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Archive for the ‘Eileen’s Recipes’ Category

Eileen’s Recipes: Sautéed Flounder with Lemon Shallot Thyme Sauce

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, tagged , , on August 29, 2020| 3 Comments »

Eileen's Sautéed Flounder. Photo by Paul Goldfinger ©

Eileen’s Sautéed Flounder. Photo by Paul Goldfinger ©. Re-post from 2013.


By Eileen Goldfinger, Food and Garden Editor @Blogfinger

1/2 pound flounder

1 tablespoon of Wegmans pan searing flour *

4 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground garlic

4 tablespoons Wegmans shallot-thyme finishing butter **

1 tablespoon margarine

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 scallions, diced

1/2 lemon, juiced

Preheat 10 inch non-stick fry pan on medium low heat.

Fish: 

Dry flounder fillets with a paper towel.  (If the fish is wet, it will steam and not brown).  Sprinkle both sides of fillets with searing flour, paprika and ground garlic.  Place one  tablespoon of canola oil on each side of the fillets and rub the spices into the  fish.

Sauce:

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil, 1 tablespoon shallot-thyme butter and 1 tablespoon of margarine into the fry pan.  As the oils heat up, brush them over the bottom of the pan. When the oil starts to sizzle, place the fillets into the pan. The heat should still be at medium low. When the filets start to brown, approximately 7 minutes, turn them over. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Serves 2

* You can substitute all purpose flour that has been sifted.

**You can make the finishing butter or margarine yourself:  Let the butter come to room temperature and stir in 1 teaspoon of minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves and 1/2 minced shallot.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Wegmans  Ocean seafood department sold more fish than any other of the 81 Wegmans branches in the entire country on July 4.  Currently they are featuring whole red snapper. Here is a link to Eileen’s recipe for whole baked red snapper.     —PG

Eileen’s whole baked red snapper

LOUIS PRIMA:   “Che La Luna.”  (Italians like ribald lyrics, like the Jews from the Yiddish theater.)

“There’s the moon in the middle of the sea
Mother, I must get married
My daughter, to whom will I give you
Mother, I’ll leave it up to you
If I’ll give you to the fisherman
He’ll come and go
He’ll always have a fish in his hands
If he’ll get any ideas
He’ll fish you oh my daughter
La la la, fried fish and baccala
We don’t want any calamari”

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Tis the season for fabulous Jersey beefsteak tomatoes…

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Eileen's Recipes, tagged , on August 11, 2020| 1 Comment »

August is the right time for the Jerseys. We got these at Matt’s in Belmar. $$3.00 per pound on Aug. 10, 2020. Blogfinger photo.  We also got some fine specimens at the Saturday  Sunset Avenue market in A. Park

 

By Eileen Goldfinger, food editor @Blogfinger.net and Paul Goldfinger (right hand man)

We had family over for a chicken dinner last night, but the stars of the show were the Jersey tomatoes done up by Eileen who prepared her Caprese (Capri style) salad  with slices of tomato alternating with sliced  fresh mozzarella;  See the actual recipe below.

The chicken thighs and wings were prepared with a dry rub and then finished with Wegmans’ Organic Sweet Chili sauce.

In addition we served fresh white Jersey corn and fresh green beans.

Almost all the tomatoes were gone because they were so delicious.   Go out now and buy some.   Remember to look for the fruits where the red reaches the stem and don’t buy if they are too mushy to the touch.

They should have a slight give when gently squeezed, as my friends. (PG) and I discovered in high school.

 

Here is Eileen’s Caprese salad recipe:

 

August 10, 2020. Eileen’s photo in her kitchen.

 

CAPRESE SALAD:


Ingredients:

NJ beefsteak tomatoes

Handmade mozzarella*

Fresh basil

Fig flavored balsamic vinegar

Tuscan extra virgin olive oil

Salt


Assembling the salad:

Cut four quarter inch slices of beefsteak tomato

Place the slices on a plate and sprinkle with salt

Place a slice of mozzarella on top of each tomato slice and place one or two large basil leaves on each slice of cheese.

Drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar over each stack and then drizzle a small amount of extra virgin olive oil over each stack.

Repeat the above steps creating four stacks of 2-layers each.

Use smaller basil leaves as garnish on the plate.

Serves two.

*The wonderful homemade mozzarella came from Antonio’s Gourmet at 2201 Sunset Avenue, Wanamassa, in the same strip as the liquor store.

 

Fill the night with song…    Music, family and good food—-a fine recipe for a family gathering:

 

PINK MARTINI:  “Hang on Little Tomato.”

 

And here is FRANK SINATRA regarding a tomato he found in Italy:

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Eileen’s Recipes: Scallops with Mango Salsa

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, tagged , on August 8, 2020| 5 Comments »

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food Editor  @Blogfinger

Preheat cast iron skillet on medium heat.  It needs to be very hot.

8 large sea scallops

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Salsa:

1/2 mango peeled and diced

1/4 red bell pepper, minced

1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, minced

3 scallions, minced including part of the green section

1/4 teaspoon ground garlic

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

pinch of salt and freshly grated black pepper

2 tablespoons Ponzu (or 1 tbs. orange juice and 1 tbs. soy sauce)

Mix all the salsa ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Scallops:

Sprinkle a small amount of salt, pepper and chili powder on both sides of the scallops.

Put the olive oil in the cast iron skillet and brush the oil to cover the pan surface.

Place the scallops in the pan and don’t move them until they form a brown crust on the bottoms. This should take about 3 minutes.  Turn them over and repeat the process on the other side, cook another 3 minutes.

Cut into one of the scallops, if the inside is still translucent, continue to cook scallops for another 1 or 2 minutes.

Remove scallops from  pan, plate them and dress them with the salsa.

Serves 2

Photo by Paul Goldfinger

MUSIC:  By Celia Cruz (The Queen of Salsa): “La Vida es un Carnival.” (Life is a Carnival).

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Eileen’s Baltimore Crab Cakes

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Eileen's Recipes, tagged on August 6, 2020| 3 Comments »

Recipe by Eileen Goldfinger, Food Editor @ Blogfinger.net. Photo by Eileen ©

 

Eileen’s Baltimore Crab Cakes:

 

Ingredients

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

20 Saltine crackers, crushed

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

2 rounded tablespoons Hellman’s mayonnaise

1 large egg

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons canola oil (may need more for cooking)

1 tablespoon butter

1 ½ – 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seafood Seasoning

 

Prepare crab cakes

Place crab meat in a large bowl. Gently pick through the meat and remove any shells. Add the cracker crumbs ( I place the crackers in a zip lock bag and pound them with a wooden mallet or rolling pin to make the crumbs), Old Bay and chives.

Gently mix these ingredients together, use your hands, and break apart some of the larger pieces of crab.

In a separate bowl whisk the mayonnaise, egg, and mustard together. Stir this into the crab mixture using your hands. Be careful not to break the pieces of crabmeat.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This will help form the crab cakes and prevent them from falling apart.

Scoop approximately ½ cup amount of crab mixture in your hands and carefully form cakes about 1” thick. This should make 6 crab cakes. Place them on a tray until all cakes are formed.

 

Cooking crab cakes

Heat a 12” non-stick fry pan or cast iron pan (my preference) over medium heat.

Add the oil and when it begins to simmer add the cakes to the pan. Cook cakes for 4 minutes or until they turn golden. Lower the heat to medium low, add the butter to the pan and turn the cakes over.

Cook them for 4 minutes or until they turn golden.

 

Serves 3

 

STUART MATTHEWMAN   from the movie Twin Falls Idaho.  “Amapola”

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Eileen’s Recipes: Watermelon Tomato Salad with Feta

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, Music: Jazz on Blogfinger, tagged , , , , , on July 19, 2020| 2 Comments »

Photo by Eileen Goldfinger. Ocean Grove, NJ. August, 2013

Photo by Eileen Goldfinger. Ocean Grove, NJ.

 

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food and Garden Editor  @Blogfinger   Re-post.

2 cups seeded watermelon, 1 inch cubed (I used half red and half yellow watermelon)

1 large beefsteak tomato, 1 inch cubes

1 small red onion cut in half and sliced thinly on an angle from the side

3 ounces of baby arugula

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground garlic (dry not fresh)

2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

4-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Place watermelon, tomatoes, onion and arugula in a large bowl and stir.

Add salt, pepper and garlic to the salad.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive

oil on salad and stir all ingredients together. Sprinkle feta cheese over the salad and serve.

Serves 2

Editors note: This salad was inspired in 2013 by Laurie Price at Laurie’s Farm Market **on Atkins Avenue in Neptune Township.

I purchased the yellow watermelon, tomatoes and arugula from her. All other ingredients were from Wegmans with the exception of the traditional barrel aged Italian balsamic vinegar which was purchased at Carter & Cavero in Sea Girt*.

* Carter and Cavero are at 2100 Rt. 35 in Sea Girt.   They also have a store in Red Bank.

** Lauri’s  Farm Market is no longer in business

 

GERRY MULLIGAN   “Home (When Shadows Fall’)    from his album Dream a Little Dream

 

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Eileen’s Recipes: Clam Chowder with Red Potatoes

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, Heart healthy cooking, Recipes, tagged , , , , , , on July 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »

PG photo

 

Clam Chowder with Red Potatoes  by Eileen Goldfinger, Food Editor @Blogfinger

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1 medium onion, diced

8 small red potatoes, quartered and parboiled

4 cloves garlic, minced

½ ancho pepper, seeded and minced

9 San Marzano canned whole plum tomatoes, diced

¼ cup marinara sauce

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

2  6 ½ ounce cans chopped clams, drained

2 dozen littleneck clams in their shell

2½  cups chicken broth

¼ cup white wine

1 cup clam broth

½ cup water

freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Broth:

In a 5 quart stock pot, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and ¼ cup of chicken broth; sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, approximately 15 minutes.  Lower the heat to low-medium, add garlic and ancho pepper, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and marinara sauce; stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken broth. Then add clam broth, water, wine, potatoes, black pepper, canned clams, and parsley to the broth. Stir contents of the pot. Place cover, slightly ajar on the pot.  Simmer liquid for 30 minutes, stir occasionally.

Littleneck clams:

After  the soup broth has simmered for 15 minutes, in a large fry pan, add the remaining olive oil, chicken broth and wine, and heat on medium.  When the liquid starts to simmer, add the little-neck clams to the pan and cook until all the clams have opened.  As the clams open, remove them from the pan and set them aside. Discard any clams that do not open after 15 minutes.

Set out two large soup bowls and place a dozen clams in each one. Ladle broth over the clams.

Serves 2

 

prevention-does-work

Editor’s Note:  This recipe is adapted from Eileen’s “Seafood Chowder with Red Potatoes” found in “Prevention Does Work: A Guide to a Healthy Heart.” by Paul Goldfinger MD and Eileen Goldfinger, BA.

Our book is still relevant for those who want to learn some heart-healthy recipes—originals by Eileen, with an emphasis on seafood.    It is still available as a paper back from Amazon.  Just type in Paul Goldfinger MD. It is $12.95 in paperback.

We also have posted Eileen’s other clam chowder recipe called Eileen’s Greatest NJ Clam Chowder.

 

Eileen’s Greatest New Jersey Clam Chowder 2018

 

PEETIE WHEATSTRAW:   “I Want Some Seafood, Mama.”

 

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Eileen’s Recipes: Steamed Clams with Spicy Red Sauce

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Eileen's Recipes, Food and Restaurant, tagged , , on March 29, 2020| 2 Comments »

Eileen's steamed clams in spicy red sauce. Blogfinger photo © 2014.

Eileen’s steamed clams in spicy red sauce. Blogfinger photo © 2014.

 

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food Editor @Blogfinger.net

 

Sauce :

 

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup salt-free chicken broth or clam broth

1 6 1/2 ounce can chopped clams, drained

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

 

In a 5 quart Dutch oven heat oil on medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until onion wilts. Add garlic and simmer for 1 minute. Add whole tomatoes and mash them in the pot. Add the remaining ingredients, except the parsley. Stir and simmer for 30 minutes. Leave on low heat until the pasta and clams are cooked and the dish is ready to be assembled.

Sprinkle parsley on sauce when ready to serve.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, 1/4 pound per person. (Cook the pasta and the clams at the same time because they both take approx. 10-12 minutes to cook)

 

Clams:

2 pounds little neck clams (We got ours at Wegmans; sold in two pound bags)

Clean clams: (This step can be done while the sauce is cooking.)

Fill a large bowl with cool water, 1/4 cup of ground corn meal. Stir. Place clams in the water (the water should cover the clams) and let them sit for 1 hour. This step causes the clams to disgorge any sand they may have ingested. Discard any clams that are cracked or don’t close. If a clam is open, tap it gently on the counter top—- if it doesn’t close, discard it.

Remove clams from bowl by lifting them up out of the water so that any sand in the bowl stays at the bottom.   Place clams in a colander and rinse them with cool water.

Check again to see if any are cracked or open.

 

Steam clams:

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot or small onion, minced

1 cup salt-free chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine or clam broth

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

In a 5 quart pot with a cover, heat oil on medium. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Add clams and cover the pot. After 5 minutes shake the pot so the clams cook more evenly. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the clams open. Remove the pot from the heat.

 

Assembling the dish:

Place a 1/2 cup of sauce at the bottom of a wide individual pasta bowl.   Next put 1/4 pound pasta (linguine) on the sauce. Place 1 pound (or half) the cooked clams on the pasta. Then ladle more sauce on top of the clams. Serve with ciabatta bread.

Repeat for the 2nd serving.

Serves 2.

A Caprese salad would go very well this dish.  Below is a link for a caprese salad and a song by Frank Sinatra about the Isle of Capri.  For variety  you can add sliced avocado on top.

Caprese salad recipe

 

SERGIO FRANCHI

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Eileen’s Recipes: Point Pleasant Scallops with Tomato and Scallion Sauce

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, tagged on February 15, 2020| Leave a Comment »

scallops

 

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food and Garden Editor  @Blogfinger

Preheat 10″ non-stick fry pan on medium-low heat.

Fish:

10 sea scallops

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper

Rinse scallops and remove connector muscles.

Dry scallops with paper towel.

Season both sides of scallops with the paprika and black pepper, and set aside.

Sauce: 

8″ non-stick fry pan

2 tablespoons Wegmans thyme shallot finishing butter*

1 tablespoon margarine

2 Campari tomatoes, seeded and diced

10 sweet cherry tomatoes, halved

1 scallion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup of dry white wine, such as Cavit Pinot grigio

Place all of these sauce ingredients in the 8″ pan. Heat the pan to medium-low heat. Stir ingredients and let them simmer while you cook the scallops.

Cooking the fish: 

1 tablespoon Wegmans thyme shallot finishing butter*

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon margarine

Place the above ingredients in the preheated 10″ fry pan. When the oil begins to sizzle, place the scallops in the pan. Cook the scallops on one side for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook the other side for 2 minutes.

Plating: 

Place some of the scallion-tomato sauce on the perimeter of the serving plate. Place the scallops in the center of the plate and drizzle the remaining sauce over the scallops.

Serves 2

* Make your own thyme-shallot finishing butter. Mix 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine with 1/4 teaspoon of fresh minced thyme leaves (or 1/8 teaspoon of dry thyme) and 1/2 – whole shallot minced.  You can use different herbs if you don’t like thyme, such as parsley, basil, chives or garlic.

Chefs note: I served them with fresh steamed spinach and mashed roasted potatoes.

BEN E. KING  is feeling amorous after eating Eileen’s scallops:

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Shrimp scampi with tagliatelle..

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Eileen's Recipes, Food topics by Eileen Goldfinger, tagged , , on February 1, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Photographed in Eileen’s kitchen. February 1, 2020. Blogfinger photo.

 

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food Editor @Blogfinger.net

 

1 pound large shrimp, peeled & deveined

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

6 garlic cloves, 4 grated and 2 thinly sliced

½ tsp salt

½ cup white wine

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

½ stick unsalted butter

3 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 pound tagliatelle

 

In a medium bowl, whisk grated garlic, salt, black pepper and 1 tbs  of oil together. Add shrimp and mix. Place uncovered in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

 

Add shrimp mixture to skillet and sauté until shrimp turns pink, but is NOT fully cooked, approximately 1 minute.  Make sure not to brown the garlic. Transfer mixture to a plate using a slotted spoon  and leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.

 

Prepare 1 pound of tagliatelle now,  following package instructions.  This will take about 5 minutes after the water for the pasta has come to a boil.

 

On low-medium heat add the remaining 2 tbs of oil to the skillet along with the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.  Add wine, lemon juice, lemon zest and stir for 3 minutes until the liquid thickens .  Add the butter, stir and cook until the butter melts, approximately 5 minutes.  Add shrimp to the sauce and toss to coat and sauté  until shrimp are completely cooked, approximately 2-3 minutes. Serve over tagliatelle and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

Serves 4 people

 

DIANA KRALL    Music from the film “De-Lovely.”

 

 

 

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Eileen’s Recipes: Veal Stew. A hearty Italian dish for a cold day.

Posted in Eileen's Recipes, tagged , , , on January 4, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Eileen’s veal stew.  1/13/18. Blogfinger photo ©

By Eileen Goldfinger, Food editor @Blogfinger

1 pound veal cubes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup searing flour

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2 inch strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into small cubes

1 stalk celery, cut into small 1/4 inch pieces

5 ounces crimini or white button mushrooms,  cut mushrooms in half

1 cup frozen peas

2 russet potatoes

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

14 ounces canned plum or cherry tomatoes with puree

1 medium onion, cut into small cubes

2/3 cup unsalted chicken broth

1/2 cup red wine

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Combine flour with black pepper and lightly coat veal with flour. Heat oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Brown the veal in small batches. Remove from pot and set aside on a plate.

Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic to Dutch oven, lower the heat and cook until the vegetables wilt, approximately 10 minutes.

Stir tomatoes, wine, and broth in Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add veal and peppers to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

At this point in the recipe, peel, dice into one inch cubes, and boil two russet potatoes in a separate pot until they are fork tender. Next pour off the water, take the pot off the heat, and leave the potatoes in the covered pot until ready to serve with the finished stew.

Cover the stew pot and cook for 3/4 hour.  Continue to stir occasionally. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning (more pepper and salt if necessary.)  Add mushrooms and peas, and cook another 15 minutes with the top back on  or until the veal is fork tender.

Add some additional chicken broth during the cooking process if the liquid begins to evaporate.

Serves 2-3 people

PUCCINI.  “O Mio Babbino Caro.”

*Editor’s notes:

Red wine is a must.  We had an Acrobat Pinot Noir  (2016)  from Eugene, Oregon—-Wegmans selection.  The bread is a Bastone, a crunchy-crusted Italian loaf from Mario’s in Fort Myers, Florida—by way of Sicily.  But, in the OG area, “A Taste of Italy” on Asbury Avenue has excellent Italian bread.

Substitute meats:  Skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into one inch pieces, or beef.

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