It’s not a secret anymore that I love mushrooms that’s why I didn’t hesitate to try this delicious greek recipe full of Mediterranean flavors. The splash of wine, the lemon juice and the coriander seeds give them that delicate flavor that instantly makes one think of the sunny places of Greece. These marinated mushrooms are perfect as appetizers along with other salads either for a family meal, for a buffet or for a barbecue party.

Ingredients

- 2 lbs mushrooms
- 1 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio)
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 large juicy lemon or 2 small ones (the juice)
- 4 tsp tomato paste
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 4-5 twigs of fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

- clean the mushrooms, remove their stems and cut them into smaller chunks (for the bigger ones)
- in a 2 quarts pan, mix in the wine, olive oil, lemon juice, tomato paste, coriander seeds, salt and pepper
- bring it to the boiling point
- reduce for 4-5 minutes
- add in the mushrooms, reduce heat to medium high and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes
- let it cool, then refrigerate for at least an hour before serving (tastes better cold)

Kalí óreksi! (Bon appetit!)

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Although cliché at times, “good things come to those who wait” is absolutely true for this dish. A good steak always takes time, and this recipe for grilled flank steak is no different. Feel free to use your own preferred herbs and wine, though stick to red wines, which better compliment beef compared to the sweetness of white wine. Cook up your favorite vegetable for a side dish and enjoy.

Ingredients

- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
- 1 cup red wine (cab or merlot)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 twig fresh rosemary (cut in small pieces)
- 1 twig fresh thyme (cut in small pieces)

Directions

- Mix all ingredients in a Ziploc bag, remove all the air, seal, and let marinate in the fridge for 2-4 hours, or even overnight, turning and massaging the meat from time to time
- Take out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking
- Heat up the grill to high
- Clean the grill with a wire brush and oil
- Cook the flank steak 4-5 minutes on each side
- Let the steak rest for a few minutes
- Then cut thin slices at an angle (so they are wider than the thickness)

Variations

- Use different herbs
- Try different red wines

Bon appétit!

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This special taste associated with cooking on a cedar plank has innovated different chefs on creating new styles of using this material for food other than salmon.

What I am sharing with you today will surely linger in your mouth long after you have finished this recipe.

Ingredients for Cedar Plank Salmon:

- 1 large untreated cedar plank
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1.5 lbs salmon fillets, skin removed

Preparation:

1. Keep the cedar plank soaked in the water for 2 hours or more.
2. Preheat the grill to medium high.
3. For the marinade, take a shallow dish and mix together the vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger and garlic.
4. Place the salmon on the dish and coat it with the marinade sauce all over. Leave it marinated for at least an hour.
5. Prepare the cedar plank and place it on the grate of the grill. The plank is ready to use when it begins to smoke.
6. Just keep the salmon fillets on the plank without the marinade and grill it for 20 to 30 minutes. You can make sure that the salmon is ready when you can flake it with the help of a fork.

If the plank catches on fire, don't panic, either turn the gas off and wait for the fire to die down, or move the plank off to the side where there is no flame.

Bon appétit!

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Grilling beef and chicken is a familiar practice for most of us. Try changing up your routine with this grilled tuna steak recipe. Popular for its Omega 3 oil and low amount of fat, tuna steak is a great grilling alternative. Tuna steak cooks quickly and can be served quite rare. So fire up the grill and enjoy!

Ingredients

- 2 medium sized tomatoes, peeled and seeded
- 3 green onions, chopped finely
- 5-10 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- salt to taste
- 3 TBSP fresh lime juice
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1.5 lbs tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick
- olive oil
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper

Directions

- Peel, seed, and cut the tomatoes. To peel the tomatoes, place in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, then peel immediately.
- Add the onions, salt, lime juice, and olive oil, and mix. This works best if prepared at least an hour prior to serving so the tomatoes and onions get a chance to marinate.
- Rub the tuna steaks with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Preheat grill to high
- Clean and oil the grate
- Cook the steaks 5 minutes on one side, and 3 minutes the other (for medium rare, slightly pink in the center)
- Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes
- Serve with the relish

Bon appétit!

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I found these Turkish Lamb Burgers in Delicious Magazine and I thought it would make an excellent Sunday grill. Heavy on exotic spices, it is a great way to familiarize with the delights of Turkish cooking. You can either stuff the patties into warm pita bread,  roll the mixture into meatballs and serve with yogurt sauce on the side as a starter or you can just serve them on buns next to mixed salad or pickled green chillies.

Ingredients for the Burgers

- 2 lbs good-quality minced lamb
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 oz fresh flatleaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 2 TBSP tomato purée
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander

Ingredients for the Chutney

- 1/4   cup cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 TBSP fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8-1/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
- 1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped

Steps for the Chutney

- boil vinegar, syrup, garlic, ginger, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small pan until thickened and reduced to about 2 tablespoons for  2 to 3 minutes
- remove from heat and stir in tomatoes
- add salt to taste
- stir in cilantro just before serving

Steps for the Burgers

- mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and season well.
- shape into 8 even-size burgers, each about 3/4 in thick.
- space out on a tray, cover and let them chill for 1 hour (or couple of hours, in the fridge)
- preheat grill to high before cooking (about 10 minutes)
- grill for 5 minutes on each side
- serve on toasted buns with tomato salad and green salad

Afiyet olsun! (Bon appétit!)

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Ingredients

- 4 ripe medium tomatoes
- 1 can of tuna packed in oil, drained
- 1 TBSP scallions, minced
- 5 kalamata olives, pitted, chopped
- 10 anchovies fillet, diced
- salt
- fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

- Cut the top of the tomatoes and save the top
- Hollow the tomatoes and place the tomato flesh into a bowl
- Crush the tomatoes
- Mix in the tuna, scallions, olives, anchovies, salt, and pepper
- Fill the tomatoes with the mixture and serve with the top put back on

Bon appétit!

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Ingredients for the marinade

- 2 TBSP fresh mint (use 1/2 tsp dry mint if fresh is not available)
- 1/2 tsp dry dill
- 1/2 tsp dry basil
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder (or leg), diced into about 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped
- 3 TBSP olive oil

Steps for the marinade

- chop the mint and place into a non reactive bowl large enough to hold the lamb cubes
- add the dill, basil and coriander, salt and pepper. Mix well
- cut the lamb into 1 inch cubes and place into the bowl and mix in so the lamb is uniformly coated with the spices
- cover and refrigerate for about an hour
- add the vinegar and shallots, and mix well
- cover and refrigerate overnight

Steps for grilling the lamb kebabs

- heat your grill to high
- while the grill is warming up, place the lamb pieces on the skewers (I prefer to use flat ones, it is easier to turn)
- sprinkle some olive oil on the kebabs
- cook 10 minutes all together (3 minutes one side, 3 minutes opposite side, then 2 minutes each on the last 2 sides) for medium rare
- each time you turn, spread some more olive oil with a brush so the lamb does not dry
- serve immediately
- Enjoy!

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I first had Yakitori – literally translates to grilled chicken – in the smallest place in a back alley in Tokyo. The place could sit maybe 5 people, but the food was sumptuous. They have a tiny grill, and they can’t cook for more than 2 or 3 at a time, and they used ice cubes to clean the grill, quite an experience. So you don’t have to fly to Tokyo, here’s a recipe that should get close.

Ingredients for Yakitori – grilled chicken

- 2 chicken breasts, 8-10 oz. each, skinless boneless (Organic does taste better!)
- a bunch of green onions (scallions), cut into 2 inches segments
- bamboo skewers
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sake
- 1/2 cup sweet rice wine (Mirin)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped very finely
- 3 TBSP sugar
- aluminum foil

Steps for the Yakitori

- wash the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips
- wash and cut the scallions into 2 inches strips
- skewer the chicken strips and scallions onto a pair of bamboo skewers (using 2 makes it easy to turn over). You may also place the scallions on separate skewers as they do not need to cook as much.
- in a small sauce pan, mix in the soy sauce, Sake, Mirin, ginger, garlic, and sugar.
- bring to a boil, then reduce about half till the sauce is a bit sirupy
- set aside about 1/3 of the sauce
- meanwhile, preheat your grill to high
- clean and oil your grate when it is hot enough
- place some aluminum foil to protect the exposed part of the skewers
- place the skewers on the grill
- after 3 minutes, turn the skewers over and brush with some of the sauce
- keep turning the skewers every couple minutes and brush with more sauce
- the whole grilling process should take 8-10 minutes depending on your grill and the thickness of the chicken
- serve immediately with the sauce you set aside
- Enjoy!

Sawada-san, this one’s for you!

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Ingredients for Mustard Lime Steaks

- 2 rib-eyes steadk, 1.5 lbs all together, about 1 inch thick (you don’t want too thick for this recipe so you don’t overcook the mustard)
- 4 TBSP dry mustard (or ground mustard)
- 4 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 4 TBSP lime juice (about one juicy lime)
- Kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper

Cooking steps

- spread one TBSP of the dry mustard on each side of each rib-eye steak (use your fingers, or a fork)
- pour 1 TBSP of the Worcestershire sauce on each side of each steak (it won’t go in at first, so rub it in)
- do the same for 1 TBSP of the lime juice on each side of each steak (it will eventually form a slurry)
- let it marinate on the counter for about 20-30 minutes
- preheat your grill to high
- clean and oil your grate, then place the 2 steaks
- cook for 5 minutes on the first side for rare, rotating once if you want nice criss-crossed marks
- turn over and cool for an other 3-4 minutes
- let the steaks rest for 3-5 minutes and serve
- Enjoy!

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This recipe would be traditionally served with Harissa, but if you can’t find any, you can make this simple relish with tomatoes, shallots and hot Paprika.

Ingredients for the Beef Kebabs

- 1 1/2 lbs of some lean beef, about 1 inch think, cut into 1 inch cubes (I like to use London Broil, or eye of round, but many variations will do)
- 1 medium onion, grated
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 1 TBPS dry parsley)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 2 fresh laurel leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- more salt and cumin for serving

Ingredients for the relish

- 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
- 2-3 shallots, grated as well
- 3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped finely
- 1 TBSP hot paprika
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP lemon juice (the juice of a fairly juicy half lemon)
- salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation for the beef

- cut the beef into 1 inch cube, removing any unsightly pieces of fat.
- mix the oninon, parsley, cumin, paprika, laurel leaves, salt, pepper and olive oil into a non reactive bowl
- add the meat and mix thoroughly
- refrigerate overnight (yes, you can do it for only a few hours, but overnight will bring out more flavor!)

Preparation for the relish

- cut the tomatoes, seed them and grate them into a small bowl (using the coarser grate will work just fine)
- peel the shallots and grate them as well and mix with the tomatoes
- mix in the chopped parsley, add the hot paprika, cayenne pepper, olive oil, salt,pepper and lemon juice

This can be prepared ahead of time, even the day before if you refrigerate right away, but serve at room temperature.

Final steps

- place the meat on the skewer (flat metal one preferably, you’ll thank me later)
- preheat your grill to high for direct grilling (about 10 minutes)
- when the grill is hot, clean it with a metal brush, oil it with olive oil on a paper towel
- place the skewers on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes per side, for a total of about 10-12 minutes
- Serve right away with the sauce and I hope you enjoy!

Inspired from the Barbecue! Bible by Steven Raichlen, except I like to cut the meat into bigger chunks, and ad in some laurel leaves.

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Ingredients for the Sauteed Potatoes

- 5 to 7 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes (but any kind of potato that holds well together after boiling will work, I just like the taste and texture of Yukon Gold). That’s about 1.5 to 2 lbs.
- olive oil
- salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste

Steps

- clean the potatoes
- place the potatoes with the skin on in a 2 quarts pan (or bigger) with enough cold water so that all the potatoes are under water, and bring to a boil
- boil for 20-30 minutes (this part really depends on the potatoes and their size, so using potatoes roughly the same size helps) till a pointy knife can go through a potato without much resistance, but before the skin starts to crack and peel off.
- place a generous amount of olive oil in a large frying pan and heat on medium high. You want the potatoes to absorb some of that oil, but not too much!
- cool down the potatoes under cold running water
- if still too hot to peel, let them rest for a little while, then peel
- cut the potatoes in roughly 1 inch cubes (no need to be too exact here)
- once the oil is hot (but not smoking!), start placing the potatoes in one single layer (don’t use more potatoes that can fit in that single layer, so use a second pan if needed)
- every 3-4 minutes turn the potatoes so each side gets a chance to brown and get a nice golden color
- the whole process should take about 10-15 minutes.
- if you are not quite ready to heat, you can turn the heat to low and keep them warm for a little while

This recipe goes great with a grilled meat, sausages, or dried meats like prosciutto.

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Ingredients for the chicken breasts

- 2 organic chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (about 8 oz each), cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (2 large cloves)
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature, or microwave for 10s to soften)

Directions

- rinse the chicken breasts under cold running water, then dry with paper towels
- place flour, salt and pepper onto a plate, mix
- coat the chicken with the flour, salt and pepper
- mix in the garlic and parsley with the butter
- heat the olive oil in a large frying pan till very hot (but not smoking!)
- sauté the chicken for 4 minutes, turning every often
- add the butter and garlic and parsley mixture
- sauté for 1 more minute
- serve immediately with some vegetable or rice (or both!)

Inspired from Fast food, my way, Jacques-Pépin

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There are many types of skewers, metal or bamboo, but for meat, my favorite choice is to use the flat metal ones. The flat section helps ensure that the items on the skewer will not turn more than you turn the skewer! That tends to be frustrating and awkward!

Ingredients for the Shish Kebabs

- 1 1/2 lbs of meat, about 1″ to 1 1/2″ thick that you can cut into cubes. Sirloin, london broil, chateaubriand are good candidate, but eye of round will also work great.
- 8oz white or brown mushrooms
- 8oz large cherry tomatoes
- 8oz small sweet onions, peeled
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper

Steps for preparing and cooking the Shish Kebabs

- preheat your grill to high
- cut the meat into cubes of roughly 1″ to 1 1/2″ cubes
- wash the mushrooms, the small onions and the cherry tomatoes
- assemble the shish kebabs by alternating mushrooms, meat, small onions and tomatoes
- mix the herbs, salt and pepper into the olive oil
- rub the oil mixture onto the meat and veggies
- clean your grill, and rub it with vegetable oil using a paper towel (I use olive oil)
- place the kebabs onto the grill and cook on all sides, about 10-12 minutes all together
- serve immediately

Variations

There are endless variations to this recipe. Use sweet red peppers, green peppers, asparagus, etc…

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Ingredients for the Rub

- 2 chopped garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (coarse)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (coarse)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 tablespoons salt (kosher)

Steps for the Rub

- Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.

Ingredients for the Basting Sauce

- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 chopped garlic cloves

Steps for the Rub

- Whisk together vinegar and oil in a small bowl.

Cooking instructions

- Rub each sides of the tri-tip with the seasoning.
- Leave the meat out for 30 minutes (if you don’t feel comfortable leaving the meat out, you can put it back in the fridge, but keep in mind you may need to cook it a bit longer)
- Preheat the grill to high for 10 minutes
- Cook for 10 minutes, turning once. Baste after you turn using the Basting Sauce
- Then reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes more, turning and basting each time, at least till the internal temperature reaches 120+ F
- Cover with foil for 10 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy!

Turning often is the key to a perfect TriTip: you need to turn often so that the heat does not suck up all the juice out the top.

Preparation: 10 minutes
Marinate: 30-60 minutes
Cooking: 20-30 minutes depending on size (about 20 minutes for 1.5lbs)

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Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 table spoon Butter
• 1/2 table spoon finely chopped garlic
• 3-4 shallots (makes a generous half cup) finely chopped
• 4 cups of coarsely chopped mushrooms
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine (Carbernet Sauvigon works)
• 1 cup beef broth

First, start off by cleaning the mushrooms and chopping them coarsely. You don’t want to cut them too small as they will shrink quite a bit and it is nice to have something to sink your teeth into once you get to eat them. You can use any mushrooms that you have available. If you can’t find fresh one, you can use dried mushrooms. Just soak them in warm water for 20-30 minutes before starting.

If I can find them, I like to use 1 cup of morels, 1 cup of chanterelles, 1 cup of porcinis, and 1 cup of portabello mushrooms. The nice part about this recipe is that you get to experiment which combination of mushrooms you like best. Tell me what works for you!
Chop the garlic and the shallots.

In a large flat bottom pan, melt 1 table spoon of butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, saute the garlic and shallots for about 3 minutes till the shallots get soft.

Add the mushrooms, add salt and pepper and cook for 7 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high and pour the wine. Cook for 2-3 minutes to reduce the wine to less than half what you put.

Reduce the heat to low, add the broth and simmer for about 25 minutes. Most of the liquid should be gone.
The last step is to add the remaining table spoon of butter and your are now ready to serve and enjoy!

It will reheats nicely so you may prepare in advance.

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This recipe also uses artichoke hearts. The preserved ones come in 3 kinds: in water, brine or oil. I prefer the ones prepared in brine as I think the added acidity works well for this recipe. If you are lucky enough to be near San Francisco, you can find the best marinated artichokes I’ve had at Molinari Deli. If you are up to it, you could prepare the artichokes yourself, and you should check how to trim an artichoke to get you started. However this will significantly increase the time required to prepare this recipe.

To prepare the prawns, you have several options. You can buy them peeled and deveined, or you can do it yourself. It is not that hard. One method you can use is to do it with the Shrimp Butler. At around $30, it may sound expensive, but when you factor in the cost difference to buy the prawns ready to use, this will quickly pay for itself. A more low-tech approach is to use special scissors, or an Endurance Shrimp Peeler & Deveiner. Last resort, is to do it using your fingers after you’ve cooked the prawns. Only problem of doing it after they are cooked is that they won’t look as good, but will taste just the same though.

Here’s how to prepare the Prawn Salad with Arugula:
Per person, for a main dish (for 4 people, multiply everything by 4):

Salad

• 5 medium to large Prawns, peeled and deveined
• 6 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in half
• 3 small tomatoes (small cluster tomatoes work best)
• 2 artichoke hearts
• 1/2 ounce goat creamy goat cheese
• 1 ounce Arugula

Dressing

• 1/2 table spoon lemon juice
• 1/2 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: 20-30 minutes

Remove the pits from the olives, and slice them in half, wash and rinse the tomatoes, and cut them in small chunks (remove as many seeds as you can). Cut the artichoke hearts in 4. Dice the goat cheese if it is creamy enough, otherwise crumble it.

Wash and rinse the arugula. Save a few olives and artichokes pieces that you can use later to garnish the plates. Mix everything else in a large salad bowl.

To prepare the dressing, mix the lemon juice, the olive oil, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Up to this point, everything can be prepared ahead of time. The last step is to cook the prawns in a small frying pan. Put some olive olive oil in the pan, heat it up over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put the prawns, add some salt and pepper and cook the prawns a few minutes on each side till they have a nice orangy color.

When the prawns are done, mix the dressing with the salad, and serve immediatly. You can server as an appetizer or an entree by varying the quantities.
Enjoy!

Related Articles:

• Asparagus au gratin
• Deviled Eggs
• Marinated Mushrooms
• Crab Souffle
• Scallops with Butter and Lemon

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One of my favorite is the Crab Souffle. Follow the same basic steps, but substitute the cheese with about half a pound of flaked, shredded or grounded cooked crab meat.

• 6-8 ounces of crab meat (check for bits of shell or membranes)
• 1 tablespoon dry white vermouth
• a pinch of paprika

Instead of mixing the cheese, mix in the crab, vermouth and paprika.
Variations: you can use small sprimps, or even smoked salmon for other sea-food type souffles. Feel free to experiment! I’d love to hear back from you if you find a variation you like…

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Preparation: 30 minutes (including the bechamel)

Cooking time: 30 mintutes.

Serves 4.

• 2 cups of bechamel
• a dash of ground nutmeg
• 5 ounces of grated Comte or Gruyere
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 425 F (220 C)

Prepare the bechamel, adding the nutmeg before adding the milk.

Over medium heat, add the cheese and mix it with the bechamel. Turn the heat off.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt.

Then add the egg yolks and bechamel to the cheese one by one and mix them till the sauce is smooth.

Now, using a wooden spoon or spatula (the key here is to avoid breaking the egg whites, so anything that does not have sharp edges should do), add the egg whites while being careful not to break the egg whites. And always turn in the same direction using the same gesture, and be very very gentle.

One key to a successful soufle is the pan you use. You want the a heavy round deep pan of about 8 inches in diameter. Don’t fill the pan more than 2/3 as the souffle is going to rise quite a bit. It is ok, even desirable if it raises above the edges.

Butter the pan generously and pour your souffle into the pan.

Cook for 30 minutes without opening your oven door to keep the heat constant.
Your maserpiece is ready when the top has risen and turns to a nice golden brown color.

Server immediatly! This is the last critical detail. Your souffle wont’ wait and will come back down if you don’t serve it right there. So time your cooking accordingly.

Variations: you can use most hard cheeses, the tastier the cheese, the tastier your souffle. I like to use a good Comte, or Caved aged gruyere. To surprise you guest, try using Roquefort or Gorgonzola!

Serve with a green salad as an entree, or as an apetizer. A Chardonnay or a Merlot goes very nicely with cheese in the souffle.

© Pascal Belloncle for Home Recipes, 2006. | Permalink | One comment

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