Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers

Today I packed up my kitchen, and it's difficult to explain the sensation of seeing this room that's become so important and wonderful and productive for me transform into boxes and emptiness. But we're moving to New Orleans this coming week, and I can't wait to set up a new kitchen, along with all the delicious food options and inspirations. It's going to be so lovely.

Here, though, is a simple weeknight recipe I made with an old favorite in mind:  Quinoa and Pistachio Salad with Moroccan Pesto. Instead of roasting the peppers, I stuffed them! I also opted for a tomato flavor over the Moroccan pesto.

Fresh thyme was a key player--tying the recipe together much like the Dude's rug and his living room. The herby aroma elevated the stuffing into a freshly delicious meal.

The tomatoes came from the garden of one of my bosses, and acquiring them kickstarted this whole recipe! Combined with quinoa, chickpeas, tomato puree, parsley, garlic powder, cumin, and the aforementioned thyme, then topped with mozzarella at the end. As it stands, I think it's the last meal I will cook in my kitchen! Not too elaborate, but delicious and cheap and fairly healthy. I will get fancy again sooner or later, but for now, this was a lovely note to go out on.

Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers
Serves 2 - 3.

3 large bell peppers (cut off tops and hollow)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/4 cup minced parsley (plus more for garnish)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add zucchini, tomatoes, and chickpeas and sautee for 5 - 7 minutes until tender.
2. Stir in puree, garlic powder, cumin, parsley, and thyme. Cook--stirring often--for another 3 minutes.
3. Spoon mixture into hollowed-out bell peppers. Set on coated baking sheet (slicing a bit off the bottom of the peppers if needed, so they stand upright. Fill a small bread pan halfway with water and place on bottom rack of oven (set low). Place another rack in the middle of the oven and set the baking sheet with bell peppers on top. Cook for 18 - 20 minutes.
4. Add fresh mozzarella to the top of each bell pepper. Return to oven for another five minutes, until cheese melts.
5. Sprinkle each pepper with minced parsley and serve.

Summer Salmon Burgers

Here's another meal that pairs well with the weather.

After I made the maque choux last week, I could not stop thinking about those flavors. I can't wait for the rest of summer: so much corn and tomatoes...all the time.

I turned them into a relish here, topping grilled salmon--I would love to ramble on about how much I enjoy the taste of warm, pink flesh but I would hate to be incarcerated for intent to cannibalize.

I added mint to the relish to enhance the connection with the cool cucumber salad. The salad idea came from my cousin Mary--she made hers with zucchini, whereas I was the victim of a poorly supplied market and had to opt for cucumber. Not such a sore loser, though! It got along swimmingly with the mint and lime juice.

Last but not least...the brioche. I'm not much of a baker in terms of cookies and cupcakes, but I do love churning out a great pastry or bread. Kneading and shaping the dough, watching it brown in the oven, pulling it apart as it still steams...mmmmm. All that before the first bite even!

Enjoyed with the crisp Nobilo sauvignon blanc and now a viewing of Apollo 13 as I blog. Houston, we have a problem...my plate is empty! (So many apologies.)

NOTES:
1. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe for brioche buns. My house isn't crazy warm like hers, so I proofed the dough in the oven. For the first rise, I preheated the oven to 170. When it reached the temperature, I popped the dough in the oven, shut the door, and turned off the heat. After an hour, it had doubled in size. The recipe made more buns than I needed, but I fully aim to use the ocean of brioche I have produced. Halve the recipe if you must!
2. Another brioche note! I ran out of regular milk, so I used almond. No noticeable difference! Might even have been better ;)

Summer Salmon Burgers
Serves 4.

4 skinless salmon fillets
1/2 cup pesto
Salt & pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons oregano
Olive oil (for cooking)

Brioche burger buns
2 tablespoons olive oil (for toasting)

3 ears corn, shucked
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 mint leaves, sliced chiffonade style
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper

2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 mint leaves, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Salt
Pepper

1. Prepare brioche buns. Set aside.
2. Coat salmon fillets with pesto and seasonings. Place in a small bowl covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450. Combine corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and mint in a large, oven-safe skillet. Add olive oil and stir to combine.
4. Place skillet in oven and cook for 20 - 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Reserve relish to a medium bowl to cool.
5. In another bowl, combine cucumbers, oil, mint, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and place in fridge for thirty minutes to allow flavors to meld.
6. Remove salmon from marinade. Heat two tablespoons olive oil in medium grill pan. Add salmon fillets skin-side up and cook, 5 - 7 minutes per side.
7. Toast brioche buns in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Place salmon on toasted buns, topped with relish. Remove cucumber salad from refrigerator and serve on side.

Shrimp Maque Choux

Bare feet tap-dancing against the burning concrete steps. Grass stains on my shorts and individual blades clinging to my thighs and knees. The creaky porch and closing my eyes as I spin into a cloud of bug spray.

All this floods my brain with one bite of watermelon. We would sit on the front porch and let the red juice run down our forearms as we crunched closer and closer to the rind.

The swelter of this week had me craving the cool fruit, and while I could have purchased myself a whole watermelon and turned dinner into a gluttonous sprawl under my carport, I opted for another summery dish. Maque choux.

Somewhat like a succotash--minus the suffering (I have to imagine being sauteed is rather like a hot tub.) Maque choux is a dish with Cajun and Native American heritage. The name is even thought to be a French take on the original name.

Lots of corn here--I can't tell you how excited I am that corn is in season. So sweet and delicious.

I decided to add shrimp to turn this into an entree. Simply seasoned with citrus pepper and Tony Chachere's.

Paired with New Belgium Brewing's Rolle Bolle and you've got an effective way to treasure the weather, not just curse it.

Shrimp Maque Choux

3 ears corn, husked and shucked, corn milk reserved
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup bacon, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 cup tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 green onions, diced

31 - 40 peeled, deveined shrimp
1/2 citrus pepper seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's

1. In a large heavy saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until lightly browned.
2. Add corn, onion, celery, bell pepper, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
3. Add tomato, garlic, corn milk, and another pinch of salt. Cook for another fifteen minutes, not stirring quite as often.
4. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet. Season shrimp and then add to skillet, turning occasionally, until shrimp are bright pink and curled.

Sizzled Garlic Broccoli with Red Pepper Pesto

Here's a fun, easy way to tackle broccoli as a side dish. Sizzling combines the aspects of roasting and steaming, so you get the best of both worlds.

I'm so excited that summer is approaching. Many more delicious vegetables are coming into season, and I'm looking forward to finding ways to be a more of a deconstructivist when it comes to recipes. That'll have to be a challenge for the next blog (which is coming up really soon, because I was really late posting this one despite cooking it almost a week ago!)

Anyway, this recipe is much more straightforward, but so delicious.

There's a risk with steaming broccoli of it becoming too water-logged, but the sizzling process allowed it to be crispy but fresh.

The garlic browned first, giving the broccoli a great platform on which to sizzle. Like a nice garlic coat to make you feel kicky.

The roasted red pepper pesto was simple, though I added a bit of sriracha and honey to round it out.

Once the broccoli was sizzled, I tossed it with the garlic and pesto and served it alongside the lemon chicken and rice & beans that my boyfriend made. Teamwork!

Sizzled Garlic Broccoli with Red Pepper Pesto

Red Pepper Pesto:
2 red peppers
1/2 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup grated parmesan
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon honey

2 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped into florets
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 450. Add red peppers and roast for 10 - 15 minutes, until significantly blackened on the outside. Remove from oven and let rest until cool enough to handle. Cut off stem and peel pepper. Cut in half and deseed. Then cut flesh into strips and add to food processor.
2. Add remaining pesto ingredients to processor and...process.
3. In a large heavy saucepan, heat up two tablespoons olive oil over medium high. Add garlic sliced and cook 3 -4 minutes until lightly browned. Remove garlic from saucepan and set aside.
4. Add broccoli florets to pan, along with water and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Then cover the pan and cook the broccoli--uncovering and stirring occasionally--until water is evaporated and broccoli is tender and slightly browned.
5. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli, garlic slices, and red pepper pesto. Serve!

Aubergine Souffles

Souffles can be tricky business. It's such a delicate matter that I resort to tiptoeing and whispering around the oven. Nothing can disrupt the delicate climb! Upon undertaking a souffle, you have made the decision to impress people. Don't let them down.

The most important component of the souffle is the egg white. Despite its whiteness, you should beat it like the redheaded stepchild that it is.

The excitingly difficult part of recipes from LaRousse's Gastronomique is that a lot is expected of you. Instead of holding your hand through the steps and ingredients for making a bechamel, the paragraph of directions simply says (paraphrased) "Puree the eggplant flesh with an equal amount of bechamel sauce." It's exhilarating.

Handling the eggplant was a simpler matter. It simply needed to be roasted, halved, hollowed, and then refilled with the mixture of eggplant puree, bechamel, nutmeg, egg yolks, and meringue.

Then I simply popped them back into the oven for 10 - 12 minutes, until the filling had risen and browned at the top. Meanwhile, Andy cooked up the chicken shawarma.

And then we ate like kings!

Aubergine Souffles
Serves 4.

2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, white and yolks separated
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup parsley, minced (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, place eggplants. Roast for 20 minutes, until skin is tender. Let cool for 10 minutes. Keep oven at 400.
2. Meanwhile, make bechamel sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add flour, whisking in until all lumps are gone. Then slowly pour in milk, whisking vigorously to incorporate until smooth. Return to medium-high heat, bringing to a boil. Let boil for a couple of minutes, until thickened. Then remove from heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
3. Halve eggplants lengthwise and scoop out flesh. Puree flesh in food processor, then add bechamel and process again. Next add egg yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Process to combine.
4. Pour mixture into bowl with egg whites and use a rubber spatula to fold in egg whites.
5. Carefully spoon mixture into hollowed out eggplants. Top with grated parmesan. Butter the rimmed baking sheet and return the eggplants. Roast in oven for 10 - 12 minutes. For souffles, you want to be cautious around the oven. Definitely don't check it for the first 3/

Roasted Duck with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Glaze over Polenta

My boyfriend will sometimes tease me for my desire to make things out of scratch. "There's really no reason to make homemade Cheez-Its," he'll insist. But it looks like so much fun!

I also enjoy the quality control that comes out of doing-it-yourself. That and the sense of ownership. "This sauce, this sauce isn't Ragu's," I can boast, possibly while planting a tiny flag in middle of the dish. "It. Is. Mine."

Sometimes, though, it simply comes down to availability. Whaddaya mean you don't carry squash blossoms because they're too delicate to ship? FINE, THEN. I'LL JUST GROW MY OWN SQUASH. (Look for an upcoming blog on tempura squash blossoms!)

With this recipe, I could not readily find the required demi-glace, so why not make it? Essentially it's reduced espagnole sauce combined with stock. Espagnole sauce is one of the five French mother sauces, and I love challenging myself to the complicated balance of French gastronomy.

The sauces weren't difficult. Just involved. I did not have veal stock for the demi-glace, so I went with beef. Forgivable, I hope! For the most part, the success of the sauces comes down to the simmer. They bring themselves to perfection.

Mirepoix. Isn't that a lovely term? It refers to a collection of aromatics--usually the above pictured celery, carrots, and onions--used to add flavor to stocks and sauces.

The cheesecloth for the bouquet garni does not absolutely need to be unrolled in a dramatic fashion. But it does add a certain something to the proceedings.

Before adding the sachet, I brought the sauce to a boil.

Then I added in my bouquet garni and let it simmer. So much fun! I don't know why I don't cheesecloth my sauces more often.

Once the espagnole was created, I added two cups of brown stock and let it boil and then simmer for another twenty minutes.

After which I strained out the mirepoix.

Once the duck was done roasting...

And the radicchio and chard were sauteed...

You can plate it all together!

And drizzle the finished sauce on top.

Much more direction below!

Roasted Duck with a Strawberry-Rhubarb Glaze over Polenta

1 3 - 5 lb. duck, fat removed
1 cup strawberry rhubarb jam (recipe here)
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, punctured several times
4 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 cup onions, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups stock
1/8 cup tomato puree
Bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme, 3 - 4 parsley stems

2 cups brown stock

3 bunches rainbow chard, chopped
1 large head of radicchio, chopped into 1-inch wedges
1 small onion, cut into 3/4-inch wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 cup cornmeal
3 cups water
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a small saucepan, melt the jam until it is syrupy. Rub the duck with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Remove innards and replace with punctured lemon and four sprigs of thyme. Put duck in rack of large roasting pan and baste with melted jam. Roast in oven for one hour (basting several times throughout).
2. Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) and saute a few minutes until lightly browned. Stir in flour until roux is formed. Lower heat and cook for 4 - 5 minutes until roux is turning golden.
3. Whisk in stock and tomato puree. Pour slowly but whisk vigorously! Eradicate the lumps!
4. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add the bouquet garni. Simmer for about 45 - 50 minutes. It's probably best to start the espagnole sauce a little before you put the duck in the oven--bringing it to a simmer about fifteen minutes before you start roasting the bird--to get the timing exact.
5. Once the sauce is reduced to a third of its original volume, remove from heat and take out the sachet. Add in two more cups of brown stock and return to heat, bringing to a boil and then simmering again for twenty minutes.
[Now you're changing your just-produced espagnole sauce into a demi-glace! Pat yourself on the back! While pouring yourself a drink! If you can do all this, I'm sure you're capable of growing hands at will.]
6. Heat three cups water in a medium saucepan over high, bringing to a boil. Stir in cornmeal and lower to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook for twenty minutes, until all water is absorbed. Add in parmesan, stirring to combine.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add in onions and garlic and sautee until starting to brown.
7. Working in batches, add in bunches of chard and radicchio, cooking until wilted. Once all is wilted, remove from heat and stir in red wine vinegar.
8. Stir in demi-glace to remaining melted jam. Bring to a boil and let thicken for five minutes, then remove from heat.
8. By now, your duck should be done and rested for fifteen minutes. Carve the duck. Then serve over polenta surrounded by a ring of chard and radicchio. Ladle sauce over duck. Enjoy!

Zucchini "Pasta" with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

So excited about this. My grandmother always serves zucchini with tomato sauce, and it's one of my favorite iterations. After selecting zucchini as this week's seasonal item, I wanted to keep those flavors in play while branching out on my own.

I saw online a suggestion to turn the zucchini into quasi-noodles, slicing them into wide, thin ribbons. Pasta without the carbs! So choice.

I just cooked it down a little in a large saucepan with some olive oil, seasoning it with citrus pepper.

Then I whipped up a fairly traditional pesto, and a creamy lemon sauce that was warped a little by my lack of cream, white wine, or broth, but finally brought into the realm of deliciousness. Especially after we pinata-ed open the can of smoked paprika and added it into the mix.

Mixed in both sauces with the "noodles," then topped with slow-roasted tomatoes and a sprig of parsley. Fun new way to serve zucchini!

Zucchini "Pasta" with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 2-3.

2 zucchini, sliced into thin, wide ribbons (I used my mandoline!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons citrus pepper seasoning

6 vine-ripe tomatoes, quartered
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 oz. pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
Juice from one lemon
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon butter

Parsley sprigs, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 300. Spread quartered tomatoes over a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Roast for one hour, or until the skin is wrinkled.
2. In large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add zucchini spices and stir in citrus pepper. Cook until tender and starting to brown.
3. In food processor, combine pine nuts, basil, oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, parmesan, and parsley. Process until fully combined. Add more olive oil if needed.
4. Now in a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add diced onion and cook until golden. Then add in lemon juice, milk, and vermouth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium. Stir in garlic powder and smoked paprika. Cook for five minutes. Then remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted.
5. In a large bowl, mix zucchini, pesto, and lemon sauce. Top with roasted tomatoes and a sprig of parsley.
6. When eating, I recommend crushing up the tomatoes until the pasta. Enjoy!