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Category: Recipes (Page 12 of 26)

Beer batter for Fried Fish

July 11, 2011 / / 2 Comments

I’ve been trying to incorporate more fish into our diets, and while Camila is game for fish prepared any way, Mika doesn’t really like it.  Alas, Camila only likes fish because Mika doesn’t like it, so I don’t have too much of an incentive of trying to convince Mika that fish is really good – Camila would probably stop liking it instantly.  So instead I often prepare fish in the only way Mika will eat it: fried.  And, let’s be realistic, I love fry fish too – so I’m using Mika as an excuse for as long as I can.

Today Mika was not at home for dinner, but I still decided to make fried fish – excuses be damned.  I’ve tried many, many, many batters before but I had not come across one that I liked.  Tonight I finally found one.  This is a very simple batter – really, couldn’t get simpler – but it was very crispy and actually tasty.  The “secret” is using corn starch in addition to flour.  Remember to salt the fish and dredge it in flour before soaking in the batter.  Fry in high heat.  I tried this batter with both swai and cod, but greatly preferred it on the swai.

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 3/4 bottle Pale Ale

Sift the flour, corn starch, salt and paprika together. Whisk in the Pale Ale. That’s it 🙂

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Harissa Sauce

June 2, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Harissa is an ubiquitous spice mix/sauce used by Berbers and Arabs alike throughout the Maghreb. It can be used as a condiment and a grilling sauce, and it’s often an ingredient in other dishes. There are many variations to this recipe, but this is a fairly typical one. If you don’t have caraway seeds around, many recipes omit it. The recipe below produces a very spicy sauce, for a less spicy one use milder or fewer chilies.

Ingredients

12 dried hot red chili peppers
1 large garlic clove (or 2-3 small ones)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

Remove the seeds from the chili peppers. Soak the peppers in water for ½ hour. Put all the ingredients in a blender or mini chopper and blend until smooth.

Argentinian Fondue recipe

June 2, 2011 / / 1 Comment

During the 1970’s the fondue sensation reached Argentina and it quickly became one of our biggest “special occasion” treats.  My parents would make it from time to time using the recipe below.  Instead of the traditional havarti and emmental cheeses, which I assume were not available in Argentina (or at least in our town), it uses the Argentine cheese Talhuet, which melts nicely.  Otherwise it’s rather traditional

My parent’s cheese fondue recipe

  • 1 tsp. corn starch
  • 1/2 liter white wine
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 cup kirsch
  • 1 lb. Gruyere cheese, grated
  • 1 lb. Talhuet cheese (an Argentine cheese), grated
  • White pepper to taste

Dissolve corn starch in 1/4 cup of white wine, set aside.

Rub garlic on pot. Put on the burner and add the rest of the wine and kirsch. When it boils, add the grated cheeses bit by bit, mixing with a wooden spoon until they melt, then add the white pepper. If it cools down, add more wine. Once it’s ready, add the corn starch. Mix well and serve.

Traditional Fondue Recipe

Chocolate Fondue

Marga’s Best Recipes

Mashed Potatoes

June 1, 2011 / / 0 Comments

A couple of days ago I made mashed potatoes to go with the short ribs I was serving for dinners (you have to have mashed potatoes if you serve short ribs!). Usually, I follow a very good recipe for buttermilk mashed potatoes from the The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. This time, however, I didn’t have either buttermilk or cream, so I had to use regular 1% milk and butter. No matter, the mashed potatoes were phenomenal. The kids couldn’t eat them fast enough. And really, given how much fat they had, no wonder! Still, if what you want are really good mashed potatoes, this is the way to do it. Now, don’t forget to warm up the milk and butter!

  • 2 or 3 large russet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup warm milk
  • 4 Tbsp. semi-melted butter
  • more salt

Put salted water to boil.  Wash and peel the potatoes.  Cut them into large chunks.  Drop into boiling water and cook until very soft.  Drain and put in a large bowl.  Mash with a potato masher. Add milk, butter and salt to taste (taste first!).  Whip on the lowest setting of an electric mixer until they’re as fluffy as you like them, be careful to not overmix.  Taste again and serve.
Marga’s Best Recipes

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Pureed Vegetables

May 30, 2011 / / 0 Comments

This epicurious.com recipe is quite good and simple to make.  Most importantly, I had all the ingredients to prepare them at home, the only thing I had to buy were the short ribs (on sale at Lucky’s for $3 lb).  I’d made the recipe before and liked it quite a bit then.  It was very good this time too, though I would have liked to cook the short ribs for another hour (alas, I didn’t have the time).  No matter, the kids didn’t eat any so I have enough leftovers for another dinner – I’ll just add some wine & chicken broth to the sauce and give them that extra cooking hour before we eat them next time.  To give yourself plenty of time to make this, start it 4 hours before you want to serve it.

I followed this recipe quite closely, though I used considerably less liquid as my pot was full.  I still ended up with way too much sauce.

I served this with mashed potatoes and it was very, very yummy.

Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Pureed Vegetables

  • 5 black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp. coarse salt
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves
  • 4 – 5 lbs beef short ribs
  • 1/2 cup cooking oil
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 bottle red wine

Instructions

Put the peppercorns, bay leaf, salt, rosemary and sage in a food grinder, and grind until well combined.  Rub the mixture all over the short ribs, set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide, large pot over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, brown the short ribs on both sides. Remove short ribs and set aside.  Pour off the oil and discard.  Put the pot back on medium heat and deglace with the chicken broth, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom.  Turn off heat, pour broth into a bowl and reserve.

Add the olive oil to the pot and heat over medium-low heat.  Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute until browned, about 12 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and sauté 2 minutes.  Add the reserved chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Return the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Remove short ribs from pot and set aside.  Working in batches, pour the sauce into a blender and puree until smooth.  Return sauce to the pot and boil until it has a thick consistency.  Return the short ribs to the sauce and cook over medium heat until the short ribs have heated through.

Marga’s beef recipes

Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

April 25, 2011 / / 1 Comment

This recipe for spaghetti bolognese comes from the latest issue of Bon Appétit (I’ve adapted it, of course). It was simple to make and delicious – but it really needs the long simmering time for the flavors to blend. I tasted it throughout the process and it really became much better at the end. I’d definitely make it again – though next time I’d double it and freeze the leftovers.
Spaghetti Bolognese

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 12 oz ground beef
  • 3 oz bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 2 1/2 cups beef stock
  • 3 Tbsp. tomato paste (about 1/2 6 oz can)
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 lb spaghetti (or your favorite pasta)
  • Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and carrots. Turn temperature to medium low and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the beef and bacon and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the stock and tomato paste and mix well. Turn heat up and bring sauce to a boil. Turn down heat to very low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Add the milk, mix well, and simmer for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti. Serve spaghetti with Bolognese sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Marga’s Best Recipes

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

February 24, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I got this recipe for Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream from epicurious.com (where else?) and quite enjoyed it. This is comfort food at its best, nothing out of this world or fancy but it can really hit the spot.

  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, loose
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • salt & pepper

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ausage and saute until it’s no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and the sausage has browned, about 3 more minutes. Mix in the tomato and cream, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serve on pasta with Parmesan cheese.

Marga’s Best Recipes

Steak w/ cognac sauce

February 24, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I made this recipe a few days ago to go with some leftover top sirloin I had. While I’m usually the type of person who does not like sauces with my red meat – I’d never dream of using anything besides salt with a NY steak or a ribeye – I don’t find top sirloin to be that tasty by itself. This sauce was quick to make and delicious. As usual, I got the recipe at epicurious.com

My main adaptation was using “Better than Bouillon” bases and reducing the amount of water. You can use broth cubes/granules in the same proportions. This sauce is enough for two steaks plus whatever starch you are serving with them.

    -2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
    -2 shallots, chopped
    -1 tsp. brown sugar
    -3/4 cup water
    -1 tsp. Chicken broth base
    -1/2 tsp. Beef broth base
    -1/2 cup Cognac or Brandy
    -1/4 cup whipping cream
    -2 steaks
    -salt & pepper

Sauté shallots until tender on 1 Tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and cook for 1 minute. Add the broths, the broth bases and the cognac. Mix well and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Mix in the whipping cream and set aside.

Sprinkle steaks with salt. Melt 1 Tbsp. of butter on a heavy skillet or frying pan. Add the steaks and cook over medium-heat, about 4 minutes per side. Remove. Add the sauce to the skillet and warm up, scrapping any browned bits. Season with salt and pepper.

Marga’s Best Recipes

Roast Chicken with Mustard Vinaigrette

January 8, 2011 / / 1 Comment

This is fairly easy recipe that I chose because I have TONS of fresh rosemary & sage growing next to my house (though nothing else). It was quite good and Mika proclaimed it very loudly to be the BEST CHICKEN EVER. I thought it was good, not amazing, but I’ll defer to her opinion 🙂 The recipe, as usual, comes from epicurious.com

Roast Chicken with Mustard Vinaigrette

    For the vinaigrette

  • 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt or more
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • pepper

For the chicken

  • 1 5-6 lb chicken
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 fresh rosemary springs
  • 2 fresh sage sprigs
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped

Make the marinade by whisking together the vinegar, mustard, sugar and salt. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly, until it emulsifies. Season with additional salt & pepper if needed. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Pat the chicken dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the shallot and rosemary & sage spring inside the cavity.

Loosen the skin on top of the breast and thighs and spread 2 Tbsp. of the vinaigrette under the skin. Tie the legs of the chicken together and tuck the wings under its body. Place chicken in a roasting pan. Brush 2 Tbsp. vinaigrette over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sage. Season with salt and pepper.

Pat chicken dry. Season cavity with salt and pepper. Place shallot, 2 rosemary sprigs and 2 sage sprigs in cavity. Slide hand between chicken skin and meat over breast to form pockets. Spread 2 tablespoons vinaigrette under skin over breast meat. Tie legs together to hold shape; tuck wings under body. Place chicken in roasting pan. Brush 2 tablespoons vinaigrette over chicken. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and sage. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Cook until the chicken achieves an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear, about 1 h our. Remove and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

Marga’s Best Recipes

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