Two great Salad Dressings

Have had a few requests for these in the past few days so I thought I'd repost them.

Lemon Vinagrette:
Juice 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried italian herbs
big dollop (1 Tbs.) dijon mustard
Canola oil

Combine all but oil in glass jar with a lid or cruet. Mix well. Consider this 1 part and add 3 parts canola oil. shake.

Great tossed over a simple salad of romaine lettuce and shredded parmesan cheese--also great over any roasted vegetables.


Asian Dressing (Jim's recipe)
1 part soy sauce
1 part seasoned rice vinegar
2 parts canola oil

combine in glass jar with lid. Shake. Great over romaine lettuce with cucumber, diced tomato and avocado. Even better--add a big shake of toasted sesame seed--yum!

Chicken Marbella and mushroom lentils

For the chicken:
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut in 3" pieces
1 cup kalamata olives, with a little juice
1/2 cup spanish olives, with a little juice
1 cup dried prunes (or try apricots?)
2 Tbs. capers in a little juice
10 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. brown sugar

Combine all in a ziploc bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or more. Bake chicken (and olives and prunes) in marinade in a 400 oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from baking dish with a slotted spoon and serve over Mushroom lentils pouring a bit of the pan juice on the top.

Mushroom Lentils:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups sliced white and cremini mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of half a lemon
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 package trader joe's pre-steamed french lentils (about 3 cups, I think?)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions in olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until juice releases. If pan is too dry, you can add a splash of water. Add cilantro, lemon, red pepper, stir. Add lentils and break apart with wooden spoon, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

White bean and meatball soup

This is a great soup--and a spiritual cousin to the Polpette and Orzo en Brodo.

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 long carrots, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 cans white beans, drained
1 bag frozen meatballs (I like the trader joes mini ones) or make your own with ground beef or turkey
1 jar Trader Joes Roasted red pepper and eggplant garlic spread.

Heat oil in soup pot. Saute veggies. Add broth, beans and meat balls, bring to a boil. Empty jar of spread into soup. Stir and simmer for 1 hour.

Zucchini They will eat

Stolen froma website but altered so many times I don't feel an attribution is necessary!

4 slices bacon
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 small or 2 medium zucchini, cut into quarter inch julienne strips (maybe 4" long)
1/4 cup white wine
salt and pepper
4 slices havarti cheeese, or 1 cup shredded white cheese (havarti, parm, provolone, asiago, mozzarella)

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan. Cool and crumble. Drain all but a little bit of the fat from the pan and saute shallots until browned. Add zucchini and stir. Add wine and deglaze pan a little. Add salt and pepper and let the whole thing bubble until wine has cooked down and zucchini is tender-crisp. Add bacon then top with cheese. Either cover the pan so cheese melts (over low heat) or pop in the oven until you are ready to eat. Stir and serve.

YUM! Even good reheated the next day.

Margaritas--erika's recipe
1 part freshly squeezed lime juice
1 part triple sec
2 parts tequila
serve over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.

Tamales:
FOR FILLING:
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup slivered onions

FOR BATTER:
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn niblets (I always use frozen)
2/3 cup instant grits (I buy the quaker packages)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter, softened
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno peppers (I use the jarred type b/c the real ones seem too hot for me, and also I always get “burned” when cutting them)
½ cup grated monterey jack cheese

Wrapper: Dried Corn Husks or Banana Leaves

1) Prepare Husks: cover several (maybe 8?) corn husks with boiling water. If they float to the top, weigh them down with a plate—anything to get them somewhat submerged. The idea is to get them pliable for stuffing. Banana leaves require no preparation

2) Prepare Filling: combine spices, rub chicken breasts with spice mixture. Heat butter in a pan and sauté chicken until no longer pink inside—5 mins(or so?) per side. Nearing the end, add the onions and fry alongside the chicken. You could also bake the chicken if it’s easier. Cool chicken and chop or shred into long, thin pieces. (you can also prepare seasoned black beans for a vegetarian option—see attached recipe). Grate the Monterey Jack cheese and set aside.

3) Prepare Batter: Puree 1 cup of corn in food processor. Set aside. Combine grits, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 ¼ cups boiling water. Stir until smooth. Beat in butter until melted/combined. Add pureed corn and remaining ½ cup niblets. Add jalapenos.

4) Assembly! Drain cornhusks and pat dry (or unwrap banana leaves) Tear strips for the ties, 2 per tamale (16 for this recipe). Arrange 2 husks, slightly overlapping, side by side and alternating tip and stem ends to form a rectangle about 9 x 7 inches (or whatever size you like!!!) Repeat until 8 rectangles are formed. Fill each with 1/3 cup batter, divide the chicken equally among the 8 and top with shredded cheese. Twist the edges and tie to make a neat package (don’t worry about it being perfect—if there’s a little gap, it’s okay.)

5) Cooking: get two big pots of shallow (1-2 inches?) water boiling. Each should have a steaming rack. Arrange tamales in a single layer. Cover and steam, adding more boiling water as necessary so the pot doesn’t run dry. 35 minutes should do it, plus or minus. Serve with all the fixins! TIP: if you want to prepare them in advance—steam and then keep in a warm oven for about an hour or so—they’ll dry out a bit, but it’s worth it not to be running to the kitchen every 2 minutes to check the water level. Once when guests were really really late I kept them warm for 2 hours and it was fine—they were a teensy bit dryer than usual, but basically were delicious.

Dinner Outdoors

We had a nice party in the garden during this unusual heat wave in the city!

Mojitos--Ian and Jessica's recipe!
1 part syrup
1 part fresh lime juice
2 parts rum (Bacardi Limon is best)
4 parts club soda
Add chopped mint to taste
Lots of ice

Chilled asparagus with sesame mayo
Hot artichoke dip and crackers
olives
snap pea crisps

Shrimp Paulista
Erika's Coconut Rice
Spicy Black Beans
Green Salad

Chilled watermelon juice (from Lisa and Alvaro)
ben and jerry's ice cream

The sesame mayo recipe is from my sister's friend who ALWAYS has the best recipes, simple and delicous! I made this the day before.
1.5 cups Best Food's (Hellman's) mayonnaise (I used light)
2.5 T sesame seeds, toasted in a frying pan
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T sesame oil
mix all and refrigerate. Flavor improves over time.

Hot Artichoke Dip: (my sister Margaret's killer recipe)
1 can artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup mayo
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 minced clove garlic
combine all and cook in ovenproof dish at 350 for 30 minutes.

Shrimp Paulista: (I tripled the recipe for the party)
Mix in a bowl:
juice 2 limes
4 cloves garlic pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
add: 1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined (i buy the frozen kind that are already peeled from trader joes and defrost under running water.) Marinate for 30 minutes---any longer and the shrimp gets tough. Heat a skillet to high heat. Dump entire contents--shrimp and marinade into the pan. Saute until shrimp is no longer pink. Serve over couscous or rice.

Erika's coconut rice: (we missed you guys! Hope youa re feeling better!)
1 3/4 c. chicken broth
2 c. light coconut milk
pinch salt
1 1/2 c. basmati
bring liquids to a boil and stir in rice and cook uncovered for ca. 5 min. cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 min more or until liquid is absorbed. remove from heat and let stand 10 min. fluff and serve.

Spicy Black Beans:
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
2 cans trader joes cuban black beans
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup franks red hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste.

Saute onion and pepper in 2 Tbs. olive oil until soft. Add beans and spices and simmer for 1 hour. Flavor improves with refrigeration and reheating.

Castle Cake

This came together quite quickly the night before my daughter's 4th birthday party. 3 chocolate cake mixes, baked in 2 8" squares, 2 5" rounds and 24 cupcakes. The turrets are frosted sugar cones, upside down. I used canned frosting tinted with cake decorating gel. The drawbridge is hersheys chocolate and licorice whips. But I think the biggest hit was the playmobil knights, unicorn and queen. (this was NOT a princess party!)

Black Russian Cake

Another great recipe from Carrie!

warning: this can be addicitive!

18 oz. package yellow cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
6 oz. package of instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 C. oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup kahlua
1/4 cup vodka

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup kahlua

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan. Combine all ingredients (except those for glaze) in a bowl (i use the stand mixer, but the recipe indicates that a hand mixer is fine, too.) Mix on low speed for 60 seconds. Increase speed to medium for 4 minutes (times should be precise). Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes* or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes and turn out onto rack. Poke cake all over with a fork. Drizzle glaze all over, brushing with a pastry brush to cover completely. When cool, sift powdered sugar on the top to garnish.

*the original recipe called for baking it 60-70 minutes. The first time I made it, I cooked it for 55 minutes and it was too dry. Maybe it's my oven but 45 minutes seemed perfect --a little gooey and delicious!

Mom's incredible Pilaf

So tonight I am making Shrimp Paulista (see previous post for recipe) and this incredible Mushroom Pilaf my mom invented. Dear friends are coming over to keep me company as my husband is travelling and I would be likely to eat Pirate Booty and drink wine if I were just by myself!

Mushroom Pilaf:
1 cup trader joe's brown rice medley

Cook according to package instructions, substituting chicken or vegetable broth for water. This can be done ahead.

1/2 stick butter
2 cups chopped onion
6 cups sliced mushrooms (I am using white and cremini, a double box of each)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. dried herbs (I use an italian mixture--but you could use herbes fines or just thyme, rosemary, etc.)
salt and pepper to taste.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Saute onion until soft--about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices. Add wine and herbs and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Mix cooked rice and mushroom mixture together and either serve immediately (if rice is still hot) or keep covered in a warm oven until ready to eat.

Enchiladas

We seem to be on a mexican bender!

Another great recipe from my dear friend and inspired cook, Willow--taken from the back of the trader joe's enchilada sauce bottle and altered.

Saute in 2 Tbs. olive oil:
2 cups diced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin

Add and stir until combined:
3-4 cups grilled or cooked shredded chicken
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2-3 Tbs. water
Set aside.

Heat in a frying pan over medium:
1/2 cup canola oil

In another shallow pan heat:
1 bottle trader joe's enchilada sauce

For this next step you will need 10 corn tortillas, the chicken mixture and 2 cups shredded mexican (cheddar, jack) cheese.

Take each corn tortillas and fry for 5 seconds in oil. With tongs, lift the tortilla out of the oil and let the oil drip off. Place into enchilada sauce and flip until covered. With tongs again, let the excess sauce drip off. Put into baking dish and fill with chicken, some shredded cheese and roll. Flip so the enchilada is seam-side down and repeat, making a row of enchiladas--you will have ten total.

Cover with each enchilada with 1 Tbs. trader joe's salsa verde and more shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until bubbly. Enjoy!

Shrimp Paulista

I had a version of this a few weeks ago at my friend Willow's house for dinner--so delicious! Here is my recreation--I glanced at the recipe she used, but didn't get the amounts exact. This version is excellent, too!

Mix in a bowl:
juice 2 limes
4 cloves garlic pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

add:
1 lb. shrimp peeled and deveined (i buy the frozen kind that are already peeled from trader joes and defrost under running water.)

Marinate for 30 minutes---any longer and the shrimp gets tough.

Heat a skillet to high heat. Dump entire contents--shrimp and marinade into the pan. Saute until shrimp is no longer pink. Serve over couscous or rice.

This one's for you, Carrie!

Sauteed Shrimp:
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled
2 Tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
Juice of one lemon
salt
pepper
dash of crushed red pepper
handful chopped fresh parsley
parmesan cheese

Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add shrimp and saute until no longer pink. Add lemon, salt, pepper and red pepper and stir. Garnish with parsley and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Great over buttered angel hair pasta or with couscous.

Greek Dinner

Tonight we are having grilled chicken (marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, salt pepper and italian herbs) trader Joe's tziziki, warmed pita bread and a romaine salad with chopped cucumbers (seeds removed) , kalamata olives and feta. Plus (for an indulgence) several strips of crispy crumbled Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked BACON! Yum.

Need to go grill the chicken now.

Filet Mignon

So, I had never cooked a whole roast filet mignon, let alone purchased one, but I absolutely love it and am determined to figure out how to cook meat well. I bought it at Costco and then read about how to trim it in the Joy of Cooking. Kind of an undertaking, but it worked out well! Once I had gotten rid of the undesirable parts (and cut up the tougher outside piece for stew meat) I was left with a beautiful cut of beef. I simply oiled it and rubbed it in salt and pepper and roasted it at 450 for 45 minutes. Then I let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. It was cooked to medium-well the whole way through, which is probably overcooked for some, but I thought it was delicious.

I served it with a big batch of sauteed mushrooms. I sauteed white, cremini and shitake mushrooms and minced onion in lots of butter. Seasoning was salt, pepper, dried italian herbs, a big splash of wine and a big splash of chicken broth. Let the juice reduce and it makes an impressive sauce/side dish for the beef.

I also made a horseradish sour cream sauce (literally just a cup of sour cream mixed with a big dollop of horseradish).

I made Pommes Anna which was delicious, too!
6 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (less than 1/8th inch)
1 stick butter, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt 3 Tbs. butter in heavy cast-iron or other oven proof skillet (10 inches). Arrange slices of potatoes in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping. Drizzle 1 tbs. melted butter over layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat 5 times. Press down.
Cover and bake at 450 for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more. Drain off excess butter, loosen edges with a spatula and invert onto a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve in wedges. Serves 6.

Roasted beans with red onion and pine nuts was another side and a green salad.

Dessert was individual molten chocolate cakes---easy but impressive!
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
6 tbs. butter
melt above in sauce pan over low heat. Add:
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Whip until soft peaks form:
4 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Add and beat until stiff peaks form
2 Tbs. sugar

Fold 1/4 of egg whites into chocolate and then add the rest to combine.

Butter and sugar 8 cups of a muffin tin and fill 2/3 full.

At this point muffin tin can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for 9 minutes. remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes, the cakes will begin to pull back from the sides. Invert onto a platter and carefully transfer each to a plate.

I served mine warm, with kalua-laced whipped cream.

An Amazing Salad

So, I know it's been a while since I posted! I've been cooking, but with my drawing blog I haven't had as much time for posting. But here is an INCREDIBLE new salad! It's delicous and really healthy!

Broccoli Salad
1 medium crown broccoli, cut into small spears
1/2 cup shredded carrot (i get the bagged kind)
1 package baked thai flavored tofu, cubed
3 scallions finely chopped
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup Soy Vay CHA CHA Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing/Marinade (I get it at trader Joe's)

Steam broccoli until tender-crisp (6 minutes or so?). Cool. Add carrot, tofu, scallions and cahews. Toss with dressing. Serve right away or refrigerate (I made it yesterday and it was dee-lish for lunch today).

I think this would also be great with shredded grilled chicken.

Easy, do-ahead dinner party

So, with the holidays, and travel, and getting back into a groove, I have been cooking, but not posting. Yesterday was my son's birthday party. We also had a long-standing dinner plan to see dear friends. I knew I'd be tired from the birthday, so I decided to make an easy dinner. It was really good! Here is the menu:

Blanched Asparagus with Sesame Mayo
Petit Dejuner cheese with crackers

Grilled Pork tenderloin with Bavarian spice rub
Herbed Couscous
Roasted balsamic vegetables
Lemony salad with parmesan cheese and homemade croutons

Truffles
mini stroop wafels
tea

The sesame mayo recipe is from my sister's friend who ALWAYS has the best recipes, simple and delicous! I made this earlier in the day.
1.5 cups Best Food's (Hellman's) mayonnaise (I used light)
2.5 T sesame seeds, toasted in a frying pan
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 T sesame oil
mix all and refrigerate. Flavor improves over time.

I rubbed the pork tenderloins with olive oil and then salt, pepper, and a good shake of Bavarian Spice mix (a gift from my mom in my christmas stocking this year--so good!) I grilled them for 10 minutes per side and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Couscous: sautee 1/2 white onion, minced, in olive oil. Add 1.5 cups vegetable broth. This can sit until you are just ready to eat. Bring the broth to a boil, remove from heat, stir in 1.5 cups couscous and cover for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, fluff with a fork.

I find that vegetable broths vary HUGELY from brand to brand. Some are too salty, some are tasteless! I love the knorr cubes in the yellow box, but I have also discoved a vegetable broth paste in a jar that you keep in the refrigerator. It is sold at TJs and is called "Better than Boullion." Just mix with water and you are ready to go.

Vegetables:
I chopped up an eggplant, 3 yellow peppers, 1 red onion, and used a bag of butternut squash cubes. To save time, I put all in a ziploc bag with salt pepper olive oil and balsamic vinegar earlier in the day. Then I roasted the veggies at 400 for about 45 minutes. In retrospect, I think it would have tasted better to slice the veggies in advance but wait until they were ready to go into the oven to dress with oil and balsamic. The eggplant was a little bit mushy--but still had good flavor.

The nice thing about this dinner is that aside from dressing the salad and fluffing the couscous, there isn't too much to do at the last minute. I was able to relax and enjoy our company!

Choo Choo birthday cake

Here's a photo of the train cake I made for my son's 2nd birthday.

The cake was pretty easy to make--I hunted around online to find recipes and sort of cobbled together this design.

I used 3 chocolate cake mixes (betty crocker) for the train cars. I baked 3 large loaves in greased and floured bread pans, increasing the cooking time to 50 minutes. I also had enough batter to cook a cylinder for the engine. I used a bean can, paper removed and thoroughly washed, greased and floured. I filled the can 3/4 full with batter, placed it upright in another pan to catch any overflow and baked for 40 minutes. Once the can had cooled slightly, I used a can opener to cut the bottom of the can and the cake slid out easily.

I cut the loaves into cars and frosted them with tinted canned cream-cheese style frosting. The wheels are 1/2 of an oreo, stuck into the frosting. The smokestack is 3 oreos stacked and frosted. The headlight is half an oreo with white frosting. The coal car has piroline cookies to create the edge and heaped up m&ms for the coal. The tracks are black licorice and chocolate covered wafer cookies for the trestles. The "gravel" is crushed oreos.

My son went crazy! He loved it! It was easy to cook, and the assembly was lots of fun. I made it the night before and it was still good the next day.

Scootin' around the shore!

So, we are emptying our refrigerator and I made a dinner of the following

Minced Chicken for Lettuce Wraps from Trader Joe's
Potstickers
Stir fry vegetable with a sauce of hoisin, soy, rice wine vinegar and some bottled Bulgogi marinade.....

It was remarkably good, and I feel virtuous for having used up things we had just around!!

Pork Tenderloin with Red onion confit, Indian Potato Patties, Salad

So, we had a dear friend over for a special xmas feast: here was the menu with recipes:

Guacamole and chips

Roast Pork Tenderloin
Red Onion Confit
Indian Potato Patties
Spinach Salad with spiced pecans and parmesan cheese

Vanilla Ice cream with English Toffee Bits

Guacamole:
3 ripe avocadoes, peeled, pitted and mashed
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. plain yogurt
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
dash franks hot sauce
handful chopped cilantro (3 Tbs?)
minced red onion (optional)

Combine all and correct seasonings.

Roast pork: Rub a tenderloin in oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 425 oven for 30 minutes. Let sit 10 miutes before carving.

Red onion confit
(about 2 cups)
Combine in a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium heat:
*3 1/2 large red onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; slices halved crosswise
*1/3 cup dry red wine
*1/3 cup red wine vinegar
*1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
*1/4 cup mild honey
Cook stirring, until the sugar is dissolved; then simmer, stirring often, until the consistency of marmalade, about 45 minutes. Stir in:
*1 tablespoon orange juice
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
Continue to cook, stirring, until the juices are absorbed. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

Indian Potato Patties:
1.5 pounds peeled quartered russet potatoes
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 tsp. black mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Heat until boiling and simmer until soft. Mash potatoes, set aside.

In a small skillet, heat oil and cookmustard seeds until they start to pop. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add to potatoes with rest of ingredients.

Shape potato mixture into patties and brown in 1-2 Tbs. canola oil, each side about 2-3 minutes.
Keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Click here for salad dressing recipe

Click here for toffee recipe

Lentil soup

It is FREEZING here--so unusual. I had planned on grilling, but soup seemed like the only option!

Lentil Soup (this can adapted for vegetarians by omitting the sausage and using vegetable stock --it is very flavorful!)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound lentils (green or brown)
2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large chopped onion
4 chicken sausages, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried italian herbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 cups chicken broth

Put lentils in a bowl and pour boiling water on top. Let sit for 15 minutes, drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, sausage, carrots and celery and sauté for 15 minutes. Add herbs, salt, sugar, paste and vinegar-- stir to coat vegetabless. Add broth and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or more, stirring occasionally. Soup will get thicker the longer it simmers and will get thicker if refrigerated and reheated the next day.

We had this with ciabatta rolls, and a simple green salad. Perfect for a cold night!

Grilled Chicken, Caponata, Couscous, Simple Green Salad

A good dinner tonight!

Chicken was marinated in my standard (juice of one lemon, salt, pepper, dried italian herbs and olive oil) I have found that marinating for a half a day is really perfect. More than that and the chicken gets tough. I grilled on high for 7 minutes per side. Chicken was completely cooked but still juicy.

Caponata--based on a family recipe, but I was missing several ingredients and so I improvised:
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
4 celery stalks, diced
12 large stuffed olives, chopped
1 tbs. sugar
3 tbs. tomato paste
1 cup water
4 Tbs. red wine vinegar
a handful of pinenuts
several torn basil leaves (maybe six or so)
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil. Saute onion, eggplant and celery until soft. Add the rest of ingredients and simmer for 20 mins. or so until flavors combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Couscous
1 red pepper chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup couscous/

Saute pepper and onion in olive oil until soft. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with fork.

Turkey Burgers, greek salad

Burgers
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped cooked spinach
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped

Mix all together and form into patties. Grill.

I deliberately made these on the smallish side ( got 6 burgers from the quantity above) and served them on small toasted ciabatta rolls with

Feta-garlic aioli:
1 cup non-fat greek style yogurt (or reg. plain yogurt)
2 Tbs. light Mayonnaise (Best foods or Hellmans)
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried oregano
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
several dashes Frank's hot sauce

Usually I combine all in a bowl and then fish out the garlic halves before serving. This time I whizzed it all in the food processor --I made it an hour or so before serving and MAN was it garlicky---yummy, but I am regretting it a little. Right now I have that post garlic consumption massive dehydration feeling. And I am sure my breath stinks! Oh, but it was worth it!

Greek salad was romaine, chopped olives, feta and cucumbers with my lemon vinagrette.

Sauteed shrimp and Capellini

So, after a long weekend of socializing (and very little cooking) it was a nice change to eat in!

The shrimp was sauteed in butter and lemon. I tossed the cooked capellini with shredded parmesan cheese and marinated cherry tomatoes (halved and doused in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, slivered basil and crushed red pepper.)

The presentation was nice: a my huge white pasta bowl: first the pile of capellini and the sauteed shrimp scattered on top. We had a yummy salad to round out the meal.

Pork Tenderloin, Risotto, Spinach Salad

Pork tenderloin:
1 pork tenderloin, room temperature
salt
pepper
olive oil

Drizzle about 1 Tbs. olive oil on tenderloin. Liberally shake with salt and pepper. Rub to coat. Grill on med-high heat until cooked to desired doneness. (we cook it for about 10 minutes per side). Let sit and slice.

Risotto--a gift from my upstairs neighbor, Joe, who wanted us to try it. It was peppery and delicious!

Salad-- baby spinach, shaved manchego cheese, a big dollop of "olive bruschetta" from TJ's and a handful of halved sugar plum (cherry) tomatoes. The dressing was a basil pesto vinagrette (we are out of dijon mustard--but this is really a good alternative!) A big dollop of pesto, red wine vinegar, salt pepper and olive oil. Shake to emulsify.

Hearty eggplant soup

A soup for people who don't like eggplant--my sister gave me the recipe and calls it hearty hamburger soup. We are having it with salad and popovers tonight.

Hearty Eggplant Soup

Ingredients:2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. Butter
1 large chopped onion
1 Lb. ground beef
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large eggplant, peeled and choppped
2 garlic cloves, minced or ¼ tsp garlic powder
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
28 oz. beef or chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup uncooked pasta
Parmesan for passing

Directions: Heat oil and butter in a soup pot. Add onion, cook until soft. Add hamburger. Brown. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, carrots celery, broth, sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 1 to 11/2 hours. Add pasta. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.
Soup improves with standing.

Old English Toffee

I spent the morning making this. My mother, sisters and I make it every year to give as gifts. I love to serve it with vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert. It takes some getting the hang of, but once you get over your fear of candymaking, it's a snap.

3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 lbs (6 sticks) butter
3 Tbs. white karo syrup
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 large package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease two large cookie sheets. Toast the almonds in the oven. Chop 1/2 cup of toasted almonds for the topping.

Place sugar, water, butter and karo syrup in a large heavy pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until candy reaches a deep golden brown color and the hard crack phase-- 290 degrees (either use a candy thermometer or test the liquid by dropping a bit into a dish of cool water and seeing if becomes brittle.) Quickly add the toasted almonds and stir. Pour evenly into two greased cookie sheets. While mixture is still hot, sprinkle chocolate chips over entire surface. Wait a minute or two and then frost melted chips as you would frost a cake. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top, and allow to cool gradually. When totally cool, break into pieces.

Mediterranean Comfort Food

...that's how a friend described what I was making when we talked earlier tonight.

Grilled chicken (marinated in lime juice, salt, pepper, italian herbs, olive oil)

Greek salad with a pesto vinagrette (romaine, cucumbers, tiny sugar-plum tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives tossed with a dressing of 1 part red wine vinegar, 4 parts olive oil, salt, pepper and a huge dollop of prepared pesto)

Roasted red onions and red peppers in olive oil and balsamic vinegar (400 oven for 30 minutes)

Warmed, fresh pita bread

TJ's tziziki

Two dinner parties

A house full of guests, (5 adults and 4 kids in our small apartment!) -- lots of entertaining this weekend. I am going the easy, easy, easy route- using premade spreads for hors d'oeuvres and a bakery cake for dessert one night.

Last night we had 8 adults for dinner-- here was the menu:

Olive tapanade (TJ's)
sour cream spinach dip (TJ's)
crackers, carrot sticks, tortilla chips

One dish Lasagna
Salad of Romaine, parmesan cheese, olive bread croutons (recipe below) and lemon vinagrette

Assortment of chocolates
Vanilla ice cream
Strawberries, Lisa's way (slice a quantity of strawberries, sprinkle with a little sugar, stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes and you have lovely soupy berries to top ice cream!)

Olive bread croutons:
3-4 slices (3/4" thick) of a loaf of rustic bread (I like olive)
2 - 3 Tbs. olive oil

Cube the olive bread. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook over med-hi heat, turning the bread cubes as they crisp in the oil. When at least two sides are crisp, drain on paper towels and keep out of salad until just ready to serve. People just LOVE these croutons!!

Tonight we have 9 adults for dinner:
Rouge et Noir Sampler of cheeses (camembert, petit dejuner, blue)
Hummus
Sour cream spinach dip
crackers, carrots

Mortons' Chardonnay-marinated Tri tip (just take out of the package and cook in the oven!)
Brown rice pilaf (cooked with chicken broth, rosemary and onion)
Ditto Salad (same as last night, by request!)

Just Desserts Mocha Cream Cake

Off to go make more croutons!

Burgers, fries and salad

I made regular hamburgers for andy and me and a marinated portobello burger for Judy. (marinade--olive oil, salt pepper, fresh lemon juice and italian herbs). I served the burgers on toasted olive bread. The fries were spicy chipotle flavor. A good dinner!

Butternut Squash Soup, Onion Pie, Salad

Tonight we are having a soup night. It's been rainy and cold all day, and this is a cozy, autumnal combination. Click here for soup recipe. Click here for onion pie recipe.

Lasagna

Made another quickie lasagna --I was out helping my nutrabella friends sticker 2,000 bellybars, for sample giveaway. I think I ate my weight in "baby needs chocolate". YUM!

Mel's diner

Sunday night and we are going to go to family swim at the Y and then out for burgers afterward at Mel's.

Indian take out

From Pakwan, the cheapest and best Indian food in San Francisco. Their Bengan Bhartha (eggplant) is particularly good!

Soup, foccacia and spinach salad

I made a vegetarian version of my Ribollita--no proscuitto--and used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I added about a 1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon to the soup which added some depth. We had it again the next day for lunch and it was even better. I love that my kids, who are very suspicious of vegetables, will eat this up!

This is a great, easy foccacia: buy Trader Joe's herbed pizza dough--bring to room temperature in the bag, spray a pizza pan or a baking sheet with cooking spray. Stretch out the dough on the pan, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 miutes at 400 degrees. An easy way to make a meal feel a bit more special.

Thanksgiving!

We will be 5 at the table, presuming the kids are in bed by the time we sit down (7:30ish?)

Here is the menu--scroll down to see the recipes.

Turkey (owen and erika are bringing!)
Stuffing (ditto)
gravy (ditto)
Baked Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Mushroom Gravy
Company Spinach
Roasted Green Beans with manchego, spiced pecans and red onion
Mashed Potatoes
Chipotle mashed yams
Spoonbread

Apple Pie a la Mode
Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream (owen and Erika, again!)

Drinks:
Schramsburg sparkling wine (vintage details, later)
Sauvignon blanc (vintage dets. later)
beer (details to follow)

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
A great main dish for vegetarians on thanksgiving. Makes enough stuffing for 4 portobellos, or 2 with leftover stuffing.

3 Tbs. butter
1 small onion, minced
3 celery ribs, minced
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
Handful dried cherries
6 dried apricots, chopped
Handful pine nuts
4 cups crusty, day old bread, cubed
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned with stems removed

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, celery, salt, pepper and herbs. Sautee until onion and celery are tender. Add ¼ cup water, cherries, apricots and pine nuts. Bring to a boil. Dump in bread and cheese and toss to coat. Remove pot from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Heap stuffing into caps and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until mushrooms are slightly browned and are cooked through (check by inserting a sharp knife into the side of mushroom to see if it is tender). Serve with pan juices or Mushroom Gravy.


Mushroom Gravy
A great sauce for vegetarians on thanksgiving.

3 Tbs. butter
1 small onion, minced
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1 stalk fresh rosemary
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. dry red wine
½ cup water
1 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbs. water

Melt butter in stockpot. Add onion, mushrooms, salt, pepper and rosemary. Saute until tender. Add wine, bring to a boil and scrape to deglaze the pan. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes or so, until sauce has reduced. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until sauce has reduced a bit more. Add cornstarch mixture and stir to heat through. Gravy will thicken quite rapidly, now. Can be refrigerated and heated later--add more water if gravy is too thick.


Company Spinach
5 10oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 8oz. brick cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
Salt and Pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
½ stick butter, melted.
1 tsp. dried sage

Combine spinach, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper in electric stand mixer with paddle attachment. Mix until combined. Spread into casserole dish. Combine crumbs, butter and sage in a bowl. Sprinkle over the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes until slightly browned on top and bubbly. Great to assemble in advance, refrigerate, and cook later.

Roasted Green Beans:
2 Packages tiny green beans (trader joe's) --about 4 cups?
1 small red onion, slivered
1 cup spicy pecans (trader joes)
1 cup shaved manchego cheese

Drizzle beans, onion and pecans with olive oil and roast in a 400 oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Take out of the oven and toss with a manchego and a few tablespoons of lemon vinagrette.

Mashed Potatoes
4 russet potatoes
½ stick butter
¼ cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Wash and prick the potatoes with a fork. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Wearing an oven mitt, slice each potato lengthwise. Scoop out flesh. Reserve skins for Baked Potato Skins or discard. Mash potatoes with the rest of the ingredient. Serve immediately, or keep covered and warm in a low oven until serving.

Chipotle Mashed Yams
2 lbs. cubed peeled sweet potatoes or yams
¾ cup half and half
3 Tbs. softened butter
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 chile in adobo sauce, chopped OR 1 Tbs. adobo paste plus ¼ tsp. dried chipotle pepper
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon

Place potato or yam in saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer 15 -20 minutes until tender. Drain and return to pan. Mash and add half and half, butter, lime juice, chile/adobo, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. If it is too chunky for your liking, puree in food processor. Serve immediately, or transfer to covered casserole and re-heat before serving.

Spoonbread
Preheat oven to 425. Grease small souffle dish. Combine in a bowl:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup cream-style canned corn
1 egg
1 package jiffy corn muffin mix

Pour into souffle dish and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake 30 minutes more. Serve hot.


Apple Pie
Intimidated by making piecrust, I buy the prepared kind (trader joe’s) that you can unwrap and put in your own pie plate.

1 box piecrust (2 rounds)
5-6 fuji apples, peeled and sliced (about 6 level cups)
¾ cup sugar
3 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Thaw piecrust and pat into glass piepan. Combine apples through salt and stir in a large bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. Dump into pie plate and wet edges of lower crust. Cover with upper crust and crimp edges, removing excess crust. Bake in preheated 425 oven on lowest rack for 30 minutes. At this point, slide pie plate onto a baking sheet, and reduce heat to 350, cooking for 35 minutes more. Let sit 3-4 hours.

Tri tip, orzo with pesto, olives, feta and pinenuts, salad

I roasted the tri tip, but I think next time I will grill it. The orzo is the following recipe--also great with grilled chicken!

Orzo:

1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup feta cheese
splash red wine vinegar
1/2 pound hot cooked orzo

While orzo is cooking, assemble the rest of the ingredients in a serving bowl. Drain orzo and toss with pesto mixture. Adjust seasonings and serve.

White Chili, Salad

I love this white chili! Tonight I substituted half and half for the heavy cream. It didn't make a difference at all. Still yummy!

One dish Lasagna

So, lasagna can be waaaay too labor intensive for something that is basically a simple casserole. This version comes from all Trader Joe's ingredients--and you can assemble it in less than 10 minutes, directly INTO the pan you bake it in. No boiling the noodles, no sauteeing the veggies or making marinara sauce....comfort food that is easy to make!

1 Bottle TJ's Vodka Marinara Sauce (or other tomato-based pasta sauce)
1 package TJ's fresh, no boil, lasagna sheets (found in refrigerated pasta section)
1 large (4 cup?) bag TJ's quattro formaggio shredded cheese (or mozzarella)
1 16 oz. container fresh ricotta
2 Tbs. prepared pesto
2-3 fully cooked chicken sausages (I like the basil ones), sliced thinly, on the diagonal

Spray the bottom of a 9 x 12 pan with cooking spray. Dump in about a 1/2 cup sauce and spread all over the bottom of pan. Layer with lasagna noodles. Open the ricotta container and add the pesto to it, stirring. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and stir. Dump the ricotta mixture on the noodles, spreading evenly. Add a thin layer of sauce on top. Add another layer of noodles, sauce, a good helping of shredded cheese and then sausage slices. Add the last layer of noodles, sauce and then cheese.

At this point the lasagna can be covered and refrigerated until you are ready to cook it.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake lasagna uncovered for 45 minutes or until browned and bubbly. (if it seems like it is getting too browned too fast, cover loosely with foil. Let sit for ten minutes, and then serve.

Shrimp Scampi

Dinner for one, as my dinner pal has the flu. Tonight's menu: Sauteed shrimp in olive oil, garlic and the juice of one freshly picked meyer lemon. (thank you, teresa, and bon voyage!) I am going to heat up some leftover cheese raviolis to soak up the sauce and make a salad for the side...

Roasted Sausages, Roasted Green Beans, Spinach Salad

Finally, food tastes good again! Before the next member of the family falls to this insidious bug, I am cooking cooking cooking!

Combine some tiny green beans (trader joe's has a great little package of ones all ready to go) with slivered red onion and a handful of pinenuts. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in a 400 oven for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Take out of the oven and toss with a handful of crumbled feta cheese and a few tablespoons of lemon vinagrette.

When you put in the beans in, you can also put in the sausages (I like the fully cooked turkey or chicken kind)--I just prick them with a fork so they don't bubble up too much. We had the sausages with good buns, and lots of relish, sauerkraut and mustard.

The salad was baby spinach, peeled and sliced asian pear, and spicy pecans with lemon vinagrette.

Creamy Balsamic-Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Dippers

Am recovering from a bout with the stomach flu--hense the hiatus from saturday's post. Tonight we are having comfort food--I'll see what I can eat!

This is a tomato soup recipe I got from my dear friend Erika--originally from cooking light magazine.

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup
Cooking the vegetables at the high temperature of 500° caramelizes their natural sugars and deepens their flavor; the liquid poured over them ensures they won't burn. Prepare the soup up to two days ahead; reheat over medium heat before serving.

11/2 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned. Transfer to a cuisinart and pulse once or twice, so soup is still chunky. Place tomato mixture in a soup pot. Add remaining 1 cupbroth and half-and-half. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.

My secret for grilled cheese (and I have been told by one nephew--a grilled cheese connosieur, that mine are the best!) Butter both sides of the bread with softened butter--use colby cheese in the middle, and cook in more butter (melted) over medium heat so the bread crisps and the cheese melts. Cut into thin rectangles serve immediately with hot soup. Paradise in every bite!!

Shipwreck

This is when you empty the refrigerator and eat all the leftovers. In my family, it has also been called "scootin' around the shore." I am not sure why the euphemisms for leftovers have such maritime connections?

Chinese Take out

No cooking tonight. Mu shu chicken, Sesame Beef and Szechuan Pork all from Eric's in Noe Valley.

Hamburgers, fries, salad

Tonight I am going to grill hamburgers, make frozen garlic fries (trader Joe's) for my dinner pal and make a big salad to go with it. Nothing special, but good.

Angel Hair with Cherry Tomatoes

Going out again tonight, so I left my dinner pal with pasta. The cherry tomatoes marinated all afternoon in oil, garlic, red pepper and basil. When he got home, all he had to do was boil the water, cook the pasta, toss with the tomatoes and garnish with some shredded parmesan. See recipe in October 7th post.

Butternut Squash Soup

I'm out at women's group tonight, but everyone else will be having this:

1/2 stick butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4-6 cups chicken broth
4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash

Melt butter in soup pot. Add onion and apple, saute until soft. Add curry powder, salt, pepper and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and squash, bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until squash cubes mash easily with the back of your spoon. Either using an immmersion blender or carefully tranferring liquid to food processor/blender in batches, puree until smooth. Return to pot, taste and correct seasonings. Serve with a hearty salad (maybe spinach and bacon?) and crusty bread. A great first course for an autumn meal, too.

Tri-Tip, Balsamic Baby Zucchini, Couscous with peppers, pine nuts and feta

A stellar dinner tonight! I baked a santa maria marinated tri tip from trader joe's based on the package recommendations--delicious!

The zucchini was a single package of baby zucchini --about 1/2 pound, cut in half lengthwise and sauteed with 1/2 cup of slivered onion in butter. Just before serving I drizzled balasamic vinegar into the saute pan and covered for about 5 minutes over low heat.

To make the couscous I sauteed minced onion and mini-peppers (about a 1/4 cup of each) in 2 Tbs. butter. I added 1 cup of chicken broth, brought the pot to a boil and added 1 cup couscous. Stir, and cover for 5 mintes. I then added 1/4 cup of crumbled feta and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and fluffed it all together.

A great combination!

Chef's night off!

We are heading to the pool this afternoon, followed by dinner at Mel's Diner. Burger and Fries? Chinese Chicken salad? Decisions, decisions.......

Papardelle with Proscuitto and Peas

Dinner party. To start we had cheese and crackers (two mini cheeses-- a camembert and a blue cheese from rouge et noir) and hummus and carrots. At the table we had papardelle with proscuitto and peas, salad with homemade croutons, parmesan and lemon vinagrette. For dessert we had vanilla gelato and passed a bowl of peanut butter cups and other halloween candy.

Here is the pasta recipe--quick and easy!
1/2 stick butter
3 small onions, chopped
1/2 lb. thinly sliced proscuitto, chopped
1 tsp. dried italian herbs
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 cup shredded parmesan, plus more for passing
1 lb. wide, flat pasta, I like papardelle.

Heat a big pot of water for the pasta. Heat a large saute pan with the butter. Add onion, proscuitto, herbs and pepper. Saute until onion is soft --about 8 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add cream. Bring a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens--about 15 minutes.

While sauce is thickening cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Once sauce is thick and pasta is cooked add the peas and parmesan to the sauce and stir. Dump the pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve in warm bowls and pass the parmesan.

Leftovers, again

Soup from a few nights ago, plus olive bread from Acme bakery (my favorite in the bay area), and a green salad with shredded parmesan cheese and a lemony vinagrette. Glad it's friday night!

Mexican Dinner Salad

This is a favorite--lots of flavor and very hearty. Even good on a cold night--grill the chicken, slice it and serve it warm over the salad.

Dressing Ingredients:
2 seeded cored tomatoes
½ cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup olive oil

Directions:
Whizz all dressing ingredients in the food processor.

Toss with:
6 cups tossed romaine lettuce
1 cored, seeded, chopped tomato
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
2 grilled chicken breast halves, sliced.
optional: 1 cup peeled thinly sliced jicama

BBQ Beef

This recipe came froma colossal accident where I MAJORLY overcooked a recipe (from my sister's husband's mother, Jan) for Sirloin Tips. What resulted was a very caramelized, stringy beef that tasted great on toasted buns. You can serve it with coleslaw or a green salad, corn on the cob, etc. Tonight we are having it with a big green salad.

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. beef tips (or stew beef) in cubes
1 Cup ketchup
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbs. worcestershire
1 clove garlic, minced
shake pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Brown meat in oil in Dutch oven. Add the rest of ingredients, stir to coat. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check it, and if it seems too dry, add some water. reduce heat to 300 and bake for 30 minutes more. At this point, meat should shred fairly easily as you stir it. Serve on toasted buns.

Sopa Caldosa

We, in this household, are still battling bad colds, and this seemed like just the thing. Chicken soup, but with a spicy, vinegar-y twist:

Ingredients:
Chorizo:
1 pound ground pork or turkey
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried organo
1/4 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, crushed

Combine all in ziploc bag and mash until meat is coated. Let marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Soup:
2 bacon slices, chopped
8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chickpeas, drained

Saute bacon until crisp in dutch oven. Add cabbage and onion and garlic, saute ten minutes. Add broth, chickpeas and tomatoes, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. While soup is simmering, heat frying pan and cook chorizo until browned--about ten minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with 1/2 cup chorizo.

Lasagna for two

I made a small Lasagna tonight (in a 7x9 pan)--and it was just the thing to have ready to pop in the oven after a night of trick or treating!

I used (almost) one 1/2 pound package of fresh lasagna sheets, some leftover homemade chunky marinara sauce (about 2 cups), 1 cup of ricotta mixed with 3 Tbs. pesto and a cup of parmesan, plus about a cup of mozzarella for the layers and for the top. I also used some thinly sliced pepperoni, scattered throughout. My dinner pal said it was the best lasagna ever! And I managed to throw it together from things in the fridge...I love when that happens! Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin-Carving Picnic at the Panhandle

It was a potluck so I brought a savory Italian pie and a spinach salad with dried berries, goat cheese and sweet/spicy pecans. I had a little bit of extra crust and so used a leaf cookie cutter to create an "autumnal adornment" for the top. If you glaze the crust with egg yolk before baking, it turns the most delicious shade of brown!

Italian Pie:
crust ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 egg
1 egg white
2 Tbs. milk

filling:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion chopped
4 oz. proscuitto, chopped
4 oz. salami, chopped
1 10 oz. box spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto
1 egg yolk
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers

To prepare crust:
Pulse flour, salt and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix egg, egg white and milk in a small bowl. While machine is running, add milk mixture to food processor and keep it running until dough forms a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing filling.

To prepare filling:
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Saute onion, proscuitto and salami until onion is soft. Set aside.

Combine spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, pesto and egg yolk in a bowl and mix until combined. set aside.

Slice red peppers.

To assemble pie:
Preheat oven to 375.

Roll out 2/3 crust into a (rough 10"-12") circle. Place in a springform pan and let the extra go up the sides of the pan, pleating to smooth it out.

Spread 1/2 onion-meat mixture on the bottom of the crust. Add 1/2 spinach mixture followed by 1/2 roasted red pepper strips (just scatter them evenly.) Repeat.

Roll out remaining third of dough into an 8" circle. Put it on top of the pie and roll the edges of the side dough to seal the top. Cut 2-3 vents in the top of the pie. Use extra dough to make a decoration if desired. Brush crust with 1-2 beaten egg yolks.

Bake for 50 minutes. It will stay hot for a good 1-2 hours, great to bring to a picnic as it also tastes delicious at room temp.

Also--you can fill this pie with just about anything --you can easily make substitutions to make it vegetarian. Just stay away from anything too wet so the crust doesn't get soggy.

Once, More!

Ordering in, again! We were supposed to head out to dinner tonight but my dinner pal is feeling sick, so we are getting Tom Ka Gai (coconut chicken soup) and Pad Parang (Crispy tofu and vegetables with peanut sauce) and Red curry Beef from Thep Phanom--a really good thai restaurant.....

Ordering In

Pizza tonight, from Deja Vu--a good pizzeria amidst a sea of bad pizza in SF.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Spinach salad, Couscous

Back to basics! I coat a small pork tenderloin with oil, salt and pepper and grill over medium-high heat for 20 minutes or so. Sides will be a spinach salad with avocado and bacon, and couscous, cooked with chicken broth and maybe some minced sauteed vegetables --whatever I can find in the drawer. It's thursday night and the refrigerator is starting to look empty!

Chicken Korma, Brown Rice, Spinach Salad

Chicken is sauteed with onions--then dump in one 15oz. jar of TJ's Korma Simmer sauce. Add 8 Oz. water and simmer until heated through. I am serving it with brown rice, cooked in chicken broth. The spinach salad has sweet/spicy pecans, feta, edamame, and cucumber.

Polpette and Orzo en Brodo

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6-8 cups chicken broth
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 egg
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. pesto
½ lb. orzo
Parmesan cheese for passing

Directions:
Heat olive oil in soup pot. Saute onion until soft. Add broth and bring to a boil. Mix the turkey, egg, breadcrumbs and pesto in a bowl. Make small meatballs (nickel sized) and drop into boiling pot. Let simmer for 20 minutes. About 10 minutes before serving, bring to a boil and add orzo. (The longer the pasta is in the soup, the thicker it gets!) Garnish bowls with parmesan and pass the Frank’s red-hot!

Calzones

We are having "hawaiian" calzones made with a whole wheat crust filled with canadian bacon and pineapple and mozzarella cheese. I buy a bag of uncooked whole wheat dough (again, from trader joe's) and cut it into 3 pieces. Then stretch it out and fill with whatever ingredients you like, folding over to create a small package. Bake in a 400 oven for 20-25 minutes, until the crust sounds hard when you tap on it. Top with lots of my marinara sauce, (minus the proscuitto this time.) Yum~good comfort food that is somewhat good carb compliant!

Tagliatelle Bolognese

This was based on a recipe sent to me by a good friend, and amazing cook, Carrie (the source of Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza.) I am lazy and so I took lots of liberties--here's my version. We had a green salad and crusty olive bread to round out the meal.

Mince in food processor:
1 large carrrot, peeled.
Add and pulse:
1 small onion.
Empty into a bowl.

Chop in food processor:
1/4 lb. proscuitto.

Melt in a large stockpot:
1 1/2 Tbs. butter

Add veggies and proscuitto, saute for 5 minutes
Add:
1 1/4 cup white wine
cook until liquid almost completely reduced.
Add:
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar
cook for a minute. Add:
1 1/4 lb. ground beef
stir to break up.
Add:
1 1/2 cups whole milk
bring to a boil and simmer for 20-25 minutes until liquid is almost gone.
Add :
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce is very thick -- about 20 minutes.
Serve over cooked pasta.

Ribs, spoonbread, coleslaw

We grilled Lloyds babyback ribs, I made spoonbread and coleslaw. The spoonbread recipe comes from my family cookbook--I cut the recipe in half. The cole slaw dressing came from the back of the package...with some minor alterations.

Spoonbread:
Preheat oven to 425. Grease small souffle dish. Combine in a bowl:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 cup cream-style canned corn
1 egg
1 package jiffy corn muffin mix

Pour into souffle dish and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 400 and bake 30 minutes more. Serve hot.

Coleslaw dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1 tsp. celery seed
whisk all together in a large bowl. Add coleslaw and toss. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

Tonight my dinner pal returns! I always want something crunchy and green after hours of flying and eating nothing but pretzels and drinking diet coke.

This hearty salad is made up of:
romaine lettuce
shredded grilled chicken
sliced kalamata olives
crumbled blue cheese
crumbled bacon
thinly sliced red onion
cubed avocado

Toss all with vinagrette. Serve with crusty bread.
Note--some people like crumbled--hard-cooked egg in a cobb salad (I shudder to think of it--I loathe the sight, smell and texture!)

Crackers and Cheese

Well, not really. But all I could manage after going on day SIX of solo parenting was to eat some leftovers --heated up the remaining onion pie and finished the green beans. Oh and a few glasses of Bear's Lair cabernet sauvignon. I will be more inspired tomorrowwhen my dinner pal is back in town!

Greek Chicken Wrap

Took the leftovers from last night and tossed cubed grilled chicken with a few tbs. of tziziki. Heated up a tortilla and filled with crunchy romaine and the chicken. Also had a side of green beans. Good single meal--it felt like the perfect combination of not blowing off dinner (oh, I'll just eat cheese and crackers) and not needing to really cook, either.

Women's Group Dinner

Menu:
Tziziki, Hummus and Pita wedges (all from Trader Joe's)
Cheese and crackers (Goatsleap and a La Petite Creme by Rouge et Noir)

Marinated Grilled Chicken
Roasted Green Beans with red onion, feta and pine nuts
Salad with lemon vinagrette and olive bread croutons

Sorbet
chocolates


Recipes:
Chicken Marinade:
1 cup olive oil
juice 2 lemons
1/2 tsp. salt
shake pepper
shake dried italian herbs
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinate boneless chicken breasts for a few hours (I marinated these overnight and I think the lemon juice made them tough.). Grill, slice and serve. (I like to serve a whole platter of sliced chicken--somehow, when faced with an entire chicken breast--I feel daunted. It's a bit more appetizing to slice it first.)

Salad with parmesan, croutons, and lemon vinagrette
Croutons:
slice olive or other crusty bread into 1 inch slices. Then cube. Heat 2 Tbs. olive oil in a frying pan and toss bread cubes over high heat. Keep turning cubes until crusty on 2 sides. Remove to a paper towel. Can be made up to 2 hours in advance.

Lemon Vinagrette: (also found at original green bean posting but this is here for you, Rachel!)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
shake pepper
shake dried italian herbs
1 big dollop (2 tbs?) dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil.
Combine all in a jar or whisk in a bowl until emulsified. Taste and correct seasonings.

Tortellini with peas and parmesan

I ate with the kids tonight. Cooked some fresh tortellini, tossed it with butter, parmesan and some frozen peas. Everybody ate it up!

Leftovers

A night alone, so I am being a good doobie and eating the leftovers. Actually--the white chili is one of my favorites, so I am not feeling too sorry for myself!

Potluck

Owen and Erika brought Goat's Leap Cheese and a lovely bottle of Syrah. Leslie brought a Fred's Steak and I made a savory onion pie. We had a salad of romaine, sweet/spicy pecans, goat cheese and lemon vinagrette. Erika made bread pudding with La Loo's goat's milk ice cream--delicious! A total collaboration!

Invited Up

My lovely neighbors invited me upstairs for dinner as my husband is out of town. They made a whole turkey tenderloin, marinated in something delicious--a combo of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, worcestershire, garlic powder and cajun blackening seasoning. The key is to marinate it in a ziploc bag for 2 days! I am going to have to try this!

I brought a spinach salad with blue cheese, sweet spiced pecans and a lemon vinagrette.

Wonderful meal!

Papardelle a la Amatriciana

My marinara sauce with proscuitto to make it an Amatriciana. Originally culled from Cooking Light Magazine--but altered over the years. The key is the combo of the wine, tomato paste, sugar and salt. It winds up providing an incredible depth of flavor in only 15 minutes of simmering.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large chopped onion
¼ lb proscuitto, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried italian herbs
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine or 3 T Balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

Directions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, proscuitto and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes.Add herbs, sugar, paste, wine (or vinegar), salt and pepper, stir to coat onions. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over cooked papardelle.

Grilled Shrimp, Roasted Green Beans, Salad

Tonight we are having shrimp--I marinate them for about 30 minutes in olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt pepper and dried italian herbs. Grill for 2 minutes each side or until opaque. Sides are--Roasted Green Beans this time made with spiced pecans, red onion and feta. And then a green salad (maybe I'll throw in an avocado that is nearly overripe, or I'll do blue cheese and green apple.) I am also heating up some penne for my husband, tossed with butter, peas and parmesan cheese.

Greek burgers with feta-garlic aoili

Tonight we are having greek burgers with feta-garlic aoili, toasted buns, frozen french fries (for my husband, I will try to restrain myself) and a green salad. Here is the burger recipe:

Burger Ingredients:1 lb ground beef
¼ cup chopped roasted red pepper
½ cup chopped spinach (I use the frozen)
Salt
Pepper
Oregano


Directions: Mix all in a bowl and form in patties. Grill.

Aoili Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat greek style yogurt (or reg. plain yogurt)
2 Tbs. light Mayonnaise (Best foods or Hellmans)
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dried oregano
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

Directions: Combine all in a bowl. Before serving, fish out garlic halves.

Toast buns and top burgers with a big dollop of the Aoili. Yum!

White Chili, Popovers, Salad

My friend, Lauri made this chili for my women's group and we all went ape! The original recipe was taken from a woman named Renita, who posted it on www.recipezaar.com

Here is my adaptation--everyone says it is delicious!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
½ teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth or water
2 (15 1/2 ounce) pinto beans, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whipping cream

Directions Heat olive oil in soup pot. Saute onion and chicken until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, cayenne and green chilies and stir. Add broth or water and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add sour cream and cream and heat through. Serve. Pass the Frank’s hot sauce!!

Popovers: this recipe is a combination of my sister Rachel's recipe (dubbed "Never fail" and they are awesome but I was missing a key ingredient tonight) and the recipe from the Joy of cooking:

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 450. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a fork. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Fill cups 2/3 full (this should make about 10 popovers, give or take) add water to any remaining cups so you don't burn them. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Out to dinner, tonight

On sundays we have been going to the swimming pool and then out to an early dinner at Mel's Diner. They serve kid-sized cheeseburgers in paper cars and have special cups with lids and straws for milk. They also have great salads and burgers.

Roasted Sausages, Savory Onion Pie, BLT Salad

Tonight we are having roasted parmesan-basil chicken sausages, savory onion pie with gruyere crust and a bacon-spinach and tomato salad (with avocado dressing).

Roasted Sausages: I buy the Trader Joe's chicken sausages and roast in 400 oven for 25 minutes.

Savory Onion Pie with Gruyere Crust:

Onion Topping:
1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon butter
2 large onions, (or 3-4 small onions) cut into wedges
1 teaspoon salt
Shake pepper
½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
¾ cup grated gruyere cheese

Crust:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup gruyere cheese
¾ stick butter, cut into pieces
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:
Heat oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 25 minutes until onion is browned. Remove from heat, add salt pepper and sage. Cool. Add cheese. Spray bottom and sides of 9 ½ inch deep­-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Add onion mixture.

To make crust, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in food processor. Add cheese and pulse. Add butter and pulse until flour mixture becomes a coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a bowl and drizzle into food processor. Pulse until flour mixture almost forms a ball. Dump onto a piece of plastic wrap and knead to form a ball. Wrap up sides of plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes. Unwrap and put another piece of plastic wrap on top. Roll with rolling pin to make a 10” round. Remove wrap and place dough on top of pie plate, tucking edges under.
Bake in preheated 400 oven for 25 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes then invert on a serving dish. Cut into wedges and serve warm. Awesome!

BLT salad
Baby spinach or lettuces with crumbled bacon, ripe tomatoes tossed with a dressing of:
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
Juice of 1 lime
1 small clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried basil
3/4 cup olive oil.

Combine all dressing ingredients except oil in food processor. Drizzle in oil while machine is running--stop before it becomes over-emulsified. Taste and correct seasonings.

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

I am making this recipe tonight--I read a description of it in the NYtimes Sunday magazine about a month ago and made it for my family who loved it. Yesterday I was reading a great blog and felt inspired- so this dinner is dedicated to Ellen, author of "Cherry Tomatoes."

Ingredients:
4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
½ - ¾ cup olive oil
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 large bunch basil, trimmed and chopped

1 pound pasta (angel hair or spaghetti is good)
Lots of good quality shredded parmesan cheese.

Directions:
Combine all but pasta and cheese in a big bowl (not metal, ceramic or plastic) and let sit at room temp. for a minimum of 4 hours, occasionally “wopsing” (perry lingo for stirring.)

Cook up 1 pound of pasta and toss with tomatoes. Add lots of good shredded parmesan and serve hot. Ridiculously simple and SO good!

Tri-Tip, Potato Skins and Roasted Green Beans

I cheat and use the pre-marinated Tri Tip from Trader Joe's. Just throw it on the grill and let it cook. Sides tonight are Potato Skins and Roasted Green Beans. Probably a salad, too.

Roasted Green Beans
1 big bunch petite green beans, trimmed (I like trader joes haricot verts in the produce section)
½ small red onion, cut into thin vertical strips
½ cup nuts (pecans are nice, pine nuts, too)
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Dressing (Lemon Vinagrette)
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
shake pepper
shake dried italian herbs
1 big dollop (2 tbs?) dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil.

½ cup crumbled Feta Cheese.

Directions
Combine beans, onion, nuts, olive oil and salt and pepper in baking dish and toss. Roast for 20-25 minutes in 425F oven. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar and shake, or whisk in a bowl until emulsified. Toss roasted beans with ¼ cup dressing and feta cheese. Serve hot.


Potato Skins
4 Russett Potatoes
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (Monterey jack is good)

Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and wearing oven mitt, slice each in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh and either reserve for a soup, make into mashed potatoes or toss. Place skins on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and scallions. At this point, skins can sit for a while before the final baking. Reset oven to 350. About 20 minutes before eating, put skins in the oven. Remove when cheese is bubbly. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Mashed Potatoes
4 russet potatoes
½ stick butter
¼ cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Wash and prick the potatoes with a fork. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Wearing an oven mitt, slice each potato lengthwise. Scoop out flesh. Reserve skins for Baked Potato Skins or discard. Mash potatoes with the rest of the ingredient. Serve immediately, or keep covered and warm in a low oven until serving.

Guacamole
4 ripe avocadoes
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup best foods/Hellmanns mayo (I use the light version)
½ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
½ tsp. salt
Several shakes Franks Hot Sauce
Juice of 1 lemon.

Combine all in a bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Ribollita (Tuscan reboiled soup)

I am going out tonight and so this is what's for everyone else!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large chopped onion
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
¼ pound thinly sliced proscuitto, diced (optional)
3 big handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz) cans white beans, drained
6-8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like knorr cubes in yellow box)
1 3” hunk Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and proscuitto and saute 15 minutes. Add spinach and tomatoes, stir until spinach is wilted. Add broth and beans; bring to a boil. (If using knorr cubes, drop in enough for six-eight cups and pour in water, cubes will dissolve in soup.) Reduce heat, add hunk of parmesan and simmer for 1 hour or more, stirring occasionally. Soup will get thicker the longer it simmers and will get thicker if refrigerated and reheated the next day.

You can add pasta or tortellini near the end of the cooking and make a delicious Pasta Fagioli--I find that it's best to do this when you plan to eat it all up, otherwise the pasta just takes over all the liquid in the pot and it resembles stew, rather than soup!

Spicy Garlic Chicken Pizza

A recipe from our dear friend Carrie, one of the best cooks I know!
Ingredients:
12 oz. boneless chicken
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup shredded monterey jack
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 Boboli Thin Crust

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup green onions, garlic, vinegar, soy, 1 tablespooon olive oil, and red pepper. Add chicken and marinate 30 minutes. Heat remaining oil in a skillet. Add chicken (reserving marinade) and cook until no longer pink, 3 minutes or so. Stir cornstarch into marinade and pour into skillet. Stir until sauce is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken onto crust, sprinkle with cheeses. Bake in 400 oven for 12 minutes. Top with the rest of green onions and pinenuts and bake 2-3 minutes more. Done!