Tilapia and Langoustine with Dilly Lemon Butter and Adobo

4 Tilapia fillets
1 lb Langoustine tails
3 Tbsp butter
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp dill weed
½ tsp Adobo powder (or chili powder or smokey Pimenton paprika)

Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet. Place tilapia in butter, round-side down and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip Tilapia, salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle on the dill and Adobo powder. Tip in the langoustine tails around the fillets and let the seafood cook another 2-3 minutes, or just until the it is heated through. Sprinkle the lemon juice all over the seafood, shake the pan, and carefully remove the tilapia to serving plates. Evenly distribute the langoustine tails amongst the tilapia fillets and sprinkle the zest on top. Meanwhile, whisk together the juices in the pan, and drizzle over the seafood. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Gratin Pépin of Zucchini and Tomato

This is based on a dish I watched Jacques Pépin do in his wonderful series "Essential Pépin" on PBS. What a wonderful teacher he is and just a 'Bon Vivant'! I modified by adding my hazelnut crumb and sundried tomatoes, which adds a bit of richness to this dish. As Jacques says - "Happy Cooking!"¼ cup hazelnuts
2 cloves garlic
palmful fresh parsley
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large ripe tomatoes, about a pound
2 medium zucchini, about 6-8 inches long
3 large sundried tomatoes (ideally packed in oil) finely diced

Heat oven to 400F. Tip the hazelnuts into an oven-gong pan and toast for 5 minutes, shaking at least once, until the nuts are very fragrant. But be careful not to burn them – they cook quickly.
Meanwhile, slice the zucchini in half to form 2 smaller cylinders. Then slice lengthwise about ¼-inch – you should get 5-6 slices (planks) per cylinder. Core the stem end of the tomatoes and slice them about ¼-inch thick. Depending on the size of the fresh tomatoes, you may need to cut the slices into half moons (that’s what I did in these photos).

Tip the hazelnuts, garlic and parsley into a food processor and process until you have a coarse meal. Tip into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the oil and toss together with a fork or your fingers.

Layer the tomatoes and zucchini in an alternating pattern in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the veggies. Top with the sundried tomatoes. Sprinkle a dash more olive oil on top if desired. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the top is nicely browned.

Mardi Gras Red Beans and Rice Prudhomme

This is a more modern version of Chef Paul Prudhomme's Red Beans and Rice by using canned rather than dried beans - cooks up much faster. Prudhomme's K-Paul's is my favorite restaurant in New Orleans, followed by Emeril's Nola's, a close second. But there are many seconds, like Patout's, Mike Anderson's, and yes, OK, Brennans! With so much great cooking going on in Louisiana, you can imagine there are many, many variations of a classic dish like red beans and rice. So make it your own, but make sure you flavor those beans, baby!

I use a 1/2 cup ramekin dish to mold the rice with - it makes a great presentation. If you can't find Andouille sausage, use another good sausage you can find such as Linguica, Chorizo or a good Polish kielbasa.

1 onion, diced
1 green pepper diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp each black and white pepper
1/8 tsp red cayenne pepper
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 15-oz cans red beans, drained
1 large smoked ham hock
1 5-inch link Andouille sausage
1/4 lb ham, cubed
1 cup rice
Dash Tabasco

Sauté onion, pepper and celery in a bit of canola oil in a medium pot. Meanwhile, start cooking the roux which will thicken and flavor the dish: heat oil in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking fairly often, as roux browns and changes from a manila beige to a darker leather-brown. You will smell a wonderful nutty flavor evolving! Watch carefully so as you do not burn it.
Add the garlic, thyme, oregano and three powdered peppers to the veggies and cook another two minutes. Stir the roux into the veggies and turn heat up to medium-high. Add the broth and stir as sauce thickens. Add the beans and ham hock and bring just to a boil. If necessary, add a bit more broth to largely cover the ham hock. Stir and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Salt to taste. Cover and cook for about an hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

While the beans cook, sauté the sausage and ham in a skillet. Set rice cooking according to package directions. Remove ham hock from beans and cut meat from bone, if meaty. Add to the beans. Serve beans on a plate and top with a mound of rice. Scatter a portion of the sausage and ham about the beans. Season with a dash of Tabasco as desired.

President's Chicken

I am a fan of Thomas Jefferson - the diplomat, bon-vivant and great connoisseur of food! It was Jefferson who brought a baked cheese and pasta dish to the US, we now know as macaroni and cheese, from France. I was trying to think of something Presidential to post - Presidents have proclaimed - "A chicken in every pot" - so today, here is what I'll call President's Chicken. I reckoned back to why this dish seemed familiar to me, and remembered that influences from The Silver Palate Cookbook must have broken through. After I put in the vinegar and brown sugar, I knew I was bordering on greatness! This is not far from Silver Palate's Chicken Marbella, and has that same unctuous angle. Experiment and enjoy.

6 chicken thighs
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch lengths
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup pale dry sherry, or white wine
2 Tbsp brown sugar
10 oz mushrooms, coarsely sliced

Preheat the oven to 375F. Heat about of olive oil in a large oven-going skillet and brown the chicken on both sides for about 10 minutes. Set chicken aside. In same skillet, sauté the leek and pepper for about 5-6 minutes. Add the zucchini, garlic and pepper and cook another 5 minutes. Nestle the chicken pieces amongst the veggies and pour any remaining juices from the chicken into the skillet. Pour the vinegars and wine into the skillet and sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the dish. Salt and pepper the dish to taste. Bake for 30 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, sauté the mushrooms in a dry skillet over high heat, stirring and shaking often. Allow the mushrooms to release their water and continue cooking just to dry them off a bit. Tip the mushrooms onto the cooking chicken with 15 minutes still left to bake. Continue baking until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Tricolor Tofu Casserole with Hazelnut Crumb

Hazelnuts make a great crunchy topping with breadcrumbs. You can use Panko or even fresh crumbs made by processing a slice or two of bread (especially day-old).
Topping:
½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup Panko crumbs
2 cloves garlic
1 heaping Tbsp Olive oil

½ lb tricolor pasta
1 small heat cauliflower, broken up into bite-sized pieces, about 4 cups
1 package firm tofu
2 tsp Bayou Cajun seasoning

3 Tbsp four
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
dash freshly-grated nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp
1½ cups milk

Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the hazelnuts on a jelly roll pan and roast in the oven dry for 5 minutes, or until they become very fragrant. Watch them carefully, and shake pan once or twice so nuts do not burn. Remove nuts from oven and place in a food processor with the garlic. Buzz them until you get a coarse meal. Tip into a bowl with the Panko crumbs and toss together with the olive oil - I find my hands are the best tool for this.

Set the pasta cooking in a pot of salted water. Meanwhile, toss the tofu with the Cajun seasonings and salt and pepper generously. Heat a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and brown the tofu for about 10 minutes over fairly high heat, stirring a few times. Add the cauliflower to the pasta for the last minute of cooking. Drain the cauliflower and the pasta. Toss pasta with a dash of oil to keep it from sticking and set it aside in a covered bowl.

Meanwhile make the sauce by melting the butter in the oil in a saucepan. Add the flour and whisk together about 3-5 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking often as the sauce thickens. Stir in the nutmeg. Fold sauce together with the pasta mixture and tip into a covered baking dish. Sprinkle crumb mix on top of casserole. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes.

Safood Pot Pie

3 Tbsp butter
2Tbsp olive oil
1 carrot, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1medium onion, finely diced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2cup milk
1/4 cup sherry

1 lb Langoustine tails
1/2 lb sea scallops, quartered-
palmful fresh parsley

1 16-oz package puff pastry, 2 12-inch sheets
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 375F. Prepare the sauce by melting the butter with the oil. Add the carrot, celery and onion and cook abut 6-8 minutes, until beginning to soften. Whisk in the flour, and cook another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the shellfish and parsley. Mix well.

Spray oil on a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Line with one of the puff pastry sheets. Pour in the seafood mixture. Top with the second sheet, offsetting it by 45-degrees. Fold up any overhanging flaps of the sheets up onto the top sheet. Paint the pastry generously with the egg wash and poke several vent holes in the pastry with the tines of a fork. Bake 30-45 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned. You may want to place a jelly roll pan on the rack below the pot pie, to catch any drips from the bubbling pie.
Another variation: Cod and Shrimp Pot Pie Ramekins

Substitute the langoustine tails for cod, cut in bite sized pieces, and shrimp (cut in thirds) for the scallops. Cut each puff pastry square in half and layer them on each of four ramekins.Mix the seafood with the cream sauce and divide evenly among the ramekins.Fold the extra dough back over at an attractive angle, to cover the seafood mixture, brush with egg wash and bake for about 30 minutes, until brown and bubbly.

Swiss Chard with Sausage and White Beans

1 purple Bermuda onion, diced
1 cup julienned, or grated carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 links Linguica (or Chorizo) sausage, ½ lb, cut into ½ inch pieces
½ cup dry white wine
1 bunch Swiss Chard, stems removed, chopped, cleaned and drained
1 cup cooked Navy or Cannellini beans

You can use any color chard for this dish. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so, until sausage browns. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2 minutes or until very fragrant.

Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any brown bits. In 2 to 3 batches, add the chard to the skillet, folding gently to combine. Allow each batch to soften and cook down, about 2-3 minutes - then fold the mixture together and add the next batch. Sprinkle the beans over the top, salt and pepper to taste, cover, and heat through. Gently toss together and serve.

New York Strip Steak with Wasabe Chili Mustard Cream

2 New York Strip Steaks
Wasabe Chili Mustard Cream (see below)

Heat skillet and add a dash of canola oil. Sear steaks about 3-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness), until medium rare. Set steaks aside while you prepare the sauce in the skillet.

Add the mustard cream ingredients to the skillet, including the cream. Whisk together to heat through. Transfer steaks to serving plate, and stream cream sauce decoratively on top of steak.

Serves 2 for Valentines Day!

Chili Wasabi Mustard Cream Sauce for Steak

1 tsp wasabi powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard
1 tsp molasses
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 Tbsp sherry

3/4 cup half and half, or cream

Mix together everything except the half and half. Remove the steak from the pan and stir in the mustard mixture into the brown bits in the pan. Add the half and half or cream and whisk together. Cook down until you have a creamy sauce.

Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms and Almonds

1 bunch asparagus
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
8 oz Mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Remove the last inch of the asparagus, and chop the remaining stalks into quarters (about 1 1/2 inches long). Reserve the tips aside.

In a large skillet, dry-toast the almonds 5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Set almonds aside. In the same skillet, sauté the mushrooms until they release their water. Add the oil and the thicker stalks of asparagus and bring to a good sizzle. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fine tips and gently sauté for another 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pork Dumplings

During a recent visit to Shanghai, China, a friend brought me to one of the most famous dumpling houses. They had windows into the kitchen and I was fascinated at how quickly they assembled dumplings - practice makes perfect, I guess, when you move that much dumpling filling! These are my first attempt at home, and they were nothing short of superb. I only had square wonton wrappers (I didn't make my own dough), but you normally should buy round dumpling wrappers. No worries - they were fantastic, and I didn't need anything but a good pinch to secure them together - no egg washes or anything. I couldn't find my wok bamboo steamer so I used a vegetable steamer which worked just fine. I finished them by browning them in a bit of peanut oil - a very nice option if you should be so inclined. But be sure to serve them with a nice dipping sauce.

1 lb ground pork
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ inch fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

14-oz package circular dumpling (or square wonton) wrappers

Dipping Sauce:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp red pepper flakes or chili oil

Mix together the pork and the next 5 ingredients. Wrap about 2 tsp of the pork filling into each wrapper, and pinch together either in a gathered wedge or a centralized bundle – see photos. Steam the dumplings for about 5 minutes in whatever steaming device you have. Then transfer with tongs to a non-stick skillet, with about an eight inch of canola or peanut oil ready for frying. Brown the bottoms of each dumpling just a bit and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Meanwhile, whisk together the dipping sauce. Serve dumplings with dipping sauce.

The dumplings I had in Shanghai were formed as round parcels and were only steamed, not browned.
But others I had in China were browned. Have it your way.Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant, Shanghai, China.

Southwest Gratin Potatoes

In Newark, Delaware, there is a modern, fun and loud steakhouse called Firebird's. Don't expect to get a reservation - they don't take 'em. You just have to go and enjoy the cacophony at the bar, but it's worth the wait! Real wood-fired steaks are accompanied by the most fantastic spicy gratin potatoes. This is my take on them, adding sweet potatoes - and don't skimp on the pepper!1 lb sweet potatoes, 2 medium, peeled
1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, 3 medium, peeled

1 1/2 cups milk
grated fresh nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp

2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cup grated Pepper Jack cheese, or cheddar plus 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 green onions, sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, and then slice into about 1/8-inch half moons. Tip potatoes and milk into a 2 quart pot. Add the nutmeg. Bring potatoes and milk just to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, stir, and cook another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, crush together the butter and the flour to form a buerre manié - you can use a fork, but I find my fingers are the best utensils for this! Drain the potatoes into a bowl and return the milk to the pot. Bring just to a boil and whisk in the buerre manié. Whisk to a thick sauce, then add the cheese and onions. Return the potatoes into the sauce and fold together.

Turn potatoes into an oiled 1 quart baking dish. Bake 40-45 min, just until the top browns and the casserole is bubbling. Serve with Tabasco sauce.

Open-face Seafood Po-Boy

You say Po-Boy, I say Grinder. You say Submarine, I say Whatever. Any way you put it, if you get a good baguette and your favorite Bayou Cajun seasoning mix, you're headed for a great sandwich. I used Trader Joe's mixed frozen seafood which has shrimp, bay scallops and calamari, and I used their frozen artichoke quarters. Crayfish, langostines, crab or lobster would of course also be great with this! While many New Orleans Po-Boys have deep fried seafood in them, that's just too much for a quick weeknight affair - and this is much lighter.1 lb mixed shellfish, e.g. shrimp, scallops and calamari
12 oz frozen artichoke quarters, thawed
2 tsp Cajun spice mix
1 Tbsp capers, drained
4 Tbsp butter
Dash garlic powder
1 baguette bread
1/3 cup Pablo crumbs
2 tsp olive oil

Dill Remoulade sauce (below)

Sauté the shellfish and artichokes in a non-stick skillet with half the butter, the Cajun spice mix and the capers. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink.

Meanwhile cut the baguette in half, and slice it lengthwise in half. Spread each quarter with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. Fry the bread, cut-side down, on a non-stick skillet (ideally a large pancake griddle) until the bread is nicely browned. Flip the bread slices over and spread with a bit of dill tartar sauce. Then divide the seafood mixture evenly among the four baguettes slices. Mix together the panko crumbs and the oil, and distribute evenly on top of each sandwich. Place griddle with the sandwiches under the broiler for about one minute - watch very carefully! They can burn VERY quickly.

Dill Remoulade Sauce
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp pickle relish, or capers, chopped
1/2 tsp dried dill, or 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed through a press

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp mustard

Several squirts Tabasco sauce

While all sauce ingredients together.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Arugula

I used orange and purple organic carrots for this dish, and sliced everything with a wavey blade slicer for looks.

3/4 lb purple fingerling potatoes, sliced in half on a bias
3/4 lb Yukon gold fingerling or baby potatoes, sliced in half on a bias
1 Tbsp crushed dried rosemary
1 Serrano chili, or jalapeño pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp coarse Kosher salt
Pepper to taste

4 cups arugula
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 450F. Toss the first group of ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to a large jelly roll baking pan and bake 20 minutes. Place arugula and parsley in the large bowl and tip in the semi-cooked potatoes. Toss well. Tip back onto the baking pan and roast another 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are just cooked through.

Cheesy Hot Artichoke Dip

To me, there is nothing more aligned with Superbowl Sunday than great dips for chips. Here is one classic, among many others. Who needs the Superbowl - get some friends together, laugh, debate and enjoy this! [...but it did made a great dip to watch the game with!]1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb cream cheese
¼ cup good real mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated
Dash Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Sauté the onions in a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two until very fragrant.

Cream together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream in a food processor. Tip in the onions, artichokes, Jack cheese and splash-in the Tabasco sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Pulse a few times until just mixed together. Bake for 20 minutes.

Bread

Barramundi Baked in Puff Pastry

Barramundi is a beautiful white fish found in and around Australia and the Asia Pacific, once considered quite a delicacy. I've enjoyed it in Australia but haven't ever until just now, seen it in the US. So I decided to use it for this rather elegant preparation of fish baked in a crispy puff pastry. But you could use most any fish fillet for this dish.
2 Baramundi (or other white fish) fillets
a few pads of butter
2 leeks, sliced in half horizontally, white portions
1 orange or yellow pepper, sliced
1 Tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1 12-inch square of puff pastry
1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 375F. Melt a pad or two of butter in a skillet and place the leeks cut side down in the better. Allow the leeks to brown slowly for about 8-10 minutes, turning once. Cover the skillet to steep the leeks as they cook. Meanwhile sauté the peppers in a bit of butter in another skillet for about 8-10 minutes, until edges brown slightly.Gently roll pastry out on a clean, floured surface to a length equal to the two fillets laid out end to end. Lay leeks down evenly in center third of the pastry. Top with the fish fillets, and paint the mustard onto the fillets. Cover the fillets with the peppers. Fold one side of the pastry over the fish and paint the egg-wash on the pastry. Fold the other side of pastry on top, making sure it overlaps the other dough side by at least 1/2 inch. Pinch the ends closed and paint all remaining dough surfaces with egg-wash. Prick a few air holes in the dough and bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned. Slice and serve.