Maple-Jalapeno Sweet Potato

I'll admit that the first time I read this recipe, I was a little put off by the combination of sweet potato, maple syrup, sour cream, and jalapeno.  I'm glad I overcame my reservations, because this thing is delicious!  It has the perfect combination of hot and cold and sweet and salty, and you can dress it up with any toppings you like.  Although it takes about an hour to prepare, most of that is oven time, so it makes it a perfect side dish for a more involved main course.

Maple-Brined Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

As a rule, I do not like to eat grilled chicken breasts.  I think they are the most boring and unimaginative protein to prepare and the taste is consistently underwhelming.  This dish breaks that rule.  With a little advanced prep, this dish can be prepared in fifteen minutes and results in the best chicken breast I've had in years, a tasty and healthy side dish, and a cranberry chutney that gives the whole thing a little zing.

The first secret to this dish is the brine. This technique ensures that the entire breast is infused with flavor and still moist after grilling.  We brined the chicken breasts for two hours and then let them rest for another few hours before lightly seasoning them and firing up the grill.  You could leave them in the solution for up to four hours to give the chicken even more taste, but any longer might make the meat too salty.

The second secret is using a package mix for the wild rice.  If we were preparing this for company, we would of done it the old-fashioned way with natural ingredients, but tonight we were looking for a fast, low-key meal.  Brown and Wild Rice would normally take about forty-five minutes to prepare; this was ready in about five.  I don't feel too bad about our shortcut, because we used fresh ingredients for both the chutney and the wild rice mix.

Pork Scaloppine with Mom's Coleslaw

Thin meat, breaded like this, is one of our favorites. And you can't go wrong with my mother's coleslaw. The scaloppine takes a little effort to prepare, but the crunchy/juicy combination of breaded pork with lemon-butter sauce is worth a little extra time and mess in the kitchen.

Making coleslaw is incredibly easy. There are only two secrets: cut the cabbage as thin as you can, and no matter what size bowl you grab, you'll wish you had grabbed a bigger one. When you add the salt and pepper, remember that moderation is the enemy of flavor. Toss everything thoroughly between (frequent) tastings, and you can't go wrong.

The sauce is fairly straight-forward to make. Be sure to really whisk and cook the flour before you continue to the next step. You only need to stir it occasionally after you've added the other ingredients. You'll know it's ready when it has a nice sheen and a tart lemon flavor. Reduce heat to low and give it a final stir when you're ready to plate.

When it comes to pounding meat, I learned everything I know from Alton Brown on Good Eats. A ziplock bag and a bit of water makes this an easy and tidy task. Slosh a bit of water in the bag and pour it out, then add the meat a piece at a time. Press the air out of the bag and lightly hammer it with your mallet until you're happy with the thickness. Gently remove the meat and repeat.

Normally when you bread meat you start with a coat of flour. In the interest of making this dish (slightly) healthy, we've omitted that step. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure that I can taste a difference. Some recipes season the egg bath or the bread mixture with salt and pepper, but it always seems like the flavor gets lost when I do that, so make sure you season the meat before you begin.

With the above set-up, I use my left hand to grab a cutlet, dip it in the egg bath, and drop it into the bread crumbs. Then I use my right hand to scoop some crumbs on top of the meat, give it a good pat and gently shake loose the extra crumbs before I arranged it on the pan. This method helps me to avoid the "club hand". Do it differently and you'll see what I mean.

Using the broiler instead of sauteing the cutlets in butter is faster, cleaner, and a bit healthier. I still prefer the flavor of the full-fat method, but Kate and I agreed that this was a fantastic dish.

Korean-Style Tuna with Cilantro Noodles

This one is fast, simple, and has loads of flavor.  We topped it with a Wasabi Compound Butter, but you could reserve some of the marinade before you add the tuna and use it as a dipping sauce. This is a great example of the "less is more" philosophy of cooking: a few ingredients, properly prepared, will result in a bold and satisfying meal.

Adding Red Pepper Flakes to the Marinade

I find it easier to mix the marinade in a measuring bowl and give it a vigorous stir before it goes in the bag with the tuna.

Grilling Tuna

Make sure that you don't over cook the steaks.  Tuna cooked well-done might as well be cardboard.  I prefer my tuna to be seared on the outside and nearly raw in the middle.  Kate likes hers more towards medium-rare.  We agreed that the rule of thumb in our house will be "two-minute tuna", and no more.

Ramen in the Wok

When you make the noodles, be sure to have all of your ingredients ready to go.  This dish cooks in a hurry, and you won't have time to measure and cut once you start.  This might be my favorite preparation for Ramen Noodles.

Shogayaki Chicken with Ginger-Apricot Rice

According to the recipe, "shoga" means ginger and "yaki" means grill or fry, so I guess you could call this Ginger Chicken.  We gave this a "good but not great" rating.  It takes about a half hour to make and uses two pots.

Using fresh ginger is critical in this dish.  Make sure that it is well minced before you add it to the marinade and the rice, because a large chunk in your mouth can be pretty intense.  You will also use Sesame Oil and Mirin, which make a noticeable difference in flavor.  Sesame Oil is one of my favorite ingredients in Asian dishes and has a distinct nutty flavor.  Mirin adds a sweetness to the dish to balance the ginger and garlic.

Steak House Mushroom Burger with Creamed Spinach

Steak House Mushroom Burger with Creamed Spinach

I admit this doesn't look too pretty on the plate, but it's fast to make, filling, and has a great beefy taste.  This was our first experience with home-ground beef, and we could really tell the difference.  The texture and flavor were superior to any store-bought hamburger meat that we've ever had.  We omitted the toast this time, but it's really good when it soaks up the sauce.

Seasoned, mixed and ready to cook

Using the electric grill when it's cold outside is nice, and has the added convenience of cooking the burgers faster because of the top plate.  My patties were about 1" thick before I put the grill down.

Creamed Spinach

The cayenne and the nutmeg add a lot of flavor to the Spinach.  A little goes a long way, especially with the nutmeg.  I've read that cooked spinach is much better for you than raw, and this is one of the few cooked spinach dishes that I enjoy.