An Inspired Kitchen

Mexican Salsa Rice

I always have a good quality salsa in my pantry or when I have leftover fresh salsa I often make this rice or freeze it to make the rice later.  The salsa really adds a lot of flavor to the rice without a lot of fuss.  You can just add the salsa and some chicken broth or water with the rice, or sometimes I sauté an onion and  red pepper if I have it, garlic and add some cumin and a little chili powder and cook it with some chicken broth.  I had one zucchini in the refrigerator so I added that as well.  Click here for the recipe….

Roasted Asparagus with Hoisin Glaze

Rain still continues to be a menacing presence in this so-called summer of ours so I was not in the mood to grill in the rain.  Roasting asparagus is so easy and all you need to do is brush hoisin sauce – a wonderful and very flavorful Chinese sauce on the asparagus, sprinkle sesame seeds on top and roast in a 425 degree oven or grill for 5-6 minutes or until cooked. Hoisin is made from fermented soybeans, garlic, vinegar, sugar and chilies although it is not a spicy sauce.  I always roast veggies on foil for easier cleanup and green beans and broccoli are also great brushed with hoisin and roasted.  Click here for recipe….

For the love of salt

As James Beard so eloquently wrote “where would we be without salt?” Salt is the most important ingredient in cooking and baking. I know that is not politically correct to state on so many health levels ~ but that is my truth. Knowing how much salt to use is the key that separates an okay cook from a great cook. As we all know, over salting can absolutely ruin a dish, and under salting can often leave a dish insipid and flat. It’s all about getting the right balance with the right type of salt and it pulls out and heightens all the flavors of whatever you are using. I use kosher salt with its sweeter, milder taste and larger crystals for salting water for pasta, vegetables and brines. The water should taste like the ocean and it takes quite a bit of salt. I use sea salt in my favorite Costco adjustable grinder for practically everything, and use humble table salt for baking because it has smaller crystals and dissolves more easily. I love to grind Himalayan pink sea salt over a salad just before I serve it because it sounds so exotic and fancy and I love that little unexpected crunch. On a trip to Whole Foods I came across little tubs of bulk seasoned salts. I bought the Mediterranean Blend with garlic, lemon, lavender, rosemary, thyme and basil, Tuscan Salt Crystals with dried Italian herbs, tomato flecks, lemon peel and rosemary oil, and the Thai Ginger Fusion blended with ginger and ginger oil (great for just sprinkling on scallops before you sear them). I made labels for them, put them in little jars and gave them as gifts. When I see them in my spice drawer, they inspire me to think of new ways to use them.

Chicken with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

I love this sundried tomato vinaigrette and it is also good on toasted crostini and topped with goat cheese, drizzled over vegetables or tossed in a salad.  It’s quick to make in a mini food processor.  Just add the sundried tomatoes, garlic, a little grating of onion, sherry vinegar and olive oil and it’s done in 30 seconds.  You can also add fresh basil.  Grill or saute’ some chicken or fish and that’s it ~ a healthy dinner in no time.  6 WW points  Click here for the recipe….

Za’atar Lamb Meatball Skewers with Zucchini, Red Pepper and Onion and Couscous with Fresh Mint and Lemon

I love Middle Eastern food and sometimes I just want to taste spices that I usually don’t use to jazz up dinner.  Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice mix and usually has sumac as one of its ingredients.  Sumac is a spice and it is derived from the dark red berry of a plant which is dried and ground  to a powder. It has a sour lemon flavor.  There is also fresh thyme and oregano, salt and sesame seeds mixed together.  You can use ground lamb or beef, and you add half the za’atar mixture with the lamb and make meatballs and the other half is mixed with the vegetables with some olive oil.  I served it over couscous (cooked in chicken broth and takes 5 minutes) and added fresh chopped mint, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  10 WW points.  Click here for skewer recipe….  Click here for couscous recipe….

Sangria

Sangria is such a refreshing summer drink and to easy make ahead for a party.  I don’t use expensive red wine for this drink because the fruit and Cointreau mask any nuances in a good quality wine.  You can also use white wine.  I add a fourth of a cup of orange juice or apple juice concentrate to sweeten it, and any combination of fresh fruit and berries.  I often like to serve it over ice with a splash of sparkling water for a really refreshing drink.  Click here for the recipe….

I hope you had a great 4th of July!  We had friends over for hamburgers with all the fixings and good old fashioned potato, macaroni, and pasta salads that my friends brought over.  For dessert I made a Peach and Blueberry Streusel Pie that had almonds, almond flour, and oatmeal in the streusal topping.  I bought some vanilla powder and have been going crazy with it.  It really adds a great vanilla punch.  I usually have a frozen pie shell in the freezer, and it was quick to make the topping and sprinkle it over the fruit and bake.  Since peaches are so good right now, I am going to buy a bunch and slice and freeze them for another peach pie.  Summer has officially started and the weather looks and feels like summer which is a great sign!  Better late than never!  Click here for the recipe….

Peach and Blueberry Streusel Pie

Mixed Baby Greens with Shallots, Berries, Walnuts, and Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette with Baked Goat Cheese

I had my book club over for lunch and made this salad.  It’s a great group of women and we always have a lot of fun and even if the book wasn’t good, the conversation is great. The fresh strawberries,raspberries, and blueberries were delicious, and I used walnut oil to make the raspberry vinaigrette, but you could use olive oil.  You can cut the goat cheese rounds earlier in the day and keep them refrigerated.  Right before you bake them, dip the cheese in a beaten egg, and then coat with Panko bread crumbs, bake, and place on salad before you serve it.  The salad is also good without the goat cheese.  Trader Joe’s has a great salad mix that has fresh herbs in it that I like to use in this salad. Click here for the recipe…. 

Grilled Asparagus

I grill asparagus all summer long and roast it in the oven in winter.  It’s easy to make for a large crowd and cooks quickly at the last minute while you are getting everything else on the table.  I wash and trim the ends, and then take the plastic bag it came in and pour several tablespoons of olive oil, a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar, and a couple splashes of soy sauce, smoosh it up and then add the asparagus and scrunch it around until all the stalks are coated.  Then I place it on the grill or crimped foil lined cookie sheet and cook it for 4-6 minutes or until it almost cooked through, turning it over quite frequently on the grill so it won’t burn.  You can squeeze some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle a little lemon zest over before you serve it, but it’s great just as it is.  Click here for the recipe….

Sugar Cookie Bars

 This is the perfect bar cookie topped off with a rich a buttery frosting.  I love sugar cookies but they are pretty time consuming by the time you roll and cut them out, bake, frost and decorate.  My family loves to make special holiday sugar cookies and we make a double batch and end up making around 120 cookies which we elaborately decorate several times a year and takes us hours (but well worth it!).  I was craving a sugar cookie and came across this cookie bar recipe.  It is really good and moist and the frosting takes it over the top delicious and best of all it is quick to make!  It also freezes well (if it makes it to the freezer!).  Click here for the recipe….