Roasted Lamb Gyros w/Tzatziki

After much planning and many safety checks, we were able to cook together this week for Dinner Thymes 2.  Marisa is here in New Jersey so we chose something that is a little daunting to both of us, making pitas from scratch.  For that, we did use a recipe from Breaking Breads by Uri Sheft. The pitas take about two hours but they were delicious and soft with just the right amount of chewiness.  It may take us a bit more practice to just get one pocket per pita, we had a few small bubbles.  Never the less, it was fun to do it together and the pitas were still a great vessel for the lamb.  Of course, you can always pick up pitas at the market.

We created a marinade from a whole lemon using the food processor and mixed it with garlic, oregano, and a little rosemary along with olive oil, salt and pepper.  We rubbed it onto a butterflied boneless leg of lamb and let it marinade in the frig for six hours.  Then all we had to do was let it come to room temp and roast it while we made the pitas, tzatziki, and fixings.   The tzatziki was very simple to make using greek yogurt shredded cucumber, garlic, lemon  and mint .   This would also make a great dip or accompaniment for any Greek dish.  We would definitely make each of these again whether together or separately. 

Roasted Lamb Gyro W/ Tzatziki

The lamb makes delicious gyros or can be made as a separate dish. The same goes for the Tzatziki, goes beautifully with the lamb or as a dip for pitas.
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: dinner, dip, gyro, lamb, tzatziki
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 538kcal

Equipment

  • food processor
  • sheet pan with rack
  • box grater

Ingredients

  • 4 lb boneless leg of lamb
  • 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup oregano chopped
  • 1 tbsp rosemary chopped
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 small head of romaine lettuce cut into ribbons
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 cup feta cubed
  • 6 pitas

Tzatziki

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 English cucumber grated and drained
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp mint minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Butterfly lamb and place into large pan for marinading.
  • Place garlic in food processor and pulse a few times, add herbs and pulse again. Cut up the lemon into chunks and place in food processor. Add oil, salt and pepper and process until lemon is pulp like. Spread 1/2 onto the lamb, turn and cover the other half with the remainder of the lemon rub. Cover with plastic wrap and marinade in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 450. Remove lamb from refrigerator so it can come to room temperature which should take about 30 minutes. Place lamb onto rimmed baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and with a rack on top. Place in oven for 15 minutes then lower temp to 400 and continue roasting for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and let rest covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • While lamb is roasting cut lettuce, tomatoes, and feta and prepare tzatziki sauce. (Recipe follows).

Tzatziki

  • Grate cucumber on box grater, place onto clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Place into medium bowl and add Greek yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, mint, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Building your Gyro

  • Thinly slice lamb.
  • Split pita or use as you would a tortilla without splitting. Place on plate and stuff with a couple of the slices of lamb, a tablespoon or two of tzatziki, lettuce, tomatoes and feta.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 1480mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 329IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 4mg

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

Since we are all quarantined, @maroman87 (Marisa), @tussle_ducker (Zach), and @marylharris (Mary) cooked together for Dinner Thymes Two (Three 😊)!  We made a family favorite, Sausage Gravy and Biscuits.  We have had this a lot over the years. Grammy shared the recipe for the gravy 30 years ago and it’s been a staple ever since.  However, we usually made it with store bought biscuits, which of course you can do.  But, in the last few years we baked homemade biscuits instead.  Randy, helpful brother-in-law and marvelous all around uncle provided this recipe to us that his mother handed down.  His recipe calls for 2 cups self rising flour, 3 Tbls. cold butter, 3 Tbls shortening, and 1 cup buttermilk.  Since we couldn’t make a special trip to the market, we had to make some substitutions.  Lucky for us, we did this fairly easily and the biscuits came out delicious.  Instead of self rising flour, we used 2 cups flour, 1 Tbls. baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.  We didn’t have shortening so we just added three more Tbls of butter.  And, none of us had buttermilk so we made our own by adding 1 Tbls lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk.  It’s pretty amazing that when we need to we can make things work.  It was wonderful cooking together and enjoying our meal together even though we are far apart.  This breakfast for dinner meal is one of our favs and I hope it becomes one of yours.  Give our Sausage Gravy and Biscuits a try for breakfast or anytime and let us know what you think. 

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

An old family favorite that's great for breakfast or dinner.
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Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: biscuits, breakfast, quick, sausage
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 706kcal

Equipment

  • sheet pans
  • whisk
  • skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tbls baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 6 Tbls butter cold
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 Tbls lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 1 Tbls. butter for top of baked biscuits
  • 1 lb breakfast sausage
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 3 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Cube the butter into small cubes. Work into flour mixture with two forks or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse meal. Add the lemon juice or white vinegar to the cold milk then pour into mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon lightly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and fold four or five times. This is a sticky dough. Pad to 1 inch thickness and cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Makes 8 to 10 biscuits. Put onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Using the 1 Tbls of butter left, rub on top of hot biscuits. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, fry sausage until browned. Remove sausage from pan with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pan. Place on a dish covered with a paper towel to drain and set aside. In skillet melt butter and then add flour and whisk for a minute or so until the flour and butter are blended. Add milk slowly and continue whisking. Once blended, add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and lower heat. Once thickened, add sausage back in and heat through.
  • To serve, cut biscuit in half and place on plate. Spoon sausage gravy over.

Video

Notes

When making the biscuits, do not handle them too much or they will not be fluffy and light.  This recipe serves 4 to 8 depending on how hungry you are. 😋 

Nutrition

Calories: 706kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1780mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1004IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 3mg

Mediterranean Immune Boosting Protein Bowl

Our Mediterranean Immune Boosting Protein Bowl is a meal that is not only delicious, but is packed with vitamins and nutrients to keep you healthy. Like most everyone this week, we were thinking of what we could make with what we already had in our homes. Then we researched which foods were the most nutrient dense and specifically good for your immune system (let’s be honest, we could all benefit from an immune system boost right about now). Turns out a red pepper has more Vitamin C than an orange, and shellfish are loaded with zinc! Garlic and turmeric are also found on the list of top 15 immune boosting foods and for us, we both had those things already in our kitchens!! To fill out the bowl we cooked some quinoa in chicken broth and made a lemon vinaigrette kale salad. There are a lot of individual components to this dish that have to be made separately, however, some can be done ahead of time to help with the prep. It also enables you to customize the bowl however you want, using what you have on hand. Marisa didn’t have feta so she used goat cheese and rice, farro, or lentils could be substituted for the quinoa if needed. All in all this was a meal that not only tasted great, with bright fresh flavors, but was also good for you!

Mediterranean Immune Boosting Protein Bowl

This bowl is a delicious way to get your vitamins and minerals.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: bowl, immune boosting, kale, protein, salad, shrimp
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 910kcal

Equipment

  • sheet pans
  • microplane

Ingredients

  • 8 oz kale julienned or chopped
  • 1 lemon zeste and juices (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 shallot sliced thin
  • 15 oz garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 Tbls olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 Tbls olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb. shrimp cleaned and shelled
  • 1 red pepper cut in strips
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 4 oz. feta cheese

Instructions

1. Place kale in a large bowl. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the juice of one lemon (save the zest for later use in the shrimp marinade), vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Whisk together and then add the shallots. Pour into the kale about 1/3 of the vinaigrette and with your fingers massage the vinaigrette into kale. This will take about 3 or 4 minutes and the kale will soften more as it rests. Set aside.

    2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a dry towel on top of a small sheet pan. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and then pour them onto the dry towel. Try to dry them off by moving them around on the towel and blotting the moisture from the beans. When they are dry, remove the towel and place directly onto the pan. Drizzle over the olive oil, mix with hands, and place in oven for for about 25 minutes. Shaking half way through.

      3. Rinse the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, add chicken broth and rinsed quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Move off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.

        4. In a medium bowl, mix olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss red peppers in marinade and then lift out and place onto large baking sheet. Then using rest of marinade, place shrimp and toss. Place onto baking sheet with the peppers. Roast in 400 degree oven for 10 to 13 minutes with the garbanzo beans. When placing in oven give the beans a shake. Remove both the beans and the shrimp. Set shrimp and peppers aside. Place the garbanzo beans in a bowl and toss with the seasonings.

          5. Halve tomatoes and crumble feta or goat cheese. Set aside.

            6. Into four serving bowls, divide kale. On top of kale, divide and place the shrimp, quinoa, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and feta. Drizzle on the lemon shallot dressing.

              Nutrition

              Calories: 910kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 311mg | Sodium: 2992mg | Potassium: 1279mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 7033IU | Vitamin C: 149mg | Calcium: 485mg | Iron: 10mg

              Roasted Shrimp and Corn Pasta

              Even though Marisa has a busy week and an especially busy Thursday, we still made time for cooking together.  This week we cooked on Wednesday and since she gets home later that day, we came up with a quick and easy pasta dish that can be prepped ahead if needed and comes together at dinner time fast!  Our Roasted Shrimp and Corn Pasta made a delicious dinner.  We decided to marinate the shrimp and corn and roast it together in the oven while we boiled the pasta and cut up the tomatoes and herbs.  Marisa put everything in the pan in the morning and refrigerated it and then just took it out and slipped it in the oven.  Mary put it together just right before roasting it and then we finished the recipe together.  Roasting the shrimp, which only takes 10 to 12 minutes, keeps them moist and plump and the corn is cooked but still has a bite.  Give this quick dish a try.  Check out our recipe below.

              Roasted Shrimp And Corn Pasta

              This pasta dish comes together in under 30 minutes and the shrimp can be prepped ahead so dinner time can be ready even faster!
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              Course: Main Course
              Cuisine: American
              Keyword: pasta, quick, shrimp, weeknight
              Prep Time: 15 minutes
              Cook Time: 15 minutes
              Total Time: 30 minutes
              Servings: 4
              Calories: 341kcal

              Equipment

              • Braiser
              • Zester
              • Oven Proof Skillet

              Ingredients

              • 3 Tbls butter divided
              • 2 Tbls olive oil
              • 1 1/2 Tbls minced garlic 4 or 5 cloves
              • 1 tsp fresh thyme minced
              • 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
              • 1 lemon
              • 1 1/2 lb. shrimp shelled, tails off
              • 3 ears fresh corn
              • 1 tsp salt
              • 1/2 tsp pepper
              • 8 oz. tagliatelle pasta
              • 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
              • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
              • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
              • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese plus more for serving, if desired

              Instructions

              • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a large pot of water on high heat to come to a boil for the pasta.
              • In oven proof skillet, over low heat melt 2 Tbls butter, add olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, and hot pepper flakes. When you can smell the garlic, remove from heat and zest the lemon into the mixture. Set aside to cool.
              • Cut the kernels off the cob and add them to the melted butter mixture. Add in the shelled shrimp and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Stir until the shrimp is coated with the butter mixture. Dot on the last Tbls of butter on top.
              • Preheat oven to 400 degrees, roast shrimp and corn for 10 to 12 minutes or until shrimp have turned pink and are cooked thru.
              • While the shrimp is in the oven, boil the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
              • When shrimp are done, remove pan from oven and juice the lemon onto the shrimp. Then add the tomatoes, parsley and basil. Give a stir and add the pasta, top with half of the Parmesan and mix with tongs until the pasta is coated with the butter garlic sauce. You can add in some pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.
              • Top with more Parmesan.

              Notes

              If you want, you could prepare the shrimp ahead through step 3 and refrigerate until ready to cook dinner. Can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours.

              Nutrition

              Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 455mg | Sodium: 2079mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 330mg | Iron: 4mg

              Coconut Shrimp Tacos

              Coconut Shrimp Tacos are on the menu tonight. We were in the mood to try our hand at Coconut Shrimp but didn’t know how we wanted to use them. Then, an old friend asked us when we were gonna make shrimp tacos because they were one of her favorites and Coconut Shrimp Tacos were born. Keeping with our Asian flavor profile from last week, we decided to dress the tacos with a Peanut Radicchio Slaw and a Sweet and Spicy Apricot Salsa. The result is a taco that hits all the right notes, it’s sweet, savory, and spicy. A delicious fusion of flavors.

              Coconut Shrimp

              16 large or jumbo shrimp

              1/2 cup flour

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              2 eggs

              1 tsp Franks buffalo sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)

              3/4 cup unsweetened coconut

              1/2 cup panko

              1/2 tsp salt

              Coconut Oil (to cover 1/4 inch in bottom of pan)

              8 flour taco tortillas

              Sweet and Spicy Apricot Salsa

              5 fresh or 5 canned apricots

              1 kiwi, diced

              1/4 cup red onion, diced

              1 lime, zested

              1/2 lime, juiced

              1/4 cup cilantro leaves

              1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

              Peanut Radicchio Slaw

              1/2 head radicchio, shredded

              2 green onions

              2 Tbls creamy peanut butter

              3 Tbls rice vinegar

              1/2 lime, juiced

              1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

              1 tsp honey

              1 tsp sriracha

              1 clove garlic, grated

              1 tsp sesame oil

              Directions

              1. In a small food processor, grind the coconut until it’s about the same size as the panko.
              2. In one of three shallow dishes, combine flour, salt and pepper. In second dish, beat together two eggs and hot sauce, and in third dish, mix coconut that you processed along with the panko and salt.
              3. Coat shrimp with flour mixtures, dip into egg mixture, and coat in coconut panko mixture. Place on plate and repeat until all shrimp are coated. Place shrimp into refrigerator to chill until ready to fry.
              4. In a medium bowl, combine apricots, kiwi, red onion, the zest of the lime along with the juice of 1/2 of the lime, cilantro, salt, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
              5. In another medium bowl, combine the slaw ingredients, then shredded radicchio and green onions. Set aside.
              6. In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, rice vinegar, juice from the other half of lime, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, garlic, and sesame oil. Whisk together and drizzle over slaw and toss together.
              7. In a large sauté pan, pour in enough coconut oil to measure about 1/4 inch deep. Heat over medium high heat until hot. Gently add half of shrimp to pan and fry for about 1 or 2 minutes or until the coating turns a golden brown and the shrimp is turning pink. With tongs, turn shrimp over and brown on other side which should take about another minute or so. Drain on a plate covered with a paper towel so any excess fat can drip off. Fry other half of shrimp.
              8. Place tortilla on plate, put two shrimp per taco down middle of tortilla, spoon apricot salsa along side of shrimp and top with a little of the radicchio slaw. Enjoy!

              Lasagna Rolls Two Ways

              This is our take on a classic Italian comfort dish.  Rolling the lasagna noodles helps to create distinct portions and enables you to create different flavor profiles within one meal. We have used a spinach ricotta filling along with a Sausage and ricotta filling. Pick one, try, both, or feel free to get creative!

              Serves 4

              For  Sautéed Spinach

              8 oz baby spinach

              1 garlic clove, minced

              1/2 Tbls olive oil

              sprinkle of salt

              For the Tomato Sauce 

              1 Tbls olive oil

              3 garlic cloves, minced

              28 oz can crushed tomatoes

              1 tsp dried oregano

              1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              For the Filling 

              1 egg, slightly beaten

              16 oz ricotta cheese

              1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

              1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

              1/4 cup parsley, chopped

              1/4 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              1/2 lb Italian sausage

              8 lasagna noodles

              1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

              1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

              1. In a medium sauté pan, on low heat sauté oil and garlic for a minute and then add spinach and stir. Cover with a lid and cook until spinach wilts, about 4 or 5 minutes. Place in strainer and let drain. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from spinach and then place in medium bowl.

              2. Wipe out pan and place over medium heat. Drizzle in garlic oil and add minced garlic and sauté for one minute. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and mix. Once sauce comes to a simmer, cover, reduce heat and continue cooking for 20 minutes stirring every five minutes or so.

              3. In a medium bowl, lightly beat an egg. Add the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.

              4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, two minutes short of package directions. Once ready, drain and lay flat on an oiled sheet pan to cool so you can add handle them.

              5. In a small skillet, brown Italian sausage, drain off fat and place in a medium bowl.

              6. Divide ricotta mixture in half. Add half to the bowl of spinach and the other half to the bowl of Italian sausage.

              7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 11 x 7 pan, cover the bottom with the marinara sauce. To build the lasagna rolls, while the noodles are laid out on the sheet pan, spoon the sausage ricotta mixture on half of the noodles and the spinach ricotta mixture on the other half. Roll up and place in pan on top of the tomato sauce seam side down. Then spoon the rest of the tomato sauce on top of the rolls. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and gooey.

              We chose to make the sautéed spinach and marinara sauce from scratch, but of course you can choose to use frozen spinach and/ or a jarred marinara and it will taste delicious that way as well!

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              Garlic Butter Lobster Roll with Champagne Escarole Salad

              One of the most iconic New England summer dishes. Our take on a warm buttery lobster roll includes a punch of garlic and whisper of celery leaves. We have paired it with our Champagne Escarole Salad which compliments the rich buttery lobster with a bright and slight bitterness.

              Makes 4 Servings

              For the Lobster Roll

              Ingredients

              4 split top hot dog buns

              1 stick unsalted butter, softened and divided

              1 clove garlic, minced

              1 tsp lemon zest

              2 Tbls celery leaves

              4 or 5 lobster tails, depending on size

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              lemon wedges

              Directions

              1. Over medium high heat steam lobster tails 8 to 10 minutes or until shells turn a bright red. Take out and let cool until you can handle them.

              2. Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat. Butter sides of hot dog buns and fry until toasted on both sides. Set aside.

              3. Heat 1/4 cup butter in small skillet until melted. Add minced garlic and let sit while you shell the lobster tails.

              4. Remove lobster meat from shells, leaving in large chunks and place into bowl. Pour over butter mixture and sprinkle on celery leaves, salt and pepper. Mix gently and then divide between the four toasted hot dog buns. Squeeze over juice from a wedge of lemon.

              For the Salad

              Ingredients

              1 head escarole, chopped into bite size pieces

              4 radishes, thinly sliced

              1/4 cup fennel fronds, roughly chopped

              1/3 cup champagne vinegar

              1/3 cup olive oil

              2 tsp Dijon mustard

              1 small shallot, minced

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              Directions

              1. Combine escarole, radishes, and fennel fronds in large bowl or platter. 

              2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Pour over salad and toss to combine.

              Marisa:

              Living in Massachusetts means being surrounded by lobster rolls during the summer months. However, they usually have a pretty high price pointe and are rather indulgent. So we thought, why spend all that money on one lobster roll as when you could spend a fraction more and feed the whole family with lobster rolls?! We chose a warm buttery lobster roll because we both thought that it would highlight the flavors of the lobster best. Nothing against the cold mayo based roll, but warm butter just seemed a lot more inviting and simple.

              I bought frozen already cooked lobster because I actually had trouble finding live lobsters this week! I went to two or three stores and when I had no luck I went with the frozen. Honestly though, it tastes just as amazing and is even easier. No need to kill and shuck the lobster, just thaw and heat in a garlic and butter bath, less work and no flavor sacrifice!

              The salad is a great compliment to this rich sandwich. We thought, what better to go with lobster than champagne? Ok, well maybe not actual champagne, but a champagne vinegar to bring that same brightness and slight sweetness to our salad. Escarole is the perfect counterpoint to that, add some radishes and you have a crisp salad perfect to be enjoyed along side our lobster. It too comes together quite quickly and the vinaigrette is super simple to make ahead and keep stored in your refrigerator for up to two wee

              Flank Steak in a Lime Marinade with a Grilled Corn Salad

              This is a perfect start to summer meal! it comes together fairly quickly which is perfect for a week night meal.  The corn salad is fresh and full of flavorful and the perfect pairing to the smokey slightly spicy steak.

              Difficulty: Easy 

              Serves 4

              For the Steak:

              – 2 lbs. Flank Steak

              – 3 Limes, zested and juiced

              -3 Cloves Garlic, minced

              -1/4 cup Cilantro, freshly minced

              -1 tsp Smoked Paprika

              -1/2 cup Olive Oil

              -1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

              -1 tsp Salt

              -1/2 tsp Pepper

              Place flank steak in a large ziplock bag or a glass dish big enough for steak to lay flat.

              In a medium bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, minced garlic, minced cilantro, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Then pour mixture over the steak and refrigerate for two hours to four hours.

              Preheat the grill or grill pan and brush with oil. Grill for several minutes on first side, until steak releases easily, and six or seven minutes on the second side.  Remove from the heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for five to ten minutes. Cut across the grain in thin slices.

              For the Corn Salad:

              – 4 ears Corn

              – 1 Red Pepper

              – 4 Green Onions

              – 1 pint Orange Grape Tomatoes

              –  1 Avocado

              -1/4 cup Olive Oil (with additional 1 tbsp for grilling)

              -1/2 tsp Cumin

              -1/2 tsp Chili Powder

              -1 tsp salt

              -2 limes

              -1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar

              -1/4 tsp Pepper

              Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat.  Cut side off pepper, brush pepper and corn with olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin, chili powder, and salt.  Grill for two minutes a side or until grill marks appear.  Remove and cut kernels off the corn and cut pepper into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.

              Cut grape tomatoes in half and add to the bowl with corn and peppers. Then slice green onions and cut avocados into chunks and add both to the bowl, along with minced cilantro.

              To make the vinaigrette, zest and juice limes and place in a small bowl. Add white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, then whisk all together.

              Poor vinaigrette over the corn salad and mix all together.

              Serve with sliced steak and enjoy!

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              Creamy Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

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              This short fat pasta grabs the rich creamy sauce and the pesto adds a lot of flavor and freshness. The perfect pasta to pair with a classic grilled chicken breast. This has been a family favorite of ours for many many years!

              Basil Pesto

              Ingredients

              2 cups basil, packed

              1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

              2 cloves garlic

              1/3 cup olive oil, plus more to drizzle over finished pesto

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

              Directions

              1. Toast pine nuts in small frying pan over medium low heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until nuts have been slightly browned. 

              2. Place garlic in small food processor and give it a whirl until minced. Add basil, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add olive oil and process until thoroughly mixed. Add Parmesan cheese and process just until blended.

              3. Place into container and drizzle with olive oil until completely covered. This will prevent the pesto from browning. Can be refrigerated for a few days.

              Ingredients

              For the Chicken

              4 chicken cutlets

              1/2 tsp dried oregano

              1/2 tsp salt

              1/4 tsp pepper

              drizzle of olive oil

              For the Broccolini

              8 oz broccolini

              1/2 tbsp olive oil

              pinch red pepper flakes

              salt and pepper

              1 lemon, cut in two

              For the Pasta

              8 oz. mezzi rigatoni or regular rigatoni

              1/2 cup pesto (recipe follows)

              3/4 cup heavy cream

              Directions

              1. Heat grill to medium high and put on a large pot of water to come to a boil for pasta.

              2. Once water comes to a boil, add salt to make the water salty like the sea. This will add flavor to the pasta. Cook pasta to al dente usually about two minutes short of the required time. 

              3. While pasta cooks, add cream to a large pan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. The cream will thicken a bit. Turn off heat and add pesto and stir. When pasta is al dente, drain and add pasta to sauce and gently stir and set aside.

              4. Sprinkle oregano, salt and pepper over cutlets. Drizzle with olive oil. Grill over medium high heat for 3 or 4 minutes a side, depending on thickness of cutlets.

              5. Toss broccolini with olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper in a bowl. Add to grill along with cut lemon. Grill for two minutes a side until crisp tender. Grill lemon alongside of broccolini. This will make it very juicy.

              6. After chicken and broccolini come off grill, squeeze the lemon over both and serve alongside creamy pesto pasta.

              Grilled Chicken with Greek Panzanella Salad

              We came up with this salad because we wanted to have something healthy yet completely delicious and satisfying.  This was totally the answer to that.  There is are a ton of fresh veggies to keep it feeling light, and the toasted bread adds a savory starch that makes it filling.  Add the grilled chicken on top and the dish is complete! You get the best of both worlds, completely satisfying yet gilt free!

              Difficulty: Easy 

              Serves: 4

              For the Vinaigrette:

              – 2 large Lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/2 cup)

              – 1/2 cup Olive Oil

              -1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced

              – 1 tsp Dried Oregano

              -1 tsp Dijon Mustard

              – 2 cloves Garlic, minced

              – 1 tsp Salt

              1/2 tsp Pepper

              In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients and divide into two small bowls.  One bowl will be for the salad and the other for the chicken marinade.

              For the Chicken:

              -4 Chicken Breasts, pounded for even cooking

              -Marinade made in above section

              After pounding the chicken even, pour a little marinade over it and set aside while you cut up the veggies for the salad and toast the bread cubes.

              Heat grill pan on medium high heat and brush with olive oil. Grill for five to eight minutes a side until cooked through.  Drizzle remaining marinade on chicken, then slice and place on top of salad.

              For the Salad:

              -2 to 3 cups Roasted Garlic Bread or Sourdough, cut into large cubes

              -1 tbsp Olive Oil

              -1 tbsp Butter

              -1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

              -16 oz. Cherry Tomatoes, halved

              -1 English Cucumber, sliced longwise and quartered

              -1 Red Pepper, large chunks

              -1/2 large Red Onion, sliced with grain

              -1 cup Feta Cheese, large cubes

              -1/2 cup Kalamada Olives, halved

              1 tbsp Parsley, chopped

              Heat large sauce pan on medium heat. Add olive oil and butter to the pan mixing both together.  Dump bread cubes into pan and toast for about 15 minute making sure to stir from time to time until the bread is golden brown on all sides. Place in a large bowl to cook while you cut up the veggies.

              Cut up the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, feta, olives, and parsley.  Place in the large bowl with breadcrumbs.

              Add 1 tbsp vinegar to the second half of the vinaigrette and pour over the salad and toss it all together.  Set aside and let vinaigrette soak into the bread and veggies so they can marry.

              Place grilled chicken on top of salad and enjoy!

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