Sunday, March 25, 2012

Coconut Green Curry Mussels

A trip to Whidbey Island's Penn Cove Mussel Festival this month has left me wanting to experiment with mussels in so many ways! A return trip to Coupeville this weekend meant that I absolutely had to replicate this amazingness:

Coconut Green Curry Mussels
1-1/2 lbs mussels, rinsed
3 T unsalted butter
3 stalks lemongrass, dry parts removed, or the equivalent of 3 stalks from a tube
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T grated ginger
1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk 
3 T green curry paste
juice of 2 limes
1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

-Prep all of the ingredients before you start anything cooking. This dish comes together so quickly that you need to be prepared. So, juice the limes, grate the ginger, chop the garlic and cilantro, braise and cut up the lemongrass (or have your squeeze tube close), and rinse and weed out cracked or open mussels.

-Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium-high heat. Add lemongrass, garlic, and ginger. Stir and let cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. While whisking, add coconut milk and green curry sauce. Bring to a simmer over high heat.

-Add mussels. Stir and let cook, covered. In less than 5 minutes, the mussels will open. At this point, remove from heat and add the lime juice and cilantro. 

Recipe - la denver dish

Hollandaise Sauce

A simple hollandaise sauce recipe is a necessary part of my kitchen arsenal. From the obvious eggs benedict to salmon, asparagus, potatoes... you name it, hollandaise gives it that certain "je ne sais quoi".
Hollandaise Sauce

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Southwestern Cheese Panini

A slightly spicy take on grilled cheese, made even better by being stuffed with more veggies than cheese:
Southwestern Cheese Panini

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Asparagus Pesto with Tiny Potatoes and Pasta

I was in the mood for pesto, but I was looking for a new version - something light and fresh and ready for spring. With asparagus season quickly approaching, this is the perfect spring pesto:
Asparagus Pesto with Tiny Potatoes and Pasta

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

In keeping with the idea of expanding my recipe repertoire (but still keeping everything simple!), this dish is fool-proof delicious:
Seared Scallops with Crispy Leeks

Monday, February 20, 2012

Tofu with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

I'm always trying to expand my recipe repertoire. The fact that I categorize dinners according to "Pasta" or "Not Pasta"... let's just say that I think it's pretty obvious the areas in which I need improvement! This recipe is my answer to Thai food cravings - I love to drench my rice in peanut-y goodness, so I make extra peanut sauce and serve it with rice.
Tofu with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

Monday, February 13, 2012

Sauteed Kale

Eat more kale!! It's always a good idea to know the basics, and this dish is as simple as it is delicious. An easy way to enjoy winter greens:
Sauteed Kale