Balsamic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

I was bored and looking through random recipes when I found this one. I had some balsamic vinegar that I wanted to get rid of and I figured I should use it up in a new recipe. :)  I tweaked this recipe from the original to make the cooking liquid/sauce more balanced. This dish was pretty simple and I enjoyed the unique flavor that was dominated by the taste of the balsamic. 

Ingredients:
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (or you can use garlic powder)
1 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14-16 ounces) can of diced tomatoes, un-drained
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. brown sugar
Salt, pepper, and red pepper flake to taste

Directions:

1. Place 1 tsp. olive oil into a large skillet and heat over medium-high flame. Season chicken with salt and pepper and brown on each side, about 4 mintues per side. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.

2. Add onions and garlic (or sprinkle garlic powder) to pan. Sauté for approximately 3-5 minutes over low heat, until onions start to soften. Add additional olive oil if things start to stick.

3. Add balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes. Scrap up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.

4. Add brown sugar and chicken stock. Place chicken back into the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (stir every few minutes while it’s simmering). Use a probe thermometer and check the temperature of the chicken every few minutes to make sure it doesn't over cook.

5. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil for 4 minutes to rest the chicken . Heat up any side dishes, in my case the mashed potatoes and green beans, and serve everything together!

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (healthy)

I wanted something that I could whip up really quickly but was still healthy. It took me about 10 minutes to cook and put together after marinating. I want to make this dish again and turn it into an official stir-fry with the corn starch slurry. This is a dish that I would use to teach someone simple cooking techniques because it's quick, satisfying, and uses most of the basic skills needed to cook.

Ingredients: 
5 oz. skirt steak
1 cup broccoli florets
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger, mined
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 green onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large basil leaf, diced or julienned
white rice

Marinade:
2  quarter inch slices of ginger
2 cloves of garlic, crushed but kept whole
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. sesame oil 
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. siracha 
1 tsp. pepper
1 green onion, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. combine all ingredients for marinade. Place skirt steak into a plastic bag and pour marinade on top. Allow to marinade in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Place bag in a container in the fridge so if there are any leaks you don't have to clean the whole fridge.

2. Clean broccoli and cut into florets. Blanche broccoli. Mince garlic and ginger and chop herbs.

3. In a saute pan big enough to fit steak, heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium high heat. Place steak in pan. Allow to cook for 2 minutes or until browned. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes for medium rare. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest.

4. Add 1 tsp olive oil to another pan over medium low heat. Add garlic and ginger. cook for 1 minute while constantly stirring. Add broccoli florets to pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with a pinch of pepper and 1 tsp. of soy sauce.

5. Slice skirt steak across the grain, into thin strips. Toss beef with broccoli and serve everything over white rice.

Chicken Soup

I was feeling under the weather so I threw together this chicken soup.  It's similar to the one my babysitter (hey Chio!) used to make for my family when we weren't feeling great. You can add any veggies you want but I kept it simple with just potatoes and carrots. I love soups because they take 1 pot to make and they make you feel warm and cozy! I like to make a big batch of this soup and freeze half of it for the next time I'm not feeling well.

Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken thighs
1/2 onion, cut in half with skin and root intact
3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4- 6 cups water, depending how much broth you want
salt
pepper

Directions:

1. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.

2. Fill a large pot with water. Place over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and 1 tbs. salt. Allow to cook together for 5 minutes.

3. Add chick thighs and allow to cook at a simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

4. Remove chicken and allow to cool. Add potatoes to the chicken stock and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. 

5. Shred chicken into large chunks and discard skin and bones.

6. Add carrots and any other veggies you want in your soup. Allow to cook over medium low heat until everything is soft and cooked through.

7. Taste soup for seasoning. I like to add a little lemon zest and juice to brighten the whole thing up.

Homemade Ricotta

The recipe below makes a very simple homemade ricotta. It had a mild taste with a consistency of cream cheese. You could use this as it is but I wanted to give it some more flavor. I added roasted garlic, thyme, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to the ricotta. You can use this cheese as a spread on toasted bread, as a filling for ravioli, or as a flavoring for a pasta dish.

For the photo above I served plain ricotta with balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, and fresh cut chives. I plan to make this cheese for my next party as an app because it can be made ahead of time and everyone will be impressed that I made my own cheese!

This cheese will last in the fridge for about a week. Use your nose to see if it smells bad or not before eating.

Ingredients:  (Makes about 1 cup of ricotta)
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom.

2. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

3. Line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey). Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. At an hour, you’ll have a tender, spreadable ricotta. At two hours, it will be spreadable but a bit firmer, almost like cream cheese. (It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your cheesecloth.) Discard the whey, or, if you’re one of those crafty people who use it for other things, of course, save it. Eat the ricotta right away or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Eric Ripert Fish Recipe

I was on twitter and I saw that Chef Eric Ripert had posted this fish recipe. It was so simple and Chef Ripert makes such delicious food that I had to try this. The fish tasted amazing once it was finished and it only took a total of 15 minutes to make!


Ingredients: 
Fillet of white fish like Halibut
salt and pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4-6 sprigs of thyme
3-4 pats of cold butter
4 tbs. chicken stock

Directions:
1. Wash fish and pat dry with a paper towel. Season fillet with salt and pepper.

2.Cover the fish with thinly sliced lemons, sprigs of thyme and butter. Place fillet in tray with chicken stock.

3. Broil fish for 5-7 minutes. You will know when it's done when a skewer is inserted through the fish and it comes out warm.

4. Remove lemon and herbs when fish is finished.

5. Plate fish and add jus from the tray as sauce. 

Salmon Fillet with Creme Fraiche, Dill and Citrus Sauce

I was looking for a healthy sauce for salmon but I was tired of yogurt sauces. I decided to try creme fraiche. It isn't very healthy but it was delicious! I served my pan seared salmon with some microwavable brown rice which is fantastic. The rice is cooked well and it only takes 1 minute in the microwave. I suggest anyone with a busy schedule should try it. 


Sauce:
1/2 cup Creme Fraiche (could use greek yogurt instead)
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tbs. chopped dill
Salt and Pepper

1 6-8 oz Salmon fillet per person
1 tsp. dried thyme
Olive Oil
Brown Rice
Green beans

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

2. Clean salmon and remove pin bones and skin. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.

3. In a large non-stick skillet add 1 tbs. olive oil. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Add salmon fillets to pan and cook on each side for 3-5 miuntes or until fish is done to your liking.

4. Remove fish and set aside. Heat up rice and green beans. Plate everything together and spoon some sauce over the salmon. I garnished my salmon with caramelized shallots and a sprig of dill.

Seafood Boil

A seafood boil screams summer so I wanted to make one before the weather cools down again for fall. It's a really simple way to make a very large meal. I didn't have access to the best seafood and the good stuff was really expensive so I made this into a shrimp boil. If you have the budget you can add all kinds of yummy things like artichoke or  seafood like crabs, lobster, and crayfish. The best part about this meal is the eating and the clean up. Simply cover a table with newspapers and pour all the cooked food onto the table.  Serve with lots of melted butter on the side, bread for dipping, and crab crackers to get into the shells. Everyone eats with their hands and it's a really fun experience. Then, when everyone is full all you have to do is roll up the newspaper with everything in it and throw it away!

Ingredients:



1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise so all the cloves are exposed
1 Zatarans crab boil packet
1 Tbsp cayenne, more if you want it really spicy
2 pounds Small potatoes, yukon gold
4 ears of Corn, cleaned and cut into thirds
1/2 pound shrimp per person
1 polish kielbasa, sliced into 3 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Fill your largest pot with water. Add Zatarain's crab boil or 5 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning, cayenne, 1 tbs. salt, lemons, and garlic to the pot. Bring to a boil.

2. Add potatoes and boil until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Add corn to boiling water and cook about 3 minutes.

4. Add kielbasa pieces. Cook for another 3 minutes.

5. Cook shrimp until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer everything to a large platter or table covered with newspapers using a sieve or strainer.

Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges and French bread.

Skillet Thyme Chicken with Potatoes

I was looking for a really quick dish that took up one pan and this thyme chicken with potatoes called to me. It's a very rustic and homey dish that packs on the flavor.  I suggest some green veggies on the side. You could roast asparagus or broccoli in the oven or serve it up with some sauteed green beans.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
Kosher salt and pepepr
5 sprigs fresh thyme plus 1 tablespoon leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flake
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

2. Pile the thyme leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and brown the other side for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon. Season everything with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the thyme sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet.

4. Put the skillet into the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 157. Pull chicken out of oven and allow to rest. Serve family style and let everyone help themselves or slice chicken before serving.

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

I have fallen in love with arugula in pasta. The first time I tried I kept it very simple. This time I wanted to add more flavors so I added goat cheese. When I was thinking of flavors I came up with a lot of things that go with arugula. You could add prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, feta, or basically anything that is tasty in salads with arugula. Let your imagination run wild! 

 

Ingredients
1 tbs good olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled
1 lemon
1 pound dried fusilli pasta
1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
1 4oz. log of goat cheese
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tbs. salt to water. Once water is boiling drop the fusilli and cook according to package directions.

2. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and shallots and cook for 60 seconds. Add the shrimp, the zest of one lemon, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through.

3.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta making sure to reserve some of the starchy pasta water. Immediately add the pasta to the shrimp mixture. Add the goat cheese, 1/2 cup pasta water and 1/2 lemon juiced. Stir until cheese is melted and water and cheese form a sauce.

4. Turn off the heat and add the arugula and Parmesan. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot. I like to add extra chunks of goat cheese to my pasta right before serving.

Veal Schnitzel, Mashed Potatoes, and Cucumber Salad

I wanted to eat some Czech food so I made my fastest favorite Czech dish- Schnitzel. I always use veal because it is a very tender piece of meat. I love to serve the schnitzel with mashed potatoes for creaminess and the cucumber salad for extra acidity. All three items really complement each other and make me feel very Czech!


Here are the links for the recipes:

Cucumber Salad: Try to make this a day in advance or very early the day of so the flavors have time to meld together.

http://kleinanddine.blogspot.com/2011/07/schnitzel-mashed-potatoes-and-cucumber.html


Mashed Potatoes: Make these the day of, in advance, so you only have to heat them up when it's time to eat. Use either russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes.

http://kleinanddine.blogspot.com/2010/02/garlic-mashed-potatoes.html


Schnitzel: Bread this lightly and fry right before serving.

http://kleinanddine.blogspot.com/2009/10/weiner-schnitzel-with-mashed-potatoes.html

Ravioli with Bechamel Sauce

This dish is great for people with busy schedules. You can make the sauce in advance on the weekend when you have more free time and then you use store bought ravioli; combine the two for a great dish. It's not the healthiest dish but by using low fat milk you can get rid of some of the calories.

Ingredients:
Bechamel Sauce
2 Tbs melted butter
2 tbs flour
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. worchestire sauce

1 1/2 cups grated cheese, I use a combo of mozzarella and parmasean
lemon juice
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Boil a pot of water. In a second large pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until it forms a thick paste (this is called a roux,  it thickens the sauce later) Cook this paste for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add the milk and whisk to combine. Add the nutmeg, paprika, garlic powder, and worchestire and cook over low heat until sauce starts to thicken.

3. Drop pasta into water. Cook according to package directions but it should be about 8 minutes.

4. Add cheese to sauce mixture and taste. Check if it needs salt and pepper or lemon juice, add as much as needed. Continue to cook sauce over low heat until it is the consistency you like (I mean it should look saucy and like other alfredo sauces you've had in restaurants)

5. Drain pasta when finished cooking. Add cooked pasta to the bechamel and allow to simmer together over low heat. Serve pasta with a little extra sauce and cheese.

Pasta with Arugula, Shrimp, and Lemon

I had a friend over for dinner (hey Nancy hah) and she requested pasta. I wanted to do something a little healthy and while looking for recipes I found one by Giada that incorporated pasta, lemon, shrimp, and arugula. I had never heard of or seen some put arugula in pasta. I tried it and I have to say, it was a revelation. The arugula wilted just like spinach and it tasted amazing with the pasta. I can't wait to start using arugula in pasta much more often! 

Ingredients:

For the lemon oil:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta:
1 pound linguine pasta (preferably whole wheat/grain)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces frozen shrimp
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces arugula (about 3 packed cups)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. For the lemon oil: Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

2. For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

6. Turn off the heat and add the arugula and lemon oil to the pasta. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped basil and fresh parmesan cheese to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Red Onion Marmalade

Red Onion Marmalade a.k.a. Onion Jam is something I've wanted to make ever since I had the short rib at Fiamma in Las Vegas. They used Red Onion Marmalade on toast as a garnish for the braised short rib. Now that I have Braised Pot Roast leftovers I decided to make the onion marmalade.

There are lots of ways to use a red onion marmalade besides as a garnish. You can add some cream to the mixture and make a sauce or use it as a spread on sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 medium-large red onion, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp.  red wine vinegar
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet, over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, covered, until the onions have wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes, (give them a stir every now and then with a wooden spoon to prevent them from sticking).

2. Add the red wine, and simmer over high heat until most of the wine gets absorbed into the onions. About 5 minutes.

3. Add the honey, balsamic and red wine vinegar and simmer gently until the onions get jam-like, about, about 15 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

I love pot roast, especially when it's been cooking all day while I've been working around the apartment. It makes the whole house smell amazing and it's great because you get a lot of leftovers! I served up my pot roast with some mashed potatoes (and garnished with onion marnalade on toast- recipe coming soon). I had a ton of beef left over so I shredded it and marinaded it in BBQ Sauce (shredded beef BBQ sandwiches recipe coming soon). You could also take the shredded beef and make Mexican tacos or Asian dumplings.

A really great way to make a simple sauce for your pot roast is to either just use the liquid from the slow cooker or do what I did- make a glaze. I took some of the juice for the slow cooker and placed it into a blender. I pureed the mixture until it was really smooth. Pour the sauce into a small saute pan and add 1/2-1 cup water. Stir mixture together and cook over medium heat or until the sauce has reduced and become thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 4 to 5 pound chuck roast or brisket, cut into 3 pieces
1 tbs. freshly ground pepper
2 tbs. lawry's seasoning salt
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 box beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 bundle thyme leave, tied together with butchers twine

Directions:
1. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket with pepper, lawry's salt, garlic powder, and cumin.  Brown the beef on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

2. Add onions to same skillet and turn heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are translucent, making sure to scrap up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add crushed tomatoes to the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add beef broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Taste for seasoning.

4. Pour tomato-onion mixture on top of the beef in the slow cooker. The liquid should cover 3/4 of the beef . Add water if necessary to cover. 

5. Turn heat to low and cook for 8 hours or turn heat to high and cook for 6 hours. Flip the pot roast over half way through cooking. Keep warm on low heat until you're ready to eat!

Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe in a Mexican Cookbook I have and since I was looking for something new I went for this recipe. Chicken Enchiladas are something I always order when I go out to Mexican restaurants and it's something I will still do because making them at home was simple but time consuming. For the sauce I used a standard Mexican Red sauce or salsa roja. This sauce can be used as a taco topping or even a dip for chips. To make the dish a little healthier I only used chicken breast meat, I cut down on the cheese, and used whole wheat tortillas. For garnish I whipped up a little guacamole, a black bean and quinoa salad and bought a bag of tortilla chips for some crunch in the final dish.

Ingredients:

1 batch of Salsa Roja (below) or 1 jar bought enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheese like monterey jack or cheddar
3 cups shredded pre-cooked chicken
salt and pepper
12 tortillas

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450

2. In a bowl mix 1/4 cup of enchilada salsa and 1/4 cup cheese with the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Coat 1 tortilla in sauce by dipping it right into the pan of warmed sauce. Place on a plate and put about 1/4 cup of chicken filling. Roll up. Repeat until filling and tortillas are gone. Place each one in a 9 x 13 baking sheet.

4. Spoon the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas and sprinkle with some of the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes of until heated through and bubbling.


Salsa Roja

6 large, ripe tomatoes
3 serrano chiles
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 of an onion, chopped
salt and pepper

1. Place the tomatoes and serrano chiles in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tomato skins are peeling off and the tomatoes are soft but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Removes tomatoes and chilies with a slotted spoon and let cool for a few minutes, then peel off the tomato skins and stem and seed the chiles.

2. Puree the tomatoes, chilis, and chicken stock in a blender and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Saute the garlic and onion until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture and cook, stirring until liquid has evaporated and sauce has thickened slightly.

-my tweek on this recipe is at the final step, I blended everything together because I didn't like the chunk of the veg. for the final enchiladas.

Salmon Nigiri (Sushi)

I've always wanted to make sushi. It's such an art and I love sitting at the sushi bar and watching the chefs do their thing! After stumbling upon some California sushi rice for cheap and watching the movie "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" I was ready to take on the difficult task of sushi. 

My attempt was yummy but I can tell it didn't have the subtlety of good sushi. I used the freshest salmon I could find and tried to keep it simple. The recipe below is from Alton Brown and it's a very basic sushi rice.

I suggest (request) watching his videos on making the sushi rice and rolls. Before I made my sushi I watched as many how-to videos as possible to try to get the technique down. It's difficult to read about the technique so watch the videos or pay attention the next time you eat sushi. I can't wait to make more batches of sushi and hopefully make it like a master one day!

Ingredients:

For Rice:

2 cups sushi or short grain rice

2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Salmon or any other fresh, high quality fish

Prepared Wasabi

Soy Sauce

Pickled Ginger

Directions:

1. Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

2. Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. 

4. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi. Cover with a warm, wet towel while the rice cools.

5. While the rice is cooling, cut your fish into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick and about 2 inches wide. Try to use one smooth knife stroke, don't saw the fish or you will destroy it. You want the fish to fit in someone's mouth in one bite so don't make it too big! Cover the fish in saran wrap and keep in fridge until you are ready.

6. Putting the nigiri together: Wet your hand with water so rice doesn't stick. Take a small amount (enough for a good bite) and shape into an oval using gentle pressure. (Jiro says the pressure should be like holding a baby chick). You want the rice to stick together but don't crush it. Once you have your rice oval, take a dab of prepared wasabi and spread it on the fish. Place the fish on top of the rice and use gentle pressure to adhere it to the rice. Then place your finished piece on a serving plate. Repeat as many times as necessary until you have enough pieces for everyone. Serve immedietaly with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.

Garlic-Ginger Chicken Marinade

I was in the mood to make a simple dish so I whipped up this Asian inspired marinade. You can marinade it for 2 hours or as long as overnight. 

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast

1 cup thinly sliced onion

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp minced ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup fresh orange juice (or pineapple juice)

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Combine the chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, orange juice and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large measuring cup. reserve 1/4 of the marinade and add the rest to a plastic bag containing chicken. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat a grill to medium high and oil the grate. Grill the chicken skin-side down until marked, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and continue to grill until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Cabuto Family Mole Sauce

Veronica and Rocio Cabuto, my past baby sitters, came over one day and made Mole (pronounced mole-ay) for me and my cousin! It was a ton of fun and I learned a really great recipe, what more can you ask for? The tip that Veronica gave me while making this sauce was that "everything is fried in oil and blended". It sounds super simple but when you see how many ingredients go into this dish, you'll realize how much work is involved in making a mole. But all that work is worth is because you get such a complex and delicious sauce, I've never tasted anything like it.

I am making one tweak to this recipe (sorry Cabuto family!!!) but the mole was a little sweet for my taste so I added just a little less chocolate to this recipe. The original recipe calls for 1 and 1/2 disks of the mexican chocolate but in the future I plan to use only 1 disk. This way it will still be sweet but a little more balanced to my palette.

Tips to make this recipe-
1. don't be afraid to lower the heat so things don't burn. If anything burns, you have to throw it out and start again because the burned taste will ruin the entire sauce.
2. make sure to wipe out the pan between ingredients to make sure nothing remains behind in pan that can burn.
3.  Change the amount of chicken stock depending on how thick you want your sauce. I like to make a more concentrated version in the blender, freeze it, and then thin it out later when I'm ready to serve

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 red onion, medium sliced
5-6 garlic cloves
3 large dried ancho chilis, seeds removed
5 dried arbol chilis, seeds removed
2 1/2 oz bag of dried guajillo chilis, seed removed and reserved
1 disk Mexican chocolate (brand: Ibarra, disk is 3.1 oz)
white bread- 3, 1 inch slices of a bread that is about 2-3 inches wide
1 corn tortilla
1 9/16 oz package of sesame seeds
3 whole cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 small stick cinnamon
1 T black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 T. chicken bouillon
2-4 cups Chicken Broth (homemade is recommended and that recipe is below, make in advance)
Canola Oil, A good blender! 

Directions:
1. Fry everything seperately in oil in a saute pan and then put in the blender. Here it is step by step:
2. Slice red onion. place into a saute pan with 1-2 Tbs canola oil and fry over medium heat for about five minutes or until golden brown.
3. Peel garlic and keep cloves whole, cook in same saute pan with a little oil until garlic is golden brown.
4. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, remove all the seeds from the dried chilis but reserve the guajillo seeds. Toast each pepper over low heat in oil until they are slightly "puffed" or colored.
5. Toast almonds in oil while constantly stirring.
6. Toast bread slices in oil. cube once toasted and put into blender.
7. Toast tortilla in oil until golden brown.
8. Toast whole cloves in oil
9. Toast sesame seeds in oil
10. Toast Peanuts in oil (notice the pattern emerging haha)
11. Toast guajuillo seeds over low heat
12. Toast cinnamon stick in oil
13. Put all of the toasted ingredients into the blender. You can add ingredients to the blender as you go, whatever system works best for you and your kitchen.
14. Add cumin, salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Blend everything together until it has a smooth consistency. You may need to add more chicken stock to help the blender get through all the ingredients.
15. Crush chocolate a little and add to blender. Using hot chicken broth makes this step a lot easier.
16. Once the sauce is really well incorporated you can remove it from the blender, put into small batches and refrigerate or freeze.

When you're ready to eat the mole here's how to heat it up:
1. Add some mole sauce concentrate to a pan. Cook over medium heat, adding more chicken stock to get your desired consistency.
2. Add pre-cooked meat like chicken to sauce. Cook chicken in sauce for about 5 minutes to heat through and then serve!
3. We ate our chicken mole with Spanish Rice which is a dish that will appear in another post.


CHICKEN BROTH RECIPE
This is a simple home made chicken broth. Veronica and Rocio think it's very important to make the broth so I'm going to do it : )

Ingredients:
1 onion, roughly chopped
1/2 garlic bulb, not peeled
1 gallon water
5 pieces raw chicken or leftover chicken parts from whole chickens
2 T salt

Directions:
1. combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Cook over low heat for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Strain liquid and keep your broth!

You can use the cooked chicken in your mole sauce or for leftovers another day!

Spanish Rice

Spanish rice is a really yummy side dish that makes plain rice really special. 

Liquid to Rice Ratio: Liquid should cover rice so you may need to add more chicken broth to the rice at the end, after you've made the tomato sauce. The rule of thumb is that the rice should be covered by about 1/4-1/2 inch of liquid on top. 1 cup of rice will need about 2- 21/4 cups of chicken broth.

Ingredients:
Rice- mahatma or blue ribbon brand work best
Chicken Broth- homemade is best
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled but kept whole
3 tomatoes, roughly sliced
1 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper
canola oil

Directions:
1. Saute onion and garlic in a saute pan over medium heat with 1 tbs. oil. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until onions and garlic are softened.

2. Add tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, cumin, oregano, and 1/2 cup chicken broth to pan. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until everything is softened.

4. In another pan, toast 1 cup of rice in 1 tbs. canola oil over low heat. Toast for about 5 minutes of until rice is browned all over. Keep stirring the rice so it doesn't burn.

5. Add tomato mix and 1 cup of chicken broth into a blender and puree until very smooth.

6. Add tomato sauce to the toasted rice. You may need to add extra chicken broth to make sure the liquid to rice ratio is right. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.

Roasted Chicken with Adobado

This recipe is from the Rick Bayless website. I made a few klein and dine tweaks to it of course. Rick Bayless is one of my favorite chefs and he specializes in traditional mexican food.  I love using his dishes to get an authentic mexican meal in my own home. 

The adobado is multi-purpose. it can be used as a  marinade or as a sauce! Just reserve 1/2 cup of the adobado sauce before marinating the chicken.You don't want to eat the adobado after it's been sitting with the raw chicken for a few hours. 

I served this dish with the Quinoa and Black Bean Salad since it tastes like a healthy version of rice and beans! The recipe can be found here- http://kleinanddine.blogspot.com/2012/07/black-bean-and-quinoa-salad-with-cajun.html

 Ingredients

  Red Chile Adobo (Adobado) Marinade (makes about 2 cups of marinade)

2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

3 medium dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
2 arbol chiles, steamed, seeded and torn into flat pieces

2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably fresh-ground Mexican canela
A pinch of cloves

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/6 cup cider vinegar
Salt

4 chicken breasts
1 large lime
1/4- 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. brown sugar (if necessary)

Directions:

1.   Make the marinade.  Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a medium skillet over medium.  When hot, oil-toast the chiles a couple of pieces at a time until aromatic and blistered, a few seconds per side.

2. Remove to a bowl.  When all are toasted, pour in 3/4 cups hot tap water; weight with a plate to keep the chiles submerged.  Let rehydrate for about 20 minutes. 

3. Lightly toast the garlic over low heat in the same chili oil. Add to blender. Also add the pepper, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, vinegar and a generous tablespoon salt - it is critical that this marinade be salty since it seasons all the chicken.

4. Pour the rehydrated chiles, liquid and all, into the blender.  Process to a smooth puree.  Press through a medium-mesh strainer set over a bowl to remove bits of skin and stray seeds.  Taste  the abodabo sauce, it should be spicy, sharp and salty.  The consistency should be like steak sauce - not as thick as ketchup, not runny like hot sauce.

5. Marinade the chicken. Add chicken breasts to a plastic bag and cover with 3/4 of the marinade. Make sure chicken is covered everywhere with marinade. Allow to marinade for 2 hours in the fridge and up to overnight.

When you're ready to cook:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Cover a pan with aluminum foil and place chicken on it. Put a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. Place chicken in oven and cook until chicken reaches 155 degrees.


2. While chicken cooks make any side dishes and work on sauce. Add reserved adobado sauce to a new sauce pan. Add 2 tsp. lime juice and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Taste and check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper or some brown sugar if the sauce is to acidic or spicy. Heat through over medium flame right before serving chicken.

3. Remove chicken from oven when it hits 155 and cover with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Reheat sauce and side dishes. Serve everything together!

Halibut a la Provencale with Quinoa

I wanted to use up some Halibut that a neighbor of mine gave to me (Thanks Mr. Bengard). I also wanted to try a new recipe for the fish since I've never cooked it before. I went to the Julia Child cook book and found the Halibut a la Prevencale recipe. I tweaked it a little to fit my tastes. I served this with some quinoa to keep it healthy.

Ingredients:
4 Halibut fillets
1/2 onion sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 tsp. herbs de provence 
5 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup white wine- preferably chardonay
1/2 cup chicken stock
lemon
1 tbsp brown sugar (if necessary)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a pan that is 2 inches tall and large enough to hold all of the fish with aluminum foil.

2. In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp. of olive oil over medium high heat. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and saute in pan. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until each side is slightly browned. Remove fish from pan, place into foil lined pan and set aside.

3. Add onion and shallots to the same pan that you cooked the fish in. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook over low heat until translucent.

4. Add tomatoes and herbs de provence to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Cover pan with a lid or aluminum foil and allow tomato mixture to cook for 5 minuntes or until tomatoes are soft.

5. Add wine to the pan (be careful! wine can catch on fire! Alcohol and flames are dangerous!) and turn heat to high. Reduce liquid by 1/2. Taste liquid and see if it needs any salt and pepper.

6. Pour tomato and wine mixture over the fish in the pan. Cover with foil and place into the preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove cover and cook another 10-15 minutes or until fish is opaque all the way through.

7. Remove fish from sauce and place on a platter. Turn off oven and place fish inside or put the fish near the stove to keep it warm for the next few minutes.

8. Place tomato and wine liquid into a clean sauce pan. Add chicken stock to pan. Cook over high heat to reduce the liquid. Taste the sauce- mine was a little acidic so I added some brown sugar to balance the flavor.

9. Once the sauce has reduced by half, puree it in a blender. If you want it to be extra smooth you can strain it but I wanted to keep it chunky.

10. Serve some of the fish with some sauce over the top and serve!

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad with Cajun Salmon

I made dinner with my cousin, Jenna, and she suggested this quinoa salad. To go with it we decided to cook up some spicy salmon and serve it with guacomole and salsa to make it a slightly mexican theme. This salad was really healthy, delicious, and surprisingly filling.

If you want to know how to make the guacomole here's the link:
http://kleinanddine.blogspot.com/2012/02/guacomole.html

Ingredients
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
 1 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and jalapeno, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.Serve warm.

Chimichurri Sauce

A chimichurri is a Mexican and Central American green sauce. It almost tastes like a pesto but with more kick. I love this sauce because it can be made the day before and it goes great on just about everything. It's best with red meat like steak or fajitas but you can also eat it on veggies, chicken, and fish.

Ingredients:

1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/8 cup other green herbs like basil, mint,and/or green onions.
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine the garlic, vinegar, herbs, olive oil and water in small food processor.

2. Pulse until herbs are coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

I was challenged by my Aunt (hi Aunt Liz!) to make a sauce for her salmon patties but the sauce had some strict requirements- it had to be glutten and dairy free. That means no yogurt, no butter, no flour to thicken a sauce. So I was stumped for a bit but then I had the thought- why not make a vinaigrette?  They're jam packed with flavor and pass the requirements!This sauce would be a great fit for fish, chicken, or even to dress a salad!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives, and rosemary

Directions:

1. in a medium bowl add dijon mustard. Whisk in lemon juice and fresh herbs.

2. While constantly whiskin, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Keep stirring and adding oil in slowly until you have a nice emulsion.

3. Use immediately or store in fridge and re-whisk together before serving.

Broiled Salmon with Citrus Yogurt Sauce

I love making something that is both quick and healthy! This dish took 20 minutes to make and was really filling! You can make the salmon any way you like but try this citrus yogurt sauce. It goes great with any fish or chicken. 

If you can't find Greek yogurt at the store, buy regular plain whole-milk yogurt. You can thicken it by draining it in a sieve or colander lined with a double thickness of paper towels, chilled, 1 hour. 

Ingredients:
For salmon:
1 (3-lb) piece salmon fillet with skin (1 inch thick at thickest part; preferably center cut)
salt and pepper
olive oil
5 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 

For sauce:
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt or plain whole-milk yogurt (see cooks' note, below)
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mild honey (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler. Line rack of broiler pan with foil and lightly oil foil with some olive oil.

Pat fish dry and check for bones by running your hand over fish from thinnest to thickest end. Remove any bones with pliers. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, then broil 4 inches from heat 7 minutes. Cover fish loosely with foil and continue broiling until just cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes more.

2. While salmon broils, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl until combined.

3. Serve salmon with sauce.

Braised Short Ribs with Potato Risotto

This appetizer was the hit of the night. They we're flying off the tray. And the best part of this app is that it can all be completely cooked the day before and then reheated on the day of the event. You could also use this recipe as a dinner party main course since it's simple to reheat, is impressive, and really tasty! This dish is really time consuming to make so make sure to make it the day before needed!

If using for an appetizer make both items the day ahead and store in the fridge. The day of the event start reducing the braising liquid for a sauce. Shred the short ribs removing any excess fat. Reheat the potato risotto slowly on the stove over low heat until it is the proper consistency. Serve in chinese soup spoons and garnish with some fresh herbs for a perfect bite! 

BRAISED SHORT RIBS:

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Mexican red chile powder (or chili powder)
kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3lbs bone-in short ribs
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups enriched chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degress F
2. Mix together the chile powder, 2 teaspoons salt, cinnamon and coarsely ground black pepper in a small bowl. Lay the ribs on a baking sheet and season one side with the spice mixture, rubbing the mixture in
3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, place the ribs in a single layer, rub side down, in the oil until a crust is formed and the ribs are golden brown. Turn the ribs over and cook until the second side is golden brown. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs
4. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and add the garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook until golden brown and caramelized, 6-7 minutes. Add the wine and boil until nearly reduced, 2-3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer
5. Return the ribs to the pan along with the thyme and bring to a simmer. Place the lid on the pan and place in the oven. Cook until meat is tender and is falling off the bone, 2-2 1/2 hours
6. Carefully remove the ribs to a large plate and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones
7. Strain the sauce into a medium saucepan and return the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sauce consistency, 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the ribs to the pan to reheat

POTATO RISOTTO:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices, then 1/8-inch cubes
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse kosher salt
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cover and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
2. Add potato cubes and cayenne pepper; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth; bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, adding more chicken broth by tablespoonfuls if dry (mixture should be creamy with some sauce, not dry), about 8 minutes.
4. Add cream and simmer until potatoes are tender but still hold their shape, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese and chives.

Carrot Cake

For my Mom's birthday I wanted to bake her a cake and she request carrot. I used a cream cheese frosting with it and it turned out great! The cake was super moist and people seemed to really like it. 

I didn't want to spend too long doing it all at once so what I did was bake the cakes and make the frosting the day before. I wrapped the cakes well in plastic wrap and stored everything separately in the fridge. When I got to my mom's house I put the cake together and frosted it. For simple decoration I just used some pecan halves around the top but you could use chopped pecans on the sides or all over if you want.

Ingredients: 

Butter, for pans 

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans 

2 cups sugar 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

1 teaspoon salt 

4 eggs 

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 

3 cups grated carrots 

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, optional

Frosting:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick salted butter, room temperature
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) round pans; Line bottom of the pans with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3. Add eggs and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, blend until combined.

4. Add carrots and pecans, if using.

5. Pour into pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, place on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting ( I like to make this while the cakes are baking):
1. Add all ingredients, except nuts, into a medium bowl and beat until fluffy using a hand mixer. Stir in the nuts.

2. Spread frosting on top of each cake layer. Stack the cakes on a serving plate and serve.

Orzo Risotto with Shrimp

I was looking to make a dish with things I already had in my house. I decided to make this simple but delicious orzo dish that is cooked like a risotto. To pair with the pasta, I made some shrimp which I keep in my freezer.  I simply sauteed the shrimp with some butter, lemon and thyme over medium heat until they were cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. You can pair anything with the orzo so let your imagination run wild!

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 cups boiling water (or chicken stock)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel (zest)
4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. 

2. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add orzo; sauté 5 minutes. 

4. Mix in 6 cups boiling water and salt. Simmer uncovered until orzo is tender, liquid is absorbed, and risotto is creamy, stirring often, about 18 minutes. 

5. Remove from heat. Mix in thyme, parmesan cheese and lemon peel

Spanish Chicken and Potato Roast

This dish was something I found from food network. I decided to make it because it's a healthier dish and really simple to make. I love the fact that you use very few dishes and the entire meal is cooked in one pan, It made for a great presentation!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (5 to 6 thighs)
2 teaspoons smoked paprika Freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
2 lemons (1 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
2 large or 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced

Directions
1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Place a large cast-iron baking dish or a rimmed baking sheet on the rack and preheat to 500 degrees.

2. Put the potatoes, garlic, olive oil, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, pierce the plastic in a few places with a knife and microwave 8 minutes to partially cook.

3. While potatoes are in the microwave, pat the chicken dry and transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with the paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add 2 tablespoons parsley and the lemon juice; toss to coat. Set aside.

4. Remove the hot baking dish from the oven; carefully add the potatoes with all the liquid and garlic and spread in an even layer. Scatter the onions on top. Roast until the potatoes start to brown, about 12 minutes.

5. Flip the potatoes and lay the chicken pieces on top, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl; return to the oven and roast until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 12 more minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.

CousCous Side Dish

I decided to whip up this side dish because it's quick and healthy! CousCous can be flavored a million ways using different liquids and stirring in different garnishes like veggies or dried fruit. Below is a super basic couscous so you can understand the method, then feel free to put your own spin on it!

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed but kept whole
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 cup plain couscous
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the oil, garlic and chicken broth or water, and bring to a simmer.

2. Stir in the scallions and couscous and cover the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. When the couscous has absorbed all the liquid, fluff it with a fork, and add the parsley, if using, and salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Broccolini Side Dish

I've always heard people talking about Broccolini but I had never tried it. It tasted basically like broccoli but a little more delicate. I really liked it and plan to use it more often. The recipe below would be good for most green, hearty vegetables so feel free to experiment. I like to garnish this dish with extra lemon zest and a little parmesan cheese grated on top.

Ingredients
1 bunch broccolini Kosher salt
1 Tbs butter or olive oil
1/2 lemon, zested
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Blanch the broccolini by putting it in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Drain on paper towels.

2. Melt the butter in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the lemon zest and garlic and stir. Add the broccolini to the garlic mixture and heat for 2 minutes.

3. Add the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, and toss well before serving.

Inside-Out Burgers

I made up this simple burger recipe for my sister, Beth and her kids Sara and Jack. We had been talking about making food together over skype since we live so far apart and when we did it was a success! We both bought all the necessary ingredients and we went through it step by step. I wasn't sure how well it would really work since we used web cams but we were able to make it work and we both had successful and tasty burgers! Here are some of the tips I gave my sister while we we're talking through it.

Tips-
1. An easy way to make your burgers equal is to score or portion beef in bowl so you know how much you have per patty
2. Cheese on the inside of the burger needs to be sealed well so it doesn’t make a mess everywhere. 3. Burger will shrink while cooking so make slightly wider than bun.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef (makes 3 big burgers or 4 normal burgers)
Burger buns
Sliced Cheese of your choice- American, swiss, or mozzarella
Canola oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 egg
2 tsp. garlic powder
Toppings you like on burgers: lettuce, ketchup, mustard, relish, pickles etc.

Directions:
 Make Burger Mix: Put egg into a bowl and whisk with a fork. Add beef, salt, pepper, ketchup, and garlic powder into a bowl. Using your hands, mix until everything is well combined but try not to over mix because meat can become tough.

Form Patties: Take 1/4 of the beef mixture and make a ball of beef using your hands. Make a hole in the center of the ball and place cheese in middle. Then use hands to seal cheese inside, in the middle of the ball. Then flatten out the ball so it is a patty that fits your bun. Cheese needs to be sealed well so it doesn’t make a mess everywhere.

Grill: Heat pan with a little bit of canola oil. Place patties in pan and allow to cook 4-5 minutes UNTOUCHED! Don’t over flip or press down on the burgers. Flip burger and add cheese and cook for another 4-5 minutes until burger is crusted well. I like to cover the burger at this point with a lid or foil so cheese melt better. Remove burgers from pan once cooked through and allow to rest for 3 minutes. Then put the patties on the buns and add all the toppings you like!

Pizza From Scratch

This is a recipe I got from a friend, Susan. The pizza dough uses very common ingredients, takes very little time and equipment, and turns out great every time! Below I've listed the dough recipe and I leave it up to you to create your own toppings. You can go traditional like pepperoni like I did or you could get creative and change up the sauce and toppings.

When making this dough you can use any dry yeast but most stores carry something called pizza crust yeast. Using this yeast makes a much better crust but either yeast will do. I like to keep a few packages of the pizza crust yeast on hand so I can whip up pizzas whenever I have company. This dough recipe make enough for 2 medium size, thin crust pizzas.

Ingredients:
1 tsp yeast
2/3 cup lukewarm water
2 cups AP flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbs olive oil
Cornmeal- about 1 cup for dusting
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella or cheese of your choice
Pizza Toppings

Directions:
Make dough:
1. Combine the yeast and lukewarm water in a small bowl. Allow to "bloom" for 3 minutes.

2. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer that's fitted with a dough hook attachment. Pour yeast mix and olive oil into flour and mix on medium speed until the dough forms a smooth ball. It will look like a smooth dough and will not stick to the sides of the bowl anymore.

3. Take dough ball and place into an olive oil lined bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and leave in a warm spot. The dough will need to sit and rise until it doubles in size.

Roll out the dough and Bake:
1. Preheat oven to 500. If you have a pizza stone, place in oven and allow to come up to temperature.

2. Take out half of the dough and place on a floured surface. Roll out with a rolling pin to the thickness you like. I like the dough to be about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.

3. Move dough to either a pizza peel or to a baking sheet, lined with a little cornmeal. Place sauce, cheese and toppings onto dough.

4. Move dough into oven and allow to bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is slightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for a minute or two and then slice up using a pizza roller or a large knife!

Fillet of Beef, Arugula, and Artichoke Crostini

This is one of the tester recipes I tried with Susan for some Shea Center catering we need to do in the next few weeks. We wanted to try it in advance to make sure it was delicious and doable! It's simple enough to make the day of but if you have a lot of appetizers you need to make you can do some of this ahead.

We really liked this app when it was at room temp but you could also serve it warm. Do Ahead: make artichoke puree and cook beef but do not slice before hand. On Day Of: slice bread and toast, slice beef thinly, assemble.

Ingredients:
2 1/2-pound trimmed fillet of beef, tied
two 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil thirty-six
1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices of Italian bread (about 2 long loaves), toasted lightly
2 bunches of arugula, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well, spun dry, and cut into shreds (about 4 cups)
36 Parmesan curls formed with a vegetable peeler

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Pat the fillet dry, season it with salt and pepper, and in a small roasting pan roast it in the middle of the oven for 23 minutes, or until it registers 125°F. on a meat thermometer for rare meat. Transfer the fillet to a cutting board and let it cool. The fillet may be roasted 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

2. In a blender purée the artichoke hearts and the garlic with the vinegar, the oil, and salt and pepper to taste and transfer the purée to a bowl. The purée may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

3. Right before serving, spread each slice of toast with some of the artichoke purée, top the purée with some of the arugula, and divide the fillet, sliced very thin, among the crostini. Top the crostini with the Parmesan curls.