Here on She’s Cookin’ I specialize in quick and easy recipes that fit the busy lifestyle of families and professionals. I’m always mindful of creating nutritious dishes that take advantage of the freshest seasonal produce. With that said, I know that quality, gourmet sauces and marinades that transform a dish from ordinary to extraordinary with the twist of a cap can be your best friend Which is why I opted to try an assortment of sauces from Barhyte Specialty Foods and enter their cooking contest.

Barhyte is a family owned company that began sharing their  homemade specialty mustards, made from recipes passed down through generations of both sides of the family, at a local deli in the  1970s. Mustard sales grew so quickly that it became a business in 1984 and now has expanded to include many tasty condiments, sauces, and marinades. I zeroed in on the Cracked Pepper marinade first, but I’ll be having fun with the Hot Wing, Sweet Onion, and Lime Chipotle marinades and the Chipotle mustard in the coming weeks.

Using Barhyte’s Cracked Pepper marinade for steak seemed so predictable.  I wanted to create a spectacular dish that was at once easy and elegant. Inspired by the classic French preparation for Steak au Poivre, I marinated tuna steaks in the Cracked Pepper marinade, quickly seared them on the grill, served atop a bed of arugula and baked potato – it made for a dazzling anniversary dinner!

Tuna Steak au Poivre

4 – 6 to 8 oz. Ahi tuna steaks, 1 inch thick

1 cup Barhyte Cracked pepper marinade, divided use

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced crosswise

Serves 4

Rinse tuna steaks in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a glass baking dish. Pour ½ cup marinade over the steaks and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Brush, spray, or – a tip I learned from a grill master – use balled up aluminum foil to oil the grill rack.

Remove fish from marinade and place on grill. Close lid and sear for 4 minutes. Turn and cook for 4 more minutes.

Arrange arugula on plates. Put a tablespoon of butter inside each split baked potato and place on top of arugula.   Drizzle with additional marinade and sprinkle with scallions. Violá!

Cooks Notes: Shown served with baked potatoes which were also cooked on the grill. Wrap potatoes in heavy duty aluminum foil and place on grill over med-high heat for 40 minutes. Remove the potatoes which will stay warm while you cook the fish.

Ahi tuna, also known as yellow fin or big eye tuna, is a meaty fish best served rare to medium-rare like a premium beef steak. For medium-rare, cook the steak for 4 minutes on each side. Just as with a beef steak the high temperature cooks the outside quickly and forms a crust (searing) while leaving the interior rare to medium rare.

Enjoy

Filled with layers of texture and flavor, the outside is crunchy, the inside soft and savory. This toothsome biscuit is from The Cornbread Gospels, a cookbook filled with wisdom and downright delicious recipes compiled by the passionate author Crescent Dragonwagon. Schooled in Southern cornbread for 33 years, Ms. Dragonwagon delighted travelers from near and far at the Dairy Hollow House in my home town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Savory Almond Herb Biscuits

from The Cornbread Gospels, by Crescent Dragonwagon

½ cup sliced or slivered almonds

1 tablespoon plus1/3 cup cold butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

1 cup unbleached white flour

½ cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1¼ cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon assorted fresh finely minced herbs

(I used thyme, rosemary & parsley from my kitchen garden)

Makes 12 large biscuits.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with oil.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the almonds, stirring constantly, toast until golden brown and fragrant. Transfer almonds to a cutting board to cool, then coarsely chop.

Add one tablespoon butter to the skillet, when the butter melts, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are golden brown – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the garlic.

While the onion and garlic mixture cools, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the remaining 1/3 cup butter using a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs.

Pour the buttermilk into the skillet, stir gently, scraping up any flavorsome bits of onion or garlic that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the cornmeal and flour mixture, stirring with as few strokes as possible to blend the wet and dry ingredients, stopping while there are still some dry clumps. Add the reserved almonds and the herbs and stir a few more times.

Drop the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, 10-15 minutes. Serve with additional butter if desired.

Enjoy

You’ll be tempted to eat them all, but save a few for breakfast!

Not to mention, delicious alongside a cool gazpacho on a warm summer’s eve or a tummy-warming minestrone for a cozy autumn supper.

The garden gods were good to me last week when an afternoon movie netted a bounty of fresh, organic veggies and I became the lucky recipient of three huge, meaty, gorgeous Elbe heirloom tomatoes. Named after the Elbe River in Germany, these award-winning beefsteak-like tomatoes have been an heirloom favorite since 1889.

One of the golden orbs satisfied our primal craving for a good ole BLT – aaahh, summer and succulent tomatoes!

Inspired by our recent “heat wave”, the other two became the perfect base for this unique gazpacho. They were overripe which meant all I had to do was plop them into the blender with the cooked onions and zucchini, add the buttermilk, and give them a whirl!

Golden Gazpacho

(adapted from Crescent Dragonwagon’s The Cornbread Gospels)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium onion chopped

1 ½ cups mild vegetable stock

2 large yellow heirloom tomatoes, such as Elbe

2 medium zucchini squash (about 1 lb.), chopped

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 large wedge day-old corn bread, crumbled*

Salt

Finely diced red bell pepper for garnish

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sauté, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown, another 5-6 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and zucchini to the skillet. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is soft, 12-15 minutes. Stir in the crumbled corn bread. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Spoon half of the squash and onion mixture into a blender or food processor, add half of the buttermilk and one of the tomatoes (cut in fourths if they’re not really soft) and blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining vegetable mixture, buttermilk, and tomato. Add salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for several hours until very cold. Serve chilled in bowls, stir in red pepper as garnish, it also adds a pleasant crunch to the creamy texture.

Enjoy  :-)

* No cornbread?  ½ cup of homemade bread crumbs can be substituted.

Eyeing those rustic drop biscuits alongside the gazpacho?  Come visit on Monday for the recipe.

Hurray for summer! Hard to believe that it’s August already and, for parents of school-age children, time to start Back-to-School shopping and thinking about getting back on a schedule – eek! I have a feeling that, like me,  you’re squeezing as much fun as you can into every waking minute

I’m feeling a little guilty, not to mention lacking content for She’s Cookin’, because I’ve not cooked anything noteworthy during the past two weeks – my excuse this week is that The Don’s been out of town and I’m just not inspired when there’s no one to cook for! But I will share this quick and easy dinner that would also be perfect for a casual afternoon with friends after a pool or beach day. Resist the drive-through or take-out and have everyone make their own pizzettas with garden fresh veggies from the farmers market, a little of your favorite cheese, and add a gourmet touch with a special ingredient such as this luscious Truffle Aioli that I  up found at Williams Sonoma.

Fresh Ingredients

Oroweat Sandwich Thins

There is no recipe – use whatever you have in the fridge or that suits everyone’s taste. I decided to add a sweet pizzetta to the repertoire, so also carmelized a Vidalia onion and grilled a nectarine. Also not shown in the photo is the Antonello’s Arrabiata Sauce for the savory pizzettas. Use your favorite prepared marinara or pasta sauce. I made half of the pizzettas with red sauce and half with the Truffle Aioli for a “white” pizza.

For the pizzetta crusts I used Oroweat Whole Grain White Sandwich Thins which I love because in one little “bun” you have 5 grams of fiber and only 100 calories.

Prepare your grill to med-high heat and quickly grill the eggplant,  nectarine, and Oroweat Sandwich Thins.

The green, or in this case, purple pepper will take a little longer – turning so it is charred on all sides, then place in a paper bag to steam so the skin is easily removed.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Assemble the pizzettas and bake on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and the crusts browned on the edges, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Make it a party Prepare all the ingredients, display on decorative plates, and let everyone dig in to make their own pizzettas!

Enjoy

Greeted by a bounty of green beans upon our return from vacation, I’ve been busily creating summertime salads that defy the term “salad”  as it is commonly thought of, i.e. dressed salad greens with traditional salad toppings. The first was the classic Niçoise Salad, inspired by images of my daughter  gleefully absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells of  Italy and France – last week traveling from Venice, to Avignon, the French Riviera via Monaco, to Nice (where salade Niçoise originated).

Today’s salad also hails from the french countryside and was inspired by the beautiful Bon Appétit 1994 Special Edition entitled The French Countryside.

I treasure my archive of these informative and gorgeously photographed Bon Appétit special editions, a gift from my mother when I was married  My recipe was inspired by the Potato Salad with Haricots Verts, Roquefort and Walnuts from the article The Art of the Picnic.

Grilled Potatoes with Green Beans, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

adapted from Bon Appétit

10 small red-skinned potatoes, halved

1/2 pound young green beans,trimmed

2/3 cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main

Heat grill to med- high.  Toss the potatoes with a 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette before placing on grill. (I used the remainder of the vinaigrette from the Nicoise Salad). Sear with grill marks on cut side and then lower heat and transfer to a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil to continue cooking. About 20 minutes total.

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and transfer to a medium bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the  vinaigrette, add walnuts and half of the  blue cheese and gently combine.

Arrange beans on a platter. Surround beans with the grilled potatoes or mound them in the center atop the green beans.

We enjoyed this as a main dish, or you could do as the French do and include it as a side dish to a succulent roast chicken as in the article. Either way -

Enjoy

Today, she comes home, exhausted from a transformative journey encompassing four European countries – the grand finalé,  two racous nights in Paris celebrating  Bastille Day , the French national holiday known as La Fête Nationale, as the French do. I’m so excited – can’t wait to hear about her trip!

For Meatless Monday, I’m sharing this so-simple hummus recipe from Real Simple magazine. Of course, you can buy hummus at any store, but for the cost of a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) you can make your own in 5 minutes — and it’s worlds better! Because I prefer a little heat, I jazzed it up with a dash of cayenne and my current spice obsession called Ras el Hanout from Awaken Savor spices.  (More about Awaken Savor’s unique spice blends in a future post.)

5-Minute Spicy Hummus

1-15  ounce  can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice*

kosher or sea salt

¼ cayenne pepper (or paprika for less spicy) for serving

In a mini food processor or blender, puree the garbanzo beans and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, spice, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Salt to taste.

Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!

Add a crisp green salad topped with your favorite veggies and you have an instant Meatless Monday meal.

* Note: Ras el Hanout is a traditional Moroccan blend of herbs and spices, popular across the Middle East and North Africa. The name means “head of the shop” in Arabic and represents the very pinnacle of spice blends. Ingredients include saffron, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, tumeric, fennel seed, and allspice to name a few. You may substitute cumin, but I highly recommend adding this Ras el Hanout to your array of spices.

There are not many days in Southern California when the sky looks like this in the morning:

A blanket of moody gray.

I’m an emotional cook (which is why you will probably never see a video of me cooking , but more on that later) and waking up to gray skies triggered a yearning for something warm and soothing.

Hmmm, I could make vegetable soup but didn’t feel like doing all that chopping – I had a blog post to knock out. I scanned the contents of the fridge  - the bowl of  leftover mashed potatoes from our steak dinner the other night was staring back at me. Yep – nothing spells comfort better than POTATOES!  So here you go: How to make soup from leftover mashed potatoes:

Three ingredients is all.

Pour the broth (vegetable or chicken) into a large (3 quart) saucepan and heat over medium-high.  Spoon the mashed potatoes into the broth – you need about 2 cups of mashed potatoes. Stir the mixture to blend, add half the bag of frozen corn, cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat and puree using a hand-held blender – this is one of my must-have kitchen tools – great for smoothies, no blender to clean

Violá! Mashed Potato Corn Chowder

Add the remaining corn, heat through. If you like a smoother soup you can puree it again. I pureed it a bit more, but leaving some chunky corn for texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped scallions and roasted red peppers.

Variations: Substitute vegetable broth for vegan/vegetarian. Add cheese or cream if you desire a richer, creamier chowder. Substitute broccoli and add cheese for a quick broccoli cheese soup.

Enjoy!

Second in my series of super easy asparagus recipes; roasting asparagus, or any vegetable, brings out its natural sweetness. This is one time where thicker spears work better than thin ones so the asparagus doesn’t get tough and stringy. You can even make these in your toaster oven – I do.

Roasted Asparagus

I used pancetta here, but noted a number of variations* which I’ve used and they’re all delicious, so pick the topping of your choice to add extra color and flavor after the asparagus is roasted.

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

kosher or sea salt

2 ounces chopped pancetta, sautéed until crispy and browned

*Variations:  minced garlic (roasted with the asparagus), add after roasting: carmelized onions, thinly sliced shallots, chopped tomatoes or roasted red pepper, drizzle with fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash the asparagus. Bend each stalk so the tough ends break off. Discard the ends.

Cover the baking tray in tin foil. Lightly spray with spray oil. Place the spears on the baking pan in a single layer.

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, roll the spears around so all are coated. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 8-10 minutes depending on how thick the spears are. Meanwhile, sauté the pancetta in a small pan.

Remove the asparagus, sprinkle the pancetta over and serve. Enjoy

When you see asparagus in the markets you know spring has arrived! We may not realize it as much as folks who have lived through months of snow and bitter cold, but the way asparagus suddenly pokes its head from still-thawing soil, it is indeed a harbinger of spring. And after a long winter of hearty soups, a more delicate one like this one is refreshing.

I’m sharing three ways to enjoy this wonderfully delicate vegetable in the next few days; the first is a Creamy Asparagus Soup.  Adapted from Clean Food, this soup was surprisingly creamy without a bit of cream – the creaminess is achieved through the addition of rolled oats! I’m loving this cookbook and you can buy it in my shop here and read more about it here. Mario Batali recommends it: “Clean Food is the most exciting book based on fresh produce and simple recipes I have used in years.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

This non-dairy soup has the richness of a cream soup without all the fat and guilt, and is super easy to make.

2 bunches of asparagus, (about 6 cups chopped)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 shallots, finely chopped

½ cup rolled oats

1 quart rice milk or soy milk

½ teaspoon dried dill

sea salt and white pepper

chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Serves 6

Remove tough ends of asparagus by bending each piece until it snaps. Discard ends, wash remaining asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add asparagus, oats, milk and dill. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until asparagus is soft – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Purée soup using a handheld blender. Add water if thinner soup is desired. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Can be made 3-4 hours in advance, chilled to allow the flavors to blend, then reheat, garnish and serve. Enjoy

Please come back to enjoy a simple preparation of Roasted Asparagus and Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

Handheld Blender: Available in the TM Shop

This dish was a “No Recipe” creation. Like a lot of the things I cook,  I take inventory of the refrigerator and pantry contents, picture the end result, and use my taste memory to settle on flavors that complement each other.  This takes some experience in cooking – it’s like anything else, the more you do it the better you get and, of course, you have to go grocery shopping to have the raw materials in your fridge and pantry

So here’s my concoction – I’m calling it Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes. Those are the two ingredients that I bought – the other ingredients were in my fridge.

Halibut with Heirloom Tomatoes

2-8 ounce halibut fillets

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 ounces yellow teardrop heirloom tomatoes

8-10 pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise

prepared bruschetta sauce*

¼ c. chopped Italian parsley

Preheat grill on high. Brush halibut with olive oil. Lower heat to med-high. Grill the halibut about 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes into the oil, add the tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute, add the garlic and olives and cook for about 2 minutes until tomatoes are softened. Set aside.

Spoon tomato/kalamata olive sauce onto the plates, top with the halibut, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately. Quick, easy, and delicious!

Enjoy

*I had some Trader Joes’s bruschetta sauce and spooned a little on top of the halibut for more color. Added color and texture is always good. You could use pico de gallo or fresh salsa, too.