Category — Recipes

 So I mentioned that I wanted to make more salads, with really good dressings, right?  Well, in my usual type-A way, I’m going nuts trying all sorts of different vinaigrettes. Today, I’m sharing two of my latest favorites.  I gotta tell you – I’m struck by just how good a salad can be if you use homemade dressing.  Like restaurant good, in your own lil’ kitchen.  It’s really, really worth the effort.

The first recipe is for a delicious, creamy feta vinaigrette from an old issue of Food & Wine.  I used this on giant Greek dinner salads – I chopped up a bunch of romaine lettuce, diced up bell pepper, cubed cukes (for me, remember D. is a cuke-phobe), sliced up cherry tomatoes and grilled chicken cutlets (sprinkled with S&P and oregano) to put on top.  It was delicious.   Here’s what you do:

Feta Vinaigrette (adapted from Food & Wine magazine)

Put the cheese, lemon juice, water, oregano and olive oil into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.   Makes ¾ cup.

Now this next one – this is the dressing I’ve been nomming all week since I made it.  I am literally craving salad.  Craving a salad?  Yes – it is that good . . . it’s crazy-good – I mean, look at that picture up top – that’s my salad, folks.  Baby spinach leaves topped with sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and baby beets – then dressed with sliced almonds and this most luscious sweet vinaigrette.  How can you not love a bowl of healthy goodness like that?  Health in a bowl, I tell you! Here’s what you do:

Honey Vinaigrette (adapted from Delicious Dishings)

Combine the oils in a measuring cup. Place the vinegar and honey into a blender or food processor. Start the machine and add the oils while the machine is running.  This dressing can be stored in the fridge for a month.

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Oh friends, today’s recipe’s a treat.  A healthy, tasty treat brought to you by another blogger I follow.  Her real name’s Dara Michalski, but she goes by the moniker “Cookin’ Canuck” – she’s originally from Canada, you see.

Dara adopted this from Deborah Madison’s bible Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and I tweaked Dara’s take yet again.  Serve this flavorful pilaf alongside a nice piece of broiled fish (brush it with olive oil and dust it with cumin and salt and pepper too, if you like) or a piece of grilled chicken.  Just be forewarned – the side dish might steal the show at supper.

Spiced Bulgur Pilaf With Dried Cherries & Pine Nuts (adapted from the Cookin’ Cunuck’s recipe)

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Add the onion, garlic, coriander, cumin and a sprinkle of salt.  Sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add the bulgur and the broth, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from the heat and mix in the cherries.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Just before serving, stir in the green onions and pine nuts, fluffing the pilaf as you go.

Serves 4.

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This is a great little recipe.  It may be quite different from what you’re cranking out on a typical weeknight, but it won’t be much more difficult.  Don’t be afraid of the chopping – that’s almost the entire time-cost of preparing this dish – so really, in just 30 minutes, you can serve your family a healthful meal that is high protein, low calorie, tasty and fun.  Keep a fork handy – because although you’re supposed to eat these with your hands, they can get a little messy.  And put a bottle of sriracha on the table, so those who like heat can spice things up!

Thai Turkey Cabbage Rollups (adapted from Cooking Light)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the ginger and turkey to the skillet and cook, breaking up the turkey, until the meat is no longer pink.  Place the turkey in a large bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.  Spoon turkey mixture into cabbage leaves, roll up, and enjoy!

Serves 4.  I served this with Chinese noodles dressed with some sesame oil and soy sauce (one of L’s favorite comfort foods) and some Asian Slaw on the side.

To make this vegetarian/vegan, sub in vegetarian fish sauce (although Cooking Light says you can omit the sauce, I think it’s essential to the flavor of the dish) and crumbled tofu instead of turkey. 

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When I received the latest Everyday Food Magazine in the mail just a few days ago, I flipped through it and found this recipe . . . and I knew immediately I had to make it – and tweak it, of course.  This utilizes one of my favorite short-cut ingredients, the rotisserie chicken, and highlights a new veg for us, asparagus.  Yes, that’s right – until last spring, D. wouldn’t touch the stuff.  But he manned-up and tried it again last year and whaddaya know?  He liked it!  (For the record, I have always loved asparagus – now I am hoping he reverses his salmon, cucumber and zucchini aversions.  Oh, and then there’s the tuna, hard-cooked eggs, not-so-crazy-’bout-cabbage issues to sort out . . . .)

But I digress.  This got a “wow!” from D. on Wednesday night - it’s that good.  A bit more of a treat than some of my recipes, because it includes butter, but the indulgence is worth it.  This is so fresh-tasting, light and lemony.  It screams “SPRING!”  It’s a super-quick (approximately 20 minutes) one-pot weeknight meal that will have your family begging for more!

Couscous With Asparagus, Peas & Chicken (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine – recipe is not available on line at this time)

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Add the white parts of the scallions and cook, stirring constantly, until softened (approximately 3 minutes).  Add the lemon zest and the broth and season with a little salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then add the asparagus and peas.  Return to boiling and stir in the couscous and the chicken. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 7 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice, green parts of the scallions, and the parsley and season with salt and pepper.  Serve!

Serves 4.

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On Saturday morning, I headed out in the chilly rain to gather some appetizers to take to our friends’ house that evening.  In old-world-style, I made a couple of stops – collecting my favorites from Sevan Bakery(Watertown) and Eastern Lamejun (Belmont).  At Sevan, I got some hummus (theirs is the only purchased hummus L. will deign to eat), some whipped feta spread (really, you’ve GOT to try this – whipped feta and red peppers – so yummy I want to put my face in it), and some muhammara (Aleppo pepper, walnuts, pomegranate molasses – rich and a deep rich flavor unlike any other – great as a dip or slather it on baked chicken or fish). At Eastern Lamejun, I bought ½ dozen meat lamejunwith garlic and a bunch of house-made pita chips. 

Have you ever had lamejun?  They’re delicious – a piece of very thin round dough is covered in minced meat (lamb, beef, and E.L. makes them with chicken, too) and spices.  You heat ‘em and eat ‘em.  They even freeze well.  By the way, keep this idea in your back pocket, because they’re a great summer convenience food – think 2 or so per person and whip up a nice fresh salad – stuff salad inside the lamejun, roll and eat.  Dinner, done!

Anyway – this is all a long lead-in to today’s recipe.  Because I had a minute to browse at Sevan, I sought dried bean inspiration.  I came away with a big bag of dried chickpeas, just like mama used to make.  As you know, I’m trying to eat fewer canned foods, and one of my canned-goods staples is chickpeas.  I came home and cooked up ½ the bag to use later in a recipe.  Now be forewarned – should you get bold and try to cook these at home, they take a super long time to cook – something on the order of 2 hours!  Not for the faint of heart . . . but you’ll be richly rewarded for your efforts.  Freshly cooked chickpeas are firmer and more flavorful than their canned cousins.  And much, much cheaper.

This easy Armenian recipe is not only tasty, but it’s a nutrient blast – chard, chickpeas, lycopene from the tomato paste and a little olive oil to help you absorb all the nutrients . . . do yourself a favor and serve it over brown rice, at least, to keep up the momentum!

Chard ‘n’ Chickpeas (adapted from this recipe at The Armenian Kitchen)

Heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until they’re translucent.  Add the chard and sauté until it is wilted.  Add the chick peas, tomato paste, broth and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat until the chard is tender, about 20-30 minutes.  If you have any Aleppo pepper on hand, it’d be awesome in this dish.  I sadly forgot to pick some up that day!

Serve over brown rice pilaf.

Serves 4.

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Hey sweet readers . . . . do you know what today is?  My 200^thpost!?  I can hardly believe I’ve been squawking at you this long, but the numbers don’t lie.  Let’s raise a cup of quinoa to 9 months of sharing, and here’s to many, many more.  I couldn’t keep this up if it weren’t for the kind “atta-girls” I get from you guys.  Thanks for reading me! 

Today I’ve got another “transitional” recipe for you . . .  one that’ll bridge the gap between winter and summer (a.k.a. spring) if you’re in a Northern clime.  It also utilizes one of my favorite foods, Greek yogurt, to make a creamy sauce, without adding lots of fat and calories. This’ll take you 30-45 minutes to get to the table, depending on how long your chicken takes to cook.

Greek Chicken & Kale (adapted from Donalyn Ketchum’s blog, dlyn)

Prepare your chosen starch according to its package directions.

Sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast generously with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.  Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet and cook the seasoned breasts until no longer pink in the middle – approximately 7-10 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. 

Add the onion and garlic to the pan with a little salt. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onion is translucent.  Add the kale to the pan in batches, stirring to incorporate and wilt the kale.  Add the chicken broth, 1 t. oregano, ½ t. salt and a few grinds of pepper, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender; approximately 10 minutes.  Taste for seasonings and remove from heat.  Stir in the yogurt.  Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back into the pan and sprinkle the cheese over the top.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes to the cheese get a little warm – but don’t put the heat back up or your yogurt will curdle.  Serve the kale and chicken over rice or orzo, and pass a plate of lemon wedges – squeeze a little lemon over the lot just before eating. Enjoy!

Serves 4. 

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It’s very cold again here in Boston.  And rainy.  And it might actually snow a little bit tomorrow.  Not the stuff that dreams are made of . . . no no no.  These antics definitely throw a body off food-wise.  I mean, not too many days ago it was close to 90 degrees here!?  What to do?  While you may not feel like heading for the salad bar in times like these, try moderating your cravings for rich food with more vegetables and fruits.  I made this easy braise the other night and D. and I both loved it.  It’s comfort-food, but not too heavy.  Perfect for the wackadoo springtime weather in New England.

Braised Chicken & Polenta (adapted from Everyday Food Magazine)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it on both sides, approximately 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate.  Add the garlic, tomatoes and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the wine/vermouth and cook until almost evaporated, another minute.  Stir the beans into the mix for 2-3 minutes to let them thaw.  Add 1.5 c. of the broth and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the beans are tender.  Season with salt and pepper and squeeze in the lemon juice.

Meanwhile, for the polenta, combine 4 ½ c. of broth, 1 ½ t. of kosher salt, and ¼ t. of pepper and bring to a boil.  Add the cornmeal as you constantly whisk the broth.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently, until the polenta has thickened, approximately 20 minutes.  Whisk in the butter.

Serve the chicken and veggies over the polenta in large bowls.

Serves 4.

A note:  Did you know that you can substitute vermouth for white wine in most any recipe?  I can’t remember where I learned this years ago – but it has revolutionized my life.  We don’t drink a lot of white wine here, so it’s rarely around.  So who wants to use a little bit of a bottle and have it go to waste?  Vermouth’ll keep forever in your cupboard so you’ll always have it on-hand for recipes like this one.

Happy weekend, everyone – I hope the weather is better where you are!

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I’m a huge fan of Joanne Chang’s food.  Remember this Chinese chicken salad?  Fantabulous.  Those of you in Boston can taste her treats at Flour Bakery and the fun and funky Myers + Chang restaurant, but those of you elsewhere can glimpse her genius by whipping up this easy shrimp dish.

This recipe is an adaptation of one that appeared in the November, ’09 issue of Food & Wine.  It’s got a great sweet/spicy flavor and is full of protein and veggies.  And guess what?  Its secret ingredient is ketchup . . . so maybe your kids’ll try it?

 Stir-Fried Shrimp & Bok Choy (adapted from Joanne Chang’s recipe in Food & Wine)

Clean the bok choy and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Place in a vegetable steamer set over boiling water and steam until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the garlic, ginger, red pepper, egg white and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch in a large bowl.

Then whisk the ketchup and broth in a medium bowl, and then add the salt and other teaspoon of cornstarch.

 In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering.  Add the shrimp and stir-fry until just starting to turn pink.  Add the ketchup sauce and simmer until the shrimp are cooked.  Stir in the bok choy.  Remove from heat and stir in the scallions and cilantro.  Serve over rice or Chinese noodles.

 Serves 4.

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