Author: zambranoworld

A lovely Tibetan dumpling recipe. Labor-intensive but delicious

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound ground beef (80/20) 
• 1/2 cup minced onion 
• 1/2 cup minced cilantro stems 
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 
• 2 tablespoons canola oil 
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt 
• 48 round dumpling wrappers 

Method: 

MAKE THE FILLING:

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, onion, cilantro, ginger, oil, garlic, salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Using your hands or a spoon, mix lightly but well. Set aside, from 30 minutes to 2 hours, to develop the flavors.

MAKE THE DUMPLINGS:

1. Lay 6 wrappers out on a work surface. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling onto the upper half of each wrapper. With a damp cloth, lightly moisten the edges of each wrapper and fold up and over the filling into a half-moon, gently pressing the edges to seal. To pleat the sealed edges, start at one tip of the half-moon and make small folds in the dough, pressing them flat as you work your way along the edge. There should be space for about 7 folds. Place finished dumplings on a nonstick surface and cover lightly with damp paper towels. Refrigerate if not cooking immediately.
2. When ready to cook, boil water in the bottom of a large steamer. Spray the steamer tray lightly with nonstick spray and gently add the dumplings, making sure they do not touch. Steam in batches for 10 minutes, until the wrappers are slightly translucent, and serve immediately.

Ingredients

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet set over medium high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
3. To the same skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until golden on each side, about 1 minute. Remove the lemon from the pan and add to the plate with the chicken. 
4.  To the same skillet, add the garlic and orzo. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and de-glaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, kale, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Slide the chickens, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
5.  Serve the chicken topped with capers and lemon zest 

Ingredients:

• 1lb of brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic (peeled but whole)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Balsamic

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°
2. Prep: cut ends off and half (long ways) Brussels sprouts and peel off the limp outer leaves
3. In a cast iron skillet heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmery
4. Add in brussels sprouts flat side down and let them be! (Don’t move around because we want a nice brown color on the bottom of sprouts) for about two minutes
5. Add in garlic and salt and pepper to taste (I usually go lightly with this and then try them when they are done and add more if necessary)
6. Let flavors marry for about 4 more minutes, check to see if bottom of Brussels are brown, once they are…
7. Put the cast iron skillet into the 400° oven
8. Shake the brussels sprouts around every 3-ish minutes for 10-15 minutes until the sprouts are tender
9. Take out of the oven and let rest for 2 minutes (important to let rest because we don’t want the balsamic to burn, it’ll have a really nasty bitter taste)
10. Drizzle balsamic and shake pan around

A great recipe for simple, delicious crab cakes.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
• 30 ritz crackers, finely crushed
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Method:

• 5 avocados
• 1/4 onion. Very finely diced
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/4 cup Monterey Jack Cheese. Very finely shredded.

1. Scoop avocado halves out of their skin into bowl.
2. Sprinkle salt on halves
3. Sprinkle the very finely chopped onion on halves evenly
4. With a spoon chop up and mash the avocado, not too mashed
5. Once the onion is mixed in and evenly distributed sprinkle the shredded jack and mash and mix again.
6. In the end you should still have chunks of avocado.

Good to go.

dont: overmix

do: chop the onion very finely.

 

 

Simple and good. No lime.

• Tomatoes
• Cilantro
• White onion
• Serrano
• Garlic Powder
• Salt

Dice and mix.

Ingredients

• 1 lb baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 lemon
• salt to taste

Method

Slice up the garlic and sauté for several minutes until soft. Add spinach and sauté uncovered until wilted. At very end of process add the squeeze of lemon, stir and serve.

A simple mussels recipe, you cant go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• Veggie options
  • 1 Fennel bulb, thinly sliced (2 if they are small)
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped kale
  • you can do either or both
• 3 pounds mussels
• 1. 5 cup dry white wine
• 2 tblsp heavy cream
•  fresh parsley, chopped
• Saffron threads

Directions:

• Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the fennel/ kale and shallots and work for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes all in.
• Add the saffron threads
• Add the wine.. work for a bit to de alcohol (1 min+)
• taste and add a touch of salt if you want
• Add the mussels and cover
• After a bit, give it a shake or stir and work until all open, may be 5 minutes
• Plate the mussels evenly in individual bowls
• Turn heat up on the epic broth…bubble a bit (1 min+?)
• Add a couple tablespoons of cream…. stir and take off heat
• Drop in a couple of tablespoons of large chopped parsley
• Evenly ladle over the plated mussels
• quick dash of fresh lemon juice if you want (not necessary but nice touvh
• Serve with crusty buttered toast….(u can add a pesto spread to toast)

Do: go extra on veggies

Don’t: do too much cream, let the wine be the source of love…

Ribs with Espresso Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients
2 racks baby back ribs (about 4 to 6 ribs per person)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Espresso Sauce

Espresso Barbecue Sauce:
4 tablespoons mashed and minced garlic
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cups ketchup
2 cups honey
Grey salt
2 demitasse cups espresso (or about 1/2 cup of strong coffee or instant espresso)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut each rack of ribs in half along the bone so they can be easily stacked. Lay them out on the parchment paper in which they were wrapped for easy cleanup.

Salt and pepper liberally on both sides and pat spices into the meat. Make sure to over season the ribs, because part of the rub will inevitably come off in the pan. On a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, stack the ribs close together, about 3 layers high. Place in the oven for 2 hours, shifting the bottom layer of ribs to the top every 30 minutes until they are tender and almost falling off the bone.

One half hour before serving, transfer ribs to a preheated grill (if using coals, make sure they have burnt down to an ember). Brush ribs with Espresso Sauce and close grill. Continue to turn and brush the ribs with sauce every 10 minutes, about 3 more times.

Espresso Barbecue Sauce:
Fresh ground black pepper

Mash garlic with the side of a knife and then mince finely to release oils.

Add olive oil to a preheated saute pan. Add the garlic and saute until it gets light brown, about 1 minute. Add cider vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, and honey and stir well. Add a pinch of grey salt, then whisk in the coffee. Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:
Leeks:
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream

Mushrooms:
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon white truffle oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Risotto:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups (or more) hot vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons shaved or chopped black truffle (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley

PREPARATION
For leeks:
Bring leeks and cream to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are tender and cream is thick, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

For mushrooms:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss all ingredients on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until mushrooms are tender and light brown around edges, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For risotto:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup hot broth. Simmer until broth is almost absorbed, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add more broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in leek mixture, mushroom mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, cheese, and truffle. Transfer to large bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Tip
White truffle oil is sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets. Black truffles are available at specialty foods stores and from igourmet.com. A flavorful substitute for the shaved truffles is the Truffle Gatherers Sauce