Chicken Salad With Pickles and Lima Beans

INGREDIENTS:

2cups panko bread crumbs
2tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2pounds chicken tenders (about 16)
1cup frozen lima beans
1/2cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
3tablespoons mayonnaise
1teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 head romaine lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces (6 cups)
1/2cup sliced dill pickles
1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 450° F. Toss the bread ,oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast, tossing once, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl.

2. Wipe out the baking sheet and place an oven-safe wire rack inside.

3. Season the chicken with ¹/₄ teaspoon each salt and pepper and dip in the bread crumbs, pressing gently to help them adhere. Place on the prepared pan and bake until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook the lima beans according to the package directions; drain and let cool.\

5. Whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, and ¹/₄ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lettuce, pickles, onion, and lima beans and toss to combine. Serve topped with the chicken.

Skillet Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Zest of one lemon (1 to 2 teaspoons)
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 to 2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 pieces)
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 or more shallots, peeled, halved (optional, can use 1/2-inch thick wedges of red onion, or skip)

Method:

1. Make rub with the rosemary, zest, garlic, salt, and pepper: Place the rosemary, lemon zest, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper in a mini-chopper and pulse until well ground. (If you don't have a mini-chopper, just mince the rosemary and garlic very fine, and mix with the rest). Then add the tablespoon of olive oil and pulse again.

2. Marinate chicken thighs with rosemary lemon rub: Place the chicken thighs in a (non-reactive) bowl and rub all over with the rosemary lemon herb rub. Arrange the thighs skin-side down and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Let marinate for an hour at room temperature, or chill several hours or overnight, and let sit at room temp for an hour before cooking.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

4. Sear the chicken thighs: Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a cast iron (10 to 12-inch) or other large relatively stick-free oven-proof skillet (hard anodized aluminum will work well) on medium high to high heat.
As soon as the oil is shimmery hot, pat dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and lay them skin-side down in the pan.
Sear the thighs without moving them for 3-5 minutes or until nicely browned.
Turn the thighs over in the pan so they are skin-side up. Remove the pan from heat.

5. Arrange garlic and shallots between chicken thighs and roast in oven: Place garlic cloves and either shallots or onion wedges in between the chicken thigh pieces in the pan. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reach 170°F.

Remove from oven.

As a safety note (having burned my hand in the past), I recommend rubbing an ice cube on the handle of the hot pan as a way to cook it down quickly. Then be sure you keep the handle covered with a pot holder so that someone (including yourself) doesn't inadvertently pick up the pan with the hot handle on their bare hands.

Serve with a side of rice, pasta, bread, or potatoes, or over a bed of baby arugula or spinach leaves for a low carb option.

One Pot Chicken and Orzo

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
12 ounces (2 cups) orzo pasta
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Method:
1. Prep and salt the chicken: Trim the chicken thighs of excess skin and fat. Sprinkle both sides with a little salt.

2. Brown the chicken thighs: Heat olive oil and melt butter on medium high heat in a large skillet (large enough to fit all of the chicken pieces) to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, pat the chicken pieces dry on both sides with paper towels and place skin-side down in the pan. Let cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken has browned on one side.
Then turn the chicken pieces over and cook for another 4 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the pan, set aside.

3. Brown the orzo pasta, add onions, garlic: Add the orzo pasta to the pan. Stir to coat and let the pasta brown. Once the orzo starts to brown, stir in the chopped onions.
Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring often for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook a half minute more.

4. Add back chicken, add stock and tomatoes: In a large measuring cup, stir together the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up, on top of the orzo.
Pour the stock tomato mixture over the orzo. Increase heat to medium high and let the stock in the pan come to a full boil.

5. Cover and cook: Lower the heat to the lowest heat you need to maintain a bare simmer. Cover and let cook until the orzo has completely absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley to serve.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Roasted Garlic

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 thyme sprigs
1 garlic clove, minced, plus 2 heads of garlic, halved crosswise
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
8 lamb loin chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
White Bean Puree, for serving

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

1. In a large, shallow dish, combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil with the thyme, minced garlic, rosemary and cumin. Add the lamb chops and turn to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the halved heads of garlic cut side up on a large sheet of foil and drizzle with oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast for 1 hour, until tender.

3. Light a grill. Remove the chops from the marinade; discard the thyme and scrape off the garlic. Season the chops with salt and pepper and grill over moderate heat until lightly charred and medium-rare, 5 minutes per side. Serve the chops with the roasted garlic and White Bean Puree.

SUGGESTED PAIRING:
Syrah is a classic partner for lamb—its black pepper and meaty notes taste great with gamey meats (it's good with goat, too). Southern France is Syrah's home, and there are still great bargains to be found there.

Rib Eye Steaks with Pete's Barbecue Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grilling
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 rib eye steaks on the bone, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound each)
Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, dry mustard and cloves and simmer over moderate heat until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer the vinegar to a heatproof bowl. Wipe out the saucepan.

2. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil to the saucepan, along with the onion, garlic and cumin. Cook over moderately low heat until the onion is softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the reduced vinegar and the barbecue sauce and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the sambal oelek and season with salt and pepper.

3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Rub the steaks with oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until the steaks are lightly charred and medium-rare, about 6 minutes total. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with rosemary and serve with the barbecue sauce.

SUGGESTED PAIRING:
Barons Black Wattle Original Ale, laced with native Australian wattle seeds, is rich, creamy and big enough for these substantial steaks. A bold Shiraz would also be delicious.

Grilled Short Ribs with Anchovy Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS:

1 red bell pepper
One 2-ounce tin of anchovies—1 tablespoon of oil reserved, fillets drained and minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 pounds flanken-cut beef short ribs (cut across the bones), about 1/4 inch thick
Vegetable oil, for rubbing

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

1. Light a grill. Grill the bell pepper over high heat, turning frequently, until charred all over. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, discard the skin, seeds and stem. Thinly slice the pepper.

2. In a bowl, whisk the anchovies and their oil with the garlic, lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Stir in the parsley and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sliced bell pepper.

3. Rub the ribs with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat until nicely charred and cooked to medium, about 50 seconds per side. Serve the ribs right away, passing the vinaigrette at the table.

MAKE AHEAD:
The anchovy vinaigrette can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

SUGGESTED PAIRING:
Lively, juicy Garnacha.