Lunch

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: September 14, 2013

The title says it all, Salmon Sliders… what’s not to like about a small handmade bun filled with seared salmon and topped with yogurt, cucumber, dill sauce? That’s what I call a healthy way to have my buns. This recipe is great for entertaining, pool parties, or a late brunch. They taste great room temperature or right out of the oven.
Making the buns might sound very elaborate, well it’s not! 45 minutes, so easy you will love to make them. You do have to plan ahead of time, but like I said the results are incredible, 100 % worth it to make them. These mini buns are so light and flavorful you are not gonna want to use store-bought any more…
It is so relaxing to knead the dough by hand and enjoy the process. While the dough is proofing you can finish up the prepping for the burgers and in less than you think you will have the best sliders ever. Baking this babies one day before will work too…the beauty of slow cooking.
The buns recipe make about 12-14 mini buns, feel free to combine sizes, I made 2 -5”inches diameter and 8-3”mini buns. I wrapped the extra buns in plastic wrap and freeze them I think the will be good for about 4 to 6 weeks on the freezer, for future Salmon Sliders.
I hope you enjoy making them as much as I did! Have fun.

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce

To make 4- 8 mini sliders

1 – 2 pound Salmon fillets cut into 2”x 4” pieces or the best size you can(see picture below)
Path them dry and salt and pepper them both sides right before cooking.
1 recipe of Mini slider buns ( see below)
½ red onion
4-6 Radishes
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar , salt and pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado in slices
3-4 Lettuce leaves
¼ cup Kalamata Olives
6-8 Long bamboo skewers

For the yogurt sauce:

1 cup Greek yogurt
½ English or pickling cucumber
1 tablespoon of dry dill or 2 tablespoons of fresh.
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon celery salt
1 small garlic clove
the zest of one yellow lemon
Place everything on a blender or using a hand blender purée into well combined. Keep it chilled.

Slider Buns

Makes 12-14 / 3”- mini buns

½ cup luke water
½ cup luke warm whole milk
1 tablespoon active dry-yeast
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg room temperature
3 tablespoons of sunflower oil (butter, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil are good substitutions)
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

1. In a Large metal bowl pour the warm water.Sprinkle the active dry-yeast and sugar. Let it stand for 5 minutes until yeast is dissolved.
2.In a medium size bowl combine the luke warm milk, egg, oil, salt whisk well. Add this mixture to the yeast and combine.
3.Add the flour to this mixture one cup at the time while mixing with your hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead for 3 minutes until mostly combined.
4. Place the dough ball into a surface dusted with flour and start kneading it with your hands against the counter in folding movements for about 5-8 minutes min. The dough ball should look smooth and soft. (I’ve find the hand method works best. you can tell when the dough is ready by feeling it and the warmth of your hands helps develop the yeast.)
5.Proceed to shape the dough into a ball, and divide into 12-14 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Start by forming a tight ball with each piece using your hand like a scoop against the counter, making circular movements. Place them about 2-3 inches apart into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper giving them enough room for proofing. Cover with a clean cotton kitchen towel and let them rise for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven 400F/200C
7.Once they have doubled in size, brush them with egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds. If you don’t care for sesame seeds, just brush them with butter or olive oil.
8.Place baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven and bake the buns for about 12-14 minutes or until deep golden brown tops and bottom.

Your kitchen by now smells like heaven!!!
Pull them out of the oven let them rest for 2-3 minutes on the tray and then transfer them into a cooling rack.

To Assemble:

On a very hot skillet sauté the Salmon fillets about 2-3 minutes per side leaving the centers slightly pink. Set them aside.
Thinly slice the red onion and radishes and combine them in a small bowl adding a little rice vinegar salt and pepper.
Cut the slider buns in half and slightly toast them , start assembling the sliders.
Place the bottom bun , lettuce , salmon , yogurt –cucumber-dill sauce, radishes and onions place the bun top and with a long skewer passing and olive through it and secure the mini buns…. Time to eat!
*Assembling the sliders in this order will prevent the bun to get soggy. Always use the lettuce as bun protector.

Salmon Sliders with yogurt-cucumber-dill sauce ~ Yes, more please!

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Panzanella Melon Salad

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: August 25, 2013

My mouth waters for this Tuscan Salad! If we go back to the 16th century the Italian poet Bronzino, he praises the onions with oil and vinegar served with toast. Later on, when the tomatoes arrived to Europe, they were incorporated into the salad with other ingredients like cucumbers and capers. I’m not a food historian but it is of great interest and curiosity to know where food comes from, and the origin of dishes throughout history. Knowing these facts can sometimes lead you through perfecting a recipe, or re-inventing it. In this case I need to reinforce it because bread, onions, oil and vinegar simply are not gonna do it for me.

Many different versions of this traditional Panzanella Italian Salad can be made. From the type of bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, capers, onions, and a simple vinaigrette. One of the keys is goods Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Red wine vinegar. Playing a little bit with the sweet and savory notes, I added Cantaloupe melon for sweetness and some prosciutto for a salty meaty note.

This would be just the thing for a summer picnic; something to combine all the flavors of the season. I like this salad texture and contrast, and that every bite has a different flavor depending upon what you pick with your fork. All these flavors on your palette produce a very savory and mouth-watering experience. Imagine, the crusty bread cubes absorb the juices from the tomatoes and the vinaigrette; that combined with the crunch of the onions, salty olives, juicy tomatoes and sweet cantaloupe with cracked pepper… the result, I just want the shade of a tall tree to dine under and my bread to be older. I hope you like my version of my version of Panzanella Melon Salad…Enjoy!

Panzanella Melon Salad

Serves 4

½ loaf day old Italian or French crusty bread.

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1-2 small tomatoes cut into cubes

1 cup English cucumber into cubes

1-2 cups Cantaloupe Melon cut into cubes

½ red onion cut into slivers.

½ cup green Castelvetrano olives.

Arugula (optional)

6-8 Basil leaves

1 cup of bite size (bocconcini) Mozzarella or regular size cut into bite size cubes.

6 -8 Prosciutto slices

1/3 cup good quality fresh extra virgin olive oil.

1/4 cup red wine vinegar.

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Method:

Start by cutting the bread into bite size cubes. If your bread is not a day old you can toast it in the oven at 350 F/175 C for 3-5 minutes. In a big salad bowl whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar salt and pepper. Add the onions, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella olives and bread toss them lightly. Let the salad absorb the flavors for 15-30 minutes. Before serving, toss the salad and tear and sprinkle the basil leaves and prosciutto over the top. It’s best to serve this salad room temperature with a chilled glass of white wine…I hope you like it as much as I do.

When serving, drizzle some balsamic vinegar for sweetness.

*For a Vegan or Vegetarian Version, you can omit the prosciutto and mozzarella. Instead add some roasted red bell peppers it will be a great complement.

Mouth watering Salad for the sumer…Enjoy!

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Sauteed Broccolini & Lemon Quinoa

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: August 20, 2013

After the weekend taco indulgence, I’m craving Green! Green! Green!
Broccolini it is a Hybrid between Broccoli and Kai-Lan commonly known by the name of Chinese Broccoli. Broccolini inherited the best part of the broccoli, the little mini flowery tops and the long steams of the Kai-Lan.
The flavor profile is like eating broccoli and asparagus at the same time!. Sweet broccoli and crunchy yet delicate and full of tender green flavor. The best way to cook it is with absolutely no doubt sauteing. A high temperature quick saute turns it bright green, the heat cooks the tops and the steams stay a bit crunchy. What do I have on my produce basket tonight?… cherry tomatoes,lemons, and garlic. In the pantry I have some roasted almonds and quinoa. I ran out of Parmigiano but I had some Manchego cheese and it worked great, nutty and creamy with the quinoa. On the side green salad…I think this will make a great light and comforting dinner for tonight…a piece of fish or chicken on the side will go fantastic too…for us, sauteed broccoloni and lemon quinoa-vegetable night is enough…

Sauteed Broccolini and Lemon Quinoa

Serves 2 for dinner or 4 as a side dish

1 Broccolini Bunch
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter (or soy butter if vegan)
3 cloves of garlic
The juice and the zest of one lemon.
Salt and Black pepper to taste

1 cup of Quinoa
1 garlic clove
The zest of one lemon
2 cups of water
salt

Garnish with:

Roasted Almonds chopped
Manchego or Parmesan cheese shavings or even crumbled Feta cheese will work too.*
Squeeze some lime juice right before serving.adjust salt and pepper.
*eliminate the cheese if you are Vegan.

Directions:

Quinoa cooks just like rice, is 2-1 ratio. In a medium size pot bring the water to boil add the garlic cut in half add the salt . Once water is boiling add the quinoa, lower the temperature to medium, and cook for about 18-22 minutes, at this point add the lemon zest and cover with a lid remove from stove and let it cook with the residual heat.

To avoid the blanching step, cut the broccolini stems in half-length wise (see photo above*). Heat up a large saute pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and add the broccolini. Toss and within 2 minutes, add the garlic, salt and pepper. Wait 1 minute, add the cherry tomatoes, lemon zest and squeeze some lemon juice. Keep moving the pan and toss the vegetables around. Once the tomatoes look like they are going to burst remove from fire add the tablespoon of butter, and toss. Fluff your quinoa with a fork, drizzle a little olive oil add salt and pepper to your taste. Promptly, on a large platter, serve the cooked quinoa topped with the sautéed broccolini and chopped roasted almonds, Manchego or Parmesan cheese shavings. Adjust with salt and pepper squeeze some lemon and drizzle a little more extra virgin olive oil to finish the dish.

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Summer Soba Noodles

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: August 11, 2013

Lusciously light noodles, that’s my description for this dish. Cold soba noodles are a popular summer dish in Japan. The Japanese people are very wise by eating like this; light, savory, vegetable based; a good way to stay cool. The traditional way to serve them is without toppings; just the delicate flavor of the noodle with some dipping sauce on the side. You dip them as you go.
In my version I decided to give the dish a little kick and add some fresh vegetables and tofu. We usually have this for lunch or a light summery dinner. The combination of fresh crunchy vegetables, sweet-savory sauce and creamy tofu cubes, pairs really well with the tender noodle. The preparation could not be easier, and if we measure preparation time versus rewarding flavors it is a winner.
If you think this dish looks complicated, don’t worry, its easy to make. To save you some prep time I recommend you invest on a little kitchen gadget: get yourself a julienne peeler. It is one of my favorite tools. Its fun, easy to use, and easy to clean. You can use this peeler for any other vegetable or fruit. One of the best kitchen gadgets to have. Let’s cook!

Summer Soba Noodles

Serves 2-4

3-6 Soba noodle bundles approximately 1 bundle per person. I recommend you to get the Japanese kind. You can get them at any Asian specialty aisle of a supermarket…
2-4 green onions/scallions, finely sliced
2 carrots, shredded, julienned or grated
1 seedless English cucumber, julienned or thinly sliced
1 avocado
1/4-1/2 cup unshelled and cooked edamame beans, optional
1 block of extra firm Tofu, remove the excess water patting it with paper towels and cut into small cubes

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce.
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil + one extra tablespoon for finishing
2 tablespoons of honey or agave nectar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove grated
the juice and the zest of one small orange

In a bowl Whisk all the ingredients. Reserve 1/3 of the sauce to marinate the tofu squares.

Garnish with:

Thai Basil to garnish
Black or gold sesame seeds
1 red Thai or Serrano chili, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Start by making your sauce. Place all its ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Set aside 1/3 of the sauce and marinate the tofu. While the tofu is absorbing all the flavors, proceed to cut and prepare your vegetables and garnishes.

2. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Unlike regular pasta, you do not need to salt the water. Once the water is boiling place the noodles and monitor constantly, using a pasta spoon to prevent the noodles sticking. Bring the water up to simmering. Do not let it boil. Follow the instructions in the package, taste, it should have some elasticity to it. Usually takes around 4-5 minutes because they cook through quickly . Keep an eye on them to avoid over cooking. When the pasta is ready drain the noodles into a colander. Immediately return them to the pot and fill the pot with cold water. Leave the water running into the pot a bit until the noodles cool down. Gently with your hands rinse the noodles in threads.*( see picture below) until they feel less starchy. Drain them again into a colander and allow them to drain. You can transfer them to a bamboo mat, to remove the excess water.

3. In a non-stick pan proceed to saute the marinated tofu until golden brown. A little scorching doesn’t hurt either.
In a large bowl season the noodles with a tablespoon of sesame oil and add sesame seeds.

4. Divide all noodles evenly into 2 or 4 bowls, garnish with the Juliane carrots, cucumbers, avocado, sautéed tofu, edamame, red chilli.
Serve a small sauce bowl per person for extra dipping the noodles.

~Enjoy!~

Music Pairing: Pizzicato Five: Twiggy Twiggy

Summer Soba Noodles

Serves 2-4

Course Brunch, dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Japanese

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

3-6 Soba noodle bundles approximately 1 bundle per person I recommend you to get the Japanese kind. You can get them at any Asian specialty aisle of a supermarket
2-4 green onions/chives – finely sliced
2 carrots shredded, julienne or grated
1 seedless cucumber julienne or thinly sliced
½ avocado
1/4-1/2 cup unshelled and cooked edamame beans optional
1 block of extra firm Tofu remove the excess water patting it with paper towels and cut into small cubes.

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce.
3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil + one extra tablespoon for finishing.
2 tablespoons of honey or agave nectar.
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove grated
the juice and the zest of one small orange.

Garnish with:

Thai Basil to garnish
Black or gold sesame seeds
1 Red chili thinly sliced

Instructions

In a bowl whisk all the sauce ingredients. Reserve 1/3 of the sauce to marinate the tofu squares.
Start by making your sauce. Place all its ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Set aside 1/3 of the sauce and marinate the tofu. While the tofu is absorbing all the flavors, proceed to cut and prepare your vegetables and garnishes.
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Unlike regular pasta, you do not need to salt the water. Once the water is boiling place the noodles and monitor constantly, using a pasta spoon to prevent the noodles sticking. Bring the water up to simmering. Do not let it boil. Follow the instructions in the package, taste, it should have some elasticity to it. Usually takes around 4-5 minutes because they cook through quickly. Keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking. When the pasta is ready drain the noodles into a colander. Immediately return them to the pot and fill the pot with cold water. Leave the water running into the pot a bit until the noodles cool down. Gently with your hands rinse the noodles in threads.*( see picture below) until they feel less starchy. Drain them again in a colander and allow them to drain. You can transfer them to a bamboo mat, to remove the excess water.
In a non-stick pan proceed to saute the marinated tofu until golden brown. A little scorching on the edges adds great flavor.
In a large bowl season the noodles with a tablespoon of sesame oil and the sesame seeds.
Divide all noodles evenly into 2 or 4 bowls, garnish with the Juliane carrots, cucumbers, avocado, sautéed tofu, edamame, red chili.
Serve a small sauce bowl per person for extra dipping the noodles. Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Ceviche

Recipes, Cooking & Art Direction: Mariana Nuño Ruiz McEnroe | Photography: Ian McEnroe | Published: July 25, 2013

The full summer weather is here! Austin, Texas is burning hot! 101-106 Fahrenheit. With this kind of summer temperatures, I can’t even conceive the idea of “grilling”. Can you imagine being outside with 101 on the thermometer in front of a grill trying to light up the charcoal?…Not my cup of tea I prefer the tundra if you ask me. But well these weather conditions fire up the indoors freshly made meals; light, crisp and lots of veggie action.

I tried to make this ceviche once in my years of college, not so good; it was really mushy and flavorless… but I loved the concept of using the beloved Cauliflower. Cauliflower is the vegetable everybody loves now because of its versatile flavor. It is evident that Cauliflower has a love affair with butter and cream. Mashed cauliflower can replace a good pile of mashed potatoes, cauliflower gratin, cauliflower chowder, griller, roasted, among my favorites. But what I crave in a Summery hot day is something light easy to digest, fresh and no oven or a long cooking time required.

So with this said, I revamped the cauliflower ceviche recipe from my College years by adding diced crunchy vegetables, steaming the cauliflower and lots of good fresh and dry herbs plus a punch of citrus goodness to add extra flavor. That acid, salty umami note that just makes your mouth water, as soon you start reading the recipe…

Cauliflower Ceviche is a great summery meal, for Vegetarian, Vegans and Carnivorus that won’t even care about the difference once they have the first bite!

Margaritas on the side?…Yes, please!…Enjoy!