Aaahh, Spring Break…  Always has been one of my favorite times of year. Well, at least it was, when I was in school. My 5 year old son is on Spring Break, right now, and I am not taking any days away from work, so I am a little [...]]]>

Dean Helping Make Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Aaahh, Spring Break…  Always has been one of my favorite times of year. Well, at least it was, when I was in school. My 5 year old son is on Spring Break, right now, and I am not taking any days away from work, so I am a little stressed about keeping him busy and not glued to the TV.  It is only Monday and I am already running out of ideas.

Today, I decided we would spend some time cooking together. First we got out the juicer and made spinach, orange, lemon, apple juice. Looked like a pitcher of tie-dye before we stirred it! Not exactly my best creation ever, but Dean drank it and liked it. Next we roasted tomatoes for a pizza. Making pizza with kids is great fun because they can do their own thing, once you have a good base.

The pizza we made was non-traditional, but still quite delicious. The base is a light spread of pesto, with oven-roasted tomatoes. This is topped with fresh spinach and  ricotta, parmesan and mozarella cheeses.  I used a store-bought crust which was pretty average, unfortunately. Next time, I will make my own crust and include the recipe. If you have a good one, please send it to me!!

3 Cheese Pizza, with Pesto, Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach

1 Store Bought Pizza Crust (or Preferrably, Make Your Own)
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/8 Cup Basil Pesto (Store-bought is OK, or Make Your Own)
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
Oven Roasted Tomatoes (made from 2 Pounds Cocktail Tomatoes)
Approx. 1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese (whole milk or skim)
1/3 Cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup Baby Organic Spinach Leaves
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese

Baste crust with olive oil, paying special attention to the outside edge of the crust. Take a small spatula and spread pesto over center of the pizza.  It should not be too thick, just lightly spread. Sprinkle kosher salt over pizza. Attractively and evenly lay the roasted tomatoes over the top of the pizza. Where you see pesto through the tomatoes, drop small dollops all over top of pizza. Since this is a pizza, measurements for toppings don’t have to be exact. Feel free to use a little more or less of something if you want to.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup parmesan cheese over tomatoes and ricotta. Evenly spread spinach leaves on top of pizza.

Finish by evenly spreading 1/2 Cup of Mozarella cheese over the top of the pizza. Bake at 450 degrees for 7-8 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden.  Serves 3-4.

Recently, some friends invited us over for a casual supper. We were greeted by the warm ambiance of Karl & Gina’s tropical home, near Kailua Beach. We started with light pupus, including cheese and fruit, as well as having some of my favorite Smoked Ahi Spread.

Karl and [...]]]>

Photo by Karl Meinhardt, (c) 2010, South Seas Photography.

Recently, some friends invited us over for a casual supper. We were greeted by the warm ambiance of Karl & Gina’s tropical home, near Kailua Beach. We started with light pupus, including cheese and fruit, as well as having some of my favorite Smoked Ahi Spread.

Karl and Gina proceeded to serve up a delicious spread which included Grilled Tri-Trip, Garlic Bread and a crisp green salad. Simple, fresh and tasty. And the champagne wasn’t bad either!  Needless to say, it was a very enjoyable evening, with great food, old friends and fun conversation.  My husband and I immediately decided that this was a meal we would replicate at home.  And the opportunity arose soon enough.

Yesterday, the Hawaiian islands were expecting a tsunami. You may have heard about it on the news – one of the reprecussions of the tragic, recent 8.8 earthquake in Chile.  Both my husband (who was busy working at his job with the Marines and Homeland Defense) and I had an extremely stressful day, as we evacuated our home in Kailua and prepared for the worst.

Fortunately, the tsunami never arrived and the Hawaiian islands were spared. We were all incredibly relieved and decided to celebrate with a great meal on the grill.  And so the Tsunami Tri-Tip evolved.

Tsunami Tri-Tip is quick, easy and tasty. The Harissa and Montreal Seasoning give it a little spice. Karl still gets credit, though I am not sure what he uses for his rub. This is how we make it:

Tsunami Tri-Tip

 1- Approx. 1.5 pound Trip Trip Roast

1/4 Cup Montreal Seasoning

Harissa Paste (pick up at any gourmet food store and many grocery stores)

Rub Harissa paste all over meat, use as much a you need to very lightly cover all the meat, about 1 oz.  If you like more spice, add a little more. Harissa contains chili, and spices like coriander and caraway, among other ingredients, so use with care.  

Spread Montreal Seasoning on a plate and dip the meat in the seasoning, so that it sticks to the meat. This can be done a few hours to a day in advance. If you do this in advance, wrap the meat in plastic wrap after the rub is applied and refrigerate.

Preheat grill on high. When the grill  reaches about 400 degrees put the meat on, and turn down heat to Medium. Close grill lid. Cook to desired doneness, approx. 7 minutes on one side. Flip and cook 7 minutes in the other side.

Slice Tsunami Tri-Tip and serve pupu style (in bite-sized medallions).

Tangy Garlic Bread

1 Large, Soft, French loaf
1 Stick, Salted Butter
1/2 cup Shaved Parmesan Cheese
6 Cloves Fresh Garlic,
 (smashed well and diced or sent through a garlic press)

Turn oven on Low Broil.  If your oven does not have this setting, make sure your oven rack is pretty far away from the broiler flame and watch the bread closely while cooking, because it will very quickly burn.  

Mix butter and garlic together. Cut loaf in half, lengthwise, separating top and bottom. Put back together and cut loaf again, across the top, into 2 or 3 pieces, depending upon how long the bread is. You want it to fit on the baking sheet. Spread butter mixture on bread. Sprinkle top with shaved Parmesan Cheese.

Toast in oven until slightly browned at edges and butter and cheese are  melted.

Serve Tsunami Tri-Tip with Tangy Garlic Bread, and a crisp green salad. Feel free to make sandwiches with the meat and bread.  Enjoy!!

There are [...]]]> Rosemary Lemon Chicken is my husband’s favorite dish. He would argue with that statement, but I know it is true, because it is what he asks me to make it more than any other recipe. In fact, he would like me to bake a chicken at least once a week and sometimes, I do.

There are so many good reasons to do so …. delicious, tender chicken the first night, chicken sandwiches the next day, chicken enchiladas for dinner the next night, and chicken soup or chicken stock, for a savory and complete end to the bird.

Homemade oven-roasted chicken will always beat the store-bought Costco or Safeway version in tenderness and taste. In addition, you know there will be no MSG or other preservatives and chemicals. I make sure to use only organic – free range chickens whenever possible. It costs a little more, but definitely worth it.

Oven-roasted chicken is a very easy dish to make, as well. In fact, once you put it in the oven, set the timer and pretty much forget about it.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken
1 Small Young Frying Chicken (approx. 5 lbs)
2 Lemons
1 Medium Yellow Onion
3 large Sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
2 TBS Butter
1 Large Head Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove all giblets and anything else from the inside of the chicken. Rinse with water. Place on baking sheet. Pat dry. Liberally salt and pepper outside of bird, including the inside of the cavity. Lift up skin on breast from near the cavity, separating skin from the muscle and making two small pockets. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper in this area too.

Roughly chop onion into large chunks. Cut Garlic head in half horizontally, leaving skin on. Chop one lemon into large chunks. Squeeze lemon juice from the lemon over the bird. Stuff lemon peels/pulp chunks, with onions and bottom half of head of garlic (skin still on), into the bird.

Take second lemon and cut in half between ends with stems. Zest 1/2 of the lemon. Slice the other half into attractive slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Set aside. Take top half of garlic head and peel the cloves. Run through a garlic press and mix with lemon zest. Remove leaves from the rosemary stem. Finely chop about half of the rosemary and mix with the lemon zest/garlic and 2 TBS butter.

Rub lemon zest/rosemary/garlic/butter mixture inside breast pockets and on top and sides of chicken. Toss remaining rosemary leaves on top and around chicken. Some people dress the bird by tying the legs together with kitchen string and tucking the wings under. I never do and the chicken turns out fine. But I will leave that up to you.

Place stuffed bird, breast side up, in medium-sized cast iron dutch oven, with lid off. Garnish top with reserved lemon slices. Pour in 1 box of chicken stock. Place pot in preheated oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Set timer for 1 hour, 45 minutes and bake. Remove chicken from pan and let rest on a serving platter for 15 minutes and serve. Any remaining juices may be strained and used to make a light sauce, by reducing with 1/2 cup of white wine.
Enjoy!

Serving a filet [...]]]> I served this Pupu (Appetizer) on New Year’s Eve 2009 for a special treat for my family and friends, Tom and Holly, who were joining us. I had already pre-prepared my entree, Seafood Gratin, and it was ready to go in the oven. So, I could get started on the Filet Mignon Pupu.

Serving a filet as a Pupu is a more economical great way to give everyone a taste of a great cut of meat, with delicious flavor. Count on about 1 filet for every two people. This recipe can also be used to serve Filet Mignon as an entree. My husband and guests swooned over this recipe. Definitely a keeper.

Filet Mignon Pupu-Style with Baked Garlic & Gorgonzola Sauce

Serves 8
Filet
4 – 4-6 oz Filet Mignon Steaks
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped Rosemary
4 large cloves baked garlic
4 pats butter

Baked Garlic

2 heads of Garlic
Cut top of head of garlic
Drizzle with olive oil
Bake is small oven-proof dish at 400 for about 25 minutes. Let cool.
Remove 4 large cloves from one of the heads for the Filet Mignon recipe, and save the rest to serve with and spread on a fresh French Baguette.

Gorgonzola Sauce

1 Large Shallot (diced)
2 Cups Beef Stock
1 Tsp finely diced Rosemary
1 Cup Dry Sherry or Madiera Wine
1/4 Cup Dry Red Wine
4 oz Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Butter

Cooking the Steaks – This is a FOOLPROOF way to cook Filet Mignon

Preheat oven to 375.

Salt and pepper all sides of 4 Filet Mignon steaks (4-6 oz each)
Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in stainless steel or enameled cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.

Add steaks to pan. Sear each side for 3 minutes, flipping with tongs.

Remove steaks and place on baking sheet.
Bake steaks in oven for 8 minutes (med rare) – set timer. Start making Gorgonzola Sauce with same pan used to sear steaks (see below).

When timer goes off, remove baking sheet, leave oven on. Flip steaks.
Smash a baked garlic clove (see Baked Garlic, above) on each filet and spread with butter knife. Sprinkle each steak with a about 1/2 tsp of rosemary, and top with a pat of butter.
Return steaks to oven. Bake for an additional 8 minutes (med rare) – set timer. Go back to making sauce.

When timer goes off, remove steaks from oven. Let rest for a few minutes, while finishing up Sauce.

Save any accumulated juices and add to Gorgonzola Sauce.

Slice and serve Pupu-Style with Gorzonzola Dipping Sauce, French Bread & Baked Garlic OR
Serve Filets individually, as entrees, in a pool of Gorgonzola Sauce or with a Gorgonzola Sauce drizzle.

Preparing Gorgonzola Sauce

In same skillet used for searing steaks, which should still have some olive oil remaining, saute shallot and 1 tps rosemary for 2-3 minutes, over medium-high heat, until shallots are slightly translucent. There should be some accumulated brown bits from the steaks. Add the sherry or madiera, and red wine. Deglaze pan and reduce liquid to about 1/2, stirring with a wire whisk. Add 1 Tbsp butter, stirring to melt. Add 1 cup beef stock, reducing again to about 1/2. Add another Tbsp of butter. Continue stirring. Add 2d up of the beef stock, reduce again to about 1/2.

Add gorzonzola cheese crumbles, stirring with a whisk until melted and blended. Add any available drippings from cooked filets.
Reduce sauce, if necessary, until slightly thickened. It will still be a bit runny. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use as dipping sauce or drizzle on meat.

Getting back to cooking will be [...]]]> Well, it is hard to be a Weekend Gourmet, when you have even less time than usual. Having my husband deployed for a year was a challenge and studying for and passing the Hawaii Bar in the middle of it all (work and child) kept me busy. But I digress.

Getting back to cooking will be fun, now that my husband is home from Iraq and I have someone other than my 5 year old to appreciate a good meal. Tonight, I am making something different that I think my husband will enjoy — particularly, since he is on a mostly meat and veggie eating plan these days, having lost about 50 pounds, over the past year. Other than the potatoes, this is a low-carb menu.

• So, Tonight’s Menu:
  
  *Slow Cooked Pork Tenderloin with Onions and Crispy-Fried Sage
  *Warm Brussel Sprouts, Celery, Mushroom and Bacon Salad
  *Sliced White Potatoes

Pretty gosh darn easy and made with what I could find in my fridge.

For the Tenderloin:
Lightly rub sea salt on one package (2 pieces of meat) Pork Tenderloin. Don’t over-salt (the chicken broth you cook the pork in provides additional salt.) Sear over med-high heat in heavy cast iron pot with 1 Tbsp. EVOO until browned on all sides. While pork is browning, chop 1 med. white onion. Remove meat from pan and set aside, saving juices. Add chopped onion and 1 tbp chopped fresh sage to same pan, Saute with an additional TBS EVOO, if needed, until golden. Add meat and juices back into pot and add one box Organic Chicken Broth, scraping browned bits off the bottom of the pan and into the “sauce” with a spatula. Cover and cook on medium heat for 1 hour (Or use slow cooker.) Remove meat from pan and place on serving dish. Broth from meat/onion already should be reduced in pan to about 1 cup. If there is less, add a little water. If more, then reduce, over high heat. Add 1/2 cup of half and half to sauce. Stir. Pour sauce on meat serving platter and use, like gravy, on meat and potatoes. Optional: Top with crispy sage leaves topping just before serving.

For Crispy Sage Topping:
Take 3 tbsp. fresh sage leaves. Melt and heat 1 tsp butter in a small fry pan on high heat. When butter is hot, toss in chopped sage and fry until crisp, when butter is browned. Remove from heat and spoon crispy sage leaves topping on top of meat. May be made in advance, while meat is cooking.

For the Salad:
Chop and then cook 3 pieces of bacon in a skillet on low heat, until soft but not crispy. Slice and add about 15 medium-sized button mushrooms and 1 TBS butter. Saute for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms have softened and reduced. (If you choose to omit the bacon or butter, you may substitute 2 tbsp. EVOO & add a little bit more salt.) Add 12 large brussel spouts sliced in half, sliced-side down in the pan, with other ingredients covering the sprouts. Turn up heat to medium, cover and cook for about 10-12 minutes. The sliced side of sprouts will carmelize and the rest will steam. Add 1 cup chopped celery. Toss together, cook for a few minutes more until celery is just slightly soft. Lightly salt, to taste. Turn off heat, transfer to bowl and let cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, toss with 3 cups mixed field greens. Eat without dressing or toss with a light balsamic vinegar dressing. Veggie mixture may be served on its own, as well, if you prefer to omit the greens.

The Sliced Potatoes:
Wash 2-3 large baking potatoes. Poke with fork and Bake for an hour at 375 degrees (or if in a hurry, cook in microwave on high for 15 minutes). Slice crosswise, in about 1/3 inch slices, immediately before serving. Drizzle with sauce from meat. Omit the potatoes if you are on a low carb diet.

Serves 6.