Filet of Sole
Sole is one of the lightest, most delicate of the flat fish. And Dover Sole is the best of the best.
Sole pretty much demands a classic preparation. Lightly floured, lightly fried, heartily eaten!
I did the classic preparation but in place of the browned pan butter I sauteed garlic in butter, added the juice of a lemon, and let it simmer. I then strained out the garlic and added fresh parsley.
Really simple.
Of course, I say really simple as in the preparation and cooking. The mess I made was anything but simple!
It really is a knack being able to destroy a kitchen with such a simple meal. 4 pans, a sheet pan, the pie plate holding the flour... I think I would have sent Victor straight over the edge if I had dipped it in egg!
But chocolate brownies with fresh cherries baked into them saved me for another day - and another mess!
An Indoor Picnic
You may have heard that it's been a bit warm the past few days. It's true. It's been a bit warm. In fact, it's been downright hot. As in H-O-T.
Of course, nothing says hot back here better than high temperatures and high humidity. When you hear someone say "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" there is an element of truth to it. Right now, when we walk outside, it's like entering a primordial swamp. The biggest problem is that I no longer have gills. It would be much easier to breathe if I did.
I remember ridiculously hot 113°+ in Bakersfield as a kid. I don't remember it feeling this bad. Granted, 50 years can blur a bit of memory, but other than those 2pm-6pm hours when the sun was at its hottest, we spent most of the day outdoors. Sweet youth, indeed.
So we're living in a cave with air conditioning. Even with the dual-paned windows we installed a few years back, drapes are closed. (That big bow window in front is still single-pane. When we get a spare $15k we'll think about replacing it.) But keeping everything closed really is helping - the AC isn't running non-stop.
So cooking just isn't at the top of my list of things I want to do. Eating is. I don't think I've ever lost my appetite - ever - but cooking and especially grilling are just not going to happen.
Enter the indoor picnic!
I did do a bit of cooking for this but poaching some tuna chunks was the extent of it. Unless you count making toast.
Fresh tuna really does make a great tuna salad. I poached the chunks in white wine, water, garlic, and bay leaves for maybe 10 minutes. Just long enough to cook it through. I then chilled it, shredded it, and mixed it with celery, red onion, pickle, and mayonnaise. Really good.
The rest of the indoor picnic was slice-and-serve. Baguette, Belletoile (a triple cream, bloomy rind cheese made by the French fromagerie Hutin. Both rich and mellow in flavor, Belletoile Triple Cream is a spreadable cheese that is creamy, buttery and luscious.) plus Secchi salume, pepper jack cheese, crackers, toasted rye bread, and fresh figs.
And a beer. (NA, but it quenched the thirst.)
We don't graze like this often enough. I really do like having a variety of fun foods on the table, but get into that meat-starch-vegetable rut way too often.
Bein' that this weather isn't going anywhere soon, I may have to think up a few more picnic ideas. I know those candied cherry tomatoes from the other night would be perfect with a spread like this.
Time to put the thinking cap on...
In the meantime, there's ice cream for dessert.
Alaskan Cod
It's a bazillion degrees outside with humidity to match. Going outside to grill would mean leaving the comfort of the air conditioning. Baked cod seemed a much wiser choice tonight than grilled.
Hey... I'm not a native. I don't like drinking my air.
But native or not, dinner needs to get on the table. Sadly, I'm not one of those people who can't eat when it gets too hot. I can always eat. Always. Feed a cold, feed a fever. Always.
Dinner tonight was really, really simple... Baked cod, roasted cauliflower, and cheesy rice.
The rice took the longest to cook. 1/2 cup of rice in 1 1/2 cups water, with a drizzle of butter and a half-teaspoon of Italian seasoning. When it was done, I stirred in about a cup of finely-grated parmesan cheese.
The cauliflower was drizzled with olive oil and coated with crumbs and asiago cheese. Baked at 375° for 30 minutes.
The cod was the quickest. I drizzled some butter on top and coated the top with crushed croutons. Into the 375° oven for 10 minutes.
Simplicity.
I'll probably make it out to the grill again, tomorrow. Although I have had sloppy joe's on my mind for a while...
H-m-m-m-m-m-m.....
Rice and Shrimp
One of the benefits of working Saturday is Victor being home and able to watch cooking shows. Saturday night dinner can really be a treat.
Last night was a perfect case in point.
A shrimp and rice dish he saw Giada De Laurentiis make...
Nonna Luna's Rice
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
- 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, such as Uncle Ben's
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 cup whipping cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.
Naturally, Victor played with the recipe a bit. Neither of us are very good at following recipes exactly.
He used carnaroli rice - a medium-grained rice from northern Italy. It's a great risotto rice and worked perfectly with this recipe. It made for an extremely creamy rice.
He also added grated Locatelli cheese and fresh peas - perfect additions.
Some crusty french bread was all the plate needed. And even that was superfluous...
Grilled Tuna and Other Meals
Yes, we've been cooking. And eating. Between holidays, sick relatives, and a couple of websites that needed a lot of attention, I haven't really made the time to add the latest gastronomical delights.
So here's few...
Tonight was tuna steak. Gourmet Magazine called this "Sicilian Tuna." I call it really good!
It was fun. I dirtied three pots and grilled outside. (In the 95° muggy heat.)
Sicilian Tuna
ingredients
For tuna:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
- 4 (6-ounces) tuna steaks, preferably albacore (1 inch thick; see cooks' note, below)
For sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice, plus 3 tablespoons celery leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons small capers, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
preparation
Marinate tuna:
Combine oil, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tuna in a large sealable bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, 30 minutes.
Grill tuna:
Remove tuna from marinade and shake off any excess. Lightly oil grill pan and heat over medium-high heat until smoking. Grill tuna, turning once, until pale pink in center, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
Meanwhile, make sauce:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add diced celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, and capers and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in basil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon sauce over tuna and sprinkle with celery leaves.
This worked on every level. The tuna marinade was excellent. The saltiness of the anchovies and the tanginess of the lemon really worked well. And the tomato sauce... It was like a bruschetta topping. In fact, it really would make a great bruschetta. I will have to remember this one! I love capers.
Last night was Grilled Pork Chops. And Watermelon Salad.
Sesame Pork Chops
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ginger
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Mince garlic. Add all ingredients to saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and chill completely.
Marinate chops about 30 minutes. Remove chops and reserve marinade. Grill chops to desired doneness.
Pour marinade into a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Spoon over cooked chops.
These were really simple to do and really tasty. If you want a bit of heat, add some sambal oelek (chili paste.)
And then we had watermelon salad to top it off. Not exactly an Asian-inspired side dish, but it was the perfect accompaniment. Traditionally, it is cubed watermelon, sliced red onion, mint, feta cheese, a splash of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. I used Victor's homemade ricotta for the feta. It was good.
Monday for a holiday luncheon we had burgers, baked beans, and potato salad.
The beans and salad came out of a carton.
It was a holiday.
And we had desserts...
Broiled Salmon and Cauliflower Purée
I knew last night that salmon was for dinner tonight. What I didn't know was exactly how I was going to make it.
Fish in and of itself is extremely easy to cook. Almost any fillet can go into a 350° oven for 10 minutes or under a broiler for about 5 minutes. That's it. No flipping, no turning. Done.
And a simple marinade before or a topping of sauce or salsa when it comes out can make ordinary into spectacular.
I went for the marinade and broiler tonight: Lemon balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and dill. Under the broiler for about 5 minutes.
The fun part of dinner, though was the cauliflower purée. I had seen a recipe recently for a scallops with cauliflower purée somewhere, but when I went looking for it today, I couldn't find it. The only thing I remembered was that it had a potato in it, so...
Cauliflower Purée
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florettes
- 1 russet potato, peeled and cubed
- milk
- salt
- pepper
- garlic
- 1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Place cauliflower and potato in pot and add just enough milk to allow vegetables to simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes on low heat or until vegetables can be easily mashed.
When fully cooked, drain milk, reserving some to thin, if necessary. Add heavy cream and purée vegetables (I used an immersion blender) until smooth. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Add additional cooking milk to thin to desired consistency.
The salmon went very well atop the purée. One could taste each of the flavors independently, yet they all blended perfectly together. On the side was a rice and grain mixture of brown rice, red rice, mahogany rice, black barley, red radish seed, black onion seed, and wild rice.
And for dessert, Victor made a chocolate orange cake with an orange buttercream icing.
More on that, later...
Alaskan Cod Latkes
When I took a package of cod fillets out of the freezer this morning, I was thinking broiled fish, rice and vegetable. Nothing fancy, just a simple almost-end-of-the-week meal.
But while at work, I had a couple of conversations about seafood in general and cod in particular. One fellow I work with spoke about how he likes to poach it.
It got the creative juices flowing.
Some time back I had seen a recipe for a crab potato pancake hors d'oeuvre ("crab" and "latke" don't quite go together...) and while I don't quite recall that recipe the concept seemed pretty straightforward. Actually, it was more of a "how could it go wrong?"
Alaskan Cod Latkes
- 3/4 pound Alaskan cod
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and grated
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- 2 eggs
- pinch cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper, to taste
Poach cod. Place in simmering water for just a few minutes. Drain and chill under cool water.
Peel potatoes and grate. Place in kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Place into bowl with remaining ingredients.
Heat a large skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Using scoop or large spoon, add to hot skillet and cook until nicely browned. Flip and continue cooking until done.
Serve with tartar sauce.
Tartar Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp pickle relish
- 3 tbsp minced onion
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch salt and pepper.
Mix all ingredients. Chill.
I do have to admit these were surprisingly good. And if you already have a favorite latke or potato pancake recipe, the simple addition of the poached cod would be all you need.
Fish and Sausage Stew
It wasn't jambalaya and it wasn't cioppino. A Jamppino?!? A rose by any other name...
I had a boatload of ingredients but none of them were really authentic for either dish. But I really wanted a spicy fish-type stew. So I decided to just go for it and create something using the things that I had. It's how I cook most of the time, anyway...
It's actually been many years since I made a real cioppino. The fisherman's stew of olden days is now quite expensive to make. Years (and years) ago when I worked at the Riviera Dinner House in San Francisco, one night a year we made Crab Cioppino - and that night it was the only thing on the menu. Folks would line up for it. I don't recall what we charged for it, but I do know that in 1974 dollars, it was rather expensive. It was really good stuff. As with just about everything at the Riviera, there was no written recipe. Actually, in all my youthful cooking, I don't recall written recipes, anywhere. Someone showed you how to make something and yelled at you if you didn't make it right the next time.
Fear is a great motivator.
And that early training is probably why I have such a difficult time writing or explaining recipes, today. My method of cooking is put it in the pot, taste, and adjust as necessary.
Funny how that doesn't always translate. Most people want just a little bit more direction than that.
Fish and Sausage Stew
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 smoked sausages, sliced (I used Hungarian)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 qt chicken broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
- 3/4 lb cod chunks (I first wrote cod pieces but didn't want to seem unseemly...)
- 4 oz shrimp
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp Guamanian boonie pepper (substitute cayenne or red pepper flakes)
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
Saute onion and bell pepper in a bit of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Add minced garlic and cook a minute or two longer.
Add sausages and cook until lightly browned.
Add red wine and cook until it's reduced by about half.
Add broth and canned tomatoes with juice. Add herbs and spices and simmer.
Add fish and shrimp and cook just until cooked through.
Serve in bowls over rice with crusty bread.
We're heading home to San Francisco next month - and we're staying at the wharf. I have a feeling cioppino is in my very near future!
All-Day Dining with Linda and David
Hors d'Oeuvres started at 2pm. Cheesecake was served at 7pm.
We ate all day.
It's pretty much what yer supposed to do when you get together with good friends. And we all believe in following the rules when it suits our purpose.
This has been a tradition since we moved back here 10 years ago. Victor has known Linda since childhood. She was our real estate agent when we bought our house. David was our mortgage broker.
Good friends with a lot of history. Friends you can say anything to without having to filter.
And friends who like to eat!
We started off with hors d'oeuvres. Just three, because we didn't want to spoil our dinner.
First off was a puff pastry dish Victor came up with based on something Ina Garten makes. She does a puff pastry, ham and cheese. Victor took it to a whole new level.
Puff Pastry with Pancetta and Dates
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 4 oz thin-sliced pancetta
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
- 1 cup chopped dates
Roll puff pastry to fit sheet pan - 10" x 16" or so. Brush with sun-dried tomato pesto, them layer pancetta, cheese, and dates.
Roll second sheet of puff pastry and place on top. Crimp edges and brush with egg. Cut slits to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a preheated 450° oven about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
These were definitely a hit. They were easy to prepare and the fillings can be switched out a million and one ways!
Definitely a keeper.
I decided we needed to do at least one deep-fried hors d'oeuvre because... well... we do have that deep fryer! I went with a crab fritter because I just couldn't think of anything else savory that I wanted to do. This was a totally wing-it recipe from the fritter to the dipping sauce, but it turned out great. The test fritters I made were still a bit doughy in the center so I really was caredul about the size. 1 tablespoon cooked up perfectly!
Crab and Green Chile Fritters
- 8 oz crab
- 1 4 oz can green chilies
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- salt and pepper
Mix crab with chiles, buttermilk, chives, and egg. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste. Add enough flour to make a moderately-stiff dough.
Drop tablespoon-sized balls into hot oil and cook until well browned.
Serve with dipping sauce.
For a dipping sauce I decided to go sweet and spicy.
We had homemade cranberry sauce in the fridge, apricot cookie filling in the fridge, and chipotles in adobo in the fridge.
I made a cranberry apricot chipotle dipping sauce!
Cranberry Apricot Chipotle Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
- 1 chipotle in adobo, chopped (or to taste)
Place ingredients in small saucepan. Heat. Mix briefly with immersion blender to blend and to break down larger berries or apricot pieces.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
And finally, we had bruschetta.
I love bruschetta in any and all its various incarnations.
Anything on toasted baguette with cheese is my idea of good. This was mere open-a-jar.
We had a jar of Harry and Davids Charred Pineapple with Candied Peppers on the shelf for quite a while. Today it was spooned onto baguette slices, topped with cream cheese, and placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
This was so simple and a total hit.
By 4:30pm, it was getting time to sit down to dinner.
We started off with a simple Calabrese Salad.
Red and Green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
I drizzled the whole thing with that nice, expensive olive oil Nick gave us for Christmas and some 15 year old balsamic. And a pinch of salt and pepper. It didn't need anything else.
And then it wan on to the main attraction:
Handmade pasta with a lobster sauce.
Oh yes, you read that right. Handmade pasta with a lobster sauce.
Oh yes.
Victor made the pasta from a recipe he saw on Ciao Italia with MaryAnn Esposito. She serves the pasta with a clam and mussel sauce, but Victor had a better idea. Lobster.
Scialatielli
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon grated Pecorino cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced basil or parsley leaves
Directions
Place egg, 1/3 cup milk, olive oil and salt in bowl of food processor and whirl until smooth. Add flour and cheese and pulse until mixture is grainy looking. Add parsley and pulse just until dough begins to leave the sides of bowl. If dough is too dry, add a little of the remaining milk until you can pinch a piece of dough between your fingers and it does not crumble.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Place a bowl upside down over the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes to relax the gluten and make it easier to roll.
Divide the dough into quarters and keep three covered while working the first piece. Flatten the dough to a four inch wide piece. Place it through the rollers of a hand crank pasta machine set to the fattest setting (#1). Set the rollers to the next fattest setting down (#2) and run the dough through again.
Use a small knife to cut 1/8 inch wide strips and place the strips on a clean towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
It made a wonderful and delicious pasta dish, but we think next time we make it, we'll (that's *we* as in *Victor*) roll it a bit thinner. It's supposed to be a thick pasta, but our tastes tend to go for thinner.
The sauce was a variation on a La Cucina theme...
Aragosta al Limone
- Chunks of Lobster Tail
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Lemons
- ½ cup plus 2 tbls Grana Padano grated plus more for sprinkling
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup plus 2 tbls heavy cream
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tbls whole milk
- 3 tbls finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tbls finely chopped chives
Sauté lobster chunks till just done, about 3 minutes or opaque. (Don’t over cook)
Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Grate the zest of 1 lemon into the bowl. Add cheese and pepper, whisk to combine, then whisk in the cream, milk, parsley, chives and a generous pinch of salt.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pot. Immediately add the egg mixture and lobster meat then toss together to combine. Serve immediately with more Grana Padano.
It was gooder than good. It was great watching both Linda and David go back for more. It was everything it could be and more.
And then, finally, it was time for dessert.
Linda is just a bit of a chocaholic, so we decided a cheesecake with a chocolate crust was in order. And this morning, I decided the cheesecake needed a chocolate ganache to cover it.
The ganache was pure over-the-top decadence. I loved every calorie of it!
I made my favorite "Worlds Greatest Strawberry Cheesecake" except I didn't use the strawberries...
World's Greatest Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
The Crust:
- 3/4 cups walnuts, coarsely ground
- 3/4 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
- 1 3 oz Valrhona chocolate bar
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
The Filling:
- 4 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
The Topping:
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Ganache:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Putting it together: Preheat oven to 350º. Mix crust ingredients and press evenly into bottom of 10″ springform pan. Set aside.
Cream the cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream, mixing until smooth and light. Pour into pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes. Keep oven on.
Mix topping ingredients and spread onto top of cheesecake to within about 1/2 inch from edge. Return to oven and bake about 7 more minutes. Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate at least 24 hours (2-3 days is best.)
On day you’re going to serve, make ganache. Heat cream. Remove from heat and stir in grated chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add vanilla.
Remove cake from pan. Spread ganache over cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
It really was a stellar day. And while we did eat a lot, at least it was spread out over 5 hours.
Our next feast with them is tentatively scheduled for July at their house to celebrate my and Linda's birthdays.
I can't wait.
They feed us the same way.
Steaks and Langostinos
It's still New Year's day, so that means we have to indulge just a little bit more. Tomorrow we will be indulging a little bit more, as well. Maybe we'll settle down by mid-week.
Maybe.
Tonight we had filets with a langostino harissa cream sauce. Really.
And it was good.
The sauce was nothing more than a tablespoon of harissa paste, 2/3 cup heavy cream, one egg yolk, salt and pepper. As it thickened, I added the already cooked langostino.
I made a bed of red rice, placed the filet on the rice, and the sauce went over the steak.
It worked really well. Really well.
Harissa is a spicy chili paste-type condiment. I think it originated in Tunisia but I see it in a lot of other northern African recipes. It's not exactly a traditional preparation, but it really worked well with the cream. I have to admit I wasn't sure how this one was going to turn out. It had all the right flavor profiles, but from experience I know that just because I like things doesn't mean they're going to work together.
They did tonight.
And I used the last of the no-knead dough to make a loaf of bread.
Tomorrow is another all-out-food-fest.
I love the holidays!
Broiled Cod and Hollandaise
Have I ever mentioned how much I love it when Victor cooks?
But what I love even more is when he cooks and makes a mess in the kitchen! He will laughingly talk about what a mess I can make in the kitchen and how neat and clean he is in the kitchen. Both are partially true. We cook differently but we also cook different foods. And what we cook definitely has an effect on the scope of the mess - or lack thereof.
So it was with complete joy that I walked into the kitchen this evening to see three dirty pots, rice that had boiled over, dirty blender...
Plus he took an otherwise totally healthy meal and put a (homemade) hollandaise sauce on top of it.
That's love. Definitely one of life's little joys.
Dinner itself was very simple. Broiled cod, rice and peas. The hollandaise did take it right over the top. And I do have to admint I not only cleaned my plate, but sopped up the remaining hollandaise with a dinner roll.
It was that good.
And while I was dealing with the great unwashed public today, he was making more Christmas cookies.
Uncle Rudy's Pizzelles and the most outrageous Walnut Biscotti!
I'll get that posted later.....
Andouille and Langostino
I have been having more fun going through and posting the recipes that have been coming in from my email and Facebook plea. Holiday Cooking. Most of us have to do it - or at least some of it. What a concept to have a whole bunch of fun recipes from fun people posted in one place! If you haven't sent one in, yet... well... do it! And take a look at the ones already there!
Fun, indeed!
But I digress...
It's a bit cold outside, so I thought something a bit hot would warm us up, inside. Andouille sausage will do that - especially if you add just a bit more spice to it!
This was a total throw-together meal. I sliced andouille sausage and placed it in a skillet with a bit of chopped onion. I added a splash (literally) of red wine to deglaze the pan and then added a can of diced tomatoes in juice. When it was hot I added a chopped bell pepper, a pinch of thyme, a splash of Tabasco, and a bit of salt and pepper.
I then added a handful of langostino and heated them through.
Served it over mahogany rice.
Sausage was spicy, peppers were still crunchy, sauce was flavorful and just hot enough...
It was a great almost-New-Orleans-style dinner with lots of crusty bread to sop up the juices.