Marinated Lamb Chops with Herbs & Honey

Adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: overnight in the fridge
Grill time: 8- 10 minutes
Resting time 5-10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large rack of lamb (2 1/4 lb/1 kg) cut into double chops ( each chop will have two ribs)
Note: you could use any lamb chop if there are no racks available, but the racks turn are the most tender
Marinade/Sauce:
3/4 cup (about 2/3 oz/ 20 g, flat leaf parsley
1 cup (about 1 oz/30 g,) cilantro leaves & stalks
1 cup (about 1 oz/30 g,) mint leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 oz/15 g fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
1/2-1 tsp Aleppo chili flakes
3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sunflower or grapeseed oil
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp water

Directions:
1. Place ribs in a large zip lock baggie and set aside.

2. Place all the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blitz until well blended.  Pour over the chops in the baggie and massage well to make sure each chop is covered in marinade.

3. Refrigerate overnight.  NOTE: I like to put my baggie on a tray or large plate just in case the bag leaks.

4. Preheat your grill.  Remove meat from the marinade, shaking off any excess.  Sear well on each side.  (I like mine 3-4 minutes per side) Reserve the marinade.

5. Once the chops are cooked to your liking, remove from the grill and let rest covered for 5 minutes or so before serving.

6.  While the chops are resting, heat the marinade (now a sauce) in a small saucepan over medium low heat and allow to simmer while the chops are resting.

Serve the sauce in a separate bowl and the perfect sides for me, are grilled asparagus spears and Ottolenghi's awesome Saffron Basmati Rice with Barberries, Herbs & Pistachios.

Kale & Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This is a great recipe from Broccoli, Love and Dark Chocolate

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes
Roasting time: 20 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Roasted Cauliflower:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salad:
1 bunch of kale, leaves stripped from stalks & chopped
Dressing:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice (I used a little more than 1 tbsp)
1 tsp maple syrup (I used 2 tsp)
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F/220C and line one rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, juice, garlic and pepper.

3. Cut cauliflower into bite size florets and add to the bowl, tossing well.

4. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the baking sheet.  (Note:  if the cauliflower looks dry, drizzle with a little more oil).   Roast for 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces), flipping the florets halfway through.  The cauliflower should be tender crisp when done and a bit charred.

5.  As soon as the cauliflower comes out of the oven, toss with Parmesan cheese.

While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the kale & dressing.

1. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup and pepper.  Taste for seasoning.  Add the chopped kale  using your hands to massage the dressing into the kale until fully coated.

2.  Add the roasted cauliflower to the kale and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.

RUTH'S NOTES:
1. I prepared the roasted cauliflower in the morning (it's been hot here) and quickly ran it under the broiler for a couple of minutes before adding to the dressed kale before serving.

2.  This is great cold the next day and my daughter added some sunflower seeds and barberries (soaked first in hot water with a pinch of sugar & drained).   I'll have to try that next time.  No barberries... no worries.  Raisins, cranberries or currants would work too.

Summer in a Bowl - Asparagus & Zucchini Salad

This is one of those "throw together" salads for when it's too hot to do much work.  I realize that asparagus is really a Spring vegetable, one of the first to arrive after a long winter.  But I couldn't resist buying some of the skinniest asparagus ever!  They're perfect for eating raw, but if you can only find thick asparagus, you can use your vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus lengthwise into long skinny strips.  This is a light salad, allowing the sunny flavors of the fresh herbs and vegetables to shine.

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients:
1 small spring onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 bunch super thin asparagus, cut into 1" pieces (about 1 cup)
1/2 small zucchini or other summer squash, julienned (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1-2 tbsp, chopped fresh basil
1-2 tbsp, chopped fresh mint
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
Splash of really good extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place the chopped and julienned vegetables and herbs in a serving bowl along with the grated cheese. Squirt the lemon juice and drizzle the oil over the vegetables. Grind some black pepper.

2. Gently toss.  I like to use my hands for this step, but spoons will do too.

PS leftovers were great in an omelet the next morning

Grilled Halibut with South Asian Sauce

Inspired by Lucy Waverman and Kevin Closet Cooking

Printable Recipe
Prep time 10 minutes
Grill time 8-10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 large Halibut steak (salmon and other firm fish steaks are great too)
Sauce:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
2-3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
1/2-1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (or red chili pepper flakes)
1/4 cup or so olive oil

Directions:
1. Prepare the sauce - nothing easier than using the food processor.  Drop garlic down the feeding tube with the motor running.  Then but everything except the olive oil into the bowl and pulse a few times until everything is chopped and well blended.  Pour the oil down the feeding tube with the motor running.    If you don't have a food processor, finely chop everything and mix well in a bowl.

2. Prepare the grill - on high.  If you don't have a grill, you can roast at 450F/220C.    Coat the halibut with some of the sauce.  Grill for 4-5 minutes per side .

Serve with extra sauce

Chef Jason Lynch's Swiss Chard with Chilies & Bacon

From Chef Jason Lynch's Straight from the Line

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes
Saute time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced (I use my microplane slicer)
2 strips smokey bacon cut into matchstick pieces (I used pancetta because that was in the fridge)
1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes  (I used 1/2 & Chef Jason used 1 tsp)
2 bunches Swiss chard (I removed the ribs and coarsely chopped the leaves)
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter 

Directions:
1. Finely grate lemon (should equal 2 tsp) and set aside.  Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into a separate bowl. 

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. Add garlic and cook, stirring often until it begins to golden at the edges (about 2 minutes).  Add the bacon, cook until crispy (about 2 minutes) - separating the pieces to keep them from sticking together.   Add red pepper flakes  stir for 30 seconds.

4.  Add the Swiss chard.  Cook, tossing to coat in the sauce, until wilted but not overcooked (3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Using tongs, transfer Swiss chard to a serving dish.  Add butter, lemon zest and juice to the pan.  Cook, whisking until a sauce forms.  Drizzle over the Swiss chard and serve.

Chef Jason Lynch's Grilled Flank Steak

From Chef Jason Lynch's Straight from the Line

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 24 hours
Grilling time: 10 minutes
Rest time: 5 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 large flank steak
1 tsp black peppercorns (or sometimes I add Sechwan peppercorns)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup canola oil (I used less)
1/8 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Place flank steak on a cutting board.  Using a sharp knife, carefully remove silver skin  (thin white film running over the meat).  I lightly slash the flank steak across so the marinade can penetrate further. 

2. Place all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.   I like to place the marinade and flank steak in a large zip lock bag, Chef Jason places the meat in a flat bottomed dish and pours the marinade over the meat. Marinate in the fridge overnight. 

3. Preheat grill to very hot.  Grill or pan sear to medium rare 4-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the flank steak.  Remove from grill.

4. (My addition: cover and let rest for 5 minutes or so)

5. Thinly slice across the grain and serve.  

Market Breakfast for Dinner Omelet

This is more of an "add what you love" kind of recipe, so there are ingredients, just not accurate amounts

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5-10 minutes (depending on how long you scrounge about for the ingredients)
Cook time: 5 minutes for filling plus 3-5 minutes for the omelet

Serves 1 (but easy enough to double or triple the recipe.  You can either use more than one small (8") pan to create individual omelets or one large skillet to make one large omelet you then cut into wedges)

Ingredients:
Omelet batter:
2 large eggs per person using 8" non stick skillet
1-2 tsp good olive oil
1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
freshly ground pepper
Filling:  options are limitless, but here's what I used this time
2 small baby leeks, white and pale green parts only, well cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 cup or so cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup or so baby beets, finely chopped ( I used the root ends and fine stalks of a 1/2 bunch of beet greens)
3 spears of asparagus, blanched
slices of smoked gouda

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 tsp of olive oil, chives and pepper and set aside.

2. Over medium high heat, add 1 tsp olive oil to an 8" skillet (small size is perfect for dinner for one) and heat   until the oil is hot but not smoking.  Add the leeks, mushrooms and beets and saute for 5 minutes or so.  You want the vegetables soft and all the liquid absorbed.   Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.

3. Wipe the pan clean...no need to wash. Add a quick dash of oil to the pan, wait one minute and add the egg batter.  Twirl so that the entire bottom of the pan is covered.  As the egg sets, tilt the pan so any liquid in the center moves to the edges to keep a crepe-like thinness.  Once the eggs are mostly set, add the cooked vegetable mixture (draining so the omelet isn't mushy) to half of the omelet. Top with slice or two of cheese and lay the asparagus spears over top.  Flip the plain side of the omelet over the veg and cheese and let it cook for another minute or so to melt the cheese.

4. Gently transfer to plates.  If you are making one large omelet (my choice for family brunches or more breakfast for dinners with unexpected guests), do as above, but gently ease the cooked omelet onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Grilled Salmon with Ginger Marmalade Balsamic Glaze

Printable Recipe


Prep time: 10 minutes
Slow grill time: 15-20 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:2 salmon fillets, skin on
Glaze:
2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup ginger marmalade

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions:1. Preheat the BBQ and quickly rinse salmon fillets, pat dry and lightly check for bones, pulling any out as you find them.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the rest of the glaze ingredients.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the marmalade has melted and all the flavors blend.    NOTE:  extra glaze can be stored in a mason jar in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks... if you can hold off that long.  It's great on chicken. 


3. Baste some of the glaze on the flesh side of the salmon. 

4. Set the BBQ to medium high heat and cook, skin side down directly on the BBQ grills. It will start to char after about 5 minutes or so. If you’re lucky enough to have two heat controls, turn one off and move the salmon (gently, you don’t want to have the fillets fall apart) over the side with no flame. This indirect heating method, cooks the fish like roasting in a 400°F/200°C oven. The added bonus, besides not heating up your kitchen on a hot day, is the wonderful char taste on the skin that you’d discard anyway, unless you're like me and love the crispy stuff!  NOTE: my current BBQ is a Weber Q, with only one burner, so I just turn the heat down to 300°F/180°C.


The fish is done when the flesh is a light shade of pink.   I love this omega - rich fish with a simple side of grilled asparagus.

Grilled Strip Loin with Spice Hunter Rub

Printable Recipe

From Epices de Cruand The Spice Hunter Box of Spices

Prep time: 5 minutes
Grill time: 8-10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients:2 sirloin tip steaks (if you can, get some grass-fed pasture raised beef)
Dry Rub:
1 tbsp Herbes de Dionysios (Greek blend that one sniff will transport you there)
1 tbsp Vegetable Spice Blend
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tbs[ smoked Pasilla Oaciaca chili
1/2 tbsp salt

Directions:1. Combine the dry rub in a small bowl. Rub into the steaks (both sides) and set aside.

2. Preheat your grill (lucky you if you have a BBQ) – I use my trusty Cuisinart Griddler, but any grill pan would work too. If you’ve refrigerated your steaks, they should come to room temperature before grilling (at least 30 minutes).

3. Grill over high heat (sear on Griddler) for 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat to medium high (shift around on a charcoal BBQ or lower temperature on a gas grill) and cook for another 2-3 minutes per side – or done to your likeness.

4. Remove from heat and cover with foil to “rest” for five minutes before serving.