Michael loves a good low-carb, high-protein salad after a hard run to the Golden Gate Bridge and back. This one uses the left over miso marinaded ahi tuna (from ahi tuna tacos the night before -- be careful not to save left over raw fish recipes for more than 12 hours or so) atop chopped romaine lettuce, tomatoes, shredded jack cheese and delicious chipotle aioli dressing.
Prime Rib Roast With Au Jus
It was really fun trying a beef roast for the first time ever! I got a nice Prime Rib Roast from our local grocer. And made up a super yummy Rub and Au Jus to go with.
How To Make It
Pick up a Prime Rib Roast, tied with cooking twine. This will help the roast hold it's juiciness. Rub your roast with seasonings. Place on a rack in a roasting pan in a preheated oven at 500 (f). Cook for about 15 minutes per pound at this temperature. Then turn the oven off (do not open the door) and let it sit in the oven another 15 minutes per pound. Mine turned out perfectly medium rare. I've seen other recipes that differ on this, but it worked just right for me. Let the meat sit for a few minutes before cutting into it.
Susan's Rub (or use your own)
1 teaspoon each dried oregano, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, ground chili chipotle (yep, I went there)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
Use a mortar and pestle to grind the flavors together. The Chili Chipotle adds a nice little bite, which Michael just loved!
Susan's Au Jus
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons Vermouth (yep, went there, too)
Melt butter in sauce pan. Add shallots and sauté until soft and just browning. Then add the beef stock. Bring to a boil and let reduce for 20 minutes. Add the Vermouth and boil another 5 minutes. Serve!
Red Curry Shrimp
I've been experimenting with red curry sauce -- trying to get the perfect balance of flavors and heat. This is getting pretty close. Flavorwise, it hits the mark. But for consistency, I'd rather have it a little more creamy. Keep an eye out for "take two".
How to Make It:
Saute shrimp in vegetable oil until just cooked through at medium high heat. Lift out shrimp being careful to leave the shrimp infused oil. Add and mix together the thick top part of a can of unsweetened coconut milk, 1/4 cup watery part of coconut milk, 2 teaspoons fish sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons red curry paste. Add ground red pepper to taste.
Stir constantly as the sauce cooks and reduces. After about 10 minutes, the sauce will get to a nice thickness. Add shrimp back in and toss to coat. Remove from heat and serve over rice, noodles or spiralized zucchini (as I have done here). I also topped this with a sprinkling of crispy onions for a little extra texture and flavor. Yum!
Lettuce-less Summer Salad
I went through a serious salad phase. At one point, I was just tired of lettuce. This lettuce-less salad is a great summer-time complement to any main course. Or add some protein and make it your main course. Salmon or shrimp make great toppers.
How to Make It:
3 Roma tomatoes
1 orange bell pepper
1 very ripe avocado
1 fresh ear of corn
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
1 lime
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chop the tomatoes and bell pepper into bit sized pieces. Dice the avocado. Scrape the corn from the cob. Add chopped cilantro and crumbled goat cheese. Squeeze in lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Then toss it all. It's important that the avocado is very ripe because it blends with the lime, salt & pepper to make a wonderful fresh dressing.
Shrimp & Scallops in a Creamy White Wine Sauce
I've been experimenting with sauces lately. Trying to come up with a super yummy sauce that uses white wine as a dominant flavor. I think I got it with this. This sauce really compliments the flavors of the shrimp, scallops and fresh corn! And, bonus, this dish is ready in about 30 minutes!
How To Make It
1/2 lb. of shrimp
1/2 lb. of scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh shallots
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
Salt to taste
1/4 cup fresh corn
1/4 cup fresh chopped tomato
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced (plus a piece for garnish)
2 large zucchini, spiralized
Sprinkle the shrimp and scallops with salt and then sauté them in olive oil until the shrimp is pink and scallops whiten and just start to brown, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Be sure to use a sauté pan that's the right size to allow the shrimp and scallops to lay in a single layer in the pan. Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside on a plate. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Sauté the shallots in the same pan until soft and a little browned, just a few minutes should do it. Add wine and stir until the pan is deglazed, about a minute. Add cream, lemon juice and salt. Increase heat to medium high and let the sauce boil (stirring often) until it reduces to a little thicker than you would like (about 10 minutes), because next you will add the corn and tomato and this will add some liquid to the sauce. Reduce heat to medium, then add corn, tomato and fresh oregano and cook about 7 more minutes (add shrimp and scallops back in a couple of minutes before this part is done). While you're cooking, zap the zucchini noodles for 3 minutes on high in the microwave. Dry them with a paper towel or kitchen towel to reduce moisture. Toss with the shrimp and scallops mixture and serve for a delicious, fresh meal in less than 30 minutes!