Tag Archives: parsley

Grilled Artichokes

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If you’re an East coaster like we are, I’m sure you headed outside last Sunday and stuck your face to the sun to soak up the warmest day we’ve had all year! I didn’t throw on my bathing suit just yet, but I did break out the flip flops and fired up the grill. (And popped open a bottle of Pinot Grigio, of course…).

Grilled veggies are one of my favorite sides, so I took advantage of the beautiful sunny day and grilled some artichokes. If it’s still too cold where you are (I heard Michigan got 8″ of snow last week?! Our condolences…) you can also roast them like we mention in our Eat Your Vegetables post.

  • 2 artichokes, cut in half down the middle
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil (enough for coating the artichokes)
  • 2 tsp of garlic salt or Adobo
  • 1 tsp of  parsley (dried or fresh)

Fill a pot with enough water to cover the artichokes, or use with a steamer. While the water is boiling, drop in the garlic cloves to infuse the artichokes with a bit of the flavor. Boil or steam for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, mix together the olive oil, 1 tsp of the garlic salt and parsley.

When the artichokes are done, coat them well with the olive oil mixture. Place them on a hot grill flat side down and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tsp of garlic salt. Grill each side for 8-10 minutes. They go great with our Sherry Vinegar Hanger Steak or Omega 3.

Grilled artichokes

 

Happy Eating, XO.

Chimichurri Sauce

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So that steak recipe got my red meat taste buds wet with an appetite to add some flair to my boring protein & veggie dinners. I thought of various ways I can jazz up a steak, or another meat dish in a pinch. I thought a sauce or glaze would do the trick. And since we are watching our weight here at damn delish I thought maybe a béchamel isn’t exactly the way to go. And as much as I would heart a yummy compound butter that’s not really helping my get fit before Spain game plan either. So then I had the proverbial foodie light bulb go off and I thought: Chimichurri sauce is divine. Fresh herbs, easy to make (read: no potential to mess it up) I am sold! Let’s see if your convinced on how this will fancy up any boring old meal. Leave comments below on how yours turns out.

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (listen I’m not usually a fan but when its blended aka hidden with the other stuff its not half bad, trust me, I am an ex cilantro hater).
  • 2/3 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (I did 3 because I’m crazy)
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (you know you have some leftover from the steak recipe)
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (won’t add too much heat just a spiked up flavor)

Combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano and garlic in a food processor and pulse until small leaves and pieces remain. Add in the vinegar and pulse once more. With the processor going, stream in the olive oil and mix until just combined. Stir in the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and season additionally if needed. Store sealed in the fridge for up to a week or so.

photo

Happy Eating, XO.

Roasted Potatoes

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Barefoot Contessa, or as some of us know her as, Ina Garten is known for simple and casual entertaining. Recently watching her show, I realized she cooks a lot like me. Or shall I say I cook a lot like her (After all she is the famous one, not me). Anyway, she likes roasting. May it be asparagus, zucchini or potatoes, she is a fan and so am I! So here are her roasted potatoes with my own twist!

  • 2 pounds small red or white potatoes
  • 1/8 cup good olive oil (typical Barefoot Contessa, “good”).
  • 1  teaspoon salt (kosher if you are Ina, as for the rest of us whatever is in your shaker is fine. I used sea salt because I adore the stuff).
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (she says this because its coarser than normal black pepper, but either works)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1  teaspoon onion powder (my addition & so yum!) My other suggestion is to shave some parm cheese over when serving, but I am trying to cut calories and since this is already a carby/starchy side, I restrained.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (this is important, I tried to cook with my dessert at 350 degrees and the potatoes didn’t cook as fast or get that crisped up edge so even if you have to take shifts with the oven make sure you do it at the 400 degrees, raw potatoes need a high temp). Cut the potatoes in half or quarters  (the smaller the pieces the quicker they cook) and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 min to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. (For a change I wasn’t lazy and actually did this, I like mine evenly cooked so I made sure to swing open the oven half way through & toss).

Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley & onion powder, and serve hot. This serves 4 people. The original recipe is actually for 8 people, but I cut it down to serve with the Fig, Mustard & Pear Champagne Glazed Chicken.

Happy Eating, XO.

So Very Quiche-ey

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Ok some real talk. Anyone can scramble an egg. Poaching an egg, I’ll leave to the professionals. So what is a way to prepare an egg easily, but with an impressive twist? Quiche! Also a quiche is a fab vehicle to toss in any vegetables, meat, cheese, etc. that you may need to clean out of your fridge. Some of them even have fancy pants names like “Quiche Lorraine”. Below is my easy & yum quiche recipe.

Use a store bought 9 inch pie shell…no one has time to make that from scratch. Less groceries folks! Note a package usually has two pie sheets in it. See Apple Galette recipe on what to do with the other.

The other ingredients are

  • 5 eggs
  • 1.25 cups of half & half
  • 1 teaspoon dried (or 1 tablespoon fresh) parsley
  • Pinch of salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese and 2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (fontina works well too because it’s a cheese that gets very melty and gooey-those are the technical terms for what it’s known for).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and the half & half. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Then place the shredded cheese at the bottom of the (prebaked for 5 min and cooled) pie shell. Pour egg mixture over the cheese and bake for 15 min. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and leave in the oven for another 40 min. Allow to set for 10 min before serving. To check for done-ness (another technical term obviously) the crust should be golden and the knife you stick in the middle of the quiche should come out clean, not gooey or liquidy (it’s a baking trick that applies here as well).

Note: You can serve as a brunch item with a side of breakfast meat or berries or a frisee salad. So filling and comforting, yet chic.

 

Quiche

Happy eating, XO.

Fancy Pants Chicken Piccata

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I made this recipe one night pretending I was rich, fabulous and eating in a fancy restaurant. I never actually left my kitchen but let me tell you, it tasted like I was eating in a fancy restaurant. I couldn’t believe how simple but flavorful it turned out! BONUS: wine is needed for cooking this dish so pour yourself a glass (or two) while you’re at it.

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, halved and pounded to 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon butter mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (If you don’t have fresh parsley, don’t stress. I only had dried parsley on hand when making this and it came out just fine.)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 bag of salad
  • The lemon vinaigrette dressing from this post
  • Olive oil

Dip both sides of the chicken breasts in to the flour to lightly coat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet and set to medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden (about 3 min. each side). When done, keep in a warm dish off to the side.

Don’t worry about cleaning the pot (no one likes a million dishes to clean when you’re done. Let’s be honest.). Instead, add wine, lemon juice, and broth until it boils. Then add in the butter/flour mixture and cook until it thickens. Add in the capers, parsley, and additional butter and feel free to add in salt or pepper. If it gets too thick, you can add more wine (and don’t forget to pour some more for yourself).

Toss the dressing in with the salad, add the chicken, and pour your sauce from the pan over. I attempted to make it look fancy with a few uncooked capers and sprinkled parsley on top. Now light the candles, turn on some background music and I swear you’ll feel like your eating from a fancy restaurant.

Happy eating, XO.

Chicken Piccata