Tasty Spring Dishes

Spring is such a lovely time of year, ahhh. Certainly for many reasons, not the least of which is the bounty of food items that come into season. Hope you take time out to enjoy these simple and tasty dishes that for me are perfect this time of year.

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms, Chives and Fleur de Sel

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Fleur de sel or other finishing salt (kosher salt is fine), to taste

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Sauté the mushrooms for 3 minutes, then add the chives and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add eggs and black pepper. Cook the eggs over very low heat, stirring constantly, until cooked to the desired doneness. Add fleur de sel and scramble for just a few more seconds. Serve hot.

Pinzimonio

Vegetables

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a big bowl of fresh tasty vegetables, cut into strips or chunks. Good choices are peppers, cauliflower, artichokes, celery, carrots, etc. Put olive oil in a small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Dip the vegetables into the oil and enjoy. Y ou can also have other condiment options available - various types of mustards work well and balsamic vinegar is a nice touch. Pairs wonderfully with a crisp, dry white wine.

Chicken Breasts with Zucchini

4 chicken breasts, weighing a pound in total

10 ounces zucchini, sliced into very thin rounds

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons butter1 sage leaf

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch of thyme

Small bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley, minced

Flour

Kosher salt

White pepper

An ounce of shredded Swiss or Fontina cheese

Heat the oil in a pot, and sauté the garlic and parsley for a minute or two. Before the garlic begins to brown add the zucchini. Cook for a few minutes more, then sprinkle a half cup of cool water over the pot, add a pinch of thyme, and salt to taste. Turn down the heat to as low as possible, cover, and cook the zucchini until they are done and the water has evaporated. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While it is warming up, lightly pound the chicken breasts and flour them, giving them a good shake to remove excess flour. Pick a pot large enough for the chicken breasts to lie flat that can go both on the stove and into the oven, and melt the butter with the leaf of sage. As soon as it begins to crackle add the chicken breasts and cook them until they begin to brown, turning them once or twice. Sprinkle them with the white wine, crumble the salt over them, and season them with pepper. When the liquid is reduced by two thirds, remove the pot from the fire. Scoop the zucchini over the chicken breasts, dust everything with the cheese, cover the pot, and slip it into the oven for about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts to a heated serving dish, spoon the pan drippings over them, and serve.

Easy and Light Springtime Meal

Yeah, signs of spring have returned. So nice to enjoy a crisp and sunny morning on a spring's day. In that light, wanted to pass along a couple of light and easy side dishes that can easily pair with a range of mains. I first enjoyed them with Linguini with Pecorino, Butter, Pepper and Arugula, which works beautifully. Add in a light and somewhat fruity white wine and enjoy this simple and colorful meal.

Proscuitto and Peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1-pound bag frozen peas, thawed
4 ounces prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the peas and saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.

Mushroom Parmesan
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the grill pan
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce (store bought or homemade is fine)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on the grill to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Place the grilled mushrooms on top of the marinara sauce and top with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle with the cheeses and bake until the cheese melts and the top is golden, about 15 minutes.

Tasty Lamb Recipe

Since it is the season of lovely spring, I thought I would pass along a tasty lamb recipe. Enjoy with cherry tomatoes with chopped flat-leaf parsley and bathed in a good balsamic vinegar, grilled flatbread, some slices veggies a couple of cheeses and voila - a lovely meal. Goes well with a light-bodied red as well, perhaps a Tempranillo or Malbec, or a Carmenere from Chile. You can substitute a nice, creamy hummus for the dipping sauce to make things more of a quick-fix.

Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Roasted Garlic and Shallot Yogurt Sauce

Marinade:

1 rack of lamb (8 lamb chops)

1 cup plain yogurt

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 heads garlic

2 shallots

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon black pepper

Kosher or Sea salt to taste

Combine all of the ingredients, and allow the lamb to marinate for at least 2 hours before cooking. Wipe excess yogurt from lamb chops before cooking. Heat skillet to medium high, and oil with a small amount of olive oil. Sear lamb chops for about 3 minutes on each side depending on desired doneness, lamb chops may be finished in the oven by cooking at 375 degrees for no more than 3 to 4 minutes.

For the dipping sauce, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove skin from outer layer of both the garlic and shallots and carefully cut off the tops of both. Drizzle with olive oil, and then place in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. Remove when the bulbs have turned golden brown and place in the refrigerator to cool. Once cooled, remove the individual roasted garlic cloves and place in a food processor with the shallots, yogurt, vinegar, and pepper. Purée until the ingredients are well combined, and season to taste. Serve in a small dish for dipping along side the lamb chops.