MANGO SALSA

I love the interplay of sweet and spicy in this condiment. The luscious flesh of the mango pairs perfectly with the crisp body of a jalapeño. Make a giant batch of this and serve it all week with fish, on chips, in tacos. It fits your every need!

INGREDIENTS

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• Two Mangos, peeled and cut into small cubes
• Juice of one Lime
• 1 Jalapeño, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
• Salt to taste

BUSINESS

1. Chop everything, toss in a bowl, then enjoy! It gets better if you let it sit together in the fridge.

YOGURT TART

Breakfast desserts are a wonderful venue for experimentation. With this treat I took some morning time favorites and reframed them with an eye toward the tart/pie family. The crust is an oatmeal crumble, the body a tremble of yogurt set with gelatin, and the top is crowned in fruit. A joy eaten in the morning and a secret eaten at night, this tart will become a staple in your repertoire once you've tried it. Any fruit on top will do, I swap it out as the seasons shift. My new favorite? Fillets of mango spiraled around the yogurt. 

INGREDIENTS

Crust

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• 1 cup GF Oats

• ½ cup Brown Sugar

• ⅓ cup Millet Flour

• ¼ cup Almond Meal

• ½ tsp Salt

• 3 ounces Coconut Oil

Peaches

• 3 large Peaches

• 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup

• 1 tsp Ground Cardamom 

Panna Cotta

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• 1 packet Powdered Gelatin

• 3 tbs Water

• 2 cups Yoghurt (any variety will do)

• 2 tbs Honey

• Juice of ½ Lemon

• 1 tsp Vanilla

• ½ tsp Salt

BUSINESS

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie dish with a circle of parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl mix the ingredients for the crust with your hands. Squeeze and massage the mixture until there are no visible clumps.

3. Press the crust into your pie dish and up the sides. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until it is just starting to brown around the edges. Remove it from the oven and let it cool.

4. While the crust is baking slice the peaches into small wedges. Stir them with the maple syrup and cardamom, then spill them into a roasting pan.

5. Roast the peaches in your already warm oven for 20-25 minutes, until they’re just showing some color and slightly withered. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

6. While the crust and peaches are cooling, pour the gelatin over the water in a shallow bowl and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.

7. In a large saucepan whisk the yoghurt, lemon, vanilla, salt and honey over medium heat. When it is quite warm to the touch, turn off the heat.

8. Pour the gelatin into the yoghurt mixture and whisk until it is completely dissolved.

9. Pour the yoghurt mixture into the pie dish, into the crust.

10. Arrange the peaches on top however you like (scattered or spiralled).

11. Put the dish in your refrigerator at least 3 hours, or overnight, to set.

12. Slice and eat!

SAMOSA POTATOES

Beginning with an Indian inspiration I tore the insides from mental samosas and packed them into a casserole dish. The result is a tray of scoopable, spiced, tender, and crusty potatoes, perfect as the bed for some fried eggs. I add a lot of peas to my potato mixture, feel free to adjust the proportion should you be pea-averse. 

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes (~2 lbs)

• 1 tablespoon White Vineger

• 1/3 cup Olive Oil

• 2 Serrano Chilies, minced (~2 tbs)

• 5 cloves Garlic, minced (~1 1/2 tbs)

• 3 inches Ginger, chopped (~3 tbs)

• 1 tablespoon Black Mustard Seed

• 1 tablespoon Amchur

• 2 1/2 teaspoons Whole Cumin Seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom

• 1/2 teaspoon Fennel Powder

• 2 cups frozen Green Peas

BUSINESS

1. Chop the potatoes into roughly 2 inch pieces.
2. Place them in a large saute pan and cover with two cups of water. Add the vinegar.
3. Cover the pan and bring to a simmer, cook at a medium temp for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender but have not lost their shape completely.
4. Drain the potatoes and partially mash in a large bowl.
5. Heat the oil in a large wok or saute pan.
6. When the oil is hot, toss in the serrano chilies, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds.  Saute till light brown.
7. Throw in all the remaining spices.
8. Add the semi-mashed potatoes, stir everything to distribute the spices.
9. Add the frozen peas.
10. Spoon potato mixture into casserole dish and drizzle olive oil on top. Slide into the oven at 375 for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the top.

RED WINE BROWNIES

Though I'd love to take credit for these brownies, I must bow my head to the inimitable David Lebovitz. He published this recipe for brownies in 2011 and I've been making them ever since. The batter is drop-dead simple with one caveat: you must beat it for at least a minute (as he states). The structural alchemy that occurs during your fervent whisking is what makes these brownies irresistible. They normally emerge from the oven with a crisp top but this time I've taken them for a ride with red wine and raspberry jam, baking a sticky-sweet layer on top of the bitter chocolate. 

Adapted from David Lebovitz

INGREDIENTS

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• 6 tablespoons (85g) Refined Coconut Oil
• 8 ounces (225g) Bittersweet Chocolate (at least 65%), chopped
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup (150g) Sugar
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 3 tablespoons (30g) Corn Starch
• 1/2 cup Raspberry Jam
• 3 tablespoons Red Wine
• 1 tablespoon Corn Starch (yes, again)

BUSINESS

1. Grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the coconut oil, chocolate, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth.
3. Remove the chocolate mixture from the stove, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, then the eggs one at a time.
4. Sift the cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons corn starch over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Beat the batter vigorously for at least on minute, until it is no longer grainy and nearly smooth. It will pull away from the sides of the bowl a bit. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the raspberry jam, wine, and 1 tablespoon corn starch.
6. Pour the raspberry mixture over the chocolate batter and slide the dish into your oven.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the jam is dark and thick and the edges of the brownies are crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing.

ROASTED LAMB RIBS

Eating well doesn’t have to break the bank, monetary salvation lies in knowledge. So, arm yourself with information and get to know your butcher. I’m a lover of lamb, but buying the rack every time will rob your wallet of its health. Lamb spare ribs, however, are often overlooked and if you can get your butcher to save some for you, the price will likely surprise you. Unpopular meat is cheap, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t scrumptious.

INGREDIENTS

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• 2- pounds Lamb Spare Ribs

• 2 cups Red Wine

• ¼ cup Poppy Seeds

• 2 large Red Onions

• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper

• ½ teaspoon Salt

• Balsamic Vinegar for serving

BUSINESS

1. Trim the lamb ribs of nearly all exterior fat (there will be a lot), leaving a thin layer where you cannot get any closer to the meat without cutting into the muscle. If you are able, pull the translucent skin away from the muscle tissue. If it is too difficult, don’t worry, it will peel away easily after cooking. Add the lamb to a plastic bag or plastic-wrap covered dish for marinating.

2. Pour red wine and poppy seeds over the ribs and slosh them around in the bag to spread the marinade. Let the ribs soak in wine for at least a few hours, if not overnight (or even a few days).

3. Hear your oven to 250 degrees. Remove the ribs from the fridge and let them warm up to room temperature while you heat the oven. 

4. Slice the onions thinly and scatter them in the bottom of a large roasting tray.

5. Remove the ribs from the marinating bag, sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides then lay the ribs meat-side down directly on top of the onions. The bones should curve up toward you like fingers reaching out of the tray. Pour the remaining marinade (from the bag) over the ribs.

6. Roast the ribs for 2.5-3 hours, until they're fork tender. Remove the lamb from the oven and crank the heat up to 500 degrees.

7. Cut the ribs into individual bones and flip them over, so the meat is on top now. When the oven is up to heat, slide the tray back in for 10-15 minutes. The ribs should be crackling and crisp by the time you take them out again.

8. Remove the ribs to a plate and drizzle a touch of balsamic vinegar over them before serving.

CARAWAY SMASHED POTATOES

This date night meal needed some heft (I intend to put my dear friend into a food coma) and what adds more power to a meal than the humble potato? Boiled, smashed, and pan fried, this potato has everything: a tender center, a crisp skin, salt, garlic. It was only missing one thing: intrigue. Enter caraway. You think of it as the flavor of rye bread, and it's the perfect compliment to a smashed potato.

INGREDIENTS

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• 6 Red Skinned New Potatoes
• 1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
• Olive Oil for pan frying 
• 1 head Garlic Cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 tablespoon Whole Caraway Seeds

BUSINESS

1. Clean your potatoes and place them in a large stock pot. Cover them with cold water, until it is at least an inch above the potatoes. Put a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 35-40 minutes.
2. Remove the potatoes from the water, drain them and let them cool. When they're cool enough to handle, use a heavy pan to press them down (or smash them) until they're relatively flat.
3. In a wok or cast iron skillet, heat a good pour of olive oil. Add the garlic and sprinkle in some caraway seeds (judge the amount depending on how many batches of potatoes you'll be frying). Cook garlic and caraway until fragrant.
4. Add potatoes (don't crowd the pan, maybe only two at a time) and fry until golden brown, then flip and cook again until golden.
5. Remove from the pan and serve.

CABBAGE AND ONIONS

In an effort to serve foods with a natural blush for my practice date I picked up a head of red cabbage at the market. Cabbage has a bad rap for being smelly, cheap, and mushy, and the fault for such a reputation sits heavily on the shoulders of mid-century cooks. Cabbage is a riot of color and texture, the tender leaves contrast mightily with the crunchy veins. I toss mine with apple cider vinegar and miso for a punch of acidity and flavor. No mush over here.

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 medium Red Onions
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 head Red Cabbage
• 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons White or Yellow Miso
• Salt and Pepper to taste

BUSINESS

1. Cut the onions in half vertically, then slice the halves thinly. 
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large stock pot, then add the onions and sauteee for 6-10 minutes over medium-high heat until translucent and slightly charred.
3. While the onions are cooking, cut up the cabbage. Chop the head in half vertically, then cut out the core of each half. Slice each half into thin strips.
4. Add the cabbage to the onions and stir to combine. Sautee for 5 minutes.
5. Pour the vinegar around the edges of your pot, then immediately cover with a lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. 
6. Remove the lid, add miso, salt, and pepper, stir to combine and cook another 5-7 minutes, until the cabbage is your desired texture. 
7. Remove from heat and serve.

SPICED NUTS

I could ruin an entire meal by nibbling snacks before dinner, and these nuts only contribute to my mealtime treason. Roasted nuts are easy to make ahead of time in large batches. They keep well in the freezer so you'll always have something on hand to feed those precocious guests arriving before you've finished in the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

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• 3 pounds Mixed Raw Nuts 
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 large bunch Rosemary, minced (~1/4 cup)
• 7 cloves Garlic, minced (~2 1/2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons Granulated Palm Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
• 2 teaspoons Onion Powder
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Hot Paprika

GET BUSY

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the nuts in a large bowl and then spread them evenly over two cookie sheets. Make sure to keep them in one layer for even roasting.
3. Roast the nuts for 12-15 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set aside while you make the coating.
4. Reduce your oven temp. to 250 degrees.
5. In a large bowl whisk together the egg whites, rosemary, garlic, palm sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Whisk until everything is just incorporated and slightly foamy- we’re not looking to really turn this into a meringue.
6. Dump the dry roasted nuts into your egg white mixture and mix everything up. Use your hands, your favorite spatula or your kids, just make sure the coating is evenly distributed over all the nuts.
7. Spread the now coated nuts back onto their cookie sheets (again for even roasting) and put the trays back in the oven for 4 minutes to 1 hour, or until the coating looks baked on and toasty.
8. Remove the trays from your oven, let the nuts cool on the trays and then break apart and serve!

SCALLION PANCAKES

The perfect appetizer for a small group. Make a batch and let your friends gather in the kitchen to nibble the crisp edges as you scrape these off the hot griddle.

INGREDIENTS

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• 9 tablespoons White Rice Flour
• 6 tablespoons Sorghum Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 tablespoon Potato Flour (flour, not starch, take heed)
• 1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 cup Boiling Water (boil first, measure later)
• Salt and Pepper
• Sesame Oil
• ~1/4 cup finely chopped Scallions
• Oil for pan frying

GET BUSY

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
2. Pour the boiling water over the flour mixture and stir everything together. The dough will be tough, so get in there with your hands and knead it toward the end.
3. Pinch off some dough the size of a ping pong ball. Dust your counter with some extra rice flour and roll the dough out into an oblong shape, about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Brush the flattened dough with sesame oil and sprinkle gently with salt and pepper.
5. Scatter about one tablespoon of chopped scallion on the dough.
6. Roll the dough up like a cigar and pinch the ends to secure.
7. Roll the cigar into a spiral.
8. Using your rolling pin, roll this spiral out to about 1/4 inch thick. You should have a pancake roughly 5 inches in diameter.
9. Heat some oil in a saute pan until it is almost smoking.
10. Pan fry the cake for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp all over.
11. Let the cakes cool on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil, then slice and serve!

BLACK BEAN BRAISED BASS

If my family is going out for dinner, the odds are high that we're having Chinese food. With Linda at the table we're never stuck ordering American standbys (General Tsao's is just fried chicken, you know that, right?) and my favorite dish is the whole braised fish. To celebrate the new year I decided to serve a few of my friends whole striped bass. Best part? No one fought me for the cheeks.

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INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 Garlic Cloves, sliced thinly
• 3 Scallions, minced
• 1/2 cup Preserved Black Beans
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 2 cups Chicken or Veggie Stock
• 1 tsp Corn Starch

Fish

• 1 Striped Bass, ~2 pounds
• 2 inches Ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 Scallions, roughly chopped
• Stems and Roots of one bunch Cilantro

BUSINESS

1. Begin with the sauce. In the base of a wok heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add ginger, garlic, and scallion. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes, until browned and fragrant.
2. Rinse black beans under hot water until the runoff is relatively clear. Add washed beans to hot wok. Stir fry for another 5 minutes.
3. Add rice wine to wok, stir to deglaze pan.
4. Add stock to wok and drop heat to simmer. Whisk in corn starch and cook for ~10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
5. Prepare the fish. Have your butcher remove the scales, gills, and guts, but leave the head, tail and spine intact. Stuff the raw fish with sliced ginger, and scallions. Using the back of your knife, bruise the cilantro stems until they are fragrant, stuff into fish.
6. Slide fish into hot wok with sauce. Increase heat to medium. Cover wok with lid or large bowl. Cook fish for 8 minutes, remove lid and flip the fish. Replace lid and cook for another 8 minutes, until the flesh is white and tender. Serve with pan sauce.

CUMIN ROASTED CARROTS

Appetizers don't have to be fried and starchy (though I am a fan of a good french fry), start your next party with an extra serving of veggies. Carrots are perfect finger food.

INGREDIENTS

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• 6 slim Carrots, with greens attached
• 3-4 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Orange Zest

GET BUSY

1. Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bisect the carrots from green to tip (without going through the top root). Then turn the carrot 90* and repeat, making four squiddy legs to the vegetable. Place them in a roasting tray.
3. Drizzle oil over the carrots, then sprinkle salt and cumin. Toss to distribute spice.
4. Roast the carrots for 18-22 minutes, until just barely fork tender and slightly browned at the narrow tip.
5. Remove the carrots from the oven and sprinkle orange zest over them. Plate the vegetables and serve.

SEARED CHICKEN LEGS

Stop baking chicken breasts and boring your guests. Buy whole legs, learn how to cut them at the joint, and impress your friends with impeccably crisp skin.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 whole Chicken Legs (thigh and drumstick together)
• 2 pounds Cremini Mushrooms
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 6 tablespoons Olive Oil (separated, 2, 2, and 2)

GET BUSY

1. Pop the stems out of the mushroom caps and slice the caps. Save the stems for making stock.
2. Sauté the sliced mushrooms with 2 tbs oil and a sprinkling of salt until they're reduced by half and tender.
3. Heat your oven to 375 degrees.
4. Using your fingers, separate the chicken skin from the meat, all the way down the drumstick.
5. Take about 1 tablespoon of the mushrooms and stuff them under the skin of each leg, making sure to get it all the way down the drumstick and across the thigh.  Do this with all six legs. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the skin of each leg.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in two separate oven-safe stainless steel pans. When the oil is rippling in both pans, use tongs to place three chicken legs skin side down in each pan. Sear for 3-5 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip the legs so they are facing skin side up and place both pans into the preheated oven. Cook the legs for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the chicken legs rest a few minutes before serving. Remember, the handles of your skillets will be scalding hot, be careful!