en bon goût

Black Bean & Goat Cheese Quesadillas

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 6 oz. goat cheese, softened
• 6 flour tortillas

Heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add black beans, cumin, chili powder, and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until all water has evaporated. Remove from heat. With the back of a fork, mash the beans and combine the mixture. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a tortilla and drop dollops of goat cheese. Cover with another tortilla. Brown each side in an oiled skillet over medium high heat. Cut into eight pieces and serve with a dollop of guacamole on top.

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 3 as a main course.

Add comment July 2nd, 2007

Sauteed Cod on Snow Peas and Cabbage with Miso Vinaigrette

Owning a mandoline is very convenient when you are presented with a recipe like this. It makes simple work of sliced cabbage. I did, however, slice the snow peas by hand. The snow peas I had found at the market were lacking the vibrant green color I desired. To solve this, I blanched them before slicing them.

Continue Reading Add comment June 28th, 2007

Chicken with White Wine and Mushrooms

This recipe reminds me of a version of coq au vin that I make using red wine and chicken broth. I found this in the May 2000 issue of Bon Appetit. The sauce is a basic mire poix with some diced tomatoes and mushrooms. I used Muir Glen brand Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes which added a nice smoky dimension to the sauce. If you add too much wine or you find the sauce too thin, you could always thicken it with a bit of roux. I made this with one breast skin-on and one skin-off for Ellen. Enjoy!

Continue Reading Add comment June 26th, 2007

Poached Salmon with Caper Dill Sauce

Poached Salmon

• 3 c clam juice
• 1 750ml bottle Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
• 1 half lemon, thinly sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh dill
• 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1 dozen whole peppercorns
• 4 8 oz. salmon filets

Combine first 6 ingredients in a deep saute pan. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add salmon filets and allow to cook until just opaque in the center, about 7 minutes. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with fresh dill and lemon slices.

Caper Dill Sauce

• 2 tbsp chopped capers
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 c creme fraiche

Combine first 3 ingredients. Slowly fold in creme fraiche. Do not overmix or the sauce will thin. Set aside and allow flavors to come together while you make the salmon.

Add comment May 15th, 2007

Thai Hot Pot

Continue Reading Add comment January 1st, 2007