This is one of the two side dishes we had for Christmas Eve dinner to accompany a pork roast.  I also served a pumpkin and chipotle soup. The soup, the second side, and the pork recipes will be posted in the next couple of days, but this corn pudding was, by far, the favorite dish of the night!

Ham and Poblano Corn Pudding

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 1/2 cup (1 stick), melted, slightly cooled and additional for buttering the pan, divided
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
2 cups frozen corn, thawed and divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Large pinch of baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cubed ham (1/4-inch cubes)
1 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese
2 large poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.  Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish and then coat with the Panko.

Combine 1 cup of the corn, the eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, and baking powder in blender. Blend until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

Add cooled onion mixture, sour cream, whipping cream, and corn meal; stir until blended.  Stir in ham, cheese, peppers, and remaining 1 cup corn. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake until corn pudding is puffed and golden brown in spots on top, about 40 to 50 minutes.

Serves 8

I made this cornbread to go along with my Two Bean-Two Corn Chorizo and Poblano Chili on our “no poultry” day (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving).  But is equally delicious served with leftover turkey and gravy or with a creamed turkey mixture served over the top.

I even toasted a half slice and had a poached egg on top for breakfast, it is that versatile, so top it with anything you would like.

Poblano and Cojita Cornbread

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 poblano chilies; roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cojita cheese, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

Heat oil in a medium skillet, add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the diced poblano and the corn kernels and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Add the melted butter, buttermilk, and eggs and whisk until just incorporated. Fold in the onion-poblano-corn mixture and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Scrape the batter into the baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese on top.

Bake the cornbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cornbread to a rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cornbread, and then sliced into 9 squares and serve warm.

Makes 9 pieces

I am done whining, back to a recipe! I am certain you are thinking, “It’s about time!”

At the request of a kind follower, Dagmar, I am also putting up a few more pictures of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon.  Tomorrow, I’ll share a few photos from our trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad, along the the beautiful Verde River.

The recipe may have a long name, but it couldn’t be easier to make. Tri Tip is a classic cowboy beef cut that is thick, nicely marbled, and very flavorful. It is the triangular cut at the tip of the sirloin.

Roasted Poblano Chile Pepper & Pomegranate Molasses Marinated Tri Tip

2 pounds tri tip
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 poblano peppers; roasted, peeled, cored and seeded
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
Fresh cilantro, garnish

Generously season the tri tip with the salt and pepper on all sides.  Place on a plate.

Set aside 1 of the poblano peppers. Place the 3 remaining peppers in a blender or food processor. Add the pomegranate molasses and blend until smooth.

Pour the puree over the tri tip and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. Coarsely dice the reserved roasted poblano pepper and set aside for garnish.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Remove meat from marinade. Discard marinade. Grill meat to desired doneness, about 10 minutes per side for medium-rare (about 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to cutting board. Tent with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Place on a serving platter and garnish with the diced poblano and cilantro.

Serves 4

Last month my dad was in Colorado visiting friends and shopping for beans. OK, not exactly shopping for beans, but he had offered to pick up some anasazi beans for my cousin, Dennice, and some pinto beans for a friend of his. Dennice was thinking he’d get her a pound or two of beans, but in my dad’s usual style, he brought home a 10-pound bag. Really, who needs 10-pounds of dried beans?  I offered to take three pounds off her hands, at $1.20 a pound, they were a steal. If you haven’t seen anasazi beans before, they are pretty cool looking, but honestly, they taste about the same as a kidney bean and once cooked, they lose most of their good looks. Plus they are a lot more expensive than plain-Jane kidney beans as you can see from THIS LINK on Amazon.  Anasazi beans have been available commercially only since 1983, check out THIS LINK to learn more about them… and just about every other bean you might be even remotely interested in. So, feel free to substitute kidney beans in this recipe. And if you don’t want to go to the time (overnight soaking) and trouble of starting with dried beans, use three 15-ounce cans of kidney or pinto beans, drained and reserving the liquid. You’ll be adding that liquid (or the cooking liquid from the dried beans) to the chili. If you don’t have a full 3 cups of liquid to add, supplement with either tap water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth.

The thing that makes this chili special is the blend of three pure chile powders; California, ancho, and chipotle. Do me a favor – go pull out the jar or can of McCormick or Shilling chili powder you have in your spice cabinet. Now look at the ingredients; it probably reads something like this – Ingredients: chili peppers, cumin, oregano, salt, garlic, and silicon dioxide. That’s right, plain chili powder is more than just plain. So buy a selection of pure chile powders and you will be able to control the season of things you use chile powder in. If you want to kick it up a bit, add more chipotle chile powder, to taste. Most grocery stores now carry all three of these chile powders, and you can always find them at Cost Plus World Market.

Anasazi, Turkey, and Three-Chile Powder Chili

2 cups dried Anasazi beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 red and/or yellow bell peppers, roasted, peeled, cored and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon California chile powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups cooking liquid from beans (supplement with water or broth, if needed to make 3 full cups)
Shredded cheddar and/or pepper Jack cheese, garnish
Sour cream, garnish

Sort the beans to remove small stones, lumps of dirt, and defective beans. Wash the beans with several changes of cold water. Place beans in a large pot and cover with at least 3-inches of cold water. Soak overnight.

Discard soaking water, rinse beans and replace with fresh cold water and bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook until tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours, adding water if necessary to keep beans covered. Place a colander over a bowl and drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Set aside beans and cooking liquid separately.

Heat a heavy large pot over high heat, add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onion, bell peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking up large pieces with a spatula, about 5 minutes.

Mix in chile powders, cumin, and oregano and stir 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes with juices, and 3 cups of the cooking liquid (or the reserved liquid from canned beans). Bring chili to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Serves 8

My sister and niece, Sloane and Raina, had a long-weekend getaway to Portland, Oregon last month. I had the task… I mean the pleasure… of dog-sitting for their pooch, Bubo. When I say that Bubo is a spoiled brat, that is just glancing the tip of the iceberg. Yeah, he’s cute, and that is the only thing that kept me from ringing his little neck. We (as in Dave, my dad, and I) can’t agree if he is deaf, stupid, or just a brat. Bubo will NOT come when you call him; Dave thinks he can’t hear, Dad thinks he doesn’t know his own name – making him an idiot, I know that my sister has just spoiled him to pieces and that Bubo loves to be chased after. Ugg!

I am pretty hardcore when it comes to spoiled brats … Bubo did NOT sleep on our bed as suggested by Sloane, or even in our room for that matter. No – since he is a dog – he slept on his little pillow on the tile in the gated off area of the breakfast room/kitchen/laundry room, and he was just fine with that… no whining or complaining, just sleeping all night. Although my sister brought over a bagful of various doggie treats, he only received one a day, not one every single time he looked up wistfully at me. He was not allowed to bite at my toes and fingers or tear into my shoes… you get the idea – I straightened him out, but I’m certain he’s back to his old antics… right, Sloane?

When they returned home, Sloane posted some pictures from the trip on Facebook. One photo was of a delicious looking plate of food and her caption read, “This was the best dish of the trip….The Tin Shed…roasted peppers, berry jam, black beans and creme fraiche…amazing! Maybe my sister can remake!” Sure, I can do that!  The Tin Shed calls it the Berry Garcia. It consists of roasted red peppers, jalapenos, black beans, Tillamook cheddar and berry jam in a grilled tortilla, topped with jalapeno crème fraîche and fresh cilantro, it goes for $6.25. Yum!

The Tin Shed Berry Garcia Knockoff

Jalapeno Crème Fraîche
1 large jalapeno peppers; roasted, peeled, cored, and very finely minced
2 large garlic cloves; dry roasted, peeled and very finely minced
1/2 cup crème fraîche

Four 8-inch whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup berry preserves, divided
8-ounces Tillamook cheddar cheese, shredded
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper; roasted, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 jalapeno peppers; roasted, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
15-ounce can black beans; drained, rinsed, and drained
1/4 cup minced cilantro

Jalapeno Crème Fraîche: In a small bowl, blend together the minced jalapeno and garlic with the crème fraîche; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large skillet, one at a time, dry toast the tortillas on one side only. Remove from skillet and spread the toasted side of each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the berry preserves. Divide half of the cheese evenly between the tortillas, covering just half of each tortilla. Top the cheese with roasted bell peppers, roasted jalapeno, and black beans, dividing evenly. Finally, top each with the remaining cheese.

Fold tortillas over, press down, and return two at a time to the skillet, toasting on one side, and then flipping over and toasting on the other until the tortillas are browned and the cheese is melted.  Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining two.

Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with jalapeno crème fraîche and sprinkle with minced cilantro.  Serve while hot.

Makes 4

Steak and blue cheese are a classic combination. I discovered a 4-pack of rib-eye steaks in the back of the freezer and although there are only the two of us, I grilled up all four steaks. I used the extra two to make this pasta dish a couple days later. Any leftover beef will do, just be sure to slice and cut it up directly from the refrigerator.  When the beef is cold, it is easiest to find and cut out the fat that is marbled throughout.

I purchased a wonderful 6-pack of organic pasta imported from Italy at Costco. In it, there are two packages of casarecce, two packages of penne, and two gemelli. I chose the gemelli for this dish because the other two styles are meant to hold lots of sauce. This dish has minimal sauce, so the gemelli works best  out of the three. If you want to use penne or maybe fusilli, I’d advise throwing in a can of undrained chopped tomatoes to make the pasta saucier.

A funny thing I noticed was that the pasta packages are 17.6-ounces in weight, instead of the usual 16-pounces. Since I generally run on about 2% brain capacity on any give day, I was thinking, “What’s up with that?”  It took me quite a while to notice that the other weight on the packages is 500 grams.  Finally, another 3% brain powder kicked in and I figured out that this was true Italian pasta, so of course it would be measured in grams and the ounce weight was just placed on there for us metric-challenged Americans. Grazie Garofalo Pasta, I need all the help I can get when it comes to math!  Oh… and it’s really good pasta too, so pick up a 6-pack the next time you’re in Costco.

Beef, Blue Cheese, and Sweet Pepper Pasta

1 pound cold leftover cooked beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 yellow or orange bell peppers; cored, seeded, and cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 cup beef broth
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled and divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8-ounces (1/2 package) gemelli or penne pasta
1/3 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped

Cut beef, against the grain of the meat, into thin strips lengthwise, cutting out and discarding all visible fat. Cut each slice into bite-size pieces.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add the onions and peppers to the skillet and cook until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.

Salt boiling water in pot and drop in pasta and cook according to package directions.

Add the stock to the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and stir in the crushed red pepper, and 1/2 of the blue cheese.  Return pepper mixture to skillet, along with the beef.

Remove from the heat. Stir in olives and the remaining blue cheese.

Drain pasta, add it to meat mixture, and toss to combine. Taste and season.

Serves 6

I am up in Flagstaff today visiting Connor and watching my friend, Larry Fitzgerald, and the team at Cardinal’s camp. It is a joy to not only see them both, but to get out of the record-breaking heat in the Valley of the Sun; 114 degrees yesterday!

It literally tried to chase me up the mountain yesterday on the drive here. I left the house at about 10:30 AM and it was 106 degrees. By 11:00, I was at 2000 feet and the temperature was climbing faster than I was; 109. When I reached the Sedona turn-off, it was 11:25 and it was 111 degrees! What was going on here -what’s a girl to do? Drive faster, that’s what I did!

I could see the building clouds and the lightening ahead, so I knew there was hope. I actually stopped focusing on the thermostat, and just like a watched pot that won’t boil if you watch it, the temps finally went down and the next time I looked it was 94. When I reached Flag at 12:20 it was a lovely 84 degrees, relief at last!

In addition, I was able to have coffee this morning with my high-school girlfriend, Darcy. She sang at our wedding, 26 years ago. Don’t you just love it when you haven’t seen a friend for a few years and you just pick up where you left off, as if you had lunch together last week? It’s the best, love you, Darcy.  OK, all that has nothing to do with our recipe today, these are just good, so make ‘em!

Potato, Pepper, & Chorizo Empanadas

3/4 cup finely chopped Spanish chorizo
2 onions, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper; cored, seeded, and diced
1/2 green bell pepper; cored, seeded, and diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 large Yukon Gold potato
1 package purchased puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

Cook chorizo in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, 2 minutes, then transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the chorizo drippings from the pan.

Add onions to saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic, bell peppers, bay leaf, salt, and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir into the onion mixture and cook over medium low heat, covered, stirring frequently, until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.   Add potato mixture to chorizo in bowl and stir gently to combine well. Discard bay leaf and cool filling to room temperature.

Move oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Place 1 sheet of puff pastry on a work surface. Keep the remaining sheet covered.  Roll out slightly to smooth out the seams. Using a 2-inch round cutter (or a clean tuna can with both end cut off) cut out 10 rounds. Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into the center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling.   Press edges together to seal, then crimp tines of a fork.  Transfer empanadas to a baking sheet.  Make 10 more empanadas in same manner, with remaining sheet of puff pastry and remaining filling.  Place on a second baking sheet.

Lightly brush empanadas with egg wash and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, about 15 to 20 minutes total.  Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 20

The empanadas freeze exceptionally well. Place unbaked and egg-washed empanadas on a small baking sheet or plate and freeze until hard.  Transfer to a freezer-quality zip-lock and keep for up to 3 months. No need to defrost before baking, just add an extra 5 minutes or so to cook through and brown.

This in another recipe I’m recreating from that restaurant we love in San Francisco, Gitane Restaurant and Bar. It is one their Catalan Flatbreads.

Merguez is a fresh sausage made with lamb, beef, pork, or a mixture of two or all three. It is heavily spiced with harissa, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, fennel, and more. You can buy it online from several sources or make the homemade version, provided here.

For some insane reason, I forgot to sprinkle my finished flatbread with the fresh cilantro. It could have had something to do with all the martinis I was making (and enjoying) all night! Don’t follow my lead, it is the cilantro that truly makes this flatbread exceptional. Oh, and no worries, I promise that the martini recipes using my infused vodkas will be posted on Sunday.

Lamb Merguez Flatbread

Lamb Merguez
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
8-ounces smoked bacon
1 pound ground lamb
1 small head garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons harissa, or more to taste
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
Flatbread
1  1/4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1  1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers; cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces Fontina cheese, grated
1 bunch fresh cilantro; well washed, dried, and roughly chopped

Lamb Merguez: Place the fennel, cinnamon, peppercorns, coriander, and cumin seed in an electric spice grinder. Pulse until spices are ground together. Set aside.

Place the raw bacon strips in a the bowl of food processor and process, using the pulse button, until nearly smooth. Add the lamb, the spice mixture, garlic, harissa, and vinegar. Combine all ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Flatbread:  In the bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, stir together water, yeast, and sugar until well mixed. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Add flour to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add oil and mix on low speed until combined. Switch from paddle to dough hook and knead on medium speed until dough is elastic and pulls away from sides, about 6 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape dough into ball and transfer to bowl. Turn over  to coat lightly with oil, then cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

While dough is rising, position rack near bottom of oven and place a pizza stone on the rack. Preheat oven to 450 degrees for 1 hour. Prepare the toppings.

Lamb and Toppings:  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon or two of the lamb. Stir until cooked through. Remove from pan and taste, add more harissa, if needed.  Once the lamb is to your liking, heat the skillet again and cook up all of the lamb, breaking up with a metal spatula until completely cooked through.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Do not wash out the skillet.

Heat the same skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and when hot, saute the peppers and onion for 2 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Continue to saute until the peppers are just crisp-tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate to cool.

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a long thin rectangle with a rolling pin on a floured surface until each is about 1/8-inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap so pieces do not dry out. Transfer one flatbread at a time to a pizza peel or the bottom of a large baking sheet, dusted with flour.

Transfer 1 flatbread at a time to preheated pizza stone and bake in batches until slightly puffed but still pale, about 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. (Flatbread crusts may be pre-baked in this manner up to 2 hours ahead.)

Assemble and Bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees with pizza stone in place for 1 hour.

Brush each flatbread with olive oil. Scatter with cheese, lamb merguez, and pepper-onion mixture.

Transfer 1 or more flatbreads to preheated pizza stone and bake in batches until toppings are warmed through and cheese has melted, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer flatbreads to a large cutting board and top with cilantro Using a very sharp knife, cut into rectangular slices and serve immediately.

Makes about 20 to 24 slices

Tonight is the big Cookbook Happy Hour. In the next week, I’ll post recipes for the drinks and appetizers we enjoyed; including drink recipes for those infused vodkas I made at the end of July.  Now a little rundown of the blog birthday official numbers…

2 years
730 days
668 posts
577 recipes
1,508 comments (Thank YOU!)
11,876 spam (what the heck?!?)

Enough reflection – time for a recipe #578.

Another place that Kathy took me out to eat while in Florida was to Rocco’s Tacos in West Palm Beach.  Cute name, nice place, with a huge menu.. but really, we had to order tacos for lunch.  With that name, it wasn’t really much of a decision. The tacos were satisfactory, the sangria and guacamole yummy, but what intrigued me was the special salad of the day. I dissected it and made it for dinner last night… it is a winner.  Especially the chipotle vinaigrette I created. It would be awesome on a potato salad or coleslaw too. Check it out and see if you agree.

Romaine Salad with Chili Crusted Chicken and Sweet Chipotle Vinaigrette

Sweet Chipotle Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced red onion
Freshly ground black pepper

Chili Crusted Chicken
1 large lemon
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon peeled and minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salad
2 hearts of romaine; washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup thin red onion slices
1 cup roasted red pepper slices
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed

Sweet Chipotle Vinaigrette: Place all ingredients, except the red onion, in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the red onion.  Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Chili Crusted Chicken:  Zest and juice the lemon into a small bowl.  Stir in the oregano and chili powder to make a paste. Stir in the garlic.

Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the top side of the breasts and then coat with the chili paste.  Leave the bottom side of breasts uncoated.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add remaining olive oil and sear the chicken, uncoated-side down.  Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes. 

Turn chicken over onto the top coated-side and cook for 5 or 6 additional minutes, or until chicken is cooked completely through.  Set aside until cool enough to handle, then slice on a diagonal.

Salad:  Place the romaine in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Divide evenly between 4 large dinner plates. In the same bowl, add the onion, pepper, avocado, and corn and toss with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette. Divide evenly between the dinner plates, topping the lettuce.  Finally, place the sliced chicken in the same bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Lay the chicken slices atop the salad, along the outside edge.  Serve, passing the remaining vinaigrette.

Serves 4

Last Monday morning, after Marissa had left for work and I returned back to her apartment from taking Dave to the airport, I sat down to eat lunch. It consisted of a boxed salad I’d picked up at Trader Joe’s the day before. My plan was to eat half of it and save the remaining half for lunch on Tuesday; that didn’t happen. I scarfed down the entire tasty thing.  Monday night, when Marissa came home from work, we jumped in her car and headed back to Trader Joe’s to do her “big” grocery run.  She would finally have stocked shelves, refrigerator, freezer, and wine rack and could stop eating like like a “third grader with a drinking problem.” Instead she is now a young woman with healthy choices and plenty of nice wine to accompany her adult meals. (Did you know that in California “Two Buck Chuck” is actually two bucks, well actually $1.99?  Not that the $2.99 we pay in AZ is a bad deal, but I always wondered why it was called “Two Buck” when it really cost three bucks… now I know.)

Anyhow, point is, I picked up another box of the same salad for my Tuesday lunch… and finished it off again after a long morning of shopping for the apartment. I’d made myself a long “must get” list, which resulted in a late (as in around 2:30) lunch, so I was famished.  Now what was I going to to for my lunch on Wednesday?  You guessed it… I bought another box of the same salad.  And this time, I didn’t even bother transferring to a dinner plate, just ate it right out of the plastic box, pitiful!

Believe it or not, I’m not sick of it yet… so I made it for dinner last night.  Best part? There are leftovers. I’ll be having it for lunch today, and I’m already looking forward to it.  The recipe I’m going to give you has several revisions, substitutions, and two regrettable omissions.

• I used seared scallops instead of grilled chicken, just because I had scallops in the freezer I wanted to use up. Any protein will do, chicken, fish, beef, or pork… or none at all, it’s a filling salad with or without.
• I substituted Jarlsberg Swiss cheese for the Asiago, again because I had it on hand, I’ve decided I prefer the Asiago.
• I used red Belgium endive instead of red cabbage because I didn’t want a nearly full head of cabbage leftover and I adore those little packs of 2 white and 1 red Belgium you can get at TJ’s.  They never go to waste around here.
• I subbed other dried fruits for the dried currants in the TJ version. There is a package of TJ’s Triple Fruit Treat in my pantry (a mix of dried mango, cranberries & blackberries). This, I recommend highly, it really added to the salad. Besides, currants are hard to find, even TJ’s rarely has them available.
• And finally, I forgot that the salad had corn and diced red bell peppers in it until I went to post the picture here a few minutes ago. So you won’t see corn or peppers in the picture of my salad, but I’m adding them to the recipe, they are a must!

Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Seared Scallops and Sweet Basil Dressing ala Trader Joe’s

Sweet Basil Dressing
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup water, or more to adjust to desired consistency
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salad
1  3/4 cups water
1  1/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 pound sea scallops, defrosted and patted very dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 hearts Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 head red Belgium endive, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted and patted very dry
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red bell pepper; cored, seeded and diced
3/4 dried TJ’s Triple Fruit Treat, or any dried fruit of your choice
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Dressing:  Place all ingredients, except the oil and black pepper, in a blender or food processor and blend on high until well combined. With the motor running, add oil in a steady stream through the feed tube, until the mixture is thick and emulsified. Taste and thin with more water if desired. Season with black pepper, to taste.  Makes about 3 cups. May be stored in a jar for up to 12 days in the refrigerator.

Salad: Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the couscous and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and spread out onto a large baking sheet to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, pat scallops dry and generously season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil and butter.  When the butter is bubbling, add the scallops. Do not crowd the pan, leave space between each scallop; sear until golden brown on one side, turn over and sear on other side until golden brown and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. When scallops have cooled slightly, cut each into 4 pieces.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the cooled couscous, Romaine, endive, corn, green onions, bell pepper, dried fruit, and cheese. Divide between 6 dinner plates or large flat bowls and top with toasted pecans and scallops. Pour dressing into a small bowl or pitcher. Pass at the table and allow guests to dress their own salad.

Serves 6

It’s been 5 weeks and 1 day since I put my 23 year old daughter on a plane to San Francisco to begin a new job in a new city, without a place to live. What a wonderful and caring mother I am! She has been homeless ever since. OK, not living on the street-homeless, thank God! But sleeping on a friend’s couch for what will end up being 6-weeks-homeless. I also thank God for her very good and kind friend, Amanda, who’s couch she sleeps on! xoxoxoxo Amanda, can’t wait to meet you.

And I will meet Amanda next weekend when Dave and I pull up in the rented U-Haul, pulling Marissa’s VW bug behind, to her new home. Marissa, Amanda, and a new friend, Jessica, found a place to live together. This was the plan all along; it’s just taken all this time to find the place and wait for it to be ready. Sleeping on a couch for 6 weeks, wasn’t part of the original plan, but I’m forever grateful that it was an option.

So, now I’m in the purging mood. Our 3rd stall garage, Marissa’s bedroom, and the upstairs playroom have had Marissa’s boxes and furniture covering the floors. There hasn’t been a couch in the playroom (in front of the best TV in the house) for 7 weeks, since we gave it to Connor to take up to Flagstaff for his new apartment, and the house has been in disarray and in a bit of a funk these past two months.

That is coming to a screeching halt. Yesterday we bought a new leather sofa and love-seat for the playroom (with a total of four undetectable recliners -count them – 4!!!) We tested them out last night, and man are they comfy. Also, I’ve been going through stacks of old food magazines, purging! Boy does that feel good!

It’s bittersweet to go through the now-defunct Gourmet magazines. In the January 2008 issue I found an easy-breezy and super yummy recipe, that I altered slightly, to share with you.  And, darling Marissa, I’ll make it for you, Amanda, and Jessica when I see you next weekend.  We can enjoy it while we move you into your new home… finally!

Pimento Cheese Spread

4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup diced roasted red pepper, well drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crackers and/or crudites

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Mix together the cheese, paprika, mayonnaise, red pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  Place into an over-proof crock.

Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes to heat through. Turn broiler on high and broil for about two minutes until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from oven and serve with crackers or crudites.

Flavored vodkas are easily found in every liquor store and are even easier to make at home.  All you need are fruits, herbs, and/or vegetables of your choice – plus some high quality vodka… oh, and about 7 to 10 days (with the exception of the jalapeno vodka, that will be ready in 3 to 5 days).  I’ll be making four different flavors today and will follow up at the end of the month with a cocktail for each flavor.  So if you want to join me, run out and buy the ingredients today and we’ll toast each other in about a week!

Vegetable Vodka

3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
3 green onions, quartered lengthwise and then halved
4-inches off the top of 1 bunch of celery, including leaves
1/2 fennel bulb plus a few fronds, thinly sliced
4 cups premium vodka

Place garlic and vegetables in a large clean and air-tight jar or bottle, add vodka and store in a dark and cool place for 7 to 10 days. Shake the container at least once, and up to 3 times, a day.

Once vodka is infused, strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer into another clean jar or bowl.  You can return it to it’s original jar if you would like, cleaning the jar or bottle thoroughly first. Store as you would any other vodka.

Pineapple Vodka

3/4 fresh pineapple, trimmed, cored and cut into thin slices
2 cups premium vodka

Place pineapple slices in a large clean and air-tight jar or bottle, add vodka and store in a dark and cool place for 7 to 10 days. Shake the container at least once, and up to 3 times, a day.

Once vodka is infused, strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer into another clean jar or bowl.  You can return it to it’s original jar if you would like, cleaning the jar or bottle thoroughly first. Store as you would any other vodka.

Jalapeno Vodka

5 large jalapeno peppers, cut into thin slices
2 cups vodka

Place jalapeno slices in a clean and air-tight jar or bottle, add vodka and store in a dark and cool place for 3 to 5 days. Shake the container at least once, and up to 3 times, a day.

Once vodka is infused, strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer into another clean jar or bowl.  You can return it to it’s original jar if you would like, cleaning the jar or bottle thoroughly first. Store as you would any other vodka.

Berry-Basil Vodka

16-ounce package strawberries, hulled and cut into 6 wedges, lengthwise
6-ounce package raspberries
12 basil leaves, lightly crushed
3 cups premium vodka

Place berries and basil leaves in a large clean and air-tight jar or bottle, add vodka and store in a dark and cool place for 7 to 10 days. Shake the container at least once, and up to 3 times, a day.

Once vodka is infused, strain the vodka through a fine mesh strainer into another clean jar or bowl.  You can return it to it’s original jar if you would like, cleaning the jar or bottle thoroughly first. Store as you would any other vodka.

Sometimes my friends and neighbors comment that a few of my recipes are too complicated or time-consuming. For you lovey ladies, I offer this…

On my quest to use up a bunch of cubed peaches left over from cooking classes, I stumbled upon a cole slaw “kit” in the produce department at my neighborhood Safeway. It not only included the usual julienned carrot and shredded red and green cabbages, but also a little packet of “sweet & creamy” dressing.  I added in some diced red bell pepper for color and crunch, my peaches, and then dressed up the dressing with a little Dijon and had the perfect easy breezy side dish.

Peach Slaw

8.5-ounce package Fresh Express Cole Slaw Kit
(or 4 cups mixed shredded red and green cabbage and shredded carrots, plus 1/4 cup slaw dressing)
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 medium peaches, pitted and cubed
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together dressing and mustard in a large bowl; add coleslaw mix, peaches, and red pepper; toss to mix. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired

Serve or refrigerate for up to 1 hour.

Serves 6