Greg's World on a Plate

A Twist on the 4th of July

2009-07-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Chicken Tamale with Corn Salsa and Queso Fresco

Grilled Corn & Cherry Tomato Salsa

Spicy Guacamole

When you think of an American holiday, maybe hot dogs and apple pie come to mind, but its always a little different at my house. Today Tamales are on the menu, this was inspired after discovering and shopping at a well stocked Mexican supermarket in the area. I started with chicken thighs that were slowly braised in a red chili sauce until the meat fell off the bone, next I made a green tomatillo salsa, grilled corn and cherry tomato salsa and a spicy guacamole. I also bought a slice of Mexican Queso Fresco which I crumbled, it is almost like Feta cheese but less salty. The most important component to make is Masa, which is the same dough used in making corn tortillas, it can be found sometimes already made or a "just add water" powder. Now with all the component's done it was easy to assemble the tamales. A spoonful of soft masa dough is placed in the center of a water softened corn husk, a spoon of shredded chicken is placed on top then its folded like a small square package, next into a steamer for about an hour and its dinner time dinner time. I also made a vegetarian version using black beans and grilled corn. Dinner was good and now its time for the fireworks.

Provencal Fish Stew

2009-07-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

I had all the ingredients to make a fish soup, so that's all the inspiration I needed. I used Sea bass, fennel, onion, tomato, saffron, garlic and black olives. I would have liked to use mussels and maybe a grilled bread slice to go with it.

Ingredients:
8 oz. Sea bass, diced
1 Fennel Bulb , diced
1/2 Onion, diced
3 clove Garlic, chopped fine
1 Roma Tomato, diced
2 Cups Water or Fish Stock
Kosher Salt/ Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon Parsley, Chopped
Black Olive paste as desired
1 Pinch Saffron

Method:
1. Saute all vegetables in extra virgin olive olive oil.
2. Add diced fish, saffron and broth, bring to simmer and cook till fish is done.
3. Ladle into preheated bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and olive paste.

Yield = 4

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli

2009-07-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

I made a simple fresh ravioli tonight using a herb pasta dough and a filling of garlic sauteed spinach with ricotta cheese. I added fresh chopped parsley to the pasta dough while mixing which gave it bright green flecks of herbs on the thinly rolled out sheets, next small tablespoons mounds of the spinach-ricotta filling were placed along the sheets of dough every few inches, then the dough was folded over and sealed, pushing out any air bubbles. The next step is to cut out the ravioli and either cook them right away or freeze for another time. The best thing about using fresh pasta is that they cook very fast and you will not have to wait too long before eating them. I served them with a simple sauce of ripe cherry tomatoes, herbs, black olives, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

Mediterranean Style Sea Bass

2009-06-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

I cooked a simple dinner tonight using Sea Bass and all the Mediterranean flavors that I love, Garlic, Fennel, Olives and Tomatoes. The fish was a locally caught sea bass bought from my fish guy at the market, he is honest with me and will only recommend whats new and fresh. The fish was simply seasoned and sauteed in olive oil. While the fish was cooking I sauteed diced fennel bulb, sliced onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes, I bunch of spinach was added at the end to quickly wilt and then the vegetables were placed in a mound on a preheated plate. I like using condiments with fish and I decided on using a classic black olive tapenade. I love all the different flavors and bright colors of this dish and it was Delicious too.

Tapenade

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted Nicoise Olives

1 Tablespoon Capers (salt packed)

2 each Anchovies (salt packed)

2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Juice of one Lemon

Method

1. Finely chop to a fine paste or pulse all ingredients in a blender.

Note: If using salt packed ingredients, rinse well to remove excess salt.

Harissa, The North African Hot Sauce

2009-06-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

If you like making your hot sauces, then this should be one to try, Its Harissa from the North African Countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Its a very common condiment that's used in a wide range of dishes from these Countries, its spicy but with a lot of smoky flavor from the dried chilies and toasted spices. Try it as you would any other hot sauce.

Ingredients:

10-12 dried Chile de Arbol or Ancho Chilies

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

Method:

1. Soak the dry chilies in warm water for about 30 minutes to rehydrate and soften them.

2. toast the seeds in a hot dry saute pan for a few minutes till they just start to smoke.

3. Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth.

Store refrigerated in small jars with a layer of olive oil on top of the paste.

Father's Day Breakfast Hash

2009-06-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Normally people would cook for the father on this day but I like cooking too much to let someone else have all the fun doing it. Making some kind of hash on Sunday mornings is common in my house and today we will keep up the tradition. Today's hash is a "use what I find in the refrigerator hash" and there were good ingredients available, Cooked Chicken, Italian Sausage, Yellow Bell Pepper, Russet Potato, Bacon and Eggs. Everything is cut into cubes and cooked in a non stick pan till tender and golden, a Fried Egg and a fiery spoonful of North African Harissa sauce to finish because I like spicy foods.

Ingredients:

1 russet Potato, diced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced

1 cooked Chicken Breast, diced

1/2 cooked Italian Sausage, diced

1 strip Smoky Bacon, diced

1/4 yellow Onion, diced

2 Eggs

Optional: Harissa or other hot sauce

Method:

1. Saute all ingredients in a non stick saute bacon till golden brown, divide on warmed bowls.

2. Fry Eggs in a dash of olive oil in a non stick pan and serve one per bowl of hash, spoon Hot sauce over eggs if desired.

Yield= 2

Orzo Pasta Salad with Olive, Feta and Radicchio

2009-06-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

Orzo Pasta Salad

I made a very flavorfull and colorfull salad at work the other day, it has a lot of ingredients that I love like Radicchio, Kalamata olives, Feta Cheese, Fresh Basil and sun dried Tomaoes. I used orzo pasta which resemble grains of rice and quickly grilled the radicchio which gives it a slight smoky flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Orzo pasta

1/4 cup slice Kalamata olives

2 each lightly grilled Radicchio

1/4 cup Feta cheese

handfull Fresh Basil Leafs

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes

Pinch whole Flat Leaf Parsley

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Sherry Vinegar

Kosher Salt/Fresh Cracked Pepper

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients and add salt to taste (note: the feta and olives are salty)

Avocado

2009-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

I was trying to come up with ideas for serving avocado which is one one my favorite foods, a different way is using a mellon baller to make perfect balls of avocado. These were just drizzled with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil, but adding other ingredients would make a nice salad. Maybe cucumbers or tomatoes? I will continue to play with my foods and dream up new combinations of flavors.

Baby Arugula

2009-06-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am growing Arugula (Rocket) its one of my favorite greens and I use on everything, these very young plants already have the bright peppery flavor that I love, look for these greens in upcoming recipes.

Fast & Easy Non Fat Granola

2009-06-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

On a whim I had the idea of making granola for breakfast this morning and its good to have around the house for a quick snack. People seem to think that granola is very healthy to eat, the basic ingredients of grains, nuts and dried fruits are healthy, but most of all the fat and calories come from the sugar and butter used to make it. My batch was simply oats, almonds and golden raisins, for additional sweetness I used agave nectar which comes from the agave plant that tequila is made from. It's a sweet liquid syrup that is fat free and has about 60 calories per tablespoon. Any combination of grains, nuts and dried fruits can be used, also chocolate chips or M&M's can be added to make it more of a trail mix. I made a bowl with non fat yogurt, Manila Mango and blueberries.

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup almonds (whole or sliced)

4 tablespoons agave nectar

dash cinnamon powder

dash vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine oats, almond, cinnamon, vanilla and nectar on a sheet pan.

2. Bake at 350F for about 10-15 minutes, mix as needed so it is evenly browned.

3. Remove from oven, let cool then add the raisins, mix well and store in air tight containers.

Tomato Omelet

2009-06-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

I made a simple three ingredient breakfast this morning with eggs, diced tomatoes and shaved Asiago cheese. Beaten eggs go into a heated olive oil drizzled non stick pan, after a few moments of cooking till the eggs are almost set, a spoonful of sauteed tomatoes and the cheese go on, the eggs are folded over into the classic omelet shape, more cheese and tomatoes go on top with a sprinkle of parsley.

Friday Night Rack of Lamb

2009-06-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Its been a long busy week at work, so with the start of the weekend I went all out with a rack of lamb for dinner. I don't eat lamb often but sometimes I am in the mood for it and this was it. I started my weekend with a very nice evening sail on San Francisco bay then when I got home I started preping dinner with a glass of good red wine. First I made a tomato, onion and saffron chutney then I simply seasoning and roasted the lamb rack in a hot 400f oven for about 12 minutes. I allowed the lamb to rest before cutting into chops and served them with the tomato chutney. The weekend is off to a good start.

First of the season Tomato Risotto

2009-06-01T22:07:00.000-07:00

I am starting to see nice tomatoes showing up at the farmers market now, you know its just a tease for whats to follow in a few months. I bought some tomatoes anyway because I am ready for summer to start. I first had the idea of doing a salad of tomato, mozzarella and basil, but I thought the flavors would not be perfect for that yet. A way of concentrating the flavors would be to sun dry or in my case, oven dry. So that's what I did, all afternoon in a 200F oven with a little olive oil and garlic for flavoring. Next I made a simple risotto using a tomato stock and finishing with the chunks of oven dried tomato and fresh basil. It was a lot of work in front of the stove but it turned out great and I will try it in a few months when tomatoes are at there peak.

Cherries

2009-05-31T19:47:00.000-07:00

The markets are flooded with cherries right now, they will only be around for a few weeks. Buy them and eat them, they are so good.

Fresh Chick Peas in the Pod

2009-05-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Fresh Chick Peas in the Pod
Cleaned and Cooked

Hummus and Pita Chips

A rare farmers market find are fresh chick peas in the pod, also commonly known as garbanzo beans. When I spotted these and had to buy a few handfuls of the fresh pods because they are not normally sold fresh, I instantly came up with the idea of making hummus with them. The fresh pods are about the size of a peanut containing one to three beans in each, after shelling I simmered the beans in salted water for a few minutes, then shocked them in ice water to stop them from cooking and to set the bright green color. Using a mortar and pestle I mashed the beans with fresh lemon juice, garlic, tahini (sesame seed paste) olive oil, fresh oregano, cumin and kosher salt. It turned out really Delicious with a mild nutty flavor. I served them with crispy baked pita chips.

Rack of Pork

2009-05-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

I found a really nice pork loin with bone in at neighborhood market, cooking with the bone in provides additional flavor, helps retains moisture and gives you the rib bones to chew on as well. I trussed the loin with heavy duty twine and placed the pork in a brine for two days. The brine is simply made with water, kosher salt, sugar, garlic, fennel seeds, carrots, celery and onion. The brine gives a lot of flavor and will help the pork stay moist during cooking. After a quick sear on top of the stove it goes into a hot 400 degree oven to roast till it reaches 150 degrees, after a 15 minute rest the chops are carved from the roast and served with roasted potatoes and honey glazed carrots, the pork turned out very moist and tender. I could have made a sauce using maybe mustard or fruit, but this time I left it alone and it was great.

Lasagna for the Kids

2009-05-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lasagna is a really nice one pan meal that everyone likes, it can be made ahead of time and reheated as needed. My kids love it and request it almost as often as pizza. Only a few components are required for assembling a simple tomato sauce and cheese version. I always make my own pasta sheets with results in a delicate texture. Other options are using different vegetables and meats in the filling such as spinach and sausage.

Grilled Pepper Salad

2009-05-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Tri Color Pepper Salad

A really good and easy salad to make is roasted peppers dressing with extra virgin olive oil and a splash of good quality vinegar, some chopped herbs like basil or oregano and its done. This simple salad was made with green, yellow and red peppers, charred black on the grill then cleaned of the charred skin and sliced, next drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of Chianti vinegar, chopped oregano and parsley to finish. The salad will be better the next day when the flavors have a chance to blend. Try this salad with a piece of grilled fish on a hot summer day.

Focaccia

2009-05-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

My daughter asked me to make Focaccia bread for her school class project, I don't remember ever doing food for my school work? but that was a few years ago. I started by making a big batch of bread dough using lots of garlic infused extra virgin olive oil and chopped fresh rosemary from the garden. After mixing, kneading and proofing till it doubled in size, I punched the dough down and placed it into two half sheet pans for the second rise, next before I put the bread dough in the 400 degree oven, I made the classic dimple indentation's that focaccia has with my fingers and drenched the dough once again with more extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. The house smelled amazing while it baked and I wish I made some for me to eat. I think the kids will like it.

First of my Season Strawberries

2009-05-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I harvested the first strawberries from my back yard garden today, I didn't have time to make anything with them because the kids ate them immediately. There's more berries ripening on the plant so I will have more for future use, I have heard of strawberry and arugula risotto, its unusual but really good and I might have to make.

Green Bean Salad with a hint of Asia

2009-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

In getting my kids to eat more vegetables I came up with a simple salad of cooked and chilled blue lake green beans. Beans are good with any type of vinaigrette, but I have a lot of Asian products in my pantry, so I made a simple vinaigrette with rice wine vinegar, Mirin (sweet rice wine) miso paste, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil. The cooked beans are tossed in the vinaigrette then placed on a mound of mixed greens, a little drizzle of dressing on the greens and its done.

Grilling on the Water

2009-04-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

It might as well be summer with absolutely flawless weather, its sunny and warm with rain as only a distant memory. Today I took my two girls out for a late afternoon sail and dinner on my boat. My youngest daughter likes to sail and helps me with handling the boat, she also had taken on the role as the head bartender, my older daughter is different, she went below and slept during the whole sail. When we got back to the dock at sunset it was time to fire up the stern mounted grill, the easiest food to cook on the boat is sausage, which cooks with little mess. Our menu today were sandwiches made with grilled Italian sausages, roasted peppers, Fontina cheese and arugula. I also had made some Yukon gold potato salad earlier in the day to serve as a side. A couple of bunches of grapes to finish (note: seagulls eat grapes) It was all good and a good day with my girls.

Fresh Pasta with Mushrooms and Arugula

2009-04-15T20:59:00.000-07:00

I made a big batch of fresh pasta sheets for a lasagna that my kids are going to have for dinner, I took some of the extra sheets and cut them into wide pappardelle noodles. These fresh noodles cooked very fast, I combined the cooked and drained pasta with sliced mushrooms, garlic and arugula that were quickly sauteed in extra virgin olive oil. Its very good and the only fast food I will eat!

The Best of Spring Vegetables

2009-04-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

Farmers markets are loaded with beautiful spring produce right now and many of the stalls have big bins of fava beans, artichokes and asparagus. I loaded up on fava beans which I love and have a short growing season. When buying favas, remember that one pound of the bean pods will yield only about half a cup of cleaned beans, so buy a few pounds. I also bought really nice central coast baby artichokes and wild arugula for a salad which I was planing on making. The artichokes are cleaned and trimmed then cooked till tender, the favas beans are removed from the large pods, then quickly blanched in boiling water, the thin skin on the beans will come off very easy after this brief cooking. Next I slice ciabatta bread and grill the slices with olive oil to use as a base for the salad. The washed and dried arugula, cooked fava beans and artichokes are then tossed in extra virgin olive oil, fresh pepper, sea salt and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. The salad is then arranged on top of the crostini. It doesn't get any better then this, except with maybe Parmesan cheese shaved on top.

Pan Roasted Sea Bass

2009-04-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have a special dinner coming up in a few months and I wanted to try out some Sea Bass ideas. This Sea Bass is known as Mexican bass, in a month or two when summer comes and the Mexican waters warm up, these fish will swim North to cooler American waters and then the fish will be known as California Sea Bass. I really want to cook and serve the fish with the beautiful skin on, not only will it be golden and crispy but it will help retain the moisture. I pan seared the simply seasoned fish fillet skin side down in a mixture of olive oil and butter. Adding the olive oil brings the smoke point up, which means the oil and butter mixture will reach a higher cooking temperature before it starts to smoke (burn) After a few minutes of cooking on the stove, the pan goes into a 400 degree oven to roast for about 6 minutes.

I served sauteed spinach and garlic and a mixture of wild mushrooms with the Bass. It turned out moist and flavorful, I have a few more ideas to try but this might make the menu.