Christening the new place!

Sorry for the delay, Shmitt and I have moved.  We are truly living the good life.  The sun is shining, the kitchen counters are glistening, and Trader Joe’s is two blocks away.  Can I get a hell yah.

It's still the summer so peaches are everywhere.  And they are soooo good.

 

Peach Barbecue Chicken, thanks to Chantal for introducing me to the G. Paltrow recipe that follows.  Featured in Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts

1 cup chopped, peeled peaches (you can use frozen, but why would you do that, we’re in California.)

½ cup ketchup

1 ½ Tsp adobo (so, you want to get chiles in adobo.  It’s in a can.  This is what makes this taste like barbecue.  You can find these in the salsa section of any big or specialty store.  Note: unfortunately, Trader Joe’s doesn’t have this.  Sigh.)

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste.

PREPARATION

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small sauce pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low simmer.  Simmer 10 minutes or until the peaches are soft.

Set aside and let stand until cool.  You can prepare the other half of the meal now. I made a nice hearty side salad with lots of avocado.

Pour the peach mixture into a blender and puree until smooth.  Add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Pour half over the chicken and let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or cover and chill for up to 8 hours. 

Grill the chicken (best to brush grill or grill pan with oil) until browned and almost cooked through. 

Brush sauce on all sides.  Grill until glazed and cooked through about 1-2 minutes per side.

 Yum!

 I don’t have a grill.  Not a problem! This $25 grill pan works just fine!  In order to finish the chicken off on this pan I had to put the whole thing in the oven at 350 for about 3 minutes.  This way I got a nice char on the outside while the breast was cooked the whole way through without getting dry.

You can make a peach rattler on the side! I did... Just mix beer and this awesome peach lemonade. Tastes like soda.  :) Come over!

Baked Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Yogurt Dill Sauce

This was SO good and so fast and easy.  Grill up some kale on the side and you have a beautiful meal!

Baked Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
1 filet of salmon, with skin (amount depends on the number of people you are serving.  I usually do 3/4 for two which is plenty).
1 cup cherry tomatoes (more if you have more company and a bigger piece of fish)
Half a bunch of fresh dill
Half a bunch of fresh thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and fresh pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper and sprinkle with some olive oil.
Make a bed using the fresh herbs, a mix of the dill and thyme.
Lay the salmon over the top of the herbs.  Pour on the fresh tomatoes.
Sprinkle the whole dish with olive oil.  I actually poured a little into my hand and rubbed the top of the salmon and each of the tomatoes with it so they wouldn't dry out while baking.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the salmon begins to look more vibrantly pink.
Serve with the yogurt dill sauce and enjoy!


Yogurt Dill Sauce
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs chopped dill
1 Tbs lemon juice
lemon zest
PREPARATION
Combine all the ingredients and mix.  You may need to add more lemon juice to get the consistency you want. You don't want it too watery but greek yogurt is pretty thick.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  I thought it actually needed a little bit of salt and I never say no to fresh ground pepper. Serve alongside the salmon and enjoy it liberally piled on top!

Smitten Kitchen Chopped Salad-- YUM

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chopped green beans
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup well-toasted salted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse or Kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon chile powder or 1/8 teaspoon each your choice combination of chile powder, cumin, cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
PREPARATION
Mix the vegetables, feta, scallions, seeds and mint in a medium bowl. Whisk lime juice, olive oil, salt, spice and black pepper in a small dish and pour over vegetables, tossing to evenly coat. Adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. Garnish with a little more mint. I also added avocado over the top and thought that went nicely. Great with a crusty piece of bread.

Shrimp Ceviche

In keeping with the yummy summer fare, I give you fresh and delicious shrimp ceviche.  This was inspired by a Goop post that didn't have the proper recipe listed.  Either that or I am an idiot (more likely) and didn't see it. After a search I came up with this one from a blog called Simply Recipes.  Cute! (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/). Enjoy! and happy July.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp salt
3/4 cup lime juice (juice from 4-6 limes)
3/4 cup lemon juice (juice from 2-3 lemons)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1-2 minced serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed-- I like it spicy so I added two.  You might even do 3 if you are brave.
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cucumber, peeled diced
1 avocado, peeled, cut into chunks

PREPARATION

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute to 2 minutes max, depending on size of shrimp. Be careful not to overcook! Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
Drain the shrimp and cut into pieces. Place shrimp in a glass or ceramic bowl. 

Mix in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Mix in the chopped red onion and serrano chile. Refrigerate an additional 30 minutes.
Right before serving, add the cilantro, cucumber, and avocado.

Peanut Butter FILLED Cookies

I LIKE THESE.  YOU SHOULD MAKE THEM AND THEN HIDE IN YOUR ROOM WITH THEM.  (I may or may not have done this myself).  This is from an awesome blog that has about A MILLION pb-chocolate recipes.  It is therefore my favorite place to browse when I can't sleep... or when I'm hungry... or when I want to torture myself.

Mmmmm.  Peanut butter.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar-packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter-softened

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter


PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, blend flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
In a large bowl beat white sugar, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until blended. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.
Make the filling by combining the confectioners’ sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Beat well with electric mixer until mixture comes together.
Roll filling into little balls.  Form exterior part of cookie around filling and cover completely. Flatten and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

Warm Beet and Kale Goat Cheese Salad

It's summer so we're eating a lot of salads at dinner time these days.  The kale makes this one really hearty and if you don't like raw kale you'll be happy to know that this is cooked a bit to soften the bitter taste.  Enjoy.

Warm Beet and Kale Goat Cheese Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch Kale
Red onion
Balsamic vinegar
2 Beets
Goat cheese

PREPARTION
Bring a heavily salted pot of water to boil and add the beets whole.  Boil until the beets are tender (stick a fork in them and see if they are the level of done-ness that you like).
In the meantime, wash and devein the kale.  Cut into ribbons.
Thinly slice the onion.
Add olive oil, onion, salt and pepper to a hot skillet.  Saute very briefly before adding the kale.  Saute for another few moments, you don't want to cook this fully so keep it on the short side.  Everything should be nearly raw, just starting to get wilted.
In the final 30 seconds or so, add the balsamic vinegar and stir.  You want it to get the tiniest bit caramelized.  You may need to add more salt and pepper to taste at this stage.
Remove from heat and plate.  Add the warm, cut beets over the top and garnish with goat cheese.

Between the beets, onions and the balsamic, you get a sweet tasting salad medley with some real body. This is a great side dish if you're super hungry but trying to be healthy!

Mushroom Feast, in honor of my dad who loves champignons!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY!!!

Chilean Sea Bass and Morille

INGREDIENTS

5 morille (morel mushrooms), sliced

1 diced shallot

Butter

Chilean sea bass steak(s)

Fresh thyme

salt

fresh ground pepper

PREPARATIONS

Melt the butter in a pan.  

In the meantime, wash and pat the sea bass dry.  

Add the diced shallots to the butter with some pepper.  Shortly after add in the morel and thyme (to taste).  

Saute until yummy. Place the topping in a bowl and set aside.

Put some more butter and/or olive oil into the pan. 

Saute the bass until done.  You want it to get a nice little crispiness going on both sides but you may have to cover for a bit since these steaks are usually pretty thick.  If you have to cut through the middle don't worry about the appearance, that is what toppings are for: creative presentation.

Enjoy!

Warm Mushroom Salad with Hazelnuts and Pecorino
Adapted generously from SmittenKitchen

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup hazelnuts
2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
3 tablespoons madeira (original recipe calls for sherry)
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces arugula
A 1 cup mix of fresh herbs (optional) such as chives, tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 large sliced shallot
1/4 pound pecorino (I used toscano and it was perfect.  I dont recommend romano-- even though I could eat that ish every day of my life-- because it is too strong and would overpower the subtle mushroom party)

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, rolling them around once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Rub nuts in a dish towel to remove skins then let cool. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.

Whisk the shallots, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl and let sit for five minutes (this will soften and almost pickle the shallots), before whisking in 5 tablespoons olive oil.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until the butter foams. Add half the mushrooms, half the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until they’re softened but not limp (your cooking time will depend on the type of mushrooms you used).

Transfer mushrooms to a plate then repeat with the second half. When they are cooked, return the first half of the mushrooms to the pan then toss in sliced shallots, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

Spread salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. Spoon hot mushrooms over the salad greens. Pour three-quarters of the vinaigrette in the sauté pan and swirl it in the pan until heated. Season it with 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over salad and toss carefully. Adjust to taste — you may need more salt, pepper, vinaigrette or even more sherry vinegar.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

I would definitely make each of these again.  The salad was great and if you keep everything separate, would be a really yummy lunch to bring with you to work/ school/ whatever it is that you do!