Mussels, Barefoot Style

Tonight's dinner was a bowlful of yummy Mussels in White Wine. The process started by cooking some shallots in a combination of olive oil and butter. Once they were starting to soften some garlic went in for a few more minutes. Some tomatoes, saffron, parsley, thyme, wine, salt and pepper were added to the pot and brought to a boil.

Finally the mussels were added, the pot covered and cooked over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until all the mussels were open. The whole mixture went into a bowl and we dug in. A few slices of a whole wheat baguette to soak up the broth was delish!

We had a simple green salad with a Creamy Vinaigrette.

Both of these recipes were from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa show.

Mona and Gerry agree:

Slow Cooker Squash Stew

This stew was started by cooking onion and garlic in a skillet until soft and golden brown. Some tomato paste and red pepper flakes were added and cooked for another minute. The pan was deglazed with some water and then everything went in to the crock pot along with some chickpeas, butternut squash, swiss chard stems, a piece of Parmesan cheese rind, salt and lots more water. This mixture was covered and cooked on low for 8 hours.

Just before serving, the chopped swiss chard leaves were added and cooked for 10 more minutes. The bowls of this stew were sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

This was from the October issue of the Food Network magazine and we will look forward to making it again.

Fall Days

I love it when the weather starts to cool and I start thinking about cooking things that are cooked long and slow. I made Julia's Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup) for lunch. It is such a simple soup of potatoes, leeks, water and salt, cooked until everything is very tender. I took the immersion blender to the pot to puree the mixture. I then added a little bit of heavy cream to smooth it out, and garnished with minced parsley. Simplicity itself!

Dinner was Osso Bucco over Polenta from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen Cookbook. Some veal shanks get a coating of seasoned flour before being browned in olive oil. The shanks were removed and in went onion, celery, carrots, some strips of lemon peel, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to get nice and brown. Once browned and tender, the shanks went back in along with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon which was allowed to cook down until reduced by half. Some beef broth and a can of tomatoes were added and the pot was covered and put into a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. The cover was removed and allowed to cook for another 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile the polenta was started by warming some chicken stock with salt. Once boiling, the cornmeal was whisked in slowly and simmered while whisking for about 20 minutes. Some milk and butter went in and stirred through to warm. Off heat, I folded in some Parmigiano cheese and black pepper. This was the perfect bed for the Osso Bucco.

Fish and Chicken

Tonight's menu was a combination of two totally different techniques for grilling. Gerry has been wanting to smoke some fish on the charcoal grill now that we have it, so we tried smoking some trout for Smoked Trout Bruschetta. The process starts by soaking some cedar planks in water for an hour before use. The trout are rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper both inside and out. Some thinly sliced lemon and dill sprigs go into the middle of the fish before it goes on to the heated smoking cedar planks. The trout are cooked until the flesh is opaque and begins to flake, about 15 minutes.
When the fish is cool enough to handle, the skin is removed and the fish is broken into pieces before being added to diced fresh tomatoes, and drizzled with fresh lemon juice and a little olive oil. This is garnished with a little chopped, fresh dill.

This trout, tomato mixture goes on top of slices of bag
uette that were brushed with olive oil and grilled until golden.

The smoke flavor on the fish was perfect - definitely smoky, but not overwhelming. Gerry can't wait to smoke some fish again for the girls.

The entree for dinner was Beer Marinated Chicken Tacos. A marinade was made with some dark Mexican beer, toasted sesame oil, chopped garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Some boneless, skinless, chicken thighs went into the marinade for a couple of hours. The chicken was then removed from the marinade and put on the grill to cook. Once done, the chicken was sliced and put into warmed tortillas and topped with homemade guacamole. The guacamole was simply made with ripe avocado, fresh lime juice, and kosher salt.

Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

Gerry's choice for Friday night was a scallop dish which was really good. Leeks were very thinly sliced, washed, dried, and then tossed with some olive oil. Flour, paprika, garlic powder and salt were sprinkled over the leeks and tossed well to combine. These went on to a baking sheet into a hot oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile the scallop were sprinkled with a mixture of garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning, lemon zest and pepper and seared in a little olive oil until golden brown on each side.

This was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed kale with garlic.

Delicious!

Good for You Burgers

Thursday night's dinner was Stuffed Turkey Burgers which is an Ellie Krieger recipe that we go to frequently. You take some ground turkey meat and divide it into 8 equal parts. Onto four of these patties, you make an indentation in the middle and add some chopped roasted red peppers and shredded mozzarella cheese; top with another patty and seal the edges to keep the filling inside. Season with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through about 5 minutes per side. We served these on whole wheat buns, along with a tossed salad. Yum! A nice way to satisfy the craving for a burger!

Fettucine Alfredo

Tonight's dinner is one of those meals that you know is not good for you, but you've just got to have it a couple of times a year. I try to use whole wheat pasta most of the time, but when I'm making fettucine alfredo with the cream, butter, and cheese, I figure why bother?

This is really a super easy dish to pull together. You start by cooking the fettucine in the traditional way and meanwhile start the sauce by heating butter and whipping cream in a saucepan, stirring constantly until the butter is melted. Then some Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper are stirred in. When the pasta is done, it is combined with the Alfredo sauce and garnished with some chopped fresh parsley.

The side dish for tonight was a tossed salad with the Best Salad Dressing in the World.

Delicious!!