Kale with Chicken Thighs (Salmon)

I read a book called Smart Chefs Stay Slim, Lessons in Eating and Living from America’s Best Chefs.  Guess what the secret is?  They do not eat what they feed you.  Most are vegetarians.  There are not many recipes in the book, but I chose this one as I am trying to use up the food in the freezers.  According to the list, we had chicken thighs in the downstairs freezer.  They were not there.  So I substituted as I had already bought a large amount of kale.  The substitution worked very well.  I would have to say, I probably enjoyed it more.     

Ingredients: 

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used salmon fillets)

Salt and pepper

1T EVOO

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 Fresno chilies, sliced in rings (I used jalapenos)

2 bunches of kale, roughly chopped (I bought a large bag)

½ C almonds, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ C parsley

Directions:

1.       Season thighs (salmon) liberally on both sides with salt and pepper

2.       Warm the EVOO in a Dutch oven over medium heat, and brown the thighs, skin side down, for 3 minutes per side.  Place the thighs on a plate.  (I browned the salmon on high heat and placed it on a paper plate.)

3.       Add onions, garlic, and chilies to the Dutch oven and sweat until translucent, about 4 minutes.

4.       Add kale, bay leaf and 1C water.

5.       Bring to a simmer.  They say salt liberally; I did not use salt at this point.  Remember you salted the salmon.

6.       Place the chicken on top of the kale, skin side up, and place in a 375 degree oven, uncovered for 20 minutes.  (I covered the kale and salmon.)

7.       Remove from oven and top with lemon zest, lemon juice, almonds and parsley.  (I combined the zest, parsley and chopped almonds on wax paper.  Sprinkled the combined mixture over all and drizzled the lemon juice.)

Jim spent the whole day at the new house as there was a great deal of electrical work involving the Electric Company and our electrician.  Electrical upgrades are the only thing the last owners did not do.  This is probably our biggest expense.  So we are not sure whether he was starving or whether he actually enjoyed the kale as much as I did.  The kale is fabulous.  I think if you use the chicken thighs the kale will have an oilier feel.  This is a wonderful dish, you could even skip any meat and make it as a side dish for anything.   

Slow Cooker Turkey and Potatoes

This is the second night for this meal and it was still good.  I know, I hate leftovers, but we are in the middle of a move and I hate packing and cooking at the same time.  I subscribe to crockpotlady@gmail.com.  I started a long time before she became the first rich and famous food blogger.  I have never been very successful with a Crockpot, but her recipes really work.  I was first attracted to this dish by a recipe for Brussels sprouts.   I only have one crock pot so I made the main course and save the sprouts for later. 

Ingredients:

2# potatoes, washed and quartered (I used small new potatoes and did not quarter.)

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3# bone-in turkey breast or turkey drumsticks

4 T butter

1T dried basil

1 lemon, juiced

½ t kosher salt

1 (12 oz.) bottle of beer

Directions:

1.      Use a 6 qt. slow cooker.

2.      Place the potatoes and onion into the bottom of your insert.

3.      Add turkey on top. 

4.      Plop in butter, basil, and lemon juice. 

5.      Sprinkle on salt, and pour in the beer. 

6.      Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

This was delicious.  The turkey is moist and I usually do not like turkey white meat.  So w will have it tomorrow and probably the next day.  I had French green beans for the last two nights.  Going to change it up for tomorrow. 

Mozzarella Pasta

I am so busy I think I am not paying close attention to everything I should.  We arrived back from the wedding and vacation yesterday.  This AM I made up quick menus and a shopping list.  Stored the groceries and then took off for the new house.  I made a recipe from Meatless Monday again.  It looked easy and easy was what I needed today.  I started making it and I looked under the heading and it said Twiggy.  Twiggy, what does that mean?  Suddenly I got it, English published cookbook, vegetarian, forward by Paul of John, Paul, George and Ringo fame.  This recipe comes from the English model that made those of us in High School at the time feel like moose when we were actually very normal.  It didn’t taste bad, but I think Twiggy could use a few cooking lessons.  This is said to serve two.

Ingredients: 

6 oz penne rigate (I used whole wheat)

14 oz can plum tomatoes

2 T EVOO

1 C freshly grated Parmesan

2 T freshly chopped basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 oz mozzarella, diced (In hind sight, shred)

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.      Cook the pasta in boiling water according to pkg. directions. 

3.      Meanwhile heat the oil and tomatoes in a pan, breaking down the tomatoes gently with a wooden spoon.  (This part made Twiggy feel like she was cooking.)

4.      Add half the Parmesan and all the basil.  Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. 

5.      Drain pasta and place in an ovenproof dish. 

6.      Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir through the diced mozzarella.  (I took diced literally and ended up with gigantic clumps of goo (cheese) in the dish.)

7.      Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is golden.

8.      Serve immediately. 

Well, the pasta slides around and the cheese was like gigantic clumps.  If I was three and had the experience of a three year old, I would have really liked it.           

Spinach Tart

This was very good and so easy you can do it with your eyes closed.  I did not exactly follow the recipe though.  I have noted below the changes I made.   This is Monday and the cookbook is The Meat Free Cookbook.   

Ingredients:

8” deep tart pan, lined with flaky pie dough (used frozen puff pastry and 8” square pan)

9 oz spinach (10 oz pkg. baby spinach, used it all)

4 T butter (used 2)

1 onion

2 heaping cups grated Cheddar Cheese (didn’t measure cut cheese in half and grated in the food processor)

2 whole organic eggs, plus 2 yolks (had farm fresh eggs from Pam, they are small with large yolks, just used 4 whole eggs)

2/3 C heavy cream (used fat free yoghurt)

1 t Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prick the puff pastry all over.  Place lined tart pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

2.      Gently cook the spinach with 1T butter in a skillet until wilted.  Remove from the heat and chop.  Heat 1T butter in same pan and sauté onions until soft and slightly brown. 

3.      Spread the onions and spinach over the baked pastry.

4.      Pulse cheese, eggs, yoghurt, mustard and seasonings. 

5.      Pour over the spinach and onions and return to oven for 30 minutes. 

6.      Turn off the heat and leave in oven for 5 more minutes.

I served this with cucumbers straight from Pam’s garden.

Summer Picnic

The biggest mistake I made was deciding to have a party the last night instead of going to the events last party which was a pool party.  Jim did not want to go to the pool party.  So I decided on a picnic.  I was hoping the weather would corporate and we could eat outside.  It did and I had done a lot ahead, Jim was tired and bitched about having to cook the corn and burgers.  He bitched that I had served the salad “wrong” as the lettuce was wasted as “no one” knew to scoop the lettuce with topping.  He bitched that the cheese was too chunky to melt on the burgers.  And even though they were called beef burgers with blue cheese and caramelized onions there was no way he was putting blue cheese or onions on his burger.  I am telling you that by the time we got to dessert and he bitched that there were too many choices of ice cream and too many brownies I was ready to stop cooking.  He also had turned off the ice maker again, as he does not like it to get full, and had to get more ice when I realized we did not have enough ice to keep the wine cool and serve with drinks.  Maybe he is getting too old to play 63 holes of golf in 3 days. 

The appetizer was a Hot Crab Dip from Martha’s new American Food Cookbook.  It makes 4 cups, but I was a little disappointed as to how runny it was.  It was hard to eat on crackers. 

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ C plus 2T all-purpose flour

1 ½ C milk

¼ t cayenne

2 t dry mustard powder

4 oz. sharp white cheddar, shredded (1 C)

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 T lemon juice

2 t Worcestershire sauce

10 oz. lump crabmeat (I used the whole #)

2 T coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

½ small (8 oz. loaf rustic bread, crusts trimmed, torn into 1” pieces (1-2 C)

Assorted crackers and flatbreads, for serving

Directions:

1.      Melt 6T butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. 

2.      Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 4 minutes. 

3.      Whish in flour; cook, whishing constantly, 4 minutes. 

4.      Whisking constantly, pour in mil in a slow, steady stream.  Simmer over medium heat, whisking, until thickened, about 4 minutes. 

5.      Stir in cayenne and mustard. 

6.      Gradually whisk in cheese; whisk until melted.

7.      Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and Worcestershire to combine. 

8.      Stir in crabmeat and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper. 

9.      Transfer to a 1 qt. oven proof dish. 

10.  (This added absolutely nothing to the dish) Melt remaining 2 T butter; stir into bread pieces.  Season with slat and pepper.  Arrange bread mixture over crab dip.   

11.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees when ready to serve.  I made ahead and held in the refrigerator.  I set it out to come to room temperature before baking. 

12.  Bake until heated through and the topping is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. 

13.  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving as it is like molten lava. 

As we were having burgers with nice buns, I decided Waldorf Salad from Martha’s American Food Cookbook would be refreshing instead of the usual potato salad.  Trivia for all, this salad was created by Oscar Tschirky, the maitre d’hôtel of NYC’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.  I remember having it for the first time in The Palmer House in Chicago.  The Palmer House was big time when I was young.  If it is still there, it probably has a chain name on it now.    

Ingredients:

¼ C mayonnaise

3 T plain yogurt

1 T unsweetened applesauce

1 T lemon juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 red apple, cored and chunked

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced (about 1 C)

1 C walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 C seedless red grapes, halved

1 head of butter lettuce (Like I’d find this in Lebanon.  I used baby romaine.)

Directions:

1.      Whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, applesauce, and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper. 

2.      Toss apples, celery, walnuts, and grapes with the dressing. 

3.      Divide the lettuce among 4 plates and spoon salad on top.  Serve immediately. 

I had 8 for dinner so I put the lettuce on a platter type wide bowl and spooned the salad in the middle.  I enjoyed the salad, but felt I had under salted it.  There was leftover but as the salad had sat outside with mayo I did not save.  Jim did not object to saving it as he did not understand why anyone would put apples, celery and grapes in a salad.  He just objected to the wasting of the lettuce as “no one” knew to take any. 

I got the idea for the Beef Burgers with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions from an article titled Summer Burgers in Fine Cooking June/July 2012.  I have blogged before about Alton Brown’s Burger of the Gods.  The basic is that you use ½# sirloin and ¾# chuck and pulse separately 10 times in the food processor.  This makes 3 burgers that you can safely eat medium rare.  I knew that anything under charred to death would fall on deaf ears to some of the guests, but I just do not want to eat store ground beef. 

I will have to admit that the quality of meat that I got at Publics, our local grocer, was less flavorful than I am used to. This recipe serves 4.  I used my formula for the beef and increased the other ingredients to a total of 9 burgers.  

Ingredients:

2 T unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped (about 2C)  I used Vidalia

1 ½ # ground beef

1 T chopped fresh tarragon

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T Worcestershire sauce

Vegetable oil, for the grill

4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 C)

4 brioche or challah rolls, split.  ( I found whole wheat rolls at the bakery.)

Directions: 

1.      Prepare a medium high gas or charcoal grill fire. 

2.      Melt butter in a 12” skillet over medium-low heat. 

3.      Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until golden and soft, about 20 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low if they brown too quickly.  This is a case where low and long wins the race to great onions.  (Jim threw out all the leftover onions.)

4.      In a large bowl mix the beef, tarragon, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with your hands. 

5.      Form into four ½” thick patties. 

6.      Oil the grate and grill the burgers, 4 minutes per side for medium-rare or 5 minutes per side for Medium.  When you flip the burgers top with cheese.  Do not wait until the second side is done and then complain that the cheese is too thick to melt.

The burgers were served however.  I topped mine with onions, but I put out mustard and ketchup for those that can’t stand the idea of ever putting something in their mouths that they did not have by the time they were seven. 

The corn was grilled with my butter lime baste as is found on my blog at the beginning of each grilling season.   It seems like I am in a bit of a rut here with the corn.   

Grilled Corn with Lime Butter , Serves 8 1 1/2T butter, melted
¼ t grated lime rind
1 ½ T fresh lime juice
¼ t salt
¼ t red pepper
8 ears of corn
Cooking Spray
Prepare grill
Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
Place corn on grill rack and cook for 10 minutes. Jim bastes the corn while it is cooking. We’ve had this several times and find it great. This comes from the Cooking Light Cookbook.

Dessert was Martha’s brownies and a limited selection of frozen yogurt or vanilla ice-cream.   Next year I will enjoy all the club events and pouty boy can go sit in a corner.       

Bagel Strada with Sausage and Spring Vegtables

This is yet another breakfast Strata recipe.  I got this from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen, but did not exactly follow the recipe.  This was practice Thursday and it is the only day of the event that the boys do not get breakfast at the club.  The recipe says serves 8-10. Maybe with the heavier bagels it would.  I used French bread and I would say 6-8 if you serve fruit or close slaw also.  I thought this was very good.  It was even good left over.  If I remade this with the bagels, I would use double the sausage and vegetables.    

Ingredients:

7 cups diced bagels (3/4” cubes) I used French bread because I had it. 

4 T unsalted butter, melted

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 T vegetable oil (did not use)

6 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 C diced asparagus (1/2” pieces

½ C frozen peas, thawed

6 oz. Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked

6 oz. grated white cheddar cheese

8 eggs

2 C half-and-half

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.      In a bowl, stir together the bread, melted butter, salt and pepper to coat well. 

3.      Spread cubes on a baking sheet.  Bake, stirring several times halfway through, until golden, about 25 minutes.  Let cool.

4.      In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage.  I add all the mushrooms and asparagus and cooked it all in the same pan that I cooked the sausage, about 5 minutes.  I used a hot, TN breakfast sausage and there was little fat.   I drained the sausage and the vegetables on paper plates.

5.      In a bowl stir together 6 of the 7 C of the bread cubes, mushrooms, asparagus, peas, sausage and 4 oz. cheese. 

6.      Transfer to a 2 qt. baking dish. 

7.      In a bowl, beat together eggs and half-and-half, pour over bagel mixture. 

8.      Cover, refrigerate at least one hour or up to overnight. 

9.      In a food processor, pulse remaining bread cubes into coarse crumbs. Combine this with the 2 oz of cheese and save in a separate container with the strada overnight.  

10.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake uncovered for 50 minutes. 

11.  Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs over and bake 10 minutes more. 

Chocolate Chunk Brownies

This was the once a year member guest weekend that is common to the last two golf clubs we belong to.  Jim and my brother always play.  The first year at Piedmont their flight; came in second another year and tied another.  Last year, their first in TN, they came in last and I mean really dead last.  This year I was told, we were not last.  Story ends.  Arrival night was simple as we didn’t really know what time we would be eating.  I used the Louisiana/Dr. OZ chicken rub that I blogged about earlier.  We grilled instead of baked and this time we liked it.  God thing as we do have a lifetime supply.  I microwaved asparagus with lemon EVOO on it.  I also microwaved green beans, but sautéed mushrooms to go over them.  I bought a loaf of multi grain bread to round out the meal.  For dessert I served Martha’s brownies and made blueberry Yonana “ice cream” using my Yonanas machine. 

Chocolate Chunk Brownies   Yield:  48 brownies

Ingredients:

3 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

1# 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (left whole)

¾ # bittersweet chocolate, cut into small chunks (2 ½ C)

41/2 C sugar

9 large eggs, lightly beaten

¾ C unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 ½ t salt

1 ¾ C plus 2T all-purpose flour, sifted

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 12 x 17 x 1” rimmed baking sheet, and line with parchment, leaving an overhang folded over edges.  Butter the parchment also.

2.      Melt butter and uncut chocolate in a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Stir until smooth.  Remove from heat.

3.      Whish in sugar, then eggs, then cocoa powder and salt. 

4.      Fold in flour until just combined. 

5.      Fold in chocolate chunks.

6.      Pour batter into pan. 

7.      Bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out with very moist crumbs, 45-48 minutes. 

8.      Let cool completely, about 2 hours. 

9.      Remove from pan, and cut into 2” squares. 

Yes, this makes a lot of brownies. Martha put them in little cups (I have those cups packed somewhere) and put whipped cream on top with neon sanding sugar sprinkled over as part of a party celebration.  Like I said, I served the “Yonanas ice cream.”  Go to www.yonanas.com if interested in this gadget.  

Whole-grain Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms

One the way back home after working on the new house I asked Jim if he would rather have a spinach pie or pasta with Brussels sprouts.  I got the look!  It is meatless Monday I respond.  Brussels sprouts and beets, my favorite vegetables are Jim’s most hated.  This recipe comes from Giada’s Weeknights Cookbook.  Jim loved it, but it says that it serves 4-6.  Jim barely made a dent in it.  I was hoping for a leftover night, but I may get two. 

Ingredients:

1# whole grain or whole wheat spaghetti

1 C grated pecorino Romano cheese

¼ C EVOO

1 medium onion, chopped

1 # mushrooms, cleaned and cut into thick slices

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1# Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and thinly sliced (missed the thinly sliced, but my sprouts were small)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 C (8oz.) crème fraiche, at room temperature

½ C chicken broth

Grated zest of 1 large lemon

½ C fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons) 

1 C slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

1.      Toast the almonds in the large skillet that you will make the sauce in.  I reserved them on a paper plate. Giada toasts them in the oven.  I like the skillet method as I believe you have more control. 

2.      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 according to package directions. 

3.      Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Toss with ½ C of the cheese. 

4.      In a largte skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms, 1t salt and ½ t pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the mushrooms are golden, about 6 minutes. 

5.      Add the Brussels sprouts and garlic.  Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the sprouts are soft. 

6.      Add the crème fraiche, broth, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Bring to a simmer ans stir until the mixture forms a creamy sauce, about 2 minutes.  Season with 2 t salt and 1 t pepper.  (I used less salt.)

7.      Pour the sauce over the pasta, add the almonds, and toss until coated. 

8.      Sprinkle with the remaining ½ C cheese and serve.       

Sage-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Warm Apple Slaw

This recipe is based loosely on a recipe for Sage-Rubbed pork chops with warm apple slaw I found in the paper.  I changed it up with pork tenderloin and cooked it on the grille instead of in the pan with the slaw.  So here is my version.  Jim and I agreed that the rub on the tenderloin was the best yet!

Ingredients:

For the tenderloin:

1 t dried sage

1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1 t)

½ t salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 average size tenderloin

For the slaw:

2 t EVOO

1 large onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced into half-moons

1 large Granny Smith apple, cut in half, cored and coarsely shredded

½ t dried sage

½ head green cabbage, cored and coarsely shredded (about 9 cups) I used a Napa cabbage.

3 large carrots, coarsely shredded (about 3 cups)

2 T cider vinegar

½ t salt

¾ C low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

1.      Remove the silver skin from the tenderloin.

2.      Combine the sage, garlic, salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl.   Rub this mixture all over the tenderloin and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. 

3.      Grille over medium heat until the internal temperature is 137 degrees.  Ten t with foil for 5-10 minutes before cutting. 

4.      For the slaw, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, apple and sage.  Cook stirring a few times, until softened and golden brown, 4-5 minutes. 

5.      Add the cabbage, carrots, vinegar and salt to soften, about 5 minutes. 

6.      Add the broth; and cover and cook about 5-7 minutes longer. 

7.      To serve, arrange the sliced tenderloin on the warm slaw on individual plates.

I also added Seeds of Change, Quinoa & whole grain brown rice. I loved the cabbage, Jim tolorated it.   Jim served Gainey Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010.  He aerated it when serving.  This is a great wine to put down for future pleasure.