Prime Cuts

Though it might not feel like it outside, the end of Summer is rapidly approaching. Kids will soon be returning to school, temperatures will start to cool, and the leaves will begin their colorful Autumnal throwdown.

Before this happens, there are countless wonderful things left to enjoy during Summer?s swansong. Ride rollercoasters. Run through the sprinkler. Build a sandcastle. Enjoy as much of the sweet, syrupy goodness of summer fruits as possible.

Cherries. Plums. Strawberries. Blackberries. Peaches.

Nectarines?

Oh, yes. The Nectarine. “What the heck is a nectarine?”, you might ask. The not-so-distant cousin of the peach. Smooth-skinned, and often sweeter than its fuzzy counterpart, nectarines are often overlooked in favor of peaches and plums, which is more than a little unfortunate. Nectarines are delicious as all get- out, have firmer flesh than peaches (which makes them ideal for baking), and have a wonderfully spicy quality, which really sets them apart from other stone fruits.

Like peaches, they come in several varieties. Yellow and white, Freestone & Cling. Which version you prefer is all up to you; each is wonderful. If you have a favorite recipe for peaches, try substituting nectarines. Their subtly different taste will have everyone asking about your “secret” ingredient, about that extra little something special that you added this time. How about a Nectarine Cobbler? For Sunday Brunch, how about a Nectarine Bellini? Or how about … a sublimely sweet Nectarine Pie, kissed with the
zing of candied ginger?

Melissa’s Sweet Summer Nectarine Pie

A couple of notes before we get started. I’m giving the recipe for my homemade pie crust (which is easy as, well … pie), but you’ll get darned fine results if you use refrigerated crust (don’t beat yourself up). Also, if you can get your hands on some ginger ice cream, it makes the perfect accompaniment. On we go!

Easy-As-Pie Pie Crust

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) VERY cold, unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) iced water

Preparation

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll out one piece into a circle and place in a 9” pie pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil and fill with beans, rice or, if you actually have them, pie weights (this will keep the crust down in the pan and prevent it from bubbling up). Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until the crust feels a little bit set (this process will keep the filling from making the crust soggy later on).

Fab Filling

Ingredients

5 cups peeled, pitted and sliced white nectarines (yellow are fine if that?s all you can find) — about 5-6 large fruits
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, small-diced
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 egg lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons cream, for glazing the crust
A little extra granulated sugar for sprinkling on top

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the nectarines, sugar, flour, candied ginger and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Fill the cooled pie shell and dot with the small-diced butter.

Roll out the other pie crust and cut it into wedges with a pizza cutter (or not, it’s up to you). Brush a little bit of egg white onto the edge of the bottom crust, then place the wedges on top, slightly overlapping each piece on top of the nectarine filling. Fold back the points to create an opening at the center of the pie (not only does this look nice, but it will help the pie to vent while it’s baking). NOTE: if you choose to skip this and go super-simple, be sure to cut some slits in the center of the pie, so that steam can escape.

Brush the top crust with the beaten egg/cream mixture, then sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake til the pie is golden brown, about 30 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature (and get yourself a scoop of good vanilla or ginger ice cream to go alongside it).

A little extra effort? Maybe. But it’ll be completely worth it when you see the looks of delight on the faces of your friends and family … that is, if you don?t keep it all for yourself!

When she’s not serving up goodness here at Prime Cuts, Melissa makes things easy as pie for her clients at Honeybee Consulting. Feel free to visit her there, or find her buzzing about all kinds of other tasty morsels on Twitter @startabuzz.

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Photo by: platinum

This summer isn’t over yet and this refreshing cocktail is the perfect drink for a hot summer night that goes perfectly with dessert or fruit. The recipe is very easy and the simple syrup can easily be replaced with regular sugar and a touch of water to dissolve it and mix with the juice.

Ingredients:

2 oz Vodka- any vodka will be fine, just make sure it isn’t flavored. The pineapple will be flavor enough!
1/4 cup crushed pineapple with juice. You can buy the canned pineapples and use the cubes and the juice. or buy fresh pineapples and cut those to use as the garnish and use pineapple juice from a bottle. Either is fine, but the ones in the can are easier and soak up more of the juice and have a better consistency.
1/4 oz simple syrup

Preparation

In a shaker with ice, combine the vodka, pineapple juice, a couple cubes of pineapple and simple syrup. shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with pineapple slices and a cherry.

Cheers!

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Photo by: the bridge

It’s hot. And I don’t mean, “Gee, it’s a little warm. Maybe I should put on some shorts.” I mean, it’s HOT. The kind of hot that sears your skin, that burns your eyes when you walk outside. The kind of hot that makes it, quite literally, painful to breathe.
When it gets hot like this (and it always does on the East Coast, God bless it), there?s little you can do except to remain as motionless as possible (“Don’t touch me!”) The thought of leaving the comfort of your air conditioning is downright distasteful. Turning on the oven to cook is right out. So what do you do to relax and revitalize yourself?  How do you beat the heat?

Have I got a delicious, ahhhh-that’s-better, whistle-whetting solution for you!

Sangria. White Sangria, to be exact. My version includes ripe, juicy peaches, mouth-watering mangoes and cool, invigorating fresh mint. More than a few steps away from the everyday. Sweet, but not cloying, thirst-quenching, decadently delicious and almost embarrassingly simple to prepare, this take on the Spanish refresher will have you embracing the summer heat (even on the doggiest of dog days) and asking for more.

Don’t know how to make sangria?  Check out Joe breaking it down on Prime Cuts TV!

White Sangria with Peach, Mango & Fresh Mint

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of superfine sugar
3 shots of Peach Schnapps
2 ripe peaches, cut into wedges
The flesh of 2 ripe mangoes
1 bottle of white Rioja (or other dry white wine)
Fresh mint
Club soda, for topping off glasses (and giving them that extra “something”)

Preparation

In a large pitcher combine the sugar, Schnapps mangoes and peaches, making sure to mash the fruit just a little bit (this will help the flavors meld together nicely). Pour the wine on top of the fruit mixture and stir well. Refrigerate for several hours or until well-chilled.

When you’re ready to serve, put some ice in a tall glass or goblet, along with a sprig of fresh mint. Spoon in some fruit from the pitcher, then fill the glass to about 3/4 full. Top with a splash of club soda and sip to your heart’s content.

Salut!

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Photo by: trufflepig

There is a special place in my heart for Thai food, sometimes I seriously wonder if I was born in the wrong place but then I remember how good thai food is in Los Angeles. During the summer I feel like I constantly battle between wanting to cook over the stove and wanting to grill every night of the week. Where I live it regularly gets to over 100 degrees during the summer so choosing which heat source to sweat over can be difficult. Enter my slow cooker. Honestly, they don’t get the love they deserve but I have found a renewed love for them this summer because they are so easy and you don’t have to sweat over them.

Saturday morning I was rifling through the freezer trying to use up piled frozen food in there as my constant food ADD forces me to abandon wise, planned food choices. I found a pack of chicken legs. Knowing that later in the day we would be having friends over I decided that the chicken legs would be perfect because they feed a lot of people and everyone likes them. So then I tried to think about how I could make these, immediately I went to something with stewed tomatoes but that idea was quickly deserted. Thai food came to mind, something with peanuts, I know, it’s very cliche but I love peanuts, chicken, and rice. I wanted to make something with a peanut sauce but also wanted it to be quick and easy. That’s when we turned to the slow cooker, peanut butter, soy sauce, and hot salsa. I know what you’re thinking, “Salsa, are you crazy? Do you even know how to cook?” The answer is yes I am crazy and as far as cooking, that’s debatable.

I quickly pulled out a mixing bowl and put in the salsa, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, crushed coriander, and some lime. As I turned to grab a spoon to stir my craziness I glanced out the window, the pool caught my eye. It was calling my name, it was 10:30 in the morning and it was already 93 degrees outside. My scurry turned into a blur of mixing, pouring, and throwing chicken legs into the slow cooker. I stopped dead in my tracks once I put the peanut butter in and mixed it. Now this is a moment where you just need to trust me because at this point none of it looks appetizing. Do you know what wet peanut butter looks like? Maybe I’ve said too much, I’ll let your mind do the talking for me.

Once I got everything in there I set it cook and almost ran through the sliding glass door before jumping in the pool. Fast forward six hours, the pool party was a success, all remnants of snack food was indistinguishable, the chicken was ready. My friend Nicolette made her fried rice while I tasted the chicken, the meat was literally falling off the bones; the taste was epic. We plated the rice, laid a stray piece of scallion, then set the chicken down on the pillowy rice. We sprinkled cilantro and chopped peanuts over it, now it was done and ready to eat. We finished setting the remaining plates with food, gathered around the table and shared in a great meal to pinnacle an amazing Saturday. Before the meal ended we already had made plans for next weekend and began discussing what we would make.

Slow Cooked Thai Chicken

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds of chicken legs
1 cup HOT salsa
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons crushed coriander
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons cilantro

Preparation

1. Put chicken into slow cooker (just in case you forgot what you’re doing with it)
2. Mix salsa, peanut butter, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, coriander, ginger; pour over chicken
3. Cover; cook on high for a few hours then switch to low for the last couple of hours.
4. Place chicken on plate or hand, pour sauce over chicken; sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro
5. Eat one before anyone else, you cooked it, be the first to enjoy it.

On today’s episode of Prime Cuts TV, Joe shows you how we make Sangria at Caminito.  Sangria can be one of the best thirst-quenching alcoholic drinks you can have on a hot Summer day.  At Caminito we add lots of great fruit to make the drink even more fun.

If you’re having trouble viewing the video, you can also watch it over on YouTube.

[viddler id=386e9eca&w=437&h=288]

Note: As always, sorry for some of the background noise and bad lighting but hey, it’s a working kitchen.

If you want to try a recipe similar to the one we made in the video, make sure to check out Ashley’s perfect sangria recipe.

What’s your favorite alcoholic drink on a hot Summer day?

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My best friend in San Francisco, Alex, recently introduced me to the concept of eating primal. Mark Sisson, the author of the book The Primal Blueprint and blog Mark’s Daily Apple claims that his eating plan and lifestyle tips will help you lose weight, gain muscle, increase energy levels, reduce stress or just generally look and feel healthier. His health philosophy includes:

…a diet based on an understanding of evolutionary science. I think it’s more important to eat, move, and live according to how humans are designed and not according to society’s artificial developments of the last 100 years. Fortunately, this regimen is not only incredibly healthy, it’s quite simple.

In a nutshell:
- fresh, organic, unprocessed food – no junk!
- daily activity – whether it’s the gym or a walk along the beach, it all counts
- plenty of quality sleep
- plenty of water, no soda or sweetened drinks
- antioxidants galore – the key to limiting stress
- a good fish-oil supplement
- essential fats, reckless amounts of vegetables, and lean, clean protein
- time for fun – don’t take anything too seriously – ethical behavior – because what goes around comes around
- taking responsibility for yourself and your life – openness to new things and ideas

Since moving from Chicago to San Francisco, I’ve made health and fitness a priority. I regularly practice bikram yoga and I’m training for a half marathon on Halloween. Though I’ve always been a fairly healthy eater, carbs and grains were a large part of my diet.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve replaced English muffins with a half an avocado or banana with natural peanut butter. I’m eating less whole wheat pasta and bread and more fish and meat (I used to eat very little meat)… less high-fiber granola bars and more fruits and vegetables.

Making these small changes, I was surprised to quickly notice an increase in my energy and pretty drastic improvements with how I feel every day. I’ve already experienced changes to my body too! I used to get lightheaded frequently and my energy wasn’t sustainable. A diet with a heavier focus on fat and protein helps me sustain this energy. It’s quite amazing!

With that, I wanted to share an ahi tuna recipe I recently made that follows my new eating habits and is equally as delicious too.

Seared Ahi Tuna Over Mixed Greens

Ingredients

2 fresh, sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks (approx. 6 ounces each) – Look for firm, ruby red flesh with no fishy odor.
1 teaspoon salt and coarse pepper
Mixed greens
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
Lemon slices

Preparation (Tuna)

1. Coat the tuna steak with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a grill pan over high heat. (I use a heavy-bottomed frying pan.)
3. Prep pan surface with a think layer of oil.
4. Add tuna steak to the hot cooking surface and sear tuna 2 minutes on each side.
5. Remove tuna from heat.

Directions (Salad)

Dressing: whisk wasabi, vinegar and soy sauce. Add in oil to combine dressing.  Combine greens in a bowl and toss with dressing.  Slice tuna, place on the salad and garnish with lemon.

Enjoy!

Photo by: foodista

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Comfort. That’s what’s on my mind as I sit 28,000 feet above … somewhere. This month, I’m doing what could be considered a fairly insane amount of travel. Take off, land, take off again. While visiting new places can be exciting, and though I love the job for which I go gallavanting across the country, hours and days spent on airplanes and in unfamiliar hotels make me long for the comforts of home. The comfort of my own bed, my own pillow, the sound of my kids giggling when they’re just waking up in the morning.

Near the top of the list of these homey comforts are the foods that, no matter how tired, beleaguered or stressed I become, always put a smile on my face, always make me feel good. For me, there are lots of yummy things that fall into this category: grilled cheese sandwiches with steaming hot tomato soup, freshly-baked bread, the stew that bubbled atop my mom’s stove in Winter.

For my money, though, there’s one meal that beats out everything else on this list of warm, satisfying delights, the one that really says “Home” to me: classic Italian sausage, peppers and onions. Just the thought of it is enough to get my mouth watering. Steaming hot, rich, and just a little spicy & sweet, this is one meal that never fails to warm me through and through. Served with warm, crusty bread and an ice-cold beer, this one’s sure to become a comfort to you, as well.

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (the “real” stuff works great, too)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 Vidalia onions, sliced (Maui onions, if you can get them, are great for this, too)
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Fresh garlic (3-4 cloves, chopped)
1 cup Marsala wine (this is sometimes hard to locate and can, in a pinch, be substituted with Madeira)
1 can (15 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Fresh basil, roughly chopped
A warm loaf of fresh, crusty Italian bread

Preparation

In a large, deep saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. Working in batches, cook the turkey sausages until they are golden brown. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and allow to cool.

Add the onions, peppers, salt and pepper to the hot pan, making sure to scrape up the good, browned bits left behind by the sausages. Cook until the peppers are softened and the onions are golden. Add the basil, oregano & garlic and cook about 5 minutes more. Add the tomato paste & Marsala, stir well. Follow with the tomatoes & red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Cut each sausage into chunks; about 4 pieces per sausage. Add to the pepper & onion mixture and cook until the sauce is nice and thick, about 30 minutes. *Something worth noting here is that the longer this happy melange cooks, the better it’ll get.

My favorite way to serve this is in deep bowls, alongside thick slices of fresh Italian bread (gotta have something for sopping up the good stuff). If you prefer, get some good-quality sub rolls, making sure to hollow them out just a little; this really does make a sensational sandwich. All you need after that is to pop the top off a frosty, cold beer, and you’re ready to be transported someplace otherworldly.

The comforts of home. They’re different for everyone, but their effects are the same. No matter where we go, no matter how far we travel, these are the things that restore us, that reassure us. Take comfort in that.

Melissa DelGaudio is the principal of Honeybee Consulting, a social media consulting firm based just outside of Washington, DC. She can be found on Twitter @startabuzz. She enjoys her comfort foods while wrapped in one of her 12 monogrammed Snuggies.

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Photo by: helios jinn