pan-seared ahi tuna

Ahhh, a blast from the past, y’all - I used to make this at least once a week while I was living in Maui. It’s the traditional recipe for preparing any sort of fish caught in the islands: salt, pepper, sear it in olive oil.

Really, it’s that simple. I prefer toasted sesame oil with my tuna, because when the fish is done I’ll throw some chopped asparagus and toasted sesame seeds in the pan for a bit, but olive oil works in a pinch.

Do not - and I repeat, DO NOT - overcook your fish! Trust me, if you’ve cooked your tuna to ‘well-done’, you may as well be eating it out of a can. For an inch-thick tuna steak, 2 minutes per side will give you medium-rare and 3 minutes per side will give you medium. I err on the side of undercooking it, since it’s perfection when it comes out of the pan and it holds up to microwaving leftovers. 

(Incidentally, I seared the tuna pictured about a minute a side, but it was a pretty thin filet.)

baked eggs in whole roasted tomatoes

Ketchup and eggs all grown up: These rustic tomatoes deliver a similar sweet-savory fix. (The way the eggs soak up the juices… just unbelievable.)

6 large tomatoes
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 large eggs

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top third off tomatoes and use a small spoon to remove core and seeds (and if you can’t get it with the edge of a spoon, run a paring knife around the core first.) Arrange in a baking dish, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. Roast until tomatoes are tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes. 2. Crack an egg into each tomato and season with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are just set, 7 to 9 minutes more.

skillet shrimp and orzo

This dish, inspired by paella, is simple enough for family night but makes a pretty presentation for company, too. Cooking the ingredients in one pan allows the orzo to absorb all of the wonderful flavors here.

Look for orzo near the other dried pastas - it’s actually a short-cut form of macaroni.

Photo credit to Kate, who also bore the burden of de-pooping the shrimp.

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups halved grape tomatoes (about 1 lb)
3/4 lb orzo
3 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup fresh basil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Grated Parmesan 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in top position. In a large broilerproof skillet, heat 5 teaspoons oil over medium. Add garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add tomatoes; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 minutes. Add orzo and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and bake until liquid is mostly absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. 2. Toss shrimp with 1 teaspoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove skillet from oven and place shrimp on top of orzo. Heat broiler. Broil until shrimp are opaque throughout, 4 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and Parmesan and serve.

mustard turkey burgers

A thick layer of mashed avocado acts as a creamy spread for the burger buns and a good balance to the triple-whammy topping: peppery arugula, sweet-spicy Peppadews, and Parmesan. If you can’t find Peppadew peppers in your go-to grocery - I’ve only ever seen them in Whole Foods - you can substitute with slightly-spicier Fresnos (red jalapeños) or a liberal sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

To toast the buns, brush them with oil and grill, cut sides down, about 30 seconds.

Expect more grill talk in the future - ‘tis the season!

1 lb ground turkey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup minced red onion
3/4 tsp coarse salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 whole-wheat buns, grilled
1 avocado, mashed
4-5 Peppadew peppers, sliced
1 cup baby arugula
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. In a bowl, combine turkey, Dijon, onion, and salt. Form mixture into patties and chill 30 minutes. 2. Drizzle patties with oil and grill over medium-high heat until cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. 3. Meanwhile, mash avocado with a fork. Serve burgers on toasted buns with avocado, Peppadews, arugula, and Parmesan.

edamame hash

Once found only in Japanese markets and now widely available in grocery stores, frozen edamame makes a terrific addition to your rotation of green vegetables. Use the soybeans like you would frozen peas or fresh shell beans in a recipe, or cook and sprinkle with with a little salt for a simple snack or lunchbox-friendly side. Each 1/2 cup serving contains 8 grams of protein, plus healthy amounts of vitamins A and C. They’re also a good source of iron - happy news for vegetarians.

1 large yukon gold potato, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch scallions, white parts thinly sliced, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10oz frozen shelled edamame, thawed
coarse salt and ground pepper

1. In a large, nonstick skillet, combine potato, bacon, and 1 cup water; bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover and cook until potato is tender when pierced by a knife and water is almost evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato begins to turn golden and bacon begins to render fat, about 3 minutes. 2. Add scallion whites and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until scallion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add edamame and scallion greens and cook until warmed through, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
 

vegetable garden linguine

1 large head fennel, quartered, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 mild chiles, such as Anaheim, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Pablano’s)
1 pound cherry tomatoes
2 small red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
10 ounces whole-wheat linguine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3/4 cup basil leaves

1. Heat broiler. Arrange fennel and chiles on one rimmed baking sheet and tomatoes and onions on another. Toss each with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt. Broil 3 minutes, then toss and continue broiling until vegetables are tender and charred in spots, about 2 minutes more. Transfer vegetables and pan juices to a bowl. 2. Cook pasta in salted (2 tbsp. at least) boiling water, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain, and return to pot. 3. Add vegetables, Parmesan, and reserved water. Stir in basil and remaining oil and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

spicy black bean chili

Don’t be scared away by the seemingly long list of ingredients; many of them are seasonings you already have on hand. Black beans are great for cooking because they hold their shape, and for the nutritionally savvy, they also contain molybdenum, folate, fiber, and tryptophan. 

An Ayurvedic chef in Maui once told me that there’s a compound in cumin that neutralizes black beans’ tendency to give you gas. I haven’t been able to verify that scientifically, but it’s still a classic and tasty combo.

Oh, and of course… the more scallions, the better.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup fat-free dairy sour cream or plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until onion is tender. 2. Stir in black beans, undrained tomatoes,  the water, chili powder, paprika, and crushed red pepper. 3. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in oregano. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. 4. Top individual servings with green onions, sour cream (or yogurt), and cilantro.

carrot-spinach soup with dill

Make the base and then simply add fresh greens and herbs each time you serve. (Wilted spinach is one thing; soggy spinach is another. We’re trying to avoid the latter here.)

For the big batch:
1 large onion, diced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 carrots, diced (about 5  cups)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon coarse salt
8 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For each serving:
1 packed cup baby spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a pot over medium heat, cook onion in oil until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in carrots, turmeric, and salt. Add 10 cups water, bring to a boil, then simmer, 30 minutes. Add beans and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. 2. To serve, fill a bowl with spinach and dill. Ladle 3 cups hot soup over greens, cover with a plate, and let steep 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. 

poached eggs

Like dwi pada viparita dandasana or learning the rules to Twilight Imperium, poaching eggs appears to be a lot more difficult that it actually is. But all the same, it’s the best way to have them, especially on salads or breakfast sandwiches. Nothing beats orange egg yolks sopping all over a pile of veggies and bread…

Try it. You’ll surprise yourself.

Note 1: Always deliver the eggs to the pan with a very large spoon or dip them into the water, individually, from a bowl. Avoid cracking directly into the pan.

Note 2: When using a non-stick skillet, cook in no more than an inch of water. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, poach in a deep saucepan containing at least 3 inches of water.

Note 3:  Unless you want your egg whites flying around the pan like the arms of a simmering octopus, -make absolutely sure- to mix an acid into (“acidulate”) the poaching liquid. You can use vinegar in a pinch, but I prefer lemon juice - otherwise the eggs taste, well, vinegary. The rule of thumb is 1 tsp acid per each cup of water; honestly, I squeeze a whole lemon into a pan boiling for four eggs and it’s perfect every time. 

1. Bring liquid to a boil, add eggs, then remove from heat and cover. How long, you ask? It depends on how many eggs. I like my yolks runny so I’ll cook 4 eggs for 5 to 7 minutes depending on their size. Since more eggs will absorb more heat from the water, they will take longer to cook. For large batches always include an extra “test” egg. 2. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon. Poached eggs can be refrigerated in ice water for up to 8 hours, then reheated in hot water. Do not re-boil. And shame on you for not devouring them immediately. ;-)

poached egg, arugula, and crispy prosciutto on toasted ciabatta with roasted cherry tomatoes

My girlfriend is moving kinda far away in a few days - for those interested in Google Mapping, from Columbia, MD to Baltimore, MD - and I decided that between her physically moving further from me and her distress at not having time to cook anything, I would make her a great breakfast during the process. I sat at the local (Clark’s) farmer’s market for an hour and a half, reading Sir ACD’s ‘Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’, to be the sole recipient of Nora’s daily half-dozen organic, free-range, 100% fabulous farm-fresh eggs so that I could make this particular breakfast sandwich as excellent as possible.

Y’all want a recipe? Poached eggs. Crisp the prosciutto in a pan sans oil per bacon, and the rest should be self-explanatory. (Pumpernickel would be fantastic, too. Pumpernickel is my perfect breakfast bread.) And, as always, I promise to put up my recipe for roasted / slow-roasted tomatoes sometime soon.