Beef Vegetable Soup

This recipe can be made with either barley or noodles, as your heart desires.  I grew up on the barley version, so I tend to prefer it.


Beef Vegetable Soup

Buy a 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast or sirloin tip.  If you can find pre-cut stew beef, you can buy 1 to 1.5 lb. (no waste).

Toss in plastic bag:
1.5 pounds beef in 1” cubes
1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In large pot, preheat about 1/8 c. oil over medium to medium high heat until it shimmers.  Brown meat in batches to avoid crowding the pan. Let the meat cubes brown for at least a couple of minutes before turning them.  When they are ready to turn, they should release cleanly from the pan.  Adjust heat as needed.  You want to get a good browned color but not burn the drippings. Add more oil if needed for the second batch. 

Return all beef to the pot.  Add and simmer on medium low, covered, for 1 hour:
3.5 cups Swanson beef broth
3.5 cups Swanson low sodium chicken broth
1 cup red wine

Add:
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 pound bag of frozen mixed vegetables
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf

If desired, also add:
2/3 cup raw pearl barley (do not use “quick cooking” barley)
1 cup water

Simmer covered about another hour until barley is done.  Adjust salt to taste.

To use noodles instead of barley:
Omit the barley and extra water.  After the soup has cooked about 1.5 hours, boil about 1/2 cup raw small pasta separately, drain, and add it to the finished soup. (Do not succumb to temptation and boil the pasta in the soup; it will just absorb all the broth.)

Guacamole

This recipe is unabashedly stolen from Alton Brown, rather than a true Latin cuisine authority.  I made it for a party because it was the first thing to come up when I searched for a guacamole recipe, and it got rave reviews; the cumin is especially nice.  I've modified it slightly to suit my preferences.


Guacamole
6 cups, serves up to 10 guests

Toss in bowl:
3 Haas avocadoes, sliced and scooped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Use a potato masher to macerate the avocadoes with the seasoning, but leave it relatively chunky.

Add:
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Sour Cherry Pie

My husband's family is completely obsessed with sour cherries.  When we last visited, I scored their easy no-bake sour cherry pie recipe, and am recording it for posterity.  We don't often get fresh sour cherries here, so if your cherries are frozen, thaw them out and drain them before putting the filling together.  If they aren't drained, the pie filling will be too runny.

My mother-in-law uses Pillsbury Pet-Ritz deep dish frozen pie shells.  For this recipe, all you need to do is thaw one in the refrigerator - it doesn't need to be baked.


Sour Cherry Pie (no bake)

Let sit 10 minutes, then simmer 15 minutes:
4-5 cups sour cherries, pitted
1 cup granulated sugar
3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

Take off the heat and add:
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. citric acid powder

Pour into a pre-made pie shell and chill.  ("How long?" I asked.  "I'm not sure.  We never make it more than a few hours.")

Garlic Rosemary Chicken

This week, my grocery store had a $0.99/lb sale on whole chickens, so I was determined to put my new roasting pan to the test.  I chose a roast chicken recipe from Cook's Illustrated's The New Best Recipe.  My grocery store stocks larger chickens than this recipe calls for, however, so the cooking time was tweaked according to instructions found in The Joy of Cooking. It came out spot on.

Since I first posted this recipe, I've made some tweaks.  First, I now double the amount of garlic rosemary paste.  Second, I add minced rosemary to the potatoes as well.  Finally, I stole the idea of adding lemon to the potatoes from Ina Garten's Engagement Roast Chicken.

Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes

serves 4

Break down one whole head of garlic into unpeeled cloves. Reserve 10 cloves for the brine, 4 for the rub, and use the remainder with the potatoes.

Brine
Mix together in a ziplock bag:
1/2 c. table salt (or 3/4 c. Morton's kosher salt)
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Beat with a rolling pin to smash the garlic cloves.  Then add to a large stock pot with 2 c. hot water.  Let steep for 10 minutes.

Add 6 cups cold water and a whole chicken (about 4-6 pounds), giblets removed; or 6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and breasts.  Brine for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turning the bird over at 30 minutes.

Garlic rosemary paste (doubled)
4 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (about 4 stems)
4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or pressed)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp. olive oil

Potatoes and garlic mixture
1.5 pounds raw Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
10 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 lemon, cut lengthwise into 4-6 slices
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (about 2 stems)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1.5 tbsp. olive oil

Cooking the chicken

If roasting cut up pieces rather than a whole chicken, arrange the potatoes and chicken in a single layer on a high-sided baking sheet.  Rub the garlic rosemary paste under the skin of each chicken piece, then coat the outside with olive oil and season with black pepper.  Roast for 50 minutes at 400.

If roasting a whole bird, place the chicken in a roasting rack coated with non-stick spray.  Rub about 1.5 tsp. of the garlic rosemary paste inside the cavity of the chicken.  Use the rest under the skin of the chicken, concentrating on the breasts and thighs.  Once finished, tie the legs together with cooking twine.  Coat the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season with black pepper.  Then turn the chicken breast side down before placing it in the oven:

• Roast for 15 minutes at 450.
• Add potatoes and garlic to the bottom of the pan.
• Roast for an additional 15 minutes at 450.
• Remove pan from the oven and turn the temperature down to 375.
• While waiting for the oven to adjust, rotate the chicken so it's breast side up and stir the potatoes.
• Roast at 375 until done (breast 160-165 and thigh 170-175).

Total cooking time estimate: 1 hour for the first 4 pounds, then add 8 minutes for each additional pound (e.g. 5.5 pound chicken = 1 hour and 12 minutes roasting time).

Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving.  Meanwhile, remove the lemon pieces from the potatos and add about 1 tbsp. of butter.

Shopping list
whole chicken, 4-6 pounds
fresh rosemary
1 whole head of garlic
1.5 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
1 lemon


Recommended products:
In the past, I've had to use an adjustable V-rack and a small baking dish for roasting.  The V-rack is incredibly obnoxious, because even when coated in cooking spray, it tends to stick to the protein and thus come undone whenever you try to turn the meat.  Tonight's infinitely preferable weapon of choice:

Cuisinart stainless steel 16" roasting rack

Protein cooking times

I'm always having to look up how long certain proteins take to cook in The Joy of Cooking.  Now I can consolidate my knowledge!

Whole side of salmon, under the broiler:

6 minutes

Swordfish steaks, on the stovetop:

5 minutes per side; flip once

Rib-eye steaks, on the stovetop:

5 minutes per side for medium rare

Olive Tapenade for Swordfish

Olive Tapenade for Swordfish

for 6 steaks

Combine in a food processor:

1 1/2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. olive oil

1 c. green olives (stuffed with your filling of choice)

3 cloves garlic

2 anchovy fillets

3 tbsp. capers, drained

Risotto

Risotto is a neutral: you can throw pretty much whatever you want into it, depending on your mood and the season.  Here's a very basic recipe, to which other flavors and ingredients can be added at will.  I lean toward adding bright vegetables like peas and asparagus.

Risotto base

serves 6

In a deep pan, saute for about 3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

1 medium white onion, diced finely

Add 1 c. arborio rice and saute it for 2 minutes to toast the grains.

Add 1 cup chicken broth.  Stir until it's absorbed.

Gradually add in 2 more cups of chicken broth about 1/2 cup at a time, adding more as the previous liquid gets absorbed.  Stir constantly.  The rice is done when it starts producing gluten and the mass begins to come together as a big, gooey pile.  If this hasn't happened after 3 cups of broth, add more and keep stirring until it does.

To finish, add 2 tbsp. butter and 1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until both have melted into the rice.

Corn & Black Bean Salad

This is a simple, refreshing side dish.  It's great for summer pot-lucks and barbeques.  This version calls for frozen corn, but of course you can also boil fresh corn for a few minutes, then slice it off the cob.

Corn & Black Bean Salad

serves 8

Combine in an acid-proof dish:

1 lb. frozen corn, microwaved for about 5 minutes to thaw

1 can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 diced cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 diced red bell pepper

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

Whisk together and use to marinate vegetables for at least 1 hour:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3/4 tsp. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

French Potato Salad

We're not big mayonnaise fans, but I love anything steeped in vinegar: hence this version of potato salad, from The Joy of Cooking.  It's quick, simple, and cheap, so I often make it for pot-lucks and backyard summer barbeques.  It's always a hit.

French Potato Salad

serves 6-8

Add to pot of cold, salted water:

2 pounds red or other waxy potatoes

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes (until soft when pierced with a fork).

Whisk together in a small bowl:

1 tbsp. whole grain mustard

6 tbsp. (3/8 c.) white wine vinegar

6 tbsp. (3/8 c.) olive oil

Combine in large bowl:

cooked potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

mustard vinaigrette

1 small red onion, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

2 tbsp. capers

2 tsp. dill
salt & pepper to taste

Serve either warm or chilled.

Recommended products:

It pays to use good quality white wine vinegar in this recipe.  The brands I can find at my local megamart just don't have enough bite, so I make a special trip to Whole Foods instead.  There are plenty of good brands; I typically pick up a bottle of Spectrum or Colavita brand.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian condiment for beef.  This version comes from Epicurious, whose comment section indicates that this isn't a super authentic version and contains too much vinegar for the average person.  For me, it's perfect.  We consume this in vast quantities on top of ribeye steaks.

Chimichurri
makes 1 cup

Puree in a food processor until smooth:
1 c. (packed) fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1/4 c. (packed) fresh cilantro
1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

Meatloaf

From Joanne Becker.  The Beckers were astronomy graduate students when my dad was at the University of Maryland.  I've never seen another recipe like this - both the wheat germ and the horseradish seem to be unique.  Leftovers make great sandwiches, sauced with either A-1 or barbecue sauce.

Meatloaf

serves 6

Cover the top of a small broiler pan with foil.  Cut drainage holes in the foil that go through to the broiler pan’s own perforations.

Whisk together in bowl:

2 eggs

1/3 c. milk

1/2 c. wheat germ

1 bunch green onions, finely diced

1 1/2 tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. Worcestershire

1 tsp. prepared horseradish (not the creamed kind)

Add and mix with hands:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (~10% fat)

Shape into a loaf.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Recommended product:
Horseradish brands vary wildly in intensity.  Silver Springs is fairly wimpy; my mother recommends one called Good-n-Hot.

Shrimp & Grits

A classic dish of the “low country”, most famously Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.  Most versions use heavy cream in the grits and bacon fat in the shrimp.  My mother developed this lighter version, which is substantially less likely to give you or your loved ones a heart attack but remains delicious.  Although the recipe looks long, the grits themselves are trivial to prepare and can be done in parallel with the shrimp and pan sauce.

What's a "grit"?

Grits are made by coarsely grinding up corn, and are commonly served as a hot breakfast cereal (think "oatmeal") in the American South.  If you're familiar with Italian cooking, grits are very much like polenta; if that doesn't ring a bell, think of Cream of Wheat made with corn.  Grits can either be paired with sweet toppings like maple syrup or served with savory additions like cheese.  The simplest way to eat them is with salt and butter.

Shrimp and Grits

serves 4

Grits

Bring to a boil (uncovered, or milk will boil over):

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in:

1 c. quick cooking grits (NOT instant)

1 c. additional chicken broth or milk

Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes until thickened.

Stir in:

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or to taste

1/4 tsp. white or black pepper

a pinch of paprika for color

one of the following cheese blends:

a) 3/4  c. shredded sharp cheddar & 1/4 c. Parmesan

b) 1/2 c. sharp cheddar & 1/2 c. pepper Jack

c) 1 c. smoked cheddar

d) 1 c. smoked Gouda

Set them aside, covered, to keep warm.

Shrimp

Toss in a plastic bag:

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning

Saute on medium:

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp.  butter

coated shrimp

Brown shrimp on both sides, then remove them from the pan and set aside.

Saute for 1 minute in the same pan:

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1/2 c. sliced green onions

1 small tomato, diced

Stir into pan to deglaze and finish cooking the mushrooms:

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Tabasco

To assemble

Divide cooked grits among 4 large shallow soup bowls.  Arrange shrimp on the grits and spoon the mushroom pan sauce over top.

Recommended products:

Don't already have a box of grits in your pantry?  Go find yourself some Quaker quick grits.  Avoid the similar Quaker product "instant grits," as these have an undesirable texture.  If you can't find Quaker in your store, look for Albers quick grits.  It's an extremely similar product with identical cooking instructions.

Quaker Quick Grits

Albers quick grits

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

Gumbo can have almost any protein in it, but this is my favorite combination.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

serves 4-6

Brown in a skillet on medium heat, then drain and reserve:

1 lb. smoked sausage, in 1/4" slices

Combine in a Dutch oven:

1/4 c. oil (neutrally flavored like canola or peanut)

1/4 c. flour

Stir roux continually over medium heat about 10-15 minutes until it browns; the traditional shade is the color of a copper penny.  Once the color starts to turn, it goes fast.  Be careful: roux is also known as "Cajun napalm", and it can spatter!

Add and simmer on medium low, stirring occasionally, about half an hour:

2 c. chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bag frozen sliced okra, thawed

1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Tabasco to taste

the reserved sausage

At the end, add 1 lb. small raw shrimp, peeled.  Serve in bowls over scoops of cooked long grain rice.

Recommended product:

Sausage can vary wildly in its fat content, so pay attention to the labels at the store.  The traditional choice is andouille, a Cajun spicy pork sausage.  I use my slightly healthier stand-by, Jennie-O hot Italian turkey sausage.

 

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

Known simply around my house as "Mrs. Jefferson's", this is the best possible thing to do with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and gravy.  It comes from the Monticello Cookbook and was originally served at Thomas Jefferson’s home as a breakfast dish (no, thanks).

Mrs. Jefferson’s Capitolade of Roast Fowl

serves 4

Boil in salted water:

1/2 pkg. egg noodles

While noodles cook, saute briefly in a saute pan or stock pot:

2 c. cooked turkey, in bite sized pieces

2 tbsp. butter

Add and heat through:

1 c. leftover turkey gravy

1 tbsp. white wine or sherry

1/4 tsp. dried thyme or tarragon

1 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. paprika

Adjust the thickness of the sauce with a bit of broth if needed.  Either serve the turkey over the noodles or stir the noodles into the pot.

Parmesan Green Beans

Around my house, these are known simply as "the good beans" and are consumed in vast quantities whenever I make them. They're even better on Day 2, after they've had a night in the fridge to soak up the lemon juice.

The quantities below are my best guesses: I usually prepare this recipe a la Julia Child, throwing what looks to be the right amount of each thing into the bowl and taste testing as I go along until it seems flavorful enough.

Parmesan Green Beans

serves 6-8

Head and tail 3 lbs. of green beans, then snap ~in half to produce bite-sized pieces.  Boil in enough salted cold water to float the beans, until they reach your desired level of crispiness.  Drain and dress immediately, while still warm.

Toss together:

3 lbs. cooked green beans

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced zest of 1 lemon (optional)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried parsley

1/3 c. shredded Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Bars

These are the most lemon-y of lemon bars.  They're very tart and not too sweet.

The recipe comes to me from CookingForEngineers.com (which includes such useful features as a Gantt chart), but was originally written up in Baking Illustrated.  I've made minor modifications, disposing of baking-specific ingredients that I don't typically buy like unsalted butter and whole milk.  Salted and 1% seem to work just fine.

Lemon Bars
makes one 9"x13" pan

Crust
Combine in food processor:
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. salt

Add and process until flour forms a coarse meal (~12 seconds):
3/4 c. butter, cut into 1” pieces

Lubricate a 9"x13” baking pan with butter or cooking spray.  Press the crust mixture into the pan, at a thickness of about 1/4 inch (a large measuring cup is helpful for shaping).  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Bake crust at 350 for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Filling
Make the filling while the crust is baking.

Whisk together:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Stir in:
1/3 c. milk
2/3 c. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest

Pour filling into the still-hot crust.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until the filling is firm to the touch.  Rest on the counter or in the fridge until it's cool enough to slice and eat.

Shopping list
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2-3 whole lemons for zest & juice (need 2/3 cup)

Check the pantry
1.5 sticks of butter (12 tbsp.)
2 cups AP flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Italian Orzo Salad

This was originally part of a larger pork tenderloin recipe, but I quickly realized I was making the pork as an excuse to eat the orzo salad.  So now it gets its own entry!

Italian Orzo Salad 

serves 6

Boil until al dente:

8 oz. orzo pasta

Dressing: 

1/8 c. olive oil

1/8 c. lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. rosemary, minced (I use dried)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine:

cooked orzo

dressing

1 large tomato, diced

1/3 c. kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 c. fresh basil, shredded

Orzo is a very small pasta the size and shape of large grains of rice.  It's a great base for pasta salads, and is also a good choice in soup.

I like to chiffonade my basil for this recipe:

Chicken Piccata

Most chicken piccata recipes are terrible: after a lot of sweat and tears, they come out greasy and bland.  The fine folks at Cook's Illustrated figured out a solution to this problem, and I've refined it further for a fast weeknight dinner.

Chicken Piccata

serves 4

Halve 1 lemon, pole to pole.  Cut crosswise into very thin slices (or use a mandolin).

Using the butterflying technique, cut 4 chicken breasts in half to yield two thinner cutlets.  Salt and pepper them, then coat in flour.  In olive oil, saute cutlets in batches for 2-2.5 minutes per side over medium high heat.  Set aside.

Then in the same pan, make the sauce.  (The flour left behind by the cutlets will help to thicken it.)

Saute on medium for 30 seconds:

1 small shallot, minced (or substitute 1 clove garlic)

Add and simmer for 4 minutes:

1 c. chicken broth

thin lemon slices

Add and simmer about 1 minute more:

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 tbsp. capers

Pull your pan sauce off the heat and slowly melt in 3 tbsp. butter (i.e. monter au beurre).  Serve immediately over chicken.

Cooking the lemon slices in the chicken broth softens them and makes them edible, peel and all.  The easiest way to produce thin pieces is to slice the lemon as pictured below, in slices as thin as you can manage:

This recipe calls for a minced shallot.  Contrary to popular belief, shallots and green onions are not the same thing.  They're close cousins, but the two aren't completely interchangeable.  In this recipe, green onions would be too harsh.  If you need to make a substitution for the shallot, use garlic.

Behold the mighty shallot.

 

Here's how to butterfly a chicken breast.  In most recipes, this is intended to produce a thinner, single piece of meat.  Here, we're using it to cut a breast completely in half.

Mediterranean Bok Choy

I've changed a good number of things around, but the original inspiring recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Mediterranean Bok Choy

serves 4

Chop:

3 medium heads baby bok choy

Separate chopped stems from leaves.

Saute for 3 minutes:

2 tbsp. olive oil

stems from chopped bok choy

Add and cook an additional 5 minutes:

greens from chopped bok choy

salt and pepper

1/3 c. beef stock

Finish with:

1/4-1/2 c. roughly chopped black olives

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Shrimp & Lime Pasta

The first time I made this recipe, I misread "teaspoon" for "tablespoon" and accidentally tripled the amount of lime juice it called for.  Honestly, I think it came out better that way - and so the change has stayed.

Shrimp & Lime Pasta 

serves 4

Saute in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft:

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Add and saute until shrimp is cooked:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2 cloves garlic, minced

Add and heat through:

3 tbsp. lime juice

1 jar chunky salsa

Toss with 3/4 lb. cooked long pasta.

This is very much a "semi-homemade" recipe: store-bought salsa provides the bulk of the sauce, with fresh vegetables added for flavor and crispness.  Everyone say hi to Aunt Sandy!

Tomato Massala Chicken

Butter chicken and chicken tikka masala are two of the most beloved Indian dishes in the US and UK.  They're also related recipes.  This version combines the best of both worlds: the ease of meat preparation for butter chicken (recipe from Budget Bytes), but some of the finishing touches for the sauce found in tikka masala (recipe from Cook's Illustrated).

Tomato Massala Chicken

serves 6

Quickly brown in large stock pot:

2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 tbsp. butter

Remove chicken to a side plate.

Saute for 3 minutes, until just softening:

1 white or yellow onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger, minced

Add and bloom for at least 30 seconds:

1 tbsp. garam masala

1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Add and simmer, covered, on medium low for 10-15 minutes:

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

reserved chicken

To finish, stir in:

2-3 tbsp. garlic olive oil

3/4 c. heavy cream

Serve over basmati rice.

Recommended product:

If you'd rather be healthy, substitute the heavy cream with an entire single-serving cup of Fage plain Greek yogurt, in either 0% or 2% fat.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

From Cook's Illustrated, another great summer dinner.  If you want to use store-bought pesto, you can saute the chicken and then skip straight to the end.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

Boil 3/4 lb. rotini in large pot.  Meanwhile, season and saute 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 minutes per side).

In food processor, blend 10 sec. until smooth:

1/2 c. pine nuts, toasted

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

Slowly drizzle in 2/3 c. olive oil.

Toss together:

pesto

cooked chicken, cut into strips

cooked rotini

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved and lightly salted

1/2 lb. arugula or baby spinach

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice

One of the few recipes I have that calls for chicken thighs, rather than breasts. 

Chicken & Mexican Green Rice 

serves 4-6

Season 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper.  Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes until one side is nicely browned.  Set aside.

Saute in the now-empty skillet for 5 min:

1 white onion, chopped fine

2 poblano peppers (or other mild green peppers), seeded and chopped

Add and bring to a boil:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

14 oz. can green enchilada sauce

1 c. long-grain white rice, raw

Nestle chicken into rice, browned side up.  Cover and cook on low heat for 20 min., stirring every 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve at least two thighs per person.

Green enchilada sauce is typically sold in a can, not a jar.  This threw me off the first time I went hunting for it, and I ended up bringing home some sort of salsa verde instead.  (I think it still lurks in the back of my pantry, waiting for a use.)

Chicken & Mango Slaw

From the fine folks at Cook's Illustrated. This was the cover recipe that induced me to buy their summer recipes special two years ago.  Boy, am I ever glad I did!  Many of the stand-by recipes included on this blog have their origins in that slim volume.

If you’re planning to store this for leftovers, let the remaining combined slaw drain in a colander for 5-10 min. before putting in the fridge.  Otherwise the excess sauce will make the cabbage soggy by the next day.

Chicken & Mango Slaw  

serves 6

Bring to a boil in a large skillet:

1 c. water

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Add 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cover, and simmer over medium low for 10-15 minutes.  Flip the chicken half way through.

Whisk together sauce:

5 tbsp. cream of coconut

5 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. sambal oelek

Combine and toss:

1/2 head green or Napa cabbage, shredded using food processor disk

2 mangoes, sliced thin and bite sized

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

cooked chicken breasts, shredded

sauce

Recommended products:

Cream of coconut is a confusing product name.  It is NOT the same as "coconut cream" (or "coconut milk").  And in my grocery store, it's shelved in a completely different place: it's with the booze mixers, in a bottle more reminiscent of sunscreen than a food product.

Sambal oelek is an Asian chili garlic condiment.  It packs a very spicy punch, so use it sparingly.  Look for it in the Asian section of your grocery store.  I've always seen it in this exact packaging: