Bread & Butter Pickled Onions

I have found a new love!

6 medium onions Brine: 1 cup white vinegar 2 quarts water 1 Tbsp. sat Pickling Mixture: 2 cups white vinegar 2 cups sugar 1 Tbsp. salt 3 Tbsp. mustard seed 1 Tbsp. celery seed 1/4 tsp. curry powder

Peel onions, cut in half crosswise, then into 1/4-inch strips. Separate onions into strips and place in a bowl, covering with brine mixture. Let stand several hours or overnight. In a 4 or 5 quart saucepan, combine pickling ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil 2 minutes. Remove the onion strips from brine, draining well. Add them to the hot pickling mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headroom before sealing with 2-piece lids. Store in the refrigeration for a week, allowing flavors to blend. (It stores well in the fridge). Makes about 8 half-pints. Great on sandwiches!  From: Recipes From A Kitchen Garden This is a great cookbook!

Bobby Flay’s Pan-Roasted Chicken With Mint Sauce

GREAT TASTE!!! As featured in The New York Times Magazine, June 29, 2014.

Because it is summer and it is hot, I grilled skinless chicken breasts. I made a potato pancake with cumin and leftover smashed red potatoes. And a salad with greens from my garden.

"Bobby Flay served a version of this chicken at Bolo, the elegant little jewel box of a restaurant he had on 22nd Street until 2007, when the building that housed it was sold. It came pan-roasted beneath a blanket of what Flay called Spanish spices, with a vibrant green mint sauce rich with chiles, honey, salt and mustard. The dish was one of the restaurant’s best sellers. I ate it about 3,000 times there before getting the recipe and adapting it for those of us who cook at home. Of course you can make the exact same dish with chicken thighs if you want. But some will prefer the breast meat. Some always have."
~~Sam Sifton

For the chicken

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
• Kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the mint sauce

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 serrano chile, seeds removed and roughly chopped (I used a jalapeno from my garden.)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation

1.

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse the chicken well, then dry it with paper towel. Season the chicken aggressively with salt. Combine the remaining dry ingredients in a small bowl, and rub the mixture all over the skin of the chicken breasts.

2.

Heat the oil in a large, oven-safe sauté pan or skillet set over medium heat. When it is shimmering, put the breasts into the pan skin side down, and cook, unattended, until the skin is golden brown, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts over, and place the pan in the oven. Roast until the chicken is golden brown all over and the meat cooked entirely through, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a warmed platter, and allow to rest.

3.

Meanwhile, put the mint, parsley, garlic and serrano into a food processor, and pulse into a paste. Add the honey and mustard, and pulse again, until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture has become emulsified. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and if necessary, whisk in a few tablespoons of water to thin the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.

Spoon some of the sauce over each chicken breast, and serve, with the remaining sauce on the side. Roasted potatoes with some thinly sliced lemons makes a fi ne accompaniment, along with sautéed greens.

YIELD

4 servings. 

~~Sam Sifton

Mac & Cheese with Bacon & Broccoli

Out of this world!

The recipe called for chicken, which I did have, but I left it out of this as I wanted to save the chicken for chicken salad. I also added some herbs from my garden: Oregano, Cilantro, and Basil.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked large or regular elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat.)
• 3 cups prechopped broccoli florets (I used fresh.)
• 3 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
• 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk 
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson) (I used homemade.)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add broccoli to pan during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
3. 3. While pasta cooks, place bacon in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes. Sprinkle with garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with turmeric; cook 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
4. 4. Combine remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, milk, stock, and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add pasta mixture and 2 ounces cheese; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 3 ounces cheese and bacon. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts and just begins to brown.

 Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light
MAY 2014

Banana Coffee Cake with Walnuts and Coconut

Susan and I sat outside in our backyard enjoying this today, exclaiming a few times, "WOW."

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (banana through egg) in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute or until well blended. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, and beat until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper.
5. Combine brown sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and coconut. Spread over cake. Serve cake warm.

Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2002

 

Roasted Asparagus and Beet Salad

This just might be THE BEST asparagus I have ever made.

I found the recipe in the Weekend Edition of The Wall Street Journal. I served it with Turmeric Rice and Oven-Baked Panko-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Olives, Capers and Artichokes. I did make a few changes to the asparagus recipe as noted below in the directions.

Ingredients:

4 medium beets, tops
trimmed
¼ cup grapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
6 cipollini onions, peeled (The supermarket did not have these so I used a Vidalia Onion.)
½ cup sunflower seeds (We didn't have these so I used Pumpkin Seeds.)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
½ jalapeño pepper, deveined, seeded and minced (I used the whole jalapeno!)
Lemon juice
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions:
 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet, rub beets with oil and season with salt. Place in oven and roast until a knife can be easily inserted through centers of beets, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, roast other vegetables: On an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet, toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place baking sheet in oven and roast until asparagus begins to sizzle and is just al dente, about 8 minutes. Repeat with onions: Cook, turning once, until just soft, about 15 minutes. On a baking sheet, toss sunflower seeds with a tiny bit of oil and season with salt. Place in oven and toast until slightly colored, 5-7 minutes. (NOTE: I began with the onion and after 7 minutes I added the asparagus and then after another 7 minutes I added the pumpkin seeds.)
3. Meanwhile, make relish: In a small bowl, combine scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, a drizzle of oil and lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, toss roasted vegetables with lemon juice and oil to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Cut onions in half crosswise and beets into wedges. To serve, divide asparagus among four plates. Add onions and beets and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. Top with shaved Parmesan and a spoonful of relish.

—Adapted from Peter Hoffman, Back Forty and Back Forty West

Crispy Baked Panko-Crusted Scallops

OH MY GOSH!

Served these with Turmeric Rice and Spinach and Mushrooms!!!

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
5. Pinch of cayenne pepper
6. 1 garlic clove, minced
7. 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
8. 1 tablespoon snipped chives
9. 3/4 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
10. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
11. 12 jumbo sea scallops (1 1/2 pounds)
12. Lemon wedges, for serving 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, mix the panko with the melted butter, olive oil, dry mustard, cayenne, garlic, parsley, chives and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
3. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Set them in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the scallops evenly with the panko. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until barely cooked through.
4. Turn the broiler on and broil the scallops 3 inches from the heat until the panko topping is crisp and golden brown, about 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges. 

~From Food & Wine

Warm Orzo Salad with Squash

Delicious!!!

"This warm pasta salad is mixed with roasted yellow squash before it's tossed in a homemade mustard vinaigrette and topped with almonds. It can also be made up to one day ahead and served cold." From Good Housekeeping.

Ingredients

• 2 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
• 3 tablespoon(s) red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon(s) grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
• 1 pound(s) orzo pasta (I used whole wheat orzo.)
• 6 radishes, sliced into thin half-moons
• 1/4 cup(s) packed parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped fresh dill
• 2/3 cup(s) roasted, salted almonds, chopped

---

Directions

1. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. On a large jelly-roll pan, toss the squash, shallots, 2 teaspoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Roast 15 minutes or until tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; set aside.
4. Add the orzo to the boiling water and cook as the label directs. Drain well then add to the vinaigrette along with the roasted vegetables, radishes, parsley, and dill. Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 1 day. To serve, stir in the almonds.