Grilled Oysters Fra Diavla

I was recently introduced to oysters and BOY was I in love!  They have an amazing fresh, salty brine that tickles your tongue while going down and are so beautiful with both a hearty beer or wine and a spicy sauce!  If you have been afraid to try and have a Whole Foods near you, ask them to show you how to shuck and eat one.  It will change your life!

But I digress.  These oysters were grilled, not eaten raw.  I let them steam in their brine in the Big Green Egg so they grabbed a nice smokiness as well.  Then they had a wonderfully spicy far diavla sauce spooned on top.  I served these with grilled shrimp and if you just can't bring yourself to try the oysters, try the sauce on the shrimp.

Grilled Oysters with Fra Diavolo Sauce (Recipe by Bobby Flay)

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 very ripe large beefsteak tomatoes, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus leaves for garnish
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes (or more if you prefer it really spicy)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 20 to 24 medium to large oysters, such as Blue Point or Gulf Coast
• 2 cups kosher salt, for serving

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and juicy, but with no color, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender, add a few tablespoons olive oil, the parsley, vinegar, honey, oregano and red pepper flakes and blend until slightly chunky; season with salt and pepper. If too thick, pulse in a bit more olive oil. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. (Can be made 1 hour before and kept at room temperature.)

Preheat the grill for high direct heat.

Remove the top shells of the oysters. Loosen the oysters from the bottom shells but do not remove, taking care not to spill the liquor. Put the oysters on the grill, cover and cook just until the edges start to curl, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, wet the kosher salt with water just until it clumps together. Spoon little mounds of salt onto a large platter. Place a cooked oyster on each salt bed and top each with some vinaigrette. Scatter the parsley leaves over the platter and serve.

Rum Beans

If you are a reader of this blog, you know I really love "drunken" beans of any kind.  I am used to putting beer in them for a savory kick, but what about something sweeter, like rum, that would lend itself to more of a baked bean style dish?  Bobby Flay had done most of the work for me, so all I had to do was change and modify to make the recipe sing to me.

So here they are bubbling away on the stove on a dreary day that didn't allow for much natural light near my stove.

And of course I forgot to snap a photo prior to eating them!

See the great red color from the spices and know it had an amazing flavor, like a great baked beans without the baking step.  They also tasted like those yummy Boston offerings.  I actually think I will make this again, taking the time to bake a lovely crust on top.

The biggest modification I made to this was to add the rum.  Yes, these honey rum beans did not have rum as an ingredient - a complete editorial oversight I am sure.  Try these with a nice potato salad and a great dark beer for a fabulous end of summer meal!

Honey-Rum Pinto Beans Inspired from Bobby Flay

• 1 T canola oil
• 4 oz country ham, diced
• 1/2 medium Spanish onion, cut into small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Two 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed well and drained again
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1-2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup clover honey
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Put the canola oil and ham in a medium cast-iron or enamel coated cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until crisp. Add the onions to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, about 1 minute. Add the beans, barbecue sauce, 1 cup stock, honey, rum and brown sugar and mix gently to combine; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, about 20 minutes. Check to see if the mixture is dry, and if it is, add a little more stock. Continue simmering until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Garnish the top with the cilantro and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Bo and Kim's CSA Adventure: Spicy Tomato Relish

I'm always trying to find new and creative ways to use the bounty of tomatoes from our CSA box.  Salsa - been there, done that.  Tomato salad - ehhh, maybe later.  But grilled tomatoes.... now we are talking!

Anytime I want a grilled dish I look to Bobby Flay for inspiration and this did not disappoint.  As with most recipes I did modify the oil a bit (ok, quite a bit) but with my recommendations written below, I dont think you will miss the amount of oil that was in his.  This is great served atop a grilled chicken breast with a sparkly white wine while looking out off of your deck over the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean...

or if you are like me, just off your back deck.  Ocean not required!

Tomato Relish (Modified from Bobby Flay)

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 T canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped  cilantro
• 1-2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste with some salt
• 2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, finely diced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced

Preheat the grill for high direct heat.

Toss the tomatoes with the canola oil, season with salt and pepper and transfer to a grill basket. Grill, tossing once or twice, until charred on all sides. Remove the tomatoes to another bowl. Add the parsley or cilantro, olive oil, garlic paste, chiles and onions. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

My Basic Potato Salad

I have given up trying to replicate the potato salad my Granny J always made.  Since she really didn't enjoy cooking, I'm sure it was a fairly basic recipe but after years of making it, it was probably tweaked to her own specs.  So after a few years of trying to make it the same way, I have decided to make it MY way.

Or my wayS - because I am still tweaking, because I like to make side dishes that enhance the main dish and because I don't like to make things the same way twice, I will probably never develop an exact recipe that can be linked to me.  But the recipe you see below is my basic recipe and the pepper and onions can easily be removed, manipulated and changed to look like a totally different dish the next time.

This night I used the roasted pepper and green onion for a slightly smoky flavor with only a hint of heat.  It was perfect with Rum Beans.

My Basic Potato Salad

6 medium sized re potatoes, unpeeled and quartered

1 small poblano pepper

2 green onions, green parts only, chopped

1 T plus 2 t white vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup greek yogurt

salt and pepper

Fill a large pan with cold, salted water.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 8-10 minutes or until fork tender.  Drain then rinse with cold water.  Toss with 1 T white vinegar, then drain again. Toss with 1t salt and 1 t of pepper  then refrigerate.

Roast the pepper over the gas burner or broil, turning until all sides are black.  Place in a plastic or paper bag, close and steam for 15 minutes.  Run under water to remove the black peel then seed and chop.  Remove the potatoes from the refrigerator.  Chop into bite size pieces.  Toss the pepper and the green onion with the potatoes.  Place back into the refrigerator until completely chilled.

Mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and 2 t of vinegar.  Begin to add in small increments to the potatoes until it is hte consistency you like.  Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Chill at least an hour to let flavors meld.  

Honey-Garlic Green Tea Shrimp

Bo is amazing!  He made Green Tea Shrimp from Martin Yan's cookbook.  Aren't they pretty?  Well let me tell you, they taste as good as they look!

They were slightly tangy with a beautiful sweet undertone.  Tasty with a bit of restaurant flare but in no way is it deep fried and gloppy!  I always thought I hated Chinese food because I had either had the canned kind or the greasy restaurant kind.  Then Bo began to cook it for me and I realized how incredible the mix of flavors and textures could be.

Please try it!

Honey-Garlic Green Tea Shrimp (From Martin Yan Quick and Easy)

For the shrimp:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 pound medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce (see note)

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 pound thin asparagus, stem ends trimmed, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in medium julienne

2 teaspoons ground green tea leaves (may substitute decaffeinated green tea)

1/3 cup unsalted cashews, chopped (optional)

For the shrimp: In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and soy sauce until well blended. Add the shrimp and stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of chicken broth until smooth, then add the remaining broth, oyster-flavored sauce, honey (stirring until well dissolved) and sesame oil.

Meanwhile, in a medium pan, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Have ready a medium bowl of ice water. Add asparagus to the boiling water, cook for 1 minute, then transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice water. As soon as the asparagus pieces are cool -- it should take only 3 or 4 minutes -- drain them.

In a wok or large skillet over high heat, add the vegetable oil and swirl it to coat the sides of the wok or bottom of the skillet. Add the garlic and stir, about 10 seconds. Add the drained asparagus and bell pepper, stirring about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and stir until they turn pink, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle ground green tea over the shrimp to coat evenly.

Stir the oyster-honey sauce, then add it to the wok or skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Transfer to a serving plate, top with the cashews, if desired, and serve.

Zucchini Bread

Don't you love zucchini bread?  It really is a perfect snack or dinner side.  It is hearty and tasty and if made certain ways, it can be quote healthy.  I am always on the lookout for a hearty recipe with whole wheat flour and less oil so this one seemed a good choice.

It called for white flour so to mix it up a bit I decided to use white-whole wheat for a touch of fiber.  It turned out pretty good.  It was a tiny bit dry so I would check it at 50 minutes next time

No, your eyes aren't playing tricks, you don't see any flecks of green.  Golden squash is all I could find at the farmers market and although the taste is the same I miss the pretty color contrast so mext time will wait until I can find green.

This makes a great snack spread with thick greek yogurt and drizzled with a tough of honey...

Zucchini Bread  (by Cooking Light)


3 cups white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted 
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.

Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla extract) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

Bo and Kim's CSA Adventure: Summer Squash Salad

I have always loved the idea of yellow squash but have not exactly known what to do with it.  Hmmm, lets grill it again.  Boring!

If it was a green zucchini I would make bread, but Im not sure it has the same effect with the yellow variety.  So with only the idea of grilling dancing around my head I decided to consult the internet.  And boy am I glad I did!

Summer Squash salad was a great idea that I found several variations of.  I played around and came up with this one.  It takes light and cool, a great side dish for grilled pork chops!

Summer Squash Salad

1 lb yellow summer squash
2 T blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 c snipped chives
salt and pepper
1T olive oil, optional

Clean the squash then peel the outer layer off and idscard.  Using hte peeler, peel ribbons of squash into a bowl, stopping whrn you get to the seeds.

Toss with the blue cheese and chives then add salt and pepper to taste.  If the salad needds a fruity flavor add 1 T good olive oil.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.  Serve cold or at room temperature.