Baked Branzino

My husband is picky with seafood.  I might have mentioned that before.  He is more picky than our 3 year old daughter who when asked what food she likes proudly responds, "fish and rice!"  But finally, for the record, I got dear husband to eat fish off a baked whole branzino that I cooked.  What I mean is usually he would only eat filleted fish.  For some reason he cannot stomach the sight of a whole fish with head, bones and tail served on the table  However on one of our dinner dates at Angelini Osteria I was intrigued when he said he would want to try their branzino dish one day, a whole branzino baked in a crust of salt.  His comment gave me hope. I thought perhaps I could entice him with grilled whole fish in the form of branzino.  I had a feeling he would be more open to trying branzino because he saw it prepared in a fancy restaurant and also because it sounded Italian.  Silly, I know.  But I do think he is racist when it comes to fish.  No kidding.  He dislikes tilapia which he usually sees swimming inside fish tanks at the Asian market.

I brought up the suggestion one day, mentioning that I saw some fresh looking branzino at Whole Foods. However I had to promise him that if I cook it whole I would debone the fish first before plating his. He agreed.  I was smiling from ear to ear, the guy have no idea how delicious the meat is near the bones (which is going to be all mine).

So I went to Whole Foods to get the branzino.  I think it has become a regular on their iced cases.  The price was right, $11.99 a pound, and the fish had gleaming clear eyes which means they are fresh.  Each branzino ran about 1 to 1.5 lbs each.  I bought 2 pieces because I  was not confident one would be enough for the three of us considering the 3-year-old could easily eat half a fish.

Whole fish is easy to cook and cooks quickly.  You need only to drizzle some olive oil, salt and some herbs, throw it on the grill or oven and that's it.  I would prefer mine grilled but on this day we ran out of propane to fire the grill so I had to cook it in the oven.

Baked Branzino with Gremolata

1 bunch cilantro (1/2 portion coarsely chopped)

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated (thinly slice green parts)
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup drained capers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, zested and juiced

1 lime, thinly sliced
extra virgin olive oil
2 whole branzino, about 1-2 lbs each, have the fishmonger scale and clean the fish
coarse sea salt and black pepper

1. Prepare the gremolata by combining the chopped cilantro, sliced scallions,  jalapeño, capers and garlic in a bowl.  Finely grate the zest of one lime and then squeeze in its juice.  Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Cover and let sit until needed.

2. Cook the fish.  Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pat dry each fish with paper towel then drizzle olive oil over each fish to coat.  Season each fish inside the cavity and outside with salt and black pepper.  Divide the lime slices, remaining cilantro sprigs, scallions (white part) between the two fish. Transfer fish to baking sheet and place in the 450° oven.  Cook fish for 15 to 20 minutes or until just opaque and flakes easily when pierced with a fork.

3. Serve fish with gremolata on top.

*A good side for this dish is a mango salsa

summer is almost here

grilled peaches

plus

grilled pork tenderloin and perhaps some green salads

equals a perfect summer weekday dinner

ok so my home is under siege. i'm sick. sophia is sick.  i have not been able to go to work since friday due to sickness which i thought to be asthma or allergies.  today i'm quite certain it's some sort of a bug which sadly i have passed on to my little girl.  instead of being outside enjoying the warmth of the sun, we are napping in bed under the covers.  or to be more precise, i am blogging on one side of the bed while sophia is napping right next to me. "sleep with me mommy," she begged.  I could snuggle with her and watch her sleep all day long, but i don't like waking her up with my persistent cough.  so instead i decided to write a post while sitting right next to her, carefully suppressing and concealing my cough.


but despite my current state i can't help but be excited about summer.  it's my favorite season, and to ring it in i present two of my favorite summer recipes.  they're a perfect pair.

BALSAMIC GLAZED PEACHES WITH BLEU CHEESE

adopted here

• in a saucepan, simmer together 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, over medium heat until reduced in half. remove from heat and set aside.
• oil grill grate and preheat.  cut 4 medium peaches in half and remove seed. place peaches on grill cut side down and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  turn peaches over and brush cut side with the balsamic reduction.  cook for another 3 minutes.
• remove peaches from grill and sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on top.  drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the remaining balsamic reduction.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN

adopted here

• marinade pork tenderloin in a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, about 2 teaspoon coarse salt and pepper (adjust to taste).  let sit for an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
• sear meat on high heat for about 2 minutes on both sides then lower heat to medium and cook for another 20-25 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes. cook until internal temperature is 160°F.
• let the meat rest before cutting to allow its juices to be redistributed and reabsorbed back into the meat.

this week for dinner

i kind of been in a rut since we got back from our vacation. nothing appealed to me.  "i'm tired of my own cooking!" as how my grandma would say it.  and i admit, i was lazy.  it was hard to get back to the normal routine.  in the last two weeks that i rarely cooked, much money was spent on eating out and buying ingredients on a whim.  i bought a lot of steaks (they were on sale) and froze them for future use. for those nights when i need to come up with something quick.  we are carnivores over here.  we eat grilled steaks about once or twice a week.

meal planning is not my strong suit but in my effort to reduce our food expenses i've been kinda sorta doing it.  it's on and off, one because it is hard to keep up with it.  it is difficult to come up with food ideas in one sitting.  a dish that sounds good today may not be as appealing when the time comes to actually make it.  and then there's the weather to consider.  something like i'd plan on roasting a chicken and when the day comes it's too damn hot to be turning on the oven. that sort of thing happens a lot with me.

this week i planned mostly for grilled dinners.  since the weather has been warm we have been using the grill outside and we have been eating our dinners on our teeny tiny balcony.  before i started simplifying, i invested on a small bistro table from bed bath and beyond to match the wicker chairs my mother in law bought us a couple of years ago.  it fits exactly 3 people, which is all we need, and the perfect size for our narrow balcony.  sophia loves it. for her eating outdoors is like having a party.

so on the menu this week are the following:

DINNERS

Monday, 5/21 : grilled chicken thigh & pasta primavera

Tuesday, 5/22 : grilled carne asada tacos (carne asada recipe follows)

Wednesday, 5/23: grilled ribeye steak, mushroom and asparagus saute, prosciutto e melone

Thursday, 5/24 : grilled hot dogs, celery & carrots in ranch dressing, watermelon

Friday, 5/25 : dinner with my sister-in-laws

Saturday, 5/26 : grilled halibut with cilantro sauce and orzo artichoke salad

Carne Asada Tacos

for meat & marinade
1.5 pounds flap or flank steak
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pinch chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for pico de gallo

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1/4 cup chopped onions

salt to taste

other
1 (32 ounce) package corn tortillas
1 limes, cut into wedges
1 avocado, seeded, peeled and cut into wedges

1 cup grated mexican cheese (optional) 

1 cup black beans (optional)

sour cream (optional)

shredded lettuce (optional)

Directions

Place meat in a large zip lock bag.  In a lidded jar mix together the rest of the marinade.  Shake vigorously and pour inside the bag with the beef.  Close bag and distribute the marinade on the meat.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.

The next day, bring the beef to room temperature and cook on the grill over high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.  Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes.  Cut meat thinly across the grain. 

In a small bowl (i like to use a lidded jar), mix together the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Set aside.

Warm tortillas on an oiled skillet, on the grill or microwave to make them pliable. Arrange tortillas on a plate, and lay a generous amount of beef over them.  Top with pico de gallo, avocado, beans, cheese, shredded lettuce, etc. 

Grilled Maple Brined Pork Chop

These pork chops are WONDERFUL.  The brine did a beautiful job of tenderizing the pork and adding an amazing flavour.  I think this recipe will be a staple for my pork chops.  It was good (even without the chutney) - flavorful and succulent, something I never attained when grilling pork chops.  I left out the juniper berries (can substitute 1 tbsp gin but I didn't have that either), and cloves but it still came out incredibly delicious.  I also substituted ginger powder Also I did not have fresh ginger and fresh thyme so I used dried ones.

A few notes:

1. Buy fresh thick pork chops bone-in from the butcher if you can and make sure the chops are not already brined.  Make sure no salt solution was injected, some stores do this to make them moist.
2. Use kosher salt, NOT table salt.  Table salt is much more saltier than table salt.
3. Thick chops, NOT thin or it will be too salty.
4. Brine no longer than 12 hours, otherwise it will be hammy.  Brine for at least 4 hours.
5. For the summer use the grill but it works on the oven too.  First brown the meat in an iron skillet 2-3 minutes on each side then put in a 350 degrees oven for 5-10 minutes.
6. Don't skip brushing the chops with oil before grilling. It gives good caramelization.
7. The brining solution can also be used for turkey, pork bellies, chicken and pork tenderloin.  Feel free to experiment.
8. Use a thermometer so you don't have to guess doneness.  Stick a meat thermometer, once it heats 145 it's done.  It may be a little rosy when you cut into them but will quickly turn pale. 
9. You can brine more chops at a time.  You can keep excess brined chops a few days in the bridge for later cooking. 

Thank you Bon Appetit.

ingredients

(serves 2-3)
Brine
1/2 cup KOSHER salt
1/4 + 1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons juniper berries (or 1 tablespoon gin)
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves (optional)
1/4 cup fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
4 cups water

2-3 bone-in center-cut loin pork chops, 1 1/2 inches THICK (make sure it has no salt solution injected)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil for grilling
Roasted Pear Chutney (optional)

1. Mix all of the brine ingredients together in a nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir the brine to ensure that the salt, sugar, and maple syrup have dissolved. Let the brine cool, then put it in a large nonreactive container and immerse the pork chops. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 12 hours.

2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry (without rinsing).

3. Heat grill to high.

4. Season the chops with pepper (not salt — remember, the brining solution is salty) and brush with the oil. Sear the chops directly over the hottest part of the open grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then lower the heat to medium, cover the grill, and cook to the desired doneness (about 10 minutes on each side). Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops. A reading of 145° to 150°F will give you a pink, moist chop, 160°F is well-done. Serve immediately, accompanied by the chutney, if using.

Accompany meal with Orzo- Artichoke Salad

Chicken with Whiskey Mushroom Sauce

Two things:

First, have you ever tried boneless skinless chicken thighs?  They are so good! Full of flavor and just as versatile as the chicken breast. Ok so I was never a big fan of the chicken breast in the first pace.  You see, I love a little fat on my meat which breasts just doesn't offer.  Now having boneless skinless chicken thigh as an alternative I may now for good steer clear of the breast.

Second, I have recently discovered another source of recipes for our dinner, Steamy Kitchen.  I feel like a dork not knowing about Jaden Hair's food blog until now.  Her site has so much recipes (not to forget the beautiful pictures), and she got my head spinning on what to make first.  I have a lot of catching up on her recipes.  This week her recipe for Porterhouse caught my eye.  It looked so good!  The only thing is I'm done with steak for now........well at least for a couple of days. Ha!

Then I thought I could try the whiskey sauce in chicken thighs instead.

It's really simple and all you need are the following cast of characters..

ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

salt and pepper

adobo seasoning (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
1/2 onion, sliced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
4 tablespoons whisky

directions:
1. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper (and some adobo seasoning optional).  Grill chicken on high heat, about 5 minutes on each side.  Set aside.

2. While the chicken rests, make the mushroom sauce. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat with the butter. When the butter starts bubbling, add the onions. When the onions starts to soften, add mushrooms. Stir and cook until mushrooms soften and starts to release its juices.

3. Pour in the chicken broth, mustard, whisky and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. 

Pour over chicken and serve.

Steak with Creamy Morel Mushroom Sauce

The sauce in this recipe is divine! Need I say more?  Keep an eye out for fresh or dried morel mushrooms, give this sauce a try and you'll know what I mean. It's an oh-em-gee moment at first bite.

I am a big fan of mushrooms so it was mushroom heaven when I saw this stall at the West Hollywood farmer's market on Memorial Day.  I was like a kid at a candy store!

I've had dreams about morel mushrooms ever since I read Hank's post about venison and morels.  So immediately my eye scoured for morels. Forget maitake.  Forget porcelini. I want morels!  And though I did not have the budget for it that day, it seemed too good to pass up on.  So I handed over my hard earned $10 to the vendor for a 4oz bag of fresh morel mushrooms.

If you do not plan on using it right away, store the mushroom in a cool dry place.  Better to keep it in a brown bag so it can breathe.  For my case I used it a couple of days after since I had other dish on the line for our dinner menu.  In those two days that I waited I searched all-knowing google for the perfect sauce.  There were several of them but I opted for a creamy based sauce.  

Jimmy, whoever you are, thank you for duplicating this sauce and allowing your sister-in-law to share it on food.com.  This mushroom sauce is a winner!

Steak with Creamy Morel Mushroom Sauce
2 steak cut of your choice
1 cup chopped fresh morel mushrooms (or 2 ounces dried, dehydrated)
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup whipping cream plus 1 tablespoon flour)
1 tablespoon or to taste Bouillon Beef (or chicken) base or demi glace
black pepper
3 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley (optional)

Rub both steaks with olive oil then season with salt and pepper and any steak rub of your preference.  Grill steak and set aside.  While steaks are resting make the sauce.

Prepare the sauce.

In a large skillet, heat butter and saute shallots until they are clear.

Add minced morels and bee (or chicken base).  Stir well, then pour cream.  Add freshly ground black pepper and wine.  Simmer and stir constantly until sauce is thick.

Spoon sauce over grilled steaks, lamb, grilled or poached chicken or pasta.

Grilled Lamb Chops

To make the marinade; in a mortar and pestle, mash together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, 1 teaspoon minced garlic and  juice of 1 lemon.

Coat 6 pieces of  the lamb chops with the marinade and let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Heat grill to high temperature and cook lamb for 10 minutes total (for medium rare), turning once or twice.

Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Grilled Chicken With Gremolata

Good news or bad news first?

It's been almost two weeks since our little Princess injured her left foot.  Yesterday we took her to a pediatric orthodepist and got a 3rd x-ray done which still did not show any visible injury.  The doctor however concluded it to be a fracture judging from the way the injury is behaving.  There were no suggestions given on how to treat the injury except for us not to worry.  We were told that it will just heal on it's own, and that it will take 3-4 weeks before we see an improvement.  Of course not worrying is easier said than done.  My heart breaks seeing our dear daughter limp when she walks, as if she is literally stepping on my heart with every step. If only Mommy's kisses take all boo-boos away (sigh)... Nevertheless, our little princess remains a happy toddler, smiling and replying "better" when asked about the condition of her foot. What a spunky little one.

Meanwhile I am expecting to receive a $500 bill from Cedars-Sinai ER one of these days and thus the need to cut down again on our budget (huh? what budget?).  As always, chicken and pork come to mind when I think of cheap meals.  Not too long ago I stumbled on this grilled chicken recipe on my husband's stack of GQ magazines.  Last summer I successfully grilled a butterflied whole chicken.  It came out succulent and superb, but I have not grilled a whole chicken since because it is indeed tricky and it takes awhile, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes .  So I experimented and tried it on chicken legs and then to boneless chicken thighs.  On both counts, the chicken turned out almost just as good as the whole chicken version but with the cooking time significantly reduced.  For drumsticks, cooking time was upto 30-40 minutes.  For boneless thighs, cooking time was upto to 20 minutes.  I suppose, for boneless chicken breasts it would be about 15 minutes only.

I believe the secret is in picking a good chicken- fresh, preferrably organic and free range.  The first time I made this, the taste just sent me back to my native land, to my childhood when my Dad used to grill freshly butchered chicken from his poultry.  Fresh, organic and free range really make a big difference.  Additionally the gremolata adds a nice herbaceous punch, similar to what a chimichurri would do to a nice piece of steak.

For a little spin on the recipe, I added adobo seasoning on the chicken.  I have used Spicely 100% Organic and Certified Gluten Free, Adobo Seasoning in the past but when I ran out of it, I made my own concoction based on the list of ingredients on the label (see bottom).  I found the resulting flavor to be very identical, and also more practical.  I try to keep a container of it in my pantry for adding umph to roast chicken, grilled meats, shrimp and fish.

So the good news is that I live in sunny California where I can grill year round, ha!  And I am also loving Daylight Saving Time, longer days mean I can "see" what I am grilling much better.

Grilled Chicken With Gremolata

*Serves 2 to 4
1 whole chicken, butterflied and pressed flat (or chicken legs, or boneless chicken thighs)
Salt and pepper

adobo seasoning
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions
1. Make gremolata a couple of hours in advance. Mix together parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and salt and pepper.

2. Season chicken with salt, pepper and adobo seasoning and let chicken come to room temperature.

3. Heat grill.  For whole chicken, cook for 15 minutes on one side, flip; repeat (count 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes).  For drumsticks, cook 30 to 40 minutes flipping every 10 minutes or so.  For boneless chicken thighs, cook about 20 to 25 minutes flipping every 10 minutes or so.  Occasionally cover grill, to help meat cook through.  You always always should cook chicken all the way.

4. Chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reaches 165 degrees (or juices run clear when you cut into thickest part). Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve on a platter and spoon gremolata over top.

Adobo Seasoning

1 teaspoon Organic garlic powder
1 teaspoon organic onion powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne