Sardine Dip

 This is a very quick pantry appetizer that you can make on short notice and has amazing flavor -- feel free to sub any kind of smoked fish

About 6-8 oz of smoked tinned sardines or other smoked fish, drained

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 small shallot, chopped fine, or equal amt of red onion

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Djion mustard

2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or colatura di alici or fish sauce

1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs -- dill is my favorite, or cilantro or parsley

ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mash together cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth, mash sardines and add.  Add rest of ingredients and mix well.  Taste and correct seasonings.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour if you can.  

Twice cooked pork

 So fast and so tasty.  You can boil the pork belly ahead of time and refrigerate it, to make it even faster. 1 lb seems like a lot of pork for 2 people but it loses a lot of volume when it boils.  Sorry no picture, I always forget because I'm hustling it onto my plate.    Serves 2

1 lb pork belly 

2 slices ginger

2 tablespoons oil, divided

1 tablespoon spicy broad bean paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 long hot pepper, e.g. cubanelle, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 leek, washed, split lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces.  discard the tough green parts. 

2 tablespoons shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon soy sauce

generous pinch of sugar

1.  Put pork belly in a pot with boiling water, lower to a simmer/low boil and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove from water and rinse, discard ginger.  Cut pork into 1/8" slices the short way and set aside.

2. Heat the wok and add 1 tablespoon of oil.  Sear the pork until it's browned, and remove from pan.  

3.  Add the other tablespoon of oil.  Add the broad bean paste and let it fry for a few seconds to bring out the red color -- don't burn it.  Add the garlic, pepper, pork, and leek and stir for a a minute.  Add the wine.  soy sauce and sugar.  Stir everything together until the leeks are wilted -- the pepper should still have a little crunch.  

 Serve with rice.  

Yankee Chopped Salad

This recipe came about from a need to use up some odds and ends in my crisper.  Feel free to riff on it.  We had this with grilled lamb chops and and it's substantial enough that you don't need anything else.  Leftovers keep well. 

1 1/2 cups cooked bulgur (1/2 cup bulgur simmered with 1 cup water for about 10 min or until water absorbed)

3-4 mushrooms, sliced thin

3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped or crumbled

1/2 granny smith apple, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

6-8 cherry tomatoes, sliced in quarters

1 small shallot, small dice

2 large handfuls spinach, chopped

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon maple syrup

salt and pepper to taste

Marie LeBlanc's Millionaire's Shortbread

 From my friend Marie LeBlanc.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13X9 with parchment paper (helps if you put it up the sides so that you can grab it out of the pan – so much easier to cut them)

 

Shortbread Crust:

1 cup – unsalted butter – softened

1/3 cup – sugar

1/3 cup – light brown sugar packed

1 large egg yolk

¾ teaspoon – vanilla

½ teaspoon - salt

2 ¼ cups – all-purpose flour

 

Beat butter until well creamed.

Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy (30-60 seconds)

Add egg yolk and vanilla, stir and combine well.

Gradually add flour – sprinkle salt halfway through while beater is still running.

You want it to be slightly crumbly.

Press evenly into pan.

Cook 20-25 minutes till edges are brown.

Let cool.

 

Caramel

2 – 14oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk

14 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 cup of light brown sugar packed

1/3 cup – light corn syrup

¾ teaspoon – salt

1 teaspoon – vanilla extract

 

Combine everything but the vanilla extract.  Put all in pot prior to starting the heat.

Put on medium to low heat, stir frequently until butter is melted.

Once butter is melted stir constantly until it comes to boil then reduce heat to simmer, always stirring.

Continue till mixture turns a rich caramel color and has thickened – it should start pulling away from the sides.

Candy thermometer temp=225 degrees.

Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla extract.

Pour over cooled shortbread

Put in refrigerator for at least an hour before adding chocolate ganache.

 

Chocolate Ganache

2 cups – Semi sweet chocolate (I use 1 cup milk – 1 cup semi sweet and sometimes I just use milk chocolate.  I have also used Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate – Wegmans sells a good one but they used to cost $1.99 now they are $4.29 a bar – CRAZY)

½ cup – heavy cream

 

It seems that the longer they sit, the tastier they get.  ENJOY!