ONE HUNDREDTH POST ~ Tomato Pesto Salmon with Lentils (sorta) and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (plus, a bonus meal!)

So a few nights ago marked my one hundredth post!  I really thought I would feel more pomp and circumstance, but to be honest, it was just another fun evening of cooking, no more or less special than all the others.  I experimented, I enjoyed some old favorites, I made some mistakes, and had some successful enterprises. All in one meal!  Pretty much summarizes the Accidental Chef journey thus far...

So last nightI decided to continue my foray with lentils. I'll tell you right now, it didn't work out as well as I would have liked, but I've learned in the process.

Here's what you'll need:

~ One fillet of salmon
~ Wegmans (or comparable) prepared sundried tomato pesto
~ EVOO
~ Sesame seed oil (or EVOO)
~ Brussels sprouts, quartered
~ Fresh herb of choice (oregano for me!)
~ Sea salt
~ Lentils
~ Patience

After a relaxing evening of prepping for a meeting, responding to emails and (the best part!) a Skype chat with my adopted-uncle Kenton who's currently teaching overseas, I was in a very good mood, and ready to top the evening off with a good meal.  I put some Madeleine Peyroux on my GoogleMusic player, poured a glass of last night's Carmenere, and set to work.

First, I boiled some water in a shallow pan and put the lentils in.

: : PAUSE : :

Here's the thing.  Websites about lentils are not too helpful.  The instructions I found stated that lentils take "anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour."  So, I boiled them for 2 minutes as instructed, and then let them simmer while I prepped the brussels sprouts.  In retrospect, I may have jumped the gun on deciding the lentils were done.  So follow these instructions, but know that lentils take longer to cook.  I'm not sure how long, exactly.  I'll get back to you on that.

: : UNPAUSE : :

So I boiled and simmered the lentils and danced around the kitchen to Madeleine, and used a brand new tool for the brussels sprouts.  It's called an Ulu, and it's a knife native to the indigenous people of Alaska.  I actually have been in possession of it for well over a year and a half, but sadly keep forgetting to use it.  I must say, it made very short business of quartering the brussels sprouts.

I drizzled sesame seed oil over the brussels sprouts, a generous gift from my friend Darrin, who knows a guy in Austin, TX who makes his own sesame oils and roasted seeds.  I have to tell you, the sesame seeds are SO good, I occasionally grab a pinch out of the jar when I'm passing through the kitchen just to munch on.  Super yummy.  The oil is also equally good, giving any dish a certain rich, nutty flavor.  I've been using this sesame oil a LOT in my cooking (in the aforementioned "un-blogged" meals) and will have to suffer the pains (ha ha) of cooking with it a lot more so as to inform you all of its many uses.

So, over that I sprinkled sea salt and fresh oregano.  Into the pre-heated toaster oven they went, on broil, at 350.  I tossed them around occasionally as I cooked.

I drained the lentils, figuring this HAD to have been enough time (I was wrong) and put them in a prep bowl with some hot water and about a teaspoonful of the pesto.  I covered them, figuring this would cook them the rest of the way through.

Into a pan I started some of the tomato pesto simmering.  Into that I added a bit of EVOO and blended it together.  I sauteed the salmon for 2 minutes on one side, 3 on the other.  I ended up having to toss it back in to cook it just a little more, so I'd probably end up leaning toward 2, flip, 3, flip, 2.  That should do it, for future reference.

I put the brussels sprouts on the plate, spooned on some lentils, and topped that with the tomato pesto salmon.

And the lentils were NOT cooked all the way.

Everything else was very yummy, but the lentils had a certain "underdone" crunch to them.  After reading up on it, it seems that the Internet is pretty unanimous on the whole "don't eat underdone lentils" thing.  Given that the next day would be the first day of my new class, I decided not to risk it and tossed them.

The rest of the meal was fantastic, though.  The tomato pesto gave the salmon great flavor, and the brussels sprouts were infused with the nuttiness of the oil and the sweetness that all veggies seem to get when roasted.

I ended up having leftover salmon, which I saved for the next night's meal:

I added some fresh oregano to the container to infuse it with flavor while it sat.  The following night, as I said, I taught a class, so I returned home exhausted and very, very hungry.  A quick yet satisfying meal was in order.  Earlier that day, I had decided to master, once and for all, lentil cooking.  I cooked them in a small pot of water for about 45 minutes altogether.  They definitely looked more cooked, with some of them falling apart in the water, but most of them maintaining their shape.

When I returned home that night, I started some water boiling immediately, and cooked my favorite tortellini for 10 minutes.  At five minutes in, I started the salmon, some tomato pesto, and the lentils sauteeing in a stick-free pan.  When the tortellini was done, I dumped it in and tossed the whole thing around for a bit.  What resulted was a flavorful, quick, satisfying meal (that also happened to go great with the remaining Carmenere!).  All in all, a satisfying 100th post - a combination of items that gave me two meals, a learning experience, and, most of all, a fun, relaxing way to spend a few evenings.

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL


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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Ninety-fourth Post ~ Mediterranean-inspired lamb and tortellini (okay, not really)

I say "not really" because I'm lying in the title.  "Inspired" implies forethought and premeditation.  This was a very un-pre-meditated dinner, insomuch as I didn't realize what meat I was working with until it hit the pan.  This is one of the posts through which I truly feel I've earned the "Accidental" in my blog name.

Let us begin at the beginning...

I occasionally reap the benefits of large meat purchases made by my parents.  Here and there, I'm bestowed gifts of meat which I merrily store away in my freezer and use throughout the year.  Tonight, I found, buried in the back of my freezer like a lost Christmas present beneath the tree, a particularly tempting parcel of... hamburger.  For that's what I was certain it was.

So I decided that hamburger sauteed with bruschetta would render a lovely meaty, savory sauce, perfect for the remaining tortellini that was just shrieking to be eaten up in my cupboard (only a true tortellini-lover knows how loudly and plaintively cheese-filled pasta can shriek).  So I thawed out the rich, red parcel of meat, got out my ingredients, and set the patty into the hot pan into which had already been spooned a large helping of bruschetta.

Where my senses were greeted with decidedly "NOT BEEF" messages.  The savory, rich smell hit me first - one that, for lamb-lovers, is positively intoxicating.  The juicy texture reached my spatula next.  This was not ground beef - this was ground lamb.  I had brought it home intending to make my mother's delectable orange-glaze sauce (caramel, really) that she serves these patties with (along with a bed of white rice to soak up the remaining sauce).

I would not normally have thought lamb+bruschetta = tortellini dish!  But that's what I had in front of me in the pan.

And I'm here to tell you that this was one happy accident!

Here's what you'll need:

~ 1 ground lamb patty (you'll most likely have to special-order these from your butcher, but they're oh-so worth it)
~ Pre-made bruschetta
~ Touch of black truffle oil
~ Dash of balsamic vinegar
~ Tortellini
~ Fresh oregano

So, as previously mentioned, start a pan heating on low-medium with 2-3 heaping tablespoons of bruschetta.  Start a small pot of boiling water going at the same time.  Add the ground lamb to the bruschetta.  Break it up and stir it around.  Let it cook uncovered for about 5-7 minutes, adding some truffle oil (this puts it over the top) and covering it for the remaining time the pasta cooks.  Drain the pasta and uncover the sauce.  Relish in the savory aromas!  Toss the tortellini in the sauce and allow it to meld for a minute or so on low-to-no heat.  Top it with fresh oregano for a truly wonderful dish.

I paired this meal with the Petite Sirah by Crane Lake from last night.  Oh, dear readers, this was a good, good pairing.  Perhaps Sirah and lamb were made for each other, for fruity notes sang from this wine that hadn't been as evident last night.  Spices came to the fore as well, blending harmoniously with the rich flavor of the lamb but not fighting the bruschetta at all.

All in all, a good meal.  Accidentally, of course!
Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Eighty-ninth Post ~ Bruschetta Tortellini with Breaded Pork Medallions Sautéed in Roasted Tomato Oil

A confession from the Accidental Chef:  Tortellini and pork tenderloins are sort of my go-to meal in a time crunch.  I have it down to such a science, I can have it from raw ingredients to the table (er... TV tray) in 15 minutes.  In order to do so, you have to have a few things stocked and on-hand:

~ Breading mixture: In my freezer I keep a plastic container that originated from one of my first purchases of fresh grated parm from Wegman's cheese shop.  One day, running short of supplies (or craving more cheese, I can't remember which) I made up for a lack of cheese or breadcrumbs by mixing the two together.  It has become my "can't-live-without" thing in my kitchen.  I keep it in the freezer because I routinely toss pork or chicken around in it before sauteeing, so I figure freezing will keep it fresh.  The mixture consists of basically half Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and half grated parmesan.  Along the way, if I have a few extra bits of fresh herbs that are going to wilt soon, I'll toss those in, too.  So there's probably some thyme and oregano floating around in there.  As it starts looking empty, I dump some more parm and breadcrumbs and herbs in as I have them.

~ Pork tenderloins: I buy club packs of pork tenderloins from Wegmans and spend about 20 minutes opening them, slicing them into medallions, separating the pieces into appropriate servings, wrapping and freezing them.  It's a 20 minutes well-spent, because I can toss one of the packets onto the counter to thaw and have dinner set for the evening.

So now that you know my freezer basics, on with the show.

I got two pre-made things from Wegmans this week that I've been enjoying tremendously: Roasted tomatoes in oil and a container of bruschetta.  The tomatoes were used last night in a remix of my original Ratatouille recipe (this time I nixed the eggplant in favor of some baby bellas that needed to be eaten) but I saved the oil, infused with the sweet flavor of the roasted tomatoes and embellished by spices, herbs and garlic.  The bruschetta I munched on with baguette slices, but I had purchased it mainly with tortellini in mind.  So here's what I ended up doing for tonight's meal.

Here's what you'll need:
~ Pork tenderloins sliced into medallions
~ Italian breadcrumbs (optional parm and herbs mixed in)
~ Tortellini (I swear by Barilla's tortellini - tonight's was cheese and spinach)
~ Oil from roasted tomatoes
~ Coarse-ground sea salt

Now: here's the science.  Master these steps and this will be your easy-peasy go-to dinner, too!

In a small pot, start some salted water boiling.  Lid on.  It'll heat faster.  Open up your package of pork.  By now, your water is boiling, so add your tortellini and start the timer for 10 minutes.  Put a colander in your sink.  Put the oil in a stick-free pan and turn it on medium heat.  Open the plastic container of breadcrumb mixture and, with a fork, turn each medallion in the mixture, setting each into the simmering oil.

: : PAUSE : :

If your apartment's fire alarm is as finicky as mine, you may need to add the steps "Fling door open repeatedly to ventilate the fire alarm to stop its screeching" and "try coaxing puppy out from under sofa and finally give up" to your steps.

: : UNPAUSE : :

Stir the tortellini, and, as the pork medallions cook half-way up, turn them gently, being cautious of oil splatter.  Miraculously, as the tenderloins are nearing done, your timer will go off.  Pour the contents of the pasta pot into the colander.  Place the tenderloins on a plate.  Drain the remaining oil from the stick-free pan.

At this point, add whatever sauce you're going to use for the tortellini into the pan.  Tonight it was bruschetta. In past nights, it's been sundried tomato pesto, or regular basil pesto.  Sometimes, it's spaghetti sauce and velveeta.  Toss it around in the pan on medium heat for a little under a minute.  Top with some grated parm, if desired.  Which in my case, is nearly always.

Pop onto a plate and enjoy!  I paired tonight's dinner with an award-winning Pinot Grigio from Vetter Vineyards.  It was refreshing and crisp, echoing the flavors of the bruschetta nicely!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

Sixty-ninth Post ~ Pork Tenderloins with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Tortellini

This post is something of a continuation of the theme of "Ode to Wegmans Classic Italian" from this post a short time ago. These ingredients are always in my cupboard and freezer. I'm not sure if there's ever been a day that tortellini hasn't sounded good to me for dinner, and, well, you know my thoughts on pork tenderloins being the most perfect, versatile cut of meat out there and Italian breadcrumbs being just about the best stuff ever.

So tonight's dinner was, in my opinion, something of a culinary no-brainer.

~ Pork tenderloins (cut into medallions - the thinner they are, the faster they'll cook)

~ Italian breadcrumb

~ (optional) fresh or dried thyme

~ EVOO

~ Tortellini (I'm a fan of Barilla's three-cheese)

~ Salt

~ Wegman's sun-dried tomato pesto (which has been sitting patiently in my freezer since I opened it)

Start your salted water boiling. In the mean time, slice the pork and pour some breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. Add some thyme if you wish. By now, the water is rolling, so pour in some tortellini and set the timer for 10 minutes.

Don't put a shellacked bamboo spoon on the edge of the pot with the tortellini, though. You'll spend the first five minutes wondering what that deliciously sweet smell is, and the next five minutes obsessing over the giant blackened spot on the handle of your beautiful spoon.

Coat the tenderloin medallions generously in the breadcrumbs. Get some EVOO smoking in a stick-free pan. Drop in the breaded tenderloins and cook until golden.

Transfer the pork to a plate. In the same pan, dump the strained tortellini and a spoonful of pesto. Turn off the flame and toss the pasta until it's well-coated.

I served tonight's meal with the remaining 2004 Italian red by Saladini Pilastri. It was starting to dry out, so enjoying it with tonight's meal was a wise decision. It was still fruity and oaky, and paired as well with this meal as it had with the lamb.

All in all, a satisfying, quickly-prepared meal!

Yours in the love of good food and wine,

AL

Sixteenth Post: Breaded Chicken with Tortelleni

Perhaps it was because I heard my parents were going to Olive Garden for dinner. Perhaps it's because I've got an open bottle of Merlot screaming for an appropriate dish. Perhaps it's just because I like it. Whatever the reason, I wanted Italian tonight.

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This is a meal that I've altered a bit from my childhood original. My mother learned it from an elderly Italian woman who brought this recipe with her from the Old Country - the original calls for turkey or pork cutlets. However, I had a chicken breast available to me. So I made it work.

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What you'll need for tonight's dinner:

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~ Meat (preferably turkey or pork cutlets) I used one chicken breast cut into strips while it was still partially frozen.

~ Ready-made pasta sauce (of course, the original recipe calls for a home-made pasta sauce learned from this woman from Italy, and let me tell you, if heaven could be created in a pot, it would taste like this sauce. Due to time, I used a ready-made.)

~ Grated cheese (I used Romano)

~ Pasta (I used tortellini)

~ Butter (or margerine)

~ Seasoned bread crumbs

~ Egg

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:: PAUSE ::

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Tortellini is quite possibly the greatest food in existance. You have your noodles, which are pretty great, and cheese, which is quite incredible, and then some genius decided to put the cheese inside the noodle. I'm fairly certain that on that day, the sun shone a little brighter and the world seemed a little happier. Tortellini is perfect by itself, in butter, with herbs, and with pasta sauce. You gotta have a special spot in your heart for these little noodles of cheesey goodness.

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:: UNPAUSE ::

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Start your water boiling. Get out all your ingredients. This is not a meal you want to scramble for. Melt some butter in a stick-free pan. At the same time, have your sauce heating on the stove or in the microwave. To spice up this jarred sauce, I added some cheese, fresh basil, and a little sugar.

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Now, dip your meat in egg and coat in seasoned breadcrumbs. Coat all the pieces, then set them into the sizzling butter on your pan. They will cook pretty quickly.

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Drain and serve your pasta, place some meat with it, and make sure you have ample sauce to dip it in!

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I served tonight's dinner with a Merlot from Mendoza, Argentina. It is fruit-forward and paired beautifully with the salty pasta sauce and the rich, cheesey pasta.

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It's not quite the same as the turkey or pork cutlets, but it certainly fulfilled my desire for Italian! It also shows how versatile this recipe is - try this meal with spaghetti instead of tortellini for a "twist!"

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Yours in the love of good food and wine,
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.