Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Grilled Chicken Kofta

Tender flavor-packed grilled chicken kofta, filled with fresh herb & spices, will be on the table in under 45 min.  The perfect summer Mediterranean dish!

It's almost time to celebrate the 4th of July and that means you need to fire up the grill and get cooking!  Today I'm bring you my 2nd installment of my Summer Fresh Recipe Series.  Recipes that are filled with fresh summer produce and are easy, light, and oh soooo tasty!  The other day I brought you a light and fresh Greek Cobb Salad.  Since we have Independence Day in mind, some grilling is in order.  Let's take our grilling to the next level with a wonderful, but easy, Mediterranean dish.

GRILLED CHICKEN KOFTA

Kofta is similar to the Persian Kabob Chicken Koobideh which is made with ground chicken and grilled on skewers.  Kofta is made with ground chicken and is loaded with herbs and spices but instead of using skewers they are formed into oval patties and grilled for the best flavor.  They come out tender and juicy and bursting with Mediterranean spices.  

They are perfect served along side my Easy Mediterranean Salad (recipe coming next) or with a side a rice.  I served them with the salad, some hummus and toasted pita.  They are easy to prepare and grill up in 8-10 minutes.  You will have them on the table in under 45 minutes. MGG can attest that they made great leftovers! 

What makes them unique?  They are filled with mint and parsley for a burst of fresh herbs.  They are spiced with Ancho chili powder for complex flavoring, red pepper flakes for a little heat, coriander for a bright citrus burst, and sweet paprika for depth of flavor.  This is no ordinary meatball mix!  

Try something new this 4th of July, or anytime this summer and this dish will surely be a winner in your family.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Kofta

serves: 4

1 small  slice of sandwich bread
1 lb ground chicken
1/3 cup grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 1/2 tsp Ancho chile powder 

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp sweet paprika
Kosher salt and pepper
1 egg (raw)
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil


Serve along with: (optional)
Hummus

Mediterranean tomato and cucumber salad
Toasted Pita Bread

Instructions:

Toast the slice of bread in the toaster until golden brown.  Place it in a small bowl and add a little water so the slice become soggy and tender.  Squeeze out the excess water from the bread.  

Place the bread in a large mixing bowl.  Add the ground chicken, onion, garlic, parsley, mint, all the spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the egg and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Mix the chicken mixture with your hand until well combined.

Form chicken mixture in to 8 oval patties.  (Wet hands help with the stickiness of the mixture.) Place on a tray and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes to allow to set.  Meanwhile preheat your grill.

Grease the grates of your grill or indoor grill pan with oil.  Heat to medium-high heat.  Place the patties on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until fully cooked through.  Remove from grill and serve.  

adapted from: The Mediterranean Dish

Summer Fresh Recipe Series: Greek Cobb Salad

Romaine salad loaded with crisp summer veggies, roasted red peppers, chickpeas, Kalamata olives and tangy feta cheese. Oh what a salad!

Hello Summer!  My favorite time of year by far.  Summer has always represented freedom, travel, good vibrations, beaches and pools, and fresh summer fruits and vegetables.  Our love the outdoors just shines in the summertime.   You can be sure to find us in our backyard at all times, and eating alfresco is a summer requirement in our home.

So this year I've decided to bring you a Summer Fresh Recipe Series filled with fresh summer produce that's easy, light, and oh soooo tasty!  Lucky you, today's my 1st installment and I have a wonderful salad for you.

The classic cobb salad takes on a Greek flair in this Greek Cobb Salad.  It's filled with Mediterranean ingredients such as chickpeas, tomatoes, and cucumbers, and several flavor bombs like fresh dill, Kalamata olives (briny and flavorful), and tangy feta cheese.  Now one ingredient that makes a cobb salad a "cobb salad" is the hard boiled eggs.  You may notice are missing from my pictures.  That's because I completely forgot to cook the eggs.  But it's wonder of a salad either way.  I've put them in the list of ingredients along with instructions for you if you choose to include them.

 

I displayed this salad on a platter as a deconstructed salad.  A deconstructed salad is one which the ingredients are kept separate instead of tossed.  The presentation is spectacular and everyone enjoys it, however, you can just put all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss it all together if you would like.

Perfect as a main entree for 2 people, or as a side dish for 4 people this salad will become a go-to recipe during the hot summer months.  Fast, fresh, and screaming.with.flavor.  What more could you ask for!


Enjoy!








Greek Cobb Salad

serves 4 as a side - 2 as a main dish

2 large eggs
1 14.5 oz can of chickpeas
2 garlic cloves
2 oz. roasted red peppers
2 tsp. dill, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1 Roma tomato
1 Romaine heart
1 cucumber
4 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp red wine vinegar, divided use
kosher salt and pepper


Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Carefully add the eggs and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.  Immediately drain and return to the saucepan.  Cover and shake pan to gently crack shells, then fill saucepan with ice water.  Set aside and let stand.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  Finely chop one clove of garlic.  Lightly crush the 2nd clove.  Coarsely chop the roasted red peppers.  

In a medium sized skillet heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add the chickpeas and roasted red peppers.  Increase heat to medium high and cook 3 minutes until warmed.  Stir often.  Remove from the heat and add 2 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, stir to combine.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon water, and 3 tablespoon olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in 1/2 of the chopped dill.  Whisk until combined.  Remove 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a small bowl.

Cut tomato into 1/2 inch pieces.  Halve the romaine heart lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces.  Thinly slice the cucumber (peel if desired).  Peel eggs under running water and cut into quarters.  

Add the romaine and half of the feta and the remainder of the dill to the bowl with the vinaigrette.  Toss and season with salt and pepper.  Spread romaine mixture along the length of a platter.  Add chickpeas, eggs cucumbers, tomatoes, and olive in sections for a deconstructed salad.  Drizzle with reserved vinaigrette.   


adapted from: Marleyspoon.com

Celebration Muffins

Sweet and tender muffins filled with rainbow sprinkles will bring a smile to your face and joy in your heart!

Today is day 99 of our Safer At Home Quarantine due to Covid-19.  While the country is starting to open back up here in Los Angeles we are taking it slow due to the amount of daily new cases.  Since this all began we've had several birthdays go by and as I'm sure you know, it's hard to get a good celebration in when you are stuck at home and possibly alone.  

Both MGG and I have had "quarantine" birthdays and found them to be a little lackluster which I'm sure is typical of many people due to the mood this all brings.  Last week a good friend of mine had her birthday as well and she lives alone.  So as a mood lifter I decided to bake her some Celebration Muffins for her 65th birthday!  She love's the look of funfetti cakes but she's not much in to desserts so I decided on a birthday basket full of breakfast items instead.  

This birthday basket featured my Celebration Muffins which are sweet and tender muffins filled with rainbow sprinkles.  They scream "Happy Birthday!" or any celebration for that matter.  Who can resist sprinkles.  They make everything so festive and lighthearted.  They really are the perfect celebration treat and the taste....oh so delicious!  

So I packed the basket full of muffins, added some orange juice, a side of turkey sausage patties and a mixture of fresh melon balls, and left her breakfast bounty on her front door step.  I basically did a ding dong ditch and left them...hahah!  What a surprise she had!  I waited at the curb while she opened the door and just to see the smile on her face when she saw the muffins was so worth the effort.  A small happy birthday song was sung (we make up birthday songs for each other each year) and her day was off to a great start.  

Later, I got a call from her and she said these were the "Best muffins, I've every eaten!"  Now that puts a warm feeling in my heart and a nice smile on my face.  Honestly, these are really good muffins.  I may or may not have made them twice this week already....haha!

Make these celebration muffins for a dear friend, neighbor, or family member and watch their mood lift instantly and the smile that appears from ear to ear.

Enjoy!






Celebration Muffins


Yield:  6 muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl add the egg, milk and canola oil and whisk until light. Add in all the dry ingredients with the exception of the sprinkles. Mix batter just until incorporated. Do not over mix. Batter should be thick.  Fold in the rainbow sprinkles lightly until mixed throughout.

Using a large ice cream scoop, divide batter among the wells of a muffin pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with extra sprinkles.

Bake for 16-18 minutes until tops are light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Chicken, Green Beans & Tomato Stir Fry

Juicy tender chicken, crunchy green beans, and bursts of fresh tomatoes tossed in a killer sauce will give you goosebumps and have you reaching for seconds.  

Now that's dinner!

It's no surprise that chicken keeps appearing as the star attraction on everyone's dinner table.  This protein is versatile.  It soaks up every bit of flavor you throw at it. And, no matter how you cook it, from fresh-off-the-grill, battered and fried, to stir-frys, it's always winner.  So forget the take-out, we're cookin' up some chicken!

Today's dish is a stir-fry.  Yes, another one!  I make a lot of stir-frys and with good reason.  They are made in one pot, they are easy to make, and they cook fast.  Can't beat a complete meal in under 30 minutes.  This Chicken, Green Beans & Tomato Stir Fry is refreshingly light and comforting at the same time.  Since it's technically summer (100 degrees in So Cal today) and our safer at home COVID-19 order is still in place, I would say that a dish that is refreshingly light and comforting is in order.

CHICKEN, GREEN BEANS & TOMATO STIR FRY

Imagine the crunch of blistered green beans, and bursts of fresh tomatoes, laced with a bright ginger flavor.  Add in some chicken, a handful of broccoli and a KILLER SAUCE and this dish will have you doing the happy dance!  Oh, and don't forget to serve this with some rice as you are definitely going to want to soak up every last drop of this sauce.  The sauce is EVERYTHING.

Kitchen tip:  Stir Frys cook quickly.  Make sure that you have everything ready before you start cooking, cause once the cooking starts, there's no time to stop!

Enjoy!



Other popular stir frys you may like:

• Chicken, Green Bean & Mushroom Stir Fry
• Spicy Beef, Snow Peas, Mushroom, and Carrot Stir Fry
• Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry and a Product Review
• General Tso's Chicken - Lighter Version
• Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken, Green Beans & Tomato Stir Fry

serves 2



Sauce:
1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
1/2 c red wine
1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (such as Huy Fong)

Stir Fry:
5 Tbsp canola oil, divided use
8 oz fresh french green beans, trimmed (french are smaller and more tender)
Kosher salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in to 1 inch pieces
handful of broccoli florets
6 oz of grape tomatoes, halved
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
Sesame seeds
Cooked rice

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, red wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, and chili garlic sauce.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat 2 Tbsp of oil until shimmering.  Make sure that the oil and skillet is hot before adding the beans.  Cook turning them with tongs until beans start to blister, about 4-5 minutes.  Transfer beans to a paper-towel lined sheet pan, sprinkle with a little salt.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet, heat to shimmering.  Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to the sheet pan with the beans.

Add broccoli to the skillet.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring.  Add the tomatoes and the ginger, cook for 2 minutes. Add broth mixture and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.  Return chicken and beans to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce.  Transfer to a platter and top with sesame seeds.  Serve with rice.

Roasted Broccoli Salad with Bacon

A twist on a favorite side dish takes on new depth of flavor with roasted vegetables and the addition of bacon all tossed in a flavorful sauce!

I wanted to bring you a quick post with a great recipe for a side dish.  I've had a heavy heart over the past several weeks with all that is happening across the county and one way I like to comfort and nurture those around me is through my love of cooking.

It's the first week in June and the unofficial start of summer, and with that comes lots of outdoor dining.  We love to grill and eat outdoors and today I wanted to share with you a great side dish that goes along any sort of main dish.  We often overlook the side dishes but they are equally important and should balance your meal.

ROASTED BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON

This is a simple dish of roasted broccoli and onions, that is topped with pieces of bacon for a smokey flavor.  Roasting your vegetables brings out deeper flavors which make this dish pop. And who can't resist bacon? Everything's better with bacon as they say and this dish is no exception.  Top this with a creamy sauce bursting with flavor and you have a winner of a side dish.

We ate this with some grilled chicken, crusty bread, a green salad and whit wine.  It would be equally perfect with fish, beef or pork.  It's also a great potluck treat, so keep that in mind once we are able to enjoy parties again.

This does require you to turn on the oven for about 30 minutes. You might want to try this dish now before the summer heat hits full force and the oven is a no-no!  Remember, simple, fresh ingredients is all it takes to make a wonderful dish.

Enjoy and be safe!











Roasted Broccoli Salad with Bacon

serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil
2 bunches broccoli, florets separated
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the broccoli florets and red onion with the olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan.   

Roast, tossing halfway through, until the broccoli edges are crisp, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Chop and set aside.

For the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and milk in a small bowl. Season with the sugar, paprika, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley, seasoning with salt and pepper and stir until blended.

Add the bacon and the remainder of parsley to the cooled broccoli, then pour over enough of the dressing to coat and toss until well mixed. (You will have left over dressing!) Serve at room temperature.

adapted from: Foodnetwork.com