Scallops with Summer Corn Hash

For Father's Day we were going to make scallops wrapped in bacon as a appetizer. We ended up at the Mexican Cafe and Aldo's and didn't do any cooking at all. So I ended up with lots of ingredients at my house that I hadn't planned on having. After looking at a few thing on the Internet, I came up with this recipe. This was my first time making the large sea scallops and I cut them in half to ensure more even cooking. This was also my first time using beet greens. They are related to swiss chard and cook similarly. My mom had some beets in the fridge and the greens were crisp and beautiful. I absconded with them (just the greens, she kept the beets) and a bunch of other goodies from the weekend.

Scallops with Summer Corn Hash

3 strips of bacon
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
4 ears of white corn, kernels removed
greens from 2 beets, stems chopped and leaves chiffonade
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
scallops (I used 9 cut in half)
salt and pepper to taste (season throughout process)
a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce (I used chipotle flavored)-optional

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet. Set aside bacon and heat 1 tbsp of bacon grease. Add potatoes to bacon grease and cook.
   
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and beet greens stems. Cook until potatoes are almost done.
3. Add beet leaves and wine and cook down until greens are wilted and wine has evaporated.
4. Add Tabasco and corn and cook until potatoes and corn are done. Crumble bacon and add back to hash.
   
5. Meanwhile heat butter in another skillet.
6. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
   
7. Sear scallops in butter, turning once.
   
8. Serve scallops with hash.

I found that the potatoes were a little bland unless I seasoned liberally with salt. FYI whenever I say salt in my blog. I am always referring to kosher salt. I don't use table salt unless I am baking and even then I don't always remember. All in all it was a really fun meal to plan and cook. As you can see the last few recipes haven't been adapted, they have been all my own. I'm sure that if I made this again I would change a few things. I think I would put the onion and garlic in with the potatoes because they didn't have enough flavor. I would also use salt and pepper more liberally and more often. The beet greens were very good. I have another two sets that I plan using on pizza later this week.

Pita Pizzas

This isn't a recipe but a great idea for a small lunch or late night snack. The best part is that it's ready faster than the convenience foods you get in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can use any toppings you want (although for things you don't normally eat raw, you may want to pre-cook them, like meats).

All you need:

whole wheat pita-pockets
sauce or olive olive
cheese of your choice
toppings
cookie sheet
parchment paper or aluminum foil
oven with broiler setting

Put you covering on you pan. Heat your broiler to high. Top pitas with sauce toppings and cheese. Thin layers are best. Broil pizza for 3-5 minutes. Watch them so they don't burn. The crust will get nice and crispy.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

This was a spur of the moment type of recipe. I had zucchini and squash leftover from the CSA and I wanted to make myself a snack. It made a lot more than I thought it would and the fritters are rather heavy. I would say two is plenty for a snack. This made approx. 15 or so fritters. The fritters with less flour were a little lighter but they were difficult to roll in the breadcrumbs. Since I ate all these myself it will be awhile before I can try to make them again and perfect the recipe.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Fritters

1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow summer squash
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2-3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, or enough to coat fritters
salt, pepper, garlic powder and minced onion to taste
oil for frying (I used peanut because it was all I had in the house)

1. Grate the zucchini and yellow squash.
2. Add egg and feta to squashes and mix. Add seasonings.
3. Add flour gradually, stop when mixture begins to hold together more easily.
4. In a dish, pour breadcrumbs. Scoop out fritter batter and roll in breadcrumbs. Set aside to fry.
   
5. Heat oil to 325-250 degrees in a high sided pan. You need approximately 1/2 an inch for frying.
6. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
   

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles

My freezer still has a lot of meats in it from BOGO grocery store sales. Here is some more of the pork that we bought. The sugar snap peas are from the CSA this week. I don't have much to say about this. It was good. I would make it again. I guess I'm a little sleepy. I did substitute pork for beef. Maybe it would have had more flavor with beef. Who knows!?

Orange-Flavored Pork and Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry with Noodles
(adapted from Gourmet)

1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
9 ounces Asian egg noodles
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
10 oz. pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot
1 pint sugar snap peas

1. In a bowl dissolve cornstarch in soy sauce and stir in broth and zest.
2. In a kettle of boiling water cook noodles until tender and drain well, follow packing directions.
   
3. While noodles are cooking, in a wok heat oil over high heat until hot but not smoking
4. Stir-fry garlic, gingerroot, onion, and peas until onion begins to be translucent.
5. Stir-fry pork, patted dry and seasoned with salt and white pepper, until browned.
   
6. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Simmer mixture until thickened. In a large bowl toss pork mixture with noodles.

Chipotle Style Burritos

I have an obsession with Chipotle. The closest ones are over 30 minutes away however. Honestly, it's probably a good thing, because it means that I can't eat there easily and it isn't the healthiest. I decided to try and recreate them at home. I wasn't able to attempt the beans and I didn't want to do fajita burrito, because we never order that. These burritos contain the following: cilantro lime rice, chipotle adobo chicken, medium corn salsa, mild tomato salsa. I set out some cheese and substituted fat-free Greek yogurt for sour cream. Be sure to microwave the tortillas for a few moments before you try to fill and wrap or they will split. Was it exactly like what you get at Chipotle? Not quite. Was it a good substitute? Oh hell yeah!

Cilantro Lime Rice (2-3 burritos)

2/3 cup basmati (texmati) rice
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp vegetable oil
Juice of half a lime

1. Heat oil. Add rice and salt and stir to coat with oil.
2. Add lime juice and water and bring to boil.
   
3. Turn down heat and simmer on low until water is evaporated.
4. Add cilantro and fluff to serve.

Chipotle Adobo Chicken

1 oz. dried chipotle peppers, rehydrated
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
1/4 red onion, sliced
Boneless skinless chicken breast

1. Place first eight ingredients in a mini-prep food processor and pulse until a paste forms.
2. Marinate chicken in pepper paste and onions for at least one hour (up to overnight).
3. Broil or grill chicken.
4. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Medium Corn Salsa

1 10 oz. bag frozen corn (steamed)
1/2 jalapeno, grilled or roasted
1 poblano pepper, grilled or roasted (skin removed)
1/3 red onion, grilled or roasted
Juice of half a lime
salt and pepper
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1. Chop peppers and onion.
   
2. Mix corn, peppers, onion, lime juice, and cilantro together.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mild Tomato Salsa

2 tomatoes, diced
1/3 red onion, chopped
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
salt

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Season to taste
   

Red Chard Risotto

This year I am sharing a share in a CSA with my friend, the German teacher. She and I split each of the the medium share boxes we get each Tuesday. Last Tuesday we got our first batch of red chard. I have never eaten (that I can remember) chard and I know I have never cooked with it. It's really a gorgeous color combination. I decided that i wanted to try to make a risotto, that way if I didn't like it, it would be well hidden. I think I like the chard but the recipe for risotto I chose was a little bland. TGT (the German teacher) told me that she and her husband decided to make a recipe with proscuitto, garlic, and cream. MMMMM it sounds good doesn't it? I have some bacon in the fridge, so maybe if we get more tomorrow, I'll have to include some bacon in next week's chard recipe. J doesn't like risotto but I grilled some sirloin to go with it in case he hated it. He agreed it was bland but ate what I put on his plate.

Red Chard Risotto (adapted from Bon Appétit)

4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 bunch coarsely chopped red Swiss chard leaves
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Additional grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes.
   
3. Add rice and chard and stir until chard begins to wilt, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
   
5. Add 1/2 cups broth at a time. Stirring until each 1/2 cup is absorbed.
   
6. Simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring frequently.
7. Mix in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper.
   Serve with additional cheese.
   
   

Mexican Cheese Dip

Please excuse the grease in this picture, after I first baked this it was quite attractive. Then at the party I tried to microwave it to warm it back up and it separated a little so I had to mix it up and take the picture quick.

This is another recipe I copied down from when I moved out of my parents house. This particular recipe we had never actually tried but had always intrigued me. It came from a notebook of recipes my aunt had given my mother. It was filled with her favorite recipes. This was one of the recipes. Again, I wasn't going for health. This was a "soak up the booze" recipe so the party wouldn't get out of hand with a bunch of people drinking on empty stomachs. I was under the impression that there wouldn't be a lot of food there if I didn't bring some. There did happen to be cake, cupcakes, and a taco layer dip, so it wasn't as if they would have starved. It was another big hit. There was a little leftover because as it cools it doesn't do so well. I should have reheated it again. Don't worry about the separating; it's fine once you stir it up.

Mexican Cheese Dip (adapted from my aunt's recipe)
1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese
1/2 lb. swiss cheese
8 oz. Hellman's or Best Foods mayo
1 small can chopped green chilis

1. Grate cheese.
2. Mix mayo with cheese and chilis.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
4. Serve with tortilla chips.
   

Pizza Dip

I know this is very out of character as a recipe for me. Something totally indulgent, unhealthy, with little to no nutritional value, but I was going to a party. This party was going to be full of non-adventurous eaters and perhaps vegetable haters (GASP!). So I went into the archives of recipes I had gotten from my parents when I moved out and found this gem.

Probably when I was in middle school this was one of the standard party fare recipes. My parents would make it for their Christmas party; we would bring it to our annual crab feast etc. I think it has to have been ten years since I last tasted this dip though. I have been craving it and I thought, what better way to get chance to taste it again than bring it to someone else's party. So I did.

One girl told me that she liked it especially because "You could put olive on a shoe and I'd eat it", or something similar (it was was late and I can't remember exactly). Another told me it tasted just like her mom's lasagna. Several people asked who made it. It was actually really nice to have people say nice things about my food. Maybe I'll bring it to next year's luncheon at school. Normally I run out of time and throw something together with the healthy food that's in my house and nobody eats is. (I made lovely white bean dip and people wouldn't even try it) I personally like my cooking for the most part so it's always a real blow to my ego. Don't worry though, I won't let last night's comments go to my head.

Normally we used to eat this on garlic melba rounds, but since I didn't think people would know what they were I went with Garlic Parmesan Triscuit Thin Crisps (honestly I forget the exact product). I usually don't like triscuits but these were pretty good. You definitely need a sturdy cracker or a spoon to put the dip onto the cracker (or bread slice, veggie dipper etc.).

Pizza Dip
1 block cream cheese
2 cups tomato sauce
(Italian Seasoning) - add a few tsp to sauce if bland, optional
1 bunch scallions chopped
1 small can sliced olives
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled

1. Spread cream cheese on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.
2. Layer each subsequent ingredient in order.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
   

White Bolognese Rigatoni

This was delicious. That's really all I have to say about this meal. It was delicious. I halved the meat but kept the same number of veggies plus extra mushrooms to make it healthier. I also used light cream instead of heavy cream. I think it would be interesting to add a little tomato paste to this for more of a normal bolognese.

White Bolognese Rigatoni (Adapted from Heidi da Empoli)

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

1stalk celery, finely chopped

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 links hot Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings

1/2 lb. ground beef (90%)

3/4 cup Italian white wine

1 cube beef bouillon dissolved in 1 cup simmering water

8 oz. white mushrooms, finely chopped

1/3 cup light cream

1/2 lb.rigatoni

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

1. Add a few tbsp oil to a large, deep sauté pan to lightly coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, mushroom, and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.

2. Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top; pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water to loosen it if needed. Top with cheese.

(Lighter) General's Tso's Chicken

I have found that I have lost all craving to eat in the Chinese restaurants in our town. I haven't decided if this is a reflection on the restaurants themselves or on my particular taste in Chinese food. For the most part the restaurants in our town have a buffet for one. And while I love variety as much as the next person, I always feel like a hog at a Chinese buffet, even if I only eat one small plate. It may have to do with the many years the boys I worked with would get Chinese buffet at lunch and prepare all morning by making sure there was enough room in their bowels for as many plates as they could eat (I believe the going number was four plates). J has also introduced me to the fact that you need to go to a buffet at a certain time of day to get the freshest food. Since it's the peak hours that have the freshest food, you end up watching all these sad people gorging themselves, which is less than appetizing. One place once had a trail of ants climbing up the wall. Another place (supposedly) once had maggots in the fried rice after it had been delivered. Actually, thinking about it now, I can't think of a single place in town that has sit down Chinese (as opposed to buffet).

Anyway, what all this means is that I have been making more of our Chinese inspired dishes at home. This particular recipe is actually supposed to be a lighter version of the original. There is no deep frying and I have added a bigger veggie to meat ratio than originally called for. I must say as much as I'm not a huge fan of her personality, Martha Stewart's recipes seem to be pretty awesome in execution.

Lighter General Tso's Chicken (adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 cups uncooked long-grain brown rice (prepared according to packaging)
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 lb. sugar snap peas
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated and peeled
2 1/2 tbsp light-brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 large egg white
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons peanut oil

1. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Add peas, carrots, garlic, ginger, sugar, soy sauce, and red-pepper flakes; toss to combine, and set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together egg white, remaining cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken, and toss to coat.
3. In a wok, heat oil over medium-high. Lift the chicken from egg-white mixture (shaking off excess), and add to wok. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add carrot-pea mixture to wok. Stir-fry until peas and carrots are tender and sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet (with any juices); toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Oleana (Cambridge, MA)

If you lurk on message boards you may have heard of Oleana. A Middle Eastern restaurant in Cambridge, MA. Reservations are pretty much required to sit inside but the patio is first come first served. Not being able to get a reservation because I hesitated in making plans due to some indecision issues, I thought it best that we get to the restaurant early. It opens at 5:30 and we arrived around 5:10. We were able to get one of the first few tables on the patio. It isn't very big and there was a pretty good line out front by the time the restaurant opened.

J and I wanted to have room for dessert (even though we really don't have much of a sweet tooth) because the reputation of the pastry chef was excellent. We decided to have a few small plates and split and entree. As usual I don't have pictures of everything. I don't like to disturb and be obnoxious during dinner.

We began with Warm Buttered Hummus with Basturma & Tomato and Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers. The hummus was topped with butter then wrapped in the beef and topped with fresh tomato puree. It was good but the whipped feta with peppers was even better. Each table receives a bucket of breads and pitas at the beginning of the meal as well.

Our next small plates were the Sultan’s Delight: Tamarind Glazed Beef & Smokey Eggplant Purée with Pinenuts and the Spinach Falafel with Tahini, Yogurt, Beets & Cress. The beef was delicious. Tender and sweet, moist and succulent. The eggplant was ok but not my favorite. The falafel was the best I've ever had and J thought it was fantastic as well. The tahini was very tasty but the beets and cress (which seemed more like arugula to me) weren't what J was hoping for. I welcomed them as unique additions. I did manage to get some pictures after we'd eaten a bit of them so they probably aren't as beautiful as they were. They were quite gorgeous when they came out. There was a large basil leaf on top of the beef. For our entree we split Lamb with Turkish Spices, Pide & Everything Green with Garlic & Yogurt. The "everything green" seemed to be some deliciously sauteed broccoli rabe. The lamb was a ground lamb kebab (kefta style). Way more moist than what we usually eat at our favorite Lebanese restaurant.

We each opted to get a different dessert J had a special of chocolate baklava. I didn't really like the bitterness of the chocolate nib sauce. My dessert was to DIE for though. One of the best desserts I've ever eaten: Salted Butter Ice Cream & Petite Caramel Soufflé with Pineapple & Cashew Crisp. I'm not sure what was better the ice cream or the souffle. It was best when each bite contained a little of each of the dessert. We had beautiful weather for sitting on the patio and I would go back if I had a chance.

Boston's North End

My ethnic background is primarily Italian, if you didn't already know. My parents lived in New Haven in or near (I forget which) the Italian section when they were first married. New Haven Apizza is pizza in my mind.

I grew up outside Baltimore. I've been to Little Italy in Baltimore frequently for meals, cookies, feasts (festivals). The best cannoli ever (if you are into cannoli, which I am not) are from Vaccaro's Italian Bakery and their gelato is to die for.

When I found out that Boston has it's own Little Italy known as the North End. I knew we would have to spend some time there. In addition to two dinners, gelato and pastry we also found the North End to be full of specialty grocery and pasta stores. Sadly, traveling by air meant we could not buy meats, cheeses, fresh pasta, and anything liquid to take home with us. We did buy some Brioschi for heartburn and some friselles (black pepper/fennel seed).
Our first dinner we went to Carmen Trattoria. My parents had recommended it. It is extremely small. I had no idea how small but I'm glad we got a reservation. We actually showed up early and they seated us early. There are only 9 tables and a bar for 2. The whole place probably only seats 25 (by my count). With our glasses of red wine we set out to peruse the menu. J decided to be unconventional since it was his vacation and order pasta for both his first course and his main course. I was only a little less bizarre ordering a flatbread and a risotto. The menu on the website is not completely accurate so I took a photo of it as well.If you can see the menu, I had the grilled flatbread with caramelized leeks, Valle D'Aosta Fontina, Golden potatoes, pancetta, toasted pine nuts, and drizzled with truffle oil. The only complaint was that the crust could have been a little crispier. The flavor was fantastic though. The flavor of J's Homemade Gorgonzola Short Rib Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter and Hazelnuts was even better. I think it had a little balsamic vinegar or reduction drizzled through the brown butter sauce. It was so tasty I was using little bits of the bread to sop it up (on my fork of course). The ravioli could have been a little softer but again the flavor made up for any short-comings in texture. We ate them so quickly I wasn't able to get any pictures. I have so of the main dishes but as I don't like to use the flash when dining in nicer restaurants the quality isn't fantastic. J had the Baked Penne with Tiny Apulian Style Meatballs, Fresh Mozzarella, and Roasted Tomato Sauce. It came baked in a parchment paper cocoon. J really liked it. I would have been disappointed if I had ordered it myself. J commented that he really doesn't enjoy Italian food as much as he used to though.I ordered a lovely Spring Risotto with Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Fava Beans, Proscuitto, Fresh Mint and Parmesan finished with Mint oil. The scallops were perfectly done. I've never had fava beans and so they were harder than I had imagined. I also feel that the mint and mint oil may have been basil oil (which is fine with me because I prefer it).
The most interesting part of the meal might have been the goings on at the next table. I don't mean to poke fun at another person's ignorance but I thought it was rather an amusing turn of events. A woman and her daughter were visiting, looking at colleges. The mother was a vegetarian. She orders bolognese sauce (over crespelle filled with mushrooms). She tries to decide whether or not it is meat. Then proceeds not to eat it. My problem with the whole thing is: if you are a vegetarian (or have any dietary considerations that the kitchen should know about), and you don't know what a specific ingredient is or contains, wouldn't you ask the server? In every restaurant I have ever been to, the servers have been very gracious about dietary needs and will try and get something else for someone if what they have ordered is not able to be eaten by that person for that reason. The woman did tell the server at the end of the meal. I think it just made the server feel worse. (Although bolognese sauce by definition, at least as I understand it, contains meat.)

They do not serve coffee or dessert because clearly there is no room for after dinner lingerers. So we decided to embark in search of some at Mike's Pastry.

At Mike's we ordered a tiramisu (not as good as the one from NYC), some cookies and a raspberry gelato. It blew the gelato J had gotten at the little place at the entrance to the North End out of the water.

Our last night we got some pizza at the famous Pizzeria Regina (the original location). J was on the phone doing business but the pizza was decent and I felt like I was in an old movie with the pizza girls and their Boston accents (some of the first we'd heard all weekend). They had lots of specialty pizzas but we got a plain sausage.

Burrito Friday

I've been away a while. First it was getting ready to go to Boston. Then I was in Boston. Then I got sick right after Boston. But basically, I'm back and ready to blog. Blog about Boston. We went to a variety of restaurants and hopefully I can remember enough about each place to write about them, even though it's been a week.
When we first got to Boston we headed to our hotel in Beacon Hill. Across the street was Anna's Taqueria. I had read that the burritos there were some of the best in Boston and being the burrito lover that I am we decided to check it out.

Having read a little about what to get, I opted not to get my usual chicken but try the much lauded carnitas. Juicy and tender meat from heaven. I also read that the chili verde was similar meat but much spicier. I told this to J and he decided to give it a try. Coming from the man who covers his Asian noodles in sriracha and asks for spicy at the Thai and Indian restaurants, this is TOO SPICY. He actually couldn't finish his burrito. Here it is:
This first visit we each got a super burrito which comes with rice, beans , cheese, choice of meat, and toppings. I thought it was really good! We actually went back on night because they are open to 11 pm at the MGH location and I got a regular burrito, which is much smaller and does not contain rice and while still pretty good, I think I preferred the super. I also tried the horchata which is pretty good as well. They have lots of Jarritos soda flavors as well. Plus all the employees speak Spanish. J looks a little overheated from the spice so we try and find him a second burrito.This time we had to walk a little farther (Boston is a walking city you know), but we ended up at Viva Burrito around the corner.
He was a little too hungry so I didn't get a picture. This time he went for the chicken. It was pretty good. I still think as CHICKEN burritos go, I prefer Chipotle (gasp! I know it's a chain). Maybe those big chains put something in their food to make you want to eat their food? Anyway Viva Burrito was a little bit of a wait. They don't walk you down the line and make it in front of you. They have more options and combinations and not everyone who works there is Hispanic. Better or worse? I can't judge that from two different types of burritos! For the price and if you want quick Mexican they are both pretty tasty. Is a one "not to miss" in Boston? Probably not; because really, is Boston supposed to be known for burritos?

Hot Melon Salad

Hot Melon Salad, it sounds almost dirty...

For many years my dad used to make me try cantaloupe at Sunday morning breakfasts. Similar to when he made me try broccoli at dinner (although I actually like broccoli now). I still don't like cantaloupe but technically I think this salad is supposed to be a mix of both cantaloupe and honeydew melons. I made this last Labor Day but we had a really difficult time because we didn't have proper equipment. This really is best made using a wok. Last time I had a nonstick skillet and I used a combination of honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon and it heated up too slowly and ended up being very mushy.

Having done some research, ie: trying each type of melon when it was on a fruit try at work, I have decided honeydew melon is the only one of the three main melons that I actually like. So here is the very monochromatic, yet oh so tasty hot melon salad.

Hot Melon Salad (adapted from Alton Brown)

1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
16 ounces small-diced honeydew melon, approximately 2 cups
1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon pine nuts

1. Heat a wok over high heat.
2. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the onion, and saute for 3 to5 minutes, moving the pan continually.
   
3. Add the melon and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the melon starts to take on color.
4. Add the basil, salt, and pepper and continue to cook for another minute.
   
5. Pour mixture onto a serving platter, sprinkle with the cheese, vinegar and pine nuts, and serve immediately.

I served this with seared chicken, roasted green beans, and a white bean and rosemary mash. The green beans and chicken were good but the white beans left something to be desired.

Grilled Shrimp and Chopped Vegetable Salad

Sadly, the weather and timing of this dinner didn't agree with the plan of grilling but we were able to salvage the food and create something tasty anyway. Ideally, you would grill everything. I attempted to roast the vegetables and used the grill pan for the shrimp.

Now that it's been days since I cooked this, I forget the majority of what I cooked. Basically roast some bell peppers (I like red and yellow better than green but whatever) with red onion, garlic and olive oil. Season with salt. Toss with salad greens and grilled shrimp. Before I grilled the shrimp, I tossed them with a tad of olive oil and cajun seasoning. Enjoy!

Gnocchi and Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Ever since I read about this simple tomato sauce one of the blogs, maybe it was smitten kitchen,
I have been hankering after this sauce. Besides my family's Sunday sauce, I haven't been able to enjoy any of the tomato sauces, I've been making in the last few years. This all changed tonight. Sadly it is probably a little too fattening to be be something I'll make often but it's just delicious. Only three ingredients! I'm not going to gush because it seems to that this particular sauce has been blogged to death from what I understand but if you haven't seen it or tried it, you must!

Enough exclamation points for now. Let me talk about the gnocchi. I've made prepackaged gnocchi before, which is very hard. Heavy and sits like a rock in the stomach. I've made gnocchi from instant potatoes which have turned out quite well in the past. After talking with my (Italian) grandmother, it turns out that she almost always used instant potatoes to make her gnocchi.

The following recipe for gnocchi is 2 ingredients and very, very soft and light. From what I have read, that's the goal for gnocchi. The best gnocchi I have ever eaten however, were on special at Aldo's in Baltimore's Little Italy. If you can't travel there to eat them, or perhaps if they aren't on special the day that you, you can make this recipe instead.

Gnocchi
1 russet potato
1/2 cup flour, plus a little for rolling out the dough

1. Peel the potato and cut it into large chunks.
2. Boil the chunks of potato in water for 20 minutes.
3. Drain thoroughly and put potatoes through a food mill (or ricer).
4. Cool potatoes a little and add flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing the dough together. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
5. Roll the dough into approximately 1/2" wide ropes.
6. Cut eat rope into 1" long pieces and roll each piece over the back of fork tines to create ridges for the sauce.
7. Bring a pot of water to boil and lower gnocchi in using a slotted spoon. Be careful not to break up the gnocchi.
8. Gnocchi are finished when they rise to the top.
9. Top with sauce and cheese.

Next time I think I would add a little salt to the dough. No need for egg however.

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
(Adapted from smitten kitchen's adaptation of Marcela Hazan’s recipe from Essentials of Italian Cooking)

1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt, to taste

1. Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in pot over medium heat.
   
2. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes.
3. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
4. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste and serve over pasta.
   

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables

After last night's dud of a meal, I did not have high hopes for tonight's dinner. The sad thing, for those of you who know about them, is that I passed up free hot-chee dogs for this. There is a restaurant called the Hamilton that is similar to a diner, where I live. They aren't on the menu but a hot-chee dog (or burger or omelet) consists of American cheese, mustard, chopped onions and "sauce" which is like a Greek chili on a hot dog. At the school carnival today they were 75% off for students and free for teachers. I resisted in order to be able to eat my dinner. Luckily, dinner was delicious. I really liked this pork marinade. We cooked this dinner using both the grill and the oven. I haven't quite gotten as far as grilling vegetables. So I roasted the squash, zucchini, and onions. The grape tomatoes, J grilled on skewers. The pork was also grilled on skewers. I desperately need to buy some metal skewers because no matter how long I soak the wooden ones, they still tend to burn up. This dinner was just delicious. I'm definitely going to save the marinade recipe. I even forgot the cilantro that was supposed to go on the tomatoes but I didn't miss it at all.

Southwest Pork Kebabs with Vegetables (adapted from Ladyberd's Kitchen)

Juice of one orange (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (plus a little more or a spray for the vegetables)
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic (approx. 4 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. Hot smoked paprika (I used the Hungarian variety because it was all I could find)
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
~1 lb. pork loin (here I used pork tenderloin), trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1/2 yellow squash, thickly sliced
1/2 zucchini, thickly sliced
1 red onion, quarteredCombine all of the marinade ingredients in bowl.

1. Add the pork and toss to coat thoroughly.
2. Cover and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (mine marinated for approx. 3 hours).
3. Just before cooking, preheat grill on high.
4. Thread pork and tomatoes onto separate skewers. Discard excess marinade.
5. Grill on high direct heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let rest 2-3 minutes before removing from skewers.
6. Before the pork and tomatoes go on the grill, line a baking sheet with foil (for less clean up) and broil the remaining vegetables (zucchini, squash, and onion) in the oven on high until they reach desired doneness (approx. 10 min). Everything should be ready at about the same time.
   

Thai Chicken Slaw

This was not very well received. I thought it was ok but J said he felt like he was eating weeds. I had so much left over that I decided to change the leftover dressing recipe. I put the changes in parentheses for you to see. On the positive side: This was a super easy, as well as nice and cool for a muggy summer evening. It was pretty good with the dressing additions though.

Thai Chicken Slaw (adapted from Wives with Knives)

1 head napa cabbage, shredded
7 oz. chicken breast, cooked and shredded (raw weight)
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 mint leaves, chopped
6-8 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, lightly chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
(2 tbsp peanut butter)
(1 tbsp hoisin sauce)

1. Combine the shallots, jalapeno, honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice and soy sauce (and peanut butter and hoisin) and whisk thoroughly.
   
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and serve.