Café con Leche

Peaches, plums, cherries and apricots are a few of summer's sweetest treasures that already at your local supermarket. I enjoy eating these fruits just as they are - fresh, sweet and full of juice. However, there are some recipes that make good use of them such Porks Chops with Nectarines.

Selecting Fruits

Apricots
When choosing fresh apricots, look for plump orange-colored fruits; some may have 'reddish cheeks'. Even when not fully ripe, apricots should yield to gentle pressure and exude a sweet fragrance; the skin should be smooth and velvety. Ripe apricots should be refrigerated and used as soon as possible and will likely only keep a day or two at the most. Don't wash apricots until you're ready to eat them.

Avoid: Any that have shriveled skin or bruises. Also avoid those tinged with green as they will never develop full flavor.

Cherries
To choose large (an inch or more in diameter) cherries, look for glossy, plump, dark colored, firm fruits with their stems intact. Bing cherries range from a purplish-mahogany color to nearly black. The stems should be fresh and green. Fresh cherries in good condition should keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, but check them occasionally and remove any that have begun to go bad.

Avoid: Cherries without stems, as the resulting skin break presents an opportunity for decay to begin or cherries that are sticky through juice leakage.

Nectarines
Choose brightly colored and fragrant nectarines that yield to gentle thumb pressure, especially along the seam. Firm or moderately hard fruits will ripen in two or three days if kept at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag, away from sunlight. A rosy blush is not an indication of ripeness, merely a varietal characteristic. By the way, white nectarines are significantly sweeter than the yellow variety.

Avoid: Rock hard or greenish fruit as well as fruit that are too soft or shriveled

Peaches
Look for plump, medium to large peaches with unwrinkled skins. Choose fruits that yield slightly to pressure along the "seam," even if they may otherwise be fairly firm and are mildly fragrant. When you sniff the stem end, a ripe peach will smell very sweet and peachy

The perfect peach is ripened on a tree. Once picked, peaches do not get any sweeter although they will become softer and juicier as they mature.

Avoid: Undertones of green indicate the peaches were picked too soon and will not ripen properly and won't be sweet.

Plums
Plums should be plump and well colored for their variety. If the fruit yields to gentle pressure, it is ready to eat. Ripe plums can be refrigerated for up to three days however, remember that they will be juiciest and sweetest at room temperature.

Avoid: Plums with shriveled skin, mushy spots, or breaks in the skin.

Posted by Rosa at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme
* Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 ounces)
* 4 cups packed arugula leaves
* 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of the mustard with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and the thyme. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then brush them all over with the mustard mixture. Pat 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan all over each breast. Transfer the chicken breasts to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the chicken on the top shelf of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until just cooked through and nicely browned.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon each of mustard and olive oil; stir in 1/2 teaspoon of water. Add the arugula and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Spoon the salad onto plates, top with the chicken and serve.

TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN
SERVES: 4

From Food & Wine Magazine

Posted by Rosa at 08:48 PM | Permalink

Ingredients

1 small onion
1 small garlic clove peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons butter
4 C peas
chicken stock
cream
1 teaspoon fresh or dried herbs of your choice (oregano) - Fresh oregano & marjoram are good.

Directions

1. In a soup pot saute the onions in the butter until they become translucent. If necessary, cover the pot to ensure that the onions do not scorch. Add salt and the chopped garlic and continue sautening for approximately 3 more min. Add peas and enough chicken stock to cover the peas. Stir in the chooped herbs with a little salt and cover. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer unitl the peas are tender.

2. Use your blender puree soup. If desire, add about 1/2 cup of cream and serve.

Since I made this for Winston I am pureeing small batches at a time and have omitted the cream.

NOTE: Measurements are approximate. I use white onions because yellow onions are sweeter and have less edge than white onions.

Posted by Rosa at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredients

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup peanuts
4 scallions, white bulbs and green tops cut separately into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of the sherry, and the 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, water, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sherry, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch.

3. In a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the peanuts and stir-fry until light brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the white part of the scallions and the red-pepper flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the chicken with its marinade and cook, stirring, until almost done, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy-sauce mixture and the scallion tops and simmer until the chicken is just done, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the peanuts.

MAKES: 4

From Food & Wine Magazine

Posted by Rosa at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingridients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 whole chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks (2 pounds)
salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound white mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup tomato sauce

Directions

1. In a very large skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook them over moderate heat, undisturbed, until they begin to brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, puree the garlic cloves with the onion and cilantro leaves. Add the garlic and onion puree to the mushrooms and cook over moderate heat until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce. Return the chicken legs to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer the sauce until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season the braised chicken legs with salt and pepper, transfer them to plates and serve with the sauce

SERVES: 4
TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN

From Food & Wine Magazine

Posted by Rosa at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredients

One 12-ounce pork tenderloin, cut into 6 medallions and flattened slightly
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thickly sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Directions

1. Heat a large, heavy skillet until hot to the touch. Season the pork medallions with the curry powder, salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the skillet, then add the pork medallions and cook over moderately high heat until lightly browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the medallions and add the butter. Move the pork to one side of the skillet and add the squash. Cook, stirring the squash occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. Transfer the pork medallions to a plate and keep warm.

2. Add the onion and shiitake to the squash, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring until all of the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, thyme and any accumulated pork juices to the squash. Spoon the vegetables onto plates, arrange the pork medallions around them and serve.

TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN
SERVES: 2

From Food & Wine Magazine

Posted by Rosa at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1 large garlic clove
* 1 small shallot, chopped
* 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped dill
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons chopped mint
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 4 boneless chicken breast halves, with skin (2 pounds)
* 2 medium yellow squash (1 pound), sliced crosswise on the diagonal 1/3 inch thick
* 2 medium zucchini (1 pound), sliced crosswise on the diagonal 1/3 inch thick
* 1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled (1 cup)

Directions

1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice with the garlic, shallot, dill and mustard and puree until smooth. With the machine on, slowly pour in 6 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir in the mint and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a shallow bowl, coat the chicken with 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette. Let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the yellow squash and zucchini with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the squash and zucchini, turning once, until tender and slightly charred, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the vegetables to a platter and keep warm.

4. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.

TOTAL TIME: 35 MIN
SERVES: 4

From Food and Wine Magazine

Posted by Rosa at 08:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)