Steak

 

Not much to add to the pictures. A beautiful Steak perfectly cooked. Corn on the Cob and Pan Roasted Potatoes make for my kind of meal!

Chicken With Torn Sourdough, Sherry, Raisins & Bitter Greens

Hopefully the pictures do this recipe for Chicken With Torn Sourdough, Sherry, Raisins & Bitter Greens justice. I loved it. It reminded us of all the wonderful dinners we used to have a Zuni in San Francisco. What a wonderful restaurant and what a great cookbook. This recipe was probably developed independently of the Zuni recipe, I don't know for sure and it makes no difference. All of the the classic Zuni Chicken recipes (of which we have several variations) are are excellent. This recipe joins the club. It is good, give it a try. Although we haven't been to San Francisco, for a few years I am sure one fine day we will return for a visit. When we return we will go back to Zuni.

Chicken With Torn Sourdough, Sherry, Raisins & Bitter Greens

From the Oven to the Table

Diana Henry

 

SERVES 4

1-1/2  cups sourdough bread, torn into pieces roughly 2in square

1         pound small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and cut into chunks

1         large onion, cut into wedges

6         thyme sprigs

2         teaspoons crushed red pepper

1         head of garlic, cloves 1 separated but not peeled

1/3      lb pancetta or Slab bacon, in 1 piece

8         good-sized skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, excess, skin neatly trimmed

2         tablespoons sherry vinegar

1         cup amontillado sherry

5         tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

10       thin scallions, trimmed

1/3      cup raisins

¼        pound bitter salad greens (such as radicchio, Belgian endive, frisée, dandelion or treviso)

3         tablespoons toasted pine ruts

 

There’s a lot going on here, though its a very simple dish. The sourdough pieces end up crunchy with a moist, slightly boozy, garlic-infused underside. There is sweetness from the sherry and raisins, bitterness from the greens, and saltiness from the bacon. It’s all about contrast. Use watercress—just arrange small fistfuls among the cooked chicken—if you aren’t keen on bitter greens, and up the red pepper if you want more heat.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the bread, potatoes, onion, thyme, crushed red pepper, and garlic cloves into a large roasting pan. Cut the pancetta or bacon into ¼-inch chunks and add them to the pan with the chicken. Pour on the sherry vinegar, 1/4 cup of the sherry, and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Season and toss everything around with your hands, finishing with the chicken skin side up. Make sure the bread isn’t too exposed, or lying at the edges, or it will burn.

Roast for 25 minutes—tossing the ingredients around once but making sure the chicken is still skin side up—then add another ¼ cup sherry.

Mix the scallions in a bowl with the remaining olive oil and add them to the pan, too, laying them on top of the vegetables. Return to the oven and roast for a final 15 minutes.

Pour the remaining sherry into a small saucepan with the raisins and bring to just under a boil. Let sit, then add them to the roasting pan 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Transfer everything to a large, warmed platter or broad, shallow serving dish (unless you’re happy to take the roasting pan to the table) and mix in whichever of the greens you want to use (or just serve them on the side). Throw on the pine nuts and serve.

 

 

Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes & Goat Cheese

Vegetable bed for the Lamb Chops

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes & Goat Cheese was a new recipe for us. I really liked it. We could have been in Provence. This is a wonderful recipe. Last summer during the height of the Pandemic we did not make one of my favorite summer soups. The recipe for Yellow Tomato Gazpacho from The Sunday Supper at Lucques Cook Book. We have made it many times. We couldn't find Yellow Tomatoes. This summer we did, so we could make the excellent chilled soup. You can find the recipe on our blog of July 29, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Thyme-Roast Lamb Chops with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Potatoes & Goat Cheese

From the Oven to the Table

Diana Henry

 

Not an all-in-one dish, as you have to brown the chops and then put them on top of the vegetables, but even in the short period they’re in the oven at the same time, the juices from the lamb flavor the potatoes, bringing both components together. The chops will take 10—12 minutes, depending on your oven. Keep an eye on them the first time you make this dish and then you’ll know how long to cook them the next time. SERVES 4

 

8       thick loin lamb chops

4       tablespoons extra virgin olive Oil, plus a little more

leaves from 5 thyme sprigs, plus 3 whole thyme sprigs

1       lb small waxy potatoes, scrubbed, halved or quartered, depending on size

3/4    lb cherry tomatoes

1       large red onion, cut into Wedges;

sea saIt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1       head of garlic

Scant 1 cup good-quality black olives, pitted or not, as you prefer

5       oz goat cheese, broken y into rough chunks

 

Put the chops in a dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and half the thyme. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or in the refrigerator overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 4-00°F.

Put the potatoes, along with the tomatoes and onion, into a large gratin dish or a shallow casserole (about 12in across is ideal) in which all the vegetables can lie in a single layer. Add the rest of the oil, some salt and pepper, and the rest of the thyme. Separate the cloves of garlic and add those, too (you don’t need to peel them). Toss everything together and roast in the oven for 25 minutes. Add the olives and scatter the goat cheese over the top. Spoon on a little more oil. Return the dish to the oven for 10 minutes.

 

Heat a frying pan over a very high heat until really hot, season the chops, and sear them until browned, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side.

 

Put the chops on top of the vegetables and roast for a final 10 minutes, by which time they should be cooked through, but remain a little rare. The vegetables should be tender and the goat cheese toasted on top.

 

 

 

  

Greek Lamb Chops

We like Lamb Chops although we don't have them very often. I am not exactly sure why we don't have them more often. Black Hogg is a neighborhood restaurant that offers 2 entrees to cook at home. This week is was Herb Marinated Greek Lamb Lollipops. They come all marinated all you need to do is grill them. They were excellent. We started with a White Nectarine Salad with Spec. We served the Lamb Chops with Tomatoes, Rice, tzatziki and Hummus. It was a warm night we ate outside. It was perfect.

Herb Marinated Greek Lamb Lollipops - Opal Valley All Natural, Pasture Raised Lamb

 

GRILL METHOD:

lamb is marinated with herbs, rock salt and olive oil.

Preheat grill.

Place lollipops onto grill. Flip every 1-2 minutes. Rotate to cooler parts of grill to avoid flare-ups

Cook for around 6-8 minutes total, medium-rare to medium is good.

Enjoy with the tzatziki, some flat bread or rice, some hummus, hot sauce and salad!

 

 

South American-Spiced Chicken, Black Beans, & Rice

 

We made South American-Spiced Chicken, Black Beans, & Rice With Avocado, Pickled Chilies & Sour Cream which is almost like a Paella. It is from South America (or at least the author so labels it). It would be easy to see how it could have migrated to the Americas from Spain. It was hearty and good.

South American-Spiced Chicken, Black Beans, & Rice With Avocado, Pickled Chilies & Sour Cream

From the Oven to the Table

 

Another baked rice dish, so again you do need to cook it in the size of pan specified. The chicken, beans, and rice are, in themselves, simple, but it's the add-ons here that make the dish.

 

For The Chicken, Beans And Rice

 

2       tablespoons extra virgin

olive oil or peanut oil

8       good-sized skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, or a mixture of chicken parts, excess skin neatly trimmed

1       large onion, roughly chopped

2       bell peppers, halved, seeded, and sliced

3       garlic cloves, finely grated

1       teaspoon ground cumin

1       cinnamon stick, halved

2       red Fresno chilies, halved, seeded, and chopped

15     oz     can of black beans, drained and rinsed

⅔      lb cherry tomatoes, halved

1       cup basmati rice, washed in a sieve until the water runs clear

2½    cups boiling chicken stock

sea salt flakes and freshly

ground black pepper

3       tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

 

To Serve

 

Lime Wedges

Pickled chilies

sour cream

2 avocados

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Heat the oil in a 12in ovenproof sauté pan or shallow casserole (the size is very important) and quickly brown the chicken pieces on both sides, just to give them a good color. Remove and set aside. Add the onion and peppers to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, or until just starting to soften.

 

Add the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and chilies and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the black beans and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle on the rice (it's important that the black beans are underneath the rice and chicken when the dish goes into the oven, otherwise they get scorched). Pour on the boiling stock and return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Season.

 

Bake for 40 minutes. The chicken should be lovely and golden and the stock should have been absorbed. The rice should be tender by this time, too. Sprinkle on the cilantro.

 

Serve with lime wedges, a bowl of pickled chilies, sour cream, and slices of avocado (just squeeze lime juice over the avocados in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper).

Shrimp with Orzo

We started with a Tomato, Pesto and Basil Salad. The ingredients were all from our Vegetable and Herb Gardens. It made the Salad extra special to know we grew it ourselves. Shrimp with Orzo is a favorite of ours. If you haven't made it, I highly recommend it. You can get the recipe on our blog of: July 10, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe.

Lobster Risotto Cakes!

It ain't cookie dough, it's Lobster Risotto Cakes, new formed and chilling

We had leftover Lobster Risotto. What could be better than making Risotto Cakes? We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata and Pesto. We served the delicious Risotto Cakes on Arugula and toped with a Tomato Coulis. You can find the recipe in our blog of December 15, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon

We started with a White Nectarine Salad with Spec. The White Nectarines were from Frog Hollow Farms. They were deliciously sweet. We went to the South Pasadena Farmer's Market and bought Smoked Salmon from one of the stands. We also bought the Asparagus at the Market. It is great to support the local growers and the produce is superior. 

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon is a great pasta dish. We highly recommend it. You can get the recipe on our blog of: April 4, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe.

Homage to Mark Peel

 

Red Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing

We were saddened and shocked to read about the passing of Mark Peel. We once figured out we had eaten at his fantastic restaurant Campanile over 1,000 times! It was by far our favorite restaurant. Mark and his then wife Nancy Silverton created a magical restaurant. So many of the restaurants we go to now are staffed and / or owned by alumni of Campanile. It was a training ground for so many. Mark will be missed by all who know him. Yesterday I was reading a book and it had an appropriate quote: "You aren't dead until no one can remember you. Then you die a 2nd time." We will keep Mark alive by cooking his recipes and remember the good times at Campanile.

We started with one of my favorite tomato salad recipes from Campanile: Green and Red Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing from New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel.  We only used Red Tomatoes this time. The Russian Dressing is exceptional. We did cheat however and use Best Foods mayo rather than make our own. We crushed garlic into it. This is a fabulous salad when tomatoes are at their peak. You can get the recipe on our blog of: July 4, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made Focaccia to go with the Tomato Salad. The Focaccia dough came from Cookbook.

Beef Pot Pie

Sometimes it is great to have something wonderful frozen in the fridge. We had a Beef Pot Pie we had purchased from Friends & Family. It was fantastic with an unbelievable crust. It was extremely rich. Corn on The Cob and a Margarita with Guacamole to start the dinner. Super yummy.

The Sable that Coats your Stomach not your Body

 

Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce is a favorite fish preparation. When we went to the market they didn't have Cod but they had Sable which is the same thing by a different name. We purchased the fish and when we served it we thought it was excellent. It was a great substitution. You can find the recipe on our blog of December 21, 2020. Click the date to get the recipe. This is a delicious recipe, you should try it if you haven't made it.

July 4 - Returns!

Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon

Bludso's Ribs

Majordomo Ssam

Watermelon Chat

Everyone showed up Vaxed and ready to party! This actually was our first joint party since the Pandemic Started over a year ago. It was a time for celebration. We love this annual event to watch the fireworks from our deck, have great food and especially be with each other. We had all survived! Everyone contributed food or wine. Since this Blog focuses on what recipes Cathy and I cook, I will discuss those.

Shumon says we MUST have Watermelon Chat! So of course we had it. It is always a hit. In addition we made Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon, it was excellent and as they say "Rice and Beans make a complete protein". The weather was perfect for us to watch the celebrations. It was a great night. 

Watermelon Chaat

New York Times

 

This recipe for watermelon chaat, a savory fruit salad dressed in toasted cumin and dried mango powder, comes from Malika Ameen, a cookbook author whose Pakistani-American family in Chicago makes infinite variations on fruit chaat in the summer. You could swap out the watermelon for a mix of what's in season, whether it's stone fruit, berries or cubed apple and pear. It's an ideal dish to break the fast during Ramadan, full of flavor and hydrating, and quick to put together.

 

Ingredients

 

2         pounds watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes

¾        teaspoon whole cumin seeds

¼        teaspoon sweet paprika

¼        teaspoon finely ground black pepper

¼        teaspoon amchur powder (dried green mango)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (a generous pinch if you like heat)

¼        teaspoon fine sea salt

1         orange, clementine or mandarin, juiced to make approximately 1/3 cup juice

½        teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper

3 to 4 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

 

Preparation

 

1.    Place cubed watermelon in a wide platter with sides or in a large baking or serving dish and spread into a single layer.

2.    In a small pan, toast whole cumin seeds on medium heat for 3 minutes, until fragrant. Remove and coarsely grind with a mortar and pestle. (You can also grind in a spice grinder, but be sure not to grind to a fine powder as the coarse grains of the spice add a wonderful texture.)

3.    Transfer cumin to a small bowl and add all remaining spices and salt. Add citrus juice, jalapeño and mint and mix well. Pour dressing over cubed watermelon and mix to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 1 to 6 hours. Serve chilled the same day.

 

Baked Rice with White Beans, Leeks And Lemon

The New York Times

 

Baking is a fail-safe, hands-off method for making perfect rice every time. Add roasted leeks, lemon peel, almonds and white beans, and it becomes a company-worthy vegetarian dinner inspired by prasorizo, the classic Greek rice-and-leek dish. Finished with Parmesan and fresh herbs, it's an excellent one-pan meal, but it would also be great served alongside grilled fish, shrimp or chicken. If you like, you can make it even more filling by adding other vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini or broccoli florets with the leeks and almonds, or stir in spinach, arugula or sliced snap peas after it comes out of the oven in Step 4. Omit the Parmesan and it’s vegan, too.

 

Ingredients

 

4     leeks (about 2 pounds), trimmed, white and pale green parts sliced 1/4-inch thick

1     lemon

¼    cup raw almonds

½    teaspoon red-pepper flakes

5     tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

1-½  cups uncooked basmati rice

1     (15-ounce) can white beans (such as cannellini or great Northern), rinsed

2-½ cups boiling water

½    cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

¼    cup thinly sliced or chopped basil, chives, mint or fennel fronds, plus more for serving

 

Preparation

 

1.     Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the leeks until they’re clean, then shake or pat dry. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 1-inch-thick strips of lemon zest, then cut the lemon in half. Cut one half into four wedges and reserve the other half.

2.     In a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, combine the leeks, lemon zest strips, almonds, red-pepper flakes and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, and arrange in an even layer. Roast until the leeks start to caramelize, about 20 minutes.

3.    Finely chop the lemon zest strips, then stir it back into the leek mixture and arrange in an even layer. Sprinkle the rice evenly over the leeks, then top with the beans and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the boiling water, then seal the pan tightly with foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 20 to 22 minutes.

4.    Remove from the oven, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Squeeze the lemon half over the rice, then stir in Parmesan and herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges, and more Parmesan and herbs, as desired.