Squid Ink Fettuccine with Pan-Seared Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan, and Basil

by Kathy Douglas | Sep 5, 2017 | Entrees

This quick stove top entrée comes together fast and is beautiful enough for a dinner party or a special dinner at home. Fresh, sweet cherry tomatoes are pan-seared and caramelized, then mixed with squid ink pasta, deliciously flavored bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and topped with fresh basil. Pasta with squid ink tastes like pasta (no fishy flavor) but makes a stunning presentation with the colorful tomatoes and basil. You can purchase it at your local Williams-Sonoma store or on Amazon.

INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
¼ loaf of ciabatta bread
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
6 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
8 ounces dried squid ink fettuccine
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
Start a large pot of water to boil; add a handful of salt. Cut the ciabatta bread into a few very thin slices and tear the slices into small pieces. Repeat until you have 2 cups.

Heat a 12” sauté pan over medium heat, add ¼ cup of olive oil. Add the cherry tomatoes and a large pinch of salt. Cook, shaking the pan often until the tomatoes are blistered all over and just starting to pop. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl, cover, and keep warm.

Place the pan back over the heat and add ½ cup of olive oil and the red pepper flakes stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and until the pepper flakes are sizzling about 3 minutes. Add the anchovy paste and stir to dissolve into the oil. Add the breadcrumbs, and cook, stirring often, until the crumbs are deep golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the breadcrumbs are crisp and brown, 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and place ½ the toasted breadcrumbs to a bowl or plate; set aside. Set the sauté pan aside with the remaining crumbs.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.

Return the sauté pan to medium heat and add the pasta and ½ cup of pasta water to the remaining half of the breadcrumb mixture, tossing to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any remaining bits sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, reserved cherry tomatoes, and ½ the fresh basil. Add any extra pasta water if needed. Season to taste with salt. Place the pasta in 4 warmed bowls and sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs and basil. Serve with Parmesan cheese for passing. Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Flank Steak & Baby Potatoes with Mango Peach Salsa, Cherrywood Smoked Bibb Lettuce, and Candied Bourbon Pecans

by Kathy Douglas | Aug 29, 2017 | Entrees

Perfect for your Labor Day Celebration, our Grilled Flank Steak & Baby Potatoes with Mango Peach Salsa, Cherrywood Smoked Bibb Lettuce, and Candied Bourbon Pecans will make you the king or queen of the grill. Most of the components in this recipe can be made ahead, leaving just the grilling and smoking for Labor Day. If you don’t have a method for smoking the lettuce, you can simply skip that step in the recipe. We used Bourbon Barrel Foods Bourbon Smoked Sugar for the pecans. You can find it at some local groceries or purchase at www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com. You can substitute with plain white sugar, but the pecans will be missing a smoky bourbon flavor.

Grilled Flank Steak & Tri-Colored Baby Potatoes
Potatoes can be cooked the day prior and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before you grill.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 dried chipotle peppers; seeds and stems removed, torn into pieces
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
3 tablespoons garlic powder
Kosher salt, as needed
1 teaspoon Bourbon Barrel Foods* Bourbon Smoked Black Pepper or fresh grated black pepper
2 pounds baby potatoes
2 pounds flank steak
Olive oil, as needed
Two limes, juiced

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add the pepper pieces and cumin seeds. Heat until toasted on all sides and fragrant. Cool slightly and place in a spice blender. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, and pepper in a spice grinder. Grind to a powder consistency.

Wash the potatoes then slice any large ones into halves, set aside. In a large stockpot filled halfway with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt, and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, add the potatoes, and cook until a small knife easily passes through the potatoes, about 10-12 minutes. Strain and transfer to a plate to cool to the touch.

Pat the steak dry with paper towels, and brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on both sides. Rub with the spice mixture and place on a plate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator. Place in a re-sealable or vacuum bag and pour the lime juice over the steak. If using a re-sealable bag, seal tightly, double bag, and refrigerate 8 hours, turning halfway through. If using a chamber vacuum, seal and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Heat a barbeque or stovetop grill to high heat. Remove the steak from the bag and pat dry with paper towel. Brush with olive oil and grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side until rare/ medium rare (135-145 degrees) to medium (155 degrees). Remove from the grill, cover with foil, and set aside for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Place the cooked potatoes in a large bowl and gently toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Lay on the grill and cook until browning and well marked, turning halfway, about 5-8 minutes total, depending on the potatoes size. When finished, toss potatoes in a little more oil just to coat and salt to taste. Slice the steak and serve with the potatoes.

Peach Mango Salsa
Prep all ingredients the day before, store in separate containers, then mix together one hour before your dinner.
INGREDIENTS
1 large mango, peeled, cut ¼-inch dice
2 large peaches, peeled, cut ¼-inch dice
½ small red onion, finely diced
2 small tomatoes, seeded, cut ¼-inch dice
1 serrano chile, finely minced
Juice and zest of one large fresh lime
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside for one hour before serving.

Cherrywood Cold-Smoked Lettuce
If you don’t have a cold smoker, substitute with bibb lettuce leaves tossed in olive oil and salt.
INGREDIENTS
1 head bibb lettuce
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Special equipment- cold smoking gun, cherrywood chips

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the lettuce in a bowl. Wrap tightly with cling wrap. Using a smoking gun, smoke with 1/4 teaspoon cherrywood chips. Seal tightly and leave in the bowl until the smoke dissipates, about 10-15 minutes. Separate the leaves and toss in a small amount of olive oil and salt.

Smokey Candied Bourbon Pecans
Can be prepared up to two days ahead. Store in an air-tight container. You can substitute white sugar for the bourbon smoked sugar, the pecans will just be missing a bourbon smoky flavor.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup Bourbon Barrel Foods* Bourbon Smoked Sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups pecan halves

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment.

In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar and kosher salt.  Add 2 tablespoons water and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves into liquid, and becomes very syrupy and thick, about 5 minutes. Fold in the pecans and stir until they are completely covered.

Pour out on the baking sheet, spaced apart and divide into single nuts. Bake for 12 minutes, until the pecans are caramelized. Remove from the oven and slide the baking mat or parchment off of the hot baking sheet onto a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, break apart any nuts, if necessary, and store in an airtight container until needed.

When finished, assemble all ingredients on plates. Makes six servings.

*Can be ordered at www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com

Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Asian BBQ Dipping Sauce

by Kathy Douglas | Aug 21, 2017 | Entrees

So easy and tasty, the shrimp are prepared in just minutes either on the grill or in a grill pan. With a delicious kick, the Asian barbecue dipping sauce has fresh ginger and chili, perfect for taking the sweet grilled shrimp up a flavor notch. The sauce can be prepared the day prior, then simply bring to room temperature before serving. When using an outdoor grill, be sure to clean the grates just before using, and oil them lightly right before the shrimp goes on the grill to prevent them from sticking.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons grape seed oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 Serrano chili, seeded and chopped
½ cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 ½ pounds of shelled and deveined large shrimp
Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Cilantro leaves, torn into small pieces for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare an outdoor grill or heat a grill pan on the stove to medium-high.

Heat 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, Serrano chili, green onions, and the lime juice, sauté 3-4 minutes until the onions are soft. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook over medium-low for ten minutes. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture slightly.

Transfer to a blender; add the sesame oil, and process until thick puree forms. Return to a clean saucepan, cover, and keep warm.

Toss the shrimp with the remaining tablespoon of oil, 2 large pinches of salt, and the garlic powder. Grill over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side or until shrimp turns pink. Serve the shrimp warm with the dipping sauce topped with the fresh cilantro leaves. Makes 4 servings.