Next Gen Vinaigrette Erique

Making a really, really good vinaigrette has been a craft in my and my in-law family for generations.  My late uncle, Jeannot and Father-in-law, Bernard, were both geniuses at the vinaigrette.

I have to say my siblings along with my sisters and brothers in-law do really now carry on the tradition as I strive to as well.  In our family cookbook "Cuisine Encore" I published my go-to vinaigrette - a basic version taught to me by my French mother, Monique.  It's great, yet I have been looking for something slightly more modern and upbeat.  So I merged Asian rice vinegar into the mix along with fresh (not powdered) garlic and mustard, and toned down the salt.

I now have what I think is an even better basic vinaigrette, today.
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 generous tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup avocado oil
lots ground fresh pepper
1 tsp dried dill
2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed through a garlic press

Whisk the vinegars, mustard and salt in a bowl. I also vigorously (and I mean vigorously) shake them together in a salad dressing bottle.

Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together well to form an emulsion.

RIFF:  Add 2 tsp grated horseradish and substitute dill for tarragon

Cook's Note:  I like grainy Dijon, but it does not seem to form as good an emulsion, so I sometimes use half and half regular:grainly and it seems to work well.  Of course it all depends on the formulation of the mustard you use.

I used to use Canola oil combined with olive oil until the news that seed oils like Canola are not the best for health, so I switched to avocado. Also you swap the ratios of olive to avocado oil so long as you use a total of 3/4 cups oil.

Lentil Beef Ragu Soft Shell Tacos

Returning recently from Europe,  I am reminded how much I LOVE lentils.  I mix them with beef and ragu ingredients and wrap them with tortillas, for an international fusion of flavors.
Lentil Beef Ragu:
1 cup French Puy lentils
5 cups cold water
1 large onion, diced
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp rosemary, minced
1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes

8 small flour tortillas
6 oz Monterrey pepper jack cheese, sliced
16 grape tomatoes, halved
4 cups spring greens
palmful cilantro leaves

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

First the ragu (which can be prepared ahead of time):

Bring the water to a boil on a medium pot. Add the lentils and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, just to soften the lentil. Watch that you do not overlook them, as then tend to break apart when overlooked.

Meanwhile sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Cook for about 8-10 minutes to soften and color them a bit. Turn up the heat to high and crumble in the ground beef. Allow the beef to release what water it will and to brown up nicely. Add the garlic and rosemary as the beef starts to brown. Cook at least another 5 minutes, reducing the heat a bit as the beef begins to brown. Add the spaghetti sauce and the wine and stir to mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes.

When the lentils are cooked through, drain them. Gently fold the lentils into the sauce and cook another 10-20 minutes to meld the flavors.

Now the tacos:

Preheat oven to 400F. Lay the tortillas on a broiling pan. Distribute about half the cheese evenly about the tortillas and top with arugula. Place about 1/2 cup sauce on each.

Fold each tortilla over and top with remaining cheese.

Bake just until the cheese melts. Meanwhile whisk together the dressing and toss with the spring greens. Distribute greens evenly about 4 plates. Place 1-2 tacos on salad beds and top with tomatoes. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Cook’s Note: This sauce is even better the next day and can be used served over rice or pasta as well. A great standby sauce, this can also be frozen very well.

Smoked Salmon Chef Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

A quick salad always does it for a quick weeknight dinner, especially after a late day at work.  You can make this as fast as you can get take-out.  Cheaper and, oh, so much better.
6 eggs
2 Yukon gold potatoes
4 cups baby arugula (or other favorite salad green)
8 oz smoked salmon, sliced
1 orange pepper, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
4 tsp small capers

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon, about 2 Tbsp
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp good real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp sur cream


Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Set on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Cook for 6 more minutes and then drain. Cool eggs down well with plenty of cold water. When cool, peel and quarter eggs.

Pierce the potatoes with the tines of a fork all over. Microwave 8-10 minutes, turning 2-3 times. When cooked through, remove to a cutting board with a towel. Quarter and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Lay a bed of greens on each of four plates. Distribute eggs and potatoes among the plates. Do the same for the salmon, peppers and capers. Dress with dressing and garnish with green onions.

Serves four.

Tahini Sauce with Yogurt

This is a wonderful sauce which can be used on roasted vegies, such as eggplants, or fish.  It is a great starter for humus - make this and then add your beans and pulse until smooth!
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 cup water, additional if needed
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper to taste

Pulse the garlic in a small food processor until very well minced. Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend well. Adjust consistency with more water if necessary, and adjust seasoning with salt and cayenne pepper.

Makes about 1-1/4 cup sauce.

Parsley Wasabe Aioli

This is delicious with cold poached fish or crispy veggies.
1 large clove garlic
palmful fresh parsley
2-3 tsp wasabe paste
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonaisse
2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Drop the clove of garlic into a small food processor. Mince. Then add the parsley and mince again. Now add the rest of the cream ingredients.

Process to a creamy consistency. Depending on the yogurt you use you may need to adjust the consistency to a just-pourable level - you can use milk, water or rice vinegar, to your taste!

Transfer to a small bowl.

Makes about 1 cup.  And I promise that won't be enough :-))

Artichoke Remoulade Aioli

This is classic spicy aioli sauce that goes with so many things from grilled fish and meats to dipping crispy veggies.  Use on sandwiches or a dollop topping for a fresh salad or a soup.

In this remoulade, I add marinated artichokes, but that's just me.  Others use celery, or just fresh parsley.  I also lighten the sauce with fresh ricotta - again, that's just me.

Originally French, this sauce has been morphed with the essence of Louisiana, so you'll see many recipes with cajun spices - I just use red chili peppers here to give it a bit of a kick.  There are myriad variations to make this sauce your own. But don't forget the cournichons, capers, garlic and grainy mustard - real signatures that add body to a Remoulade.
3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 small jar marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained
4 small cournichon pickles, about 2 Tbsp, cut in half
palmful fresh cilantro
2 tsp seedy Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp capers
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup good real mayonnaise
1/2 cup ricotta
juice of 1/2 lime

Place the garlic and thyme in a food processor. Mince.

Add the next group of ingredients: artichoke hearts, pickles, cilantro, mustard, horseradish, capers and dill to the processor.

Chop well.

Scrape down and then add the mayonnaise, ricotta and lime. Process until smooth and saucy.
Makes about 2 cups.

Carolina Beef Flat Ribs

This is a more tangy BBQ sauce, reminiscent of Carolina Southern mustard BBQ sauces, rather than deep rich smokey red Texan sauces.  This is great with ribs, pork or whatever you are grilling, especially lighter pieces.
A Carolina BBQ Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil

2 racks beef back flat ribs, about 3-4 lb

Blend BBQ sauce ingredients together in a small food processor.

Heat grill to high. Grill ribs for about 10-15 minutes, turning several times. Mind the ribs because the fat can flame up, and you want to manage the flames. As much as I like a good char on the ribs, I keep one side of the grill medium and the other HOT. I swap back and forth to manage the cooking. I like the ribs medium rare - I find this flat cut of ribs does not really need the slow 5-6 hour cooking that so many short ribs (very thick, English cut) might enjoy.

After about 10 minutes cooking, start slavering on the BBQ sauce, now flipping every 30-60 seconds, to manage the heat on the sweets sauce - too long on one side will burn the sauce.

I know cooking ribs is like religion, so you cook it the way you believe. I cooked about another 15-20 minutes, turning and basting often. I end with a good major slathering and then remove the ribs to a cutting board. Cut ribs apart and plate.

Serves 2.

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!

Wasabe Chipotle Crema

Do Japanese like Tex-Mex food?  The Southwest meets Japan in this smokey, piquant sauce, wonderful for grilled meat or fish.  Add enough wasabe until "it goes up your nose'!
1/4 cup good real mayonnaise
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsp wasabe paste
1 tsp dried chipotle chili flakes (see Cook’s Note)
1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
juice of half a lime

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Allow flavors to meld at least 30 minutes.

Cook’s Note: I use Whole Food’s Dried Chipotle flakes to get that smokey chipotle flavor, without having to open a whole can of chipotle peppers. But if you have canned peppers opened and ready, you could certainly use them - maybe a Tablespoon, chopped.

Tahini Mint and Chive Sauce

This is a light creamy sauce used to enhance stuffed pita sandwiches, felafel, and other foods from the Middle East.  Here, I add mint and chive to take advantage of our summer garden.
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1-1/2 Tbsp
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt

about 2-3 Tbsp water

palmful mint
1/4 cup chopped chives

Put the garlic in a small food processor and pule to mince finely. Add the tahini, lemon, olive oil and salt, and process to form a thick sauce. Use a rubber spatial to scrape down the sides of the processor and add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pulse to form a creamy sauce to your consistency. Depending on your tahini, this may take all three, or even maybe more tablespoons of water.

Add the mint and chives and process just enough to incorporate the herbs. Tip into a serving bowl.

Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Cilantro Mint Sauce

A good, simple sauce can make many a dish.  Try this with vegetarian dishes, to liven up the presentation, or with most any grilled meat or fish.
2 cloves garlic
1 palmful mint leaves
2 palmfuls cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup plain Greek non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup good, real mayonnaise
1 Tbsp prepared wasabe

Pulse the garlic in a small food processor. Add the herbs and pulse to chop coarsely. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to form a smooth cream.

Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Cook's Note:  We had a sauce akin to this at Buckley's Tavern, in Greenville DE.  It came with their fried calimari and we continued asking for it with their fish tacos.  We loved it.  It definitely works for fish, but we also found, at home, that it is especially fantastic for vegetarian dishes, and is great for grilled meats as well.  Explore.

Orange Bourbon Glaze

Don't crack open a generic plastic bottle of BBQ this holiday weekend - you're worth better than that, aren't you?  A few shots of Bourbon and orange juice with honey and spices to kick it up, is all it takes.  Minutes for something truly memorable.
1/2 cup Bourbon
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp Sriracha or other hot sauce


Bring the Bourbon and orange juice to a boil and cook down to reduce volume in half. Reduce heat and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk together well.


Makes about 1 cup of glaze.

Pimenton Tartar Sauce

A bit of paprika and Tabasco sauce adds a pink hue, perfect for salmon!

1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup good, real mayonaise
1 rounded tablespoon India Relish
1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp Pimenton, smoked Spanish paprika
1 Tbsp lemon juice
dash Tabasco or other favorite hot sauce, optional
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients together. Chill before serving.

Cook’s Note: We use this basic preparation for fish, with or without the pimenton and Tabasco. Using a 2:1 mix of yogurt (Greek, please, or you will have a runny consistency) to mayonnaise, adds lightness and a fresher flavor. Not quite a Greek Tsatsiki, and not quite an Italian Aioli, this is a hybrid sauce, much lighter than tartar sauces typically served with fish. And please note, no sugar or honey - so many sauces out there are too sweet; keep it light.

Red Chili Sauce

When I lived in Colorado, we used to go back across the tracks in Fort Collins to get great Mexican 'red chili'.  This was pork stewed in a red sauce made from Guajillo chills.  What always surprised me was that the red chili was never as spicy hot at their 10-alarm green chili, but just rich and aromatic.  I guess I expected the green chili to be mild and the red, hot.  Not.

This sauce is a basic Mexican sauce that has a million uses - like a tomato sauce in Italy.  It can be used to make pork in red chili, or enchiladas, or carnitas for example.  Make some and have it around, and you'll find uses for it!

1 onion, diced
1 fresh red chili pepper (optional)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
4 cups chicken broth
8 dried Guajillo chilis, stemmed, seeded and torn in pieces
2 corn tortillas, torn in pieces
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp molasses


Heat a bit of canola oil in a 3-4 quart pot. Sauté the onion and chili pepper for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and coriander and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, chills, tortillas, cocoa and molasses and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat and let sir for 30 minutes.


In batches, carefully blend mixture in a blender and then strain in a fine strainer. Be careful as you blend hot liquid - it can tend to pulse. Return strained sauce to a clean saucepan and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes.


Makes about 4 cups red chili sauce.

Carrot Top Chimichurri

There's a million reasons to love your CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture).  As an analytical chemist in my day job, designing instrumentation that can determine pesticides in foods, I especially appreciate that our CSA is certified organic.  We also want to support local agriculture for many reasons, including reducing the carbon footprint of our food supply and getting in closer touch with our food source.  Michael Pollen and others like Mark Bittman articulate a strong case for 'eating local' and shifting more to plant-based protein. 

So when I get that big box of veggies every Wednesday, I try to figure out how to use everything inside.  And when I look at the gorgeous green tops to the organic carrots, I simply can't see throwing them away.  Last week I combined carrot top greens with the Swiss chard and beet greens for a great mixed green saute.  This week I blended the carrot tops with other aromatic greens to make chimichurri, a spicy Argentinean sauce.  A sort of mix between pesto and salsa, this is a great hot sauce to spice up meats, fish, soups, omelets, sandwiches, you name it, nom, nom, nom...
Green tops from 3 carrots
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup arugula leaves
1 small jalapeño pepper, quartered
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Dash salt
About 1/3 cup olive oil

Trim the leaves off the stems of the carrot greens and wash well.  Spin dry in a salad spinner and place in a small food processor.  You may have to pulse them down in several batches.  Pulse in the remaining greens and add the remaining ingredients except the oil.  Processes about 5 seconds and then add enough oil, pulsing until you get a smooth paste the consistency of pesto.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Toasted Hazelnut Pesto

Its getting on time to harvest the basil and pack it away as pesto, even in the Mid-Atlantic.

For a change, try toasted hazelnuts instead of pignoli nuts, which I think are overpriced, and under-flavored.

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
4 cups fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375F.  Scatter nuts on a baking sheet.  Carefully toast the hazelnuts for about 3-5 minutes, shaking one or twice, until they release oils and become very fragrant. Be very careful not to let them burn. Remove from oven.

When the nuts have cooled, tip them into a large food processor with the garlic.  Process with pulsing, until the nuts are well ground, but being careful not to over process them. You don't want to make hazelnut butter!  Add the basil, oil and Parmesan cheese. Process until basil is incorporated and pesto is a gritty, but smooth consistency.

Pack immediately.  Exposure to oxygen can darken the surface of the pesto.  I freeze about 1/2-cup portions in a zip-lock bag, which lasts several months in the freezer.  I like the idea of freezing pest in ice cube trays, but once in a freezer bag, the cubes eventually fuse together...

Makes 2-3 cups.

Marrakesh Express Dilly Chili Sauce

1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Harissa, Moroccan red chili paste
1/2 tsp Ras el Hanout, Moroccan curry powder
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced (or 1 tsp dried)

Whisk all ingredients together.  Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld together.  Makes about 1/2 cup sauce.

Orange Pico de Gallo Salsa

2 tomatoes, finely diced and drained
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño or Seranno chili pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
Palmful fresh cilantro, minced
1 fresh navel orange, peeled and finely diced
Dash salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup olive oil

Toss all ingredients into a bowl and allow to Maserati together for at least half a hour.  Stir well before serving.

Makes about 3-4 cups.

Pistachio and Toasted Walnut Pesto

This is a pesto I found in researching Basque cookbooks and recipes.  It is used to serve on top of soups and stews, and I also used it to make a wonderful pizza with shrimp.  Very quick to whip up, it is hearty and nutty and adds a great dimension to vegetarian dishes.

1/3 cup shelled pistachios
1/3 cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Palmful fresh parsley
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 400F.  Spread the walnuts on a rimmed jelly roll pan and toast in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, just until fragrant.  Watch carefully so as not to allow walnuts to burn.  Toss all ingredients except oil into a small food processor and process until will ground.  add just enough oil to bring mixture together into a smooth creamy paste.

Asian Green Lemongrass Curry Paste

Lemongrass, pulsed with ginger and garlic is a basis for this green chili paste (and numerous other green chili pastes throughout Asia), that can be used for untold Southeast Asian curry dishes.  But don't hesitate to personalize this with what you have on hand to make it your own.

This curry paste can be used for fish, meat and poultry curries, or as an exciting accelerator for egg and other dishes that just need  bit of a kick.

2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds

2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, coarsely chopped
1-inch fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 lime
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1/3 cup canola oil

Toast the seeds in a small dry skillet for a few minutes, only enough to release their fragrance.  This should take about 1 minute.  Tip the seeds into a grinder (I dedicate a coffee grinder for spices), and grind the seeds to a coarse powder.

In a small food processor, chop the lemongrass and ginger until you have a fine pulp, like grated coconut flakes.  Add the onion, jalapeño and garlic, and process until thoroughly chopped. 

Slice the tips of the lime and cut in half at the equator,  Place flat side down and peel with the tip of a sharp knife.  Chop each half into quarters.  Add the lime, red pepper flakes, garam masala, ground toasted seeds and the oil into the processor.  Process into a smooth paste.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Makes about 1 to 1-1/2 cups curry paste, enough for 3-4 curries.