Spork or Foon?

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas

 
 

This'll be a short post today, as I have lots of things going on. 

I saw this quick Chicken Paella in Bon Appetit Magazine and thought it would be a quick, easy dinner to throw together.  And it was.  In about an hour, the entire dish was finished and I was left with a delicious dish that left me food for days (and days, and days... I think it's time to get rid of the leftovers). 

Tender chicken thighs are rubbed with smoky paprika and cooked on a bed of basmati rice, simmering in a broth of chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, onions, white wine, and roasted red peppers as the grains soak up the juices and result in a deliciously tender, creamy rice and tossed with spanish chorizo (to keep it healthier, I actually used andouille chicken sausage) and crisp sugar snap peas that lends a wonderful textural contrast and a refreshing change to the dish.  

Now, paella purists may have me blackmailed for this one.  Is this exactly like paella? No.  Is it a nice substitute for those of us who lack paella pans (like... 99% of the population?) and the time to put in to make the beloved dish? Absolutely.

Jack especially loved this, but is now demanding more Top Chef-like meals, so you'll be seeing some very complicated recipes in the coming weeks. I'm going back to my roots. I've been slacking. 

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas adapted from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones, excess skin and fat trimmed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 4 ounces 1/4-inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo (or, for a healthier option, spicy chicken sausage)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar
• 2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken thighs to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo.

• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add long-grain rice and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, and roasted red peppers. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned chorizo. Place chicken thighs, skin side up, atop mixture in skillet. Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.

• Transfer chicken to plate. Stir rice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter snap peas over. Return chicken to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until snap peas are crisp-tender, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp

 
 

I've become newly obsessed with spinning. Not in-a-circle-with-my-arms-outstreched-until-I-feel-like-I-want-to-vomit spinning, but actual spin class.  

I was a spinning newbie up until a few weeks ago. Then, I walked into this new state-of-the-art spin studio down in Chelsea.  I walked sheepishly to the counter and asked how to register.  The pretty girl behind the counter handed me a waiver and a pair of shoes with metal clumps on the bottom.

Now, I am always wary when I have to sign something that says, "We are not responsible for your death." Especially when all I am doing is riding a stationary bike. But seriously, I thought, what are these metal things? 

I walk into the spin studio and see women on their bikes, spinning furiously (class hadn't started yet) and chatting away with one another.  I found my way to my bike and began to examine.  The pedals were tiny little magnetic bars. OK.  So these attach to my feet. 

Um?

I got on the bike and tried to attach my feet to the medal bars.  Of course, I slipped right off, knocking off the little meter showing the Torq and Resistance. CLANG! CRASH!

Great.  I'm that girl right now. I thought to myself, as I sheepishly tried to get back on. After I finally was able to keep my balance on the seat, I struggled with attaching my feet to the medal bars.  Finally, I heard the click and suddenly, I was locked in.  No way out now. 

Now, I am a workout nut. I love working out. I love athletic challenges.  So I. Loved. Spinning.  I didn't want to stop.  The studio has a Torq Board where you can see your position against all of the other spinners in the class on a large screen in the front of the room.  Some people call that torture.  I call that... well, I guess it is torture. I didn't sign up for it and was glad that I didn't. 

Class was over and it was time to stretch.  The instructor told us to unlock our feet (such an odd statement).  Of course, I did not know how to do that.  I pressed the red release knob and of course, nothing.  I struggled and pulled but my feet were stuck.

This sucks. I'm totally that girl.

I gave up and just pulled my feet out of my shoes, falling forcefully backwards as I released myself.  Luckily, I was in the back row. I stretched and ran out before the lights went on, just to save face.

I went back the next day.  Some may call me a masochist.  But I loved it. 

In the March 2010 Issue of Food and Wine Magazine, Editor-In-Chief Dana Cowin stated that she wanted to redirect the focus of the recipes in F&W to feature healthier recipes.  

I'm down for some healthy recipes. It energizes me when I get stuck on my spin bike. 

So I tried the cover recipe from the magazine.  Soba noodles, tossed with a tamari-soy sauce sauce,topped with lime marinated shrimp and sprinkled with pan-fried garlic and shallots, cilantro and scallions. 

Easy enough.

It was quick to make and smelled delicious.  But I was a bit disappointed with it.  I found the sauce to be very salty on the already salty soba noodles. Sure, I loved the crisp garlic and shallots, the lime flavored cilantro (and I never like cilantro) and the scallions.  And the lime shrimp were incredible.  But I wasn't crazy about the dish.

But the next day. Oh, the next day was different. The flavors mellowed.  The sauce became a subtle coating to the tender noodles.  The lime flavor of the shrimp was even more pronounced.  Definitely a winner.  A nice, healthy winner.

Click here for the recipe.

Tuscan White Bean and Prosciutto Salad

 
 

I know people don't like salads in the winter.  I am one of those people. But this salad is a hearty salad that will warm you up on even the coldest of days.  

This is a salad I will often order from Le Pan Quotidien.  Yes, Le Pan is a chain, but it is one of the few chains that doesn't actually feel too much like a chain and it's one of the few chains in Manhattan that finds its way out of Midtown and in to other neighborhoods in the city. It is a communal table boulangerie and patisserie with a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts.  And thanks to Mayor Bloomberg and his hatred of fats, trans fats, and salt, which he is trying to ban from every restaurant in the city, I know that this salad contains 420 calories. 

I decided that I love this salad so much, I wanted to start making it at home.  And for the price of one salad at Le Pan, I could make it 5 times at home.  For 60 less calories (if my iPhone math serves me correctly). Holla! 

When making salads, I often like to season every single component of the salad separately. I will add salt and pepper to the greens (something that is often overlooked in the seasoning process but adds huge flavor when done) and then to the white beans.  Don't tell Bloomberg. 

I toss peppery arugula with some homemade pesto with my hands. Yes, they do smell like pesto afterwards, but the best way to mix a salad is by hand to ensure that it is not overdressed. Garlicky hands be damned! Then, I add thin strips of tender and salty prosciutto, slices of sharp parmesan cheese, creamy white beans, and top it with some homemade croutons (the best type of croutons, in my opinion). This is a salad I could eat winter, spring, summer or fall (all you have to do is call and I'll be there, yes IIIII will . You got a friend... doo doo do dooo).

Oh, and I apologize for the poor photos. I was having major lighting problems. Daylight savings time can't come fast enough.

Tuscan White Bean and Prosciutto Salad (makes 1 salad)

1 loosely packed cup fresh arugula

1/3 cup cooked (or canned) white beans such as Great Northern or Cannelini

2 slices thinly sliced prosciutto

1/2 oz thinly sliced parmesan 

1 tablespoon pesto

1 or 2 slices fresh white country bread, crusts removed (if you don't have bread or don't want to make your own croutons, store bought is ok)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Tear the bread into large pieces (size or conformity doesn't matter. I can look rustic). Brush with extra-virgin olive oil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Set aside and let cool. 

Season greens with salt and pepper.  Add pesto and toss to coat.  

In a separate bowl, season white beans with salt and pepper and add to the salad.  Shred the prosciutto into pieces and add prosciutto and parmesan to the salad. Add croutons and serve. 

 
 

Healthy Hot and Crunchy Chicken Cones with Mango - Jalapeno Slaw

 

Think about one of the best things you have ever eaten.  Go ahead. It can be a dessert, appetizer, side, main course, whatever you'd like.

Got it?

Now, was that dish healthy?

Ha! 

Don't laugh! 

Most of us don't equate "healthy" with "one of my favorite things I have ever eaten."

Until now.  

I saw these crunchy chicken cones in January's edition of Food and Wine Magazine.  I was excited to make them, but knew I wanted to change things up a bit.  The recipe calls for these chicken cones to be fried, but I knew baking them would provide the same crispy, crunchy texture that I was looking for. And the texture is phenomenal.  Crispy cornflakes provide a base for the interesting mix of flavors that come through with every bite.  The combination of the sweet brown sugar, spicy red pepper flakes, and nutty sesame seeds and almonds provide a complex and exciting flavor experience.

But what makes this dish is the slaw.   Ohhhhh, the slaw.  Do yourself a favor and make this slaw.  The sweet mangoes pair perfectly with the spicy bite of jalapenos, the crunch of the coleslaw and the cooling effect of the light mayonnaise brings the perfect balance to this dish.  I could eat that by itself. For days and days.  Omit the coleslaw and you have a perfect spread for an interesting and tropical sandwich.  Oh, the possibilities.

But for now, this wrap will make you do a happy dance times twelve.  You'll happy dance down the street, cone in hand.  But be careful, because the spice in these will sneak up on you!  And you'll love every second if it. 

Hot and Crunchy Chicken Cones - Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine 

Mango Slaw 

2/3 cup diced mango

2 large jalapeños, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 small shallot, minced

1 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

7 cups shredded coleslaw mix

 

Chicken Cones

 

3 cups cornflakes

6 tablespoons slivered almonds

6 tablespoons sesame seeds

6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

All-purpose flour, for dredging

Six 5-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced lengthwise 1 inch thick

Six 10-inch flour tortillas, warmed

 

Make the Mango Slaw:

In a saucepan, combine the mango, jalapeños, vinegar,sugar, water and shallot. Cover and simmer until the mango is softened, 10 minutes.

Transfer the mango mixture to a food processor and puree; scrape into a large bowl.  Stir in the mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.  Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate.

Make the Cones:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.

Wipe out the food processor. Add the cornflakes, almonds, sesame seeds, sugar, red pepper and salt and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Transfer the mixture to a large, shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Fill a third shallow bowl with flour. Dredge the chicken strips in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them in the eggs, then roll them in the cornflake mixture.

Place chicken on baking sheet and bake in oven for 30 minutes, turning cones halfway through. Set the chicken on the tortillas and top with the mango slaw. Roll up and eat right away.

We've Got Tostadaaaaaas, Peopleeeeeeeeeee!!!

That's what I imagine Oprah saying when serving this dish. You see, I found many delicious recipes from a link off of O Magazine about a dinner party at Jennifer Aniston's house.  A dinner party which I was not invited to, but I'll have to talk to Jen about that another time. 

I keed, I keed.

This is my new favorite thing to eat.  And it leaves leftovers for days, so I have been eating it every day. So simple to throw together (don't be scared by all of the ingredients), so healthy, and so fun to eat.  A fantastic salad of red cabbage, corn and black beans is tossed with a wonderful vinaigrette with made lime juice, coconut oil, and cumin and tossed with shrimp or chicken or whatever you'd like, sits atop a cruncy, puffed up tortilla.  Best part about this dish? It's totally ok to eat this with your hands and drop food all over yourself, because that's probably what is going to happen. But don't worry, all the cool kids are doing it. Jennifer Aniston, after eating this dish, was covered in corn and black beans and loved every second of it.

OK, this is how rumors start. Next thing you know, a "friend" will have confirmed to Life and Style that Jennifer Aniston has joined a religion that worships corn and black bean salads.

Corn and Black Bean Tostadas with Spicy Chicken and Shrimp - adapted from O Magazine

12 small corn tortillas

Olive oil , for brushing

Salad: 

1 can (15 ounces) black beans , drained and rinsed

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ancho chili powder

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 ears corn (roasted, sautéed, or raw), kernels only

1/2 head (small) red cabbage , shredded

5 plum tomatoes , seeded and diced

2 avocados , peeled and diced

1 bunch cilantro , coarsely chopped

1/2 cup cotija cheese , crumbled

Vinaigrette:

3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

3 Tbsp. coconut oil or rice vinegar

1 medium shallot , finely chopped (about 2 Tbsp.)

1/4 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 cup canola oil

Chicken:

(2) 4 oz chicken breasts, chopped

Zest of 1 lime

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ancho chili powder

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 serrano chili , minced (optional)

To make shells: Preheat oven to 350°. Brush tortillas on both sides with olive oil, and arrange on a baking sheet. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Let cool in pan; set aside.

To make salad: Put black beans in a large bowl; mix in cumin and ancho chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add remaining salad ingredients; toss lightly to combine. Put salad in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, shallot, garlic, salt, and sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes to dissolve salt and sugar. Add cilantro and cumin, then slowly whisk in oil. Set aside.

To make chicken: Season chicken all over with zest, salt, ancho chili powder, olive oil, and serrano chili (if using). Grill or sauté in a large skillet in batches over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes per side; remove from heat.

To assemble tostadas: Toss salad, chicken, and vinaigrette together. Place baked tortilla shells on a large platter, and add a handful of mixture to each; serve.

Pistachio Pudding Pie - Keepin' it Real

I write this post in fear. In fear that I will loose all credibility. In fear that I will be exhiled from the food blogging community. In fear that if, one day, I ever become a famous baker/cook/food blogger, this very post will resurface and paint me as a fraud.

But I must share this with you.  Because frankly, my friends, I've got to keep it real.

As you may know, last week was my boyfriend Jack's birthday.  I made him a dish of duck confit and date and apricot stuffed gnocchi.  It was a culinary achievement. I was proud.

But Jack has one true love in his world (well... besides me.  And our Australian Shepherd, Remy).  And that love is pistachio pudding.

He has begged and pleaded for me to make him pistachio pudding.  I always promised that I would, but never pulled through. I had never even had pistachio pudding, so I was unfamiliar with where to begin. Even my trusty companion, Google, didn't help. I could not find a recipe for homemade pistachio pudding. Anywhere. So I let it go.

But this year, I really wanted to make his neon-green dreams come true.  So I searched again.  I finally found a recipe for pistchio pudding, but it called for pistachio paste.  I sighed in frustration and began to Google pistachio paste recipes.  I found two - one that used a ton of confectioner's sugar, which I wanted to avoid, and a Pierre Herme` recipe that I just didn't have the time to make.  

In my searches, however, I found several recipes for ways in which to use Jell-o pistachio pudding.  In cake, (mixes) in cupcakes (mixes), and in pies.  I headed to the supermarket and bit the bullet.  I wore a hat and sunglasses and all black, lest I should be recognized, and swept two boxes of pistachio pudding into my cart. I did not make eye contact with the cashier.  I ran to my car and peeled out of the parking lot.

I poured the green... powder... into a bowl and added milk.  The light green... powder... turned a shade of neon, bio-chemical green.  I followed the directions, using a pre-made (the horror) Oreo cookie crust, ground 100-calorie pack chocolate wafers, a bit of light cream cheese, and cool whip.  I assembled my preservative-filled, fake ingredient-having cake and hid it in the back of the fridge for two reasons:  so Jack wouldn't find it, and so I can forget it ever happened.  I then took a shower to wash the shame off of me.

At dessert time, I lit some candles and walked into the dining room. Jack had a look of shock on his face, as he was not expecting a cake. He made three wishes (so cute), blew out his candles, and plunged his knife into the cake.  The glowing green layer caugh his eye.

"Could it be?" he asked, excitedly.

I nodded and smiled.

He took a huge piece and dropped it on his cake, quickly grabbed his fork and shoveled a bit into his mouth.  The largest smile shone on his face.

I couldn't believe this was good. I took a bite.  Huh?  It was not only good... it was GREAT.  I grabbed a piece for myself.  I finished that off and took a bit more.  I never take whole pieces of cake.  I never go in for seconds. But this... I could not resist.  I was prisoner to the power of the green. 

Smooth. Creamy. Cool. Easy. And actually pretty low-cal, low fat, being that the major componenets of this dish were low-fat, no sugar added pistachio pudding, light Cool Whip, and 100 calorie packs.

And I think I'm making it again this week. Don't judge. Just keep it real.

Pistachio Pudding Pie Adapted from Here

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookies (about 100-Calorie Oreo packs)

3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (softened)

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed

1 prepared chocolate crumb crust (such as Oreo or Keebler)

3/4 cup cold skim milk

1 1/2 (4-serving size) packages instant pistachio pudding

Preparation:

Place wafer cookies in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until they become coarse crumbs. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in half of the thawed whipped topping. Spoon into prepared crust.

Top with half of the crushed cookie crumbs.

Place milk in another bowl. With a whisk, beat in the pistachio pudding. Beat in the remaining whipped topping. Spoon over the cookie crumb layer.

Top with the remaining crushed cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm.

Golden Beet Salad

Beets. 

For so many years, I feared beets.

I only knew beets as those circular red things swimming in liquid at salad bars.  You know the ones. With the sneeze guards?

Appetizing.

To me, those beets looked like the cranberries from a can that you eat on Thanksgiving. And I am not ashamed to admit, I would have those cranberries on Thanksgiving no other way.  Cranberries from a can and stuffing from a box.

But I digress.

I first tried my hands at beets sometime last year.  I stared at the root vegetable, trying to figure out its secret. Questions streamed through my head.  Do I leave on the greens? Do I eat the skin? How do I cook these things?

So I turned to my trusty friend, Google.  I learned that the most foolproof method to cooking beets was to roast them in the oven for 45 minutes or so, let them cool, pull off the greens, then peel off the skin. Oh, and some even suggested wearing gloves, as beets will dye fingers.  

And so the attack of the red beets began.

I forged ahead, sans gloves, and suffered the fate of the red beet.  And frankly, after my meal, I still wasn't too crazy about the beet.  So now I was unsatisfied, hungry, and sporting a pair of red hands.

Fast forward to yesterday, Dupont Circle Farmers Market, Washington, DC.  I went with the intention to buy some fruits, but walked out with zucchini blossoms, golden beets, and buffalo meat and... well, no fruits.

I decided to try my (un-dyed) hand at beets yet again.  I wanted a simple dinner with fresh ingredients, and found a fantastic shallot vinaigrette recipe that looked like it would go perfectly with the golden beets.  And it did.  The softer flavored golden beet was complimented by a sweet shallot vinaigrette and a crumble of mild and nutty ricotta salata.  And the best part?

NO RED HANDS.

Golden Beet Salad (Adapted from Epicurious)

• 2 1/2 lb medium golden beets (with greens)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 oz. ricotta salata, crumbled
•   

• Put oven racks in lower third and middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.

  Trim beet greens, leaving 1 inch of stems attached. Tightly wrap beets together in double layers of foil to make packages (2 or 3 per package) and roast in middle of oven until tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Unwrap beets and cool slightly.

  Whisk together shallot, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl, then add oil in a stream, whisking.
  

  When beets are cool enough to handle, slip off and discard skins. Cut beets lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices and gently toss with 3 tablespoons vinaigrette in a bowl.

  Arrange beets on 6 salad plates and top with ricotta salata.

Shrimp Enchilado

I am traveling (again) this weekend for (another) wedding, so this one will be short and sweet.

The original dish called for lobster tail and crab legs, but this soon-to-be-unemployed-and-moving-back-to-NYC-in-a-down-economy-girl was not going to spend the money on such delicacies. So shrimp it was. 

This stew, of Cuban origin, is basically seafood cooked in a mildly spicy tomato sauce.  It was to be served with rice and fried plantains, but I forgot the plantains.

The amount of traveling I have been doing has sucked out all of my brain capacity.  

This is a solid dish. A rich tomato sauce is flavored with a complex sherry wine, sweet paprika, and briny clam juice and a little bit of heat from the cayenne pepper. 

This is one of those dishes where you'll go back for seconds asking "Please, sir, can I have some more?" in your most feeble Oliver Twist voice.

Or will that just be me next month?  

Shrimp Enchilado - Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 4

• 1 lb uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 large plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
• 1 cup canned tomato purée
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 3/4 cup dry Sherry wine
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•   
  

• Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic cloves, fresh parsley, and paprika and sauté 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and tomato purée. Cook until juices thicken, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add clam juice, dry Sherry, and bay leaf. Season to taste with salt. Add cayenne pepper. Bring mixture to boil, then shrimp and lime juice.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lobster meat is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes.   Serve with rice and fried plaintains.

Mussels in White Wine and Garlic and Living the Life

This past weekend, Jack and I enjoyed an extended weekend at his family's beach house in Long Beach Island, NJ, or LBI for short.  LBI is a fantastic island off of the southern coast of NJ and is part of the famed (or infamous, depending on which reputation you are familiar with) Jersey Shore.  However, this is not the Jersey Shore that you may know of from such programs as "True Life: I Have a Summer Share" (Parts 1 and 2) with orange twenty-somethings who have invested stock in hair gel and wifebeater t-shirts partying at clubs and cursing each other out.  LBI is a family place filled with mini-golf, amusement parks, ice cream shoppes (with an "e"), breakfast places such as Uncle Will's and The Chicken and The Egg, and plenty of fried fish.  When I am in LBI, I have a daily ritual of going running at 8 am sharp while listening to Bob Marley and smiling at every person who passes by (and they smile back! which is an odd experience for a New Yorker). 

We invited two friends to join us and spent a lot of time just relaxing at the house, which is on a pier and has the most spectacular views of the ocean and the boats.  We all joked that the house makes us "old" because we all needed to take naps in the middle of the day to stay up past 11 pm, but the truth of the matter is that this may be the most relaxing place I know.

I can sit in these chairs and stare out at the views for hours.  Tell me they are not calling your name right now.

Views from the balconies.

I was so excited to put the kitchen to good use. The house has the most glorious kitchen that only lives in my dreams, so I am always excited to cook when I get to LBI.

Can't you just picture yourself with your own cooking show in this kitchen? I always do. It is a little weird because I talk to a camera that isn't there.  

Jack, helping me prep.

It's nice to just relax, take in the scenery, and take a dip in the pool every now and then.

Remy jumping in the pool.

Remy desperately trying to get out of the pool.

Remy trying to get back into the pool.

Remy aggressively trying to dry herself off.

And, finally, enjoy a nice, relaxing dinner filled with food, friends, and laughs.

It is always nice to get some really fresh seafood, and these mussels were no exception.  The best part about mussels is that they are a snap to make, which is great when all you want to do is head back outside and enjoy the good life.

Mussels in White Wine and Garlic

2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded

2 tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup parsley, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dry white wine

2 1/4" slices lemon

Discard any mussels that are open and/or broken.  

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add wine, lemon, salt, and parsley and bring to a boil.  Add mussels and cover, cooking for 6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove mussels from broth and place in a separate bowl. Discard any unopened shells. Adjust sauce for seasoning and pour over mussels. Serve immediately.

This is definitely a place where, once you are here, you never want to leave.  Jack, for example, decided to stay the entire week with Remy to relax a bit (he has been a bit stressed in his post-MBA grad life) while I returned to Washington, DC to work.

Booooooo to Jack.

But I guess I can't blame him.

Could you?

Top Chef with Teanna- Steamed Red Snapper with Chanterelles and Rock Shrimp over a Butternut Squash Sauce

Jack and I have decided to do a fun project:  Each week, we will cook a winning dish from Top Chef.

Oh yes, my friends.  We will.

Although we don't have the culinary background to hack it on the line with the likes of Fabio, Stefan, Harold, Hong, Marcel, Tiffani, or Dave (I'm not your bitch, bitch!), I do have the chops to follow a recipe word for word and make something quite tasty!

So we'll pack up our knives and head over to our Top Chef Kitchen, which is NOT furnished by the makers of Glad® and does NOT have glowing appliances by the makers of GE™.

So I guess you don't have to worry about endless product placements. 

We will cook through the winning dishes from Seasons 1-5, with a brief pause when Season 6 comes back on air.  When that happens, we will follow the season, and then resume the remaining recipes when the season is over.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to gaze into Tom's gorgeous blue eyes or stare longingly at Padma's glowing skin.  Gail's effusive smile will not light up our kitchens and guest judges such as Anthony Bourdain cannot provide us with constructive criticism such as "that dish was so ugly, it doesn't even deserve to be prison food".

You will instead receive my witty (I hope) commentary providing a bit of background about the episode and our trials and tribulations about cooking each dish.

Like take this dish, for example.  Jack said he would cook it so that I could photograph it as soon as I got home from work so that I could get a good picture of it in the sunlight. 

Instead, Jack cut off the tip of his finger while making it.

Actually, he cut off a millimeter of skin from his thumb while slicing the butternut squash, called me at work freaking out, so I rushed home to take care of him to find him on the couch watching The Dark Knight with a piece of toilet paper wrapped around it as our dog lay on his lap.  I ran to the couch to see if he was ok, and the piece had magically healed itself. 

I cooked the rest of the dish. 

This amazing, delicious, healthy dish.  Harold Dieterle, the winner of Top Chef Season 1 (and the chef/owner of the restaurant Perilla in New York City) actually won the 1st Top Chef Challenge ever.  The challenge of the episode, titled "Who Deserves to Be Here", was to basically cook a fantastic meal to serve to your peers.  Harold won with this dish - a steamed Thai Snapper atop braised Brussel sprout leaves and a butternut squash puree topped with chanterelle mushrooms and rock shrimp.

Oh YES.  This is going to be fun.

Steamed Thai Snapper adapted from Top Chef Season 1: Episode One

Meat:
1 piece Red Snapper

Sauce:
1 butternut squash
1 cup chicken broth
2 piece garlic
2 shallots
2 oz. butter

Vegetables:
3 oz. brussel sprout leaves (about 1 cup)
1 oz. rock Shrimp
1 oz. chanterelles
1 teaspoon chives 
1 teaspoon parsley

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.

Directions:

Skin and dice butternut squash for 15 minutes at 375°. 

Sweat garlic and shallots in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat while butternut squash is roasting. When squash is done, add squash meat. Cover with chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes. Blend and add butter.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel brussel sprout leaves (from fresh brussel sprouts) from bulbs. Sweat leaves in 1 tablespoon butter over medium low heat until golden brown, add shrimp and chanterelles. Cook 2 minutes. Add parsley and chives.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season snapper with salt and pepper.  Steam snapper for 5 minutes.