Tuna Nicoise

It's Summer in San Diego, and the Blue Fin are close to shore.

If you are lucky enough to have really fresh fish available, or know someone who loves ocean fishing (I can claim yes to both!) this is a really easy, wonderful meal that can be made ahead by a few hours. Sadly, I can't claim the recipe as my own. That honor goes to Ina Garten, way back in 1999. The pic is deceiving, as the platter is easily 22 x 22 and I cut the recipe in half. The full recipe below will serve 8 - great for a gathering.

Allow a little over an hour, due to boiling water and potato cook time.

Tip of the day:

Freeze Chicken Broth in ice cube tray to use small amounts in any recipe!

Shopping List:

2 + pounds fresh Tuna (Ahi, Blue Fin, Albacore, etc)

3/4 pound haricots verts (french string beans)

6 tomatoes (the size of those on the vine in the stretch bags)

8 eggs

1/2 pound good pitted olives

1 bag arugula (or watercress if you like that flavor)

1 pound each small red and white boiling potatoes (white rose, yucon gold, not russet)

scallions

dill

basil

parsley

dijon mustard

champagne vinegar

chicken broth

Recipe:

Fresh Tuna steaks at least 1 inch thick (2-3 pounds total for 8) (4 pounds Ina? Holy smokes!)

Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Pepper

3/4 pound haricots verts, stems removed and blanched (I used a whole bag, but we like green beans)

About 6 tomatoes (2 pounds) cut into large wedges

8 hardboiled eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2

1/2 pound really good pitted olives (at the very least Kalamata in the refrigerated section)

1 bag Arugula, or Watercress (peppery and more bitter than Arugula)

(Canned Anchovies optional)

French Potato Salad

1 pound EACH red and white potatoes (palm size)

2 Tbls good dry white wine (drink the rest of the bottle with this dish)

2 Tbls Chicken Stock

* Vinaigrette: (make 2 batches vinaigrette and save a step)

3 Tbls Champagne vinegar

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp pepper

10 Tbls Olive Oil (about 2/3 cup) whisked in slowly.

1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)

2 Tbls minced fresh Dill

2 Tbls minced flat leaf Parsley

2 Tbls julienned fresh Basil leaves

To begin - get organized:

Put a large pot of water on to boil (7 qt ideal)

In a 2.5-3 qt saucepan, place eggs, cover with cold water, cover and bring to boil.

Add some salt, Turn down to gentle Boil 8 minutes. SET TIMER

Lift from water and place in ice water bath for 10 minutes.

Fresh eggs peel easier.

While waiting for water to boil:

Prepare 4 Qt bowl with cold water and ice (you can use for beans also in next step)

Rinse, and trim haricot verts.

Lightly scrub potatoes.

BEANS:

When water comes to rolling boil add about 2-3 Tbls K. salt (small handful) and add beans.

Cook 2 minutes, no more. SET TIMER

Lift from water and place in ice bath to stop cooking. (keep water boiling)

If using egg ice bath, remove eggs, possibly add more ice, as must be cold.

Remove after about 2 minutes and drain. Beans are now done.

POTATOES:

Add to large pot of boiling water after beans are removed. Cover and boil gently 20-25 minutes.

Do Not Over Cook

Test for doneness around 18 minutes. Fork should go in, but potatoes should fall back into water.

Drain in a large colander, and cover with kitchen towel for 10 minutes to steam cook to perfection.

(You are now done with the boiling water.)

While potatoes are boiling:

Prepare a bowl large enough to hold cut potatoes, with 2 Tbls white wine, 2 Tbls chicken broth (tip**)

make (2) vinaigrette(s), mince scallions, parsley & dill, julienne basil, cut tomatoes into large wedges, drain olives, peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise.

(You will use 1 recipe vinaigrette for the potato salad, and 1 addl amount for salad overall. Make 2 batches.)

When potatoes are done "steaming" under cloth for 10 minutes, and cool enough to handle, cut in 1/4's lengthwise.

Place in large bowl w/ wine and chickenbroth, and toss gently.

Let potatoes absorb.

Then add 1 recipe vinaigrette and toss very gently to coat.

Sprinkle with 1-1/2 tsp k. salt, 1/2 tsp pepper.

Add scallions, dill, parsley, basil. Toss gently.

Potato salad is now complete. Leave at room temp.

Grill Fish:

Brush with Olive Oil, sprinkle k. salt and pepper.

Grill on high heat (outside or in) 1-1/2 to 2 minutes per side. NO MORE.

You want a very red center when sliced.

Keep on plate til ready to assemble platter.

You will slice against the grain before placing on the platter.

Platter Assembly:

Avoid the urge to mix everything together.

Arrange each item on a very very large platter.

Arugula, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, olives, eggs, tuna.

Give a light sprinkle of s&p , maybe a little parsley to 'dot' the platter,

and drizzle of vinaigrette (2nd batch), saving some for table use.

You're done. Eat now, or will sit 3 hours or so at room temp.

French bread and butter, and the rest of the white wine completes this casual but wonderful meal.

A Spanish style white*, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay all work.

Costco? *Cameron Hughes Albarino $8!

International House of Paver

By now, everyone knows we have a thing for spices. As I explained in my previous post, Sean refuses to eat anything without chiles. I love Indian, Thai, and all things curry. It may not be of Mexican influence, but its plenty spicy, so Sean doesn't complain.

Coconut Chicken Curry- Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoons Garam Masala (all mixes are different, make sure yours includes cinnamon, tumeric, and cumin)
• 2 dried red chiles
• S&P
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 Cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 Cup canned pineapple chunks
  
• Rice for serving
  

Directions

Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, ginger, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic and cook slowly until the vegetables are very soft, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, and chiles and give it a good stir; season with salt and pepper. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock and bring it back to a simmer; cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken, peas, and pineapple; continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over white or brown rice.

Martha? Not in this house.

Sean hates Martha Stewart. Having unsubscribed from "Living" over 5 years ago (due to the stress and anxiety it caused me- "Can't sleep. Must. Plant. Herb garden!") I still seem to have a few Martha recipes hanging around. I never make them. As I said before, Sean hates Martha Stewart. According to him, her recipes are "boring" and "eastcoast." Translation: "They don't have chilis or cayenne pepper." In an effort to put these recipes to use they needed revamping. Here's what I started with:
Sausage, Chicken, & White Bean Gratin (Martha Stewart Living- circa 2002)
1.5 C Fresh Breadcrumbs
3/4 C Parmesan Cheese
2 t rosemary
1 T thyme
1 t sage
4 oz bacon
1 lb cubed chicken breast
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 Clove garlic
1 onion diced
1/2 C White wine
2 Cans navy beans
14 oz canned tomatoes
1 C chicken Stock


Here's what I ended up with:
Omit the breadcrumbs, sage, and rosemary
3/4 C Parmesan Cheese
1 T thyme
4 oz bacon, diced
1 lbs chicken breast, cubed
1.5 lbs HOT Italian Sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
Cayenne pepper
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 C Beer
1 Can white beans
1 Can Kidney beans
14 oz canned tomatoes
1 C Chicken stock

Brown bacon and sausage in a dutch oven. Remove and drain. Add chicken and brown. Sprinkle with thyme, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Remove from pan. Brown onion and bell pepper, adding garlic during the last minute. Deglaze the pan with the beer. Add the chicken stock, beans, tomatoes, bacon, sausage, and chicken. Simmer for 30 min. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving.

Brisket!

 

As a mom of two little ones, I'm always looking for recipes that are easy and that will yield tasty leftovers. This brisket recipe is both! It was great to prepare in the morning and then forget about it the rest of the day. The next night I reinvented it, using the meat for fajitas. You could use it in tacos, chili or quesadillas. Save all of the juices when you throw the leftovers in the fridge! They keep the meat moist when you reheat in future meals (and saturated fat is not bad like it's made out to be!!). 

What You'll Need:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 5-to-6-pound first-cut or flat-cut brisket, cut into 3 pieces (this really does feed A LOT-- if you're cooking for two and aren't interested in leftovers, I'd halve the entire recipe)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 12-ounce bottle stout beer (I ended up using Heineken b/c it's what was sold in individual cans and it tasted just fine...I'm sure whatever you've got in the fridge will do as long as it's not "light")
• 4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 brioche or other rolls, split open and toasted
• Coleslaw, for serving (I made Bobby Flay's coleslaw with lime-and-cumin-vinagrette because we're a mayo-free household. I would modify the recipe and use half as much red onion and little more honey. Bobby Flay's lime-and-cumin-vinagrette Coleslaw )

 

What to Do:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 2 minutes.

Set the meat aside.

Pour the beer into the skillet to deglaze and get all those yummy, meaty flavors, about 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves and paprika and stir until the ingredients are well mixed.

Put the meat in the slow cooker and nestle the celery sticks around the meat. Pour the skillet juice mixture over the meat, add the lid and cook on low 8 hours or on high 6 hours.

The brisket right after prep, before the glorious slow cooking began.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.

If you want a thicker juice to drizzle over the meat, you can transfer the juices back into a skillet and reduce.


Serve on brioche halves with coleslaw; drizzle with the cooking liquid.

Be My Valentine

As my first entry to this blog, I was hoping for something knock your socks off wonderful. I've been playing with Meringues, and I promise to post all the failures and successes, once perfected. It's still unfortunately, a work in progress. I will say, Kevin's post on Ginger has the wheels of invention turning!

* * * * * * * * * *

Old cookbooks are the best. Today at the cabin, I thought I'd make a nostalgic loving snack for my valentine of almost 39 years.

Little did I know what was in store for me in this emotional treasure chest, better known as, Better Homes and Garden Cookbook; circa "pre-1950". (that page is missing)

Because most of the pages have long since lost the ability to stay within the ringed notebook format, it took awhile to locate the recipe I was looking for. Along the way, many reminders came into view, that I was not the only person to enjoy this book of culinary classics.

Beside notes of my own, my mother, my daughter, came the two that always make me smile. They were in my brothers elementary school hand, written to possibly a step mother, but more likely, a housekeeper/nanny/cook hired to be our caregiver after losing our mother at a very early age. Little did any of them know how we missed our normal 'chicken-fried' meat course, mashed potatoes and cream gravy, and a vegetable. The variety came in the form of Pie for dessert, which either added more to the 'fruit/vegetable' element, or something fluffy and tangy, which made us forget all about the wonderful crust.

With each new housekeeper, came a multitude of new tastes and textures. Some we lived for once a week, such as "mary's top secret dumplings", but others.... not so much. So in an effort to add his two cents to the menu planning, young Sean decided to take matters into his own hands. Looking thru the pages of the only cookbook in the house, these two caught his eye, and he made sure to modify the recipe to remove the dreaded green pepper (or tomato) from anything that was to touch his plate.

So to all of you, with younger children eager to 'decorate' to their hearts desire, here's a Valentine gift to them. I will say - lot's of freshly zested orange peel*, and Penzeys wonderful Double Strength Vanilla, will bump these up a culinary notch. And of course, Crisco, trans fat and all!

*remember not too deep, only the color part. The white pith is bitter - on any citrus.

Since this is a blog for all levels and abilities.... here's a helpful hint:

When rolling dough that needs to be chilled, rolled very thin, or just plain finicky, flouring the board lightly helps prevent sticking to the board. A layer of plastic wrap, or wax paper on top, will prevent sticking to the rolling pin.

This also works very well with pie crust, accomplishing two things; sticking, and avoids a tough crust, which comes from direct contact with your hands.

For Pie Crust, I always handle and roll it between 2 pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap.

In the case of this dough, after one rolling, it starts to become warm. The above helps prevent a sticky mess.

Prior to popping these bad boys in the oven, sprinkle lightly with regular white, granulated sugar, along with a sprinkling of coarse decorative sugar, a color, or just plain white.

And of course it goes without saying, with modern cookie sheets, the need to pre-grease is long gone.

Happy Valentines Day

especially to my little brother

and yes.... that is a bat in the middle.

It IS the cabin after all!

Eggplant Gratin

In honor of my upcoming trip to Italy (SO excited!), I made this comforting dish that, coincidentally, followed the "meatless monday" rule. Also, it happens to be very low in carbs, which is a bonus before I load up on pasta and pizza next week :) Buon Appetito!


Eggplant Gratin (serves 4)
1.5 lbs eggplant sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
Olive oil
2 Eggs
1/2 C Ricotta Cheese
1/2 C Half & Half
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
1 C Marinara sauce
Salt & Pepper

Preheat Oven to 425
Heat 1/8 inch olive oil in a skillet until hot but not smoking. Fry eggplant in batches until browned and soft- about 4 min. Drain on paper towels.

Beat eggs, ricotta cheese, half & half, and 1/4 C parm in a bowl. Season with S&P.

In a gratin (I used a pie plate) layer eggplant. Season with s&p and sprinkle with parmesan. Top with marinara, then pour custard mixture over everything. Sprinkle with more parmesan.

Bake at 425 for 10 min. then reduce heat to 375 and continue baking for 20 min.

Orange & Ginger (revisted)

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Sorry I’m late – wasn’t able to post on the actual Tuesday. Just found the invitation thing.

This is an expanded version of an idea shared in the past, plus a few things new.  I love the flavor combination of orange and ginger, and will often turn to it when in the mood for something sweet and spicy.  I’ll use the bright orange & ginger flavor as an accent, but will also use it occasionally as the spotlight of the meal. Setting the tangy sweetness of O & G against nutty, earthy or sea flavors, accentuates both.  

Ginger Orange Sauce/Salad Dressing:

Mix together:

1 tsp to 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger root 

1 tsp to 1 tbsp soy sauce (depending on the level of saltiness you like)

1 tsp to 1 tbsp dark sesame oil

½ cup undiluted thawed orange juice concentrate (more if you want a less intense sauce)

Refrigerate this sauce overnight to allow the flavors to come together.

Seared Tuna with Sea Vegetable and Mushroom Pasta:

Fish:

Buy the freshest and best quality tuna steaks you can find (sushi grade, if available). Build a fruit wood fire in your BBQ, and then pile the coals for a hot grill.  If you’re working indoors, use a cast iron skillet and bring a little sesame oil to just under smoking point, like when making blackened something.

Let the fish come up to near room temperature, then season with mineralized sea salt (run it through a grinder if it’s course) and some fresh ground pepper.  

Sear, very quickly, on your very hot grill. You want nice grill marks on the exterior, and the interior should be rare – still red! Think charred, rare, but faster. Remove from grill and cut into slices.  The fish will be the last thing you cook for this meal.

Sea Vegetable and Mushroom Pasta:

Fettuccini

Dried Arame

Fresh Shitake Mushrooms

Brown Butter Sauce

Salt & Pepper

                With internet shopping, “sea vegetables” are now readily available to all. How lucky we are! They are offered fresh or dried, and both have their merits.

It’s funny; I remember growing up in S. California and swimming in the cold Pacific waters. Back then we called the orange kelp that tangled around us, sea weed. Now, swimming of the shores of S. California is questionable, and because of increased exposure to world markets (and marketing), we call sea weed, “sea vegetables.” Either way, they taste good and are loaded with just about every mineral you need.

                For this recipe, buy some dried Arame. It’s mild in flavor and reasonably priced.  Soak the Arame for about 5 minutes prior to cooking. It will double in size, I use about 1 oz (dried) per 8-12 oz of pasta.          Sautee the pre-soaked Arame with some sliced shitake mushrooms, in some Brown Butter Sauce. Adjust seasoning. Toss with cooked and rinsed pasta just prior to serving. I plate the sliced fish in a fan on top of the bed of pasta, and garnish with something pretty.

Serve a romaine salad, lightly drizzled with Orange Ginger Dressing, with the entrée.

Brown Butter Sauce:

(I think I learned this from Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

2 sticks of butter

Some minced parsley

2 or 3 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

                Melt the butter over low heat, and skim off the foam. Carefully remove the clear yellow butter, avoiding the solids at the bottom of the pan. I use a basting bulb.  Try not to suck up any solids, they burn quickly.  Rinse all the solids from the pan and wipe it clean.

                Strain the butter back into the pan and heat over a low flame, until the butter turns nut brown. Be careful here, because it goes from great to ruin quickly. As soon as the butter turns nut brown, remove from heat, add the parsley and quickly pour into another pan. 

                In the original pan, reduce the lemon juice to about one tbsp.  Don’t use too much heat as the sugars will burn. Remove from heat, let the pan cool a little, and stir in the browned butter - season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over hot water.

Sesame Butter:

1½ sticks of butter

1 tsp dark sesame oil

Salt & Pepper

                In a sauce pan melt the butter over low heat, and skim off the foam. Carefully remove the clear yellow butter, avoiding the solids at the bottom of the pan.  No specks! Rinse all the solids from the pan and wipe it clean.

                Strain the butter back into the sauce pan and add the sesame oil - season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over hot water. This is a fine substitution for brown butter sauce.

***************

                I recently adopted a beautiful little cat that looks like a Spotted Mist.  I put word out on Facebook, and several people came up with Ginger and Misty. So, I named her Ginger Mist. Then, someone said that Ginger Mist sounded like a cocktail, so here it is…

Ginger Mist Cocktail:

In a Tom Collins glass mix:

3 oz Vodka (rum was too heavy for my taste, but try it too!)

1oz Grand Marnier

1 oz Ginger Syrup

Top with Blood Orange soda (Safeway organic soda) and a squeeze of lime.

Ginger Syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

½ lb. ginger root, juiced

                Bring water and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Remove simple syrup from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Add ginger juice and pour into a wide mouth jar with lid Shake, and refrigerate.  Ginger syrup will last for a few months in the fridge.

                This syrup is great over vanilla ice cream, or add some to your OJ in the morning!

   

Dips for football season

As football season is wrapping up it also means that Superbowl parties are right around the corner. While I'm a huge fan of Lil' Smokies (shhh, it's my little secret), I love a good dip even more. The following are two of my favorites and the recipes are courtesy of Kors D'Oeuvres, a small company that sells dips at the Brooklyn farmers market.



Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup chopped canned hearts of palm
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of hot sauce, such as Frank's

Directions

1. Heat oil and red pepper flakes in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, shallot, and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add artichokes and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes more.
2. Add wine to deglaze and let cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until heated through and well combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese until well combined. With the mixer on low, add hearts of palm, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, and hot sauce; mix until well combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of the cooled spinach and artichoke mixture, reserving any remaining for another use. Transfer dip to refrigerator until chilled about 2 hours and up to two weeks; serve with crudite, flatbreads, or baguette slices.

Onion Dip

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 small onions, chopped
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• Pinch of celery salt

Directions

1. Heat oil in heavy-bottom pan or Dutch oven heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, shallot, and thyme. Let cook until onions are very soft and caramel in color, 45 to 60 minutes.
2. Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; let cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add cooled onions and celery salt; stir to combine. Transfer to refrigerator to chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 weeks; serve with crudite, flatbreads, or baguette slices.

Easy Apple Crumble!

This recipe is "inspired by" an afternoon of watching the Food Network re-runs at Cath and Chris' house.

I like this dish not only because it is so easy, but also because it uses ingredients that we always have on hand. It gives you the satisfaction of a freshly baked pie without the time commitment and mess of dealing with the crust.

Ingredients

For the fruit:

• 6 medium sized apples
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the crumble:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel the apples, slice them into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and flour. Toss well. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins, custard cups, pie pan - whatever you have. Fill almost to the top, saving room for the crumble topping.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the butter in the bowl until it looks crumbly (yes, that's a scientific term), then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins (or whatever baking dish you're using) on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (not required, but helps make clean up easy!) and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Like most things in life, this dish is best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

Tips: you can change it up by substituting in other fruits (the original recipe called for peaches) or tossing in berries - whatever fruit you have on hand that you want to use! This recipe is also very forgiving if you're not into taking the time to do exact measurements of ingredients, and can easily be doubled or halved depending on how many people you are serving.

Tapas made EASY

I know the tapas craze is so 2008, but, in my house, the trendiness has worn off and it has become somewhat of a week-night staple. I enjoy "meals" where I don't have to construct a plate of protein, starch, vegetable. Cher in "Mermaids" had it right, and there is something to be said for all the slender Spaniards in Madrid.

Here are 3 easy dishes that anyone can whip up, no measuring required

Serves 4

Olive Tapenade

In a food processor combine:
1/2 lb. assorted olives from the deli counter (definitely include some of the blue cheese stuffed ones)
2 anchovy fillets
1 T of capers
A healthy drizzle of olive oil

Spread onto sliced baguette or crusty bread (or better yet, "Pan Gratis", which we know is the best kind of bread)

Spicy Potatoes
Preheat Oven to 400

Cube 1lb. small red potatoes. Toss with 4 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil, and spread out in one layer on a pan. Roast for 40min. until just browned.

Whisk together 1/4C mayo, 1/4C olive oil, 1 chopped chipotle (canned chipotle in adobo), 1 T of the adobo sauce, salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are still warm, toss in the mayo mixture (if you want to be fancy, you can call it aioli)

Shrimp with Red Pepper
Preheat oven to 400

Toss l lb. of shrimp (peeled, tail on) with 4 cloves minced garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, 2 t thyme, and 2 T of red pepper flakes.

Spread into one layer on a pan and bake for 6 minutes, or until just pink.