A Fine Line Between Love and Hate

Super Bowl Ready

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with Martha Stewart.  I say that as though she and I actually have a relationship.  Clearly, Martha and I don't know one another, but I feel like we have a relationship because well, Martha is omnipresent.  She's everywhere.  Even while Martha was in jail, she was still everywhere.  And, like clockwork,  Martha Stewart Living continued arriving in my mailbox, further insuring that Martha was still lurking, even if just from her digs at the federal pen.

My point is that I'm not really sure how I feel about Martha Stewart.  So, me being me, I made a list to evaluate.  (Please note that this list took about 20 seconds to compile.)

A Few Good Things About Martha:

She's a strong, successful woman, (albeit a convicted felon which is decidedly not a good thing).
She has lots of good ideas to enrich what I suspect she thinks are our somewhat mundane lives.
She's very organized.
She can decorate a whole jail cell for any holiday using just a hot glue gun and origami paper.

and A Few Things I Don't Really Like About Martha:

She calls aromatics like rosemary and thyme "herbs", as in "This is my friend Herb Greenberg".  Everyone knows that "Herbs" are people, and "erbs" are food.

She has a lot of great ideas but they always seems to require a trip to the lumber yard, a jigsaw, tubes of hot glue, and a welders mask.

She gets very angry at Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show when they don't follow her directions to the letter.  I mean, come on.  It's a three minute segment, and Martha may be able to whip up platters of Super Bowl Snacks in the allotted time, but she also has a team of low paid semi-professionals on standby who make it look effortless.

While Martha's ideas are certainly impressive, her recipes sometimes fall short.

Such is the case with this recipe for Chocolately Pretzel and Peanut Cookie Bars.  Really good idea, but the execution.... not so much.

Martha's original recipe calls for a crust made of ground up pretzels, butter and sugar.  The resulting cookie bar was sticky and didn't hold together well.  After sampling the results to the tune of half the pan, I tried again.  This time I substituted in a nice, thick graham cracker crust which provided a solid base for all the pretzely goodness that was to follow.  I also scattered on a little additional graham cracker crumb to "tie the whole thing together".  The resulting bar was not only delicious but easy to cut and eat.  (And pack.  I sent them off to Kate at college where I am sure they were met with a great amount of enthusiasm.  These are college students, after all.  Stale sandwich cookies from Costco would be met with great enthusiasm.)

Maybe Martha was just better at making these bars using her recipe than I was.  Who knows?  All I do know is that the idea was good, Martha's execution so-so, and my adaptation, positively yummy.

Chocolatey Pretzel and Peanut Cookie Bars
(Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, January/February, 2014)

Ingredients::

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
31/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups salted mini pretzel twists
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups lightly salted cocktail peanuts
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 61 percent cacao, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang on long sides. Butter parchment.

Place 3 cups graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl and stir in sugar and butter until well combined. Transfer to pan, spreading evenly, and pack down flat with the bottom of a measuring cup or small roller.. Drizzle condensed milk evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with peanuts, chocolate, remaining graham cracker crumbs, and pretzels, gently pressing them into milk.

Bake until chocolate melts and condensed milk bubbles and becomes golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. Run a paring knife between bars and short sides of pan. Using parchment overhangs, transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 20 squares.

Someone Has To Go First

You really have to admire the first person who tried eating an artichoke.  Artichokes are not a friendly looking food.  In fact, I'm not sure artichokes really even look like food.  But maybe to the caveman, or whoever first thought "maybe we can eat this", it was worth the risk.

Artichokes just don't look edible.  The idea of dealing with those prickly leaves, and all that furry looking stuff around the heart well, it just doesn't scream "Eat Me!" to me.

But alas, someone did  originally try artichokes.  Whoever that was discovered they were quite tasty, or at least he discovered that you could actually eat one without dying.  Kudos go out to that guy, but moreover, to the person who decided that dipping the leaves in melted butter would be a nice way to enjoy them.  (Clearly a woman was responsible for that for sure.)

I also want to give a shout out to the person who first froze artichoke hearts.  This is a cook (or maybe a scientist) after my own heart.  Frozen artichoke hearts (which, btw, are actually called for in this recipe) make this, and many other recipes, a complete snap.  In this recipe, you could substitute in canned artichoke hearts which would also work well.  I suppose you could also go the purist route, and makes this recipe with fresh hearts, but why?

In any case, you should make this recipe.  It's relatively quick and really nice for a weeknight dinner.  And as you're enjoying your chicken, pour yourself a nice glass of wine, and toast the person who first thought "this could be good".

Recipe:  Roast Chicken with Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts
(Food 52.com)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves, skin on, boned if you like
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped fine
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth (Use your best chicken stock -- you won't be sorry.)
1 1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts (about 10), quartered, defrosted, and drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. (If you can, do this early in the day and refrigerate them, covered loosely. This will help the skin crisp up. But it's totally optional.) When you get home, take the breasts out of the refrigerator.

Heat oven to 375.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts skin side down. Cook 2-3 minutes until skin is golden brown. If you have boneless chicken breasts, brown all sides. Remove chicken breasts to oven-proof dish, and place in oven. Roast breasts for 15 (for boneless) to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

While chicken is roasting, sauté chopped shallots and mushrooms with a pinch of salt in oil and pan drippings (you may need to add a little more oil) until shallots are soft and mushrooms have begun to brown slightly and give off their liquid. Stir in flour and cook over medium-low heat until nutty and brown, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes. Pour in chicken stock, and raise heat, until sauce begins to simmer and starts to reduce somewhat. Reduce heat to low and stir in artichoke hearts, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and rosemary. Stir together and cook over low heat until sauce thickens and is blended together and fragrant. Taste and add salt and black pepper as desired. You can turn the heat off and cover it till the chicken has finished roasting.


Just before serving, swirl in a tablespoon of butter if desired. When the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Serve each piece on a bed of sauce, making sure that each serving contains artichoke hearts and mushrooms.

Pittsburgh Food

I must admit that, before I lived in Pittsburgh, I had never eaten a pierogi.  In fact, I had never actually given pierogis a moment's thought.  But then I moved to the 'burgh where pierogis are so popular that they're the Pittsburgh Pirates' mascots.

Let me introduce you to Cheese Chester, Jalapeño Hanna, Saurkraut Saul, and Oliver Onion.

Needless to say, the Pirates' Pierogis are much loved in these parts.  For a while, Kate was collecting Pierogi bauble heads.  Thankfully, she finally got all four and they are now happily residing amongst all the other crap in her bedroom that she just had to have but will probably never look at again.

But I digress.  Pierogis (the ones you can actually eat) are very popular here in Pittsburgh.  In fact, you can purchase them from old ladies who make them in church basements.  You can buy them fresh.  You can buy them frozen.  You can order them in restaurants, and at PNC Park.  Pierogis are like the national food of Pittsburgh.

Having never really given much thought to pierogis, I obviously had never made them.  But then something happened.  Food 52.com featured a recipe for said pierogis and I felt that it was my civic duty to give them a try.

I am going to start by saying that making pierogis was perhaps the most labor intensive thing I have ever done, and that pretty much includes going through actual labor.  You have to make the dough.  Then the dough is refrigerated.  You have to make the filling.  Then the dough has to be rolled, cut, and filled (times 50).  Then the final product is either sautéed or boiled.  Then, and only then, are they ready to eat.

Here's the thing.  These pierogis were actually quite tasty.  Were they as good as the frozen ones?  I like to think they were better.  Were they as good as the ones made by the old women in church basements?  Probably not.  They're the professionals.  I'm just a neophyte, but maybe if I make pierogis 500 more times, mine will be just as good.  Until then, I have about 40 in the freezer waiting to be sautéed or boiled.

Recipe:  Potato, Mushroom, & Caramelized Onion Pierogi
(Food 52.com)

Ingredients:

For the Pierogi Dough

2 cups full fat plain or Greek yogurt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups flour + more for kneading

Directions:

Beat the yogurt, the egg and the salt together with an electric beater on low until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the flour, beating until smooth. The dough will be very sticky. 

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured work surface and knead in enough flour until the dough is smooth and workable (can be rolled out and cut). It will be tacky but not so sticky that it runs all over the work surface and sticks to your hands in a major way. 

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours to firm up.  

 For the Potato, Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Pierogi Filling:

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 pound white mushrooms, trimmed and finely diced

3/4 pounds potatoes for mashing

4 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sour cream or Full-fat or Greek yogurt for serving

Directions:

Chop the onions. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions until caramelized a deep brown, caramelized but not burned. Remove from the skillet and set aside. 

In the same skillet, melt another 2 tablespoons of butter and add the chopped mushrooms. Salt and pepper the mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and all the liquid exuded by the mushrooms has evaporated, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. 

While you are cooking the onions and mushrooms, peel and quarter the potato(es) and place in a small pot. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until soft and mashable, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl. 

If you want the filling a bit richer, melt the extra 2 tablespoons of butter and add to the potatoes. Mash and whip the potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Fold in the cooked mushrooms and the caramelized onions until well blended. Salt and pepper again to taste. 

Take the dough out of the fridge and work with half at a time. The other half keep in the fridge. 

Keeping both your work surface and the surface of the dough well floured, gently roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (1/2 cm), gently lifting it up to flour underneath and turn. Keeping your hands floured also helps. 

Using a 3-inch (7 ½ cm) round cookie cutter (they can be made larger if you like) carefully cut out circles, trying not to deform the circles of dough too much, although this dough is easy to work with and “correctable”. I lifted up the circles, 2 or 3 at a time, and made sure they were on a floured section of the table before trying to fill and fold. With floured fingertips, I tapped each circle a bit to stretch out the circle. Place a mounded teaspoon of filling just off of the center of each round of dough. 

Now, gently pull the wider half over the mound of filling and place the side edge-to-edge with the side with the dough. With the edges matching/meeting, just press with the side of your floured index finger, pulling the dough and pressing to seal. The edge should be a bit less than a finger’s-width. This will also keep the edge from being too thick. Be very careful not to rip the dough covering the filling. 

As you form the pieorgi, 1, 2 or at the most 3 at a time, place them on a floured or lined and floured plate or baking sheet until you are ready to cook. 

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it is boiling, lower a bit to a healthy simmer and drop in the pieorgi just 6 or 7 at a time (they shouldn’t crowd or overlap in the pan). Allow to cook for 6 to 7 minutes. They should float to the top and, when lifted out with a slotted spoon, should look puffy. Cook the rest in batches. Place on towels to drain. 

To fry, simply heat olive oil or a mixture of butter and olive oil in a skillet and fry the pierogi for a few minutes per side, in batches, again, not overcrowding. They should be golden on each side. 

Serve hot with extra yogurt for dipping.

Thanks For The Good Tip

It's always helpful to have friends who share your food tastes.  Let's face it, not everyone is going to get excited about a recipe for a Greek Lamb Stew, and I accept that.  Fortunately for me, my good friend Heidi saw this recipe on Food52.com, mentioned it to me, then made it, and passed on her notes to me.

Just as an aside, two things about Heidi.  Heidi reads the comments and reviews people leave for everything.  She's actually one of those really well informed consumers, something to which I only aspire.  When Heidi goes out to purchase a major appliance, she actually goes armed with data.  She knows what she's looking for.  Unlike me.  I know what I need, and even what I want, but too often I get swept up in all the other stuff.  Whereas, Heidi may want certain features on her dryer, I get distracted by the color which, let's face it, should be a major determinate in absolutely nothing.

Heidi is also the best internet searcher I know.  Honestly, the woman can find absolutely anything you could ever want for less than you ever thought possible.  Truly, it's a gift.  She taught me the ins and outs of Priceline.  While I haven't gotten Ted onboard with the whole idea of picking a hotel without knowing exactly what you're picking, I'm game and I'm ready to go should we need an unnamed hotel in New York City in the near future.  Heidi taught me well.

In any case, Heidi made this "Greek" Lamb with Orzo dish before I did.  She also read all the comments  from others who had already made it, and incorporated those changes.  She passed it all on to me, and I made it.

Once again, Heidi did the legwork and I reaped the benefits.  Thank you Heidi!

Recipe:  "Greek" Lamb with Orzo
(Originally posted on Food52.com)

Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
28 ounces can of whole tomatoes, drained and smooshed with your hands (fun!)
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1 pound orzo pasta
2 cups chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta

Directions:

In a good sized Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pan, heat the one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until it is shimmering. Add the lamb and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Cook, stirring to break it apart, until it is nicely browned. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon and drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Return the pot to the stove top and add the onion and garlic (still over medium-high). Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the spices (cinnamon, oregano, cumin, coriander, and red pepper) and cook until they start smelling extremely toasty and fragrant (1-2 minutes). Then, stir in the smooshed tomatoes. Cook the smooshed tomatoes in the spices, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked lamb back to the pot, give a good stir, then cover the pot and leave it to cook, stirring from time to time, for 20 minutes. At this point, stir in the fresh spinach and cook just a couple more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste (keeping in mind you'll be sprinkling just a touch of feta and olives on, which will add to the saltiness).

While the lamb and tomatoes are simmering together and marrying their flavors, bring a large pot of well-salted water (it should taste like sea water, basically) to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 7 or 8 minutes, usually. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the orzo. Toss the orzo with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, and all of the parsley, adding a bit of pasta water at a time, if you feel it needs additional liquid. Spread the orzo out on an enormous serving platter. Spoon the lamb and sauce all over the top, then sprinkle with the feta and chopped olives. Pass the dish around the table and relax.

Pear Shaped

 Hands down, my favorite meal is breakfast.  Back when I was a kid, I didn't love breakfast as much as I do now, but that's probably because my mother insisted on serving us eggs "country style".  Country style is just a fancy way of saying runny, and I didn't (and still don't) like runny eggs.

But I digress.  Now that I've learned that eggs don't have to be jiggling on the plate, I actually really like them.  I also love all the things that go with eggs: bacon, toast, potatoes, and yes... muffins.  I love a good muffin.  For me, a good muffin has nice texture, a little crunch, and isn't too sweet. Muffins are after all,  a breakfast food.

But just how many banana nut and blueberry muffins can a girl make, before she finds herself longing for something just a little different? A long time apparently.  I've been making banana muffins for what seems like forever.  Don't get me wrong.  I love a good banana nut muffin, but I do often long for something a little different.

Thanks to Smitten Kitchen, my wish was grated in the form of these absolutely delicious pear hazelnut muffins.  Pears?  You thought pears were only for baby food, but you would be wrong.  Their soft, sweet taste permeates these tender muffins.  The hazelnuts give an appealing crunch, and the chocolate well, that just adds a little something-something extra.

Don't let the fact that you'll have to grate the pears on a box grater keep you from whipping up these muffins.  The grated pear adds some nice texture as well, so don't cheat and do it in the food processor.  It's only a cup, so it's not like it's even worth dirtying the processor bowl anyway.

These muffins are a whole new way of looking at pears.

Recipe:  Pear and Hazelnut Muffins
Adapted from Whole Grain Mornings and Smitten Kitchen

Yield: 16 muffins (I sent a dozen to the office with Ted because I would have eaten all of them had they had remained in the house.)

Ingredients:

2 small-medium firm pears
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus more for cups if you're not using liners)
2/3 cup (125 grams) natural cane sugar, such as Turbinado, light brown or granulated sugar (I used Turbinado)
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 grams) rolled oats
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (120 grams) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chunks (optional, but not optional for me.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425°F. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with papers.

Peel the pears, then halve and core them. Grate pears on the large holes of a boxed grater into a large bowl. You should have about 1 cup grated pear. Stir in melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt, all but 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chunks, if you’re feeling extra indulgent. Gently fold this dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter until just combined; do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups almost up to the top and sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out batter-free.

Cool muffins in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Muffins will keep for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

Not Just For Business News

We get home delivery of The Wall Street Journal every Saturday.  During the week, Ted reads it at the office so I don't usually see it.  Once in a while he'll being it home, but for the most part, I'm a Saturday only Journal reader.  (Yes, you're right.  I could read it online, but I'd rather complain that Ted doesn't bring it home for me.  You know how I am.)

And besides, it's fine with me because Saturday's edition  is the best anyway.  Saturday's edition has the Off Duty section.  There's something of interest on every page.  There's even a recipe or two, which I absolutely love.  I mean, come on.  Recipes in the WSJ.  A stroke of genius, if you ask me.

This week's recipe, from food writer Peter Berley, is for a winter root vegetable soup.  The nice thing is that it's a perfect way to use up whatever's lurking in your kitchen: sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celery -- you get the idea.  Mix and match two pounds worth of oddball root veggies and you're halfway done.

I added half the creme fraiche called for in the recipe and, believe me, it was plenty rich.  I also cheated on the walnuts.  I had a package of candied walnuts from Trader Joe's.  They worked like a charm, although I may just have to give these a spin as well.

Either way, The Wall Street Journal serves up not only the business news,  but dinner as well.

Recipe:  Winter Root Vegetable Potage With 
Crème Fraiche and Honey Crisped Walnuts

Ingredients:

For the honey-crisped walnuts:
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 cup walnut halves and pieces
3 tablespoons honey
Fine sea salt

For the soup:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
2 pounds assorted root vegetables, peeled and roughly chopped  (I used carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, parsnips, and rutabagas.)
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, lightly toasted and finely ground
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup crème fraîche, plus more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Make honey-crisped walnuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small baking dish or pie plate with butter. Add walnuts to pan and drizzle evenly with honey. Roast walnuts, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate, season lightly with salt and let cool.

Make soup: Heat oil and butter in a heavy, lidded 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger and salt to pan, stir well, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until garlic and onions are soft, 15-20 minutes.

Add root vegetables, fennel, turmeric and cayenne. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes. Pour in stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 30-40 minutes. Add crème fraîche and simmer 3-4 minutes. Use an immersion blender (or, working in batches, a food processor or stand blender) to purée soup until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with honey-crisped walnuts, parsley and crème fraîche.

Stirring Things Up

I am not a stir fryer.  In fact, I am not much for Asian food in general.  Ted considers my lack of interest in Japanese, Chinese, and Thai food to be among my greatest failings.  I figure if this is my greatest failing, I'm in pretty good shape.  Besides, that's why I had kids.  Both Charlie and Kate are more than happy to join Ted for sushi or noodles.  Me... well, not so much.

Sure, I can get into an occasional California roll, but aside from that, I'm mostly ambivalent.  Maybe it's my upbringing.  We were just not sushi people.  My mother's idea of exotic cuisine was Italian food.  Asian food was just a little too out there for Patti.

Oh sure, once in a while my family would do Chinese.  This basically meant that we would load the family into the Country Squire station wagon, and go out to the local Chinese restaurant.  My mother, who was always in charge of the menu and making the really big decisions (along with pretty much every else), would order the most basic and benign shopping mall Chinese food on the menu.  There was a fair amount of chow mien and fried rice gracing our table.  We considered ourselves to be really adventurous if we strayed a little and ordered something with a little chili pepper next to it on the menu.  That item was going to be spicy and thus, far more exotic.  Spicy food, according to my mother, was always more exotic than non-spicy food.

But back to today.

I don't often make Asian inspired recipes, but every once in a while, I just go for it.  The thing that's appealing to me about these recipes is that they are often really quick and rely on just a few ingredients.  Such is the case with this recipe from February's Food and Wine.

Lemony Chicken Stir-Fry was delicious.  It was light, which was a definite plus since I'm still acutely feeling the effects of a far too gluttonous December.  And it was easy which, in my estimation, makes any recipe taste better.

While this recipe lacked a little chili pepper next to its title, I think my mother would have labeled it exotic, it being a stir-fry and all.

Recipe:  Lemony Chicken Stir-Fry
(Food and Wine, February, 2014)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or trimmed thighs, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Steamed rice, for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil, season with salt and pepper and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce. Transfer the chicken to a platter, top with the sliced scallion and serve with rice.