Priscilla’s Marinated Peppers

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Priscilla's Peppers with savory cheese on crostini

A plethora of colorful bell peppers mounded on tables caught my eye recently at my neighborhood market: 4 for $1. I adore working with colored peppers and use them in Pepperonata as a side dish, roasted with all kinds of meats, sautéed and added to grains and beans in a protein packed salad, blended into soups – the options are endless! Grilling the peppers to serve on top of rustic bruschetta came to mind just the other day and I decided to prepare this appetizer for dinner. I love slapping the seeded peppers, flattened by hand, on the grill or stovetop gas burner until they are charred – then removing them to a plastic bag for a few minutes and sliding off the charred peel. Into a light vinegar mix they go, and they stay in the refrigerator this way for a couple of weeks. Whenever I prepare peppers this way – I inevitably think of Priscilla – the woman who taught me this method.

Cilla and my dad, 1999

Priscilla, aka “Cousin Cilla,” is my cousin by marriage and is almost like a sister to me. She lives in Half Moon Bay, California and for years owned her own hair salon. Several years ago she began painting large murals and produces breathtaking watercolor and oil paintings on commission and to sell in galleries (click here to see her beautiful work). Cilla has a Southern drawl, and plays piano show tunes by ear. She cooks and entertains, and her recipes are tried and true. Whenever I visit she feeds me and inevitably I request the recipe she has prepared, be it an appetizer, a soup or a main dish. Her food not only tastes delicious, but she presents it like a piece of art, on beautiful plates with the perfect garnish. My kind of woman!

The Perfect Centerpiece

Last summer we drove to their house where she effortlessly prepared a colorful, decadent lunch for eight of us. While we were visiting we were presented with smoked marinated peppers atop crostini and soft goat cheese. YUMMMM. Cousin Michael meanwhile entertained my grandson with puppets and toys he keeps just for neighbor kids!

Michael and his Puppet

Kudos and hugs to Cousin Cilla for giving me this and many other recipes, and for cutting my hair and applying my makeup for countless family weddings and get-togethers. Double hats off to Cousin Michael for being a terrific person and for having the good sense to marry Priscilla to make her part of our family.

Marinated Roasted Peppers

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Ingredients:
  • 6 red, yellow, or orange peppers – all one color or a variety
  • ¼ cup plain white vinegar
  • ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbs. water
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
Instructions:

Cut the peppers in half and remove stems, seeds and inner membrane. Flatten each half with your hand and broil or grill with the smooth part of the pepper next to the flame until charred and blackened. (You can also broil the peppers or place them directly over the flame over the burner of a gas stove.) Once the skin is black, remove from the heat source and put the halved peppers into a zip lock or paper bag for 5 minutes, then remove them. Hold the pepper under running cold water; the skin should easily slide off. Cut the skinless peppers lengthwise into ¼ inch wide slivers -you can cut them widthwise into smaller segments too – I often cut them in half

Meanwhile, make the marinade by whisking all the remaining ingredients together.

Put the pepper slivers in the marinade for at least an hour. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Drain and place a few pieces on small slices of toasted bread or crackers spread with goat cheese. I also use these marinated peppers as a condiment for sandwiches or simple goat cheese pizza

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Frittata for Family

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Marilyn

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Frittata Fresh from the Oven

My son’s father-in-law recently passed away and the kids asked me to fly down to San Francisco to help with my grandchildren. “Help” to me translates into tending to everyone’s needs, entertaining the toddlers and, of course, cooking like a maniac while they nap.

Comfort food is the first thing that comes to mind when times are tough. I think of steaming dishes of luscious food straight out of the oven – the smells emanating through the house to elevate everyone’s mood. While I was at my son’s house, I decided a savory frittata would do the trick. This Spinach frittata is one thing I often make for family or friends; it is actually similar to a Sephardic Jewish Frittata – sort of a quasi-crustless quiche – although my rendition isn’t as traditional (hence the cottage cheese and nutmeg).

It is warm, eggy, salty yet gentle on the stomach. It’s also a dish beloved by kids and adults alike, and if you are motivated to make a double batch and bake two of these, they freeze well for up to three months. You can even combine all the ingredients (except spinach) the day before and refrigerate the uncooked raw mixture overnight. When you’re ready to bake, just bring it to room temperature and pour ingredients into the greased casserole and voila – freshly baked frittata!

This also serves as one of my “go to” brunch dishes for company and when I share the recipe, friends can’t believe how easy it is. It always receives rave reviews and, if we’re lucky, we have leftovers to reheat for an easy dinner.

Marilyn’s Frittata

Makes one 8 x 11 casserole or 8-10 servings

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Ingredients:
  • 9 eggs
  • 1 pint small curd cottage cheese (I use full fat)
  • 8 oz Swiss cheese, grated
  • 8 oz feta cheese, chopped
  • 1 pound of fresh baby Spinach, washed-or 1 lb frozen chopped spinach, thaw and squeeze dry
  • 1 pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
  • Olive oil to grease the baking pan on the bottom and sides
Instructions:

Begin by filling a large sauté or soup pot with two inches of water and bringing it to a boil. Add spinach and allow the leaves to wilt, about four minutes. Don’t put a lid on the pan but keep moving the spinach leaves around with a tongs. Remove the spinach to a strainer and keep pressing with the back of a spoon to remove as much water or liquid as you can. After it cools a bit, squeeze it with your hands to remove even more liquid, then roughly chop the spinach.

Once the spinach is prepared, beat eggs, add cheeses, and stir in spinach and nutmeg. Put into an oiled pan, and even out the surface. Bake about 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown and “set” so that when you gently shake the pan, the center doesn’t appear to be runny. Allow the frittata to cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

I always serve this with a slice of fresh tomato or sautéed cherry tomatoes on top. I also like to accompany it with whole grain crackers or rustic bread, fresh fruit salad, and a vegetable or green salad… Delicious!!!

PS: I have used steamed chopped broccoli in place of spinach, cheddar cheese instead of Swiss – the sky is the limit. A little fresh Parmesan cheese on top doesn’t hurt either. Also – refrain from adding additional salt as there’s already a lot in the cheeses. Final note – I like my frittata fairly thick but it is also possible to bake this in a larger dish and have a “flatter” looking frittata that is still good. OK – just one more thing … frittata is good hot, warm or even room temperature.

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Consummate Chinese Chicken Salad

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Colorful Chinese Chicken Salad

The popular dish Americans label with the name “Chinese Chicken Salad” has absolutely no ties to China and does not resemble the food found anywhere in the Far East. Because most Chinese Chicken salad dressing recipes include “traditional” Chinese ingredients (i.e. soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and sesame seeds), I suppose I understand my countrymen’s insistence on the name. But when it comes to incorporating ingredients like ramen noodles or fried won ton wrappers (no thank you) or mandarin oranges (double no thank you) – I draw the line.

Regardless of my reservations about the title of this dish, I must admit that this salad is a “go to” item to have on hand for the summer – especially for large groups or visitors who tend to arrive without much notice. I have the greens, the peppers and such in one bag, the nuts and sesame seeds and herbs and chicken ready to go, the dressing pre made. And voila! It takes me exactly one minute to either pack a lunch or to serve this to anyone who drops by. Everything stays fresh as can be for five days or even longer, and those who have had this salad at my home rave about the unusual flavors.

Fresh Ingredients

It is pretty much a no brainer – not really “cooking” per se but toasting nuts and seeds, and preparing everything else in advance…chopping – lots of chopping. Whenever I roast or make rotisserie chicken on the BBQ, I do an extra bird so I can save it to shred for lunches. If  I am feeling very lazy or haven’t planned ahead, a store bought rotisserie chicken works too. Just remove the skin and take the meat off the bones. The carcass can always be used for stock that same week or frozen for items like risotto.

Note: Really anything fresh and seasonal could be added to this mix. The other night I added sliced fresh radishes, leftover roasted green beans, farmers market English cucumber batons, and some tiny cherry tomatoes from my rooftop garden. I put the salad ingredients in a 6-cup sealed container, poured some dressing in a repurposed bottle, stuck in a plastic fork and a few napkins and when noon rolled around I merely poured the dressing on top, sealed the container and shook the whole thing. Such a lunch!!

Handy Dandy Container for lunch

The recipe below originated from a friend of a friend and many changes have been made from my global kitchens.

Consummate Chinese Chicken Salad

Makes 10-12 large servings

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Ingredients for the dressing:
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • ½ cup tamari
  • 2 tsp. black pepper
  • 4 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp. fresh ginger-peeled and grated on a microplane grater
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup canola oil
Instructions:

Heat sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved, then add the rest of the ingredients and keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The salad has a kick to it from the mustard, pepper and ginger, so back off on these ingredients if you like milder flavors.

Ingredients for the salad:
  • 1 large head or two regular size heads of Napa cabbage, sliced 1/8 inch
  • 1 large head romaine, sliced the same as the cabbage
  • 3 julienned carrots, 1 ½ inch, done on a hand held peeler like you use for green papaya
  • 2 red peppers, cut into matchstick pieces 1 ½ inch by 1/8 inch
  • 1 yellow pepper, cut like the red one
  • 2 cups edamame beans, cooked (I buy them frozen and already shelled – just defrost them)
  • 4 cups snow peas, trimmed and cut into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 lb. shredded cooked chicken
  • ¾ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¾ cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 cup toasted slivered almonds (I bake them at 350 for 3 minutes in the toaster)
  • Optional: sunflower or bean sprouts, sliced radishes, halved grape tomatoes or anything else you like

I keep all of this separate from the dressing with the lettuce/cabbage mixture in a huge bag, and another container with veggies etc. That way at the last minute you can make one or two servings of salad. OR you can make a huge bowl of this for company.

You can easily make half of this recipe if you wish.

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Perfect Summer Produce Pappardelle

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Perfect Pasta!

How I love Seattle summers! From the 4th of July through the end of August it seems like I’m able to forget the gray and wet of the previous six months. An added bonus is that Seattle seems to be one of the few places in the United States that isn’t blistering hot at the moment. The main reason I adore this time of year is the produce. Stone fruit (peaches, cherries, etc.) and berries hit the farmers markets, and tomatoes and corn make their appearance during this time… My creative cooking juices just begin to run rampant!

We are lucky in Seattle to have a number of extraordinary farmers markets where this summertime produce can be found. When they were young, my three children spent a half day each week at Seattle’s most famous market – Pike Place Market. This iconic locale is where they learned the names and characteristics of endless fruits and vegetables and got to know a number of local vendors. I was in my early thirties at the time and this was MY favorite activity so I enjoyed spending a few hours a week perusing the stalls as much as they did. Believe it or not, some of the vendors from thirty plus years ago remember my children’s’ names — probably because they were asked a weird question or had their hair pulled from the baby in my carrier.

As I gazed at the farmers market produce in my refrigerator recently, I reflected on my cooking school experience in Italy. I had made 360 (yes, that number is correct: Three hundred and sixty) ravioli the day before with my friend and had noodle “scraps” that reminded me of pappardelle, broad flat pasta ribbons named after the Italian word “pappare” – meaning “to gobble up.” Appropriately enough, I was thinking that I needed to somehow use or freeze these scraps for later. And then I recalled an excellent Italian pasta -centric meal we had near the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. Soon a recipe developed in my mind – pappardelle with fresh corn, spring onions, zucchini, and grape tomatoes. Molto bene! My Italian “Mama Mima” instructor from Tutti a Tavola would have been proud that I used tips she gave us in class: namely to heat olive oil and add garlic to brown and season the oil, removing it then so the flavor is very, very subtle. I also remembered to leave the pot completely uncovered so the vegetables would maintain their bright colors.

Picturesque Ponte Vecchio

As is my tendency, I created the following recipe as I proceeded to cook and it came together rather quickly. I began with basic ingredients and devised my own thick sauce using lots of vegetables and less pasta than most would want, and olive oil with a dab of butter just for taste. My final product was really, really flavorful – so much so that I plan to make a similar type of risotto with the same veggies before our summer comes to an end!

Beautiful Produce

MyGlobalKitchens Pappardelle with Summer Vegetables and Herbs

Serves dinner for 6, side dish for 8+

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Ingredients
  • ¼ cup good olive oil
  • 2 whole cloves garlic
  • 3 cups small (grape) tomatoes, each pierced with a knife blade
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 large carrot or 4 tiny organic carrots, diced ⅓ inch
  • ¾ cup green zucchini, diced ½ inch
  • ⅓ cup onion, peeled and diced (I always buy these organic)
  • ½ red or orange pepper, diced ½ inch
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • ¾ cup dry vermouth (always in my refrigerator for cooking)
  • ¾ cup chicken broth or stock (I had homemade in the freezer)
  • 2 ears corn (reserve shucked cobs)
  • 1 pound pappardelle pasta – cook in boiling water with the corn cobs that have been shucked
  • ½ cup basil and parsley combination, shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions

Remove kernels from the corn and set aside. Reserve the corn cobs!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the corn cobs and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the corn cobs with a tongs and leave water in pot (you’ll use this to boil the pasta so keep it simmering).

Meanwhile, on medium heat, heat olive oil in a 4-quart stock pot over medium heat. Briefly add the whole garlic cloves until they are a bit brown and the oil is fragrant. Remove the garlic with a tongs.

Add the tomatoes, carrots, onions, carrots and zucchini, (4 cups of vegetables in all) with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook without the lid on until the tomatoes soften, about 5-6 minutes. Push on the tomatoes with fork tines so they flatten and release their juice and are no longer whole. Add the vermouth and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and cook another 5 minutes at a brisk simmer.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in the corn-infused water (bring it back to a boil before cooking). The fresh noodles only need to boil for about 3-4 minutes until al dente. While this is happening, add the corn kernels (about 1 ⅓ cups) to the vegetable sauce and continue to heat.

With a tongs, remove the pasta to the pot of sauce (Don’t worry if a little moisture remains on the noodles) and coat it well. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve with shredded basil and parsley and parmesan cheese (I like to place herbs and cheese in individual small bowls so my guests can use whatever amount they like).

Notes:
  • If you prefer less chunky sauce, you could use an immersion blender to emulsify this sauce before adding the corn.
  • Most purists would not like this tip, but I enjoy this pasta dish briefly reheated the following day. If I am short on time I use the microwave or stir it around in a small fry pan. What a great breakfast this provided for me!
  • I live in Seattle and can buy fresh sheets of homemade pasta from DeLaurenti market, which is what I used for both the ravioli I made (post coming soon) and for the pappardelle. Some markets will carry fresh pappardelle, particularly Italian markets so call around to see if you can find them – SO much better than the dry variety. I know my Ballard Farmers Market always has pappardelle.
  • Again, this is a template and you could add fresh shelled peas, mushrooms or anything that isn’t too overpowering. (For example, I would not put broccoli with this mix.)
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Sister Act

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Marilyn

With Susan and Kay at The Surviving Tree - Ground Zero - NYC

So many of you have remarked how “lucky” the three sisters in my family are that we have regular get-togethers (at least once a year), without kids and without spouses. I do feel the need to tell you how this came to be, why it works, and why fostering relationships with family is so important to me.

When I was in my late 30’s, my mom died. All of us were shocked, upset and fearful that we would drift apart since get-togethers at my parents’ house wouldn’t happen without her. My dad, who was THE BEST father we could ever imagine, was not a cook or one to organize gatherings at all. Fast forward a couple of years when I had my 40th birthday…my sisters and I decided to meet in San Francisco near where Susan lives. She drove her car, we found a cheap hotel and were there for three days – with Katie’s then six-month old son in tow. All of our husbands agreed to be “in charge” at home. At some point we decided this should become an annual occasion and not a year has gone since then by without a sisters’ trip. Susan has a photo album to prove it!

I can tell you there is something about sisters that is so special, and when we are on our own – away from our wonderful husbands, away from children and grandchildren – magic happens. We don’t have to take care of anyone, we can just be ourselves: we stay where we like, we eat when and what we want, we wear what we feel like wearing…there are no expectations and no agenda. We originally totally disconnected from our phones and computers. And though this attempt to be 100% off the grid has been discarded for practical reasons, we certainly aren’t online as much as we are in our “normal” everyday lives. Not that we don’t fall into our childhood roles, mind you….we do. For example,  I am the oldest so I get my own bed and decide about food I crave while the other two share sleeping quarters.  We have had really no major conflicts on these trips that I can recall.

Susan, Marilyn and Kay in Belize

Many of my friends and even close relatives have asked why they cannot join us. Sorry, my dears, but it just would not be the same. The three of us share a similar past, the same memories, and a lot of identical views of the world and how we wish to live our lives. Our relationship with each other is stronger and we “know” each other much better as a result of our annual trips.

This does NOT have to do with money or the lack thereof, or with the need to travel to exotic locales. A couple of years we actually convened at one of our houses and arranged for the family to take a short camping trip overnight. Yes, it was just overnight but we pooled our money and used it for airfare. We always share expenses three ways and it would be two ways if one of us couldn’t pitch in. It doesn’t matter where we go or how we roll…just having a bit of uninterrupted time together is sacred.

For those of you women without sisters (think my darling daughter) you can either do this with your brothers (!) or with sisters-in-law or even girlfriends. No, it isn’t the same but it’s still a tradition you might want to begin.

My only caveat would be: Take care to choose travel partners who need about the same amount of sleep, who have equal energy levels and who don’t annoy you. And put a date on the calendar to honor for time with your family of origin or with your special friends. Amen!

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Hazelnut Mayo

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

So the other day I was trying to recreate a hazelnut vinaigrette I sampled at Cafe Presse in Seattle. At first glance, this tiny hole-in-the-wall joint near Seattle University looks like a casual coffee shop or  bar, with a  few youngish folks hanging out at small tables with their laptops eating breakfast, delicious smells emanating out the open windows. Then we found the “back room” which was industrial hip and actually had tables set out for diners. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the small menu had a bounty of appealing items and everything we ordered was fresh and fantastic.

I immediately fell in love with their butter lettuce salad: whole leaves of butter lettuce barely swathed in a mild vinaigrette and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts. I tasted sherry vinegar, I tasted shallots, but why was it so mild? I interrogated the waiter who was able to rattle off a list of some of the ingredients but, of course, I wanted to know more – so I asked him to check with the kitchen and to write down exactly what was in there. He came back with a slip of paper listing the ingredients. Upon reviewing them I was intrigued. Hmmmm…

Where to begin? I went to the website to see the description of the salad and just to browse. By now I was obsessed with Salade verte, described simply as “bibb lettuce with hazelnut vinaigrette.” OK…I then Googled hazelnut vinaigrette and found countless formulas. Back at Cafe Presse’s website I checked the blog, searched for hazelnuts and THERE WAS THE RECIPE! But I was still mystified…

Hmmm, I thought. I couldn’t taste Dijon mustard in the dressing I had eaten. So I proceeded to make the recipe as written except that I cut the Dijon to one teaspoon and used organic canola in lieu of soy oil. The dressing turned out to be thick like mayonnaise, which I was not expecting at all. Even with a third the amount of Dijon called for it was too tangy so I added about two teaspoons of honey to satiate my taste buds. Bottom line: it was really good, but not as a salad dressing. I ended up using this eggless mayo as a spread and slathered it on all kinds of sandwiches, used it as a dip for blanched veggies (think asparagus, green beans, pepper slices, etc.), dunked skewers of chicken in the mixture, shmeared it on leftover steak and grilled mushrooms. It was great, just not as a salad dressing.

My son and I agreed that the mustard was “tee double oh” for us. I’ll regroup and make the dressing and try to thin it out a bit. Meanwhile I have a good accidental vegan dip or spread in my repertoire! Hey, I might even put this in cute jars with tags and use them as hostess gifts.

In keeping with the vegan theme, for lunch yesterday I made a sandwich and “repurposed” previously served bits of food: I covered one slice of whole wheat bread with this hazelnut “mayo” and toasted sunflower seeds, and on the other slice of bread I had mashed avocado, sliced tomato, blanched asparagus, and slivers of orange pepper. What a lunch!

Hazelnut “Mayonnaise”

Makes 2 cups

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/3 cup organic hazelnuts
  • 2 tsp peeled roughly chopped shallots
  • 1/2 cup sherry vinegar-next time I’d do a little less
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 1 cup canola oil
Instructions

Heat the orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower heat and let it reduce to 1/2 cup. Cool. Toast the hazelnuts, remove the skins and cool. (Note: I bought them toasted already with the skins removed. Win!)

Put the reduced orange juice, hazelnuts, shallots, sherry vinegar, mustard, honey, and Dijon mustard in the blender. Add salt and pepper. Blend until homogenous, then drizzle in the oil to thicken.

Keep refrigerated. This will last about 1-2 weeks.

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Chicken Paillard in Montana

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

The Gang's All Here!

This summer our family invaded Montana. My married adult children + their kids + Wayne and me = nine. NINE bodies. Plus four car seats, countless pieces of luggage, booster seats, iPads, travel pillows, car food, the list goes on. We rented a highly unattractive 15-passenger white van and, once we were sure that everyone was on board, set off for our long-planned family reunion near Yellowstone National Park. We made several bathroom breaks and food stops and overnighted in Coeur d’Alene Idaho at a motel with a swimming pool. So you might be wondering, “How was it driving nine hours for two consecutive days with four kids under the age of three??” Ninety percent of the time it was fine (loud, but fine). The other ten percent of the time … it was bad. Really bad! Let’s just say we won’t drive that far with that many children in tow again anytime soon.

My brother-in-law hosted all of us along with the rest of his side of the family for four nights at his beautiful ranch. Thankfully he’s a planner like me. Taking into account the 45-minute drive to town and the enormity of our pending invasion, he carefully planned every meal and shopped ahead of time. We even received a schedule of when we were to be at the house for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hmmmm…

His culinary skills are legendary and we feasted on fabulous dishes including paella, wood fired pizzas (including a dessert pizza topped with fresh ricotta and raspberries) wild boar and  chicken chili, and a 4th of July buffet including smoked, dry rubbed ribs and chicken. He allowed me in the kitchen as a guest sous chef and asked for my help with meat prep. I stuffed whole chickens, placing fresh herbs between the skin and the meat, removed the silvery membranes from the meaty ribs and pounded a pile of chicken breasts, rolling them in parchment paper for a luncheon feast. I loved helping, yet I am usually the one giving orders in the kitchen and found the role of sous chef a little less fun.

Chicken Prep

My favorite lunch, which we ate on a grassy knoll at a rough hewn rectangular table, consisted of chicken paillards and a simple arugula salad. Clean, simple food that even the young kids scarfed up before running off to play in the yard. I mentioned the pounding of the chicken breasts, and I did eighteen of these babies. I always find that using a meat pounder – wood or metal – is a great outlet for any angst or pent up frustration. I inquired about the recipe and was told that it was originally published in Nordstrom Flavors by Michael Northern. I ended up ordering this cookbook to add to my collection–and I’ve earmarked several other recipes I plan to try. Keep watching for my twists on some new recipes!

My daughter perusing Recipes

Below is my interpretation of Chicken Paillards (pronounced Pay- yar’) with salad – with many changes from the original printed recipe, of course. It’s a great, do-ahead, light summer dinner or luncheon dish that will appeal to most everybody.

Delicious Chicken Paillards & Salad

Chicken Paillards

Serves 4

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Ingredients
  • 4 chicken breast halves, (about ½ pound each) tenderloin section removed (I saved them and cooked them the next day in risotto)
  • ½ cup olive oil for brushing
  • sea salt in a small dish to sprinkle
  • ground pepper to sprinkle
  • large organic lemon cut into 8 wedges, seeds removed for garnishing the plate
Instructions

Cut parchment into 12-15 inch squares. After removing the tenderloin portion of the chicken breast, place the remaining chicken in a zip lock plastic bag. Pound the meat until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick – this takes some muscle! Remove the breast from the bag, place it on the square of parchment and generously brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the breast to the other side and brush and season the same way. Roll the breast with the parchment on the bottom and make a “log” Repeat with the other chicken breast halves using the same plastic zip lock and put the “logs” of parchment-wrapped chicken  onto a plate and refrigerate up to 8 hours before continuing.

In a large sauté pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil until hot but not smoking. Unroll the breast and lay flat into the fry pan–my pan is large and I could do two breast halves at a time. Sauté for about a minute, turn with tongs to the other side and continuing cooking another minute until slightly brown. If you are doing a multitude of these, you can keep them warm on cookie sheets in a 250 degree oven briefly until you are finished sauteeing and ready to serve.

Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:
  • ½ cup + 1 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp sweet onion, bermuda or walla walla
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup olive oil
Instructions

Add all ingredients except oil to a blender and whirl until well combined and smooth. Slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Set aside.  You will have a lot of this left over, and it keeps in the refrigerator for a month.  It pairs well with Greek type or chopped vegetable salads).

Salad Ingredients
  • ¾ lb wild greens (I used a half spring mix and half arugula)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ¼ small red onion, cut into strips
  • ¼ English cucumber, unpeeled and thinly sliced
Salad Instructions

Put all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Right before serving, drizzle with about ½ cup of dressing and gently coat the salad.

To serve: place about ¼ of the dressed salad on the side of each dinner plate and top with the cooked chicken. Put two lemon wedges alongside and encourage your guests to squeeze the juice onto the chicken before consuming. Bon gusto!!

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Beautiful Black Rice Salad

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Black Rice Salad

Anyone who knows me well is aware that my favorite dishes to prepare – and eat – are soups and salads. I’m not talking about frilly, zero calorie salads consisting of a few pieces of lettuce and fat-free dressing. I prefer hefty, flavor-packed salads made of grains, beans, lettuces, fruits, vegetables…in every different combination and flavor profile.

My girlfriend sent me a recipe she loves for a black rice salad, and I immediately asked if this was something she made. Turns out her friend brought it to a bridge luncheon.  I made it, changed it (of course) and asked her to find out the source of the original recipe. As it turns out, this was published in the June 2012 issue of Bon Appetit. What I am sharing here is my version with some changes I made the first try and changes I like.

My revised recipe has fewer steps, and more of a citrus punch. It is light, filling, and has the flavors I crave during the summer – zesty lime, salty fish sauce, and herbaceous cilantro. I served this last night with some oven-seared Copper River King salmon and sautéed brocollini. The plate was visually stunning and texturally delicious. The black rice turns aubergine in color and with the orange mango and orange segments, cilantro flecks and peanuts, it is a gorgeous salad.

Try it, you’ll like it. If you prefer more spice, add more jalapeno peppers. You can also adjust the amount of lime juice and fish sauce (or even leave out the fish sauce) to taste. And if you are one of those folks who hates cilantro try chopped parsley or even a little chopped mint. I dress the rice, then wait to combine it with the rest of the ingredients so that the mango and orange maintain their texture and color. Leftovers are good but not as pretty as the first time around.

By the way, I bought my black rice at my Asian market, Uwajamaya. They carry every variety of rice known to humankind, and the package says “Dried Black Rice.” You don’t want to make sticky black rice for this one! I checked out black rice to see if it was good protein wise and nutrition wise.  I plan to use black rice a lot more often now!

See for yourself here: http://www.blackrice.com/nutrition/.

Colorful ingredients

Black Rice Salad

Serves 8

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Ingredients:
  • 1 navel orange, peeled and sectioned. (Squeeze juice from membranes and reserve for the dressing). Cut orange segments in half.
  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, minced (you can use the stems too)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
  • 3 green onions, cut ¼ inch, white and light green parts only
  • ½ jalapeno, seeds removed and minced ¼ inch
  • 1 cup black rice
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp canola
  • ½ Tbsp fish sauce
  • ½ cup chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts
Instructions:

In a large glass bowl, combine the first six ingredients and set aside.

In a 3 quart saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil, add rice — cover and simmer for 25 minutes until cooked. Drain very well and return the cooked rice to the saucepan off the heat, cover the top of the pan with a dish towel and let it sit 15 minutes. After this time, stir the rice (it should be dry) and put it in a clean large bowl. Let it cool to room temperature.

Prepare dressing by whisking together the juice from the orange you peeled along with the lime juice, canola oil and fish sauce. Drizzle over the rice.

When ready to serve, add this cooled, dressed rice to the vegetables and fruit in the large bowl. Add more lime juice or salt to taste, and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.

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Perfect Picnic Potato Salad

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Potato Salad - Perfect for the 4th!

Since moving to Seattle thirty plus years ago, we have held a Fourth of July party almost every year without fail! We initially lived in a larger home and would invite families with kids, then host a potluck dinner with pickleball, lawn bowling, and games for the children. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and assigned guests to bring drinks, salads, and desserts. The buffet resembled a veritable feast! Typical of Seattle, the weather seldom cooperated and I remember one year in particular when the temperatures were in the 50s and everyone wore winter jackets. Regardless, these parties were always full of fun, fabulous people and food!

Seven years ago we moved to a condominium in the city. For a few years we continued to host a rooftop deck 4th of July party, and friends were able to view fireworks exploding from both Lake Union and the Space Needle. We no longer have such gatherings as this holiday has morphed into more of a family get together and we are often out of town. I do miss having these parties though and have not given up hope to reinstitute this great tradition.

I always asked my neighbor Valerie to bring potato salad. There are thousands of variations out there – warm potato salad, creamy, mayonnaise-based potato salad, vinegary potato salad, potato salad with every vegetable known to humankind. But Valerie’s is a very very very plain potato salad and it was always a hit and tasted delicious. It appeals to those (like me) who don’t like raw onions or pickles or a lot of “stuff” in their potato salad. So I’m sharing this with you, my readers. I believe the original recipe included some garlic salt and green onion too, but I pare it down to just the essential ingredients. You’ll need at least this much salt for the bland potatoes, by the way. And feel free to use this as a starting point – you can add pretty much anything to make this your own.

The best tool for perfectly sliced eggs

Perfect Picnic Potato Salad

Serves 6

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Ingredients
  • 6 medium, equally sized waxy, red potatoes – about 2 lbs total.
  • 3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
  • 7-8 oz Best Foods Mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise*
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 ½ -2 tsp table salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • Paprika for the top if desired
Instructions

Hard boil and peel the eggs. Cool completely.

Wash and cover the potatoes with water in a 3-4 quart sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook until a knife easily slides through the potato, about 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes to a bowl of ice water and when cool enough to handle, peel with a potato peeler. This should be simple to do. Refrigerate the potatoes and eggs. (I do this the day before serving.)

When eggs and potatoes are cold, slice the eggs (I have a handy little egg slicer that I use, but you can cut them any way you wish), cube the potatoes into ½ inch chunks and slice celery. Gently fold in mayonnaise a little at the time, and season liberally with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, put into serving bowl and dust the top with paprika.

This is the mayonnaise I make – it is super easy and so much better than store-bought! And it lasts for at least a week in your fridge.

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Shallot Fish Sauce: Brussels #3

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

If the Proverbial Shoe Fits!

Having had too much fun for two days in Amsterdam, we headed for the central station to catch a train to Brussels. Signs were not translated into English but we successfully got ourselves onto the correct train, found a clutch of seats, and settled our luggage overhead (thank you, Susan my strong weightlifting sister). We knit, edited our photos on the iPad, ate our cheese, crackers and goodies and before we knew it the train arrived at our destination. Brussels was bustling as we climbed out of the train and we wheeled our carry-on bags downhill to the Hotel Amigos. Our room for three was superb and the only downside of this hotel was the unexpected internet cost: $22 per day! No worries, I found a smaller place (Hotel Mozart) close by where I used the wireless internet for free.

Beautiful Bruges

I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that our time in Brussels (and our day in Bruges and bit of time in Ghent) was consumed with chocolate hunting. We visited no fewer than 100 chocolate shops, from familiar names like Neuhaus and Godiva to smaller boutiques nestled throughout town. Every chocolaterie gave out “sample” pieces of chocolate and of course we each bought sacks and boxes and bags of chocolate as well. I’m not exaggerating when I say that we ate 15 pieces of chocolate per day on each of the four days! We did manage to squeeze in some museum tours, a lot of walking, and indulged in Belgium’s famous Frites (aka french fries) – we split cones of these fresh, hot, crispy potatoes every day.

Chocolate, Choolate Everywhere!

And of course we had some fantastic meals. On our first night, the concierge suggested a bistro close to the hotel, and the three of us shared some soups, salads, a couple of fish entrees. We ordered salmon with shallot sauce which was out of this world. We veritably licked the sauce with our fingers.

I could see the chef back in the glass fronted kitchen and couldn’t tell if he was horrified by our “American” behavior or secretly thrilled about our obvious adoration of his food. Regardless, I marched myself back there, (I never ask if this is OK because most of the time I’m told I cannot go into a commercial kitchen) and told him how much we enjoyed the food , then of course asked for the recipe for the shallot sauce. The chef was French (Jacques) and had to show me containers of what he used because he didn’t know how to translate “beef stock” or “shredded” or “herbes de provence.” Using my middle school French, I specifically asked if he used butter or oil to sauté the vegetables before adding liquid, and the answer was an emphatic “NO!” Everything was stewed together slowly. No worry, I smelled the spices and stock, saw how the carrots were shredded and got the picture, and later created the sauce which is almost a dead ringer for what we ate there. I would use this same sauce for roast chicken or beef if I wanted an assertive, full bodied sauce.

Roasted Salmon with Shallot Sauce at the restaurant

As an aside, on my initial attempt with this sauce I pureed the ingredients when they were done and the sauce then formed a beige-colored foam on top-YUCK! I tried straining it (not good) and ultimately decided to leave it the sauce alone once it reduced to have it a bit chunky when spooned on top of the fish.

Our final leg in Brussels went superbly. We stuffed ourselves with chocolate, but I’m not over it at all. AND it was so amazing to travel with my sisters – they go nonstop, knit nonstop, explore nonstop. They never dwell on what we should or should not eat. No one remarked about their body looking bad. What a pleasure! I can hardly wait for Kay to have her 60th…and for more sisters’ adventures!

Shallot Sauce

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Ingredients:
  • 3 Tbsp shallots, peeled and sliced crosswise into ¼ inch slices
  • ½ cup shredded carrot
  • 1 cup good quality beef stock (I actually used leftover juice from a roast!)
  • 1 ½ cup full bodied red wine (I had a pinot noir)
  • 1 Tbsp dried Herbs de Provence
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Salt to taste
Instructions

Combine all the above in a 2-3 quart sauce pan bring to a simmer and turn to very low. Leave on the stovetop uncovered for 2-3 hours, checking occasionally. The sauce should reduce eventually to 1 ¼ cups. Be sure it is salted to taste.

This truly tasted like a beef stew. It was rich, had deep notes of wine and enhanced the simple baked fish beautifully. It’s not often that I am impressed or surprised by fish preparation. This sauce was more like a rich gravy that you would find on a pot roast. Spoon about 2 Tbsp on top of roasted or grilled salmon* and serve.

*I use the Cooks Illustrated recipe for roasting salmon. Simply preheat the oven to 500 degrees, adjust your oven rack to lowest position, and place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack. While the sheet is heating, prepare skin-on salmon fillets by making 4 or 5 shallow slashes about an inch apart along the skin. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Rub fillets evenly with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove baking sheet. Carefully place salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet. Roast until centers of thickest part of fillets are still translucent when cut into (about 9 – 12 minutes).

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