Grilled Lemon Chicken with Cabbage-Corn Slaw

So last night it was 87 degrees INSIDE my house. INSIDE. At one point it was cooler outside than inside. So what does that mean for dinner? Cooking outside on the grill! I had a head of Napa Cabbage from my CSA and decided to make this recipe that has been in the binder since July 2010. It’s from Real Simple magazine and it truly was Real Simple! Of course I had to make a few tweaks, like making one batch of the dressing and using part of it to marinate the chicken for about an hour. I also grilled 2 ears of corn to add a bit more flavor to the slaw. Most of the recipes from this magazine call for 4 chicken breasts, but I typically use 2 since there are two of us. We eat half (portion control!) and then take the other half for lunch the next day.

This is a very easy and light dish – perfect for a heat wave!

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Cabbage-Corn Slaw

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 20m

Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I juiced 2 lemons)

kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 small green cabbage (1/2 pound), cored and shredded (I used napa cabbage)

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup corn kernels (from 1 to 2 ears, or thawed if frozen)

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

1.In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

2.Add the cabbage, bell pepper, and corn and toss to combine.

3.Heat grill to medium-high. Rub the chicken with the remaining teaspoon of oil and season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

4.Grill the chicken, basting often with the remaining 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with the slaw.

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas

This week I received some fresh spinach and peas in my CSA bag. Flipping through my binder, I found this recipe I pulled from the December 2007 issue of Gourmet (RIP). Perfect!  I don’t know why it was published in December, since this is such a summery type of dish – maybe Ruth was off her game that month. It was so fast and easy to make, too.

Lemon Gnocchi with Spinach and Peas

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 10 min

total time: 20 min

The zing of fresh lemon enhances both the peas' sweetness and the natural flavor of the spinach. The whole quick, creamy dish is bolstered by soft pillows of potato gnocchi.

Ingredients

1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed) (I used fresh from my CSA)

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half)

1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes (I always add more)

1 garlic clove, smashed (I minced 3 cloves of garlic)

3 cups packed baby spinach (3 ounces) (I used regular spinach from my CSA)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 pound dried gnocchi (preferably De Cecco)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Simmer peas with cream, red-pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring, until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente (actually you should cook them until they float). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain gnocchi.

Simmering in the sauce

Add gnocchi to sauce with cheese and some of reserved cooking water and stir to coat. Thin with additional cooking water if necessary.

Light, summery, and delicious

Summer Risotto

Here is a recipe I came up with the other night. Everyone thinks risotto is so hard and it’s about the easiest thing a novice cook can make – it takes time and patience but is worth it.  Another misconception is risotto is high in fat & calories because it’s so creamy and rich – FALSEHOODS! The Arborio rice adds creaminess to the dish. Risotto is something that can be made vegetarian or vegan – just use a vegetable or mushroom stock and be sure to omit the sprinkling of parmesan cheese at the end. You can add any type of vegetable or herb or protein – the possibilities are endless!

Summer Risotto

1 cup Arborio rice

3 cups warmed chicken stock

½ cup white wine

1 medium onion, diced

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup peas

2 Tbsp basil chiffonade (or however much you like)

Prosciutto

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a heavy medium sized pot (I use a small Le Creuset pot). Add onion and sauté until translucent.  Add rice and stir to coat with the oil, using a wooden spoon.  Add white wine to deglaze pan.  Once wine is absorbed, add about 1 cup of stock and stir. No need to stir constantly, but keep stirring often until the stock is absorbed. Continue to add stock about a cup at a time and stir.  During the last addition of stock, also add the peas. As the liquid is close to being completely absorbed, add the basil, then the prosciutto. Season with salt & pepper to taste and top with a few parmesan shavings.  Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken & Corn Salad with Avocado & Parmesan

Well, bathing suit season is upon us, which means EAT MORE SALAD! Here is a recipe I ripped out of the August 2011 Real Simple. I finally made it last night and it was delicious.  For once, I actually followed the recipe to a tee (ok maybe I added some salad greens to the spinach) and it really doesn’t need to be changed. I’d definitely make this again and probably add some tomatoes and whatever other veggies I have lying around. Don’t be turned off by adding the fatty avocado – it’s a good fat and adds a nice richness to the salad.

Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad with Avocado and Parmesan

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

2 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 ears corn, shucked

5 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups)

1 avocado, cut into bite-size pieces

2 ounces Parmesan, shaved

Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, rosemary, garlic, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Transfer half the dressing to a small bowl; set aside. Add the chicken to the remaining dressing and turn to coat.

2. Rub the corn with the remaining tablespoon of oil and season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Grill the corn and chicken, covered, turning occasionally, until the corn is tender and lightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes, and the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cobs and slice the chicken.

3. Toss the spinach, chicken, corn, and avocado with the reserved dressing and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Mango Kuchen

So I had some mangoes at home that needed to be used for something. This recipe has been in the binder for YEARS. I’m not sure how old it is, but based on the background paper it was copied on to, I’ve had this recipe since the timeframe of 1994-98.  I’m guessing it’s from the Washington Post, but I’m not sure.

I’m slightly annoyed I’ve held onto a mediocre recipe for so long!  It really was just ok. The custard seemed very eggy and sweet and blocked the mango flavor from really shining. I should have stuck with my gut and made mango margaritas instead!  Lesson learned...

Mango or Peach Custard Tart (Kuchen)

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 large eggs

1 cup light cream

1 cup sugar

1 heaping cup peeled, pitted and cubed mangoes or peaches, or other fresh fruit*

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Work in the butter, then press the dough until the mixture resembles cookie dough (you can do this with a pastry blender or simply with your fingers). Work in the vinegar, then press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of an 8-inch square casserole or 9-inch round pie plate. Bake in the center of the oven until the crust is beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees.

Add water to the bottom of a double boiler. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat until they are smooth. Whisk in the cream until smooth and then stir in the sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. (I also added a dash of nutmeg) Transfer the custard mixture to the top half of the double boiler and place it over the simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove it from the heat.

Spread the fruit over the crust and pour the custard over the fruit. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the custard is set and the crust lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Not worth the calories

*NOTE: aside from mangoes and peaches, raspberries are my favorite to use for this recipe, but you can also use fresh blackberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries.

Sweet & Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

Here’s another good weeknight slow-cooker recipe from Real Simple (February 2010). As written, the recipe is a bit salty, even with low-sodium soy sauce. It also needs more liquid, so I’d recommend adding either water or low-sodium chicken broth. (I learned the hard way last time I made this, but the meal was still salvageable)  No need to cut the pork into cubes, either. Just throw the entire pork shoulder (or tenderloin) in and shred when done. You can also add other vegetables such as carrots, snow peas or a red bell pepper.

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 15m

Total Time: 8hr 00m

Ingredients

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian aisle of the supermarket)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (optional)

kosher salt and black pepper

2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

2 scallions, sliced

Directions

1. In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili-garlic sauce, ginger, five-spice powder (if using), ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork and toss to coat. Cook, covered, until the pork is tender, on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten total cooking time) or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

2. Twenty-five minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, skim off and discard any fat from the pork. Gently fold the bok choy into the pork and cook, covered, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with the rice and sprinkle with the scallions.

Quinoa Stir-Fry with Vegetables and Chicken (keen-what??)

Here’s a recipe I’ve been wanting to make for a while. The boyfriend has decided he doesn’t like quinoa, so it’s been sitting in the binder. I pulled it from Self magazine, not sure what issue.  This was very good. Surprisingly good! I had to stop myself from eating more. I mostly followed the recipe but did make a few changes. I used 1 chicken breast and stir-fried it before adding in the vegetables. I also added a bit of chicken broth to the veggie mixture to cook it in, using less oil. Chicken broth was also used to cook the quinoa. I didn’t add any salt to either the quinoa or the stir-fry, choosing to add a bit more low-sodium soy sauce at the end.  I added the egg, following the directions, but don’t feel it really added anything to the dish. It can easily be omitted.

Quinoa Stir-Fry With Vegetables and Chicken

This speedy, savory meal pairs well with a workout. Quinoa is an unexpected source of energizing iron and amino acids, protein's building blocks, to nourish newly toned muscles. Body bonus: Potassium in the grain can help beat bloat.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 small red chile, chopped (optional)

2 cups snow peas, trimmed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper  (I used white pepper)

1 egg, beaten

4 oz grilled chicken breast, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1 tablespoon soy sauce

PREPARATION

Place quinoa in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water (I used chicken broth to add more flavor) and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until quinoa absorbs water, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and leave uncovered. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook carrot, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 1 minute. Add bell pepper, ginger, garlic and chile, if desired; cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Add peas, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Remove vegetables and return skillet to heat; add quinoa, along with egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until egg is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes. Add vegetables, chicken, scallions, cilantro and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more. Divide stir-fry among 4 bowls; serve warm.

The skinny

254 calories per serving, 7.8 g fat (1.1 g saturated), 30 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 17 g protein