As the summer weather shines on, we want to share a recipe of one of our favorite summer vegetables, the beet. If you are at the produce section or your local farmer’s market, look for beets that are firm and have smooth roots without splits. Try to find beets with the greens still attached, they are the freshest. This easy-to-make recipe is courtesy of Inoteca and found in the 86 Recipes New York Edition.

Salt-Roasted Beets with Orange, Mint, Pecorino and Hazelnuts

4 Servings

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
4 large red beets, tops cut off and washed
Salt
1 cup hazelnuts
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 large navel oranges, peeled and segmented
Mint leaves
Pecorino cheese (preferably a young one), shaved
Hazelnut oil (for garnish)

Instructions:
1. Place beets top side down in a bed of salt on a baking sheet and roast at 400° F until a knife will go in and out easily (approx 40 mins).
2. Place the hazelnuts in a sauté pan and cover with olive oil. Sauté on low heat until nuts are golden brown.
Set aside and cool.
3. Peel beets and cut into segments (6-8 apiece depending on size).

Presentation:
1. Arrange beets on bottom of plate. Top with orange segments, mint leaves and pecorino cheese.
2. Finish with roasted hazelnuts and as much of the hazelnut oil as desired.

Congrats to Chef Brian Landry of 86 Recipes Participant Galatoire’s for winning the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off this past weekend.  Chef Landry will advance to the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in August.

The winning recipe was Sauteed Cobia with Louisiana Crab Butter. 

For a copy of the recipe see Judy Walker’s article at: http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2008/05/galatoires_chef_wins_right_to.html

Enjoy!

T-2 days until the weekend…and in most parts of the country, the weather will be spectacular! Here is another great Memorial Day recipe to help you BBQ in style. This healthy recipe for Grilled Margarita-Marinated Chicken Breast can work in a lot of ways. You can serve the chicken breast whole in a sandwich, cube it for a kebab, or slice it and add to a salad (think avacado and jicama). Also, it is a fantastic pairing to another Memorial Day classic: the margarita… Enjoy!

Recipe from the New York Edition courtesy of Citrus Bar and Grill

Grilled Margarita-Marinated Chicken Breast

4 Servings
Time: 20 Mins (6 Hrs to marinate)

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts, pounded
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup tequila blanco
1 cup triple sec
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
(remove the seeds for a milder marinade)
1 bunch fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix all marinade ingredients in large nonmetal bowl.
2. Place pounded chicken breasts in the bowl and marinate for 6 hrs in the refrigerator.
3. Remove the chicken breasts from marinade and place on grill pan at medium heat.
4. Turn the breasts over when half cooked (about 4 mins each side).
5. Remove from pan and slice or cube.

We can’t wait for the weekend! Why?…Because Memorial Day Weekend is the official start to the BBQ season. So, if you will be in the backyard, at the beach, or on a rooftop, get ready to breakout your grills. 86 Recipes will provide some great recipe ideas for your weekend BBQs throughout the week, so be sure to check in…. The first recipe is from the New York Edition courtesy of Rain:

Thai-Style Grilled Steak with Lime Dipping Sauce

6 Servings

Time:
20 mins
3 hrs (to refrigerate)

INGREDIENTS:
Steak:
1 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coarse ground pepper
1 cup canola oil
(6) 10-oz sirloin steaks

Lime Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fish sauce
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp chili flakes
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chopped mint

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together. Pour over steaks and let marinade at least 3 hrs in refrigerator. Drain.
2. Grill steaks to desired doneness.
3. Combine dipping sauce ingredients.

PRESENTATION:
Serve grilled steaks with Lime Dipping Sauce. Also serve with grilled vegetables and fresh market green salad.

Inspired by this week’s episode of “Top Chef“, we have been obsessing over healthy and hearty lunch options. For all of you who have the epsiode on TiVo, DVR or even, old-school VHS tape, we won’t spoil the results…so you can keep reading. The elimination challenge dared the competitors to make “box lunches” for Chicago’s finest. From bison to faux “sushi”, the chefs’ lunches were diverse. Here at 86 Recipes, we feel that Westville’s Cast-Iron Turkey Burger from the New York Edition would blow away the competiton. However, unlike in the show, we recommend that you cook it fresh…avoid the microwave.

Cast-Iron Turkey Burger

4 Servings
Time: 30 Mins

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs freshly ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 large egg
Salt and pepper apply liberally
Olive oil
4 Portuguese or English muffins, halved
Cheese of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Put turkey, garlic, egg, salt and pepper in bowl, mix together lightly with your hands. Form 4 patties.
2. Heat pan or cast-iron skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and be sure it covers all round.
3. When the oil is about smoking, place the burgers in pan, cook about 4 mins, flip the burgers for another 4 mins.
The burgers should have a browned crispy, crust when flipped.
4. Preheat oven to 450° F. Place the muffins on the top shelf of the oven, just on the rack.
5. Put in pan with burgers. Let cook for about 5 mins.
6. Place cheese on top of each burger, melt cheese. Put burgers on muffins.

It is Spring! The weather is warmer, the flowers are blooming and the farmer’s markets & gardens are filled with spring vegetables. Here is a wonderful recipe from the 86 Recipes San Francisco Editon that includes one of our favorite spring vegetables, the cauliflower.

Recipe courtesy of Executive Chef Roland Passot of La Folie

Chilled Cauliflower Soup

4 Servings

30: Mins

INGREDIENTS

1/2 stick unsalted butter
5-7 shallots
1 head cauliflower, in
small pieces
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 cup chicken stock
(preferred) or vegetable
stock
1-1/2 cups cream

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1. In medium pot, melt butter and
cook shallots on low, not letting
them brown.
2. When shallots are translucent,
add the cauliflower, salt, and
pepper.
3. Heat through and then add the
chicken stock.
4. When the cauliflower becomes
soft, add the cream and bring
to a boil.
5. Remove the soup from the
heat.
6. Blend, strain, and immediately
cool the soup in an ice bath.
Serve chilled.

Here is a fantastic recipe for Corned Beef Hash…perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch! This recipe is courtesy of LeRoy & Aurora Bautista at Refuel Cafe in Carrollton from the 86 Recipes New Orleans Editon.

Corned Beef Hash

4 Servings
Time: 30 Mins

INGREDIENTS

HASH AND EGGS
1 lb medium red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 lb cooked corned beef, sliced into thin strips
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
8 large eggs (optional)

HASH AND EGGS
1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2 Sauté potatoes in butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 mins. 3 Add onion, bell pepper, tarragon and parsley and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 mins.
4 Stir in corned beef. Add salt and pepper to taste and place into oven while preparing eggs.
5 In a separate nonstick skillet, prepare eggs to your desired doneness; sunny side up is recommended.

PRESENTATION
Remove hash from oven, distribute evenly on 4 plates, place two eggs atop each portion.

Recipe courtesy of Alma from the New York Edition

12 Servings

Time:
12 mins

Ingredients:
3 ripe avocados
1 medium tomato, cored and diced
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 jalapeño, chopped fine (to taste)
1 lime, juiced
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1. Skin and pit avocados.
2. Place avocados in a bowl, using the back of a large spoon, mash together with tomatoes, cilantro, onion.
3. Season to taste with oregano, jalapeño, lime juice and salt.

RECIPE FROM ZOE RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK CITY

Banana and Almond-Stuffed French Toast
Serves: 7
Time: 60 minutes
Drink Pairing: Mimosa
Special Equipment: Mixer or pastry cutter

Ingredients:
1 unsliced loaf of brioche or “Pullman” white bread

Filling:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced

Batter:
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Streusel:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup quick oats
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions for Bread:
1. Slice ends of bread from loaf and discard. Cut slices of bread approximately 1 1/2 - 2 inch thick.

2. On the bottom crust, insert a paring knife to cut a pocket without cutting through the other three sides of the crust.

Instructions for Filling:
1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and 2 Tbsp of water.
2. Heat over medium heat until a foamy consistency. Add bananas and cook for 5 minutes Transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate.

Instructions for Batter:
Combine all ingredients and whisk thoroughly.

Instructions for Streusel:
Cut butter into small cubes, combine with remaining streusel ingredients in mixer and blend on slow speed until combined into small pebbles (or use pastry cutter).

Assembly:
1. Stuff each slice of bread with cold banana filling using a fork. Place slices in batter to soak for 10 minutes,
turn for another 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove slices from batter and coat with toasted almonds. Place on baking sheet.
Top with streusel on top side only. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until streusel is browned and filling is hot in center.

Presentation:
Serve with vanilla maple syrup and fresh berries.

As seen in 86 Recipes - New York.

 THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS????

Looking for the perfect recipe for your Thanksgiving left-overs? Try this sample recipe from the 86 New Orleans Edition. It is an authentic recipe courtesy of Gumbo Shop in the heart of the French Quarter.

TURKEY GUMBO

4 Servings
Time: 4 Hrs

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb cooked turkey meat
1 turkey carcass
1 lb chaurice sausage or other fresh hot sausage link
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp file powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
2 cups diced tomatoes

METHOD

1. Trim as much meat as possible from the turkey carcass and cut about 1 1/2 lb of meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
2. Break the turkey carcass into several pieces and place in a stock pot with 3 qt of water. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the fire and simmer for 3-4 hrs. Strain the stock and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, slice the hot sausage into 1/2-inch rounds and spread out evenly on a sheet pan or shallow baking pan. Place in a hot oven (400°F) and allow the sausage to brown, about 20 mins. Carefully, remove the pan from the oven and pour off the rendered fat. Set the sausage aside.
4. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, melt the butter over a medium-high fire. Whisk in the flour, making sure it is evenly blended and free of lumps. Continue stirring as the roux cooks and bubbles. As soon as the bubbling stops and the aroma becomes like popcorn, the flour is actually frying, pay very close attention from this point on. Stir constantly.
5. As soon as the roux is a dark brown color (about the color of chocolate), add the chopped onion, bell pepper and celery. Stir well and cook until tender.
6. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme, basil, sage, white, black and cayenne pepper and salt. Cook for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.
7. Slowly pour in 2 qt of the turkey stock, mixing well. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 mins.
8. Add the reserved turkey meat and sliced cooked sausage and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 15 mins. Adjust the seasoning, skin off any excess fat and add a little more stock if the gumbo is too thick.

PRESENTATION

Serve in large bowls over thick rice.
Note: this recipe is recommended for the weekend after Thanksgiving.