Spaghetti al Limone; Spaghetti with Lemon

(4 servings)

When the weather gets hotter, I'm inclined to spend less time in the kitchen. It's a combination of the heat, loss of appetite and wanting to get things done so I can sit and relax. For the most part I like to focus on dishes that don't require a great deal of fuss, (although I do have a few things planned at the moment that will take me the better portion of a day to cook).

Spaghetti with lemon is one of those simple dishes that can be made quickly and easily. Prepare the sauce while cooking the spaghetti so that everything can be tossed together immediately when the pasta is ready. I have made one major change to the more traditional version of this recipe by scaling back the amount of olive oil (there's also heavy cream in this dish). Typically about 1/2 a cup of olive oil will find it's way into the sauce for four servings; that's 2 tablespoons per portion or about 238 calories. I have reduced that amount to about 1 1/2 tsp per serving and replaced the remaining olive oil with dry white wine for a delicious twist on this Italian classic.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic paste
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon zest, finely minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

10-12 oz dry spaghetti cooked al dente, according to the directions on the package

additional Parmesan cheese for garnish

With a fork or small whisk, combine the olive oil and garlic in a bowl large enough to hold the spaghetti. Slowly beat in the lemon juice, then wine.

Stir in the cream, lemon zest, cheese and parsley until everything is well combined. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it very well, then quickly add it to the lemon dressing and toss until every strand is evenly coated.

Serve immediately. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Challah, Daring Bakers Challenge; May 2012

(1 loaf)

May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads.

I made half the recipe and my loaf turned out really well. I had a bit of trouble with the 6 strand braid, but I imagine if make another loaf, I will get the hang of it.

Below I have listed the quantities for half a loaf.

Challah (Honey White)

(adapted from Tammy’s Recipes)

Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water, separated
1 tsp  sugar
1 tbsp dry active yeast
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light colored vegetable oil, or olive oil if you prefer

2 large eggs
3/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour, plus more as needed (up to 4-4 1/2 cups total)
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:

1. In mixer bowl/large mixing bowl combine ½ cup warm water, 1 Tbsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. yeast. Allow to proof approximately 5 minutes until foamy.
2. To the yeast mixture add the remaining water, honey, oil, eggs, salt and 2 1/2 cups of flour. Knead (by hand or with your mixer’s dough hook) until smooth, adding flour as needed. Knead for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Transfer dough to a clean, oiled bowl, turn to coat or add a bit more oil on top. Cover bowl with a kitchen/tea towel. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.

4. Punch down the dough and shape as desired.
5. Place loaf on parchment lined or greased baking sheet, cover with a towel, allow to rise 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
7. Brush loaf with egg wash. (Sprinkle with seeds or toppings here if wanted.)
8. Bake 30-40 minutes until done.
9. Cool on wire rack.

Chicken with Rosemary & Caper Sauce

(4 servings)

A few years ago I brought home a small rosemary plant which has grown into a huge shrub. For the most part it's neglected, rarely getting watered or receiving any kind of care. Last year I transplanted it and two weeks later I thought it was a goner; it had taken on a golden-brown hue. Not only did this tough drought tolerant plant manage to survive, but it's grown at least another two feet since then.

It has a lovely scent if you happen to walk too closely and brush against it with your legs. There are very few plants that manage to retain their ability to be fragrant in this heat. I gave up on a scented garden here a number of years ago. It appears they need cooler temperatures and more humidity. Dallasites will tell you that it's quite humid here. I disagree.  Brown sugar needs to be kept wrapped, otherwise it turns to rock and I doubt they have ever visited Toronto in the summer when the air gets so thick you could slice through it with a knife. Now that's humidity!

This quick and easy chicken dish combines fragrant rosemary with capers and tomato. I realised afterwards the addition of red pepper flakes would have been nice here, so I have included that as an option.

This dish would be great with steamed vegetables or lightly buttered noodles.

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp olive oil (and a bit more for later)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp capers, drained

Cut each breast in half lengthwise and gently pound with a meat hammer until each piece is about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and fry each side until the breasts are golden brown and done; about 2-3 minutes in each side.

Place the chicken on a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a small amount of oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and fry for about 20 seconds then add the rosemary, lemon and pepper flakes, if using. Fry for another 10 seconds or so.

Add the tomato and wine. Cook until the liquid has reduced by about one third; about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the capers.

Spoon the rosemary, tomato and caper sauce over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Marsala

(4 servings)

This is a dish I used to make a lot because I loved it so much and it was easy to make. But as is sometimes the case with me, I probably made it one too many times and tired of it.

I tend to get quite excited by things and can become quite fixated by them. Like the time I wanted to make the perfect margarita. I spent weeks trying out different kinds of tequilas, liquors, fruit, mixes and lots of recipes...   so much so, a friend suggested I might have a drinking problem, lol. I would rush home from work each day to mix yet another drink. I only made one small drink each evening to try out; I'm really not much of a drinker. I finally found a combination I loved and was kind of done with them. I don't remember the last time I made (or drank) a margarita.  Most of the alcohol in my home ends up in my food, like this bottle of Marsala. I don't believe I've ever poured a glass of Marsala, just to drink.

In any case, I was pleased I made this Chicken Marsala once again. It was delicious and I won't wait as long for the next time.

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black (or white) pepper
2 tbsp butter
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Marsala
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth (I mixed up some Better than Bouillon, Chicken)
a squeeze or 2 of  fresh lemon juice
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Split each breast in half lengthwise to make 4 pieces. Place the meat between parchment paper and gently pound with a meat hammer until the pieces are about 1/4 inch thick.

Combine the flour, salt and flour. Dredge each piece of chicken with flour on both sides and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Fry the chicken until both sides are golden brown; about 5-6 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside, loosely covered.

Lower the heat a touch and melt the remaining butter.  Add the mushrooms and fry them for about 2-3 minutes. Add the Marsala, chicken broth* and lemon juice. Gently simmer the mixture, scraping up any bits from the pan with a wooden spoon to combine with the sauce. Check and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. The sauce might appear watery at this point.

*I'll add more chicken broth if I need extra sauce for noodles. I used less this time because I served this dish with a roasted pepper salad instead.

Add the reserved chicken and cook over low heat until the chicken has heated through and the sauce thickens.

Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

Lemon Chess Tart

(9 inch tart)

This simple southern tart/pie is delicious. I have come across quite a few recipes for this and most combine brown and white sugars, use eggs and add one to two tablespoons of corn meal which I didn't have on hand today. I used a bit of cornstarch instead. I'm not certain if the addition of lemon is a less traditional version of this dessert which often contained buttermilk and sometimes a small amount of vinegar.

This lemon chess tart in some respects reminds me of a lemon meringue pie.

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp minced lemon zest,from 1 large lemon
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup milk


Preheat oven to 375°F.

Press the pie crust into an ungreased 9 inch tart pan and set aside.

Beat together the butter and brown sugar.

Add the white sugar, eggs, cornstarch and salt and beat until the mixture is well combined; about 1.5 minutes.

Sir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and milk.

Pour into the prepared tart pan and bake for 5 minutes at 375°F, then lower the heat to 350°F. Bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the custard has set.

Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.

Ćevapčići; Balkan Grilled Meat "Sausages"

(4 servings)

The first time I tried ćevapčići was many years ago in the former Yugoslavia. Back then I was travelling throughout Europe for nine months on a tiny budget. One afternoon I was drawn to the wonderful aroma of grilled meat and came upon a street vendor cooking these on a small portable grill. I had already picked up a couple of great looking tomatoes and a feta-like cheese for lunch, but decided to splurge and try these small cylinders of meat as well.

This turned out to be one of my most memorable meals ever. The ćevapčići was amazing. The juicy grilled meat was served with a flat pita-like bread and sliced raw yellow onions. I pushed those aside as I'm not very fond of raw onions, enjoying the ćevapčići instead with sliced tomatoes and feta cheese. It was heaven on earth! To this day when I prepare this simple dish, I serve it with tomatoes and feta cheese. The more traditional accompaniments are often sliced onions, sliced pickles, yogurt or sour cream.

Ćevapčići is made a variety of ways depending on which region of the Balkans you happen to be in. Ground beef, lamb, pork or any combination of those meats might be used. Sometimes it's just seasoned with salt, and other times it might also contain pepper, hot or sweet paprika, cumin, parsley, garlic and onion. The meat is often ground several times to create a fine texture. I achieve this using my food processor.

A few years ago I came across a recipe for this in a barbeque cookbook which also added baking soda. The author suggested this "lightened" the meat. I added some to my recipe and did notice a difference.

1/2 lb ground beef (15% fat)
1/2 lb ground lamb (15% fat)
1/2 lb ground pork (15% fat)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp yellow onion, chopped

bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 minutes before grilling (optional)

olive oil for basting

Serve with any combination of pita, thinly sliced onions, sliced green onions, sliced tomatoes, sliced pickles, yogurt, sour cream or feta cheese.

Combine the beef, lamb, pork, pepper, salt, baking soda, garlic and onion in a large bowl until well mixed.  Divide the mixture into 4 portions and place each portion into the bowl of a food processor (one at a time) and pulse several times until you have a finer texture.

Cover the meat mixture and set aside for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill. and soak the skewers.

Shape the meat mixture into small "sausages" or press the meat onto the skewers, if using.

Coat the meat lightly with the olive oil and grill, turning the meat until the links are evenly browned and no longer pink on the inside; about 7-12 minutes.

I also picked up some brussels sprouts at WF which were already lightly coated in olive oil, salt and pepper. For some reason those were less expensive. Skewered and grilled for a few minutes on each side, the brussels sprouts were delicious with the ćevapčići. They turned out rather crispy which I liked. You could probably wrap them after they are skewered and microwave them for a couple of minutes before grilling them if you prefer a less crispy texture.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Salad

(1 meal sized portion)

This salad was so tasty, I will grill extra chicken the next time! It's always wonderful when leftovers are as delicious as these were. I didn't have any jalapeno peppers handy, but I imagine they would have been absolutely terrific here. This summery salad turned into an amazing lunch for me.

1 cup leftover grilled tandoori chicken, cut up
1/2 cup mango, diced
1/4 cup red or orange bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp red onion, diced
2 tbsp celery, diced
1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cardamon
freshly grated black pepper
salt, to taste

Place the chicken, mango, bell pepper, red onion, celery and cilantro into a bowl.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, cardamom and pepper in another small bowl. Pour over the chicken mixture and toss until everything is evenly combined. Add salt, if needed.

Do Chua; Vietnamese Carrot & Daikon Pickles

(about 3 pints)

From time to time I get lunch from a Vietnamese restaurant which serves these pickles with every dish. These sweet and sour pickles are delicious, so much so I often devour them first before touching anything else on my plate. They are incredibly easy to make and will keep well refrigerated for several weeks. They are quite wonderful with grilled meats. I prepared them to go with the tandoori chicken I had yesterday.

This week the daikon were sold in bunches of three, so I made more than my usual amount. If you haven't purchased these radishes before, then look for firm ones around 1 1/2 - 2 inches in diameter. These are generally the tastiest, if they get too large they can become rather bitter.

1 lb daikon radishes
1 lb carrots
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 1/4 cups warm water

Wash and peel both the daikon and carrots. Cut both into even matchstick style pieces and place in a non reactive bowl. I used a package of snacking carrots, so I cut the diakon to match their length.

Sprinkle the salt and sugar over the cut up vegetables and toss a few times. Set aside for about 10-15 minutes, tossing once or twice.

Combine the 1/2 cup sugar, vinegar and water. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the carrots and daikon and place in a colander. Rinse with cold water, the return the vegetables to the bowl.

Add the sugar and vinegar mixture and toss to combine everything evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (even better, overnight) before serving.

These will keep up to 3 or 4 weeks refrigerated. I have heard that the daikon can become quite "smelly" over time needing to be "aired", but I have yet to experience this.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

(4 servings)

Traditional tandoori chicken is typically prepared from a whole chicken which has been cut up, marinated, then baked in a very hot clay oven, a tandoor.

I end up grilling mine. I have two grills. One gas and a small tabletop grill which uses charcoal. More often than not I prefer using the smaller grill, although there are times when the gas grill is just quicker and more convenient. Today I fired up the smaller grill.

This is one of those rare occasions I'll use skinless chicken breast (rather than my favourite, chicken thighs) which I cut into bite sized pieces. The breast meat turns out juicy and tender after spending close to a day in a marinade made of whole milk yogurt, lemon juice and spices.

1/2 cup whole milk yogurt
freshly squeezed juice from 1 small lemon
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne; to taste
2 lbs skinless chicken breasts

bamboo skewers (soaked in water 30 minutes before grilling)

Combine everything except the chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Set aside.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 1/4 inch cubes. Toss them in the yogurt mixture until they are evenly coated. Cover with wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or up to about 24 hours.

Soak the skewers in water for about 30 minutes before getting ready to grill.

Thread the chicken onto the skewers and grill, turning frequently until they are cooked through and no longer pink in the centre; about 6-10 minutes.

Zucchini was on sale today, so I grabbed a few on impulse. It's a pretty boring vegetable in my opinion, but grilled it can be rather nice.

1-2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Combine the oil with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Brush the mixture onto one side of the cut up zucchini.

Place the oiled side down onto the grill and then brush the top side. Flip them over when the undersides begin to brown; about 2-3 minutes per side.

Pomegranates

For the first time I can remember, my pomegranate trees didn't bear fruit last year. We had months of record highs combined with severe drought. It really was "hell on earth", hehe. I do hope this summer will be cooler.

My pomegranates are in bloom once again. The second tree in the very back of the garden unfortunately has already dropped most of it's buds. I'm not really sure why that happened, although I am aware that most gardens have their own unique micro-climates. The tree closer to the house is filled with blossoms, and I'm hoping for at least a few juicy pomegranates later this year.