Duck Pizza with Hoisin Sauce

Duck Pizza with Hoison Sauce
Including instruction on Pizza Dough

Makes 4 8-inch pizzas

Difficulty: Moderate

(Sous Vide instructions included for duck breasts. (135 degree F; 1-4 hours))

I love the flavor of the duck and hoisin sauce – and what a great combo for a dinner. Get your fix of two favorites in this amazing combo: Chinese and pizza.  It also makes for a great party appetizer that will leave your guests raving.

We're baaaack!! Return of Larue with Grilled Yogurt-marinated Chicken Shawarma

Grilled Yogurt-marinated Chicken Shawarma

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

 

After returning from a spectacular trip to Israel, I was craving shawarma. It was shortly after that I found this recipe from Oleana, a Mediterranean restaurant, in Cambridge. With a few modifications, this has become a wonderful addition to our weekday meals.  Shawarma is a Levantine Arab meat preparation, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef or mixed meats are typically placed on a vertical spit in restaurants. The home modification requires threading the chicken on skewers and cooking on a grill or a cast-iron grill pan over medium high heat. Typically shawarma is eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush (future date, I will share my favorite recipe), couscous, tahini or hummus.

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.

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.

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).

Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

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

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

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

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

Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs with Mango & Lime

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

Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs with Mango & Lime

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Braised Country-Style Pork Ribs with Mango & Lime

Mangoes are the starting point for this wonderful recipe – add a bit of lime and a dash of rum and we are out of February gloom and into a sunny mood. The additional tropical flavors of lime, chilies, ginger and coconut milk only seem natural. Take yourself to the Caribbean with this entrée.  As the mango cooks, it gives itself up entirely to the sauce, thickening it and contributing to a wonderful pale orange color. Serve with some Jasmine rice cooked in broth, chopped onion and a bit of coconut milk, add parsley for a bit of color and you have the perfect addition to sop up the sauce.

Key ingredients

Country-style pork ribs are relative newcomers to the meat case, promote the shoulder-blade section of the pork loin, and are not as lean as the pricier rib chops. Because they have the tougher, fattier character of the pork shoulder, they are best cooked slowly in any sort of braise. Shopping for them can be confusing, since they appear in a variety of shapes arising from the top end of the loin or bottom end of the shoulder.  For this recipe my favorites are cuts from the shoulder with bone in. They are never symmetrical so look for an even mix. 

Roasted Chicken with Clementine & Fennel

Roasted Chicken with Clementine & Fennel

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Roasted Chicken with Clementine & Fennel

This is a wonderful Israeli dish adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s book, Jerusalem, and uses Arak, a popular anise-flavored liquor. I substituted Pernod, which is easier to find – but ouzo would work equally well. Clementines are a hybrid between a mandarin and a sweet orange and are readily available when in season. Like tangerines, they are an easy peel and usually seedless. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less acid than oranges.  One could easily substitute mandarin oranges in a pinch.

Fennel bulbs and clementines

I used whole chicken legs in this recipe. Bone-in chicken, like all meat cooked on the bone, will retain more of its flavorful juices. The skin protects the meat from drying out during braising, especially during the browning step. The layer of fat beneath the skin also adds richness and flavor to the dish. Because successful braising is all about the exchange of flavor between the braising liquid with the meat juices, the juicier the meat the better tasting the braise. Since thighs and drumsticks contain more fat and collagen than the white-meat breasts, they are tastier when braised.

Scalloped Yukon Potatoes with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto & Cheese

Scalloped Yukon Potatoes with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto & Cheese

Serves: 8 

Difficulty: Moderate

Vegetarian option

Scalloped Yukon Potatoes with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto & Cheese

Before you say “Ack! Too fattening!” and move on – these are relatively healthy scalloped potatoes made with broth, no cream or milk, and get extra flavor from the sun-dried tomato pesto. Take the chill off any blustery day and make something special to accompany meat entrees.  They are a fabulous side dish to serve with roast chicken, grilled pork chops or lamb chops. Unlike some other potato varietals, the Yukon Gold can stand up to both dry heat and wet heat-cooking methods. Its moist flesh and sweet flavor make it ideal for boiling, baking and frying but these potatoes will also withstand grilling, pan frying, and roasting.

Brined & Smoked Salmon

Brined & Smoked Salmon

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

Plan ahead – overnight brine

Brined & Smoked Salmon

If you have never smoked fish – you are missing quite the taste treat.  Many grocers are now offering smoked fish, but it is easy and so much better if you do it yourself. There are a myriad of methods and foods to smoke– fish, meat, cheese, and vegetables – multiple opportunities to test your skills and enjoy the results. I have a stovetop smoker made by Cameron. But you can also use a BBQ, electric smokers or modify some foil pans for use on the stove or BBQ.  Give it a try – you will be happy you did! 

Stovetop smoker--don't forget to turn on the fan when you are done!

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad 

I know, it sounds so weird…but really, intriguing. Right? I thought so…and especially terrific in the winter when the pink grapefruit are at their prime. I'm releasing this recipe right around Thanksgiving and just know you are feeling oh so tummy happy but a bit guilty too.  This should keep the tum so happy but really lessen the guilt. It is so very simple and clean - wonderful palate cleanser between courses. The hardest part is releasing the grapefruit segments. For that, there is Larue to the rescue with instructions and pictures!

The stars of the show! Unlikely pairing, but very tasty.

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi)

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi)

Includes Vegetarian options

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Persian Green Herb, Chicken & Bean Stew (Ghormeh Sabzi) 

This green stew studded with beans is one of the most famous in Persian cuisine. It can be made with chicken, lamb, beef or works surprisingly well with tofu which is frozen, thawed and baked to give it a meaty texture. The bulk of the stew is, indeed, chopped parsley, cilantro, spinach and scallions, and the mixture is delicious. The grassy greens cook down and mellow, turning into a fragrant, earthy mélange served alone or atop fluffy rice or stuffed into a pita. It might not be your first inclination to cook down a huge pile of chopped herbs, but the gentle slow heat works magic on the greenery transforming them into flavorful spoonful with each bite. I used Rancho Gordo red beans once again – making them from their dried form. However one could use canned, rinsed kidney or red beans if time does not allow use of heritage beans. Once again, we can use our dried limes for the citrusy boost often found in Persian cooking. If you cannot find dried limes, you can add several strips of lime zest to the stew.

Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa

Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa

Serves: 6

Difficulty level: Moderate

Cumin & Fennel Crusted Pork Chop with Chipotle Peach Salsa 

Quick – get out there and make this before the peaches disappear.  I have made it twice in the last few weeks because I loved the sweet-spicy tang of the salsa with the juicy smoky grilled pork chop.  I was tempted to list this as difficulty: easy but the 24-brine and managing the BBQ likely added just a wee bit of complexity.  But, trust me, it is easy peasy.  If there is any left, these thick cut pork chops taste just as good cold. The peach salsa is also great the next day, and day after – with fish, chicken or chips. So give it try – I mean NOW – while the peaches are still spectacular.

Pork is the “other white meat” as well as relatively inexpensive, tender and flavorful.  It is quite a bit leaner than similar cuts of beef. The most common cuts of pork have 16% less total fat and 27% less saturated fat than 20 years ago. Today’s leaner pork can be enjoyed medium rare. The USDA recently announced that pork could be safely cooked to 145 degree F followed by a three-minute rest time, resulting in juicy and tender pork.

Key Lime Mousse

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

Key Lime Mousse

Serves: 8

Difficulty level: Moderate

 

Key Lime Mousse

Imagine a Key Lime Pie light as a cloud, tart one moment, sweet the next.  Imagine it has done away with distraction of a crust. What you have is this Key Lime Mousse! The key lime is in a class all of its own. Much smaller than regular “Persian” limes, the key lime ranges in size from a Ping-Pong ball to a golf ball. The peel is thin, smooth and greenish-yellow when ripe. The flesh is also greenish-yellow, full of seeds, and divided into 10-12 segments, quite juicy and has a higher acidity than the regular Persian limes. It is valued for its strong aroma and their tart, sharp and incredibly sour taste. The green stage is the early stage of ripening and when the Key Lime’s flavor is strongest.  The yellow stage is a final stage of ripening and the flavor is somewhat mellowed. One quick note here: You cannot bottle fresh flavor. Packaged Key lime juice may look easy but it tastes like the shortcut that it is.  Generally made from concentrate and treated for preservation, it lacks punch and often has metallic undertones. Despite their name, key limes are not exclusive to Florida. In Mexico, the same species of limes are called Mexican limes. Key limes have often been referred to as the “bartender’s lime” and they readily complement a whole host of libations.