The Fumbling Foodie

Zucchini Salad With Fresh Herbs

I've finally found a zucchini dish that my Sweet Lady Wife actually likes. (sound of little happy dance.)

Stroll right now on over to Amazon.com and buy a copy of La Tartine Gormande by Beatrice Peltre. I've been following her blog for a long time but acquired her cookbook only a few days ago.

Her cookbook is full of recipes that are easy to make, delicious, and beautiful. Oeufs en Cocette, for example, looks too beautiful to eat.

You may be looking at the photo and saying to yourself, "I don't have a mandoline." I have good news for you. Kyocera makes a nice julienne slicer for about $25. I have one and I used it to julienne these zucchinis. It works every bit as well as a $300 mandoline.

Making this was as easy as julienning the zucchini, tossing with the niniagrette, and sprinking on some fresh herbs. (I used parsley and mint).

I'm not going to give away the whole recipe tough. I want you to buy Beatrice's book. 

Madeleines

It's things like this that remind me why my favorite cuisine is French.

Madeleines are small shell-shaped pastries with a cake-like texture.  Buy a non-stick madaleine pan. It will be worth it.

Madeleines are the perfect combination of dirt-simple to make, unique and tasty for those times when you have guests.  They really are simple.  Here is the recipe I used to make these. It's from The Art of French Baking by Ginette Mathoit:

2 extra large eggs
9 tblsp unsalted butter (melted but cool)
1-1/3 cups al-purpose flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 teasp. vanilla
1 pich salt 

Preheat the oven to 400F. Whisk the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until they are a pale yellow and have tripled in volume.  fold in the flour, butter, vanilla, salt. 

Fill each madaleine mold about half full, making sure the entire bottom of the mold is covered. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Simple Pan Sauce Turns Ordinary Hamburger Patty into Something Special

You've just come home from a tough day at the office and you are really too exhausted to cook up something special. You've decided to settle for frying up hamburger patties. How about turning them into Hamburger au Poivre?

You need some dried minced onions, a few grinds of black pepper, and some beef broth.  If you want to take this to the next level you could:

• Substitute demi-glace for the beef broth. 
• Coarsely grind whole peppercorns in a mortar and pestle.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you how to fry a hamburger patty (Let's call it saute. it sounds so much more elegant.) When the patties have reached their desired level of doneness remove then from the pan and tent with foil. 

Pour a cup of beef broth into the pan and deglaze it.  Add the minced onion and pepper. Let the broth reduce a bit to whatever consistency you desire. To serve, put the hamburger patty on a plate and pour a little of the sauce on top. 

 

Sautéed Eggplant

In Venice, Italy there is a world-famous restaurant named Harry's Bar. They've published a cookbook. I can't afford a trip to Venice but I can afford the cookbook. What follows is an adaptation of Melazane Al Funghetto (Eggplant Cooked LIke Mushrooms). It is Medifast-friendly. My Sweet Lady Wife could not believe it was eggplant.

1 medium eggplant
minced garlic 
1 plum tomato
italian parsley

Peel the eggplant and dice it into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice the tomato. Put a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. dump in the eggplant. Let the eggplant saute for 5 minutes then add the garlic, tomato, and parsley. Let cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

 

The Best Italian Beef Sandwich in Phoenix

I have been on a quest to find the best Italian Beef Sandwich in Phoenix. I have been all over this valley and have eaten many a sandwich claiming to be Italian Beef. I won't hold you in suspense any longer:

Lukes of Chicago

You may not know it but the bun is crucial to a succsessful Italian Beef Sandwich.  A good one is almost dripping with juice, and of course the bread absorbs a lot of it.  The bun needs to hold together under this assault from the juice.  Most buns simply disintegrate.  Luke's understands this and uses a bun that is soft but chewy and the glutens hold it together.

The beef is tasty with a touch of spiciness - probably to accomodate our southwestern tastebuds.

 

No Pink Slime at A.J.'s Fine Foods

With all the talk about major supermarket chains adding Pink Slime to their grand beef, I contacted AJ's Fine foods and asked if they use it.  Their reply was that they absolutely do not:

"Aj’s has never added anything to our ground beef. We grind all our beef daily and use all the trimmings from our steaks and no additives or fillers."

Eggies: Save Your Money

Click on the link to watch a video about Eggies:

http://www.kfvs12.com/story/15235264/does-it-work-wednesday-eggies

Sautéed Spinach and Zucchini - Medifast Style

Sauteed spinach and zucchini is a classic French dish that is not commonly servered in the USA and it's flavor is distinctive.  I've taken the classic recipe (which includes lots of butter) and adapted it for dieters on the Medifast program:

 Ingredients:

•  1 lb zucchini. small ones are the best
• 1/2 lb baby spinach leaves
• PInch of Mrs Dash

Blanch the spinach for about a minute.  Let it drain and cool.  Using your hands, attempt to squeeze as muchwater out as you can. Trim the ends off the zucchinis and peal them.  Grate then in the food procesor. Let them drain and use your hands to attempt to squeeze as much liquid out as you can.

Put the zucchini in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss frequently. Cook until the zucchini begins to get tender.  Add the spinach.  Stir and toss. stir and toss.

Just before removing from the stove, add a 1/2 tespoon Mrs Dash.

Variation: If your 'Lean' portion allows a healthy fat serving then in place of the Mrs Dash try adding two tespoons of 'I Can't Beilieve It's Not Butter' margerine.

This should yield enough for two 'Madifasters'.

Serve each person 1 cup.  This counts as two of your three 'Green' serviings.

 

Trout Filet, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, and Basil Pesto

Easy, inexpensive, and one of my wife's favorites.

This is one of those 'Eat like a king but pay like a pauper' meals.

The Wild Mushroom Ravioli is made by Pasta Prima. It is 100% natural, with no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or ingredients. I found it in the deli section at A.J.'s Fine Foods.

Costco has these steelhead trout filets in the frozen food department under their KIrkland brand.  Each filet is 6-8 ounces. They are individually wrapped and come bulk-packed in a 3-pound resealable bag. If you're thinking that it looks more like salmon than trout, you're right. Trout is a close relative of salmon.  These filets look and taste like salmon.

I pan-seared the trout and boiled the ravioli until al dente (about 4 minutes). Arrtange them on a plate and drizzle some pesto on top and you are done.

The Ravioli was $3.99 and served two. The trout filets are about $3 each, making this meal $5 per serving. You could easily pay $20 a plate for this same meal in a restaurant.

 

Catfish on a Bed of Sautéed Yam Slices With Pesto

I have a confession to make: SInce I started cooking about six years ago, I have yearned for the day when I stopped being just a 'recipe follower' and could actually start creating dishes on my own.  Well, this is one.  Not only did this come completely from y own head, my Sweet Lady Wife pronounced it a 'Keeper'. The combination of the sweetness of the yams, earthiness of the catfish, and the pesto is awesome.

Not only that, it is inexpensive.  I bought fresh catfish (or at least as fresh as you can get in Phoenix, Arizona) and so that bumped the price up a little. All in all, about $8 per serving for the two of us.

Catfish on a Bed of Sautéed Yam Slices With Pesto

2 yams
2 catfish filets
2 tablespoons pesto
2 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Peel the yams and then slice then crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices. Pour the olive oil into a saute pan ovr medium heat. When the oil is hot add the yam slices.  Cook the yam slices just exactly the same way you would fray sliced potatoes.

In a second suate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Salt and pepper the catfish.  When the butter foam has subsided add the catfish. Saute the catfish until done, turning once or twice.

To serve, arrange a layer of yam slices lightly larger than the catfish.  Place the catfish filet in the ceter of the yam slices.  Spoon a tablespoon of pesto onto the catfish. Serve. 

I Bought A Sodastream

I'm drinking WAY to many soft drinks.

I like my water fizzy.  I like the feel of it on my tongue, and in my mouth and throat. It feels far more refreshing that straight water.

I'd also prefer it to have a little flavor. And I don't mean taste like alka-seltzer.

It's summertime here in Arizona and that means its hot. really hot. So the refreshing part of the equation is in demand. The problem is that soft drinks are WAY to sweet and contain WAAAAY too many calories.  A 12 ounce can of Mt Dew has 170 calories. A 12 ounce can of Sunkist Orange Soda has 190 calories. Woo!

Did you ever have an Italian Soda?  Made with Club Soda (or Seltzer) and Torani Syrup. My favorite flavor is Red Raspberry.

Yes, I can buy club soda or seltzer at the supermarket.  2-liter bottles go flat before I use them up.  1-liter bottles are better but they are $1 each.  Wow. Expensive.

Enter the Sodastream.  First of all, I like the idea of never running out of carbonated water. As long as I have a couple spare CO2 cylinders on hand, it's basically fizzy-water-on-demand.

I find that 1/4 oz of Torani's Red Raspberry syrup in a 12oz glass gives me just the hint of flavor I'm looking for. And by my calculations that's 22.5 calories. I can have several glasses of this every day pretty much guilt-free.

It Smells Really Good In The House Right Now

I love making bread.  Think about it: Just four ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. The result is almost magical.

If you don't own a breadmaking machine you should stop reading this and go get one right now.  I have this one and it is fantastic. Truth be told, I resisted getting a bread machine.  There is something about kneading the dough by hand, learning the 'feel' of the dough when it's just right, and exercising patience while it rises.  The bread machine takes all that away and at first it seemed sacrilegious somehow.

I've gotten over it.  Making bread now takes 15 minutes of my time instead of consuming the full day. 

This loaf was made using the recipe for Pain au Lait in The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. Page 51 if you are in a hurry. It is the formula for basic French bread with some butter and powdered milk added to enrichen it. When a bread recipe calls for powdered or dry milk, I always use Bakers Special Dry Milk from King Arthur Flour.

 

 

Sunday Morning Food Porn: Peaches and Cream Muffins

Soidier-Son called late last night and said he would be coming home for a few days. Dad had to make something.

If you've not tried the mixes from King Aurther Flour you owe it to yourself to do so. They are not the cheapect (I thik this one was $6) but they are very high quality. I try to keep one or two on hand for occassions such as this. I can whip out a batch of these with about 30 minutes notice.

Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

So there I was, surfing the food and cooking section of Zite on my iPad and came upon this recipe from the June 18 issue of the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald.

Did you ever see a dish and immediately think, "I must make this"? Well, that's what happened. Since the recipe was from Australia, all the measurements were metric so what follows is my own variation.

Zucchini and Parmesan Soup

1.5 lb zucchini

4 garlic cloves

1 bunch fresh basil

32 oz (approx) chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano 

1 pinch sea salt

Peel the zucchini and slice them crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Crush the garlic cloves in a garlic press. Tear the basil leaves into small pieces.

Heat a little olive oil in a sauta pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, garlic, sea salt.  Saute for about 10 minutes or until the zucchini starts to soften.

Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender and then return it to the saute pan. Stir in the cream and butter. Set aside enough parmigiano reggiano to garnish each serving and stir the rest into the soup. Let the soup simmer until it reaches the desired consistency.

Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmigiano reggiano on top.

Serves 2-3

 

Filet Mignon

Actually, calling center-cut UDSA Prime beef tenderloin 'filet mignon' doesn't do it justice.

A couple times a year, AJ's Fine Foods has them on sale and I buy a bunch and freeze them.  When cooked to perfection, you can cut them with a fork. The trouble with tenderloins is that - while they are very tender - they are not the most flavorful cut of beef.  As a result, I'm always looking forways to add just a little flavor.

This one was adapted from a recipe in Patsy's Cookbook, published by the famous Patsy's Restaurant in New York City.

 

1/4 pound white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/8 pound prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup beef broth
1/2 cup Madera wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup Italian Parsley
2 filet mignons
Olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 500F. LIghtly oil a roasting pan or baking dish.  Salt and pepper the filets and place them in the pan.

Blanche the mushrooms in boiling water for 2 minutes. Add some oil to a saute pan and saute the onions over medium heat until starting to brown  Add the prosciutto and mushrooms.  Saute for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth, wine, butter, and parsley. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the oven is up to temperature, put the filets in the oven. After 7-8 minutes turn the filets over. Let them cook until the desired level of doneness is achieved. 

SPoon the sauce over the filets and put them back in the oven for 2-3 minutes  to reheat the sauce.

Serve.

 

Roasted Shrimp with Rosemary & Thyme; Sauteed Vegetables

This is really part 2 of 'So many recipes, so little time".  Part I, the salad is here. 

So where were we.  Oh yes: Fine Cooking, April/May 2011 issue. i'm flipping the pages and see a photo of shrimp amongst rosemary and thyme sprigs. "Sweet Lady wife loves shrimp.  I will make this tonight", I said to myself.

The problem with preparing a spectacular main course is to come up with something to serve with it. Something sufficiently spectacular that it doesn't look like Oliver Twist at the queen's coronation (but not so spectacular that it visually overpowers the main course). 

I had resigned myself to hunting for a suitable side dish when I got to page 36: Vegetable Saute with Orange and Balsamic. "This is it!", said I.

Fine Cooking has taken a cue from Cooks Illustrated and begun articles deconstructing dishes and I like it.  This one is "The RIght Way to Cook Vegetables" and is worth thr peice of a year's subscription all by itself.

These two dishes were prepared verbatim per the recipes in April/May 2011 Fine Cooking so I'll not repeat them here.