Roast Chicken with Tangerines, Rosemary and Honey

I first published this recipe way back when I had no followers, so since I am on a little vacation I decided to re-publish it and put this very deserving recipe in the spotlight again. I'm ashamed to admit I cannot figure out how to remove the small pictures and process them through Flickr to make them larger, so be patient with me. As I mentioned below, this is the perfect method for roasting a chicken. If you have never attempted this before I really recommend you do it this way first to ensure success.

I love roasting whole chickens. I used to be afraid to attempt it. I have had visions of undercooked, raw bird and blood. Then having to deal with the dilemma of "do I stick it back in the oven and guess as to when it would be done?" Of course, I was always wrong with the guess resulting in a tough and dry bird. This trauma coupled with the fact that I once made a roast chicken for my Grandma Grillo that was a tad undercooked. I cannot even describe the level of freak out she had. I don't even know what happened exactly. I know she has always been concerned about salmonella but the next thing I knew my Grandpa was putting the dish of already carved chicken into the microwave to cook it longer. Gasp. This night resulted in making Jeremy a complete freak about salmonella. It was all too much chicken trauma for me, I suppose. I thought "chicken breasts for me!" But then, a couple years ago I stumbled upon the perfect method for roasting a chicken. So perfect, it's fittingly called "perfect roasted chicken". That recipe is in a word, fabulous and I normally don't deviate away from it, but instead, I will do variations of it. Once you have the method down, you can do anything you want with roast chicken. I love the versatility of it and there is nothing and I mean nothing better than the smell of roasting chicken and herbs when you are done with the day. I usually stuff mine with 1 halved whole garlic head, lemons and thyme and I scatter onions with a bit of olive oil on the bottom of the roasting pan and stick the chicken on top. Then, I'll rub it with a bit of melted butter and salt and pepper it. It smells like you died and went to heaven after the first 5 minutes. My Mom, who made the occasional roast chicken while I was growing up, would cover it in every spice she could find in her pantry. I'm not kidding, whatever she had, it seemed, went on this bird. Chili powder and lemon pepper for sure, accompanied by any combination of garlic salt, Lawry's salt, cayenne, and Mrs. dash, I imagine. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she unloaded a bottle of hot sauce on the poor thing too. I don't think my mom really gave much thought to which spices go best together as much as she thought, "the more spice (of any kind) the tastier". I think that is her motto overall. It will probably come as no surprise when I tell you that my Mom loves salt. She is known to over salt things, if only on her own plate. She absolutely loves lemon juice too. Actually, she probably squeezed lemon juice over the whole chicken before adding all those spices. She puts it in practically everything she can.

I decided last night to deviate from my favorite roast chicken and try something new. I still stuck to the same tried and true method though. I think the trick is to buy a chicken within the 5-6lbs range. If they are a little lighter, that's OK too, but don't stray too far from that range. At that weight, you can cook it at 425 for exactly 1 1/2 hours and it will be perfect. Just make sure you cover it in foil after it's done to let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This is essential, because all the juices redistribute back through the meat during the rest period, making it moist. If you cut into it right away and don't let it rest, it will surely be dry. Sometimes at our house, when we cut into the dark meat the juice will look a little pink, but it is always due to there being blood on the bone ( I know, it's gross, but it's a fact of life) This does not mean the meat is not cooked. To ensure the chicken is safe to eat, after letting it rest out of the oven for a couple minutes, pierce the skin between the leg and the thigh with a knife. If the juice that runs out is clear (not pink or bloody) then you are golden. If not, I don't know what to tell you because it has never happened to me using this method with the right size chicken. (although, we can probably all assume that you could just stick it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes or so)

This is a great springtime chicken, I think. Not that it wouldn't be great any season. The citrus and slight sweetness is a welcome change. Also, I have to admit, my Mom's "everything but the kitchen sink" philosophy on chicken, is pretty darn tasty too.


Roast Chicken with Tangerines, Rosemary and Honey
adapted from Eugenia Bone's Recipe, Food and Wine Magazine

1- 5-6lb whole roasting chicken
4 garlic cloves, peeled
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
3 tangerines, washed and halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup honey
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Set the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and stuff the cavity with the garlic cloves, rosemary, and 4 of the halved tangerines. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine (available at the supermarket) Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and rub with the olive oil. Squeeze the remaining two tangerine halves over the top, and then pour on the wine. Drizzle the chicken with the honey and season with salt and pepper. Add a cup of chicken stock to the bottom of the pan.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, but 30 minutes into roasting, cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil (so the honey won't burn) then, 30 minutes or so from the time the chicken will be done, add the remaining 3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth to the bottom of the pan (the first cup will have evaporated, and the pan will have black drippings)

Let the chicken rest at room temperature covered in aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it (you may however, pierce the skin between the leg and the thigh to check for done-ness) Pour the pan juices into a gravy separator and remove the oil/fat from the top. (alternately pour the drippings into a cup and spoon the fat from the top and discard)

Serve the chicken, carved with the pan juices poured on top.

I like to serve this dish with roasted sweet potatoes and an arugula salad with Parmesan cheese shavings and sunflower seeds mixed with a simple lemon and olive oil salt and pepper vinaigrette that I make myself. If you are using bottled dressing, I'd pick a red wine vinaigrette.

Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

note: this recipe is vegetarian, better yet, vegan if made without the pork.

My friend Becca wrote that she was making this for dinner last week on good ole Facebook. I wrote back something like"Um...YUM! I need the recipe". She was good enough to oblige and now I have a solid introduction to Panama cuisine that I can share with you guys!

Becca got this recipe from her Au Pair a few years back. She was Panamanian and it is a staple out there. The kind of food you make over and over through the generations..."no big deal" food, which is my favorite, especially when it's ethnic. She says it's usually served with these small red beans which we can't get in the states (or not that she knows of anyway) so she uses pinto beans. When you cook the rice with the coconut milk it get's thicker, not unlike rice pudding. Glorious things happen in this bowl!

Panamanian Pinto Beans with Ham and Rice with Coconut Milk

serves 4-5

1 package dried pinto beans

2 cups brown or white rice (or whatever you need to serve 4)

1 can coconut milk

sea salt

1 package of salt pork or ham hock (you can skip this and make it vegetarian)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 tbsp chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Sea salt, to taste (about 2-3 teaspoons, at least)

a few handfuls of cilantro, chopped

lime wedges for squeezing over top

For the rice:

Make rice according to package instructions substituting 1 can of coconut milk for part of the amount of water called for and adding 1 teaspoon of sea salt. (I made 2 cups of rice. The coconut milk measured out to about 1 1/2 cups and I filled the rest of the liquid called for with water. (I needed to add more water towards the end because my rice was not cooked through and all the liquid was absorbed. My pot boiled over twice though, so, If need be, you can do that too.)

For the beans:

Place a bag of dried pinto beans in a large stockpot with enough water to cover the beans by 2-3 inches. Place the pot on a stove and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down, place the lid on and take off the heat. Let it sit for 1 1/2 hours. Alternately, you can soak the beans overnight in room temperature water before using.

Drain the beans, then fill the pot with enough fresh water to cover the beans by two and a half inches if using a wide large pot, three inches if using a smaller to medium sized pot. The beans will soak up more water and also evaporate some during the cooking process. Add the salt pork, bay leaf and 2 garlic cloves. (It is very important not to add salt to the beans until they have cooked through. It will make them tough). Simmer, covered all day (5-7 hours) until tender. Remove and discard the pork. At this point, the beans should be swimming in the water with maybe about a 1/2" of water covering them (less than that is okay). If you have more, remove some of the water. Add the chili powder, garlic salt, garlic powder, cumin, sea salt to taste, and stir. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as necessary. It will probably need more salt. Let the beans simmer with the newly added spices for five minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary (important to taste since you will have varying amounts of water in your pot to season). 

Serve beans with a bit of their juices on top of the coconut rice and top with a generous amount of cilantro and fresh lime juice.

This is a meal within itself. I wrote the recipe with the amounts of spices I used when making this. Becca's original directions were much more relaxed. It sounded something like this: you just replace the water for the rice with a can of coconut milk, adding more water if you have to make whatever amount of liquid necessary. You will want to add sea salt. I cook the beans on the stove all day long and season them well with chili powder, cumin, and fresh garlic and serve the beans over the rice with fresh squeezed lime and cilantro.

My point in saying that is if you are comfortable, take Becca's directions and wing it. I am more comfortable following directions so that is why I included measurements here.

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

I talk a lot about taking a casual food, such as tacos, and elevating it to a level of greatness, or restaurant quality by raising the bar with it. I don't change things drastically. After all, a taco should still be a taco in that it's something familiar and unfussy. But what takes a Mexican seasoned ground beef, iceberg lettuce and cheese topped taco from "everyday" to "wow" is what I absolutely love. This recipe is a perfect example of that. I adore this recipe because it tastes genuine, real and authentic. All the familiar flavors of Mexico are there...chilies, tomatoes, beef, cilantro, onion, chile powder and cumin, but you can't discern that from one bite. All the ingredients meld together to form something else entirely and you know, right away that it's special. It's the type of taco that you would order and come back for. The type of thing you make for your friends once and for every other time you invite them, they forever request tacos.

You top these babies with cool shredded lettuce, cilantro sprigs, lime, quesco fresco cheese crumbles and a fresh salsa. The right toppings can make all the difference in authenticity and I don't suggest you stray far from this. Somehow, throwing some cheddar on top of this beautiful roast meat would degrade it in a humiliating way. There's that drama I'm known for. No but really, stay true to the Mexican cuisine when making this, it really will make it or break it. I made a quick blender salsa to go with these (tomatoes, cilantro, onion, serrano pepper, garlic, lime, lemon, a touch of cumin and lots of salt) and it was perfect.If you must buy salas from the store, lean towards the refrigerated pico de gallo varieties and stay away from the jarred stuff which is too sweet.

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos

adapted from "Dinner At My Place" by Tyler Florence

serves 6

Pot Roast:

Extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds shoulder of beef (or pot roast)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large onion, cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes (or regular canned plum tomatoes)

3 dried red chilies

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

Water

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

For serving:

Fresh medium corn tortillas, warmed over an open flame

3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

1/3 pound Cotija cheese, crumbled (also sometimes called queso fresco)

2 limes, cut into wedges for garnish

Fresh salsa

Drizzle beef shoulder with oil, then season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Set a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Sear on all sides until you have a nice brown crust, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary to prevent sticking. Add onion and garlic to the pot and stir until they caramelize a little and have contact with the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes with juice, chilies, cumin, chile powder, and the 1/2 bunch of cilantro. Add about 2 inches of water to the pot. You want the liquid to almost cover the meat. Crush tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer until the meat is is fork tender and comes apart with little resistance, about 4 hours. Once cooked, use a wooden spoon or two forks to break apart the meat. Mix the meat with the tomato pieces and onion from the pot and add a ladle of the liquid for moisture. Discard the rest of the liquid. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the vinegar and mix to combine.

The rule of thumb, generally, is the longer you cook this the more tender it will be. If you need this tender faster, cut your meat up into smaller pieces before searing. Just check the meat with a fork after a couple hours. If it's falling apart tender, it's ready. If it's not, keep cooking it making sure to keep a low simmer.

Seasoning the meat with the salt, pepper and vinegar once cooked is key. The vinegar is a perfect compliment to the meat, making it come alive and taste fresh. When getting ready to cook the roast, you shouldn't need to add much more than a cup to 2 cups or so of water to your pot. If you need much more you should use a smaller pot so as not to water down the spices, especially since the vegetables will generate more liquid naturally, as they cook. When I made this, I noticed the meat that was under water was more tender than the meat that was poking out, which is fine, but is just a testimony to make sure there is ample liquid in your pot. You can double this recipe easily. I used a dutch oven and crammed all the ingredients in it and I think it made for a better pot roast.

My Safeway doesn't always have a "pork shoulder" like the recipe calls for. You can use any shape or sized pot roast for this recipe, however, if it's bigger than 3 pounds, I suggest cutting your meat into smaller pieces, like in thirds so it will get tender, faster.

Authentic Enchilada Sauce and Chicken Enchiladas plus Enchilada Shrimp Soup

 

I have been making this enchilada sauce for years. It's the first sauce I attempted and never made another one since. You know when you just nail the perfect recipe the first go around? That's what this one is for me. It's so authentic with a little smokiness and spice in the background, and a perfect balance between the tomatoes and chilis. It tastes like a little old lady living in an adobe house in central Mexico whipped this up. And if you are going to make homemade enchilada sauce, it should, right?

My Aunt Colleen is the one who introduced me to this recipe. It's from her friend Cecila. Cecilia is a gourmet chef and the owner of a catering company. She grew up in Mexico and learned how to make this enchilada sauce as a child from the servants that worked for her parents (swanky, huh?) These enchiladas are Cecilia's most popular menu item, probably in part to the sauce, but also because she wraps a hefty amount of chicken in each fried corn tortilla, bakes it to perfection with a bit of Jack cheese and tops it with a bunch of cold toppings. When I say a bunch, I'm not joking. She sets out trays of shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices, and olives. It's the mixture of hot and cold, crunchy and soft that makes this dish special.

The sauce itself is easy. The only step needed before putting the whole thing together is softening the chilis in boiling water then removing the seeds. Next, just throw the chili's in a blender with onion, garlic and enough water to blend and puree until smooth. Add it to a pot with tomato sauce and spices and you are set to go. I usually double the recipe because this keeps so well in the freezer and I'm always excited to use it.

Enchilada Sauce

adapted from Cecilia

3 bags Pasillo or Pasilla chili's- they are shorter, darker and wrinklier than "california chili's"

(about 4-5 come in a bag)

1 onion, cut in quarters

5 coves of garlic

2 28oz cans tomato sauce

2 Tbsp tomato or chicken bullion

1 tsp salt (I added more)

optional: just a touch of cumin and oregano

Simmer pasillo chili's in a pot of water until soft (approx. 30 min.) Put a lid on the pot if you have trouble keeping the chilies underwater. Drain the chili's in a colander in the sink. Once chili's have cooled enough to touch, rip the stems off and remove seeds (I just run them under water to make quick work of it. The unwanted parts go right into the garbage disposal) and place in a blender. Blend chili's with the onion and garlic, adding 1/2 to 1 cup of water to make a smooth paste. Put the paste in a saucepan and add tomato sauce, salt, bullion, cumin and oregano if using. You can add water if you think it's too thick. It should be the consistency of spaghetti sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes. Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use, or store in quart size freezer Ziplock bags and freeze for future use.

This sauce is foundation. The heat chili's give off is varying. If you get a spicy batch you can add more tomato sauce to make it less spicy. Mine was fine with the quantities as written, but it did have a little spice to it which I like. Taste and adjust what you need to.

Assembling the Chicken Enchiladas:

Boil a chicken for 45 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone. One chicken will make one dozen enchiladas (more if you use less chicken in each one) OR buy a rotisserie chicken and remove the meat from the bones.

Fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil over medium heat on both sides, briefly. Oil must be very hot. Fry for about 30 seconds on one side, 20 on the other or until the tortilla is starting to crisp up but is still pliable enough to wrap around the chicken. Put on paper bags or towels and stack.

Dip fried tortillas in enchilada sauce (you can probably tell I skipped this step from the picture, shame same, but I usually do it and it tastes better). Wrap around a good amount of chicken. Line them up in a 9x13 pan. Pour more sauce and grated jack cheese over the pan of enchiladas and bake in a 350 degree oven until warm, about 30 minutes.

*THIS IS KEY- Serve the enchiladas with a variety of cold toppings...shredded lettuce, sour cream, sliced radishes, cilantro, lime wedges, avocado slices, and black olives. It's the mixture of hot and cold, crunchy and soft that makes this dish special.

Cecilia's Easy Shrimp Soup using Enchilada Sauce:

Here is another delicious main dish to make using the enchilada sauce. This soup is hearty. The ingredients do not need to be measured. Just improvise.

Saute garlic, celery and onion

Add diced potatoes, carrots and water just to cover, simmer until potatoes are cooked through

Add some shrimp bullion and or chicken bullion and enchilada sauce (enough to make a soup consistency)

At the last minute, add loads of cut up pre-cooked shrimp

Serve with oregano, jack cheese, great bread and a salad.

When I made this, I used 2 garlic cloves, 2 stalks of celery, 1 small onion, 1 russet potato, 2 carrots, 2 1/2 cups of water, 2 1/2 teaspoons chicken bullion, 1 to 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce and salt to taste. I also used about 4-5 shrimp per person. It served 4 people. Keep in mind you may need to add more or less of these ingredients for your desired taste.

Summer Squash Risotto with Parmesan and Sage

As I write this post, I will be leaving every couple minutes to stir this risotto, which is happily simmering on my stove this very minute. Lucky us. It smells like a bona fide restaurant in here, I kid you not. Every time I make something by Tyler Florence, as this dish happens to be, it smells like that. The man does not disappoint. His measurements are off sometimes, but if you are a seasoned enough cook, you can remedy them pretty easily. (stir count so far since writing started: 2) But I've already stirred it about 10 times.

I have had a super productive day. So far I have baked 3 cakes (without frosting), done the dishes, 2 loads of laundry, tidied up the house, taken care of my 3 kids, visited with my friend, and now I'm making this stellar dinner. I feel quite accomplished and deserving of my glass of wine. That's the best part about risotto, in my opinion. Most of the (good) recipes call for wine to be added to the rice and it's a perfectly good time to pour yourself a glass, turn the music up and stir, stir, stir, baby! (stir count: 4)

Risotto has a bad rap. Most people think it is labor intensive and in need of babysitting. Both are true, but not bad. You just have to be in or around the kitchen, then add a little liquid and stir every few minutes. It's not hard or bad. It's actually enjoyable and the vegetables roast while the risotto is cooking and honestly it's a cinch to make. It's impressive though with a wonderful wine-y, parmesan-y depth of flavor, so make it when you want to impress. Or for casual Friday night dinner like me. It can go either way. If you make risotto once, you'll make it over and over. (stir count: 6)

Summer Squash Risotto with Parmesan and Sage

adapted from Dinner At My Place by Tyler Florence

serves 4 to 6

4 small summer squash

4 small zucchini

4 pattypan squash

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 bunch fresh thyme sprigs (4 sprigs), leaves only

extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Risotto:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch fresh sage springs, leaves only

1 medium onion

2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 750-mililiter bottle dry white wine

2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into thirds

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Riggiano cheese

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash, zucchini, and pattypan squash into circles and slice onion. Set out on a roasting tray and scatter thyme leaves over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant (It took my veggies about 45-50 minutes to cook through, so the cooking time could vary drastically depending on your oven. If you know your oven runs a bit cooler, like mine, bump the temperature up to 375 degrees and roast until vegetable are tender).

While the vegetables roast, start the risotto. Set a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Pour a 3-count of oil (about 3 tablespoons) into the pot and fry the sage leaves until they are crispy and crackly. Drain leaves on paper towels and set aside. Add onion to the pot and saute until fragrant and slightly translucent. Add rice and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat as you stir with a wooden spoon. Add the wine; cook until mostly evaporated. Begin adding broth, a little at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the broth each time before adding more. Continue to do this until the rice is tender but still has a little bite. (add water if necessary, if you use all the broth before the rice is done.) To finish, add butter and Parmigiano-Riggiano and stir to combine. Serve risotto with roasted vegetables on top.

This recipe adapts well to your preferences. Don't love zucchini? Roast butternut squash, onion and sweet potato with some spinach. Or eggplant and tomato. The possibilities are endless. Can't cook with alcohol? First of all I feel SO sorry for you, but just substitute the total amount of wine called for with more vegetable or chicken broth. It won't be AS flavorful, but you'll still rock it. Here's a little tip; you don't have to add the liquid in such small amounts. You can add about a cup at a time which will cut down the cooking time, but you will have to sit and stir the whole time, so I leave you to pick your method.

Beef and Pineapple Pops with Parsley Sauce

My Husband told me today that he thinks I was happier when I ate meat. I told him that it wasn't true but he wasn't buying it. I guess I don't buy it either. He told me all I had to do was read my blog because every time the word "vegetarian" came up it was never in a positive light. Plus every time I make meat for some other lucky soul, I get a little too excited about it. Listen, I can't help it. It's true that I submit to vegetarianism, or pescotarianism (spelling?), or whatever the correct word for it is, begrudgingly. I'm not exactly thrilled with it. But, it's also true that I care about my health and well-being and let's face it, meat is like #1 on the no-no list if you want to avoid things like cancer and heart disease. Plus I genuinely like vegetarian food. So I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Really, I most like the term "all things in moderation" because I can live that. I'm pretty moderate as is, and have little trouble keeping things that way. I enjoy a glass of wine, but one is plenty. I love dessert, but a couple bites can suffice. And, I love a big juicy medium rare steak, ribeye, filet mignon, prime rib, you name it. However, I don't want it every night by any means. I'd like it maybe once every two weeks, but I'd settle very comfortably with once a month. The problem lies in not being able to have it at all. That will and has made me crazy.

Jeremy has suggested I go back to making meat with dinners once in a while. He doesn't understand that when I make dinner I make it for him (and the whole family). But really, I enjoy making something he loves. That's what's so delightful about making food for someone. If I made a roast chicken for example, with salad and a baked potato, Jeremy would be completely gracious, satisfied and comfortable passing on the chicken and just eating the side dishes for dinner. What he doesn't get is that it would be a waste of a meal to me. Sure, I'd get to eat the chicken, but I would have no one to enjoy it with, or to talk to about it and tell me how great it is and that is what it's all about to me. I might as well just eat some potatoes and salad for dinner...So that's what I do. I eat salad, and vegetable soup and vegetable chili, salmon, quinoa and stuff like that. I still get excited for many pasta dinners because most of them were either meat free to begin with or the meat is not missed. In any case, I can tell my husband feels bad about how his food choices effect my passion for cooking and eating (my best qualities if you ask me, ;) and also how much it is an issue between us. I understand he wants to be healthy. I understand he feels great and I really don't want him to feel bad, but we both can't get what we want, you see? I'm begging him to eat meat once in a while, because when we are talking one serving a month (even once a week) it's not going to effect your overall health. Think about how much meat you consume in an average week. No really, play along a minute. A serving counts as the bacon you have with your omelet or the ham on your sandwich, or the pork chops for dinner. I bet your bottom dollar it's A LOT. That's why cutting it down to only one serving every once in a while is a big deal. I get it, but I still joke with him and say all I am going to ask for on my birthday is that he go to a steak house with me and enjoy some without complaint. All things in moderation, ya know? Even if it's great moderation.

Well, all that aside, I made Jeremy grill these beef and pineapple pops last week. Again, they were not for us, but part of that appetizer thing I catered for the Young Life wives. However he had to grill it non-the-less and get this...he actually licked the meat juice off his fingers and said it tasted good (maybe there is hope)?! I went one step further than him (surprise, surprise) and popped the tiniest piece of the meat into my mouth. Just enough for a taste really, and I'm telling you it was awesome. I've made this before, over a year ago and the interplay between the sweet grilled pineapple, the savory and tender meat along with the fresh and vibrant sauce is just unbeatable. I made these appetizer style on small bamboo wooden skewers, but they are equally fit for dinner along with some veggies or salad, or rice or anything you little heart desires. I would stay away from potatoes though, unless they are herby roasted ones, because they can tend to be too heavy for this dish and you don't want to weigh it down.

You might wonder why you would "waste" fillet mignon on kabobs. Oh! it's not a waste! it makes the most succulent and luxurious kabob you've ever had. Plus it does not take much meat per person so it's actually more cost effective than you would think. Try it. You'll like it.

Beef and Pineapple Pops with Parsley Sauce

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 20 beef pops

For the Parsley Sauce:

3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

For the Beef Pops:

1 1/2 pounds beef fillet, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 40 cubes)

1 (2-pound) pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 40 pieces)

20 (8-inch) wooden or bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the parsley sauce: In a bowl of a food processor, blend together the parsley, garlic, vinegar, chili flakes, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Place half of the mixture in a medium bowl. place the remaining mixture in a small serving bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until redy to serve.

For the beef pops: place the beef in the medium bowl with the parsley sauce. Toss well until the beef is coated with the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill. thread the skewers starting with a piece of pineapple, then a cube of beef. Repeat with another piece of pineapple and another cube of beef. Continue with the remaining skewers. Grill the skewers for 2 to 3 minutes each side (for medium rare) or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the beef pops on a serving platter. Drizzle with the remaining reserved parsley sauce or serve the sauce on the side as a condiment.

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Croutons

You know when people ask you "What's your favorite smell?" And usually responses are something like "night blooming jasmine" or "red roses" or "sun tan lotion." Not me. No, My answer is a roasting chicken in the oven right as you are about to take a sip of cold champagne and the bubbles are tickling your nose and you smell both things at once, harmoniously blending, for a split second. For now though, let's focus on the chicken. I have said it before and I'll say it again, "a roasting chicken in the oven is the best smell in the world". This still stand true for me, no doubt about it. There might be other meals I (might) enjoy more, but none who's aroma could stand up as well.

I haven't roasted a chicken in over 8 months. Blame it on the vegetarianism thing. I have not really eaten meat in over 7 months except for the occasional cheat out at Cafe Diva (if the duck tacos are on the appetizer list, you get them. Vegetarian or not.) Also, I've had the occasional prociutto bite on a cheese plate, but other than that, were talking nada. Meat free. Then, last Friday rolled around and I was making dinner for a lady who had hurt her shoulder and had two small children and could not cook very well by herself, given her injury. As I thought about what I should make, a very happy realization washed over me as I thought about how I could seize this opportunity to make some meat, by jove! And that's exactly what I was going to do. Not just any meat. I was going to roast a chicken dang it! I was weirdly excited by this. I really was. I lovingly took the bird out of it's wrapper and gave it the royal treatment. I'm telling you, not more than 5 minutes after putting that sucker in the oven my house smelled euphoric, and oh, how I missed that smell! Hot chicken fat and lemon, onions and olive oil can have that affect, and oh, how it had its way with me! You can keep your roses and sun tan lotion. I'm taking chicken, hands down. Make this chicken this week and see what I'm talking about. The aroma is pure magic.

If you have never roasted a chicken before, never fear, I have a fool proof method down pat. All you need to do is buy a chicken that is between 4 and 5 pounds. If you do that, you will be golden. Why? If you cook a 4 to 5 pound bird at a certain temperature for exactly 1 1/2 hours (1 1/4 hours if your oven runs really hot) it will be cooked perfectly, no questions asked. If you don't know how hot your oven runs, just check the chicken after 1 1/4 hours, by piercing the skin with a knife between the leg and thigh. if the juices run clear, you are golden. If they have a pink tinge to them, put it back in the oven and roast till the 1 1/2 hour mark and check again with the other thigh. It should be totally cooked through. If it's not, you likely picked a bird that weighed a little over 5 pounds and would have to cook it longer. Make sure you then follow the instructions for "resting" and you will be a very happy camper.

The croutons for this is just some french bread cubed up and sauteed in olive oil, salt and pepper. It seasons the bread and toasts and dries it out so when you slice the chicken on top the juices get absorbed in the bread and it is possibly the best weeknight dinner you could ever have.

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Croutons

adapted from "Barefoot Contessa In Paris"

serves 4

1 (4- to 5-pound) roasting chicken

1 large yellow onion, sliced

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 lemons, quartered

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 cups (3/4- inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion and wedges from half a lemon with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with pepper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours (I recommend roasting for 1 1/4 hours if the chicken is between 4 and 4 1/2 pounds, and 1 1/2 hours if it is between 4 1/2-5 pounds.) or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

I don't know how authentically French this is, but while Ina Garten (the writer of this recipe) was in Provence, a friend made this dish for them, and to her it is the essence of French country cooking. A simple roast chicken is sliced onto a bed of warm croutons so they soak up all those delicious juices. Um, yeah, sounds pretty appealing Ina, and it tastes even better. Trust me, I've made a few of these in my day.

Greek Salad 3.0

How can this Mediterranean classic get any better? Serve it chopped! And with shrimp! (If you are me, anyway). I made this the other night for dinner and it was completely satisfying. If I'm going to have a salad for dinner there are going to be a couple requirements. The first is it must have some sort of protein or else I just won't fill up. This salad already packs a dose of that with garbanzo beans, but I up it one with grilled shrimp. The other is that it must have a lot of things going on in it in order to satisfy me. This Greek salad is the perfect answer and meets the said requirements. Fresh crisp romaine, garbanzo beans, cucumber, artichoke, feta, red bell pepper, fresh mint, red onion and plenty of kalamata olives for that olive-oily salty bite. The original recipe calls for chopped tomatoes and yellow bell pepper instead of red, but anyone who's been reading this blog long enough knows I have a hate relationship with fresh tomatoes and so I left them out. If you love them add them in. The only reason I chose red bell's was for the color since I was missing the tomato.

We have mass amounts of veggies and protein going on in this dish but if you are more of a carb person just add some torn pita bread (whole wheat recommended) on the side and you have a perfect, light dinner. The dressing to this salad is light and refreshing and finishes it off perfectly. That being said, I have to confess I used a luxury item in the dressing. Instead of regular olive oil, I used a Tuscan blend olive oil my Grandma brought me back from Napa Valley and it upped the flavor quotient five fold and made the salad more interesting. You can buy flavored olive oils in the regular grocery store usually right by the other oils and if you have access to them they are fabulous. If you can't find a Tuscan blend, I imagine basil olive oil would work great with this. This is ready in 20 minutes.

Greek Salad 3.0

Recipe adapted from Lori Powell and Health Magazine

Serves 4

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I used flavored olive oil)

1 1/2 heads hearts of romaine, chopped

1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small red bell pepper

1 cup chopped cucumber

1 can quartered artichoke hearts (or marinated if your feeling zippy)

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

pitas, toasted for serving, optional

Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (through the black pepper) in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined.

place romaine in a large serving bowl. Arrange chickpeas and next 6 ingredients (through feta) on top in sections. Sprinkle mint leaves over the salad. Drizzle with the dressing just before serving and toss. Serve with pita bread and grilled shrimp if desired.

Grilled Shrimp: skewer 4-5 medium sized, peeled and deveined, tail on shrimp for each person. Turn the grill to high. Coat the shrimp in olive oil, salt and some Chesapeake (or old bay) seasoning. Grill for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side until shrimp are just cooked through.

Since this recipe came from health magazine, I have some stats for you. Based on the serving size of 3 1/2 cups of salad and 1/2 pita plus 1 1/4 tablespoons of dressing: Calories 278; fat 14g (sat 3g, mono 8g, poly 2g) Cholesterol 11 mg; carbohydrate 32g; sugars 11g; Fiber 7g; iron 3 mg; sodium 537mg; calcium 163mg.

Or if you are like me you could not care at all what the nutritional information says because, heck, you are eating salad for dinner. How bad can it be?

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

This is not something I would usually make. I say that because the recipe is written from a convenience perspective and uses a lot of pre-made products, such as canned enchilada sauce and canned pineapple. When I first read the recipe I had full intentions of tweaking it, using fresh pineapple, and my own homemade enchilada sauce, which would have be delicious, but not fast. Also, although I make my own enchilada sauce, I realize not everybody does this, so I didn't want to post a complicated recipe when, originally it was meant to be simple. So I decided to try this recipe exactly as written and guess what? I really liked it. Everyone in my family liked it and I have made it twice since stumbling upon it about a month ago. This must be serious because I rarely repeat dishes in the same season. Fresh pineapple is my preference if it's available, though.

My very pregnant cousin Camryn posted a Facebook post about making these enchiladas for dinner. She quickly got a mixed reaction. A few people, including myself wanted the recipe and said they sounded delicious. Another group of people told her she must be pregnant because that combination sounded awful to them. That group must be from the mid-west. No offense or anything but the midwest is not known to be very daring or adventurous or original with their cooking. Any Latin girl would probably know that black beans and pineapple are perfect partners! I'm a quarter Spanish, does that count? Because I knew. And I was right.

These enchiladas are different from other recipes in that they use a soft whole wheat flour tortilla instead of a fried corn one. Upping the fiber? A plus in my book! You can even use Ezekiel tortillas for this which would make them even better for you. Yes, it uses a few canned items, but you can easily substitute for fresh if you want to carve the pineapple and seeding peppers for sauce, but there were plenty of fresh ingredients in the original recipe to make me turn a blind eye. Just as a warning. The enchilada sauce is very thin. It doesn't stay on top of the tortillas like regular enchiladas. It's strange, but it tastes good. If you use a different brand of sauce, let me know how it turns out!

Pineapple-Black Beans Enchiladas

adapted from the Pillsbury website...no really, it was.

Makes 8 servings (2 enchiladas per person)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits in juice, drained, 1/3 cup juice reserved (or 1 1/4 cups fresh pineapple chunks, no juice reserved)

2 cans (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, some reserved for garnish

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used less. About 1/2 cup overall)

2 cans (10 oz) Old El Paso mild enchilada sauce

16 whole wheat flour tortillas (8 or 9 inch) or Ezekiel tortillas

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream, for garnish, (optional)

sliced avocado, for garnish and serving, (optional)

Shredded lettuce, for serving, (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dishes with cooking spray. In a large non stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chilies and salt. Cook and stir until throughly heated. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and 1/2 cup of cheese.

Spoon the filling generously into the flour tortillas and fold like a burrito to keep the filling from falling out when you transfer them to the dish and lay them seam side down. Line the filled tortillas right up next to each other until they can't fit into the pan anymore.

In a small bowl, mix the reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce (skip this step if using fresh pineapple); pour over entire surface of the enchiladas in dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray; place sprayed side down over baking dish and seal tightly. ( I forgot to do this both times I made it and it was still yummy. The tortillas got crunchy on top. So if you like that, skip the foil step. I imagine they would be scrumptious and soft if I had covered it though.)

Bake 35 to 40 minutes, removing foil during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each baked enchilada with 1 tablespoon sour cream or Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon cilantro and chunks of avocado, and shredded lettuce if desired.

This recipe feeds a crowd! The only way to cut the recipe in half would be to use half cans of various ingredients and I hate using only half a can of anything so I make the whole batch. They are good for leftovers and lunch the next day, anyway. Obviously, feel free to cut it in half if your family is smaller. Your gonna like this one. I can feel it. Whip up a batch of frozen margaritas or mojitos, cook some Spanish rice and have a fiesta on a Wednesday night! Or Thursday. Any day is a good day for a margarita.

Mustard-Herb Glazed Salmon

Someone once used the word "inspired" to describe me. I think it's my favorite word ever. Inspired. It's more flattering than pretty, or fun or brilliant. It means something special. It's something you can't muster up on your own. Something that is a gift, and if it's true, nothing that I have achieved myself. That's why I love it so.

Usually when I invite people over for dinner it is because I have been inspired to make a meal and want to share it with others. I've done it the other way too, where you do the inviting first and then rack your brain trying to figure out what to serve. However, if the meal inspiration doesn't come in time, I'm never happy with the results. That's why I prefer the first method. Every couple has the "we really should have (insert who ever here) over for dinner soon" conversations. Sometimes, there is follow through and other times you have the same conversation over and over for years before you actually do it. I generally strive for follow through, but I wait for inspiration first. If I have no specific vision for the night or what food will be served, the invites do not go out. I willingly wait. I think I owe people that. When I have someone over, my purpose is to honor them. Make them feel taken care of and well fed. I will fail every time if not prepared and that's why I choose to wait.

I love methodically preparing a meal for company, with my kitchen timeline well laid out ahead of time. Lighting candles and putting on good music, like Diana Krall or Michael Buble a little louder than seems right. Getting ready an hour before hand and starting a glass of wine before the guests arrive so that I am absolutely ready when they come. I don't want anyone to ever feel like I am not ready for them when I'm hosting.

Last night we hosted. The inspiration came in the form of mustard-herb glazed salmon because we had wonderful fresh caught wild Alaskan variety. It's sharp and lovely giving the right amount of bite to salmons natural richness. Its basically a thick and concentrated vinaigrette made from a combination of Dijon mustard's, garlic, white wine, olive oil and fresh herbs. It's also a perfect choice for people who don't exactly love salmon as it stands up to any fishy flavor it might have naturally.

We sat out on the cool of our deck, overlooking our town, kids playing all over the yard, wild and proceeded to have a refreshing, wonderful Summer evening over great conversation, salmon, roasted potatoes, asparagus, wine and strawberry shortcake.

Mustard-Herb Glazed Salmon

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Italian

2 garlic cloves

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon dry white wine

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

nonstick olive oil cooking spray

6 (6-8 ounce) salmon filet's

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a mini food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, wine, oil, Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon f whole grain mustard. Grind the mustard sauce until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of whole-grain mustard to the sauce and stir to combine. Set aside mustard sauce.

Pre-heat broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with nonstick spray. Arrange the salmon filet's on the baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Spoon mustard sauce over filet's and continue broiling until the filet's are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes longer. The fish will be done when it flakes easily when pierced with a fork

Transfer the filet's to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

serves 6

I didn't notice my picture was blurry until I uploaded it on here. Sorry about that. It was beautiful in person, I promise. You can make this without the whole grain mustard, using Dijon for the whole thing but I wouldn't advise it. They both have distinct flavors and work together wonderfully here. One thing though, please use fresh herbs. Someone asked me if they could use dry and I suppose you could, but just don't. Dried and fresh herbs don't even compare. You just can't...well, do what you will but fresh are definitely better. The inspiration just tells me so...And Aunt Jenny, thanks.

Grilled Chicken/Shrimp and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

The answer is yes. Yes, that funky picture of the chicken is in fact a picture of a picture in the magazine from which this recipe came from. That is why it looks cloudy and a bit unappetizing, but I needed to represent for all of you meat eaters out there! Otherwise, every single protein based picture on this blog would be fish and shellfish and you can't really run a legitimate food-lover blog on shrimp alone. Well, not if you are me anyway and happen to be a closet prosciutto eater...OK, moving on...

In a word, this meal was delicious. Period. Really, that's all you need to know.

Can't take my word for it eh? Alright, let me tell you all the wonderful foodie details!

Obviously I made this with shrimp (which was fabulous) but it was originally meant for chicken and you can use which ever you prefer or have on hand. I'm going to say that this is an all in all crowd pleaser because even though the whole peach and chicken pairing, (not to mention chipotle) probably really freaks out the picky eater demographic (I know you are out there) they will like this. All the flavors blend together so beautifully. The marinade/dressing is sweet and savory and tastes just as good on the grilled peaches as it does on the shrimp but not quite as good as if you get all of it in one bite. If you can do that (I had peach, shrimp and rice in every forkful) it's wonderful.

The marinade came together very quickly, say, 3 minutes and was totally simple. Basically you whisk together peach preserves, peach nectar, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped cilantro, salt and pepper and some juice from canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. The chipotle chile juice is adobo sauce and it is slightly spicy and very smoky. I advise putting the whole 2 teaspoons called for into the dressing because the end result is not very spicy. I stuck my finger in the sauce before I brushed in over my shrimp and thought it was a little spicy, which I like, so I wasn't alarmed. But when it's over everything and you are eating it, the flavors just works together and I promise it won't offend any ones palates. This dish is fit for company, yet casual enough to whip up for a late dinner on the deck on a warm night (guilty).

Grilled Chicken or Shrimp and Peaches with Chipotle-Peach Dressing

adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

1/3 cup peach preserves

1/3 cup peach nectar

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chile's

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

3 large peaches, rinsed, fuzz wiped away, each cut into 6 wedges

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 42 med-small shrimp, peeled and deviened-half a bag of frozen 31/40 lb shrimp)

Coat a grill rack with non stick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Stir preserves, next 3 ingredients, 2 teaspoons oil, and chopped cilantro in a medium bowl.

Brush peaches and chicken with the dressing, reserving at least half for drizzling over when done. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side. Grill peaches until slightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.

Place 1 chicken breast on each of 4 plates. Surround with peaches. Drizzle dressing from the bowl over chicken and peaches. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

*For shrimp: Thread 6 shrimp on each of 7 wooden skewers that has been soaked in water for at least 10 minutes (the wood will absorb the water so it won't catch on fire while grilling) If you have larger shrimp, use less. Spoon some of the marinade over, reserving some for drizzling after cooked. Grill for about 2 minutes a side or until just cooked through. Serve 12 shrimp per person, or 2 skewers. Surround with peaches and drizzle everything with the dressing/marinade.

Serves 4

Chipotle Chile's canned in adobo sauce are sold in the Latin foods section of most supermarkets. I, strangely enough found the peach nectar there as well, but I would think you should be able to get that in the juice aisle as well.

I served this with a whole grain rice blend but any rice would do nicely.

Lemon Grilled Shrimp

Tis the season for grilling! I made this easy grilled shrimp up today for a quick lunch on the deck to celebrate that the sun is finally out and shining in Steamboat Springs! I made up some shrimp skewers and poured my lemon marinade over half, putting bottled Asian barbecue sauce over the rest, just in case my marinade was too weak and I wanted a stronger flavor. I could have skipped that step because the lemon shrimp won out and was WAY better than the barbecue ones. It's great for lunch or dinner served with a salad or if you are like me, an edamame, red pepper combo or they are just as good alone as an appetizer served with some lemon wedges and crusty bread. I polished off my lunch and took a break from baking, sat in the sun with my lemon water and Food Network magazine and read while Jeremy built the kids a swing set out of timbers. A perfect Saturday afternoon if I do say so myself.

Lemon Grilled Shrimp

32 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (about half a frozen 2lb bag) less if you have large shrimp, or more for smaller shrimp)

8 wooden skewers

juice from 2 lemons

zest from 1 lemon

olive oil

a hearty pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

Old Bay seasoning or Chesapeake Seasoning (a must)

Soak your wooden skewers in some water for at least 10 minutes before grilling so the sticks don't catch fire and burn.

Put the juice from the two lemons in a glass bowl or cup so you can see how much is in there. Add half as much olive oil to the glass as there is juice. Add the zest and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Thread 4 shrimp to a skewer and set on a baking dish. repeat until all the shrimp are skewered. Pour the lemon marinade over the shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle liberally with Old Bay seasoning on both sides and again with salt. Set aside and let it marinate for 10 minutes.

Turn your grill to high and add the shrimp. Cook until just done. It should only take about a minute on each side.

Serve with lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Serves 4 (8 shrimp per person)

The edamame salad that I served with mine was just tossed with some small dice red pepper, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt, scallion and a drizzle of olive oil. It was fine but not great which is why I didn't provide the exact recipe. A black bean, corn salad would go great with this. (1 can black beans, kernels from 2 shucked corn on the cob, a diced jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, diced tomato, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, salt and pepper...I never measure, just eyeball it)

The Old Bay or Chesapeake Seasoning is really what ties everything together and goes so well with the pungent lemon zest. I will definitely be making these again!

Rice, Black Bean and Mango Salsa Bowl

So, I made this recipe up. I saw a facebook post about black beans and mango salsa a few days ago and it got me thinking...The weather has been beautiful here lately and any time it warms up to 50 degrees, it has all of us thinking about Spring, beloved Spring! Spring equals warmer weather and lighter food which, for me, always includes Cuban. I had decided that I would make brown rice and season it up with some lime juice, cilantro and salt once cooked. Then I would saute up a load of garlic (5 ginormous cloves!) in a wee bit of olive oil and add a couple cans of black beans with their juice and let it simmer for a while to reduce. Then I would squeeze in fresh lime juice and add some garlic salt and chile powder. Then I would dish up the rice in a shallow bowl and top it with a ladel or two of beans, whose juice would drip down and flavor the rice. Then, I would top the whole thing with fresh mango salsa. You could probably make the dish just fine from the description above seeing as how it's rustic, but I'm going to provide the recipe below. It was really, really good.

Jeremy loved it, which is no surprise since it's basically a vegetarians dream dish. The fresh salsa paired so well with the earthiness of the beans and the sweet tart combination along with the garlic was divine. A snap to make too, by the way, and oh, so satisfying.

So get this. I was actually all geared up to make this dinner last night, but I had a showing on my house around 3pm and had to leave. I went to Danielle's house and never left. We ended up having dinner there, but it was kind of funny because she was making black bean patties with a mango rice. I don't know whether it was in the air or what, but black beans and mangos were popular in Steamboat this week. The dinner last night was delicious as well, but I figure I'd better ration out my black bean posts so as not to cause a revolt. Besides, I will be making Danielle's dinner again and will share the recipe at that time. Until then, make this...

Rice, Black Bean and Mango Salsa Bowl

serves 4

2 cans black beans, left undrained

whole grain rice or white rice (enough for 4 people according to package)

5 fat garlic cloves (or 7-8 smaller ones) minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 juicy limes, each cut in half
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 mango, chopped into bite sized chunks
2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped, divided
Kosher salt

Black pepper

For the rice:

Cook enough rice for 4 people according to the package directions. (I usually need enough rice for 6 people to feed 4).

For the mango salsa:
While the rice is cooking, make the mango salsa. Mix the chopped mango, red onion, half of the cilantro, with the juice of half a lime and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set aside until ready to use.

For the black beans:
While the rice is cooking, set a saute pan over medium low heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for garlic for a minute or two, then add the cans of black beans with their juice. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat back down to medium to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until some of the beans juices have evaporated away and it is a bit thicker. Don't boil away all the juice because that is what will flavor the rice when you dish it up. Add the chili powder, salt and the juice from 1 whole lime and stir to combine.

When the rice is done cooking, squeeze in the juice of the remaining half a lime and add a generous pinch of salt and the remaining cilantro. Stir to combine. Cover to keep warm.

To serve: Scoop a portion of the seasoned rice on the bottom of your bowl and top with beans with its sauce, then top with mango salsa. Dig in!

You can make the mango salsa up to a day in advance. It re-heats beautifully too! I would make this for company. Just serve an appetizer like cucumber spears with lime juice, salt and chili powder, pass the mojitos or coronas and you are golden. Flan with toasted coconut flakes for dessert wouldn't hurt you either. Oh, my, I'm hurting for Summer!

White Pizza with Arugula

OK, I have been in a little bit of a food funk. For some reason I am picking meals that have been less than stellar for dinner and I do this knowing full well what the results will be. For example, this week I will make a white chicken chili-without the chicken- to please my nutcase husband, and I know for a fact that it will just be OK. I picked it because it sounded easy. Stupid easy even because really, there is no cooking involved. You just open cans of beans and various other ingredients and dump them in pot and heat it up. I was intrigued because while the recipe will most likely be so-so, it will still be good and I wanted to try it out. I will let you know how that endeavor goes when the time comes. Anyway, to get back to the point it's just been one OK dinner after another. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but I am used to pulling out a restaurant quality meal at least once a week. This is not to say it is fancy. Sometimes it is (I do make an awesome Boeuf Bourguignon and Filet of Beef au Poivre) But most of the time it's just any great food elevated to a level that makes it better than the run of the mill everyday. It's that one ingredient that makes the dish pop, or something so simple, like roasted potatoes, but it has a perfect balance of salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and is cooked to perfection as well, where the outside is crisp and brown but the inside is moist, hot and velvety. I think in essence that is my whole cooking philosophy...that whatever it is I am cooking, I want that particular dish to be the best that it can possibly be. If I am going to make chili, I want it to be what chili is supposed to be- what it is meant to be. Hardy, thick, rich and satisfying. I need it to have fresh ingredients as well as canned and it must be slightly spicy.

Really, to reiterate, what I try to do is take a food like pizza (the recipe below) and try to make my very favorite version of it. I make it over and over again over the course of the year or so until I get it right. That way, I end up at the quintessential version of what I am looking for. The perfect recipe in my mind. I have successfully done this with Beef Stew, Chili, Roast Chicken and a few other things. whenever I make them it is done the same way because there is no need to mess with it, it's my favorite. Although I do make different "versions" of these dishes I usually go back to the original over and over again.

So, I was very glad to have made my favorite pizza for dinner the other night in the midst of my food rut. It was just the thing to remind me that life is too short to eat food that is so-so, especially when you don't have to. Although sometimes you do have to. Some night I am just plain uninspired and tired. Those are the nights you pull out the white chicken chili recipe, without the chicken, that you hardly have to do anything to and it is a good thing.

This pizza I am going to talk about is a white pie and I love it for a couple reasons. The first being that there is no reason to make pizza dough. Just go to your favorite local pizza place and ask them to sell you 2 dough rounds. Most every place will do this. However, if you do get denied for some reason like, the person behind the counter is new and she doesn't know that they sell it that way...that happened to me once, thanks a lot Dominos! Just go to another pizza place and ask again. Another reason is that it takes no time at all to make. Sure you have to make the flavored oil to brush the pizza with, because you really can taste all that garlic, thyme and red pepper flake ever so slightly in the finished product and it's the thing that elevates this dish to make it so great, but the oil literally takes 2 minutes to prepare. Forgive my never ending run on sentences, will you? Oh, and don't even get me started on on the harmony of the three cheeses used on this pizza. Try to use all three if you can. This last time I made it I only used the mozzarella and the goat cheese, leaving the fontina out. I can't say it was a huge disaster because it still was really, really, good but it wasn't as good as it always has been. There is something about that combination of cheeses that makes magic, I tell you. However, I do have a bone to pick with how much cheese is called for in the recipe. Way too much people! I just eyeball how much cheese to put on. I put enough to cover the pizza thinly, not thickly and it is perfect. I don't even know how you could get all the cheese called for on the pizza. If you did, it would be sickening. Also, just consider yourselves warned that when you pull this pizza out of the oven it will be rather greasy. Fear not! Just blot the top off with paper towels to soak up the oil. I think the clincher in making this pizza restaurant quality is the fresh arugula salad that you put on top of it. It's fresh and light to go along with the heavy. It's a little crisp and cool on the hot slice. It's just, perfect really. the arugula wilts ever so slightly from the heat and lends a slight citrus-y bite to the whole thing that works so well with all the other flavors. Really, if you don't put the arugula on top the whole dish is lost. It loses it's appeal in my opinion. So, needless to say don't be afraid to top your pizza with it. Be careful not to over dress the salad though. The arugula should just be coated, not sopping in the vinaigrette. Seriously, this pizza is like the equivalent of Brad Pitt, if you are into that sort of thing, how wrong can you go?

White Pizza with Arugula
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

2 pizza dough rounds
4 garlic cloves, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces) (I would say more like 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella (7 ounces)
11 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled (I think a small package will do)

FOR THE SALAD
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 ounces baby arugula

Preheat the oven to 500

Make sure your oven is clean since you will be using it at this high temperature.

Get your pizza dough out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter while you make the garlic oil. Place 1/2 cup olive oil, the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over LOW heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Stretch or roll the pizza dough out until it is about the size of medium pizzas. Set the pizza dough on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. When the oil is done, brush the pizzas with it and liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with the fontina, mozzarella, and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with about a half a tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Meanwhile for the vinaigrette, whisk together 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large mound of arugula on each pizza and spread out so it covers the whole surface. Slice and serve immediately.

These 2 pizzas serve 4-5 people. I finish mine with a tiny bit of sea salt before serving. If you are like me and don't bake both pizzas at the same time, because my oven sucks, just bake one, top with the salad and bake the other while you eat the first one. It's the perfect amount of time so when you are ready for the second one, it's ready for you. Disclaimer: This is the original cookbooks picture, not my own, but it looks just like this.

Braised Short Ribs

12-9-09- well, the cold spell has not lifted. It's freezing outside, literally. -6 the last couple mornings, so braised short ribs sound wonderful! I am using a recipe given to me by Pat, Kaylee's boyfriend and chef, and I am using short ribs ordered from Mambo's, our restaurant. the meat is much more elegant and plump than what i can find in our tiny town's grocery store, if I can find it there at all (our grocery store is sketchy, dang it Safeway!) I think the key to fall off the bone short ribs is in a few steps. First, you dry the meat off with paper towels, salt and pepper it, then dredge it in flour and sear on all sides in a pan with olive oil over medium low heat. Low and slow! Once they are brown and have a delicious crust all around, i remove them fromt eh pan and place them in a braising dish (I bought mine at walmart for 10 bucks) Then I cut up carrot celery and an onion and add it to the pan with the beef drippings and saute for a couple minutes until onions are translucent. then I pour the veggies on top of the ribs ( by the way, any amount of ribs works in this recipe, you can cook two or 12, no crowding of the pot rule applies here) Next you add your liquid. it could be anything depending on what you want your dish to taste like, just make sure you add enough to cover the ribs 3/4 of the way up. the only rule is to add about a cup or so of some sort of tomato product to your liquid. The acid in the tomato i'm told help to break down the meat and make it tender. Today I have used a combination of chicken and beef stock for the liquid and marinara sauce for the tomato product. A bit of red wine in the liquid is great too. The next step is to braise. Season everything with salt and pepper and put the lid on the braising dish and stick it in a 300 degree oven for at least 6-7 hours. I usually cook mine about 7 hours but you could go up to 8 or 9 I'm sure. The longer it cooks the more tender it becomes. When the ribs are done add some crushed red pepper flakes and oregano to wake the broth up a bit. I serve my short ribs on top of a bed of sauteed veggies and roasted sweet potato chunks. for the veggies, I saute asparagus that has been cut in half vertically and then on a diagonal horizontally with some garlic and olive oil. Then I add some halved cherry tomatoes and saute for another minute. Then I will add some re-hydrated porchini mushrooms ( I can only get the dried mushrooms in my po-dunk store!) but it's ok, because I add about 2 tablesppons of the mushroom liquid that I re-hydrated my mushrooms in to the veggie saute and it is fabulous. Then I add some bite sized roasted sweet potato chucks to the veggie saute. The combo is beautiful! You just serve some of the rib juices over the ribs on top of the veggie saute, top with parsley and it's a showstopper. It's really good to make for a crowd because you can dooall the hard work in the morning and the ribs just cook all day, ready when you are! I bet an Asian version of this would be delicious as well. I would probably just make the liquid be a combination of beef stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and Asian barbecue sauce and top it with cilantro. Yum! I will have to make a mental note.