Tonnato Sauce

After you make this once, everyone in your household will be chanting for it before every meal. Tonnato is the bomb!  It’s awesome on cutlets, but just as amazing on tomato toast, steak, chicken, shrimp, grilled vegetables, pita toasts, a substitute for mayonnaise in egg salad, the list goes on and on. You can’t go wrong, and you’ll have so much fun trying.

Tonnato is reason enough to acquire a food processor if you don’t already have one. Add a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, a quarter cup of drained capers, two drained cans of premium tuna fish in oil, a tin of drained anchovies, the juice of one lemon, and a half a teaspoon of black pepper. Process until smooth and salt to taste…but it shouldn’t need much.

If you want to thin it out, add some more olive oil.  If you want to thicken it up, add some mayo. But don’t wait, make it now.  I promise you’ll be wondering how you’ve lived this long without it.

Yogurt Herb Marinated Chicken

“I wouldn’t feed white meat to my dog!” A local chef said this to me a while back when we were talking chicken, and I couldn’t argree more. Even fried, dark meat reigns supreme!  However, in the spirit of open mindedness, and the fact that my wife enjoys an occasional chicken breast, I gave this yogurt marinated chicken a try…and it was actually pretty tender and moist.

In a large bowl, stir together a third of a cup of whole milk yogurt, five minced garlic cloves, the zest from a lemon, a small handful of cilantro, a splash of olive oil, four teaspoons of dried oregano or za’atar, and salt and pepper.  Mix in two pounds of chicken breasts or tenders, cover with saran, then put in the fridge for at least a few hours…overnight is even better.

Remove the chicken from the fridge, then broil or grill making sure not to overcook and dry out. To serve, top with a big squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of dried herbs.

In case you’re wondering, chicken thighs work really well too!

Blistered Tomatoes and Basil

Hard to go wrong with anything tomato these days, but this one way exceeded my expectations given how easy it was.  The high heat really brought out the sweetness in the tomatoes, and together with the balsamic and basil…crazy good!

Preheat your oven to 450. Then, in a large bowl, toss together a pint of local cherry tomatoes, enough extra virgin olive oil to lightly coat, a healthy sprinkle of kosher salt, and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

Pop them in the oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until they just start to split. Let cool for a minute, then stir in a large handful of coarsely chopped basil. That’s it!

Serve as a side dish, or pour over some fish, chicken, pork, or beef.  You can’t go wrong; I think they’d even work on vanilla ice cream. And make sure you use a spatula on the pan to get every last drop.

Summer Pea Soup

The peas I picked up at the farmer’s market were so good, I thought, these would make an amazing summer soup. But, being the lazy/practical cook that I am, the reality of shelling all those peas, not to mention the cost, made me think better of it. I bought a bag of frozen baby sweet peas instead…and the soup was still pretty amazing.

In a medium soup pot, sauté a finely chopped sweet onion in olive oil until translucent. Add four cups of chicken stock, bring to a boil, then add the peas and turn the heat down to medium.

Cook for five minutes then take the pot off of the heat. Either puree with a stick blender, or transfer in batches to a food processor. Either way, you don’t want to see any peas floating around in your soup.

Salt and pepper to taste, stir in a half a cup of crème fraiche, reheat and serve.

Cauliflower Mint Salad

Sometimes the trickiest part about putting out a meal isn’t making the food, but timing it so everything is ready at the same time. However, you can really increase your chances of getting it right when you include a side dish that can be made well ahead of time and served at room temperature.

Preheat your over to 450 and cut a head of cauliflower into small florets. Toss with some olive oil and salt and pepper, then roast for approximately 40 minutes, or until it’s caramelized around the edges.

Transfer to a large bowl, let cool for ten minutes, then stir together with a large handful of chopped mint.

If you’re eating within a few hours, leave at room temperature, otherwise refrigerate until an hour before you need it. Either way, give it a good squeeze of lemon before serving.  Of, if you’re really feeling it, prep a sauce with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to puddle under the cauliflower on a platter.

Classic Wedge Salad

There’s only one thing to do when friends bring over the largest, crunchiest, most beautiful head of iceberg lettuce from their garden that you’ve ever seen…break out the blue cheese and bacon.  Classics are classics for good reason!

To make the blue cheese dressing, crumble four ounces of blue cheese into a bowl.  Add a half a cup each of mayonnaise and sour cream, a third of a cup of buttermilk, the juice from half a lemon, a half a teaspoon of black pepper, and salt to taste. Mix well, then refrigerated for at least an hour.

While that’s chilling, coarsely chop and crisp up a third of a pound of bacon then set aside on a paper towel or brown bag.

To serve, cut the lettuce into wedges, remove the core and stem from each wedge, then generously dollop with the dressing followed by the bacon bits. 

If there’s any dressing left over, or if you were savvy enough to double the recipe, puddle it under a steak and roast potatoes sometime in the next week.

Honey Butter Shrimp with Wilted Greens

Bitter greens really make this dish pop!  This time around I used endive along with some local arugula…gave me a nice color mix. Other greens that would have worked include radicchio, mustard, and collard.

Season a pound of shelled shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat a splash of olive oil over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet or sauté pan, slide in the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes.

Flip the shrimp and leave on the heat for another minute or so, then stir in two tablespoons of room temperature butter and a tablespoon of honey. Turn the heat down to low and stir to coat well.

Toss the shrimp, and every last drop of the honey butter, together with the greens in a large bowl.  Let sit for a minute so the greens can wilt a bit, salt to taste, then serve.

Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken

Give your traditional bbq sauce the year off and give this tangy spice rub a try this holiday weekend…no matter what part of the chicken you’re planning on grilling.

For four pounds of chicken, mix together two teaspoons of ground black pepper, a teaspoon of turmeric, four teaspoons of kosher salt, and a teaspoon of sugar.  About an hour before grilling, use your hands to rub the spice mixture into the chicken.

What really makes this dish pop is fresh lime juice…once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the grill and squeeze two limes over the top then serve.

Happy 4^th!

Roast Squash with Chili Yogurt and Cilantro Puree

Once I turn off my furnace for the summer, I don’t care how cold it gets, there’s no way I’m turning it back on until Fall.  So, when the nights get cool, dinner is all about roasting, and this Ottolenghi squash recipe is one of my new favorites.

Start by washing a large butternut squash as you’ll be leaving the skin on. Wipe dry and cut it in half the long way, remove the seeds, then cut it into wedges 2 to 3 inches long by ¾ inches wide.  Place in a large bowl and toss with a third of a cup of olive oil, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of salt, and some black pepper. 

Roast skin side down on a baking sheet at 425 for about 40 minutes, or until soft, then take out of the oven and let cool.

For the Chili yogurt, stir together a cup of Greek Yogurt and a teaspoon or two of Sriracha. To make the cilantro puree simply combine a half a bunch of cilantro, a clove of garlic, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a few pinches of salt in a food processor. 

To serve, liberally dollop the yogurt and cilantro puree over the squash as well as some toasted almonds or pumpkin seeds…if you happen to have some in the pantry.

Refried Beans

Most of the time it’s the sides that takes grilled meat or veggies to the next level, and some homemade refried beans will do just that.

Drain two cans of black or pinto beans into a strainer and rinse well. In a pot with a little bit of vegetable oil, sauté a small diced onion and four minced garlic cloves until translucent. It’s not necessary, but if you want to add some cumin, chili, or chipotle powder, this is the time to stir them in.

Add the drained beans along with half a cup of chicken or vegetable stock then simmer uncovered for twenty minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, then remove from the heat and either mash them with a potato masher, or transfer them to a food processor and pulse until you’ve reached the consistency you’re looking for.

Put them back on low heat and stir in the juice from a lime wedge or two. Serve topped with some crumbled Queso Fresco of feta if you happen to have some handy.

Roast Broccoli with Everything Bagel Seasoning

 

There’s always so much to do this time of year, and making dinner often becomes more of a chore than the highlight of your evening. We live in an incredible place, but on nights like these, I just wish we could get a pizza delivered.

This is when you need to pull out your secret ingredients, for this one I recommend everything bagel seasoning. It’s all about the condiments, right!

Preheat your oven to 450, then cut up your broccoli and toss well with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and several generous shakes of salt and pepper. Mix it together with your hands, throw it in the oven, set your timer for 30 minutes, and go pull some weeds or get the kids in the bath. 

After 30 minutes, give it a quick toss and roast for another 10 to 15. You’re looking for some char around the edges. When you get it where you want it, set it on the stove and immediately hit it with the everything bagel seasoning.  Done!  Serve it right away or later at room temperature.

It goes great with cheese and olives too.

Soft Shell Crab with Lemon Aioli

Soft shell crab season has begun, and it’s a short one so don’t wait! Anyone that’s made them before knows how easy they are to prepare, as is lemon aioli, the perfect accompaniment. Whether you eat them hot out of the pan, or sandwiched between a grilled buttered bun, soft shell crabs mean the start of summer.

When you get your crabs, ask the folks at the fish counter to clean them for you…much easier. To cook the crabs, generously salt and pepper both sides, dredge in flour, and fry for a few minutes per side in a medium hot pan with just enough vegetable oil to barely cover the bottom. When they’re crispy golden, remove and drain for half a minute on a brown paper bag or paper towel.

The aioli can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Separate a room temperature egg then slide the yolk into a small bowl. Add the juice from a quarter of a lemon and a half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, whisk well.

Slowly drizzle about a quarter cup olive oil into the bowl while whisking constantly. If it starts to separate, hold off on the oil and whisk until it comes back together. When it’s about the consistency of a thin mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Depending on what else you’re serving, you may want to also whisk in a minced clove of garlic.