A Fun Party With Neighbors

For the 4th of July celebration, our street got together at a dear friend's back yard. The event was a "Slider Tasting and Competition". 13 entrants competed for the hamburger squeak-toy trophy. You can see the other entries on our neighborhood Facebook page: NoMa

The process of the party could not have been simpler. There were 2 grills going, names were drawn out of the hat to determine the order, and the contestants were responsible for cooking and serving their entry to the hungry crowd. On average, there were sliders coming out every 15 minutes.

The truly amazing part? No bad sliders! They were all just creative enough to be unique, but not strange. There was huge variety - we had everything from porterhouse steak to turkey to chili with Fritos. There were some different bun choices as well. Some were the pre-packaged slider buns, some were homemade dinner rolls and some were bakery ciabatta rolls.

All in all, a delicious day! The only downside was that you really had to pace yourself and not eat the whole slider. 13 sliders is ambitious for anyone who is not a professional eating contest veteran.

Thanks North Maryland Avenue (aka NoMa) for a great 4th!

Here is the recipe for the one I entered:

Kani Salad Crab Cake Slider

Light and refreshing for summer.

12 slider buns - recommend dinner roll style

Crab Cake:

1 pound lump crab meat

1 tablespoon mayo

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

dash tabasco

1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

1 egg

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons Panko, plus more for coating

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon ketchup

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

1 medium cucumber, peeled,seeded and julienned

sesame seeds

Combine all crab cake ingredients gently, taking care not to break up the crab too much. Form into small cakes using a 1 ounce scoop. Coat both sides of the crab cake in panko; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat 1/2" of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry crab cakes until golden on both sides.

Whisk dressing ingredients until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To build, lay one crab cake on the bottom half of the slider roll, top with dressing, cucumbers and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Summer Vegetable Gratin

Pork Tenderloin is one of my favorite weeknight entrees. It is easy to cook and fast. The other night, I had several “singles” of summer vegetables. One yellow squash, one japanese eggplant, one tomato - you get the idea. I put them all together in a gratin and it was delicious. I hope you try it soon.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Summer Vegetable Gratin

Active Prep Time: 10 minutes Inactive Prep: 30 min.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt and pepper

1 yellow summer squash, sliced 1/4”

1 zucchini squash, sliced 1/4”

1 japanese eggplant, sliced 1/4”

1 medium tomato, sliced 1/4”

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs, divided

1. Place the tenderloin and the next 4 ingredients in a gallon sized plastic bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
2. Remove tenderloin from marinade and place on a sheet pan lined with foil. Lightly sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Toss squash, eggplant and tomato with olive oil and 2 tablespoons bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Layer in a 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle top with remaining bread crumbs.
4. Place tenderloin and gratin in a 375˚ oven. Roast until a thermometer registers 165˚ in the thickest part of the tenderloin and the vegetables in the gratin are tender, about 25 minutes.

Serve with a tossed vegetable salad.

Red Velvet Cake

Although the origins may be disputed, this cake is a crowd pleaser! I was reminded how much I love it when we attended the Brooklyn Bridge Birthday Bash in the spring of 2008. It was such a fun event. There were school choirs, mayoral speeches, fireworks and birthday cake. The cake was a deliciously moist and rich red velvet cake. I have spent some time developing a recipe that satisfies what I like in a red velvet cake: A semi-firm crumb, pleasantly moist, creamy frosting, and very red. I took the final version to a gathering of friends this weekend and it was a hit. If you are looking for an incredible cake, try this recipe.

Red Velvet Cake

2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ounce red food coloring

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 350˚. Brush 2 9” cake pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment. Brush the parchment with butter as well.

1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after adding each egg. Add vanilla and food coloring, beat well. Scrape down sides of bowl.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, salt and cocoa powder.
3. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just till combined using the low speed. Add 1/2 of the butter milk and mix. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and the buttermilk and mix till combined each time. After the final addition, scrape down the sides and mix one more time to ensure the batter is properly blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Watch carefully and do not over-bake. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
5. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove cakes from pans and cool completely. The cakes can be baked up to 2 days in advance. Wrap layers individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to frost.
6. Frost using cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste* (extract may be substituted)

4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter using a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla bean paste and mix well.
2. Add the sifted confectioners sugar in two batches, beating well each time. You may need to add more sugar to get the right consistency.

Makes enough to frost top and sides of a 9” two layer cake.

* I like using vanilla bean paste in the frosting. The flavor is delicate and the vanilla bean flecks that show in the finished product are beautiful. You can find vanilla bean paste in most specialty kitchen stores such as Williams-Sonoma or Sur la Table.

Speedy Weeknight Meal

Tired of takeout, but think that making your own will take too long? One secret is an easy recipe. Making Boeuf Bourguignon on a weeknight is not recommended! Give these tips a try along with a recipe that claims to take about 30 minutes. I think you will find that you like your dinner better.

Tips for making weeknight meals in a flash:

1. Start with a clean kitchen. This cuts time by making your space more efficient.

2. Read your recipes all the way through. This will prepare you to work in the most organized way.

3. Assemble your ingredients and equipment. Having everything in easy reach is a real time saver.

4. Cook. Try not to multi-task unless the recipe allows. This will keep problems to a minimum.

Quick Fish Meal

I was at the grocery store and they had some beautiful whole flounder. They also had some nice looking pears and butternut squash. I hope you like what I came up with for dinner.

Pan-Sauteed Flounder with Roasted Pears and Butternut Squash
Serves 2-3
1 whole flounder, filleted
2 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2” cubes
1 bartlett pear, cored, quartered and sliced into 1/4” slices
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 400˚F.
2. Toss the butternut squash, pears and shallots with the cumin, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread out onto a
foil-lined sheet pan. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Make sure fish fillets are free of bones and scales. Salt and pepper both sides of each fillet. Heat a nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add oil and heat it until it shimmers. Lightly coat the fish in flour, tapping to remove excess. Add fish
to pan and lightly brown on both sides. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Breakfast!

What does a Texas girl who lives in NY make for breakfast when the family is out of the house?

Migas Huevos - A combination of MIgas and Huevos Rancheros (serves 1)

The simple recipe:

Start with half of a small, chopped onion and a couple of teaspoons of olive in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of a medium jalapeno, finely chopped to the onions and saute until tender. Add one chopped tomato, salt to taste (I used a healthy pinch) and about 1/4 cup water. Simmer until tomato begins to soften. Add a small handful of tortilla chips (about 1/4 cup). Crack 2 eggs into the ranchero sauce and cover the saucepan and cook until the eggs are the desired level of doneness. I like my yolks to still be a little soft, so I cooked the mixture for about 5 minutes.

Very satisfying and also a delicious way to add vegetables to my breakfast.

What's for dinner? April 8

Tonight, it was Chinese food at the favorite local place. Yummy, but not cooked by me! I'll tell about it anyway.
Egg Drop Soup, Scallion Pancake and Szechwan Style Beef with wonderful hot tea. A very comforting meal at the end of a long day. Maybe tomorrow, dinner will be homemade. Although, I have a dentist appointment close to the beach, so seafood might be best idea.

What's for dinner?

We all want to know the answer! It is even harder if you are trying to lose or gain a few pounds. The eating then becomes more mindful. How about some good sides as well? When I find or create some things that taste and feel good, I will post them here.