Clams. Mussels and Shrimp

Come over and bring an appetizer.  To some that sends terror, some it means a stop at the local market for one of those “shrimp rings” but to me it opens the door to bring a great dish.  I like this dish because it sends wonderful garlicy smells throughout the kitchen.  It is perfect because most people will find something they like in the dish.  Whether you like shrimp, or mussels or clams they are all in there soaking up all the garlic and white wine.

I serve this in a large bowl surrounded by crunchy bread to sop up the juices.  This is a great appetizer or serve it over pasta and call it a meal.

Pour the wine, please.

Greek Mussels, Shrimp and Clams

Clean and rinse mussels and clams. Add oil to hot pan, sauté carrots, onions and celery (diced) until soft, add thyme, garlic, sauté for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, clams, shrimp and mussels, cover pan, cook until mussels and clams open, discard unopened mussels and clams. Place on serving platter, sprinkle with zest, lemon juice and cilantro.

Calzone

I like the crust on pizza so it is a natural transition to calzone.  These are, excuse me Tony at Aponte’s Pizza, folded pizzas.  Just like pizza they are very good with any ingredients you wish to put inside.  On this recipe I call for cheese and roasted red peppers.  I used the ones in a jar from the grocery, but you can put cooked sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions whatever you would put on top of a pizza tucked inside.  Use pizza sauce or any good store-bought tomato sauce that you like.

Served golden brown and steamy, right from the oven, they will give you an alternative to the pizza you usually serve.  Your family will love them and you will appreciate the ease of preparation and clean up.

It’s Super Bowl time again and you are thinking about what you will serve for munching during the game.  Tired of the usual, chili and wings, chips and dips?  Here is a very easy recipe, easy to make and easy on the budget.  Make this beef a day or two in advance and then sit back and relax and watch the game.

We have included the shopping list for this to make your life easier.  All our recipes at www.emealsforyou.com have shopping lists and are completely scalable for the number of people you are serving.

Beef Rib Roast

For years I have been trying to get the beef rib roast that I do at home to come out just like the ones you get in a restaurant.  I understand that restaurants have access to better quality meats but if you look and only buy choice or above from a good market you should be able to get close.  It’s not only the taste but there is something about the texture that until now has eluded me.

It wasn’t until a friend gave me this new method of baking bread in a Dutch oven that I realized my problem might be solvable.  I thought if cooking bread at the highest temperature my oven could attain inside of the Dutch oven, why not give the rib roast a try.  I was pleasantly surprised that the end result was a perfectly cooked beef rib roast, tender, juicy and tasting just as good as the restaurant version.  Add to this the fact that you have none of the splattering grease usually associated with cooking the rib roast in the oven.

For the Dutch oven method, pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees with the Dutch oven inside and lid on.  After about 20 minutes carefully remove the lid, put the roast in and cover.

Chicken with Black Beans and Garlic

I haven’t cooked Chinese food for quite a while.  We used to do it on a regular basis but somehow got out of the habit.  So when I saw a cooking show highlighting Chinese food I thought I should go back to one of my standards.  Chinese takeout is so iffy, you never know what you will get.  Sometimes it is so good and other times, even from the same restaurant , it is undercooked or just plain bad.  It is for these very reasons we began to make our favorites at home.

When people ask me how to get their significant other more involved in the food preparation at home I tell them to start with making Chinese food.  This usually appeals to even the staunches “I can’t cook, I don’t know anything about cooking” individual.  Basically it starts with chopping food up; what man doesn’t like to show off his knife skills?  Then it plays in line with his usual impatience.  Heat the wok, add oil and whatever you are cooking, usually at once, and stir for 2 minutes.  Voila, or whatever voila is in Mandarin, and you have it, a meal for an emperor.

So, to get someone interested in making a meal, start out easy, cook something fast and build up from there.

Every once in a while we break from our usual Friday night pizza and go for something a little more interesting.  I put together some appetizer plates with whatever is around and whatever I feel like eating.  The assortment above works for us as I don’t eat fish and my wife loves it.  Fish for her and chicken for me.  Actually she had some from each plate and really enjoyed the crostini.

Small plates work well for company, there is usually something on the plate that suits everyone’s taste.  This is a good way to get rid of all those partial containers of “stuff” in your frig.  You can roll up some lunch meat, spoon out some pickles or just put some left over cheeses in your food processor and make a cheese spread, adding olives, garlic, bacon bits, red peppers or whatever you feel like.  We call this small plates (tapas) as we only put out small plates, that way everyone gets a chance at the food instead of the first person to the table takes it all.

Tilapia with Golden Raisins

My wife likes fish and I don’t.  I try to make fish for her about once or twice a week , so I am always looking for a quick and easy recipe that is both good and easy.  Something that won’t make me feel as though I just slapped it together.   Tilapia is a light and fairly inexpensive fish that is getting more and more common in the grocery stores.    Ideally suited for a summer dinner, served with rice and a small salad this is both satisfying and great for those who are watching their weight.

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog you know I like to add raisins to almost any dish.  Golden raisins add a surprising sweet and moist touch to the dish.  The sweetness offsets the acidity of the wine and the pine nuts add some crunch.  Start to finish in less than 10 minutes; you would be hard pressed to come up with a better meal, good and good for you.

Tilapia with Golden Raisins

Mix salt and pepper with rice flour. Dredge Tilapia filets in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in pan and sauté filets for 3 minutes per side. Remove filets from the pan, keep warm. Add raisins, pine nuts and wine, simmer for 2 minutes, add butter, remove from heat and swirl until melted. Pour over filets and serve.

Grilled Steak

I am giving you a few weeks to plan this meal.  This will allow you to watch the newspapers for a steak sale and gather any other ingredients you need.  There are a few “secrets” when striving for the perfect steak dinner.  First buy a nice steak.  Choice is better than Select, thicker is better than thin.  Don’t be afraid to ask the meat cutter at the store to cut a fresh steak to your required thickness and size.  When asked, these guys usually like the chance to show off their skills and you will win as the steak will probably be trimmed a little better than the ones in the meat case.

Growing up my father would give each of us a steak.  The first time I went to my then girlfriend’s house for steak they had one large steak cut into strips.  I thought, wow how is this going to work, than after the vegetables, salad and rolls followed by dessert I understood.  Back then it was all about excess, now that excess is hanging around my middle and I have learned my lesson.

I like my steak med-rare; if you like it cooked more just cook it a few minutes longer.  Remember it is easier to put a steak back on if it is too rare then it is to make an overcooked steak good again.  The secret is to cut a small slit in the bottom and take a peek.  If it is too rare pop it in the microwave when no one is looking for just a minute, really one minute will make all the deference.

Don’t get fancy with all the marinades and steak sauces.  Simply put a good amount of salt and pepper on both sides, pour on a little olive oil and make sure the grill is very hot.  Cook for 1 minute per 1/4 inch thickness on each side.  Now, don’t poke it, don’t prod it, don’t move it and don’t flip it until the time is right.  Flip it only once.  When it is done put it on a plate and let it sit for a few minutes to finish cooking and drive the juices back into the steak.  Now would be the time to take a peek and see how you did.

(See the whole meal plan: Backyard Soiree (Picnic Meal Plans) at emealsforyou.com)

Best Ribs Ever

Debbie had a picnic this weekend and told me she was serving ribs along with way too much other food and I asked if I could cook the ribs for her.  The goal of great ribs starts with good pork but then usually most people veer into the crazy world and try too hard.  There are two basic elements that separate bones left on the plate with meat and fat hanging on them and bones picked clean: a good dry rub and patience.

The ribs pictured above cooked in a low oven for 3 1/2 hours and although there was bbq sauce available most ate them just the way they were. As my wife says, you want to eat ribs to taste the pork not a bottled bbq sauce; besides these are easier to eat as they are not as messy.  The only thing that could make these better is serving them with a slice of good corn bread; I made that as well. (Recipe available on emealsforyou.com)

These are so good that I thought I should walk you through the easy steps to making them.  Follow them and then sit back, lick your fingers and let the compliments come.

Start with a good quality ribs.  Rinse and dry the ribs.  I line jellyroll pans (3/4″ deep cookie sheets) with parchment to facilitate easy cleanup.  Place the ribs fat side up and score the fat diagonally in both directions.

Scored Ribs

Rub the dry rub into the slab and flip over.  Rub the dry rub into the meaty side.  Place in a pre-heated 275 degree oven and cook for 2 hours.  Flip over and cook for 40 minutes on this side.  Flip again and finish cooking, about 40 minutes until fork tender.

Ribs with Rub

Best Ribs Ever

Rinse ribs and dry with a paper towel. Turn ribs over to the fatty side and score diagonally across the ribs in both directions. Rub dry rub over ribs, flip over and rub dry rub on this side. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet with ¾” sides, place ribs meat side up onto cookie sheets and place in pre-heated 275 º oven. Bake for 2 hours, flip over and bake for an additional 45 minutes, flip back and finish cooking until fork tender and ribs start to fall off the bone, about 40 more minutes.

Serve with bbq sauce on the side.

Beef Bourguignon

I’m back from my trip to New Jersey; five days of good family, good friends and good food.  I look forward to these trips as I get a chance to spend some time being the “home handyman” and enjoy the challenge of giving my mother-in-law a break in the kitchen.  I say challenge as we are an eclectic group when it comes to the table, one doesn’t eat meat, one is gluten intolerant, and I don’t eat fish.  Add the fact that there are usually 8 -12 of us around the table and you have my own Food Challenge show going.  We brought most of the desserts with us, frozen, from Ohio, too many of my clothes are telling me but the main meals were made on the spot.

Ravioli in Vodka Sauce, Italian Pork Chops, Sea Bass and Bouillabaisse were on the menu but my favorite was the Beef Bourguignon.  When I would make this for my father he would call it beef stew, which is what is really is, he just wanted to rub in that I was an “effete snob” in the kitchen.  Anyway this is the ideal meal when you want something you can cook in advance and requires very little effort to warm it up, add a salad and some crunchy bread and dig in.  Beef stew or Bourguignon, call it what you may, it is still a great meal to turn a family gathering into an elegant dinner party or an elegant dinner party into a family gathering.

Beef Bourguignon

Cut bacon into small pieces. Brown bacon in large pan, remove and reserve bacon. Brown beef in pan, add garlic, sauté 2 minutes, add consommé, wine (reserve 1 cup), tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme. Reduce heat and cook covered for 40 minutes, or until beef is fork tender. Add butter to a second pan; sauté onions and mushrooms for 3 minutes until slightly brown. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan; add to beef pan, deglaze onion pan with remaining cup of wine, and pour into beef pan. Make a roux with the butter and flour, cook roux until just slightly beige, stir into beef pan. Cook until thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Hints: Make Bourguignon up to a day in advance and cool. Reheat when ready to serve.

(From The Fall French Distinctive Dinners Meal Plan at emealsforyou.com)