Marseille-Style Shrimp Stew from Food and Wine

It has been 8 weeks since my daughter was born and in some ways, I'm glad to be back in the kitchen.  This week I'm making 3 meals from the new issue of Food and Wine, October 2011, which praises things French.  Last night we had Roast Beef with Root-Vegetable-and-Green-Peppercorn Salad, tomorrow we will have the Chicken Baked on a Bed of Bread and Swiss Chard and tonight, of course, we will be having the Marseille-Style Shrimp Stew.

Don't bypass Bon Appetit or Food and Wine because you think the recipes are too long or complicated for a weeknight.  Tonight's active time is 45 minutes, and it is 30 minutes for the other two recipes.  And, it doesn't have to be perfect.  It will still be good if you are missing an ingredient or two:-)

Here is the recipe with my pictures and comments:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Three 1-inch strips of orange zest
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Toasted baguettes, for serving

1. In a bowl, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika and cayenne. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set the rouille aside. 

Comment:  I skipped the paprika because I didn't feel like digging it out of my spice cabinet.   And, I skipped the saffron in the next section for the same reason!

2.In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the fennel and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 7 minutes. Add the garlic, orange zest and ground cloves and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, tomatoes, saffron and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, 10 minutes.

Comment:  I used ground cloves as I didn't have any whole cloves.  Here's a tip:  Don't dirty your kitchen by chopping up the whole tomatoes as the recipe suggests.  I like to put them into the pot and use my metal spatula to chop them.  Also, I used a zester, which sort-of grates the orange and put in far more zest than called for by the recipe.

3.  Add the shrimp to the skillet, cover and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked, 5 minutes. Discard the zest. Spread the rouille on toasts and serve with the stew.

 Comment:  I accidentally purchased frozen "cooked" shrimp at Fresh Market though I meant to grab a bag of frozen raw.  Too often people stress if they cannot follow a recipe exactly.  Case in point, I've changed or omitted a  good bit of things about this recipe, measured nothing and I'm sure it will still be a fine meal for a weeknight.  I hope you'll give ones of these recipes a try! 

 
 Bon Appetit!
Carson

Tomato Tart and other FavoriteTomato Recipes

It's July and the farmers' market has tomatoes in abundance!  In celebration of this, I thought I would share my favorite recipes that use tomatoes as well as try a new tomato tart recipe for tonight's dinner.  


Tonight's dinner is a simplified version of the tomato tart on David Lebovitz's blog

For tarts like this, you really needn't stick closely to the recipe.  Since I'm tired and pregnant, I used a packaged pie crust and didn't measure anything.  I placed my store-bought pie crust in the tart shell and skipped ahead to step #5.   I'm sure you could use a regular pie pan if you don't have a tart shell; you won't get the tart look or be able to put as many tomatoes in the dish, though.

French Tomato Tart
One 9- or 10-inch (23-25 cm) tart
Adapted from A Culinary Journey in Gascony
Because this is ‘country-style’ fare, this tart is open to lots of interpretation. For those of you with tart dough “issues”, you can make this either free-style or in a fluted tart ring with a removable bottom. Kate didn’t let the dough rest, but simply rolled it out, transferred it into the tart ring, and ran the rolling pin over the dough to neatly shear away the edges.
If you wish to make a free-style tart, roll the dough out to about 14-inches across, then transfer it to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Assemble the tart, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) border, which you’ll then fold up to enclose the tart.
Depending on the size of your pan, you may have a bit of dough leftover. We used it to make a few mini-tartlets, which we enjoyed later than evening with our aperitifs.
Tart Filling
One unbaked tart dough (see recipe, below)
Dijon or whole-grain mustard
2-3 large ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
two generous tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, chervil, or tarragon
8 ounces (250 g) fresh or slightly aged goat cheese, sliced into rounds
Optional: 1 1/2 tablespoons flavorful honey
Tart Dough
1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
4 1/2 ounces (125 g) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons cold water
1. Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
2. Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it’s not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water.
3. Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.
4. Once the dough is large enough so that it will cover the bottom of the pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling pin then unroll it over the tart pan. “Dock” the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations.
If making a freestyle tart, simply transfer the dough to a prepared baking sheet (see headnote); no need to make indentations with your fingers.
5. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (218ºC). See note.
6. Spread an even layer of mustard over the bottom of the tart dough and let it sit a few minutes to dry out.
7. Slice the tomatoes and arrange them over the mustard in a single, even layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
8. Sprinkle with some chopped fresh herbs, then arrange the slices of goat cheese on top. Add some more fresh herbs, then drizzle with some honey, if using.
(If baking a free-form tart, gather the edges when you’re done, to envelope the filling.)
9. Bake the tart for 30 minutes or so, until the dough is cooked, the tomatoes are tender, and the cheese on top is nicely browned. Depending on the heat of your oven, if the cheese doesn’t brown as much as you’d like it, you might want to pass it under the broiler until it’s just right.

Pictures of my simplified tart:

 *********************************************************************************
  My mother made this tart for the first time years ago, and it is always it a hit.  My husband loves it.  It's from Better Homes and Gardens and is quite simple to make.

Basil Tomato Tart from Better Homes and Gardens

A tomato recipe that takes a bit of elbow grease, but makes a stunning presentation worthy of company is the mozzarella filled tomato from Bon Appetit.  A great first course.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil from Bon Appetit

In the summertime, there is nothing better than a tomato sandwich comprised of the basics:  bread, tomatoes, salt, pepper and mayonnaise.  Homemade mayonnaise, however, will take your sandwich to the next level.  Here is a very simple (five minute--if that!) recipe for homemade mayonnaise that my mother gave me:

Easy Homemade Mayo

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp salt

1 TB fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup canola oil

Put first four ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  With blender or Cuisinart running, add the canola oil.  Process until smooth and creamy.

Makes 3/4 cup.  Store in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Bon Appetit!

Carson

Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Mint and Ricotta

 
This is an easy and light dish that I like to make in the summer.  I'll apologize in advance for the fact that I do not provide precise measurements.  You don't need them--just wing-it!


INGREDIENTS

• assorted fresh vegetables (I used: 1 zucchini, 1 Vidalia onion, 1 eggplant and 1 bunch asparagus)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 lb. whole wheat penne or other whole wheat pasta
• fresh mint
• ricotta

Cube the vegetables and lay them on a large cookie sheet.  Coat them with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast on 425 until soft.  The cook time will depend on how crowded the vegetables are on the cookie sheet and how small you cubed them.  I roasted these for about 40 minutes.

Cooke the pasta al dente.  I don't always serve the pasta warm--sometimes it is room temperature.  It is good either way.  In fact, during the hot summer months, you might prefer that it not be piping hot.

Drain the pasta and put it back into the pot in which you cooked it.  Mix in the roasted vegetables and the mint.  Add more olive oil and/or salt and pepper to your liking.  Plate it.  Put a dollop of ricotta on the top.  Voila.  An easy and healthy way to utilize your farmers' market vegetables.  This dish serves 3-4 people.

Bon Appetit!

Carson

Quick Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef

Tonight's one-dish dinner is from the March issue of Food and Wine magazine and is:

Quick Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef

If you have been wanting to try a Vietnamese dish, this would be a great place to start.  It is simple and quick!   Look for my tips and comments in italics.  I've included a few pictures too.

• TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN
• SERVINGS: 4
  

• FAST
• HEALTHY
•  
• STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients

1. 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2. 2 cups water
3. 1 tablespoon agave syrup
4. 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
5. 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I didn't have any soy and substituted Ponzu sauce.)
6. Two 8-ounce packages shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained (I did not see these noodles at the store and used  "MAIFUN" rice noodles instead.) 
7. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges, for serving
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 1/2 pound trimmed beef tenderloin, very thinly sliced across the grain
10. 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
11. 1/2 cup chopped basil
12. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
13. 1/4 cup chopped scallions
14. 1 cup mung bean sprouts
15. Sriracha or other garlic-chile sauce, for serving 

One Serving 160 cal, 7 gm fat, 2.4 gm sat fat, 11 gm carb, 3 gm fiber, 15 gm protein.

Directions

 

Comment:  My first comment is that this recipe doesn't seem to give directions for cooking the beef, and I don't think it is supposed to be raw in the soup.  Take your cut of beef, cover it with salt and pepper and stick it in the oven at 350 until its internal temperature is 140 for rare or 150 for medium.  Then slice against the grain.

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock with the water, agave syrup, grated ginger and soy sauce and bring to a boil.Add the noodles and simmer over low heat for 2 minutes. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
2. Using tongs, transfer the noodles to bowls. Add the beef to the noodles and ladle the hot broth on top. Drizzle with the sesame oil and top with the basil, cilantro, scallions and bean sprouts. Serve with lime wedges and chile sauce. 

Tip:  Do all the prep work in advance to make cook the final dish a cinch.  Cook and cut the beef and keep it in a bowl.  Wash and cut all herbs and vegetables and put them in bowls.  Put all your ingredients on the counter, so it will be within arm's reach when you start cooking because this dish cooks and is ready to serve very quickly!  

Tip:  Do not leave bean sprouts on the counter.  They are one of the worst offenders for harboring food borne illness.  Wash them and put them in your refrigerator until it is time to cook the dish.  Same goes for the veggies, herbs and meats if they are going to be prepped very far in advance.

Tip:  Unlike some herbs, cilantro leaves do not need to be separated from the stem.  Wash the cilantro and chop it stems and all!

Tip:  If you don't have a lemon or lime press, you should buy one!  It is one of my favorite kitchen tools.  I use a lemon press (instead of a lime press) because it is big enough for both lemons and limes.  In my experience, most of the time one half of a lemon or lime yields about 1 Tablespoon of juice.

Don't forget to Compost!  Enjoy your meal!
 xo- Carson

Better Than The Pizza Parlour Pizza

My family eats homemade pizza just about every weekend.  It is incredibly easy to make.  I realize this post is long and the recipe may look complicated.  It is not.  This wordy post is an attempt to thoroughly explain the process for those who are making homemade pizza, and crust, for the first time.  If you make your own pizza and crust, I promise you will never want to eat or pay for delivery pizza again! 

I have a good friend, Gina, who is an expert bread-maker and DIYer, so I have incorporated some of her tips into my recipe.

Better Than The Pizza Parlor Pizza

Ingredients for Crust:
3 cups flour
1 package rapid rise yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 TB olive oil
1 cup water

Ingredients for the pizza toppings:
(These depend, of course, on what type of pizza you'd like.  Here is what I'm using tonight, which is solely based on what is in my refrigerator!)
garlic
olive oil
oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
spinach
mozzarella
goat cheese

Other items you'll need for this version of the recipe, but are not all required to make a good pizza:
Saran Wrap
Large Metal Bowl
Food Processor/Cuisinart
Pizza Stone
Parchment Paper
Large, flat cookie sheet
cast-iron skillet and ice


1. I use the recipe from the Fleischmann's Yeast website called Food Processor Pizza Dough:
http://www.breadworld.com/Recipe.aspx?id=146
Follow the recipe exactly.  It's very simple; you simply mix everything in the food processor.  When I make the dough, I always seem to add a bit more water.  You want your dough to tacky, but not so sticky that you can't get it off of your hands.

2.  Coat a metal bowl in cooking spray and drop the dough into it.  Spray a long piece of Saran Wrap with cooking spray and completely cover the dough.   Let rise in a warm place.  I put my bowl on top of the stove and turn the vent lights on, which gets it nice and warm.  Let rise at least 40 minutes, but I usually let the dough rise for over an hour.

3.  After 40 minutes....Your dough should be ready.  Turn, on your oven as high as it will go.  (Gina informed me that this is the key to making good pizza.  Apparently, there are websites dedicating to breaking one's oven code in order to make home ovens reach insane temperatures.  I haven't done anything that extreme, but can get my oven to 525, which normally means a tremendous amount of smoke as it desperately needs to be cleaned!)  Now turn out the dough.  You'll want to handle it the least amount possible.  Plop it down in the middle of a large piece of parchment and shape into a circle.  Put your pizza stone in the oven and make sure it heats up with the oven!

TIP: I find one problem with homemade pizzas is that they are soggy.  This is in part due to the crust and the oven not being set high enough, but also to watery vegetables and too much pizza sauce.  I do not use marinara sauce, but instead use olive oil and garlic.  Okay, I used marinara once recently, but used it sparingly.

4.  Then add your toppings starting with your olive oil and garlic.  I usually put spinach down next, followed by onions and ending with cheese, of course.

5.  Tonight I'm trying something new with the crust.  Gina also told me that when making homemade bread, she puts a cast-iron skillet full of ice under the bread, which gives in a nice crust, so I'm going to try that with my pizza crust.  Put your cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack and your pizza stone should be on the upper.

6.   Lift the parchment paper (or slide the parchment paper onto the cookies sheet) and place it on the pizza stone.  To be clear, your pizza does not touch the pizza stone; the parchment serves as a barrier between the two.

7.  Cook on high heat for about 20 minutes.  Actually, I have no idea how long to tell you; it will depend on your oven temperature.  Periodically check on it and lift the edge of the pizza so you can tell how the crust it cooking.

Voila!  Your made from scratch pizza is less expensive, better tasting and healthier than any delivery pizza you could order.  Now pour yourself a large glass of vino and enjoy!

xo-
Carson

Shrimp and Bulgur Wheat One-Dish Supper

Here's an easy dinner that takes under 30 minutes.  If you've read this blog, you already know that I don't like to measure things, so I'm afraid I won't give you much in the way of measurements, but it doesn't matter, the dish will still turn-out great!  (Any measurements given are guesses!)

Carson's Shrimp and Bulgur Wheat One-Dish Supper

Serves 2*

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb steamed and peeled shrimp
• 1/2 bag or 1 bunch fresh spinach
• handful of olives
• handful of sun dried tomatoes in oil OR fresh cherry tomatoes in the summer (you shouldn't be eating the tomato-like food that is produced in the winter!)
• 3/4 cup bulgur wheat
• feta

Directions:

• Put 3/4 cup of water in a sauce pan.  Heat on high until it boil.  Remove from heat, pour in 3/4 cup bulgar wheat, stir, cover and let sit for 30 minutes.

•  On one large cutting board, chop the olives, shrimp and tomatoes reserving the oils on the cutting board.

• Once bulgar wheat is ready, stir in the olives, tomatoes, shrimp and oil.  Make sure to get all the oil off of the board.  Then stir in the spinach.  Taste and see if you need to add some olive oil.  It should have enough oil from the olives and tomatoes.

• Put into bowl and sprinkle the top with feta.

*You can easily adapt this recipe to feed more people--just put more of everything into the pot.  Bulgar wheat is always made with equal ratios of water to wheat, e.g: 1 cup water=1 cup wheat, 1/2 cup water= 1/2 cup wheat.