Grilled Endive with Provolone

  

  
Grilling offers the opportunity for grilled vegetables and many are great on a kebab or grilled straight.  Certainly, onions, tomatoes, green pepper or zucchini are great on a grilling stick.  Many also grill corn, potatoes or asparagus on the grill.  Then there's a whole extra level of potential that people don't think of.  I'm talking about grilled romaine lettuce or scallions.  In this category also is this recipe from Mario Batali's Italian Grill for grilled endive.  It's actually very easy, just cut the endive lengthwise and grill.  The choice of ingredient is the way interest and sophistication is added to the meal.  Endive has a non-traditional taste with its somewhat bitter flavor.  This is easily balanced with a grilling sauce, or in this case oil, and this recipe's addition of cheese.  The grilling oil includes lemon juice and zest, along with marjoram.  This and slices of aged provolone balance out the bitterness, and the grilling introduces that charred smokiness everyone loves.  So, for those special entertaining opportunities, consider this recipe for one of your vegetable sides.
    
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
6 Belgian endive
2 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
Provolone cheese for shaving
     
Directions:
Combine the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and mix well.  Cut the endive in half length-wise and toss in the oil mixture to coat.  Drain each endive piece and place on a hot grill cut side down.  Grill until grill marks form, about 6 minutes.  Transfer to a platter, cut side up, sprinkle with marjoram and top with shaved pieces of cheese.
    

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Pesto and Rosemary

    

    
This may have been the best chicken I've ever tasted in my life.  The fact that it came in a Kmart parking lot surrounded by a bunch of rednecks on their way to a NASCAR race shouldn't surprise.  Some of the best recipes come from grilling, and quality tailgating just requires imagination.  For a recent race day, I went with recipes from Mario Battali's Italian Grill cookbook.  Like most Italian recipes, the emphasis is on the ingredients, not fancy preparation or cooking technique.  The actual recipe calls for guniea hens, but let's be serious.  We're just trying to make good food and grilling more interesting, not be total tools.  So, I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Similarly, I bought the recipe's pesto pre-made.  I've made plenty of pesto in my days, but this was another way to save time and hassle.  Besides, as a marinade and grilling sauce subjected to 500 degree F heat, I don't know that the freshest basil and most authentic cold pressed olive oil were really needed.  The sublime nature of this dish came from the mere fact that it uses pesto in the first place.  Pesto for me is one of those sauces I could take a bath in, get coated all over and eat my fill, but I digress.  Marinating the chicken overnight in the pesto-based marinade took this recipe to an incredible place.  Even more wonderful was a prep time running about 2 minutes.  So, try this recipe.  I promise it will be one of your favorites.  Serves 4.
     
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup basil pesto
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
     
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, pesto, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  In a large ziplock or bowl, combine the chicken breasts and marinade.  Ensure the chicken is completely covered with marinade.  Seal or cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight preferably.  
Remove the breasts and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Place on a hot grill and cover.  Cook 5 minutes on each side.  If the chicken is charred before the inside is cooked, move off of direct heat but keep in the covered grill to continue roasting.  Remove when the chicken is just cooked through.  Transfer to a platter and serve.  
    

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs with an All'Amatriciana Sauce

    

  
Mmmmm, meatballs...Meatballs are a favorite at my house.  Young or old, spaghetti with meatballs can be a favorite.  Of course, as adults we know that we can take a dish from great to sublime.  The toss up for me is deciding which I like better, the improved meatballs or sauce of this recipe.  The meatballs offer a simple trick that I had never thought of before.  Stuffing a meatball with a piece of cheese beats any spice meat combination one could think of. This recipe uses a standard meatball recipe, and then calls for a cube of mozzarella to go into the center.  Having a household with cheese sticks available, I just diced a couple of cheese sticks into cubes and stuck them in.  The sauce is similarly simple, but a wonderful way to add lusciousness to any sauce, and of course I'm talking bacon.  Although, as sophisticates, we will use pancetta.  The Italians call this sauce all'amatriciana.  Its name derives from the town of Amatrice in Abruzzo.  It reflects the rustic nature of this region and its shepherds who cook their pasta with pork cheek.  We don't have to go there in modern America, but we can achieve a similar taste by simmering our sauce with pancetta.  We saw this same technique in the braised veal role sauce recipe from December.  This recipe comes from Giada DeLaurentiis' Giada at Home.  Whether your dinner guests are 5 or 50 or somewhere in between, give it a try.  Serves 4.
     
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
6 oz pancetta, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch plus 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1 can plain tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
3/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 tbsp ketchup
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground veal
2 oz or cheese sticks cut into 16 1/2" cubes
1 lb spaghetti
    
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  For the sauce, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until browned all over, about 6 minutes.  Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.  Add half the diced onion and soften for 5 minutes.  Stir in the 2 cloves of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds longer. Add the tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and pancetta, stir and cover.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in the romano cheese, cover and keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the other half of the onions, 1/2 cup parsely, 2/3 cup of parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, remaining garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, remaining salt and pepper.  Add the beef and veal and mix to combine all the ingredients.  Divide the mixture into 16 pieces (in half, then those halves in half, and those in half again, and again).  Push a cube of cheese into each piece and roll to form a ball.  Place the balls on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Add the pasta and cook until tender, but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta and then stir the pasta into the sauce.  Pour the coated spaghetti into a serving bowl.  Place the cooked meatballs on top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and parsley.  Serve.
    

Indian Shrimp and Rice

  

  
When does rice become a meal?  We have plenty of rice sides: wild rice, fired rice, red beans and rice, spanish rice.  Rice can also become a meal on its own:  risotto, jambalaya, paella.  Pilafs can make a meal with the introduction of a protein such as chicken or shrimp.  Pilafs also provide the opportunity for a lighter rice meal by avoiding a short-grained rice or a cooking process designed to bring out the starch or thicken the meal.  Flavor comes through spices, which can be exotic, as well as nuts and fruit for crunch, richness and sweetness.  This recipe comes modified from Food & Wine July 2004 and has served me well any time I feel like a quick Indian meal that won't overwhelm.  I added cumin because I love cumin and swapped out the prunes for golden raisins because, hey, who needs prunes.  As always, make it your own.  Serves 2.
    
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked basmati rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 lb shelled shrimp
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
salt and pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
     
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion, almonds, pistachios, coriander, turmeric and cumin and cook until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the shrimp, raisins and orange zest stir and cover.  Cook about 3 minutes until the shrimp is opaque and just cooked through.  Stir in the rice and lemon juice to coat the mixture throughout until it is even in color.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Turn out to a serving bowl.
    

Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers

  

  
Stuffed bell peppers can be a comfort food, which I seem to be into lately.  However, I feel tugged between traditional heavier comfort foods I associate with the fall and winter (meatloaf, shepherd's pie, etc) and recipes that make me excited for spring and summer.  Color and ingredients can be the main difference, and this recipe for stuffed peppers uses both to present a more seasonal version of this classic.  My main strategy was to replace the traditional green peppers and ground beef with a yellow, orange or red bell pepper and chicken.  Another change I made was to use a vodka sauce in the stuffing.  Most recipes call for diced tomatoes or ketchup.  I thought the vodka sauce would make a nicer pairing with the ground chicken I used.  The choice of herbs can also go different directions, such as using tarragon with chicken.  I myself am not a big fan of tarragon, so I stayed with traditional thyme and parsley.  Some also add oregano.  Similarly, you can choose between the filler of bread crumbs, rice or even orzo pasta.  For this recipe, I chose cooked rice.  Experiment on your own and have fun.  Serves 2.
    
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked
4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or 1 tbsp dried
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup vodka or tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
salt/pepper
    
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Start the rice cooking.  Cut off the tops of the peppers and cut out the inside pulp.  Bring a pot of water to boil and steam the peppers for 10 minutes.  Remove to an oven proof dish.  Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan over medium heat, soften the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and mix in a bowl with the chicken, herbs, sauce and 1/3 cup of the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon the mixture into the peppers.  Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes.  Serve.