Cheese Grits with Shrimp and Chorizo

This is the last real thing we are going to cook here in the spartan kitchens of Dahlgren. Fitting that it was something kind of awesome.

We've not had anything grit-based until the last year or so, but everything we have had has been great. This one has a Cajun-y feel to it, but I added a little something extra by way of chili powder and some smoked paprika. Next time, I will probably go with a sharper cheese. The Manchego got lost a bit against the assertive spices. A sharp Cheddar would do the trick.

Also, I threw in cilantro at the end rather than chives.

4 ounces chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch dice
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 cup quick-cooking grits or instant polenta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup Manchego cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

Cook the chorizo in a heavy, medium skillet over medium heat until it is crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but a thin film of fat from the skillet.

Bring 4 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly stir in the grits. Reduce the heat to low and cook about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the grits are thick and smooth.

While the grits are cooking, add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet and heat over medium-high until the butter is foaming. Cook the shrimp until just pink, turning once, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chorizo and the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds longer.

Stir the remaining tablespoon butter and the cheese into the grits and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the grits into 4 warmed bowls and top with the chorizo and shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with chives, if desired. Serve immediately.

Baja-Style Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw with Mexican Crema

We were watching some show on Food Network called "The Best _____ I Ever Ate" (or something like that) and someone came on and talked about the best fish tacos he had ever had. It got me thinking about what we had on hand and how far we would have to go to make it work. I had a rummage around and found that we only needed limes to bring it all together. A quick trip to the store sealed the deal.

I had been wanting to make these for a long time. I can't tell you how incredible these tasted. The bright, acidic lime juice running throughout, with a hint of sweetness from the honey in the slaw and some spice. Truly amazing and delicious.

Baja-Style Fish Tacos with Southwestern Slaw

2 lbs. mahi-mahi (or tilapia)
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons lime juice
5 teaspoons chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
salt, to taste
8x8" flour tortillas

Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash. Spread
the coals in an even bed. Clean the cooking grate.

Cut the mahi-mahi into 16 equal slices.

Combine the oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, coriander, garlic, and salt. Coat the mahi-mahi with the marinade.

Grill the fish on the first side over direct heat until the flesh is firm and well marked, about 2 minutes. Turn the fish and grill until cooked through, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes more.

Grill the tortillas until they have light grill marks and are heated through, about 15 seconds on the first side. Turn the tortillas and grill them until they just start to bubble, another 15 seconds.

Center 2 pieces of grilled fish on each tortilla, and top with the Southwestern Slaw. Add a dollop of Mexican Crema, fold in half, ad some salsa and serve immediately.

Southwestern Slaw

2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 teaspoons jalapenos, minced
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients. Allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before serving.

Mexican Crema

½ cup Mexican sour cream
½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. The cream is ready to use now or it can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Vegetables with Molasses and Cider

This was quick, easy and delicious. Still hanging onto the winter food palette here and the cider and molasses (if you don't have sorghum) is surprisingly nice and make a little sauce to put over everything at the end.

PORK
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 9 ingredients; rub over pork. Let stand 20 minutes. Heat oil in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink), turning after 7 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

4 servings
Cal: 166
Fat:6.3
Protein:24
Carb:2.1

VEGGIES
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
16 baby carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise (about 1 pound)
12 baby turnips, peeled and cut in half lengthwise (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons sorghum
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 450°.

Place onions, carrots, and turnips on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with canola oil, and toss gently to coat. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes.

Combine sorghum and vinegar. Drizzle half of sorghum mixture over carrot mixture, and toss gently to coat. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drizzle with remaining sorghum mixture. Sprinkle evenly with chopped fresh chives, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

8 servings
Cal:77
Fat:1.3
Protein:1.2
Carb:15.9

Turkey Magiritsa

Just some good, simple Greek home cookin' here. Nice interplay of lemon and a bit of eggy-ness. I really like what the lettuce does in it, too, which is strange because it takes kind of a lot to make more common greens interesting. The herbs and the lemon give it a nice lift. AND IT IS GOOD FOR YOU.

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon flour
2 large eggs
7 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ½ cups onion, finely chopped
1 pinch salt
1 ½ cups turkey, cooked, shredded (light and dark meat)
1 cup short-grain rice, cooked
1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded
½ cup scallion, sliced
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice and flour in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add eggs; whisk until combined.

Bring 1 cup broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add hot broth to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return egg mixture to pan. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a dash of salt, and sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add turkey meat, and simmer 2 minutes. Add rice, and slowly whisk in egg mixture. Keep warm over low heat. Add remaining ingredients immediately before serving.

Cal:232 (35% from fat)
Fat: 9.1g (sat 1.9g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.3g)
Protein: 18g
Carb: 17g

Foie Gras and Seville Orange Marmalade on French Toast

This was complete sex on a plate. We had been looking forward to this since we decided a week or so ago that we were going to make something for Valentine's night. And what could go wrong when you use foie gras, brioche, blood oranges and sherry? Nothing.

This comes from Jose Garces, a rising star of Nuevo Latino cuisine and the recent winner of The Next Iron Chef America. A really clever combination of flavors here. I am still a bit in shock at how good it was. We both just kind of sat and stared at it after the first bite. We looked a bit like the cave-people gawking at the monolith at the beginning of '2001: A Space Odyssey'. Then we took another bite and witnessed the creation of the universe.

Yeah. It was that good.

FRENCH TOAST BATTER
3 large egg
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE
1 shallot, brunoise
½ cup peach, small dice
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
½ navel oranges, juiced
3 Seville oranges, segmented and zested
1 clove
¼ stick cinnamon
1 star anise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

HONEY CREME FRAICHE
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
½ teaspoon honey
kosher salt, to taste

SHERRY REDUCTION
1 star anise
2 clove
1 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons glucose syrup

DISH
½ pound foie gras, cut in 2 pieces, each less than 1" thick
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 pieces brioche, crust removed, cut in 2x4x1" rectangles
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
sea salt, to taste

FRENCH TOAST BATTER
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Chill.

SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE
In a saucepan over low heat, sweat shallots and dried peaches in oil until the peaches are very soft. Add orange juice and zest and continue to cook.

In a separate saute pan over medium heat, toss the spices for 1 minute to toast. Grind spices.

Add spices, sugar and honey to dried-peach mixture. Cook over low heat until almost all of the liquid is gone. Fold in orange segments, vinegar and olive oil. Spread the mixture on a tray and refrigerate. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Marmalade can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

HONEY CREME FRAICHE
In a bowl, whisk creme fraiche and honey. The creme fraiche will loosen once you add the honey, so whisk until it starts to stiffen up again. Season with salt and chill. Honey creme fraiche can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

SHERRY REDUCTION
In a saucepan over medium heat, toast spices for one minute. Remove pan from heat and add sherry. Return the pan to the heat and raise to high. Cook until the sherry is reduced to 1/4 cup. Strain through a chinois. Sherry reduction can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.

ASSEMBLE AND FINISH
Preheat oven to 350F. Place a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Lightly score one side of each piece of foie gras and season with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot, place the foie gras in the pan, scored side down. Place pan in the oven to cook, 1 minute. Remove pan and flip foie gras. The foie gras should have a nice brown sear with even score marks. Place the pan back on the burner over medium heat until the second side is seared. Press on the middle of the foie gras to test the doneness. It should be slightly firm but tender. If not yet firm, return the pan to the oven for a few seconds to finish.

Soak brioche in French toast batter for 1 minute. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Brown the soaked brioche on all sides until golden brown.

On each of 2 plates put a small dot of marmalade right in the middle and place the brioche on top so that it won't slide around. Place a piece of foie gras on top of each brioche. In the corner of each plate, place a dot of honey creme fraiche, and in the opposite corner, place a quenelle of marmalade. Drizzle foie gras with sherry reduction and little extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt.

Gingery Seared Pork (Shoga Yaki)

This was a fairly simple dinner to throw together out of a book on Japanese home cooking called Washoku. We had to substitute a few ingredients here, vermouth for sake, grated ginger for ginger juice. Still, it was feeling a little flat as I was cooking it. I decided to throw some honey, a bit more soy, some ground ginger and some garlic powder in there to wake it up. This was a simple and easy stir fry.

14 ounces boneless lean pork butt or boneless loin, in a single piece
2 teaspoons ginger juice (page 71)
2 tablespoons sake
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
3 bell peppers, preferably 1 each green, red, and yellow, quartered lengthwise and stem, seeds, and ribs discarded
2 tablespoons canola or other mild vegetable oil

Partially freeze the pork to make it easier to slice, then cut into paper-thin slices across the grain, From a piece this size, I usually get 12 to 15 large slices and some shreds, (I use any scraps to make Miso-Thickened Pork and Vegetable Soup, page 119, the next day.) If you are having trouble getting broad slices, do not worry. Shredded or torn pieces are fine.

In a shallow glass container, stir together the ginger juice and sake to make a marinade. One at a time, dip the pork slices into the mixture, turning each slice to make sure that all surfaces of the meat come in contact with the liquid. When all of the slices have been dipped, arrange them in the container in the remaining liquid, stacking them as needed if the container is small. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. Add the soy sauce 10 to 15 minutes before cooking (do not add it sooner, or the meat will toughen).

The pork and peppers will be cooked in two consecutive stages: an initial searing over high heat, and then a second glazing over medium heat. Using a heavy cast-iron skillet will yield the best results. Place it over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and tilt and rotate the skillet to coat the entire surface well. When the oil is hot (to test, flick a drop of the marinade into the pan; it should sizzle loudly and be instantly aromatic), place the pork slices in batches, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Sear the meat until it begins to buckle and the edges change color, about 30 seconds. Flip the slices over and sear the other side, flattening them with the back of a spatula to avoid excessive curling. Remove the slices from the skillet as they change color. Set them aside on a plate.

Lower the heat and add the peppers, skin side down. Sear for about 45 seconds, letting them brown and blister slightly and become aromatic. Turn them over and continue to sear for another minute. They should still be crisp-tender and very aromatic. Add a drop more oil to the skillet, if necessary, to keep the peppers from scorching. Remove the peppers and set them aside on a plate.

Return the pork, all at once, to the skillet with whatever juices remain from the first searing that have collected on the plate. Saute over high heat, turning the slices several times, for about 2 minutes, or until all the surfaces are well glazed and slightly browned. Return the peppers to the skillet for the final 30 seconds. Cover the skillet with a lid just before removing it from the heat. This allows the pork and peppers to continue to cook by retained heat for an extra few moments. Serve immediately.

Jitin's Steamed Salmon Trout with Bok Choy and Ginger

When we were living in England, one of my absolute favorite restaurants was called Vatika, which was set in the Wickham Vineyard near Southampton. The concept belonged to Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, known for his elevation of Indian food into the realm of haute cuisine at his restaurant Benares in London. He opened Vatika and put his protege, Chef Jitin Joshi, in charge of Vatika which delivers modern English food with an Indian twist.

The food there is amazing and the staff come to know us pretty well as we were in there practically all of the time. I managed to pull a shift in the kitchen there and got to work for Chef Joshi and came to know him a bit. His recipe is featured in Atul's cookbook, Fish Indian Style, which I highly recommend.

I had never made this dish before, and you will see right way that it has definite Japanese leanings. This was extremely simple but loaded with flavor. I only wish I had a decent kitchen to work out of! The plate would have looked a lot prettier!

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1" piece fresh ginger, cut into fine shreds
1 head bok choy, trimmed and shredded
2 garlic cloves, chopped.
460 g salmon trout fillet, in four equal portions
120 g sushi rice
8 tablespoons caster sugar
8 tablespoons rice vinegar

Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger, bok choy and garlic. Place the fish fillets in a steamer, spread the bok choy mixture on top and steam for 5-6 minutes, until the fish is just done.

Measure the rice in a jug and then put it in a pan. Measure out double the amount of water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer until the rice is cooked and the water has been absorbed.

Put the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour it over the cooked rice. Serve the fish accompanied by the rice.

Turkey Pasta with Rosemary and Garlic Tomato Sauce

If there is something in this world I can make consistently it's a good bowl of pasta. I mean, I don't like to brag, but if you dropped me into a kitchen halfway around the world, blindfolded me, spun me around three times, ripped off the blindfold and demanded, "Now. Make a bowl of pasta," I would likely be able to deliver it. And I'd like to think it would taste good.

I really like the taste of the turkey in this and also, we used a more passata-like canned tomato this time. It was a smoother consistency, and was a nice change from the chunkier versions I have made in the past. I'm like a broken record here, but I can't say enough for the combination of fennel seed, red pepper flake, oregano and rosemary.... especially in these wintry times. This one is also very good for you!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
1.3 pounds extra-lean ground turkey
3 ¼ cups canned crushed tomatoes
300 g Healthy Harvest fusilli (or other whole-wheat pasta, such as penne)
salt, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5-8 minutes, or until softened and translucent. Add the fennel seed, red pepper flakes, rosemary and oregano and stir through to combine. Add the turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the pinkness has gone away. Add the canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover and then let this slowly bubble away for at least 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions.

Drain the pasta, then add to the sauce. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Serve hot.

Wild Rice Soup with Mushrooms and Chicken

Well, Virginia has certainly seen it's share of snow lately. In fact, as I am writing this, it is snowing like CRAZY outside. I guess if there is to be an upside to winter weather, it's wintry food. We had been wanting to do wild rice soup for ages, but just never seemed to get around to it. We finally did and it turned out amazing. This is an old Midwest classic and pretty easy to throw together.

2 teaspoons light butter
1 medium carrot
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounces chicken broth
1 cup wild rice, uncooked, not instant
⅓ cup flour
2 ¾ cups reduced fat milk
2 tablespoons dry sherry
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks

Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); saute 8 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen brown bits. Stir in rice; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until rice is tender.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to soup mixture. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in sherry and salt.

Beer-Braised Beef with Onion, Carrot and Turnips

This was a great, full-flavored stew perfect for warm weather. Vanessa nailed this one with only minimal assistance from me (I peeled some stuff with our crappy, makeshift peeler). Really rich and full-bodied flavors! I am looking forward to eating these leftovers!

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
1 pound beef chuck roast, boneless, trimmed
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef broth
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bottle dark beer
1 bay leaf
3 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
9 ounces small turnips, peeled and cut into wedges
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 300°.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef evenly on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; dredge in flour. Add beef to pan; cook 10 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through bay leaf), scraping pan to remove browned bits; bring to a boil. Cover and bake at 300° for 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots; cover and cook 25 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, turnips, and onion; cover and cook an additional 1 hour and 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and beef is fork-tender.

3. Remove beef and vegetables from pan; discard bay leaf. Cover beef mixture; keep warm. Let cooking liquid stand 10 minutes. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain cooking liquid into a medium bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve cooking liquid with beef and vegetables. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon parsley.

Tilapia with Citrus-Braised Endive

This was an on-the-fly adaptation of a Thomas Keller (Bouchon) recipe. I was originally going to go with fennel and such for this, but when Vanessa found the local grocer out of fennel. She went with some Belgian endive instead.

I got the idea to combine the endive with some citrus and remembered that we had some great south Texas valley grapefruits (the best around!) and just went from there. I dug up a Bouchon recipe that was somewhat similar and made some modifications - et viola!

Nice interplay here between the citrus, honey and bitter endive. Tilapia is a nice, meaty white fish that complimented these flavors well. The dish screamed out for some fresh herbs (parsley and/or tarragon would have been my choice), but no luck this time.

We may see this one again when I am back in a proper kitchen with proper food stores.

Tilapia with Citrus-Braised Endive

ENDIVE
4 heads Belgian endive
kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
¾ cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, skin on, smashed
white pepper
½ cup CHICKEN STOCK
2 tablespoons light unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

TILAPIA
400 g tilapia fillets
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

FOR THE ENDIVE: Pull off and discard any brown exterior leaves. Cut off the bottom of each endive-you'll see the rings of the core. Use a paring knife to cut a cone shape from the bottom of each endive to remove as much of the core as possible.

Salting the endive will pull out any bitter taste. Put about 1/2 inch salt in a container large enough to hold all the endive upright. Stand the endive upright in the salt. The salt should reach about one quarter of the way up the endive; if not, add more salt as necessary. Cover the endive with a dampened towel and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to a day.

Rinse the endive under cold running water. Cut off about 1/2 inch from the bottom of each endive and cut lengthwise in half. Cut a V shape from the bottom of each half to remove any remaining core or discolored portion. Remove leaves a few a time, lay them on a paper towel to drain.

Tie together the thyme sprigs and lavender sprigs, if using, with kitchen twine. Bring the orange juice and honey to a boil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the herb bundle, bay leaves, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of white pepper. Add the endive (the liquid should cover most of the endive). Cover with a parchment lid (see page 326) and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the endive is translucent but still has a slight bite. Remove from the heat. (The endive can be made ahead to this point, cooled, and refrigerated in its liquid for up to a day.)

Drain the endive, reserving the liquid. Discard the herb bundle and bay leaves and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer to reduce to 1 1/2 cups.

FOR THE TILAPIA: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the tilapia with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, cook the tilapia until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the fish over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until done.

TO SERVE: Add the endive to the reduced fumet. When the liquid is simmering, stir in the chunked butter. Stir in the thyme.