Salmon and dijon potatoes

These roasted potatoes were really good. Most of the time we do roasted potatoes they're a bit ho-hum, but the mustard in this preparation really gave them the kick they needed to be extra delicious. We had them with salmon and an arugula salad.

Dijon-roasted potatoes

Inspired by Ina Garten's Mustard-Roasted Potatoes

Chop potatoes into bite-size pieces. Toss with dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425 until cooked through and lightly browned.

Jamaican Night for the Bachelor Finale

It's no secret that we're fans of The Bachelor franchise. We tune into the dramatic show and love watching how everything unfolds even if it is predictable. It seems that people are split on the show - either love it or love to hate it. I think it's a great show to promote dialogue about relationships and what's working on the screen and what's not. Patrick and I are under no delusion that it's not reality television and there's very much a template for the show throughout the season but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. We're able to watch it and reminisce about some of our first dates and be so thankful that we found each other and we're done with dating! The Bachelor really doesn't deserve the bad media it gets but to each their own.

With all that being said some seasons are more exciting than others and the drama is built up a lot more! Every now and then with these extra exciting season premieres or finales I'll plan something a little special. For the premiere of Juan Pablo, a Venezuelan native, we made a traditional dessert from the area - dulce de leche and served it with apple crisps. And then for Bachelor Chris's finale we made Fantasy Sweet cocktails.

Well Bachelor Ben did not disappoint all season long! We were particularly excited about his season finale and to see who he would choose. For the first time ever the lead had told the final two women that he loved them both which has never been done before!!!

The finale aired in Jamaica so we celebrated the episode with Jamaican night - a deliciously marinated Runaway Bay Jamaican chicken, coconut rice with mango and pineapple, a side salad, and rum ice cream. It was the perfect meal to accompany Ben's proposal to Lauren B!

At first Patrick was skeptical of Jamaican night but enjoyed our meal. The marinated chicken and rice side would be perfect for a summer grill out. I wouldn't be surprised if this makes an appearance at our outdoor table this summer. Check out the recipes below.

Runaway Bay Jamaican Chicken

Ingredients

1 large red onion

3 cloves garlic 

1 habanero pepper, seeded (we subbed a jalapeno pepper)

1 tbsp fresh ginger root 

1/4 cup olive oil 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

3 tbsp red wine vinegar 

3 tbsp orange juice concentrate, thawed (we subbed orange juice)

1 tsp soy sauce 

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 

1/4 tsp ground cloves 

1/2 cup chopped cilantro 

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste 

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

   In a food processor, combine onion, garlic, habanero pepper, and ginger. Pulse until ingredients are minced. Blend in olive oil, brown sugar, vinegar, orange juice concentrate, soy sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cilantro, salt, and pepper. In a container, combine marinade with chicken. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

   Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate. We used our stove top grill pan.

   Grill chicken for 10 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.

Coconut Rice with Mango and Pineapple inspiration from Food Network

   6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups jasmine rice

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp kosher salt

1 mango, 1/2" dice

1/4 of a fresh pineapple, 1/2" dice

Directions

   Rinse and drain rice in cold water. Place in a saucepan with water, coconut milk, and salt. Place the pot over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cover the pot tightly with the lid. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.

   Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 10 minutes, covered. Fluff with fork, add mango and pineapple, and serve.

Rum Ice Cream

   Makes 1 quart

Ingredients

1 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup dark rum

2 – 3 eggs (depending on their size)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

7/8 tsp salt

Directions

   Place eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Using a whisk, whip eggs until frothy.

   Add 1/4 cup of the brown sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and whisk until well blended.  Set to the side.

   Place milk, cream, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until hot, but do not boil.  Remove from heat.

   Combine the cream into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly.

   Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture reaches 175F on an instant read candy thermometer.  Again – DO NOT BOIL. Immediately remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a metal bowl.

   Add the rum and stir until blended.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 20 hours, but do not hold the mixture more than 24 hours before making the ice cream.

   Transfer the mixture to the container for the ice cream machine and freeze according the manufacturer’s instructions.

   Ice cream may be stored in an air-tight container in the freezer for about 7 days.

Turkey sliders and babaganoush hummus

It seems like every year around spring time I get a hankering for some turkey burgers (2014 2015). I guess spring came a little early this year, and along with it the turkey burgers! We still grill them indoors on our stove top, but dress them up differently depending on what we're in the mood for. This time we had avocado and caramelized onions with choice of BBQ sauce or dijon.

On the side we had some simple chopped vegetables, for which Whitney prepared a hummus mixture with roasted eggplant and yogurt, calling it a babaganoush hummus. I thought it was delicious and better than plain hummus, and went well with the veggies.

For the turkey sliders

   To prepare the sliders, mix salt, pepper, 1 egg, and Worcestershire sauce into 1 lb ground turkey. Fry in 2" rounds until browned on both sides and cooked throughout.

   Serve sliders on Hawaiian rolls with avocado, caramelized onions, and mozzarella slices. 

For the babaganoush hummus

   Slice 1 eggplant in 1/2" rounds. Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the eggplant and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 8-10 minutes; flipping half way through or until eggplant is golden on each side.

   In a food processor, combine the eggplant, 1/4 cup yogurt, and 1/2 regular hummus. Process until smooth and creamy.

   Serve with favorite veggies.

Stir fry asparagus and shiitake

Pardon a second straight week of interruptions on the blog! Even though our house is still a mess from painting, this week I was out of town and wasn't able to draft posts in advance of my departure. Hopefully things will get back to our regular programming but no promises as we're planning to paint the dining room this weekend and the living room the following weekend!

If you make this recipe, though, it'll make up for our lack of posts! This may be my new favorite way to have asparagus. We're no strangers to asparagus so that's quite a statement. I keep asparagus in our meal rotation just often enough to say we consume it somewhat regularly (maybe every month or two). To me it always elevates a meal because it's not a vegetable we're eating every week or two. We featured it as a side in two anniversary dinners (this one and this one).  We love it with pasta (see here, here, and here). Typically roasting it or sauteing it as a simple side is our go to (like this, this, and this). And then sometimes we get fancy (we tried asparagus fries and baking it in parchment).

I'd throw this stir fry asparagus into the "sometimes we get fancy" category. This was unlike any asparagus preparation we'd had before and it was delightful. The asparagus starts in the pan and warm oil with some sauteing and finishes by steaming after the stir fry sauce is added. We served this flavorful side with a salmon filet that was roasted with a simple preparation of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!

Stir fry asparagus and shiitake inspiration from America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb asparagus, 2" cut on the bias
4 oz shiitake, thinly sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp water

Directions
   Warm vegetable oil in medium skillet.
   Toss vegetables in oil, cook for 3-4 minutes stirring twice through allowing asparagus to char slightly.
   Prepare sauce - whisk together soy sauce, dry sherry, brown sugar, freshly grated ginger, and toasted sesame oil. Finally add water to thin the sauce.
   Add sauce to pan and allow to steam asparagus. Cook for 1 minute more, letting sauce reduce down to a glaze.

Cornmeal fried tilapia and marinated bean salad

Everything in this dish of substance came from the freezer! It was a great meal to pull together rather quickly. I actually prepared this on a night we had a show at DPAC that started at 7:30pm. I worked on prepping and fixing the marinated bean salad before moving on to the fish. The tilapia filets fried up quickly and the two recipes made for a complete dish.

Marinated bean salad by Martha Stewart

   Serves 10; we halved

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh green beans, ends snapped

Salt and pepper

1 pound butter beans, or small fresh or frozen lima beans

1/4 cup tarragon or white-wine vinegar we used white wine vinegar

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 shallot, minced

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, plus more for garnish we omitted and substituted an herb spice blend

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish see above

Directions

   Prepare an ice-water bath. Cook green beans in boiling salted water, just until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Reserving the cooking liquid, remove beans with a large slotted spoon; transfer to ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Transfer beans to a colander. Cook butter beans in the boiling cooking liquid, just until tender, 5 minutes if frozen. Strain; place under cold, running water to stop cooking. Set aside. We used frozen green beans and butter beans so cooked them both at the same time.

   Make vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and minced shallot. Whisk in olive oil until vinaigrette is creamy. Whisk in tarragon and parsley.

In a large bowl, toss green beans until well coated with about three-quarters of the vinaigrette. In a large bowl or on a platter, arrange the green beans in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved butter beans over the top. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the beans. Garnish with tarragon and parsley. Serve at room temperature.

For the tilapia
   We set up a breading station to fry two tilapia filets. The first bowl was flour with a bit of salt and pepper, then a egg beaten with a tablespoon or two of water, and finally cornmeal. The fish was fried in a pan with hot oil for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Pork tenderloin, acorn squash, and poached pears

A few weeks ago I was hankering to get out our China and have a fancy dinner. It seemed appropriate to do this a few weeks after we got back from our California vacation. Patrick had been working really hard since then to get caught up with his work tasks and for some reason there was a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. This provided us with just the relaxing night we needed!

I planned the meal backwards - dessert first and then molding the dinner around CSA produce. Poached pears had caught my eye recently and I thought they would be fun to try for the dessert! The recipe I found served them with a mascarpone cream. The entree featured a succulent pork tenderloin with a melt in your mouth sauce, roasted acorn squash wedges, and an arugula side salad. This was worth the effort! Everything was wonderful... except I don't think Patrick was too excited about the idea of just pears as the dessert.

Pork Tenderloin with apricot and fennel ragout from Martha Stewart

   Serves 4 (we cut in half)

Ingredients

3 tbsp grainy mustard

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Two 12-ounce pork tenderloins, tied with twine

1/2 C breadcrumbs

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

4 large (or 8 medium) shallots, ends trimmed, peeled, and quartered

1 small fennel bulb, greens trimmed, cut into thin slices

1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock

12 dried apricots

1/4 cup cognac (we substituted brandy)

1 tsp fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

Directions

   Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine mustards. Salt and pepper the pork; rub with mustards; sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Pat coating. Set aside.

   Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Sear pork, turning, until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside. Add remaining oil and butter to pan. Add shallots and fennel. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock; cook until liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes.

   Return pork to pan; add apricots, 1/2 cup stock, and cognac. Roast in oven, stirring vegetables, until pork registers 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board; place pan over medium-low heat. Add remaining stock and thyme; stir, loosening brown bits from bottom. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; slice pork. Serve with vegetables and sauce. Garnish with thyme.

Roasted Squash Wedges

   Serves 4 (we cut in half)

Ingredients

2 acorn squash

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half through the stem end, and remove seeds. Cut each half into three wedges, 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Place wedges in a large roasting pan.

   In a small bowl, combine melted butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss squash with honey mixture. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.

Poached Pears

   Serves 4 (we cut in half)

Ingredients

2 firm but ripe large Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 C water

1/2 C dry white wine

6 tbsp honey

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1/2 C mascarpone cheese

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp brandy or dark rum

Directions

   Toss pears with lemon juice in large bowl. Set aside. Combine 1 cup water, wine and honey in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until honey dissolves. Add pears. Cover mixture with round piece of parchment paper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pears are just tender when pierced, turning when half-way through cooking, about 15 minutes.

   Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to large bowl. Boil poaching liquid until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour syrup over pears. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours or overnight. Remove vanilla bean.

   Whisk mascarpone cheese, sugar and brandy in large bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup chilled poaching syrup and whisk until soft peaks form.

   Thinly slice each pear half lengthwise, leaving slices attached at stem end. Using metal spatula, transfer pears to plates. Gently press on pears to fan slightly. Spoon some syrup over pears. Spoon mascarpone cream alongside each pear half and serve.

Snapper and Corn fritters

Patrick and I made this right at end of the summer produce season. We took advantage of some late corn for these corn and cheddar fritters. They were quite savory and a wonderful side to snapper. After reading through the corn and cheddar fritters recipe I wanted to pair it with something that wouldn't compete with its flavor (there are jalapenos in the fritters!) and thought a white fish would work really well. This snapper and corn fritters meal was great! The fritters are served with sauteed cherry tomatoes and really give the dish a lot of flavor.

The fritter recipe says it makes 8 fritters and serves 2. If you make this recipe and follow that then the fritters can be your entree otherwise I would recommend serving it as a side dish. We served the fritters on a bed of spinach and split a snapper filet.

Corn and Cheddar Fritters with Sauteed Tomatoes from Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh & Fast

   Makes about 8 fritters; serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Corn kernels, cut from one large ear

salt and pepper, to taste

2/3 cup cornmeal

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

2 Tbs. fresh basil, finely minced

10-12 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

   In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add 1/2 of the onion and all of the bell pepper and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the corn and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the corn begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

   In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of the cayenne, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt; stir to blend. In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg; beat with a fork to blend. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined. Fold in the sautéed vegetables, cheese, and the 2 tablespoons basil.

   In a clean frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and then cover to keep warm.

   In a clean large frying pan over medium heat, warm a thin film of olive oil. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, use a 1/4-cup measure to add the batter to the pan. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warmed platter, and cover to keep warm. Divide the fritters between 2 warmed plates. Spoon the tomato mixture over the fritters, garnish with small basil leaves, and serve right away. 

Green bean salad with cherry tomatoes

Green beans are one of my least disliked vegetables, as they have a decent texture when cooked properly and have a fresh "green" flavor without being too bitter. This recipe takes green beans from "ok" to "actually good". The acidity of the lemon dressing and cherry tomatoes complement the green beans really well and make for a delicious salad.

Green bean and cherry tomato salad from chow.com
   Serves 6-8 (we halved)
Ingredients
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot (from about 1 medium shallot)
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 3 medium lemons)
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 lb green beans, ends trimmed
2 pints (1 pound) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves and stems

Directions
   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and prepare an ice water bath by filling a bowl halfway with ice and water; set aside.
   Meanwhile, make the dressing. Place the shallot, lemon zest, and measured salt and pepper in a medium, nonreactive bowl and add the lemon juice. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until evenly combined. Set the dressing aside.
   Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to the prepared ice water bath. When the beans are chilled, drain again and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
   Place the beans, tomatoes, and parsley in a large bowl, pour in the dressing, and toss to coat thoroughly. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Smashed potatoes

I've mentioned a few times before on the blog that we like to experiment with veggies from the CSA that we don't always get or aren't quite as familiar with. We've tried blue adirondack potatoes only once before and thought it would be fun to give them another try! I decided a smashed potato recipe would be interesting to try out too since we've never done anything like it before. I followed a Pioneer Woman recipe and paired them with a chicken dish we've had before and really liked. Read on for the recipes!

Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes
   Time Prep 30 min, Cook 25 min | Serves 6

Ingredients
12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
few twigs of rosemary

Directions
   Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
   On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
   With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
   Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
   Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

We served the smash potatoes with creamy mustard chicken and green beans!