March 7: Sirloin Burgers with Gorgonzola Cheese and Mediterranean Slaw

DRESSING
1 garlic clove, popped from its skin
4 ounces feta cheese crumbles or 1/2 cup full-fat yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
   Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons sugar

SALAD
3 heads of radicchio, shredded
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
   Coarse salt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

BURGERS
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1/2 small yellow or white onion
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
   EVOO, for drizzling
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, aged 6 years or more
8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese
4 crusty sesame seed rolls, split
2 cups arugula or watercress leaves, stripped from stems

In a food processor, combine the 5 ingredients for the dressing with a splash of water and process until smooth.

In a bowl, combine the radicchio, red onions, and dill. Coat the salad with the dressing and taste, adding salt if necessary. Top the slaw with the poppy and sesame seeds. Set aside while you prepare the burgers.

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the sirloin in a bowl and hold a hand grater over the bowl. Grate the onion over the meat. Add the salt, pepper, and sage to the bowl.

Drizzle the EVOO over the meat and mix gently. Do not overmix the meat or the burgers will be tough.

Pile the burger mix together in a flattened mound. Score the mound with the side of your hand into 4 equal quadrants so your patties will be uniform in size. Form 4 patties about 1 inch thick. Add the burgers to the pan and cook for 5 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on the flip side.

Add the vinegar to the skillet and turn the burgers as it cooks off, about 1 minute.

Turn off the heat and pile one quarter of the Gorgonzola cheese onto each burger. Tent the pan with foil and let the burgers stand for 4 to 5 minutes to melt the soft cheese and continue cooking the burgers with carryover heat. This will give you a medium cooked burger, still pink at the center. Add 2 minutes to the initial cook time for medium well to well done.

Place the burgers on the bottoms of the split buns and top with the arugula. Set the bun tops in the skillet to soak up any pan drippings, then set them in place atop the burgers. Serve with the slaw.

4 SERVINGS

This burger is so good. I just love Gorgonzola cheese. And the slaw is good too. I actually used cabbage instead of radicchio, because I hate radicchio and so does my husband. It turned out great. I think it's because of the cheese and sugar :) A spoonful of sugar makes everything better!

I skipped the variation of the Chili I made yesterday to mix it up a little. I will be making it (Chipotle Chicken Chili Mac) tomorrow.

March 6: Uptown Down-Home Chili

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 pound baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 pound shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped, with their juices, or 2 tablespoons ground chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bottle imported beer, such as Stella Artois
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock or broth
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
   8-ounce piece of smoked Gouda, shredded
1 small white onion, finely chopped

Heat a deep, large skillet or a pot over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO and the meat. Season it with the grill seasoning and sear it, browning and crumbling it, for 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the meat to a plate and return the pot to the stove.

Reduce the heat to medium high and add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO. Add the mushrooms and begin to brown them before adding the other veggies. After 2 or 3 minutes the mushrooms will begin to shrink and soften.

Push the mushrooms off to one side of the pot and add the onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic to the opposite side of the pot.

Once they have been working for a few minutes, mix the veggies with the mushrooms.

Return the meat to the pan, and season with the Worcestershire sauce, chipotle, and cumin.

Add the beer to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the pan drippings. Reduce the beer by half, 2 minutes. Add the black beans, tomatoes, stock, and thyme to the chili and simmer for 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.

Taste to adjust the seasonings. Top bowlfuls of the chili with shredded smoked Gouda and finely chopped raw onions.

4 SERVINGS

I like this chili. It's not too beany. I have made it several times before. I don't change much, I just use dried thyme instead of fresh. I used chicken stock instead of beef because I couldn't find beef stock in a can. I used the chipotle peppers in adobo. It was pretty hot for me, so we added some sour cream. I chopped the veggies up really fine for my husband's sake. That's all. This is probably my favorite chili ever.

March 5: Whole Fish with Ginger and Scallions

Coarse salt
1 cup short-grain white rice
2 whole cleaned fish such as red snapper or small sea bass, each 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 bunch of scallions, cut into 3-inch pieces then thinly shredded into thin sticks
1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari (dark aged soy sauce)

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and the rice. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Place a steamer rack in a wok over a few inches of water. To make your own steamer, place a few inches of water in a deep skillet. Set a small bowl, inverted, into the water and use it as a pedestal. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Clean the fish under running water, making sure the inside cavity is completely clean. Cut off any fins left on the fish. Score the skin with a sharp knife, making 3 or 4 cuts into the skin along the side of the fish. Pat the fish dry inside and out and place half of the ginger in the cavity of each fish.

Arrange the 2 fish on a plate and set the plate on the steamer rack or on top of the inverted bowl. Cover the pan and steam the fish until opaque and white, about 10 to 12 minutes for 2 whole fish, 8 to 10 for 1 fish. The ginger flavor will permeate the fish as it cooks. Remove the fish to a heat-proof platter.

Heat the oil in a small pot until it smokes.

Top the cooked fish with piles of shredded scallions. Pour a few tablespoons of tamari over the fish and scallions, then carefully drizzle on the hot oil. It will crackle and sizzle as it hits the scallions and the skin of the fish.

Carefully lift the fish off of the bones and serve the meat with the white rice.

4 SERVINGS

I have made this recipe several times before and I usually use tilapia or whatever they have frozen at Walmart. I ordered a Red Snapper from the grocery store, and when I went to pick it up today, they said it never came in. So they gave me these fillets for half price. The tilapia is very delicate and flaky and very mild, whereas this red snapper was much more meaty and flavorful. I really liked it (even though it's funner to make it with the whole fish :). Pouring the hot oil on the fish is a lot of fun too. Everyone gathers around to hear it crackle and sizzle. Overall, this is a simple dinner to make with simple flavors and very few ingredients, but with optimal results. It's delicious!

March 4: Balsamic Glazed Swordfish with Capers and Grape Tomato-Arugula Rice

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 minced garlic cloves
1 6-ounce box rice pilaf mix, such as Near East brand
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 1-inch-thick Swordfish Steaks
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, red or yellow, halved
2 cups trimmed and chopped arugula
15 to 20 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn

In a medium pot over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute, then add 1 3/4 cups water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and flavor packet to the water. Stir to combine, reduce the heat, and cook for 18 minutes, covered.

While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for the swordfish. Add 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook the steaks for 4 minutes on each side.

Transfer the swordfish to a platter and cover with foil. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO and the onions, thyme, rosemary, and garlic, then saute for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and chicken stock. Cook until the liquids have reduced by half.

While the glaze is reducing, finish the rice pilaf. Add the tomatoes, arugula, and basil to the cooked rice, stirring with a fork to fluff the rice and combine the greens and tomatoes at the same time.

Once the balsamic glaze has reduced by half, turn off the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter, capers, and parsley.

Stir and shake the pan until the butter melts. Add the steaks to the pan and coat them in the balsamic glaze.

Serve the glazed swordfish steaks alongside the tomato-arugula-basil rice pilaf.

4 SERVINGS

I did not make this swordfish today. It's Friday night and I'm not supposed to have swordfish, being pregnant and all, so we were going to go out for pizza. That didn't work out, so I just took the night off from cooking and had some toast and leftovers.

I have made this before. It was a while ago, so I don't remember it exactly. The note I wrote in the cook book was "kind of bland." So, besides being outrageously expensive, that's another reason I'm glad I didn't make it. I suggest the cookbook should have for this date: Go Out For Pizza! But, hey, if you're a big swordfish fan and you're not pregnant, try this one!

March 3: Lion's Head (Pork Meatballs and Napa Cabbage)

   Coarse salt
1 cup short-grain white rice
   Vegetable oil, for drizzling and frying
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 pounds ground pork
1/3 cup tamari (dark aged soy sauce), plus more for serving
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 medium to large head of Napa cabbage, cut into large dice

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and the rice. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Set aside.

Drizzle some oil in a small nonstick skillet preheated to medium-high heat, then cook the mushrooms and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with a little salt. Remove from the pan and cool for 5 minutes.

Pour 2 inches of the oil in the bottom of a large wok or wok-shaped skillet and heat over high heat.

Place the pork in a bowl. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Add the tamari, the egg, a few spoonfuls of the cornstarch, and the pepper. Use a pair of chopsticks to mix the meat, stirring only in one direction until combined. The mixture will be wet.

Place all but one tablespoon of the remaining cornstarch on a plate. Form 10 to 12 large, soft meatballs and dust them lightly but evenly in the cornstarch.

When the oil smokes, add the balls and flash-fry them for 2 minutes on each side, or until deep golden in color. Drain the balls on paper towels.

In a deep pot heat the chicken stock to a bubble. Add half of the cabbage, then layer in all of the balls and the remaining cabbage. The pot should be filled to the top. Place a lid on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. The cabbage will cook down and add to the broth.

Remove a ladleful of broth to a small bowl and dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in it, then return it to the pot. Simmer with the lid off for a minute or two to thicken the broth.

Serve with the rice and extra tamari.

4 SERVINGS

This is one of Rachael Ray's MYOTO meals (make your own take out), and it's pretty good. She says: "The wonderful actress Ming Na taught me this recipe. It was handed down to her from her parents, who owned a successful Chinese restaurant for twenty-five years. It's not fair! Ming Na is gorgeous and talented and she can cook, too! But, we can console ourselves with these Chinese meatballs. The chopped cabbage is served in a pile, the meatballs in the middle: a head surrounded by a mane...a lion's head. Ming uses mushroom-flavored thick soy sauce, I cannot find that product where I live, so I use finely chopped shiitakes and aged soy sauce."

I think it's supposed to be 2 1/2 to 3 meatballs per serving, but I could only eat 1. They're pretty big. I didn't have my wok to cook this, so I used my soup pot for the meatballs. It worked out just fine. Everything else, I did just as the recipe said. I was sort of afraid to make this recipe because last time I made it (about 4 years ago) the oil caught fire, and I almost burned down the house! You just have to keep an eye on it and put the meatballs in as soon as it starts to smoke.

March 2: Balsamic-Glazed Chicken with Smoked Mozzarella and Garlic Rice Pilaf

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

2 minced garlic cloves

1 6-ounce box rice pilaf mix, such as Near East brand

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

   Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup chicken stock or broth

15 to 20 fresh basil leaves, 8 left whole, the rest shredded or torn

2 vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced

8 thin slices fresh smoked mozzarella, cut from a 1-pound ball

In a medium pot over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and sauté the minced garlic for a minute or so. Add 1 ¾ cups water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and flavor packet to the water. Stir to combine, reduce the heat, and cook for 18 minutes, covered.

While the rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for the chicken. Add 2 tablespoons or the EVOO. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover with foil. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO and the onions, thyme, rosemary and garlic, then sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the balsamic vinegar, honey, and chicken stock. Cook until the liquids have reduced by half.

While the glaze is reducing, finish the rice pilaf. Add the shredded basil to the cooked rice, stirring with a fork to fluff the rice and combine the basil at the same time.

Once the balsamic glaze has reduced by half, turn off the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter. Stir and shake the pan until the butter melts.

Add the chicken breasts to the pan and coat them in the balsamic glaze. Top each breast with alternating layers of tomato, whole basil, and smoked mozzarella, using 2 slices of each per breast. Drizzle the EVOO over the tomato, basil, and cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Serve the chicken alongside the garlic rice pilaf.

4 SERVINGS

I am about 5 weeks pregnant, so my appetite has not been the best lately. Chicken is starting to tire me. This is a very good meal, but I would have been content to just eat the cheese and tomatoes without the chicken. I gave my husband part of it. If you're wondering, I couldn't find a ball of smoked mozzarella, so I had to use smoked string cheese :) It still tasted good, and I liked the smoky flavor. I didn't change much about this recipe, just the fresh thyme to dried. I used rice-a-roni and it was good. This is the first variation of the Balsamic-glazed pork chops. The next one is swordfish for Friday night. I won't be making it because swordfish is too expensive high in mercury. We'll be having pizza!

March 1: Chicken in a Horseradish Pan Sauce over Orange and Herb Couscous

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 1/2 cups plain couscous
   Zest of 1 navel orange
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup half-and-half

Preheat a large nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side.

While the chicken is cooking, in a sauce pot combine 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and the remaining EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Cover the pot and raise the heat; bring the stock to a boil.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the couscous, orange zest, and parsley, then stir. Cover and let the couscous stand for 5 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Return the skillet to the heat and add the onions, horseradish, and thyme.

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the mustard, about 3/4 cup of the remaining chicken stock, and the half-and-half.

Bring up to a simmer, and simmer until the liquids have reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet to heat, about 1 minute.

Fluff the cooked couscous with a fork. Divide the couscous among 4 dinner plates, then top each portion with a chicken breast and some of the horseradish pan sauce.

4 SERVINGS

This was definitely an easy recipe to make and didn't take a lot of time. I think I did something wrong, though, because it didn't taste right. It was very bitter. I think maybe I didn't cook the onions long enough. I accidentally pureed them in the food processor instead of chopping them, so I always think that should affect the cooking time. I'm sure I just didn't cook them long enough. We really didn't like this recipe very much. And I'm not sure how well horseradish goes with orange and herb flavors. Normally I really like horseradish, so if you do, try this but make sure you follow the recipe really well.

Here are some things I did differently. I have been cutting the chicken breasts in half for every chicken breast recipe so that we won't have to eat so much meat, it will not take as long to cook, and we can save money. Win win win. I pretty much always change the recipe to call for 1 teaspoon dried thyme when it calls for 1 tablespoon fresh thyme. I ran out of couscous because of Sunday's recipe, but I still had a lot of toasted almond couscous left over. So I made 1 serving of the orange and herb couscous for me, and I gave my husband and the girls the leftover almond couscous. It was fine for them. That's all I did. I'm pretty disappointed because I was really looking forward to this recipe.