Cornish Hens with Lemon and Herbs

I wasn't going to turn on the oven so I looked up the Cornish hen recipe that's made in a toaster oven.

Ingredients

    1 Cornish hens, room temperature, rinsed well and patted dry
    1 bunch fresh thyme (about 1/2 ounce), plus more for garnish
    1 lemons, halved
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons honey
    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

    Preheat toaster oven to 375°F. Place hen in a roasting pan, breast sides up. Place 2 thyme sprigs and 1 lemon half in cavity of each hen. Loosen skin from breast. Squeeze remaining lemon halves over hens. Rub butter all over hens. Season generously with salt and pepper.

    Roast hens, rotating pan halfway through, until skin turns golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Brush melted butter and honey.  Place the hen back in the oven for 10 min.  Let stand 10 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise. Garnish with thyme sprigs, and serve with lemon wedges.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Bulgur Salad

my coworker bought this today.  the simple ingredients were wonderful.  I added toasted pine nuts.

1 cup bulgur
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
3 green onions, white and tender green parts, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

1. Bring the bulgur and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, turn the heat off (but leave the pan on the eye) and let stand for 15-20 minutes or so until soft. Fluff the bulgur.

2. Meanwhile, prep the cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, green onions, and garlic. Combine these ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. When the bulgur is soft, drain it in a colander, pressing all the excess water out. Stir the bulgur into the bowl of vegetable, then drizzle in the dressing as you toss the salad.

Cucumber Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Tonight's dinner was on the money.   Mike made it!

Cucumber Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Peanut Sauce:

2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons agave (or honey)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Dash of red pepper flakes, to taste
1/3 cup warm water

For the Cucumber Noodles:
2 large seedless cucumbers
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1/3 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

directions:

1. First, make the peanut sauce. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, Tamari, sesame oil, agave, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth. Stir in garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the warm water until sauce is smooth.

2. Next, make the cucumber noodles with the spiralizer.

3. Place cucumber noodles on a plate or in a bowl. Drizzle with peanut sauce and toss gently. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

Mujaddara Burghul

This is another recipe from a Syrian friend of mine was n Amsterdam.  We've known each other for years and he made this dish for me when I was in Amsterdam 10 years ago.  I've made this before.  This is a different recipe.  I posted it on my blog about a year ago.

    2 cup green lentils
    1 cup bulgur
    2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    8 oz diced tomato
    4 oz pine nuts
    1 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
    1 onion, finely diced (1 cup)
    2 cloves of garlic diced
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
    1 teaspoon lemon zest
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place lentils and 2 cups broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and most liquid is dissolved, about 30 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. While lentils are cooking, place bulgur and remaining 2 cups chicken broth in another small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid is dissolved and bulgur is tender, about 13 to15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Add the bulgur to the lentils.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, pine nuts, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the onion mixture to bulgur-lentil mixture. Stir in the diced tomato, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to incorporate.

Thai Red Curry Chicken with Basil

i've been thinking about making this for a while. this dish would have been not spicy enough so i added in chili oil even with the serrano pepper.  future recipes i will add 2 serrano peppers.

• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. red curry paste
• 13 ¹⁄₂ ounces coconut milk, shaken well
• 1 ¹⁄₂ lbs chicken breasts, raw, sliced into bite size pieces
• 1 serrano pepper, sliced
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 10 - 15 large basil leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp red chili oil 
• basil for garish

Directions:

1.    Heat the oil in the frying pan over medium heat. saute onions, serrano pepper, and garlic.  5 min.

2.    Add the curry paste and simmer for 2 minutes, so that it is dissolved, fragrant and foaming.

3.    Stir in the can of the coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 5 - 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.    Add the sliced chicken. Simmer for 4 minutes.

5.    Stir in the sugar, fish sauce, basil, and bell pepper. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 10 minutes

6.    plate and add more basil leaves.

No Knead Bread with Sesame Seeds

The day before easter I made bead to bring over Mom and Dad's house.  This is not a baguette bread.  It's a recipe that my friends friend made.  I adjusted the recipe.

Ingredients

   2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
   1 cup whole wheat flour
   1 teaspoon instant yeast
   2 teaspoons salt
   1 ¾ cups of warm water
   1 tbsp honey
   Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

Preparation

    In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ¾ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

    Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

    Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

    At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. 

the dimensions are 9in. x 9in. x 5in if anyone is interested..

Cool on a rack.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread

Neapolitan Spaghetti Pie

   this recipe was inspired by my cousin Rebecca to make for Easter.  i remember when Mom would make
   this regularly.  i have fond memories <3  it will be a delight and pleasure for me to bring this dish tomorrow.

    1lb spaghetti, cooked and drained
    1 teaspoon olive oil
    1/4 - 1/2 lb. uncooked bacon slab, diced
    1-1/2 cups chopped onion
    1 tablespoon minced garlic
    6 large eggs
    1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
    1/2 cup light cream
    3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    1/2 cup provolone cheese
    6 oz. Genoa salami, diced
    2 tablespoons chopped basil
    2 tablespoons chopped parsley
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    sprinkle of red pepper

Directions

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and refresh with cold
water.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until browned. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to a small bowl and let cool slightly.    

Whisk together eggs, ricotta cheese, salami, basil, parsley, provolone, Parmesan, cream, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the onion mixture. Add spaghetti and mix all ingredients together.

Add a thin layer of olive oil at bake at 375F for about 45 min.

Cook until bottom is golden.