Pork Tenderloin Salad with Melon and Feta Dressing

This salad is very summery with the cool refreshing melon, cucumber and mint as well as the creamy feta dressing, which really ties the whole salad together.  If you can find a French feta, give it a try - it's less salty, softer and more mild than Greek feta.  I buy the Valbreso brand at the local natural foods store and really prefer it to Greek feta.

To save time, make the pork in advance (grill it earlier in the week when you've already got the grill going for something else) and on the day you want to serve it, pick up a container of pre-cubed watermelon and cantaloupe that you can find at virtually every grocery store these days.  It's much easier to take those large cubes and cut them into smaller ones than to start with a whole cantaloupe and a whole watermelon.  Then all you have to do is make the dressing, chop a few things and toss everything together for a delicious and healthy dinner.

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Pork Tenderloin Salad with Melon and Feta Dressing

Servings: 4

Note: buy a carton of pre-cubed mixed watermelon and cantaloupe in the produce department to save time and effort. Cut the large cubes down to ½” in size.

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, divided
1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the pork
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Kosher salt
1 ½ cups ½ -inch cubed and seeded cantaloupe and watermelon, mixed
3/4 cup ½ -inch cubed seedless cucumber
3/4 cup fresh mint leaves
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

8-12 cups fresh greens (arugula and/or spinach preferred)

Lime wedges, for garnish

Preheat the grill to medium.

Set the sliced red onions to soak in ice water for 20 minutes to remove their bite. Drain and pat them dry and set aside.

Combine half of the feta, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with pepper and stir in the remaining feta. Set aside.

Brush the pork lightly all over with some oil, season it lightly with salt and pepper and grill it directly over the heat, giving it a quarter turn at a time, until a thermometer inserted at the thickest part registers 140°F for medium, about 2 minutes per side for a total of 8 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate to cool to room temperature. (The pork may be made in advance and placed in a zip top bag in the refrigerator until ready to serve.)

Toss together the onion, watermelon, cucumber, mint, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the greens among shallow bowls. Spoon some of the melon mixture on each salad, then thinly slice the pork crosswise and add it next to the melon. Spoon the dressing on top of the pork. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

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Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

Last Year's Post:  Mustard Swordfish Kebobs

Two Years Ago:   Spaghetti with Chicken, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes

I found this recipe on the New York Times website and was intrigued by the fact that it came from a cookbook of food from Jerusalem ("Jerusalem: A Cookbook" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi).  I looked the book up to see if there was a defining characteristic to the food of the city, and found (not surprisingly) that it's been influenced by Muslims, Jews, and the diverse ethnic make-up of the region - I think of it as sort of a unique Middle-Eastern blend.

In any event, the most surprising part of the recipe to me was that it was at once familiar and comforting (it is chicken and rice, after all) while also being mysterious and exotic (when was the last time you cooked with green cardamom pods?).  The deeply caramelized onions make the house smell great, and the spices add their fragrance as the rice and chicken cook.  The low-and-slow cooking method results in very tender and moist chicken and perfectly cooked rice, and the herbs are the final bright touch.  The fact that it's a one-pot recipe doesn't hurt, either.

I adapted the recipe, which you can see here (including a video), because I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs and also because it seemed to contain way too much rice for four people.  I'd suggest warning people about the whole spices when you serve it - the cinnamon sticks are pretty obvious but the green cardamom pods tend to blend in (they aren't really all that green) and the cloves are the same color as the currants. No one wants to break a tooth.  I guess in theory you could try to fish out all the whole spices before serving, but you'll still probably miss one or two so I'd warn everyone anyway.  Plus they look cool on the plate. 

Speaking of currants, I tried to find barberries but was unsuccessful even with the local upscale grocer, Trader Joes and Whole Foods.  I might have made the trek to a Middle Eastern market but I already had currants in my pantry and I don't think it would have made much of a difference anyway.

You can never have too many chicken recipes, right?  This is a great and very healthy alternative to get you out of the same old rut.

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Chicken with Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice

Serves 4

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ tablespoons barberries, or currants

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

6 green cardamom pods

Scant ¼ teaspoon whole cloves

 1 ½ cinnamon sticks, broken in two

1 ¼ cups basmati rice

1 ¾ cups boiling water

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/3 cup dill leaves, chopped

¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup plain Greek yogurt, optional

Put the sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak.  If using currants, skip this step.

Heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat.   Add the onion and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown.  Transfer to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.

Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper.  Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well.  Heat the sauté pan again and place the chicken and spices in it.  Sear the chicken until golden brown on each side and remove from the pan.  The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken.  Add the rice, caramelized onions, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Drain the barberries and add them (or the currants) also.  Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.

Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, making sure the rice is submerged.  Cover the pan and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes (check at about 20 minutes to see if a little more water is needed to prevent burning).  Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid.  Let stand for another 10 minutes.  Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice.  Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Serve hot with optional yogurt on the side.

Note:  warn guests that the dish contains whole spices that should be picked out and not eaten.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Last Year's Post:  Lemon Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl
Two Years Ago:   Filipino Chicken Adobo

I seriously love the bold, clean flavors of Vietnamese cuisine, and I equally love that it typically emphasizes more veggies and less meat - just the way we're supposed to be eating.  This salad is a great example:  big flavors, plenty of veggies, and a little bit of shredded chicken that's treated as a garnish rather than as a big heavy chunk of meat.  The Chinese cabbage, carrots and peanuts give it plenty of crunch and substantial volume.  Plus it's pretty.  And easy.  What more could you want?

If you buy a roasted chicken breast at the store, prep will take about 20 minutes tops - it's mostly chopping, plus you have to soak the rice noodles.  The salad is served at room temperature and makes an easy and healthy dinner any time of the year.

If you're not familiar with Chinese cabbage, it may also be referred to as Napa cabbage and looks like this.

You can find rice noodles in the Asian section of any grocery store, and ditto with the fish sauce.  Don't be scared of fish sauce - it adds some underlying pungency to Vietnamese dishes but it's not fishy.

This is a great example of eating healthy while still having a pretty special meal.

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Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Serves 4

For the dressing:

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 2 limes (about ¼ cup)

¼ cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

For the salad:

3-4 ounces dried rice noodles

1 cooked chicken breast, bones removed and meat shredded

1 red or green jalapeno, stemmed, seeds removed, thinly sliced

4 cups shredded Chinese (Napa) cabbage

1 ½ cups shredded or julienned carrot

½  cup shredded fresh basil

½ cup shredded fresh mint leaves (plus extra for garnish)

1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts

1 lime, cut into thin wedges

Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisking to dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.

Prepare the rice noodles by placing in a medium bowl and covering with boiling water.  Let stand 10 minutes, then drain.  Toss with 1/3 of the dressing.  Toss the cabbage with another 1/3 of the dressing. 

Combine the shredded basil and mint in a small bowl.  Divide the rice noodles, cabbage, carrot and shredded chicken among four shallow bowls.  Top with jalapeno slices, fresh herbs, peanuts, lime wedges and additional mint leaves for garnish.  Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve immediately.

Coconut Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Rice

Last Year's Post: Jewels of Spring: Asparagus Soup and Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce
Two Years Ago:  Special Brunch - Egg Strudel

The weather is finally warmer and it's time to switch to lighter, healthier foods and start grilling!  This recipe couldn't be any more fresh and tropical with the slightly spicy shrimp balanced by the soothing pineapple flavor of the rice.  Serve it with your favorite tropical drink (complete with little umbrella, of course) and you have a party in the making.

I love that this meal is healthy and relatively low-calorie in addition to delicious.  It's extremely easy to make and very fast, once you've marinated the shrimp.  Be sure to notice the marinating time of two hours -  I wouldn't marinate it any longer (like, say, from breakfast to dinner much less overnight) or the lime juice will toughen the shrimp.  So, plan on about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish but only about 30 minutes of active time.  It would perfect for a weekend where you start marinating the shrimp, then work on your garden for an hour or two before focusing on dinner (or a two-hour happy hour, who's to say?).  If you're having a party you could always do a huge platter of just the shrimp for an appetizer and it would be fabulous.

As I mentioned, the shrimp are very slightly warm from the jalapeno.  If you like spicy food I'd leave the jalapeno seeds in when preparing the marinade, or add another jalapeno.  Either way, this is a great change from the same-old burgers, brats and chicken on the grill.

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Coconut Lime Grilled Shrimp with Pineapple Rice

Serves 4

Notes:  Requires 2 hours marinating time.  Dried pineapple is more intense than fresh; don’t substitute if possible.  Also, several ingredients are common to both recipes – lime zest, juice and cilantro – and may be prepped one time and divided according to the recipes to save time.

For the shrimp:

2 jalapenos, seeded

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 garlic cloves

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce

1 lb uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Wooden skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

For the pineapple rice:

2 cups water

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup chopped dried pineapple

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon grated lime zest

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

To prepare the shrimp:  in a food processor, combine the jalapeno, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, coconut, olive oil and soy sauce; blend until smooth.  Place the shrimp in a large zip-top bag and pour the sauce over.  Seal and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Thread the shrimp onto pre-soaked skewers and reserve the marinade.

While the grill is preheating, make the rice:  bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add rice and next 4 ingredients (through salt).  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, onions and juice.

To grill the shrimp:  place skewers on the preheated grill, turning and basting with the reserved marinade, 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Serve shrimp skewers over rice.

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Last Year's Post: Holiday Breakfast Strata
Two Years Ago:  The Best Cranberry Relish

Street food is all the rage right now, which basically translates into anything you can eat while walking around, especially without utensils.  I think the popularity of food trucks has a lot to do with it.  The issue is that most food truck food is really high in fat and calories.  I'd put this recipe up against the best Asian food truck in town without hesitation from a taste standpoint, but it gets even better because the wraps are very healthy.  They're made with lettuce and ground turkey, and they're bursting with big flavors and crunch.  Although they're are very good on their own, the dipping sauce elevates them to a whole new level.  I found this recipe who-knows-where about 20 years ago and have been making it ever since, because it's that good.

The recipe makes twelve wraps, enough for six main dish servings, and the meat freezes very well so you can pull these out and warm them up any night of the week for a quick meal.  They're also great for lunch at work the next day. The turkey can be either grilled or broiled which means you can make them any time of the year.  If you're serving them for a party it would be fun to let people assemble their own wraps with the garnishes of their choice - bean sprouts, red bell pepper strips, chopped peanuts, cilantro, and some lime wedges.  I'd even put out some sriracha (Thai chile hot sauce) for those who really like it hot - there's always at least one in every crowd.

Start by making the sauce, which is really easy because you just chop a little cilantro and stir everything together.  The sauce is pungent, slightly sharp, slightly hot, and a perfect counterpoint to the lettuce wraps.

For the turkey filling, you mix aromatics, seasonings and other ingredients with ground turkey (best done using your hands, wearing disposable plastic gloves).

The turkey mixture is shaped into little logs and then grilled or broiled.

For the lettuce wrap, choose relatively large and flexible leaves - leaf lettuce or bibb lettuce work well.  Don't use romaine - it's too stiff and the rib is too big. Pile on the garnishes, fold them up and dip away!

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Thai Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6 entrees or 12 appetizers

1 beaten egg

½ cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts

1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

½ teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili oil or a dash of ground red pepper

20 ounces ground raw turkey

12 large leaves of bibb or leaf lettuce (red or green)

Fresh cilantro sprigs

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

½ cup chopped peanuts for garnish, optional

Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Combine all dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the egg, water chestnuts, bread crumbs, green onion, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, sugar, salt and chili oil.  Add the turkey and mix well.  Shape into twelve 4 x 1.5 x .75” cigar-shaped logs.  Grill over medium-hot coals or broil 3 inches from heat for 12 to 14 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once.  Place in lettuce leaves and top with pepper strips, bean sprouts, cilantro and peanuts (optional).  Fold lettuce over to form wraps and serve with dipping sauce.

Lavash Chips, Za'atar, Hummus and Green Harissa

Last Year's Post:  Apple, Bacon and Fontina Stuffed Acorn Squash
Two Years Ago:   The Best Way to Cook Bacon

Middle Eastern food is delicious and tastes exotic with all those complex spice combinations, plus it's really healthy.  (OK, I know falafel is fried, but at least it's vegetarian which somehow makes it healthy anyway.)  Most people are familiar with pita bread and hummus, but the recipes in this post are an opportunity to broaden your horizons a little more and impress your friends by making your own chips, hummus, and condiments.

There are four different recipes:  lavash chips, za'atar, hummus and green harissa.  You can make each alone or all in combination.  I'll talk a little about each in turn.

Lavash is a soft, thin Middle Eastern flatbread.  Lucky for us, you can find packaged lavash in the deli aisle of most grocery stores.

This particular lavash is marketed primarily as a sandwich wrap, but it makes the best chips ever. Thin and crisp, they're perfect sprinkled with any type of seasoning and served with any type of dip.  They have just 3 calories per chip and are good for you with flax, oat bran and whole wheat.

Next is za'atar (zah-tahr), which is a very common Middle Eastern spice blend typically served with olive oil as a dipping sauce for soft pita or naan bread.  There are numerous variations of za'atar in different regions of the Middle East and families often have their own blend, but it typically includes several herbs mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt.  In addition to using it in a dipping sauce, za'atar would be excellent sprinkled on roast chicken or anything grilled.  Stored in a tightly covered container, leftover spice mix will keep for at least a month or two. You can occasionally find a za'atar spice blend in a world market, but making your own allows you to customize and it's fresher.

You'll need several spices to make za'atar, the most unusual of which is sumac.  Since sumac is important to the flavor I urge you not to skip it.  You could either make an adventure out of finding your local Middle Eastern market (one of my favorite things is checking out ethnic markets) or you could buy it and every other spice you need at your local Penzeys store.  If you don't live near a Penzeys store, you can buy spices here.

The third recipe is for hummus.  Why make hummus when it's easier to peel the plastic off a tub from the store?  Freshness, the ability to customize, cost, curiosity, and pride.  It's easy with a food processor.  In addition to using hummus as a dip, it makes a great sandwich spread or breakfast spread on an English Muffin.

The final recipe is for green harissa.  You may be familiar with red harissa, a fiery hot condiment that's very trendy right now, but green harissa is entirely different.  Bright with fresh herbs, cumin and lemon, green harissa has big flavor but is not hot despite the addition of two jalapenos. You can certainly make it hotter by leaving in the seeds or adding more jalapeno if you want.

The main herbs in the harissa recipe are flat-leaf parsley and cilantro.  If you're one of those people who dislike cilantro you can substitute fresh spinach instead.  Although it's often served with couscous, I thought of using it on salmon, chicken, or lamb as a sauce when I first tasted it.  We had the leftover sauce on grilled salmon the next night and it was great.  It's kind of like a Middle Eastern version of pesto.

So, here's the way I put them all together.  First, I made lavash chips and sprinkled them with za'atar prior to baking.  The only hard part is figuring out how to cut the rectangular lavash into 32 triangular chips.  First you brush the lavash with olive oil and sprinkle with za'atar.

Next, you cut the lavash in half vertically, then cut each half vertically again to form four long strips.  Stack the strips, then cut them in half horizontally.  Cut each stack in half horizontally again so you have four stacks.  Finally, cut each stack diagonally to form 32 triangular chips.  

I would suggest serving the baked chips with separate bowls of hummus and harissa so people can decide whether they want one or both condiments.  I personally like to eat them together.  All those different herbs, spices and textures go very well together and taste very exotic.

These recipes would be great as an appetizer for your next get-together, football game, or book club meeting.  They're much more sophisticated than plain old chips and dip.  "What's that?", people will say.  "Oh", you'll reply airily, "Just some harissa, hummus and lavash chips with za'atar that I made this morning."  They'll look at you with that impressed look.

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Lavash Chips

Makes 64 chips

Two 9-by-12-inch whole wheat lavash breads

2 tablespoons olive oil

Za’atar spice blend (below), grated Parmesan, or other spice blend of your choice

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350d.  Brush the breads with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice.  With the long side nearest you, cut each bread in half vertically and then cut each half vertically again to make 4 rectangular strips.  Stack the strips on top of each other, then cut the stack in half horizontally.  Cut each stack in half horizontally again to make four square-ish stacks.  Cut each stack in half diagonally to make 32 triangular chips.  Place the chips on two baking sheets in a single layer and bake until light golden, 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool.

  

Za’atar

Note:  Za’atar spice blend is traditionally served with olive oil as a dipping sauce for pita or naan bread; it’s also excellent on grilled or roasted meats, on lavash chips, or sprinkled on hummus.

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds                    1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons ground sumac                                ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme                                       1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin                                    1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Combine all ingredients well, rubbing the dried thyme and oregano between your fingers as you add them.

  

Hummus

Makes approximately 2 cups

One 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed         ½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon         ½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup tahini                                                           2 to 3 tablespoons water

1 small garlic clove, minced                                    Paprika for garnish

2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the tahini and lemon juice in a food processor and process for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl then process 30 additional seconds to help whip the tahini.  Add the olive oil, garlic, cumin and salt and process for 30 seconds.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and process for another 30 seconds.  Add half of the chickpeas to the processor and process for 1 minute.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the remaining chickpeas and process for 1 minute until thick and smooth.  Most likely the hummus will be too thick at this point.  With the food processor running, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until it reaches your desired consistency.  Garnish with a few dashes of paprika and some additional olive oil (if desired) when served.

Green Harissa

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups

Note:  Green harissa is excellent as a condiment with chicken, lamb, salmon, grilled vegetables, hummus, pita, or couscous.

2 tablespoons cumin seeds                                       ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon coriander seeds                                    ½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced                                  ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 green onions, sliced                                               ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, smashed                                    ½ teaspoon salt

Lightly toast cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often until fragrant, 2-3 minutes; let cool.  Puree the seeds with all the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. 

Harissa can be made a day or two ahead.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the harissa to prevent browning.  Cover and chill.

Chicken Curry

Last Year's Post: Farm Stand Salad

Indian food has not been one of my favorites, so I have absolutely no idea why I decided to try this recipe in the first place ten years ago.  The reason why I remember how long it's been is because The Lawyer and I were in the process of a corporate move to Louisville, KY.  He had gone ahead to begin work and I stayed for a period of months in a small apartment in Minneapolis which didn't really give me much creative outlet for my cooking obsession.  I spent my spare time dreaming about all the great new recipes we would prepare when I finally arrived in Louisville.  Unfortunately, I decided that we needed to make a brand-new recipe the very day I arrived.  I also decided for some reason that all the boxes need to be unpacked in one weekend.  The two decisions collided, and not in a good way.

By the end of the first day of unpacking boxes we were both exhausted, but I had reached that point where you're so tired that you become unreasonably stubborn.  (Or at least I do.  Well, some would say I'm always unreasonably stubborn and that it's just a matter of degree.)  The Lawyer tried to talk me into going to a restaurant or at least ordering a pizza, but NO - I was going to make this recipe come hell or high water.  It's not hard, but a brand-new recipe is not a great idea for one of those nights. I don't recall most of the actual preparation but even through a haze of exhaustion I clearly remember how great it tasted. 

I always thought of Indian food as being heavy and fiery hot, but this dish is very light and fresh-tasting and has warmth from the spices rather than heat.   If you're new to Indian food this is a good introduction.  And it's fun to make because you can see and smell all the individual spices that go into making the overall complex flavor and can adjust them up or down to your taste the next time.  It's much more interesting and instructive than just buying a jar of curry powder and dumping it in.  My guess is that it was the homemade spice mix that attracted me in the first place.

The one fact you do need to come to grips with is that you need quite a number of spices.  Hopefully you already have many of them in your cupboard.  For the rest, I always recommend Penzeys (your local store or online www.penzeys.com) for the widest variety of fresh and inexpensive spices.  And remember, even after buying several spices this meal will still be cheaper than if you went to a restaurant.

The preparation is really pretty straight forward - coat chicken cubes in your homemade spice mix and brown, then remove.

Add onions, ginger and garlic to the pan and cook, then add some more spices - cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon. I wrap them in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string so they're easier to fish out later (you can find cheesecloth in some grocery stores and most kitchen supply stores).

Add tomatoes and the chicken pieces and simmer, then add a little yogurt, raisins and some cilantro.

Garnish with toasted sliced almonds and serve with basmati rice.  Don't skip the almonds - they're an important component for both flavor and crunch.

Not at all hard, but I do recommend trying it some day when you're not feeling unreasonably stubborn.

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Chicken Curry

Serves 4-6

2 ½ teaspoons whole coriander seeds

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch of ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 “cubes

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 large or two medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

2 whole cinnamon sticks, about 3” long

1 bay leaf

3 green cardamom pods

4 cups whole canned tomatoes with juices

1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup plain yogurt

¾ cup golden raisins, roughly chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Hot cooked basmati rice

Special equipment needed: 

spice grinder

cheesecloth and kitchen string, for tying spice bundle

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  Transfer to spice grinder, add crushed red pepper flakes, and grind to a powder.  Place in a large zip top bag, and add turmeric, ginger, cloves, salt and black pepper.  Add chicken and toss to coat.

Heat peanut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, cooking until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.  Remove chicken and set aside.

Reduce heat and add ginger, garlic and onions.  Cook until softened and browned, 8 to 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, place cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and cardamom pods in a square of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string.  When the onions are brown add the spice bundle and cook for an additional 10 minutes, making sure the spice bundle is covered with onions.  Add the tomatoes and roughly crush with a potato masher or snip with a kitchen scissors.  Add the chicken stock and browned chicken and raise the heat to medium high.  Cook until the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and stir in yogurt and raisins.  Cook until warmed through, then add cilantro.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with toasted almonds.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Salsa

Last Year's Post:  Grilled Chicken, Mushroom and Bok Choy Kebabs

I'm always looking for new salmon recipes because it's so good for you, it's readily available, reasonably inexpensive, and we really like it.  I ran across two very similar recipes lately for grilled anchovies with lemon salsa.  We're not great anchovies fans but I reasoned that the lemon salsa, which sounded very intriguing, would go with any fish with a relatively high oil content.  (I don't know, maybe anchovies don't have a high oil content when they're fresh.  They certainly do by the time they hit the can.)  Anyway, I immediately thought of salmon, although I think this salsa would also complement swordfish or tuna.

The fresh lemon salsa has very bright and tart flavors that balance the rich meaty fish beautifully, especially when the salmon is grilled so it has that extra smoky edge.  In addition to lemon, the salsa contains red onion, red chile, mint and cilantro - totally different from your more typical tomato salsa or even the relatively common mango salsa.

This recipe is very simple, quick and easy - perfect for a spring or summer evening of grilling.  Use mint and cilantro from your garden or from the farmers market if you can - it's fresher and cheaper than the herbs in the grocery store.  By the way, have you ever thought of growing mint?  My only caution is not to plant it directly in your garden - plant it in a pot instead, then you can bury the pot in the garden if you want.  The reason is that mint is incredibly aggressive and will be all over everywhere in short order at which point it's very hard to get rid of.  (Another one of those life lessons learned along the way.)  In a salsa filled with big flavors, mint will be the biggest so use it sparingly.

The only part of the recipe you may not be familiar with is how to supreme the lemons. "To supreme" lemons or any other citrus simply means removing the rind and cutting the segments away from the membranes as opposed to pulling apart the segments with membranes intact.  Here's a step by step visual.  Start with a lemon (or other citrus).

Cut the rind (including all the pith) off with a sharp knife.  Try not to cut away too much of the inside of the lemon at the same time.

Then hold the lemon in your hand over a bowl, and carefully cut between the membranes, making v-shaped cuts to release the segments into the bowl.  (I say "carefully" because remember that it's your hand that's involved, after all.)

When you're done cutting the segments, squeeze any remaining juice into the bowl and discard the pulp.  Pick the seeds out of the segments. Many recipes use the whole segments but I preferred to cut them in half for this salsa.

You can prep the salsa ingredients in advance (except I wouldn't chop the herbs until right before serving) but don't combine the salsa until shortly before serving or the lemon dulls the red onion and red pepper too much.

Prep the salmon by brushing with a little olive oil and sprinkling with your favorite seafood seasoning blend - I like Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic.

Grill the salmon indoors or outdoors, toss the salsa together, and serve with your favorite accompaniments for a perfectly delicious, light and healthy dinner.  Enjoy!

printable recipe

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Salsa

Serves 4

3 lemons

2/3 cup red onion, finely diced

1 fresh red chile, seeded and finely diced

1/8 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing the salmon)

Salt and pepper

4 (5-6 ounce) salmon fillets

Seafood seasoning blend (your favorite)

Supreme the lemons: with a sharp knife, cut the rind off including the white pith.  Holding the lemon in your hand over a bowl, carefully cut each segment free by making a v-shaped cut between the membranes and letting the segments and juice fall into the bowl. Pick out the seeds and cut the segments into smaller pieces if desired. Add the red onion, chile, mint and cilantro.  Add a pinch of sugar and some salt and pepper.  Add the olive oil and mix well.  Note: do not combine the salsa in too far advance or the lemon will dull the onion and chile flavors too much.  Each ingredient may be prepped in advance, but combine everything shortly before serving.

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.  Brush the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning blend.  Grill for approximately 10 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking, until the salmon flakes easily.  Serve topped with the lemon salsa.

Asian Roast Pork with Broccoli Slaw and Pasta

I recently spent a wonderful relaxing weekend in the sun with three girlfriends and we made this recipe together. It's actually considered a salad and can be served either warm or at room temperature. It's very light and  healthy although it's full of flavor - a perfect spring dish.  Although it came out great that weekend, I re-created it for this post back at home instead of using that experience for the visuals.  The reason has to do with what I call "full-bore blogger mode", which is what a food blogger is in when they're creating a blog recipe.  It goes something like this.

Dining with a Food Blogger
1.  Expect that the entire process of making the dish will be interrupted repeatedly for photo ops.
2.  You may be pressed into service as a hand model for action shots (see The Lawyer below for an example).
3.  When the recipe is done, the blogger will carefully and painstakingly plate and garnish one serving, then disappear to whatever part of the house has the best light for pictures (for example, the bathroom - bathrooms have great light).  You, on the other hand, are left to your own devices to plate your food.
4.  Particularly if other props are involved, the blogger could be gone for several minutes at which time the food may or may not still be hot.
5.  As you eat, you'll discuss the recipe.  Generic comments like "it tastes good" are nowhere near adequate.  You're expected to comment on the colors, visual appeal, plating, balance of flavors and textures, overall flavor profile, and what (if anything) should be changed.
6.  You may be interrupted as you eat if the blogger is particularly struck by how your plate looks and needs a picture.
7.  After you're finished, don't be surprised if you're left with a kitchen of dirty dishes as the blogger dashes off to the computer to check out all the visuals.

OK, that might be slightly exaggerated, but not much.  Now you know why the only person I regularly subject to blog recipes is the The Lawyer.  All I can say is that he's a very patient man.  Certainly I didn't want to do that to my friends, whose sole goal for the weekend was to relax and lay in the sun.

Not that this is a difficult recipe at all.   The hardest part is figuring out how to grate a carrot without grating your fingernails or knuckles in the process.  (If you can find a bag of shredded carrots at your store, go for it.)

Basically you make an Asian barbecue sauce out of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and garlic, then rub some of it on a pork tenderloin and roast it in the oven, saving the rest of the sauce to serve over the finished dish.

The Lawyer as a hand model

While the pork roasts, you briefly blanch some broccoli slaw and toss it with the carrots, cilantro and a little sesame oil.  (If you don't like cilantro, just leave it out.)

Then you cook some pasta and toss that with sesame oil also.  All that's left is the plating.  And the photography, of course.

printable recipe

Asian Roast Pork with Broccoli Slaw and Pasta

Serves 4

For the sauce:

1 ¼ cups hoisin sauce

5 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine or dry white wine

2 ½ tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped

1 pork tenderloin, approximately 1 lb

6 oz broccoli slaw

1 ½ cups carrots, grated or shredded

¼ cup chopped cilantro

½ lb spaghetti, broken in half

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:  mix all ingredients with ¾ cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, approximately 5 minutes.  Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350d.  Line a roasting pan with foil.

Put the tenderloin in the roasting pan; spread 1/3 of sauce over all surfaces.  Roast 25-35 minutes, until the internal temperature is 140d (temperature will continue to rise as the meat rests to the eventual target of 145d).  Remove and let cool slightly.

Reheat the remaining sauce to a simmer.

Bring water to a boil in a large pot; add broccoli slaw and cook 30 seconds.  Using a strainer, remove vegetables (do not dump the hot water) and refresh in cold water, then drain again.  In a medium bowl, toss the broccoli slaw, carrots and cilantro with 1 teaspoon sesame oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat the water and cook the spaghetti according to directions.  Drain and toss with the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

Cut the pork across the grain into thin slices.  Arrange pasta on each plate, top with carrot/broccoli slaw mixture and some pork slices.  Drizzle some sauce over the mixture and serve the remaining sauce on the side.