Garlic Butter

No surprise that July 4th ranks as the number one grilling day of the year? So whether you’re grilling, meat, chicken, fish, or veggies finishing them off with some garlic butter is an easy upgrade for your holiday bbq. It also helps that you can prepare it several days ahead of time.

Using a food processor, mixer, or large fork combine a slightly softened stick of butter, three finely chopped garlic cloves, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Once smooth, cover and refrigerate. Before serving let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours so you can spread it easily over your grilled food with a spatula.

Have a tasty 4th!

Feta Radish Watercress Bruschetta

One of the early stand outs thus far at the farmer’s market have been the radishes, they’re so perfectly sweet, peppery, and crunchy that I end up eating half a bunch before I even get home. And if you’re looking for an easy last minute snack or appetizer they’re amazing paired with some feta and watercress.

There are five elements to this bruschetta, grilled bread, thinly sliced room temperature feta, shaved radish, watercress leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. The coarse salt goes without saying. To get your bread brown and crispy heat a large pan over medium heat then add a generous pour of olive oil just before laying the baguette slices in the pan. Give them about two minutes per side.

While they’re still warm layer them with the feta, radish slices, watercress, a drizzle of your best olive oil and coarse salt to taste. Summer is here, and that means every week at the farmer’s market gets better and better.

Seared Tuna with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette

You could put this smoked paprika vinaigrette on anything and it would taste great…and I do. In a mason jar combine a cup of extra virgin olive oil, five teaspoons of smoked paprika, a tablespoon of Dijon, an eighth of a cup of red wine vinegar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, two minced garlic cloves, a small minced shallot, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Shake vigorously.

Rub a thick tuna steak with a little bit of olive oil then season liberally with black pepper. On a super-hot grill or cast iron pan sear the tuna steak for a couple of minutes per side making sure to keep the center raw. Then with a sharp knife cut it into quarter inch slices and top with a generous spoonful of the vinaigrette.

Steamed Mint Cauliflower

Now that the garden is in it’s time to hit the wild mint for some seasonal greens and more immediate gratification. And no need to fuss, the mint is perfect on its own.

Cut a head of cauliflower into florets then steam for approximately seven minutes or until it’s tender but still crunchy. Drain and immediately toss with a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil, a large handful of chopped mint, and kosher salt and pepper to taste.

It’s a busy time of year, best to keep it simple and tasty.

Grilled Mexican Corn

It’s a grillin’ weekend and these charred corn on the cobs with chili and lime will compliment anything you’re putting on the grill. Mix together a small container of crème fraiche with the juice of half a lime, a teaspoon of chipotle or ancho chile powder, and a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt. It’s best if you prepare this at least an hour or two ahead of time for maximum flavor then chill.

After husking six to eight corns rub with a little bit of olive oil and kosher salt and grill over high heat until they’re charred evenly on all sides. It would also work with boiled corn but of course it wouldn’t be as good. To serve simply douse the hot corn with the chipotle mixture and top with a handful of chopped cilantro. Double dipping is encouraged. Summer has begun!

Grilled Pork Chops with Sauerkraut

I don’t often reach for the sauerkraut but it turned out to be an easy way to make a barbequed pork chop into something more than ordinary. While you’re waiting for your grill to heat up sauté a chopped onion and a teaspoon of caraway seeds in a bit of oil for about five minutes or until the onion starts to brown. Add a couple cups of drained sauerkraut and ¾ of a cup of apple cider, cover, and simmer while you barbeque the pork chops. By the time you’re through grilling the sauerkraut mixture will be ready to go, simply top and serve.

Spaghetti with Cauliflower Pesto

Here’s a cauliflower dish you’ve probably never tried, I never had until I came across this recipe from Mario Batali. Cut a small head of cauliflower into florets then pulse into breadcrumb sized pieces in a food processor and set aside. Next into the processor put a half a cup of walnuts, a tin of anchovies oil and all, two cloves of garlic, a bunch of flat leaf parsley, a chopped jalapeno, and a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil. Pulse until it’s formed a paste, add a quarter cup of Parmesan, pulse again quickly, then combine with the cauliflower in a large bowl.

Once you have your spaghetti boiling add some olive oil to a large pan over medium heat and cook the cauliflower mixture for 6 to 8 minutes stirring often. Before draining your pasta reserve a couple of cups of water, then drain and combine the spaghetti with your pesto adding the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Reading the news about the new owners of Country Creemees here in town got me thinking about summer, chocolate dipped creemees, and sweet potato fries. I don’t do much deep frying at home but these baked fries were pretty darn good.

Preheat your oven to 450 then line your sheet tray with parchment paper, they just don’t brown as well without it. Peeled or unpeeled, cut your sweet potatoes into quarter inch slices and toss in a large bowl with just enough oil to coat along with some salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake for approximately fifteen minutes, turn, and bake for another 10 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

Bunt Pan Chicken

If you’re looking for an easy fail proof method to roast a chicken this is it. The technique is basically an indoor version of a beer can chicken, without the beer. While not essential, for the crispiest skin it’s best to place the chicken uncovered in the fridge for an hour after rinsing and drying.

Preheat your oven to 450 and wrap the center column of your bunt pan with a piece of foil making sure to completely cover the hole. Brush your chicken with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you’re working with such as granulated garlic, smoked paprika, or dried herbs. Stand the chicken up in the center of the pan by inserting the column into the cavity and roast for 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the bird. Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through. That’s it!

Crispy Macaroni and Cheese

For all of you out there that prefer the crunch over the goo, this baking sheet version of macaroni and cheese will make you very happy. It’s also a whole lot easier than a traditional mac and cheese that calls for a roux. I’ve adapted it from a recipe I saw on one of my favorite food web sites, Food52.

Preheat your oven to 475 while you boil a pound of pasta for six minutes, I recommend spirals as they provide the most surface area for maximum crunch. In a large bowl toss together 16 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar, an 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Drain the pasta and toss with the cheese mixture.

Using a stick of butter like a crayon grease a large rimmed baking sheet then spread the pasta mixture. Pour 2/3 of a cup of milk evenly over the top along with 8 ounces of shredded extra sharp cheddar and bake uncovered for twenty minutes, serve immediately. I’m not sure which was better, the mac and cheese the first night or leftovers the next night on top of my burger…truly decadent.

Fail Proof Aioli

Aioli is in a league with bacon and melted cheese, it just makes everything taste better. But I’m the first one to admit it can be temperamental and frustrating to make, or at least it used to be until I learned the fail proof aioli ingredient…a soft boiled egg. Bring a pot of water to a boil, gently place an egg in the pot, turn off the heat and cover. After eight minutes remove and submerge the egg in cold water.

In a mason jar combine the whole peeled egg along with two to three garlic cloves, the juice from a third of a lemon, a small dab of Dijon, and a third of a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Submerge a stick blender into the jar and in less than a minute on the high speed setting you have perfection. Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until needed. Now you’ll never hesitate to drizzle the garlicky goodness over mussels, vegetables, chicken, fish, steak, or your Passover matzo.

Curry Infused Turkey

Have you ever tenderized chicken or turkey with yogurt? Why not take it one step further and infuse some flavor while you’re at it.  This is just one of the great tips I picked up at a the cooking class we took on or Baked Beads' staff outing.

Combine some minced ginger, jalapeno, shallot and your favorite curry paste or powder with a cup of plain yogurt. Cut some boneless turkey or chicken breasts into two inch wide pieces, place them in a flat glass dish, coat with the yogurt mixture, then saran tight and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you have the time.

To cook transfer the meat into another pan and bake at 350 for twenty minutes or until they’re cooked through. They’re great on their own, with a bit of chutney, or chilled and diced up with some scallions, cilantro, mayonnaise, and a squeeze of lime.