So Much Stirring, So Much Chopping, So much Flavor!

Cooking Indian with Padmaja from Mumbai - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

OMG There’s a Lobster Loose!

Growing up, we used to be able to choose the dinner the family would have on our birthday. With six kids in our family, we ate a lot of lobster! The standard dish was boiled lobster with drawn butter – something we continue to enjoy today with our children. Our daughter and I continue the birthday (and sometimes more often!) lobster tradition, but after a while you can yearn for something more than just plain boiled lobster.

The problem is, lobsters come home alive. And if they don’t get loose (see Woody Allen’s Annie Hall for details), one way or another you have to ‘dispatch’ the lobster before cooking or eating [‘dispatch’ is a euphemism used in cookbooks for kill]. It’s easiest to toss the live lobster in a pot of boiling water, but if you want to bake the lobster, you’ll have to take matters into your own hands; and I can only urge you to learn the correct way to ‘dispatch’ a lobster – for everybody’s sake.

If you can handle it, baking a lobster with butter, or stuffed with, say a crabmeat stuffing, is well worth the extra work.

Either way – for goodness sake, save the shells. You can make an outstanding bisque with them, doubling the fun for all the money you spent on the lobster. Even if you don’t have any lobster meat left, just add a few shrimp into the recipe and you’re all set.


Lobster Baked with Capers, Leeks, Lemons and Limes
2 chick (1½ -2 lb) lobsters
2 leeks, (mostly white –some green stalk), cleaned, drained and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp capers
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
½ cup chicken stock or clam broth
½ cup white wine
4 oz whipped butter
2 lemons
1 lime

The hard part: Dispatch (kill…) the lobsters in a humane fashion with a sharp knife quickly inserted in the back of the head to sever the spine instantaneously – if you are unfamiliar with this technique it is worth reading up on it in cookbooks, or the web – please do; I don’t do it justice here and it is not for the faint of heart… Slice the lobsters in half, and clean out the tamale, gravel sac and intestinal vein (or shmooze with your fish monger to do this for you!). Place lobsters halves in a large oiled roasting pan, alternating head and tail.

The fun part: Preheat oven to 400F. In a large skillet, sauté the leeks in a bit of olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the leeks begin to brown. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and continue cooking another few minutes until very fragrant. Add the capers and parsley and stir to combine. Spoon leek mixture evenly on top of lobsters. Juice the lemons and the limes, discard the seeds, and pour the juices over the lobsters. Cut the lemon and lime rinds up into ½ to ¾-inch pieces. Toss over lobsters. Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile prepare the sauce by simmering the broth and the wine. Whisk in the butter. Whipped butter holds an emulsion much better than regular butter and makes a really nice smooth sauce. Pour over the lobsters evenly. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Serve lobsters over linguine for a fine presentation.


Rich Lobster Bisque
Shells from 3 to 4 cooked lobsters, broken up
Shells from ½ lb. shrimp

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 onion, quartered, skin included
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup cream sherry
meat from one lobster
½ lb shelled shrimp cut into ½-inch pieces

For stock – sear shells, onion, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a large pot for about 15 minutes. Add 6-8 cups water just to cover shells and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a soup sieve.

Whisk together the cream sherry and the tomato paste. Tip stock into a soup pot and add cream sherry, and tomato paste along with the lobster meat and shrimp. Simmer just enough to cook shrimp through, about 3-5 minutes.

Healthy Muffins – an Oxymoron?

These are outrageously delicious – and at least they have some redeeming qualities…

Banana Bran Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Muffins
Dry:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup wheat bran
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup white chocolate morsels

Wet:
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 Tbsp molasses
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold just to mix. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with oil. Bake 23-25 minutes.

Apple Bran Carrot Muffins
Dry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup wheat bran
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
½ cup shredded coconut

Wet:
1 cup apple sauce
1 cup finely grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
1 cup milk (or apple cider, or a mix of the two)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 Tbsp molasses

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold just to mix. Spoon into muffin tins sprayed with oil. Bake 23-25 minutes.

Pasta Primavera – an Unlimited Feast

Stuck on what’s for dinner? You can’t go wrong with a bunch of pasta, some veggies and whatever is lying around the pantry.

During the holidays, our brother and sister-in-law stopped over for a night on their way back home from Manhattan. Promising to make dinner, Julie stopped off at Dean and DeLuca’s, last minute, and picked up some pasta and a variety of savories from the deli – two different kinds of marinated artichokes and sundried tomatoes. She sautéed them with (I kid you not) almost a dozen cloves of garlic and an onion – very slowly, to soften and caramelize the veggies. She tossed them with angel hair pasta and Parmesan cheese and sprinkled the dish with parsley. Simple and fantastic.

Julie started me on a kick of cooking pasta with veggies – pasta primavera is really an unlimited opportunity. Keep your pantry stocked with cool stuff from the grocery aisles like marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes, olives, capers, and whatever strikes your fancy. And don’t be afraid of garlic.

Spaghetti with Two Cabbages and Sweet Red Peppers
1/8 lb bacon, finely chopped
1 purple Bermuda onion, thinly sliced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
½ green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ dry white wine
1 lb. whole grain spaghetti
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Set a bug pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. In a large skillet, sauté bacon, onion, red pepper flakes and garlic in a bit of olive oil, until the bacon is well cooked and the onions begin to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes. Add the cabbage, red pepper, sugar, vinegar and wine. Toss well and cover for about 5 minutes. Uncover, stir and repeat 1-2 times, until cabbage softens and liquid evaporates. When liquid is evaporated, uncover and sauté cabbage (make sure there is still enough oil) until it is crisp-tender to your liking. Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti until al-dente. Drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Toss spaghetti together with the cabbage in a large bowl. Add a bit of the water if too dry. Top with parsley.


Farfalle with Broccoli Rabé, Clams and Gorgonzola
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp diced sun dried tomatoes
1 8-oz can diced clams, undrained
1 large bunch broccoli rabé, trimmed of thick stalk ends, and cut in half lengthwise
1 lb Farfalle pasta
¼ lb gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Set a pot of salted water to boil. Heat a skillet and sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, sundried tomatoes, clams and the broccoli rabé. Cook only until the broccoli rabé is crisp-tender, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile cook the Farfalle in the water, just until al-dente. In a large serving bowl, gently toss together the Farfalle, broccoli-clam mixture and the cheese.


Fettuccine with Swiss Chard, Ham and Sundried Tomatoes
¼ lb boneless ham steak, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped, washed and drained
½ cup dry white wine
1 lb. fettuccine
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Set a bug pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. In a large skillet, sauté ham, onion, red pepper flakes and garlic in a bit of olive oil, until the ham is well cooked and the onions begin to soften, about 5-8minutes. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook another 3-5 minutes, until the onion begins to caramelize. Add the Swiss chard and the wine and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the Swiss chard softens to your liking.

Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in the salted water just until al dente. Drain, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Toss fettuccine together with the Swiss chard in a large bowl. Add a bit of the water if too dry. Top with parsley.

Curries and Tomatoes

Tomatoes grab huge flavor from caramelizing, and they can add tremendous depth of flavor to curries. Sautéing (or roasting) tomatoes are good ways of brightening up otherwise dull tomatoes available in winter.

Curried Shrimp With Leek and Artichokes
1 leek diced, washed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp curry powder
2 large tomatoes, diced (or 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained)
1 cup coconut milk
1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled
6 quartered, marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

In a large skillet, sauté the leek in a bit of olive oil for about 6-8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook another few minutes until fragrant. Set vegetables aside in a bowl. Heat another glug of olive oil in the skillet over high heat until shimmering. Toss in the tomatoes and sizzle until caramelized, at least 5 minutes. Stir only from time to time to allow the tomatoes to fry. It’s important to do this over high heat because caramelized tomatoes are so much more flavorful than boiled!

Add the coconut milk to the tomatoes and return the leek mixture to the skillet. Stir in the shrimp and artichoke hearts. Heat through just until the shrimp are pink and cooked.


This is a great curry, which you start on the stovetop and finish by roasting in the oven. The tomato sauce that results from roasting the chicken with the tomatoes and vegetables is absolutely fantastic. And there is usually plenty enough saucy vegetables left over that you can freeze for use later (when desperate!) to jazz up some simple tofu, fish or boneless chicken breast really quickly on a weeknight.

Chicken Curry Roasted with Tomato
1 roasting chicken, cut up
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp prepared curry paste, or 1 Tbsp curry powder
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small can chunk pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 375F. Brown the chicken pieces in a bit of olive oil in a large pan or your roasting pan. Salt and pepper to taste. After all sides are browned, set chicken aside. Add a bit more olive oil as needed to sauté the onion and pepper for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and spice seeds and cook another few minutes until very fragrant. Now would be the time to add any red pepper flakes if your curry powder or paste is not at all hot!

Add the curry paste or powder and cook about another minute or two to develop the flavors. Stir in the tomatoes and pineapple and then nestle the chicken into the sauce. Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and well browned. Carefully spoon off any visible fat from the surface of the sauce and serve over rice.

Chick Pea Curry With Vegetables
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
½-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 small or ½ large butternut squash, peeled and cut to ½ inch dice
1 can diced tomatoes, strained, juice reserved
1 15-oz can chickpeas
1 can light coconut milk
1 small head cauliflower, about 4 cups florets
1 medium zucchini, cut to ½-inch dice
1 stick cinnamon
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 Tbsp sugar
½ tsp red pepper flakes

In a large pan, Dutch oven or tagine, sauté onion in a bit of olive oil until softened. Add garlic and ginger, spice seeds and butternut squash. Sauté another few minutes until fragrant. Add the drained tomatoes and cook over high heat until the tomatoes caramelize a bit – this is important because sautéed tomatoes are so much more flavorful than boiled tomatoes. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk, juice from tomatoes and remaining spices. Simmer about 15 minutes, and then add the remaining veggies. Cook another 10-15 minutes, covered, just until the cauliflower is softened, but still very crunchy.

The easy way: just use 2 Tbsp curry paste or 1 Tbsp curry powder instead of all the other spices listed after the coconut milk.

Canellini, Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

Let’s start the New Year right – here’s a great bean-green-grain recipe that can be a staple during a long winter. A heart-warming soup that Michael Pollan and Mark Bittman should be very OK with.

Cannellini, Kale and Sweet Potato Soup
1 purple Bermuda onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups water

1 cup dry white wine
1 15-oz can Cannellini beans
½ bunch kale (about 4-6 cups), chopped
1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup Ditalini pasta

In a soup pot, sauté the onion in a bit of olive oil, until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking a few more minutes until fragrant. Add the chicken stock, water, the wine, beans and the kale. Simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato and the pasta and cook another 10 minutes or so, just until the potato and the pasta are ad-dente. Salt and pepper to taste.

Apple Betty

The epitome of comfort food inspired by a dish served at a dude ranch on Lake Sherman in the Adirondacks.

Ridin’ Hy Apple Betty
6 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
juice of ½ lemon
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1 box yellow cake mix
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix apples and lemon in a large bowl. Toss with the cinnamon and sugar. In another bowl, mix together the cake mix, oatmeal, brown sugar and salt. Stir in the butter.

Distribute apples in an oiled 13x9” baking pan. Crumble topping evenly on top of apples.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until apples are bubbly and topping is browned.

Boxing Day Soups

Cold. Tired of Christmas Cheer. Need something warm and soothing. Invite 25 people over and serve them Mexican soups. They’ll smile. You’ll smile.

Pork Posole
Don’t kid yourself, this soup takes time – like the best soups or stews, it should be started the day before to mature flavors and allow you to cool the soup and completely remove all the fat – this is a post-Christmas recipe; it’s supposed to be healthful – so get to work! Posole is corn soaked and softened with alkali (hominy) or, also known as a stew made with pork and, well posole.

1 4-lb pork shoulder roast
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb tomatillos, peeled and quartered
1 15-oz can hominy
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 can chopped mild green chilies

Preheat oven to 400F on Christmas afternoon. In a large Dutch oven sear the pork roast in a bit of canola oil, browning all sides. Toss in the onions, cumin and fennel halfway through browning the meat, stirring often. Sprinkle with oregano. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour, skin-side up. Add a bit of water if onions dry out too much.

Now transfer Dutch oven to the stovetop and add the garlic. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add 2 quarts water and the tomatillos and bring to a boil. You may need to cut the roast up a bit to make sure all the meat is submerged in liquid. Cover and cook for another hour or so – stirring often.

Remove the meat and allow to cool enough handle. Pull the pork apart along the grain. Strain the stock and refrigerate for several hours, until the fat solidifies on the surface – don’t worry, you’re gonna get rid of it all! Now scrape all the fat away (use a large sharp metal cooking spoon) from the surface and discard. Return the meat to the stock and add the hominy, chipotle and chilies. Reheat to a simmer and cook at least another half hour – the longer the better. Serve with tortillas.

Mexican Gulf Shrimp Soup
The secret to this soup is roasting the shrimp shells. This is inspired by a wonderful shrimp soup of friends Caren and Eric – but ‘souped’ up with Southwestern flavors. Serves 8.

2 lbs shrimp, peeled (shells well-drained and reserved)
2 quarts water (or chicken stock)
1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup rice
1/2 can diced green chilies
2 stalks green onion, finely diced
fresh nutmeg

In a soup pot, sauté shrimp shells in 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring often, until very fragrant – at least 10-15 minutes. Add water (or stock) and bring to a boil. Return to a simmer, and cook for an hour. Strain and reserve stock.

Meanwhile sauté the peppers in a bit of olive oil, until softened and browned. Add the garlic for the last 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Return the stock to a large soup pot and add the rice and the peeled shrimp. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook another 20 minutes. Add the peppers, chilies, green onions and nutmeg, and cook another minute or two.

Beans, Greens and Grains

These ingredients are great together in a soup, stew or ragout – whatever you want to name it. The beans and grains complement each other to produce complete protein, and the greens pack mega vitamins, minerals and great taste. What more could you ask – especially in winter?

A recurring theme in these dishes is a mix of green lentils with red lentils for body and a grain like wheat berry or barley for texture – this makes for a rich vegetarian ragout.

Cajun Chickpea Stew with Sweet Potato and Okra
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Cajun spice mix (such as Emeril’s Essence)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 cups water
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup red lentils
2 Tbsp pearl barley
1 15-0z can Chickpeas
1 medium sweet potato
½ lb frozen okra

Sauté the onion, pepper, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil in a soup pot. For about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the spice mix, stock, water, lentils and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato to ¼ to ½ inch pieces. When 20 minutes are up, add the potatoes, along with the chickpeas to the stew. Return to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Add more water if necessary. Cook another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender. Add the okra and cook just enough to heat it through. Salt and pepper to taste.


Curry Bean and Collard Green Stew
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
¼ cup green lentils
¼ cup red lentils
¼ cup soft winter wheat berries
2 tsp hot curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 quart chicken stock
1-2 cups water
1 large can beans (mixed)
1 potato, diced
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and chopped

In a soup pot, sauté the celery, carrot and onions in a bit of olive oil until vegetables begin to brown and soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and fennel and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the lentils, wheat berries, curry and chili powder. Pour in the stock and water, and cook for 30 minutes. Add the beans, potato and the collard greens and cook for another 20 minutes.


Kidney Bean and Mustard Green Ragout
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ cup frozen corn kernels
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 14½-oz can diced tomatoes, strained and juices reserved
1 quart good low-salt chicken stock
1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 bunch mustard greens, trimmed of thick stalks, and coarsely chopped
1 15-oz can light red kidney beans
1/3 cup rice

In a soup pot, sauté the onions, garlic and corn in a bit of olive oil until corn begins to brown and onions soften, about 8 minutes. Add the oregano, sage and red pepper flakes and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add the strained diced tomatoes and another 1-2 tablespoons of good olive oil to be sure the tomatoes bronze rather than boil! Cook another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have dried out and have left a nice tasty bronzed glaze in corners of the pot – this is flavor! Add the chicken stock, reserved tomato juice and vinegar, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard greens and beans. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until greens wilt, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the rice, stir well and cook another 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

The Allure of Rotisserie Chicken

I am sure at one point or another you have walked into your local grocery store and have gotten hit by the inticing smell of grilling rotisserie chickens. Enough is enough. I got my own home rotisserie unit (a small George Foreman unit) and have developed several nice dry rubs to prepare rotisserie chickens. And it works beautifully.

If you can, cover the chicken with the dry rub the day before, although an hour is very effective. No matter what, a small (3.5-4 lb.) chicken is ready in an hour or so, and your kitchen will smell out-of-this world!

Rotisserie Chicken
1 3-4 lb whole chicken

Dry rub mix:
1 rounded Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp coarse salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp Allspice

Mix the dry rub together in a very large bowl. Rinse and dry the chicken, and truss with string tightly so the bird does not flop while turning in the rotisserie. Toss the chicken generously with the rub, making sure that rub mix gets into all the nooks and crannies of the whole bird. Let it stand at least one hour – or overnight – as much as you can. Skewer chicken onto rack of your rotisserie device and rotisserie for about 1-1½ hrs. depending on the size. Let sit for 15 minutes before carving to let juices redistribute.

This roasted acorn squash goes very well with broiled or rotisserie chicken. The skin is so tender you can eat it as well.

Roasted Acorn Squash
1 whole acorn squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp dried crushed rosemary
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 450F. Slice acorn squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice into serving-sized chunks. Turn into a large bowl and mix with oil, rosemary, salt and sugar. Tip into jelly-roll pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, until brown and bubbling.