Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken with Poblano Spinach Vinaigrette

We grill chicken A LOT in the summer so I'm always trying to find new ways to jazz it up. This is great and healthy! ...unless of course you're one of those people who don't like cilantro. Did you know that people actually taste cilantro differently? Julia Child told Larry King once that she thought cilantro tastes 'dead.' Bummer for her and the rest of you, but I will no longer blame you for this disability...it's not your fault. Check out this interesting article from the NY Times...

Chicken marinade:
4 tbsp olive oild
4 limes, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp cilantro, chopped
pinch of salt and pepper
2 chicken breasts

Vinaigrette:
1 poblano, roasted
1 cup baby spinach, steamed for 2 minutes and water squeezed out
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
2 limes, juiced
1 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Whisk marinade ingredients, add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Fire up the grill. Grill the poblano so that it's charred on all sides. Remove from heat and remove stem and seeds (or your vinaigrette will be VERY hot!!).

3. Blend the poblano and the rest of the vinaigrette ingredients until smooth.

4. Grill the chicken and serve with the vinaigrette on top.

Corn Risotto with Grilled Shrimp and Salsa Verde

It's almost corn season!! Favorite time of the year for the Martocci's. And although there's no better way to eat corn than off the cob, this is pretty darn yummy. Even better? Stock pile your corn throughout the summer by buying at least 2 extra ears every time you get it. Freeze serving sizes in ziplocks and love it throughout the cold months...we grew up always having 'summer corn' at Thanksgiving - thanks Mom!

Salsa:
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp chopped arugula (for a little bite), spinach, or kale - whatever you've got
3 tbsp chopped mint (keep the rest for mojitos!)
3 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh chopped fresh thyme
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch or two of salt
3/4 tsp anchovy paste (don't skip it)
3 cloves garlic

Risotto:
12 large shrimp
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
1-2 shallots
Corn from 2 ears
1 tbsp butter
3 cups chicken broth
1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary
3/4 cups arborio rice
1/4 grated Parmesan

1. To prepare salsa, put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

2. Marinate peeled shrimp with 1 tbsp oil, vinegar, and pinch of salt and pepper. Combine and refrigerate for 1 hr.

3. Melt butter and add stock, thyme, bay leaf and rosemary in a medium sized saucepan on medium heat. Keep at medium heat on stove.

4. Place the shrimp on skewers and fire up the grill. Grill the shrimp until opaque and just done - they'll cook a bit more in the risotto. Set aside.

5. In a large saute pan, add 1 tbsp oil and shallot and cook for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. Add 1/2 cup or ladle of stock to the rice and cook until liquid is almost absorbed, stirring constantly (don't add the bay leaf or sprigs). Keep adding a ladle of stock and letting it cook down, repeating  the process until the broth is used and rice is tender. Stir in the corn and Parmesan.

6. Add the shrimp and stir a couple of minutes more. Serve and drizzle with the salsa.

Rice and Bean Salad with Lime Dressing

Ok, so maybe not as enticing as a burrito or a plate of cheesy enchis. But this salad is delicious and totally guilt free. I've gotten in the habit of making large grainy salads on the weekends that I can eat for lunch throughout the work week. This is a great one. Cheap, easy and tasty.

1 cup of brown rice, barley or farro
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 can of black beans, rinsed
1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 lime, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the rice to a boil in the broth. Turn down to low and simmer for 30-40 mins or until broth is absorbed and rice is tender. Take off the heat and let cool.

2. Add the beans through the tomatoes to the rice and mix well.

3. Mix the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper and pour over the rice and beans. Stir well. Will last pretty much as long as you need it to in the fridge (within reason).

Mom's Blueberry Pie

I know...wrong season. But I just made a blueberry pie last week and had to put this up. Paddy's brother, two sisters, and brother-in-law were here last weekend for a gig and I needed to pull together some good eats for the family. My German brother-in-law loves blueberry pie so I whipped this up for the gang. Whip up a pie you say? Yes! Always make double or triple batches of pie crust and keep it in the freezer for emergencies. We all love a blueberry pie emergency...

3 cups of blueberries (about a quart and a half?)
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup sugar
Squeeze of a lemon
Zest of a lemon or 1/2 an orange
Dash of cinnamon
Pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl.

3. Roll out the dough and place in pie dish. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the flour/sugar mixture on the pie crust.

4. Add the rest of the flour/sugar mixture, zest, juice and cinnamon to the blueberries. Gently stir.

5. Dump the blueberry mixture into the pie and cover with the other crust. Be sure to put at least four slits in the top of the crust  (1/2 inch slits) to let out the steam while it bakes.

6. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Cauliflower and Herbed Barley Salad

I realize that this doesn't sound terribly exciting...cauliflower and beans? But this is delicious. And I almost always trust Bon Appetit. You could always swap out the dressing ingredients with your favorite dressing. The key is to get nice, brown, roasted cauliflower.

1/2 cup barley
1 tbsp lemon zest
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp dijon mustard
6 tbsp olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 15 oz can of butter beans, rinsed
1/2 chopped parsley
2 tbsp fresh tarragon

1. Cook the barley in water or chicken broth for about 1/2 hour until tender.

2. Whisk the lemon juice, mayo, mustard and 5 tbsp of the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet and add cauliflower. Cook at medium high until tender and browned on all sides. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl, add the beans, parsley, barley, tarragon and the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the lemon zest.

Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

I feel like I've tried dozens of coffee cake recipes over the past few years. Why is it always better from the bakery? Any bakery! I finally came across this one in Cooking Light and it's now my go-to. It's got the perfect balance of cinnamon and sugar and comes out incredibly moist. LOVE IT. This can be made in a loaf pan or as cup-coffee-cakes...like Little Debbie ;)

Streusel
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
 Dash of salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp chopped pecans - must toast! Put on stovetop for 5 mins or so on medium.

Cake
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Combine the struesel ingredients and set aside.

3. In a bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients and mix well. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high until well blended. 

4. Beating at low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

5. Scrape half of batter into a 9x5 loaf pan coated with baking spray. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter on top and sprinkle remaining streusel on top.

6. Bake for 50 minutes. 

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

I never knew how the heck pita bread turns out hollow. And...I still don't. It's amazing, even after making it. And making pitas is very easy! I've been making these a lot since I've been on a bit of a bread roll (so to say) since getting my shiny Kitchen Aid mixer back in November. The equipment certainly helps here, otherwise, you'll end up with a much larger right bicep really soon...

1 tbsp active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (found in grocery store (surprisingly) - look in organic grains section
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1. Dissolve yeast into water for 5 minutes in the mixer bowl.

2. Add the salt and 1/2 the flour. Knead with your dough hook on medium low until incorporated.

3. Add the rest of the flour and knead for another 8 minutes.

4. The dough will be sticky so flour your hands and all surfaces, and the dough itself. Break the dough into about 10-12 balls, flour them and roll them with your hands. Then, roll out each ball to a thin ~5-6 inch disk.

5. Place each disk on a floured baking sheet as you go. Let the rolled dough sit for about 30-40 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 425. Flip each dough disk. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes or so.