Morocc' and Roll

As someone with roots from Mediterranean Europe, it is easy for me to fall into the trap of always cooking food using the same types of ingredients and styles. Recently I took a detour south, making a meal with Northern African influences. The eclectic mix of spices required tested out the depth of my cupboard as well as produced some of the most amazing smells my tiny kitchen has ever had the pleasure of having. I suggest to any cooks out there to try out these cuisines as they will certainly re-energize your creativity in the kitchen.  

I made Curried-Yogurt Chicken with Moroccan-Style Zucchini and Lentils. To see the recipe I used for lentils, check out one of my prior posts here.

                                              Ingredients (serves 2):

For the chicken:                      For the zucchini:

                                     4 chicken cutlets             2 zucchini

                                     6 oz. yogurt                    1 chopped tomato

                                     2 tbsp. olive oil              1 chopped clove garlic 

                                     2 tsp. curry powder         1/2 lemon juiced

                                     1/2 lemon zested            1 tsp. ground cumin

                                     1 tbsp. parsley                1/2 tsp. cinnamon

                                     1/2 cup chopped basil     1 tsp. paprika

                                     sea salt & black pepper    1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

                                                                          1 tbsp. olive oil 

                                                                          sea salt

1. Prepare the chicken marinade. Add the yogurt, olive oil, curry powder, lemon zest, parsley, and basil to a mixing bowl. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are evenly worked in.

2. Season your chicken with sea salt and black pepper before adding to the bowl with the marinade. Mix in the chicken so that it looks as below, and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or two.

3. Prepare your zucchini marinade. Add the chopped garlic, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, red pepper, and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until all of the ingredients are evenly worked in.  It should be a nice paste.

4. Halve your zucchini stalks horizontally then slice into quarters. You should have nice sized wedges. Season with sea salt and add to the bowl with the marinade.

5. Mix in the zucchini so that it looks as below then add the chopped tomato.

6. Preheat and oven to 400 degrees, and add the chicken and the zucchini, in separate cooking trays, at the same time. If you are using chicken thicker than cutlets, you will want to start cooking it before the zucchini.

7. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Then serve with your lentils. Enjoy!

Surf and Turf: Groom's Grub Style

The king of meals. Steak. Lobster. Guaranteed to be great. Despite the drop in lobster prices and impending lobster revolution this summer, I don't like shelling out for an expensive weeknight dinner. Sorry. Couldn't help but make the pun.  I decided to make a 'Surf and Turf' using one of my favorite beef and one of my favorite shellfish recipes. For the 'Surf', I am making basil-breadcrumb crusted shrimp. For the 'Turf', a bourbon beef shank. Enjoy!

The 'Surf' Ingredients (serves 2):

12 shrimp peeled and cleaned

1 handful fresh basil

1/2 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup flour

1 egg

1.  Add the basil, bread crumbs, and olive oil to a food processor. Mix thoroughly alternating between chopping and grinding for 30 seconds.  Breadcrumbs should be green.

2.  Place the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in separate plate. Dip the shrimp in each plate, making sure that the shrimp is wholly coated. Place in a tray as below.

3.  Add shrimp to broiler for 3 minutes, then take out and flip. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Serve.

The 'Turf' Ingredients (serves 2):

1 bone-in beef shank

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup red wine

1 cup crushed tomatoes

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup parsley

1 small yellow onion

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

1.  Add the bourbon, red wine, crushed tomatoes, sugar, brown sugar, parsley, and onion to a bowl and mix thoroughly.

2.  Season beef shank with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.

3.  Heat a large skillet on a medium heat. Add the beef to the skillet and brown both sides.  After browning drop heat to low, add bourbon sauce and coat both sides before placing a lid over the top.

4.  Cook for 3 to 4 hours (although after 1 hour, the meat will be cooked and ready to eat) to ensure the beef gets tender and absorbs the flavor of the sauce.

5. Remove beef from the skillet, carve slices, and top with the bourbon sauce.



Say Cheese! Then Add Prosciutto.

Chicken. I never order it at a restaurant. Everything tastes like it, but that is not necessarily a good thing. Chicken is the tofu of the meat eating world, bland unless you give it a bit of help. I am going to do my part in alleviating this crisis by adding two of my favorite foods to chicken - ricotta cheese and prosciutto. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 boneless skinned chicken breasts

6 tbsp fat-free ricotta cheese

2 tsp sage

1 lemon zested

1/3 lb. American prosciutto

1 tbsp fresh thyme

olive oil, black pepper, & sea salt

7 ft. cooking twine

1. Cut a slit in the chicken breast about 3/4 of the way down from the top.

2. In a mixing bowl, add the ricotta, sage, and lemon zest. Mix thoroughly.

      Tip: When making any filling with ricotta, opt for the fat-free version. It will be less milky and creamy than more full fat versions so during cooking there is not excess liquid. If you want a more full fat version, drain it before starting step 2.

3. Drizzle olive oil over the chicken breasts and season with thyme, salt, and pepper.

4. Add the ricotta filling to the slit in the chicken breast you made in step 1. Try not to overfill it.

5. Time for the prosciutto. There are two methods here. One, you can cover the filling completely by placing prosciutto from the top down. Two, my method, you can partially cover the filling by starting from the top and going clockwise then counterclockwise until your chicken is covered.

6. Wrap the chicken in cooking twine so it does not open during cooking. An alternative if you don't have cooking twine is to tightly wrap each of the breasts in cellophane and let cool in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. This will help keep it together during cooking.

7. Preheat and oven to 375 degrees and cook the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes. 

8. If you opted against my wrapping method in step 5, simply serve. Otherwise I like to finish off the breasts in the broiler.  Turn on the broiler and add the breasts for a minute. This will be long enough to crisp the top of the cheese filling.

9. Serve with any of your favorite sides or pastas.

Green 'n' Cream Arctic Char

Arctic Char is a great tasting, sustainable fish. A member of the salmon family, arctic char has a more mild flavor than its cousin. With its high omega-3 count, it is an instant draw to any healthy menu. Two of the best ways to prepare the filet are broiling and grilling, making it perfect for a refreshing meal in the heat of summer.

 

I grow basil in my apartment, but if your thumb isn't as green as mine you can buy fresh basil at the grocery store. A basil plant needs to be regularly harvested otherwise it will start to flower and alter the taste of the plant. I picked a bunch of leaves and made a basil cream sauce to accompany the arctic char. 

 

Fresh fish. Fresh basil. Refreshing taste. Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients (serves 2):

 

2/3 lb. arctic char filet

1 large handful of fresh basil

1/8 cup light cream

2 cups green beans

1/4 lemon

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & black pepper

1. Cut your filet into two equal sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

 

2. Broil the fish for 3 minutes with the skin side up. You want to get the skin crispy but by the same time not burn it. Turn over and cook skin side down for an additional 1 to 2 minutes depending on the thickness of your filet.

 

3. Clean the green beans add add to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes then drain. 

 

4. Add to a mixing bowl with sea salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Toss until all the beans are evenly coated then drain any excess liquid.

5. Finely chop your basil. Add to a small bowl with the cream and a drop of olive oil. Whisk your cream sauce thoroughly. 

 

              Tip: Depending on how much basil you used, the consistency of your sauce might vary. I like it to be on the thicker side, like a pesto sauce.  Based on your taste add more cream if it is too thick or a little flour if it is too watery.

6. Add your arctic char to a plate with the green beans and drizzle the basil cream sauce over the top of the filet.

The Olympic Podium

The judge's (my fiancee) results are in and we have a gold medalist:


Gold -     Paella with Sausage and Shrimp
Silver -   Soy Steak with Sriracha Noodles
Bronze -  Fish and Chips


Do you agree? There is only one way to know for sure, try the recipes for yourself!

British Olympian: 'Fit But You Know It' Fish n Chips

The final competitor takes center stage. It is the hometown favorite of the London Games, but with a leaner presence compared to previous years. The Brits have already struck Gold at these Olympics, will we hear 'God Save the Queen' once more? Will 'Fit But You Know It' Fish and Chips send the home fans into hysterics ...

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 lb. cod filet

1 tbsp. curry powder

3 tbsp. fat free mayonnaise

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 russet potato

1 sweet potato

sea salt & parsley

1. Cut the cod filet into 4 pieces. Should be the same thickness to ensure even cooking.

2. In a small bowl mix the mayo and curry powder. Coat the top of each filet with the curry mayo and dip into bread crumbs. You should have half of your fish breaded.

3. Let the fish set in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

4. Peel the russet and sweet potatoes, then slice into chips. You can use a potato slicer to get thin chips or cut them to your preferred thickness.

5. Lay out the sliced potatoes in a pan and season with salt and parsley.

6. Preheat and oven to 425 degrees and add the potatoes for 25 to 45 minutes depending on thickness. They should be crisp on top when you take them out.

7. Add fish to a pan, breaded side up and broil for 3 minutes. Take out and turn over so the breadcrumbs do not burn. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes depending on how thick your cod is.

8. Serve with a side of ketchup and enjoy!

A strong showing from Team GB. The judges are tallying their votes. Who will top the podium?