Archive for 'Recipes'
Cumin Coriander Carrot Soup with Dill Pesto
Posted on 07. Nov, 2007 by singleguychef.
Tis the season for soups and all things savory. Now, I am a fan of the soups that warrant hours to pull out the savory and rich flavors that stick to your bones and protect them from the cold that’s coming down in Michigan. However, we’re all busy, there are times when something under and hour is called for. Don’t worry, the next soup recipe I have is about 30 minutes. 
This is a favorite of C’s, my sister and myself. Natural sweetness from the carrots gets enhanced by the natural earthy, woody flavors of cumin and coriander. The dill pesto, done with roasted peanuts instead of pine nuts, give the soup a great bright herbal kick. I often serve this soup with home made sour dough croutons.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the soup:
3 lbs carrots - peeled and chopped
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons coriander seeds
4 cups of chicken stock
2 heaping tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
For the dill pesto:
1 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons (or to consistency) olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Preparation
For the soup:
1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add carrots, onion and coriander seeds and sauté until onion is translucent and tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 35 minutes.
4. Add the ground cumin and coriander. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup, until the consistency is smooth. If you have to use a blender, make sure you don’t seal the lid completely. Mixing a hot liquid in a sealed blender is bad news!
5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
6. Continue to simmer until carrot flavor comes through and color brightens back toward carrot orange (20-40min)
For the pesto:
While the soup is simmering, prepare the pesto.
1. In a small processor, pulse the peanuts until coarsely chopped.
2. Add the dill and garlic cloves. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped.
3. Stream in the olive oil and pulse until desired consistency.
4. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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“Don’t call it a comeback…”
Posted on 21. Oct, 2007 by singleguychef.
… as L.L. would say. I think I’ve just dated myself there. So, it took be a bit longer to recover from…”life”, but here I am!
The test went well. I’d like to thank Tom O. for not blowing up my face with that side kick and for not busting my ribs with that jump spinning side kick. For those of you who wrote, wondering where I was, thanks so much for the inquiries. I’ve been cooking but just hadn’t had time to post.
Anyway, I was going through the pics from the last few dishes and…blank. I couldn’t remember exactly how I made them. So, that’s the caveat for the next few postings. I’ll have to try and remember what I did. They should be close though, wine will help.
Here’s the first. C’s mother was in town several weeks back. This is one of the dinners I had made for them.
Green peppercorn fillet with cream sauce
Baby green salad with herb, Parmesan phyllo crisps
Coconut creme brulee with coconut phyllo crisps and fresh mango
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Green Peppercorn Fillet with Cream Sauce
Posted on 21. Oct, 2007 by singleguychef.
Along with steak au poivre, green peppercorn fillet is an absolute favorite of mine. It’s a wonderfully rich sauce that should become one of your staple recipes.
Serves: 3
Ingredients
For the fillet:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 6- to 8-ounce filet mignon steaks
For the peppercorn cream sauce
1 3/4 cups beef stock or veal stock
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
2 tablespoons drained green peppercorns in brine
Preparation
For the fillet:
1. In a small sauce pan, reduce the beef stock to 3/4 cups.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Generously season the fillets with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Cook the fillets to desired temperature. About 4 minutes per side for medium rare.
5. Leave the brown bits in the pan- don’t clean it.
For the peppercorn fillet cream sauce
1. Saute the shallots until they’re softened. About 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the reduced stock, whipping cream, Cognac and peppercorns.
3. Boil until sauce begins to thicken. About 6 minutes.
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Baby Green Salad with Herb, Parmesan Phyllo Crisps
Posted on 21. Oct, 2007 by singleguychef.
The phyllo crisps are a great alternative to croutons. You can use a variety of herbs. Rosemary, oregano, parsley and chives are all great options. Stacking this salad also makes for a great presentation.
Serves: 3
Ingredients
For the herbed, Parmesan crisps:
3 sheets of phyllo dough
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 teaspoon of freshly chopped thyme
1 teaspoon of freshly chopped sage
For the baby green salad:
8 oz. of mixed baby greens
Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette
Preparation
For the herbed, Parmesan crisps:
1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and brush generously with the melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan herb
4. Repeat with the other two phyllo sheets.
5. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or until the butter firms up.
6. Cut the phyllo sheets into 3″ squares.
7. Back until golden brown. Approximately 10 mins.
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Coconut Creme Brulee with Coconut Phyllo Crisps and Fresh Mango
Posted on 21. Oct, 2007 by singleguychef.
A buddy of mine bought me a cookbook he found at a garage sale for $.25 cents. Beats any price of the bargain shelf books I’ve gotten and BN or Borders. Anyway…I found this recipe in the book and thought it was a fun idea to carry the phyllo crisp over into the dessert. I prepared the phyllo crisp differently than the recipe called for. Also, I think I’d tweak the creme brulee part of this too. Maybe substitute 1 cup of cream for 1 cup of coconut milk. I also added the mango. I think raspberries would be great too.
Serves: 3
Ingredients
For the creme brulee:
1 cup of unsweetened grated coconut - divided
2 cups of canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 vanilla beans, split the long way
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 a mango cut into match sticks
For the coconut phyllo crisps
3 sheets of phyllo dough
1/4 cup of melted butter
powdered sugar as needed
Preparation
For the creme brulee:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the grated coconut into a small skillet over medium heat. Toast the coconut until it’s fragrant and golden. Continue to stir it. Should be about 1-2 minutes.
3. In a sauce pan, combine the coconut milk, vanilla and half of the toasted coconut. The remaining coconut will be used with phyllo crisps. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until small bubbles begin to rise.
4. Remove from heat and cool for about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until it turns to a light yelllow.
6. Pour a quarter of the coconut milk into this mixture. Stir and then pour this mixture back to the remaining coconut milk. Mix thoroughly.
7. Line an 8″ square baking pan with plastic wrap and pour in the mixture.
8. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the center is barely set. Chill for several hours or until firm. Cut into squares.
For the coconut phyllo crisps:
1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and brush generously with the melted butter. Dust with powdered sugar and toasted grated coconut.
4. Repeat with the other two phyllo sheets.
5. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or until the butter firms up.
6. Cut the phyllo sheets into 2″ squares or the serving size of your creme brulee.
7. Bake until golden brown. Approximately 10 mins.
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Phyllo Pistachio wrapped Banana with Pistachio encrusted Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Posted on 28. Aug, 2007 by singleguychef.
I am supposed to be watching my food intake as I continue to prep for my test. Let’s not call it a diet, as that traps me a bit. So…this is cheating a bit but to adhere to my mindful food intake, I just had one serving. 
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the phyllo wrapped banana:
3 sheets of phyllo dough
1/4 cup of finely chopped pistachio nuts
2 ripe bananas
6 TBs. of melted butter
For the pistachio vanilla ice cream:
8 oz. of vanilla bean ice cream
2 TBs. of honey
2 4 oz. ramekins
1/4 cup of chopped pistachio nuts
Preparation
For the phyllo wrapped banana:
1. Preheat the oven 375 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan. I don’t like microwaving to melt butter because of structural change of the butter.
3. Lay one sheet of thawed phyllo dough and brush generously with the melted butter. Sprinkle the the sheet with the pistachio nuts.
4. Repeat with the other two phyllo sheets.
5. Cut the phyllo sheets in half on the vertical.
6. Place a banana on each half and roll them up.
7. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.
8. Bake until golden. Approximately 15-20 mins.
For the pistachio encrusted vanilla ice cream:
1. Set the ice cream at room temperature til softened but still firm.
2. Brush some honey into each ramekin.
3. Sprinkle the pistachio nuts into the ramekin and roll them around in the ramekins to get good coverage.
4. Spoon the vanilla ice cream into each ramekin, cover with saran wrap and place into freezer until hardened.
Serve with a simple chocolate sauce and fresh berries.
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Halloumi Salad
Posted on 26. Aug, 2007 by singleguychef.
I put this salad together a couple of weeks ago and it has become one of my favorites. Aleppo pepper is from Turkey and its flavor is smoky and similar to ancho chilis, but has a slightly sweet finish. Aleppo intensifies and gives the naturally salty and rich Halloumi cheese another layer of flavor. Match that with the red grapes and you’ve got a got a party in your mouth.
Serves: 2 as main courses or 4 as starters
Ingredients
For the grilled halloumi:
8 oz. of Halloumi cheese
1 TBs ground aleppo pepper
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for grilling
1/2 cup of sliced red or black grapes. Green grapes don’t work for me in this recipe. They’re a bit too tart.
For the salad:
5 oz. of mixed green salad
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For balsamic vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
For the halloumi:
1. Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium high heat.
2. Cut the halloumi in half vertically and horizontally and coat with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Season with freshly ground black pepper and ground aleppo pepper.
4. Grill the halloumi until golden. Approximately 2-3 mins. per side.
5. While the halloumi is grilling, slice the red grapes.
For the salad:
1. Season the greens with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper/
2. Whisk the balsamic vinaigrette ingredients together and drizzle over the greens.
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Mascarpone Zabaglione with Fresh Blueberries and Almond Cakes
Posted on 14. Aug, 2007 by singleguychef.
This recipe is really for K. She emailed me the other day and asked for suggestions on what to do with 7 lbs. of blueberries. I love getting these questions! My brother was in a cook off a few weeks ago and the ingredient was mushrooms. He asked me for a dessert dish… I said, a tart with ground mushrooms crust, mascarpone creme, with fresh strawberries and a reduced balsamic syrup. He didn’t make it. I think that’s why he lost the cook off.
Let’s get back to K. This recipe doesn’t take care of 7 lbs. of berries. It’s a start and I’ve got a blueberry almond tart recipe in the works.
This is a really rich dessert. Zabaglione is a custard that’s usually spiked with Marsala wine. I like to use Port and sometimes a sweet Moscato.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the Mascarpone
1 lb. of Mascarpone cream at room temperature
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
For the Zabaglione
4 egg yolks
4 TBs. or to taste- sometimes, if the mood strikes, I’ll add up to 1/2 cup of sugar. =P
3 TBs. of port
1 pint of blue berries and some cookies for garnish
Preparation
For the Zabaglione
1. Beat the egg yolks until they’re light and fluffy. I’d use a double boiler if I had one but a heatproof glass bowl, over a pan with simmering water does the trick.
2. Whisk in the sugar.
3. Add the port wine.
4. Whisk over simmering heat until cream begins to thicken. When you start seeing little bubbles forming, it’s good to go. Be careful not to boil.
5. Let it stand to cool a bit.
For the Mascarpone cream
1. In a mixer, whisk the cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar until it’s smooth and thickened.
2. Smash out the mascarpone cream into a bowl and fold in the whipped cream.
3. Stream in the warm Zabaglione and mix until smooth.
Spoon some of the Mascarpone Zabaglione into a glass, top with blueberries and serve with some almond cookies. I hope you enjoy it, K!
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Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Eggs
Posted on 12. Aug, 2007 by singleguychef.
Some of you have been wondering where I’ve been. No…I’ve not joined Cirque de Soleil nor have been killed at the Ninja Warrior tryouts. I have been busy with “life.” You see, I’ve got a test in Kung Fu coming up in a month or so and have been training heavily for that. Familiar with the “300” workout? That’s me, 4 days a week. Along with the number of hours at the dojo, there’s not really been time to post or really cook, so the next series of postings are pretty much quick and easy fixes.
Thanks to those who emailed and inquired about my whereabouts.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For Potato Pancakes
1 large Idaho potato
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
For Scrambled Eggs
4 eggs
1 TBs of crème fraîche
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Salmon
2-4 slices of smoked salmon
creme fraiche for topping
1 TBs. of capers
1 tsp. of finely diced red onion
1 tsp. of finely chopped chives
Preparation
For the potatoes
1. Peel the potatoes and steamed them for about 15 minutes and let cool.
2. Shred the potato with the large holes of a box grater.
3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Heat a large skillet with 2 TBs. of olive oil over medium heat. Place 2 potato cakes and cook until brown on both sides. Approximately 5-7 minutes per side.
5. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
For the Scrambled Eggs
1. Whisk the eggs and crème fraîche together into a glass bowl and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat a medium non-stick skillet and scramble eggs using a folding technique with a spatula. Be careful not to overcook and dry the eggs out.
Plating
1. Place a potato pancake on a plate.
2. Fold a piece of the smoked salmon onto the plate. Try to get a Rose shape.
3. Spoon some of the scrambled eggs on top of the smoked salmon.
4. Sprinkle the plate with the capers, red onions and chives.
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Pan fried Cod with Gazpacho Sauce and Salsa topped with Black Olive Tapenade
Posted on 12. Jul, 2007 by singleguychef.
I’ve got a few cookbooks on the shelf…ok, shelves…ok, several books…fine, a lot of books on the shelves. So much so that C said, “You can’t shouldn’t buy anymore cookbooks until you make at least one recipe from each book on those shelves.”
So…here’s one. It’s a modified recipe from Patrick O’Connell’s Refined American Cuisine. DON’T let the long list of ingredient deter you from this recipe. It’s essentially chopping and pan frying, and it’s simple to make. So sharpen your knife and with little tweaks here and there and you’ve got the wonderful colors and flavors of Spain on your plate.
Ingredients
For gazpacho sauce:
3 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, cored and coarsely choppped
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
3 TBs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1 TBs. fresh lemon juice
1 TBs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. celery salt
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For Gazpacho salsa:
3 TBs. peeled, seeded and minced tomato
3 TBs. peeled, seeded and minced cucumber
3 TBs. seeded and minced red bell pepper
3 TBs. seeded and minced green bell pepper
3 TBs. seeded and minced yellow bell pepper
1 tsp. seeded and minced jalapeno pepper
1 TBs. minced red onion
1 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. very finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 TBs. extra virgin olive oil
1 TBs. sherry vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For cod:
2 TBs. of extra virgin olive oil
4 6oz. cod fillets
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 TBs. of store bought black olive tapenade for topping. If you’re in the mood to make a fresh batch, check out my black and green olive tapenade.
Preparation
For the Gazpacho sauce:
1. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, celery and garlic in batches until smooth. Strain.
2. Add the olive oil, Tabasco, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, cumin and celery salt. Mix well and refrigerate. After the sauce is chilled, season with salt and pepper, bring to reoom temperature before serving.
NOTE: recipe makes approximately 5 cups. You’ll have left overs for a nice chilled out soup.
For the Gazpacho salsa:
1. Combine the tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, red onion and shallot.
2. Stir in the cilantro, tarragon, celery salt, extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar.
3. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and refrigerate.
For the cod:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Liberally season both sides of fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Depending on thickness, my cod fillets were a little over 1″ thick, cook the cod about 4 minutes per side, until edges are crisp and have a deep golden color.
Plating
1. Pour enough Gazpacho sauce to cover the bottom of a deep plate.
2. Drizzle olive oil around the sauce.
3. Spoon 1/2 cup to a 1 cup of salsa, depending on preference.
4. Top the salsa with a cod fillet and spoon 1 TBs. of black olive tapenade.
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