Nomography: Chipotle Spiced Pork Chops with a Corn and Tomato Salad

Pan-grilled pork chops with a chipotle rub and a tomato corn salad (with cilantro, onion, garlic, green pepper and lime juice). Nom. Nom.

Heirloom Tomato and Arugula Salad

I just finished reading Barry Estabrook’s Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.  It’s a well-written, thoughtful read, and it will make you think twice about the produce you buy and consume.  Pick it up and give it a go.

I’ve been craving tomatoes ever since I started reading the book, so when I found some heirlooms today at the farmer’s market, I bought a few.  These tomatoes are full of flavor and perfectly delicious on their own. But since the farmer’s market also had fresh arugula, of which I love the fragrant aroma and slightly peppery taste, I decided a simple salad was in order.

Heirloom Tomato and Arugula Salad

• 1 bunch arugula
• A few leaves of red leaf lettuce, chopped
• 1-2 heirloom tomatoes, washed and chopped
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon, halved
• Pinch of salt

Wash and spin-dry the arugula and lettuce.

Arrange the arugula and lettuce and top with the chopped tomato.

Drizzle with olive oil and squeeze the juice from the lemon wedge onto the salad.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Enjoy!

Steakhouse Pasta

I love The Pioneer Woman.  Not only does she manage to be witty, warm and genuine, but her food is nearly always flawlessly wonderful.  It looks good, it tastes good, most of it is stuff I have or can easily find, and she provides great step-by-step instructions.  I'm fairly certain that her blog post on "How to Cook a Steak" is at least 50% of the reason why I am married today.  So when I stumbled upon her "Steakhouse Pizza" post the other day, I pined for it.  I am talking serious pining.  Steak AND Pizza?  How could it get any better?!  Drooling may also have been involved. Drooling… Pining.  Same thing.

After fantasizing about the steakhouse pizza nearly all day yesterday, I decided to pick up the necessary ingredients after work.  And then on the train ride home, I remembered that our oven had gone out the night before.  Crap on a stick!  

So instead of Steakhouse Pizza, we had Steakhouse Pasta.  It was still quite tasty and a great substitute for when you don't have an oven, and your grill is far too tiny for cooking a pizza. Stupid tiny grill!  Anyway… Thanks, PW, for some amazing inspiration.

Steakhouse Pasta

For the steak and onions:

• 1 flank or skirt steak
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

For the sauce:

• 1 jar Spaghetti sauce – I used Trader Joe's Roasted Garlic Marinara, but when I have more time, I usually make my own
• 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the pasta:

• 1/2 pound linguine
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

Toppings:

• Steak sauce
• Freshly grated or shaved parmesan - or whatever cheese you prefer as a topping.  I used a three-cheese blend of asiago, fontina, and parmesan.
• 1 tomato sliced thinly (optional)
• Basil leaves (optional)

Begin by caramelizing the onions.  To do this properly it takes about 35-45 minutes.  I use a recipe from Ina Garten for this… It's full proof and the flavor is amazing.  Every time.  

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil together until the better is melted.  

Add the onions and thyme, tossing to coat with the butter and oil.  Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, sweating the onions.  

In the meantime, season the steak with salt and pepper and set aside.

Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 25-30 minutes, until the onions are caramelized and golden brown.  Stir occassionally and make sure the onions aren't sticking.  Also, if the onions are browing too quickly, reduce the heat.  You definitely want to cook low and slow and avoid burning the onions. 

In the last two minutes, add the red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, scraping any bits from the pan, and season with salt and pepper.  

While the onions are cooking, start boiling the water for the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of salt for seasoning.

In a large sauce pan, over medium-low heat, combine the marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.  Cover.  Stir occassionally.  Reduce heat if necessary.

You can cook the steak in the same pan you used for the onions (setting the onions aside), or use a grill, or a grill pan and cook while the onions are starting to slow cook.  

Add another tablespoon each of butter and olive oil to the pan, melting together, and cook the flank steak over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes (for medium rare), flipping half-way through.  Set aside and let rest for ten minutes.

When the water is boiling, add the linguine and cook for about 7 minutes.  Add a cup of cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain when ready to serve.

Slice the steak thinly, and if desired toss it back in the pan for another minute with the caramelized onions. 

 

To serve, top the linguine with pasta sauce, steak, caramelized onions, a little bit of steak sauce, the cheese, and maybe some fresh basil.  I also added some fresh tomatoes on the side, which was tasty.

Enjoy!  Even if it's not pizza… 

Heirloom Tomato Pesto

In honor of Meatless Monday, I decided to make tomato pesto with linguine for dinner.  And then I promptly added some andouille sausage for my husband.  Oh well, maybe next week.

The addition of andouille (this is what happens when your husband demands meat and you let him choose) wasn't as weird as it may sound.  The spicyness was a nice complement to the red pepper flakes in the pesto.  Topped with some fresh basil and parmesan it was actually rather good…  

Thanks to the America's Test Kitchen twitter account for the recipe inspiration… I only modified it a teensy bit.

Heirloom Tomato Pesto

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted until golden brown and fragrant
• 2-3 large heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled (roasted garlic would probably be even better if you have the time!)
• A splash of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• Optional: 1/2 pound andouille sausage, sliced or crumbled, cooked separately and added as a topping

Start the water to boil for the pasta.

In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds, tomatoes, basil and garlic for about 30 seconds.

Ready to be pesto-fied!

Add a splash of red wine vinegar (no more than 1/2 teaspoon), the red pepper flakes and salt. Continue to blend for another 30 seconds.

With the processor or blender running, slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture.  Blend for another 30 seconds or until the oil is incorporated.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, draining the rest.

Add the tomato pesto to the pasta and stir.  Add pasta water as needed to fully coat the pasta with the pesto mixture.  I only used maybe 1/4 cup of this.  

Stir in the parmesan.

Spoon into bowls and top with basil, grated parmesan, and optionally, the meat.

Enjoy!  Even if your Monday isn't meatless… 

Mike Isabella’s Graffiato

I just found my new favorite restaurant in DC, Mike Isabella's Graffiato.  Not only did I get to sit about five feet away from him while he was sitting at the bar and then plating food, but I got to eat his grandmother's gnocchi.  Blissful, light, moist, heavenly potato gnocchi!  

The service was fantastic. We weren't rushed.  Plates and glasses were whisked away almost as soon as we pushed them aside.  Glasses were refilled and drinks refreshed in a seemingly automated fashion.  

The dishes are small plates ideal for sharing, with a suggestion of about three to four dishes per person.  The food comes out as it's ready and the waiter advised against trying to devise any particular strategy for ordering.  We ordered a few items at a time as we pleased and just relished the food.  Our server was knowledgeable about the food and offered terrific suggestions, which opened our eyes to things we probably wouldn't have otherwise considered.  Also, when my husband ordered a DC Brau on tap, but they brought Peroni by mistake, the server corrected it before John even noticed.  

And did I mention that they offered Prosecco on tap?!  ON TAP!!! 

Mmm… Prosecco… On tap… And how cute is the plant in a tin can?

The restaurant had a modern and casual feel that also didn't try too hard.  It was dark and intimate, and my favorite part (well, other than the food) was being able to watch the chefs cook and plate the food.  And the music selection of upbeat rock and alternative brought me back to my childhood.

Here's our meal in review…  (A few of the photos are blurry… Sorry, I was hungry.)

Sugar Snap Peas with Tomato Pesto and Goat Cheese

First of all, goat cheese is one of our favorite things…  So much so that we ordered this dish solely because we wanted to eat the goat cheese.  The peas had a wonderful flavor of lemon and olive oil. It was almost buttery, but lighter.  The tomato pesto was something special… and the peas were perfectly crispy but tender.  This was a great start to the meal.

Spiced Red Beets with Pork Fried Almonds

The almonds were so good.  They reminded me of the nuts I roasted last Christmas, but with a lot less sugar.  The beets were sweet, but not overly so.  I'm pretty sure I could make those almonds. Mmm… pork fat.

Blue Crab Salad with Cucumber and Cantaloupe

The blue crab salad was one of the specials of the night.  And when they say crab salad, I'm pretty sure they actually mean CRAB.  And a *wee* bit of salad.  The cantaloupe added a perfect amount of sweetness, so that the salad didn't need a lot of mayo.  Nor anything else really.  The lump crab was perfectly moist, lightly sweet and full of flavor.  It was so satisfying on it's own.

And afterwards they brought us new plates, so the rest of our food didn't get all "beet-y."  :)

 
The bar at Graffiato.  I'd love to sit here and just drink Prosecco and watch the chef's work.  It's a great concept.  And I want those light fixtures.

The countryman pizza at Graffiato is by far the most decadent pizza I've ever had. Black truffles, fontina cheese and a duck egg.  The yolk was cracked with a spoon and spread over the pizza as they served it to us.  Talk about food porn… The pizza crust was the perfect thickness and not charred.  We could actually watch the guy tossing dough from where we sat.  At about 6 slices per pizza, it's *almost* too much for small plates shared between two people, but the pizza here is definitely something special and not to be missed.

 

Roasted potato gnocchi with braised pork shank and burrata cheese was our "pasta" dish, and probably my favorite dish of the night.  The gnocchi, apparently made from Chef Isabella's grandmother's recipe, was truly a delight.  The gnocchi was soft, moist and not even remotely heavy nor rich.  The braised pork was juicy and flavorful without overwhelming the tender gnocchi.  It had a bit of a subtly sweet but savory tomato flavor that I want to imagine as the Italian version of barbecue.  The totality of the dish was a flavor combination and texture that I don't know how to fully articulate, but it's definitely a food memory that I will not soon forget.

This hearty wood oven dish of three pork ribs and a coriander yogurt was our next to last dish.  The meat fell off of the rib bones.  The greek style yogurt, flavored with just the right amount of coriander was a lovely complement to the dry rub, oregano seasoned ribs.  

For our final dish of the night we wavered between a classic Caesar salad and dessert… The dessert won out, but I'd love to try the salad someday.  The "croutons" are made from natural and fresh cream cheese (think nothing like the Philadelphia cream cheese you buy in stores), which is rolled in polenta and deep fried.  Umm… I think I need to make those…  

Last but not least… dessert.  We ordered the Panna Cotta.  Coconut, pineapple, cashews, basil… The panna cotta had a subtle hint of coconut, though I really couldn't taste any cashew.  The pineapple seemed to be cooked and cooled with a sort of simple syrup that topped the panna cotta. Small, perfectly diced squares of watermelon mixed with basil topped the dish.  Basil and watermelon?!  How did I not know about this amazingly fantastic combination?  The dessert was the perfect end to a fairly rich and indulgent meal.  Light, refreshing and not overly sweet, we were definitely pleased.  And even more so when the waiter complimented our selection by saying how refreshing it was to have a table that didn't order the chocolate tart.  As much as I love chocolate, I'd have to choose this any day…    

Chef Mike Isabella… about five feet from our table.

After our meal, Chef Isabella was standing near our table and I couldn't resist thanking him for an amazing meal.  He was gracious and polite and asked if we had a good time.  We did indeed.  

We ordered a total of seven dishes and left full and content, but not stuffed and in pain.  Best of all, the prices were fairly reasonable given the level of service and the quality of food.  

There are so many other things I'd love to try, like the ham plates, the lobster, and the polenta with spicy pork meatballs and a soft egg.  But next time, I think I'll try the chef's tasting menu…  Who's with me?

Smoked Andouille, Summer Vegetables, Linguine and Cream Sauce

I'm really not sure what to call this dish, since it was essentially another edition of "make shit up for dinner" night.  But it must have been good because the husband ordained me "the sorceress of yummy yummies."  

On to the tasty parts… 

Smoked Andouille, Summer Vegetables, Linguine and Cream Sauce

• About 1 lb smoked andouille sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped into small sticks
• 4-5  red, yellow and orange baby bell peppers, chopped
• 1 yellow tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup half-and-half (see, I'm trying not to kill you!)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup blend of fontina, asiago, and parmesan cheeses (plus more for topping, optionally)
• 1 lb fresh linguine

Crumble the andouille and cook thoroughly in a deep sauce pan over medium-high heat.

Drain excess fat from the sausage.

Reduce heat to medium.  Add the zucchini, carrots and peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes.    

Meanwhile, bring water for the pasta to boil.

Add the tomato, heavy cream, half-and-half and white wine to the sausage and veggie mixture. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce begins to thicken slightly.

Note: Don't cook the hell out of this… The veggies should still be a bit crisp when everything is served.

When the water begins to boil, add the fresh linguine.  Cook for about 2 and a half to 3 minutes.  If using dried pasta, cook according to package directions.

Stir in 1/4 cup of the three cheese blend and allow to melt into the sauce.

Drain the pasta.  

Dish into bowls and top with sausage, veggies and sauce mixture, and optionally more cheese.  

Enjoy!  If you think your thighs are man enough to handle it! :)

 

Grilled Cheese. Now With Bacon.

How can I possibly make a grilled cheese more unhealthy?  Add bacon.  

Grilled Cheese with Bacon

• 2 slices bacon
• 2 slices rye bread
• A slab of butter, approximately 1 tablespoon
• Cheese (I'm lazy, so I used a slice of American cheese. But you should feel free to experiment with one or more unprocessed cheeses.) 

Fry up the slices of bacon and when crisped to your liking remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease.  

Off heat, remove the bacon grease from the pan.  

Tip: Store bacon grease in a jar and use it for making popcorn later on.  It gives it an awesome smoky flavor.  Thanks to Kat for enhancing my life with this bit of knowledge!

Over medium heat, melt about half a tablespoon of butter in the pan.  Add a slice of bread.  

Top the bread with cheese and after about 30 seconds, add the bacon (break into pieces first). Top with another slice of bread.  

After another 30 seconds or so, remove the sandwich with a spatula and add the other half tablespoon of butter.  As it melts, flip the sandwich back into the pan. 

Remove after a minute or so… or when the bread has turned crispy and golden on both sides.  

Mmm… bacon…

For the record, I did eat a peach after this monstrosity.

Enjoy!  With or without tomato soup, but definitely not without the bacon.

Baja Salad with Pan-Seared Chili-lime Shrimp

Last weekend at our local Farmer's Market, I scored a huge bunch of lettuce  for $2.50.  It filled up a regular sized plastic grocery bag.  One head of it!  That same day I also scooped up about a dozen back issues of Cook's Illustrated that the library was giving away for free.  I also bought a lottery ticket, but apparently my lucky streak ended at the library!  Stupid lotto.

If you've never read Cook's Illustrated, I would suggest giving it a chance.  The magazine is incredible for explaining the finer points of ingredients and techniques.  (I mean, do you know how much protein is found in which types of flour, and why it's important when it comes to baking cakes versus breads?  I do!)  They offer great tips on everything from organization and food storage to more efficient ways of doing things like mincing chilis.  And if you have a scientific-leaning mind, it's also quite interesting to read their break-down of the recipe testing process to show how they really have derived the best recipe for something.  

In a back episode of Cook's Illustrated, I read about how to cook pan-seared shrimp, and while I've recently been making a lot of shrimp (as I prefer it over fish in general and it's relatively quick to cook and healthy) I've just been roasting a lot of it.  But it just seemed like it could be a lot better in texture and flavor.  Having excessive amounts of lettuce for just two people, and now drooling over pan-seared shrimp, I decided that a Baja Salad of sorts was in order.  

Let us begin.  (Pardon the pun.)

The Cook's Illustrated recipe for 21/25 shrimp (the size of shrimp such that there are 21 to 25 pieces per pound): 

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds 21/25 shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp sugar (this is for caramelization)

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 12-in skillet over high heat until smoking.  Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, pepper and sugar in medium bowl.

Add half the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink (about 1 minute).  Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds.  Transfer shrimp to a large plate.

Repeat with remaining tablespoon of oil and shrimp.  

After second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet and toss to combine.  Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve immediately.  

I adapted their version for my own tastes…  I'm sure that's some kind of cardinal sin, but it tasted damn good.

Pan-Seared Chili-lime Shrimp

• 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp butter 
• Chili-lime rub (Mine came from Pampered Chef!)
• 1 pound 21/25 shrimp, peeled, but with tail-on

Shrimp should be rinsed, but patted dry.  Put the shrimp in a large plastic ziploc bag, and add a couple of tablespoons of the chili-lime rub.  Toss to coat shrimp evenly.  I let the chili-lime coated shrimp sit in the refrigerator for about an hour, but you could probably cook it right away.

Over high heat, add the oil and butter to a grill pan (or regular skillet).  When the butter is melted and almost starting to brown, add half the shrimp to the pan, in a single layer, and not too crowded.

Cook for about 90 seconds on one side, then flip with tongs.  Cook for another 90 seconds then remove to a bowl and cover with foil.  

Add the second half of the shrimp, in a single layer and cook for 90 seconds on each side.  After the last 90 seconds, turn off the heat, and add the first batch of shrimp back into the pan.  Toss to mix together, cover with a lid, and allow the shrimp to cook for another minute (at most).  Shrimp should be slightly pink and opaque.

Serve immediately over the salad.

Baja Salad

• Lettuce, rinsed and chopped (enough for two salads)
• 1 ear of corn, boiled or grilled, and de-cobbed
• 1 can black beans, warmed
• 1 tomato, diced
• Fresh salsa
• 2 lime wedges
• Shredded mexican cheese (optional)

Prepare the corn and black beans.  Chop the lettuce, tomato and make the salsa (you can make this ahead and store in the refrigerator).  

Divide the lettuce into two bowls.  Top with corn, black beans, tomato, salsa, and optionally cheese.  Add the shrimp.  Sprinkle with lime juice.

Enjoy!  With or without a mojito!

Turkey Goulash

I've started a new workout regimen.  And after one day, it is already killing me.  It also comes with nutrition advice and a strict eating plan.  I'm not quite ready to embrace that just yet, so in the meantime, I'm trying to cook a bit healthier.  After all… Why go through all of the pain (and sweat) if you're just going to deep fry potato tacos?  

Mmm… deep fry!!!  *drools on keyboard*  

Erm… well.  Uh… I give you Turkey Goulash.  Delicious, simple, and not terribly unfriendly to the thighs.

Turkey Goulash

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 or 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 small  can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• Bowtie pasta

In a large pot, start water to boil for the pasta.

In another large pot, cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until mostly cooked through.  

Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until all of the pink is gone and the onion starts turning translucent.  

Add the oregano, basil, parsley, onion powder.  Mix in thoroughly and cook for another minute or so.

Add a dash or two of worcestershire sauce and a pinch of salt.

Stir in the diced tomatoes (I can't wait for fresh tomatoes!) and tomato sauce.  

Reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is done cooking. Oh yeah… you should probably add the pasta when the water begins to boil and cook according to package directions (most likely about 10 minutes).

When pasta is done cooking, drain the water and gently combine the pasta into the sauce mixture. 

Serve with a side salad.

Enjoy!  Your thighs will thank you later… 

Salsa!

It seems like such a simple thing.  Salsa.  And truly it is.  Yet it's so easy to buy a jar or a plastic container of salsa at the store.  And yeah, it'll do, but just like most things we buy pre-packaged, it's nothing close to the real thing.  Made fresh.  From good, natural ingredients.  With a blender.  There's just very little reason not to make your own.

Plus, it's awesome on tacos.  And who doesn't love tacos?!

Salsa

• 4 medium tomatoes; I like the perfect, little round tomatoes, but roma will work, too.  Or if you have a container of heirloom tomatoes you need to use up, have at it!
• 1 small onion
• 1 jalapeno, de-seed and remove the white veins if you don't do spicy.  Otherwise, throw the whole thing in (minus the stem, of course; we're not animals!)
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 lime
• pinch of salt

Chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and garlic and toss into a blender.  

Squeeze on the lime juice.  I usually start with half a lime and see how it feels…

Add a pinch of salt.  Blend until relatively smooth, or however you like it.

Taste.  Add more salt or lime or whatever you feel is missing.  

Sometimes a corona and a pile of chips will aid your evaluation.

 

Pico de Gallo

Same ingredients as above, but with more patience and better knife skills… 

• Combine the finely chopped ingredients in a bowl.  
• Squeeze on the lime juice, add salt to taste.  
• Mix with a spoon until blended.

The longer this sits, the better.  So if you have the time, make it a day ahead.

Corona also goes well with this… And that's one more reason to save half a lime.

Enjoy!

Thanks to Amanda, who showed me how to make my very first batch and who is always up for tacos.