Cuisine Eric

Salmon's rich flavor holds up to bold Asian seasonings very well. 3/4 lb salmon, cut into two serving pieces 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds Roasting Sauce: 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1/4 cup real maple syrup 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 1 Tbsp sesame oil 2 tsp chili paste with garlic 2 Tbsp canola oil 1 clove garlic, peeled 1 orange pepper, sliced 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced 3 small baby bok choy, chopped 1 Tbsp Sambal Oleg - from Trader Joes 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce Prepare rice according to package directions, if using.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Whisk together the roasting sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Place salmon on  a roasting pan and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Place salmon in oven. Meanwhile, sauté the orange pepper and onion in a wide skillet or wok. until slightly softened and browned, about 3 minutes. Add the bok choy, Sambal Oleg and hoisin sauce and heat through. Cook salmo...

I love pasta-veggie medleys and have been upping the veggie ratio to minimize, or balance the carbs we eat.  Here I use Trade Joe's Red Lentil Sedanini, which I found to be fantastic. Any reader of my blog will know I am a die-hard fan of Dijon sauce.  And I especially love a whole grain version.  A bit of citrus is always on order to balance the richness of this wonderful sauce. 2 cups broccoli flowerets 1 orange pepper, diced 1 shallot, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 lb mini ziti pasta - I used Trader Joe's Red Lentil Sedanini 1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 boneless chicken breasts 2 Tbsp coarse-grain Dijon mustard 1/4 cup creme fraiche 2 Tbsp dry white wine Bring about 2 quarts of water to the boil in a medium pot for the pasta.  Season generously with salt.   Cover the breasts with plastic wrap and pound until you have about 1/4-inch thick cutlets. Cook pasta to al dente.  Reserve a cup of the cooking w...

Get your sides ready ahead of time, because this delicious steak cooks quickly.   Grilling Glaze: 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp ketchup 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 2 tsp chili paste with garlic 2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press 1-1/2 lb chuck steak Mix glaze ingredients together in a small bowl.  Heat grill to high.  Season steak with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir fry some broccoli and onions for a few minutes and set aside. Sear steak on one side for about a minute.  Flip steak and continue cooking on second side while you glaze the first side generously.  After about another minute flip the steak again, and glaze the second side.  Flip and glaze about once more, until the steak is just cooked to medium rare. Allow steak to rest on a cutting board for about 3-5 minutes, while you reheat the veggies. Slice and serve steak with favorite sides.  Serves 4. 

Warm the soul with a hearty chili soup.  Beans, barley and cabbage add texture and interest to this chicken chili dish. 1 sweet onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 boneless chicken thighs, diced 1/8 lb apple smoked bacon, diced 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste Chili spice mix: 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1 Tbsp (favorite) chili powder 1 tsp cocoa powder 1 tsp flour 1 can pinto beans with chili sauce 1 can dark red kidney beans, undrained 1 quart chicken broth 1/4 cup pearl barley 1 potato, peeled and diced 1-1/2 cups chopped cabbage Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a dash of olive oil in a soup pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the veggies have softened and developed a sweeter flavor. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Add the bacon and chicken to the pot and cook down until the chicken is cooked through and the bacon begins to brown. Remove most...

So deliciously creamy and rich - risotto flavored with butter, Parmesan and aromatics is a fantastic bed for seared shrimp.  Searing the shrimp separately maintains a distinct visual, textural and flavor identity. 3/4 lb shrimp, peeled and cut in half at waist 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes dash salt and pepper 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup Arborio rice 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 quart chicken broth, heated to almost boiling 2 Tbsp butter 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 red pepper finely diced 1/2 orange pepper, finely diced 1/2 cup green peas 1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced juice of 1/2 lime fresh cilantro leaves for garnish Toss together the shrimp in a medium bowl with the red pepper flakes and oil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside. Get the broth warming on the stove in a medium pot.  In another medium pot, toast the rice in a dash of canola oil f...

Warm roasted butternut squash and spicy garbanzo beans complement the cool crisp arugula in this vegetarian main meal.  A smooth tahini dressing adds umami richness, while pistachios and carrots offer an added crunch. 1 lb fresh butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, plucked from twig, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp Kosher salt plenty of freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 can garbanzo beans, drained, and patted dry with a paper towel 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp fennel seeds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Kosher salt plenty of freshly ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced Tahini Dressing: 1/4 cup tahini juice of a small lemon - fresh - about 1-1/2 Tbsp 1 Tbsp water or as needed 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 clove garlic, quartered Palmful cilantro leaves 6-8 cups fresh baby arugula 1 cup sh...

Nothing is faster than a grilled Flatiron steak.  Three to four minutes per side over a high grill gives a medium rare center and a nice char on the surface.  Let the rub set as long as you can - even if you leave it only as long as it takes you to heat the grill and make a salad, this will be fantastic. 2 1-lb Flatiron or skirt steaks Dry Rub: 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp group coriander 1 tsp hot favorite chili powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp Pimenton, smokey Spanish paprika 1 tsp Kosher salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper Mix dry rub together and generously rub on both sides of steak.  Allow steak to sit for at least an hour, or overnight covered in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, bring the steaks back to room temperature.  Heat grill to high.   Grill steaks 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Allow steaks to rest 5 minutes on a cutting board, covered lightly with aluminum foil. Slice steaks on a bias....

A wonderful roasted chicken can be achieved simply with salt and pepper.  It will be heart warming, elegantly simple, and a great comfort dish, no matter how you do it.  Roasted chicken is a very forgiving dish - about an hour and a half and you are done, and happy. But you can so easily kick it up with many simple variants.  Here I season with Indian vindaloo spice and Tunisian chili paste.  I mellow the whole dish with some coconut cream, placed at the base of the chicken while roasting.  I can't tell you how delicious this dish ends up. A simple roasted chicken with a kicked up flavor, and a mighty delicious sauce, adding no additional time to a simple roasted chicken. 1 whole roaster chicken Two batches each of:  2 Tbsp ghee, clarified butter (I used Trader Joe’s), or melted butter 2 Tbsp vindaloo Indian spice mix (I used Penzy’s) 2 Tbsp Harissa Middle Eastern Chili Paste (I used Trader Joe’s) 1 can petite diced tomatoes, draine...

Warm goes well with comfort food.  And as fall approaches, this warm potato salad is comforting and delicious.  A very French way to serve potato salad, the dressing infuses flavor into the potato, and avoiding refrigeration avoids the potential for a stiff, starchy structure to the potato.  This keeps them soft and moist.  But eat them soon after preparing for the best effect. 1-1/2 lb baby potatoes, I used a mix or red, purple and golden 12-15 seedless red grapes, halved Dressing: 1 Tbsp best Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (or red wine) 3 Tbsp EVOO olive oil 1/8 tsp salt freshly ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves, minced 1 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves, minced Cover the potatoes in a medium pot with cold water.  Bring to a boil and salt generously.  Cook over a gently boil just until the potatoes are soft to the tip of a knife. Meanwhile whisk together the dr...

I recently read a NYT article about how famous chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley California makes a simple grilled cheese sandwich.  It involved things like fresh artisan bread, aromatic cantal cheese, rubbing with garlic, and serving with pickles or sauerkraut.  Sounds perfect. Well I love sauerkraut too, so I riffed on this for a kicked-up tuna melt.  Thanks Alice. 4 sliced favorite sandwich bread, I used Rye 1 can favorite tuna, drained Good real mayonnaise, about 2 Tbs, or to taste 1/2 cup fresh sauerkraut, drained 1/3 lb Pepper Jack cheese, thinly sliced 4 Tbsp coarsely grated Parmesan cheese 1 tomato, sliced, or better yet, leftover tomato salad (which is what I used) 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise Preheat a panini press to medium-high.  Mix the tuna and the mayonnaise in a small bowl.  Grind in fresh black pepper to taste.   Lay the bread out on a clean work surface.  Layer...