Pesto with Tuscan Kale and Collard Greens

Inspired to be more adventurous by Dean and Jason, the most creative cooks, who made our week together like being on a luxurious cruise with unbelievable dishes served to us, this was not actually made by them but was in Bon Appetit. I’ve been flipping over the pages, kind of skipping this recipe, but returning back from our time together, I thought I’d be brave and try it. The chefs Joe Sparatta and Lee Gregory at Southbound in Richmond, Virginia make a pesto with collard greens and peanuts. This recipe adds Tuscan Kale and I used pinenuts instead, not having any peanuts. However you could use almonds or walnuts. Served with linguine and a salad makes a nice meal. The pesto can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge. Can also be frozen.

Ingredients
                                                                               

1 bunch of collard greens
1 bunch of Tuscan kale
Kosher salt
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
     cheese (or pecorino)
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pinenuts (or unsalted
roasted peanuts/almonds/walnuts)
1 tablespoon finely grated
     lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
ground black pepper                                 


Directions

Remove the stems from the collard greens and Tuscan kale by ripping the leaves away.
Chop the leaves coarsely and wash in water.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add salt, and cook the greens and kale for 30 seconds. Pour through a colander and place the greens and kale in iced water to stop the cooking - this preserves the bright green color. Drain and squeeze out any excess water avoiding a watery pesto.
Place the greens in a food processor, add 3 cloves garlic finely chopped, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup pinenuts (or unsalted roasted peanuts/almonds or walnuts), 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ground black pepper and salt to taste.
Process on low speed until a coarse but well blended mixture forms.

Lobster Bisque

Inspired by The Cook’s Bible – Kimball

Ingredients
shells from 3 lobster carcasses meat removed and cut into pieces, you can use shells from 1 lb shrimp or ¾ lb crab.
½ cup dry sherry or cognac
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups water
2 tblsps olive oil
2 tblsps butter
1 chopped Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
3 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
1 bay leaf
10 sprigs parsley chopped
1 teasp. fresh thyme or ½ teasp. dried thyme
salt and ground black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
Make the lobster broth first.
Remove any lobster meat from the carcasses and reserve.
Place the shells from 3 lobster carcasses by placing in a large pot. Add 4 cups water, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup dry white wine, half a cup sherry (optional) Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours covered.
While the broth is simmering, prepare the rest of the ingredients by chopping 1 Spanish onion, 3 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 10 stalks parsley, 3 large tomatoes and 2 cloves garlic.
Next drain the broth through a colander into a large bowl, discard the lobster carcasses
Heat oil and butter in the pot.
Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery parsley, tomatoes , garlic, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme) salt and pepper.    Cover and cook for 15 mins. Do not let vegetables get brown.
Next, pour the reserved lobster broth into the pot add 3/4 cup rice and bring mixture to a boil.
Simmer covered for 20 mins.
Blend in food processor to a puree
Return the pureed bisque to a pot
Any reserved lobster meat you may have should be cut into pieces and added to the bisque
Reheat bisque and add 1/4 cup heavy cream.
Just allow the bisque to gently reheat, do not boil.

Baked Halibut

Yesterday, I worked late and wanted something for dinner that wouldn't take too long to prepare. I bought some halibut at Fins and Tails, the gentleman wrapping the fish told me that halibut was his favorite fish so I asked him how he prepared it. This is his recipe and it was perfect and easy! Served with broccoli and a nice salad.

Ingredients

Halibut steaks (quantity depends on how many people eating, halibut is quite thick so one per person is fine)
Butter
Breadcrumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Spray a cookie sheet with Pam
Wash the fish and pat dry with a paper towel
Place the fish on the baking sheet with a knob of butter on top of each fish.
Bake in oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till almost done, then remove from oven, add a little more butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Change the bake to broil and broil until browned. Takes a few minutes more.
Serve with lemon wedges

Quinoa Salad with orange, cranberries and pecans

I like this salad, it is very light and refreshing.
I use pearled quinoa and an organic brand of dried cranberries, not craisins, they tend to make the quinoa change color. You can be
creative and add chopped fennel, pears, or grapes the ingredients are endless. I've eaten
this for breakfast the next day!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 orange - grated rind,
      segments removed and juiced.
1 lemon - grated rind,
       squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 crisp apple (fuji)
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1 cup mixed baby arugula, kale & radicchio
1 orange pepper chopped
10 sugar snap peas cut into thirds
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a large bowl of water, drain the water and place in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to the boil, and then simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until moisture has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and spread out in a pyrex dish to cool.

Meanwhile, wash the orange and lemon, grate the rind off both the orange and the lemon, being careful not to grate the white pith part. Place the zest in a large bowl.
Cut the orange in half and cut out each orange segment and add to the bowl, then squeeze the juice into the bowl. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.
Add 4 tablespoon olive oil to the juices and mix with a spoon.
Wash an orange pepper, remove the seeds and chop. Add to bowl.
Chop one stalk celery, chop 1/4 cup pecans (or walnuts), peel and chop an apple and add to bowl.
Wash 10 sugar snap peas and slice into thirds, add to bowl.
Wash 1 cup of baby arugula, kale and radicchio, pat dry with paper towels and add to bowl.
Add 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Stir in the quinoa and fold all together.
Season with salt and pepper.
If you like, you can add some chopped parsley (1/4 cup) and 1 tablespoon chopped mint.
Store in fridge, very good chilled.

Baked Chicken with a Zahtar Lemon Rub

Zahtar is a spice that can be purchased at any Middle Eastern specialty store.
It is a blend of thyme, sumak and sesame seeds.

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken parts (breast/thighs/leg) with skin and on bone
2 Lemons squeezed
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup zahtar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Wash the chicken
In a bowl, mix the juice from two lemons, 2 cloves garlic chopped finely and 3 tablespoons olive oil with 1/2 cup zahtar.
Pat the chicken dry, rub with a teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Rub the zahtar mixture all over the chicken parts and let sit in the fridge to marinate for at least one hour. Can be left overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray the bottom of a roasting pan with Pam spray and lay the chickens out evenly in the pan. Pour any remaining marinade over the chicken.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Jamaican Goat Curry

My son wanted to do a dinner with a Jamaican theme, and we talked about making something with goat. We had previously tried cooking with goat meat but it was frozen and quite tough. So I felt a bit hesitant to try it again nor was I exactly sure where to find goat meat in Syracuse. However, incredibly there was an article in the local newspaper about the wave of new stores that have appeared on the North Side, reflecting the needs of the many diverse international refugees who have settled in Syracuse. There it was! Pyramid Halal on Lodi Street, specializing in goat, camel, lamb and house smoked chicken. The goat meat is fresh and the owner, Hani Mahmoud, will cut the meat for you on the premises. My son in law is Dominican and we asked his mother whether she marinated the meat in lemon juice first...... I had read on line that using a mixture of lemon juice and white vinegar takes away the gamey taste and makes it more tender. After washing the meat in water, she rubs it with either a lemon or a lime.
The Jamaican curry is similar to regular curry but also has allspice in it, so it is suggested to mix curry powder with some allspice.
I found this recipe in Simply Recipes.com, but have made some additions and changes as I went along.

Ingredients

2 lemons
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 lbs goat meat cut into two inch chunks with bone still on.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons allspice
Salt
3 onions chopped
3 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped
4 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 whole head of garlic peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
(wear gloves to seed and chop peppers)
2 25oz cans coconut milk
1 35oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried thyme
4 cups water
10 Yukon yellow potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks.
10 carrots peeled and chopped into half inch rounds

Directions

In a large bowl, wash the meat first in cold water, drain in a colander.
Place the meat in a dry bowl and squeeze two lemons and add 1/2 cup white vinegar. Let the meat stand in this mixture for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, mix 12 tablespoons curry powder and 2 tablespoons allspice together and leave in a small bowl.
Next  chop 3 onions, seed and chop 3 habanero peppers (I couldn’t find Scotch bonnet peppers) and 1 jalapeno pepper. WEAR GLOVES! Put the onions and peppers in a bowl.
Now take a whole garlic, separate the cloves, skin them and mince very finely.
Put in a small bowl.
Peel and chop finely a 4 inch piece of fresh ginger, add to the minced garlic,
Pat dry the meat which you have cut into 2 -3 inch chunks, leaving the bones on. Sprinkle meat with salt.
Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a sauce pan, adding and mixing in 2 tablespoons of the curry powder. Heat until fragrant. Saute the meat until brown. Saute the meat in small batches. Be careful to watch that the curry powder mix doesn’t burn, add more oil as it tends to dry out in the pan. Put the meat in a very large pot.
Next add the chopped onions and peppers, there is a large amount of onions, so do two batches. Saute until the onions begin to brown. Add to the pot. Add the garlic and ginger to the second batch of onions once they have started to brown and saute for a couple of minutes. Add to the big pot.
Pour in the coconut milk, the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of water.
Add 2 tablespoons dried thyme.
Stir.
Cook very slowly over low heat, could take 3 - 4 hours, the meat needs to be very tender and  almost falling off the bone.
Peel the potatoes and carrots and chop into bite size pieces, I actually cooked the potatoes and carrots in two separate pots until just beginning to be tender, then added to the stew. I made the stew a week ahead and froze the stew without potatoes and carrots. Then on the day, slowly heated the stew and added the cooked potatoes and carrots to the simmering stew.
Or, once the meat is tender, add the Yukon potatoes and carrots and continue simmering until the vegetables are tender.
There may be fat on the top, you can skim this off.
The stew can be made several days ahead, it gets better the longer it sits.
 

Grilled Whole Striped Bass

Even though it’s winter in Syracuse, there are still treasures to be found at the Farmers’ Market. David bought a beautiful whole striped bass that had been gutted and scaled. It weighed about 1 1/2 pounds which was plenty for the two of us. The gentleman he purchased it from farms his own bass buying them when they are very young. This recipe doesn’t take long, broiling the fish fast and the sauce gives it a robust taste.

Ingredients

1 whole striped bass head on, gutted and scaled
2 lemons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoon chopped mint plus 4 sprigs
2 teaspoons oregano
1 large clove garlic chopped finely
1 tablespoon chopped fennel

Directions

Preheat the broiler with the oven rack 6 inches down from broiler.
Wash the fish inside and out and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut 4 slashes down to the bone on one side of the fish.
Sprinkle salt and pepper in cavity of fish.
Combine 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 large clove garlic chopped finely and 1 tablespoon chopped fennel. At this point you can blend it all in a processor, but when I made it I forgot this step and it was delicious without blending! Reserve 3 tablespoons of the sauce in a small bowl to serve with the fish. Spread sauce in cavity and over both sides of the fish, rubbing into cuts in flesh. Slice the other lemon in half, make 3 large circular slices and place the lemons inside the cavity and 2 of the mint sprigs.
Line a baking sheet with silver foil, place the fish on the silver foil.
Have the oven rack 6 inches away from the broiler, broil for approximately 6-8 minutes each side, or until crispy brown and the fish is flaky, the length of time depends on the heat of the broiler. Test to make sure the fish is flaky. The recipe I was following said 5 minutes on each side but it wasn’t done at all, the flesh still clinging to the bones, so I had to put it back in the oven.
Serve with lemon wedges and mint sprigs.