Black-Eyed Pea Salad

A Martha Stewart Recipe 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Here's a great way to showcase the wonderful peppers available at Lost RiverMarket & Deli or at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market. This salad is perfect for a picnic, a Meatless Monday lunch, or as a side to whatever comes off your grill! Black-eyed peas have lots of fiber, so this is a good-for-you salad as well. This is a make-ahead dish!  

Salad:

2 cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

2 scallions

1 red pepper, minced

½ green pepper, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (Use rubber gloves when handling this pepper and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth.)

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

½ cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix salad ingredients gently, but thoroughly. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or cover and chill for later.

Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

Serves 6 (at least)***

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

After visiting the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market, I had a boatload of corn, zucchini, and summer squash.  Once we leave the farmers market, we always finish up our shopping for the rest of my ingredients at Lost River Market & Deli, our community-owned grocery store.  This recipe does require a bit of prepping, but it makes a HUGE salad, perfect for a summer gathering.  I also discovered that you could use 4 cups of this salad, along with just a few other ingredients to make Orzo-Veggie Fritters.  So, since it was just my husband and little old me to feed this Meatless Monday, I made this delicious salad to nibble on for a few days and then later this week, I’ll give the fritters a try.  I’ll post the fritter recipe if it passes the husband test!  (Everyday Food Magazine also listed another alternative for the leftovers, Corn, Zucchini and Pasta Frittata, but it’s so hot out, I didn’t want to turn on the oven, so fritters it will be.)  I pretty much stuck to the recipe, but I already had some Alice’s A+ Salad Dressing made up. (See the recipe at the bottom)  It has the same ingredients as what are listed in this recipe with the exception of the jalapeno and lemon zest, which I just added to it.

6 medium zucchini, diced (I used a mixture of zucchini and yellow summer squash.)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound orzo

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

5 cups corn kernels (from 6 ears corn)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (I use rubber gloves when handling hot peppers so that my fingers and eyes don’t burn.)

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest

¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or 5 cubes of frozen Dorot Chopped Basil

4 ounces feta, crumbled (blue cheese or goat cheese would make good substitutes.)

Place zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Place colander in sink and let sit 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; transfer to a very large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon oil over medium. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 minutes. (If you are using the frozen Dorot Chopped Basil instead of fresh basil, add the frozen cubes to the skillet when you sauté the corn.  They will melt and blend right in.)

Add the corn to the pasta along with the zucchini, 3 tablespoons oil, onion, jalapeno, and lemon zest and juice; season with salt and pepper.

Stir in basil and feta.

***To make Orzo-Veggie Fritters, transfer 4 cups of this salad to an airtight container; refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Alice’s A+ Salad Dressing Ingredients:

1-2 fresh lemons

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (optional)

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a pint mason jar, squeeze the juice from 1-2 lemons (about 1/4 cup juice). Add the minced garlic, if using. Add about 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil. Add salt & freshly ground pepper to taste. (I use a "healthy pinch" of both.) Screw on the lid. (I use those handy reusable plastic lids made just for mason jars.) Shake the jar vigorously until all the ingredients are blended well. Drizzle just enough of the dressing over the salad to gently coat the leaves. This recipe usually makes enough for 3 large salads.)   Store the jar on the counter for up to two days.

Nutritional Info per Serving:  330 calories; 10 grams fat (3 grams saturated fat); 12 grams protein; 52 grams carbs; 5 grams fiber

Grilled Jerk Chicken

8 Servings

Recipe from Gourmet via Epicurious.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

A friend of ours had just returned from Jamaica.  He said that one of the highlights of his trip was the incredible food.  This inspired me to do a search for a great jerk marinade.  The ingredient list is a long one, but this is deceptive.  It didn’t take much time at all to make in the food processor.  Once that’s done, place the meat in the marinade for a time and then fire up the grill.  You’ll end up with succulent morsels worthy of company. (If you are concerned about guests not being able to take the heat, use jalapeno peppers and removed the seeds and membranes.) I tried this with skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but the meat came out too dry.  The chicken pieces that I used that were bone-in, skin-on came out juicy and tender!

For jerk marinade:

3 scallions, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

4 to 5 fresh Scotch bonnet or habanero chili, stemmed and seeded (I used jalapeno because they were local and available.)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1 Tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 heaping teaspoon of dried thyme

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons black pepper

3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For chicken:

6 pounds chicken breast halves, thighs and/or drumsticks with skin and bones (Cut the breast halves in half crosswise.)

Make marinade: 
Blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Marinate and grill chicken: 
Place chicken pieces and marinade in a sealable plastic bag. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, then turn bag over several times to distribute marinade. Put bag of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day.

Let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.

To cook chicken using a charcoal grill: 
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal).

When charcoal turns grayish white and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.

To cook chicken using a gas grill: 
Preheat burners on high and then adjust heat to moderate. Cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.

Serve chicken with salsa.

Cooks' note:

If you can't grill, you can roast chicken in 2 large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans in upper and lower thirds of a 400°F oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, 40 to 45 minutes total.

Grilled Pepper Poppers

Recipe from Cooking Light, JUNE 2009
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
16 servings (serving size: 2 pepper halves)

Anytime I serve peppers or any other spicy food, for that matter, I think of my daddy. He loves spicy things and regularly uses hot sauce as his go-to condiment. He’d warn me when I was little and wanted to try anything spicy, “It’ll put hair on your chest.” I inherited his love of spicy things, but, alas, no chest hair, thank goodness. My husband likes a little heat, but not too much. My daddy calls him or anyone else who favors milder dishes a “pantywaist.” I made these as an appetizer using milder cherry peppers for the pantywaists who attended our Labor Day dinner party. They were just terrific. I served them at room temperature, but had the few which were leftover cold for lunch the next day. Yummy!

1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (I used milder cherry peppers.)

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Set grill to medium-high heat.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon the cheese mixture into each pepper half.
Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using.

Nutritional Information per Serving (2 pepper halves): CALORIES 84 ; FAT 4.8g (sat 3.1g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.2g); CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 117mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.5g; SODIUM 334mg; PROTEIN 7.1g; FIBER 0.9g; IRON 0.6mg

Apple, Green Onion, and Jalapeño Salsa

Recipe from Bon Appétit December 2004
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I have to say that my husband and friends absolutely loved this salsa, especially with the Cumin-Scented Beet Latkes. (Recipe on this blog.) It’s cool and crisp with a sweet sour taste, perfect with earthy beets. I think this would be delicious with a pork dish too.

1 1/2 pounds Fuji apples, peeled, halved, cored (I used Pink Lady apples because they were available.)
1/2 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chilies (I didn’t have any jalapenos, so I used 1 scant teaspoon of Sambel Oelek, which is found in the Asian section of Lost River Market & Deli. It comes in a jar.)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons (packed) finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons honey

Coarsely grate apples into strainer set over large bowl. Press and turn apples to drain off excess juices. Transfer apples to medium bowl; stir in green onions and chilies. Whisk lemon juice, honey, and lemon peel in small bowl to blend; mix into apples. Season salsa to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Carol’s Curried Cucumbers

Recipe from the kitchen of Carol Anderson 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 6

My dear friend, Janabai, hosted a ladies tea party to celebrate my recent birthday. My mother and many of my best buddies came. Everyone contributed to the tea party and everything was just lovely!! We all especially liked this salad that Carol brought. I could’ve eaten the whole dish all by myself, but, alas, that would have been impolite to do so at a tea party! All of the ingredients can be found at Lost River Market & Deli.

Salad:2 lbs. cucumbers, seeded and cut into half moons
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Several sliced green onions (scallions)
1 small jalapeno, minced (optional)

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup oil
2 teaspoons sugar
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon or more curry powder (Carol used a sweet curry - also good with hot curry powder)
Add chopped peanuts before serving.

Tortilla Chips with Grilled Corn and Cheddar

Tortilla Chips with Grilled Corn and Cheddar

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living Magazine and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes approx. 2 dozen appetizers

When we had friends over the other evening, I gave this recipe a try and it was a big hit!! I made the corn mixture in the morning, topped the tortilla chips with the corn mixture about an hour in advance of our company's arrival and then as they pulled in our drive, I slid the chips under the broiler. These appetizers were nice and hot for our guests and went perfectly with cool drinks. Of course, I used locally grown corn, jalapeno peppers and scallions purchased at Lost River Market & Deli. I used the blue corn tortilla chips the store carries not only because they taste great, but they look quite lovely on a platter with the bright yellow corn mixture on top. I used white sharp cheddar cheese from the dairy section of the store and cilantro from the produce section.

2-3 ears of sweet corn, husked
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt & Freshly ground pepper
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1 ¾ cups) (divided)
24 tortilla chips (I used blue)

Preheat grill to medium high heat. Brush corn with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn and peppers, turning occasionally, until corn is tender and the skin on the peppers is blistered. Let cool slightly.
Cut kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Peel, stem and seed the jalapenos. (Use rubber gloves and don’t touch your eyes.) Dice the peppers and add to the corn.
Add scallions, cilantro, lime juice and 1 ¼ cups of the cheese to the corn mixture. Toss until well combined. (Mixture can be covered and chilled at this point.)
Preheat broiler. Arrange chips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each chip with a tablespoon of the corn mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chips.
Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 30 seconds or so.
Garnish with more cilantro, if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: I made a mixture of yogurt and sour cream (equal parts) and placed this mixture in a squirt bottle to serve with these chips. The coolness of the creamy mixture balanced nicely with the spicy heat of the chips.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Husband-Tested Recipe from the kitchen of Alice Wootton

Serves 6-8
The plum (Roma) tomatoes are ripe right now, so it's time to make this easy, but wonderful soup. There's no peeling or seeding involved, so it's a snap to make. You'll even be able to freeze it, if you wish, so that on those cold winter nights, you'll have something that tastes of summer to warm you up. The recipe below is just the "basic" one. (In fact, now I don't even measure anything when I make it. I just dump it all on the baking sheet and go.) Often I'll make it by adding other veggies to the tomato mixture, like squash, zucchini or eggplant, cut into chunks and/or corn on the cob, cut into rounds (you'll need to take the corn off the cob afterwards, of course.) By adding a variety of peppers, you can control the heat. This soup/sauce is another way to use up the herbs you have from your garden, the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market or Lost River Market & Deli. Add broth to your liking. If you want this to be a sauce for pasta, add less broth. If you want this to be soupy, add more. Don't be afraid of using the whole head of garlic. You'll be roasting the garlic which makes it sweet, not pungent. If you don't have an immersion blender (which I think is a must in the kitchen) you can pour this in a food processor or regular blender to puree it. An immersion blender is a great tool because it allows you to puree your concoctions right in the pot, so there's no mess. If you decide to get one, I advise getting one with a metal housing which allows you to put it in hot liquids. KitchenAid makes a good one for about $50.

3 lbs. (approx.) ripe plum tomatoes 1 large yellow onion
2 peppers 1 large entire bulb of garlic
1/4 cup (approx.) Extra virgin olive oil 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 (14 oz.) can of chicken or vegetable broth
Fresh thyme, basil or even Eric's Pesto (recipe on this blog)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise. Place in a roasting pan or cookie sheet with sides. Peel onion. Cut into chunks. If using peppers, cut into large chunks, discarding seeds. Add onion and peppers to tomatoes. Leaving the skin on, slice the top off of the entire bulb of garlic. Add the garlic bulb in with the tomato mixture. Drizzle the olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss mixture until everything is coated with the oil. Roast, uncovered, in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Vegetables should be tender, but not scorched. Pour contents, with juices, into a soup pot. Using several paper towels to protect your hands from the heat, squeeze the garlic bulb until the tender cloves pop out into the mixture. Discard the garlic skin. Add the broth. Add some fresh thyme or basil leaves or a couple of tablespoons of pesto. Using a hand blender, puree the soup. Cook over a flame until heated through.

Emeril's Caribbean Chicken

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Our friend, Andy, had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, so we had him and his wife, Linda, over for a nice lunch. We used local chicken bought at Lost River Market & Deli along with all of the other ingredients for this dish and the side dishes. Because I thought this would be a bit spicy, I served a cool creamy cole slaw (recipe on this blog) and a green salad using local produce. The marinade flavored the chicken nicely, but we didn't find it spicy hot at all, so don't be afraid of the jalepenos. For a special treat because it was a birthday dinner, I served the Chantilly Merengues with Pastry Cream with Cognac (recipe on this blog) topped with raspberries and blueberries from our garden along with gooseberries we got at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market which are also available at Lost River Market & Deli. We are so fortunate to have these wonderful sources of our local bounty right here in Orange County!



Serves 4-6 people

4 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thirds
2 to 4 jalapeno chiles (or to taste), stems and seeds removed if you wish it to be milder (use gloves)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), giblets and liver discarded (I used 4 chicken breasts bone in plus 8 chicken legs.)
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt
In a food processor, combine scallions, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, and thyme; puree into a thick paste. Set aside.
To butterfly chicken: Using a knife or poultry shears, cut out the backbone. With a heavy pot, crack breastplate so the bird lays flat. Place butterflied chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Rub reserved paste over chicken, and seal bag. Refrigerate for 12 hours (or up to 1 day).
Heat grill to medium-low; lightly oil grates. Wipe chicken with paper towels to remove excess paste, and season with 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Place, skin side down, on grill and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes (if browning too quickly, move to a cooler part of grill). (It took about 5 minutes longer on our grill.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

My Buddy Bean Dip

Recipe from my buddy Janet & her buddy Betsy and husband-tested.

I asked my good buddy, Janet, to share her recipe for this dip after she served it at two gatherings where Jim and I were in attendance. It was a big hit with the lady guests and their husbands. :-) Lost River Market & Deli has a marvelous selection of tortilla chips from which to choose. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when mincing the jalepeno and do not touch your eyes. If you leave the seeds in, the dip will have more heat. If you'd like a milder version, just leave the seeds out.

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can shoepeg corn or yellow corn, drained
6 Tablespoons fresh lime juice or fresh lemon juice
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 jalapeno, minced (if you wish the dip to milder, remove the seeds)
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 (15 oz) can diced tomato

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl except tomato. Chill in the fridge overnight.
Add tomato prior to serving with tortilla chips.