Sunday, April 19, 2009

Walnut-Pesto-Crusted Turkey (Rachel Ray)

I make a lot of chicken because it's healthy and the kids like it. Last week, I was reading Rachel Ray Everyday and saw this recipe made with turkey cutlets. It was a nice change and I found the turkey already sliced into cutlets at Trader Joe's. I served the turkey with a mixed green salad and some Trader Joe's Lemon Papardelle with butter, salt and lemon juice. The meal was impressive enough for company and the kids loved it too.

Walnut-Pesto-Crusted Turkey (Rachel Ray)

Timing - 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1/2 cup store bought pesto
1 cup walnuts, finely ground
3/4 cup bread crumbs
4 turkey breast cutlets
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

How to Make
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pesto to a second medium bowl. In a third bowl, mix the walnuts and breadcrumbs. Add the turkey cutlets to the pesto, turning to coat. Working one at a time, dip the cutlets into the walnut mixture, then the eggs, then the walnut mixture again to coat.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the cutlets, lower the heat to low and cook, turning once, until golden-brown, 5-6 minutes on each side; serve with the lemon wedges.


Serves 4

Friday, April 17, 2009

Asian marinated Grilled Tuna and Summer Squash

Tuna steaks are a great fish for the grill because they hold together nicely. I like to make mine with an Asian marinade. Last week, I also reserved some of the marinade and then made it really spicy to marinate some yellow summer squash, which I also grilled. I didn't serve the spicy squash to the kids, but it was a really nice accompaniment to the fish. I rounded out the meal with some brown rice cooked in chicken stock.

Asian marinated Grilled Tuna and Summer Squash

Timing - 15 minutes, plus time to marinade the fish

Ingredients
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 t Miran (rice wine - found in the Asian section of your grocery store)
2 t sesame oil
3 yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into about 1/2 inch slices
1 t minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
Asian hot chili sauce, such as Siracha, to taste

How to Make
Mix ingredients, soy sauce through sesame oil to make the fish marinade. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade for the vegetables. Marinate the fish for about 30 minutes to an hour.

To the remaining marinade, add the ginger, garlic and hot sauce. Marinate the squash for about 30 minutes and then brush with more marinade while grilling.

Grill the tuna steaks on a medium-high outdoor grill for about 2 minutes on the first side and another 3-7 on the other side, until it is cooked how you like it. At the same time, grill the squash on each side until it is slightly tender and has nice grill marks.

Serves 4

Curry-Lime Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

Pork tenderloin is a great lean meat that really doesn't get enough credit. It can take just about any kind of flavor combination and it's relatively cheap. It's also very tender, when cooked correctly, so it's a great choice for kids. I learned a recipe a few years back for how to perfectly grill a pork tenderloin on a gas grill. Over the years, I've tried many marinades and glazes which all work well with this recipe and it really does cook the meat through perfectly.

Last week, I made a marinade from the Six O'clock Scramble cookbook and then I added my fresh mango salsa to top it off. Using the 8-7-6 method for grilling will yield a perfectly cooked, 'slightly pink' tenderloin.

Curry-Lime Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

Timing - about 30 minutes (plus time to marinate the meat overnight)

Ingredients for Pork
1 whole pork tenderloin (or 2 halves) - 1.5-2 lbs
1/2 t grated lime zest
3 T fresh lime juice (1 lime)
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1.5 T brown sugar
1.5 T vegetable oil
2 t curry powder
salt and pepper

Ingredients for Salsa
1 ripe mango, chopped*
15 grapes, halved
2 T finely minced red onion
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t chili powder
1/2 lime, juiced
a dash of chili oil or hot sauce or a little chopped jalapeno (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper to taste
*honey, to taste, if the mango isn't very sweet

How to Make
Mix all ingredients for pork to make a marinade and marinate over night (or at least 30 minutes). Turn on the gas grill to high and let heat for at least 10 minutes. Cook the pork on one side for 8 minutes, then flip and cook for another 7 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave on grill another 6 minutes. Do NOT open the grill after you turn it off. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing into medallions.

For the salsa, mix all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend.

Serve the meat topped with the mango salsa.

Serves 6

Grilled Sausage and Vegetable Kabobs with Black Bean and Corn Salad

These are two of those 'recipes' that really aren't recipes, per se, but they are quick and easy, even for those who don't like to cook. I made them last week because we had nice weather and because I love to grill during the week to minimize clean up. The boys liked the concept of 'food on a stick,' and although they didn't love the dressing on the salad, they did eat some corn and beans. I would probably leave out the cilantro for them next time and I think they'd like it better.

Grilled Sausage and Vegetable Kabobs and Black Bean and Corn Salad

Timing - 20 minutes

Ingredients for the Kabobs
1 package fully cooked chicken apples sausage (or any other fully cooked sausage)
8 oz package cremini mushrooms
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow pepper

Ingredients for the Salad
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1.5 cups frozen corn, thawed in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1.5 T finely minced red onion
2 t red wine vinegar
1 T good olive oil

How to Make
For the kabobs, Slice the sausage into 2 inch pieces and cut the peppers in about 2 inch pieces. Thread all of the vegetables and sausage onto skewers and grill until vegetables are slightly tender and charred and sausage is nicely browned, about 10 minutes total.

For the salad, stir all ingredients together and let sit about 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 4