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Extra Healthy Salmon Burger

For years, we have made salmon wraps with the trim from whole fish. As we prep the filets for our dinner menu, there is always some trim left over from the belly and around the head. Now we have two uses for that extra protein.

To make this yourself, you can start by cutting all of the trim pieces (or left-over filet) into small cubes. Then, mix the cubes in a bowl with precooked (and brought to room temperature) quinoa, Sofrito, parsley and seasoning salt.

Mold the mixture into the size of your favorite burger and place it on a flat grill (or in a cast-iron skillet) over high heat. Cook to your liking (it takes three minutes per side for a salmon burger to be cooked medium).
Service with a sliced kale salad tossed with feta, blueberries, quinoa and red wine vinaigrette. Sweet potato fries are fun to add, too.

EXTRA HEALTHY SALMON BURGER (serves 4)

- 1/2-pound salmon
- 1-cup red quinoa, precooked and set at room temperature
- 3-Tbs Sofrito (finely diced red pepper, red onion, jalapeño, garlic, salt and olive oil)
- 1-tsp seasoning salt (ground white pepper, ground cumin seed, kosher salt)

A Dinner for a Leader: Supporting "The Trotter Project"

I grew up with Charlie Trotter, we both graduated from New Trier High School. Later we met again when I had the opportunity to cook with him at the James Beard House in New York. That was 1997 and from that day forward, we stayed connected. When Charlie passed away this November, it was devastating to the industry, not to mention his family and friends… and to me. Charlie was a leader. I was happy - and proud - to follow.

The Trotter Project honors the legacy of Charlie through programs, services and events promoting culinary and personal excellence. Its mission is to create a sense of community among individuals dedicated to these principles. It is a project that I feel honored to promote. It is my intention to raise funds and awareness for it. My special dish this weekend is planned to do just that.

My Arborio Crusted Sea Scallops creation is my favorite Charlie Trotter-inspired dish. Charlie featured an Arborio Crusted Oyster dish in his seafood cookbook years ago. That’s where the inspiration sparked.

Please consider trying the recipe and making a donation to The Trotter Project. Charlie Trotter Day is a good idea; the culinary center in his name is an outstanding one. I hope to play my small part in pushing both along.

For more information on "Charlie Trotter Day", watch the video:

I think of Charlie almost every day. We are now responsible to carry on his focus of excellence in the house he built for the culinary world to come together and celebrate all things delicious.

ARBORIO SEA SCALLOPS and EGGPLANT CAVIAR FOR THE TROTTER PROJECT 
(serves 4)
For the puree:
1/2-cup mirpoix (diced onion, celery, carrot)

Boil 4 fresh redskin potatoes ahead of time and hold at room temperature.

1 medium eggplant (diced)
2 sunburst squash (diced)
4-Tbs sofrito (finely diced red pepper, jalapeño, onion, garlic, cilantro, vegetable oil)
2-Tbs olive oil
1-Tbs seasoning salt (kosher salt, white pepper, ground cumin seed)
1-Tbs La Chinata (smoked paprika)
1 lemon (juiced)
1/4-cup chopped parsley and oregano

Toss all, place on a sheet pan and roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Then, place in a processor and add a splash of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Run until smooth.

For service, combine the following in a sauté pan over medium flame and stir for 3 minutes:
2 sunburst squash (diced)
1/4-cup mirpoix
2-Tbs olive oil
2-Tbs sofrito

Remove from the flame and add the eggplant puree at room temperature. Place on the back of the stove.

Puree 1/2-cup Arborio rice until powder in a spice grinder.

Dip scallops in egg whites. Then roll them in the Arborio flour.  Season with the seasoning salt (described above).

Place 3 scallops per person in a large sauté pan with 1/4-cup of grape seed oil preheated over medium to high heat.  Turn scallops after a minute or two when golden brown.  Repeat the process on the other side and transfer them to a dry pan to place in a hot oven.

Plate by adding 1-Tbs of sour cream to each plate.  Then flatten with a spoon.  Add 2 spoons of eggplant caviar and 3 slices of boiled potato, then add the scallops (3 per plate) and a handful of pea sprouts.  Finish the potatoes with salt and herb.

Lauren Bacall

I was driving home from a farm in Sullivan County, New York this morning when I heard the sad news of Lauren Bacall’s passing.  My old pal Peter Stone was close with Lauren.  For years, they would have summer lunches together at Estia’s in Amagansett.  

She was kind, soft-spoken and sharp as a tack.  We had lots of conversations about her house on Further Lane.  She said it was a dark day when she sold it and often wished that had never happened.  Peter was a playwright and screenwriter who had worked with Lauren in the 60s and 70s.  Since then, they had long lunches full of laughter.  

My best memory of Lauren Bacall comes from her taste for the perfect BLT.  Once she learned that I had a garden, she got into the habit of asking me if the tomatoes were ready as soon as she arrived at the restaurant.  The order that followed was always the same:  BLT on lightly toasted white bread with just a touch of mayo. 

Today at both restaurants, the Bacall Special will follow her request.

Halibut Roasted in Parchment

My oldest child Lyman has a taste for fish. She likes it fresh and soft, cooked with a little more than a splash of wine and a pinch of salt most of the time. Tonight was a special dinner; Lyman just finished her summer internship in Manhattan. As the Jitney she was riding turned off the L.I.E. and headed for the Sunrise Highway, we traded text messages. I asked her what she wanted for dinner. She responded, “Should we do fish?” followed by, “Will you bring some of the lovely Rosé home, too?”

I chose halibut because it’s my favorite. We keep a box of parchment paper on hand at the Little Kitchen for all kinds of uses. Sometimes it lines a sheet pan for drying herbs. Sometimes it is used to make it easier to remove a batch of brownies from a pan. Tonight, parchment came in handy as we cooked — or actually steamed — our halibut.

The Little Kitchen’s garden is full of squash, onions, tomatoes and basil. Cooking fish in parchment requires more than the fish, so the gardens’ contribution made our meal perfect.

For your meal, start with whatever vegetables you wish to use. Soften them in a sauté pan with butter (or oil) and add the herb at the end. Season to your liking. Then, place the parchment over a roasting dish and lay the warm vegetables on the paper. Follow with the fish filet. The filet should be cut into pieces a little thicker than your thumb. Sprinkle with salt, then hit it with a squeeze of lemon. Close the package with a fold. Then add a second tighter fold to seal. Now place the roasting dish in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees F.

The fish will be ready by the time it takes to make a small pot of rice and toss a salad. As for my dinner for Lyman, I also cut off the kernels of six ears of corn. I added three tablespoons of butter and seasoned the corn with salt and pepper. Then I tossed the corn into the oven in a matching roasting dish wrapped in parchment, too.

HALIBUT ROASTED IN PARCHMENT

2.5-pounds halibut filet (cut into 12 pieces)
1 large tomato (diced)
2 zucchini squash (diced)
6 scallions (chopped)
1/4-cup fresh basil (chopped)
3-Tbs unsalted butter
1 small red pepper (seeded and diced)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon (juiced)

Roast at 375 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.

Carnitas Americana

My mother lives in the north woods of Wisconsin. During the summer months, she loves visitors. She emailed me today to give me some news:

"It’s another sunny day. The cabin is filling up across the lake. Grace and Stephen arrived at 7:00 and came to dinner. We were out on the tennis court at dusk doing some weeding and removing the boards as he wants to practice his tennis. He has been going to tennis camp all summer and has made good progress so he is enthusiastic about working on his game. If he works on the court, we will work on his game."

In preparation for the visitors, she asked for a pulled pork recipe. I suggested Carnita’s.  I had already planned for it to be on my own menu in Darien tomorrow.  This recipe will serve my customers, as well as my mother’s tribes this weekend:

CARNITA’S AMERICANA  (recipe feeds 8 to 10 people)

Start by searing the skin of a 5-pound pork butt in a hot skillet. Then, transfer to a roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup each of onion, carrot and celery that has already been softened. Then add two cups of chicken stock and the same amount of orange juice. Add a combination of 1-cup salt, 1-cup sugar, 1/4-cup oregano (dry). Then add either 4-tablespoons chili flakes or 1/4-cup jalapeño (or both).

Braise in 350 F oven for 4 hours. Then let it cool.

Next, remove the fat and strain the braising liquid. Add 3 cups of milk to the pan. Refrigerate over night.

Prior to serving, reheat the pork for at least 30 minutes in a 400 F oven. The pork should crisp a bit. Then you can shred the pork. Serve with rice and beans and corn tortillas.  

Pickled Vegetables

After a full day of working in my garden, I needed to make this salad.  It had to be big enough to serve the Simonds’ kids for dinner and my kids for lunch the next day.  It was hot, and the idea of a cold salad with vegetables (just soft enough to bring out the extra flavor and color, but served cold) had me thinking all day.  

In the end, this salad was a perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken and Italian sausage.  It was even better the next day as Lyman and Mansell returned from the beach at 3:30 in the afternoon.  We put the bowl of 24-hour pickled vegetables in the middle of the table.  Lyman opened a Wolffer Rose and the table had perfect balance.

PICKLING PHASE:

2-cups cold water

2-cups white vinegar

4-Tbsp sea salt

1/4-cup sugar

3 shallots finely diced

Mix in a bowl and set aside.

VEGETABLE PHASE:

10 small carrots, scrubbed clean and split into four pieces top to bottom

3 cucumbers, peeled halfway and sliced into pieces

2 cups yellow wax beans, ends snapped off

1-cup sweet peas

10 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2-cup parsley cleaned and chopped

1/2-cup oregano, cleaned and chopped

1/4-cup mint, peeled and chopped

Start by boiling a pot of water and salt with three tablespoons of sea salt.  Add the carrots to the boiling water first.  Then fill a large bowl with water and ice.  After three minutes, transfer the carrots to the ice water.  Repeat with beans and then with the peas.

When the peas have cooled, strain the ice water from the bowl and then add the cucumbers and the radishes.  Follow with the pickling solution and the herbs.  Toss and allow to stand in the refrigerator for at least an hour, tossing regularly every ten minutes.

VINAIGRETTE:

1-cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4-cup white vinegar

1-teaspoon salt

2-Tbsp Dijon mustard

As you get ready to serve, strain the vegetables of the pickling mixture.  Then toss the pickled vegetables with the vinaigrette.  Serve as much as you need over a bed of mixed garden greens.  

Reserve the remaining picked vegetables for the next day.  They will go well with fish or grilled meats.

Old Stove Salad

In 2008, I was asked to manage a rejuvenation at The Old Stove Pub.  The Sagaponack, New York steakhouse had been shuttered for five years.  My partner, Brian Murphy, and I brought it back to its exact specifications for two summers.  That meant serving 30-oz, bone-in steaks from the ancient broilers in the tiny kitchen at the back of the original Sagaponack farmhouse on Montauk Highway.  It also meant serving an authentic Greek style salad with tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumbers, onions and olives (no lettuce).

As the days went by in the first season, I wanted to offer specials with a twist on the salad detailed above without stepping too far from the menu.  So I turned to my backyard garden for arugula and “Matt’s Cherry Tomatoes.”  Then I added watermelon and feta cheese followed by the same red wine vinaigrette that we used for our Greek Salad.  We had a cooler next to the salad station for plates; it helps with a space with no air-conditioning.

OLD STOVE SALAD

2-cups arugula, cleaned, dried and chopped

12 arugula leaves for garnish (don’t chop)

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2-cups watermelon chilled, sliced into cubes

For the dressing:

1-cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3-cup red wine vinegar

2-tbsp fresh oregano

2 garlic scapes, finely chopped (or 2 cloves garlic)

Whisk all together.  Hold in a bottle.

Combine chopped arugula, watermelon, feta cheese and onions and a few twists of black pepper from the grinder in a bowl and toss with dressing as needed (don’t use all the mixture).  

Place arugula leaves on the edge of four chilled plates and spoon the salad into the middle of the plate.

Serve immediately.

Paella

When Jessica informed me, “We will have 18 for dinner tomorrow night,” my mind automatically went to Paella.  The first phone call was placed to Mrs. Iacono for two pounds of her Spicy Chicken Sausage.  Then I called the Seafood Shoppe in Wainscot for four pounds of cod, two pounds of sea scallops, three cull lobsters and three-dozen littleneck clams.  Just prior to leaving the restaurant, I organized a box of dry goods, a quart of jasmine rice, a quart of mirepoix, a wine bottle-full of saffron infused wine and clam juice, one coffee cup filled with Sofrito, one 16-ounce can of “Muir Glen” whole peeled tomato and two quarts of chicken stock.  Then, I grabbed a pound of North Country Andouille sausage for extra flavor.

Putting paella together is different almost every time.  But it’s always important to use a heavy bottomed pan.   If the lobster is too expensive, you can use shrimp instead.  If, while fishing, striped bass is on the end of your line, make the paella with bass instead of cod.  Always start with the aromatic (mirepoix) and Andouille, then add a little olive oil and stir.  When the onions begin to sizzle, add the chicken sausage and follow that with the rice and Sofrito and stir again.

Once the rice begins to take on color while stirring (about two minutes later), season with salt and ground pepper.  Then, add the Sofrito-infused clam juice and allow it to simmer undisturbed for five minutes.  Next, add 1.5 quarts of warm chicken stock followed by the chopped tomatoes and bring the rice to a light boil.  Now add the fish (lobsters lightly steamed and removed from the shell, scallops lightly seared with vegetable oil) and place the pan in a 400-degree oven.  After 10 minutes, check to see if all the clams have opened.  Then, scatter slice snap peas (when in season) and fresh herbs on top.  Check the moisture of the rice, and add some warm chicken stock if needed and allow two to three more minutes in the oven.  

Serve with warm bowls, fresh bread and a nice garden salad.

PAELLA FOR 18:

2-lb chicken sausage (diced)

1-lb Andouille sausage (diced)

1-quart jasmine rice

1-quart mirepoix (diced carrots, celery and onion)

8-oz Sofrito (finely diced red and green pepper, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro and olive oil)

750-mL white wine mixed with clam sauce (50:50) and one tablespoon of saffron threads (allow to set for one hour before using)

16-oz can whole peeled tomatoes (juice removed, roughly chopped)

2-quarts chicken stock

1/4-cup olive oil

4-Tb vegetable oil

Sea salt and ground pepper to your liking.

3 cull (2+ pound) lobsters (steamed and removed from shell)

2-lb scallops (10/20 size) cleaned and lightly seared

4-lb fresh fish (skin and bones removed, cut into 2-inch pieces)

3-dozen little neck clams (rinsed and lightly scrubbed in cold water)

2-cups snap peas (chopping into pieces) of fresh shucking peas

1-cup cleaned and chopped fresh oregano, parsley and mint mixed

B.L.T. Burgers (with Striped Bass)

The Striped Bass special sold well last week.  Sales were strong enough to require Auggie, my sous chef at Estia’s American in Darien, to order extra bass.  In the end, we had three portions left.  That is not enough to post a special, but certainly enough to work with the title “Striped Bass.”  The B.L.T. burger incorporates all of the extra bass, flounder and shrimp.

B.L.T. BURGERS (makes six burgers)

1-lb striped bass, diced into small pieces by hand

2 flounder filets

½-lb  shrimp, chopped

½-cup egg white

1-tbsp sea salt

¼-cup mixed herb (chopped oregano, chives and parsley)

Place half of the chopped shrimp and all of the flounder in a food processor with the egg whites, sea salt and half of the mixed herb.  Run the processor until the mixture is smooth (about 1 minute).

In a bowl, combine the mixture with the diced striped bass and the remaining shrimp.  Then, add the remaining mixed herb.  Mix thoroughly with a spoon.  Form the mixture into burger shapes.

To cook, bring a flat surface (large skillet or flat top grill) to heat over a medium flame.  Add some vegetable oil to the cooking surface and place the burgers on the heat.  Cook the burgers on the oil for 2-3 minutes each side (depending on thickness).  

Serve on toasted gluten-free Thomas’ English Muffins with tartar sauce and lemon, shredded lettuce and tomato.

Sangrita

Last week, one of our Connecticut liquor distributors offered a special on Herradura Tequila Blanco, a premium tequila made from 100% agave.  I purchased a case.

In order to showcase the tequila in an authentic presentation, we decided to pair it with Sangrita.  Sangrita is a sweet and spicy chaser that is served in a glass with a salted rim.  The Sangrita was placed on a plate next to the shot of Herradura Tequila Blanco with a wedge of lime on the side.

This recipe calls for enough Sangrita to serve a party of 10 alongside a 750-mil bottle of tequila.  Or you can keep the Sangrita in the refrigerator and enjoy the drink for several days.

SANGRITA

2-cups tomato juice (Sacramento)

3 1/2-cups freshly squeeze orange juice

1/2-cup lime juice

1-Tbsp chili powder

2-tsp salt

1/2-tsp ground cumin

4-Tbsp finely diced onion

2-tsp finely diced jalapeño chili

Quattro's Pheasant Egg Salad with Balsamic Cipollini Onions

There is a wonderful Italian style butcher shop called Quattro’s.  It is on Route 44, just west of the Taconic Parkway in Pleasant Valley, New York.  I stopped by there last weekend on my way to my daughter Mansell’s high school graduation in Millbrook, New York.  I had heard about the stop from the school’s headmaster, Drew Casertano, and was intrigued to visit.
It pays to follow the headmaster’s suggestions in many areas.  Quattro’s is extraordinary.

Upon entering the store, I was immediately interested.  The first thing that caught my eye was a basket of pheasant eggs.  Then I noticed the cipollini onions next to the freshly baked bread followed by a row of Italian olive oils and balsamic vinegars.  In the back of the shop, the butcher display gleamed with offerings from the family farm.  There was a case filled with farm-raised, hormone-free meats and sausages.  Behind that, a large display of charcuterie featuring sopresata, duck sausage, and cajun-style pheasant sausage among many other delectables.

As my mother and I spoke with the proprietress, we learned about her approach to cipollini.  When she has the family visiting, one of her favorite plan-ahead offerings is a plate of onions, poached in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  She suggested boiling the cipollini in water for 4 minutes, then remove them allowing them to cool.  Next, peel the outer skin, place them in a saucepan with olive oil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add balsamic vinegar to the saucepan and allow the onions to simmer for an hour.  Remove the onions, drain and serve with toothpicks.

The approach we have taken at Estia’s American for this week’s special called Quattro’s Salad is similar.
We increased the proprietress’ quantities a bit and found that the remaining liquid makes a fabulous dressing for spicy greens, lettuce and kale from my garden.  The salad also calls for Quattro’s pheasant eggs poached and placed on a baguette toast and four slices of the cajun pheasant sausage quickly grilled on the flat top.

QUATTRO’S SALAD (serves 12)

24 small cipollini onions
1-cup olive oil
2-cups balsamic vinegar
1-lb pheasant sausage, sliced thin
1 baguette (slice thin and toasted)
1-head red leaf lettuce
1/2-quart spicy greens
1/2-quart baby kale
12 small radishes (for garnish)
sea salt (season after plating)

Granola

Once in a while, we get a customer who orders granola.  It is best if we have fresh product so I like to make it once every two weeks.  In order to use it all during those weeks, we will also feature a granola/banana pancake "fit" breakfast this weekend as a special.

Granola for Two Weeks:

1 42-oz can of Quaker Oats (old-fashioned)
1-cup light brown sugar (loose)
12-oz wheat germ
6-oz dark molasses
6-oz honey
6-oz vegetable oil
1-tablespoon salt

1-cup raisins
2-cups dried cranberry
2-cups raw almonds
1-cup walnuts

Start by drizzling about 2-oz of oil on a large sheet pan and spread to cover.  Preheat oven to 450° F.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.  Spread the mixture to evenly cover the sheet pan. Place in the hot oven.  Be sure to stay in the kitchen; don't answer the phone or talk to the mailman, as you must check the granola every 3 minutes!  When the corners begin to brown, remove from oven and stir the mixture with a spatula from the outside in.  Then spread evenly again and return to the oven.  Repeat this process at least 3 times.

While you are baking the granola, chop the raisins, cranberries and nuts.  Add the nuts to the last cycle of baking.  Then add the raisins and cranberries at the end of the process and stir while it is hot.  Cool on the tray and store in an airtight container.

Cheesy Black Bean Burger

Jessica and I visited my Mother in Virginia this weekend. On the way home, we stopped for lunch in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We ate at a place called Foode - a hot, little spot located at the end of an alley. This burger caught my eye. I brought one home to share with Auggie, my sous chef in Darien. The burger never made it to Estia's but my memory stands to reinvent the recipe.

Cheesy Black Bean Burger

2 cups black beans (cooked and drained)
2 cups brown rice (cooked)
1 cup Quinoa (cooked)
4-tablespoons Jalapeno (diced fine)
¼-cup Spanish onion (diced fine)
¼-cup shredded Jack Cheese
3 tablespoons cream cheese (soft)
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1-teaspoon ground coriander seed

Mix all in a bowl well.

Place 1/2 mixture in a food processor and pulse 15 times.  Combine all and form into patties on wax paper with a Burger ring or Mayo jar top.  Grill to order with vegetable oil on a hot flat surface. Cook 3 minutes per side.

I think the key to the recipe’s success is to run half of the recipe through the food processor in order to create a patty that binds. The recipe is intended for a Monday night at Estia's American. It will serve 6 orders.

Little Chicken Albondigas

On Sunday afternoon, I traveled to the North Fork of Long Island where I participated in an event at the Kontokosta winery.  Slow Food sponsored the event in honor of a great local chef, my friend Gerry Hayden. There were 300 guests, the weather was perfect and Gerry was happy.

My dish had been planned since the day I was asked to participate.  The meal had to be hot, easy to consume and different than the contributions presented by my fellow chefs (10 men, 3 women).  My choice was to serve Iocana Chicken Albondigas (chicken meatballs) in hot chicken consommé.  It would be served in espresso cups.

The event was smooth and easy and the dish was well received. I spent a few minutes with Gerry and his wife Claudia before driving home.  I enjoyed the two ferries while crossing Shelter Island.

On Monday morning, I woke to find an email from Arjun Achuthan, the director of culinary education at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton. His scheduled visiting chef for Wednesday had a conflict and he was reaching out to see if I could take the soup session on Wednesday.  As luck has it, I had a few free hours and the Albondigas recipe seemed perfect to share with seven alert 7th graders.  It looked like they had fun and I think they loved the food. This dish (made for 14) can transform from whole chicken to chicken soup in 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Little Chicken Albondigas (serves 14):

1 whole 4-lb natural chicken

3 cups quinoa, cooked and chilled

2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

2 cups mirepoix (finely diced celery, carrot and onion)

3 cups rough-cut mirepoix

1-gallon vegetable stock

4 tablespoons Sofrito

3 eggs

2 tablespoons salt

Cilantro chopped for garnish

Start by cutting the breast and legs off the chicken and remove all bones.

Now start a stock with the bones, 3 cups rough-cut mirepoix and one gallon of vegetable stock.  Simmer over medium heat for at least an hour, skimming the top of fat every 10 minutes.

Remove all skin from the chicken and chop it into small pieces.  Repeat with the dark meat and then place all the chopped chicken into a food processor with the eggs and run on high for 2 minutes.

Dice the breast meat into small pieces.  Combine it with the chicken and egg purée in a bowl and stir with your hands.  Now add ½ of the quinoa, all of the breadcrumbs, ½ of the finely diced mirepoix and all of the Sofrito. Mix completely with your hands and then season with salt.  Now, you can roll them into meatballs (sized a little smaller than a golf ball). Place on a plate or cookie sheet.  You now can strain the chicken stock and divide into 2 soup pots.

When both pots begin to simmer, add the meatballs to one slowly so you maintain a light boil.  Once all of the meatballs are poaching, add the remaining quinoa and mirepoix to a small saucepan and stir over medium heat. Season with salt.

Now, arrange your warmed soup bowls on a counter and soon you'll be ready to serve.

Spoon the quinoa into each bowl, followed by several meatballs, then the clear broth and finally a pinch of cilantro.

After service, combine the remaining stock and meatballs and hold cold for another day.

Fancy Turkey Meatballs

Yesterday, my daughter Mansell sent me a note suggesting I try a "Healthy Choice" with turkey meatballs and roasted spaghetti squash.  This recipe came together as I left the Little Kitchen In Sag Harbor after lunch today.

The meatballs include mirepoix, quinoa, eggs, Sofrito and ground turkey. And all of these items are already on my lunch station.

As the meatballs are basically poached, the first thing to do is to start a broth simmering. Combine 1 cup of mirepoix with 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup red wine and the juice from one can of whole peeled tomatoes.

Then place the tomatoes (cut into pieces) on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in a 300°F oven and roast for 30 minutes.

To make the meatballs, finely dice 1 cup of mirepoix.  Combine it in a big bowl with 1 cup of cooked quinoa, 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons Sofrito (which is finely diced red pepper, jalapeño and garlic with lime juice & olive oil in equal parts).  And 1 pound of ground turkey.  Then mix thoroughly with your hands and roll the meatballs into medium-size balls (slightly larger than a golf ball).  Place the meatballs into the poaching stock and simmer for at least an hour.

Next slice a large spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds.  Place cut-side down in a pool of water and olive oil in a roasting pan and place in the oven.  You can now remove the tomatoes and turn the oven up to 375° F.

Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves and place in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium flame.  Then, add the roasted tomatoes and stir.  Now you can add ½ -cup of chopped fresh basil.

To serve, sauté 1 pound of asparagus in a pan with butter and a splash of chicken stock until soft.  Place the cooked asparagus spears in 4 bowls. Using the same pan, now add 1/2-cup of mirepoix and add 3 tablespoons of butter.  When soft, add the spaghetti squash (hold with a kitchen towel and scoop out the strings from the shell) and stir.  Season with salt and pepper and plate on top of the asparagus. Now top each dish of spaghetti squash with 2 or 3 meatballs and finish with a spoonful of tomato sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

1 pound ground turkey

3 eggs

1 cup cooked quinoa

4 carrots diced

4 celery stalks diced

2 Spanish onions diced

3 tablespoons Sofrito

Salt & pepper

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup red wine

16-oz can whole peeled tomato

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2 cloves fresh garlic

1 large spaghetti squash

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese