Balsamic Skirt Steak

Really simple and really fantastic. That's all I have to say. My husband would be happy if I stayed a woman of such few words for a while but that's never going to happen, nope never! LOL! 

Balsamic Skirt Steak with Zucchini
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Source: Martha Stewart - Everyday Food, September 2012
Printable Recipe

1 1/2 pounds skirt steaks, pounded thin; cut into 4 pieces

olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 zucchini, cut into half-moons

salt and pepper

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

In a large skillet, on medium-high, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and zucchini, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until zucchini is browned in spots and just softened, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Season steak with salt and pepper and cook until browned, turn steaks over and cook to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate. 

Drain the fat from the skillet, then add the vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until reduced by about half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the steak to the pan for another minute to heat through. Serve the steak along with the zucchini. Drizzle the steak with more sauce and serve.

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Simple Meals Friday with at Mexican Wildflower

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This has a-peel!

So I am a little addicted to kitchen gadgets and toys, I'm sure you dish addict people will understand the kitchen addiction!  I already have the Y-style peeler to julienne and I found that it worked great, but just a little difficult for me. The julienne mandoline worked great, especially for potatoes and apples, but there is always that fear factor after a few slicing incidents and an abundance of band aids. Then someone mentioned a side peeler on their blog so I googled and then ordered one by Messermeister.

My new favorite kitchen gadget. For now anyway :)
There's a new lemon zester coming any day now.

To make Zucchini "Pasta" peel a few zucchini using a julienne peeler or mandoline. Saute with some oil and garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh Parmesan shavings and serve.

or  this...

Zucchini "Spaghetti"

adapted by http://theresalwaysthyme.blogspot.com

Printable Recipe

4 zucchini, trim the ends and julienne

2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pan)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 cup (or more) freshly grated cheese

Saute the zucchini in a bit of olive oil, add a little salt and pepper to taste, don't cook the zucchini too long, you don't want it turning to mush. Add the tomato sauce and grate a little cheese on top, and mix it in. Take it off heat and pour it into a bowl, and grate some cheese on top and serve!

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Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

Foodie Friends Friday
hosted by 
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Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Cottage

 Mosaic Monday  at the Little Red House

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Wordless Wednesday: julienne

More Wordless Wednesday can be found here!

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Stuffed Zucchini

Tomatoes and zucchini go so well together. Add some cheese and bread crumbs and you've got one fantastic dish! This was excellent. And so easy. I was looking forward to leftovers, but there weren't any. So I made them again.

Zucchini Boats
Source:  Proud Italian Cook

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

3 zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise, ends trimmed

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

plain bread crumbs

fontina, provolone or mozzarella (or any good melting cheese), diced

a little white wine (optional)

olive oil for drizzling

basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine the garlic, oil, salt and pepper.

Scoop out the seeds of the zucchini in the center with a spoon. Brush the surface with the oil mixture. Arrange the tomato halves down the center of the zucchini, pour a little bit of white wine in the dish, then sprinkle with the bread crumbs.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the cheese in between the tomatoes. Turn broiler on and place them back in the oven. Broil until golden and bubbling. Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan. Garnish with chopped basil.

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Shaved Zucchini and Fennel Salad

This one is pretty close to the Shaved Fennel and Mushroom Salad I've made in the past. The zucchini and red onion make a really nice addition in this salad from EatingWell magazine. I added the mushrooms to it. Nice, fresh and easy for a quick lunch. Or with dinner.

Shaved Zucchini, Fennel and Mushroom Salad
Source: EatingWell - July/August 2011
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2-3 zucchini
1 bulb fennel, quartered and cored, fronds reserved
4-5 white button or cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
a little bit of fresh lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup slivered red onion
6 tablespoons shredded Manchego, Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Very thinly slice zucchini lengthwise into long strips with a vegetable peeler, mandoline or a knife. Place the strips in between two layers of paper towel and let stand while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Very thinly slice fennel bulb and the mushrooms with a knife or mandoline. Chop enough fronds to equal about 1/8 cup. Whisk oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, fennel, fronds, mushrooms and onion; gently stir to coat well. Serve sprinkled with cheese and freshly ground pepper.

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Joining the November Blog Hop & Giveaway: Favorite Vegetable Recipes on the FaveDiets blog.

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Chicken Piccata

One of our all-time favorites is Chicken Piccata. I make it often, usually when I can't think of what else to make. My Miss Picky loves it and even made it herself a few years back for a class assignment. You can read about that here on this post. That was the beginning of High School, now she's applying to colleges. That went fast. But she still loves that Piccata, even when it isn't for a grade. On the side was zucchini spaghetti!  Julienne zucchini with sauce and Parmesan and garlic. Lots of garlic.

Woodie's World Famous Chicken Piccata
posted by Woodie many times at the Cooking Forum
Printable Recipe

4 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned (I cheat and buy the thin sliced chicken cutlets!)
salt and pepper
flour (enough for coating)
3 tablespoons butter
juice of 1 lemon
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine

Put a piece of waxed paper on the counter and place chicken on top. Use a meat pounder, the side of a saucer, the unsharpened side of a heavy knife or other object to pound the breast into a thin piece that’s uniformly thick (about an inch). Salt and pepper the chicken generously, then coat with flour. Melt butter in a large skillet and brown chicken on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon juice, chicken broth and wine. Boil down until it’s about one-half cup. Place chicken back in skillet, cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove cover and serve.

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Hot and Sour Soba Noodles

I was over at Joy's Book Blog, to leave a comment on her Weekend Cooking post, and she had a great review on a cookbook by Martha Rose Shulman. On occasion I read the Recipes for Health by Martha Rose Shulman at the NY Times site, so when I noticed that Joy mentioned Hot and Sour Soba Noodles on her list to try,  I knew I had to look that one up! And I am so glad I did. It's very easy and uses a different technique to cook the soba noodles from the other recipe for cold soba noodles that I normally use. Soba is pretty easy to overcook when you don't pay attention to things. That's me, there was that time I served a bowl of mush noodles :)

Miss Picky got a little taste while I was making it and then proceeded to eat the dressing by the spoonful. Raved about it. OK, where is my Miss Picky and what did you do with her? She is never that excited by food. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe, more peanut butter, and more soy sauce. And I added some shredded red cabbage and some chopped scallions. And when I made the dressing I completely forgot about the vinegar but it was too late. Next time. I do well with recipes that can tolerate my lack of concentration. This was a great recipe. Next time I might even use fresh zucchini instead of the cucumbers. A bit different from the original noodle recipe that we love, that I posted about here.

Thanks, Joy, for a great review, I'll be adding that book to my collection very soon!

Hot and Sour Soba Noodles
Source: recipe by Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times Recipes for Health and the book, The Very Best of Recipes for Health
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons peanut butter (to taste, I used 3 of the Trader Joe's Creamy Peanut Butter, and nuked it for 20 seconds so it would soften enough to stir in the sauce)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 to 2 teaspoons hot red pepper oil (to taste)
pinch of cayenne
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 pound Japanese buckwheat noodles
1 cup diced or julienned cucumber
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
2 scallions, white part, sliced very thin rings
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional, I think peanuts would be nice, too!)
Lettuce, baby spinach, radicchio or arugula for serving (optional)

Heat the peanut butter for about 10 to 20 seconds in a microwave to make it easier to mix. Combine with the soy sauce, vinegar, hot red pepper oil, cayenne, garlic, ginger and salt and pepper. Whisk together. Whisk in the sesame oil, canola oil and broth. Set aside.

To cook the noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt, if desired, and the noodles. When the water comes back to a boil and bubbles up, add a cup of cold water to the pot. Allow the water to come back to a boil, and add another cup of cold water. Allow the water to come to a boil one more time, and add a third cup of water. When the water comes to a boil again, the noodles should be cooked through. Drain, rinse in cold water, drain and toss immediately with the dressing (whisk the dressing again first). Add the remaining ingredients, and toss together. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve. I chilled it in the refrigerator before serving.

You can serve this on a bed of lettuce, spinach, arugula, whatever you like and even add shrimp, chicken or tofu to make it a meal. We had it as a side dish. And loved it.

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Souper Sundays (and salads and sandwiches) @ Kahakai Kitchen

 
Souper Sunday weekly round-up of recipes

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Greek Salad Sandwich

Saw this sandwich over at Debbie's blog, Mountain Breaths, and I knew this was for me. I used store bought hummus, but would love to try it next time with the homemade. I was making some variation of this sandwich no matter because it just sounded so good to me. So I used fresh zucchini instead of cucumbers, It was really good. Too bad the picky people I live with would never try feta. Their loss. They do eat hummus though, so maybe I will be nice and make one of these for them, minus the feta. If I decide to be nice :)

Greek Salad Sandwich
Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2011
Source: Debbie @ Mountain Breaths
Adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook

hummus:
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
extra-virgin olive oil
small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
or you can use store bought hummus

1/2 of a small red onion
Greek salad dressing, or use red wine vinegar, oil, and any herbs you like
coarse salt
ground pepper
3 oz. crumbled feta
8 slices rustic bread or pita's
1/2 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
chopped kalamata olives

In a food processor pulse the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil until finely chopped.  Season with salt and pepper. Or cheat and use store bought hummus!

In a small bowl, toss the red onion with enough dressing until it's all coated. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mash the feta with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Brush all slices of bread with the dressing. On 4 of the slices, spread chickpea mixture. Top with the cucumber, tomato and onion.  Season with salt and pepper. Spread the feta mixture on the remaining 4 slices of bread and place on top of the sandwiches.

Be sure to check out Gnoe at Graasland  for the June edition of "Whip Up Something New!"

Joining  Dining with Debbie for What's On the Menu Wednesday!

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Weekend Cooking and a Celebrity Cook-Along!

Lynn @ Happier than a Pig in Mud is having another Celebrity Cook-Along!  This month's celebrity cook is Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman!

I decided on a pasta salad, mostly because I was starving for lunch and had all the ingredients on hand! It was really easy and Pioneer Woman's Pasta Salad looked so good and so fresh. Although my tomatoes were a little sad looking! So much for fresh. I had found little heirlooms and by the time I knew what I wanted to do with them, their time had come. So I roasted them. Why waste perfectly delicious but getting more wrinkled than my mother tomatoes? I threw in a couple wrinkled yellow peppers, too! An hour in the oven at 350 degrees F with a little garlic, salt, pepper and olive and they would be perfect to eat again. My kids eat them like candy. Too bad they wouldn't touch this salad with the feta, their loss, I made theirs without! Love, love, love this salad, thank you Pioneer Woman, I have your book, and enjoy your site but it's the first recipe I've ever made. I'll be back for more!

Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Zucchini, Feta and Lemon

adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
source: The Pioneer Woman, for the original recipe click here!

Printable Recipe

12 ounces farfalle (bowtie) pasta or any small pasta shape, I used small shells
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 whole lemon (more or less to taste)
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 whole zucchini, cut in small dice or wedges
10 ounces grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (I used heirlooms and roasted them first with a little garlic)
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (more or less to taste)
6 ounces, crumbled Feta cheese Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water until completely cool. Add olive oil and lemon juice, then add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. Add zucchini, tomatoes, parsley, and feta, and toss to combine. Add more of what you think it needs! Squeeze in a little more lemon juice/drizzle more olive oil if it needs more.
Cover and chill before serving.

 Stop by Happier than a Pig in Mud, Lynn throws a fun Celebrity Cook-Along party every month!

Joining Beth at Beth Fish Reads for her fun Weekend Cooking Party. Every weekend. It's open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share! Go on over and see some fun posts.

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and joining Friday Potluck at Ekat's Kitchen

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That first snow...

Well, we got it, the first snow of the season last week! Weird because it was almost 50 degrees the day or two before. But there it was, we woke up to a nice covering of snow. I know some folks don't like it, but we do! And the perfect thing to go with a cold, snowy day? Minestrone Soup! Any soup, I think, but this day it was Minestrone. A friend had invited me for lunch, she made Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice. I liked it so much I made it again the very next day. Perfect timing with the snow! Has everything but the kitchen sink. Maybe not string beans. Didn't have those, but you can throw them in, too, if you want them. Sprinkled with a little Parmesan. This is perfect soup for a snowy day. Hey, it's perfect soup for a sunny day! And even better the next day when the rice soaked up all the soup! It was a total comfort dish, like risotto, without all the stirring! Risotto with Tomatoes and Vegetables!

Minestrone with Tomatoes and Rice

Source: Sheri

original recipe by Luca Marcato of Osteria al Doge, NYC

adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook

Printable Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice

1 Japanese eggplant or 1/2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup arborio rice

one 28-ounce can Italian peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 small stalk of broccoli — cut into 1-inch florets, stem peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets

1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1/2 cup frozen baby peas 
6 cups water, vegetable or chicken broth

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large non-reactive soup pot. Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the carrot potato, zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the rice to a skillet on medium heat with a little bit of oil, about a tablespoon. Stir well to coat the grains with the oil and toast for about two minutes. Then add the rice to the soup pot with the vegetables. Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, the crushed red pepper and 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, celery and peas and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables and the rice are tender, about 35 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

(MAKE AHEAD: The soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. Reheat before serving.) Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the Parmesan cheese at the table.  If it's too thick next day, add some stock or water and season again!

 

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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Arugula-Endive Salad

At least my screw ups taste pretty good most of the time. Of course once again this time I didn't read the recipe through completely. Just sort of of saw what I wanted to see and thought this is very easy! Added a few extra's like frisee, radicchio and fennel. Cremini mushrooms, too. It still tasted amazing, even without following it completely! Loved the salad, loved the dressing, and next time I will actually follow through and make the honeyed pine nuts. Honey-Pine Nut Brittle would have made the salad more than amazing!

The big kid had some with me for lunch, minus the fennel and blue cheese. He's pretty adventurous when it comes to ingredients, but has yet to acquire a taste for blue cheese. I'm pretty much alone in this house when it comes to stinky cheeses! I think I may have this one again today!

Check the link for the original salad recipe with the brittle!

Arugula-Endive Salad with Pine Nuts
Source: Food and Wine Magazine, August 2008 - original recipe by Susan Spungen
adapted There's Always Thyme to Cook
Printable Recipe

1/2 cup pine nuts (2 1/2 ounces) toasted
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups baby arugula
1 Belgian endives—halved, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise
4 ounces Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

optional:
frisee, torn in small pieces
radicchio, thinly sliced
fennel, thinly sliced
fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced

In a nonstick skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderately high heat, stirring, until the nuts are golden and fragrant. Let cool.

In a bowl, whisk the honey with the vinegar and the mustards. Gradually whisk in the oil; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss the arugula with the endives and whatever else you are using along with the blue cheese. Add the pine nuts to the salad. Add the dressing, toss to coat and serve at once.

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Zucchini Spaghetti?

Last week I was playing around with the julienne slicer, and didn't snag one fingertip, always a good thing when playing with a slicer!  Although I have gotten clipped a couple times. We won't discuss that! We ended up with some sauteed zucchini with a little olive oil and some grated Parmesan for a really good side dish. The Parmesan and the oil made it kind of saucy.  It was very good, very easy, and we'll have it again like that, one of these days.

So today being a lazy, hazy and kind of gray Sunday, we went food shopping, and we had to eat what ever was in the frig to make more room. There was some more zucchini that needed to be used up. Note to self, zucchini goes pretty far, don't buy six at one time ever again! There is always at least two zucchini left over. And some nice vine tomatoes that were going to be too soft any minute.

Found some Parrano cheese way back in the frig, and grated it on top of the sauce. The Parrano gave it a great flavor! If you ever get a chance to taste Parrano, don't pass it up, it's a fantastic cheese. Sort of like Parmesan,  and like Gouda, it's mild and it grates well, melts well, and it's just so good!  A friend of mine brought some to a party this past June and we've all been addicted to it ever since.

So I roasted the tomatoes at 350° F for about an hour, with some garlic, salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. Turned the heat off after an hour and let them sit in the oven to finish roasting, and put them in the food mill to get a very smooth, delicious sauce! I am getting plenty of use from that food mill, should have gotten it years ago! Not to mention that julienne slicer. Just saute the zucchini in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for just a few minutes, don't turn it to mush. Then pour the tomato sauce on top and grate some cheese, any kind you like, on top and serve!

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

 

Zucchini Spaghetti

Printable Recipe

 

4 zucchini, trim the ends and julienne

2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pan)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 cup (or more) freshly grated cheese, Parmesan, Cheddar, Parrano, whatever cheese you like!

Saute the zucchini in a bit of olive oil, add a little salt and pepper to taste, don't cook the zucchini too long, you don't want it turning to much. Add the tomato sauce and grate a little cheese on top, and mix it in! Take it off heat and pour it into a nice bowl, and grate some cheese on top and serve!

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Frittata

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

We had frittata for brunch!

The other day I got a package in the mail!  The Griller came hauling it in with "another box for you" and put it on the table! I had been waiting for this pan, a Le Creuset Tarte Tatin Pan from CSN stores, that I  had won at Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner! I had posted about it here! And it arrived earlier than expected! YAY! Thanks, again, Pam!

I had everything for a Frittata and nothing for a Tatin, so to break the pan in, we are having brunch! Garden vegetables, sauteed first, whatever you have, some eggs, milk and cheese. Simple, easy and so good!

I sauteed the vegetables right in the pan on top of the stove, while the oven preheated. Ready in no time, I poured the egg, cheese and milk mixture right into the pan and then baked in the oven for about 30-40 minutes!  I love this pan already, it makes a pretty presentation on the table.

Frittata

Printable Recipe

8 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup milk (or cream)
any vegetables you like (asparagus, onions, broccoli, spinach, , zucchini, mushrooms, potatoes - roast, steam or saute the vegetables first!) I usually use spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and shallots!
a little olive oil for the vegetables!
1 cup (or more) shredded cheese
salt and pepper

You can use diced ham, bacon or sausage, too. Cook bacon or sausage first!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the eggs, milk, and the cheese. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper to taste.

Saute or roast the vegetables with a little olive oil or butter, salt and pepper, until softened and getting a little color.

Pour the egg mixture into a large pie dish or a rectangle baking pan. Then add the vegetables. Bake until puffed and set in the middle, and a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes. You can serve it on a plate by sliding it out of the pan, or invert it onto a plate and serve it browned bottoms up! Or the easy way, just right out of the pan!

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Mosaic Monday: Pea Shoots

It's so hot here. It's so hot everywhere! So the best I could come up with for Mosaic Monday is a salad mosaic. A nice cool salad! I love salad when it's hot out. but the family can't live on salad alone, or won't, so the Griller grilled a couple of skirt steaks, too!

My new favorite in my salad the past few weeks has been pea shoots! They add flavor and crunch and it's a nice something different. Adding dried cherries, fennel, walnuts and fresh mozzarella doesn't hurt either!

Joining Mary's Mosaic Monday again this week. For more mosaic's stop by the Little Red House!

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Chicken Piccata a new way! and a great Caesar Salad

Chicken Piccata is a big favorite around here. Really big. So big that Miss Picky requests it and while this one won't replace our favorite, it was still a great dish! Really good! Needed more sauce, and I went too heavy on the herbs, but really good. Even when I forgot to add the chicken broth until the very last minute. Still good.  Reduced the sauce to almost nothing. Still good. The fresh parsley makes the bread crumb topping a little greenish, but looks aren't everything! I used thin-sliced chicken cutlets and layered them in the dish! Served with brown rice and sauteed tomatoes and zucchini. and a Caesar salad that was excellent! Definitely making that again. and soon!

Layered cutlets and because I used two packages, the ones underneath didn't get much topping! Still tasted good! The topping is the last step.

The salad is from a new cookbook, Frankie's Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual! The recipe was in the Serious Eats newsletter. Nothing like having a great recipe delivered right to you, rather than searching and searching and searching! This was definitely a keeper!  Even when I added ALL the water at the beginning and it was a little thin, STILL EXCELLENT! Next time I'll follow directions, yeah, that would be something, and drizzle the water in at the end just to thin it out, not drown it!  Even Grandma liked it, she must be getting used to hot sauce these days! Never once waved her hands that her mouth was on fire, and never once reached for the water! Hey, if you can't beat them, join them!  So I added a few extra dashes of the Tabasco, no complaints. Not even Miss Picky.

Piccata Chicken Gratin
Source: The Seattle Times Test Kitchen. Adapted from "Gratins: Savory and Sweet Recipes from Oven to Table" by Tina Salter.
Printable Recipe

1 lemon
6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs (I used thin-sliced chicken cutlets)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray or oil
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon capers, drained (I omitted)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons olive oil

Zest the lemon, mince 2 teaspoons and set aside. Juice the lemon and reserve 1 tablespoon. Put the chicken in a dish and sprinkle with garlic, rosemary and thyme. Whisk together lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pour over chicken, cover and marinate at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray or oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place chicken in the dish, discard any leftover marinade and pour the chicken broth around the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, capers and lemon zest. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until the crumbs have absorbed the oil.

Remove baking dish from oven. Drain broth into a small saucepan. Spoon the topping evenly over the chicken and continue baking 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. If topping needs more browning, place under a hot broiler. Boil the reserved broth until reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Transfer chicken to plates and drizzle a little of the reduced broth around it. Serve immediately.

Frankie's Romaine Hearts with Caesar Salad Dressing
Source: Serious Eats Recipe Newsletter: June 16. Adapted from The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo.
Printable Recipe

3 hearts of romaine (pull away the floppiest, greenest outer leaves)
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus additional cheese for serving (I used grated Parmegiano-Reggiano)
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on how thick you want the dressing!)
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
2 anchovy fillets (I used anchovy paste)
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
8 turns freshly ground white pepper
Fine sea salt, if needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Croutons (optional)

Trim the root ends from the romaine, separate the leaves, and wash and dry them. Put the lettuce in the fridge to chill while you prepare the dressing. (I cut the romaine in small pieces!)

Combine 1/4 cup of the Pecorino with the remaining ingredients (except the black pepper) in a blender (or food processor) and puree until the dressing is smooth. (If you don't have a blender, mince the garlic and anchovy, and whisk them together with the rest of the dressing ingredients.) Taste and add salt if necessary; the cheese, the Worcestershire, and the anchovies are all salty, so you probably won't need any additional salt. Loosen the dressing with water as needed starting with the prescribed 1/4 cup.

Toss the chilled lettuce with the dressing in a large bowl. Transfer to serving plates or a serving platter and finish with a generous sprinkling of the remaining grated cheese and a few turns of black pepper. and the croutons if you are using them!

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And even more grilling...

Grilling indoors and out! The Grill outside always gets a good workout, but lately so has the panini grill. We picked up fresh hamburger buns from the bakery and I got the brilliant idea to throw it all on the panini grill. The Griller grilled the burgers outside first and that soft, freshly baked, squishy hamburger roll crisped up so nicely on the panini machine. Filled it with red peppers that were roasted first, fresh mushrooms, raw Vidalia onion and a slice of cheddar cheese. A little, actually a lot, chipotle mayo and panini perfection was achieved! The mushrooms and the onions softened and the top sort of slid off when I closed the lid a bit, and the cheese and onions got a little sloppy but this one was a winner! I am getting more use out of that panini griller than I ever thought I would.

Got a little more ambitious and made a few salads for the side. We won't discuss the roasted Sweet Potato chunks I forgot about in the oven. Those did not survive. but the salads were really good.

The Fennel-Mushroom salad is so good, we've had that one before! Tried two new ones. A pasta salad from my friend Cindy that was a big winner!  So was the Three-Bean Salad. and all were delicious leftovers for lunch with a turkey sandwich today!

Hamburger Panini

Shaved Fennel, Mushroom and Parmesan Salad

Source: posted Gardenweb by MQmoi, recipe by Alice Waters (Chez Panisse)
Printable Recipe

fennel (sliced thin)
fresh lemon juice
olive oil
salt and pepper
thinly sliced mushrooms
Parmesan shavings

Cut off the feathery tops of the fennel at the base of their stalks and remove the outer layer of the bulbs. Slice the bulbs very thin with a mandolin or a very sharp knife.

Assemble the salad in layers on a large platter or on individual salad plates.

First make a layer of the fennel slices. Squeeze lemon juice evenly over the fennel and drizzle with fruity olive oil, salt and pepper. Then make a layer of the mushrooms, also sliced very thin. Squeeze more lemon juice over them, drizzle evenly with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Grate or cut thin shavings of the Parmesan with cheese slicer or a vegetable peeler and arrange them on top of the salad. Drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately.

Other options are artichokes and balsamic vinegar. If you don't like the raw mushrooms, you can also saute them.

Three-Bean Salad with Vinaigrette

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food August 2007
Printable Recipe

note: I used frozen wax and green beans, already trimmed! and steam in the microwave!)

8 ounces green beans, stem ends removed, halved on the diagonal
4 ounces yellow wax beans, stem ends removed, halved on the diagonal
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 chopped shallot

Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Set a steamer basket in a large pot with a lid. Fill with a couple inches of water, enough to come just below basket; bring to a boil. or you can steam in the microwave.

Place green and wax beans in the steamer basket; reduce heat to a simmer. Cover pot, and steam until beans are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice water. Drain, and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, whisk together shallots, mustard, vinegar, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add all the beans; toss to coat.  If storing, refrigerate up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

Bruschetta Orzo Salad
Source: A recipe from Bon Appetit, adapted by Cindy 5NY
Printable Recipe

1 cup orzo pasta
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
optional: kalamata olives, feta, tuna (I used fresh mozzarella)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions for about 8 minutes, or until just tender; drain.
Combine dressing ingredients.
Place hot pasta in large bowl and toss with a little dressing; cool about 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Add remaining ingredients and dressing to bowl and toss to mix well.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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Flashback Friday: Favorite mushrooms...

Hebrew National hot dogs come seven in a package and buns come in packages of eight! So what to do with leftover hot dog buns from the holiday weekend? Make stuffed mushrooms using fresh bread crumbs! Just whiz them up in the food processor first. and don't crowd the processor or you'll end up with bread powder on the bottom and chunks on the top. Ask me how I know that one?



I'm always going back to this recipe. It's so easy and one of our all time favorites. So here we go again. The picture is new, the recipe is old.  It's basic, add what you like to it, different cheeses, some cooked sausage, chopped tomato, zucchini. Whatever you like!  If you like to sop sauce with a piece of bread then just add a little bit of butter or olive oil to the baking dish. It mixes with the mushroom juice and you can dip a piece of crusty bread to soak up the juices. Best part!




I made them two ways this time, mostly because I only had one tomato left and there was no room for three mushrooms in the baking pan I used. So I took a gratin dish and put down three slices of tomato, sprinkled it with a little Parmesan, and put a stuffed mushroom on top of each tomato slice. Drizzled it with a little olive oil and baked it in the oven with the other pan of mushrooms. After about twenty minutes, I put a little bit of a slice of muenster cheese on top of the mushrooms with tomato and broiled them all until the ones with cheese got all bubbly!



They were great, the plain ones, but especially the ones with the tomato and cheese! Definitely making it again this way.

Stuffed Mushrooms
Printable Recipe

1 lb (about 20) white mushrooms, stemmed (save stems for stuffing)
2 shallots, finely chopped by hand or food processor
2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup bread crumbs (fresh or dried)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Remove stems from mushrooms and chop by hand or in a food processor.

Sauté the onions in olive oil and butter, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are golden brown. Add the chopped mushroom stems, sauté for a few minutes more. Add the bread crumbs and sauté until the bread crumbs absorb some of the moisture. Mix in a little Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stuff the filling into the mushroom caps. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmigiano. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Put the mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with a bit of fresh chopped Italian Parsley.

Variations: You can also add a little frozen chopped spinach to the mixture, make sure to squeeze all the excess moisture from it! Also good with a little cheddar instead of Parm. Fontina, Brie, cream cheese.  Use whatever herbs you like, oregano, thyme or parsley.

I'm joining Suzy at Kitchen Bouquet for another Flashback Friday! Check out Suzy's Flashback Fridays for more "new visits to old favorites!"

My original flashback to mushrooms post is here. So this is a repeat of a repeat. Sort of like the Food Network, same thing all the time.

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