Orzo Salad

Shown Here with Pan Roasted Halibut

This simple recipe is a true stunner.  Another winner from  This is a Cookbook - Recipes for Real Life, by Max and Eli Sussman.  Tastes amazing freshly served, but even better once it's had a day in the fridge for the flavors to combine.  Perfect for a Spring picnic or as a healthy side to keep around the house weekly lunches.

Ingredients:
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz / 33g) dried orzo*

For the Vinaigrette
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 english cucumber, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup kalmata olives, pitted
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup
extra virgin olive oil

*In a pinch, if you can't find orzo, the chef recommends penne or couscous as a substitute.  Salad tastes even better the next day after the flavors can combine in the fridge!

Directions:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the orzo and cook until al dente, according to package directions.  Drain thoroughly and set aside.

To make the vinaigrette, put the parsley in a blender.  With the machine running, slowly drizzle the 3 Tbsp olive oil through and a smooth puree forms, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the jar as needed.  Just before mixing with the pasta, add the 2 Tbsp lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and process until emulsified.

Put the orzo in a large serving bowl.  Add the vinaigrette and toss until well coated.  Add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, lemon juice, and the 1/2 cup olive oil and toss gently to mix well.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve right away.

Chicken Adobo

So tender the skin literally falls off of the bone

This recipe comes from an AWESOME new cookbook that Mike got me for Christmas: This is a Cookbook - Recipes for Real Life, by Max and Eli Sussman.  See the Note from the Chef below for more insight where this recipe comes from.  Beware of bringing leftovers to work - the soy sauce and vinegar flavor are a little intense to the unlucky person sitting next to you who doesn't get to enjoy the amazing flavor.

Note from the Chef:

This dish is adapted from an original family recipe of a close friend in Los Angeles who was a partner in a Filipino Food Truck.  The truck tore through the streets introducing hungry Angelenos to the mad tasty flavors of Filipino fare.  The food received rave reviews.  Now you can cook a painfully easy version of a favorite dish at home.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2lb total weight)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup tamari soy sauce

6 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

Steamed white rice for serving (I like the Trader Joe's microwavable sprouted brown rice)

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy bottomed saute pan with a tight-fitting lid, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute just until lightly browned, about 1 minute.  Add the vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, and bay leaves.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

To serve, spoon a bed of steamed rice onto each plate.  Arrange the chicken on top of each, dividing it evenly.   Pour the pan sauce over the chicken and serve right away.

Serves 2

This paired nicely with a Kale Salad, served with an Apple Cider vinegar dressing

Dried-Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

Perfect, simple, Valentine's Day treat.

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart, and for shortbread fans it's a big win.  I love dry, crumbly shortbread (especially being pregnant, when anything with butter has double appeal!)  Dried cranberries are super versitle; use the leftovers to top a salad.  I made one tweak to Martha's version, which was to add mouth-watering, dark chocolate chunks.  Once you've cut out all your hearts, you'll be left with a lot of odd shaped pieces.  These store great in a zip lock bag for secret snacking. 

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries (I substituted w/ 1/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with rack in center.  Put butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy.  Stir in dried cranberries.

Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan.  Bake until firm and pale golden, about 30 minutes.  Let cool on a wire rack, about 20 minutes.

Run a knife around edges; remove shortbread and transfer, right side up, to a work surface.  Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.  Trim away any bits of cranberry from edges with a pairing knife.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.  Pack'em'up tight and share with someone you love.

Wild Cod en Persillade

Shown here with Cauliflower Steaks in Cauliflower Puree

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks - Ad Hoc at Home.  It's pretty simple to prepare, with only 4 ingredients (plus salt, pepper and cooking oil).  Flip the fish gently with a spatula (not tongs), to avoid flaking off the breading.  Quick, easy, healthy and really flavorful!

Ingredients:
One 2-pound piece skinless cod top loin
1/2 cup Dried Bread Crumbs (store bought, or make your own)
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
About 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Kosher Salt
Canola Oil
Fleur de Sel

Note from Thomas  Keller:
Ask your fishmonger for cod cut from the top loin, the best part (you may need to order in advance).  This is the thickest and densest part of the fish.  You could also use another white flaky fish, such as halibut, for this simple dish.  A persillade is a combination of chopped parsley and bread crumbs, here held to the fish by a thin coating of mustard.  The fish is sauteed to brown the crust, then finished in the oven.

Directions:
Remove the cod from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Check the cod to be sure that all bones were removed.  Cut crosswise into 6 pieces.  Combine the bread crumbs and parsley in a shallow bowl.  Put the mustard in a small bowl and fill a second small bowl with cold water.

Season the cod fillets on both sides with Kosher salt.  Dip a brush into the water and then into the mustard (this small amount of water will thin the mustard slightly, making it easy to brush only a thin coating on the fish).  Brush the top of each fillet with a light coating of mustard, then dip the mustard side of the fish into the bread crumb mixture to make an even coating; shake the bowl of crumbs slightly before coating each piece so that the crumbs are in an even layer.

Pour some canola oil into an ovenproof frying pan that will hold the pieces of cod without them touching and heat  over medium-high heat until the oil just begins to smoke.  Lower the heat to medium, put the fish crumb side down in the pan, and cook until the crust is golden brown, about 1 minute.

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the fish just begins to flake when prodded with a fork, 8 to 9 minutes.

Arrange the fish on a platter, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve.

Serves 6

Frozen Mudslide Pies

Better than any Kona or Mudslide Pie I've every had!

This recipe comes from an AWESOME cookbook I recieved for my birthday, Desserts in Jars (thank you, Scott and Brigitte!!)  

Note on jars:
For this particular recipe you will want a shorter jar height with a wider mouth opening (at least 3 1/8").  The current jars I have worked okay, but the mouth opening was a bit narrow so it was difficult to pack the crust for the first step.  When we sat down to eat, it was also a little challenging to scoop down to the ganache and crust layers.  Still absolutely delicious!  Better than any Kona or Mudslie Pie I've ever had!!

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (I used crushed Oreos)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Espresso Ganache:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used the Starbucks Via Dark Roast, and needed approx 1/2 the suggested amount)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Filling:

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the Whipped Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Espresso powder, for garnish

Directions:
Make the crust: Mix the cookie crumbs and butter until the crumbs are evenly coated.  Press 2 tablespoons of the crumbs into the bottom of each of the eight 8-ounce jars and set aside.

I used a large, round spoon to push down the crust, because my fingers wouldn't fit

Make the ganache: Break up chocolate pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.  In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until it boils.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces.  Allow to stand for 1 minute and then whisk in the espresso powder and vanilla until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Pour evenly into the jars over the chocolate crust.  Refrigerate the jars until the ganache is firm, about 30 minutes.

Make the chocolate filling: Beat together the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa in a medium-size bowl until stiff peaks form.  Using a pastry bag and tip, preferably, or a zip-top bag with a corner cut off, pipe the filling over the espresso ganache layer.  Cover loosely and freeze for at least 2 hours, until ready to serve.

Make the whipped cream:  Beat together the heavy cream and the confectioners' sugar.  Pipe a small dollop onto the top of each pie and sprinkle with espresso powder. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 individual mudslide pies