by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Pastas, Vegetables
Yes, another pasta dish. Here is a simple pasta dish to make with some zucchini and pecorino. Makes 4 “european” size portions.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced approximately ¾” cup
- 5 cloves chopped garlic
- 4 small-medium zucchini chopped in ¼” pieces
- ½ cup pecorino cheese
- ½ cup cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- ½ tsp pepper
- salt to taste
- 4 servings of pasta – I used spaghetti but I think Fussili or Farfale would have been better
Preparation:
In large pot, boil pasta water. Add pasta to salted boiling water. Zucchini takes about 15 minutes to time your pasta accordingly. In a large sauce pan, on medium-high heat melt the butter. Add in the onions and garlic until translucent. Add in the zucchini and cook until zucchini start to brown slightly. Add in the cream and cook until it thickens. (If sauce gets too thick you can add in some of the pasta water). Add salt to taste and parsley and basil. Drain pasta keeping some water for reserve (to thin out the sauce if too heavy for your liking). Plate pasta onto each bowl, add the zucchini mixture. Add in the cheese to each plate. Toss before eating.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Meats, Sauces, Vegetables
With recommended pairings from my favorite book, The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg, I combined Lamb with rosemary & garlic; Potatoes with rosemary, garlic, sour cream and chives, and added in “pea puree”, combined with cooked onions, garlic, chives and creme fraîche.
For the lamb:
- 3 lamb tenderloins
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp on chopped fresh rosemary
- 5 cloves of garlic
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
Place all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and add the lamb and move around to make sure the lamb is covered evenly with marinade. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. To cook the lamb place 2 tbsp of butter in iron skillet on high heat. Add salt and pepper to the lamb, and place lamb in skillet, sear all sides and cook until internal temperature reaches 135 degrees (for medium rare). Remove from skillet and allow the lamb to rest for 5 minutes. Internal temperature should be around 140-145 degrees.
For the potatoes:
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp of rosemary
- 3 cups of new potatoes cut in half
- salt
- ½ cup sour creme
- 1 tsp chopped chives
Set oven to bake at 400 degrees. Mix olive oil, rosemary and garlic in large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and toss so potatoes are covered with oil mixture. Add potatoes to cookie sheet or large oven proof pan. Sprinkle salt on potatoes. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked. If you want to crisp them a bit, turn oven to broil and broil them for a few minutes until browned.
For the Pea Puree:
- 1 bag of frozen sweet peas
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- ⅓ cup créme fraîche
- salt
Cook the peas in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook stirring 3 -5 minutes until softened. Add in strained peas and cook for another minute. Transfer all ingredients including the chives to a food processor with an S blade. (my favorite is the Brevile Sous Chef) and puree until smooth. Place into a bowl, and slowly fold in the crime fraîche. Add salt to taste.
Plating:
Place a nice smear of the pea puree onto the center of the plate. Add the roasted potatoes on top of the puree on one side, and the lamb on the other side. Sprinkle lamb with parsley, add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives to the potatoes. And voilà! Dinner is served!
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Fish, Vegetables
My family loves salmon, not only because of the taste, but the health benefits as well. It’s packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals (including potassium, selenium and vitamin B12). I like to try different recipes with salmon so that my family doesn’t get sick of it. Here is a recipe I found, but made some modifications to it.
Ingredients:
For the Salmon:
- 4 6-ounce pieces of salmon, skin and bones removed
- 4 teaspoons of soy sauce
- ½ cup minced red onion
- 1 lemon, quartered
For the Mushrooms:
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 4 cups wild mushrooms (creminis, chanterelles, or oysters)
- 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
- 5 cloves of chopped garlic
- salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Lentils:
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups of chicken broth (bone broth is even better – more protein)
- ⅓ cup julienned prosciutto
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
For the Lentils: Place the olive oil in a medium sauce-pan and warm over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until onions are translucent (approx. 3-4 minutes). Add the chicken stock and lentils to the pan, boil then reduce heat to a simmer. cook for 20 to 40 minutes (depends on the type of lentils being used – best to follow the package instructions). Once cooked to desired consistency (I prefer a little al dente), remove from heat, fold in the prosciutto and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
For the Mushrooms: trim the end of the stems from the mushroom and slice into ¼ inch slices. Bake the mushrooms covered in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then, Place 1 tbsp. butter in a large sauce pan, on medium heat and add the garlic and rosemary. Cook until garlic is cooked through. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and rosemary, leaving any butter in the pan. Add the other tbsp and mushrooms to the pan, and cook. I prefer my mushrooms a little browned. Cook for 5 minutes or until they reached desired consistency. Remove mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.
For the Salmon: Rub the salmon with the soy sauce, place under broiler for 3-4 minutes. In an even coat, add the onions and return to broiler, make sure not to burn the onions, or over cook the salmon. (I cooked my for 7 minutes on the 3rd shelf down from the top, so it did not burn). Remove Salmon and squeeze lemon over it.
Assembly: In the center of each plate, spoon some cooked lentils, place salmon on top, and spoon on the mushrooms. Sprinkle with parsley.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Breakfast, Vegetables
I don’t think my sons realizes HOW good he has it. This morning, before being dropped off at high school (yes, he’s totally spoiled!), I made him an omelet! it wasn’t just an ordinary omelet… It was a truffle butter, goat cheese, arugula omelet with crispy onions. The big “foodie” LOVED it, so I am posting it here for you all to enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tsp truffle oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of truffle butter
- ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
- ⅓ cup arugula
- 1 tbsp crispy onions
Directions:
Whisk eggs, heavy cream, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a small non-stick pan, melt truffle butter on medium-low heat. Add in the eggs, and cover, cook until most of the eggs are cooked, can be a little runny on top. Add the goat cheese and arugula to one half of the eggs. Fold over and cook until eggs are cooked through and cheese is slightly melted. Place omelet on a plate add a few sprinkles of goat cheese and crispy onions and serve. Hopefully you will like this as much as my 16 year old!
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Appetizers, Meats, Salads, Vegetables
For all the Paleo lovers out there…here is a great little wrap for you!
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- pinch of sugar or ½ tsp of raw honey for the Paleo fans
- salt and pepper
- 8 thinly sliced roast beef (8 oz.) halved crosswise
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 oz. of Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
In a large bowl, whisk together lemon, sugar (or honey) salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Arrange roast beef on a work surface. Add arugula to dressing and toss. Taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper. Divide arugula among the beef slices with a few leaves extending beyond edges of the roast beef. top with shaved parm cheese and roll into cylinders and serve.
by zan@zeliciousrecipes.com | Fish
I like to have tuna only once every couple of weeks, as it can contain high amounts of mercury, which can’t be good for anyone! But I truly love the texture, flavor and consistency of tuna, especially with a nice crispy exterior. I marinated the tuna in a bit of Ponzu Sauce for about an hour, then dredged them in Panko bread crumbs. There are two varieties of panko: white panko, which is made from white bread without any crust, and tan panko, which is made from the entire loaf. The bread is processed into large flakes, rather than crumbs, and then dried. Panko has a light, airy, and delicate texture that helps it crisp as it cooks. You can press the tuna steaks into the breadcrumbs, covering all sides, then briefly sear in a pan of sesame and canola oil until the Panko browns. Quickly sear each side, but make sure not to cook through if you are a fan of medium to rare tuna like me. You can serve this with crunchy fried battered onions. I also drizzled some of my sauce from my asian slaw on top of the fish to add a little flavor. In this dish I served it with Sushi Rice and sautéed french green beans and garlic.
