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Kani Salad

 I love a good Kani Salad - super easy recipe! Crunchy vegetables and savory crab sticks

• 1 Large Seedless Cucumbers, Seeded, micro Julienned
• ½ Cups Shredded Carrots
• 1/4 Teaspoons Salt
• 1 Package Crab Sticks
• 2 Teaspoons Black Sesame Seeds (Optional)
• 1 Scallion, Chopped
• 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
• ½ Tsp Sugar
• Lemon Zest
• Water

Shred the crab sticks by rolling them between your hands and then pulling the strands of crab stick apart.

Once the cucumbers and carrots are starting to get limp, gather the vegetables up with your hands and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Toss in the scallions, leaving a tbsp. for the garnish. Add to the bowl at the bottom.

Mix the Mayo, lemon and sugar together and add a little water to make it looser if it is too thick. Dress the crab sticks, with mayonnaise mixture and then place on top of the salad. Top with remaining scallions. Next, cut a lemon in half and garnish.

Beef Bouruignon

• 3 pounds chuck roast, or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes and pat dry
• 2 yellow onions, cut in quarters
• 1 cup button mushrooms (optional)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, whole
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour or potato starch for gluten free mixed with equal amounts of water for a slurry
• 1 cup of a hearty red wine 
• 2 cups beef broth or you can use French onion soup mixed with water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 can roasted dice tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons gravy master
• 4 slices of bacon
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the meats: In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

Whisk together sauces: Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add broth, and tomatoes, and gravy master. Slowly whisk in the flour or starch. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

Add in remaining ingredients: Add garlic, thyme and vegetables to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
 

TIPS:

1. For stews, choose a less expensive, tougher cut of beef, like chuck meat. 
2. Do not skip the step of searing the beef. It does take a little extra time, but it is so important in a recipe like this one.
3. Low and slow is the way to go here. 

Homemade Greek Loukaniko Sausage

This is an easy and delicious recipe. No casing! It's a simple shape, wrap and twist in plastic wrap! You can add some extra pork fat, but I prefer a leaner sausage.

• 2 1/2 pounds ground lamb
• 2 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1/2 cup pork fat minced (optional)
• 2 tablespoons or more of salt
• 3 tablespoons grated fresh orange zest
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander seed
• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 generous tablespoon sugar
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon crushed dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• Splash of liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 roasted and minced leak (optional)
• Plastic wrap

1. Mix the salt and sugar into the meat and refrigerate overnight. This step helps the sausage bind to itself when you stuff it.

2. Set aside 1/2 of the coriander, black pepper, orange zest and fennel seeds in a small bowl.

3. Mix the garlic, oregano and thyme into the meat.

4. In a food processor, put in the meat mixture and add the orange zest, reserved spices and the wine vinegar and pulse the sausage well for 2 minutes, or until it forms a sticky, cohesive paste. 

5. Shape into links; wrap well in plastic wrap. Poach the still-wrapped sausages in a pot of simmering water until firm and cooked through, 5-10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool enough to handle. Keep wrapped if freezing for future use.

6. Unwrap the sausages and brown in butter or olive oil on all sides in a heavy skillet. Serve with squeezed lemon.

Some helpful tips:

1. You might want to add some additional pork fat, it will be dry for you the other way.

2. If you like saltier sausage you can add a bit more.

3. Make sure you roll and wrap the sausage very tight so it doesn't open up in the blanching process.

4. If you like a heavier lamb taste, switch the ratio of the meats... 2 lamb to 1 pork instead.

5. For me it is perfectly seasoned, but you can always add more of what you like. For instance more orange zest or more garlic, etc... it's a personal taste.

6. I also take a teaspoon of the mixture and quickly pan fry it to test the seasoning out before I roll it!

Penne with Roasted Portabella and Truffle Oil

• 1 lb Penne

• 1 large container of baby portabella mushrooms, sliced up

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 stick salted butter

• olive oil for saute

• salt and pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese

• truffle oil for finishing

In a large saute pan sweat the mushrooms over medium high heat until all of the moisture is out of them. Drain and preserve the mushroom liquid. Place the mushrooms on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400º in oven until browned and crispy, about 30-45 minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, prepare the sauce. Saute chopped onion in olive until translucent. Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid and 1/2 stick of butter. Once the butter is melted, pour in the heavy cream and cook on medium until incorporated and thickens about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and set aside.

Boil water for pasta and cook al dente. Drain the pasta and mix into sauce. Throw in the roasted mushrooms and truffle oil and toss until everything is well coated.

Plate and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls

• 1 large head green cabbage 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 medium zucchini, diced 
• 4 cups cooked white rice (cooked in vegetable broth for flavor)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 can fire roasted dice tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Italian seasoning 

While rice is cooking place 2 tablespoons of oil into skillet and sauté the onion and zucchini, but leave a little al dente. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Add the sautéd vegetables, the tomatoes, parmesan cheese and the basil to the cooked rice and stir until incorporated. Season more if needed. Set aside and cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large port of water to a boil. Core the cabbage head and drop it in the boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes and gently pull top leaves off. Place the leaves in plate along side of you. Continue the "peeling" process until all of the larger leaves are separated from the head. They should be supple enough to roll. This recipe is enough for 2 9 x 13 pans. (They freeze well so don't worry about making too many!)

Fill the cabbage leaves with rice filling and roll "egg roll" Style. Place each rolls in a single layer but tight together in a 9 x 13 pan that is coated with your favorite tomato sauce on the bottom. Once the pan is full, pour more sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and additional salt and pepper to taste. I like to use vodka sauce. It gives it a really nice flavor!

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and a half. Remove the foil and bake 10-15 min longer to brown the tops a little.

Plate and serve!

Pasta with White Clam Sauce

Clams, olive oil, garlic, white wine, butter, parsley, sea salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper - doesn't get better than this!

• 1 lb linguine or spaghetti

• 1 doz fresh little neck clams brushed clean until water clear

• 8 oz. fresh clam meat (most grocery stores carry)

• 2 cloves garlic diced

• 1 bottle (8 oz) Cento clam juice

• ¼ cup white wine

• ½ stick salted butter

• ½ tsp crushed red pepper

• 2 tabl good olive oil

• Fresh parsley for garnish

• Salt

While your water is boiling prepare the vongole.

Heat 2 tabl olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant on medium high heat. Add clam juice, wine, clam meat and fresh clams into the skillet and season with a little salt. Cover and maintain a medium heat and cook until clams open up (3-6 min). Add the butter and crushed pepper and stir to incorporate. Turn off the heat.

Cook your pasta al dente (it will cook more in the juice/skillet). Strain the linguine or spaghetti and toss it into the skillet with rest of ingredients. Cook another minute or two until incorporated.