Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Curry Leaves & Lemon, Onion Butter Sauce

May 22, 2016 by Mary 12 Comments

Recently, I’ve read a lot about fresh curry leaves in various recipes, and I’m thinking, how can that be? Curry, as a spice, is a total mixture of spices and can be mild, medium, or hot (Madras), depending on the combination. So how can there be fresh curry leaves?

Well there are, and you can eat the whole leaf! So I took a trek to dependable Kalustyan’s on Lexington Avenue between 28^th and 29^th Street. They have EVERYTHING!!! You’ll say, “Holy-crap there’s so many herbs, spices and seasonings from all over the world here that I’ve never even heard of!” (No one there asked me to write this but if you are in NYC, you really should go. It is a food lovers party place!) If you don’t live nearby, you can go online and order from them, although the curry leaves must be shipped overnight as they should be refrigerated. It’s $4.99 for a 1 oz. bag and I used the whole bag in this recipe.

The curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii) is a small bush or tree that only grows 13 to just under 20 feet in height. The plant is tropical to sub-tropical and native to India and Sri Lanka.

I think I might try to grow my own curry plant as I have fallen in love with these curry leaves. They are very fragrant and taste and smell like…curry!! But I’m talking about really fresh curry and not so overpowering. They add a delicious and different twist to any dish. Use this exotic new flavor to garnish any vegetable or meat. You really should try them and try this recipe. I used the whole bag for maximum impact. Once you find them, you will crave them.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH FRESH CURRY LEAVES & LEMON, ONION BUTTER SAUCE

3^1/4lb. whole chicken, washed, dried, extra fat & backbone removed
1 oz fresh curry leaves, washed and air-dried
1 Tbs. olive oil
Fine sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Basting Sauce:
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 small onion minced
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Juice of one lemon

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the minced onions on low heat. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, sweating and softening the onions. Then add the worcestershire sauce. Off heat, blend in the lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.

Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the chicken backbone and remove it. Remove the wing tips. Freeze the backbone and wing tips for the next time you make stock. Turn the chicken breast side up and press on the breastbone to flatten the chicken. Using a small sharp knife, cut partway through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks. Cut partway through the joint between the wings and the breast. This will make the white meat and dark meat cook more evenly and the whole chicken will cook faster.

For the curry leaves, use all but one stem. Save that for garnishing. Carefully lift up the skin on the breasts and thighs and spread the whole curry leaves around underneath the skin, evenly distributing them

Rub the chicken with a little olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides.

Oil a grill plate and heat up on the grill to 425 degrees. Place chicken on the grill plate, bone side down, cover and roast for 10 minutes. Baste with the lemon butter sauce. Turn the chicken over, baste on the bone side, cover and roast for 10 – 15 minutes, more until done. Remember, this chicken does not take long to cook because the slits were made in the thighs and wings.

Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces to serve. You can use any leftover basting sauce to put on the chicken because you never basted raw meat.

Chop the remaining curry leaves and garnish the chicken. Serve with LOVE and enjoy!!

Grilled chicken with fresh curry leaves - finished plate with chicken.

We started this meal with a Caesar Salad and I served this chicken with grilled small arepas – arepitas! For another delicious recipe, visit Supriya at quichentell.com. Her coffee and paprika rubbed grilled chicken is to die for!

Mother’s Day Recap & Fettuccine with Salmon & Sugar Snap Peas

May 15, 2016 by Mary 9 Comments

How was your Mother’s Day? What did you do? Even you men out there, what did you do for either your mom or your wife?

My Mother’s Day was super lovely. But it was also a little bittersweet in that I cannot believe how much time has passed and how grown my boys are, as tears well up in my eyes. They are tears of happiness, yes, but also a reminder of a time gone by. How did they grow up so fast? The many memories of Mother’s Days when they were little, all make me smile. Oh yes, I am ready for grandchildren, but I’m not nearly old enough to be a grandmother, right???

I am so proud of my boys – they have grown up to be fine young, polite, fun men. They both have chosen wonderful women to be with. The older one and his fiancée own a townhouse in Brooklyn with a backyard and 3 large London Plane trees they planted. They have done an incredible job on renovating this house and yard. They still have a lot to do but to sit outside in a backyard in NYC and barbecue on beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon with a special cocktail he made me — well it just doesn’t get much better than that – except if my other son and his fiancée could have been there too, but they are still in Poland.

They greeted me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and Kate made an amazing pear pie – with a heart on top! All of dinner was done on the grill. It started with an appetizer of barbecued baby back ribs, then grilled hanger steak, done to perfection, some smashed potatoes, and grilled baby Brussels sprouts. But the pie, oh my, most of us had seconds.
Not too sweet with a super flakey, buttery crust – the girl can really bake! How lucky am I!

So this past Friday night, we arrived upstate and decided, for once, we were going to go out to eat at a local restaurant, the Stissing House, right near our home. And wouldn’t you know it, they were completely booked and wouldn’t take us! So fortunately, before we left the city, I threw a can of salmon in our bags – just in case – as I had nothing else except for some sugar snap peas.

After being rejected from the Stissing House, here’s what I threw together with what I had in the pantry and it was darn good. I really wanted some milk or heavy cream to mix with the salmon juice for the sauce but I had nothing, I didn’t even have any sour cream or yogurt, or crème fraiche so I reached for the mayo and it turned out great! And just recently I came across an article about cooking with mayo – so here’s my contribution!
This came together so quickly. The only thing that takes time is cleaning the sugar snap peas so do that first. The rest can all be done while you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil and cooking the fettuccine. While I made this on a Friday night, this is a perfect weeknight meal simply because it is so very quick and easy.

FETTUCCINE WITH SALMON AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS – serves 3 – 4

1 lb. sugar snap peas, strings removed and washed
1½ Tbs. olive oil
1 14.75 oz. can of pink salmon (use red sockeye if you can find it – my Mom always said that was better!)
½ lb. fettuccine
Coarse sea salt
1 Tbs. capers, drained
5 Tbs. mayonnaise
Fresh ground pepper

Drain the capers.

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Salt generously when it comes to a boil and cook your pasta. Check at 2 minutes less than the package instructions. When done, save some pasta water and drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, warm the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas and sauté until bright green and crisp tender, about 4 minutes.

Drain the canned salmon and save the juices in a small bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise into the juice. Remove the skin from the salmon and discard. Flake the salmon and crush the bones with your fingers.

Place the hot pasta in a large shallow bowl. Add in the salmon, sautéed sugar snap peas and the mayo/juice combo along with 1 – 2 Tbs. hot pasta water and toss to combine. Add fresh ground pepper to taste along with the capers and toss again.

Serve immediately in shallow bowls, with LOVE, and enjoy!

Garlicky Lamb Stuffed Eggplant using the Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker

April 28, 2016 by Mary 8 Comments

There are garlic presses… and then there’s this garlic rocker!! Quicker, easier, kinder to your hand as there is no squeezing motion, just press down and rock! Yes!!! I minced 8 cloves of garlic in 47 seconds! How about that?!?

And, it’s gorgeous to look at. Being a designer, this is super important. Form follows function here. This one-piece brushed stainless steel tool is truly a thing of beauty. I think I might just leave it out on the counter at all times, just to admire! This amazing kitchen tool was in our spring MARY’s secret ingredients box. You can get your very own rocker and still order a box here.

Joseph Joseph is this incredible company based in the UK. It is owned by two twin brothers, hence the name, Joseph Joseph. All of their items are cleverly and beautifully designed and I was not familiar with them until recently. You should check out their site as I’m sure you’ll want more of their handsomeness and usefulness in your kitchen.

So I made up this lamb and eggplant dish with plenty of garlic to put the rocker to the test. Make this with LOVE and get 2 different meals out of it – the first night stuffed in the eggplant shells and the second night as a sauce over pasta. Works for me for busy weeknights!

While the first night does take a bit more time – about 45 minutes – the second night is just the time it takes to cook some pasta. All easy. All good.

GARLICKY LAMB STUFFED EGGPLANT – serves 2 with leftovers for 3 more meals with pasta

1 small eggplant
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt
Pepper – fresh ground
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
1 lb. ground lamb
8 cloves of garlic
1 yellow pepper, ½ chopped into 1/3” squares and the rest in strips for garnish
1 28 oz. can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
2 pinches of red chili flakes
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2.5 oz. baby spinach leaves

Preheat over to 425 degrees.

Wash, dry and trim your eggplant. Cut in half lengthwise and score in diamond shapes as shown in the photo. Cut deep but do not cut through the skin. Drizzle 1 Tbs. of olive oil over each half, spreading open the cuts as you do. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper and the dried oregano. Roast in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, brown the ground lamb, breaking it up into small chunks, in a non-stick skillet. Mince the peeled garlic with the garlic rocker. There! That only took about 40 seconds, yay!!!

When lamb has browned, drain the juices and fat, leaving about 1 Tbs. in the skillet.

Add the garlic, the tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you add, and the chopped yellow pepper. Salt and pepper to taste and add the chili flakes. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring every once in a while. Your sauce should thicken nicely while the eggplant continues to roast.

When the eggplant is done, scoop out the chunks and add to the sauce along with the cumin and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add in the washed baby spinach and stir to barely wilt it. Taste to see if any additional salt and pepper are needed.

Serve in the eggplant skin shells and garnish with the yellow pepper strips. Delish!!

And then on the next night, you can whip this up in a jiffy with the leftover Garlicky Lamb Eggplant Mixture!

GARLICKY LAMB EGGPLANT SAUCE OVER PASTA – serves 3

Leftover lamb and eggplant mixture from the above recipe
½ lb. pasta – I used spaghetti
Maldon salt
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Warm the leftover lamb and eggplant mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute to take the chill off.

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it with coarse sea salt and add ½ lb. of pasta. Test at two minutes less than the package directions. When done to al dente, remove a cup full of pasta water and then drain the pasta.

Toss the pasta with the lamb and eggplant mixture, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water.

Did you know that adding pasta water makes your sauce adhere better to the pasta? Yes it’s true! Add enough water to make that work and loosen the sauce.

Serve in shallow bowls, season with crushed Maldon salt and grated Pecorino Romano cheese if you like. Enjoy!!

Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade Juicy Chicken Breasts

April 26, 2016 by Mary 22 Comments

I have a confession to make. I hate orange marmalade. I hate the bitterness of the rind and I’m really not a jelly, preserve or marmalade person. I’d just much rather have honey on my toast or nothing. That was until I met Jan and tasted her jam gems. This Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade is ridiculously good!!!

Of course you can use it on buttered toast and go straight to heaven. You see this marmalade is softer if you will, not at all bitter and not too sweet. It’s juuust right. `

Jan was in the movie business out in LA and it was well known to her friends that she made an amazing fig spread, just as gifts to her buddies. Well word got around and she ran into a food veteran who had heard of her jam. And the rest is history. She makes 11 varieties now, sweet and savory and an absolutely fantastic lemon curd. You can see the whole line here.

But my favorite was this new tangerine marmalade. Because it’s so good, I’ve been using it on everything!! Try this recipe of Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade Juicy Chicken Breasts and then move on to the sea bass fillet recipe and don’t forget to start your day with it on toast. You can make it a Just Jan’s day!

See how the marmalade glistens like jewels!

JUST JAN’S TANGERINE MARMALADE JUICY CHICKEN BREASTS – serves 5

Plan on the time to marinate. I like to do this on a Sunday afternoon. Then your dinnertime prep work is super quick!

2.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts – about 5
1 heaping Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 scant Tbs. coarse sea salt
13 grinds of Szechuan peppercorns
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. grainy mustard
2.5 Tbs. Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade

4 hours before starting to cook, wash and dry the breasts, trimming off all fat. Place the breasts in a ziplock bag. Add the rosemary, buttermilk, salt, pepper and oil. Remove air from the bag and close. Mix everything around until blended and all breast meat is covered. Marinate for 1 – 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the bag from the fridge about an hour before cooking.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a large non-stick, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil and butter until very hot on medium-high heat. Remove the breasts from the marinade and place on a plate to spread the 1 Tbs. grainy mustard evenly across all breasts on one side only.

When the oil and butter are very hot and the butter has stopped sizzling, carefully place the breasts in the skillet, mustard side down and brown for 3 minutes.

Flip over and spread Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade evenly across all the tops of the breasts.

Place the skillet in the oven to roast for about 7 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 150 – 155 degrees. Remove from skillet and let rest on a platter for 5 – 10 minutes and the temperature will gain.

Serve with LOVE and some juices from the platter and enjoy!!

You can also make this DELICIOUS, super easy sea bass recipe.

JUST JAN’S TANGARINE MARMALADE GLAZED SEA BASS – serves 3 – 4

1.5 lbs. sea bass fillet
1 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade
Olive oil to slick the pan
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slick a rimmed baking pan with olive oil.

Wash and pat dry your fish with paper toweling. Salt and pepper one side of the fish, then evenly distribute the oregano over all. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add in the Just Jan’s Tangerine Marmalade to melt and whisk to combine. Brush on your seasoned sea bass fillet. Roast for 10 minutes per inch of thickness of your fish. I roasted mine for about 12 minutes.

Finish with a light sprinkling of Maldon salt, serve with LOVE and enjoy this totally yummy main course.

This jam with butter is outstanding, so naturally it’s great on toast!

You can still get this product in our MARY’s secret ingredients spring box for sale here. We only have a few left so hurry. Perfect gift for Mother’s Day!!

100 Cups A Day with Gazpacho

April 22, 2016 by Mary 15 Comments

Natalie Blake, an amazing ceramist, founded 100 Cups A Day to bring attention to the need of providing clean water for all. Clean water and food are basic human rights. We, at MARY’s secret ingredients are so very happy and grateful to partner with Natalie, bringing attention to both of these initiatives, when you add in our contributions to Feed The Children.

The hand made symbolic cup in our spring box is beautiful and should remind us that everyone on this earth should have access to clean water. After all, our bodies are made up of more than 50% water. Clean water must cycle through us for general health and well-being. If it’s dirty, of course it will only spread and promote diseases.

Visit both of Natalie’s sites. Her work in custom pieces for interior designers is gorgeous. While this tiny cup should act as a gentle prompt of the need for clean water for everyone, you can purchase larger cups on 100 Cups A Day and support this initiative.

How can you use this little cup? Fill it with toothpicks to be in your life everyday. Or use it as a shot glass/measuring tool when making drinks. Each cup is hand thrown and a different size so determine how much yours holds.
Or you could make this delicious gazpacho and serve gazpacho shots to start a party!

This is a remake of my original gazpacho recipe, where I eliminated the water. Try this recipe and be aware of the water in your life.

Visit Natalie’s site to bring more cups to your home and support this initiative of clean water for all! You won’t be just buying a vessel, you will become a vessel. Proceeds from your $22.00 paid for each cup (a much larger cup) will go to www.caminosdeagua.org. Each month, Natalie and her team will donate proceeds from selling cups to one of the 100 organizations working to support the health of water.

Natalie says, “Commit to a practice. Start right where you are to allow imperfection to teach you to pass on what you learn.”

GOLDEN GAZPACHO WITH AVOCADO – serves 4

2 pounds of mixed yellow and red Campari tomatoes
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 of a jalapeño, minced, with seeds
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 avocado, diced

In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, crushed garlic and jalapeño. With the machine on, gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Ladle the gazpacho into bowls, top with diced avocado, and serve with LOVE.

The gazpacho can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.

Savory Choice Vegetable Pho Spring Soup

April 20, 2016 by Mary 11 Comments

I love this concentrated Pho. This is a reprise item in our spring box just because 1.) I love it so much and 2.) it is a staple in my pantry and should be in yours too.

The other day I made this super fresh spring soup for a dinner party to absolutely rave reviews – and it’s so easy, it’s ridiculous!!

So when my husband asked me to make it again, I could say, “Sure!!” Cuz it’s easy peasy and takes no time! It’s a wonderful light first course to start a springtime meal.

This delicious broth with comforting soft rice, crisp asparagus and lovely green peas combined with the fresh dill – well it’s so fresh, pretty and tasty, how could you not LOVE it?

And since this is a reprise product, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my two other delicious recipes using this concentrated Pho.

But you can use this Pho for anything. When I was feeling very sick with the flu a while back, Steve made me a delicious quick chicken soup with this broth, some shredded leftover roasted chicken and a little bit of this and that in vegetables from the fridge. Perfect and just what the doctor ordered.

Keep some always on your shelf! Cook like a pro as many top chefs use these Savory Choice products in their famous restaurants. Enjoy!!

SAVORY CHOICE VEGETABLE PHO SPRING SOUP – serves 4

3 packs of Savory Choice Vegetable Pho
6 cups of water
1/2 cup long grain white rice, rinsed very well and drained
8 spears of asparagus, tough ends broken off, cut on an angle into 1″ pieces
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
Fine sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped dill

Dissolve Pho stock concentrate in 6 cups of hot tap water. Whisk together in a medium pot to combine and bring stock to a boil. Add well rinsed rice and simmer for 2 minutes less than the package instructs.

Add asparagus and peas and simmer 2 minutes. Test to make sure the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in dill.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with LOVE!