Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Whip this up and you'll be a rockstar, at least to those you serve this to.
1 5-oz bag fresh baby spinach leaves
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained
2 green onions, chopped

1 8-oz brick cream cheese
1/4 cup good real mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp favorite hot sauce, or to taste
4 oz monterrey jack (or pepper jack) cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Sauté the spinach leaves in a dash of olive oil until completely wilted. Press in a colander to remove any excess water. Add spinach to a food processor. Add the artichoke hearts and green onion and pulse a few times to chop.

Add remaining ingredients and pulse just to mix well. Turn dip into a shallow baking dish (or multiple smaller ramekins) and bake until browned and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with favorite chips, crackers or veggies.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Horseradish Cheddar Pub Sauce

To me, horseradish sauce is the perfect match for grilled steak or prime rib.  Here's a cheesy version made with yogurt, though you certainly could use sour cream instead.
2 ribeye steaks

Cheddar Pub Sauce:
2 oz feta cheese
2 oz excellent, aged sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp strong horseradish
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

Heat grill to high. Mix together the pub sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Season the steaks with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Grill steaks over as high a heat as you can get, turning once.

The time will depend on your heat source and the thickness of your steaks. I cooked these steaks (3/4-inch thick) on a good gas grill for about 3 minutes a side for medium-rare.

Serve steaks with pub sauce on the side, next to a nice Cesar salad. Serves 2.

Cook’s Note: I slather the steaks with olive oil using a brush before grilling. This incites a flame and gives a nice bit of char, even when cooking the steaks for so short a time as for medium rare.

Cauliflower Squash and Fresh Pea Salad

This is a dish celebrating the fantastic deep yellow squash of summer.  Cool, colorful, crispy.  Happy summer.
2 yellow squash, sliced (I crinkle cut them)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
4 cups cauliflower floweretts
2 cups fresh peas
2 Tbsp fresh dill weed, minced
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

Toss the squash with the kosher salt and allow to macerate for about 30 minutes in a colander. Toss every 10 minutes.

Meanwhile bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium pot. Add a tablespoon kosher salt and then the cauliflower and peas. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook for only about another minute. The idea is to cook the veggies only to crisp tender. Drain the veggies when cooked and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking.

Tip the veggies into a sale spinner and spin to dry.

Rinse the squash briefly, to remove the salt - taste to see if you rinsed sufficiently so that the squash are only nicely seasoned with salt. Turn squash out to a long sheet of paper towels. Pat the squash dry.

Mix the squash, cauliflower and peas in a large mixing bowl. Add the dill and green onions.

Whisk together the dressing and add to the salad. Mix well and tip into a serving bowl.

Serves 6 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  Here in the US Mid Atlantic, we get the most fantastic fresh yellow squash in summer - I'm sure other regions do too.  But my colleagues bring in the excesses of their gardens and I am in awe.  What we get year round in the grocers pales in comparison to what we get fresh in the summer.  This is what the squash I am talking about looks like.

While summer fresh peas are sweet and tender, refreshed, thawed frozen petite peas work well here as well.  The real actors are squash - and if you can get fresh cauliflower from a friend or local farm - grab it!  It's much harder to find.

Haddock with Tomato Caper Cream Sauce

A simple delicious cream sauce fortified with capers and fresh tomato makes humble haddock sing.
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 doz grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise, about 1 to 1-/1/2 cup
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp capers, drained

1 lb fresh haddock fillet
1 green onion, sliced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Cut haddock into 4 serving portions.

Heat oil in a large skillet and sizzle the tomatoes over high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and add the shallot and garlic to the skillet. Add a dash more oil if necessary.

Sauté the aromatics for about 3-4 minutes and add the cream and capers to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil.  Nestle the haddock fillets into the sauce and spoon sauce all over fillets.

Cover and cook about 5 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove cover and cook another 2-3 minutes until the cream sauce is slightly thicker and the fish is just cooked through. Serve fish generously with sauce, garnished with green onion and parsley.

Serves 4.

Korean BBQ Wings

Brining wings adds a wonderful depth - plan ahead and enjoy.
14 whole wings, about 3 lbs

Brine:
4 cups water
1/4 cup Kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar - I used brown Turbinado sugar

1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic
palmful mint

Gochujang Sauce:
1 Tbsp gochujang chili paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp molasses

fresh mint leaves and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Mix brine ingredients in a large bowl. Pulse garlic, pepper and mint in small food processor until minced. Add to brine. Add wings to brine and cover well. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 24 hours.  Whisk together the gochujang sauce.

When ready to cook, remove wings from brine onto a rack on a rimmed baking sheet.

Heat grill to high. When hot, turn right side of grill off. Lay wings on right side of and cover grill. Cook for about 15 minutes.

Now turn on right side of grill to medium and flip wings. Grill wings for about another 10-15 minutes, until cooked through.

Pour gochujang sauce into a large bowl and toss the wings to coat with the sauce.

Place wings on a serving platter and garnish with mint leaves and toasted sesame seeds.

Makes 14 whole wings.

Curried Coconut Lamb with Pumpkin Seeds

You take the lamb and the coconut and... whatever you come up with afterwards should be fantastic!  Nuts and seeds are used extensively throughout Indian cuisine and here I've augmented a lamb coconut curry with roasted pumpkin seeds, something I love.
1 onion, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tsp powdered cumin
1 tsp powdered fenugreek, or favorite curry powder
1/4 tsp (or to taste) cayenne pepper
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
4 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup coconut milk

Heat a dash of canola oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and carrot for about 8-10 minutes, to caramelize and sweeten. Add the garlic, ginger and pumpkin seeds and cook another 2-3 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

Add the lamb to the skillet and brown - add a dash more oil if necessary. Brown well.

Add the turmeric, cumin, fenugreek and cayenne. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and bring heat to high. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

Return the carrot mixture to the lamb and the spinach.

Cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juice and the coconut milk. Heat through.

Serve with rice and garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.

Serves 4.

BBQ Chicken with Mint Pesto

Think summer.  Think fresh mint.  Think BBQ chicken.
Mint Pesto marinade:
3 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

1 chicken, quartered

Pulse the garlic in a small food processor to mince. Then add mint and pepper flakes. Pulse several times to mince again. Add vinegar and salt and pule to mix well. Add the oil and process to form a rich puree.

Coat the chicken pieces with about two thirds of the pest. Cover and allow to marinate at least an hour, or overnight. When ready to cook, bring chicken to room temperature, if necessary.

When ready to cook, return the chicken to room temperature if necessary. Heat a grill to high. When grill is hot, turn right side of grill off and place chicken skin-side up on the right side of the grill. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Now turn the left side to medium-low and baste the chicken with some of the reserved pesto marinade. Flip the chicken onto the left side, skin-side down.

Grill, covered, another 10 minutes, watching carefully for flare-ups. Baste the chicken and flip skin-side up.

Baste skin side now, and grill another 10 minutes or so, until the chicken is just cooked through and nicely browned.

Serves 4.

Greek Pasta Salad

This is a bright, fresh salad, which is just the ticket on a hot summer day.
8 oz favorite pasta shape
8 oz favorite marinated olives
palmful fresh basil leaves
1 15-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 large fresh ripe tomato, diced
4 oz goat cheese

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime (or lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil
dash salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain, toss with a dash of olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature.

When pasta is cool, mix together with the olives and basil. Gently fold in the artichokes and tomatoes.

I used Trader Joe’s olive marinated in lemon and herbs and tossed the whole package in, including the marinade. So I used only a dash of the dressing. If you don’t have a marinade, you can dress the salad with the dressing. Don’t use olive brine as a dressing - too salty.

Gently fold mixture together and dot with the goat cheese.
Serves 4 as lunch or 6 as a side salad.

Couscous with Pistachio and Golden Raisin

Couscous is an open palate - paint it.
1 cup couscous
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup shelled roasted pistachios
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil

Bring the water, salt and oil to a boil in a small pot. Stir in the couscous, cover and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, saute the pistachios raisins, garlic and ginger in the butter and oil for about 8-10 minutes over medium-low heat.

After the couscous is cooked, fluff with a fork, or your fingers. Tip the couscous into the skillet with the pistachios and mix well. Pour out onto a serving platter or bowl.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Beet Salad with Mint and Horseradish

Remember beets.
3-4 fresh red beets, cleaned
3-4 golden beets, cleaned
palmful fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp horseradish, drained
dash salt and pepper

Advance work: 3-4 hours ahead of time
Preheat oven to 375F. Trim the beets of their stalk and root tail. Place the red beets and the golden beets on separate large sheets of aluminum foil. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over each pile of beets, and wrap them in the foil together tightly. Roast for an hour. When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to come to room temperature.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Slip the skins off the beets and quarter or slice them. Toss them with the dressing. Allow to marinate at least an hour.

When ready to eat:

Fold in the fresh mint with the beets and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side salad.

Huevos Rancheros Feroleto

I found a wonderful jar of roasted peppers in my brother and sister-law's refrigerator early one morning recently, getting ready to make some eggs before a long Discover Hudson Valley bike ride.  They told me the night before to help myself to whatever was in the refrigerator to make myself a hearty breakfast before the ride.  I found a jar of gorgeous roasted peppers and the rest is history.
2 eggs
3 slices favorite jarred roasted peppers
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
favorite hot sauce
dash dried thyme

Heat a dash of olive oil in a small pan. Sauté the pepper slices for a few minutes, turning once. Place sliced in a capital H position on the pan and crack the eggs on each side. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer the eggs until sunny side up. Sprinkle on hot sauce to taste and then cover with cheese. Season with a dash of thyme.

Cover pan and allow cheese to melt. Serve with a dash of sour cream and/or guacamole on the side.

Serves 1. Repeat as needed.

Cook's Note:  Later I learned that they got these peppers as a gift from our other sister in law, who apparently found them at Costco.  I also like Trader Joe's roasted red and yellow peppers very much.

Chick Pea Salad with Mint and Tomato

This is a great side dish for grilled veggies, fish or meats.
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 fresh ripe tomato, diced
Palmful fresh mint, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced through garlic press
1-2 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
Juice of lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
dash salt and pepper

Whisk the dressing together. Toss the other ingredients in a bowl and mix with the dressing. This is best if left to marinate for an hour or two.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cook's Note: Grill up some eggplants, zucchini or peppers, or your favorite veggies.
Pile them high on a plate with some olive oil, mint and yogurt.  Serve this on the side and you have a great summer vegetarian dinner - fast.  And don't forget to toast up the naan or pitas on the grill too!

Minted Pork Lo Mein

Stir fries are my go-to busy-night meals, and anything can happen! I scour the 'fridge for this and that, and here I found a great combo for a nice pork lo-mein.

I had fresh lo mien noodles from a local international grocer and lots of fresh mint from the garden.  Or you can use the many great mint sauces available (as long as they are not too sweet) - I found a great one at Waitrose Grocers in the UK which I love, which I used here.

I always have lots of veggies on hand - and you can use your favorite to assemble this dish.
5-6 dried mushrooms
1 lb pork, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced
1/2 lb fresh lo mein noodles
2 cups broccoli cut in bite-sized pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
2 cups cabbage, diced
1 onion, peeled and sliced

Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
Palmful fresh mint, minced, or 1 Tbsp Waitrose mint sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup

Toasted sesame seeds

Soak the mushrooms in very hot water until rehydrated, about 10-15 minutes. Drain and slice thinly.  Get all your ingredients ready because this stir fry goes fast once you get going.

Heat a tablespoon of canola oil in in a large wok until almost smoking hot. Add pork and stir fry until just cooked through. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Set pork aside in a bowl. Add mushrooms to the wok with a dash more oil. Cook for a few minutes to just brown the mushrooms.

Set aside with the pork.

Now add the remaining veggies and stir fry with another dash of oil until crisp tender. Add the noodles and return the pork-mushroom mixture to the wok.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients and toss in with the noodle mixture in the wok.

Cook over high heat just to heat through. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.

Serves 4-6.

Roasted Grouper with Lime and Avocado

Simple fish, simply done.
1-1/2 lb grouper fillet, cut into four portions
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced
2 limes, quartered
1 lb baby spinach

Preheat oven to 400F. Lay fillets on an oiled roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and with the coriander. Spray lightly with oil and roast for 10-12 minutes, until just cooked through.

Meanwhile, sauté the spinach in a splash of olive oil in a wide skillet until wilted down. Divide spinach among 4 plates. Top with a portion of fish. Garnish with avocado slices and lime wedges.

Serves 4.