Wild Mushroom Frittata

An assortment of wild mushrooms this time of year, along with a salad, and this dish works for brunch or dinner.
Oyster, Crimini, Shiitake (stems removed), baby Portobello, Chanterelle, and button mushrooms can be used, just slice larger mushrooms to similar cut as the smaller ones.

Wild Mushroom Frittata

Preheat oven to 325F.

2 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, diced
1/2 onion, diced
5 cups assorted mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon Alfie's seasoning
5 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 1/2 cups Fontina cheese, grated and divided

In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter.
Add shallot and onion, stirring until softened.
Add mushrooms and cook until tender, sprinkle with Alfie's seasoning.
Cool mixture slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together, eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Stir in 1 cup of cheese and mushroom mixture.
Pour into lightly buttered pie pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over top.
Bake frittata until golden brown, and just cooked in the center, about 45 minutes.
Cool and serve.

Mashed Yukon Golds with Dungeness Crab

How decadent could this be?
 I was thinking of making a corn and crab chowder but the potatoes at the market looked so good.
Why not combine the two? This turned out to be the main course, with a green salad and a side of vegetables.

1 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

Mashed Yukon Golds with Dungeness Crab

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 Tablespoons butter, divided (or Ghee)
1/3 cup cream
2 Tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
8 ounces fresh cooked Dungeness crab

Place potatoes and garlic in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and put potatoes and garlic back into pot.
Add 2 Tablespoons of butter and cream and beat with a mixer. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
In another saucepan heat 1 Tablespoon of butter on low, add crab just to heat through.
Place mashed potatoes in a serving bowl, top with crab.
Sprinkle green onions and fresh parsley over top and serve.

Thai Chicken Cakes with Cilantro Lime Mayo

These can be formed into small 2 inch cakes to serve as an appetizer or made into 4-6 inch cakes to be used as a main course. Served along with a side salad, would be perfect for lunch or dinner.

Thai Chicken Cakes with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Cilantro Lime Mayo:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
3 green onions, minced
1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only minced
1-2 Tablespoon honey
garlic chili paste or Sambal Oelek, 1/2 teaspoon+

Mix together mayo, lime, fish sauce, onions, cilantro, honey, and chili paste(to taste) stirring well.
Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Thai Chicken Cakes:
2 chicken breast, cubed
2 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1 inch peeled fresh ginger root, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2-2 cups panko, for breading (I used GF crackers, processed)
2 Tablespoons, plus more if needed, rice bran oil

Place the chicken, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, cilantro, red pepper, salt and pepper in a food processor and process for 15-20 seconds.
Shape the chicken mixture into cakes and roll into panko, place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.
Heat the oil in a frying pan of medium heat and fry the chicken cakes on each side until golden.
Remove to serving platter and dollop with Cilantro Lime Mayo.

Truffle Risotto

What to do when given a black truffle? At first I thought it deserved fresh pasta, or freshly scrambled, organic eggs. But in the end, truffle was grated over risotto dusted with Parmesan.
While my friend Melody was visiting the beautiful Orvieto in Umbria, one of the treasures she returned with, were black truffles. The truffle is a type of fungi, with a very distinct aroma and flavor, I swoon when I am near it!

This is a basic risotto, with Black Truffle, the star.

Truffle Risotto

4 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons butter, divided
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
plus extra to dust top
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
shaved truffle

In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the stock to a light simmer.

In a large saute pan, heat a tablespoon of butter and olive oil, add shallot and stir until softened.
Add rice to the pan, garlic, and salt.
When the rice has a little dot that comes out in the center, add the wine.
Add a ladle of chicken stock and stir. Keep adding stock after the previous amount of stock has been absorbed. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter.
Remove pan with risotto from heat.
Spoon risotto into two serving bowls. Top with a dusting of Parmesan, if desired. Sprinkle the parsley over each dish, and grate the truffle on top. Indulge.

Dungeness Crab and Pasta

I love this time of year in the northwest. One of my favorite things is the beautiful Dungeness crab available to us.
The young one brought some fresh gluten free pasta and Bake caught some crab. This comes together for a quickly prepared dinner.
I want to give kudos to Maninis, as this is the best gluten free, fresh pasta I have ever tried. Thank you!

Dungeness Crab and Pasta

3/4 pound pasta
1/8 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoon shallots, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch of red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup yellow squash, finely diced
3/4 cup Heirloom tomatoes, cut in half
juice of 1 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups fresh crab
1/2 cup pasta water, if needed
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
extra crab

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Remove 1/2 cup of water and drain pasta.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add shallots, garlic, and chili flakes and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add salt and squash, stirring until heated.
Quickly add in tomatoes, crab, lemon zest, lemon juice, and water; just to warm.
Add pasta to pan and stir well.

Place pasta into serving dish and sprinkle with basil and parsley.
Top with a few pieces of crab.

Asian Barbecue Wings

Hoisin and sesame baked chicken wings are good hot or cold. They are perfect finger food for summertime activities.

Asian Barbecue Wings

3 pounds of chicken wings, tips removed
1 Tablespoon rice bran oil (or vegetable oil)
kosher salt and fresh pepper
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seed, garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Pour oil on a large baking sheet lined with foil.
Place chicken wings on baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven about 45 minutes, until chicken skin is crispy, turning once.

In a small saucepan, combine green onions, Hoisin sauce, butter, honey, ginger and sesame oil and heat to make a sauce.

Remove wings from oven and place in a bowl. Pour Hoisin sauce over top and mix well.
Top with sesame seeds, if desired.

Boursin Shrimp over Zucchini "Pasta"

With all the summer squash around, we have been making this zucchini "pasta" a lot, with varied toppings. This is so quick to put together and the fresh zucchini really gives this "pasta' flavor.

4 medium zucchini, made into noodles using a spiral slicer, knife, or vegetable peeler

Boursin Shrimp over Zucchini "Pasta"

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 Tablespoons, red bell pepper, diced
1 teaspoon jalapeno, diced (optional)
3 ounces Boursin garlic and fine herb cheese, at room temp.
1 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water, if needed
1 dozen shrimp, cooked
1 dozen baby tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon green onion, finely sliced
2 teaspoons basil, sliced

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add onion to olive oil and cook until softened. Add peppers and cook about 2 minutes. Add Boursin cheese to mixture, stirring until melted.
Stir in the zucchini, salt and pepper to the "sauce." Adding water as needed to thin. Cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Divide into two serving bowls, top with shrimp, tomatoes, green onion, and basil.

Note: Shrimp
Place raw shrimp on a foil lined baking sheet, toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a 400F oven and roast until cooked, about 5-8 minutes. Squeeze a 1/2 lemon over shrimp and serve.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

This recipe is patterned after a pizza that Wolfgang Puck made famous. I believe he tops his with caviar but I think a tablespoon of capers or minced chives would be a great addition sprinkled over top of the pizza.
I made a gluten free crust but use any prepared pizza dough.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

8 ounces prepared pizza dough
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup Dill Cream
6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon lox
capers, minced chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 500F

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12 inch round, a little less than 1/4 inch thick.
Transfer dough to rimless baking sheet or pizza stone, brush with olive oil.
Scatter sliced onion over top. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes.

Spread the Dill Cream over the top to the edge of pizza.
Arrange the salmon to cover the surface entirely.
Use a pizza wheel to slice.
Top with caper, minced chives, or caviar, if desired

Corn Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Crema

If you like Mexican food, fresh vegetables, and peppers, you are going to really enjoy this!
Fresh corn is now in the market but frozen will work well also.
The avocado crema is also good as a tortilla dip or slathered on a sandwich. I just saw Bake using it as a dip for grilled shrimp.

Corn Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Crema

Avocado Cilantro Crema
1 bunch of cilantro, washed
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 large avocado, pitted and cubed
1 large lime, juiced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Combine cilantro, garlic, green onion, and sugar in a food processor until finely chopped.
Add sour cream, vinegar, avocado, lime juice, salt and pepper, blend until smooth.
Adjust seasoning to taste, more sugar, lime juice, salt or pepper, as desired.

Corn Tacos
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, diced
2 cups corn
1 cup zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1red chili pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
6-8 corn tortillas

In a large saute pan over medium heat olive oil and add onion, cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Add corn and zucchini, cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add peppers and cook about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1/2 of tomatoes.
In a large non-stick pan or over gas burner, heat corn tortillas until warm. Remove and spoon in vegetable mixture, top with avocado crema, and tomatoes.
Serve with additional avocado crema and lime on the side.

Grilled Sambal Chicken Skewers

I served these over rice with coconut cream, but could be used as an appetizer at a barbecue.
This recipe was found on Epicurious, some of the measurements were adjusted. It is a spicy, hot dish due to the combination of hot sauces.

Grilled Sambal Chicken Skewers

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sambal oelek (or other hot chili paste)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup siriacha sauce
2 teaspoons peeled ginger, finely grated
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2- 2 inch pieces
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
8 bamboo skewers soaked in water, for at least an hour.

Whisk together sugar, vinegar, sambal oelek, fish sauce, siriacha, and ginger in a bowl.
Toss in chicken thighs and marinade until ready to grill.

Put 4-5 pieces of chicken on a skewer. Transfer marinade to a small saucepan and heat to boiling, continue to boil until marinade is reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat until cooked, about 10 minutes, basting with reduced marinade.
Transfer chicken skewers to serving platter and top with sesame seeds.

Grilled Zucchini-Two Dishes

Zucchini is abundant during the summer months. I like to use the small, tender ones before they become large and seedy. The first post is like a warm zucchini salad and the second, could be served as a vegetarian main course, with that delicious sun dried tomato basil butter.

Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Salad:

Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Salad

2-3 zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced 1/4 inches lengthwise
1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 Mozzarella, sliced
6 oven dried tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon reduced balsamic
basil leaves to garnish

In a glass pan, toss the sliced zucchini with 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
Preheat grill pan and lay the zucchini across in a single layer. Cook about 5 minutes on each side and return to glass pan. Add the remaining 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil and sherry vinegar, lightly toss.
Place the zucchini on a platter, top with mozzarella and tomatoes. Drizzle with any remaining oil from glass pan and spoon balsamic over all. Garnish with basil leaves.

Grilled Zucchini with Sun Dried Tomato Basil Butter
Prepare the zucchini as in the previous post with olive oil and salt and pepper.
Grill and then top with 2 Tablespoons Sun Dried Tomato Butter.

Grilled Zucchini with Sun Dried Tomato Basil Butter

Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle-Plum Sauce

This sauce is quick and easy to put together, would also be pair well with grilled beef or chicken.
A note on the chipotle in adobo sauce, I love using this condiment. It is smokey and a little spicy, perfect to use in a barbecue sauce. Chipotle peppers are smoked, dried peppers, usually jalapeno, and come in a can. The problem is you rarely need the whole can. If I know I am using them in the near future, I leave the leftover peppers and sauce in a sealed glass container in the fridge. Otherwise, you can make a paste by blending them in a food processor and freezing them in 1 Tablespoon amounts to use when needed.

Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle-Plum Sauce

1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

marinade:
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper

sauce:
2 teaspoons chipotle with adobo sauce
6 plums, sliced in half
1 teaspoon honey
pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine mustard, honey, and garlic.
Place pork in a glass pan and cover it with marinade. Allow it marinate in fridge for several hours.
Preheat oven to 375F.

About 20 minutes before cooking, take pork tenderloin out of fridge and bring to room temperature.
Place pork on foil lined baking sheet and cook until internal temperature reaches 145F. Remove and allow to rest while making sauce.

In a food processor mix plums, chipotle, honey, and salt until pureed. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat.
Slice pork tenderloin and spoon sauce over top.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Sauce

So many ways to make fish tacos. The Bake likes them deep fried but they are just as good cooked on the grill. A firm white fish is best, I used Cod but Halibut, Snapper, or Mahi Mahi would also work.
Winter salsa, (from previous post) or your favorite Pico de Gallo served along with cream sauce.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Sauce

Lime-Cilantro Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo or Vegenaise
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 zest of lime, grated
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayo, cilantro, zest and lime juice, adobo sauce, garlic and salt. Whisk and set aside in refrigerator for several hours to allow flavors to meld.

Fish Marinade:
1 pound of cod fish
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

6-8 corn tortillas
Winter salsa or Pico de Gallo
2 cups of green cabbage, shredded
wedges of lime
cilantro sprigs

Place fish in a glass dish. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Pour over fish and coat well. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator (about 4 hours).

Wrap tortillas in foil.
Turn grill to medium-high and cook fish about 3-4 minutes a side. Remove from grill and place on a platter, cut into chunks. While fish is grilling, put foil wrapped tortillas on the other side of grill to heat.

To serve tacos, take a warm tortilla and top with pieces of fish, a spoonful of lime-cilantro sauce, a spoonful of salsa, and some cabbage.
Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.

Sweet Potato and Parmesan Patties

I was going to mash sweet potatoes to go with a salad and protein but then got thinking of making patties instead. I tried using these patties like bread for a sandwich but they were not solid enough.
Still, with a arugula salad (from the post last week) and a protein, dinner is complete.

Sweet Potato and Parmesan Patties

1 1/2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and grated
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons canola oil

In a large bowl, combine sweet potato, eggs, flour, Parmesan, green onions, salt and pepper, stir well.

Sweet Potato and Parmesan Patties with Steak and Arugula 

In a large non stick skillet over medium heat, heat oil, spoon a large tablespoon loaded with potato mixture into pan and flatten with back of spoon. Spoon 2 more round into pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until patties are golden brown. Flip and cook on other side. Remove patties to wax paper; continue with the rest of mixture, adding more oil if needed.
Put a few patties on a plate, top with handful of arugula that is tossed with lemon juice and olive oil and top with sliced steak.

Cauliflower Steaks

Here is another dish for Meatless Monday, these "steaks" along with a salad and dinner is complete.

Cauliflower Steaks

1 head of cauliflower

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Alfie's seasoning

juice of half lemon

2 Tablespoons Parmesan, grated

Fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.

Wash the cauliflower and remove the outer leaves. Trim the base so that it is level.

Cut the cauliflower in half from top to bottom; then cut those halves into thirds keeping the stem intact.

Drizzle olive oil over a foil lined baking sheet. Arrange the cauliflower steaks in a single layer and sprinkle with Alfie's seasoning.

Bake for 15 minutes, (they should be browned) and then turn with a large spatula. Bake another 15 minutes, check to see that the cauliflower has caramelized and is tender.

Squeeze lemon over top and sprinkle with Parmesan, cook another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and top cauliflower with basil.

Serve.

Quinoa Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce

These crispy little cakes are so versatile, different greens can be substituted for the peppers, a marinara sauce in place of the Tzatziki sauce, and the cheeses can be changed for different flavors.

Quinoa Cakes with Tzatziki Sauce

Quinoa Cakes:
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (I used red quinoa)
4 eggs, beaten
2 shallots, finely diced
1/3 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly grated or 1/3 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup bread crumbs, I used gluten free
1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, and eggs. Stir in shallots, chives, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and cheese. Add bread crumbs to combine.
Using a 1/3 measuring cup, fill with quinoa mixture to form a patty, about an inch deep.
In a large, non stick skillet, over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Place the quinoa cakes in the skillet and bake about 7-10 minutes a side, until brown and crispy. Repeat until all the cakes are cooked.
Serve topped with Tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Let the yogurt and sour cream sit in a cheesecloth lined colander for about an hour to strain.
In a small bowl, combine yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, olive oil, dill, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, stir well and rest in fridge until ready to use.

Note: Rinse 1 cup of quinoa well and cook in 2 cups of vegetable stock or water. Simmer about 15 minutes, you will have quinoa left over.

Baked Coconut Shrimp over Basmati Rice

We had a delightful visit with Laura, Leighton, Jean and Ralph. They arrived with a bottle of 12 year old white balsamic vinegar flavored with coconut. My first thought was to toss it with the strawberries I had sitting on the counter, which we did! But, then thoughts of a quick dinner, that included the white coconut balsamic and shrimp, here it is.

Baked Coconut Shrimp over Basmati Rice

1 pound large prawns, peeled and deveined
3 Tablespoons white coconut balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons blood orange olive oil
sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, toss the prawns with vinegar and olive oil and let marinate about half hour.
Place prawns and marinade on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake about 10 minutes, turning once until prawns are cooked through.
Place cooked rice in a bowl and top with cooked prawns and marinade "sauce." Top with green onions and coconut.

Fresh Strawberries with Coconut Balsamic and Black Pepper

Rice:
1 cup White Basmati rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic

Rinse rice well. Add the rice, garlic, and salt to vegetable stock.
Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until stock is absorbed.

Roasted Tomato Salsa with Sirloin Tacos

We are in the middle of football playoffs, Go Seahawks!!!  So I was perusing Fine Cooking magazine and came across this recipe. This is perfect as it can be prepared ahead of game time and served at halftime. The salsa is also great with chips on the side.
Salsa
Sirloin Steak
shredded lettuce
12-16 small corn tortillas

Roasted Tomato Salsa with Sirloin Tacos

Roasted Tomato Salsa
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
juice of 1/2 lime, plus more if needed to taste
6 medium Roma tomatoes
3 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste

In a small bowl, soak the onion in juice of 1/2 a lime for 15 minutes. In a dry, heavy non stick or cast iron skillet over high heat, roast the tomatoes, turning frequently about 15 minutes. Add the pepper and roast about 8-10 minutes and the garlic for 2-5 minutes. Put the roasted vegetables in the blender and pulse, mixture should remain slightly chunky.
Transfer to a serving bowl and add the onion, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Taste and add more salt or lime juice, if needed.

Rub for Steak
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed with fingers
In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.

Take the dry rub and put if over both sides of 2 pound sirloin steak. Let sit for about half hour at room temperature and then grill until steak is cooked medium rare-medium. Allow steak to sit for 15 minutes before slicing thinly.
In a warm corn tortilla, place some shredded lettuce, steak slices and top with salsa. Serve.

Pasta with Marinara and Burrata

The creaminess of the Burrata on the hot pasta is a nice change from a cream sauce or Alfredo sauce. It serves as both the cream and cheese.
In this recipe I used a brown rice penne pasta, to make it gluten free, but any pasta will work.

Pasta with Marinara and Burrata

1/2 pound penne pasta
13 ounces favorite Marinara sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup green olives, sliced
handful of sliced baby tomatoes, optional
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
5 large basil leaves, thinly sliced
4 ounces Burrata, cut in half
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Over high heat, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Keep 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.

In a large saucepan, add Marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, green olives and baby tomatoes (if using) and heat throughout.
Add drained pasta to sauce and stir, coating pasta well, adding pasta water, if needed.

Spoon into two serving bowls and sprinkle pine nuts over pasta. Top with basil and put Burrata in the center and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

Shrimp tacos are pretty far from the Thanksgiving table, but a nice change of pace. This is made with ground Chipotle chile, as opposed to the canned Jalapenos in adobo sauce. But either could be used.

Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Lime Crema

1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

zest of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon shallot, finely diced

1 Tablespoon Jalapeno, finely diced

In a bowl combine oil, lime juice, zest, cumin, chili, garlic, shallot and Jalapeno and mix well. Add shrimp and stir to coat. Let marinate 30 minutes to 4 hours.

corn tortillas

shredded cabbage

sliced avocados or guacamole

limes, quartered

Chipotle Lime Crema

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 Tablespoons half and half, if needed 

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cumin, chipotle chili, lime juice, cilantro, honey, and salt and pepper. Whisk in half and half, if needed to thin mixture.

Cover and chill until needed. Place in a squeeze bottle.

On a grill pan or large non stick saute pan, cook shrimp over medium-high heat, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.

Lightly grill corn tortillas. Take each tortilla and top with a spoonful of shrimp, some shredded cabbage, avocado slices and drizzle crema over top. 

Serve alongside limes and more cilantro.

Note: To adjust heat use more or less chipotle chili in crema. Also, some pico de gallo would be another great addition over top of taco.