Cooking in Pajamas

I have been slightly obsessed with Israeli couscous lately. I have always loved it, but it used to be so hard to find. Now I can grab it at Trader Joe's or my local supermarket.  It is an incredibly versatile ingredient.

You can use it in place of any grain in your favorite recipe. It can be cooked in water, stock or broth. It can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. It makes for wonderful leftovers because the couscous never gets too soggy, soft or gummy. And, it can adapt to many different cuisines: Mediterranean, Italian, American, Spanish, French....

I served this recipe as a side to tilapia, but it would be perfect with any protein, or even on its own as a light supper.

Israeli Couscous With Shallots

1 c. Israeli couscous
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
8 shallots, halved and sliced thinly
⅓ c. fresh parsley, chopped
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

In a medium saute pan, heat up 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the couscous and saute until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Then, following the package directions, cook the couscous until al dente. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Drizzle 1 T. olive oil and the lime juice over the couscous. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a medium sized skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium high. Add shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned, 5-7 minutes. Add to the bowl of couscous. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Place this recipe in your file under "Quick, Weeknight Suppers".  The prep to get this dinner to the table is twenty minutes (not including cooking time), but it looks like it took much longer.  It also tastes good enough to make for your in-laws or for company.  This is a great way to use up bread that is getting stale.  The drier the bread is, the more of the liquid in the salad it will soak up, and the tastier it will be.

It is a simple, rustic, one plate meal.  A beautiful presentation is to place the roasted chicken on a bed of panzanella.  Really, nothing else is needed is make this meal complete.

Roast Chicken Thighs with Panzanella

adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray

INGREDIENTS:

8 - 10 chicken chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)

extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 whole wheat country loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups), or any bread lying around the house

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 English cucumber, seeds removed and sliced

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Optional: Add olives and cubes of mozzarella cheese to the panzanella and serve as a light lunch or  smear a paste of garlic and herbs under the chicken skin before roasting.  I would also love this with crumbles of feta cheese in the panzanella!

Note:  Pat the chicken dry before roasting to give it crispier skin.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet; toast until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

Rub the chicken all over with a drizzle of olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin side up on a baking sheet; place in the oven and roast until the skin is crisp and golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted into the thigh, 55 - 60 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile,

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, parsley, garlic, 3 T. of  olive oil and the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss. Serve the chicken on top of the bread salad.

Mussels are a wonderful "fast food".

This classic French bistro dish can be prepped, cooked and on the table in under 30 minutes.  Plus, while the mussels are steaming, you have time to pour yourself a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc and grill some crusty bread (you MUST have crusty bread to soak up the amazing sauce).

As with all simple dishes, the quality of the ingredients matter a lot.  Get the freshest mussels you can find, and use a wine that you would like to drink (after all, you are going to have most of the bottle left over after cooking this dish).   If you are serving this as a light supper, figure 1 pound of mussels per person.  I usually serve this as a starter, so make sure to double or triple the recipe if this will be your main course.  You can also serve these mussels over pasta, in which case I would double the amount of sauce.

FYI....  3oz. mussels have only 73 calories, 10 grams of protein and only 2 grams of fat.

I adore scallops.  If I am dining out, and scallops are on the menu, you can bet that I will be ordering them.  I think they are one of the most perfect little, tasty foods.  I not only enjoy them when dining out, I love to cook them at home.

The sweet, delicate flavor of scallops marry well with many different flavors and cuisines.  They are low in calories, high in protein, virtually fat-free, loaded with Omega III fatty acids and have a ton of other nutritional benefits (high levels of B12 and magnesium, help to offer more protection against heart attack and stroke, help to prevent and control high blood pressure..just to name a few).   They cook up quickly (four to five minutes at the most), and they are available year round.

In the US, we usually see two types of scallops at the fish counter.  Sea scallops are the large ones, and are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  These are the more common type, and they usually average 20 to 30 scallops per pound.  These are almost always they type I like to use.  Bay scallops are the small ones, and measure about 1/2 inch in diameter.  This sweet, tiny scallop is often used for casseroles, stews and stir-fry, largely because of its tiny size.

When purchasing scallops look for a shiny, moist exterior and no fishy smell.  They should always smell sweet and slightly briny.  Scallop season is November to March, but frozen scallops are available year round, and are very good.  I am usually very against frozen seafood, but frozen scallops are delicious.  Store your scallops in the refrigerator and use within a day or two of purchasing, because they are very perishable.

I think many home cooks are nervous about cooking scallops because they are very easy to overcook.  They key is to watch the clock and cook them quickly, so they do not become chewy and rubbery.  A typical sea scallop will cook on one side, in a medium hot pan, for four minutes.  Gently flip over once, using tongs and cook one more minute. When scallops lose their translucency and turn opaque, they are done.

Although there are an infinite number of ways to prepare scallops, searing is one of my favorites.  There are only three points to keep in mind:

1 - You must pat the scallops dry before attempting to sear them.

2 - Get your pan and cooking fat hot, over medium high heat, BEFORE adding the scallops.

3 - Don't crowd the pan.  Cook in batches if your pan is not large enough.

I like to serve this dish served over a bed of mashed potatoes, with sauteed spinach on the side.  Any vegetable will be delicious, but make sure to serve the scallops over a starch that will soak up the extra sauce.  Angel hair pasta or rice would work nicely.