*****Update 6/11/07: Just an idea....if you're doing a "lessons learned"/commentary on a recipe, try putting it in as a comment. If it's a generic, non-recipe specific post, make a new post. Ok, yes, I'm being a little OCD consultant over here, but hey, it's what I get paid to do! Also, this week, I tried to incoporate timing a little better. Let me know if it helps at all.
I'm also trying to keep things rather general. I rarely measure when I cook, so its hard for me to write out measurements. I haven't really provided them, hoping that you'll be able to experiment and get a feel for things yourself. Plus, cooking is all about personal taste, so you can learn to adjust amounts to your own palette.
Make special note in your head of some of the things I mention, like how to smash garlic first and how to prep asaparagus. These are things that you'll use over and over again that I've learned from Food Network, cookbooks, Daddy, etc.*****
Quickly, because I know you are trying to get to the grocery store....you survived week 1/lesson 1....so here's your next challenge to cook 2 totally new meals in the next week....
1. The Grocery Store
For the Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage
- Fresh ravioli (this is usually near the fresh salsa section, sometimes near the deli). Pick whatever kind you want. I'd say the default is cheese. Chicken might also be good. Beef, not so much because you're pairing it with a somewhat delicate flavors (butter and sage). If you can't find fresh ravioli, look in the freezer section. You can also use these, they just aren't the ideal.
- 2 medium shallots. These are like mini onions. You can find them in the onion section. If you can't find shallots, you can get a small, sweet (Vidalia) onion.
- Garlic. I'm guessing you already have this. Update: You want fresh garlic, one clove. You won't use it all, but you can use it in the future.
- Fresh sage. These are usually in plastic cases in the fresh herb area.
- Grated parmesan. You might already have this. If not, you probably should since pasta is so easy and it adds a little yummyliciousness :)
- Fresh vegetable. I'd go with broccoli. Refer to my first post for buying it.
For the salmon:
- Salmon fillets. The grocery store sometimes sells this in a big package. I like to buy the big package, cut it up into pieces, freeze some and use some for now. It saves you trips to the store, and as you'll see, salmon is really easy and versatile. Otherwise, just get a couple (think leftovers) filets from the store.
- Seasoning for salmon. I think I'm going to try and encourage you to be creative in general in this blog. As in give you guidance, but let you make decisions. It'll make you a better cook. For the salmon, you could just use salt and pepper, plus the lemon at the end. Mrs. Dash (yellow container in the spice aisle) also makes for pretty good seasoning, plus you can use it for lots of other things (shrimp, chicken, etc.). Wander into the spice aisle and take a look and see what you like. My recommendation would be Mrs. Dash since it would make a good addition to your kitchen supplies :)
- Lemon. Always tastes so good with salmon.
- Rice-a-roni Wild Rice. I love this stuff. Feel free to substitute with another type of starch.
- Asparagus. Always goes well with salmon. To pick asparagus, usually look for slender stalks. Pick up the bundle and look at the bottoms. Usually you want them not to be dried out. Sometimes you have no choice. Pick what looks best.
- Steamer. You'll need this for both meals.
2. Prep
- Salmon. You can pre season the salmon the night before, like you did with the chicken. Drizzle the salmon with olive oil and rub it all over. Then, take the seasoning and rub it into the salmon. Let it sit overnight.
There isn't much other prep for these dishes that you can do the day before.
3. Cook
Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage
Ravioli
Shallots
Garlic
Butter
Sage
Parmesan
Broccoli
Cut up the broccoli, shallots, and garlic. For the shallots, remove the outer layer, then slice into thin slices. For the garlic, pull off a couple sections (3-4). Lay them down on a cutting board. Place the knife flat against the garlic and smash it with the palm of your hand. This makes the garlic easy to peel. Then, mince the garlic. For the sage, tear off about 15 leaves (so you don't want the stems) and rinse them off. Be sure you dry them off.
Boil two pots of water (one for the ravioli, one for the broccoli with the steamer - water should be about a half an inch, should not see the water above the steamer). Bring to a boil. Salt the water for the ravioli. Cook the ravioli according to the package; this is usually 5 or 6 minutes when the raviolis are floating. When the raviolis are done, drain them and rinse in cold water (which stops the ravioli from cooking). Once you put the raviolis in, put the broccoli into the steamer and cover. The broccoli should take about the same time as the broccoli. A fork should go into the broccoli easily when its done. Be sure to take the broccoli off the heat when its done and don't leave it covered, otherwise, it'll get mushy.
While the broccoli and raviolis are cooking, prepare the sauce for the ravioli. Put about 6 tablespoons of butter in a pan and put on medium high heat. The butter should start to be somewhat frothy/bubbly. When that happens, dump in the garlic and the shallots. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until the flavors start to come out (you'll smell it). Add the sage. Stir occassionally until the sage starts to become crispy-ish (it gets much darker in color). While this is happening, your raviolis and broccoli will probably finish up. Take care of those and then come back to check on the sauce. Once the sage/garlic/onions start to brown, turn off the stove and take it off the heat. Add the raviolis into the pan and gently mix it up. Yum!
Salmon with asparagus and wild rice
- Salmon seasoned with Mrs. Dash
- Lemon
- Asparagus
- Wild rice
Pre-heat your oven to 450F for the salmon.
Measure out water in a pot for the wild rice according to the package and bring to a boil. Follow instructions according to package.
Cover a baking pan/dish in foil. Drizzle a little olive oil wherever you will place the salmon so it doesn't stick. Place the salmon on the tray. Cover with another piece of foil and stick in the oven when its done pre-heating. It should take about 12-15 minutes. You will know when the salmon is done when it flakes with a fork.
Meanwhile, prepare the asaparagus. Bring a pot with water to a boil with the steamer. Rinse off the asparagus. Take one asparagus in your hand, holding the bottom end in one hand and somewhere around the middle in the other. Give it a little bend. It should naturally break somewhere, which is where you want to cut them all. This removes the not so tender part. Place the asparagus in the steamer and cover. It probably takes about 5 minutes for them to cook. Again, you'll have to just check until they are tender and bright green. Don't forget to turn off the stove and remove from heat uncovered when they are done.
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