Thursday, June 16, 2011

Fresh Open Faced Sandwiches



Summer is the time for fresh and light. This was simply an inspired creation from my father, who loves to create little open faced sandwiches as appetizers at many family gatherings. So, in honor of you dad, happy Father's Day! Here is a take on your bite-sized sandwiches!

There are many variations here, all on a rosemary asiago bread from Fresh and Easy. They are assembled in the order of the ingredients as listed.

Type 1:
Jalapeno and cilantro hummus
Smoked salmon
Sliced avocado
Pepper

Type 2:
Raspberry/wasabi spicy mustard
Tomato
Gouda cheese
Arugula

Type 3:
Smoked salmon
Raspberry/wasabi spicy mustard
Sliced avocado
Pepper

Type 4:
Jalapeno and cilantro hummus
Gouda cheese
Sliced avocado
Tomato

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Portabello Mushroom Philly Cheese Steak at the Sporting House, Las Vegas


Not everything that happens in Vegas needs to stay in Vegas. This sports bar located in the the New York, New York Hotel and Casino is one gem that should definitely be explored next time you visit the city of sin. Usually, it is very difficult to find a sports bar that meets all of my needs: a wide variety of beer selection on tap, a wall of televisions within a reasonable view, friendly and attentive wait staff, and most importantly a good menu. What makes sports bars even more difficult is finding one that can also satisfy the culinary tastes of the wife. Let's face it, most sports bar menus are pretty boring. Wings or burgers anyone? Would you like fries or fries with that?

The Sporting House, which used to be the ESPN Zone in New York, New York, is where all of these elements combine to perfection. Not only is the wait staff friendly, the beer a-plenty, and the televisions voluminous (with a personal flat-screen right at your table with surround sound built into the booth)-- this place has a fantastic menu to top it all off. Both my wife and I were surprised to find not only one, but several vegetarian friendly meals offered by the on staff chef. Yes, CHEF. Not cook.

One of these delightful meals was the Portabello Mushroom Philly Cheese Steak. When I was eating meat, I loved me a Philly cheese steak. The grilled peppers! The caramelized onions! The savory and juicy steak, covered in cheese, that drips on to your chin as you bite into the gooey bun. Yum! So you have to believe that I was excited to see a vegetarian Philly cheese steak on the menu made from portabello mushrooms instead of steak. It had all of the flavor of a Philly cheese steak, but with the earthy richness that only portabello mushrooms can provide. And yes, I had it with a side salad instead of fries! How many bars offer that as an option? It was also not just a chopped iceberg lettuce bore. The salad was made with field greens and fresh vegetables with a nice house ranch dressing.

Overall, it was a delight to find the perfect sports bar. This was a dish that I truly enjoyed and hope to try to replicate at home soon!

Chipote Black Bean Burger with Fire Roasted Feta Corn


This was a truly exciting find! In my new quest to join my wife in eating pescatarian (only vegetables and sea food), finding something that could satiate my craving for the summer tradition of grilled foods is kind of tough. This is why I was so excited to find these chipotle black bean burgers in the Costco freezer aisle.

As we were hopelessly staring into the one note Morning Star veggie patty freezer, a fellow vegetarian noticed our frustration and pointed us a few doors down to the chipotle black bean burgers made by the same manufacturer. I have had many a "veggie burger" and to be honest, many of them fall very short of being tasty. However, this one is a winner! Thank you random lady at Costco.

This delicious meal is so simple and the payoff is so great! It will blow your mind. I would bet even you meat eaters out there would give this dish some respect. What is great about these "burgers" is that when you cook them on the grill, they have all the charred "meaty" flavor you would expect in a nice burger. They are crisp and not soggy like a piece of rubber. You can eat these like a traditional burger or eat them bun-less as a healthier option. I have enjoyed them both ways!

Here is one way to eat them that we particularly enjoyed.

Ingredients

Burger
2-4 Morning Start Chipotle Black Bean Burgers
1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice


Corn
3 ears of white corn
1/2 cup feta cheese
Garlic salt to taste
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup diced cilantro (optional)

Salad
Field greens
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
10 sliced green olives
1/4 cup feta cheese
Greek salad dressing


Directions

Salad
You want to prepare the salad first and let it chill.
1. Mix all ingredients together and chill in fridge.

Corn
1. Shuck corn and wash.
2. Place corn on grill and rotate until it is slightly charred all around. If it starts to pop, then you need to turn down the heat.
3. You can start the corn a few minutes before you put the burgers on the grill.
4. After the corn is done, slice the corn off of the cob and mix it with the feta cheese, cilantro, and the spices in a large bowl.

Burger
1. Grill the burger on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side (while corn is cooking)
2. Top with the cheese and let melt

Enjoy!


Greek Pesto Pizza


Do you love pizza? I do! As you can see from my previous posts, we make a lot of pizza! It's a Friday tradition. Don't get me wrong, pizza is delicious, but when you have it once a week, it is nice to mix things up a little. The traditional pepperoni can get old pretty fast. This recipe uses classic Greek flavors to make a simple pizza that is complex in flavor. Since it is easily self-assembled, it will also make a fun meal for when you have guests. We recently had two friends over and everyone enjoyed making their own personalized pizza. All it takes is a few minutes of prep to cut the toppings and a few minutes in the oven to make these delicious little guys.


Enough for four diners.

Ingredients (can vary depending on your own tastes)
1 jar of pesto sauce
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1/4 chopped (chunky) red onion
10-15 sliced green Greek olives (garlic stuffed are best)
1 sliced red bell pepper
15-20 sliced in half cherry tomatoes
1 small jar of artichoke hearts (or better yet, get the ones from your store's olive bar)
Two handfuls of fresh spinach
Sliced chicken breast or sausage (optional). We use vegetarian sausages. And yes, they are delicious!
1 package of pita flat bread
1 container of feta cheese
Garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread a thin layer of pesto sauce on the pita flat bread.
3. Sprinkle pepper and garlic salt to taste on pita flat bread.
4. Top with some or all of the toppings, creating one layer of topping.
5. Sprinkle feta cheese on top.
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust begins to be golden brown.

It is recommended to pair with a Greek salad and red wine.

Enjoy!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza



Asparagus! Yes!

If you love asparagus, this is the Pizza for you. If you hate asparagus, this is a great introduction to the wonders of the asparagus plant. Drown it in ricotta cheese and you just might like it!

Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough (must let get to room temperature!)
1 pound of asparagus, cut off and use tender ends (top 3 inches)
5 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (light is ok!)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 table spoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups baby arugula
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Meat eaters, add chicken sausage!


Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Shape the dough into two or four rounds and place on flour dusted baking sheet.
3. Top dough with mushrooms, garlic, asparagus, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
4. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil on top of pizza.
5. Bake until the crust is golden brown.
6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Top the pizzas with the mixture just before serving.

Bon apetite!

Tilapia Two Ways

What do you do with a fish that can easily become soggy and tasteless? Tilapia can go wrong so easily if not cooked right. Either it is overcooked and rubbery, undercooked and mushy, or just plain bland.

But, Tilapia is mild, affordable, and available year round. It is low in mercury, compared to other fish such as tuna, and is a healthy earth-friendly choice. So why not give it a chance? There has to be a way to make tilapia tasty.

What about two ways! Here are a pair of tilapia recipes that will make a big splash in your kitchen!

Teriyaki Tilapia with Herb Salad

Ingredients
2 6 oz tilapia fillets
1/4 teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 sliced scallions (green onions)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup arugula
1 sliced tomato
crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups of white rice

Directions
1. Cook rice in your rice cooker or on stove top
2. Cover tilapia with a generous coating of teriyaki sauce
3. Broil the tilapia on a foil lined baking sheet, basting with teriyaki periodically
4. Meanwhile, mix cilantro, scallions, lime juice, arugula, and red pepper together in a large bowl
5. When fish is cooked, place on top of rice. Then cover the dish with the herb/salad mixture!


Dijon Fish Cakes with Greens

Ingredients
2 6 ounce tilapia fillets
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 sliced scallions
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

Directions
1. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper
2. Bake tilapia at 400 degrees until cooked through
3. Let the tilapia cool and then flake it.
4. Mix together all other ingredients except Panko.
5. When fish is cool mix tilapia and other ingredients. Then fold in the Panko until it is all mixed together.
6. Form mixture into about 8 cakes, then cool in fridge for 1/2 hour.
7. Cook in olive oil in a nonstick skillet until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
8. Serve with a simple salad of your choice!

Enjoy the tilapia!


Pita Jungle Pasta Salad


We have this amazing restaurant out in town called Pita Jungle. The name is pretty self explanatory. They have a wide array of pita bread dishes, including the traditional gyros and hummus dip. They have a pretty amazing cilantro jalapeno hummus which I would definitely recommend. But what was most surprising in my last trip was one of their salads--the spinach pasta salad.

Originally my wife, the vegetarian, ordered it. I, being a man and facing all of the carnivoric societal pressures of being a man, of course ordered the Philly Cheese-steak pita. It's not to say that my dish wasn't good, but after one bite of my wife's spinach pasta salad, I was in love!

So what does a good chef do when he falls in love with a dish? He copies it and make it better at home.

Here is my version of the amazing Pita Jungle salad. This recipe is for a large portion, which I would recommend because the leftovers are much better as the flavors begin to blend together more. You can even make it on Sunday and take it for lunch all week since it is a cold pasta dish.

I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
1 box of Ronzoni Garden Delight Rotini Pasta (or other rotini pasta of your choice)
1 small jar of Pesto (found by marinara sauces)
2 medium tomatoes, chunked
1 green bell pepper, chunked
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 bag of spinach
1/2 (log?) of fresh mozzarella cheese
Hand-full of Parmesan cheese
15 green olives, sliced


Directions
1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and then stir in the pesto and Parmesan cheese while the noodles are hot
4. Let the pasta cool in the fridge along with other mixture
5. Mix both mixtures together in a large bowl after all ingredients have cooled

Enjoy!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Eating Around San Francisco

When I went to San Francisco a while ago, I knew that I was in for a treat--dare I say, the "San Francisco treat?" Although I ate no Rice-a-Roni while I was in the bay area, I certainly did get to sample the some amazing dishes, from the very basic breakfast sandwich to an elegant all vegetarian five star meal in an old military dock.

Although the mornings were bleak and the fog creeped into the bay on little "cat feet" as Carl Sandburg so famously once wrote, there was one scrumptious scent that could drag me out of my hotel bed each morning and draw me towards it in a zombie like trance-- a scintillating scent that was a bright beacon of light, even in the foggiest mornings. Oh, did I say beacon? I meant bacon. Well, not even bacon, but pancetta is in the bacon family isn't it?

The old ferry building just off of the Embarcadero metro stop on the edge of downtown is a bustling farmer's market on Saturday and Tuesday mornings. Just inside the building across from a deli that specializes only in salty pork products sits a milk and cheese company who offers what I would consider the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had. At a mere $6.99, it is worth every scrumptious bite. The sandwich is called the "Sidekick" and is offered by the good folks at the Cowgirl Creamery and milk bar (yes, milk bar). Just look at the picture of it!

It begins with fresh baked San Francisco sourdough roll. Two fresh eggs are cracked raw onto the bread, after some of the bread has been scooped out. Fresh artisan cheese is placed in the middle with freshly steamed kale, and pan fried pancetta. It is then placed, open face into an oven for five minutes or so, allowing the egg to seep into all of the other ingredients as it cooks. The result is a mouth-watering breakfast sandwich that is unmatched by any I have ever tasted. You can enjoy this beauty with a wonderful view of the morning bay by walking only a hundred feet or so to the edge of the dock. Rice-a-Roni, move over. This is the real San Francisco treat.

For coffee lovers, coffee that's (dare I say) better than Starbuck's, just head a few stalls down to the Blue Bottle Coffee Company to try the unique drip coffees made a single cup at a time to order. This is the best place to get a cup of gourmet coffee for less than two bucks with such unique flavors such as the New Orleans, the Bella Donovan, and the 17-foot ceiling. It's rich in flavor and soothing. It must be the unique "drip" method of brewing that takes a little bit of extra time, but is definitely worth the wait!

After breakfast is done, one has to wonder, "When do we eat next?" For lunch, no other place offers a better snack after roaming around the farmer's market than the Tadich Grill just inside the edge of downtown in the financial district. We happened to be there just on the verge of the St. Patty's day parade, which was taking place a few blocks away, so the usually crowded location happened to be empty at the time.

If you've ever wondered where Don Draper and Roger Sterling from Mad Men would lunch in San Francisco, this is the place. Is 10:00 am too early for a cocktail? Certainly not at the Tadich Grill! While our wives were perusing the nick-knacks at the farmers market, my good buddy Will and I stumbled upon the Tadich grill and slipped in for a couple of quick Stella Artois pilsners off tap. When you enter through the stern wooden doors, you are greeted by the bar staff in whites and blacks and offered a seat at the long wooden lunch bar. The beer is cold and the service is friendly. Our bartender delighted us with his ability to turn down every reservation that came in by phone by saying, "We don't take reservations," while seating customer after customer who had clearly made reservations. The prices were fair, and although we didn't sample any of the dishes at this particular location, every dish that came off the line looked as appetizing as any you could find elsewhere.

Another hot-spot for lunch in the San Francisco financial district is the famous dim-sum from Yank Sing. Inside a mall-like shopping area, which seems deserted on a Monday afternoon, Yank Sing is flooded with customers. One recommendation here-- review the menu and prices before you get there. As soon as you are seated, an overwhelming conveyor belt of servers descend upon you in an onslaught of food options. Although each dish is small and can be devoured in just a few bites, the prices per dish can range anywhere from $3 to $12. So be careful what you say "yes" to! We accidentally ended up paying $9 for a cabbage salad that was literally three bites (but it was good!) Yet, despite the anxiety induced by the constant offerings of pork dumplings and shrimp puffs, it was still a great experience and overall, the food was stellar! And, for the gentlemen, they place ice cubes in the urinals to prevent "splashing"-- a restroom feature that is well appreciated by moi.

For dinner, there are two options that I would certainly not pass up at all costs. I am not a vegetarian, but my wife is. My good friend Chelsey, who we were traveling with, is also a vegetarian. In fact, if you haven't noticed already, I cook vegetarian 80% of the time and eat vegetarian just as often simply because I'm married to one. I have nothing against the veggie way. So this place was a special treat for all of us. Greens is located in Fort Mason, just a quick cab ride past the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory from Fisherman's Wharf. Greens is a five star vegetarian restaurant that offers far more than just your standard tofu based meat substitutes. It is a true vegetarian's heaven.

We were not only lucky enough to be able to enjoy a few bottles of wine at this place, but we were graced with some of the best food I have ever eaten--and it was all meat free! We started off with the Star Route Wilted Spinach Salad and Bengali Potato Croquettes. They don't want you to know this, but these two appetizers were more than enough for four diners (although the croquettes were so good, we ordered another plate). We then moved on to sample such delightful dishes as the Buckwheat Crepe with roasted winter vegetables, caramelized onions, gruyere and herb cream and the Artichoke and Sunchoke Gratin with leeks, green garlic, peppers, tomatoes, manchego and fromage blanc custard. Every bite will make you question why you eat meat in the first place. Animal flesh was certainly not missed.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big fan of beers and bars that serve them. This is why the second place the I would not miss in San Francisco is the Rogue Bar situated in the North Beach area. Just a hop-skip-and a jump from both China Town and Coit Tower, the Rogue Bar offers every single one of the Rogue micro-brew beers, along with some of the best bar food for beer sampling. You can go as basic as the Kobe beef bacon cheese burger, or you can sample some of their delightful bleu cheese and Kobe beef meat balls. They also have a sauerkraut drenched Kobe beef hot dog, appropriately named the Dachshund. Did I mention that they offer plenty of Kobe beef options?

Not only is the food great the the Rogue bar, but the beer flows freely and at a relatively good price for beer of its quality. I would recommend a sampler (as you can see we had!). This way, you can try everything from the classics such as Rogue Juniper Pale Ale to the experimental oddities such as the John John Dead Guy, which is a blend of whiskey and beer. The John John Dead Guy was unlike any beer I have ever tasted. It had all the bite of whiskey, yet the soothing ale finish licked your wounds before you knew what hit you. These are among several of the other beers, including a chocolate stout that will literally knock you off your feet.

And finally, after all that drinking and eating, what's better than more drinking and eating? You've got to have that late night snack somewhere, right? One particular night, after spending a few hours at a historic bar on top of the Stockton Tunnel, we headed uphill toward the Top of the Mark Lounge in the famous InterContinental hotel. This place has the most amazing views of the city at night. Even if you are not a drinker, the views are worth a trip.

After ordering a round of Martinis at the tiny bar, we took a seat next to one of the many large windows and peered out over the vast landscape that San Francisco had to offer. The view is panoramic, depending on where you move around the bar. You can view San Fran from just about any angle and location. At night, with the glitter of lights and the slight dusting of fog, the view was breath-taking. The martinis were good as well. They were classic style, heavy on the gin and dirty with the olive juice.

Then, after enjoying the final drink at closing time, it's time for the best pizza in town. Golden Boy pizza, which offers a few locations in San Fran, is the best spot to get pizza by slice off the street. You can slide into the narrow establishment if you want and sit at the eight person bar, but you can just as well enjoy the pizza from a paper plate on the street. For $3.50 you can get a square slice and a beer off tap! What a deal! And the pizza itself is more than just your average pepperoni. Served in generous square slices (since they bake it in a rectangular pan) the pizza is just what you need after a long night out on the town. I particularly enjoyed their Clam Garlic pizza, which was smothered in fresh clams and garlic gloves from edge to edge. I'm not sure if this is the pizza you want to eat before kissing your loved one, but it most definitely makes the tum-tum happy. The dudes that work the place are also cool. They pump plenty of 90s era punk and skater music into the atmosphere and have a very laid back attitude. It's my kind of place for sure.

There were plenty more treats offered by the wonderful people of San Francisco, but these were definitely my favorites. I went to San Fransisco to find friends and fun, but fell in love with the food. Until next time San Fran...

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Spanish Rice and Potato Breakfast Burrito


You probably don't need a recipe for a good breakfast burrito, but a little inspiration doesn't hurt, does it?

We love to make breakfast burritos on the weekend when we have more time to mill around in the kitchen in the morning. Nothing is more delicious than the smell of bacon on the griddle, but you won't smell that sweet aroma in this house because we have a vegetarian living under our roof. So the challenge for me is how to make certain dishes taste just as delicious without the meat. The answer in this case is a some nice home fried potatoes! They still fill the house with that savory aroma that bacon does and make for a delicious burrito.

For this particular recipe, we had some left-over Spanish rice (see Polenta dish!). So I thought, why not? And I added it to the burrito. It turned out that it was a great choice!

Here is what I used:

Ingredients
1/2 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1/2 package of leftover Spanish rice. Of course you could make this fresh and only use 1/2 package for this recipe.
6 large eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice
3-4 green onions
2 medium sized potatoes
Flour Tortillas
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbs. olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
1. Slice potatoes from the end, cutting into circular shapes. Quarter each circular slice.
2. Heat olive oil in skillet.
3. Cook the potatoes on high in the skillet with olive oil for 15-20 minutes, stirring often until browned and crispy.
4. Add the rice, beans, green onions, garlic, salt and pepper to the potatoes when they are nearly done and mix in. Keep on low-medium heat to warm everything up.
5. Scramble the eggs with milk and cook in a separate skillet.
6. Add cheese to the eggs when they are nearly done cooking.
7. Warm tortillas.
8. Place the components from each skillet into your tortilla and burrito-ize it!

Enjoy!

A Typical Dinner


Here is just an easy, typical dinner in our house. Salmon and rice with veggies.

I don't think this one needs much explanation, but for those of you who want some tips, here it goes.
Ingredients
-Fresh salmon (as much or as little as you would like). We also buy from Costco, who seems to carry the best tasting Salmon in a non-seafood town.
-1 1/2 cups dry Japanese short grain sticky rice
-Frozen vegetables of choice
-1 Tbs. Black sesame seeds
-1 Tbs. Sea salt
-3 Tbs. Olive oil
-1 Tbs. Cajun seasoning
-1 Tbs. Lemon Pepper

Directions
1. Start the rice in a rice cooker or on a stove-top pot. It will take the longest.
2. Slice the salmon into small (2 inch square) chunks. This is crucial for the best grilling. Bigger chunks will not cook as well.
3. Place the salmon chunks in a bowl and coat with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning and Lemon pepper generously on each side of the coated salmon.
5. Begin to steam the veggies.
6. When the rice only has about five minutes to go, grill the salmon on the high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. The olive oil should sizzle and seal the salmon chunks in a nice crusty layer of "skin."
7. Spoon rice onto a plate and sprinkle sea salt and black sesame seeds over the rice.
8. Place salmon on rice and serve veggies on side. I like to add a little lemon juice and pepper to the veggies if I have it.

Enjoy!