Refrigerator Pickles

I love pickles.  Seriously love them and can snack on them at any time.  Last summer I was so excited to grow cucumbers in our small urban garden for the purpose of homemade pickles but then our cucumber plant up and died on me. Boo!  This summer we have been getting a steady supply of cucumbers in our CSA box so cucumber making is on.

Refrigerator pickles are quickly becoming a favorite.  They are super easy, low time commitment to prepare, quick to be ready to enjoy, and easy to make in small batches - all good things for experimenting with different flavoring.  The small batch part is great if you have only a couple of cucumbers on hand and a small family. Usually I favor a dill pickle but I am rather enjoying a blend of spices.

Something that I am working on is having stuff on hand for hostess gifts.  I am a 'just-in-time' kind of shopping gal so often find myself empty handed and thus running out last minute in search of something to take as a little thank you for hosts.  This summer I have been stocking my shelves with homemade  jam and refrigerator pickles for gift giving and it makes it so effortless.  Dan thought the refrigerator pickles might be kind of an odd thing to give someone but I would like to receive them so they have found their way into being a hostess gift.

Whether giving or just eating them with the fridge door open - these pickles are in heavy rotation right now.

Refrigerator Pickles

Adapted from various sources
makes two pints

1 quart cucumbers - approximately 1 1/2 pounds (kirby cucumbers are ideal but other varieties work just fine for these)

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup filtered water
2 teaspoons sea salt

1 tsp mustard seeds, black and yellow mix
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole coriander seeds
scant 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 spring onions (whites only), chopped - OR thinly sliced red onion

Wash and dry cucumbers. Slice at desired thickness, a mandolin is helpful in getting even slices.

Divide the spices, onion and garlic between the two jars. Pack the cucumber slices into the jars as tightly as you can without crushing them.  If planning on giving this jar as a gift you can use a few slices to line along the side of the jar, the stack in the center will hold them in place.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Pour the brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Put lids on the jars and let them cool before putting in the refrigerator. Let cure for at least a day before eating. Pickles will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Sauteed Lambs Quarters

I can definitely say I would not have purchased lambs quarters on my own.  That is part of the fun of being in a CSA - getting new & different produce goodies to try.  And I believe I am eating more 'greens' than ever, having never been known to be a fan of anything that might even kind-of-sort-of resemble spinach. 

When I saw lambs quarters listed in the weekly email from our CSA farmer, I thought hmmm this should be interesting.  And they were.  We took the suggestion from the farmer to prepare them simply and they went quite nicely with a grilled chop for a midweek meal on the patio.  This is the type of meal that oozes summer - simple, fresh, zero fuss and perfect for outdoor dining.

Sautéed Lambs Quarters with Spring Onions

Slightly adapted from Genesis Growers

Serves 4 as a side

1 bunch Lambs Quarters

3 Spring Onions              

3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp Sea Salt

1-2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 clove Garlic, chopped

 
   1. Wash and dry lambs quarters, removing the leaves from the stalk
   2. Thinly slice the white of the spring onion
   3. Slice green part of onion on a bias and reserve
   4. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan until almost smoking
   5. Add sliced spring onion and cook until just starting to brown, add in the garlic and heat until fragrant
   6. Add lambs quarters, red pepper flakes
   7. Continue to cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, add the green part of the onion for the final few minutes
   8. Season with salt and vinegar to taste and serve, goes nicely alongside grilled pork chops or chicken

A dinner menu fit for Valentines

Over the past couple of years it has become our tradition to celebrate Valentine's Day by making dinner together.  Something we haven't made before, a little out of the ordinary weekly dinner menu and of course it has to be delicious.  We started this tradition during our first year as a married couple, so this was our third  valentine's menu.

This year valentines fell on a Monday which meant that we would start making our dinner around 7ish.  So not only did it need to be something a little bit special, it needed to be fast. After a bit of thinking scallops came up... seafood is loved by all in our house, is not something we make frequently, and cook quite quickly - perfect!  From there everything fell into place for the menu. 

Since we wanted to make sure it wasn't terribly late by the time we were eating, I prepped the blood orange sauce the night before and we coordinated our game plan for cooking.  Dan prepped the parsnips, I prepared the salad, Dan cooked the scallops, I mashed the parsnips...  And it turned out sooooo delicious.  Seriously yummy.

A few things we learned... mashed parsnips are not as good once cold, don't crowd your pan for searing the scallops, the gastrique goes from reduced perfectly to burnt in a moment so don't get distracted by your laptop during that part, and the blood orange fennel salad is better with a bit of spring greens added to the mix.

This is a lovely menu for a date night in (valentines day or not).

Seared Scallops with Blood Orange Gastrique, Parsnip Mash and Blood Orange Fennel Salad

Adapted from recipes on Epicurious
Serves 2

Blood Orange Gastrique
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice (from about 3 oranges)
¾ cups low-salt chicken broth

Scallops
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Coarse kosher salt
8 large sea scallops, side muscles removed

Blood Orange Fennel Salad
1 blood oranges, peeled, separated into segments
chopped fresh parsley leaves, fresh mint leaves
1/2 of a fennel cut into matchsticks

For blood orange gastrique:
Place sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Stir until sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Gradually add vinegar (mixture will harden). Stir until caramel melts, about 1 minute. Add orange juice; boil until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Add broth; boil until gastrique coats spoon and is reduced to generous 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat.

For salad:
Mix orange segments, parsley, mint, and fennel in medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 tbsp sherry vinegar; toss to coat. Season salad with coarse salt and pepper.

Scallops:
For a crust- rinse scallops, pat dry and start with a very hot pan.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops to skillet and cook until browned and just opaque in center, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Arrange scallops on plates. Drizzle gastrique over scallops. Garnish with salad.

For parsnip mash:
Place peeled parsnips in a saucepan with water to cover. Add chicken bouillon and lemon juice. Simmer until very tender; drain. Mash, adding butter and cream to taste. Season with salt, pepper and fresh herbs (flat leaf parsley goes nicely). Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Broiled Tilapia with Frisee-Apple Salad & Mustard-Parsley Sauce

Winter in the midwest leads to lots of warm, rich comfort foods to our table.  Nothing beats the chill and nourishes like a serving of baked mac-n-cheese or guinness beef stew.  But all that rich goodness can leave us feeling a little heavy.  Meaning it is time to bring salads back to the dinner menu rotation.

This broiled tilapia and apple salad was just what we needed.  It is sooo good, not to mention healthy and fast making it a perfect dinner option after a long busy day.  It is seriously good eats.  The dressing works nicely with the tilapia and the salad.  The recipe said to put the fish on top of the salad so we did... but I think that next I will put it on the side as that would be my personal preference.  It also called for arugula, frisee and mint to make the salad; we just used a spring greens salad mix (frisee seems to never be available at our local shops).

Broiled Tilapia with Frisee-Apple Salad
& Mustard-Parsley Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light, Serves 2

Fish

• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tilapia fillets
• olive oil
• fresh ground black pepper & salt

Salad

• 1/2 bag spring greens salad (or arugula & frisee)
• 1  Gala apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2  tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1  tablespoons sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Combine 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon salt, and sugar in a shallow dish. Add fillets, and let stand 15 minutes. Remove fillets from brine; pat dry. Discard brine. Brush fillets with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat broiler.

Place fillets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 7 minutes or until done.

Combine apple and 1/2 tablespoon oil; toss well. Add apple and a pinch of salt to salad in a large bowl, toss gently.

Combine remaining 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, pinch of salt, parsley, mustard, lemon juice and sour cream, stirring with a whisk until blended.

Divide salad mixture onto plates; top each serving with 1 fillet (or set along side). Drizzle salad dressing over each serving.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Browned Butter Orzo

I hope that we are not the only ones that get in a rut with side dishes!  I love grilled and roasted veggies but variety is a necessity for me.

Browned butter recipes first hit my radar last year. And it took me a good six months to actually make anything with this technique.  Oh my, what was I waiting for!  It is amazing how something so simple can transform the most basic ingredient. 

This browned butter orzo side dish is so tasty.  It is pretty simplistic, which is ideal for a weeknight dinner, and is made up of basic pantry ingredients (bonus points!).  I love it with grilled or sauteed chicken... I know, chicken and a pasta dish doesn't sound the most inspired; but the nutty flavors and hint of parmesan in the orzo make it so much more than average.

Parmesan-Browned Butter Orzo

From Cooking Light

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, chives or basil work well)

Cook 1 tablesopoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat 4 minutes or until browned.

Add orzo; cook 1 minute, stirring often. Add white wine, cook over medium-high heat 1 minute.

Add chicken browth, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 13 minutes. 

Stir in the parmesan, cover and let stand five minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.  We like parsley or basil.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Quick & Easy: Chicken Picatta

Chicken Picatta is one of my favorites for midweek meals.  There is just something about the combination of lemon, capers, and chicken that I find to be so satisfying.  Add a simple orzo side dish, perhaps a bit of asparagus and it will be happiness on a plate.

This is a dish with many variations out there.  We like that this version has a fairly classic take yet is geared toward the quick and easy style of cooking... making it ideal for week night dinners.  To make it go even faster, we sometimes use the chicken tenders instead of regular sized chicken breasts.

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4
Adapted from MinuteMeals

2-3 large lemons
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 chicken breast, pounded to make thin
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons butter

Slice 1 of the lemons into thin slices.  Squeeze 1/4 cup lemon juice from the remaining lemons.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour. 

Heat the oil in non-stick pan.  Add the chicken and sautee until golden brown.  Transfer to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Add the minced garlic to the skillet and stir, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant but not brown.  Add the sherry, lemon juice, and capers to the pan, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits.  Reduce the sauce by half over medium-high heat, stirring occassionally. 

Turn the heat to low and add the lemon slices, butter, and the chicken. Slowly stirring, just until the butter is melted.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Tarragon Chicken - A Fast, Easy, Tasty Midweek Meal

One of our go to cookbooks is "MinuteMeals - 20-minute Gourmet Menus", it does a great job of providing fast, tasty and healthy meals for those nights that you don't have a lot of time for cooking but want something more than grilled cheese.  We have found numerous dinners from this book that are great for fast and tasty mid-week meals and Tarragon Chicken with sauteed mushrooms and onions is one of our favorites.

This recipe is also quite forgiving, we were out of white wine so substituted with white wine vinegar which gave the sauce a nice tangy, zesty.  Accompany with a salad of spring greens and jasmine rice or quinoa.

Tarragon Chicken with Mushrooms & Onions

Source: MinuteMeals

4 Boneless/skinless chicken breast halves (about 5oz each)
2 Garlic cloves
1 tsp Tarragon finely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
8 large mushrooms sliced
1/4 thinly sliced white onion
14oz chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (white wine vinegar works fine too, adds a little zip)
3 tbls all purpose flour

Rise and dry the chicken breasts.  Heat a sauce pan to medium-high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil, swirl around.  Add chicken breasts, salt and pepper, in 4-5 min flip and repeat.  Remove the chicken and cover loosely.

Add the onions and sauté for about 5 min or until just beginning to get tender.  Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté for another 5 min or so.  Since the onions take longer to cook that's why we start them before the mushrooms, and we don't want to burn the garlic, which doesn't take much.  Remove the mushrooms and onions when cooked to your taste.

In a small bowl stir together the white wine vinegar and flour till smooth.  Drop the heat to medium/low on the pan.  Microwave the chicken broth 30 seconds to help match it to the temperature of the pan.  Add the broth to the pan, stir in the vinegar/flour mixture and cook till the sauce is thickened, about 2-3 min.  Add the mushroom & onions then add the chicken stirring to coat everything. 

Remove and serve.

Enjoy!

-Dan

Basic Tomato (Pomodoro) Sauce

I don't know if we will ever be able to eat a jar of purchased pasta sauce again.  This basic tomato sauce was so full of flavor, completely easy, and relatively quick to make.  This could easily be made after work for a simple yet homemade weekday meal.  I am now thinking that we just might have to grow tomatoes on our deck this summer for completely fresh pasta sauce.  But for now this will keep us happy.  Next time we might throw in some sauteed mushrooms and maybe red bell peppers.

Basic Tomato (Pomodoro) Sauce

Adapted from Dave Lieberman
Serves 6 (approximately)

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced    
1 can tomato paste    
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sugar
¾ tspn Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta, penne, or other similar shape
1 small bunch fresh basil, chifonnade, for garnish
1 (8-ounce) wedge Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese, grated or shaved, for garnish

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and simmer for a few minutes.  Then add the tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the dried basil, bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened slightly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in marjoram, approximately 2 tablespoons fresh basil, sugar, and season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain.

Serve sauce over hot pasta with a sprinkle of basil and cheese.

Let extra sauce cool completely and then seal in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up 1 week and freeze for up to 1 month.

Enjoy!

~ Tara

Quick & Healthy: Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

The holidays can be a fantastic time for dining, filled with rich flavors and loaded plates.  So during this 'between holidays' week I have found myself both ready to kick start my new year resolutions and ready to relax.  So quick, easy, and healthy dinners are finding their way back onto our menu plan.

Chicken Sate is great option for a midweek dinner.  It is pretty fast to prepare, tasty, and easy on the waist at only 267 calers per serving.  We pulled this recipe from an issue of Cooking Light a couple of years ago and it was a great find.  While the recipe is for grilling, we turn this into a midwest winter friendly recipe by simply cooking the meat in a hot oven.  You could also broil it or sautee it while patiently waiting for the spring thaw and return of grilling weather.

This recipe takes between 20 to 30 minutes for us.  Typically we work in parallel to keep everything moving (and spend time preparing our dinner together- of course!), I will stir up the Ponzu Sauce while Dan prepares the chicken and then we will prepare a side dish of asian noodles while the chicken cooks.

Chicken Sate with Ponzu Sauce

Source: Cooking Light
Servings: 4 (can be cut in half for 2 very easily!)

• 4  (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4  cup  packed light brown sugar
• 1/4  cup  sake (rice wine)
• 1/4  cup  rice vinegar
• 1/4  cup  fresh lime juice
• 2  teaspoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  dark sesame oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• Cooking spray

Cut each chicken breast half lengthwise into 4 strips. Combine sugar and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir until sugar dissolves. Combine half of sake mixture and all of chicken in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve remaining sake mixture.

Drain chicken, discarding marinade. Thread 1 chicken strip onto each of 16 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done.  If grilling isn't an option cook for between 8-10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Serve with remaining sake mixture (or peanut sauce if preferred).

Enjoy!

~ Tara

A Frittata For An Easy Brunch At Home

As much as I love to go out to a cute cafe for brunch on the weekends, sometimes you just want to hang out in your pj's and relax at home.  This frittata recipe is very easy and yet honestly rivals those at a cafe.  Perfect for treating your honey with a lovely homemade brunch!

This could easily be modified to have some veggies (asparagus would be a lovely addition), different cheese, different herbs, or whatever you prefer.   We used goat cheese that had Mediterranean herbs but you could substitute a boursin cheese or any soft cheese.

A cast iron pan is ideal but you could start in any type of skillet and move the potatoes to a baking dish before adding the eggs if you don't have a cast iron pan.  While this recipe is really pretty easy the one thing to avoid is over-cooking it, a dried out frittata is simply not as tasty.

Frittata with Potatoes & Goat Cheese

Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 4

8 large eggs
1 Tablespoon half and half (can use milk instead)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
approximately 1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil (need just enough to ensure it won't stick in your skillet!)
2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes (Simply Potatoes works well!)
1 leek, chopped
1/2 cup ham or proscuitto, diced
3-oz goat cheese garlic-herb cheese, chilled
1 Tablespoon cream cheese

 Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper until just combined.

Heat oil in an ovenproof 9- to 10-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add potatoes and leeks to oil, stirring once, then cover and cook until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add ham, stir potato mixture once, then cover and cook 3 minutes more.

Pour beaten eggs evenly over potato mixture and crumble cheese over eggs. Transfer skillet to oven and bake frittata, uncovered, until set and just cooked through, about 15 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and, holding them together with oven mitts, invert frittata onto plate and serve immediately.

 Enjoy!

~ Tara