Shrimp en Papillote

This is surprisingly easy, amazingly tasty, and unwittingly healthy.

Broccoli, shallot, garlic, carrot, hot pepper, shrimp.




Brush a sheet of parchment with a little vegetable oil.


On one half of the parchment, arrange as follows: Garlic, hot pepper, broccoli, carrot, shallot, shrimp. Drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce over top, and a little ground pepper.


Fold parchment over, and fold up the edges several time, creasing as you go to create the seal. Place on a sheet, and bake at 400F for 12 minutes.
(before/after)


Serve by cutting open the pouch with scissors. There will be steam, so don't burn yourself.

PIZZA!

Yeah, the crust was store bought. Whatever. The pesto is home made, though.


Ingredients to be used: Pepperoni, garlic, shallots, buffalo mozzarella, asparagus, basil.




Cooked down some canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and some tomato sauce until thick.


Pizza One has pesto, buffalo mozzarella, proscuitto (did I forget to mention that?), asparagus, and Parmesan.


Pizza Two has tomato sauce, basil, pepperoni, and shredded Mozzarella.


Luckily, I have a pizza stone, so I can do this stuff RIGHT.

Fresh pea salad from the CSA

Here's a quick one, from the farmer's market to your plate.

You'll need some fresh shelled peas. Let's face it, you could stop here and be happy. But I blanched them in salted boiling water for two minutes, and then drained and shocked them under cold running water.


There were also some radishes hanging around, so slice them up, along with some parsley and basil.


Time for the dressing. Toasted and ground cumin, lime juice, a touch of honey, and some nam plan, whisked together and emulsified with olive oil.


Put all the ingredients together, along with some crumbled feta cheese.


Serve along with some smoked fish for a light dinner.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grilled Steak

New ways to cook Brussles Sprouts. Paprika, garlic, mustard powder, salt, pepper.



Trim the Sprouts, and microwave them for 3 minutes. I know, I know. Look: it's the best way to lightly cook them evenly without slicing them in half. You're not turning them into mush, just lightly softening them.



Add the spices to the bowl, and toss to coat. Skewer them so they're facing the same direction.





Put them on the grill, cover, and cook for five minutes. Turn, and repeat.





Let cool slightly, and then toss them again in the spice mixture.



Meanwhile, grill your steak. Shown: Salt & cumin.







Serve. A squeeze of lemon over the Sprouts will help brighten the flavors.

Chicken Catalan

It's been a while, I know. But this should make up for it. Red bell pepper, onion, garlic.


Season bone in, skin on chicken thighs with salt an pepper.


Brown them in olive oil.


Remove, and add the aromatics. You know the score: peppers and onions before garlic, medium low heat.


Put a pinch of saffron threads into hot water, let steep, then add to the pan, along with some white wine.


Add a can of tomatoes, and some chicken stock.


Throw in some bay leaf, and cinnamon.


Return chicken to pan, cover, and let the flavors come together, about 30 minutes.


Toast some breadcrumbs with oil until golden brown.


Add paprika.


Serve with the tomato goop, and breadcrumbs on top. Shown with roasted broccoli and garlic tossed with chili powder and salt.

Puerco Pibil with a Clementine Salad

So, we've got a lot of spices and flavors going on here. You'll need a dedicated spice grinder for this. So, whatta we got?

Whole Annatto seeds (yeah, I know. Did you see me say anywhere that these ingredients would be easily available?), Cumin seeds, Allspice berries, Cloves, and Peppercorns. If you're nice, I may give you the amounts, but it is a secret entrusted to me by a close friend. Grind them to a fine, fine powder. Think it's ground up? Go for another two minutes. Seriously.


To help clean out the grinder, throw some kosher salt into it after you've dumped out the spice blend. Grind it up, and add it to the mix.


You're also going to need a whole lot of garlic, and some hot peppers. I'm showing a pretty big serrano here, but this can actually take a habenero or two, if you like. Give them a rough chop.


Pork shoulder!


Ok, drag out your blender, and throw in the spices, peppers, the garlic, some white vinegar, some orange juice, lemon zest and juice, and some nam pla. I also tossed some smoked serrano powder in, just for kicks.


Oh, and some tequila.


Puree it until it's a consistent liquid, then dump it into a bowl with the pork. Let that sit overnight in the fridge, if possible.


If you have some banana leaves, line a pan with them. If not, use tin foil. Dump in the pork, and seal it up. Put it in a low oven for many hours (275 for 4, for example).


So, while that's cooking, let's work on this salad. We've got a bowl with shallots, segmented clementines, and fresh thinly sliced jalepenos. While you're at it, toast some walnuts.


Your dressing is made up of the celentine zest, orange juice, white wine vinegar, nam pla, and olive oil. Add to the bowl, and toss with some washed and torn arugala.


By this point, you should already have made some rice. Spoon the pibil over the rice, sprinkle some cilantro over top, and serve with the salad on the side.