Chicken Saltimbocca

Tried this chicken marsala recipe today out of the New Best Recipe family cookbook. Great dish, and quite a bit easier than the chicken marsala recipe we posted earlier. The trick is finding good proscuitto. We used the stuff from Costco, which is a bit of a splurge ($12 for 12 oz; the recipe uses 4-6 oz.) Also helps to have huge fresh sage leaves from the garden, which we have in abundance.

Won't repost the recipe, since I assume you all own that cookbook. We varied the recipe a bit by adding fried mushrooms and a little more fresh sage right to the reduction right at the end. The chicken plus proscuitto plus sage is da bomb, though. Make sure it browns well, which makes the proscuitto and sage a bit crispy. Yum.

Hi-Speed Asparagus

If you like stir fried asparagus--the smoky, roasted kind Janet likes to make--we've discovered a way to shorten the process from 10-12 minutes to about 5. Wash and dry the asparagus, then put it in a glass bowl, pop it in the microwave uncovered and set the microwave to cook "fresh vegetable" "less done." (Those are the settings on our microwave, you may have to adapt to yours.) From there, pop it into a hot, lightly oiled pan and finish it. Salt and pepper to taste. Takes just a few minutes in the pan to basically sear the outside of the asparagus (the microwave takes care of the inside), and voila! Please note: one can screw this up by overcooking the asparagus in the microwave, which we did recently when Nate, Jeni, and the kids were over for dinner. That time, however, we covered the asparagus with plastic wrap and did not remove the wrap as soon as the microwave finished up.

steak fajitas and cilantro dressing

Hi all --

This is our latest favorite company dinner because it feeds a *lot* of people w/out too much meat. We got the steak so-easy-it's-not-really-a-recipe from "New Best Recipes: International" Incidentally, their tomato salsa recipe is also tasty and practically fool-proof. Let me know if you'd like it.

Flank Steak
for half a flank steak:
pat completely dry
put steak on preheated grill at med / med-high heat
drizzle 1-2 T lime juice over entire surface
sprinkle generously w/ salt and pepper
grill 5 ish minutes, flip, and repeat on other side
let stand at least 5 min before slicing very thin

Chicken Tenders
marinate 6-8 tenders in 2-3 T balsamic vinegar and 3 T McCormick Taco Seasoning
grill 3-4 min/side

Cilantro Dressing
1/2 c cilantro
3 T lime
3 T almonds
3 T water
1 jalapeno, no seeds or membranes
1 clove garlic
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
process above in cuisinart til smooth, then add 2 T sour cream

Black Beans

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 T lime juice or red wine vinegar

to-taste amounts of the following:

minced garlic or garlic powder

minced onion or onion powder

cumin

ground coriander

plenty of cilantro

Can also add 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, or corn, or whatever you have in the pantry. Serve cold as a salsa or warm w/ fajitas

Cilantro Lime Rice
1 cup uncooked rice

1 teaspoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro


In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime peel, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.


Serve the above with those scrumptious Tortillaland tortillas from Costco we can't get here in PA, salsa or pico de gallo of your choice, black beans, cheese, Cholula (not optional!), and sour cream. You won't be able to close your tortilla, but you'll enjoy every scrumptious bite :)