Celery Root Puree

I love Celery Root! It is over looked a lot but it is better for you then many other root
veggies. The flavor of the celery root (also known as Celeriac) has a slight celery
flavor with a hint of potatoes. It has 5-6% starch by weight, which is less then most
root veggies. Celery root takes on other flavors really well. Here is one of my favorite
ways to eat celery root.

 

Serves 4 people as side for main course

1 1/2 lbs. Celery root
3 cups warmed chicken stock
2 pads of butter
6 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Put the cold water in a medium sauce-pan over high heat until the water starts
to boil. While waiting for the water to boil, peel the celery root by taking a sharp
knife and cutting off the outside of the celery root. Next, cube the root. Add the
root to boiling water along with 2 teaspoons of salt. Boil until celery root in very
tender-- about 20 mins. When tender, strain and place in food processor along with
salt, pepper, and butter. Blend until it breaks down. Add the chicken stock to the
processor and continue to blend until silky smooth. If it is to runny, place back in
the sauce pan over medium heat until it thickens. Make sure and stir every once in a
while.

Gluten-Free Fish Pie

I came up with this dish on a cool, wet spring day. I was cooking for this couple that
can't eat gluten and it seemed the perfect day for something like a chicken pot pie.
So, I started trying to come up with ways to create the texture and flavor of pastry
dough. This is what I came up with, and it's a fun take on a classic. Even if you can
eat gluten, this is something you should try. Leaving the fillet whole will prevent this
fish from being over-cooked. If you want, you can replace the parsnip ribbons with
pastry dough and do all of the same things. Enjoy!

4 nice sized fillets of white fish- Use either flounder, halibut, monk, or cod
1 medium sized whole fennel- Slice the bulb paper-thin and remove the leaf
parts from the stalks and cut the stalks into pieces.
4 parsnips- Using a veggie peeler, make ribbons of the outer part of the parsnip
and then thinly slice the inner part of the parsnip.
2 cloves of garlic- minced
1 medium shallot- finely chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 T unsalted butter- plus extra for greasing the ramekins
1 pint heavy cream
1 egg- beaten with 1 T of water added to make an egg wash
Salt and pepper- for seasoning

4 large ramekins

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a medium sized pan over medium
high heat. When butter is melted (but not browning), add the garlic and shallots
and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 min then add fennel stalks. Sauté the
fennel mixture for 3 more mins, add the chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Turn heat
down to medium and add heavy cream. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down once
more to a simmer. Make sure the cream does not get to hot and curdle. Grease the
bottom and sides of the ramekins then place a layer of the parsnips on the bottom
of each ramekins then a layer of fennel and repeat. Season the fillets of fish with salt
and pepper and place one fillet in each ramekin. Place another layer of fennel on top
of the fillets and then add the fennel cream mixture slowly in each ramekin. Layer
the parsnip ribbons on top of everything the season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Very gently brush the egg wash over the top of the parsnip ribbons. Place ramekins
on a baking sheet and gently put them in the oven. Bake for 45 mins or until the top
is golden brown and the cream is bubbling. Take them out of the over and let cool
for 5 mins. This is great served with a fresh side salad. Enjoy!

The Garden

There is something about being outside and working in the dirt that I just love. Working on the garden this year and I am really excited about growing food that I will be able to cook with later. The sweet smell of wet earth warming in the sun and watching the seedlings coming up. This is the first year of true gardening for me. It reminds me of my great grandfather who had a garden every year. When we would go to see them in the summer he would have the best veggies for a tomato sandwich that tasted like the sun. He was always in the yard or garden working even when the Alzheimer's had taken most of him way. His love of the outdoors remained. Last weekend when I was tilling the garden with a shovel I couldn't stop thinking about him and his passion for living and growing things. It just goes to show that there is something so deep within us that connects to something bigger then ourselves when we are surrounded by nature.

Blood Orange Sauce

The best thing about the winter season is that it is citrus season.  The bloodorange, one of my favorite citrus fruits, brings a bit of sunshine into our cold, dark days of winter.  Blood Oranges were first discovered and cultivated in the 15th century in Sicily. In the United States, a hybrid of the blood orange is grown in Texas and California.

         The blood orange has a flavor between and orange and a grapefruit, with a deep ruby color inside.  In addition to the vibrant color and flavor of the bloodorange, it also has a great deal of nutritional value: it has more than 150 milligrams of vitamin C!  I have played with the blood orange a lot this year in my cooking and I have found that when treated right, you don't need to add much to it to make some amazing flavors. I have created a blood orange sauce recipe that is great with Fish, Chicken, Pork, and sautéed Veggies. Enjoy!

2 Blood Oranges, juice and zest

2 Tablespoons shallot, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Heat a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  When warm, add the olive oil and heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the shallots; season with salt and pepper and turn heat down to medium. Sauté for 5 minutes and make sure not to burn the shallots. Then add the zest and juice of the blood oranges. Bring to a boil them turn the heat down to a simmer. You want to reduce the liquid by half or more, and the consistency should be that of melted butter. This should take 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it because that might vary. Your sauce will be ready to use at this point. Enjoy!