Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Dinner 7.31.2012: Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Watermelon Salad, Garlic-Lemon Pasta, Lemon-Pepper Chicken

Watermelon Salad (heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, peach, feta cheese, arugula, sliced almonds, fresh basil chiffonade)

Dressing (olive oil, Balsamic-Fig vinegar, honey, salt) - Just before serving gently toss salad ingredients with dressing.

Lemon-Pepper Chicken (little olive oil, kosher salt, lemon-pepper from TJs, chopped cilantro, lime juice) - 'massage' marinade into chicken and let marinade for at least 30 mins. Sear one side in pan with a little olive oil, turn over and roast @ 375F for 12 minutes.

Garlic-Lemon Pasta (olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, chopped cilantro) - mix ingredients and toss with al-dente pasta. Serve immediately.

Peach-Basil Salsa and Goat Cheese Crackers

Dinner 7.31.2012: Peach-Basil Salsa and Goat Cheese Crackers

Peach-Basil Salsa and Goat Cheese Crackers

Peach-Basil Salsa and Goat Cheese Crackers (chopped peaches and apricots, basil chiffonade, white balsamic vinegar, honey, pinch kosher salt, neutral crackers, goat cheese, sliced almonds)

Thai Mahi-Mahi with Coconut-Cilantro Rice

Dinner 7.29.2012: Thai Mahi-Mahi with Coconut-Cilantro Rice

Thai Mahi-Mahi with Coconut-Cilantro Rice

Mahi-Mahi (bite-size pieces of mahi-mahi, lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, ground coriander) - In a nonstick pan cook the fish until just cooked throught. Remove fish, set aside, wipe pan with a paper towel and reuse for the vegetables and sauce.

Vegetables & Sauce (olive oil, bias-sliced carrots and celery, sliced red onion, sliced mushrooms, broccoli, blanched green beans, minced garlic, minced ginger, chopped cilantro, light coconut milk, chicken stock, lime juice, kosher salt, pepper, thai red curry paste) - Sautee carrots, celery, onion and mushrooms until just starting to soften. Add ginger and garlic. Add coconut milk, chili paste and stock; stir, add broccoli and cook until broccoli starting to soften. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Add cilantro, green beans and mahi-mahi; heat through and serve over rice.

Coconut-Cilantro Rice (olive oil, jasmin rice, water, coconut milk, kosher salt, chopped cilantro) - olive oil, rice, water (3/4 part), coconut milk (1/4 part), kosher salt, chopped cilantro)

Thai Mahi-Mahi with Coconut-Cilantro Rice

Basic Tomato Sauce

Dinner 7.28.2012: Basic Tomato Sauce

Basic Tomato Sauce

Basic Tomato Sauce (olive oil, chopped onion, canned chopped or whole tomatoes, kosher salt, sugar, pepper, minced garlic, parsley sprigs tied together with kitchen twine) - Use 1/4 large onion and 1 medium clove or garlic per 28 oz. can tomatoes. In a heavy bottom sauce pan sweat the onion with some olive oil and a little kosher salt until transparent. Add canned tomatoes and a little water and gently simmer about 30 minutes until the tomatoes are starting to soften and break apart. Using an immersion blender or hand mixer blend the tomatoes to your desired consistency - be careful handling the hot liquids! I like the sauce to be on the smoother side. Return the sauce to the pot, season with a little kosher salt, pepper and sugar and bundle of parsley. Continue to gently simmer for another 2-4 hours - the longer the sauce cooks the better it will be. Add the minced garlic about half way through the cooking process. When the desired consistency has been reached remove the parsley bundle and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and sugar.

This sauce can be enjoyed by itself or used as a base for meat bolognese, vodka sauce, lasagna, etc. I usually make sauce from four 28 oz. cans and freeze/can the rest so I always have some on hand. I know I could use play store-bought marinara, but this one just tastes so much better and I know exactly what's in it. It's worth the effort!

Enjoy!

Basic Tomato Sauce

Rosemary Ham, Sundried Tomato and Basil Eggs

Breakfast 7.28.2012: Rosemary Ham, Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Eggs

Rosemary Ham, Sundried Tomato and Basil Eggs

Rosemary Ham, Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Eggs (butter, eggs, kosher salt, pepper, rosemary ham, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh chiffonade basil)

Nicoise Pasta Salad

Dinner 7.25.2012: Nicoise Pasta Salad

If there is a Nicoise salad on the menu I am very likely to order it. First, you know what you (are supposed to) get and second, I like to see all the different ways chefs come up with presenting it. On my recent trip to Europe I had two different versions of a Nicoise Salad: all ingredients mixed together with canned tuna and another more traditional way of all ingredients arranged nicely on a bed of greens.

I personally like some of the ingredients mixed together and the eggs and tuna/anchovies placed nicely on top. I do like anchovy fillets, but having just returned from my travels I did not have any on hand. Also, since we are cyclists I usually substitute durum pasta whenever I can, so in this dish I substituted the boiled potatoes for al-dente Rotini pasta.

Nicoise Pasta Salad

Dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, sugar, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, little water)

Vegetables (blanched green beans, tomato wedges, quartered hard boiled eggs, halved black olives, mixed greens and anchovy fillets optional)

Boiled Potatoes/Pasta (boiled/steamed and sliced potatoes or al-dente pasta) - drain pasta, briefly rinse to remove starch, toss with green beans, black olives, tomatoes, and dressing. Eggs go on top as garnish once plated.

Tuna (olive oil, fresh or frozen tuna well drained/padded dry, kosher salt, lemon pepper from TJs, lemon juice for drizzling) - sear on both sides - center should be pink. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped parsley.

Enjoy a little France on you dinner plate :)

The European Vacation

As you may have noticed it's been quiet around here the last few weeks. The reason was an amazing road trip through Europe: seven countries in twenty-two days. And contrary to what you may think about a cook and food lover like me I have taken very few food pictures and instead enjoyed it with my amazing company and love.

One picture I just have to share is one we have taken at a gas station overlooking the cove of Monaco: Foie Gras - only in France!

Foie Gras de Canard - gas station near Monaco.

We have eaten so many amazing dishes and I can't wait to start cooking again. This trip has been so amazing and inspiring on every 'sense'.

I hope you will enjoy all the new dishes and creations I am going to start posting shortly.

Alex - The Kitchen Accomplice