from cookscountry.com
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Serves 6
Dressing Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic , minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
Salad Ingredients
1 zucchini , sliced into 1/4-inch planks
1 eggplant , sliced into 1-inch rounds
2 red bell peppers , halved, seeded, and pressed flat
1/2 cup olive oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 red onion , cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 baguette , sliced into 1-inch rounds
1/3 cup pine nuts , toasted
1 (7-ounce) bag mixed salad greens (about 12 cups)
Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
1. For the dressing: Whisk oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl.
2. For the salad: Toss zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers with 3 tablespoons oil in bowl and season with salt and pepper. Brush onion and baguette with remaining 5 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables and bread until charred on both sides, just 1 or 2 minutes for bread and up to 12 minutes for onions.
3. Chop vegetables roughly and toss with pine nuts and 2 tablespoons dressing in bowl. Toss salad greens with 2 tablespoons dressing in second bowl.
4. Place 3 bread slices on each large plate. Top bread with salad, then vegetables. Drizzle with remaining dressing; garnish with Parmesan. Serve.
from seriouseats.com
Purple Potato-Crusted Trout à la Française
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 1/2-pound filets of trout
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 medium or 8 small purple potatoes, sliced chip fine on a mandolin
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup whole fresh parsley leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 500°F.
2. Rub both sides of each filet with just shy of 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick spray, and lay the filets skin-side down on the pan. Tile the top of the trout with the slices of purple potato, overlapping them like shingles. Season the potato with salt and pepper as well, and drizzle with the remaining oil.
3. Roast for 12 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the lemon brown butter sauce. Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Allow the butter to begin to foam and froth, and finally it will begin to turn golden around the edges. Once this starts to happen, the butter will burn very quickly, so you don't want to walk away. Just when the butter turns golden, take the pan off the heat, stand back, and add the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, and add the lemon zest, and parsley.
5. Present the fish on a platter, and spoon some of the sauce à la française on top.
from latimes.com
Bacon-bundled BBQ shrimp
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1/3 cup canned tomato sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar (not packed)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Nonstick spray
8 slices extra-lean turkey bacon, halved crosswise
16 large (not jumbo) raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar, vinegar and garlic powder until mixed well. Set aside.
3. Lightly spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Take one-half slice bacon and coat it in the sauce. Wrap the sauce-covered bacon around a shrimp and place it, seam side down, on the baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the bacon and shrimp. Give them a quick mist with nonstick spray.
4. Bake in the oven until the shrimp are cooked through and the bacon is crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition information per serving (4 pieces): 88 calories; 11 grams protein; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 1 gram fat; 0 saturated fat; 63 mg. cholesterol; 561 mg. sodium.
Savory chicken with Asian noodles
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 servings
Notes: When cooking, follow the package directions, not your preferred way to prepare Italian pasta. Asian noodles should be tender, not firm at the center, when done. And unlike Italian pasta, which is drained and served, Asian noodles are often rinsed in cold water before proceeding with a recipe. Rather than recommend one noodle, the following recipe for chicken and vegetables offers a choice of soba or udon noodles. Make it either way. Serve hot or at room temperature and expand your pasta palate.
Ingredients
4 ounces soba or udon noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small head bok choy, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon Asian chili oil
3 green onions, finely chopped
1. Cook noodles in boiling water until tender, following package directions. Drain; rinse under cold water. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; brown on both sides, stirring often, about 5 minutes total. Remove to a plate. Add garlic, bok choy and mushrooms to skillet. Turn heat to high. Cook vegetables until tender, stirring, 3-5 minutes.
3. Add broth; stir up browned bits in skillet. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and chili oil. Add chicken. Reduce heat to low; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in noodles; top with green onions.
Nutrition information per serving, with udon noodles: 485 calories, 28% of calories from fat, 16 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 49 mg cholesterol, 62 g carbohydrates, 30 g protein, 635 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.
Duck tacos with chili-cherry compote
Prep: 35 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Cook: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Note: You may vary the amount and type of chilies to your taste and substitute jalapenos or the milder poblanos for the chilies de arbol.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ pounds boneless duck breasts, with skin
10 dried chilies de arbol
6 ounces dried Bing cherries
2 cups boiling water
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, diced
6 tomatillos, husks removed, coarsely chopped
8 small corn tortillas
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1. Rub 1 teaspoon of the salt into the duck breasts; place them in a large sealable plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour.
2. Soak the chilies de arbol and dried cherries in boiling water until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid. Combine the chilies and cherries with ¼ cup of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cloves minced garlic in a food processor. Process to a thick paste, adding a little of the reserved liquid to help combine and adjust consistency. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; add the onions and the remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions just begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Remove; set aside to cool.
5. Combine the tomatillo mixture with ¼ cup of the chili-cherry paste; set aside.
6. Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a cold cast-iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium; cook until the skin is golden-brown and crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Turn the duck over; cook to desired degree of doneness, about 1 minute for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes. Slice very thinly on the diagonal; set aside.
7. Warm tortillas in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place 2 tortillas on each plate; divide the sliced duck among the tortillas. Spoon 1 tablespoon of tomatillo sauce over the duck. Add ½ teaspoon of chili-cherry compote on top, or to taste. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Nutrition information per serving: 565 calories, 10% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 27 g saturated fat, 174 mg cholesterol, 42 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 464 mg sodium, 6 g fiber.
from cooksillustrated.com
Gazpacho
Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10.
Ingredients
3 ripe medium beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
2 small red bell peppers (about 1 pound), cored, seeded, and cut into slices (following illustrations below), then into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
2 small cucumbers (about 1 pound), one peeled and the other with skin on, both seeded and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/2 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla) or 2 large shallots, peeled and minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons table salt
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
Ground black pepper
5 cups tomato juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
8 ice cubes
Extra-virgin olive oil for serving
1. Combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, garlic, salt, vinegar, and pepper in a large (at least 4-quart) nonreactive bowl. Let stand until the vegetables just begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice, hot pepper sauce, if using, and ice cubes. Cover tightly and refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
2. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and remove and discard any unmelted ice cubes. Serve cold, drizzling each portion with about 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and topping with the desired garnishes.
Key Lime Bars
Makes sixteen 2-inch bars.
Crust Ingredients
5 ounces animal crackers
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (light or dark)
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Filling Ingredients
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lime zest, minced
Pinch table salt
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, either Key lime or regular
Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crisp
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut about 12-inch length extra-wide heavy-duty foil; fold cut edges back to form 7 1/2-inch width. With folded sides facing down, fit foil securely into bottom and up sides of 8-inch-square baking pan, allowing excess to overhang pan sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. TO MAKE THE CRUST: In work bowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if large sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.
3. TO MAKE THE FILLING: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy, and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).
4. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.
5. Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into 16 squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut, if using, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 2 days; crust will soften slightly. Let bars stand at room temperature about 15 minutes before serving.)