green sauce

a quick hello and a very simple recipe for a great roasted tomatillo salsa. stop by later this week for a great machaca taco recipe . . . a perfect place to use this not too spicy tangy green sauce! it's also great on huevos rancheros, yum. the green market this weekend was in full autumn mode and has inspired lots of cooking on our few and far between days off.

we've been working on loads of fun projects lately and can't wait to share some new tears. (like the thanksgiving desserts spread i styled in the new EDRR - pick it up!) remember when we made homemade worcestershire here? well, we were making bloody marys with our friend dimity recently and it inspired her to post this. we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week but still haven't gone out to dinner to celebrate - any suggestions for a fun new spot in nyc? happy monday!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

makes 2 1/2 cups

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped

10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, scrubbed and quartered

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. toss onion, jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together on a large baking sheet. roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until softened and lightly charred. transfer to a blender with lime juice and cilantro and blend until combined and smooth with a few chunks remaining. serve warm or room temperature & enjoy!

spicy mustard

as promised, here is that spicy stout mustard that goes perfectly with all your fall comfort food - sausages & sauerkraut, homemade pretzels, warm toasty sandwiches, etc. who knew mustard was so easy to make? when we moved, we got to start fresh with a fridge empty of all condiments and thought it would be fun to try making most of the typical sauces from scratch. this is a nice grainy mustard with some kick but the flavor will mellow out the longer it sits in your fridge. enjoy!

Spicy Stout Mustard

makes 3 1/2 cups

1 12 oz bottle Guinness Extra Stout

10 oz brown mustard seeds

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbs honey

1 tbs salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp turmeric

combine all ingredients in a nonreactive mixing bowl. cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1-2 days. transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor and puree, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. process until most of the seeds are coarsely ground and mixture thickens. transfer to jars and refrigerate for up to six months.

spring rolls

we're experiencing some warm humid weather in southern CA today and it's making me think of hawaii, the beach and anything tropical. this is a nice light dish, simple to prepare and easy to impress. there are plenty of fried spring roll recipes out there, which i consider an egg roll, but these vietnamese spring rolls use tapioca sheets and plenty of fresh crunchy vegetables. they are easy to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge wrapped in a damp paper towel until you're ready to eat. rolling takes a bit of practice but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun!

Chicken Spring Rolls with Sesame Peanut Dipping Sauce

makes 12 rolls

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

14 oz light coconut milk

2 keffir lime leaves, bruised

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

2 carrots, peeled & julienned

1 persian cucumber, julienned

3 green onions, julienned

1/2 cup micro greens

1 small bunch cilantro, leaves only

6 large tapioca sheets

1 cup sesame peanut dipping sauce (see below)

in a small saucepan, combine chicken breast with coconut milk, lime leaves and 14 oz water. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. cool completely and shred. fill a large rimmed sheet pan with 1/4-inch warm water and dip 1 tapioca sheet in the water for a few seconds until it softens. carefully lay wrapper flat. in a row slightly below center and about 1-inch from the sides, place a small handful of chicken. then layer with a few strips of bell pepper, carrots, cucumber and green onions and top with a little of the greens and cilantro leaves. bring bottom of wrapper up and over filling, then fold in sides tightly and roll upward until sealed. repeat with remaining ingredients and sheets and slice in half with a sharp knife. serve with dipping sauce.

Sesame Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup water

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs lime juice

2 tbs creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp chili garlic paste

combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend.

scallops & slaw

this dish is full of great flavors and leaves you with a little hint of spice on your lips. a spoonful chili garlic paste in the marinade provides the kick and it is an ingredient that you must have in your cupboard! look for sambal in the asian ingredient isle of the market or specialty store and use it in sauces and marinades for scallops, shrimp, pork and chicken. i'm not a big spicy person but am constantly trying to be. this is one spice i actually love because it's not too hot and leaves an amazing flavor in your mouth.

Seared Scallops with Fennel Apple Slaw

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp hoisin

1/2 tsp sambal chili garlic paste

6 scallops, tough muscle removed from side

1 bulb fennel

1 granny smith apple, peeled

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, sesame oil, hoisin and sambal. Add scallops and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.

On a mandolin, finely slice fennel and apple. Combine with scallions, lime juice, vinegar, cilantro and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add a little oil. Season scallops with salt and pepper and sear scallops until nicely browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.

feelin saucy

here are a couple of shots for your monday from a shoot i did for a client who is using the images for wall art. each image will be approximately 5 foot square.  they should be pretty fun.  all of the shots are food related and here we have the much under used in the states, hp sauce, along with some sardines packed in a bbq sauce.  both images were shot with a ring flash which can be oh so addicting to use...