cheese

All Hail the Sandwich King: The Havarti Dill Salmon Melt

November 15, 2013 by Eva Louise 1 Comment

We’ve discussed this before but let me reiterate – Stingray is the supreme sandwich maker as evidenced by this post. No, but actually… he is. He’s detail oriented and patient enough to make my sandwich just the way I like it. Don’t even get me started on his egg sandwiches…*eyes cross in ecstasy*

Anyway, I called him from work the other night and asked him to make me a delicious dinner (I do all the cooking, therefore I can demand this on the occasion) and this is what the genius came up with: an open-faced salmon melt with Havarti dill and a lemon aioli. To make it a meal, we heated up some roasted vegetable soup, and I made a refreshing side salad of watercress with lemon juice and a zesty aioli to drizzle on the sandwich. It was heavenly.

Salmon Melt with Havarti Dill and Lemon Aioli

Makes 2

2 fillets of 4-6 oz. salmon (Pacific salmon if you can get it)
1 t Paprika
½ t Cayenne
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t Herbs de Provence or some other hearty spice mix
Juice of ½ lemon
2 T olive oil
S/P
2 slices of fresh chewy bread
¼ cup grated Havarti, or 2 slices from the deli
2 T finely chopped dill

Preheat oven to 375

In a bowl mix paprika, cayenne, Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, lemon juice and olive oil until it’s a loose paste. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust flavoring; the mixture should be very salty and intense.

Rinse the salmon, pat dry and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. If the skin is still on, leave it; the meat will lift away easily from the skin after it bakes.

Drizzle the bottom of a stone or glass dish (oven-proof obviously) with olive oil and place the salmon in the center of the dish, flesh side up. Pour the herby paste mixture over the salmon. Tuck the de-juiced lemon half next to the salmon for extra flavor and cover with aluminum foil and bake. Depending on the thickness of the salmon, it should take about 15-20 minutes. A single, thinner fillet may only take about 10-12 minutes. Hint: White tear drops will start to form on and around the salmon when it’s ready. Don’t be afraid to under cook the fillets slightly because next up is the broiler once the sandwich is assembled.

After they’re baked, keep the salmon fillets warm under the foil on a plate. Chuck the roasted lemon.

Lightly butter the 2 slices of chewy country bread. Heat a pan to medium-high and toss on the buttered slices. Heat until golden brown.

On a cookie sheet, assemble the sandwiches by placing the slices of bread in the center of the cookie sheet, then a fillet of salmon on each slice. If the salmon is too thick, or looks awkward and block-ish, fan it out across the bread. The fillet will break apart naturally. Mix the fresh chopped dill with grated Havarti and sprinkle generously over the salmon.

Broil the open face sandwiches for about 3 minutes. Check on them constantly so they don’t burn! They’re ready when the cheese is golden and bubbly and the oven hasn’t caught fire. #winning

Serve with a lemon aioli (recipe below), a piping hot soup and a cool, crisp salad and you’re ready to go!

Lemon Aioli

juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T mayonnaise
1 T finely chopped dill
cracked pepper

No magic here, mix all ingredients together until smooth and yummy. Adjust flavors as needed, serve with your delicious sandwich.

Insta(gram) good: Baked stuffed peppers with brown rice and spinach

October 28, 2013 by Eva Louise 1 Comment

As my brother would say, this dish is a total smokeshow…OK, I think he uses that in reference to chicks, but let’s diversify its meaning. I wasn’t planning on posting this on the bloggy but one of my friends just asked for the recipe on Instagram and then I realized that I’d like to remember how I made this too! I really hate peppers and I really hate brown rice but for some reason I always crave this dish, especially after the gym. It’s quick, easy, hearty, healthy and vegetarian…oh, and cheap, that’s always a plus. What’s not to love? Here’s what you need to make: Baked Stuffed Peppers with Brown Rice, Spinach and Pepper Jack Cheese.

Makes 2 really huge post-gym servings

3/4 dry cup of brown rice, cooked per instructions (yields about 1.5 cups, cooked)
1.5 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
2 medium white onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, or if you’re me, 5 cloves
2 packages frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
3 beautiful bell peppers, tops cut off and ribs removed or cut in half with ribs removed
smoked paprika
cayenne pepper
S/P

Pre-heat oven to 350.

In a large, shallow pot, heat 2 T olive oil at medium-high heat. Add diced onions and crushed or pressed garlic cloves. Soften for about 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Take the spinach by hand and break apart into the pot and mix in with the onion-garlic mixture. Fold in the cooked brown rice, sour cream and 1/2 cup of the pepper jack, reserving the rest for the tops of the stuffed peppers.

Sprinkle about 1.5 T of smoked paprika and a few shakes of cayenne depending on your preference over the mixture. Adjust flavors accordingly, it might need more salt and more garlic at this point.

While the spinach, cheese and sour cream warm, line a cookie sheet or casserole dish with tin foil, placing the bell pepper halves snuggly together, insides facing up. Salt the bell pepper halves lightly; no need for oil as there is enough moisture in the peppers to keep them from sticking or burning.

Spoon the delicious mixture into each of the pepper halves, packing it down as you go. Sprinkle the remaining pepper jack cheese over the stuffed peppers and bake in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 30-35 minutes. Serve as is, or with shrimp, chicken or salmon.

Follow me on Instagram @evalou for more!

Committing food mutiny with bulgur, eggplant, pomegranate and feta

October 1, 2013 by Eva Louise 3 Comments

There are some meals I steer away from cooking because Stingray doesn’t like certain ingredients. Since I’m the best girlfriend ever, I almost exclusively cook in line with his tastes, but the other night I threw down my apron and got all HMS Bounty on his ass. He wasn’t happy; here’s what happened:

“Damnit, Stingray, that’s it! Tonight, I’m giving you the triple threat!” I bark.

Stingray gasps in horror and then, with closed eyes he pleads, “Oh, but Evie, what does that mean?! You’re going to feed me something I despise?!”

“Yes, Stingray. The time is now for you to eat your three least favorite foods: eggplant, pomegranate and…”

“Wait… Evie, what?! It’s not…no!” Now on his knees leaning on the fridge to steady himself, Stingray whispers, “It can’t be…”

“Oh yes, yes it is. Feta. Sheep’s milk feta.“

“Nooooooo!” Stingray screams with his fist to the air, camera zooms out, as Eva walks triumphantly to the grocery store.

Ok, none of that actually happened but Stingray really hates eggplant and feta, but this week I didn’t care because I got this great idea to make a warm bulgur salad with roasted eggplant, garlic, onions served with pomegranate and sheep’s milk feta. It was awesome.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur
2 cups water
1 medium/large eggplant
2 small white onions or 1 large one
6-8 cloves of garlic
1 cup pomegrnate seeds
sheep’s milk feta
juice and zest of 1 one lemon
seasoning: salt, pepper, cayenne, italian seasoning, fine herbs

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Chop onions and eggplant into about 1 inch cubes and lay in foil-lined cookie sheet. Whack the 6 cloves of garlic with a knife and add to the onion-eggplant mixture. Season generously with salt, pepper, cayenne, Italian Seasoning, and Fine Herbs (if you have them) and olive oil. Toss with your hands to ensure the vegetables are coated with oil and seasonings.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until caramelized.

Heat 2 cups of water and 1 cup Bulgar in medium pot until boiling, reduce heat and simmer, mixing occasionally until cooked, about 10 minutes.

Once cooked, fold the eggplant, onion, garlic mixture as well as the juice of one lemon. Taste before serving on pretty platter. Garnish with lemon zest, crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds.

Food mutiny complete!

Lend me your ears!…for some Eva-style Elote

August 29, 2013 by Eva Louise 9 Comments

I don’t really like ears of corn. There’s something so cumbersome about the way they look that turns me off…as in, they look like a real commitment to prepare and eat. You know? No? OK, yea, I forgot that everybody else on the planet freakin’ loves corn…Which means I need to have a few corn recipes in my repertoire. FINE.

Luckily, my Mom decided to buy a million ears of it for our recent trip to British Columbia, so this was the perfect time to practice. I decided to do a riff on elote, Mexican street corn and used our BBQ to char the corn before preparing the dish. Not revolutionary, but it took the dish to a totally stellar level.

Eva-style Elote

Ingredients

3 ears of corn, husks off, stub on (makes it easier to BBQ)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 heaping dollops of crema (Mexican sour cream), creme fraiche (French sour cream) or just regular sour cream
1 heaping T mayonnaise
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese or grated Parmesan
juice of 1 juicey lime
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 ripe avocado

Char the ears of corn for about 8-10 minutes on a seriously hot grill or griddle pan, probably, 375-400 degrees. Let them cool long enough to take a knife to chop off the kernels. Reserve a small bunch of kernels, cotija, cilantro and avocado for garnish later, then mix corn with all of the other ingredients EXCEPT the avocado. Careful on the mayo and crema to make sure you don’t add too much. Taste and adjust flavors accordingly. Fold in the diced avocado near the end so it doesn’t squish. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Garnish the mixture with the remaining corn, cotija, cilantro and avocado, then serve!

Tofino Time: 2012 Foragers and Fishermens’ Mashup!

August 20, 2013 by Eva Louise Leave a Comment

My gorgeous dad, mom, sister and brother!

It’s that time of year again…Tofino Time! The whole family made the great trek West and North to beautiful British Columbia for our week long family holiday filled with foraging and fishing adventures. My trip in particular took a whopping 16 hours…grrr…so admittedly it’s taken the past few days to get into vacation mode, but I’m in it! I’m in vacation mode….weeee!

For those of you who know my family, food and cooking are the main features of any FFV (Fowler Family Vacation). So to get my inspirational juices flowing for the week ahead, I looked back on last year’s postings. I had just started up the bloggy and I had so much fun documenting all of our delicious meals and the hilarious adventures that got the food to the table. Here are a few of our 2012 highlights; I can’t wait to share this week’s culinary delights!

Mom’s bangin’ Smoked Salmon and Clam Chowder from Clamming Leads to Clam Chowder

This video pretty much sums up the Fowler Family:

One of my all time favorites Chanterelle and Goat Cheese Tart from What’d you do with all those Chanterelles?

And finally, the kind of epic, kind of a fail “Shumai.” I’ve gotten a bit better, but here’s the original Crab and Shrimp Shumai:

End of the Heat Wave!: Asparagus Ravioli with Seared Scallops

July 24, 2013 by myfriendsinfood 2 Comments

We’ve just survived a brutal, swassy heat wave here in New York and I swear, you couldn’t pay me to cook in my kitchen these days. Luckily, protein bars and happy hours have been sustaining me, but man, I’m really fiending some of my own food.

I started flicking through some of the dozens of unposted food photos I have on file and picked this homemade asparagus ravioli with lemon zest and mascarpone with seared scallops to share today. I made this earlier in spring time, at the beginning of asparagus season and cheated by using wonton papers which I’ve used for other recipes as well. (Link to that post here) I’d love to try this with ramps or garlic scapes (maybe too late in the season??), or some other funky farmers market vegetable. I’ll definitely be trying this dish again.

Asparagus Ravioli with Lemon Zest and Mascarpone

zest of 1lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch asparagus
1 small dish of mascarpone cheese (about
block of Pecorino or Parmesan
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic (optional), smashed or rough chopped
S/P to taste
wonton papers

Rinse and pat dry the bunch of asparagus and cut each stalk just below the crown. Set the crowns aside for garnish later*. Cut and discard the dried or discolored bottoms of the stalks. These are normally dry and tough and not tasty. Rough chop the remaining stalks and toss into a food processor.

To the food processor, also add: 2 cloves of rough chopped garlic, a handful of chopped chives (they are so mild I love using a lot), 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, 4 – 6 Ts of the mascarpone, 1/4 cup of pecorino, cracked pepper (hold on the salt until you taste the blended mixture). Pulse the mixture in the processor until mostly smooth and incorporated. Taste and adjust flavors accordingly. Salt, more garlic or more cheese might be necessary. The consistency should be a bit stiff and asparagus-y; you don’t want the creaminess of the cheese to drown out that flavor, or for the filling to be too soggy.

Once the filling is a good consistency, prepare your station and start assembling your raviolis. For this, you need:

a big plastic cutting board
a drying rack (wipe with oil or spray it with Pam to keep the raviolis from sticking)
small ramekin of water

Lay out the wonton papers onto the cutting board and place a small dollop of filling in the middle. Dip your finger in the ramekin of water and wet the edges of the paper. At this point you can either fold the wonton into a triangle, or place another wonton paper on top (recommended) to keep its square shape. Make sure the edges are sealed fully and place on the drying rack.

Once all the raviolis are assembled and drying, boil water a shallow pot. Add salt and one layer of raviolis. Cook 2-4 minutes until the wonton paper is tight around the filling. Continue to cook the rest of the raviolis (or freeze the remainder). Use a slotted spoon to place on a pretty platter or on individual plates.

*In a saute pan, heat a generous splash of olive oil and saute the reserved asparagus crowns with a few pinches of the chives for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Distribute evenly among the plated raviolis.

Garnish the asparagus ravioli with lemon juice, lemon zest, chives, and pecorino. The pasta water, olive oil and lemon juice will naturally create the sauce for the dish. I served mine with seared scallops, but chicken or salmon would be awesome as well!

Lovers and Friends: Beets and Goat Cheese

April 9, 2013 by Eva Louise 1 Comment

Beets are fun to cook, I’ve decided. They gush a bloody red; they’re firm enough after they’re cooked that you can really play with them to create a beautiful presentation. Here, I made super easy gold and red beet stacks with creamy chive goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. The sweetness of the beets, the tang of the goat cheese and the bite from the chives are a dangerous trifecta of delicious. I’ll likely make these again soon, but in mini skewered versions for a cocktail party. Will report back after successful completion.

Gold and Red Beet Stacks with Chive Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts

3 red beets
2 large gold beets
1 large log goat cheese, coldish room temperature
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
some toasted pine nuts

1) Chop the tips off of the beets and boil whole until tender, about 20 minutes. A knife should easily go through them when ready. Place beets in bowl of ice water. Cool completely and peel. I’m not sure the proper way to peel a beet, but I ran my nail under the beet skin and it came off pretty easily, almost like peeling a boiled egg. Don’t do this if you’re a hand model before a photo shoot. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and set aside.

2) In a small bowl mix goat cheese and heavy cream, pouring small amounts of cream at a time to avoid it from splashing around. Fold in most of the chives, leaving some for garnish. It feels like you’re adding a lot, but chives have mild flavor. Add salt and pepper and taste.

3) In a small pan, toast 1 handful of pine nuts on medium heat until golden brown. Shake the pan frequently to avoid burning. Takes about 2-3 minutes.

4) On a pretty plate, create the beet “stacks” by alternating 1 slice of beet and 1 dollop of cheese mixture, about three times. Get creative and make something pretty.

5) Garnish with chives and pine nuts and serve either as is, or with arugula, spinach or another tasty leafy green tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Just for the Halibut: Lager-battered Fish Sandwich with Garlic Truffle Fries

February 13, 2013 by Eva Louise 4 Comments

This week, Stingray and I made use of two snow-white halibut fillets we had in the freezer (fate of the second fillet to be revealed tomorrow). I was lucky enough to have him make me this outrageous fried fish sandwich for Sunday supper. Despite having a reputation for being the ultimate convenience food, sandwiches are actually a luxury dinner item at our house. They often require ingredients that we don’t keep on file (bread and sliced cheeses), and require a keen attention to detail to make them extra tasty (hence why he cooked and I didn’t). Stingray did a basic beer batter for the fish, with classic accompaniments: lettuce, tomato, sliced cheese. He hit it out of the park by buttering and toasting both sides of the bun before serving. I was feeling kind of useless in the kitchen, so my contribution was a dill aioli and some garlic truffle fries.

For the batter:

1 bottle lager
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp fish seasoning
¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus ½ cup
Canola or vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together the beer, baking powder, pepper, cayenne pepper, seasoning and salt. Whisk in the flour until the mixture resembles thin pancake batter, add more flour if needed.
2. Fill a medium-sized pan with about a ½ inch of oil and heat over medium-high until it begins to shimmer. Season the halibut, dredge lightly in the ½ cup of flour (helps the batter to stick), dip it into the batter, and cook the fish until crispy and flaky, 4 to 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove the fillets and rest on paper towel lined plate, pat gently to coax away excess oil.

For the aioli:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1-2 crushed cloves garlic
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1/2 cup dill, finely chopped
s/p to taste
2 T olive oil

Add all ingredients to food processor, blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust flavors as you like. Smear on toasted buttered buns before stacking fish fillet, cheese, tomato, lettuce.

Garlic Truffle Fries

2 blemish-free Russet potatoes
4 cloves garlic
olive oil
4 T finely chopped parseley
truffle salt
truffle oil
s/p to taste

1. Place cookie sheet in oven and crank to 400. Slice potatoes into long wedges. In a large bowl, coat potato wedges liberally with olive oil. Mix in 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2T parsley, salt and pepper.
2. Distribute potatoes onto hot cookie sheet and bake undisturbed for at least 15 mins before flipping. Bake for another 15 minutes or until tender and crispy.
3. Before serving, gently toss with remaining 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 2 T parsley, a drizzle of truffle oil and several pinches of truffle salt. Serve and enjoy.

Swiss Miss Fondue: Part Deux

February 6, 2013 by Eva Louise 1 Comment

So…fondue…turns out it’s a little harder to make than I thought. Mine was lumpy and separated, looking more like an aerial shot of the sinking city of Venice than a creamy delicious pot of cheese. Aren’t you just supposed to dump cheese and wine into a pot and melt it?!

Regardless, I went over to Sissy’s house early in the morning on Thursday to drop off her new fondue pot and the delectable bounty from Zurich. Since we’re two sister’s with no self-control, we broke open the macarons and ate the whole box…with some cheese eggs… and toast.

Afterwards, on a really expensive sugar-high, I went to her local grocery store to pick up salad materials, bread and some dipping vegetables for the fondue. Later that night when I came back over, everything was all set and ready to assemble. Despite my fondue not fondue-ing properly, it was simply delicious. With foie gras, a crisp salad, good wine (Switzerland has failed me on this front, I’m sorry) and fantastic company, we dipped and dined to our hearts’ desire, making for (what I think was) the perfect belated birthday celebration.

Swiss Miss Fondue: Part One

January 30, 2013 by Eva Louise 5 Comments

Tonight I’m finally back in action in New York City after a long business trip in Geneva, Davos, and Zurich, Switzerland. Unfortunately I missed my sister’s birthday while in the Swiss Alps so to make it up to her, I’m hosting her at her new apartment for a night of proper Swiss fondue, complete with crusty bread, dijon new potatoes and fresh salad (sketch above). Beyond the basics, I have some other delicious surprises waiting for her including fois gras, a luxurious bottle of kirsch, a good bottle of Fendant, chocolate truffles and a dozen decadent macarons made in Zurich less than two days ago.

While I’ve dined on cheese fondue many a time, I’ve never actually made it, so I look forward to reporting back once the birthday party is over. Happy Birthday, Kippy!