Cooking San Francisco

Salmon Gremolata Baked in Foil

This is an easy and very forgiving recipe, making it especially handy if you are likely to be interrupted while making dinner. Because you are essentially poaching the fish, the fillets won't dry out if they have to stay in the oven a few minutes longer than you intended. Gremolata is a classic chopped herb combination of garlic, Italian parsley and lemon zest often accompanying Osso Bucco, but we love these flavors with fish as well. Also, we've tried using parchment paper instead of foil, but we find paper to be too fussy to seal in a reasonable amount of time (we've been known to staple the packet together after several minutes of frustration). We did test this recipe using both parchment paper and foil and there was no discernable difference in taste.

4  fillets of salmon or other hearty fish, like halibut or sea bass
2  lemons, sliced
4  cloves garlic, sliced
12 Italian parsley sprigs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/2  cup dry white wine, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc work well

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Place a fillet in the center of piece of foil. Place the foil in the middle of a medium-sized bowl (this helps the liquids stay inside the foil before sealing).

3. Drizzle the fillets with olive oil and spread one quarter of the garlic  on top.  Place lemon slices on top and then parsley springs. Pour 2 tablespoons of wine over the top and fold the foil over so the edges match. Crimp to create a seal.

4. Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Open packets (be careful of the escaping hot steam), remove parsley and lemon rinds. Transfer fish to serving plate. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Cranberry Vanilla Granola

We often make this tasty granola with kids, who love to stir the ingredients with a big wooden spoon. At holiday time, we make several batches and give the granola in large canning jars to teachers and friends.

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup unsweetened coconut, flaked or shaved
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp sugar
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries

1. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 300°F. Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray, or line sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

2. Mix next 7 ingredients in large bowl. Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Using hands, toss mixture until thoroughly mixed.

3. Spread granola on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20-30 minutes. Add dried cranberries.Transfer sheet to rack. Using a flat metal spatula, pack granola down on bottom and sides of cookie sheets. Cool granola completely. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

4. Add-in options: Raisins, dried cherries, apples, apricots or blueberries (after cooking)

Makes 6 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Lemon Chicken Skewers

This is one of our favorite chicken recipes not only because of the great taste, but also because the cooking time is very short. We often brave our windy San Francisco backyards to cook this on the grill outside. The large quantity of lemon juice makes this chicken incredibly tender. You can also freeze the chicken in the marinade in advance and defrost the day you are going to cook it.

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped (optional)
4 12” skewers
salt and freshly ground pepper
tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, chopped
feta cheese, cubed
pita bread

1. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch chunks.

2.  In a shallow pan or resealable plastic bag, mix fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and chopped oregano and mint.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken cubes, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

3. Remove chicken from refrigerator and thread pieces on skewers.

4.  On a very hot grill (or in a cast-iron pan, or electric grill over medium-high heat), cook chicken, basting frequently with remaining marinade and turning occasionally, for 7-10 minutes.   Serve in pita bread with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese.

Variation: Forgo the pita bread and put all the ingredients on a bed of fresh baby spinach or other salad greens.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 plus 2 hours marinating time
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes

Roasted Butternut Squash with Pancetta and Chili Flakes

We've slightly adapted this recipe from our favorite San Francisco Italian restaurant, A16. (You can buy the cookbook here.) Since we live in the neighborhood, we've frequented this restaurant space for many years. After a few different Italian eateries had come and gone, you can imagine our delight when A16 opened it's doors, and God willing, never to leave. But on to the squash... our version uses red chili flakes (instead of the the harder to find Calabrian chiles), packaged pancetta chunks, and pre-peeled and cut butternut squash. Definitely adjust the amount of pepper flakes to your own taste.  If you do happen to live in the Marina district in San Francisco, you can pick up the Calabrian chiles and cut to order pancetta at Lucca Delicatessen and then head over to Marina Super for the butternut squash pieces.

8 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1/4 tsp red chili flakes, or 1 to 2 hot, long, Calabrian chiles stemmed, chopped

 

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, toss the squash with a few generous pinches of salt and  and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Divide the squash between 2 rimmed baking sheets, spreading the pieces evenly over the pans. Roast the squash for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan front to back about halfway through cooking, until cooked through and golden.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Stir in the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until crispy. Stir in the chili flakes, remove from heat and set aside.

4. When the squash is done, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Add the pancetta mixture and toss to mix. Add more salt to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 35

Beating Egg Whites

You can beat egg whites either with an electric mixer or by hand with a balloon whisk. Either way, the bowl and the whisk or whisk attachment should be completely clean so that no oil or fat comes in contact with the egg white, as they might not foam up as well. You will need stiff peaks for the Sweet Omelet. According to Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, "At the stiff peak stage, ... the foam is still glossy but still retains a well defined edge and clings to the bowl..."

Welcome to Cooking San Francisco!

Our mission is to share the recipes we use to manage the balance between family and good food, and between health and happiness. Over the years we have collected many wonderful cookbooks and delicious recipes but, as our families grew, we realized our cooking needs changed from elaborate and decadent to simple and healthy. Our free time is now consumed by school board meetings, work, ballet lessons and miles of carpool, and we need to find an easy way to share and access our tried and true family favorites that are healthy and easy to make. We are extremely excited to be able to use the blogging revolution to our advantage so we can collaborate on recipes and share them with others. We decided to call our blog "Cooking San Francisco" because we feel that our wonderful city plays an crucial role in our culinary adventures. We are blessed with a year-round availability of fresh and wonderful food that makes the simplest dishes shine. We hope you join us in our endeavor to prepare slow food for our fast lives, and we encourage you to comment on our recipes as you try them.  If you would like to know as soon as we post a new recipe, please sign up to receive our email alerts.