Cuisine Eric

This delicious dish is packed with gleaming shrimp and juicy tomatoes which make a glossy sauce for pasta and asparagus. Honey sweetness joined with butter and garlic is balanced with a dash of heat from hot sauce and the rich umami of Worcestershire sauce. Garnished with parsley and a sprinkle of lemon juice, this dish has layers upon layers of flavor. Sauce: 3 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp honey 1 Tbsp hot sauce (your favorite) 1/2 lb pasta (I used ziti rigati) 1 bunch asparagus 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined   1 Tbsp butter 1/2-lb cherry or grape tomatoes, about 36 3 cloves garlic, minced through a press palmful fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, minced 1/2 lemon, cut in quarters Trim about 1-2 inches off the bottom of the asparagus. Cut the top third off of the tips and reserve.   Cut remaining stalks in half. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.   Cook the pasta until about two minutes before al dente. Add the asparagus stalks (not t...

We've been eating much more grass fed ground beef lately. It's easy to find "100% grass-fed", which is an important label that assures pasture raising and grass finishing. If the label only says "Grass Fed", the cattle could have been fed only a small amount of grass, not 100%; effectively a misrepresentation of the product you might expect it to be. There seems to be a higher premium on grass-fed beef steaks, however.  Recently our local grocer offered 100% grass-fed flank steaks on sale at a very deep discount, and I bought several. They freeze very well. My favorite way to cook flank steak is on the grill or on a grill pan.  Sliced on the bias it makes delicious filling for fajitas.  I had no bell peppers nor tortillas, so I just served the steak with Tex-Mex rice and refried beens, and a dollop of sour cream. It was Tex-Mex delicious in no time flat. 1/2 lb flank steak 1 Tbsp salt-free Southwestern spice (I use Good&Gather) salt and pepper to taste f...

I love southwestern meals accompanied by beans and rice.  Here is a great take on a red rice. 1 cup rice (I used parboiled) 1 8 oz can tomato sauce 1 4 oz can fire roasted diced green chilies (I used Trader Joe’s) 1 tsp salt-free Southwestern spice mix (I used Good&Gather) 1 large plum tomato finely diced (a bit less than 1/4-inch) Pour tomato sauce, green chilies and spice mix into a 2 cup measure and bring to 1-3/4 cups with water. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium pot and tip in the rice.   Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the liquid mix and a dash salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp each). Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to the slightest simmer, stir, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Then, gently stir in the plum tomatoes. Re-cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until rice is fully cooked and fluffy. Allow to sit off the heat, covered, for about another 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serves about 4 as a side dish.

Basting fish or anything pan fried is a sure way to make a rich flavorful result. You could use most any fish for this dish, but sole, or flounder, is especially quick to prep, and accepts flavors very well. 2 sole or flounder fillets 2 tsp salt-free lemon pepper seasoning (I used Good and Gather) 3 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil Season fish generously with lemon pepper seasoning on both sides. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Prep any potatoes or spinach you might be serving the fish with. Have them ready because the fish cooks in just a few quick minutes. Melt the butter in the oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the fish to the pan and brown the first side for about 3 minutes, shaking often. Flip the fish and baste with the butter often as you cook the second side, about another 3 minutes. Serve over spinach with boiled potatoes, if desired. Drizzle with any remaining brown butter and garnish with lemon. Serves 2.

Pulled pork sandwiches are great when you are out and about, but what about when you're home? Use your chili pork in your freezer. Don't have any? OMG Make some! 2 Brioche Buns, halved 2/3 cup creamy cole slaw 1 cup shredded chili pork , reheated palmful arugula, to taste Assemble and enjoy. Serves two.

I love cole slaw but hate sweet cole slaw, which you often get at restaurants. We recently ate at a nice restaurant right on the Long Island Sound and they served my sandwich with the best cole slaw I ever had. Creamy, crunchy and not sweet. Normally, my slaws are a bit less creamy, and more oil-and-vinegar-forward. But I reverse engineered this creamy one back home with a great result. You should try it. Dressing: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1/2 cup good real mayonnaise 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1/4 tsp dried dill weed 1/2 tsp salt fresh ground pepper to taste 1 lb package shredded cole slaw and carrots (I used Wegman’s) Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl, and adjust amounts to suit your taste. Toss in the cole slaw mix and blend well.   Refrigerate for at least a half an hour, minimum, tossing every so often. Makes a pound of slaw. Cook's Note: I usually shave my own slaw but I was too weary one day and for once bought pre-s...

I love cod baked with tomatoes, and here I amped up the game by coating them with panko and baking them atop braised leeks. Cod is so mellow that it does well to augment with leek, tomato and lemon.  But wait - there's more! A splash of chimichurri sauce kicks this whole dish up a notch, as Emeril would say. Wow - this is almost an oxymoron - way-flavorful cod! 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 small, clean leeks, sliced in half lengthwise (I used Trader Joe’s) 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 lb cod fillets, cut into 4 portions 1/4 cup panko crumbs 12 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1/2 lemon, sliced thinly Chimichurri: 4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves large palmful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems 3 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon) 1/4 tsp salt fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/4 cup olive oil Preheat oven to 375F. Melt the butter in the olive oil in an oven-going pan (I used a cast iron skillet). Brown the...