Easy Breezy - Summertime Mexican Rice

It’s been unseasonably cool the past few days - high 70s and breezy. Perfect for tennis, golf and grilling on the deck. Between Steve and me we checked off all three boxes yesterday, and topping the day off with a fun cooking session with friends.  

Fresh uncooked corn and tomatoes plus defrosted
 frozen peas bring summertime freshness
to this Mexican Rice

While our respective Steves (seriously the most common name for guys our age!) played golf, my friend Amanda and I tested and updated a favorite recipe of mine — Some Like it Hot Fish Tacos, with Salsa Blanca.  You can find the updated version at this link.

I also tried out a new recipe for Mexican Rice.  This one has been on my mind for a while - traditional flavors, but freshen up with uncooked corn and tomatoes and a squeeze of fresh lime.

If I do say so myself, this one is a serious winner, so I’ll share the recipe with you here.  It goes great with the tacos, but would be a nice side dish for any summertime meal.

Summertime Mexican Rice

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients

• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup  cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed but not cooked
• 1/2 cup fresh uncooked corn cut off the cob, basically one ear’s worth (or frozen if you don’t have fresh corn)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion (Vidalia, Maui, or the like)
• spice blend, see below
• Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

Spice blend

• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Method

• Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized lidded sauce pan
• Add the rice, stir gently as it comes back up to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat, fluff the rice with a fork.
• Pour the cooked rice into a large bowl
• Add the tomatoes, peas, corn, cilantro and rice, stir to combine
• Add the spice blend, stir to combine
• Right before serving add the lime juice and zest, stir to combine

Enjoy!

Summertime Summertime (BLT Crostini and Summer Squash Crostini)

Ready for the dinner party: two summertime apps inspired
by two of our favorite local haunts, Merrit's and Picnic

Summer in North Carolina means two things:   Bacon Lettuce & Tomato sandwiches and Barbecue. So when I was asked to bring a appetizer to a Saturday evening dinner party this weekend, I decided to create a couple of crostini recipes using inspiration from two of our favorite local recipes — Merrit’s in Chapel Hill, home of the a simple and straightforward BLT that defines that iconic summertime sammy; and Picnic, an up and coming Durham BBQ restaurant that is co-owned by a local heritage pig farmer and raising the bar for succulent whole hog Q.

The Merrit’s BLT rift was pretty simple. Crusty bread, a touch of mayo, and bright red juicy tomato slices topped with crisp applewood smoked bacon and shredded lettuce.  I jazzed the mayo up a tad by adding chives from the garden and a touch of garlic, salt and pepper. The beauty of a Merrit’s BLT is its simplicity, no need to guild that lily too much.

The Picnic influenced crostini was a bit more of a challenge. I didn’t want go the smoked and pulled piggy route.  Way too filling for a pre-dinner app. Instead, I took inspiration from a refreshing squash side salad you often find on the Picnic menu when the prolific veggies are in season.

BLT Crostini

Following are the ingredients and methods for these tasty treats.  I hope they inspire you to come up your own new favorite start to a summertime meal.

BLT Crostini

(makes 8 pieces, two per person)

Ingredients

• 8, 1/2 inch slices of a crusty baguette.  (I used ciabatta baguette from Trader Joes)
• 1/2 cup of Dukes or Best Foods Mayonnaise
• 1 small clove of garlic, worked into a paste on a cutting board, with a bit of coarse salt and the side blade of a chef’s knife
• 1 Tablespoon of finely chopped chives (optional)
• 4 slices of thick sliced bacon (I used uncured applewood smoked bacon from Trader Joes), cooked crisp, blotted dry with a paper towel and broken into 1 inch pieces
• 8 pieces of sliced tomato, about the same size as the bread, drained on a paper towel. Pick the best and brightest red tomatoes you can find. 
• 1/2 cup of shredded romain lettuce - make it as thin as you can, and moisten slightly with a bit of oil and vinegar
• Kosher salt and course ground pepper to taste
• Olive oil spray, or a bit of olive oil and a brush

Method

1. Spray or brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill on a grill pan until slightly crispy. 
2. Mix the mayo, garlic and chives in a small bowl and set aside - it’s nice to do this a bit ahead of time so the flavors can come together 
3. To assemble, use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread a bit of the mayo on each piece of bread, top with a slice of tomato, then dab two or three pieces of bacon with a dot of the mayo (like glue) and press them atop the tomato, then put a bit of the lettuce atop the bacon.
4. Enjoy.

Summer Squash, Zucchini and Corn Crostini
(makes 8 pieces, two per person)

Summer Squash, Zucchini &
Fresh Corn Crostini

Ingredients:

• 8, 1/2 inch slices of a crusty baguette.  (I used ciabatta baguette from Trader Joes)
• 1/2 zucchini, sliced into ribbons, using a vegetable peeler
• 1 large summer squash, sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
• 1/2 corn cob, kernels removed with a chef’s knife
• 1 Tablespoon walnut oil (you could substitute another mild oil, like canola or grape seed)
• 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon
• 1/2 cup creamy goat cheese (I used a log of herbed goat cheese from Trader Joes)
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons milk or half and half
• 2 Tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• Kosher salt and course ground pepper to taste
• Olive oil spray, or a bit of olive oil and a brush

Method

1. Spray or brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill on a grill pan until slightly crispy. 
2. Use a fork to mix the goat cheese and milk / half & half until smooth and spreadable. 
3. Combine the squash ribbons, corn, oil, vinegar, basil, tarragon, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. It’s nice to do this a bit early so the flavors can meld and the squash can soften
4. To assemble, use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread a bit of the goat cheese on each piece of bread; then top each piece with a few kernel of corn, two to three squash ribbons and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, salt and pepper.
5. Enjoy.

Comfort after a long short week (Tarragon Braised Chicken with Tarragon, served with spiralized zucchini, corn, mushrooms and tomatoes.)

Just before I added the sauce -
love the colors

The first week of July was a long short week.  At work and in the world in general.  After a day of running errands, all I wanted to do Saturday evening was stay in, watch a movie and cook up some comfort food.  

For many, comfort food means anything with cheese.  For me it’s a braise. Short ribs, lamb shanks, deep rich stews, and our family favorite, osso buco  — my list of comforting braises is long. They all have a few common elements:   fragrant aromatics - think rosemary, thyme, garlic, tarragon - good quality “dark meat” protein, just enough liquid and a relatively long trip to the oven in a sturdy dutch oven.

Last night I opted for a cut of chicken that many overlook, leg quarters.  This cut combines two dark meat favorites into one, the thigh and the drumstick.  I like to remove the skin and keep the joints intact. 

Prepped veg - and yes, those are
tarragon flowers in the mix...

This recipe also made use of my new favorite toy, the spiralizer, which turns a zucchini or other similar shaped vegetable into long strands that look like pasta.  In my opinion, the texture is much better than most ways of preparing squash, but any sauté of vegetables goes great with this dish.

Here’s how I pulled together the dish.

Tarragon Braised Chicken with Tarragon, served with spiralized zucchini, corn, mushrooms and tomatoes.

(Serves 4 hungry souls)

Ingredients

For the Braise

• 4 chicken legs with thighs attached, skin removed
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• Poultry Seasoning - a couple of Tablespoons
• Olive oil to coat bottom of pan (about a Tablespoon)
• 1/2 Valhalla onion (or other sweet onion)
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and left hold
• Enough water to reach the 1/2 way point of the chicken, about 1/2 cup of water (white wine would be great here, too)  The important thing is not to add so much liquid that you turn this into a stew rather than a braise.

For the Veg Sauté 

• 2 cobs of corn, kernels cut off
• 1 spiraled zucchini  
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 2 TBS fresh thyme chopped (you can use about a teaspoon of dried if you don’t have fresh)
• 1/3 cup nonfat half & half (you can use regular half and half as well)
• 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper
• Heat a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed, lidded pan with olive oil.  
• Brown the chicken over a medium high heat, two pieces at a time
• When the second batch is browned, remove the chicken from the pan and dust with the poultry seasoning.
• Add the onion and garlic cloves to the pan and sauté until the onion is just softened
• Now add the chicken back into the pan, pour in the water, heat to a boil, cover with a lid and pop into the oven for 45 minutes.

Pour yourself a nice glass of white wine, chill out for a while…. the house will soon smell amazing…

• When the chicken is done, remove it and the onions and garlic from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm in a heat resistant disk like a glass pie pan. 
• Then skim away any fat with a spoon.  I also like to lay a paper towel atop the liquid and lift away andy residual fat.

The recipe up to this stage can be completed up to an hour ahead of serving.

• About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve,  crank up the heat to medium high and reduce the liquid to about half.
• While the sauce is reducing, fire up the broiler, uncover chicken, garlic and onions, spoon a bit of the sauce on all surfaces, and place under the broiler until they are crispy and golden brown.  Keep an eye on this throughout to avoid burning.

As the chicken finishes up,  lets get those veggies ready….

• Heat the dutch oven again and add in about a teaspoon of olive oil. Add in all of the veggies and half of the tarragon. Add a pinch of salt and about 6 grinds of pepper and sauté  for about 5 minutes or until everything is just getting soft.  
• Now add in the half and half and remainder of the tarragon and the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. 

To serve:

I like to serve in a pasta bowl, placing the chicken down first, then a scoop of the veggies and a bit of the sauce along the bottom of the bowl, as opposed to over the top of the chicken. 

Enjoy.

I Love Summer! (Summer Farmers Market Salad with Walnut Honey Mustard Vinaigrette) 2 WW ppts

I never thought I'd acclimate, but I'm here to proclaim that I,  Holly Billings Barnett, Southern California Native - where the heat is a dry heat and the summer nights are cool - have grown to appreciate a sultry summer day in the South.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not abandoning my SoCal roots. But there is something special about stepping outdoors, feeling your body and soul slow down, and hearing those cicadas in the trees scream out that summer is here!

Summer in North Carolina also means amazing produce.  Yesterday I scored a garden fresh cucumber from a friend, and then hit the Farmers Market for tomatoes, corn, basil and sweet sweet vadelia  onions.   Together with a bit of watermelon and a yummy vinaigrette made with one of my secret ingredients, walnut oil, this baby is a winner.

I can't wait to get back from the pool this afternoon and dig into a big ol' helping served along side grilled chicken.  Yeah Summer!

Here's how I did it:

Prep and combine the salad ingredients:

Cut the corn off of the cob:

• On a paper towel or tea towl:  Hold the corn cob horizontally, run a sharp knife along the cob to shave off the kernals.  Pull the sides up on the side of the towel and pour into the bowl.  

Cut into about 1 inch dice:

• 1 cup of peeled cucumber
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup watermelon

Cut into very very small dice

• about 2 Tbs of valdalia onion (Maui onion or any other sweet onion from your region will do)

Chop finely

• 3 or four fresh basil leaves

Mix it all together gently, add a pinch of Kosher salt, cover and stash in the 'fridge.

Make the vinaigrette
Put the following in a jar and shake shake shake - then taste and adjust.  Maybe a little more honey, maybe a tad more salt.... make it your own.

• 2 or 3 TBS grated valdalia onion
• 1 TBS grainy mustard
• 1 TBS honey
• 1/4 cup walnut oil (keep this in the fridge between uses to keep fresh)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• Pinch of Kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper

To serve - toss the salad with the dressing and dig in.

Enjoy. 

Time to Relax (Raw Corn, Tomato and Zucchini Salad with Lime Vinaigrette)

Even Maggie the Lab knows
how to relax on the lake

 There are a few places on the planet where I am able to relax within minutes of arrival.  Hyco Lake is one of them.  So needless to say I was very happy to receive an invitation to spend the Fourth of July there with our good friends Rusty & Debi.

Casual is the order of the day at The Lake.  As it should be.  Nothing is really planned out – we have a general idea of what we’ll do and who will be there, but beyond that things happen as they may and everyone is happy.

Crunchy, tangy and refreshing.
This summer salad is a crowd pleaser.

Case in point – I prepared a raw summer salad before we left Tuesday night, thinking we’d have it for dinner that night.  But as evening closed in a boat ride, a few hors ‘d oeuvres, and some early fireworks was a much better idea.  

The salad finally made its debut Wednesday afternoon served alongside a grilled pork tenderloin. What little was leftover made a nice dipper for tortilla chips as we eased into evening.

Use a sharp knife to slice
the corn kernels off the cob.

That’s what makes a salad like this a great thing to make ahead when you’re not really sure about a weekend schedule.  You can prep it well ahead of time, and dress it when (expected or unexpected) guests arrive.  And once you add the dressing, it gets better with time.   Heck, I think you could even toss it in a skillet and cook it up for a hot side dish with great success.

I hope you give this a try this summer.  And feel free to make adjustments along the way.  I think it would be great with cucumbers rather than zucchini and cilantro or even dill rather than basil.  The main thing–relax and have fun this summer!

Raw Corn, Tomato and Zucchini Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Salad Ingredients

(Serves 10 - 12)

• 4 years of fresh corn, kernels cut off (see photo)
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, some cut in half and some cut into quarters
• 2 zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2/3 cup green onions, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped fine
• 2 pinches of Kosher Salt
• Lots of fresh cracked black pepper
• Lime vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Salad Method

• If making ahead, put all of the ingredients in a large zip lock bag and refrigerate.
• When ready to serve, toss with lime vinaigrette

Lime Vinaigrette

Mix in a glass jar:

• 3 large limes, juiced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 big squeezes of honey from a Honey Bear (probably 3 tablespoons)
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• 6 grinds of black pepper

Taste and adjust seasoning – you may or may not want to add more honey, salt or pepper

Refrigerate until ready to toss with salad.

Enjoy!

9:36 (Tomato Corn Chutney)

BOOM….. BOOM …..boom boom boom boom… Boom……boom boom

With the exception of one summer that I spent in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, just about every summer night of my life has been punctuated by the Disneyland fireworks.

These days Disneyland's fireworks fill the skies on weekends during the rest of the year, too. But I equate them with summer. Depending on where you are located you might see them; but most often you hear them in the distance. And from whatever reason I always glance at the clock and announce, “9:36,” which more often than not is the time on the clock when the sound reaches us.

It is strangely reassuring.

Last night we watched the Disneyland fireworks light up the sky as we whizzed along the 57 freeway past a packed Anaheim Stadium and equally full Honda Center parking lot. I felt a tad sad, knowing that soon this would be a summer memory. But was also curious about what will fill the void left in my future summer nights.

I’m looking forward to summer evenings watching fireflies, which I saw for the first time last year (until then my firefly experience had been limited to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, again a Disneyland reference). I’m sure they will torment our little Scottie dog who has a thing for bright lights and shadows. I can already hear my niece Katie squealing with delight.

Tonight’s recipe is one that often makes an appearance of a summer night as well. A rich tomato corn chutney that celebrates some of the best flavors that summer has to offer. I’m looking forward to making it with Katie and enjoying it after a night of chasing fireflies.

Tomato Corn Chutney

• 1 medium red onion - diced
• 1 basket cherry or grape tomatoes - halved
• 2 ears corn, kernels removed (or 1/2 bag frozen corn thawed)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme (or 1 tsp dry)
• 1 clove garlic, slivered
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

• In large sauté pan, heat the oil, cook the onions over medium heat until just beyond the translucent stage
• Add the thyme, cherry tomatoes and the garlic – cook over medium low heat until caramelized. This step requires patience.
• Add in the corn and saute until heated through.
• Lower the heat and stir in vinegar, combine well.
• Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve hot, at room temperature as a side dish or cold as condiment for grilled chicken

Enjoy!