Author Archives: Chef Justice Stewart
A Taste Of Sweden…. Baked Salma Salmon w/ Creamy Parmesan Sauce
Cuttin’ Chris & Eatin’ Ehrlund on the set of Neighborhood Chefs
I hope everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year. I will kick off 2013 with a great tasting and easy to prepare salmon dish. It actually ended up being a Swedish/Italian fusion of flavors. But before I give you the recipe, let me tell you about some of the fun things I did last month and what inspired me to cook this dish. Read the rest of this entry
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Sweet & Spicy Walnut/Chili Chicken
Sweet & Spicy Walnut/Chili Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken breast cut into 2-3 inch strips
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup vegetable oil Read the rest of this entry
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Grouper Confit
Grouper Confit
Ingredients:
4 grouper filets 6oz each
2-3 large garlic cloves crushed
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3/4 cup of quality olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice Read the rest of this entry
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Loco Moco….With A Veal Twist!
Loco Moco
I am really not big on breakfast. It’s not that i don’t like eating it; it’s more the fact that I like to keep breakfast simple. Turkey bacon and eggs, waffles, simple omelets, and sometimes I even make pancakes. Today I wanted something a little different, and as usual, it needed to be relatively easy. Read the rest of this entry
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Seafood, White Bean & Vegetable Chili, well sort of…
Seafood, White bean, and Vegetable Chili
So far it has been a stormy fall season in the northeast. I mean 8 days ago we were hit by Hurricane Sandy, which devastated the tr-state area. As I write this blog we are currently being walloped by a Nor’easter that rolled in this afternoon bringing snow to NYC in early November. So as you can imagine I have been stuck at home the past week, which I don’t mind because that means more kitchen time! With this kind of weather rolling in, it is time to roll out the comfort food. I am a big fan of seafood of all types, and I also love comfort foods such as chili. So the idea of combining the two in a comforting Fall/Winter chili made my stomach growl. The funny thing about this dish is that it was made with ingredients I never intended on using, this is why I call this “sort of chili”. I accidentally added too much heat to my sauce, and although I love spicy foods, this had a bit much. (oh no!)
It was a mean and spicy sauce which consisted of chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, green chiles, and jalapeno peppers, Whew! I needed to find a way tone the spices down without hurting the flavor in order to save my sauce. I added a tablespoon of sugar which did not have much affect, and I decided not to add anymore because it would suck if I were to end up with a sweet chili “dessert” instead of dinner! What I did next was dice up a small potato and a one medium sized green zucchini into small pieces and added them to the sauce to absorb some of the heat. Not only did this work, it surprisingly added another dimension of flavor and texture to the dish. The chili sauce maintained some of the heat, but it was much more tolerable. After a 90 minute simmer I added the seafood which consisted of shrimp, whole baby clams, calamari, sliced octopus and other goodies. Overall, this meal was a hearty, surprisingly good, and a really comforting seafood chili, well sort of a chili… Bon Appetit! *My prayers and support go out to all the victims of Hurricane Sandy*
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Honey Roasted Breast Of Lamb
Honey Roasted Breast Of Lamb
Ingredients:
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cloves
1 pound of the meatiest lamb breast you can find.
5 tablespoons honey, divided
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp canola oil
1 small onion sliced thinly
sea salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large Ziploc bag, shake together the pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic powder, and clove. Add the ribs to the bag, and shake to coat. Marinate in the fridge for 6-8 hours or overnight. In a small pot, heat 3 tablespoons honey with the vinegar and oil, until the consistency is runny. Line a baking pan well with foil. In a large bowl, toss the ribs with salt, sliced onion, and the honey mixture. Arrange the ribs in a single layer on the baking sheet, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours, turning twice during cooking. After 2 hours, take off the foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes until nice and browned. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons honey in a small pot until runny. Brush the finished ribs with the hot honey, and serve. Bon Appetit!
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Easy Crab Cake Recipe
Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup small finely diced red onion
1 large stalk of finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 pound lump crab-meat, drained and cleaned of shells
1/2 cup panko or finely crushed saltine crackers
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil,hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, celery, red bell pepper, parsley,old bay seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes, Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crab meat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes to an hour. Shape into medium-sized crab cakes.
Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in an oven and serve hot with your sauce of choice. Bon Appetit!
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Slow Cooked Goose With Cranberry Beans
With the Fall season upon us and school about to start, It is about time to shift gears in the kitchen. This is the time of year when we begin baking and preparing stews more often. The comforting aromas of roasting poultry, pot roast, stews, pies & cakes fill most households. My kitchen will be no different, that is why I am kicking off this Fall with an easy to make stew prepared in a slow cooker. I was out shopping this past weekend and decided to pick up a slow-cooker to make chili dishes during the upcoming football season. When I returned home with it, I decided “why not use it tomorrow?”. I had Half of a young goose in the freezer that I have been dying to cook for a couple of weeks, so that would be my protein.
Fresh beginnings
I also had some fresh cranberry beans still in the pods handy. Now cranberry beans have no relation to cranberry the fruit. Upon doing a little research, I learned that cranberry beans originated in Columbia as cargamanto beans. The variety I am using with the crimson stripes are a relatively new cranberry bean. I found these beans similar to pinto beans but milder in taste. Another thing I noticed was that it did not take long during the cooking process for that beautiful crimson stripe to disappear, oh well.
Slow Cooked Goose & Cranberry Beans
My only experience with cooking goose was a couple of years ago when I roasted one for Christmas dinner. The meat is red and similar to duck, and it also has that thick layer of fat like its cousin. So you really want to trim it good before sticking it in your slow-cooker. I decided to cut the meat from the bone(with a very sharp knife), and cube it like beef stew. I also decided to use some French spices and garden fresh herbs for this stew. The good thing about this recipe is that you can just throw everything into your slow cooker walk away for 6-8 hours, and come back to a delicious comforting meal. The end result= Goose that melted in my mouth and beans cooked to perfection. Bon Appetit!
Slow Cooked Goose & Cranberry Beans
Ingredients:
1 1/2 – 2 pounds of goose breast cubed
1 cup of fresh cranberry beans
2 medium potatoes quartered
1 medium onion thinly sliced
2 medium carrots chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tsp of Herbes de Provence spice
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh savory herb
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
First, season the goose meat with the Herbes de Provence spices and a little salt and pepper. In a large saucepan melt the butter under medium-high heat and saute the garlic and onions until translucent. Add the goose meat and brown on all sides then remove from heat. Add the potatoes, carrots, and the contents of the goose pan into the slow cooker. Pour the red wine and chicken stock into the slow cooker(be sure to submerge the meat and vegetables) and set the timer for 7 hours and the crock pot to high setting. After 3 hours add your cranberry beans.When there are 2 hours left add your fresh herbs. When finished, add to bowl and serve with rice or crusty bread. **When using a slow cooker, I recommend that you not add fresh herbs until there is only 1 1/2 – 2 hours cooking time remaining. This is because fresh herbs can lose flavor if they cook to long. Enjoy!
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Mid-Summer Coolness… Orange/Mint Ceviche & Shrimp Salad
Orange/Mint Ceviche & Shrimp Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb cooked shrimp
1 lb cod or other firm white fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
1 red chilli pepper, minced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
juice from 6-8 limes
juice from 2-3 juice oranges
salt/pepper to taste
3 Tbsp of fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
1/2 Navel orange, peeled and segmented
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cilantro roughly chopped
Did I mention shrimp are my specialty?
Add the fish, garlic, chilli pepper, and onion to a medium bowl, and then add the lime and orange juice on top. Be sure to submerge the fish completely into the citrus juice.
Cover and Allow the fish to marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until the fish is white and opaque and no longer translucent.
Toss in the cooked shrimp, cut up oranges, mint leaves, cilantro, then add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well drain the juice into a bowl. Refrigerate the seafood for an hour.
Plate your Ceviche, and whisk the olive oil with the strained juice citrus juice and pour it on top of the ceviche and served garnished with mint leaves or edible flowers for the ultimate summer feel:)
Bon Appetit!
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Hawaiian Papaya, Kiwi, and Shrimp Salad!
Hawaiian spices
My inspiration for this dish came from a recent trip to the Hawaiian islands. The fresh sweet papaya and slightly tart kiwi complimented each other so well. I seasoned the shrimp with some local organic spices I purchased during my visit to the islands.This seasoning mix consisted things like Organic Nori (seaweed), Hawaiian sea salt (which is sea salt & ‘Alaea Hawaiian red clay). I then quickly pan-seared the shrimp in a little canola oil before tossing them up with the salad. This dish is quick and easy and makes for a perfect healthy summertime meal. It is also sure to be a hit at your family barbecue. Bon Appetit!
Hawaiian Papaya, Kiwi, and Shrimp Salad!
Ingredients:
1 Lb of large shrimp shelled and deveined
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp of organic Aloha seafood seasoning*(for shrimp)
1 small papaya, seeds removed and cubed
4-5 fresh kiwis peeled and cubed
1 small red onion roughly chopped
1 small yellow bell pepper diced
1 small tomato diced
1 Tbsp freshly minced ginger
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
juice of one lime
*Note: you don’t necessarily need to use this seasoning. You can use your seasoning of choice for the shrimp.
Directions:
Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Season the shrimp and sear them for about 3 minutes or until no longer translucent. Set them aside and allow them to cool down to room temperature. In a large bowl add the papaya, kiwi, red onion, tomato, ginger, cilantro leaves, and bell pepper. Add the cooled shrimp and lime juice and toss well. You can serve it immediately or refrigerate it for a couple of hours if you want a refreshing, chilled salad. Enjoy
Gourmet De-Constructed 