Recently, I received an blog update from The Daring Gourmet where she had a recipe for Valencian Paella that looked absolutely heavenly. I just knew I had to try it and somehow my mind just latched onto some weird ‘Valencia/Valentine’ word association and here we are, me proposing you enjoy this dish with your someone special this Valentine’s Day. You could start your romantic dinner with a sous vide lobster cocktail while sipping champagne, enjoy this flavorful paella with a crisp viognier or a beautiful dry rosé, then finish with dessert… Heck at that point you are on your own, I got you this far! And with that, I bid everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day – whether you are single…
Here is a stir fry recipe showcasing green beans and prawns. The sauce in this dish is light and not the typical spicy style you probably have come to expect from me. See… I can throw you a curve once in a while! This dish is based on one I enjoy at a neighborhood Chinese restaurant and is perfect for a quick to prepare and light dinner. Need I say it is versatile? Like nearly all stir frys, you can tweak and twist the ingredients to suit your unique tastes and desires (and ingredients!). Substitute chicken for the prawns, no problem. Replace the green beans with broccoli, no worries. To add a bit more umami to the dish, I used rehydrated oyster mushrooms. They will also add…
Tonight’s recipe is based on Claire Saffitz‘ recipe on the Bon Appetit website, which I found delicious. Like many stir fry dishes, this one is easy to prepare and full of flavor. Instead of serving it with rice I opted to make it with thin rice noodles (like the ones used for Phad Thai), a wonderful change-up. I also added oyster sauce to the dish to increase the umami aspect as a contrast to the spicy red pepper flakes and sour rice vinegar/rice wine combination. The sauce was a nice thickness – coating the chicken and green beans nicely and soaked into the rice noodles completely. Try this recipe and see for yourself, this simple dish has a lot going on! Save Print…
One of the many ways I like green beans is spicy. Whether spicy pickled, sauteed with dijon mustard sauce, or Szechuan style, there is something special in spicy green beans. Today, I tried sous vide cooking some green beans in a Szechuan style spicy sauce. The flavors were intense and wonderful – and perfect as a side dish for the pan seared garam masala scallops. So if you ever needed a reason for a second sous vide immersion circulator or water bath, this is it. Vegetables need higher temperatures and longer times than delicate scallops, salmon, and ahi so you will not be able to cook them all together in one water bath. Yet the results are incredible, so make that investment in a second sous vide set…
Today, I want to share a mash-up recipe. If you have been a regular follower, you have seen kielbasa and macaroni and cheese show up a few times. Well, they are easy meals to prepare and are some of the comfort foods that many people like. So, I figure if you are going to cook, you should cook what you like to eat, right? And what better way to satisfy your hunger than by combining two items you like to make a third. This recipe uses the Macaroni and Cheese recipe from earlier this week, adds fried kielbasa and frozen green beans, packs it into a small casserole dish, and bakes it with a panko crust. How easy is that? Just think, with a few quick changes…
This dish is a great side for many main dishes – steak, chicken, pork, etc. Also, this dish can be tweaked for different flavor combinations. Today, I’ll write up the basic recipe… and in the Notes below I will discuss some of the options for additional flavor enhancements. Sauteed Garlic Green Beans Ingredients: 6 oz fresh green beans 1 clove garlic, slivered salt pepper 2 tsp olive oil Preparation: In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add the green beans and toss to coat. Cook the green beans for about 5 minutes tossing them to keep them from burning. Add some salt and pepper to taste, tossing to distribute. Then add the garlic and toss to incorporate. Continue…