Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin

Talk about an explosion of flavor in your mouth. This was amazing. The grilled zucchini was so good, I had to control myself not to eat it all before adding it to the quinoa. Be careful with the turmeric-it stains things yellow. Also, I didn't have cumin seeds, so I used 1/2 tsp ground cumin. You can do it 2 hours ahead, so you can focus on the rest of your meal.

Bon Appetit, August 2008

8 Servings

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) drained

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric, divided

1 tsp smoked paprika, divided

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa (about 6 oz) rinsed well, drained

1 tsp coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 lbs medium zucchini (about 5) trimmed, quartered lengthwise

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine garbanzo beans and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tbsp oil; press in garlic and stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer; stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place zucchini on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle with ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Toss to coat evenly.

Place zucchini on grill; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to work surface. Cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. Add zucchini, green onions, and parsley, then garbanzo bean mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Glaze

A perfect summer salad! I made the glaze myself; super easy. I decided to serve the glaze on the side because I knew we would have leftovers and I didn't want it to get soaked in overnight.

Bon Appetit, July 2009

8 Servings

1 5-oz package baby arugula

8 cups 3/4 inch cubes seedless watermelon

1 7-oz package feta cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar glaze

Arrange arugula over large platter. Scatter watermelon, then feta over. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with pepper.

Balsamic vinegar glaze (if you can't find it)

Boil 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until reduced to 3 tbsp, 6 to 7 minutes.

Chicken and Sausage Cacciatore with Grape Tomatoes

This smelled so good while it was cooking. I served it with rice to soak up the yummy sauce. The recipe suggests serving with thick slices of garlic bread. Because we don't like mushrooms, I left those out and it worked just fine. If I made it again, I would leave out the chicken thighs and just use sausage.

Bon Appetit, July 2008

Prep: 40 Minutes

Total: 45 Minutes

4 Servings

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 1 1/3 lbs)

3/4 lb fresh mild or hot Italian sausages

3/4 lb large mushrooms, quartered

2 12-oz containers grape tomatoes

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Heat 2 tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and sausages to skillet. Saute until brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken and sausages to bowl. Add mushrooms to skillet. Saute until brown, about 4 minutes; add to same bowl.

Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to skillet; add tomatoes, red wine, garlic, and rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. Using potato masher, lightly crush half of tomatoes. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Add remaining contents of bowl and simmer uncovered until chicken and sausages are cooked through, turning often, about 15 minutes longer.

Place chicken and sausages on platter. Cut sausages on diagonal into thick slices. Stir basil into sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Pork Chops with Chiles Rellenos and Ancho Sauce

I'm going to include the entire recipe even though I only made the pork chops by sprinkling with chile powder and salt and then grilling. They were really tasty and juicy.

Bon Appetit, August 2009

6 Servings

6 large fresh poblano chiles, stemmed

1 tsp cumin seeds

12 oz unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes or baby Dutch potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 1/4 cups coarsely grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 4 oz)

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano plus oregano leaves for garnish

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

1/2 cup orange juice

5 tsp ancho chile powder, divided

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Italian double-concentrated tomato paste

1 cinnamon stick

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 tbsp coarse kosher salt

6 10-inch-thick pork loin chops on bone, frenched

Olive oil

Char chiles over gas flame or in broiler until blackened all over. Place chiles in bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam 15 minutes. Peel, leaving stem intact (do not tear flesh of chiles). Using small sharp knife, cut 1 long slit down side of each chile; carefully remove seeds. Toast cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darkened and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Set chiles and cumin aside.

Line rimless baking sheet with foil. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Transfer potatoes to medium bowl; cool. Add cheese, chopped oregano, and toasted cumin; stir to distribute evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully fill chiles with potato mixture, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup filling for each. Working with 1 chile at a time, hold in palm and squeeze gently to compress lightly. Place stuffed chiles on prepared sheet.

Combine broth, juice, 2 tsp chile powder, and next 4 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened and reduced to 2/3 cup, 8 to 9 minutes. DO AHEAD. Chiles and sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill separately. Let chiles return to room temperature before continuing.

Mix 3 tsp chile powder and 1 tbsp coarse salt in small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over pork chops; let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Brush pork with oil. Place pork chops on 1 side of grill. Transfer chiles on foil to opposite side of grill. Grill pork chops until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate and let rest 10 minutes. Grill chiles until cheese melts, about 15 minutes.

Rewarm sauce. Place 1 pork chop and 1 chile on each plate. Drizzle sauce over, sprinkle with oregano leaves, and serve.

Rice with Summer Squash, Red Peppers, and Roasted Pepitas

This was a nice side dish and I could use up some of my zucchini. I used water instead of broth and sunflower seeds instead of pepitas.

Bon Appetit, June 2009

6 Servings

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium yellow zucchini or crookneck squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium green zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (about 10 oz)

3 cups low-salt chicken broth

3 tbsp roasted salted shelled pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Add bell pepper, yellow zucchini, and green zucchini; saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add rice; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add broth, increase heat to high, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in pumpkin seeds and parsley.

Linguine with Summer Succotash

Ok, so I strayed from this recipe, but I'll still give it credit. I used frozen corn instead of fresh, half a vidalia onion, half a red pepper, and a yellow squash instead of sugar snap peas. I heated the corn in the microwave. I sliced the onion, pepper, and squash and added it to the oil. It took a little longer to get those cooked, and then I added the corn, linguine, tomatoes, and cheese. I didn't have any basil on hand. The recipe tells you to add the cheese while it's still over the stove, but whenever I do this, I end up with globs of cheese. Travis looked it up, and it's better to add after you take the skillet off the heat. So I'll have to try that next time.

Bon Appetit, July 2009

4 First-Course or 2 Main-Course Servings

40 Minutes Total

8 oz linguine

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 to 4 ears), divided

3 tbsp olive oil

1 3/4 cups stringless sugar snap peas

1 6 oz container assorted baby tomatoes, large ones halved

1 1/4 cups sliced fresh basil

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Place 1/2 cup cooking liquid in blender. Add 1/2 cup corn; blend until smooth.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add peas and remaining 2 cups corn. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add pasta, tomatoes, basil, 3/4 cup cheese, and corn puree. Toss until heated through and sauce coats pasta, adding more cooking liquid if dry, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, passing additional cheese.