Zucchini Carpaccio

If you've been to Jackson Fillmore, then you have surely tried this signature dish. So simple, and so delicious! Jack was generous enough to share the video so we could attempt to recreate at home. Even the most picky eaters will devour their veggies with this Italian favorite. Mangia, mangia!!! 

Ingredients:
2-3 zucchini 

Slice of lemon

Olive oil

Shaved Pecorino

3 tablespoons toasted almonds

Directions:

Wash and dry the zucchini. Using a mandolin, shave thin ribbons. Reconstruct the zucchini and chop into small strips. Heat up 1-2 Tbs of olive oil. Toast almonds until golden brown. Remove pan from heat and toss in the zucchini to warm up. Immediately move to serving dish. Squeeze a small amount of lemon over the vegetable ribbons and drizzle with olive oil. Season the salad with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with thick slices of Pecorino.

Check out the video here! 

Original recipe from Jackson Fillmore Restaurant, SF

Chicken Spiedini

Ingredients: 

Chicken marinade:

3 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

2 bay leaf crumbled

4 teaspoons sweet paprika

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon dried crushed chili flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

4 splashes sherry vinegar

6 tablespoons olive oil

Spiedini:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 loaf of sourdough bread, non-sliced, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cut cilantro leaves, coursley chopped

12 8-inch bamboo skewers

Directions:

For the marinade: 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until coursely chopped.

For the spiedini:

Soak the skewers in warm water (so they don't catch on fire!). Place cubed chicken in a mixing bowl and mix with 2 tbsp (or more) of the marinade. Place bread cubes in another bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Skewer the pieces of chicken, bread, and onions on each skewer and repeat. Brush more marinade on the skewers before grilling. Grill over a BBQ or grill pan until the chicken is fully cooked and the bread is crispy, rotating the skewers so they are cooked uniformly. Top with extra marinade, a healthy splash of olive oil, and more fresh cilantro.

Tips and tricks: The marinade recipe above is already doubled, but you might want even more for grilling. I also tried to bake a few skewers, that turned out well. Definitely broil at the end to get the bread extra crispy, like they would on the grill. Enjoy!

Original recipe from Terzo Restaurant, SF

Recipe Revolution Resolution

It's a new year, and time for some new recipes in the repertoire! The quest is simple...attempt one new recipe each week. Ok, maybe not so simple. But it should pay off a few friendship dues in the months to come. Stay tuned! 

Stuff yo' face stuffing

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, unsalted

2 medium onions, finely diced

3 cups chopped celery, (about 6 large stalks)

4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1 pound breakfast sausage or italian sausage casings removed

6 teaspoons poultry seasoning

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves, (about 4 sprigs)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves, (about 6 leaves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, (about 4 to 6 sprigs)

2 cups dried cranberries

1 box stuffing mix (not cornbread)  (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

2 cups (1 pint) vegetable stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and saute the onions, celery, apples, and sausage, breaking up the sausage as you cook. After about 10 minutes, add the poultry seasoning, fresh herbs and dried cranberries. Add the dried stuffing mix and moisten with the vegetable stock. Season stuffing mix with salt and pepper, to taste. (I like the stuffing a little wetter - if you don't, just add less stock) Place into a buttered casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Seared Ahi Tuna Dip

Ingredients:

1lb tuna steak

olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

zest of 1 lime

juice of 2 limes

1/2 tsp wasabi paste

1 tsp soy sauce

5 dashes of tabasco

1 avocado sliced

2 minced scallion - white and green part

1/4 red onion

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Brush tuna with olive oil, salt, pepper. Cook for 2 1/2 min each side. Still a little rare. Whisk 2 Tbs olive oil, lime zest, lice juice, wasabi, soy, tabasco, salt, pepper. Cut tuna into cubes. Toss avocado in dressing, add tuna, red onion, scallion, sesame seeds. Chill for at least 30 min. And if it still not spicy enough in 30 min, mix a mini addition of the dressing and then toss again. Serve with pita chips.

Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Whittell

Rip'em Apart Ribs

Ingredients:
1 rack of ribs
lemon pepper
olive oil
BBQ sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place ribs on rack and douse in olive oil. Season with lemon pepper. Cover the pan with tin foil and place in the oven for about 5-6 hours. Remove from the oven, and pour out the olive oil. Now, generously cover the ribs with the BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven for our 2 more hours. And about 5-10 min before serving, remove the tin foil. This will allow the ribs to brown a little on top. When you are ready to eat, remove from the oven and serve!

Recipe courtesy of Annie Montgomery.

Honey Drenched Goat Cheese

Ingredients:
1 goat cheese log
1/2 cup of salted sunflower seeds or pine nuts
1 cup of blackberries
3 tbs honey

Directions:
Roll the goat cheese log in the sunflower seeds. Place blackberries on top and around the log. Drizzle honey, generously over the log. Serve with crackers.

How do you cut a mango?

Have you ever wanted to add a little flair to your salsa? Or a fresh topping for your seafood? Mangoes are the perfect choice! But seriously, how do you cut one? I have mangled dozens of mangoes until I finally gave in and found this perfect video to show me how. Enjoy!