Lemon Chicken Breast

Chicken! Hip- hip- hooray for chicken! This chicken was SUPER juicy and lemony and amaze. Super simple to make to. Get down on it. Get down it. How you gonna do chicken if you don't want to dance by standing on the wall? Get your back up off the wall tell me. How you gonna do chicken if you really don't want to dance...by standing on the wall!!!

Ingredients
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 lemon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Haricot Verts with Herb Butter

I remember about 7 or 8 years ago asking a friend what haricot vert was. We were dining in a restaurant and I saw it on the menu and was like, "Hmm...this sounds fancy!" To my surprise my friend Lisa said, "Like skinny green beans." Oh word? I love a green bean and I love a skinny green bean. They cook so fast and they look so pretty. Get on the haricot vert train friends!

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 lb haricots verts or other green beans, trimmed


Make it:

Stir together all ingredients except haricots verts with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until combined well.

One way to cook: Cook beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water), uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes, then drain.

Another way: Put in tupperware and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss with herb butter. Amaze!

Brie Stuffed Potatoes

I love brie. I love potatoes. Well...isn't this a splendid idea! I adapted this version off another recipe I found online that involved eggs and baking the potato. I made my recipe for my NYC kitchen. Now anyone can do it! This recipe will serve 2 people. 

Ingredients
1 potato (idahoes or russets are good)
1ounce brie cheese
1/2 tbsp margarine (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light)
1/4 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
1 tbsp shaved parmesan or asiago cheese (optional)


Slice the potato lengthwise. Cook in microwave at normal potato setting. Taking care not to pierce the skin, scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4 inch thick shell. In a medium size bowl, mash the potato flesh until smooth. Add the Brie, butter, salt, and pepper. Mash again. Stuff each potato shell with the mixture, mounding it in the center; transfer to a toaster oven dish. Run under the broiler until lightly browned- 3 to 5 minutes.

Shells and Goat Cheese

This mac and cheese is really yummy and really mild. I liked it because it was different. The goat cheese flavor was prominent and the pasta was really creamy. My favorite pieces of pasta were the crispy ones from the sides of the pan. Mmm...

Ingredients:
1 box pasta shells (or macaroni)
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 green onions, diced (I didn't have this)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon, plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups reduced fat milk
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
4 pieces crumbled bacon (optional)

To make it bad for you, add crumbled bacon!

Let’s Cook:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, green onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Set green onions aside.

2. Cook pasta shells according to directions on package, then drain and set aside.

3. For the sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour while stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Then slowly add in milk until combined well. Reduce heat to medium low and let the mixture simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally (about 4 to 5 minutes). If the mixture isn’t quite thick enough, sprinkle in some more flour and mix until the sauce reaches a consistency that you like.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the sour cream, goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste and green onions. Stir until cheese melts, then stir in pasta shells.

5. Transfer to pan and top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Top with bacon if desired. EAT!!!

Breaking Bad Snacks

My friends and I know how to throw down on snacks. Whether it's outdoor / indoor picnics, game night, movie/ TV night, or "black swan night" - we get it done. Last night was the second episode of the awesome TV show: Breaking Bad. To munch on we had: fresh blueberries, strawberries, and grapes (all perfectly sweet!). Carr's Table crackers with brie, gouda, sharp cheddar and white cheddar (I believe). Sorry for the dark photo! We also had apple slices, a sliced up baguette and some killer giant green olives. Perfect spread! 

Grilled Corn with Lime Butter

 Want to know what's better than grilled corn on the cob? Grilled corn on the cob with lime butter! So easy to make and so freaking tasty! Perfect summer time food!


Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light)
1/4 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8 ears shucked corn
Cooking spray

Preparation
Prepare grill or broiler. Combine butter, rind, juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Place corn on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 10 minutes, turning frequently. Remove from heat; brush corn with butter mixture. Eat and enjoy!

Yasmin's Pizza Party

 Our wonderful friends, Ben and Yasmin, had us over for dinner the other night. These snacks greeted us when we arrived. Also, Yasmin made homemade pizza for us. Actually, she made homemade pizzaS! Four of them! All were delicious...

 This was tomato and basil - a classic. The crust was perfect. I need to get a pizza stone. That sucker takes all the moisture out of the dough and it makes it perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside without burning it. The inside it soft and chewy...it really makes a difference!

 This was one with pepperoni. Mmm...

 This guy had spicy salami on it...

Admittedly, I didn't eat this one because I simply was too full. It was another spicy salami but with arugula on top. I love fresh arugula on a pizza! So - bottom line - need to get a pizza stone. If anyone wants to buy me a present - hahaha.

Chimichurri Sauce

My friend Monica made this recently and I may or may not have been dreaming about it. Ha! So I decided to make some of my own. I followed the instructions to a T and it came out pretty good. I would recommend that everyone eat this if you are serving it because your breath will be kickin'. But it's sooo worth it. I'm serving mine with marinated grilled meat chunks.


Ingredients:

2 cups fresh parsley and/or cilantro, firmly packed

3-6 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

Kosher salt and red pepper flakes to taste


Preparation:
Pulse the garlic and onion in the food processor until finely chopped. Add the parsley and/or cilantro, and pulse briefly, until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a separate bowl. Add the olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar, and stir. (Adding the liquids outside of the blender gives the chimichurri the correct texture. You don't want the herbs to be completely puréed, just finely chopped). Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pea and Carrot Soup with Hickory Smoked Bacon

I'm not a big fan of frozen veggies but this soup is amazing. My sous chef loves peas and I know how classic split pea and ham soup can be. This is basically like that but with carrots and asparagus to add more veggies to the bowl. The hickory bacon adds a smokiness to the soup that makes it perfect. Oh, don't mind the bunch of cilantro in my photo. I was picking it off the stems for another recipe.

Ingredients:
1 package frozen peas and carrots
1/2 yellow onion
4 pieces hickory smoked bacon, diced
1 cup diced asparagus
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

Whatcha do:
Cook the frozen veggies, onion, asparagus, and chicken stock in a pot. Cook for about 25 minutes. Allow it to cool. In a separate pan, cook the bacon. Get it nice and crispy! Then blend everything into puree using a blender. Put back in the pot and add salt and pepper let it cook for another 10 minutes. Enjoy your soup .

Mirin Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 cucumber

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
4 tsp. mirin
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sugar


What you do:
Peel green from cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half and deseed. Cut into thin slices. Place them into a bowl and set aside. Place the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and sugar into a small container with a secure lid. Put the lid on and shake to create the vinaigrette dressing. Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumber, toss to coat, cover, and marinate for 1 hour, stirring once or twice. Just before serving, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds on top.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese

This is a great breakfast full of protein (eggs), folic acid, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and C (asparagus). Also, goat cheese is higher in vitamins, D, K, thiamine and niacin than a serving of cow's cheese. And for those who have issues with cheese - goat cheese contains less lactose than cow's milk and cheese, which make the cheese easier to digest. Ok, so enough about the health benefits - it just plain tastes good!


For eggs:

Cooking spray

4 large eggs

1tbsp skim or 1% milk (optional)

2 ounce soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces

pinch kosher or sea salt

2 or 3 grinds black pepper


For asparagus:
1 bundle of asparagus, with ends cut off
1tbsp EVOO
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 shallot, diced


For eggs:

Spray heavy skillet and set over medium-low heat. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together with a fork until well-blended and frothy. Pour the eggs into the skillet; immediately begin stirring with a spatula. Stir constantly until the eggs are creamy but almost set. Remove from heat and stir in the goat cheese. Plate and serve immediately. I served mine with pan roasted asparagus but you could serve it with anything!

For asparagus:

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan and add garlic and shallot. Cook for one minute then add asparagus. Stir a few times to coat all the pieces with oil and cover. Let cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Warm Brussel Sprouts and Red Cabbage Salad

 You are not going to believe me when I tell you that my husband ate every bit of this, but he did. He loved it. Why? Because I made my vegetables so slutty that he couldn't help but love this. Plus, I mean - I liked it too but I love cabbage anyway so there's really no contest. Also, look how pretty this is! Let's get started...

 This is what I mean when I say "make them slutty". Start with 4 pieces of diced of bacon. Fry it up until crispy and then add in diced up chorizo (about 1/2 cup). Just throw it right in with the bacon grease and all. Oh, I used a hickory smoked bacon and it was awesome. Get that if you can. Next step, add about 1 small yellow diced up onion. Let cook until onions are tender. Oh boy - all this bacon and chorizo is sure making my vegetable dish a whore!

 Next - add your red cabbage (chopped - about 4 cups or 1/2 a large cabbage) and your brussel sprouts (about 3 to 4 cups as well). Make sure you cut the bottoms off the sprouts and cut them in half before dumping into the pot. Give it a good stir and let cook for a few minutes before adding 1 cup of chicken broth. Let it cook for awhile (about 10 - 15 minutes or so) until the cabbage is tender.

I served mine with chicken because I wanted a trio of meat in this dish. It was super yummy and even though you got some bad stuff in there, you could still take her home to mom...or to work the next day for lunch. Enjoy!

Curry Chicken Salad

I have a pot luck coming up at work soon so I decided to go ahead and make my contribution in advance. This is chicken salad with a kick of curry. It's creamy and spicy and crunchy and sweet. I kinda already know it's going to be a crowd pleaser and by giving it a day to sit in the fridge, it will really allow the flavors to blend and intensify.

1 whole chicken
1 cup low fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
5 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 shallot, chopped
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 cups red seedless grapes (5 ounces), halved
1/2 cup natural almonds, coarsely chopped

preparation
Boil chicken in about 4 cups of salted water (enough to barely cover the bird) for about 2 hours. Make sure you remove the bag of gizzards from the neck. You won't need those so you can either toss them or save them for something else. Chicken should fall right off the bone when it's done. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 15 minutes. Pull apart by hand and put meat in a large bowl. I get impatient so sometimes I pull apart with a fork and knife if the chicken is still too hot.

While chicken is cooling, stir together all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and stir again. Let chill for a few hours and serve on toast or crackers or by itself!

Annie's Organic Shitake Sesame Dressing

A friend of mine was raving about this particular salad dressing the other day so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I must begin with the fact that I have never been a fan of mushrooms; however, I was also not a fan of olives and now I love them. I think my taste is changing. I've had mushrooms (aka fungus) in a few things recently and didn't mind them. I think they just need to be cooked properly or seasoned properly too. So anyhoo - I decided to get this dressing and boy am I glad. It's amazing. If you aren't a fan of the fungus, you need to try this. It will change your mind! I prepared mine on a chicken salad. Here's how to make it:

3 oz grilled chicken breast, chopped
handful cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed
1/4 c walnuts
2 tbsp chopped shallots
2 tbsp Annie's Organic Shitake Sesame dressing

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl making sure to coat everything well with dressing and serve!

Sweet Cherry, Lemon, and Ricotta Crostinis

 It's Saturday afternoon and you don't want to mess with too much, but you want something yummy. I made these crustini's and they were delicious and satisfying. The ricotta is creamy and vibrant with the lemon zest and the cherries add the perfect amount of sweetness.

Ingredients:
¾ cup part-skim ricotta
2 lemons, zested and divided
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and quartered
1 sourdough baguette, sliced into 18 pieces

2 tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place the ricotta, zest of one lemon, honey in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Stir the mixture until well combined. Slice your bread and brush with olive oil. Place on a hot grill pan for about 1 minute on each side. You want nice sear marks.

3. Spread a small amount of the mixture onto each crostini and top with a small amount of cherries.
4. Finish each with the remaining lemon zest and serve.

If you want, you can also use the same ricotta mixture and top the crustini with soppressata (or ham or pruscuitto) and roasted cherry tomatoes. Mmm...

Indoor Picnic

We had a girls night the other night and this was our fancy spread. Rilletes pur Canard, pâté, truffle cheese, olives...what?! I have to say that I've never had Rilletes pur Canard before, but I love it. What is it you ask? It's a duck spread. Also, the truffle cheese can be purchased right from Fresh Direct! Bonus!

Vacation Eating

 I went to East Hampton with some friends for a week and boy did we have some good eatin'. This pizza was made my my friend Joseph Lee. Tomatillo/Black Bean Pizza With Grilled Lime And Honey.   He cooked it over the grill. It was delicious. He also made a cheeseburger pizza but I failed to get a photo of that one. 

 My friend Monica made these tri-tip meat kabobs with grilled veggies. Amazing! She marinated the meat for a good 5 hours and then grilled them to perfection. 

 This was Monica's homemade chimichurri sauce. It has a lot of parsley and garlic. Here's a link to a recipe (not hers) if you want to make it on your own.

You can't have a July 4th BBQ without hotdogs. We had ours 3 ways! One was topped with chili, crumbled bacon and a red cabbage slaw. Another was topped with a corn salsa with cilantro and cherry tomatoes and the last dog was topped with pureed green apple and cabbage slaw. Amazing! I love having friends that can throw down in the kitchen!

The Picnic Spread

I went to Bryant Park to watch Wizard of Oz with my friends the other night. We had a blast. Before the movie, we had a picnic. I only snapped one photo and didn't capture all the goods, but oh well. Here's what we packed:
Cheese: Fresh Asiago, Drunken Goat (aged with red wine), Light Gouda, Caciotta Delizia (sheep's milk), and Caprina Fresco (goat).
Meat: Salame Affettato
Other goodies: pattee, walnuts, cornichon, pitted Kalamata olives, green olives, Greek Salad, White Truffle Asparagus Spread (IN LOVE with this stuff). Served with Scrocchielle con Rosmarino (rosemary crackers) and a fresh baguette.

To drink: Kir's: Creme de Cassis (the real stuff all the way from Paris!) and white wine and Kir Royale's: Creme de Cassis and bubbly.

Chelsea Market

After 8 years of living in NYC, I finally made my way into the Chelsea Market the other day. At first, I was a little underwhelmed. "Cool, there's an Aeropostale in here. Oh and a Pret," I thought to myself. I felt like I was just in a glorified (and crowded) mall. Then, I found this store called Buonitalia and I was in heaven. I scored many goodies for an afternoon picnic that I was having the next day plus some special items to keep around the house, like the sea salt with truffles pictured above and the white truffle asparagus spread. It was a little pricey but I've already used it and I'm already a fan. Iwould recommend this place for lunch if you work in the area and I would recommend Buonitalia if you love authentic  Italian snacks (like meats and cheeses and pasta and candy).