ChezCindy: Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa

This Strawberry Salsa came from the need to use up extra berries I had left over from the weekend.  I did not want to make another sweet treat but was puzzled in how strawberries could be used in a savory dish.  A quick search of the internet pulled back numerous recipes for strawberry salsa, which was new to me.  The ingredients are much the same as the standard tomato salsa.  However, fruit salsa is lighter and seems more fresh tasting.  There is a hint of sweetness from the berries, and a back-note of heat from the jalapeno pepper.  The key to this balance is to finely mince the pepper and onion.  I served it simply with tortilla chips.  It would be delightful spooned over grilled chicken or pork. 

Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa 

1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into small dice

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1-2 tablespoons finely diced fresh jalapeno pepper, depending upon heat preference

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare all ingredients as instructed.  Combine the ingredients in a small mixing bowl.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips or with a cheese and charcuterie board.  

   

Salsa is best when served same day as made.  

ChezCindy: Cauliflower Steaks Parmesan-Style

 

If you are looking for an alternative to Chicken Parmesan, or simply enjoy cauliflower, this recipe might be perfect for you.  My recipe swaps out the chicken replacing it with cauliflower steaks.  The steaks are grilled and are not breaded and fried as a traditional chicken parm.  Each grilled steak is topped with a mix of Italian melting cheese and a drizzle of marinara sauce.  I spiced my sauce with a bit of Calabrian chilies to add a zip to the final dish.  

I used an electric indoor grill unit, a new release from GreenPan, to cook the cauliflower steaks.  You may have a Cuisinart Griddler or even an older George Forman Grill.  All of these will work to make this recipe.  Don't have any of these?  A large cast iron Lodge skillet will do just fine.  

 Cauliflower Steaks Parmesan-Style

1 medium-large cauliflower head

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon fennel seed

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mix of fresh grated Italian melting cheese (fontina, asiago, and/or provolone) 

2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon Calabrian chilies in oil

1 cup marinara sauce

Cut the cauliflower head into 3 steaks, each being 3/4" thick.  Reserve the remaining bits of cauliflower for another use.  Place the cauliflower steaks onto a large plate.  Set aside.  

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl, adding in the dried oregano, fennel seed, and garlic powder.  Stir to combine.  

Heat an electric indoor grill to high temperature, 425 degrees if your unit has a read-out display.  

Using a small spoon, lightly coat both sides of the steaks with the seasoned oil.  Evenly sprinkle the steaks with the salt.  Place the steaks onto the hot grill, cooking until both sides are deeply cooked with grill marks and the steaks are soft when pierced with the tip of a knife.  

Generously cover each steak with a handful of the grated cheese.  The cheese will melt with the carry-over heat from the grill.  Transfer the steaks to a serving platter.  

Mix together the Calabrian chilies and the marinara sauce.  Lightly drizzle the steaks with the sauce, sprinkling with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve as a side dish or with pasta. 

 

ChezCindy: Summer Caprese Salad

 

Summer tomatoes are the star of any Caprese Salad, which in turn make you a super star at your next dinner gathering.  A visit to the farm stand for selection of a variety of gorgeous tomatoes is the place to begin.  Add fresh basil leaves and the best fresh mozzarella cheese you can find to complete the list of ingredients.  With barely a recipe at all, this composed salad comes together like a beautiful painting of color.  

A quick note on summer tomatoes:  I highly recommend that your store the tomatoes at room temperature, and never place them in the refrigerator.  Cold tomatoes quickly lose their quality and turn to a mushy texture.  

Summer Caprese Salad

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese

2-3 pounds variety of fresh farm tomatoes, heirloom if available

1 bunch of fresh basil leaves

Flakey sea salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Balsamic vinegar, optional

Slice the mozzarella into thick slices, setting aside at room temperature.  Slice the tomatoes into thick slices.  Working with a large platter, arrange the tomatoes and the mozzarella slices in an overlapping pattern.  Add a sprinkling of the flakey sea salt.  Generously drizzle with the olive oil.  When ready to serve, tear the basil leaves into pieces, scattering the leaves over the tomatoes and cheese.  If desired, drizzle with a small amount of balsamic vinegar.  Serve at room temperature.  

ChezCindy: Rosemary Parmesan Sourdough Crackers

 

These homemade Sourdough Crackers are well received every time I serve them.  Most people are surprised that crackers can be made at home.  The recipe is not complicated or difficult.  However, it is necessary to roll out the cracker dough very thinly.  This can be done by using a rolling pin, or if you have a pasta roller, I find that is the easiest method.  Both methods turn out fabulous, crispy crackers.  

I like adding additional flavor to the cracker dough by adding in dried rosemary and Parmesan cheese.  Other options are fennel seeds and red pepper flakes or cracked black pepper and turmeric powder.  The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but you could use olive oil, or even vegan butter works very well.  To maintain vegan crackers, I have used nutritional yeast and Nooch vegan cheese.   

Sourdough Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup (227g) sourdough starter discard

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon dried herbs or seeds (rosemary, basil, fennel, caraway) optional

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, optional

additional sea salt for sprinkling on top

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough discard, butter, and herbs/cheese if using, to make a dough.  This can be done in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in your stand mixer.  The dough comes together quickly and easily.  Transfer the dough to your counter shaping it into a rectangle.  Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.  Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for minimum of 30 minutes or up to 3 days.  

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Working with 1 portion, leaving the second in the refrigerator, place the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with flour to prevent sticking.  Flour the rolling pin to begin flattening and rolling the dough into a large rectangle, to 1/16" thick.  Or use a pasta roller to roll the dough into long pieces as you would pasta dough.  Using a pastry wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/2" - 1" squares, triangles, or rectangles.  

Place the cut crackers onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle lightly with additional sea salt.  Place the baking sheet in the oven on the center rack.  Bake the crackers for 17-20 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through the baking time for even baking.  Remove the baking sheet from the oven, transfer the parchment paper onto the counter to cool.  The crackers will be lightly browned and crisp.  

Store the cooled crackers in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage.  

ChezCindy: Summer Panzanella Salad with Roast Chicken

 

Whether you roast a whole chicken indoors in your oven, outdoors on a grill, or even store-bought rotisserie chicken, this summer panzanella salad is a wonderful summer dinner.  

A panzanella salad is an Italian dish that uses stale bread made into toasted croutons, along with the best tomatoes available, a few salad greens and herbs tossed with a vinaigrette.  I often add roasted chicken to make a complete meal, being sure to drizzle the chicken pan juices over the platter so that the croutons soak up all of that rich chicken flavor.  

Summer Panzanella with Roast Chicken

Day-old bread, (baguette or country boule) cut into 1-inch cubes, 3 cups

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups mixed salad greens

5-6 sprigs fresh herbs, basil, thyme, tarragon and/or parsley, leaves removed from stems

4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters or 2 cups cherry tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6-8 tablespoons vinaigrette, homemade or store-bought

    Chez Cindy Vinaigrette Recipe

1 roast chicken, with pan drippings

    Chez Cindy Roast Chicken Recipe

Parmesan cheese curls, about 1/3 cup

Make the croutons:  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Working with a large, rimmed sheet pan, place the cubed bread onto the pan.  Drizzle the cubes with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.  Using your hands, toss to combine.  Spread the cubes evenly over the sheet pan.  Bake in the oven until toasted and brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and set aside.  

Make the vinaigrette.  Roast the chicken, keep warm.  Or use store-bought.  

Putting it all together:  Place the croutons onto a large serving platter.  Cut the roast chicken into pieces (leg, thigh, wing, each breast cut into 2 pieces).  Place the chicken onto the croutons.  Season the tomatoes with salt, then scatter over the platter.  Drizzle 1/4 cup, or more up to 1/2 cup, of chicken pan drippings over the chicken and croutons.  Add the salad greens and fresh herb leaves to the platter.  Drizzle 4-5 tablespoons of vinaigrette over the salad, tomatoes, chicken and croutons.  Top with the Parmesan cheese curls.  Serve with additional vinaigrette if desired.  

ChezCindy: Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Herb Butter

Fresh herbs from the garden mixed with sweet creamy butter is a wonderful addition to grilled chicken to enjoy dining outside on a warm day.

Here I used a whole chicken that I "butterflied" to open it up to expose the cavity and lay flat on the grill grates.  Individual pieces of bone-in chicken would work great too.  Basting with the herbed butter at the last minute before removing from the grill will create a lovely sauce to compliment the natural chicken juices.  

Butterflied Grilled Chicken with Herb Butter

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds, butterflied

    or bone-in pieces, leg quarters and/or breast 

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened 

4-5 large sprigs of various herbs

    tarragon, rosemary, basil, and/or thyme

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Light the grill to preheat to a temperature of 400-425 degrees using the indirect heat method for either gas or charcoal.   

Make the herb butter:  Place the softened butter into a small bowl.  Remove the leaves of the herbs from the stems, chopping the leaves into small pieces.  Add the chopped leaves to the bowl with the butter, along with the teaspoon of salt.  Mix to combine.  

Prepare the chicken for grilling:  Using paper towels, pat dry the chicken on the top skin and bottom cavity.  Brush or rub the skin of the chicken with the oil.  Sprinkle the tablespoon of salt over the entire chicken.  Transfer to a large sheet tray to transition to the grill.  Once the grill is hot, place the chicken cavity side down over indirect heat onto the grill grate.  Close the lid and grill undisturbed without turning, moving, or opening the lid for 25-30 minutes.  Watch for flair ups so that the chicken doesn't burn.  Cooking over indirect heat should minimize flair ups.  We are grilling the chicken on one side, not flipping over, remaining skin-side up for the entire cooking time. 

At 25-30 minutes, begin checking the internal temperature.  Once the chicken reaches 150 degrees at the thickest part, the skin should be nicely browned at this point.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of the herb butter to the top of the chicken.  With the lid open, continue cooking until the chicken reaches 160 degrees.  Remove the chicken to a clean sheet tray or serving platter.  Carry-over cooking while resting the chicken for 5-7 minutes will continue bringing the chicken to 165 degrees.  Serve with additional herb butter dolloped on the chicken.  

ChezCindy: Spinach and Green Onion Quiche Tart

 

This recipe for Spinach and Green Onion Quiche is nearly foolproof.  Additionally, the ingredients can be switched up to meet your preference substituting kale, collards, or Swiss chard for the spinach and diced red onions or caramelized yellow onions for the chopped green onions.  I used freshly grated gruyere cheese, but white cheddar or Swiss cheese would be delicious too.  

The homemade crust is made in a food processor using a blend of butter flavored Crisco and unsalted butter.  Or you could easily use a store-bought crust to save time.  This dish is definitely a make it your own and make it ahead for any upcoming springtime events such as Mother's Day, a graduation gathering, or wedding shower.  

Spinach and Green Onion Quiche Tart

    Makes one 9-inch tart

For the Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour, extra as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into 1/2-inch cubes

scant 1/2 cup ice-cold water

For the Filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large bunch green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups raw spinach leaves, loosely packed

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

2 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Begin by making the dough: 

Working with a food processor, pulse the flour, salt and sugar to combine.  Place the shortening and the cubed butter in with the flour mixture.  Pulse until the butter is the size of pearls.  Open up the liquid feed tube on the processor top to begin drizzling in half of the cold water, pulsing to combine.  Add more water a small amount at a time, pulsing to combine until the dough comes together.  You don't need a full half cup, just slightly less than.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Press it together to form a disk about 4-5 inches wide.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.  

Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  Working with the now chilled dough, remove it from the plastic wrap placing the disk onto a lightly floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a thin 13-inch circle.  Drape the dough circle over the tart pan pressing it into the bottom and sides.  Using the rolling pin or a knife, cut off the excess dough.  You will have extra dough for another use.  Use a fork to poke evenly spaced holes in the bottom of the dough.  Place the tart pan in the freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  

Place the chilled tart onto a baking sheet.  Line the tart pan with crumpled foil to cover the bottom of the pan with some foil hanging over the sides.  Fill the foil-lined pan with pie weights (I use dried beans that I store for repeated use).  Bake the dough for 15 minutes.  Remove the tart from the oven, carefully remove the foil containing the pie weights.  Return the tart to the oven to continue baking for about 5 minutes until the tart dough is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven to cool while you make the filling.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

  

While the tart dough is cooling, make the filling:

Working with a large 11-inch skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil.  Add in the chopped green onions, stirring to combine.  When the onions are beginning to soften, add the spinach, tossing all together.  Continue stirring until the spinach is wilted and the onions are soft.  Stir in the tablespoon of flour.  Set aside to cool.  Cut the remaining tablespoon of butter into 6 tiny pieces, set aside.  

In a large bowl, whisk to combine the eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg if using.  Fold in the cooled spinach and green onion mixture along with half of the grated cheese.  Transfer the egg mixture to the cooled tart shell, smoothing the top to evenly distribute the spinach and green onions.  Scatter the remaining cheese evenly over the top.  Scatter the 6 tiny pieces of butter over the cheese.  Bake the tart placing it on the lowest oven rack at 375-degrees for 25-30 minutes until the tart is puffed and lightly browned.  Place the baked tart onto a wire rack to cool.  Remove the tart ring.  

Serve warm or at room temperature.