2. Peel and slice the onion into ¼-inch slices. Drizzle with about ½ tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onion on high for about 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
3. Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch slices, season and cook like the onion.
4. Dice the red pepper into 1/8-inch squares. Slice the tomatoes in half.
5. Remove the corn from the cob into a large bowl.
6. Dice the zucchini and onions and add to the bowl.
7. Blanch the edamame to remove the pod, and then add to the bowl.
8. Stir in the reserved olive oil, vinegar and herbs. Add the peppers and tomatoes.
9. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
10. Heat a large, oven-safe pan over high heat. Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Add the canola oil to the hot pan and sear the fillets on the flesh side. Place the pan in oven for 6–7 minutes.
11. Plate the fish alongside the corn mixture.
Yield: 4 servings
Seamus Mullen
Yearning to re-create the casual bars and cervecerías that Mullen discovered while living in Spain, he opened Boqueria, an accessible Spanish tapas restaurant in New York City, in August 2006. Based on the success of the original Flatiron District location, Mullen opened Boqueria SoHo in fall 2008. Seamlessly integrating local ingredients and house-cured meats with classic Spanish techniques and flavors, Boqueria’s regional Spanish cuisine has been praised by both critics and patrons alike, earning a glowing two-star review from the New York Times.
PULPO MARINERO (OCTOPUS, RAZOR CLAMS, LA RATTE POTATOES AND SMOKED TOMATO BROTH)
8 littleneck clams
1 cup Manzanilla sherry
4 beefsteak tomatoes, lightly smoked in a hot smoker, then pureed
4 cups shellfish stock
8 razor clams
1 cup La Ratte potatoes, blanched and peeled
Salt
Pepper
Sherry vinegar
8 large octopus tentacles, tenderized and blanched
4 breakfast radishes, sliced on a mandolin
1 bunch oregano
1. Place the littleneck clams and sherry in a large pot and steam uncovered for 3 minutes.
2. Add the pureed smoked tomatoes, shellfish stock, razor clams and potatoes and cover. Steam for 3 minutes until all the shellfish have opened. Check the broth for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and sherry vinegar.
3. While the shellfish are cooking, heat a grill or grill pan and cook the octopus tentacles, seasoned with salt and pepper, until golden and crispy.
4. In a deep bowl, spoon a small amount of the broth, a quarter of the potatoes, and two each of razor clams and littlenecks. Finish with two octopus tentacles and garnish with sliced radishes and oregano leaves.
Yield: 4 servings
Michel Nischan
Michel Nischan is an advocate for a more healthful, organic and sustainable food future. A two-time James Beard Foundation award winner, Nischan is chef and owner of Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant, located in Westport, Connecticut, and also president and CEO of Wholesome Wave Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on making locally and sustainably grown foods available to all.
CURED SALMON WITH CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted
1 dried cascabel, Anaheim or New Mexico chili
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
½ cup raw cane sugar
¼ cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 ¾ pounds skinless, boneless salmon fillet
From Taste, Pure and Simple (Chronicle Books, 2003)
CURED SALMON
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a small dry skillet, toast the coriander seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan, until they are lightly browned and aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
3. Roast the chili in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until aromatic. Let cool completely. Tear up the chili and put the pieces in a spice grinder. Add the toasted coriander seeds and Sichuan peppercorns and grind them all together until fine. Some pepper flakes will not break down, which is okay.
4. In a small bowl, combine the raw sugar, salt and pepper. Add the ground spice mixture and stir until blended. You should have 1 scant cup of cure. Cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper large enough to cover a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cure over the center of the paper in roughly the shape of the salmon fillet. Put the fish on top and cover it with the remaining cure. Wrap securely in the paper and refrigerate for 2 to 2 ½ hours.
Yield: 4 servings
1/3 cup tahini, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
¼ cup very hot water
1 2 ¾– to 3-pound cauliflower
2 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
Lemon and lime wedges
Chervil or parsley sprigs
TAHINI SAUCE
5. Put the tahini in a blender or food processor and add the lemon juice, garlic, lemon and lime zests, salt and cayenne and blend well. With the machine running, add the water. Transfer to a bowl and let stand for 30 to 60 minutes to allow the flavor to develop.
CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER
6. Remove the green leaves and stem from the cauliflower. Cut off enough of the central core so the vegetable can stand upright. Cut down through the center of the cauliflower to divide the center into 4 slices, each ¾ to 1 inch thick. Reserve the florets from either side for another use. Gather up all the tiny bits of cauliflower on the cutting board and reserve them.
7. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower slices in a single layer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place another heavy skillet on top of the slices to weigh them down, and press gently. Cook for about 5 minutes, rotating the skillet and pressing down occasionally, until the cauliflower slices are deeply browned on the bottom.
8. Add the reserved cauliflower bits and drizzle the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons grapeseed oil over the uncooked side of the cauliflower slices. Turn and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to brown on the second side. Reduce the heat slightly if the cauliflower seems to be browning too fast.
9. Light a fire in a charcoal grill, preheat a gas grill to medium hot or preheat the boiler. Scrape most of the cure off the fish, leaving a little for flavor. Cut the fish into 4 equal squares. Grill (skin side up) or broil (skin side down) for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned on the outside and just slightly translucent in the center. Squeeze about 1 tablespoon each of lemon and lime juice over each piece of salmon.
10. Put a square of cauliflower in the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Arrange the salmon on top. Drizzle the tahini sauce around the fish and garnish with chervil or parsley.
SWEET POTATO AND ROOT VEGETABLE GRATIN
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large rutabaga (about 1 pound), peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Vidalia onions
1 pound large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, thyme, chives and/or chervil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup Sweet Potato Sauce (see below)
3 ½ cups sweet potato juice (approx. 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes will yield 1 cup of juice)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
1 Thai chili, seeded and minced
Fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
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p; From Taste, Pure and Simple (Chronicle Books, 2003)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Rub an 8 ½-by-12 inch casserole dish with olive oil.
2. Overlap half the rutabaga slices on the bottom of the casserole, making sure the slices do not overlap by more than ½ inch. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Thinly slice 1 of the russet potatoes lengthwise and shingle the slices over the rutabaga. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Slice the potatoes as you use them to prevent them from discoloring and so that they retain their starch and nutrients.
4. Overlap the sweet potato slices over the russet potato. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread about 1/3 cup of the onions over the sweet potato slices, then overlap the parsnips over these.
6. Repeat the process, ending with sweet potato slices. Spray lightly with a little vegetable oil cooking spray, season with salt and pepper, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
7. Remove the casserole from the oven and uncover. Spray lightly with a little more oil. Sprinkle with the minced herbs. Return, uncovered, to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top layer is nicely browned. Remove from the oven. Let set for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
8. Heat the sweet potato sauce gently and serve the gratin with a little sauce drizzled over each serving.
Yield: 6 servings
SWEET POTATO SAUCE
9. Juice the sweet potatoes and let juice stand for at least 4 hours at room temperature. This will allow much of the potato starch in the juice to settle.
10. Pour the juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a wide, shallow pan, being careful to leave the settled starch behind. Place the juice over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, or until reduced to about 1 cup. During the first 5 to 10 minutes of cooking, additional potato starch will rise to the surface. Skim it off and discard. If using a relatively deep pan, this reduction could take up to 1 hour.
11. Remove from heat and stir in the ginger and chili. Stir until the sauce tastes spicy enough, then strain immediately through a fine-mesh sieve. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Ken Oringer
Ken Oringer is an award-winning chef and recipient of the 2001 James Beard American Express “Best Chef in the Northeast award.” In 2002, Oringer added his acclaimed sashimi bar, Uni, to the lounge of his popular Boston restaurant, Clio. In 2005, both Clio and Uni were included in Boston magazine’s list of the top twenty-five restaurants in the city. Since then, Oringer has opened Toro, a Barcelona-inspired tapas restaurant, and KO Prime, a modern steakhouse.
STEAMED BLACK BASS AND TOFU WITH HOT GARLIC OIL AND CHINESE BLACK BEANS
4 black bass fillets
8 ounces tofu, cut into 4 sheets
Black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 tablespoons kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 tablespoons Chinese black beans, chopped
¼ cup garlic oil (canola oil mixed with crushed garlic cloves to taste) 1 red jalapeño, stemmed and minced
1 serrano chile
3 ounces rice vinegar
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bunches cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons Korean pepper threads
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Set up a bamboo steamer to accommodate all 4 fillets of black sea bass and a second layer to accommodate the tofu.
3. Season fillets on a plate with pepper. Scatter citrus zest, lime leaves and black beans on top of fish, then set aside.
4. When ready to steam, put the tofu slices on the bottom level of steamer and put fish fillets above, skin side up. Place steamer in bottom of oven and let steam until just cooked, about 8 minutes. When fish is done, place on serving tray.
5. While the fish is steaming, heat garlic oil until boiling.
6. When the fish has finished steaming, mix the cooking juices from the steamer with the jalapeño, serrano chile, rice wine vinegar, scallion, soy sauce and cilantro.
7. To serve, place tofu on plate, top with fish fillet, cover with sauce made from steaming juices and top with the hot garlic oil and Korean pepper threads.
Yield: 4 servings
Eric Ripert
Eric Ripert was named “Outstanding Chef in the United States” by the James Beard Foundation in 2003. He is co-owner and executive chef of Le Bernardin, a four-star restaurant in New York City, as well as the Westend Bistro in Washington, D.C. He is also culinary director of and a partner in 10 ARTS in Philadelphia, as well as the author of the books A Return to Cooking and On the Line.
KANPACHI TARTARE TOPPED WITH WASABI TOBIKO, GINGER-CORIANDER EMULSION
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 ½ tablespoons ginger oil
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
8 ounces kanpachi, ¼-inch dice
2 teaspoons wasabi paste
1 teaspoon ginger oil
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons fresh cilantro, julienne
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 ounce wasabi tobiko
8 micro cilantro sprouts
GINGER-CORIANDER EMULSION
1. Combine the wasabi, lemon juice and lime juice in a blender and process. Slowly emulsify in the ginger oil and the canola oil. Add the sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
KANPACHI TARTARE
2. Combine the kanpachi, wasabi paste, ginger oil, canola oil, lime juice, lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Gently mix everything together and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Gently fold 2 teaspoons of the wasabi tobiko into the tartare.
3. Mold ¼ cup of the kanpachi tartare into a 3-inch ring mold. Spread 1 teaspoon of wasabi tobiko on top of each tartare. Transfer the tartare to appetizer plates and remove the molds. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
4. Garnish the top of each tartare with two micro cilantro sprouts. Spoon sauce around the tartare and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Floyd Cardoz
Floyd Cardoz is widely credited with putting Indian cuisine on the culinary map in New York City. After working at Lespinasse, Cardoz went on to open Tabla in 1998, where he is the executive chef and partner. In October 2006, Cardoz released his first cookbook, One Spice, Two Spice, and in January 2007, he received the first-ever “Humanitarian of the Year” award from Food TV and Share Our Strength in honor of his continued commitment to community engagement.
BENGALI FISH CURRY WITH EGGPLANT, POTATOES AND OKRA
1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds, ground fine
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground fine
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds, ground fine, or 1 teaspoon Coleman’s mustard powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
3 cups quartered and thinly sliced white onion
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 large vine-ripe beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 4 cups)
Sea salt
2 fresh green chiles (seranos), slit down 1 side
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ quarts fish stock, vegetable stock or water
1 large Japanese eggplant (about 6 ounces), cut into large bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup carrots cut into ½-inch dice
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into large bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
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½ pound okra, trimmed 6 6-ounce pieces wild striped bass or cod fillet with skin
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves, cut into ribbons
1. Combine the spices in a small bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a 5–6-quart pan over moderately high heat until it simmers and add the cloves, bay leaves and whole mustard seeds. Cook, stirring, until the mustard seeds pop and the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the onion, ginger and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the spice paste, tomatoes and 2 ½ teaspoons salt and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are softened, about 2 minutes. Add the green chile, white wine and fish stock and bring the sauce to a boil. The curry can be made up to this point 1 day ahead, cooled completely, uncovered, and refrigerated, covered.
3. Bring the sauce to a boil and add the eggplant, carrots, potatoes and okra. Simmer the sauce until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Completely submerge the fish in the sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and tightly cover the pan. Let sit for 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the cilantro.
Yield: 6 servings
Andrew G. Shotts
Andrew G. Shotts, of Garrison Confections in Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the nation’s premier chocolatiers. He blends innovation with years of talent honed at restaurants such as the Russian Tea Room and La Côte Basque in New York City. Garrison Confections has garnered national attention on the Food Network and in publications such as Food & Wine and USA TODAY.
APPLE AND PEACH CRUMBLE
FILLING
3 cups cubed Granny Smith apples
3 cups cubed fresh peaches
½ cup Splenda
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ginger
Juice of one orange
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