Cuisine Eric

Black beans, sweet potatoes and kale are combined with aromatic rice and fresh herbs to form a rich protein-packed vegetarian dish, hearty enough to feed a hungry crowd for dinner. 1 Tbsp canola oil 1 cup long grain rice (I used Basmati) 1 Tbsp red quinoa (optional) 1-1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1/2-inch 2 cups fresh kale leaves, trimmed and chopped 1 clove garlic 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well. crushed red pepper flakes for garnish, if desired. Sauté the rice (and quinoa, if using) in the oil for about five minutes.   Add the water and salt and bring to a gentle boil.   Stir, reduce to a lazy simmer and cook covered for about 15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.   When done, remove from heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the butter and olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes.   Add the

This is a rich, festive prep of roasted chicken, based on a recipe from Melissa Clark of the New York Times.  I used a regular roasting pan to capture all the delicious saucy juices from the plums and onions. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all that sauce! Marinade: juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 1 Tbsp honey 2 tsp fennel seeds 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 1 large red onion, sliced 4 plums, pitted and sliced 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.    Add the onion, plums and chicken.   Mix well.   Allow to marinate 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 425F. Tip chicken into an oiled roasting pan.    Roast chicken for about 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cook through. Transfer chicken to serving patter.   Moisten plums and remaining liquid a bit with water, if necessary, to make a glazed sauce.   Pour over chicken. Serves 4-6.

Rigatoni and sausage is a match made in heaven.  Here I match together Rigatoni with Cajun Andouille sausage and tomatoes.  Swap out for whatever other favorite sausage or what you have on hand.  Broccoli also goes will with this dish. 1/2 lb Rigatoni pasta 2 links Cajun Andouille sausage (I used Aidells), thinly sliced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 fresh ripe tomatoes, diced 2 Tbsp butter shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish snipped chives for garnish, if desired Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.   Add a tablespoon or so of Kosher salt - the water should taste like seawater.   Cook the pasta with regular stirring, just until al dente. Meanwhile, sauté the sausage in a dash of olive oil just until browned.   Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes.   Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and then drain pasta.   Turn up the heat on the sausage and add the tomatoes and the butter.    Let the tomatoes sizzle for about 2-3 minutes to warm them through.   But do

When its too hot to bake in the kitchen, use your grill.  Here is a savory Mediterranean chicken number that I often do in the oven , when its not so hot.  The beauty with this prep is the golden browning of the chicken on the grill that simply cannot be matched by the oven. This has become my favorite way to do this chicken dish. 6 chicken pieces salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste dash garlic powder dash onion powder 1 can California olives, drained 1 jar roasted artichoke halves, packed in loin (I used Trader Joe’s) 1 tomato, diced zest of 1 lemon juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 4 fresh sage leaves 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves Heat grill to high.   Toss the chicken with a dash of olive oil, salt and pepper and the garlic and onion powders.  Mix well.    Place chicken on grill and turn heat down to medium-low.   Grill for about 12-15 minutes, turning several times.   Watch carefully so the chicken does not burn, but browns evenly.   You will

Sockeye salmon is high in rich omegas, but has a propensity to dry out with roasting.  This is especially a challenge since it is often only available frozen, which also risks ending in a drier bake.  Coating the salmon with a thin layer of a tasty Dijonnaise and moist fresh tomatoes, basically guarantees a soft moist and delicious roasted salmon, no matter what. 2 Tbsp good real mayonnaise 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, finely minced through a press 1 boneless fillet, sockeye salmon 2 plum tomatoes, diced Fresh basil and curry leaves, if desired Preheat oven to 425F.   Whisk together the mayonnaise, dijon and garlic.   Place fillet on a shallow, oiled roasting pan. Spread the mayo mixture evenly over the fillet.   Season with fresh black pepper.   Top the salmon with the tomatoes and herbs. Roast the salmon for about 15 minutes, only just until it is cooked through. Serves 3-4, depending on the size of the salmon fillet.

Vadi are dehydrated soya chunks - a sort of textured vegetable protein in large chunk form.  When hydrated, they seem like frozen tofu pieces.  While providing lots of protein, they need to be seasoned well - just like tofu.  Here is a very flavorful vegetarian curry made form soya chunks, sweet potato and peas.  A very rich and satisfying, and inexpensive vegetarian dish, that satisfies, especially served with a nice aromatic Basmati rice. 1 cup dehydrated Vadi soya chunks 1 cup chopped onion 1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced 2 Tbsp ghee or butter 2 tsp panchpuran - see note 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced Spice mix: 1 tsp powdered turmeric 1 tsp powdered fenugreek 1 tsp powdered coriander 1 tsp garam masala 2 tsp mild Kashmiri chili powder 14 oz can crushed tomatoes 1/3 cup water 1/2 cup light cream or half and half 1 cinnamon stick 1 medium sweet potato, or white potato, peeled and cubed 1/2-inch - I used a purple sweet potato 1/2 cup frozen peas, defr

We have a local restaurant called Capers and Lemons and they make a lemon chicken piccata dish to die for.  Here is a reverse engineered version, with the addition of artichoke hearts. This speaks Mediterranean all over. 1 lb thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 jar roasted artichoke halves (I used Trader Joe’s), drained 1 can mushrooms, drained (or you can use fresh) 2 Tbsp capers 1 lemon zested and then juiced 1 lemon sliced fresh parsley for garnish, if desired Brown both sides of the chicken in a large skillet in a dash of olive oil.    Remove chicken to a plate, and keep warm. Add garlic and thyme to skillet and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the artichokes, mushrooms and capers to the skillet. Heat through.    Add the lemon zest and juice and return chicken to skillet.    Heat through. Tip chicken onto a serving platter and garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Serves 4.

Dirty rice is a fast and simple vegetarian meal to prepare; you don't even have to drain the beans. I used a red parboiled Indian (Matta) rice, but you could use whatever rice you like.  If it is not parboiled or whole grain, it may just be a bit softer - Hint: to avoid this, just toast the rice a bit in the oil before adding the water, and the grains should stand more separately after cooking. I served with a cool tomatoes-and-yogurt garnish to the hot steaming rice, along with a crisp salad. 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced dash crushed red pepper flakes to taste 1 cup par boiled rice (I used Indian Matta Red Rice) 1-1/2 cups water or broth 1 can red beans, undrained 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder 1/4 tsp salt Sauté the onion, carrot and jalapeño in a dash of olive oil in a medium pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the veggies soften and become aromatic.   Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook another 2 minutes.   Add the