Parmesan Crisps

What??? Are they really that easy to make? If you’ve ever splurged on a bag of parmesan crisps, or had one garnish your Caesar salad in a restaurant, you’ll know how good they are. And yes, they are that easy to make…one ingredient, five minutes.

Heat a large Teflon pan over medium low heat while you grate about a cup of parmesan. Using your hand, spread thin layers of the cheese into two-inch circles around the pan. If they need tidying, a spatula does the trick.

After a couple of minutes flip and brown the other side. Flip again if the first side isn’t browned to your liking. Once done, set on a plate to cool, and start another batch.

Serve them whole with cocktails, serve them crumbled over eggs, salads, or grilled vegetables, or just eat them straight out of the pan. Yum!

Salmon Roll

A perfectly grilled buttered hot dog bun is critical to a memorable lobster roll…and The Warren Store is doing them right every Friday. So right in fact, I was inspired to get myself some buns and make one at home using last night’s leftover salmon.

To start, you need to buy the ball park style buns with the cut white sides. The brown sided buns aren’t going to do.

For the salmon salad, brake up the cooked fillet into small chunks then toss it together in a bowl with some minced celery, scallion, chopped parsley, fresh lemon juice, a little bit of olive oil, and salt and pepper. You could also substitute mayo for the olive oil.

Grill the buns by melting a quarter inch slice of butter for every roll you’re making in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once they’re golden brown on both sides, immediately stuff with the salmon salad and serve.

Now that’s summer!

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

This creamy mouthwatering sauce isn’t just for chicken wings, you shouldn’t hesitate to smother it on roast potatoes, burgers, steaks, or grilled vegetables. And if you really want to go for it, Von Trapp’s Mad River Blue puts it over the top!

In a large bowl combine a cup of sour cream, half a cup of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a minced garlic clove. Mix thoroughly, then stir in approximately 8 ounces of crumbled blue cheese and a quarter teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.

The key here is to make it at least a few hours ahead of time then refrigerate until a half an hour before serving.

Trust me, once you taste it, you’ll wish you had doubled the recipe.

White Bean and Spinach Chicken

Some spinach from your local farmer’s market will make this silky saucy chicken all the more flavorful.

Pound or thinly slice a pound of chicken breasts then salt and pepper liberally. Add enough olive oil to the bottom of a large sauté pan and heat over a medium high flame. When the oil is hot, dust the chicken pieces in some flour and brown for no more than a minute per side. Remove the chicken and turn the heat down to medium.

Add some more oil or butter to the pan then sauté a finely chopped onion or shallot until translucent. Stir in some minced garlic, give it a half a minute, then add a cup of chicken stock, a can of drained cannellini beans, and if you happen to have an open bottle, a couple shots of dry white wine.

Let the liquid reduce for two minutes and add several handfuls of spinach. Using tongs, turn the spinach over in the sauce until it wilts. Next, place the browned chicken in the pan and cover, turn the heat to low and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through…shouldn’t take more than a minute. Salt and pepper to taste.

Steamed Lemon Sesame Broccoli

Grilling season has begun, and this steamed broccoli brings lots of Asian flavor to whatever you’re cooking. It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature, in fact, it’s even better after the broccoli has had a chance to soak up the dressing for a couple of hours.

To make the dressing, stir together a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, a teaspoon of sesame oil, the juice of one lemon, a splash of soy sauce, and a little rice wine vinegar if you have it.

Cut the broccoli stems into thin slices, the crowns into large florets, then steam for 3 to 7 minutes depending on how tender you like it. If you don’t have a steamer you can also drop it into a pot of simmering water for a couple of minutes. Remember that it will continue cooking unless you run it under cold water for half a minute after removing it from the heat.

Once it’s drained well, toss with the dressing and some sesame seeds.