Kale Salad with Cashews and Lime

Posted on January 21, 2014 by melsmosaic

I love getting my Bon Appetit magazine each month and there is one recipe in there I’ve been eyeing for awhile from the January issue. Finally got around to making it last weekend while watching (yelling, screaming, cheering, crying, and finally celebrating) the Seahawks game. It was the Collard Green Salad with Cashews and Lime (they mention you can easily substitute kale for the collard greens, which I did). Delicious, filling, vegetarian, can make it lactose-free (as in non-cow milk).

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted, roasted cashews, divided (love being able to buy in bulk at my Whole Foods)
4 tablespoons finely grated Pecorino, divided, plus shaved for serving (I used Manchego! — tastes just as good and I can eat it)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 anchovy fillet packed in oil, drained, finely chopped (I used anchovy paste — I didn’t want to open a whole can of anchovies for 1 fillet)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (just used bottled, was lazy)
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed, plus more for serving (didn’t get that fancy)
½ bunch collard greens, ribs and stems removed, leaves coarsely torn

Directions:

Process ½ cup cashews, 2 Tbsp. grated cheese, and 3 Tbsp. water in a food processor (I used a mini prep — fun!), thinning with more water as needed, until a smooth, creamy paste forms; season with salt and black pepper. Set cashew paste aside.

Whisk anchovy (paste), oil, lime juice, 1 tsp. pink peppercorns (for those who follow recipes to the dot), and 2 Tbsp. grated cheese in a large bowl; season with salt and black pepper.

Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup cashews. Add nuts and collard greens to large bowl.

Toss to coat, gently massaging dressing into leaves with your fingers to bruise and slightly wilt. (Spread some reserved cashew paste onto each plate and top with salad and shaved Pecorino; sprinkle with more crushed pink peppercorns.)

This salad was delicious! Very hearty and lots of flavor. Next time I make it I think I’ll throw some garlic in there, too.

From Spanish to Asian

Posted on January 10, 2014 by melsmosaic

There was a stat a few years ago that Bethesda has the most restaurants per capita in the country. Not surprising. And, as mentioned on a recent post, new places are opening all the time. What can also be great about living right here is that these new restaurants send you coupons for FREE food. Ahh, that lovely, rarely heard word. Love it. So, recently, another new place that opened its doors is Shophouse. Ever heard of a place called Chipotle? Yeah, thought so. Owned by the same people, Shophouse just took inspiration from another continent. So, the Asian flair is coming into play now and it’s pretty cool. You (only) get a bowl (as in no burritos, my friends), pick your rice, meats, veggies, sauces, toppings, check out, eat. They also note that the entire menu is dairy free and gluten free.

To start, you get brown or jasmine rice, noodles or salad.

Then you pick meat — grilled chicken satay, grilled steak laab, chicken & pork meatballs or tofu.

Next veggies — broccoli, charred corn, eggplant and thai basil or green beans.

Then sauces — tamarind vinaigrette, green curry, spicy red curry.

To be followed by garnishes — green papaya slaw, pickles, herb salad.

And rounded out by toppings — toasted rice, crispy garlic, crushed peanuts, thai chilis.

You can get samples of everything so it’s a great way to get a taste of things. They have fires/flames next to options that indicate levels of heat. As in the green beans, hello! You can also divide ingredients, as in get half/half. So, say get corn and broccoli. But, you can’t go three ways without paying extra.

I opted for a brown rice and lettuce with grilled chicken satay. Then topped it with broccoli, corn and eggplant (yes, went extra), papaya slaw and herb salad and peanuts. Then handed them my nice FREE coupon so the price was great (got the 3rd veggie for free because it was my first time there, so nice!). The regular cost for the chicken bowl was about $6.80, and it was huge. I easily got 2 meals out of it. So, another place to check out if you want to add to your list.

Spanish Food, Good Taste, Nice Price

Posted on January 10, 2014 by melsmosaic

There always seem to be new places opening in this area and it’s fun to actually check them out. There is this new one in Bethesda, MD (part of a franchise) who’s name is tough to figure out based on the font but after discussion, wine, food, more wine and deep thoughts, we find out the official name is 100 Montaditos. And what is this place? Deep research tells you “100 Montaditos was founded in 2000, near the Spanish southern city of Huelva. Recreating the atmosphere of a traditional 19th century Spanish tavern, the restaurant specialized in montaditos, crunchy Spanish rolls baked to order and jam-packed with traditional ingredients as Serrano ham, Spanish tortilla, chorizo sausage and Manchego cheese.”

They have a huge menu of bite size food (basically little sandwiches) with great meats and cheeses. They are all about $1-$3! They also have some options for salad and meat plates. My friend and I split a Spanish Gourmet platter of Serrano, Chorizo, Salami, Manchego, arugula and great bread. It was $9 for more than enough goods.

For wines, she had some nice white for $4/glass. I started with sangria — there are several options of basically wine and soda. They are $3! After that I opted for (straight) red wine for a whopping $4/glass. Very nice house selections.

We sat at the bar so had service right there. Otherwise you walk in, order at the counter, get a number, then they deliver your food to your table. But a waiter continues to come to your table to see if you need anything. Nice casual place. Affordable, tasty, can be quick, or you can stay awhile.

Holiday Lunch

Posted on December 19, 2013 by melsmosaic

Today called for a holiday lunch, which also meant I got to check out a new (to me) location in DC. Had a nice 3-course meal at Decanter at St. Regis with some colleagues.

We started with delicious focaccia and a mesclun salad. Under all the lettuce was an amazing tapenade. Heaven for olive lovers!

For the main course I opted for the scallops. Pan seared with both a chickpea puree (can we say hummus?) and chickpeas, along with great seasoning. Very nice portion size, too!

Though white would have paired a bit better with the scallops, I went for some Malbec. The waiter said this stuff was great and I couldn’t turn it down. The rest of the table was drinking beer or white so I had to take one for the (red) team. I enjoyed some Siete Fincas from Argentina. Medium body, smooth, fruity.

The other food options were a steak or pasta. They were both inhaled/enjoyed quite a bit.

The meal closed with a nice dessert of 3 sorbets — lemon, raspberry, lime, with a little meringue on top. Perfect ending.

I would be interested in checking this place out for dinner, as well. Delicious food, excellent service, nice atmosphere. Might just add it to my list.

HOP Part I

Posted on December 16, 2013 by melsmosaic

There are acronyms for far too many things in this world and I will take any chance to make a play on them. So, for this blog, HOP stands for Hearts of Palm. Ever wonder what they really are? That’s what Wikipedia is for!! Check it out.

I love the things (or swamp cabbage as Wikipedia just taught me). I buy them at Costco where you can get two huge jars for about $8. Anyway, I was having a gathering at my place this afternoon and threw together this great Heart of Palm Salad (HOPS) that somebody gave me the recipe for years ago. It is beyond basic and great for light fare.

Ingredients:

1 lb hearts of palm
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice (lime is better)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
S&P
3 tbsp olive oil
2 or 3 heads of endive

All you have to do is drain and rinse the HOP then cut them into small pieces. Throw them in a bowl. Then, in another bowl mix together the lemon or lime juice, mustard, S&P. Whisk in the oil until the mixture’s thick and blended. Pour the dressing over the HOP and toss to mix. Divide the endive leaves and fill each one with a bite-size scoop of the salad. Done! Great for parties because they require no silverware for eating (finger-food), are safe at room-temp for awhile, are dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian, and heck, fairly healthy. So, all around, can please many palates.

DC Brunch Spot

Posted on December 13, 2013 by melsmosaic

Last Sunday the weather was bad but that was no reason to avoid heading out for brunch. It had been planned and was going to happen. There is a great restaurant called El Centro on 14th Street with a (food and drink) bottomless weekend brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 10:30-3 for $35.

It’s a great Mexican fare and you order, essentially, small plates. So, you can have a little bite of everything. The drink menu contains everything from Mimosas to Bloody Marias to seasonal mixes. What’s ironic? You HAVE to pay for coffee, tea and juice. Dang!

As soon you get there they bring you great chips and salsa and come on, guac is a requirement!

I tried some of the ceviche, chicken tacos, beans and eggs. Others at the table had beef tongue, jicama, chile relleno and more. Didn’t get pictures of everything. It was delicious. Definitely worth checking out. It was very slow, though. Sort of ironic with things like ceviche that don’t really cook and the restaurant wasn’t that busy. But, there was no rush since it was an ugly weather day out there.

Caviar, Cheese and Bubbly

Posted on December 4, 2013 by melsmosaic

It was time to celebrate last weekend and it was done in style! To ring in a birthday, we brought out the best. Some nice black roe paired with some wonderful champagne. Also decided to serve it with cheese and the crackers I tested last week. Was definitely a rough way to keep the holiday weekend going.

Brussels Sprouts Test

Posted on November 25, 2013 by melsmosaic

One of my contributions to Thanksgiving dinner is a brussels sprouts dish. So when I was attending a party last night, I took that as a test-run for a recipe I’d been eyeing. I was from a recent issue of Bon Appetit — Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Chanterelles. It looked simple yet complex so it had to be made!

Ingredients are pretty basic (and I of course made some substitutions):

1½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved — they didn’t have any (whole ones) at the store so I grabbed the shaved ones at Trader Joe’s
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise ¼” thick — went with prosciutto
12 ounces chanterelles or crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved or quartered if large — baby bellas at TJ’s, oh yeah
1 large shallot, chopped
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dry Sherry — white wine because I had it
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

The recipe, as named, aims to have the brussels sprouts grilled but I didn’t have the option. So went with the alternative…5-8 minutes in a skillet over medium high heat. You take them out when done then cook the bacon (or prosciutto here) until crisp, then remove.

Throw the mushrooms in there, cook for a few minutes, the get the shallot and garlic going, t00.

Throw everything else in there, stir, salivate, taste, stir, taste some more to be sure everybody will be just as happy as you. Oh, then I guess share/serve. Great option for Turkey Day!

“It just doesn’t taste the same.”

Posted on November 6, 2013 by melsmosaic

There are those things or that dish that can be so easy/basic/simple to make that just don’t taste the same unless a specific person makes them. From spaghetti & meatballs to apple pie to chocolate chip cookies. Many times those thoughts comes from people who don’t cook, but it can come for those of us who love the kitchen.

My favorite dish to pin this thought to is my friend’s ceviche. It’s like a comfort food to me (that food/dish in general). She’s from Costa Rica and they/she just have/has magical ceviche hands, or something to that effect. All that’s in the dish is white fish, onion, red bell pepper, cilantro, lime juice…and patience. For the juice, she hand squeezes every…single…lime. And, her ceviche must sit overnight (some recipes vary).

I make ceviche every so often and it never, ever, ever tastes the same, just because it’s not HER ceviche. I’m likely missing the patience part. I have been enjoying this the past few meals and just keep smiling. Muchisimas gracias amiga!

You say dolmades, I say dolmas

Posted on October 29, 2013 by melsmosaic

In the end, they’re all the same. I was making dolmas the other night for a supper club, for the 2nd time in about 8 years because they are a food that I do not enjoy preparing but thought I’d give them another try. I have wondered about the difference in the two names so did a bit of research. And, it’s not rocket science. Based on various sources, dolmas OR dolmades is just the plural form of dolma. So on we go.

I checked out several recipes and after weighing my options I went for Tyler Florence’s.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/dolmades-stuffed-grape-leaves-recipe/index.html

I made a couple substitutions because I had them on hand and they wouldn’t alter the taste too much:

-almonds vs. pine nuts

-veggie vs. chicken stock

-dry vs. fresh dill

So to begin, prep the onion, fennel, lemon zest.

Saute the onion, fennel, nuts, zest and rice…ahh, smells good. Then add some stock and when done stir in dill, parsley, S&P.

Then you blanch the grape leaves. I think this is what the recipe I used years ago didn’t have me do so that caused tearing (both ripping and water coming out of my eyes from frustration) issues. You do that for 5 minutes.

Then the true work begins. Get those leaves separated. Have one ready, put about 2 tablespoons of mixture in the center, be strategic in rolling (all in the recipe), then place in a dutch oven. You roll and roll, then roll some more. Eventually you run out of filling.

You put the pot on the stove, put some stock to cover the dolmas half way, some olive oil and lemon juice.

They cook for about 30-40 minutes and voila! I was a bit disappointed in mine. The rice wasn’t quite done, but I didn’t determine this until too late. I made, I ate, I will next time and thereafter forever enjoy them from elsewhere (aka restaurant or storebought).