Sesame Snap Pea-Chicken Salad

We had left over Rotisserie Peruvian Chicken and decided to make a Chicken Salad. This is an unusual salad made with fresh Snap Peas. Snap Peas are at their height of crispness right now, so it was a perfect use of leftover Chicken. I loved the crunchiness of the Peas.

Sesame Snap Pea-Chicken Salad

New York Times

 

This simple salad features crisp-tender sugar snap peas, delicate shredded chicken and creamy sesame dressing. The cooking methods are important here: Blanching the peas, then shocking them in ice water ensures that they retain crunch and color, while gently poaching the boneless chicken breast and plunging it into an ice water bath means it stays moist. The tangy dressing, which is a nod to the highly addictive Japanese-style goma dressing, is made with earthy roasted sesame seeds and mayonnaise; it finds its way to the craggy edges of the shredded chicken. Try to shred the meat the same size as the sliced peas for the best texture. This salad is great to serve immediately, and even better after spending at least an hour in the refrigerator.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:2 to 4 servings (about 4 cups)

 

1          medium boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 to 10 ounces)

Kosher salt

¾ to 1   pound sugar snap peas

¼          cup roasted white sesame seeds

¼          cup mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand)

1           tablespoon soy sauce

1           tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

2           teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1           teaspoon granulated sugar

 

PREPARATION

 

1.     In a medium saucepan, add the chicken and enough cold water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water begins to boil, lower heat immediately to a gentle simmer, cover partially with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. (Monitor that the bubbles never get too big; lower heat if so.) Turn off the heat, cover completely with lid, and leave on the stovetop for another 10 minutes.

2.     Meanwhile, prepare the sugar snap peas: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it begins to boil, set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Drop sugar snap peas into boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, 30 to 45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sugar snap peas to the ice water to cool completely. Drain well and pat dry on a clean dish towel in a single layer.

3.     Transfer sugar snap peas to a cutting board and trim the tips, if needed, then slice lengthwise into thirds on a slight diagonal. Transfer to a large bowl or lidded container, and refrigerate.

4.     Prepare the dressing: In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind the sesame seeds, leaving some whole. In a small bowl, combine ground sesame seeds, mayonnaise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until smooth.

5.     Set a bowl of ice water next to the stovetop. Transfer the chicken to the ice water to cool completely. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pat dry, then finely shred the meat using your fingers. The shreds should be similar in size to the cut sugar snap peas.

6.     Add the shredded chicken and all of the dressing to the chilled snap peas; toss gently until coated. Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

 

Peruvian Chicken and Tomato Feta Salad

 

Peruvian Roasted Chicken with Spicy Cilantro Sauce is a great recipe, we have made it several times. It requires two Peruvian Sauces that we found in a South American grocery. The woman at the counter was surprised to see two Gringos buying the Sauce. The Chicken Skin gets extra crispy and tasty with the rotisserie and sauces. We loved it! You can find the recipe on our blog of: June 13, 2023. Click the date to get the recipe.

Reminiscent of a Greek Salad, Tomato-Feta Salad is my kind of salad. The Tomatoes this year have been excellent, so the salad was perfect!

Tomato-Feta Salad

New York Times

 

Cherry tomatoes make a colorful zesty salad that’s good on its own or very welcome as a picnic side dish. They are halved and tossed with a garlicky vinaigrette, roughly chopped olives, cilantro and parsley and a shower of crumbled feta, an ideal accompaniment to grilled meats.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:6 to 8 servings

 

4       cups cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes (about 3 pints), halved

Salt and black pepper

½      cup roughly chopped green or black olives

2       garlic cloves, pounded to a paste or grated

3       tablespoons olive oil

2       tablespoons red wine vinegar

½      cup roughly chopped cilantro

½      cup roughly chopped parsley

8       ounces feta, crumbled in large chunks

5       ounces arugula or baby spinach (optional)

 

PREPARATION

 

1.    Put tomatoes in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, and toss.

2.    Add olives, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, and toss well, leaving salad to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

3.    To serve, add chopped cilantro and parsley, and transfer to a platter.

4.    Garnish with feta and add greens, if using.

 

 

Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses

We made a great lamb chop recipe: Grilled Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses. We have made it before. It is excellent. You can find the recipe on our blog of August 23, 2015. Click the date to get the recipe. We always serve it with Couscous. We served it with Lemony Orzo with Asparagus and Garlic Breadcrumbs the perfect accompaniment for the Lamb.

To top everything - Cherries (especially from McCall's) are extraordinary this year, sweet and rich in flavor, a perfect way to end this delicious dinner! I don't know where they source them but boy are they good!

Lemony Orzo with Asparagus and Garlic Breadcrumbs
New York Times
 
Every spoonful of this pasta has a happy jumble of lemony orzo, grassy asparagus, garlicky breadcrumbs, fresh herbs and salty Parmesan. The pasta and thinly sliced asparagus cook together in the same pot, then rest in a lemony dressing while the garlic breadcrumbs are toasted, so the pasta has time to absorb as much flavor as possible.
 
Ingredients
 
Kosher salt and black pepper
1          cup orzo
1          pound asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on a diagonal (about 1/4-inch thick)
5          tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1          teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more as needed (from about 1 large lemon)
½         cup panko or homemade bread crumbs
1          small garlic clove, finely grated
¼         cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
½         cup fresh dill, mint or parsley leaves (or any combination), torn if large
 
Preparation
 
1.    Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente according to package directions. Two minutes before the orzo is done, add the asparagus. Drain the orzo and asparagus. Wipe out and reserve the pot.

2.    While the orzo and asparagus cook, make the dressing: In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons oil and the lemon zest and juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the drained orzo and asparagus and toss to coat. Set aside while you toast the bread crumbs.

3.     In the reserved pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium. Add the panko and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.

4.    Stir the Parmesan and herbs into the orzo, taste, then season with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired. Top with the toasted bread crumbs and more Parmesan if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon

 Fettuccine with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon is a new and different Asparagus Pasta recipe for us. We usually make Asparagus Pasta every Spring with Asparagus is at its peak. Until we met this recipe we didn't make it with the addition of Salmon. It was good. We started with a Nectarine Salad with Speck.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon

The New York Times

 

Fresh pasta, asparagus and smoked salmon are tossed with shallot cream sauce in this elegant weeknight dinner that can be prepared in well under an hour.

 

Ingredients

 

½            pound fresh asparagus, medium thickness

Salt

1             tablespoon butter

½            tablespoon minced shallots

1             cup heavy cream

4             ounces smoked salmon sliced 1/4-inch thick

Freshly ground black pepper

1             teaspoon fresh lemon juice

9 to 10   ounces fresh green fettuccine noodles

2             tablespoons minced fresh dill

 

Preparation

 

1.   Snap off the ends of the asparagus where they break naturally and peel the stalks. Cut the asparagus on a slant to pieces about an inch long.

2.   Steam the asparagus until they are just barely tender and still bright green, about three minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain well on paper towels and set aside.

3.   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

4.   While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the shallots and saute until soft but not brown. Stir in the cream and simmer about five minutes, until the cream has thickened somewhat.

5.   Cut the salmon into slivers, add it to the cream and remove the skillet from the heat. Season with pepper and lemon juice. Add the asparagus.

6.   When the pot of water is boiling, add the fettuccine, stir it once or twice, then cook two to three minutes after the water has returned to a boil. Drain well.

7.   Briefly reheat the sauce. Transfer the fettuccine to a warm serving bowl, pour the sauce over it and toss. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

 

Butter Baisted Steak

We saw this recipe for Butter Basted Steak with Asparagus and knew we had to make it. We found it too rich. It you want to be extravagant and not follow doctors recommendations this might be for you.

Butter Basted Steak with Asparagus

New York Times

 

When this simple steak gets a quick butter baste, its center cooks gently and evenly and its outside develops a beautiful bronze crust infused with sticky ginger, garlic and herbs. Its overall effect is one that a quick and hard sear alone cannot duplicate. While the steak rests, asparagus is quickly cooked using the residual heat from the steak skillet, gaining flavor from the pan juices. Serve with white rice to soak up those buttery remnants cut with electric lime.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:2 servings

 

1       boneless New York strip steak (1½ inches thick, ideally with a fat cap; about 1 pound)

Kosher salt

1       pound asparagus, preferably thick spears

Avocado or canola oil

2       tablespoons unsalted butter

2       large garlic cloves, unpeeled but crushed

1       (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced

1       thyme or rosemary sprig

Cracked black pepper

1       tablespoon soy sauce

Lime wedges, for serving

 

PREPARATION

 

1.            If your steak has a thick fat cap, use a sharp paring knife to score it with a crosshatching pattern. Generously season the steak all over with salt. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2.            While the steak rests, trim an inch off the ends of the asparagus, then peel the tough, woody bottom two inches off each spear. (This means you don’t have to throw so much of the ends away.) Cut each spear in half crosswise at an angle.

3.            Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high. Dab the steak dry with a paper towel. Add enough oil to lightly coat the skillet. Wait for a wisp of smoke, then use tongs to hold the steak perpendicular to the cast-iron and gently sear the fat cap until some of the fat renders, about 2 minutes. Carefully lay the steak down and sear on one side without moving it until a nice golden crust forms, about 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side until browned, about 2 minutes.

4.            Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, garlic, ginger and thyme. When the butter bubbles, tilt the skillet slightly so the butter pools. Spoon the hot, foaming butter over the steak. Repeat, like you’re bathing it, until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 120 degrees (medium-rare), 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a cutting board, season with freshly cracked pepper and let rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.

5.            Meanwhile, raise the heat to medium-high then add the soy sauce and asparagus to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus turns shiny and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Let the asparagus steam in the residual heat while the steak rests.

6.            When ready to eat, slice the steak against the grain (perpendicular to the fibers running across the meat), so the meat is especially tender when you eat it. Serve the steak slices sprinkled with salt and spritzed with lime, if using, and with the steamed asparagus.

 

 

Fava Bean Pasta

We we made our first Fava Bean Pasta of the year. Fava’s come into the market in the spring. Tom grows them in his garden and gave us some. They require double peeling, first the pod to release the bean, then a quick boil of the bean to allow you to pinch off the skin of the bean leaving just the fava bean without a skin. From a huge volume of Fava Beans you get a cup or cup and half of shelled beans. It is best NOT to cut your finger nails before you start shelling the beans. The pasta is one of my favorites. Fava’s, and Bacon (my favorite seasoning) and onions. You can find the recipe in our blog of: April 30, 2008. Just click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata and Pesto. Excellent dinner! A favorite of ours!

Crispy Chicken with Lime Butter

Pat and Doshi told about Crispy Chicken with Lime Butter  So we decided to follow their lead and make it. It is a good recipe. I liked the flavor of the Lime when it is spritzed over the cooked. It adds a tropical hint of flavor, and of course the Chicken has the crispy skin I love. It is definitely a keeper recipe.

Crispy Chicken with Lime Butter

New York Times

 

You don’t need a thermometer to know when these chicken thighs are done. You just need your ears. In this recipe, chicken thighs are slow seared using a technique from the chef Paul Bertolli called “bottom-up cooking” where the chicken cooks almost entirely on the skin side over moderate heat, resulting in shatteringly crisp skin. The gentle sputtering sound that signals the release of moisture from the chicken hitting the hot fat in the pan stops when the meat is fully cooked and the skin crisp and evenly browned. A quick pan sauce of chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup, made glossy with a few pats of butter, completes this dish.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

 

4       large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)

Salt and pepper

1       tablespoon peanut or canola oil

2       garlic cloves, crushed 

½      cup chicken stock or ¼ cup water

2       tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving

2       teaspoons maple syrup

3       tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

Parsley, cilantro, basil or mint leaves, for serving (optional)

 

PREPARATION

 

1.            Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. If you have time, set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

2.            Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the oil and swirl the pan to coat it. Place the chicken skin side down and cook without moving it until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce the heat if the chicken splatters too much or browns too quickly.

3.            Add the garlic to the pan. Flip the chicken and cook until the bottom is lightly browned and the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and save for another use (see Tip).

4.            Add the chicken stock, lime juice and maple syrup to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over high, then reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and continue simmering, now stirring constantly, until incorporated; the sauce will thicken and become shiny as the butter melts. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.

5.            Serve the chicken with the pan sauce, lime wedges and the optional fresh herbs (spritzed with a little lime juice and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper).

TIP

Rendered chicken fat, sometimes called schmaltz when clarified, can be used to pan-fry vegetables and meat; to enrich a soup, stew, sauce or tomato-based braise; or to spread on toast.