Summer Panini

The Panini Days of Summer
Last weekend was crazy, and it was only the beginning of what will be a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride of Adventure Summer for us. I am not entirely sure if I know my own name at this point. I do know that the mother of all laundry piles has gathered in the laundry room, and your guess is as good as mine as to when it will get some attention. The bright side is that the dog loves her new bed.

We have now entered what I call, The Panini Days of Summer. These are the days when there is so much going on that dinner is more often than not, something that we can slap between two pieces of bread and throw on my Panini press. Cut up a cold Cantaloupe or Watermelon and voila…dinner a-go-go.

There are so many possible panini creations. If we can, we’ll use whatever is left over from the previous night’s dinner (some left-overs just won’t work in a sandwich). It’s not unheard of for us to just use a bunch of cheese—sometimes with an apple slice or two. Left over spaghetti and meatballs? Don’t underestimate the power of a meatball panini dipped in leftover sauce. (A favorite of my son’s). July and August mean that we have tomato paninis. Although with no garden this year, we’ll have to rely on friends for that garden grown yumminess. And don’t get me started on the grilled veggie panini!

This is my favorite go-to panini, because I always have the ingredients on hand. If you are looking for more ideas for panini, take a peek at this article from Food Network with lots of great ideas.

Amy’s Summer Panini Read more…

Canal House Style Chicken Thighs with Lemon

Good Yard Bird
The kitchen can be the world’s best reality check. The outcome of your endeavors is not always guaranteed—no matter how good a cook you think you are—and for that reason, it is best to always check one’s ego at the door (and keep your instant-read thermometer handy). Just when you think you can totally take on an Iron Chef, karma has its nasty way with you. I need only to look back a couple of weeks to the epic fail that was my attempt to make Pearly Rice Balls with Red Bean Paste in them. Instead of producing lovely round rice balls, I managed to make a gelatinous, shapeless glob that looked like scary fried eggs.

And yet, sometimes (cue the choir of angels), you make something so tasty, so utterly divine that your obvious talent just can’t be denied. (Move over Thomas Keller! I laugh at you and your Michelin stars!) Last night was one of those nights…

To be fair, my genius had some help this time around. (OK. Yes. Most of the time I need help.) Mine came in the form of the book Genius Recipes by Food52 by way of The Canal House. This cookbook has been getting a lot of buzz lately and for very good reason. It is the bomb-diggity. It really is genius. It is also the cookbook we are using for our next cookbook club.

Looking at my copy right now I have at least twenty recipes that I have flagged to try. One of them is Canal House Style Chicken Thighs with Lemon which is what I made for dinner last night à chez moi. My husband told me it was the best chicken I have ever made. I’ve made a lot of chicken, which means either this recipe is just that good or I need to go back to school. Full disclosure, I used preserved lemons. made by a friend, who also happens to be in our cookbook club. It’s possible that they were the secret ingredient because man, they were good.

Do yourselves a favor, go get this book. Or, you can follow along on their blog as Kristin Miglore cooks her way through the book.

And look-y there. The BEST EVER CHICKEN is front and center….

Canal House Style Chicken Thighs with Lemon
Recipe adapted from Food 52 Read more…

Spicy Beer Marinated Flank Steak

The Fast and the Flank Steak

At any given time you will find boneless chicken thighs and at least one flank steak in my refrigerator or freezer. Chicken thighs are all-purpose, and juicier than chicken breasts. They can be sautéed, grilled, sliced up for panini, thrown in pasta…the possibilities are endless.

Flank steaks are equally versatile—plus inexpensive. You can butterfly them, stir fry them, fill them, roll them up and roast them like in this recipe for Italian Stuffed Flank Steak, you can throw them on the grill for great tacos or slice ‘em up to top a salad.

One of my favorite ways to prepare flank steak is with this Spicy Beer Marinade that I have been using for years. It travels with us up to Tahoe in the summer for use on Tri Tips when we need to feed a crowd.

For mid-week cooking, I like it on a flank steak. Mix the ingredients together the night before or in the morning before you go to work. Pour it in a Ziploc bag with the flank steak. Pull it out when you get home, throw it on the grill for a few minutes, and dinner is done! Pair that with your favorite tossed salad and some roasted baby potatoes and you have an awesome mid-week hot weather meal. Now we just need some hot weather…

Spicy Beer Marinade
Makes 2 1/3 to 3 cups
Recipe adapted from The Complete Meat Cookbook
by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly Read more…

Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade

Top Five?

We had our cookbook club dinner over the weekend and the consensus was that our chosen book left us a bit underwhelmed. There were some very tasty recipes (Hot Pot!!!), and then there were others that just didn’t impress. Our conversation turned to the recipes we have made from past cookbooks that we absolutely loved, especially the ones that have become staples for our dinner table.

One of my favorites, and one we all agreed was great, is a grilled pork chop recipe that I have been making since the weather has gotten bit warmer. (Not that temperature really matters all that much. I have no problem grilling in the rain if necessary.)

These Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade are adapted from Charles Phan’s Vietnamese Home Cooking and they are fantastic. I love how the smell of the freshly chopped lemongrass lingers in my kitchen. Heaven!

I like to marinate the pork chops overnight in the fridge to give them as much flavor as possible. Getting them in the marinade the night before makes for a super-fast and easy mid-week dinner you can serve with steamed rice and some stir fried bok choy…or whatever floats your boat.

Grilled Pork Chops with Sweet Lemongrass Marinade
Adapted from Charles Phan’s Vietnamese Home Cooking
Read more…