Monday: Lemon Parsley Grilled Chicken, Chopped Mediterranean Salad
Lemon Parsley Grilled Chicken
This chicken can be served with a simply prepared vegetable for a light dinner. It can also be used in a sandwich or tossed with greens for a salad. The chicken should be marinated no less than 30 minutes and no more than 1 hour.
| 1 | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
| 2 | tablespoons fresh lemon juice |
| 6 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves |
| 1 1/4 | teaspoons sugar |
| 3 | medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon) |
| 2 | tablespoons water |
| 4 | boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat |
| Vegetable oil for grill rack | |
| Large disposable aluminum baking pan |
Instructions
Whisk together mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl; set aside.
Whisk together remaining tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and water in medium bowl. Place marinade and chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes, flipping bag after 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, or about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Build modified two-level fire by arranging all coals over half of grill, leaving other half empty. Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill is ready when side with coals is medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 3 to 4 seconds).
Remove chicken from bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off. Place chicken on cooler side of grill, smooth-side down, with thicker side facing coals. Cover with disposable pan and cook until bottom of chicken just begins to develop light grill marks and is no longer translucent, 6 to 9 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and rotate so that thinner side faces coals. Cover with disposable pan and continue to cook until chicken is opaque and firm to touch and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 140 degrees, 6 to 9 minutes longer.
Move chicken to hotter side of grill and cook, uncovered, until dark grill marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and cook until dark grill marks appear and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let rest, tented with foil, 5 minutes. Slice each breast on bias into 1/4-inch-thick slices and transfer to individual plates. Drizzle with reserved sauce and serve.
Mediterranean Chopped Salad
My note: I was amazed at how delicious this simple salad is! It comes together so easily, and has a great taste with no need of extra salad dressing!
| 1 | medium cucumber , peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups) |
| 1 | pint grape tomatoes , quartered (about 1 1/2 cups) |
| Table salt | |
| 3 | tablespoons extra virgin olive oil |
| 3 | tablespoons red wine vinegar |
| 1 | medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon) |
| 1 | (14-ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed |
| 1/2 | cup chopped pitted kalamata olives |
| 1/2 | small minced red onion (about 1/4 cup) |
| 1/2 | cup roughly chopped fresh parsley |
| 1 | romaine heart , cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups) |
| 4 | ounces feta cheese , crumbled (about 1 cup) |
| Ground black pepper |
Instructions
Combine cucumber, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt in colander set over bowl and let stand 15 minutes.
Whisk oil, vinegar, and garlic together in large bowl. Add drained cucumber and tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, onion, and parsley; toss and let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, 5 minutes.
Add romaine and feta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Tuesday: Sausage and Cheese Strata, Home fries, Fruit Salad
Sausage and Cheese Strata
I like my strata with a crunchy top, because I like the different textures of creamy and crunchy.
So just be warned before you make this it isn't your typical soft strata, but I love it!
To weigh down the strata use boxes of chicken stock or ziploc bags full of rice or beans or sugar.
14-18 slices supermarket French bread (1/2 inch thick)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 package of bulk breakfast sausage
1 large shallot or 1 small onion
8 ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (optional)
1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar (6 ounces)
6 eggs
1 3/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.
Fry sausage in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage apart with wooden spoon, until sausage has lost raw color and begins to brown, about 4 minutes; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 1 minute longer. Add mushrooms to skillet, and cook until mushrooms no longer release liquid, about 6 minutes (if using); transfer mixture to medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of sausage mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining sausage mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs and parsley in medium bowl until combined; whisk in half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; it will not cover all the bread on top, but this is what makes the top crunchy. Cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 80 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.
I love Ina Garten's recipe.
Wednesday: Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Summer Salad
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Orange and Garlic Wet Rub
Pork tenderloins are often sold two to a package, each piece usually weighing 12 to 16 ounces. The cooking times below are for two average 12-ounce tenderloins; if necessary, adjust the times to suit the size of the cuts you are cooking. For maximum time efficiency, while the pork is brining, make the rub and then light the fire. If you opt not to brine, bypass step 1 in the recipe below and sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt before grilling. Use a rub (see related recipes) whether or not the pork has been brined—it adds flavor and forms a nice crust on the meat.
| 3 | tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tablespoons table salt) |
| 3/4 | cup granulated sugar |
| 2 | cups water (hot) |
| 2 | cups water (cold) |
| 2 | pork tenderloins , 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total, trimmed of silver skin (see below) |
Instructions
In medium bowl, dissolve salt and sugar in hot water; stir in cold water to cool mixture to room temperature. Add tenderloins, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1 hour. Remove from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels; set aside.
Meanwhile, ignite 1 large chimney using about 6 quarts of charcoal and burn until coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread coals evenly over one half of grill bottom, position grill rack, and heat until medium-hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill surface for three to four seconds). Scrub rack with wire grill brush.
If using wet rub, rub tenderloins with rub mixture. If using dry spice rub, coat tenderloins with oil and rub with spice mixture. Place tenderloins directly over coals and cook until well browned on all four sides, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Move tenderloins to cool part of grill and cover with overturned disposable aluminum roasting pan; continue to cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloin registers 145 degrees or until it is still slightly pink at center when cut with a paring knife, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer tenderloins to cutting board, cover with disposable aluminum pan, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and serve.
| 1 | tablespoon grated orange zest from 1 large orange |
| 2 | large cloves garlic , minced (about 1 tablespoon) |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves |
| 1 | tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 | tablespoon orange marmalade |
| 1/2 | teaspoon ground black pepper |
| 1/4 | teaspoon table salt |
Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.
Summer Salad
2 (6 ounce) bag of Baby Spinach
1 (16 ounce) package of strawberries, quartered
1 large pear, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette
Mix spinach, strawberries, pear, and pecans together. Serve with Dressing.
Thursday: Curried Vegetable Potpie, Salad
I know that this is more of a fall night meal, but I love this potpie enough to make it anytime of the year.
Curried Vegetable Potpie
This recipe is taken from Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home with a few adjustments. For instance I do not like puff pastry on my potpies, but if you do she calls for 1 package of frozen puff pastry thawed. I use a homemade pie crust so find one you love or use my link to a basic pie crust.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons, washed well
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 russet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 2-by-1/2-inch matchsticks
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon curry powder (adjust amount more or less according to your tastes)
1 cup frozen peas(unthawed)
1 recipe for pie crust
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pie crusts dough into four squares (each about 4 inches, just larger than an inverted baking dish). Make several slits in the dough for steam vents. Chill squares on a baking sheet until firm, 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-heat. Cook leek and carrots with 1 teaspoon salt, stirring frequently, until slightly soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Whisking constantly, stir in milk, potato, and curry powder. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer very gently until potato is tender, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Divide cooked vegetable mixture evenly among baking dishes. Stir 1/4 cup peas into each dish, then top with a square of dough. Brush pastry lightly with milk. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Friday: Pancetta Cheeseburgers, Grilled Corn, Sweet Potato Fries
Ok so obviously I am in a Martha Stewart mood because this is another Martha meal.
Pancetta Cheeseburgers
I love Fontina, but if you don't get a really great one it may get lost with the other strong flavors so if in doubt buy Swiss cheese instead.
Grilled Corn
Corn is one of my favorite summer time foods. One because it is sweet and second because it is CHEAP! And I love it grilled. This method may seem a little odd,but the extra steps are worth it.
If your corn isn't as sweet as you'd like, stir 1/2 cup of sugar into the water along with the salt. Avoid soaking the corn for more than 8 hours, or it will become overly salty.
Serves 4 to 6
| Salt and pepper | |
| 8 | ears corn , husks and silks removed |
| 8 | tablespoons unsalted butter , softened, or 1 recipe flavored butter (see related recipes) |
1. In large pot, stir 1/2 cup salt into 4 quarts cold water until dissolved. Add corn and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
2. Grill corn over hot fire, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until kernels are lightly charred all over, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove corn from grill, brush with softened butter, and season with salt and pepper. Serve.
If desired make a compound butter to go with your corn.
Taken from Cookscountry.com
Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4.
- 2 sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1/2-by-2-inch sticks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide potatoes between two rimmed baking sheets; toss with oil, season with salt,pepper,cumin and lime zest. Arrange in a single layer, without overlapping. Roast, tossing once, until tender and starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toss to coat.
This dish is not that fancy but I have so many fond memories eating it as a child it is still one of my favorite summer time desserts. This is also a great no bake dessert on a hot summer day!
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups Cool Whip
1 cup half and half
2 cans cherry pie filling
1. Combine the cracker crumbs and butter. Press 3/4 of the mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.
2. Blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix whipped topping and half and half together, then fold in cream cheese mixture.
3.Spread half of the mixture over the crust and top with all the cherry pie filling. Spread the rest of the cream cheese mixture on top then sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
We ate at some wonderful restaurants. Our nice dinner out was spent at 
