Pasta Primavera

need a good recipe for valentine’s day? i think this might be it, it was for me.  it has a rainbow of vegetables, lean chicken, and pasta.  serve with a side salad and crusty bread.  but don’t forget to leave room for something amazing for dessert like brownie pudding!

pasta primavera
3 garlic cloves
2 cups carrots, cut into strips
4 small zucchini, cut into half moons
2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pound pasta
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced into bit size pieces
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup parmesan
fresh basil for garnish

preheat oven to 375 degrees. on a large baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, and pepper. arrange evenly over the baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, tossing half way through.

meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions. drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

toss the pasta with the vegetable mixture, chicken, reserved cooking liquid, juice of 2 lemons, and parmesan in a large bowl. season with salt and pepper, to taste. sprinkle with the basil and serve immediately.

Lemon Chicken

it’s been a while since i last posted.  unfortunately a stomach bug got the best of me, needless to say writing about food didn’t feel like the best thing to do.  but the good news is that i’m back and better than ever.

i’m going to be quite frank with you…i’m not very good at writing my own recipes.  what i am good at is taking other’s ideas and transforming them into something else.  sometimes that something else will be a close relative to the original, while other times you can’t even see the slightest trace from the first dish.  so when i had chicken starring back at me, i thought back to yesterday’s Today show.

Ina Garten presented a simple, but surely flavorful lemon chicken.  i could have taken the recipe as is, but instead i looked at what it could become.  all the ingredients were cleverly chosen, and i knew better than to mess with them…besides this is Ina we’re talking about.  it’s the process that i tinkered with.

i chose to marinate my chicken.  i find chicken breasts can be a little tough; lemon juice is a sure way to combat any of those issues.  i discarded the sautéed garlic and used fresh uncooked instead.  once it goes in the oven the garlic will perfume the chicken and oil.  to make it easier i also thought to change how the ingredients were listed.  i hope you like this as much as i did.

lemon chicken
1/2 c olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c white wine
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
salt and pepper

in a large baking dish add the garlic, white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. marinate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

pat the chicken skins dry then brush with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. cut one of the zested lemons 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.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

this recipe is one i had over two years ago, and i still can’t get it out of my head.  i even started making it for my cousin when she had twins, and i got her obsessed too.  maybe it’s because lebanese people like everything doused in lemon juice, but the salty feta just puts it over the top.  it’s great in the summer for a bbq, but in the winter pair it with a nice piece of broiled salmon.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
1 small yellow squash, sliced into half moons
1 small zucchini, sliced into half moons
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

Dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
3/4 pound, feta cheese crumbles

preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the squash, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

for the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. let cool to room temperature, then add feta.  check the seasonings, and serve cold for best results.

altered from the orginial barefoot contessa recipe.

Hummous

the spelling is different every time i see it, but we should all know what i’m talking about.  growing up lebanese predisposed me to hummous, but for many of you it’s an acquired taste.  you buy it in the grocery store or you use a recipe you see on tv or in a magazine.  i can’t lie they taste pretty good, but nothing is the same as an authentic homemade recipe.  this recipe is passed down from my sithoo (arabic for grandmother). and it’s perfect every time.

Hummous
2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
1½ tsp salt
1/2 c  lemon juice
1/4 c serving spoons of tahini
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic

blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. garnish with parsley and paprika.  and serve with a vegetable crudite and lebanese pita bread.

tips

• when it comes to using juices in a recipe, think of our lesson about pepper and parmesan.  the freshly squeezed juice is the only way to go.  if you use a bottled juice it will never carry the same punch.  and these small tricks is what makes a dish go from all right to amazing.
• tahini is seasame paste.  it looks a lot like a natural peanut butter, but is made from seasame seeds instead.  like natural peanut butter you have to reincorporate the liquid into the paste before you use it. i can find it in my local grocery store in the international foods aisle.  if you can’t find it there, look for it at a specialty food store.
• a crudite is a fancy way to say raw sliced or whole veggies that are ready for dipping.  think: carrot, celery, pepper and cucumber sticks.
• chick peas are also well known as garbonzo beans.  same thing, different name.
• there is a big difference between lebanese (or syrian) bread than pita bread.  they are NOT the same thing.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

whenever i think of lemon chicken i think of the show “everybody loves raymond.”  lemon chicken was the first dish debra ever made for ray, and it was also the only dish she could make.  so if this was her “go to” you might want to keep it on hand for yourself.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems, chopped
1 tbs crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and black pepper

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  put the chicken in a baking dish and add all other ingredients.  cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

tips:

• when you bring home fresh herbs from the grocery store you should take them out of their packages and wrap them in a damp paper towel and place in a plastic storage bag.  this will ensure that they stay fresh for a few weeks, so you can get your money’s worth.
• the zest of a fruit has much more flavor than the juice.  therefore make sure you use both the zest and juice.
• if you’re unfamiliar with rosemary: it’s a member of the mint family, looks and tastes like a pine tree, and has the tendency to dominate other flavors.  it’s best used for marinades on meats, with potatoes, and on breads like focaccia.

Thyme’s Up

ever get sick of the chicken, chicken, chicken, beef routine?  you need to eat things like pork, ham, and seafood to spice up your life.  if you’ve ever watched anthony bourdain’s no reservations you know he thinks pork is the greatest meat around and i agree, but i’ll have to get into that another time because today i’m talking scallops.  i’m not frying them and i’m not breading them either.  i’m keeping it healthy, so we can eat them and not feel so guilty.  this recipe encorporates citrus juice, which is always a classic pairing with seafood.

Citrus Thyme Scallops
24 large sea scallops
6 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tbs pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbs thyme

season washed and dried scallops on both sides.  saute in olive oil over high heat, this is important to getting a good sear.  cook for 2 minutes per side and then remove from pan.  next reduce heat to medium and pour in juices and thyme.  release the brown bits from the bottom by using your spoon and let reduce for 1 minute.  reheat the scallops in sauce and serve.

tips:

• any combination of citrus juices work, try lime and grapefruit juice for a different take.
• not a big fan of thyme? or can’t find it?  use tarragon, chives, or basil.
• it’s important and necessary to dry the scallops.  if they’re not dry they won’t brown.