artichokes!

partially eaten steamed artichoke stuffed w garlic clove

steamed artichoke. if you have a thing for artichokes, you’ll want to try this recipe. super simple. flavorful. don’t be intimidated by cleaning the artichoke. get rid of the lower leaves - they are too tough to eat. watch this tutorial and get your water boiling! there will appear to be a lot of wasted leaves from a prepped artichoke, as anne burrell says: “accept it and move on.” here’s how:

you’ll need:

artichokes, prepped
1 lemon
1 stick of butter
herbs, finely minced
garlic cloves, 1 whole one for each artichoke & 2 finely minced for dipping butter
salt

you'll do:

get out your largest pot & place a steamer rack in the bottom. fill pot with water - do not submerse steaming rack. turn on heat to medium high. put lid on pot.

make acidulated water in a bowl large enough to hold your prepped artichokes. water + juice from ½ a lemon.

place 1 whole, peeled garlic clove inside artichoke before you put artichoke in steamer pot.

place artichoke, cut side down, stem pointing up on steamer rack & replace lid. set timer for 20 minutes. after 20 minutes, check water level - add more water if you need to. i didn’t have to - but i used a super large pasta pot. set timer for addtional 15 minutes. check stem with toothpick - if toothpick inserts easily into stem - artichoke is done. turn off heat. replace lid.

while artichokes are steaming; make your dipping butter. place 1 stick of salted butter in  glass measuring cup along with 2 finely minced garlic cloves, ¼ of salt and juice from ½ a lemon. heat on 50% heat in the microwave for 1 minute. let the residual heat melt the butter the rest of the way. before serving - add any minced herbs you’d like. i used a sprig each of marjoram, oregano & parsley.

dip & eat.

note: you do know that you do not eat the entire artichoke leaf, right? you dip the leaf in butter and scrap the flesh off the leaf with your teeth. you’re welcome.

creamy pasta w broccoli & spinach

creamy pasta w broccoli & spinach

creamy pasta with broccoli & spinach. fast. easy. delicious. this is no april fool's joke. the lemon zest adds the yum factor. spring has sprung!

you’ll need:

8oz pasta (i used whole wheat macaroni)
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch fresh spinach
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup parm cheese
1 clove garlic, pressed
red pepper flakes
lemon zest (about ½ a lemon)
salt

you’ll do:

start a large pot of water to boil. when water comes to a boil add a handful of kosher salt.

prepare a large bowl with salted iced water to cool off broccoli & spinach.

cut broccoli into bite size florets. blanch broccoli for 3 minutes then transfer to iced water.

remove broccoli with your hand to a bowl - drain off excess water.

blanch spinach for 1 minute, then transfer to iced water.

add pasta to boiling water. yes, the water can be used 3 times.

in a food processor: add parm cheese, pressed garlic clove, lemon zest, butter, olive oil, red pepper flakes and the cream. whiz. taste & salt.

drain pasta and add back to large pot along with broccoli on low heat. add cream mixture and stir. grab a handful of spinach from iced bath and squeeze to remove excess water. add spinach to food processor and whiz. add spinach to pasta & stir. heat thru & eat!

dim sum YUM!

chinese broccoli (top), scallop (L) & shrimp and leek (R) dumplings

shrimp & leek dumplings in steamer tin

dim sum. soft, fluffy, billowy pillows of yum. chi’s bistro has dim sum everyday. huh? ok. dim sum consists of: small servings of dumplings or buns delivered to your table by a cart & served in steamer tins or on small plates. i prefer the shrimp or seafood dumplings. here’s what to do if you want to eat dim sum at chi’s bistro: you will be asked "lunch menu or dim sum" before you are seated. answer: dim sum. then order from the menu you don't have: a bowl of soup (optional) and chinese broccoli ~a must! one of the two dim sum carts will come 'round. pass on the bread/buns. i am sure they are OK, but i am sending you there to eat steamed dumplings. when the cart with the steamed dumplings comes by, the server with lift off the lid & you will be shown tins that hold 2-4 dumplings each. choose the ones that sound good to you. you will be charged for each tin you take. the prices vary. again, seafood = yum, pork = dense & heavy. try the shrimp & leak or scallop. eat with chopsticks. dim sum YUM!

Chi’s Bistro
6 Shackleford Drive
(501) 221-7737

hummus wrap

hummus wrap. vegetarians behold the easy to make at home wrap. no need to buy a sammie, make one!

you’ll need:

some sort of bread, naan, flat bread, tortilla or pita
hummus (make your own, people!)
black olives
cucumber
feta cheese
tomato
red onion
sprouts

 

you'll do:

assemble and eat. FRESH & YUM!

note: optional filling idea: roasted red peppers

how to make hummus:

you’ll need:

food processor
can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
lemon,  juiced
tahini, 1 teaspoon
garlic clove, pressed
salt, to taste
white pepper & cayenne pepper, a pinch
water, enough to make it a dip consistency
olive oil, 1 tablespoon
cumin, a pinch

throw all ingredients in food processor & whiz. done.

winner winner sheen dinner.

delicious lentil soup w chorizo.

lentil soup. it’s greenish, yes, and it’s also earthy and delicious. i took an inspiration from laura calder, but, inspiration was it. this is my spin on her idea. i made enough to freeze. why not? you can find the chorizo at boulevard bread ($9.99 for an imported 7.9 oz package). the smoky oil that is produced when it’s sautéed is super delish. save that, ‘cause that your garnish. here’s how:

you'll need:

1 lb lentils (i used the grocery store variety for $1.15)
1 onion, diced
1 lb small carrots (i used organic, top on variety)
salt
2 boxes chicken stock (yo, veggies, use veg stock!)
1 immersion blender or standard blender
some spanish chorizo (you ain’t gonna find it at kroger, dears)
lemon (an optional squeeze on top)
olive oil

you'll do:

dice onion. peel carrots and cut into thick rounds. rinse and pick through lentils. heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven. add onion & salt and sauté until very tender (not brown) about 5 minutes. add carrots and sauté another 5 minutes. add lentils and 2 boxes of stock. bring to a boil, reduce heat to a bubbly simmer. let cook for 30-40 minutes even though the bag states lentil take 20 minutes.

slice chorizo into very thin rounds. add olive oil to a skillet and put in rounds and sauté slowly on each side to render fat. this will only take 3-4 minutes.

pick out carrots (this is why you cut them into thick rounds) and then use immersion blender to purée. taste. you may need to add some salt and if it’s too thick, add some water.

add carrots back and reheat. ladle into a bowl. top with chorizo and chorizo oil. eat.

winners win. period. the end.

yum. crispy skin. juicy & tender.

chicken canzanese. america’s test kitchen comes through again. this dish is restaurant quality. crispy skin, super juicy, fall off the bone tender with a plate licking sauce. here’s how:

you’ll need:

8 thighs or 4 leg quarters, skin on, bone in.
2 oz pancetta, small dice (see note)
4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
olive oil
2T flour
2 C white wine
1 C chicken stock
rosemary, 1 stem
2 bay leaves
12 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves
½ t red pepper flakes
2T butter
1T lemon juice

you’ll do:

when you bring home the chicken, salt it and put in fridge until ready to use. i left mine in the fridge for 2 days. thanks alice.

preheat oven to 325℉.

chop pancetta into a small dice. slice garlic cloves. add 2T olive oil to large heavy bottom skillet and add pancetta to brown. about 3 minutes. add garlic and cook for 90 seconds. remove from skillet leaving oil and reserving pancetta & garlic.

pat dry chicken with a paper towel. pepper the chicken. add 2T olive oil to skillet on medium high heat and let it come to a smoking point. add chicken skin side down and do not move it for at least 5 minutes. it took mine about 9 minutes to brown. check after 5 minutes. flip and cook for at least another 5 minutes to brown other side of chicken. careful not to burn the oil/bits in the skillet. turn off heat. remove chicken. pour fat from skillet into a heat proof bowl.

get herbs ready. remove leaves from rosemary stem. place stem, bay leaves, cloves and red pepper flakes on a small plate or bowl.

measure out wine & stock.

add 2T of that oil back into skillet with 2T flour. stir and incorporate for 1 minutes. add wine to deglaze skillet. add broth and whisk to remove all lumps. simmer for 5 minutes. return pancetta and garlic to skillet along with plate of herbs and stem. place chicken into skillet, skin side up and put in the oven for one hour and 15 minutes.

chop rosemary leaves very finely and set aside.

after 1 hour & 15 minutes, remove chicken from skillet and place on platter. cover with foil.

remove sage & bay leaves, cloves and rosemary stem from sauce. place on high heat for 3 minutes. add lemon juice, butter and rosemary and stir. when the butter incorporates, this is the sauce. taste. add salt and white pepper if needed. eat.

note: i bought my pancetta at boulevard bread and it came wrapped in the CUTEST waxed paper. also, in the america's test kitchen video, she calls it prosciutto, which is a DRY CURED ham that does not need to be cooked before consumed. you can plainly see she is using pancetta, which is cured, yet raw. oops.

cucumber parsley dressing

cucumber parsley salad dressing!

cucumber parsley salad dressing. my culinary visions never let me down. a quick blender dressing that can be used as a sauce for a wrap or top a salad. super fresh. super delicious. super easy. takes 1 minute. why eat all those nasty preservatives when you don’t have to? here’s how:

you’ll need:

½ cucumber, peeled
2 heaping tablespoons sour cream
½ a clove of finely minced or pressed garlic
salt
a handful of parsley
a pinch of ground cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of white wine or champagne vinegar
1 blender

you'll do:

throw all ingredients in the blender & whiz. thick, creamy & yum. never buy salad dressing again. that’s an order.