Sunday, January 31, 2010
Last night I made a bay scallop ceviche. I used blood orange, tarragon, lime, s&p, oo, a little ww vinegar. It was good. My first idea had been grapefruit and tarragon, but hubby got put on a statin for cholesterol and grapefruit is out of the picture for him. It was a very delicate flavor. I like the full flavored ceviche with cilantro, chiles and limes more, but I think there is an application for these flavors. I think next time I will use mustard, either ground or dijon in it, maybe I will do that later with the remaining scallops. Then I will reduce the remainder of the sauce for a fuller flavor to be used on fish.
I also made a bacon-shallot cream sauce to go with some shrimp ravioli "fra diavolo" Steve and I made a couple weeks ago with the remainder of a seafood feast we had for New Year's Eve. I can't remember the entire recipe for the shrimp stuffing except, a spicy tomato sauce I made and reduced with San Marzano tomatoes, s&p, red pepper flakes. I chopped up shrimp and folded it into the sauce when it had cooled and stuffed ravioli using Tyler Florence's pasta recipe.
The cream sauce was an experiment. I had no cream and it was too cold to go out and get some so I melted some 1/3 less fat cream cheese and added skim milk to it to the desired consistency. It worked out. I sauteed bacon and shallots, deglazed with saome white wine and reduced to a syrup, then added the "cream". I simmered it with the bacon and shallot as not to let the "cream"separate. I little s&p, it turned out to be a nice accompaniment to the spicy ravioli, garnished with chives.
I actually made a dessert, too. I made a low fat orange polenta cake recipe from my cookbook "Fresh". I halved the recipe so I wouldn't have to go to the store for more eggs. I ced the cupcakes with a cocoa icing I made from 1 stick butter, 1 cup confectioner's sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. I set the cupcakes in a pool of blood orange juice to serve. Pretty good for low fat. We didn't feel comatosed after dinner. Not to say real cream in the sauce and oil in the cake would not have been fabulous, but that would have been almost too easy.
I also made a bacon-shallot cream sauce to go with some shrimp ravioli "fra diavolo" Steve and I made a couple weeks ago with the remainder of a seafood feast we had for New Year's Eve. I can't remember the entire recipe for the shrimp stuffing except, a spicy tomato sauce I made and reduced with San Marzano tomatoes, s&p, red pepper flakes. I chopped up shrimp and folded it into the sauce when it had cooled and stuffed ravioli using Tyler Florence's pasta recipe.
The cream sauce was an experiment. I had no cream and it was too cold to go out and get some so I melted some 1/3 less fat cream cheese and added skim milk to it to the desired consistency. It worked out. I sauteed bacon and shallots, deglazed with saome white wine and reduced to a syrup, then added the "cream". I simmered it with the bacon and shallot as not to let the "cream"separate. I little s&p, it turned out to be a nice accompaniment to the spicy ravioli, garnished with chives.
I actually made a dessert, too. I made a low fat orange polenta cake recipe from my cookbook "Fresh". I halved the recipe so I wouldn't have to go to the store for more eggs. I ced the cupcakes with a cocoa icing I made from 1 stick butter, 1 cup confectioner's sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. I set the cupcakes in a pool of blood orange juice to serve. Pretty good for low fat. We didn't feel comatosed after dinner. Not to say real cream in the sauce and oil in the cake would not have been fabulous, but that would have been almost too easy.
Friday, January 29, 2010
I think it is best to use dried portabellas for stock and not eating, at least the ones I have.
I finally made a pate brisee. Used the recipe in "Savory Baking". It worked out well. I used half of the batch to make a quiche. It turned out nice. I used skim milk instead of cream to make it lighter (in calories). I will do it again. I used 4 whole eggs to 1 & 1/4 cup skim. It filled my quiche pan perfectly, will have to measure diameter. In the quiche was one crown of blanched broccoli, 1/4 c cooked diced canadian bacon and 4oz grated light havarti. I made the pie crust really thin, by accident really. It seemed to work. I baked it at 300 degree for 45 min.
I wish I would have written this down. I baked up four chicken breasts I had frozen with a marniade. What I remember and what I tasted was: truffle salt, dijon mustard, lemon olive oil, maybe pepper. I thawed it in the fridge, baked on baking sheet, covered chicken with foil at 425 degree till done (used a thermometer). It is extremely good. I just wish I could think of some gourmet uses for baked chicken. Oh well, it works on a salad.
I finally made a pate brisee. Used the recipe in "Savory Baking". It worked out well. I used half of the batch to make a quiche. It turned out nice. I used skim milk instead of cream to make it lighter (in calories). I will do it again. I used 4 whole eggs to 1 & 1/4 cup skim. It filled my quiche pan perfectly, will have to measure diameter. In the quiche was one crown of blanched broccoli, 1/4 c cooked diced canadian bacon and 4oz grated light havarti. I made the pie crust really thin, by accident really. It seemed to work. I baked it at 300 degree for 45 min.
I wish I would have written this down. I baked up four chicken breasts I had frozen with a marniade. What I remember and what I tasted was: truffle salt, dijon mustard, lemon olive oil, maybe pepper. I thawed it in the fridge, baked on baking sheet, covered chicken with foil at 425 degree till done (used a thermometer). It is extremely good. I just wish I could think of some gourmet uses for baked chicken. Oh well, it works on a salad.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The clafouti was a creative recipe, but just OK. I think it would do much better as it original, dessert. "Savory Baking" is an interesting cookbook, but the author is afraid of seasoning. Keep that in mind if you have this cookbook. I will still experiment out of it.
Tonight is Osso Buco. I intend to add some dried portabellas. I also made italian seasoned madeleines from "Savory Baking". I added extra Italian Seasoning, my own mix: dried oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic, into the batter and extra salt. The flavor is pretty good, I will use them as croutons for the sauce from Osso Buco.
Tonight is Osso Buco. I intend to add some dried portabellas. I also made italian seasoned madeleines from "Savory Baking". I added extra Italian Seasoning, my own mix: dried oregano, basil, marjoram, garlic, into the batter and extra salt. The flavor is pretty good, I will use them as croutons for the sauce from Osso Buco.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Today: Mushroom Clafouti from "Savory Baking" added canadian bacon, measured shallot and rosemoary , added more salt,
Hanger Steak marinated in oo, shallot, and sherry stuff from Bermuda.
I found out a Clafouti is essentially a fruit or veg, historically a fruit, macerated, mixed with cream and topped with a cakelike topping that repeats the main ingredient.
Hanger Steak marinated in oo, shallot, and sherry stuff from Bermuda.
I found out a Clafouti is essentially a fruit or veg, historically a fruit, macerated, mixed with cream and topped with a cakelike topping that repeats the main ingredient.
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