Recipe Review from 7/1/2019

It was a fairly uneventful 4th of July.  We had company out for lunch on the 4th, where the weather (rain) kept us inside.  Worked on Friday, followed by a quiet weekend doing yard stuff.   Several good recipes this week.  One repeat recipe in the Low Country Boil/Frogmore Stew/Shrimp boil.  Lots of names, love it no matter what it's called! 

The Meal Plan
Sun (L)  Grilled Eggplant and pasta (S) Kimchi Pork Burgers
Mon (yoga)  leftover pasta
Tues - leftover burgers
Wed - Grilled Romaine and Chicken Salad
Thurs (L) leftovers  (S)  Low Country Boil
Fri - leftovers
Sat (L) leftovers


Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Pasta (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019) vegetarian
This recipe came with three variation:  polenta, pasta, and adding sausage.  I went with pasta, no sausage.

This was easy to assemble, didn't heat up the kitchen on a 85* day, and was just kinda light and refreshing.  I served with feta cheese and a slice of sourdough bread alongside.  I'm usually not a fan of pasta and bread, but the bread was nice to soak up the yummy tomato juices.   Recommended.

Serves 4

1 pound plum tomatoes, chopped

photo from eatingwell.com

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 clove garlic, grated
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1½ pounds eggplant, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
½ cup chopped fresh basil
8 ounces whole-wheat penne
¼ cup shaved ricotta salata or crumbled feta cheese

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Toss tomatoes with 3 tablespoons oil, oregano, garlic, pepper, crushed red pepper and salt in a large bowl.

Brush eggplant with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Grill, turning once, until tender and charred in spots, about 4 minutes per side. Let cool for 10 minutes. Chop into bite-size pieces and add to the tomatoes along with basil.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Serve the tomato mixture on the pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.


 Kimchi Pork Burgers (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019)
I simplified this a bit - partly because I forgot to buy green onions and partly because I purposely didn't buy napa cabbage.  I didn't want to have three different kinds of greens in my fridge this week.  I subbed finely chopped regular onion in the burger mix, and regular (not grilled) butter lettuce on the burger.

These were good - quick, moist, filling - but not a lot of "Asian" flavor.   I was expecting more between the fish sauce, kimchi and the mayo mix.  All the same - recommended.

1 pound ground pork

photo from eatingwell.com

1 cup sliced scallions, divided, plus 8 whole scallions, trimmed
(I did 1 cup onions, finely chopped)
¾ cup chopped kimchi , divided (see Tip)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
4 leaves napa cabbage
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted, if desired

Preheat grill to high.

Mix pork, ½ cup sliced scallions, ½ cup kimchi, fish sauce and pepper in a large bowl. Form into 4 patties, each about 4 inches wide. Grill the patties, turning once, until the internal temperature registers 160°F, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

Brush cabbage and whole scallions with oil and grill until charred, about 1 minute per side. Coarsely chop the cabbage and cut the scallions into 2-inch pieces.

Whisk mayonnaise, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and the remaining ½ cup sliced scallions in a small bowl.

Serve the burgers on the buns, with the sauce, cabbage, scallions and the remaining kimchi.

Recipe Tip: The Korean fermented vegetable condiment kimchi comes in a wide variety of flavors and heat levels. Gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes) in traditional or hot kimchi adds kick to this burger. If heat's not your thing, try a mild or chile-free white kimchi.

To make ahead: Prepare patties (Step 2) and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.


Chipolte Chicken and Grilled Romaine Salad (Eating Well, July/Aug 2019) gluten free
So, right of the bat I forgot to by cilantro and green onions.  Or I *thought* I had cilantro and I used it in an earlier recipe...and forgot I needed to buy more.   So that part of the dressing didn't happen.  Then I subbed some finely chopped red onion for the green onions. And it worked out just fine!

Halloumi cheese is not a cheese known (or easily found) in my corner of the world, so I skipped it.  I was going to sub feta, but forgot that too.  Forgot a lot with this recipe....

Grilling romaine was a new one for me and the Husband was a bit dubious, but we both agreed this was very tasty when all was said and eaten.  Recipe is simple and a bit putzy with the multiple steps, and it was probably 45 minutes from start to plating.  Only one recommendation, and that would be to start the corn 10 minutes before putting the chicken on the grill.

Recommended!

Serves 4 

photo from eatingwell.com

¾ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons honey, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle in adobo sauce
1 ear corn, husked  (I used two ears of corn)
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red onion, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
3 romaine hearts (3-4 ounces each)
4 ounces halloumi cheese (see Tips), cut into 6 slices

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine cilantro, scallions, lime juice, 1 teaspoon honey, ¼ teaspoon salt, cumin and 6 tablespoons oil in a mini food processor; process until smooth. Set aside.

Combine chipotle, 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon honey in a small bowl. Toss the ear of corn, zucchini and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Season chicken with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cut romaine hearts in half lengthwise, leaving root ends intact. Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken for 5 minutes, then turn and brush with the chipotle glaze. Continue grilling until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165°F, 5 to 8 minutes more.

Grill the corn, zucchini and onion, turning frequently, until tender and charred in spots, 10 to 12 minutes total. Grill halloumi until golden brown and charred in spots, about 2 minutes per side. Grill the romaine, cut-side down, until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes, then slice. Cut the kernels off the cob. Arrange the chicken, romaine, corn, zucchini, onion and halloumi on a platter. Drizzle with the reserved cilantro dressing.

To make ahead: Refrigerate dressing (Step 2) for up to 1 day.

Recipe Tips: To oil your hot grill rack, soak a paper towel with vegetable oil and hold it with tongs to rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) 

Halloumi's high melting point makes it crispy when grilled, rather than melting all over the place. Got leftovers? Try pan-frying it for vegetarian tacos or cubing and broiling to make cheesy "croutons."