Grilled Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Vinaigrette

1 Ahi tuna steak

sesame oil

salt and pepper

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

1 bag of sweet butter salad mix

handful of vine tomatoes cut int half

Preheat the grill and brush tuna with oil season.

Season the tuna with salt and pepper on both sides.

Grill tuna on high heat for one minute on each side and obtain grill marks (since Jen is not a fan raw tuna I cooked each side for 2 minutes).

Remove from the grill and let rest for several minutes.

While the tuna is resting time to make the Wasabi Vinaigrette.

Wasabi Vinaigrette

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons wasabi horseradish

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients.

It should look like this:

Slice the tuna:

Plate with salad, tomatoes, tuna and drizzle dressing.

Happy Cooking!

Chicken

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoons fresh black pepper

kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 large chicken breasts with bone in and skin on

1/4 cup canola oil.

In a bowl combine then stir the ancho powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, 2 tablespoons salt, black pepper and cayenne.

Brush both sides of the chicken breast with the canola oil and season with salt.

Rub a few tablepoons of the rub on the top side of the chickens and set aside (this is a good time to start the grill).

Here is a close up of the spices on the chicken breast:

Time to make the sauce for the chicken.

Black Pepper Vinegar Sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

Combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.

Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and set aside (I clean the blender right away because you will need it for the slaw).

Green Onion Slaw

1 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

2 serrano chiles

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup canola oil

kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 bag of angel hair cabbage

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

To make the dressing for the slaw, combine the green onions, vinegar, honey, chiles, mayonniase, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a blender.

Blend until the sauce is emulsified and transfer to a bowl to use later on the slaw.

Combine the cabbage, cilantro, red onion and poppy seeds in a large bowl.  We used the dried cilantro because Jen isn’t a big fan of the taste of fresh cilantro (a bit overwhelming), but you can use fresh cilantro if you choose.

Fold in the dressing, stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover and refrigerate while you grill the chicken.

Place the chicken on the grill rub side down. Grill until golden brown and slight charred.

Turn the breast over and continue cooking the chicken until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the grill and drizle with the black pepper vinegar sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Here is how I plated the dish.

So the next time you are having people over for dinner and you want to make something easy yet rich in taste try this out. Check back tonight as I am making Ahi Tuna.

Happy Cooking!

Filet Mignon

2 Filet Mignon

2 Eggs

Fresh Chives

Salt and Pepper

I am going to do something a little different with this post and walk you through how I set everything up and the order I did everything because I was able to cook everything in about 30-40 minutes.

Take the filets and coat each side with salt and pepper and let sit at room tempature (this is a good time to start your grill and get it hot).

Then I started the potatoes.

Yes one package of Simply Potatoes (it is Monday and there is no way I would have time to make the potatoes from scratch). Now you can add any veggies you want but Jen and I love tomatoes and bell pepper. Oh and before I forget, season salt adds even more flavor.

So ,follow the directions on the potato package, but I will give a quick snap shot of what I did.

Put the potatoes in a pan over medium heat and add season salt.

Cook for about 4 minutes stir and then cover. This is when I started asaragus prep.

1 handful of fresh asparagus

Tablespoon of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper for taste

Parmesan Cheese

Snap the ends of the asparagus.

Put the asparagus into a baking sheet sprinkle salt/pepper and pour olive oil. I mix the asparagus with my and hand to ensure they are coated well.

Then, put the asaragus in the oven for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. I didn’t preheat my oven because I wanted to make sure everything was done at the same time.

Now back to the potatoes-I added the bell pepper/tomatoes and reduced the heat to low.

Time to grill the steaks. One word of advice when you put your steaks on the grill–6-7 minutes (this is for medium rare) on each side for the sear and don’t flip many times, which I know is hard for us guys.

I seared each side and then put the steaks on a plate and let them sit until the rest of the meal was ready for plating which we are close.

Asparagus should be done and we like ours a little crispy.

Time to fry the eggs sunny-side up and we are done.

And now for the plating which I think brings all the ingredients together.

So there you have it-a simple Monday night dinner of Steak and Eggs. Check back tomorrow to see what I am going to cook up in the kitchen-pun fully intended.

Happy Cooking!

Turnip Greens:

1 bag of turnip greens

1 package of prosciutto

1 white onion – diced

1 tomato – diced

2 cups of chicken broth

Take the prosciutto, cut into strips and put into a large pot over medium heat.

Let the prosciutto cook down for about 5 minutes. Now, take the diced white onion and add it to the pot. You will want to cook the onion down to it is almost soft which is about 10 minutes.

Take a bag of turnips greens, and add the diced tomatoes to the pot with chicken broth. I typically season with salt and pepper at this time and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and let the greens cook for 30 minutes.

This is another very simple recipe to make and is something I really enjoy eating. At least this past Sunday I was able to get Jen to try the greens again, but she still doesn’t like them (she doesn’t like bacon… I mean who doesn’t like bacon?). Here is my bowl of yummy greens:

I get back from NY tomorrow night and already miss cooking. I will feature another one of my favorite tool’s in the kitchen so check back.

Happy Cooking!

Happy Cooking!

Yetter’s Chicken Wonton Cups:

2 cans of cans of chicken breast

Half a package of wonton wrappers

Large bag of shredded mexican cheese blend

1 small bottle of ranch dressing

1 green bell pepper diced

1 red pepper diced

1 jalapeno diced

taco seasoning

cayenne pepper

Tabasco sauce

Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350 and take each wonton wrapper, coat in olive oil. Place the wonton wrappers into muffin tins to form a bowl.

Bake the wonton wrappers for about 5-8 minutes and watch them for slight browning on the edges. Take them out and set aside.

Now mix into a large bowl the two cans of chicken and bottle of ranch dressing.

Mix the bag of cheese and taco seasoning and cayanne pepper  in a bowl–just enough to make the cheese look dirty.

Now time to fill the wonton shells in the following order: scoop of chicken/ranch, cheese, diced peppers, and small piece of jalapeno with a shot of tabasco sauce on top.

Put the filled shells back into the oven and cook until lightly brown/cheese is melted and bubbly.

Here is the finished wontons on a serving platter:

Brooke’s Cheese Cups:

1 1/2 cups of grated white cheddar cheese (buy the block and grate it yourself it melts better)

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

1 package of pancetta

1 regular block of cream cheese

3 boxes of phyllo cups

small bunch of fresh chives for garnish

Slice your pancetta and then cut into cubes.

Now take the cubed pancetta and saute in pan until light brown and almost cripy. Preheat your oven to 375.

I rest the sauted pancetta on several paper towels to absorb the greese. Now mix all the cheese together with pancetta and be ready to get your hands dirty since you will be mixing it with your hands.

Once the cheeses and pancetta are mixed well, form into a ball and add to a freezer bag–push down to one corner , as you will cute the corner of the bag in order to pipe the mixture into the phyllo cups. Remove the phyllo cups from the box and put them onto a cookie sheet. Take your cheese bag , snip the corner, and pour in enough cheese mix to fill each cup.

Bake the cheese/pancetta filled phyllo cups until cheese is melted–about 15 minutes. Then garnish each cup with fresh chives.

Ok here is the general setting we did for the party. I hope you all enjoy and guys trust me just make one of these the next time you have a party. It is really an easy task to help in the kitchen for any party!  There is no bigger compliment to your food than having empty serving dishes at the end of the night.

Happy Cooking!

Now isn’t that  one awesome piece of metal? I use my Santoku knife all the time and it is classified as a general-purpose knife that origniated in Japan. Jen bought me this knife for Christmas and it has to be one of my top 5 gifts I have recieved from her. I am sure you  have all guessed by the name that the design of the knife orginated in Japan, but here is an interesting fact I found out on google: The word santoku loosely translates as ‘three good things’ or ‘three uses’, a reference to the three cutting tasks the knife performs so well, slicing dicing, and mincing (ok now I feel like that guy that always tries to sell you something on tv). This is the one tool every man should have in the kitchen, and don’t be surprised if you lady tries to fight you to be the one using it. Here are a few things you need to know about your sharp knife:

• Never ever put your good knife in the dishwasher
• Always handwash and dry throughly before you store
• Occasional touch-ups with a sharpening steel when needed

Blades can be between 5″ to 9″ long, and the price ranges from $15  to over $100.  The Viking 7 version of this knife is $126 to be exact (and yes that is for just one knife ). But trust me go out and get yourself a $20 Santoku knife and help the economy.

Well time to get back to date night, which, so far, tonight’s date night has been cleaning the house. Now isn’t that romantic? Check back tomorrow on what we are making for the party, and I will have pictures of the event on here.

Have a great night and happy cooking!

Sauteed Spinach:

Two very large handfuls of  baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Freshly squeezed lemon juice–1/2 lemon

In a very large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, until about half is brown. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 – 4 minutes.

Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon (I love cooking with wooden spoons!). Once the spinach is wilted, it is done. I let the spinach sit for about 5 minutes and I squeeze lemon and sprinkle kosher salt and I start on the shrimp.

Garlic & Herb Shrimp:

Ok I made a rookie mistake and made my herb/garlic mix before Jen (my photographer) took the pic. So here is the skinny:

20-25 small shrimp (no shell and no pooper vein – sorry but that is what I call it!)

2 cloves of garlic – minced very small

5 stems of fresh chives

2 tablespoons of fresh parshley chopped

1/4 cup of orange juice

1/2 of a lemon

Take a saute pan and turn on high heat. Add the shrimp and let the shrimp cook for about two minutes.

Now here is something I like about cooking, the shrimp started to cook really fast and I noticed the yummy flavor sorta sticking to the pan so what did I do? Yep I grabbed a bottle of white wine and added about 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan of shrimp, and had a small glass for myself too.  (Hey–I HAD to make sure it tasted good!) 

Stir the shrimp and don’t overcook.   I typically cook my shrimp for 8 minutes max (4 minutes per side) and I squeeze half of a lemon over top of the shrimp once it is cooked. Now, time to plate! Remember, this was not an expensive meal nor one that took forever to make, but with plating, you can make it look like a million bucks and like you spent all day slaving over the stove.

See how I stacked the spinach and made sure I added the garlic to the top?

Amazing how two stems of chives and a little sprig parsley dress up this simple dish. Here is a view of the total plating:

Now, we have conquered garlic and herb shrimp-simple, huh?  Stay tuned for the weekend meals–great appetizer recipes coming up on Saturday when we are hosting a party at our house.   Would love to hear your success stories with the recipes so far from this week.  Feel free to leave your remarks in the ‘Comments” section.

Happy Cooking!