Pan Seared Tuna with Squid Ink Pasta & Asparagus Tips!

Menu: Pan Seared Tuna with Squid Ink Pasta and Asparagus tips

Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Ingredients:
2 Yellow fin Tuna steaks
1 small shallot
1 clove of garlic
Truffle salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1 pkg Squid ink pasta
1 bunch of asparagus spears

Fill medium pot with water, bring to a boil while, on a plate drizzle tuna steaks with olive oil, crack a generous amount of fresh black pepper and sprinkle with truffle salt, let stand. Cut tips off of asparagus, set aside. Chop the rest in small slices, do not put this part in the pasta to boil only the tips.

Cook pasta as directed, add asparagus tips also.

Drizzle olive oil in medium frying pan, heat and place tuna steaks in when it is good and hot. Sear each side to just get a little color, you want the middle to remain pink. It takes very little time to do this so do not leave it. Remove and set on plate.

In the pan add sliced asparagus and a chopped shallot along with the garlic, add a tiny bit of the truffle salt and saute until tender. Add pasta and tips to the pan and toss to coat. Add a little olive oil if it is a little dry.

Slice Tuna and place on top and serve.

Et Viola! Another delicious summer masterpiece.

Recipe compliments of Katie Mahanes head chef at Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Grilled Mahi Mahi with Porcini Pasta & Sauvignon Blanc

Super easy, yet delicious, light meal for these hot summer evenings.

Menu: Mahi Mahi w/ Porcini Pasta & Salad

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

What You Will Need
Fresh Mahi Mahi fillets, porcini pasta, Italian dressing, garlic, shallots,  olive oil and salad ingredients of your choice.

Marinate fillets in Italian dressing for several hours. Place fillets on a greased grill rack over hot charcoal. Cook until fish flakes when tested.

Place on top of a bed of boiled porcini pasta.

Pasta
In saute pan saute garlic and shallots in olive oil, then drain & toss the pasta in it.

Add a fresh salad

Et Viola! A delicious summer masterpiece.

Recipe compliments of Katie Mahanes head chef at Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Pan Seared Seasoned Cod, Black Pepper and Smoked Paprika Topped with Pan Roasted Corn

Menu: Pan seared Seasoned Cod, Black Pepper and smoked paprika topped with Pan roasted corn

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir

What You Will Need:
2 cod steaks or filets
1 large corn on the cob

First take the large corn on the cob, cut into two and boil until corn is cooked, set aside to cool. Next, lightly coat cod with olive oil, rub all over so it is evenly coated, it’s easier if you do this on a plate. Next, you want to sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, cracked pepper and smoked paprika. Spray pan with non stick spray and heat pan. Set cod in and cover. Reduce flame to medium, turn over when you have a good crusting, do the same on other side.

Now, cut corn from cob. Remove cod from pan and plate and cover. Place cut corn in same pan you cooked your fish in. Turn up heat and cook just until you get a nice coating on the corn and you can smell it has been roasted, add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon over cod and serve with a crisp cool salad .

Bon Appetite!

Recipe compliments of Katie Mahanes head chef at Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cold Asian Noodle Salad

Recipe: Grilled Pork Tenderloin w/ Cold Asian Noodles

Wine: A crisp, refreshing Viognier like the one from the Viognier Queen, Morgan Clendenen, of Cold Heaven Cellars. You can’t go wrong with the 2008 Le Bon Climat Viognier| $30 bottle with flavors of peach, pear, apricot and vanilla. On the nose and in the mouth there is wet stone and stone fruit pit. The structure is completely natural and is the product of Santa Maria’s long cool growing season.

Recipe compliments of Jennifer Cox, head chef at Occasions By Jennifer.

This culinary trip found me visiting the far off land of Vietnam, which is actually the birthplace of my husband, who was adopted by an American family at the age of 6 month – right at the very end of the war.  Having been integrated into all things American, my husband had never so much as tasted foods from his native culture until I made this dish for the first time a few years back.

To his delight, the flavor profile was not as foreign as he had imagined it and he enjoyed the meal immensely.  Well, there was one thing.  The fish sauce.  Of that ingredient he was not a fan.  I tried to explain to him that it added depth to the marinade – a complexity that you couldn’t get from anything else – but it didn’t matter.  From that point forward it was requested that any Asian dish I cooked be “fish sauce free”.

Well, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.  I snuck it in there, but just to the point where if there were one more drop he’d pick it out.  Sneaky, I know – but so worth the outcome.  My personal ingredient confusion was with the combining of cilantro, mint and basil.  I couldn’t figure out how those three could possibly marry and make sense.  I think you’ll agree with me once you’ve tried it that it is one of the most surprisingly amazing trio of tastes your tongue has ever met!

This dish is the perfect summertime meal as it utilizes the ease of outdoor cooking (no hot kitchen!) with clean and bright ingredients that come together beautifully.  The contrast of the sweet and spicy pork with the light, cool flavors of the noodle salad is just right, especially with the combination of the fresh cilantro, mint and basil.  Pair with a Gewurztraminer to keep the whole thing harmoniously refreshing.

Cheers!
Jennifer

(Side note:  Make sure you make enough for leftovers as this dish is even better the next day – and you will want more – trust me . . .)

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Marinade

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon shallot, minced
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely minced or 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
• Asian fish sauce, to taste
• 2 teaspoons toasted or black sesame seeds, optional

Place pork tenderloin in heavy duty zip-top storage bag.  Mix together all nine marinade ingredients and pour over tenderloin.  Seal bag and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Remove bag from refrigerator and let pork come up to room temperature before grilling.

Heat grill to 400.  Remove pork from bag* and place on grill grate.  Grill for approximately 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached.  Remove from grill and let rest for approximately 5-10 minutes before slicing.

*You can either discard the remaining marinade or you can bring it to a boil in a sauce pan until it reduces by about ½ and then you can use it to glaze pork as it cooks on the grill.

Cold Asian Noodle Salad

• 1 package rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot chili oil, optional
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced or julienned
• 2 green onions, greens and whites, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced or julienned
• 3/4 cup julienned English cucumber
• 1 cup bean sprouts, optional
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh mint
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh basil

Optional

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
• 4 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, for garnish

Boil noodles according to package directions and drain.  Rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process.  Gently toss noodles with the first 4 ingredients, coating thoroughly.  Add the remaining eight ingredients, distributing as evenly throughout the noodles and dressing as possible.  Refrigerate for approximately 45 minutes to an hour or until chilled through.

Environmentally Friendly Cooking: GRILL | Grilled Chicken Portabello Jack Burger

As we all know, summer temperatures can be down right brutal and some states get a double whammy with humidity that make curly hair go straight and an edgy woman postal. So why slave over a hot oven and waste precious energy when you can stoke up the grill, chill and have a nice relaxing, home cooked meal right from your grill?

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Portabello Jack Burger

Wine: For starters I recommend Avanthia Godello | $30 bottle, or I would grab a South African Bay Sauvignon Blanc | $11.33 bottle (this is the $11.00 bottle of wine that taste like $50.00) while your chillin and preparing your grillin. This is a very crisp, fresh, wine that is sure to wet your whistle while your waiting for the food to cook.

Dinner is ready, either stay with your white or if you like me, you’ll pull out some reds. I would go into my cellar and grab me a Syrah like Rockblock Syrah|$45.00 bottle from Domaine Serene or perhaps maybe a Pinot Noir like Ici La-Bas “Les Reveles” Pinot Noir | $26.00 bottle, a little less expensive but equally delightful.

Now sit back relax and enjoy and realize this is the good life!

What You Will Need:
2 chicken breasts seasoned and grilled
1 clove garlic minced
2 medium portabello mushrooms sliced
2 pieces of Monterey jack cheese or your favorite
2 whole wheat buns

Add a little olive oil to a medium saute pan, add garlic and then add portabellos, season lightly salt and pepper. Saute them until they are a nice golden brown. Grill chicken and then toast buns. Add cheese and then portabello. Serve immediately with your favorite salad I added BBQ beans and corn on the cob on the side. If you have a side burner on your grill you could easily do all of this outdoors and keep the house cool

Recipe compliments of Katie Mahanes head chef at Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Classic Taco’s and Homemade seasoning

Menu: Classic Taco’s and Homemade seasoning

Wine: Champagne, Dry Riesling, soft Zinfandel, Tempranillo

Side Note: The more heat in the food demands greater perceived sweetness in the wine, whether from fruitiness or from residual sugar. Fruit forward wines work well with spicy tacos.

What you will need:
Ground Beef, Lettuce, tomato, your favorite cheese and taco shells…

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Salud!
Katie Mahanes
Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Pulled Chicken Sliders with Pepper Jack, Cilantro & Green Onion

Menu: Memorial Day left overs – Pulled Chicken Sliders with Pepper Jack, Cilantro & Green Onion

Wine: Pinot Noir

I don’t know about you, but when I cook – whether it be for two or twenty – I always make way more than necessary. Yesterday was no exception.

I have to admit, my Memorial Day was a little melancholy at the onset. A lot has changed in my life socially over the past couple of years and I found myself; on the unofficial kick-off to summer, devoid of invitations to picnics, beach outings or bonfires. Looking to my immediate clan of the husband and teenage boys left me, well, with the husband. The boys have girlfriends and had girlfriend-things to do.

We’d slept through the town’s annual parade, (That, according to Twin B and his girl, was pathetic anyhow – insert snicker here!) which is a time honored tradition and I hadn’t even set the American flag out that I’d inherited from my Mom & Dad. Lackluster is a word I’d turn to under these circumstances.

The hubby and I tried to salvage the day by going for a hike at one of our favorite spots, but this only served as a reminder that I wasn’t spending my Memorial Day the way I fondly remember it: full of fun, family, friends and FOOD. I was a little moody over that and hence wisely chose to take a time out to wash and detail my car in solitude while I worked it all out. (With a bottle of wine and a new CD as my partners in crime!)

No sooner was I finishing up the cars interior when I heard a car door shut, and there was Twin A and his girl. Soon thereafter, Twin B – who had snuck past me into the house while I was belting out the tunes in oblivion – emerged to say that his girlfriend would be coming over shortly. The husband called; inquiring as to when his exile to his parent’s house would be over, and was met with a cheery disposition from me, “Oh Melancholy One”. I would get to socialize, cook & feed after all!

I pulled out all of the stops. Burgers, dogs, BBQ chicken, filet steaks and endless salads . . . Did you do the math? There were six of us. You could have dropped by unexpectedly and I’d have had plenty – with room to spare.

It was a good time. Bellies were full, laughter was abundant and I ceased to have the urge to cry or strangle someone. Win-win, if I do say so myself! Dear Hubby was wrapping leftover for eons. One item in particular was in abundance. Barbecued chicken.

Enter The Wine Wench assignment for the week. I usually splurge and choose a cuisine and wine to accompany it. This time; however, I was broke. What’s that saying about two pennies to rub together? Yeah, that was me. It was time to get creative and resourceful! Hence, this week’s offering of Pulled Chicken Sliders with Pepper Jack, Cilantro and Green Onion served with the bottle of wine that didn’t make it to the table in the form of a write up for last week, a nice Pinot Noir. Lackluster this was not, and I encourage you to look at your leftovers in a whole other light going forward!

In my dismay over not having what I’m accustomed to, I overlooked getting back to the basics. The impromptu festivities with my husband, kids and their girlfriends was more than enough to scratch the “fanfare” itch. What was left over in my refrigerator and pantry was as inspiring as an entire supermarket and an endless supply of cash.

Here’s how I made the magic happen:
-Leftover BBQ chicken, shredded
-Additional BBQ sauce (It’s behind something in your fridge, of that I’m convinced)
-Soft rolls (IDK, have any leftover hamburger buns? Perfect!)
-Pepper jack cheese, finely shredded (Sub any easily melted cheese. You know you have some!)
-Cilantro leaves (It’s optional, but worth it – IF it doesn’t require you making a trip to the GS [Grocery Store])
-Green onion, finely chopped (Whites and greens! Use it up! OR, any onion-type deal will do)

Shred chicken and place in pan with BBQ sauce. Simmer “slow & low-like” for as long as you can stand it.
Brush tops of rolls w/ butter and warm or toast on low. Heap mounds of pulled chicken on to said buttered rolls. Top with finely shredded pepper jack, cilantro leaves and green onion. Serve w/ favorite side (in this case: Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno Kettle Cooked Chips).

Look out the window at your American flag waving in the breeze, raise your glass of Pinot Noir, and feel really, really good. Repeat as necessary.

Happy “un-official kick off to summer”, all! Remember, one dish and one bottle at a time. If they’re making a repeat appearance, be sure to make ‘em shine in a different light!

Cheers!
~ Jennifer
Occasions by Jennifer

Memorial Day Cookout: Smoked Gouda Burger & Light Elbow Macaroni Salad

Menu: Smoked Gouda Burger & Light Elbow Macaroni Salad

Wine: Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot

Smoked Gouda Burger
4 burgers grilled to your liking
4 kaiser rolls split and toasted over fire
Mayo
Smoked gouda
Lettuce
Tomato
Stack it

Light Elbow macaroni salad
1/2 (1 pound) package large elbow macaroni
1/2 cup olive oil best foods mayo
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Let cool under cold water. Stir together mayo, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover, chill thoroughly.

Bon Appetit!
Katie Mahanes
Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & White Truffle Oil Pizza (on the grill)

Menu: Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese & White Truffle Oil Pizza (on the grill)

Wine: Pinot Grigio, Vouvray, Syrah

Being the food enthusiast that I am, I watch cooking and food related shows every chance I get, subscribe to a myriad of foodie newsletters, and am a fan – no, wait – I like a lot of food pages at my home away from home, Facebook.

Yesterday, during a break from cleaning, I checked out my news feed and found that one of these pages was stumping for a product that they sell. If you had asked me two years ago to explain, describe or even weigh in on this particular ingredient, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you anything about it – because I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole: truffle oil.

Anyone following culinary trends knows that this comes up quite often, as do members of the truffle family: mushrooms. Therein lays my problem. I cannot stand mushrooms. (I can hear the collective gasp of every gourmand reading this) Without getting all crazy about it, I’ll break it down like this – I don’t mind the flavor that they lend to a dish, but I can’t get past how they feel in my mouth – therefore I do not employ them often in my cooking. I even make my (I hope the gaspers are sitting down for this) Chicken Marsala sans fungi.

That being explained, how I even came to taste truffle oil was by complete mistake. I was eating a sandwich at a local bistro and upon popping one of the accompanying potato frittes into my mouth, my palette encountered something that didn’t register in my brain as anything familiar to me. In true food culture dialect, I can only tell you that it was an earthy tone. It was a tone that took an ordinary French fry to a completely unexpected and unfathomed level. Upon reexamination of the menu I discovered that the culprit was none other than truffle oil.

What the? And, really? I can’t tell you anything about the sandwich I was eating that day, but I can tell you that “Little Miss Mushroom Hater” spent the remainder of lunch picking up, looking at, smelling and taking careful, thoughtful bite after bite of the rest of those fries trying to wrap my brain around what exactly it was that the truffle oil did to that potato that made it so dang good – and why the heck I liked it so much. There are some things you just don’t question, you just run with ‘em.

When you’re in to what I’m in to, the way I’m in to it – cooking, that is – experiences like that have a way of filing themselves front and center in the “Things that make you go hmmmm?” section of the gastronomic filing cabinet. I started noticing the mention of truffles and truffle oil on other menus, during cooking shows, in articles. And each time, now that my brain had a reference point, I would think to myself: “Oh! I get that! I can totally see how that would lend itself to that recipe/ingredient/flavor profile!” That’s one of the things I love the most about having a passion for all things food related, the excitement that a revelation like that brings and how it gets the creative juices flowing. So, the next time I was trolling the gourmet food section of the local “name brands for less” chain and spotted a bottle of white truffle oil spritzer, I snatched it up with visions of truffled French fries dancing in my head.

My prized acquisition took its place among the ever-growing collection of artisanal oils and vinegars in the pantry, and there it waited – ever so patiently – until the “Ah-ha!” moment came to put it into action. Now, let’s not get all crazy here. One step at a time, kids. I was roasting some fingerling potatoes and thought a spritz or two of the oil would finish them off nicely. (Did you really think I was gonna stray outside the realm of a tuber for my first attempt?) And nicely, it did – mission accomplished.

That leap of faith occurred a couple of times more and then waned until just last night. You see, Monday’s e-mail inbox brought the weekly Wine Wench inquiry as to what was on the menu this time around. I had just gone shopping and was planning on turkey burgers for dinner that night, so I figured that’s what I’d write about. Well, thank goodness there was Tuesday, because, while quite tasty, the burgers weren’t working for me in the “Wow!” department for both the story spinning and aesthetically pleasing photo aspects. (You see, even I have my disappointing days at the helm!)

Remember, way back at the beginning of this story, where I first mentioned truffle oil? Facebook newsfeed ring a bell? Okay, good – as long as you’re with me here. Seeing that blurb was all the inspiration I needed for menu planning that night. Per usual, I throw the main ingredient into a Google search and wait for the first thing that catches my eye. I wasn’t too far into it when the link to Potato, Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese & White Truffle Oil Pizza popped up. Who doesn’t like pizza? And I’ll put caramelized onions and goat cheese on almost anything. And, it’s been established that truffle oil and potatoes are highly compatible, so . . . The only other twist? Freda was writing an article for this newsletter about May being Grilling Month, so I decided I’d grill my pie.

I’ll spare you the dough rising-kneading-rolling out, potato slice soaking, onion caramelizing, goat cheese crumbling, fresh thyme sprinkling, truffle oil spritzing portion of the tale (See how I worked that in, regardless? LOL!) and simply tell you that if you haven’t had potato pizza, you have to. Based on the topping combo, I paired mine with a Pinot Grigio. The wine I chose was a nice balance of sweet and dry, with crisp notes of green apple and citrus with a hint of jasmine, all of which perfectly complimented the balance of the caramelized onions, tang of the goat cheese, earthiness of the potatoes and truffle oil and brightness of the fresh thyme.

Two years ago, dining al fresco with my husband at a local bistro on a beautiful late spring day, I was snuck an ingredient that, if I’d read was an element of the menu item, I would have passed on ordering. And in doing so, I would have thought that yesterday’s Facebook newsfeed extolling the virtues of that ingredient was insignificant, and probably even would have made a face at the laptop screen as I scrolled past it. This would have meant that I would have had to look toward another, most likely more “safe” component to inspire the dish that I chose for this, The Wine Wench Newsletter Installment No.5. Perhaps, had none of those series of events occurred, I wouldn’t be writing for The Wine Wench at all.

Truffle oil rocks.

Until next time, be adventurous in your culinary travels, my globetrotting enthusiasts! You never know where your next bite will take you . . . one dish and one bottle at a time.

Cheers!
Jennifer
OccasionsByJennifer.com

Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and White Truffle Oil Pizza
2 medium potatoes (red or white, preferably), sliced very thin
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced very thin
3-4 oz. of goat cheese (chevre)
White Truffle Oil
Fresh thyme (the leaves of a sprig or two)
Salt and pepper to taste
Store bought, refrigerated pizza dough
Olive oil

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Grease a bowl with olive oil, place one portion of the dough in bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, bring to room temperature and allow to proof (rise).

Meanwhile, using a mandolin or very sharp knife, slice potatoes and onions wafer thin.
Place potato slices in a bowl of cold water.
Coat a sauté pan generously with olive oil and heat over medium high heat.
Add onions and reduce heat to medium. Let sauté slowly until soft and golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain potato slices and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Light and heat grill (or oven) to 400-425 degrees.
Knead and roll out pizza dough on a lightly floured surface according to package directions.
Brush top lightly with olive oil and place on grill (or in oven) to crisp crust slightly. (Keep a watchful eye and remove when faintly golden)
Line surface of pizza with potato slices and spritz or drizzle them with truffle oil to taste.
Add caramelized onions, goat cheese and thyme.
Return pizza to grill or oven and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender with golden edges, cheese is melty and crust is desired consistency.
Let cool slighty, slice and serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa, & Coconut Cilantro Rice

Main course: Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa, Coconut Cilantro Rice

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc or Portuguese Vinho Verde

What you will need:
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts seasoned with cumin salt & pepper and grilled

Salsa
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp chile powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.

Coconut Cilantro Rice
1 2/3 cups water
1/3 cup light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked instant rice
1/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (1/2 lime)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add rice. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in lime rind, juice, and cilantro. Serve topped with mango salsa

Bon Appetit!
Katie Mahanes
Don’t Forget To Kiss The Cook!

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