Posts Tagged ‘gluten-free’

Don’t let Orville Reddenbacher fool you – corn was meant to be grilled.   This spicy yet cool corn is the perfect accompaniment for grilled meat or fish.  However, just because corn is a side dish doesn’t mean it needs to take the back-seat in flavor. 

Makes: 5 ears
Total kitchen time: 20 mins

Shopping List:

• 5 ears white corn, shucked
• 8 tbsp. salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Jamaican jerk seasoning (or your favorite spicy seasoning blend)

1. Preheat your grill over medium heat.  Place the corn directly on the grill and close the lid.  Grill, turning occasionally, 15-20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mash together using the back of a fork.  If you’re making this recipe in a larger quantity, you may want to prepare the butter using a food processor.
3. When the corn is almost done (check for tenderness with a fork) brush it on all sides with the cilantro butter and grill for another 1-2 minutes. 
   

This cilantro butter also makes great grilled toast, and can be added to shellfish, chicken, or white fish for a wonderful, simple seasoning.

After grilling fresh Coho salmon fillets over cedar planks, its hard to enjoy salmon prepared any other way.  My building’s facilities manager, Bruce, generously shared his catch from a recent trip to Alaska.  This recipe combines the rustic, smoky flavor of the cedar planks with the subtle, sweet butteryness of the beurre blanc.  Its a great combo, as I hope you will soon discover.

Total kitchen time: 1 hr
Makes: 4 1lb fillets

Shopping list:

• 4 1lb. salmon fillets (with skin is fine, without is fine also)
• 2 large (or 4 small) cedar planks for grilling
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp. orange-muscat vinegar (honestly, any white wine vinegar will work, this one just adds a little flavor and a lot of adjectives.  Available at Trader Joe’s.)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into teaspoons
• fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1. Soak the cedar planks, completely submerged, in cold water for at least 1 hour.  Preheat your grill over medium-high heat before grilling.
2. For the beurre blanc, heat a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the diced shallot and about 1 tsp. of olive oil and cook until the shallot smells great, about 3 minutes.  If it looks like the shallot is starting to brown, reduce the heat.
3. Add the white wine vinegar (in this case, orange muscat vinegar) and stir to deglaze the pan.  Continue to cook until the vinegar has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and 2 teaspoons of butter.  Continually whisk the butter until it is completely melted.  If the butter starts to foam, place the bottom of the pan on a cold surface (like a stone countertop) to cool it.  Add the remaining butter, 2 teaspoons at a time, whisking continually.  If the butter refuses to melt, hold the pan over very low heat for a few seconds and then remove. 
5. Once all the butter is incorporated, taste the sauce and adjust with a fine-grain salt and freshly ground white pepper.  You can use black pepper if you want, but white pepper will make the sauce look prettier.
6. Prepare the salmon fillets by patting them dry and coating with salt, pepper and fennel seeds on the flesh side.  Rub the fillets on all sides with olive oil. 
   
7. Make sure your grill has been preheated over medium-high heat.  Arrange the cedar planks on your grill and place the fillets, skin side down (if they have skin) on the cedar planks.  Close the lid and grill for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked.  The planks will give off a lot of smoke which adds to the excellent flavor.  However, if your planks should catch fire, simply spray them with a small amount of water (I recommend San Pellegrino ) until the flames dissipate. 
8. When the salmon is cooked to your preferred doneness (let’s face it, either it’s undercooked, done, or overcooked), use a long spatula or a chef’s knife to remove them from the planks.  Top with a spoonfull of the beurre blanc and serve!

Look for more cedar plank recipes this summer.  I’m now a big fan of this cooking method and it deserves some further exploration.  Do you have any favorite wood cooking recipes?  Leave ‘em in the comments below.

What’s a dry rub, you ask?  A dry rub is mixture of spices (and sometimes dried herbs) applied to meat before cooking to add flavor.  Dry rubs are most typically used for barbeque, but there’s no reason you can’t sprinkle some over your scrambled eggs in the morning.  The picture above (which I will be sending to my neighborhood palm reader) shows the proportions you’re going for – its mostly brown sugar and salt. 

Total kitchen time: 5 minutes
Makes: enough for 4 racks of ribs

Shopping list:

• 4 cups light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. yellow curry powder
• 2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  That’s it, you’re done.  Taste a spoonful and adjust to your personal preference. 

This dry rub, or a variation thereof, is also the base for my homemade barbeque sauce.  In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup of dry rub, 1 cup of ketchup, some Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco,  honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and whatever else your heart desires.  If you start bottling it and selling it to friends, just email me for my address (so you can start sending me checks).  Enjoy!

 
Although your guests may argue that this is not a “real” potato salad (of course, there is no mayonnaise) a single bite should settle the score.  This bright, vinegary side dish has been known to take center stage at my barbeques, so be sure to serve it alongside hearty entrees that will stand on their own.

Total kitchen time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 servings

Shopping list:

• 2 lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and finely diced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. capers
• 2 tsp. herbs de provençe
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F and set the top rack in the middle position.
2. Spread the potatoes in an even layer in a microwave-safe dish filled with enough water to cover the potatoes.  Microwave 8-12 minutes (this will vary a lot) or until the potatoes are fork tender, but not fully cooked.  Drain and pat dry.
3. Meanwhile, spread the diced onion and pepper in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until they have softened, about 15 minutes. 
4. Add the par-cooked potatoes and toss with a little olive oil to coat.  Bake another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. 
5. Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  The dijon vinaigrette is a balancing act between bitter, sweet, salty and spicy.  Adjust each of the ingredients until the vinaigrette stings your tongue, but finishes in your mouth with a slightly sweet, rounded flavor. 
6. Toss the potatoes and vinaigrette together on a serving bowl and serve warm or room temperature.

If you want to cheat a little (I won’t tell) you may be able to get away with frozen roasted potatoes.  If you’re lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, they sell a package of frozen potatoes with roasted veggies that works great for this recipe.  It can be our little secret.

 
P.F. Chang’s ain’t got nothin on this.  Taking the lettuce wrap to the logical next level, these salmon cups are a delicious main course.  The blend of fresh, bright aromatics offset the saltiness of the salmon, and the mild crunch of the cabbage leaf cools off the spice of red chiles. 

Makes: 4 entree-sized delights of joy
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet
• 2 tbsp. low soduim soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. teriyaki marinade
• 1/2 tsp. red chili oil
• 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped (find them in a can in the Asian isle of your grocery store)
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. peanut oil (olive oil will work if you can’t find peanut oil)
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 head green cabbage, separated into whole leaves
• 2 tbsp. Chinese barbeque sauce

1. Pat the salmon dry.  Combine the soy sauce, teriyaki marinade and red chili oil in large ziplock bag.  Add the salmon and marinate, 5 minutes up to 4 hours.  I usually don’t have the patience for long marinating times, so I can attest that 5 minutes will still yield great results.
2. Meanwhile, combine the green onion, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts, lime zest and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside.  If you want, you can coarsely chop all the fresh ingredients and pulse a few times in a food processor.  Just don’t overdo it – we still want the texture and crunch of the garlic and water chestnuts.
3. Preheat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat.  Add the salmon and cook 2-3 minutes, covered.  Flip the salmon cook another 2 minutes or until done.  The sugars in the marinade will start to brown and caramelize immediately.  Don’t freak out if you see [what looks like] burning.  Everything will be OK.  When the salmon is done, set it aside to rest.
4. In the same pan (if it is clean enough), heat the peanut oil until smoking.  Add the chopped fresh ingredients and the rice wine vinegar.  Stir fry until you can start to smell the aromatics.  You want to keep everything fresh and crunchy, so don’t cook past 1 minute.  Remove the fresh ingredients into a large bowl.
5. Break the salmon unto small pieces using your fingers and add to the fresh aromatics.  Mix everything together.
6. Divide the salmon mixture into four servings and spoon each serving into a cabbage cup.  Top with a drizzle of Chinese barbeque sauce and roll the cabbage leaf into a burrito shape.  Chow down!

This recipe also works great as an appetizer.  Substitute endive leaves for the cabbage, or even serve the salmon mixture in spring roll wrappers.  You’ll think twice before picking up the phone to order take out again.

 
At my home, grilling doesn’t get more perfect than a medium-rare charred piece of meat and tender, flavorfull roasted veggies.  This meal is a great way to feed a hungry crowd on the cheap (and the quick!)  Remember your flank steak science, though: never cook past medium rare, let the meat rest at least 15 minutes, and always slice on a steep bias. 

Makes: 4 people long for margaritas
Total kitchen time: 1 hr, plus marinating time

Shopping list:

• 1 2-2.5 lb. flank steak
• 1 large eggplant
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup mint, coarsely chopped
• 2 small red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. ancho chile powder (or fajita seasoning)
• 1/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs (diced day-old bread is best)
• 1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup shredded jack cheese
• olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine half the smashed garlic, half the cilantro, half the mint and all the peppers in a small food processor and pulse until the mixture is pretty fine, but not a paste.  If necessary, add a tbsp. of olive oil to help things out.
2. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of the flank steak, and season with cayenne pepper and chile powder.  Rub with olive oil and 2/3 of the garlic mixture you just made.  Reserve the rest for after the meat has cooked.  Let the meat marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours.  Let the meat rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before cooking.
3. Preheat your grill on high heat and make sure your grates are nice and clean.
4. Cut off the top and bottom of the eggplant.  Slice the eggplant into 4 wedges, lengthwise.  Then, score the flesh of the eggplant deeply (but not going through) with your knife at 1/4” spacing.  Turn the eggplant 90° and score it again to form a crosshatch.  Toss the eggplant with olive oil until lightly coated, then salt and pepper.
5. In your mini food processor, pulse together the remaining garlic, cilantro, and mint along with the bread crumbs, lemon zest and 1 tsp. of olive oil.  Rub the mixture into the scored flesh of the eggplant, pushing it down into the cracks. 
6. Grill the eggplant, flesh side down, just long enough to develop char marks, about 1 minute per side.  Set the eggplant on a rack above the grilling surface, or on a cooler side of the grill.
7. Grill the flank steak until medium rare, about 6 minutes per side.  Let the meat rest at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Slice the flank steak on a steep bias with a sharp knife.
8. Arrange the sliced meat, eggplant, and whatever other good stuff you’ve got going on a large platter.  Sprinkle the shredded jack cheese over the eggplant and serve to adoring fans.

If you can get comfortable grilling flank steak, you will always have a date for dinner.  Throw in a cool red wine or a pitcher of sangria and it’s a party!

May is a strange month for weather, and correspondingly for food.  When the temperature swings fifty degrees  in a week, it’s hard to know what to cook.  During a cold, rainy snap we had a few weeks ago, I decided to make one of my favorite winter dishes as sort of a farewell salute to gray skies.  This is more of a personal interpretation than a traditional ossobuco, but these flavors are so kick-ass that you won’t want to quibble over technicalities.

Makes: 2 people feel the warmth of winter, year round
Total kitchen time: 3 hours

Shopping list:

• 2 lamb shanks, bone-in
• 1 medium union, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. shitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste (tomato sauce or puree will work in a pinch)
• 2 cups wine (white for a sweeter dish, red for a more savory dish)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the polenta:

• 2 cups polenta, prepared
• if using firm polenta, you’ll need 1/2 cup of hot chicken stock
• 4 oz. dried wild mushrooms (porcini, shitake, morel, woodear)
• 2 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese (Rogue River is best, try Whole Foods)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 300°F and place the top rack in the lower part of the oven.  Preheat a dutch oven or the heaviest large, ovenproof stockpot with a lid that you own.  Either way, get the pot rocket hot.
2. Season the lamb shanks on all sides liberally with salt and pepper.  Rub lightly with olive oil to coat and to promote browning.  Working one at a time, sear the lamb shanks on both sides on very high heat in your dutch oven.  Place the meat in the middle of the pot and don’t touch it for 3 minutes.  Flip it over and don’t touch it for another 2.  Place the seared meat on a platter to rest.
3. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the empty pot and reduce the heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the veggies have slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic (whole cloves) and mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes.  You should have a nice collection of brown bits at the bottom of your pot now. 
4. Add the tomato paste and cook another minute or so.  Then, add the wine and turn the heat up to high.  Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reduce the wine until it has thickened a little, about 8 minutes.  Add the beef stock, rosemary sprig and bay leaf and bring to a boil. 
5. Put the meat back in the pot and submerge it under the liquid and veggies.  Put the lid on your dutch oven and transfer it to the oven to cook at least 2 hours. 
6. When you’re about 45 minutes out from eatin’ time, place the dried wild mushrooms in a bowl of boiling water and let them soak for 30 minutes.  Then, drain and coarsely chop the mushrooms.
7. Warm the cooked polenta in a medium saucepan over low heat.  If you’re starting with firm polenta, add a bit of hot chicken stock to thin it out.  Season the polenta with salt and pepper and add the chopped wild mushrooms.  When you’re almost ready to serve, crumble in the blue cheese and stir to combine.
8. When the lamb is done braising, remove the pot from the oven and place it back on the stove.  Let the meat rest on a plate, tented with foil.  Bring the pot to a vigorous boil and reduce the liquid until you have only 1 cup or so left, 10-15 minutes. 
9. Spoon a serving of polenta into the bottom  of a large dinner bowl and top with a lamb shank.  Cover the lamb shank with a generous helping of the reduced liquid and veggies.  If you like (and I’m sure you do) add a thin slice of blue cheese on top.

Well, that’s officially the season finale for winter cooking this year.  This dish is one of the heartiest, most soul satisfying meals I know, so the next time you find yourself out in the cold rain, you’ll know what to make.