Archive for Lunches
Spice Rubbed Pork with Peach-Avocado Salsa
Posted by: · Aug 13 2012 · Comments
Okay, I said I wasn’t going to share recipes while I work on my book, but I couldn’t resist with this one. So easy and so good. I used the leftovers from this dish on sandwiches the following day which was also amazing even when served between rice cakes given my wheat allergy. Yes, the girl who always dove enthusiastically into the bread basket is now on a strict wheat-free diet per my food allergist. There is another interesting nugget we discovered at the allergist. I am allergic to dogs. I recall having a very thorough allergy test as a child and I half wonder if this dog allergy was apparent then and my parents chose not to tell me because there was no way the dogs would be ousted on account of me. I couldn’t blame them if they did. Regardless, enjoy this lovely meal for dinner and lunch!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Pork
- I pork loin, about 1.5-2 LB’s
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Salsa
- 1 peach, diced
- 1 plum tomato, diced
- ¼ cup fresh pineapple, diced
- 2 avocadoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- ½ a chili pepper finely diced, about 1 tablespoon
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt for seasoning
Instructions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Trim all the visible fat form the pork loin and place on a baking dish. Mix the paprika, garlic salt, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Using clean hands rub this mixture onto the pork. Place the pork in the oven and cook for 20 minutes per pound without turning. Once the meat is cooked through (don’t be afraid to cut into the meat to be certain) turn the oven setting to broil and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until you have a nice crusty outside.
While the meat is cooking make the salsa. Combine the peach, tomato, pineapple, avocadoes, red onion, cilantro, chili pepper, lime juice and sugar in a large bowl. Season with the salt according to your preference.
Cut the pork across the width of the loin. Serve a few pieces of the meat topped with a generous helping of the salsa.
Honey and Salt Burger
Posted by: · Jan 09 2012 · Comments
Last night I was looking for a quick and simple meal with a little bit of a twist and these burgers were just that. The addition of the honey provided for a nice caramelization of the meat and a welcome hint of sweetness. Just lovely!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1Lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon finishing salt (I used a truffle finishing salt)
- Dash of freshly ground pepper
-6 slices prosciutto
- 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 whole grain rolls, toasted
Instructions:
Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
In large bowl, use clean hands to mix the burger, honey and salt together. Form the meat into 6 equally sized patties and place on the grill. Grill for 8-10 minutes per side. Top each burger with a slice of prosciutto and a slice of cheese. Continue to grill until the cheese is melted.
Assemble the burgers on the toasted buns and top with desired condiments before serving.
Open Faced Scallop and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Posted by: · Jan 04 2012 · Comments
Much has changed since my last post. The holidays have wrapped up, the family has gone home and we are now parents to one perfectly sweet and undeniably beautiful little girl. Miss Eliza Mae Manly joined us on December 23rd, just in time to spend her first Christmas at home. Already she has become my partner in the kitchen- sleeping quietly in her bassinet while I whip together our meals. We collectively made this sandwich for dad yesterday, his last lunch at home before returning to work. We are quite the team because this sandwich was just wonderful. A must try recipe!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups thinly sliced roasting red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- Kosher salt
- 1 LB large scallops
- Juice from half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1.5 teaspoon capers
- Cream cheese
- 8 slices rye bread, toasted
- 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven broiler.
In a Ziploc bag combine the potatoes, parsley and a dash of the salt. Tightly close the bag and shake the bag so to thoroughly coat the potatoes with the parsley and salt. Pour the contents of the bag onto a baking sheet and spread out evenly. Place the potatoes in the oven and cook until golden browned and crisp- a few minutes on each side. Remove the potato chips from the oven, transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and lay out on a plate. Drizzle the lemon juice on the scallops followed by a dash of salt. Melt the butter over high heat in a large sauté pan. Once the butter is bubbling add the scallops and the capers. Brown the scallops on both sides – about five minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pan and cut into 1/4” slices.
Now assemble the sandwiches. Spread a tablespoon of cream cheese on each piece of rye toast. Top with some spinach, followed by a few slices of scallop, a handful of the chips and finally top with a few of the remaining capers in the sauté pan. Serve immediately.
Sausage and Brussels Sprout Pizza
Posted by: · Dec 19 2011 · Comments
Sleep has not been kind to me lately. Blame it on being 39 weeks pregnant or on my sinus infection or on the 2 AM visit from Chicago PD to inform us that an arsonist had set our fence on fire. Whatever the source, I am sleeping less than I thought humanly possible and something tells me this is only going to get worse very soon. Grumpy and uncomfortable, I am taking all kinds of shortcuts in the kitchen and opting for quick and easy recipes. Luckily, skimping on time doesn’t mean skimping on taste as is evident with this pizza.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
Topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ LB mild sausage, removed from casing
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup shredded Brussels sprouts
- ¾ cup chopped plum tomatoes
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella
- Finishing salt (I used a truffle finishing salt)
Instructions:
Start with the crust. Mix the yeast and the water in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast is fully dissolved- this should take a few minutes. In a standing mixer fixed with a dough hook combine the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed and slowly add the water/yeast mixture. Mix until smooth adding additional water one teaspoon at a time if necessary to hold dough together. Manually roll the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl coated with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for one hour.
For the topping, heat the olive oil over medium- high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Continue to cook the sausage and break up the clumps until the meat is nicely browned. Stir in the ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, sugar, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Roll the dough out to 1/8” thickness on a flat and well floured surface. Place the dough on a baking sheet and top with the sausage/Brussels sprouts mixture and then with the cheese slices. Lightly sprinkle the finishing salt on the edges of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Cut and serve.
Turmeric and Raisin Chicken
Posted by: · Nov 08 2011 · Comments
Oh the places one can find recipe inspiration. This meal came to fruition after a surprisingly delightful lunch aboard a flight from Newark to Chicago this past weekend. A mental note of some of the key ingredients allowed me to make my own version of the turmeric chicken I enjoyed on my last pre-baby flight. The resulting chicken recipe provided for dinner last night and lunch today.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 LB chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and chopped into ½” cubes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds, can be found in the health food section of most grocery stores
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large non stick skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Evenly coat the pan with the oil butter and add the chicken. Cook on both sides for a few minutes or until slightly browned. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, salt, raisins, pumpkin seeds and peanut butter continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and serve atop brown rice.
For a leftover lunch spoon chicken onto the center of heated wheat wrap along with a touch of mayonnaise and a handful of arugula. Wrap and enjoy!
Grilled Portobello’s Topped with Creme Fraiche-Olive Spread and Watercress
Posted by: · Aug 12 2011 · Comments
I usually lean towards meats and fishes for dinner, but this meal was just wonderfully flavorful, filling and delicious. Maybe vegetarians have caught on to something.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 4 large Portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- ¼ cup plus extra for topping of shredded Romano cheese
- ½ cup crème fraiche
- 2 cups watercress
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
Pre-heat grill on medium-high heat.
In a food processor combine the olives, cheese and crème fraiche. Pulse until smooth and set aside.
In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the watercress and balsamic, stir and sauté for 5 minutes or until the watercress is slightly wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Pre-heat oven broiler.
Grill the portobello’s for 5-6 minutes per side or until the mushrooms are easily pierced with a fork. Remove the mushrooms from the grill and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the olive mixture on the open side (gill side) of the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Broil for 3 minutes or until the olive spread begins to brown. Remove from the oven and top each mushroom with a generous handful of the watercress and a touch of shredded Romano cheese.
Grilled Lobster Tail Sandwich with Pineapple Aioli
Posted by: · Jun 21 2011 · Comments
This is a nice alternative to a lobster roll. Here I used whole grilled lobster tails with a seasonal aioli for a perfect summer sandwich.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped pineapple
- 1 egg yolk
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 4 lobster tails, shelled and cleaned
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 4 hoagie rolls, cut in half
- Lettuce for topping
Instructions:
Start with the aioli. Combine the egg yolk and the salt in a food processor. While mixing, slowly add the olive oil through the feeder tube until the ingredients thicken. Add the cream cheese and the pineapple and continue to mix until smooth. Pour the ingredients into a bowl, cover with cellophane and refrigerate for 30 minutes before use.
Pre-heat your grill to medium heat. Place the lobster tails on a plate and top with the lemon juice. Transfer the tails to the grill and cook for 5 minutes per side, brushing occasionally with the melted butter. Towards the end of cooking the lobster place the rolls directly on the grill and cook until crispy on both sides. Assemble one lobster tail on each roll and top with the aioli and lettuce. Serve immediately.
Tequila-Lime Drumsticks
Posted by: · May 02 2011 · Comments
I made this dish sometime ago. I like to reserve the right to take a few nights off from cooking so I hoard a few recipes for later use. Despite when it was cooked, these drumsticks are a welcome mat for warm weather and fresh summer ingredients.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- ½ cup tequila
- Juice from one lime
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove minced garlic
Instructions:
Place the chicken in a large shallow bowl. Whisk together the tequila, lime juice, salt, sugar, olive oil and garlic in a medium sized bowl and then pour over the chicken. Cover with cellophane and refrigerate for one hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°. Transfer the chicken to a large baking dish and reserve the remaining marinade for basting. Bake the chicken uncovered for 50 minutes, basting with a few spoonfuls of the marinade every 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
Grilled Honey Baked Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Chutney
Posted by: · Apr 27 2011 · Comments
By the time my husband and I got engaged our parents had still not met. We decided perhaps we should get them together. After discussing a few meeting spots my father insisted we spend a weekend at his bird hunting club in southern Colorado. The outdoors, hikes with dogs, late night chats by the fire- it seemed like a great idea.
Marc and Colby, my future in-laws, soon arrived in Colorado. We quickly discovered that each party had appropriately named their meeting, “The Meet the Fockers Weekend.” The impending question was which family would take home the title of “The Fockers?”
The weekend started off wonderfully. The parents immediately hit it off. The setting was spectacular and I was quite certain nothing could go wrong. That was about the time that things swiftly went downhill. The hunting dogs refused to hunt for anyone other than my dad and husband leaving Marc and I desperately trying to get in on the action. Ellie the dog, our enthusiastic but horrible hunter, ran into the butt of Justin’s gun creating a huge gash on her forehead and forcing me to carry her back to the lodge as she wept like a baby. Meanwhile, the moms were up to their own trouble. While hiking, my mom brushed up against an electric cow fence electrocuting herself to the point of losing bodily control. She farted and out of embarrassment and inherent honesty she admitted her flatulence to my future-mother-in law. Stumbling to her feet from the shock that ripped through her body she said, “Oh my goodness, I think I just farted.” They immediately erupted into hysterical laughter and a friendship was born. At night we ventured out to the only local restaurant. We feasted on undercooked burgers and stale beer in the company of an over served county-western band and a group of fairly rowdy locals. Not exactly the refined weekend I had imagined. Despite the hiccups, we ended the weekend with a great story, two united families, many laughs and a clear winner of “The Fockers” crown.
The greatest gift from this weekend, however, was the friendship that spawned between the moms. While we had brought them together, their similar qualities of kindness, humility and loyalty had made them pals. When my mom fell ill with cancer years later and was hospitalized at MD Anderson in Houston, Colby came to visit. The look on her face when Colby arrived was pure happiness. Mom and Colby spent the afternoon alone – laughing, chatting and speaking to mom’s wishes for me if she should pass. She wanted Colby to take care of me. From individually wrapping all my Christmas stalking presents like mom did, to letting me tell the same fond memories of my dad over and over to just being a good friend – Colby has no doubt taken care of me and I love her. I know mom and dad are looking over me with ease and happiness knowing I have her. Marc, my father-in-law, isn’t so bad either and turns out he is quite the hunter when the dogs cooperate.
So what does this story have to do with this meal? Not much except that Colby cooked the ham and I needed a moment to reminisce. Enjoy!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Sandwich
- I fresh loaf of whole grain bread, cut into ½” thick slices
- ½ LB Saint- Andre cheese cut into ¼” thick slices , can be bought at most grocery stores in the gourmet cheese section
- 8 slices honey baked ham
- Handful fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chutney
- 10 ounces diced yellow cherry tomatoes (you can use red cherry tomatoes if yellow aren’t available)
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Instructions:
Start with the chutney. Combine the tomatoes, shallots, peppers, sugar, salt and vinegar in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over low heat. Stir frequently until the ingredients thicken, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ingredients to a bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes before using.
Once the chutney is cooled, assemble the sandwiches. One or two slices of ham, topped with a slice of cheese, a handful of spinach and a spoonful of the chutney. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat with the olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the grill pan and cover. Using a spatula flip the sandwiches over after 5 minutes, re-cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich with Rutabaga Chips
Posted by: · Apr 17 2011 · Comments
Sometimes you just don’t need to overcomplicate a dish. Give me a fresh piece of fish, some colorful vegetables and bacon and we have a meal. This sandwich was pure bliss on this beautiful Chicago Sunday. Full of flavor, crunch and just wonderfulness.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 6 large rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/8” slices
- 4 cups vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 LB’s Mahi Mahi fillets skin on, about 4 fillets
- Juice of half a lemon
- 7 ounces cooked Canadian bacon
- 1 large red onion, cut into 4’s
- 4 French rolls
- Handful fresh butter lettuce
- Light Mayonnaise
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is noticeably spitting, carefully lower a handful of rutabaga slices into the oil with a slotted spoon. Cover with a grease screen and cook until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes per batch. Once done, remove the chips with the slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with a touch of kosher salt and set aside on a cooling rack to dry.
While the chips are drying, heat your grill to medium heat. Season the fish with a dash of salt and the lemon juice. Thread the onion slices on a metal skewer. Grill the fish for 5 minutes on each side or until opaque. Concurrently grill the onions for 2 minutes per side, remove from the grill and skewer and place in a bowl for later.
Place the Canadian bacon on the grill and cook for 2 minutes per side or until grill marks appear on the meat. While doing this quickly grill the buns on the grill until just slightly crunchy. Remove the buns, the fish and the bacon.
Remove the skin from the fish and assemble one fillet on a bun, topped with a piece of the Canadian bacon, a few grilled onions, lettuce and mayonnaise. Serve with a handful of chips and eat up!
