Ingredients:
2 ahi tuna steaks (approx 5-6oz. each)
1 large jalapeno, sliced into rounds
1 nearly-ripe mango, cubed, skin on
1/2 small onion, minced
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely minced
1-2 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp rice wine or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fruitty olive oil
1 cup high pulp orange juice (enough to cover the fish while marinating)
Pinch of Kosher salt
Directions:
Marinate the fish for 30min to 3 hours.
Strain the solids out of the marinade & add to a medium skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for 5-8min.
Sear the tuna for 1-2min per side & remove to a plate to keep warm.
Reduce the liquid portion of the marinade until it thickens into a glaze, about 4-5min.
Plate the fish & top with mango salsa. Serve with glaze & Florentine-style asparagus.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 480
Total Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 2.4
Cholesterol: 98 mg
Sodium: 362 mg
Potassium: 1405 mg
Total Carbs: 32.6 g
Fiber: 2.4 g
Sugars: 26.6 g
Protein: 52.8 g
Yield: 2 hearty servings.
Lamb Shanks
Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks (approx 1 to 1 1/4 lb each)
4 large carrots, cut into large pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into large pieces
2 onions, coarsely chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, cut in half
6 oz tomato paste
1 bottle dry red wine (try Carmenere, a great Chilean wine)
4-6 cups low sodium beef stock or water (enough to nearly cover the shanks)
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary & 10-12 sprigs fresh thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen string
Olive oil (approx 2-3 tbsp, by the time you're done)
Kosher salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large dutch oven or deep-sided pan, bring 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to a high heat.
Liberally season lamb shanks with kosher salt & pepper & brown well on all sides.
TIP: Don't skip this step! This will add a ton of flavor and ensure the thin layer of fat & fell on the outside of the meat breaks down properly during cooking.
Once the shanks are browned, remove and arrange in a braising/roasting pan.
Add the carrots, celery, garlic and onions and cook until caramelized. Add additional olive oil if necessary.
TIP: For the most flavor, cook the veggies in the same pot that you browned the shanks in!
While the veggies are cooking, add 3/4 of the bottle of wine to a large saucepan. Stir in the tomato paste and add the bundle of fresh herbs. Reduce for 10-15min.
Once caramelized, add the veggies to the pan with the shanks. Deglaze the pan with the remainder of the wine.
Pour the braising liquid over the shanks and add the herbs.
Add water/stock until the shanks are nearly completely covered.
Cover with foil & cook for approx 2 hours until fork tender.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 900
Total Fat: 26.8 g
Saturated Fat: 8.3
Cholesterol: 290 mg
Sodium: 1315 mg (if made with water, not beef broth)
Potassium: 2514 mg
Total Carbs: 28.7 g
Fiber: 6.8 g
Protein: 98.7 g
(...and over 50% of your daily Vitamin C...naturally!)
Yield: 4 servings.
Oven Roasted Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1/2 lb ground pork
8 oz grated cheese (romano or parmesan)
5-6 large eggs
6 oz whole milk
4-5 cloves roasted garlic, sliced
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 oz fresh basil, chopped
2 oz fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl.
Add additional breadcrumbs as needed to bind ingredients together.
Loosely roll into golf ball sized meatballs.
TIP: the less you handle the mixture, the more tender the meatballs will be!
Cook in batches on a nonstick cookie sheet for 35 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 90
Total Fat: 5.8 g
Cholesterol: 39.9 mg
Sodium: 165 mg
Total Carbs: 3 g
Fiber: .5 g
Protein: 6 g
Nutrition Information is per Meatball. Yield is 45-50 golfball sized meatballs.
They're delicious...didn't say they were the healthiest thing in the world ;)
Quick Sauce (this one's for you, Renee!)
Ingredients:
4 tbsp Olive Oil
1 medium white/yellow onion, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (I recommend Cento, it's a great brand that's not too sweet like some of the American versions. And if you can't find crushed, grab whole stewed tomatoes & just puree them - anything except tomato sauce!)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Fresh rosemary (optional)
Directions:
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat
TIP: Cooking at the right temperature makes all the difference...Letting the oil heat gradually and sauteing gradually will distribute the flavors better - which means a tastier end result!
Add the onion and cook for 10-12min, stirring frequently
Add the garlic and fresh rosemary stem and cook for 3-4min, stirring frequently
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes
Remove the rosemary
Add the tomatoes and cook for 20min, stirring frequently
While the sauce is cooking down, get started on the pasta. I usually prefer meatballs with spaghetti, but use whatever pasta you prefer.
In a stockpot, boil heavily salted water.
Add the pasta and cook according to the box instructions - Use the smaller number in the range for al dente, you will finish cooking in the pan.
Drain the pasta, saving about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta and the pasta water to the saute pan with the sauce, and stir to coat the pasta. TIP: The starch from the pasta is what helps the sauce stick. While "watering down" your sauce may sound weird, trust me, it makes all the difference!
Add the meatballs and serve in bowls with freshly shaved Parmesan...enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 250
Total Fat: 14 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 70 mg
Total Carbs: 28 g
Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 7.5 g
Yield: 3.5 cups / Nutrition Information is for 1 cup of sauce.
Homemade-ish Chicken Noodle-less Soup
A great recipe for when you don't have all day to sit & watch your chickens boil but still require the magical healing powers of chicken soup. I prefer it minus the noodles, hence the name. Sometimes I'll add in Lundberg Wild Rice (that I'm hopelessly addicted to, thanks to my former roomie!) for a "complete" meal.
Ingredients:
2 48oz cans chicken broth (I prefer the flavor of the Swansons Chicken stock or Pacific organic chicken broth when Costco has it in bulk - if not, use whatever you like!)
6-7 medium carrots, cut into rounds 1/8" thick
2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped
4-5 large celery stalks, chopped into pieces 1/8" thick
1/2 C dry / very dry sherry
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, finely minced
1 store-bought rotisserie chicken, any "flavor" except lemon pepper (unless you're feeling all Martha Stewart-ish and wanna roast a couple yourself. If that's the case...invite me over!)
Directions:
In a large stock pot, bring the broth to a boil.
While the stock is heating, prep the vegetables and add them as you go.
- TIP: For those who haven't had the benefit of a knife-handling class (which I would *highly* recommend through The Learning Exchange if you want to make cooking less burdensome and also enjoy having 10 fingers) minced means about the size of a pencil eraser, diced means a little bigger than a Cheerio, and chopped is a little smaller than a postage stamp. Check out a photo here if you're utterly confused by my odd size comparisons.
Add half the sherry and cook, covered, for 20min.
- TIP: The sherry is the key to the whole thing. Promise me you won't skip this part, it's what gives it a rich, deep flavor that you just can't get unless you're gonna make it all from scratch.
If you have too high of a solids to liquid ratio from evaporation, just add in more broth. Remember to add in an additional "splash" of sherry for each can of broth you add. (Feel free to channel Julia Child here...Some for the pot, and some for you!)
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 160
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Sodium: 1,150 mg (Cut this in half by using the "Natural Goodness" broth...less flavor, but less sodium)
Total Carbs: 9 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 19 g
Yield: 10 servings. 1 serving is about 2.5 "big ladles" of soup. And it'll fill ya up, trust me.
Sapori d'Italia Sammy
Ingredients:
2 nice crusty rolls
6 paper-thin slices of prosciutto (most grocery stores now sell prosciutto, but if you have trouble finding it seek out your local Italian market, like Corti Brothers here in Sacramento)
1 oz honey goat cheese (if you don't like goat cheese, try fresh mozzarella or something else that has a creamy texture to it)
2 small handfuls arugula, washed and dried
1 tbsp fig preserves (also at grocery stores or Italian/specialty markets)
2 tsp unsalted butter
Directions:
Turn the oven on Low broil.
Slice the rolls in half, butter each side, and pop under the broiler.
Once toasty brown, remove the rolls and spread both sides evenly with the fig preserves.
Stack each roll with 3 slices of prosciutto and crumble the goat cheese over it.
Add a handful of arugula.
Best served with a crisp white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc from Peju or Sterling.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 340
Total Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 42 mg
Sodium: 1,300 mg
Total Carbs: 35 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 17 g
Yield: 2 sandwiches, 1 sandwich per serving
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