Grilling For A Change: New England Style Seafood Dinner

The grill and I have become very close friends this summer. The days have been so hot while the evenings cool off just a touch that although it's still warm out, it's totally pleasant... much more pleasant than being in my hot kitchen when my stove is on. I've tried grilling a little bit of everything this summer from the usual steaks and chops to all kinds of veggies and seafood. I've been totally inspired by Jamie Oliver and have basically turned my grill into an outdoor oven. Next summer maybe I'll have a full blown vegetable garden with an outdoor kitchen as I often see him working in on his show... a girl can dream!! 

This recipe popped up in my inbox a couple weeks ago and it couldn't have been more easy. It's the absolute perfect summer meal because there is very little prep work and since you cook it all in aluminum foil, clean up is even easier! Even better, there is no need to turn on your stove on a hot summer night. Just find some fish at your local market, throw in fresh corn and a couple potatoes, top with butter, dill and lemon and voila!! You have a deliciously simple and fairly nutritious meal in no time at all. It also looks really pretty when you open up the little packet with all the beautiful colors, which makes me happy!

New England Seafood Bake

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

2 large red potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 lb skinless cod fillet, cut into about 2 by 2 inch pieces

1/2 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 ears corn, quartered or cut into thirds depending on size

1/2 lemon thinly sliced

hard rolls, optional

Heat grill to medium. In a small bowl combine butter, dill, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Fold 2 14 inch squares of heavy duty aluminum foil in half to form 2 square packets. Assemble packets with potato slices layered on bottom in a single layer. Top with cod then shrimp. Place corn around outside of fish. Season with salt and pepper and top with a spoonful of butter mixture and 2 lemon slices. Fold foil over all ingredients and crimp edges of aluminum together so packets are tightly sealed. 

Place packets on grill with potato layer on bottom. Cook, rotating packets occasionally but do not flip, about 14 minutes until fish is cooked and potatoes are tender. Remove from grill and transfer to serving bowl. Serve hot with rolls. 

Recipe adapted from marthastewart.com

A Birthday Celebration with Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Pretty in Pork, happy birthday to you! It's Pretty in Pork's first birthday today! I'm very excited that my little piglet has made it through it's first year already! It's been quite the year for me and I'm so happy to have had this space to document it all. I feel like I've become a better cook and am growing closer to the possibility of fulfilling my foodie dreams... whether that be for Pretty in Pork to manifest into a cookbook one day, or to become a whoopee pie business, or maybe an underground restaurant. We shall see!

To celebrate I wanted to make something by one lady who I find very inspiring. I wasn't all that interested in Ms. Julia Child until I watched the movie Julie and Julia while spending one of the most fun weekends of my life in Mendocino with three of my favorites. I absolutely love all things french and often tell my husband that if I could live anywhere in the world, it would be in a rustic farmhouse in the south of France. I love that Julia was so inspired by food when living in Paris and that she became a famous chef with very little formal training. I don't think I'll ever get to live in France, or at least not any time soon, but I can channel all things french through Julia's recipes. I decided I should start off with her most famous recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon. I actually thought that it was more of a beef stew but came to find out that it really isn't. It's basically beef braised in wine and then served with a  delicious sauce. It was very fancy and very yummy. And, I got to spend quite a few hours in the kitchen making it so I found it super fun! I have to warn you, it's a lot of steps and a good amount of work but there is really nothing hard about it. Just follow Julia's steps and it will be great! It also looks and sounds very impressive so it would be a fabulous dish to serve at a fancy dinner party.

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

4 slices thick bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
3 lbs lean stew beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp flour
3 cups red wine such as chianti or pinot noir
2 to 3 cups beef stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
18 to 24 brown braised onions, recipe to follow
1lb sauteed mushrooms, recipe to follow

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, saute bacon in oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Dry beef in paper towels and saute in hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Set beef aside. Saute veggies in oil and bacon fat until starting to lightly brown. Discard the sauteing fat and oil.

Add bacon and beef to veggies. Toss with salt and pepper. Add flour and stir to lightly coat beef. Move dish to preheated oven, uncovered, and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and put back in oven for another 4 minutes. This will give beef a nice light brown crust. Remove from oven and turn down to 325 degrees.

Place dish over medium heat. Stir in wine and enough beef stock to barely cover beef. Add tomato paste. Place garlic and herbs in a little bundle in a cheese cloth (this makes them easier to remove later and saves a step when making the sauce) and add to dish. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove then cover and set in lower third of preheated oven. Let simmer very slowly in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when it is fork tender.

When meat is done, pour the dish into a colander placed over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return beef and bacon to it. Add the brown braised onions and mushrooms to the pot.

Skim fat off the sauce and simmer for a minute or two. You should have about 2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly until it thickens. If too thick, add a little beef stock. Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat several times. Serve with boiled potatoes.

Brown braised onions:
18-24 small pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 cup beef stock
salt and pepper to taste
4 parsley sprigs, 1 small bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme; tied in cheesecloth

Heat oil and butter in a skillet. Add onions and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to try to brown as evenly as possible.

Pour stock, salt and pepper, and herbs in cheesecloth in a small saucepan. Add sauteed onions. Cover and simmer to braise the onions 40-50 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated.

Sauteed Mushrooms:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
1 lb mushrooms, quartered

Heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Once butter has stopped foaming, add mushrooms and cook 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Recipes adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking with Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

Fall at the Farmhouse: Savory Butternut Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding

As usual, I am never happy to see the weekend come and go, but I have to say I am particularly sad to see this weekend go. I had such a great weekend at the farmhouse! An old friend of mine, the original Jersey girl, came down with her hubby on Saturday night and we had a great night catching up over wine and some yummy food. I'll admit, I'm paying for it a little today, hence the photo of the Phat Lady to you're right (which may actually be the absolute best hangover cure known to man) but it was all worth it, as it usually is! I haven't seen my Jersey girl in quite some time, but we picked up right where we left off. There was plenty of laughter, even some touching moments, and it made me really happy to be an east coast resident again.

My girl is vegetarian and as you already know, I love fall vegetables, so I took the challenge of cooking for a vegetarian as the perfect opportunity to make a savory bread pudding. I love love love sweet bread pudding and have wanted to make it before, but for some reason I thought it was going to be much harder. I stumbled upon this recipe for butternut squash and cheddar bread pudding and so I figured I had to go for it. It sounded absolutely perfect for the occasion- delicious seasonal Jersey fresh squash and hearty enough to make a meal for my favorite all veggie loving friend. And, I was completely wrong, it wasn't hard at all! It took some work but nothing a modern housewife like yourself can't handle! 

Butternut Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding

1 large butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)

3 tbsps olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more for sprinkling

7 large eggs

2 1/4 cups half and half

6 tbsp dry white wine

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 day old baguette (do not remove crust), cut into 1 inch cubes (about 10 cups)

1 cup chopped shallots (about 4 large)

2 bunches kale (I actually used spinach which was a great choice!!)

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash with 1 tbsp oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard, and 1 1/2 tsps salt; whisk to blend. Add baguette pieces and fold gently into egg mixture. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add shallots and saute until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale (or spinach), cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes.

Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to prepared baking dish, arranging to cover most of dish. Spoon half of kale over bread. Spoon half of squash over bread and kale; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread pudding. 

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, bake uncovered until custard is set and bread feels springy to touch, about 20 minutes longer. Preheat broiler; broil until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.  

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit November 2009

San Fran Forever In My Tummy Part 2: Stuffed Poblanos

One of my favorite things about living in the bay area is the Mexican food. Being a small town girl from the Northeast, I never ate mexican food growing up, but after moving to California, I fell in love. After living out here for a bit I realized how much I love different kinds of peppers. My go to pick any time it is on the menu is definitely a chile relleno. How can I resist a delicious poblano pepper stuffed to the brim with cheese and deep fried... my mouth is watering just thinking about it and I just got back from a very fulfilling dinner!

I found this recipe from the ever fabulous Martha a year or so ago. It is a great meatless weeknight meal that isn't quite a chile relleno but does use delish poblanos and is a much healthier option being that its not packed with cheese and deep fried. Don't worry, there is still some cheese and a little cornmeal goodness, but no where near the fat filled amount of the fabulously fatty chile relleno, which unfortunately should probably be enjoyed in moderation- bummer!

Stuffed Poblanos

1 can whole tomatoes in puree (28 oz.)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (ribs and seeds removed for less heat)
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves (2 whole, 1 minced)
salt and pepper
1 can black beans (19 oz.), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 tsp ground cumin
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onion,S 2 whole garlic cloves and puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into a baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine beans, cornmeal, 1/2 cup cheese, remaining onion, minced garlic, cumin, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly stuff poblano halves with a portion of the bean mixture. Place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining half cup of cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake about 45 minutes. Uncover and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and cheese is browned, 10-15 minutes more. Makes about 4 servings.

photo and recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Scrumptious Sides for Summer: Escalivada

Happy Memorial Day all you pretty little modern housewives. This weekend means summer is finally upon us. One of my fave things about summer is fresh veggies and farmer's markets! My mama is in town visiting and we've had a fabulous weekend. We kicked it off with a trip to the ever famous farmer's market at the Ferry Building in SF where we found all kinds of delicious treats to compliment my Quail with Truffle Yaki Sauce which I made for dinner Saturday night. Apparently my mama was sick of just reading about all my fancy dinners and wanted to take part in one herself. She did and I think she was pretty darn pleased!

While perusing the farmer's market I got the idea to make Escalivada, a side dish I've made once before full of fresh yummy veggies, garlic, and herbs. This dish is incredibly simple and is made up of no more than chopping the veggies; tossing with vinegar and olive oil; roasting in the oven till tender; and finally tossing with the fresh herbs. The dish can also be grilled, which makes it even more perfect for summer!

Escalivada

1 globe eggplant, cut into large chunks (about 8 pieces)
3 bell peppers, assorted colors, quartered
2 heads garlic, broken into cloves but not peeled
2 zucchini, cut in half and into large chunks
2 yellow squash, cut in half and into large chunks
1 large red onion, cut into about 6 pieces
3 tomatoes, halved crosswise and quartered
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
dash of sherry or wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all vegetables in a large roasting pan. Add all garlic cloves, reserving 2, to pan. Sprinkle veggies with sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and toss all ingredients until well coated.

Roast veggies turning once or twice so they don't burn or cook unevenly 30-40 minutes. Avoid turning too often as you don't want veggies to get mushy. You want them to hold their shape.

When veggies are tender remove from oven. Peel and finely chop the reserved garlic cloves and sprinkle over veggies, along with the parsley and rosemary. If serving bread with the meal, the whole roasted garlic cloves can be squeezed and spread onto the bread. Or feel free to squeeze some of the roasted garlic onto the veggie mixture after roasting.

Modern Housewife Tips:
1. Makes about 4-6 large servings so I typically cut it in half.
2. Try a dash of champagne vinegar in place of the wine or sherry vinegar. The taste is a bit milder so it doesn't overwhelm the veggies.
3. Be sure to watch the veggies while cooking as both times I've made this dish it's taken less than the the 40 minutes the recipe suggests. You don't want the vegetables to break down and be mushy.

photo and recipe adapted from The Williams Sonoma Cookbook