Scallops over Brussels Sprout and Oyster Mushroom Salad

The last time I bought yellow oyster mushrooms I put them in a stir fry and pretty much killed them, they are so delicate that any bit of movement snaps them in half and hides any flavor that they may be coveting...when I was at the farmers market I asked the fungi guy the best way to prepare these and he said that they are great raw (I frowned because I hate raw mushrooms) but also that he liked to prepare them like ceviche...I thought I would give that idea a try, and I am glad I did!

Raw Brussels Sprout Mushroom Salad

what you need:

brussels sprouts

oyster mushrooms (i used yellow)

sweet pepper 

S&P

Dressing:

1T Olive oil

1tsp Honey

1T Lemon juice

Step 1: Slice the brussels sprouts with a mandolin or with a sharp knife.

Step 2: chop the sweet pepper and simply cut mushrooms off of their base.

Step 3: Mix dressing ingredients and toss with salad, put aside for it to marinate.

Scallops

Step 0: Prep Scallops by rinsing and patting completely dry, dust with S&P on both sides.

Step 1: Heat butter in a saute pan, once the butter is light brown in color add scallops on med. to high heat for about 1-2 min. (or until brown and not sticking too much) flip and cook for about 30 sec. remove from direct heat and allow to cook another 30 sec. remove and place on a paper towel. 

Plating:

Add marinated salad, and place seared scallops on top, dress with a mixture of the same dressing mixture as above with some added herbs.

Cauliflower, Broccoli, leek and Fava bean Salad

Luke, I am your Fava, where have you bean?!

Fava beans....always scared the hell out of me. Not that their disgusting or hard to cook, it's just that I didn't really grow up on them and to be honest (whats the point in lying about a damn pea looking bean thing) have only had them a few times in my life.

so this is a fly by the seat of my pants, quick salad that I think ruled!

what you need:

broccoli

cauliflower

leek

fava beans

lemon juice

EVOO

red pepper flakes

S&P

Step 1: blanch un-peeled fava beans till outer layer startes to turn a light color, pull out of water and put in a ice bath. Repeat with the broccoli and cauliflower (blanch till they are tender). 

Step 2: add a bit of EVOO into a pan and saute chopped leeks till they are soft.

Step 3: de-shell fava beans and add to the saute pan with the leeks, cooking for only a few moments.

Step 4: in a bowl add leeks and fava, then add broccoli and cauliflower (make sure to cut into bit sized pieces if you haven't already done so, otherwise it could be awkward).

Step 5: make the vinaigrette by adding 1:1 ratio of EVOO and lemon into the same pan you used to saute the leeks in- to that add the seasoning and whisk together, the residual heat from the pan is all you need, no need to return it to heat. Once vinaigrette is emulsified add to salad and give a toss! 

sorry for lack of photos, I have some how misplaced my memory card in the heat of the moment......iphone will have to suffice fava the time bean.....

Housemade Barbecue Chicken

When there is a sunny day in the middle of gloom most people in San Francisco freak out, drink a bunch and have BBQs....well cheers to that! Although the weather doesn't last long I can still eat the hot weather food that I love...Here is my Barbecued chicken recipe-

The Sauce!

2 T. EVOO

2 Cloves Garlic grated

1/4 C. Molasses

1 C. Sugar free ketchup or tomato sauce

1/2 t. Sriracha

1/2 T. Agave nectar 

3-4 T. Apple Cider Vinegar (add more or less depending on thickness and taste)

pinch of the following:

cayenne pepper
cumin

red pepper flakes
s&p

Step 1: add EVOO and garlic into a cold sauce pan, heat slowly until garlic has almost melted into oil, keep on low. 

Step 2: stir in molasses and ketchup (wait to add more of either after sauce has cooked down a bit, the flavor always changes)

Step 3: add in the rest of ingredients and simmer for 30min. adjust flavors to your desired taste...

The Chicken!

Wash and pat dry desired chicken parts ( I prefer bone in skin on thighs and legs). Cover with S&P and place in Big bowl.

Drizzle with BBQ Sauce and allow to marinade.

Put chicken on hot grill till internal temp is about 155˚ remove and allow to rest. Inside temp will rise to 160˚ at that point.

Eat!

*no final photo, due to starvation and enjoying my food hot!

King Trumpet and his merry friend Spaghetti!

When I hear the name king trumpet mushrooms I have flashbacks to this weird place in San Diego, but unlike waffles with a crown these are actually very meatie fungus sans crown...confusing? Not really, I am just typing for typing sake...anyways here is what I did with some majestic King Trumpets last night...I thought it was pretty damn good!

What you need:

1/2 lb. King Trumpet Mushrooms

2 Tlbs EVOO

2 Tlbs Butter

1 Shallot chopped

1 Stalk green garlic or 3 cloves garlic chopped

fresh oregano, parsley and thyme roughly chopped

a splash of lemon

enough pasta for 2 or 1 really hungry person (any strand pasta would be fine)

Step 0: boil a pot of water give it a bunch of salt

Step 1: in a large saute pan add EVOO, and toss in shallots cook till tender.

Step 2: add in garlic, butter and a pinch of salt- saute till lightly brown NOT BURNT!

Step 2.5: put pasta in rapidly boiling water, cook till just above al dente

Step 3: toss in mushrooms (if they are long and thick, slice down the center, smaller ones leave whole) cook for 5-7min. until lightly brown, reduce heat.

Step 4: you will notice the mushrooms sucking in all the moisture from the pan, at this point add your lemon juice and rough chopped herbs. (you can also de-glaze with a bit of white wine if you have some, I didn't so that's why I am not including it).

when pasta is ready...don't drain!

Step 5: bring pan heat back and add pasta straight from pot to pan with mushrooms, toss lightly, then grab 1 C. of pasta water and gradually add to the Mushroom/pasta pan,  at first it should be absorbing quickly if not the pan is too low, toss pasta gently and allow to cook for a few moments- add more liquid if you prefer more of a sauce-add S&P to taste and red peppers if you like a bit of punch.

Step 6: Place pasta in a bowl and sprinkle with Parm.

delish!

Pom Prawns

Now this was meant to be a Pom Shrimp cocktail, however when culinary disasters happen you have to roll with them and usually something wayyyyyy better happens, hence Pom Prawns.

These little guys are spicy and savory and I guarantee I will be making them again and again and again. At BBQs,  funerals, other peoples kids things...pretty much anytime I get invited anywhere I might just make these.....hope you guys like them just as much as I did, and if not, more for me!

what you need:

1 lb. farmed sustainable prawns, 
de-shelled leaving the tail and cleared of veins, you know what I mean.

1 C. Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 T horseradish

1-2 T Sriracha

1/2 T Molasses

pinch cayenne

squeeze of lemon juice

S&P

1 T Butter

Bamboo Skewers

Step 1: Melt Butter and add garlic to sauce pan, once soft add Pom juice, then let the juice reduce (yes I think its about time for rhythms) 

Step 2: Add in Sriracha and molasses bring to boil, add in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 min. whisking till it's somewhat thick, taste- adjust spice to how weak or strong your friends are. Remove from heat and let cool.

keep tasting a season accordingly, I think it spicy...

Step 3: Soak Bamboo skewer for a few moments so that way the tips wont burn when you grill them. Stab (in a gingerly manner) 3 shrimp per skewer. If you are magical like me you might end up with the exact amount of shrimp for your sticks. Lay them flat in a dish and cover with half the amount of sauce (reserve the other half for dipping later), cover and place in the fridge till you beckon them for cooking. 

if you make these in advanced which I recommend (strongly) make sure to rotate them ever so often.

Step 4: Grill, either on a BBQ, in a broiler or on a cast-iron grill pan, about 2 min. per side- make sure what ever you are grilling on has been brushed with EVOO and is very hott!

I clipped one end of the skewer to make them a little less dangerous to my friends.

Step 5: Plate and serve, eat up!

Check out my POM Wonderful dinner party here!

Deux Cheese and Green Quiche!

I was having a hankering for quiche last night, and figured what the hell, why don't I try and make my own. Never done it before but how hard can it be? I looked online for recipe after recipe and in every cookbook I own, everyone has their different take on it. One thing I did realize that cream is usually used and anywhere from 2-4 eggs. Since I wanted the richness of cream but not cream I used whole milk and a few dollops of goat cheese to thicken it up. I got a pretty clear consensus that my quiche kicked some major taste bud butt! 

Crust! Prepare a pie crust before you start this, here is my recipe it's pretty simple and the steps can be done while you are sautéing and custarding. Remember you will want to par bake your crust at 400˚ for about 10 min. and let it cool before adding the filling. You can cheat and use a box, but essentially making one from scratch will be about the same amount of time, and you will be putting less unknown ingredients into your body.

What you need for the filling:

1 1/2 C. Whole Milk

Bunch of Spinach

Bunch of Kale or other Green

1 Leek

Pepper

Mushrooms

3 Large Eggs or 4 small

1 Tomato

1 Clove Garlic

1 oz. Goat Cheese

1/2 C. Cheddar (or cheese of choice)

S&P

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

mixed fresh herbs of choice (parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage)

EVOO

Step 0: Pre-heat oven to 375˚ and start your pie crust.

Step 1: Chop and rinse Leeks and saute in 1 T EVOO, once they are soft add garlic. DON'T BURN!

Step 2: Add Chopped Mushrooms, peppers and greens (cut greens into thin ribbons and rinse well) to the saute pan a pinch of S&P, cook till all of the excess water is out. In the meantime start the custard.

Step 3: The Custard! Gently whisk Eggs, then lightly mix together Goat Cheese, Milk and Herbs S&P and Nutmeg.

Step 4: Building! On a cooled Pie Crust sprinkle some shredded cheese on the bottom, then add sauteed green mixture, more cheese and then the custard. 

crust, cheese, greens, cheese

custard on top

Step 5: Put in oven for 30 min. when the quiche is at the 20min. mark remove and place sliced tomatoes on top, sprinkle with pepper. Put back in oven for the remaining time or until it is brown and firm to the touch.

out of the oven par cooked

par cooked with tomatoes

Step 6: Remove from oven and cool, slice and serve with a salad to someone you love!

cooling

ready to eat!

 and for your listening enjoyment my favorite song about Quiche!

Salmon in a pouch over sauteed green beans with almonds

For me cooking sea food is a big deal now, I used to get whatever pink salmon was at the grocery store, but after research and a human heart, I couldn't eat that 'fish' anymore. Now I make sure to only buy sustainable fish IE wild caught Alaskan King Salmon, yes it will normally run you about $20/lb. but it's worth it and a 4oz. is all you really need.

Personally I believe salmon has started to become like chicken, if you visit a chain restaurant you will know what I mean. Stay away...buy it on sale and freeze it! Here is the Monterey Bay Pocket Guide for Seafood to help assist you with finding the best and most sustainable fish out there.

...Less of good protein is better than oodles of bad protein...words to live by...

Salmon is a Pouch

what you need:

(2) 4oz. wild caught alaskan salmon fillets (tail has less bone if you don't want to deal)

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 lemon zested, cut lemon into thin slices afterwards

Red Pepper julienned

fresh basil leaves

EVOO

S&P

Parchment paper

Step 0: cut parchment into 12" long pieces, set asides. Pre-heat oven to 350˚.

Step 1: Place parchment on a baking sheet and arrange peppers in the center of the parchment put a couple lemon slices on top of peppers.

Step 2: Rinse and pat dry salmon, Place on top of peppers. Liberally sprinkle Salmon with Salt and Pepper, lemon zest, grated garlic and basil leaves. Drizzle a bit of lemon juice and EVOO (drizzle not douse) on top of the salmon.

Step 3: Fold pouches up. Use any technique that comes to mind, just remember you want to have easy access on checking it, making sure some steam can escape.

Step 4: Put in oven and cook for 15-20 min.

Tip: By cooking the salmon on top of the peppers it allows for all of the wonderful Omega 3 Fats to enter, you can do this with most fish and veggie combos.

Sauteed Green Beans

Green Beans

Butter or EVOO

Chopped Raw Almonds

Lemon Slices

Garlic

Step 0: Trim ends of Green Beans and break into 1" pieces.

Step 1: Heat Butter on low in a pan with lemon slices and garlic.

Step 2: Add Green Beans and crank the heat to med. once almost soft add chopped almonds and heat till they turn brown, season to taste.

Plate: Green Beans, Red Pepper and Salmon on top.Eat.

Drunk Chicken Smothered in Shrooms with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Recently I have found a love of Chardonnay, never really being a wine drinker (used to make me turn bright red) I have seemingly rediscovered it and its endless ways it makes me just that much happier at the end of a long work day....so if you love something so much wouldn't it make sense to add that love to your food? 

yes, my reasoning is good.

What you need:

Chicken Breasts (skinless)

1 Package Mushrooms

lots o' Garlic

Bunch Broccoli Rabe

1/2 Lemon for juice

1/2 C. White Wine (something you like)

1/2 C. Chicken Stock

EVOO 

Fresh Herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage)

S&P

Rice for carbs

Step 0: Slice mushrooms. Clean and pat your chicken dry. Coat both sides with Salt and Pepper. For best results use a kosher or sea salt.

Step 2: Put chicken in a preheated dry skillet, I prefer cast iron always (make sure you test the heat by putting a drop of water in the pan if it sizzles its ready, if not don't put anything in it yet). Cook till browned on each side, but not fully cooked (you can lower the heat a tad at this point).

Step 3: Remove chicken and set aside. 

Step 4: Pour enough wine in the pan to make it steam and bring up the bits of chicken debris from the pan. Add Mushrooms and 1T of EVOO. Salt and pepper and watch the mushrooms cook down.

   

Step 5: Once Mushrooms start to look small and shiny add about 1/2 C of wine and a pat of butter- bring to a boil.

Step 6: Once the pan starts looking dry gradually add about 1/2 C. stock to the mushrooms, it will start to look like a gravy. At this point add your chopped herbs to the mix.

what we are doing in non-technical terms is pumping the mushrooms full of wine slowly, essentially the mushrooms will taste like wine and not broth, the broth is for more of a sauce. if we did the liquids the other way around they would probably taste more like chicken. 

Step 7: Add the chicken back to the pan and pop in a 375˚ oven for about 25 min. Flipping the chicken a couple times to make sure it gets some of the brothy gravy inside of it.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

Step 1: add 1 T EVOO to saute pan and heat up, add the stems of the Broccoli Rabe and saute for about 1 min.

Step 2: throw in 2 cloves of chopped garlic to the saute pan. Remember you don't want to burn your garlic you want to slowly saute it so the flavor comes out into the oil..

Step 3: Once the stems and tender add the rest of the chopped broccoli leaves to the pan and half of a lemon's worth of juice. Saute till wilted. add some wine if your fancy.

Plate and eat!

 don't be fooled I did add rice to this but I hope you can figure that one out on your own.

Figgy Piggy

Or a stuffed goat in a pig blanket.

hmmmm....fruit, cheese and cured meat? The biggest fig hater would probably love it! It's salty, sweet and savory wrapped up into one little succulent bite!

What you need:

Figs

Goat Cheese

Prosciutto 

Step 1: Cut figs length wise

Step 2: smush a dollop of goat cheese in the center.

Step 3: fold back up and wrap the prosciutto every so gently around the outside.

Step 4: stuff in your mouth!