Tag: Refined Chef

Grilled Hanger Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Hanger steak is a more affordable cut of beef but has incredible flavor.  It also takes really well to grilling, marinades and when paired with this chimichurri sauce.

Paleo Food: Buffalo Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers have a mild flavor and are excellent for stuffing. The ground buffalo is lean and works well with the mushroom, carrot and celery mixture. I also used salt pork instead of olive oil when cooking for additional flavor (but you can use olive oil if you would like.)  This is a great recipe for those looking to make a paleo meal.

Vegetarian Sandwich with Finnish Rye Bread

It’s no secret the farmer’s markets around the city are some of my favorite places to visit on a Saturday morning.

You can find any number of both familiar and new ingredients to play with and put together some fun weekend meals.

I took some of those ingredients and paired them with a Finnish Ruis (Rye) Bread from Nordic Breads based in Long Island City, Queens.

Spinach Dip with Lamb’s Quarters

Summer ingredients are overflowing at the Union Square Greenmarket.  When you visit the market and see the city’s chefs purchasing their ingredients for the day, you know you are in the right place to stock your refrigerator.

One seasonal ingredient I particularly enjoy is lamb’s quarters (sometimes referred to as wild spinach.)  It has a nice earthy flavor and can be added to a variety of dishes.

Ramp Sourdough Bread

It was 11pm on a Sunday and 4 balls of sourdough dough sat on my counter.  They had been rested, stretched, rested again and were nestled in their baskets ready for an overnight proof in the refrigerator.

Then I felt the urge to bake.  But why turn the oven on when most people are going to bed? Because I had some very special loaves to work on.

Roasted Mini Pumpkins with Wild Rice Stuffing

Fall is in the air with Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner.  Most bodegas in the city sell pumpkins (in addition to the many grocery stores and farmers markets.)  You can also head out to the Queens County Farm which is a real working farm in the borough and pick out a few which is a nice weekend date or activity with friends.

I bought a few pumpkins and put together a little appetizer that would be perfect before Thanksgiving dinner.

3 Squash Soup: Calabaza, Amber Cup and Kabocha

There are so many varieties of squash in season right now.  I am most familiar with a handful such as Butternut, Acorn and Delicata.  However, there are many other’s I always look at but then walk right past.  I decided to make a squash soup using different squash I don’t normally buy and the end result was great.

These three squash; Kabocha, Calabaza and Amber cup work really well together. There is a natural mild sweetness in this soup which I really enjoyed.

Beer Battered Delicata Squash Chips

Fall squash are some of my favorite ingredients to work with.  Spanning from soups to stew, roasted to mashed, there is no shortage of preparations.  So one afternoon, I was looking at a few delicata squash on my counter and asked a very simple question.  Why not fried?

My general philosophy (one of many) in life is: fried = good and beer battered + fried = better.

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