Monthly Archives: June 2012

Sauces and Dressings

Greek Salad Dressing

You can store this dressing in a cruet in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. You can use this dressing to make a Greek salad by coating lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and roasted red pepper slices with it and crumbling feta cheese over the top.

2/3 Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Of Red Wine Vinegar
A Teaspoon Of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
A Pinch Of Ground Black Pepper
A Teaspoon Of Dried Oregano
A Minced Garlic Clove

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended and thickened slightly. Taste and add more sea salt and/or pepper, if desired.

Poultry

Vietnamese Style Chicken Barbecue Featuring Brined Half Chickens

Vietnamese Style Chicken Barbecue

Three (3) Half Chickens
10 Cups Of Cold Water
¼ Cup Of Sea Salt
¼ Cup Of Light Brown Sugar
A Serrano Pepper Cut In Half
A Garlic Clove Cut In Half
A Teaspoon Of Fresh Ginger Roughly Chopped
Three Scallions Roughly Chopped
A Teaspoon Of Ground Ginger
A Teaspoon Of Onion Powder
A Teaspoon Of Garlic Powder
The Juice Of ½ Lime
A Teaspoon Of Sriracha Chili Sauce
A Teaspoon Of Honey
1/3 Cup Of Hoisin Sauce
¼ Cup Of Soy Sauce
A Teaspoon Of Sesame Oil

Into a large pot (big enough to hold the chicken and 10 cups of water), add the water, the brown sugar, and the sea salt. Put the pot on medium high heat. Whisk until the salt and the sugar are dissolved. Immediately remove the pot from the heat. Immerse all of the chicken into the brining liquid. Add the garlic, the fresh ginger, the Serrano pepper, and the scallions to the pot. Wrap the top of the pot tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the chicken overnight. About an hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the brining liquid. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

Combine the ground ginger, the onion powder, the garlic powder, the juice of 1/2 lime, the Sriracha chili sauce, the honey, the hoisin sauce, the soy sauce, and the sesame oil in a small pot. Put the pot on low heat. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients. Let the sauce cook on low heat for 10 minutes whisking occasionally.

Cook the chicken on a gas or charcoal grill (skin side up) on low heat covered for an hour and a half. Brush the sauce on the chicken during the last ten minutes of cooking. For extra crispy skin, cook the chicken with the skin side directly over the heat source (gas or hot charcoal) for 2-3 minutes. Cut up the chicken and serve with any leftover sauce for dipping.

Salads and Appetizers

Caprese Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette, Gorgonzola Cheese And Roasted Walnuts

Caprese Salad With Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

Summer is tomato season. Take advantage of this wonderful bounty with this unique flavor combination of sweet, sour, and a little heat.  The recipe is a different twist on the classic caprese salad that features fresh basil and mozzarella cheese.

Three Large Tomatoes (Cored And Cut Into About ¼ Inch Slices)
A Tablespoon Of Spicy Dijon Mustard
A Tablespoon Of Sherry Vinegar
Two Teaspoons Of Finely Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
1/3 Cup Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A Teaspoon Of Sea Salt (Approximate)
¼ Teaspoon Of Ground Black Pepper (Approximate)
¼ Cup Of Chopped Walnuts
1/3 Cup Of Crumbled Gorgonzola Cheese

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the walnuts out in a roasting pan. Roast the walnuts in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Combine the mustard, the sherry vinegar, the parsley, the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of sea salt, and a pinch of black pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well blended and thickened slightly. Taste and add more sea salt and/or black pepper, if desired.

Spread the tomatoes out evenly on a plate. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt and ground black pepper. Spoon the vinaigrette dressing out uniformly over the tomatoes. Top the tomatoes equally with the gorgonzola cheese and the roasted walnuts. Serve immediately.