Spanish Style Tortilla

One of my favorite food memories from Spain was their well-known tortillas, which are like omelettes with onion and potatoes inside. A typical way to prepare them would be to saute thinly sliced Yukon Gold or russet potatoes along with a lesser amount of sweet onion slices. Use plenty of olive oil for this!

When the potatoes are a bit softer, stir some eggs up in a bowl, season with salt, and add enough eggs to the pan to cover the potatoes well, and then let the pan do the work. Later you'll need to flip it using a plate on top of the pan; it takes a bit of practice but becomes easy enough after 1-2 tries. Add more oil underneath the tortilla if needed, and keep the tortilla solid without burning it (med to low heat is good here). Add cheese if desired; cheddar, goat cheese, or gruyere would probably pair well. Serve by itself or create a small sandwich with it using French bread, which is how you'll see it served for lunches or snacks in Spain, at least in the Basque area where I was staying at the time.

Southwestern Pork Chops

About a month ago I had a craving for some pork, but also for Southwest flavorings, so I coated some pork chops with paprika, chili powder, salt, and cayenne and grilled them over charcoal.

I then made a basic pico de gallo with garlic, onion, jalapeno, and fresh tomato to place atop the chops. To accompany the chops I heated up some refried beans and added a dollop of sour cream to make this a very simple but hearty Southwestern-style dish. I also grilled up some fresh corn served with real butter and salt. Easy and tasty!

More Burgers!

Having just finished the latest copy of Saveur magazine, which featured a great story about burgers, I just had to grill out at the neighborhood pool's firepit this weekend.

I simply grilled cheddar cheeseburgers with onions, and I topped mine with crisp lettuce, ketchup, and mustard. I grilled the buns a little bit too. For a little extra kick I had mixed in a bit of raw white onion and that worked out well for added flavor. Sometimes the basics of food are so good!

Soy Marinated Flank Steak Stir Fry

My kids love stir fry, mainly because it includes noodles but increasingly because of the meat and veggies I toss them in.

This particular dish starts with nice cut of flank steak scored and marinated in soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, and rice wine vinegar. I grill it over charcoal directly for a few minutes on each side and then a few additional minutes on each side indirectly to finish it. Meanwhile, I'm heating a pot of water to cook vermicelli al dente.

I let the steak rest while stir frying garlic, onion, pea pod, baby corn, and bok choy in a pan. Later I add about a cup of chicken or beef broth and a few shakes of soy sauce. When I'm making this for the kids I skip the red pepper, but for myself I'd add enough heat to make me sweat!


When the veggies are done I toss in the vermicelli and sliced steak until the flavors blend and then serve!

Classic Summer Fare!

The neighborhood pool where I take the kids has a big fire pit where you can grill; in this photo I have a classic burger topped with bacon and tomato alongside slaw and chips and a cold can of real Bud.

Spinach, Tomato, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Dip!!

After dining recently at English Pub in Chicago, I wanted to make something like their tasty Spinach, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Dip.

I chopped two cloves of garlic, a small local ripe tomato (from Mayneland Farm in Naperville, IL), and a jar of artichoke hearts. I sauteed them lightly in olive oil and then added 1/3 bag of baby spinach leaves. I added a few shakes of red pepper flakes to add a bit of fire (not much, just a bit).

After about 10 minutes of cooking, I added a container of grocery-size crumbled goat cheese and let the mix blend a few minutes longer. To top it off, I sprinkled on just a bit of parmesan cheese.

I served the mix atop grilled French bread. The dish holds up well with a Pinto Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc. Don't be fooled by looks, this tastes wonderful!!

Asian fish and stir fry adventure!

Last weekend I ventured into a random southeast asian food market near Elgin, IL, where there's a significant Laotian population. I picked up a few unfamiliar ingredients and decided to put something together. Here's what I got:

*gailan (also known as Chinese broccoli)
*baby bok choy (it was curiously labeled "shan h choy" but I couldn't find anything about that while Googling it)
*golden pompano fish (purchased frozen)
*rice vermicelli noodles
*chili basil paste



I grilled the fish for about 5-6 minutes a side after thawing it out. Separately I stir fried the bok choy and gailan with olive oil, soy sauce, and added the cooked noodles and chili paste until the ingredients were balanced and well cooked.


When the fish was done I served it for a great meal accompanied with San Miguel beer, a lager brewed in the Phillipines but popular in Spain where I spent my 19 year-old summer!

The fish was incredible and the vegetable stir fry good; the paste, however, was a bit strong and I may simply stir with my own sauce from scratch next time!

Tapas!

This weekend I wanted to make a light, tapas-style meal, but didn't look up any recipes ahead of time, so I started backwards with what ingredients were available and came up with this:

*Pan-fried red pepper strips cooked in olive oil, chopped garlic, and topped with thin slices of brie, which melted nicely in the larger strips.

*Scallops lightly sauteed in olive oil, fresh chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.

I served the cheesy pepper strips atop thin slices of french bread, and the scallops went alongside on the plate. A little extra french bread soaked up the scallop "sauce" quite nicely and it all went down well with Sauvignon Blanc (a $14 dollar bottle of Sterling found on sale for $8).

Asian-Style Grilled Pork with Bok Choy and Peppers

While reading either Saveur or Gourmet, I encountered a recipe for grilled baby back ribs in an Asian inspired marinade with dipping sauce.

Well, I had no time to marinade and had to substitute country ribs for baby backs, which I actually prefer anyway. So I decided to take the core ingredients of the marinade and reduce it into a thick sauce I could top the ribs with after the grilling was done.

Here's some basics on reconstructing what I did:

1) Build indirect fire on a charcoal grill (gas grillers can do this too). Sear 4-6 country pork ribs for 5 minutes per side directly over flames, then place on the indirect side and cover with lid and cook for about 45 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, mix 1/3 cup whiskey, 1/4 soy sauce, 1 tsp fresh chopped ginger, 1/4 cup honey, and a couple TBSP's of olive oil in a pan, reduce slowly by half until a thick syrupy consistency. I added red pepper flakes for some fire and only wish I had some cilantro to add at the end.

3) Saute green or red pepper with sliced bok choy in olive oil with a few dashes of soy sauce for about 15 minutes, or until soft.

4) Cook sticky or jasmine rice according to instructions with the amount you'll need to serve.

5) Plate the dish with a bed of rice, a generous helping of the veggies, and top with a bone-in rib. Add the sauce and enjoy with a crisp Asian lager such as Sapporo or a glass of semi-sweet white wine such as a Sauvingnon Blanc (don't be boring and choose the usual Asian-paired Riesling).

White Beans in Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs

I modified a simple side dish recipe in last months' Food and Wine.

It turned out quite well and tasted great with a simple red table wine.

*Saute 1 can of cannellini beans (white northern beans) in 1 TBSP olive oil for a few minutes
*add half to 2/3 of an 8 oz. can tomato sauce
*add some cheddar or other cheese crumbles to taste
*before serving, tear up fresh basil and rosemary leaves to taste
*add fresh black pepper to taste

Saveur rules!

I've been getting Food & Wine magazine for 12+ years and have always enjoyed it, but in the last couple of years I've also been getting Gourmet and briefly, Bon Appetit.

But the food magazine I've really been thrilled by recently is Saveur!

It has more of a world cousine focus and the articles and photos are great! Check it out sometime and enjoy the journey into new tastes from around the world!

Steak Torta!! Muy rico!!

I had leftover steak from last night's dinner around (see post), some onion, french bread, and my usual collection of Mexican ingredients (refried beans, Herdez green salsa, co-jack cheese, and sour cream). Originally I was planning on some kind of steak po-boy with classic New Orleans garnishings (mayonnaise/hot sauce, lettuce, tomato, etc.) but ended up going Mexican.

So I sauteed the onion for awhile then added the beans, salsa, cheese, and sliced leftover t-bone steak, and loaded it onto toasted french bread with chopped tomato and some sour cream. Normally I'm a burrito fan but the torta is a delicious alternative that really should be more popular!! Muy delicioso!!

Early Spring Grilling!! Make it happen.

Before (potatoes missing):





After:






This is a simple summertime-style meal that satisfies that craving for grilled foods.

Step 1, Roasted Potatoes: set the oven to 425, cut up a few Yukon into a coarse dice and coat in a bowl with olive oil, sea salt, and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic. Roast for 30 minutes while preparing the rest of the meal.

Step 2, Steak: light the grill, charcoal preferably!! coat T-Bone lightly with sea salt and coarse ground pepper.

Step 3, Veggies: brush sliced veggies such as onion, green pepper, and yellow squash lightly with a vinegarette (I happened to have a leftover dijon vinegarette handy!). grill alongside steak to desired doneness.

Step 4, Wine Sauce: chop sweet onion or shallot into a small dice, enough for a handful. saute with butter for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup red wine and 1/2 cup beef boullion. crush a tiny amount of dried rosemary for extra depth. add a few diced crimini or button mushrooms. reduce over 15-20 minutes.

Step 5, Plating: serve steak with grilled veggies and roasted potatoes with sauce over the top.

Served best with a glass of cabernet and warm thoughts of summer and friends!!

Buen Provecho!

I'm excited about Jose Andres' Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen.

I tried the Extremedura tomato salad alongside the traditional Spanish tortilla and had an excellent early spring meal! Great book, great recipes!

Gorgonzola Pasta

While in Columbus for work, I had a great little dish from Spagio in the Grandview Heights area.

It inspired me to test this out and it worked pretty well:

1 large red pepper
half a large bag of fresh spinach
1 wedge gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt
1 box farfalle

Start boiling water for pasta first. I then sauteed the red pepper in a pan on high heat until it blistered a bit, then turned it down and added the fresh spinach. I let the veggies cook down until nearly done.

When the pasta was done I added about 3 cups of it to the pan with the veggies (saved the rest to make basic alfredo for the kids). I splash in the wine and sprinkled a bit of salt and red pepper flakes and at the end, I shredded the gorgonzola and stirred another couple of minutes longer so the cheese slightly melted and blended into a kind of sauce. Worked out well!