Yellow Coconut Curry Salmon

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 1/2 tbsp Yellow curry paste, available at Asian or Global food stores. I prefer Mae Ploy brand

1 tbsp Olive oil

1 14 oz can Coconut milk

1 cup Chicken broth

2 tbsp Fish sauce

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 tbsp Brown Sugar or more to taste

1 cup Basmati rice

2 6-8 oz Salmon Filets

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Cracked pepper

Fresh green vegetable of choice

Red bell pepper thinly sliced for garnish

Scallions thinly sliced, green parts only, for garnish

Cucumber dices for garnish

Method

1. Begin by cooking the basmati rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top according to the package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the curry paste stirring constantly until slightly browned and fragrant. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth and stir until evenly mixed.  Reduce heat to low and add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Let simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. Cut and steam your favorite green vegetables in salt water. I used haricot verts, but broccoli or sugar peas are great too. Cut the salmon into two evenly sized portions, about 6 - 8 ounces depending on your fillet. Drizzle with olive oil on both sides and season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  

3. Place seasoned salmon on a foil lined backing sheet and set aside until the curry is finished. Broil salmon 6 inches from the broiler for 3 minutes on each side and remove from the oven.

4. Place the cooked rice and green vegetable in a serving bowl and spoon the curry sauce over. Place the salmon atop the rice/vegetables and garnish with scallions, sliced red bell peppers and diced cucumbers.

Chicken Enchiladas in Poblano Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

     2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

         Kosher Salt

         Fresh Cracked Pepper

     2 tbsp. Olive oil

     2 Poblano peppers

    1 large Onion, diced

    1 tsp. Coriander

    1 tsp. Cumin

    1 Bunch Cilantro

    1/2 cup Black beans

    1/2 cup Corn, fresh or frozen

    1 cup Sour cream

    4 cups Shredded Chihuahua cheese

    1/2 cup your favorite salsa

    3 tbsp. Butter

    3 tbsp. Flour

    3 cups Chicken broth, heated

    2 cups Nonfat greek yogurt
    6 inch Flour tortillas

Method:

        1. Boil chicken breasts in salted water until cooked through and shred. Set aside in a mixing bowl

        2. Slice poblano peppers in half lengthwise cover with olive oil and place face down on baking sheet. Broil on high 6 inches from the heating element in the oven until skin is blackened. Cool, peel and dice. Place in mixing bowl with chicken.

        4. Saute the diced onions on medium heat until golden and mix in with the chicken mixture along with the coriander, cumin, 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, black beans, corn, 1 cup shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa. Set aside. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.

        5. Meanwhile, Heat up the chicken broth. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for about five minutes, whisking constantly. Add a cup of the chicken broth to the pan and stir until totally blended. Add the rest of the broth and simmer until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add the yogurt and whisk until
smooth.  Then stir in the diced poblano peppers and season to taste with salt and pepper

        

        6. Heat up the tortillas. Place a bit of the cream sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking sheet. Dollop a few tablespoons of filling into the center of each tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees or until sauce is bubbling and golden. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro.

        7. Serve garnished with your favorite salsa, sour cream and shredded lettuce, slice grape tomatoes and fresh jalapeños. 

    

Korean Short Ribs with Celeraic Puree

On a recent stay at Sanctuary in Scottsdale, my associate and I had the pleasure of dining at Elements.  I don't normally order red meat, but for some reason the Korean Style Short Ribs with Celeraic Puree and Chinese Broccoli compelled me. The experience was beyond. The flavors were numerous yet harmonized perfectly. I determined that evening that I must try this at home. I researched all the flavors that go into Korean style short ribs and went for it. In the end, the flavors were virtually identical to what I remembered at Elements.  I hosted a dinner party for 6 and was thrilled by my guests' reaction to the meal and the presentation. What follows is the result of my efforts.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
Serves 4

Ribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
1/2 small white onion, sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (or hot chile sauce)
1 12-ounce can lemon-lime soda 
4 to 5 pounds short ribs, cut into thirds
Cilantro chopped and spiral sliced raw beet for garnish
Celeraic Puree (Recipe follows)
Chinese Broccoli (Recipe follows)
Picked Peppers and Onions (Recipe follows)

Method
In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients and whisk to combine into a marinade. Place the ribs with sauce in a large Zip-Loc. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Place ribs and marinade in a 5-quart slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours. May be cooked in a cast iron large dutch oven. Or cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours.

Once tender, remove the ribs from the marinade and skim off the fat.  Remove to a sauce pan and simmer to about 1 1/2 cups of sauce.  Add in 2 tbs of Hoisin and a simmer until thickened.

Plate the ribs over a serving of celeriac puree and Chinese broccoli. Top the ribs with the sauce and place a spoon full of the pickled peppers/onions in the center and garnish with fresh topped cilantro and a beet spiral for color.

Celeraic Puree
2 heads celery root
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Cut off the top and bottom of the roots and cut into chunks. Place in a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 45 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. add the butter, cream and garlic. Using an inversion blender, puree to a fine consistency with no lumps. Keep warm.

Chinese Broccoli
1 bunch Chinese Broccoli
Kosher Salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Place the broccoli in the boiling water and braise for about 5 minutes until the thickest part of the stems are fork tender. Drain in a colander. 

Pickled Peppers and Onions
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
5 sweet peppers seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup mirin
1/4 cup sugar

In a small bowl, mix the sugar with vinegar and mirin until dissolved. Place the thinly sliced onions and peppers in a sealable container and pour in the vinegar/sugar mixture. Let sit in the refrigerator for an hour or more until softened slightly. 

Braised Short Ribs with Winter Vegetable Gratin

Last year I received a William Sonoma seasonal entertaining cookbook from a friend.  It is great book with a lot of good recipe ideas. After a particularly long and dreary winter week, the family was in need of a little relief from the bitter cold.  This dish was simple, fresh, delicious and easy to prepare.  I adapted the William Sonoma recipe and modified the preparation to make it a little more convenient for my busy schedule by using a slow cooker instead of the oven. The short ribs were fall apart tender and the creamy winter vegetable dish was divine. The meal was completed with steamed asparagus and a fennel and mandarin orange salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Serves 6

4 lbs Short ribs
4 tsp Kosher salt
4 tsp Freshly cracker pepper
1 tbs Paprika
1 tbs Fresh Thyme plus a few sprigs
1 Carrot peeled and sliced on the diagonal
2 Yellow onions chopped
1 Celery stalk thinly sliced
2 tbs minced garlic
3 tbs All purpose flour
2 cups Beef broth
1 1/2 cup Red wine
1 1/2 cup Water
1 1/2 tbs Tomato paste
2 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Bay leaf
3 tbs Olive oil
Fresh Italian parsley sprigs for garnish (optional)

Method

Place the spare ribs in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika and thyme. Set aside for two hours. If longer than two hours, place in the refrigerator. Peel and slice the carrots on the diagonal, slice the celery and dice the onion. Set aside.

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy sauce pan until smoking. Sear the spare ribs on each side until browned about 3 to 4 minutes. Complete the searing in batches and set the browned ribs aside in a bowl.  Reduce the heat to medium. Pour off all the fat except two tablespoons and saute the onions, carrots and celery until tender. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the flour and stir until lightly browned. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits. Continue to stir and add in the water. Remove from heat. 

In a slow cooker, combine the beef broth, vinegar, tomato paste, bay leaf together and stir in the vegetable mixture. Place the spare ribs into the liquid and the sprigs of fresh thyme.  Slow cook on high for about 3-3 1/2 hours or until fork tender. Once tender, place the spare ribs on a large serving platter and top with the vegetables and fresh Italian parsley sprigs. This can be made a day in advance.  Simply cool, cover the pot and refrigerate. The next day remove from the refrigerator, remove any fat that has solidified on the top and heat for about 30 minutes on the stove top over low heat stirring occasionally. Serve with Creamy Winter Vegetable Gratin on the side. (Recipe follows)



Winter Vegetable Gratin

Ingredients
Serves 8 - 10

3 Yukon gold potatoes
3 lg. Parsnips
2 sm. Rutabaga
1 med. Turnip
1 tbs Kosher salt
2 tsp Fine sea salt
1 tsp Fresh cracked pepper
4 Tbs Butter
1 cup Half and Half
4 tsp Italian parsley minced
3 tbs Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbs Grated Gruyere cheese

Method

Set a stock pot filled with water and the sea salt to boil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Peel and cut into one inch cubes the potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga and turnips and boil until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Once tender, drain the vegetables well and place in a large bowl.  Mix in the butter, parsley, 1/2 cup of the half and half salt and pepper and roughly mash with a potato masher until the half and half is absorbed. Add the remaining half and half. Mash coarsely again until well blended.  I prefer a somewhat chunky texture to the mash.  Add a little more half and half, if needed, to arrive at the desired consistency and adjust seasonings to taste with the salt and pepper.

Spoon the mashed vegetables in a buttered 12 inch gratin dish and sprinkle the top with the cheeses.  Bake until bubbles form around the edges, about 20 minutes. Preheat the broiler and broil until the top is golden, 3-4 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and serve.

Seared Scallops With Thai Scented Pea Puree

I came across this recipe from Nigella Lawson one day and was intrigued by the mix of Thai flavors with both peas and scallops. Being a huge fan of scallops, I tried it out and made a few adaptations of my own that I felt added a layer of complexity to the flavors. The sweetness of the peas really set off the flavor of the scallops. And the bright green is so colorful it makes for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 tbs Thai green curry paste
1 tbs palm or brown sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
Juice of three limes
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbs butter
12 large scallops
1 - 2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro or Thai basil
Salt

Method:
Cook the peas in boiling, sligtly salted water until tender, then drain and place in a blender or food processor. Add green curry paste, sour cream, sugar and juice of one lime.  Season to taste with salt and a little more curry paste depending on the spice level you prefer.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until foamy and sear the scallops for approximately 2 minutes per side. When they are finished they will have lost the raw look and be golden and almost caramelized on the outside. Set on a warm plate.

Remove pan from the heat and deglaze with the juice of two limes. Stir to mix well and pick up browned bits from the pan. Season to taste with salt. 

Spoon three portions of peas onto each plate and top each with a seared scallop. Sauce each and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro or Thai basil.  Serve immediately.

Thai Style Pork Chops With Cilantro Mashed Potatoes

I came across the recipe for these Thai style pork chops in a recent edition of Delicious Magazine. I have been subscribing ever since Barnes and Noble discontinued the publication by switching from the Australian to the UK edition. For the longest time the magazine had the subhead "Voted the world's most beautiful magazine". After years of following every issue, I have determined the claim is true. 

In terms of the pork chops, they were met with rave reviews.  Fresh, quick and full of flavor.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 Shallots chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
Handful cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 Tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
4 Pork cutlets
Olive oil to brush
3 Iranian cucumbers cut into chunks
Mint leaves
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Sweet Chili Sauce, recipe follows

Method:
Place the shallots, ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, sugar, Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper in a food processor and whiz to a paste. Mix well, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a grill to medium high heat and brush lightly with oil. Grill cutlets for 3-4 minutes each side or until your liking. Serve with cucumber, chili dressing and mint leaves.

Cilantro Mashed Potatoes
3 Large Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Scallions thinly sliced
Handful cilantro thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper

Method:
Peel and quarter potatoes and bring to a boil in salted water. Drain once tender and coarsely mash with a hand held potato masher. Add butter, coconut milk, scallions and cilantro. Mix until blended. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Chili Dressing
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Small sweet red chilies finely diced
2 Scallions thinly sliced
1 Iranian cucumber finely diced

Method:
Place vinegar, sugar and fish sauce in a bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved. Stir in chili, scallions and cucumber. Set aside.

Asian Pulled Pork Sliders With Vietnamese Slaw

Ingredients For Rub and Pork:

1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder 
1 tbsp packed dark brown sugar 
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
5 lb pork roast

For Sauce:
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 
3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup fish sauce 
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar 
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger 
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

For Vietnamese Slaw:
1 lbs red cabbage, cored and finely shredded 
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp fresh lime juice 

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil

Method:
Combine cabbage, cilantro, mint, basil, and scallions in a bowl. Whisk together rice wine vinegar, sugar, lime juice, salt and oil. Adjust to taste with additional vinegar and sugar as desired. Toss cabbage with dressing, then chill, covered, at least 2 hours for slaw to soften. Slaw can be made 8 hours ahead and chilled, covered. 

Make Rub and Prepare Pork:
Stir together spices in a small bowl. Remove pork from refrigerator and put in a large roasting pan. Trim surface fat from pork, then rub all over with spice mixture. Let pork stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Make Sauce:
Whisk together all sauce ingredients.

Roast Pork:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Cover pork roast with a sheet of parchment paper, then cover roasting pan tightly with foil. Roast 1 hour. Carefully loosen foil, lift up parchment, and pour half the sauce over pork. Tightly cover pork again and roast 1 more hour. Turn pork over and pour remaining sauce over it, then tightly cover again. Continue to roast, basting every half hour with pan juices, about 2 1/2 hours more, or until fork-tender (a meat fork should insert easily) and an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into center of meat registers 190°F. 

Transfer to a cutting board. When meat is cool enough to handle, coarsely shred it, using 2 forks, and transfer to a large bowl. While pork is cooling, pour pan juices into a large measuring cup and let stand until fat rises to top, then spoon off and discard fat. Drizzle meat with some pan juices and serve remainder on the side. Serve pork and slaw on buns.

Notes:
Pork can be roasted and shredded 3 days ahead. I have made this in a slow cooker/crock pot as well. If roasting in a crock pot, cook the pork in the sauce until fork tender and shred with a fork. 

For Assembly:
24 Slider buns, split and toasted
Vietnamese Slaw

Peach BBQ Chicken Tacos with Fresh Peach Salsa and Pickled Peppers


Ingredients:
Peach bbq'd chicken breast sliced and glazed in peach bbq sauce, recipe follows
Fresh peach salsa
Pickled peppers
12 fresh corn tortillas
1 cup queso fresco crumbled
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
Cooking spray


Heat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Warm the tortillas in batches of three on each side until heated through. Use additional cooking spray as needed to Assemble the tacos in layers, chicken first, topped with shredded cabbage, fresh peach salsa, crumble queso fresco and topped with pickled peppers. Serve immediately.


Fresh Peach Salsa:
4 Fresh peaches halved, pitted, peeled and diced
4 Scallions finely chopped
1 Iranian cucumber unpeeled, diced
4 Red radishes julienned
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one fresh lime
1 tsp sriracha
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil


Mix all ingredients together and season with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.


For the peach bbq grilled chicken: Adapted from Bon Appetit
1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo 
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts


Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until peaches are very soft and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool. Pour peach mixture into a blender and purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place half the sauce in a medium bowl; add the chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce.


Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until browned and almost cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Brush on all sides with reserved sauce; grill until glazed and cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Slice crosswise in thin strips.

Pickled Peppers and Red Onions:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Red onion thinly sliced

1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers or your favorite variety

1 tsp dried oregano

Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium nonreactive bowl and let stand until salt and sugar dissolve.  Meanwhile peel and halve the onion and cut into 1/8 inch slices. Add the onions, oregano and peppers to the lime juice mixture and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 days. Drain before serving.

Gnocchi Carbonara


Ingredients: (serves 6)

2 lbs (about 4 large) yukon gold potatoes, peeled, chopped into 2 inch pieces 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Pinch of nutmeg
2 1/3 cups plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
10 oz pancetta, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
3 tpsp unsalted butter
1 cup frozen baby peas, blanched, refreshed
Shaved parmesan
Finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley, to serve


Method
Place potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain, then return potato to pan over low heat. Cook, shaking the pan, for 1-2 minutes to remove excess water


Pass potato through a potato ricer into a bowl and season. Add eggs, nutmeg and flour and bring mixture together with your hands to form a soft dough - be careful not to overwork it. Divide mixture into 6 portions and roll each into a thin log, then cut into 2cm pieces.


In batches, cook gnocchi in boiling salted water for 1 minute or until they float to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain and set aside.


Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until pancetta starts to crisp. Remove and whiz in a small food processor until fine, then return to the pan. Reduce heat to medium, then add garlic and cream, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until sauce has reduced by about one-third. Season well with salt and freshly cracked pepper and keep warm.


Meanwhile, melt butter with remaining 1 tbsp oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the gnocchi, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes, turning, until golden. Gently toss the gnocchi with the peas and cream mixture until combined.


Season, then garnish with parmesan, if using, and parsley. Serve immediately. 

Caribbean Spice Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients: Serves 6


Grilled Pineapple Salsa:
1 small pineapple, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch rounds, cored
Canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper of Italian sweet pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro leaves Honey, to taste
4 Scallions thinly sliced including greens


Glaze:
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup dark brown muscovado sugar
1 cup dark rum
4 cups chicken stock
1 habanero chile, left whole with 3 slits cut into chile 2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat


Method
For the relish:
Heat the grill to high heat. Brush the pineapple with a few tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on all sides. Remove the pineapple from the grill, cut into small dice and transfer to a bowl. Add the onion, chile, vinegar, a few tablespoons of oil, cilantro and honey, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. 


For the glaze:
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the sugar, add the rum and cook until reduced by half. Add the stock, habanero, cinnamon stick and star anise, bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Strain the mixture into a bowl then return it to the saucepan and continue cooking until reduced by half and thickened to a glaze, season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Heat the grill to high heat. Brush the tenderloin with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until crusty and charred on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, brushing with the glaze during the last few minutes of grilling. Remove from the grill, brush with more of the glaze and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Spoon remaining glaze over sliced pork and top with pineapple salsa.