Inspiration from the Public Publications

Since my own recipe book is lacking, I'll hold you all over with a few interesting inserts from the AJC, Washington Post and Country Living.
Happy Eating!

Spaghetti With Curried Chicken Meatballs

The Washington Post, March 17, 2010
Adapted from "Chicken and Other Fowl," by John Torode (Firefly, 2010).

This dish might be just the ticket the next time you're faced with the challenge of preparing chicken in a new way.

We found that the original recipe stipulates more meatballs per serving than one might like, so we suggest you form all the balls (38 to 40), then freeze half of them, uncooked, on a baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a resealable plastic food storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. That way, the next time you make the dish, you'll have the chicken part all ready to go.

If you can't find ground chicken, buy boneless, skinless chicken thighs and process in a food processor until coarsely ground.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt
• 1/4 cup whole or low-fat milk
• 1 2/3 cups fresh plain bread crumbs (from about 3 pieces of bread)
• 2 1/4 pounds ground chicken (see headnote)
• Leaves from 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, plus other tender herbs if you like
• 12 ounces dried spaghetti

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream (may substitute half-and-half)

Directions:

Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the curry powder and onion in a large skillet, preferably nonstick or cast-iron. Add a grind of pepper and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft but not browned. Remove from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the onion to a bowl, leaving the oil in the

skillet.

Combine half of the sauteed onion, the milk and the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground chicken, lots of salt and pepper to taste and the parsley. Mix thoroughly until it becomes a paste rather than lumpy. Use your hands to form the mixture into balls a little smaller than a ping-pong ball (38 to 40 of them).

Place the skillet over medium-high heat, th

en add as many balls as will fit in a single layer; they can be fairly close together. Working in batches, cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until the chicken meatballs are well browned all over. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil as needed. (Transfer the cooked balls to a plate while you cook subsequent batches; they do not have to be cooked through at this point.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook accord

ing to the package directions. Drain and hold in a colander.

Add the reserved sauteed onion and the cream to the skillet with the last batch of chicken meatballs and bring to a boil (still over medium-high heat). Taste and season, if necessary. Add any reserved balls to the skillet. Reduce the heat to

medium or medium-low and cook for 15 minutes; the sauce will have thickened and should coat all of the meatballs.

Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the drained spaghetti, and mix gently to coat evenly. Serve warm.

Honey Ginger-Glazed Salmon

From Country Living

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon(s) honey
• 3 tablespoon(s) dry sherry
• 3 tablespoon(s) soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon(s) finely grated gingerroot
• 1 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard

• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 4 cup(s) cooked short-grain rice
• Scallions, for garnish

Directions:

1. Marinate salmon: In a shallow glass dis
   h, combine honey, sherry, soy sauce, lime juice, gingerroot, and mustard. Place salmon in a single layer in the dish and turn to coat all sides. Marinate, covered, about 20 minutes, turning from time to time.

2. Cook the fish: Heat broiler or grill. Coat broiler pan or grill rack with cooking spray and arrange salmon fillets, sides not touching. Cook 4 inches from the heat source until the salmon is cooked to desired doneness -- 8 to 10 minutes. Use a wide spatula to carefully turn the fish only once halfway through the cooking.
3. To serve: Place salmon fillets on warm dinner plates. Serve with rice and garnish with sliced scallions.

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

The Washington Post, July 2, 2008
From Molly Marino, a private chef in Potomac.

This American variation on a classic Mediterranean dip gets its creaminess from roasted garlic, and it provides another way to use the pimentos purchased for the accompanying Sweet Potato Salad (see related recipe). Adding caramelized onion gives more depth.

The hummus can be prepared up to 3 days in advance but is best eaten the day it is made. Serve with Toasted Tortilla Chips (see related recipe).

2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium bulb garlic (containing 10 to 12 cloves)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 2 1/2 ounces jarred pimentos or roasted red bell peppers, drained (about 1/2 cup)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil over the garlic bulb and wrap it loosely in a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until bulb is soft. Allow the garlic to cool, then slice 1/4 inch off the root end (bottom) and squeeze the roasted cloves into a blender or the bowl of a food processor.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring once or twice, for a few minutes, until the onion has softened and begun to brown.

Transfer the onion to a blender or food processor, then add the drained peas, jarred pimentos or roasted red bell peppers and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; puree until smooth. Stop and season with salt and pepper to taste.