Potato Pepper Frittata

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Now that I've made a frittata, I'm starting to experiment.  This experiment turned out great!  I think a frittata is better when it is veggie based with no meat, and I think my carnivore husband agrees after tonight.  Here is the finished product:

Here is the recipe:

10 eggs
1/4 cup water or milk
About 1-1/2 cups potatoes (I prefer fingerlings), diced
1/2 each red and green bell peppers, about 1 cup
3/4 cup sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup feta or other cheese
2-3 T. fresh chives, snipped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute potatoes and veggies in olive oil for about 15 minutes, or until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add salt, pepper, cheese, and chives.  Add egg mixture to veggies and stir the bottom and sides for about a minute or so.

Put the pan into the oven (375 degrees) and bake for about 10-15 minutes.  The time depends on your pan, etc.  Just stick a knife in the frittata to see if it is done.  Put the frittata on a large plate.  Cut into eighths and serve hot, warm, or even cold.

Here are the veggies once cooked:

Summer Squash Medley

I find summer squash to be pretty boring but it's so plentiful that I decided to come up with a way to make it flavorful while still keeping it healthy.  I buy a mixture of whatever summer squashes are available and always choose the smaller ones over the larger.  This saute only took a few minutes and the results were tasty and definitely not boring!

5-6 smallish yellow squash, zucchini, etc., cut into cubes
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 T. olive oil
Salt to taste*
2 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh Tarragon, chopped finely
1/2 lemon, juiced

In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and squash and saute about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic clove and tomatoes and continue cooking another minute or two.  Season with salt.  Turn off heat and add the parsley, tarragon, and fresh lemon juice. 

*So why do I never give amounts for salt?  Mainly because I always use Kosher salt, which is coarse.  Regular table salt, like Morton's, is very fine and a single teaspoon contains more salt than over a tablespoon of Kosher or other coarse salt.  The only time I use table salt is in baking.

Grilled Panzanella

Panzanella is an Italian salad made from tomatoes and stale bread.  You are supposed to soak the bread and squeeze it dry, but that doesn't sound good to me so I made croutons instead.  I normally don't have white bread but this was a beautiful rustic, crusty bread that I bought from Central Market for our Frittata dinner with Rob.  The croutons were amazing, and I couldn't believe how well they held up in the salad.  Not mushy at all.  Even the next day they were still good.  Any hearty bread will do.

I used beautiful tomatoes and I grilled vegetables to bring out more flavor.  Any combination of vegetables will work.  Just use what is in season and looks good.

I served the salad on a bed of spinach for even more veggie goodness.  With the addition of beans, this was all we needed for dinner.  Well, that and some good wine!

¼ cup olive oil + more for bread

About 4 cups leftover crusty rustic bread, cut into 1-inch thick pieces

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 T. finely grated fresh Parmesan

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon 

Kosher salt

2-3 ripe tomatoes (about 2-3 cups), cut into 1-inch cubes

10 large basil leaves

1/2 inch slice of red onion (do not separate rings)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut in half

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut in half

2 small Japanese eggplants, cut lengthwise

1 yellow squash or zucchini, cut lengthwise

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

To make the croutons:  In a large bowl, toss the bread with olive oil until well coated but not soggy.  Add minced garlic and a sprinkling of fresh finely-grated Parmesan.  Mix well.  Put on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, stirring once.  Let cool.

Coat the onion, bell peppers, eggplant, and squash (or whatever veggies you are using) lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Grill until vegetables are tender and have good grill marks.  Let cool.  Cut the veggies and onion into chunks after they cool.

In a large salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, and ¼ cup olive oil.  Season with salt.  Add the tomatoes and allow to marinate for about 20 minutes.  Add the beans, grilled vegetables, basil, and croutons.  Mix well.  Season with salt, if necessary.  Let sit for about 20 minutes before serving. 

Frittata

Finally, I made a frittata!  I invited Rob over for dinner since he was leaving the next day for Iowa.  I decided on a frittata but kind of freaked out the night before and had to call my girl, Roxy, for instructions.  As usual, Roxy came through with perfect instructions.  I used sausage, peppers and onions for the filling.  I used Parmesan cheese cause that's what I had, but just about any cheese will do.  I will definitely be experimenting in the future!  Here are the basic instructions:

12 eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan, reserve about 1/4 cup for the top
2 links Italian sausage (I used mild made by Central Market)
About 3 cups diced green and red peppers and sweet yellow onion
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large (12" works fine, as does a deep 10") oven-proof, non-stick skillet, brown the sausage.  Remove to a paper-towel lined bowl with a slotted spoon and let drain well.  Let skillet cool and then wipe clean with a paper towel.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet and add the peppers and onions.  Cook until soft.  Add the sausage.

Blend the Parmesan into the eggs (reserving a little for the top).  Pour the egg mixture into the skillet.  Using a heat proof spatula, stir the eggs on the sides and bottom of the pan just to make sure the sausage is evenly distributed.  When the bottom and sides begin to set, sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and place the skillet in the oven.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until eggs are set.  I used a large 12" skillet and mine was done after 12 minutes.  If you use a deeper 10" skillet it will probably take a little longer.  Don't overcook as it will keep cooking in the pan after you take it out of the oven.

Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes.  Put a large platter on top of the skillet and flip it over, removing the frittata.  Let cool another 10 minutes or so and then flip it back to the other side (the pretty top side).

I served this with caprese tomatoes and a crusty French bread from Central Market.  Also served salsa on the side.  I got 8 large slices and even with Rob the Amazing Eating Machine there, we had 2 slices left over.  That's what you see in the picture since we forgot to take one before we ate.

Remember that any combination can be used for the filling.  I also think you can use less eggs, or use a combination of whole eggs and egg whites if you need to cut down on the fat.

Purple Quinoa!

You have to love purple quinoa!  The roasted beets give the quinoa this awesome color.  You want the quinoa and beets to be cold when you assemble the salad, so I usually cook the quinoa and beets the day before.

2 cups water + 1 t. Better Than Bouillon (or just use broth instead of water)
1 cup quinoa
3 beets, roasted, cooled, and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
1/2 - 3/4 cup feta (packed in brine), crumbled
1/2 cup nuts (I used roasted pistachio but toasted pine nuts would be good too)
1 T. minced fresh shallot
2 T. olive oil
1 T. sherry vinegar (red or balsamic should work too)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt

Bring the water to a boil, add the Better Than Bouillon (I use vegetable) and the quinoa.  Bring back to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cover.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the water has absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and let cool completely.

To roast beets:  Cut off the green tops, leaving about a quarter of an inch.  If you cut the tops off completely, the beets will "bleed".  Dry the beets and wrap them individually in foil packets.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees.  Use a knife to see if they are done.  Knife will insert easily when done.  Let beets cool completely.  When you're ready for the beets, use your hands to remove the skin and then cut off the top.  The skin comes right off if you do this when they are cold.  I use gloves!

In a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallots and salt.  Add the cubed beets.  If you have time, let the beets marinate in the oil mixture, up to an hour.

Add the quinoa, nuts, and crumbled feta, and mix well.  Serve cold. 

Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Bites

I roasted some beets the other night so I decided to use some of them in an appetizer.  I cut up some bite-size pieces and let them marinate in balsamic vinegar for an hour.  Then I mixed room-temperature goat cheese (4 oz.) with a little lemon juice and fresh chopped tarragon.  I baked some frozen mini phyllo cups (15 per package) and let them cool.  Then I put a dollop of goat cheese in each cup and topped with a piece of marinated roasted beet. 

See my Purple Quinoa recipe for instructions on how to roast beets.  So good!

Blueberry Poppy Seed Cake

I don't usually make desserts but I saw this recipe in the new Food Network Magazine and decided to give it a try.  This makes four mini loaf pans (mine are 5.75"x3.25"x2.25").  Really good "dessert" and not too sweet.

3 cups all-purpose flour + a little for dusting the pans (or use cooking spray with flour)

1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 1/2 cups sugar

½ t. salt

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

1 1/2 t. almond extract

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries, dusted with flour (frozen berries work best - don't thaw them)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat the 4 mini loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (or use cooking spray made for baking that has flour in it - very easy!).  Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a large bowl, thoroughly combining the ingredients.  Beat the milk, vegetable oil, the eggs, poppy seeds, and almond and vanilla extracts in a mixer on medium speed until combined.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture until well combined. Sprinkle some flour over the blueberries and toss to coat (I do this in a collander over the sink).  Fold the blueberries into the batter with a rubber spatula.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake until golden on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour. Transfer the pans to a rack and let cool about 10 minutes.  Remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.  I fill my mini loaf pans with batter almost to the top (leave about a quarter inch).  This makes them kind of poof over the edge and it looks really good!

Mojo Chicken with Grilled Pepper Boats

The sweet peppers are so great right now.  I bought yellow, orange and red ones and have been using them in everything.  I grilled some Mojo Marinated Chicken the other night and made these grilled pepper boats as a side dish.  I stuffed them with grilled avocado and topped with some beautiful ripe tomato slices.  Excellent and so colorful.  I love colorful food!  I've posted the recipe before but here it is again:

One sweet pepper (any color except green), cut in half, seeds and membrane removed
1 large Haas avocado, ripe but not too soft, cut in half, seed removed, skin left on
2 slices ripe tomato
Juice of half a lime
Sprinkle of cumin
Fresh chopped cilantro (or basil!  See the Update below)
Olive oil

Rub peppers with olive oil, inside and out.  Put olive oil on the cut side of the avocadoes.  Grill the peppers on both sides until they start to char a little and get soft.  You don't want them to get too black so watch your heat.  Grill the avocado oiled side down until you get good grill marks.  Sprinkle avocado with cumin.

To assemble, use a large spoon and scoop out the avocado in one piece.  Put into a pepper half, and add a squeeze of lime.  Top with tomato slices.  Season with a little more lime and salt.  Garnish with fresh cilantro.

If you're making more than two servings, use different colored peppers.  Yellow and orange work best because you already have red in the tomato.

Click on the picture to see a close up of the peppers.

UPDATE:  Didn't have any cilantro tonight so I garnished the pepper boats with fresh basil.  I think I like that better!

Caprese Quinoa

This is the time of year for caprese salad (mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil) so I decided to make one with quinoa.  It turned out really great.  I cooked the quinoa the night before, let it cool, and then refrigerated it.  I used a new balsamic vinegar that we started carrying at work.  It's from California and called Mia's Kitchen.  It's sweet and just wonderful.  It's hard to find good balsamics that are sweet and inexpensive (I paid $12.99).  It's so important to use a good balsamic; otherwise, you're just using vinegar.

1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

8 oz. fresh small mozzarella balls (bocconcini), cut in half

Handful of basil leaves, chiffonade*

3 T. olive oil

2 T. balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.  Stir to combine well.  Allow to marinate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Add cooled quinoa and combine well.

Baked Fish Sandwiches with Chipotle Tartar Sauce

I was in the mood for a fish sandwich and onion rings so I decided to use the same technique for both.  I made my usual Baked Onion Rings (posted 05/23/2011) but doubled up on the crumbs.  When I was done coating the rings, I put the fish (I used Tilapia) in the leftover kefir mixture and pressed it into the crumbs.  I baked both on a rack like usual and sprayed the crumbs with cooking spray (helps to brown them).  I used the same oven temperature for the fish and the rings (450 degrees) and the fish was done in about 12 minutes.

Served the fish with a Chipotle Tartar Sauce which added great flavor.  Tilapia is such a flavorless fish but I get fresh Tilapia at Costco for about $5.99 a pound, so I use it often.  Here's the Chipotle Tartar Sauce recipe.  Use as much or little chipotle as you want.  I use more than 2 teaspoons but it's a good place to start.  If you haven't used chipotles in adobo sauce, you should!  They give a nice smokey heat.  Look for them in small cans in the Latin food section at your grocery store.

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 T. pickle relish (I use Wickles because they’re wickedly delicious!)

1 T. Champagne or white wine vinegar

1 T. capers, drained and chopped

1 t. coarse-grained mustard

2 t. chipotle in adobo sauce, seeds removed and minced fine

Pinch kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients and refrigerate.

Fennel Leek and Pea Risotto

I made this risotto for Easter dinner and served it with my Balsamic Marinated Lamb Chops.  It just seemed very Springy so I thought it was appropriate for Easter.  I'm a huge fan of fennel and leeks but not so much of peas.  But, this dish really needed some color and texture and the peas were perfect.  I bought frozen petite peas and they kept their texture instead of turning mushy. 

If you haven't worked with leeks before, here's a hint:  Wash them, slice them in half lengthwise, wash again, slice them into pieces, and wash yet again!  They are dirty, dirty, dirty. 

Save some of the fennel fronds as a garnish.  Throw the rest of them in the freezer and put in your next batch of stock.

1 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

3 leeks, about 3 cups sliced*

1 fennel bulb, about 2 cups sliced (reserve fronds)

4 cups stock, heated (I use homemade)

1 cup frozen petite peas

1 cup Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan

Juice of half lemon

Salt and pepper

Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or other heavy skillet.  Add the leeks and fennel and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt.  Meanwhile, heat your stock and keep it simmering on the stove.

Add the rice to the leek mixture and stir well.  Cook for about 2 minutes and keep stirring.  Do not brown the rice; you are just releasing the starches.  Add the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Add a ladle or two of stock into the rice mixture.  Simmer until the rice has absorbed the liquid, stirring often.  Keep doing this until all of your stock is gone, or until the rice is done.  Taste the rice.  It should be soft but still have a bit of a bite.  You should add the frozen peas after you have been cooking the risotto for about 15-20 minutes. 

Finish the risotto with the Parmesan and lemon juice and garnish with chopped fennel frond.  Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.   

*You only use the white and light green part of the leek.  Discard the tough dark green leaves. 

Curried Chicken and Veggies

I had leftover rotisserie chicken that I needed to use so I decided to make a chicken pot pie without the pie.  I added curry and coconut milk and served it over quinoa.  Definite comfort food!  The best way to make this dish is to cook everything ahead of time and then assemble at the last minute.  This feeds a small army. 

 

2 cups cooked chicken*

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (stock is more intense than broth)

A generous 1/3 cup flour (I like to use brown rice flour)

1-1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, diced

3 large celery stalks, diced

1 bag (1 pound) carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1-1/2 pounds potatoes (Yukon gold or similar), peeled and cut into chunks
10 ounces green beans (frozen works fine too)

1 heaping T. curry powder

1 t. each cumin and coriander

1 small can (about 5.5 oz.) coconut milk (or half a larger can)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
 

In a large pot of well salted water, bring carrots and potatoes to a boil. Remove the potatoes and carrots with a slotted spoon once they are fork tender, about 10 minutes. In the same pot of boiling water, add the green beans and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain and then plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain after a few minutes (this just stops the cooking process - I hate mushy beans). Set cooked veggies aside.  If you are using frozen green beans, cook them according to the directions but use the minimum amount of time given.
                                 

In a large skillet, sauté onion and celery until tender, about 8-10 minutes. You want them to sweat (get tender) but not brown, so you'll have to turn the heat down.  Season with salt.  Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander and cook about a minute or two.  Sprinkle with flour and stir to incorporate.  Continue cooking a minute or two.  Add the broth and cook until sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes or so.  Taste to see if you need more salt.  (I use no salt added chicken stock so I usually need to add a little salt).  Add the chicken, vegetables, and coconut milk. Add the parsley just before serving. 

Serve over quinoa or rice.

 

*If I don't have leftover chicken, I cook two bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. I coat them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook on a foil lined baking sheet for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool and then remove skin and tear meat into pieces.

UPDATE:  Made a chicken pot pie using this filling (about half of the total recipe).  Used Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust which made it easy as pie!

Mango Slaw

This is my favorite slaw to use for shrimp or fish tacos, especially when mangoes are good.  I buy a bag of Rainbow Salad instead of shredding the cabbage myself.  I like the Rainbow Salad (brand name is Mann's) because it's cabbage, carrots, and broccoli.  Really makes for a beautiful slaw.

1 large mango, peeled and diced (about 1-1/4 cups)

3 cups+ grated cabbage, carrots, and broccoli*

1 red pepper (1 cup), cut into thin strips

¼ cup red onion, finely diced

½ cup cilantro, chopped

1 T. pickled jalapeno (or more according to taste; less if you're one of my relatives.  LOL!)
1 T. fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 T. fresh orange juice

2 T. fresh lime juice

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. toasted sesame oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Refrigerate for a few hours to let flavors blend.  Remove from fridge and let sit about 30 minutes before serving.  Stir well before serving.

The fish/shrimp marinade is really simple.  I just coat with oil and sprinkle generously with Jerk seasoning.  I love the sweet/hot flavor of Jerk seasoning.  To cook, just saute on a non-stick pan.  There's already oil on the fish so no need to add more.

*You may need more slaw since it will start releasing water as it sits.  The bag is 12 oz. so you'll have plenty to work with if you buy the Rainbow Salad.

Beef Stroganoff

So, I was really happy to snag some ground beef at work that BeeJay had just marked down.  A pound and a quarter of Angus ground chuck for just $1.  The only reason I managed to snag the bargain is because Libby wasn't there yet!  Libby will understand that comment.

Then I had to figure out what to do with the ground meat.  We had burgers about a week ago and that is, honestly, the only thing I ever do with ground meat.  I wandered the store trying to get ideas.  Then I talked to Roxy and she saved the day by suggesting I make Beef Stroganoff.  I was like, "With ground chuck?"  Yup.  Went upstairs and found a basic Stroganoff recipe that Roxy had used before.  Tweaked the recipe a bit and it was surprisingly good, especially since I'm not a big fan of ground meat.

Instead of using regular beef broth, I sprang for the More Than Gourmet concentrated stock.  That pretty much made up for the $5 I saved on the meat, but what the heck, that stuff is good!

 

1-1/4 lbs. ground beef or Italian sausage (used sausage another night and it was good!)

1 medium sweet yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and then sliced thin

8-10 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean* and sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. fresh thyme (or 1/2 t. dried)

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 T. tomato paste

3 T. Marsala wine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups beef broth, heated (used CM beef broth the second time around and it was just as good as the concentrated stock, but that might be cause I used Italian sausages instead of chuck)

1 t. Dijon mustard

4 oz. low fat sour cream or 0% Greek yogurt (I like Fage)

½ cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Egg noodles (12 oz. package) or mashed potatoes

In a large pan, brown the meat.  Drain well and set aside.  Wipe the pan clean and add the olive oil and butter.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until moisture has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the onion slices and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the Marsala wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. 

Sprinkle mixture with the flour and stir until combined.  Add the heated broth, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  When your noodles are cooked (or your mashed potatoes are ready), add the cooked meat, Dijon and sour cream.  Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.  I don't normally season at this point since the broth has plenty of salt.

*To clean mushrooms, wet a few paper towels and squeeze dry.  Use the paper towels to wipe the mushrooms clean.  Never rinse mushrooms in water as they will just soak the water up and become more water logged than they already are!

We had plenty leftover for another dinner, so I combined the Stroganoff and noodles in the pan and refrigerated it.  To reheat, I added a cup of heated broth and then slowly brought the dish to a boil.



Shrimp and Grits

This is pure comfort food!  I use hominy grits that I buy in the Bulk section at Central Market.  They only take about 10 minutes to cook.  Use whatever grits you like and follow the package directions.  I add a very small amount of cooked bacon to the grits when they are done cooking.  This just gives the grits a little bite.  I buy the Applewood smoked bacon from our Meat department at work and freeze it for when I need it.  Then I cut off the amount I need and dice it while it's still partially frozen.  Such an easy way to cut up bacon.  I've made it without the bacon too and it's still really good.  Here's the bacon after cooking:

I have cooked the shrimp in the bacon grease but decided I like it better cooked in olive oil and butter.  Here's the recipe:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper

1 T. olive oil + 1 T. butter

½ cup hominy grits (white)

2 cups water

Salt

2-3 slices bacon, small diced (optional)

½ cup lightly smoked cheese (I used Applewood smoked Fontina that I buy at HEB)

1 T. butter

2 cloves (about 1 T.) garlic, minced

Juice from ½ lemon

2 T. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, minced

Place the diced bacon in a non-stick skillet.  Turn the heat on and then cook until bacon is crispy and brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined bowl.   Let bacon grease cool and then discard or save for future use.

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil.  Add a little salt and ½ cup grits.  Note that all grits cook differently so just follow the directions on your grits.  Stir the grits big time at first (this prevents lumps) and then turn the heat down and simmer (stirring occasionally) about 10 minutes.  When the grits are cooked and thick, add 1 T. butter, the cheese, and the bacon bits.

Heat 1 T. olive oil and 1 T. butter in a skillet.  Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper.  Cook about 2 minutes and then flip with tongs.  Add the minced garlic, lower the heat, and continue cooking another minute or two, swishing the pan back and forth to keep the garlic from burning.  Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and parsley.

Spoon the grits onto a plate and top with the shrimp mixture. 

Mojo Marinated Chicken

I've been using a lot of citrus lately, probably because we have so much beautiful citrus at Central Market right now.  The CM air-chilled boneless chicken breasts were on sale last week so I decided to make a Mojo marinade.  Mojo is a Cuban citrus based marinade usually made with sour Seville oranges.  I used regular oranges (the Heirloom Navels were on sale) and added fresh lemon and lime.  I reserved about a third of the marinade, strained it, heated it, and then poured that over the cooked chicken.  Turned out really good!

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T. honey

3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Habanero, seeded and cut into pieces

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves*

Combine marinade ingredients (reserve 1/3 for sauce if you want) and marinade breasts for 30 minutes on each side.  Discard marinade.  Grill until chicken is done, about 7 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the breasts.  Transfer chicken to a serving dish.  Heat reserved, strained marinade (you don't want to eat the halapeno!) and pour over the breasts.  Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I served this with my Quinoa with Mandarins, Fennel and Pistachios.  Citrus Fest! 

*The breasts will cook better if you flatten them slightly so that they are a more even thickness.  Don't flatten completely; just the thickest part.

Salad with Mandarins and Fennel

This is the most beautiful and tasty salad.  We don't bother with any dressing since the mandarins are very juicy.

2-3 handfuls washed baby greens
1/4 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 mandarins, peeled and segmented (remove any seeds)
2 T. pistachios, roasted and salted
Crumbled feta

Toss and serve.  That's it!

Quick and Easy Marinara

This is a really quick and easy pasta sauce and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  Tonight I was going to make a salad and some honey mustard chicken nuggets, but it's raining and I just didn't feel like having a salad.  I made marinara instead and will be serving it with store-bought ravioli.  Topping it with parmesan, of course!

2 T. olive oil
3/4 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. fennel seeds, crushed
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeds removed, minced (less if you don't like spicy)
2 t. dried Mexican oregano
2 t. tomato paste
1 can (15 oz.) fire roasted crushed tomatoes (I use Muir Glen brand)
1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
About 1 cup water
Salt
Handful of fresh basil, chiffonade (cut into strips)

Heat oil and add onion.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add fennel seeds and chipotle and continue cooking another few minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.  Add dried oregano.  Add the tomatoes, paste, and the water.  Season with salt.  Simmer for about an hour until you get a good consistency.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.  Add basil at the end of your cooking time.

Don't forget to top whatever you use the sauce for with parmesan!

Mushroom Risotto

This was heavenly goodness in a pan!  This takes time but is so worth it.

3 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used homemade)

1 cup mushroom broth (from the dried porcinis)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1-1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, diced, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 pound (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms*, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped, divided

1 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper 

½ ounce (.035 lbs.) dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a glass measuring cup.  Pour about 1-1/2 cups of boiling water over the mushrooms and let sit for 30 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms when they have rehydrated.  Strain the broth through a colander lined with a paper towel.  Reserve one cup of the mushroom liquid.

Heat the chicken broth and the mushroom liquid in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ¾ cup onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add 1 T. butter and the mushrooms.  Sauté for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned.  Season with salt and pepper (this is a must; mushrooms need salt). Add the garlic, thyme, and 1 T. Italian parsley.  Saute another 2 minutes.  Rough chop the reconstituted porcini mushrooms and add to the mushroom mixture.  Remove from heat and set aside. 

Coat a saucepan with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.  Sauté the remaining ¾ cup onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the rice and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, about 1 minute.  This step cooks the starchy coating and prevents the grains from sticking.  Stir in the wine and cook until it is nearly all evaporated.

Now, with a ladle, add about 3/4 cup of the warm broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid.  You should start at medium heat and then turn it down toward the end.  Add another ¾ cup broth and cook until liquid has absorbed, stirring often.  Keep doing this until all your broth is gone and the rice is cooked.  The risotto should be slightly firm and creamy, not mushy. Transfer the mushrooms to the rice mixture.  Stir in Parmesan cheese, cook briefly until melted.  Top with the remaining 2 T. parsley.  Total cooking time is between 30-40 minutes.

*I used a combination of white, baby bella, portabella, and shitake mushrooms.

Quinoa with Mandarin and Pistachios

Citrus is in season and the store is full of great oranges and mandarins.  I especially love the Neopolitan mandarins so I've been using them in salads and decided to make a new quinoa dish.  It turned out really good.  The pistachios and fennel add a really great flavor and crunch.  I have used both roasted and raw pistachios.  If you use raw, make sure you toast them in a dry skillet with a little salt.

1 cup quinoa

Zest of one mandarin

Juice of one lime

2 T. fresh orange juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. cumin

½ t. coriander

1 t. honey

2 T. olive oil

½ cup pistachios, roughly chopped

½ fennel bulb, sliced thinly, or 1 T. lightly toasted fennel seed

3 mandarins, seedless and segmented

¼ cup red onion, finely diced

¼ cup feta, crumbled

¼ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

Bring 2 cups water or broth to boil.  (I use water but add a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon to the boiling water).  Add quinoa and stir.  Cover and lower heat and cook until all of the water has absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Quinoa sprouts a little tail when it’s fully cooked.  Transfer the cooked quinoa to a baking sheet and spread out so that it cools.  You can also put it in a large bowl and just keep fluffing it with a fork until it cools.

In a small bowl, combine the mandarin zest, lime juice, orange juice, garlic, cumin, coriander, honey, and salt.  Whisk in the olive oil.

Combine the cooled quinoa, mandarin segments, onion, fennel, and pistachios.  Stir in the dressing mixture and the feta crumbles.  Season with salt and garnish with parsley or cilantro.