Author Archives: Dave

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Baked Panini

Posted by Dave in meat, vegetarian and tagged with , , ,

Baked Panini

This is a great sandwich that I make quite often; I don’t have a panini press, so I bake it instead.
I start with a thin layer of relish or sauce (here I used the Red Pepper Spread from Trader Joe’s), but tomato paste or hummus is also good), on multi-grain sourdough then a single layer of salami slices, topped in order with sharp chedder, fresh sliced mushroom, thinly sliced roma tomato, then some red onion, red pepper strips and thin slices of garlic.
Tip: its best to put cheese and mushrooms first so they don’t overcook, and the peppers/onions/garlic at the top to receive more direct heat.
Bake open-faced, on a baking sheet in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 300-350°F for perhaps 15 minutes until the cheese is well melted and the garlic slices or vegetables on top just begin to brown. Top with another slice of lightly toasted bread, perhaps with a bit of mayonnaise and/or hot sauce if you like!

Chicken Skin Tacos

Posted by Dave in meat, texmex and tagged with , , ,

Chicken Skin Tacos

Today I made these tacos for friends, inspired by this recipe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/dining/chicken-skin-tacos-recipe.html
and two salsas. The crispy chicken skin strips add a nice texture, somewhat reminiscent of deep fried wonton strips or bacon.

For the tacos, I baked thigh/leg quarters rather than breasts, and spiced them as in the aforementioned recipe put also added smoked paprika. As shown here, this taco was built with the shredded chicken, then finely diced red onion, romaine lettuce, two salsas, a bit of grated cheese, and topped with crispy fried chicken skin.

The first salsa was a four pepper salsa including diced peppers: sweet red pepper, seeded jalapeno, chocolate bell pepper, a hot thai (?) pepper, some diced heirloom and yellow tomatoes, diced avocado, garlic, lime juice, crushed whole oregano, and salt.

A tip: To keep diced avocado from messing up the appearance of your salsa, they must be somewhat firm (but still ripe); so, save the softest ones for a blended salsa, such as the following.

The second salsa was a classic mexican tomatillo-avocado salsa, e.g.,http://iamahoneybee.com/2009/09/24/tomatillo-avocado-salsa/: dry roasted tomatillos, an avocado, a couple jalapenos (with seeds), cilantro, lime juice, and salt – puréed in a blender.

Assemble tacos in warmed corn tortillas accompanied by tortilla chips and jalapeno red beans and rice, and a bunch of awesome beers and treats that friends brought for the NFL game. :-)

Skillet Pizza Potatoes and Fried Egg

Posted by Dave in breakfast, vegetarian and tagged with , ,

Skillet Pizza Potatoes and Fried Egg

This morning I made “pizza” potatoes with sliced red potatoes and lots of favorite pizza toppings (strips of salami, red onion, mushroom, olives) and spices (oregano and fennel seed) and fresh vegetables (tomato, pimento and other peppers)… topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes, and a bit more oregano. It was quite nice and now the house smells like pizza! :-)

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Corn Salsa

Posted by Dave in meat, texmex and tagged with , , , ,

Grilled Sirloin Steak with Corn Salsa

This is a dish with some great fresh and crisp textures.

Prepare a salsa, e.g., Fire Roasted Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa.

Marinate the steak for 8+ hours in a marinade of Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, cumin powder, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
Grill steak to medium rare or medium, let stand 5 to 10 minutes, and thinly slice.
Prepare crispy torilla strips by cutting corn tortillas into short strips and pan frying in oil.
Serve sliced steak topped with corn salsa, perhaps a hot sauce (I used Valentina Salsa Picante), and tortilla strips.

Fire Roasted Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa

Posted by Dave in vegan and tagged with , , ,

Fire Roasted Sweet Corn and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients: grilled fresh sweet corn, finely-diced serrano, jalapeno pepper (both sans seeds), and red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, diced avocado and golden tomato, lime juice, garlic, crushed dried whole oregano, salt.

This was nice in a veggie burrito w/black beans, cheese, and hot sauce. I think this will be particularly good with meats or fish (tacos!) too.

Olive Baked Chicken

Posted by Dave in meat, mediterranean, potatoes and tagged with , , , , ,

Olive Baked Chicken

I prepared the chicken based on a dish I recall from years ago at a local mediterranean restaurant: I chopped kalamata and green olives, mixed them with thyme, tarragon, and garlic… then pushed the mixture under the skin of the pieces of a whole chicken. I drizzled the chicken pieces with olive oil, and spiced with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and baked it in a greased pan, with pieces separated, for about an hour at 360°F. Nice!

Served with sautéed green swiss chard, and garlic mashed red potatoes.

Sourdough Bread Pizza and Acorn Squash with Swiss Chard

Posted by Dave in meat, vegetarian and tagged with , , , ,

Sourdough Bread Pizza and Acorn Squash with Swiss Chard

Thanks to a visit to my friend’s community garden plot, I got some great veggies! Here I used the fresh oregano and sun gold tomatoes to make a sauce for the pizza topped with fresh basil; green swiss chard is mixed with the squash that had been on my countertop for at least 6 months!

Related: http://nancysgarden.wordpress.com/2010/04/13/sungold-cherry-tomatoes-are-a-must-grow/

Panini with Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Posted by Dave in meat, salad, vegetarian and tagged with , , ,

Panini with Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Salad: european cucumber, sugar plum tomatoes, and chopped red onion tossed with a dressing of apple cider vinegar, celery seed, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Sandwich: sourdough smeared with hummus, dry salami, sliced mushroom, pecorino romano, sliced jalapeno, red onion, sliced garlic… panini pressed or baked open faced at ~350°F until cheese melts and garlic browns then topped with sliced avocado and tzatziki sauce (greek yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic).