Tag: shallots
Sauteed Green Beans with Mustard Seeds
This is a delicious side dish that I made within minutes. The great thing is that it can served with any protein or a rice dish. One of my favorite cuisines is South Indian food- I love the different spices used in these dishes including mustard seeds and curry leaves. I especially love the combination of the two. It creates an amazing, earthy flavor. read more …
Thyme Pecorino Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops and Arugula
I can’t think of a better way to start the New Year than with some delicious scallops. We all love scallops in our family. Especially with some delicious risotto. A lot of people are intimidated to make risotto- but one needs to have a bit of patience. The method is quite simple and the flavor combinations are limitless. I decided to add fresh thyme and Pecorino cheese in this dish. I love Pecorino for its delicious punch of flavor.
The scallops are super easy to make. All one needs is a good non-stick pan, some delicious olive oil and salt and pepper. The pan needs to be screaming hot and the scallops are done in minutes. To complete the meal, I dressed some delicious arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
The whole meal was very easy to make and didn’t take very long. Try this in the New Year…. a great start!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4 cups chicken broth, heated
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 cup Pecorino cheese, shredded
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil on medium heat. Add the shallots and cloves and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the thyme and rice and sauté for a minute. Add the chicken broth half cup at a time, stirring constantly on medium heat. Keep repeating the process till the rice is cooked. Add the half and half and cheese. Taste for seasonings and add the salt and pepper.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 12 large scallops or more
- Salt
- Pepper
Heat a large non-stick pan and add the oil. Saute the scallops on high and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes each (depends on the size of the scallops). Serve on top of risotto.
Arugula Salad
- 3 cups baby arugula
- Juice of half lemon
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Toss the arugula with the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Add a cup of tossed greens on top of the scallops and serve.
Gorgonzola and Pancetta Burger
This is one of my favorite burgers I have made in a long time. I make burgers all the time and try to come up with new combinations. This one is a combination of some delicious flavors including pancetta and fresh thyme. I made the burgers even more delicious by stuffing them with gorgonzola cheese…
- ½ cup pancetta, chopped
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola
- 4 Ciabatta rolls
- Sliced tomatoes
- Lettuce
Heat a small frying pan with the pancetta. Add the oil and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the shallots, garlic and fresh thyme. Saute on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool. Add the mixture to the ground beef. Add salt and egg and mix well.
Divide the mixture into four parts. Take each part and form a ball. Flatten it and add 2 tablespoons of cheese in the middle. Fold the meat over the cheese and form a patty. Repeat and make three more patties. Cook on the grill or cook top. Serve on a Ciabatta roll with tomatoes and lettuce.
Linguini with Shrimp and Sausage
Another delicious pasta. Shrimp and sausage is a great combination..
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 chicken sausage links, sliced
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- Salt
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 to 3 cups cooked pasta
Heat a wide frying pan with olive oil. Add the sausage and brown on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Take out and keep aside. Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and add the sausage. Cook with the lid for about ten minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 4 to 5 minutes making sure not to over cook. Add salt and parsley. Serve with pasta.
Sausage Ragu with Red Wine
I haven’t posted a pasta dish in a while. So, here is one…
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic, chopped
- 4 to 5 links chicken sausage, casing off and crumbled
- 1 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ cup red wine (something you are drinking)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- Salt
- 2 to 3 cups cooked pasta, al dente
Heat a wide frying pan with the olive oil and add the shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and sauté on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rosemary and red wine to deglaze the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the tomato sauce and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer on lower heat and cover with lid. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve on pasta.
Chicken Breast with Kumquats
This was a great dish to make. Someone mentioned kumquats a while ago and how the didn’t know what to do with them. Kumquats look like tiny little oranges. They are quite tart if eaten raw but provide a great tangy citrus flavor if cooked correctly. It reminded me of a chicken and kumquat dish I had at Spice Market in NYC. It was a very memorable and delicious meal- I am sure the yummy cocktails helped a lot.
I started thinking of that dish and decided to look it up online. After a lot of visualizing, I came up with this recipe. I first put the dressing together. I was able to get fresh lemongrass at whole foods. The kaffir lime leaves are available at the Asian stores. I bought a big pack and have them stored in the freezer. These two flavors are quite important to this dish.
I coated the chicken with a spice mix and marinated it for a few hours. All together, this dish has a few steps but it is very worth it.
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Roasted Fennel Risotto with Chilean Sea Bass
This is a delicious and sophisticated dish I came up with. I made this through the week but I think it is very appropriate for a special occasion or a nice Sunday dinner. I have been using fennel a lot these days- raw and roasted. I decided to roast it and cut it up and use it in a risotto- why not, I thought… I also roasted some other aromatic like garlic and shallot. All these ingredients gave the risotto and lovely sweet, nutty flavor.
I bought one of my husband’s favorite fish- Chilean sea bass and marinated it in a miso mixture and simply sautéed it. I also tossed baby arugula with olive oil and lemon juice.
The combination of the risotto and fish with the arugula was unusually delicious… try this dish when you want to impress your family…
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