Grilled Garlic Chicken, Issahn Style

Prep time: 30 mins

Marinate time: 1 hour to overnight

Cook time:  25 mins

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp water, or more as needed to grind the paste

3 lbs chicken pieces

DIRECTIONS:

In a small food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, garlic, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and water.  Grind to a fine, fairly smooth paste.  Add another tablespoon or two of water if needed to help grind evenly.  You can also mince the garlic and cilantro finely, mash them with the salt on your cutting board, and scrape the mixture into a bowl to mix with the pepper, fish sauce and soy sauce.

Transfer the paste to a large, deep mixing bowl and add the chicken pieces, turning to coat everything well.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour to overnight, turning occasionally to coat evenly with the marinade.

Prepare a very hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or oven to 450 degrees F.  When hot, place the chicken on the lightly oiled rack or in a roasting pan in the oven, and cook.  Turn occasionally to brown and cook pieces evenly, until chicken is cooked through.  Serve while hot or warm.

The Maccan Family's Zucchini Relish

My coworker brought me a jar of this delicious zucchini relish and I devoured it in less than one week.  She generously shared the recipe with me, which was given to her by a friend of the Maccan family.  This recipe was published in the San Jose Mercury News in 1994.  This relish is so sweet and delicious.  It works great as a topping on sandwiches, burgers or in tuna (my favorite).

Prep time: 1 hour, 30 min plus time to marinate overnight

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes: 5 cups

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups grated zucchini

2 cups grated onions

6 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup diced green pepper

1 cup diced red pepper

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp dry mustard or mustard seed

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Place zucchini, onions and salt in a large bowl.  Mix well and cover.  Refrigerate overnight.  The next day place mixture in a fine strainer.  Drain well, rise under cold water and drain again for 1 hour.

Place mixture in a heavy pot with remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. 

Cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. If you plan to can the relish, sterilize 3 or 4 pint-sized canning jars in boiling water.  Fill with relish, seal and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove jars with tongs.  Let rest until relish comes to room temperature.  Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.  

Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Breakfast Muffins

I always try to make something special for breakfast when I have house guests, and these breakfast muffins are easy and decadent.  With bacon and cheese they make for a rich and hearty breakfast.  

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 17 min

Makes: 6 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 slices bacon, well cooked, drained and coarsely chopped

1 cup grated very sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

1 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven (or toaster oven if the pan will fit) to 350 degrees.  Brush a 6-muffin tin with oil.

Thoroughly mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add the bacon pieces and the cheese and mix in thoroughly.  Whisk the egg, oil and buttermilk together in a small bowl, then stir them into the dry ingredients.

Even distribute the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.  Remove from the oven.  Allow to cool for just a couple of minutes, then remove them from the muffin tin and serve while warm.

Whole-Grain Naan

There are few things better in life than good naan, and this is especially true when it is warm, fresh, and straight from your oven.  This stuff doesn't last long in my house!

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 tbsp (1 ounce) butter or ghee, melted
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk or whey (from the drained yogurt, below)
3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 large egg

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the butter or ghee, milk or whey, yogurt, and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring to form a shaggy mass of dough. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it until it's smooth and shiny. Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover, and set it aside to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until it's doubled in bulk. At this point, the dough may be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours, for extra flavor and ease of rolling.

Divide the dough into six pieces, and hand-stretch or roll each piece into a thin oval shape. Pull on the front edge of the oval to elongate and create the tear shape. Let the pieces rest, uncovered, while you heat a griddle on high heat. 

Transfer the naan to the griddle. Grill for approximately 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until the bread puffs and begins to look set around the edges. Flip over and finish cooking. Serve warm!

Tandoori Naan Chicken Sandwiches with Herbed Yogurt Sauce

My sister-in-law prepared these sandwiches for us when we up north, and we fell in love with the idea. Originally from Sunset, I've slightly modified the recipe to include the herbed yogurt sauce.  The refreshing mint compliments the spicy tang of the chicken, which is all wrapped in delicious naan.  You can't go wrong! 

Prep time: 35 min

Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1½ cup Greek yogurt

1 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic and ground coriander and cumin

½ tsp cayenne

¼ tsp turmeric

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb chicken tenders, patted dry

4 medium plain or garlic-flavored naan breads, about 4 oz each

2 tbsp butter

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

½ cup thinly slivered red onion

4 oz feta cheese, sliced

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk together yogurt, seasonings and oil in a medium bowl.  Add chicken and stir to coat.  Let marinate 20 minutes.

Preheat broiler.  Spread chicken out on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until cooked through, 8 minutes.  (We use the BBQ and grill the chicken directly on the grates, but either method works well).  Meanwhile continue with recipe.

Dab naan with a little butter on each side, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and place in oven on rack below chicken.  Cook until toasted and crisped, about 8 minutes.  If you are using a BBQ, oil the grates with cooking spray or olive oil and place naan directly on the grill.  Cook until the naan starts to puff up and is slightly brown, 2-3 minutes per side.

Cut naan in half crosswise and build sandwiches with naan, yogurt sauce, chicken, tomatoes, onion, feta, mint and cilantro.  Cut each in half if large.

Herbed yogurt sauce:

Place 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup mint and 1/4 cup cilantro into a food processor and process until smooth.  Season with salt and paper to taste.  Refrigerate if not using immediately.

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken

Prep time: 10 mins                                              

Cook time: 12 mins

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger root or ground ginger

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbsp hot sauce

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips

2 tablespoon olive oil    

4 tbsp flour

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.  

Add flour, salt and pepper in a large plastic bag.  Add chicken strips and shake until chicken is completely covered by flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Serve over rice with steamed veggies.

Zoo-kee-nee Bread

Zucchini is easy to grow. And even easier to grow REALLY BIG. At this time a year when there is a plethora of zucchini to be had, it is inevitable that this squash lover turn to a trusty zucchini  bread recipe to off-load some of this squash (I mean 5 plants...what was I thinking?!). This recipe is really good and really moist.  The bread will freeze well and keep in the refrigerator for weeks.  This recipe makes 2 bread loafs - so there is plenty to go around. 

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Makes: 2 loafs

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups white sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread pans.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar together in a large bowl or mixer.  Add sifted ingredients tot he creamed mixture, and beat well.  Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Bar-B-Que'd Pizza

 

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time:  minutes

Serves: 2 large or 4 small pizzas

BASIC PIZZA DOUGH:

2 tsp active dry yeast or 1 package

1 cup lukewarm water

2-3 cups flour (unbleached all purpose or bread flour)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar or honey

Cornmeal to dust pizza peel or pan

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Make a well in the center and add the yeast, water and 2 tbsp olive oil.  Leave for 15 minutes to dissolve yeast.  With your hands, stir until the dough just holds together.  Transfer to a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.  Avoid adding too much flour while kneading.  

Brush or spray the inside of a clean bowl with 1 tbsp of oil.  Place the dough in the bowl and roll around to coat with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a draft free place until more than doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.  Divide the dough into 2 balls. Using a floured surface, roll or stretch out the pizza dough into a circle (ours never end up round however, so don't worry if you end up with a weird shape). 

Preheat the BBQ to 425. Wipe the hot grates with olive oil to prevent the pizza from sticking.  Using a lightly floured pizza peel, slide the dough onto the grill and cook until slightly firm but not completely cooked through, approximately 5 minutes. 

 


Return the pizzas to the kitchen and add the sauce, toppings and cheese.  Once on the grill again,  cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the pizza is cooked thoroughly.  Serve immediately.

Zucchini Salsa

Just when I thought I couldn't look another zucchini, I found this recipe at the Farmer's Market and thought it was such a clever new way to prepare the abundance of squash that grows in our garden this time of year.  If you're a squash grower you know what I mean! It is light, crunchy and perfect on whole wheat pita or tortilla chips.  For a spicier salsa add an additional Jalapeno to kick things up.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Makes: 4 cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium green zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice

2 medium yellow zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small red onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Jalapeno, stemmed and minced

2 large ripe tomatoes, peel, seeded and minced

1 tsp minced fresh basil leaves

1 tsp minced fresh Italian parsley leaves

Juice of two lemons

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the zucchini, onion, garlic and jalapeno in a medium bowl and toss.  Add the tomato, basil, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and toss again.  Taste and season with black pepper.  Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.  Use immediately or store refrigerated for 3 or 4 days.

Simple Strawberry Sorbet

Sorbet includes just a few simple ingredients, and is incredibly simple to make. With fresh strawberries now in season, I couldn't resist making this last weekend when the weather was hot.  Intensely strawberry-flavored, it's also a brilliant red.  This recipe is very sweet, but  you can tweak the sugar added to your preference (the original recipe called for 3/4 cup of sugar). I also made a mango-strawberry sorbet which was delicious.  Any fruit will do - the combinations are endless!

 

Prep time: 15 mins

Freezer time: 5-6 hours

Makes: 1 quart

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

1/3 - 3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups strawberries; frozen are fine

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring. Remove the syrup from the heat, pour it into a bowl, and set in the refrigerator to cool.

If you're using frozen strawberries, thaw them enough that they're not rock-hard; a few icy spots are OK. If you're using fresh strawberries, wash and trim off the hulls.

Place the strawberries in the work bowl of a food processor. Process until fairly smooth, but not puréed.

Add the syrup and lemon juice, and pulse briefly, just to combine. The syrup doesn't have to be cold, but it shouldn't be boiling hot, either. Lukewarm or cooler is fine. 

Place the mixture in a shallow pan; an 8" x 8" or 9" round cake pan are both good choices. Place the pan in the freezer. There's no need to cover it

 

After 2 hours, use a fork or spoon to stir it around, bringing the frozen edges into the center. Return to the freezer.

Continue to stir every hour or so, until the sorbet is nearly as firm as you like. This may be as little as 4 hours total, start to finish; or it may take longer, depending on the temperature of your freezer. Once the sorbet is entirely icy (like a slush drink), you can purée it in a food processor or using a hand blender, if you like. Place in a bowl, cover, and return to the freezer.

Sorbet should be ready to serve about 4 to 6 hours after you first put it into the freezer. Waiting a couple of hours beyond that will solidify it beyond scoopable. To serve beyond that window, allow sorbet to soften slightly at room temperature; this will only take about 10 minutes. Scoop into dishes and serve.