trout

i grew up catching and eating trout - nothing beats fresh caught trout when camping in the mountains by a pure stream (do they exist any more?).
Pan roasting was my favorite, but i am no long near the mountains and the trout i was used to are far away (rainbow and cutthroat, especially the cut throat).
Found some beautiful fillets at the store and it brought back all those memories,
yes i am big on memories and you would also if you had lost some like i did.
I looked a dozen recipes (every notice how many there are for something that should be simple?)
and created my own after finding each lacking

Trout plated with a smokey paprika rice

TROUT ALMONDINE

§       4 trout fillets

§       4 tablespoons all purpose flour

§       1 teaspoon smoked paprika

§       2 teaspoons salt

§       2 teaspoons black pepper

§       2 tablespoons lemon juice

§       1 teaspoon orange zest

§       1 tablespoon parsley, minced

§       8 lemon wedges

§       3 tablespoons butter, melted

§       3 ounces almond slivers

Mix flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper

pour a portion of lemon juice over the flesh side of the fish

sprinkle the smoked paprika on the same

Season the fish on both sides with the remainder of salt and pepper

place fish in a well greased, shallow baking pan, skin side up

pre heat the oven to 250

when the temperature is reached, turn off oven and turn on broiler

broil fish about 4 inches from the heat for about 10 minutes or until the skin is just browning

In small skillet, sauté almonds in the remainder of until golden brown

Plate fish skin side down

pour a small portion of lemon juice on the flesh side

spoon the buttered almonds on top

garnish with parsley, orange zest and lemon wedges

that irish day that just passed

I got a bit confused because i read all the different ways to "roast" corn beef and forgot I had this recipe in my file.  I tweaked it a bit, because there was no salt left in the meat changing the water 6 or 7 times and you want a little salt and adding the spice in the last soak added the flavor into the meat nicely

Corned Beef and Cabbage

my way

§       2 pieces of corned beef ~ 4 pounds each (it really shrinks)

§       1 medium head of Green cabbage sliced very thin

§       2 onions, quartered

§       2 tablespoons my own pickling spice, ratio:

-        1 tablespoon mustard seed,

-        2 bay leafs, crushed

-        1 tablespoon black pepper corns,

-        1 tablespoon allspice

-        1 cinnamon stick, crushed

§       4 red potatoes

§       2 tablespoons deli mustard

§       1 tablespoon brown sugar

§       1 tablespoon maple syrup

§       1/4 teaspoon dry hot peppers, crushed

§       1 beer (Guinness is what i use)

The corned beef is soaked in water and refrigerated for 2 days with the water being changed 3 or 4 times - this removes excess salt from the beef.

Add the pickling spice to the last water.

The day of serving, the corn beef  and water is placed in a large pot

Add the onions simmer for 2 hours.

Removed the beef from the pot and placed in a pan with the beer in it

glaze the beef with a mixture of mustard, syrup, dry peppers and sugar

Covered tightly and cook at 180 F in the oven for 3 hours.

While the beef cooks, add the potatoes to the pot and continue to simmer

uncover the meat and increase the heat to 425 F for 30 minutes

Add the cabbage to the pot

To char the top of the meat, broil on high for 2 or 3 minutes.

Drain the cabbage and potatoes and serve with thin slices of corn beef 

something different - Pasta carbonara, premavara, OK i will just call it primadonna!

what to do?
What to do!
It is a meatless Monday and i want pasta carbonara,
but that uses an Italian bacon panchetta, not meatless.
It could have done it without the bacon, but wanted vegetables.
I think of Pasta primavera, but my heart is set on trying for the first time a carbonara sauce.
I went where i should not go and so i called it my own name:
Pasta primadonna!

I have tricks, taught by my Greek mother on how to incorporate egg into a hot liquid with out cooking it to a "scrambled egg" mess, but rather infusing it to what you have,
ask any Greek cook who makes avgalemono soup, which is a chicken lemon soup with a egg white froth on top and is wonderful!
This is not for the faint of heart, but it was so good!

Pasta Prim-a-Donna

§       1 lb of your favorite pasta (fettuccine for me)

§       2 whole eggs

§       2 egg yolks

§       1/8 cup half and half or cream

§       1/2 stick butter

§       1/8 cup olive oil

§       1/2 cup Parmesan grated cheese

§       3 oz Parmesan cheese, diced

§       1 onion, diced

§       1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

§       2 cups fresh vegetables, diced

§       1 teaspoon or more black pepper (according to your taste)

§       grated Parmesan to top dishes

§       parsley, minced

§       salt to taste

          (except salt the pasta water to sea water)

Whip the eggs and yolks with the milk

melt butter and olive oil in a separate pan and sauté the onions

add the garlic and continue

begin the pasta water

add vegetables to the onions and garlic

cook the pasta and reserve a cup of the pasta water

add vegetables and Parmesan cheese chunks to the pasta

add some of the pasta water to the eggs, slowly to bring to a warm temperature and mix thoroughly

add to the pasta mixture and mix well

add grated Parmesan cheese and black

salt to taste

serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese and parsley

etouffee

I was going for gumbo, but became lost and ran into this recipe by Emeril:


Ingredients
1 stick butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 pound peeled crawfish tails
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/crawfish-etouffee-recipe.html?oc=linkback


Save, i did not have crayfish, but rather had shrimp and cod and so i used them
i added some roux because i cooked the vegetables in some reduced white wine, topped it with parsley, green onions and lemon zest and came up with this lovely dish:

I never made this before, but fine it wonderfully different and will do it again

Chicken Fried Steak

a staple of the south and southwest, but the recipe i found needed help!

Chicken Fried Steak

§       2 to 3 pounds top sirloin steak.

§       1 egg per pound of meat, beaten

§       1/8 cup whole milk per pound of steak

§       1/4 cup milk for gravy

§       flour

§       1/4 cup water

§       black pepper to taste

§       salt to taste

§       your favorite cooking oil (but sausage grease is best)

Cut steak into 6 oz pieces

beat steak with mallet to tenderize

salt and pepper each piece of meat

whisk eggs and milk together

add black pepper and salt to flour and mix well

set up flouring station -

        1 container for the egg,

        1 for the flour

coat meat in flour, then egg wash, then flour again

fry steaks in an oiled cast iron skillet until golden brown on both sides

set aside

Whisk flour, the 1/4 cup milk and water to make the gravy

add salt to taste

serve over the steak

Stuffed Cabbage

I "sang" my thoughts and memories of this dish before making it.
This is the actual recipe:

Stuffed cabbage

my mom's style

§       1 head green cabbage (Savoy is best)

§       2 lbs lean ground pork (or beef or lamb)

§       2 large onions, white or yellow, diced

§       1 cinnamon stick

§       1 tablespoon whole cloves

§       kosher salt

§       8 cloves garlic, minced

§       1 tablespoon dry oregano

§       1 cup cooked long grain rice

§       2 tablespoons parsley

§       1 32 oz can tomato sauce

§       black pepper to taste

bring a large pot of water to a boil with the cinnamon stick and cloves

Salt the water to "pasta water" saltiness

core the cabbage and boil for 10 minutes

reserve the spiced water

Add tomato sauce to 1 cup of the spiced water with 3 garlic cloves

cook this to a "gravy" thickness

remove the cabbage and when it cools, separate the leaves

cook the ground pork with onions, the remaining garlic and oregano

when cooked, salt and pepper to taste

add 1 cup tomato sauce to the meat mixture and mix well

coat a baking pan (or 2) with equal parts of tomato sauce and spiced water

~2 tablespoons of meat mixture per large leaf, fold and place in pan

top with tomato sauce and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes

serve hot

i experiment regularly

Ages ago, i learn how to make the Greek nut cake, known as Karidopida.
I was fascinated by it because the base was not flour, but egg.
I thought, i could do other things with this base and so my first attempt was corn bread, removing the flour and adding corn meal (either finely ground or course ground) with great success.

The base is very light (because  of whipped eggs) and so was the corn bread.

I began looking for other applications and was asked to bring a carrot cake to a dinner yesterday...
I always think of carrot cake as too sweet and too dense and not enough flavor.
I experimented.
it was a success!

Carrot Karidopida

A Greek twist on a classic

The cake ·       8 eggs, separated ·       1 cup brown sugar ·       1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ·       1/4 teaspoon allspice ·       1/4 teaspoon ground clove ·       1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter ·       2 teaspoons baking powder ·       1/8 teaspoon salt ·       1/2 cup raisins, rehydrated ·       1 cup unbleached flour ·       1 cup raw carrots, shredded ·       1/2 cup ground Walnuts

Frosting ·       2 cups powdered sugar ·       2 tablespoons soft butter ·       8 oz cream cheese, softened ·       1 teaspoon orange extract

Frosting

using the paddle attachment, mix butter and cream cheese

add powdered sugar in 4 part increments

add orange extract

Cake

Use a whisk attachment on a mixer first

beat egg whites with cream of tarter on high and set aside

beat egg yokes until thick and then add spices, sugar and salt and continue to mix

separately, mix baking powder with the flour

Change the paddle from the whisk to a beat bar and reduce the speed of the mixer

slowly add the flour mixture to the egg yoke mixture

When mixed remove from the mixer and fold in the egg whites

Fold in the carrots, nuts and raisins

Pour into a 9 x 12 greased cake pan

Cook at 350 F for 40 minutes

Remove from the oven and cool in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before topping

Serve cool