Annette’s Corn Salad

Yield: about 5- 6 cups

For the salad:
2 cups fresh raw corn kernels
1 15.5 oz can red kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
 

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

½- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

To make the salad: Place all the ingredients in a medium size bowl.

To make the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well.  Add the dressing to the corn mixture, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cobb Salad (From Warehouse to Your House)

Packed full of protein and fat, Cobb Salad seems to me the perfect fare for anyone on the Atkins Diet.  In 1936, so the story goes, Bob Cobb, the owner of The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles , went into the restaurants kitchen and put whatever intrigued him into a salad. He served it to some friends, who later came back looking to have it replicated.

Given the story, Bob Cobb would probably approve of any or all of the following: substitute Feta for the blue cheese, prosciutto for the bacon and steak for the chicken.

Serves 4

For the dressing:

1/4-cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1-teaspoon black pepper

For the salad:

1 pound poached chicken (page 00) or turkey breast, cooked, shredded and cooled

1/2 pound bacon, cooked, blotted with paper towel, and well chopped

1- 2 avocadoes, peeled, seeded and cubed

3 large tomatoes, cubed

1/4 pound bleu cheese, well crumbled

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

2 large hard boiled eggs, chilled (optional) and halved or quartered

2- 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

2- 3 cups watercress leaves

To make the dressing: Place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Place the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss.  Serve over a bed of a mixture of romaine and watercress.

Espresso Rubbed Burger

These are not burgers for buns. Instead, serve them with lemon we degrees es: as with a cup of espresso, the tartness of the lemon brings out the flavor of the bitter coffee. Either way, it’s impossible to guess the mysterious ingredient in this rub.

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon coarsely ground espresso beans

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ - 1 ¾ pound ground chuck

1 lemon, quartered

Place the ground espresso, salt, pepper, brown sugar, chili powder and cinnamon on a large plate and mix well.

Place the ground chuck on a work surface and divide into 4 balls of equal size. Dre degrees e in the espresso mixture and form each ball into a patty about ¾- 1 inch thick. If you like your burgers flat, make a half inch indentation about the size of a quarter in the middle of each side. Handle the patties as little as possible: do not work more than necessary.

Place a cast iron skillet over high heat and when it is hot but not smoking add the burgers to the dry pan. Cook until well seared on both sides, 8- 10 minutes for (medium rare) and 10- 12 minutes (for medium).  Serve immediately, garnished with the lemon quarters.

Alternatively, fill the bottom of a charcoal chimney with two pieces of crumpled newspaper and the top with hardwood lump charcoal. Light the newspaper and burn until the coals are glowing red, about 15- 20 minutes. Dump the coals out into the bottom of the grill and, using tongs, spread them out evenly. Cover with the grate.  After 5 minutes, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean the grate. When the coals are covered with a pale grey ash and you can leave your hand 5 inches above the fire for 3- 4 seconds, the coals are medium high and ready.

Place the burgers on the grate and grill until well seared on both sides, 8- 10 minutes for (medium rare) and 10- 12 minutes (for medium).  

Spicy Black Bean Burger

A little bit like a black bean taco, these burgers are spot –on when accompanied by  lettuce, tomato, guacamole, salsa, jack cheese and sour cream.

4 cups cooked, rinsed and drained black beans

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

2 large eggs

4 scallions, minced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or basil leaves, or a combination

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½- 2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

1- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Place 2 cups black beans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until chunky. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the whole black beans, the remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions and form each into a patty about ¾- 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the patties with salt and pepper. Place a cast iron skillet over high heat and when it is hot but not smoking add the burgers to the dry pan. Cook until well seared on both sides and heated throughout, 8- 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, developed by David Ogonowksi, a former pastry chef at Olives restaurant in Charlestown , MA , don’t resemble the recipe for the chunky, earthy cookies found on the oat box packaging or the classic ones found on chocolate chip bags. Instead the flavor is more delicate and the texture more shortbread-like: once you try these you won’t go back to either.

The difference between old-fashioned oats and quick oats is simply that the quick oats are cut into smaller pieces for faster cooking. Since you are crushing the oats even further, here it makes no difference at all.

11/4 cups (21/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, pulsed well in a food processor

2 cups all-purpose white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels or 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, chunked or roughly grated

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until everything is well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate and mix again.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Alternatively, you can roll the dough into a log (see boxed copy, page 00). Transfer to the oven and bake until the cookies begin to brown at the e degrees es, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen cookies

German Chocolate Cookies

When I was a child, I used to love German chocolate cake, the classic chocolate cake filled and topped with a gooey pecan and coconut concoction, and ordered it whenever and wherever it was offered. I was sure it would be easy to mimic those flavors in a cookie, but that turned out to be no simple task. After testing and testing, I came up with this cookie: crisp and light in texture but rich and chocolate-y in flavor. It certainly rivals the cakes I had growing up.

Although I am not a milk drinker, these beg for a tall glass of cold whole milk or for an even more decadent treat, coconut ice cream.

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

11/2 cups all-purpose white flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa (I like Droste or Scharffen Berger)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup lightly toasted and cooled pecans (see boxed copy, page 00), coarsely chopped

4 ounces German’s sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, one at a time, mixing well between additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix until everything is well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the coconut, pecans and chocolate and mix again.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Alternatively, you can roll the dough into a log (see boxed copy, page 00). Transfer to the oven and bake until the underside of the cookie begins to firm up, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen cookies

Graham Cracker Malted Vanilla Ice Cream

I am a huge fan of malt (a powder made from dried whole milk, malted barley and wheat flour) and think it’s a great addition to most ice cream flavors: banana, strawberry and chocolate, among them. Malt (aka malted milk powder) is sold in most grocery stores and is well loved for its use in a popular milkshake flavor made from vanilla ice cream, whole milk and a scoop of malt powder.

Serve with roasted plums or apricots or garnish with chocolate chips, toasted or fresh coconut or tiny marshmallows.

11/2 cups whole milk

11/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup white sugar

4-inch vanilla bean, split and scraped (optional)

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch kosher salt

1/3 cup malt powder

3 graham crackers (plain, cinnamon or chocolate covered), crumbled

Place the milk, cream, 1/4 cup of the sugar and, if desired, the vanilla bean seeds and pod (now empty) in a small pan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it is warm, about 175 degrees F.

Place the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the vanilla extract and salt in a small metal bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking all the while. Continue adding the milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 11/2 cups. Slowly, whisking all the while, return the now milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185 degrees F. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Strain into a metal bowl and discard the solids. Gradually add the malt powder, whisking all the while. Set the mixture aside until it reaches room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40 degrees F, about 3 hours. Remove the vanilla pod, transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

When the ice cream is just beginning to come together but has not hardened completely, add the graham crackers and process for about 5 more minutes.

Makes 11/2 to 2 pints

Triple Coconut Ice Cream

I am a huge coconut enthusiast and this rendition layer upon layer of coconut flavor really packs it in. Add chopped dried apricots, chocolate chips or nuts or drizzle with Bittersweet Cocoa Sauce.

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup white sugar

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

Pinch kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup toasted, shredded sweetened coconut

Place the milk, cream, coconut milk and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small pan and cook over low heat, whisking from time to time, until it is warm, about 175 degrees F.

Place the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt in a small metal bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture to the eggs, whisking all the while. Continue adding milk to the eggs, 1/4 cup at a time, until you have added about 11/2 cups. Slowly, whisking all the while, return the now milk and egg mixture to the remaining milk mixture in the pan and continue cooking until it just begins to thicken or reaches about 185 degrees F. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Pour through a medium fine strainer into a metal bowl, discard the solids and set aside until it reaches room temperature.

Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40 degrees F, about 3 hours. Transfer to an ice cream maker and proceed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Beef with Toasted Sesame Oil, Soy and Cilantro

Although this marinade includes soy sauce, it’s the toasted sesame oil that gives this dish a decidedly Asian flavor. Don’t think of substituting regular sesame oil: the sesame seeds in toasted sesame oil have been toasted first, which gives the oil a much stronger and wonderfully smoky (but occasionally bitter) taste. Toasted sesame oil should be used in small quantities whereas regular sesame oil, which is made directly from fresh sesame seeds (and tastes just like sesame seeds) is more mellow, making it ideal for salad dressing.

Serve with steamed rice, a crunchy salad of romaine lettuce with oranges and lightly toasted walnuts and/or grilled asparagus. Add lightly oiled broccoli, zucchini and bell peppers to the skewers.

For the marinade:

½ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 pounds sirloin tips, left in long, thin strips, or top blade steaks, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 1/4 inch cubes

1-teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper 

To make the marinade: Place the soy, cilantro, toasted sesame oil, garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes in a non- reactive 3- 4 quart bowl and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add the beef to the bowl and mix until it is completely immersed in the marinade. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a large zip-lock bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Fill the bottom of a charcoal chimney with two pieces of crumpled newspaper and the top with hardwood lump charcoal. Light the newspaper and burn until the coals are glowing red, about 15- 20 minutes. Dump the coals out into the bottom of the grill and, using tongs, spread them out evenly. Cover with the grate.  After 5 minutes, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean the grate. When the coals are covered with a pale grey ash and you can leave your hand 5 inches above the fire for 2 seconds, the coals are ready. 

To cook, remove as much marinade as possible from the beef. Thread the beef on skewers and sprinkle all sides with the salt and pepper. 

Greek Chicken Kabobs

A take-off on the classic Greek salad, substituting the lettuce for chicken, serve these with tomatoes, cucumbers and feta cheese. Rice pilaf is a nice addition. 

For the marinade:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1/3-cup extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

½ teaspoon kosher salt

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 ¼ inch chunks 

1-teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

One lemon, cut into 6 pieces

To make the marinade: Place the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, mint and ½ teaspoon salt in a non- reactive 3- 4 quart bowl and mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add the chicken to the bowl and mix until it is completely immersed in the marinade. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to a large zip-lock bag. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

Fill the bottom of a charcoal chimney with two pieces of crumpled newspaper and the top with hardwood lump charcoal. Light the newspaper and burn until the coals are glowing red, about 15- 20 minutes. Dump the coals out into the bottom of the grill and, using tongs, spread them out evenly. Cover with the grate.  After 5 minutes, use a wire brush to thoroughly clean the grate. When the coals are covered with a pale grey ash and you can leave your hand 5 inches above the fire for 3- 4 seconds, the coals are ready.

To cook, remove as much marinade as possible from the chicken. Thread the chicken on skewers and sprinkle all sides with the salt and pepper. 

Place the kabobs on the grate and grill, turning every 1 1/2 minutes, until the chicken is  well browned on the outside and no longer pink in the inside, 8- 10 minutes total.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately with the lemon pieces.