Chicken Breasts with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and Olives
Greek Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Bitter Greens Salad with Spiced Pecans and Persimmons
Moroccan Lamb Burgers
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Orange-Honey Butter
Chicken Breasts with Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini and Olives
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbs. chopped shallot
2 cups halved red and yellow cherry tomatoes or whole small cherry tomatoes, such as grape tomatoes or Sweet 100s, stems removed
1/3 cup pitted, coarsely chopped black Mediterranean olives
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each about 6 oz., pounded to an even thickness
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice or 1 3/4 cups orzo, cooked according to package directions
In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are heated through but not collapsed, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pan. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and firm when pressed in the centers, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Return the vegetables to the pan and cook for 1 minute to reheat, stirring once or twice. Transfer to a warmed platter and top with the chicken breasts. Serve immediately with hot rice. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Chicken, by Rick Rodgers (Simon & Schuster, 2001).
Greek Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
The Mediterranean countries are all olive-oil producers, and each country, even each region within a country, has its own style of oil. Oils from Greece tend to be rich yet mellow. Tuscan oils are distinctly peppery, while Sicilian oils are “big” and earthy. Olive oils from the south coast of France are buttery. Whenever possible, choose oils that match the style of a dish, with lighter, milder oils for delicate salads, vegetables or fish. More robust olive oils pair well with sturdier vegetables, anchovies, garlic, dark greens and red meats.
2 red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cucumbers
2 red onions
1⁄2 lb. feta cheese
1 garlic clove
3⁄4 cup Kalamata olives
6 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 Tbs. capers, rinsed
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. minced fresh dill
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1⁄3 cup fruity extra-virgin olive oil
Seed the bell peppers and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Stem the cherry tomatoes and halve one-half of them, leaving the others whole. Peel and thickly slice the cucumbers, and thinly slice the red onions. Cut the feta cheese into 1-inch cubes. Crush and mince the garlic clove.
In a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, feta cheese, olives, anchovies and capers and toss together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, dill, oregano, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to make a thick dressing. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and serve immediately. Serves 8. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Salad, by Georgeanne Brennan (Simon & Schuster, 2001).
Bitter Greens Salad with Spiced Pecans and Persimmons
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup pecan halves
4 Fuyu persimmons
2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1/4 lbs. mixed bitter salad greens, such as radicchio, arugula, escarole and frisée
3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, at room temperature
In a heavy fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the cumin, cinnamon and cayenne and stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and a scant 1/4 tsp. salt, stir well and then add the pecans. Cook the pecans, stirring often, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Let the spiced pecans cool completely.
Cut the persimmons in half lengthwise, trim off the stem ends and cut the halves into thin slices.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, olive oil and mayonnaise until well blended to make a dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the salad greens in a bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Add the persimmons and spiced pecans to the bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave curls of the cheese into the bowl and toss gently. Divide the salad among chilled plates and serve immediately. Serves 8.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers, by Amy Sherman (Oxmoor House, 2008).
Moroccan Lamb Burgers
1 1/2 lb. ground lean lamb
5 Tbs. minced fresh mint
5 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 large cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
4 pita bread rounds, cut into wedges
Prepare a hot fire in a grill.
In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together the lamb, 4 Tbs. of the mint, 4 Tbs. of the parsley, the onion, 1 tsp. of the cumin, the cinnamon, the 1/2 tsp. salt and a pinch of cayenne. Form the lamb mixture into 4 oval patties.
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, the remaining 1 Tbs. each mint and parsley and the remaining 1/4 tsp. cumin. Season with salt and cayenne. Set aside.
Oil the grill rack. Grill the lamb patties, turning once, for about 10 minutes total for medium, or until done to your liking. Alternatively, cook the lamb patties on the stovetop in a heavy fry pan over medium-high heat, turning once, for about 10 minutes total for medium.
Place a lamb patty on each of 4 plates, then top each patty with a spoonful of the yogurt sauce, sprinkle with the tomatoes and serve along with the cucumber slices. Pass the remaining yogurt sauce and the pita bread at the table. Serves 4.Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Weeknight, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2006).
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Orange-Honey Butter
To segment an orange or other citrus fruit, cut a slice off the top and bottom of the fruit down to the flesh, then stand it upright. Following the contour of the fruit, slice off the peel and white pith in thick strips to reveal the flesh. Holding the fruit over a bowl, cut on either side of each membrane to release the segments into the bowl. You can also use orange segments in fruit salad or to garnish molded desserts, such as panna cotta or flan.
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 small orange-fleshed sweet potato, about 1/2 lb.
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, for brushing, or more as needed
2 oranges, segmented
To make the orange-honey butter, in a bowl, combine the butter, honey, orange juice concentrate and orange zest. Using an electric mixer, beat until blended.
To make the pancakes, peel the sweet potato and cut crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Put the sweet potato slices into a collapsible steamer basket and set the basket over the boiling water. (The water should not touch the bottom of the steamer basket.) Cover and steam until the potato slices are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes. Transfer the slices to a plate and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 1 hour.
Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 225°F.
Using the large shredding holes of a box grater-shredder, shred the sweet potato into a bowl.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and ginger. Add the buttermilk, eggs and the 1 Tbs. melted butter and whisk just until blended (some lumps will remain). Stir in 1 cup of the sweet potato (reserve the rest for another use).
Heat a large, nonstick fry pan over medium-low heat. Brush the pan with melted butter. Ladle a scant 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake, spacing them 1 to 2 inches apart. Cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on the bottom and bubbles have formed but have not yet broken on the top, about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve the pancakes topped with a small scoop of the orange-honey butter and garnish with orange segments. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Potato, by Selma Brown Morrow (Simon & Schuster, 2002).
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