Author Archives: Chef Justice Stewart
Pan Seared Shell Steak & Cilantro Citrus Grilled Shrimp
Steak and seafood are my absolute favorites, but when I have a chance to combine the two of them together, it is a match made in heaven. Surf & Turf is on deck, Enjoy!
For the shrimp:
1 bunch fresh cilantro
8 medium chopped scallions
2 green chili peppers
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 lbs large shrimp
Wooden skewers soaked in water
coarse sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
chili powder
lime or lemon, sliced
fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
In a blender or food processor place the cilantro leaves and stems, scallions, chili peppers, garlic, lime juice, cumin, and turmeric and blend to a puree. Add some water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Peel the shrimp,devein them leaving the tail intact. Place the shrimp in a bowl, and toss with the cilantro mixture. Marinate for about 3-4 hours.
When you are ready to cook the shrimp, scoop them up so that more of the marinade remains on one side of each one. Use an indoor grill if possible and either use non=stick spray or a bit of olive oil on the grill. Put shrimp on the soaked skewers with the sliced lemon or limes. Heat the grill to medium-high and place the shrimp marinade-side up on the grill. Cook until almost done, about 2 minutes.Turn shrimp over and cook quickly on marinade side, about 1-2 more minutes. Remove shrimp from grill. Divide the skewers among serving plates. Sprinkle the shrimp with coarse salt, pepper, chili powder, a squeeze of lime juice, and a few cilantro leaves.
For the steak:
1 shell steak 1 1/2-inch thick
olive oil to coat
kosher salt and ground black pepper
Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature. When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste. Immediately place steak in the middle of the hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the hot oven for 3-4 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.) Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Just add your steak to the plate with the shrimp you have a mouthwatering Surf & Turf meal! Enjoy :)
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Trying My Hand….At Lapin Au Vin!
This is a delicious rabbit casserole, cooked in red wine with pearl onions and mushrooms. Just like most casseroles, this benefits from being prepared the night before, cooled and then reheated when needed.
2 lb rabbit cut into 8 pieces
4 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
4 oz fatty beef bacon (or pork, which I dont eat) cut into strips
1 lb pearl onions peeled
2 1/2 cups red wine
2 cloves of garlic crushed
1 bouquet garni
1 lb white mushrooms halved
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put flour in plastic bag and season the rabbit with salt and pepper, then add to bag with the flour and coat evenly. Heat the oil and butter in a casserole dish and cook the rabbit over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until browned. You may need to do this in 2 batches, if so, remove 1st batch of rabbit from heat and keep warm. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes or until slightly crisp, remove and keep warm.
Add onions to the pan and cook over high heat for 4-5 minutes until they begin to brown. Pour in the wine and stir well to remove any sediment from the bottom of the pan.
Return the bacon and rabbit to the pan and add the garlic and bouquet garni, then bring to a boil, cover and place in the center of a preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours.
Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni, remove the rabbit pieces, bacon, onions and mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and put them into a serving dish.
Put the pan back on a burner and bring to a rapid boil to thicken the sauce, then pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Serve with some crusty baguette and Bon Appetit.
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Baby Octopus With Spicy Garlic Dressing
Ingredients:
1 Lb frozen octopus or baby octopus cleaned
1 onion cut into wedges
about 8 cups of water
1 teaspoon of cloves
2 garlic cloves
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tbsp salt (for boiling octopus)
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Put the onions, cloves, and one tablespoon of salt in a large saucepan with the water and bring to a boil. Using a large metal strainer, dip the octopus in and out of the boiling liquid at least 3 times, returning the water to boil between each re-dipping (this helps the octopus become tender). If you don’t have a metal strainer, use tongs to dip. Then completely immerse the octopus in the liquid and cook very gently for about an hour. I used baby octopus which was ready in about an hour, larger octopus may take 90 minutes of gentle cooking before tender. Allow it to cool in the liquid, then drain, cut into bite size pieces(for larger octopus) and place in a nonmetallic bowl.
Mix the oil, parsley, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper(to taste) and add to the bowl with the octopus. Mix well, cover, and chill for a few hours or overnight. Octopus can be served with crusty bread for mopping up the juices :) Bon Appetit!
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**A Taste Of Greece** Moussaka ( Ελληνική Μουσακάς )
Ok home cooks & foodies, we will prepare a classic Greek dish. I love Greek food, and a couple of my favorite meals to eat on the go are a Greek Gyro and Soulvaki. These quick meals are pretty popular here in NYC and we have food carts all over the place selling these treats. But enter one of New York’s Greek restaurants and you will encounter a variety of very good dishes from Greece such as Αρνι με Πατατες στο Φουρνο (roast lamb with potatoes); απάκι, which is a famous Cretan specialty of lean pork marinated in vinegar, then smoked with aromatic herbs and shrubs, and packed in salt; Χταποδι στη σχαρα (grilled octopus in vinegar, oil and oregano); and the dish I will prepare tonight: μουσακάς 0r moussaka.
Moussaka
I must admit that prior to this experiment I had never tasted this dish. But after talking to my friend Rena, who lives in Athens, Greece, and she has a website called “Cooking in Plain Greek” (which I love), she gave me the all the motivation I needed. We will use the recipe from her site for this classic Greek dish. The first thing I noticed is that this dish is prepared similar to lasagna but the flavors are different. Instead of using pasta for layers, you use long eggplant slices, and I used ground lamb instead of beef. Another thing that makes it different than lasagna is the spice mix. This dish contains nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, which is unheard of when making Italian lasagna. You also must make a Greek bechamel sauce to top the dish with before baking, which consists of milk, flour, butter, and kefalotyri cheese. Unfortunately, I could not find this specialty hard cheese, but Rena gives us a pass and recommends parmesan for those of us outside of Greece :). If you haven’t tried cooking Greek food, head over to http://cookinginplaingreek.com/traditional-moussaka-recipe/ and try your hand at this dish. Bon Appetit!
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Meatless Monday Is Sproutabulous!!!
For this Meatless Monday I decided to prepare a healthy raw sprout salad using different types of sprouts. This is rather easy to do and a great alternative to meat. You can choose the type of sprouts you wish, I chose to use lentil sprouts, black-eyed pea sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, green & snow pea sprouts, some scallion, and I also prepared some sprouted wild rice by soaking 1/2 cup of the grass (yes, wild rice is a grass/aquatic seed) in water for 2-3 days, changing the water 3 times per day. This causes the rice to sprout and become softer but not as soft as when cooked. I added tomatoes to give the salad a different texture and tossed it all up in a light white wine vinegarette I prepared. This turned out delicious and satisfying, so be sure to make enough so you can bring a bit of it to work with you for a hearty and healthy lunch. Bon Appetit!
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Rum and Lime Grilled Chicken With Spicy Salsa
You will need:
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly butterflied
2/3 cup light rum
1/2 medium onion, peeled and minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika (for color)
2 tbs vegetable oil, divided
Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)
Spicy salsa:
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red chile pepper, diced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (if you dare!)
4 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
juice of 1 lime
Directions: Mix onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, and the diced peppers in a large bowl and refrigerate salsa until ready to use.
Rinse chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
Prepare marinade. Place chicken breasts in a 1-gallon, resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, stir together rum, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 1 tbs vegetable oil. Pour marinade over chicken, push out air, seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Use the remaining oil to glaze the grill and heat up the pan (I used cast iron) to medium-high. Carefully add each breast and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Add 1 chicken breast to each plate and top with spicy salsa.
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Goan “Colossal” Shrimp Curry
Once again I will try my hand at an international dish. This time we go to India’s smallest, yet richest state, Goa, which is in western India. Goan cuisine is famous for its wide variety of fish dishes cooked with elaborate recipes. Coconuts and curries are widely used in Goan cooking along with chili peppers, spices and vinegar, giving the food a unique flavor. Fish curry with rice is one of the main dishes in this region. A rich egg-based multi-layered sweet dish known as Bebinca is a favorite during the Christmas holiday, which was the inspiration for this dish. I found the dish to be like most of the Indian dishes I have prepared, except the coconut milk which I have found more common in Thai cooking. This dish is BIG on flavor and, because I happened to find colossal shrimp at Fairway, the dish is big — just check out the photo of an uncooked shrimp. It has a has a nice amount of heat for the foodies who love spicy dishes (but not over-spicy). Bon Appetit!
Colossal Shrimp!
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp fresh crushed black pepper
3 tbsp water
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 lbs of shrimp
1 cup coconut milk
1 medium tomato diced
1 tsp salt
4 hard-boiled eggs
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Your choice of rice to serve (I used basmati)
Directions:
Stir in the lime juice and half the cilantro. Remove from the heat and transfer the curry to a serving dish. Garnish with the rest of the cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
Goan Curry Shrimp
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Rabbit Stew
Rabbit Stew
It’s January and the cold weather has moved in, and kitchens all across cold regions of the world begin to smell of stews and soups, which are so comforting in the winter months. Let’s talk about rabbit. I have had my experiences with cooking rabbit. I have tried different techniques such as marinating it overnight in buttermilk & herbs then deep frying it. I have also baked it alongside my Thanksgiving turkey to give the holidays a twist, which turned out to be a hit. Lately I have been trying to learn French techniques in the kitchen and the French love rabbit. Fricassée de Lapin is the sort of comforting home cooking you will find in farmhouse kitchens and small, cozy neighborhood restaurants in France. In some regions such as Normandy, rabbit is treated much like chicken is in America and enjoyed frequently. Some say rabbit tastes like chicken, but in my opinion it has the same texture as chicken but its own wonderful flavor. This is another easy French dish the home cook can make for the family during these cold winter months. Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb rabbit
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup of red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 all-purpose four
3 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup white mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
Cut the rabbit into eight pieces. Put the flour into a plastic bag and add the rabbit. Shake to dust with flour. Melt the butter over medium-high heat; add the rabbit, turning to brown evenly.Add the wine and boil for 1 minute. Add enough stock to just cover the meat. Add the garlic and herbs and simmer for 1 hour, or until the rabbit is very tender and the juices run clear. Stir in the mustard, and mushrooms cook for 10 more minutes and add salt and pepper to taste. Strain the sauce. Serve the rabbit with a bit of the strained sauce. You can also add the cooked mushrooms to the finished dish.
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Chevreuil aux Pois Chiches (Moroccan Venison Stew)
The delicious spicy cuisines of French colonial North Africa have left their mark on French cooking, which some of you know I’ve been exploring. This dish is traditionally prepared with lamb (d’Agneau), but tonight I will use venison since I have an abundance of it from a friend who hunts. Lamb stew meat should be easily available at most local markets so don’t break your neck looking for venison. The word “tagine” is the name for the conical-shaped pottery dish in which this delicious meal is usually cooked. I don’t have a tagine so I guess pots and pans have to do. :) Despite the lengthy ingredient list and multiple steps, this dish is simple to make for the home cook so I encourage all to try this recipe. Dont be shy, leave feedback telling me if it worked for you. Bon Appetit! (special thanks to George Perkins for donating the protein for this dish)
Moroccan Venison Stew
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups dried chickpeas soaked in cold water overnight
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp powdered saffron or paprika
3 lbs of venison stew meat OR lamb shoulder trimmed of all fat cut into 2 inch pieces
2 medium onions coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced
2/3 cup golden raisins soaked in warm water
10-20 black olives (such as a kalamata)
2 preserved lemons or the grated rind of 1 lemon
6 tbsp fresh cilantro
salt and pepper
cous cous (to serve)
Directions:
Drain the chickpeas, rinse under cold running water and place in a large pan, cover with water and boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain the chick peas and return to pan and cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 -1 1/2 hrs until peas are tender. remove from heat and add about 1 tsp salt and set aside. In a large bowl, combine half of the oil (2 Tbsp) with the sugar, ginger, cumin, tumeric, saffron or paprika,pepper and about 1 tsp of salt. Now add your lamb or venison and toss well to coat all sides and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.
In a large frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Add enough lamb to cover the pan in one layer but do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning the pieces to brown all sides, then transfer to a large casserole dish. Keep browning all the lamb in batches until all the lamb is cooked and in the casserole. You may find you have to add a little more olive oil between batches.
Add the onions to the pan and stir constantly until browned. Stir in garlic and tomatoes along with 1 cup of water, stirring and scraping the base of the pan. Pour this mixture into the casserole and add enough water to cover. Heat the casserole dish on the stove top, bringing the stew to a boil and skimming off any foam, then reduce and simmer for an hour.
Drain the chickpeas and add to the lamb with about 1 cup of the drained off liquid. Stir in the raisins and the liquid they soaked in, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the olives and sliced preserved lemons or lemon rind and simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes, then add half the chopped cilantro.
About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the cous cous according to package instructions. Serve side by side or with the stew over a bed of cous cous, and garnish with the remaining cilantro.
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Meatless Monday: Tagine of Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, and Butter Beans
We will kick off this Monday with a vegetarian dish that is easy to make and sure to get your taste buds kicking! This recipe will make a good side dish, or a main entrée if you add some crusty bread. Whatever your choice may be, this is pure delicious and healthy eats.
Ingredients
4 oz butter beans, soaked overnight (or 2 14 oz cans, drained)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 oz ginger root, peeled and chopped
pinch of saffron threads
16 cherry or large grape tomatoes
pinch of sugar
handful of kalamata olives, pitted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped
salt and ground pepper
Directions
If using dried beans, rinse and drain them and place them in a large pot with water. bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook beans 1-1 1/2 hours until tender. If using canned beans, just drain, rinse and set aside.
In a separate pan, heat the oil then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 10 minutes until soft. Stir in the saffron threads, followed by tomatoes and sugar. As the tomatoes begin to soften, add the butter beans. Once all ingredients are heated through, stir in the olives, cinnamon and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, plain or over rice or pasta. Bon appetit!
Gourmet De-Constructed 