Spicy Cajun Mussels

Works well with a pound of mussels - so good for two. Spicey!

Ingredients

• One pound of cleaned mussels
• One large onion sliced
• Olive oil
• Six cloves of garlic sliced 
• One long hot pepper sliced into large chunks
• One ripe tomato
• Two tablespoons of cajun seasoning
• One lime
• One cup of mango flavored seltzer
• Once bunch of cilantro chopped

Directions

In a 14" saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil until starting to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and long pepper and saute an additional two minutes. Add tomato and cajun seasoning and saute two more minute. Squeeze in the lime and pour in the seltzer. Bring to light boil and simmer for five minutes. Add mussels and cover. Cook until they open.

Makes a silky, spicy broth with greate texture from the mussels and veggies. 

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“Spaghetti” al Tonno

I like a good meaty Bolognese sauce as much as the next half-Italian, but sometimes I just hanker for this…“Spaghetti” with tuna…a marriage made in heaven as strange as it sounds.

Believe it or not, this dish is an Italian classic.  My mom used to make it every now and then when we were growing up – and now I make it for my kids, usually upon request.

When I make this dish though I rarely use spaghetti – I usually choose another favorite.  For example, this time I used shells – they’re great little buckets for catching the “meaty” tuna sauce.

Ingredients:

6 - 5 oz. cans of tuna*

2 – 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

Olive oil

Crushed Garlic

Fresh parsley

Fresh basil

* My mom, and a lot of the recipes you will find online, say to use tuna packed in oil.  I prefer and recommend using the best quality solid white albacore tuna packed in water, and use my own good quality olive oil when making the recipe.

Steps:

1. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat
2. Once the oil is hot, add a tablespoon of crushed garlic and sauté together for a few minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning
3. Lightly drain the cans of tuna and flake the meat into the skillet
4. Add a handful of finely chopped parsley, some fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt, and keep stirring
5. Drizzle in a few more tablespoons of olive oil
6. While the tuna is browning in the skillet, add the crushed tomatoes to a pot
7. Stir in a large handful of finely chopped fresh basil with the tomatoes
8. Transfer the tuna from the skillet into the pot, stir the mixture well
9. Turn heat down to low, simmer for at least 30 minutes, but better an hour or two if you have the time
10. Cook the pasta to your preferred doneness
11. Ladle some the sauce over the plated pasta
12. Sprinkle on some roughly chopped fresh basil
13. Sprinkle on some Romano cheese (optional)
14. Sprinkle on some roughly chopped long hot pepper (optional, but a key secret ingredient in my estimation)

 For Technologists:

No advice specific to technologists on this one – just general advice to anyone reading this…TRY IT with an open mind.  You won’t be sorry.

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Huervos Rancheros with Rice & Beans

This is my favorite breakfast.  I’ve had some great versions in restaurants and diners over the years and I’ve always wanted to give it try at home.  If you Google it you’ll get back over 400K recipes, so there are all sorts of ways to approach it, some more traditional than others, some complex and some simple.  I reviewed a handful of recipes and combined some thoughts and came up with this quick and easy version.

  

Rancheros Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 diced onion

1 can green chilies

1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

¼ tsp crushed garlic

Cilantro

Fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Avocado oil (or oil whatever you have on hand)

Steps:

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in avocado oil for a few minutes in a skillet
2. Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, including the juice from the cans
3. Roughly chop 2-3 chipotle peppers and stir into the mixture along with a teaspoon of the adobo sauce
4. Stir in a small handful of chopped cilantro
5. Add some fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt
6. Continue to stir and simmer for a few minutes
7. Transfer the mixture into a food processor or blender (I used our Magic Bullet) and pulse a couple times, to smooth things out a bit but not so much that it turns into a puree
8. Transfer back into the skillet and set aside and keep warm

Rice & Beans (optional)

I made this as a side because we happened to have some left over rice around.  My kids love it.

Ingredients:

4 cups of cooked rice

1 can of pinto beans, rinsed

1 small can of black beans, rinsed

1 jar of pickled jalapeños (this is the secret ingredient)

¼ tsp crushed garlic

Cilantro

Cumin

Fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of salt

Avocado oil (or oil whatever you have on hand)

Steps:

1. Add a few tablespoons of oil to skillet and once hot add the pinto and black beans
2. Sauté for several minutes, stirring frequently – ideally some of the beans will start to develop a crunchy coating but in general you don’t want the skins to split
3. Add the rice and a little water, and continue to sauté stirring frequently; add a little more oil if you need to
4. Add a dusting of cumin, fresh ground black pepper and salt to your taste
5. Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of pickled jalapeño juice from the jar; sprinkle a few of the pickled jalapeños in too if you like it spicy
6. Stir in a handful of chopped cilantro
7. Set aside and keep warm

Alternate riff: If you prefer to stay away from the pickled jalapeños, use the juice of couple limes instead

The Main Event

The main event is the egg and corn tortilla combined with the rancheros sauce.  You can buy soft corn tortillas and fry them in oil, or lightly pan fry them in a skillet with just a touch of oil (or cooking spray), or you can buy them ready made from the supermarket as I did.  When you buy them, they come in a sleeve and basically look like a regular corn taco shell but are flat instead.

Ingredients:

1-2 eggs per serving

1-2 corn tortillas per serving

Cilantro

Cojita cheese*

Diced jalapeño pepper (optional)

* I actually prefer Queso Fresco, which is a fresh cheese that it widely used in Mexican cooking.  However, its shelf life is only a couple of weeks and I often don’t get through it all in time.  A good substitute is Cojita, which is a dry aged cheese similar to Parmesan.

Steps:

1. Using your skillet again, fry 1-2 eggs per serving; be careful not to overcook it, you want the whites just done enough with the yolk still a bit runny so that when you cut into it, it oozes over everything and creates an awesome mess
2. Place 1-2 corn tortilla on a plate
3. Place a scoop of the rancheros sauce over the tortilla(s)
4. Place the egg(s) over the rancheros sauce
5. Place a scoop of the rice and beans off to the side (if you make this optional side)
6. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro across the plate
7. Sprinkle some diced jalapeño across the plate (optional)
8. Grate some Cojita cheese across the plate

 For Technologists

This breakfast came out great – I think because I didn’t focus on following a recipe but instead I committed to a vision I had of the end product.  I had acceptance criteria – it had to be easy and relatively quick to whip up, it had to taste great and have just the right amount of spicy kick.  If I executed it well and was happy with the result, I could always address mechanics of the recipe afterwards, so that it would be repeatable for next time.  Isaac talks about this approach and more in his recent post Ten Ways To Improve IT Culture with Agile, DevOps, Data, andCollaboration.

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The Best Leftover Chicken, Potato and Kale

My way of dressing up some leftover chicken.

Sunday night I roast a chicken. Use a roasting pan and fill the bottom with sliced potatoes, carrots and onion. Fill the pan with water until it reaches half the height of the potato. Sprinkle your favorite chili spice rub on top of the potatoes.

Add the rack. Rub the bird with the chili spice rub and cook in a 400F oven until the breast reads 161F.

Now that makes for a nice Sunday night dinner!

Separate the fat from the roasting liquid and store separately from any leftover chicken and potatoes.

Monday, I will chop some kale and fry with salt and cumin seed. Add a a half a cup of the roasting liquid and cover. Cook until  the kale is wilted down, about 7-10 minutes.

Add the sliced chicken and potatoes to the pan, cover, and cook 2-3 minutes until they are hot.

Serve in a bowl. Very yummy!

For Technologists

Great post from the archives, 5 ways to Improve Agile Team Velocity.

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Sloppy Ronan Sandwich - Add Bok Choy and Steak to Sloppy Joe's Classic

You've heard of a Sloppy Joe so here is my son's version of the classic sandwich. In this sandwich, Ronan has chopped meat sandwiched between a soft bun like the classic, but he adds thin sliced steak for an even meatier flavor and sauteed bok choy for a surprising crunch. The combination of the four textures and flavors makes for a new classic!

Ronan did most of the prep, cooking, and cleaning so this is a recipe that works great with older chef kids. One touch I added was to show Ronan how to reuse his frying pan to get more flavor and reduce the cleanup.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs lean chopped meat (I used 90%)
• Onion, diced
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, oil
• Vegetable or olive oil
• 2-2.5 lb London Broil steak
• Bok Choy sliced up
• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Your favorite BBQ sauce (Ronan like Guy Fieri's Burbon Brown Sugar)
• Indoor grill pan
• Oven safe frying pan

Directions

Heat indoor grill pan and set the oven at 350F.

Heat oil in a small frying pan. Add onion and saute for a few minutes. Add chopped meat, garlic powder and salt and saute meat until brown. Season a second time with salt and pepper and scoop out into a small bowl.

Salt and pepper the steak. Add about a table spoon of oil to the indoor grill pan. It should smoke up, then place the steak on the grill and sear for two minutes on each side. Remove the steak, add it to the frying pan, and place in the oven. Six minutes on a 2.5lb steak will get you a medium-well steak. Remove the frying pan and allow the steak to cool at least ten minutes before slicing very thin.

Leave the steak juices in the pan and heat up on the stove. Add the bok choy and saute for about five minutes.

To make the sandwich, open the bun. Add a layer of steak followed by a layer of bok choy followed by a spoonful of chopped meat. Drizzle with a bit of the BBQ sauce. Enjoy!

For Technologists

Ronan is learning to cook because he enjoys being creative and making new things. It's important for kids to follow their passion and for parents to lead them in their exploration. I provided engineering undergraduate students similar advice in my post, My Advice to Engineering Undergraduate Students.

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Winter Lager, Chili Spiced Pork Loin, Beans and Kale

All I can say is, this was a very satisfying, chili and winter lager inspired meal. Even though there are three different components to this meal, the ingredients and prep done for completing one dish aids in the others.

The combination of winter lager, chili peppers, and maple syrup make a great base for the beans. I suppose you can also add tomatoes and mustard, but I left these out. I used the lager and peppers as poaching liquid for both the pork and kale which added both flavor and kick.

This is one recipe where you'll have to make best judgment on quantities of ingredients and cooking times. Key to the beans are their texture and thickness of the sauce, so I suggest checking it every five minutes once you are thirty minutes into the simmer. As for the pork, let a good thermometer do the work.

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb pork loin
• Mix of dried chili peppers, chili pepper powder, cumin seeds, coriander, garlic powder, salt.
• Bunch of kale
• Half a pound of dry pinto beans
• Onion and garlic chopped
• 3-4 bottles of Winter Lager (for cooking - more to drink!)
• Ketchup
• Maple Syrup
• 2 tablespoons of butter and flour for gravy

Prep Work

First, start by getting the chili peppers ready by toasting and then soaking them for thirty minutes in hot water. Reserve the liquid which will be used later.

Second, create a spice rub of ground cumin, coriander, several ground chili peppers, garlic powder and salt, save a couple of tablespoons, and rub the rest on the meat. Allow this to sit wrapped in the fridge for at least six hours.

Finally, boil the beans for three minutes and then let them sit covered in the hot water for an hour. Drain the beans and let them sit at room temperature.

I did all of this in the morning and finished the meal in the afternoon.

Dinner

Start with the beans. In a sauce pan, toast some cumin and then fry with onion and lots of garlic. Add in any remaining spice mixture from the pork and toss with the onions. Add beer, ketchup, maple syrup, and chili water to the pot until the beans are covered. Bring to a light boil and simmer for an hour. Beans should still have a bite and sauce should be thick.

To make the kale, toast more cumin seeds in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add olive oil and bring to temperature, then add chopped kale. Toss until leaves begin to welt, then add a mix of chili water and winter lager until the bottom of the pan has liquid. Cover and steam at low heat for ten minutes. Plate the kale in a bowl and cover.

Preheat the oven onto 375. Heat the frying pan again with oil. Sear the pork on all sides 2-3 minutes. Add a mixture of beer and wine to the pan to fill the bottom and move the pan into the oven. Cook for about 30-40 minutes adding more liquid as needed. Cook until the pork's center reads 145F.

Remove the pork from the pan and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. If you have leftover juice in the pan, make a gravy by heating it and stirring in butter and flour.

For Technologists

This recipe requires balancing flavor and some planning so that you can complete them with minimal effort and mess. For those in IT, you know that "alignment" and balance between IT and Business responsibilities is difficult to achieve. In data science, there are additional challenges. My recent post on Balancing an Agile Data Organization speaks to efforts to align business and IT responsibilities to establish an agile data driven organization.

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Beef with Long Hot Peppers and Sticky Rice

Beef with Long Hot Peppers and Sticky Rice
This dish is a spin on a favorite from a Chinese restaurant near the office.  This restaurant has a dish called Chicken with Long Hot Peppers.  It’s simple and fantastic and I've gotten many others hooked on it over the years - I don’t even look at the menu when we go there, my order is automatic. This dish is quick and easy to make at home when you have a craving for something satisfyingly hot and spicy – this time I did it with beef instead of chicken because that is what I had on hand.  I also cobbled together this marinade from several different recipes – so it’s an experiment that I think came out well – but don’t be afraid to tinker with it to your taste.
Ingredients  1 1/2 lbs of thinly sliced beef * 3-6 long hot peppers (I only had 3 on hand this time but definitely use more normally) Marinade (see below)  * The beef should be sliced very thin.  We have a slicer, so I pulled a bag of pre-sliced beef from the freezer to make this dish.  However, you can find thinly sliced beef in most supermarkets – but in our experience your best bet to find it thin is an Asian supermarket. Note: If you are want to try it with chicken like the original dish then the chicken should be tenderized and cut into thin narrow strips.
Marinade: 1/2 cup of vegetable oil 1/3 cup of soy sauce 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp chili infused sesame oil 1 tbsp agave nectar (or honey) 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 thinly sliced green onion Several cranks of freshly coarse ground black pepper Directions Ideally, marinate the beef for a several hours, but in a pinch I've marinated for as little as 30 minutes and it still comes out great.	These are the guys you are looking for – they’re most  often green but can be red as well. Generally, the firmer they are the milder they are – the  wrinkled ones usually pack more heat

For the sticky rice: Prepare rice per package directions – we use sticky sushi rice and make in a pressure cooker, but you can it on the stove top in a pot as well For the peppers: Cut the stem ends off the peppers, cut in half longwise, remove the seeds and veins Chop in thin (~1/8 inch) strips - sideways, not longwise Toss into very hot non-stick skillet or wok Quickly hit them with vegetable oil non-stick spray, or mix in a tiny bit of oil to lightly coat Sprinkle in a pinch of salt Sauté on high heat for a few minutes, until they start to char slightly but are still crisp Transfer to a bowl and set aside

For beef: Drain the marinade off Toss into very hot non-stick skillet or wok Sauté on high heat for a few minutes When almost done, toss in the peppers and mix together, cook for another minute  To serve: Place a mound of rice (~1 cup) on a plate Place some of the beef and pepper mixture around the rice Place a dollop of chili garlic sauce on top of the rice (you can find this in most supermarkets – I get it in Shoprite)

For Technologists

It’s a brand new year – traditionally a time for reflection and resolutions.  This dish is a favorite and reliably works for me.  Sticking with favorites is a good thing – “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” – be it a technology, tool, technique, process or approach.  However, that should not stop us from experimenting and trying new riffs on familiar things.  Worst case, it may not work well but we learn something new.  Best case we may find new favorites – and more or better success.  This year, resolve to look at your “favorites” and look for opportunities to adjust and improve – be agile.

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Crispy Chili Salmon with Chunky Winter Salsa

This is a two part recipe, first making a red chili salsa and then using the water that hydrated the chili peppers as the poaching liquid for the salmon. The combination is lovely.

The salsa is one of my winter varieties with lots of chili to make up for lackluster tomatoes. I blend a paste of chili peppers and tomatoes, then add some finally chopped ones for texture.

The salmon is cooked using my favorite methods, poached on the bottom and broiled on top for a silky fillet and crusty skin.

Ingredients

For the Salsa:

• Four tomatoes boiled until the skin cracks, then remove the skin
• Two New Mexican chili peppers, two anchos, and two serranos
• One onion cut into quarters
• Bunch of cilantro
• Lime
• Salt

For the salmon

• 1 1-1.5 lb fillet with skin on
• Small onion diced
• Cubano pepper diced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

To make the salsa, start by toasting the New Mexican and Ancho chili in a frying pan. When fragrant, add 1-2 cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the seeds from the chili peppers and add to a blender along with a few tablespoons of the liquid, the poached tomatoes, half the onion, squeezed lime, salt, and half of the cilantro. Blend until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Add finally chopped serranos, onion, and cilantro. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

To make the salmon, remove the chili water from the pan. Fry the onion and pepper in the olive oil for a few minutes. Meanwhile, scour the skin side of the salmon with a sharp knife. Rub the skin with olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the chili water back to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon, skin side up. Place the whole pan under the broiler and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness of the fillet and desired doneness. 

For Technologists 

As this is my last post of 2014, please have a look at my posts on Big Data and Self Service BI Programs and on IT/Marketing (CIO/CMO) relationships.

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Spicy Turkey, Kale, and Potato Soup

Every year on Thanksgiving and after all the guests have departed I go into my yearly ritual of making a turkey stock. Smash the bones so that it fits into a stock pot, add onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, bring to boil and simmer for two hours. Makes a great gelatinous broth that I use to make a variety of soups.

This soup is quick and easy to make. The potatoes and kale make it a hearty soup despite the lightness of the broth.

You'll notice that I am not including specific quantities of ingredients because it can be made for a single person or for a family. The quantity of ingredients used should be proportional to the volume of broth.

Ingredients

• Cumin
• Thai chili pepper (or any hot peppers will do)
• Olive or vegetable oil
• Chopped Onion
• Chopped celery and carrot, and fennel bulb
• Chopped Kale
• Turkey broth (can substitute chicken broth)
• Salt and pepper
• Baby potatoes cut in half
• Chopped bok choy

Directions

Bring broth to room temperature. In a separate stock pot, toast the cumin and chili peppers until fragrant. Add oil and onion and saute for five minutes. Add the celery, carrot, and fennel bulb and saute for five more minutes. Add kale and several tablespoons of the broth and cook for five minutes with the lid on. Add the broth, salt, pepper, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer the soup for ten minutes. Add bok choy and adjust seasoning if needed. Cook and simmer for five more minutes.

Serve immediately in large bowls.

For Technologists

Good soups require balance of flavor and texture. Ingredients need to be added in stages so that they cook properly. A variety of spices and ingredients are needed to provide richness and depth.

Recently, I completed a different post on balance. In The Agile Data Organization - Balancing Responsibilities in Data Science Programs, I discuss the need to develop a balance of skills and responsibilities between data scientists, business managers, and IT personnel in developing data science programs.

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Agile Thanksgiving

I always look for a mix of crowd pleasing recipes mixed with some fresh ideas. With the ovens going at 400F and the turkey done, I have about an hour to cook four trays while I carve the turkey and make the gravy. Agile or just multitasking, it works for me. Today's feast included:

Roasted root vegetables

With the ovens going, it's easy to slice up carrots and turnips, mix with olive oil, salt, some broth, and herbs and roast at 400F for about 45 minutes.

Chili Garlic Potatoes

Crush garlic, new Mexican chili peppers, Thai bird chili peppers, kosher salt, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, olive oil, and chili water (water from hydrating the chili) in a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Spoon onto boiled potatoes. Roast for 45 minutes. 

Crowd Pleasing Potatoes

For those that don't like the heat, just sprinkle herbs and salt on boiled potatoes. Drizzle on olive oil and roast for 45 minutes.

And finally, Awesome Green Beans

 

Saute garlic. Add French beans with the ends chopped off. Salt and saute about five minutes. Add slivered almonds and saute one more minute

What about the Turkey?

Sorry folks. Forgot to take the photo. But I always follow Alton Brown's Good Eats Turkey Recipe and it always comes out awesome.

 For Technologists

Check out my post from last year, A CIO Top Ten Guide To Preparing a Thanksgiving Feast.

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Late Night: Sauteed Broccoli Rabe and Chicken

This is one of my favorite weekday meals because it is healthy, easy to make, and can be made with a variety of ingredients. The star is the broccoli rabe which holds up well to the garlic and chili flakes.

I prefer doing this with chicken, but you'll see Italian restaurants follow a similar recipe without protein, with chopped up sausage, with potatoes, or with a combination of ingredients.

Many recipes call for dunking the broccoli rabe in an ice bath after blanching in order to stop the cooking. Personally, I find this step unnecessary so long as you are going from blanching to sauteing right away.

Ingredients

• Bunch of broccoli rabe, cut into one inch chunks
• Chicken breast chopped up into bite sized pieces
• Olive oil
• 5-10 cloves of garlic sliced thin
• Chili flakes
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Boil water for blanching the brocolli rabe. Saute chicken in olive oil until brown and cooked. Remove from the pan.

Add the broccoli to the boiling water. Meanwhile, saute the garlic. Let it brown, but not burn and remove the pan from the heat if it is burning. Blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for about two minutes, then strain. Shake out as much water as you can before.

Add chili flakes and broccoli rabe to the pan and saute 2-3 minutes. Add back in the chicken. Add salt, pepper and saute 2-3 more minutes. Serve hot.

For Technologists

This is a back to basics recipe with few ingredients, easy preparation, and quick cleanup. Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics, which is what I was reminded of when I visited my daughter's first grade classroom. Afterward, I wrote about What Agile Teams Can Learn From a First Graders.

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Grilled Chili Spiced Pork Loin

I usually don't like making a large cut of meat and prefer grilling an array of vegetables such as grilled cauliflower or kale. But sometimes, you can't beat the convenience of cooking a large cut and using it in multiple ways during the week.

I'm not a big fan of beef roast and find them somewhat limiting in terms of the flavor profiles that you can use in a marinade or spice rub. Instead, I prefer a turkey breast or a pork loin.

I tend to use a basic barbecue rub. The meat stands up on its own and with this rub, can be used in tacos, a dirty rice, or a sandwich later in the week.

Ingredients

• 3-4 lb Pork Loin
• 4 tablespoons of ancho chili powder
• 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons of granulated garlic
• 2 tablespoons of ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon each of salt, chipotle pepper powder, and coriander
• Soaked wood chips

Directions

Mix together the spice rub and spread generously over the meat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. I like doing this last thing in the evening so that it is ready to bbq anytime then next day.

I use a gas grill and set it up for indirect cooking with one site heated for the wood chips and the other side for the meat. I put the soaked wood chips in a low aluminum pan, cover it with foil, and puncture holes it. I place this on the heated side of the grill. I fill a second pan with water and place it underneath the grill on the non-heated side. Use a remote meat thermometer and insert the probe into the center of the meat. The grill burner should be on low and once I start seeing smoke, I put in the pork.

Every 30-45 minutes add wood chips to the pan and rotate the meat.

Don't ask me how long to cook it. On the grill, it will depend on the grill temperature, the size of the meat, and the location of the meat relative to the flame. Guidelines now require pork to cook to 145F, so I just monitor the thermometer and wait till the meat is ready.

Let the meat settle in a covered pan for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

For Technologists

As I said a BBQ pork roast can be used in a lot of different ways. It is an "agile platform" for many other recipes that require a spicy protein.

Technologists also need agile platforms to develop new products and applications. What is an agile platform? It is fast and easy to learn, built on standards, has an open and extendable architecture and other features that you can read about in Top Ten Attributes of Agile Platforms.

Other great recipes:

Check this one out for Aromatic Pork Belly Lo Mein

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Late Night Roasted Cauliflower

One of my favorite, easy to make, flavorful, and healthy late night dinners. You can do this in a toaster oven, your main convention oven, and even on the grill if you have a grill basket.

There are two keys to doing this well. First, make best attempt to have the cauliflower pieces cut to uniform size so that they cook evenly. Second, make best attempt to evenly coat the florets with the olive oil and spices.

Ingredients

• One head of cauliflower cut into uniform chunks
• Olive oil - 3-4 tablespoons to coat the cauliflower
• Spice mixture: A couple of options here
• Spicy - Mix of ancho chile powder, pinch of cayenne, cumin, salt
• Curry - Curry powder, garlic powder, coriander, salt
• Herb - Herb de Provence works great mixed with salt

Directions

Mix cauliflower with olive oil in a large bowl. Sprinkle on the selected spice mixture evenly. If cooking in an oven, spread on a cookie sheet in one layer and roast at 400F. If cooking on the grill, cook on medium-high heat shaking the basket every 10 minutes. Cook until florets are brown and charred in some places, 20-25 minutes.

For Technologists

Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics, like learning data science principals from fourth grade class rules or what agile teams can learn from first graders.

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Pork Bourguignon with Roasted Potatoes and Cauliflower

I love beef bourguignon and thought to give it a try with pork. In this case, I bought a pork shoulder, half that I used to smoke and half that I used for this dish. I made the classic dish, then added roasted cauliflower and potatoes as a bonus add on.

My only issue with the approach was the rendered fat from the pork made for a greasy sauce. You can see it on the rim of the plate in the attached photo. If I used a leaner cut of meat then I doubt it would stand up to the cooking time. Suggested improvements welcome!

Ingredients

• Four slices of bacon diced up
• Pork shoulder - about 2-3 pounds, cut into 1 inch cubes.
• Flour (whole wheat works fine)
• Large onion and three large carrots diced
• Tomato paste
• Cup of beef broth
• Bottle of pinot noir 
• Bouquet Garni of thyme, basil, and oregano
• Small red potatoes cut in half
• Cauliflower, cut into small florets
• Package of mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Salt, pepper, more basil, thyme and oregano

Directions

Put oven on 350F. Mixed the pork with flour, salt, and pepper until pieces are well covered. Warm up the dutch oven on low-medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp and fat rendered, about 15 minutes. Remove the bacon and save for later. Remove all but one table spoon of the rendered bacon fat and save the rest for later.

Add the pork to the dutch oven and brown in small batches so that each batch has sufficient space to brown. About 5 minutes per batch, and add a tablespoon of bacon fat to fry up each batch.

Add a table spoon of bacon fat and render the onion and carrots for about 10 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and allow to brown. Deglaze the pan with the broth, then add the full bottle of pinot noir and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer, cover, and move to a middle rack in the oven. 

While the pork is cooking, slice potatoes in half and cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Mix with olive oil, bacon fat, salt, pepper, and herbs and spread one layer on 1-2 baking sheets. Bake on the top rack for forty minutes.

Saute mushrooms. About 75 minutes into the cooking pour into the dutch oven and mix. Cook for fifteen more minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to settle for 10-15 minutes. Remove the Bouquet Garni. Ladle into bowls and add potatoes, cauliflower, and bacon.

For Technologists

This recipe requires a little bit of planning to have things ready at certain times so that the dish can be completed efficiently. Have the pork ready to add to the oven after the bacon completes. Get the pork baking in the oven and leave you enough time to get the potatoes and cauliflower prepped and cooking.

My post, Defining the Agile Planning Sprint attempts to lay out a similar structure for developing and estimating stories in time for a development sprint. It is a defined, 5-day process starting with gathering business requirements and ending with a structured breakdown of story stubs (not fully defined stories) that can be reviewed and analyzed for software architecture and other considerations.
 

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Simple Grilled Kale With Plums

Here's another approach to grilled kale - call it the fifteen minute, two ingredient version. Ronan's grilled kale is a better recipe if you ate preparing this dish for guests and this is the version I do when I just need something quick.

Chop the kale into large bite-sized pieces. Toss with about a quarter cup of olive oil and plenty of salt. Place chopped kale in a deep grill basket and grill on medium heat with top closed. Shake and turn every five minutes until the leaves are wilted, about 10-15 minutes in total. Place kale on platter and add olive oil if the kale looks dry. Serve with sliced plums.

Also works well with peaches, nectarines and strawberries.

For Technologists

I wrote a post about three years ago stating, "I firmly believe the best products are simple." It was a plea to agile product owners to stop over complicating their products and features with too many bells and whistles and other nuances that add to complexity. MVP - minimal viable product - also works well in cooking with good ingredients and simple techniques.

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Grilled Salmon and Kale Chips

Sweet and salty kale chips are a unique and healthy accompaniment to rich salmon fillets.  Perfect any time of the year, but especially good now as the summer wanes and the fall approaches.  Sit on the deck or patio and enjoy a nice glass of wine while you dine.  This recipe is a family favorite – and you can never make enough kale chips.

 

 

Ingredients

For the kale chips:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (we use the minimum or less to make it less spicy)

1 medium bunch kale (12 oz.), washed, stemmed and chopped into 1” pieces

* We always double the kale chips – as I said for our family there can never be enough

For the salmon:

Salmon fillets (6-8 oz. each)

Olive oil

Fresh parsley, washed and finely chopped

Sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper, if desired

* There endless recipes for grilling salmon, pick your favorite or use this simple but fresh one

Directions

For the kale chips:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place rack(s) in center of oven
• Whisk all ingredients except kale in a small bowl
• Place kale in a large bowl and toss with dressing to coat
• Spread kale onto baking sheet in a single layer (you may have to do this in batches)
• Bake for 8-10 minutes
• Toss chips with a wooden spatula and return to oven for another 7-8 minutes, until crispy throughout

For the salmon:

• Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil grill grate
• Brush salmon fillets with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt (and black pepper if desired) and parsley
• Cook salmon 6-8 minutes per side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork

For Technologists

Salmon…they swim upstream…which makes me think of the struggles we sometime experience in growing and maturing our Agile practice.  Not all areas of an organization come along for the swim and partnering and collaborating is not always easy.  But as the saying goes, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” and in the end everything will be delicious.  See more on this topic at Isaac’s post on driving an agile culture.

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Hot Garlic Grilled Shrimp

Need a quick recipe to try out the mortar and pestle? Try this one. It's a relatively quick recipe plus marinade time and is very flavorful.

This recipe should come our flavorful and spicy. If you like it hotter, consider balancing the recipe with more chili and less garlic. You can also double up the ingredients and coat the shrimp more.

I serve this as an appetizer. It's gone by the time I reach the table.

Ingredients

• About a lb of large 12-16 count shrimp
• Kosher salt (tsp)
• Garlic (3-4 cloves)
• Thai chili peppers (2, or use serrano peppers)
• Cumin seeds
• Olive oil
• Lime
• Cilantro

Directions

Peel and clean the shrimp and put into a bowl. Add salt, garlic, peppers, and seeds to the mortar and pestle. Crush, then add olive oil to form a paste. Pour on the shrimp and mix evenly. Cover and let it marinade for about an hour.

Turn grill on high and allow to warm up at least fifteen minutes. Spread shrimp out evenly and cook about 1-2 minutes per side.

Pull from grill onto a plate. Squeeze in a lime and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

For Technologists

Like I said, this is a very basic recipe and you can find versions and variants of it on many web sites. There is still a lot you can learn from the basics, like what data scientists can learn from fourth graders or my post on what agile teams can learn from first graders.

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Octoberfest Poached Salmon

I have several variants of this recipe, but this one is great for the early fall. It has the hearty flavors from the beer, beans, and spices inspired by German beer and sausage, but is light and easy to cooking on a hot day.

This recipe is better done with a thin filet of salmon left with the skin on.

Ingredients

• Handful of cumin seeds and fennel seeds
• About a teaspoon of ancho chili powder and a pinch of chipotle pepper powder, but use what you have
• Olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
• Half a large yellow onion sliced thin
• Two garlic cloves, sliced
• Thai chili pepper or substitute a serrano or jalapeno pepper
• Olive oil
• Half a bottle of Octoberfest beer
• Salmon fillet, skin on, not longer than the width of your frying pan
• Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
• Half can of kidney beans
• Optional, butter 2 tablespoons of butter

Directions

Put a frying pan on a low-medium burner and toast the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and chili powder for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add olive oil and saute the onion, garlic and chili pepper for 5-6 minutes. Pour in enough beer to cover the bottom of the pan and 1/3 of the thickness of the fillet but not too much where the salmon skin will be submerged - about a half bottle. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Sprinkle the salmon skin with salt and pepper and add to the pan skin side up. Cover and simmer 5-6 minutes.

Remove the salmon from the pan. Add the beans and butter if you want that restaurant glaze. Cook and stir 1-2 more minutes. Place beans and some of the onions on top of the salmon and pour the sauce on the side.

For Technologists

I'm providing a recipe in September to prep you for October. It's a little like how I run a tight agile shop and have developed practices around agile planning. For example, I ask my teams to have at least two sprints of backlog fully defined (stories written and sized) along with a deeper backlog of estimated stories. It's one of the practices I recommend for improving agile team velocity.

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End of Summer Salsa

I love making salsas, especially at the end of summer when there is an abundance of ripe delicious vegetables. This recipe was inspire by my neighbor, who has us come over every year to pick vegetables from her garden. What should I do with all the Thai chili peppers that we picked? Here's one suggestion, but be careful! They are super hot!

Ingredients

3-4 ripe, off the vine tomatoes
1/2 a large yellow onion
1-2 Thai chili peppers (any hot pepper is fine)
2 scallions
2 handfuls of chopped cilantro
1/2 lime
salt

Directions

Dice tomato. I find it easy to do this with tomatoes off the vine by slicing them, then dicing each slice. Cut the onion into a super fine dice and add both to a bowl. Chop the chili pepper into very small bits and add. Add chopped scallions and cilantro. Squeeze in mix lime juice and add salt. Mix well together and add salt to taste.

For Technologists

Simple ingredients used in simple recipes often yield amazing results. It reminds me of my post, Trying to Develop a Death Star or a Flux Capacitor and on developing minimal viable products. Amazing how many product owners working with agile teams don't "get" this, and over-engineer their products.

  

 

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Simple Diner Potatoes

Diners are often a big disappointment. Flat omelets, greasy potatoes, weak coffee, or slow service are common with many Diners, and the gems are not in my local area. So every once and awhile I will make diner food at home.

For breakfast, that means potatoes with omelets. I can make the potatoes easily if I start when the kids are still asleep. This is also a great recipe if you have potatoes that are starting to go bad.

Ingredients

• 4-5 medium sized red or white potatoes cleaned and dry
• 1 large onion
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Herb de Provence or a mix of basil, oregano, and thyme
• Granulated garlic

Directions

Slice onion into strips and saute in a large frying pan. Cut potatoes into medium sized cubes (see photo) and add to the pan. Saute for 15 minutes flipping every couple of minutes and adding salt every  five minutes. Add garlic and herbs until well covered and saute another 5 minute.

Serve with omelet or scrambled eggs. 

For Technologists

This is a good example of when doing something yourself may be better than buying or leveraging something from a third party. Specifically, you may not need to leverage an entire javascript or java library if all you need is a simple algorithm that you can develop rather quickly and also not be concerned over performance, security, maintainability or other issues. If you are in an early stage startup, some of my old and not entirely outdated advice on choosing a development platform is worth reviewing.

 

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