the arugula files

Wok Seared Lamb Lettuce Wraps, Or Over Rice (Plus, I Love Border Springs Farm)

Arugula Files is participating in the DC American Lamb Pro-Am. Thirteen local food bloggers received a boneless leg of lamb from Border Springs Farm and were challenged to prepare a great lamb dish for their readers. I'm happy to promote and recommend such a great, sustainable product.  As they say, "American Lamb is 10,000 miles fresher."  The best dishes will be presented at the American Pro-Lamb event on March 4.   Vote for my dish!

This is a recreation of a dish I once had at P.F. Changs that I quite enjoyed.  Yes, P.F. Changs, the chain restaurant.  The one with the absurdly big horse statue in the front.  Say no more.  

The dish is a simple stir fry, but the toasted sesame seeds and crispy iceberg lettuce make it special. Iceberg lettuce.  Wow, do I love thee. Iceberg lettuce has a bad (w)rap, largely attributable to its miscast role in the American salad, which is the last place it should be. People have called it the white bread of the produce aisle or likened it to red delicious apples.  Both apt comparisons.  But let's not be snobby about it.  I think iceberg lettuce deserves recognition as a topping in a stir fry or a wrap; that's where it earns an encore. Here, it's the perfect contrast to this deliciously greasy lamb.  The lamb.  Oh, let me tell you about lamb because its source makes me so happy.

Shepherd's Pie Pockets Made By Sangeetha

I'm on maternity leave for the next few months.  Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the car seat adapter to come for our stroller, so that I can use it for someone Josie's size---TINY.  Until it gets here, Josie and I are stuck in the house.  So we sat around listening to Neil Diamond, singing as loud as we could.   Then we popped these sheperd's pies in the oven and, BOOM, lunch was served. Hand held shepherd's pies.  Brilliant idea.  Made by my friend Sangeetha, not me.  Don't be foolish, I haven't cooked in ages.

I can't believe how wonderful my life is right now.  I don't even have to cook lunch.  My friends just drop off food.  I reheat it and eat it.  Then I go back to listening to Neil Diamond. 

BBQ Chicken and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

When it comes to chicken, I've always been a breast woman.  No dark meat for me.  No thank you.  My mind was recently opened when my friend Anne made me Ina Garten's Indonesian Chicken for dinner.  I loved it.  Turns out, I'm really a thigh woman, especially when it comes to chicken on the grill.  So I decided to try this recipe from Fine Cooking. This quick BBQ chicken is perfect for the weekend.  The rub and sauce can be prepared ahead of time, leaving you more time to hang out with friends.

Lovely and Crispy Carrot Salad with Indian Lamb

I really liked this dish.  The flavors are bright and it's filling without being heavy.  It's the first recipe I've cooked from Jamie At Home, Cook Your Way to the Good Life.  I'm really enjoying this cookbook.  It's my style of cooking: simple, seasonal, flavorful, and I can actually hear the voice of Jamie Oliver as I read the cooking instructions.  "Keep frying until the meat is lovely and crispy."  It's like he's in my kitchen. 

Grilled Flank Steak (Plus, Should You Include Acid in Your Marinade?)

Marinades are usually comprised of three components: acid, oil, and herbs.  Christopher Kimball says that you shouldn't include acid (orange juice, vinegar, etc) in your marinade mixture. His argument is that the acid breaks down the meat and leaves it too mushy.  I was willing to take him at his word until I started experimenting a few weeks ago.  One night, I grilled flank steak after marinating it for 24 hours in a mixture of rosemary, garlic, shallots, and olive oil. The recipe is here.  End result? It was good, but I thought the marinade flavor overwhelmed the meat.  Something was off.

Chorizo Tacos with Pickled Onions and Cilantro

Chorizo, Mexico's spicy, fatty, pork sausage, is the perfect filling for fresh flour tortillas.  Add a bit of cilantro, a squeeze of lemon, and some pickled onions, and you have a tasty meal that comes together in ten minutes.  I find that while I may not be able to replicate the pork or beef  tacos at Taqueria Distrito Federal, I can certainly buy some chorizo and come to close their version of chorizo tacos.

Spicy Beef with Peanuts and Chiles

 

Dry.  That's how Marcus described this dish.  Me?  I would have said, bursting with flavor, but could use more sauce, especially if you plan to serve it over rice.  Do you see the difference in those two descriptions?  One is short and, yes, it's to the point, but it doesn't highlight the positive.  The other is a little more complementary, allowing room for critique and thus future improvement. 

Roasted Garlic and Chicken Pizza a la CPK

 

When I was 14 years old I discovered purple eye shadow and the mall.  The  mall had a food court, and that was very important for boy watching and cinnabon.   It also had a California Pizza Kitchen, and that was very important for eating.  Those were old timey days, when I thought Wolfgang Puck was a dead composer and gourmet pizza was a novel invention.   CPK was new, fresh – even fancy. 

Today I wouldn't seek out CPK.  There are far too many delicious gourmet pizza options in the DC area, including 2 Amys, Liberty Tavern, and Coppi's.  Not to mention my very own pizza creations with local ingredients (shameless plug here, here, and here).  Occasionally, though, I food dream about my favorite pizza from the CPK menu: the roasted garlic chicken pizza. 

Here's my try at recreating a childhood favorite.  And since the CPK on Connecticut Ave recently closed, this is my tribute to the restaurant for getting me to eat something beyond pepperoni pizza (not that I don't love you pepperoni, because I do).