December 24, 2006

Cream of asparagus soup

Fresh asparagus - 2 lbs chopped in 1" pieces
Fresh tarragon - 1/2 bunch chopped
Red Onion - 1 large chopped
Chicken (or veggie) stock - 4 cups
Yellow or Red pepper - 1 roasted
Olive oil - 4 tbsp
Heavy cream or half & half - 1/2 cup
Salt, pepper & cayenne pepper to taste

Saute the onion in 4 tbsp of olive oil until it is soft. Add asparagus and 1/4 of tarragon and a pinch of cayenne and saute until asparagus is almost soft (but not brown). Add veggie stock and another 1/4 of tarragon, cook for 20 min or until asparagus is soft. In the meantime, roast the pepper under broiler and peal. When asparagus is soft, add another 1/4 of tarragon and mush until soup is smooth. Add salt, pepper & cayenne pepper to taste. Add cream or half & half to make soup creamy and simmer for a few minutes. In a blender, mush the pealed roasted pepper, some heavy cream or half & half and a little bit of tarragon into a sauce. Add cayenne and salt to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pepper sauce and sprigs of tarragon.

Credits: courtesy of mom

Mushroom risotto

Taken from Isabel Allende's Aphrodite: A Meomoir of the Senses
* Aborio rice - 1 cup
* Brown mushrooms - 1 cup chopped
* Portabello mushrooms - 1 cup chopped
* Onion - 1 minced
* Garlic - 1 tbsp grated
* Rosemary - 1 tbsp chopped
* Veggie stock - 3 cups
* Butter - 2 tbsp
* Fresh nutmeg - 1/2 tbsp grated
* Parmesan -1/2 cup grated
* White wine - 1/2 cup
* Olive oil - 4 tbsp
* Truffled olive oil (optional) - 1tsp
* Salt & pepper to taste

1. Put 3 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet & saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms. Set aside
2. In the same skillet, put 1 tbsp of oil & 1 tbsp of butter & lightly brown rice
3. Gradually add rosemary & nutmeg & 2.5 cups of stock. Cook over low heat stirring occasionally for 20 min
4. Return mushrooms to the skillet, pour in remaining broth - cook 10 more minutes
5. When rice is tender, not dry, add wine & truffled oil - cook 3-5 minutes
6. Check seasoning. Add salt & pepper as desired
7. Remove from heat. Add grated cheese

Serve warm

Black bean slob

12 oz can of black beans - 3
Lime - 3
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch
Galic - 3 cloves
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Cumin - 1tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1tsp
Cilantro flavored olive oil (or regular olive oil)
Salt & pepper

Saute onion & garlic in oil unti l onion is translucent. Add black beans, lime juice & spices. Chop cilantro & add. Cook until beans are hot. Serve

Credits: courtesy of Sean

Cilantro cream sauce

Fresh cilantro - 1 bunch
Garlic - 1 clove
Serrano chilli - 1 chopped & seeded
Sour cream (or yogurt) - 1 cup
Limes - 1 or 2 (juiced, to taste)
Salt to taste

Blend cilantro, garlic & serrano in a blender until smooth. Remove from blender and whisk in sour cream (or blend). When smooth & well-blended add salt and lime juice. Keep cool until needed.

Goes well with sweet potatoe soup, salmon or anything that might require a cool tangy sauce.

Credits: courtesy of Sean

Sweet potatoe soup

* Sweet potatoes - 3 large
* Veggie broth - about 4 cups
* Cilantro - LOTS (about a bunch)
* Limes - 2
* Half & half - 1/2 cup
* Poblano chillis (any hot chilis) - 3
* Cumin - 1tsp
* Cayenne pepper - 1-2 tsp
* Chilli powder - 1tsp
* Salt

Chop sweet potatoes into 1/2" cubes and cover with vegetable broth. Cook on high heat until potatoes are soft. While potatoes cook, roast poblano chillis under broiler. When potatoes are soft, reduce heat and mash. Juice limes and add to soup. Cut up roasted chillis and add. Reserve a bit of cilantro for serving decoration. Cut up the rest of the bunch of cilantro and add to soup. Mash again. Use half & half to make soup creamy. Add spices and simmer. Right before serving, sprinkle fresh cilantro.

You can add cilantro cream sauce as garnish.

Same thing works well with butternut squash, if you want your soup spicy, but reduce the amount of lime by half.

Credits: courtesy of Sean, squash soup idea is Pasha's

Sake steamed seabass w/ ginger & scallions

Taken from recipezaar
1 cup uncooked medium grain rice
1 cup sake
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
1 garlic clove, flattened
20 ounces sea bass fillets
2 large green onions, chopped
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, combine sake and next 3 ingredients in large skillet deep enough to hold steamer rack. Bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.
3. Arrange fish on rack; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place rack in skillet. Top fish with onions; and minced garlic, drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil.
4. Cover skillet; steam fish until opaque in center, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove steamer rack.
6. Mix cilantro into juices in skillet. Add the brown sugar and butter and reduce slightly.
7. Spoon rice onto plates. Top with fish, juices from skillet, and sesame seeds.

December 21, 2006

Halibut with ginger and sesame

Halibut fillet
Ginger - large chunk
Sesame seeds - toasted
Cooking olive oil - avocado flavored (regular olive oil will work too)
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Grate a large chunk of ginger on a fine grater and spread in a thin layer in a dish. Place a halibut fillet on top of grated ginger and marinate for 30 minutes or more, skin side up. Sprinkle the marinated side of halibut with toasted sesame seeds. Sear that side on a hot frying pan with avocado oil for 3-5 minutes. Transfer fish to a preheated roasting pan (spray a little oil on the pan) skin side down, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and bake at 375F for 10 minutes. Eat!

This recipe also works with Chilean sea bass too

Hello World

Just like any good little computer scientist, I have entitled the first post here as "hello world"... CS is really rubbing off on me. Ok, so this is a test - I hope this blog works for our food-blog, but we shall see :)