Pork Cutlet With Corn and Bean Salsa

The Spring/Summer season means green beans and corn are abundant.  When you're dealing with fresh, in-season produce, the idea is to mess with it as little as possible.  With this in mind, I blanched and shelled some fava beans and took some fresh corn off the cob and dressed them both lightly with lemon juice and olive oil.  I paired this with a fried pork cutlet that I made by pounding some boneless pork loin chops thinly and breading them with a seasoned egg wash and panko bread crumbs (the key to a crispy crust is to double dip and bread the cutlet).  The light, citrusy salsa was a perfect compliment to the pork, which was super crispy but not greasy at all.

  

Shrimp Po Boy

I've never been to New Orleans, but I know I would order a po boy sandwich as soon as I got off the plane.  I was craving one this weekend, so after a quick trip to the market I was ready to roll.  First I cleaned some shrimp (I believe the most classic version is made with fried oysters) and dusted them with AP flour, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika before deep frying them and setting them aside to drain.  I then assembled the sandwich with the shrimp and some sliced Roma tomatoes, shredded iceberg lettuce and a spicy Sriracha mayo on a fresh-baked French roll.  I tried to stick to the textbook on this one, and after one bite I felt like I was in the Big Easy, minus the public intoxication.

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Roasted Steelhead Trout

Along with the Fanny Bay Oysters that I got from Santa Monica Seafood, I also picked up some super fresh Steelhead trout at $14.99 a pound.  I wanted the fish to stand on its own, so I roasted it in the oven with just a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.  For my veg, I also wanted to keep it very simple, so I roasted a mix of baby potatoes with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt and pepper.  The trout turned out awesome...similar to salmon, but slightly leaner, and the lemon zest gave the potatoes a nice zing.

Fanny Bay Oysters

Unlike normal people, I think that a trip to the grocery store is a recreational activity.  Santa Monica Seafood is one of the coolest seafood markets out there, and I was there the other day searching for some inspiration.  They have an outstanding selection of fresh oysters, including my all-time favorite, Fanny Bays.  I picked up a half dozen and shucked them as soon as I got home, and I served them simply with a squeeze of lemon juice.  They were plump, creamy, just the right amount of brine and super fresh.  I could have easily eaten two dozen, but there was more to come...

Seared Scallops with Fava Beans, Maitake Mushrooms and Lime-Ginger Vinaigrette

I usually get my cooking inspiration one of two ways.  I either go with a specific dish I have been craving, or I just go to the market and see what's good.  There were some awesome looking fava beans at the farmer's market this weekend, so I wanted to build a dish around them.  Later that day I picked up maitake mushrooms from the Japanese market.  The next day I got some amazing wild-caught U-10 scallops (that means under 10 per pound) at the supermarket, and Sunday dinner was a done deal.  I first blanched the fava beans in salted water, shelled them, and sauteed the mushrooms in a pan.  Then I seared the scallops in a grill pan.  I finished the dish with a vinaigrette made with lime juice and grated ginger to cut through the richness of the scallops and mushrooms.  This dish is what cooking is all about...showing off really good ingredients with straightforward techniques (and charging exorbitant prices for it).

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Dover Sole with Shaved Asparagus Salad

I've been searching for inspiration lately, and sometimes you just have to walk around the grocery store and wait for something to jump out at you.  I saw some Dover Sole and decided to pair it with some fresh Spring asparagus.  I dusted the sole in seasoned AP flour and pan fried it in olive oil until lightly browned on both sides.  I removed the fish from the pan and then made a pan sauce by adding butter and fresh lemon juice.  For the side, I shaved some fresh asparagus and dressed it simply in olive oil and some more lemon juice.  The sole was delicate, and the asparagus added a fresh, crisp contrast.

Salmon Primavera

Now that Spring is here, it's time for lighter dishes.  I was at the farmer's market and came away with some fresh thyme (among other goodies that didn't make it home).  After a trip to Ralph's Fresh Faire and some rummaging through the produce drawer of the fridge, I settled on roasting some salmon along with some summer squash and asparagus.  The thing that tied it all together was a zesty lemon vinaigrette that I made from scratch with Dijon mustard, lemon juice and olive oil.  Simple but spectacular (not to mention seasonal, too).