THE HOUSE OF TARRAGON

THE HOUSE OF TARRAGON

I think I was about eleven when I first heard the word “tarragon.”  At the time, I was besotted (doncha just love that word?) with English history and lore… Richard the Lionheart and Prince John, Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, Elizabeth I and, of course, Henry VIII and his first wife Catharine of Aragon (mother of Queen Mary l, a/k/a “Bloody” Mary). I conjured up a “Royal House of Tarragon” complete with a family crest and members dressed in rich royal blue and purple velvets, silver and gold brocades. They, naturally, had Scottish clan cousins who wore Tarragon plaids.  Boy was I bummed when I found out it was just an herb.

I’m still an Anglophile, but over the years, I’ve fallen in love w/ tarragon (small “t”) and it’s sweet, yet pungent taste. I use it in meatloaf and soups and casseroles, but I’ve never had or made a tarragon sauce until I found a recipe on Pinterest that looked and sounded delicious. I immediately sent it to Richard (I don’t “do” sauces).

The recipe originally was for scallops, but we had tilapia in the freezer, so why not?  Fabulous!  Sometime later, Richard thought it would also be “fabulous” with chicken… it was!!!  And, this time he took pictures so I could tell you all about it.

So, whether you’re an Anglophile who imagines ancient English royalty riding thru the rich green English countryside hunting foxes or jousting on horseback for the King (or Queen), or not – I think you’ll love this “House of Tarragon” sauce.

TARRAGON SAUCE

For Scallops, Tilapia or Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound wild dry sea scallops – or tilapia for 4 – or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

Kosher or sea salt

1 bunch spring onions, about ½ pound

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

grapeseed oil or other neutral oil

2 tablespoons crème fraiche

fresh chives for garnish

Directions:

Place scallops, fish or chicken (Richard pounds the chicken til it’s about a ¼ - ½ inch thick) on a plate/platter and refrigerate, uncovered for 30 minutes

Trim the spring onions, separating the green tops from the small bulbs.  Dice the bulbs and roughly chop the greens

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chopped spring onion bulbs and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook 20-25 minutes, until very soft.

Add the green tops, toss through, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until soft but still bright green.

Sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two, just until the raw flour smell is gone.

Add the milk, raising the heat to medium, and cook briefly until thickened.

Add the tarragon leaves and stir through, then turn off the heat...

... and pour the mixture into a blender.  Puree until very smooth, then return to the pan over low heat, cooking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

 

Pour a thin film of grapeseed oil in the bottom of a sauté pan and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Carefully add the scallops (a few at a time), fish or chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sear them just a couple of minutes per side until they are nicely browned and caramelized (re: the scallops: they should release from the pan easily once they’re ready, and they should still be a little jiggly in the middle, as they will continue to cook off the heat).  Set aside and keep warm.

Taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary.  Whisk in the crème fraiche off the heat until the mixture is smooth, then spoon a little of the sauce in the bottom of shallow (warmed) bowls (or plate), place the scallops, fish or chicken on top, and garnish with fresh chives.

 Delicious!  A dish fit for royalty.

I can't believe...

...  this new blogspot set-up.  In trying to publish  comments made by you who read my blog, they were deleted instead of publish and I can't find away to retrieve them. ;o(  I'm so sorry.... And hope you will continue to comment again.

SALAD DAYS

SALAD DAYS

No, not “salad days” as defined by my trusty Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: “time of youthful inexperience or indiscretion, when ‘I was green in judgment’” or “heyday”… but, literally, days to eat salads.

Now, I’m not one of those people who likes a lot of rabbit food.  I do like a good chicken Caesar, cobb or chopped salad for lunch, but I can’t remember a time EVAH where I wanted or ordered a salad for dinner (until...).  I mean, why? 

Well, some time ago our friends Chris and Sandy had us for dinner. It was hot summer night and after an array of cheeses and appetizers, Sandy served a salad for the main course and changed my whole way of thinking green.

The salad was made with chopped/shredded cabbage (see there is more use for cabbage besides a boiled veggie to go with corned beef on St. Patrick’s day), sunflower seeds, grilled chicken and whatever else you want to put into it… Richard adds dried cranberries and shaved carrots.  But, it’s the dressing that makes it stand out.  It’s light and as lemon-y as you want. 

So now that the hot weather is here and the stew pots have been put in the back of the pantry, I welcome these salad days.  I even crave this cabbage salad (don’t tell Paula Deen) – so much so, Richard made it for me the other night.

Join me in my cabbage heyday.

CABBAGE SALAD

Ingredients:

Raw cabbage – chopped or shredded

Grilled, broiled boneless or baked, skinless chicken breast (or try it w/ grilled/sautéed shrimp)

Roasted sunflower seeds

Dried cranberries

Shaved carrots

Directions:

Put everything in a bowl and toss.

Dressing Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt to taste

Note: Use more fresh lemon juice if you like it really lemon-y.  Richard usually eyeballs it and gives it the finger-lick test.

Directions for dressing:

Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk away.

Tip from Sandy:  Mash garlic w/ salt first in a mortar & pestle. This reduces the harshness of the garlic.

Or…

Tip from Richard:  Heat garlic in milk for a few minutes in a small sauce pan, then drain (this takes away the sharp bitterness)

Pour on top of cabbage mixture, toss and serve.

A slice of crusty, country bread and chilled glass of chardonnay or rose are the perfect complements.

Welcome to the salad days!

LEMON SEMIFREDDO (no, not Fredo Corleone's half-brother)

LEMON SEMIFREDDO

(no, not Fredo Corleone’s half-brother)

Recently Michigan cousins I’d never met were in Los Angeles and I invited them for dinner.  Now, as we all know, ‘breaking bread’ with relatives can be an iffy thing, especially if the wine is flowing – but ever the gambler, I threw caution to the wind.  I’m so glad I did.

Richard, of course, was cooking and he planned his menu with care.  Among the appetizers was the faux chopped chicken liver, always a favorite. 

http://mydinnerswithrichard.blogspot.com/2010/10/faux-chopped-chicken-liver-for-my-faux.html

(He also baked dates stuffed with blue cheese and marcona almonds that I’ll tell you about another time. Absolutely delicious!)

For the entrée, he made Giada DeLaurentiis’ fabulous salmon in lemon brodetto w/ a pea/mint puree…

http://mydinnerswithrichard.blogspot.com/2009/10/dinner-with-friends.html

But, it was a recipe he found in a Family Circle magazine while hanging out in a doctor’s waiting room waiting for me that was the icing on the ice cream cake… as it were.  The perfect summer evening dessert.

A lovely dinner for truly lovely people and my good fortune, they’re family!  I hope to see them again.

LEMON SEMIFREDDO

Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:

1 pint lemon ice cream (such as Haagen-Dazs)

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon honey

2 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

1 package (6 ozs) fresh blueberries

14 lemon or short bread cookies, coarsely crushed *

Directions:

Soften ice cream on counter for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, coat a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Line pan with plastic wrap.

In large bowl, beat cream and honey to stiff peaks, about 3 minutes.

Beat ice cream mixture into whipped cream.

Beat in food coloring, if using.  Fold in berries and 2/3 cup of crushed cookies.

Transfer ice cream mixture to pan.  Tap gently on counter to release air bubbles. 

 

Press remaining cookie crumbs on top to adhere.

 

Cover with plastic; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

Use plastic to lift loaf from pan and invert on serving tray.

After 15 minutes, slice and serve.

*Richard used the thin lemon cookies from Trader Joe’s that are crunchy and delicious.

Makes 10 servings

238 calories per serving; 16 g fat (9 sat.); 3 g protein; 23 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 66 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol

ROCKIN' ROCKFISH - with Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Sauce

ROCKIN’ ROCKFISH

With Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Sauce

No matter the food trends of the day or what the medical establishment’s warnings may be, there are certain foods (prepared my way) I never get tired of.  Medium-rare rib roast.  Corned beef sandwich on rye w/ Swiss and Russian dressing (really, is there any other corned beef sandwich?).  Hot dogs in a white roll w/ yellow mustard and relish.  The list goes on.  It’s not stubbornness (though Finns are known for that trait) but, if I love the taste of something, I see no reason to try it another way.  You know – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Fish, however, is another matter. 

Full disclosure – I don’t really like fish (I don’t count lobster and other shellfish as “fish”).  But Richard loves fish, so I eat it and am willing to try various sauces that will ultimately hide the fishy taste.  Doing so, I’ve discovered some great fish dishes I’d actually order in a restaurant or ask Richard to make… Well, one:  sole almondine – butter, butter, butter!

But now I’ve found another fish dish I’d add to that list – grilled rockfish with a roasted red pepper and garlic sauce.  I’d never had rockfish until recently when Richard made it in a fish stew (which I actually enjoy, the recipe of which you can find right here in my blog), but never knew what it really tasted like until he made this dish.  It’s sort of like monkfish for those who’ve never eaten it, which means it’s a mild fish – not too fishy.  But add the sauce and it becomes something more than “fish” – it becomes haute “cuisine.”  Even non-fish lovers, like me, will love it.

ROCKFISH with ROASTED RED PEPPER & GARLIC SAUCE

Weber’s Big Book of Grilling

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 red bell pepper

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 to 2 shakes Tabasco sauce

Fish:

4 rockfish (rock cod) fillets – about 6 oz each, ½ inch thick

Exta virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Kosher salt

Freshly ground back pepper

Directions:

Sauce: 

Grill the pepper over direct-medium heat until the skin is black and blistered on all sides, 10-12 minutes, turning every 3-5 minutes.

Remove the pepper from the grill and place in a paper bag; close tightly.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes to steam off the skin.  Peel away the charred skin.

Cut off the top, remove the seeds, and coarsely chop.

Place in a food processor and add the rest of the sauce ingredients.  Process until smooth.

Transfer to a bowl, cover w/ plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fish:

Generously brush or spray the fish fillets w/ olive oil.  Season w/ the dill, salt, and pepper.

Grill over direct-high heat until the fish is opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time.

Remove from the grill and serve warm w/ sauce.

POT PIE FOR A SUMMER NIGHT

POT PIE FOR A SUMMER NIGHT

(Sausage, Cauliflower & Kale Pot Pie)

OK, the last thing you might think of serving on a summer night is a pot pie… and if it’s hot and humid, I don’t blame you.  I certainly wouldn’t want to be cooking over the stove on a steamy night, never mind putting on the oven.  Well, actually, I don’t want Richard to be cooking over the stove on a steamy night.

But, and this is a big “BUT” – what about those wonderful chilly nights at the shore or in the mountains or as you’re whiling away your time-off in a house by a lake… what about those cold and rainy summer nights in the city?  This pot pie is the perfect alternative to a bowl of hearty soup.

I love sausage – and mixed with kale, my new favorite leafy veggie, and puff pastry, what could be better?  Have friends over, it serves a lot.  Sip some wine, play a little Scrabble or maybe a game of hearts.  Make it a pot party.

SAUSAGE, CAULIFLOWER & KALE

POT PIE

(From Real Simple Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 T. EVOO
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and meat broken into 3/4 inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
salt & pepper
1/3 cup all purpose flour
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, torn into bite size pieces
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 lbs.)
2 sheets puff pastry (one 17.3 oz. package) each cut into four rectangles

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, 4-6 minutes.  

 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl.

Add the onions, rosemary, 1/4 t. salt & 1/4 t. pepper to the drippings and cook, stirring, until softened, 3-5 mins.  

Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, 1 min.  Add broth and simmer til thickened, 2-3 mins.

Add the kale, vinegar, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper and cook, tossing, til the kale is wilted, 2-3 mins.

Add the kale mixture and cauliflower to the sausage and combine.  

Transfer to a 9x13 inch, 3-quart baking dish

 

and top with the puff pastry, overlapping the rectangles slightly.

Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is bubbling, 25-30 mins.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

LIGHT & EASY STOVE TOP LASAGNA

LIGHT & EASY STOVE TOP LASAGNA

I’m back “dieting” again… sort of.  I haven’t gained back the weight I lost when last I was dieting, BUT… you can never be too thin… Well you can, but that’s a whole other blog.

The thing is, like most people, I hate to diet, so I’ve been scouring cookbooks and scrolling through Pinterest to collect recipes that sound deliciously fattening, but are low cal for Richard to make for me in my quest for “too thin” (aren’t I thoughtful?!).  My culinary diet efforts consists of broiling, baking or grilling lean meat, chicken or fish and steaming or roasting veggies. Maybe put the broiled, baked or grilled protein in a bunch of greens for a salad.  Good. Healthful.  BUT, (again with the “but”) BORING!

So, in lieu of diamonds or a trip to Europe, Richard makes me wonderful dinners (hence the title, “My Dinners With/ Richard,” in case you’re new to my blog).

The other night my dinner with Richard was Weight Watchers easy, no layering, stove top lasagna (so easy, in fact, I wouldn’t mind making it).  If this is diet food, I’m gonna be very, very thin.  Someday.

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers One Pot cookbook.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• About 6 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds & fully cooked
•       (Richard used higher fiber whole grain pasta)

• 2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.
2. Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley.  Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick.

Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per 1 cup: 

Calories: 275
Fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 42 grams
Fiber: 9 grams
Protein: 15 grams
Weight Watchers Points Plus Points: 7