So simple. So good. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen to be lactose- free.
- 1 15-ounce can of white cannelini or navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red pepper
- 2 clove garlic
- 1/3 C lemon juice
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425F. Roast the red pepper for about 15 minutes on each side, until it starts hissing and the skin is blackened.
- Puree the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add everything else and blend until smooth.
- Season to taste.
ps. I made that bread, too!
This is the first time in a long time that Joe and i have shared a uniformly topped pizza. Typically, my half has a lot of sauteed/ semi fancy toppings, and his looks a bit like what you might find on a dominos menu. I decided to give his style of pizza a try tonight and really enjoyed the simplicity of sweet peppers (Italian and red), onions, and grape tomatoes. It was especially tasty with some red pepper flakes on top… sweet and spicy.
I used the same crust recipe as usual, but left it on the sticky side while kneading. This proved to be a good thing and made it softer than usual on the inside. After proofing for two hours, dividing into thirds, and shaping one into a disc, i drizzled it with olive oil, covered it with aluminum foil (so it wouldn’t stick) and let it sit an extra hour or so before baking (as the oven preheated).
The sauce was delicious and homemade and contained:
- 6 halved and seeded cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/4 t onion powder
- 1 t dried basil
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/4 t sugar
- mix it all with an immersion blender till the tomatoes are completely crushed. Yum.
Beach dinner #1 – marinated chicken + cherry tomatoes + red and green peppers + mushrooms + onion
Well yesterday, it was our turn to make dinner at the beach. We made some kickin’ chicken kabobs in a chili-lime marinade along with veggie kabobs. The following makes enough marinade for enough chicken for four. I doubled it for the 7 of us.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sriracha chili-garlic sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together then add chicken cut up into skewer sized pieces (~1 breast per person). You could probably get away with marinading for a couple hours, but the longer the better. Meanwhile put your wooden skewers in a pan of water. I’m not sure why you’re supposed to do this, but I’ve seen it in many places. Must be something to do with keeping them from burning on the grill. Just before you get ready to cook them load up the skewers.
You can serve these by themselves or with vegetable kabobs. We made vegetable kabobs of onions, red and green peppers, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms. I cut them up and tossed with some olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper.
When your kabobs are ready cut throw them on your preheated grill. Put the chicken on the middle where its hottest and the vegetables on the periphery. Doing it this way they should both be done about the same time.
Guest cook in the kitchen tonight – Joe Jenkins! (Just kidding, Joe)
1 lb chicken breasts
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon oyster sauce (we use the vegetarian oyster sauce)
1 can coconut milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons peanut butter or Harris Teeter thai peanut sauce
bag of baby spinach
1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
handful peanuts
Cut the chicken into bite sized cubes. Mix 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce with the corn starch and a little bit of water. Pour the mixture on the chicken and let sit for a few minutes.
Meanwhile pour about half the can of coconut milk into a skillet and mix together with the curry powder. Heat over med-low heat until it starts to simmer. Add the chicken into the sauce and let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
In a bowl, mix the coconut milk the rest of the oyster sauce, the sugar, and peanut butter. I had some extra Harris Teeter brand Thai peanut sauce from a previous meal so I added that in too. Pour the concoction into the pan. Cook together with the chicken for about 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Add in the spinach until it wilts. Serve with rice and garnish with red pepper and peanuts.
Busy day in the jenkins kitchen. the Anadama bread nearly took up my whole day! I mixed in some chili galic sauce with my chicken, and it was so good, i would have added it to the pot from the beginging.
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 T corn starch
- 1 T oyster sauce (from an Asian grocery store)
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (reduced fat is okay)
- 1-1/2 to 2 t curry powder
- 3 T oyster sauce
- 3 T sugar
- 1/4 C peanut butter
- 1 T lime zest
- 7 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/2 C finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 C finely diced onions
- Trim excess fat from meat and cut into thin strips or small chunks as appropriate. Whisk the cornstarch with the half-tablespoon of fish sauce and pour over meat. Toss lightly to coat. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Pour about 1/2 cup of the coconut milk into a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk the curry paste into the simmering coconut milk and blend until smooth. Add the meat and continue to simmer gently.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and peanut butter. Add this mixture to the pan, along with the lime zest. Simmer gently for about 5 to 7 minutes to blend the flavors and cook the meat through. Taste for heat and add more curry paste if desired.
- Add the spinach leaves, a handful at a time, and stir in to wilt in the hot liquid. Serve immediately, topping with the red bell pepper and onions. Serves 4.
two skinny jenkins 