Blueberry Pie with Streusel Crust

Summer blueberries? 

Pie came to mind first. It's always pie first for me.

My mother, who was a master pie baker, never baked blueberry pie because she said the insides were either too thick and gloppy or too runny. I experimented with the fruit, sweetener and thickening agent a few times before the filling consistency was right.

Here it is! Perfect for summer. Good stuff for July 4th!

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BLUEBERRY CRUMB PIE

CRUMB CRUST:

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 6 tablespoons butter

Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter in chunks and work it into the dry ingredients with fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. If you use a food processor, add the ingredients to the work bowl and mix using 18-24 quick, short pulses (enough for the mixture to resemble coarse meal). Set aside.

FILLING:

• 6 cups blueberries, approximately

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 unbaked pie crust bottom

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cover the top with the crumbs. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until  golden brown.

Note: you can use 3 “1-pint” boxes of blueberries. Although a liquid pint equals 2 cups, a dry pint of blueberries from most markets has a bit more.

Makes 8 servings

Roasted Potato Salad

Have you ever made potato salad with roasted potatoes? If you haven’t, you’re in for a treat if you try this recipe!

The crispy edges add a really satisfying texture and the flavor is extra rich because the high heat caramelizes the onions. (I used a cast iron pan and suggest that for best results but your oven is fine (instructions below) and if you have room for the pan on an outdoor grill — go for it and cook the entire feast outdoors.

This dish tastes best at room temperature, although my husband likes it hot, so, either way.

P.S. I told you I have LOTS of recipes for potato salad!

ROASTED POTATO SALAD WITH RED ONIONS AND ROSEMARY

• 2 pounds “new” waxy potatoes (such as Red Bliss or baby Yukon Golds)

• 5 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you have a cast iron grill pan or frying pan, preheat it in the oven. Wash the potatoes and cook them in simmering water for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Peel the potatoes when they are cool enough to handle; cut them into bite size pieces. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the potatoes, toss them to coat all sides. Place the potatoes in the preheated pan (or use an ovenproof pan or baking sheet). Roast the potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the onion slices, mix and roast for another 10-15 minutes, mixing them once or twice, or until the ingredients are lightly browned and crispy. Place the ingredients in a bowl. While still warm, mix the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard. Pour over the potatoes and onion. Add the parsley and rosemary. Toss the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Herby Potato Salad

I could write an entire book of recipes for potato salad.

Here’s a good dairy-free --- maybe mayonnaise-free (your call) version. Perfect for Father’s Day or July 4th or Labor Day or anytime!

I have to confess that occasionally I will mix in the 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise if I am serving people who I know prefer their potato salad creamier.

Herby Potato Salad

• 2 pounds new potatoes or small red Bliss potatoes

• 6 tablespoons white wine (or vegetable stock)

• 2 thick scallions, chopped

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, savory, oregano, thyme, rosemary  (or a combination)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise, optional

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. When they are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl. Pour in the wine, add the scallions and herbs and toss the ingredients together. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar and mustard (add 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise if desired). Pour over the potatoes and toss the ingredients. Sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Best at room temperature.

Makes 6-8 servings

Brisket Wings

I don’t wait for Superbowl to serve chicken-wings. They’re one of our favorite foods to eat and are a regular item for dinner.

I make wings in all sorts of ways, with all sorts of seasonings and all levels of sweetness and spiciness. I’ve made them Korean style and Jewish style and East India style.

Recently I made some “brisket wings.”

What?

Here’s what I mean — I recently made brisket, which I slow-cook to tenderness and then light up our outside grill to cook it Texas-style. I use any one of a number of BBQ sauces I’ve developed over the years. BBQ sauce helps the meat come out with those fabulous crispy edges and burnt ends. (During colder months I use the oven broiler.)

I had some of the brisket sauce leftover so I decided to use it for some wings.

PERFECT!

This is a universal sauce! I have since even slathered some on top of some hamburgers, for extra burger goodness.

Here’s the recipe. I cooked the wings on a medium grill (lightly coat them with vegetable oil first), and then, after about 12-15 minutes, coat them with some sauce and cook them until crispy and done.

These wings would be terrific for Father’s Day!

BARBECUE SAUCE FOR BRISKET, WINGS AND MORE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped chili pepper

• 2 cups ketchup

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade

• 1/2 cup cold brewed coffee

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• pinch of ground cloves

Pour the olive oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and chili pepper and cook briefly. Add the ketchup, marmalade, coffee, honey, Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and cloves and stir to blend them. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes or until thick.

Makes about 2-1/2 cups

Mango Salsa

When the weather gets warmer I like to make foods that I can bring outside, that can sit for an hour as we nibble and sip a cocktail or two before dinner.

This salsa is a perfect example. It’s fresh fruit, citrus and a bit of heat thanks to the chili pepper. It’s colorful, so it’s nice for company. And it stays fresh for a while.

I use this salsa as an hors d’oeuvre and serve it with corn chips but it also makes and excellent side dish for burgers, grilled chicken or fish.

Remember this for summer picnics. Memorial Day weekend. Father’s Day. July 4th! Labor Day.

What I’m saying —- it’s a keeper!

Tropical Dip and Chip

• 1 large ripe mango

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno (or other chili) pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro (or use parsley)

• salt if desired

• corn or plantain chips

Peel and pit the mango and avocado. Chop the fruit into small pieces (or use a food processor) and place the pieces in a mixing bowl. Add the red onion, chili pepper, lime zest, lime juice and cilantro. If using a food processor, process on pulse to desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt if desired. Serve with chips.

Makes about 2 cups

Roasted Lemony Brussels Sprouts

My husband once told me that if I ever made Brussels Sprouts for dinner he would want a divorce.

So, none of that particular vegetable for at least 10-12 years into the marriage.

Then I got an assignment from a food editor at the paper I wrote for, to do an article on --- Brussels Sprouts. I made several recipes.

We hate food waste at our house, so Ed tried them all.

Surprise! He loved them all.

It's been a Brussels Sprouts bonanza ever since. Turns out this is one of his favorite vegetables.

So I am making this for Father's Day.

Roasted Lemony Brussels Sprouts

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon peel
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half (or smaller, depending on size) and wash under cold water. Drain and place the Brussels sprouts on the parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and lemon peel and pour over the vegetable. Toss the Brussels sprouts to coat all of them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-18 minutes, turning the sprouts once or twice during roasting, or until tender and lightly golden brown.

Make 4-6 servings

Beet Salad with Peas

When everyone in a family likes the same thing to eat, you make that something right?

Our family is no different than everyone else’s. Some eat meat, some don’t. A few hate turkey or have had enough of it (turkey is one of my go-to meals). Ditto chicken. One person is carb-free, another one doesn’t like green vegetables, this one is allergic to nuts, that one can’t digest lettuce.

Got it?

That’s why I am making beet salad on Father’s Day. It’s a family favorite. So everyone will pick and choose from the other stuff but all will eat some of this. I make all sorts of versions of beet salad, depending on what else I am serving. This one has peas, added for variety.

Beet Salad with Peas

1 bunch medium beets

2 scallions, chopped

1 cup thawed frozen peas (or blanched fresh peas)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the beets, cutting away the greens, if any, and discarding any hard, fibrous parts of the stem. Wash and drain the greens and use them for other purposes. Scrub the beets, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast for 50-60 minutes or until they are tender. Peel the beets when they are cool enough to handle. Cut the beets into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Add the scallions and peas and toss the ingredients. Pour in the olive oil and wine vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Corn, Avocado and Tomato Relish

I remember thinking that “relish” meant chopped up green stuff in the glass jar that my Mom stored in the refrigerator door. That my Dad always put on his hamburgers (along with the ketchup and tomato).

I once tried this kind of relish and wondered why a smart man like my Dad would actually eat that stuff, which burned my tongue and tasted both too sweet and too sour at the same time, if that’s possible.

That is relish, of course. Pickle relish. But long into my cooking career that I learned relish can mean just about any chopped up combo of fruits and/or vegetables that you use as a condiment to enhance a “main dish” liked grilled meat or fish or even a veggie burger. It doesn’t have to be pickle relish.

A few days ago I grilled too many ears of corn and didn’t want to waste the kernels, so I mixed them into a relish that I served with grilled chicken breasts, but would go with most entrees I think.

So, if you’re grilling on Father’s Day, try this not-pickle relish with whatever you’ve got going on the barbie. Or anything else you might be cooking, grill or not.

P.S. I left the red bell pepper out this time because I didn’t have one and I didn’t feel like shopping. It’s okay to do that!

Roasted Corn, Avocado and Tomato Relish

2 ears corn on the cob (about one cup corn kernels)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium scallions, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 serrano chili pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1 avocado

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons lime juice

salt to taste

Preheat the outdoor grill. Remove the thick outer leaves of the corn husks. Soak the ears in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain the ears and pull back the remaining thin leaves of the husk so you can remove and discard the silky threads. Brush the surface of the corn kernels with a film of olive oil and put the thin leaves back in place. Grill the ears over medium heat, turning the ears occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until crispy and tender. Let cool. Remove the kernels from the cobs and place the kernels into a bowl. Add the scallions, bell pepper, serrano pepper and tomatoes and toss the ingredients. Peel the avocado and cut the flesh into pieces. Add to the bowl and toss. Sprinkle with the cilantro, parsley, lime juice and remaining olive oil. Toss ingredients and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings

Grilled “Korean Style” Chicken

Barbecue for Father’s Day: Ribs and Chicken

For years and years on Father’s Day our family, my brothers, parents and I, went to an extended family barbecue (called a “cookout”) at my Aunt Min’s house. All the cousins were there so it was a generally raucous event. My Uncle Herb made hot dogs and hamburgers.

I didn’t like it. I wanted to be with my father and and not everyone else’s. It wasn’t as if we never saw the cousins. There were always plenty of other occasions during the year.

Besides, I wanted my Mom’s delicious food. Uncle Herb was a nice guy and all but he tended to overcook everything so the hot dogs were shriveled and the burgers were like hardened play dough.

So one year I got really brave and told my mother I didn’t want to go.

Wow — she agreed! It was like a miracle. She loved the family thing (it was her family, not my Dad’s) so I was really surprised. Maybe she was looking for an excuse not to go? Maybe all the little, noisy kids were too much for her? Maybe the traffic was a hassle?

In any event, after that our family went solo with our own cookout and that’s the tradition I follow with my own children. It’s raucous enough just with us! 

We change the menu from year to year, but it’s always something on the grill plus a few veggie and grain salads and maybe potato salad.

I just bought some beautiful beef ribs for Sunday. And some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Here’s the recipe I’m going to use (it’s for the chicken, but you can use the same marinade for the beef ribs).

Grilled “Korean Style” Chicken

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup agave or honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 thick scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 large skinless and boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, optional

Combine the soy sauce, agave, brown sugar, vegetable oil, sesame seed oil, garlic, scallions, ginger and black pepper in a dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts. Mix the ingredients well. Immerse the chicken and turn them a few times to coat all surfaces. Marinate for 2-3 hours, turning the meat from time to time. Preheat an outdoor grill or oven broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill the breasts, brushing occasionally with the marinade, for about 8 minutes, turning once or twice, or until the breasts are cooked through. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds if desired. Makes 4 servings 

Tagged: Father's Day, Grilled Chicken, Korean Barbecue Sauce

The Right Recipe for Fatherhood

My Dad was a terrific man.  Not stereotypical for girls of my generation. He worked hard all right and long hours, but he wasn’t one of those there-but-absent fathers that most of my friends talked about. He bathed us kids, changed diapers, fed us and went to PTA meetings where he was the only man in the room, including the teachers. He hugged and said “I love you.” I know this sounds like “so-what” today, when fathers are expected to be …. well …. fathers. But it was a rare thing then.

He was also a really bad cook with absolutely no instinct for ingredients, timing or method. Best example: oversized meatballs made with meat only, no seasonings, topped with tomato paste and broiled to a crisp. That may have been the worst dinner ever.

I mean no disrespect. It’s just that cooking was not his forte.

When Father’s Day comes around I find I miss my Dad terribly. Miss the hugs. Miss the “I love you”s. Miss his presence. He didn’t have to be a good cook. He had the right recipe for fatherhood.

He did love a thick steak. Finnan Haddie. Shredded wheat. Wheatena.

One of his favorite foods was Roasted chicken wings. He really loved the wings but he knew his kids (me especially) loved the wings too so he always gave them to us. He once said he liked the breast and wings but learned to eat thighs and drumsticks after he had kids.

None of us ever said “here Dad, you can have the wing this time.”

Kids don’t do that.

But if he were around today I would make a roast chicken and gladly give him both wings.

Roast Chicken with Fresh Herbs 

1 roasting chicken, 4-7 pounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons white wine or chicken stock

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove any pinfeathers and excess fat from the chicken. Remove the package of giblets inside the cavity (roast with the chicken or use for stock (except the liver)). Rinse and dry the chicken. Combine the olive oil, parsley, chives, rosemary, thyme, wine and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Mix ingredients thoroughly. Place the chicken breast side down on a rack inside a roasting pan. Brush half the mixture over the chicken back. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken in the oven and reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Roast for 50-60 minutes, basting once after the first 30 minutes. Turn chicken over so it is breast side up. Brush with the remaining herb mixture and sprinkle to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for another 45-60 minutes, basting 2 or 3 times, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 degrees (or, inserted into the thigh, reads 165 degrees). Remove the chicken to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Makes 6 servings