Recipes That Rock: 2010

[Darienne]

What???? No photo???? I adore eggplant and it's now next on the list for this household!!!

ps. DH is headed into the city and will buy me some eggplants and cherry tomatoes. I have the mixed peppers and will roast them. Have lots of mint...will not use oregano. I'll think about the garlic when I get there. Ditto for the olive oil. I do have all the other ingredients and could add chives also...

I'll report back.

Edited May 30, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[Darienne]

OK. I'm back with a report and a small photo. That's all that was left after supper. I could make only a half recipe because I forgot to specify how much eggplant I wanted. I did roast the peppers along with the eggplant, also in the dressing. I used more than the allotted oil, but only by a couple of tablespoons. Oh, and my mint was dried. And I roasted the vegetables an extra 10 minutes.

We ate this salad with the new favorite quinoa salad. Very nice light supper.

[Emily_R]

Darienne -- so glad you liked it! The roasted peppers look really nice in there -- will definitely add those next time. I feel like a dolt since I actually had roasted peppers in the house yesterday. My guess is that fresh herbs will add a major wow factor if you make it again... Love the idea of it with the quinoa salad, or with a tabbouleh...

[Darienne]

I'm going to try making tabbouleh with quinoa and see how it works. I do love tabbouleh. All that mint!!

Thanks so much for the recipe.

[JAZ]

I was looking around recently for a salad to go with pork satay and came across this recipe for Thai tomato and green bean salad. I like tomatoes and beans together, so I gave it a try. Easy and great. I made two changes: first, I blanched and shocked the beans before slicing, because I don't much like raw beans; second, I substituted lime for lemon juice in the dressing because it seemed more natural to me.

[Anna N]

I was looking around recently for a salad to go with pork satay and came across this recipe for Thai tomato and green bean salad. I like tomatoes and beans together, so I gave it a try. Easy and great. I made two changes: first, I blanched and shocked the beans before slicing, because I don't much like raw beans; second, I substituted lime for lemon juice in the dressing because it seemed more natural to me.

Thanks for this. I am always looking for interesting salads and I agree, raw beans are unpalatable, so I will be blanching mine too.

[prasantrin]

That's not really Thai, it's "A light, green salad with a Thai twist." But if it's good, it's good.

A more traditional accompaniment would be cucumber salad. Eat some satay, dip some grilled or toasted bread in the sauce, use the skewer to eat the cucumbers. . . it's all good.

I just had flashbacks of barbecues in the park with other Thai families. That's pretty much what we ate and how we ate it. Good times.

[JAZ]

That's not really Thai, it's "A light, green salad with a Thai twist." But if it's good, it's good.

A more traditional accompaniment would be cucumber salad.

Guess I wasn't clear. I know that cucumber salad is the traditional accompaniment for satay and I made it, but I think of it as more of a relish. I was looking for a separate side dish to go with the satay.

I'm curious about why it's "not really Thai."

[prasantrin]

The quotation wasn't from me, but from the recipe header.

I suspect it's not really Thai because of the focus on the tomatoes. Raw tomatoes are traditionally used as more of an accent or garnish than a main ingredient (much like carrots). Even in something like som tam, tomatoes are an accent and are never supposed to take the focus.

Of course with increased cross-cultural contacts, raw tomatoes may now be used more frequently and more plentifully, but traditionally, not so much (I think Issan cuisine uses raw tomatoes more, but I'd have to consult my friend about that).

Edited June 5, 2010 by prasantrin (log)

[prasantrin]

I knew there was a salad with tomatoes I was missing, and it was yum yai. It doesn't always have tomatoes in it, but I have seen versions with tomato (in Canada and the US, but I've never had yum yai in Thailand, so I don't know if tomatoes are a frequent addition to yum yai there).

Anyway, it's interesting how people interpret dishes of other countries. To Thai people, the cucumber salad is a salad, but I can see how most westerners would think of it more as a pickle. And the interpretation of "yum/yam" as "salad" is problematic, as well, since most Thai salads probably don't match Western ideas of what salad is.

[onrushpam]

Okay, this is a stupid easy recipe, but the sum is much more than the parts would indicate. And, it's literally a 30 minute deal...

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 large sweet onions (Vidalia or other similar)

1 tablespoon olive

Dijon Mustard Mixture:

1/3 cup country Dijon mustard (I used Emeril's from Costco)

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

A handful of chopped fresh thyme or other herb of your choice

1. Cut the sweet onions into thick rings. Set aside.

2. Pre-heat grill to medium heat.

3. Mix together the Dijon mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs

4. Remove 2 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard mixture, add olive oil, then add the onion rings and coat evenly. Set aside.

5. Place the boneless skinless chicken thighs on the heated grill grids and cook for 20 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh registers 170ºF. basting occasionally with the Dijon mustard mixture. NOTE: Do not brush during the last 5 minutes of grilling.

6. While chicken thighs are grilling, using a grill screen, cook the coated sweet onions until tender.

7. Serve chicken the grilled chicken thighs with the with grilled sweet onion rings.

This chicken was SO good and the onions were an extra bonus.

I served with succotash made from the fabulous Georgia sweet corn we're getting now and some baby butter beans left in the freezer from last year, along with a sliced local tomato.

[nakji]

When you say "country" dijon mustard, do you mean the grainy kind, or the smooth kind?

I love chicken with mustard - it's such a classic pairing.

I served with succotash made from the fabulous Georgia sweet corn we're getting now and some baby butter beans left in the freezer from last year, along with a sliced local tomato.

How do you make your succotash?

[onrushpam]

When you say "country" dijon mustard, do you mean the grainy kind, or the smooth kind?

Yes, the grainy kind. But, honestly, I think this would work with any kind of mustard you wanted to try. I probably wouldn't use the ballpark yellow stuff, because I think it would look odd.

How do you make your succotash?

Never the same way twice? This time I cooked 2 C baby butter beans in some chicken stock and drained them, put them back in the pot with a knob of butter, the kernels of 3 ears of corn, milk, a little salt and pepper and simmered until the liquid reduced a bit.

Pam

[Anna N]

Had these chicken thighs tonight and they were amazing. Kept the pepper flakes to less than a teaspoon but otherwise followed the recipe. Did not bother with the skewers but put them directly on the grill. Tasty, moist and tender. Going into my personal cookbook for regular rotation.

[Emily_R]

Had these chicken thighs tonight and they were amazing. Kept the pepper flakes to less than a teaspoon but otherwise followed the recipe. Did not bother with the skewers but put them directly on the grill. Tasty, moist and tender. Going into my personal cookbook for regular rotation.

Hey Anna --

Thanks for posting this.! I was skeptical as the marinade had so few ingredients, but I had a half a pound of chicken breasts to use tonight and gave it a try -- very tasty! My only changes was to add 2 tsp of cumin to the marinade, and I used ground chile de arbol (in half quanity) in place of the pepper flakes. Surprisingly flavorful, and made a great chicken sandwich when paired with some chipotle mayo I had lying around...

[Anna N]

Had these chicken thighs tonight and they were amazing. Kept the pepper flakes to less than a teaspoon but otherwise followed the recipe. Did not bother with the skewers but put them directly on the grill. Tasty, moist and tender. Going into my personal cookbook for regular rotation.

Hey Anna --

Thanks for posting this.! I was skeptical as the marinade had so few ingredients, but I had a half a pound of chicken breasts to use tonight and gave it a try -- very tasty! My only changes was to add 2 tsp of cumin to the marinade, and I used ground chile de arbol (in half quanity) in place of the pepper flakes. Surprisingly flavorful, and made a great chicken sandwich when paired with some chipotle mayo I had lying around...

I am totally into chipotle at the moment having just bought a book titled simply "Chipotle" and I have some chile de arbol on hand so I will be giving your version a try. Thanks for sharing.

[Emily_R]

Just made a new salad that totally rocked my world, not to mention using up zucchini from the garden. Zucchini and Arugula Salad with Lemon Anchovy Dressing. My only changes to the recipe were to use a higher proportion of arugula to zucchini, and to add some fresh chives. The dressing proportions were perfect, and this salad was just heaven...

http://www.formerchef.com/2010/06/21/zucchini-and-arugula-salad-with-lemon-anchovy-dressing/

[dividend]

I found another keeper!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette

She says that the homemade dough is indistinguishable from store bought puff pastry, so I cheated and used a sheet of puff pastry I had in the freezer. I also probably used more garlic and olive oil than the recipe calls for, including brushing it on the pastry before I added the cheese layer. This turned out delicious, almost like a white zucchini pizza you'd get for lunch at an expensive eatery. It's super simple if you don't make your own crust. Definitely try it!

[Anna N]

I found another keeper!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette

. . . .

That does look and sound delicious. I am going to try to remember this one for the next time I need to make something for one of my daughter's gatherings. Thanks for sharing.

[cathyeats]

Darienne and all you other fans of the quinoa salad recipe I posted - I think I might have topped that one with the latest example of my quinoa obsession. Maybe I should start an all-quinoa blog Anyway, here it is:

Quinoa with Grilled Corn and Poblano Peppers

6-7 scallions

1 t. olive oil

1 large ear corn

2 poblano peppers

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly and drained through a fine mesh strainer (not necessary with the pre-rinsed type)

1 1/2 c. water

1/4 t. salt

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

3 T. roasted, lightly salted pepitas

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. lime juice

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Light a fire in your grill. Brush the scallions and peppers with oil. Carefully pull back the husks of the corn part way, remove the silk and replace the husks (don’t worry that the corn isn’t completely covered – the husks will mostly burn off.) Grill all the vegetables at once over hot coals. The scallions will be done in 3-4 minutes, the peppers should be nicely charred all over in 6-7 minutes, and the corn in 7-8 minutes.

Chop the scallions, discarding any ends that got completely dried out during the grilling.) Cut off the kernels off the corn using a sharp knife. Put the peppers in a bowl, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Slip off the blistered skin and dice, discarding the seeds.

Put the dry quinoa in a heavy-bottomed saucepan on medium-high heat. Toast the grains until they turn slightly golden and smell nutty. Add the boiling water and salt, and stir. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the grains display a little white thread. Fluff with a fork.

Add the grilled corn, poblanos, scallions, cilantro, olive oil and pepitas to the quinoa. Season to taste with pepper and serve.

Serves 4

[Darienne]

Sorry Cathy. No poblanos in the great frozen north. I wish we could. What would you use instead? About the closest I can come...and miles from home to buy one...assuming they even have one...is a Cubanelle. Rats.

[Darienne]

Darienne and all you other fans of the quinoa salad recipe I posted - I think I might have topped that one with the latest example of my quinoa obsession. Maybe I should start an all-quinoa blog

YES!!

[cathyeats]

If you can't get poblanos, I'd use a combination of green bell peppers and some jalapenos. It will still be great.

[Emily_R]

Had a really great one tonight. Some of you may have seen smittenkitchen.com's recent post on scalloped tomatoes, her adaptation of an Ina recipe combining tomatoes and bread, topping with parmesan, and baking. Made my version of this tonight and it was fantastic! Luscious texture, rich flavor without being heavy... Would be a perfect brunch dish with a fried egg, but also made a perfect side accompaniment to grilled chicken tonight. I'm posting the recipe below since I've made adaptations to both the ingredient list as well as major adaptations to the cooking method. In the comments on smittenkitchen's blog, many people had trouble with the texture of the finished dish being soggy. With that in mind, I modified the cooking methods in several ways and came up with something that I thought yielded a perfect texture -- luscious and melting, but still with distinguishable bread chunks in it. This recipe is a major win.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons, heavily adapted from smitten kitchen, who adapted from Ina Garten

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups cubed bread + 1 additional slice, separated. Sourdough is good. No need to remove crusts unless they are very heavy.

2 1/2 pounds plum whatever good tomatoes you’ve got, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice,

2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon Morton Kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup thinly slivered basil leaves, lightly packed

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine tomatoes and salt in a colander to drain.

Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil. Cook cubes, tossing frequently, until toasty on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove toasted cubes from the pan and add to a shallow 8 cup baking dish.

Add remaining 1 Tbs of oil and garlic to the pan and saute garlic until golden. Add tomatoes and sugar, and cook stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, to cook down some of the juices. Add one slice of un-toasted bread (cubed), and let that bread mush into the tomato juices to thicken. Remove from heat, and stir in the basil. Pour the tomato mixture into the baking dish with the toasted bread and stir to combine. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake 30 to 35 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot or warm...

[Anna N]

Had a really great one tonight. Some of you may have seen smittenkitchen.com's recent post on scalloped tomatoes, her adaptation of an Ina recipe combining tomatoes and bread, topping with parmesan, and baking.

. . . .

Saw this recipe on smittenkitten just yesterday and thought how good it sounded so I had copied it to my computer and added it to my "must try" list of recipes. Thanks for sharing your adaptation.