A couple of years ago, my grilling underwent a giant shift.  I learned about brining and gone were the days of dried out chicken breasts and cardboard-like pork tenderloins.   Soaking the meat in a liquid with salt and, often some sugar, for just a few minutes before cooking transforms the end product keeping it juicy and succulent despite the dry and scorching heat of the grill.  The discovery of brining was a game-changer for me and since learning about it, I have always gone to the trouble of this extra step.

This dinner was no exception and the chicken soaked in a salt and sugar brine for 1 hour before grilling.  While the chicken soaked,  I pre-heated the grill over high heat.  Once hot, I ran a steel-bristled brush over the grates to make sure they were clean before brushing them lightly with canola oil.  I reduced the temperature to medium low and added the chicken pieces, patted dry and seasoned with a little pepper (there’s no need to add extra salt if you’ve brined them), to the oiled grate  skin side-down.   I covered the grill and cracked open a beer for the wait.

Fifteen minutes later, I opened the grill and found my chicken ready to turn.   The skin was crisp and thanks to the sugar in the brine even a little charred in a few places.   Upon flipping the chicken, I brushed the tops of the chicken with some of the chipotle-maple barbecue sauce and covered the grill before returning to my beer.  After fifteen minutes, I checked the chicken pieces, this time turning them over with tongs and brushing both sides with barbecue sauce to make sure that dinner would be properly messy.   A quick check with the thermometer (which registered 165 degrees) confirmed that dinner was ready.  I threw paper towels on the table with a simple caprese salad and cracked fresh beers.  Dinner was served.

Note:  Whether you buy store-bought barbecue sauce or make your own, be sure to separate the sauce you intend to brush on the meat while it cooks in a different container from the sauce that you plan to serve with dinner to avoid cross-contamination.  Discard any leftover sauce or, if intending to use again,  bring to a boil before serving.

One year ago on Minced: Grilled Vegetable Pizza with Basil Pesto
Three years ago on Minced: Honey-Lime Slaw
Four years ago on Minced: Rhubarb Pie

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Chipotle-Maple BBQ Chicken - Chipotle-Maple BBQ Chicken
Serves 4

I adapted the chipotle-maple sauce from a recipe that I found in the June 2013 Food and Wine magazine.   The original recipe called for 2-chipotle chilies en adobo – I added six.  Add as many as you like, but be sure to taste as you go along to prevent the sauce from being too spicy.

For the chicken:
1 whole (3 ½ to 4 lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces or the equivalent amount of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
2 quarts cold water
½ cup salt
½ cup granulated sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Canola oil, for grill

For the sauce:
2-6 chipotles en adobo (seeded, if desired)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Combine the water, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve.   Add the chicken pieces and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Do not brine for longer as the chicken will be too salty.

Preheat the grill over high heat while the chicken is brining.

In a blender or small food processor, combine the chipotles en adobo, the garlic, ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and maple syrup.  Blend until smooth.  Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the butter and simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat.   Pour about ½ cup of the sauce into a small bowl to use for brushing the chicken while it cooks.  Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.

When the grill is hot, use a metal brush to clean the grates.  Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Season the chicken to taste with freshly ground black pepper.   Brush the grates with a little canola oil and reduce the heat to medium low.

Add the chicken, skin-side down, to the grill.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.   Turn the chicken over and brush the tops of the chicken with barbecue sauce.  Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.   Uncover the grill and brush the chicken again with barbecue sauce this time on both sides and cook for another two minutes.  Check the temperature of the chicken.  If 165 degrees or higher, remove the chicken from the grill.  If the temperature is less than 165 degrees, continue cooking, turning as needed, until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.  Serve the chicken immediately with the reserved sauce and plenty of napkins.

What’s the trick?   Organization.  The less time you have to cook during the week, the more organized you need to be. I suggest planning out a week’s worth of meals in one sitting.  I make a chart that includes each day of the week and then fill in what I will be eating for each day.   I then pull together any recipes that I’ll be using and go day-by-day to compile a grocery list.

Once you have your grocery list, head to the market and/or your grocery store.   I recommend doing this on a weekend morning and not after a long day’s work.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into the grocery store at 5:30 with grand ideas for dinner and 15 minutes later, as I load groceries into the car, hitting the wall and ditching all culinary plans in favor of pizza on the couch.   By purchasing groceries on the weekend, you free up extra time for cooking on a weeknight.  If work runs a little late, you won’t settle for McDonald’s because you don’t have the energy to stop by the grocery store on your way home.

Once the grocery shopping is done, it’s just a matter of following your weekly plan.   You’ll be amazed at how easy meal preparation becomes when you know not only what you are cooking, but also have the needed ingredients  on hand.  When I’ve done my legwork, cooking is much more pleasurable and less a chore.

While not necessary, I recommend typing up your weekly menus and grocery lists on the computer.  This allows you to save your work so you can re-use a weekly plan and grocery list in the future.  You can easily tweak the lists to add or remove meals and after a while, you’ll have several weekly meal plans with grocery lists at your disposable.

If cooking for yourself several nights a week is new to you, I recommend starting slow.   To begin, set a goal to cook 2 or 3 nights a week and schedule in a night or two for take-out, a frozen option, or going out to dinner.  I love to cook, but I always leave one night a week open.  It takes the pressure off and allows me to have a break if my day has been hectic.  If I end up cooking anyway, I go with something easy like re-heating frozen spaghetti sauce or having a “leftover” night to clean out space in the fridge.

Along those same lines, don’t go crazy with your recipe choices.   It’s a weeknight after all and deboning a duck after an 8 hour day is not going to go well. Find recipes with an active time of around 15 minutes that are straightforward.  One pan recipes (like the one) below are particularly nice for the cook AND the dishwasher.  If you find yourself enjoying cooking more as the weeks go on, then branch out to more difficult and time-consuming meals.

It is great to include your old standby recipes on your weekly meal plan, but don’t forget to spice things up.  I recommend experimenting with at least one new meal a week.   It’s a great way to challenge yourself and will keep cooking fun.  With that in mind, here’s a great recipe for Spicy Shrimp Fajitas to kick things off.  I made it with shrimp here, but feel free to substitute chicken, beef, or even a meat-substitute like seitan (“say-tan”).  No matter what you use, you’ll find the recipe delicious and a successful substitution will build your kitchen confidence.  Happy weeknight cooking!

Spicy Shrimp Fajitas - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4

Substitute chicken, beef, pork, or even a meat-substitute like seitan (“say-tan”) for the shrimp in this quick and easy recipe.

1 ½ lbs (21/30 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup olive oil, divided
Zest from one lime
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large Poblano pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips (julienned)
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips (julienned)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
Serve with: Flour, whole wheat, or sprouted whole grain tortillas, lime wedges, and sour cream

Place the shrimp in a large bowl.  Combine the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon in a small bowl.   Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the lime zest to the shrimp.  Add about 2/3s of the spice mixture to the shrimp and toss everything to combine.  Reserve the leftover spice mixture.

Heat a large (12-inch) heavy-bottomed skillet (I think a cast-iron frying pan works great for this) over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil when the skillet is very hot.  Add the onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes.  Don’t stir constantly as you want the peppers and onions to blister a little to add flavor.   Halfway through cooking, stir in the remaining spice mixture.  When the peppers and onions are soft, toss in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds more and then add the cilantro.  Toss to combine before tasting for seasoning and adjusting as needed.  Spoon the pepper mixture into a serving bowl or plate.

Add the remaining 1-tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet set over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through.   Return the pepper mixture to the skillet and toss everything to combine.  Serve immediately on warmed flour tortillas with sour cream and a squeeze of lime.

Before you cry slander, hear me out.  I’ve given it a fair shake.   I’ve made quinoa pilaf and added the distinctive spiral-like grains to salads and soups.  Yet when I stand in front of my kitchen cabinet, I’ll reach for time-consuming brown rice, chewy Farro, or bulgur wheat ahead of quinoa every day of the week.     Or I did until I came up with this recipe for quinoa burgers.

For those that have followed my blog for a while, you know my feelings on veggie burgers.  They have a place on my plate, but I’m not giving up a juicy cheeseburger any time soon.  And bad veggie burgers?  Those dried patties with a cardboard-like taste and texture.  May they perish in the freezer section.  They won’t enter my home any time soon.

So why try to combine quinoa and veggie burgers when I obviously have such conflicted feelings about them both?   It goes back to that complete protein thing.  Getting all 8 essential amino acids into your body without meat is difficult.   It requires pairing foods that together deliver the complete proteins that you need.  Beans and rice and peanut butter sandwiches are two prime examples.    Beans, rice, peanut butter, and bread on their own won’t cut it, but pair them together and you get the complete protein that your body needs.

Meat and quinoa don’t need a partner.  They stand on their own when it comes to protein.   Quinoa has more protein than any other grain and packs in all of those important essential amino acids.   This means it is the perfect nutritional and vegetarian substitute for meat.  The challenge comes in making it taste just as delicious.

With that goal in mind, I sautéed onions and garlic and tossed them with cooked quinoa and panko in a large bowl.   I added soy sauce, sugar, and a bit of sesame oil to flavor the quinoa and give the burgers an earthy meatiness.   I added chopped chives for a little color and two beaten eggs to act as a binder.

While you could bake the quinoa burgers off and get delicious results, I like to brown them in a little olive oil first.  I take the burgers just past golden brown until the quinoa gets crunchy and mimics the charred bits that you’ll find on burgers cooked on the grill.  The resulting crunchy outside with a tender and succulent interior have led me to conclude that quinoa, while in my mind lacking in the side dish category, makes a great veggie burger.

Quinoa Burgers - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 8 patties

These patties can be made in advanced and kept in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more for browning
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons minced chives, parsley or cilantro
Serve with: Hamburger buns and your favorite hamburger toppings

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.  Cook the quinoa for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, but still chewy.  Remove from the heat and allow the quinoa to sit for 5 minutes.  Scoop the quinoa out of the saucepan and let it cool in a fine mesh strainer.  Place the cooled quinoa in a large mixing bowl.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes or until onions begin to brown along the edges.  Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or until fragrant.   Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Add the garlic and onion to the quinoa with the Panko breadcrumbs, eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and minced herbs.  Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form it into a small patty.  The patty should just hold together.  If mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs.  If mixture is too dry, add a little more egg.

Coat the bottom of a medium skillet in a thin-film of olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Cook the small patty for two minutes on each side until cooked through.  Allow to cool and then taste for seasoning.  Adjust the seasoning as needed and then shape the remaining quinoa mixture into 8 patties that are about 3-inches wide and ½-inch thick.  Set aside.

Add more olive oil to the skillet, if needed (you need just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet with a thin-film), and heat until hot.  Add half the patties to the skillet and brown on each side for about 1 to 2 minutes.  I like to take the patties just past golden brown to give the patties a crunchy texture on the exterior.  Remove the browned patties to a baking sheet and brown the remaining 4 patties.   Once all of the patties have been browned, place them in the oven on the baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through.  Serve immediately on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.  Enjoy!

Last weekend a client asked me to make a non-alcoholic drink for a party.  I did a little research and stumbled across this recipe for a non-alcoholic spritzer on theKitchn website.   It was everything you would want in a drink:  full of flavor, refreshing, and interesting enough to not miss the alcohol.

The flavor of the drink , which is primarily composed of sparkling water, comes from a simple syrup infused with orange, lemon, and rosemary.  It’s yummy stuff and stored in a mason jar in my fridge, it didn’t last long.  Before the week was out,  I found myself in need of making another batch.

Simple syrup in its most basic form is equal parts sugar and water.  Brought to a boil so the sugar completely dissolves,  you can use simple syrup to sweeten anything from tea to cocktails and it stores for weeks in the fridge.  While useful, made in its simplest form, it’s kind of boring.

It’s easy to jazz up though.  In the fall, when the sudden change in temperature, demands warming with a little bourbon, I infuse simple syrup with slices of ginger and add a spoonful to bourbon to take the edge off. In the winter, I make a batch of simple syrup infused with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice for an exotic and aromatic syrup to stir into hot tea.     And in summer, I attempt to keep my exploding mint plant in check by using handfuls of mint leaves to make a mint simple syrup for mint juleps and strawberry mojitos.

The possibilities for infusions are endless which is why when I went to make sweet tea today, I didn’t worry if I had enough ingredients. I simply looked in my fridge, took stock of what was on hand, and set about making this syrup.  I built upon the simple syrup that I had made last week from theKitchn website, but added slices of ginger for extra zing and only used one orange as that was all I had.  The substitution of honey for some of the sugar is a eureka move; it softens the syrup and adds nice complexity.  My batch of simple syrup came together in less than 15 minutes and required only about 5 minutes of hands-on time. I stirred it into iced tea and garnished the glass with several lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary.  Only one sip and I knew that I’d be making another batch soon.

Ginger, Lemon, and Rosemary Sweet Tea - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 1 quart of sweet tea

1 quart (4 cups) of your favorite unsweetened tea, chilled
½ cup ginger, lemon, and rosemary simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 lemon, cut into thin slices
4-6 rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Ice

In a pitcher, stir the simple syrup into the tea.  Serve the sweet tea over ice in glasses with 2-3 lemon slices and a sprig of rosemary.
Ginger, Lemon, and Rosemary Simple Syrup
Makes about 1 ½ cups

While the skin of ginger may seem tough, you can easily remove it using the side of a spoon. 

Juice from one orange
about 10 thick strips of lemon zest
Juice from two lemons
¼ cup peeled ginger slices
6 (4-inch) rosemary sprigs
¾ granulated sugar
¼ cup local honey

In a small measuring cup, combine the juice from the orange and the lemons. Add water to equal 1 cup and pour the mixture into a small saucepan.  Add the lemon zest, ginger slices, rosemary sprigs, sugar, and local honey.  Stir to combine.   Bring the mixture to a boil stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup sit and infuse for at least 10 minutes.  Strain the syrup and allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container (I like to use a mason jar) for a week in the fridge.

While my cupboard has always contained both dried and canned beans, until recently I only kept black-eyed peas in dried form.  I grew up eating black-eyed peas once a year on New Year’s day.   Paired with braised collard beans, I doused the black-eyed peas (served in the dish known as hoppin john)  with hot pepper vinegar and superstitiously ate everything in order to bring wealth in the new year.  The collards symbolized greenbacks while the black-eyed peas were eaten to fill your pockets with coins.   Dried black-eyed peas and collards cooked for hours before serving and while leftovers might fill the fridge for a day or two more, black-eyed peas wouldn’t grace my table again for another year. And then I learned about Southern (or Mississippi) caviar and added canned black-eyed peas to my shelves.

This is the dip you want in the spring and summer when both you and your beverage of choice sweat with the heat.   Cold and refreshing, this dip keeps for days in the fridge and is the ideal afternoon snack with a handful of tortilla chips or the perfect company appetizer when accompanied by endive spears and pita chips.  I even like it atop mixed greens for a light lunch or spooned over a hotdog in place of relish.   The banana pepper doesn’t add much heat although the addition of jalapeño will bring the fire.

Southern caviar is also endlessly adaptable as a quick Google search proves.  Corn kernels, green bell pepper, diced tomatoes, roasted bell pepper, different types of beans, and fresh herbs can all be added with abandon.   No matter how you make it, be sure to let it sit as the flavors meld together with time.  Also, be sure to adjust the seasonings right before serving.  You perceive salt in hot foods more than cold foods and after chilling it might need a bit more salt to really wow.  Happy cooking!

Southern Caviar - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes about 4 cups

As a general rule of thumb, the smaller the pepper the spicier it will be.  While the large banana pepper may seem intimidating, it’s got a mild tangy taste that won’t pack much heat.  Jalapeno on the other hand can range from mild to spectacularly hot.   Always use gloves when handling jalapenos and be sure to taste the pepper before adding with abandon.  

2 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 large banana pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 large jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to coat.   Chill for at least 2 hours before serving with tortilla chips, pita chips, or endive spears.  Southern caviar also can be served atop hot dogs or grilled chicken as a relish or even served on its own atop mixed greens.

I typically advocate a jump right-in approach to cooking.   After all, more often than not, it’s a lack of confidence on the part of the cook that gets them in trouble.   The nervous back and forth between the dish on the stove, rapidly charring before them in a most undesirable way, to the recipe, where they search for answers.  When should I remove it from the skillet?  Is this golden brown?  Has it been exactly 3 minutes?  Is it normal for it to be smoking this much?

Most people would benefit from relying on their own instincts a bit more.  Despite our personal cooking skills, most of us know what burnt looks like and most problems in the kitchen are easily solved with a little commonsense.  With that being said, there are some things that need a bit of prior knowledge on the part of the cook in order to be approached with confidence.  Mussels are one of these things.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch lists farmed mussels as a best choice for sustainable seafood.   Extremely popular in Europe, here in the United States mussels are found on restaurant menus and rarely on your home table.  That is a shame.  Mussels cost about $6.00 for a 2 lb bag making them an economical seafood choice and that they cook in minutes makes them a perfect candidate for a quick meal.  So why aren’t they popping up on more tables?  Intimidation on the part of the cook.   When it comes to purchasing mussels, we get nervous.

That’s where it comes back to your instincts.  When I buy mussels at the grocery store, the first thing I do is smell them.   If the seafood department won’t let you do that you should be shopping elsewhere.  Mussels should smell like the sea.  If they smell foul or off-putting, you don’t want them.  Mussels are alive when you purchase them and an off odor indicates that many of them have died making them unsafe to eat.  The smell test is the first and most important test when purchasing mussels.   If the mussels don’t pass, ask to smell another bag or choose another dinner.  If they pass the smell test, your next step is to exam the shellfish tag.

All shellfish sold in stores have a shellfish tag.  This tag tells you when and where the shellfish were harvested as well as the shipping date.  Restaurants are required to keep this tag on hand for 6 months in the event of a food borne illness outbreak.  The tag typically has a “use by date”, but I put more weight on the smell test and then, as an extra caution, prefer to purchase shellfish harvested no more than 8 to 10 days before I buy them.

If mussels pass the smell and tag tests, then you are good to go.  Sold in mesh bags, most grocery stores will place the mussels in a plastic bag so that you can transport them home without them dripping in your car.  This is convenient, but make sure the top of the plastic bag remains open.   Mussels are alive and when you twist the top of the bag closed, cutting off their oxygen supply, you kill them.   For those that make this mistake, you’ll only do it once, as the smell when the bag is finally opened leaves a pungent memory.

Once home, fill a large bowl with crushed ice.  Remove the mussels from the plastic bag and set them atop the crushed ice and place them in your refrigerator.  I like to dampen a paper towel and drape this over the mussels as the air in your refrigerator is very dry and tends to dry out the mussels over several hours.  Mussels are best cooked the day you buy them although properly stored they can last another day, possibly two.

When ready to steam the mussels, the first step is to check them and remove any that might have died.   It’s natural to have to throw out mussels so don’t be alarmed if you end up with a few that don’t pass inspection.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.   Discard mussels that don’t close when tapped orthat have chipped or cracked shells (see photos below).

Mussels attach to rocks or ropes with a thread-like piece called “the beard” found on the flat side of the shell (see pictures below).   While not all mussels will have a beard, you check for it by rubbing a fingernail down the flat side of the shell.  If you find a beard, remove it  by grabbing it with your fingers and pulling it towards the hinged part of the shell until it comes off. Discard the beard.

Older recipes may instruct you to put the mussels in cold water with a bit of flour to allow them to purge any sand.   Nowadays, purging often happens before shipping and farmed mussels grow in a way that keeps grit to a minimum.  For this reason, you can skip this step although I always run mussels under a bit of cold water to wash off any grime.  I also like to scrape off tiny barnacles using a fingernail to prevent bits of the barnacle from chipping off into my dish.

The easiest way to prepare mussels is by steaming them in a flavorful liquid.   I love the combination of shallots, garlic, tomatoes, and white wine below, but feel free to mix it up.  Thai-inspired green curry mussels with coconut milk is another of my favorites.   Once the broth comes to a boil, add the mussels to the pot and cover.  Shake occasionally (although not too aggressively as shells can chip) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the shells open.   After cooking, as one final check, discard any mussels that fail to open.  And that’s it.  The only other thing you need for dinner is a baguette of good crusty French bread.  Mussels are good, but it’s the broth left in the bottom of the bowl dabbled up with chunks of bread that will really make you swoon.  Happy cooking!

Visual learner?  Last week, I prepared this recipe on WCNC’s Charlotte Today show.  Check out the clip by clicking here.

Mussels with White Wine, Shallots, and Tomatoes - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 2 as a main course 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
¼ cup freshly chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme
2 pounds fresh mussels, shells scrubbed and beards removed (see note)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Serve with:  Crusty French bread

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the shallots to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots are soft about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the white wine, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons parsley and thyme to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the mussels and cover the pot.  Steam the mussels for 3-6 minutes, shaking the pot gently every 2 to 3 minutes until the shells have opened. Use tongs to transfer the opened mussels to a large bowl.  Any mussels that do not open should be discarded.

Pour the broth over the mussels and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.  Serve the mussels immediately in their broth with plenty of bread to sop up the juices.

Note: 

When buying fresh mussels, look for mussels that are either tightly closed or that close when you gently tap their shell.  Discard mussels with chipped or damaged shells.  Fresh mussels should be kept in an opened container (to allow them to breathe) on ice for no more than a day or two in the refrigerator. 

The shells of mussels should be scrubbed thoroughly and any barnacles should be removed with a small knife or your fingernail.  If necessary, remove the beard (a threadlike piece that is often found around the edge of the mussels’ shell).  Remove the beard by grabbing it with your fingers and pulling it towards the hinged part of the shell until it comes off. Discard the beard. 

]]> http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/17/mussels-with-white-wine-shallots-and-tomatoes/feed/ 1 nikkigreer Shells Discarded Fresh Mussels Shallot Minced Shallot Tomato Wedge Seeds Removed Diced Tomatoes Shellfish Tag Garlic Clove Minced Garlic Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley Minced Parsley Fresh Thyme Mussel that won't close when tapped Cracked Mussel Shell The Beard Beard removed Mussels with White Wine, Shallots, and Tomatoes Charlotte Today Steamed Mussels http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/10/stir-fried-long-beans/ http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/10/stir-fried-long-beans/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:48:39 +0000 Minced http://mincedblog.com/?p=3831 Continue reading →]]>

With sizzle and steam this fragrant recipe yields a side dish of intense flavor in minutes.  You briefly sauté ginger, garlic, and shallots before you add the long beans (or green beans) to the wok or skillet.  Add the sliced green onions and toss everything together just long enough for the long beans to sear in spots before you add chicken broth, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar to the wok.  Cover the dish and let it steam until the beans are crisp tender before serving as an accompaniment to your favorite Asian meal.

You can find long beans (or yard-long beans) in well-stocked supermarkets as well as Asian grocery stores.  A bit tougher than green beans, kids love them since, as their names implies, they are long. While they are usually sold in 15-inch lengths, they can grow up to 3 feet. Just like regular green beans, you should trim the ends before cooking.  I also like to cut them down into 3-inch pieces to make stir-frying easier.

Most people cringe in intimidation when asked to be creative in the kitchen.  This recipe which highlights Asian flavors is a great example of how easy it is to cook without a recipe.  Most of us can easily pinpoint the flavor profile of a particular cuisine. Take Italian food.  If I asked you what flavors you find in Italian cooking, you might suggest garlic, tomatoes, basil, and onions.  For Mexican food, you might list onions, cilantro, garlic, and peppers.   A good place to start when coming up with your own creations in the kitchen is the flavor profile of a particular cuisine.  Simply add those flavors together in a logical order and more often than not you’ll have a dish that not only works, but is delicious.  Happy cooking!

Stir-Fried Long Beans - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 2-3

Make this side dish spicy by adding a hot chili pepper or red pepper flakes.   If substituting green beans for the long beans, shorten the steaming time.  Green beans are tenderer than long beans and won’t require as long to cook.

¾ lb long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ small shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, minced
3 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
½ cup less-sodium vegetable or chicken broth or water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of sugar

Heat a wok over medium high heat.  Add the vegetable oil when hot.  Stir in the shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook for 30 seconds.   Add the long beans and cook, tossing frequently, for 2 minutes.    Stir in the scallions and add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and sugar.   Cover and steam the beans, shaking the wok occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until the long beans are tender.  Serve.

]]> http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/10/stir-fried-long-beans/feed/ 1 Stir-Fried Long Beans nikkigreer Stir-Fried Long Beans Sliced Green Onions Minced Shallots, Ginger, and Garlic Long Beans Trimmed and Cut Stir-Friend Long Beans Close-Up http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/03/vegetarian-pad-thai-with-baked-tofu/ http://mincedblog.com/2013/04/03/vegetarian-pad-thai-with-baked-tofu/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:31:33 +0000 Minced http://mincedblog.com/?p=3759 Continue reading →]]>

Stir-frying requires a bit more from the cook than your average culinary technique. It demands organization and a hefty amount of prep work. Dinner happens in a flash with lots of sizzle and steam. The aftermath, lots of prep bowls, mere minutes ago filled with a little bit of this and some of that, need a bit more attention.

My husband cringes when it’s Asian night in our home. The dishwasher of our partnership, he dutifully cleans up after every meal, and I, in gratitude, try to clean as much as I can as I go. On Asian night however, it’s all saved for the end. My bowls of ingredients, carefully lined up in the order in which they will go into the dish, are quickly emptied into a blistering wok and then stacked haphazardly by the sink as the house fills with the aroma of ginger, garlic, and soy.

For this reason, when I pull out my wok, I aim to make something so good that my husband doesn’t bat an eye at the dirty dishes that await him. This is tricky, since he truly hates the dishes, but this Vegetarian Pad Thai with Baked Tofu rises to the challenge.

When I worked as a line cook several years ago in a local restaurant, I learned a trick to getting crispy tofu. You drop slices of tofu into a fryer for a couple of minutes before removing them and letting them drain on a wire rack. You then refrigerate the fried slices before frying them again right before serving. The result is crispy, flavorful tofu that holds its own in any dish.

Twice-frying tofu is a great solution if one is in a restaurant and has access to a perfectly heated fryer. At home, it’s not so ideal. For most home-cooks, deep-frying is intimidating, messy and greasy. Baking tofu yields similar results without the hassles of frying. Firm tofu is simply pressed between two plates for about one hour before being cubed, tossed with a little oil, and baked in the oven for 40 minutes. The resulting golden-brown cubes are crisp and flavorful and, like fried tofu, they hold up well even after being tossed about in a stir-fry.

Your local grocery store will stock most of the ingredients for Pad Thai in the international aisle. Tamarind, however, will likely throw you for a loop. Some well-stocked grocery stores and many international markets carry it in pod form. I’ve made the sauce starting from the pods and it is a lot of work that yields only so-so results. Tamarind pulp, sold in a pliable block, is found in any international market and is worth purchasing. It merely requires you to scrape off a chunk and the remaining pulp can keep for months tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. It’s worth a special trip to your local international market to purchase it.

And finally this dish requires you to ignore the plight of the dishwasher. Execute your prep, cook the dish, and then let the first bite convince the diner that washing the dishes are the very least that he or she could do.

Vegetarian Pad Thai with Baked Tofu – Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 4

This classic Thai dish has lots of ingredients, but cooks very quickly. Be sure to prep everything before you start cooking.

For the baked tofu:
15 ounces firm tofu
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the Pad Thai:

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
1 cup boiling water
3 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces flat rice stick noodles
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 garlic cloves, minced
¾ finely chopped shallots
6 green onions, roots and tips trimmed, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
5 ounces mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
Sriracha, to taste (optional)
Serve with: 1 lime cut into 8 wedges

To make the baked tofu: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the tofu from its packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Wrap the block in clean paper towels and place on a clean plate. Put another plate atop the tofu and place a can or weight on top of the plate to press it down. Allow it to sit for 25 minutes. Unwrap the tofu and re-wrap it with fresh paper towels. Return the tofu between the two plates and weight it down again for another 20 minutes. Unwrap the pressed tofu and cut it into ½-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with two teaspoons of vegetable oil. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the tofu out on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

To make the pad thai: In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the tamarind pulp. Stir and smash the tamarind pulp until it softens and a paste forms (about 5 minutes). Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids.

Pour the strained tamarind liquid in a saucepan and stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer briefly, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves.

Put the rice noodles in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water and allow them to soak for about 20 minutes or until al dente. Drain the noodles and set them aside.

In a large wok, heat two teaspoons of vegetable oil over high heat. When hot, add the egg and cook briefly until the egg is cooked through and scrambled. Remove the egg from the wok and set it aside in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok. When hot, add the garlic and shallot. Sauté until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the baked tofu and sauté briefly, about 1 minute. Remove the tofu and shallot-garlic mixture with a slotted spoon and put it in the bowl with the scrambled egg. Add the tamarind sauce to the wok and bring to a boil. Add the drained noodles and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the green onions, ½ of the peanuts, the bean sprouts and sriracha (if using). Cook the noodles for another minute or until they completely absorb the broth. Stir in the tofu-egg mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining chopped peanuts and lime wedges. Have your satisfied guests do the dishes.

Last week, when spring was supposed to arrive, but didn’t, I made this recipe.  It would be perfect eaten with a cold margarita in hand in the fading light of a warm spring day.  Instead, I enjoyed the brightly colored slaw atop smoky grilled mahi-mahi inside my home where the thermostat remains set on heat.  No matter.  It’s a dish I’ll make again.

This dish is a fine illustration of the point that delicious food isn’t complicated food.  Good ingredients, combined with the proper seasoning, make this Mexican-inspired slaw refreshing and the perfect accompaniment to the mahi-mahi’s earthy rub that brings just the right amount of spicy kick.  Store-bought flour tortillas will bring dinner together that much more quickly, although I urge you to make your own.   Far from complicated and assembled from ingredients you are sure to have on hand, flour tortillas take this meal from satisfying weeknight dinner to something that demands a little more celebration.

The Mexican-inspired slaw comes together quickly.  If you don’t want the red cabbage to bleed over the mango and pineapple, keep everything separate until the last-minute.  The rosy-hue doesn’t bother me a bit, however, and I prefer to combine all the slaw ingredients a couple of hours before serving to allow the  flavors to meld.  Mango and pineapple can cause a little head-scratching when it comes to breaking them down.  For that reason, I’ve included a step-by-step tutorial as well as a few written tips for how to break down both fruits below.

When selecting a mango, don’t worry about the color as it doesn’t indicate ripeness.  Green mangos can be just as ripe as red mangos and vice-versa.  Aroma won’t help either as they don’t omit much of a smell.   The biggest way to tell if a mango is ripe is by touch.  A ripe mango will be firm, but with just a hint of give when you gently press your thumb into it.    Look for mangos that are free of blemishes and soft spots.

To break down a mango, remember that the large seed runs through the center of the fruit.  You need to cut on either side of it to remove the two largest chunks of fruit and then use a paring knife to cut the remaining flesh off the seed itself.  You can get all the fruit off the seed with some skillful knife-work although I always like to leave a bit behind as it makes a good treat for the cook to gnaw on when no one is looking.   For the two large side pieces, cut a cross-hatch pattern and then turn the fruit inside out.  From there, it’s simply a matter of using a sharp paring knife to cut the cubes off the peel.

When selecting a pineapple, take a whiff.  It should smell sweet (especially at its base) and should be firm to to the touch without soft spots. For pineapple (or other large round fruits such as melon or cantaloupe), the first step is to create a flat surface by cutting off the bottom of the fruit.  From there, cut off the crown and then use a sharp chef knife to slice off a large slice, going from top to bottom, of the skin.  Once you make the first cut, simply follow the lines of the outer skin to cut off the remaining skin.  Once all the outer skin has been cut off, use a sharp paring knife to cut out any “eyes” that remain.  From this point, it’s just a matter of cutting the remaining flesh from the hard, inner core.  But don’t throw the core out!  Like the mango seed, I have no problems munching on the tough inner core and always save a few pieces for myself.

Feel free to use a fish besides mahi-mahi for this recipe, although I prefer it for its mild flavor and its firmness, which lends itself to grilling.  If it’s cold, by all means use a grill pan, brushed lightly with oil, to cook the fish being sure to leave the vent fan on high while grilling.  If warm, take it outside.  Always be sure you have a well-cleaned and well-oiled grill before grilling fish as the delicate flesh can tear far more easily than poultry or meat.   If your grill falls on the more “well-used” side of grill cleanliness, try grilling the fish on non-stick aluminum foil.  You won’t get praise-worthy grill marks, but you will save yourself the stress of having your fish fall to pieces on the grill.  A moment that is both maddeningly frustrating and downright depressing.   When the fish easily flakes when prodded with the tines of a fork, it is done.  Let it cool briefly, then shred the fish into large chunks using a fork for serving

For those tackling the homemade flour tortillas, fear not.  I’ve included specific directions in the recipe that follows, but for best results be sure to roll the tortillas to less than 1/4-inch thickness before throwing them on a hot skillet.  While it helps to have one person roll the tortillas while another one cooks them, these can be done with just one set of hands although the process will take a few minutes longer.  The end result will still be worth it.  Happy grilling!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos with Mexican-Inspired Slaw - Printer Friendly Recipe
Serves 2-3

For the fish:
2 (6-ounce) mahi-mahi fillets, skin removed
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable or canola oil, for grill

For the slaw:
1 cup finely grated red cabbage
1 cup diced mango
1 cup diced pineapple
2 green onions, ends trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced
1 heaping tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Juice from ½ a lime, more to taste
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon agave syrup, more to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Serve with:  Small flour tortillas (store-bought or homemade (recipe follows))

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.   In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and salt.  Pat the fillets dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture all over the fillets.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the fish for 20 minutes.

To make the slaw, combine the cabbage, mango, pineapple, green onions, and cilantro in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, and agave syrup.  Pour the dressing over the slaw and toss to coat.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust the other seasonings as needed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Reduce the grill temperature to medium and brush the grates with the oil.  Add the fish, presentation side down, and cook for about 4 minutes per side until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.  Use a fork to flake the fish into chunks.  Serve immediately with the flour tortillas and Mexican slaw.

Homemade Flour Tortillas
Makes 12 8-inch tortillas

3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening
¾ cup warm water

Whisk together the flour and salt.  Use a pastry blender to cut the lard into the flour mixture until it is in very small pieces.  Add the water and stir with a rubber spatula until the water has been absorbed and the dough is crumbly.  Turn the dough out on the counter and knead it with your hands until all the flour has been incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic to the touch.  Portion the dough into 12 golf ball-sized rounds.  Set the dough balls on a baking sheet and cover with a towel for 30 minutes.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat until very hot.   Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the dough ball out to an 8-inch wide circle that is less than ¼-inch thick.  Transfer the dough to the hot skillet.  Cook each side for about 15 seconds; the tortilla will have brown spots.  Don’t overcook the tortillas as they will become crispy instead of soft and pliable.  Use tongs to transfer the tortillas to a wire rack.  Cover the tortillas with a towel to keep warm.

My husband and I celebrated the arrival of 2013 in Paris.   Except for taxi rides to and from the airport, we explored Paris by foot.  We stumbled upon pastry shops, ate meals that demanded more walking, and drank cups of coffee and wine while resting our feet in bistros. On our last day in Paris, being good tourists, we shopped and our first stop was to famed cookware store Dehillerin in Les Halles.

Established in 1820, I don’t imagine it’s changed much during its almost 200 years in existence.  While the outside storefront displays an impressive amount of shiny copper cookware, the inside is dimly lit with pots and pans, molds, and pastry provisions stacked high on dusty wooden shelving.  It’s far from Williams-Sonoma perfection and better for it.  I certainly could find similar items at Amazon or my local Sur La Table, but the discovery of a copper pan and tiny tin barquettes authenticated by a “Made in France” stamp were all the more special for having had to search for them in the cluttered and noisy shop.

Among the many cookware purchases that my husband kindly lugged home in his suitcase were 12 fluted brioche molds.   I’d never made brioche before, but no French bakery lacked the small loaves with their distinctive bubbled top and the molds seemed like a quintessential souvenir.  This week, as I prepared for Easter, I decided to give brioche a trial-run.  Brioche makes a good choice for a special breakfast as the overnight rest means that most of the work takes place ahead of time.

While the process is time-intensive, the final product is worth it both in appearance and taste.  My single-serve brioche wouldn’t make a window display in a fine Parisian boulangerie, but the buttery, tender texture was a taste of Paris in my mouth and the  golden loaves, still warm from the oven, looked great on my table.

Bake brioche in the traditional manner in fluted molds or bake them in muffin tins.  For those who break out in a sweat over the idea of making the topknots fear not.  In researching recipes, I stumbled across a neat trick from baking pro Dorie Greenspan of Around My French Table.  Having struggled with making the classic tops, she recommends simply dropping three equal rounds of dough into a mold or muffin tin.  I gave her technique a try and was pleased by the result.  It’s far less stressful and, I found, makes a more consistent final product.  Although, despite my far from breathtaking results, I think I would still opt for making the topknot just for the sense of pride I felt when pulling them out of the oven.

Brioche are best eaten the same day although I have plans to let a few of mine go stale.   Pain perdu, or French toast, is in my future.  Happy cooking!

Buttery Brioche - Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 10 individual brioche

Brioche recipes vary.  For this recipe, I drew inspiration from recipes for brioche in The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl and Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table.

For the starter:
¼ cup warm whole milk
¼ cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

For the dough:
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, beaten
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces, at room temperature

For baking:
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
½ tablespoon whole milk

Special equipment: stand mixer with dough hook, pastry brushes, 10 (3-inch wide) fluted brioche molds or a muffin tin for 10 muffins

In the large bowl of an electric mixer combine the warm milk and water.  Sprinkle the active dry yeast and sugar over the liquids.  Stir to combine and then let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.  If the mixture doesn’t foam, the yeast is bad (or your milk and water was too hot).  Discard the mixture and start again.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.  Fit the electric mixer with a dough hook.   Add the flour mixture to the starter and mix, on medium-low speed, for two minutes until combined.  The dough will look dry and crumbly; this is ok.

Keeping the mixer speed at medium-low, add the beaten egg, one-third at a time, beating until just incorporated before adding more.   When all the eggs have been added, increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and begin adding the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time.  Allow the butter to be almost completely incorporated before adding the next piece.  Once all the butter has been added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 7 minutes or until the dough starts to climb the dough hook and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.   The dough will be batter-like, but with a glossy sheen and some elasticity.

Grease a large bowl with a little butter and add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and lay a towel over the top.  Place in a warm place and allow the dough to rise for about 1-½ hours or until double in size.  Punch down the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.  After one hour, punch down the dough again and re-cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Brush the fluted brioche molds or 10 large muffin tins with the melted butter.  Set aside on a rimmed, metal baking sheet.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and shape into a 10-inch long log.  Cut into 10 equal pieces and cover the pieces with plastic wrap.  Working with one piece at a time, pull off a small piece of the dough if making traditional brioche.  Lightly flour the work surface and roll the small piece of dough as well as the larger piece into round balls.  Place the large round of dough in a buttered mold.  Dip your thumb in cold water and then press your thumb through the center of the large ball of dough until you reach the bottom of the mold.  Pinch one end of the small round of dough into a cone-shape; the small piece of dough will look like an ice cream cone with one scoop of ice cream.  Slide the cone shape, round part up, into the hole created by your thumb.   Gently press down.  Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Alternatively, if the steps to making the topknot seem too tricky, divide each piece of dough into three pieces.  On a lightly floured surface, roll into round balls and place in a buttered mold or muffin tin ala Dorie Greenspan.

Lightly cover the brioche with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm space until doubled in size, about 1-½ hours.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to form a wash.  Gently brush the brioche with the egg wash.  Be careful not to let the egg wash drip into the molds as it will prevent the brioche from rising.

Place the baking sheet on the center rack and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.   Check the brioche after 10 minutes to see if they are browning too quickly.  If they are, simply place a large piece of foil over the brioche and continue baking for the full 20 minutes.  Remove the brioche from the oven and let them rest in their molds for five minutes.  Turn them out on a wire rack to finish cooling.   Serve with jam and tea or coffee.