Here are some of the places I’ve eaten at while in NYC.
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Tunisian Brik
Main Course – Serves Two
Wiki Article – Brik
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Chicken
- 1/2 Red Onion – Diced
- 1 Sweet Potato
- 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Coriander
- 1/4 tsp. Cumin
- 1/4 tsp. Paprika
- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne
- Filo Dough
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the spices in a bowl and add a little bit of olive oil to it. Set aside a small bit for later. Rub the rest of the spice mixture all over the chicken. Add the chicken to an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Roast the chicken for about 35 minutes or until it is fully cooked and tender.
Wash and dry the sweet potato. Cut it into big chunks, wrap it in foil with a bit of oil and put it in the oven with the chicken. By the time the chicken is done the sweet potato should be nice and soft as well.
Add the minced onions along with the reserved spice mixture to a big bowl. Chop up the roasted chicken and sweet potato. Add them both to the bowl and stir them until they are thoroughly mixed.
Cut the filo dough into the shape and size you want for each of your briks (traditionally, a triangle). Add the filling to each of them and close them up using water to help seal any seams. Brush some oil onto the dough to help them brown nicely and to help keep them from sticking to a pan. Place them onto a baking sheet, put them into the oven and cook until the dough is crispy and brown.
Chicken with Bacon and Onions
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Thighs – Fat Trimmed
- 3-4 Strips of Bacon – Minced
- 1/4 Cup Onion – Diced
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 3-4 Young Sprigs of Thyme – Minced
- Small Handful of Rosemary – Minced
Directions
Pan fry the bacon until it is fully cooked. Remove the bacon and begin cooking the chicken thighs in the same pan. There should be enough fat from bacon to not really need any additional oil. While the chicken is cooking, mince the bacon, thyme and rosemary and combine them with the 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Once the chicken is just about done, add the onions and cook them until they are nice and soft. Finally, add the heavy cream and herb mixture. Cook down the sauce and serve hot.
A few weekends ago Dancer and I had brunch down in Laguna Beach with some of my family – the view was gorgeous. We ate at a really cool restaurant called, “Las Brisas.”
Last weekend for my 29th Birthday, Dancer took me to go see the ballet, Romeo et Juliette in Seattle. We scored some really nice box seats on the right side of that stage. Since it was a night on the town we decided to dress to the nines. For me, that meant a tuxedo – which I own. Dancer was in a very elegant dress.
We both enjoyed the show very much. I’m always worried that I’ll get bored, but they did an awesome job of keeping the story moving along. Since it was a ballet the set is pretty open, but they were able to make it work well.
After the show we were both pretty hungry but neither of us wanted to do anything fancy. We decided to head to one of our favorite pizza joints, Piecora’s. Dressed in full formalwear, we finished out our evening with some pizza and some tasty beer.
Chopped Steak
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 12 oz. Good Steak – Minced (by hand)
- 1 Onion – Minced
- 1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
- 2 Strips of Bacon – Chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Directions
Heat the Olive Oil in a frying pan until it is hot. Add the bacon and cook it until the fat runs off. Then add the onion and cook them until they are soft, but not browned. Once that is done, add the steak and tomatoes, cover with water and cook until the sauce is nice and think, 30-45 mins.
Braised Lamb and Eggplant
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 12-16 oz. Ground Lamb
- 1 Large Eggplant – Charred and Cubed
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- 1/2 Tsp Sugar
Directions
Char the eggplant over an open flame until the skin is blackened. Once it is cooled, remove the skin and cut into 1 inch cubes. Saute the eggplant until it starts to soften. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook until there is no more pink in the lamb.
During the Thanksgiving long weekend I decided I needed to pick up some beer from a family friend at the Hood Canal Brewery as well as a few bottles from the Silver City Brewery and host a beer tasting soirée
Although brew in its self would be sufficient, I think food is in order too.
The plan is to make some saucy, country-style ribs (although nothing can compare to Andrew’s ribs), some tasty side dishes like Potato Curry with Tamarind or Baked Butternut Squash, maybe some yummy bread and of course the obligatory can of beer nuts.
Culinary Challenge #1 – Chocolate-Chili Mousse
Main Course – Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Tofu
- 4 Tbsp. Vanilla Soymilk
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
- 6 oz. Vegan Chocolate – chopped
- 1-2 Dried California or Ancho Chilies – Seeded
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. Press the tofu a little to remove some of the water. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. It should have the texture of pudding. Pour the mixture into custard cups and bake in a water bath until the mixture firm in the middle. Cover and cool overnight in the refrigerator.
So, I was asked to put my culinary skills to the test…
Gato wanted to know if I had any good recipes for things that contained chilies/peppers…pretty vague, huh? Upon further investigation into the topic with Gato (wandering the Farmer’s Market) he made up his mind on the challenge. He wanted a dessert that contained chilies. Okay, I thought to myself, I can do this. Then he had one more request….he wanted it to be vegan friendly. Now, vegan desserts are tough enough, but a vegan dessert with chilies in it is going to be down right hard.
I am now on the mission of devising a vegan friendly dessert with chilies in it. This will be an interesting journey. I have a couple ideas already in mind, but we’ll see how it goes once I make them.
Tempeh Fajitas
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 4-5 oz. Tempeh – Strips
- 1 Bell Pepper – Strips
- 2 Small Tomatillos – Diced
- 3-4 Tbsp Taco Seasoning
- 2-3 oz. Almond Cheese – Grated
- 2 Spourted Grain Tortillas
Directions
Warm the tortillas to make the soft and pliable. Brown the tempeh and set aside. Saute the peppers until tender. Add the tomatillos, tempeh, taco seasoning and ½ cup of water the pan. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer until the water is mostly gone. Top the tortillas with the cheese and the fajita mixings and roll them.
Beef Stroganoff
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. Stew Meat – Cubed
- 14 oz. Beef Stock
- 2-3 Dollups of Greek Style Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
- Egg Noodles
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place some of the stock into a medium sized stove-safe/oven-safe dish with the cubed beef. Cover and place in the oven until the beef is tender. Remove it from the oven and simmer on the stove until all the stock has been reduced to a syrupy sauce. While the beef is cooking, prepare the noodles. Once both the beef and noodles are done, add the yogurt to the beef and stir until the sauce is combined. Stir the beef and sauce into the noodles.
Eggplant Parmesan
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Eggplant – Sliced
- 1 ½ cup of Pasta Sauce – Heated
- Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Saute the sliced eggplant until tender. Spread some of the sauce into a oven-safe baking dish to prevent the eggplant from sticking while in the oven. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer in the dish and top with the rest of the sauce. Top the whole thing with parmesan. Bake for a 5-10 minutes until the parmesan is perfectly browned.
For those who aren’t fans of lamb, this recipe can be easily adapted to other meats.
Braised Lamb Shanks
Main Course – Serves Two
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Lamb Shanks
- 14 oz. Beef or Vegetable Stock
- 1 Small White Onion – Quartered
- 3 Cloves of Garlic – Peeled and Halved
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the onion quarters, garlic and stock into a medium sized stove-safe/oven-safe dish (I like the Round Ovens from Le Creuset). Reduce the stock mixture to almost a syrup consistency on the stove. Once this is done, place the lamb shanks in the dish, cover and place in the oven until tender.
When it is done, the lamb should come off the bone easily. You can then skim the fat off the pan drippings and make a nice gravy with the rest by adding a bit of water to it.