Spices

Spices
Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label olive oil. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Veggie Medley Sauteed


Tonight's sidedish with dinner was a medley of veggies we had on hand in the refrigerator and pantry. A small zucchini, small yellow squash, one small carrot, half of a Vidalia onion and three cloves of fresh garlic. Assorted herbs and olive oil completed this sidedish. Fresh cherry tomatoes added at end for garnish.

Prep: Gather your veggies, wash and dry them. Have a cutting board, a sharp knife, a large frypan, three cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and sliced, not crushed. Sliced garlic gives a milder flavor. Cut the zucchini, yellow squash and carrot into small cubes or short sticks. Cut the onion in slices or dice it. Your choice. Dried herbs of choice this evening were oregano, basil, tarragon, pinch of red pepper flakes, and Kosher salt. Have a wooden spoon ready for stirring.

Saute: Put a few tablespoons of regular olive oil in the frypan. Turn heat on stove to med.high temp. When heated, add the onions first with a pinch or two of Kosher salt and stir around with wooden spoon. When onions look shiny, add the sliced garlic and keep stirring. After a few minutes, add the rest of the cut veggies and keep stirring. If more olive oil is needed, add some now. Sprinkle your dried herbs on the veggies while cooking and add a pinch more of salt to taste. When veggies look a bit softer, this dish is done.

Serving: Put the sauteed veggies into a nice serving dish. Add a few cut, washed fresh cherry tomatoes for a pop of color contrast. A sprinkle of dried tarragon gives a fresh look to the cooked veggies and another pop of color contrast.

Enjoy.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Grilled Chicken Made Easy


Platter of Grilled Chicken over fresh Garden Salad

It is amazing how a few ingredients make plain chicken tasty. It is summertime so get your grill fired up, oil the rack or use a mesh grid sprayed with Olive Oil or Canola Spray and get ready to grill some chicken breasts (boneless skinned) or bone in. Make extra chicken for lunch the next day. Cook once, eat twice!

Rinse your chicken pieces and pat dry. (Be sure to wash hands after touching raw chicken.) Put on mesh grid or a plate to bring to your grill. Brush chicken pieces with a little olive oil or drizzle a bit on each piece before placing on your grill. Sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt. (Pepper after chicken is cooked, as pepper can burn at high heat.) That's it. Grill on medium heat and turn over once.

Serve: Prepare a side salad just before you put the chicken on the grill, but do not put dressing on the salad until you are ready to eat. This is a very healthy meal if you are cutting back on carbs. (You can always have a treat later after this kind of meal and not feel too guilty.)

Enjoy

Party Tips - Homemade Pita Chips

Having your friends over for an informal gathering does not have to send you into a panic attack. Have some go-to favorites in mind, quick trip to market and just make one thing, homemade pita chips. Your home will smell delicious and your friends will think you spent a lot of time preparing to entertain.

Homemade Pita Chips: Store bought pita bread. Olive Oil. Have a cutting board with serrated bread knife ready as well as a large baking sheet with rims. For easy clean-up, line the baking sheet with either parchment paper or foil. Preheat oven to about 375-400 degrees. Also have oven mitts ready to use.

Prep: On cutting board, cut each pita bread round into quarters, then cut each quarter in half. Carefully open and separate the pieces for individual pita chips. Put the chips on the lined baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle or brush each chip with olive oil. Put the filled baking sheet into the preheated oven and standby for a few minutes until the chips look a bit browned. Don't burn them! The chips will smell delicious when done.

Serving: From the market (or if you dare to make your own) serve with your homemade pita chips: salsa, guacamole, hummus (assorted flavors).

Invite your friends to bring beer, wine or soft drinks and you have an instant party!

Enjoy