Old Bay Shrimp Cakes--PRE-HOLIDAY HIATUS RECIPE

Old Bay Shrimp Cakes

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Old Bay Shrimp Cakes

Simple, simple, simple. We love Old Bay seasoning.  It adds a bit of zip as well as a orangey hue to seafood evoking memories of steamed crabs strewn over newspapers in Baltimore…founding city to the Old Bay Company in 1939 (and where my husband grew to love this amazing spice). How can you avoid a seasoning that has been around that long? Give it a taste. Lick a pinch on your hand, close your eyes and you will find yourself seaside. Add it to your next Bloody Mary, boil frankfurters in an Old Bay-infused bath, sprinkle on potato salads, and popcorn! Sprinkle it everywhere. In this recipe, I use it to form shrimp cakes.  Again – simple, simple, simple.

Heading into the holidays, I would like to wish all of you a healthy happy New Year, chock full of great food, of course!

 

Old Bay....one of the world's great spices!

Lamb Loin Chops with Pan-roasted Grapes & Zinfandel

Lamb Loin Chops with Pan-roasted Grapes & Zinfandel

Sous Vide and Grill Methods

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous Vide Temp: 131- 134 degree F; Time: 2-4 hours

 

Lamb Loin Chops with Pan-roasted Grapes & Zinfandel

This is a simple recipe and a spectacular one. In the heart of the Paso Robles wine district, you will find wine and food paired in cooking as well as serving. This recipe includes actual grapes into the sauce adding an additional sweet note. One thing we know about California’s zinfandel: it is a far, far more food versatile wine than usually assumed.

But it wasn’t always like that. A couple of decades ago the country was still awash with pink colored “white zinfandel”; and focusing on the other two “fighting varietals,” chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, many of the mainstream California wineries went so far as to drop red zinfandel from their lineups. This may have been good thing, because all it did was dramatize the inevitable resurgence all the more; towards the end of the nineties, when artisanal producers began pushing their big red Zins, recalling some of mammoth Zins that came and went with the seventies. Like micro-minis, fondue, VW bugs and martinis, there are many things never really go away – they just come back with a vengeance.

Amazing braised Indian-spiced Chicken with Peas, Tomatoes & Potatoes

Amazing Braised Indian-spiced Chicken with Peas, Tomatoes & Potatoes 

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Moderate

Amazing braised Indian-spiced Chicken with Peas, Tomatoes & Potatoes 

This is a surprising (shocking actually) great tasting entrée….and so easy too! The fragrant sauce includes a mix of dried spices – all are important to create the perfect storm of flavor! If you are a fan of Tikka Masala or Butter chicken, you will love this one. It is flavorful, hearty, spicy and a great “throw everything in a pot and let it cook all afternoon” kind of dish. The resulting sauce is delicious and plentiful, great for sopping up with the naan bread.

OMG Dry-Aged Rib-eye Steak – Sous Vide

Dry-Aged Rib-eye Steak – Sous Vide

Serves: 3-4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous Vide Temp: 131 degree F; Time: 3 – 4 hours

OMG Dry-Aged Rib-eye Steak – Sous Vide

Dry aging is the process by which large cuts of beef (like half of a cow) are aged anywhere from several weeks to several months before being trimmed and cut into steaks. The method not only helps the steak develop flavor, but also makes it tenderer than it would be completely fresh. It involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Subprimal cuts can be dry aged on racks either in specifically climate-controlled coolers or within a moisture-permeable dry bag.  Moreover, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural flavor, as well as the tenderization of the meat texture. 

Dry aged ribeye....gotta have the marbling!

The process changes the beef by two means. Firstly, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. This creates a greater concentration of beef flavor and taste. Secondly, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, leading to increased tenderness. Older isn’t necessarily better. Two or three weeks of aging is usually the minimum for any sort of tenderness to occur, while the funkier blue cheese characteristics start to pop up around 28 – 45 days.

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Serves 4

Difficulty: Easy

Thai inspired Chicken & Rice Noodle Salad

Hang on to summer a bit longer and make this easy salad before resorting to heavy winter fare.  This can be great for a picnic, comes together in minutes and is surprisingly healthy! Resist the tyranny of a heavy peanut sauce and give this summery Northern Thai inspired rice noodle salad a try. It is loaded with vegetables, herbs and chicken with an addictive dressing of lime, savory umami-laden fish sauce and chilies. Made with those wonderful springy rice noodles, mixed with handfuls of torn mint, cilantro, basil, sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded chicken all doused with the most amazing sweet-sour dressing.  Feel free to add more vegetables such as shredded Napa cabbage and grated carrots. Adjust the number of chilies pending personal “heat” preferences. Finish with a garnish of peanuts on top if you crave a more “peanutty” dish – adds great additional crunch. It is best served cool or at room temperature – and even great the next day.  How perfect is that!!

Thai chicken with amazing hot-sour-slaty-sweet sauce

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/03/thai-chicken-with-amazing-hot-sour.html

Thai inspired tomato soup

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/02/thai-inspired-tomato-soup.html

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Moderate

Sous Vide Temp: 135 – 140 F; Time: 2 – 4 hrs.

Hoisin Pork Tenderloin with Soba Noodle Salad – Sous Vide 

Pork tenderloin is a perfect cut of pork for sous vide, as the window of proper “doneness” is vanishingly small when traditional methods are used. All too often the tenderloin is overcooked and dry. The sous vide tenderloin comes out incredibly moist without resorting to a prolonged brine before cooking. Today’s leaner pork can be enjoyed medium rare – 135 degree throughout will achieve that.  If you wish a little less pink…use 140 degree F. The tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle along the central spine portion of the pic. It is the tender most part of the animal as the muscle is used for posture and not locomotion. As a result, it does not build up a lot of connective tissue and remains tender. By cooking the tenderloins sous vide-style, the marinade continues to work its magic, while the even heat of the water oven ensures perfectly cooked, moist pork. A few minutes on the barbeque or a quick stovetop sear, and you have a perfect meal.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

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Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

How often can you make a gourmet meal in less than 30 minutes that is both healthy and over-the-top great tasting? Fresh buttery, rich tasting salmon is topped with mustard sauce and finished off with a crunchy topping of panko and chopped pistachios. With only a few ingredients and so easy to make, this just may become your new “go-to” favorite salmon recipe.

Roasted Brussels Sprout with Sweet Chili Sauce

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Roasted Brussels Sprout with Sweet Chili Sauce

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

 

Roasted Brussels Sprout with Sweet Chili Sauce

Personally, I love Brussels sprouts –roasted. Like so many vegetables, roasting brings out the toasted sweeter flavor. Brussels sprouts might just be the rising stars of the vegetable patch. These once-reviled cruciferous vegetables – cousins to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kale – are increasingly ubiquitous on restaurant menus and at farmers markets. The flavorless boiled version is now most likely to be served roasted, fried or even raw and shaved into a salad. Perhaps best of all, Brussels sprouts are nutritional powerhouses, loaded with vitamins, cholesterol-reducing fiber, folate and antioxidants. The addition of the Sweet Chili Sauce is a great thing, because the flavor combination of salty/sweet/savory/garlicky/sour PLUS the nuttiness from roasting will

make you forget the very first time your mom made you eat plain, soggy, bitter Brussels sprouts when you were a kid.

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Traditional and Sous Vide Methods

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous Vide Temp: 125 degree F, Time: 12 minutes

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Mahi-Mahi, also called Dolphinfish and Dorado, is found in warm waters throughout the world. It is a lean fish with firm, flavorful flesh and often best prepared simply and served with a sauce to enhance the delicate, almost sweet, flavor. Most U.S. harvest of mahi-mahi comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii. If the fish market sign reads “Fresh Dolphin” do not gasp in horror. Even though the brightly colored mahi-mahi is occasionally labeled dolphin, it’s very much a fish, and is completely unrelated to dolphins and porpoises, which are not fish at all but air-breathing marine mammals.

Lamb Burger – Arugula, Feta, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato topping

                      Lamb Burger – Arugula, Feta, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato topping

Sous Vide and Grill methods

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Sous Vide temp: 140 degree F; Time: 40-60 minutes

 

Lamb Burger – Arugula, Feta, Olive and Sun-dried Tomato topping

In Greece and in much of the Middle East and Asia, the meat of choice is lamb – either whole pieces or patties and sausages.  I have shared many lamb recipes on this blog but not a burger. What an oversight! Don't get me wrong, I love beef burgers but every once in a while you might want something different. This recipe will satisfy that craving. I cooked it sous vide which virtually eliminates any possibility of over-cooking, but also provide the traditional methods in this recipe. I love lamb burgers and the addition of the ground pork adds some moisture and umphhhh! A tangy topping of feta, arugula, olives and sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes enhances these burgers. Parsley, mint, dill, cumin, oregano and garlic give these burgers a lively flavor reminiscent of lamb gyro.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso

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Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

 

Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Miso 

Bok Choy is one underestimated vegetable in the typical American diet.  What a shame it is such a misunderstood and unappreciated gem. We are fortunate in that it is available year-round in almost all grocers. As an increasingly popular member of the cruciferous vegetable family, bok choy is recognized more and more often for its standout nutrient richness. This member of the cabbage family is one of our highest nutritionally ranked vegetables and it provides good to excellent amounts of 21 nutrients. Unlike some other members of the cabbage family, these nutrients include omega-3s, as well as the antioxidant mineral zinc.

Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Sous Vide and Grill methods

 

Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Sauce

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Sous vide temp: 131 degree F; Time: 5-12 hours

Steak, cooked sous vide, is the most exciting advancement in carnivore cooking! Flat iron steak, my favorite cheap steak, is cut from the chuck blade roast – the shoulder of the cow. That’s right, this is a piece of a chuck roast. It grills well on its own, but after several hours tenderizing in the sous vide, it cuts like a filet mignon. Sous vide precision cooking offers unparalleled control over the results of your steak, letting you very precisely cook the steak to the level of doneness that you prefer. No guesswork or poking with a thermometer, no cutting and peeking, no jabbing with a finger – just perfect results each and every time. Finally, sous vide offers results that are not attainable by cooking with traditional methods. With standard high heat cooking, you develop a temperature gradient within the meat. The very center, where you shoved the thermometer, may be perfectly medium rare but the steak will be increasingly more well done as you approach the exterior. With sous vide, the steak is evenly cooked from edge to edge. I added a simple red wine sauce to accompany the steak. But, it truly can stand on its own. 

Lamb Ragu – Sous Vide Cooking

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Lamb Ragu – Sous Vide Cooking

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Gourmet & Wonderful!

Sous vide temp: 140 degree F; Time: 48 hours

 

Lamb Ragu served over polenta – Sous Vide Cooking

Some of the most impressive results of sous vide are created with tough cuts of meat. Lamb shanks would certainly fit that description! Sous vide allows you to cook these tough cuts to medium-rare and tender to the point of falling off the bone. This is accomplished because cooking tougher cuts with sous vide allows you to break down and tenderize the meat without overcooking and drying it out. The amount of flavor in meat is determined to a large extent upon the amount of work that muscle had to do, and so shanks are very flavorful. Unfortunately muscles that do a lot of work also become tough, so there is often a choice between tender meat with a light flavor (such as tenderloin) and tough meat with lots of flavor (such as shanks). 

With sous vide, you can have the best of both worlds: tough cuts can be cooked at a temperature that is just high enough to break down the toughness, but also low enough to allow the meat to stay succulent. The meat will be fork tender, succulent, and very flavorful. The only drawback of the low temperature is that it takes a long time, sometimes from 24 and 72 hours. It is not a big problem because sous vide cooking does not require any attention at all while it’s going on. So you can start up the cooking process on Sunday afternoon and serve outstanding meal on Tuesday night….easily as the shank is cooked with the sauce!

Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates

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Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates 

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

 

Spinach Salad with Almonds & Dates

Now that I have reminded you about the perfect CLASSIC spinach salad (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/spinach-salad-extraordinaire.html), it is time to do some variations.  This is an Israeli interpretation with use of pita croutons, dates, almonds and sumac. I think you will find this a wonderful spinach salad variation. It is a balanced taste of crunch, sweet and tangy vinegar! Sumac is a widely used, essential spice in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. It is great over vegetables, grilled lamb, chicken, fish and hummus. It’s used in everything from dry rubs, marinades and dressing. I love to sprinkle it over food just before serving. A small amount also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish.

Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Brown Butter Sauce & Pappardelle

Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Brown Butter Sauce & Pappardelle

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Vegetarian

Roasted Cauliflower with Mustard Brown Butter Sauce & Pappardelle 

This is a wonderful any-time vegetarian pasta dish. We have adopted Meatless Mondays in our house. (Well, truth be told, some of the Mondays….and maybe a little bacon sometimes!).  This dish is sure to please even the most ardent carnivore. I have been a huge fan of roasted cauliflower ever since I first tried it. There is just something about roasted cauliflower…roasting it takes something that is pretty boring and transforms it into something that is extraordinary. Even in its simplest form as posted– Oven Roasted Cauliflower or as Spiced, Whole Roasted Cauliflower (links below)– it is ridiculously addictive. I could easily chow down on a bowl of it rather than popcorn while watching a movie. Really.

Chicken Breasts: White Wine & Herbs Sauce

Chicken Breasts with White Wine & Herbs Sauce 
Traditional and Sous Vide Methods

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Sous Vide Temp: 140 – 147 degree F; Time: 2-5 hours

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts:

White Wine & Herbs Sauce 

This is the second of a duo of posts on chicken sous vide! Please see my “All about sous vide” post to get some background on this technique (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/all-about-sous-vide.html#more).

This recipe features a light sauce, thickened by the use of gelatin to form a thicker, glossier, far more stable emulsion than a standard pan sauce. The soy sauce is added to provide a big umami boost.  This is the second of a duo of posts on chicken sous vide! Please see my Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette recipe for some background. http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/07/sous-vide-chicken-breasts-sun-dried.html

I also provide the traditional cooking method for the boneless skin-on chicken breasts. Preparation of the sauce is the same for both methods.

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts: Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts:

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Sous Vide Temp: 140 – 147 degree F; Time: 2-5 hours

Sous Vide Chicken Breasts:

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

This is the first of a duo of posts on chicken sous vide! Coming soon...a white wine and herb sauce.

A chicken breast is often the first thing a novice sous vide cook tries. It will truly convert you because it produces a chicken breast that is opaque all the way through without any of the striations and without the dry texture of an overcooked chicken breast.  You end up with a perfectly cooked, super juicy piece of meat. I have found little difference between chicken cooked bone-in vs. bone-off. With traditional cooking, the bone helps insulate meat from high cooking temperatures. Not a problem with sous vide.  I chose boneless in this duo of recipes for presentation purposes.  Please see my “All about sous vide” post to get some background on this technique (http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/all-about-sous-vide.html#more).

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Sweet & Spicy Jicama Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Mint, Avocado & Arugula 

You will not believe the complexity of flavor and crunch with this unique salad. Better yet, as jicama is widely available nearly year long, you can make it anytime. Jicama, native to Mexico, is part of the legume family and grows on vines. It is the tuberous root of the plant.  The exterior is yellow and papery; while its inside is a creamy white that’s mild in flavor with a sweet, nutty taste (think of it as a cross between a water chestnut and a pear). Jicama provides a good deal of crunch in this salad along with the roasted pumpkin seed.  Next time you are looking for a healthy different salad to serve – look no further than this gem!

Sous Vide Cooking: Swordfish with Olive Gremolata

The Art and Ease of Sous Vide Cooking:

Swordfish with Olive Gremolata

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous vide temp: 130 degree F; Time: 30 minutes

Traditional cooking method also included

Swordfish with Olive Gremolata 

Sous vide is a French phrase that is translated as “under vacuum.” However, the defining feature of the method is not packaging or vacuum sealing; it is accurate temperature control. A heating element can warm a water bath to any low to moderate temperature you set, and keep it there for hours – or even days. For more information on the how’s and whys of sous vide, please see post: All About Sous Vide at http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/all-about-sous-vide.html.

Sous vide is especially useful for cooking seafood, for which the window of proper doneness is often vanishingly small when traditional methods are used. When you fry a piece of fish, the flesh is most succulent and tender within a very narrow temperature range. Because the cooking temperature of the pan is considerably hotter than the ideal core temperature of the fish, the edges will inevitably be far more cooked than the center when pan-fried. Traditional cooking with a range, oven, or grill uses high and fluctuating temperatures, so you must time the cooking exactly; there is little margin for error. With just a moment’s inattention, conventional cooking can quickly overshoot perfection. This is particularly problematic with fish…especially lean fish, which can dry out quickly. Sous vide cooking is ideal for such fish, in this case swordfish, but also albacore.

Swordfish was taboo for a while, but now many varieties, especially domestic ones, are sustainable. In particular, the North Atlantic swordfish have really rebounded thanks to a 1999 international plan that rebuilt this stock several years ahead of schedule.

All About Sous Vide

All About Sous Vide

 

Modern Sous Vide is inexpensive and simple!

In the next few weeks, I will begin posting some fabulous recipes that use the "sous vide" method of cooking! But fear not....I will start now with a short primer on the technique. Trust me, it is amazingly delicious and soooo easy!

Sous vide is a French term that is literally translated as “under vacuum” and refers to a technique that is associated with more experimental chefs. In fact it is now used by chefs in all kinds of restaurants and now by the home cook. It is not complicated; it involves slowly cooking food sealed in plastic bags immersed in water at precisely controlled, steady temperatures. The defining feature of the method is not packaging or vacuum sealing; it is accurate temperature control. A computer-controlled heater can warm a water bath to any low temperature you set, and keep it there for hours – or even days, if needed. People think that cooking sous vide is only about precision, but its convenience and cost efficiency lend it beautifully to making many dishes.

Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

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WE'RE BAAAAACK!!! Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

Serves 4 (appetizer); 2 (entrée)

Difficulty: Easy

 

Spinach Salad Extraordinaire

Have you been looking for the perfect spinach salad with a slightly warm dressing, oodles of bacon, a few onions and some sliced eggs?  I was.  Not the new age spinach salads with raspberry vinaigrette to honey-drenched walnuts better suited for an ice cream topping.  Nope, I was looking for the established, CLASSIC spinach salad. You know, the one you might find on a steakhouse menu.  Imagine a bright pile of baby spinach leaves scattered with slivers of red onion, thinly sliced white mushrooms, perfect rounds of hard-cooked eggs and then, the piece de resistance, tiny bits (or bigger bits) of bacon rendered in a pan to crispy, salty perfection. Yup, that one. 

SPRING HIATUS!! Duck with Apple & Mushroom Risotto

Hi all! As you gathered from the title, we are going on a brief hiatus. The reason? First, our house is being re-piped, which has essentially demolished my kitchen. Second, I am busy helping our daughter and future son-in-law plan their wedding (Hurray!!!!). Don't worry....we will be back soon. :-) 

For comments, please post below or email to cookingwithlarue@gmail.com

Duck with Apple & Mushroom Risotto 

Serves 6-8 

Difficulty: Gourmet

Duck with Apple & Mushroom Risotto 

This is an elegant risotto featuring sweet apples, salty bacon, wild mushrooms, duck and creamy Arborio rice.  It is truly a meal in one dish – elegant for guests or for that special night for two. The food blogosphere has been full of spring risotto recipes for weeks now: risotto with ramps, risotto with peas, and risotto with asparagus. And they all sound delicious. However, it appears that spring has not sprung everywhere and much of the country is still under the last vestiges of winter. While spring peas and asparagus may not have shown at your neighborhood market, produce boxes have steadily included apples. Apples that retain a touch of firmness are best here, such as Baldwin, Greening apples, Granny Smith, Pippin and Northern spy. If it is a thick-skinned variety, you might peel it.  You can do this recipe without the mushrooms, the duck or the bacon, and its still very good. However, I love the layered flavorful mix. I think you will too!

Charred Cauliflower Quesadilla with Cumin-Lime Crema

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Charred Cauliflower Quesadilla with Cumin-Lime Crema

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Charred Cauliflower Quesadilla with Cumin-Lime Crema 

There are many reasons to share this recipe – yes, its fabulous to eat – appetizer, lunch, even dinner with a great side dish or salad. But, it also gives me a chance to rave once again about this great kitchen tool = The Santa Fe Cooking School Grill! Whether your stove is gas or electric, this no-smoke dry roasting is perfect for chilies, sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and other vegetables. It is made of cast iron with stainless steel mesh and wooden handles. Love it!

 

Charred Cauliflower Quesadilla with Cumin-Lime Crema

This veggie recipe is one that even dedicated carnivores can enjoy. The combination of kick from the peppers and plenty of cheese hide the healthy bites! 

Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce

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Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce

Serves 2 (entrée) – 4 (appetizer)

Difficulty: Moderate

Duck Salad with Port-Currant Sauce 

For unclear reasons, I shied away from cooking duck for many years. Maybe I thought it was difficult to do? It certainly is not – or, at least not duck breasts. This one looks complicated, but it is a can be done for a mid-week or special guest dinner. In addition, duck is an excellent, lean source of protein as well as iron, selenium and niacin. For some reason, duck has gotten a bad “rap” through the years because of the skin. Yet, it is comparable in fat and calories to a skinless chicken or turkey breast.

Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

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Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

This is a hearty and warming winter stew. For such an elegant, comforting meal, this stew is incredibly simple to prepare; it takes less than 30 minutes once the beans are prepared.  Any cranberry bean will do – I chose dried beans from Rancho Gordo. These heirloom beans are a beautiful dense, velvety bean with gorgeous pot liquor.  Originally from Colombia, the beans have been bred around the world. Similar to Borlotti, cranberry beans are very thin-skinned with a velvety texture making them ideal for soups and stews. If short for time, you could substitute canned white beans that have been rinsed and drained.

Cranberry beans

Mussels are one of the most eco-friendly proteins. Most of the mussels we eat these days are cultivated on ropes suspended from floating rafts in clean waters. They plump up naturally on plankton, converting it into nutritious meaty flesh. Farmed mussels are environmentally benign, and some research suggests their cultivation my have an overall beneficial effect on the marine ecosystem.

This dish falls squarely within that category of recipes that are so simple, every ingredient really matters. The mussels, of course, need to be as fresh as can be. The cooking time is so short, you definitely want to have everything prepped and ready before you start. I let the mussels sit in a big bowl of water with a little flour while I prepared all the ingredients.

Pear, Leek & Gruyere Turnovers

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Pear, Leek & Gruyere Turnovers

Makes 8 Turnovers

Difficulty: Moderate

Pear, Leek & Gruyere Turnovers

This appetizer is sure to wow your family and guests. It can also be served as a light lunch with a salad of greens tossed in simple vinaigrette. In either case – it is fabulous and can be made earlier in the day if you like. It can also be frozen after it is baked and reheated for later use. How versatile!

Pears for the turnovers

Leek ready for cleaning and trimming

• 2 Tb butter
• 1½ C thoroughly cleaned chopped leeks
• Two 6 oz. peeled cored and chopped ripe pears of your choice
• 1½ tsp sugar
• Salt & pepper
• ¾ C packed grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 oz.)
• 1½ Tb chopped fresh chives
• 2 frozen puff pastry sheets
• Flour
• 1 egg

Leeks are a wonderfully delicious vegetable but they’re grown in sandy soil, so they need a good and thorough cleaning before use. Trim the root end and remove the dark tops, which are bitter.  Then make one long slice vertically, hold them together together, and chop horizontally in ¼- ½ inch sections. Put all into a large bowl, fill with cold water and agitate the chopped leeks with your hands, checking layers for any hidden dirt. The leeks will float and the dirt falls to the bottom. Lift cleaned leeks out of water to drain on paper towels. Chop drained cleaned leeks.

The cut leeks

Wash the chopped leek, the dirt will fall to the bottom

Melt 2 Tb butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add 1½ C cleaned leeks to skillet, stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until leeks begin to lightly brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in chopped pears and sugar. Increase heat to medium; sauté uncovered until any liquid evaporates, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl; cool. Stir in Gruyere cheese and chives.

Sauté the leek and pears together

....and then add the cheese separately

Thaw 2 puff pastry sheets following package recommendations. Place one sheet on a work surface – sprinkle lightly with flour so it does not stick and roll gently just to take out the fold lines. Using a 4 – 4½ inch diameter ring, bowl or tartlet pan rim, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet. 

Rolled pastry

Then roll out each cut pastry round to a 5” circle. Place about 3 Tb of leek mixture on half of each pastry round, dividing equally. Brush pastry edges as a glaze with 1 beaten egg.  Fold pastry over filling, pressing to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush turnovers with egg glaze. Pierce pastry in several places with toothpick. Place on baking sheet. Chill 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Add the stuffing....

Close and then add the glaze

Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Bake turnovers until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm. They can be baked ahead of time and reheated briefly before serving. If you choose to freeze them, bake first, cool and put into a freezer-safe container. It will keep frozen for several weeks. Reheat from the frozen state before serving.

The final product!

I absolutely love these with champagne…of course, EVERYTHING is better with champagne!

Bon Appetit!

Larue