Chicken Gyros

I really wish that I had taken pics of this dinner, because it was excellent! Especially since we grilled the chicken, it gave it a little smoky flavor.

It came from one of my favorite blogs to browse - Elly Says Opa. She has a beautiful pic on her blog, that my um...lacking photography skills could never come close to = ) Her recipe for tzatziki was also incredible...seriously, it was so good that I took the leftovers to work the next day with a pita for a snack.

Chicken Gyros
(Source: Elly Says Opa)
Serves 4

1.25 lbs. chicken pieces (I used breast this time, but I also love using thighs, or a combo)
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 batch of tzatziki (recipe below)
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
4 (pocketless) pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Preheat the broiler (or grill, or pan on the stove). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Tzatziki
1 32oz. container of plain yogurt (I used fat free Greek yogurt)
1 hothouse cucumber or 2 regular cucumbers, seeded
3-5 cloves garlic–depending how garlicky you like it, crushed
1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and a little pepper
squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Strain yogurt using a cheesecloth over a bowl for several hours or overnight to get out as much moisture as possible.Peel and seed the cucumber. Shred the cucumbers and then squeeze the life out of them to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice (if desired). Salt to taste. It’s best to refrigerate for 30 minutes or more before serving, so flavors can meld.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I took a really good carrot cake recipe that I've made a couple of times before, and turned it into cupcakes for Easter at my parents house.

A portable and perfectly portioned dessert! My mom - who requested the carrot cake to begin with - froze the left over cupcakes to dole out long after the holiday was over and she and my dad needed a little sweet treat!

Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce

I pulled this recipe off a WW message board. I love peanut sauce, but rarely get the chance to have it...so I figured what the heck. We had this with a side of spicy cucumber salad, barley and veggies.

Chicken Sate with Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup lite coconut milk

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (or 2 additional teaspoons low sodium soy sauce)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast pounded slightly and cut into 1-inch strips

8 (8-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked for 20 minutes

3/4 cup Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce, recipe below

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped toasted peanuts

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, coconut milk, soy sauce, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime zest, and ginger. Add the chicken strips and marinate for 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Spray a nonstick grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high flame. While pan is heating, thread chicken onto skewers. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, until meat is cooked through and has light grill marks.

Serve chicken skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, and garnish with basil or cilantro and chopped peanuts. Yield: 4 servings (2 skewers and 2 tablespoons peanut sauce per serving)

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon red curry paste

1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead of time, and will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Yield: about 1 1/4 cups

Steamed Clams in Wine with Chorizo

As soon as I come across any mussel or clam recipe that looks half-way interesting, it immediately gets book-marked. When I came across this recipe though, it also went straight to Norm as it was right up his culinary alley...so to speak! As recommeded by the blog (Mattbites) that I found it on, be sure to have some good crusty bread to soak up some of the broth!

Steamed Clams in Wine with Chorizo

(Source: Epicurious)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine
2 lb littleneck clams (2 inches wide), scrubbed (We used mussels)
1/4 lb dried Spanish chorizo (spicy cured pork sausage) links, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and salt in oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil.Add clams and chorizo, then boil, covered, until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes. (Discard any clams that are not open after 9 minutes.) Season with pepper and stir in cilantro.

Makes 2 servings.

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Another winner from another food blog Je Mange la Ville. We have salmon quite a bit in our house...and have had it every which way - poached, broiled, baked, roasted, pan-fried - but our favorite is probably grilled. Simply seasoned and grilled to juicy perfection.

So when I came across this recipe, I had to give it a shot. Especially when I saw the romesco-like sauce with it...I knew in an instant it was going to be a good one!

I served this with some sauteed zuke, onion and mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes and a salad. We had some left over sauce, so we used it by putting it over some grilled scallops. Delish!

Grilled Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

(Source: http://www.jemangelaville.com/2009/05/09/grilled-salmon-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce/)

Adapted from Eating Well magazine

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted slightly in a dry pan over medium heat

1 red bell pepper

1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar

1 orange, halved

1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked

1 tsp salt, divided

freshly ground pepper

3/4 - 1 lb wild-caught salmon fillet, cut into 2 portions

Canola or olive oil cooking spray

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Turn the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and core and seed the pepper. Split the pepper in half and press down on the baking sheet to flatten. I usually roast the top too, just remove the stem. Broil until blackened. To peel easily, place the blackened peppers in a zip lock bag, seal and let steam for about 5 minutes. Remove the peppers and you should be able to peel the blackened skin off easily. Do not rinse.

In a food processor or blender, process the almonds, roasted pepper pieces, tomatoes, garlic, oil, vinegar, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the juice of 1/2 your orange. Process. Add more juice if needed to get a smooth, sauce consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Heat up a grill pan over medium high heat (we used our gas grill outside). Remove the fish from the marinade and give it a little salt & pepper. Give the pan a quick spray with canola oil and add your fish. (If you didn’t marinate, add a little extra olive oil to the pan). Grill about 3 - 5 minutes per side, depending on the size and thickness of your fish. Be sure to crisp up the skin side.

When you think the fish is almost done, remove it from the pan, set on a plate, squeeze with a little remaining orange, and cover with foil. It’ll finish cooking on the plate with the carryover heat. To serve, place a little sauce down on each plate and top with a piece of fish. On the side, we had oven roasted potatoes and pan-sauteed asparagus.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sage Sauce

I love dishes with sauces. Seriously...love them. Chances are that given the choice between sauce and no sauce, I would pick sauced and add some extra, just for good measure.

This was another recipe pulled from a fantastic food blog - Simply Recipes. Simple and easy...and it was pretty delicious.

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Sage Sauce
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
8-10 ounces mushrooms, cremini or shitake, thickly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (light cream may curdle, so use heavy cream)
3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pieces pounded to an even 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch thickness
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add shallots and sauté for one minute. Add mushrooms and parsley and sauté for 5-10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have browned. If you are using unsalted butter, sprinkle on a pinch of salt. Add vermouth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits that may be sticking to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream. Bring to a boil and cook the sauce down until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 10 minutes).

While the sauce is reducing, heat olive oil in another large sauté pan on medium high heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the chicken breast cutlets. Add cutlets to pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.

Stir in sage to sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken to serve.

Serves 4.

Cioppino

Where did I put this recipe? Who knows....hmmmm.....



Buy my oh my this was a tasty dish! Clams, mussels and shrimp in a delicious tomato, veggie and herb-y wine broth. Served up with some fresh bread to sop up all the goodness, a salad, and a crisp white wine.

Yummy!