JULY 20 VIRTUAL COOKING CLASS

Come cutlet with me next Wednesday, July 20 from 4-5:15pm ET! Cooks of all skill levels are welcome and our menu is vegetarian-friendly. $40 per Zoomer. Here is our menu:

Perfect Chicken (or Eggplant or Zucchini) Cutlets

Tomato and Crushed Olive Salad

Lemony Arugula with Shaved Parm

In my opinion, cutlets are a basic recipe everyone should have down pat. Well-executed, they are a meal that everyone loves no matter their age. Good ones are crackling crisp, moist and highly flavorful. The chicken cutlets and veg “cutlets” we’ll be making together are just that.

You can enjoy them in countless ways. Dipped in warm tomato sauce (or ketchup); slathered with marinara, showered with mozz and baked up as chicken or eggplant parm; served atop any green salad; or enjoyed as a fried chicken or veg sandwich in a soft bun with slaw and special sauce. Or you can eat them as we will, with a seasonal tomato salad.

The tomato and crushed olive salad is bright, fresh and acidic – three attributes that are needed to balance the richness of the breaded chicken (or veg). Any highly acidic salad pairs well – think an extra lemony arugula salad (which we’ll make last minute because I can’t help myself), a citrus and fennel salad, or mixed bitter greens with lemon-dijon vinaigrette and avocado.

Let’s be honest, cutlets are a labor of love. You slice, you pound (for chicken), you dredge, you cook….and then you’re left with….ONE thing? There is no way around the fact that you have to want to make your people happy when you embark on the project. Luckily, they freeze like a dream so you can make them once and enjoy them twice. We’ll be prepping a double batch so you’ll have the star of a second meal stored away in your freezer.

Register for the class here.  I will approve your registration, and send you an invoice and more information about the class including a grocery list, our recipes and answers to common questions. If you can’t make it live, the recording will be made available to all registrants after the class.

HOPE I SEE YOU THERE!

GARLICKY ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS AND PEPPERS WITH LEMON AND ANCHOVY

Nothing makes me quite as happy come dinnertime than knowing I already have it made. Usually this comes in the form of that typical prepped-ahead What We Eat-style salad – you know the one, a mix of cooked and raw vegetables, herbs, citrus zest, a nut, a cheese, avocado, maybe a handful of grain. But sometimes I want a warm, more comforting meal.

That urge hit this Tuesday. Although I’m still building back my pantry after months of escaping the city, my kitchen never lacks the holy trinity of anchovies, lemon and garlic. These workhorse ingredients create magic when combined, lending a vibrant, earthy, ever so tangy flavor to whatever they touch. All I needed to grab before the rain and wind pick up is a protein, vegetable and fresh herb to brighten the finished dish.

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GOLDEN ROASTED POTATOES, LEMON AND CHICKEN THIGHS WITH MARINATED GOAT CHEESE AND SOFT HERBS

This is one of those meals you build as you go. While the oven preheats, you cube up a bag of potatoes, slice a lemon, pull apart a head of garlic and give those a bath of olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer the mix to a sheet tray and give it a head start while you salt and pepper a couple of pounds of chicken thighs (and pour yourself a glass of wine). Remove the sheet tray from the oven and give the vegetables a good toss, then top with the chicken thighs and return to the oven. All that’s left to do is to clean whatever herbs you have on hand, crumble and a log of goat cheese and set the table. Plus, who doesn’t love a one pan meal?

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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup

What happens when you combine two trends? You get Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup inspired by the Good Food Plan by Healthyish. We took some serious liberties with their original recipe and used our new favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot.

This soup is a happy marriage of sweet potato, garlic, and ginger, making it the perfect cold weather soup to heat you from the inside out. If you don’t have an Instant Pot that is okay! A pressure cooker works great, as well as just a good old dutch oven. This soup also freezes well if you want to double the recipe and save it for a lazy evening.

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Summer Grilling: Spiced Butterflied Chicken with Tahini Yogurt and Mint Chimichurri

 

Summer weather has finally arrived in New York City and with that an entirely new world of possibilities has opened up. Picnics in the park, drinks at a rooftop bar, and weekend beach escapes are just a few of the many options that New Yorkers have as an outlet to beat the scorching heat. Personally, I think nothing screams summer more than a barbecue.

Grilling outside feels primal somehow. Cooking outdoors over an open flame harkens back to the very first cooking methods, and even though we have evolved, it is still one of the most delicious. I love the crisp char of grilled meat or vegetables coupled with the smoky aroma that they release into the breeze. Over time, I have learned through trial and error what works best on the grill versus what proves to be a very messy or frustrating experience. In the end, the biggest problem for me has always been striking the balance between having an enjoyable outdoor grilling experience while keeping in mind that I live New York City, a place with almost no nature and an extremely low tolerance for open flames.

Once, about a year back, I got the opportunity to take a day off from chef life and attend a backyard party in the Lower East Side. The afternoon was beautiful, the drinks were flowing and the vision of so many “artisanal” bratwursts was a sight to behold. I watched as the grill was piled with burgers, steaks and franks. The grill cracked and popped at the influx of raw ingredients and flames began to lick up over the grate. The grill was obviously overloaded, but I was hesitant to jump into chef mode. Onlookers observed as the small flames and wisps of smoke steadily grew. The mood quickly escalated into panic as a full-fledged fire emerged and began to dance around the telephone wires six feet up. All ended quickly and safely but I have been forever traumatized by my first New York City grilling experience.

 
Summer grilling at sunset

I have since dedicated much time and practice to learning the art and grace of outdoor grilling. Cooking on my own rooftop has become an amazing dinnertime ritual now that the weather allows and the sun stays up later. Rian and I frequently experiment with new glazes or rubs, so I thought I would share last night’s delicious endeavor of grilling a butterflied chicken. This was a play on a chicken tagine that we have been making for clients of late. The result wa
s a charred and flavorful crust that gave way to tender and juicy meat. We enjoyed the entire bird over a swoosh of Tahini Yogurt and topped with a drizzle of mint chimichurri. I have since decided that I never want to go back to traditional roasting.

 

For the Chicken:

1 Chicken, butterflied

1 tbs chili powder

1 tbs Cumin

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tbs Smoked paprika

1 tbs Ground Coriander

1 tbs olive oil

For the Chimichurri:

1/2 cup cilantro

1/2 cup mint

1 clove garlic

2 tbs parsley

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

pinch of salt

To make the chimichurri: combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chopped finely. Allow to rest and develop the flavors.

To make the chicken: In a bowl, combine the spices, garlic and olive oil until a paste forms. Rub the paste under the skin of the chicken and on top until evenly coated. Sprinkle a liberal amount of salt and pepper on top and head toward the grill!

Turn the grill on medium high and cook skin side down for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve scattered with cracked green olives, a dollop of tahini yogurt and a drizzle with chimichurri.

With Love,  Kristina