Gourmet Magazine : Weeknight Gourmet

Posts Tagged ‘Gourmet Magazine’

Dinner with the Hitchmans: Greek-Style Mahi Mahi and Toasted Orzo with Saffron & Fennel

June 5 2009 | Leave a Comment

We had our friends Pam and Tony over for dinner last night.

My mom will be quite surprised by the menu because it involved two ingredients I tend to avoid — dill and fennel. But when I saw the mahi mahi recipe as well as the orzo that was suggested as an accompaniment, I decided to give them a whirl because they looked delicious and a little different. The recipes proved to be a good gamble — everyone enjoyed the meal!

Both dishes were very easy to prepare and did not require much cooking time. I was able to do all the chopping before our guests arrived as well as prepare the “Greek-style” sauce for the fish. I only made a slight change to the mahi mahi recipe — I added about 1/2 cup of feta. I figured the extra feta would boost the flavor!

For the tomatoes accompanying the mahi mahi, I picked up two beautiful heirloom tomatoes at the Manhattan Fruit Exchange in Chelsea Market.

The orzo was a nice side dish — beautiful color from the saffron and a distinctive taste from the fresh fennel.

To finish the meal, Pam and Tony brought delicious handcrafted ice cream sandwiches from Milk & Cookies Bakery. We enjoyed our dessert with a wonderful Moscato d’Asti. Pam always knows how to beautifully pair food and wine! A perfect end to the meal.

Greek-Style Mahi Mahi
Gourmet, June 2009

3 medium tomatoes (about 3/4 pound total), each cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
4 (6-ounces) pieces mahimahi fillet (1 1/2 inches thick) with skin
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup crumbled feta
3 tablespoons chopped mint
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 very thin lemon slices

Preheat broiler.

Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Line a broiler pan or small 4-sided sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and lightly oil foil. Put fish, skin sides down, on pan and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Whisk together mayonnaise, feta, herbs, and lemon juice and spread over top of fish. Put 2 lemon slices (slightly overlapping) on center of each fillet. Drizzle lemon slices with remaining 2 teaspoons oil.

Broil fish 8 inches from heat until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes. If topping browns before fish is cooked, cover loosely with foil. Serve fish with tomatoes.

Serves 4.

Toasted Orzo with Saffron & Fennel
Gourmet, June 2009

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 tablespoon boiling-hot water plus 2 cups water, divided
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups orzo (9 ounces)
1 cup chopped fennel (from 1 small bulb) plus 2 tablespoons chopped fronds

Soften saffron in 1 tablespoon hot water and set aside.

Cook onion in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add orzo and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.

Stir in saffron mixture, remaining 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, covered, until orzo is just tender and liquid is absorbed, about 12 minutes.

Sprinkle fennel bulb over orzo and let stand, covered, off heat 5 minutes. Stir fennel bulb into orzo, then serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

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Categories : Fish, Pasta

Cheeseburgers with a Twist: Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers

May 31 2009 | Leave a Comment

Taste: ****
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

Here’s a different take on a cheeseburger…use ground pork instead of beef!

These pork burgers seasoned with one of my favorite flavors — chipotle peppers in adobo sauce — were delicious. It’s amazing that such a small amount of this ingredient can pack in so much flavor!

I forgot to pick up the tomatillos but we did use the sliced avocados and the muenster cheese. Both were a delicious complement to the spicy pork burgers.

Chipotle Pork Cheeseburgers
Gourmet, June 2009

1 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
4 slices Muenster cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large tomatillo (1/4 pound), husked and rinsed, then sliced
1/2 small avocado, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro sprigs

Prepare a gas grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat.

Gently mix pork, chipotle, garlic, and a scant teaspoon salt until just combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) patties.

Oil grill rack, then grill patties, covered, 4 minutes.

Flip patties and top with a slice of cheese. Grill, covered, until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Spread buns with mayonnaise and assemble burgers with tomatillo, avocado, and cilantro.

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Categories : Barbecue, Pork

Attention iPhone Users: Epicurious App!

May 17 2009 | Leave a Comment

epi I discovered that Epicurious has an iPhone application! For those of you not familiar with Epicurious, it is the cooking website owned by Conde Nast that publishes recipes from Bon Appetit and Gourmet.

Their iPhone app let’s you search their database of 5,000 weeknight meals, see photos and reviews, and then add the recipe as a favorite and to your shopping list.

Last night I added three recipes I am thinking of making this coming week and already have a shopping list assembled on my phone. So cool!

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Categories : Jess's Picks

It's Greek to Me! Chicken Gyros with Cucumber Salsa & Tsatsiki

March 19 2009 | Leave a Comment

Taste: ***
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

Tim and I enjoyed a taste of Greece tonight. The meal was a great combination of homemade — cucumber salad and tsatsiki — and store-bought — pitas and a rotisserie chicken.

Ever since our trip to Greece in the summer of 2006, I have loved tsatsiki! This was my first attempt at making it myself. I used an English (seedless) cucumber and added an extra clove of garlic giving it some real zing! We were more than happy to share an extra pita at the end of the meal to mop up the leftover tsatsiki.

The chicken and pitas were jazzed up with a garlic-herb oil.

We piled our pitas with the tsatsiki, chicken, and the cucumber salsa! Overall a very flavorful meal, the required nothing more than some chopping.

Chicken Gyros with Cucumber Salsa and Tsatsiki
Gourmet Magazine

2 Kirby cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt (3/4 pounds)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, divided
5 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped mint
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 rounded teaspoon dried oregano
1 rounded teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 (12-ounces) package naan bread (four 8-inch pieces)or 4 (8-inch) pocketless pita rounds
1/2 roast chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded (about 2 1/4 cups), and carcass reserved for stock
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Preheat broiler.

Peel and grate 1 cucumber, then squeeze it with your hands to remove excess water. Stir together with yogurt, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, one third of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to make tsatsiki.

Cut remaining cucumber into 1/4-inch pieces and stir together with tomatoes, onion, parsley, mint, remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to make salsa.

Gently simmer oil, oregano, rosemary, remaining garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss chicken with 3 tablespoons garlic oil and brush one side of bread with remainder.

Heat bread, oiled side up, in a 4-sided sheet pan, covered with foil, 3 to 4 inches from broiler 3 minutes. Uncover and broil, rotating bread for even coloring, until golden in spots, about 2 minutes.

Spread some of tsatsiki on warm bread and top with chicken and some of lettuce and salsa. Serve remaining lettuce, salsa, and tsatsiki on the side.

Note: The tsatsiki can be made a day ahead and chilled.

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Categories : Poultry, Salads

Holy Mole! Ancho & Cocoa Carne Asada

March 18 2009 | Leave a Comment

Taste: ****
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

I’ve been on a Mexican kick recently! Last night we had ancho & cocoa carne asada tacos with an avocado slaw on the side. The cocoa, chili powder, and cinnamon rub essentially mimics the flavor of mole poblano sauce.

I used skirt steak instead of flank steak because it cooks more quickly, I like the flavor better, and I thought it would be easier to eat in a tortilla. I didn’t have ancho chili powder on hand but had something called Mexican chili powder that worked well. I cooked the rub-coated skirt steak on my grill pan.

For the slaw, I made a lime vinaigrette by whisking together the juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large bowl. I then added 3 cups of the coleslaw mix, 2 chopped avocados, and several dashes of the green Tabasco sauce to the bowl and tossed all the ingedients together. I made the slaw first so the flavors would have time to come together.

I served the carne asada with warmed tortillas, pickled jalapenos, and queso fresco. Queso fresco is often used as a topping for spicy Mexican dishes and is crumbled over soups or salads. Feta is a good substitute if you can’t find queso fresco.

Tim and I had both loved the meal. I especially loved how quickly this flavorful meal came together!

Ancho and Cocoa Carne Asada
Gourmet Magazine, March 2009

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (1-to 1 1/4-pounds) piece of flank steak
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (7-to 8-inch) flour tortillas
3 cups packaged coleslaw mix (7 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together ancho powder, cocoa, and cinnamon.

Pat steak dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, then coat with spice mixture. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook steak, turning once, 8 to 9 minutes for medium-rare.

While steak cooks, wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven.

Let steak rest 5 minutes on a cutting board, then thinly slice across the grain at an angle.

Serve steak with warm tortillas and coleslaw mix.

2 Comments

Categories : Beef, Salads

A Taste of Paradise: Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia with Mexican Pineapple Salad

March 16 2009 | Leave a Comment

Taste: ***
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Quick

It’s been a long winter and although the days are getting longer and it’s a bit warmer, I am definitely antsy for spring and summer. AdBuyer.com duties prevent us from getting to a sunnier climate so I decided to prepare a meal to remind us of a tropical paradise!

This meal — Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia with Mexican Pineapple Salad — couldn’t have been easier to prepare. And, as a nice bonus, I was able to use up the remaining cilantro and chipotles-in-adobo I had in the fridge. Very often I have to throw these leftover ingredients out, so I was excited by this recipe.

The fish has some heat to it so if you don’t like spice this might not be the recipe for you.

The real star of this meal though was the salad. My local store was out of jicama so I had to improvise a bit. I included a diced jalapeno and used two avocados. The salad was just a delicious combination and helped counterbalance the heat of the fish.

I still wouldn’t mind lying on the beach but our tropical dinner was a nice little escape.

Cilantro-Chipotle Tilapia
Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 (6-ounces) tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler.

Purée cilantro, oil, chiles with some adobo sauce, water, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth, then coat fish with sauce.

Line rack of a broiler pan with foil, then broil fish 3 to 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 9 minutes.

Mexican Pineapple Salad
Gourmet Magazine

1 (3-pound) pineapple, peeled and diced
1/2 pound jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 (7-to 8-ounce) avocado, cut into cubes
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Toss together all ingredients with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2 Comments

Categories : Fish, Salads

Tim's Birthday Cake: Devil Dog Cake with Marshmallow Frosting

March 8 2009 | Leave a Comment

Taste: ****
Difficulty: Easy
Cleanup: Moderate

Tim's Cake

Tim’s birthday is on Tuesday but we had an early celebration with his parents tonight. After a delicious dinner at Jarnac — our favorite French bistro that happens to have half-off wine on Sundays — we came back to our apartment for some birthday cake. Tim requested a small cake so he wouldn’t be eating it all week. I had bookmarked this “Devil Dog” cake that you bake in an 8×8 pan some time ago and was excited to have an opportunity to give it a go.

For those of you who have never eaten a Devil Dog (one of my brother’s favorites when we were little), a Devil Dog consists of two oblong chocolate cakes filled with a marshmallow-y cream. This cake attempts to replicate the flavor with its devils food cake and marshmallow frosting.

It’s been about 20 years since I’ve had a devil dog so I can’t totally attest to how close the flavors are but the cake was DELICIOUS and I think it was pretty spot on!

Devil Dog Cake
Gourmet, February 2008

For cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus additional for dusting
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups water

For frosting

2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 8-inch square cake pan (2 inches deep).

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and water alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.

Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 1 hour. Transfer cake to a cake plate.

Make frosting:
Combine frosting ingredients with a pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with a handheld electric mixer at high speed until frosting is thick and fluffy, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and continue to beat until slightly cooled. Mound frosting on top of cake. Dust with additional cocoa powder.

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Categories : Dessert

Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole Salad

January 27 2009 | Leave a Comment

After a gluttonous steak dinner with some very creamy creamed spinach, I thought we should go a bit lighter tonight and enjoy a vegetarian dinner.

I was looking through the February recipes posted on Epicurious and found this Black Bean Burger recipe that couldn’t be easier! Tim is obsessed with avocados (often eating them for breakfast) so adding a variant of guacamole to the meal was an easy crowd-pleaser.

The burger recipe made four good size burgers. I topped my burger with sliced avocado and some salsa. Tim used avocado and mayonaise, which is his condiment of choice. Next time I make this I will be on the lookout for better rolls – I could only find giant kaiser rolls which were a bit over-sized for the burgers.

The guacamole salad was delicious. I added a third avocado and omitted the black beans in the recipe below since we were getting a healthy dose of black beans in the burgers. If you don’t like heat, I would reduce the amount of jalapeno. Make sure to buy ripe avocados!

Black-Bean Burgers

Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine, February 2009

2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 soft hamburger buns

Pulse 1 can beans in a food processor with mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cumin, oregano, and cayenne until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cilantro and remaining can beans. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook burgers until outsides are crisp and lightly browned, turning once, about 5 minutes total. Serve on buns.

Guacamole Salad

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

7 Comments

Categories : Burgers, Salads, Vegetarian entree