Belgian Endive with Smoked Salmon and Mustard Sauce

So I was in Trader Joe's the other day and came across these green and purple endives. I always thought of endive as cream colored with bitter leaves. Am I the only person who always assumed that endives were always pale green? Endive spears are fun to fill with an assortment of ingredients.In the pass we have enjoyed topping the endive off with avocado mousse or blue cheese mixed with cream cheese. I had some smoked salmon in the fridge so this is what I came up with.Its a simple hors d'oeuvre that for whatever reason seems to impress.

Mustard Sauce

1/4 cup Dijon
2 ts vegetable oil
1 ts white wine vinegar
1 ts brown sugar
3/4 ts fresh dill


1/2 pound thinly sliced smoked salmon
4 heads Belgian endive separated, bottoms trimmed
1 tablespoon drained capers


I cut this recipe in half and it was just enough for a group of 6 friends for a tasty appetizer.

Whisk mustard ingredients together, cover and refrigerate. Cut smoked salmon into small strips. Place the salmon on the endive leaf towards the base. Drizzle with the mustard sauce and a few capers.

Tile fish with fall vegetable soup

Several years ago Philadelphia was voted America's fattest city by Men's Health magazine. Many local chefs were asked to come up with healthy, yet delicious recipes that could perhaps shake the image of us being a bunch of porkers. Local chef Mark Plescha (he looked eleven in his snap shot by the way), came up with this tasty recipe for tile fish which sits on a bed of fall vegetable soup. I expected ordinary, yet was pleasantly surprised how tasty this dish was.

• 4 fillets 5 to 6 oz tile fish ( Couldn't file tile, so I use Chilean sea bass, any thick white fish will do)
• 1 cup of diced carrots
• 3 cups diced squash
• 5 medium diced shallots
• 3 cloves of garlic crushed
• olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1 ts thyme
• 4 ts butter (amazing that he won even sneaking the butter in).

Season fish with salt and pepper. Pre heat oven to 350. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in saute pan.Add shallots. carrots, cook till soft. Add squash and garlic, cook another 5 minutes.Pour in wine and bring to a simmer. While stirring add chicken broth and chopped thyme. Cook until reduced about 1/2 and veggies are tender. While veggies are simmering, heat over proof saute pan over high heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, when hot, place fish in pan flesh side down. Sear about 2 minutes till lightly brown. Flip over fish, add butter. Place pan in oven about 5 minutes, basting with juices from pan.

Using a slotted spoon drain veggies from broth, placing in 4 bowls. Plop a lightly browned fish fillet on top, drizzle some broth over fish and vegetables, garnish with thyme.

Garlicky Baby Clams

I'm certain most of you know to never eat a closed clam. Apparently my father never got the memo. Years ago we were at our favorite seafood restaurant, my father and I had ordered a large bucket of steamed clams. As we dipped our bread into the delicious garlicky sauce, one last closed clam was discovered sitting at the bottom, perfectly happy to be left alone. My father immediately scooped out the clam and began prying it open with his butter knife. He was so pleased with himself as the clam finally opened up and he popped that sucker right into his mouth. " No need for it to go to waste.." he exclaimed as he dabbed the garlic sauce off his mouth. We sopped up the remaining sauce, gobbling up an entire loaf of bread with a cheap carafe of white wine and called it a night. Fast forward several hours...not pretty. He wrote off the restaurant for years, never admitting that opening up that lonely clam was really a dumb idea.

In the summer time I love to put out a large bowl of steamed baby clams and watch my friends dig in with their hands. Its a messy operation, but oh so delicious. Its a simple appetizer for a large crowd. An easy rule of thumb so you don't end up hating your favorite restaurant for all the wrong reasons, throw out any clams that don't open or are broken.

• 2 Tb butter



• 2 pounds of baby clams



• 1/3 cup of white wine



• 4 cloves of garlic minced



• juice of 1 lemon



• 4 Tb chopped flat leaf parsley



• Ground pepper

In a large skillet heat butter and add minced garlic. When garlic turns slightly golden add wine and clams. Increase heat and cover. This will take about 7 to 9 minutes. Shake the pan a few times during the cooking process. Remove clams and place in large bowl. Add lemon juice to cooking broth, reduce for 2 minutes. Mix in chopped parsley and pepper. Pour sauce over clams and serve with good crusty bread.

Seared Stripped Bass

So Debbie at the bait shop with the deeply lined skin was right. "Strippers are really biting today, just use these huge clams as bait and Ill guarantee you ll catch one!!" Maybe today would be our day, after two summers of catching nothing but rocks and the occasional crab this promise got our interest. We immediately grabbed six very large clams, (at Debbie's discount price of two for a buck I might add) and began envisioning our delicious stripped bass dinner. As we were leaving the shop Debbie took a few rubber bands off her wrist. " Here...take these, helps keep the clam on your hook.." We were psyched, this was going to be the day we finally pulled in the big one. Off we went to our favorite fishing jetty with high hopes that seared stripped bass would be on the dinner menu. What I love about this particular fish is that it needs such simple preparation as its flavor is so divine.

The jetty was crowded with lots of fishermen sipping their Budweiser's, it was just passed 9 in the morning. Although they appeared much more experienced, what they didn't have was Debbie's lucky rubber bands or guarantee that this was gonna be our day. OK are you ready for this part of the story, I can't make this stuff up. In less than 10 minutes we felt a pull. The rod started to bend, the fishermen put their Budweiser's down and started yelling "you got a monster on the line!!!!"As we tried to pull it in, the reel snapped off. No problem, everyone wanted to help pull this one in. Out of the water came the largest stripped bass Ive ever seen. Until you get high five ed by a bunch of strangers as you proudly unhook your catch you really don't understand the joy of fishing. Today I present you with simply prepared stripped bass, not sure whats better the story or the seared fish.

• 4 4 to 5 oz Stripped Bass Fillets
• Kosher salt and ground pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 Tb butter
• 1 lemon

I feel silly explaining this dish as it really is that easy. If your not familiar with searing I have a few little tips that make a big difference. Dry the fillets well, this will allow them to sear instead of steam. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Heat a large non stick pan(the non stick seems to keep the fish more intact) , drizzle generously with olive oil. Place fillets skin side down, keep in mind it takes about 7 to 8 minutes to cook fish that is one inch thick. My fillets did not have skin as SOMEONE didn't know how delicious the crispy skin is. So if you happen to only find skinless fillets it will still be wonderful. After about 3 minutes peek underneath, it should be lightly browned. If browned, gently flip over. At this point I added the butter. In about 4 to 5 minutes the other side should be nicely browned. Once the fish is opaque just add a quick squeeze of lemon. Now my friends the most delicious dinner awaits you. I served it with wild rice (which expired a year ago..shhh no one complained) and snow peas.

Deviled Eggs with Marinated Shrimp

Deviled eggs? No thanks. As a holiday gift quite a while back, some individual who will remain nameless presented me with a Tupperware deviled egg storage container. I'm assuming it was for travel purposes. I'm now using it to store buttons, works quite nicely I might add. I always perceived deviled eggs as an appetizer that has been WAY over done. Several years ago I lived in North Carolina. At our 1st staff luncheon 11 out of 30 women brought, yup you guess it..deviled eggs. Many varieties arrived, relish, mustard, mayo, no mayo, paprika, no paprika. The entire conference table was covered in 132 deviled eggs. Yup, you guessed it again..all were consumed at an amazing pace, I watched in disbelief. Following that meeting I was done, I decided deviled eggs are boring and amateurish. Ten years later I came across Govind Armstrongs deviled eggs with marinated shrimp. I'm a convert, now I'm not saying I want 132 of them at a staff meeting, but I am saying that they are a refreshing change that your guests will appreciate. The marinated shrimp really adds a nice touch. So if you yawn at the thought of eating another deviled egg, or perhaps your actually a fan of them, give them a try. They certainly would have turned some heads at my Southern Staff luncheon.

Marinated Shrimp

• 1 Tb whole grain mustard
• 1 ts chopped flat leaf parsley
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 Tb olive oil
• Splash of Tabasco sauce
• salt and Pepper
• 8 cooked shrimp peeled, deveined and split in half lengthwise

Deviled Eggs

• 8 organic large eggs, hardboiled and peeled
• 1 ts Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 ts prepared horseradish
• 2 ts fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 ts cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper

For the shrimp marinade combine the mustard, parsley and lemon juice, whisk until smooth. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in the tabasco, then add salt and pepper. Place the shrimp in the marinade for 1 hour before serving.

Carefully split each egg in half lenghthwise, scoop the yolk into a bowl. Set whites aside. Add mustard, mayo, horseradish, lemon juice and cayenne pepper to the egg yolks, whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture in to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch star tip and pipe the mixture into the egg halves. Or do what I often do and place the egg mixture into a ziplock bag with a small corner cut off, works quite nicely. Remove shrimp from their marinade, and top each stuffed egg with a shrimp half.

Sea Bass in Parchment Paper

I spotted this recipe in this months Gourmet Magazine as I was getting my hair cut today. It was too risky to rip out the page, I had no pen and paper so I am sharing with you what I remember. Sometimes this can be dangerous. This time I think I nailed it. Ive always enjoyed cooking or perhaps I should say steaming fish in parchment paper. All the ingredients blend together so nicely. It always feels so special to gently rip open the parchment to discover perfectly cooked fish surrounded by a delicious assortment of flavors.

• 1/3 cup of Sake


• 1 1/2 Tb soy sauce


• 1 ts grated ginger


• 1 ts sugar


• 4 6oz pieces of sea bass


• 1/2 cup sliced scallions


• salt and pepper

Heat over to 400. Mix sake, soy sauce, ginger and sugar together. Prepare 4 12x15 pieces of parchment paper. Place a piece of fish in the middle of the parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Distribute sauce evenly by drizzling on top of fish. Sprinkle with scallions. Tie corners of parchment together with kitchen string, creating a nice little package. Maybe not quite as nice as something you would leave under the tree, but have fun with it. Cook approximately 12 minutes, remove from oven. Let rest for a minute, tear open and enjoy.

Parmesan Crisps topped with Scallops and Chives

This hors d'oeuvre without a doubt is very special. Actually after eating three of them just a moment ago I believe it is now in my top ten. What I love about scallops is that you have to do so little to them to achieve such great taste. I tend to only purchase the large dry scallops, they seem to have a much better taste and texture. The combination of the crisp Parmesan and the sweet seared scallop will make you wish you found this recipe a long time ago. Its really that good.

• 1/3 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese


• 12 dry sea scallops


• 3 to 4 Tb unsalted butter


• Kosher salt and Pepper


• Chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350. Spoon small amounts of grated parmesan (about 1 Tb) on to a baking pan covered with parchment paper. Space them about 1 to 2 inches apart. Lightly press Parmesan to create a small circle. Bake until crispy and golden. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes. Keep an eye on them as my first batch turned in to miniature black hockey pucks. Remove from oven, let cool. You can make the crisps a day in advance, just keep them in an air tight container.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet melt butter and add 1/2 of the scallops. Let them cook for about 2 minutes. Gently turn them over for another 2 to 3 minutes. They will begin to caramelize. Place scallops on paper towels. Repeat with remaining scallops. Top each crisp with a scallop. Sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately. (Be sure to pop one in your mouth before your guests dive in).

Lettuce Cups Filled With Spicy Halibut

The other night we had friends over who were following a yeast free diet. Normally I don't invite such high maintenance types over. These two are quite fun, even without the yeast. I decided to take on the challenge. I made these delicious Lettuce Cups Filled With Spicy Halibut. It's a Cat Cora recipe, which usually means somewhat easy and extremely tasty. So if your faced with a guest with a special dietary need, make a decision. If they are fun, get creative and make something everyone will enjoy. If they are beat, make whatever you have planned on cooking and have them bring their own dinner in cute little Tupperware containers.

Halibut

• 2 Tb Olive Oil
• 2 Tb lime juice
• 1 ts chili power
• 1 ts ground cumin
• 1 ts cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 ts sea salt
• ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds Halibut Fillets (6 4 oz fillets)

1 Head of butter lettuce

Tomato Salad

• 5 Roma Tomatoes diced
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives , pitted and halved
• 1 ts oregano
• 2 Tb chopped flat leaf parsley
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 2 Tb lime juice
• salt and pepper

For the tomato salad, mix the tomatoes, olives, onions, oregano, parsley,olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, mix well and set aside.

Now on to the Halibut. Place Halibut in a baking dish, large enough so all the fillets can be placed in a single layer. In a separate bowl, mix olive oil, lime juice, chili power, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Mix well and pour all over the fillets, coating thoroughly with the marinade. Let the fillets sit for 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.

I used a non stick grill pan. If grilling outside, brush the fillets with olive oil so they don't stick to the grill. Cook the fillets till opaque about 6 minutes on each side. The halibut I used was quite thick, so it took a little bit longer to cook. It was also 20 dollars a pound, so if you find snapper or tuna a little cheaper they would also work well.

For the lettuce cups gently separate the leaves. If you want extra crunchy leaves, soak the leaves in cold water for a few minutes, pat dry.

Place a portion of grilled fish in a lettuce cup, top with a scoop of the tomato salad. Season with salt and pepper. These are very messy, but oh so delicious. My yeast free friends were not eating dairy the night they were over. Normally I would have drizzled Avocado Tzatziki on top. A slice of avocado would also be quite good.

Avocado Tzatziki

• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 ts fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 to 1 ts minced garlic
• 1/2 ts Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and grated cucumber
• 1 ripe avocado peeled and diced

Mix yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Add grated cucumber and diced avocado. Mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Leftover Tzatziki? Delish on anything grilled.

Baked Shrimp and Feta

I never realized that feta and shrimp could be the best of friends. Yes indeed, they are real chums now. I served this the other night to a hungry crowd. They agreed its the perfect marriage and you will to. I was feeling fancy so I cooked the shrimp and feta in individual shells which is not necessary as any individual ovenproof dish will be fine.

• 1 1/2 Pounds of large shrimp shelled and deveined


• Juice of 1 lemon


• 2 to 3 Tb butter


• 2 shallots minced


• 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce


• 3 med. tomatoes peeled chopped into a small dice and drained. I don't need to tell you how to peel a tomato do I? Ok ok..Cut an X into tomato skin, throw in boiling water, take out 30 seconds later, put in cold water...peel with ease.


• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


• 3 Tb chopped fresh basil (if you don't like basil use dill)


• 4 cloves garlic crushed


• Salt and Pepper to taste


• 1/2 pd Feta crumbled


• Parsley for garnish
  

Rinse off shrimp and sprinkle with lemon juice. Melt butter in pan and cook shallots till they begin to slightly golden. Add tomato sauce , chopped tomatoes, parsley, basil, garlic salt and pepper. Use wooden spoon to mash chopped tomatoes. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat .

Butter individual oven proof dishes and spoon about 3 Tb of sauce into each dish. Place a few shrimp on top and then spoon more sauce over the shrimp. Finally, sprinkle crumbled feta on the top. Place dishes into a baking pan and bake about 20 minutes at 350. When cheese has melted, remove from oven. I usually pull out a shrimp to make sure they are fully cooked. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot. Make sure you serve with good crusty bread .

Smoked Salmon and Arugula

     I never tire of smoked salmon. I enjoy it so many different ways. Often when I have a craving  for smoked salmon, yet feeling cheap at the same time Ill ask my deli guy John  to save me the scraps. When I stop in a few days later he  yells my name across the store.."Yo..I have your smoked salmon scraps..boy your cats are gonna eat well tonight!" I don't have a cat, I just thank him and immediately start dreaming about the most delicious breakfast Ill be enjoying when I get home.

     I start by caramelizing  onions in some butter, add a few mixed  eggs  and cream, when its just about done I add the chopped smoked salmon and some freshly ground pepper. Beyond delish.   Today were not doing breakfast, were doing smoked salmon and arugula on toasted french bread. Goat cheese is spread on the toasted french bread then topped with the salmon and arugula. Not quite scrambled eggs, but and elegant appetiser that is sure to please.

• long skinny French bread sliced into 1/2 inch  slices
• 3 Tb  Olive Oil
• 1/2 Pound soft goat cheese
•  1 to 2 ts grated lemon zest(depending on how lemony you want to go)
• 4 ts lemon juice
• ground pepper
• 1/2 pound arugula leaves
  
• 8 to 10 oz of thinly sliced salmon

Heat oven to 350. Place sliced bread on baking sheet. Brush 1 side of each slice with olive oil. Bake till lightly brown. Watch..don't walk away they burn easily. Flip over once. In small bowl mix goat cheese, zest, juice and ground pepper. Mixed till well combined. When ready to serve spread  each  slice of toasted bread with goat cheese mixture.(The olive oil side).  Then top with a couple of arugula leaves.  Cut salmon slices so they fit on top of the toasts. Place a slice of salmon on top of arugula. sprinkle with ground pepper.   Cut remaining arugula leaves into thin  strips. Sprinkle on top of salmon. Serve.