Just Peachy, Peach Chutney that is!

While reading my Rachael Ray magazine (don't judge me), I came across an interview where she asked the main character from True Blood, Stephen Moyer, **Confession- I had to Google his name as I never watch the show or have the magazine in my vicinity**  about his fridge and his fantasy dinner party guests. What really stuck out to me was the chutney in his fridge. He described it as a pear and chili chutney and how he used it to dress sandwiches, perk up meat and my mouth began to water.


I've only bought chutney once this past winter, and was a bit turned off that the main ingredient was High Fructose Syrup, especially as it's so easy to make at home! Though that did not stop me from using the whole jar- I just did not buy chutney again. It was a mango chutney and I used it as an accompaniment to curries, to dip pita breads in, spread on a sandwich, etc. I promised myself that I would make some, but never did. Now that I am into jarring/canning I've been researching different things to can. The main thing I am most excited canning is chutneys! I do not have any jars yet, but it's on my list of things to order on Amazon as soon as we have extra money. In the meantime I made just enough chutney to accompany tonight's dinner- Lemon-Curry Tilapia with a Cool Cucumber Salad on the side- also from Rachael's magazine.


I found a peach chutney recipe on www.foodnetwork.com and it is really simple, play it safe recipe for a first try. I will be making different varieties in the near future. I absolutely loved this paired with the fish! And you can use it with whatever you want! Slab on some nice toasted crusty bread if you want, chutney is pretty versatile!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 shallots finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, blanched and diced**
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Melt butter, add garlic, shallot and jalapeño and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes on medium heat. Add diced peaches and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,  raise heat to medium high. 






Add sugar and stir cooking for about a minute more. De-glaze pan with brandy and vinegar and stir for a about 1 or 2 minutes, then turn heat down to low until peaches are soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Shrimp Salad with Cucumber, Mint and Basil in Lettuce Cups

Back story: Yesterday I finally got my internet back if you haven’t read in the previous post. So I spent a good portion of the day catching up with folks, reading blogs, uploading photos, explaining myself to my mother, etc. So I sort of splurged on junk food! Luckily I planned a healthy dinner for tonight last week. As well as being healthy it's also quick to make! Today was spent cleaning and researching jam and chutney recipes and learning all about the world of canning (I feel like such a grandma sometimes- but I like it!). So dinner was late and a quick, fresh fix is what was needed. 

Anyone like shrimp salads? I remember growing up eating seafood salads that were laden with loads of mayo and/or miracle whip. Well this version is a different, lighter, take on on your standard shrimp/seafood salad. A mint pesto-like sauce is used for a fresh taste as well as cucumbers for a nice crunch and lemon zest for a citrus kick. This salad was absolutely amazing. I can eat my weight in it- so thank goodness it’s healthy!

To make the mint sauce, use a small food processor or mortar and pestal! I used my large food processor, and it took a little while to get the sauce just right. My first instinct told me to use my mini processor, d’oh! Still easy and quick, though!

This recipe is adapted from my dear friend (she just doesn’t know it yet) Ellie Krieger. Here is the original recipe.

Ingredients

·         1 pound of jumbo shrimp, cleaned

·         1 garlic clove smashed , unpeeled(optional)

·         about 10 peppercorns or your taste (optional)

·         2 mint leaves (optional)

·         1 cup fresh mint leaves

·         ½ cup fresh basil leaves

·         2 tablespoons lemon juice, separated 

·         3 tablespoons olive oil

·         1/2 English cucumber, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

·         1 lemon, zested

·         Salt and pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, add garlic, salt, peppercorns and mint leaves to water, then bring to boil. Cook shrimp in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and cool in refrigerator or in a bowl full of ice. I just chucked it into the freezer while I chopped the cucumbers!

Put mint, basil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in food processor and pulse to coarsely chop the mint and basil. Drizzle olive oil into processor while pureeing until herbs are finely chopped.

I so elegantly chopped the shrimp to add to the salad since they were jumbo. But you do not have to!

In a serving bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, herb mixture, zest, salt and pepper to combine. Squeeze remaining lemon juice onto salad. Put into cups for an extra elegant touch.

This will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Hope you enjoy as much my family did!

Chicken Spiedini Salad

Nooo this not a salad made with the chopped up remnants of Speidi aka uber annoying couple Heidi and Spencer Pratt...though it's not a bad idea. It's an Italian dish meaning food   cooked on a stick; this recipe features chicken, baguette, bay leafs, and sausage.


 I am a mother of 3. And I love quick meals and one pot dishes during the week, nah scratch that; I NEED quick meals during the week. I have a full schedule and lots of people to make happy, and I rely on quick fixes! I plan on starting school again this fall, so these quick meals will be even more needed then. 

I've been bitten smitten with the Tyler Florence bug and yet cooked a meal from his book, "Stirring the Pot". Seriously, if you do not have this book- get it! It's full of diverse, delicious recipes that's separated by cooking methods; i.e. roasting, steam, sauté, etc. I adore him, and am so inspired by his cooking.  This recipe is full of wonderful flavors and any sausage can be substituted. 

Ingredients (adapted from Tyler Florence’s “Stirring the Pot” Chicken Spiedini Salad)

Spiedini

·        1 crusty baguette, sliced into rounds

·        2 medium boneless, skin-on chicken breast halves cut into 4 pieces each

·        4 links sweet Italian pork sausage, halved crosswise

·        12 fresh bay leaves (I only had dried)

·        ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil

·        Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

·        2 lemons, juice only

I removed the bones from skin-on bone-in chicken. Don't throw away bones as they can be used for stock! Throw the bones in a bag and and freeze them until you have enough bones.

 Salad

·        2 anchovy fillets

·        1 clove garlic, peeled

·        1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used about ¼ cup!)

·        2 egg yolks

·        2 tablespoons water

·        1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·        2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Romano (I used Pecorino- Romano)

·        Kosher Salt

·        2 heads romaine lettuce, washed then torn

·        2 lemons, halved and grilled

·        Finely shredded Parmigiano-Romano (Pecorino-Romano used)

Directions

Using four metal skewers, thread the components, alternating bread, chicken, sausage, and bay leaves, until the skewers are full.

 Baste the kabobs with the ½ cup of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to high. Place kabobs on the grill; turn the fill to medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown, basting with lemon juice and turning to ensure color on all sides.

Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Combine the anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, and egg yolks in a blender. Blend to combine; add the water and blend again.

 With the blender running, slowly pour in 1 cup of olive oil through the hole in the top; blend until emulsified (thickened). Add the 2 tablespoons of cheese, blend until just combined. 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the romaine in a large bowl. Add some dressing and gently toss to combine. When kabobs are done, remove from the grill. Serve kabobs with romaine and grilled lemons and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Chopped Nicoise Salad- Make a SALAD lighter?

How do you make a salad lighter? I have a sneaking suspicion that most folks think salad almost always equal healthy. Oh, boy that's the total opposite of correct I am afraid. Just check out this article from "Eat This, Not That"'s author Davif Zinczenko "The Unhealthiest in America 2010". The number 1 salad coming in at an artery clogging 920 calories, 65g of fat (20 saturated, and 0.5g trans) and a whopping 1,685mg of sodium! Yikes! So please think long and hard when going out for salads. Most establishments has Nutritional Facts with their foods, so take like an extra 30 seconds to check those out when choosing your salad. 


So our anniversary was this Tuesday and I must say, although that Faux Chicken Doner tasted absolutely incredible, it wasn't the lightest of dinners! So for the rest of the week, I vowed to make salads. A salad that's both healthy and very filling. Last night's choice was from my pretend best friend, Ellie Krieger. Her chopped Nicoise Salad has amazing color, big flavor, filling, and it has 267 calories and 10 grams of fat. Perfect light dinner after a not so healthy dinner the night before.

I chose Nicoise Salad because I had Nicoise Salade while in Paris this past Spring. It tasted absolutely amazing with all the yummy bold flavors. I was in heaven with something so simple. The chopped version, does not have the anchovy fillets, fava beans, peppers and eggs that's pretty much a staple in with Nicoise Salade (Nicoise meaning made in Nice, France). But it's every bit as yummy!!!

Chopped Nicoise Salad (Adapted from Ellie's Krieger's version)

Ingredients

·         4 small red potatoes (about 1/2 pound)

·         1/3 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

·         12-ounce can light tuna packed in water, drained

·         1/2 cup chopped pitted Greek or Spanish olives

·         1/4 cup diced red onion

·         2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)

·         5 cups chopped romaine lettuce

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

·         1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

·         1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

·         1 teaspoon of anchovy paste

·         Salt and pepper

Directions

Boil water in a large pot, put the potatoes in, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Add the green beans and cook for 6 minutes more. Put the cooked potatoes and beans in a dish and set in the refrigerator to cool, or plunge into a bowl of ice water to cool quickly.

Put tuna, olives, onion, tomato and lettuce in a large bowl. Dice the potatoes and green beans, add them to the bowl and toss.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well and serve.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as my family did! With the grey summer day, a colorful salad is what we needed :)

Holy Cumulonimbus!

Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit-Shallot Sauce and Spinach-Orange Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette in Parmesan Cups

A light Sunday dinner is what I had  in mind. Usually Sunday dinners/lunches are huge and leave you feeling like, "damn, tomorrow's Monday!" I love putting on a huge show for Sundays, but decided that Saturdays are best for the elaborate meals. Something light, yet filling and delicious is perfect for Sundays to get you ready for those manic Mondays! Plus, my husband and I also decided, we should eat fish on Sundays, as well as throughout the week, but Sunday IS fish day. So this Sunday I went with my pretend best friend, you know who it is. Ellie Krieger! The side salad is from Giada De Laurentiis! Giada has some great light meals, too!




Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit-Shallot Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 4 skinless salmon fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 ruby red grapefruits
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 1/2 teaspoons honey
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt, place in a baking dish and roast until cooked through, about 18 minutes.

While the salmon is cooking prepare the sauce. Cut 1 of the grapefruits into sections by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit, then standing it on 1 end, cut down the skin to remove the pith and peel. Then, with a paring knife, remove each segment of fruit from its casing and cut the segments in half. Set the segment pieces aside. Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne pepper and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by about half about, 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt, to taste. Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil into the sauce. Put the salmon onto a serving dish. Spoon sauce over the salmon and serve.

Spinach- Orange Salad in Parmesan Frico Cups 

INGREDIENTS

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

For the Spinach Salad:

6 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups)

1 orange, cut into segments

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
For the Parmesan Frico Cups: 
Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet. Place 6 (1/4-cup) mounds of Parmesan cheese on the mat and gently tap down until each mound is flat and 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Working quickly, use a thin spatula to transfer the Parmesan Frico to a muffin tin. Gently place a small drinking glass on top of the Parmesan Frico to mold it into the shape 1 of the muffin cups. Let cool until firm, about 5 minutes. Continue with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

For the Citrus Vinaigrette: 
Combine all the ingredients in a jar or a tight-sealing plastic container. Shake to blend.

For the Spinach Salad: 
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Divide the salad among the Parmesan Frico Cups and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!