Author: nobutterguy

Breasts or Mussels? Let’s go both ways.

Satisfy your curiosity.  😉

 

1st Course:  Mussels in spicy saffron white wine

mussels with spicy saffron white wine

 

2nd Course:  Duck breast with Beech Mushrooms and Fresh Zucchini

duck breast with beech mushrooms and fresh zucchini

Fun Fact:  Mussels are THE perfect dinner party appetizer.  For whatever reason, mussels tend to intimidate people, so they’re often overlooked as options for dinner at home.  This is such a mistake.  The fact is, mussels just might be the easier thing you will ever cook.  AND, believe it or not, duck breast is really quite simple to prepare as well!  Now…keep in mind, your guests do not know that.  See where I’m going with this?  😉

 What you’ll need:

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I don’t know about you… but when I sea food, I eat it ;)

Offerings from the water….3 apps and 1 entree idea!

 

Smoked SalmonShrimpScallopsHalibut

APPS:   1.  Smoked Salmon with Water Cress

              2.  Shrimp ‘Scampi’ with Meyer Lemon and Basil

              3.  Pancetta wrapped Scallops

ENTREE:   Halibut with Caviar and Carmelized Brussels Sprouts

OMG!   Here’s what you’ll need….

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What’s ‘Nosh’ To Love…?

Ever find yourself just in the mood to munch on a couple or even several different things..?  Maybe you’re just not in the mood for an entire entree?  Perhaps you’re in the mood to taste many different flavors…?

ME TOO!     I LOVE this style of dining 😉

…and here are a couple of MY favorite things…

Australian Flatbread – (actually, it’s Italian style…but I’m SO bad with a rolling pin, it looks more like Australia 😛  )

Australian Flatbread

…and as usual:  No Ifs (we use whole wheat dough), No Ands (no heavy sauce) & of course, No Butter!

 

Here’s what you’ll need…

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My cupid’s arrow points right to the Marrow!

YUM!  I LOVE this stuff!

Roasted Bone Marrow

Roasted bone marrow is a treat found all over the world, but maybe not so much here in the U.S., which is unfortunate in my opinion.  We will be exploring this delectable spread for toast in this week’s post.  Bone marrow is entirely unsaturated fat, which is very necessary in the diet (in moderation)…I lovingly refer to this delicious spread as ‘meat butter’….though it is much better for you than actual butter, and therefore is making it’s debut here on no if’s, and’s or butter ;D

What you’ll need…

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Duck Off! ….breasts or legs?

As my grandpa always says, “martinis are like breasts.  One’s not enough.  And three’s too many.”

While that may be true, I’m a bit of a leg man myself.

Roasted Duck Leg

Roasted Dug Leg with Duck Fat Fried Brussells Sprouts

Especially when it comes to duck!  If I have many hours (6 or more) on a day off, you might just catch me attempting the ol’ ‘duck leg confit‘ trick!  But for the purposes of this blog, and your valuable time…let’s just roast our duck leg and cut it down to a couple hours.

That being said, as usual, though we are NOT on a “diet” here…we are conscientious 😉

Duck leg will be accompanied by the duck skin, which is so friggin’ delicious!  However, it is basically fat (which of course would be why it is so delicious).  So…I choose to think about portion control here, in order to really enjoy the flavor I crave, but not over-do the unhealthy aspect of it.  Therefore, I will only be having 1 duck leg (which is not a real large portion by any means).

Pommes Sarladaise (potatoes fried in duck fat with garlic) would seem the obvious pairing here, with the rendered duck fat and all…BUT, in order to take out the “if” and the “and”, we are going to enjoy brussells sprouts instead.  Now, for the fun part….you better believe I’m going to sear those little babies up in duck fat though!

Fun Fact:  Duck fat is way closer to olive oil, than it is butter.  You:  “Really!??”   Me:  “Yup!”   You:  “So then everything should be cooked in duck fat?”   Me:  “Yes!     …ummm…I mean….no?”  

…anyway, that’s a whole other show.      Meanwhile, back in the kitchen….

What you’ll need:

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This Little Piggy…

….went mmm, mmm, mmm….all the way down.

A Pork Chop fit for a King! (of any castle!)

Chop

You may be familiar with Veal Chop Parmesian..?  Or a variation thereof.   Well, though delicious in my opinion, veal does not appeal to everyone…  Not to mention, it can also be quite expensive…especially in comparison to pork.  This pork chop dish is a GREAT alternative, and still packs an amazing punch in the flavor department.  …and of course…no ifs, no ands…and NO butter!  ;D

Let’s roll Cookie 😉

What you’ll need:

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OMC! (Oh My Caprese!)

Welcome back fellow ‘If, And & Butter-FREE’ foodies!  

This week:  ’tis the season for one of my personal faves!  The ultimate Italian Appetizer. 

Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Caprese

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Simple…at it’s finest. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

  1. Large Heirloom Tomato (significant flavor variance between heirloom colors…green is tart, yellow is mild…red, which I recommend for this, is sweet and full flavored)
  2. Burrata (Trader Joe’s sells a killer burrata!)
  3. Fresh Basil
  4. Aged Balsamic
  5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  6. Sea Salt
  7. Cracked Black Pepper

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Like Mary…You TOO, can have a little lamb. Delish! Part II: Entree

And now…..for the Main Event!         Take Me To Part I:  The Appetizer

Rack Of Lamb with Shallot Madeira Jus & Spring Squash with Pancetta

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Your Groceries:

  1. Rack of Lamb (about 8 oz. or 4 rib rack / person)
  2. Spring Yellow Squash (7 slices for good luck)
  3. Spring Zucchini (7 slices for more good luck)
  4. Shallot (1/4, diced)
  5. Madeira
  6. Lemon (juice of 1/2)
  7. Garlic (2 cloves)
  8. Chicken Stock
  9. Pancetta (cubed – about 2 Tbsp)
  10. Olive Oil
  11. Salt & Pepper

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Like Mary…You TOO, can have a little lamb. Delish! Part I: Appetizer

Don’t be intimidated!  Rack of lamb is certainly a beautiful and “royal” looking dish, however truth be told, the oven does most of the work.  More on that in a few…but first, let’s get started with one of my favorite things…arugula!

Take Me Right To Part II: The Entree!

1st Course:  Arugula Salad with a Bacon – Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette and Slow Poached Egg

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Couple things to note:    First of all, if you happen not to be a fan of arugula, in most of my dishes, spinach could be substituted with no problem (I just prefer the peppery flavor of arugula personally).  Secondly, one of the conscious efforts I do make to balance my diet is to be somewhat “in the know” about what it is I’m cooking and ultimately ingesting.  That being said, I happen to know that rack of lamb is high in fat and cholesterol.  This is not all bad as most of the fat in a rack of lamb is unsaturated (good fat) and it also contains a ton of protein.  Knowing this information, I will probably tend to focus on vegetables for the rest of the dish(es) I’m preparing for this meal; thus the “balance”.

The Goods (per salad / person):

  1. Arugula (handful)
  2. Shallot (1 Tbsp chopped)
  3. Lemon (Juice of 1/2)
  4. Bleu Cheese (1 Tbsp)
  5. Bacon (1 slice – cut into small strips {lardons})
  6. Egg (1)
  7. White wine

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Salmon Chanted Evening…

BEFORE:  Image

AFTER:Image

Ask….and you shall receive!

So I was asked by a good friend if I planned to blog mostly about the red meat “beast” dishes I prefer, or if I would be featuring any seafood.  What?!  Turf with no surf?  NEVER!!  Here ya go Jenn…  🙂

D & D Crusted Salmon…comin’ right up!

Weapons you’ll need:

  1. (2) Medium sized stainless steel pans (no cancer-causing teflon please or plastic handles as the pan will go in the oven)
  2. Fish spatula (preferably…regular spatula will do)
  3. Oven with stove-top
  4. Tongs
  5. Plate
  6. Fork
  7. Knife
  8. Wine Glass 😉

Ammunition:

  1. 6 to 8oz fillet of Salmon (per person) – I suggest leaving the skin on the one side, but you can remove it is preferred
  2. Dill (1st “D”)
  3. Dijon Mustard (2nd “D”)
  4. Goat Cheese
  5. Panko Bread Crumbs
  6. Olive Oil (ALWAYS!)
  7. Arugula
  8. Roma Tomato
  9. Shallot
  10. Lemon
  11. Sea Salt
  12. Cracked Black Pepper
  13. Bottle of nice Chablis (nice French style Chardonnay…but drink what YOU like!)

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