Tangy Cucumber Pickles

I love this kind of quick, mild pickle, but most of the recipes I have for it call for a long prep time. I don't always think that far ahead of making dinner, so I was excited to find this version in Quick and Easy Thai. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 c white vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large hothouse cucumber, or smaller ones equal to 1 pound
• 3 Tbsp thinly sliced shallots or red onion
• 2 tsp thinly sliced fresh hot red or green chilies

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until dissolved, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 
2. Peel cucumbers and cut them lengthwise into 4 long strips. Slice each strip into small triangles. Place in a bowl. Top with shallots and chilies. Shortly before serving, pour the cooled vinegar mixture over the cucumbers. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
   

Sauteed Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

 Wow, it has been a long time since I updated this little blog. The pandemic has not done much for my cooking -- if anything I've gotten tired of doing it all the time, of being stuck at home by requirement rather than choice, of spending hours and hours in my kitchen for lack of anyplace else to do my work. For a while, it was difficult to do real menu planning, since it was hard to guess what the store would have. I made a lot of "throw together" meals that didn't rely on a recipe.

Now that the weather is getting cooler, and the situation is clearly going to drag on well into next year, I am trying to be a little more intentional about things, and to spend more time in the analog world. I have loads of cookbooks, and I've barely touched them in ages. This book in particular I don't know if I have ever used -- Bon Appetit's Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook, a goliath of a compendium from years of the magazine. I subscribed for ages, but there came a time where it began to feel stale and repetitive, like I had seen the seasons of their publication year come and go too many times. I use my back issues during the holidays, and that's about all.

This entry may be a one-off--I don't try to predict much these days--but it is a solid recipe and worth recording.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs with bones and skin
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or use 2 tsp dried)
• 1 c chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add chicken to skillet and saute until browned, about 5 minutes per side. 
2. Reduce head to medium-low, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 15 minutes
3. Transfer chicken to bowl. Discard all but 2 Tbsp drippings from skillet. Add garlic and rosemary, and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
4. Add broth and vinegar. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 7 minutes. 
5. Return chicken and any juices to pan and simmer over low heat until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes. 

 

Open-Faced Jerk Vegetable Sandwiches

This is an oldie -- I still have the physical clipping from Cooking Light -- but I haven't made it in a while. It's an excellent light recipe to make in the summer. A quick saute for the vegetables and a quick run under the broiler is all the heat you need. It's also flexible; you can use literally any vegetables in this, although you should make sure that they'll all cook in roughly the same amount of time; save the carrots and butternut squash for another day.

Ingredients: 

• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (1/8-inch-thick) diagonally cut zucchini
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons mango chutney
• 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise (Note: I don't use this, and I don't know why anyone would, but if it sounds good to you, hey, go for it.)
• 4 (2-ounce) slices diagonally cut French bread
• 3 ounces thinly sliced Muenster cheese, cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
• 1 cup gourmet salad greens (I normally just use spinach.)

Instructions:

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add zucchini, onion, bell pepper, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil; seal and shake well to coat. Let stand 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. (If you're pressed for time, it's still quite good even if you make it right away.)
2. Heat remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add vegetable mixture, and sauté for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and begin to brown. Remove from heat and keep warm.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Combine chutney and mayonnaise. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted on each side; remove from heat. Spread each slice with about 1 tablespoon chutney mixture; top evenly with cheese. Broil 1 minute or until cheese melts. Place 1 cheese toast on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup greens and 1/2 cup vegetable mixture.