Recipes

Ingredients
2 cups yogurt, preferably Greek
Juice from 2 lemons
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¹⁄₂ teaspoon paprika
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground ginger
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cloves
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cardamom
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground allspice
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients, excluding chicken and olive oil, in large bowl and mix well.  Add chicken to marinade mix, stir to fully coat chicken, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.  (The longer the better.) 

2. When ready to serve, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and marinade to skillet.  Cook, stirring, until excess liquid has evaporated and meat browns. 

3. Serve chicken with desired accoutrements such as pita bread, Tahini Sauce and Tomato Relish. 

Comments
This recipe is from shawarmarecipe.com and I selected it or my mom and I to try out for a pre-Christmas Lebanese Feast.  It was so delicious over our holiday that I decided to make it again when we had company over to celebrate the New Year.  The marinade is amazing and smells phenomenal.  The cooked chicken is equally amazing and delicious smelling.  This is a great and easy recipe, I’m glad I found it! 

Shown here with pita bread, Tahini Sauce, Tomato Relish, and Tabbouleh.

Internet - Shawarma Recipe

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ cup fine bulgur
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup boiling water
2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped (preferably flat leaf)
¹⁄₂ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
1 pound tomatoes, cut into small pieces
¹⁄₂ cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
1. Stir together bulgur and 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl.  Pour in boiling water, stir, and cover tightly.  Let stand 15 minutes.  Drain bulgur in sieve, pressing with spatula to remove excess liquid, then return to bowl. 

2. Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and other ingredients. 

Comments
This recipe is from epicurious.com.  My mom suggested that we make Tabbouleh because it’s something she loves.  I’d never had it before, but was willing to try, so I tracked down this recipe.  It’s great!  Flat leaf parsley works better than the curly stuff, but  if you can’t find the flat stuff, the curly will still work.  It’s a lot of chopping, but comes together easily enough.  It’s even better the second day when all of the flavors have had time to meld more. 

If you can’t find bulgur at your store, try looking for tabbouleh mix and just remove whatever seasoning packet it comes with.  I have to get bulgur at my local health food store because it’s not available in any form at my normal groceries. 

Shown here with Chicken Shawarma, pita bread, Tomato Relish, and Tahini Sauce.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
2 acorn squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
5 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¹⁄₈ tablespoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475*F. Halve squash through stem, seed, and cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss squash, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Arrange squash, cut side down, in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bottoms of squash are deep golden brown, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring syrup to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and cayenne until smooth. Cover and keep warm.

3. When bottoms of squash are deep golden, remove from oven. Flip squash to other cut side and brush with half of glaze. Bake, rotating baking sheet, until squash is tender and deep golden all over, about 15 minutes. Flip and brush with remaining glaze.

Comments
This recipe is from the 2011 Cook’s Country Annual.  I had two acorn squashes leftover from the market season and this was a great recipe to use them up.  The glaze was great and we devoured all of the slices. 

Shown here with Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin.

Cook’s Country 2011

Ingredients
2 (12 ounces each) pork tenderloins (I could only find larger tenderloins, so I sliced mine in half.)
Salt and pepper
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken broth
³⁄₄ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450*F. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Wrap each tenderloin with prosciutto.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook pork until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer meat to wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until meat registers 145*F, 15 to 18 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add flour, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth and lemon juice and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, add chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice pork and serve with sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2011 Cook’s County Annual.  Pork wrapped pork?  What could be better?!  The tenderloin was super tender and moist.  The sauce was light and just the right touch. 

Shown here with Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash.

Cook’s Country 2011

Ingredients
For the filling
20 ounces fresh baby spinach
¹⁄₄ cup water
12 ounces feta cheese, rinsed, patted dry, and crumbled into fine pieces (about 3 cups)
³⁄₄ cup Greek yogurt (not the non-fat variety)
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 large eggs, beaten
¹⁄₄ cup fresh mint, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon table salt
¹⁄₈ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the phyllo layers
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¹⁄₂ pound phyllo, thawed (Sheets should be around 14x9 inches.  I had to cut mine in half to achieve this.) 
1 ¹⁄₂ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions
1. Place spinach and water in large microwave safe bowl. Cover bowl and microwave on high power until spinach is wilted and decreased in volume by half, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave and keep covered for 1 minute.  (I had to do this in two batches.) 

2. Remove spinach from container and transfer to colander set in sink.  Using back of rubber spatula, press spinach against colander to remove excess liquid.  Transfer spinach to cutting board and roughly chop.  Squeeze in kitchen towel to remove as much excess liquid as possible.  Place drained spinach in large bowl and add remaining filling ingredients.  Mix until thoroughly combined. 

3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425*F.  Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using pastry brush, lightly brush 14x9-inch rectangle in center of parchment with melted butter. 

4. Lay 1 phyllo sheet on buttered parchment and brush thoroughly with melted butter.  Repeat with 9 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. 

5. Spread spinach mixture evenly over phyllo, leaving ¹⁄₄-inch border on all sides.  Cover spinach with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and sprinkling each with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.  Place 2 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter. 

6. Working from center outward, use palms of your hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets.  Using a sharp knife, score pie through top 3 layers of phyllo into serving size pieces.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.  Bake until phyllo is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.  Slide spanakopita, using parchment, to cutting board.  Cut and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual.  Art and I love it but Lance found it to be a little on the sour side.  I thought it went very well with the soup and leftovers were fantastic both cool and toasted in the toaster oven.  The phyllo layers were lovely and crispy and the spinach mixture had tons of great flavors due to the spices and mint. 

Shown here with Avgolemono Soup.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011

Ingredients
For the croutons
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups ciabatta bread, cut into ³⁄₄ inch cubes (or similar crusty bread)
¹⁄₄ cup water
¹⁄₄ teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated

For the salad
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets patted dry with paper towels, minced fine, and mashed to paste with fork
2 large egg yolks
5 tablespoons canola oil
5 teaspoons olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ ounces Parmesan cheese,  finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 romaine hearts, cut crosswise into ³⁄₄-inch-thick slices, rinsed, and dried very well (8 to 9 cups total)

Instructions
1. Combine 1 tablespoon oil and garlic paste in small bowl; set aside. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with water and salt. Toss, squeezing gently, so bread absorbs water. Place remaining 4 tablespoons oil and soaked bread cubes in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove skillet from heat, push croutons to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-oil mixture to clearing and cook with residual heat of pan, 10 seconds. Sprinkle with Parmesan; toss until garlic and Parmesan are evenly distributed. Transfer croutons to bowl; set aside.

3. For the salad: Whisk garlic paste and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes.

4. Whisk Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and egg yolks into garlic-lemon juice mixture. While whisking constantly, drizzle canola oil and extra-virgin olive oil into bowl in slow, steady stream until fully emulsified. Add Parmesan and pepper to taste; whisk until incorporated. (You can also blend all of this stuff with an immersion blender.) 

5. Add romaine to dressing and toss to coat. Add croutons and mix gently until evenly distributed. Taste and season with up to 1 additional tablespoon lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual.  I thought it was quite good, although I would advise serving the croutons on the side at the table instead of mixing them into the salad.  That way they’ll stay crispy if you have leftovers. 

Shown here with Pomegranate-Balsamic Glazed Salmon.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups white rice
10 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F. 

2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice begins to brown.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 more seconds.  Stir 2 cups chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to boil.  Cover and transfer to oven.  Bake 25 minutes.  Stir in remaining chicken broth and water.  Bake, covered, for another 30 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice, recover, and bake 15 more minutes. 

Comments
This recipe is from Melissa Bakes.  It takes forever to cook, but it’s worth the time.  The rice is very flavorful thanks to all of the garlic.  This is a very simple dish.  I’m not sure it would come to mind if I needed a rice dish due to the time it takes, but it’d be nice when your stovetop is all taken up with other pots and pans. 

Shown here with Grilled Barbecued Chicken Kebabs.

Internet - Melissa Bakes

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I used bowties/farfalle.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¹⁄₂ cups frozen peas
1 package (about 6.5 ounces) Boursin or Alouette cheese
¹⁄₂ cup chicken broth
¹⁄₄ cup white wine
¹⁄₃ cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese
¹⁄₄ cup toasted pine nuts

Instructions
1. Place liquid measuring cup in colander in sink.  Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Cook pasta as directed on packaging. Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain pasta well. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until fragrant.  Add peas, chicken broth, and wine and bring to boil.  Stir in cheese, cooked pasta, sundried tomatoes, dill, lemon pepper, and freshly ground pepper.  Add Parmesan cheese, pine nuts,  and toss well.  If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water to thin. 

Comments
This recipe is from Baked Bree.  I needed something quick and easy for a busy evening and this made a delicious dinner when served with simple chicken.  We all enjoyed it and leftovers were gobbled up.  I wasn’t able to get Boursin at the store where I shopped, so I went with Aloutte instead and used their sundried tomato soft cheese.  It worked out very well and complimented all of the other flavors nicely! 

This pasta also taught us something interesting.  Art ended up with a very weird taste in his mouth the following day and, due to discussion with a friend some months before, I diagnosed him with pine mouth.  After quite a bit of research, we have decided to switch to single sourced pine nuts, even if they’re more expensive than the randomly sourced ones we used to get at the grocery store.  It’s a small price to pay to avoid a recurrence of pine mouth! 

Shown here with Mom’s Chicken.

Internet - Baked Bree

Ingredients
For the glaze
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I ran out of normal balsamic, so I used pomegranate balsamic.)
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch cayenne pepper

For the fish
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cornstarch
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions
1. Whisk glaze ingredients together in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300*F. Combine brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl. Pat salmon dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top of flesh side of salmon, rubbing to distribute.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place salmon, flesh side down, in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Using tongs, carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute.

4. Remove skillet from heat and spoon glaze evenly over salmon fillets. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until center of thickest part of fillets registers 125*F on instant-read thermometer and is still translucent when cut into with paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual.  I loved this glaze and method of cooking.  The fish was perfectly cooked and moist, the glaze was super flavorful with just the right amount of sweet thanks to the pomegranate juice.  I really enjoyed this salmon and might try out the other glaze (recipes in this volume of Cook’s Illustrated. 

Shown here with Caesar Salad.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011

Ingredients
For the sauce
¹⁄₂ cup ketchup
¹⁄₄ cup molasses
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (I used red apple balsamic.)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the kebabs
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄₂ pieces
4 12-inch metal skewers

Instructions
1. For the sauce: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches ketchup-like consistency and is reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer ¹⁄₂ cup sauce to small bowl and set aside remaining sauce to serve with cooked chicken.

2. For the kebabs: Toss chicken and salt in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

3. Prepare grill. I assume you know how to get your own grill going, since I sure don’t!

4. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine sweet paprika, sugar, and smoked paprika in small bowl. Process bacon in food processor or mini chopper until smooth paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl twice during processing. Add bacon paste and spice mixture to chicken; mix with hands or rubber spatula until ingredients are thoroughly blended and chicken is completely coated. Thread meat onto skewers with no space in between chicken pieces.  If there are any larger bits of bacon paste, make sure they’re secured between chicken.  

5. Place kebabs over coals and grill, turning one-quarter turn every 2 to 2 ¹⁄₂ minutes until well browned and slightly charred, about 8 minutes. Brush top surface of kebabs with ¹⁄₄ cup sauce; flip and cook until sauce is brown in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with remaining ¹⁄₄ cup sauce; flip and continue to cook until brown in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 160*F, about 1 minute longer. Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with reserved barbecue sauce. 

Comments
This recipe is from the Cook’s Illustrated 2011 Annual and WOW, these were awesome!  The bacon kept the chicken nice and juicy, the flavors of the coating were great, the bbq sauce was wonderful.  We’ve had kebabs on our list of things to make for quite some time and I’m so glad we finally got to them since this recipe is delicious! 

I recommend flat, wide skewers instead of ones that are round.  You don’t want your meat to spin around during cooking! 

Shown here with Garlic Rice Pilaf.

Cook’s Illustrated 2011