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Creating recipes isn't a pastime—it's a passion. And a lot of fun.

The rules are few: Use 99% fresh ingredients (or thereabouts); make the dish simple but flavorful; make the dish flavorful but simple; be creative, not silly.

With this blog, I want to share new recipes, along with tips on ingredients and preparation, and, hopefully, show new cooks (and non-cooks) the pleasure in setting the table with a delicious homemade meal. The Briny Lemon is about fresh, simple, flavorful ingredients and easy cooking methods that help you bring the best to your family table. Your comments are welcome!

Friday, February 27, 2015

Smoked Sausage and Chicken Hash


This one-skillet dinner is a great example of how so simple can be so delicious. Smoked sausage, lean chicken breast, earthy, spicy vegetables—all add up to an easy and flavorful combination. Tiny, thin-skinned potatoes don’t need to be shredded (as in typical hash)—just cut them into very small pieces and let them cook up tender on the inside and golden brown outside. 

Note: I had potatoes that were only about one inch in diameter, so I quartered them. If you have larger potatoes, dice each one into smaller pieces.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 6 oz baby yellow potatoes, quartered or diced
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 small onion, halved crosswise, then thinly sliced
  • 1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 lb smoked kielbasa, chopped
  • 1 14.5-oz can organic (no-salt) diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Hash Vegetables and Herb
Sausage and Chicken
Prepared Potatoes
Preparation
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until browned and tender, about 12 minutes, depending on size. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, serrano chile, bell pepper, chicken, and sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until browned and the chicken is cooked through, 10 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes and return the potatoes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and cook 1 minute.
Potatoes Beginning to Cook
Seared Potatoes
Vegetables and Meat Added
Tomatoes and Potatoes Added
Divide the hash among 4 shallow bowls and serve.

Smoked Sausage and Chicken Hash

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Chicken Chile Verde with Avocado Salsa


Green, green, and more green means deliciously fresh flavors and a warm, Latin-style dish that makes the most of beautiful, earthy chiles: poblano, serrano, and jalapeno, in this case. Charring the poblanos adds smoky depth that you just don’t get with raw peppers.

Chicken verde recipes are typically served over rice, but they don’t always include a salsa on top. I think the addition of a cool, creamy (more green) avocado-tomato salsa brings a bright, fresh taste to finish the dish.

Tip: Tomatillos may have very loose husks or very tight tusks. The loose ones are easy to peel, but the tight ones can be a little feisty. To make those easier to remove, simply hold the tomatillo under running, cold water and peel back the husk:

Loose husk - tight husk

Peel the loose husk
Rinse tight husks under water
Another tip: Make the salsa just before serving. Prepare all the ingredients, except the avocado—hold that to the end in order to prevent it from oxidizing too soon.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken Chile Verde
  • 2 poblano chiles
  • 8 tomatillos (about 3/4 lb), husked and coarsely chopped
  • 2 serrano chiles, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
  • cooked white rice, for serving
Chile Verde Ingredients
Prepared Chicken 
For the Salsa
  • 2 small, firm-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and small-diced
  • 1 medium stem tomato, chopped
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Salsa Ingredients
Preparation

For the Chicken Chile Verde
  1. Place the poblano chiles on a gas burner directly over the flame until blackened and blistered, 5-6 minutes, turning often to char all sides (for electric ranges, place under a broiler, turning to char all sides).
  2. Transfer to a paper bag, close tightly, and steam the chiles 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and use a paring knife to gently scrape off the skin. (It’s okay if a few flecks remain.) Remove the seeds and coarsely chop the chiles. Set aside.
Poblanos Beginning to Char 
Charred Poblanos 
Ready to Peel 
Peeled Poblanos
Chopped Poblanos
  1. Combine the tomatillos, serrano chiles, garlic, broth, and onion in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook 10 minutes. Drain the mixture, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
  2. Transfer the tomatillo mixture to a food processor and add the cilantro and reserved cooking liquid. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepared Ingredients
Broth Added
Cooked Tomatillo Mixture
Drained Sauce Ingredients 
Ready to Process 
Pureed Tomatillo Mixture
  1. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, breaking into smaller pieces, 6-7 minutes.
  2. Add the scallions and chopped poblanos and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add the tomatillo mixture and cook until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Chicken Beginning to Cook 
Cooked Chicken
Poblanos and Scallions Added 
Tomatillo Mixture Added
Serve the chicken chile verde over rice and dollop with salsa (recipe follows).

Chicken Chile Verde with Avocado Salsa
For the Salsa
  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently to combine. (Make just before serving.)
Avocado Salsa

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops with Apricot Barbecue Sauce


Barbecue pork chops are a delicious hit wherever you cook them—on the grill, in the oven, or in a slow cooker, as in this recipe. And there’s really something special about the juicy tenderness of slow-cooked pork—it’s just hard to beat.

Apricot preserves melt into sweet, fruity goodness in the slow cooker. A little chile pepper and garlic, orange juice and cider vinegar bring a balance of flavors—and create one yummy barbecue sauce for fall-off-the-bone pork chops.

Note: The sauce will become very thin in the slow cooker, but 10 minutes in a skillet on the stovetop renders a thick, luscious sauce to serve with the chops.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients
Pork Loin Chops
Preparation
  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and onion and sauté 3 minutes. Add the apricot preserves and next 6 ingredients (through chile powder) and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.

Garlic Mixture Beginning to Cook
Sauce Beginning to Cook 
Apricot Barbecue Sauce
  1. Season the chops with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce on top and cook on low until the meat is very tender, 8 hours.
  2. Transfer 1 cup of the slow-cooker sauce to a small skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 10 minutes.

Seasoned Chops 
Chops in the Slow Cooker
Sauce Added
Slow-Cooked Pork Chops 
Transfer Sauce to a Skillet 
Thickened Barbecue Sauce
Plate the chops and serve with the thickened sauce spooned on top.

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops with Apricot Barbecue Sauce

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Beef Stew Potpie


If anything can make beef stew warmer, homier, and more satisfying than it already is on a cold winter evening, it’s piecrust. Rich, meaty stew with its traditional companions—potatoes, carrots, onions—makes this simple dish a favorite on the dinner table. Plenty of red wine adds to the splendor—in the stew and in the glass.

Note: Since the cooked ingredients are poured into a piecrust, it’s best to go small. I used tiny “petite,” or baby, potatoes and pearl onions. Yes, you can use larger potatoes and onions and simply chop them to bite-sized pieces, but they may break down a bit more during lengthy cooking—but will still be delicious.

Also note: I like making potpie in a cast-iron skillet. As an alternative, use a lightly oiled 8 X 8-inch baking dish.

Make ahead: You can make the stew a day ahead and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Before adding it to the piecrust, rewarm the stew gently over low heat, adding a little broth to bring it back to a creamy consistency.

For tips on working with pearl onions, see Pan-Roasted Game Hens with Pearl Onions. And for another potpie dish, check out Skillet Chicken Potpie with Fresh Herbs. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling skillet
  • 1-1/2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • flour, for dredging, plus 1 tbsp
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper   
  • 1/4 cup plus 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2/3 cup chopped, peeled carrot
  • 2 tsp herbs de Provence (or other dried herb mix)
  • 2-1/2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 5 oz baby (petite) potatoes, about 1-inch diameter, halved
  • 4 oz pearl onions
  • 1 14.1-oz package refrigerated pie crusts
  • 1 egg white, lightly whisked
Prepared Beef
Beef Stew Ingredients
Prepared Potatoes
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Heat a Dutch oven (or deep, ovenproof pan with a tight-fitting lid) over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Dredge 1/2 the beef in flour, shaking off excess. Season with salt and pepper and sear until beginning to brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the beef to a plate and repeat with another 2 tablespoons of oil and remaining beef. Transfer the 2nd batch to the plate.
  3. Add 1/4 cup wine to the pan and cook 1 minute, scraping up brown bits. Add the garlic, chopped onion, carrot, and herbs de Provence and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 3 minutes.
Beginning to Sear 
After Turning
Wine Added
  1. Return the beef to the pan and add the broth and remaining 1/2 cup wine. Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Mash together 1 tablespoon flour and the butter in a small bowl. Stir into the beef mixture, cover the pan tightly, and place in the oven. Braise until the beef is fork tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
Vegetable Mixture Added 
Broth Mixture Added
Butter-Flour Mixture Stirred In 
After 1.5 Hours
  1. Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until almost tender, 10-12 minutes, depending on size. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon and let drain. Do not pour out the water.
  2. Return the water to a simmer and add the pearl onions. Cook 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board with a slotted spoon. Slice off a small part of the root end and remove the skins.
  3. Stir the potatoes and pearl onions into the stew and continue braising 20 minutes. Remove the stew from the oven, uncover, and cool 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
  4. Lightly oil a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or 8 X 8-inch baking dish) and place 1 piecrust in the bottom, pressing gently against the sides. Pour the stew into the prepared dish.
  5. Top with the remaining piecrust, crimping the edges around the border. Make crisscross cuts in the top crust and brush with egg white.
  6. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Onions and Potatoes Ready for Stew
Onions and Potatoes Added 
Cooked Stew 
Piecrust in the Skillet
Beef Stew Filling 
Ready to Bake
Baked Pie
Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.


Beef Stew Potpie