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!