An Alternative to Escargot: Smoked Oysters Bordelaise

I thoroughly enjoy dipping a piece of warm, crusty bread into that delicious sauce, that common escort to escargot which drips in garlicky goodness.  The snails, on the other hand, are a different story.  I just cannot stand them.  I dislike the texture, the flavor and the idea of eating snails.  I am still attempting to wrap my head around the latter since I will happily and eagerly eat sushi (including eel) and oysters on the half shell.  Nonetheless, I found myself craving that toothsome escargot sauce (commonly what can be called a New Orleans style bordelaise, which is a basic sauce consisting of either clarified butter or olive oil, garlic and chopped parsley).  Incidentally, I had all the ingredients for the sauce on hand.  Also, I had just purchased a freshly baked grand mange blanc (a massive loaf of crusty white bread measuring about 3 feet in length and 8″ in width), and I needed something in which to dip it.  I was already planning on preparing my mussels in spicy garlic tomato sauce, but I still craved that escargot sauce! 

I had all of the ingredients for my bordelaise on hand, as well as a tin of smoked oysters, so I thought I’d try out the combination.  The idea seemed rather silly to me since escargot is considered to be somewhat elegant, while smoked oysters are something my grandfather would have eaten on saltine crackers along with his potted meat and canned Vienna (pronounced “Vie-eeena” by him) sausages.  Nonetheless, necessity breeds creativity, and I needed that sauce!

Surprisingly, the end result was a delicious dish, topped with a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese.  The smoked oysters took on a black hue in the oven and firmed up to a texture not very far from escargots.  Even my finnicky husband enjoyed it.  The best thing about this dish was that the entire preparation and cooking process took about 15 minutes.   

The recipe is below.  Keep in mind that while I used olive oil for my sauce, clarified butter may be used, as well, and smoked mussels can be a nice alternative to the oysters.

 

Smoked Oysters Bordelaise

INGREDIENTS:

1 tin of smoked oysters, drained

2 medium cloves of elephant garlic, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press 
               *I recommend the garlic press  since it releases oil from the garlic.

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)

2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley

2 tablespoons grated parmesan (NOT from a can)

 

DIRECTIONS:
For those in the UK with a fan-forced oven, preheat to 180° C.  A conventional gas or electric oven should be preheated to 375° F. 

In a small casserole dish (or two smaller, personal dishes), evenly distribute the drained oysters.  Top with pressed garlic and chopped parsley.  Pour olive oil over everything and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

In fan-forced oven, bake for 7-10 minutes, or until oil is bubbling and cheese has browned slightly.  In conventional oven, bake for 10-12 minutes (I think– I am now cooking with a convection oven so I cannot be absolutely certain about this.  Just keep an eye on it!)

Serve straight out of casserole dish with your favorite crusty bread for dipping.  Serves 1 very generous portions or 2 appetizer sized portions.

Quick, Easy and Inexpensive Afternoon Tea

Sometimes, a friend or family member unexpectedly drops by for a visit and it happens to be lunch time.  On the other hand, perhaps we crave a filling and tasty meal that is quick, does not require much clean up afterwards, and which offers enough variety that our dear spouses and/or children will not complain about it.  Either way, this means we need to be able to quickly whip up something that will be satisfying and hassle free.   

Living in the UK has introduced me to the joys of afternoon tea and the little finger sandwiches that accompany it.  I am omitting and shall not go into detail about the deliciously warm scones, Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam that are also a part of afternoon tea, since these are not the most figure flattering and health conscious items one may consume, and I am watching my caloric intake.   

A quick and nicely presented afternoon tea can be made with just a few ingredients from ones pantry:  mainly,  bread, a cucumber, some cream cheese, two tomatoes, boiled eggs, a can of tuna, some mayonnaise, and some of the fish seasoning that all grocery stores stock on the spice aisle.  The dill, onion and lemon in fish seasoning adds a fresh and savory element to the sandwiches without the need to chop fresh dill, extract fresh lemon juice and finely chop or puree onion. 

Below are fast and easy recipes for tasty sandwiches that are pretty enough to be served on china (if, say, the mother-in-law should pop in):

 

Eggsellent Egg Salad Sandwiches with Peppery Watercress and Vine Ripened Tomatoes

Ingredients:
Hard boiled egg (allow one egg per person/sandwich)
Mayonnaise (approx. 3/4 tablespoon per egg) (Hellman’s Light is recommended)
Fish seasoning
One bunch watercress (chopped fresh parsley may be substituted)
Tomatoes (allow 1/2 large tomato per person), thinly sliced
Salt
Ground black pepper
Sliced bread or rolls of choice

To make the egg salad, peel and finely mash egg with whisk, fork or small potato masher.  I prefer to use Mashy the Egg Masher by Jo!e.

Mashy the Egg Masher

Add mayo and a dash of fish seasoning to taste.  Mix well. 

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the egg salad onto a slice of bread.  Top egg salad with a few sprigs of watercress or a thin layer of chopped, fresh parsley.  Lightly salt and pepper the tomato slices and place atop the green layer.  Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the slice of bread to top off the sandwich.  Cut sandwiches in half to display the colorful layers.   

 

Cool Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients:
Cucumber, thinly sliced, approx. 1/16″
Cream cheese, softened (approx. 1/4 cup per sandwich)
Fish seasoning
Italian seasoning
Sliced bread of choice

Remove crusts from bread.  I prefer to use a water glass to cut out circular shaped, crustless slices for a more uniform presentation. 

In a small bowl, add a dash of fish seasoning and Italian seasoning, to taste.  Mix well and spread a generous layer onto both/all slices of bread to be used for sandwich(es). 

To assemble sandwich(es), simply place a single layer of cucumbers between the bread slices.  Salt and pepper may be added to cucumber, if desired. 

 

Colorful Tuna Melt Canapés

Ingredients:
[NOTE:  This recipe makes 4 canapes on 4" diameter Finncrisp crisp breads.]
1 can tuna in water, drained
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (Hellman’s Light is recommended)
Fish seasoning
Shredded cheddar/mozzarella cheese mix
4 Ryvita crisp breads (or crackers or bread of choice)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except bread/crackers) and mix well.  Generously top crisp breads with tuna salad, and then top with 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. 

Place canapes onto non-stick baking tray and bake at 350 for a few minutes, until cheese is melted. 

Serve immediately. 

 

Serve these sandwiches with a steaming pot of your favorite tea, or if you are in the south, a tall, cool pitcher of iced tea.

Quick Masala Chai (Tea)

There is a drink popular in coffee houses throughout the United States and United Kingdom referred “chai.” One can purchase a “chai tea” or “chai latte” in any Starbucks or similar establishment around the world. Heck, it can even be found at small cappuccino stands in the lobbies of office buildings. I was first turned on to this sumptuously sweet, spiced tea back in 1999 when I worked in a law firm in the AmSouth Plaza in downtown Jackson, Mississippi. I have loved this exotic tasting beverage ever since, though for years I had no idea what was even it and what gave it that flavor I couldn’t describe. I knew it contained cinnamon and milk, but that was all I knew.

When I moved to London, I found that Indian food is more prevalent and perfected here than probably anywhere else in the world, including India, and that was when I learned that this spiced tea is an infusion of Assam tea, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper. This tasty treat is best made from scratch and not with those ready-made “chai” tea bags or those “chai flavored” instant powders.

First of all, referring to this drink as “chai tea” is the same as calling it “tea tea,” since the word chai actually means “tea.” The correct name is masala chai, and I believe once someone makes this delightful drink oneself, plain old hot tea will never be up to snuff again.

The traditional method of concocting masala chai is to bring the teabags, spices and water to a boil and then to add an equal part milk and copious amounts of sugar, and slowly simmer until the mixture becomes a nice caramel color. The tea is then strained into a teapot or into individual cups and served. This, of course, is the best preparation method, but who always has 15-20 minutes to invest standing over a pot for one cup of tea? I know I don’t. Therefore, I have played around with the ratio of spices that are required per cup and have found that the spices and tea bags can be added to an individual mug along with boiling water and then covered to steep, with the milk and sugar added just before serving. Although this brew is not as strong and does not have the caffeine kick of the simmered version, the flavors still fuse together quite nicely.

To make your own cup of quick masala chai, do the following:

1. Put water on to boil.

2. Place two tea bags (preferably a dark tea such as Assam) into a coffee mug, along with 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 1 black peppercorn, and about 1/2 inch of a cinnamon stick.  If you have a tea ball, place the spices into it to save time when fishing them out before serving.

3. Pour boiling water over tea bags and spices, filling up the mug up to approximately 1″ from the top. Cover mug with a saucer and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Heat about 1/2 cup of milk in the microwave on high power for 30-60 seconds.

4. Remove tea bags and spices with a spoon and add heated milk. Add sugar to taste (I use 3 teaspoons of Splenda).

Voila! Now you’ve got a steaming hot cup of masala chai. Sit back and enjoy!

NOTE: Use the darkest tea leaves you can find. The tea needs to be dark and strong so that the spices do not overpower the flavor of the tea. Also, whole milk is recommended, but 2% can be used. Skim milk will not work at all in this tea since some amount of cream is needed to balance out the spices.

Mussels in Spicy Garlic Tomato Sauce

This recipe is so simple and good it will make you want to slap your mama!  Be sure to have lots of pasta or french bread on hand to soak up the extra sauce.  You’ll be sorry if you don’t!

Ingredients:
1 bag live mussels
3 cloves elephant garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large can (approx.  4 cups) tomato purée
1.5 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste)
2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (one for milder flavor– this dish is spicy!)

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in large stock pot with heavy bottom.  Peel garlic and finely chop or run through garlic press.  Sauté garlic until slightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Add tomato purée, white wine, salt and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times.  Now would be a good time to prepare your pasta or toast your bread. 

Remove lid from pot and increase heat to medium-high.  When liquid returns to a boil, add mussels.  Cover with lid and steam for about 5-6 minutes.  When all of the mussel shells are open, remove them from the sauce with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Continue to cook sauce on high heat, stirring frequently, until reduced almost in half.  Spoon sauce over mussels (and pasta).  Top with grated parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Serves 4 with pasta, 2 without pasta.

Curry Dusted Scallops with Minted Pea Purée

This quick dish will delight the senses of taste, smell and sight with aromatic spices and vibrant green pea purée. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh sea scallops
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less, to taste)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons oil or butter

2 cups frozen green peas
1/2 – 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoon dried mint
pinch salt
pinch pepper (white or black)

Directions:
Steam green peas on stovetop or place in microwave safe bowl, cover with plate or plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 8 minutes. 

Heat oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat (only use 1 tablespoon oil/butter for nonstick; 2 tablespoon for regular pan).  Meanwhile, rinse scallops in cold water and pat dry with paper towel.  Mix together curry powder, salt, chili powder and coriander and dust tops and bottoms of scallops.  When oil is hot, sear scallops over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes on each side.

Strain water from peas and place peas in food processor.  Add salt, pepper, mint and about 1/4 cup of cream and pulse until peas begin to puree.  Add remainder of cream, a little at a time, and pulse until desired consistency is reached (the purée should not be soupy). 

Spoon pea purée onto plate and spread to cover about 3/4 of the surface of the plate.  Top with seared scallops. 

Serve with parsleyed carrots and/or angel hair pasta tossed with olive oil, grated parmesan and garlic powder on the side. 

Serves 2.

Healthy Lunch Inspired by a Favorite Hors d’Oeuvre: Smoked Salmon

A favorite (and incidentally healthy) hors d’oeuvre is smoked salmon. Whenever I am at a cocktail party or reception, I head straight for this first.

Parties are not the only times we can enjoy smoked salmon, however. This pink delicacy makes a great lunch, especially for those of us watching our waistlines. You can incorporate smoked salmon, neufchâtel cheese, light sour cream, capers, dill, red onion and multi-grain crackers for a filling and refreshingly different take on lunch for any day of the week– not just a special occasion. Round off the meal with a few cornichons (the tartness is a fabulous complement to the salmon), a cup of cherry tomatoes and a couple of sweet clementine oranges for dessert, and you’ve got a great and satisfying mid-day meal for about 350 calories.

Let’s do a break-down of this luscious and surprisingly inexpensive lunch:

Smoked Salmon:
Use 2 oz of smoked salmon for your lunch portion (I know that doesn’t sound like much, but trust me– this is a lot in terms of smoked salmon).  Smoked salmon generally comes in 4 oz and 8 oz packages, with the 4 oz packages being around $7.00. 
NUTRITIONAL INFO (per 2 oz serving):  83 calories, 0 g fat, 3 g fat, 13 g protein.

Dilled Neufchâtel Caper Spread:
INGREDIENTS: 
3 oz Neufchâtel cheese, softened
4 tablespoons light sour cream
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup fresh dill

DIRECTIONS:  Stir all ingredients together in bowl until well blended.   Makes approx. 3 servings.

NUTRITIONAL INFO (per serving):  103 calories, 4 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 2 g protein.

Multi-Grain Crackers:
I recommend Kavli 5-grain crackers because they taste great and are satisfying as well as being fat-free and very low in calories.  There are two crackers per serving and the serving is about the size of a slice of sandwich bread. 
NUTRITIONAL INFO (1 serving Kavli 5-Grain):  60 calories, 11 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 2 g protein.

Cherry Tomatoes:
One cup of cherry tomatoes is a filling and contrasting texture and flavor to the rich smoked salmon and dilled Neufchatel caper spread.  Pair this with 2 tablespoons of your favorite dressing, if you wish.
NUTRITIONAL INFO ( 1 cup cherry tomatoes): 31 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g protein.

Cornichons:
These are bitter little French gherkins that you can find in specialty stores, cheeseries, Whole Foods, and some better supermarkets.  Their tart taste complements cured and smoked meats and fish superbly.  Be sure to check the ingredients because you don’t want a cornichon with sugar in it– that makes it sweet.  The sour cornichon is best with this meal.  One serving of about 4 cornichons is about 10 calories, so feel free to eat as many of these as you like!

Clementines:
Of course, you may use any fruit for your dessert, but I prefer clementines because they’re so sweet, easy to peel and downright fun to eat.  They remind me of being a kid. 
NUTRITIONAL INFO (1 clementine):  35 calories, 7 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g protein.

Melissa’s Easy Chicken Curry

Ethnic food is one of my weaknesses. I love all of it whether it be Japanese, Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese or Mongolian. The one I tend to crave most, however, is Indian. I love a good, hot Indian dish, particularly chicken vindaloo, and the only time I’ve ever had it hot enough for my standards was in a small town in Surrey, England, called Staines. I don’t even know the name of the place. All I know is that it’s at the end of a little strip of shops that include a tailor, a Mediterranean restaurant and a KFC, and they only have about 10 tables in the entire restaurant. Every time I go to London, I travel out to Staines to eat at this restaurant. They have coconut rice that is absolutely to die for, their lamb biryani has the most succulent sauce, and their chicken vindaloo is so hot that my nose begins running after the third bite. This makes it so nice to pour some cucumber raita over it to cool it down, and then you’ve got two lovely extremes going on in your mouth. I am salivating just thinking about it.

I find myself terribly disappointed by the Indian restaurants here in Washington, DC. They just don’t have the complexity and creaminess or spiciness that I have tasted in the UK. They say that the Indian food in and around London is better than than the Indian food in India, and I do not doubt that this true. So, rather than be disappointed yet again by another Indian restaurant in DC, I began reading about basic Indian cooking techniques, as well as spices and ingredients commonly used. I did run across some problems because most of the recipes I found online called for garam masala. This is not something one can just pick up at the local supermarket. After doing some research and experimenting with ingredients, I found that whenever a recipe calls for garam masala, just use all of the following ingredients: curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground clove, cinnamon, ground nutmeg and black pepper.

So, I finally came up with a recipe that really tastes pretty similar to the chicken vindaloo that I had in Staines. I also made a few modifications that make it lower in fat and calories.

Melissa’s Easy Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS:
* 4-5 chicken thighs, skin removed
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 4-oz. container of plain, low-fat yogurt
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil (canola can be substituted)
* 2-3 tablespoons garlic ginger paste (made with 2 cloves elephant garlic half of a small ginger root)
* 4 dried red chili peppers, slightly crumbled (This makes the dish very hot, so adjust according to your own taste. I found a large bag of these chilis in the international aisle in the grocery store with the Mexican food. They are very inexpensive.)
* Approx. 2 tablespoons corn starch
* Salt, to taste
* Black pepper, to taste
* Garlic powder, to taste
* Approx. 1 tablespoon garam masala (or the following spices, to taste: curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, ground clove, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, black pepper)
* Water, about 2.5 cups– enough to nearly cover the chicken.

Heat oil over medium heat in pan with a heavy bottom. I use a French skillet with 4″ sides. While oil is heating, peel the garlic and ginger, toss them in the food processor and pulse until a grainy paste is formed.

Sprinkle chicken with a little salt, black pepper, garlic powder and ground coriander. Brown chicken in oil, about 3 minutes on each side, and remove from pan.

Saute onion in oil until it starts to become translucent, then add tomato paste and stir to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Add garlic ginger paste and saute 1 minute.  Turn heat to high and whisk in 3-4 cups of water. Stir in yogurt. Lightly crush chili peppers in hand and stir into mixture. Add all spices listed except garlic powder. Add a little at a time, just a few sprinkles at first, and adjust each to taste.

Make a slurry with cornstarch and about .25 cup of cold water. Add slurry to pan and bring to a boil to thicken. More slurry can be made and slowly added until desired thickness of gravy is reached.

Reduce heat low, add chicken, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, until chicken is very tender and falling off bone.

Serve with fragrant basmati rice and a nice, cool yogurt sauce on the side (tsatziki sauce can even be used).

Serves 4.

NOTE: If you are more health conscious and would like to use brown rice instead of basmati rice, then I recommend adding a couple of tablespoons of chopped onion, a bay leaf, salt and pepper. This gives the otherwise bland brown rice a sort of pilaf flavor and it goes nicely with the chicken curry.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
1 serving
212 calories, 12 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 17 g protein

1 serving curry with 1 cup brown rice
430 calories, 58 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 21 g protein

Gordon Ramsay: My fu*king hero

 

As an avid follower of the show “Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares” – a reality program exploring the cold, stark realities facing numerous mid-level restaurants – I find myself greatly impressed by this titan of the restaurant industry.

Despite the air, tempers, crudeness and sensationalism, there are core elements that hit home, obliterating the negatives. It is a dissection of respect (don’t expect that from Ramsay unless you earn it in action), integrity, commitment and a passionate belief in what you are doing. Unlike some filmed charities, this program is not about providing fish, but showing people how to fish once again – people that have lost their way, their spirit, their sense of reality.

Ramsay is an imposing figure in reputation and stature, a hard man with a hard face. This kitchen crusader has made a single word into a jack-hammer, slamming sense into unbudging blockheads, demolishing arrogance and habitual incompetence along the way. His wafty mane reminds one of a lion, with a poised presence ready to strike a disciplining blow to the cubs playing before him, messing about in whatever they might be consider to be worthwhile. “You’re fu*king lions.  Act like it!”

He’s a pusher and a breaker. He puts you on edge like a razor blade scraping along your scrotum and considers social finesse as necessary as a cactus rammed up your buttocks. He holds no punches, there is no relenting in any confrontation. If you are on the edge, he will push you over the brink. If you bend backward, he will not let go until you break.

Is there method in his madness? Is it not in times of true turmoil that we show our colours? How does one remove the superficial sheen if not by abrasively scrubbing at pride? How does one mould clay if not by pounding it flat and shapeless to remove impurity and imperfection? If you shape a pot to find it an affront to sense and sensibility, but your pride prevents starting again, you need an external agent to force renewal. You need Gordon Ramsay.

The thumb of criticism digs deep into his chin before the lash cracks and even the mightiest whimper. He does not subscribe to the weak willed notion of flattery – there’s nothing to achieve by sugar coating sh*t. A critical eye misses nothing and the vitriol of an unfettered tongue spares none. His blatant insults are shocks to the system, stunning his poor prey into relenting – just long enough so they give in to another way.

Now I have never cared much for arrogance, but when there is substance to one’s self awareness bound to merit, when confidence is not tainted with posturing, then it is admirable and inspiring. To be sure, this chef is an inspiration. Undeniably a master of cutting to the chase, his brisk manner smacks efficiency, his constant cursing testament to a hunger for success and a passion for food that seems to permeate from every pore, infusing those around him.

From the look of him you’d think him to be a clubfoot ballerina, yet the elegance and exactness of his execution is unquestioned. His approach is considered and clinical. Surely, not all of his own conception – but great men are great by surrounding themselves by others of greatness.

Every mannerism is swift and final. Yet, even against the odds he does not give in. Even when people do not believe in themselves,  he is able to reverse sentiment and doubt – or at least suspend it. He is a nemesis to self-deception, a cold shower to emotive delusions, impetus to the stagnant. He is passionate, striving for perfection and seeking no less in others.

An arsehole? An arrogant prick? No, a fu*king example.