Lemongrass chicken

Our dinner plans were waylaid for 2 nights in a row after I planned this meal, resulting in a 36 hour marinating time by the time we finally got around to eating this chicken. It probably doesn't need 36 hours, but holy cow, er, holy chicken, was it tender and flavorful!  The fresh lemongrass is amazing.  The caramel was a little tricky in that you need to watch it. I over did it the first time and had to start over- but it was a fun lesson in the properties of sugar. Adapted slightly from a recipe in Food & Wine's Chef Recipes Made Easy from Eric and Sophie Banh, who own Monsoon in Seattle.

Can't. Stop. Adding. Kale. To. Things.

Lemongrass Chicken

Smirking delicious chicken.

4-6 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 T Asian fish sauce
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
6 T sugar
3 T canola oil
2 fresh lemongrass stalks, tender inner white part, minced
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (may substitute a small red onion)
1 jalapeno, diced and seeded (may decrease or increase depending on taste)
1/3 c cilantro, chopped

Combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 2 T of sugar in a small bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.  Let it marinate for up to 36 hours if you have time, although you can also cook it immediately.
In a small skillet, mix the remaining sugar or honey with 3 T water and cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T water.  Transfer the caramel to a small heatproof bowl.  Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the oil, and let it heat up. Add the lemongrass, shallot and jalapeno and stir-fry for a minute. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry over moderate heat until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is slightly thickened- about 6-8 minutes depending on your chicken. Toss with cilantro and serve over rice.

Steamed Jasmine Rice with Kale and Scallions
A quickie side dish that I threw together just so I could add kale to our meal.  

4 cups cooked jasmine rice
1 cup finely chopped kale with tough ribs removed
2 scallions
dash white pepper
1 tsp canola oil

Heat the canola oil in a large pan. Add the scallions and stir-fry for a minute. Add the kale and stir-fry for an additional minute, until it is a rich, dark green.  Toss the rice in and add a dash of white pepper. Toss until everything is mixed together. Serve.

Stir-fried Asparagus
My standard stir-fry that I make with just about any vegetable. Today it was asparagus.  Snap the tough ends off.  The asparagus will tell you where to snap it- it should be as close to the tough purple end as possible, but it should snap off easily. You really don't need to peel your asparagus. I have never understood why this is necessary- plus you lose all that fiber. Having grown up on an asparagus farm, I could think of about 50 more things to share about my absolute favorite vegetable.  For the haters who say it's too mushy, my response is that you are cooking it too long. Mushy asparagus is gross.  If you stir-fry it, it can still have a little texture. If you like it softer, just cook it a little longer.  And don't leave out the garlic. 

1 bunch of asparagus, about 1 lbs, with the ends snapped off, and cut on the diagonal
2-4 T water or chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 T canola oil

Heat the canola oil in a pan until it sizzles when you add a drop of water. Add the garlic and stir, but don't let it burn.  Add the asparagus and stir-fry until it is tender, about 3-5 minutes. Midway through, when the pan is  starting to get dry, add the chicken stock or water.  Add salt to taste.  If you like your asparagus on the tender side, turn the heat off and cover the pan for a minute or two.  (If you let this step last too long, your vegetable can get overdone. Don't say I didn't warn you.) Serve.

Please leave us a comment. Even if it's a complaint that I haven't posted in a couple of months! Hey, we've been busy!

Circassian, Cardassian, Kardashian, or Cesarean Chicken?

It's actually Circassian Chicken, modified slightly from Hank Shaw's recipe on http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/circassian_chicken/.  Traditional Circassian Chicken is a Turkish dish, served cold, that calls for walnuts, not pecans. Which is maybe why the kids didn't quite get the name of the dish, and dinner conversation mainly revolved around whether or not the members of the Obsidian order or the reality TV Kardashian family ate this for dinner.  And finally, "So Mom, what did you say it was? Cesarean chicken? So did you have to cut this dish out of some chicken's belly?" JUST EAT YOUR DINNER!

The red pepper strips add a delightful sweet crunch.

Circassian Chicken
This meal is actually a sleeper hit, and quick to prepare. We substituted pecans for walnuts, and cilantro for parsley.  The cayenne spices things up a bit, so use a little less if you want it milder, or use a dollop or two of Greek yogurt to cut the (very mild) heat. You can serve this plain, but we loved it with toast triangles and a side of crispy Cesarean, er Cesar Salad.  Also good the next day as a chicken sandwich filling, or in a pita roll with some fresh, crisp lettuce and juicy tomato. 

2 skinless chicken breasts
4 T olive oil
4 tsp paprika
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
3 cloves garlic
2 T green onions, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 T chopped cilantro or parsley
1 1/2 c chopped spinach
2 slices of wheat bread, preferably stale
1 quart of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced

Bring the chicken stock to a low boil and add the chicken breasts, letting them simmer for about 10 minutes before removing from the heat.  Heat the olive oil in a small pot, and add paprika. When you can smell the paprika strongly, turn off the heat.

Cut the bread into chunks and place in bowl.  Pour 1-2 cups of chicken broth into the bowl and let it soak. In the meantime, reserve 1/2 cup pecans and set aside with green onions and 2 tablespoons of cilantro and the chopped spinach. Put the remainder of the pecans and cilantro into a food processor along with the garlic, cayenne, and the soaked bread and pulse repeatedly until it makes a thick, chunky paste.  Add more chicken stock 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed, to loosen it up.  Pour in the paprika in oil and pulse again until combines.  Add salt if needed.

Shred the cooked chicken by hand or with a fork, and add the pecan-paprika paste, as well as the reserved pecans, green onions, and cilantro.  Stir gently to combine.  Add pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Coconut Chicken Curry with Lemon-ginger Tea-infused Rice

Several things about this meal. First, there are a lot of veggies in it, making it a quick, one pot meal.  Well, two pots if you include the rice pot. Second, Claire was skeptical about the curry, having had some recent experiences with tumeric overload.  She admitted to being won over by the coconut milk, and the fresh coriander. Third.  I don't know what made me decide to add a tea bag to the rice as it was cooking, but o.m.g.  What a wonderful, subtle flavor. I'm definitely doing it again.

Coconut Curry Chicken
Feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you have in your drawer. This would be excellent with broccoli, red peppers, and eggplant. I finely crushed my coriander and cumin seeds in my mortar and pestle- you could also use a spice grinder if you have one. The fresh grind makes a huge difference.

Adapted from "Chicken in Spice-Laden Coconut Sauce,"
from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook.

1 T vegetable or canola oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, minced
1 T coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp tumeric
3-4 dried red peppers, or red pepper flakes to taste
salt to taste
2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 can tomatoes (or 1 large fresh tomato, cut into chunks)
1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 chopped scallions (always include the green part!)

Heat oil in a large pan and cook onions until soft.  Add garlic and ginger, and stir.  Add crushed coriander and cumin seeds, then salt and tumeric and stir. Add chicken pieces and stir until they are coated with the onion-spice mixture. Add the carrots and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and zucchini.  Let simmer for another 5 minutes, then add coconut milk. Add water if necessary, and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender. Stir in fresh cilantro and scallions before serving with Tea-infused Rice, below.

Tea-infused Rice
I had wanted to make jasmine rice, but had run out, which made me start contemplating jasmine tea infusion, but I was a little worried that it might be too floral. Turns out I was out of jasmine tea anyway, but had some lemon-ginger tea. Hmm.  Throw in half a handful of chopped scallions and cilantro, and we're off to the culinary races... Keep in mind that I did this, as always, in my rice cooker, so you may want to adjust the water to your method of cooking and taste.

2 cups of uncooked rice
3 cups of water
1 lemon-ginger tea bag
2 T chopped scallions
2 T chopped cilantro (optional)

Put water and rice together in a small saucepan with a lid.  Hang the teabag over the side of the pan so that it is submerged in the water. Be careful if you have a gas stove so that the tag doesn't burn. Bring the water to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, then leave it covered for about 5 more minutes.  Remove the teabag.  Fluff the rice so that the tea-stained grains of rice are mixed in well. Fold in the scallions and cilantro.

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Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

I'm bringing this back up to the top, with a few changes (nothing major).  It was one of our soups from my original post, when there were about 12 recipes per post. We made it again for lunch after both having had some extremely stressful days and nights at work. It hit the spot in a nourishing, comforting, and palate-entertaining way. If you're feeling sick, consider this instead of the usual homemade chicken soup.  So easy to make, and it makes the kitchen wonderfully fragrant.  My husband declared it restaurant quality. 

This is adapted from Arthur Schwartz' Soup Suppers.   

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 can straw mushrooms (or one cup fresh mushrooms cut into chunks)
1/2 sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
2 stalks lemongrass, cut on the diagonal into 2 inch pieces
1/2 inch piece of ginger root, sliced
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
2-3 squirts of Sriracha (rooster) sauce or red pepper flakes to taste
3 T Thai fish sauce
3 T lime juice
1 14 oz. can light unsweetened coconut milk
2 green onions, chopped
4-5 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Put about 2 1/2 quarts of water in a soup pan.  (This is an estimate.) Add the chicken, lemongrass, ginger root, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, and mushrooms. Let it simmer until the chicken is tender. Add the sweet red peppers and basil leaves. Stir in the coconut milk, and let it simmer about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and fish sauce. Stir in the green onions and cilantro just before serving.

  

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Thai Pizza

Thai Pizza
My kids love this dish.  It's got a peanut butter sauce!  What kid doesn't like peanut butter- especially if you combine it with cilantro and bean sprouts, right?  Leave those ingredients off if you must for the kids, but I like to pile on the fresh crunchy veggies after the pizza bakes so that you have that crisp cool contrast with the hot pizza. My recipe doesn't use up the whole can of coconut milk, so I have some to use later in the week for coconut rice or chicken. If you aren't going to use it within a few days, freeze it. I use the ready made whole wheat crust from Trader Joe's.  While the crust is pre-baking, I get all my veggies chopped.  I made this and Meatball Pizza on the same night, and had the same amount of both for leftovers. It's that yummy.

1 package ready-made pizza dough
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c light coconut milk
1 T fish sauce
1 clove minced garlic

1 grated carrot
1 small grated zucchini
1/4 thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/2 leek, sliced (optional)
1 1/2 c sliced chicken or tofu
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

2 scallions, chopped
1/4 chopped basil leaves (optional)
handful cilantro, chopped
handful fresh bean sprouts

Prepare dough as directed.  Spread out on a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, using olive oil as necessary to keep dough from sticking to the pan and to your fingers. Poke holes in it with a fork, and prebake in an oven for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, coconut milk, garlic, and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer and take off the heat.  Prepare veggies.  Once the crust is partially baked, spread the sauce on the crust.  Sprinkle carrots, zucchini, red pepper, leek (optional), and chicken or tofu.  Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for another 8 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned.   Take out of the oven, and sprinkle scallions, basil leaves, cilantro, and bean sprouts.  Serve immediately.


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Chicken Marbella and Amazing Salad Dressing

We had been looking forward to making this recipe for weeks.  Ever since Claire brought a little sample over one night, it's been on our list.  We just had to wait until the weather got a little colder and the grill seemed less inviting.  Don't let the classic Claire/Laura conundrum (Italian parsley or cilantro?) hold you back.  It's good with either!

Served with a side of sweet potatoes and green brown rice.

Chicken Marbella
Don't shy away from the list of ingredients. They might seem like an odd combination, but the capers, olives, and prunes in this dish combine perfectly and will make your mouth water.  The overnight marinade is essential as it lets all the flavors meld together, and adds moisture to the chicken.  Claire likes to marinade the chicken in 2 large Ziploc bags to keep the strong garlic flavor (it's a whole head, not just a clove!) from infusing everything in her refrigerator. To facilitate peeling a whole head's worth of garlic, I suggest smashing the individual cloves with a heavy can or the side of a knife.  Peel away the skin, and toss the garlic into the marinade.   

The original recipe, from the Silver Palate Cookbook, calls for 4 whole chickens (2 1/2 lbs each), but we used 2 slightly larger chickens with the same amount of marinade.  It was nice to have a little of the marinade to ladle over rice or pasta. The olives and capers make a robust brine, without being overpoweringly salty.  The recipe makes enough for a dinner party, a second (or third) meal, or enough for 2 families to share. I sliced one of the chicken breasts up the next day for a delicious sandwich.


1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 c pitted prunes
1/2 c pitted Spanish olives with juice
1/2 c capers with juice
6 bay leaves
1 head garlic (peeled)
1/4 c dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 chickens cut into pieces, bone in and skin on  (or 10-12 chicken breasts with bone in skin on)

1 c brown sugar
1 c dry white wine (or madeira wine)
1/4 c fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro

Combine olive oil, vinegar, prunes, capers, bay leaves, garlic oregano,salt and pepper.  Divide in half and pour into 2 Ziploc bags.  Marinate 24-48 hours. (Don't skip this!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange chicken in a single layer in 1-2 pans, and sprinkle each piece of chicken with brown sugar.  (Or drizzle with honey.) Pour in white wine. Bake for 55-60 minutes, basting with pan juices.  With slotted spoon transfer chicken, olives, prunes and capers  to serving platter.  Pour 2-3 spoonfuls of pan juice over top to moisten.  Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro and or parsley, and serve with Green Rice or rice pilaf.


Amazing Vinaigrette
It's just salad dressing.  How can there possibly be anything amazing about it?  Maybe it's good, but amazing?  Claire did a little research and came up with this recipe, and let me tell you, it is amazing.  It's made in the blender with vegetable oil instead of olive oil, and it stays emulsified for days, no shaking, rattling, or rolling. I still have my batch from 5 days ago, and it's still blended. It's also creamy and a little bit sweet.  My kids have been asking for it over ranch dressing.  Consider adding a little bit of water if you like a thinner consistency. It still works. Claire served hers with arugula, spinach, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, and homemade croutons.  I just served mine with homemade whole wheat croutons.

1 clove garlic
pinch of salt
pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1-2 tsp honey (to taste)
1/2 c vegetable oil

Blend together on high speed garlic, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and vinegar for 1-2 minutes.  Slowly drizzle in vegetable oil, and continue to blend on high for 2 minutes.  It will become thick and creamy.  Store in fridge. 

Tell us if you try anything and leave us a comment!

Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders and Lemon Zucchini Noodles

Claire needed a week off, so Myndi, who has been taking care of my kids for nearly 5 years, helped me with this meal. The veggies are mixed in with the noodles, but I still like to serve it with a salad. It was a big hit with the twins, who kept asking for more "noo-noo" (noodles) and "bawk bawk" (chicken). Of course, it turns out that many of the noo-noo were ending up in hair and down shirts, but I'm pretty sure they got a good meal anyway. Bawk bawk!

That's homemade ranch dressing from the previous post.
You can use it as dip, too if you want.

Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders
This recipe was adapted from thefresh20.com. It's easy to make and delicious.  My son dipped his chicken in ketchup.  If you have any leftovers, they are also great for a quick lunch or sandwich the next day!

Prebaked...

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into palm-sized pieces of even thickness
1 egg
2 T Dijon mustard
3/4 c (whole wheat or panko) bread crumbs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and oregano in a small shallow bowl. Whisk the egg and mustard with 2 T water.  Dip the pieces of chicken into the egg/mustard mixture, and evenly coat with breadcrumbs.  Arrange on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Crunchy hot delicious!

Lemon Zucchini Noodles
I really love zucchini noodles, which is good because I still have a lot of zucchini.  When mixed with whole wheat spaghetti, which can sometimes taste like corrugated cardboard strips, it adds moisture and a lightness without adding significant calories. I used a whole lemon with the zest as well, and happened to score some lovely grape tomatoes from Nicole at work, so I threw those in too.  This would also be a great Meatless Monday main dish or side dish.

I had to include this prep picture because it was so tantalizing.

1/2 package of (whole wheat) spaghetti, about 8 oz
1 medium zucchini (do not peel)
1 c grape tomatoes, quartered
1 1/2 c spinach, chopped
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the spaghetti noodles as directed on the package. While you are waiting, zest the entire zucchini until you have a pile of zucchini noodles (see picture). In a large pan, heat 1 tsp olive oil and add garlic.  Stir and add zucchini, noodles, and lemon juice/zest. (The best cooking tool for this is a pair of long chopsticks, but failing that, try tongs.) Add the tomatoes and spinach, and toss in the pan for another minute until the spinach is wilted.

It looks like pasta and tastes like pasta, but it's half vegetables!

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Faux-fried Drumsticks, Zucchini Corn Cakes, Wheat Berry Salad, and Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

This is an amazing summer meal, with yet another way to use up zucchini.  We actually made one other complete meal, as well as several dessert items containing peaches, but you'll have to wait for those to post. In the meantime, here are some recipes to keep you from starving to death.

Faux-fried Chicken Drumsticks
Delicious.  The original recipe calls for 6 drumsticks, but we doubled it and added cornflakes for the extra crisp. Six drumsticks would be a joke for our family. A super funny joke that would end in people crying because there was no bawk-bawk left. So be sure to make enough. The ironic thing about this recipe is that it's oven-baked, but you dip the drumsticks in melted butter, so I kind of feel like something gets cancelled out. You could try olive oil or egg wash, but let's face it, butter adds such a great aroma and flavor.  I've never been tempted to leave it out. http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,148166-231196,00.html

1 c flour
1/2 c cornflakes, finely crushed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
12 chicken drumsticks
1/2 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, cornflakes, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper in a bowl. Dip the drumsticks in butter and roll in flour to coat. Arrange on an ungreased baking pan.  Like with foil to easy clean-up.  Bake uncovered until done, about 50 minutes.

Zucchini Corn Cakes
Wow.  These were amazing. They are best served immediately.  We thought there should be a light dip that went with it, so we whipped one together.  Recipe follows. It was hard to stop snacking on them, and they were a hit with my kids.  The original recipe calls for only 1/2 c flour, and makes thinner pancakes. We like these- a little heartier and easier to handle.  http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,142181-230206,00.html

4 large eggs
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 c flour
1 small finely diced onion
4 c shredded zucchini
2 T fresh chopped basil
1/2 c corn
1/4 c chopped yellow pepper (for color)
salt and pepper
1-3 T each butter and salad oil

Beat eggs with a fork in a large bowl until well-blended, then beat in lemon juice, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, flour, and onion. Stir in zucchini until well-combined.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a 10-12 inch frying pan, heat 1 T each of butter and oil until butter melts. Drop 1 heaping T of zucchini mixture at a time into the pan, let it spread out slightly.  Cook until golden brown, and gently flip.

Basil Cilantro Yogurt Dipping Sauce
You could just serve with sour cream and chives, or you could make this.  We used leftover stuff from all our other dishes. Fantastic!

1/3 c yogurt
2-3 basil leaves, chopped
smidge of minced garlic (scraped it off the cutting board)
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 T chopped cilantro

Whisk it all together.

Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella
Our friend Robi made this with us. Delicious and satisfying, with lots of protein. Substitute regular mozzarella if you must, but the smoked mozzarella flavor brings it all together. You may want to cut back on the red onion a little if you have little guys.  Or consider adding more if you don't want to be bothered with having to talk to people. Whatever works for you. From http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Wheat-Berry-and-Barley-Salad-with-Smoked-Mozzarella-12251?mbid=ipapp

1 cup wheat berries
1 cup pearl barley
1 small red onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
6 scallions, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups cooked corn (cut from about 2 large ears)
1/2 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, diced fine
1 pint vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Into a kettle of salted boiling water stir wheat berries and cook at a slow boil 30 minutes. Stir in barley and cook grains at a slow boil
40 minutes
While grains are cooking, in a large bowl stir together onion, garlic paste, vinegar, and oil.
Drain grains well and add to onion mixture. Toss mixture well and cool. Add scallions, corn, mozzarella, tomatoes, chives, and salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Serve salad with parsley salad.



Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp with Pistachio Crust
This was also Robi's contribution.  We love when she joins us.  This was extremely popular with the kids, who did not pause to hear the answer to their question, "What's rhubarb?" http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Blueberry-Rhubarb-Crisp-with-Pistachio-Crust-101793?mbid=ipapp

1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 pound rhubarb
2 cups blueberries (about 11 ounces)

For topping
1/3 cup shelled natural pistachios
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
In a bowl stir together sugar and flour. Trim rhubarb and cut enough of stalks into 1/2-inch pieces to measure 2 cups. Add rhubarb and blueberries to sugar mixture, tossing well, and spread mixture in baking dish.

Make topping: Finely chop pistachios. In a bowl whisk together flour and sugars. Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes and with your fingers or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add pistachios and toss well.
Squeeze a handful of topping together and coarsely crumble in chunks over filling. Squeeze and evenly crumble remaining topping over filling in same manner. Bake crisp in upper third of oven until filling is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden, about 50 minutes.

Serve crisp warm or at room temperature.


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Mango & Red Pepper BBQ Sauce, Orzo Salad with Basil, Zucchini Lasagna,and Grilled Peaches

We haven't yet put away our grills, and with so much of the country feeling the heat, this week we're back out on the grill with a cool summer orzo salad that was difficult to stop tasting before it got served. We've also got an original lasagna dish in case, like so many with home gardens, you have zukes the size of little league bats coming out of your ears. 

Grilled Chicken with Mango & Red Pepper Barbecue Sauce
We let the chicken marinate while getting everything else ready. Once dinnertime rolled around, the chicken went on the grill, adding the BBQ sauce right at the end. I served it with the orzo salad and a side of stir-fried broccoli.  I didn't have 2 lbs of chicken breasts, so I used a pork tenderloin and 1 lb. of chicken breasts.  Lesson learned:  it works great on pork too!


Easy Chicken Marinade


2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
1/2 t salt
1/2 t thyme
pepper to taste
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/3 c oil
garlic powder



Marinate for 2-4 hours.  Grill.  If using Mango BBQ Sauce (see below), grill until 2-3 minutes from being done, and dunk the chicken pieces into the sauce, or baste if you prefer. Grill until done, and pour reserved sauce over to serve. 


Mango and Red Pepper Barbecue Sauce
We adapted this slightly from epicurious.com.  It's simple and good, with more of a Caribbean flavor than Asian. If you have a habit of putting every other mango chunk in someone's mouth, you might want to buy an extra mango for this recipe. 

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium red bell pepper chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 c red wine vinegar
3 T molasses
2T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 medium mango, peeled and cut into chunks
2-3 jalapeno diced, with seeds removed

Saute onions and peppers in olive oil. Add salt and cook until veggies are soft.  Stir in vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and allspice.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for one more minute. Let cool.  Spoon into blender, add mango, and blend until smooth.  Use as topping or basting for meat, but reserve some extra sauce for dipping or drizzling before you serve.


Orzo Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing
This salad was so light, unlike a lot of summer pasta salads. The original recipe calls for feta and olives, but we adapted it to the ingredients in our fridges and really liked this version. It kept well for the next day, too.

12 oz. orzo pasta
3 T olive oil
1 c finely diced red pepper
1 c finely diced zucchini
4 green onions, chopped
2 T capers
1/2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese

Dressing

3 T lemon juice, fresh squeezed if you have it, with a bit of lemon zest for extra pop
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T minced garlic
1/4 c fresh chopped basil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp ground cumin

Cook pasta according to instructions (al dente preferred) and drain. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with olive oil.  Add red pepper, zucchini, green onions, tomatoes, and capers.  Whisk together dressing ingredients, and pour over top. Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with fresh parmesan and toasted pine nuts if you have them.

Zucchini Lasagna
At the last minute during our cooking session this week, we threw together a zucchini lasagna that was the sleeper hit of the month. Inspired by a coworker's description, and saddled with a large number of zucchini on their last legs (a few had actually started growing legs), we came up with this dish that was a complete hit. And, after making a loaf of zucchini bread as well, no wasted zukes. I had some leftover red sauce, and for convenience, used a jar of premade light alfredo sauce. You can make your own if you like. This makes enough for 2 dinners so you can freeze one for later.  As an added plus, if you are doing a low-carb thing, this has no pasta in it!

2 large zucchini, sliced as thinly as possible lengthwise
32 ounce tub of ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 c spinach, chopped
3 T fresh basil, chopped
1 small shallot, sliced (or 1/4 large onion, sliced)
1 lb. sweet italian sausage (we used turkey sausage)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c tomato sauce
1 jar alfredo sauce (15 oz)
1 1/2 cup total grated white cheese (mozzarella, havarti, gouda, parmesan)

Mix the ricotta, egg, spinach, and basil together in a medium mixing bowl. Saute the sausage with the onions and garlic until cooked. Using two 8x8 baking pans or one 9x13 baking pan, layer the zucchini along the bottom. Add the red sauce. Press the ricotta mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle the sausage mixture, then add a zucchini layer. Pour a thin layer of alfredo sauce and press another layer of ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of zucchini, the rest of the alfredo, and generous sprinkling of the white cheese blend.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes covered, then 25 minutes uncovered until cheese is golden brown.

Grilled Vanilla Almond Peaches
I know this is probably obvious. but serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh my.

4-6 peaches, cut into thirds
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
3 T brown sugar

Mix the vanilla, almond, and brown sugar together, and drizzle over peaches.  Toss gently if needed so they are evenly coated. Grill with cut side down until the peaches have nice grill marks. You may have to turn them a little so that both sides are evenly grilled.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Zucchini Bread
I gave Claire the zucchini that didn't make it into the lasagna, and she returned volley with this.  It didn't last long. 

3 eggs
1 c canola or vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
2 c sugar
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp grated orange peel

(1 c chopped walnuts optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Beat eggs until light in color. Add oil, vanilla, sugar and zucchini.  Mix well, then blend in dry ingredients.  Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.  Also makes 4 mini-loaves, but reduce baking time.


Strawberry Pretzel Dessert
No doubt about it.  This is a retro, women's magazine, summer classic that kids will love. Strawberry jello and Cool Whip, universal kids' treat. Mmm.  Fair warning:  if you let toddler twins self-feed this dish, it might take you over an hour to clean up the kitchen.

1 1/2 c crushed pretzels
4 T sugar
3/4 c butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

1 c white sugar
2 x 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 x 8 oz container Cool Whip
1 tsp vanilla

1 x 6 oz package strawberry flavor jello
1 c boiling water
1  c cold water
1 x16 oz package fresh cleaned, trimmed, and quartered strawberries (can substitute frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together crushed pretzels, 4 T sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.  Press firmly into 9x13 pan.  Bake for 10 min. Let cool completely. In medium-sized bowl mix, sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread evenly over cooled crust, pressing out to the edges so you can't see any of the crust.  Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

In a bowl stir jello and boiling water together. If you are using frozen strawberries, mix them in with the jello at this point. Pour jello/strawberry mixture over cream cheese.  If you are using fresh strawberries, pour the jello mixture over the cream cheese, then layer in the strawberries. (They will sink a little.) Let set at least 4 hours or overnight.

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Peanut Chicken Kabobs, Cucumber Salad, Quinoa Pilaf, and Chocolate Pudding

It's still summer, so hopefully your grill is still out and feeling the love.  You can make just about everything here ahead of time, and reheat the quinoa at the last minute. We love your comments, whether they are in person, by email, or on Facebook.  Please leave us comments on the blog as well, as we want to know if things worked really well, or you tweaked the recipe, or it was a total flop.  It keeps us motivated!

Peanut Chicken Kabobs
These are so yummy on the grill. I used dark soy sauce to make them, so the marinade came out darker than usual.  I like to reserve some of the excess marinade, heat it over the stove, and use it as extra sauce. We usually serve it with rice, or in this case, Quinoa Pilaf, below.  It's also great with Ginger Noodles.  This was a huge hit with Claire's family. 

Before tossing them on the grill...

2-4 chicken breasts, cut into kabob-sized chunks
1 c peanuts
2 T coriander seeds
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp red pepper
1 c green onions
3 T lemon juice
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c chicken broth

Place all ingredients (except the chicken) into a blender or food processor until the peanuts are ground to your liking. Do it in batches if necessary. In a mixing bowl, let the chicken sit in the marinade for a few minutes while you slice other ingredients for the kabobs, such as zucchini, onions, or peppers. Load the chicken onto pre-soaked wooden skewers (to prevent burning), alternating with whatever other ingredients you have. Grill until the chicken is tender.

Cucumber Salad
This gets better if it's allowed to sit for a few hours ahead of time to let the ingredients blend.  My daughter had 3 helpings.  My son loves the ginger.  It's a great, refreshing summer side dish.  The sesame oil and ginger give it an Asian flair, but it's not overwhelming, so you can pair it with non-Asian main courses as well. 

3-4 medium to large cucumbers, quartered lengthwise and then sliced into chunks.
2-3 radishes, julienned
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 scallions, chopped

1/3 c rice wine vinegar
1/4 c canola oil (not olive oil)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste, about 1/2 to 1 tsp

In a small mixing bowl, add rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and salt. Whisk in oil until emulsified. Toss with the other ingredients.

Quinoa Pilaf
Quinoa is high in protein, and has more flavor than couscous.  It's always good, but especially if you are tired of rice. Quinoa (keen-wah) is also a super fun word for kids to say. Nothing better than a silly meal.

Quinoa has a denser, chewier texture than couscous. 

1 1/2 c quinoa
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 c diced onion
1/2 c diced zucchini
1/2 c chopped spinach
1/2 tsp salt
2 3/4 c total liquid, either water or chicken stock

I steam it all in a rice cooker.  You can also cook it on the stovetop.  Bring all ingredients to a boil.  Turn the heat down to simmer, and cover with a lid.  Cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to sit another 5 minutes before removing lid and fluffing with a fork.

Easy Chocolate Pudding
I love chocolate pudding, but I really hate the stuff that comes out of a box.  It's got a weird aftertaste.  This pudding takes about 10 minutes- really.  Claire made it while I was still wrangling kabobs, and the next thing I knew it was done.  It takes almost as long to make the kind out of a box, and this is so much healthier. Okay, so maybe that's going a bit too far. But it tastes better, and it's from scratch.

1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1/8 t salt
1/3 c warm water
1 oz semisweet chocolate chips
       (this is about half of a 1/3 c measure)
2 c (total) milk or half-and-half
3 T cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt together in heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in water, making a smooth runny paste.  Bring to a boil while stirring constantly over med heat, then remove from heat.  Whisk in semisweet chocolate chips, and stir in  1 3/4 c half-and-half or milk.  In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch and 1/2 c milk or half-and-half.  Whisk this paste into the chocolate mixture.  Stir contantly over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Reduce heat and simmer for one minute. As mixture is cooling, add in vanilla. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

My Trusty Little Friend

Meet my trusty little friend, my Cuisinart Mini-Prep. I have had this for about 10 years.  I pull it out every time I need to blend or food process something because, quite frankly, my larger Cuisinart is too heavy and cumbersome, and I have burnt out more than one blender so I am always nervous about using the blender. I keep this in a drawer, and it serves me well. Claire thought I should take a picture of it and include it on the blog, because I pretty much use it every time we cook.

Cuisinart DLC-1 21-Ounce Mini-Prep Food Processor, White

Moroccan Chicken Stew and Thai Coconut Mahi Mahi

Today it was just Claire, myself, our 5 year olds, and the 18 month old twins in the kitchen.  These recipes were somewhat new for us, so we had to concentrate.  One of these days I will take a picture of the absolute mess my kitchen becomes when we do this.  Oh, and we also made a couple of Easy Macaroni and Cheese casseroles for other families.  (See the Lasagne: Red, White, and Bleu, Ole!  post.)  I didn't include the recipe here, but to make it vegetarian, I used one can of cream of mushroom and one can of cream of celery instead. And no bacon.

I've had a bunch of turnips in my refrigerator drawer that I've been wanting to use up, and our CSA farm helpfully gives us scads of great recipes that use things like Russian kale, chevril, and the arch enemy of all children: Swiss chard. This Moroccan Chicken and Turnip Stew was one of the recipes.  It turned out fabulously.  The zucchini noodles are so versatile- you can also serve them with a teriyaki glazed salmon steak or mix with spaghetti noodles with Bolognese sauce on top.

Morrocan Turnip and Chicken Stew
There are a few ingredients that are in this stew that you can leave out if you are cooking out of your pantry. I didn't quite have all the turnips that the recipe called for, so I used a couple of potatoes in addition.  The original recipe calls for a whole chicken, but I grabbed a couple of boneless breast packets out of the freezer.  I also had  some kale and carrots on hand, so I added those for color. People talk endlessly about the wonders of saffron- I don't buy it regularly, but you can often find it for cheap in ethnic food stores. The reality is that most people don't stock it in their kitchens.  If that's the case, leave it out.  Consider substituting a teaspoon or two of curry powder in lieu of the saffron and turmeric.

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 lbs. chicken drumsticks or thighs (boneless if desired)
3 T butter

1 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch saffron threads
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 lb. small turnips, rinsed and quartered
2 potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
(1 1/2 c kale, chopped, optional)
(1/2 c carrots, small cubes, optional)
1/4 c lemon juice
salt and pepper

Melt butter and oil in Dutch oven-sized pot and lightly brown chicken on all sides, cooking in two batches if necessary.  Remove the chicken and cut into 1 inch chunks once cool. Leave to the side. Stir onions into butter and oil to color.  Add the chickpeas, stock, white pepper, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicken. Add turnips, potatoes, and carrots and simmer 20 minutes more. Add kale. Simmer sauce to reduce, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce; it may take 10-15 minutes to produce a nice thick sauce. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook.

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Thai Coconut Sauce

Our friend Robi sent us an email with this mahi mahi recipe from epicurious.com, and we immediately had to try it.  It was delicious. The sauce would also be good on a flakier fleshed fish, like tilapia. Claire thought it might also be good with chicken.  As she puts it, "There is something magical that happens in my mouth when coconut milk, lime juice, and cilantro come together." I agree.  We served it over the zucchini noodles, but consider plain jasmine rice if you are short on time.  The sauce is actually very quick to make.  If you can't find clam juice anywhere, you could use chicken stock.  (I mixed 8 oz chicken stock with 1/2 tsp anchovy paste.)  Do not subsitute fish sauce for clam juice, unless you are trying to get your sodium fix for the next 3 months.  I garnished with thinly sliced sweet red pepper. Mmmm.  Original recipe at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/359709

1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tsp ground red pepper (or diced serrano chile)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 tablespoons minced green onion
4 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or in our case the George Foreman grill. Combine first 6 ingredients in medium skillet. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes or serrano chile, depending on level of heat desired; boil until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to generous 3/4 cup, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and 2 tablespoons green onions. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Brush fish all over with 1/4 cup sauce; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill fish until opaque in center and grill marks appear, 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fish. Divide coconut sauce among 4 plates; top with fish. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and green onions.

Delicious lunch is served. Low carb, anyone?

Zucchini Noodles

I had been wanting to let Claire try my Zucchini noodles.  I've seen lots of recipes that have you use a vegetable peeler, so if you don't have a lemon zester, you can use a peeler. I like to use the lemon zester because it makes the noodles more uniform.  I've also made the noodles where I'll mix 1/2 zucchini noodles with 1/2 cooked spaghetti noodles.  The zucchini noodles blend right in, while the spaghetti noodles give the "pasta" a little more substance.  It's impossible for kids to pick the zucchini out, and the bonus for the adults is that you're getting less carbs.  I like to push the envelope by serving broccoli and salad on the side in addition, and not even counting the zuke noodles as a veggie. Haven't been called on it yet...

1 small-medium zucchini per person
(small amount matchstick carrots for color, if desired)
1 clove of garlic, slivered
1 tsp canola oil

Holding one end of the zucchini, use a lemon zester to shred the squash down to nothing. Rotate as you go. Don't trim the end off until you are done, as it makes a nice handle.  Repeat with the other zucchini. If there are a few small pieces left, you can slice them with a knife and add them to the pile of noodles.

Heat the oil in a pan.  Add the garlic.  Add the zucchini and stir fry for less than a minute.  Just cook long enough to soften.  Cooking for much longer than that will turn the noodles to mush.  Toss with equal parts cooked spaghetti if desired, or serve as is. Garnish with shredded parmesan, sesame seeds or poppy seeds, depending on your main dish.

Banana-Raisin Bread Pudding with Spiced Rum Sauce
As I was flipping through the William-Sonoma catalog, this recipe caught my eye.  We had to try it.  Pros:  it smelled delicious. Cons: time-consuming, needy, dry, and lots of egg yolks and heavy cream. Good thing you had the low carb mahi-mahi and zucchini noodles for dinner, eh? Sadly, this recipe did not really live up to the visual and olfactory hype. But we are including it anyway.  We are currently on a mission to find a better banana bread pudding recipe. Stay tuned. 

1 1/2 lb sliced bread, cut into 1-inch squares
2 T unsalted butter, at room temp, plus 2 T melted
4 3/4 c heavy cream
3 c milk
7 egg yolks
3 eggs
2/3 c plus 1/2 c granulated sugar, plus more to sprinkle
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced lengthwise into quarters, then into 1/4 chunks
2 T firmly packed brown sugar
4 T spiced rum

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the bread squares until the bread is dry, 6-8 minutes.  Remove bread and reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Grease a 3 quart baking dish with room temperature butter.

In a large bowl, whisk 3 c cream, milk, 3 of the egg yolks, the whole eggs, 2/3 c granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Submerge the dried bread into the mixture and let soak for 30 minutes. Stir and press the bread into the liquid every 10 minutes.

Combine the banana slices and brown sugar in another bowl.  Toss well.  Place half the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish and cover evenly with bananas.  Top with remaining bread, and pour any remaining cream-egg mixture over the top.  Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 T granulated sugar.

Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan, transfer the pan to the oven and pour 1 inch of very hot water into the roasting pan to make a water bath. Bake until top is golden brown and the pudding is just set, about 1 hour.  Transfer the roasting pan to a wire rack and let pudding cool in the water bath.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk the remaining 1 3/4 c cream, 4 egg yolks, and 1/2 c granulated sugar.  Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 5-6 minutes.  Do not let the mixture boil. Whisk in the rum, and strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.

Serve in warm pudding bowls and drizzle with sauce and vanilla ice cream.  Serves 12.

• 

  The rum sauce separated as it cooled.
  Still pretty tasty, but overall disappointing recipe.
  We're calling it a Fail, but including it for posterity.
  As printed on one of those motivational kitten posters, 
  "Nobody's perfeck."

  • Please leave us comments and suggestions!