This is a great salad…delicious, beautiful, and perfect for summer! I used leftover regrigerated cooked rice (about 3 cups), substituted 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano for the 1 teaspoon of fresh, used both red onion and green onion, added a splash of red wine vinegar and some sliced sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil.  I used jasmine rice but basmati rice would also be really good. Be sure to scoop the seeds out of the cuke or you’ll end up with a watery salad. Also, go easy on the salt because both the feta cheese and kalamata olives are salty; mix it all together than season to taste. For a mexi version, add corn, black beans, sliced pimento-stuffed green olives, a little cumin and cilantro; omit the cuke, spinach, kalamata olives and feta. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Rice Salad
-recipe from Sunset Magazine
 
The bright flavors of this dish make it the perfect side dish for anything grilled.

Yield:  Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 cups chopped spinach leaves
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and the rice. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining teaspoon of salt.

Add rice to dressing and toss to combine. Add spinach, toss, and let sit until no longer steaming, about 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Tags: cucumber, kalamata olives, Mediterranean, red pepper, rice, rice salad, Side Dish

Here’s a delicious, Mexi-inspired steak just in time for grilling season!  I can usually find flatiron steaks at Fred Meyer. New York strip steaks or rib-eyes would be a good substitute if you can’t find flatiron steaks (adjust the cooking time to the size of steak you use). Flatiron steaks are best cooked to medium-rare and sliced across the grain.

The sauce is a flavorful mix of smoky chipotle chiles and roasted red peppers, and it’s a bit spicy so you may want to start with half a chipotle chile and add more to taste (if the sauce is too spicy for you, just add a bit of sour cream to tame the heat). You can use jarred roasted red peppers for the sauce instead of grilling fresh ones…just dry them thoroughly with a paper towel before processing them or your sauce will be runny instead of thick. Grilled red potatoes, corn on the cob and rustic bread are delicious accompaniments to the steak and chipotle-red pepper sauce.

Chile-Rubbed Flatiron Steaks with Chipotle-Red Pepper Sauce
-recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook by Jamie Purviance

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sauce:
2 large red bell peppers
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 canned chipotle chile pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 flatiron steaks, about 1 pound each and 1/2 inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons prepared chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To make the sauce: Grill the bell peppers over Direct High heat until they are blackened and blistered all over, 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Place the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic to trap the steam. Set aside for at least 10 minutes, then remove the peppers from the bowl and peel away the charred skins. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds. Place the peppers in a food processor or blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl.

Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Lightly brush or spray the steaks all over with oil and season with the chili powder, salt, and pepper. Grill over Direct High heat until cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting into 1/4-inch slices. Serve warm with the sauce.

Tags: chipotle, flatiron steak, Grilling/BBQ, Quick Cooking, red pepper, steak

These moist and tender muffins are a great way to show off a seasonal Springtime ingredient: rhubarb. The muffins are slightly tart and slightly sweet with a delicious cinnamon-sugar topping.  I like them best the day they’re made when the muffin tops are still a little crunchy.

Trim away any rhubarb leaves from the stalks (they’re toxic), stalk ends and brown spots. Look for firm rhubarb stalks that are pale pink (hothouse grown) or bright red (field grown) in color. 

For other recipe ideas, check out Cupcake Tuesday.

Cinnamon-Rhubarb Muffins
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine
 
These muffins are best when freshly baked, but they’re still good the second day. Just reheat them in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to refresh them. Yields 12 muffins.

For the muffins:
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7-1/4 oz.)

For the topping:
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil baking cups.

Make the muffin batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Lightly stir the sour cream mixture into the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter just comes together; do not overmix. Gently stir in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, using the back of a spoon or a small spatula to settle the batter into the cups. The batter should mound a bit higher than the tops of the cups.

Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Sprinkle a generous 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over each muffin.

Bake the muffins until they’re golden brown, spring back most of the way when gently pressed, and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully lift the muffins out of the pan—if necessary, loosen them with the tip of a paring knife—and let them cool somewhat. Serve warm.

Tags: cinnamon, Muffins, rhubarb, springtime

These tacos are quick, super easy, healthy and very tasty! The recipe calls for Tabasco Chipotle sauce (not to be confused with regular Tabasco sauce). Tabasco Chipotle sauce can be found next to regular Tabasco sauce (and other hot sauces) in the grocery store. Regular Tabasco sauce would probably be much too spicy and vinegary for this recipe. Cholula Chipotle hot sauce can also be used if you can’t find the Tabasco Chipotle sauce.   

Turkey Tacos
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

Round out these quick tacos with your favorite toppings—try grated sharp Cheddar, sliced avocado, and finely diced sweet or red onion. Serves four.

2 Tbs. Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 to 1-1/4 lb. ground turkey (not ground turkey breast)
Kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 taco-size (6-inch) flour tortillas, heated

In a small dish, whisk the chipotle Tabasco, tomato paste, and 2 Tbs. water. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring very frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the turkey and sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste mixture and let cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes.

Off the heat, stir in the cilantro and season to taste with more salt if needed. Serve folded in the tortillas with your favorite taco toppings.

Tags: Mexican, Quick Cooking, tacos, turkey

I made this panini for lunch recently. Basically, a panini is just a glorified grilled cheese sandwich filled with any combination of cheeses, meats, and/or vegetables…crunchy on the outside, oozing with melted cheese on the inside. Yumm! Paninis are usually made with a panini press (electric or stove-top) but I say you can still make these delicious sandwiches without the fancy cookware just as you would a regular grilled cheese. Just cook the sandwich in a pan on both sides until golden.

I love the combination of flavors in this particular sandwich: creamy, nutty-flavored fontina with peppery salami and roasted red peppers. DELICIOUS!  I used pre-sliced sourdough bread because thicker sliced artisan bread can rip your mouth to shreds if served on a grilled sandwich. I also used regular olive oil instead of making the rosemary oil. I’m sure it’s good but I didn’t take the time to make it (too hungry). I also didn’t measure out the ingredients (1 ounce of this or that). Instead, I  just put the amount on each sandwich that looked right to me — enough cheese to cover the bread, a few slices of salami, 3-4 strips of red pepper, a drizzle of olive oil here and there, some freshly ground pepper, etc. If you can’t find fontina, I think provolone cheese would be an acceptable substitute. Serve with mixed greens and you’ve got an easy meal in minutes.

Salami, Fontina and Roasted Bell Pepper Panini
-recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Makes 1 sandwich.

There are countless combinations of delicious fillings for panini. For a vegetarian version, try grilled eggplant, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves of 1 rosemary sprig
2 slices sourdough bread, each 1/2 inch thick
1 oz. thinly sliced Tuscan salami
1 oz. sliced fontina cheese
1/4 cup sliced roasted red bell peppers

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rosemary and fry until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Preheat an electric panini maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Brush one side of each bread slice lightly with the rosemary oil. Lay a bread slice, oiled side down, and arrange the salami and cheese on the bread. Add the bell peppers and top with the other bread slice, oiled side up.

Place the sandwich on the preheated panini maker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the sandwich is hot throughout, golden and crispy.

Transfer the sandwich to a cutting board and cut in half. Serve immediately.

Tags: cheese, fontina, panini, Quick Cooking, roasted red peppers, salami, sandwich

Husband LOVES salty snacks so I wasn’t surprised when he gave this recipe his approval. It’s a twist on traditional party mix using fishy crackers, oyster crackers and Old Bay seasoning (among other ingredients). It’s a salty, crunchy and slightly spicy snack that is a cinch to throw together. I substituted pretzel sticks for the pretzel fish and wheat ”snack stix” for the melba toast rounds. Old Bay seasoning contains a boat-load of salt so I recommend adding it to taste. Stir about half the amount into the  party mix then taste it. You may find that you don’t need the whole tablespoon of Old Bay.   

Fisherman’s Friend Party Mix
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Makes about 10 cups

5 cups Corn Chex or Rice Chex cereal  
2 cups oyster crackers  
1 cup Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish   
1 cup Pepperidge Farm Pretzel Goldfish   
1 cup Melba toast rounds  
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
2 tablespoons hot sauce (see note) 
1 tablespoon lemon juice  
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning  

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Combine cereal, oyster crackers, Goldfish, and Melba toast in large bowl. Whisk butter, hot sauce, and lemon juice in small bowl, then drizzle over cereal mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Old Bay and toss until well combined.

Spread mixture over rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Serve. (Mix can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

Tags: party mix, snack