Sriracha Minestrone

This is a go-to Master Recipe I use for using up leftovers - meat and veggies - and make a rich soup really very quickly.  There are myriad variations on this theme depending on what you have hanging around that needs to be used up.  You certainly have flexibility with the name Minestrone, which comes from the Italian root minestra, and apparently ultimately means 'that which is served'.  No constraints...
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
1/4 cup barley

1 can Sriracha chili beans with sauce (I used Bush Beans)
1/3 lb chicken meat (I used leftover grilled chicken)
1 large potato, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Sauté the carrot, celery and onion in a dash of olive oil in a soup pot. Allow the veggies to soften and caramelize a bit, cooking for about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and the barley and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes until the barley is just about softened. Add the beans, chicken and potato and return to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the green beans. Cook until the potato and the green beans are just soft enough to eat.

Serve 4-6.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have prepared Sriracha chili beans, you could use a regular can of chili beans (pinto beans in a chili sauce) and add Sriracha to your taste.  Alternatively, you can use a whole (undrained) can of pinto beans and add a dash of cumin and chili powder, and again, Sriracha to taste.

Cajun Fried Catfish

You can use grits, coarse cornmeal or panko crumbs for the final coating for this crisp, spicy fish.
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Grits
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp Bayou or Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 lb catfish fillets , cut into 4 portions
Canola or peanut oil

Place the flour on a large plate. Pour the egg into a second large plate. Mix the grits, sesame seeds and the cajun seasoning and place on a third plate.

Working one fish portion at a time, coat the fish with the flour. Shake off any excess flour. Now dip the fish into the egg, coating both sides. Finally coat the fish with the grits mixture on both sides. Lay the fish on a pie grate and allow to sit for 15 minutes or so in the refrigerator to allow the coating to dry a bit. This is optional, but can give a crisper coating.

Heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a pan with a high rim to 350F. Carefully place the fish in the oil and brown both sides. Remove to a paper towel.

Serve with tartar sauce and your favorite sides.
Dijon Horseradish Tartar Sauce
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp thick Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp whole seed Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp rice vinegar

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.


Roasted Cauliflower and Leeks
2 cups cauliflower flowerets
2 carrots, sliced
1 large leek, trimmed, cleaned and diced
1 tsp ground coriander
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss ingredients together and lay in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for a bout 30 minutes, stirring at least once.

Spicy Shrimp and Cod Chowder

Cooking the shrimp separately with paprika and cayenne pepper is optional, but adds a layer of flavor to an otherwise quite mild dish.
1 leek, cleaned and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 Tbsp better and 2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp fresh (1/4 tsp dried) thyme
4 cups milk
2 small potatoes, diced 1/2-inch, about 1-1/2 to 2 cups
1 lb cod, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2-lb shrimp, shelled
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Spanish pimenton, smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Sauté leek, celery and carrot in butter and oil in a soup pot. Cook the veggies for 10 minutes. Add the flour and thyme and cook the roux for about 3-4 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and allow soup to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just becoming tender. Add the fish and heat on low until the cod is heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

While the soup is warming, add the shrimp, oil, pimenton and cayenne to a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook only until the shrimp turns pink and is heated through.  Serve chowder in bowls, topped with a few shrimp.

Serves 4.

Cook's note: I used about 4-5 small assorted gold, redskin and purple potatoes.

Pan-Seared Cod on Tater Tot Waffles

I have a colleague at work who just loves tater tots - that tasty American potato invention, first created in the fifties by Ore-Ida.  You can have all kinds of fun with them, including making savory waffles.  Mine are a bit messy here, and after some more research I learned you should open the iron half way and fill the holes that may result, with more tater tots; then continue cooking.  I didn't know that and so mine are a bit rag-tag, but they were oh so crispy and delicious as a base for a saucy cod dish.
1/2 lb tater tots

3/4 lb cod fillets cut into 2 serving portions
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp canola oil

2 dozen grape tomatoes sliced in half lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced

2Tbsp flour
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth

Divide the tater tots in half. Pack one half of them onto a 6-inch waffle iron and close iron. Depending on your waffle iron, you may need 15 minutes or so to brown the tater waffle - my iron is small and slow. Make the first waffle and keep it warm in a warm oven while you make the second.

Meanwhile, brown the cod in a non-stick skillet in the butter and oil. Cook both sides until lightly browned, and just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes (10 minutes per inch of thickness). Remove to a plate and keep warm with the waffles in the oven.

While the fish cooks, sauté the tomatoes with the garlic and a dash of olive oil in another small non-stick skillet.

Now add the onion to the butter in the pan used for the fish and cook about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Then whisk in the wine and broth and bring to a gently boil. Whisk until the sauce thickens. Then add the tomatoes into the sauce.

Plate the dish by topping each waffle with a piece of cod. Then spoon some of the tomato gravy over top.

Serves 2.

Tico’s Deconstructed Pan-seared Cod Chowder

Having lived in New England so many years, I have become quite accustomed to the thick creamy white chowder New England is famous for.  There are contests to see whose is the best.  And the best I can guess, is that it is those that use clam juice in its preparation.  The best have a slightly lobster/shellfish aroma to them which is not lost on the backdrop of a velvety light white creamy soup base.  Manhattan red chowders can't come close to capturing that in a subtle way.

We recently joined our daughter and friends at Tico in Washington DC after an exciting Georgetown basketball game at the Verizon center.  Tico is a fun, festive fairly casual restaurant founded by chef Michael Schlow.  Its a great place for post game eating, especially with their hibiscus margaritas, which are simply outstanding.  They should be when the restaurant boasts 88 different types of tequilla!

My wife had the Cod dish, in which chef Schlow deconstructed the New England fish chowder into its fundamental parts.  Each element shone so well because it was separately roasted and flavored.  It was so good, I reverse engineered it at home as best I could.  Thanks for the inspiration, chef Schlow!
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2x1/2-inch wide wedges
3 carrots, cut the same size as the potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp rosemary leaves, crushed or chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 lb bacon, diced
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced in half lengthwise, and then into 4-inch long pieces
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp butter
1-1/2 lb cod fillet

Chowder Sauce:
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
1 bottle clam juice
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp chopped dill weed

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut the cod into four serving portions.

Toss the potatoes, carrots and the garlic together with the rosemary and olive oil in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

 Tip veggies out onto a rimmed baking sheet. Shake to form a single layer.

Roast veggies for about 30 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large non-stick skillet until just crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel with a slotted spoon. Add leeks to skillet with 2 tablespoons water.

Cook over medium heat until the water evaporates, about 5-8 minutes, turning leeks over once or twice. Continue cooking another 5-8 minutes until the leeks are soft and tender and beginning to brown. Season with the red pepper flakes and remove to a plate.

Cover to keep warm.

While the leeks are cooking, make the sauce by melting the butter in the oil in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk together for about 3-4 minutes, until the mixture emits a nutty aroma. Then whisk in the clam juice, broth and wine. Whisk together and bring to a gentle boil. Season with the dill and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to thicken - you should achieve a thickness of a nice New England clam chowder. If it is still too thick, thin as needed with a dash more of chicken broth.

Now add butter to skillet and melt throughly. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add fish fillets and cook over medium-high heat on first side for about 4-5 minutes, until nicely browned.

Cod is a delicate fish that flakes apart easily, so do not move the fish around much at all. Gently flip the fish with a thin fish spatula and cook the second side for about 3-4 minutes, or just until the fish is just cooked through.

Plate the dish by evenly distributing roasted veggies on the bottom of four wide, shallow bowls. Top with leeks, again, evenly distributed. Place a fish portion on top of each bowl, and garnish with bacon.

Now carefully pour the sauce around the edges of the dish and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Pan-seared Catfish with Cajun Vegetables

Get out your favorite Cajun spice blend for this bold Southern dish.
2 cups chopped cabbage
2 cup matchstick carrots
1 red pepper, sliced
1/2 purple Bermuda onion, sliced
4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1-1/2 lb catfish fillet, cut into four serving pieces
1 Tbsp cajun spice mix
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme

2 Tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth

Heat a dash of canola oil in a large non-stick skillet and add the cabbage and the carrots. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the purple onion and red pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the green onion and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Set veggies aside in a bowl to keep warm.

Season the fish with cajun spices and the red pepper flakes. Season with a dash of salt. Melt the butter in the oil in the same skillet as the veggies and add the fresh thyme. Now add the fish. Cook on both sides about 2-3 minutes per side, until just cooked through.

Set fish aside, covered to keep warm.

Add the flour to the butter and oil remaining in the pan and whisk together. Cook about 3-5 minutes to form a roux. Add the chicken broth and whisk to a gentle boil. Allow the sauce to thicken and then return the veggies to the skillet. Mix well with the sauce and heat through. Serve the fish on a bed of veggies.

Serves 4.

Herbed Grilled Whole Porgy

Simply dressed with lemon and herbs, and basted with butter kicked up with hot sauce, whole fish is a simple wonder on the grill.
2 whole porgy, dressed and cleaned
palmful fresh dill, chopped
palmful fresh parsley, minced
palmful fresh cilantro, minced
1 lemon, sliced into half moons

2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp favorite hot sauce

Heat grill to high. Season the cavity of the fish lightly with salt and pepper. Mix together the dill, parsley and cilantro and stuff the cavity with the herbs. Insert several lemons into the cavity as well.

Melt the butter in a small dish and add the hot sauce.

Butter one side of each fish and lay on grill over medium heat, about 4-5 minutes.

Baste the fish with more butter and carefully flip the fish. Baste cooked side with more butter. Continue cooking fish another 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.

Carefully transfer fish to plates or serving platter. Serve with remaining lemon slices.

Serves 2.

Cook's Note:  Choose fish with clear bright eyes and little to no smell, or don't buy them.

Pacific Heights Swiss Chard Sausage and Bean Soup

During a recent visit to San Francisco, we were fortunate to have two outstanding (and famous) Boulangeries and Patisseries on either side of our BNB apartment. Combined with the superb groceries at Mollie Stone's on California Street, we had a fast, superb welcome dinner "In" at the apartment.

Welcome to San Francisco.  One of the most cosmopolitain cities I know.
1 lb uncased Italian sausage (I used hot)
1 can Navy or small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch swiss chard (I found rainbow, nice), rinsed
1 large or 2 small leeks, trimmed, clewed and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash red pepper flakes to taste
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine

Crumble and sauté the sausage in a soup pot until nicely browned.

Separate the leaves from the stalks of the swiss chard.

Set the leaves aside.

Dice the stalks. Add the chard stalks and the leeks to the pot with the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, until beginning to soften.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook about 2-3 more minutes, stirring often.

Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the stock and the chard leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook another 10-15 minutes over a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt and freely ground black pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

Cook’s Note: We had the most fantastic pair of San Francisco Boulangeriers/Patisseries on either side of us in Pacific Heights, so we had our choice of wonderful breads. Serve with your favorite bread.

I found some of the best bread at La Boulange on Pine just west of Fillmore.  Every bit as good as bread and pastries I know from France.  And the proprietor of course speaks French.  How nice to speak French with someone in the good old US of A :-))

Three Sister’s Stew

The trinity of corn, beans and squash were called the Three Sisters, and formed the basis of much cuisine in early American plains life.  Sam Sifton of the New York Times tells us that many in Wyoming would honor Thanksgiving with a Three Sisters stew that included what game was hunted at the time.

Here in my version, I use pork, which is quite common, along with butternut squash instead of fresh summer squash.  The result is a hearty, rich, thick stew, that stands up to any crisp fall day.
Spice Mix:
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp Pimenton, Smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp salt

3 lb boneless Boston Pork Butt, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
3 Tbsp canola oil for browning the meat in 3 batches

1 large Vidalia sweet onion, diced, about 1-1/2 cups
2 cups corn kernels cut from 2 cobs, or frozen kernels
1 red pepper, diced
3-5 cloves garlic (I’m serious, use 5)

6 cups broth
1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 lb butternut squash, cubed 1/2-inch, about 4 cups

Mix the spice mix ingredients together in a small bowl.

Mix together with the pork in a large bowl and allow to marinate for about an hour.

Heat a tablespoon of the oil in a deep Dutch oven or pot. Brown the pork cubes, in about 3 batches, until brown on all sides. Allow good air space between each cube to brown and crop-up nicely - otherwise you will just boil the meat.

Add a bit more oil for each batch as needed. Set each well-browned batch aside in a bowl.

In the same pot, sauté the onion, corn and pepper in a splash of canola oil for about 10 minutes, until the veggies are softened and beginning to brown.

Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Salt and pepper generously, to taste. Return the pork to the pot.

Add the broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil, stir and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes.

In the meantime, brown the butternut squash over medium-high heat in a splash of canola oil. I like to use a non-stick skillet for this. Cook until the squash just begins to brown.

Don’t cook on too low a heat or the squash will be completely soft when finally brown - the squash will soften in the stew. Set aside when browned.

After 45 minutes of cooking, add the beans and the squash to the stew.

Adjust the consistency with water if necessary. Cook another 30-45 minutes, to blend in the squash flavors. Again adjust with water if necessary and adjust seasoning. Check the pork to make sure it flakes easily and is completely softened.

Serve in bowls garnished with fresh cilantro. Serves 6-8.