Grilled Scallops with Basil Stuffing

Since I successfully prepared Mark Bittman’s Shrimp and Garlic recipe, I decided to try another one of his recipes. This time I ventured out and made Grilled Scallops with Basil Stuffing. This was the second meal I made on my new small but efficient grill pan.

The recipe wasn’t clear about how much basil stuffing to fill each stuffing. As with any adventure, since it was unplanned, I guessed and used about half a teaspoon. The amount seemed good enough, if not a little messy.

Perhaps the next time I make this dish, I’ll be more professional and tidy. In the meantime I accomplished another fun adventure! I served my scallops with green beans and toasted almonds.

Paz

*If you see those codes, please let me know. Thanks!

Grilled Scallops with Basil Stuffing
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds or more large sea scallops

Mince the basil, garlic, salt and pepper together until very fine, almost a puree (you can do this in a food processor, but it really won't save you time or effort). Mix in a small bowl or cup with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Make a deep horizontal slit in the side of each of the scallops, but don't cut all the way through. Fill each scallop with about ? teaspoon of the basil mixture; close. Pour the remaining oil onto a plate or pan and turn the scallops in it. Let sit while you preheat a gas grill or start a charcoal fire; it should be very hot before grilling, with the rack about 4 inches from the heat source.

Place the scallops on the grill (don't pour the remaining oil over them, as it will catch fire), and grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, no more. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges.

* You can also use a large, deep skillet to brown the scallops, using only the oil that clings to them.

Served with green beans and toasted almonds

About these wierd codes... apologies

Hi Everyone,

I'm sorry to read that a lot of you are seeing these wierd codes in my posts. Like Nicky mentioned below, I also use Windows XP/Firefox and I've never seen them. I'm not sure if I can fix what I can't see. And I'm not sure how the codes are coming up. Hmmm... Raquel has mentioned that the codes are html tags (?). I'm not sure how to go about checking the tags. Any more suggestions appreciated. I'm wondering if any of the blogspot users have this problem.

Paz


Ed: I've just found that depending on what you use to look at the blog, the "About Me" section and links normally found on the immediate right have sunk to the bottom. As soon as I figure out how to correct the problem, I'll do so. If you use Windows XP and Firefox or Safari (or a Mac computer), there shouldn't be a problem. Everything looks fine...

10 Important Tools Needed in the Kitchen

Five piece stainless-steel tools from Williams-Sonoma.com

I recently read an old Parade magazine column by Sheila Lukins called “What’s Cookin.’” It featured an article entitled, “10 Kitchen Tools I Can’t Live Without.” (Page 8, April 3, 2005).

The author listed the following 10 kitchen tools, which she found necessary in the kitchen. I have to agree with her on most of them.

Here are the items:

Food processor (Just bought one)

Electric juicer (Don’t have one. Would be cool to have one.)

Pepper grinder (Need a new one. I have a cheap one that’s annoying)

Mini-chopper (I’m not sure about this one.)

Food scale (I have a small cheap one, but rarely use it.)

Measuring cups (Yes!)

Microplane rasp (Oh, yeah!)

Measuring spoons (Could always use new ones)

Instant-read meat thermometer (Hmmm… I dunno about this one…)

Mixing bowls (Could definitely use these)

What tools do you consider necessary in your kitchen?

Paz

Steak Salad

I made a nice steak salad courtesy of Giada’s recipe: Pan fried rib eye steak, cut in stripes, then placed of a bed of a salad mix of romaine lettuce, baby arugula, endive, cherry tomatoes, and red onions. Splash some Red Wine Vinaigrette and you’re good to go.

The mix of the salad and the dressing go well together and taste very good. I liked the combination of the crunchy, cool, fresh romaine lettuce, together with the spicy, smooth, flat arugula. The color of the red onion and cherry tomatoes offset by the different colored greens from the romaine lettuce and arugula, and then the dark-colored steak slices make a colorful presentation.

The recipe calls for Gorgonzola cheese, but I left it out since I didn't have any on hand. The missing ingredient did not take away from the success of the salad. It still tasted good and filling.

Paz

Steak Salad

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound steak (such as New York, rib-eye or filet mignon), pan-fried or grilled and chilled

In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, red onion, baby arugula and cherry tomatoes, and half of the cheese.

Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Yield: 1 2/3 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes

Lamb with Herbs

I finally made one of Farid Zadi’s Algerian dishes – Lamb with Herbs. First, I went grocery shopping for lamb, onions, cilantro, parsley, green pepper, and lemon. The recipe calls for marinating all the ingredients along with olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Then everything is cooked in a Dutch oven over medium heat for 1 ½ - 2 hours.

I’m not sure what the Lamb with Herbs is served with in an Algerian household, but I served it with rice. No one complained.

Paz

Grilled Spanish-Style Snapper with Tomato and Green Olive Salsa

After watching one of Rachael Ray’s 30-Minutes Meals shows, I became anxious to try her Grilled Spanish-Style Snapper with Tomato and Green Olive Salsa. I finally got a chance and bought my ingredients from the new Citarella store in my neighborhood. They sell fresh fish, meat and good vegetables. Here’s there recipe:

Grilled Spanish-Style Snapper with Tomato and Green Olive Salsa

4 (8oz) portions of red snapper fillet

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

1 ½ tsp (1/2 palmful) cumin

1 ½ tsp (1/2 palmful) sweet paprika

1 tsp (1/3 palmful) coarse salt

1 tsp (1/3 palmful) black pepper

1 tsp (1/3 palmful) coriander

Tomatoes and Green Olive Salsa:

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Handful of cilantro, finely chopped (You can substitute with flat leaf parsley)

½ small red onion, chopped

12 large green olives cracked from pits and coarsely chopped

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat grill pan; drizzle snapper with extra-virgin olive oil; combine spices in a small bowl; rub fish with spice mixture; cook fish for 5 minutes skin side down first; turn the fish and cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer; combine salsa ingredients in a small bowl and allow it to marinate until ready to serve. To serve, plate spiced snapper with a generous serving of salsa.

First, I prepared the salsa and let it sit before starting with the snapper. I enjoyed all the chopping involved to make the salsa. My favorite part of the process was chopping the cilantro on my new cutting board -- a nice, big, wooden one. As soon as the knife hit the cilantro on the board, it’s distinct smell wafted towards my nose and had me salivating in anticipation of the finished meal. I love cilantro. It not only brings color to the dish but tastes so good with the tomatoes, lime, and green olives.

Next, I concentrated on the red snapper, prepared on my handy small grill pan. The aroma of the spices floated up into the air. From the smells alone, I knew it would be a good meal.

While waiting for the fish, I started on the green beans with toasted almonds that Rachael suggests goes well with the snapper. It's another simple recipe:

Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

1 Tbs (1 turn around the pan) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbs butter

Salt

Toasted slivered or sliced almonds for garnish

Cook green beans for 5 minutes in one inch boiling water, covered; drain beans and return the pan to the heat; add the oil and butter to the pan; toss the beans in the oil and melted butter; season the beans with salt and transfer to serving plate; garnish the green beans with the toasted slivered or sliced almonds.

Rachael also recommends a sangria to drink with this meal. She calls her special mixture, Sunset Sangria. I haven’t made it yet. When I do, I’ll let you know how it tastes, but I can tell you that the snapper, topped with the salsa, and served with the green beans with toasted almonds was very good.

Paz

Sofrito (Freshly made)

When I make certain Latin recipes like rice and beans, macarroni with chicken, or a simple sauce, part of the ingredients I use include sofrito -- the special base used in many Latin recipes. It is also used to flavor other dishes like chicken and sautéed shrimp.


You can buy the sofrito from a store that sells Latin food products or you can make your own from scratch. I've found that I prefer the homemade version by T.V. Cook Daisy Martinez.

I love the smells of the fresh cilantro, sweet peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, and ajicito dulces as they are pureed in the food processor. It's as if the sofrito brings life to the kitchen aromas and meal preparation. It tastes very good, and adds an extra special flavor to the dish. As the sofrito recipe suggests, I store the rest of it in the fridge or freezer to use when needed.

Paz

Sofrito

Makes about 4 cups.

If you can't find ajices dulces or culantro, don't sweat. Up the amount of cilantro to 1 ½ bunches.

2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks 3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers 16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled 1 large bunch cilantro, washed 7 to 10 ajices dulces (see note below), optional 4 leaves of culantro (see note below), or another handful cilantro 3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks

Chop the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully. Freeze sofrito in ½ cup batches in sealable plastic bags. They come in extremely handy in a pinch. You can even add sofrito straight from the freezer to the pan in any recipe that calls for it in this book.

Pantry Notes: Ajices Dulces, also known as cachucha or ajicitos are tiny sweet peppers with a hint of heat. They range in color from light to medium green and yellow to red and orange. They add freshness and an herby note to the sofrito and anything you cook. Do not mistake them for Scotch bonnet or Habanero chilies (which they look like)—those two pack a wallop when it comes to heat. If you can find ajicitos in your market, add them to sofrito. If not, up the cilantro and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Culantro is not cilantro. It has long leaves with tapered tips and serrated edges. When it comes to flavor, culantro is like cilantro times ten. It is a nice, not essential addition to sofrito. (See Sources for both the above.)

Macarrones con Pollo

My new authentic paella pan from Spain!

Last week, I received a special surprise gift when Tattum sent me an authentic, gigantic paella pan from Spain! I couldn’t believe my eyes! It’s so large that it takes up two burners on my stove and I can cook for a whole army on it. Perfect to make food for family and friends!

Not long ago, I’d made paella and realized that the pan is also an important part of the cooking process. My paella turned out fine, but I knew that it would turn out even better when prepared in the proper pan.

Now, I have the chance to make the best paella dishes that I can with my new pan.

Shortly before I received the pan, I’d seen two recipes demonstrated by T.V. chef Daisy, which called for the use of a paella pan. They weren’t the normal paella recipes that I’d become accustomed to seeing because instead of rice, pasta was used. Tattum later explained that one of the recipes is called a fideua. I plan on preparing that next.

I christened my new pan by making Macarrones con Pollo (Maccaroni with chicken). It's basically pasta, chicken, and a spicy tomato sauce. What fun I had cooking in my new paella pan!

Unfortunately, Daisy’s site does not have the recipe listed, so I had to estimate on some of the measurements.

The recipe basically calls for putting salt and pepper on chicken. You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces. I used separate pieces (dark meat – legs and thighs); brown the chicken in olive oil on a medium flame in the paella pan. When the chicken is brown, add cut chorizo pieces (sausage) in the middle of the pan. Remove the chicken and place aside. Add about ½ Cup sofrito (the special base used a lot in Latino cooking, which I first mentioned here – I made it from scratch or you can use a store-bought version); roughly chop and add about ¼ Cup Alcaparrado (pimento stuffed olives and capers). If you can't find the Alcaparrado, simply take about 6 pimento stuffed olives and 3 Tablespoons of capers, mix and roughly chop them. Add about 3 - 4 ajicito dulces (peppers) If you can't find them, you can substitute them with a handful of chopped cilantro. Add it to the pan. Add 1 tsp cumin, ½ Cup White wine, 28oz. can tomatoes (whole or crushed); tuck 2 bay leaves (preferably fresh) into the sauce. Add the chicken back to the pan and top the sauce with a generous handful of chopped fresh cilantro. Add freshly ground black pepper. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, boil Macarrones #28 (pasta) in separate pot. When the sauce is ready, the chicken should be falling off the bone. Put it in a platter. Put the pasta in another platter and spoon a little sauce over it. It's ready to serve. To make a plate, take some pasta, then place chicken over it. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and chicken. Totally delicious! I served this dish with garlic bread.

In addition to the pan, Tattum also sent me a paella cookbook, with 180 recipes from the Andalusian region of Spain – Secretos de los fogones del Sur (Secrets of the Stoves of the South) by Esperanza Peláez. I look forward to making the different types of paella in the book. So stay tuned to my paella dishes here. Thank you Tattum!

Besos,
Paz

Maccarones con Pollo ready to eat!

Tunisian Chicken Chorba

Tunisian Chicken Chorba almost ready in the pot

It had been raining non-stop for the past couple of days and I decided it was a good day to make something warm to eat, after being drenched by the weather.

I made Tunisian Chicken Chorba, which Anis Toumi contributed to the Ya Rayi Our Ray blog. He explained that ‘chorba’ means ‘soup,’ and the Tunisian Chicken Chorba is one variation of Tunisian chorbas.

Anis continued to enlighten the reader that "a Tunisian chorba should have the robust flavors of garlic, peppers and spices…. Tunisians will usually agree that most dishes should be hot. A wife who does not love her husband makes him mild dishes."

That’s certainly one way to show some love. I like it! Like many people, I like spicy and hot dishes. However, if I cook the chorba for someone not used to hot food, I know that I have the liberty to cut back on the spices (and it won’t mean that I love them any less.).

According to the instructions, I first sautéed onions and added the garlic. Next, I added the carrots, celery, then tomato paste, chicken pieces (the recipe calls for a whole chicken), chick peas, potatoes and last, the pasta. The recipe called for vermicelli, but I used Angel Hair pasta, as that is what I had available.

In addition to salt, I used the spices cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. The chicken chorba is a good meal to have. I think especially during the upcoming winter season.

Paz

Chorba cooking in pot

The finished product

Staples in Your Kitchen

What's in your kitchen pantry?

Since I've started cooking, I've discovered that there are some constantly used food items that I need to keep in the kitchen. No, no, I'm not talking about Haagen-Daz ice cream, bags of potato chips or a six-pack cans of coke (although, I don't see anything wrong with these). I’m talking about basics like:

Rice, pasta, flour (all purpose), corn meal, sugar (white, brown, granulated, superfine, confectioners), beans (black, garbanzo, and cannelli), stock/broth (chicken, beef, vegetable and fish), clam juice, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, anchovies (yes, anchioves), capers, onions, pickled hot pepper....

Bacon or pancetta, eggs, milk, butter, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, honey, jelly/jam, olives....

Olive oil, vegetable oil (preferably canola oil), sea salt, kosher salt, vinegar (white, red wine, balsamic and sherry)

Fresh herbs (parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, cilantro…)

Spices like chili powder, basil, Italian seasonings, ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, curry, paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme, pepper (whole peppercorn, white/black pepper), salt (reglar, sea, Kosher), vanilla extract, ground red pepper, garlic powder, nutmeg bay leaves,all-purpose seasoning....

Marsala, White wine, Red wine, Sherry wine...

What regularly used foods do you keep in your kitchen?

Paz

Carrot, Orange, and Radish Salad

The other day, when I made Chicken Tagine, I also made a carrot, orange and radish salad to go with the meal.

My sister is of the opinion that if the dish doesn’t have lettuce, it shouldn’t be called a salad. She mentioned the cantaloupe salad I’d made some time ago and said that although she liked it, I’d initially surprised her when she only saw the cantaloupe in my so-called salad. Yet, as with the cantaloupe salad, she gobbled my carrot, orange and radish salad with appreciation. I couldn’t blame her. It tasted very good.

As the title suggests, I made it out of carrots, oranges, and radishes. I added fresh mint and cilantro leaves, along with ground cinnamon, sugar and fresh lemon juice. The combination of the flavors were out of this world, especially when the ingredients sat for about an hour or two and were allowed to blend even more. The cilantro, mint, and cinnamon woke up the salad and their smell teased my senses.

I’d never been very fond of radishes before but to my surprise that I liked the way they tasted when combined with the carrots and the juices of the oranges and lemon. The soft and mild with a peppery hint in the background was the perfect flavor.

The recipe also called for orange flower water. I had no idea what that was or where to find it, so I left it out. Perhaps it enhances the taste of the salad, but no matter; without it my salad still tasted divine.

Paz

Carrot, Orange and Radish Salad
4 carrots
6 radishes (or 4-inch piece daikon radish)
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
2 navel oranges
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon orange flower water
Kosher salt

Slice carrots and radishes as thinly as possible and add to a large bowl. Add mint and cilantro. Remove the peel and pith from the oranges. Working over a bowl to catch the juice, cut between the membranes to remove the orange segments; add them to the carrots. Squeeze the membrane to extract the rest of the juice and add the cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice, orange flower water, and salt, to taste. Mix to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour over the carrot mixture and gently toss to coat. The salad can be served immediately but allowing it to sit for 1 or 2 hours will help the flavors to blend. Just before serving, taste and adjust seasoning.

Chicken Tagine with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons

I made a scrumptious Moroccan dish that Rick (Humphrey Bogart) in the movie Casablanca would have eaten and smacked his lips afterwards – Chicken tagine with green olives and preserved lemons, served alongside couscous with apricots. This is a recipe from Tyler Florence’s Food 911 show.

I’d seen the show over a month earlier and made the preserved lemons. A relatively simple procedure, I cut lemons, inserted Kosher salt in the cuts, squeeze the lemons into a glass jar. I had to fight the lemons to squeeze them into the jar. Luckily I won the fight, but not without squirting juice from the jar all over the kitchen and on my clothing. I added more salt to cover the lemons completely, and then put the lemons into the fridge for one month. I understand that the preserved lemon will keep for one year.

Preserved lemons

The meal was relatively easy to make once I completed the food preparation – I made a spice from scratch for the chicken – cinnamon, peppercorns, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and cloves. Note to self: Buy a spice grinder. Preparing the spice would have been much easier if I had a grinder.

I marinated the chicken overnight with the spices, garlic, ginger, cilantro, bay leaves, saffron and olive oil.

The easy part came when the chicken was first browned in olive oil. I loved the way the kitchen became filled with the aroma of the spices and the chicken. It smelled really good. Even my dogs become excited. They knew something good was cooking. Both kept hovering by the kitchen door and staring at me. They waited for some food to fall on the ground and their eyes would go from the stove to me and then back to the stove again.

I added the onions, preserved lemon, marinade, crushed olives, and chicken stock. Thirty minutes later the tagine was ready.

I flavored the couscous with chicken stock, dried apricots, scallions, fresh juice from an orange, extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. The couscous complimented the chicken tagine perfectly!

The specially prepared lemons brought out the flavor in the stew and the chicken. The couscous made an excellent paring with the juicy, flavored seasoned chicken covered in the juices from the stew.

I’m sure if Rick from Casablanca tasted my meal, he’d say, “Cook it again, Paz.”

Paz ;-)

Chicken tagine with green olives and preserved lemons

Spaghetti with Seafood Tunisian Style

Ya Rayi Our Rai is a blog by Farid Zadi with different contributors. It, along with his second blog Algerian Cuisine features enticing North African recipes.

Recently, I tried a recipe for Spaghetti with Seafood Tunisian Style by Anis Toumis. I’m happy to write that I did a decent job.

The ingredients include spaghetti, shrimp, cuttle fish, clams, tomatoes, green chilis, tomato paste, saffron, onions, garlic and a choice of parsley or cilantro.

I once made the comment about not being able to cook until I had all the ingredients that the recipe called for and Anis replied, "Think like a North African when you're preparing North African dishes. We do not worry about [what] we do not have. We take care with what we do have."

Well, this was the perfect time for me to follow Anis' advice, as I didn't have all the ingredients. With the Spaghetti with Seafood Tunisian Style recipe, I made a few ingredient substitutions and in some cases, omissions.

I don’t know what cuttle fish is and couldn’t find it. I meant to substitute it with another type of fish, but forgot to buy the fish and ended up leaving it out of my recipe, altogether. In any event, I was satisfied to include shrimp and clams alone in the meal.

I couldn’t find green chilis and ended up using cayenne pepper. I didn’t have anymore saffron because I'd used it, earlier, for my paella recipe. As a result, I substituted it with tumeric, instead.

The ingredients also include tabil spice mix – a blend of coriander, caraway, garlic and cayenne pepper. I couldn’t find caraway in the store. So, I left it out. What is caraway, anyway? I have to look it up and see what it looks like.

Following the instructions, I made my spaghetti (Angel Hair pasta) in a separate pot, and made the sauce in another. I sautéed the onions, which took a shorter time than the instructions to turn golden, and added the tomato paste, tomatoes, and spices. Then I added the shrimp and clams. In a short time my meal was prepared.

Angel Hair pasta

Onions, garlic, tomato paste, spices

My only problem was that none of the clams opened, indicating that they weren’t good. I ended up discarding them, unfortunately. As a result, my seafood ingredient was reduced to a list of one – the shrimps.

Fresh tomatoes, shrimp and clams (which never opened)

However, this did not take away from the success of my dish. I garnished it with cilantro and it tasted delicious. Best of all, I liked the spices, which I think made the difference in the recipe.

This is a meal that I plan on making again. Perhaps, the next time around, I’ll find all the ingredients and my clams will open up. If not, that's okay, too. It's good to think like a North African when preparing North African dishes. ;-)

Paz

White Fish with Lemon Vinaigrette

Last night, I made a fish dish from Giada’s show, Everyday Italian -- Tilapia fish, covered with cannellini beans, mixed with radicchio and fish broth; lemon vinaigrette drizzeled over the talapia.

The vinaigrette consisted of fresh lemon juice, Italian parsley leaves, garlic, finely grated lemon zest, extra virgin oil, salt and pepper – just the right finishing touch.

The tilapia fish was tasty and flaky. The cannellini beans, soft and melted in my mouth.

Everything about this dish was perfect. Well almost.

The radicchio tasted bitter. Very bitter. Is that the way radicchio is supposed to taste or was it spoiled? Yuck!

I liked the dish and tried again. This time, I used a different kind of beans (I don't remember which) since I didn’t have cannellini available. Unfortunately, I had the same problem with the radicchio. Again, it tasted bitter -- so bitter that it was inedible. I will try the recipe again, but I will not use radicchio. It’s official. I do not like it radicchio.

Paz

White Fish with Lemon Vinaigrette

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio (about 12 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup fish broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 (5 to 6-ounce) whitefish fillets, such as tilapia
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the radicchio and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely. Shake off the excess flour and fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Spoon the radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Cantaloupe Salad

Here’s a special salad from Dave Lieberman’s cooking show -- Cantaloupe, drizzled with honey, juices from grated ginger and garnished with freshly torn mint to cool the tastebuds and body. You have to try this just once!

Paz

Cantaloupe Salad

½ cantaloupe, sliced into wedges

1 Tbs Honey

1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch), peeled and finely grated into a small bowl

Small handful fresh mint, leaves torn

Arrange slices of cantaloupe on a serving platter; drizzle the honey over the fruit; drizzle the juice of one piece freshly peeled, grated ginger over the cantaloupe; and top with freshly torn mint and serve.

Paz's Ultimate Paella

After watching Tyler Florence on his food show called Tyler’s Ultimate, I decided to go for it and try his Ultimate Paella recipe.

His food show is interesting. He picks a themed ingredient or food and travels around the world to find out the history of the food and how it’s made it that part of the world. Then he returns home, to the U.S., and makes the dish with his own spin on the recipe.

In the episode of The Ultimate Paella, Tyler first traveled to Spain to watch the preparation of authentic Valencia paella (Paella Valenciana). I found the main ingredients very different to what I’m used to eating – snails, rabbit, and something else I don’t remember. The man from Valencia said that the locals there don’t use seafood because they are farmers and use meats around them.

Next, Tyler went to Miami, Florida to watch two guys make their version of paella –Cuban style (Paella Cubana), in which they included chorizo sausage and lots of seafood.

Finally Tyler came home, to New York City, to make his version of paella, which he called The Ultimate Paella.

When I first made the paella, I mentioned it to my friend Nancy. She’s lived over 20 years in Spain and told me that paella is very much a traditional Sunday family meal in Spain. There are different varieties of paella. The best is made along the Eastern coast of Spain, from Valencia to Alicante, a rice-growing region.

She enjoys a paella mixto (mixed paella), which is made with chicken and seafood like shrimps, clams, mussels and calamari. Recently, she tried arroz negro (black rice), which she said is delicious. Apparently squid is a part of the ingredients and its ink gives the rice a black color. Interesting. I think I’d like to try it.

Nancy also told me that there is a type of paella, which consists mostly of vegetables, including green beans and “habas,” which are like lima beans. A more liquidly and soupy paella version, called “arroz caldoso” is very good, Nancy said. She and her husband have their favorite paella places, which they like to frequent. Sometimes a few scoops of paella are given to the patron when he or she has a beer or wine.

I can’t wait to try some paella in Spain, but until then I plan on making some at home. So far, I’ve made it twice.

My paella came out okay for a first timer. I enjoyed the taste of the clams, shrimp, chicken and chorizo sausage, but I had a problem with the way the rice cooked. The recipe calls for short-grained rice, but I used a long grain Jasmine rice because that’s what I had in the house. Nancy confirmed that it’s important to use short-grained rice for paella.

The more I cook, the more I discover that the proper pots and pans make a big difference in the outcome of the food. The first time I made the paella, I used a deep pot to make it and realized that the rice would have cooked better in a large paella pan or a wide shallow (none of which I had.).

When I visit Spain, I plan on buying a nice authentic paella pan, but in the meantime, I decided to buy one from Amazon.com. The second time I made my paella, I used the paella pan and I cooked with short-grained rice. While the pan has served its purpose for making paella, it is a cheap, but it will do for now.

Nevertheless, my paella tasted even better the second time around, and so I dedicate this post and my meal to my two friends in Spain -- Nancy and Tattum.

Paz

THE ULTIMATE PAELLA

Spice Mix for chicken, recipe follows
1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Spanish onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
4 cups short grain Spanish rice
6 cups water, warm
Generous pinch saffron threads
1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 lobster tails
1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
Lemon wedges, for serving

Special equipment:

Large paella pan or wide shallow skillet

Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.

Spice Mix for chicken:
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered