Writing With My Mouth Full

Adapted from an Everyday Food recipe using salmon

Ingredients:
tuna steak
1 bag of baby spinach
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
slivered lime zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. Place raisins and lime zest ribbons in a bowl with hot water.
2. Sear tuna. Heat a frying pan, add olive oil. When oil is hot, fry tuna until tender but still pink in the center, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3. Drain and discard water from the raisins and lemon zest. Add lemon juice, pine nuts, parsley and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Make a bed of spinach on each plate and place tuna. Spoon lemon relish on top.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
1 pound of strawberries
1 cup of flour, sifted
1 cup of cornmeal
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup of white sugar
4 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 tsps vanilla extract
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt

1. Make shortcakes. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour 9-cup muffin tins. Set aside.
2. In a large glass bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, almonds, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt. Mix until it looks like batter. Divide batter evenly among muffin tins. Bake until golden brown or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Add some more almonds on top 20 minutes into baking. Cool cakes for about 5 minutes before transfering to a rack to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, hull and quarter strawberries. In a bowl, combine with sugar and let sit for about 20 minutes or until syrupy. In another bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
3. With a serrated knife, split shortcakes horizontally. Layer bottom half with whipped cream and strawberries and cover with the tops.

Adapted from two recipes from Bon Appétit and Everyday Food

Ingredients:
3-pound beef eye round roast
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsps whole-grain mustard
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsps whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 red chilis, crushed
half a head of romaine lettuce, cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons
1 small carrot, peeled into ribbons
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp white sugar
lime juice from half a lime
a handful of fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Using a mortar and pestle, crush cumin, coriander and peppercorns. Transfer crushed spices to a small bowl and mix in salt, ginger and 2 of the red chilis.
2. Make several slits on roast with a small knife and insert garlic slivers into slits. Spread mustard on top of the roast and sprinkle herb mixture all over.
3. Roast for about 45 minutes or until center of meat registers 125º. Transfer roast to a platter and tent with a foil for about 10 minutes before carving.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix soy sauce, sugar, lime juice and the other 2 chilis. In a salad bowl, combine lettuce and carrot ribbons with the mint leaves. Pour over dressing. Arrange on a plate as bed for the carved beef.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
2 medium-sized zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 tbsp cumin
salt, pepper, olive oil

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly.
2. Add zucchini and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 8 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
a bundle of spaghetti
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
a handful of parsley, finely chopped
red chilis, crushed
salt, pepper

1. In a large pot, cook pasta in salted boiling water al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
2. Using a fork, stir in butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and parsley. Add some pasta water to adjust consistency, if needed. Sprinkle with red chilis, salt and pepper.

Adapted from epicurious.com

Ingredients:
4 2-inch slices of beef bones
4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 onions, unpeeled, quartered
1 carrot, peeled, quartered
2 celery ribs, quartered
salt

1. Preheat oven to 450º. While oven heats, tie parsley, thyme and bay leaf in a bundle with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni. Spread beef bones, onions and carrot in roasting pan, then brown well in oven, turning occasionally, about 1 hour.
2. Transfer meat and vegetables to a large stockpot. Add 2 cups water to roasting pan, then deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes.
3. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot along with 18 cups of water, celery, salt and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil and skim froth. Add remaining 1/2 cup water, then bring mixture to a simmer and skim any froth. Simmer gently, uncovered, skimming froth occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 8 cups, about 4 hours.
4. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. If using stock right away, skim off and discard fat. If not, cool stock completely, uncovered, then chill, covered (it will be easier to remove fat when chilled).

Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
2 stalks of leeks, whites and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and cut 1-inch crosswise, thoroughly washed and layers separated
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
splash of rice vinegar
red pepper flakes
salt, pepper and olive oil

1. Steam leeks over a pot of boiling water until tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Dry on paper towels and pat gently.
2. In a small bowl, whisk oil, mustards and vinegar. Season and with salt and pepper. Drizzle over leeks and sprinkle red pepper flakes on top before serving.