Pork and Basil Chimichurri Stir Fry

With the price of supermarket meat so high these days, now is the time to be buying locally raised meat if you aren’t already. I used some boneless pork loin chops along with some local basil for this dinner for two.

Slice a pound of loin chops into quarter inch thick strips, generously salt and pepper, and set aside in the fridge. Next, quarter and slice a sweet onion, cut the kernels from two cobs of corn, and set aside with an extra-large handful of spinach.

Make the chimichurri in a food processor by combining a cup of fresh basil leaves, a quarter cup of parsley, two garlic cloves, a quarter cup of red wine vinegar or fresh lime juice, a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt, and some red chile flakes and black pepper. With the processor running, drizzle in a quarter cup of olive oil and run until smooth. Salt to taste…now you’re ready to get cooking.

Heat some oil in a wok over medium high heat and cook the onion until translucent. Add the corn, give it a minute, then toss in the pork. Stir frequently until the pork is cooked through, it won’t take long.

Take off the heat and stir in the spinach. Once wilted, serve with a heaping spoonful or two of chimichurri over the top.

Potato and Scape Stir Fry

The scape season is a short one, so don’t miss out…and if you already did, no worries, you can substitute scallions. What I really love about this simple stir fry is the freshness and crunchiness of the potatoes you get from not par-boiling them first.

Set a large frying pan or wok over medium heat, then quarter your russet potatoes. Next, with your sharpest knife or mandolin, cut the potatoes into 1/16 inch slices, and the scapes into one inch pieces. Add some olive oil to the hot pan, then slide in the potatoes and scapes.

Toss often to ensure even cooking. Also, continue to test the potatoes with a fork so you don’t let them get beyond al dente…it should take less than five minutes.

Add some salt and pepper to taste, as well as some chopped garlic if you’re using scallions, and serve immediately.

Syrian Red Pepper Dip

Otherwise known as Muhammara, it’s tastier than hummus and a lot more versatile. In addition to serving it as a dip with some toasted pita, you can also pair it with chicken, pork, lamb, and grilled vegetables, or as a side to any salad. It lasts for well over a week in the fridge too.

You could go to the trouble of making your own roasted red peppers, or you could just use a 12 oz. jar of fire roasted peppers…guess it depends on how much time you have on your hands these days. If you do have some time, roast, skin, and seed two medium red peppers.

In a food processor, combine the roast peppers, half of a cup of toasted walnuts or slivered almonds, a quarter of a cup of bread crumbs, a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, a half teaspoon of smoked paprika, a teaspoon of kosher salt, and a tablespoon each of extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses or honey, and Aleppo or mild red chili flakes.

Run until smooth, then salt to taste.

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.

Lentil Feta Arugula Sauté

Firm lentils are a beautiful thing, mushy lentils, not so much unless you’re making soup. So, you need only boil them for ten to fifteen minutes for al dente. And after placing them in a strainer to drain, immediately rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further.

Another thing to know about lentils is that they go a long way, so figure about a quarter cup of dry lentils per person.

Ten minutes before your meal, heat some olive oil in large pan and sauté a minced shallot and a couple of cloves of garlic until translucent. Stir in the cooked lentils, a large handful of chopped arugula, some sunflower seeds or slivered almonds, and a generous grind of black pepper.

Cook for another five minutes, salt to taste, then serve with crumbled feta over the top.

Fried Corn Tortillas

Freshly fried corn tortillas are in a category of food I call, “why don’t I make these more often?” Because that’s what I say every time I make them.

Recently I’ve layered them under some beans and eggs for brunch, melted cheese on them in the oven and doused with salsa, made leftover veggie tostadas with kimchi, crumbled them on top of a chopped salad, and into chicken soup just before serving. Not to mention the one’s I’ve just eaten hot out of the oil with a little bit of salt.

They couldn’t be easier to make either, and if you use a small soup pot there’s not the mess you would think with frying. Heat a quarter inch of vegetable oil until hot but not smoking, you can test to see if the oil is ready by dropping in a small pinch of a tortilla. It should sizzle immediately; you can always adjust the heat down if it’s too hot once you start.

As they only take a minute or so per side to get golden brown and crispy, it really doesn’t take long to fry up quite a few…even one at a time. I use tongs, and set them to drain on a used paper bag and salt immediately.

Once you taste them, you’ll know why I always have a pack or two of tortillas in the freezer.

Creamy Coconut Greens

I love this recipe I adapted from Food & Wine for all the usual reasons, its easy, super flavorful, versatile, and takes only a few ingredients.

Empty a can of coconut milk into a small sauce pot and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for thirty minutes to thicken, then remove from the heat.

I used a bunch of collard greens this time around, but kale or Swiss chard would have worked just as well. Cut the leaves from the stems then chop the stems into quarter inch slices and the leaves into larger pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the stem slices. After three minutes add the leaves, wait another minute, then drain well and set aside.

Heat some olive or coconut oil in a large sauté pan and cook two finely chopped shallots or a medium onion until translucent. Stir in the greens and creamy coconut milk along with a generous grind of black pepper. Minced ginger and, or, fresh lime juice would add some tanginess, but definitely not required.

Simmer for five minutes then salt to taste. Serve with pork, chicken, salmon, tofu, eggplant, garbanzo beans, and a whole lot more.

Fried Baked Potatoes

If you can bake a potato, you’re half way to making one of the best things you’ll eat this week. No joke, for the amount of effort these fried potatoes take, the results are off the charts.

It’s best to bake your potatoes at least a couple of hours before dinner as you want them to have some time to cool. You could even bake them the day before. Figure about 45 to 55 minutes in a 450 oven, you want them cooked through but still firm. Once cooled slightly, cut them into quarter inch slices and lightly salt both sides.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, slide the potatoes into the pan and fry approximately three minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan, salt, and serve immediately.