Slim Man Cooks Red Wine Sauce for Fish, Chicken, Whatever…

I'd made a red wine sauce before, but it wasn’t where I wanted it to be.  The sauce was a little bland, and a little thin.  I kept on making batches of red wine sauce, and none was good enough for you, my Slim People.It was bugging me.  It was keeping me up at night.  And then, around dawn, it dawned on me.I added a little tomato paste to the sauce to thicken it up and give it a little zing.  Then I added a little dried oregano to give it some zip.  Zip!  Zing!  It turned out great.Oregano is the only herb that I prefer dried.  Basil?  I rarely use dried basil, it is nowhere near as good as fresh.  Rosemary?  Same thing.  Oregano?  I like the dried oregano more than the fresh.  It tastes mo’ better to me.  But what do I know?A few things before we get started…I put this sauce over ahi tuna steaks. The tuna steaks I used were about an inch and a half thick.  Over medium-high heat, I cooked them for 90 seconds per side.  They turned out great—the pepper/salt/sugar that I had sprinkled on top gave them a nice sear, and they were a beautiful pink on the inside.You can also use this sauce over grilled chicken, steak au poivre, or use it as a hair gel or massage oil. She's a-so nice!Also, when you light your cognac on fire, be careful.  Yes, the subsequent explosion of flame looks so cool and very dramatic, but have the fire department on the line in one hand, and a garden hose in the other.Also, right before you light the cognac, if there are people around that you don’t like, gather them close to the flame.  Or better yet—have them light the cognac.  Stand behind them.Here we go…INGREDIENTS2 ahi tuna steaks, about a half pound (8 ounces) each4 tablespoons butter4 tablespoons olive oilFresh ground black pepperKosher salt (I use it for taste, not for religious reasons, Shalom!)Brown sugar or raw/turbinado sugar (I sometimes use plain sugar in a pinch)2 ounces of cognac2 tablespoons chopped shallots1 tablespoon chopped garlic½ cup red wine½ cup stock (I used beef)½ teaspoon dried oregano2 tablespoons tomato paste The sauce:In a small pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and 2 tablespoons of olive oilWhen the butter melts…Add the 2 tablespoons of chopped shallots, and the tablespoon garlicCook about 2 minutes, stir a few timesAdd the 2 ounces of cognacStand back, Jack, and set it on fire with one of those long-ass lightersWhen the cognac burns off…Add the 1/2 cup red wine, and the1/2 cup beef stockTurn the heat on medium-high and reduce for about 5 minutesAdd the oregano, stirAdd tomato paste, stir in for a minute or soRemove from heatLet's cook some fish:Rinse and pat dry the ahi tuna steaksAdd some fresh cracked black pepper, some kosher salt and a sprinkle of turibinado/brown sugar on top of each steakGet a fry pan, put it over medium-high heatAdd 2 tabespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oilWhen the butter starts to smoke, add the tuna, peppered side downLightly salt and pepper and sugar the non-spiced sideAfter 90 seconds, turn overCook for another minute and a halfPlate it upPut some greens on a plate, place the tuna on top, drizzle just a little red wine sauce over each piece, and… MANGIAMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slim Man Cooks Slim's Manly Balls of Salmon

I’ve promised myself to stay positive.So, instead of saying I’m sick of salmon, I’m gonna say…I’m glad I have teeth so I can eat.But I’m getting sick of salmon. That’s all the women folks want to eat these days. So…what’s a Man to do with all that leftover salmon?Make salmon balls! They’re Manly!They make a great appetizer, you can put a bunch of ‘em on a plate and call them an entrée, you can use them when you do your juggling routine, but most important…they’re really good.I made a quick aioli sauce, which sounds fancy, but ain’t; it’s quick and simple and Manly and she’s a-so nice! It’s basically mayo and mustard and garlic, and it takes 7.9 seconds to make.The toughest part of this recipe is pulling the balls off the salmon.NOTES:You’ll need to squeeze your balls gently. There are little pockets of air, and by gently squeezing your balls, they’ll be tighter, and they won’t fall apart when you cook ‘em.INGREDIENTS2 cups leftover salmon filet, crumbled, any skin and bones removed1 ½ cups leftover roasted potatoes, cooked, smashed (I used red)2 eggs, beaten½ cup panko bread crumbs2 tablespoons parsley, choppedS&P1 tablespoon olive oil (to sauté the shallots and red bell pepper)2 tablespoons shallot, minced2 tablespoons red bell pepper, chopped4 tablespoons olive oil (to sauté your balls)1 cup flour (you might not need it all)This recipe yields 18 balls. At least it did for me…HERE WE GO!Put the leftover salmon, the potatoes, the eggs, the bread crumbs and the parsley in a small bowl. Mix gently.Add salt and pepper; I used a shy teaspoon of coarse Kosher salt and the same of fresh cracked black pepper. Mick ‘em up!and mix again, by hand. Be gentle!Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and red bell pepper, and cook and stir for just a couple minutes. Shake gently while cooking.Put the shallots and red bell peppers in the bowl with the other stuff.When it's cool, dig in with your mitts, and mick ‘em up. Mix until it feels right, you don’t want it too smooth or too chunky. You’ll know when it’s right.Take some of this delectable mixture, about the size of a golf ball, and put it in your palm, and roll it into a ball.This next step is important. Squeeze your balls gently. There are little pockets of air, and by gently squeezing your balls, they’ll be tighter, and they won’t fall apart.So squeeze your salmon ball in one palm, then toss it into your other palm and gently squeeze, then toss it back in the other palm and squeeze. Do this a couple times. You’ll feel like a real Italian.Do this with all the salmon stuff. I rolled 18 salmon balls.Get a large sauté pan, put it over medium-high heat.Put in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.Get a large plate, put the flour in it and spread it around.Take a salmon ball, gently roll it in the flour, shake off the excess.Do this with all your balls, and then saute IMMEDIATELY! You leave your balls sitting around, and they’ll get soggy. And nobody likes soggy balls.Put the salmon balls in the olive oil, cook until golden, about 2 or 3 minutes.Turn ‘em over, and cook on the other side until golden, about 2 or 3 minutes.Remove to a platter lined with a couple layers of paper towels.Dish it up!Serve it on one of them good-looking plates you save for Thanksgiving, add a sprig of parsley, and put a little Slim Aioli on the side, or some plain mustard or tartar sauce and…MANGIAMO!

Slim's Manly Aioli Sauce

I was trying to come up with a catchy name for this sauce. At first I was thinking…Slim’s Special Maytard Sauce. But it didn’t have that ring and zing I was looking for.Whatever you call it, this sauce is quick and easy and delizioso. And it’s manly—strong and brave, but not as hairy and stubborn.It’s basically an aioli sauce; the word is hard to pronounce…ah-ee-OH-lee, but the aioli sauces are some of my favorites. Aioli comes from aglio, the Italian word for garlic, which is the dominant flavor in this here Slim Sauce.Gilroy, California, is the Garlic Capital of the World. Just thought I’d toss that out there.NOTES:If you want a little sweetness, add a little honey at the end.   INGREDIENTS 6 tablespoons mayo2 tablespoons Dijon mustard1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon minced garlic[OPTIONAL] 1 teaspoon raw honeyHERE WE GO!Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk whisk whisk, or put them in a jar with a lid, and shake shake shake!You can pour it in shot glasses and drink it down, but I strongly suggest you use it as a dipping sauce. It goes well with Slim’s Poached Salmon, or Slim’s Manly Balls of Salmon.MANGIAMO!

Slim Man Cooks Another Tomato Sauce

When I first started making tomato sauce, I minced the garlic. Then, one night, a Lady People friend of mine didn’t want minced garlic, she wanted sliced garlic, so that’s what I started doing.Then, I was making a tomato sauce for some meatballs for a restaurant in Palm Springs, Californy, where I was singing, and I thought it might be mo’ better if I used whole smashed cloves, so people could remove them more easily if they wanted.Because, if some octagenarian was eating a meatball, and got a whole clove of garlic stuck in their choppers and had a heart attack, that might not be good for business.So now I use whole, smashed garlic cloves when I make a tomato sauce. And you know what? It tastes better, and the fussy people can pick them out if they want.This tomato sauce is your go-to sauce and I’ll tell you why. You need a simple sauce when you’re making manicotti, eggplant parmigiana, or pizza, things like that. You load up your tomato sauce with a ton of stuff like carrots or celery or onion or oregano and all of a sudden you got too many flavors going on when you add it to something else.And sometimes a simple tomato sauce is great over pasta. My favorite pre-show dish is this sauce with penne rigate.So if you come up and say hi after a Slim Show, and I’ve got the old garlic breath kicking, you’ll know why.NOTES:I’ve been using Cento Italian tomatoes, they come in a 35-ounce can. I like them because they taste great, and the cans are lined, and I’ve been hearing some weird stuff about aluminum cans these days.Most Italian tomatoes come in 28-ounce cans. So, if you’re using 28-ounce cans, use two. I don’t think you’ll need to increase anything, there’s enough garlic here to keep vampires away for years. But if you want to add a little more garlic--or salt or basil--go ahead, Slim People!INGREDIENTSItalian tomatoes (one 35-ounce can, or two 28-ounce cans)8 cloves garlic3 tablespoons olive oilCrushed red pepper to taste (I use a ½ teaspoon)Salt (I use coarse Kosher, about a teaspoon)Fresh basil leaves (a bunch, a small handful)HERE WE GO!Put your tomatoes in a large bowl. Smoosh them with your hands, dig in with your mitts and squeeze the tomatoes. Remove any funky-looking stuff…skin, stalks, and especially that yellow stringy stem in the center of each tomato. Smoosh until smoovy-smoov.Take a garlic clove, smash it with the broad side of a knife. Smash it good and flat! Remove the skin.Put the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, and add the crushed red pepper, let it heat up for a minute or two.Add the smashed garlic, let it cook for a couple minutes. DON’T LET THE GARLIC BURN! It tastes nasty when it does.When the underside turns pale gold, turn over each clove, and sauté on the other side for a couple of minutes until pale gold. PALE, Slim Folks!Then, turn the heat to high, and add the tomatoes.Add the salt.Take a half-dozen basil leaves, snip them with scissors, right into the sauce.Give it a stir.When the sauce begins to bubble and boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Be gentle, SlimNation. Gentle and kind.After 20 minutes, take a few more basil leaves, and snip them right into the sauce with your scissors, give it a stir, and taste for salt and adjust.There ya go! Use this sauce over pasta, or use it with manicotti, eggplant parmigiano, pizza, bruschetta, and…MANGIAMO!!!

Slim Man Cooks Macadamia and Panko Crusted Halibut

Slim Man Cooks Macadamia and Panko Crusted HalibutSome friends asked me to dogsit while they were at a wedding in Hawaii. The house was in Carslbad, and there was a fish market nearby, and they had the freshest halibut in the known universe. Every morning, the fishermen would bring it in. She was a-so nice!The fish was so fresh one of them pinched me on the buttcheek as I passed by.When my amigos got back from Hawaii, they brought some macadamia nuts. The nuts had honey on them, I mean, they were good, but maybe not good to cook with.So I got some regular, ridiculously expensive macadamia nuts at the grocery, grabbed a box of panko breadcrumbs, and went back to the house.Now, I’ve made halibut fish sticks before, they’re in the Slim Man Cooks cookbook; I made them with breadcrumbs and toasted pine nuts and dill.But I wanted to do something a little different. So I used macadamia nuts instead, and Italian flavored panko breadcrumbs. Lots of recipes call for garlic powder and onion powder, but I thought I’d give those two a break for a change.So I just added a little dried oregano and dried basil. She was a-so nice! You’ll need a total of 1 tablespoon. Instead of oregano and basil, you could use fresh rosemary chopped up, or fresh Italian flat leaf parsley chopped up, or thyme.In this recipe, THYMING is everything! You gotta dip the halibut in the egg, and then immediately press both sides in the breadcrumb/nut mix, and then sauté right away. You can’t do these in advance. Dip and fry, Slim People! INGREDIENTS1 pound skinless halibut filet, cut into rectangles, maybe 2 by 4 (inches, not feet)2 eggsSalt and pepper1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs½ cup macadamia nuts, chop your nuts fine!1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basil½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper¼ cup olive oilHERE WE GO!Rinse your fish sticks off in cold water.Pat them dry with paper towels.Put ‘em on a platter.Take the eggs, break them in a bowl (I use a glass pie plate), add salt and pepper, and beat the crap out of them.Take the panko breadcrumbs, put them in a glass pie plate, or a large plate.Add the minced macadamia nuts, the oregano, the basil and the salt and pepper, and mick ‘em up!Put the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Toss in a couple breadcrumbs. When they start to brown, it’s time to get moving!Dip a fish stick in the egg, get it coated, let the excess drip off.Press each side into the breadcrumb/nut mix.Put it in the pan.Do this with all the fish sticks.Slim Folks…thick pieces of fish take longer to cook than thinner pieces. The objective here is to have them be golden brown on the outside, and moist and tender on the inside.Let the fish sticks cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the underside is golden brown, and flip ‘em over!Well, don’t literally flip them over, be gentle, turn them over, let them cook on the other side for 2 or 3 minutes, until golden brown.Remove them from the pan, put them on a platter lined with a layer or two of paper towels.Dish it up! Put a piece of fish on a good-looking plate, serve with a wedge of lemon, and maybe a side dish of penne with a simple tomato sauce, and maybe some sautéed broccolini, and… MANGIAMO! 

Slim Man Cooks Halibut Marsala

Slim Man Cooks Halibut MarsalaCooking can be a challenge sometimes. Not necessarily the cooking itself, it’s the people you’re cooking for! This one doesn’t eat dairy, that one doesn’t eat chicken, the other one doesn’t eat onions, another one doesn’t eat anything that had a mother…what’s a man to do?Well, I had some halibut, it was fresh and wild and caught that morning. I got it at the local fish store in Carlsbad, California. So I had that to work with. I was thinking of making a white wine sauce, but I wanted something different. So I figured I’d try a Marsala sauce on a piece of fish. Why fish? Because this one doesn’t eat chicken. And that one doesn’t eat veal.And Marsala sauce would be good on fish, especially a fish like halibut, and especially if you’re cooking for a Lady People. You see, Lady People like their sauce on the side. And Marsala sauce is cooked separately; you make the fish in one pan, and the sauce in another. So I dusted the halibut with flour that had been salted and peppered, and then sautéed it over medium-high heat in olive oil. Why olive oil, why not my usual combo of olive oil and butter?Because that one doesn’t do dairy. They’ll do eggs, but no dairy.So…I had it all figured out. I made the Marsala sauce first. As soon as it was done, I made the pasta, and drizzled it with olive oil and a little Marsala sauce. As soon as that was done, I cooked the fish, it only took 6 minutes.Why didn’t I do it all at once? Because the “F” factor goes way up when you have three things on the stove at the same time.So here we go, I’ll step you through it.NOTE!!! Prep your porcini mushrooms first! Put them in a cup of water and let them soak for 20 or 30 minutes. And cook the fish as soon as you flour it; you leave it sitting around and it won't fry right. And you know what Nat King Cole said...straighten up and fry right!Ingredients1 ½ pounds halibut filets, cut into rectangles½ ounce or more of dried porcini mushrooms (soaked in a bowl with 1 cup of water for a minimum of 20 minutes—don’t throw out the water!)1 cup flour7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1 shallot, chopped fine, about ¼ cup4 garlic cloves, sliced thin, about 1 tablespoon1 cup sweet Marsala1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped½ pound of egg noodles—pappardelle work wellKosher salt and pepper to tasteHere we go!Let’s make the sauce first.Remove the porcini mushrooms from the cup of water with a slotted spoon.Take the remaining porcini water and strain through cheesecloth into a bowl. I’ve used paper towels, coffee filters, whatever you use, save the water!Rinse off the mushrooms and pat dry. Chop into small pieces.Put a small sauté pan over medium-high heat.Add 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil, (or one each of butter and olive oil).When the oil starts to shimmer, add the shallots.Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until the shallots just start to brown.Add the garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Give it a stir.Add the Marsala.Add the cup of porcini water.Turn the heat to high and let it cook for 2 minutes.Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the porcini mushrooms.Cook for 2 minutes while stirring.Add the rosemary. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.Turn the heat to the lowest, and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. You can whisk in a sprinkle or three of flour if you want it to be a little thicker, more gravy-like.Now let’s make the pasta…follow the directions on the box, or follow mine…get a large pot, fill it with cold water, put it on the highest heat ya got, when it comes to a boil, add a couple tablespoons of salt (I use Kosher, Mazel Tov!), and then add the pasta. KEEP THE HEAT ON HIGH AT ALL TIMES!When it’s al dente, firm to the bite, drain it and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, and mix gently. Add a couple tablespoons of the Marsala sauce and mix gently. Gently, Slim People!And Now for the Halibut…Rinse off your halibut filets and pat them dry with paper towels.Take the flour and put it on a flat plate. Add salt and pepper and whisk it up.Take a halibut filet, and press each side into the flour, shake off excess, put on a plate.Get a large sauté pan. Put it over medium-high heat.Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil. (Or 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil).When the oil starts to shimmer, add the halibut.Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until golden. Thicker pieces take longer.Flip ’em over. GENTLY!Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on the other side until golden.Put the fish on a platter.Plate ’em up! Put a piece of fish on a dish, a good-looking dish, not a paper plate, add a little pasta, then drizzle a little sauce over the fish and pasta, garnish with a sprig of rosemary, and…MANGIAMO!

Slim Man Cooks a Parmigiano Cheese Bowl

This is gonna be quick and easy and fun and delizioso…For each bowl, grate about a ½ cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.Get a 12-inch, non-stick sauté pan, put it over medium to medium-high heat.Put the cheese in the pan, spread in a thin layer (make a 7-inch disk), and let it cook until it starts to bubble and brown, about 3 minutes.Remove the pan from the heat for a minute.Get a small soup bowl, place it upside down.Get a spatula, and carefully remove the cheese disk from the pan, and place it on the upside-down bowl.Form the cheese around the bowl, and let it cool for a minute or two.Take the cheese—carefully—off the bowl, and you should have a delicious and edible bowl, perfect for pasta cacio e pepe, or Slim's Hail Caesar salad.MANGIAMO! 

Slim Man Cooks Pesto Chicken Thighs

I love thighs. Let’s face it people, thighs are lovely. Whether you’re talking about a piece of chicken, or the female anatomy, thighs are the best.They’re soft. Kinda sexy. Juicy.Chicken breasts? They tend to dry out when you’re cooking them. They’re really good for some things, like cutlets and Milanese and chicken piccata, but in general, I prefer chicken thighs.I also love pesto. I got a little sick of it when my dad--we called him Paps--made so much pesto we were using it on our cornflakes in the morning. But after I got over my overdose of pesto, I started really enjoying it.Pesto is so good for so many things. You can put it on a piece of salmon, you can put a dollop in soup, you can put a tablespoon or two in an omelette. You can use it as a hair gel! Pesto is the best-o.So, I thought I would combine my two loves, pesto and chicken thighs, so I came up with…Pesto chicken thighs! I put the “J” back in genius with this recipe.Some say a thigh is just a thigh, but these pesto chicken thighs are special, delizioso. And quick. And healthy.So let’s dig right in and start cooking. You know, Slim People, sometimes cooking doesn’t have to be all complicated and time-consuming.Sometimes it’s easy. Like this recipe…INGREDIENTS4 chicken thighs, boneless, about a poundOlive oil (a couple tablespoons or so)Salt and fresh-cracked black pepper4 tablespoons of pesto sauce (I make my own, it’s in the Slim Man Cooks cookbook, it’s quick!)A couple tablespoons of toasted pine nuts (toasted in a dry pan, medium heat, until golden)Here we go!OK, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.Take your thighs and rinse them in cold water. Do the same with the chicken thighs. Notice the difference.Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels.Trim off any funkiness, any fat, any leftover bone splinters and such.Put the chicken thighs in a baking dish.Drizzle with some olive oil.Make sure they’re all coated, rub your thighs!Add some salt and fresh-cracked black pepper.Make sure every thigh gets some love.Put the top side of the thighs on the bottom of the baking dish.Put the thighs in the oven for 20 minutes.Take them out, turn them over, and bake for another 10 minutes.When the thighs have come to about 165 degrees (I use a meat thermometer, not the one I use for the dogs) they are done.Take them out of the oven, and turn the oven to broil.Smear about a tablespoon of pesto on top of each chicken thigh. Be smoov!Put them under the broiler for about a minute or two, until the pesto is golden brown.Take them out of the oven, sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts.Put them on a platter, garnish with a sprig of basil, serve with a hunk of crusty bread, or my tomato salad, or both, and…MANGIAMO!