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Welcome!
Hola and welcome to the Salud! Napa blog! While the official site is still under construction we’re proud to showcase glimpses of what we’re working on. Salud! Napa will be a bicultural cooking show that embraces world cuisine, wine and the arts. We seek to showcase a fun and healthy lifestyle to the willing that not only nourishes their appetite but their souls as well. By focusing on nutritious foods and inspired eating habits, Salud! Napa will serve as a guide to the global population on how easy and pleasurable it is to spend time in the kitchen.
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Pan Seared Halibut and Arugula Salad by Jeff Murphy
In a nod to the Mediterranean diet, Chef Jeff creates a quick salad using wild Californian halibut and arugula among other goodies. Pair with your favorite white wine or rosé.
Pan Seared Halibut and Arugula Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
For Halibut
6 oz of Halibut cut into 4 pieces
1 tbsp of canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
For Salad
2 cups of arugula, cleaned and dried
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oi
8 pitted Kalamata olives
10 pitted manzanillo olives
1 peeled and segmented mandarin orange.
½ a lime
1 tbsp total of fresh herbs such as oregano or lemon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
For pickled grapes
1 lb seeded grapes, halved
1 cup rice vinegar, unseasoned
¼ tsp salt
1 cup honey
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 star anise
4 hot chiles, dried (your choice)
4 allspice berries
1 ½ tsp whole mustard seeds
½ cumin seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
Directions
Toss all salad ingredients (including pickled grapes) in a mixing bowl but leave out fresh herbs and lime.
Heat sauté pan then add oil. Sear halibut for approximately 90 seconds or until golden brown on both sides sprinkling on salt and pepper. Once seared, add pieces of halibut to salad then garnish with fresh squeezed lime juice and fresh herbs.
Pickled grapes need to be finished beforehand. Place halved grapes in marinade for at least 2 hours and up to 2 months.
Feb 20, 2012 at 1:27 PM
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Be the first to comment on this postDark Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jeff Murphy
Incredibly easy to make and wonderfully rich, these addictive dark chocolate cookies are the perfect treat after any meal. Milk and cookies will never be the same.
Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (Recipe from Pierre Hermés)
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
⅔ cup processed unsweetened Dutch cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
2 sticks plus 6 tbsp unsalted butter (11 ounces) at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 ½ tsp fleur de sel
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 ounces (2 cups) bittersweet chocolate chopped into ¼ pieces
Directions
In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream the butter, then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, fleur de sel, and vanilla; beat by hand until combined. Beat in the dry sifted ingredients just until blended; the dough will be crumbly but will hold together. Knead in the chocolate pieces until evenly distributed.
Form the dough into two logs, 1 ½ inches in diameter, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp, thin knife, cut the logs into ⅜ inch slices and arrange about 1 inch aparto the cookie sheets. If the slices crumble, re-form the cookies by pressing the dough together.
Bake the cookies on the middle and lower racks of the oven for about 17 minutes, or until puffed and cracked on top; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Ahead: the logs may be made ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for one month.
Rotating Pans: To help cookies bake as evenly as possible, rotate pans from front to back and between racks, at least once during baking.
Spicy Calamari Salad by Jeff Murphy
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup Vietnamese fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 small ghost chile minced
1/2 manzano chile, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, sliced
1/4 cup mint, sliced
1/4 cup basil, sliced
1/2 lb organic arugula, washed and dried
2 lbs calamari tubes and tentacles sliced into 1/2" rings
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cups of any day old bread, quartered
½ tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp melted butter
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic, minced, salt
Winter Barley Soup by Jeff Murphy
Chef Jeff Murphy of Bistro Sabor creates a hearty and healthy vegetarian barley soup just in time for winter. Load it up with veggies and pair with a nice Pinot Noir or malty beer and you have one fabulous meal you can brag to your friends about.
Serves 2
Ingredients
5 cups water
1 whole star anise or ¼ stick of cinnamon
1 clove of garlic
4 cloves of roasted garlic
carrot ends and pieces you don't want to chop
mushroom stems from shiitake or Portobellos
½ cup Pearled Barley
1 Poblano chile
½ cup Butternut Squash, diced and blanched
Salt & pepper to taste
Pinch of pumin
2 tbsp pure olive oil
¼ cup carrots, peeled and diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ cup sliced Mushrooms (your choice)
¼ cup sliced Green Onions
Splash of soy sauce
Splash of chile oil
For Stock:
Simmer water, star anise, carrot and mushrooms ends and garlic for at least 30 minutes to make cooked stock. At least four cups of cooked stock is necessary at this stage so add water if necessary. Strain and pour over barley.
Simmer barley with water, salt, pepper and cumin for about 15 minutes or until barley is al dente. Add squash, salt, pepper and cumin and simmer for 5 minutes more or until squash in cooked through.
Stuffed Dolmas by Amelia Ceja
Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions such as Russia, Iran and the Caucasus and Central and South Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma. Common vegetables to stuff include zucchini, eggplant, tomato and pepper. The stuffing may or may not include meat. Meat dolma are generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold, though meatless dolma are eaten both ways in Iran. Both are often eaten with yogurt. Amelia exquisitely pairs her stuffed Dolmas with a Carneros Chardonnay.
Cocadas or Coconut Macaroons by Dalia Ceja
Cocadas are a typical coconut candy or cookie that is served in Mexico, Brazil and over much of Latin America. They are oven baked but are served at room temperature to obtain their chewy and soft texture. Dalia Ceja presents her simple yet yummy version of this famed delight incorporating sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Try cocadas with cafe con leche or a bright dessert wine from Ceja Vineyards!
“Cocadas” a.k.a Coconut Macaroons
Ingredients:
3 ½ cups shredded sweetened coconut
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium-mixing bowl, stir together the coconut, condensed milk, pecans & vanilla extract. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.
Roll two tablespoons of mixture into miniature balls and place them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 1- inch apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown (watch closely). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Pair with cafe con leche or a yummy dessert wine!
Making Mousse de Guayaba (Guava Mousse) with Amelia Ceja
Using one of her favorite fruits from her native Mexico, Amelia Ceja is thrilled to showcase her delicious guayaba mousse, a light dessert perfect for warm sunny days. Amelia pairs this creamy and tantalizing dessert with Ceja Vineyards' Sauvignon Blanc.
Mousse de Guayaba - Guava Mousse
From Amelia Ceja's Kitchen
Serves 8
Suggested wine: Ceja Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc
Ingredients:
• 1 28oz can of whole guavas in syrup
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup of condensed milk
• 3 tspn unflavored gelatin
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Whipped cream optional
Instructions:
In a glass bowl, place the milk and gelatin -- mix well and microwave until milk begins to boil and gelatin is dissolved. Let cool.
In a blender, place the guavas and syrup and blend until smooth. Strain the pureed guavas to remove the seeds and return to blender. Add the dissolved gelatin with milk, condensed milk and vanilla. Blend at high speed for one minute.
Distribute guava mixture in eight martini glasses and chill in refrigerator until set. Can be served with fresh whipped cream and garnished with a fresh mint leaf.
Making Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies with Dalia Ceja
Dalia whips up one of her favorite desserts: Mexican wedding cookies! Suggested wine pairing - 2008 Dulce Beso Late Harvest White Wine.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are very popular throughout Mexico and are savored throughout the year, not only at weddings.
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter
1/2 cup of white sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of water
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of chopped almonds
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
Directions:
In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds then mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in powdered sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Breakfast Potato and Longaniza Tacos by Dalia Ceja
Breakfast tacos anyone? Dalia prepares these delectable tapas infused with longaniza and potatoes. Ceja Vineyards' Sparkling Blanc de Noir in onhand as the perfect wine pairing. This yummy combination is sure to satisfy any morning craving or hamper any hangover!
Sautéed Potato and Longaniza Breakfast Tacos
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 ounces Mexican Longaniza, casings removed*
1 small onion, diced
5 garlic cloves
1 serrano chile diced
4 roma tomatoes
1 pound red skinned new potatoes, cut into small (1/4-inch) dice, and boiled
Sliced avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the longaniza and cook, breaking up the clumps, until dry and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a paper lined plate to absorb any additional oil. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, tomatos and sauté for 5 minutes (once there done cooking remove and set aside).
Next add the potatoes and sauté until brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in the cooked longaniza with the onion, garlic, tomato combo and season with just a little salt and pepper, to taste. Warm up some corn tortillas and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with a glass of Ceja sparkling wine and enjoy! Ole!
*Dalia's Note: Mexican Longaniza is an uncooked sausage, made with fresh ground pork and well seasoned with smoked red chilies. Since it's fresh, you will need to remove the casing before cooking it. They can be found at most supermarkets. This is also a great filling for a variety of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Just add shredded cheese, beans or your favorite taco filling!
Roasted Beet Salad by Amelia Ceja
Amelia prepares a roasted beet salad served with spicy pumpkin seeds and Cotija cheese from Mexico. Suggested Wine Pairing: Ceja Vineyards Vino de Casa Red Blend
