Calamari with Blackened Tomato

Calamari with Blackened Tomato, originally uploaded by Kim De.

I am sure you are not surprised to see calamari on my menu. Bo wasn't either. I think he is quite please with this new obsession of mine!

To continue with my craving for all flavors Mexican, I opened Tacos by Mark Miller. So far, everything from that book has been a winner and the calamari recipe looked no different.

One of the things I am enjoying about this book is the bold flavors made with small amounts of ingredients. Simplicity inducing mouth-watering reactions. My favorite.

I made one tiny adjustment in that I served the seafood over brown basmati rice instead of in a taco. I can assure you this was a great way to do this, but please try the taco an let me know how it was!

It may be a few days before my next post - my sick computer is going into the hospital and I haven't tried loading pictures into Bo's laptop, so we will see. No worries, though. Many more recipes on the horizon, lots to tell you when I return!

Calamari with Blackened Tomato (Adapted from Tacos by Mark Miller)

1/4 olive oil (preferably Spanish)
1/2 small white onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2 lbs calamari, cleaned and washed, body sliced into 1/4 inch rings and tentacles left whole if small
1 large tomato, blackened and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 jalapeno chie, dry roasted and chopped
2 cloves garlic, dry roasted and chopped
3/4 t salt
3 t chipotle chile powder (you can substitute regular chile powder if you cant find chipotle)
1 1/2 T chopped fresh cilantro
12 (5 1/2 inch) soft corn tortillas

Blackened Tomatoes
Remove the stem, but keep the tomato whole. Blacken, turning frequently, in a single layer in a cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, or on a baking sheet under a broiler until charred and blistered on all sides, about 20 minutes in a skillet or 5 minutes under the broiler.

Dry Roasted Chiles and Garlic
Place unpeeled cloves in a dry cast-iron or heavy bottomed skillet and roast over low heat until the garlic softens, 30-40 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally. Or roast in an oven at 350 until soft, 20-30 minutes. When done the garlic should be creamy and sweet, soft enough to slip out of the skin when you squeeze the clove.

Place the chiles in a hot cast-iron or heavy bottom skillet and cook, turning every 5 minutes until all sides are evenly blistered.

Taco Filling
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and saute the diced onion until it begins to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to a small saucepan and add the calamari, tomato, jalapeno, garlic, salt, chile powder and cilantro. Let the mixture come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook until barely done, about 7 minutes (don't overcook or the calamari will be rubbery). Remove from heat and serve immediately, folding in warmed tortillas or over rice.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes

PB260831, originally uploaded by Kim De.

Please forgive the blurry picture. It is the last of the ones I took of the Thanksgiving leftovers. I did a quick job of it to get back to my guests.

I'm sure you have noticed, my blogs for last last week have all been leftovers from Thanksgiving with nothing newer. There is a reason for that. I had surgery last Tuesday. Not only was I not able to be up and cooking, I had no appetite and food was the last thing on my mind. I think I have turned the corner today toward recovery and by Monday might even make a homemade dinner!

But on to the beans!

These were excellent! A recipe from Giada, it is something that could be made quickly after a long day at work. I think frozen cut beans would work just as well as the fresh (with a slightly different taste and texture) and with a bit less oil (which wont change a thing, I promise) is a good candidate for full nutrition power. I did make the recipe just as written below, because on Thanksgiving I dont worry about calories but it felt a touch on the oily side, so try cutting in half.

Oh, and the parmesan crisps, couldnt taste them, so I wouldnt worry about including them.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil served with Parmesan Crisps (From Giada de Laurentiis)

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan Crisps, recipe follows

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well; set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the beans and cook until the juices evaporate and the beans are almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and basil. Simmer 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.

Parmesan Crisps:

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet and lightly pat down. A silicone baking sheet is highly recommended. Repeat with the remaining cheese, spacing the spoonfuls about a 1/2-inch apart.

Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool.

Yield: 8 to 10 crisps

Spinach and Tomato Soup

tomato soup, originally uploaded by Kim De.

First of all, please let me apologize for the picture quality of this and future blogs for who knows how long - a cup of coffee had a meeting with our camera this morning.

Luckily we are already in the market for a new camera, and we have a cheap back up (taking the poor quality photo you see). Anyway, it may be awhile before we purchase our new camera, so for a time I am stuck with this one.

Getting slowly back into the swing of things after vacation is difficult. I made tomato soup for its nutrition and ease. I must say I am disappointed with this first try. The soup was ok, but it lacked a depth of flavor - it was quite thin. Luckily there is nothing I like better then trying a new recipe! The hunt for a new tomato soup is on!

Bean, Spinach and Tomato Soup (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
32 oz vegetable broth
1/2 14.5 oz can navy beans
1/2 lb baby spinach
1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated or ground
Salt and pepper to taste
1 - 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large dutch oven, saute garlic and onion in olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes over medium heat. Pour in the broth and bring liquid to a boil. add the beans to the broth and cook until they are softened, 5-10 minutes.

NOTE: If you wish the spinach to stay whole, you can blend the beans and broth now then add the rest of the ingredients.


Add in handfuls of the spinach, stirring until it wilts. Keep adding and
stirring until all of the spinach is in. Stir in nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Add in tomatoes and stir until thoroughly heated for a couple minutes. Using an immersion blender, mix the beans, spinach and tomatoes until the consistency you desire. Heat for 5 minutes more. Serve each with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

A Tart Dinner

So I go through phases with my recipes - I find one source and use it for a long time until I move on to a new one. This spring when I was obsessed with grilling, I used Bobby Flay recipes almost exclusively. Now that it is hotter and I dont want to grill always, I have moved one. My new source is a blog I enjoy called Culinary in the Desert. My dinner inspiration again came from that blog.




Tonight was a "veggie" night. I try to have two per week. Anytime I announce that tonight is the night, I get disappointed looks and eye rolling - until dinnertime when Bo tries the food. Suddenly veggie night isnt so bad! Tonight was no exception. We had (loosely) Chard and Feta Tart. Loosely because I used the recipe as a suggestion, but made several changes.

First, I had spinach that needed to be used up, so instead of buying chard, I used what I had. I also had grape tomatoes so I added those too. I doubled the lemon zest - and was glad that I did! The zest really pulled the rest of the flavors together!! I subbed cottage cheese for the ricotta, and since I dont (yet) own a tart pan, I used a deep pie plate. If cottage cheese is used again, it will do better if I drain it.

Sauteed mushrooms were our side dish, again, something in the fridge that needed to be used.


I diced two garlic cloves and sauteed in a touch of olive oil. Added to that were baby bella 'shrooms I had sliced in half. Red wine to the pan helped to keep things moist while they slowly cooked, then a few snipped chives from my garden rounded off the end of the dish.

So how did Bo like this meal? First thing he said was "this is too fancy to be eaten in front of the tv (tennis was on)". Then I got the vigerous head nod and smile which let me know this can be a repeater!!!

We are leaving for Indiana this afternoon, so no cooking or blogging until Sunday when we return. Have a great July 4th!!!


Chard and Feta Tart (Adapted from Eating Well and Culinary in the Desert)
***NOTE*** My changes are in ()

For the crust
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 Tbs cold water

For the filling
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chopped chard, leaves and stems separated (I used 4 cups fresh spinach plus 2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced vertically)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs water
2 large eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese **will do better if drained well)
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (I used 2 t)
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives (I didnt have so I left out)
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. To make the crust

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour in
oil and water - stir the wet ingredients into the dry until a soft dough
forms. Scoop the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a
couple of times just until the dough comes together. Wrap in saran wrap and
place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400.

4. Remove the dough and roll to a 12" circle on a lightly floured surface.
Carefully move the dough to a 9" removable bottom tart pan coated with
nonstick spray. Gently press the dough into the bottom and up the sides -
trim off any overhanging dough. Use a fork to prick the bottom and sides in
a few places. Place in the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 20 to
22 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

5. To make the filling

6. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chard stems - cook,
until just tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic - cook until fragrant,
about 30 seconds. Add chard leaves and 2 tablespoons water - cook, stirring,
until the leaves are just tender and the water has evaporated, 2 to 5
minutes. Scoop the mixture into a sieve set on top of a bowl and set aside
to drain and cool for 5 minutes.

7. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, ricotta, lemon zest 1/8 teaspoon
pepper. Add the chard mixture, olives and feta - fold together until
combined. Scoop the mixture into the cooled crust and smooth over the top.
Bake until the top is lightly browned and the center is set, about 30 to 35
minutes. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.