Tag Archives: cucumber

Always Perfection @ Auntie Tricia’s

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Boozy, Easy, Entertaining, Healthy, Main Dish, Salad, Uncategorized

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Probably one of my favorite things is being invited over to my Aunt Tricia’s house. She is the Master Entertainer, her husband is the Ultimate Bartender, and her dogs are always ready to “clean” the dishes for her…if you know what I mean!

She always executes the perfect menu and everyone always has so much fun. Needless to say, I’m pretty proud to be related to her, and I hope one day I will be able to entertain like she does.

Below is a look at last week’s dinner…Recipes included!

Recipe
The Perfect Manhattan

Fill cocktail shaker 1/2 full with ice.

  • 2 shots knob creek bourbon
  • 1/2 shot red vermouth
  • dash of bitters…there are all sorts of flavors out there these days…
  • Shake 10 times and strain into a frozen martini glass. (I leave a little water on the glass before freezing, so I get a nice frost on the glass)
3 Luxardo brand cherries on a pick.  Add and enjoy!
Both Recipes below are from Ina Garten’s How Easy is That? Cookbook.

 

Recipe
Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Ingredients

  • 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • 8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
  • Toasted pita bread, for serving

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

Recipe
Lemon Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

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Greek Quinoa Salad

13 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Easy, Healthy, Salad, Side Dish, Weeknight Meals

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I first found out about Quinoa a few years ago when a friend was always making it because she had to start eating Gluten free. All I could remember thinking was, “Man, this stuff is so good, I can’t believe there isn’t any Gluten.”

There are so many different ways to use quinoa, literally, endless. Get on Pinterest right now, search for “quinoa” and get ready for your head to explode. Some of the possibilities seem insanely unique and delicious. You can compare it to rice or couscous, but many out there would obviously agree there is something special about quinoa. Maybe the craze is a fad, but one thing’s for sure – I’m gonna try as many quinoa recipes as I can.

I am partial to a super basic greek quinoa salad since it is one of the first ways I ever ate it. Adjust the recipe to your preferences –  this one is all about wingin’ it and going by taste.

Recipe

Greek Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 2 tomatoes, diced, or 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • half of 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups halved kalamata olives
  • 1 4 oz block of feta cheese, cubed
  • splash olive oil
  • splash red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. dried or fresh oregano
  • 1 tbsp. dried or fresh parsley
  • dash of salt and pepper
  1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package instructions. Usually the rule is 2 parts water, 1 part quinoa. So, usually you cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer, covered, for about 12-15 minutes until you can fluff quinoa with a fork. Add a spalsh of olive oil and salt and pepper, set aside and let cool.
  2. Add the chopped veggies to a large bowl. Dress with a splash of olive oil and red wine vinegar. Add more salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley to taste.
  3. Add the feta and kalamata olives. toss the mixture, then add the quinoa and toss again.
Makes a large salad that can serve about 6 as a main. Also good as a side and as leftovers.