Saw this recipe on nytimes.com…sounds like a nice spin on chicken satay.  Will try and report back.  Thanks, Melissa Clark!

Ingredients:

-1 cup roasted, salted cashew nuts
-6 tablespoons chopped cilantro, with some stems
-1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-2 teaspoons brown sugar
-1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, sliced (discard seeds or not, to taste)
-Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-3 pounds chicken thighs and/or drumsticks.

1.
In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, 2 tablespoons cilantro,
oil, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, jalapeño, lime juice and 2 tablespoons
water. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Taste and
season with salt and pepper if desired.

2. Season chicken all
over with salt and pepper. Smear on enough cashew mixture to thoroughly
coat pieces. (Set aside any remaining mixture.) Let marinate at room
temperature while you heat grill or broiler. Or refrigerate for up to
12 hours before cooking.

3. Preheat broiler or grill. Grill or
broil chicken, turning frequently, until it is crisp and golden on
outside and done on inside (cut a small nick to check), 20 to 30
minutes.

4. Sprinkle chicken with remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges and remaining cashew mixture.

Yield: 4 servings.

Deb from Smittenkitchen.com posted this delicious-looking recipe from Bon Appetite.  Def. sounds worth a try.  Meanwhile, I made a classic cucumber salad (small pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced, with a little cider vinegar, sour cream, dill, parsley, sugar, salt and pepper, and a bit of minced red onion).

Dilled Potato and Pickled Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

-6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
-4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
-2 1-pound English hothouse cucumbers, very thinly sliced
-1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
-3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 10 medium), unpeeled
-Additional coarse kosher salt
-1 cup very thinly sliced white onion
-8 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
-scant 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I get by with a bit less)
-Small radishes with green tops

Stir vinegar and 4 teaspoons coarse salt in small bowl until salt
dissolves. Place cucumbers and 1/2 cup dill in heavy 1-gallon
resealable plastic bag. Add vinegar mixture; seal bag. Turn several
times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Pour cucumber mixture into large sieve set over bowl. Drain at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Discard brine.

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender,
about 30 minutes. Drain. Cool potatoes completely. Peel potatoes;
quarter lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place
potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle generously with coarse salt and
pepper. Add drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes, and remaining 3
tablespoons dill; toss to blend. Let stand 1 hour. Stir mayonnaise into
salad. Season generously with salt and pepper, if desired. (Salad can
be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Mound salad in bowl; garnish with whole radishes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Balance, it’s all about balance, people.  Which is to say, if you’re going to add cheese and bacon to a pasta dish, it better damn well contain some serious green vegetables.  And tasty!

I combined several of my favorite flavors and the result was this absolutely delicious pasta.

Ingredients:

-dry pasta of your choice, enough for 2 or 3 servings (I used Barilla Plus Penne [http://www.barillaus.com/home/Pages/Barilla_Plus.aspx], which was good and somehow they’ve packed in lots of protein and fiber)
-approx. 8-12 Brussel sprouts (frozen are fine)
-1 clove garlic, crushed and separated into smaller pieces
-sea salt and pepper
-olive oil
-1 or 2 strips bacon
-about 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
-1 tsp. margarine
-2 tsp. parmesan cheese

1.  Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and fresh garlic, and roast/broil in the oven until cooked through and outer leaves are golden.

2.  Meanwhile, boil the pasta.  Dice the bacon.

3.  Drain the pasta, and use the same pan to fry the bacon until just crispy (add a splash of olive oil if it sticks).

4.  Turn off the heat.  Return the pasta to the pan and add the margarine, sprouts (hold the garlic), tossing together with the bacon.  Drizzle a little olive oil if necessary.

5.  Dish up, sprinkling with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.

The last time I posted a recipe for this, it was so complicated, even I didn’t feel like bothering again.  So I simplified the recipe a bit, thanks in part to a well-seasoned large cast iron pan, gifted from my dad.  This time it’s all stove-top.  Try it…it’s even more delicious the next day…or two.

Ingredients:

-4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken legs, skin intact (add or subtract a piece depending on the size of your skillet/casserole)
-2 med. carrots
-1/2 med. turnip
-3/4 of a pint of white mushrooms
-1/2 a med. Vidalia onion
-1/3 of a pound of bacon (easier to slice if semi-frozen)
-2 small shallots, peeled
-3 large cloves garlic, peeled
-several sprigs of fresh thyme
-1 sprig fresh rosemary
-a few sprigs parsley
-4 bay leaves
-3/4 can chicken broth
-3/4 bottle French red— a cheap Cotes du Rhone works well, e.g. George DeBouf, $7.99
-1 tsp. margarine or butter
-about 1/3 c. vermouth or brandy, or sherry or a sweet white wine (can be omitted)
-fresh ground black pepper

-1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in water

-a large heavy bottomed skillet or enameled stovetop-safe casserole, ideally cast-iron

1.  Cut 1/3 lb. of regular American bacon into fine dice.  Fry in the pan until golden.  Remove to a dish, leaving the drippings.

2.  Salt and pepper the chicken.  Cook in the bacon drippings until lightly golden on both sides.  Remove the chicken to the bacon dish.

3.  While the chicken colors, dice the onion, carrots, and turnip.  Slice the garlic.  Add all three to the pan with the drippings.  Cook until the onions are translucent.

4.  Return the chicken and bacon to the pan.  Pour in 3 cups or so of the red wine and deglaze the pan, scrapping the bottom.  Add 1/2 a can of the chicken broth.

5.  Halve or quarter mushrooms and shallots (they will cook down considerably).  In a small pan, sautee them in the margarine and deglaze w/the vermouth/liquor.  Add to the pan w/ the chicken and vegetables.

6.  Add the rosemary sprig, bay leaves, chopped parsley, and de-stemmed thyme.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 45 min-1 hr.  Add more red wine and broth as needed to keep everything almost submerged.  Stir and turn chicken periodically.

7.  Remove the chicken and strain out the vegetables (reserve).  Add more wine and broth, if you like, to make more sauce.  Turn the heat up to high and rapidly boil the sauce to reduce, about 8 min.  For thicker sauce, stir in some cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water.

8.  Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan, heat through.  Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprig.

Serve with egg noodles, roasted potatoes, or steamed rice, along with a French baguette.

Insalata di Riso (Rice Salad)

The Washington Post, June 20, 2007   

Summary:
            

Short-grain
arborio, the rice used to create creamy risotto, gets a completely
different treatment here. Cooking the rice in abundant salted water and
tossing it with olive oil keeps the grains from sticking together and
turns them into a great base for a summer salad. The assertive flavors
in this rice salad are especially welcome on a hot day when you are
looking for something to stimulate your appetite.

If the salad is made in advance and refrigerated, give it about 30 minutes at room temperature before it is served.

6 to 8 servings   

Ingredients:      
            
            

• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 1/2 ounces (1 can) best-quality tuna in olive oil, drained
• 3 hard-cooked eggs, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into dice
• 3/4 cup pitted purple or green olives, or a mix, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into small dice
• 1/2 cup jarred marinated artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup pickled pearl (cocktail) onions, drained
• 1/4 cup sliced cornichons (cut crosswise)
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise (not mayonnaise-based salad dressing or sandwich spread; do not use nonfat)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, or to taste
•  Freshly ground black pepper
       

Directions:

Bring
a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high
heat. Add the rice and let the water return to a boil. Reduce the heat
to medium-low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the rice is
al dente (tender but still a little firm in the center and not at all
mushy). Drain the rice in a colander and rinse it under cold water.
Drain thoroughly and transfer the rice to a large bowl.

Toss the rice with the olive oil to coat evenly, then add the tuna,
eggs, mozzarella, olives, bell peppers, artichokes, onions, cornichons,
parsley and capers. Gently fold to mix the ingredients. Add the
mayonnaise and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60
minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Serve within the hour or
refrigerate.

Recipe Source: 

Adapted from Domenica Marchetti’s "The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy" (Chronicle Books, 2006).

387 calories, 21g fat, 6g saturated fat, 105mg cholesterol, 994mg sodium, 33g carbohydrates, 1g dietary fiber, 17g protein.
   
   

I highly doubt that this can qualify as "healthy" considering the amount of sugar and egg it contains.  However, it also has 2 CUPS of zucchini and I slightly reduced the sugar and subbed 1/2 the oil from the original recipe with apple sauce to cut fat.  You like it.

My only beef with this recipe, adapted from Silver Palate Cookbook, is that it makes too much batter for the pan.  You should only fill the pan to about 3/4 full.  You will have extra, which if you are like me, you will eat off the spatula and cross your fingers against salmonella.

Ingredients:

-3 eggs
-apple sauce and vegetable oil in 50/50 proportion, totaling 3/4 cup.  Or, 3/8 c. ea.
-1 1/4 c. sugar
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 c. unpeeled grated raw zucchini (squeeze out excess water)
-2 1/2 c. flour
-2 tsp. baking soda
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1 tsp. ground cloves
-1 c. chopped walnuts

1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease and flour a 9×5 pan.

2.  Beat sugar, eggs, oil, and applesauce.  Stir in everything but the nuts until just incorporated.

3.  Fold in the walnuts, disperse evenly.

4.  Pour batter into pan and bake on the middle rack for 1 hr. 15 min, or until tester  comes out clean.

5.  Cool slightly, remove from pan, finish cooling and wrap.

I’m posting the ingredients to these marinades immediately after concocting them (don’t want to forget what I used).  Let you know how they turn out tomorrow.

German Chops Marinade:

-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 med. onion, minced
-1 Tbsp. caraway seed
-paprika
-cayenne pepper
-black pepper
-corn oil
-3/4 c. beer (used some leftover Bud Lite B’s interns brought to a party…)
-several sprigs thyme
-couple shakes celery salt
-couple shakes of sweet ground fennel
-1 Tbsp. coarse spicy mustard
-1 tsp. honey
-splash of cider vinegar

…………………………

Latin Chipotle Marinade:

-corn oil
-juice of 1 lime
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-bit of onion, minced
-1/4 c. chopped cilantro
-2 Tbsp. chipotle pepper sauce
-1 Tbsp. lemon-lime marmalade
-dash Tobasco
-shake lemon pepper
-1 tsp. honey
-shake of seasoned salt
-dash of Cajun seasoning
-would have added cumin, but was out

My friend Jessica says this is a classic in her family that she always requests on grilled pork tenderloin.

Memphis Rubdown

Ingredients:

1 T garlic powder

1 T onion powder

1 T white pepper

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);

//–>1 T black pepper

1 T ground cumin

½ tsp ground red pepper

2 T  chili powder

2 T paprika

2 T kosher salt

Caribbean-style marinade (ripped from a message board):

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup peanut or olive oil
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Thai Chili Sauce
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
1 Teaspoon Garlic powder or 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Allspice
Juice of half a lime

This is great for grilling.  We had it the other night.  Yum!                           

Ziploc + marinade + overnight in fridge = savory goodness. mmmm.

Ingredients:

-2 pork chops (spareribs or tenderloin would also be great)
-quart-sized Ziploc or larger
-lg. clove of garlic, minced
-1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
-3/4 tsp. sesame oil
-2-3 Tbsp. black or white sesame seeds
-2 hearty squirts of Sriracha pepper sauce (Tobasco might be OK, but use less)
-1 Tbsp. honey
-2 big splashes pineapple juice ~ 1/3 c. (you might be able to get away with OJ but i won’t vouch for the results)
-shake of lemon pepper
-black pepper
-pinch of dried wasabi powder (probably not that essential, but gives it spicy depth)

Shake everything together in a Ziploc, allow to marinate a few hours or overnight before grilling. Serve w/ basmati rice w/ peas.