Vanilla-Date Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup nonfat yogurt
• 1 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup (packed) pitted Medjool dates (about 9 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups ice cubes

Preparation

Purée yogurt, milk, dates, and vanilla in blender until smooth. Add ice cubes; puree until mixture is thick and smooth. Divide between 2 glasses and serve.

One serving contains the following: 338.12 Calories (kcal), 0.0 % Calories from Fat (kcal), 0.00 (g) Fat, 0.00 (g) Saturated Fat, 4.00 (mg) Cholesterol, 80.14 (g) Carbohydrates, 6.00 (g) Dietary Fiber, 68.64 (g) Total Sugars, 74.14 (g)

Lowcountry Breakfast Shrimp

This shrimp's gentle preparation yields an utterly soothing broth that tastes just right first thing in the morning. Grab some grits or a warm biscuit to help sop up the juices.

Ingredients

• 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pound medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 to 1 cup water

Preparation

Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until foaming, then cook onions with scallion, garlic, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer gently, stirring, until shrimp are just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes (shrimp should be saucy; add more water if necessary). Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Cinnamon-Scented Breakfast Quinoa

Is quinoa the new breakfast of champions? According to a marathon runner friend, it is. She loads up on quinoa before every race. But you don't have to be an athlete to get an energy boost from it. My husband and I find that a big bowl of quinoa in the morning holds us well into the afternoon. We love the chewy texture and earthier flavor of the red quinoa, but because it costs a bit more than the white variety, I often mix the two. If you add some of the black, you'll really start the day on a colorful note.

Feel free to add as many accompaniments as you wish. I'm a big fan of flaky sea salt and love the surprise of a little briny crunch on top of my morning cereal.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa (all red or a mix of red, white, or black)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Accompaniments:

• Broken or chopped walnuts, pure maple syrup or honey, milk, and flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Preparation

Wash quinoa in several changes of water in a bowl, rubbing grains and letting them settle before pouring off water (if quinoa does not settle, drain in a large fine-mesh sieve after each rinse), until water is clear.
Drain washed quinoa well in a large fine-mesh sieve.
Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep covered to keep warm. Remove cinnamon sticks.
Divide quinoa among bowls and top with walnuts, maple syrup or honey, milk, and sea salt.

Cooks' notes: The quinoa will stay warm, covered but off the heat, for 15 to 20 minutes. Even if a package says that the quinoa is prewashed, washing it is still recommended. The cinnamon sticks can be washed off, dried, and reused. (I leave mine out in a small bowl near the oven so they can really dry out.)

Breakfast Amaranth With Walnuts and Honey

Need some extra energy to get through the day? A bowlful of this protein-rich supergrain topped with a little TLC in the way of nuts and honey should do the trick. You can save time by making amaranth several days ahead, keeping it chilled, covered, and then reheating it with a little extra water.

Ingredients

• 2 cups amaranth
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Accompaniments:

• Broken or chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds; honey or pure maple syrup; milk

Preparation

In a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan combine the amaranth and the water. Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. Using a heatproof rubber spatula, push any seeds clinging to the side of the pot into the liquid then reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in salt.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it stand, covered, 5 to 10 minutes. Divide amaranth among bowls and top with nuts, honey, and milk.

Aurelia's Breakfast Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 (3- to 4-lb) pineapple, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges, cored, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 lb firm-ripe mangoes (2 to 4), peeled, pitted, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 2 1/2 oz crumbled queso aejado (also called cotija) or queso fresco (1/2 cup)

Preparation

Stir together pineapple, mango, and orange juice in a large bowl. Divide among serving bowls, then sprinkle with cayenne and cheese.

Rosemary and Mustard Breakfast Sausages

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 14-ounce package breakfast sausages, casings removed
• 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

• Fresh rosemary sprigs

Preparation

Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and chopped rosemary; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add sausage, mustard, and generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Mix gently. Form into twelve 2-inch-diameter patties. Arrange sausages on heavy baking sheet. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.)
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 500°F. Bake sausages until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. (If sausages have not browned, broil 2 minutes.) Transfer sausages to paper towels to drain, then arrange on platter. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve.

Breakfast Stack

Ingredients

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 scallion
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 slices Canadian bacon (6 to 8 oz total)
• 4 large eggs

Preparation

Rinse rice in a large fine-mesh sieve under cold running water, then drain well, tapping sieve. Combine rice, 1 1/4 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.
While rice is standing, trim scallion and cut diagonally into very thin slices.
Stir rice from bottom to top. Lightly butter a metal 1-cup measure. Firmly pack enough rice in measure with a rubber spatula to fill measure halfway. (If spatula becomes sticky, dip in water.) Invert measure onto a buttered plate, then tap measure to unmold rice. Repeat with remaining rice, rebuttering measure each time, to make 4 disks total. Chill disks, uncovered, at least 15 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat until foam subsides. Add rice disks and cook, rotating each once for even browning, until undersides are pale golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, then turn cakes over and add 1/2 tablespoon butter to skillet, swirling to melt butter. Cook, rotating each cake once, until golden, about 5 minutes more, and transfer to plates.
Increase heat to high and add 1/2 tablespoon butter to skillet, then brown bacon, turning over once, about 2 minutes total. Place 2 slices bacon on each rice cake.
Wipe out skillet with a paper towel and heat remaining tablespoon butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Crack eggs one by one into skillet. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper total and fry until whites are cooked and yolks begin to set, 2 to 4 minutes.
Place 1 egg on each rice cake stack and sprinkle with scallion.

Cooks' notes: Rice cakes can be shaped 1 day ahead and chilled, loosely covered after 15 minutes. Allow 2 to 5 minutes longer to cook. The eggs in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area.

Breakfast Sundae

 

In July of 1864, the Confederate cavalry rode into Owings Mills, Maryland, where an ice cream factory's employees were loading a shipment bound for Baltimore. With rations low, the soldiers seized the ice cream and ate it straight out of the ten-gallon freezers for breakfast. Many of the mountaineers had never seen ice cream before. Some put it into their hats and ate it while riding, while others thought it too cold, so they put it in their canteens to melt.

Ingredients

• 1 serving hot cooked oatmeal
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh fruit
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Place oatmeal in a serving bowl. (Note: Steelcut oatmeal is best for a hearty, chewy texture, but takes more time to make. If pressed for time, instant oatmeal works as well.)
Top oatmeal with fresh fruit. (Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, nectarines, mangoes, and raspberries all work well singly or combined together.)
Place 1 small scoop of ice cream on top of the fruit. Enjoy a most decadent breakfast.

Breakfast Patties

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons brown rice or spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce (shoyu or wheat-free tamari)
• 1 1/2 cups warm vegetable stock or plain soy milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup finely chopped raw nuts
• 1 cup cooked brown rice or other whole grain
• 1 cup minced shiitake or button mushrooms

Preparation

1. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil, flour, and soy sauce. Whisk well to combine.
2. Whisk in vegetable stock or soy milk and cook until thickened, continuing to whisk, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the oats, onion, sage, thyme, nuts, rice, and mushrooms. Stir well to combine and transfer entire contents to a medium mixing bowl. Allow to set at room temperature for 10 minutes, then refrigerate until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Remove the mixture from refrigerator, and scoop 1/4 cup of mixture into a patty. Place on the lined baking sheet, and continue to scoop mixture into patties until done.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, and serve. If freezing, wrap each patty individually in plastic wrap.

Breakfast Risotto

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
• 4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 small bay leaves
• 1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausages; break up with fork. Add next 2 ingredients. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice. Add wine; boil until liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add 3 cups broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until risotto is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 18 minutes. Discard bay leaves; mix in 1/3 cup cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pass cheese alongside.

Breakfast Burritos

The inspiration for these handheld burritos came from those served at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, in New Mexico, where they are truly the early bird's reward—feasting on a portable breakfast while scoring the pick of the produce is a magical start to the day. Though either Mexican or Spanish chorizo would work, we prefer the smoothness of the Mexican sausage and the way its flavor, rich with chiles, soaks into the potatoes. Avocado adds a fresh, bright note.

Ingredients

• 1 large boiling potato (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 4 (9-to 11-inch) flour tortillas
• 7 to 8 ounces Mexican chorizo (see cooks' note, below), casings removed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack (about 4 ounces)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• About 1/4 cup fresh or bottled salsa

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Cut 4 (12-by 8-inch) sheets of foil.
Cook potato in a small pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
Wrap tortillas tightly in a large sheet of foil and warm in oven until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook chorizo in an 8-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking it up, until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potato and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Whisk together eggs, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add egg mixture and cook, stirring to scramble, until just cooked through. Remove from heat.
Put a tortilla on 1 sheet of foil. Spoon one fourth of chorizo mixture, one fourth of eggs, one fourth of cheese, one fourth of avocado, and then salsa to taste in vertical rows across center, leaving room to fold over bottom and sides. Fold bottom of tortilla over most of filling, then fold over sides, overlapping them. If desired, fold top down (otherwise, filling can be left exposed). Wrap foil around burrito, leaving top exposed. Make 3 more burritos in same manner and serve hot.

Cooks' Note: If you can't find Mexican chorizo, you can use Spanish chorizo. Peel off casings and finely chop chorizo. Cook in small skillet over medium heat until warmed through and some of fat is rendered, about 2 minutes. Add potato and proceed with recipe.

Breakfast Sandwich

Served at LYFE Kitchen restaurant, this breakfast sandwich is perfect when you are on the run, and even better when enjoyed around the kitchen table with your family. Be sure to buy whole wheat muffins, a better source of complex carbs than the traditional English muffins.

Ingredients

• 4 1 1/2-ounce turkey sausage patties
• 1 cup arugula, cleaned with large stems removed
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 large eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
• 1 medium tomato, sliced

Preparation

Method
To prepare the turkey sausage and arugula: In a preheated small nonstick sauté pan, cook the turkey sausage patties over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until the patties are golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Remove the turkey sausage patties from the pan. Add the arugula to the same pan along with 1 tablespoon water. Quickly wilt the arugula and remove from the heat.
To prepare the eggs: Place the olive oil in a preheated nonstick medium sauté pan. Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl and whisk together with a fork for 1 minute. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and let sit for 15 seconds. Using a small rubber spatula, gently move the eggs around the pan, scraping from the bottom every 7 seconds or so. Continue to cook the eggs for 2 minutes longer or until they are just cooked (they should glisten and be just set).
Assembly
Place a cooked turkey sausage patty on each muffin bottom and top with the cooked eggs. Place the wilted arugula and sliced tomato over the eggs and top with the other half of the muffin. Serve immediately.

Breakfast Pizzas

 

We offer so many mouthwatering buttery, sugary, fruity, chocolaty sweet breakfast treats in the morning that it can be almost impossible to choose just one ("I'll have one of each" is a common humorous request from new customers). That is, unless you're one of those people who need to start off the day with eggs or bacon or anything not sweet. For those customers, we've created the ultimate quick grab-'n'-go breakfast using items we already have in-house: brioche dough, cheese, breakfast meats, and eggs. The dough, after an overnight rest in the refrigerator during which it develops flavor, is stretched and pulled like you would a pizza dough to make a flat round.

I've suggested a few of our best topping combinations here, but feel free to use whatever mixture of meats, cheeses, and vegetables you prefer. The egg on top is what makes the pizza shine. After creating a border of meats and vegetables around the edge of each brioche circle, you bake the pizzas about halfway through. Then you crack a whole egg in the middle of each one, blanket them with cheese, and bake until the eggs are just barely set. It's a bit of a messy breakfast, but you won't care once you taste how good it is.

Ingredients

• 1/2 batch Basic Brioche dough
• 1/2 cup/120 ml crème fraîche
• 12 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, cooked in the oven until barely crisp
• 1 cup/240 ml Caramelized Onions
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups/225 g shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

• Special equipment: two rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and place one rack in the center and one rack in the top third of the oven. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Shape the brioche dough into a rectangle about 8 in/20 cm long, 4 in/10 cm wide, and 1 in/2.5 cm thick. Using a ruler and a knife, cut the rectangle into eight 2-in/5-cm squares by first dividing it in half horizontally and then dividing it vertically into strips 2 in/5 cm wide. Each square of dough should weigh about 3 1/2 oz/100 g. Stretch each square into a circle about 5 in/12 cm in diameter as if you are making a small pizza. Stretch the inner part of the circle so that it is quite thin and shape the edge of the circle to create a rim. The center should be almost paper-thin, and the finished circle should look like you are making the crust for a mini deep-dish pizza. Place the brioche circle on one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the remaining dough squares, spacing them 2 to 3 in/5 to 7.5 cm apart and using both baking sheets.
3. Using the back of a spoon, spread 1 tbsp of the crème fraîche over the base of each brioche circle, spreading it evenly over the base but leaving the rim bare. Cut the bacon slices in half. For each pizza, press three half slices of bacon against the brioche rim to create a bacon wall. Divide the caramelized onions evenly among the pizzas, spooning and spreading the onions next to the bacon and leaving the center of the circle bare except for the crème fraîche.
4. Bake the pizzas, switching the baking sheets between the racks and rotating them back to front about halfway during baking, for about 15 minutes, or until the edges of the pizza start to turn light brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and carefully crack an egg into the center of each pizza. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup/30 g of the mozzarella on top of each pizza, covering both the egg and the exposed rim of brioche. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, again switching the baking sheets between racks and rotating them back to front about halfway during baking, or until the cheese has melted, the edges of the egg are cooked but the yolk is still wiggly, and the edges of the pizza are golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let the pizzas cool for 8 to 10 minutes to allow the eggs to set up a bit before serving.

Ham, Ricotta, and Parmesan Variation: Omit the bacon, onions, and mozzarella. Substitute 4 ounces/115 grams sliced ham, 1 cup/250 grams fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese, and 1 cup/100 grams freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Using about 1/2 ounce/15 grams ham per pizza, tear the ham into small pieces and press the pieces against the brioche rim to create a ham wall. Spread 2 tablespoons of the ricotta along the edges of each pizza next to the ham, leaving the center of the brioche circle bare except for the crème fraîche . Bake as directed, substituting 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan in place of the mozzarella sprinkled over the egg on each pizza. Let cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.
Tomato and Cheddar: Omit the bacon, onions, and mozzarella. Substitute 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced, and 8 ounces/225 grams Cheddar cheese, thinly sliced. Using 2 to 3 tomato slices per pizza, tear the slices into pieces and press the pieces against the edge of the brioche rim to create a tomato wall, leaving the center of the brioche circle bare except for the crème fraîche. Bake as directed, substituting 1 ounce/30 grams of the sliced Cheddar in place of the mozzarella sprinkled over the egg on each pizza. Let cool for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

Island Pork Tenderloin Salad

Ingredients

For pork

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds total)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For glaze

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco

For vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon curry powder, toasted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

For salad

• 3 navel oranges
• 5 ounces baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)
• 4 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (from 1 medium head)
• 1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 firm-ripe California avocados

• Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Preparation

Prepare pork:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.
Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.
Make glaze and roast pork:
Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)
Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Assemble salad:
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
• Banana slices (optional)
• Honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
• Maple syrup

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sugar, and oil until smooth. Beat in the egg, then the milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until blended.
• Next, lightly coat a griddle or skillet with oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Drop the batter onto the griddle by 1/4-cup measures. Cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surfaces of the cakes, then flip them and cook a few minutes more. Serve topped with banana slices and chopped peanuts, and drizzled with maple syrup. Makes twelve 4-inch pancakes.

Grilled Halibut Steaks

ingredients

• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• four 1-inch-thick halibut steaks (about 3/4 pound each)

• Accompaniment: fennel tsatsiki

preparation

• Prepare grill.
• In a dry small skillet toast fennel seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant and a shade darker. In an electric coffee/spice grinder grind seeds. Mince garlic. Squeeze juice from lemon into a small bowl and stir in fennel, garlic, salt, and oil. Put halibut in a large dish and pour marinade over it, turning fish to coat. Marinate halibut, covered and chilled, at least 10 minutes and no more than 1 hour.
• Grill halibut on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until just cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. (Alternatively, grill halibut in a hot oiled well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderate heat.)
• Serve halibut with tsatsiki.

Feta and Marinated Niçoise Olives with Grilled Pitas

ingredients

For marinated olives

• 1 lemon
• 1 garlic clove
• a 6-inch fresh rosemary sprig
• two 3-inch fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves (preferably Turkish)
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup Niçoise olives (about 6 ounces)

• two 1/2-pound pieces feta
• eight to twelve 6-inch pitas
• about 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Accompaniment: Japanese or English cucumber spears

preparation

• Make marinated olives:
• With a vegetable peeler remove 4 wide strips zest from lemon. Thinly slice garlic. Break rosemary and thyme into 1-inch pieces and halve bay leaves. In a small airtight container stir together all marinated-olive ingredients. Marinate olives, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 1 month.
• Prepare grill.
• Put feta on a platter and pour olives and marinade over it. Lightly brush pitas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill pitas on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals about 1 minute on each side. (Alternatively, grill pitas in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.)
• Serve pitas warm with feta and olives. Serve cucumber spears on the side.

Grilled Mustard-Dill Burgers

ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 10 ounces lean ground beef
• 2 hamburger buns, split
• 2 tomato slices
• 2 Bibb lettuce leaves

preparation

• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Mix first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Transfer 3 tablespoons sauce to small bowl and reserve. Add meat to remaining sauce in medium bowl and mix gently. Divide meat mixture into 2 equal portions. Flatten each to 1/2-inch-thick patty; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Grill cut side of buns until toasted, about 1 minute. Grill patties to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Spread bottom half of buns with reserved sauce. Top each with burger, tomato slice, lettuce and bun top.

Herbed Potato Salad

ingredients

• 2 pounds boiling potatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot

preparation

• In a 5-quart kettle cover potatoes with cold salted water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender when tested with a wooden skewer, 10 minutes (for small fingerling potatoes) to 25 minutes (for larger boiling or all-purpose potatoes). Drain potatoes in a colander and cool to room temperature.
• Chop parsley and thyme. Cut cooled potatoes into 1 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl gently toss potatoes with herbs, oil, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve potato salad at room temperature.

Indian Potatoes, Peas and Cauliflower

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

preparation

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and ginger; sauté until potatoes are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Mix in cauliflower, then salt, turmeric, chili powder and paprika; sauté 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.