Albacore Tuna, Green Lentils, Red Onion, Arugula
Tuesday, I got some shocking news. They need me at Tavolata, one of the sister restaurants to A&O, and I am starting today. No goodbyes. No one last shift. Just, DONE. I have been at A&O since June 18, so almost three months to the day, I am saying goodbye to my comfortable home on Capitol Hill and entering into the gourmet ghetto of Ethan’s restaurant in Belltown. Read the rest of this entry »
Braised Lamb Shanks with Curried Lentils
I get far too excited to have dinner parties. I think it is because every time I have one, I remember when my Mama used to throw her famous dinner parties when I was a child. I would watch her prep all day long and be in her bathrobe until 15 minutes before the party started. She knew that when she said 7pm, people would show at 7:45 at the earliest. Maybe it was that they knew she would never be ready. But, it was unspoken, and it worked.
I was raised in small town in Virginia, but Mother grew up in California and Boston. She threw a great party, with people drinking, eating, and laughing until the wee hours of the morning. We would always go to the recycling center the next day and just chuck wine bottle after wine bottle into the glass bin. She had a dinner club just like I do, but she also loved to entertain her co-workers, girlfriends, and family. I feel that I now carry that torch. My Mom doesn’t remember the last time she threw a dinner party, but she truly enjoys when I have her over for dinner. Oh, how the roles reverse. She also promised that when I get a bigger house she will give me her cookbook collection. And by collection, I mean small library.
Tomato Feta Salad
Ahh! Warm Weather. That means outdoor grilling, sunbathing, and fresh summer salads. It also means TOMATOES!
Tomatoes are probably one of my favorite foods. I like them all ways, all kinds, all shapes, all sizes. However, the bittersweet and ironic part of my love affair with tomatoes is that my husband is not a huge tomato fan. He only eats them cooked or in salsa. Basically, he only eats them when they don’t taste like tomatoes. There goes my options.
I decided to make this salad for a family get together that we had over the weekend. I hoped that Erik would give this salad a try….and he did. We are making progress!
Roasted Red Onion, Pine Nut and Mesculin
I am constantly looking for a new salad that does not consist of blue cheese, cranberries, and pecans. However, that salad happens to be Erik’s all time favorite. He is not a tomato and cucumber salad eater, so I have had to learn to be extremely creative. This recipe is the product of that creativity, and the desire for something new.
Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
My friend Nazra gave me this recipe a couple of months ago. Erik and I have tried it before, but I decided to modify it before I put it on my blog. The recipe called for a sour cream based dressing, and I changed it to an olive oil based dressing. The flavors are delicious, and it takes less than 10 minutes to make.
Tzatziki Lamb Burgers
When most people think of a burger, they think of a grilled ground beef patty in between two pieces of bread and the usual suspects of condiments. This is why I like gourmet burgers. They enable the eater to experience multiple different flavor profiles but in the classic burger format. This burger tastes like an entire greek meal! I hesitated putting this recipe under reviews because I used the basic skeleton of a recipe from epicurious.com and added my own creative touches. Instead of the Tzatziki sauce, Hummus or a mediterranean style salsa would also be great to top this burger as a substitution. Also, if you cannot find Naan bread, pita bread would also work just as well. If you are a cheese lover, feta would be a nice addition for extra saltiness.
Steak with Caribbean Salad
Corn is in season right now. They are selling it for the bargain price (ha!) of 2 husks for a dollar at my local Whole Paycheck (Whole Foods). So, because the corn looked so fresh I decided to search for a recipe where it could be the focal point. I found the salad recipe at www.cookinglight.com, and decided that a steak would compliment the side dish very nicely. Unfortunately, I forgot to put the black beans in this recipe but it was good without (what can I say…I am a flake sometimes).
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
4 steaks of your choice to grill, recommended 1/2 lb. per person
Steak seasoning and Olive Oil to coat steaks
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 ears fresh corn, husked
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalepeno, chopped (ribs and seeds removed if you don’t like spice)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
kosher salt, to taste
1/8 tsp. cumin
1 large mango, chopped
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups mesculin greens
Preheat a grill. or grill pan to medium high heat. Season steaks with steak seasoning, or a generous amount of kosher salt and cracked pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Cook steaks 3 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. (I like mine medium rare. Also, remember that your steak has to rest for at least 10 minutes after you cook it to distribute the juices!) Once you finish cooking it, put it under a tin foil tent and let the yummy juices soak back inside the meat. If you skip this step, your steak will not be as succulent.
Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat as well. Add garlic and saute for 15 seconds or until you can smell it. Stir in corn and cook for 4 minutes or until brown. (My suggestion is to let the corn brown by leaving it in the bottom of the pan and searing for a couple of minutes and not stir it. Then stir it again and let it brown some more. ) Add red onion, red pepper and jalepeno. Saute 2 minutes until just heated through. Place corn mixture in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients except mesculin greens. Stir to combine.
Serve steaks with mesculin greens topped with the corn salad.
