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Spring
Food
Spring is finally here and it is time to lighten
up your dinner fare with
some dishes that just
scream about spring's
arrival. Here are some
of my favorite spring
time dishes.
Lamb Chops with Rosemary
8 loin lamb chops, fat
trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable
oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon minced fresh
rosemary leaves
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
2 teaspoons whole-grain
mustard
3 tablespoons heavy
cream
Heat a large skillet
over medium-high heat.
Dry the lamb chops well
and season with salt and
pepper. Add the oil to
the pan and heat until
shimmering. Lay chops in
the pan and cook,
turning once, about 5
minutes per side. After
cooking the lamb on each
side, stand it up on its
edges to brown the sides
as well, about 2 minutes
more. Remove chops from
the skillet and set
aside in a warm place.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add the garlic
and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine and
rosemary, stirring up
browned bits from the
bottom of the pan, and
simmer over high heat
until syrupy, about 3 to
4 minutes. Add the
chicken broth and cook
until reduced by half,
another 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat
and whisk in the butter.
When the butter has
incorporated, whisk in
the mustard and heavy
cream. Season with
additional salt and
pepper.
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Fancy Grilled Chicken
Salad
Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
4 whole boneless,
skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons fresh
rosemary
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water chestnuts,
sliced
1/2 cup sun dried
tomatoes, chopped
1/2 pound asparagus,
blanched and cut into
thirds
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound Gorgonzola or
stilton
6-8 cups lettuce leaves,
preferably Bibb or other
soft lettuce
Vinaigrette: Whisk
together all ingredients
and set aside.
Marinate chicken in 1/2 cup vinaigrette at least 1 hour. Grill
chicken, then slice in
strips and toss with
rosemary. Saute peppers
and onions briefly in 2
tablespoons olive oil.
Combine chicken, peppers, onions, water chestnuts, sun dried
tomatoes and asparagus
in a bowl.
Add salt, pepper, Gorgonzola or Stilton, and remaining olive oil.
Toss well.
Line plates with lettuce and place chicken salad on top.
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Asparagus with Lemon
Butter
1/2 pound fresh
asparagus
Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Wash asparagus and trim
off bottom of stems by
about 2 inches. In a
large skillet, bring
about 1/2 inch of water
to a rapid boil. Season
the water with salt and
add the asparagus. Cook
the asparagus for 2-3
minutes or until bright
green and just tender.
Drain the asparagus and
add butter to the
skillet. Stir in the
zest and juice. Return
the drained asparagus to
the skillet and toss to
coat. Serve immediately
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If you do not like mint, use any fresh herb here.
The herbs really
brighten the flavor of
the potatoes.
Smashed New Potatoes
with Fresh Mint
2 pounds red new
potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped fresh
mint leaves
1/2 cup (1 stick)
unsalted butter, cut in
chunks
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of
salted water to a boil.
Add the potatoes and
cook, uncovered, for
about 20 minutes, until
the potatoes are fork
tender. Drain the
potatoes and put them in
a mixing bowl while they
are still hot. Add the
chopped mint and mash.
Fold in the butter and
stir everything
together. Drizzle with
the olive oil and season
with salt and pepper.
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Orzo with Green Beans
and Tomatoes
1 1/4 pounds thin green
beans, chopped
2 cups orzo
½ onion, minced
2 garlic cloves
4 medium vine-ripened
tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white-wine
vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped
flat-leafed parsley
leaves
1 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper
In a large skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderate heat
until onion is softened.
Add tomatoes and cook,
stirring, until tomatoes
are softened, about 2
minutes. Remove skillet
from heat.
Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. In boiling salted water
blanch beans 1 minute.
With a slotted spoon
transfer beans to ice
water to stop cooking.
Drain beans well in a
colander and pat dry.
Add beans to tomato
mixture and return water
in kettle to a boil.
Boil orzo until al dente
and drain in colander.
Add orzo to bean mixture
with vinegar, parsley,
feta, and salt and
pepper to taste, tossing
to combine well
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Exotic Fruit Salad
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 shallot, minced
Salt and pepper
½ cup canola oil
For the salad:
1 mango, peeled, seeded
and cut into 1/4-inch
strips
1 papaya peeled, seeded
and cut into 1/4-inch
strips
1/2 cup dried
cranberries
1/2 cup banana chips
1/2 cup macadamia nuts,
chopped
Salt and pepper
For the vinaigrette:
Whisk together the
pineapple juice, red
wine vinegar, shallot
and salt and pepper.
Slowly incorporate the
canola oil. Taste, for
seasoning.
For the salad:
In a large salad bowl,
toss together the mango,
papaya, cranberries,
banana chips and
macadamia nuts with 1
cup of the vinaigrette.
Season lightly with salt
and pepper.
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Sour Cream Pound Cake
with Fresh Berries
1/2 pound (2 sticks)
butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pint fresh berries, washed and dried
Preheat oven to 325
degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and cream
together. Add the sour
cream and mix until
incorporated. Sift the
baking soda and flour
together. Add to the
creamed mixture
alternating with eggs,
beating each egg 1 at a
time. Add the vanilla
and pour the mixture
into a greased and
floured 10-inch tube
pan. Bake for 1 hour 20
minutes. Serve with
berries. |
