Lentils and Egg Stew and Homemade Bread

You know the routine by now. It snows and I bake bread. Today was Blizzard Stella. It was more stress than snow. They forecast high winds and wide spread power outages. I hate loosing power. We do not have a generator and we have well water. Thank God we did not loose power. If we did how would I have baked my bread?

This recipe is an oldie! I cut it out of Cooking Light Magazine in 1994. French Wheat Baguettes.

Ingredients-

2 1/4 tsp dry yeast

1 c Whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt
3 1/4 c Bread flour
1 tsp Sugar
1 1/2 c warm, water, (105˚ to115˚), divided

Vegetable cooking spray
1 tbsp Cornmeal  

Method-

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. 

Place bread flour, whole-wheat flour, and salt in food processor, and pulse 4 times or until blended. With processor on, slowly add yeast mixture and remaining 1 cup warm water through food chute; process until dough leaves sides of bowl and forms a ball. Process 15 additional seconds. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 3 or 4 times. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. 

Punch the dough down, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half, and roll each portion into a 17 x 9-inch rectangle. Roll up each rectangle, starting with a long edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch ends to seal. Place each roll, seam side down, in an 18-inch-long baguette pan coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. 

Uncover the dough; using a sharp knife, make 6 diagonal cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of loaves. Spray loaves with water. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf. 

Dinner was Lentil and Egg Stew from Bon Appetit. Comfort food at the end of a stormy day.

 Lucy rode out the storm next to the heat vent.

Quick Beef Stroganoff

Spend today at the Connecticut Flower and Garden Show with my friend Heidi. Lots to see. Lots of great ideas!!!

For dinner, I made Quick Beef Stroganoff. Cooking Light recipe. So good. It took a little over 25 minutes to make. Loved the flavors. And anything with egg noodles can't be bad! The recipe calls for mushrooms. I substituted zucchini.

Ingredients-

6 1/2 cups water, divided

4 ounces uncooked egg noodles

1 pound flank steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon hot paprika

1 (6-ounce) package presliced exotic mushroom blend or sliced zucchini

1 cup lower-sodium beef broth, divided

5 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup fat-free sour cream

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method-

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles; cook 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Cut beef across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips; cut strips into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 cup onion, black pepper, salt, paprika, and mushrooms to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium.

Combine 1/4 cup beef broth and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture, beef, remaining 3/4 cup broth, and remaining 1/2 cup water to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream, green onions, and butter. Serve beef mixture over egg noodles; sprinkle with parsley.

Slow Cooker Chicken, Bacon and Potato Soup

When I first saw the recipe on Facebook it seemed like it would be a heavy soup but it was actually a Cooking Light recipe. Surprise! Only 174 calories a serving. Nice! It was delicious and perfect for the rainy cold day this was. And for the #cook90 challenge, this will be tonight's and tomorrow night's dinner.
Here is the recipe with my revisions -

Ingredients-
4 center-cut bacon slices, diced
1 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned  and 1 pound bone in chicken breast, skinned
salt and pepper
2 cups thinly sliced leek (from 2 large leeks)
1 cup sliced carrot (from 2 large carrots)
1 cup sliced celery (from 2 large stalks)
4 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 thyme sprigs
12 ounces baby potatoes
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach

Method-
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1
teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.



Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan. Add leek, carrot, and celery to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add leek mixture, bacon, remaining 3 cups stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours. Add potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours or until potatoes are tender.



Remove chicken from slow cooker with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; discard bones. Return chicken to slow cooker; add spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Steak Pizzaiola on Ciabatta

I love Steak Pizzaiola. I should say that I loved my Mom's Steak Pizzaiola. I have been trying forever to replicate her recipe. I have given up. But tonight we found a recipe that could find its way onto our table in place of the endless search for her recipe. Steak Pizzaiola on Ciabatta from Cooking Light. Only 379 calories per serving!

It was so easy and quick to put together. I had spent most of the afternoon doing prep work of Sunday's Christmas Dinner and this was a breeze to prepare. And rave reviews were coming in throughout the entire meal.

Ingredients-

1 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 (28-ounce) can unsalted whole tomatoes, undrained

4 (1-inch-thick) slices ciabatta bread (about 5 ounces)

2 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

Method-

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Combine steak and 1 teaspoon oil in a large bowl; toss to coat. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add steak to pan; cook for 2 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove steak from pan.
Reduce heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds. Add oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and tomatoes. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes, mashing tomato mixture with a potato masher. Return steak to pan, and toss to coat.

Place bread on a baking sheet; broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Spoon tomato mixture evenly over bread slices; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Sprinkle with basil.

 

White Bean and Roasted Chicken Salad, and Pane Bianco

We had Roast Chicken last night so tonight we had Chicken Salad. This recipe is from Cooking Light. 369 calories per serving! And it was simple to make.

Ingredients-
Salad:
2 cups coarsely chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method-
To prepare salad, place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir gently to combine.
To prepare dressing combine vinegar and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad, tossing gently to coat.

And if you are only consuming 369 calories per serving than there is room for bread! I made the Pane Bianco recipe again from the King Arthur Flour site. This time, I added olives. Nice choice. The salty taste from the olives was a nice addition.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Yeah, dinner was an amazing grilled pork tenderloin which I should write about. But we are doing dessert first tonight. It was that good!

I had a small portion of pate brise in the freezer. I blind baked the crust and then I did something I have never done before. I made chocolate pudding from scratch. I am so sorry for all the times I used the mix. This was so damn easy and honestly so damn good. I found the recipe on the Cooking Light site. I made 1/2 the recipe because heaven forbids I have leftover pudding, rookie mistake. This was such a treat. I made sure I did not over eat at dinner so I could have the pie. Really good planning. Here is the link for the pie filling. Please never use those little boxes of pudding mix again.

Now about Grilled Pork Tenderloin. It was so tender and flavorful. I put the tenderloin in a brine of 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp salt with water for about an hour. I rinsed and dried it. I made a Rosemary Orange glaze from FineCooking.com. On the FineCooking site, they gave directions for grilling the tenderloin. 7-6-5. 7 minutes on the first side. 6 minutes on the second side. And 5 minutes with the grill off and the cover down. Not bad! But I would change it to 8-7-6. Just scared of raw pork! Long story....

Almost forgot the Green Bean Salad. My Mom's recipe. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Simple and delicious.

Tuscan Pork Kebabs

A couple of weeks ago I was reading one of my favorite blogs, The Proud Italian, and there was a giveaway for a grill pan. I entered the giveaway and went on with my life. A few days later I get an email from Marie, from The Proud Italian, informing me that I won the grill pan! Wow! The pan was delivered soon after that and I used it tonight.

What a beautiful pan! It is an Italian cookware brand, Lagostina. The pan is the Bistecchiera Grill  Pan. Tri-ply stainless construction provides fast and even heat distribution throughout the entire pan. The pan was handcrafted in the Lagostina factory in Italy.

The recipe I used called for the meat and veggies to be on a kebab. Well, I remove the kebab's because the meat was not resting on the surface of the pan. And being a pork dish I wanted to be sure it was cooked. The recipe was from Cooking Light and it was delicious!

From Cooking Light, Tuscan Pork Kebabs -

Ingredients

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

16 (1-inch) pieces red bell pepper

16 (1-inch) pieces yellow bell pepper

Cooking spray 

 

Method-

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine olive oil, grated lemon rind, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic in a large bowl, stirring well. Add pork; marinate at room temperature 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
3. Thread pork and bell peppers alternately onto each of 8 (8-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until pork is done, turning occasionally.

And Lucy wanted some blog time because yesterday was all about Archie.

Roasted Flat Iron Steak with Olive Oil-Herb Rub

What a treat for a mid week meal. I worked from home today so I started dinner at 5:30 and we sat down at the table at 6:30. No stress from sitting in traffic for over an hour. It was fun preparing a meal mid week. I know I am a geek but this is what I enjoy doing.

The recipe was from Cooking Light. I have made it before using the Flat Iron Steak and a Flank Steak. Flat Iron wins hands down. It was so tender and delicious. The herb rub was the perfect blend of flavors.

Roasted Flat Iron Steak with Olive Oil-Herb Rub

Ingredients-
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flat iron steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

Method-
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over steak. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add wine and broth; cook 1 minute. Spread herb mixture over steak; place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with pan sauce.
 

Side dishes were Roasted Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus.

As I am typing this I have a black cat sitting on my arm. Tomorrow night we will have his favorite thing for dinner. Stay tuned!

Petti di Pollo alla Campagnola

Petti di Pollo alla Campagnola (Chicken Breast Fillets with Red and Yellow Peppers). Sounds fancy for a Thursday night. It was pretty easy to put together. The recipe is from Every Night Italian by Giuliano Hazan.

This recipe serves 6 people, I just made enough for Chris and I. Then I found a recipe from Cooking Light that was similar but instead of the 4 tablespoons of olive oil they used one. And instead of Vegetable oil to cook the chicken in they used Cooking Spray. Here is the recipe from Cooking Light.

Ingredients-

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups onion sliced crosswise

1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 1/3 cups coarsely chopped tomato

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

20 kalamata olives 

Cooking spray

6 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut in half horizontally 

Method-
Put oil and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; cook 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high. Add bell peppers; cook 10 minutes or until bell peppers are tender. Add tomato, salt, and black pepper; cook 7 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Add parsley, oregano, and olives; cook 1 minute. Pour tomato mixture into a large bowl; keep warm.
Wipe pan clean with a paper towel; heat pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add 4 chicken breast pieces; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; repeat procedure with remaining chicken.
Return the chicken to pan; add the tomato mixture, and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Chris enjoyed this dinner. I was iffy on it. I thought I over cooked the chicken and the sauce was bland. I did enjoy the zucchini and noodles!

Roasted Flank Steak with Olive-Oil Herb Or Turn to Post 9/26/15

On September 26th I made a dinner which we enjoyed. We enjoyed it so much that I repeated the whole thing tonight. Except this time I used a Flank Steak.  I even made the Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash!

The recipe is from Cooking Light. I did omit the garlic.

Ingredients-
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flat iron steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

Method-
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over steak. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add wine and broth; cook 1 minute. Spread herb mixture over steak; place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with pan sauce.


I do love this side dish. It is a Bon Appetit recipe, Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash. Sadly I used the last Butternut Squash from my sister's garden. I did start the recipe last night. Roasting the beets and prepping the greens. I used the beet greens and Swiss Chard.

My version of Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash.

Ingredients-
Herb oil-
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Hash-
2 large golden beets
1 bunch Swiss Chard, trimmed and chopped
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 pound garnet yams or other yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
herb oil

Method-
Herb oil-
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.

Hash-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add Swiss Chard and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain well. Set aside. Scrub beets; place in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour half of herb oil over beets; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each beet in foil and roast beets until tender when pierced with small sharp knife, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let beets stand until cool enough to handle. Peel beets; cut into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. DO AHEAD Swiss Chard and beets can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Combine squash, potatoes, and yams in large bowl. Add remaining herb oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until vegetables are tender when pierced with knife and lightly browned around edges, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 50 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Stir beets and beet greens into roasted vegetables; dot with butter cubes and continue to roast just until beets are heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to large bowl and serve.

Roasted Flat Iron Steak with Olive Oil-Herb Rub and Much More!

 

We had this last week but I had made it with a Flank Steak. It was good but the Flat Iron Steak was much better. 

The original recipe is from Cooking Light. All I did was omit the garlic, surprise,  and changed the type of steak.

Ingredients-
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flat iron steak, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

Method-
Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
Sprinkle salt and pepper over steak. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned. Add wine and broth; cook 1 minute. Spread herb mixture over steak; place pan in oven. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with pan sauce.

The side dish was amazing! A Bon Appetit recipe, Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash. I have a few Butternut Squash cluttering the counter from my sister's garden, so I had to find a recipe or two. This one will be my go-to side dish this fall. We both liked it and I have enough leftovers for a couple of lunches!

My version of Potato and Autumn Vegetable Hash.

Ingredients-
Herb oil-
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Hash-
2 large golden beets
1 bunch Swiss Chard, trimmed and chopped
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 pound garnet yams or other yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
herb oil

Method-
Herb oil-
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.

Hash-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add Swiss Chard and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain well. Set aside. Scrub beets; place in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Pour half of herb oil over beets; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each beet in foil and roast beets until tender when pierced with small sharp knife, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let beets stand until cool enough to handle. Peel beets; cut into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. DO AHEAD Swiss Chard and beets can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Combine squash, potatoes, and yams in large bowl. Add remaining herb oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until vegetables are tender when pierced with knife and lightly browned around edges, stirring and turning vegetables occasionally, about 50 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Stir beets and beet greens into roasted vegetables; dot with butter cubes and continue to roast just until beets are heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to large bowl and serve.

And wait there is more...

Roasted Apple and Pecan Bread. Tomorrow's breakfast. More about it in tomorrow's post.

Zucchini Farro Cakes and Focaccio di Recco

Not sure which side dish to start with. Both were stars. We'll start with the Zucchini Farro Cakes. I have had this on a Pinterest board for while. This recipe is from Cooking Light. I did not make the slow roasted tomatoes. I made half of the recipe and ended up with enough to freeze for either lunches or to use as a side dish again.

My version of Zucchini Farro Cakes:
Ingredients-
Cakes:
1 3/4 cups shredded zucchini (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 cups cooked farro
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2  tablespoons whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Cheese:
1.25 ounces goat cheese (at room temperature)
1 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Method-
Combine zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a cheesecloth-lined bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Gather edges of cheesecloth; squeeze zucchini in cloth until barely moist. Combine zucchini, 1/4 teaspoon salt, farro, and next 6 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Shape mixture into patties, about 3/4 inch thick.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties; cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat in two more batches with remaining oil and patties.  Sprinkle the patties with salt when you remove them from the oil. Keep warm.

To prepare cheese, combine cheese and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until well combined.

Arrange 2 zucchini cakes on each plates. Top with cheese mixture.

The Focaccio di Recco was a recent addition to my Pinterest board for Recipes I Would Like to Try.

Focaccio di Recco, by Emiko on Food 52. Makes 3-4 focacce

Ingredients-
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling
2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
3 cups bread flour
1 pound stracchino or Crescenza cheese or marscapone cheese

Method-
Using a wooden spoon, mix the water, olive oil, salt, and 1 cup of flour in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour little by little, mixing with the spoon until thoroughly combined. Knead by hand in the bowl for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (poke it; it should bounce back easily). Let rest, wrapped in plastic, in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 480º F, and grease a baking sheet or a round pizza tray with olive oil.

Divide the dough into 4 even pieces and keep them under a tea towel or wrapped in plastic wrap when not in use. Roll out the dough ball initially with a rolling pin on a floured work surface, then begin stretching it carefully with your hands, using the weight of the dough to help stretch it. Get the dough as thin as you can, then transfer it to the prepared baking tray. Lay spoonfuls of the cheese over the dough. Take another piece of dough and roll and stretch again as before. Lay this layer over the cheese. With a knife, a rolling pin, or your hands, tap the edges of the dough together all along the border of the tray to trim the dough to exactly the size of the tray (see pictures for reference). Go over the edges of the focaccia again with your thumb, pressing down to seal the edges of the two layers of dough (again, see the pictures on this link). Gather the excess dough, and roll into a ball to use for the next focaccia.

Pinch the top of the dough in 5 or 6 places to create holes for steam to escape. Drizzle the top of the focaccia with a bit of oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Bake for 7 minutes, until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted.

While the first focaccia is in the oven, prepare the second with the remaining dough (adding the scraps from the first to the balls of dough) and bake when the first is out of the oven; it is recommended to only baking one at a time as the distribution of heat will be compromised with more than one in the oven.

The dough can also be frozen (wrap it tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and then freeze.) Before using the dough, defrost overnight in the fridge or for a few hours on the counter. The dough will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

And there was also a sirloin steak to go along with the side dishes.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Let's lighten dinner up a bit after the past 2 nights. Literally. I found the recipe for Waldorf Chicken Salad on Cooking Light. I was able to prepare it when I got home and it was the perfect meal. It was delicious and not heavy. And I have leftovers for lunch! Click here for the recipe.

Grilled Bone-In Rib Eye Steaks

Sorry Porterhouse, you have met your match. The Bone-In Rib Eye Steak. Just a little salt and pepper is all the steak needed. Chris grilled them perfectly. 

And I was on side dishes. I tried a new potato salad recipe. Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs. Not bad... 

From Bon Appetit, Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs.


Ingredients-
3 pounds baby red potatoes
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

Method-
Bring potatoes to boil in large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 17 minutes. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 layer of potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle with some of vinegar and salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients; toss. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

 

Now the Zucchini I liked. Chris grilled the sliced Zucchini and then I tossed it in Lemon Basil Dressing which I found on the Cooking Light site. Nice.

Ingredients-2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup chopped fresh basil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method-

Combine oil, salt, basil, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until blended.  Toss the grilled zucchini in the dressing and serve.

And Lucy had the right idea of how to spend a Saturday.