Domesticelle Joins the Kitchen Cray Team!

Hey there folks, I know I've been woefully behind in updating my blog (and you all) with new recipes and updates. It's been a whirlwind last few months and I'm really looking forward to what 2013 will bring. As most of you who follow me on instagram (@domesticelle) know, I've joined up with a team of young chefs from the DC area who are passionate about cooking and making great food accessible to everyone.

I am beyond excited and passionate about this new venture, I started cooking and blogging because I didn't see other young women getting excited about one of the things that is inherent to us as women - the ability to nurture. The KitchenCray team is about more than just cooking, we pray together, laugh together, encourage eachother and bring you along for the ride.

We currently host private dinners for clients and work as private chefs. In the future, we will be developing a non-profit geared at encouraging youth to learn how to make fun, healthy meals. Our website (www.kitchencray) will be launching soon and will have online cooking shows, lessons, recipes, a newsletter and an opportunity for you to win a Kitchen Cray takeover. I will be posting updates on Domesticelle as well so you all can stay updated on our progress and see some of our work.

Instagram: @KitchenCray

Twitter: @KitchenCray

Online: www.KitchenCray.com 

Bow-tie Fresh... Pasta with Salmon, Spinach and White Wine

This is a recipe I came up with on one of those saturday afternoons when you open your fridge and take stock of what you have: Salmon that's 1 day shy of getting thrown away (check), half empy bag of baby spinach (check), half drunk bottle of wine (check), few shakes of parmesan cheese (check), canned tomatoes (check), random box of pasta in a shape you'll never really use (check). Hmmm..

Ingredients:

1 portion of salmon (1/2 – ¾ lb)

1 medium can stewed tomatoes, broken apart with a fork

2 cups dry white wine

1 box bow-tie pasta, cooked with ½ cup of water reserved

2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

2 cups packed fresh spinach

1 ½ cup parmesan cheese

Handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt, pepper, thyme and oregano to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and remove skin from salmon with a sharp knife. Season well with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.

While salmon is cooking, melt butter and olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until soft, add in spinach and about ½ of the wine.

Stirring occasionally, cook until spinach is deep green and cooked through.

Add in cooked pasta and tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano.

Add in remaining wine and let simmer covered, over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

Add in 1 cup of parmesan cheese and mix well until cheese is melted and blended through.

Mix in your salmon and let cook another 10 minutes.

If pasta needs a little moisture while cooking, add in the reserved pasta water a little bit at a time.It will continue to cook off through the cooking process.

Taste pasta and if necessary, add the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss in fresh basil and serve warm.

Pretty as Peaches

I'm pretty sure I call 1 out of 3 of my recipes the "easiest recipe", but this one really is. It's extremely simple, enhances the natural flavor of the peaches, and looks pretty fancy to boot. This is a great summer time recipe, but good as a comfort food too or starter recipe for other concoctions (i'm envisioning this with a strusel topping maybe over some rhubarb or raspberry puree - YUM), but it's amazing with just a scoop of plain old vanilla ice cream. 

Ingredients:

2 peaches, halved with the core removed

3/4 stick butter

1/2 tsp cinnamin

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon raw sugar (I used maple sugar from Sur la table..it was deelish, but good old brown or raw sugar is just fine)

Grapeseed oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix butter, cinnamin, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon sugar until combined. Brush peaches with grapeseed oil.

Heat grill to high and grill with the open face down until golden and you see grill marks (about 5 minutes), turn over, spoon in a dallop of the butter/sugar mixture, sprinkle with reserved sugar and grill until peaches are soft and develop a pretty golden brown color.

Let cool, serve warm with ice cream.

Voila!  

Beer Steamed Dirty Crab Legs

 

As the old adage goes..it's always better with alchohol. Actually...I'm not quite sure that's an old adage but if it's not - it definitely should be, I mean really...beer and wine always spice up dishes. But I digress, this is both THE most simple recipe you'll ever come accross, and might be the most delicious too - if you like crab legs and messy meals. It's super easy to cook for friends, after a long day at work, for a quick lunch or anytime really. Best part? It MIGHT take 15 minutes, tops AND you throw everything into one pot. How easy? 

Note: This is one of those recipes that can be and should be adapted to your tastes. I call this dirty crab because it's seasoned heavily pretty much with whatever my hand reaches in my spice cabinet. Try throwing in some shrimp or corn on the cob as well! 

Ingredients:

4-6 Snow Crab Clusters

1 24oz Can of Yuengling Lager

1 heaping Tblsp Old Bay (plus more for seasoning)

1 teaspoon Thyme (plus more for seasoning)

1 teaspoon Rosemary (plus more for seasoning)

1 teaspoon Sage (plus more for seasoning)

(alternative seasonings that would work as well are: creole blends, cajun blends, blackening seasonings, seafood blends, garlic, lemon pepper, etc)

Large pot with lid

melted butter for dipping

Directions:

In a large pot, bring beer, sage, rosemary, thyme and old bay to a boil over medium-high heat. 

Dump in your crab legs and season generously with old bay, rosemary, thyme and sage until crab is coated and you can visibly see seasoning. Don't worry, the ones on the bottom will absorb the seasoning from the beer - feel free to lift up the top legs and season the bottom ones as well. 

Cover the pot with the lid, leaving some room for steam to escape. Keeping heat on medium-high, bring to a boil and steam the crab legs for 10-15 minutes until they develop a nice deep red color and the meat turns opaque.

I like to throw in some jumbo shrimp and corn to make this a one-pot easy meal. 

Once done, remove from heat and serve immediately with hot melted butter for dipping and LOTS of paper towels.

Slow Cooked BBQ Beef Ribs

Unfortunately, for some odd reason that must be the workings of the devil, my apartment building is not allowed to have grills...so...[insert oven here]. This is a really simple recipe for slow cooked beef ribs, it does take awhile but it's SURELY worth the wait. These ribs are finger lickin good and fall right off the bone.

Ingredients:

1 Package Beef Center Cut Back Ribs

2 Healthy tablespoons brown sugar

4 Tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning (I was going for quick and easy, but feel free to make your own rub with your favorite seasonings)

1 Cup Beef Broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 Bay Leaves 

Your favorite BBQ sauce - approximately 3/4 cup but feel free to use more

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350

Season the ribs by first rubbing brown sugar onto both sides, followed by montreal steak seasoning. Make sure the seasoning is evenly spread on both sides of ribs.

Place ribs in a baking pan, pour broth and worcestershire sauce around the ribs and place two bay leaves in the pan. 

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours until ribs are tender and pull easily with a fork. 

Slather on about 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce and continue baking, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes. 

Serve these up with some of your favorite sides...and voila! Magic. A meal that's sure to blow some socks off ;)