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Vietnamese Style Chicken

   

This dish has yummy Vietnamese flavors…

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

Marinade

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated

Mix the marinade together and marinate the chicken pieces for at least 2 to 3 hours.

  • 3 tablespons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth

Heat a frying pan with the oil. Add the chicken pieces (reserve the marinade) and brown both sides on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and the flour. Saute the chicken for a minute and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid on for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and bring to a boil and check for seasonings. Serve with vegetable brown rice and sautéed greens.

Kale Corn Avocado Salad with Cilantro Mint Dressing

   

I love the kohlrabi salad blend from Trader Joes! It has perfect crunch and is super healthy. I am grilling steaks outside and making some oven fries- this salad will be a perfect accompaniment.

  • 2 cups kohlrabi salad blend from Trader Joes (or substitute, 1 cup kale, ½ cup shredded cabbage, ½ cup shredded kohlrabi)
  • 1 small avocado, cut into ½ inch dice
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen grilled corn
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Mix all the ingredients and transfer to a salad bowl.

Dressing

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • ¼ cup fresh mint
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Transfer all the ingredients to a blender. Blend till a smooth dressing is formed. Check for seasonings and add to the salad. Mix everything well, check for seasonings and serve.

Shrimp and Scallop Cakes

   

It’s still warm outside and these are perfect for a quick weeknight meal…

  • ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 large scallops, cleaned

Place the shrimp and scallops into a food processor and pulse about 10 times or till the seafood is finely chopped. Take out and transfer to a medium bowl. Keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
  • 4 green onions, whites and greens separated and chopped
  • 1 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Heat a medium skillet with olive oil. Add the pepper, the white part of the green onions and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin, chipotle and salt. Continue to sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let cool completely.

  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, divided in half
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Add the egg, cilantro, green parts of the green onions, salt and half cup of the panko breadcrumbs to the chopped seafood. Add the cooled pepper mixture. Mix well and place in the fridge for an hour.

Divide the mixture into 4 large cakes and dredge with the remaining ½ cup panko breadcrumbs.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick pan and add the cakes. Cook on medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Serve with chili lime sauce.

Chili Lime Sauce

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • Juice of one lime
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients and serve with the cakes.

 

Sausage Mushroom Ragu

   

Another quick, easy and delicious dish for through the week…

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 to 4 links chicken sausage, I used roasted garlic and fontina, casings off and crumbled
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups Cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Salt
  • ½ pound cooked pasta, al dente with ½ cup pasta water spared

Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly till the sausage is golden brown. Add the onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Take the lid off, add the cheese, mix well.

In the meantime, cook the pasta and add ½ cup of the pasta water to the ragu, mix well and check for seasonings. Serve warm.

Arugula and Fresh Corn Salad with Lemon and Cilantro Dressing

   

One of my favorite salads to make in the summer months…

  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • 3 corn cobs, with the kernels scraped off the cobs

Place the arugula and corn kernels to a serving bowl.

Dressing

  • 2 medium lemons, washed, trimmed, cut in half and seeds taken out
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ¼ cup water

Place all the ingredients to a powerful blender. Blend till a smooth dressing is formed. Take out and dress the arugula and corn. Toss and serve.

Pasta Arrabbiata with Herbed Breadcrumbs

   

Just a simple plate of pasta can be so delicious- you don’t need a whole lot of ingredients… just really good ones!!

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 to 3 medium shallots, chopped
  • 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (seeded depending on how spicy you want)
  • 3 cups fresh tomato sauce or canned tomatoes
  • ½ pound penne, cooked al dente with 1 cup pasta water
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat a saucepan with butter and oil. Add the shallots, garlic and jalapenos. Saute on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer with lid off for 30 minutes. Add basil and pasta. Mix well and check for seasonings and add salt. Adjust consistency of sauce by adding pasta water if needed. Serve warm with a garnish of herbed breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and serve on top of pasta.

 

Fresh Corn Salad with Fresh Lemon Dressing

   

Before corn goes away… make this yummy salad.. so easy and so delicious!

  • 4 ears of corn, taken off the cob
  • 4 cups mixed greens

Transfer the corn and green onto a salad bowl. Keep aside.

Dressing

  • 2 lemons, ends cut off, cut in half with the pits out
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Add all the ingredients into a blender (I used a vitamix) and blend till everything turns into a smooth sauce. Add more water or oil if needed. Check for seasonings.

Add half of the dressing to the corn and the greens, toss and add more if necessary. Serve immediately.