Kofte Kebab with Rice Pilaf

I was lucky enough to grow up in, and continue to live in a little town that is a very diverse community.  Growing up, the town was split into two sections...the East End and the West End.  The west end consisted mostly of Italian and Irish immigrant families, while the East End was mostly Armenian and Greek families.  Growing up with the influence of the Armenian and Greek culture allowed me to have access to wonderful ingredients and recipes from the neighborhood as well as friends and family who shared their cultural background with me.

One of my favorite Armenian dishes to make is kofte kebab and rice pilaf.  The kebab are made from either ground beef, ground lamb, or a combination of both ( I prefer the combination).  Paired with traditional pilaf, this is a go to meal in my house.  One of the tricks with pilaf is to use a paper towel or dish towel covering the pan while cooking.  The towel absorbs most of the liquid and makes for a really fluffy rice!  I like to mix Greek yogurt, dried mint, minced garlic and olive oil as a condiment for the kebab.  I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does!

Kofte Kebab

3/4 lb lean ground beef (85/15 or leaner)

3/4 lb ground lamb  (*see note below)

2 crushed garlic cloves

2 tbs. chopped parsley

2 tbs. tomato paste

1/2 onion, grated

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

mix all ingredients together and form into football shape kebabs, about 3x2 inches.  Heat grill.  Place Kebabs on grill and grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove and serve with rice pilaf.

Armenian Pilaf

1 1/2 cups basmati rice - whatever the ratio is for water to rice, replace the water with the same amount of chicken brother

1/4 cup angel hair pasta broken into pieces

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. butter

1/4 onion finely diced

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Add butter and olive oil to a saucepan and heat to medium heat.  When heated, add onion and saute until translucent.  Add the pasta and saute until it turns slightly golden brown. Add rice and stir to coat with the butter and oil. Turn heat down to low and add chicken broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Give rice a stir.  Bring to a simmer.  Cover the pan with either 2 layers of paper towel, or a dish cloth and then cover.  Simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes.  Check to see if water is absorbed.  Turn heat off, and leave pan on burner for about 5-10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.  Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve with the Kebab and a lemon wedge  I also serve it with grilled onions and plum tomatoes, yogurt and warm pita bread

*You can use beef only or lamb only.  Adjust the amount to 1 1/2 lbs.

chicken francaise

When I am strapped for time, this is my go to dish.  I found this recipe on the website Recipe30.  They have some amazing recipes, and this is one of my favorite.  The sauce is intense, and I love to serve it with either mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.  This is a quick weeknight meal that will be enjoyed by all!

Chicken Francaise

5-6 chicken breast cutlets
Half cup plain flour
2 eggs
1 handful of fresh parsley chopped fine divided
 2oz Parmesan cheese
1 cup white wine 
1 cup chicken broth
1 garlic clove
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter divided
Half lemon juiced
• In a large nonstick saute pan, heat 4 tbs. of olive oil and 2 tbs butter over medium heat.  Beat eggs with 1/2 parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.  In a separate plate, put flour.  Dip chicken cutlets into flour and shake off extra.  Move cutlets to the egg batter, and put into hot pan.  Saute the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until browned.  Move chicken to a warm plate.  When chicken is all cooked, add wine to pan and deglaze.  Add chicken broth, minced garlic and lemon juice.  reduce for about 5-8 minutes.  add additional 2 tbs. butter to pan.  When butter is melted, return chicken to pan to heat.  Place chicken in plate and cover with sauce, garnish with remaining parsley.   Serve with either mashed potatoes or rice.

Blackened salmon with scampi

One of our favorite restaurants in town is called The Talk.  It is owned by the Keuchkarian Family, who has been in the restaurant business for years.  One of the specials that they frequently have is blackened salmon with shrimp.  I order it every time they have it, and it is so delicious!  The flavors are fresh, light and crisp from the lemon.  I like to pair it with steamed asparagus and pearl couscous that I mix with a little bit of pesto and parmesan cheese.  It is a quick and easy delicious dinner, especially during the lenten season.  You could certainly substitute another firm fish such as swordfish or a thick cut of cod or haddock if you prefer.  I make my own blackening seasoning, but there are several that you can buy at the grocery store that are good too.  Happy eating!

Blackened salmon with scampi

for the salmon:

1 lb. salmon filet

1 tbs. blackening seasoning (either store bought or see recipe below)

1 tbs. olive oil

Heat a cast iron or non stick pan over medium high heat. Dry salmon with a paper towel on flesh and skin side.  Rub salmon with seasoning generously on both sides. Place salmon, skin side down,  in hot pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Flip the salmon over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until cooked through and the surface is well browned.  Place 2-3 large shrimp on the salmon, and spoon on some sauce.

for the scampi:

6-8 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 tbs. butter

1 lemon juiced

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Season the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 2 tbs. butter in a medium size pan over medium heat.  Once melted, add the shrimp and cook about 2 minutes each side, till opaque and cooked through.  Remove to a place.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes.  

Squeeze lemon juice in pan, and add remaining tbs. of butter.  Add shrimp back to pan to warm.

Blackening seasoning:

2 tbsp Paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional but adds a nice smoky flavor!)
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp ground dried thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place. 

Greek Wings

My family loves chicken wings!  I have two favorite wing recipes, one of which I made last night.  This is a quick fix dinner, but if you have the time, marinate them overnight.  It really does intensify the flavor.  I serve them with my homemade rice pilaf and green beans.  Make sure to spoon the sauce from the wings onto the blanched green beans and rice!

Greek Chicken Wings

3-4 lbs. chicken wings - drumette and wing seperated, tip cut off

5 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 lemon juiced 

1 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tbs. chopped parsley for garnish

2 tbs. crumbled feta cheese - optional

In a bowl, mix the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, the 2 halves of the lemon you juiced, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper well.  Put chicken wings in a large sealable plastic bag.  Pour marinade over wings and make sure they are all coated.  Marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put the wings on a baking sheet in a single layer.(use two sheets if you have to.) Take the leftover marinade and heat it on low in a small saucepan while the wings are cooking.  Reserve the two lemon halves.  Roast wings in oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Move the oven rack to one notch up from the center.  Turn the oven to broil and place the wings as well as your reserved lemon halves on the rack to broil..  Keep an eye on them, don't let them burn!  When they are a light brown, take them out and flip. Be sure to flip the lemon as well.  Return to the oven and brown the other side.  Place the wings on a platter, pour any juices from the roasting pan over the wings, as well as the heated marinade.  If you are using feta, sprinkle feta over the hot wings and garnish with parsley and additional lemon slices.   Enjoy!

Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

Living in New England is always an adventure!  We have had a really easy winter as far as snow is concerned...but then came March!  Last night we had about a foot of snow!  As they say, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

I am a sucker for a good scampi recipe.  When you go to a restaurant and they have shrimp scampi on the menu, it is so wrong!  Scampi, in Italian, means shrimp.  They are telling you that they have a shrimp shrimp recipe.  Evidently, they don't know the Italian language.  I make a Shrimp in garlic sauce.  It is delicious!!  It can be made over pasta, or if you are living low carb, is just as good over spiralized zucchini.  I sometimes add a handful of scallops which makes it even better!  A good olive oil is key.  My friend Holly traveled to Spain last year to play in the World Cup for field hockey and brought home a delicious Spanish olive oil.  The flavors are so deep, and I have ordered more from Amazon.  It is worth every penny and actually a good buy through them.  It is used just to drizzle, not for cooking. (I use it on my avocado toast, bruschetta, and most pasta dishes.)  Enjoy! 

Shrimp in Garlic Sauce

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 cloves fresh garlic finely minced

1 shallot finely minced

4 tbs. butter divided

2 tbs. olive oil (not the one for drizzle, but still good quality)

1/3 cup white wine

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley

crushed red pepper to taste - optional

either 1 lb. linguini or spiralized zucchini

Add 3 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. olive oil to a pan over medium heat.  Once it is hot, add garlic and shallot.  Saute over low heat for about 5 minutes, do not brown!  Add the shrimp and saute about 2-3 minutes per side, just until pink.  Remove shrimp from pan to a plate.  Turn heat up to medium high.  Add the white wine.  Cook until reduced by about half.  Add the remaining tbs. of butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper and swirl until sauce thickens.  Return shrimp to the pan and heat them through, about 1-2 minutes.  Pour sauce over linguini or zucchini and top with crushed red pepper if you want to spice it up!  Serve with remaining lemon wedges.

It's been a long time!

It has been way to long since my last post, but I'm back!  Not much has changed in the way of the family, with the exception of my boys being way to grown up!  I still love cooking, feeding my family and friends, and eating.  I have recently discovered a new breakfast favorite...avocado toast!  It is probably one of the easiest, but tastiest recipes that is also so good for you.  I like to serve it with thinly sliced radishes and a lemon wedge.  There is one thing that you must use, good salt.  I have recently purchased Aztec Sea Salt from Amazon and it is truly life changing!  When you open the bag, it is moist, very course, and nothing like the salt you buy in the store.  It has so many health benefits, and lasts a long time because a little goes a long way.  There are directions to dry and grind it, but I love it just as is.  I have the link below, seriously, try it!  Enjoy the toast for breakfast or a snack.

Avocado Toast

• 1 avocado
• sea salt
• lemon
• black pepper
• good quality olive oil
• Bread - I prefer a sturdy pane or multi-grain
• 1 clove garlic, cut in half

Cut avocado in half, remove pit, and scoop into a small bowl.  Add about 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper, or to taste. Squeeze a little lemon onto avocado and mash leaving it somewhat chunky.  Toast your bread.  Immediately after taking it out of the toaster, rub the cut side of the garlic on the toast.  Spread avocado mixture onto your toast, and drizzle with olive oil.  Squeeze a bit more lemon if desired.