Maple-Pepper Pork Chops with Red Wine Caramelized Onions & Sage

I'm back! It's been far too long since I've made my last post. It's been a crazy, busy summer and I am excited by the arrival of autumn, my favorite season. Though I've done my fair share of cooking while I've been away from the blog, I unfortunately haven't photographed much of what I've made. My next few updates, however, will feature some of the stuff I have managed to photograph.

Believe it or not, the dish I'm featuring in this post is the product of a "use whatever is in the fridge/pantry" challenge of sorts. It was the night before hurricane Irene was to hit New York, I was home alone, and the MTA subway and buses weren't operating. This meant that if something wasn't in walking distance, I basically couldn't go unless I wanted to pay cab fare both ways. Around 9:00 P.M., I was already bored and wanted to eat. Because I didn't want to open the hurricane supplies - read: peanut butter, bread, pop tarts, Trader Joe's non-perishable curries, etc. - I decided that it would be a good idea to try to use some things that would spoil if we were to lose power later that night. Since I had some thick-cut, boneless pork chops, a small onion - and some sage growing outside of my window - this challenge wasn't a very difficult one. I really shouldn't even be calling it a challenge, at all.

Ingredients:

Boneless pork chops, preferably thick-cut

1 small onion, chopped

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (any kind of vinegar would be fine here)

Salt and pepper

1/2-cup red wine

2 tablespoons butter

Fresh sage, to taste

Procedure:

(1) Sautee the onions in 1 tablespoon of melted butter over medium heat, for about 10-15 minutes. After onions have begun to soften, be sure to stir frequently so that they don't burn. Note that you won't need to do a standard low-heat, 45-minute-plus caramelization here because the addition of the wine, vinegar and maple syrup will help to soften the onions and accelerate the process.

(2) Add the wine, vinegar and maple syrup and turn down the heat to low-medium.

(3) Salt both sides of the pork chops. Pepper liberally. These pork chops need black pepper's bite to stand up to the somewhat sweet sauce that will go over them.

(4) Over medium-high heat, sear the pork chops for a few minutes. Flip and allow to sear for a few more minutes on their reverse side.

(5) When pork is cooked, add each chop to the sauce - after adding the remaining tablespoon of butter - and coat thoroughly.

(6) Remove to a serving platter, spoon sauce over the top of each chop and finish with a liberal sprinkle of fresh sage in chiffonade.

Red Snapper Filets in a Coconut Milk, Tomato & Saffron Sauce

Fish poached in a coconut milk-based sauce can be found throughout the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Though many such dishes contain sauteed onions and peppers, Caribbean versions often add potatoes and coconut pulp while Southeast asian versions often add lemongrass, basil and heat in the form of chiles. Here, I set out to make my own version of red snapper with coconut milk, and ended up adding tomato paste, saffron and lime.

Ingredients:

4 red snapper filets

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

1 onion, sliced

2 bell peppers: 1 green and 1 red, sliced

1 pinch saffron

1 lime

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

Olive oil

Procedure:

(1) Shake can of coconut milk. Add saffron and stir.

(2) Sautee sliced onion and peppers in olive oil over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.

(3) Turn down heat to medium-low and add saffron-infused coconut milk.

(4) Juice one lime over contents of pan and stir well to incorporate.

(5) Season fish filets with salt, pepper and oregano and add to pan. Spoon some of the vegetables and sauce over the filets.

(6) After fish has cooked for at least a few minutes on one side, flip filets with a spatula and allow to cook for a few more minutes.

(7) Serve immediately with white rice.

Green Apple, Marcona Almond & Idiazábal Cheese Slaw

I have never liked cole slaw, the picnic and church social standby side of shredded cabbage, iceberg lettuce and grated carrot in a mayonnaise-based dressing. I don't particularly dislike any one of its elements, but the combination of flavors have never appealed to me.

About five years ago, when I lived in Madrid, I discovered my inspiration for this dish in a tapas bar near the Plaza de Santa Ana. A couple of friends and I were tapeando (going from tapas bar to tapas bar, filling up on small plates and having plenty of wine) a little before midnight, which is when nightlife in Madrid really gets going. Unfortunately, because there are dozens of places like the one I visited, I can't recall exactly which bar it was! The good news is that I have remembered very well the different components of the "salad," as the bar called it: crisp, green apple; rich, nutty Idiazábal cheese, sliced Marcona almonds and a rosemary vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, grated or cut into matchsticks

1 cup Idiazábal (Manchego can be substituted) cheese, grated or cut into matchsticks

1/2-cup Marcona almonds, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons dijon mustard

Rosemary, chopped, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

(1) Combine apple, cheese and almonds in a bowl.

(2) Mix red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, plenty of chopped rosemary and a bit of black pepper in another bowl. Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking constantly and rapidly.

(3) Incorporate vinaigrette into other ingredients and serve slaw either immediately or chilled, on its own or over a bed of arugula.

Fire-Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic & Lemon Hoummous

Hoummous is a quick, easy, healthy and inexpensive snack, spread or dip. Though it's pretty easy to find in any well-stocked market, it's one of those things that I have almost always found tastes better when freshly-made and customized with your favorite ingredients. Just get out your blender or food processor and start creating, as hoummous requires little planning and only one "special" ingredient that you may not find everywhere: tahini*, or sesame paste.

Though Middle Eastern hoummous is traditionally made with the bases of chickpeas and tahini, Mediterranean hoummous often contains, in addition to those ingredients, olive oil and lemon juice. Though tahini gives hoummous sufficient creaminess, I find that the addition of olive oil adds an element of richness and that the acidity of lemon juice balances nicely against the chickpea base, which can, if not properly combined with other ingredients, taste mealy. Rest assured that this will not be a concern if you follow this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained.

1/2-cup tahini

1 fire-roasted red pepper

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Handful cilantro

Olive oil, to taste. Here, I use a couple of tablespoons.

Salt, a few pinches

Cumin, a few pinches

Procedure:

(1) If you have a gas stove, set the burner to medium and place the red pepper directly over the flame. Turn every minute or two with a pair of tongs to char the skin on all sides. Once charred, rub off the charred skin with a paper towel and slice the pepper. If you don't have a gas stove, you can use the broiler to achieve the charring effect, or, if you wish to skip this step entirely, just substitute half of a small can of roasted red peppers.

(2) Rinse and drain chickpeas.

(3) Place chickpeas, tahini, roasted red pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, salt and cumin in blender or food processor and blend/process until desired consistency is achieved.

(4) Garnish with paprika, cumin, lemon zest or whole chickpeas and serve alongside pita bread for an instant snack.

*Tahini can be found in all Middle Eastern markets and also in most Greek, Indian and Italian markets. Many supermarkets carry it, as well.

Ahi Tuna Steaks with Sesame Oil, Wasabi, Scallions, Ginger & Lime

The inspiration of today's post is Ina Garten's ahi tuna salad that I first prepared a couple of years ago. In my version, however, I leave out the avocado and don't cut the tuna steaks into chunks. This dish takes well under ten minutes to prepare, start to finish, and is one of the easiest entree dishes I know. This makes a great week-night dinner, served alongside rice or scallion pancakes.

Ingredients:
2 large ahi tuna steaks
Sesame oil, to taste
1/2 of a small bunch of scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot sauce

Procedure:
(1) Heat a cast iron or metal skillet to medium-high.
(2) While skillet is heating, season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper.
(3) Sear the tuna steaks for about one minute per side. Both sides should be slightly browned and the center should still be pink.
(4) When tuna steaks are done, form the sauce to top them by combining sesame oil, chopped ginger, lime juice, wasabi paste, hot sauce and scallions.

Picadillo Empanadas

Empanadas are savory "turnovers" that are common as streetfood in Latin America and Mediterranean Europe. Common fillings include flaked fish, potato, fried and mashed banana, pork, shredded chicken, and, most commonly found in Cuba and Miami - picadillo. Picadillo is a ground beef hash that contains browned onions, garlic, red pepper, green olives, tomato sauce or paste, citrus juice (sour orange and lime, particularly), oregano, and, depending on the cook, some sweet elements. The first memorable picadillo I ate as a child contained cinnamon, so I add that, as well as chopped dates or raisins. Don't let the cinnamon and dates/raisins throw you off; picadillo is a decidedly savory dish. A little bit of sweetness will keep your guests asking what the secret ingredient to the dish is.

PICADILLO

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 red peppers, chopped
20 green olives, halved (the bottled Manzanilla variety is perfect)
1 sour orange
2 limes
10 dates, chopped
6 ounces tomato paste (or, alternatively, 10 ounces tomato sauce)
Oregano, to taste
Cinnamon, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:
(1) Brown onions in a large, deep pan with a bit of olive oil.
(2) Add minced garlic and peppers, and sautee for a few more minutes.
(3) Add ground beef, combine well with other ingredients, and cook until brown.
(4) Season with ground black pepper, cinnamon, and oregano.
(5) Add tomato paste or sauce and stir well to combine.
(6) Add olives to the pan, along with a splash or two of the brine in which the olives are bottled. If doing this, there is no need to add salt; the olives and brine are salty enough.
(7) Juice limes and sour orange over the pan; stir well to combine.
(8) Add chopped dates or raisins. At this point, you will notice that there is a bit of extra liquid and fat in the pan. Do not drain this; allow the meat the simmer on low for about 15 more minutes so that all of the excess liquid is absorbed into the hash.

EMPANADAS

Ingredients:
Empanada discs (usually sold in the frozen foods aisle by Goya or another Latin American brand) Oil for frying

Procedure:
(1) Make sure that empanada discs are thawed before you begin to assemble the actual empanadas. They thaw quickly; just remove them from the freezer as you start the filling for the empanadas and they should be ready once the filling is done.
(2) Heat approximately one inch of oil in a large pan. It is unnecessary to deep fry empanadas; shallow-frying and turning them over once is just as effective. Fry on one side until golden brown and then turn with tongs to achieve the same result on the other side. I usually fry 5-6 empanadas per batch. Keep in mind that once the oil is well-heated, empanadas will take only about a minute or less to fry on each side.
(3) Once done, remove from oil and place onto a plate covered with double-folded paper towls. Blot excess oil to ensure crispiness when serving.

Halloumi Pita Sandwiches with Harissa-Spiked Hoummous, Oil-Cured Black Olives and Arugula

I was first introduced to halloumi cheese at Athens Cafe in Astoria, Queens, the heart of New York's Greek and Cypriot community. Halloumi melts at a much slower rate than other cheeses and is well-suited for grilling and pan frying. It is filling, "meaty," and "squeaks" when you bite into it.

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I was first introduced to harissa-spiked hoummous, a/k/a "spicy hoummous," at a sampling at Sahadi's in Brooklyn Heights, only two blocks from my first New York apartment. Harissa is a sauce of several blended spices that is popular in the Maghreb (far north Africa along the Mediterranean) and, to a lesser extent, in France. It gives creamy hoummous - some makes of which I find pretty monotonous and one-toned - a nice kick and complexity of flavor.

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One day, in my apartment during law school, I decided to spread harissa-spiked hoummous onto a pita, put grilled halloumi cheese onto it, and added some Moroccan oil-cured black olives and arugula. From that moment, this sandwich was born.

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Ingredients:

Halloumi cheese, thickly sliced

Pitted olives (here, I used Moroccan oil-cured black olives)

Hoummous, preferably spiked with harissa or hot sauce

Pita bread

Arugula

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Procedure:

(1) Grill or pan fry halloumi slices until golden brown on bottom; flip so that slices become browned on other side.

(2) Open pita pocket and spread hoummous within.

(3) Insert two slices of halloumi. Add olives and arugula.