Seafood Fridays

BASA WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAF
Makes 8 servings
You will need;
3 to 4 fresh or frozen banana leaves thawed and cut into 5- to 6-inch squares
8 (6 ounces each) Basa fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Red Pepper Sauce
¼ cup of Olive oil
1 (8-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the red pepper sauce, place the peppers, garlic, and oregano in a blender.
Puree while adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a bowl and set aside.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Blanch the banana leaves by plunging them into the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and immediately submerge in ice water for 1 minute. Drain. Lay with the smooth side of the leaves up on a baking sheet lightly grease with olive oil.
2. Place each fillet skin side up on a banana leaf and season with salt and pepper. Fold each corner of the leaf over as if you were wrapping a gift. Flip the package over gently so that the seam side is down.
3. Place the fish in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut a slit across the top of the banana leaf, and drizzle or spoon the red pepper sauce over the fish. Serve hot.

Experiencing Roasted Lamb

Lamb is definitely an acquired taste. I have enjoyed it since childhood. It seemed that only my father and I would partake in such delicacies that were off the menu beaten path. Traditionally lamb is paired With lots of garlic and garnished with Mint Jelly. That's really not my first choice. Although I complete agree that garlic is a must, I like a diverse medley of herbs, spices and aromatics. If you are a lamb novice I suggest a boneless cut. The bone intensifies lamb's robust earthiness which can overwhelm beginner taste buds. Pros go with the bone in version of the same roast.

Start with a 2-2 1/2 pound boneless domestic leg of lamb. With new processing methods it is common to find the cut in CryoVac packaging to insure freshness. Drain package and pat roast dry with paper towels and set aside.

I like to use an oil based rub combining extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, and lots of lemon zest. To 1/2 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons of garlic, thyme, and zest, marry nicely to 1 tablespoon of salt and pepper each.

Place roast in a large zip storage bag and spoon in marinade. Remove air and zip closed. Shake, rock, toss, and rub until the mixture completely coats the entire roast. Now it's time to refrigerate and let the marinade do it's work. I think it taste best anywhere between 6 and 12 hours.

Now since you have the bone removed, you can stuff it with a variety of goodies from asparagus and carrot sticks to rice dressing it's up to you. Tonight I am going to roll it closed and truss it with kitchen twine.
I like to roast meats on a rack in a 9x13 baking dish. I start with a hot oven around 425 degrees.
It is a good idea to tent the roast with a piece of aluminum foil to avoid over browning. after 30 minutes of cooking reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 30 more minute. I like to to remove foil and continue cooking until meat has started to brown. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer and remove lamb from the oven at 145 degree. As we discussed in previous blog allow the roast to rest for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before carving. Your lamb should be medium and rosy blush in the center. This dish is savory and succulent...delicious.

Eggplant Parmesan

This morning I received some suggestions on doing some vegetarian recipes. I totally enjoy just about every vegetable that is out there. I am a huge fan of fresh farmer's market locally grown produce. One of my nephews loves my eggplant Parmesan. The only secret to this dish is that everything is fresh. Thyme, Oregano and Basil flavor homemade Tomato Concasse, (Peeled, diced, and seeded Roma tomatoes slow simmered to a sauce and seasoned with sea salt) that is spooned over Eggplant rounds that have been breaded in fresh whole wheat bread crumbs and layered with a ricotta cheese mixture of egg and grated Parmesan cheese. Shredded Parmesan tops each sauced tower and and is baked until golden brown and bubbly. This is served best with a salad of seasonal crisp veggies, like cucumbers, red onions, and and radishes. A sweet mustard vinaigrette finishes things off nicely. I rarely measure anything in this dish. I like to do it to taste. I will post the steps and photo later tonight. This is going to be dinner!

Here's the recipe:

2 large or 3 small to medium eggplant
3-4 cups of fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (seasoned to taste with salt and pepper)
16 oz of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs for cheese mixture and 2 for egg wash
8-10 Roma or plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup of minced basil
2 tbs. of fresh thyme leaves
1 tbs. of minced oregano
Olive oil for sauteing
2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Simmer tomatoes in a sauce pot over medium low heat with herbs. Salt to taste.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lay on a sheet pan and sprinkle lightly with salt.
whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of water in a bowl and set aside.
3. Warm a large skillet over medium heat with a couple of spoons of olive oil.
4. Dip eggplant slice, one at a time in egg wash and coat with bread crumbs. Pan fry slices on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
5. In a bowl combine ricotta and Parmesan with 2 remaining eggs.
6. In a baking dish lightly coat the bottom with sauce. Place a single layer of cooked eggplant rounds along the bottom.
7. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture over rounds and top with and additional slice of eggplant. Once pan is full, spoon sauce to cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Garnish with a sprinkling of dried Italian herbs. Serve immediately. Feed yourself well!

Turkey Burger taste test results

WOW!! The taste test went fantastic. Two burgers reign supreme in over all taste, texture and moistness. All I can say is that Oprah has a strong pallet for robust, rich and savory flavor. The Mar-A-Lago Turkey Burger delivers big spice from the Chipotle Hot Sauce and is uniquely married to a medley of fruits and vegetables to create a one of a kind presentation to your taste buds! Kudos all around! Next, the Spicy Turkey Burger from Epicurious is equally as dynamic. Remarkably a pinnacle of flavor is reached much like the Mar-A-Lago burger primarily from the Chipotle Hot Sauce. Unlike Oprah's favorite, this burger requires far less ingredients and is supported by the addition of cumin and shallots. BRAVO. This was the over all BEST EVER TURKEY BURGER. Honorable mention goes to Kraft for their addition of fresh basil and BBQ sauce. Who knew they were friends. And Sadly we come to last place held by Rachel Ray's Salsa Verde Turkey Burger. This burger was just plain tired. It lacked flavor and interest. I heard a simple quote today that perfectly describes this recipe. "Preparing a meal in 20 minutes isn't cooking, its rushing." Slow down Rachel! We need to feel good about what we serve.

The best thing about food is there are no rules! Whether it's raisins or radishes you never know what your going to get until you mix them up! Have fun, and feed yourself well.

Turkey Burger Recipe Line Up

OK Epicureans here are the recipes that I will be testing In our quest for a fantastic Turkey Burger. The links will take you right to recipe. This is a great way to clean out the pantry and the fridge of any remnant ingredients from past dishes.

Epicurious has a Spicy Turkey Burger for fans of "kicked up cuisine".
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Spicy-Turkey-Burgers-109795

OOOOPPPRRAAHHH TURkey BUUURRRGGEERRRR! ROFL. Let's see if Chutney is really the secret.
http://www.oprah.com/recipe/food/recipessandwiches/20080516_tows_turkeyburger

And Kraft always delivery with quick and easy.
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/sarah-steves-turkey-burgers-94326.aspx

And finally Rachel Ray's Salsa Verde Turkey Burger. No EVOO or garbage bowl needed to see if this burger ranks YUMMO!
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/hamburger-recipes/salsa-verde-turkey-burger/article.html

OK this is the line up. I have some friends coming by this week and we are ready to taste and report back to the "board of directors" on the best turkey burger out there!

Have fun and report back on your favorite Turkey Burger! Feed yourself well!

OPERATION: Turkey Burger

I am the first to admit how much I enjoy a big beefy flame kissed hamburger. I am a loyalist to fresh off the grill as well. Recently, I have been really enjoying Turkey Burgers. So I am going to trial and error some recipes from my own to Oprah's Favorite. This should take a few days. I will be collecting product and recipes. If any of you out there have an awesome Turkey Burger recipe, email it to me at tchef41@gmail.com.

Some of the key attributes that I will be looking for are, juiciness, texture, and "turkey" taste. We can also take a look at compliments and condiments. which cheese fits which burger and does turkey bacon stand up and deliver. Tomorrow morning I will post the recipes that go under the microscope. If you have tried any of the past recipes, or you would like to see something particular I am always open to questions, comments, and great thoughts about food. Shoot me an email! Happy eats, and feed yourself well!