Pad Thai

Last Year's Post: Pork with Fennel and Caper Sauce
Two Years Ago: Salmon with Balsamic Sauce

Pad Thai is one of the most popular Thai dishes in America, which is why you'll find it on virtually every Thai restaurant menu.  It's a stir-fried noodle dish made with cooked egg, bean sprouts and a chopped peanut garnish. The protein can be shrimp, chicken, or tofu for a vegetarian version. In its best form it has bright fresh flavor and a variety of textures ranging from the tender noodles to crunchy bean sprouts and peanuts.  Unfortunately, quality can vary and in its worst form it's often mushy and overly sweet. I recently had a Pad Thai encounter of the worst kind so I resolved to find a recipe for my ideal version.  I discovered that many Pad Thai recipes contain tamarind which is an unusual ingredient that's both sweet and sour, plus dried shrimp (yeck).  I was therefore really happy to find a recipe from a cookbook author who has traveled extensively in Thailand.  She found a simpler and very authentic recipe she convinced the local chef in southern Thailand to give her that contains rice vinegar and lime juice instead of tamarind and no dried shrimp.  Yay!

This is an easy recipe to make but as with any stir fried dish, you should do the chopping before you start to cook because the cooking goes fast.

You might notice the recipe calls for cooking the rice noodles less than the original package may state; that's because you finish cooking the noodles with the other ingredients and the sauce.  You want to let them soak in hot water until flexible but still very firm.

As I mentioned, the protein can be chicken, shrimp, and combination of the two, or firm tofu if you want to go vegetarian.  We've been having a lot of shrimp recipes lately (the big Costco bag o'shrimp) so I decided to go with just chicken.  Regarding the spice level, I would call the recipe medium-spicy as written.  By "medium-spicy" I mean you'll notice the spiciness but it's not really hot.  Your lips will be tingling a little by the time you're done but you won't have to stop eating because of the spiciness.  If in doubt, start with a lesser amount of jalapeno and have more available at the table for people to add to their tastes.

The recipe also calls for white pepper, which is common in Asian cuisine.  I just happened to have some on hand but I wouldn't recommend going out and buying it just for the 1/8 teaspoon the recipe needs.  It has a slightly different flavor than black pepper but you'll never notice it in that small amount.

One last thought - don't worry if you don't have a wok, this recipe works just fine in a large skillet.

printable recipe

Pad Thai

Serves 2-3

Note:  As written, this recipe is moderately spicy.  You can adjust the spiciness by increasing or decreasing the amount of jalapeno you use.

6 ounces Pad Thai rice noodles

1 boneless skinless chicken breast and/or 10-12 medium shelled and deveined shrimp

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 fresh red or green jalapeno, finely sliced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

4 green onions, sliced (white parts separated from green)

1 egg

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lime wedges for serving

2 grated radishes, optional garnish

Pad Thai Sauce:

1/3 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces; toss with 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Combine sauce ingredients together in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add rice noodles.  Cover and allow the noodles to soak approximately 8 minutes until flexible but still firm and undercooked.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the garlic, jalapeno, ginger, and the white parts of the green onion (reserve the green tops for later).  Stir fry one minute.

Add the marinated chicken and stir fry until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  If using shrimp, cook for approximately 2-3 minutes until they turn pink.

Push ingredients to the side of the pan and crack an egg into the center, then stir fry quickly to scramble.  Add the noodles plus 3-4 tablespoons of the sauce.  Using two utensils, lift and turn the noodles with the other ingredients.  Continue this way, adding more sauce every minute or two, until all the sauce has been added (4-5 minutes).

Fold in the bean sprouts.  Portion out to individual plates and add a lime wedge on the side.  Top with remaining green onions, peanuts, and optional shredded radishes.

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.

printable recipes

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.

Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Last Year's Post: Seafood Cobb Salad

Two Years Ago:  Roasted Stuffed Squash

Football Season
I think sandwiches are one of the great food inventions of all time.  There's just something so visceral about picking your food up with your hands rather than using a knife and fork - I think that's why bar food and appetizers are so popular.  I was at a wedding shower the other day that involved brunch food such as scones, muffins, and fruit.  Even though there were plates and utensils nearly everyone just picked things up with their hands to eat.  America is a nation of casual eaters.

The one danger of sandwiches is that it's easy to get in a rut, even for foodies.  I specifically wanted to make this particular sandwich because kale is not something I would normally put in a sandwich.  Kale and broccoli rabe are very popular ingredients right now, partly because they're very healthy and partly because they go so well with meat in sandwiches or sliders.  Both have slightly bitter flavors that balance meats and cheeses well.  In this particular combination, the slightly garlicky kale balances the smoked turkey and the creamy, blue cheese dressing perfectly.

I always try to mention some options for ingredient substitutions in recipes.  In this case, you could certainly vary the type of bread and the meat, but I would encourage you to stick with the kale and blue cheese dressing because they're perfect together.  You could also substitute leftover roast turkey instead of the thin-sliced deli turkey, which is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

You start by mixing the blue cheese dressing. You could also use a good quality bottled blue cheese dressing if you don't feel like making it from scratch.

Then you stem, chop and saute the kale until it's nice and tender.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the dressing on all the bread slices and top half the slices with kale, turkey, and more kale before placing the tops on the sandwiches.

 You could choose to finish the sandwiches in a skillet, in a panini press, or not toasted at all.  This is the kind of pub food that would be great with a cold beer, a crisp dill pickle, and a great football game on TV.

printable recipe
Smoked Turkey, Kale and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Serves 4

 Note: High-quality blue cheese salad dressing may be substituted for the first three ingredients.

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2-3 T milk

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chicken stock

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounces fresh kale, stems and inner ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

8 slices country white or sourdough bread

12 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Mash the blue cheese and mayonnaise together in a bowl to a coarse puree; season with pepper and thin with milk to desired consistency and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet; add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add the chicken stock and the kale.  Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderate heat until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.  Remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about three minutes longer.  Let cool slightly.

To assemble the sandwiches:  place bread on work surface.  Divide cheese mixture between bread slices, spreading evenly.  Top four slices with half the kale, all of the turkey, and the remaining kale.  Top with the remaining bread slices, cheese side down. 

Melt one tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Spread the other tablespoon of butter over the tops of the sandwiches.  Place sandwiches in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook the other side until golden.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Last Year's Post: Char Siu Chicken with Chinese Long Beans

I realize it's nearly the end of summer, but it's still hot and it feels like the middle of summer so why not keep the summer theme going?  It's way too early to switch to heavier fall foods anyway.  In that spirit, I was motivated to make a Watermelon Gazpacho after a recent trip to Washington State with our Gourmet Club buddies.  At one dinner, half of the 6 people ordered watermelon gazpacho as a starter.  To a person, their first reaction was "whoa!" after one spoonful because it was quite spicy which had not been mentioned on the menu (sneaky chef trick).  Everyone really liked it, especially The Lawyer, so one of my first projects after coming home was to replicate the soup.

I initially thought this recipe looked really fast and easy because how hard can it be to cut up a few things and throw them in a blender?  The reality turned out to be slightly different.  First I had to figure out how to cut up a whole watermelon.  I finally decided to cut it in half, cut each half into slices, cut the rind off each slice, and then cut the flesh into cubes.  I discovered that a smallish watermelon is more than adequate to make 8 cups of watermelon cubes.

The second issue was that I decided to use my blender (instead of a food processor) and it took four different batches to get all the ingredients pureed.  Again not a big deal, but I hadn't really thought that part through.  I would suggest using whatever appliance you have with the largest capacity, but don't fill it completely full or it won't work properly.

The final decision requiring extra time was that I decided to strain the soup to make it clear and pretty like the restaurant version.  You certainly don't have to do this - you'll actually have more soup if you leave the pureed flesh in - but I was going for pretty.  In addition, I wanted to illustrate the idea that if you strain the soup you can actually use it as a very tasty cocktail with the addition of a little vodka.  To strain it, you pour it through a fine mesh strainer and push on the pulp with a spatula or spoon to work it through faster.  Again, I used a fairly small strainer so this had to be repeated quite a few times to get it all through.

I don't want to make this sound like a really huge deal - it probably took maybe half an hour - but it was hot in the kitchen and I had expected it was going to take maybe 5 minutes. (After re-reading that last part it really sounds like whining.  I'll stop.) It's all about managing expectations.  The good news is that you can prepare it early in the day since it needs to chill before serving.

The gazpacho makes an excellent cold starter for dinner, a great lunch with a sandwich or salad on the side, or a really outstanding and different cocktail as I mentioned. This recipe is not sweet, but if you want to make it sweeter you could add a little honey in addition to or in place of the vinegar.  You can also vary the amount of heat by adding more or less jalapeno, or none at all.  The version we had in the restaurant was somewhat sweet and quite spicy, which was a really interesting combination.  However you adjust the recipe, the watermelon and cucumber combination will be very refreshing.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Watermelon Gazpacho

Serves 4-6

Note: I used one jalapeno without seeds and it had a very low spice level.

8 cups watermelon, seeds removed
1 ½ cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime

Lime slices, for garnish (optional)

Mint for garnish (optional)

  

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor in batches (no more than half full) and puree.  If desired, pour the soup through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids with a spatula or spoon to extract the maximum amount of liquid (again, you’ll need to do this in several batches).  Serve chilled or at room temperature, garnished with lime or mint (optional).

*Add as much jalapeno as you like, depending on your spice preference and the spiciness of your pepper. If you want extra spice, you can also add the seeds, which are more potent than the green flesh of the pepper.

Pinchos Morunos

Last Year's Post: Gazpacho
Two Years Ago:  Pork with Thai Peanut Sauce

Color is Important
I grew up in an era where mothers regarded cooking as a necessity and their primary goal was to get food on the table that their family would eat.  Much of that food was beige.  Presentation and garnish were not concepts most moms thought about.  But times have changed, and cooking is now a conscious choice rather than a necessity since there are so many prepared foods and casual restaurants that are available.  There are many reasons to make the choice to cook - including good health, nutrition, dietary needs, or just plain fun - but as long as you made the effort to cook your food, why not make it look pretty?

Color plays a big part in making food pretty, which is why I chose multi-colored mini-peppers for this dish.  I could have used one big red pepper which would have added some color, but the multi-colored peppers are even better.

I've posted recipes in the past that were relatively colorless (Italian Sausage and Wild Mushroom Risotto ) because they are just that good, but it's a lot more impressive when they have all kinds of vibrant colors ( Seafood Cobb Salad ).  In particular, meat tends to be fairly brown so think about livening it up with a colorful sauce, relish, or accompanying vegetables.  Even a fresh parsley garnish on top of soup or rice helps to add color.  I once read about a chef who said he garnishes every meal he makes even if it's just for himself alone, because he felt it made that much difference to the overall eating experience.

Pinchos Morunos is Spanish in origin and is commonly found in tapas bars.  This particular recipe version converts it into a main dish by adding onion and peppers, but the pork by itself on small skewers would be a classic addition to a tapas party served with just a drizzle of lemon olive oil.  What makes it Spanish is the combination of spices on the pork, in particular the saffron.  I love the distinctive taste of saffron.  The pork is spiced but not very spicy in terms of heat, and it's what makes this dish special.  The spice mix colors the pork as it marinates before grilling.

I decided to halve the small peppers so they would fit better on the skewers plus it made them easier to seed, but I decided to leave the stems on for presentation and color.

I think I've mentioned somewhere previously that it's a good idea to separate your meats and vegetables on different skewers because they have different cook times.  If you alternate everything on each skewer your cook times become a compromise between ingredients, although for some reason that's the way skewers are most often shown.  In this case the meat was going to cook faster than the vegetables but the peppers and onions needed about the same amount of time.

One last note - although the recipe calls for marinating the meat for a few hours, it's very flexible.  I've grilled it without any marinating time at all, or you could let it marinate overnight so don't let that stop you from using this as a weeknight meal.  Served with rice or couscous, it's a fast, delicious and very healthy meal.

printable recipe

Pinchos Morunos

Serves 4

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (1 pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1” cubes

1 red onion, cut into 6 wedges

8 multi-colored mini-peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

8 (12”) wooden skewers

Cooking spray

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a zip top bag and toss to distribute spices.  Add the pork tenderloin cubes and toss to coat evenly.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Soak skewers in a water for 30 minutes prior to grilling to prevent burning.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking over medium heat. 

Separate each onion wedge into two pieces.  Thread meat pieces on four skewers; alternate onion and pepper pieces on the other four.

Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes per side for the meat, and 6 minutes per side for the vegetables, flipping once.

Ravioli with Peas, Bacon and Lemon Oil

Last Year's Post: Summer Pasta Salad with Fresh Tuna

Pet peeve #352:  thick-cut bacon.  Why all of a sudden is thick-cut bacon the hot trend?  You can hardly find regular bacon any more.  I was watching TV the other day and no less than celebrity chef Ina Garten was gushing about her thick-cut bacon adding a nice chew to her salad.  I don't know about you, but any time "chewy" and "meat" are in the same sentence I don't think that's a good thing.  I can't think of a single meat where "chewy" is the desired texture, particularly bacon. To add insult to injury, we were having breakfast at a new restaurant this weekend and the server asked me if I wanted my bacon crispy.  Yay, someone gets it!   In retrospect I should have known that if they have to ask, something is wrong.   I received a slab of bacon that was at least 1/2" thick and fried until it should no longer be called bacon.  Pork jerky or shoe leather would better describe the looks and taste.  After one or two bites I quit because I was afraid I was going to crack a tooth.  Moral of the story - bacon should thin and crisp, period.  OK, end of rant.  I feel better now.

Anyway, I like to try recipes that contain either an ingredient or a technique that's new to me, partly to expand my horizons but mostly just because I have an incurable curiosity streak.  This recipe contains a new ingredient that also involves a new technique:  lemon-infused olive oil.  While it's true that you can buy any number of olive oils infused with various flavors, there are several compelling reasons to make your own.  First, it will be much fresher.  Second, you can customize it to your taste.  And third, infused oils are very expensive to buy.  A bottle of infused oil will probably run somewhere around $10 if it's decent quality.  Using my Costco extra-virgin olive oil and one lemon, I made a cup of lemon oil for slightly over $1.  Not bad.

One thing you need to know is that you should start one day in advance because the oil needs to steep for 24 hours.  The other thing you should know is that it's important to remove the rinds after 24 hours and store the oil in your refrigerator for food safety reasons.  I once made a big batch of garlic oil and stored it in my pantry, only to read several weeks later that botulism can develop under those conditions.  I was sad to throw the entire batch out but happy that I hadn't tried it in the meantime.

The infused oil is very easy to make.  Remove the outer rind (no pith) of a lemon with a vegetable peeler,  then warm the olive oil and rind over low heat for ten minutes.  Cool and place the rind and oil in a clean glass covered container in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  Remove and strain out the rinds, then place the oil back in the container.  Kept refrigerated, the oil will keep for up to a month.

The lemon oil serves as the sauce for this easy and quick pasta dish.  You might not normally associate crunch with pasta, but there is definitely a crunch factor here from the (crisp!) bacon and the toasted pepitas.  If you can't find pepitas, toasted chopped walnuts would be equally good.

You'll have lemon oil left over after you make this dish, so here are some ideas for how to use it.

• Drizzled over cooked vegetables
• Salad dressings
• Over any cooked or grilled fish
• As a dipping sauce for bread (add any fresh or dried herbs you like)
• Drizzled on top of hummus 
• In cold pasta salads

This dish is very light and fresh-tasting and comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta (assuming you made the lemon oil in advance), so it makes a great weeknight meal.

printable recipe

Ravioli with Peas, Bacon and Lemon Oil

Serves 2-3

3 slices of bacon

1 9 ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

1/3 cup daikon sprouts (or other sprouts or micro-greens)

Lemon-infused olive oil (see recipe below)

¼ cup roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Chop the bacon into ½” wide pieces and fry in a skillet until golden and crisp.  Remove to paper towels to drain. 

Cook ravioli according to directions.  While the ravioli is cooking, cook the peas according to directions.

When the ravioli is done, drain in a colander and transfer to a medium bowl.  Toss with a tablespoon or two of lemon oil, then transfer to individual bowls. Top with peas, bacon, sprouts, and pepitas. Drizzle with a little additional lemon oil, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon-Infused Olive Oil

1 lemon

1 cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil

Scrub the lemon well under running water and dry thoroughly.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outer skin only (no white pith) of the lemon.  Place the lemon peel and olive oil in a small saucepan and heat slowly over low heat for 10 minutes, until the peel begins to sizzle.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Transfer the olive oil and lemon peel to a clean glass container and cover tightly.  Refrigerate for 24 hours.  After 24 hours, strain out the lemon peel and return the lemon oil to the jar.  Refrigerate for up to a month.  When ready to use, remove the amount needed from the jar and allow to come to room temperature before using.

Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad

Last Year's Post: The Best Salsa Ever
Two Years Ago:  Roasted Tomatoes (Preserving)

Ahhh, summer corn season.  Fresh corn is only available for a few short weeks, so we tend to eat it as often as possible in every way possible.  This salad is a great way to enjoy fresh corn in a light, healthy and delicious summer salad that also includes tender grilled shrimp, grilled red pepper and creamy avocado.  Add a glass of chilled dry rose wine and you have the perfect summer dinner.

Our luxury in the Midwest is that we can buy corn at the local farm stand that had been picked just that morning, so it's unbelievably fresh.  The very first corn of the season is always the best - the most tender and sweet, with tiny kernels.  People wait all year for that corn and then just devour it.

When I was growing up, we always had fresh corn one way only - shucked, boiled and served with butter and salt.  I am perfectly happy with that method to this day, but have learned the joys of grilled corn as well. There are two ways to grill corn, and they result in distinctly different tastes, textures and appearance.  The first is to leave the husk on and soak the corn in water for an hour or so, then grill over medium-high heat for eight minutes, turning on all sides.  After grilling the husk and corn silk very easily come off all at the same time and the corn is very tender because it basically steams in its husk.  The husk and silk give it a slightly different taste than boiling that I would almost call grassy (in a good way).  The second way is to shuck the corn first, then grill it directly over the same medium-high heat for the same eight minutes (two minutes per side) until browned and tender.  This method give the corn more of a grilled flavor and fire-roasted appearance.  Grill the pepper at the same time and let it get some of that same fire-roasted look - it greatly adds to the flavor and visual appeal of the salad.

I tend to using the husk-on method of grilling corn if we plan to eat it directly from the whole cob, and the naked grilling method if I plan to cut the kernels off to use in other dishes because they're so pretty.  Here's a tip that I learned a few years ago regarding how to cut the kernels off a cob of corn without having them fly all over the place - stand the cob upright in a shallow bowl (make sure the bottom of the cob is relatively flat) and as you cut them, the kernels fall neatly into the bowl.

Here's another tip regarding grilling shrimp - thread them on two parallel skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes so they don't burn up) and they won't spin around when you turn them.

The smoky grilled shrimp, corn and red pepper are complemented by a light vinaigrette and the cool, creamy avocado for an irresistible, healthy, fast and easy meal.  What more could you ask for a perfect summer dinner?

printable recipe

Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad

Serves 4

About 12 bamboo skewers

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded

1 pound medium peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed if frozen (31-40 per pound)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

½ large shallot, minced

¼ cup parsley, chopped

Red leaf lettuce for garnish

1 lemon cut in quarters, plus the juice of half a lemon

1 avocado

Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.  Prepare a grill for medium-high heat.  Holding 2 skewers parallel and slightly apart, thread shrimp onto both skewers at the same time (this makes them easier to turn on the grill).

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and shallot and set aside. Cut the avocado into slices and toss with the juice of half a lemon to prevent browning.

Cut the red pepper into quarters.  Lightly brush the shrimp, corn and red pepper pieces with olive oil on all sides.  Grill the corn directly over the heat for 2 minutes per side, until browned and tender.  Grill the red pepper 2 minutes per side, until softened somewhat and browned on the edges.  Grill the shrimp for 90 seconds per side.

Cut the kernels from the cobs and place into a large bowl.  Chop the red pepper into ½” pieces and add to the bowl.  Add the shrimp, parsley, vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Arrange lettuce leaves on plates and top with the corn mixture.  Place several avocado slices on the side and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over the salad.