• Sicilian Lifeguard Squid with Couscous

    posted April 17th, 2010  :: Seafood, The Recipes: :: 

    I have one thing to ask of you  - please don’t be squeamish about eating squid. I know these bottomfeeding creatures look a bit freaky with their tentacles and all, but squid deserve a more elevated place on your daily menu.

    I’ve compiled a short list of good-to-know facts about these tasty cephalopods to help you in your journey toward squiddy-liciousness. Squid are:

    * Cheap! They cost less per pound than seafood, poultry or red meat
    * Low in fat, high in lean protein
    * FAST to cook – in less than 3 minutes
    * Hornier than Hugh Hefner; they have frenzied mating orgies

    Mario Batali’s recipe for Two-Minute Calamari, Sicilian Lifeguard Style appears in his Babbo cookbook, which I was compelled to make the other night. I’m not clear on whether this recipe is acutally traditional in Sicily; I’m thinking Mario was going for a sexy title. He explains that pine nuts, currants, capers and chiles put a “hot and sour Arabic kiss” on the squid. Sounds good to me.

    Later, I Googled around and found Melissa Clark’s version of the recipe, which turned out to be very much how I had made it, sans currants (maybe Sicilian in character, but not so appealing to me), and including spinach since I had some.

    Sicilian Lifeguard Squid with Couscous

    • 2 cups canned diced or crushed tomatoes
    • 3 gloves garlic
    • Handful fresh basil leaves
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 large shallot or small onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
    • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 cup capers in brine, drained
    • 1 1/2 pounds cleaned squid bodies and tentacles, sliced 1/2-inch wide
    • 2 cups baby spinach leaves
    • Salt and fresh ground black pepper
    • 3 scallions, chopped
    • 2 cups cooked Israeli pearl couscous
    Puree the tomatoes, garlic and basil in a blender or food processor until smooth.

    Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, pine nuts and red pepper and cook until the nuts are golden, stirring frequently; about 4 minutes.

    Add the tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer before adding the capers and squid. Cover and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, just until the squid is completely opaque. Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed and toss in the scallions.

    Serve over warm couscous. Makes 4 - 6 servings

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  • Mangoes, Strawberries and Lime – Oh My!

    posted April 15th, 2010  :: Desserts, Fruit, Healthy, Raw Foods, The Recipes: :: 

    Okay – so this is not much of a recipe post, but more of a celebration of seasonal fruit.

    We’re right on the threshold of summer and the promise of all the sweet fruit I love – plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines – is right around the corner. Cooking and eating at this time of year is all about keeping things simple, celebrating perfectly ripe, fresh food and trying to not mess it up too much.

    I’m always happy to see Champagne mangoes appear in markets in late spring. “Champagne” is a sexy marketing name, the variety is actually an Ataulfo or Manila mango from Mexico. The flesh is super sweet and has almost zero fiber – to me this readily available fruit is as close as I can get to mango heaven without having to move to the tropics.

    Mango with Strawberries, Lime and Ginger

    • Juice of 1 l ime  (about 2 tablespoons, depending on the lime) plus grated zest
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
    • 1 Champagne mango, flesh removed from seed, peeled and sliced
    Whisk together the lime juice, zest, ginger and sugar in a small bowl to dissolve the sugar. Toss in the strawberries and let them sit for 5 minutes before adding the mango. Find a quiet place in the sun and enjoy. Makes 1 serving Inspired by a recipe in Seasonal Fruit Desserts by Deborah Madison
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  • Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

    posted March 29th, 2010  :: Chocolate, Desserts, Family Favorites, The Recipes: :: 

    We spent spring break at home last week, and I have to admit I dreaded it a tiny bit. My kids usually have a gang of friends in our neighborhood to hang with, but it seemed like they all flew south for a taste of warm sun, leaving my brood in a state of social withdrawal. I imagined long rainy days stuck inside while their boredom escalated to deafening levels.

    Fortunately, my sister-in-law L flew in from Portland to entertain and play with us – happiness all around!

    I came home one afternoon to find her in the kitchen with the kids, applying lashings of creamy frosting to the tops of just-baked little chocolate cupcakes, something I know an attentive Mrs. Cleaver might attempt with her family, but I never seem to. That must be what aunts are for, I think.

    The cupcake recipe is from Dorie Greenspan’s fantastic book Baking: From My Home to Yours. Dorie is a perfectionist, and her recipes are crafted to a precise “T”. Perfect recipe instructions are especially important in baking recipes; those chemical reactions that happen in the oven rely on exact measurements of ingredients, time and temperature.

    These cupcakes are no exception; they turned out just as promised – dark, moist, not too sweet – glazed with a shiny, bakery-like chocolate frosting. L sprinkled some colored candy sprinkles on the cupcakes, reserving a few with a sprinkle of sea salt, a just reward for the adults in need of a chocolate fix.

    Dorie's Double Chocolate Cupcakes

    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup buttermilk
    • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
    For the Frosting:
    • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, sifted
    • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
    Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit regular-size muffin paper in a 12-cup muffin pan, or butter them with flour and tap out the excess.

    Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter.

    Add the egg, then the yolk, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

    Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and let the cakes cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack before decorating.

    To make frosting:

    Beat butter for a minute with an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time alternately with a little milk. Add the vanilla extract. Continue beating until light and fluffy.

    Makes 1 dozen.

    Recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan [/print_this]

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