Welcome!

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!

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Pasta with Fresh-Tomato and Mushroom Sauce


When dinner needs to be quick and easy and light, fresh, and flavorful, here’s your dish. Warm and satisfying pasta doesn’t have to be weighed down with a thick, heavy sauce. Don’t get me wrong—those are delicious. But sometimes you want simple as well as nutritious—no-fuss as well as inviting.

Here, fresh tomatoes and mushrooms are the stars of the plate, while the sauce is a light mixture of olive oil, butter, and white wine that simply coats the other ingredients. Finish with a little salty cheese shaved on top, and dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s what fast food was meant to be.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 8 oz dry rotini
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 8 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 large cluster tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 lb total)
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • shaved Manchego (or Parmesan) cheese, for serving
Sauce Ingredients
Prepared Ingredients
Preparation
  1. Cook the rotini in boiling, salted water until al dente, 7-8 minutes. Drain.
  2. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are just beginning to soften, 4 minutes.
  3. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 5-6 minutes.
  4. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes just begin to break down, 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the drained pasta and parsley to the pan, stirring to combine, until hot throughout, 2 minutes.
Mushrooms Beginning to Cook
Wine Added
Liquid Absorbed
Tomatoes Added 
Cooked Tomatoes 
Pasta and Parsley Added
Divide the pasta among 4 shallow bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Top with shaved cheese and serve right away.

Pasta and Parsley Added

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Chard Wraps with Szechuan Pork



Chard is one of those versatile leafy greens that can be enjoyed either raw or cooked. And its large leaves make it a perfect candidate for wrapping something in—like spicy ground pork and vegetables with delicious Szechuan flavors.

Szechuan cuisine typically features bold, pungent flavors with plenty of heat and aromatic ingredients like garlic and ginger. Unlike other Asian sauces that are soy- or sesame-based, Szechuan sauces tend to be tomato based, particularly pureed tomatoes or simply tomato sauce. Another common ingredient in Szechuan sauces is sherry. If you don’t have sherry on hand, substitute a light-bodied white or red wine.

Note: Chard leaves are light and tender so they don’t need to be pre-cooked before rolling up (like cabbage leaves, for instance); however, they do have thick, tough bottom stems and ribs that need to be removed. Simply cut off the stem below the bottom of a leaf, then lay the leaf on a work surface and run a knife along the edges of the center rib about two inches up from the bottom. Press the remaining center rib against the work surface, gently crushing it to make it more pliable for rolling. When you’re ready to add the filling, pull together the separated pieces at the bottom of the leaf, overlapping them before placing the filling on top:

Cut off bottom stem and portion of center rib 
Crush remaining rib to soften 
Overlap the bottom pieces before filling
Ingredients
  • 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • sea salt
  • 1 tbsp peanut oil
  • 3 red Thai chiles, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 8 large chard leaves, prepared as noted above
  • steamed white rice, for serving
Prepared Filling Ingredients
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Combine the tomato sauce, sherry, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl and season with salt. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Tomato Sauce Mixture 
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the peanut oil. Add the Thai chiles, garlic, scallions, carrot, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the carrot begins to soften, 5-6 minutes.
  2. Add the pork and season with salt. Cook, breaking up the meat, until just cooked through and the liquid is absorbed, 8-9 minutes.
  3. Add 2/3 cup of the reserved tomato sauce mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes. Tip: Divide the pork mixture into 8 even sections to make judging the filling portions easier.
Chile Mixture Beginning to Cook 
Pork Added 
Pork with Tomato Sauce Mixture
Divide the cooked pork into 8 sections
  1. Lay a prepared chard leaf on a work surface with the bottom toward you. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the pork mixture onto the leaf 1 inch from the bottom. Roll up tightly, tucking in the sides as you go.
  2. Place the stuffed chard wrap seam-side down in an 11 X 7-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining leaves and pork mixture, setting the wraps snuggly side by side in the dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over top.
  3. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven until the chard softens and the filling is hot, 10 minutes.
Spoon on Filling 
Roll up Tightly
Stuffed Chard 
Ready to Bake 
Baked Chard Wraps
Divide the rice among 4 plates. Place 2 chard wraps on top of each, spooning some of the tomato sauce from the dish overtop as well. Serve hot.

Chard Wraps with Szechuan Pork

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Dried-Tomato Pizza with Figs and Goat Cheese


Keep pizza night simple and easy with only a few flavorful, inviting (maybe unexpected) ingredients. Drying tomatoes brings out their rich, sweet, caramelized flavor, and it’s one of the easiest preparations you can do in your kitchen. Make them a few hours or even a day ahead, then they’re ready to top the pizza along with sweet, fruity figs and tangy goat cheese. I think you’ll like the flavor combination.

For another thin-crust pizza idea, check out Thin-Crust Pizza with Bacon and Red Onion.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients
  • 2 medium roma tomatoes, cut into 1/10-inch-thick slices
  • olive oil, for drizzling and brushing
  • sea salt
  • 1 11- to 12-inch thin pizza crust
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp crumbled dried oregano
  • 3 oz soft goat cheese, cut or pinched into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup small-chopped black mission figs
Medium Romas 
Slice Very Thinly 
Pizza Toppings
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 225° F. Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Lay the tomato slices in a single layer on the pan. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until the tomatoes begin to dry and caramelize, 30-40 minutes, depending on thickness.  
  3. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. (If making a day ahead, stack on a saucer, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.
Ready to Dry
Dried Tomatoes
Stack, Cover, and Refrigerate Overnight
  1. Increase the oven temperature to 400° F (or according to pizza crust directions).
  2. Lay the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and spread with tomato paste.
  3. Top with the dried tomatoes and season with oregano and salt. Scatter goat cheese and figs on top of the tomatoes.
  4. Bake until the crust is crispy around the edges and the cheese begins to brown, 10-12 minutes.
Oil and Tomato Paste
Tomato Layer 
Cheese and Figs Added
Baked Pizza
Transfer to a cutting board and cut into serving pieces. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Dried-Tomato Pizza with Figs and Goat Cheese

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

California Chicken Verde Tacos



There are lots of recipes for chicken verde tacos, and these California-style include a simple mayo-dressed slaw with carrots and cabbage, flour tortillas, and lean, shredded chicken breast. But the key to flavor and freshness in this recipe is in the verde sauce—all things green and beautiful.

Yes, you can purchase hundreds of varieties of jarred salsa verde on supermarket shelves, but making your own is as easy as placing the ingredients in a food processor and giving them a whirl. You don’t need to be fussy about preparing them for the processor—just do some basic chopping and you’re ready to go. Not convinced yet? Think green. Think fresh. And here’s to your health:


Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 6 tomatillos, husked and chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 2 serrano chiles, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • sea salt
  • 2-1/2 cups cooked, shredded boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 3 tbsp light mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrot
  • 8 6-inch flour tortillas, lightly charred over a gas flame (or warmed in the oven)
Preparation
  1. Place the tomatillos and next 5 ingredients (through lime juice) in a food processor and season with salt. Use quick pulses to chop to a thin but still slightly chunky consistency. 
  2. Place the cooked chicken in a large skillet or saucepan and add the salsa verde. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring well to combine, until hot throughout, 5-10 minutes, depending on the starting temperature of the chicken. Check for seasoning, adding a little salt, if needed.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and carrot, tossing to coat.
Chopped Ingredients
Shredded Chicken with Salsa Verde
Cabbage and Carrot
Slaw Mixture
Transfer the chicken mixture to a bowl and serve alongside the cabbage slaw and tortillas and let your guests build their own tacos.

California Chicken Verde Tacos

Monday, September 21, 2015

Tex-Mex Dirty Rice


“Dirty” rice gets dirty with the addition of meat—ground pork or beef, sausage, even chicken liver in Cajun country. I wanted to give this dish a little Tex-Mex flair, so I went with Mexican chorizo and included both spicy chile and mild bell pepper, as well as onion and a couple savory spices.

Top it off with creamy avocado and sharp cheddar cheese for an easy, simple dinner loaded with flavor—without any fuss.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb Mexican chorizo
  • 2 jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp chile powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
  • chopped avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, and lime wedges for serving
Prepared Vegetables and Garlic
Preparation

Heat a large skillet over medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned and cooked through, 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a bowl, leaving accumulated oil in the pan.

Add the jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper, and onion and season with salt. Cook until beginning to soften, 5-6 minutes.

Return the chorizo (and any accumulated juices) to the pan and stir in the chile powder and cumin. Fold in the cooked white rice and check for seasoning, salting lightly if desired. Cook, stirring frequently, until well combined and hot throughout, 2-3 minutes. 

Chorizo Beginning to Cook
Cooked Chorizo 
Jalapeno Mixture Beginning to Cook
Cooked Jalapeno Mixture 
Chorizo Returned 
Rice Added
Serve the dirty rice topped with chopped avocado and cheddar cheese with lime wedges on the side.

Tex-Mex Dirty Rice