The Traveling Epicurean

Thai Slaw

March 17, 2019April 24, 2014 by Michel

Thai Slaw

This is definitely not a boring old cole slaw. It has 2 cabbages, sweet and green onion, carrots, crunchy peanut butter, ginger, soy, fresh lime juice, and a few other seasonings. I have used both napa cabbage for this slaw and regular green cabbage and I have to tell you that the green cabbage holds up so much better while the napa gets mushy quickly. This Thai slaw is packed with flavor so you may want to pair this with something on the more simple side of things like grilled salmon, or steak, sautéed chicken or sea bass. Then a chocolate-avocado mousse or pavlova with fresh pineapple & berries could do the trick to end the meal well.

Ingredients:

- 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
- 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced Spanish onion or Vidalia onion
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup thinly diced green onions (6 of them)
- 3 Tbsp fresh zested ginger (on micro planer)
- 1/2 cup Helman’s mayo
- 3 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp rice wine
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp reduced sodium Kikoman soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 3 dashes tabasco
- juice from 2 limes
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds plus 1 Tsp for the garnish

Directions:

Toast sesame seeds on medium heat in a small pan shaking the pan periodically back and forth
This happens quickly once they heat up…it will only take about 3-4 minutes so it’s best not to leave the pan or the stove so they turn golden evenly
Once the sesame seeds are golden remove from the pan, place in a ramekin and set aside
Add sliced green cabbage, red cabbage, Spanish onion, green onions, shredded carrot and zested ginger to a large mixing bowl
Then add in peanut butter, mayo, soy, vinegar’s, oils, fresh lime juice, sugar, Tabasco, sesame seeds and toss together to mix thoroughly
Serve in a large bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds

Best Brussel Sprouts Ever!

March 17, 2019April 23, 2014 by Michel

Best Brussel Sprouts Ever!

If you never like brussel sprouts before you really need to give these a try because they will seriously change the way you think of them! These are roasted in the oven for 25-35 minutes with chopped garlic, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt…that’s it. They are so simple to make and the edges of the brussel sprouts get caramelized along with the garlic pieces. These are delicious served with a sprinkle of Parmesan too after they are roasted.

You may want to try some Crab Cakes, Eggplant Balls or Homemade Gnocchi too! Don’t forget to end your meal with something sweet like Death by Chocolate Meringue Pie or even mouth watering Chocolate Eclairs. Enjoy 🙂

Ingredients – serves 6-8 people:

2 lbs. fresh brussel sprouts
4 lg garlic cloves coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil – plus extra drizzle of olive oil OR 1 tbsp butter after they are roasted
1/4 Tsp of salt – – plus extra sprinkle of salt to taste after they are roasted
Sprinkle of black pepper
1/4 cup Reggiano Parmesan to serve on the side (optional)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375º
Cut 1/2″ off the ends of the brussel sprouts
Cut the brussel sprouts in half vertically
Add the chopped garlic, and brussel sprout to a cookie tray
Drizzle olive oil over sprouts and garlic and sprinkle with salt
Arrange the brussel sprouts so that the cut halves are all face down on the cookie tray – this inner side will be the caramelized side of the sprout
Put into pre-heated oven for 25 – 35 minutes – no need to turn or toss them while cooking
Put on a serving dish along with grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese on the side

Cake That Won’t Last

March 17, 2019April 22, 2014 by Michel

Cake That Won’t Last

″Cake that won’t last″ is the perfect name for this dessert and when you make it you will understand why. This recipe came my dear foodie friend Christine. She is a great cook and whips up dishes like me in the “old school” self taught way of culinary cooking by taste and instinct, without recipes! Christine is one of my friends who graciously throws outrageous cooking parties where laughter and smiles are always in abundance.

This “cake that won’t last” is more like a bread pudding that does a great job of holding together in an actual slice. So it is a little messy…it’s not like a perfect slicing cake and when you taste it you be very happy with exactly how it is. You don’t even need a Kitchen Aid Mixer with this cake…it’s all mixed easily by hand. Adding a good vanilla ice cream, one in particular that I really like is Hood “Homemade Vanilla” which goes great with this bread-pudding-cake making it even more indulgent! This is a great dinner party cake and your guests will never know how easy it was.

You may want to start with some appetizers on the lighter side like sea scallop ceviche, bacon wrapped scallops or maybe mussels in a fennel & lemon grass sauce, and for dinner…how about my grilled Asian salmon with cold asparagus salad, sautéed chicken and fresh spinach, chicken roulades with roasted garlic and cannelini bean purée, or sea bass with green goddess sauce.

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup chopped up banana
1 cup canned crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup mandarin oranges with juice (if mandarin pieces are whole cut in 3’s)
1 cup canola oil
3 cups flour
1 1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
3 cup sugar
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350º
Butter and flour a bunt cake pan
Put all the dry ingredients into a large mixing, set aside
Put all the wet ingredients in another large bowl and gently whisk just to combine
Add add the wet into the dry and using a spatula begin to stir to combine ingredients
Put bunt cake pan onto a cookie sheet and place into the oven for 1 hour
Place a piece of foil over the top after about 40 minutes so it doesn’t burn
Take out and let cool 10 minutes
Run a bendy pastry knife around the edges of the bunt pan to loosen it up
Lay a large cake dish over the bunt pan and flip the cake over
This cake is very moist and has bread pudding-like consistency so there may be some cake stuck to the bottom of the bunt pan after you flip the cake out…no worries just scrape any crispy or gooey parts off gently and put back onto cake top where it may be missing and you will also be sprinkling confectioners sugar over it
Put confectioner sugar into a sieve or fine mesh strainer and sprinkle onto cake
I like to serve this warm a la mode with Hood “Homemade Vanilla” ice cream

Baked Sweet Potato Haystacks

March 17, 2019April 21, 2014 by Michel

Baked Sweet Potato Haystacks

These baked sweet potato haystacks are done in 10 minutes! What an easy way to put some pizazz into your dish in no time at all. I love sweet potatoes anyways but my sweet potato haystacks give a light crispiness to the sweet potatoes and they make for such a wonderful presentation. Keeping it fun without a lot of work is always nice when your cooking that’s why I came up with these baked sweet potato haystacks. It’s a great way to get kids and then again some adults to try something good for you.

Use a lemon zester to make the potato strands and then bake for only 10 minutes and no more or the strands will begin to burn and get a little bitter. Top any grilled steak, sautéed chicken or fish with these hay stacks to change up the dish. You’ll have to give my Chilean sea bass, spinach and green goddess sauce II a try with these sweet potato haystacks. Before serving up the sweet potato haystacks to highlight your entrée you may want to go with a couple of starter dishes like fresh mozzarella, pesto, roasted tomato on crostinis, smoked salmon on crostinis with a cream cheese-caper spread, bacon wrapped scallops or a zucchini torta before making a chocolate-avocado mousse, or pavlova with fresh berries for dessert the night before.

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato
2 Tbsp oilve oil
1 Tsp onion granules (do not use garlic …they make the potato strings bitter)
1/2 Tsp salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375º
Use a potato peeler to peel the skin off of the sweet potato
Then begin to zest strands from the sweet potato
You will get little mounds of pulp like texture from the potato while you are zesting so just keep putting that aside…you don’t want the pulp in with the haystack strands.
Once one side is hallowed out just flip the potato around and zest the arc of the other side
Take the pile of sweet potato strands, place them on a cookie tray and squeeze them with a paper towel to get some of the moisture out.
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil
Add 1 Tsp onion granules and 1/2 Tsp salt and mix stands with your hands
Using your fingers spread strands in an even layer on the cookie tray as best as possible
Bake for exactly 10 minutes
Take out of the oven and scoop mounds of potatoes onto the beds of spinach to make your sweet potato haystacks
Then place your fish on top of the haystack and drizzle green goddess sauce II around the plate

Pasta Cosi

April 23, 2014April 18, 2014 by Michel

Pasta Cosi

Pasta Cosi is located right here on our CT shoreline in Branford. They certainly don’t skimp on the quantities they serve and you can definitely count on taking home a goody bag. The bolognese and arrabbiata sauces were both delicious hearty red sauces that they served with their the eggplant lasagna. Their savory bolognese is made with beef, veal and pork and when they say “arrabbiata” there’s no beating around the bush here there’s heat to it…a sauce after my own heart! You will find yourself asking for seconds of the amazing bread that they serve at Pasta Cosi . It’s a moist, crusty, chewy bread that you’ll want to dunk into the tomato sauce which could be a meal all on it’s own.

The Italian red wine we ordered was a 2011 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Cantina Zaccagnini Reserva from the Abruzzo region and is one of Italy’s most famous wines. It was on the lighter side yet well-rounded, with soft tannis and notes of plum…I would recommend it in a flash! This wine is a steal if you were to purchase this at a liquor store running at around $15.00. I also love the warm and cozy ambiance here at Pasta Cosi. You can see their full menu at this link here Pasta Cosi. If you like Italian you may want to try my pesto garlic bread, baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, authentic Italian meatballs, family zucchini torta recipe, slow cooked pasta sauce 101, mama Maria’s manicotti from scratch, or fresh mozzarella, pesto and roasted tomatoes on crostinis.

Homemade Italian Meatballs

March 17, 2019April 17, 2014 by Michel

Homemade Italian Meatballs

Got to love homemade authentic Italian meatballs! No matter how you look at it spaghetti and homemade meatballs is an all time American favorite. Not that I wouldn’t have eventually gotten to one of my meatball recipes but I am dedicating this recipe today to my good friend Laura who has requested a recipe for homemade meatballs…hope you like these Laura!

I have many different ways to mix up the meat percentages using varying cuts like beef, veal, pork or beef and pork, or just turkey when I am trying to cut back on beef. This recipe is your basic 100 percent beef meatball, inspired by the way my mother use to make them with a 2 day old loaf of good Italian bread instead of using processed bread crumbs.

I used to stand by the stove frying the meatballs in olive oil but these days who really has the time? So I have come to the conclusion that they taste exactly same baked in the oven at a high temperature…saving lots of labor and time. I suggest you try my pasta sauce 101 while making these homemade meatballs because granted the meatballs are wonderful right out of the oven fresh baked without any sauce but it goes to a new level when you simmer them in the sauce for a good hour or 2. And don’t forget to have that crusty loaf of sourdough bread for dunking or my pesto garlic bread, and if you are really serious you might attempt my mothers Maria’s manicotti’s the next day. Some sides or appetizers to go with the spaghetti and meatballs might be a zucchini torta, bacon wrapped scallops, or baked coconut shrimp…enjoy!

Ingredients – Makes 21 Small Meatballs:

1 lb. Angus beef
1 large egg (rule of thumb …1 egg per lb. of meat)
1/2-3/4 cup after soaked in milk – (1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread soaked in 1 cup milk)
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
1 lg. garlic clove put thru garlic press
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp ground black pepper
1 cup milk

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425º
Break up a 1/2 loaf of 2 day old Italian bread and place into a large bowl as shown in photo
Pour 1 cup milk over bread and let it absorb for 10 minutes
Wash, spin, dry and finely chop parsley, set aside
Discard outer crusts from soaking Italian bread
Begin to break soaking bread pieces apart with your fingers…if you feel any gooey pieces throw those away (if it sat out for a couple of days it won’t get gooey)…the bread should just fall apart easily
Take 1/2-3/4 cup of this soaking bread and add to a large mixing bowl
To this bowl add in Parmesan, chopped parsley, garlic clove thru garlic press, salt and pepper and 1 egg
Whisk til just combined
Add in 1 lb. of Angus beef and begin to mix gently with your hands…DON’T over work the meatballs you don’t want it to look fully combined like a meatloaf
Using a cookie scooper begin to shape and roll mixture with your hands – they will be small about 1 1/2″…have a small bowl of water to the side to keep hands damp not wet (this makes it easier to rolls meatballs)
Spray cookie tray with Pam canola oil
Place 21 shaped meatballs onto the cookie tray and spray the tops of the meatballs
Place them into the oven for 17 minutes…mangia mangia : )

Seafood Stuffed Artichokes

March 17, 2019April 16, 2014 by Michel

Seafood Stuffed Artichokes

Artichokes, any way you cook them are simply a treat because they are a seasonal veggie here on the east coast. 100 percent of all artichokes that are commercially grown in the U.S. come from California where you can pretty much buy them year round. My artichoke recipe is a tasty concoction of shrimp, sea scallops, fresh spinach, mushrooms, onion, garlic, Reggiano Parmesan, bread crumbs, red wine, extra dry vermouth and chicken broth. They are a lot of work granted but it’s not like you make these all the time and once you taste them you’ll want to set aside time in the future to plan for these babies!

The Artichoke is actually a relative of the thistle so if you ever see one fully mature they open into this incredibly gorgeous giant purple flower. That’s where the choke comes in because it’s a cluster of immature florets at the center of the artichoke which is not edible. This hairy-like choke in the center MUST be removed when you stuff them. I show you how to prep the artichokes and scrape out that choke in the photos below. This seafood stuffed artichoke recipe is delicious with my sun-dried tomato aioli sauce for dunking the leaf ends and heart and you can make this aioli dip a couple of days ahead. After these stuffed artichokes you may need a sweets recipe that you can make the day before like pavlova with fresh pineapple and berries, or chocolate-avocado mousse.

Ingredients – Serves 4 People at 1 Stuffed Artichoke Each:

1 recipe of sun-dried tomato aioli sauce
4 large artichokes
3 large sea scallops cut into 1/2″ pieces
10 lg shrimp cut into 1/2″ pieces (about 1/2 lb)
3 strips of Boars Head Bacon
6 button mushroom caps sliced thinly and then chopped
6 oz. fresh spinach leaves coarsely chopped (a handful less than a bag)
1/2 large spanish onion or Vidalia onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves put thru the garlic press
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan
1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp red wine (1/4 cup to deglaze onion/mushroom mixture and 2 Tbsp in the stuffing and 1/4 in baking dish with vermouth and chicken broth)
3/4 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tsp salt (1 Tsp for boiling the artichokes)
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Fill a large bowl with cold water and sliced up lemon
Cut the ends off of the artichokes
Cut 1 1/2 ” off the top
Using your thumbs in the center of the artichoke pull apart as much as you can to loosen the inner layers a little
Insert pointy spoon and begin to dig in to the center removing the purple pointy leaves and keep digging til you reach the hairy choke and then remove all of that too
Rinse the center holes of the artichokes to fully remove any left over choke
Always keep the all the artichokes in the lemon water bowl while working on them (it helps them from not turning too brown)
Pour the whole bowl of lemon water and artichokes into a large pan and add 1 tsp salt
Bring to a boil ( this will take about 15 minutes) and then simmer for 30 minutes
Drain Artichokes and turn them upside down in a baking dish to further drain
Cook up 3 pieces of Boars Head Bacon til crispy, chop and set aside
Sauté the chopped onion, mushrooms caps and garlic cloves put thru press in 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp butter, and 1/2 Tsp salt til golden about 12-15 minutes
Add in 1/4 cup red wine to de-glaze pan, let reduce for 1 minute
Add in fresh chopped spinach and cover for 2 minutes
Mix spinach with tongs and take sauteed onion/mushroom/spinach mixture off of the stove and put into a fresh bowl to let cool
Wash, dry and chop sea scallops and shrimp to 1/2″ pieces
When onion/mushroom mixture is cooled add in scallops, shrimp, Gruyere, Parmesan, chopped bacon, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp red wine
Mix items gently together
Turn artichoke over in baking dish, drain any water left over at the bottom
Stuff the artichokes with the seafood stuffing making sure to add in to all the layers of leaves going around the artichoke as shown in the photo
When the artichoke is stuffed add in 3/4 cup extra-dry vermouth, 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup red wine to the bottom of the baking dish
Cover the Artichokes with foil and bake for 35 minutes
Take Foil off and bake 5 minutes more
Serve with sun-dried aioli sauce on the side for dipping the leaves and dunking the heart …mangia!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

March 17, 2019April 15, 2014 by Michel

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Wow, these bacon wrapped scallops are a scrumptious hors ‘d oeuvre! They are wonderful by themselves but the sun-dried tomato aioli sauce just bring them to another flavor level. And you can make that sauce a day ahead of the scallops. It’s important to get the largest sea scallops you can find because they make for a perfectly filling appetizer without being over powered by the bacon. Boars Head Bacon is the best bacon to use for this dish because it doesn’t have a smokey or maple flavor that would compete with the taste of scallops. I have you cook the bacon half way thru too so you don’t end up with a piece of rubbery, under cooked bacon at the end. You don’t want to over cook the sea scallops worrying about the bacon being cooked thru. Since scallops are so rich you may want to serve some non-fish hors ‘d oeuvres like the best guacamole ever, zucchini torta, baked asparagus wrapped in Prosciutto, baked yukon potato fries with Greek yogurt remoulade, or mango-avocado salsa.

Ingredients – serves 4 people with 2 scallops each or 8 people with 1 scallop each:

1 lb. sea scallops (this will be approx. 8 ex-lg sea scallops)
8 slices of Boars Head Bacon (don’t use other brands because some are too smokey and some are heavy on maple flavor)
2 lg garlic clove put thru garlic press
3 Tbsp of olive oil
sprinkle of salt

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375º
Cook 8 slices of bacon for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat until they are cooked half way thru and golden on the edges
Drain half cooked bacon on paper towels
Put 3 Tbsp olive oil in a medium size dish with 2 garlic cloves put thru garlic press
Add Sea scallops to garlic and mix, fully coating the scallops with the garlicky oil
Add in the bacon strips and also coat with the garlicky oil
Begin to wrap the scallops with the bacon, the bacon should overlap about 1″ and you will have to cut off the last 1 1/2″ because the bacon will be too long
Fasten a toothpick on an angle as shown in the photo above to hold the bacon in place while it’s cooking
Heat a cast iron pan on high for about 2 minutes
When hot add in bacon wrapped sea scallops and sear for 2 minutes
Then flip them over and immediately put the pan into a pre-heated oven for 12 minutes
Take out and serve with sun-dried aioli sauce

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli Sauce & Asparagus

March 17, 2019April 14, 2014 by Michel

Sun-dried Tomato Aioli Sauce & Asparagus

Sun-dried tomato aioli sauce and asparagus is a tasty and simple appetizer that you make ahead of time. Aioli is a mayonnaise based sauce or dip flavored with garlic and sometimes herbs, and or vegetables. With this sun-dried tomato aioli sauce I cut the mayo in half with one of my favorites, Greek yogurt, like I do with so many of my sauces. It’s just such a “good for you” thing that I love to do, plus I really like yogurt and I added in sun dried tomatoes to the aioli which are packed with an intense flavor.

I have you peel off the skins at the ends of the asparagus because it makes for an elegant presentation when serving as an appetizer like this. You don’t want the asparagus too cold when you serve this. It’s best at room temperature so since you will be probably making this ahead of time and storing it in the frig to keep well you should take the asparagus out first to bring it closer to room temperature before serving. And I want you to use the largest asparagus that you can find because not only does it present well but it tastes great. The larger asparagus are just as tender and earthy in flavor as the tiny ones.

In my baked asparagus wrapped in prosciutto appetizer there isn’t any need to peel the ends of the asparagus because they are covered with a cream cheese-grated onion & Parmesan mixture and then wrapped in the prosciutto so you don’t see the ends. Other appetizers that you may want to serve with this sun-dried tomato aioli sauce and asparagus are baked coconut shrimp, sea scallop ceviche, mussels in a lemon grass-fennel sauce, or best ever guacamole.

Ingredients for SUN-DRIED TOMATO AIOLI SAUCE:

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AIOLI SAUCE

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 lg garlic clove put through garlic press
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbps Rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp champagne vinegar
Juice from 1/4 lemon
1/4 Tsp chile paste (OPTIONAL) – you can use a few dashes of Tabasco or Siracha (chile hot sauce sold with Tobasco at the market) if you don’t have the paste

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients for the sun-dried tomato aioli sauce into a blender an purée
You will probably need to stop and stir everything a couple of times to get it going but once it gets going it will be just right…you can always add in another Tbsp of olive oil if you need to loosen it up a little
You can make this ahead of time and keep sauce in a plastic container and refrigerate. It stays nicely for days in frig. Yum!

Ingredients:

ASPARAGUS

24 asparagus – the larger the better
1 Tbsp salt for cooking the asparagus in water

Directions:

Bend asparagus to find the proper “break” point then cut the ends off to even them up
Using a potato peeler, peel off the skins of the asparagus at the bottom – 2″ up from the ends as shown in the photo
Put asparagus in cold salted water and bring to a simmer
Cook til tender but NOT mushy …this will only take a few minutes once it comes to a simmer
Drain and give them ice bath to shock …don’t need to make them ice cold just want to shock to retain vibrant color
Dry off asparagus on a paper towel and place on a serving platter

Succulent King Crab at Captain George’s

March 17, 2019April 12, 2014 by Michel

Succulent King Crab at Captain George’s

They certainly know how to do king crab in South Carolina! Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has an amazing buffet of king crab legs that keeps on coming. Their buffet is pretty extensive so you need to stay focused and remember why you are there! The king crab legs are so big that it is difficult to maneuver the tongs to grab the legs and place them onto your plate. Once you get them piled onto your plate then you need to balance this antler like stack so you don’t drop them all over the floor. Knowing that once you make it back to your table you have this succulent meat to pull out of these crustaceans keeps you walking slow and steady. The king crab legs are really sweet and meaty and when you dunk them into the warm butter it just gets even better!

King crab or stone crab are a super-family of crab-like crustaceans which are generally found in cold seas. Considering king crab goes for over $30.00 a pound at most seafood markets finding a place like Captain George’s where it’s one of their specialties dishes is definitely a good thing. Not only is the crab worth going for but the centerpiece ship display and starry night sky graphics in quite impressive. If you like seafood you may just like to try my Asian shrimp and rice noodle salad, Asian salmon, mussels in a fennel-lemongrass sauce, shrimp and scallop chowder with coconut cream, sea scallop cerviche, or my sea bass with green goddess sauce. On the lighter side you could always go for my fish appetizers consisting of baked coconut shrimp, smoked salmon with a cream cheese-caper spread on crostinis, clam puffs, or sea scallops wrapped in bacon.