I Can Tell You

My love for you will still be strong. After the boys of summer have gone. As the days get shorter, suddenly I think I’m going to miss shucking corn and the absolute pain of peeling fava beans. This is a simple dinner that I hope I can sneak in one more time if the summer produce gives me a week or two. It’s so simple, so delicious, and only takes one pan. Sous vide a flat iron steak (in this case half of one) for two hours at 130. Sear. Top with ramp butter you make in the spring and hoard year round. While it’s resting toss in some small tomatoes to char. Add the the fresh corn in the pan with Calabrian chilis and their oil. Once it’s almost cooked (you don’t want to over cook anything here) add whole grains, fava beans (which have been par-boiled and had their skins removed) and basil. Easy peasy and colorful!

Kuku Paka

Well, of sorts. This is a Zanzibari dish of charcoal grilled chicken in a coconut sauce. It can also be made with fish or corn. Listening to Queen while eating it is mandatory.

This weeknight version is far from authentic (no grilling for one thing) but still delicious. I cooked down finely chopped onions and some garlic, added finely chopped tomatoes and some tender cilantro stems. Then went in coconut milk, freshly grated turmeric, some hot peppers, and freshly grated ginger. Added the chicken until it was cooked and then removed it with some of the sauce and put it in a baking dish. Decided to make it kind of a combo since the corn is still fantastic this time of the year and added that while I broiled the chicken to get some more flavor (great idea mom).

The end result was a little thinner than I liked though by the second day it thickened up and was more flavorful so this might end up being a made ahead meal.

Not a coal fire on a Zanzibari beach but not bad for a DC apartment.

Shellabrate Good Times!

Yeah, yeah, I can’t help it. It’s the end of summer. The heat has gone to my head. There have been so many roasted meats, tomato salad, and corn. While that’s still in the rotation this week I decided to try something different. It was delicious and so easy! This part is key. H-Mart sometimes has raw marinated crabs. I love them. For some reason, last time I picked them up I didn’t eat them same day so eating them raw wasn’t an option. Yesterday they came out of the freezer and into a pan with some defrosted large shrimp and scallion kimchi. Let them cook while some frozen lo mein noodles boil. Tossed it all together topped with more scallions and done! It was delicious, a little spicy but very flavorful.