While I am by no means a food expert, it is rare that I find a new ingredient that gets my juices flowing.

It has been a long time since I used a new ingredient and really fell in love with it.

I guess it’s not really that odd that I had never been exposed to enoki mushrooms. It’s not like I grew up having them in our family favorites.

But these little suckers are damn tasty. They have a great little texture, have a great natural flavor and also hold seasoning really well.

When I threw this salad together, I didn’t think it was going to be a real winner, but this little guy knocked my socks off.

You will need…

½ cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

8 cups baby greens or mesclun

3-ounce package enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting the nuts and seeds together over a medium high heat in a large pan. Heat them until they become fragrant and slightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Toss together the greens, mushrooms, seeds and nuts.

In a food processor, blend together the vinegars, soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame oil.  Blend until completely combined.

Drizzle over the salad, toss and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Macadamia Nut and Enoki Salad with Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette

½ cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

8 cups baby greens or mesclun

3-ounce package enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by toasting the nuts and seeds together over a medium high heat in a large pan. Heat them until they become fragrant and slightly browned. About 5 minutes.

Toss together the greens, mushrooms, seeds and nuts.

In a food processor, blend together the vinegars, soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame oil.  Blend until completely combined.

Drizzle over the salad, toss and serve. 

Practice really does make perfect.

That is not to say that I’m perfect. Far from it. Like, a really great distance away from it. We are talking continents people. But if you practice things, you do get better at them.

My cooking is a complete testament to that. When I started cooking I could barely cook a chicken breast. Look at me now! I mean, I’m no Wolfgang Puck, but I definitely don’t suck. In the beginning, I was just lucky if I served everything warm. These days, my dishes are a stand out more often than not.

I based this recipe off something I had at one of my family’s favorite Orange County eateries, Marche Modern.

The second Wes said he was in the mood for some seafood, I knew I had to do my best to knock off this unlikely but curiously good dish.

While this wasn’t an exact replica of its inspiration, it was a very scrumptious, Angela version of one. And being Angela, I highly recommend it.

You will need…

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

3 pounds Manila clams, rinsed

4 ounces chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 tablespoons butter

10 ounces couscous

½ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season well with salt. 

When the water boils, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.

In a large, deep skillet heat the oil high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and chorizo and cook until the juices of the tomatoes begin to evaporate. About 4 minutes.

When the liquid has evaporated, add in the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. About 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Pour in the clams and with the sauce simmering, cover.

Let the clams steam until they have all opened. About 3 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

When the clams have opened, remove the cover and add in the parsley.

Cook the clams for an additional minute.

Spoon the couscous onto a large serving dish. Pour the clams and sauce over the couscous and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

Steamed Clams with Chorizo and Couscous

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

3 pounds Manila clams, rinsed

4 ounces chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 tablespoons butter

10 ounces couscous

½ cup chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by bringing the water and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan. Season well with salt. When the water boils, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from the heat.

In a large, deep skillet heat the oil high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes and chorizo and cook until the juices of the tomatoes begin to evaporate. About 4 minutes.

When the liquid has evaporated, add in the wine. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. About 5 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Pour in the clams and with the sauce simmering, cover.

Let the clams steam until they have all opened. About 3 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

When the clams have opened, remove the cover and add in the parsley.

Cook the clams for an additional minute.

Spoon the couscous onto a large serving dish. Pour the clams and sauce over the couscous and serve hot.