April 27: Thai Chicken, Pork, or Shrimp with Basil

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast cutlets, cut into thin strips or 6 1/4-inch-thick pork loin chops, cut into thin strips, or 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
   Salt and coarse black pepper
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, quartered, and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into thin matchsticks
1/4 cup tamari
3 tablespoons honey
20 fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed, shredded

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil. It should smoke up a bit. Add the chicken, pork, or shrimp and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper.

Stir-fry for a minute to sear the meat at the edges, then add the ginger, garlic, red bell pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more.

Add the scallions and stir-fry for another minute, then add the tamari and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken. Remove the pan from the heat and add the basil. Toss to wilt and combine.

Cover a platter with shredded lettuce, top with the chicken, pork, or shrimp, and serve.

4 SERVINGS

I had a little less than a pound of shrimp, so I halved this recipe. This is a variation of the Ginger-Soy chicken. RR says: "It's amazing how different the master recipe above tastes with the addition of the peppers and basil. To make it even more different, make one of the swaps below." (That would be swapping pork or shrimp for the chicken.) I used a yellow bell pepper instead of red. My husband and I and our daughters all agree that this would be better with rice instead of lettuce. It's supposed to be "low-carb," but we're not concerned about that, so we can make it with rice next time. This is a very easy recipe to make. It only took about 15 minutes including prep time. I like that about it.

April 26: Peasant Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small ham steak, to be chopped
2 carrots, to be chopped
1 medium onion, to be chopped
1 celery rib with its greens, to be chopped
1 leek, to be cleaned and sliced into half-moons
4 garlic cloves, to be minced
1 large shallot, to be finely chopped
1 small head of cabbage, to be cut into large pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
   Coarse salt
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
   Coarse black pepper
   Crusty bread
1 bottle red Bordeaux wine, for the chef and the last few swallows of soup!

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the soup fixins to the pot as you chop them: ham, carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, and shallots.

Add the cabbage to the pot and sprinkle with the sugar and salt.

Add 2 cups water and cover the pot. Steam the cabbage for 15 minutes. Uncover the pot and add the stock and beans. Crank the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep at a low simmer. Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve with crusty bread, and don't forget to down the last few swallows with your trusty Bordeaux!

4 SERVINGS

This soup has great flavors. It may not be for you if you don't like cabbage, but I really like it. I don't think my DH liked it very much. He didn't want me to have wine in it either, so after a taste of it with the wine, I just ate it plain. It was still good, but not as good. I changed the recipe to say "to be chopped" for the veggies so I wouldn't go ahead and chop everything first; because the recipe says to add it as you chop it.

Rachael Ray says: "The restaurant La Tupina in Bordeaux, France, serves a soup that's slow cooked for four hours. The last few delicious spoonfuls are combined with red wine and swallowed back. These are my kind of people! This is an adaptation my way, minus three hours and thirty minutes. This peasant can't wait!"

April 25: Cacciatore Burgers

   Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling, plus 4 tablespoons
1 package (1 1/3 pounds) ground chicken or ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, 2 cloves chopped, 2 cracked from skins and reserved
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium yellow onion, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
   A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, shredded
   A generous palmful of grated Parmesan cheese
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 portobello mushroom caps, thinly sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and sliced
2 hot red cherry peppers, chopped, plus a splash of the pickling juice
4 slices Provolone cheese, deli sliced
4 crusty rolls, split
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sack (12 ounces) prewashed mixed baby greens
2 tablespoons dried thyme
   Juice of 1 lemon
1 sack of fancy chips, such as olive oil and rosemary flavor or Terra's garlic and onion Yukon Golds

Preheat a large nonstick skillet or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Drizzle some EVOO in a bowl and add to it the chicken, Worcestershire, chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, chopped onions, parsley, basil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Combine to form 4 large patties and add to the hot skillet. Cook for 6 minutes, then flip the burgers. Cook for 5 minutes on the other side.

Heat a second skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Add the mushroom caps with the sliced onions and cubanelle peppers.

Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn the heat off. Add the hot cherry peppers and a splash of their juice.

Place the Provolone over the burgers and turn off the heat in the pan. Tent the pan with foil to melt the cheese with carry-over heat.

Preheat the broiler to high. Toast the crusty rolls until golden.

Melt the butter with the remaining cracked garlic in the microwave or over low heat in a small pan. Brush the garlic butter on the rolls.

Place the cheese-covered patties on the bottoms of the buns. Top with the peppers and onions and replace the top halves of the buns.

Toss the greens with the thyme, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, salt, and pepper.

Serve the greens alongside the cacciatore burgers with your chips of choice.

4 SERVINGS

I changed the fresh thyme to dried and I changed the Parmigiano reggianno to Parmesan. I used peppercorn ranch chips. I also used turkey.

I made this meal Monday night, then DH and I decided to go out to eat. So my sister-in-law, her husband, and my children ate this meal while DH and I went for Mexican. I did save myself a burger and ate it later. It was delicious. The chips were good, but I didn't try the salad. The in-laws liked it so much they ate it all!

April 24: Broccoli Frittata with Goat Cheese and BLT Bread Salad

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 eggs
   A splash of cream or half-and-half
   Zest of 1 lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 4-ounce logs goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet with oven-safe handle over medium to medium-high heat. To the hot pan, add the EVOO, the broccoli florets, thyme, red pepper flakes, the onions, salt, and pepper.

Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the broccoli starts to take on a little brown color and is tender.

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper, the cream, and lemon zest.

To the broccoli mixture in the skillet, add the crumbled goat cheese and the lemon juice.

Follow directly with the seasoned beaten eggs. Lift and settle the eggs in the pan as they brown on the bottom. When the eggs are set but remain uncooked on top, transfer to the oven for 7 or 8 minutes, until the frittata is golden brown and puffy.

Serve the frittata in the hot pan and cut into wedges at the table.

4 SERVINGS

This meal was originally for July 31. I made it on Easter morning to take to the potluck breakfast at church because RR says: "This meal is another B, L, D: good for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner." Everyone seemed to really like the fritatta because it went really well. I really liked it too. I only changed the fresh thyme to dried. I made it without the BLT Bread Salad because I don't think salad would have gone over well at breakfast. I made the salad last time, but I didn't like the soggy bread. Here is the recipe (without the making-the-bread-soggy step):

1/2 pound day-old chewy farm-style bread, cubed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 large red onion, finely chopped
2 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat up a small skillet with about a tablespoon of EVOO. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Once crisp, remove from the pan and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Place the bread in a salad bowl. Add the grape tomatoes, the onions, the reserved crispy bacon, and the romaine lettuce. Dress with the red wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons of EVOO. Season the salad with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

April 23: Ginger-Soy Chicken on Shredded Lettuce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds chicken breast cutlets, cut into thin strips
   Salt and coarse black pepper
   2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths, then cut lengthwise into thin matchsticks
1/4 cup tamari
3 tablespoons honey
1 head of iceberg lettuce, core removed, shredded

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil. It should smoke up a bit. Add the chicken and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Stir-fry for a minute to sear the meat at the edges, then add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the scallions and stir-fry for another minute, then add the tamari and honey to form a sauce and glaze the chicken. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Cover a platter with shredded lettuce, top with the chicken, and serve.

4 SERVINGS

This meal came the night before Easter, when I had to be at church for dress rehearsal for our choir cantata that was the next morning. My DH wanted to spend some time at the beach, leaving me no time to cook the dinner. I was ok with that, because my sister-in-law was there to save the day. She cooked dinner, cleaned up, and bathed the girls for me before I got home to color Easter eggs with them. She did save me a little of the chicken. It was very good (but I didn't eat much because they had pizza for us after the rehearsal. I was stuffed.) I am so thankful to have help.

Here we are coloring the eggs after dinner.

This is one of RR's Make Your Own Takeout meals. She says: "Here's a low-carb-lover's delight! have two servings - it's good for you!" I guess they did, because there weren't any leftovers (except the little bit they saved me).

April 22: Indian Spiced Vegetables

SPICE BLEND
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pinches of ground cinnamon

3 large waxy white potatoes, peeled and diced
   Coarse salt
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup frozen green peas
1 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, your choice
   Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the ingredients for the spice blend and reserve.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Take off the lid and add salt. Boil the potatoes for 6 to 7 minutes, then add the cauliflower to the same pot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, then drain. The potatoes and cauliflower should still be a little undercooked.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, then the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add in the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower and the chick peas and combine.

Stir the reserved spices into the vegetables and cook for a minute or two to develop the flavors. Stir in the stock and turn the vegetables to evenly distribute. The dish will turn a bright yellow. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the peas and turn off the heat. The carry-over heat will warm them through. Taste to adjust the salt in the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce with the almonds, radishes, mint, and parsley or cilantro.

Dress the salad with the lemon juice, a drizzle of vegetable oil, and some salt. Pile the salad on plates, top with the hot vegetables, and serve.

4 SERVINGS

This meal is edible, but we didn't like it that much. We thought it needed some meat maybe... or served over rice without the lettuce salad. Hot veggies on cold salad is a strange combination. The only thing I didn't have was the cumin seeds. I've never seen those before, so I just used ground cumin.

April 21: Asian-Style Cashew Chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onion, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; or boneless, skinless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 cup pea pods, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal in 2-inch lengths
1/3 cup tamari
1/2 cup duck sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, your preference
1 cup raw cashews

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to bring the stock to a rapid boil. Once the stock boils, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the red pepper flakes, then the chicken. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning.

Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, then move off to one side of the pan. Add the remaining onions, the garlic, bell peppers, pea pods, bean sprouts and scallions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the tamari and duck sauce.

Turn off the heat and add the cashews and cilantro or parsley. Serve over the brown rice.

4 SERVINGS

This is a variation of the Park City Cashew chicken. I didn't make this Thursday night like I should have, because it was too late when we got home from the airport and a didn't feel good. So we ordered pizza for my dear daughter's 2nd birthday. I made this recipe for my sister-in-law and her husband on Friday. We all really liked it, but it was very salty. Maybe next time we would add less tamari. I did have the bean sprouts for this recipe, but it took me so long to make it they got too old and we had to throw them away and do without. I changed the cooking time of the rice, since it says to cook it 17 to 18 minutes, but brown rice takes longer to cook.

April 20: Pork Chops with Grainy Mustard and Raisin Sauce

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 1-inch-thick boneless center-cut pork chops
1 tablespoon paprika
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 heaping tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small sauce pot over high heat, combine the chicken stock, wine, and raisins. Bring it to a simmer, then turn off the heat and let it sit. Heating the raisins in the liquids will make them tender and plump.

While the sauce pot with the stock and wine is coming to a simmer, heat a large skillet  over medium-high to high heat with about 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the chops with paprika, salt, and pepper. Place the chops in the skillet and sear the meat on both sides to caramelize, about 2 minutes on each side.

Transfer the chops to a rimmed cookie sheet and place in the oven to finish, 8 to 10 minutes, until the meat is firm to the touch, but not tough. remove from the oven and let the chops rest, covered with a piece of aluminum foil, for a few minutes.

While the chops are in the oven, return their skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.

Add the hot chicken stock, wine, and raisin mixture. Add the grainy mustard and heavy cream.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Finish the grainy mustard and raisin sauce with the parsley.

Serve the sauce over the rested pork chops.

4 SERVINGS

This is a very delicious way to make pork chops. They are moist and tender and the sauce is very flavorful. I just had to change a few things and there were a few problems with the recipe. I changed the size of the pork chops from 1 1/2-inch-thick to 1 inch. I changed the fresh thyme to dried. The problems are that 1) this recipe makes way too much sauce for the amount of meat (but I think it might be good on our Easter ham, so it's ok) and 2) there is no vegetable or side dish. We did have some leftover salad that we can eat, but maybe next time I will include the salad with the ingredient list. Because of the lack of side dish, this meal is very simple to make and takes only about 15 minutes altogether. The last time I made this meal I used whole grain mustard, so I didn't like it as much. This time, I used stone-ground, which made the sauce delicious and perfect. You weren't biting into whole mustard seeds... that can be shocking to your taste buds.

April 19: Park City Cashew Chicken

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large onions, 1/4 finely chopped, 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; or boneless, skinless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo, or 1 1/2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, your preference
1 cup raw cashews

In a medium pot over medium heat, combine 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the stock and cover the pot. Raise the heat to bring the stock to a rapid boil. Once the stock boils, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, 17 to 18 minutes.

While the rice cooks, make the chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, then the chicken. Season the chicken with the grill seasoning.

Lightly brown the chicken on both sides, then move off to one side of the pan. Add the remaining onions, the garlic, and bell peppers.

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then mix the vegetables and meat together and add the chipotles and cumin. Toss to coat. Glaze the mixture with honey and maple syrup and turn off the heat. Add the chopped cilantro or parsley and the nuts.

Top the rice with the cashew chicken and serve.

4 SERVINGS

The flavors in this stir fry are really good. My DH really liked it (he didn't eat the veggies, just the meat, nuts, and chipotles with the rice). RR says, "I was in an Albertson's grocery store in Park City, Utah, and picked up a sack of chipotle-coated raw cashews and started eating them while I was still shopping. WOW - were they ever good! I read the ingredients for the coating and used it to make a Western-style chicken and vegetable stir-fry."

I left out the butter since I ran out and I used Mrs. Butterworths instead of real maple syrup. I can't bring myself to spend $6 on a little jar of it.