JBug's Kitchen Antics

Sprout and Kale Salad with Maple Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Big Guy cooked dinner last night and it was wonderful. Actually he cooked breakfast and packed my lunch too. We had a bit of a role reversal as I headed to work while he stayed home with the fur kids. Spoiled me rotten, he did. 

He whipped up a crunchy kale and brussels sprout salad dressed up beautifully with toasted nuts and grated parmesan in a Dijon mustard vinaigrette. In fact he mixed the shredded sprouts and crunchy kale with the dressing in advance so they had a chance to marinate and soften before the nuts and cheese hit the party. 

Best of all, he topped the salad with lovely broiled King salmon, glazed in a balsamic, maple syrup, Dijon and garlic concoction that kept the salmon moist and upped the flavor quotient a bunch. It was a blast watching him navigate the kitchen and cook such a fabulous dinner for his very lucky lady. He's a keeper, isn't he?

Sprout and Kale Salad with Maple Balsamic Glazed Salmon from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from Gluten Free Girl and Giada via foodnetwork.com

4 cups shredded Brussels sprouts

1 cup finely chopped kale

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans or a combination of the two)

9 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper

Combine sprouts and kale in a large bowl. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a container with a tight fitting lid (jar) and shake to combine well. Toss with sprouts and kale, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving add parmesan cheese and nuts and toss to combine. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Salmon:

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

2 – 6 ounce pieces salmon fillet

Salt & course ground black pepper

In a small pot combine vinegar, maple syrup, mustard and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often for 10 minutes or until mixture is reduced to a glaze consistency.

Preheat broiler. Place salmon skin side down on a broiler pan. Season with salt and pepper then brush with glaze. Broil for 10 minutes or until salmon is cooked through, brushing with glaze every few minutes. Serves 2.

Brats and Sauerkraut

Those of you who regularly visit JBug's Kitchen know by now that I tend to tell it like it is. I'm the first to criticize something I've concocted and constantly looking for ways to improve a recipe to achieve better results. Seldom can I admit that something's the "best". Well, not this time.

This is absolutely the BEST sauerkraut dish I've ever made. It's better than chocolate, almost better than caramel and head and shoulders above any other sauerkraut laden bratwurst dishes you'll find on this blog. It gives a whole new slant to the prepared sauerkraut you'll find in a jar on your grocery store's shelves and in fact is so darned delicious it has driven me to add a section to the index called "JBug's Favorites". How about that? 

Check out the recipe, make your list and head out to your closest market post haste. Trust me. You won't be sorry in the least.

Bratwursts and Sauerkraut (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Cast Iron Cooking by Joanna Pruess)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 slices thick sliced bacon, cut into cubes

2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced

12 ounces beer

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

10 juniper berries, bruised

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 large jar sauerkraut, drained, rinsed and squeezed dry (I used Libby’s Crispy)

8 bratwursts

Coarse grained mustard (I used Trader Joe’s coarse grained Dijon)

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and oil and cook until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions. Reduce heat to low, partially cover pot and cook until onions soften and start to turn golden brown – approx... 15 minutes. Add beer, apple, juniper berries, bay leaves, brown sugar, caraway seeds and sauerkraut. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil. Add approximately a half teaspoon of salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cover, add bacon and discard bay leaves.

Meanwhile, prick sausages in several places with a fork and cook in a sauté pan sprayed with cooking spray for approximately 10 minutes or until browned on all sides and no longer pink inside. Serve on sauerkraut with coarse grained mustard.  Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Kale and Sausage Soup

A hot bowl of soup was exactly what the weatherman ordered yesterday. We had SNOW! Our world is beautiful still although certainly not as green as usual and as I write this, it is midmorning and has warmed only 10 degrees from our overnight low of 19. There's snow everywhere and ice on the decks and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

The day before yesterday I spent some time in the kitchen making a large pot of beef stock and some of it went to good use last night in my version of Nick Stellino's Cabbage and Sausage Soup. It's no secret that Nick's Cucina Amore was one of my favorite public television cooking shows and I try to catch him on Cooking With Friends as often as possible; however, it's more likely you'll find my nose buried in his book, Mediterranean Flavors.

Of course my version differs from his original (see link) and I make no apologies because recipes are just guidelines anyway, right?

• I used my own home made Italian sausage loaded with extra fennel, garlic and red pepper flakes;
• dry sundried tomatoes rather than oil packed;
• dry marsala wine (Trader Joe's) instead of white wine;
• beef stock instead of chicken;
• threw in a can of diced tomatoes for extra zing
• substituted a mess o' chopped kale instead of cabbage.

The result - intensely flavored and wholesome comfort in every spoonful. It is spicy with red pepper flakes, sweet from sun dried tomatoes and full of beefy goodness too. As for the kale, we happen to love the stuff because not only is it a good for us green but it holds up very well in a pot of soup. 

I'd have it again in a heartbeat and a good thing too. Lunch is just around the corner!

Kale and Sausage Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Nick Stellino, Mediterranean Flavors)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound hot Italian sausage (bulk)

2 large onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

6 cups low sodium beef stock

1 -14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

8 cups chopped kale (stems removed)

Parmesan cheese as garnish

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Crumble in sausage and cook until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions, garlic, red pepper flakes and sundried tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes or until onions are soft. Add Marsala wine and cook for 30 seconds to reduce wine slightly, and then add sausage back to the pot along with beef stock and tomatoes. Add salt and coarse ground black pepper and bring pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes. Add kale and cook additional 10 to 15 minutes until tender crisp. Serve garnished with grated parmesan cheese. Makes 6 servings. 

A year ago - Beefy, Beany Benchiladas and a Sale Pending! 

Two years ago - Perfect Pear Puddin'

Three years ago - Eggs in Purgatory

Coconut Curry Chicken

I love the fall and yes November 26 is still considered autumn at least according to the calendar although something tells me with the crazy weather happening everywhere but here there are some who'd beg to differ. Anyway, cooler temps, incredible sunrises and sunsets and dinners by the fireplace seem to be the norm for us these days and comfort food definitely suits our moods.

Now comfort food means different things to different people but to us it brings to mind something saucy and tender with a spicy kick. This chicken fits the description to a "T". 

Chicken breast pieces or tenders, sauteed until golden then braised in a quick flavorful sauce of sauteed onion, garlic, fresh ginger, cumin, curry and light coconut milk did the trick but it was the grated lemon zest and touch of honey that took it over the top. Oh my!

Coconut Curry Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from South Beach Diet Cookbook)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound chicken breasts cut into pieces (or chicken tenders)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder (I used Madras)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup light coconut milk

2 teaspoons liquid honey

Cashews or almonds and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat olive oil in large no stick pan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Sauté on all sides until golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion to pan and sauté until transparent. Add garlic and ginger and cook stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add lemon peel, cumin, curry powder and cayenne and cook additional minute. Stir in chicken broth to deglaze pan, then return chicken to pan along with coconut milk. Bring to a high simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Place sauce remaining in pan over high heat, add honey and cook until sauce is of desired thickness. Serve over chicken pieces. Garnish with nuts and cilantro.

A year ago - Panko Crusted Thin Pork Chops 

Two years ago - Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Fresh Herbs

Sacreligious I'm sure but we decimated a small rack of lamb by cutting it up into individual chops last night for a quick and tasty result. A few minutes extra work with a sharp knife and those little beauties were frenched and ready for the pan. 

 

Image from foodsubs.com

What's "frenching" you ask? What is means is we cut the cartilidge and fat away from the bone and scraped it clean, which turned our little chops into a kind of meaty lollipop.

Quickly, and I do mean quickly, seared in a screaming hot cast iron pan about 3 minutes later the little beauties hit a pool of grainy Dijon mustard for a slather followed by a roll in a mix of fresh parsley, thyme and mint.

Delicious? You betcha. Mouthfuls of tender rare meat with a jolt of herbaciousliciousness. Now there's our new word for the week. Diet food? Too darned tasty if you ask me. 

A year ago - Turkey Croquettes on Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Two years ago - Ginger Creme Brulee

 

 

Pork Chile Verde - A Lighter Version

We love our pork around here and it's no secret we're into Mexican food as well. While enchiladas, tamales and the like are out of the question at the moment, there's nothing wrong with a little Mexican flavored pork stew.

Big Guy was out on the cool not so high seas crabbing so I figured a spicy, comforting bowl of chile verde wouldn't be frowned upon - the only hitch being we're watching our carbs so that nixed the beer found in my original version (here). There were also a few items I didn't have on hand, like Anaheim peppers and fresh cilantro, but that didn't stop the process. I replaced the beer with extra chicken stock and used a whole jar of prepared salsa verde courtesy of Trader Joes. It had not a smidge of carbohydrates in it but be sure to check the label on the brand you buy before you commit.

I'm fairly certain if we were to compare the taste of the original with this one, we'd find a huge difference but honestly when you've been carb counting on Phase 1 of South Beach for nigh on 2 weeks, you tend not to be that particular.

Served with some shredded cabbage for added crunch and sans the usual pile of tortillas, I have to say the effort had our spoons doing the macarana. Just sayin'.   

Pork Chile Verde

1-1/2 pounds pork butt, shoulder or boneless country style ribs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 - 12 ounce jar salsa verde (I used Trader Joe's)

1 bunch cilantro leaves, cleaned (optional)

2 cups chicken stock

½ to 1 teaspoon honey

Cut pork in 1-1/2 inch cubes, removing all visable at. Season well with salt & pepper. Heat Dutch oven over medium high and add oil. When shimmering, add pork cubes and brown in batches, removing cubes to a bowl when browned. Remove all but 1 tablespoon accumulated fat from the pot. Add onions and green pepper and sauté until onion is soft. Add garlic and cook another 2 to 3 minutes before adding oregano, cumin, coriander and bay leaf. Cook 2 more minutes. Add meat back to pan along with salsa, chicken stock and cilantro if using.  

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally or until pork is tender. Remove cover and simmer for additional 15 minutes until sauce is thickened and meat is very tender.  Adjust seasonings, and add honey to mellow out the heat. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Pumpkin Gingerbread Tiramisu

An Asian Flavored Feast - Broiled Salmon and Creamy Coleslaw

OK so here's the deal. We're working our way through the first phase of the South Beach eating plan and I'm done with the whining at least for now. Last night's flavorful dinner helped solve that little problem.

A lovely piece of fillet from one of the silver salmons Big Guy caught a while ago marinated in a soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, Sriracha concoction for an hour then it hit the broiler for 12 minutes and here's the result. 

Awesome moist and subtly spiced, it was even better perched on a bed of Asian style slaw in a creamy dressing made from a mix of mayonnase, white wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Topped with sesame seeds and garnished with cashews it's a double whammy of Asian flavored delight. Darn near made our socks go up and down. Honest!

Broiled Asian Salmon on Creamy Slaw (from JBug’s Kitchen Antis adapted from myrecipes.com)

1 – 12 ounce salmon fillet

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon (or less) Sriracha

Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil and Sriracha and whisk to combine. Check salmon for pin bones and remove as needed. Place fillet into a zip top bag and add marinade. Seal bag and massage bag to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat broiler on high. Coat a nonstick oven proof sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high until almost smoking. Remove salmon from marinade, reserving marinade. Place salmon in sauté pan, skin side down and cook for 2 minutes. Move salmon to heated broiler and cook for 12 minutes (or less depending on thickness of fillet). Meanwhile heat remaining marinade until boiling (I used microwave). Serve salmon with some sauce. 

 Creamy Asian Slaw

 4 cups coleslaw mix

1/4 cup chopped green or sweet onions

1/4 cup torn basil leaves or cilantro

1/2 cup sliced snow pea pods

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

1-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup cashew nuts or sliced almonds

Combine coleslaw mix, onion, basil, pea pods and sesame seeds in a medium bowl. In a smaller container mix together mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Pour over slaw in bowl and toss to combine. Plate, topped with salmon. Garnish with nuts. Makes 2 servings.

A year ago - Coconut Pork Curry

Two years ago -  Pear and Blue Salmon

 

Souffle Stuffed Chicken

It was such a glorious autumn day yesterday Big Guy talked me into playing hooky so we loaded up the woofs and took a drive up the Oregon Coast as far as Pacific City. We made it back home just as the sun was setting and with our stomachs rubbing our backbones. Plum hungry we were.

As you know, not having cooked a heck of a lot of wonderful things the past couple of days, we were craving something a trifle more refined and this "Souffle" Stuffed Chicken from The South Beach Diet Cookbook turned out to be just what the doc ordered.  Simply chicken breasts slightly butterflied, pounded lightly to flatten and stuffed with pieces of frozen Stouffer's spinach souffle, the rolled chicken hit a hot garlicky saute pan briefly until golden brown and then finished cooking in a moderate oven. 

Topped with a quick luscious lemon/Dijon pan sauce, the result is flavorful, exceedingly moist and quite luxurious. In fact, accompanied by the remaining spinach souffle and some peppery steamed turnip, we were sufficiently "suffuncified". 

Incidentally, here's a few pictures from Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City yesterday. Hard to believe it is almost the end of November, isn't it.

Soufflé Stuffed Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from The South Beach Diet Cookbook)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (approx. 1 pound)

1 – 12 ounce package Stouffer’s frozen spinach soufflé

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large clove garlic, sliced in half

1 cup chicken broth

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

Ground black pepper

Lemon & fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Butterfly chicken breasts and pound slightly to even out thickness. Using a serrated knife, cut approx. 1 inch pieces slivers of soufflé. Fold chicken around frozen soufflé pieces and fasten chicken roll together with toothpicks.

Heat oil and garlic in sauté pan over medium high. Remove garlic when it starts to brown, and then add chicken and brown rolls on all sides until golden – approx. 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cooked through and juices run clear. Meanwhile, place chicken broth, lemon juice, and mustard in sauté pan and reduce liquid to 1/3. Keep warm. Serve chicken topped with sauce and garnish with lemon and parsley. Makes 2 servings. 

A year ago - Seafood Lasagna

Two years ago - Apple, Swiss and Squash Soup

Three years ago - Baked Four Cheese Spaghetti

Herb Roasted Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Remember the herb roasted salmon we had way back in October? I bragged about how exceptional this Ina Garten recipe is and even commented about wanting to try it with halibut. Well I did.

Halibut and I have a definite love/hate relationship. I love it, but hate that I can't seem to get the timing right. I either cook it to death so it is dry and tasteless or don't cook it enough but I swear by using this method even an idiot like me can get the job done right.  

Roasted Halibut with Green Herbs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics  adapted from Ina Garten’s “How Easy Is That?”

1 pound fish fillets, skin and bones removed (I used halibut this time)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup dry white wine

Lemon for garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Season fish with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil and lemon juice together in a container with a tight fitting lid and shake to emulsify. Place salmon in an oven proof stainless sauté pan and drizzle with olive oil/lemon juice mixture. Allow to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Combine green onions, dill and parsley together and scatter over all sides of fish fillet. Pour wine around the fish. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove dish from oven, cover tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with lemon sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Caper Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

Grated rind from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons capers

Dash of lemon pepper seasoning

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.  

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

 

Two years ago - Taco Salad

Meatloaf with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes

I'm gloating over a new discovery. As I indicated yesterday, we're in the midst of a pre-holiday slimdown around here and the South Beach regimen doesn't allow bread in any way shape or form. I was at a loss on what to do with the meatloaf on the menu for dinner last night until I had an epiphany of sorts. 

Extra-lean ground beef will almost guarantee a dry puck like meatloaf unless additional moisture and binders are added to it. Given bread crumbs are out of the question at the moment, I subbed chopped mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and finely chopped onions instead. Extra herbs in the form of fresh basil, garlic and onion powder along with a smidge of white wine and a smatter of crumbled feta cheese and we were well on our way to the sublime.  In the interest of portion control I packed the ground yum into little 3/4 cup loaf pans and the result is what you see.

Moist, intensely flavored and really satisfying accompanied by a salad and some good for us veggies, it hardly felt like diet food at all. Uh, except for the ice water in the wine glass that is.    

Meatloaf with Mushrooms and Sundried Tomatoes (an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics)

1 pound extra lean ground beef (or ground chicken or turkey)

4 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

1 egg

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl gently mix all ingredients together. Pack into 6 muffin tins or 4 small loaf pans. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before unmolding. Makes 4 servings.  

 A year ago - Hungarian Hot Sausage and Lentil Soup

Two years ago - Rockin' Moroccan Stew

Chicken Mole a la South Beach

Now the jig is up! Seeing as Big Guy and yours truly have feasted our way into oblivion and we have the dunlap to prove it (dunlap: when the stomach done lap over the belt), yet again we've embarked on a South Beach journey. We've completed our fifth day now and the numbers on the scale are decreasing, although not as quicky as they increased in the first place. 

Of course I've been working hard to come up with menu items that will keep us (and you) from getting bored so we tried this Chicken Mole recipe from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Now I'm here to say there's mole recipes and there's mole recipes and this one "ain't" like anything I've ever made before.

          Chicken with Green Mole                      Braised Turkey in Mole   

  

Without nuts, sesame seeds or even freshly ground spices, it is a far cry from traditional but I can get by all that by calling it what it is - spicy chicken with chocolate.

Loaded with garlic, chili powder, cinnamon and cloves, a touch of peanut butter mellows out the flavor. It is much needed too after the addition of cocoa powder - I used Hershey's Extra Dark ...thus the rich mahogany color. Pretty amazing, huh! 

Served on a bed of roasted butternut squash with a spoonful of mixed beans, the chicken's spicy flavor certainly filled the gap. If you want to know the truth, it was too darned hot for me but that's my fault because I used extra hot smoked chipotle chile powder. Stupid eh?  Big Guy loved it though. Would I make it again? It kinda' depends on how long we're on the diet. Just sayin'. 

South Beach Chicken Mole (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from South Beach Diet Cookbook)

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into pieces

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chile powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken pieces well. Brown on all sides, removing from pan when done. Add onion, peppers, and garlic and sauté until onion is soft. Sprinkle in chile powder, cinnamon and cloves and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes and water along with peanut butter and cocoa. Stir to incorporate. Return chicken to pot, bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer, cover and cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes. Remove top from pot and cook additional 5 minutes to reduce sauce. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Chicken and Andouille Gumbo 

 

Two years ago - Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Taters and 'snips

Three years ago - Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

 

Caponata versus Ratatouille - vive la différence

Caponata is a Sicilian relish, a combination of cooked vegetables sweetened with raisins and pinenuts, and while it resembles the French dish ratatouille there are some not so subtle differences in texture and flavor. 

While eggplant plays a prominent part in both dishes, the similarity ends there with the addition of briney green olives, and typically mediterranean herbs such as fresh basil, oregano and parsley, lots of garlic, crunchy celery and a relatively small amount of red bell pepper. The vegetables are cooked until just barely tender and the dish completed with red wine vinegar, tomato paste and a touch of sugar.

It is the bomb, whether used as a side dish as we did last night to accompany slices of mediterranean flavored meatloaf made from ground pork, italian sausage and lots of lemon rind (hit this link for the recipe), or on pizza, pasta, bruschetta or even on a burger or panini. In fact, if you'd like a sharper flavor, add some capers and garnish with anchovies and you'll  have a whole different story to tell.

On the other hand, if you think you're more into side dish that'll take advantage of all the zucchini, onions, eggplant, bell peppers and fresh thyme you have in your garden at the moment, I've included a link to our favorite version of ratatouille. I daresay you'll not be disappointed with either.  

Caponata (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Sunset magazine via myrecipes.com)

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large eggplant, cut into ½ inch dice

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

1 cup chopped green olives

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained (optional)

Anchovies for garnish, optional

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add eggplant. Cook stirring occasionally until softened and golden brown – about 8 minutes. Remove from sauté pan and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to pan, lower heat to medium and add garlic. Sauté garlic for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add chopped celery, red pepper and green olives. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are barely softened – about 5 minutes. Stir in water, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, raisins and peanuts. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes then return eggplant to the pot. Remove from heat and stir in salt, sugar, basil, oregano and parsley and add capers if using. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.   

Ratatouille (an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by the George and Piret Munger Cookbook)

1 large eggplant, cut into 1”cubes (skin on)

¾ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 white onion, cut into 1” cubes

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1” cubes

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1” cubes

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise then cut into ½” pieces

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chicken stock

1 cup tomato sauce

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and place on paper towels, in a single layer. Cover with more towels and place a cutting board along with a heavy pan on top. Let sit for 30 minutes. Remove from towels and set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in large sauté pan on high heat until very hot. Add eggplant and cook for 5 minutes, tossing well, until browned. Add remaining oil to same pan and add onion, peppers and zucchini and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, oregano, parsley, pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, garlic and eggplant and cook approximately 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook until sauce is thick. Hold at room temperature for serving. Garnish with additional parsley and black olives if desired.

A year ago - Crab Cakes and a Peach Pie

Two year's ago - Asian Pork Salad

Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing

I'm one of likely very few people who have a love/hate relationship with mushrooms. Some days I love 'em and others I hate 'em. I didn't hate this dish but let's just say I was under impressed. It has nothing to do with the stuffing and everything to do with the mushrooms; however that is personal opinion only. The Big Guy thought it was all quite delicious.

In this case gi-normous meaty portotello mushrooms get a quick wash and dry then are relieved of their gills. I use a melon baller because the edges are sharp and make short work of the task. By the way, you can make 2 large stuffed mushrooms, or 4 smaller ones - whatever you prefer. As you can see, we're of the opinion bigger is better.

Place the 'shrooms on a shallow baking sheet and fill them with a mixture of ricotta, chopped spinach, ground beef, garlic, onion, shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Spiced up with plenty of salt and coarse ground black pepper, along with Italian seasoning, basil and red pepper flakes, top the monster mushrooms with grated fresh parmesan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 400 oven.

The stuffing would be fabulous filling some gorgeous sweet bell peppers or even topping a hollowed out partially baked eggplant too. You could serve the stuffed veg's on top of a ladle full of marinara sauce or even a bechamel, but in our case we simply had them along side a crisp everything but the kitchen sink salad. It made for a tasty and calorically responsible dinner - a rare and wonderful thing coming from JBug's Kitchen!

Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing (Adapted from Dairygoodness.ca)

2 large Portobello mushrooms or 4 medium sized

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

6 ounces extra lean ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Rinse and dry Portobello mushrooms. Remove and discard gills by using a sharp spoon or melon baller. Place mushroom caps on a shallow baking sheet and set aside.

For stuffing combine ricotta, well squeezed spinach, ground beef, garlic, onion, mozzarella and dried herbs. Season well with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Pile loosely into mushroom caps. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes until mushrooms are tender and the meat is cooked through. Serve with green salad. Download Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing

A year ago - Moroccan Serpant Pie

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Keftedes me Saltsa Domata)

Remember the Neil Diamond recording titled "Love at the Greek"? Well, for the longest time I thought it was love the Greek and if anything can do it for you, this'll be it! Leave it to the Greeks to come up with something so simply delicious, so much so I can't wait for a repeat performance. Moist, incredibly tender and the opposite to labor intensive, these little oval torpedoes are absolutely bursting with flavor. No wonder!

Loaded with olive oil, dried mint, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper along with a finely minced red onion, the lean ground beef is almost an after thought - necessary but secondary to all the other ingredients. Shaped into flat ovals, coated in flour and fried quickly they take absolutely no time to make and would be wonderful as a filling for pita or part of selection of appetizers (meze) along with a glass of red wine.

As for the tomato sauce, it is a simple reduction of whole canned tomatoes, sans their juices along with lots of garlic, and beef consomme - oh and a few more herbs of course. Reduced to a thick sauce, garnished with lemon juice and parsley just before serving, it's absolutely wonderful on top of some grilled eggplant.

I can't wait to make it again with ground lamb and maybe even ground turkey. We all know ground turkey can be incredibly dry and flavorless unless it has a bunch of modifications and I can't think of a better way to modify a sawdust like turkey ball than with the fixin's from these meatballs. Just imagine it inside flatbread along with some cucumber and sweet onion or maybe a tzatziki dip. Wow!

Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Keftedes me Saltsa Domata) (adapted from Food & Wine Magazine)

Meatballs:

1 tablespoon dried mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 medium red onion, finely minced

1 egg, beaten

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon milk

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Oil for frying

In bowl combine mint, olive oil, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne and onion. Add egg, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in breadcrumbs and stir well to incorporate. Add ground beef and mix together (mixture will be very soft and moist). Form into 20 oval shaped balls and refrigerate for minimum, one half hour. To cook – heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to depth of a quarter inch and heat until shimmering. Coat meatballs in flour and fry until brown on each side – approximately 5 to 6 minutes, total. Cook meatballs in batches so they brown easily and do not crowd the pan. Remove to a paper towel lined tray to drain. Set aside.

Tomato Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 – 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and pureed

1 – 10 ounce can beef consommé

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook briefly, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, pureed tomatoes and consommé. Simmer stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Stir in lemon juice. Return meatballs to pan and heat. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4 to 6 Download Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

A year ago - Kung Pao Chicken

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Spicy Asian Dressing

You know the old saying - " ya gotta' be careful what you wish for". Well, I wished for more happenings happenin' around this place and darned if my dreams didn't come true. Yesterday not one but two of our little muttlings ended up in sick bay; Max hurt himself jumping off the bed and as for Finnigan, he's got a tremendous case of travellers revenge. Is that too much information?

They both kept me hopping yesterday so last night's dinner was once again something quick, easy and as it turns out, rather caloric-ally responsible. The Big Guy even did the happy dance when he hit the scale this morning. Isn't that something?

Lean pork tenderloin soaked in a kicky asian flavored marinade and grilled tops a tossed salad of epic proportions. Instead of adding the whole batch of marinade to the pork, some of it is added to store bought mayo to make a kicky creamy spicy sauce. The original recipe suggests a salad of romaine, avocado and orange slices, but I made a "kitchen sink" salad instead. Whatever you decide, the flavors of the pork tenderloin will marry well with almost anything you want to serve it with. The pork would even be wonderful in a wrap along with some rice noodles. Its a great light dinner for yet another another hot summer night.

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Spicy Dressing (adapted from High Plains, The Joy of Alberta Cuisine)

1 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned of silver skin

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (I used Sambal Olek)

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

 

½ cup mayonnaise

Coarse ground black pepper

Salad ingredients: your choice of lettuce along with sliced peeled oranges, avocado, cucumber, broccoli slaw, grated carrots, sweet onion, or cilantro - whatever you wish.

Combine garlic, chili sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice in a jar and shake well to mix. Place pork tenderloin in a zip bag and pour all but 1/2 cup of the marinade into the bag. Zip closed and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours. Add one half cup of mayonnaise to the remaining marinade and shake well to combine. Refrigerate until serving time.

To cook pork – spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Cook pork tenderloin for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Set on cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly on the diagonal and serve on salad with dressing on the side. Serves 4. Download Pork Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Spicy Dressing

A year ago - Imperial Rolls and Chicken Sate

 

Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes

We went out for dinner last night to our favorite sushi place so I thought it was a good opportunity to fill you in on the halibut dinner that was eclipsed by the maltaise sauce the other night.

Coated lightly in flour (I used Wondra) and pan seared quickly in a small amount of vegetable oil mixed with butter, as soon as the fish is firm to the touch it gets a shot of fresh basil followed by the juice of a lemon, and another 30 seconds worth of heat. Of course the cooking time depends entirely on the thickness of the fish and as I had some rather skinny little tail ends of halibut, it was a brief 4 minutes from start to finish. By the way, while halibut is lovely in this I would imagine almost any white fleshed fish would be delicious prepared in this simple manner.

Promptly removed to rest, the hot pan gets some company in the form of fresh mini tomatoes (I used pearl), garlic and more lemon juice. A minute or two later as soon as the skins start to pucker the sauce is finished with a touch of parsley and basil and joins the fish.

Simple you bet. Delicious - you have to believe it never mind rather light in the calorie department too. We had our fish on top of Trader Joe's wonderful creamy polenta found in their freezer section. The bag looks like this! I'm determined to come up with my own recipe for this wonderful mix of spinach, carrots and creamy cornmeal mush so stay tuned but meanwhile head on out to your local Trader Joe's and give it a try. It is downright fabulous - and no they didn't pay me to say that. Heck they don't even know I exist. That's rather humbling you know!

Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes (adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr, Foodnetwork.com)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 – 6 ounce halibut fillets

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (divided)

Juice of 1 lemon

1-1/2 cups pearl or cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and butter and heat until butter is melted and bubbling. Meanwhile season fish fillets well with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess. When pan is hot, add fish filets and depending on thickness cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, flipping over when lightly golden. Add 2 tablespoons chopped basil and half the lemon juice. Sauté for 30 second, and remove fish to a platter. Add pearl tomatoes and garlic to sauté pan and cook until tomatoes skins start to pucker – about 2 minutes. Add remaining lemon juice, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons basil. Toss to combine well then serve over fish fillets. Makes 2 servings. Download Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes

A year ago - Mahi Mahi in Tomato Olive Sauce

Two years ago - Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing

Grilled Adobo Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Is there anything quicker to cook or easier than pork tenderloin? Last night's version was particularly easy on this cook since the barbecue was put into use in a lovely summer dinner that was a true team effort. I really lucked out because the Big Guy's back from New York and I wasn't the one that had to do the grillin' during another hot summer night.

In this case, pork tenderloin's butterflied and given a rubdown with a super adobo spice mix and cooked quickly on a medium hot charcoal grill. Accompanied by a fresh spicy bean salsa aka pico de gallo without a speck of added fat, it's all delicious and easy on the calories too. One tenderloin easily makes 3 servings which is perfect when you've a lunch to pack the next day AND more importantly you're wanting that bathroom scale to go an unaccustomed direction (down).

By the way, check out the link here for another great grilled pork tenderloin recipe and instructions on how to butterfly a tenderloin.

Adobo Rubbed Pork tenderloin with Black Bean Pico De Gallo  (adapted from epicurious.com)

1 pork tenderloin, butterflied

 

3 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine spice mix and rub into both sides of pork tenderloin. Refrigerate covered for several hours but allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. Grill 8 minutes per side over medium hot coals. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo

1 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups mini pearl tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 large jalapeno, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients together and chill until serving time. Download Adobo Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Pico De Gallo

A year ago - Clams Casino Casserole with Lemon Pasta

 

Clams Casino

I know we've had these before in casserole form but how can you not do a repeat when the Big Guy's been a clammin' fool. He's been bugging me forever to make them again and I've held out.

I grew up on a farm about as far from the ocean as you can get so I'm more into other forms of protein but not so the man of the house as evidenced from this plate. He ate 15 of them - nothing else mind you. He was rather proud of himself too never mind happy...very happy.

I'm a little more into moderation - I had mine with pasta and while there's 2 in the picture, I handed one back to him. After all, I didn't want him to be short.

Clams casino are not difficult to make but much like our pizza version, they're just a tad time consuming to put together. I prefer building them by steaming the clams first, then shuckin them, removing the meat, chopping it and returning the clam to it's little shell bathed in a touch of white wine. Topped with sauteed onion, garlic and red pepper along with some crispy bacon and finished with a crusty topping of grated parmesan and crumbs, they cooked briefly in a 500 oven just to warm 'em and crisp up the topping.

Clams Casino (adapted from Giada de Laurentis)

18 to 24 fresh clams, steamed till open

3 slices bacon, chopped fine

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

Remove meat from steamed clams, and reserve shells. Chop clams until fine. Return meat to shells and top with a teaspoon white wine. Set aside. Meanwhile in a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp then remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pan. Add butter to pan and sauté onion, red pepper and garlic until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place a small amount on top of clams on each shell (approximately 1 tablespoon), and top with crispy bacon pieces. Combine parmesan cheese with dried bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of bacon. Bake in a preheated 500 oven for 5 minutes or until crumbs are browned and clams are hot. Watch carefully during last minute of cooking because the crumbs burn easily. Serve as an appetizer or with pasta and/or a green salad for dinner. Download Clams Casino

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

Flanken ribs, kalbi or cross cut beef short ribs - it all adds up to the same thing and last night we tried cooking them for the first time. They're awesome. 

You see we spotted the ribs in Newport's Fred Meyer when we were there last week and after seeing them in this month's Bon Appetit, of course we had to try them. Just so you know, I didn't use their recipe because the ribs we ended up buying were already marinated. Thank goodness because I wasn't about to part with $5 for a little iddy biddy bottle of sesame oil, and another $4 for soy sauce when I have a ton of it in Tucson that I bought for a fraction of the cost at Lee Lee's Supermarket. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I added a little more teriyaki to the ribs along with 3 tablespoons of minced ginger and a couple cloves of smashed garlic and we let them percolate all afternoon. The Big Guy cooked them over a medium hot charcoal fire for about 6 minutes total - just until they're done. Be sure to bring the ribs to room temperature before cooking so you get a quick sear.

We had them on a little broccoli slaw dressed with some teriyaki and a touch of toasted sesame seeds and boy were they tender tasty little morsels. So incredible are they that when I wanted more there was just a pile of bones left. My bad - the Big Guy eats at the speed of light and me much less so, particularly with that broken crown I'm nursing.

All it means is that we'll have to enjoy them again in the very near future. Wouldn't that be a terrible thing?

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

I'm leading you down the garden path with this one or at least to the herb garden which in most cases should be absolutely booming by now. Unfortunately ours is dying off at a rather alarming rate from all the heat and in the case of the rosemary too much watering, but thankfully the basil's going ballistic which is OK with me.

Some of it went into last night's lamb patties, along with mint, cilantro, minced sweet onion and a touch of yogurt. What resulted, with kudos to Rachel Ray, is an incredibly flavorful, lower calorie version of a perfect summer burger, spiced up further with some mango chutney and garnished with more sweet onion, cucumber and the rest of the mache from the other night.

We had our pita pockets along with some crudite' just so we could polish our halos and brag a bit. Believe me it was shortlived because I also made a rather brag worthy dessert, but I'll tell you about that one later.

By the way, if you're watching your carbs, load your lamb patties into some crisp lettuce leaves to make a wrap. Believe me it'll be delicious and you won't feel deprived - not one bit!

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets (adapted from RachelRay.com)

1 handful each cilantro, basil and mint

1 pound lean ground lamb

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon steak grill seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons sour cream

Pita bread

Mango chutney

Lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber slices

Place cilantro, basil and mint in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add to ground lamb along with onion, cumin, steak seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, salt, yogurt and sour cream. Divide and form into 8 small thin patties.

Spray large heavy skillet or flat top grill with cooking spray. Heat to very hot. Add lamb patties and cook for 4 minutes total or until no longer pink inside, flipping half way through. Heat pitas. Cut tops off the bread and fill with patties. Garnish with lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber and mango chutney. Serves 4. Download Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

A year ago - Buffalo Chicken Chili

Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries and a Shallot Vinaigrette

When the heat's on in the desert, we tend to eat lighter at least for a while. Knowing we're heading for cooler climates and comfort food helps in that respect, never mind the incentive to drop a couple of pounds before vacation begins just so we can have the fun of gaining it all back.

Last night's dinner was a light and flavorful salad made of mache lettuce, slices of Granny Smith apple, tart dried cherries and toasted walnuts all drizzled with a creamy shallot vinaigrette.

Mache lettuce, also known as lamb's lettuce, is a sweet nutty mild flavored green that's gaining in popularity in these parts; however, the salad would also be wonderful made with mixed greens particularly frisee which also has a nutty although slightly peppery flavor.

The salad would stand quite nicely on its own at least in another household where there isn't a resident carnivore with very strong opinions. I chose to add some pork tenderloin medallions to the mix. Coated in honey mustard then dipped into seasoned crumbs and fried briefly, it was a perfect marriage. After all, what goes better with pork than apples?

By the way, if you decide to call the salad dinner without the pork, add a little chevre' or even some mild feta to up the satiety value.  It'll keep you out of the ice cream for at least another hour.

Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries & Toasted Walnuts (adapted from Epicurious)

Shallot Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup minced shallot

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until well mixed. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Set aside.

 Salad:

1 package Mache lettuce, washed and dried

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1 medium Granny Smith, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Plate Mache lettuce and arrange apple slices on top. Sprinkle with cherries and walnuts. Drizzle with shallot vinaigrette. (Serves 4 as appetizer or 2 for dinner)

Honey Pork Tenderloin (optional)

1 small pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

1/4 cup honey mustard

Seasoned dry breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Slice trimmed pork tenderloin into half inch pieces and pound between sheets of plastic wrap to a quarter inch thickness. Coat with honey mustard then dredge in dried crumbs, being sure to pat both sides of tenderloin to be sure crumbs adhere. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Cook tenderloin for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping half way through cooking period. Drain on paper towels. Serve on top of salad. Download Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries a Shallot Vinaigrette

A year ago - Great Northern Bean Salad with Country Style Ribs

 

 

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers

Darn, if I didn't go and do it again last night! That's 2 nights in a row - count 'em people 2 nights that I've cooked for a solitary me and the box of Cheerios has  remained untouched. Aren't I special?

Just imagine some lovely lean ground lamb, flavored with sun dried tomatoes, basil and Italian parsley, moistened with asiago cheese and a few crumbs, then formed into patties and gift wrapped all cute and neat in prosciutto. Cooked quickly in a hot cast iron pan, the proscuitto is all crispy and crunchy and the lamb moist and oh so delicious and oh my goodness, why oh why haven't I made this one before?

Per Giada's instructions, I topped the crispy crunchy golden brown luscious thing with some sliced tomato, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and good balsamic and served it with a side of mixed veggies, including peas and green beans. Gotta' sneak those veggies in while the Big Guy's away don't ya' know. 

By the way, if you're not a lamb fan I think ground chicken or turkey would work wonderfully well for these burgers and the proscuitto will keep 'em nice an moist too.  It would be great with a side of pasta salad, that is if you're not watching your expanding hips for any reason...like maybe too much homemade ice cream.

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers (adapted from Giada via Food Network)

1 slice fresh bread made into crumbs (I used Texas Toast)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 large egg

3 tablespoons freshly grated asiago cheese

2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes

1/2 pound lean ground lamb

Salt and pepper

4 large  thin slices prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic for garnish

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, basil, asiago cheese, sundried tomatoes and lamb together. Season with salt and pepper and form into 2 patties. Wrap each patty in prosciutto and set aside.

Heat heavy sauté pan (I used cast iron) over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering hot. Add burgers and cook covered for 4 minutes per side or until prosciutto is browned and burger feels firm to the touch. To plate – top each burger with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Serves 2   Download Proscuitto Crusted Burgers

A year ago - Vegetarian Samosa Pie and a Summer Berry Pudding

Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce

Imagine...dinner prepped, cooked and on the table in 19 minutes including a salad and entree.  Sometimes I surprise myself.

What might be even more amazing is it happened last night without the presence of my reason to cook. He's out of town and in that case I'm often happy with toast or cereal. What can I say, except I peeked in the freezer to see if there was any ice cream hiding in it and low and behold a solitary little piece of skinless, boneless chicken breast waved and said... "listen you low life...take me, take me!"

I have to admit to being somewhat inspired by the Gorgonzola sauce the other night on the pork chops, but whatever, the true lesson is that anyone can cook a delicious dinner in absolutely no time flat when there's the right stuff hanging out in the pantry.

What did I do, you ask? I gave the mini potatoes a quick wash and dry then started them in the microwave for 40 seconds before throwing them into a hot cast iron pan with a little oil. Covered, they cooked in 5 minutes while I prepped the chicken.

The cluck was pounded to approximately a third of an inch thickness, dusted with herbs de provence, a touch of marjoram, some lemon pepper and sea salt then dredged in flour. It hit the hot pan as soon as the potatoes were removed and cooked covered for 2 minutes on one side and 3 on the other.

While the chicken cooked the sauce ingredients including vermouth, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, a touch of lemon rind and some heavy cream were assembled. Immediately after the chicken was out of the pan and resting on a plate, the vermouth deglazed the hot pan, then joined by Dijon and chicken stock, it all reduced for 5 minutes during which time I prepped the salad.

Heat the plate in the microwave, stir the cream into the sauce, put the potatoes on the plate, pile on the chicken, add the sauce, dress the salad and voila' ...dinner!

Rachel...30 minutes meals? Pffft, that's nothin'. Now sing along with me everyone..."anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you. No you can't...yes I can...no you can't...yes I can, yes I can, yes I can!"

Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 whole chicken breast cut in half with skin and bone removed

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

Lemon Pepper

Sea Salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons whipping cream

Wash and dry chicken breasts and pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to a third inch thickness. Season both sides with Herbs de Provence, marjoram, lemon pepper and salt. Dredge in flour. Heat oil over medium high heat in heavy sauté pan (or cast iron) and add chicken. Cook covered for 2 minutes on one side and 3 on the other. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add vermouth to pan and stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let reduce (about 30 seconds), then add chicken broth, Dijon mustard and lemon rind. Cook until reduced and thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add cream. Serve chicken with sauce on top. Serves 2 Download Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce

A year ago - Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo

Bolognese with Panko Crusted Eggplant and Zucchini

Bolognese is absolutely the best way to use up any kind of ground meat you've hiding in your freezer. This particular recipe is one we've shared with you before, adapted from Nick Stellino's book Mediterranean Flavors. 

This time instead of using beef, I used some ground lamb as well as roughly ground pork and the combination was quite delicious. Of course I also managed to sneak in some of our home smoked bacon which really upped the flavor quotient by a ton and a half.

The big bonus is that a hearty meat sauce doesn't have to go on top of pasta. For something different we could have had ours on crusty buns with bunches of cheese, or on a nice creamy polenta but instead I chose to serve it with some eggplant and zucchini, lightly floured, dipped in an egg wash then breaded in panko and fried quickly. Along with a glass of vin d'ordinaire, why last night's dinner was almost gourmet! By the way, if you're watching your carbs, simply grill the veggies instead and save yourself some calories.

Sorry for the short and sweet post today, but I've got to fly. I had an oogie taken off my arm 8 days ago that turned out to be nothing thankfully, but the stitches come out this morning and I don't want to be late. Hope you all have a fabulous second day of May!

Bolognese Meat Sauce Adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 slices bacon, diced or 1 oz. diced prosciutto

1 pound ground meat - I used lamb and pork

1/3 cup red wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock or beef stock

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil until sizzling – add red pepper flakes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage and basil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook additional 10 minutes. Increase heat to high, add bacon (prosciutto) and beef and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated – about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, paste & stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until sauce is thick – additional 15 minutes.  Add cream and taste for seasoning. Download Bolognese-meat-sauce

 

Quick Chicken Piccata

Wednesday night dinners usually involve a last minute rush because dinner is served later than normal. Last night's main course included a simplified chicken piccata that took exactly 6 minutes to cook and best of all, it really is fit for company or a candlelight dinner.

There are more advanced versions of chicken piccata but this one merely involves butterflied chicken breasts coated in flour and fried in butter until golden brown with a sprinkle of lemon juice to make them delicious. Garnished with more lemon they're moist and tender - what could be easier than that?

 
We were into the color orange last night as you can see and served our chicken beside some roasted butternut squash as well as roasted Manchurian cauliflower that's loaded with Garam Masala, garlic and black pepper. Believe you me, it transports the lowly cauliflower into a realm all its own!

Quick Chicken Piccata (adapted from Gulfshore Delights, Junior League of Ft Myers)

2 chicken breast halves, skinned, boned and butter flied

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

4 tablespoons all purpose or instant blending flour (Wondra)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

Lemon slices for garnish

Season skinned, boned and butter flied chicken breasts with salt and pepper and coat with flour on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add butter. When butter stops foaming and starts to brown, add chicken and sauté until golden brown – about 3 minutes per side. During cooking sprinkle lemon juice on chicken breasts. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 2 Download Quick Chicken Piccata

Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower (adapted from Cooking Light)

5-1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

2 tablespoons Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl coat cauliflower florets with oil. Add Garam Masala and sea salt and toss well to combine. Remove to a casserole dish that has been well sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. When oil is shimmering add black pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add ketchup and Sriracha  and cook until mixture is very thick – about 3 minutes.

After cauliflower has roasted to 20 minutes, remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic/ketchup sauce and toss well. Return to casserole dish and continue to roast for additional 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Stir once during cooking. Makes 4 large servings. Download Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

Crispy Pork Carnitas with Avocado and Tomato Salad

We're still working our way through Birthday week in this household so I'm cooking things that are on the top of the Big Guy's yum list. Pork is up there in his book, right next to beef!

We've shared a version of this crispy pork with you before, but it is one dish that can be changed in a myriad of ways, all to do with what kind of citrus one uses. This time I braised a lovely piece of pork butt in a combination of fresh orange, lime and lemon juices along with lots of garlic. After a long slow simmer on top of the stove, the pork is shredded, doused in a good glug of brandy and fried in a hot pan until crisp. Topped with the remaining cooking juices it is just about as fabulous as you can get all stuffed inside a nice warm tortilla.

We had our pork filled soft tacos topped by some Avocado and Tomato Salad made of cubed avocado in a basic vinaigrette along with crisp bacon, little plum tomatoes and red onion. Its fresh flavors complimented the pork in a very nice way and adding a little crunch from the bacon too. After all one there's no such thing as too much pork, is there.

Crispy Pork with Citrus  

2-1/2 pounds pork butt

1 cup water

Zest of each 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Juice of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lime

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/3 cup brandy (or apple jack, or bourbon)

Cut pork into large 2 to 3 inch cubes, removing some but not all of the fat. Place into a large heavy pot (I used a cast iron Dutch oven), add water, citrus zest, orange, lemon and lime juice as well as garlic and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook pork for 1-1/2 hours until very tender, adding liquid as needed to keep meat semi submerged. Remove lid, increase heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to reduce liquid by approximately one half. Remove meat from pot, reserving liquid and using two forks, tear into strips.

Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add slivered meat and brandy. Cook until meat is crisply caramelized but not dry – about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add reserved cooking liquid. Serve warm inside flour or corn tortillas along with avocado salad, guacamole, refried beans, assorted salsa, chopped jalapeno’s and sour cream. Download Crispy Pork with Citrus

Avocado and Tomato Salad (adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

5 slices bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

3 drops hot sauce

2 medium avocados, peeled and cubed

1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Salad greens (optional)

Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk well. Add avocado and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, red onion and crisp bacon. Toss, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to blend flavors. Before serving place on salad greens. Download Avocado and Tomato Salad

Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Asparagus

I've figured something out finally and it has to do with chicken breasts. In my book, the only way to cook the darn things so they aren't dried out, ossified and lacking in flavor is to pound the heck out'a them and cook 'em quick. This is adapted from a Nick Stellino recipe in his book Mediterranean Flavors for Chicken Scallopini with Ham and Asparagus although I have to admit I did some "adjusting" which may or may not have been a good thing.

 
For one thing my scallopini was a paillard rather than scallopini because I left it large and certainly a lot thicker than scallopini should be. I also used pancetta instead of ham because I forgot to buy the darn stuff and vermouth instead of white wine because I had a little "pinot" hangover from Friday night and didn't want to crack a bottle of wine. In hindsight I should have used marsalla instead because it would have matched the pancetta's flavor better. Have I rambled enough?

It was tasty though and one of those quick get it over with on a Saturday night dinners after a hot 90's day. It's hard to go wrong with mashed potatoes with any kind of sauce really and I'd do it again some time - just differently if you get my drift.

Here's what I did and I've noted my recommended changes in italics. Regardless it's all rather "spring like" and about as far as you can get from dry, boring and bland. Honest!

Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Asparagus Adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors

1 whole chicken breast, with bone and tenders removed and reserved for another use

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces diced pancetta

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into one inch pieces with tips left intact

1/2 cup dry vermouth “dry marsala would be a better choice”

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

Place chicken breasts in a large zip bag and pound to approximately a quarter inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper and coat with flour, shaking off excess. In a large sauté pan, heat oil until shimmering over medium high heat. Add butter and when melted add chicken paillards. Cook for 3 minutes on one side and two on the other (5 minutes total). Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan and add pancetta. Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until pancetta just starts to crisp up. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and asparagus. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add vermouth “marsala” and cook until slightly reduced. Mix chicken stock with Wondra and add to pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Return chicken to pan to warm slightly and coat with sauce. Serves 2. Download Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Aspargus

Meatloaf on the Barbecue

The computer's off to a slow start this morning and I'm hoping that's not an indication of how the day's going to pan out. There's just so darn much to do and so little time!

After the beautiful much needed rain cleaned the dust off Tucson on Saturday and the wind blew the rest of it away yesterday, this morning's shaping up to be an absolutely beautiful day, made even better by the presence of some of the  Big Guy's leftover meatloaf in the refrigerator. Yes, people, contrary to popular belief you can make meatloaf on the barbecue - at least my Big Guy can and he's ready to share some of his secrets with everyone.

He loads these little football shaped beauties up with ground beef, ground pork and hot Italian sausage, moistens 'em with chopped fresh mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, adds spice in the form of jalapenos, red pepper flakes and a lot of garlic, then shapes them into 12 ounce ovals and heads out to the barbecue. An hour later after his usual magic, we're enjoying this! Just look at that smoke ring?

Now when I said the Big Guy's sharing "some of his secrets" that's absolutely the truth. He's prepared to divulge his meatloaf recipe but his homemade barbecue sauce is another secret entirely.

By the way, if you're not all that fond of spicy food, I'm tellin' ya, just lower the amounts of jalapeno and red pepper flakes, but don't leave them out entirely. It wouldn't be a Big Guy recipe without 'em. Course that was news to me when we were just starting out. This is the first thing that darling man of mine ever cooked for me and at the time my tastebuds had yet to be indoctrinated into the Big Guy way of doing things. He didn't make 'em in front of me so I had no clue there was anything incendiary in them. The first bite was so hot, it darn near blew my roof off but now I don't find 'em spicy at all but then again, he may have changed his recipe just a tad. It just proves what a pansy I was. 

The Big Guy’s Meatloaf Barbecue (an original from JBug’s & The Big Guy’s Kitchen)

These fabulous individual sized meatloaves freeze very well and are fabulous to have on hand either sliced cold in a sandwich, or warmed and served with creamed corn or your favorite veg. You’ll notice there’s not a spec of salt in it and it doesn’t need it either.

2 pounds ground beef (chuck or 80/20’s great)

1 pound ground pork

1 pound hot Italian sausage (loose without the casings)

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (drained of oil)

1/3 chopped pickled jalapenos

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

3 eggs

2/3 cup panko crumbs

Barbecue sauce of your choice

Mix all ingredients except for barbecue sauce together by hand and form gently into loaves about 12 ounces each. Cook for 40 minutes using indirect heat on the barbecue (400 degrees). You may have to rearrange the loaves about half way through depending on how they are cooking. Brush heavily with barbecue sauce and continue cooking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon

Procrastination doesn't have to be a bad thing ya' know. Point in fact, we purchased some beautiful little chicken halves at Sprouts on Saturday and I was going to roast them with olives, chorizo, raisins and tons of garlic, then shred the meat and put it inside pastry to make empanadas. Well I didn't.

During my daily trip to the food porn sites, I saw this slow roasted chicken by Sauce and Sensibility  and just had to give it a try. Afterall, we had a storm blow through yesterday and cooled everything down to the 70's which feels mighty good after you've been living with 90 degree heat. Having the oven on for 2 hours was a good thing.

I made some slight adjustments to the original recipe, so be sure to head to Susan's blog for her version and drool over her mouthwatering pictures. While you're there be sure to check out more of her fabulous posts. I for one will be heading back for a visit PDQ because I see a smoked oyster dip that'll likely be on the big guy's birthday week wish list!  

As for the chicken, it is wonderfully moist flavorful bird, loaded with lemon, garlic and Cajun seasoning and fabulous served with some potato salad made from Idaho potatoes (procrastinated about cooking those too) as well as a salad of mixed greens, beets, goat cheese, minced sweet onion and crunchy sunflower seeds. It was kind of "summer on a plate", but I imagine the chicken would be equally delicious served on a bed of croutons or with rice to soak up some of the delicious juices. Mmmm, wonder how soon I can make it again!

Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon (adapted from Susan at Sauce and Sensibility)

4 assorted chicken quarters (wings/breasts and legs/thighs)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon)

Coarse ground pepper and sea salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 300. Wash and dry chicken quarters well and place in an oven proof roasting pan (I used a cast iron skillet). Season with coarse ground black pepper. Combine olive oil, thyme, Creole seasoning and lemon juice in a blender and whiz until well mixed. Pour over chicken and roast skin side down for 1 hour. Remove from oven, flip chicken over to skin side up. Baste well with pan juices, top with fresh rosemary sprigs and return to oven for additional hour, basting twice more during that time.

 

Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce

Last night's dinner held particular appeal since it combined almost everything we love into one meal - lovely tender peppery steak with a fabulous sauce, horseradish mashed potatoes and asparagus with a bacon garnish. Overkill on a Tuesday night you ask? Not one bit I say.

The sauce, a combination of shallots, mushrooms, port and zinfandel, at first taste seemed rather harsh in my opinion, but once married with the peppery steak the whole shebang became rather addictive. As for the steak - Sprouts called it top sirloin, but it was marbled more like a hunk'a rib eye and once pounded down to a half inch thickness and cooked in a screaming hot cast iron pan for a total of 3 and a half minutes, it was perfectly done for my taste. Too bad Big Guy - I know you like yours more rare.

Sliced up and surrounded with the sauce, it was absolutely melt in the mouth lick your plate tender. In hindsight it would be over the top with a slice of creamy gorgonzola on top. Sure do wish I'd thought of that last night!

Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce Adapted from Bon Appetit

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 large shallot, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

1-1/2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

1 cup Zinfandel

1/2 ruby Port

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

Melt butter in sauté pan and cook shallot for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms, cover pan and cook for 5 minutes, then remove lid from pan and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then add chicken stock, zinfandel and port. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

1 – 1 pound top sirloin steak about 1 inch thick

1 tablespoon butter

Coarse ground black pepper

Sea Salt

Heat heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Meanwhile using a meat mallet, pound steak down to approximately a half inch thickness (I put my steak inside a large plastic zip top bag, left it open and pounded away). Season steak well on both sides with freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt. When pan is well heated, add butter then steaks. Cook for approximately 2 minutes per side for medium rare (I cooked ours for 2 minutes on the first side, then 1.5 minutes on the second).  When steak is cooked to desired doneness remove from pan, cover and let rest for a few minutes. Add mushroom sauce to skillet scraping up browned bits from bottom. Taste sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Slice steak thinly and serve sauce over top. Makes 4 servings. Download Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce

 

 

Grilled Lamb Riblets and a Warm Veggie Salad

There's a first time for everything and last evening's dinner was our first foray into the world of lamb ribs. I'm not sure what is normally done with these little beauties because as far as I know I've never seen them at our local butcher or supermarket but thanks to the U of A Meat's Lab, our ribs came with the lamb we ordered a while ago.

Much like almost everyone I know, I would have boiled the ribs first before slapping them on the grill but the big guy poo poos the idea that in order for this particular cut of meat to be tender they need that step in the first place. He simply slathered them with a dry rub made up of sea salt, coarse ground pepper and garlic powder, then cooked them over a charcoal alder wood combination using the indirect method. After 40 odd minutes, he glazed them with some Kumquat Habanero Marmalade then slapped the veggies for the salad right next to them. Before you could say "pour me another limoncello lemonade, would you please" dinner was on the table.

The ribs were tender and succulent, though small and less meaty than pork ribs. As for the veggie salad, how can you go wrong with grilled eggplant, stop light peppers (red, yellow and green), and sweet onions slathered in a touch of vinaigrette and a garnish of feta cheese. Sorry, I can't give you an exact recipe for the ribs, but here's the salad. Download Warm Grilled Veggie Salad

Warm Grilled Veggie Salad (a JBug’s Kitchen Original)

1 small eggplant

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 sweet onion

Vegetable oil

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette of your choice

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Black olives (optional)

Wash and dry eggplant, and slice into half inch pieces leaving skin intact. Sprinkle with salt and place on a sheet pan or cutting board between sheets of paper towels. Cover with another sheet pan and weigh down with a heavy pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, clean membranes and seeds from peppers and cut into quarters. Cut sweet onion into half inch slices and run a metal skewer through them to keep them intact while on the grill. Place all vegetables into a bowl and toss with approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill and cook, turning often until vegetables are softened and have grill marks. Remove to a bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and garnish with feta cheese, parsley and black olives if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Herb Vinaigrette

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey  

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until well combined.