Tailgate Treats

Tailgate Season in Full Swing

This weekend marked another epic tailgate with Club Echa Panza. A pre-pre-tailgate kicked off a full day of festivities. At the pre-tailgate we ate Hebrew National franks on potato rolls with dijon mustard, compliments of our friend Steve. It hit the spot. The party carried on to the official tailgate, where the spread was amazing including huevos de toro (um yes, you are reading that right. no, I was not brave enough to try them). As round after round of meats & other treats were pulled off the grill I began to wonder how it could all be consumed. But as our namesake indicates, that proved an unfounded concern.  

Below, I feature two fantastic tailgate recipes, both were incredibly easy to pull together & I imagine they would be a welcome contribution to any get together during the up-coming grilling season.

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

A rather large bag of baby bell peppers caught my attention on a recent trip to the grocery store. And as luck would have it, there was an enticing recipe on the back of the package. As a friend pointed out, no matter the source, a good recipe is a good recipe. So here goes, compliments of Bailey Farms of NC. 

Ingredients:

6 oz Italian sausage (without casing)

one dozen baby bell peppers

8 oz whipped cream cheese

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 oz spicy Monterey jack cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp cracked red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup panko, plus more for topping

salt & pepper, to taste

1.  pre-heat oven to 350F. lightly grease a deep baking dish with a bit of olive oil.

2. brown sausage on the skillet top over medium heat. I used an Italian sausage, but next time around I will definitely use a variety with a bit more of a spicy kick.

3. slice baby bell peppers in half, length wise.

4. in a mixing bowl, combine cheeses, egg, seasonings & panko with the crumbled sausage.

5. Fill each pepper half with a generous spoonful of the mix. 

6. line the greased baking pan with the filled peppers. sprinkle with panko.

7. bake for about 20 minutes. serve straight away or pack in foil for a tailgate or grilling party & re-heat on the grill. 

Yogurt Marinated Lamb Kabobs 

with Sweet Peppers & Red Onion

While I was on a roll, we happened to have some lamb chops in the fridge that were begging for attention. Again, these baby bell peppers proved all the inspiration I needed to pull together these kabobs. They were delicious. 

Ingredients:

8-9 wooden (or metal) skewers 

2 lamb chops

4-6 oz plain Green yogurt

2 roasted garlic cloves
5-7 dashes of worchestire sauce

1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cracked red pepper flakes

salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 large red onion, cut into 1 inch wedges

9 baby bell peppers, halved

1. if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 10-15 minutes. this prevents them from burning on the grill.

2. meanwhile, cut the lamb into 1 inch cube pieces. 

3. combine lamb with yogurt, roasted garlic, worchestire sauce & spices. let sit for about 20 minutes to tenderize.

4. remove the wooden skewers from the water & thread the lamb & veggies onto them. 

5. grill the skewers over indirect fire until the meat is fully cooked through.

6. serve with cold beer or red wine & enjoy!

Feature Ingredient: Spring Greens

Pea Shoots

In DC, we seemed to have skipped straight from winter into summer. Either way, one thing that is really special about this time of year (besides the cherry blossoms!) are fresh spring greens. On a recent trip to Whole Foods, I was attracted to a box of pea shoots. I had no real plans for them nor even knowledge of how to use them, but suspected that these could inspire something interesting. So here goes.

They taste just like fresh spring peas, go figure. But their shape allows for a wide variety of uses, in much the same way one might use baby spinach - raw or sauteed, salads or soups or even sandwiches. Really the only limitation here is your imagination. I decided to lightly saute these with sliced garlic & a bit of olive oil. Afterwards, I tossed the sauteed pea shoots with some basil pesto we happened to have on hand. This was superb & the pesto helped lend a light nutty flavor.

Encouraged by these results, I experimented a bit more. We happened to have a sweet potato on hand, which inspired me to try a variation of a stuffed potato. I baked the sweet potato for about 45 minutes, until tender to the touch of a fork & then scooped out the orange insides.

I mixed the sweet potato insides with a generous handful of raw chopped pea shoots, approximately 1 tbsp mayo, 1/2 tsp sriracha, and a bit of salt & pepper.

Then we filled the sweet potato skins with this mixture & topped with pea shoots wilted with olive oil & garlic on the skillet. 

We served both the garlicky, sauteed pea shoots with pesto and the stuffed sweet potatoes with steamed cod (more or less following the recipe found here). Some flaky Maldon salt proved all the garnish this combination required. These results were light, refreshing & a nice welcome into a new season of flavors. 

Dont let your creativity expire with these few suggestions, check out some other enticing offerings here. Happy weekend all - any special plans? What's cooking this weekend? 

Coddled Eggs

Coddled Eggs

I love eggs and delight in discovering new ways to cook them. Eggs are a staple protein in our house from egg tacos to variations on typical egg bakes to deviled eggs to everyday  hard boiled eggs or scrambled eggs on toast.

My mom recently gifted me a set of porcelain coddling dishes that she picked up on her travels to Ireland in the '70s. I am smitten. And this approach is quickly becoming a staple in our egg rotation. 

To be honest I had never eaten a coddled egg before. Do you eat coddled eggs often? The original instruction tag proved useful for my novice attempt at mastering the coddled egg. It is quite simple really. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the lid line of the coddler & bring to a boil. 

Coat each dish with butter (preferably Irish Kerry Gold!). Crack an egg into each coddler, top with salt & pepper to taste. Feel free to add a thin slice of butter on top. Screw on the lid to each dish & add to the boiling water for 6-10 minutes, depending on your desired firmness for the eggs. Et voila!

As an alternative to a proper coddling dish, a lidded jar would work just as well. These ones are available at World Market. The extra room in these dishes would allow you to experiment with different seasonings & additions to suit your taste. For instance, why not line the jar with mashed potatoes & spinach?!

Removing the dish from the boiling water can be a tricky endeavor. We tied a string to each dish for easier removal, but we still struggled a bit to remove the lid. I suggest having a few dish towels on hand to help this cause. 

Coddled eggs are best eaten with bread for dipping into the dish & sopping up the runny eggs. During our recent move, we served these one night with toast (of course) & roasted asparagus bundles with gruyere cheese wrapped in bacon. This made for a completely satisfying meal. So simple, so delicious.

Parsnip Bread Pudding

Roasted Parsnip & Gruyere Bread Pudding
{loosely inspired by Martha Stewart}

This one was a fun discovery & definitely one to keep in active recipe rotation. A savory bread pudding using day old wheat baguette & some parsnips leftover from the root vegetable corned beef hash. Easy & healthy enough for weekday lunches, but elegant & pretty enough to serve to a brunch crowd. Some leafy greens would pair really well for a complete meal. 

ingredients:
5-6 parsnips
~2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 whole wheat baguette, cubed
2 shallots, sliced
7 eggs, divided
1/2 cup milk, divided
5 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs, coarsely chopped
1 tsp whole grain mustard
3-5 dashes of worcestshire sauce
handful parsley, coarsely chopped
2 oz parmesean cheese, shredded
salt & pepper, to taste

1. pre-heat the oven to 425F. peel & dice the parsnips and toss to coat with about 1 tsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. bake the parsnips on a baking sheet until browned & caramelized, approximately 20-25 minutes. rotate half way through to ensure even browning on all sides.

2. meanwhile, saute the shallots in about 1 tsp of olive oil on the stovetop over low-medium heat until the shallots have softened & begin to brown. add a pinch of salt after tossing to coat with olive oil to bring out the natural sweetness of the shallots.

3. if planning to cook the bread pudding straight away, reduce oven to 375F once the parsnips have finished cooking. you could easily make this ahead of time & keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

4. lightly butter a baking dish, then line the baking dish with bread cubes (I used a 9 inch round baking glass baking dish). sprinkle cooked parsnips & shallots around the bread. 

5. whisk together 4 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, gruyere cheese, thyme, mustard, worcestshire sauce, parsley, and salt & pepper. pour the mixture over the bread & parsnips. use your fingers to make sure that the wet mixture really seeps into the bread. let stand for at least 20 minutes (or let sit overnight). 

note: I let mine sit over night at which point I realized the bread pudding could use more wet ingredients.

6. whisk together remaining 3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, extra parsley, parmesean cheese, and salt & pepper. pour over the bread mixture.

7. cover the baking dish with a foil tent. bake for approximately 40-50 minutes until golden brown and puffy. our kitchen was consumed with the smell of this bread pudding as it finished in the oven. it tasted every bit as good as it smelled!

Spaghetti with Clams

Spaghetti with Clams

We rarely have any leftover white wine in an opened bottle. But when we do, I like to take take advantage & cook with it. This clam sauce came together in under a half hour. I am a sucker for pasta served up anyway, but this one hits a particular weak spot, perhaps evoking fond memories of travels through Italy. If serving this for a crowd, I would definitely gussy this one up with 2 dozen little neck clams in their shell to add a wow factor to each plate.

ingredients:
1/2 box thin spaghetti noodles
1 glug olive oil
2 butter pats, divided
1 10 oz can whole fancy baby clams
~1/3 bottle of white wine (we used sauvignon blanc)
1 tsp olive oil
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic
1 inch piece parmesean cheese, finely grated
1 handful of parsley, chopped
1 lemon slice
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
yield: 4 servings

1. salt large pot of water, add a glug of olive oil. bring to a rigorous boil & add pasta. cook until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. when draining pasta, reserve 1/2-1 cup of the cooking liquids. 

2. meanwhile, melt 1 pat of butter in a pan over low-medium heat. add clams & ~1/2 the juices from the can, white wine, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic. cook until the wine has cooked off (you should not be able to smell it).

3. combine the cooked pasta with the clam sauce & reserved pasta liquids. garnish with grated parmesean cheese, coarsely chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon & fresh ground black pepper.

An Escape from the Cold

Fish Tacos

The recent cold snap in DC was a shock to the system. Just when signs of spring were abounding -- buds coming up, cherry blossoms peeking through, a couple of mid-60s days where everything felt bright. And then bam! a wet, dreary cold that dampened the spirits. We made these fish tacos last night in an attempt to channel warmer weather & provide a mental escape from the cold. 

Tilapia Tacos with 

Avocado & Cilantro-Lime Cabbage Salad

Tilapia is a firm, white, flaky fish with a mild taste that suits a range of cooking flavors. Incidentally, tilapia is considered one of the most sustainable farm-raised fish to eat, given that it consumes a mostly plant-based diet, reducing the need to harvest wild fish to feed them. This is guilt-free indulgence!

ingredients:
2 fillets of tilapia
2 pats of butter
4 flour tortillas
1/4 head of cabbage or 1 packed cup pre-shredded cabbage
1 generous handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
3-4 dashes of hot sauce of your choosing + more to taste
1 avocado, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste

1. sprinkle a bit of salt & pepper on the tilapia fillets.

2. in a frying pan, melt 2 pats of butter & add the tilapia. cook until both sides brown a bit & the inside becomes opaque white, tender & flaky.

3. meanwhile, warm the tortillas. i usually warm mine in a cast iron skillet.

note: ordinarily, i would tout the benefits of a whole grain variety of tortilla, but in this case, the flour tortilla really pulls this together nicely, providing the perfect texture -- don't skimp here, even if you would normally opt for a whole grain or even a corn tortilla.

4. if using a whole head of cabbage rather than pre-shredded variety, slice the cabbage as thinly as possible. then toss together with the cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, cumin & hot sauce of your choosing. 

note: feel free to make this salad ahead of time, as it gets better the longer the flavors have had a chance to sit together. 

5. line the warmed tortillas with the tilapia fillets, avocado slices & the cilantro-lime salad. 

6. serve with your favorite warm weather cocktail & enjoy!

Blood Oranges, Cont.

Blood Orange, Mango, Avocado & Shrimp Salad

Last night we found ourselves in a pinch -- too late to cook dinner & there is 'nothing' in the fridge. A text from my sister showing off the shrimp tacos she & her husband prepared that night proved all the inspiration we needed for a salad that came together in a matter of minutes. Some frozen shrimp, a leftover blood orange, an avocado & a mango brought this inspiration to life.

ingredients:

~2 dozen shrimp, frozen

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1 blood orange, segmented

1 avocado, diced

1 mango, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 lime, juiced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 generous pinch salt (preferably maldon)

1 grind of whole peppercorns

1. bring a large salted pot of water to a rigorous boil. add shrimp & cook until shrimp turn pink & float to the top of the pot. pour cooked shrimp into a colander to drain off the water. run some cold water over the shrimp to stop them from cooking. if necessary, peel & de-vein the shrimp.

2. chop lettuce & fruits. place in a large bowl.

3. in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, cumin, lime juice & spices. taste to adjust. if the dressing is too acidic, feel free to drizzle in some honey.

4. toss together cooked shrimp, lettuce & fruits with the dressing.

5. Enjoy!

Brown Bag Lunch: Soba Noodle Salad

Soba Noodles with 

Shrimp, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Kale Chips & Onions

Remember the braised kabocha squash? The next day we threw together this soba noodle salad with shrimp which we cooked in the leftover kabocha braising liquids. This was a perfect reinvention of leftovers to bring to lunch the next day. A peanut sauce would work really well here in lieu of the braising liquids. Whole wheat spaghetti would also work in lieu of soba noodles, but I really like the nutty flavor & lighter texture of these Japanese buckwheat noodles.

ingredients:
1/2 large sweet potato (or leftover kabocha), diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 bunch kale, deveined & cut into bite-size ribbons
1.5 tbsp olive oil, divided

4 dashes of worchestire sauce

salt & pepper, to taste
1 bundle soba noodles (usually about 1/3 package)
2 thick pats of butter

~1.5 dozen fresh or frozen shrimp
1/2-3/4 cup braising liquids, or peanut sauce

cilantro & scallions, chopped (optional)
yield: 3 servings

1. preheat oven to 350F

2. line baking sheet with sweet potatoes & onions. sprinkle with olive oil, worchestire sauce and salt & pepper to taste. in a separate baking sheet, line with kale & sprinkle with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. both should cook for about 20 minutes, although the kale make cook more quickly, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes. you will need to turn both about 1/2 way through to make sure everything cooks on both sides evenly.

3. bring large salted pot of water to boil. add soba noodles to a rigorous boil for 1-2 minutes, or until noodles soften. (warning: soba noodles cook much more quickly than regular pasta noodles.)

4. pour cooked noodles through a colander, and immediately run cold water over them to stop them from cooking. toss with sweet potatoes and kale.

5. melt butter in a non-stick or all-clad pan over low-medium heat & add shrimp. 

6. if using frozen, you can expect these to let out some liquid, which you will want to drain off. add the braising liquid from the kabocha (or peanut sauce, if using) & cook until shrimp turn pink. 

7. once shrimp have finished cooking, toss together with the soba noodles & vegetables. garnish with chopped cilantro & scallions.

BLTs

BLTs with 
Sweet Potato Fries

Bacon, Arugula & Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches 

with Dijonnaise on Flax Seed Bread

We recently popped into Seasonal Pantry, an inspiring supper club & shop in DC's Shaw neighborhood. We picked up a slab of bacon & quickly agreed BLTs were in order. Here is our take on this American classic.

ingredients:
1 slab of bacon
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
slices of bread, toasted
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
2 cups loosely packed arugula

1. if using a whole slab of bacon, slice into thin strips. cut off the skin (save for another use!). cook bacon strips to desired crispness.

2. mix mayo & mustard to make a dijonnaise. spread mixture onto toasted bread.

3. the trick here is to layer the ingredients onto the bread in such a way to keep the sandwich in tact as you are eating -- tomato on one side, bacon on the other, arugula in the middle.

ShoeString Sweet Potato Fries 

with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

ingredients:

1 sweet potato, sliced into thin strips

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 dash soy sauce

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt & pepper, to taste

1. pre-heat oven to 350F

2. line baking sheet with sweet potatoes & coat with olive oil and salt & pepper to taste

3. bake sweet potatoes until tender to the touch of a fork & crisp around the edges.

4. in a small mixing bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, soy sauce, cayenne pepper & garlic

5. serve sweet potato fries with a dallop of honey-mustard 

---
photo collage credits: Lonny Magazine

Weekend Outings: Hana Japanese Market

Hana Japanese Market

Our local supermarket leaves a bit to be desired. Aptly named the 'Soviet Safeway', it is hard to count on basics let alone interesting & rare ingredients that inspire. Cue in Hana Japanese Market a store managed by a helpful gentleman bearing a remarkable likeness to his cartoon representation. This tiny space is filled with a diverse range of Japanese ingredients. Fresh Japanese produce is delivered from LA & local farms on Thursdays. Our recent excursion to Hana inspired the following.

Steamed Flounder 
with Soy Braised Kabocha Squash

Steamed Flounder

Do you ever use a bamboo steamer to cook? Its a great way to bring forward the subtle, natural flavors of seafood & vegetables. When steaming fish, a white flaky fish seems to work best. This flounder was superb. We have a nonstick 9 inch Calphalon pan that fits perfectly under the bamboo steamer. Use any pot or pan that will allow for at least one inch of water underneath to steam, being careful to not submerge the bamboo in the water below. We line the steamer with banana leaves, but I suspect cabbage would work just as well. 

ingredients:
2 fillets of white flaky fish
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced 
1 clove garlic, minced
maldon salt (optional)

1. Arrange the fish fillets on the banana leaves.  

2. In a small mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, pressed ginger & garlic. Brush fish with sauce.

3. Bring about 1 inch of water in the pan below to a boil (feel free to play with the flavor of the water -- think balsamic or rice vinegar, garlic or ginger) & steam the fish for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness. If you are using stacked steamers, you will need to rotate them half way through the cooking process to ensure even cooking.

4. Garnish with maldon salt. 

Soy Braised Kabocha Squash

{original recipe found here}

Simply put, this was finger licking good. Kabocha Squash is so delicate it feels like it is melting in your mouth. This savory side dish really lets the kabocha shine, but as with pumpkin its uses are plentiful. This paired really well with the fish & makes for an easy, knock-out side dish for a dinner party.

ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 inch piece ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic
3 scallions, diced
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock (+ more, as needed)
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp honey or sugar
1/2 kabocha squash, sliced into 1/4 inch wedges

1. heat oil over medium-high heat. add ginger, garlic, scallions and saute until garlic browns a bit & mixture becomes fragrant. add stock, soy sauce, mirin & honey. 

2. scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. add squash into liquids & dial back heat to a simmer. cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until squash softens. rotate 1/2 way through cooking so all pieces can glaze at the bottom of the pan.

3. if you have any leftover braising liquid (we had a good 1/2-3/4 cup leftover liquids), save it! be on the look out for an up-coming post featuring a soba noodle salad using these braising liquids!

Brown Bag Lunch: Tabouli Salad & Hummus

Quinoa Tabouli Salad with 
Hummus, Wheat Toast & Sliced Tomato

Quinoa Tabouli Salad

I am a sucker for tabouli salad, I always have been. When traveling far from home, I find tabouli to be a familiar taste & I find great comfort in this. This tabouli recipe uses quinoa, rather than bulgar or cracked wheat, as a base. Quinoa pumps up the protein & lends a distinctive texture.

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1.5 cups water
1 bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
generous handful of cherry tomatoes, coarsely diced
4 scallions, diced
~12 fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced (plus more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

1. combine quinoa & water in a medium sized pot. add a pinch of salt. cook over low heat until water has absorbed & small white rings have formed around the quinoa grains.

2. once the quinoa has cooked, add in parsley, cherry tomatoes, scallions, mint, olive oil & lemon juice. stir to combine. 

Hummus

Have you ever made hummus that takes just as great as readymade supermarket varieties or restaurant offerings? I have not. I have been making homemade hummus over the course of the past 10 years, and I can. not. get. it. right. Anyone out there have any trade secrets? Below was my most recent approach.

ingredients:

1 can chickpeas

1 garlic clove, smashed to release the paper skin

just under 1/2 cup roasted tahini

just under 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup water (plus more)

1/8 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

yield: ~ 1.5 cups

1. in a food processor combine the chick peas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil and salt & pepper.

2. add more water as needed in 1 tbsp increments, until you reach desired consistency.

note: one thing i have learned over the years is that using canned chickpeas as opposed to dried beans really helps achieve a smoother consistency hummus.