May 2008
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Month May 2008

Entries 3 Total

Sardines and Celery Salad

May 6, ’08 8:05 AM

When did sardine get a bad rep? When I mentioned that sardines were in the lunch menu, I got a mixed reception. From the wrinkle-of-the-nose kind of expression to the straight forward Ewww, I wondered what it was about sardines that turned some people off. It was different for me growing up. Sardines were affordable in the Philippines and if they weren’t bought fresh from the market and then fried, they came in a can with spicy tomato sauce, eaten straight up or sautéed with onions.

Fresh Portuguese sardines are pricey here in New York so to stay under budget and still cook for fifteen people at work, I stayed with Trader Joe’s canned sardines in spring water. There was no salt added so the dressing here was quite perfect. Whatever seasoning the two mustards added, the celery’s bite balanced off. This will remind you of a simple tuna salad, only a tad more sophisticated especially if served with rye crackers or warm flat bread.

Ingredients:
2 cans of sardines in spring water, preferably unsalted, drained
1 bunch of celery hearts, finely chopped
a handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small red onion, finely chopped
juice from half a lemon, plus some of its zest
oil, salt, pepper

1. In a large salad bowl, mix the parsley with the olive oil, the grainy and Dijon mustards, red onion, lemon juice and zest. Add in the sardines, crushing a bit, and toss in the celery. Season with salt and pepper, adding a little bit more oil as necessary.

Related post/s:
If you think sardines are adventurous, try some eel
One of my favorite fish dishes come with endives
Part of my Mother Hen project: omakase bento #6

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Kale, White Beans and Sundried Tomatoes

May 5, ’08 4:25 PM

I had sushi with Stacie of chowbaby the other week and she told me about this quick yet nutritious dish she makes for her baby, Isaac. You gotta pay attention to a one-year old who eats kale; he’s sure to go places. Today, kids just don’t eat the bland slush we grew up with. Companies like chowbaby offer flavorful and exciting dishes made of organic ingredients frozen in convenient pouches which you can just heat up when needed. Can you imagine eating Moroccan couscous with raisins when you were a year old? Thank the stars for innovative and creative moms who think of solutions such as chowbaby to create future foodies everywhere. Anything good for baby Isaac is good enough for me.

Ingredients:
2 bunches of kale, leaves picked from the stalks, thoroughly washed
1 cup white beans, soaked overnight
2 cups sundried tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
oil, salt, pepper

1. Heat some oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté garlic until light brown. Add kale in batches and toss until wilted. Add white beans and tomatoes with 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes to cook the beans and reduce the liquid.
2. When beans are soft, add balsamic vinegar and turn up the heat. Toss until the vegetables are covered with the vinegar.

Related post/s:
I like my kale with kielbasa sausage
Part of my Mother Hen project: omakase bento #6
chowbaby: big nutrition for little people

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Braised Ham Hock with Fennel

May 1, ’08 12:46 AM

I woke up early to stop by the farmers’ market before work on Wednesday. I wanted some fresh bacon so I said hello to Mike from Tamarack Hollow Farm. He still remembers me as the girl who ordered half a suckling pig and a whole goose almost two years ago, and for that I remain loyal. With my nice slab of bacon, he also introduced me to a healthy-sized ham hock and rattled a recipe. I didn’t write it down but four days later, I made up a recipe using the three words I still remembered: fennel, tarragon and braise.

Braising is something I love to do during the colder months. Even though I used potatoes and beans in this recipe, the fennel and the tarragon made it more spring than winter. Instead of red wine, I splashed half a cup of the Austrian Gruner Veltliner I picked up from the store because of its beer cap and chubby bottle. The combination made a warm yet bright dish perfect for spring.

Ingredients:
1 fresh ham hock
1 bulb fennel, sliced thinly
3 sprigs of tarragon, stemmed
1 1/2 cup of white beans, soaked overnight
1 leek, chopped
a handful of baby carrots
4 white potatoes, peeled, quartered
1/2 cup of white wine
salt, pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Meanwhile, in a heated large Dutch oven, brown all sides of the ham hock until it has a nice golden color. Remove to a plate.
2. You should have some oil rendered from the ham hock. If there’s not a lot, add some oil and heat it up. Sauté the leeks until soft. Add the potatoes and cook until slightly brown. Add the tarragon, fennel and baby carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add the wine and the beans. Let simmer until the liquid evaporates a little. Add the ham hock in the middle of the vegetables. Cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour. After an hour, turn the ham hock, cover again and braised for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the pot rest, half-covered. When ready to serve, slice off the meat from the bone and serve with the vegetables.

Related post/s:
Suckling pig from Tamarack Hollow Farm
Goose from Tamarack Hollow Farm

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