Mushroom Quinoa

I have also just realized - after paying $10.00 for a small bag of it at the store - that I have neglected to say how I cook my quinoa.

First of all, be sure to rinse it over and over before cooking it - you want the water to run clear - otherwise it has a tendency to have a soapy taste to it. (I do this and then soak in cool water for 30 minutes and then rinse again before cooking.) I take a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a sauce pan and toss in a healthy handful of sliced portabella mushrooms and chopped onion (probably about a cup or more of sliced shrooms and a half a cup of chopped onion.) Saute for a few minutes and then add a cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, add a half a cup of your clean quinoa and some fresh thyme. A bit of salt and pepper and then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed (about 30 minutes)
I LOVE it like this!

C'mon - is that easy or WHAT? And quinoa is SUPER good for you!

Gravlax

I realized after my last post that I've never posted the gravlax that I make & you really should try it. It's an Emeril recipe and I got to catch the show where he made it...I admit I have never made the blinis - I hear they are best made fresh and I just tend to find that a bit too time-involved. I serve mine with the caper sauce and just crackers - and trust me, no one has ever complained! I serve it in a dish that is set inside a bowl of ice to keep it chilled (plus it just looks nice this way!)

Citrus-Cured Gravlax with Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread

• 1 medium orange, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
• 1 lemon, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
• 1 lime, washed, wiped dry, and cut into eighths
• 2 cups kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
• 1 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) side of salmon fillet, skin and pin bones removed, rinsed under cool water, and patted dry
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 recipe Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread, recipe follows
• Chive Blinis, for serving, recipe follows
• Chopped chives, for garnish, optional
• Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish, optional

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the fruit, salt, sugar, and pepper and process to a paste.

Center a 2 by 3-foot piece of cheesecloth in a non-reactive baking dish or plastic container large enough to hold the fish flat, about 9 by 13 inches. Pack half of the citrus-salt mixture onto the skin-side of the fish, spreading out to the edges, and top with half of the herbs. Place the fish skin-side down in the middle of the cheesecloth and spread the remaining salt mixture and herbs over the flesh. Fold the cheesecloth in over the fish and carefully roll and turn the fish over into the cheesecloth to completely enclose.

Top with a second large non-reactive baking dish. Place weights or large heavy cans on the second dish to weight and press the fish. Let cure in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning once.

Remove the weights and top baking dish and place the fish on the work surface. Discard the wrap and scrape the remaining salt and herb mixtures from the fish. Rinse the fish under cold running water for 1 minute to remove any remaining mixture and gently wipe dry with paper towels. Wrap in plastic wrap, place on a platter, and freeze until firm enough to slice easily, 30 to 45 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate until ready to slice.)

Remove the fish from the freezer and slice the salmon as thinly as possible at a slight angle. Arrange the slices decoratively on the platter and serve with the Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread and the Chive Blinis. (Alternatively, blinis may be spread with the Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread and then topped with a small piece of gravlax and passed or plated as hors d'oeuvres. Garnish with fresh dill or chives before serving.)

Lemon-Caper Cream Cheese Spread:

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

2 ounces sour cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped, drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and cream together using a rubber spatula or heavy wooden spoon. Spoon into a decorative bowl and serve immediately.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Merry Christmas!

Ok - So I'm a few days late with the Christmas greetings! I had a wonderful holiday and hope you all did too - no matter what holiday you celebrate.

I did fondue for Christmas this year - an oil fondue - and it was SO MUCH FUN! Everyone really enjoyed it and it kept everyone talking and laughing and moving around - it was much more informal than a sit down dinner. There were a few that have never done a fondue before, so that made it all the more fun. I wish I'd taken pictures of all that I made, but once again I was bad with the picture taking part of my cooking. I swear I will try to get better, so you all can see what the heck I'm doing!

I did cubes of beef and chicken, plus shrimp and sea scallops (I cubed the scallops too - they were pretty big). Then I had a big tray of chunks of onion and bell peppers, steamed Brussels sprouts, portabella mushrooms (my step-dads favorite!) plus broccoli and cauliflower.

We had two fondue pots going, so everyone had room to cook...it was really a blast.

I also made gravlax (my mans favorite) and the new pate', of course. Plus I did an olive tray with olives (obviously), grapes, and stuffed hot cherry peppers.

For New Years Eve we are doing our traditional steamed whole lobsters and I'm thinking of ordering some cherrystone clams to make clams casino - I'll let you know later if I tackled that or not! lol!

Self Absorbtion

I am constantly amazed at how self-involved people are. I mean I am really, incredibly, quite often amazed by it.

Most people do love to talk about themselves - no big secret there. And maybe I have a higher ratio of self-absorbed people around me than the average person.

I think that I am a damn good listener - in fact, I know I am. And I always make a point of asking how people are, how their families are doing, how their pets and/or kids are...so I am fascinated by the fact that those same people rarely, if ever, ask me how I'M doing. I can be having a major crisis in my life and unless I'm the one that brings it up...no one really cares.

My other favorite thing is those people who do know things I'm going through and are still insensitive enough to constantly talk about that subject...really? Sometimes it's better to just SHUT THE HELL UP. Is compassion completely lost?

This is why I don't have a ton of friends.

I know it's funny that someone who has a blog thinks that OTHER people are self-absorbed, but honestly this is a good outlet for me...I guess I'm not the person that shares every little detail about their lives with every Tom, Dick and Harry. So this blog is very therapeutic.

I feel better already.

New Favorite Pate'

I made this pate' for Thanksgiving & it's way easier than the other recipe I've posted. This one still has great flavor, but it's a creamier consistency and everybody RAVED about it!


Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate'

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

• Special equipment: a 2 1/2-cup crock or terrine or several small ramekins
• Accompaniment: crackers or toasted baguette slices
• Garnish: a fresh thyme, marjoram, or sage sprig

Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.

Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. If using herb garnish, put sprig on top of pâté. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.

Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.

Cooks' notes: ·Pâté can be chilled up to 2 weeks.
·Once butter seal has been broken, pâté keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap and chilled, 1 week.

The Wedding is All Planned!

Mmwwah-haaa-haaa-haaa.

Please right now.

We haven't even started.

Once again, I am on the edge....

Who has time for wedding plans I ask you?

Not I, I will tell you.

Thanksgiving was wonderful - a great time with family and that's what it's all about! Oh - and some pretty damn good food too! - I will post those recipes later - have I mentioned how little time I have right now for ANYTHING?

DAY-UM!