A fresh and easy salsa made with shrimp and lime juice.
Shrimp Salsa Dip
recipe and image courtesy of freerecipes.org
8 ounces salad shrimp (Maine shrimp would work great here!)
2 plum tomatoes (sliced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1/4 cup cilantro (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine together all ingredients in a large bowl. Let chill at least one hour, covered, in fridge.
Serves 1 dozen.
Lamb and herbs are a fantastic combination. This recipe crumbs the lamb cutlets in breadcrumbs and is served with asparagus.
Crumbed Lamb Cutlets with Asparagus
image and recipe courtesy of freerecipes.org
12 lamb cutlets
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 cup of plain all-purpose flour
¼ cup of olive oil
2 bunches of asparagus
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Beat the eggs lightly in a shallow bowl which is big enough to hold a lamb cutlet.
Use a different bowl to hold the breadcrumbs, and a third bowl to also hold the flour.
Start the process by rolling the lamb cutlets in the flour, one at a time, then dip them in the egg mixture before coating with breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the lamb cutlets for 3-5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
Place the lamb cutlets on an oven tray and bake for a further 20 minutes.
Use the same sauce pan to cook the asparagus for about 2 minutes. Add any remaining breadcrumbs which are leftover into the pan and cook for a couple more minutes, until the asparagus is a golden green color.
Serve the lamb cutlets alongside the asparagus on a serving plate. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Serves 6-8.
Sweet, tangy, and brightly colored, this salad brings spring to the plate! For the recipe for Spring Salad with Fennel and Orange, click the image below.
image and recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com
This easy-to-make side salad dish is the perfect compliment to yesterday’s entrée post — Japanese Salmon Over Linguine — also from Rebecca of the Foodie with Family blog. It is also good with all sorts of seafood, chicken and pork, or even stacked on sandwiches in place of pickles.
Click on the image below to get Rebecca’s recipe.
Recipe and image from Rebecca of the Foodie with Family blog
Rebecca of the Foodie with Family blog says that this is her husband’s absolute favorite dish, and we can certainly see why!
Get Rebecca’s fabulous recipe on her blog by clicking on the image below, and check our blog tomorrow to find the recipe for her husband’s favorite side dish, which compliments this meal oh-so-perfectly.
Recipe and image by Rebecca from the Foodie with Family blog
We wish all the moms out there are very Happy Mother’s Day! We hope you are able to kick back, relax, and feel the love and appreciation. Here’s a great cocktail from “Dr. Mixologist” to celebrate you! Click the image below for the recipe.
Mother’s Day Blackberry Champagne Cocktail image courtesy of drinkoftheweek.com, recipe courtesy of relish.com
I was cruising the news from 40 Paper’s website online recently and noticed they were offering a dish made with Nebrodini Bianco mushrooms. I’ve noticed them spelled Nebrodini and Nebronini. Not sure which is correct. One thing is for sure… they taste great! I need to get down to 40 Paper for a meal; I’ve never made it past their bar since the cocktails are so darn good. But evidently the kitchen has it going on too. And kudos to them for bringing forth a dish made with these lovely mushrooms.
These scrumptious mushrooms, the Pleurotus nebrodenis, come from the limestone rich mountains of northern Sicily. Once a staple of Italian kitchens, now they are a rare find. Until recently they were found only in the wild. I have recently learned that Oyster Creek Mushrooms is receiving cultivated Nebrodini mushrooms from an associate mushroom grower in Sebastopol, CA, called Gourmet. They are for sale in Maine through Oyster Creek Mushroom Farm, owner Candice Haydon told me in a recent phone interview, and will be appearing in her stall at the outdoor farm markets soon.
A part of the oyster mushroom family, these mushrooms are more tender than the oyster mushroom, delicately sweet, earthy yet tenderly robust. I have seen them fire-roasted with a bit of truffle salt to bring out the complexity of the mushroom.
I had not, however, considered them as a vegetarian main dish “en brodo” or “in broth”. Fazzoletti is the Italian word for handkerchief, and this hearty yet delicate meal in a bowl embodies all that I could ever dream of for a light yet lux dinner.
The recipe is from Philadelphia’s 10 Show, and it was brought to my attention by my city dwelling (but equally gourmet) sister from the Philadelphia area.
image courtesy of gourmetmushroomsinc.com
Nebrodini Mushroom Fazzoletti
Laura Cabot, Laura Cabot Catering, Waldoboro
1/2 pound Nebrodini mushrooms, or substitute King Oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
A few frozen peas and halved cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, cut into chiffonade
Slice mushrooms very thinly lengthwise. Pour half the oil into a hot sauté pan. Add the garlic and shallots. Sauté quickly but don’t brown.
Add the mushrooms and a bit of salt, sautéeing until browned. Add salt and fresh pepper to taste.
Add the wine to deglaze pan and reduce by half. Add the vegetable stock, peas, and tomatoes. Simmer all for a few minutes to marry the flavors.
Add the basil just before serving. Garnish with the remaining olive oil and serve.
With all this rain, the woods will soon be full of mushroom-y treats, so stay posted for some good foraged recipes from the kitchens of Laura Cabot Catering!
Is there anything that says spring better than the tangy taste of rhubarb? Here is a great waffle recipe featuring this favorite spring vegetable (that is most often treated as a fruit). Click on the image below for recipe details.
image and recipe courtesy of eatingwell.com
Moist and full of great flavor, try these turkey meatballs for a meal sure to please the entire family. Click on the image below for a link to the recipe.
image and recipe courtesy of simplyrecipes.com
These elegant, colorful sushi morsels serve as wonderful appetizers or as part of an Asian-themed meal. Nutty almond butter adds protein to the dish and complements the vibrant trio of asparagus, avocado and carrot, all swaddled in sticky sweet brown rice. A sushi mat is a must for rolling your own.
image: vegantickles.blogspot.com
Springtime Veggie Sushi with Almond Butter
wholefoodsmarket.com
Rice
2 cups sweet brown rice
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons brown rice vinegar
Sushi
2 carrots, julienned
4 asparagus spears, trimmed, halved lengthwise
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup almond butter
4 toasted nori sheets
1/2 cup shoyu
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Rinse and drain rice. Place rice, water and salt in a heavy pan with tight fitting lid, cover and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer (low) and cook for 50 minutes. After 50 minutes, remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 to 10 more minutes. Allow to cool. Mix cooled rice with brown rice vinegar.
In large pot with steamer basket, steam carrots and asparagus together for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Dampen sushi mat by running cool water over it. Place 1 nori sheet, shiny side down, on the mat. Spread 1 cup rice evenly over nori, leaving about 1 inch of the nori uncovered at the top and bottom. About 1 inch from the bottom of the rice closest to you, lay 1/4 of the sushi filling (carrot, asparagus, avocado and almond butter) lengthwise across the rice. Roll sushi tightly with firm pressure, tucking in filling as you roll into a cylinder. If your roll does not stick together, dip your fingers in water and wet nori seam. Moisten a knife blade and slice into eight pieces. Repeat for remaining 3 nori sheets.
Bring shoyu to a boil in small pot and reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into a small serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve alongside sushi for dipping.
Serves 6-8.
Fiddlehead greens are here! Be sure to enjoy them now during their short Maine season. Available at Farmers’ Markets and some mainstream grocery stores, fiddleheads are a great addition to a variety of recipes. The following recipe for Fiddlehead Shrimp Scampi is a delightful way to incorporate these springtime offerings. Click the image below for full details.
image courtesy of closetcooking.com
A delicate beef tenderloin with an aromatic red wine sauce is the perfect dish for a special night. Tender beef is marinated in a red wine and marjoram marinade before being browned and roasted. The marinade becomes a succulent and delicate sauce served over the tenderloin for a perfectly balanced and memorable meal.
image: Noel Barnhurst
Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
beefrecipes.us
3 pounds beef tenderloin
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups red table wine
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups beef stock
Trim fat from beef tenderloin. Fold under 3 inches of small end and tie with string at 2 inch intervals to maintain shape.
In large ziplock bag combine wine, marjoram, salt, pepper, 4 cloves minced garlic, and beef stock. Add beef, seal, and refrigerate for 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400°. In large dutch oven brown meat in olive oil until browned on all sides. Reserve marinade and set aside.
Transfer to a cooking rack in a roasting pan. Cook until meat thermometer registers between 140° and 160°. Remove to serving plate and cover with foil for 10 minutes before removing string and slicing.
Combine 1/4 cup marinade and cornstarch. Set aside.
Bring remaining marinade to a boil in dutch oven and cook 2 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Serve with tenderloin.
Serves 6.
Back in my “retro-Philly” days, I was a suburban teenager from New Jersey living with my Aunt Shirley and Uncle Dan Gayda in their welcoming household for a summer. I’d been exiled from Cherry Hill, NJ, after a family dust up to my Aunt’s home. She lived in Northeast Philadelphia on Rhawn Street, near the park. It was the location of many good times centered around the kitchen table all of my life….good food, drink, and lively family discussion. So different from the track housing and family dynamics of where I’d been raised. This was a new land for me at my father’s sister’s home. Philadelphia in the 1970s was full of neighborhoods with European ways. And cold cuts.
The Gayda refrigerator was an adventure; you’d never know what was in there from cousin Ellen’s seaweed and tofu to Freddy’s beer, Shirley’s cabbage rolls, or Uncle Dan’s headcheese and sliced tongue. The headcheese really interested me. Clearly it wasn’t cheese, it was a strange mosaic of jellied mystery meat and flecks of God knows what. I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. But my Uncle Dan loved it and now I understand why.
There is a renewed interest amongst young chefs in charcuterie and terrines, skulls, feet, cheeks and jowls, offal, and other “nasty bits” of an animal, as Tony Bourdain might say. Called by different names in different countries, Head Cheese or Souse is beloved in the world of PA Dutch cookery, throughout Europe, in Cajun country, and in the Carribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where it is usually served pickled and is ever present at social gatherings. Who knew?
If you don’t have the stomach for skull and foot boiling, this old fashioned lunch meat masterpiece can be fashioned out of high quality trimmings from pork and veal. The foot is really handy if you can get one from your butcher, since it contains more gelatin than any other body part. Sometimes additional aspic is required anyway to make the Headcheese set up properly. Here is a very simple recipe, provided that you have access to a hog’s head. Recipes differ widely, some calling for the heart and tongue as well.
image: hungrynative.com
Hog’s Head Cheese
Laura Cabot, Laura Cabot Catering, Waldoboro
1 hog’s head
1 large chopped onion
A blade of mace
3 large cloves of garlic
1 stalk sage
1 1/2 Tablespoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 large peeled carrot
1 cup cider vinegar
Dash of red pepper flakes and black pepper
Some chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Remove the brains, ears, and eyes from the hog’s head and saw into four pieces (or ask your butcher to do so).
Barely cover with cold water and bring to a boil in a large pot.
Add onion, mace, and garlic, sage, salt, and bay leaves. Continue to simmer until the meat is falling off the bones. Let it cool.
When cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and any skin.
Add apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and a bit more salt to taste to the meat and vegetables.
Run these through a processor until coarsely chopped or chop by hand for a chunkier look. I like the look of larger pieces of meat and vegetables.
Hang in cheesecloth and let the meat mixture drip for an hour, then refrigerate overnight, covered in a shallow pan. Slice and enjoy with cornishon and mustard on a cracker or piece of hearty rye.
Looking for a uniquely delicious dessert? Try this homemade cinnamon ice cream! Break out the ice cream maker and click on the image below for instructions. Don’t have an ice cream maker? No worries, there is a link at the end of the recipe for instructions on ice cream making without a machine. Sweet!
image and recipe courtesy of simplyrecipes.com
Here are more recipes for Cinco de Mayo courtesy of abullseyeview.com. Click on the image below for a link to the full festival menu. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
image by Chris New
Add some great taste to your Cinco de Mayo festivities with these recipes for salsa verde and guacamole from goodlifeeats.com. Click on the image below for complete instructions.
Because of their larger size and firmer texture, portobello mushrooms are good candidates for stuffing or grilling. They have a satisfying taste and texture with virtually no fat or sodium.
Ginger-Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
mayoclinic.com
4 large portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, peeled
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth and remove their stems. Place in a glass dish, stemless (gill) side up.
To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, pineapple juice, and ginger. Drizzle the marinade over the mushrooms. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, turning mushrooms once.
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
Grill or broil the mushrooms on medium heat, turning often, until tender, about 5 minutes on each side. Baste with marinade to keep from drying out. Using tongs, transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
A delicious and healthy pork tenderloin dinner with savory shallots and tart cherries that the whole family can enjoy.
Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce
momswhothink.com
1 (1¼ pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat and silverskin, then cut into ½-inch-thick medallions
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped shallot
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup dried tart cherries
Season the pork medallions with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat and cook the meat until there is just a slight blush in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a plate and tent with aluminum foil.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and the shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add the broth, vinegar, and the remaining ¼ teaspoons salt, and the cherries, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Taste and correct the seasonings with salt and pepper, if necessary. Pour the sauce over the pork medallions and serve.
Serves 4.
Pulled beef brisket tacos flavored with jicama, habanero, charred onions, and an unexpected sweet crunch—pomegranate seeds— a creation by Chef Jonathan Waxman. Click on the image below to learn how to make them!
photo by Chris New
When President Barack Obama made tuna salad with his family on “60 Minutes”, he used this recipe, specifying troll-caught albacore.
image: Kelly Cline
President Barack Obama’s Tuna Salad Recipe
nibble.com
2 6-ounce cans of U.S. troll-caught albacore
2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tablespoon of sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste
8 slices of bread
Lettuce and tomato slices to serve
Use local, organic ingredients where possible
Mix all but the last two ingredients together to make tuna salad. Assemble sandwiches with lettuce and tomato.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
More serving ideas: Albacore tuna goes particularly well with lemon, red bell peppers, tomatoes, beans, capers, olives, anchovies, onion, eggs, avocado and hard cheese.
