weeknight gourmet

Posts Tagged ‘Emeril Lagasse’

Easy Summer Sides: Asian Slaw

July 21 2010 |  Leave a Comment

We had our friends Pam and Tony over last week to meet Charlotte. I decided to make dinner but wanted to prepare it ahead of time. I made Barefoot Contessa’s Chinese Chicken Salad which everyone loved and served an Asian Slaw on the side.

I love using coleslaw mix as a base. All the prep work is done for you!  Tony said this was the best coleslaw he ever had. I thought it was delicious and the flavors complemented the chicken salad well.

The recipe calls for you to make much more of the soy glaze than you need.  Save it!  I used the leftover glaze the next night. I marinated some sushi-grade tuna in it and then seared the tuna.  I served the tuna with the remaining sauce on the side.  I roasted some asparagus for a simple, healthy and delicious meal.  Yum!

Asian Slaw
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 bag of coleslaw mix
  • 1/4 minced green onions
  • 1/2 cup sliced red onion
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a very small saucepan combine the soy sauce and the sugar and cook until reduced to a syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn; this cooks quickly!) The soy-sugar mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool completely. When cooled, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the soy glaze to the mayonnaise and refrigerate until ready to use. Reserve remaining soy glaze for another use.

Combine the slaw, minced green onions, the red onion, the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, the salt, and crushed red pepper, and toss thoroughly to combine.

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

1 Comment
Categories : Salads
Read more...

Meatless Monday: Basil Pesto

June 7 2010 |  Leave a Comment

On one of my excursions to Chelsea Market, I picked up a couple of bunches of gorgeous basil.  I was buying something else but the fragrant basil leaves called to me and I couldn’t help but buy some!

I decided to make pesto because it is a great make-ahead item.  I could make a batch and use some the same day and freeze the rest for a later date.  We were having my brother and his family over and were planning on having a simple barbecue — hamburgers and hot dogs.  I had bought a bunch of salads but wanted to make something.  So I decided to toss some of the pesto with whole wheat penne for a simple pasta salad.  I chilled the pasta salad and everyone loved it!

I followed the pesto recipe below which is a pretty typical basil pesto recipe but I doubled it so I would have some leftover for the freezer.  I actually intend to defrost the pesto this week, marinade some chicken breasts in the pesto, and grill them up on my grill pan for a quick and easy dinner.


Pesto alla Genovese
Emeril Lagasse

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound dried or fresh farfalle pasta

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and pepper and process for a few seconds until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and, while the processor is running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until a mostly smooth sauce is formed. Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (Note: Pesto may be made 1 day in advance and kept, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use. If making in advance, be sure to cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from darkening. Pesto may also be frozen in the same manner in small quantities for use at a later date.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, toss pasta with pesto. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid if pasta seems to dry. Serve immediately.

0 Comment
Categories : Pasta, Vegetarian entree
Read more...

Charlotte's Boursin Roasted Chicken

January 5 2010 |  Leave a Comment

I can’t believe this chicken recipe didn’t make it to the blog in 2009!  Both Tim and I love it and I have made it for a number of dinner guests who all seem to have enjoyed it as well.

The recipe is great because it only requires a whole chicken and two packages of Boursin cheese.  How easy is that!  The cheese imparts amazing flavor to the chicken and produces a very tasty sauce for the chicken and the pureed cauliflower I typically serve as a side.

The store was out of the traditional Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin so I bought the Shallot & Chive Boursin.  The chicken was just as delicious with this flavor of Boursin!

Despite the somewhat ugly photo below, I am sure this chicken recipe will become a staple in your kitchen once you try it!

Charlotte’s Boursin Roasted Chicken
Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) whole chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (5.2-ounce) packages garlic and fines herbs flavor cheese spread (recommended: Boursin)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan or shallow casserole dish with the oil.

Rinse the chicken well under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken well, inside and out, with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the prepared roasting pan and place 1 whole block of cheese inside the cavity of the chicken. Cut the remaining block of cheese into fourths and pat 1/4 of the cheese spread over the breast portion of the chicken. Allow the remaining 3/4 of the block of cheese to sit out at room temperature while the chicken is roasting.

Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. After about 10 minutes, once the cheese has softened and begun to melt on the top of the chicken, remove the pan from the oven, and using the back of a spoon, spread the Boursin all over the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast for 25 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown on top.

Remove the pan from the oven and turn the chicken over so the back is now facing up. A small amount of cheese will probably begin to ooze out of the chicken cavity at this point, so take a bit of it and spread it all over the back side of the chicken. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the back side of the chicken is golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven one more time. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and turn the chicken over again, so the breast is once again facing up. Continue to cook until the chicken is done, 20 to 30 more minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife at one thigh joint and making sure that the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a platter or cutting board. Set aside, loosely covered with aluminum foil. Carefully remove and discard as much rendered fat from the roasting pan as possible. Add 1/2 cup hot water and the remaining cheese to the roasting pan. Remove any remaining melted cheese from the cavity of the chicken and add to the roasting pan.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces, allowing the juices from the chicken to run onto the platter. Add the juices to the roasting pan and mix well with the Boursin, drippings, and water. Serve the sauce spooned over the carved chicken.

Serves 4.

0 Comment
Categories : Poultry
Read more...

Asian-Style Braised Short Ribs

December 28 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Tim and I are back in the Berkshires with our amazing beef stash.  Last night, I decided to make braised short ribs — a perfect dish for a cold winter night!

I can still remember when I first fell in love with braised short ribs.  We were living in Boston and I had the most delicious short ribs on my 27th birthday at Mistral, a wonderful restaurant in the South End.  I often order short ribs when I see them on a menu, but short ribs are also easy to make at home.  They just take time — typically a few hours — because they need to be braised.  This is definitely not a weeknight meal!

I was excited by this Emeril recipe because I think Asian flavors go beautifully with braised meats.  And, this dish did not disappoint!  The meat was incredibly tender and had a wonderful sweetness and spiciness to it.

Most braising recipes require you to sear the meat on the stove top before you add the liquid and put the dish in the oven.  In this recipe, you just mix the liquid ingredients, add the short ribs, and place in the over for 3 hours.  There is very little prep work.

I served the short ribs with jasmine rice (which was a bit overcooked) and steamed broccolini.  We used the extra short rib sauce on the rice and vegetable.  Yum!

I definitely need to develop a better technique for skimming the fat off of a dish like this.  The more fat you skim off the liquid after you remove the short ribs, the better the sauce will be!

This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Asian-Style Braised Short Ribs
Emeril Lagasse

  • 5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4-ounce portions
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 (5-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved and smashed
  • 1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 quart water
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onion bottoms, white part only
  • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Jasmine Rice, for serving
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind, for serving
  • Sliced green onion tops, optional for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a wide stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the short ribs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar, water, green onion bottoms, crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Make sure that the stockpot is deep enough so that the short ribs are submerged in the liquid.

Bake the short ribs, covered, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and cover to keep warm. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Drain the fat off of the cooking liquid and discard. Place the remaining braising juices in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of the hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the liquid until only about 1 1/4 cups remain. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, discarding the solids. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the lemon juice.

Return the short ribs and the reduced sauce to the stockpot or Dutch oven, coating the short ribs well with the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes, until the short ribs are heated through and slightly glazed. Serve hot over jasmine rice. Season each portion with the orange zest and garnish with the green onions if desired.

1 Comment
Categories : Beef
Read more...

Christmas Cookies: Thumbprint Cookies

December 24 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas to all the Weeknight Gourmet readers!  I was baking this morning so I figured I would share a couple of last minute cookie recipes.

I made a couple of modifications to the thumbprint cookie recipe below.  Instead of lemon juice and zest, I used orange juice and zest.  I also substituted Grand Marnier for Chambord because that’s what I had.  Lastly, I didn’t think the cookies needed a full 20 minutes.  Check on them at 15 minutes.

So delicious!


Raspberry-Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.
In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

1 Comment
Categories : Chocolate, Dessert
Read more...

150th Post!! Skirt Steak, Tri-Colore Orzo, Tapas-inspired Chickpea Salad, and Grilled Peaches with Honey & Mascarpone

August 11 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Hard to believe I have posted 150 times since late January!  There have been so many delicious meals, wonderful dinner guests, and fun meal-time conversations.  Plus, I have received so much positive feedback on the blog.  Overall, the Weeknight Gourmet has been a fun and rewarding undertaking!

As I mentioned in my Blueberry Pie post, we had some guests in Becket this weekend.  Here is the meal we had on Saturday night.  File this as another great barbecue menu!

Mark Bittman’s Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Tri-Colore Orzo

Tapas-inspired Chickpea Salad

**

Pound Cake & Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone & Honey

0 Comment
Categories : Barbecue, Beef, Dessert, Pasta, Salads
Read more...

Pound Cake & Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone & Honey

 |  Leave a Comment

Here is a quick and easy summer dessert.  It would have been a healthier dessert except I baked a pound cake (thanks to Betty Crocker).

Make sure the peaches are ripe but not too ripe — it’s easier to cut them.

The peaches were even sweeter and more delicious thanks to a little grilling and the honey!

Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone and Honey
Emeril Lagasse

  • 6 large ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
  • 6 tablespoons honey, plus more for serving if desired
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

Place the peaches cut-side down onto the grill and cook until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the grill. Transfer the peaches, cut sides up, to a grill-proof baking dish or baking sheet and drizzle evenly with the 6 tablespoons of honey. Place the dish on the grill and cover the grill.

Continue to cook until the peaches are soft, about 5 minutes, again depending on the grill.

Remove the baking dish from the grill and divide the peach halves between 6 dessert plates. Divide the mascarpone evenly among the plates and drizzle with additional honey, if desired.

Serve immediately.

0 Comment
Categories : Dessert, Fruit
Read more...

The Weeknight Gourmet's 100th Post!

June 8 2009 |  Leave a Comment

I started this cooking blog one night in late January and really wasn’t sure how it would be received or if I’d enjoy writing it.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the positive reception from my readers and how much I enjoy communicating my culinary adventures.  I love when one of my posts inspires someone to cook a homemade meal.  I love noticing certain trends in what I cook and what ingredients I use.  I always knew I used a lot of garlic but never realized how many of my recipes rely on cumin!  I love checking my blog stats to see which recipes draw the most interest.  Based on my page views, people love curry and turkey burgers.

Most of all, I hope that, in some small way, the recipes I post can help create for others the special moments and conversations I experienced around the dinner table as a child with my mom, dad, and brother and as an adult with Tim, our friends, and extended family.

Here are my top 10 favorite posts (in no particular order). Would love to hear from you — please tell me your favorite recipes that you’ve cooked from the blog!

1) Summer Kickoff BBQ…RIBS

2) The Super Bowl Cake

3) Birthday Dinner for Angus

4) Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole Salad

5) A Must Make Dish: Mahi Mahi in Tomato Olive Sauce

6) My Gastronomical Discoveries in Northern CA

7) First BBQ of the Year: Grilled Herbed Baby Lamb Chops with Asparagus Salad

8) Dinner for Kaylin’s Parents: Turkey & Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

9) Tribute to Domino

10) Spice Rubbed Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Slaw and Chipotle Cream

1 Comment
Categories : Barbecue, Brunch, Burgers, Dessert, Eggs, Fish, Lamb, Pasta, Poultry, Salads, Side dishes - vegetables, Travel, Vegetarian entree
Read more...

Bam!…Perfect Barbecue Side Dishes…Emeril's Macaroni Salad

May 25 2009 |  Leave a Comment

Here’s a great alternative to mayonnaise-based pasta salads!  Lots of delicious flavors going on in this salad – goat cheese, olives, proscuitto, and a great vinaigrette.

Last night, I made this to go along with our hamburgers on the grill.  I didn’t have any proscuitto on hand but I did have some pancetta.  I also had a very creamy goat cheese in the fridge.

I have made the salad before and I think it turns out a bit better with proscuitto and a more crumbly goat cheese.  But it was delicious and a great side to our brisket burgers.

Emeril’s Macaroni Salad
Everyday Food

  • Coarse salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup pitted Cerignola olives, or your favorite olives, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook macaroni until al dente. In a small skillet, cook prosciutto over medium heat until crisp; discard fat.

Combine shallot, vinegar and mustard in a large bowl; whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream. Add tomato, cheese, prosciutto, olives and capers.

Drain pasta; add to bowl with tomato mixture and toss. Add parsley; season with salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature and serve. (To store, refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

Makes 6 servings.

0 Comment
Categories : Barbecue, Pasta
Read more...

Perfect Barbecue Side Dishes: Green Bean Salad

May 23 2009 |  Leave a Comment

This is a super simple green bean salad with a refreshing lemon vinaigrette and some thinly sliced grilled red onions.

The salad is made with haricot vert — French green beans — which are thinner and longer than typical string beans.  I also find the haricot vert to be more tender and have better flavor.

This salad can be made ahead and I actually recommend that you do so that the flavor have a chance to meld.

Emeril’s Green Bean Salad
Emeril Lagasse for Everyday Food

  • Coarse salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 pounds haricots verts or other thin green beans, trimmed
  • 2 small red onions, quartered through root end (leaving root end attached)

Heat grill to medium-low heat. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. In another large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice; set aside.

Cook green beans in boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer immediately to ice-water bath. Drain beans well, pat dry and add to bowl with dressing. Set aside.

Toss onion wedges with remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. When cool, trim root end off and thinly slice onions; add to bowl with green beans and toss to combine. (To store, refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

1 Comment
Categories : Barbecue, Salads, Side dishes - vegetables
Read more...
« Older Entries
Copyright © 2010 weeknightgourmet.com All rights reserved.
Terms of Use   |   Privacy Policy