Baby, It's Caldo Out There!!!

Whoo, it is fa-REE-zing here in Phoenix. Literally. There were actual ice crystals on my windshield this morning. There was a time when I kept no fewer than three ice scrapers in my car...but those silly New England days are long gone, so when winter deals us a frosty blow here in the desert, we just about lose our minds.

But first we make soup. Yum.

Menu:
Spinach Salad with Apples and Blueberries
Chicken Tortilla Soup


Spinach Salad with Apples and Blueberries



Made by my famous barista, inspired by a salad made by our friend Christina, last night when we were treated for dinner at her house.

serves 2

2 c baby spinach
1 tart, crunchy apple, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
1/4 c blueberries
2 T dried cranberries
1 T candied nuts, chopped (we used toffee almonds)
dressing of choice, preferably a fruit vinaigrette of some kind

1. Toss all of the ingredients together and divide into two salad bowls. Drizzle with dressing and serve.




Chicken Tortilla Soup



Inspired by what was already in the pantry and the fact that I have been chilled to the bone ALL DAY. It hit the spot. It's essentially a chicken-vegetable soup, thickened with a roux of corn-tortillas and flavored with chiles.

serves 4

1 tsp oil
1 large carrot, diced
1 large parsnip, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
4 small red potatoes, unpeeled and cubed
2 dried chile peppers, such as ancho, pasilla, or chipotle
3 c chicken broth
3 c water
2 tsp Knorr Caldo de Tomate (tomato-flavored chicken bouillon), or tomato paste
3 c diced or shredded cooked chicken breast (about 2 medium boneless/skinless breasts)
1/2 c frozen corn kernels
2 corn tortillas, stale, or dried in a 400F oven for about 7 minutes
1 T butter
1/2 c whole milk, warmed
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced

1. In a large soup pot, saute the carrot, parsnip, celery, garlic, jalapeno, and potatoes for 5 minutes. Add the two dried peppers.
2. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the bouillon or tomato paste and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, then stir in the chicken and corn.
4. Place the dried tortillas in a food processor or blender and pulse until pulverized. It's OK if there are still large chunks of tortilla; mine did not grind into a powder even after several minutes of processing.
5. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the pulverized tortillas. Stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot soup, a little bit at a time, stirring constantly to allow the tortillas to absorb the broth before adding more. Do the same the warmed milk until you have a thick, paste-like sauce.
6. Add the tortilla sauce to the soup, a little at a time, whisking to combine.
7. Add the cilantro and serve.

Picnic Under the Stars

We don't have many traditions here in Le Casa de Fleur; we don't want to sacrifice new experiences in the name of nostalgia. We also, truth be told, don't get out much. That being said, one thing we do try to do on a regular basis is attend Movies in the Park* hosted by our local fancy mall, Biltmore Fashion Park.

Every fall and spring on Friday nights they play movies (for free!) on a big screen in the central grassy quad in front of Saks 5th Ave (one of the many perks of living in the desert is that you can have outdoor venues like this). The movies run the gamut from classics to more recent cult favorites. It's usually wildly well-attended, and if you want a good spot on the lawn, you have to get there before 6pm for the 7:30 show. People bring lawnchairs and blankets and picnics and wine...it's fun and I'm happy to make a tradition-exception for it.

*Also known as of late, in our house, anyway, as Movies in the Parp, an homage to this hilarious blog post.

Usually I am racing to get there after work, but this weekend I was actually off and we were able to go snag seats together. Natch, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to pack a real-style picnic, as opposed to our usual take-out option.

The movie was Chinatown...the menu was totally unrelated.

Menu:

Oven-Fried Chicken
Corny Corn Bread
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Fruit Salad

Oven-Fried Chicken

There are a zillion recipes out there for oven-fried chicken; here is my version. It was good, but suffered from being refrigerated in that the lovely crispy coating became pretty soggy, but it tasted good and made yummy leftovers the next day. It could also use more salt, if you're looking for more of a KFC-type chicken.



serves 2-3

2 skinless chicken drumsticks
2 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 skinless, bone-in chicken breast
2 c lowfat buttermilk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Tabasco
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds
dash cayenne pepper
2 c corn flakes, crushed
cooking spray

1. Combine the buttermilk, garlic powder, and tabasco in a large bowl. Add the chicken and marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 400.
3. Set up your dredging stations: mix the flour, salt, pepper, sesame seeds, and cayenne in one shallow dish. Spread the corn flake crumbs in a second shallow dish.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Using your right hand, take one piece of chicken out of the buttermilk, let the excess drip off, and dredge in the flour mixture until coated. Use your left hand to sprinkle flour over the bare spots if needed.
6. Using your right hand, dip the flour-coated chicken back in the buttermilk.
7. Dredge the chicken in the corn flake crumbs.
8. Place on the parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
9. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
10. Bake at 400 until cooked through, about 25-30 minutes.



Corny Corn Bread

I made my previously-posted Corn Bread recipe, making the following changes: I increased the buttermilk to 1 1/4 c and added 1/2 c frozen corn kernels to the batter. I thought the result made the cornbread moister...Nate thought it was drier than last time. Huh. I don't know what to tell you.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

A lightened version of the standard. These were very tasty, even without loads of sour cream and bacon.



serves 2

1 large Russet baking potato
2 T Neufchatel cream cheese
1 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
splash skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 c broccoli, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Prick the potato with a fork and bake at 400 for 1 hour or until soft.
3. Cut the potato lengthwise and gently scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
4. Mix the Neufchatel, cheddar, salt, pepper, and broccoli with the potato, adding just enough milk to make it easy to mix.
5. Divide the filling between the two potato skins. Place on a baking pan and bake again at 400 for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

I smell fall in the air...

OK, maybe I'm being a little over-optimistic, but this morning when I went to the gym before sunrise, there was actually a, well, not a chill, per se, but definitely a not-oppressively-hot tang to the Phoenix air. It is October, after all, and we're starting to see the light at the end of summer's tunnel. Add to that the wicked storm that passed through yesterday, and it's obvious that soup and baking weather is upon us. Just don't think about the fact that it's 90 degrees outside as I type this.



I had the day off today, which means I made my usual mistake of totally over-booking my day and being waaaay too ambitious about how many chores I would actually get done. I did, however, cook quite a bit today, which should bring Elaine back from the brink of starvation. I do what I can.

Many of the chores I did not accomplish today involved cleaning or some variation thereof; I was stuck at home for a good portion of the morning waiting for the flooring guys to come, and given the choice of cooking or cleaning, I think we all know what the obvious decision was.

There was another biscotti adventure, too...but I will only be posting one of the recipes. The lemon-rosewater version was harder than a brick (seriously, I almost broke a tooth), and I could not taste the rosewater at all. Adjustments are in order.

Menu, not necessary to be eaten all at one meal:
Olive Rosemary Biscotti
(Lemon Rosewater Biscotti)
Cilantro Hummus
Baked Pita Chips
Chicken Soup with Lemongrass and Cumin

Olive Rosemary Biscotti

One nice thing about living in the desert is that rosemary grows like a weed here. You don't even have to tend to it...it just survives on dust and brimstone, apparently. This recipe was quite tasty, if a touch on the salty side. The olives probably provide enough salt without adding any...next time I'll try it without any additional salt.



makes 8 cookies

1 egg
1/2 c plus 1 T whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c whole kalamata olives, pitted and diced
2 T fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

1. In a food processor, process the egg until golden.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse 4-5 times until incorporated
3. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times, then shape into a log and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Heat the oven to 350. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.
5. Remove from the over, let cool for 10 minutes, then slice on the bias into 8 cookies.
6. Lay the cookies flat on the cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turn the cookies over, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Cilantro Hummus
adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook



makes 1 1/2 cups

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 scallion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 c cilantro
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 T tahini
3 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted

1. In a food processor, process the garlic, scallions, and cilantro.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Add more lemon juice or salt to taste.

Baked Pita Chips

whole wheat pita bread (I used Trader-Joe's miniature pitas)
cooking spray
seasoning of choice (salt, pepper, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, cumin, chipotle powder...)



1. Heat the oven to 450.
2. Cut the pita breads with scissors into the desired chip size.
3. Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle whatever combination of seasonings floats your boat.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until browned, being careful not to burn. Let cool.

Chicken Soup with Lemongrass and Cumin
from Tangy Tart Hot & Sweet, by Padma Lakshmi



Is there anything this woman doesn't have going for her? Seriously. I think I hate her. But her book is so pretty, and this was one tasty soup. I guess I'll let her stick around.

3 T olive oil (I used 2 tsp)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into 4- to 5-inch pieces and split down the middle
2 green chiles, sliced (I used one serrano)
2 T minced ginger
4 cloves
5 kaffir lime leaves
2 carrots cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 16 pieces (I didn't peel mine and cut them into 32. Ha!)
1 small whole peeled onion (I did not use this)
1 chicken, 2-3 lbs (I used about 2lbs of a cut-up chicken and removed the skin)
2 c chicken stock
4 large celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
salt to taste

1. In a large, deep pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir for two minutes. Add the chopped onion, lemongrass, garlic, green chiles, ginger, cloves, and lime leaves. Stir for 4 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and potatoes.
3. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the onion and add it to the pot (or, just throw the chicken parts in...this is much easier). Pour the chicken stock over the chicken and add more water as needed to cover the chicken. Cover and simmer for 70 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken and let cool.
5. While the chicken is cooling, add the celery to the soup.
6. Remove the chicken from the bones and dice the meat. Add the chicken back to the pot.
7. Remove the lime leaves and lemongrass before serving.

Pasta with Chicken and Peas in White Wine Sauce

Bah. Has it really been over a week since my last post? Yes. Well, we've been cooking, and eating, just not really photographing or recording. Trust when I say we've had some fabulous meals; you'll just have to wonder at them.

Tonight's dinner was literally thrown together from the first things I could pull from the fridge/pantry. Turned out pretty well!

I've had this box of quinoa pasta languishing in the cabinet, and tonight I broke it open with the comfort of knowing I had a back-up box of whole wheat rotini to save the day if needed. The quinoa pasta was just fine; couldn't really tell the difference between it and regular pasta. And it has a marginally superior nutritional profile, although not quite as good as WW.

Pasta with Chicken and Peas in White Wine Sauce



serves 2

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, minced
cooking spray
1/2 c frozen peas
1/2 c cooked chicken breast, diced
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c jarred roasted red peppers, diced
3 T crumbled feta cheese
4 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta

1. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and saute the garlic and scallions over medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add the peas, chicken, broth, wine, and peppers. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the feta cheese and cook until melted into the sauce.
4. Cook the pasta according to directions. Divide into two dishes and spoon the sauce over the top.

Deconstructed Chicken Parm and Brussels Sprouts with Port-Balsamic Reduction

Today was a lazy football Sunday. You're lucky I cooked anything, because there was a serious temptation to spend the whole day eating nachos and napping on the couch. This dinner was cobbled together out of necessity, as I did not feel like going to the store. There was some freezer and cabinet scrounging involved, and things turned out pretty well.

Menu:
Deconstructed Chicken Parmesan
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Port-Balsamic Reduction
Quinoa


Deconstructed Chicken Parmesan



serves 2

1 bone-in, skinless chicken breast
2 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
1/4 c white-colored vinegar, flavored if available (I used citrus champagne vinegar)
1/2 c jarred pasta sauce (I used Muir Glen Tomato Basil)
1 oz part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the grill to high with the coals moved to one side.
2. While the grill is heating, brine the chicken: Dissolve the salt and sugar in enough water to cover the chicken in a bowl. Add the vinegar and chicken.
3. Sear the chicken over direct heat, about 3 minutes per side. Then move it to indirect heat and cook until done, about 20 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and slice. Place slices over quinoa (or rice or pasta) and top each serving with pasta sauce and half of each of the cheeses. If you're feeling really ambitious, heat the plate in the microwave to melt the cheese.


Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Port-Balsamic Reduction

This was very tasty, easy, and Nate-approved! The reduction probably could have gone without the honey, since the it ended up quite sweet, likely due to the port. We brought a lovely blackberry port wine back with us from Salt Spring Island and I'm glad I finally broke it open. Probably any port or red wine would work here.



1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/3 c port wine
1 T honey
1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 of a medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Bring the vinegar and wine to a boil in a small sauce pan.
2. Stir in the honey.
3. Boil until reduced to a thin syrup; it will thicken as it cools.



4. Combine the brussels sprouts, onion, garlic, oil, salt and pepper in a large piece of foil. Fold it up into a packet and place over high heat on the grill.
5. Roast, stirring once halfway through, for about 20 minutes or until fully cooked and there are a few blackened bits.
6. Serve with drizzles of the balsamic reduction.

Quinoa

makes 4 servings, 1/2 c each

1 c quinoa
2 c water or broth

1. Bring the water to a boil and add the quinoa.
2. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.



Suspicious. But hungry for tasty morsels.

Mango Slaw and Whole Wheat Tortillas

I had plenty of time to contemplate my dinner as I sat at the local emergency animal clinic for 10 hours NOT seeing patients. While I never would wish any harm on the puppies and kittens of the greater Phoenix area, it sure is boring when they don't come in to see me!

But take a look at this cutie, a stray kitten brought in by a Good Samaritan. She has a stump for a rear leg but is otherwise perfect, and I had plenty of time to play with her while I was not busy sewing things up.


Ack! The Cuteness!


Tonight's dinner was inspired by smitten kitchen and my need to use up some mango and more of that Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Of course, in my effort to use up stuff in the refrigerator, I had to go to the store to buy a bunch of ancillary ingredients and equipment (including a new rolling pin), so I guess I failed at being frugal. I did, however, succeed in feeding myself quite well. I'll take what I can get.


Mango Slaw with Whole Wheat Tortillas, Chicken and Avocado



The slaw was terrific and made a ton. It's light and summery, and great eaten plain or with chicken and avocados as I've done here. I left the cashews out because I was using the slaw as a wrap filling, but were I to eat it plain, I would definitely add the cashews for some crunch.

I halved the slaw recipe and it made a good 6 cups.

The tortillas came from the Bob's Red Mill website, and I only made them so I could use some of my pastry flour. They were not difficult and the taste was good, but these were not tortillas. Once they cooked, they were crisp and almost like a cracker. I had intended to make pretty wraps from these, but ended up using them like a tostada or small pizza crust.

For the Slaw:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 to 1 1/4 pounds Napa cabbage, halved and sliced very thinly (I used Savoy)
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I used a regular white onion)
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, from about two limes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used half toasted sesame oil and half canola)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped (I omitted these)

1. Combine the mango, cabbage, red pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
3. Toss the dressing, mint leaves, and cashews with the cabbage mixture and serve immediately.

For the Tortillas:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 c water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 T canola oil

1. Mix all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 5 parts. Roll each part out into a very thin circle.



3. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium and cook each tortilla (no grease) until browned on each side.




Assembly:
Place 1 cup slaw, 1/4 of a sliced avocado, and 1 oz grilled chicken breast on top of each tortilla. Serve imediately.

Gooseberries!

Tonight's featured ingredient was gooseberries. When we commenced with the Fruit-stravaganza here on Le Rue de Fleur a few weeks ago, gooseberries were included on the list of "willing to try" provided by Nate.

I've never had gooseberries; I've never even seen them. So when I stumbled across a gooseberry display at Whole Foods, I knew I had to buy them.



They are so cute! Raw, they taste like a sour grape. I think they are meant to be cooked or used with other sweet things to offset their tartness. Most of the recipes I found, though, either involved making them into dessert (pie, fool, cobbler...) or canning them with an ungodly amount of sugar to make a preserve. So I was on my own! I think I did pretty well by them, if I may say so myself.

The naming of the gooseberry recipe became an issue when I referred to it as various things like relish, salsa, chutney, and compote. I realized that all of those names were pretty much the same in my mind, so in the interest of educating myself and the general food-loving public, here are some definitions (from CDKitchen):

Relish:a cooked or pickled sauce usually made with vegetables or fruits and often used as a condiment; can be smooth or chunky, sweet or savory and hot or mild.

Salsa: 1. Spanish for sauce. 2. Traditionally, a Mexican cold sauce made from tomatoes flavored with cilantro, chiles and onions. 3. Generally, a cold chunky mixture of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and/or vegetables used as a sauce or dip.

Chutney: The name for a large range of sauces or relishes used in East Indian cooking. Fresh chutneys have a bright, clean flavor and are usually thin, smooth sauces. Cilantro, mint, and tamarind are common in fresh chutney. Cooked chutneys have a deeper, broader flavor.

Compote:Dried and fresh fruit cooked with sugar to a jam like consistency, brief enough to allow the fruit to retain their individual identity.

So, it's not a compote, that's clear. But I think what I made tonight could qualify as a Salchutlish. Whatever. It was good.

Menu:
Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa
Mixed Greens with Basil
Grilled Corn
Grilled Pineapple


Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa

Note: I forgot two key things when making the chicken.

1. I forgot to brine it. Cardinal sin, in my grilling book. It's easy: Dissolve 2T salt and 2T sugar in about 4c warm water and submerge chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Rinse before coating with rub.

2. I walked away to hang my laundry after putting the chicken on the grill. It *may* have burned just a teensy bit. OK, it burned a LOT. You're not getting any pictures of this ugly debacle. Suffice it to say, when you're grilling over high heat and your chicken is coated in anything that contains sugar, watch it carefully!!!

Note 2: If you don't have the ingredients for the rub or if you're just feeling lazy, a pre-mixed chili-powder rub will do just fine.



I am a big fan of Penzey's Spices, especially their Ancho Chile powder. You should buy stuff from them. They're cheap and high quality.

Serves 2-4

Chicken:
1 T ancho chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 skinless chicken breasts, bone-in

Salsa:
1 c gooseberries, de-stemmed, divided
2 T water
1 tsp lime zest (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T lime juice (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T packed brown sugar
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 T grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 mango, cubed

2 c baby spinach
1 c baby arugula
1/2 c basil leaves, torn

1. If you brined the chicken, rinse it and pat dry.
2. Combine the chile powder through olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to overnight.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high.
4. Grill the chicken until done, being careful not to let the rub burn.
5. Meanwhile, make the salsa: Combine 1/2c gooseberries in a small saucepan with the water through cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, mashing the gooseberries with a spoon, until a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.



5. Cut the remaining gooseberries in half and toss with the mango. Stir in the cooled gooseberry-ginger mixture. Taste for sweet-tartness; add more brown sugar or lime juice if needed.
5. Slice chicken and serve over greens topped with the salsa.



The leftover salsa made a very nice dressing on my salad the next day for lunch: I tossed together some baby spinach, baby arugula, torn basil leaves and torn mint leaves with some sliced strawberries, and mixed in about 1/2 c of the gooseberry salsa. Super easy and delicious.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Aaahh I have nothing witty to say tonight. On to the food.

I had two chicken breasts defrosting in the fridge and nothing exciting planned. I needed something quick that could be thrown together after getting home from a late day at work (which usually means walking in the door at 7:30 at the earliest). I found this recipe on EatingWell.com and it fit the bill.

It helped tremendously to have Nate get things started when he got home (thanks, man) so we could brine the chicken and use the grill, but you could easily skip the brining step, use boneless breasts, and either broil or saute them for speed. I just happen to prefer brined* chicken breasts, and I really like to grill.

The chicken recipe originally called for drumsticks, but I used bone-in, skinless breasts and drizzled the dipping sauce over them just before serving. The glaze is sweet and has a subtle hint of mint, and would probably also be really great on grilled shrimp, grilled fruit, or maybe even grilled pork tenderloin.

*a note on brine: I will now grill chicken and shrimp only if they've been brined first. It keeps the meat so moist and juicy, you pretty much can't dry it out, which is always a danger with chicken and shrimp. A 30 minute brine for each is really all you need, and I usually stick with salt and sugar. Sometimes I'll throw in maple syrup, or a lemon, or some chili powder...I don't know if I can actually taste the difference, but it makes things seem fancier.

Menu
Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
Corn on the cob
Grilled pineapple
Steamed broccoli
Sliced tomatoes
Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta

Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
adapted from EatingWell.com



Chicken
4c warm water
2 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts

Glaze
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1. Stir the salt and sugar into the water and dissolve. Place chicken in a bowl, pour the brine over it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the grill to medium and grill the chicken until done, about 10-15 minutes per side.

3. While the chicken cooks, make the glaze. Whisk together the orange zest and juice, water, honey, 1 T vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and coriander in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tsp vinegar and add slowly to the orange juice mixture, whisking constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the mint.

4. Slice the chicken and drizzle the glaze over each serving.



Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta




1 peach, just ripe and still firm, halved and pitted
2 T part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped mint

1. Mix together the ricotta and the honey and place in the refrigerator.
2. Place the peach halves on the grill, cut side down, for 3-4 minutes or until grill-marks appear.
3. Serve the peaches warm with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mint.

I has a hard life.