The reality of smaller spaces and limited ingredients, limited budgets, and limited free time due to busy lives often get in the way of our health and well-being and so we want to find ways to incorporate simple recipes and techniques into our daily routine and take charge of the kitchen opposed to resorting to unhealthy eating choices. Our health is something we are all capable of controlling and we want to spread the good word: you are what you eat!

We are very passionate about bringing this dream and making it into a reality and would love if all of you readers, YES YES YOU, would be willing to take some time to spread the word to your friends and family (via E-mail, twitter, facebook, etc.) to check out our Kickstarter page and if you are able to support us in any way it’d be greatly appreciated. Even a small donation of $5-10 would really help us collectively reach our goal of $6000, we’re already at a whopping $1195 after 2 days!!!   I can’t put into words how excited I am about this project and I hope together we can make this show a success.

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Back when I interviewed Tim Byres for Sunday Brunch at Crave DFW   I knew I landed some place special.  It was this beautiful space filled with a smokey woodsy aroma, where you feel like you’ve been transported to your Texan grandpa’s lounge (doesn’t everyone have one of those?) –  equipped with a pool table, a large sexy wooden bar stocked with house-made whiskeys, and family portraits hung randomly throughout the walls.  It’s what being part of Texas is all about: the perfectly smoked BBQ, breads, relishes, sausages from scratch; Byres even orders a whole fresh pig every Wednesday but you better be quick or you’ll miss it by Saturday.  Upon eating his infamous Smoked Brisket with Corn Bread Hash, I knew there was no turning back: I was in love with Smoke.  He shares a bold and spicy rub which was originally for beef but I replaced it with a beautiful Coho Salmon filet from the lovely folks of Copper River Salmon. 

People of Dallas, you can actually purchase all the ingredients for the sandwich via Artizone .  It’s a great online market which has your basic grocery necessities from the top artisan purveyors in the city.  Remember to support your local businesses!

Ingredients for Texas-Style Chipotle Salmon Rub

Created from Tim Byres, Chef and Owner of SMOKE Restaurant in Dallas, TX

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 3 tablespoons dark-roasted coffee grounds, finely ground
• 2 ½ tablespoons salt
• 1 ½ tablespoons granulated dry garlic
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/3 cup Tabasco brand chipotle pepper sauce

Combine dark brown sugar, ground coffee, salt, garlic, paprika and oregano in medium bowl.  Add Tabasco chipotle sauce; stir until well mixed.  Makes about 1 cup.  Rub on 1 ½ pounds salmon steak.  Or rub on roasts and ribs.  Refrigerate 20 minutes to marinate before grilling.

This recipe is really easy to put together, 15 minutes from start to finish (not counting marinating time with the rub).  It’d be perfect for a healthy simple dinner or even an afternoon snack.  The best part is, this recipe is heart healthy.  Copper River salmon is full of superior health benefits, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which benefits your heart and brain.  Catch the last of Alaska’s best treasure: Copper River Coho Salmon — with its mild flavor and firm texture it’s great even for the pickiest of eaters.  Savor the last bits of Summer (yes it’s still Summer in Texas) and serve these sandwiches with a nice cold pitcher of Texas Sweet Tea. 

Ingredients for Open Faced Salmon Sandwiches

• 8 oz Coho Salmon Fillet rubbed with Texas-Style Chipotle Rub
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 1 cup organic greens, washed
• 4 slices whole grain bread

• 1 red onion cut into four 1/2 inch slices
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat.  Brush the salmon fillets with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Place on the skillet until cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Lightly toast the bread if preferred over the skillet, about a minute on each side. To assemble the sandwiches, place greens on each slice of bread.  Place generous chunks of salmon on lettuce and top with avocado, onion and mustard sauce.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

 

• Budget: How much are you planning to spend?  Usually when I throw a party I like to keep it at 8-10 people and keep my budget around $100.  Keep everything simple and ask your guests to bring the drinks!
• Balance: Think about the different flavors, colors and textures that will go into your menu.  For a five course menu, there’s a gradual progression of flavors — start off light and build your way up to the main course and always end with something sweet
• Be Organized: This is probably one of the most important things.  The more organized you are the better things will flow the day of your party.  Make shopping lists, make a prep list for your dishes, set your table settings the night before, write out what needs to be done, etc.
• Timing and Execution: I always like to do a run through of how everything will be served the day of the party the night before.  Plan out your cooking times for your menu items so when it comes time to serve everything flows and you can still sit down and eat with your guests. 
• Table Settings: I like to keep my settings simple, earthy and seasonal.  Plan out what kind of tone you’d like to set for your party and what color and contrast you’d like to use. 

For the first course I wanted something to get the party started, what better way then with a fancy jello-shot!  It’s nice, light and playful — not to mention it packs a surprising punch. 

Ingredients for Pomegranate Jello Shot: serves 8-10; prep time: 10 minutes total cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

• 2 packets of gelatin (1 tablespoon)
• 2 1/2 cups POM
• 1/2 cup good-quality Vodka ( I used Luksusowa)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• raw sugar for garnish
• pomegranate seeds for garnish

In a large bowl mix 1 cup of POM with 1 packet of gelatin, allow to sit for at least 5 minutes or until gelatin is dissolved. Meanwhile in a small saucepan dissolve the sugar and remaining POM and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling turn off the heat and mix with the gelatin mixture. Once thoroughly mixed, add the vodka.

Distribute the mix in shot glasses and place in fridge and allow to set for at least an hour. When ready to serve, garnish the shot glasses with raw sugar and top with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately and enjoy frequently
** it is easier to use a glass pan when making jello so that it pops out easier when it is done setting.

For the second course I wanted to do a salad.  Salads are easy to prepare and I love this recipe for the warm panko crusted goat cheese and the contrast with the pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette.  Also the spiced candied pecans add a nice twist! 

Ingredients for Panko Crusted Goat Cheese with Arils Salad: serves 8-10; prep time: 30 minutes total cooking time: 45 minutes

• 16 ounces goat cheese
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 lb organic field greens
• 1 cup arils

Divide the goat cheese log into 16 – 1 ounce portions and roll into balls, if you’re serving 10 divide it a little under — plan for each salad will receive two goat cheese rounds. Place panko crumbs in a shallow dish.   Take each ball of goat cheese and flatten into a 1/4″-thick disk and roll in the bread crumbs, making sure all sides are evenly covered.  Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet on medium high heat, when the oil is smoking add the goat cheese discs.  Fry each side until golden brown, about 1 minute and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels to soak any excess oil.  When ready to serve, simply reheat in the oven or toaster oven for 3-4 minutes at 350F. 

For the pecans:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Fill a medium pot with water and boil on high.  Once the water is boiling add the pecans and cook for an additional minute.  In a large bowl place the spices and powdered sugar, mix well.  Strain the pecans and mix in the sugar mixture, make sure nuts are coated evenly.  Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the outside becomes crunchy — you can test this by taking a pecan out and letting it cool, if it’s still soft give it an additional 5 minutes if it is crunchy take it out and set aside.  Once pecans are cool give them a rough chop and place in a container until ready to serve.

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup pomegranate reduction (see recipe below for tenderloin)
• juice from 1 lemon, seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water

Place reduction on a small saucepan at medium low heat.  Whisk in lemon juice olive oil and water, if the mixture is still a little thick add a little water — it should have a syrupy consistency.  Set aside until ready to serve.

 When serving:

Warm up your goat cheese discs in the oven or toaster oven.  Meanwhile,toss salad greens with pomegranate vinaigrette and plate.  Top with spiced pecans, arils and warm goat cheese.  Serve immediately. 

For the third course I went with a nice hearty soup — this was actually a spin-off of the Chiles en Nogada recipe POM provided us with from Chef Cindy Pawlcyn.  I loved the textures of the crunchy pancetta and the smokiness of the poblano in this soup.  This was Collin’s favorite dish.

Ingredients for Chiles Nogada Corn Chowder: (serves 8-10) prep time: 30 minutes total cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

• 4 tablespoons canola oil or butter
• 1 x 16 oz bag frozen organic corn kernels
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 poblano chiles, roasted and deseeded*
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 8 oz pancetta
• 1 cup walnut, toasted
• 1/2 cup micro arugula
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup arils
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• salt pepper to taste

 

1 pork tenderloin, about 3 1/2 pounds
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon  

In a large bowl mix the spices salt pepper and sugar together.  Using a sharp knife, make shallow criss crossed incisions along the top of the tenderloin – this allows the dry rub to soak in better.  Take the spice mixture and generously rub all over the tenderloin, especially the top where the incisions were made.  Allow the pork to marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium high heat.  Once oil is smoking sear each side of the tenderloin until a crisp golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove from heat and cover with foil — if the pan is not oven proof transfer the tenderloin to a baking sheet and cover with foil.  Allow tenderloin to roast for 45 minutes to an hour – use a meat thermometer to track the cooking time.  The internal temperatures should reach 145 degrees for the perfect medium tenderloin, 160 degrees for well done.  Also keep in mind, the meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven so gauge appropriately.  Once the meat reaches desired temperature set aside until ready to serve, make sure it’s covered in foil to keep the meat warm.

For Cauliflower

• 2 head cauliflower
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup cream
• salt pepper to taste

Cut the bottoms off the cauliflowers, making sure to remove the tough stems and leaving mostly the florets.  In a large pot fill with water and immerse the entire head of cauliflower in there.  Cook each head for 15-20 minutes on medium high heat until cauliflower is completelysoftened.  Place the softened cauliflower in a large bowl and set aside.  In a medium saucepan saute the garlic with a little olive oil on medium high heat until browned add the cream and nutmeg and cook for an additional minute.  Remove from heat and pour into large bowl containing cauliflower.  Using a masher or a pestle, smash the garlic and cauliflower until it reaches a paste like consistency — similar to that of mashed potatoes but grainier.  Taste with salt and pepper.  You can also use a blender if you do not own a masher or a pestle. 

For Pomegranate Reduction:

In a medium sauce on medium high heat, heat the pom juice and sugar until reduced to a syrupy consistency,  about 15-20 minutes add lemon juice.  If it becomes to thick simply add the 2 tablespoons of water to thin it down. 

When ready to serve, place a generous spoonful of cauliflower and thinly slice the pork tenderloin.  Arrange the tenderloin around the cauliflower puree and drizzle with pomegranate reduction.  Top with arils and micro arugula.  Serve immediately. 

What better way to end a 5-course than with something light and sweet?  I made a silky pomegranate sorbet and folded boozy grand marnier sour cherries to give it a little pizazz. 

Ingredients for Pomegranate Sorbet with Grand Marnier Sour Cherries: serves 8-10 makes 1 quart; prep time: 10 minutes cooking time: 1 1/2  hours

• 3 cups of POM pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 cup Sour Cherries, frozen 
• 1 cup arils

Place sugar water and pomegranate juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until well chilled, about an hour. Meanwhile, place sour cherries in Grand Marnier and allow to soak for an hour.  When sorbet mixture is ready, process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions and add cherries in once mixture is almost frozen. Serve garnished with arils and mint leaf.

I’d like to share my prep list just to give you guys an idea as to how to plan a stress-free holiday meal for friends.  As long as you stay organized and think ahead, everything will go smoothly .  If you notice, I kept my menu simple and incorporated colorful textures and colors to keep my guests intrigued and entertained throughout dinner.

• Make candied spiced pecans for salad
• Toast walnuts for soup
• Prepare reduction for the pork
• Prepare dressing for the salad
• Fry the pancetta
• Make the sorbet

The Day Before:

• Make the jello shots
• Make the soup
• Roll the goat cheese balls for the salad
• Marinate the pork
• Make the cauliflower puree

Day Of:

• Garnish jello shots with arils and sugar
• Bread the goat cheese and fry, reheat in toaster oven when ready to serve
• Reheat soup on medium heat, keep at a simmer on back burner til ready to serve.
• Reheat cauliflower puree in a waterbath, keep warm on back burner til ready to serve.
• Begin roasting the pork loin right before serving the jello shot, this allows you time to sit and enjoy the courses and converse with guests.

As you see, I’ve planned the menu items to where the day of I am just throwing on the last minute garnishes and toppings to the dish.  Most of the items just need to be reheated and kept warm until ready to serve. 

Always remember to keep it simple.  Don’t stress out if things don’t work out the way they’re suppose to, simply move on.  The most important thing is to have fun — your friends and family are already thankful that you are cooking for them!  If you need help clearing the table and loading the dishwasher, see if one of your friends will lend a helping hand. 

I hope these tips will help you plan your next dinner this would be the perfect guide for the holidays.  Bon Appetit and thanks again to the folks of POM Wonderful for the wonderful pomegranates and goody bags for my guests!

Beans beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you…well you know how the rest of the saying goes.  Either way my fiance is stuck with me and what better way to use beans than in succotash! Succotash became popular during the Great Depression since beans were one of the few items that were cheap and readily available.  I managed to grab the last few ears of corn before having to wait til Summer to eat it again.  It’s a great dish for those cool fall nights, with the earthiness of the beans and corn enriched with the beautiful basil butter, it will leave your tummy happy and satisfied.

Ingredients for Succotash:

• 1 1/2 cups dried mixed shell beans, such as lima, flageolets, fava, cranberry, kidney, or butter beans (allow to soak overnight)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear of corn)
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (can be store bought)
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 chicken breasts or thigh, cut and trimmed

Ingredients for Basil Butter:

• 1 large shallot, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into chiffonade

What the heck is chiffonade? It’s a technique of cutting ingredients like herbs into ribbons.  You stack the leaves ontop of each other and roll them into a cigar-like shape, the cut the roll crosswides and the pieces will unravel in ribbons.

For the succotash, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.  Add the beans to the boiling water and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes, drain and transfer to the bowl of ice water.  This will “shock” the beans and stop them from cooking as well as set the colors.  Drain again and set aside.  Heat a large and deep saucepan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter.  Once it has melted add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.  Add the corn and beans and stir to heat through.  Pour in the stock and increase the heat to high.  Cook until the liquid is soaked up by the beans, but leave just enough to coat the vegetables, about 15 minutes.  If the beans are still too hard, simply add more stock and cook it down until they have softened.  However, becareful to not overcook the vegetables or they may discolor.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover to keep warm and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the shallots.  Place the chicken breast or thigh on top and pour the stock and wine into the pan.  Sear the chicken on both sides and stick the pan into the oven and allow to cook the rest of the way, about 8-10 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and pour the juices into a medium saucepan.  Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and set aside.  Add the lemon juice to the pan of juices and bring to a boil until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the cream and continue to boil for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat down to medium and slowly whisk in the cubes of butter, incorporating each cube before adding more.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chiffonade basil right before serving.

Plate the succotash with a slotted spoon and divide evenly among 4 plates.  Place the chicken on top and generously spoon over the sauce.  Serve immediately.

Citrus citrus citrus! Fall is the start of citrus season and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some beautiful greens, yellows, reds and oranges.  I always enjoy the bright aromas and acidity of these little fruits and thought what better way to celebrate their flavors than with a vibrant sauce featuring grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime juices.

Here are some tips on picking good quality citrus produce:

1. Feel how heavy the fruit is.  The heavier, the better — it means there is more water content!
2. Look for thin smooth peels. Don’t pick the ones with the thick porous skin, the ones that are as smooth as a baby’s bottom are the best! Or else you’re stuck with a thick rind and less fruit.  (That is no bueno)
3. Avoid any fruit that feels soft or mushy, more than likely it is rotten on the inside.
4. Smell the fruit. A sweet aroma usually means a stronger and sweeter citrus flavor.

If at all possible, use wild salmon opposed to farm-raised.  Wild salmon is more flavorful but if it is not readily available farm-raised is a perfectly viable alternative.

I found this wonderful recipe from my Chanterelle cookbook and changed a few things.  It was a cumin crusted salmon with citrus butter but I didn’t have cumin so I left it off and used coconut milk in place of the heavy cream.  I also cut down half the amount of butter and still got great results.

Ingredients for Salmon and Coconut Citrus Butter

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (I used coconut milk)
• 1/2 lb of unsalted butter (I only used 4 tbsp)
• kosher salt
• pinch of sugar, if necessary
• 4 x 6 oz salmon fillets, at least 1 inch thick, skin and any pin bones removed
• coarse black pepper
• 3 tablespoons of canola

To make the citrus butter, combine the wine and citrus juices in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes.  This process should be watched over closely, because of the high sugar content it can burn easily.  Add the cream and bring to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, a few pieces at a time, making sure it is completely incorporated before adding more.  Season with salt if it lacks taste and sugar if it is too tart.  You can keep the sauce at room temperature for up to an hour and reheat at a low heat just before serving.

Take the salmon fillets and place them on a clean, dry surface.  Season both sides with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the oil and turn the pan to coat the bottom with oil, allowing it to heat for a minute or two.  Place the fillets, skin side down for 2 to 3 minutes then turn the fillets over and cook the other side for the same amount of time or until the desired level of doneness is achieved.  The thickness of the cut may affect cooking time so please adjust accordingly.

Spoon a mound of mashed potatoes into the center of the plates.  Drizzle with the warm citrus butter around the potatoes and top with a salmon fillet.