Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Espresso Sauce

garnish with roasted french radishes and chopped parsley

The local halal market has a great meat counter. One day we noticed that the beef tenderloin was $8.99 a pound. We picked up a few pounds and invited friends over for dinner. This is a really great entree because the marinade is reduced to make a sauce. It's not too labor intensive, either.

Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Espresso Sauce

Ingredients
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef tenderloin

3 tablespoons grainy mustard or Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 cups espresso (I use instant espresso and mix it into cold water.)

1/3 cup brown sugar

cracked pepper to taste

salt to taste

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Remove the silver skin.

2. If necessary, fold thin ends back on themselves and tie to create a uniform thickness. (See photo below.)

3. Combine mustard, garlic, shallots, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, espresso, brown sugar, beef broth and black pepper in a large bowl or in doubled up gallon Ziplock bags. Add the meat and marinate for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

4. Remove the meat from the marinade, strain and reserve.

5. Bring marinade to a boil and then lower the heat to medium low. Reduce the sauce by 1/2 or until nape. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk it in. (Keep an eye on the sauce to make sure it doesn’t cook down into a syrup.)

6. Dry the meat with paper towels, sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt and grill or sear in a hot pan. 

Cook the meat for about 3-5 minutes per side. 

7. Transfer to a baking sheet and finish the meat in a 450 degree oven until it’s medium rare. (Insert a meat thermometer until it reads 160 degrees.) 

8. Let the meat rest, slice, spoon sauce on top, then garnish. 

Notes
With this dish the only things to keep in mind are to tie the ends if they are thin so that the tenderloin roasts evenly. Also,  make sure that the sauce does not reduce so much that you end up with a syrup. That's it, really. :)

You can see how I folded the thin end of the tenderloin back on itself and tied it to create a uniform thickness. 

Ham and Parsley Quiche

My wife needed a quick appetizer for a party, so I whipped up these little bad boys. You can buy a very similar product from Trader Joes, but a major difference will be the cup. Baking them fresh really makes a big difference. If you serve these as wee breakfast bites, I bet they'd be amazing with a dollop of Hollandaise sauce on top.

  

     This recipe will make 12 servings and will take about 45 minutes (25 active) to prepare. 

Ham and Parsley Quiche

Ingredients

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 pound ham, finely chopped

1/4 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Salt and pepper

1 (8 oz.) can refrigerated crescent rolls

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, cheese, ham, parsley, salt and pepper.

3. Unroll the dough and separate into four rectangles. Then, cut each rectangle into thirds to create twelve pieces of dough. 

4. Shape each piece into larger, thinner shape and press into a well greased mini muffin pan. 

5. Pour 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture into each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the the eggs are set and the quiche golden brown. 

Notes

Chopping the parsley and ham finely will ensure that they are held in suspension in the egg and do not sink to the bottom of the cup. Also, you'll need to spray the mini muffin pan with more Pam than you'll think you need. Finally, I think it's a good idea to stagger the quiche in the muffin pan, so you may need to use two pans or one large one. When the quiche come out of the oven, you can trim any burnt edges for a nice presentation. 

Potage du Rouge Vif d'Etampes

I'm still amazed that I can take a seed packet and turn it into food. It trips me out. I never really even liked pumpkins before as an edible item. I just liked the way they looked on the vine. I gave this French heirloom variety a shot, though, and I am so happy that I did. What a great pumpkin, those Cinderellas. 

     This soup is easy to make and I think you'll enjoy it a great deal, especially if you mix in some yummy croutons. You could even serve the soup in shots with a sauteed slice of leek on top. 

Potage du Rouge Vif d'Etampes 

Ingredients
4 cups pumpkin puree
6 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
5 peppercorns
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a large pot, sweat onions and garlic in olive oil and butter over medium-low heat.

2. Add pumpkin, chicken stock, thyme and peppercorns and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Puree soup in very small batches in blender. Return soup to the pot.

4. Add cream, salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Notes
I made this soup using a french heirloom variety that I grew in my garden. The pumpkin - Cinderella or Rouge Vif d'etampes - has incredible floral notes and an almost cantaloupe scent. I made the puree by halving the pumpkin, then removing the seeds. I brushed the inside with olive oil, then placed the halves on a foil-lined baking dish. I roasted the pumpkins for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Then I increased the temperature to 425 and cooked the pumpkin halves for another 15 minutes. I let the halves cool for about an hour, then scooped out the flesh.

I garnished the soup with the Rosemary And Garlic Croutons.

Rosemary And Garlic Croutons

I hope you like butter.

    While not good for you at all due to the high butter content, these croutons are ridiculously good. The aroma of butter, garlic and rosemary that will fill your kitchen is insane. You can use these for soup or for a salad.

Rosemary And Garlic Croutons

Ingredients

4 cups of 3/4" diced baguette

1/3 cup butter

1 tablespoon finely chopped, fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1) Melt butter in a large saute pan. Add garlic, salt and rosemary. Stir to combine

2) Add bread cubes and toss to evenly coat.

3) Cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until bread is toasted.

Notes

If using these croutons for a salad, I would buy fresh or day old bread since I do not like food that is very hard. If using the croutons in a soup, I would prefer two day old bread. The croutons won't get soggy like they would if the bread was very fresh and will instead have a nice consistency once they soak up the soup.

Sauteed Ronde de Nice With Marjoram And Thyme

 There's nothing terribly original nor artistic about sauteed squash, but I am quite pleased with this little accompaniment as it's the first thing I ever brought from a seed to my plate. 

     This dish started as seeds I ordered online. I had never heard of Ronde de Nice and they certainly aren't sold in stored here in LA. I loved that they are widely enjoyed in Europe and that they have a perfect, baseball size and shape. I planted the seeds, cared for the plants and harvested my first squash. I took it straight away to the kitchen to experiment.

Sauteed Ronde de Nice With Marjoram And Thyme

Ingredients

1 Ronde de Nice, sliced into wedges

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 sprig thyme, minced

1 sprig marjoram, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.Sweat onions over medium heat until soft in butter and oil. Make sure the onions do not brown.

2. Add ronde de nice, thyme and marjoram and cook over medium heat of 3 to 5 minutes. Once you notice a hint of transluscene in the squash, turn teh heat to medium high for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let the squash get mushy and slimy!

3. Serve.

Notes

When cooking the ronde de nice, it's better to error on the side of crisp than to let them go too long and get mushy and slimy. That is not a pleasant mouth feel. Not even a little.

Get in mah belly!!!

Albondigas

 The missus and I continue working on some of our favorite Mexican food dishes, bummed out by the lazy slop we are often served at nearby tacquerias. I can't tell you how many times I've ordered a cheese enchilada only to find that the cheese inside isn't melted. What is that about?!

     Since I like soup so much, I thought I'd take on albondigas and try to do better than the flavorless, dry meatballs in watery broth that I usually get. You'll find that this albondigas soup is based on a beef stock, which runs a bit contrary to what you normally get at a restaurant, but I think that the addition of zucchini, tomato, carrots and lime juice really creates a nice, full flavor. If you were to make your own beef stock, it'd really be insane as the stock you often get at the store is way too salty.

 Albondigas

Ingredients
Meatballs
2 large, fresh poblano chiles

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup coarsely grated zucchini
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chile powder
9 cups low-salt beef broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 zucchini, diced
1 carrot, thinly cut on the bias with a mandoline
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice

Toppings
4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Meatballs
1)Line large rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.

2) Roast chiles over direct flame until blackened. Place in paper bag and steam 10 minutes. Stem, seed, and peel chiles. Then chop finely

3) Place chiles in large bowl. Gently mix in beef and all remaining ingredients.

4) Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 3/4 inch meatballs. Arrange meatballs on sheet.

Soup
1) Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion with any juices and garlic. Sauté until onion is tender.

2) Add chile powder and cumin; stir for a few minutes to allow spices to roast.

3) Add broth and oregano, then ring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, just below simmer, and cook 10

minutes.

4) Stir zucchini, carrots and tomato into broth.

5) Increase heat to medium and drop in meatballs, 1 at a time. Return soup to simmer. Cover and cook gently until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to avoid boiling, about 20 minutes.

6) Add 1/4 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Season soup with salt and add more lime juice by teaspoonfuls, if desired.

Toppings
1) Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat 1 minute.

2) Add half of tortilla strips. Cook until crisp, gently separating strips with tongs, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer strips to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortilla strips, adding more oil if needed.

3) Ladle soup and meatballs into bowls. Top with tortilla strips and cilantro

Notes
Make sure soup is at medium heat and just barely simmering before you add the meatballs. The soup must be hot or the meatballs will fall apart. If the soup is boiling, the meatballs may also fall apart. So keep it just barely simmering.

Moroccan Spiced Garbanzo Bean Soup

I've always wanted to surf in Morocco. When storms generate swells in the North Atlantic, they eventually arrive on wide open beaches in Africa. Man, I could strap my sled to a camel, cruise down to the beach and slash. Afterward I could gorge myself on delicious Moroccan cuisine.

     I doubt that trip will ever come to pass, but at least I can bring some Morocco to my home. It's vegetarian and is especially filling if served with, say, crostini topped with goat cheese. 

Moroccan Spiced Garbanzo Bean Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, medium dice

6-8 garlic cloves, pressed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 (14.5 oz.) can chopped tomatoes

2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed well

1 quart vegetable broth

1 teaspoon sugar

salt 

freshly ground black pepper

1 yukon gold potato, diced

5 oz. spinach, washed, stemmed and julienned 

Directions

1. heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. 

2. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions are softened. Add spices and saute for a few more minutes to release their flavors. If there is any browning or burning, add a bit of water. 

3. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and cook for 40 minutes. 

5. Add potato and continue simmering soup for 20 more minutes.

6. Remove from heat. Ladle soup into bowl and add spinach. Let stand for a few minutes until spinach wilts. 

7. Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle lightly with olive oil. 

Notes

This soup is easy peasy to make and like I said, is surprisingly filling, especially if you serve bread and cheese.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

 

I would never in a million years order a grilled chicken breast or eat a barbecued chicken wing. It's just not my thing. Not even a little. However, when chicken is used as a kind of flavor delivery system, then it's all good. These shredded chicken tacos are a good example of that. The flavor of these tacos is really great. I've never ordered shredded chicken tacos in a restaurant, but now I have to in order to see how mine compare.

Shredded Chicken Tacos

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 1/2 teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 pounds bone in, skin on chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon Goya Adobo with Pepper, plus more to season

Directions
1. In a medium bowl mix together tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, Adobo and sugar. Reserve.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I prefer cast iron) Season chicken with Adobo. Cook chicken, turning once, until skin is golden brown on both sides.

3. Add reserved tomato sauce mixture to pan. Be careful to avoid spattering tomato sauce! Lower heat to low, cover skillet with foil and simmer for 45 minutes. Turn chicken once.

4. Transfer chicken to cutting board and reserve sauce in skillet. Remove and discard bones and skin. Using two forks, shred chicken breast.

5. Transfer chicken to skillet with sauce and cook over low heat until sauce reduces, about 5-10 minutes.

6. Serve on warmed tortillas, topped with shredded lettuce, avocado, salsa or whatever you like.

Notes
You might want to let the chicken cool a it before you shred it. It will be terribly hot!

Chile Rellenos

Growing up in San Diego county, we had endless options for good Mexican food. I guess I've always assumed that every city in the United States has decent Mexican food restaurants, but it's just not the case. Good God I've had some awful fare during my travels here and there.

Chile Rellenos are one of those things that can either be very good in a restaurant or very bad. Mostly, I feel that they tend to be a bit average. It's all about the batter and the sauce with these bad boys. This is one of those dishes that takes a bit of time to prepare. It's not hard, but there are a lot of little steps.

I think you'll really like the enchilada sauce with this recipe. It's so good and nothing like that alien-looking pink stuff that comes out of a can.

Chile Rellenos

Ingredients

For the chiles and batter

4-6 Anaheim peppers, roasted, peeled and sliced with a 1"-2" incision

16 ounces shredded Monterrey Jack      

vegetable or canola oil            

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

For the sauce

6 dried California chiles (see notes)

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups beef broth

Directions

For the batter

1. Place the egg whites in a stand up mixer with the Cream of Tartar. Mix at high speed until stiff peaks have formed, about one minute.

2. Fold in the beaten egg yolks

For the chiles

1. Roast and peel the chiles. Make a 1" to 2" incision in each one.

2. Gently fill with shredded Monterey Jack.

3. Pour oil into skillet and heat. Add enough oil to cover a chile about half way, or 3/4".

4. Coat chile in batter, then fry on both sides until a deep golden color.

For the sauce 

1. Simmer the chiles in 4" of water water over low heat for 1 hour in a saucepan until soft.

2. Gently tear the chiles open, remove seeds and veins under running water.

3. Combine the chiles, tomato paste, corn oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and about 1 cup of the beef broth in a blender.

4. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture into a saucepan with the remaining beef broth.

5. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until warmed through.

6. Pour over chiles and serve immediately.

Notes

California chiles are simply dried Anaheim peppers and are not very hot. There are varieties from New Mexico, however, that are very warm. I got hold of some of these and had to simmer them in water to cook out some of the heat. Simply simmer for a few minutes, replace the water, simmer again, then taste to see if desired heat has been achieved.

Carnitas Tacos

 

I made these tacos as an homage to my friend Lyonel's abuelita. When we were growing up, she fed us the most delicious tamales, while Lyonel's dad was an expert at carne asada. Every once in a while there were tender, yet crispy, carnitas. I really miss the food and people of my childhood. It really seems like the friends you had when you were young are unlike any you will ever have. At least there's food that serves as a time machine to transport one back to more golden times.

Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1” chunks, trimmed of excess fat
2-3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
16 ounces vegetable or chicken stock (see notes)
1 cup red wine
water
1 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon freshly ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced
2 Anaheim chiles

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut the pork shoulder into 1" cubes, discarding excess fat.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. In three batches, sear the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until browned. If necessary, pour of excess fat between batches and add additional oil.

3. Once all the pork is browned pour off any excess fat. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine and scrape to release the fond.

4. Add the pork back into the pan, then add stock and enough water so that the pork pieces are 2/3rds submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and onion, then stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

7. Cover the skillet in aluminum foil and braise the pork in the oven for 2 1/2 hours or until the pork is falling apart.

8. Meanwhile, roast the Anaheim chiles over an open flame. Wash in cold water and scrub away the skin. Remove the seeds, thinly slice, then reserve.

9. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on the stovetop, pouring off any excess liquid of need be. Add the chiles, turn heat to medium high and brown the pork until crispy.

10. Serve on warmed tortillas, topping with salsa.

Notes
I think that using stock and wine to braise the pork is critical to adding additional flavor. Many people braise carnitas in water, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Why avoid flavor?

Regarding stock, please don't use stock with a high salt content. I think vegetable stock is the best for this recipe, but others will do in a pinch.