Recipes

Blender Salsa

Blender Salsa

Use a variable-speed blender or food processor fitted with a steel blade to chop vegetables for this medium-heat salsa. When done, the vegetables should be finely chopped but not slushy. You can also chop the vegetables by hand, which is the traditional way to make salsa. Before adding the chile to this recipe, however, take a tiny taste of it. If you’re using a fiery hot habanero, you may want to add only a teaspoon of minced chile. If you’re using a milder tasting jalapeño chile, use the whole pod, minus the seeds. (See the sidebar “Some like it hotter” in this chapter for more on chiles.)
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Ingredients

  • 1 small garlic clove
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped scallion
  • 1 small chile cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 medium-large tomatoes cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Place the garlic, lime juice, scallion, chile, and cilantro in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
  • Process with on/off pulses until the mixture is finely chopped.
  • Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and turn the machine on and off a couple of times just to mince the tomatoes.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!

If you accidentally puree the mixture, don’t worry. Add a dash of olive oil, and you have gazpacho, the famous chilled soup from Spain.
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Course; Sauce

Hot Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Hot Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Stir-fry cooking usually takes more preparation than cooking time, and this recipe is no exception. Take care of the vegetable slicing and you’re ready to cook.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 slices 1/4-inch thick gingerroot, unpeeled
  • 1 pound small raw peeled shrimp
  • 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 baby bok choy thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh chile
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
  • 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups cooked rice

Instructions

  • Add the oil to the wok and heat 30 seconds over high heat.
  • Add the gingerroot and heat 1 minute.
  • Scoop out and discard the ginger.
  • Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 1 minute over high heat or until the shrimp turn pink.
  • Scoop out and set aside.
  • Add the mushrooms, bok choy, and chile, and stir-fry 1 minute or until the vegetables are limp.
  • Stir the chicken broth, scallions, and the lime juice and cornstarch together.
  • Add to the wok and stir 30 seconds or until the liquid thickens slightly.
  • Return the shrimp to the wok.
  • Reduce heat to medium-high and cook 1 minute or until shrimp are cooked through and hot.
  • Immediately dish out the shrimp and vegetables and serve over rice.
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Course; Fish / Main Course

Avocado with Broccoli and Carrot Slaw

Avocado with Broccoli and Carrot Slaw

Look for bags of already combined shreddedcarrots and broccoli, also called broccoli slaw,  in your supermarket’s chilled produce section.The crisp, shredded vegetables are a great match for buttery avocado. If thissalad is going to sit for more than 10 minutes, toss the avocado with the dressingand then add the carrots. The lemon juice in the dressing will prevent theavocado from browning.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Arrange the avocado slices, carrots, and broccoli on a serving plate.
  • For the dressing, stir together the oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame seeds in a cup.
  • Pour over the avocado, broccoli, and shredded carrots.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!

If you prefer, skip the shredded broccoli and double the carrots.
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Course; Salad

Baby Carrots with Dill

Baby Carrots with Dill

Lemon and dill add a citrusy and herbal tasteto carrots. Serve the carrots as a side dish for chicken, fish, or steak.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place carrots in a small pot with chicken broth.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Partially cover pot and cook 15 minutes or until carrots are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Stir in lemon zest, dill, and pepper while you hold the lid of the pot away from you to avoid steam.
  • Speed It Up!
  • Instead of chopping dill weed on a cutting board, hold a dill sprig over the carrots and snip a little dill into the carrots.
  • You won’t have to wash the cutting board.
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Course; Side Dish / Vegetables

Sautéed Grape Tomatoes

Sautéed Grape Tomatoes

Grape tomatoes were first cultivated inChina. The seeds were brought to the United States less than a decade ago. NowU.S. farmers grow more grape than cherry tomatoes.
Lightly sautéing grape tomatoes brings outtheir natural sugars. I add a splash of balsamic vinegar to balance thesweetness. You can serve this dish hot or at room temperature.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a medium non-stick skillet.
  • Add the shallot and sauté 1 minute over medium heat or until tender.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook over low-medium heat about 3 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly pulpy and hot.
  • Add the vinegar and stir to blend.
  • Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
  • Serve the tomatoes hot or at room temperature.
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Course; Side Dish / Vegetables

Asian Greens and Radish Salad

Asian Greens and Radish Salad

Pair sharp-tasting Asian greens with radishesfor a pungent salad. Buy bagged, trimmed radishes without the tops.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a salad bowl, toss together the Asian greens and radishes.
  • In a cup, stir together the oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  • Pour over the salad and toss gently but well.
  • Serve immediately
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Course; Salad / Vegetables
Cuisine; Asia

Vinaigrette for Mâche

Vinaigrette for Mâche

This dressing is a snap to make and keepswell. Double the recipe and store the remainder in a covered container in therefrigerator. Bring the dressing to room temperature before serving. Use 2 cupsof mâche not packed into the cup, for each salad.Gourmet greens are very delicate. Dress them lightly just before servingso the leaves don’t become soggy
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the vinegar and salt in a bowl and stir to dissolve the salt.
  • Add the olive oil and whisk to blend.
  • Season with pepper
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Course; Dressing

Farmer Breakfast

Farmer Breakfast

Bacon, eggs, and toast — all the fixings ofan old-style farm meal — come together in minutes. Serve this for Sunday brunchfor two with a fruit salad on the side.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Arrange the strips of bacon in a large nonstick sauté pan.
  • Fry the bacon over high heat 2 minutes per side or until crisp.
  • Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Cover and keep warm while making the rest of the dish.
  • Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the skillet.
  • Using a cookie cutter, cut a 2-inch hole in the center of each bread slice.
  • Add the bread to the skillet and sauté 1 minute.
  • One at a time, break each egg into a cup and then pour them into the holes in the center of the bread slices.
  • Season each egg with 1/8 teaspoon salt and a dash of pepper.
  • Fry 3 minutes to slightly set the eggs.
  • Using a spatula, gently turn the eggs over.
  • Arrange the cheese slices over each egg.
  • Cover the sauté pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the eggs are set and the cheese is slightly melted.
  • If the bacon is cold, return it to the pan for 1 minute to heat through.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!
Slice a couple of tomatoes and sauté them with the bread slices.
Speed It Up! Use precooked bacon slices instead of raw. To start the recipe, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine in the sauté pan. Add the bread, eggs, and cheese as directed. Either add the bacon strips during the last minute to heat through or heat separately in a microwave oven, following the package directions.
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Course; Breakfast / Pork

Linguine with Shrimp and Broccoli

Linguine with Shrimp and Broccoli

This all-in-one meal takes almost no efforton your part, yet it yields an elegant dish. It doesn’t hold up well, so makethe dish just before you’re about to sit down to dinner. You can put a kitchenhelper to work browning a small, chopped onion in a little butter. Add theonion to the finished dish just before serving.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water and add the salt.
  • Add the shrimp.
  • Partially cover and cook over high heat for 10 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and firm and the water just comes to a boil.
  • Scoop out the shrimp with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Skim off any foam from the water.
  • Keep the water over high heat.
  • Add the linguine and cook 8 minutes.
  • Add the broccoli and cook another 2 to 3 minutes or until the linguine and broccoli are both tender.
  • Drain the pasta and broccoli well and return to the pot.
  • Add the shrimp, half-and-half, crushed red pepper flakes, and pepper.
  • Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until the half-and-half thickens slightly and coats a spoon.

Notes & Wine Advice

Vary It!

Substitute asparagus cut into 1-inch lengths for the broccoli.
Speed It Up! Substitute 1 pound frozen, cooked shrimp for raw. To change the recipe, bring the water to boiling. Add the linguine and broccoli as directed. If the shrimp are still frozen, add them with the broccoli. Otherwise, add thawed shrimp with the half-and-half.
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Course; Fish / Pasta

Tortellini and Sugar Snap Peas with Alfredo Sauce

Tortellini and Sugar Snap Peas with Alfredo Sauce

Tortellini are stuffed pasta squares (filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, or a combination of these ingredients) folded and formed into rings. I recommend using fresh tortellini, because it’s plumper and more filling, and it cooks faster. Find fresh pasta in the supermarket refrigerator cases near the cheese products. Add a salad of mixed greens and a vinaigrette dressing to round out this meal.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Add the salt.
  • Add the tortellini and sugar snap peas.
  • Cook 5 minutes or until the tortellini are tender and float.
  • Drain the tortellini and sugar snap peas well and return them to the pot.
  • Add the half-and-half, butter, cheese, chives, and pepper.
  • Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the half-and-half thickens slightly and coats the tortellini.
  • Speed It Up!
  • Substitute 1 1/2 cups of Alfredo sauce for the half-and-half, butter, and cheese.
  • You can find refrigerated Alfredo sauce near the fresh pasta.
  • You can also use a jar of Alfredo sauce.
  • Include the fresh chives for color and flavor.
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Course; Pasta