Low Carb or GF Archives - Page 31 of 36

Start the Party with Grilled Oysters!

“Gimme oysters and beer

For dinner every day of the year

And I’ll feel fine… I’ll feel fine”

Jimmy Buffett

We’re right in the middle of grilling season. This year, in addition to the usual steaks and burgers, why not change things up and throw some live oysters on the grill?

On the barbecue, oysters take a few minutes to heat up and once hot, they are much easier to shuck than the live ones. Cooked oysters are a great way to introduce tentative guests to the spell of the oyster cult. Sputtering and popping oysters on the grill are a terrific way to get the party started.

That old admonition to eat oysters in months that are only spelled with the letter “r” is no longer applicable. Oysters begin to spawn when the water temperature rises. Spawning oysters, while not inedible, are unpleasant and milky. Some oysters are bred to be incapable of spawning so these are consumed all year long. Additionally, during the hot months, vendors can easily import oysters from cooler regions where they are not spawning. Nowadays, there are so many areas where oysters are farmed, it is not difficult to find non-spawning oysters year round.

Six Toppings for Hot Oysters

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Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi with Shrimp and Minari

Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi
Oi Sobaegi 오이소박이
With Shrimp, Minari, Sesame Oil, Sesame Seeds, Gochugaru

Jupiter has aligned once again with Mars, in the blogging universe that is. Food Network’s Summer Fest features cucumbers this week. Our monthly cooking group, the Creative Cooking Club’s theme is “stuff-it.” And I planned to create another seasonal Korean fusion dish this week celebrating the honor of having my recipes featured in the Korea Herald Business.

Korean + Summer + Cucumber + Stuffed = Oi Sobaegi

My recipe for stuffed cucumber kimchi came from studying 5 Korean cookbooks in my collection, plus researching many recipes online. One thing I kept noticing, especially on google image – the final dish was not very attractive; green logs with all this stuffing hanging out. No doubt they were delicious, but my challenge was to make the dish pleasing to the eye as well as the palate.

Pairing with shrimp was a natural combination, as the kimchi recipe contains tiny dried white shrimp. My recipe also contains a good deal of ginger, it is quite zippy. Minari is a bright herb sometimes called Korean watercress which adds a fresh note. I also used the thicker Chinese chives to hold the sliced cucumber together, making for a neat pretty presentation. This, my first attempt at oi sobaegi was surprisingly successful, so I am sharing the original recipe here.

Cookbook Resources:

Korean Cooking by Young Jin Song
Seoultown Kitchen by Debbie Lee
The Korean Table by Taeyung Chung
The Kimchi Cookbook by Kim Man-Jo
Aeri’s Korean Cookbook 1 by Aeri Lee

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pomodorini e mozzarella ciliegine

pomodorini e mozzarella ciliegine

Sorry but I really am tired of the Caprese Salad and all its incarnations. Caprese grilled cheese, caprese kabobs, caprese bruschetta, caprese pasta salad, caprese pizza, caprese schmaese. But when I saw a photo of cherry tomatoes paired with cherry-sized mozzarella and edible flowers from a restaurant called “Salt” I just had to make my own version. The idea of the colors alone had me hooked.

After all, there truly is something magical about the classic pairing of tomato and mozzarella and basil. Especially in summer. And of course, with limited ingredients in the dish, the best quality of each component is required. Heirloom cherry tomatoes from the farmers market. Flowers and herbs from my own garden. Balsamic vinegar, gran riserva. Fresh mozzarella crafted in the Italian style. My favorite fruity olive oil from California Ranch.

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It’s The One Dish To Serve With Those Grilled Steaks!

Grilled Eggplant Topped with a Chickpea Mash
Tomato Cucumber Onion Relish, Tahini Sauce, Mint Garnish

It’s a side dish, it’s a salad, it’s a vegetarian entree. Throw some steaks on the grill and serve them with this fabulous vegetable-bean dish! That’s the whole menu, right there. Smoky grilled eggplant is the base, topped with a terrific warm chickpea mash, a lively colorful relish, and a creamy sauce. It’s one unfussy yet pretty vegetarian platter bursting with flavor, the perfect accompaniment to grilled meat, chicken, or fish…

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Charred Baby Octopus Salad

Charred Baby Octopus, Lemons, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Chili Peppers
Mixed Lettuces, Lemon Oregano Dressing

Just a few ingredients result in a smashing summer salad. Charred baby octopuses are the star, supported by hot cherry tomatoes that burst in the mouth. Blistered chili peppers satisfy the craving for hot weather piquancy. It all comes together with a lemony dressing flavored with oregano and garlic. Gorgeous colors, interesting textures, bold flavors. This salad makes a great addition to any summer buffet.