Pork Chops with Capers, Lemons and Mushrooms

Boneless pork chops, lemons, capers, mushrooms and fresh herbs from the garden are luscious together. The capers and lemon juice add a piquant touch and the fresh thyme and parsley brings out the great flavor of the pork. A good sea salt, like Fleur de Sel, which has the great taste of the ocean in it, also adds a lot of flavor. If you can find the tasty little capers from the Aolian Islands packed in salt, they taste so much better than capers packed in brine. However the capers are packed -- in brine or in salt – both benefit from a good rinse so the piquant taste can shine. The sauce is finished with roughly chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkling of fresh lemon zest. Pork perfection!

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork loin chops, ½ inch thick or more, trimmed of excess fat
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of good olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
Baby Portabello mushrooms, 8 to 10 ounces thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of capers, drained, rinsed and roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup homemade chicken broth, fat removed or ½ cup of free-range chicken broth
2 teaspoons Arrowroot (or cornstarch)
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves roughly chopped
zest of ½ a lemon

Directions:

Evenly season the pork chops, on both sides, with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using a 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons of good olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute, saute the chops until nicely browned on the outside and still slightly pink in the center, turning over once. Transfer the chops to a serving platter and keep warm while you make the sauce.

Add more olive oil to the skillet if needed, then add the mushrooms, garlic, shallots and fresh thyme. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are well browned and the garlic and shallots are softened. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to the mushroom mixture and simmer for 2 minutes. Then add the tablespoon of rinsed capers to the sauce. To thicken the sauce mix Arrowroot (or cornstarch) with 2 teaspoons of cold water and stir it slowly into the mushroom, caper wine sauce until it thickens. Place the pork chops on a serving plate and top with the sauce. Sprinkle fresh parsley over the chops and the zest of ½ a lemon. Serve with a side dish of Fettuccini with an olive oil and garlic sauce, and some steamed fresh green beans.

Healthy Minestrone

Fresh zucchini and tomatoes are wonderful together. Add some chopped peppers, fresh herbs, beans, pasta shells, bulgar, kale, spinach and fresh mustard greens and you have a delicious soup that is packed with nutrition. The olive oil and the fresh basil do amazing things for the broth and the lemon juice adds great taste. This is not the time to use up all those wilted limp carrots or tired looking vegetables in the refrigerator. Choose the sweetest young carrots and the finest greens you can find to get the best flavor and taste. Your family will thank you for it. There is no real substitute for the fresh herbs both from a standpoint of taste and nutrition. Dry powdered oregano cannot compare to the fragrance or the taste of fresh oregano. Canned tomatoes are fine if you don’t have fresh, but be sure the chicken stock is fat free. If you make your own chicken stock you can put it in the refrigerator and the fat will lift cleanly off when it is cold. Canned fat-free chicken stock is fine, but if you have the time to make your own, the flavor of good homemade chicken stock is worth the effort.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small red or yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a press
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
2 celery ribs chopped
2 carrots diced or roughly chopped
2 small zucchini, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 14-ounce can diced stewed tomatoes or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 14-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup small pasta shells such as rice shaped orzo
1/4 cup fine bulgar
1 cup of fresh kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh mustard greens stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped

4 cups good homemade fat-free chicken stock

juice of one large lemon, about ¼ cup

1/2 cup fresh basil, stemmed and roughly chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil in a large stockpot until transparent. Add the zucchini, salt, pepper fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes and saute for 5 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, and enough chicken stock and water to cover by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer, and add the pasta shells and bulgar. Simmer until the pasta is tender. Add more water if needed then add the chopped kale, mustard greens, spinach, and lemon juice. Cook only until the fresh greens are wilted. Do not overcook. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Enjoy!

Wild-Caught Salmon with Citrus and Cumin

In Mediterranean countries where fresh fish is a staple, this simple country style fish preparation is often served. Lemon and orange juice, a touch of honey, some thinly shaved shallots and sweet red onions, a little olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper and cumin accent the delicate flavor of the salmon. Serve with a lemon rice pilaf with green onions, lemon thyme, fresh parsley and toasted almonds. A nice fruity Alsatian Gewurztraminer wine with a somewhat flowery bouquet goes nicely with this dish, or if you prefer, a good dry Riesling.

Ingredients:

4 fresh wild-caught salmon filets, 6 to 8 ounces each, skin on
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon powdered cumin
zest of one lemon
1 medium sweet red onion very thinly shaved
3 shallots peeled and very thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of good olive oil
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh chives
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Combine orange juice, lemon juice, honey and thinly sliced shallots and onions in a dish. Place the salmon skin-side up in the juice and onions and marinate for 30 minutes. When the fish has marinated for a sufficient time, remove the filets and place them skin-side down in a baking pan lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Spoon the honey and citrus juice marinade mixture over the filets. Arrange the red onions and shallots over the top of the fish. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and drizzle with some good olive oil.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre-heated 375° oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Garnish with lemon and orange slices and some roughly chopped fresh parsley and chives.

Roasted Red Peppers with Parsley Vinaigrette

Roasted red peppers are wonderful as a side dish or in a sandwich. You can roast the peppers on a grill, on the burner of a gas stove, or in the broiler. The vinaigrette with fresh parsley, lemon zest, garlic, Dijon mustard and olive oil brings out the intense flavor of the roasted peppers. If you like, you can also use yellow and orange peppers to make a very colorful side dish. If you do not have the time or the inclination to roast the peppers yourself, use a bottle of roasted red peppers and make the vinaigrette to marinate them. They will taste just as good, and you don't have to tell anyone.

6 red bell peppers
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
3 cloves of garlic peeled and very thinly sliced
1/4 cup of fresh parsley stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
zest of one lemon

Preheat the broiler, or fire up the grill and broil the peppers until the skin is charred. Turn the peppers with tongs and and continue broiling until all sides of the peppers are charred. When the peppers are evenly charred put them in a paper bag or cover with foil and let them steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Then peel back the charred skin, remove the cores and seeds and cut into strips.

Vinaigrette:

Put the olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and apple cider vinaigrette in a small food processor and blend until homogenized. Pour into a bowl and add the sliced garlic, lemon zest and chopped fresh parsley.

Marinate the peppers in the dressing. Cover and refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours. Serve cold.

Greek Orzo Salad

This is a delicious version of the classic salad made with the small rice shaped pasta that you will find in many places along the Aegean coast of Greece. Either lemon juice or lime juice may be used in the vinaigrette, but it is the tablespoon of apple cider vinegar combined with the mustard and garlic that gives this dressing its exceptional great taste.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of orzo (rice shaped pasta) cooked and allowed to cool
½ cup green onions, very finely chopped including some green tops

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 medium cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

1 ½ cups crumbled Feta cheese (6 ounces)
3/4 cup pitted black Kalamata olives

Vinaigrette:

2 garlic cloves (1 Tbs.) very finely chopped or put through a press
2/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice or lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

First prepare the vinaigrette by mixing together the olive oil, lime juice or lemon juice, mustard, cumin, apple cider vinegar, fresh chopped dill, sea salt and a generous twist of black pepper.

For the salad, simply combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, add sea salt, a twist of black pepper and the vinaigrette. Toss to mix and serve immediately.

Stocking the Mediterranean Pantry ~ Sea Salt and Pepper

Sea Salt: Today there are many varieties of sea salt, each with a different taste to add something special to a recipe. Fleur De Sel de Camargue is a hand raked salt harvested in France. The name comes from the aroma of violets that develops as the salt dries. Smoked sea salts are a wonderful, natural way to add interesting taste and flavor to a dish. Finish off a pasta dish or roasted vegetables with a delicious Hickory or Applewood smoked sea salt. Murray River salt crystals are light & delicate peach colored flakes that have a wonderfully mild flavor. Cyprus Flake has a fresh ocean flavor and a satisfying crunch that make it a favorite with many professional chefs. Smoky, earthy, smoked chipotle salt combines the spiciness of smoked chipotle peppers with all-natural Pacific sea salt when you want to add a bit of zing. Wild Porcini Sea Salt is a delicious fusion of all-natural sea salt and dried porcinis that adds a mushroom aroma and depth to risotto, soups, and sauces. Try one of these gourmet salts to add some amazing taste and variety. They are available on line or in some high-end grocery stores.

Pepper: Pepper was the first spice used in Europe and it came to have great social and economic value there. Up until the 19th century, it was a luxury only the rich could afford. Pepper became affordable to the average person in the early 1800s. Today we have a wide variety of peppercorns available to us. Malabar is pungent and aromatic, Tellicherry has a rich aromatic aroma with a hint of cedar and cherry, green peppercorns are relatively mild, white peppercorns have a bit of heat, and rainbow peppercorns that give an interesting variety of tastes to food. Keep several kinds on hand in peppermills to use daily.

Cayenne Pepper adds very intense heat. A well-placed pinch of Cayenne brightens up cream soups, tomato sauces for pasta and dips for crudités. Aleppo Pepper is like paprika. Sauté with onions, garlic, or bell peppers and use in breading for baked or fried chicken. Its moderate heat enriches savory fish stews, rice pilafs, simmered beans and lentils. Hot Red Pepper Flakes add a touch of heat to marinades or can be fried with garlic in oil to start vegetarian pasta sauces or beef stew. Italians often keep pepper flakes on the table to sprinkle on pizza or pasta. Try adding some pepper flakes to a simmering tomato sauce to give it a little bit of heat.

Mediterranean Fish Stew with Fennel

Fennel grows wild all along the shores of the Mediterranean, and on the banks of rivers.  Wherever the Romans traveled, you will find fennel growing there. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb, and one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. Greek legends say Prometheus used the stalk of a fennel plant to steal fire from the gods. Also it was the stalks of the giant fennel plant that the gods Bacchus or Dionysus and their followers used for wands in the wild and mystic bacchanalia festivals. It is fennel that gives this delicious Mediterranean Fish Stew its exceptional flavor.

You can use any firm white fish such as pickerel, cod, or sea bass for the stew. All work equally well. If you add some shrimp or prawns it will make it all the more interesting. Add the shrimp or prawns only for the last 2 to 3 minutes so they do not overcook. To finish the fish stew add a little more olive oil, fresh parsley and a bit of the feathery tops of the fresh fennel finely chopped.

Ingredients:

2 to 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
4 sticks of celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 head of fresh fennel, very thinly sliced and then chopped.
5 cloves of garlic, smashed, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 fresh bay leaves
1 quart vegetable or fish stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds of fresh fish fillets (no bones)
8 -10 fresh shrimp or prawns with shells on and back vein removed (optional)
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Directions:

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel and sweat for another few minutes. The onions, garlic, celery and fennel should be transparent, not browned.

Add the tomatoes, potatoes and bay leaves and pour in the stock. The quality of the stock is absolutely essential. A good fish stock can be made by adding some bottled clam broth to any good vegetable stock.

Season the stock with sea salt and pepper and bring it all to low boil. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the fish fillets and cook for 15 minutes more. When the potatoes are tender and the fish flakes apart, add the lemon juice and herbs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. If you are using shrimp, this is the time to add them. Finish with a little more extra virgin olive oil, fresh chopped parsley and a bit of the feathery fennel tops chopped fine in each soup bowl . A good crusty artisan bread goes well with this amazing stew.

Stromboli Eggplant Caponata

This is a sweet and sour Caponata that is delicious on a toasted bruschetta. Italy is famous for this type of rustic cooking called cucina povera (cuisine of the poor) that has a history that goes back for thousands of years to the Romans, Greeks, Normans, Spaniards and Arabs. The basis of of this traditional cuisine is the abundance of fragrant herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic, basil, mint, olives and the ubiquitious capers that Italians love so much.

Caper bushes grow wild on the rugged Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily where they cling to the rocks and cliffs along the coast in the porous volcanic soil. The intensely flavoured flower buds of the caper bush are about the only food product that grows on this string of volcanic islands. Stromboli is the largest of the Aeolian islands, but largely uninhabited due to the near daily volcanic eruptions. The hot chili flakes give this Stromboli Caponato a bit of fire too, but you can reduce the amount, or eliminate it entirely if you don't like the heat. The capers are an essential component that add a wonderful dimension to this delicious caponata found on so many Italian tables. Some Aeolian capers are salt cured and need to be soaked in water for several minutes and rinsed. Others are packaged in a brine which is best rinsed off before incorporating.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed and put through a press
1 medium eggplant, diced in 1/2 inch cubes (to yield 4 cups)
1/4 cup red wine
1 teaspoon of hot chili flakes
1 tablespoon of currants
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 sprig of finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 large tomatos, seeded, diced and crushed with your hands
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon of capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into cubes or rectangular pieces about 1/2 inch thick, place in heavily salted water for thirty minutes, then strain and pat dry.

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Wipe off the eggplant to remove as much of the salt and clinging juices as you can. Toss eggplant with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet covered with non-stick aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes until nicely browned, stirring occasionally.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the browned eggplant, the fresh rosemary, cinnamon, cocoa powder, tomatos, chili flakes, currants, vinegar and sugar. (Note: 1 cup of homemade chunky tomato sauce can be substituted for the fresh tomatos.) Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the drained capers and pine nuts. Set aside to cool slightly and serve with crusty fresh bread.

This can be made a day or two ahead of time which gives the flavors time to meld together.

Wild Striped Sea Bass Provencal

In the sunny south of France and throughout the Mediterranean, fresh fish is prepared Provencal style. Fresh tomatoes, sweet onions, black nicoise olives, lemons ,wine and fresh herbs are lavished on fresh wild striped sea bass. The dried Herbes de Provence, fragrant with lavender from the hills around Cannes, can be used if you do not have fresh herbs available, but the fresh herbs are far superior in taste, and they are much better for your health. The Wild Striped Sea Bass also has a much better flavor than the farm-raised fish, which tends to taste very bland.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of wild striped sea bass (1/2 pound per person)
3 or 4 fresh tomatoes roughly chopped
2 small onions very thinly sliced
5 or 6 green onions roughly chopped including green tops
1/4 cup pitted and sliced ot roughly chopped black nicoise olives
Juice of 2 lemons
1 large lemon very thinly sliced
1 cup of dry white wine
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, roughly chopped
3 or 5 sprigs of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Herbes de Provence (optional)
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash and dry the fish and place it in a heavy baking pan that has a thin coat of olive oil on the bottom or lined with non-stick aluminum foil. Make a bed of sliced thinly sliced onions and place the fish on it. Cover the fish with chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced lemons, the green onions, chopped olives and the fresh herbs. Sprinkle olive oil over the fish and pour white wine over all. Add freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes, more or less, depending on the thickness of the fish fillets.  It is done when it flakes easily.

The Best Roast Chicken Ever

A well roasted chicken is sheer heaven. Fragrant with garlic, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and lemon and served with crisp potatoes and crumbled bacon, it is a feast indeed.

You can add other root vegetables to the roasting pan if you like, but the combination of the crisp potatoes and the bacon is enough for me.

Ingredients:

One 4 to 5 pound chicken
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch segments
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
4 to 5 pounds of potatoes peeled, cut into pieces and parboiled for 10 minutes
1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
6 strips of good streaky smoked bacon

Directions:

Generously season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Put three of the garlic cloves and 5 sprigs of the thyme in the cavity, and rub the thyme and garlic all around the inside. Put a lemon cut in quarters, some garlic cloves and a sprig of fresh rosemary into the cavity. Refrigerate it uncovered for 24 hours to help to make the skin extra crispy. Take the chicken out of the refirgerator a few hours before roasting in so it will come to room temperature before you put it in the oven. This will help it cook evenly.

Preheat oven to 475°F. Truss the chicken with kitchen string. Place the vegetables, onions, garlic, and remaining thyme sprig into a bowl. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and toss with your hands until well coated. Season generously with salt and pepper. Rub the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Create a bed of the vegetables and potatoes in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the chicken on the bed of vegetables. Next rub the top of the chicken breasts with some soft butter.

Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 25 minutes at 475°F. Then lay the strips of bacon across the breast, reduce the heat to 400°F and roast for an additional 45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the thigh registers 160°F on a meat thermometer and the juices run clear.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, keep it warm and let rest for 20 minutes before carving to serve. Remove the bacon from the chicken and crumble over the potatoes.  Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Serves 4.