Spring Recipes
Spring Recipes
it's warming up outside, but you still want something cozy to eat!
Very Simple Chicken Noodle Soup: excellent for weeknights; my kids approve
Vinegar Chicken with Crushed Olives: impressive enough for guests, easy enough for weeknights
Pad See Ew: my kids REALLY love!
Overnight Foccacia, Tonight: great for dinner parties
Slow Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Beans and Sage: excellent for dinner parties and Sunday evenings at home!
Genius Chicken (Chicken Thighs with Lemon): I make this once a week, all year round!
Israeli Vegetable Salad: serve with corn chips - it’s like a dip and salad all in one!
Risotto Bianco by Alice Waters (excellent weeknight mac n cheese alternative / upgrade!)
2 tablespoons butter (I use olive oil instead)
1 small onion or shallott diced fine
1 ½ cups risotto rice (Arborio, Canaroli, Baldo or Vialone Nano)
5 cups chicken broth (homemade is best, if store bought, use low sodium)
½ cup dry white wine
Finish with:
1 tablespoon butter (I skip this)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)
Melt the butter or olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, add the diced onion or shallot and cook about 10 minutes until it’s translucent. Add the rice and cook about 4 minutes. In a separate pan, bring the chicken broth to a boil, and remove from heat. Pour the white wine over the rice and cook, stirring often, until all wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm broth and cook at a vigorous simmer (some bubbles, but not boiling) while stirring occasionally. When the rice starts to thicken, pour in another ½ cup of broth. Keep adding broth ½ cup at a time every time the rice thickens, and don’t let the rice dry out. Cook rice until it’s tender but still has a firm core —20 to 30 minutes total. Once you’re almost out of broth, and happy with the rice’s texture, turn off the heat, add the last tablespoon of butter and grated Parmigiano cheese and stir to develop a creamy starch. Let it rest 2 minutes before serving.
Easy Weeknight Chicken “Milanese” (guaranteed family crowd pleaser)
Take some boneless skinless chicken cutlets, liberally salt and pepper them, then dredge them first in mayonnaise (trust me!), then in some good quality panko breadcrumbs. Wait a few minutes before cooking so that the breading sticks.
Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan and gently fry the chicken (approx. 4-5 mins per side depending on thickness).
While the chicken is cooking, place salad greens on dinner plates. Add any other raw veggies that take your fancy (or that your children will eat): grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, or shallots are all regulars for me. You could add carrots! Or asparagus! Or pine nuts! The beauty of making the “salad” this way is that each serving can be different – no one needs to get upset about finding an offensive vegetable on their plate.
If you don’t have any ready-made dressing at hand, drizzle the salad with olive oil, then either lemon juice or a vinegar of your choice (I love white wine vinegar), a few turns of fresh cracked black pepper and a sprinkling of flaky Maldon sea salt.
Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown, place it on top of the salad, and sprinkle the chicken with flaky salt – and maybe a few drops of lemon juice. A shaving of parmesan might be nice too!
Best Ever Chimichurri (addictive! make extra and use it on steak, chicken, or over rice / dip bread in it!)
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup parsley leaves and stems
½ cup fresh oregano leaves *sometimes I skip the oregano and use more parsley
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
On a cutting board, smash and coarsely chop the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mash the mixture using the side of your knife until a coarse paste forms. Move the paste to the side of the cutting board, then chop the parsley and oregano together with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Combine the garlic paste and the chopped herbs and chop and mash until the herbs are bruised and fragrant. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the red-pepper flakes, black pepper, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil; stir to combine.