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Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

June 18, 2013
Food
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I love having a grill – and a husband that cooks for me when I work late! I came home to this beauty a few nights back and couldn’t have been more pleased. Fresh, bright flavor, crisp delicious ingredients with just enough bite, and perfectly grilled chicken. Paired with a Ginger flavored beer? The perfect meal to wind down with after a long day.

Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad

Grilled Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad
via menu musings

Marinade and dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (white and green parts)

Salad
1 lb Napa cabbage, very thinly sliced
2 carrots, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced and cut on the diagonal
2/3 cup freshly cut cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, dry toasted
1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted

Whisk together the soy sauce, ginger, canola oil, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, and salt to make the marinade. Put the two chicken breasts in a gallon sized zip-top bag and add 3 Tbsp of the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag so that the marinade comes into contact with the meat. With a meat pounder (or heavy pan, or empty bottle), pound the breasts to a uniform thickness. This will allow them to cook more evenly and also help tenderize the meat. Allow the flattened chicken breasts to marinade 30 minutes. To the remaining marinade, add in the vinegar and green onions. Now we have the dressing.
Grill the chicken. Cook them about 4 minutes per side or until there is no signs of pink and juices run clear when pierced with a small, sharp knife. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow them to rest 15 minutes. Don’t cut them right away, all the juices will run out leaving you with dry meat! After the 15 minutes, you will cut them crosswise into 1/4″ inch thick slices.
In a large bowl, add the cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, half of the sesame seeds, and half of the almonds. Add the chicken and mix together. Add just enough of the dressing to coat the salad lightly and toss together. Distribute salad to 4 – 6 plates. Re-whisk the dressing and drizzle a little over each salad. Garnish with the remaining almonds and sesame seeds on each salad.

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Arugula & Sweet Corn Gnocchi in Cream Sauce

June 16, 2013
Food
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There’s something about a great comfort meal on a Sunday night – although I did make this on a weeknight! It’s a pretty quick meal, but feels luxurious in it’s rich cream sauce. The bite of arugula and pepper and the sweetness of the corn make for quite the flavor.

Arugula Sweet Corn Gnocchi Cream Sauce

Arugula & Sweet Corn Gnocchi in Cream Sauce
adapted from vegan monologue
(click through for vegan version)

1 lb potato gnocchi
2 small ears fresh sweet corn, kernels cut off and set aside
3/4 cup half and half
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cups torn arugula
a few shakes of crushed red pepper
2 tbs flour, plus a little more, just in case

Cook gnocchi according to package and add the corn during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Do not rinse.
Meanwhile, make cream sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Add half and half, cream cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook sauce ingredients over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add reserved pasta water and flour to sauce, stir until thickened. You can add more flour until desired thickness is achieved. Pour cream sauce over gnocchi, stir in arugula, sprinkle red pepper flakes. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. Serve with additional crushed red pepper flakes.

Asparagus Carbonara

June 13, 2013
Food
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New favorite alert! New favorite alert! I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this recipe for dinner, I think I just saw asparagus and thought, ‘yum!’ But this recipe really knocked my socks off. I’ve never made a true carbonara before, and never added eggs to a tomato sauce, so I had no idea what kind of fabulous flavor I was in for. And it was easy! This is definitely going into our regular rotation… and next on my list to bring to a dinner party. I’m in love.

Asparagus Carbonara

Asparagus Carbonara
via food 52

1 1/2 pound fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole cloves garlic
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, put through a sieve or grated coarsely
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
3/4 pounds penne, rigatoni, or other tubular pasta
2 eggs, plus one yolk, beaten well with a fork
1/2 cup grated parmesan

Have all the ingredients for this recipe prepared and ready to cook before beginning. Bring about 3 quarts of water to a boil and have it ready for the pasta. Cut the asparagus into lengths about 2 inches long. If the stalks are thick, cut them in half or quarter them. Leave the tips in tact. Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet and add the asparagus pieces, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender and lightly browned. Transfer the asparagus to a plate and reserve. In the same pan, add the oil and garlic. Cook until lightly browned and remove and discard garlic. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the pasta and salt to the water and, when it returns to a boil, cook for about 7 minutes or until tender. Do not overcook. Just before the pasta is done, turn off the heat under the tomatoes and add the beaten eggs, stirring vigorously so that they blend without curdling. Do not boil the sauce after the eggs are added. (If you are nervous about curdling the eggs, you may temper them in, by stirring a ladleful of the hot tomato sauce into the eggs, then whisking the mixture back into the pan.) Add the asparagus to the tomato sauce and stir to blend. Drain the pasta immediately. Add the tomato sauce and asparagus, and toss with half the cheese. Serve piping hot with the remaining cheese on the side.

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Vegetable Lasagna

June 11, 2013
Food
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This was a quick and easy lasagna, as far as lasagna goes. A little prep, a short time in the oven and voilà! Although no-boil noodles might have shaved off a little more work too. This recipe is super cheesy but packed with vegetables. Probably not the most healthy version out there, but great for a weeknight and the greens provide a punch of vitamins.

vegetable lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna
via bhg

8 ounces dried lasagna noodles (9 or 10 noodles)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
15 ounce ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and thoroughly drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, oregano and thyme. Set aside.
In a large skillet cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in hot oil until tender. Stir in the flour and pepper; add milk all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach, broccoli, carrot, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
To assemble, in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish, layer one-third of the noodles, folding or cutting to fit, if necessary. Spread with one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, then one-third of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat the layers twice. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes

June 6, 2013
Food
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I’ve always been a little in love with tomatoes. When I was in junior high, I used to come home and slice one in half, and top it with parmesan and pepper before popping it into the broiler. A bit of a strange after school snack for a young teen, but it’s still a favorite of mine to this day. Here’s an updated version with a bit more sophistication and a kick up in flavor. A great appetizer too!

roasted parmesan tomatoes

Roasted Parmesan Tomatoes
adapted from spoon and chair

2 large ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

 

Preheat broiler. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise, remove any hard, center core. Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a small baking dish. In small bowl, mix together the parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley & pepper. Spoon breadcrumb mixture on top of tomatoes, press to hold in place. Place tomatoes under broiling and broil until crumbs are golden brown and tomatoes are heated through, about 2 minutes.


Italian Chopped Salad

May 30, 2013
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As the nights get more summery, I feel like turning on the stove or oven less and less. This is a nice twist on a chopped salad that could be changed up a number of ways with different ingredients… although I think this mix was just perfect. Could be a nice precursor to a simple pasta dish too. I’m thinking Italian themed dinner parties are ahead!

italian chopped salad

View the full recipe here via The Cozy Apron. 

Couscous with Asparagus, Greens & White Wine

May 7, 2013
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My darling husband was craving asparagus and I happened to have this queued up in my to-do list. Super quick with very little prep and you have a bowl of rich, creamy delicious risotto-like couscous. I couldn’t track down the chervil that the original recipe called for, so I substituted parsley and threw in a bit of arugula that I had on hand also. The flavors melded perfectly.

couscous with asparagus greens and white wine

Couscous with Asparagus, Greens & White Wine
adapted from food52

4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 1/2 cup Israeli or pearl couscous
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
1/4 cup roughly chopped arugula

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous and cook until partially toasted, 2 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broth in a second saucepan until warm. Add 1 cup broth to couscous and quickly simmer over medium-high heat until the couscous is silky and the liquid has nearly evaporated, about 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, adding a cup at a time and cooking until each addition has nearly evaporated. Stir asparagus into couscous with the last cup of broth. Once couscous is tender and all the broth has been added, stir in Pecorino, pistachios, parsley, arugula and remaining butter. Sprinkle servings with additional Pecorino, pistachios and parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Tomato-Topped Sole

May 2, 2013
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I don’t make fish enough! And I say that every time. It’s always so much easier than how I imagine it in my head. We made this dish with a little brown rice. Super easy, healthy and delicious. Just excuse my terrible iPhone pic – I was in such a hurry to eat I forgot to take a decent picture!

tomato topped sole

Tomato-Topped Sole
via taste of home

2 onions, thinly sliced (I used one white and one red)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 small sole or catfish fillets (about 1 lb)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
4 plum tomatoes, sliced
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Transfer to a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Place fillet over onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with tomato slices. Combine butter and garlic; pour over tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 14-18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Baked Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions

April 27, 2013
Food
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Phew! Another busy week. I’m really looking forward to work slowing down, but in the mean time I’m starting to get used to this constant high pace and have gotten back in the swing of cooking regularly again. This week I made this amazing risotto, which required almost no stirring whatsoever. Amazing! Add to that the bite of balsamic and beautiful creamy carmelized onions, and this could be one of the most perfect risottos ever.

Baked Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions

Mushroom Risotto with Caramelized Onions
via the kitchn

1/2 ounce dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
4 yellow onions (about 2 pounds)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 cup Arborio or short-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to garnish

Heat the oven to 300°F. Rinse the dried mushrooms lightly, to remove any dust or grit. Place the mushrooms in a ceramic bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set them aside to steep while you cook the onions.
Chop one of the onions into a fine dice. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 3-quart (or larger) ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until soft and golden. Push the onions to the side of the pot, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add all the sliced cremini mushrooms and let them cook for 5 minutes without stirring. Flip the mushrooms and cook for another five minutes, or until they are quite brown and a crust is developing on the bottom of the pan.
Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Add the mushrooms and rosemary sprig to the pan and sauté briefly, mixing with the onion and the rest of the mushrooms. Add the rice and cook, stirring once or twice, for about 4 minutes, or until the rice begins to turn transparent.
Turn the heat to high and add the white wine, vinegar, broth, and reserved mushroom steeping liquid. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan as you add the liquid to deglaze any yummy mushroomy bits sticking to the pan. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and put it in the oven to bake for 35 minutes.
While the rice is baking, make the caramelized onions. Heat the remaining olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Cut the remaining three onions in half, and then slice them into thin half moons. Add them to the oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn a dark mahogany brown. Let them go as long as you can; I usually cook mine for at least 30 minutes.
When the risotto has finished baking, let it stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving. Dish it up and top each bowl with a spoonful of caramelized onions, a little extra pepper, and, if desired, a scoop of sour cream or whipped mascarpone.

Kale & Brussel Sprout Soba Noodles

April 23, 2013
Food
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This dish really wowed me. Although it took a little longer than expected to ribbon the kale, it was well worth it and a pretty simple meal overall. And absolutely delicious the next day cold for lunch! I threw an extra splash of soy sauce after I pulled it out of the fridge this afternoon to freshen up the sauce and voila! Even more perfect on day two.

kale and brussel sprout soba noodles

Kale & Brussel Sprout Soba Noodles
via sprouted kitchen

1 bunch tuscan kale
5 tsp. toasted sesame oil
10 brussels sprouts
1 plump clove garlic
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds (white or black)
2 pinches red pepper flakes
4-8 oz. soba noodles
4 slivered green onions, for garnish

Slice the kale leaves from their stems and discard the stems. Working in batches, stack the leaves, roll them up tightly lengthwise, and then thinly slice them crosswise into narrow ribbons. Put the ribbons in a large bowl with 1 tsp. of the sesame oil and 1/4 tsp. salt. Massage the leaves with your hands until they glisten. Discard any funky outer leaves from the brussel sprouts. Slice them paper thin (a mandoline works best, but I just used my kitchen knife) then toss them with the kale.
Pound the garlic until smooth in a small mortar (or mince it super fine!). Stir in the vinegar, remaining sesame oil and soy sauce. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss well. This much can be done in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to serve, or enjoyed alone as a salad.
Bring the water to a boil. When starting the noodles, finish the salad with the sesame seeds, pepper flakes and green onions. Cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain well. Toss the noodles with the greens. The noodle salad can be served warm or cold.