Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff, or Stroganov, is a dish most of us are probably familiar with. It seems to me to have been particularly popular in the 1960s. Although maybe that’s just because my mom loved it and we had it fairly often when I was a kid growing up. In case you’ve never had it, Stroganoff consists of sautéed pieces of beef served in a sauce with sour cream. It originated in mid-19th Century-Russia and has become popular around the world, with variations as numerous as the countries in which it appears.

We know the name derived from the Russian diplomat and minister of the interior, Alexander Stroganov, but how it came about and why is still mystery. The recipe appeared for the first time in a classic Russian cookbook in 1871. Over time, the dish changed from containing floured beef cubes sautéed and sauced with mustard and bouillon and finished with a small amount of sour cream, to include onions and tomato sauce and sometimes mushrooms.

Traditionally in Russian, Beef Stroganoff is served with a side of crisp potato straws. In the UK and Australia the dish is usually served over pasta, and in the U.S. over egg noodles. Definitely my favorite way to eat it!

The “Bible” (Larousse Gastronomique, published in 1938) lists Stroganov as a cream, paprika, veal stock and white wine recipe. And many of the recipes I looked up for Beef Stroganoff contain most of these ingredients or a version therefore. But I make mine a little differently.

In fact, I don’t use beef at all!

Consider this meat-free version containing mushrooms instead. It makes for an excellent vegetarian lunch served with a salad. Or, serve it alongside a steak or some roasted chicken for a heartier dinner. This recipe will serve about 3-4.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound mushrooms (I like using a combination of a few dried wild mushrooms such as porcini, which I reconstitute in some hot water for about 20-30 minutes, as well as mostly fresh mushrooms, preferably the darker Italian crimini mushrooms and portobellos and a few of the regular white).
1 good sized shallot, minced
2 or more garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp dry sherry or white or red wine (whatever you have open)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 - 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
fresh chopped parsley

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms gently, stirring occasionally until they are softened and just cooked. If you have a cast iron pan, cook until they are a little browned. This will add some additional flavor to the final product.
Add the shallots, garlic and sherry/wine and cook for a minute more. Season well.
Stir in the sour cream (start with 3/4 cup and see if that’s enough for you) and heat to just below boiling. Stir in the thyme, then scatter the parsley on top. Serve over egg noodles, rice, pasta, or boiled new potatoes.

Wine recommendation: I would open just about any red wine to go with a Stroganoff especially something hearty, like a Zinfandel or Syrah. In fact, I think the pepperiness of a Syrah/Shiraz would be ideal.

Seared Ahi Tuna with a killer Ginger Lime Vinaigrette

Did you know that there are over 60 kinds of tuna fish in the sea, but only about 14 of them are well known to us?

The 4 most common tuna fishes we see, at least here in the Western U.S., are bluefin, yellowtail, albacore, and skipjack. What you want for this dish is “sushi-grade” ahi tuna. Ask your fishmonger if you don’t know which one that is.

I’ve previously blogged about yellowfin and how it’s an excellent replacement for the albacore tuna that we usually use for tuna fish sandwiches.  You know, the stuff we usually get in a can? Yellowfin is a very delicate and delicious fish and is also known as ahi. And ahi makes for some very nice eating. Something that you see a lot of in restaurants is seared ahi, which means that the outside is quickly seared (cooked) while the inside will remain uncooked.

Seared Ahi with Sesame Crust

Until recently, I was never a fan of raw fish and avoided sushi and seared ahi for that reason. Even though seared ahi isn’t completely raw, it mostly is, so it wasn’t something I was going out of my way to make. But the thing about ahi is this: it doesn’t taste as good when fully cooked. It’s tough and chewy, but when it’s only just seared on the outside, the meat is tender and melts like butter on your tongue.

Tyler Florence

Recently I sent my husband out to get some fresh fish for dinner and he came home with ahi. A little disappointed, and not having made it for quite some time, I had to look up a recipe for it. I wasn’t going to overcook it again because I remembered how tough it was last time I did this, so I was going to have to get over this raw fish phobia and pretty quick! I decided to go with a recipe I found on the Food Network from cutie Tyler Florence. I mean, with a face like that, how can you not but trust him? While the fish is certainly the centerpiece, I have to say that the sauce he makes for it is even better! It really is “to die for”.

Start making the sauce as soon as you get home. Let the flavors blend for as long as you can. Then, get the fish out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before you want to cook it. Here’s why. Since you aren’t cooking it through all the way, if it’s not brought to room temperature before you prepare it, the fish will be ice cold in the middle and that’s no good.

Because the sauce is super flavorful, what you want to do is season the fish very conservatively. All you need is salt and pepper. Start with some coconut oil on your cooking surface (I used the griddle down the center of my new stove, but you can use any good sauté pan or skillet that you have). You could use your grill, but you’ve got to stay with it because this takes only a matter of a few minutes and if you walk away from it, it’s toast. Frankly, I don’t recommend the grill for this.

Get the cooking surface very hot and then lay the tuna on it, cooking it until you see a layer about 1/16" or 1/8” deep turn white. Flip it over and do the same on the other side. Go a little more if you must, but don’t overdo it! That’s it, take it off. Spoon over some sauce, and the sliced avocado, serve it with some rice if you like, place some steamed bok choy along side it (make sure to spoon some sauce over that as well) and go to town. You’ve got a restaurant-quality dinner right there!

Here is the link to the recipe. The only substitution I made is that I used coconut aminos because I avoid soy sauce.

I have made this ahi a few times now and really enjoy it. Needless to say, I seem to have gotten over my fear of raw fish and have even ventured out into the world of sushi! If you’re still on the fence about raw fish, this is a good dish to start with. Or, you can just make the sauce and serve it over vegetables. I especially love it on the steamed baby bok choy.  Add tofu and turn any veggie dish into an Asian-inspired affair.

Tyler’s killer Seared Ahi Tuna

I hope you try it. It’s such a quick dinner to make on a week night. It literally takes less than 15 minutes to make the sauce and sear the fish. If you do make it, I’d love to know what you think.

Roasted Cauliflower with Chermoula

Tomatillo Salsa

I have to admit I love any sauce that’s green. I don’t know what it is, but I'll take green tomatillo salsa over regular salsa, pesto sauce over marinara, and any herb sauce over a cream sauce, any day of the week. I have a thing for green, I guess!

One green sauce I make on occasion is called Chermoula, an intensely herbal, slightly spicy sauce used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. While regional differences will dictate the sauce's ingredients, it's usually garlic and coriander that are on the top of the list. Other versions can include chili peppers or black pepper. Chermoula is usually served with fish or seafood but can also be added to other meats or vegetables. Indeed, Chermoula makes the perfect foil for the subtle cauliflower. 

Pesto!

For this recipe, we’re going to blanch the cauliflower first and then roast it.

Here's what you need:

Salt

1 large cauliflower, broken into florets

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Chermoula (see below)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and the cauliflower. Blanch 2 minutes and transfer to a colander to drain. Blot dry. Heat the oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower with the EVOO and salt it to your liking. Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned. Serve hot, with the chermoula.

Now for the Chermoula:

1-1/3 cups fresh cilantro

2/3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

3-4 cloves garlic

salt

5 Tbsp EVOO

2 tsp cumin, ground

1 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

This is easily made in a food processor. Add the herbs first, pulse, and then add the garlic, salt and oil. Pulse again. Then add all the spices and lemon juice, run the processor for about 30-45 seconds and  if it looks like it needs a little more, pulse again until everything's nice and smooth. You're done!

Chermoula

I usually serve the roasted cauliflower with a white fish because Chermoula really is good on both. I've tried it over shrimp before and it was delicious. You could also serve it with chicken or tofu or do an assortment of veggies and dribble the sauce over all of the them. 

You could put the sauce on any number of things and I'm certain it would all be good. That's what's great about allowing yourself to be creative - you never know what you'll discover that strikes your fancy.

Go Green!

Lettuce Wraps

The heat of summer is upon us. It’s been pretty warm here in Southern California. Normally we don’t see these kinds of temperatures until July or August, but, here we are, burning up already. Last week we had an unprecedented 110 degrees F! Insane.

When temps reach this high, I crave something cool to eat, or at least something light. Lettuce wraps are perfect for that. Often they can be found on restaurant menus under the appetizer section, but I like eating them as a meal. I just eat more of it! In fact, this recipe is a copycat of those famous wraps everybody loves at P.F. Chang’s Restaurant.

But, of course, it’s been modified. And what makes this recipe so fantastic is that wonderful marriage of sweet and spicy flavors that I like so well. There are probably no less than a million recipes out there for lettuce wraps, but what tends to be a big digestive problem for me with most Asian food is either the corn-starchy, sugary component, or tons of soy sauce in their sauces, which I find sometimes overwhelming anyway. This sauce is completely digestion-friendly, and soy-free, as it’s both Paleo as well as SCD-compliant. I found it on a site called cavegirlcuisine.com and I think it rocks.

I love the crunch of the nuts, the slight sweetness from the little bit of honey, all balanced by the spiciness of the Sriracha. I plan to make this dish a lot this summer. It’s probably the best lettuce wrap I’ve ever had!

Give this recipe a try when you’ve craving something light on a hot summer evening. Makes good leftovers for lunch the next day. Serve with a side of cauliflower rice (recipe to follow soon), or if you eat grains, regular white of brown rice, or maybe a fried rice dish. If you’re especially hungry, add a side of stir-fried vegetables.

Make sure to properly chop everything very fine. You want the mix to be small enough so that you can adequately wrap a lettuce leaf around the filling. Big chunks won’t do!

Also, you can make this dish vegetarian if you like by using a soy crumble, or breaking down tofu with a fork to resemble ground meat. Tofu, however, has no flavor, so you’ll want to season it with some spices to give it a little more oomph.

Ingredients:
1Tbsp. coconut oil
1 lb. ground chicken
5 oz. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/3 cup green onion
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
3 Tbsp. coconut aminos
4 cloves of finely minced garlic
1/4 cup almonds, sliced or rough chopped
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. Sriracha hot sauce
1 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil in a wide sauté pan. Add the chicken and brown, making sure to crumble the meat into the smallest possible bits. When almost cooked all the way through, add mushrooms, onion, ginger and garlic and cook until limp. Add remaining ingredients, except for cilantro, and stir together for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat.

Serve with either Boston Bibb (my favorite) or iceberg lettuce leaves that have been washed and thoroughly dried. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.

Thai Tofu Curry

Hi there. Miss me? 

I’m sorry. A lot has happened in the last few months. I started a new job in August (there’s so much to learn); my dog became sick and I had to put her to sleep; I came down with a case of digestive un-wellness that was the worst I have experienced to date; and in between all that I had family visiting for 5 weeks. 

I hope you understand........food was the last thing on my mind.

But I have been feeling better this week and I’ve regained a bit of my appetite. For weeks though I was eating minuscule portions and sometimes nothing at all. Sometimes just some bone broth or fresh pressed juice. But when I was ready for some food again, I craved something NOT bland for a change, something with some flavor, but that wouldn’t send me over the edge back into un-wellness. I was thinking Thai.

Thai food is some of my favorite stuff. In my opinion, their flavor combinations and the way they use different spices, herbs and coconut milk are heavenly. 

So while I was perusing my cookbooks I came across this recipe and modified it a bit. I didn’t use the whole berries and seeds when it came to the spices. I was too lazy for that. Plus, I have them ground, so why be wasteful? But if you don’t have them and want an even more extraordinary flavor, I do suggest you get the whole spice and first toast them in a pan, and then grind them yourself. You will not be disappointed.


Make sure to fry the tofu. Getting a bit of a brown crust on at least 2 sides gives it a little more texture but you don’t have to do this if you prefer it softer.

What I really like about this dish is the green paste. It should look like the photo on the left. It has a little tang from the citrus and cilantro and  just a tad heat from the jalapeño and together they make otherwise super-boring tofu a little less boring. And if you don't care for tofu, you could easily serve this sauce over chicken or shrimp. This paste is worth making! In fact, I was licking the food processor bowl with my fingers, so as not to waste a single drop.

We started our meal off with a Carrot and Coriander Soup. That was a good soup. I’ll post that recipe soon. But in the meantime, do try this dish sometime.

Thai Tofu Curry

Serves about 3-4.

Ingredients
2 packages firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
2 Tbsp. peanut oil or coconut oil

For the paste:
1 small onion (I use green onion)
2 green jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated lime rind (use an organic lime)
2 tsp. coriander berries, crushed (or ground coriander)
2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed (or ground cumin)
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. sugar
2/3 cup boiling water

For the garnish:
thin slices of fresh red chili or red pepper
fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
1. Toss the tofu cubes in soy sauce and leave to marinate for 15 minutes or so while you prepare the paste.
2. Put all the paste ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth.
3. To cook, heat the oil in a wok or large skillet until quite hot. Drain the tofu cubes and stir-fry at high temperature until well browned on all sides and just firm. Drain on paper towels. 
4. Wipe wok clean. Pour in the paste and stir well. Return the tofu to the wok and mix it into the paste, reheating the ingredients as you stir.
5. Serve this dish over bowls of fragrant Thai or jasmine rice. The sauce will flavor the rice as well and be very tasty.

Enjoy.

Flavor Profile: Sauces

Much of what we once knew about sauces has changed over the years. When we think sauce, many of us probably think of the classic French ones that are cooked, thickened, or contain some sort of binder like flour or tons of fat. Bechamel, hollandaise, mornay, veloute, bordelaise, chausseur..... But contemporary sauces are actually fresher tasting, healthier, more exotic, and often times easier to make than the classics, and so should not be overlooked as a way to deliver loads of flavor to the foods we prepare.

In previous posts, I covered a few. Salsas, for instance. In Spanish, salsa literally means sauce. Salsa variations abound. Instead of tomatoes, you could use fruit, such as pineapple, papaya, mangoes or peaches. Fruit salsas are particularly good on grilled fish, lending a little bit of an exotic twist to the food.

An oil-based green herb sauce, found in my Zucchini with Green Sauce post, is an excellent way to deliver flavor to bland vegetables.

Then there are those like chutneys, cooked vegetable and fruit sauces, yogurt sauces and chile pastes that can all be found in today's kitchens. Some store-bought sauces are bound to be staples in your kitchen. Take ketchup - though recipes for homemade ketchup are readily available, let's face it, most of us are not going to take the time to make it ourselves. But when it comes to others, like salsas and green sauce, I think that taking the time to make them ourselves is really worth it because of the payoff in terms of quality, freshness and especially flavor.

There are a million sauces I could highlight here. I made perhaps the best pan gravy ever on Sunday night when I roasted chicken. It was fantastic. Never better. But everyone knows how to make pan gravy, right? Vinaigrette - everyone has their favorite there, too. Pasta sauce - same. However, here's a sauce that perhaps not everyone makes and this is one I find completely inadequate no matter which store-bought brand I buy - Peanut Sauce. I've tried a few recipes but this one's my favorite and it's super easy. Great with chicken satay.

Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth, unsweetened

1 large garlic clove

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. sugar (I use light brown sugar)

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper or more, to taste

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup hot water

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, except the water, and puree until smooth. Gradually add the water until the desired consistency is achieved (don't go too thin!). Taste for salt and cayenne, adding more if necessary.

Makes about 1 cup.

Can also be used as a dip for fried tofu, or as a dressing for noodles. Keeps several weeks in the fridge. It will thicken in the refrigerator. Thin with hot water, stock or even coconut milk.

If you're interested in the best-ever marinade for the Chicken Satay that I serve with this Peanut Sauce, please email me and I'll send you the recipe. To die for.