bbq.chicken.and.grilled.corn.salad

So, I totally suck and haven’t updated this blog in months. I’ll skip the excuses and get right to the food:

It’s been so long since I made this dish that I can’t remember where I got the recipe. I know I improvised and changed ingredients, though, so it’s not directly copied from someone else.

I do remember that it was freaking delicious, and I highly recommend you try it. There aren’t a ton of ingredients and they’re all simply prepared, so it’s easy to throw this dish together without a ton of planning – Just a trip to the farmer’s market and your local humane meat purveyor is all it takes.

I like to enjoy this meal with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin-on
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 ears of corn on the cob
• three heirloom tomatoes (or regular, if you can’t get the good stuff)
• a couple of handfuls of salad greens
• BBQ sauce
• mozzarella, for finishing
• cilantro
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper both sides of each breast. Preheat the grill on high, and start cooking the chicken, skin side down. After three minutes (give or take, depending on the size of your chicken and the heat of your grill), flip the breasts over. After another three minutes or so, turn the heat down to medium or medium-high. Cook the breasts for about 11 more minutes (again, depending on their size and thickness). If you aren’t sure whether or not they’re finished cooking, use a meat thermometer to verify the temperature.

Remove chicken from the grill, cover with foil, and allow to rest.

Make sure the grill heat is at medium-high. Remove husks from corn cobs. Rub each cob with olive oil, then place on grill, leaving room around each cob so that they’re not squished together.

Turn the cobs 1/4 turn every 5 minutes or so, depending on how fast they are cooking (use your best judgment). When they’re cooked on all sides, remove from grill and cover with foil. Turn off grill.

While the chicken and corn are grilling, dice the onion and chop the tomatoes. Wash and dry salad greens and chop cilantro.

Making sure the chicken breasts have had at least 5 minutes to rest, remove the skin and carve or pull the meat from the bone. Add it to a bowl with the onions, and add enough BBQ sauce to coat. Toss.

Slice kernels from corn cobs and add to chicken and onion mixture. Add salad greens and tomatoes, and toss so that everything is nicely mixed and the BBQ sauce is distributed. Garnish with cilantro and shredded mozzarella.

fresh.corn.and.sweet.tomato.salad

This is a recipe based on a dish in the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, but I made some changes and substitutions in my version. I was lucky enough to have really fresh corn and tomatoes from the CSA box, and I swear, the salad tasted like summer..Sweet, crunchy, refreshing, and with a little zing.

Ingredients:

• About 15 Sweet 100 or other, similar tomatoes
• 1 or 2 ears of young, sweet corn
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• a few handfuls of arugula

Instructions:

Using a sharp knife, remove kernels of corn from cob (try to avoid cutting into the cob itself).

Mix olive oil, vinegar, red onion, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add arugula and toss to coat.

Halve tomatoes; add to the salad, along with the corn. Toss mixture, then taste. Add more salt, pepper, vinegar, and/or olive oil, as needed.

three.grain.bread

I’ve made this bread twice, and it’s turned out really well both times. It’s very dense, but doesn’t taste heavy. I like toasting it for breakfast; add some butter and superfruit spread (from Trader Joe’s), and you have a pretty well-rounded meal. I also think it would be awesome spread with goat cheese and drizzled with honey. Or lavender honey. Mmm, lavender honey…

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup whole oats
• 1/2 cup flax meal
• 1-2 tbsp honey (mine is from Mendocino – bought it right from the bee guy!)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cup lukewarm water

Instructions:
Dissolve yeast in water. Add honey and stir. Add remaining ingredients, stirring until a dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about an hour. Form dough into round ball and place on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in size again. Cut a few slashes in the top of the dough, then bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, depending on the density of the dough.

ATTN SF Readers!

This is terrible, and really, really sad, but someone stole a kitten from the San Francisco SPCA. The kitten is only 3 months old, and is partially blind. He relies on his brother for help with many day-to-day activities, and now the two have been separated.

If you see anyone with a kitten like the one below, or hear about the person or persons who did it, please help return the kitten safely to Maddie’s Adoption Center.

Here is the SPCA’s announcement:

Stolen Kitten: Please Help The SF/SPCA Find “Jack Daniels”

Partially-Blind 3 Month Old Kitten Stolen from Maddie’s Adoption Center

WHAT:

Today, July 8, 2009, between 2-3:45 pm PT, three month old kitten, “Jack Daniels,” was stolen from The SF/SPCA’s Maddie’s Adoption Center at 250 Florida St. San Francisco. A description of the perpetrator(s) is not available.

A description of the cat is as follows:

• Color: Black
• Sex: male
• Breed: Domestic Short Hair
• Age: 3 months
• Weight: approximately 3.0 pounds
• Distinguishing characteristics: cloudy eyes (partially blind)
• Neutered
• Microchipped (#982009105787461)

He is a partially-blind kitten, who depends on his brother for many of life’s necessities.

He is particularly vulnerable and we are gravely concerned for his safety and well-being.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

If you have any information, or if you see a kitten fitting this description please contact Kiska Icard, Communications Manager for The San Francisco SPCA, 415.760.4265. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

WHERE:

The kitten can also be returned directly to The San Francisco SPCA’s Maddie’s Adoption Center, 250 Florida St. San Francisco, 415.522.3500, which is open daily 11 am-6 pm (Wednesdays 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.).

http://www.sfspca.org/about-us/press/press-releases/stolen-kitten-please-help.html

whole.wheat.buckwheat.flax.seed.bread

As promised, I am posting the experimental whole wheat-buckwheat bread. It turned out well, and I plan to make another variation over the weekend so that I can play around with ratios and maybe make some substitutions and/or additions.

I based my dough on a Whole Wheat Flax Bread recipe on the King Arthur Flour web site, but used buckwheat flour instead of the pumpernickel they suggested. Their recipe also called for Unbleached Special Bread Flour, which I didn’t have, so I substituted regular unbleached flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 cup milled flax
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unbleached white flour

Instructions:

Mix ingredients in a large bowl until a dough is formed. Cover the dough and allow it to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Shape dough into a round ball and place on a floured baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk again. Slash the top a few times, then bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 45-60 minutes.

buckwheat.wholewheat.anything?

I’ve heard that buckwheat is incredibly nutritious, and that it would do us all pretty well to incorporate it into our baking on a regular basis. I’m always interested in trying new ingredients, and this one has been on my mind for awhile now. I’ve never used it before, but bought some the other day with the intention of experimenting a little…

Upon further consideration, I decided that maybe I should ask around for ideas on what to make. So, here I am, asking:

What have you made or eaten that was so full of buckwheat-y deliciousness that I just have to try it? Please, share!

[If no one  responds to this post, I'll be posting either buttermilk-buckwheat pancakes or whole wheat buckwheat bread in a few days. =]

bread.salad

Bread salad offers a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. It’s pretty easy to make, and is a great way to use leftover bread (at least a day old, but older works, too).

I got the original recipe from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, but have made some moderations and omissions based on the ingredients I had on hand.

Recipe

You will need:

• About 1/2 loaf of day-old bread (not sourdough)
• 4-6 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp champagne vinegar
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 tbsp dried currants
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 bulbs fresh green garlic (with stalks), chopped
• 1 medium red spring onion, chopped
• a few handfuls of salad greens

Preheat the broiler.

Put the currants in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar and set aside.

Cut the bread into 3 or 4 large chunks, cutting off most of the crust (top, bottom, and sides). Brush the bread with olive oil, then broil briefly. If your broiler is very hot, it will only take a minute or two. Turn the chunks over to broil the other side. Tear the chunks into irregularly-sized pieces.

Combine 3 tbsp olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with the torn bread in a large bowl. Taste the bread, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Put pine nuts on a baking sheet lined with foil, and stick in the still-warm oven for a few minutes, just to warm through.

Add about a teaspoon of olive oil to a small skillet, add the green garlic and red spring onion, and saute briefly. You don’t want them to color, just to soften. Scrape into the bread and fold to combine.

Drain the currants and add to the bread bowl. Add the pine nuts. Taste the bread. If it is bland, add more salt, pepper, and/or vinegar. Add the greens, and drizzle with any remaining vinaigrette. Fold well. Serve warm.

red.fruity.sangria

This is a recipe I came up with because we had leftover fruit from breakfast this past weekend. There were strawberries from the CSA and mango that Vivian brought over, so I soaked them in brandy and made sangria later that night.

It was delicious, especially when I tried it the following evening, when it had soaked for another full day.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup mango, cubed
• 1/2 lime, sliced
• 1/2 orange, sliced
• The juice of one lime
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 2 shots tequila
• 1 bottle red wine (I used Chianti)
• 1/2 bottle rose wine
• 1 10-oz can unsweetened pineapple juice

Directions:

Soak the fruit in the brandy for at least an hour. Add fruit and brandy to large pitcher. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Chill before serving.

calabacitas

I apologize for the poor picture quality, but the lighting in our kitchen is terrible.

Anyway, I made this dish in an attempt to imitate one of the sides offered at Green Chile Kitchen, here in San Francisco. I’m not entirely sure what they put into theirs, especially as far as spices and seasonings go, but this version turned out really well: the texture of both the zucchini and squash were ideal (i.e. not too crisp, not too soft), and the chili powder and garlic impart an extra level of flavor that really make the dish.

The zucchini, squash, and red onion came from our CSA box, and were more full-flavored that other varieties I’ve tried. I recommend trying to find the freshest vegetables possible for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 medium squash (I used pattypan), chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 large red onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add zucchini, squash, and onion, and turn heat to medium-high.

Add chili powder, salt, and pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked to desired tenderness (for me, it was about 15 minutes).

Taste, adjusting seasonings as your preference dictates.

Serve hot!

crunchy.cole.slaw.with.sesame.seeds

This recipe is really easy, fresh, and delicious. There’s no cooking involved, unless you have to toast the sesame seeds. I lucked out and found pre-toasted seeds at the store. Who knew?

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, shredded
• 1/2 to 3/4 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (fresh from the lemon is best)
• 2 tbsp white wine or champagne vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• salt to taste

In a large bowl, combine carrots, cabbage, and green onion.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds.

Add liquid mixture to the vegetables, then toss with sesame seeds.

Eat!

I’m thinking about sauteing the leftovers..I’ll be sure to update if it turns out well. Enjoy!