Thai Chili Raspberry Wings

Fourth of July holiday is a perfect time for grilled chicken wings.  No excuses.
Chili Raspberry marinade:
3 green onions
2 cloves garlic
palmful fresh lemon balm leaves
1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup raspberry jam - your favorite
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

8-10 chicken wings, split

Place first three marinade ingredients in a small food processor and mince.

Tip minced aromatics into a small bowl and add the remaining marinade ingredients. Mix well.

Toss marinade with wings in a large mixing bowl, or a zip lock plastic bag.

Mix well, cover tightly and allow to marinate at least an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat a grill to high.

Grill wings, turning often for about 15 minutes.

Serves 3-4 as appetizer.

Orange Mint Teriyaki Steak

Don't forget to marinate your steaks teriyaki - a simple, wonderful Japanese quick grill.
Marinade:
1Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
palmful mint, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
zest of 1 orange
juice of 1 orange
2 Tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
2 Tbsp canola oil

1-1/4 lb sirloin steak

Mix together the marinade ingredients in a shallow casserole.

Lay the steak on top of the marinade.

Flip the steak over the marinade several times and allow to marinate for at least an hour, flipping often.

Heat grill to high. Grill steak for about 2-3 minutes per side, just until medium rare. Set steak on a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

Slice on a bias.

Serves 4.

Catfish Meunière

Catfish simply dusted in flour and browned in butter.  A classic European preparation imported and reveled in New Orleans.
3 Catfish fillets, about 1-1/2 lb, enough for four, cut into four portions
2 Tbsp butter plus 2 Tbsp canola oil

Coating mixture:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp Pimenton, smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper

Sauce:
1 small shallot, minced
2 Tbsp white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon (~1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp butter

Whisk together the coating mixture in a large, shallow dish. Dredge fillets in the coating, turning several times. Shake off fillet, so that it is just lightly dredged in flour.

Heat butter and oil in a large non-stick skillet, until butter begins to brown. Slip fillets into pan and cook about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. The fish should become golden brown. Flip the fillets and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Remove fish to plate and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, sauté the shallot in the butter remaining in the pan. Add the wine and reduce in half. Whisk in the lemon juice and the butter. Distribute sauce evenly between four plates and top with fish fillets.

Serves four.

Asian Beef with Noodles

Cook the beef as if for a stew and serve over noodles.  Add mushrooms and sautéed or braised veggies, and you have the kind of noodles eaten in China routinely.
2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
3-6 cloves garlic - your choice
1-inch fresh ginger, chopped
1 medium hot red chili pepper, sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp Nam Pla fish sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
about 1-2 cups water

1/2 lb chinese noodles (see Cook's note)
18-20 small baby bok choy
long, thin fresh straw mushrooms
toasted sesame seeds for topping

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat a glug of canola oil in a large Dutch oven, and brown the beef cubes in several batches. Remove beef to a bowl. Add a bit more canola oil, if necessary and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes, until very fragrant.

Return the beef to the pot and add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Add just enough water to barely submerge the beef.

Stir, cover and place in oven. Cook an hour. Remove from oven, uncover and stir gently. Re-cover and bake another hour in the oven.

During the last half hour of baking, get the noodles and veggies ready. Cook the noodles in well-salted water. In another pot, boil salted water and blanch the bok choy for a minute or so. Use tongs to remove the bok choy to a colander. Place mushrooms in the same water as the bok choy and blanch for another minute. Drain. Finally, drain noodles separately, reserving pasta water.

To serve, place a serving of noodles in a bowl. Top with 3-4 bok chow, some beef and a ladleful of sauce, and some mushrooms. Add a bit of pasta water if a bit more liquid is needed. Top with sesame seeds.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's Note: Almost any Asian noodles will work, such as Udon or wide Thai rice noodles. You can even use spaghetti.

Roasted Chicken with Olives and Grilled Artichokes

Although roasted chicken with salt and pepper is always a winner, dolling up a roasting chicken is fast an easy with so many of the great condiments available.  Here I quickly transform a lonely chicken into something aromatic and Mediterranean simply with marinated grilled artichokes (from a jar) and marinated, herbed olives. A little fresh thyme from the garden and viola.  Pop in the oven and go for a bike ride.  What an aroma coming home!
1 roaster chicken, back removed, and spatchcoked in half
1 jar Grilled marinated artichoke halves, drained (I used Trader Joe’s)
8 oz mixed marinated olives (I used Trader Joe’s, with lemon and herbs)
palmful fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Lay chicken in a roasting pan and scatter the olives (including herb marinade if appropriate) and the artichokes, with a dash of their oil, about the chicken. Season generously and scatter the thyme on top.

Roast chicken about an hour, until the chicken is fully cooked through and the juices run clear.

Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes.

Carve and serve with your favorite sides.

Serves 4-6.

Cook's Note:  Spatchcoking the chicken means removing the back with strong kitchen shears and flattening the chicken with the palms of your hand on the counter.  This allows the chicken to cook much faster than if left whole.

Wasabe Furikake Grilled Salmon

These gorgeous, lazy days of summer are perfect for fast simple grilling - like a quick salmon fillet.  Season easily with something as simple as dill weed, or a richer mix like cajun seasoning, or as here, Japanese wasabe furikake seasoning.

A nice mix of sesame seeds, seaweed, dried shrimp and wasabe, furikake is not only Japan's favorite rice seasoning, it's gotta be my favorite salmon seasoning.
12-oz salmon fillet with skin, center cut
1 Tbsp wasabe furikake Japanese spice mix
kosher salt
red pepper flakes

Heat grill to high. Oil the skin side of the fillet generously with canola oil. Flip and season with furikake, salt and pepper flakes.

When grill is very hot, place fish skin-side down on the grill.

Close grill and grill on high for about 8 minutes, watching every 2-3 minutes. The fish should grill quietly for most of 8 minutes or so.

But after that as fat renders, flames can begin to lap up around the fillet. I love this because it really chars the skin and gives a good grilled flavor.

 But you might want to temper the flames with a water mister if they get too aggressive. Cook for a total of about 10 minutes per inch of thickness - I like my salmon slightly on the medium side, not overcooked and dry. Cook to your liking.

Gently remove the fish from the grill with a sharp metal spatula; you may need to coax it off the grill a bit if the char was boss. Slice and serve with salsa verde yogurt tartar sauce, if desired.

Serves 2-3.

Salsa Verde Yogurt Tartar sauce
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
2 tsp pickle relish
1 Tbsp salsa verde
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp favorite hot sauce (I used Texas Pete’s)

Stir ingredients together in a bowl.

Pulled Pork Nachos

Here's a great thing to make the father in your life, for father's day.  If you can't get some prepared pulled pork fast enough, just sauté up some ground pork or ground beef and kick it up with some cumin, garlic and chili powder.  You'll be fine.
1 14 oz bag favorite tortilla chips (I used Trader Joe’s Flax tortillas)
12 oz cooked pulled pork (I used Trader Joe’s), warm
1/2 cup pico de gallo fresh salsa
1 can black beans in spicy sauce
2/3 lb grated Mexican mix cheese
Chopped chives if desired

Preheat oven to 450F. Lay half the chips on the base of a 13x9-inch casserole. Top with half the cheese, pulled pork, black beans and salsa.

Repeat layers with remaining chips,

and remaining ingredients, and garnish with chives.

Bake in oven until cheese is melted and slightly browned. You can finish in the broiler if you want, but watch carefully as the cheese will burn quickly. Serve immediately.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole.  Serves 4 as an appetizer.

Cook’s Note: I love the prepared pull pork from Trader Joe’s, and typically only buy it when I’m traveling and renting an Air BNB - so convenient. If you have the time and you are home, try cooking your pork in a slow cooker during the day and use it for nachos at night. That’s thinking ahead.

When cooking in a week-long rental you have to be careful of your ingredients - especially if you are flying and not driving. I often scatter pickled jalapeño slices about my nachos, but I didn’t want to waste the remains of the jar, and the salsa we got was sooo hot, I decided against jalapeños this time.

Creole Chicken Shrimp Gumbo

This is a mix of  flavors and ingredients.  A perfect example of how I see American cooking asimilating the World.

Now, especially, is a time for embracing and unification.  A time for tolerance and an exchange of good ideas. A time for sharing love through food and nourishment.  Cajun/Creole cooking is just that.   Here is a great example of getting diverse viewpoints at the table.

Share food and Discus!!!
1/2 green pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 large sweet Vidalia onion, peeled and diced

1 link andouille sausage, diced, about a cup
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
plenty of freshly crushed black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour

1 quart best chicken or turkey stock
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced 1/2-inch
12 shrimp, peeled and cut in thirds, lengthwise

Heat a dash of olive oil in a medium pot and sauté the Creole “Trinity” of green pepper, celery and onion for about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage, thyme, oregano, garlic and pepper, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Set the veggies aside, and add the canola oil and flour to the pot.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. This makes the dark roux so relished in gumbos.

Whisk in the stock into the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Add the chicken and shrimp, and return the sautéed veggies to the pot.  Cook over a gentle simmer, until cooked through and thickened nicely.

Serve with rice in bowls. Serves 4.

Fire Roasted Chili Beef Casserole

Here's a chili taken to the next level with beautiful mushrooms and broiled in a cheesy casserole.  Serve with rice or tortilla chips, a salad or steamed veggies.
12 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 lb ground grass fed beef
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
about 10 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, minced
1 can fire roasted petite diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved

1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 can favorite chili beans in sauce
1 tsp pimenton - spanish smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
good dash red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup grated cheese, I used cheddar and pepper Jack

Preheat oven to broil. Sauté the mushrooms in a dash of olive oil in a skillet over very high heat, allowing them to release what water they will. Brown them nicely an set aside. Add a dash more olive oil and brown the ground beef and onions at high heat, until browned all around. add the garlic, sage and oregano and cook another 3-4 minutes.

Add the drained tomatoes and cook over highest heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring often. and corn

Add the chili beans, tomato juice, paprika, cumin and red pepper flakes, and bring to a gentle boil.

Transfer chili to an oiled casserole.

Top with the cheese and place in the oven.

Broil about 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.

Serve over rice if desired. Serves 4.

Lamb Kofta

Ground lamb combined with aromatic Indian herbs and spices is often prepared by surrounding the formed ground beef about a wooden kebab.  Good luck.  I am sure this can be done, but probably requires the most precise humidity and ingredient consistency, to avoid the ground meat from falling from the kebab.

Go wild and do it if you can.  Otherwise just form nice simple meatballs as I have done here, and keep everything intact.  And delicious.
Kofta mixture:
palmful fresh mint leaves
palmful fresh lemon balm leaves, or zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp Harissa, Middle Eastern condiment
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
Plenty fresh ground black pepper

1-1/4 lb lamb
Panko bread crumbs as needed

Sauce:
1 red pepper, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
1 later fresh ripe tomato, diced
2 large tomatillos
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño diced
2 tsp paprika

Place kofta mixture ingredients in a small food processor and process just until you have a consistency like pesto - slightly granular but smooth.

Tip kofta mixture into a mixing bowl along with the lamb, and combine with your hands. Add panko crumbs only enough to form reasonably firm meat balls that can maintain their shape for sautéing in a pan. Form into about two dozen meatballs.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non-stick skillet and add the meat balls. Sauté slowly, turning every so often, to brown evenly.

Meanwhile, add the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend to form a smooth consistency.

Remove the browned meatballs to a plate and pour in the veggie sauce puree into the skillet.

Bring to a gentle boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring. Cook for about 10 minutes. Then return the meatballs to the sauce and heat through.

Serves 4. Serve over fresh baby spinach, with pickled Jerusalem cucumbers (below) and rice if desired.

Pickled Jerusalem Cucumbers
2 Jerusalem cucumbers, halved lengthwise, cut into half moons
2 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
dash salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes or as long as you can before dinner.

Serves 4 as a condiment.

Chili Jam Smoked Salmon Open Face

The sweet heat of chili jam is just the right complement to the salty richness of smoked salmon.  Serve this as a quick brunch, lunch or appetizer.  Fresh, sharp, sweet, delicious.
2 pieces prepared pizza crust
3 Tbsp cream cheese
2 tsp sweet chili jam (I use Trader Joe’s)
4 slices smoked salmon
2 tsp non-pareille capers
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Spread the cream cheese evenly on the crust pieces.

Top with the chili jam. Lay on the smoked salmon. Garnish with capers and parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 2 as an appetizer.

Cook's Note: You can use most any substrate such as halved pita bread, toasted English muffins, Indian naan, or a nice baguette.  Improvise!