Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin Roasted with Fresh Sage

Ode to pork tenderloin.  You can finish this in the oven or on the grill - just brown it up on the stove first.
2 pork tenderloins
1 lb bacon, about 14 strips
12 fresh sage leaves
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp powdered coriander
dash red pepper flakes
about a dozen toothpicks

Preheat oven to 425. Lay two large sheets of wax or parchment paper on the counter. Place bacon strips side-by-side the full length of each pork tenderloin. Place tenderloin at one end of the bacon.

Season tenderloin with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and divide the cumin and coriander evenly about the two tenderloins. Distribute the sage leaves on top of each tenderloin, followed by the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Now roll up the tenderloins with the bacon and secure well with toothpicks, all over.

Brown both sides of the tenderloins carefully in a dash of olive oil, in a large oven-going skillet or pan. Place tenderloins in oven. I insert a real-time digital thermometer into the center of one of the tenderloins, so I can monitor exactly when it reaches 140F. When cooked to medium-rare (140F), and not a second later, remove tenderloins from oven and cover with aluminum foil. They will continue to cook and will probably reach 145-150F - medium.

Slice into thirds and if desired, stand up on a bed of mashed sweet potatoes.

Serves 6.

Rigatoni with Eggplant and White Bean

This is a wonderful Rigatoni dish with the richness of leek, eggplant and Navy Beans.   Some red pepper finishes this satisfying meal.
1 red pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic

8 oz Rigatoni

1 eggplant, cubed
1 can Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup pasta water reserved

palmful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
shaved Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Sauté the leeks in a skillet with a tablespoon butter and two tablespoons water. Cook until all the water is evaporated and the leeks begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes. Add the red pepper, cumin and fennel seeds and cook another 3-5 minutes, to soften the pepper. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large non-stick skillet add the eggplant. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring only occasionally. Cook about 5-8 minutes, enough to brown the eggplant cubes.

Now bring a few quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, just until al dente.

Gently fold the eggplant and the beans into the leek mixture. Add up to a cup of the pasta water to moisten.

When the pasts is cooked, drain and toss with the eggplant mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley.  Serve with lemon wedges and with grated parmesan cheese, if desired

Serves 4.

Baked White Bean Brown Rice and Butternut Squash

This is a rich casserole with deep umami tones - don't mention it is vegetarian and you'll get the same oohs and has as you would a mac and cheese hugging you head on - even from meat lovers.

Butternut squash, leek, mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce drive that comforting umami thing, and OK, a little bit of melted cheese never hurt a good comfort food.
1 cup short grain brown rice, or other rice
2 cups water
1 tsp salt

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed 1/2-inch
2 medium leeks, trimmed, cleaned and diced
10 oz fresh button mushrooms, sliced thickly

1 can Navy Beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 lb Monterrey Pepper Jack cheese, cubed 1/4-inch, about 1 cup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
dash red pepper flakes

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced

1/4 cup Panko crumbs
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Toast the rice in a small pot with a dash of canola oil for about 2-3 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Stir, reduce to the lowest simmer possible, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Now toss the butternut squash with a dash of olive oil in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with salt and pepper to taste and tip onto a rimmed making sheet. Spread out evenly and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring once. Check for doneness - roast only until slightly browned and just soft enough to eat.

Meanwhile, sauté the leeks in a skillet with a dash or olive oil and 2 tablespoons water. Cook until all the water evaporates. Continue cooking for about 3-5 minutes, until the leek soften and become fragrant.

In parallel, sauté the mushrooms in a large skillet over high heat with just a dash of olive oil. Cook undisturbed until they begin to release what water they will. Stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms are browned up nicely, about 10 minutes in total.

Reduce oven temperature to 375F. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together the brown rice, beans, leeks, mushrooms and cubed Monterrey Jack cheese. Sprinkle in the Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes and fold together. Tip into a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

Nestle the mozzarella cheese slices into the bean mixture. Toss together the panko, parmesan and oil, and sprinkle topping over casserole.

Cover casserole and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 20-30 more minutes until casserole is browned and bubbly.

Serve with a cool crispy salad. Serves 4-6.

Cook's Note:  Don't get hung up - only got white rice?  Use it.  Only got pinto beans?  Use 'em.  Only got cheddar cheese?  Use it.  Only got soy sauce?  Use it.  Only got Italian bread crumbs?  Use 'em.

Make this casserole your own with what you've got on hand.

Carbonara alla Avocado

A smooth carbonara with avocado and ham - velvet, unctuous and molto bene.

Maybe I make up for the sacrilege of the last post?!
8 oz spaghetti

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 lb ham, cubed
2 green onions, sliced
dash red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ripe avocado, cubed
1 fresh tomato, chopped
palmful fresh parsley leaves, minced

Set 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil. The water should taste like the ocean. When boiling, add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente.

Whisk together the Parmesan, eggs and cream in a small bowl.

At the same time, sauté the ham, onions and red pepper for about 5 minutes, just to brown up a bit.

Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

When the pasta is done, reserve a good cup of pasta cooking water and keep it piping hot. Drain the pasta and toss in a large bowl off the heat. Quickly tip in the ham, avocado and tomato.

Toss with the egg mixture, adding at first a quarter cup of the piping hot pasta water. Toss briskly with tongs to form a creamy mixture - it should be hot enough to see some steam coming off the surface. The eggs should not curdle, since you are now off the heat, but they will help bind together a nice shiny sauce. Add only as much pasta water as needed to get a smooth saucy consistency.

Tip pasta into a large serving bowl and finish with fresh parsley leaves and maybe a bit of extra Parmesan cheese. I like to sprinkle on a bit of Mrs Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend, or more crushed red pepper flakes.

Serves 4.

Braciole

Italian sacrilege! I am told by Italian friends that Italians would NEVER serve the braciole with the pasta. They would first eat the pasta with the braciole sauce (primi course), and then serve the braciole with perhaps some vegetables (secondi course). Suite yourself; I love this dish eaten all together.
1-1/2 lb very thinly-sliced beef skirt steak, braciole, about 6-8 slices
1 package frozen quartered artichoke hearts, thawed
1 leek, cleaned and diced
10 oz fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup golden raisins (or dried apricots), chopped

1/4 cup pecans
1 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
palmful fresh parsley

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 cup beef stock

3 cloves garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife, but left whole
8 oz favorite pasta

Preheat oven to 375F. Start the filling by toasting the pecans in the oven for about 5 minutes, watching carefully. You just want the nutty flavor to evolve, but not to burn the nuts. Remove the pecans from the oven and toss in a small food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop. Tip the nuts into a small bowl with the panko, Parmesan and parsley.

Heat a bit of olive oil in a very large non-stick skillet. Add the leek and a tablespoon of water. Cook the leek for about 5-8 minutes until the water evaporates and the leek begins to brown. Add the artichokes and cook another 5-8 minutes, to slightly brown them.

Set veggie mixture aside in a bowl.

Now heat the pan to high and add a bit of olive oil. Toss in the mushrooms and allow them to sizzle and release what water they will. Add the raisins and allow the mushrooms to brown nicely.

Tip mushroom mixture into bowl with artichokes.

Again, heat the pan to high with a bit of olive oil. Tip in the drained tomatoes and allow them to sizzle away, shaking the pan from time to time. Allow the tomatoes to caramelize and develop flavor for about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved tomato liquid and the beef stock and bring to a boil. Set to a low simmer and allow the sauce to cook down a bit.

Meanwhile toss together the bread crumb mixture and the veggie mixture. Lay out the braciole strips and top each one with some filling. Don’t overfill, or the filling with run out as they cook. Roll each braciola up and secure with some toothpicks.

Heat 2 quarts of salted water in a medium pot.

Now heat another very large non-stick skillet and add some olive oil. Toss in the garlic and lay down the braciole rolls.

Brown both sides of the braciole for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Now tip in the sauce all around the braciole and cover the pan. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the braciole are cooked through.

While the braciole cook, cook the pasta to al-dente. Drain and toss with a bit of the bacilli sauce. . Plate the pasta and top with a braciola.

Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: You can stuff braciole with many things - here I used a mixture with bread crumbs, mushrooms, leek and artichoke.

I have also substituted the mushrooms and leek for chorizo - or just add chorizo or italian sausage.  Another classic is to add a slice of prociutto on each braciola before adding the stuffing.

Grilled Lemon Mint Swordfish with Pineapple

Be prepared - its summertime and you're bound to find yourself between a beach and a grill sometime soon.  So hone your fish-grilling skills on this one.
1-1/2 lb swordfish fillet, cut into four serving portions

Marinade:
2 cloves garlic, minced
palmful fresh mint, minced
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp Koser salt
generous amount freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed 1-inch; 30 cubes
6 wooden skewers
30 fresh lemon balm leaves (or mint, or basil, or mix of all)

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Soak wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the marinade ingredients in a shallow dish.

Add the swordfish and marinate for about 30 minutes, turning once or twice.

Skewer the pineapple cubes, interspersed with the lemon balm leaves - about 5 cubes per skewer.

Heat grill to high. Spray pineapple skewers with a bit of oil. Place pineapple skewers and swordfish on grill and allow to grill 2-3 minutes, turn the pineapple skewers a quarter turn but leave the fish alone. After about another 2-3 minutes, flip the swordfish - it should have formed nice brown grill marks. If not, cook undisturbed just a bit longer. Turn pineapple kebabs another quarter turn.

After another 2-3 minutes, turn pineapple cubs one last quarter turn. After a total cooking time of about 10 minutes, fish should be cooked through. Remove swordfish and pineapple skewers to a serving platter. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  I have fresh mint and lemon balm growing in the garden.  I used mint leaves for the marinade and lemon balm leaves for the skewers.  If you are looking for another herb to grow in your garden, add lemon balm - it's one of the best-kept secrets of the herb garden.

Carrot and Belgian Endive Salad

The fresh crunch of carrot and angular, slightly bitter flavor of Belgian endives combine beautifuly with a classic vinaigrette, especially if made with a touch of honey.  Complement a grilled meat or fish, or marinated tofu with this.

Living in Belgium, I grew accustomed to "salade" as the side dish to a platter. This is a common side salad for lunches and dinners served in Belgium, sitting side-by-side to the main dish.  Not haute cuisine, maybe, but darn good fixings for family summer BBQ fun.  For sure.
5-6 carrots, grated
1 large Belgian Endive, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
fresh mint leaves

sauce:
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
fresh ground pepper
1 clove garlic minced through a press

Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Toss with the carrot, endive and green onion. Serve garnished with mint leaves.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Provencal Herbed Chicken Wings with Gorgonzola and Celery

What's all this I hear about BBQ wings? I wish I had a good SNL Emily Litella comeback to this, because grilled wings are so often associated with sweet, red, goopy (perhaps) sauces.  And sometimes I feel they are getting too hyped up.

What happened to the simple herbed (and garliced!) chicken wing?

Enter Mark Bittman who proposes such a thing.  Here is my take on his simple approach to a most wonderful cut of the chicken - the wing.  Although I designed my own marinade here, and still go for an accompaniment of blue cheese dip with celery, I really want you to look at Mark's innovative grilling technique, which has transformed the way I grill chicken of any shape or size, these days.

Thanks, Mark.
1 dozen wings, separated
2 ribs celery, cut into dipping matchsticks

Wing Marinade:
2 Tbsp herbes de Provence
1 tsp red chili pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, pushed through press
1 tsp Kosher coarse salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice or rice vinegar

Gorgonzola dip (see link)

Mix together the wing marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Toss marinade together with the chicken wings and allow to marinate at least an hour or even better, overnight.

Heat grill to high. Turn one side off and place wings on the side tuned off. Close the grill and allow to cook about 8-10 minutes. Reduce the middle and/or other side to medium and flip the wings to grill their other side on the other (hot) side of the grill. Cook for about another 10 minutes, turning once or twice, until the wings are cooked through and browning up nicely.

Serve with celery sticks and Gorgonzola dip.

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer or 3-4 as a meal.

Gorgonzola Dip

Grilled wings, here we come.

OK, or maybe just celery, baby carrots, broccoli, match-sticked fennel, orange pepper, snap peas or, look, just Fritos, for goodness sake!  This is fantastic all around.
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large green onion, coarsely chopped
4 oz blue cheese Gorgonzola, chopped
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Place garlic and onion in a small food processor and pulse to mince. Add remaining ingredients and process until mixed well but still a bit chunky.

Makes about 1 cup dip.

Cook's Note:  Really, seriously, I just love Fritos with this dip!

Greek Moussaka

A classic rich Greek dish combining eggplant, potato, lamb, tomato sauce and Greek spices.  The Italians have lasagna, the Greek have moussaka.
Béchamel sauce:
2 Tbsp canola oil plus 1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
dash freshly-ground nutmeg (about 1/4 tsp)

2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash red pepper flakes
palmful fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/2 lb mozarella (and/or Pepper Jack) cheese, sliced

1 large eggplant sliced 1/4-inch (12-14 slices)

1 lb ground lamb
1 28-oz jar favorite tomato sauce

2 large fresh, ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese (or a good mix)

Prepare the Béchamel (white) sauce. Pour the canola oil and butter into a medium saucepan and add the flour. Cook the flour in the oil for about 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly as the flour bubbles. Raise the heat to high and immediately pour in all of the milk. Salt and pepper lightly. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Reduce to the lowest simmer, whisking every so often.

Preheat oven to 400F. Pour a third of the sauce into an oiled 9x13-inch casserole. Lay the potatoes in overlapping layers on top of the sauce. Cover with just a dash more of the sauce - reserve half of the sauce (covered) for the topping. Microwave the potatoes for 5 minutes. You want them to be about half cooked, just yielding to the tip of a sharp knife.

Lay the eggplants on a large oiled baking sheet and spray or brush with some olive oil. Place in the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes, until the slices brown and char a bit in places.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions in a large skillet in a bit of olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic, red pepper oregano and half the basil, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Set onion mixture aside in a bowl. Remember to check the eggplants and remove from oven when done.

Heat a dash of olive oil on high heat in the same skillet as the onions. Tip in the lamb and brown for about 10 minutes. Return the onions along with the remaining basil.

Add the tomato sauce and just bring to a boil. Stir and reduce to a gentle simmer.

Reduce the oven to 375F and start assembling the moussaka. Lay the cheese slices on top of the potatoes.

Then pour the lamb mixture on top. Layer the eggplant slices over the lamb mixture.

Then layer on the tomato slices. Pour the remaining Béchamel sauce over the tomatoes and sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining basil leaves.

Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. It’s not a bad idea to put a rimmed baking sheet on the shelf below the casserole in case it drips a bit. Remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the moussaka is brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes to re-distribute all the juices. Slice in large wedges and serve.
Serves 6-8.

Cook's Note:  This is a more traditional preparation, very much like what I enjoyed cafe-side in Athens.

Moussaka in Athens cafe

Evening view from Athens cafe