Green-and-white chili for summer

As a Midwestern girl, I had never touched a roasted green chile until I moved out to Colorado in the early 00s.  I'm not sure I even knew they existed.  Now they are my absolute favorite, and I can't wait until late summer when my local farmer's market is packed with roasters all morning.  The good news is, those frozen bags/tubs at the grocery store are pretty OK, so you can enjoy spicy, fresh stews all summer long. I use a pressure cooker to do my beans, which slows down the process and heats up the house a bit more, but I wrote this recipe for canned beans to be a little more user-friendly. Don't cheat on grilling the chicken, though--it makes a huge difference, especially when your chiles have been frozen! Just plan ahead and do it the next time you have a cookout, then wrap it in foil until you're ready to make this stew; it'll keep for a week. 

Green and White Chili

Serves 6

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

6-8 oz. of grilled chicken (no skin, chopped)

2 15-oz. cans of white beans (any type, do not drain)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 24-oz. bag frozen, chopped green chiles, mild or hot

1 tablespoon lime juice

shredded cheese or queso, lime wedges, sour cream, and more chopped fresh cilantro to serve

First, you must thaw the chiles in the refrigerator and save their liquid; I just toss the whole bag on a plate and throw it in the fridge for a couple of days. 

In a stock pot or Dutch oven,. heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and cilantro and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant.  Add the cooked chicken, white beans with their liquid, salt, pepper, cumin, chiles, and lime juice, stir, cover, and heat through.  Serve with garnishes listed above and hot fresh tortillas to clean the bowl. 

STUFF TO EAT WHEN IT'S TOO FRICKIN' HOT TO COOK, PART 2

This is another salad, made super filling with barley (and yes, you're going to have to cook that), equally portable for picnics, potlucks, and work. I promise this is my last non-cooking recipe that involves cooking in this mini-series.  (Pro tip: you can cook the barley, as well as the lentils from last week's recipe, at any time and freeze for later use.) Also, you could totally serve this at your next otherwise lame backyard BBQ and everyone will love you for not being that person who brought "ambrosia" or uncooked ramen noodles in a bowl.

Grilled Corn and Barley Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1/2 cup dried pearl barley
3 ears of corn (shucked)
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
1 large tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup basil cut into ribbons
1 bunch of chives, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil

Boil barley according to package directions, using a large stock pot. Par boil corn for 5-6 minutes with the barley to impart some of the corn flavor directly into the barley.

Remove corn. Brush corn with olive oil and grill on all sides until charred gill marks appear.
Meanwhile, halve all of the tomatoes and prep beans (rinse and drain if using canned, prepare in advance if using dried).

Cut kernels off the corn.  As you cut, collect any of the “milk” that comes from the cutting process, then use the back of the knife to scrape the remaining “milk” from the cleaned cob. 

Next, cut the large tomato in half and grate with a box grater over a dish or wide bowl, discarding the skins, but collecting the juice and pulp. Paste the garlic clove by mincing the garlic, and then adding some salt and rubbing the mixture between your cutting board and the side of your chef’s knife. Add that paste into the tomato mixture. Add a pinch of salt, crushed red pepper to taste, vinegar, and corn milk.  Whisk in olive oil slowly. 

Combine barley, tomatoes, corn, beans and fresh herbs in a large bowl and dress with your tomato vinaigrette. Toss to combine.

Recipe review: Food & Wine's grilled eggplant involtini

I buy eggplant because they look fantastic at the store, and then I have to do something kind of special with them to convince people to eat them (ahem). So, this Food and Wine recipe from their August issue sounded great, because 1) we are grilling every weekend the weather allows it until the snow starts to fly and 2) it sounds delicious. It WAS delicious, but be forewarned, it's a bit labor intensive, especially if you weren't already going to grill and just happened to have room to throw some sliced eggplant on there at the end. But if you're trying to do something special, and if you already like eggplant Parmesan, you should keep this  in mind.

My slight alterations are built into the recipe below.

Grilled Eggplant Involtini

Serves 4

6 pounds tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup dry red wine

Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
2 medium Italian eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick (about 36 slices)
1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, core the tomatoes and mark an X on the bottom of each one. Add half of the tomatoes to the saucepan at a time and blanch until they begin to soften and the skins are wrinkled, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the hot tomatoes to a work surface and let cool slightly, then peel and coarsely chop. Working in 2 batches, puree the tomatoes in a food processor; you should have about 9 1/2 cups of puree.

In the saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown, 8 minutes. Add the tomato puree and the red wine bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the tomato sauce is thickened and reduced to 5 1/2 cups, 5 minutes. Discard the basil and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the eggplant slices with oil and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until tender and lightly charred, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the eggplant to a work surface and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the rice with 1 cups of the tomato sauce. Fold in the 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, chopped basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Season the filling with salt and pepper.

Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of each of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dollop about 2 tablespoons of the rice filling near one end of each eggplant slice and roll into a tight cylinder; arrange in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Spoon 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the involtini and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozarella and a little more Parmesan. Bake the involtini until the filling is hot and the sauce is just ­bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Grilled tofu banh mi

You know what's super delish? Grilled tofu!  But the smokiness can be a little too intense for a Thai curry.  However, it stands on its own so well, you'll never miss meat in things like this banh mi, below. You can also cut it up and put it in wraps (collard green wraps, anyone?) or a vegan Caesar salad, for that matter.  

First, you're going to have grill (or bake, it's equally good) your tofu. Keep this recipe handy, because it's about to be your new favorite protein source:

Crispy Tofu, Baked or Grilled

One block tofu, cut width-wise into two thinner steaks

Marinade, if desired

Salt and black pepper

Cornstarch

Press and cut the tofu.  If you’re going to marinade it, do that first, for 15-30 minutes, making sure to flip once for even marination. 

Cover a dinner plate with a light sprinkling of cornstarch Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides (you can skip this step if you marinade) and then dredge both sides in the cornstarch, shaking off any thick clumps and spreading it around so it’s even-ish on both sides.

To grill: cook over medium heat until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes on each side.  

To bake: place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake in a 400⁰F oven until golden on both sides, about 12 minutes on each side.

Possible marinades:

·         1 tablespoon brown sugar + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 tablespoon lime juice

·         1 tablespoon brown sugar + 2 tablespoons soy sauce + 1 tablespoon rice vinegar + 1 teaspoon (or more) garlic-chili sauce

Then, make your sandwich:

Grilled Tofu Banh Mi

Serves 4

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 ounces hothouse cucumber, julienned

4 ounces radish, julienned

4 ounces multicolored carrots, peeled and julienned

1 block of crispy baked or grilled tofu

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 baguette (about 20 inches long), halved lengthwise

Thinly sliced serrano or jalapeño chiles and cilantro sprigs, for garnish

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic and 1/2 cup of hot water and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Add the cucumber, radish, and carrots and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain the pickled vegetables and pick out and discard the garlic.

Spread the mayonnaise on the top half of the split baguette, then top with the tofu and pickled vegetables. Garnish with chiles and cilantro sprigs. Close the sandwiches, cut into 
4 pieces and serve. (If you have leftover pickled vegetables, they'll keep in the fridge for a week or so.)

Memorial Day for Vegans

More and more of my friends have decided to be mostly or full-time vegan, which makes good sense for a number of reasons. I am probably eating more meat now than I have for most of my adult life, but that still only means I'm including meat in about one out of every ten meals or so. Grilling is a perfect way to eat vegan, and even trick others into joining you, because you're getting all of the smoky goodness from the charcoal without actually charring flesh. And hot dogs are so fucking gross, anyway. (PS-If you are using a gas grill, we need to talk.  That is not grilling. It's one step beyond using your daughter's Easy Bake oven on your back patio.)

And that brings me to Memorial Day, because it is national law that we grill at some point this weekend. So whether you're throwing a party or just being a reclusive nuclear family this holiday, you can impose your hippy agenda on all in your orbit without even having to listen to much whining.  Case in point:

Grill tofu steaks (pressed first to remove excess water), thick rounds of eggplant, squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes and top with one of my favorite condiments, homemade chimichurri sauce. Or cube it all and make kabobs.




Grill a pizza! It's delicious. You can make this nice whole wheat crust and put whatever you want on there. Don't want cheese? Don't bother. Here are some ideas to get you started (sorry, there are some reviews to sift through, too).




Make a veggie burger.  Here's one I published a few years ago, and here's another one I think sounds very clever, because I love corn (thought I'm not sure I'd bother to put it on a bun).




You need a dip for your chips or bread, right? How about...

Baigan Bharta

2 medium sized eggplants
3 tablespoons oil
¾ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
2 tomatoes, blended into a puree
2 green chilies, minced
2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro

Place the eggplant on a corner of the grill. (For future reference, if neither of these are options, then place the eggplant in a 350 degree oven and bake until soft and then broil until the outer skin is charred.) Back to the open flame eggplant, cook until it is soft and the outer skin is completely charred. Set aside to cool.

Heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute, and add in the cumin seeds and when they begin to sizzle, add in the red onion and sauté lightly until the onion softens and wilts and finally gently turns pale golden in corners. Add in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté lightly until the paste is somewhat dry and begins to turn fragrant.

Add in the tomatoes and the chilies and begin to cook this mixture to allow the tomatoes to turn into a thick fairly dry sauce, you should begin to see the oil leaching again from the edges. While the tomatoes are cooking, peel and discard the charred skin from the eggplant and mash lightly. Add into the tomato spice mixture and mix well.

Stir in the cilantro and mix well. Use as a dip or serve over rice.

Smokey baba ganoush with a secret ingredient

My neighbor is growing eggplants, but he hates them.  Now we have free eggplants regularly left on our doorstep (thanks, Ernest!). Eggplant Parm is fun for a while, but I think this might be my favorite trick: baba ganoush made from grilled eggplant.  It's a great dip, sandwich spread, or thick pasta sauce (add a bit of the past cooking water to help it spread better).  And the magic ingredient?...see if you can find it below.  Trust. It's good.

Smokey & Tangy Baba Ganoush

1 large eggplant
1⁄4 cup tahini
3 garlic cloves, minced
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon ketchup

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill.
Cut the eggplant into thick slices. Oil and salt generously on both sides and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire.Grill, turning frequently, until they begin to blacken and the flesh is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the grill, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a blender and add all remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add more of anything you like. 

a late-summer Sunday dinner

I'm not much of a traditionalist when it comes to how I spend my Sundays, but I do love a good excuse to unwind at the table with comforting food and friends.  In my childhood, that often meant a pot roast or (my favorite) a pork roast with mashed potatoes and rich gravy.  But right now, it means firing up the grill and enjoying what's left of summer produce and bright flavors. Here's a sample menu we put together last weekend at home, and it was glorious (and easy).

Spicy Grilled Chicken (adapted from Food & Wine's September 2015 issue)

Serves 6 with leftovers

1/2 cup kosher salt
6-8 chicken thighs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

In a large bowl, whisk the salt with 6 cups of cold water until dissolved. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Wipe out the bowl.

In the same bowl, whisk the olive oil with the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and crushed red pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat, rubbing some of the marinade under the skin. Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the chicken over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and 
an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each leg registers 165°, about 25 minutes.
ALSO ON THE GRILL:

Smacked Up Taters

(I pre-cook these in the microwave to get maximum browning time from the grill, but you could do it all on the grill and take a brief pause for the smacking if you prefer.)

Medium-sized red potatoes (one per person)
Olive oil
Salt

Clean (but leave skins on), de-eye, and generously stab potatoes.  Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until they are firm but cooked (I just use the “potato” button, turn them over, and do it again).   Remove potatoes from microwave and, one at a time, gently smash them with the bottom of a heavy frying pan or something similar.  You want the potatoes to hold their shape and to resemble very fat hamburger patties.  Then, using your hand, coat each smashed potatoes in olive oil and generously salt on each side. Grill on high heat approx. 8 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.  

INSIDE DISHES:

Because sometimes standing around the fire getting smoke in your eyes gets old...

FRENCHY-FLAVORED GREEN BEANS
Steam 2 pounds fresh green beans; drain and set aside. Wipe out the pan you used for this and heat a teaspoon of olive oil. Saute 6 oz. mushrooms and one large minced garlic clove until soft and fragrant.  Stir in the juice and zest of one lemon, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, 1/8 cup white wine, and cook to reduce slightly. Add the green beans and a small pat of cold butter, stir to incorporate, and serve hot or at room temperature.


AND A SIMPLE SUMMER SALAD:
tomato, corn green onions, and cucumber dressed with white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, sugar, and fish sauce

The best entertainment at a dinner party.

And for DESSERT? Don't trouble yourself; whip up this brilliant batch of cold-brew coffee ahead of time and throw out some dark chocolates for everyone.

Celebrating summer's simplicity

Fresh fruit and vegetables, cooking hunks of raw meat over an unpredictable open fire, and a cooler full of beer--I wonder why everyone loves summer?  Here are some of my favorite ways to be lazy in the backyard this weekend:

a simple watermelon salad: chunks of watermelon, fresh strawberries, and torn mint leaves.

Pimm's Cup: Muddle cucumber and lemon slices in a tall glass. Pour in 2 oz. Pimm’s and 3 oz. ginger ale, and stir to combine. Add ice to fill the glass and garnish with lemon and mint.

grilled salmon: marinate hunks of salmon in equal parts soy sauce and brown sugar for 30 minutes, then cook on a well-oiled grill until just done.

Easiest marinades for perfect summer grilling

It is clearly summer now, and that means it is clearly time to grill some hunks of meat, tofu, and vegetables (take your pick).  Grilling shouldn't be complicated (ahem...Martha Stewart...), and neither should the marinade.  You don't marinade, you say?  Then you're probably eating some pretty tasteless, tough meat when you grill.  Pick a marinade (my favorites are below), mix all the ingredients together in a gallon-size, zip-top bag, add your meat/tofu/veggies, and throw it in the fridge until you're ready to lay it on the grill.  I marinade land animals for 6 hours-overnight (turn the bag once or twice when you go in there for tonic water and stuff), tofu, fish, and veggies for about an hour before cooking.  And don't forget to add some hickory chips (or some kind of smoking wood) to your coals and oil the grill well before starting!

4-Ingredient Magic Marinade (amount for 4 chicken breasts):

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar

Works on chicken, extra-firm tofu, eggplant, zucchini, salmon, pork (any cut), beef (I particularly like to marinade skirt steak and other lean cuts).  For a little extra zing, throw some Sriracha into the marinade as well (although you'll then have to call it 5-Ingredient Magic Marinade).



Tandoori Chicken Marinade (enough for 16 chicken thighs):
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
large piece ginger, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ teaspoon garam masala
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chilli powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric

This one involves more ingredients, but it really does keep the chicken moist and flavorful  Swap out the chili powder for cayenne (and maybe increase the dosage) if you want it spicy. This works equally well on any white fish, by the way. 

Lemon Marinated Flank Steak (good for 1 1/2 pounds of flank or similar steak):

1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon onion soup mix
2 chopped garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

I grew up on this one (you can tell it's Midwestern from the onion soup mix), and it is still my favorite way to eat red meat.  Works well for all vegetables, pork chops, firm white fish, or chicken (any cut), as well. 

Last-minute cookout ideas to celebrate the beginning of the summer season!

Happy Memorial Day to you all here in the States, and happy start to cookout season everywhere in the Northern hemisphere (I hope)! Perhaps you already have your party well-set with a menu you devised three weeks ago and a fridge full of all the ingredients you need to get through the day.  Jerks.  Or perhaps you are still getting ready to make a last-minute run to the store and hope to be back before your firsts guests arrive. As I head out the door to do this very thing, here are the summery staples I'm looking for, and the very easy things I plan to do with them:




Mangoes are so totally not from here, but somehow that doesn't seem to matter anymore.  I see them in the stores all the time.  If you can buy them early enough to let them ripen, there's nothing better than fresh mango slices sprinkles with chili powder and dressed with a little lime juice.  If you're buying them for use today and they're still on the tart side, try this refreshing Vietnamese Green Mango Salad (underripe yellow mangoes work well, too).








Meat for grilling is ubiquitous at Memorial Day Cookouts.  Please don't limit yourself to burgers and hot dogs.  It doesn't matter what you do to them, they are SO BORING.  Visit the DFT archives for tips on grilling amazing shrimp, pork, or some very special vegetarian patties. 

Fresh green beans are coming into season now, and they make a great addition to a vinegary, mustardy potato salad that can be served at any temperature.








Rhubarb and strawberries go so well together.  Try them in a slab pie, even easier than a regular pie with some puff pastry on hand.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Slab Pie

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 pound rhubarb, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss together rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour, cardamom, and vanilla. Set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry out to a 12” x 16” rectangle and place in greased jelly roll pan that's 10" x 14" x 1". Fill with prepared fruit and brush edge of dough with a bit of water. Roll second pastry sheet out to an 11” x 15” rectangle and place on top of fruit. Seal the dough together, tuck excess into pan, and crimp the edge. Cut vents in the top and bake until the crust is golden and the center is bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour.

The Zucchini Project: Veggie-loaded Pork Burgers

Zucchini really does come through in this confetti-colored burger recipe, so I'm including it in my Zucchini Project collection. Substitute ground chicken, lamb, or beef if you don't like pork.  (PS--Why don't you like pork? It's delicious!)

Veggie-Loaded Pork Burgers

Makes 4-5 patties

1 lb. ground pork (or meat of your choice)
1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed and drained
½ medium red bell pepper, finely diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ cup fine bread crumbs (panko works well)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form into patties and either cook on the grill over medium-high heat (turning carefully to avoid losing vegetables) or sear in some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat on the stove.

Independence Day means burnt food.

I mean that in a good way, of course.  Any country that celebrates it birth but sitting outside in the summer, grilling everything in sight and drankin' beer has potential.  I have hope for us.

I've done this kind of post every year around this time, and I don't have any new recipes for the grill.  If I'm being totally honest with you, I really only grill salmon and potatoes over and over again. But, if that's not American enough for you, here's a recap of some other grilling recipes I developed (and ate!) during my time over at The Examiner, along with some other experiments I've created over the years.  Happy Independence Day, 'Merica.

Chili-rubbed Pork Tenderloin

Cumin-Lime Corn

Grilled Shrimp, two ways

Kabobs: Greek Meatball and Asian Chicken

Dressed-Up Hotdogs (please forgive me)

Potato-Bean Burgers

Spicy Marinated Tofu

Hawaii in my mind...

Who's fed up with winter weather?!  When March approaches and winter is nowhere near over (which is every March in the Rockies), my mind wanders to some of the glorious trips I have made to warm places. Today's instrument of denial: Hawaii.  I visited back in 2006 and again in '08, and it continues to inspire my fantasies every winter!

On my first stay, I stumbled upon the amazing Saturday farmer's market in Honolulu on the edge of the university campus.  The variety of fruits and vegetables I never even knew existed was revolutionary for me. And while I cannot find the majority of those fascinating edible plants here on the mainland, the goal of keeping bright colors on my plate in large quantities, coupled with the sublime fusion of Asian and island flavors, has inspired me to develop and come back to this salad again and again.

Hawaiian Hot Pot

Serves 3-4

1 cup short grain brown rice

1 (large) head bok choy (cut in half lengthwise)
1 Vidalia onion (cut into 3 lengthwise)
1 Bell Pepper (cut in half and remove the seeds and stem)
½ fresh Pineapple

2 cups boiling water

4 tablespoons white miso paste

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Dressing

¼ cup Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
¼ teaspoon Dried Ground Ginger
2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
Chili Garlic Paste (optional, to taste)

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stove. If it's not non-stick, use a little cooking spray to keep veggies from sticking. 

Cook the brown rice according to package directions. Combine boiling water, miso paste, and ginger, whisk thoroughly to incorporate, and keep warm.  You can also make the dressing in a medium bowl by whisking all ingredients together and set aside.

Add the veggies to the grill when it's hot and grill until they get grill marks and begin to soften (about 5 minutes on each side).

Remove the veggies from the grill and chop them when they have cooled enough to handle. In either a large serving bowl or individual bowls, place the cooked rice topped with grilled vegetables.  Drizzle dressing on top and pour the miso broth down the side of the bowl so you have a mound of rice and veggies surrounded by a little lake.  Dig in!

Potatoes and beans: the non-burger burger

It's late summer, and I just want to drink beers and grill burgers every day!  But that could get pretty monotonous, and I want my shorts to continue to fit into fall.  I'm not always a fan of fake burgers--they often taste and feel like sawdust.  But these patties are moist, flavorful, and like a pile of salad on the grill. They also don't require any fancy ingredients, so no trips to the stinky hippie store are necessary. Guilt-free, non-irritating summer fun! Yeah!

Potato-Bean "Burgers"

Makes four large patties

1 cup canned black beans (white or kidney could also work well)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 onion, diced
3 potatoes, grated
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup corn
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Mash the beans with a fork or a potato masher. Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil and mix until well combined.

If frying, heat the oil on medium-high in a large frying pan.  Cook patties 7-10 minutes on each side or until golden.  If grilling, coat hands with oil, then pat both sides of all patties.  Grill over high heat 7-10 minutes on each side or until golden, being careful not to let the patties break when flipping.

Recipe review: chicken kebabs in yogurt marinade

This is another fantastic recipe from Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen, though I have made a couple of simplifications in the version I have included below.  This marinade yielded the most tender, tangy chicken I've ever had done on the grill, while still managing to achieve a great char.  I added some hunks of onion and zucchini to these kebabs, though the original recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, instead.

Served with the Tomato and Cucumber Salad I reviewed last week from this book and my Greek Lemon Rice with Lentils, this made for a great afternoon barbecue last weekend.

Chicken Kebabs in Yogurt Marinade: Joojeh Kebab
Modified from Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen

Serves 4

5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
1 scant teaspoon ground turmeric
salt and black pepper to taste
1+ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 while onion, cut into large wedges
olive oil for drizzling

In a large, freezer-weight zip-top bag, combine the garlic, lemon juice, yogurt, and turmeric until smooth (just squeeze the bag until it's mixed together).  Season the cut chicken with salt and pepper and add to the bag, massaging to combine.  Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to grill, place pieces of onion, chicken, and zucchini on skewers, allowing extra marinade to drip off chicken before placing on the grill.  Drizzle generously on both sides with olive oil and cook over hot coals until charred.  This took me 20 minutes, turning twice while cooking

It's grilling time again...the shrimp issue.

As classical musicians, my husband and I rarely stop to smell the roses--there is always more work to be done, higher levels to achieve.  So when we were chatting over beers at the end of the spring semester, fantasizing about summer break, it wasn't surprising for him to ask me what my summer goals were.  I racked my brain to come up with some lofty answer: learn some new, crazy-hard solo; rewrite my flute pedagogy syllabus, that sort of thing.  But I wasn't feeling particularly ambitious while drinking beer after a long week, so I mumbled something vague and felt guilty about how it would likely compare to his answer, which I imagined would involve a lot of fancy research and stuff.  Imagine my delight when he proudly informed me that his goal was to do more grilling!  That's my boy--burned out at last. Never one to discourage my spouse's dreams, I have been trying to help with some shrimp recipes...

Peanut-Cilantro Shrimp Skewers

Serves 4-6

2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon sugar


For the sauce:
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, majority of stems removed
½ cup salted, roasted peanuts
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Crushed red pepper to taste


Toss shrimp with sugar in a ceramic or glass bowl and set aside. Combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is still chunky but will hold together (add more oil if necessary).

Coat a grill or grill pan with canola or peanut oil. Place shrimp on skewers and grill over medium-high heat.  Cook 5 minutes, turn, and cook another 5 minutes.  Carefully press the chunky sauce onto the top of the skewers and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove skewers to a platter and serve.  I added some plain grilled vegetables in the photo above and served with Asian Rice Salad.

Garlic Shrimp Skewers

Serves 4-6

2 pounds shrimp peeled and deveined

1 teaspoon sugar

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Crushed red pepper to taste

Toss shrimp with sugar in a ceramic or glass bowl and set aside. Combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and thick (add more oil if it‘s not holding together). Stir into shrimp, coating thoroughly.

Coat a grill or grill pan with canola or peanut oil. Place shrimp on skewers and grill over medium-high heat.  Cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown around edges. Remove skewers to platter and serve. This is delicious with some pasta and Raw Puttanesca Sauce. 

'Tis the season: feeding a crowd of sleazy people who have suddenly amassed at your doorstep for the holidays (aka, your family)

I love my family, and I love having them over for a big meal, but sweet Jesus do I hate spinning in circles in my kitchen for hours, dirtying every non-dishwasher-safe pot and pan that I own. Can't I love them without becoming thoroughly exhausted by noon?  Yes, I think I can.

The night before, you can whip up a simple, preservative-free Cranberry Sauce.  Boil 1 bag fresh cranberries (pick out the squashed duds) with 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, and 1 cup of either orange juice of apple cider.  Cover and lower heat to medium, stirring occasionally until berries have all burst and the sauce starts to thicken, then remove from heat.  When it's cool, refrigerate; you can either serve it at room temperature (put it out when you start cooking the next day) or hot for the feast.

You can also make your pies the night before.  Then, on the big day...

Grill some pork (or ham).  Let the men do it--they like sitting outside near open fire for some reason.  And if you brine it the night before, it really doesn't take that much time to cook.  This frees up the oven to...

Roast potatoes.  Throw in whatever other veggies people will eat, too.  Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cubed squash, and carrots are all fair game, and the roasting often sweetens things up, making unpopular bitter vegetables like the above more palatable to cabbage-family haters.  Then, on the stove top you can quickly make...

Thai Red Curry Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  Peel, cut, and boil 4-6 medium sweet potatoes until soft (you can also throw in some butternut squash if you want).  Drain and add 2 teaspoons red curry paste, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1 cup coconut milk, and salt and black pepper to taste.  Mash the hell out of 'em.  And if you have a steamer insert, you can steam 2 pounds of fresh

Green Beans right over the boiling potatoes.  In the oven that is lovingly roasting your vegetables, you can bake 6 strips of bacon until crisp and crumble them over your cooked green beans.  First, toss the bright green, al dente beans with 1 clove smashed garlic, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Then drizzle a little of the bacon grease over it, stir, and top with crumbled bacon and crumbled gorgonzola.

You'll have so much free time, you'll be able to mull some cider and sip happily with a heavy pour of rum (or, the favorite add-in at the Byrnes-Riner house, tequila): dump a gallon of apple cider into a Dutch oven or similarly large vessel, and add 1 large orange studded generously with cloves (great project for someone stationary who's not helping enough), 2 cinnamon sticks, and 1 dried star anise (optional).  Simmer over medium-low heat until it's good and hot, and let it cook for as long as you like--the flavors get stronger with time.  Add the rum or tequila directly to your cup to avoid cooking off the precious alcohol.

Then the fun begins all over again with leftovers...stay tuned for those. Happy holidays!

Another homage to Brazil

The last night I was in Brazil, I was entreated to a night at the local Samba bar, which I was assured was a "very Brazilian experience".  The band was very loud and people were boisterous, not so different from a good bar at home.  But Samba music is for carnival, which would be sort of like partying in New Orleans, and interestingly, although the dance floor was a reasonable size, many people chose to merely stand up behind their chairs and dance, thereby maintaining conversation with their table mates. I can't universalize this experience since it was the only Samba bar I visited, but I describe it to you because it effected the atmosphere; dancing was not cordoned off to an appropriate place, it was everywhere!  And therefore the dance floor sort of came to us, whether we were standing or sitting.

Buckets of that weak, weak beer were kept full at all times throughout the bar, and at some point a large sizzling platter (think fajitas) arrived on the table filled with meat, veggies, and cheese, with a little crusty garlic bread on the side.  Everyone took nibbles between sweat-inducing dances and still felt full of energy at 2am when we left! I tried out this recreation on my meat-loving family when they visited last week and it was a hit.  We probably could have stood some exercise afterward, though...

Brazilian Sizzling Plate

Serves 6

For the meat:
2.5-3 lb. flank steak or similar cut
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon mustard
2 shallots, finely minced
other ingredients:
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cubed, and boiled until al dente
4 white potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled until al dente
3 bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
salt to taste
8 oz. shredded or thinly sliced cheese of your choice (I used Irish cheddar), optional

Grill the meat outside: The night before you make this, combine steak and all marinade ingredients thoroughly in a gallon zip-top bag.  Refrigerate overnight and turn occasionally.  Grill over hot coals 3-4 inches from the heat; cook 4 minutes on each side for mid-rare or longer if you want the meat more done (it will cook a little more on the grill pan). Cover in foil to keep warm while you...

Toss the veggies with a little bit of olive oil and salt.  On a well-oiled grill pan inside, cook everything until it chars (if you have to do it in shifts, just keep what's been cooked on a baking sheet in the oven at 250 F so it stays warm).  Slice the grilled meat into thin strips and toss with all of the veggies on the grill pan (add anything that's been sitting in the oven).  Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with a large heat-proof bowl; cook just until cheese is melted.

Plop the grill pan on the table, serve with crusty white bread, hot sauces, and forks.  Plates optional.

A new veggie burger recipe

When I was first trying out being vegetarian in my early 20s, I bought a lot of artificially flavored, pre-made apologies.  I called them "apologies" because all of these products were made to simulate meat--fake burgers, fake bacon, fake wings--as if eating naturally vegetarian foods like beans, veggies, and grains was somehow just not good enough.  Ironically, these meat apologies were generally pretty unhealthy and in no way resembled meat--if you were turning to Boca in the early 90s for a cure for your meat craving, you were not going to end up happy in the end.  If you were craving cardboard, however, you were in luck...

Now, I like homemade veggie burgers for what they are: a bunch of grains, vegetables, and perhaps some cheese smashed together into a convenient patty.  They're easy to cook and make a great sandwich filler to go with a beer.  But they can be kind of a pain to make, requiring special ingredients and often getting the balance of wet-to-dry ingredients wrong, making for either very sloppy or very crumbly patties.  Using potatoes makes it easy to keep these patties together, which speeds up the prep time quite a bit.  It's also a great way to use leftover cooked potatoes, and it relies on pantry staples so you never have to make a last-minute run to Whole Paycheck for special grains.  Win-win-win!

Potato-Bean "Burgers"

Makes four large patties

1 cup canned black beans, white beans, or chick peas
1 carrot, grated
1/2 onion, diced
3 potatoes, grated
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup corn
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Mash the beans with a fork or a potato masher. Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil and mix until well combined.

Shape the mixture into patties. Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil and cook each patty until the veggie burgers are done, about 3 minutes on each side.

American food and stuff

I am currently in Italy, doing not much of anything to celebrate this patriotic holiday (though it is also my birthday, which I will celebrate with local red wine and seafood).  I'll tell you all about it when I get back, but if you're at a loss for what to eat or drink at your hot, sweaty family picnic, might I suggest...

All-American Whiskey Cocktails

Independence Day Menu:

Country-style BBQ ribs
Macaroni Salad
Citrus-jalapeno Coleslaw
Rhubarb Pie

Happy feasting!