Lemon Ricotta Pasta

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb pasta
• zest from 1 meyer lemon (2 if small)
• juice from half a meyer lemon
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup cooked veggies (spinach or sweet peas or sliced asparagus, etc)
• salt/black pepper
• olive oil
• red chili flakes
• optional protein: grilled chicken, pan fried salmon, etc

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta 1-2 min less than instructions in big pot of boiling salted water.
2. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, zest, juice, 1 tsp salt, some black pepper
3. Reserve some pasta water. Drain pasta. Put pasta back in pot. Add ricotta mixture.
4. On low heat, mix in sauce to evenly coat pasta, slowly adding in reserved pasta water to thin it out a bit to preferred consistency.
5. Mix in veggies and olive oil.
6. Serve and top with protein and or red chili flakes and or extra grated parmesan.

Brazilian Shrimp Stew

super fast. super easy. super GOOD.

and how do i make myself feel better about spending valentine’s day studying?

well how do i make myself feel better about ANYThing…

it’s all the sugar and spice i need in my life, really. (that sounds more pathetic than i intended.)

speaking of sugar and spice, i love the coconut-y sweetness and the spicy kick of chili and poblano in this recipe. LOVE it.

adapted from food and wine

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium small poblano chili
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic.
• 3/4 lb shrimp (i like shells on. imparts more flavor into the stew)
• 3/4 cup hulled barley, soaked overnight
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (freeze the rest! it’s ok. i promise.)
• 1-2 cups beef broth*
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes
• cilantro
• juice from 1/2 lime

* or fish stock, chicken broth…what have you. i just happened to have left over beef broth. i do want to try adding some clam juice in the future.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. roast poblano a few min each side until skin blisters. (on a grill, in the broiler/broil setting of your toaster oven, however you like.) peel off skin and dice.
2. in a 3.5 qt dutch oven, saute onion in a pat of butter over medium high heat until just soft. ~3 min.
3. add poblanos and garlic. saute ~ 2 min.
4. add barley and toast 1 min.
5. add tomatoes and cook until barley softens.
6. add broth. bring to a low boil.
7. reduce heat. add coconut milk+ lime juice . salt to taste. (optional: i rinse out my coconut milk can with about 1/2 can of water)
8. bring to a simmer. add shrimp. cover for ~ 3-5 min until cooked through.
9. top with cilantro and serve.

Pan Seared Scallops in an herb butter white wine reduction + Hazelnut Haricot Verts

i kind of made this up as i went so i dont remember exactly how i did it….

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-7 dry packed scallops
• butter
• olive oil
• parsley
• hericot verts
• shallots, minced
• hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. blanch haricot verts 3 min, and submerge in ice bath. drain and set aside.
2. pat scallops dry (creates better crust when not wet)
3. heat 1 part butter 1 part olive oil in pan until just smoking hot.
4. place scallops in pan, in batches to avoid crowding. now don’t touch!
5. season with salt/pepper.
6. sear for ~2 -3 min undisturbed until a golden crust forms on the bottom.
7. flip and sear 2-3 more min. should be slightly bouncy in the centers when you gently press down on them. *
8. remove from heat and set aside.
9. return pan and heat on medium.
10. add a bit more butter, saute shallots until soft ~ 1 min
11. add white wine and reduce a couple of minutes. (i think i also added some chicken stock for more flavor..)
12. add a bit more butter until sauce thickens.
13. salt to taste.
14. add hericot verts and toss until warmed through.
15. plate hericot verts next to scallops and spoon remaining sauce over scallops.
16. top scallops with parsley and verts with crushed hazelnuts.
17. serve!

*note: better to undercook scallops than overcook! keep in mind they will continue to cook through after plating.

oh and a word of caution. i always manage to set off the smoke detector when i make scallops. it creates a lot of smoke. so open your windows and close your bedroom doors!

Salmon Bocadillo + Tostones

my impromptu lunch. thank goodness for Fiesta supermarkets in the great state of Tejas. not even whole food carries plaintains here. what’s up with that, whole foods? you’re from austin, tx. get with the program.

anyway. had to get rid of my left over steelhead trout from last night.

inspired by Japanero’s salmon pepito entrée. although all i remember about that sandwich is the yummy tostones it came with… oh well. best part anyway

PS: using tony charchere’s cajun seasoning and store bought guac really cuts down on prep time. important when i’m starving and just got out of a two hour pharmacology class…

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• steelhead trout or salmon, skins removed
• 2 bolillos/small french bread
• red onion
• tomatoes
• spinach or other greens
• guacamole
• cajun seasoning
• plaintain

INSTRUCTIONS: (super easy!)

sandwich:

1. season and pan fry/broil/bake your fish
2. slice onion and tomatoes
3. cut bread in half
4. layer on spinach, fish, onions, tomatoes, then spread guac on other half.

tostones:

1. heat vegetable oil in frying pan. enough to just cover the bottom. oil should be shimmery and less viscous than when cold, but not quite smoking.
2. slice plaintains in 1-1.5 inch thick discs.
3. fry, both sides, until golden brown.
4. remove from oil and flatten with butcher knife or flat plate.
5. return to hot oil and fry again on both sides until golden.
6. place on rack to drain. serve with extra guac.

close up shot! mmm… guacamole…

Sage Butter Trout w/ Pumpkin Risotto

i’ve had a container of kobacha squash in my freezer since october. taking advantage of the recent cold weather to use it. it’ll be warm again before you know it! and by that i mean uh, February.

or next week. hard to tell sometimes in this city.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2, w extra risotto to spare)

trout:

• ~1/2 lb steelhead trout
• 1 tbs butter
• fresh sage
• truffle salt

risotto:

• 1 cup arborio rice
• handful of crimini mushrooms
• 1-2 handfuls of spinach, stems removed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup pumpkin, cooked and pureed (other squash varieties work as well)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 glass white wine
• cheese, grated. i used a hard gouda
• nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

risotto:

1. heat pan on high. add tbs olive oil. fry garlic until fragrant. add and saute mushrooms until soft. remove from heat.
2. in a small saucepan (i used the same saucepan to saute the mushrooms), heat chicken stock. reduce heat and keep on simmer.
3. toast rice in dutch oven over medium heat
4. spoon in a ladle of chicken stock. stir.
5. once liquid is mostly absorbed, ladle in more stock. repeat. stirring constantly.
6. taste rice. once it is a little harder than al dente, add mushrooms, pumpkin puree, and spinach. stir and add more chicken stock if needed to thin it out. sprinkle in a pinch or two of nutmeg. salt to taste.
7. add white wine. stir and let rice absorb excess liquid. cover and set aside while preparing trout

trout:

1. in a large frying pan, heat olive oil on high.
2. salt and pepper trout on both sides.
3. reduce heat to medium high. place trout in pan, skin side down. ~5 min until fish is cooked about half way up from the bottom.
4. flip and continue frying ~3 min.
5. add butter to pan, along with sage leaves. coat fish in sage butter. remove from heat.
6. throw away sage leaves and plate trout over risotto, skin side up. sprinkle on a pinch of truffle salt. top with fresh sage leaves for garnish.

my sage leaves were also dug out from the back of my freezer. hopefully that helps explain why they are a lovely shade of ashy grey. (:

Shrimp and Peanut Red Curry

first day in clinic today. huzzah.  exhausted. and still jet lagged. so after a long day and a crappy, rainy, traffic-y drive home,  i sought solace in the only way i knew how. after a three week long hiatus from the kitchen, i re-entered my sanctuary, apron donned and butcher knife in hand, and made dinner.

probably not the most creative concoction i’ve made. but my fall back im-hungry-and-want-to-eat-now-but-refuse-to-eat-out-of-a-box meal seems to be curry.

I considered garnishing with cilantro. if only for that pop of color. but this was simply a quick weeknight meal at home. and i do not like cilantro. so aesthetics be damned.

two essential ingredients:

1. peanut butter – compliments the coconut milk and adds a touch of sweetness to contrast the spiciness
2. lime  – acidity cuts the heaviness of the rest of the dish

here goes!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb shrimp, shells on
• 1 medium small potato, cubed
• 1 medium small onion, large dice
• 2 heaping tbs red curry paste
• 1 tbs peanut butter
• 1 14oz can coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 lime

INSTRUCTIONS

1. make rice. (wash and soak rice for at least 30 min before cooking.)
2. dice potatoes into medium sized cubes and dice onions to a similar size.
3. heat coconut milk in dutch oven on medium low heat. bring to a simmer.
4. add curry paste and peanut butter and stir slowly until evenly homogenized.
5. dissolve corn starch in a small bowl with some water or chicken broth, incorporate into curry.
6. turn heat up to a low boil, add potatoes. cover and cook potatoes until no longer crunchy but still firm (your fork should be met with some resistance).  at no point should a rolling boil develop. ~15 min, depending on level of simmer. just fork test it!
7. add diced onions. cover and simmer ~10 min until just softened.
8. bring heat up to medium low boil. add shrimp. cover and cook 5-10 min until no longer translucent.
9. adjust taste. some salt will probably be necessary. if too spicy and or salty, add more peanut butter. if too thick, dilute with water.
10. optional:  remove shells from shrimp before serving. if you have a cheese cloth, i’d remove shells at the beginning, wrap them in cloth and toss the bundle into the pot before you add potatoes, then remove just before serving.
11. squeeze in juice of one lime.
12. remove from heat and serve with rice and extra lime wedges

Shrimp and Edamame Stir Fry: 毛豆蝦仁!

my first attempt at recreating my favorite thing to order at chinese restaurants 😀

nothing like a good protein packed meal after a hard work out. GRRR. (<– that’s me making tough sounds. scary, no?)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined.
• ~ 10oz shelled frozen edamame
• 2 tbs rice wine
• 2 tbs corn starch
• garlic salt
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1-2 stalks of green onion

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. dissolve ~ 1/2 tbs corn starch and a pinch of salt in rice wine. toss and mix shrimp.
2. in a small sauce pot, boil water.
3. heat wok. add tbs of oil. stir fry shrimp until no longer translucent (~5 min). don’t cook all the way! overcooked shrimp = crap. remove from heat into bowl you marinated it in.
4. when water boils, cook edamame as per instructions (2-3 min)
5. dissolve rest of corn starch in a small bowl with chicken broth. set aside.
6. drain edamame. add to wok. dump in shrimp.
7. pour in broth. mix until sauce thickens. (2 min) season with garlic salt to taste.
8. toss in green onions.
9. remove from heat and serve.

Snow Pea and Scallop Stir Fry

I love how quick and easy stir frys are. It’s a lazy person’s dream, really. (Or, as I like to tell myself, not lazy, just busy.)

You can prep all your ingredients way ahead of time, and the actual cooking takes about 5 min. No wonder the majority of my contribution in the kitchen growing up was chopping vegetables for my mother . It’s 75% of the work! I always asked her when she was gonna teach me how to cook for REAL. It’s been almost 20 years and I’ve finally learned: If you cant work a knife, don’t bother at the stove.

Yea whatever. I’ve served my time. I had Steph to julienne my veggies for me today.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 carrot
• 1/4 lb mini scallops
• a handful of snow peas
• garlic salt (i was too lazy to mince garlic)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth/water
• 1 tsp garlic chili sauce
• 2 tbs rice wine
• 1/2 tbs cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. julienne carrots and snow peas.
2. rinse scallops, dry off with paper towels
3. dissolve cornstarch in rice wine and coat scallops evenly
4. heat oil in wok on high, quickly saute scallops and remove from heat (don’t cook all the way through.)
5. add veggies, garlic salt, just a BIT of broth for some moisture and saute 2 min.
6. reintroduce scallops to wok and stir in chili sauce.
7. remove from heat and serve!

lunch for tomorrow? done.

easy pea-sy.

Steamed Mussels in White Wine

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lb of mussels (blue bay or cultured)
• butter
• 2 shallots
• 1 large roma tomato
• 4 cloves of garlic
• parsley (dry for seasoning, fresh for garnish)
• half and half (optional)
• chicken stock (optional)
• 2+ cups crisp white wine (sauvignon blanc. get big bottle. drink the rest.)

PREP:

1. clean mussels, pulling off beards, scrubbing surface, and submerge in icy water for 20+ min.
2. mince shallots and garlic. set aside.
3. chop tomatoes finely. set aside.
4. chill wine glasses in freezer.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add a pat of butter or coconut oil. Saute shallots and garlic with plenty of salt.
2. Add tomatoes and saute until soft.
3. pour in wine and bring to a boil. (not much liquid is needed. volume will increase when mussels release their juices). Can add a bit of chicken stock here if you want it soupier. Optional.
4. dump in mussels and cover. med heat, 3-5 min or until mussels open.
5. remove from heat immediately. Taste broth and salt if needed.
6. option 1: spoon out mussels only. remove 10 or so mussels from shell, add to liquid, puree to thicken.
7. option 2: slowly add half and half to thicken sauce.
8. plate and garnish with parsley. serve with crusty bread and drink the remainder of the sauvignon blanc.

Pan Seared Trout with Spicy Lime and Chive Creamed Corn

Success! pic came out rather ugly due to crap-tacular lighting at my apartment, iphone camera limitations, and my growling stomach yelling at me to hurry the frack up. adapted from the spinning plate

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 lime
• fresh chives
• 2 corn on the cob
• butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• tony chachere’s creole seasoning
• 1 filet rainbow trout
• salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. cut each corn on cob in half. place smooth side down, remove kernels vertically.
2. use back of knife or edge of spoon to “milk” the cob, scraping downwards.
3. in a small bowl/cup, mix ~1 tbs lime zest. 1/4 cup of cream. 1 tsp sugar. and ~ 1 tbs of lime juice.
4. finely chop several stalks of chives. set aside. (1-2 tbs)
5. melt a generous pat of butter in a small sauce pan, add corn and pulp. reduce heat to med-low. season with tony charchere’s to taste. cook 10 min until corn sizzles and pops.
6. meanwhile, prepare room temperature filet by rubbing dry with paper towels then seasoning both sides generously with kosher salt and pepper.
7. heat skillet/non stick pan on high. add oil to thoroughly coat bottom.
8. when oil smokes, place filet in skin side down (always presentation side down first). ~4 min on high heat, or until fish is cooked 3/4th of the way up. do not move! (if tail of filet is thinner than body, use deeper pan and have tail flush against the side.)
9. raise heat of corn to medium and add in cream mixture. mix, add more cream to consistency of preference. remove from heat, mix in chopped chives.
10. flip filet. finish searing for 1-2 min.
11. spoon creamed corn in plate. top with trout. garnish with lime slices.
12. EAT.