Time Travel Chicken

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ChickenPorcini

A brush of snow on the ground, heater running full blast, sweaters, slippers, a hot beverage… Yes, Winter has arrived and it’s time to get on that ‘Culinary Bus’ and head to the kitchen to create something that zings with flavors of warmer places and seasons!

Porcini Mushrooms speak of Spring and hope for warmth!  Chefs and Foodies quiver with delight as these morsels hit the market every year.  So, being January, I delved into my stash of dried Porcini to create this dish!

How to season this particular bird… A rub of ground Porcini will give it a rich earthy aroma and hints of the reawakening forest floor, but more is needed to convince my palate that, indeed, it will be Spring again!  Taking my nose through the spice jars led to Sri Lankan Curry!curry_sri_lankan_wholeThis beautiful blend of Indian Coriander Seed, Cumin Seed, Cinnamon, Fennel Seed, Fenugreek Seed, Cardamom Seed, Japones, Black and Tellicherry Peppercorn, and Cloves from Seattle’s World Spice Market added exactly the right amount of Zing, Pow, Bam needed to make this a highly memorable dish!

After roasting the bird, use the drippings and a few more chopped porcini to make a risotto.  Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Mi Masa Su Masa

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masa fish n plantains
So many gluten free flour blends are heavy with rice flour.  These tend to magnify my waistline…  A perusal of my pantry turned up a lovely bag of masa harina; corn that has been soaked in lime, then ground into a flour.  This made a spectacular light coating for the long-line rockfish I picked up at Town & Country’s Central Market in Shoreline today.

Cut your fish into serving size pieces, salt each side and dust lightly with the masa.  Brown on each side in hot olive oil.  Top with a mixture of fresh mango and minced jalapeno.  Pop into a preheated 400 degree oven.  You want to cook rockfish fully.  It will be flaky, white throughout and no longer opaque.

To complete my theme I served the delicate fish with Abenaki’s Corn Polenta.  I picked up this beautiful multi-hued polenta from the people that grow the corn, grind it with utmost care and then sell it at the Eugene, Oregon farmer’s market a few weeks ago.  This is some of the best polenta I have encountered, to date. I cooked it with fresh stock and a squeeze of lime to bring out the lovely corn flavor. Check out their website www.lonesomewhistlefarm.com

For some fun texture I made my own version of tostones; double fried green plantain.  Simply score the plantain down each side, snip the ends and pop into the microwave until soft and the skin is dark brown/black.  One large plantain took about three and a half minutes in my microwave.  Once the fruit is soft, let it cool just enough to handle and remove the skin.  Cut into 12-14 rounds.  The recipes I’ve seen call for all manner of methods to ‘smash’ the rounds, but being a chef with ‘cast-iron’ hands (who needs fingerprints, anyway!) I placed them between two pieces of wax paper and smooshed them fairly flat with the heel of my hand.  You could use a glass, a plate, a pan, whatever is handy.  Now fry them on one side in olive oil in a cast iron pan.  Turn them over in the oil and place the pan into your 400 degree oven with the fish, until they are done.  I made mine fairly crisp, but do them how ever you prefer.  They can even be cooked extra crisp and served with a dip for a fun appetizer.

Some zucchini sauteed with World Spice’s Caribbean Curry and a bit of fresh minced cilantro to finish!  It was VERY quiet around the dinner table at my house!
Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Goddess of Green Things

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asparaguswithlemon
Want to be a Goddess?  Read on!  Fresh, vibrant vegetables are trickling into our markets.  It just takes an understanding of flavors and a deft touch while cooking these glorious examples of Spring bounty to bring your dinner guest to rapturous delight.

Little could be simpler to prepare then the beautiful asparagus pictured above.

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and bottoms snapped off
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut in thin slices
Sliced of fresh Meyer or regular lemon
Fleur de sel

Arrange the asparagus in a baking dish.  Place the slices of butter across the middle of the stalks.  Layer the slices of lemon on top of the butter.  Sprinkle all with fleur de sel and pop into a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.  Keep on eye on the asparagus.  Once the color starts to brighten, test for tenderness.  As soon as it reaches the level you prefer, remove from the oven.  It’s ready to serve.

The dish pictured shows the pretty asparagus served with fresh Rockfish seasoned with tarragon and minced orange zest on top of quinoa studded with roasted pine nuts, scallion and julienne morsels of dried mandarin orange.  Once the asparagus was happily balanced across the fish, I poured the resulting butter over the whole.

Gluten Free, as always!!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

March Madness

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Caribbeansuccatash
The sun is occasinoally popping out in startling glory, yet despite calendar exclamations of the changing season, my Spring Fever or March Madness is creating a longing for moist garden soil running through my fingers, outdoor expeditions and, above all, Warmth!

To keep the depression at bay, brought on by malingering Winter evidence, I cook food from warm climates.  Tonight my home smells of the Caribbean!  Lime, coconut, allspice, nutmeg, such lovely acquaintances…

To accompany a pork roast rubbed with lime zest and those warm friends, I created a “Caribbean Succotash”.  I am using that term loosely, since there were no lima beans involved, but it seemed like the perfect name for this dish.

1 each yam and sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
1/2 Yellow Onion, minced
Organic Virgin Coconut oil
1 small Jalapeno, seeded and  minced
1/2 Cup shredded coconut
1 banana, peeled and diced
3 Tbsp World Spice’s Caribbean Curry blend
6oz Pineapple Juice
Kosher Salt

Saute the sweet potato, yam, onion and jalapeno in the coconut oil until beginning to brown a bit.  Add the curry blend and cook for two more minutes.  Turn off the heat, add the pineapple juice, banana and coconut.  Toss together.  Salt to taste and place in a 350 degree oven.  Cook until nicely browned, about 45 minutes.

Like every dish on Fearless Feast, this recipe contain no gluten nor many other allergens.

Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

You are my Sunshine!

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sunshinechiliMaybe not my, ‘only Sunshine’, but you do, soooooo make me Happy!

The beautiful fresh flavors and color inspired the name
‘Sunshine Chili’

Ground chicken thigh meat
Cannellini beans, prepared
Yellow onion, minced
Poblano, fresno, jalapeno peppers, minced
Chicken stock
Lime zest
Cumin, ground
New Mexican chili pepper, groundAji amarillo, ground
Turmeric
Garlic
Oregano, Mexican
Coriander
Sage
Rosemary
Cilantro
Salt and Pepper

Cook the chicken, onion and fresh peppers until chicken is cooked through.  Add lime zest and spices; cook for a few minutes.  Add herbs then chicken stock to level of the meat in the pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  If you cooked your own beans and did not finish them with salt, you will need to be pretty generous now.

Cook on low for a couple hours, or until you can’t stand it and have to get a bowl and a spoon…

Garnish with fresh minced cilantro and a fresh chevre, feta or cotija fresco.

Once again, NO gluten!!  Who knew!!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Shanks!

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lambshankAw, for the love of Lamb Shank!  Spring is here!!! At least it is, in Seattle!

A supremely simple pleasure to prepare:

Season each shank with salt and pepper then brown on all sides.  Place in a dish large enough to hold them all.  Add chopped Spring Onion, fresh minced garlic minced orange peel and a non-oaked white wine to fill the pan to the half way point.  Add additional seasoning, seal with parchment, foil and the lid.  Place in a preheated 325 degree oven for about three and a half hours.  The shanks are ready to serve, but I prefer to do this a day ahead, chill uncovered, remove the fat layer and reheat.  You will find the texture to be much better, if you have the time to do this.

To serve, Spring asparagus and carrots were the perfect touch with a garnish of gremolata made from citrus zest, mint, flat leaf parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Cooking without gluten is so very easy!!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Silver for the King

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cohoPretty, wild Silver, also known as Coho, Alaskan salmon is incredible when prepared with dense, flavorful King Oyster mushrooms.
KingOyster
This variety of mushroom combines the flavor, we love, of the oyster mushroom, with a dense meatiness that adds incredible texture to your dish.  You will find them to willlingly avail themselves of the flavors you introduce in the pan.  Tonight, I chose to saute them in butter with shallot and cardamom.  When they were sufficiently softened, I deglazed with Oloroso sherry, then a touch of maple syrup, the sweetness balanced by Jerez sherry vinegar.

Coco, or Silver salmon are frequently found at a much better price in your fish market.  Being a smaller fish, you need to handle them pretty gently, when cooking.  They can dry out in a heartbeat!  Keep a close eye on them as you pan roast, poach or oven roast this wonderful fish.

For those of you seeking to keep your diet free of allergens, fresh wild salmon is an excellent choice.  Firm fish, like salmon, do not need a coating, as do more delicate fish, like sole.  This means, you can usually count on it as a Gluten Free option on restaurant menus.  Do carefully read the menu description, though.  Ask you server, to be sure it is safe.  At home, Salmon is wonderful with so many flavors, sauces, cooking styles and accompaniments.  Be creative!  Enjoy!  Chef Celinda

Simply Wild

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HuckleberrySalmonWild ‘Bruce Gore’ King Salmon and wild huckleberries; nothing tame about that combo!

When creating recipes for Northwest treats, it’s fun to pair up ingredients that inhabit the same environs.  They frequently make excellent combinations.

To make this dish, simply season fat salmon fillets and sear in olive oil.  Once evenly caramelized, move the pieces into a baking dish and finish cooking in a 400 degree oven.  Keep an eye on them!  Overcooked salmon is a crime!  When 90% done, remove from the oven and let them rest to finish cooking.

For the sauce, add minced shallot and rosemary to the remaining oil you cooked the salmon in.  When the shallot is done, add a round of tawny port and reduce.  Add huckleberries and cook to a glossy substance.  Remove from the heat and mount with unsalted butter.  Season the finished sauce, as needed.  Plate the salmon and serve with your incredible sauce.

If you are unfamiliar with huckleberries, they are in the blueberry family.  I found some in the freezer section at Central Market.  You can pick them at the end of the Summer in higher elevations.  I used to greatly enjoy doing this!  The bear ‘sign’, I was careful not to step in, made me a little nervous, but hey, sometimes great meals require some adventure to achieve!  Besides their wonderful flavor, they have five times the antioxidant of blueberries!  And, like blueberries, they are believed to help maintain mental function, as we age.  Something to keep in mind.

Like every recipe I create for Fearless Feast, this one is, of course, gluten free.  Enjoy!!  Chef Celinda

Love and Lies

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GFCheesecakeIs it a bad thing to fool your special someone by feeding them things that are good for them without their knowledge??  You know how they love spectacular desserts and just should NOT be eating Gluten, but…

You have probably looked at the gluten free treats at the grocery store.  You ponder, wondering if they will taste good.  At that price, you sure do hope so, but probably don’t have a great deal of faith…

This pretty cheesecake is well within your ability.  You need a good mixer, a spring form pan and fresh cream cheese.

This recipe was made for a 6" spring form pan.  The crust recipe included, is enough for two cakes or one larger, 9" spring form pan.  I put the remaining dough into the freezer for my next baking expedition!

If you are using a conventional oven, you need to take some extra steps to prep your pan.  The butter in the crust will potentially melt, dripping down on the element and start a fire.  In a convection oven, there is no exposed element, so not a problem.  I do like to place a pan in the bottom of my convection oven, to catch drips and make cleanup easy, though.  Of course, you can also use the upcoming method to handle drips, too.   To create a seal for conventional cooking, wrap plastic wrap around the exterior of the assembled pan, creating a barrier to prevent leaks.  You do not want it sticking up over the top edge, so tuck it neatly.  Now, wrap foil around the plastic, with the thought of stopping leaks, also, but primarily to protect the plastic from the heat as well as creating a secondary catch point.  The plastic will shrink from the heat, but honestly, it should do a great job.  If you are further concerned, place a pan or dish under the spring form, too.  This is fine, but it could make it take a little longer to bake in a conventional oven.

Once you are done sealing your pan, use a light coating of oil on the inside, for ease of release and for the crust crumb to stick to.

If using a conventional oven, set to 350; 325 for convection.

Crust:
1 C Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour
1/3 C sugar
6 T cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
Dash of salt

Using the paddle attachment, mix together all the ingredients until you have formed a consistent petite pea sized crumb.  Do not over mix!!  Honestly, if that happens and it forms a dough, you are best to start over.  You can save the screw up batch and make some cookies, but it will have a tough texture, if you try to use it for your cheesecake.

Place the finished crumb in the pan.  If doing a six or seven inch spring form, put the other half in a freezer bag and store for another day.  Now, carefully press the crumb all the way up the sides and across the bottom, using your fingers.  If it is sticking to you, run your fingers under cold water to cool them, dry and dust with a little of your gluten free flour.  It is very important to get the crust an even thickness on the entire surface.  The largest pitfall is the corner where the sides meet the bottom.  Push with your finger tips to thin it, if you realize you have created a slope instead of a sharp corner.  If you don’t your finished cheesecake will have an unappealing block of crust in each piece.  Set your crust in the fridge until you are ready to fill and bake.

To make the filling:

1 lb FRESH, good quality cream cheese.  Do not cheap out and do check the date.  As it ages, it loses moisture.  You will end up with a cheesecake dotted with dry morsels of cheese no matter how much you whip it.
2 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp real vanilla
zest from half of a lemon

Place all the filling ingredients into your mixer with the whip attachment.  Whip until fluffy and smooth.  Carefully spoon into your prepared crust.  Push it up against the sides in a way that you do not knock the crumbles loose and smooth the top.  It will be fairly full.  Place in the preheated oven.  The cake will take roughly an hour.  It’s done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  If the top is beginning to get too brown, place a loose foil tent over it for the final baking.

Once fully cooled on a rack, carefully remove the spring form pieces.  You can simply dust with powdered sugar and serve or use your favorite gluten free topping.  The pictured cake has fresh strawberries in pineapple glaze.  This is super easy and the combined acid and sweetness of the pineapple will give you the flavor that may not be in the berries coming in at this time of year.  Simply reduce the pineapple juice.  Add more sugar if your berries are particularly sour.  Cool for a few minutes then fold into sliced berries.  For a thicker glaze, add some dissolved gelatin before mixing with the berries.  For an extra pretty batch, you can also add red food coloring.

Nice Rack!

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vealrack-640x480I picked up a gorgeous Veal Rack from William at Pike Market’s BB Ranch this week!  A tumultuous array of recipes cascade through my mind, as I ponder where to begin!
BBRanch
I wanted to do something Big and Showy!!  Veal Rack is the baby to a bone-in Prime Rib, so I decided to prepare it in a similar style; seasoned and roasted then finished with a spectacular pan sauce ~“Veal Rack Oloroso”

Once your meat is 130 degrees, pull it from the oven and set aside to rest.  It will continue to rise in temperature.  I prefer to do a veal roast medium rare.  The young meat is a bit too chewy, if rare.

While the roast is resting, add shallot and sliced mushroom to the pan.  You will probably need to add a little more olive oil.  Just as these are nearly done, add minced shallot and fresh sage.  Don’t burn these!  A generous round of Oloroso Jerez Sherry deglazes and gives incredible flavor.  note:  This sherry is dry, yet loaded with hazelnut and caramel notes!  Reduce the sherry a bit and add stock.  You will need to adjust seasoning as your sauce reduces.  To finish, mount with cold butter and serve over slices of pretty pink veal.

The beauty above was served with baby gold potatoes, roasted in the pan with the veal.

Enjoy!  Chef Celinda