Sunday, April 18, 2010

Grilled Lamb Chops over Lemon Vinaigrette Arugula


This is hands down my favorite weeknight dinner...I adore lamb chops and my kids love these ....the marinade I use gets rid of any gaminess that lamb can tend to have and leaves you with this lick your fingers (and the bone for my fellow carnivores) yumminess!!! I love the simplicity of the ingredients, ease and again quickness of this healthful no carb meal....I promise you will be making this at least once a week. The arugula can be used as a base for any meat, steak, chicken cutlets or even salmon!

So pay attention because if you blink it will be over and done that is how easy it is!!


Lamb chops for 4


8 lamb chops, trimmed of excess fat

2 cloves garlic chopped

3 springs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

1 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you do not like spicy)

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup olive oil


Place all ingredients in a ziploc bag and marinate for at least an hour but upto 24 hours if you want to do it in advance. Prepare grill medium high heat, cook for 4 minutes each side for medium rare...presto lamb chops extraordinaire!!


Arugula in Lemon Vinaigrette


2 bags arugula (I love it when they call it rocket!)

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Parmigiano Reggiano (I use a vegetable peeler to peel the block of cheese or use a grater, the amount here is up to you!)


Place lemon juice in a bowl add salt and pepper to taste and then whisk in the olive oil to create a thickened sauce, pour over arugula, top with Parm and then lamb chops....



WOW, now you cannot say this isn’t insanely easy and so fancy looking!!!


Grilled Chicken Thighs with Roasted Vegetable Couscous


One of the best smells I know is the luscious, tantalizing smell of a grill. Whenever you smell it you think to yourself what are they grilling and immediately want to hunt the smell down, bring a bottle of wine and invite yourself in for dinner (don’t say you haven’t thought about it!!) I love to grill and we don’t just reserve this type of cuisine for the summer...as long as I arm my sexy grill man with a glass of vino I can talk him into throwing the winter parka on and even shovel snow off the grill to make this delicious meal.. The best thing about it is it is inexpensive, simple and super fast, so even a busy weeknight is no excuse for a little fanciness and good home cooking! Here we go....oh we have outside speakers as well so cue the Michael Buble for the grill man (in his case though definitely a little Mariah Carey if I want to sit inside and watch him shake his booty!)


Serves 4


Grilled Chicken Thighs ***marinate for at least an hour but longer is better!!


2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (can substitute breasts)

1 lemon

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 red onion sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper


Place chicken thighs in a large ziploc bag, cut lemon in half, juice into bag and then throw juiced halves in as well. Add onion, thyme and rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Seal bag and mix together so the chicken is evenly coated. Place in fridge for at least an hour but can also be done in the morning for the evening...do not do more than 24 hours in advance as the lemon juice breaks down the chicken.

Prepare the grill to medium high heat, grill chicken 7 minutes first side, 4 minutes second side or until juices run clear (less time for breasts, depending on thickness maybe 5 minutes first side then 3 second side...be careful not to dry them out, thighs are a lot juicer and harder to overcook) and shake that booty!! Done and YUM!!


Grilled Vegetable Couscous


2 japanese eggplants, each sliced lengthwise in 3 equal slices

2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in half

1 onion diced

1/2 lb fresh mozzerella

1/4 cup fresh basil sliced into strips

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)

1 cup chicken stock (can be substituted with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)

2 cloves garlic chopped

1 cup couscous

3 Tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling on the vegetables

crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

salt and pepper to taste


First start the sauce for the couscous, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in sauce pan. Add chopped onion and a pinch of salt, sprinkle of freshly ground pepper and cook until translucent about 5-7 minutes, add garlic and saute another minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil allow to reduce by half, add tomatoes and crushed red pepper (I add about a tsp) let simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered to thicken. In the meantime drizzle the sliced eggplant and zucchini with olive oil and salt and pepper and grill about 3-5 minutes each side on medium heat grill (can do at same time as chicken but should take less time than chicken) Cook until fork tender but not mush! In meantime I blend the sauce with a hand blender but a regular blender will work fine just watch the steam in a blender by giving it room to escape. Heat 1 cup of sauce with 1 tbsp olive oil to a boil and pour over couscous in serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes to steam. Cut up grilled vegetables into bite sized pieces as well as mozzarella. Fluff couscous with a fork toss in vegetables, cheese and fresh basil. Serve with extra sauce and chicken....by this time the sexy grill man has worked up an appetite from all the booty shaking and I have as well watching him!! Foods up, dig in!!


Enjoy!!







Monday, March 8, 2010

Pizza and Chianti Night

So a few years back a group of our closest friends would gather at the end of a long work week to unwind and share a meal....no one would feel like cooking so it was always take-out from our favorite pizza joint and of course lots of vino for our "just because we have kids doesn't mean we don't get to go to happy hour party!" After about a year our pizza place sadly changed and it just wasn't as good. As we now know this is HIGHLY UNACCEPTABLE to me since I look forward to this meal every Friday, it gets me through some of those tough mid-week moments!!! So I took matters into my own hands and started on a quest to make my own pizzas (remember to me this is fun and I get VERY cranky with bad take-out)...this will be the first of many Friday nights pizza recipes to follow and trust me they just get better and better!! I once again have to give credit to my hunky pizza dough/grill man the one and only Fletcher because I think it is fun to get your family and friends into the process of creating any meal because no one wants to be alone in the kitchen while the party is happening outside and sometimes people can just do things better than you can!! Good news is you can make the dough the night before so all you need to do is make the toppings the next day. So the cheerleader in me says......"Let's hear it for Pizza and Chianti night!!!!!" Turn on some tunes, you know who I am listening to and let's get cooking.....

Each pizza serves 4-6

Sausage and Peppers Pizza
Ingredients

2lbs sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed (you can use hot if you like spicy)
2 red peppers, sliced
2 yellow peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano are the best)
1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine (optional but SOOOO good) **secret weapon**
4 Tbsp Olive oil, plus a bit extra (1-2 tsp) to spread on pizza dough
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
1 lb FRESH mozzarella, sliced thinly
1 ball whole wheat pizza dough, thawed and brought to room temperature (usually in freezer section at grocery store)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (good for the good stuff that is stamped on the rind)

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in saute pan over medium-heat heat. Add chicken sausage, cook until browned and break-up into bite-sized pieces with back of spoon. Remove from pan, drain any excess fat and set aside, add remaining oil to pan. Add sliced peppers and onions, salt and freshly ground, crushed red pepper and saute until soft about 10-12 minutes, add garlic saute another minute. Add Marsala wine and scrape any browned bits off bottom of pan, allow to cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Add sausage back into pan, add tomatoes and basil let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes to let the flavors blend and sauce thickens. Meanwhile heat grill or use a pizza stone in the oven (400 degrees) Roll pizza dough out to desired size (use some flour so it doesn't stick to the surface you are rolling it on)...doesn't have to be perfect I like a rustic looking shape but about 1/2" thick. Brush one side of the dough with olive oil and place on heated surface cook about 10 minutes on just one side, remove and let cool (from here you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and save for the next day) Place the cooked side face-up and spread the sausage and pepper mixture evenly over the top leaving an outer edge. Place sliced mozzarella around the top and sprinkle the parmigiano on top. Place back on heat source (oven or grill) and cook until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Let the pizza sit about 5 minutes before slicing it up and get those taste buds ready to have a little party in your mouth!! Pour some vino, gather with your friends and laugh...the week is over but the weekend is just beginning!!!! Enjoy!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

"Fancy-Pants" Roast Chicken, Couscous and Beets


Don't let the word "Fancy-pants" scare you away from this EASY dinner! People will think you will have slaved away but you and I will know the truth, you will WOW your friends and family with this one and the best part is that the leftovers can be turned into some awesome recipes the next day (I LOVE 2 for 1 recipes!!) Now I always like to give credit when credit is due both the chicken and beets came from Barefoot Contessa and again I have tweaked the recipes to make things a little easier and or add a little Maren flare with some new ideas! The couscous is 100% fabulous Maren (if I may pat myself on the back!!) So set the tone....put on that music, do a little dance, sing into your wooden spoon microphone like no one is watching (just because it's fun!), and fill that kitchen with yumminess......

Orange Beet Salad
serves 6-8 (this lasts a long time in the refrigerator and makes awesome leftovers)

Ingredients:
3 lbs (3 bunches) fresh beets (you can use a short cut to save time and buy canned beets but the fresh are so good!!!)
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice (whatever kind is in season)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
zest of 1 orange
orange segments of 1 orange (can use 2 if you like a lot of citrus, but I like the taste of beets and use just 1)

If you are using the fresh beets what I like to do is to save time is cut off the tops (leafy green part) and boil them in a large pot of salted water for 50 min-1 hour (until tender) in the morning, then I drain them and put them in the fridge so they are ready to go for later. That is about all I can handle in the morning before my coffee kicks in but if you can put the whole recipe together, the longer this sits the better it gets!! Otherwise start the beets first for timing with the rest of the dinner. Peel the tough outer skin off the beets (it's messy but the color will astonish you!!) Cut them into bite size pieces, mix remaining ingredients together, add to the beets and voila!! Done!! How easy is that and sooo good for you!

**Leftover note....I love to have leftover beets the next day over mixed greens with crumbled goat cheese and walnuts, just use the dressing from the beets or if you need more just add a splash of olive and white wine vinegar to taste!! YUM!!!

Fancy Pants Roasted Chicken Breasts
4 servings

Ingredients:
4 free-range organic chicken breasts on the bone with skin
2 small or 1 large log of goat cheese
8 sun dried tomatoes (about a small jar, packed in olive oil)
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken on a sheet pan/cookie sheet and slide your fingers between the skin on the chicken and the meat to loosen but be careful not to remove the skin. Slice the goat cheese log into about 1/2 inch slices, place 2 slices per breast under the skin trying to cover the chicken as equally as possible. Then place 2 sun dried tomatoes over cheese and under the skin, pull the skin back over the top of the chicken to cover the meat as best as you can. Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper over each breast. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through (juices will run clear). Serve hot or room temperature. **reserve pan drippings and add to the broth for the couscous.

***Leftover note...after baked the goat cheese becomes creamy and not a strong a flavor, it tenderizes the meat so beautifully and this creates some amazing leftovers for heavenly chicken salad..just dice chicken add some good mayonnaise, maybe some diced onion and celery and serve over salad or on yummy multi grain bread with your favorite salad greens.

While the chicken roasts into a divine creamy creation start the couscous.....

My FAVORITE Couscous
Serves 6

2 bunches kale (I like lacinato kale), stems removed and sliced into bite size strips
1 cup couscous
1 cup chicken broth (can substitute veggie broth for a vegetarian option!)
1/4 cup chicken broth or if you have it white wine
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Bring chicken both to a boil, pour over couscous in a serving dish and cover with plastic wrap tightly, set aside for 10-15 minutes to steam. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in saute pan, add red onions, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and saute until translucent and starting to brown slightly about 10 minutes, add garlic until fragrant. Add kale to pan and 1/4 cup of chicken broth or wine, stir and cover for 5 minutes, uncover and let liquid evaporate. Fluff couscous with a fork and mix together with the kale mixture to blissfully wed them together and done! Serve this all together and you have one "fancy" dinner!!

*P.S. Maren's soap box: A note to those of you that read this and said there is NO WAY my kids will eat this.....I have a rule at my house that after making this particular dinner and 12 LONG years of enforcing the rule I FINALLY got gratification (which by the way felt what I would equate to winning an Academy Award!!) that the rule does indeed work...... MAREN'S GOLDEN DINNER RULE (husband and kids included): You must try everything on your plate, I do not believe in creating power struggles over food so if you do not like it you do not have to eat it BUT if you are not a CLEAN PLATE RANGER aka finish everything DO NOT EVEN THINK of asking me for dessert or a snack later because I am not a short order cook!! To my husband's credit, he has created his own take on my rule which is his witty humor has kind of stuck in our house: "You eat or you starve and die" (he can be a little dramatic but he makes all of us laugh) Because these ingredients are a little "out there" for your french- fry, chicken finger or anything white carboholic kids I promise if you stick to your guns they will try and will eventually like these foods... as I said it took 12 long years but my fabulous picky eater tween said she actually liked the beets because they are sweet and anything mixed with the flavor of chicken is good in her book but the real kicker was when she said the kale is "SOOOO" much better than that gross spinach stuff I make (as you can see my kids are my BIGGEST food critics) to that I thank my lucky stars, reaffirm myself with my mantra that I am not a mean, crazy mother and have a little faith that someday maybe my kids will make healthy food choices for themselves!!! One can dream.....enjoy!!








Sunday, February 28, 2010

Soul Satisfying Chicken Curry

It has been a snowy couple of days in the Northeast so that always inspires me to cook up something that warms me to my soul...so in browsing through my stack of cooking magazines that I now have the opportunity to read since I am snowed in with a day off work and the kids are having a pajama movie marathon I have discovered a winner!!! This is adapted from Bon Appetit, I have changed it slightly to make it a little less involved....the spices make this recipe look like a lot of ingredients BUT if you like Indian food you will use these spices over and over!! I did cut the spice measurements in half from the original recipe so that it is not overpowering as well as ensuring the kids will eat it too, but feel free to double the measurements if you have a LOVE of Indian spices (or save half in a labeled zip- lock bag for ease the next time you make this because trust me you will want to make it again really soon!!)...here we go!!!

Serves 6 (the leftovers are divine!!)

Spice mixture (combine in a small bowl together)
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (I couldn't find this ground so I chopped the seeds finely with a good knife)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like spicy!!)
Ingredients
5 Tbsp canola oil
1 head of cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets
Kosher salt
2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 bunch green onions (white and green parts chopped separately)
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and chopped finely
2 garlic cloves , peeled and chopped
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1Tbsp peanut butter
1/3 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped (recipe called for dried cherries but I had cranberries)
1 1/2 cups FROZEN peas
1/3 cup coconut shavings (these are inexpensive and a very WORTHWHILE ingredient!!), lightly toasted (either on a tray in toaster oven or dry saute pan on stove top)
White basmati or jasmine Thai rice for serving

Prep everything first as listed above and then the hard work is done! At this point it is safe to pour a glass of wine....if your favorite cooking music isn't already on have your husband/significant other put Olympic Curling on mute and rock out some tunes (can you hear Michael B singing to me!) Let the magic begin.....

Prepare rice according to package directions. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat, add cauliflower and lightly salt, saute until slightly golden brown (6-7 min), remove and set aside. Add remaining 2 Tbsp oil and add chicken pieces (try not to crowd pan, may need to do in 2 batches depending on size of your pan), season again with salt and freshly ground pepper. Saute until golden brown (it is ok if little bits stick to the bottom of pan...that is what I call flavor goodness!!) Remove chicken and set aside. Add the white part of onions, garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant about 1 min, add spice mixture and cook another 30 seconds or until it instantly smells like you have transported your kitchen to India. Stir in chicken broth being sure to now scrape and flavor goodness bits off the bottom of the pan to make the start to a unbelievable sauce, add in tomatoes, peanut butter and dried cranberries and stir all together bringing to a simmer. Add cauliflower and chicken in and simmer for 20 minutes. Add frozen peas and cook 5 minutes more. Serve a generous ladle full over rice and sprinkle with toasted coconut and green onions......drum roll please........YUM!!!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Cheesesteaks baby!!



Ok...first I have to say that this may sound a little "fancy" in comparison to the king of all cheesesteaks and by that I mean "Philly Cheesesteaks" but I promise if you give it a whirl even the one that pays homage to "man food" in your house will be singing your praises and may even fold that basket of laundry that has been haunting you for the last week! I make this an open-faced sandwich so that you can pile on all the goodness and not fill your belly with too many carbs in the process!! Ingredients are pretty important to me....when I can I always opt for organic produce, whole grains and grass-fed beef (basically nothing with artificial fillers/ingredients or hormones) Yes it is true that these ingredients can be a bit pricier but my philosophy is you get one body so pay now or pay later!!

Serves 4 (can easily be doubled!)

Ingredients:
1 loaf of ciabatta bread
1 steak approx 1.5-2lbs (sirloin is fine but if you can swing it filet mignon is heavenly)
2 green peppers sliced
2 yellow peppers sliced
2 onions sliced
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 clove garlic cut in half
1 5 oz bag of arugula
1 package sliced mushrooms (optional)
4 oz sliced Jarlsberg cheese (or any other good swiss)
4 oz grated Gruyere cheese
crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper
2-3 tbsp Olive oil

Preheat grill/ grill pan to medium heat. In a separate pan heat olive oil in saute over medium heat, add sliced peppers, mushrooms and onions sprinkle with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste. Saute over medium-low heat until peppers are soft and onions are translucent approx 10-15 min. While that cooks rub the steak with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, grill medium heat 6 minutes first side, 5 minutes second side for medium rare (or until desired doneness but remember steak will cook a bit more when you broil the sandwich) Remove from grill, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 min. Add chopped garlic to onion mixture and cook 5 minutes more being careful not to burn the garlic. Set aside, keep warm. Sliced the ciabatta bread in half lengthwise so you have two open-faced halves. Drizzle the cut side with olive oil and either toast oil side down on a grill pan or in broiler until golden brown. Remove from grill and rub toasted side with halves of garlic. Slice steak thin. Spread arugula evenly over both halves of bread, top with onion, pepper mixture, slices of steak, then top with sliced Jarlsberg then the grated Gruyere. Place until broiler at high heat for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden. Cut each half in half again and serve with forks and knives, a yummy glass of vino (milk for the kids!!) Pop on some Michael Buble tunes, light a candle because we need a little ambiance after our day of work and kids and connect with whom ever you have decided to share this scrumptious meal with !! Enjoy!