Chicken and Mango Kabobs
Note: To slice a mango, peel the fruit and then stand it up on one of its narrow edges, with the stem end pointing toward you. Using a large, sharp knife, cut down about 1 inch to one side of the stem, just grazing the side of the pit. Repeat with the other side. Place the halves, cut side down, on the cutting board and cut into cubes.
6 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, cayenne, salt and sugar. Add the chicken and mangoes and stir gently to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
Prepare a hot fire in a grill. (or these will work on a propane grill or indoor grilled with grilling pan on stove top)
Remove the chicken and mangoes from the marinade and thread onto metal skewers, alternating the pieces and dividing them evenly.
Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook, turning once, until the chicken is nicely charred and cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a warmed platter and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Blackberry Citrus Salsa
Thinking about serving this at the Redlands Conservancy Event June 27th. (See prior posts for event information)
Blackberry-Citrus Salsa
Makes about 2 cups.
1 juice orange
1 lime (Mexican, a.k.a. Key lime, if possible)
1 cup white onion, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 stemmed yellow/orange chile manzano (black seeds removed); or 1 serrano or 1 jalapeño (unseeded), minced
1 cup coarsely mashed blackberries
½ teaspoon agave syrup or white sugar.
large pinch sea salt
Squeeze the orange and lime juices into bowl. Mix in the onion and chile. Stir in the blackberries, sweetener and salt. Taste. Add additional minced chile if desired.
Blackberry-Citrus Salsa
Makes about 2 cups.
1 juice orange
1 lime (Mexican, a.k.a. Key lime, if possible)
1 cup white onion, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 stemmed yellow/orange chile manzano (black seeds removed); or 1 serrano or 1 jalapeño (unseeded), minced
1 cup coarsely mashed blackberries
½ teaspoon agave syrup or white sugar.
large pinch sea salt
Squeeze the orange and lime juices into bowl. Mix in the onion and chile. Stir in the blackberries, sweetener and salt. Taste. Add additional minced chile if desired.
Farm Fresh Spring Rolls and Hoisin Peanut Dipping Sauce
Wonderful garden fresh recipe, best with farmers market produce. Try this recipe
Farm-Fresh Spring Rolls
rice papers round, 12 in
hot water (in large bowl or pie pan)
vegetable oil (small bowl)
julienned cucumbers
shredded carrots (use cheese grater or, better yet, a microplane!)
fresh bean sprouts
rice noodles (vermicelli or thin long variety)- 1/4 lb
fresh mint-thin slices
cilantro- fine chop
basil leaves- thin slices
red cabbage- thinly sliced
Hoisin Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Hoisin sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup diced onions
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
sriacha chili sauce (for garnish)
In saucepan bring hoisin, water, rice vinegar, and onions to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Add water if the sauce is too thick. Take off heat and pour into dipping bowl. Garnish artfully with peanuts and sriracha sauce right before serving.
Pour hot water in a large bowl. Dip your fingers in a small bowl with veg. oil and take a rice paper and dip into the hot water bowl. Hold the round rice paper like a steering wheel and rotate the edges into the water as you dip.
Gently set wet rice paper on a cutting board. If it’s still somewhat hard let it rest so it can absorb the water. With practice you will eventually get a feel for how the rice paper works with the declining water temperature. If your water gets too cold add more hot water. Likewise if it’s too hot, let it cool off before dipping the rice paper.
Place a few mint, cilantro, or basil leaves flat in the center of the rice paper. Top with rice noodles, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots and cabbage. DO Not over stuff. Tightly roll once, then bring in the sides (like a burrito), and finish rolling until you have a nice, compact, spring roll. This takes practice, so go for it! Serve with lettuce leaves and dipping sauce. Invite guests to wrap the lettuce around the spring roll before dipping!
Farm-Fresh Spring Rolls
rice papers round, 12 in
hot water (in large bowl or pie pan)
vegetable oil (small bowl)
julienned cucumbers
shredded carrots (use cheese grater or, better yet, a microplane!)
fresh bean sprouts
rice noodles (vermicelli or thin long variety)- 1/4 lb
fresh mint-thin slices
cilantro- fine chop
basil leaves- thin slices
red cabbage- thinly sliced
Hoisin Dipping Sauce:
1 cup Hoisin sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup diced onions
¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
sriacha chili sauce (for garnish)
In saucepan bring hoisin, water, rice vinegar, and onions to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes. Add water if the sauce is too thick. Take off heat and pour into dipping bowl. Garnish artfully with peanuts and sriracha sauce right before serving.
Pour hot water in a large bowl. Dip your fingers in a small bowl with veg. oil and take a rice paper and dip into the hot water bowl. Hold the round rice paper like a steering wheel and rotate the edges into the water as you dip.
Gently set wet rice paper on a cutting board. If it’s still somewhat hard let it rest so it can absorb the water. With practice you will eventually get a feel for how the rice paper works with the declining water temperature. If your water gets too cold add more hot water. Likewise if it’s too hot, let it cool off before dipping the rice paper.
Place a few mint, cilantro, or basil leaves flat in the center of the rice paper. Top with rice noodles, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots and cabbage. DO Not over stuff. Tightly roll once, then bring in the sides (like a burrito), and finish rolling until you have a nice, compact, spring roll. This takes practice, so go for it! Serve with lettuce leaves and dipping sauce. Invite guests to wrap the lettuce around the spring roll before dipping!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Redlands Conservancy Parties for the Necklace Event
I will be assisting with culinary services for one of the Redlands Conservancy Fund Raisers, Party #3; Feasting on the Farm. The Redlands Conservancy is a nonprofit group dedicated to the protection and enhancement of those assets that exemplify or constitute a part of the historic, architectural, or cultural heritage of Redlands. The primary focus of this event is to highlight, and create support for, local Redlands farmers. The entire menu will consist of locally grown produce as well as locally raised livestock. For more information, please visit RedlandsConservancy.org- click Parties for the Necklace. Tickets are selling out fast, only 9 tickets left today.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sustainability and Food
From Localharvest.org/buylocal
Why Buy Local?
Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products! Those distances are substantially longer when we take into consideration produce imported from Mexico, Asia, Canada, South America, and other places.
We can only afford to do this now because of the artificially low energy prices that we currently enjoy, and by externalizing the environmental costs of such a wasteful food system. We do this also to the detriment of small farmers by subsidizing large scale, agribusiness-oriented agriculture with government handouts and artificially cheap energy.
Cheap oil will not last forever though. World oil production has already peaked, according to some estimates, and while demand for energy continues to grow, supply will soon start dwindling, sending the price of energy through the roof. We'll be forced then to reevaluate our food systems and place more emphasis on energy efficient agricultural methods, like smaller-scale organic agriculture, and on local production wherever possible.
Cheap energy and agricultural subsidies facilitate a type of agriculture that is destroying and polluting our soils and water, weakening our communities, and concentrating wealth and power into a few hands. It is also threatening the security of our food systems, as demonstrated by the continued e-Coli, GMO-contamination, and other health scares that are often seen nowadays on the news.
These large-scale, agribusiness-oriented food systems are bound to fail on the long term, sunk by their own unsustainability. But why wait until we're forced by circumstance to abandon our destructive patterns of consumption? We can start now by buying locally grown food whenever possible. By doing so you'll be helping preserve the environment, and you'll be strengthening your community by investing your food dollar close to home. Only 18 cents of every dollar, when buying at a large supermarket, go to the grower. 82 cents go to various unnecessary middlemen. Cut them out of the picture and buy your food directly from your local farmer.
distributed with permission from localharvest.org
Why Buy Local?
Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products! Those distances are substantially longer when we take into consideration produce imported from Mexico, Asia, Canada, South America, and other places.
We can only afford to do this now because of the artificially low energy prices that we currently enjoy, and by externalizing the environmental costs of such a wasteful food system. We do this also to the detriment of small farmers by subsidizing large scale, agribusiness-oriented agriculture with government handouts and artificially cheap energy.
Cheap oil will not last forever though. World oil production has already peaked, according to some estimates, and while demand for energy continues to grow, supply will soon start dwindling, sending the price of energy through the roof. We'll be forced then to reevaluate our food systems and place more emphasis on energy efficient agricultural methods, like smaller-scale organic agriculture, and on local production wherever possible.
Cheap energy and agricultural subsidies facilitate a type of agriculture that is destroying and polluting our soils and water, weakening our communities, and concentrating wealth and power into a few hands. It is also threatening the security of our food systems, as demonstrated by the continued e-Coli, GMO-contamination, and other health scares that are often seen nowadays on the news.
These large-scale, agribusiness-oriented food systems are bound to fail on the long term, sunk by their own unsustainability. But why wait until we're forced by circumstance to abandon our destructive patterns of consumption? We can start now by buying locally grown food whenever possible. By doing so you'll be helping preserve the environment, and you'll be strengthening your community by investing your food dollar close to home. Only 18 cents of every dollar, when buying at a large supermarket, go to the grower. 82 cents go to various unnecessary middlemen. Cut them out of the picture and buy your food directly from your local farmer.
distributed with permission from localharvest.org
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Seared Ahi Tuna From Earth Day (shown in photo)
This recipe is excellent if prepared on the outdoor grill using a well seasoned cast-iron skillet. (BTW: if you are using any traditional 'non-stick' cookware, throw it away and go buy yourself a large cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets are a bargain at Bed,Bath,Beyond or even Target. If skillet is not already 'seasoned', be sure to follow manufacturers instructions on how to properly season before using). If you prefer to cook indoors, you can sear the Ahi stove-top on cast-iron as well. Very important: must use SUSHI GRADE (top quality) Ahi for this recipe . It may cost a little more but if it's sushi-grade you can be sure it's safe to serve raw in the center. Shown in the photo is yellow fin ahi, fresh (caught less than 48 hours prior) from Little Fisherman's Market, Redlands.
For marinade:
1/3 soy sauce
1/3 mirin (most markets carry it, it's made from sake)
1/3 sesame seed oil
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (use a microplane to grate fine)
Additional ingredients needed are:
Black sesame seeds (must be black)
Package of won-ton wrappers
Tbsp of grapeseed oil or veg oil. Soy oil will work well too. (don't use olive oil, must be oil which cook at a high smoke point).
Completely cover ahi steaks in marinade and leave in marinade, in refrigerator for at least 3 hours and a maximum of 7 hours. If longer, it will run the texture of the ahi. I usually marinade for about 4 hours.
Remove ahi from marinade, strain with cheesecloth or chinois ('china man's cap'), put aside. The marinade will be used to make the reduction but must be cooked first. Pat ahi dry and place in refrigerator. In sauce pan (don't use cast iron for this stage), cook strained marinade, bring to boil keep on medium/high heat and reduce by 1/2. This stage should take about 1/2 hour. Cut 6-10 won-ton papers into strips and cook in skillet with high heat oil until brown. You can also deep fry, but that's not necessary. Set won-ton strips aside.
Heat up cast iron skillet on grill or stovetop. Skillet should be shiny, if it looks dry or a bit dull- add very small amount of high heat oil to surface (I prefer soy oil). Remove ahi from fridge, make sure the surface is completely dry. Coat with black sesame seeds. Once pan is hot, sear presentation side down for approx 2 minutes. You should still be able to see pinkish, watermelon color through sides of ahi. The inside of fish should NOT be cooked. Turn ahi over, sear other side. Once cooled (approx 5 minutes max) it's ready to serve. Alternatively, you can place ahi back in refridge and serve cool hours later. Slice into thin strips just before serving (or after re-refrigerating). Drizzle reduction on top. Top with won-ton paper strips. Enjoy!
See photo on aide for presentation.
For marinade:
1/3 soy sauce
1/3 mirin (most markets carry it, it's made from sake)
1/3 sesame seed oil
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger (use a microplane to grate fine)
Additional ingredients needed are:
Black sesame seeds (must be black)
Package of won-ton wrappers
Tbsp of grapeseed oil or veg oil. Soy oil will work well too. (don't use olive oil, must be oil which cook at a high smoke point).
Completely cover ahi steaks in marinade and leave in marinade, in refrigerator for at least 3 hours and a maximum of 7 hours. If longer, it will run the texture of the ahi. I usually marinade for about 4 hours.
Remove ahi from marinade, strain with cheesecloth or chinois ('china man's cap'), put aside. The marinade will be used to make the reduction but must be cooked first. Pat ahi dry and place in refrigerator. In sauce pan (don't use cast iron for this stage), cook strained marinade, bring to boil keep on medium/high heat and reduce by 1/2. This stage should take about 1/2 hour. Cut 6-10 won-ton papers into strips and cook in skillet with high heat oil until brown. You can also deep fry, but that's not necessary. Set won-ton strips aside.
Heat up cast iron skillet on grill or stovetop. Skillet should be shiny, if it looks dry or a bit dull- add very small amount of high heat oil to surface (I prefer soy oil). Remove ahi from fridge, make sure the surface is completely dry. Coat with black sesame seeds. Once pan is hot, sear presentation side down for approx 2 minutes. You should still be able to see pinkish, watermelon color through sides of ahi. The inside of fish should NOT be cooked. Turn ahi over, sear other side. Once cooled (approx 5 minutes max) it's ready to serve. Alternatively, you can place ahi back in refridge and serve cool hours later. Slice into thin strips just before serving (or after re-refrigerating). Drizzle reduction on top. Top with won-ton paper strips. Enjoy!
See photo on aide for presentation.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Earth Day Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad
Heirloom varieties are fruits and vegetables that were once cultivated but fell out of favor with big producers because they neither shipped or stored well. Many of them have superior flavor , however, and small-scale farmers have reintroduced the best varieties to farmers markets and greengrocers. Available in a wealth of sizes, flavors and colors- heirloom tomatoes are one of the glories of summer! This simple but classic salad relies on two perfect allies: ripe juicy summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. Use your best extra virgin olive oil, good quality balsamic vinegar and freshly picked basil. This is the exact same recipe I demonstrated during the Kimberly Crest Earth Day Cooking and Gardening Class.
Ingredients:
4-6 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
handful of fresh basil, chiffonade
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
fresh mozzarella, sliced (round balls, packaged in liquid)
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Layer one tomato slice, one mozzarella slice then repeat- one tomato, one mozzarella slice, in single rows on white plate. You should have the same number of sliced tomatoes as sliced mozzarella on plate. Chiffonade (thin ribbon-like slices) basil on top of tomato and mozzarella slices. Drip olive oil on top, puddle balsamic vinegar to side of tomato/mozzarella rows. (You can also use a sprayer to lightly coat tomatoes and mozzarella with balsamic but if you don't have a sprayer, puddle balsamic to side). Sprinkle top with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy !
Ingredients:
4-6 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
handful of fresh basil, chiffonade
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
fresh mozzarella, sliced (round balls, packaged in liquid)
sea salt, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
Layer one tomato slice, one mozzarella slice then repeat- one tomato, one mozzarella slice, in single rows on white plate. You should have the same number of sliced tomatoes as sliced mozzarella on plate. Chiffonade (thin ribbon-like slices) basil on top of tomato and mozzarella slices. Drip olive oil on top, puddle balsamic vinegar to side of tomato/mozzarella rows. (You can also use a sprayer to lightly coat tomatoes and mozzarella with balsamic but if you don't have a sprayer, puddle balsamic to side). Sprinkle top with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy !
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