Dinner!

sporkme:

Chorizo, Mushroom, Potato, Feta and Pesto Pizza

I love potato on pizzas, especially with this since the flavors are so strong.  I used my trusty pizza base recipe and made a quick pesto.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 garlic clove
• Olive oil, salt and pepper
• 1 piece of smoked chorizo, sliced
• 2-3 portabello mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 1 potato, finely sliced, in a bowl with 2 cups of boiling water for 5-10 minutes

Blend the basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.  On a pizza base, layer on the pesto, potato, mushroom, chorizo and feta, and season a bit with salt and pepper before baking at 220C / 425F for 15 or so minutes.

dirtypans:

Hi everyone,

I haven’t been very faithful with the daily menus for a good reason… I’m not cooking all that much because I’ve been alone for the past week, and I’m preparing to travel to the world capital of gourmet food… no, not Paris… Lyon. I’m spending a week in Annecy, France, and 3 days doing what I know best… eating.

To get in the mood, I made this very easy dinner for myself and my husband before he left. So simple, yet really tasty. You’ll need:

• 8 large sea scallops
• 1 cup of corn grits (also known as polenta)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 tblsp of butter (yes, I use the real think for special occasions)
• 1 cup of finely chopped cilantro
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese or any good melting cheese
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste

1- Start with the polenta. Bring 2 cups of water with a little salt to a boil. Put in the garlic and the corn grits and with a wooden spoon start stirring. 

2- Lower the heat and keep stirring until you have a thick, custard-like polenta. The more you cook, the thicker it becomes. I particularly like it very thick, my husband likes it runny, so I made it runny for him by adding more water.

3- Once you have the consistency you like, turn off the heat, and mix in the cilantro and cheddar cheese. Reserve. If you made it thick it’ll get harder as it rests.

4- The scallops are the easiest thing to do. Pat them dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt the butter, and under high heat put in the scallops. Cook them just 3 minutes each side until they are browned. Be careful not to overcook, 

5- Heat the crushed tomatoes with a little salt and pepper to garnish your polenta.

Arrange everything the way you like. My presentation is not that good because of the runny polenta, but if you made it thick, you can almost cut it in slices and make it look prettier.

Ah! If you have leftover polenta, you can refrigerate it, cut it into slices and grill or deep-fry. It is delicious. 

Hope you enjoy!

Roasted salmon with gravlax-style marinade

Sausage Stuffed Quails

Summery pasta with peas, ricotta and bacon

Cabbage with Kielbasa & Beans

theverybestfood:

Sausage & White Bean Cassoulet

sporkme:

Pan-roasted Spatchcock with Truffled Potatoes and Mushrooms, and Grilled Asparagus

I learned something new - I didn’t know what a spatchcock was besides a really funny word (yes, I’m 12), but apparently it’s either a small young chicken, or a way to flatten a bird.  This was a small chicken.  Much more manageable for a dinner for two than a “regular” chicken, though I wouldn’t have minded some leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 spatchcock, cut in half down the back and breast
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 bunch of fresh sage leaves
• 4 small (or 2 large) portabello mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 4-5 fingerling potatoes
• A few drops of truffle oil
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil

Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes and set aside.  Insert 1 rosemary sprig under the chicken skin on each half of the spatchcock, pat the skin dry and coat liberally with salt and pepper.  In an ovenproof skillet, melt the butter, and brown the chicken (skin side down) until the skin is golden and crispy.

Set spatchcock aside, and add the onions and sage to the pan.  Once soft, add the potatoes and mushrooms, and toss together.  Sprinkle with a bit of truffle oil, and add the chicken back to the pan (try and get it close to the bottom).  Bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the bird) at 200C / 375F.  Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Grill asparagus for 7-10 minutes, coated in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Serve.

sporkme:

Red Wine and Rosemary Braised Beef Ribs

Oh yum, this was nice!  And massive, if you can’t tell.  The butcher didn’t have short ribs, so I ended up with one of these, really nice flavor and this method of cooking was tops.

Ingredients:

• 2 massive beef ribs
• A few sprigs of rosemary
• 3 cloves of garlic, mashed up in a mortar and pestle
• 2 cups of red wine
• Salt, pepper, and olive oil

Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Chop about half the rosemary and rub into the meat as well.  Get a pan hot and brown the meat on all sides before adding the red wine, some rosemary sprigs, and covering tightly to simmer on low for an hour.

Get a grill or grill pan as hot as you can.  Remove the meat from the braise and reduce the red wine to a sauce.  Grill the meat for about 2 minutes on each side to finish, and serve with the red wine sauce and a bit more rosemary.

theverybestfood:

Ricotta Gnocchi with Basil & Fresh Mozzarella