Grilled Split Chicken
I love this recipe. It is so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Goes well with grilled zucchini.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Black Olive Tapenade
2 Sprigs Thyme
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Split a while chicken in half. In a large size bowl combine the olive oil, tapenade, pepper and thyme. Take the split chicken pieces and soak both sides in the olive oil mixture. Keep the chicken in the olive oil mixture, marinating, for 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Prepare your grill and remove the bowl of chicken. Let the chicken sit out for 15 to 20 minutes and throw away the olive oil marinade. Place on the grill and cook on each side for 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 2
Chicken Asiago Burgers
These burgers are absolutely EXCELLENT! A nice change of pace, but still satisfies the burger urge.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Ground Chicken
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Grated Asiago Cheese
4 Hamburger Buns
Mix the ground chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, olive oil and Asiago cheese in a large size bowl. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Place the patties on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat your grill. When you are ready to grill the burgers remove from the fridge and let sit out for 10 minutes. You want to take the chill off of the meat before putting on the grill. Cook the burgers on the frill for 5 minutes on each side until well done. Place one burger on the bottom half of each bun. Garnish as you like. Serves 4
Grilled Flank Steak
Barbecue weekend is here! Here is a tried and true Grilled Flank Steak recipe. The key is the marinade so it takes a little planning ahead.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Flank Steak
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
4 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
4 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
4 Chopped Shallots
In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl combine the garlic, soy sauce, lime juice, lemon juice, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, hot sauce, kosher salt, brown sugar and chopped shallots. Mix well. Place the steak in a large resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade in the bag over the steak. Press out the excess air and turn the bag around to get the steak coated. Refrigerate overnight turning the bag occasionally. To grill the steak Remove the steak from the refrigerator and remove from the bag. Place on a large plate and let sit for 45 minutes to room temperature. Prepare the grill to a medium hot fire. Grill the steak for 6 minutes on each side for medium rare. Remove from the grill and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain. Transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Swordfish Kebabs
The Memorial Day weekend is almost here. If you are looking for grilling ideas here’s a very good one!
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Large Chopped Capers Packed In Vinegar (Drained)
2 Rinsed & Minced Anchovy Fillets
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Large Tomatoes (Cored & Coarsely Chopped)
2 Large Sliced Zucchini
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Large (1 Inch Thick) Swordfish Steaks (About 2 Pounds)
In a large size bowl combine the capers, anchovies, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Stir well to combine. This is your marinade. Cut the fish into 1 inch cubes and place them into a large size bowl. Pour ½ of the marinade over the fish and stir to make sure all of the fish get covered. Set aside to marinate for 1 hour to overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Cover the remaining marinade with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature. Heat your grill to medium high. Thread the fish, tomatoes and zucchini onto long metal or wooden skewers and throw away the marinade that the fish sat in. If you are using wooden skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes before using. When you are ready to cook oil the grill rack. Place the kebabs on the grill and cook, turning once, for 12 minutes. The fish should be lightly colored on the outside and evenly cooked throughout. Transfer the kebabs to a serving platter and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Serve immediately. Serve with orzo or rice pilaf. Serves 4
*Note: If you do not have a bbq grill you can cook under the broiler.
Chicken Parmigiana
Chicken Parmigiana is a Southern Italian (Campania & Sicily) dish made with layers of tomato sauce and a combination of Parmesan & mozzarella cheese. Serve this dish with a side of spaghetti and a salad and you have a delicious meal. Chicken Parmigiana also makes a nice grinder!
INGREDIENTS
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
2 Beaten Eggs
5 Tablespoons Butter
2 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce
4 Large Slices Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese
Pound the chicken breasts to get them good and flat. Salt and pepper the chicken. In a medium size bowl (you want to be able to get the chicken breast in the bowl) beat the eggs. In another bowl or I like to use a plate place the breadcrumbs. Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and then the breadcrumbs. In a large skillet over a medium heat melt the butter. Place the chicken in the skillet and brown for 15 minutes making sure to turn so they cook on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Set aside. Add the marinara sauce to the skillet and heat thoroughly. Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet and cook for another 10 minutes. Place the mozzarella on top of the chicken and then sprinkle with the Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese has melted. Remove the chicken along with the sauce from the skillet and transfer to a serving platter. Serves 4
Summer Corn & Tomato Salad
This salad is so easy to make as it really takes little effort to chop tomatoes and cut the kernels off of the ears of corn. The reward is a nice summer salad and very portable to make ahead for picnics and cookouts.
INGREDIENTS
5 Cups Fresh Corn Kernels (10 Large Ears)
1/4 Cup Grape Seed Oil
3 Tablespoons Raspberry Vinegar
Juice of 1 Lime
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
4 Ripe Chopped Tomatoes
10 Chopped Green Onions
1/3 Cup Chopped Cilantro or Italian Parsley
Insert a vegetable steamer into a medium size pot filled with salted water. Bring the water to a boil. Put the corn kernels in the steamer basket. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. If you do not have fresh corn then you may use frozen corn, but do not use canned corn. In a small size bowl whisk together the grape seed oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper. Core, seed and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Chop both green and white parts of the green onions. Chop the cilantro or Italian parsley. Combine the corn, tomatoes, green onions and cilantro (or Italian parsley) in a large size bowl. Toss with the dressing. Serve either at room temperature or chilled. This salad will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days. Serves 8
Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Some would call this a coffee cake, but I like to call it a Breakfast Cake. It really is very easy to make and all you need it a Bundt type pan. If you don’t have a Bundt pan than improvise. I’ve been known to bake in all sorts of things like French Jam Jars. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Room Temperature Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1 Pint Blueberries
Preheat your oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar. Add the melted butter and continue mixing. Add the Vanilla and mix a bit more. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the egg mixture ending with the flour mixture. Finally, add the blueberries and stir to combine. Pour into a prepared Bundt cake pan (grease and flour) and place on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes until the cake is golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a cake plate and let cool completely before cutting into slices. You don’t want the cake to fall apart. Serve for breakfast or brunch. Serves 8
*Note: To Make Sour Milk Add 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice To Milk And Let Stand For 5 Minutes. The Lemon Juice Will Curdle The Milk.
Poulet Saute΄
Poulet Saute΄ is such an easy French dish to prepare. There is, however, a standard procedure for preparing this delicious chicken dish. First the pieces of chicken are dusted with salt and pepper. Then they are cooked in butter transferred from the skillet where a sauce is made. The chicken is then returned to the skillet and cooked, covered, until the chicken is nice and tender. That is pretty much all there is to it.
INGREDIENTS
3 Pound Chicken Cut Into Pieces
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
6 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Shallots
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Bay Leaf
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
Put the chicken pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle each side with the salt and pepper. In an extra large skillet add 4 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat over a medium heat. When the oil and butter are hot, but not brown, add the chicken pieces in one layer. Your skillet should be large enough to hold all of the chicken in one layer. Cook over the medium heat for 5 minutes until the chicken is quite brown on one side. Turn the pieces over and cook for another 5 minutes until the brown. Turn the heat down to low and remove the chicken pieces to a large bowl and set aside. Pour off most of the fat from the skillet, but try very hard not to pour out the brown cooking particles that have mixed with the fat. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and when it has melted add the shallots. Stir them briefly and do not let the shallots burn. When the shallots have briefly cooked add the white wine and cook until the wine has nearly evaporated. Still do not brown the shallots. Sprinkle the flour over the skillet and continue to stir while add the chicken stock. When thick and smooth add the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken back to the skillet and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces and simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. You will want the chicken to be tender. Stir in the lemon juices and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer chicken & sauce to a serving dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta. Serves 4
Potage Paysanne
Potage Paysanne or Peasant Soup is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
INGREDIENTS
2 Diced Carrots
2 Cubed Potatoes
2 Sliced Leeks
1 Diced Onion
1/4 Head Rough Chopped Cabbage
2 Chopped Tomatoes
2 Cubes Diced Celery
6 Minced Garlic Cloves
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Cups Cooked White Beans
6 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Parsley
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes
In a stock pot add the olive oil and heat over a medium heat. Add the carrots, potatoes, garlic, onions, leeks, celery, cabbage, salt pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley. Cook for 8 minutes stirring frequently. Add the vegetable or chicken stock. Cook for two hours on medium low heat. Stir frequently. Add the cooked white beans, chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for another 30 minutes. Transfer to soup bowls or a soup tureen and serve. Serves 4
Classic Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Everyone loves cookies and for me they’re an essential food group. The magic is proportions and the quality of the ingredients. These cookies will transform teatime, bring a smile to a neighbor’s face, picnics and make the sun come out for young ones coming home from school on a rainy afternoon. For efficiency and uniform results, invest in a small handheld cookie scoop. It looks and works just like an ice cream scoop and cuts your production time in half.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Turbinado Sugar
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (Optional)
Preheat your oven to 325° F. In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter together over simmering water. Let cool. In a large size bowl mix together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the chocolate and butter mixture into the egg mixture. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Finally, fold in the pecans or walnuts if you are using them. Make sure not to overmix. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes until puffed and cracked. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
