So as much as I had said I was going to blog every day about my vegetarian week, I didn’t. Alas. Above you can see three of the dishes I had made – a grilled vegetable panini, eggplant montadillos with goat cheese, and a sweet-and-spicy glazed grilled tofu.  I was generally pleased with how they came out.  Over the course of the week, I did discover a few things about being a vegetarian and my own food consumption:

• I had figured that being a vegetarian would be difficult, with my supposed lack of flexibility when it comes to eating vegetables.  It wasn’t difficult at all, because…
• Apparently, I like eating more vegetables than I give myself credit for. Eggplant, zucchini, corn (OK, it’s a starch, but still) – all vegetables that you couldn’t get me to try a year or so ago, but now are core ingredients I found myself cooking more of. A wide variety of recipes is now accessible to me, and that makes me happy.
• I don’t need to eat cold cuts for lunch in order to be satiated during the school day. Steph and I enjoyed hummus on flatbreads with some sprouts and house-made pickled peppers, and were very happy with our lunches. I’m going to play around with some different recipes, because I tend to like a little more spice (not heat, spice) in my hummus than the recipe I was using. Aside from going meatless, it’s also easier on the checkbook.
• I tried some of the products that are created to be “faux-meat”, like Boca Burgers and Yves Veggie Dogs. The results of my unscientific study: they are NOT for me. I loaded up the “burger” with cheese, ketchup and mayo, and the “hot dog” was unpalatable without a mountain of sauerkraut and mustard. I would rather attempt to make my own faux-burgers rather than buy one of these.  Bleh.

So what’s the end result? Steph and I are going to do our best to limit our meat consumption to one meal a day, usually dinner. Why? Personal health, environmental concerns, being more cost effective, taking advantage of the Garden State, whatever – it’s just a choice we’re making. We’re not activists, I still think that pigs are magical animals (and I will cook them as often as I can), and that cows taste delicious. I view it more as a challenge for me to try new ingredients and vegetables than a lifestyle choice.

Tonight, Stephanie was out at a bridal shower, which means two things: I didn’t feel guilty about picking up jelly beans (my secret vice) at Wegmans, and that I could cook myself a super-spicy dish for dinner tonight. Thai cuisine was a good choice since there’s lots of vegetarian options, and I could really crank up the heat on it. Hence, Thai red curry with tofu.

Tofu in Coconut-Curry Sauce
Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison – Serves 2

1 package extra-firm tofu
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 serrano chiles, minced (I took the seeds out of one of them)
2 tsp Thai red curry paste
.5 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
.5 cup water or vegetable stock
.5 salt (you may very well need more, I did)
cooked rice
chopped cilantro
chopped roasted peanuts

Preheat your broiler. Cut the tofu into .75″ cubes. Line a baking sheet with foil, put the tofu on the sheet, and broil until golden on the outside, 15 minutes total, shaking the pan to rotate the cubes every now and again.

Heat the oil in a saute pan or wok over high. Add onion, pepper and chiles and cook, stirring continually, 1 minute. Stir in curry paste until all vegetables are coated, then add coconut milk, water, salt and tofu. Simmer until tofu is heated through, 2 minutes. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

It was delicious, but here’s what I’m going to change when I try this again: don’t wimp out with the chiles, add basil when I add the coconut milk (thanks, @chrischampion!), added some fish sauce (to round out the flavor, and add saltiness) and avoid the cilantro (for me, too soapy in this recipe).

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

There’s nothing wrong with admitting that I love cheeseburgers – they may very well be my favorite food on the planet. Unfortunately, biology and human anatomy have played a cruel twist of fate on us cheeseburger lovers, as they can be rather poor for you if you eat them continually. Last week at GenCon (the best 4 days in gaming!), I decided that since I was really only eating one meal a day, that it was alright for me to eat a cheeseburgers. I had a cheeseburger with peanut butter, pepper jack and jalapeños that was absolutely out of this world (photo credit to SpecialKRB, I didn’t think to take a picture), and I had a cheeseburger with onion rings and barbecue sauce that was rather tasty.  I ate cheeseburgers pretty much every day, which is a dietary excess I have not indulged in for quite some time.

Stephanie (making better choices than me, but still not eating as well as normal) suggested that we take a week to go vegetarian, with the goal being to get ourselves back into a routine of eating healthily, as well as to take advantage of all the delicious foods from our local farmers markets.  It is also a challenge for me, since I’m still not 100% on all vegetables, but I have made tremendous strides since I was younger and I wouldn’t touch a vegetable at all.

I’m hoping to update a bit this week chronicling what I’m doing with this and how it’s going. This vegetarian thing is not going to be a permanent thing (I like beef and pork waaaaay too much) but it’ll allow me to add some more vegetarian recipes to my repertoire. Any suggestions you, my faithful readers, would care to add regarding meal ideas (like, perhaps, a curry that doesn’t use curry powder per se?) I’d be most appreciative.

Penne with Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes and Arugula
Adapted from Cooking Light – Serves 4

1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 oz penne (I use Barilla Plus)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic, divided
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp sugar
.75 tsp kosher salt
.25 tsp herbes de Provence (substitute any Italian herb blend)
.25 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula
grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat broiler. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin-side up, on foil-lined baking sheet. Flatten halves with hand, broil 15 minutes until skins are blackened. Place in paper bag, seal and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into strips.

Cook pasta and drain well. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick pan over medium-high. Add .25 tsp garlic, cook 30 seconds, then add peppers & tomatoes, cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Combine .75 tsp garlic, vinegar, 2 tbsp oil, sugar, salt, herbs and pepper in a small bowl. Add pasta & oil mixture to bell peppers in pan, toss well to coat. Cool slightly, then stir in arugula. Top each serving with cheese.

According to Wikipedia, red curry paste is made from red chili peppers, shallots, garlic, galangal (which is a not-as-hot relative of ginger), lemongrass, coriander roots, peppercorns, salt, shrimp paste (fermented ground shrimp) and zest from kaffir limes (a variety of Asian lime).  These are ingredients that, unless you live close to a well-stocked Asian market, are going to be virtually impossible to find.  While I am fortunate enough to live within 20 minutes of one, I went with the convenience of a pre-made jar of red curry paste.

Outside of that, this dish was quick, easy, relatively healthy (4 points per serving, for those keeping track of such things), with a decent heat, although not as much as I expected.  Maybe I’ll convince Steph to let me make her a dish with a little bit of red curry paste sneaked in one day?

Question: If you know your significant other isn’t around, what are you cooking for yourself?

Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Yogurt-Mint Sauce
Adapted from Food & Wine – Serves 8

2.5 tbsp thai red curry paste
.5 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp kosher salt
2.5 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1″ cubes
.75 c plain lowfat yogurt
.25 c light mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp mint, finely chopped

Mix curry paste with oil and salt. Add chicken cubes and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature, up to 2 hours or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Light a grill. Whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, lime juice and mint and season with salt.

Thread chicken onto 8 skewers, leaving .25″ between cubes. Grill over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until lightly charred and cooked through, 8 minutes. Serve the kebabs with the yogurt on the side, and with steamed white rice (if desired).

When we arrived, we went to the bar for a glass of champagne, while they went to “prepare the kitchen” for us.  It turns out, the entire kitchen staff lined up to greet us as we walked down the stairs to the kitchen, where the lights were (mostly) off.  After we were seated into our alcove, the lights came up, and the kitchen went back to work.  I’ve read quite a few books about the restaurant industry and how restaurants run, probably owing to the fact if I hadn’t pursued a career in education I may very well have ended up engaged in the culinary arts.  I’ll admit that I was not surprised by the efficiency of the kitchen – not a wasted movement, no one falling in the weeds, not a dish that needed to be re-fired, nothing.  What I was surprised about was how quiet it was in the kitchen.  Most of the time, the only speaking was when the sous-chef would call out the orders, and the brigade would repeat the orders back to confirm.  The entire operation was clean, efficient and seamless – not shocking considering the high level of culinary talent on display every night at the restaurant

Let’s talk about the food: a “Grand Tasting” menu, customized to mine and Steph’s preferences (seafood for her, no walnuts for me), with wine pairings for each dish and our own personal waiter.  I can’t stress enough how delicious every plate was.  Here are our menus from the evening.

I’m not going to paste in every single picture of the meal into the post, so go check out my Picasa gallery here.

Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Back now?  Good.  That was a lot of food, right? Looked delicious, huh?

Out of all the courses, my favorite was probably the butter-poached lobster (with pork belly!), while Stephanie was a huge fan of the soft-shell crab.  I was also able to help myself to my favorite dish at the restaurant, the parisian gnocchi (which you can watch my friend Rob blog about here).  Really, the entire meal was out-of-this world.  The level of execution was amazing, and there were no ‘misses’ at all during the meal.  The only negative is that there is so much food and so much wine and I ended up hitting a wall when we got to the final savory course, which made me sad because the duck was delicious.

In this case, the food was matched up by the attentiveness and openness of the culinary staff.  Nicholas, the chef de cuisine (also named Nicholas, coincidentally), the sous-chef and some of the other staff were more than happy to take the time to answer our questions, which we politely timed to fit in  lulls in activity.  It was fascinating hearing the garde-manger chef talk about the need for perfection in every knife cut and every prepared plate, the sous talk about how he organized himself while expediting, and talking to both Nicholas and Nicholas about their inspirations, their failures, their successes and their goal of not only providing a top-notch dining experience, but doing it over and over each and every night.

I’ve been to Restaurant Nicholas before, but I feel like I’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain, and I can’t be happier at what I saw.

I’ve cooked with jicama before, but haven’t really talked about it much.  Know your food: jicama is a Mexican tuber vegetable, with a texture similar to a potato and a flavor reminiscent of apples.  (Random note – the Hebrew for potato, תפוח אדמה, literally means “ground apple”.  Did you know I used to speak fluent Hebrew?)  Jicama is tasty and usually eaten raw, although I’m sure jicama pickles are probably fantastic.

The jicama, combined with the other veggies, gave this dish a nice crunch, and provided a good flavor contrast with the sweet pineapple and the somewhat spicy chicken and sauce.  It also needs to be noted that this meal was only 3 points, for those who keep track of such things.  Amazingly simple, light, yet filling.  This meal is definitely a repeat!

Grilled Chicken & Spinach Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing – Serves 4
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 tsp chili powder
.5 tsp salt
cooking spray
8 oz pineapple, cut into 1″ cubes, divided
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp orange juice
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
.5 tsp habanero pepper, minced (I used jalapeño and didn’t use enough – should be spicy)
1 garlic clove
.25 cup olive oil
.75 cup jicama, peeled & julienned
.66 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
.5 cup red onion, thinly sliced
5 oz baby spinach

Heat grill pan over medium-high. Place chicken between plastic wrap sheets & pound to even thickness. Sprinkle chili powder & salt. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan, cook 3 minutes per side. Set aside.

Process half of pineapple, cilantro, orange juice, vinegar, habanero and garlic in blender until smooth. With blender on, gradually add olive oil until blended.

Combine remaining pineapple, jicama and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with .75 cup dressing, tossing to coat. Divide salad evenly on 4 plates. Cut chicken into thin slices; divide chicken evenly over salads. Drizzle salads evenly with remaining .25 cup dressing.

I’ve made these twice, once for dinner for Steph and I and once for last week’s Top Chef Foodpocalypse.  The recipe is too good not to share with you, my loyal readers.

Thai Turkey Sliders with Peanut Sauce and Quick Pickles – serves 4
Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Sliders
1.5 lb 93% ground turkey¹
1 tbsp sambal oelek²
4 scallions, finely chopped
.25 c cilantro, chopped fine
1 tsp grated lime zest
.5 tsp kosher salt
Sauce
.25 c creamy peanut butter
4 tsp fish sauce³
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp light brown sugar
Pickles
.5 English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
.5 red onion, sliced thin
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp light brown sugar

8 slider buns (I recommend Pepperidge Farm)

Combine all slider ingredients in a bowl, mix until combined.  Form mixture into 8 .75″ thick patties.

Whisk all sauce ingredients together in second bowl until smooth.

Combine all pickle ingredients in a third bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat nonstick skillet to medium-high.  Film bottom of pan with oil, using paper towel to wipe out excess.  Griddle burgers until done, approximately 3-4 minutes per side.  Place burgers on buns, top with peanut sauce and pickles, and serve.

1 – The recipe calls for “regular” ground turkey, but all we have at my local supermarket is either 99% or 93% lean ground turkey.  I recommend the higher fat grind, as it will lead to a tastier and moister burger.  If you decide to go with 99% ground turkey (aka ground turkey breast), watch your cooking time very carefully to prevent drying out your sliders

2 – Sambal oelek is my favorite condiment, a super-spicy, pungent paste made from fresh hot chile peppers, and you should be able to get it in the international aisle of the supermarket.  If not, substitute in some habanero hot sauce or red pepper flakes.  Do NOT use Tabasco to substitute, it’s got its own specific flavor that will clash with the other flavors in the meal.

3 – I used to hate fish sauce, but I’ve learned to love it over the past year.  I can’t stress enough the need to keep trying it until you discover the sublime flavor it adds to Asian cuisine.  I use Tiparos brand, based on the Test Kitchen recommendation, and it is by far the best of all the other brands I’ve tried.  It’s worth tracking down in the international aisle, or in an Asian grocery.

As I have learned from doing dinners like this once or twice before, it’s always a better move to plan on smaller portions and a wider variety of food to be eaten – part of the fun is to eat as many different things as possible!

Indian-Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Yogurt Raita

Mike had these ready to go as soon as we walked in the door!  Ground lamb, garam masala (homemade!), cumin, coriander and a bunch of other spices, combined with some minced onion, created a tender and flavorful meatball.  The raita (not pictured) was a good complement, made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, and mint (I think).  I’m a big fan of  ground lamb and kofte-style kebabs like these, and I’ve got to say these came out rather well.

Poached Florida Gulf Shrimp with Horseradish Consommé

This was one of my dishes so I’m going to be able to speak more about it.  When thinking about what I wanted to make, I wanted something that was light, cold and spoke of summer, so I couldn’t have asked for better than this recipe.  Of course, like all recipes from the Restaurant Nicholas cookbook, this one came out rather well!

The consommé was made from blending tomatoes with some salt and sugar, then straining the mixture overnight through a few layers of cheesecloth, leaving behind a golden, slightly pink liquid that was the essence of tomatoes.  Horseradish was then allowed to steep in the tomato water to impart its spiciness to the “broth”.  Unfortunately, I was unable to track down fresh horseradish so I had to use prepared (which I drained first to get rid of the vinegar).  The shrimp were poached in Nicholas’s recipe for courtboullion and then peeled and cut into bite-size pieces.  Halved grape tomatoes and cucumber balls finished out the presentation.

How did it taste?  Light, refreshing and delicious.  I’m normally not the biggest fan of cucumber, and I wouldn’t necessarily eat it raw, but I’m beginning to appreciate it in dishes.  The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and were rather flavorful.  Next time, I would add more horseradish as I found the flavor didn’t come through as much as I’d like, and perhaps a touch less salt for my tastes.  However, a successful first course that I will definitely be making again!

Pizza with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Provolone & Parmesan

Image Courtesy of Katelyn Nesi

Let us stop for a moment and  marvel at Katelyn’s amazing photography skills.  Isn’t that a pretty picture?  I’m highly impressed, and I’m glad I have made a cool new friend who has skill ranks in photography.  That said, that is one delicious pizza!  Crispy but chewy crust, the secret of which I hope to get sometime soon, along with some fresh tomatoes, pizza sauce (a Nesi family recipe) and mounds of delicious cheese.  Steph didn’t get to snap a picture of the finished pizza, because we were too busy eating it as soon as we were sure we would not be singing the roofs of our mouths on deliciousness.  I think we can all agree, though, that Katelyn’s picture is an adequate placeholder

Thai Turkey Sliders with Peanut Sauce and Quick Pickled Vegetables

I’m normally not a fan of cooking the same meal two nights in a row, exceptin the case of leftovers.  However, I had made these on Tuesday, and were such a hit with Steph and I that I knew I had to make them again for our friends.  I was looking for something that was small in size and big in flavor, and these fit the bill perfectly!

Ground turkey comes in 2 varieties at my store, 99% and 94% lean.  The 99%, while being healthier and lower in fat, is also very prone to drying out and becoming crumbly and mealy when cooked, so I (like I tend to when cooking with it) went with the fattier mix.  The turkey was combined with minced scallions, sambal oelek (my favorite), lime zest, cilantro and salt, then formed into patties and griddled.  The peanut sauce consisted of creamy peanut butter, fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar.  The vegetables (English cucumber and red onion) were dressed in a combination of fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar as well.

How did it taste?  The 94% turkey provides a nice meatiness without being greasy, and the sambal provides a nice spiciness to contrast against the sweet/tart pickled veggies.  The peanut sauce adds to the savoriness of the dish (and for you doubters out there, spread some peanut butter on your cheeseburger the next time you are grilling for a revelatory experience) and this was a course not to be forgotten.  I’ll post the recipe later, if not tomorrow.

Pork en Fuego

This was the second dish that Mike prepared, and I’m glad that it was the last savory course before dessert, because the description is not exaggeration – this was a seriously spicy meal!  Pork tenderloin strips coated with a spice rub and grilled (sauteed, in this case) then combined with a sauce made with tomatoes, tequila and hot cherry peppers, then all combined, topped with some havarti cheese.  Mike spent a good part of the day preparing his own homemade ciabatta bread, and I’ve got to say it was rather high quality, with a crunchy crust and a good internal crumb.  Even though this was a Guy Fieri recipe (I am not his biggest fan) it was very good, but I doubt I’d prepare it myself as it was far too spicy for Stephanie.

Dessert Pizza with Nutella, Chocolate and Marshmallows

Another offering of pizza from Chris & Katelyn.  Not much more needs to be said other than I would eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could.  When I get better at making pizza dough, I will be making this quite often.

We finished off the evening with a viewing of Top Chef, where I am still roundly disappointed with both the quality and capability of the chefs that are present this season.  We also had a scoop of frozen yogurt (courtesy of Johnny Iuzzini) that I had made last week with some blueberry sauce that I quickly whipped up earlier in the afternoon.  Perfect end to a perfect evening!

As Anthony Bourdain once said on Top Chef, “Asia is big” and so it’s not the best that I say I love to cook and eat “Asian” food. I’ve cooked Szechuan, Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, Japanese and who-knows-what, and I always try to label my dishes accordingly, instead of labeling them “Asian.” However, this meal is really a bit of a crossover, with miso, a traditionally Japanese ingredient, mixed with brown sugar and lime juice, which Vietnamese in nature.

Can you see the rice paper wrapper? Imagine a thin, circular piece of opaque plastic, and that’s what you’ve got in a rice paper wrapper. All that needs to be done to get them into eating shape is to give them a quick soak in warm water, and you’ve got a tasty and delicious wrapper for your spring rolls.

On top of the now pliable rice paper wrapper we put a dollop of sambal mayo, some shredded lettuce, shredded carrot, then the grilled shrimp and scallions. Now for the fun part…

The nice thing about the rice paper wrappers is that while they are extremely pliable, they are also sturdy to work with, so I wasn’t worried about tearing as I worked with them (unlike, say, phyllo dough, which is notoriously delicate and temperamental). After rolling, there was only one thing left to do…

This one was definitely a repeat – sweet, spicy, fresh and light, all wrapped up in a rice paper wrapper. I’m ashamed to admit I’d never made my own spring rolls before, but I think I’m going to be trying out some other recipes in the future. Next time, I’d add some cilantro or thai basil (or both), to add some more fresh flavors!

Miso Shrimp Spring Rolls
Serves 4

3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp yellow miso
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 large garlic clove, minced
1.5 tsp light brown sugar
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
6 scallions, cut into 1.5″ lengths
.5 cup light mayonnaise
1 tbsp sambal oelek
8 rice paper wrappers
Shredded lettuce
Shredded carrots

Light your grill to medium-high. In a bowl, whisk 2 tbsp lime juice with miso, vegetable oil, ginger, garlic and brown sugar. Add shrimp and toss to coat. Thread shrimp and scallions on skewers. In another bowl, whisk mayonnaise with sambal oelek and remaining lime juice.

Grill shrimp over moderately high heat until lightly charred and cooked through, 5 minutes total. Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise.

Working one at a time, soak a rice paper wrapper in warm water until pliable, 20 seconds, and put on a clean work surface. On the lower third, spoon & spread a bit of sambal mayo, followed by some lettuce and carrot, and top with some shrimp and scallions. Roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go, and place seam-side down on a plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients, cut each roll in half on the bias, and serve.

Stephanie is very averse to spicy food, and I’m a tremendous fan of the heat, so when she’s is not around for dinner, it’s a good bet that I’m cooking up something that will cause me to perspire profusely and need a giant glass of milk to ease the burn.  I’ve amassed a good amount of recipes that involve a good amount of spice, even though I don’t get that much of an opportunity to make them…except for evenings like tonight.

This recipe originally calls for catfish, which is mild and a little lighter in texture than I’d prefer.  I tend to substitute grouper in this recipe, as it’s a little firmer while maintaining that sweet and fresh flavor.  Since it’s pan-seared (in a grill pan) it makes it easy to get a nice crust on the fish while keeping the inside moist and tender.  Besides, they didn’t have catfish.

Jerk has become widely known as the definitive spice blend of Jamaica.  Traditionally, it’s a paste made from allspice, Scotch Bonnet chiles (hotter than habaneros!), cloves, cinnamon, garlic, thyme and a host of other ingredients, depending on who’s family recipe you are following.  Admittedly, I’m not about to make a giant batch of super-spicy jerk paste for myself, so I tend to cheat and use a dried spice blend (in my case, McCormick’s Gourmet Blend, which is a good combination of spicy, hot and sweet).

The slaw is a spicy slaw, with a habanero, cilantro and lime juice giving it a massive amount of flavor.  In the end, it’s spicy combined with spicy which makes this solo-dining husband a happy eater.

Jerk Grouper with Spicy Cilantro Slaw courtesy of Cooking Light

3 cups cabbage, thinly sliced (1 3 cups cole slaw mix)
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp lime juice
1.5 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely chopped habanero or serrano chile
4 6 oz grouper fillets
4 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning

Combine cole slaw mix, cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar and habanero in a bowl.  Set aside.

Rub grouper with jerk seasoning.  Heat grill pan to medium-high, then spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Cook fish 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked.

Eat!