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5 Star Makeover: Courgette and Mint Tian

Priscilla — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:04:59 +0000

With kids at home and everyone preoccupied with exciting summer vacation plans, June’s 5 Star Makeover was extended to June/July 5 Star Makeover. Thank you to our benevolent leaders, Natasha and Lazaro, because there was a lot of stuff that went down in my humble abode in the past two months, unfortunately none of it involved a vacation. The theme was befitting of the season: a farmers’ market challenge to create a dish with ingredients purchased from a farmer’s market and, even though there’s a plethora of courgette (the French word for zucchini – sounds more gourmet, yes?) recipes out in the blogosphere right now, I was compelled to use that which is abundant in my garden (you can’t more locavore than that) along with peppers, nuts, and cheese from the farmer’s market.

A tian is a typical hearty Provençal vegetable dish which is baked in an earthenware casserole called a tian, it can be served hot or cold – making it an ideal picnic or backyard party dish. Rather than a standard baking dish, I decided to use two small baking/serving dishes for individual servings and my daughter and I enjoyed a lovely poolside lunch. I hope that this sensationally simple tian with the freshness of summer squash, roasted peppers, and essence of mint will please your palate. A lemon and pistachio gremolata adds a bright and delightful crunch.

Courgette and Mint Tian with Lemon and Pistachio Gremolata

Ingredients:

2 medium sized zucchini, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, roasted

1 red bell pepper, roasted

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, sliced

sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil*

1 tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

Gremolata:

2 tablespoons roasted pistachios, chopped
zest of 1 lemon

Garnish: shaved manchego and courgette blossom

Yield: 2 -4 servings

1. Cut pepper in half, remove seeds and core. Roast in toaster oven on 450 degrees until skin is brown and blistered. Remove and place in a paper bag or baggie to cool. Remove skin and cut lengthwise into 6 ¾ inch strips.

2. While peppers are roasting, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and chili flakes, saute, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add garlic and mint and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Thinly coat individual 3-4″ baking ramekins with butter. Line sides of baking dish with peppers. Line bottom with overlapping zucchini slices, spread with a tablespoon of the onion mixture. Repeat with another layer of zucchini and onion mixture. End with a third layer of zucchini. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of grated manchego cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

4. Combine chopped pistachios and lemon for gremolata. Serve warm or at room temperature sprinkled with gremolata. Garnish with shaved manchego and courgette blossom.

*I used a Meyer Lemon olive oil from Gianni’s Fine Foods, but extra virgin olive oil is fine.

Enjoy

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

With this tian I declare Zucchini season officially closed. I experienced an “ah ha” moment reading a gardening article lamenting about people who complain of a glut of zucchini when all they have to do is harvest the delicate blossoms and enjoy them in their own right. Duh! So, that’s exactly what we did on Saturday. Alongside this lovely tian, we savored crisp, lightly battered zucchini blossoms, and I smiled inside

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta In keeping with my garden theme during this bountiful time...
Pulled Pork and Mexican Zucchini with Corn In May, I began contributing my Travel-Eats articles at Honest...

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Pulled Pork and Mexican Zucchini with Corn

Priscilla — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 17:48:05 +0000

In May, I began contributing my Travel-Eats articles at Honest Cooking along with “70 of the world’s most interesting food & beverage writers, bloggers, photographers and Chefs featured on Honest Cooking”. I’m proud to be considered one of the 70 and join several esteemed food bloggers that I know: Nancy at Spicie Foodie, Alisha at The Ardent Epicure, and Joan at Foodalogue and, through my reading, getting to know many others as well. Each day, I’m amazed at the depth and breadth of the articles – Honest Cooking strives to become the leading and most inspiring place for serious culinary debate, salivating recipes, interesting food news and international food-fun, I urge you to take a few minutes to visit their site and see what you think . You can see all my articles on my contributor page.

Segue to the recipe… Last week I posted Zucchini Keftedes, the first of three recipes from the Zucchini Throwdown that’s been going on in my kitchen. I think you’ll love the second, too - a versatile zucchini side dish with a south-of-the-border twist, Mexican Zucchini and Corn from Nancy (Spicie Foodie) the writer and recipe developer behind the column “Mexico On My Plate” at Honest Cooking.

With zucchini fresh from our garden and the first of this season’s corn from the farmers market, this was the perfect healthy side dish for the pulled pork sandwiches that I made on 4th of July weekend. Pulled pork is one of our family’s favorite summertime eats. Sometimes I make it all authentic with a dry rub and slow grilling the meat, but most of the time I make my pulled pork the no hassle way - in the slow cooker. In my mind, the slow cooker is highly underrated, I relied on it heavily when I was working an 8-5 (hellooo, where did 9-5 come from anyway, I’ve never had a 9-5 job!) and still use it frequently in the winter months for stews, chili, and braised meats.

Mexican Zucchini and Corn

from Spicie Foodie

Ingredients:
•   1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
•   1 can of corn or fresh corn when in season
•   1 large tomato, roughly chopped
•   1 small white onion, finely chopped
•   2 garlic cloves, minced
•   salt, to taste
•   ground black pepper, to taste
•   1 tbsp. corn or vegetable oil

Variations: add chile poblanos or spicy green chile like Serrano or Jalapeno, top with queso fresco and/or Mexican sour cream

I used fresh corn (kernels removed from 2 ears of cooked corn) since it’s available in the markets now and substituted poblano chiles for the tomato. Also, I used red onion because that’s what I had – it added a bit of color, too.

Instructions:

1. If you have a gas range, you can char the poblanos directly over the flame. Using tongs, turn the pepper to char all sides. Place in a bag or plastic baggie to cool and loosen the skin from the flesh. Skin and remove the stem, slice lengthwise to open, remove seeds and membrane. Then coarsely chop the pepper.

2. Heat the oil, saute the onions until translucent. Next add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Next add the chopped poblano, tomato, corn, and spices. Stir to combine the ingredients. Cover, turn the heat to low and continue to cook until the zucchini has soften and tomatoes have broken apart.

3. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve warm as a side dish or as a vegan meal. If using any of the suggested toppings add them before serving.

Enjoy

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta In keeping with my garden theme during this bountiful time...

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Zucchini Keftedes with Feta

Priscilla — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:41:52 +0000

In keeping with my garden theme during this bountiful time of year, the past week was officially declared Zucchini Throwdown at She’s Cookin’ and I’ll be sharing three simple + seasonal recipes for this most prolific summer squash. First up is a recipe from Chef Michael Symon’s Easter Goes Greek spread featured in Bon Appétit‘s April issue.

Michael’s big personality and bawdy sense of humor had me smiling as I read his tips for preparing this holiday feast, like #4 “Go Hard – lots of ouzo, straight up, no retsina!” , and #5 “Put the Fun in Dysfunction – When you get a bunch of Greeks in a room it gets very emotional. I explain to my friends that regardless of the yelling or crying, it’s all a sign of happiness.”

Plus, I’m crazy for Greek food – helloooo, did you see my post on the Taste of Greece? – and everything from the Lamb Chops with Lemon to the Walnut and Pistachio Baklava had me salivating! But what earned the dog-eared page was the Zucchini Keftedes because I’m always on the lookout for ways to morph the zuke into something fabulous.

Keftedes are actually Greek meatballs and in the recipe head notes Michael referred to them as zucchini fritters, which is what I would call them – either way it’s a delicious vegetarian dish with flavors of bright lemon and mint and salty feta, perfect as a starter or several fritters make a satisfying and delicious vegetarian main dish.

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta

from Michael Symon for Bon Appétit, April 2011

1 ⅓ pounds medium zucchini, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt*
½ cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill*
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese

Canola oil (for frying)
Garnish: Greek yogurt (plain or reduced-fat)

* These were the only two changes I made: I didn’t use salt due to Don’s low-sodium diet and I left out the dill (not a fan) and I can’t imagine the keftedes being any better

1. Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with kosher salt. Let zucchini stand at least 30 minutes to an hour. Roll up the zucchini in the towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

2. Place zucchini in a medium bowl. Mix in green onions, mint, garlic, lemon zest, and black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then the feta.

3. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment or foil. Using about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into patties; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.

4. Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to be ¼ inch in depth. Heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels.

Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with a dollop of yogurt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy

A Taste of Greece Festival It’s that time of year again! Summer anticipation, the flurry...

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Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love + Giveaway

Priscilla — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:50:56 +0000

Today’s recipe is from Cristina Ferrare’s gorgeous new cookbook Big Bowl of Love , a wonderful collection of over 150 of her favorite recipes that are great for quick week night dinners and special occasions. I was excited to receive a copy to preview, especially knowing that the stunning photos were the brilliant work of none other than local food photography rock stars, Todd Porter and Diane Cu of White on Rice Couple, and was pleased to discover how Cristina’s natural warmth, generosity, and passion for cooking shines through in her anecdotes and recipes.

Big Bowl of Love offers a wide variety of recipes, from starters and lunches to dinners and desserts; and includes dishes that Cristina has created and cooked over the years and enjoyed with her family and friends. American and Italian influences are apparent and I was impressed with how approachable the recipes are; from her #1 favorite pasta sauce, fresh roma tomato sauce, to mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake, she shares it all, along with helpful tips to cut down your time in the kitchen. Her passion for food has made her a New York Times Best Seller and a host of her own cooking show, Big Bowl of Love, on the Oprah Winfrey Network. I’m excited to be able to share a recipe from this gorgeous cookbook and offer a copy to one of my readers!

With all this deliciousness, it was hard to decide what to showcase from Big Bowl of Love. Because we’re fish lovers, for heart-health reasons and because we love it, and I’ve mastered many ways to prepare fish, I decided to make the Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa. Cristina says this is the dish she makes when she wants to impress her dinner guests big-time with its wonderful glazed sauce paired with the cool cucumber salsa, its quite impressive!

Sea Bass with Soy Glaze and Cucumber Salsa

6 servings | from Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love

Cucumber Salsa
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1½ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Sauce
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sugar *
2 tablespoons dry white wine

Fish
6 (3-ounce) sea bass fillets *
½ cup all-purpose flour
a4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions:

Salsa: Make the cucumber salsa first. In a glass bowl, combine cucumber, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, and cilantro, and mix well. Cover and set aside.

Sauce: In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and wine. Stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce into a small bowl and set aside.

Dredge the sea bass in the flour. Heat a skillet on medium-high until hot. Add the olive oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Saute the sea bass for 2½ minuts on each side, until browned. Reduce the heat to medium, then pour in the sauce mixture and cover with a lids. Cook until the fish is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes, depending on thickness.

Place fillets on a platter, and pour the pan juices over the top. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and top with salsa, or the salsa on the side if you prefer.

* The only changes I made to the recipe were substituting Pacific Halibut for the sea bass and brown sugar for granulated. I make a similar glaze for salmon and brown sugar works beautifully.

Enjoy

Here’s how to enter the Giveaway for Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook:

Leave a comment below and tell me what dish represents a big bowl of love to you.

Bonus entries:

1. Like Cristina Ferrare on Facebook

2. Like She’s Cookin’/TopMomBlog on Facebook

3. Follow Cristina Ferrare on Twitter

4. Follow She’s Cookin’ on Twitter

5. Tweet the giveaway: “Cristina Ferrare’s Cookbook #Giveaway from @shescookin. Enter here: http://bit.ly/lokHfq ”

For the bonus entries, be sure to leave a separate comment letting me know. Also, if you already do any of the above, let me know that with a separate comment, too

The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only. (sorry international readers…) The giveaway will end at 10:00 p.m. PST on Monday, June 20, 2011 and a winner will be chosen by random drawing. The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond, if the winner does not claim their prize by responding within 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen.

Good Luck to all!

Just one more… Aren’t the photos and styling breathtaking!

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary copy of Cristina Ferrare’s Big Bowl of Love cookbook. One random winner will also receive the same. The opinions however, are my own.

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Wonton Dessert Fruit Cups

Priscilla — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:49:57 +0000

Here I thought I would catch up on my writing over the three-day weekend! Not…

The Don was home from Paris and craving some healthy home-cooking after an extravagant dinner at, , The Ritz!

So I did a lot of cooking…. How was your weekend? Relaxing, fun in the sun, catch a flick, some BBQ and brews maybe, that’s fantastic! Now its back to work and the final countdown for school

Today, I’d like to share a quick and easy, light, healthy, fruit-filled dessert that I brought to the May meeting of FBLA (Food Bloggers Los Angeles). I had only been to one other meeting of this amorphous group of LA food bloggers and I really hoped that these little dessert cups would turn out better than good because, as you can imagine, the “pot luck” at these meetings is quite the spread.

When I added the mulberries, my first reaction was, “they look like caterpillars!”, but I was sacrificing the entire pint of elusive mulberries I scored at the farmers market, minus the few that I popped into my mouth as a taste test, and my last minute creation would have to suffice. Luckily, my colorful caterpillar creations garnered a few raves from my esteemed colleagues and figuratively blushed at all the attention from the food paparazzi! There is much more to share about the wonderful community that I’ve found in FBLA and the star of the show that day: Creminelli Fine Meats, more on that to come.

Wonton Dessert Fruit Cups

adapted from Eat Better America

24 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup fresh chopped mango
1 pint mulberries
Garnish: mint leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a 12-cup muffin pan or two 6-cup muffin pans, line each cup with a wonton wrapper. Brush wonton wrappers with a little butter. Place a second wrapper diagonally on top of each of the first ones. Brush second wrapper with a little butter.
Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool. Remove from pan.

Heat honey in the microwave for 20 seconds. Brush with wonton cups with honey.

Using a spoon, place a dollop of yogurt in each wonton cup. Top with chopped mango and a mulberry.

Variations: spoon a teaspoon of cherry or other fruit preserves into the wonton cups in place of honey. Fold a cup of mixed fresh berries into the yogurt instead of topping with mango.

Enjoy

Photo credit: Louse Mellor

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Queen’s Day Soup

Priscilla — Sat, 21 May 2011 05:35:04 +0000

It was sheer serendipity that we were in Amsterdam for Queen’s Day on April 30th. What a way to kick-off our week-long bike/barge tour of the Netherlands! Queen’s Day commemorates the (former) Queen’s birthday and is the most widely celebrated national holiday and, with a carnival-like atmosphere, the biggest street party in Amsterdam – much like Mardi Gras or New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

We were in good form at a club in the Liedseplein on Queen’s Night and the next day walking along with crowds of revelers meandering through the city-wide street market. Fortunately for us, we boarded our barge on Queen’s Day and the harbor was within walking distance to city centre where festivities were in full swing. Amsterdam attracts more than 700,000 visitors from all over Europe to join in the fun and, if you’re not already in the city on Queen’s Night, you’ll have to hoof it as streets are closed and trains and public transportation run on a special schedule on Queen’s Day.

Our carousing ended early and we were safely back on board the barge to be “fitted” for our bikes by late afternoon.

We met the crew: our skipper Else, who would safely navigate the many canals and locks; first mate Peter, who would later surprise us with an amazing magic show; cook extraordinaire Ellen, who had us applauding as she announced “for dinner tonight”; and the lucky man who was to be responsible for our crazy group for a week, Piet

On our first night on the barge, Ellen served up a “Queen’s Day” Pumpkin Soup that won the instant approval of all the women. I didn’t waste any time telling her that I have a food blog and would love to feature her smiling face and one of her recipes. Throughout the week, she impressed us with her delicious, flavorful soups and entrees, colorful salads full of fresh veggies , and smashing desserts. But in the end, I came back to the special Queen’s Day soup. Cooking for 25 guests and crew, she doesn’t really use recipes, but graciously jotted down the ingredients and basic instructions.

One thing that I discovered when I took the L’atelier des Chefs cooking class in Paris, is that Europeans refer to squash as “pumpkin”. This is actually a squash soup, although I don’t know what kind of squash she used. I decided to use kabocha squash because it has a rich, nutty flavor and a taste between pumpkin and sweet potato. I also roasted the squash to bring out its rich flavor and adapted the recipe to serve 6-8 instead of 25 Oh, and I always like a little heat so added some chili spice along with pungent coriander.

Queen’s Day Pumpkin Soup

1 large Kabocha squash (about 2½ lbs.)

6 carrots (about 1 lb.), chopped

½ cup olive oil, divided use

1 tablespoon Melissa’s organic chili blend or similar

1 quart low-sodium vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 cup white wine

1-2 cups cream

Garnish: Sliced raw almonds and crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the squash in quarters, use a spoon to scoop out the seed and stringy stuff. Combine olive oil and spice blend. Brush flesh of the squash with olive oil mixture. Place on rimmed cookie sheet and bake for about 45 minutes until flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven. Cool and, using a large spoon, scrape flesh away from the skin. Coarsely chop.

While squash is roasting, heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat. Saute the carrots for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped onions and saute for another 3 minutes until onion is softened. Stir in the garlic, saute for another 1-2 minutes. Mix in the squash and coriander.

Add the wine and vegetable broth. Turn heat up to med-high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes to meld the flavors. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Spoon soup into a blender and puree. Add salt and pepper to taste. Soup can be prepared to this point 1 day in advance. (I divided the soup and froze half for next week.)

Return to saucepan, reheat, and stir in cream. Serve immediately. Garnish with sliced almonds and crumbled feta cheese (optional).

Enjoy

Thank you, Ellen! If you’re ever in the Netherlands and require the services of a talented and lovely personal chef, contact Ellen through her website.

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White Asparagus and Crab Salad

Priscilla — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:30:38 +0000

I’ve been doing research on Dutch cuisine: both traditional and street food, because as you’re reading this, I’m flying to Amsterdam with a group of 20 adventurous women. Not only will we be touring traditional tourist must-sees like Keukenhof, The Hague, and, of course, the “coffee shops” and red light district, but as a food lover and writer, I hope to eat like a local while we’re cycling our way through the Dutch countryside on a Bike/Barage trip from Amsterdam to Bruge with CycleTours.

I’m posting this as I’m packing and wishing that the last thing on my mind is how I don’t have enough time to write 6 blog posts to schedule while I’m gone. But at least I have a feeling of accomplishment in fulfilling my first challenge with the Five Star Foodie Challenge group. I can breath a sigh of relief because for a while there it looked as if I was going to fail miserably due to the fact that I could not find the main ingredient called for in the challenge! Thank you Bristol Farms for coming through!

Considering I’ll soon be experiencing Spring in all its splendor in a sea of fragrant blossoms of hyacinths and tulips, it was serendipitous that the Five-Star Foodie Challenge for April was white asparagus, revered as the ultimate Spring delicacy in Germany and The Netherlands during this very time. I plan on seeking out traditional preparations, like Asparagus with Ham and Hollandaise Sauce, while I’m biking through the villages and flower fields of Holland.

According to Karin Englebrecht, a food and travel writer who writes restaurant reviews for TimeOut Amsterdam magazines and travel guides, food related articles for Holland Times, and the Dutch Food Guide at About.com:

“You couldn’t possibly find a more Dutch way of eating asparagus than Asparagus Hollandaise with ham and chopped boiled eggs. And, for those of you who feel the need to point out that Hollandaise sauce is French, some historians believe that it was actually invented in the Netherlands and then taken back to France by the Huguenots. A recipe for Hollandaise sauce appears in a Dutch cookbook by Carel Baten, which dates from 1593. Once looked down upon as peasant food, white asparagus is now regarded as “witte goud” or ‘white gold’. Heritage aside, this simply is the best way to enjoy this delicious delicacy.”

So, to honor the white asparagus and its delicate flavor, I kept it simple, adding only sweet crab meat and fresh ingredients from the garden that would complement, without overpowering, the ivory spears. To give the salad my signature, I concocted a bright sauce of green asparagus and shallots and a white balsamic and Meyer lemon vinaigrette to dress it. Garnished with slivers of purple radishes and edible flowers, The Don and I savored this delightful salad with a bottle of bubbly while gazing upon the pastel hues of our rose garden in bloom and the tender green shoots dotting the garden beds.

White Asparagus and Crab Salad

1 bunch white asparagus, stalks peeled

1 lb. crab meat

1 bunch watercress

Garnish: French radishes and chives, edible flowers (optional)

Cut off 1 inch of the asparagus stems and discard. To peel the stalks, gently hold the tip and using a vegetable peeler to shave the length of the stalk. Blanch the spears in boiling water for about 4 minutes. Remove and transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Allow the water to come to a boil again and blanch the green asparagus for the sauce.

Asparagus Sauce

12 green asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 shallot, diced

1 Tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons half & half

Cut off 1 inch of the asparagus stems and discard. Cut the remaining spears into 1 inch pieces. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 4 minutes. Remove and place in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Use 1 cup of the stems for this sauce. Reserve the tips and remaining stems for use in a salad, omelet, risotto, or pasta dish.

Heat the butter in a skillet over med heat. Sauté the shallots for 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and sauté for another 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree – I prefer mine a little chunky for textural contrast against the smooth spears of asparagus. Add the half & half, pulse to blend.

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons, strained

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon finely minced shallot

2 teaspoons finely minced chives

Whisk together the vinegar and lemon juice in a bowl. Slowly whisk in he canola oil. Stir in the shallots and chives. Or the easy way: place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks (the chives will darken after 1 day).

To assemble the salad:

Form a mound of the Asparagus Sauce in the middle of your platter, top with crab meat. Surround with watercress and garnish with sliced purple and/or red radishes and finely chopped chives. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Enjoy

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

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Grilled Chicken Breasts with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Priscilla — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:12:44 +0000

As home cooks know, you can’t go wrong with boneless chicken breasts for a quick dinner after a full day of weekend activities or an exhausting day at work. Low in fat and high in protein they lend themselves so well to many cooking methods and cuisines. Pan fry, poach, bake, stew and, when we’re blessed by the glorious arrival of Spring; my favorite, grilled. The only major pitfall is overcooking; so just keep in mind that a pounded-thin chicken breast sans bones and skin is cooked through in about 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness, and should be moist – just not pink juicy.

This simple recipe takes advantage of the wonderfully juicy yellow-orange Meyer Lemons that are in season now. Meyer lemons are less tart than the lemons most commonly found in markets, which makes it a favorite flavoring for sweet and savory dishes alike. Delicious on fish, poultry, vegetables and in fruit desserts, use Meyer Lemons as a low calorie seasoning. Or, use the juice as a delicious, fresh alternative to high fat salad dressings and sauces. Here the zest and juice is used for a simple marinade and gremolata.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Meyer Lemon Gremolata

Serves 3-4

2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice*

1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 chicken breast halves, pounded to ½ inch thick*

For gremolata:

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon freshly grated Meyer lemon zest*

Garnish:

lemon slices

thyme sprigs

*Of course, if Meyer lemons aren’t available, you can use regular lemons. Cut the breast into smaller pieces by slicing off the tenderloin portion i.e. the chicken “tender” (perfect size for kids). Place under plastic wrap and use a meat pounder to pound each portion to ½ inch thickness.

In a bowl whisk together the lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste. Add oil in a stream, whisking until the marinade is emulsified. Put chicken breasts in a gallon size resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning the bag once.

Meanwhile prepare the gremolata by mixing the three ingredients together in a small bowl.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Remove the chicken from the bag. Discard marinade. Place on oiled rack and grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve sprinkled with the gremolata and garnished with lemon and thyme.

Enjoy

Nutted Rice with Apricots and Ginger Carrot Dressing

Priscilla — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:43:32 +0000

With Spring officially here, (it is isn’t it?) we’re all craving lighter, fresher dishes full of vibrant colors and the flavors of the season. Although it was cooler here in SoCal this past weekend, we still enjoyed a sunny, breezy weekend for the most part and pulled out the grill on both days. Other places are still having snow in April – so sorry, I don’t mean to rub it in

Our hulking, not-so-shiny, gas behemoth is uncovered with a flourish as often as possible – it’s one of the biggest perks to living here, and, regrettably, a couple million other people would probably agree with me. Plus, if The Don is at home, he insists on manning the grill which saves me from being in two different places at one time AND Grilling= Less Pans in the sink to wash later! #Winning! Oops, that may constitute copyright infringement if Charlie Sheen’s attempt to copyright “Duh, Winning” and 21 of his other “signature” phrases is successful – meanwhile, we can have fun with it Hope ya’ll have a Winning week!

Nutted Rice Salad with Apricots and Ginger Carrot Dressing

2 cups cooked white long grain rice (I used Jasmine)

1 Tablespoon butter

½ cup slivered almonds

½ dried apricots, chopped

Salt to taste*

Grilled fresh pineapple

Serves 2-3

Heat skillet on med-high heat, add butter. Add rice, stir to brown and warm, add almonds and apricots. Remove to a serving dish and stir in dressing.

Notes: If you made a fresh batch of rice, you can skip this step and stir in the almonds and apricots after fluffing the rice. You’ll need to increase the amount of almonds and apricots because 1 cup of dried rice yields 3 cups of cooked rice (about 6 servings). You may substitute brown rice and can also dice the grilled pineapple and add it to the rice if you like

Ginger Carrot Salad Dressing

Yield: ½ cup

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon carrot juice

Combine all ingredients in a small canning jar and shake. Or, in a glass bowl and whisk to blend.

This made only enough for the rice dish. I concocted this dressing after being wowed by a sample that I picked up at the Natural Products Expo a couple of weeks ago. It was happy dance time when I tasted it – the flavors were clean and bright – so good I’m going to triple the recipe to have some on hand for salads this week.

For the shrimp: Rinse and remove the shells, leaving the tail intact. In a glass bowl, sprinkle with seasoning – I used Melissa’s Chili Seasoning. Measure out about one tablespoon of coconut oil in a ceramic prep bowl and liquify by putting in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Pour over the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp over medium heat on a veggie grill rack for about 5 minutes, depending on size. Simple as that!

Enjoy

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Post tags: coconut shrimp, Ginger Carrot Dressing, grilled shrimp, Nutted Rice with Apricots

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The Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sammich

Priscilla — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:18:20 +0000

This week’s obsession is that all-American comfort food favorite: the Grilled Cheese. In case you didn’t know it, April is National Grilled Cheese Month and if you’re planning on making a grilled cheese this weekend, grab your iPhone or video camera and take a short video of you preparing your amazing grilled cheese recipe and send it to Tillamook Cheese for a chance to win two tickets to the Grilled Cheese Invitational in LA on April 23rd. Nothing fancy, just you making your grilled cheese – no editing necessary according to the official rules.

Two weekends ago I caught the Tillamook Loaf Love Tour at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa and became a official Master Melter by concocting a yummy, gooey, grilled cheese filled with veggie goodness! Tillamook invited a number of Orange County bloggers to join in the fun and I’ve got to say that the OC bloggers rocked that contest!

Bringing home the Best Overall with his “So Cal Delight” was Mark Howerton, the daddy behind the scenes at Rage Against the Minivan;

Best Teamwork: Shelby Barone,who runs a business and blog at GlitterfulFelt Stories, and her little guy with his “Trees of Love” ; and

Most Creative: yours truly with my “Spring Fever” (a slathering of pesto, with grilled asparagus and sundried tomatoes layered with Tillamook’s award-winning medium cheddar inside and crunchy strips of red bell pepper on top for a bright bit of crunch with every bite

Last year I joined Tillamook’s Loaf Love Tour at at Haven Gastropub in Orange where the always innovative Chef Greg Daniels prepared an amazing four-course dinner inspired by Tillamook cheeses expertly paired with one of their signature cocktails or a selection from their extensive craft beer and wine list. I reread that post and my feelings haven’t changed about Tillamook – they’re still the kind of company that I can get behind and that I wish the U.S. had more of:

Tillamook is the sort of “grass roots” company with core values that I can get behind. Tillamook was founded nearly a century ago and has earned a reputation for producing the best tasting, premium-quality dairy products. They are nationally recognized for their firm commitment to quality and over the years have distinguished themselves as great supporters of local and state dairy organizations and as committed stewards of the environment. Unlike most national brands, Tillamook cheese is made with milk from cows not treated with artificial growth hormones - all their suppliers, whether farmer-owners or contract milk suppliers are in compliance certifying that the milk they supply is from cows not supplemented with rBST.

SO, if you think you’ve got the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sammich in ya – give it a shot and enter one of the four categories! Join in the fun with tens of thousands of fellow grill cheese lovers, hopeful master melters, and Grilled Cheese Truck followers – I might see you there

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Post tags: grilled cheese, Grilled Cheese Invitational, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Tillamook cheese

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