Ingredient of the Week: Cavelo Nero

So a couple of years ago we went on a trip to Italy for a couple of weeks. During our stay in Florence we were introduced to a very tasty ingredient called Cavelo Nero, which is also called Black Kale. It looks very similar to regular Kale but has a extremely dark green leaf that actually almost looks black when it is cooked. This is a winter green that is associated with the Tuscany region of Italy. I decided to take a cooking class at the place we were staying, Le Stanze di Sante Croce. Mariangela, the owner, took us on a trip to the local street market just a few minutes away to shop for the ingredients for our meal that evening. Seasonal cooking is very much a part of life in all parts of Italy. So in our attempt to stay true to this, we purchased some Cavelo Nero to make Bruschetta as the starter to out meal.

The preparation was very simple- blanch the leaves (thicker part of the stem removed) in a salted water with some olive oil. When tender drain, chop and top your bread slices, wallah! The way I do it at home is to blanch the cut Cavelo Nero then sauté with some garlic and oil in a pan (maybe add a few chili flakes if you are feeling adventurous). You can also add it to soups (like Winter Minestrone). Cavelo Nero is packed with Vitamins (like all dark green veg) and great flavor that is sure to enrich your winter time menus.

I had some mushrooms lying around so I added them to the Cavelo nero (Sautéed first then added the garlic then the Nero).

Shrimp Creole- "A Fond Remembrance"

One of the first things that I can remember learning to cook after moving out of the dorms and discovering that it was a lot cheaper, more fun, and better tasting then Pasta Roni was Shrimp Creole. Don't get me wrong, I love burritos and Pizza, especially the ones that we got in Isla Vista, Santa Barbara. (Freebirds and  Woodstocks for all you Gaucho Alumni) Well, enough of the trip down memory lane (that's a topic for another blog).

I can't remember where exactly I got the recipe, possibly the local paper or maybe in a magazine. Any who..... it was a super simple recipe. Saute some chopped onion, celery and garlic add a can of peeled tomatoes (crush em' by hand), some S&P, bay leaf and of course Cayenne Pepper. Let that simmer for a bit  then add in the shrimp. Finish off with some Tobasco and Worcestershire, a little handful of sliced green onion, and serve with some white rice.

[If you would like a more exact recipe, just let me know]

Can You Say "Sweet Potato Piiiiieeee!!" ?

I pretty much like to cook everything, but I'll be honest and tell you that baking and pâttiserie are not my favorites. So here is the 'Mrs' making a sweet potato pie that we took over to a friends house who were having us over for dinner.

          Getting her hands dirty.....    

Ah, dough soon to be crust....

 It takes shape.....

I helped....

And through the sieve......

Cream & eggs, the good stuff.....

Baking Time........     

...and the finished product with a dallop of homemade cinnamon whipcream   

                 

Japanese Night

It really doesn't take too much to create a Japanese themed dinner. You can steam some rice, make a quick Teriyaki, add some Edamame and wham-o there you go. I won't bore you with such a generic menu.

Japanese food can be quite simple, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring or unoriginal. Also it really doesn't take to much time or effort to create something that you would find in your favorite Japanese restaurant or Sushi bar.

The menu that I made for our dinner was:

• Steamed Edamame with corse Sea Salt
• Miso Soup with Tofu and Shitaki Mushrooms
• Seaweed Salad (purchased from Japanese market)
• Cold Soba Salads with Chili & Sesame Oil
• Fresh Sashimi (5 Types of fish)

1. Tako {Octopus}
2. Hamachi {Yellowtail}
3. Sake {Salmon}
4. Chutoro {Medium Fatty Tuna}
5. Ibodai {Japanese Butterfish}

Everything here I purchased from a local Japanese grocery store, Atari-ya Foods, complete with Fishmonger. These stores are great, they have all the items you would expect, such as soy sauce, rice, noodles, teriyaki. They also have fresh Sashimi grade fish, frozen goods, beef sliced for Shabu-shabu, produce and every sauce you can imagine.

Last Night's Meal

It may be Fall but that doesn't mean that all of our meals need to be stick to your ribs, comfort food fare every night. Don't get me wrong, I love all those hearty dishes like Mac n' Cheese, Stew, Chili, and anything you can braise, but sometimes it's nice to have a lighter meal (and a bit easier on the waistline with all those holiday parties that are coming up). So we had some Dover Sole. A nice light fish that is very easy to prepare but a real pain to fillet. I watched the fishmonger work for about 20 minutes to fillet 2 fish.
  
So pretty simple stuff. I made some Bulgar Wheat (½-¾ dry) and just followed the directions on the pack. Then I started to heat up my griddle (Using a flat griddle instead of a fry pan that has high sides is much easier with such a thin, delicate fillet of fish). I added half a chopped shallot and a minced clove of garlic to some oil in a heated pot [Medium Heat]. Let this saute till translucent then added a rough chopped bell pepper and stired. As this is happening I added some olive oil to the skillet and when it got hot added the seasoned Sole fillets. They will only take a couple of minutes for each side, so pay attention (you can do this after you finish the Bulgar if you you don't feel like multi-tasking). Toss a couple handfuls of baby spinach into the pot and let wilt, then add your drained Bulgar along with some chopped herbs of your choice (I used Tarragon and Flat Leafed Parley) and a couple sliced scallions (green onions to you yanks ;-). Stir all this up and give it a little S&P to taste. The fish should be done (you would of had to flip it during this last step). Now mound some of the Bulgar on a plate and lay the fillets over the top, serve with a wedge of lemon and possibly some salad on the side (that's what we did).

A great, light, midweek meal that is quick to prepare and pretty much guilt free!!