Happy 4th of July!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, filled with family, friends, and grilled food!  Please remember that we are (so far) the land of the free because of the brave.  

Worth a trip: Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn

On a recent trip to visit my Mother's family in Princeton NJ, we took a side trip to the Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn.  Hopewell is just a hop and a skip from Princeton, and it also happens to be the home of The Tomato Factory where my cousin is an antiques dealer.  Food and antiques...doesn't get much better!

And the food doesn't get much better than that served at the Bistro.  Proprietor Susie Molnar wants you to save room for dessert (all homemade), but she doesn't make it easy!  I ordered flounder stuffed with crab, and most of our company ordered something with seafood.  All were delcious.  Mike ordered a Hungarian platter, a special for the evening that introduced him to several of the Bistro's regular features.  He was glad he took a chance!  Now he's decided that I need to start learning authentic Hungarian cooking...I wonder if the Bistro could help me out!

I'm sure that everyone for miles around already knows about the Hopewell Valley Bistro & Inn, but if you are outside the immediate area, it is well worth the trip!  Delightful proprietor, sweet and attentive servers, and amazing food...you need to go there!

Barbecue chicken sandwich

On a night when you don't have a lot of time but you feel like grilling, consider making barbecue chicken sandwiches with boneless, skinless thighs.  They can be laid out quite thin on the grill so they'll cook quickly, and since they are dark meat, they are less likely to dry out when you rush them a bit with higher heat. 

Toast the buns at the same time, and don't add the barbecue sauce until the last few minutes!

Penne carbonara

This is a real crowd pleaser!

Penne Carbonara

Make 4 cups of Bechemel (white) sauce:
4 c milk
5 T butter
5 T flour

1 lb penne, slightly undercooked

1/2 lb pancetta
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c parsley, flat leaf
Salt and pepper

1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c Romano cheese, grated

In a nonstick skillet, cook the pancetta.  Add the garlic and wine and cook for a few minutes.  Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper. 

Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Spread 1/3 of the white sauce on the bottom.  Layer on 1/2 of the penne.  Spread 1/3 of the white sauce and 1/2 of the pancetta mixture.  Add 1/2 of the cheese and the other 1/2 of the penne.  Top with the rest of the pancetta, white sauce, and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes at 375.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Tortellini meal with roasted vegetables

Here's a really simple meal for a warm spring evening that starts with fresh tortellini.  Add some roasted vegetables, and you're all set!  I used my Roasted Spring Carrots recipe for both the carrots and the Brussels sprouts.  I microwave steamed the sprouts for a few minutes first since they tend to take a bit longer to cook than the carrots.  Serve the tortellini on a bed of spinach or other spring greens and you're all set to go!  This is fast, and is also a nice vegetarian meal. 

Split pea and bean soup

Here's a simple variation of traditional split pea soup.  I made this with a ham bone we had leftover from a potluck dinner.  The beans add a nice color and extra oomph.   

Split Pea and Bean Soup

Large onion, chopped
Split peas and water to more than cover
Ham bone with some meat still on it
Salt and pepper
2 cans of beans (I used one can each of Goya's small white beans and small red beans)
Gruyere cheese, optional

Chop and brown your onion.  Cover the bone and the split peas with water in a crock pot and let it simmer all day with the onion.  Before serving, add the canned beans.  Sprinkle the top with some grated cheese if desired.  Gruyere and parmesan are both good with this soup.     

Chicken and wild rice salad

We had this salad with a wonderful Dijon mustard dressing...it really makes the salad special!  If you've got leftover chicken that you want to use, just cook the wild rice separately and assemble.  I prefer to cook the chicken and rice together so that the rice really picks up the flavor.

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

1 lb boneless chicken
2 c broth
1-1/2 c wild rice (uncooked)

Celery
Shredded carrot
Dried cranberries
Red onion
Almonds, chopped and toasted
Greens like spinach

Cook the chicken and wild rice for several hours in a crock pot.  Chop the chicken and cool off in the refrigerator if you plan to serve the salad cold.  Arrange greens and add chicken and rice mixture.  Top with vegetables and sprinkle with almonds.


Dressing

1/4 c white wine vinegar
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 t Dijon mustard
2 T canola oil