Grilled Escarole with Caesar Dressing and Sungold Tomatoes

If you have not yet discovered how delicious grilling your salad greens is, now is the time!

Sure, you can be like the crowd and grill your romaine or your kale but why not step way outside the box and get some escarole. Yes! Escarole!

Escarole is part of the bitter green family, which is so nutritious and good for you but sometimes hard to swallow because it is literally bitter, at least when it is raw. But grilling almost anything will not only wilt the greens bring out its hidden sweetness. Drizzle it with the delicious caesar dressing and even the most skeptical of eaters will be won over!

While you can definitely grill on the stovetop, which I do in the wintertime, grilling over wood charcoal gives it a great smoky flavor that only wood imparts.

Smoky Swiss Chard with Caesar Dressing and Garlic Breadcrumbs

When I lived in Los Angeles my sister and I started our own eating out club, trying fun and more high end restaurants so we could eat good food, dress up, and have a sisters' night out. On one of those nights we ate at Gjelina in Venice Beach, on Abbott Kinney Boulevard and a love affair began.

Small plates, amazing pizza, great wine list, fun people watching and just mind blowing food, every single time. And then 101 Cookbooks posted a recipe from Gjelina the cookbook. Who knew! Bought the book immediately and made this; it felt like I was sitting in that noisy corner restaurant again only we're more than 1,000 miles away. I can't rave enough, so I'll just sit back and let you all enjoy discovering the magic.

Reading through the book cover to cover in one sitting, no joke, I realized again the importance of garnishes and sauces for making a dish special. The vegetables really are the stars although there are chapters on meat and fish; but don't be fooled into thinking vegetarians won't adore this book as well. What chef Travis Lett does with condiments will split your head open like you had inhaled pop rocks!

Lett grills lots of greens in the restaurant and many of the recipes include this technique. While I made the dressing exactly as the recipe directed, I used the swiss chard that I had and grilled it on a flattop cast iron pan (it's round like a pan but has no sides) and it produced an incredibly smoky flavor with the chard. When summer comes, grilling greens (kale, lettuces, chicories) will surly become a staple.

Homemade Spelt Naan

Ahhh naan, it's the reason you go to an Indian restaurant, especially if they have a tandoor oven in which they make this fresh, delicious flat bread. You would think that it could only be made well in such a specialized oven, but fear not dear reader, you too can make delicious naan at home!

It does really help if you have a cast iron flat pan or griddle, but supposedly you can make it on a pizza stone as well (this sounds totally reasonable to me, although I have never tried it.)

When wheat and I parted ways, spelt came to my rescue and this is my version of naan with white spelt flour. As usual, it requires a little less liquid in the dough, but still makes a wonderfully chewy naan that everyone really appreciated!

Grilled Vegetable Terrine with Chevre

What you can't see under all of those crispy browned breadcrumbs is lusciously grilled vegetables layered with goat cheese and pureed tomatoes....ahh, summer heaven!

For me, firing up the grill should not be just for a single meal. So lots of veggies get grilled and this terrine usually makes an appearance in a day or two. You can easily use mozzarella in place of the chevre, but I find it too heavy; the chevre just melts into the tomato puree and basil and lets the veggies shine through as the highlight.

Summer grilling season doesn't last long, so don't wait to make this. And if you have that summer affliction, I mean abundance, of summer squash, here's the perfect antidote!

Pan Seared Cabbage with Honey Mustard Dressing

Ahh, cabbage, truly one of my favorite vegetables...not yours? Or your kids? It gets a bad rep, just like eggplant, which I usually attribute to the lack of artful presentation and preparation. But just like the girl next door who suddenly wows you when you see her dolled up or wearing a pretty dress, here's a recipe that will win hearts and palates.

Searing cabbage - yeah, you read that right. Searing cabbage will bring out the sweetness that is always lurking if treated right (the girl metaphor still seems to apply, strangely enough, treating her right that is). Add a luscious honey-mustard dressing to warm cabbage and sprinkle on some toasted seeds and your diners will be incredulous that the vegetable is in fact the lowly cabbage.

Don't over cook the slices; think of it as similar to searing beef or ahi tuna. You just want to brown the edges, not heat it all the way through. And tell your unsuspecting diners that it's a steak...the vegetable kind!

Zucchini Parmesan Medallions

When summer hits, the zucchini invades, especially if you were foolish enough to put a plant or four in your garden. Like spiders, they multiple at astounding rates. One day they are cute and small, making your heart sing at your ability to grow your own food. But look away for a moment and you find gigantic bats sticking out from those leafy stalks. Never fear, here is a great way to cook up those green giants that everyone will love. With less than five ingredients and almost no work on your part you will be reducing those monsters to delicious juicy morsels of summer goodness.

This recipes comes from my mother who loves zucchini. She tosses zucchini medallions - 1 inch slices of zucchini - with olive oil, salt, and pepper, topping them with shaved parmesan cheese. It sounds like one of those recipes that is too simple to be so delicious, but trust me, it really is. The best part is that these little addictive morsels will be gone faster than you can say cheese, so it's a great way to use up all of that zucchini overflowing out of your garden or the farmers' market!

Szechwan Style Grilled Tofu

When it comes to tofu, many people hold their nose, even vegetarians. My theory is folks just don't know what to do with it. My first recommendation is to check out good Chinese cookbooks, like this one, or simply browse a decent Asian market and see the diversity of tofu products available. But in the meantime try this recipe and get hooked on the stuff!

This is a great go-to recipe when you want a meatless protein for the grill. It's inexpensive - 5-6 slices per package that for organic tofu probably cost $2.99 - and so so satisfying! Garlic, soy, sesame marinade soaks into the tofu in a flash, grills up to create a crispy crust and then pour extra marinade on top for a delicious finish! Although I didn't picture it, marinading green onions with the tofu and then grilling them is the perfect accompaniment!

Beer Can Chicken

A couple of summers ago I went to a backyard cookout with a bunch of twenty something men who I worked with at Just Food Co-op. As the deli manager at the co-op at the time, I had become the defacto expert on everything cooked, whether that fit the circumstances or not. So when one of the guys kept asking for my tips on how to cook his first beer can chicken I thought I heard him wrong. What in tarnation was a "beer can chicken"?! Turns out, it is a superb way to grill a chicken and keep it moist.

This memory was stirred up by a recent post by Elise at Simple Recipes when she remarked that the concept alone might incite men to cook more. As Elise put it, some guys refer to this as "beer butt chicken" since a half full can of beer is inserted into the cavity of the bird and used to prop it upright on a grill. It definitely is a comical sight which produces fabulous results.

Spice-Rubbed Pork Cutlets with Mango Peach Salsa

Mango peach salsa is one of those garnishes that restaurants (of any caliber) love to toss on menus. It sounds lush and exotic and is visually stunning on a plate. I have to confess that I am one of those people who has turned her nose up at the idea of making it at home - it feels so trite and overdone....of course that was how I felt before, before being the operative word  here.

I was shaken out of this stubbornness because I had some overripe mangos and a few peaches and a hot pepper that was dying to be used. This salsa is usually served over fish (salmon, Chilean sea bass) and all I had was a pork cutlet, not something I cook with everyday or almost at all. Someone suggested a spice rub and I thought to myself, "spice plus fruit plus pork, that sounds like a combination I have heard before, I'll give it a try."

Spectatular. Unbelievable. I will actually buy pork cutlets on purpose now to recreate this dish.

Once again, I am humbled by my own stubbornness regarding preconceived notions when it comes to a dish or condiment or garnish. All my notions do is leave me bereft of a great food experience. Please let me continue to remember this point!

Spice Rubbed Pork Cutlets with Mango Peach Salsa

2 large pork cutlets
olive oil

Spice Mix
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
1 small dried red pepper
2 dried bay leaves

Mango Salsa
2 large mangos (or 4 altufo aka champagne mangos) cubed
2 ripe peaches, cubed
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1 lime, juiced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 small jalapeno, deseeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine salsa ingredients and set aside to marry at room temperature. Grind spice mixture in electric grinder or mortar and pestle. Oil pork cutlets lightly and dredge in spice mixture. Grill or pan fry over high heat, 4-5 minutes per side until done. Serve with salsa on top.
Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:
Watermelon Gazpacho at Soup Chick
Homemade Nutella at Family Style Food
Eggplant Rolls at Greek Food Recipes and Reflections

Grilled Spice-Rubbed Sea Bass

I recently came across a new food website that I adore. It's called An Edible Mosaic, written by Faith who makes lots of traditional home cooked Arabic dishes for her Middle Eastern born husband (so you know they're fairly authentic.) She makes it sound so easy and that's where I found the inspiration for this dish, and I know there will be so many more to come!

Spice rubs on just about anything are a great alternative to breading - it looks like breading and creates a crust but there is no flour or breadcrumbs involved - Amazing!

Simple Grilled Scallops

Frutti di mare, fruits de mare - fruits of the sea - however you say it, seafood are one of my favorite things to eat. In fact, during the 15 years I was vegetarian I was actually a "pesca-vegetarian" because I ate fish and fruits of the sea.

Scallops come in such a variety but if you're going to grill them reach for the largest ones you can find. I bought 9 which came to a pound, and three per diner was a good size serving. But get more if you're so inclined.

As with most fruits of the sea it is best to add as little as possible to allow the delicate flavor of the individual fish or mollusk to shine through. In this case I simply salted the scallops lightly and seared them on the grill, about 2-3 minutes per side to give them a nice browned crust. The best way to know when they are done is the touch method; they firm up as they cook and become more opaque.

These specimens were truly sweet and I ate them without the lemon, although others may want the option. I could have eaten more that would have felt gluttonous; maybe next time!

Grilled Scallops

3 large scallops per diner
salt
lemon (optional)

Light your grill and when the coals have gone white, place scallops over direct heat and grill on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove and eat immediately.

Hugs!


Recipes Currently Inspiring Me:
Thai Style Slaw at Closet Cooking
Herb Wrapped Chicken in Chili Garlic Sauce at Cooking Escapades
Lime Roasted Carrots and Saffron Orzo at A Kenetic Energetic but not Generic Diabetic

Hoisin Marinated Salmon Steak

I am such a sucker for colorful ingredients and salmon is certainly one of those items that draws me in, the oranger the better! Deep orange colored salmon is usually only found in wild caught salmon which live in the coldest portion of the northern oceans of the Pacific and the North Sea. Luckily, wild caught is also a more sustainable choice as well as higher in the essential omega-3 fatty acids for which salmon is prized.

In case you have been living in a land locked, electricity free zone, you might not have yet heard that salmon is one of those nutritional superfoods. But that's not why it's always high on my list of favorite dishes. It simply tastes delicious, especially with this slightly sweet, Chinese style marinade.

Grilled Marinated Vegetables - Italian Style

Grilled marinated vegetables is one of those dishes that is simple yet stunningly delicious. With these sorts of recipes, I always wonder who first discovered this incredible combination; grill vegetables, dust with salt, red wine vinegar, a dash of olive oil and some chopped basil and allow to marinated for at least 2 hours. Rather than creating a vinaigrette the liquids soak into the veggies and render them even sweeter and more distinctively squash or mushroom or onion like. Astounding!

I first read this particular recipe in Mario Batali's latest cookbook (already lauded here) and while I left out the red pepper flakes in consideration of my particular dining companions, I'm sure it's just as good with them!

Morel, Bacon Cheese Burger

Normally I wouldn't write about a burger, I think burgers are such a personal construction that it feels odd to write about this as a recipe. Obviously, this is the exception to my general rule of thumb. I also wanted to share it while the morel season is still here since I think the morels really make this burger special.

I do not eat a lot of red meat but when I do, I always go with high quality meat, meaning free range beef, whether it be a steak or a burger. Free range, also known as grass fed, not only tastes better to me but I like to support meat producers who use sustainable methods that are both healthy for the consumer as well as the animals, which in the case of beef means grass fed. Organic doesn't mean much in the beef world, other than the fact that the cows are fed with organic grain; they're still eating grain, which is not their traditional diet but was developed in order to increase production of meat products. If you want more information on why grass fed or free range beef is better all around, visit here.

Miracle Marinade

I am not one for sauces - it is part of the reason that I find fancy French cooking unappealing (sorry Julia Child!) I have always thought of them as too "chefy" and I never want to worry that much about how I am cooking. But once I started cooking traditional Chinese dishes and found that marinades were essential for those dishes, I eased up on my fussiness. I even started creating my own marinades, like this one which was originally created for pork chops. It was so incredible that it pushed me out of my comfort zone to wonder if it might make a great sauce, just by reducing it (similar to what I recently did with my first wine reduction sauce)

It was amazing, mind altering. I wanted to eat it on everything, all the time, everyday.