Seared Albacore Tuna with Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
12 oz albacore tuna
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1 cup packed fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (can sub 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Chimichurri
Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl.
Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings.
Albacore Tuna
Pat the tuna dry and season with salt and pepper on all sides. Bring a cast iron skillet (or other heavy skillet) to high heat and add safflower oil. Sear the tuna quickly on all sides, about 1 minute per side, leaving the middle rare.
Transfer the seared tuna to a plate and then pop it in the freezer for 1 minute to stop the cooking process.
Slice the tuna in ½ inch slices and serve with the chimichurri to the side or spooned on top
Bacon and Rapini
Ingredients
1 bunch rapini, leaves and florets, cut to 1" pieces
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Instructions
Heat large, high-walled pan over medium-low heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy and much of the fat is rendered, about 8-10 minutes
Remove bacon and drain bacon grease into a small, heat-safe bowl. Do NOT toss out extra grease. Place bacon bits in separate bowl. Set aside.
In the same pan, add rapin and garlic. Cook until the stems are tender, about 5 minutes. Add in half of the bacon bits. If broccoli rabe begins to stick, add some of the reserve bacon grease.
Season with salt and pepper, top with reserve bacon, as desired. Serve immediately.
How Remove Shrimp Heads Before Cooking
Removing the heads might seem daunting at first, but the process, known as "heading," is quite easy, although a bit messy. Head-on shrimp retain their natural moisture better, resulting in superior flavor and texture, making the task well worth it in the end., Let frozen shrimp defrost slowly in the refrigerator, allowing the water to drain off as they thaw.
You need to use caution when handling head-on shrimp. In addition to the sharp point at the tail (the telson), there is an even longer point at the head (the rostrum). They’re easy enough to avoid if you’re moderately careful.
Pick up the shrimp one at a time—don't try to grab a handful all at once or your chances of getting poked increase. If you do get stuck, clean the site well as any puncture wound easily can become infected.
Before you begin, choose your work area; setting a colander in the sink is ideal. You may also want a paper towel or dish towel handy.
Begin by taking a shrimp firmly in your dominant hand, with the body curving toward you and your thumb and bent forefinger just behind the gill plates on opposite sides.
With your other hand, grip the shrimp head firmly with your thumb and forefinger on the gill plates on opposite sides. The tips of your thumbs and the knuckles of your forefingers should almost be touching.
In one quick movement, bring your forefingers up and your thumbs apart in a snapping motion. Remove the head and pull out the black digestive tract, if visible. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
Once you learn the process and exactly where your fingers need to go, you can keep a paper towel in your hand while snapping the heads off. This gives you a better grip on the heads, minimizes some of the mess, and aids in the removal of the digestive tract.
Dispose of the heads (or save them for making shrimp stock) and rinse the shrimp in cold water.
Your shrimp are now ready to go! You can cook them in the shell or peel and devein them.
Adapted from The Spruce Eats.
Chanterelle Stuffed Carnival Squash
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced white onion (about 1 small)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
¼ cup white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
1 cup chanterelles, torn into strips
¼ cup finely diced dried apricots
Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)
2 cups brioche or good-quality white bread, torn into pieces
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 large Carnival Squash (or two small)
1 tablespoon olive oil
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter and then sauté the celery, onion and bouillon cube until lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with the wine, and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the chanterelles and apricots to the pan and warm through. Add salt and pepper. Chill the mushroom mixture thoroughly. In a large bowl, mix the bread, eggs and the cooled vegetable mixture.
Using a sharp kitchen knife (and plenty of caution), trim the stem end off of the squash and cut the squash into ¾ inch rings. You should be able to get 4 rings out of a large acorn squash. Discard the stem end and bottom piece. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds and membrane out of the squash and discard. Lay the squash rings out on a large parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle slices of squash with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove squash from the oven and press the mushroom and apricot stuffing into the center of each squash ring. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the stuffing has set and started to brown.
Recipe and Photo from NY Times Cooking.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Persimmon & Rosemary
INGREDIENTS
· 1 lb pork tenderloin
· 2 ripe persimmons, sliced into thin half moons
· 1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced into large chunks
· 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
· Extra virgin olive oil
· Kosher salt
· Fresh cracked black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large, oven safe cast iron or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Remove leaves from two sprigs of rosemary and chop.
Coat the pork tenderloin liberally with salt, pepper, chopped rosemary, and 1 TBSP of olive oil.
Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan, then add the onion around the edges.
Transfer the pork and sear for 3-5 minutes until deeply caramelized.
Turn the pork over, add the sliced persimmon to the pan, mixing with the onions.
Top with another tablespoon of olive oil, large pinch of salt, and remaining rosemary sprigs.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 15-25 minutes depending on thickness, until cooked to your liking.
Let the pork rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with potatoes, or greens!
Recipe and photo from Kathleen Ashmore.
Ground Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ground Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
· 1 acorn squash
· 1 teaspoon olive oil1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon olive oil
· 1 pound ground beef
· 1 onion, diced
· 1 apple - peeled, cored, and diced
· 3 cloves garlic, diced
· 2 tablespoons salted butter
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Cut acorn squash in half. Scoop out and throw away seeds. Brush the cut side of squash with 1 teaspoon oil. Place cut-side down onto a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool, 5 to 10 minutes. Leave the oven on.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef in hot oil until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Add onion, apple, and garlic. Continue to cook, while stirring around, until fruit and vegetables are slightly soft, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Turn squash over and place cut-side up onto the baking pan. Fill the centers of squash with beef mixture. Dot each with 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until brown sugar is golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. Take squash out of the oven and sprinkle each half with goat cheese. Serve.
Adapted from allrecipes.com Photo by simplybutysavory.com
Purple Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
· 1 head of purple cauliflower cut into florets
· 1 TBSP olive oil
· ¼ tsp salt
· 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl or right on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Spread florets out in a single layer.
3. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until browned on underside of florets; stir or use tongs to turn over.
4. Bake another 3 to 5 minutes or just until tender and lightly browned.
Recipe by Kathleen Phillups. Photo by The Natural Nurturer>
Perfect Flat Iron Steak
Ingredients
2 8 oz flat Iron Steaks
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon chopped fresh chives
¼ cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or other dry red wine)
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
Instructions
Place the steak inside of a large resealable bag. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, parsley, rosemary, chives, red wine, salt, pepper and mustard powder. Pour over the steak in the bag Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear and cook the steak in the hot skillet for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, or to your desired degree of doneness. Discard the marinade. Allow the steaks to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe by Cocina Jnots. Photo by Sea Martin.
Butter Braised Savoy Cabbage
Ingredients
1 small head savoy cabbage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Fine sea salt, to taste
3 to 5 tablespoons water
Instructions
1. Cut the cabbage into quarters, cutting out the thick, solid core at the center. Chop the cabbage into roughly bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice the core and include it in the mix.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
3. Once the butter stops foaming, add the cabbage, sprinkle it with salt, and add 3 tablespoons of water, stirring to combine.
4. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring the cabbage now and again as needed until the cabbage absorbs all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.
5. Test the cabbage for tenderness. If necessary, add another 2 tablespoons of water and continue cooking, with the pan covered, adding a tablespoon of water at a time until the cabbage softens to your liking.
6. Season the cabbage to taste with additional salt, if you wish, and serve it hot or warm.
Recipe adapted from Spruce Eats. Photo from Kitchen in the Hills.
Calabrian Fried Jimmy Nardello Peppers and Potato
Ingredients
· 6-8 Jimmy Nardello peppers, washed, cored and seeded and cut into chunks about 1 ½ – 2 1/3 inches
· 3-4 medium firm fleshed yellow potatoes, well scrubbed (no need to peel) and cut into bite-sized chunks.
· 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or a bit more if things dry out)
· Sea salt
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in the largest, heaviest skillet you have. When it’s hot but not smoking add the peppers and potatoes and toss well to coat with oil.
2. Cook on high heat, stirring frequently until both potatoes and peppers are tender and almost blackened around the edges.
3. Season liberally with sea salt. Serve hot.
Recipe by Katherine Deumling. Photo from anyways.com.