Money on the Table Episode 2 Show Notes

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In Episode 2 of Money on the Table, we prepared steamed musself with leeks, a charcuterie board and a fresh tomato bruschetta. If you want to try this at home, check out the recipes below.

Tomato Bruschetta

One of Julien’s favorite quotes is “simplicity is not easy” and there are few things simpler to make than a tomato bruschetta.  The key here is to have a sharp knife so you don’t squash the tomato or the bread.  Also, if you dice the tomato too large, they won’t absorb the balsamic vinegar as well.  If you dice them too small, it’ll turn into a mushy and soggy mess. Try to get a nice medium dice so the tomatoes are flavorful, maintain their texture and can fit on top of your grilled bread

Ingredients:

  • 3 Ripe tomatoes, medium diced
  • Aged balsamic vinegar, 4 oz
  • Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons
  • fresh torn basil, 5 large leaves
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Cracked black pepper, fresh, to taste
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

  1. Dice the tomatoes, using a sharp or serrated knife.  Set aside in a clean bow
  2. Add the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil.  Stir to combine.
  3. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Serve with grilled bread, topped with Parmesan cheese (if preferred). This can hold for 1 day refrigerated but is best when it’s fresh.

Charcuterie (meat and cheese board)

There is no right or wrong way to make a meat and cheese board [aka charcuterie] but we do recommend having a variety of flavors and textures when possible.  Basically, you want to have some things that are salty, sweet, crispy, soft and savory.  So have fun, mix it up and try something new!  It’s the perfect accompaniment to a simple tomato bruschetta or as a first course in a dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • Prosciutto (cured ham)
  • Salami
  • Mozzarella
  • Parmesan Cheese Wedge
  • Marinated Anchovies
  • Olives (assorted)
  • Whole grain mustard
  • Honey
  • Fresh fruit (green pear, figs, and/or grapes)

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Steamed Mussels and Leeks

During our debt payoff days, we’d regularly treat ourselves to a giant plate of mussels.  It was easy to make and made us feel like we were on vacation, even though we were having a night in!  Always, always, always have extra grilled bread on hand so you can sop up the delicious aromatic broth in this dish. 

Ingredients:

  • Fresh mussels (1 lb)
  • Leeks, rinsed, cleaned, dried and julienned
  • Fresh herbs (parsley, dill, tarragon, basil, and thyme)
  • White wine, 1 cup
  • Tomato, medium dice
  • Butter, 3 tablespoons

Directions:

  1. Clean and rinse the mussels in ice cold water to remove all the lingering grains of sand.  
  2. Make sure the mussels are fresh [alive] by ensuring they are closed.  If they are open, you can squeeze the shells to see if they slowly close on their own.  If they do, they’re alive.  If they don’t discard, they’re dead and should be discarded.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan on medium heat.
  4. Add sliced leeks to the pan and stir continuously for two minutes as to not brown or burn them.
  5. Add diced tomato and stir for one minute to soften.
  6. Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow to reduce by half. Then add 3/4 of the fresh herbs.  
  7. Add fresh mussels to the pan and immediately cover with a lid, sheet tray or another pan. Allow mussels to steam for three minutes or until all the shells have opened
  8. Remove the lid and stir in the remaining butter to blend with the white wine and liquid released from the mussels
  9. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with remaining herbs and serve immediately!
Episode 2 now streaming on YouTube, Facebook Watch and IGTV
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Show notes, blogs and articles

Here are a list of related blogs and articles you may want to check out

Articles

  • Pew Research: The Sandwich Generation
  • CNBC: Black professionals hold just 3.2% of executive and senior manager positions and less than 1% of Fortune 500 CEO spots.
  • Essence.com More than 70% of Black mothers are either the sole or primary breadwinners for their families
  • Washington Post: You would have to combine the net worth of 11.5 Black households to get the net worth of a typical white US household
  • CNBC Since 2007, the number of firms owned by African American women has grown by 164%, the fastest growth of any racial group.

Black businesses featured/mentioned in this episode

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