the constant hunger

Pan Chicken Over Fresh Greens

All week my husband and I have been fighting a nasty cold. Cooking a lavish meal has not been a priority, but we gotta eat something. Wednesday morning before heading to work I was smart enough to remember to take out a couple of chicken breasts from the freezer to un-thaw. But seriously, is there anything more boring than chicken breasts? Sure, a very healthy option when you're trying to improve your eating habits, but nothing that excites your taste buds.

On and off during the day I kept thinking about what to do with the chicken. Make a stir-fry? Fajitas? Too much work when so much of your day is spent sneezing and coughing. I came home with no plan at all. I just kind of felt my way around the pantry and fridge. I knew I didn't want to grill them since my grill pan is way to big for two little breasts. Same thing for baking them in the oven. No need to turn it on for a little meal. So naturally I would have to fry them up. But that seemed so unhealthy.

I began by rinsing the chicken under cold water to wash away any surface bacteria and patted it dry. In a small bowl I mixed together one tablespoon Dijon mustard, one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano (I hate using dried herbs but didn't have a choice at this point) and the juice from half a lemon. I generously seasoned the breasts with salt and pepper and spooned over the marinade. I let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes on the kitchen counter. 

Meanwhile, I made a very quick green salad with arugula a cucumbers with an olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. 

I took out a non-stick fry pan. I only use it for grilled cheese and eggs, but I thought I wouldn't have to use too much oil to cook the chicken vs. if I was using a stainless steel pan. I started by heating the non-stick pan over high heat for a couple of minutes. I lowered the heat to medium and added about half a tablespoon of canola oil. In went the chicken breasts. I cooked them for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until they had a nice golden color. 

I lowered the heat to low and covered the pan with a lid. Now it was time to actually cook the chicken. I flipped the breasts over every 4 minutes or so and continued doing this for roughly 13-15 minutes. The chicken was turning a beautiful brown color and there was a nice sauce that had developed in the pan. I removed the breasts from the pan (after checking for doneness) and let them rest for 5 minutes on a plate.

I served the chicken over the green salad, drizzled some sauce over it and sprinkled some chopped flat-leaf parsley. I'm not sure if the chicken was really fresh or if covering the pan during cooking helped to preserve the juiciness but it was a mighty good chicken breast and I usually never say that. 

Happy cooking!

Turkey Burgers and Pasta Salad

Lately I've been craving burgers on an almost daily basis. Anytime I'm hungry, I want to go out and have a burger and fries. There are so many delicious options in New York City. Some restaurants hype up their burgers to an almost cult status (Minetta Tavern, I'm coming for your Black Label burger). Today's recipe satisfied my burger craving and with an alternative to beef.

I thought by using ground turkey my burger might turn out dry and tasteless, but I had the urge to try anyways. The recipe, with the addition of mayonnaise, may seem weird but the fat content of mayo really keeps the turkey moist (and, trust me, the burger doesn't taste like mayo). 

I've also gone with a classic summer-picnic side dish, pasta salad. Believe it or not, I usually never make a creamy pasta salad, but I did have a huge craving for something a little on the richer side.

 

Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsely

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

hamburger buns

arugula to serve

 

Method

Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for an hour. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before cooking. It's important to allow it reach room temperature before grilling so it properly sears. 

Shape into patties and grill them on your barbecue or grill pan till fully cooked through. Cooking times will vary depending on thickness of the patty and grill temperature. 

 

 

Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1 box fusilli pasta (or your favorite short pasta)

1 large cucumber chopped

3 carrots grated

2 red bell peppers chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/3 chopped cilantro

1 cup light mayonnaise

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

 

Method

Cook pasta according to package directions. Run through cold water to bring temperature down before adding the ingredients.

Combine all the ingredients together and give it a good thorough toss. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

For the turkey burgers, you can certainly substitute the herbs if there is one you don't like. Rosemary and basil are always good options. The burgers were nice and juicy and the arugula gave it a refreshing peppery taste.

As for the pasta salad, you can add a couple cups of baby spinach for a nice boost of iron. And for those who like a little kick, some chopped green onion or shallots are perfect.

Happy cooking! 

Peach Salad

This is it. The end of peach season. And for my last peach recipe of the year, I went with something simple. Sometimes when I have an ingredient that's just too perfect, I like to present it in a simple manner. 

All you need to do is poach a couple of peaches. If you don't know how, just read my last post here. Slice the peaches and arrange artfully with slices of ripe tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes work best, but use what you have in the fridge (or garden).

Add some cubes of buffalo or traditional mozzarella or burrata. Sprinkle chopped flat-leaf parsley over the salad. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with high-quality extra virgin olive oil. 

This is the perfect dish to eat while gossiping with friends. A fruity rosé is the perfect drink to have with this late-summer salad. 

Happy cooking! 

Lunch for One

Often times, I find that lunch is my most forgotten meal of the day. I usually rush through it so I can get back to work. In fact, I don't think I've ever blogged about what I ate for lunch. Now is as good a time as any to start. So here is what I ate for lunch.

A bowl of mesclun greens, topped with shaved cucumber and drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic reduction. 

To make the balsamic reduction, simply simmer the vinegar over medium-low heat until it's reduced by half. The flavor is concentrated so you don't have to use as much. 

To round off my lunch, I thought a creamy Brie would be perfect. I took it out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature. Cheese always tastes better that way. 

This particular Brie is a Henri Hutin Brie Couronne. It is out-of-this-world delicious.

I imagine myself eating this lunch sitting in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. A bottle of red wine and an Hermès scarf wrapped around my neck... 

     

Grilled Corn Salad

Dear readers,

I want to begin by saying thank you to those who take the time to actually read my blog. Lately I've been really busy with several work projects and I find I am taking less time to post. I hate myself for it, and I find myself saying, "I will post tomorrow for sure." The thing is I could spend my day writing about all the delicious foods I eat (and want to eat) rather than actually "work" work. And as I sit here sipping an evening cocktail, with Sinatra's velvety voice booming through my apartment, I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to read this. And now on to the food!

Last post, I shared a vegetable-based recipe that made good use of summer vegetables. Here is another one highlighting an estival favorite. Corn. I am a total corn lover. Lately, I've been topping it with crumbled feta, chili powder and a squeeze of lime. In this recipe, I boil the corn for a bit and then grill it on my double-burner grill pan I then cut off the kernels from the cob and create a salad.

Grilled Corn Salad

4 ears of corn 

1 red bell pepper halved, stem and seeds removed

3 tablespoons fresh coriander chopped

3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

1 shallot chopped

1/3 cup crumbled feta 

Juice from half a lime

olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste 

Start by boiling the ears of corn in a large quantity of salted water. You can certainly cook them all the way through on the grill or barbecue, but I find boiling them a little bit first makes the cooking process go a little faster. As you grill the corn, place the bell pepper halves on the grill and cook till slightly soft. Remove the vegetables from the grill and set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, mix the herbs, shallots and feta together in a large bowl. Once the bell pepper has cooled, slice and dice it and add to the bowl. 

Carefully remove the corn kernels from the cob with a knife and add to the bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over the mixture. Then add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Mix the salad and let "rest" in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Serve with a smile.

 Happy cooking!