional)
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Cayenne to taste
• White wine vinegar
• Olive oil in a sprayer

I buy size 26-30. That's how many shrimp you get per pound. Peel and devein them. Note that if you buy frozen shrimp, buy them raw and deveined.  And don't run them under water.  Either defrost them in the refrigerator or defrost them on low power in the microwave for a very short time, toss them around and defrost again for a very short time if necessary.  Don't defrost all the way.

Rinse the arugula and either spin dry or dry with paper towels.  Don't believe them when your packaged arugula says prewashed. Clean it!
Clean and dry the mushrooms.  I usually use a wet paper towel to clean off the mushrooms so they don't get too wet.
Slice the tomatoes
Spread the arugula on a plate. 
Sprinkle the veggies on the arugula. 
And, if you feel like it, add some clementine sections.  They're delicious right now and they really add some sparkle to your salad.
Use your misto to spray some olive oil on the salad and just a small amount of a light white wine vinegar.  Sprinkle some Kosher Salt and cayenne

Spray some oil on the griddle or use about 1 teaspoon oil.  Put the griddle on a medium to high heat. 

Put the shrimp in a plate or bowl.  Sprinkle some of the Blackening Seasoning on the shrimp. Toss the shrimp to coat it with the seasoning.  When the griddle is not put the shrimp on and make sure they aren't touching so they can cook evenly. 

Cook side 1 for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Turn them and cook for about 45 seconds to 1 minute.  DON'T OVER COOK THE SHRIMP!  Why do so many people over cook shrimp? 

Place the shrimp on the salad plate. Beautiful.  Delicious.

Sweet and Smokey Grilled Salmon and Portobello Salad

Ingredients:                                        

• Veri, veri Teriyaki
• Salmon fillet - 1/4 lb per person
• Portobello mushroom - 1 per person
• Olive oil (I prefer the spray)
• Red Leaf or Boston Lettuce - a handful per person
• Tomato - try a Kumato, brown tomato - about 1/2 per person
• White wine vinegar
• Chipotle pepper

Preparation:

Tear the lettuce and rinse well                                

Dry using a salad spinner or spread it on

   paper towels to make sure it is dry.

Spread it on a large plate or bowl.

Wash and cut tomatoes
 

 

Spray the grill with olive oil or use 1 teaspoon of oil and spread around the grill

Heat a grill on the stove over medium heat

Rinse the portobello and clean with a vegetable brush - dry with a paper towel

Cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick

Drizzle some Veri, Veri Teriyaki over the slices - use your hands to rub it all over the mushrooms.

Place the slices on the hot grill so they don't touch each other.



Add the salmon on the grill, skin side down for about 1 minute

Remove it from the grill.

Use a knife to scrape the skin off the salmon.  It should slip right off.



Scraping the skin off the salmon

If you are making a lunch or dinner salad for one, you can add the salmon after one side of the portobellos are cooked - they should be slightly browned.  If you are making a larger salad, turn cook the portobellos first.



Add the salmon and cook for no more than 2 minutes per side so it will be rare inside. There should be some grill marks on the salmon when you turn it.



Grill Salmon and Portobello Mushrooms

Cook for about 2 minutes on the other side and remove from heat.

Place the portobello slices next to each other on top of the lettuce and place the salmon on top of the mushroom slices to the mushrooms show around the salmon.

Place the tomatoes around the outside of the salmon and mushrooms.

Sprinkle with White Wine Vinegar and Kosher Salt

Add a dash of Chipotle - not too much, salmon is delicate and you don't want it overly smokey

Before you serve the salad, toss it so all the flavors mix.