Ponzu Chicken with Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes

Ponzu Chicken

Ponzu is a popular Oriental marinade made of soy and citrus. The salty sweet flavor pairs well with chicken and any citrus choice you like can be used for this, try changing it each time for a new flavor. The flour helps to thicken the sauce just right and no salt is needed with the soy sauce being used. Don't marinate longer than 2 hours total or the chicken will begin to 'cook' and turn mushy.

Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes

I like to serve the chicken with fresh green beans and red potatoes that make perfect partners when brought together with soy and sesame. Toasted sesame seeds can be bought or made. Tossing gently in a hot pan for a few seconds is all that's needed to bring out the nuttiness of the seeds and increase the flavor exponentially.

The sodium content between these two can be quite high, so a lower sodium soy is advised. I always use a good brewed soy sauce. The imitation soy is NOT the same in flavor and can actually make a good dish bad. Kikkoman is an excellent brand of soy and ponzu sauces.


Ponzu Chicken
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (about 1 pound total) large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
1 clove garlic - minced
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh citrus juice such as lime, lemon or orange
1 Tablespoon Mirin (sweetened rice wine) or 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thin slices. Set aside.
2. Combine soy sauce, juice, garlic and Mirin or sugar in a large bowl. Stir until well combined and add chicken breasts. Marinate for 20 - 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour until each piece is evenly coated. Fry in oil for 3 minutes per side until golden.
4. Pour remaining marinade over chicken and cover with a lid. Cook for another 3 minutes. Serve with sauce over each piece.


Sesame Green Beans and Potatoes
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 5 minutes
Ready In: 15 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh green beans
4 medium red-skinned potatoes
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Snap ends off green beans and set aside. Wash potatoes well and cut each into eight thin wedges.
2. Heat oils in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes on the bottom, topped with green beans and followed by garlic. Do not put garlic directly into oil or it may burn.
3. Lid tighly and cook for 10 minutes, checking every 2 minutes to stir so vegetables cook evenly. Check to make sure potatoes are soft and green beans are crisp-tender. Cook for another 3 minutes if vegetables are not done.
4. Sprinkle vegetables with soy sauce and sesame seeds at the end of 10 minutes and toss well to coat.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves

Mother's Day is almost here! What is the mom in your life eating this Sunday? Breakfast at a restaurant? Brunch at home? How about breakfast in bed with these delicious little pancakes?

These quick pancakes are full of flavor. A burst of bright lemon is infused in each bite and the deep red raspberry preserves on top add extra flavor. Simple enough for a weekday breakfast but special enough to serve to guests, these fluffy pancakes are a favorite in our house.

I've even made these at work for my clients and they are always met with rave reviews and the plates are empty and tummies full. Give them a try and, as always, let me know how you liked them!


Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:


Zest of 1 lemon - about 1 Tablespoon
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup red raspberry preserves, with or without seeds, whichever you prefer


Directions:

1. Combine lemon zest with sugar and rub together with your fingers until fragrant and moist. Set aside.
2. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder, set aside.
3. Blend eggs, milk, ricotta and vanilla. Fold lemon and sugar to wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
4. Drop by 1/4 cupful onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. Turn and cook for 1 minute longer. Set aside and keep warm until all pancakes are cooked - there will be 12 - 14.
5. Heat preserves until smooth and liquid. Plate pancakes, 3 to a plate, and top with 1/4 cup of preserves.

*Note: For a faster version you can use 2 cups of instant pancake mix and 1 1/4 cups of water in lieu of the pancake batter.

Arroz Con Pollo with Three Olives

Arroz con Pollo

Chicken and rice is a great staple for dinner, but when it's Arroz con Pollo, it's even better! This version has 3 different olives in it, added before most of the cooking so they soak up all the lovely flavors mingling in this dish. Cooking it with bite-sized chunks of chicken rather than whole pieces speeds the process so this delicious dinner is ready in no time.

Arroz Con Pollo with Three Olives
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 60 minutes
Serves: 8
Cost Per Serving: $1.25

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 large green pepper - diced
1 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-inch cubes
5 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice - uncooked
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans (28 ounces) whole tomatoes - diced and drained well
1/3 cup Spanish olives
1/3 cup ripe black olives - pitted
1/3 cup ripe green olives - pitted
2 teaspoons paprika
1 bay leaf
pinch saffron - optional

Directions:

1. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Saute green peppers until they start to sweat or leach juices. Add garlic and onion and stir.
2. Scoot veggies to the side of the pan making a clear center. Add chicken and cook just until no longer pink.
3. Remove veggies and chicken and stir in stock, rice, peas, tomatoes, olives, paprika and saffron and bay leaf. Add chicken and veggies back in.
4. Lid tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until rice is tender.
5. Remove bay leaf, fluff rice and serve.

Slow Cooker Goulash

It's finally warming up here in eastern Pennsylvania which is a blessing and a curse at once. I'm thrilled that winter has finally ended, but warmer weather in Pa more often than not brings high humidity. Some days even the A/C can't cut through it and cooking is the furthest thing from my mind.

There were years we didn't have A/C and learning to feed everyone regardless of the climate was always a challenge. I put my slow cooker to good use for those days and it helped immensely to keep the heat in the kitchen to a minimum.

This is one recipe that I love for its simplicity. it packs a lot of flavor and is very easy to put together.
Goulash is a Hungarian staple though this version is not truly Hungarian in nature and more Americanized with the use of noodles rather than potato dumplings. Slow cooking the beef makes it fork-tender and the resulting sauce is heavenly. Chuck roast is best, but other cuts of beef will work well with the low-and-slow cooking method.

Slow Cooker Goulash
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 6 hours
Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 pounds chuck roast cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion - diced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon ground caraway seed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup water
10 ounces wide noodles - cooked
sour cream for garnish

Directions:

1. Place beef in the bottom of a slow cooker liner. Top with onion.
2. Combine water, tomato paste, salt, paprika, sugar, Worcestershire, caraway and flour together until well blended.
3. Pour over beef and onions and set slow cooker to low heat. Cook for 4-6 hours on high setting or until beef is very tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed.
4. Serve beef over hot cooked noodles and top with sour cream as desired.

Asparagus and Leek Quiche

Asparagus and Leek Quiche

Quiche is delicious any way you slice it, but spring veggies like leeks and asparagus make it even better. Lightly sauté the asparagus to bring out even more flavor. Change the cheese to anything you like if Swiss is too heavy for your palate, and use green onions in place of the leeks if desired.

Asparagus and Leek Quiche
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 60 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 pie crust
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups light cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 ounces Swiss cheese - shredded
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 leek - split lengthwise and rinsed well to remove sand and grit
8 spears asparagus cut in 4-inch lengths

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Fit pie crust into an 8-inch pie pan and crimp edges. Weight with beans or other pie weights and bake for 10 minutes. Remove weights and set aside.
3. Beat eggs until light and lemon yellow in color. Stir in cream, salt, pepper and cheese.
4. Slice leeks thinly and cook in olive oil over medium heat until limp. Add asparagus and cook for another 5 minutes until spears are crisp-tender.
5. Pour half of the egg mixture into the par-baked crust and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Top baked egg mixture with asparagus spears, fanning them out from the center like the spokes of a wheel. Sprinkle with cooked leeks and top with remaining egg mixture and put back into the oven.
7. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until top is puffy and set. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.