…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? Summer veggies are at their prime this time of year. So now is the best time to go to your local farms and farmer’s markets and shop for the finest produce available. I can eat corn in various forms any time of year, but especially in the summer when it is at its crisp, sweet best. I like to add corn to wraps and salads for the sweetness and crunch it adds. And if you grill it first you add flavor dimension to the mix. In this recipe, I’ve infused the cooking water with garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, and then blanched the corn in it for a few minutes, so it’s full of flavor but still pops when you bite into it. We also cut the corn from the cob in chunks/rows, so that it has a fresher presence in the salad. Then I toss the corn together with flakes of crispy salmon, fresh veggies and peppery arugula. It’s dressed in an olive oil and za’atar, (an aromatic Middle Eastern spice blend made with toasted sesame seeds), thyme, marjoram and sumac. The result is a delightful summer salad with a refreshing, flavorful and satisfying taste. This salad travels well, so I like to make it, pack it, and take it on the go. It’s particularly nice for picnics at the beach, the jazz concert in the park or just the back yard. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients Kosher salt 2 lemons 3 garlic cloves, crushed 3 sprigs thyme 3 bay leaves, preferably fresh 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 teaspoons za'atar seasoning, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5 fresh ears corn on the cob, husked 4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges 1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion 4 cups baby arugula, for serving Kosher salt, to taste Freshly-ground pepper, to taste Directions
To make the salmon
ChefSecret: If you have extra za’atar seasoning you can use it as a rub for grilled meats and veggies, swirl it into spreadable cheese or hummus or whisk it into breadcrumbs to give fried fish, chicken and onion rings a Mediterranean twist. Quip of the Day: A blonde walks into a library. She asks the librarian, “Can I get the salmon salad?” The librarian answers, “Sorry, this is a library.” The blonde responds, “Oh, right! (this time whispering) Can I get a salmon salad?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Salad #Entree #SalmonSalad #MediterraneanSalmonSalad #Zaatar #Summertime #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024
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…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? Two of our favorite clients over the years were King’s Hawaiian (breads and rolls) and Hidden Valley (dressings)—two exceptional consumer products. Actually, King’s Hawaiian was the main stay of my breadbasket at the Custom House Restaurants. In the late ‘80s that sweet, yellow, yeasty pillow loaf was one of the food items that sent our restaurants over the top. And what restaurant didn’t offer Ranch dressing with their salad offering? Now, all these years later, these two companies are still on the top of their game not only with their original products, but with new great tasting offerings that are every bit as quality driven as the originals. So, it’s fun to marry the two together as part of these zippy Tennessee Hot Chicken Dunkers Hot chicken dishes are said to have originated in Nashville. They were bone-in chicken pieces, marinated in a water-based blend of spices and seasonings, floured, fried, and sauced using a paste with cayenne pepper, served on slices of white bread with pickle chips. Anecdotal evidence suggests that spicy fried chicken has been served in Nashville's African American communities for generations. Hot chicken may have been introduced as early as the 1930s; however, the current style of spice may only date back to the mid-1970s. It is generally accepted that the originator of hot chicken is the family of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. She has operated the restaurant since 1980; before that time, it was owned by her great-uncle, Thornton Prince III. Although impossible to verify, Jeffries says the development of hot chicken was an accident. Her great-uncle Thornton was purportedly a terrible womanizer, and after a particularly late Saturday night out, his girlfriend at the time cooked him a fried chicken breakfast with extra pepper as revenge. Instead, Thornton decided he loved it so much that, by the mid-1930s, he and his brothers had created their own recipe and opened the BBQ Chicken Shack café. My recipe for Tennessee Hot Chicken Dunkers utilizes a similar spice profile and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing as a cooling flavor extender and dunker. Prep time: 15 minutes Marinade time: 1-4 hours Cook time: 8 minutes Assembly time: 5 minutes Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 8 each King's Hawaiian® Original Hawaiian Sweet Pretzel Pre-Sliced Slider Buns 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 4 large chicken thighs 10 ounces buttermilk 11 tablespoons bottles Nashville-style hot seasoning, divided (I prefer Frank’s) 1 large bottle canola oil 1 cup corn starch 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 1 cup melted butter 1/3 cup water 16 dill pickle chips 3 cups coleslaw (vinegar profile) 3 tomatoes cut into 16 slices Original Hidden Valley Ranch®Dressing Directions
ChefSecret: Most recipes call for chicken breast meat, I like to use chicken thigh meat because it is juicer and more tender for this type of sandwich and it is a lot less expensive to buy. . Quip of the Day: Q. What do you call a country song about Nashville’s famous hot chicken? A. A cluckin’ good tune!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Lunch #Dinner #NashvilleHotChickenDunkers #KingsHawaiian #FranksHotSauce #HiddenValleyRanch #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? Grilled steak is one of summer’s most effortless meals, and my recipe has the perfect balance of smoky char and herbal brightness. I marinate a tri-tip in tamari, toasted whole coriander and cumin and lots of lime. I like the rich, fermented soy and earthy cumin combination that brings out the savory meatiness defining this cut of steak. The acid from the lime brightens things up and tenderizes the meat so it cooks up juicy with a buttery texture. I also grind up some of the toasted coriander and cumin seeds to make a rub for the steaks. On the grill, the tamari and spices char up, creating a lovely crust on the steak. It seals in the meat’s juices and flavor, but it also adds some great texture and a warm counterpoint to the chimichurri. My chimichurri is made with cilantro, garlic, shallots, fresh red jalapeño, lime and a little honey. It’s a departure from the classic Argentinian recipe, but it’s got all the herb-acid-heat you’d expect, and it adds the perfect touch of super zippy and refreshing flavors. Prep Time: 10-15 minutes Marinade time: 4-12 hours Grilled time: 25-30 minutes Dwell time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients For the steak 2 tablespoons coriander seeds 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 pounds prime tri-tip 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon peanut oil, for brushing For the lime chimichurri 1-1/2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 stemmed, seeded, and minced red jalapeño 1 tablespoon grated or pressed garlic 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil Directions
ChefSecret: This steak recipe makes one of the best steak salads with sliced grape tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and torn lettuce. Use the leftover chimichurri marinade as a salad dressing. Be sure to boil the dressing and cool it before reusing. Quip of the Day: Q. Which hand do you use to cut your steak? A. Neither, you use a knife. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Dinner #TriTip #Cumin #Chimichurri #GrilledTriTip #CutAgainstTheGrain #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Island foods—sweet, spicy and sticky cuisine—have changed over the years with some of the most talented chefs leading the innovation.
The secret to my sweet, spicy and sticky Hawaiian chicken recipe is my rich marinade made from brown sugar and a handful of aromatics, including sambal oelek, rice vinegar and fish sauce. The chicken roasts with chunks of fresh pineapple. We love how the pineapple juice steams its way into the meat, combining it with the brown sugar to caramelize and char the skin. I could eat a hundred pieces of Hawaiian Sweet & Spicy Pineapple Chicken every day (okay, that might be slightly hyperbolic)! Take it to a backyard cookout, share it and it will be the star of the show every time. You might arguably say that Hawaiian foods got noticed at the luaus at The Willows Restaurant in Honolulu. Picture this—a luau under a towering monkey pod tree arched over the Willows restaurant. At night the tree branches glittered with white lights and the aroma of luau pig from the imu pit wafts across the patio. I can smell it now. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup sambal oelek 1/4 cup fish sauce 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoon grated garlic 2 pounds split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken legs 1 Tbsp kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1” thick wedges 1 small shallot, thinly sliced, for garnish, sauteed or fried 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish Directions
ChefSecret: Make it truly island food… substitute palm sugar for the brown sugar. Quip of the Day: Did you ever wake up, kiss the person sleeping beside you and be glad that you're alive? Apparently, I did and won’t be allowed on Hawaiian Airlines again. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. …from the Perspectives’ Kitchen![]() How you doin’? Summertime is grillin’ time and there is nothing quite as wonderful as a beautifully grilled, flame-kissed ribeye steak. Why is it that many of the simplest dishes are the most feared? This is especially true if the goal of the dish is to transform a single ingredient, like poached eggs, whipped cream or, yes, even a grilled steak. All these dishes lean on unique techniques and the right timing, which can feel mysterious until you’ve gotten the hang of it. Grilled steak can be even more intimidating because there’s a grill, fire and the expense of a great piece of meat involved. A really nice cut of steak can cost big bucks. To my taste there’s really no substitute for the flavor you get from grilling steak. And once you get the hang of it, grilled steak is one of the quickest, easiest meals around. It’s practically a convenience food. It’s also one of the most satisfying dinners to make. Nothing beats the primal joy that comes with pulling a perfectly seared, tender, juicy ribeye off the grill. So, here are couple of my tips to turn you into a grilling professional. Temper time: 1 hour before grilling Prep time: 5 minutes Grill time: 10 to 12 minutes Rest time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 serving Ingredients 1-1/2- to 2-inch thick ribeye steak Salt and pepper to taste More to learn in the ChefSecret below Directions
ChefSecret: You can substitute the salt and pepper with Montreal Seasoning for a well-rounded flavor. I like to glaze the ribeye with balsamic vinegar when I take it out of the refrigerator for perfect grill marks and a touch of sweetness. Quip of the Day: I’ve got beef with anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good ribeye steak. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Dinner #Grill #SteakOnTheGrill #Ribeye #FlameKissed #DontFearTheFlame #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 |
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