Light Faire: Bowtie Pasta with Sauteed Mushrooms & Wilted Spinach

Tonight, I didn't feel like cooking. We had Red Snapper planned, but I simply didn't have the energy. So, we created a pasta dish that was fast, delicious, and nutritious. We chopped fresh mushrooms and sauteed them in olive oil with garlic salt and fresh ground black peppercorn until they were nice and golden brown. In the meantime, we started the pasta and waited to the last minute to make our wilted spinach. To finish the dish, we drizzled garlic olive oil from the Stinking Rose and fresh ground pepper. The dish may have been better with parmesan cheese added or as my wife Katie mentioned, a fresh chopped tomato.

Bowtie Pasta with Sauteed Mushrooms & Wilted Spinach:
Bowtie pasta
Mushrooms, sliced
Fresh Baby Spinach
Olive Oil
Pepper
Garlic Salt

Cook the pasta to preference. Saute mushrooms in olive oil and garlic salt until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes over high heat. To wilt spinach, place sufficient water in a pot to cover spinach. Boil the water and add the spinach. Stir the spinach for 2-3 minutes until the structure of the spinach leaf is floppy. Mix all ingredients together and drizzle with olive oil. Optionally, top with fresh chopped basil, tomato or parmesan cheese.

Restaurant Review: Cascal Restaurant-Mountain View, CA

Most people know that the dining scene in the Bay Area is fantastic. We had an opportunity to visit a restaurant in Mountain View, CA called Cascal. This restaurant focuses its energies on providing Latin food, with lots of tapas plates and a few big dishes, including Puerco Cubano and Paella. We started out the evening with the wild mushroom and manchego cheese with truffle oil empanadas. Perhaps not the most "authentic" in terms of its Latin qualities, the tapa was flawless. Served piping hot, the cheese oozed out upon cutting. Puff pastry surrounds the mushroom-cheese mixture and was nicely baked to perfection. The flavor combination was excellent, with some sweetness from the truffle oil and earthy flavors from the wild mushroom. So far, so good.


I ordered the Puerco Cubano en Mojo (Marinated slow-roasted pork shoulder with Cuban black beans, steamed rice and sweet potato-plantain mash). The pork was succulent and fell apart, wonderfully cooked. The overall flavor of the pork was juicy with a slightly salty, lime flavor. Combine this with the sweet potato-plantain mash, which by far stole the show at our table, made for an excellent combination. Then, the Cuban black beans and rice....ah, I love Cuban food and these black beans did not disappoint. With small chunks of bacon or ham, these beans were wonderfully spiced and complemented my meal perfectly.


My wife ordered the paella cascal (Saffron rice, chicken, pork, chorizo sausage, shrimp, mussels, clams, smoked paprika sofritto, peas, piquillo peppers). She indicated that the flavors were wonderfully segregated, meaning each seafood could be tasted independently of the other. This is a great sign to me, meaning the seafood must have been fresh to prevent overwhelming the dish. She loved the flavor and had ample left over for lunch the next day.


My mother-in-law ordered the Crab & Shrimp Tostaditos (Crisped corn tortillas topped with fresh crab, shrimp, chipotle aioli, guacamole and shredded romaine). She indicated that there was a spiciness that was perfectly displayed. My observation was that there was an elegantly displayed tapa, with crisp shredded romaine and certainly ample red onion. 


Overall, an excellent visit, but we weren't finished yet. We ordered the fried plantains for dessert, and they didn't disappoint. Plantains are in the banana family and as such, display some similarities to banana. Frying the plantains added a nice, salty crust that, when doused in dulce de leche. 


Excellent meal, excellent company, bon apetite.

Appetizer: Steamed Artichoke with Garlic-Rosemary Aioli

We went out to Monterey Bay this last weekend and enjoyed the fruits of the land, so to speak. One of the main crops in the area are artichokes. This recipe represents a traditional preparation that is delicious!

Steamed Artichoke with Garlic-Rosemary Aioli
1 Artichoke, stem cut to 1 inch maximum
Mayonnaise (I used the olive oil based version)
Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary
Olive oil

Steam one artichoke for 45 minutes in a vegetable steamer with the artichoke stem facing upward. In the meantime, prepare the garlic and rosemary. Saute the garlic and rosemary for roughly 5 minutes, enough time to release wonderful flavors. Place about 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise into a small bowl. Add the saute to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Slice the artichoke in half and serve.

To eat: Artichokes are a little awkward to eat if you've never done so, but they really are delicious. To eat, take a leave and drag your teeth across it to remove the "meat".

Turkey Tenderloin Stir Fry

This recipe is an easy favorite to make. We use turkey tenderloin instead of chicken or pork as we love the flavor turkey adds to this meal. You can easily substitute tofu as well. There is one trick with stir fry, you must use very hot oil. As such, this recipe is a bit intimidating if you're not used to working with very hot oil that can splatter when you add in any vegetables/meats with high water contents. You can prevent this to some degree by working to remove excess water from the surfaces of your ingredients. Nonetheless, this recipe is a favorite because it contains your major subgroups. To make the recipe faster, we use instant brown rice that cooks in roughly 10 minutes.

Here it is:

Turkey Tenderloin Stir Fry
1 Turkey Tenderloin, cut into cubes
Green Pepper, chopped
Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Mushrooms, sliced
Teriyaki Marinade
Salt
Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
Olive Oil
Brown Rice, cooked
3 Eggs, fried

Start by washing your turkey tenderloin. Remove any excess fat or tendons to prevent chewiness. Cube the turkey tenderloin and place in a bowl containing the Teriyaki sauce with some cracked black pepper. Marinate the turkey for 10-15 minutes in the refrigerator, shaking the bowl to redistribute the marinade every 5 minutes. After marinating, heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the turkey. Cook until browned.

In a wok, heat a sufficient volume of oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Be sure the oil is hot by flicking a drop of water into it, checking for splatter. The oil is hot and ready if it splatters in response to the water. Add all vegetables and saute. When the mushrooms begin to brown, add a few splashes of Teriyaki sauce and continue to saute. Add the turkey and eggs and mix. Add in crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper for spice. Saute and serve over rice.

A Breakfast Idea: Granola-Crusted French Toast

I love french toast. The flavors remind me of my childhood, sitting at the kitchen counter, waiting with maple syrup and a tall glass of milk. Well, this is a new take on the old-style form of french toast. The Granola Crusted French Toast gives a nice crunch to the old form, and adds a bit of sweetness. Here's my recipe.

Granola-Crusted French Toast
2 Eggs
Vanilla (splash)
Cinnamon & Sugar Mixture (Dash)
Milk
4 pieces of bread
Granola cereal (I use honey-flavored)

Start by cracking the eggs into a bowl. Mix in a splash of milk, a splash of vanilla, and a dash of Cinnamon & Sugar. Whisk the egg mixture until completely mixed. In the meantime, coat a hot pan with butter/margarine (be sure you completely coat the pan). Spread some granola in a separate dish for dipping.

Quickly dip the bread pieces into the egg mixture and then into the granola. Place the bread pieces into the hot pan. Pay close attention to the bread, as the granola will burn if you do not turn the bread often. Maintain medium-low heat to cook the french toast. Serve with maple syrup and a tall glass of milk.

Today's Tip: Cooking Fresh Salmon Fillets

Here's the deal. If you've ever ordered salmon and found it to be really fishy tasting, there may be a good reason. Did you notice if there were different colors present in the fillet? Growing up in WI, I saw my fair share of fresh salmon being cleaned so I'm well acquainted with how to prevent this specific problem. When you get a fillet at the grocery store, whether it has skin on it or not, it is likely there will be a dark brown streak running through the fillet. This is called the "mud vein". Here is the "fishy" culprit. Cooking a fillet with the mud vein still present leads to an overall fishy flavor within the whole fillet. To prevent this from happening, be sure you remove the mud vein prior to cooking. Be sure you rinse the fillet after removal and then, voila, you're ready for fillet preparation and cooking. Bon apetit.

Pan-Poached Cod with Chesapeake Seasoning

Tonight was a rushed dinner, but we still pulled it off. We had bought some cod a while back and stored it in the freezer. Sometimes, the cod that has been refrigerated and then frozen loses a lot of its moisture and you end up with a dry, rubbery piece of fish. Tonight, we gave it another shot.

Pan-Poached Cod with Chesapeake Seasoning
1 Filet of Cod (no skin)
Butter or margarine (enough to coat a frying pan)
Chesapeake Bay Seasoning (Penzey's)

First, rinse the cod filet with cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Coat a frying pan with melted butter (we used Promise). Turn the burner to low heat and dip each side of the cod into the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle the cod filet with the Chesapeake seasoning and cover the pan, maintaining moderate heat. Flip the filet after 5 minutes. You'll notice a lot of moisture in the pan, this is a good sign. Season the other side and cook another 5 minutes covered. Now, the next step is a place where things could take a turn. I decided to flip the filet and remove some of the excess fluid to add a bit of crisp to the filet. However, removing the fluid can cause the fish to dry out so you must work quickly. As such, be sure you have turned your burner to high heat and only keep the filet in for 1-2 minutes. Serve.

Overall, I really love the Chesapeake seasoning on cod. It's got a nice warm, comforting flavor that reminds me of fish fry's growing up in Wisconsin. The quality of the cod really makes a difference. If the cod smells really fishy, do not use it. Any fish should not have a "fishy" smell to it when it is cold. This is a sign that the fish has gone "past its prime". This is a nice, fast dish to prepare on nights when time is tight. 

Grilled seasoned pork medallions with sweet corn and caprese orzo

This was a quick meal. Over the years I've struggled to get excellent flavor out of my grilled pork tenderloin. Pre-seasoning helps sometimes, but generally, the seasoning burns. So this time, I thought I'd create a "deconstructed" seasoned pork tenderloin for grilling. The result: excellent flavor for each medallion. The following is a great recipe for a dinner entree or even appetizers! The grilled sweet corn is excellent, with smoky flavors matching the corn's sweetness. One of my favorites.

The Caprese Orzo was a throw-together at the last minute. A Caprese salad usually consists of fresh basil, large sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese spritzed with olive oil and ground black pepper. This recipe is for a "mac & cheese" version of the salad. Overall, the flavors were there, but something was missing. Perhaps addition of garlic salt or fresh smashed garlic would have augmented this dish to the next level. The cheese melts really quickly so be sure to stir the pot quickly and serve immediately. Otherwise, the cheese congeals and causes the orzo to be very sticky. Overall, a great meal with a few tweaks here and there! This meal also was served with a 2004 Ridge Oltranti Zinfandel. For reviews on wines, visit: http://thewinedrop.blogspot.com/.

"Deconstructed" Pork Tenderloin for Grilling
1 pork tenderloin, cleaned of silver skin and excess fat
Favorite seasoning (I used Penzey's Galena Street or Barbecue of the Americas)
Pam Cooking Spray

Slice the pork tenderloin into half-inch thick medallions. Press the medallions with your fist to flatten. Add seasoning and rub in. Allow the seasoning to sit for 10 minutes to allow for the meat to take in the flavors. I seasoned only one side, as seasoning both sides would probably be overwhelming. Spray a hot grill with Pam cooking spray and immediately place the medallions on the grill, with the seasoning side up. Depending on the thickness of your meat and temperature of your grill, turn the medallions after 5 minutes. Keep a close eye, as these cook very fast. Cook another 5 minutes (maximum) and remove from grill. These are ready to serve.

Grilled Sweet Corn
2 ears of sweet corn, remove the fine "hairs" from the ear but leave the husks on
Large pot of water
Butter (optional)
Salt (option)

After removing the "hairs" from the corn, soak the ears of corn (husks included) in cold water for 30 minutes at room temperature. After soaking, place the ears of corn, covered with their husks, onto a hot grill. Be sure to turn the corn every 5-10 minutes. The corn is done when the husks have browned/blackened. Serve the corn with husks removed.

Caprese Orzo
1 box of Orzo
1-2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3-4 Fresh Basil leaves, chopped
1.5 cups of fresh grated mozzerella
Salt to flavor

Boil the orzo until cooked to preference. Orzo cooks quickly. Strain the orzo but do not run under cold water. Add all ingredients back to the hot pot. Under low heat, stir in the cheese until melted. Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper.