Scattered Italian Chicken with Oliver English

Everyone is talking London these days because of the Olympics. So here's a spin on something Italian, influenced by a Brit. In sports, don't they call spin 'English'?! During a recent trip to London I ate at Jamie Oliver's "Jamie's Italian" restaurant. It was wonderful. Surprising to some, great cosmopolitan food, especially vegetarian, is coming out of the UK - France and Italy watch out!I am very impressed and influenced by Jamie Oliver, as much as I feel his flip side sometimes detracts from his innate creativity. Nonetheless, he has something important to share and for many to learn. Here is a simple chicken dish influenced by Jamie, with scatterings of many Italian things - Jamie scatters a lot in his preparations - this is one of the things I love about Jamie! Some might say this tends towards Greek - OK, the Feta may justify this - but honestly, who cares? Chicken Mediterranean - enjoy!

6 chicken thighs, trimmed
1/4 tsp (or to taste) red pepper flakes
1/3 cup black California or Calamata olives, about 2 dozen
1/3 cup green stuffed olives, drained, about 2 dozen
4 cloves garlic peeled and halved lengthwise
1 medium onion sliced
2 Tbsp capers
8 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Place chicken thighs in an oiled casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes. Scatter olives, garlic, onions and capers about chicken. Distribute sage leaves on top. Bake 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, with juices running clear when pierced with a knife. Scatter feta cheese on top and serve. Serves four.

Grilled Summer Squash and Golden Beet Salad

1 golden beet, roasted (see cook's note)
1 medium yellow squash, sliced 1/4-inch diagonally
6 red grape tomatoes
6 yellow grape tomatoes
4 cups summer mix salad, or baby spinach, or both
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds

Heat grill to medium high (I use a gas grill). Grill squash slices about 3 minutes on one side. Spray with canola oil, and flip. Grill another 3 minutes. If necessary, flip and grill another 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Layer all ingredients in a wide, shallow bowl. Dress with your favorite dressing - here I used a Balsamic dressing. Topping with blue or Feta cheese, and sunflower seeds or pingoli nuts would be wonderful.

Cook's notes: Roasting Golden Beets:
Just like red beets, golden beets can be roasted easily by placing 2-3 beets on a large sheet of aluminum foil, roots cut off. Dress with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some Kosher salt on top. Wrap tightly. Roast in a 375F oven for an hour. Remove from oven, crack open the foil wrap and allow to come to room temperature.

I roast beets regularly, three at a time. I split them in half and store in the refrigerator with the roasting juices poured over them, in a glass dish that has a tight plastic cover. Over the next week or so, I pick out as many halves as I need for salads.Grilled summer squash: We love grilled yellow and zucchini squash. I grill several yellow and zucchini squash at a time and have them on hand for salads and sandwiches during the summer. See this entry for grilling yellow squash.

BBQ Pork Country Ribs with Chili Molasses Horseradish BBQ Sauce

Any pork chop you like will go well with the sweetness of molasses and the kick of horseradish.
Chili molasses horseradish BBQ sauce (below)
4 pork country rib chops
1 tsp dried thyme

Heat grill.  Salt and pepper the ribs generously and sprinkle with the thyme.  Grill over high heat about 5 minutes to start to brown one side.  Flip the chops and coat the topside with some sauce.  Flip the chops every 2 minutes, coating the top with a bit more sauce, for about the next 10 minutes, until the chops are cooked through.  The total time will depend on the thickness of your chops - the temperature should at least reach 140F.

Serves 4.

Chili Molasses Horseradish BBQ Sauce

1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp Sriracha (or other) chili sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
palmful cilantro leaves, minced

Whisk all ingredients together.

Makes about 1 cup, good for pork chops for 4.

Pan Braised Pork Chop with Apple and Tomato

Summer in Hamburg, northern Germany, is full of life and light until late into the evening. The second largest port in Europe is a busy cosmopolitan beehive, a mix of old and new and home to some of the best gourmet seafood I've had in Germany, or elsewhere. But it is still German, and pork rules! I offer here a pork chop reminiscent of one I had a few weeks ago in Hamburg. In our home, we love apple with pork. And with fresh summer tomatoes and white wine, you achieve a light, sweet counterbalance to the richness of a bone-in pork chop.
4 1-inch thick pork chops, preferably bone-in
1 apple, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 cup white wine
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet until just shimmering. Brown the chops over high heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat a bit and toss in the onion and apple. Continue cooking over medium heat for another 5 minutes, stirring the onion and apple often. Remove the pork chops to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Pour the wine into the skillet and stir in the tomato. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, until the tomato begins to incorporate into the sauce. Return the chops to the skillet, nestling into the sauce. Reheat chops just to assure they are cooked through; an instant read thermometer should register 140-150F.

Plate each chop with a bit of apple-tomato relish, and some wine sauce. Serves 4.

Roasted Black Sea Bass with Grapefruit

What a better way to celebrate Bastille Day than with whole fish. In France and throughout Europe, fish is often prepared and served on the bone which produces a much richer flavor. The slight sweetness and tang of the grapefruit and lemon are just enough to complement the earthy sage undertones, but not to overpower a subtle fish like sea bass.
2 fresh whole Sea Bass, cleaned & scaled
1 cup pink grapefruit sections, about 12, or 1 large grapefruit
2 lemons, 1 sliced for cooking, 1 cut into wedges for serving
Palmful fresh parsley
2 green onions, sliced
4 leaves fresh sage

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut off all the fins of the fish and salt and pepper liberally outside and inside the body cavity. Stuff the body cavity with parsley and the lemon slices. Lay the fish down in an oiled casserole, and surround the fish with the grapefruit slices. Top with the green onion and sage, and sprinkle generously with olive oil.
Roast fish in the oven for about 20 minutes, until fish is nicely browned and just cooked through. Check after 15 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and gently fillet the fish off the bones. Place fillets on serving plate. Top with grapefruit and sauce from roasting pan. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Cook's Note: Cooking the fish on the bone gives a much richer flavor and allows for oven roasting. If you can only find fillets, you should consider a pan sauté preparation. Look for fresh whole fish with clear bright eyes. Take care cutting fins - they have sharp tips!

Summer Squash and Chick Pea Salad

1 med-large yellow squash, about 8 inches
1 med-large zucchini, about 8 inches
2-3 tsp coarse Kosher salt
1 15-oz can chick peas, drained
6-8 fresh basil leaves, julienned
2 Tbsp chives, minced
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing:
Zest and juice of 1 large juicy lemon, about 2-3 Tbsp
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
Black pepper

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. If necessary, use a teaspoon to gently scrape out seeds un the center, but squash of this size are usually have few enough seeds, unlike cucumbers. Now lay the squash cut-side down, and slice into half moons.

Toss the squash with the salt well, and tip into a colander. Allow the squash to sit and release water for at least 15-20 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile whisk together the dressing ingredients.

If you like, give the squash a very quick rinse ( but this is not necessary - see Cook's Note below) and then shake remaining water out. Lay out about 18-inches of paper towel or very absorbent kitchen towel on a clean counter. Tip the squash out onto the towels and arrange in as single layer as possible. Cover with another layer of towels and blot the squash dry. Turn squash into a mixing bowl.

Add the chick peas and the dressing to the squash. Allow the veggies to marinate at least an hour or longer in the refrigerator. Toss the veggies every so often as they marinate.

When ready to serve, check dressing for salt and add some if necessary (depending on how much salt was absorbed and how much the squash were rinsed and patted dry). Add the basil and chives, and top with feta cheese.

Cook's Note: I learned to salt summer squash watching and reading Jacques Pepin. But I find he does not rinse after salting. This salad is actually a fairly common preparation and I find only about half of the cooks rinse. I find a quick pat-down with paper towels is enough to remove the saltiness from the squash, but you can do a quick rinse as well. However, if you rinse, you may need to adjust dressing at the end by adding a bit of salt. If you don't salt the squash to release their water,it will be released in the salad and will be very watery.

American Cheddar Chicken and Basil Burger

1 to 1-1/2 lb ground chicken
2 green onions, chopped
4 large fresh basil leaves, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated

Gently mix together the ingredients, preferably with your hands, being very careful to fold together, and not to over mix. Over mixing can make burgers tough. Gently form into four generous burgers.
Heat grill to high. Grill first side of burgers until well browned, about 4-6 minutes. Gently flip burgers and cook second side about 3-4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve with favorite buns and condiments.

Cooks note: we recently bought a grinding attachment for our Kitchen Aid mixer, and are now grinding our own meat. We feel we are a bit more in control of what we are eating this way, if not fully. Fresh ground chicken is outstanding, and we are liking it even more than beef. We find the burgers much lighter, with none of the water additive typical of store-ground turkey or chicken.

Kona Pork and Pineapple Kebabs

I am starting the second half of the year, and going into the fourth of July holiday with serious grilling intent. I spent the day today with our daughter, assembling a brand new Weber grill; our last one lasted over 12 years. With the weather throwing triple-digit temperatures our way, it's time to get down to some serious grilling again. Here is the inauguration of our new grill!

Kebobs are a favorite of mine, and I'm very partial to grilled fruit and vegetables. This is a great combination with a flavorful marinade. This goes very well with sesame noodles.

Marinade:
1 Tbsp granular instant coffee (Kona preferred!)
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp dark black Asian vinegar
1 Tbsp sherry
1 Tbsp fresh (or 1 tsp dried) thyme

2 lb pork loin roast, cubed 1-inch
1 ripe fresh pineapple, peeled and cubed
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the pork and mix well. Cover and marinate for an hour or more (refrigerate if more than an hour).

Thread pork, pineapple and peppers, alternating pieces on 6 large skewers. Heat grill to high. Cook kebabs for 2 minutes, then rotate them a quarter turn. Cook another 2 minutes and repeat this two more times. Test for doneness and remove from heat as soon as the pork is medium rare (140F). Least rest for five minutes and serve.