GAMBERETTI CON RUCOLA E POMODORI

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Nope, this recipe didn’t come from an Italian cookbook. I hope Martha Stewart won’t mind that I took some liberties with the title for her creation, but it just sounds too lovely in the language of Dante: “… Gamberetti… Rucola… Pomodori,” …just beautiful!

This year I insist on “quick and easy dinners,” because life is awfully busy for us here in LA. It’s now our final month at UCLA, so this type of recipe is a life-saver. Cook some pasta (we used cappellini, that’s ready in five minutes), grab some lettuce for a simple salad, and all of a sudden you’ll have a meal from a trattoria by the Mediterranean Sea.

SAUTEED SHRIMP WITH ARUGULA AND TOMATOES
(adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food, June 2010)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, lightly smashed
1 pound large shrimp
4 cups baby arugula leaves
salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the garlic and sautee for a couple of minutes in gentle heat, until it gets fragrant and starts to develop some color. Remove the garlic and discard it. Add the tomatoes, season with a little salt and pepper, increase the heat, and cook, stirring often, until they blister and release some liquid.

Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, not more than 4 minutes. Add the arugula leaves, a little more salt, and toss until wilted. Squeeze the lemon juice over the pan, and toss to combine. Adjust seasoning, and serve over pasta or white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: My preference for arugula or spinach is always changing. Sometimes I settle on spinach, for its mellowness and delicate taste. Then, my mood switches and I grab bag after bag of arugula at the store and bring it home. Its leaves are sturdier, it wilts with dignity. 😉 And the peppery bite, no spinach can match it. As you might guess, I’m going through the arugula phase right now.

ONE YEAR AGO: Grissini

9Apr2011

MAHI-MAHI

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

I fall in love with words quite easily. Mahi-mahi…. is just one of the many beautiful Hawaiian words. When we visited Oahu I found it fascinating to read the street names, which for the most part were quite hard for a foreigner to remember: Kamehameha, Mamalahoa, Kealakehe, Hualalai. They all seemed so…. musical!

It turns out that the Hawaiian alphabet lacks a few consonants: C, J, Q, and X. It also makes no distinction between K and T. When the complexity of a language decreases at one level, it often compensates on another. The fewer consonants probably explains why so many Hawaiian words have duplicated syllables, giving the spoken language a playful component that’s quite pleasing. But, I digress… mahi-mahi (by the way, “mahi” means “strong”) is one of my favorite fish, at the top with striped sea bass. It has a mild, but definitely not bland flavor, and a meaty texture that’s perfect for grilling, as this recipe (another gem I got from my friend Heather) will convince you.

GRILLED MAHI-MAHI WITH CITRUS MARINADE
(from Heather’s kitchen)

2 filets of mahi-mahi (may substitute other firm-fleshed fish)

for the marinade:
2 T fresh lime juice

3 T rice vinegar

1 T finely chopped ginger

1 T finely chopped scallions

3 T mild vegetable oil (I used grapeseed)

1 T soy sayce

1/2 t Asian chili sauce (optional)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepare a marinade by whisking all ingredients together. Marinate the fish for 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge. Grill until cooked through.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This was one of the tastiest dinners in the past few weeks. A fish like mahi-mahi is delicious on its own, so the less you mess with it, the better it is. This preparation was perfect: a hint of lemon, a little heat, and nothing else. No elaborate toppings, crusts, or sauces. A simple, delicious meal, as healthy as it gets.

We loved it with roasted asparagus, and with a mixture of white rice and wheat berries that, all modesty aside, was a spur of the moment inspiration that had me patting myself on the back. I spotted some white rice in the fridge and some cooked wheat berries that I was saving for a salad. I just mixed them and warmed them in the microwave. It was an absolutely delicious combination that will be a regular production in the Bewitching Kitchen.

ONE YEAR AGO: Memories of Pasteis

25Jan2011

SHRIMP AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Cooking shrimp in the oven has its problems. It is easy to end up with the delicate meat all tight and dried up from the excessive heat, so I always use recipes that protect the shrimp with enough sauce and/or topping. This simple casserole is one of my favorites, adapted from a recipe by Molly Stevens published in a Fine Cooking issue years ago. Fennel, tomato and orange offer a nice base to cook the shrimp, and the layer of bread crumbs on top makes them simply irresistible. Trust me!

SHRIMP AND FENNEL CASSEROLE
(adapted from Molly Steven’s recipe)

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil (divided, 2 Tbs + 2 Tbs)
1 medium size fennel bulb, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup Triple Sec (or 1/4 cup dry, white wine)
zest of 1 medium orange
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, with their juices
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 + 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and sauté until slightly softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the Triple Sec and orange zest and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and their juices, season with salt and pepper, and stir to heat through. Spread the tomato mixture in a baking dish that will hold the shrimp in a single layer.

Prepare the topping by mixing in a small bowl the breadcrumbs, parsley, remaining 2 Tbs olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the shrimp on the tomato mixture, and sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through – 12 to 15 minutes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you want to make this recipe even easier for a weeknight, prepare the tomato/fennel base in advance and simply re-heat it before placing in the oven. It is important that the sauce is already warm when it goes in the oven, that helps coaching the shrimp into cooking evenly and remaining tender and juicy. While you heat the oven, make the topping, and dinner will be ready in less than 20 minutes. A side dish of pasta, rice, or just a hearty piece of bread with a salad will complement it perfectly.

I was hoping for leftovers to take to work the following day, but something went terribly right with this dinner. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Tuscan Bread

receita em portugues na proxima pagina

22Dec2010

MISO-GRILLED SHRIMP

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

A simple recipe loaded with flavor! This was the main dish for one of our dinners last week, but it would be excellent as an appetizer course, or as part of a cocktail party. The original recipe, from Food and Wine magazine, suffered some adaptations to accommodate what we had available in the nano-kitchen. Our day had been so busy we could not conceive of the idea of stopping at the grocery store on our way home. No ginger? Use cilantro instead… 😉

MISO-GRILLED SHRIMP
(adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

1 pound of large shrimp, peeled
3 T lime juice
2 T yellow miso paste
2 T olive oil
1 cube frozen cilantro leaves (Dorot, or use 1 T fresh minced leaves)
1 + 1/2 tsp brown sugar

for dipping sauce (optional)
sour cream
Sriracha sauce

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade to make a thick paste. Thread the shrimp onto wooden or metal skewers, place in a tray with the marinade spread all over to coat them well. Let it stand for 10 minutes while you heat the grill.

Remove the shrimp from the marinade, add to the hot grill, cook for 5 minutes total, flipping them around midway through.

Mix sour cream with Sriracha sauce (or other hot sauce of your preference); make it as hot as you like, and drizzle over the shrimp or use it as a dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Even though we’ve been in Los Angeles for almost 4 months, I still try to find stuff in a drawer, only to realize the item in question is 1,200 miles away. That is precisely what happened while attempting to make this recipe – my nice set of metal skewers did not make it to LA. Plan B was quickly put to work: I spread the shrimp all over the grill, working as quickly as possible. Voila‘: success!

The frozen cilantro thing… The first time I bought Dorot frozen cubes, I only did it because the tray of ginger looked impossibly cute, AND the store did not have fresh ginger for sale. I used it, and loved it. Later I tried the basil. Loved it too. Now, cilantro joined the party. I don’t like to cut too many corners in cooking, but these products are excellent.

Miso & Sriracha sauce… Don’t think you should only use miso for soups: it is also great in marinades, sauces, even salad dressings. I am always searching for new ways to use it, because I love its complex, funky-chic flavor. The dipping sauce with Sriracha – the best hot pepper sauce in the known universe – adds a fiery tone to the juicy shrimp. Adjust the amount of Sriracha to your liking. I confess to drizzling pure Sriracha on my shrimp – proving the point that, indeed, some like it hot... 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Pain Poilane (the King of Breads…)

receita em portugues na pagina seguinte

16Sep2010

SHRIMP IN MOROCCAN-STYLE TOMATO SAUCE

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

When we left for LA I waved goodbye to all my cookbooks except one: Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times. It seemed like the perfect guide for our stay here, when we’d face longer commutes and a busier overall schedule. I’ve already made quite a few recipes from it, and this simple shrimp recipe is a fine example of its utility: the dish was ready in minutes and perfect for a weeknight dinner. Throw on some white rice, whip up a salad, unleash some tropical music (we’ve been listening to this quite a bit lately), and rock the casbah!.

SHRIMP IN MOROCCAN-STYLE TOMATO SAUCE
(Mark Bittman, visit his website by clicking here)

2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs minced ginger
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 + 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp lime zest
1 can tomatoes, diced (28 ounces)
salt and black pepper
1 + 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp
fresh cilantro (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, and lime zest and cook for 30 seconds, stirring. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the mixture is almost dry – about 15 minutes (I opted for leaving a little bit more saucy, so I cooked for less than 10 minutes).

Add the shrimp and stir. Cook until done, less than 10 minutes in very gentle heat. Taste, adjust seasoning, sprinkle fresh cilantro leaves and serve over white rice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Two details make this recipe shine. First, the ginger is minced, not grated. I confess that when I read the recipe I rolled my eyes – why mince ginger if you can grate it, Mr Bittman? – but, my Microplane is bigger than our kitchen sink, so I succumbed to the idea of washing a knife instead. 😉 Well, from now on I’ll be mincing ginger with a smile, because I loved its intense flavor in each bite, making a huge improvement over grating.

Secondly, he lightly toasts the spices in oil, a common technique in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, that also pumps the flavor to another level. Don’t omit these steps, because they make this dish surprisingly tasty. Shrimp (and seafood in general) is indeed the busy cook’s best friend!

ONE YEAR AGO: Golden Zucchini: A taste of yellow

CANTINHO BRASILEIRO

CAMARAO EM MOLHO DE TOMATE AO ESTILO MARROQUINO
(Mark Bittman)

2 colheres de sopa de azeite
1 colher de sopa de gengibre picado
1 colher de sopa de cominho
1 + 1 / 2 colher de chá de semente de coentro moida
1 colher de chá de raspas de limão
1 lata de tomates picados (cerca de 2.5 copos)
sal e pimenta preta
750g – 1 kg de camarão descascado
coentro fresco (opcional)

Aqueça o azeite em uma frigideira, adicione o gengibre e refogue por 1 minuto. Adicione o cominho, semente de coentro moida e raspas de limão e cozinhe por 30 segundos, mexendo sempre. Adicione os tomates, o sal e a pimenta, misture bem e deixe ferver. Abaixe o fogo e cozinhe até que a mistura esteja quase seca – cerca de 15 minutos (optei por deixar um pouco mais liquido, cozinhei menos de 10 minutos).

Acrescente os camarões e mexa. Cozinhe até que mudem de cor, menos de 10 minutos em fogo bem suave. Prove, ajuste o tempero, adicione o coentro fresco imediatamente antes de servir, de preferencia com arroz branco.