Rosemary chicken kabobs with berry drizzle

Rosemary Chicken Kabobs with Berry Drizzle

Ingredients for the chicken

4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 Tbs of chopped fresh, Rosemary
1/4 cup of dry white wine or vermouth
2 Tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper

Ingredients for the Sauce

1 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen blackberries or boysenberries
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of blackberry jam/jelly
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg


Cut the chicken into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Mix with the wine, oil, rosemary, and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate in the refrigerator for one hour.




Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Thread the chicken onto skewers and season generously with salt.

Preheat the grill for direct high heat. Spray grill with olive oil or PAM. Place chicken skewers on grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside and cover with foil to allow the chicken to rest.

To make the sauce, place the marinade and the berries in a sauce pan and simmer gently until the berries are soft. Press through a strainer and discard the pulp.

Return the juice and marinade mix to the pan, and add the vinegar, jelly, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered until it has reduced by about 1/3 to a light syrup-like consistency.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken skewers and serve immediately!!

Lebni dip with herb grilled flatbread

I saw this recipe in the Tribune Food section and knew instantly it was going to be good. I had never tried Lebni or Kefir cheese before or Zahtar mix either but it sounded good. So I went to my local middle eastern market and picked up the ingredients and I now have a new favorite recipe!

Lebni dip

Lebni dip Ingredients

6 Tbs zahtar
2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
10 ounces Lebni or Kefir cheese
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Flatbread Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbs chopped fresh garlic
2 cups softly packed fresh herb leaves (basil, cilantro)
1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 (8-inch) flatbreads


Directions for dip

Combine zahtar and sesame seeds in a small bowl.



On a large shallow platter, spread the Lebni 1/2 to 1 inch thick.

Sprinkle zahtar mixture evenly over Lebni.

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over cheese and zahtar.

Top with optional garnishes such as chives, tomatoes or cilantro if desired.

Herb-Grilled Flatbread Directions

Combine all ingredients except flatbread in blender and blend until smooth.




Brush both sides of flatbread with the herb oil and let marinate for several hours.

Grill bread evenly on both sides. Cut bread into wedges before serving.

Makes 4 servings

ENJOY!!!

sage butter couscous

Ingredients

1 cup couscous

1 1/2 cup water

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs olive oil

1/4 cup sage leaves

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the water to a boil. Add couscous and stir. Cover, and simmer for 2 minutes or until all water has been absorbed. stir to fluff. Remove from heat and allow to hang out for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add sage and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in couscous. Add in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Some of my fun faves right now!

Here are some fun things that I would like right now. As my husband says, " you want everything" Yep and it changes daily :)

Forget those hard-to-clean garlic presses, razor-sharp graters and time-consuming chopping. Introducing Garlic Cards - a new invention from Sweden for grating garlic both quickly and easily.

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These have refined designs and playful colors, Thomas Paul's folk dinner plates.


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Executive Mallo Blaster Ready, aim and don’t get fired. Blast away the office doldrums with a sleek chrome and black blaster. Pump action shooter fires large marshmallows up to 40 feet

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Once used to cart sodas to vending machines and restaurants, each individual crate showcases unique variations and timeworn character that comes from years of use. Add a nostalgic touch to picnics and gatherings, or use them as a stylish storage option

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New Pantry pocket door!

Here is our new pantry pocket door. It's actually a laundry/pantry but I liked this door the best! :-)

Orange balsamic chicken thighs

This is a take on a Rachel Ray recipe I got from her Everyday magazine. I served it with a sage butter couscous that was really good. I will get that recipe out soon!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, quartered
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 Tbs. minced/crushed garlic
1/3 cup honey-roasted pecans, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Sprinkle the rosemary and garlic on top and cook the chicken until crispy and brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Whisk the balsamic vinegar and orange marmalade into the skillet, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the pan and coat with the sauce and sprinkle with pecans.

Serve with rice, pasta or sage butter couscous. Recipe to come soon!

Ellie's Almond Saffron Dip

I was asked what I served my artichokes with and of course nothing beats melted garlic butter. However I watched an episode of Healthy Appetite and Ellie made this Almond Saffron Dip for her artichokes. It looked REALLY good and SO much better for you then butter. I haven't made it yet but I would love to know if anyone decides to make it and rate it!

Ingredients

pinch saffron
1 tablespoon boiling water
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, stir together saffron and the tablespoon of boiling water. Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the almonds and add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. In a food processor, grind the almonds until finely chopped. Add the saffron mixture, onion mixture, yogurt and parsley and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve with the artichokes.

Gazpacho quick and easy

My school is having our 2nd annual "Friends from around the World" Fiesta tomorrow( I named it, do you like it?) I am doing a booth on Spain because, well I have Spain fever. I printed out a bunch of pictures on the La Tomatina Festival which is a huge tomato fight in the streets of Bunol, Valencia.

doesn't that look like such a fun time?

I am going to have the kids paint with tomatoes and taste some Gazpacho. Like I mentioned before I haven't been in the kitchen much lately and I'm kinda enjoying it so when I remembered I needed to make some Gazpacho I thought "OK' let's do this the easy way. So here is what I came up with. Since my dishwasher is in Vegas, luckily I only have a cutting board, a knife and a food processor to clean! Phew!

* I doubled this recipe so that is why it looks like so much in the food processor ;-)

Oh and if you don't know what Gazpacho is, "it's a is a cold tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalucia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain and neighboring Portugal. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities." It's sometimes referred to as a liquid salad!

Ingredients
6-8 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
salt (preferably sea salt)
fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice of
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup tomato juice

Directions

Dump 1/3 cup olive oil and lemon juice into a blender or food processor.

Add the vegetables, then the seasonings.

Add the vinegar and tomato juice

Use the "pulse" button on food processor so it makes a chopped soup rather than smooth

Taste and then add more salt, pepper, oil or juice to your liking.

I made this for a party but if it was for me I would garnish with some fresh basil and serve with some fresh crusty bread. Take it outside and enjoy!