HOLIDAY DOUBLE-DECKER

Posted in Poultry, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

One post, two recipes… It’s the holiday spirit! 😉

A few years ago I began using the 7-6-5 method to cook pork tenderloin, with all varieties of rubs, glazes, and marinades. It’s a nice approach because once you memorize those numbers, you’ll have no need for the recipe, and you’ll always have perfectly cooked pork tenderloin.

Shortly thereafter it occurred to me that chicken breasts are so similar in fat content and overall texture, so why not “7-6-5 them?” Well, I’m happy to report that the idea was a success. Several times I’ve grilled chicken breasts with this technique, and it leaves meat tender, moist, and perfectly cooked.

7-6-5 GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
for the marinade (substitute any recipe you like):
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T fresh orange juice
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
pinch of red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar and orange juice vigorously together into an emulsion. Add the dried thyme and red pepper flakes and whisk again. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour the marinade over them, coating well. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Remove the meat from the marinade, season with salt and pepper and place on a very hot grill, covered, for 7 minutes. Turn the meat over and continue grilling for 6 minutes. Without opening the grill, turn it off and let the meat stay inside for 5 minutes. Place the meat on a serving plate, tented with aluminum foil, let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice at an angle and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is a basic method, with which you can use any marinade or rub you ‘re fond of. I like to start marinating the chicken early in the morning before leaving for work, so that dinner is a no-brainer: all it takes is 7-6-5 minutes, and a side dish or two. Like Brussels sprouts and roasted butternut squash!

Which brings me to the double-decker, Shredded Brussels sprouts. My husband insisted that a post solely devoted to Brussels sprouts would scare away most, if not all my readers! I am sure my readers are very loyal (fingers carefully crossed), but in fact this poor veggie ranks way low in any popularity contest. So, allow me to share with you a GREAT way to prepare Brussels sprouts, and I ‘ll bet that even the sprout haters in the audience will enjoy it…

LEMONY SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
(adapted from Martha Stewart.com)

1-2 pounds of Brussels sprouts
2 T olive oil
2 T water
zest of 1 lemon
good squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a knife or the slicing disk of your food processor. Heat the olive oil in a skillet until very hot, almost smoking. Add the sliced veggies, the water, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring every once in a while until the sprouts become tender and develop a few brown spots. Add lemon zest, mix, and squeeze a little lemon juice all over and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Sometimes a different way of processing a vegetable will substantially improve its taste. Prepared this way, Brussels sprouts have a pleasant texture ( don’t overcook them!), and a bright, fresh flavor from the lemon juice. It’s perfect alongside roast chicken, pork, or a thick piece of grilled salmon.

Brussels sprouts are low in carbs, and loaded with vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, magnesium, and fiber. They are good for you, so, give this recipe a try! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Baked Shrimp and Feta Pasta

9Dec2010

PEPPERY CASHEW CRUNCH

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Last weekend I made these spicy nuts for a get-together in our nano-house, to watch the Oklahoma x Nebraska college football game. A nail-biter of a game, fortunately with a happy ending for us OU fans. Anxiety is a lot easier to take if you have something to munch on… 😉

The pepper coating gives this nuts an unusual look, but once you grab the first one, you will be going back for more, deliciously addictive they are. You can substitute almonds, walnuts, in fact the original recipe called for whole, blanched almonds, but they did not have them at the store, I went with cashews instead. Extremely simple to prepare, with just the right balance of salty, hot, and sweet. Great recipe!

BLACK PEPPER CASHEWS
(adapted from Bon Appetit, 1997)

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tsp water
2 cups whole cashews
1 Tbs ground black pepper
2 tsp salt

Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and butter the foil to prevent the nuts from sticking. Heat the oven to 350 F.

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the brown sugar and water, mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the cashews, mix them carefully to coat with the butter/sugar, lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for a few minutes, until the coating thickens slightly. Meanwhile, mix the ground pepper and the salt in a small bowl.

Add half of the pepper/salt mixture to the cashews, mix gently. Working quickly, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, pressing with a spatula to keep them in a single layer. Sprinkle the rest of the black pepper/salt all over, and bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Let it cool over a rack, then break the nuts apart, storing them in an air-proof container (they won’t last very long, they tend to mysteriously disappear).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Folks in the cooking forum Eat.at raved about this recipe, and their enthusiasm was what made me try it. Plus, I tend to like contrasting flavors, so the idea of mixing brown sugar, salt, and pepper immediately perked my interest. I imagine other seasonings could work too: a little hot paprika, ground cumin… definitely worth experimenting.

ONE YEAR AGO: Ossobuco Milanese (one of my favorite dishes!)

6Dec2010

REVISITING SPRING

Posted in Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

I am fully aware that Spring is long finished, and that every year I commit the exact same sin: buying asparagus from a far away place, just because I can’t resist their charm at the grocery store. Locavores, forgive us. We love asparagus too much to wait for several months…

This is a very simple way to prepare them, but looks elegant enough to make a weeknight dinner special.

ASPARAGUS BUNDLES WITH PROSCIUTTO AND PARMIGGIANO
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

asparagus
prosciutto slices
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, shaved

Make a bundle with a single-serving amount of asparagus. Cut 2 slices of prosciutto in half or thirds lengthwise, forming small ribbons. Wrap them around each bundle and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle a little olive oil over it, rubbing it around the surface with your fingers or with a silicone brush. Season lightly with salt and pepper (prosciutto is salty, go easy on the salt).

Bake in a 400F oven until the asparagus are starting to brown on the edges – 20 to 25 minutes. Add shaved parmiggiano and bake for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle extra black pepper right before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Roasted asparagus are always showing up as a side dish in our home, the addition of prosciutto is a nice variation. We enjoyed it with a delicious grilled salmon and white rice. I did not give credit to a particular source for this recipe, because I’ve been making it for years, I probably saw it in some publication long time ago. However, it’s so simple that it hardly qualifies as a real recipe… I’ve made it with regular ham and it works well too, but I prefer the extra-bite the prosciutto provides.

ONE YEAR AGO: Basic Sourdough Bread

4Dec2010

ENTROPY IN ACTION

Posted in General by sallybr

A new dog bed, ca. September 2010

The same dog bed, December 2010

The criminal returns to the scene of the crime.

3Dec2010

INTO THE LIGHT

Posted in Appetizers by sallybr

Thanksgiving officially marks the beginning of gastronomic over-indulgence. With the end of the year approaching, the celebrations start: departmental parties, lab parties, neighborhood parties, family get-togethers… every one of them loaded with caloric temptations… This Thanksgiving we took a back seat in the kitchen, as we were guests at a fantastic dinner thrown by our dear friends (and neighbors). Our hostess, knowing how much I love to cook, asked if I’d prepare an appetizer for the Thanksgiving party, a question that I answered with the most enthusiastic yes! I opted for something light and refreshing, to provide a counterpoint to the substantial meal ahead, that included a turkey with chestnut dressing that we won’t soon forget!

MEDITERRANEAN SKEWERS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

50 skewers
mozzarella mini-balls (like these)
3 mini-cucumbers
30 grape or cherry tomatoes
30 black Kalamata olives, pitted

for the dressing:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground fennel
salt and pepper to taste

When you are ready to start prepping your ingredients, put some music on and go to work: slice the mini-cucumbers 1/8 inch thick, cut the tomatoes and black olives in half. If some olives are too small, leave them whole. Reserve.

Assemble each skewer starting with one small mozzarella ball, half a black olive, another mozzarella ball, a cucumber slice, and finish with half the tomato. Arrange the skewers on a nice serving platter.

Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients in a small bowl, drizzle over the skewers half an hour before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The inspiration for this recipe came from two different sources: “Greek Salad Skewers” from Fine Cooking, and a dressing found in “Small Bites,” but I modified them enough to make it “bewitching.” 😉 One of my changes was to use mozzarella instead of feta cheese because feta tends to crumble and I am forced to eat all the cheese that disintegrates as I stab it. If you don’t find mini-cucumbers, use regular ones, but peel them and cut the slices in halves or quarters, depending on the size.

Fennel seed is the secret for the dressing. I like to use ground and let the dressing sit for a while before using, but next time I’ll use whole fennel seeds and warm them up gently to make an infused oil. Might be even better.

These skewers are very colorful, a nice addition to any cocktail party, but particularly great to open a multi-course dinner. Consider making them for your end-of-the-year festivities.

ONE YEAR AGO: Dundee Cake Bake-Along (and great fun was had by all!)

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