Autumn Butternut Squash and Kale Rice Salad and Tuna Steaks

This autumn dinner is all about the side dish.  Not that the tuna steaks caught by the boys a few weeks ago weren't over the top, but the warm butternut squash and kale rice salad made it the autumn dinner we were looking for.  Since my daughter was in town and our Saturday consisted of our usual galavanting, I made the rice earlier in the day and prepped the kale.  When we got home I only needed to roast the vegetables and cook the tuna for a few minutes.  While we waited for the vegetables to roast, the house smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg, and we had time to  enjoy a glass a wine and an appetizer.  The perfect ending to a day of shopping.  This side dish makes enough for 6 people.  Leftovers  make a perfect lunch.  

1 cup of brown basmati rice
1/2 cup of black wild rice
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (can buy already peeled and cubed)
1 medium red onion, diced 1/4 inch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
salt & pepper
olive oil 1 tbs for squash and 1 teaspoon for kale
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds
4 cups of kale, rinsed and chopped
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Kale 

Place 4 cups of chopped kale in a separate bowl and dress with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, juice of a 1/2 lemon and salt & pepper.  Can be prepared and refrigerated a couple hours ahead of time.  The dressing will wilt the kale slightly. 

Wild Rice and Brown Basmati 

Can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.  

Soak 1/2 cup of wild rice in a cup of water for 15 minutes, drain and rinse.  Bring 1 cup of salted water to boil.  Add drained wild rice and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

Heat 2 1/2 cups water to a boil.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Add Brown Basmati rice and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cover and cook for 40-45 minutes.

Butternut Squash & Red Onion

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel and seed butternut squash.  Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Add squash and chopped red onion to  parchment paper lined, rimmed baking sheet.     Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, agave nectar, and salt & pepper.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix with vegetables until coated with oil and spices.  Roast in a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes until cook through and nicely browned.

Place brown basmati and wild rice in the bottom of a serving bowl.  Add roasted vegetables, dressed kale, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.  Mix together and serve.  

Tuna Steaks

2 Yellow Fin Tuna Steaks (Sushi grade), cut 1 1/4 inches thick

Rub steaks with olive oil and salt & pepper both sides

Heat a cast iron fry pan until very hot.  Add tuna and cook for one minute and 30 seconds.  Turn over and cook for one more minute.  It should be seared on both sides and very rare in the middle.    

Narragansett Inn's Outbuildings

Narragansett Inn Outbuildings

This painting is from a photograph I took on Block Island, RI this summer.  The Narragansett Inn sits on the shores of the Great Salt Pond with spectacular views of the marina.  Behind the Inn are several simple outbuildings that caught my eye on the way to the The Oar Restaurant for lunch. I experimented with a magenta underpainting, which I think was successful.  Oil on 5X7 Gessobord.

A Fish Story - Swordfish in Tomato Sauce with Capers and Olives

My husband and son love to fish to put it mildly.  They left on a 30 hour overnight tuna and swordfish trip - fishing the Hudson Canyon 110 miles off the Jersey coast last weekend.  Most of the time they come home from such trips with fish stories, but this time I wasn't prepared for the group to catch 300 lbs. of tuna and swordfish.  After cleaning, my husband and son took home their share of 60 lbs. of Long Fin, Yellow Fin tuna and Swordfish that needed to be cut and packaged. I ran out and purchased a Food Sealer and neighbors and friends lined up at my door for fresh fish.  It was unbelievable.

 Tonight's recipe is for Swordfish with tomato sauce with olives and capers.  I grilled the swordfish until just cooked and served it in red sauce with capers and olives and served with Spaghetti Squash.  I guess you could call it the catch of the day.

Swordfish over Tomato Sauce with Capers and Olives

2 Swordfish steaks cut 3/4 inch
1 cup of basic tomato sauce (I used my own, but your favorite jarred sauce will do)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup mixed olives, pitted and chopped
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon of olive oil

Heat tomato sauce in a saucepan, add  capers and olives and simmer over low heat.  Heat a grill pan until very hot.  Wash and dry steaks, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Grill over high heat 3 minutes on one side, turn over and shut off heat and grill 1-2 minutes until just done.  Pour sauce on to each plate and place swordfish steak on top.

I served with Spaghetti Squash.  Buy a medium spaghetti squash.  Cut in half and place cut size down on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment.  Cook for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  Remove seeds and scrape the squash with a fork to remove squash.  Salt and Pepper and add a little butter.  Great with sauce.  Serve 2.

Block Party New England Clam Chowder

Every year our neighborhood has a small informal block party in late September.    Some people in our town have block parties with all the bells and whistles, but what I love about ours is the simplicity.  We close off the street to traffic and everyone has a job to do and each family is charged $15 for hamburgers, hot dogs and paper products.  Each family must bring either an appetizer, salad or dessert, their beverage, and a chair.  This gives little stress to any one person. For dessert we light a fire pit in the street and children toast Smores.  What this get-together is all about is neighbors taking the time to actually sit for a few hours and get to know each better and catch up on our busy lives.

My annual contribution to this event has become a large pot of New England Clam Chowder.  I have a basic recipe that gets tweaked every year.  I use fresh chopped clams from my fish market and canned clam juice making this a manageable recipe.   Since I just came back from a long weekend on Cape Cod where I ordered clam chowder with every meal, I am excited to share this with you.

Block Party New England Clam Chowder 

Makes 5 quarts

1 1/2 pints of fresh chopped clams

2 1/2 cups of heavy cream

2 1/2 quarts clam juice

4 oz. salt pork, cubed 1/4 inch

4 cups of peeled Yukon gold potatoes cubed 1/4 inch

1/2 cup flour

2 cups chopped onions

2 cups chopped celery

1 bunch of fresh thyme tied with a string

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt or to taste.  

2 tablespoons onion power

1 teaspoon ground celery seed 

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

In a large stock pot cook cubed salt pork until crispy.  Discard salt pork and add celery, onions and cook over medium low heat until soft (5 minutes).   Add 1/2 cup of flour and cook over low heat for 5 minutes stirring to coat vegetables.  Add 2 1/2 quarts of clam juice, salt, pepper, onion powder, ground celery seed and bunch of thyme.  Bring this highly seasoned broth to a boil stirring to combine.  Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes over low heat until potatoes are tender. Remove tied thyme.  Stir in 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups of fresh chopped clams.  Cook chowder over low heat for 5 minutes until warm.  Do not over cook chowder at this point.  Stir in fresh chopped parsley and serve with oyster crackers.  

Pulled Pork Tostado

Ok, not everyone has a container of homemade pulled pork in their freezer.  The last time I made pulled pork for a crowd, I made 18 lbs. of pork and put away a container for pulled pork nachos.   Tonight I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner and remembered the hidden container.  Since pulled pork nachos is is not an acceptable dinner, I created a pulled pork tostada.  All the ingredients were piled high on a toasted whole wheat flatbread beginning with arugula, a corn salsa with tomatoes from the garden, pulled pork (see link to recipe below), bbq sauce, more salsa, goat cheese and avocado slices.  Oh my, the husband was quite surprised.  Yes, this was a simple weeknight dinner that came together quickly because of my hidden container, but the tangy pulled pork, creaminess of the cheese and avocado, and brightness of the fresh salsa made this tostada a winner.  

Pulled Pork Tostada

2 cups of pulled pork

1 cup of arugula

1/4 cup goat cheese, broken into pieces

3 whole wheat flatbreads

1/2 sliced avocado

1 cup of tomatoes, I used a mixture of grape and chopped whole

1 fresh cob of corn, kernels cut from cob

Juice from 1/2 of lime

1 tsp. of olive oil

1 tablespoon of chopped red onion

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degree. Make the salsa by chopping grape tomatoes into quarters and regular tomatoes into the same size pieces, add fresh corn kernels, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, S&P.  Set aside. Toast the flatbreads in a non-stick pan over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, place the 3 toasted flatbreads on a sheet pan, divide the arugula, 1/2 the salsa, pulled pork, bbq sauce, remaining salsa, goat cheese between the three flatbreads.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and add the avocado slices to the top and serve.  The easiest way to eat this tostada is with a knife and fork.

Serves 2-3

NYC Meat Packing District

This photo was taken in NYC with my iPhone. I tweaked it with Instagram and love it's surreal feeling.  Enjoy your weekend.

Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup

When planning my garden this spring, I took into consideration my vacation in late July.  My friends and neighbors love it when everything peaks while I'm away, but by planting a little later I get to reap the bounty and also share with everyone.  The garden did very well this year with just the right amount of sun, rain and an extra 4 feet of fencing to keep the deer out.   Since Scarlett my Golden passed, she no longer protects the yard from deer and other salad seeking critters.

This recipe includes pickling cucumbers which are by far my favorite cucumber.  They are not just for pickling, their flavor, small seeds, and crispness make them perfect for salads and soups.  Today I used them in a chilled avocado cucumber soup.  This chilled soup was delicious and perfect for an August lunch. Do not forget the garnish...it adds the perfect crunch to this soup.

Chilled Avocado Cucumber Soup

2 pickling cucumbers (or cucumber of your choice), peeled and cut into chunks, dice 1 tablespoon for garnish.

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks, a few thin slices for garnish

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup dill - chopped - save some for garnish

1 tablespoon chopped and seeded poblano pepper (or hot pepper of your choice) 

1 cup of greek yogurt 0%

1 cup ice water

2 tsp of salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper

In the food processor pulse cucumbers, avocado, lemon zest and juice, dill, and poblano pepper until blended.  Add yogurt, water and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and blend again.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Garnish with finely chopped cucumber and dill, a small thin slice of avocado and a half of grape tomato sliced.