triple a pesto

We invited some folks over for dinner last night who have just moved into the neighborhood, which sent me to the refrigerator and the pantry to see what I could make of what I had on hand. I have a couple of recipes to post, but I'll start with this one. I found

marinated aritchokes
dried unsulphured apricots (an equal amount)
almonds (about half the volume of the first two ingredients)
cinnamon basil (from our garden)

I added

a little lemon juice
salt and pepper

and pulsed it in the food processor. Once it was fairly well pureed, I began pouring a slow stream of

olive oil

into the food processor and let it run for a good bit, until the mix was the consistency I wanted. It turned out to be quite good.

Peace,
Milton

balsamic berry chicken

This has way more to do with the sauce than it does the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Grill the chicken or saute it. Remember, we're trying to get to the sauce. If you saute the bird, remove it from the saute pan and set aside. If you grill it, you can start the sauce while the chicken is on the grill. Add

8 oz raspberry fruit spread
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small finely diced onion

Cook over pretty high heat until it begins to bubble; lower the heat and let the sauce reduce by about half. You can either add the chicken to the skillet to coat, or plate them and pour the sauce over the top.

Note: I found a good deal on fresh raspberries at the grocery store and covered a pint of raspberries with water and added about 3 tablespoons of honey and let it simmer until the berries fell apart. Then I added the balsamic vinegar and finished the sauce.

Peace,
Milton

chilled minty carrot and orange soup

I made this soup for one of the people in our church and also made enough for our potluck Wednesday night.

1 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers
4 cups carrots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
4 cups vegetable stock

In a stockpot, sweat the onions with the oil for six or eight minutes and then add the peppers and cook until they soften. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in the juices created by the vegetables. Add the carrots and let the mixture continue to cook down until the carrots begin to soften. Add the vegetable stock, bring the whole thing to a boil and then lower the heat so that the soup simmers for a good fifteen minutes at least. When the carrots are good and soft, turn off the heat and use a hand mixer to puree the soup. (You can also do it in batches with a food processor.)

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Add the orange and lemon juices and make sure everything is mixed well. Season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more orange juice, or – if you think the orange taste is right – a little cold water.

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

The mint is the final touch. Do a fine chop on the leaves and then stir them into the soup. Cool it down before serving. You want it to taste like it just came out of the refrigerator. The easiest way to cool it is to put the soup in several smaller containers.

Peace,
Milton

shrimp salad

Here's the last of the recipes from the lunch I did last weekend.

1 cup corn
1 tablespoon olive oil

Get a saute pan hot and then add the oil. When it is hot, add the corn and cook until it begins to brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix together

1 lb shrimp, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1/2 cup scallions, diced small
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup roasted corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients well and serve.

Peace,
Milton

gigi's chicken salad

Answering the musical question: what do you do when she wants chicken salad but hates celery and is allergic to onions?

chicken, cooked and diced
granny smith apple, diced
lemon juice
dried cranberries
pecans, toasted and rough chopped
dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt and pepper

I didn't put amounts because I think chicken salad is one of those things best balanced as you go. I will say this, for a couple of pounds of chicken, you won't need more than a tablespoon of mustard. I pour a tablespoon or two of lemon juice over the apples while I'm getting everything else ready so they don't turn brown. To toast the pecans, set the oven at 400, put the pecan halves in a pie plate and cook for about five minutes. Chop them after they cool.

Peace,
Milton

caponata

I prepared lunch for a denominational workshop last Saturday and came across a couple of good recipes I adapted for the meal, which was different kinds of salads. They felt worth sharing.

2 lbs. eggplant, cubed
salt

Put the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and set aside to drain.

2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 red pepper, julienned
olive oil
1 sweet onion, julienned

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the zucchini and pepper slices at fairly high heat until the zucchini is slightly browned – about five minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan along with the onion slices and sauté on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent – about six minutes. Add the onion to the bowl with the squash and peppers.

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan, bring it to a fairly high heat and brown the eggplant. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Add more oil with each batch. Drain on paper towels.

Put everything but the eggplant in a large saucepan or soup pot, bring up the heat and add

1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 small jar manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos (about two dozen)
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about ten mintues. Remove from heat and cool. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for twenty-four hour to let the flavors absorb. Serve at room temperature. Just before serving, taste to season and add salt and pepper as you wish, along with a little more red wine vinegar.

Serves 8.

Peace,
Milton

lentil salad

This may sound a little plain, but it tastes good.

1/2 onion
4 cloves

Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a saucepan with

1 2/3 cups French green lentils
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin

Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Discard the onion and the bay leaf. Reserve the garlic cloves and chop finely. Combine the garlic with

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin

Whisk together well (or put in a blender) and stir through the lentils. Then add

2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped

Stir well. Taste to see if you need additional seasonings or salt and pepper. Let stand for at least thirty minutes to let the flavors absorb and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Peace,
Milton

chicken and rice

I made this dish for a church meal. It's quick and easy and tastes good, too.

Start by making a spice mix of the following:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper

Put the spice mix in a large bowl and add

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Toss them until they are well covered with the spices. Put a large sauté pan on the stove and get it hot on high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let the oil heat up as well. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan and brown, cooking about two minutes on each side. (You may have to do more than one pan full.) Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Sauté

1 medium onion, diced (optional)

until it is translucent. Set aside in a small bowl and turn off the heat. Add

3 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced

to the sauté pan and stir to pick up the oil and the flavors. Stir in the onions, if you're using them, and spread the rice mixture in a large baking dish (it needs to be large to hold all the chicken broth). Slowly pour

6 cups chicken stock

over the rice and stir gently to mix. Lay the chicken thighs on top so that they cover the rice completely. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes. (If you don’t want as much rice, reduce the rice by a cup and the broth by two cups.)

Peace,
Milton

cauliflower gratin

I went to the Durham Farmer's Market yesterday afternoon and found this awesome purple cauliflower, among other cool things. I decided to come home and make dinner out of it. Here's what I came up with:

Fill a saucepan full of salted water and bring to a boil. Add

1 head cauliflower (purple or otherwise), cut into florets

and cook for five minutes. Drain and set aside.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups hot milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
salt, to taste

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for 2 minutes. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and whisk until it comes to a soft boil. Add the pepper, nutmeg, mustard, and salt and keep whisking until it gets thick. Turn the burner to low and add

3/4 cup grated cheddar
3.4 cup grated swiss cheese

Pour a third of the sauce on the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Put the cauliflower on top of the sauce and then add the rest of the sauce to cover the cauliflower. Put

1 1/2 cups Ritz crackers

in a food processor and until they are fine crumbs. Spread on top of the cheese sauce and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 300 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

saturday night chicken

This was the first meal I ever cooked for Ginger and has become one of the rituals of our marriage.

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut in thin strips
olive oil
Goya Adobo seasoning (con pimento)
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 pound fettuccine
alfredo sauce

Put a big pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. If you are using dry pasta, it will take longer to cook than fresh. Time it so the pasta finishes with the chicken and the alfredo sauce.

Put the chicken strips in a bowl and toss with the two seasonings. I use equal parts of both. We like it hot, so I use a good bit. Experiment to your own taste. You can also add more as you are cooking.

Get a saute pan good and hot and then add olive oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken and cook until they are cooked through and a little crispy.

Drain the pasta and put in a large bowl. Pour alfredo sauce over pasta and toss. Put pasta on the plate and the chicken on top. Open a nice bottle of wine and feel the love.

Peace,
Milton