Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Salmon Salad with Spanish Rice, Pimento Dressing

My garden is confused.

We had cool, very dry weather all through June and the first part of July.

We had cool, very wet weather for two weeks followed by hot, very wet weather.

My garden went from barely growing to jungle in the last two weeks.

I went from buying vegetables, to having more then enough  of each - zucchini, chard, green beans, tomatoes and lettuce to eat - every day.

The corn, butternut squash and acorn squash have gotten so huge, so fast I missed the normal chance to exert any sort of control over them.

Now I'm concerned that they'll be all leaves and no vegetables.  I can barely walk into the garden, and if the puppies got in, I'd never find them....

I'm rapidly filling my vegetable freezer, as well as combining them in any and every way I can think of, both cooked and raw.

Planting the lettuce between the tomatoes has extended that growing season nicely, even with the heat, so we are still eating salads.

Having a dinner that can be prepared in the morning and assembled just before eating is perfect for hot, lazy summer days.

This is a layered salad, with tomato-infused brown rice, shredded, fresh zucchini and roasted or grilled salmon, finished with a red pepper dressing. If you use quick-cooking Brown Rice it all goes together fast. Everything can be cooked ahead and assembled just before serving.

Salmon Salad with Spanish Rice, Pimento Dressing

For the salmon:
2 salmon filets, 12oz total (350gr)
1 tbs fresh parsley
1 tbs fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbs olive oil

Snip the parsley and tarragon. Mix with the salt and oil and spread on the salmon. Bake at 400F 200C) for 15 minutes, or until done. Remove and set aside. Could also be done on the barbecue grill for about 10 minutes. If done earlier in the day, refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Spanish Rice:
1/3 cup brown rice, quick cooking
2 tbs chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato
1 tbs olive oil
2/3 cup chicken stock

Finely chop onion and mince garlic. Roughly chop tomato. Heat oil in small saucepan. Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add garlic and rice and sauté 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomato, cover, reduce heat and simmer until rice is done (package directions). Uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside - if done earlier in the day, refrigerate until ready to use.

Dressing for the Salad:
4oz (125 gr) pimiento (pimento) or roasted red peppers 'net weight' 
1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) plain or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup (4oz, 125ml) mayonnaise
1 tbs fresh chopped oregano
1 tbs fresh snipped chives
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs good olive oil

Snip/chop herbs. Drain pimento. Reserve 1 tbs pimento for garnish. Put the rest of the pimento and the yogurt into a blender and purée. Pour the yogurt mixture into a small bowl. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs, stir to combine.

For salad:
lettuce for main course salad for 2 people
1 small zucchini (courgette) - about 8 inches long (20cm), about 1 1/2 cups shredded

Shred zucchini using large holes of a box grater - no need to peel. Put it into a bowl, add 2 tbs of dressing and toss well to combine. Prepare lettuce, tear and arrange in a flat salad bowl or on a large platter. Fluff the rice and spread out over the lettuce. Put the zucchini on top of the rice. Cut the salmon into 4 nice pieces and arrange on zucchini. Drizzle salmon with a bit of dressing and garnish with reserved pimento. Serve with more dressing on the side.

In addition to this, for the week of August 5 we have Vitello Tonnato, Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Olive sauce, Barbecued Chicken, Stuffed Burgers, Grilled Zucchini....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre; crashing Firefox

Ever jump out of bed, salivating with the thought of hot sticky, barbecued ribs for lunch, get to the kitchen, start whipping up the sauce....

And discover that first you have to go out to the barn and butcher the pig?

That's how my day felt.

I was full of energy this morning.

I was starting a new project.

I had done the prep work, organized my thoughts, downloaded the necessary software and was ready to hit it hard.

There was just one slight glitch I needed to fix first.

Firefox.

It started crashing a few days ago.

By yesterday, it was crashing almost constantly.

I downgraded.

I had upgraded to Firefox 5 about a week ago.

To digress a minute....

I was not at all happy when I finally succumbed to the constant nagging by Firefox to upgrade only to find out that it didn't support some of my extensions... Most importantly, the Google Toolbar. 

I like the Google Toolbar.

I use the Google Toolbar.

I found a 'work-around and went on my way.

It all worked fine for awhile; then it started crashing.

I disabled the extensions.

Still crashed.

I downgraded to the previous version.

Still crashed.

And crashed and crashed.

I gave up.

Last night I made the switch to Google Chrome.

Would you believe that Google Chrome does not support the Google Toolbar?

Back to this morning....

I was going to spend 10 minutes setting up Chrome before getting to work.

At about minute 9 it crashed.

Really crashed.... The Blue Screen of Death.

Long story short, I spent the rest of the morning getting back to where I started at 7:30.

By that time, I had to train and feed the puppies, do the weekly hoeing in the garden, tend to the tomatoes... where I found lots of ripe ones which needed to be peeled, chopped and bagged for the freezer.  I exercised, showered and it was time to train and feed the puppies again.  Back to the garden to get the lettuce and chard for dinner and here I am.... 

Day is done and project not started.

I believe a glass of wine is in order.

And an easy potato salad to go with the fish...

Warm, crisp, sautéed potatoes, mushrooms and garlic enveloped in creamy, melted soft goat cheese; finished with lots of fresh basil and chives, this is not your ordinary potato salad. Full of complex flavors, it is best served with simple, grilled meat of fish. 

Potato Salad with Mushrooms and Chevre

Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes 

2 medium potatoes, about 10oz (300gr) total 
3oz (90gr) mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1/3 container soft goat cheese (chevre) (2oz, 60gr) my 'brand' is Chevraux, I think in the U.S. it's Chavrie; it comes in a square-ish cardboard or plastic container, 5.5oz (150gr). 
handful fresh basil leaves - about 3 tbs 
2 tbs fresh chives, snipped 
2 tbs olive oil

Slice potatoes into quarters the long way and then 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. Trim and slice mushrooms. Mince garlic. 
Heat 1 tbs oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, garlic and sauté until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Do not cover. 
Add remaining tbs oil and potatoes to skillet. Toss a bit to coat potatoes with oil, then cover and let cook about 10 minutes. Uncover, stir and let sauté, turning occasionally. You want them nice and brown. If they start getting too brown before you are ready to finish just turn the heat to low and keep warm in the skillet. 
When ready to finish add potatoes to mushrooms and garlic. Add chevre and toss to coat - the cheese will melt a bit from the heat of the potatoes.
Snip basil and chives with scissors and add, stirring to combine. Serve.

In addition to this, for the week of July 22 we have Barbecued Tuna, Lamb and Vegetable Kebabs, Turkey and Bean Pasta, Chicken Tarragon....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Filet Mignon with Glazed Mushrooms; The Weekly Menu

A long time ago, in a place far, far away, I was married for a very short time.

My first inkling that the union was doomed was when we had a fight about me putting rice in the meatballs (known as Porcupine Balls - very good, actually, I should make them sometime).

It seems he didn't like rice.

It seems he neglected to tell me that.

No one in my family ever complained about food.  My mother maintained an 'I cooked it; you will eat it' discipline.

Except for two memorable incidents, involving sauerkraut and buckwheat pancakes, I did.

My father, unfailingly, complimented her on whatever she served.

I thought that was how it worked. 

The fact that, not only did he refuse to eat it, he had the audacity to attempt to correct my efforts in the kitchen did not bode well for our future.

A few months later, it was summer.

Two things happened that sealed the speedy demise of our marriage.

First:

We were invited to a pool party. 

I bought a new swimsuit... The kind of swimsuit a 23-year-old in great shape would buy - in other words, it was skimpy. (No, I do not still have it - nor would I wear it if I did....).

He forbade me to wear it.

I, of course, laughed.

I mean, really..... forbid?!?!?!?

I reminded him that there was no 'obey' in our marriage vows.... For either of us.

A minor disagreement ensued.

I wore the swimsuit.

Now that I think on it.... I probably had more fun at that pool party than he did.  Hmmmmm.....

Second:

He liked steak on the barbecue grill.

We couldn't afford to eat steak.

He solved the problem by buying steak for him and a chicken breast for me.

Need I say more?

The end of summer coincided with the end of 'us'.

Ever since, I have considered steak, done over charcoal, to be the ultimate summer meal.

This husband and I will, occasionally, disagree on the cut of the steak; a problem easily (and amicably) solved by each choosing our favorite.

My favorite is tenderloin - filet mignon.

They don't need to be big, just tender, juicy and perfectly done - medium rare, please.

Filet Mignon with Glazed Mushrooms

2 6oz (175gr) filet mignon steaks (tournedos)
2 - 4 strips bacon optional
4oz (125gr) mushrooms
1 tbs butter
1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
Marinade
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Wrap bacon around steaks (if using) and secure with toothpicks or kitchen string. Mix Worcestershire sauce, oil, ketchup, oregano, chili, garlic and brush on steaks. Set aside.
Clean mushrooms and thickly slice. Heat butter and Worcestershire in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are dark and glazed, about 10 minutes. You may have to turn the heat down a bit after 7 or 8 minutes. Set aside and partially cover to keep warm.
Cook steaks on barbecue grill until done to your liking. We'll cook ours about 3 minutes per side for medium rare, 4 - 5 minutes per side for medium, but it depends on ....thickness of steak, heat of grill, etc.  Put a steak on each plate, spoon mushrooms on the side and serve.
Note: Could be done under the broiler (grill) for about the same time.

In addition to this, for the week of July 15 we have Grilled Lemon Shrimp, Polenta Salad, Barbecued Chicken, American Potato Salad, Cucumber Salad, Chicken Caesar....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Pasta Salad with Ham and Artichokes; Deruta

When we lived in Andorra, one of our favorite day trips was to La Bisbal d'Empordà on the Costa Brava, Spain, to buy pottery. 

When we lived in the US we went to Tubac, AZ (once) to buy pottery.

We love pottery.

What I love about all of our pottery, and all pottery, is how unique it is.

Unique to the artist and / or the region and / or the country.

The pottery in one region may be similar, but the individual artists put their own stamp on it (so to speak).

Lemons and sunflowers may appear in all the pottery around the Mediterranean, but the pottery of Spain is different from the pottery in Italy.

When we were in Italy, we were very near Deruta, noted for it's pottery.

Needless to say, we had to go there.

Needless to say, we had to do some serious shopping.

The only thing that enforced a modicum of sense was the fact that we would have five people with all of their luggage in our car when we left Italy.

But I really needed a new butter dish....

And a soap dispenser and some coffee mugs and a few long trays to hold the salt and pepper mills and....

Maybe we can go back with an empty car....

Something else we brought back were some fancy artichoke hearts.

Pasta Salad with Ham Artichoke Hearts

1 1/4 cups pasta
10oz (300 gr) ham, cut into cubes
10oz (300gr) marinated artichoke hearts
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
3oz (90gr) feta cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Greek olives, roughly chopped
2 tbs snipped chives
2 tbs snipped basil
1 1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white Balsamic vinegar
2 tbs salad olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse lightly with cool water.
Drain artichokes, reserving oil.  Cut into quarters.
Make vinaigrette: Put mustard, vinegar and 2 tbs reserved artichoke marinade into a small bowl.  Slowly whisk in olive oil.
Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Add vinaigrette and stir well.

For the week of July 8 we have Lightly Smoked Salmon, Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops, Tomato Scented Orzo, Mini Frittatas, Citrus Chicken, Pasta with Avocado Sauce....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Italian Picnic Pasta Salad; Weekly Menu

In honor of Canada Day today and Independence Day on Monday I'm re-posting my absolutley favorite, picnic-perfect, hands-down best ever pasta salad.

Long, long ago in a place far, far away I made a pasta salad for our family reunion.

This was an annual event in the old, Mid-Western tradition of family reunions, with aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, grandparents, grandkids, first, second and third cousins, two and three times removed.

A moment to pass on a totally tedious bit of information:

You are the first cousin to the children of your parent's sibling.

You are the first cousin once removed to the children of your first cousins

You are the second cousin to the grandchildren of your grandparent's siblings.
       Or put another way....

Your children are second cousins to your first cousins once removed.

Just thought you'd want to know.

The topic came up every year....

Back to my family reunion: Each year over 100 people attended, ranging in age from newborn to well over 90.

I had only been attending as an adult (meaning I had to bring 'a dish to pass') for 3 or 4 years.

It's inevitable at these events that one year there will be 10 potato salads, lots of fried chicken and no baked beans; the next year will be nothing but baked beans and cole slaw.

My pasta salad was the only one.

I was so happy.  I remember thinking: Whew, got this one figured out.  I'll just make pasta salad every year and not worry about it.

The next year there were 15 pasta salads.

Italian Picnic Pasta Salad

6oz (200gr) sliced, hard salami
1 red onion
1 cup green olives (or Greek dry-cured, kalamata, whatever you like) I used 1/2 green and 1/2 Greek
4oz (125gr) mushrooms
2 ribs celery
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 green bell pepper or any color
2 cups bite-size pasta, farfalle, elbow macaroni, fusilli, shells
1 tbs olive oil
Italian Vinaigrette

Cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, put into a large bowl (or back into the cooled pot) and toss with olive oil.
Slice celery 1/4" (.5cm) thick, cut cherry tomatoes in half, and chop pepper. Add all three to pasta and toss lightly.
Cut salami in half or into quarters. Peel and quarter the onion then slice thinly. Clean mushrooms and slice. Cut olives in halves or thirds. Put salami, mushrooms, onions and olives into another bowl and add vinaigrette. Allow to marinate, at room temperature, for 1 - 3 hours.
Before serving add marinated vegetables to pasta and toss to combine. If not serving immediately, refrigerate to chill.

Italian Vinaigrette

1/2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs white wine (tarragon) vinegar
1 tbs lemon juice
5 tbs olive oil, the good stuff
1 tsp snipped fresh chives
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Place mustard, vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slow add olive oil, whisking constantly, to combine. When all oil is in and emulsified, add herbs.

In addition to this, for the week of July 1 we have Grilled Trout, Caesar Salad, Barbecued Pork, Spanish-style White Beans, Caper Potato Salad....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Tuna Barley Salad; the Weekly Menu Plan

Who doesn't like whipped cream?

Or potatoes?

As it turns out, two members of our extended family don't.

There's also one that doesn't like truffles (the fungi, not the chocolate), one that can't abide rutabagas and one that thinks life can go on quite nicely without Dijon mustard.

Then, of course, there's yours truly, the foodie with the wimpy palate, that won't eat hot peppers or hot sauces or anything that makes my lips burn.... Except Dijon mustard, which I dearly love.

We had a request made for 'no duck' and one for 'no fish'.

Some things didn't surprise me (rutabagas); some totally surprised me (whipped cream).

What I most enjoyed about this conversation, though, was how gobsmacked people were about other people's dislikes...

Family member #1: You don't like potatoes? What do you mean, you don't like potatoes!?!.  How can anyone not like potatoes!!!! Does that include chips?  Fries?  Really?!?!? Not even McD's???

Family member #2: Potatoes are ugly tubers... And who are you to talk!  How can you not like whipped cream?  It's sweet air for gawd's sake!  What do you put on pumpkin pie?

Mon mari went through a period of time, after his pancreatectomy, when he didn't like pasta.

Yes, I know.... Hard to believe, but there you have it.

No pasta.

I found myself at the height of summer Pasta Salad Season with a full half of the household refusing to eat pasta.

Not to be put off, I switched to barley.

Barley works amazingly well in salads.  It's more substantial than rice, it's satisfyingly chewy and healthier than pasta. 

Try it; you'll like it!

Oh - and tell me what food you love to hate - that most of the world just loves....

Tuna Barley Salad 

2/3 cup (3oz, 90gr) quick-cooking barley
1 1/3 cup (11oz, 340ml) chicken stock
2 hard-boiled eggs
9oz (270gr) tuna
1 - 2 ribs celery
1 cup peas frozen, thawed, no sauce
1/2 cup (3oz, 90gr) cherry tomatoes
2 tbs fresh, snipped chives
2 tbs fresh, snipped basil
Creamy Dressing

Put barley and chicken stock in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes for quick-cooking barley.
Cook eggs. When done, cool, peel and roughly chop.
Thaw peas by running under hot water; drain well. Open and drain tuna Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Roughly chop celery. Snip chives and basil. Make dressing
To finish: Put barley into a large bowl. Add tuna, eggs, peas, tomatoes, celery, herbs, dressing and stir well to combine.

Creamy Dressing
2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
4 tbs Greek or plain yogurt
4 tbs mayonnaise

Put all ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine.

In addition to this, for the week of June 24 we have Grilled Scallops with Lemon Ginger Sauce, Turkey Pesto Rolls, Chicken and Avocado Salad, Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Oriental Pasta Salad....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Filet Mignon with Caramelized Onions; The Elegance of the Hedgehog

I love words.

I love the way one can string them together to reflect thoughts, conjure images and tell stories.

If you love words, or even remotely enjoy them, please read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery.

I have not given my imagination / intellect such a lovely walk in the sunshine in a long, long time.

There are two, utterly fascinating, similar yet polar opposite main characters.

I will not tell you the plot nor anything at all more about the book - but let me quote two passages, one by each of the characters, regarding pets (The story also has nothing to do with pets...)

On cats:  'The only purpose of cats is that they constitute mobile decorative objects, a concept which I find intellectually interesting, but unfortunately our cats have such drooping bellies that this does not apply to them.'

On poodles: 'Poodles come in black and apricot.  The apricot ones tend to be crabbier than the black ones, who on the other hand do not smell as nice.  Though all poodles bark snappily at the slightest provocation, they are particularly inclined to do so when nothing at all is happening,  They follow their master by trotting on their stiff little legs without moving the rest of their sausage-shaped trunk.  Above all they have venomous little black eyes set deep in their insignificant eye-sockets.'

I have nothing at all against either cats or poodles - I just thought the desctiptions were brilliantly written.

This is not a mindless read, but rather a book to be savored, line by line, much like a fine wine.... One sips, reflects, enjoys, then sips again.

As one should with all good things.

Filet Mignon with Caramelized Onions

2 filet mignon steaks (tournedos), 6oz (180gr) each or other cut of choice
1 large or 2 medium onions less bit used last night
2 tsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Mix Worcestershire sauce, oil and brush on steaks. Set aside.
Cut onion in half then into 1/4 inch (.65cm) think slices. Heat butter, oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until browned, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. You may have to turn the heat down to low after about 15 minutes. When onions are nicely browned add sugar, mustard, Worcestershire, and stir until well blended and sugar is melted. Set aside and keep warm
Cook steaks on barbecue grill until done to your liking.... about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. It depends on thickness of cut, heat of grill, etc. Divide caramelized onions and place on 2 plates. Put steak on top and serve.
Note: Could be done under the broiler (grill) or quickly pan fried over high heat for about the same time.

In addition to this, for the week of June 10 we have Crab Louis, Grilled Salmon with Brown Sugar Yogurt Sauce, Pasta Salad with Ham and Green Beans, Golden Grilled Chicken....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Grilled Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions; puppy feeding frenzy

Normal life.

After such an intense, busy month it's hard to settle into normal life again.

Not that it will be normal any time soon.... As I sat down to type this, two 10lb puppies came racing down the hall to remind me that it's time for 'puppy feeding frenzy'.

We don't have feeding time, we have feeding frenzy. 

I feed them 4 times per day.

I feed them more than I fed Sedi and Emma - who were big dogs.

They are always starving.

At 5 am every morning they start yipping for breakfast.

I refuse to capitulate.

Eventually they quiet back down - after play-fighting for a bit.

At 7 am I get up to feed them.

I have to hold the dog dishes above my head so they can't reach them as they are jumping and yipping around my feet.

Then I have to set them down very, very quickly or they jump right in and knock all the food out.

I have to stand and watch them or they race back and forth between the dishes, each trying to eat more then the other.

Then they both lick their bowls clean, sit and stare at me.... like the begger boys in a Charles Dickens tale.

They eat grass, leaves, sticks and the little dried crab apples under the tree all day long - in between the 4 feeding frenzies.

I should do what our friend in Spain did with the litter - open up the door, throw a big bowl of dog food on the tiles and let them fight for it.

I'm trying to teach them manners.

I'm also trying to get some sleep.

Here they come again - my time is up!

Grilled Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions

A summer staple: grilled vegetables! If you have a proper mesh grill pan, perfect. If not use any old metal pan (cake pan, pie pan, foil pan, whatever) that is designated for permanent grill use - the bottom will be blackened...

2 medium potatoes
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red, yellow or orange pepper
1 onion
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs snipped fresh oregano substitute 1 tsp dried
1 tbs snipped fresh chives substitute 1 tsp dried

Slice peppers and onion (either vertically or horizontally - tastes the same) into thick slices. Slice potatoes in half the long way, then in half again. Then slice in half or thirds the short way. Snip herbs. Put herbs, olive oil, lemon and soy sauce in a large bowl, add all vegetables and toss well to coat. Put into 'grill pan' (a metal or foil pan dedicated to use on the grill) or onto a mesh grill pan (the idea is not to have the stuff fall through the grate into the fire....) Cook over medium heat 20 - 30 minutes, until vegetables have a nice color and potatoes are done. Serve.

OR: Put potatoes, onions and peppers onto a baking sheet with a lip (my trusty 'pizza' pan) and roast in 400F (200C) oven for 30 minutes.

In addition to this, for the week of June 3 we have Cannellini and Radish Salad, Barbecued Shrimp, Tomato Tarts, Chicken and Avocado Salad....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.

Grilled Lamb Chops Dijon; The return followed by the departure

I'm back!

I think....

Kind of hard to tell as I have not had a moment to think in over two weeks. 

It's been busy.

Everyone arrived in Italy as scheduled, with their respective bags accompanying them (amazingly).

Much wine was tasted, and approved of; much beer was consumed; a reasonable amount of espresso was made and 'a good time was had by all'.

Unfortunately, I can't relate any of the juicy bits, as everyone reads this.

We had three cars and took turns getting lost.... But always managed to find our way back for the evening aperitif.

We had extended and over-extended family plus a few friends, (some new, some old).... And all managed to get along excellently.

We had people who wanted to see everything and people who wanted to relax by the pool.... And all managed to do their favorite things amicably.

We didn't have any fussy eaters and we had lots of willing workers so the meals were a pleasure of good food (I think / hope) and good conversation.

The sun shone every day.

The villa was fantastic.

Four people came back with us.

One leaves for home tomorrow.

Did I say I haven't had a moment to think?

Did I say that we remaining five leave tomorrow to go to Spain to get my new puppy?

Shopping in Andorra was mentioned.....

Did I say I've been busy?

I still haven't answered my emails or finished unpacking or dipped my toes into my blog reader or Facebook or Twitter.....

But I have hopes for next week.

I'll post puppy photos when we get back on Tuesday.

Oh.... And my tomatoes survived and the weeds flourished and the field needed mowing and the bunnies stayed out.

Life is good, chez nous (except for a nasty cold some managed to find.... sigh....)

Here's what's for dinner tonight:

Grilled Lamb Chops Dijon

Mustard, garlic and rosemary are the perfect flavors for lamb....

4 - 6 center-cut lamb chops - depending on size
1 tbs oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh or dried rosemary
2 tbs Dijon mustard

Mix oil, garlic powder, rosemary, mustard and brush on both sides of chops. Set aside for 15 minutes. Cook on barbecue grill for 2 - 5 minutes per side depending on thickness and desired degree of doneness (I don't know if that is a word - but you get the idea). We do ours on a hot grill 2 minutes per side for medium rare. When you think they might be close take one off, cut into center and peak. You can always put them back on to cook more - you cannot undo... When done to your liking remove from heat and serve. Or you can sauté in non-stick skillet for about the same amount of time - or until done.

In addition to this, for the week of May 27 we have Smoked Cod, Asparagus Soup, Barbecued Chicken, Grilled Burgers with Sweet Onions, Caprese Pasta with Salami....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
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Grilled Turkey Cutlets Piccata; Supper? Dinner? Lunch?

We're wining and dining in Italy.... old, but appropriate, bit on timing... and a new recipe

Living in other countries has taught me that, while there in an underlying humanism that binds us all together, it's the little things that can be so befuddling, particularly to the novice traveler!

Something as simple as daily habits can leave people scratching there heads in bemusement, or, much worse, totally missing lunch or going to bed hungry because they don't know what time the locals eat.

Most of the people that I know in the U.S. think 11:30 is a reasonable time for lunch.  In Ireland that's time for 'elevenses': coffee and a sweet roll or biscuit.  In Spain it's 'second breakfast': usually a small ham sandwich and a wine or beer.  'First breakfast' is coffee and a bit of bread around 8:00.

If you try to eat lunch in France before 1:00 you'll have a bit of difficulty because most restaurants aren't open yet.  But don't wait until after 2:15, they're already closed. Oh, and in the smaller towns all the shops close so the proprietors can go to lunch as well.

Lunch in Spain doesn't start until 2:00 in the northern parts, closer to 3:00 in the south.  And you might as well plan on a leisurely lunch because all of the shops, banks, businesses, etc. close there for 2 or 3 or 4 hours.

After an 11:30 breakfast lunch Americans, or, at least, Midwesterners, are hungry by late afternoon and start thinking about dinner.   Early bird specials start at 4:30. 

4:30!?!?!

I'm barely through with lunch!  In French farm country, where we live, dinner is about 7:00 (farmers are early risers, after all, usually up by 6:00 in the morning).  In the cities, 8:00 is a more usual dinner hour, running to 10:30 in summer with the long evenings.

And, if one eats so early, chances are one will be hungry and eat again later in the evening... Chips and dip anyone?

Yes, that counts.

Back in Spain, of course it's a wee bit later.  If you want to eat at a decent, non-tourist restaurant in Madrid don't plan on a reservation before 11:30 (yes, that IS in the evening) and even at that hour you'll be the first ones there.  The Madrileños will trickle in around 1:00, children in tow.

I have to confess here, we maintain our Spanish habits.  Breakfast around 8:30, a light lunch between 2:00 and 3:00 and dinner around 11:00.  When I visit my family in the U.S. they move dinner back one hour,to 6:30, in deference to me.  When they visit us, we move dinner forward 3 hours, to 8:00, in deference to them.  (Hmmm, seems like I do the most compromising, here...Oh well, I do try to be reasonable...)

Now I can hear all the 'But it's so unhealthy to go to bed on a full stomach!' 

My answers:

• First: one doesn't have to eat so damn much at dinner! 
• Second: all the other mammals sleep after eating, why shouldn't humans?  Do you think you know better than Mother Nature?  Huh?  DO YOU?

And explain please, why my 'full stomach' of a bit of protein, some vegetables and whole grains, washed down with a glass of wine is worse than a full stomach of sugar and fat from that big bowl of ice cream eaten whilst watching the evening news....in bed?

Try a later dinner of grilled turkey cutlets instead.....

Grilled Turkey Cutlets Piccata

Turkey cutlets cook quickly, and work very well with marinades. If you can't get them get a turkey tenderloin and either slice it into thin cutlets yourself or ask your butcher. You could also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

2 - 4 turkey cutlets, depending on size, 12oz total weight (350gr)
2 tbs capers (with liquid)
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil

Put capers, lemon juice and oil in small bowl and whisk to combine - mixture will get very thick. Put turkey in a shallow dish and pour marinade over and let marinate for 15 minutes.
Remove from marinade and cook on barbecue grill for 3 - 4 minutes per side depending on thickness - or until done.
Serve, with a few more capers sprinkled on...

In addition to this, for the week of May 13 we have Grilled Salmon, Barbecued Sirloin Steak, Risotto with Veal and Asparagus, Pasta Salad with Sausage and Chickpeas, Brown Rice and Spinach Salad....

Thyme for Cooking is a Weekly Menu Planning Service focusing on healthy, seasonal foods, now with more options:

• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 7 dinners, main course and sides, including 2 with first courses
• Complete menu, all recipes and shopping list for 6 dinners, main course and sides

Join now and try it free for a week!  

Don't need complete dinners?  Try the Main Course Menu Mailer option: 6 new main courses every week - with suggestions for side dishes.