easy fruit dessert

Berries are my favorite fruit - here I just mixed up some fresh raspberries, about a cup, with a few Tbs. of sugar.  Stir to blend and let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  The sugar dissolves and the berries get nice and juicy.  This mixture can then be used as a dessert sauce.  It would be great on angel food or pound cake or ice cream or....

nothing better than freshly caught halibut

Especially when a friend gets seasick catching it for you in Alaska.  I used this recipe for inspiration:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cajun-Style-Blackened-Halibut-102161

but (in what seems to be a tried and true Alaska technique), I smeared a layer of mayonnaise over the top before I put it in the oven.  Here I am serving it New Mexico style - over a side of calabacitas (squash, corn, and green chile saute)

chicken and corn

One of my favorite magazines is Cook's Illustrated (from the same folks who bring you America's Test Kitchen).  Check out the Sept/Oct. 2014 issue to find these Mahogany Chicken Thighs and Sauteed Corn with Bacon and Leeks.  http://www.cooksillustrated.com/?hpv=c

berry cake

Cornmeal-Berry Sheet Cake

Makes 12-24 pieces, depending on the size you cut them.  This was in a Martha Stewart Living magazine.  I love using these different berries but you could also just use one type. 

            12 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

            1½ c. flour                               

            ¾ c. fine yellow cornmeal         

            1½ tsp. baking powder            

            ¾ tsp. coarse salt                                 

            1½ c. + 2 Tbs. sugar                           

            3 large eggs

            1½ tsp. vanilla extract

            ¾ c. buttermilk

            18 oz. mixed fresh berries, such as  blueberries, raspberries,

              and blackberries (cut in half if large), plus more for serving

            whipped cream, for serving

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment, leaving overhang on long sides.  Butter parchment.  Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and 1½ c. sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk and beating until just combined.  Spread batter in prepared pan. 

Sprinkle berries over top, then sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbs. sugar.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Let cool completely on a wire rack.  Remove cake with parchment and cut into 12 (or 24) pieces.  Cake is best served the same day, with whipped cream and additional berries. 

stuffed squash, sugar snap peas too

I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart for my home-grown yellow pattypan squash:  http://www.marthastewart.com/1014060/sausage-stuffed-zucchini

And also enjoyed these sugar snap peas from a Bon Appetit recipe:  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/charred-sugar-snap-peas-with-buttermilk-aioli

lamb chops and green chile aioli

Lamb Loin Chops with Green Chile Aioli

Serves 4.  This is inspired by an article I saw in the September 2014 issue of New Mexico magazine.  Of course it is best if you use our local lamb and chiles!  Make the aioli several hours or a day in advance and keep refrigerated.  If you don’t care to grill, the sear the chops in olive oil for 1½ minutes per side on high and then 1½ minutes per side on medium.

            Green Chile Aioli:                

            1¼ c. mayonnaise                    

            2 Tbs. chopped roasted green chile

            1 tsp. chopped garlic               

            1 tsp. prepared horseradish      

            ½ tsp. ground red chile

            kosher salt, to taste                  

            fresh ground black pepper, to taste

            Lamb Chops:

            8 lamb loin chops, ¾-1” thick

            1 tsp. ground red chile

            kosher salt

            fresh ground black pepper

            olive oil spray or 2 tsp. olive oil

            1 Tbs. olive oil for serving

For the aioli:  Mix all ingredients together, chill.

For the lamb chops:  Sprinkle chops on all sides with red chile, salt and pepper.  Spray with olive oil to coat all sides.  Let chops sit at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat grill to high heat.  Grill chops over high heat for 1½ - 2 minutes per side.  Turn heat down to medium (or move chops to a cooler side of the grill), turn chops again, and continue grilling for about 2 minutes per side for medium rare.         

Let chops sit for a few minutes before serving, seasoned with a few drops of olive oil just to make them glisten.  Add a spoonful of aioli to each plate.   

tasty no-bake chocolate almond oat bars

These were so yummy we ate them all before I could snap a photo!  You can see the recipe here from Martha Stewart:  http://www.marthastewart.com/1081236/no-bake-chocolate-almond-oat-bars#1081236

They will be gluten-free if you make sure the oats are processed with no gluten.  I just imagine they must be healthful with dark chocolate, oats, raisins, almonds and honey...While they are vegetarian, you would need to make a few substitutions if you want to make them vegan.

glazed roasted chicken

The photo simply cannot do justice to the amazing flavor in this glaze.

Curried Maple-Mustard Chicken Breasts

Serves 4.  This tasty combination is from the August 2014 issue of Food and Wine magazine.  The glaze is just so wonderful – I think it would taste good on cardboard!

            1 stick butter, cut into pieces

            ½ c. pure maple syrup 

            ½ c. Dijon-style mustard

            1 Tbs. mild or hot curry powder

            ¼ tsp. cayenne

            kosher salt, ground black pepper

            four 12-oz., bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, combine butter with syrup, mustard, curry powder and cayenne.  Bake for about 5 minutes, until butter is melted.  Whisk in a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and let cool slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. 

Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to the baking dish and turn to coat with sauce.  Carefully spoon some sauce under the chicken skin.  Turn chicken breast side up and bake for about 45 minutes, basting occasionally, until chicken is glazed and meat registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the breast.  Transfer chicken to work surface and let rest for 10 minutes.

Cut chicken off the bones and transfer to plates.  Whisk pan sauce and spoon over chicken.  Serve, passing additional sauce at the table.      

bundt cake with lemon glaze

One of my favorite scenes from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" involves the bundt cake.  This is a buttermilk version that gets better the day after.  Thanks to Food and Wine magazine:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/buttermilk-bundt-cake-with-lemon-glaze

lamb sauce with pasta

This delicious dish was from Marcella Hazan and printed many years ago in Food and Wine magazine.  I was excited to find a shape of pasta called lumaconi (at Cost Plus World imports) for my version.  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pasta-with-abruzzi-style-lamb-sauce

honey-glazed pork chops

This is from the July 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine - roasting the tomatoes for the salad is a nice touch!  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/honey-glazed-pork-chops-50400000136523/

comfort food: chicken and potatoes

Chicken Schnitzel and Smashed Mustard Potatoes

Serves 4.  This wonderful meal from the August 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine comes in at 433 calories per serving as long as you use fat free milk for the chicken coating.  Mustard gives a great flavor to the potatoes – no cream or butter needed.

            1 lb. small red potatoes, halved

            ⅓ c. chicken broth                               

            ¼ c. chopped green onions                  

            1 Tbs. whole-grain mustard                  

            1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, divided

            4 (6-oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves,

             pounded to ¼” thickness         

            ¼ tsp. kosher salt

            ¼ c. flour

            ¼ c. milk

            1 large egg, lightly beaten

            1 c. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

            2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

            ½ tsp. garlic powder

            cooking spray

            4 tsp. olive oil, divided

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Cook 12 minutes or until tender; drain.  Return potatoes to pan; mash to desired consistency.  Stir in broth, green onions, mustard, ½ tsp. pepper, and salt to taste.

While potatoes cook, sprinkle chicken with salt and remaining ½ tsp. pepper.  Place flour in shallow dish.  Combine milk and egg in another shallow dish.  In a third shallow dish combine panko, parsley, and garlic powder.  Dredge chicken pieces in flour.  Dip in milk mixture; dredge in panko mixture, shaking off excess.  Lightly coat breaded chicken with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add 2 chicken breast halves to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.  Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.  Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tsp. oil and remaining 2 chicken breast halves. 

Serve chicken with the potatoes.    

fruit galette - a free form one crust 'pie'

This is my favorite kind of dessert.  I had an extra packaged pie crust and I was hungry for a fruit pie. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the pie crust open on it.  Mix together 3 c. fruit (here I used a mixture of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), sugar to taste (1/3 c. for these berries), 2 Tbs. cornstarch, and 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice.  Just pile the fruit up in the middle of the crust, leaving about 1-2" unfilled around the border.  Fold the crust edges up around the fruit, leaving it open in the middle.  Brush dough edges with an egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Bake one hour, let cool a bit, and enjoy!

grilled beef soft tacos

Carne Tampiqueña

Serves 6.  This is a lovely meal from the August 2014 issue of Cooking Light magazine coming in at 356 calories per serving (2 tacos).  You grill almost everything that goes in, and on top of, these tacos.

            1½ lbs. skirt steak, cut into 3 pieces     

            ¾ c. fresh lime juice                             

            1 tsp. salt, divided                                

            cooking spray                                      

            2 fresh poblano chiles                          

            1 fresh serrano chile                             

            1 small onion, cut horizontally into ½”-thick slices

            1 small tomato

            2 oz. queso fresco, cut into 4 slabs

            1 Tbs. olive oil

            2 tsp. minced garlic

            12 (6”) corn tortillas

            1 ripe peeled avocado, sliced

            1 jalapeño, thinly sliced

            6 lime wedges

Heat grill to high heat.  Combine steak and lime juice in a large zip-top bag; let stand 30 minutes, turning occasionally. 

While steak marinates, lightly coat grill rack with cooking spray.  Place poblanos and serrano on grill; cook for 12 minutes or until charred on all sides, turning occasionally.  Wrap chiles in foil; let stand 10 minutes.  Meanwhile place onion slices on grill; grill 10 minutes, turning once.  Place tomato on grill; grill 6 minutes or until softened.

Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade.  Sprinkle steak with ½ tsp. salt.  Place steak on grill; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.  Lightly coat cheese slabs with cooking spray.  Add cheese to grill; grill 1 minute on each side or until browned.

Peel, seed, and chop grilled chiles; place in a medium bowl.  Chop onion and tomato; add to chiles.  Stir in remaining ½ tsp. salt, olive oil, and minced garlic.  Cut steak across the grain into thin slices.

Warm tortillas.  Divide steak, onion mixture, cheese, avocado, and jalapeño among tortillas.  Serve with lime wedges.  

tuna sliders and spicy potatoes

For the tuna sliders I just chopped up some raw tuna, mixed in a bit of mayo and mustard, added chopped capers and salt and pepper - then formed into patties and pan sauteed a couple of minutes on each side.  Good with lemon mayonnaise on the toasted buns.  The potato recipe is in Bon Appetit magazine:  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/smashed-fingerlings-with-jalapenos