Grilled Tuna with Basil-Walnut Sauce

Today was one of those lazy Saturday's. I managed to do nothing but go to the grocery store for some food for next week, and that's about it. It was awesome. :) And since the lazy kick is still in place, I found a very simple, but very healthy recipe for dinner tonight (lucky me!). The basil sauce turned out to be much more flavorful than I had anticipated, and pairs well with the lemon zest on the fish.

Recipe is from Williams Sonoma Weeknight Fresh & Fast Cookbook 

**Note the alterations I made in the recipe below**

Recipe (makes 2 servings):
2 Albacore Tuna Steaks
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more as needed)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
grated zest of 1 lemon
coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. Place tuna on a plate. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and the lemon zest. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Let marinate while preparing the sauce.

2. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, walnuts, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and a generous amount of pepper. Process until finely ground. With the machine running, gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If the sauce seems to thick, you can add more olive oil to thin it out. 

Alteration #1: I used raw slivered almonds instead of walnuts because I didn't want to buy a new bag of walnuts just to use 1 tablespoon of it. The sauce still turned out delicious!

3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over high heat. Add the tuna, cover the grill, and cook as desired, about 3 minutes per side for rare. Transfer the tuna to 2 warmed individual plates. Top each with the basil sauce and serve right away.

Alteration #2: I live in an apartment with no access to a grill. I used the "Broil" option on my oven set on "High" or at 400 degrees, and cooked each side for 3-4 minutes (the thought of getting salmonella really scares me, so I added an extra minute to the recipe's 2-3 minutes)

Popovers with Strawberry Butter

Popovers remind me of when my mom used to take my sister and I on shopping trips to San Francisco. We would all spend the day shopping, then have afternoon tea at the top floor restaurant, the Atrium, at Neiman Marcus. Popovers with Strawberry Butter was what they served when you first sat down, and I devoured my fair share every time! Popovers are delightful - they're light and doughy and pair very well with strawberry butter. The butter is not overtly sweet, and can even be made with fresh strawberries! #winning

Popover Recipe (makes 6 servings):
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Strawberry Butter Recipe (makes 8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup):
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon of strawberry preserves (can also use fresh strawberries [use 3 strawberries])
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly. Beat in flour, milk, and salt, until just smooth. Fill muffin tin cups 1/2 full.

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Then decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes. Remove from cups and serve immediately.

4. In a small bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and strawberries until creamy. If using fresh strawberries, combine butter and sugar, then fold in strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Seattle Part 2

Sadly, my trip to Seattle has come to an end, but I wanted to highlight some of the places we ate at and visited just in case any of you make a trip over sometime soon!

Chihuly Garden and Glass - an exhibition of Dale Chihuly's hand blown glass installations. The exhibition is really spectacular, and something very unique to Seattle

A picture of another installation from the Chihuly Garden and Glass

We took a trip to do a very mild 3-mile hike at Olallie State Park (roughly 45 minutes outside Seattle)

Twin Peak Falls at Olallie State Park

We spent a lovely morning at Gas Works Park; we got a great view of the city and watched seaplanes take off

Off to the side of Gas Works Park, we were able to see houseboats! How unique of Seattle...

 

At the Future of Flight - Aviation Center and Boeing Tour in Everett, WA. This is the site where they manufacture all of Boeing's 737, 747, 777, 787 models. This is one of the coolest things I've ever done!

 

This is a layout of the building (listed as the largest building in the world by Guiness Book of World Records) and which planes are manufactured in which parts of the building. All the 787's that have been recalled are at this site. 

RECAP OF SEATTLE:

Places to Eat (in order of when we ate them):

La Panier - Very French Bakery

Off the Rez - Native American food truck

Piroshky Piroshky

RN74 - a Michael Mina restaurant

Duke's Chowder House

Bakery Nouveau

Terra Plata

Mora Ice Creamery

The Walrus and the Carpenter 

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream

Ezell's Famous Chicken - Oprah named it the Best Fried Chicken in the 80's!!

Din Tai Fung 

Green Leaf 

Ivar's Seafood Bar

Donut Shops:

Daily Dozen Donuts

Top Pot

Mighty-O Donuts

Krispy Kreme

Coffee Shops:

Espresso Vivace

Bauhaus Books and Coffee

Victrola

Starbucks (the original at Pike Place Market)

Sights/Things to Do:

Kerry Park

Pike Place Market

Bainbridge Island

Museum of Flight

Fremont Troll

Lenin's Statue

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

Chihuly Glass and Garden Museum

Space Needle

Gas Works Park

Future of Flight - Aviation Center and Boeing Tour

Fall Vegetable Risotto with Blue Cheese

The worst part of traveling is that when you finally get home, you're kind of useless. Case in point, the flight back from Seattle was a red eye and arrived in Boston around 8am. Made it home by 9am, and though I wanted to sleep (it was 6am in Seattle), I knew I shouldn't (Darn you, jet lag). So I decided to make some comfort food for the rest of the week, and catch up on the premiere of Dancing with the Stars (go Zendaya!) And yes, my luggage is still sitting in a corner of my room untouched and still packed. I hope one day, someone will invent a robot who will unpack your bags for you. That would be heaven on earth.

The recipe is from my handy dandy Williams-Sonoma Weeknight Fresh+Fast cookbook!

Recipe (makes 4 servings):
5 cups low-sodium chick or vegetable broth
10 ounces Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound (125 grams) shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup walnut pieces
Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

**I'm lactose intolerant/not a fan of blue cheese, so I omitted it when I made the dish. I know some people who find blue cheese too stinky, so using Cambozola (a hybrid cheese of Camembert and Gorgonzola) may help if you want to add cheese to the dish**

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until bright green and almost tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Brussels sprouts to a bowl and set aside. Reduce the heat to low.

 

2. In a heavy medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. 

 

3. Add about 3/4 cup of the broth, and adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles and is absorbed slowly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue cooking, adding the liquid about 3/4 cup at a time and stirring frequently, until the rice is just tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Mix in the Brussels sprouts, blue cheese, and a generous amount of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls or plates, sprinkle with walnuts, and serve right away.

Alteration #1: I used slivered blanched almonds instead of walnuts since I had them already lying around.

Seattle...

...is the city of Nordstrom, REI, Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Kurt Cobain, Owl City, Macklemore, and the best coffee ever (just to name a few)! Seattle just so happens to be one of my favorite cities for those things, and also because two of my best friends live here. And what's even better about having friends living in a city you're visiting, is that they will take you to all the local food and hang out spots, and not a day will go by without you eating good food. Here's a quick recap of my trip so far:

View of Seattle bright and early from Kerry Park

Grabbing some latte's at the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market 

Daily Dozen Donuts - the best donuts in the downtown area. We ate half a dozen plain donuts in one sitting...yes, we're fat. :P

Lunch from Off the Rez food truck (Native American Food) - Pork Tacos with a Mango Frybread

  A day trip to the Museum of Flight

We even got to climb aboard the original Air Force One that JFK, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Johnson used during their presidency

Grabbing a cup of Joe at Espresso Vivace (aka the best cup of coffee I've ever had, I'm not lying!)

Then we took a day trip to Bainbridge Island. I was so excited to ride the Washington State Ferry!

And we found amazing ice cream at Mora on Bainbridge Island. We had their signature Blackberry ice cream (as seen on the bottom) and a scoop of their Rose Petal ice cream (you can even see the petals)

Lastly, HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!! I hope everyone had a safe and fun day. My best friend and I made Bourbon Whiskey Chocolate Buttercream and Bailey's Cupcakes to celebrate. :)

Pan Seared Honey Glazed Salmon with Browned Butter Lime Sauce

I'm gearing up for my week long trip to Seattle, and I can't wait to eat all the fresh seafood in the Pacific Northwest! I'm especially looking forward to getting some delicious smoked salmon, because there's so many varieties that are sold in the state! In heavy anticipation of salmon, I just had to have some before heading out.

Something that really resonates with me about cooking is using the same philosophy that my mom used when I was growing up. As much as I love cooking, I don't want to be spending hours and hours in the kitchen just to cook one meal. I'm not a fan of using a thousand ingredients to make one dish taste good - I like preserving the integrity of whatever it is that I am cooking by using as few ingredients as possible. That's why I liked this recipe. Majority of the ingredients are also things you would probably already have in your pantry. It's like killing two birds with one stone!

Please note: these do not well as leftovers. The flour will make the salmon soggy when you reheat it.

Recipe (serves 4):
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets, rested at room temperature for 20 minutes
8 tablespoons flour, divided
2 tablespoons honey, divided
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1-2 limes, for garnish

Browned Butter Lime Sauce:
6 tablespoons butter, diced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Use 2 tablespoons flour to coat each piece of salmon, front and back. Evenly drizzle 3/4 tablespoon honey on both sides of each salmon fillet. (I drizzled one side before placing the salmon in the pan, and I drizzled the other side while the salmon was in the pan to keep it from getting too messy)

2. Use a medium saucepan over medium heat and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook salmon, 3-5 minutes per side, until thoroughly cooked through and the bottom has browned.

3. Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl pan occasionally, until butter is fragrant and has turned a tan shade. Remove from heat, and add browned butter, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.

The only reason I wouldn't make this recipe again is because of the amount of butter used. I know that the amount of butter poured on top of the salmon is solely at my discretion, but I can't help but feel very unhealthy eating this dish. Until next time salmon!

Earl Grey Vanilla Tea Pancakes with Honey Tea Syrup

London Fogs are my favorite drink. It's a mix of Earl Grey tea, vanilla syrup, and steamed milk. It's a very English thing that I love. So when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it out! This recipe does not disappoint, it just takes more labor than normal pancakes.

Happy Daylight Savings!


Recipe (makes 9-10 pancakes):
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk
4 Earl Grey tea bags
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons canola oil or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Honey Tea Syrup Recipe:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons water
1 Earl Grey tea bag
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Directions:
1. Prepare the Honey Tea Syrup. Combine honey and tea in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Add 1 Earl Grey tea bag, and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bag, scraping as much honey off the bag, then discard. Add vanilla. Transfer to a small container and place in refrigerator to cool and thicken.

2. Prepare steeped milk. Add vanilla almond milk and 3 Earl Grey tea bags in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat, and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing as much milk out of the tea bags as possible, then discard. Let milk cool in refrigerator.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and contents of 1 Earl Grey tea bag in a bowl. Whisk together. Be sure that the tea leaves are finely ground. If not, place the contents in a food processor to chop them up.

4. Once the milk has cooled, combine steeped milk with the egg, oil, and vanilla extract.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together until well incorporated. Do not overmix.

6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-cooking spray. Spoon 1/3 to 1/4 cup batter onto the pan and use your fingers (or whatever utensil you choose) to spread the batter out into circles. Cook until bubbles begin to form on the surface, then flip over and repeat until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

7. Serve pancakes warm with syrup.

 

I halved the recipe and was able to make 4 sizeable pancakes using 1/4 cup batches of the batter. Next time, I would definitely double the amount of syrup because it was just so good!