Clam & Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

This recipe was shared to me in secret about 10 years ago. I swore never to tell... until now. 10 years is a long time not to share something this good.

Ingredients:

White mushrooms

Chopped clams

Garlic

Cream cheese

Parmesan cheese

Butter

Parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash mushrooms and carefully take out stems. Discard stems

Poke mushroom heads with a toothpick. About 2-3 holes per head.

In a food processor, puree together clam and garlic until smooth.

Stuff mushrooms with the garlic clam puree then cover with cream cheese.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Arrange mushrooms in a baking pan. Carefully place pieces of butter in between gaps.

Bake for 20 mins or until filling is golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley before serving

Chinese Style Crab and Sweet Corn Soup

This is a favorite from the "just add 1 egg" Knorr soup commercials I used to watch growing up. Although, I can just easily buy the packet and make the instant version. I was inspired to try and make it from scratch. Not only was I pretty happy with the result, this was fast and easy to make as well.

Ingredients

4 cups shrimp stock

1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled

1 can (12 oz.) creamed style corn

1/2 cup crab meat

2 T cornstarch mixed in 3 T water

1 T soy sauce

salt & white pepper to taste

sesame seed oil

3 whole eggs, lightly beaten

spring onion sliced for garnish

Directions

Bring shrimp stock to a boil over medium heat.

Add in ginger and simmer for about 5 minutes

Take out ginger and discard

Add in sweet corn and shredded crab meat and cook for 5 minutes

Bring soup to a boil and gradually stir in cornstarch mixed in water until a smooth texture is formed.

Reduce to low heat and simmer for 3 minutes

Season with salt, white pepper & sesame seed oil

Gradually stir in eggs and cook until eggs are done.

Garnish with green onions before serving.

Mark's Amazing Dinner

This is easily one of the best home-cooked meals I've ever had. Mark made it all look so simple as he was cooking but I wonder if it's really THAT easy. The Risotto was al dente & savory, the asparagus crisp yet tender and the Swordfish fillet was oh so succulent. Everything was just perfection! I feel very honored to have been invited to partake in this delicious fare and witness first hand, Mark's culinary skills.

Risotto -- requires 45 minutes

1 cup of Arborio rice

1 mushroom bouillon cube

1 small finely diced onion

4 crushed garlic cloves

1/2 cup of olive oil

2 teaspoons of salt & crushed pepper to taste

finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 cup of white wine

Lightly saute garlic in olive oil until nicely brown (not crispy) on medium heat;

Add onion, let brown slowly and add salt and pepper;

Let onion and garlic mixture cook down until sticky;

Dissolve mushroom bullion into two cups of boiling water;

Begin adding bullion slowing (adding only small amounts at any one time);

Continue adding bullion for 45 minutes stirring consistently (only add bullion as liquid absorbs into the rice);

Once bullion runs-out, continue to add approx. 1 cup of hot water, stirring until rice is cooked (to taste);

3-4 minutes before rice is finished, add white wine, slowly stirring;

Once risotto is ready, add Parmesan cheese to taste and serve (each person can always add more so add just a small amount).

Swordfish -- requires 4-5 minutes

Two 1/2 pound swordfish steaks

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

Capers

Butter

1 small lime

Olive oil

20 minutes after you start the Risotto, pre-heat your gas to 550 degrees;

Add cooking pan and place it directly beneath the flame to ensure the pan is hot;

Clean fish in cold water, dry and then add a small amount of good quality sea salt and freshly ground pepper to the swordfish;

5 minutes before the Risotto is done, place swordfish onto pan and place directly under gas flame;

1-2 minutes later, remove swordfish and add a small amount of olive oil (do not cover entire fish - just for flavor), and place back into the oven;

2 minutes later, remove swordfish and squeeze a small amount of lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon of butter and 10-12 capers to each steak and the place swordfish on a lower rack (remove it from being directly next to the flame); Cook for 1-2 minutes and then serve.

Asparagus

1/2 pound of Asparagus

Olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Lemon or Lime juice

20 minutes after you start the Risotto, pre-heat your gas to 550 degrees;

Add cooking pan and place it directly beneath the flame to ensure the pan is hot;

5 minutes before the Risotto is done, place Asparagus onto pan and place directly under gas flame;

Remove after 2-3 minutes and add a small amount of olive oil and lemon or lime juice and then return it to the oven for 1 minute;

Remove, add small amount of Sea salt and pepper and serve.

PJ Party v.2.0

PJ party version 2.0 was Bern's turn to host. Knowing her passion for French cuisine, it came to no surprise on the chosen theme. Her and Jerms impressed everyone with their culinary talents. Everything was absolutely delicious. I normally would have a favorite but this time around, I could not choose from one or the other....plate lickin' good!


Chicken with Morels



Ingredients
1- ounce dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups very hot water <~~~ we used dried chanterelles in place of the morels before and it still came out yummy.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1⁄4 cup clarified butter <~~~ people said they used regular butter and it came out fine.
1⁄3 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 cup Madeira wine <~~~ we used dry sherry as a substitute
1 cup (8 ounces) creme fraiche <~~~ found this at trader joe's
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large saute pan and cook the chicken in 2 batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of the stove.

Sautéed Prawns in Pastis with Lemon and Cherry Tomatoes



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pounds of shrimp (15 per pound), shelled and deveined
10 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons pastis, such as Ricard or Pernod
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1) Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat.
2) Add shrimp and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently
3) Add the tomatoes and the pastis, then flambé until the flame dies out.
4) Add the lemon juice, butter, basil, parsley, and chives and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5) Swirl the pan over the heat just until the butter is completely melted into the sauce. Take care not to boil, or the sauce may separate.

Herbed Basmati Rice
(Jerms thought this was a little dry, so you may want to adjust cooking time or add more butter, I also doubled the recipe).



Ingredients
1 cup uncooked long-grain (white) basmati rice (recommended: Texmati)
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh curly parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh scallions, white and green parts
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups water, the salt, and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, stir once, and simmer, covered tightly, for 15 minutes. (I need to pull the pot half off the burner to keep it from boiling over.) Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, dill, scallions, and pepper. Fluff with a fork, and serve warm.

Hannah's Wasabi-Mayo Salmon

When Hannah and I were housemates, this dish was a regular on our menu. Not only is it delish but also easy to prepare as well. Rice and grated white radish on the side are perfect compliments to this delectable dish.



1 medium size Salmon filet
salt and lemon pepper to taste
sauce:
5 Tablespoons Japanese mayonnaise (kewpie brand)
1 teaspoon Wasabi paste
2 teaspoons Cilantro or Parsley, finely chopped
2-3 teaspoons Soy sauce (kikkoman)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F for 15 minutes.
Wash salmon filet, pat dry and season with salt and lemon pepper.
lace salmon, skin side down on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil (no need to grease if using non-stick).
Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked but not dry.
While waiting for salmon to cook, mix Japanese mayo, wasabi paste, soy sauce and cilantro In a bowl.
Spread the mayo mix on top of the filet and bake for an additional ten minutes.

notes:
The measurement of the sauce ingredients are only estimates. Flavor will vary according to one's personal taste. The sauce may be doubled and the remaining half served on the side as dipping sauce.

Maya's Ahi Poke

Maya made this enjoyable dish for her big 30th birthday, which was held at her family's beautiful vacation home in Carmel. I've always been a big fan of poke and this is one of the best ones I've tried. She tells me she got this recipe from one of the chefs at Asia de Cuba.



Ingredients:
1 lb ahi tuna, diced 1/2 inch
3-4 tblsp shallots, diced fine
1/4 cup cucumber, diced small
1-2 tblsp sambal
4 tblsp green onion, diced fine
3/4 cup +/- ponzu soy/yuzu sauce
1 tblsp sesame seeds
Sea salt to taste

In bowl, combine tuna, shallots, cucumber, sambal and ponzu soy. Toss and serve. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Best served with fried wanton chips.

Michele's Winner PJ Party

Last Saturday night, Michele hosted her PJ party...needless to say, it was filled with awesome company, great food, good wine and delish desserts. Although everyone brought something to add on to the menu, here are the dishes Michi personally prepared for her guests. We filled our tummies with these palatable indulgences until we can hardly breathe...


Killer Whole Dungeness Crab Roasted in Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 whole crabs (2 plus pounds each)
Crab butter
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped medium shallot
1/2 sprig rosemary (chopped)
1 sprig thyme, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons Szechwan peppercorns
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon garlic salt
8 to 10 garlic cloves, roasted and pureed
Chopped parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Crabs:
Depending on where you get the crabs they could be alive or preboiled (I recommend live crab because it tastes fresher). If they're alive, place the crabs in boiling water for 5 minutes (until red in color). Remove from pot and cool them in iced water (quick cool). With your thumb and index finger pry open the head, remove innards and save. Under running water wipe clean the head area.

Crab innards:
In a blender add the innards with 1/4 cup of white wine, blend on pulse, strain, and save. In a pot on medium heat add olive oil, shallots, rosemary, thyme, and peppercorns. Cook until light brown, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of wine. Add the blended crab innards, the canola oil, and the garlic salt. Simmer for 10 minutes. Skim the top, remove from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Strain through a sieve or cheesecloth. Whisk in the garlic puree and let rest.


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the 2 crabs in a large oven-proof skillet, ladle the crab butter over them, (be generous) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Set the crabs on your serving dish, sprinkle with garlic salt, put the empty head shells back on (you can brush the shell with olive oil to shine) sprinkle. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.



NOTE: I strained the crab innards in the first step, but in the second step, insteading of straining, I blended everything including the roasted garlic in a blender. I found that you lose valuable sauce if you strain it.

Garlic Noodles



INGREDIENTS:

For the sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha
2 tablespoons michiu (rice cooking wine)
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
2 tablespoons mirin

For the noodles:
1 pound fresh egg noodles, chow mein thickness
3 ounces unsalted butter
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 pound meat from a 1 1/2- to 2-pound Dungeness crab (Optional)
Reserved crab "butter" (Optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Chopped cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Boil 3 quarts of water, and cook egg noodles to al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse in cold water and set aside. Combine butter and garlic in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once butter begins to brown and garlic gets fragrant (about 1 minute), add the egg noodles and stir until butter coats them evenly. Turn heat to high. Continue to saute for 3 minutes, adding the sauce mixture and combining evenly with the noodles. Once noodles have been cooked through (2 minutes), add the crabmeat and "crab butter" (if using), and cook for an additional 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice. Serve noodles on a plate, top with cilantro.

Green Papaya Salad

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups shredded fresh green papaya, use a Pro-Slice Thai peeler or Miracle Knife.
3 medium roma tomatoes, or use a few more if you can find cherry tomatoes
A handful of fresh string beans cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons dried shrimp4-6 fresh Thai chiles, remove stems3-4 cloves garlic2 tablespoons fish sauce2 tablespoons palm sugar2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 tablespoons juice of pickled mud fish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Peel fresh green papaya, rinse the white milk off, pat dry, then shred the whole papaya. Sprinkle with a bit of salt then rinse it off and drain. Keep 2 cups shredded papaya out, and put the rest in a sealed container for later use. Slice tomatoes thinly. In a clay Lao-style mortar & pestle, coarsely pound the fresh chiles (whole) and garlic. Add string beans and sliced tomato, and pound it lightly (do not over-crush). Add dried shrimp, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. Add these items spoon-by-spoon, and taste as you go. If you want to add peanuts, add now and lightly pound (optional). If you want to add pickled mud fish (pla ra), add two tablespoons of juice (optional). Add shredded papaya and pound together until mixed well. Serve on a dish with fresh cabbage and string bean
NOTE: I did not pound the ingredients together. I only mixed them. I also did not use the pickled mud fish.