omg. brined a whole cut up fryer and grilled the chicken bone-in. so needs longer on the grill but amazing flavor. we chose to add the optional lemon – should try adding the other optional spices. best. chicken. ever.

Brined Grilled Chicken Breasts
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (preferably organic)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Brine:
½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed
¼ cup kosher salt
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. red chili flakes
3 cups ice

Optional Add-ons to Kick Up Your Brine:
4-5 peppercorns
3 juniper berries
2 whole dried chilis
1 lemon or orange, halved
1 bay leaf

Procedure:
Begin by preparing the brine. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat combine brown sugar, salt, water, garlic cloves and chili flakes and any optional ingredients. Heat until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved and simmering, but do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the 3 cups of ice, stirring to fully melt.

In a resealable bag place chicken breasts and pour the cooled brine mixture over the chicken. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in case there are any leaks. Refrigerate chicken for 1 ½ hours.

Preheat grill to medium high heat (375°) and clean and oil grates.
Remove the brined chicken from the bag and throw away brining liquid. Thoroughly pat dry the chicken with paper towels and let rest for about 10 minutes while the grill is preheating. Lightly sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper.

Grill the chicken 4-5 minutes per side on an oiled grill, rotating ¼ turn half way through on each side to achieve crosshatched grill marks. Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

• 1 banana
• 2 apples
• 1 tablespoon coffee beans
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 3 dates
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• almond milk
• 1 tablespoon chocolate protein powder

from a tasting table recipe (so far, the only good tasting table recipe of the 4 i’ve attempted). i was so excited about it, i forgot to take a photo. i probably overdid the lemon juice since i really didn’t have 1 lb of spinach. the dish wasn’t as sweet as i had expected and all the different textures and the nutty flavor of the pine nuts as a counterpoint to the lemon/zest and raisins was perfect. m wasn’t as keen on it, but enjoyed it nonetheless (despite the fact that i left the stems on the spinach). some recipes just turn out well – this is one of them. so easy yet so complex in flavor and presentation.

Espinacas a la Catalana (Catalan Spinach)
Yield: 4 servings

1 cup water
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium Granny Smith apple, diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon dry sherry (omitted, just because i didn’t have any and didn’t bother buying any)
1 pound baby spinach
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from about half a medium lemon)
Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the raisins to the hot water. Set aside to rehydrate until plump, about 5 minutes. Strain the raisins and set aside on paper towels to drain.

2. In a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the apples and cook gently until they’re soft but still retain their texture, about 3 minutes. Add the raisins, shallot and toasted pine nuts. Cook until the shallot is soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sherry and spinach, tossing to coat. Season with salt and lemon juice and immediately remove the skillet from the heat before the spinach is completely wilted.

3. Use a pair of tongs to remove the spinach from the pan and place in a serving dish, leaving any water behind in the skillet. Top the spinach with the lemon zest and serve immediately.

after having some most excellent giardiniera in chicago and given my recent pickling obsession, here’s a recipe we found. veggies are currently in the fridge brining. salt and vinegar – what’s not to love?

6 serranos thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers
1 celery rib, diced
1 carrot diced
1/2 head cauliflower, stems removed and florets chopped
1/2 cup salt
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
black pepper
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup Canola oil

Dump the serranos, red bell peppers, celery, carrot, and cauliflower into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt and mix until well combined.
Pour in the enough water to cover the vegetables. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Drain the water and then rinse the vegetables under cold water to remove some of the excess salt.
In a small bowl combine the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and a pinch of black pepper.
Add the vinegar to the bowl and stir until combined. Then slowly whisk in the oil.
Dump the vegetables into some jars and top with the oil and vinegar mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 48 hours. They will last for at least 2-3 weeks.

remember when m made pickles? i’m always on the lookout for recipes i want to try so it’s no surprise that i found this recipe on foodnetwork.com. ted allen underestimates the power of pickles; the recipe says that they will last for about 3 months but ours lasted only a few days. and now i’ve moved on to trying to make giardiniera.

Ingredients

For the brine:
10 cloves garlic, peeled (i used 12)
2 cups white vinegar
6 teaspoons kosher salt
Several sprigs of fresh dill (about 8 sprigs for each pickle jar)
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed (1 jar had yellow seeds, 1 jar had black seeds – i think i like the yellow seeds better)
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns (if you have ’em)

For the vegetables:
6 Kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
6 young spring carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
1 handful large scallion pieces or green beans
A few pieces of cauliflower to tuck wherever they’ll fit
4 small hot red chiles or 2 jalapenos (i used 2 serranos per jar – not nearly hot enough)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat so the water simmers and add the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt, raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat.

In 2 clear 1-quart jars, place a few sprigs of dill. Divide the seeds and peppercorns between the jars. Using tongs, remove the garlic from the brine and place 5 cloves in each jar. Then pack the jars full of cucumbers, carrots, scallions or green beans, cauliflower and chiles. You want them to be tightly stuffed.

Bring the brine back to a boil, pour it over the vegetables to cover completely, let cool, then cover and refrigerate. The pickles will taste good in just a few hours, better after a couple of days. And they’ll keep for about 3 months.

in addition to making chicken salad for my honey, i also made her cantaloupe agua fresca! after consuming, she says she would prefer mint instead of basil and lime instead of lemon. i had no idea that agua fresca, at least this one, could be this sweet without adding sugar.

Ingredients
15 cups chopped cantaloupe (about two 3 1/2-pound melons)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

Preparation
Working in batches, purée cantaloupe in a blender until smooth.
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl; line sieve with cheesecloth. Strain purée into bowl; gather cheesecloth into a bundle and squeeze any remaining juice into bowl. Repeat process with fresh cheesecloth, straining into a large pitcher (you should have about 5 cups juice).
Add lemon juice, basil, and 2 cups cold water to pitcher. Let steep at room temperature for 1–2 hours. Fill glasses with ice. Divide agua fresca among glasses.

8 servings

4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts , no more than 1 inch thick, trimmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 celery ribs, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

1. Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 6 cups cold water in Dutch oven. Submerge chicken in water. Heat pot over medium heat until water registers 170 degrees. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let stand until chicken registers 165 degrees, 15 to 17 minutes.
2. Transfer chicken to paper towel–lined tray. Refrigerate until chicken is cool, about 30 minutes. While chicken cools, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in large bowl.
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into ½-inch pieces. Transfer chicken to bowl with mayonnaise mixture. Add celery, shallot, parsley, and tarragon; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

N.B., i usually use one package of costco chicken breasts and therefore add a little extra bit of some celery and tarragon to match the larger amount of protein. m likes extra tarragon, so instead of 1.5 tsp (halving the recipe), i use 2-2.5. i also use 2 celery ribs as long as they’re not too big. don’t overdo the parsley, because it makes the salad too earthy (personal experience).

serves 4-6