Chinese Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette

Cabbage either you love it or hate it.  I happen to love it.  Memories of buttery cabbage and noodles at my Grandmothers house brings a smile to my face and a growl in my stomach.  Moving on to 2011 where butter means addition dimple on my thighs, but cabbage remains a healthy choice.

At the dinner table 3 very unhappy faces stared at me and groans filled my ears.  "What's in it?" they cried.  "Good stuff", I reply.  "Try it you'll like it" and they did.  After gobbling several servings they declared this was a make again.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette

from American's Test Kitchen

Family cookbook

adapted

dressing
2/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup safflower oil
6T hoisin sauce
3T low sodium soy sauce
1T grated ginger

~ put all of the ingredients in a tall glass and whisk to combine, whisk again just before using

salad
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1T vegetable oil
1/2 head cabbage
2 organic orange or red bell pepper sliced thin
1 cup snow peas tips and strings removed cut into bite size pieces
4 scallions
1 cup chow mein noodles

~ season chicken
~ heat skillet medium heat and add oil
~ add chicken and cook 5-7 minutes per side or until they are no longer pink inside
~ allow chicken to cool and then shred into bit size pieces
~ toss the chicken with 1/2 the dressing and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
~ toss the chicken with the cabbage
~ add additional salad items
~ serve remaining dressing and noodles

Caesar Salad

One of the top salad's in my opinion is Caesar salad.  What a perfect combination of flavors without the egg.  So I search and try many a recipe seeking perfection and I think this recipe belongs in the top five.

Caesar Salad

from America's Test Kitchen

Family Cookbook

adapted

dressing
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk or non-fat milk and 1/4t lemon juice mixed
7 anchovy fillets
2t Worcestershire
2t dijon mustard
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4t salt
1/2t pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

~ blend all the ingredient except the olive oil in a blender on high speed until smooth
~ with motor running slowly add the oil in a steady stream

salad
3 romaine hearts or fresh butter lettuce torn into bit size pieces
2oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

~ toss lettuce and Parmesan cheese
~ add dressing and croutons

croutons
loaf of day old bread cut into cubes
2 minced garlic cloves
2 or more olive oil

~ heat large cast iron skillet high heat
~ add oil and heat
~ add garlic and brown slight
~ toss in bread turning to brown

from our garden: butter lettuce

Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes

Everyday we wander around our garden and we are greeted by bunches of bright green tomatoes, anticipation!  We are on the cusp of garden greatness with many varieties of the juicy fruit.  So we sit and wait and watch.  In the meantime, we enjoy organic tomatoes from Trader Joe's.  This cheery salad can be a refreshing accompaniment to any summer meal.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes

from American's Test Kitchen

Family Cookbook

adapted

dressing

4T extra virgin olive oil

2T lime juice

1T red wine vinegar

1 jalapeno seeded and minced

1 garlic clove minced

1/2t cumin

1/4t sea salt

1/4t freshly ground pepper

~ combined all ingredients in a tall glass and whisk 

salad

1 package frozen sweet organic corn
1 pint organic sweet cherry tomatoes
1 15.5oz can organic black beans drained and rinsed
6 scallions sliced thin
3T minced cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

~ heat cast iron skillet high heat
~ add the frozen corn and cook until slightly blackened
~ remove from heat and put in large bowl
~ add other salad ingredients to corn
~ add dressing and toss
~ season with salt and pepper

from our garden: cilantro and scallions

Chicken Cacciatore

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Deliciously lip smacking describes this meal.  Fast although not as quick as most pressure cooker recipes due to stove top prep.

Chicken Cacciatore

from America's Test Kitchen

Family Cookbook

adapted

1 4lb organic kosher chicken cut into 8 pieces skin on
2 yellow onions minced
1 cup dry red wine
2T tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2t fresh minced thyme
2t fresh minced sage
1 (14.5 oz) can diced organic tomatoes drained
extra virgin olive oil
8oz cremini mushrooms sliced thin
4 garlic cloves minced

~ heat large cast iron skillet over medium high heat
~ add half the chicken and brown on both sides about 10 minutes
~ remove skin from larger pieces
~ add to pressure cooker
~ repeat with other half of chicken
~ discard any fat in the skillet
~ heat skillet over medium heat
~ add onions and 1/8t salt
~ cook until soften 3 to 5 minutes
~ stir in wine and scrap any brown bits off bottom simmer 2 minutes
~ add tomato paste and simmer for another minute
~ add to pressure cooker
~ stir in chicken broth, bay leaves and 1/2 of the thyme and 1/2 of the sage and tomatoes to pressure cooker
~ lock lid in place and bring to high pressure
~ maintain pressure for 18 minutes
~ while chicken is cooking...
~ heat skillet medium heat and add 1T oil
~ add mushrooms and 1/4t salt cook until brown about 4-8 minutes
~ stir in garlic 30 seconds
~ add 1/2 cup water and simmer
~ scrape up any brown bits and set aside
~ remove pressure cooker from heat and allow to naturally cool 5 minutes
~ quick release any remaining pressure
~ remove chicken from pressure cooker and place on serving platter
~ discard bay leaves
~ add remaining herbs to pressure cooker and return to stove top
~ bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens
~ stir in mushrooms 1 minute
~ season with salt and pepper
~ spoon sauce over chicken

from our garden: thyme and sage

Greek Salad

Cheese is delightful.  How can you say no to something so rich and creamy thrown together with everything good for you?  While at my favorite store, Trader Joe's, I noticed a petite container filled with Greek Feta, oil and seasonings.  Greek Salad screamed in my head as well as music from Zorba the Greek. 

Greek Salad

from The America's Test Kitchen

Family Cookbook

adapted

dressing:
3T extra virgin olive oil
3T red wine vinegar
2t fresh oregano minced
1 1/2t fresh lemon juice
1 minced garlic clove
1/2t salt
1/8t pepper

~ whisk all ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold your salad

salad:
1/2 or more thinly sliced red onion
1 organic cucumber sliced
a bunch of organic lettuce
1 pint sweet organic cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 organic red bell pepper sliced thin
1/4 cup organic fresh mint minced or sliced thin
1/4 or more cup of pitted kalamata olives (Trader Joe's pitted in a glass jar awesome)
5 or more ounces feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

~ add red onion and cucumbers to dressing and marinate 20 minutes
~ add lettuce, tomatoes, pepper and mint to the bowl and toss
~ plate salad and sprinkle with olives and feta

from our garden: oregano, lemon, mint, butter and red leaf lettuce

Go Lakers!  WooHoo

Lettuce, Lettuce 

Growing very fast

Planting in the ground

So you can eat it fast

-by the littlest finicky eater and resident poet

Pan-Seared Hamburgers

Burgers are delicious.  Great burgers are hard to find.   The best are cooked over an open fire, but what do you do when you don't want to go through the rigmarole?  Why use a great cast iron skillet or stove top grill.

burgers are dimpled in the middle

nice glaze from cast iron

Pan-Seared Hamburgers

from The Editor's of American Test Kitchen // American Test Kitchen

The Best New Recipes

1 1/2 pound 80% organic lean ground beef
1t salt
1/2t  freshly ground pepper
buns, onions, lettuce, tomato.........

~ break up the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper
~ toss lightly with you hands to distribute seasonings
~ divide the meat into the amount of burgers you want to make
~ with cupped hands toss the portion back and forth to form loose ball
~ pat lightly to flatten 3/4 inch thick
~ press center of patty down with your fingertips until about 1/2 inch thick divot in the center is created
~ heat cast iron skillet / grill medium high heat
~ cook burgers turning only once to desired doneness
~ 3 minutes per side rare
~ 3 1/2 minutes medium rare
~ 4 minutes medium
~ 5 minutes well done

Pancakes

Hot breakfast = the breakfast of champions, who knows.  About once a week, I like to surprise them with pancakes and sometime the 1000 dirty bowl waffles.  Fluffy not stuffy, the best description for these great tasting pancakes.  I grew up with the Aunt Jamima box mix and the lovey pseudo corn syrup labeled maple .  Flat boring and overly sweet would best describe my childhood pancakes. 

melted butter slightly cooled with egg and buttermilk

lumpy mix

this

to

that

Pancakes

from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

adapted

2 cups all purpose flour

2T sugar

2t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

1/2t salt

2T cornmeal

1 large egg

3T butter melted

2 cups buttermilk (or 1T lemon juice mixed in 2 cups milk)

1T butter

~ whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornmeal in a large bowl

~ in a separate bowl whisk butter and egg and then buttermilk

~ make a well in center of dry ingredients

~ pour buttermilk mixture into well

~ and whisk together gently until just incorporated ( lumpy)

~ do not over mix

~ heat cast iron skillet over medium heat

~ melt 1T butter in skillet

~ add batter to skillet the size you prefer ( me, 2T)

~ flip when bubbles appear on top and shine dulls about 2 minutes

~ in about another 1 1/2 pancake should be done

~ serve hot with real maple syrup

Happy Pumkin Muffins

with a wink and a smile...

 

These happy faces were a sheer accident.  Note those adorned with chocolate chips for the kids smile with glee, while the adult walnut cranberry are just muffins, nuts!

 Pumpkin Muffins

adult and kid version  

from: The American's Test Kitchen

Family Cookbook

adapted

2 cups all purpose flour

1t baking soda

1t baking powder

2t cinnamon

1/2t sea salt

1/2t  nutmeg ( I prefer freshly grated)

1 15oz can organic pumpkin

1 cup sugar

8T butter melted and cooled

2 lg eggs

3t vanilla extract

kids version you choose the amount

chocolate chips

adult version you choose the amount

raw walnuts toasted

dried cranberries

~ set oven to 350 degrees

~ whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnomon, salt, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl.

~ mix pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla in another large bowl until frothy.

~ GENTLY fold in pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula until just combined (over mixing will cause gluten to form and brick muffins)

~ line muffin tin and fill 1/3

~ sprinkle with chosen add in - chips, nuts, fruit

~ add more batter to cover and sprinkle some of you add in on top

~ bake on middle rack about 25 minutes

~ should spring back when touched

~ cool on wire rack