Recipes

Herbed New Potatoes

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds small potatoes, scrubbed.  Cut in half if large.
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons mixed fresh green herbs such as parsley, chives, and dill, minced

Instructions
1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and toss well.  Cover pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender when tested.  Shake the pot every 5 minutes or so, without removing the lid, to keep potatoes from sticking. 

2. Turn off heat and let potatoes steam 5 minutes with lid on.  Toss with fresh herbs and serve hot. 

Comments
This recipe is from Ina Garten and it’s a fairly basic and straightforward potato recipe.  You can modify it how you’d like by varying the herbs you’re using. 

Shown here with grilled steaks.

Lemon Simple Syrup

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Juice and zest of 12 lemons

Instructions
1. Heat sugar, water, and lemon zest in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.  Bring to boil then remove from heat. 

2. Pour syrup through fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl and discard solids.  Let cool completely then stir in lemon juice. 

Note: I like a ratio of about 2 cups of lemon juice to 1 ²⁄₃ cups of syrup.  I pour it into a squeeze bottle and keep it in the fridge.  I add about an inch of syrup to the bottom of a glass and then top it off with water.  I find that the freshness of the lemon starts to fade in 5-7 days, so making it in small batches works best. 

No photo

Comments
This recipe isn’t really from anywhere, but I’m using it to replace the Crystal Light lemonade that I used to live on.  I didn’t feel good about the aspartame in my diet and figured that this would be a good replacement for it. 

I’ve switched from using a hand juicer to a power juicer and find that 8 lemons yields the required 2 cups of juice.

Zucchini Fritters with Ginger Soy Dip

Ingredients
For the fritters
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cups zucchini, shredded (about 3 small zucchini)
¹⁄₂ cup green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs, beaten
¹⁄₂ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Oil for pan frying (peanut oil is preferred)

For the ginger soy dip
1 inch ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¹⁄₂ cup rice vinegar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon sesame oil
Small pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in skillet and sauté onion until soft.  Mix cooked onion together in a large bowl with zucchini, green onion, garlic, eggs, flour, and salt. 

2. Pour oil for frying into skillet about ¹⁄₂-inch deep.  Heat over medium heat and drop spoonfuls of fritter mix into oil.  Fry about 5 minutes per side, until fritters are golden brown.  Drain on paper towel lined plate and serve with ginger soy dip. 

3. To make the dip, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 

Comments
This recipe is from Adora’s Box and I ended up making it when our friend Brian was visiting.  He is a lover of zucchini, so this was quite a hit!  These were super delicious and the dip went well with both the fritters and the rice I’d made for dinner.  I shredded the zucchini in the food processor, so it was a super easy dish to make. 

Shown here with Asian Marinated Grilled Flank Steak.

Fresh Savory Tomato Pie

Ingredients
Pie shell, homemade or store bought such as Pillsbury
¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely sliced
2 pints cherry and grape tomatoes, quartered or halved based on size
¹⁄₂ cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small pieces
1 cup fine breadcrumbs
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Spread pie shell in 9 inch pie plate and bake until lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes.  Remove crust from oven but leave oven on. 

3. Meanwhile, place all tomatoes in large bowl and toss with salt, pepper, garlic, and basil.  Let sit 10 minutes.  Toss with mozzarella. 

4. Combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in small bowl. 

5. Spread half tomato mixture in pie shell and top with half of bread crumb mixture.  Repeat with remaining tomatoes and bread crumbs. 

6. Bake until warmed through, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Boulder Locavore.  It was really tasty and the tomatoes still retained a lot of their fresh flavor.  My pie fell apart while I was cutting it, but it was still scrumptious.  Definitely a keeper recipe for summer tomatoes. 

Shown here with Balsamic Chicken with Pine Nuts.

Crema

Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 chipotle in adobo
¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
1. Put the cream in a microwave-safe container. Microwave on high power for 30 to 40 seconds, until cream is just under 100*F. Add the buttermilk, close the container, and store in a warm place for 24 hours. The cream will have thickened to the consistency of thin yogurt.

2. Add the chipotle and salt and blend with an immersion blender, in the container, until smooth, about 20 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Comments
This recipe is from Good Eats 3: The Later Years.  I made it to go along with Fish Tacos from the same book.  The crema was great and we used the excess in other various dishes throughout the week like taco salad. 

Shown here with Fish Tacos.

Fish Tacos

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cilantro, packed
2 limes zested then cut into wedges
2 teaspoons cumin, toasted in a dry skillet and ground
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¹⁄₄ cup tequila
1 pound tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 flour tortillas
Crema
Red cabbage, sliced

Instructions
1. Put the garlic, cilantro, lime zest, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small food processor and pulse until combined, about 20 seconds. With the processor running, add the tequila. Put the tilapia in a 1-gallon zip-top bag, add the cilantro mixture, seal the bad, and gently squeeze to fully coat fish. Set aside at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat.  

3. Brush the skillet with the oil. Cook the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until just cooked through and opaque. Cut into strips, or flake, and serve in warm flour tortillas with the crema, cabbage, and lime wedges.

Comments
This recipe is from Good Eats 3: The Later Years.  I doubled the recipe and used the extra to marinate boneless skinless chicken breasts in a separate bag that I cooked up for Art.  I was very pleased with how these tacos turned out, the cabbage added great crunch and flavor, and the crema was lovely and spicy.  This is a keeper of a recipe. 

Shown here with Crema.

Eggs à l’Oignon

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon butter
Green onions, minced
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions
1. Whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl.  Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and shallots to skillet and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Pour in eggs and stir until scrambled and cooked through, but still a bit wet.  Remove to serving dish and stir in mayonnaise, green onions, and Parmesan cheese. 

Comments
This recipe is from the awesome Willow Bird Baking – one of my favorite cooking blogs to follow.  The link also includes a great article in the defense of food bloggers and it’s worth a read.  I thought these eggs were really great, the leftovers were also great.  I used to believe that eggs couldn’t be kept for leftovers since they were no good cold, but I learned otherwise while I was in Norway and now I’m a believer of leftover eggs.  I served these with maple sausages and sesame bread from Panera.

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Whisk together buttermilk, garlic, salt, sugar, paprika, and black pepper.  Place chicken in shallow container or ziptop bag and pour buttermilk over chicken.  Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. 

2. Heat oven to 425*F.  Remove chicken from brine, shake off excess, and arrange in baking dish.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil then sprinkle with addition paprika and salt if desired.  Roast 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is browned and done. 

Comments
This recipe is from Life is Great.  It’s another that was okay, but nothing amazing.  I think it might have been better if I’d grilled the chicken instead of baking it, but that’s something to try next time. 

Shown here with Creamy Lemon Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes.

Balsamic Chicken with Pine Nuts

Ingredients
²⁄₃ cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Drizzle evenly over chicken in a large shallow dish. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Combine green onions, pine nuts and parsley in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Cook chicken, discarding marinade, over medium high heat on a grill or sauté pan 10 to 15 minutes on each side depending on thickness, until done. Top with pine nut mixture.

Comments
This recipe is from Ingredients, Inc.  While the flavors were fine, the dish didn’t feel cohesive at all.  The pine nut mixture felt out of place and unnecessary.  So it was fine, but not exciting or worth revisiting. 

Shown here with Tomato Pie.

Chard Gratin

Ingredients
2 pounds chard
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (made from 2 slices of fresh bread ground in a food processor)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk, cream, half and half, or a mixture of cream and stock
1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions
1. Separate the leaves and chard stems. Wash well, and then coarsely chop the leaves. Trim the stems, wash well, and then dice them into small pieces.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has begun to brown a bit, about 20 minutes. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until wilted and tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400*F and lightly oil a 2-quart gratin dish. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and add the bread crumbs, garlic, and dill or parsley. Cook, stirring for about a minute, then transfer to a bowl and return the pan to the heat.

4. Melt the last tablespoon of butter, stir in the flour, and then whisk in the milk. Simmer for 5 minutes, season with ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, and add to the chard mixture. Add the cheese, and then taste the mixture before seasoning with salt and pepper. 

5. Pour the chard mixture into the prepared dish and cover with the bread crumbs. Bake until heated through and golden on the surface, about 25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Comments
This recipe is from Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets.  Art declared this to be the tastiest recipe I’ve made for swiss chard and I actually ended up making it again the following week.  Quite a success story.  It’s very easy, although not super friendly to your dishwasher due to using two pans and a baking dish.  It’s definitely worth it. 

Shown here with Mustard Crusted Tilapia.