Easy Dinner Ideas, Monday through Friday

Your weekly menu planner includes fish in foil, a chicken salad that will keep you kitchen cool and Friday night steaks on the grill:

Monday: Fish in foil
If you can stand the heat, fire up the grill for Lemon-Herb Fish in Packets. Place some firm white fillets on a bed of sliced onions and julienned carrots. Sprinkle on lemon-pepper seasoning and Italian dried herb blend. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over all and add an ample drizzle of olive oil. Close packets and grill for about 15 minutes. Toss some corn on the cob on the barbie, too. Slices of watermelon are a cool accompaniment.

Tuesday: Going meatless
Broccoli Raab and Cannellini Beans over Garlic Bread (recipe below) is a good recipe to add to your meatless repertoire. The greens and beans melange sits on toasted bread providing a light meal for a hot night. Are we sensing a trend here? Pour a glass of crisp, cold pinot grigio to go with.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
There’s not much we can do about the heat but cooking without the oven and stove might help a bit. Carve up the bird and use it for Chicken and Greens Summer Salad. Lay the meat over mixed greens (baby spinach, Romaine and any fresh herbs you might have). Add avocado slices, halved grape tomatoes and knobs of soft cheese (blue, feta or goat). Crunchy croutons and whatever dressing you like. Rolls or breadsticks on the side.

Thursday: Fusion food
An Italian Tostada, borrowed from Mark Bittman’s new Kitchen Express (Simon & Schuster), crosses a traditional Mexican dish with Italian flavors. Here’s how, and yes, you’ll need the oven for this one: Heat the hot box to 400 degrees. Brush flour tortillas with olive oil and bake for a few minutes to firm. Spread tortillas with thinly sliced mozzarella, chopped tomato and slices of prosciutto. Bake until cheese melts. Mound arugula on top and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Return to oven to wilt greens a bit.

Friday: Splurge meal
Throw steaks on the grill — whichever kind your wallet can handle — and cook them alongside cut-up fruit. We like peach halves and pineapple rings. Brush the fruit with a bit of melted butter and balsamic vinegar before setting them on the grill. They’ll be sweet and soft in about 3 minutes a side. Make a big Caesar salad and that completes your TGIF meal.

Broccoli Raab & Cannellini Beans Over Garlic Bread
1 bunch broccoli raab, washed
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; more for drizzling
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced, plus 1 whole clove to rub on the toast
Dried red chili flakes to taste
1 (15 ounces) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 4 thick slices sturdy country-style bread, preferably sourdough
Lemon wedges or red-wine vinegar

Peel the larger stems of the broccoli raab and slice them thinly. Chop the leaves coarsely. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add the onion and rosemary and cook over medium-high heat until the onion softens and begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and a pinch or two of chili flakes and cook 1 minute longer. Add the chopped raab leaves and stems along with 1 cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raab is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans (and more water as needed) until the greens are cooked, about another 15 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, toast the bread on the grill or under the broiler. Rub one side of the toast all over with the reserved garlic clove. Set a slice or two of bread on each plate. Spoon the beans and greens over the toast. Drizzle olive oil liberally over the beans and greens. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of red-wine vinegar.

Variations:
• Cover the toast with a layer of shaved Parmesan, Asiago, or Monterey Dry Jack cheese before adding the greens and beans. Or shave thin flakes of cheese over the sandwich.
• Cover the toast with a layer of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese and broil it until the cheese bubbles and melts. Top with the beans and greens.
• Try milder greens, such as chard or spinach. Collards are also good, but they’ll take longer to cook.
• Try French green lentils in place of the beans and garnish with a sieved or crumbled hard-cooked egg.
Serves 2.
Source: Fine Cooking

Photo from www.finecooking.com

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Everyday Food magazine always inspiring

Friends let friends cook from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food mag. How's this for a good friend? My buddy Karen gave me all her back issues of Everyday Food, way back to the beginning, for Christmas last year. Seriously, she boxed them up and wrapped them up.

I love it!

I've been having lots of fun going through old issues and marking recipes. It is such a great magazine with tons and tons of doable recipes and ideas. Very inspirational.

Here's one I forgot about from June 2004. Sesame Orange Chicken is super quick and really delicious. You know I am a big fan of shrimp and often cast about for different ways to make it. Martha suggests that for this recipe you use egg whites instead of whole eggs in the batter. It makes the coating crispier.

Take your time and cook in batches. Don't crowd your pan of the shrimp will be in there longer than need be and may get tough. I serve it with rice.

Sesame Orange Shrimp

2 large egg whites

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

1 cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites, cornstarch, sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until frothy. Add shrimp, and toss to coat.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two or three batches, cook shrimp until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Add more oil to skillet if necessary for remaining batches.

Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Add orange juice, soy sauce, and sugar. Boil over high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 4 to 5 minutes. Return shrimp to skillet; add scallions, and cook until heated through and coated with sauce, about 1 minute.

Serves 4.

Source:  Everyday Food, Martha Stewart

Photo from Everyday Food

Food Network's Robin Miller rescues dinner

Robin Miller hosts "Quick Fix Meals" on the Food Network and you might not have seen it because it's on weekdays at 12:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7:30 a.m. I know she doesn't have the vivacious appeal as Rachael Ray but her food and ideas are super solid and deserve more attention. Most of her recipes can also be prepared in less than 30 minutes.

If you haven't seen her new cookbook, "Robin Rescue Dinner," take a look next time you're at the bookstore. I guarantee you'll buy it. This isn't one of those cookbooks you'll be reading before bedtime as a travelogue or dream catcher. You'll actually use it to make dinner.

She uses some convenience products but what impresses me is the wide variety of recipes and cuisines. Here's her version of spicy Chicken Fra Diavolo. Try it tonight.

Chicken Fra Diavolo
12 ounces linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 habanero or jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (equaling 4 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup diced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hot pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides. Add the
oregano and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, or until the oregano is fragrant.

Add the diced tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon the chicken and sauce over the linguine and top with the basil.

Serves 4.

Source: "Robin Rescue Dinner" by Robin Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2009).

Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday

This simple shredded carrot salad goes great with rotisserie chicken. And here's the big bonus: carrots are pretty cheap. Just watch your knuckles on the box grater if you're not the type that shreds the carrots in a food processor.

I know some folks don't like cilantro, but I love its fresh flavor and the aroma is delish, too. I always push my nose into it at the store to make sure I am not buying flat-leaf parsley. Sometimes, it's not marked very well. (Note to germ freaks: I am just kidding about my nose in the cilantro. I take a gentle whiff.)

Anyway, carve up the bird and start shredding. This is a good candidate for a potluck, too, because if can be served at room temp.

Shredded Carrots with Jalapeno, Lime and Cilantro
8 medium carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 medium fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Whole cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Peel the carrots and then grate them using the large holes on a box grater or food processor fitted with medium grating attachment. Put the grated carrots in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil and lime juice. Add the jalapeno and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the dressing and chopped cilantro to the carrots and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with the cilantro leaves (if using) and serve.

Serves 6.

Source: Fine Cooking.

Photo from www.finecooking.com. 

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Vinny Dotolo, Clearwater: On the cover of Food & Wine

Forget Rolling Stone. Vinny Dotolo, Clearwater native and graduate of Countryside High School, has made it to the cover of Food & Wine magazine. He and cooking partner Jon Shook have been named by the magazine as two of the best new chefs of 2009.  (None of the chefs named cook in Florida. Bummer.) Vinny is the one wearing the red bandanna and sleeve tattoo in this photo.

The duo run Animal, a "meat-centric" restaurant in Los Angeles that has "made L.A. excited to eat fried chicken livers." Hard to believe in a land that is populated by people painfully worried about saturated fat (or any fat at all) that the celebs are eating chicken livers. Must be the behind-the-scenes folks.

Shook is also from Florida, and the two made a name for themselves as caterers in Los Angeles who got noticed by the Food Network. They met in the culinary program at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. A 2008 cookbook, Two Dudes, One Pan: Maximum Flavors from a Minimalist Kitchen (Potter, $24.95) got a lot of attention, Next time you're at the book store, check it out.

I am sharing the Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon and Tomato Salad that the two dudes contributed to Food & Wine. I am guessing us Stir Crazy folks would never make it (though a shortcut would be to buy the ranch dressing) but I'd love to try it at Animal. Here's my secret shame: I like liver.

Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon and Tomato Salad with Ranch Dressing

Pickled red onion:
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
Ranch dressing:
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon snipped chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad:
6 slices of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon (6 ounces)
3 cups self-rising flour (see Note)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
Vegetable oil, for frying
3/4 pound heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 tender celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias, leaves reserved

Make the pickled red onion: Put the sliced red onion in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the red wine vinegar with the sugar over moderately high heat until just beginning to simmer and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar over the sliced red onion and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons of the onion pickling liquid.

Meanwhile, make the ranch dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Assemble the salad: In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. Cut each piece of bacon in half.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

In a medium bowl, soak the chicken livers in 1 cup of the buttermilk for 10 minutes, then drain. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk to the bowl. Dredge the chicken livers in the seasoned flour until coated, then redip the chicken livers in the buttermilk and dredge again in the flour to double-coat.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to 325 degrees. Fry the livers until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain the chicken livers on paper towels and immediately season with salt.

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, parsley and celery ribs and leaves. Add the pickled onion and the reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons of pickling liquid. Spoon the ranch dressing onto plates. Top with the tomato salad, chicken livers and bacon and serve at once.

Source: Vinny Dotolo/Jon Shook

Vinny/Jon photo from www.lacountyarts.org and food photo from Food & Wine.

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Easy dinner ideas, Monday through Friday

From quick pizza, a meatless meal and spicy chicken legs, we've got you covered. Here is your Monday-through-Friday meal plan:

Monday: Quick pizza
Use flour tortillas as the crust for these easy Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizzas. Start by caramelizing the onions low and slow in a skillet with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. (This will take about 15 minutes.) To assemble, brush tortillas with olive oil. Place on baking sheet and dot with goat cheese. Layer onion on top and several pinches of fresh or dried thyme. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. On the side, serve baby greens mixed with sliced pickled beets dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Tuesday: Go meatless
Country-Style Tomatoes (recipe below) is a baked, cheesy tomato stack that can work as an entree or a side dish. To complete a vegetarian meal, add a three-bean salad.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
Carve up the bird and serve with Summer Squash and Pasta. Saute sliced zucchini and yellow squash with minced garlic in olive oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta according to package directions. When squash is soft, add it to drained pasta with a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and some grated Parmesan.

Thursday: Hot legs
Chicken legs are cheap and kid friendly. Make them spicy by coating with smooshed barbecue potato chips or even Pringles spicy Szechuan chips. Crush the chips then dredge the legs in milk or beaten egg first. Roll in the chips and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with watermelon wedges sprinkled with feta cheese. A green salad on the side.

Friday: Burgermeister
It’s Friday and it’s summer. Crank up the grill and make burgers. Form them yourself from ground sirloin and top with thick slices of Monterey Jack. Plop on lightly buttered and toasted seeded buns. Garnish with chunky guacamole and Dijon mustard. Serve with in-season corn on the cob and fresh fruit.

Country-Style Tomatoes
4 large tomatoes
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs (see note)
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

Cut each tomato into four thick slices; place on paper towels to drain. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, parsley, basil, garlic and salt until blended. Spread cream cheese mixture over eight tomato slices; top with remaining tomato slices.

Place flour and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. In another bowl, whisk egg and milk. Coat the top and bottom of each tomato sandwich with flour, dip into egg mixture, then coat with crumbs.
In a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-hot heat. Fry tomato sandwiches in batches for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Note: The Japanese bread crumbs called panko are widely available in grocery stores now. Look for panko in the aisle with Asian food products or where other bread crumbs are stocked.

Source: Taste of Home

Rotisserie Chicken Wednesday: Greek Salad with a Cluck

Stir Crazy classic from July 25, 2007. The classic Greek salad gets a twist with shredded rotisserie chicken. Click here for the recipe.

Eat more chicken: Mandarin Sesame Chicken Kebabs

Stir Crazy classic from March 31, 2007. Use up those cans of mandarin oranges in the pantry from Mandarin Sesame Chicken Kebabs. Click here for the recipe

Easy dinner ideas, Monday through Friday

From baked mac and cheese, mango salsa and salmon and grilled vegetable tacos, we've got you covered. Here is your Monday-through-Friday meal plan:

Monday: Mac the Nice
Baked Mac and Cheese is a thing of beauty that can be bent to your own tastes. Cook a pound of pasta (shells, corkscrews, penne). While pasta is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of butter then add 1/4 cup flour. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Add 4 cups of liquid (whole or low-fat milk, heavy cream, chicken broth or a combination), bring to simmer and keep stirring. Add four cups grated cheese (any combination but I like sharp white Cheddar and Parmesan). Sprinkle in a few shakes of hot sauce of cayenne. When cheese melts, drain pasta and stir into sauce. Pour into baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and thinly sliced tomatoes if you like. Bake for about 20 minutes, until brown and bubbly on top.

Tuesday: Fight off summer boredom!
Put your teens into service today since they are out of school. Hamburger Pie (recipe below) will take them about 30 minutes to put together and 30 minutes to bake. The basic skills they’ll need, besides knowing how to use a can opener, is chopping, sauteing, baking and mashing potatoes. A tip for cheaters: Use the ready-made mashed potatoes to make the process even easier. A green salad is all they’ll need to prepare to complete the deal.

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken
A super-fast dinner is the goal tonight. Carve up the bird and make Mideast-inspired Couscous Salad from Martha Stewart to serve alongside. Follow the directions on a box of instant couscous and make enough for 4 servings. Add handful of golden raisins to couscous as it cooks. In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup lemon juice with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add 1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, 1 diced cucumber, some red onion, the couscous and raisins and chopped fresh parsley. Refrigerate until needed. Great for lunch the next day, too.

Thursday: Mango tango
Spicy Mango Salsa pairs nicely with grilled salmon or shrimp skewers. It’s even a good accompaniment for pork chops. To make salsa, mix together diced mango, cucumber, red onion and jalapeno. Squeeze lime juice over all and stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Adjust proportions to your tastes. Rice and steamed broccoli on the side.

Friday: Veggie delight
Grilled Vegetable Tacos are healthy and simple. Brush zucchini spears, portobello mushroom and onion slices with olive oil mixed with minced garlic. Grill until veggies soften and color. Spoon into corn tortillas that have been heated on the grill. Add shredded cheese and salsa of your choice. Big triangles of juicy watermelon on the side.

Hamburger Pie
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and pepper
1 large can (2 1/2 cups) or 1/2 pound cooked green beans
1 can condensed tomato soup
5 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cooked
1/2 cup warm milk
1 beaten egg

Heat oil in large skillet and add onions. Cook over medium heat until browned. Add ground beef, salt and pepper and brown until meat is cooked through. Add drained beans and soup; pour into a greased casserole dish. Set aside.

Mash potatoes; add milk, egg, and seasoning to taste. Spoon in mounds over meat. Bake in 350-degrees oven for 30 minutes.

Serves 6.

Source: www.epicurious.com

Photo from www.ehow.com

The monster lobster roll of Cape Cod

This will be the last time I make you jealous with talk of delicious lobster rolls from Cape Cod. Still, I have to share this photo of yours truly with the best and biggest we've had here. This one is from the Chatham Pier Fish Market. The boats off-load loads of fish and shellfish nearby and some of it ends up here. This lobster roll had very little mayo and just a bit of chopped celery, both the hallmarks of a legendary lobster roll. The roll plus fries and cole slaw was $19.95. Don't leave home without your wallet if you come up here.

It's been rainy-dreary here for a couple days. Wild rabbits and grass love it though. Everything looks fresh and healthy. The flowers love the mist, too. Hydrangeas haven't popped yet but the wild roses are out, scenting the air mightily.

We ate breakfast at a very local joint this morning, the Old Harbor Cafe. The women next to us talked of lilacs and poppies, Kennedys and rehab, the cost of health care and lobsters. Oh, yeah, and the Red Sox. They beat the Yankees again last night. The Red Sox are 8-0 against the Yanks this season and that provided plenty of coffee shop chat today. 

Time to ponder lunch ...

Photo by Scott Keeler, St. Petersburg Times