Author Archives: Lia Huber

Spiced Lamb and Bulgur Sliders in Lettuce “Buns”

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

One way of feeling like you’re eating more when eating less is by serving it in a different form. Three of these “sliders” equates to about half the meat in a normal burger, yet they’re so flavorful, satisfying and filling, you’ll never miss the other half. 

lamb-bulgur-sliders-recipe
1/3 cup bulgur
1/3 pound ground lamb
1/3 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
1-1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt Sauce (Tzatziki)

1 cucumber, peeled, grated and spun dry in salad spinner
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt (like Fage)
5 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt

Soak bulgur in 1/2 cup hot water for half an hour. Fluff with a fork.

Combine bulgur and next 9 ingredients. Then chill, covered, for a half hour.

Mix cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl. Season with salt and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shape meat mixture into 12 balls and flatten into thick miniburgers. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve sliders in large lettuce leaves and dollop with yogurt sauce.

Serves 4

Fusilli with Artichokes and Swiss Chard

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

I love this dish. It’s winter and spring, and light and creamy all at the same time . . . a perfect pasta for late spring.

Fusilli with Artichokes and Swiss Chard

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup trimmed baby artichokes (or defrosted frozen artichoke hearts), quartered lengthwise
3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, cleaned, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Sea salt and crushed red pepper
1/2 pound whole wheat fusilli pasta
1 ounce soft goat cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Add the artichokes to the pan, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add shallots and garlic, and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes, until all are a nice golden brown. Add Swiss chard, lemon zest, juice and broth, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan. Lower heat to medium, season with salt and red pepper. Cover, and cook for 10 more minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions less 1 minute. Drain and return to pot. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil into the artichoke mixture and toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Pour artichoke mixture into pasta pot and toss several times to mix well. Divide pasta amongst four bowls and top with crumbled goat cheese.

Serves 4

Chicken and Mushroom Lettuce Cups

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

I find that finger food naturally slows down a meal and focuses attention. When you’ve got juice dripping down your wrist and have to reach over your neighbor for the lettuce platter, it’s hard not to have the meal take on a different tenor.

chicken-mushroom-cups-recipe

2 teaspoon sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups minced cremini mushrooms
1 cup minced shiitake mushrooms
1 pound ground chicken breast
3 cups shredded Napa cabbage
Kosher salt and crushed red pepper
1 (8-ounce) can whole water chestnuts, drained and minced
1 cup minced green onions
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 Bibb lettuce leaves

Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and chicken and sauté for 6-8 minutes, until meat is no longer pink and mushrooms are tender. Add cabbage, salt, red pepper and water chestnuts, and cook for 5 minutes, until cabbage wilts and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in onions, oyster sauce and soy sauce. Cool slightly and stir in cilantro.

Serve with a platter of lettuce leaves.

Serves 6 as a main course and 8 as an appetizer

Green Pea Coulis

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Peas definitely fall into the “can’t get better than fresh-from-the-garden” category. Here, they end up in a gorgeous, Kelly-green coulis. Try with seared fish or roasted lamb.

pea-coulis1

1/2 pound English peas, enough for 2 cups shelled (organic frozen peas will work in a pinch)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon spring or green onion, minced
1 tablespoon tarragon or chervil, minced
1 teaspoon fresh mint, minced
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor blend together peas, garlic, spring onion, chervil, mint and vinegar. Add oil in a steady stream until emulsified and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4

Thai Chicken Larb

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Larb is a type of salad made with minced or ground meat. This version uses chicken, but you could make it with duck or even pork or lamb. Serve this flavorful filling with lettuce leaves and let everyone stuff their own to give a flavor of the communal nature of Thai meals.

1-1/2 tablespoons grated lime rind
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped serrano chile
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-1/2 pounds ground chicken (or turkey)
2 tablespoon minced shallots
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 head romaine lettuce (or 1 head of cabbage), leaves separated

Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and shallots, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Drizzle with juice mixture, stirring to coat. Turn into a bowl and mix with mint. Serve with lettuce or cabbage leaves.

Serves 4

Lemon-Herb Lamb Chops

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

These lamb chops remind me of my time on Corfu. After we’d close the restaurant late at night, we’d grill up a batch and set them in the middle of the table for everyone to nibble on in between stories or songs.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:132]

Grilled Crostini with Fava Bean Spread

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

This nibble comes together super-quick once the fava beans are shelled, so you can whip it up and be back outside before the conversation even hits a lull.

fava-beans-crostini-recipe

Note: Fava beans need to be shelled twice–once from their pods and again from the skins that hold the bean itself.

1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, peeled and divided
3 pounds fava beans, shelled from the pod (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grill or broil the baguette slices until crisp and use a halved clove of garlic to rub both sides of each. (can be done ahead of time)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop fava beans in for 20 seconds. Drain. Then slip each bean out of its skin and into the bowl of a food processor.

Add remaining 2 cloves of garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano and lemon juice to the bowl and process until smooth. Drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil and blend until emulsified. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and spoon into a serving bowl.

Serve fava bean spread with the crostini.

Serves 6-8

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crostata

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

One of my mom’s springtime standards is strawberry-rhubarb pie. Here’s my take in a rustic crostata–a type of free-form tart. In any form, rhubarb’s tart taste is a perfect foil to sweet strawberries.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crostata

 

1-1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose unbleached flour, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening (like Spectrum Organic)
1/4 cup ice water, as needed
1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch chunks with any ‘stringiness’ peeled off and discarded
1 pint strawberries, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pulse together 1-1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a food processor. Pulse in butter and shortening, adding ice water by tablespoons as needed, until mixture comes together and there are still a few lumps of butter. Form dough into a ball, then flatten into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough into a 12-inch circle (dough should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick) on parchment paper.

Mix together rhubarb, strawberries, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon flour and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Mound on dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the edge. Fold up the edge and crimp as you go along so that the edges stay up and are well-secured. Ease crostata, still on the parchment paper, onto a cookie sheet and bake 40 minutes, removing  parchment paper after the first 15 minutes. Dough should be golden-brown and the fruit bubbly and syrupy. Let cool before serving.

Serves 8

Crisp Cornish Hens with Spiced Pomegranate-Honey Glaze

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Removing the skin from the hens both decreases calories and increases the impact of this vibrant, spicy glaze. If you’ve never cooked with Cornish hens before, you’re in for a treat.

pom-cornish-hens-recipe

Hens:
2 (1 1/4-pound) Cornish hens, halved and skin removed
1 teaspoon thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced

Glaze:
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a large, heavy duty roasting pan with cooking spray and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Mix together garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and rub onto hens. Let sit on a plate while preparing the glaze.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan and sauté garlic for 2 minutes, until just beginning to color. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until thickened to a syrup consistency. Remove from heat.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sear hens breast down for 5-8 minutes, in batches if need be, until deeply browned. Brush hens with glaze and transfer to the roasting pan, breast up. Brush again with glaze. Roast for another 20 minutes, brushing often with remaining glaze.

Serves 4

Classic Blackened Catfish

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

This dish brings back memories of my college days in New Orleans when I used to make it at least once a week. Little did I know then that I was making a sustainable pick! I’ll warn you from experience; your fire alarm will probably go off, so have a towel handy to fan the smoke away.

blackened-catfish-recipe

4 (6-ounce) catfish fillets
2 tablespoons Cajun Spice Mix (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
8 lemon wedges

Rub each side of fillets with Cajun Spice Mix. Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fillets and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Cajun Spice Mix

Leftover spice mix can be stored in a sealed jar for up to three months.

3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons ground red pepper
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Makes 1 cup