‘Collard Green Creole Dirty Rice’

November 10, 2024 Comments: 2

Recipe Courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

This recipe for dirty rice is a hit both with my clients and with our dinner table guests.  Fluffy white rice studded with the usual culprits—celery, onions, garlic, crumbled sausage, and green onions—but also includes a couple of unique add-ins. Instead of diced, traditional green bell peppers you use diced poblano peppers and instead of a side of greens served alongside the dish, hearty collard greens are cooked right into the rice. (I had collard greens on hand from our veggie garden, but feel free to use spinach, kale, Swiss chard or even mustard greens if you like.)  This dish comes together effortlessly on the stove in about 25 minutes…just enough time to grab the hot sauce and set the table!

Baby Red Potatoes with Greek Yogurt, Caviar, & Fresh Dill

November 9, 2024 No comments

Photographs by Scott Martin

There are a number of classic hors d’oeuvres that pair well with either smooth sour cream or crème fraiche along with the salty bite of caviar. The most traditional is a blini, or small buckwheat pancake, served with a dollop of sour cream, caviar, and a garnish of dill.  The second that comes to mind are crispy potato chips with the same delicious combination of toppings. Lastly, how about a roasted fingerling potato, halved, and topped with crème fraiche and sprinkling of chives? All three options are simple in construction, involve quality ingredients, and taste even better when served with chilled, premium Russian vodka.

My Baby Red Potatoes with Greek Yogurt, Caviar, and Dill is my version of this combination of ingredients. Here we boil baby red potatoes until tender, season them with a touch of salt and pepper, and top each half with creamy Greek yogurt, salty caviar, and a sprig of fresh dill. What satisfying way to enjoy a classically tasty hors d’oeuvre.

Zucchini-Wrapped Sea Bass with Tomatoes, Onions, & Caperberries

November 8, 2024 Comments: 2
Photographs by Scott Martin

 This hearty fish dish is as gorgeous as is it irresistibly delicious. Hearty sea bass filets, gently wrapped in thinly sliced zucchini, and baked n a ragout of tomatoes, onions, and tart caperberries. The tomato ragout is cooked down in unsalted butter instead of oil, which creates a decadent bed for the tender fish to nestle into.  

Caperberries are a wonder in their own right—they are actually the fruit of the caper bush and are about the size of a grape with a long green stem attached. (If you can’t find caperberries, capers or any briny green olives would also work well). Any hearty white fish, in addition to sea bass, will work well in this recipe, including cod or halibut.  Serve this dish over some pearled cous cous or orzo for an extremely satisfying dinner idea. 

‘Turkey Spaghetti with Cream Sauce’

November 7, 2024 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen & Culture Magazine

Everyone will swoon over this spaghetti dish studded with shredded, cooked turkey, sliced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. And for the sauce, a quick-and-easy cream sauce that starts with a simple roux and adds in garlic for flavor, Parmesan cheese for a salty flavoring agent, and half and half for a perfectly creamy touch.  Any homemade or store bought turkey stock you have leftover is also a great addition here; keep this recipe around to use with not only leftover turkey, but any leftovers you might have from your latest roast chicken.

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Sweet Potato, Okra & Chickpea Curry

November 6, 2024 No comments

Served over brown rice, this hearty vegetarian yellow curry is chock-full of yummy, healthy ingredients.  A fragrant mixture of onions, garlic, curry powder, and light coconut milk is studded with sweet potato cubes, green beans, tender chickpeas and diced tomatoes.  A colorful dinner that comes together in no time at all–best when served with your favorite naan or flatbread dipped into the luxurious yellow curry broth.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

Freekeh with Grilled Halloumi, Zucchini & Preserved Lemon

November 5, 2024 No comments

With zucchini and a lovely block of Greek halloumi on hand, I decided on a warm freekeh salad with layers of flavor and textures.  Freekeh is a whole grain similar to cracked wheat, that is packed with fiber and protein; a great base for a side dish like this one, but also perfect anywhere you would normally add in brown rice, quinoa or cous cous.  I roasted spears of zucchini along with pistachios and minced preserved lemon peel, and tossed the freekeh with the summer squash and chunks of the grilled Greek cheese.  This scrumptious Mediterranean-inspired side dish is a wonderful vegetarian main dish, or side dish served with your favorite grilled chicken.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Barramundi Agrodolce’

November 4, 2024 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.TheBetterFish.com

Barramundi has quickly become one of our favorite go-to fish varieties.  A flaky white fish that is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from South Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, it is not only tasty, but lean, sustainable and has the highest omega-3 count of any white fish.

If that doesn’t tempt you into trying this lovely fish, this recipe should.  Searing barramundi in a touch of olive oil makes for a lovely golden crust on the fish; served on top of your favorite spring greens, the topping is a sweet yet sour (agrodolce) sauce made with red wine-soaked red onions, fresh herbs and capers.  I added some garlic, sweet pepper rings and toasted pine nuts to the sauce as well to add some extra Italian flare.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Scallops with Olive Vinaigrette

November 3, 2024 No comments

Wrapping jumbo sea scallops in thin slices of prosciutto not only adds extra flavor, but added texture to the plate as well. The scallops sear nicely in the hot pan to golden brown, with the prosciutto following suit and becoming perfectly crisp around the edges. Alone with a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness, these wrapped scallops would be remarkable, but I decided to fancy things up a bit by surrounding the seared scallops with an easy olive vinaigrette: a simple whirl of pitted, mixed olives in your food processor, combined with some vinegar and quality olive oil. I recommend serving the prosciutto-wrapped scallops on a plate of peppery watercress or arugula, with the olive vinaigrette surrounding the scallops and not on top, so that their lovely browned edges can be seen.

(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)

‘Almond Custard Tart’

November 2, 2024 No comments

Recipe Courtesy of www.MarthaStewart.com

This gorgeous dairy-free tart is best served with toasted, sliced almonds and some sliced ripe fruit. Depending on the season, you could easily serve the tart in the summertime with fresh berries or later in the year with ripe, sliced figs.  Dealer’s choice!

The beauty of the tart comes from its toasted oat-filled crust which you make with flour, sugar, an egg yolk, the oats and some melted coconut oil; simple to assemble and press into your removable-bottom tart shell.  The filling like I mentioned uses unsweetened almond milk and the usual stirred custard components: egg yolks, cornstarch, sugar and a pinch of salt.  The custard thickens up beautifully and the whole tart comes together effortlessly. (You know what else is effortless? Cutting right on into the chilled tart and treating yourself. Enjoy!)

‘Pancetta, Kale, & Raisin Stuffing’

November 1, 2024 No comments

It’s beginning to be that ‘stuffing’ time-of-year… Whether baked inside your Holiday turkey or baked separately on the side; whether made with bread, cornbread or a mixture of both, stuffing and dressings are an essential part of Holiday menu planning.

I decided to make this bread-based stuffing flavored with crispy pancetta, chicken stock, golden raisins, Lacinato kale, shallots and a touch of sherry vinegar this week. A hearty and healthy side dish, it leans towards Italian-based flavors and even hits on an agrodolce or sweet-yet-sour tone with the mixture of the sweet raisins and the sherry vinegar.  Scrumptious indeed, I highly recommend this stuffing idea for one of your many Holiday gatherings.

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