Hot Blond Lentil Chili

“Hot BlondChili,” which I developed and won top prize with at a Super Bowl chili competition in Atlanta years ago is now a popular take-home dish sold from the freezer at our restaurant. (The recipe can be found elsewhere in this blog.) It is also a favorite among several of my grandchildren. But, since it contains meat (usually ground turkey plus bacon), it doesn’t work for several other family members who avoid meat. So here’s a vegetarian version of the dish, to close the gap. 

Lentils, one of my favorite food items, are a wonderful source of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and certain vitamins. They are also quick-cooking, easy to store, and inexpensive. I use them in two forms here, the green-tan whole lentils plus the split, hulled red lentils. They replace the ground meat. The smoky hint from bacon in the meat recipe is replaced by a chipotle chili, which is a smoked, dried jalapeño pepper. Otherwise, the chili is made similarly to the meat version. I usually make it with some real heat from the peppers.

 Most of the ingredients are available at supermarkets and natural food stores. Two items, chipotle peppers and ground annatto (called “achiote molido”), can be found in the dry chili and seasoning section at Mexican grocery stores. Habanero peppers are in some supermarkets, but always in the produce section of Mexican groceries.

The recipe serves six or more. Leftovers keep well and seem to taste even better at a later time. I like to serve chili with rice. Recently I’ve come to appreciate brown rice as an accompaniment.

1 cup regular green-tan lentils

1 cup split red lentils

2 (14-ounce) cans white Great Northern beans

1 medium-large onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 whole dry chipotle chili (available at Mexican stores)

1 yellow or orange habanero pepper, or 2 tabasco peppers

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground annatto (“achiote molido”), at Mexican store

Water as needed

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 cup sour cream

In two bowls, separately rinse then soak the two types of lentils in water several inches above the lentils. Set aside until needed. Open the cans of beans and drain off the liquid, but do not rinse the beans. Set aside until needed.

Finely mince the onion, or chop it finely in a food processor. In a heavy pot, fry onion in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown. Mince the garlic cloves or put them through a garlic press and stir into the frying onions. Let fry lightly for a minute, Add chipotle, whole, the habanero or tabasco peppers, whole. Add 2 cups water then stir in the dry spices. Bring to a boil.

Drain the whole lentils (but not yet the split red lentils) and add them to the onion mixture. Cook them, covered, over medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the lentils are becoming tender, 10-15 minutes. As needed to keep them very moist, add a little water from time to time.

Then drain the split red lentils and add them to the pot, along with enough water to just reach the surface of the lentils. Simmer, covered, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until red lentils turn pale yellow and become tender, 10-15 minutes. Add a little water from time to time as needed to keep the lentils moist.

When lentils are tender, but not disintegrated, add the drained beans and salt. Cook at a light boil, stirring frequently, for two minutes. Stir in the sour cream and simmer two minutes further. Remove from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve now, accompanied by rice, or store and reheat for serving later.

 Chicken Shish Kebabs

Skewered kebabs evolved over many centuries from their origins among the nomadic Turkik peoples in Asia Minor. Shish kebabs once were simply chunks of lamb roasted near fire after seasoning and skewering onto a sharpened stick or iron rod or, more romantically, a Turkish warrior’s saber. They grew widely in sophistication and geographic reach.

The recipe serves six, but is easily multiplied for a summer party.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 medium clove of garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 (or more) teaspoon cayenne

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice (bottled is OK)

Skewers, metal or bamboo, flat metal skewers preferred

“Street Vendor Style” Corn Salsa – Salsa de Elote

The Mexican word “Elote” (aay-LO-tay) means fresh corn.  “Mais” (my-EECE), the general word  for corn elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world is limited in Mexico to corn as crop or the dry grain. “Mais” came from the indigenous language of the Taino people in the Caribbean Islands where Spaniards first encountered corn, while “elote” is from the word for corn in Nahuatl, the language of the native Aztec people of central Mexico.

In Mexico you find fresh corn, elote, being sold by street vendors in the plazas and other gathering places. Corn kernels, freshly steamed, or sometimes grilled, are piled into a paper cone, topped with “crema” (Mexican sour cream), a slosh of hot pepper sauce (a favorite being “Valentina”), a squeeze of lime, and sprinkled with chopped cilantro. It’s a delightful snack.

Here’s an easy salsa based on street vendor Elote that I sometimes make for tacos and fajitas, favorite foods of my grandkids. You can’t have too many different kinds of condiments when serving tacos or fajitas. The salsa also goes well as a dip for tortilla chips.  

1 large ear of yellow corn, boiled (or grilled)

1/4 cup sour cream

Juice from 1 medium lime

1/2 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce (like Valentina, Frank’s RedHot, Crystal, Tabasco)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped cilantro plus a sprig for garnish

Cook the corn and let it cool. With a sharp knife, slice the kernels off into a mixing bowl. Break up the corn to separate the kernels. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the sprig of cilantro.

Place in a serving bowl and garnish with the sprig of cilantro.

Horseradish Sauce for Sandwiches, Burgers, Roast Beef, Corned Beef and Beef Pie

Horseradish sauce, or in British slang, “Horsey” sauce, is a frequent condiment for roast beef, corned beef, and meat-containing sandwiches in the British Isles. It was, and possibly still is, a typical sauce for roast beef sandwiches at the Arby’s chain of restaurants. It can also serve on a hamburger. The sauce is easily made and keeps for a number of days in the refrigerator. 

Here’s my version, aimed for the British-inspired beef pot pie that I will be posting soon on this blog. But the sauce makes a good general spread on meat sandwiches, burgers, or ,if you can afford it, roast beef.. 

Horseradish is native to eastern Europe and western Asia, and has long been used for medicinal as well as culinary purposes. It figures prominently into the cuisines of central and northern Europe and the British Isles, particularly as a condiment for meat and fish. Prepared horseradish is horseradish root that was grated and mixed with vinegar.

For this sauce, as a seasoning ingredient I suggest prepared English mustard (like Coleman’s). That’s my first choice, but since English mustard is not commonly available, French-style Dijon mustard is the next best --  and is actually quite good.

The recipe makes enough sauce for sandwiches for six or more, hamburgers, or for sliced roast beef or corned beef. Extra keeps in the fridge for later use.

10 tablespoons (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sour cream

5 teaspoons prepared horseradish

1 teaspoon prepared English or Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well. Store refrigerated until eaten. Serve in a small bowl with a serving spoon.

Roasted Beet Salad, with Yogurt, Feta or Goat Cheese

Roasting beets whole concentrates their sugars, color, nutrition and delightful taste. Then turning those roasted beets into a salad with a little onion, parsley, sugar and vinegar produces a beautiful as well as delightful dish that is part of many traditions. Such a salad adds a “wow” to the dinner. 

Roasted beet salad is particularly associated with Greek and Turkish cooking, where it is often topped with yogurt or feta cheese -- or goat cheese in the US. But the salad can also be made without dairy. Toasted walnuts are optional, but they enhance the contrasts as well as the protein value.

Beet salad can also be made with boiled or microwaved beets, or even canned beets. But it lacks intensity, and can be insipid, in my view. Roasting the beets takes some time, but it’s time in the oven while the cook can be working on other things.

Here’s a delightful roasted beet salad in the vegetarian tradition, including dairy. The recipe serves six or more, but extra salad is great as a leftover.

1 pound fresh whole red beets, preferably all about the same size

A little vegetable or olive oil to moisten the surfaces

1 tablespoon very thinly sliced onion (lengthwise, “julienne” style)

2 sprigs fresh parsley, preferably flat “Italian” type, leaves coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons cider or wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whole milk yogurt, crumbled feta or goat cheese (optional)

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Rub the whole beets with a little oil or spray with baker’s spray. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees until tender when pierced with a toothpick. That will take 40-60 minutes, depending on size of the beets. Let cool.

With sharp knife, peel and scrape off skin from the beets (a little messy, an apron is suggested). Slice beets 1/8-inch thick. Stack slices a few at a time and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Place in mixing bowl.

Add onion, parsley, vinegar, sugar and salt and mix well. Let rest ten minutes, then mix well again. Taste a piece of beet and a little of the accumulated juice. If preferred, add a little more vinegar and/or sugar and/or salt, to taste.

This can be served now, after a final mixing, or chilled and served later. If using yogurt or cheese, after plattering, sprinkle the salad with it. If desired, top with coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.

Basic Chicken Curry, with Potato

I don’t put many curry recipes in my food blog, despite curries being some of the most frequent cooking I do for family and business. My reasons are that the cooking procedures are generally complex, take a lot of time, and many fresh and dry seasonings are used that may not be in most non-Indian home kitchens. Typical curries that I make at the restaurant use 8 or more dry spices, plus fresh ginger, garlic and onion.

I mostly cook North Indian non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. That’s based on what I learned to love while living in Malaysia (including from cooking classes taught by a Sikh lady) plus working on a number of occasions in India and Pakistan, and eating extensively at Indian restaurants in the US and Asia..

But cooking with several college and medical student friends in Athens a while back who liked to cook as a hobby, I worked out a few recipes that minimized the steps and spices necessary yet still produce tasty and credible curries. Here’s one I found in my old file recently which makes an intensely flavored Punjabi-style chicken and potato curry. 

The recipe will serve six or more, accompanied by unsalted Basmati rice, a chutney or two, plus yogurt. (Recipes for a fresh tomato chutney and rice cooking methods can be found elsewhere in this blog.)

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh

2 teaspoons salt for chicken

1 teaspoon turmeric for chicken

1 very large onion

1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil

3/4 inch fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons turmeric for spice mix

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt, for spice mix

2 medium potatoes

1 cup water

1/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

Chopped cilantro leaf for garnish.

Trim tough parts and excess fat (a little fat can remain) off the chicken thighs, then cut them cross-wise into 1-inch wide pieces. Mix well with the salt and turmeric. Set aside to marinate while doing the next steps.

Finely dice the onion. In a cooking pot over low heat, gently fry it in the oil, keeping the pot covered but stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot every 3-4 minutes, until golden.

While onions are frying, scrape the skin off the ginger piece and slice ginger very thinly. Add the garlic, peeled, and mince them together very finely on a cutting board, or pound them together till smooth in a mortar and pestle. Set this paste aside until needed.

Measure the dry spices plus the salt for the spice mix into a cup or bowl and set aside. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch chunks and place them in a bowl of water to prevent browning.

As the onions become well softened, and begin to take on a pale yellowish tint (this may take 30 minutes or more with the low heat recommended), stir in the ginger-garlic mixture and continue to fry the mixture 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the spice mixture and stir for another minute. Add the cup of water and let the mixture simmer a few minutes.

Add the potatoes, drained, raise the heat somewhat and simmer them 5 minutes, covered but stirring frequently.

Add marinated chicken and any juices. Stir and cook gently 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add yogurt and simmer five more minutes. Taste sauce and add salt if necessary. If the sauce is becoming dry, add a little water. Cut off a piece of potato and a piece of chicken and bite into each to test for doneness. Cook a little longer if either potatoes or chicken need it.

Serve now, or cool, refrigerate and reheat, stirring several times, either in a covered casserole in the microwave or in a pot on the stove top.

To serve, sprinkle with coarsely chopped cilantro. Accompany with unsalted rice, preferably Basmati, some yogurt and a chutney.

“Peach Marsala” is easy and delicious

The idea started with a chef friend’s experiment years ago in Atlanta. He toyed with a sweet, creamy bourbon-enhanced sauce for a peach cake. In the end he abandoned the effort, but not before I had tasted his sauce and saw possibilities. 

I stole the idea, frankly, but changed the flavor from Jack Daniels to aromatic Marsala wine. And I envisioned the sauce over broiled peaches. That was as the peach season was winding down that year.  The idea dwindled. But the following year, having received some luscious peaches from a traveler from South Carolina (I know, I know… but they grow them well up there, too), I revived the thought of a rich, Marsala-laced sauce on peaches. And in particular, peaches over good vanilla ice cream.

Marsala, a fragrant, fortified wine made for centuries in Sicily, draws its name from its town of origin. Produced from local grapes, the wine ages for years in a system of connected barrels from which a portion of older wine is drawn off from the bottom to sell and new wine is added to the top to replace it. Thus wines of different vintages mingle as their flavor and fragrance intensify. The barreling system is similar to the “solera” used for producing sherry and port wines.

California Marsala made by Cribari, a company best known for sacramental and altar wines, is inexpensive and quite decent for cooking. But Marsala varieties from Italy are not expensive, either. I prefer the non-sweet version (“secco” for Italian­­-made Marsala) since I also use it cooking chicken.

In this dessert fresh sliced peaches are placed over ice cream and the sauce is poured lightly over them.

The recipe makes sauce enough for six servings over peaches and ice cream .

1/3 cup Marsala wine

1/4 cup brown sugar

Large pinch of salt

2/3 cup sour cream

3-6 peaches, depending on size, peeled and sliced

Vanilla ice cream

In enamel or stainless steel pot, bring wine, sugar and salt to a rapid boil, stirring. Simmer for two minutes. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth, then remove from the heat. Let cool.

Serve from a small pitcher or serving bowl. Spoon sliced peaches over ice cream and drizzle with the sauce.

Quinoa Pilaf -- Easy

I’m a recent convert to quinoa. I’m not sure quite why it took me so long. Probably because the grain had such a cultish following, and because I loved rice so much in so many forms. 

But trying to get more iron into the diets of several family members who go light on, or without, meat, and cooking occasionally for several people dealing with diabetes or pre-diabetes, have both encouraged me to try more dishes with quinoa. The grain (technically a seed) is highly nutritious and has a relatively low glycemic index.

What I have learned is that quinoa is easy to cook, is fairly flexible in the variety of dishes that can be prepared with it, and (most important to me) I find I like quinoa. I’ll still cook and love rice, potatoes, grits/polenta, and pasta, but now I’ve expanded my repertoire for side dishes.

Raw quinoa has a negative feature that needs to be dealt with for best flavor. The seeds have a light coating of naturally occurring, bitter, soap-like saponins, which apparently give the plant protection from grazing animals and microbial organisms. This should be removed by washing the grains before cooking. (Some quinoa is already washed before it is sold, in which case further washing is not necessary.)

Here’s a pilaf-style dish I made using red quinoa, which is very attractive, to accompany roasted salmon. White, black or tri-colored quinoa would also work. I used a rice cooker, but also suggest how to cook the dish on the stove-top instead. I made the version with chicken broth and rendered chicken fat, but I include a vegetarian option in the recipe, as well.

The recipe serves six as a side dish.

1 1/2 cups quinoa, red or mixed color for attractiveness

1/2 small onion, finely diced

1 small Roma-type tomato, cored and finely diced

3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or a medium pinch of dry thyme

2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat or olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

2 2/3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water

Minced parsley for garnish, optional

Place quinoa in the rice cooker container or the pot in which it will be cooked. Add plenty of cool water, then rub the grains between your hands for a minute or so. Drain off the water through a sieve and rinse well with running water. Drain, then return rinsed quinoa to the rice cooker container or cooking pot.

Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Rice cooker method: Cover and turn on rice cooker. Let cook through its full cycle, then rest, unopened, for ten minutes after the light switches from cook to “keep warm.” After 10 minutes, open cooker and fluff quinoa with a rice paddle or fork to mix well. Remove the bay leaves as you see them. Cover and keep warm until served.

Stove-top method: Keeping pot uncovered, bring contents to a boil. Stir, cover pot, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, keep pot covered but turn off the heat and let rest 10 minutes. Open and fluff quinoa with a rice paddle or fork to mix well. Remove bay leaves as you see them. Cover again until served.

If quinoa cools off, or there is some left over, it’s easy to reheat in a microwave oven in a covered casserole, fluffing a time or two during reheating.

Serve in a shallow bowl, dusting the top with a little minced parsley, if desired.

Indian Spiced Tea – Masala Chai

“Chai,” as many Americans call it, is correctly “Masala Chai,” meaning “spiced tea.” “Chai” alone simply means “tea” in the Indian subcontinent. It’s composed of black tea brewed with milk, sugar, and fresh and dried spices. A classic street vendor drink, it was once sold in throwaway thin-sided clay cups. It is now often served in small glasses or brass cups.

Masala Chai with its spices

This is not my recipe. Rather it is basically the recipe of my sister in law, Karin Downs, who spent a college semester in India and later spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, where Masala Chai is also common. This is the way my wife Christina makes the drink at home, where the grandkids enjoy it. It’s also the way we make it at the family-run restaurant, Donderos’ Kitchen, in Athens, Georgia.

In India the drink can be quite sweet. We make it less sweet, but the sugar can be increased if preferred.

The  recipe makes over 6 cups, or about 8-10 servings. Leftover Masala Chai is nice cold too.

4 cups water

5 (1/8-inch) slices fresh ginger, not peeled

2 (3-inch) sticks whole cinnamon

8 whole green cardamoms

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

3 tea bags (or 2 tablespoons loose) black Indian-type tea

3 cups whole milk

2-3 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste

In a cooking pot, simmer together the water, fresh ginger, and all the dry whole spices for 20 minutes. Add the tea bags or loose tea, and simmer 5 minutes. Add milk and sugar and bring it to just heated but not boiling (it could foam over if it boils).

Pour through a strainer into a tea pot, from which to serve the tea. Serve in cups or small glasses.

Spicy Pinto Beans

The recipe serves six people as a light meal, or serves more people if used as an ingredient in one of the Tex-Mex dishes mentioned above.

1 small green bell pepper or 1/2 a medium one

1 medium jalapeño pepper

1 small onion or 1/2 a medium one

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, if available, or 1 extra teaspoon regular chili powder

1 teaspoon regular chili powder, or 2 teaspoons if chipotle chili powder not used

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/3 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup water

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

Core the bell pepper and cut it in chunks. Cut the stem off the jalapeño, and cut the jalapeño in half, keeping the seeds. Peel the onion and the garlic clove. Chop all four vegetables very finely in a food processor, or on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. Place vegetable mixture in a heavy pot with the olive oil. Set aside.

Open the cans of beans, and holding their lids on, drain off as much liquid as you can, but do not rinse. Add 1 cup of water to one of the cans of beans. Measure the salt and dry seasonings and put them in a small bowl or cup.

Place the pot with the chopped vegetables and olive oil on the stove, and fry, stirring very frequently, until the vegetables are softened, but not browned. Add the beans and their water plus the spices to the pot. Heat, simmering for about ten minutes, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, so that the beans don’t stick.

Remove from the heat. Taste, and add salt if needed.

Use a a lunch dish with rice, sprinkled with chopped parsley, or use as an ingredient on nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, fajitas or burritos.

Red Lentil Dal with Spinach, a good Iron Source

One of my teenage grandchildren has been vegetarian for some years. And as she is active in sports, getting enough iron to avoid anemia is a challenge. She loves Indian food, and does some cooking. So this one is for her. 

Lentils, and especially red lentils (called “masoor dal” in India), and spinach (called “palak” or “saag” in India) are both good sources of dietary iron. They also have many other nutritional benefits, including protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, and multiple vitamins.

Here is a delicious Indian vegetarian dish, Dal Saag (or Dal Palak), that brings together these two fine iron sources. It also makes a great meal, accompanied by rice or chapati flat bread, plus yogurt and a fresh chutney (I have a good recipe for fresh tomato chutney elsewhere in this blog).

Masoor dal, split and hulled red (or “Egyptian”) lentils, are available inexpensively at supermarkets, Indian stores, and natural food stores. The spices are relatively readily available at the same places. Frozen spinach is the easiest for this cooking, but fresh could be used if preferred. Indian cooks would typically fry part of the cumin seeds and part of the onion in a little oil or clarified butter (ghee) and stir it in at the end for heightened flavor. For simplicity (and for a teen-aged cook) I leave that step out and just cook those seasonings in with the lentils.

The recipe makes about a quart and a half, enough for six people. It keeps well in the fridge and reheats easily in the microwave.

1 1/2 cup split red lentils

5 cups water

4 tablespoons butter (or vegetable oil for a vegan dish)

1 small onion finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/4 teaspoons whole cumin seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or ground as a second choice)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 (12-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (not thawed)

Coarsely chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

Rinse and drain the lentils. Place in a pot with the water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of thee pot. Skim off and discard the foam that arises as the lentils boil.

Add the butter, onion and spices (not the salt), and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until lentils are tender and start to disintegrate, 25-30 minutes. If the mixture is getting somewhat dry, add a little water.

Add the salt and simmer a few more minutes.

Finally, add the frozen spinach, and stirring frequently, cook only until the spinach is heated. Do not cook after the mixture boils.

Remove from the heat, taste for salt and add a little if needed. Let cool. The flavors are enhanced as the mixture rests.

Reheat to serve. Top lightly with coarsely chopped cilantro leaves, if desired, when using as part of an Indian meal with rice or chapati.

Spring Greens and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette – All Year Long

Bright, young leafy greens and gorgeous red strawberries combine for a delightful salad that screams “springtime.” But -- happily -- the story is  more complicated. 

“Spring Mix,” a collection of young salad greens is now available throughout the year. And most of it is hydroponically grown in greenhouses. Increasingly it’s produced locally in all seasons. Strawberries, which in my childhood were very seasonal and locally grown, are available year round, and are either shipped in, or now also greenhouse grown. Strawberries are safest if organic or at least raised in greenhouses.

Here’s my “springtime” salad offering, which was previously a column in Boom Magazine, an Athens publication for which I regularly write about food and cooking.

Using some of the strawberries, particularly the less beautiful ones in the package, to infuse the salad dressing makes the salad an even more intense celebration of spring. And, thanks to modern agriculture, it can be enjoyed any time of year.

The recipe serves six. The salad dressing can be made in advance.

1 pint (16 ounces) strawberries, organic or greenhouse grown

1 sprig fresh mint or other herb, optional

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste

3 tablespoons wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil or part olive oil

4 cups (loosely measured) spring mix salad greens (from supermarket)

Divide the strawberries into two halves, the prettiest berries in one half. Save those for topping the salad.

Using the less pretty berries, cut off the hulls and stems and chop or mash the berries finely. Mix them in a bowl with the fresh herb, if used, sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Mix well and allow to sit for an hour or more. Put mixture through a strainer into another bowl and press down firmly to extract the juices. Discard the squeezed-out strawberry pulp. Add the black pepper and oil to the liquid in the bowl. Mix and taste for salt, adding a little, if needed, to taste. It should be faintly salty.

Place the spring mix (no need to rinse the leaves if the package indicates they were already washed) in a salad bowl. Hull the reserved (prettier} strawberries. Slice them from top to bottom 1/4-inch thick and distribute them on top of the salad greens. Transfer the dressing to an attractive jar. Just before serving, and preferably at the table for the diners to see, toss the dressing with the greens and berries.

Red White and Blue Potato Salad for the 4^th of July

I love potato salad, preferably tangy sweet-sour potato salad without a lot of glubby mayonnaise.

Fourth of July, Independence Day, backyard “barbecues” in my childhood always included potato salad. I thought it must be the most American, and patriotic, of dishes. Hot dogs, after all, are actually Germanic sausages. Frankfurters were named for the West German city of Frankfurt, wieners for the Austrian city of Vienna. And hamburgers were named for the North German city of Hamburg.

Of course, later I learned that potato salad is a specialty throughout central and northern Europe, from Germany to Sweden to Russia and all points in between. Ah well!

For fun, I now make Fourth of July potato salad in the colors of red, white and blue. That’s not to be confused with the French national colors “bleu, blanc et rouge” (blue, white and red), or the Russian colors, white, blue and red.

When I began this culinary prank, I used small red-skinned potatoes and purple-blue potatoes. But the red skins cook to a weak pinkish tan and the blue potatoes fade to pale violet. That’s pretty wimpy for the Fourth of July.

Now I go bold, as our national honor dictates: red from diced or sliced beets and blue from blueberries to perk up the white of the potatoes. The beets are stirred into the salad briefly before serving so they don’t stain it pink. Pink potato and beet salad is a specialty in Sweden and Russia, especially around the winter holidays.

The trick for making good potato salad is proper simmering, not hard boiling, of the potatoes to achieve firmness yet without an under-cooked crunch.

The recipe serves 6 to 10 as a side dish or appetizer.

3 pounds small-medium yellow-skinned or russet potatoes

1 large fresh beet or equivalent in canned whole beets

1/4 cup minced onion

4 tablespoons mayonnaise (“real” mayonnaise works best)

4 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

In large, uncovered pan with plenty of water, bring potatoes just to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil them or cover the pan. If water begins boiling, pour in a little cold water to slow it. Swirl the pan occasionally to gently move the potatoes around. After 10-12 minutes, start testing a potato for doneness by piercing with a toothpick. Continue simmering until potatoes are just tender. Remove from the heat. Drain and cool.

In a separate pan of water, boil the raw beet, if used, unpeeled. When tender when pierced with toothpick, let it cool. Peel it. Alternatively, use canned whole beets of roughly similar total volume to a large beet. Cut in small dice, or if small canned beets, slice them 1/8 inch thick. Season with a little salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Set aside.

Peel potatoes. Slice them 1/4 inch thick, first cutting in half lengthwise if large. Place in a large bowl for easy mixing.

Mince onion. Mix it in a small bowl with mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until mayonnaise breaks up.

Stir mixture into potatoes, mixing gently with a large spoon or hands (use plastic gloves). Let sit for 10 minutes. Mix again and taste. If necessary, add salt, vinegar and/or sugar. The taste should be slightly salty (the potato will absorb more) and tangy sweet-sour.

Potato salad is best if made in advance and refrigerated a few hours or up to several days.

Shortly before serving, stir again. Taste and add salt, if needed. Stir in diced beets (drained) and part of blueberries. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining blueberries.

 Buffalo-Style Chicken Tenders, Roasted

I’ve rarely cooked with chicken tenders, but recently tried them for a lunch dish for several grandkids. Drawing on what I knew of Buffalo Chicken Wings, I made the tenders in more or less the same style, except that I seasoned the chicken pieces before cooking and didn’t deep fry them.

I initially tried pan frying the tenders, but it had to be done in two batches, and they stuck a little to the pan, making the surfaces a rough. Roasting them on a flat baking sheet in the oven is easier and makes more even-looking pieces, and they’re all cooked at the same time. However it means heating up the oven. Either way, the taste works well, and the kids loved them.

Frank’s RedHot cayenne pepper sauce is, reputedly, the particular sauce used on the original Buffalo Chicken Wings, and I like it. But Crystal or Louisiana brand hot sauce or Texas Pete hot sauce (made in North Carolina!) will work. There is always some butter in the sauce as it goes on the chicken.

Buffalo chicken is usually served with celery sticks, and a salad dressing to use as a dip. The dressing originally was chunky bleu cheese dressing, which was a typical salad dressing in the 1960s, when Buffalo Wings were created. But now it’s more likely to be Ranch, which is now the most popular.

The recipe serves six as a substantial snack. (Leftovers, cut up, make a nice addition to a mixed salad.)

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

T/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons sunflower or canola oil

1/4 teaspoon vinegar

2 tablespoons Frank’s “RedHot” or other American hot sauce

1 teaspoon butter

With a sharp knife, remove the tough tendon off each tender, by grasping it and sliding a sharp knife under it, so as to remove as little of the meat as possible. If one or more tenders are much larger than the others, cut them in half lengthwise on an angle so the pieces look more like the others.

In a bowl, mix the chicken well with the dry seasonings and cornstarch. Then mix in the oil and vinegar. Allow chicken an hour or more to season, mixing it occasionally, before cooking.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Smear some oil on a flat baking sheet, and lay out the chicken pieces so they are not touching. 

Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 8 minutes. Turn the pieces over with a spatula, and bake for 5 minutes more. Test for doneness by cutting part off one piece. The raw pink interior color should be gone. If not yet cooked, bake for another two minutes, Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a clean, wide mixing bowl.

Put the hot sauce and butter in a microwaveable cup and microwave for 30 seconds or until the butter is melted, Stir this sauce into the roasted chicken tenders to coat them well. Transfer chicken to a platter to serve.

If desired, accompany with celery sticks, and bleu cheese or Ranch dressing as a dip.

Chickpea Sauce and Parmesan Cheese for Pasta

I’m always looking for vegetarian counterparts to meat dishes when I’m preparing food for entertaining or feeding the grandkids at our weekly dinners. That way I can offer a vegetarian option when the crowd includes people with different food preferences. This one, which is easy, started as the counterpart to a chicken and pasta dish. The chicken version was relatively good, but not special. The vegetarian version did much better. 

The two dishes were designed to serve with orzo pasta, or with rice if avoiding pasta. Orzo looks like rice, but its name in Italian actually means barley, which cooked it also resembles. This is not an Italian dish, but some of my experience with Italian food influenced it. We had a side of crisp-tender broccoli and a salad with the dinner.

Here’s my chickpea dish. The recipe serves 4 to 6 persons, accompanying 1/2-3/4 pound of orzo pasta, which is cooked separately and lightly oiled after draining so it doesn’t stick together.

1/2 of a medium-small onion, minced

1 medium-large clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup water, plus more as needed

2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

6 tablespoons sour cream

1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1/2 to 3/4 pound orzo pasta, freshly cooked for serving

In a medium-sized pot, gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until onion is softened but not turning golden. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Stir in the drained, rinsed chickpeas, oregano, salt, paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Simmer 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sour cream and bring back just to a boil. Add a little water if sauce is too thick. Taste and add a little salt if needed.

Serve now (or hold and reheat later in a microwave or on the stove top) over orzo pasta. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Salad made from Roasted Chicken Breast

A dish I’ve made for years somehow didn’t get onto this recipe blog. Perhaps that’s because it is nearly like the roasted chicken salad we make at the restaurant, which sells very well there. But I don’t expect that we will lose sales, or that some competitor will take advantage of our trade secrets, if I post the recipe.

The key to what we make is rubbing boneless, skinless chicken breast with seasonings and a little oil and roasting it. Then we chop it finely (in a food processor usually) and mix it with diced celery and green onion, mayonnaise, horseradish and lemon juice.

The finished product will keep for 6-7 days refrigerated. It makes outstanding sandwiches, for example on croissants and adding some thin-sliced cucumber or fresh spinach, or as an appetizer spread, or for topping a lunch salad.

The recipe makes enough for six good-sized sandwiches.

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 3 medium breast halves)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon dry Herbes de Provence (or 1/4 teaspoon thyme plus 1/4 teaspoon oregano)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower or canola oil

10-inch length of celery stalk

2 green onions, white and green parts

1/2 cup mayonnaise

5 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Trim off tough or fatty parts from the chicken. Place chicken pieces on flat baking sheet and sprinkle on both sides with the salt, herbs and black pepper. Drizzle oil onto the chicken.

Roast in a 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven for ten minutes. Turn the pieces over and roast another ten minutes then turn pieces over again. Continue to roast, 5-10 minutes depending on thickness, until cooked: internal temperature of 165 degrees with a meat thermometer or no pink color when a piece of chicken is cut in half. Let cool.

On a clean cutting board, split the celery lengthwise into 1/8-inch wide strips. Cut them in half lengthwise. Line them up together and slice them across thinly with a chef’s knife to dice the celery. Place it in a mixing bowl. Remove the roots and bottom 1/4 inch of the green onions and cut off the tips of the green parts. Cut the onions in half in the middle. Line up the pieces and slice them very thinly. Add them to the celery. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and horseradish. Mix well.

Add any pan juices from the chicken pan to the mixture in the bowl. Chop the chicken finely: cut into chunks then pulse it in a food processor, about half at a time, until well chopped, but not puréed or mushy. Alternatively, slice then chop the chicken, part at a time, on the cutting board, using the chef’s knife.

Add chopped chicken to the bowl and mix well until evenly moistened. Taste a bit, and add a little salt, if needed, to taste.

The flavors intensify as the chicken salad is allowed to sit for a while. Mix well one final time, and taste again for salt, adding a little if needed. Use now, or refrigerate in a covered container.