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Creating recipes isn't a pastime—it's a passion. And a lot of fun.

The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Roasted-Vegetable Lasagna with Cipollini Onions


When a few basic vegetables make up the bulk of a dish, it’s important to prepare them in a way that brings out their richest flavors. Cipollini onions—those small, flying-saucer-shaped beauties—are perfect for roasting. To keep the recipe easy, I simply roasted the mushrooms and tomatoes in the same skillet—after removing the onions—chopped and tossed all the vegetables together, and that’s it: ready for layering.

Cipollini Onions
You don’t need to make lasagna with thick, creamy cheeses like ricotta or fresh mozzarella all the time. Those are great, but when you’re doing vegetarian, rich, heavy-textured cheese can overpower the lightness of the vegetables. Shredded and grated cheeses work well too, without making dense layers.

A cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano may sound like a lot, but it’s not a packed cup. Finely grated, this king of cheeses forms a puffy little mound quickly—enough to measure a loose cup, but still not much cheese.

Finely Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
  • 10 small to medium cipollini onions
  • olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1 tbsp
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 12 oz button mushrooms, halved (quartered, if large)
  • 5-6 medium stem tomatoes, halved (quartered, if large)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as sage and oregano
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes (from a 28-oz can), divided
  • 1 cup shredded provolone, divided
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided
  • dried oregano, for garnish (optional)
Stem Tomatoes and Mushrooms
Garlic and Herbs
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  2. Cut a thin slice from each end of the onions and remove the peel. (If it’s difficult to remove, try rubbing it under running water.)
  3. Place the onions in a heavy, ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron), drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Roast in the oven until tender and golden brown, 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Onions Ready to Roast
Roasted Cipollini Onions
  1. Remove the onions to a cutting board and let cool.
  2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350° F and let the skillet cool 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles in salted, boiling water about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  4. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat. Roast until tender but the tomatoes are not broken down, 11-12 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Mushrooms and Tomatoes Ready to Roast
Roasted Mushrooms and Tomatoes
  1. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms and tomatoes to the cutting board. (This helps keep the vegetables from being too watery in the lasagna.) Leave the oven on.
  2. Chop the onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes.
Chopped Roasted Cipollinis
  1. Heat another skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the chopped vegetables and herbs and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, 4-5 minutes.
Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Herbs
  1. Lightly oil a large baking dish and spread 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes over the bottom. Lay 4 slightly overlapping noodles in the dish and spread 1/2 the vegetable mixture on top. Scatter 1/3 cup provolone and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano over the vegetables.
First Vegetable Layer
First Layer with Cheese
  1. Place 4 more noodles in the dish and repeat the layer.
  2. To finish, place the final 4 noodles in the dish and spread with the remaining 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes. Scatter the remaining 1/3 cup of each cheese on top. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes, until the top begins to brown.
  3. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Lasagna Ready to Bake
Baked Lasagna
To serve, slice into 6 large pieces or 8 medium pieces and garnish with dried oregano, if desired.


Vegetable Lasagna with Roasted Cipollini Onions, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Grilled Beef and Noodle Salad with Orange-Sesame Dressing



The next time you think pasta salad, think something besides macaroni and eggs in a thick, mayo-based sauce. Rice vermicelli is light with firm texture—perfect for serving cold in a room-temperature salad. Dressed with a fresh, boldly flavored vinaigrette, this Asian-style noodle salad is deliciously satisfying, without being heavy—even with beef.


Packaged Rice Vermicelli
Flank steak is lean and great for grilling and serving thinly sliced in a dish. To ensure its juicy tenderness, give it time to rest after coming off the heat, then slice it against the grain.

Flank Steak
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Orange-Sesame Dressing
  • juice from 1/2 a large naval orange (about 3 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp reserved mandarin orange liquid (from salad ingredients, see below)
  • 2 tsp chile paste with garlic 
For the Beef and Noodle Salad
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup beef broth
  • juice from 1/2 a large naval orange (about 3 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 lb flank steak
  • 8 oz rice vermicelli
  • peanut oil, for brushing
  • sea salt
  • 4 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup mandarin orange sections (from an 11-oz can, liquid reserved)
  • 2/3 cup peeled, sliced water chestnuts (from an 8-oz can)
  • 1/2 cup small, thin cilantro sprigs
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Fresh Salad Ingredients
Rice Vermicelli
Preparation

For the Orange-Sesame Dressing 
  1. Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Orange-Sesame Dessing
For the Beef and Noodle Salad
  1. Combine the first 6 ingredients (through brown sugar) in a rectangular baking dish large enough to allow the steak to lie flat.
  2. Place the steak in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour, turning 3-4 times throughout.
Marinade
Steak Beginning to Marinate
Marinated Flank Steak
  1. Cook the vermicelli in boiling, salted water until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Rinsed Rice Noodles
  1. Light a grill for medium-high heat. Remove the steak from the marinade, brush with peanut oil, and season with salt. (Discard the marinade.)
  2. Grill until slightly charred on the outside and still pink inside, 5-6 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and let cool to room temperature.
Grilled Flank Steak

  1. Slice the steak very thinly across the grain and place in a large bowl. Add the noodles, radishes, mandarin orange, and water chestnuts and toss to combine.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
Sliced Steak 
Tossed Salad
To serve, divide the salad among 4 plates or pasta bowls and scatter cilantro sprigs and sesame seeds on top.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Pan-Grilled Chicken Caesar Salads with Garlic Bread


To me, Caesar salad dressing is one of the best tasting of all salad dressings. It’s rich, creamy, and tangy, and a little bit goes a long way. Typical ingredients—and supposedly the original ingredients—include egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.

Variations abound, of course, and today Caesar dressing often includes minced anchovies, Dijon mustard, wine vinegars, and Romano cheese. To enjoy the real taste of a Caesar salad, don’t stray too far from the common ingredients. You may make a good-tasting salad, but it won’t be a Caesar.

About that egg yolk: Don’t use it if you’re concerned about the possibility of its containing salmonella bacteria. The chance is slim but it does exist. I sometimes make the dressing without the egg, and it’s still very tasty—the texture just isn’t as creamy. When I do use a yolk, I usually go raw, but I've also pasteurized the egg first (which the USFDA says can’t be done in a home kitchen, so do your own research and make your own decision).

The idea behind pasteurizing the egg in hot water is to kill the bacteria without cooking the egg. There’s a fine line between the two, since the temperature of the water needs to reach about 140° F to kill any salmonella, but the egg will begin to cook at about 145–155° F (depending on size). Timing and temperature are key to the process.

The method I use is noted below. If you don’t have a digital thermometer that can be held in the water as it heats, don’t use this method. (Pasteurized eggs are sold in some markets. If you can find them and don’t mind the price, go that route or skip the yolk in the recipe.)

One Type of Digital Thermometer
  • Set a medium egg out of the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  • Place the egg in a small saucepan and cover with cold water.
  • Place the pan over medium heat and hold a digital thermometer in the water so that it does not touch the bottom or sides of the pan—only the water. (If you have a thermometer clip that will hold it away from the edges, you can use that instead.)
Keep the Tip of the Thermometer in the Water Only
  • When the temperature reads between 140° F and 144° F, remove the pan from the heat and set a timer for 3 minutes. 
  • Have a lid ready to place on the pan if the temperature begins to drop close to 140° F. Remove or set the lid ajar if it rises above 144° F.
  • After 3 minutes, remove the egg from the pan and rinse under cold water. You can use the yolk right away or refrigerate up to a few days.
Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Dressing
  • 1 pasteurized egg yolk
  • 1 canned, flat anchovy, rinsed, patted dry, and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Finely Chopped Anchovy and Garlic
Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the Salad
  • olive oil, for brushing
  • 1 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small head of romaine lettuce, quartered lengthwise, large outer leaves removed
  • 2 slices sourdough bread
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
Romaine Quarters
Preparation

For the Dressing
  1. Whisk the egg yolk in a large bowl. Add the anchovy, garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and whisk well to combine.
Pasteurized Egg Yolk
Whisked Yolk
Dressing before Cheese Is Added
  1. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano just before tossing with the lettuce and chicken.
For the Salad
  1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill until slightly charred and just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Remove to a cutting board and let cool to room temperature.
Pan-Grilled Chicken Breast
  1. Using a rubber spatula, scrape out any bits of chicken in the grill pan and wipe clean. Brush with more oil and lay the romaine quarters cut-side down in the pan. Grill until slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board.
Pan-Grilled Romaine
  1. Brush the pan with more oil and grill the bread slices until char marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and rub each with the cut side of a garlic clove half.
Pan-Grilled Bread
To serve, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and coarsely chop the lettuce. Add the chicken and romaine to the dressing and toss well. Divide the salad between 2 plates and serve the garlic bread alongside.


Tossed Salad








Monday, May 21, 2012

Salmon Burgers with Spicy Raita and Pickled Vegetables



Salmon burgers are a fresh, light alternative to the typical beef burger. But if you go for a different “meat,” go for different condiments too. Instead of sliced tomatoes, onions, and pickles, top the burgers with pickled vegetables, like cucumber, red onion, and radishes.

Vegetables for Pickling
Instead of mayo (or tartar sauce, since we’re talking fish), make a cool, refreshing raita—a cold, creamy Indian side dish made with a tangy yogurt base and grated or minced cucumber. Raita is typically used for dipping or, in this case, as a sauce for the main dish. Additional raita ingredients are up to the cook. 

I chose to bring a little spice to it with jalapeno and garlic. Good options are grated carrots, minced scallions or olives, or a variety of chopped herbs, especially mint or cilantro—all great complements to the pickled vegetables and seared salmon.

Makes 3 burgers

Ingredients

For the Pickled Vegetables
  • 1/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp chopped ginger
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 12 very thin slices of seedless cucumber
  • 2 radishes, very thinly sliced
  • 1/4 small red onion, cut into very thin vertical strips
For the Raita
  • 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 3-inch piece of seedless cucumber, peeled
  • 1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • sea salt
For the Salmon Burgers
  • 2 6-oz cans of skinless, boneless salmon
  • 1 large egg white, lightly whisked
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup panko or other fine, dry breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted
Preparation

For the Pickled Vegetables
  1. Combine the first 5 ingredients (through red pepper flakes) in a medium bowl and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the cucumber, radishes, and onion and press into the liquid. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (may be chilled overnight). Drain well before serving.
Pickling Mixture for Vegetables 
Vegetables in Pickling Mixture
Pickled Vegetables before Draining 
Drained Pickled Vegetables
 For the Raita
  1. Place the yogurt in a small bowl.
  2. Using a fine grater, grate the cucumber onto a cutting board. It will be very watery and mushy. Gather the grated cucumber into the center of the board and press with a few layers of paper towels. Repeat two or three times, until most of the water has been absorbed.
Grated Cucumber, Pressed Dry
  1. Add the cucumber, jalapeno, and garlic to the yogurt and season with salt. Stir well to combine. Cover and chill until ready to use (may be chilled overnight).
Spicy Raita 
For the Salmon Burgers
  1. Combine the first 6 ingredients (through mustard) in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix the ingredients without over-mixing.
Salmon Mixture for Burgers
  1. Divide and form into 3 patties, flattening slightly. Cover and chill about 30 minutes. (Refrigeration helps the ingredients stick together while cooking. Patties also may be refrigerated overnight.)
Salmon Patties
  1. Heat a heavy, preferably cast-iron skillet, over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the salmon patties and cook until  golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
Salmon Patties Beginning to Cook
Cooked Salmon Patties
To serve, place 1 burger on the bottom half of each roll and top with pickled vegetables. Spread raita on the top half of each roll and top the sandwiches. Slice in half before serving, if desired.

Salmon Burgers with Spicy Raita and Pickled Vegetables