Category: Recipes

Jun 22, 2010

Time to light the grill

We love to grill.  Year round.  Weber kettles and charcoal, baby.

Tonight’s menu:

insalata caprese, grilled chicken, spinach risotto, and a decadent chocolate cake from Marty & Sue, who joined us for dinner.

Delicious!

Here’s how we do the chicken, in case you want to give it a try, too……

Grilled Chicken

1 whole chicken
a couple fresh rosemary sprigs
olive oil
kosher salt and ground black pepper

Prepare coals for indirect cooking (2 piles – on left and right side of grill).  Clean chicken, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper inside and out, stuff a few sprigs of rosemary inside (and sometimes a chunk of onion, apple, ..), tie the bird up and put in the center of the grill breast-side down (though we’ve tried both ways, I think it’s juicier this way).  Cook for about 15 minutes per pound.   Remove from grill and let sit 10-15 minutes before carving.

Jun 16, 2010

Pesto!

For dinner tonight Monte decided it was time to make pesto.   He went out back and thinned our basil garden by about 3 plants.  The result is what you see here.  It was delicious.  We tried it on some pasta a little later and it was even better.

Here’s the recipe we used:

Fresh Basil Pesto (makes ~ 1 cup)
2 c fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan-reggiano or romano cheese
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic,  minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine basil with pine nuts in food processor.  Pulse a few times.  Add garlic, pulse a few more times.

Slowly add olive oil while food processor is on.  Scrape down sides of food processor several times.  Add grated cheese and pulse again until blended.  Add salt/black pepper.

Can’t wait to try it on pizza!

Jun 10, 2010

Oooh Ooh Ooh Oooooh Ooh - I LOVE sangria wine!

Tomorrow we are taking the day off and joining our favorite bunch of crazies on a 3-4 day up-the-river-cruise.  The lake is still full, which means we can get pretty far up to see some beautiful scenery.  Our marina is at mile marker 14 and we’ll anchor at mile marker 47 tomorrow night.   We’ll make our way back to the marina over the course of the next few days.  It’s gonna be FUN!!

One of the staples of any overnight raft-up on the lake is sangria.  I made a batch tonight to put in the cooler in the morning.    I have found a recipe I really like:

Sangria (I usually double this recipe)

1 bottle red wine (I use a Spanish tempranillo)
1/4 c brandy
1/4 c sugar
1 apple, 1 orange, 1 lemon – sliced (try to remove the seeds)
several friends

Shake everything up together and chill
Right before serving add about 1 – 2 cups chilled club soda.

Oh, by the way, if you’re going to make this recipe, it is also mandatory that you sing the B-dock anthem while you’re sipping on a glass.  Here’s a youtube  link so you can start practicing!

Apr 29, 2010

Recycling bananas

I’ve been staring at a couple of brown bananas on the counter today.   Instead of tossing them into the compost bin, I decided to bake some banana bread.   Mmmm, smells great!

I used an easy recipe from our so-very-well-used-that-it’s-falling-out-of-its-binding Joy of Cooking.

Banana Bread

1 1/3 c flour
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
5 1/3 T unsalted butter
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c mashed very ripe bananas (~2)
1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Whisk together first 4 dry ingredients.  In separate large bowl beat butter and sugar on high speed until lightened in color and texture, 2-3 minutes.   Add dry ingredient mixture to butter/sugar and beat until blended.  Gradually beat in eggs.   Fold in bananas & nuts until just combined.  Spread evenly in greased 8 1/2″  x 4 1/2″ loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 mins, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Cool in pan 5-10 minutes then turn out onto rack.

Apr 15, 2010

Biscotti!

I made a batch of almond biscotti tonight for a road trip tomorrow.

Almond Biscotti (makes about 2 dozen)

2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 c slivered almonds
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 eggs + 1 egg white
vegetable cooking spray

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in separate bowl, and then add to dry mixture, stirring until well blended.  The dough will be very dry.

Turn dough out onto  lightly floured surface and knead lightly 7-8 times.  Shape dough into 16″ long flat loaf.  Place loaf on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.   Flatten loaf to 1″ thickness.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.   Remove loaf to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Cut loaf into approx 24 half-inch thick slices and place, cut sides down, on baking sheet.

Reduce oven temp to 325 degrees and cook 10 minutes each side (cook slightly less on each side if you like softer biscotti).   Remove from sheet to wire rack and let cool completely.

Enjoy!