Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

Last Year's Post: Vietnamese Shrimp Baguette
Two Years Ago:   Coconut-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Rice

There's a gourmet cooking store in Minneapolis called Kitchen Window.  They used to have a holiday shopping event for their regular customers where they served food as everyone shopped.  One year they served this paella which had recently won a local food festival contest, and they had me at one bite.  What makes this paella so delicious is not only the combination of shrimp and chorizo, but the unusual addition of sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes.  The oil from both are used to provide additional flavor to the rice.  It's actually the best paella I've ever tasted, and it's not that hard to make at home.

Just note that if you want to have it for a party you need to invest in a paella pan large enough to hold all the ingredients.  If you cut the recipe in half, it'll fit in a large saute pan instead.  You can use the paella pan either on your cook-top or grill and it's great fun at a party.  If you really want to go all out and impress a bigger group, you can sometimes find a really giant paella pan to rent.

The only caution here is to be sure to understand the difference between Spanish and Mexican chorizo.  Mexican chorizo is a fresh bulk sausage; Spanish chorizo is a dry-cured sausage much like pepperoni.  You want Spanish chorizo for this dish.

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Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

Serves 8

Note: if the recipe is cut in half it may be prepared in a large sauté pan.

1 (7 oz) jar grilled artichoke hearts packed in oil.  

1 (3 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 lb extra-large shrimp

1 large onion, medium dice

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz Spanish hot chorizo (dry cured), paper removed and thinly sliced

2 cups paella rice

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon Spanish paprika (pimento) – hot, sweet or mixed

1 teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon saffron

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Special equipment:  8-person paella pan

Drain the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the oil from each jar separately.  Coarsely chop the tomatoes to make approximately one cup.

Add turmeric, saffron, pimento, oregano and a small amount of salt and pepper to the chicken stock and set aside.

To prepare the shrimp, peel and devein, then remove the tail segment.  Cut each shrimp in half lengthwise (along the curve).

Add ¼ cup reserved artichoke oil and ¼ cup reserved tomato oil to the paella pan over medium heat. add the shrimp and sauté for about 1-2 minutes per side until curled, opaque, and almost cooked through.  Remove and set aside.

To the same pan, add the onion and sauté until transparent, then add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.  Add the chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and sauté for 5 minutes.

Pour in the stock that has been combined with the spices along with the sun-dried tomatoes.  Stir once, but do not stir any more.  (This is important to build up the bottom crust which is signature to paella.)

Cook for 15 minutes, then add the artichokes and shrimp, stirring lightly into the surface.  Avoid scraping the bottom of the pan.

Cook for 5-10 more minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.  Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.  Be sure to serve each person some of the crust from the bottom of the pan.

Savory Kale and Corn Galette

Last Year's Post:  Spanish Shrimp
Two Years Ago:   Goat Cheese and Chorizo Rolls

A galette is just a fancy term for a free-form (or rustic) tart that's easier to make and prettier than a pie.  The most common type is a sweet galette (think plums, apples, etc.) for dessert but I'm not all that big on sweets (gasp) so my thoughts tend to go in the savory direction for a light vegetarian entree, especially this time of the year with all that beautiful produce in the markets.

In its savory version, a galette is lighter than a quiche because it doesn't contain the milk-and-egg custard; its all about the veggies.  It makes an elegant and impressive vegetarian dinner served with a big crisp green salad and a nice bottle of wine.  I made all manner of changes to the original recipe, which is one of the advantages of a galette - use what you have on hand or is fresh at the market.  I found beautiful kale, thyme and corn at the market, plus I had sun-dried tomatoes and Manchego cheese on hand, so that's what I used.

You could also use zucchini or other vegetables, other fresh herbs, and other cheeses equally well.  The one substitution I wouldn't recommend is fresh tomatoes, especially beefsteak tomatoes, because they're watery and can easily make your galette soggy.  If you really want to use fresh tomatoes, either slice and salt them for 30 minutes or so to draw out some moisture, or roast them which gets rid of most of the moisture and also intensifies the flavor.  Or if you really want that fresh tomato flavor, think about putting them in your side salad instead.

The result was amazingly delicious - the sweet corn and sun-dried tomatoes contrasted beautifully with the earthy kale, and the Manchego cheese added richness.  But the star of the show was the crust.  Normally, you want a pie crust to be tender and flaky for sweet foods, but this particular crust is light and crisp - almost a cross between a pie crust and a cracker.  It's because there's less butter (fat) than in a normal pie crust, which is another bonus.  It was very easy to work with and the whole project was fun, although you should know it took about 2 hours for prep work, cooking the filling, chilling the dough, rolling the dough, assembling the galette and baking it - maybe not a work-night project unless you do some of the prep in advance.  You can make the galette a few hours in advance if you're having company because it's equally good warm or at room temperature, but I wouldn't make it the day before - the crust loses some crispness over time.  I added some sesame seeds to the edge of the crust for a little extra texture and taste, but you could also use coarse black pepper, or sea salt, or a mix of seeds equally well.

I can't emphasize enough how good this was, and I really hope you'll try it.

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Savory Kale and Corn Galette

Serves 4; to serve more, double the recipe and make two galettes

For the dough:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/8 cup cold water

For the filling:

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, minced or grated

1 bunch Tuscan kale, de-stemmed and chopped

1 ear of corn, shucked (or 1 ½ cups frozen corn)

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped

3 oz crumbled feta or goat cheese, or 3 oz small cubes of any firm white cheese such as Monterey Jack

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

In a food processor, pulse the flour, butter and salt a few times until crumbly.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a fork.  Put half the egg in a slightly larger bowl (reserving the remainder for brushing) and add the ice water.  Whisk again to combine.

Add the egg and water to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together more or less.  Turn out on a floured surface and bring together with your hands to form a ball.  Flatten into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

While the dough chills, make the filling.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.   Add oil and onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute until fragrant.  Add kale and corn and cook until the kale is softened and wilted, 3-4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool for 20 minutes or so.  When cool, stir in the thyme, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375d. 

On a floured surface, roll the dough to a circle approximately 11” in diameter.  Gently fold into quarters and place on the parchment paper, then unfold.  Place the filling mixture in the center of the dough, then spread evenly leaving  1 ½ “ of dough uncovered around the outer edge.  Fold the edges over the filling and brush the edges with the remaining beaten egg.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, optional.

Bake for about 35 minutes until the crust is golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ravioli with Fresh Corn

Last Year's Post:  Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers
Two Years Ago:   Grilled Salmon with Lemon Salsa

The inspiration for this dish was a recent meal at Culinary Dropout, a popular restaurant in Phoenix.  The dish was called "corn cannelloni" but was actually more like a corn ravioli, topped with grilled corn, asparagus, shallots, tomatoes and the best sauce ever - pure butter.  You could put that on cardboard and it would taste good.  I wanted to re-create the dish but with a better (healthier) butter sauce.

Although the result wasn't quite the same as pure butter, I felt much better about eating it particularly since I've been reading about the nutritional habits of the world's healthiest people in "The Blue Zones Solution" by Dan Buettner.  The remake actually fits the formula pretty well because it's vegetarian and contains lots of veggies.  But the most important thing is that it was delicious.  And easy - it takes a few minutes on the grill and a few minutes for the ravioli to cook, and you're pretty much ready.  It would make a great weekday summer meal.

Tip of the day - here's a great way to cut corn off the cob without making a giant mess:

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Ravioli with Fresh Corn

Serves 2-3

One ear fresh corn, shucked

10-12 ounces fresh asparagus

2 medium shallots, peeled and left whole

2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

One 9-oz package cheese ravioli

½ cup of white wine

¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, chives, or a mix)

 Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Shaved or shredded parmesan as garnish

Fresh sprouts or micro-greens as a garnish, optional

Over medium heat on a grill or grill pan, grill the corn, asparagus and shallot until nicely grill-marked, turning occasionally.  Let cool.  Remove corn kernels from the cob, coarsely chop the shallots, and cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the ravioli according to package directions. 

Meanwhile, make the sauce:  in a small saucepan, add the white wine, lemon juice and shallots on medium heat and cook until reduced by about half. Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly. Add herbs at the end and salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the ravioli and place in shallow bowls.  Divide the sauce between bowls, then add the corn, asparagus, shallots and sun-dried tomatoes.  Garnish with pine nuts, Parmesan and sprouts and serve immediately.

Toasted Couscous Salad

Last Year's Post:  Coconut Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Rice
Two Years Ago:    Jewels of Spring

This is a delicious salad that could be either a great side for grilled meats, a stand-alone vegetarian entree, or a more substantial main-dish salad with the addition of some cooked turkey, chicken or shrimp.  The original recipe that came from Giada de Laurentiis called for cooking the couscous first, then frying it in olive oil.  I like the idea of adding some toastiness to the couscous, but frying?  Seriously, I doubt Giada eats anything fried because she looks like she weighs about 90 pounds sopping wet.  I modified the recipe to toast the couscous in a dry skillet before cooking it and was very happy with the result.  It's probably not quite as crunchy as fried couscous, but I just can't imagine all that oil in a nice healthy salad.  Just be careful when you're toasting the dry couscous, because it can go from toasted to burned in about 2 seconds.  Don't take your eyes off it, and stir almost continuously until it's a nice medium golden brown.

In addition to the toasted couscous, the salad contains sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and ricotta salata (or feta) cheese.  Ricotta salata is basically the Italian version of feta - a firm, mild and salty cheese.  Ricotta salata can be hard to find, so a block of feta is an easy substitute.  This is a nice refreshing salad on its own, but you could also add nuts, olives, or anything else you want.

You can use dry or oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, whichever you prefer.  I tried working with the dry version but I find them a little too chewy for my preference, so I use oil-packed.  If you use oil-packed tomatoes,  don't throw away the oil!  It's full of flavor and can be used for vinaigrettes, cooking eggs, drizzled on sandwiches, making paella, or any manner of other dishes.  For this recipe, I used half and half regular olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil for the vinaigrette to give a little more tomato flavor without it becoming overwhelming.

This is a good salad for serving outdoors because it doesn't contain anything like mayonnaise that could spoil.  Think about it for your next grilling party or picnic.

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Toasted Couscous Salad

Serves 4-6

1 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 ¼ cups couscous

4 ounces feta or ricotta salata cheese, cut into ½” pieces

½ English cucumber, seeds removed and cut into ½” pieces

¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup grated Parmesan

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (may substitute half from jar of oil-packed tomatoes)

Zest and juice of ½ large lemon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a non-stick skillet, toast the couscous 3-5 minutes until browned, watching very closely and stirring almost constantly to avoid burning the couscous.  Add the broth and stir, cook one minute, cover and place off the heat for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, place the couscous in a medium bowl and add the Parmesan, toss to combine.  Let cool.

While the couscous is cooling, make the vinaigrette by whisking together all the ingredients.

When the couscous is cooled, and the feta or ricotta salata, cucumber, tomatoes, and fresh basil.  Pour the vinaigrette over and toss to combine everything.

Baked Italian Sandwiches

 Last Year's Post: Pinchos Morunos

Two Years Ago:   Seafood Cobb Salad

School has started, which means everyone's schedule has gone crazy again.  Football games, after-school activities and other commitments make it really difficult to sit down as a family to eat dinner.  I'm posting these hot sandwiches because they're a great make-ahead solution for a busy workday or a hungry teenager that comes home in the evening.  Everything is assembled in advance - all you have to do is throw however many sandwiches you want into the oven.  I think you could even put the foil-wrapped frozen sandwiches in a slow cooker and turn it on for a few hours while you're gone to a game, or heat the sandwiches before leaving home and throw them in an insulated bag to take to a chilly outdoor game to eat hot - they're really versatile. Although this combination is totally delicious (if I do say so myself), after you make them one time you'll start thinking up your own combinations, tailoring the meats, spice levels and other elements to your family's tastes.

The recipe as written makes 5 sandwiches, but I would strongly suggest doubling it (or making two varieties) to keep in your freezer.  They're very easy to assemble.  The only key is to get rolls that aren't overly squishy (such as hamburger buns) - you want the outer crust to be a little more sturdy so it holds its shape when you pull out the insides.  Hard rolls, ciabatta rolls, or other round-ish sturdy rolls are perfect.  If you could find round pretzel buns they'd be really good also.  Heating the sandwiches in the oven does several things:  it melts the cheeses into gooey goodness, it causes the pesto to permeate the bread and other ingredients with fragrance and flavor, it uniformly heats all the ingredients as opposed to just the outside, and it causes the exterior of the roll to because slightly crisp without becoming really crunchy.  Although I like paninis and grilled sandwiches as much as the next person, this treatment is slightly different and just as good.

Don't be afraid to pack the sandwiches tightly because they'll shrink down a little as the cheese melts. You just don't want them over-stuffed so the tops don't fit and they leak as they're heated.

While we were eating these last night The Lawyer told me how good they were. I remarked that I would definitely have one for dinner when he's gone next week.  His reply?  "Don't eat them all".  Enough said.

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Baked Italian Sandwiches

Makes 5 sandwiches

3 ounces (about ½ cup) pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion

4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

6 ounces shredded mozzarella

1 cloves garlic, minced

5 round sandwich rolls, ciabatta rolls, or hard rolls

3-4 ounces pesto

5 slices provolone cheese

5 ounces thinly sliced salami (about 30 slices)

½ shredded Parmesan

Combine the first five ingredients (olives through garlic) in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cut the top third off each roll and pull out most of the soft interior bread from both the tops and bottoms, being careful not to break through the crust.  Softly press the interior of the rolls and tops to create as much space as possible.

Brush the interior of the rolls and tops with a light layer of pesto, then layer ingredients in the following order:  one slice of provolone, 5-6 slices of salami, the shredded mozzarella mixture, and the Parmesan.  Gently press down on the top of the ingredients so the sandwiches will fit together tightly.  Replace the lid on each and press together.  Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil.

At this point, the sandwiches may be frozen for up to several months.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350d.  Do not remove the foil before baking.  If frozen, bake the sandwiches for 45 minutes.  If not frozen, bake the sandwiches for 25 minutes.  Unwrap and serve.

Italian Tuna Sandwich (No Mayo)

Last Year's Post:  Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with Tomato Herb Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Pork Tenderloin with Port and Dried Cherry Sauce

I love a tuna sandwich with mayonnaise, but making it with heart-healthy olive oil is a better option and more authentically Mediterranean.  The Italian flavors continue in this sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Kalamata olives, capers, lemon and fresh thyme. The lemon and thyme really shine through every bite, with the other ingredients adding pops of flavor.

It's very flavorful even without cheese, but I added some cheddar anyway because I love the taste of cheddar in a tuna sandwich.  You can choose to keep it in or leave it out according to your taste.

An advantage of substituting olive oil for mayonnaise is that you can make the sandwich in advance and don't need to worry if it sits out for a little while at work or on a picnic, plus it's lower in calories. You could also serve the tuna salad in a hollowed-out tomato or over greens if you want to cut even more calories.

You've probably noticed that nearly all the canned tuna in the stores these days is packed in water.  The advantage is that it's cheaper and lower in calories and fat than oil-packed tuna; the disadvantage is that it has less flavor.  So, you decide what's most important for your particular meal - calories or flavor.  I wanted this sandwich to be special so I used an oil-packed tuna, but I often use water-packed tuna for other recipes.

As a direct result of making this particular meal I have one word of advice.  When you open your tuna cans (or any other cans, for that matter), carefully stick the lids back into the cans with no jagged edges protruding before you put the cans in the trash, preferably upside-down.  Not that I would ever fail to follow such a simple safety precaution.

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Italian Tuna Sandwich

Serves 4

4 sun-dried tomatoes

¼ cup onion, minced

1 rib celery, chopped

¼ cup pitted Nicoise or Kalamata olives, chopped

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

12 ounces solid white albacore tuna in water, drained

Salt and pepper

Leaf lettuce

4 slices Cheddar cheese (optional)

4 Kaiser or other sandwich rolls

Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with hot water in a bowl.  Set aside until soft, about 20 minutes, then drain, chop and place in a medium bowl.  To mellow the minced onion, soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well, pat dry, and add to the tomatoes.

Add the celery, olives, capers, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and thyme leaves to the bowl and mix well.  Add the tuna, breaking it into chunks with a fork, then toss everything together gently so you don’t break up the tuna chunks.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  To serve, place a leaf of lettuce on each sandwich roll bottom and top with tuna salad, optional cheddar cheese, and the sandwich top.  Squeeze the sandwich together gently.  If not eating immediately, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Holiday Breakfast Strata

 

Last year's post: Essential Foodie Gifts Under $20

 



It's fun to make something special for a holiday morning.  This strata (basically a layered baked casserole) is perfect for several reasons: you make it the night before so all you have to do the next morning is bake it, you can scale it up or down for the number of people in your hungry horde, and it's hearty enough to keep the horde satisfied until the big meal later on. Oh, and it makes your house smell great while it's baking. All you need to complete the breakfast is some fruit, coffee and juice.  Think about this recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, or if you're going to have houseguests over the holiday season or plan to host a brunch.

I'm a big fan of stratas and have tried many over the years.  I like the combination of ingredients in this one - sausage, red bell pepper, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms - because it's colorful and it tastes great.  But stratas are a lot like pizzas (everyone has their own favorite ingredients) so feel free to vary the specifics to suit the tastes of your group. You can vary the meat by substituting ham or turkey or bacon instead of Italian sausage, you can vary the cheese by substituting cheddar for Gouda, and you can choose any combination of vegetables.  Just be sure to choose at least one or two vegetables with bright colors (peppers, broccoli, etc.) for visual appeal. It's a great way to use up leftover ingredients in your refrigerator too.  I used a combination of shiitake and cremini mushrooms because that's what I had on hand; ditto the half and half combo of hot and sweet Italian turkey sausage.

The basic idea of a strata is to combine a bunch of  tasty ingredients with bread cubes, cheese, and a milk/egg custard.  The custard soaks into the bread overnight and the whole thing becomes solid when baked so it cuts easily. 

A note about mushrooms:  they're mostly water so cooking them in a pan until they release their water and are browned will intensify their flavor significantly.  I often carmelize them in this way prior to putting them a cooked dish to bring out their flavor.  Check out the "before" and "after" pictures below and you'll see how much they shrink as they release water.


Before

After

Don't just cook them until they're soft - continue cooking for a few minutes after all the water has evaporated so they have a chance to brown.  That's where the flavor comes from.  For this recipe I started cooking the mushrooms first to carmelize them prior to putting the other vegetables in for just a few minutes so they wouldn't get too soft.  Remember they'll cook some in the oven also.

While the vegetables are cooking you can shred the cheese, cut up the bread, and mix the eggs, milk and seasonings.

Then you assemble the strata and refrigerate it overnight.  I decided to make a small version since The Lawyer and I were going to have it for dinner (it's equally good for breakfast or dinner).  If you have a bigger crowd you can double the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan.  Then all you have to do the next day is bake it while you make coffee and get some fruit ready.

 

 

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Sausage, Asparagus & Wild Mushroom Strata

Serves 6

 Note: this recipe may be doubled and put in a 9x13” pan.

2 tablespoons butter

8 ounces asparagus, trimmed, cut diagonally into 1” pieces

3 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

6-8 ounces wild mushrooms (shiitake or cremini), trimmed and sliced

12 ounces turkey Italian sausage (sweet, hot, or a 50/50 blend), removed from casings

½ loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1” cubes

1 ½ cups shredded Gouda cheese

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ¾ cups milk

¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add mushrooms.  Cook and stir until the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the asparagus and red bell pepper and sauté for 2 more minutes.  Put the vegetable mixture in a medium bowl with the green onions and sun-dried tomatoes.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks until it begins to brown and is no longer pink inside.  Add the sausage to the vegetable bowl.

While the sausage cooks, whisk the eggs and milk with the thyme, salt and pepper.

Spray a 9x9” or 9x11” pan with cooking spray.  Arrange half the bread cubes in the baking dish, then layer half the sausage and vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with half the shredded cheese.  Add the remaining bread cubes and top with the remaining sausage and vegetables.  Pour the egg mixture evenly over the strata.  Use a fork to press the sausage mixture and bread into the milk mixture until all the bread is moist.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight, reserving the remaining cheese.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake uncovered for 60 minutes, then sprinkle with the reserved cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.