summer begins.

7 June 2011

Last weekend I finally got Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook My Father's Daughter. Being a follower of her GOOP blog, I knew the cookbook would be filled with healthy, tasty & practical recipes. The first night we made the fish taco recipe, which was a success & we ate it so fast that we forgot to take pictures. The book is not fancy & unattainable, Paltrow provides smart recipes for any day of the week as well as recipes for special occasions. So, basically I am really excited & have been flipping through the book for a few days now trying to decide which recipe to make next.

For dinner & this blog, I made a Wedge Salad with homemade Blue Cheese Dressing from the book (a new household favorite by the way! It is insanely simple & classic. Perfect for a warm day or a crowd). The Peach BQQ Chicken is from her contribution to this month's Bon Appetit magazine. The dessert is of my own seasonal creation. I could have EASILY eaten the whole crisp on my own, but I did not want Jediah to witness me doing that!

Is it just me, or does this meal look classic- American- summer?

the wedge salad with blue cheese dressing.

Vegenaise is one of the most amazing products. I know, I know, the name is really funny, but it tastes clean while being so. I by far prefer it over any other store bought mayonnaise...

1 head of organic iceberg lettuce, washed & cut into 4 wedges

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup Vegenaise

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (use the picante or mountain kind, not the dulce)

1/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1 large shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

Big pinch coarse salt

A few fresh grinds black pepper

-- combine ingredients in a bowl.

--place the wedges on a dish & pour dressing over to taste. Season with cracked pepper. 

grilled chicken with peach bbq sauce.

Instead of using boneless/skinless I used organic chicken legs & cooked them for about 25-30 minutes or until juices ran clear...

1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches or 9-10 ounces frozen sliced peaches, thawed, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo or 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless organic chicken breasts

Vegetable oil

--Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer until peaches are very soft and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let cool. Pour peach mixture into a blender and purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place half the sauce in a medium bowl; add the chicken and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce

--Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until browned and almost cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Brush on all sides with reserved sauce; grill until glazed and cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Slice crosswise. Serve remaining sauce alongside.

strawberry & cherry crisp.

I served the crisp with some maple-whipped cream that I made a while ago, but had in the freezer. Nice hustle on my part...

filling:

2c. strawberries & cherries, cleaned, pitted, "de-stemmed"

1 TBL sugar

1 TBL lemon juice 

1 TBL brandy

pinch of sea salt

--combine in a bowl & place in a greased casserole or pie dish.

topping:

1/3c. slivered almonds

1/3c. rolled oats

4 TBL sugar

4 TBL all purpose flour

1 TBL maine maple syrup

pinch of sea salt 

3 TBL cold butter, diced

--combine in bowl until crumbly. Scattered evenly over fruit mixture.

--bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the fruit is bubbling & the top is golden.

--let cool slightly; serve plain or with cream, ice cream, or whipped cream.

Happy eatings & cheers!