I spent Sunday afternoon racking and running new wine through a coarse filter. The juice will undergo a cold-stabilization period before it will be blended and bottled. The process took hours and it was close to 8:30 when I started dinner and watched the football game. Sounds like the fourth quarter was the time to watch, anyway.

With the unseasonably warm weather, stew doesn’t sound too inviting. Fortunately, Saturday was cool when I tried this hearty, healthy stew.

Italian Sausage Stew
1 lb. Italian sausage links
1-1/2 c. onions, chopped
1 c. green peppers, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
28-oz. canned tomatoes
1 c. mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
5-6 c. torn kale, washed and stems removed
10 oz. wheat penne pasta
3-4 c. chicken stock
1 c. half-and-half
salt and pepper, to taste

Brown Italian sausage links on all sides in a large pot. Remove and reserve for later. They won’t be cooked through, but will finish cooking later.

Using the sausage grease, sauté onions and green peppers for 15-20 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add canned tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer.

In another pot, brown mushrooms in butter. Add to the first pot. Add enough water to the empty pot to blanch the kale. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces. Add to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove kale with a slotted spoon and add to the first pot. Do not throw out that water! Instead, bring it back up to a boil and cook the penne pasta, following the package directions.

When the penne is ready, drain it and add it to the first pot. Add enough chicken stock to the first pot to make a stew-like consistency. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add half-and-half and season with salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and/or chopped fresh parsley.

Stew is perfect when there’s time to cook. However, when I need something quick and hearty, I make an easy soup using canned peas.

Quick Pea Soup
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
4 cans spring peas or baby peas
4 c. chicken stock
1 c. fat-free half-and-half
salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onions, garlic and ginger in coconut oil in a pot with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drain peas, and add to the pot along with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove from the heat.

For perfectly smooth pea soup, puree all of the soup in a food processor or with an immersion blender. I like to see some recognizable peas, so I skim out about a cup of peas, puree what’s in the pot, and then add the peas in the cup back to the pot.

Add fat-free half-and-half and adjust seasonings. Garnish with crumbled cooked bacon or cubes of cooked ham.

Years ago, experts insisted that coconut oil was bad for us. Now, experts are stating that it is good. So, I suggest trying coconut oil while it’s still considered to be good. I like the taste, even in savory dishes. I’m pretty sure ginger has always been healthy, and of course so are peas, making the Quick Pea Soup a terrific choice.

Last week the Leader ran a story about my farm’s grape harvest. We picked our white Blanc du Bois grapes, harvesting about 3000 pounds. It was a huge success and, I have to admit, a huge relief to have that crop harvested. The longer the fully-ripened grapes hang on the vine, the more susceptible they are to insects, sunburn and other peril.

We still have to pick our Lenoir (Black Spanish) grapes, but in that I have only 150 of those vines, the harvest will be quick. They are also easier to pick than the white grapes because the deep red-purple grapes are much easier to see. That harvest will be held in a couple of weeks.

After that, I will concentrate on keeping the vines healthy so that next year’s crop will be even more fruitful.

In the meantime, I find that I’m cooking less and less in the summer. I just don’t have the time to cook. I make more salads and sandwiches, keeping dinner light and easy, and using up those garden vegetables.

I purchased two watermelons this weekend from a local family farm. Huge cool slices are always good, but try the following recipes for a side salad, main course or refreshing afternoon snack.

Watermelon, Peach and Tomato Salad
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 c. watermelon, cubed
1-1/2 c. peaches, sliced
1/2 c. red onion, sliced thinly
1/4 c. fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 lb. tomatoes, cubed
1/3 c. goat cheese, crumbled

Combine lime juice, olive oil, honey, vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add watermelon and peaches, onion, mint, basil and tomatoes. Toss gently. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Garnish with goat cheese just before serving.

Watermelon Gazpacho
1 large tomato, pureed
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 c. watermelon, cubed, divided
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
1/2 cucumber, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

In a blender, purée the tomatoes, pepper, and half the watermelon. Pour in the red wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse. Add the onion, cucumber and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Purée until smooth. Pour into chilled bowls. Top with remaining watermelon cubes and feta. Garnish with extra dill, roughly chopped or torn. Serve.

Cool Watermelon Drink
1 1/4 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh mint, minced
1 Tbsp. lime rind, strips
1 Tbsp. lemon rind, strips
12 c. seeded watermelon, cubed
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in mint, lime rinds and lemon rinds. Let steep 20 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or through a coffee filter; discard solids.

Working in batches, place one-third each of sugar syrup and watermelon in blender; process until smooth. Pour purée into a large pitcher. Repeat the procedure twice with remaining sugar syrup and watermelon. Stir in lime and lemon juice.

Serve over ice, or refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir before serving.

The vineyard is beginning to flower. The tiny bud clusters are blooming with miniscule white blossoms. Their sweet smell fills the vineyard and I had to take an allergy pill on Saturday as I pulled suckers on the trunks and culled rogue shoots. Grapes self-pollinate and the wind and gravity will begin that process, resulting in small clusters of berries we all recognize as grapes.

I gave a few vineyard tours this weekend. I love talking about the vines and I am delighted when visitors show interest in the growing cycle. Most people don’t realize that, like other plants, grapes create a flower that is pollinated and then produce seeds surrounded by fruit. Even fewer people have actually seen a grape cluster in bloom.

Last week my winery participated in Savor the Flavor, bringing appetizers to the food-sampling event. One of the appetizers, bruschetta, can be confusing to some. In Texas, it is usually mispronounced as broo-shedda.

But in Italian, the “ch” has a hard “k” sound, not a soft “sh” sound. So when I pronounce it correctly, some people find it confusing.

I’ve also found that most people think the tomato topping is the bruschetta. That’s not correct. The word is derived from the Italian word bruscare which means “to roast over coals.” Bruschetta is really toasted bread, usually rubbed with garlic cloves and a drizzle of olive oil. In Italy it may be topped with chopped tomatoes if they are in season. However, it is a simple side dish, similar to garlic bread.

That being said, like most Americans, I love adding my own flair. Sometimes the toppings are robust enough to make that side into a meal. Below are a couple of my favorite toppings for bruschetta.

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint red grape tomatoes, quartered
1 pint yellow grape tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. Greek Seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toasted baguette, sliced

Pour olive oil into a medium bowl. Add tomatoes and onions, sprinkle with feta and Greek seasoning. Stir until blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with the baguette slices.

Bruschetta with Eggplant
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. Kalamata olives, cut in half
1/4 c. capers, drained
1 c. roasted red peppers, chopped
3 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 loaf French bread

Toss eggplant with salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Roast in a 450-degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges are almost charred. Remove and let cool.

In a large pan, sauté onions in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook until the onions and garlic brown, but do not burn.

In a large bowl, combine eggplant and onion mixture with olives, capers and peppers. Whisk Balsamic vinegar and the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil with the parsley and oregano. Pour over vegetables and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 25-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.

I prefer to let the mixture come to room temperature before serving. So pull it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes early. Then plop a large scoop on each slice of toasted French bread.

I started rough-pruning the vineyard in early March. Mainly trying to get long straggly vines out of the trellis, leaving 4-5 nodes (buds) on each spur. The idea is that will enable me to final-prune more quickly when the time comes. The time has come – I usually prune the last week in March and the first week in April.

I love working outdoors and have been taking advantage of the warm weather. Even after working outside all day, I love to come in and cook. My husband doesn’t understand it, but cooking relaxes me. I kept the dinners simple and utilized leftover wild rice for a vegetarian bean soup and a skillet meal.

Vegetarian Bean Soup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 c. beef broth
1 can Ranch-style beans, do not drain
2 cups prepared rice
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 corn tortillas, cut into strips, for garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil until softened. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, beans and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep beans from burning on the bottom of the pot.

Using a potato masher directly in the pot, mash some of the beans. That will help thicken the soup. Then add rice and cilantro. Cook for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Place tortilla strips in the oven and toast for about 8 minutes. Checking halfway and rearranging on the pan so they don’t burn.

Serve the soup garnished with tortilla strips and shredded cheese.

I love using my cast-iron skillet. It browns and sears better than any other pan. The next recipe should be made in a cast-iron skillet for the best results.

Sausage and Vegetable Skillet
1 pkg. cooked smoked sausage
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. broccoli florets
2 c. fresh spinach
1 c. marinara sauce or tomato sauce
1 c. chicken broth
3 c. rice
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

I like to cut the sausage lengthwise and then slice those into half-round, bite-sized pieces. I guess that’s a habit from when the boys were young. Anyway, brown those in a medium-high heated skillet. Remove and reserve the sausage. Add olive oil to the hot pan and sauté the onions. Season with Creole seasoning.

Add minced garlic, broccoli and spinach. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt. Add marinara sauce, chicken broth and rice. Stir until the mixture begins to boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle cheese over the top and serve in the skillet.

Looking for calf liver recipes:
My husband and I purchased half a bull-calf for processing. When asked by the processor, I said yes to the liver. I was thinking that making a little pâté would be fun. I had no idea how much liver a bull-calf would have – it’s a lot! While I’m not a big fan of liver and onions, I love pâté. What are your favorite calf-liver recipes? Send them to news@rainscountyleader.com. I’d love to try them.

This week, County Extension Agent Gowin writes about fungal diseases in plants. I have been fighting them in the vineyard, as well as on my roses and Indian Hawthorns. It seems I can’t get a break with the weather, and rain is in the forecast again.

However, I learned in a vineyard pest managment class that certain fungicides help heal disease injuries while others protect against fungal disease. In some cases, the two can be combined and sprayed together, healing the past and protecting for the future. As always, it is important to read and follow label instructions.

I have lots of grape clusters forming on the shoots that will soon bloom. Protecting them from fungal diseases at this point is critical. Once they flower, grapes are wind/gravity-pollinated and a successful harvest depends on healthy clusters, warm weather and less rain. Also at this time, the buds for next year’s crop will form. So conditions now impact next year too.

Obviously, I spend most of my time outdoors and I love to grill. Last week I marinated cubed flat-iron steaks, fruits and vegetables. Once skewered, I grilled them and served over rice.

Grilling Marinade
1/2 c. olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together.

I prepared a fresh pineapple and cut it into chunks. I made several skewers of pineapple chunks and cherry tomatoes.

Then I cut other vegetables into 1″ cubes. I marinated the cubed flat-iron steaks and vegetables in separate bags for about an hour in the refrigerator.

Once the marinade had its chance to impart great flavors, I started up the grill. While it heated up, I skewered the meat on separate skewers from the vegetables so the meat could cook longer. I used red, yellow and green peppers, a large red onion and a dozen button mushrooms cut into halves.

While the skewers grilled, I started a pot of rice. I also brought the marinade and onion pieces too small to skewer to a boil on the stove top, making a sauce to serve over the rice. It’s just important to make sure the raw meat juices are cooked.

Friends of ours came into town and stayed for dinner. That dinner is great for serving many and everyone can find something they like.

Another dinner that is easy and feeds many is soup and sandwiches. I made a simple version of French Onion Soup and grilled Swiss cheese sandwiches.

French Onion Soup
1/2 c. butter
4 onions, julliene sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
3 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce
3-4 Tbsp. flour
2 quarts beef broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Cook for 25 minutes or until the onions are soft and caramelized. Add the Worchestershier sauce and cook about 5 minutes more.

Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the flour, making a paste. Cook on low for about 10 minutes, cooking out the raw flour taste. Don’t let it burn.
Add the beef broth and stir while bringing the soup back to a simmer at medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. If the butter and broth were salted, you may not need to add more.

I know the rain is a blessing and I truly hope the lakes will soon be full. However, the fierceness in some of the storms we’ve had lately has been amazing. My plants, and especially my grape vines, are taking a terrible beating. Over the last week, I’ve worked to tie and re-tie vines to the trellis so they won’t be beaten against it by the next set of gale-force winds. I think I’ll be happy when April showers are over.

Otherwise, life on my little farm goes along as usual. Wednesday’s dinner was Ben’s to cook. He made flat-iron steaks with a pan sauce. And served it with microwaved baked potatoes and salad. His homemade Caesar salad dressing was a hit.

Flat-iron Steaks in Pan Sauce
4 flat-iron steaks
2 tsp. Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 tsp. olive oil
1 c. dry red wine
2 Tbsp. cold butter

Ben started by seasoning the steaks with Monteal Steak Seasoning while a cast-iron skillet heated on the stove. He wiped it with a little olive oil and as soon as it was screaming hot, he added the steaks to the skillet. He seared each side for 5 minutes, removed the steak from the skillet and let them rest under a foil tent.

Reduce the heat to medium and add wine. Simmer while stirring and scraping the browned bits on the bottom of the pan for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pieces of cold butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Once the steaks have rested 10 minutes, cut thin slices across the grain and serve with pan sauce drizzled on top.

Homemade Ceasar Salad Dressing
2 tsp. garlic cloves, minced
3 anchovy fillets
1/4 c. olive oil
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a small sauce pan, heat olive oil and add anchovy fillets and garlic. Cook on low heat until the anchovies melt. The fishy taste will cook off and leave a rich nutty flavor.

Scrape the anchovy and garlic-flavored oil into a bowl and whisk in the rest of the ingredients. It makes a lot of dressing, but keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

On another evening, I made a macaroni bake with a few simple ingredients.

Macaroni Bake
1 pkg. Polska Kielbasa beef sausages, sliced
12 oz. elbow macaroni
10-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
2 c. chicken stock
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
drizzle of olive oil

Cook the elbow macaroni following the package directions until almost tender and then drain.

In the same pot, brown the sausages while microwave-cooking the frozen vegetables following the package directions. Add to the pot along with chicken stock. When it simmers, add the Velveeta and stir until the cubes melt.

Pour into a 9×13″ baking dish prepared with cooking spray. Sprinkle on bread crumbs and drizzle the top with olive oil. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the sides bubble and the top is brown.

Serve with a salad and some of that wonderful Caesar dressing.

My work in the vineyard continues with training the green shoots through the trellis wires as they extend upward. Many of the tender green leaves are about the size of my hand when I extend my fingers. They are the perfect size for making dolmas or stuffed grape leaves.

Dolmas, or the Greek dolmades, are similar to cabbage rolls in that they are stuffed with rice, vegetables and occasionally meat. There are several recipes, depending on region, but most use uncooked or only partially cooked rice. That requires the rolls to be tightly packed in a pot with a grate or steamer-type device lifting them away from the pot bottom and a heavy plate on top of the packed rolls. The rolls cook at very low heat above seasoned water for over an hour. As the rice expands, the tight packing and heavy plate keep the rice from bursting out of the tender grape leaves.

Sounds like a lot of work to me. I have my own method for dolmas. I’m sure those who are purists will frown at my method, but it’s fairly quick, leaves less room for error and is ready in about 40 minutes. This recipe makes enough for an appetizer or even a nice side dish at any meal.

Stuffed Grape Leaves
18-20 large grape leaves
water
1 lemon
1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
4 c. cooked rice
1/2 onion, small diced
1 rib celery, small diced
1/3 or 1/4 lb. ground meat (any type)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add olive oil, salt, the juiced lemon and its rind to the water for flavoring. Wash grape leaves and add the boiling water. Blanch the leaves for 3 minutes and remove. Let the leaves cool and reserve the pot water.

Sauté onion, celery, meat and herbs until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender. Stir in cooked rice.

Place a rack or steamer insert into a medium sauce pan. Pour about an inch or two of the reserved flavored water into the pot. Build dolmas by laying a leaf bottom-side-up on a cutting board. Scoop about 1 Tbsp. of rice mixture onto the leaf. Fold the bottom of the leaf over the rice, fold the two sides in and roll upward making a small packet. It will look like an egg roll or a small burrito.

Place each packet on the steamer rack with the tip of the leaf on the bottom. Continue to build the packets until all the leaves are used and the rack is full. Cover the pot and bring to a low simmer on the stove. Cook for 30 minutes or until the leaves are tender.

I served the dolmas with a lemon and egg curd sauce. Yogurt seasoned with dill, mint, lemon, salt and pepper would make a nice sauce too.

Lemon and Egg Curd Sauce
1 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 pinch salt
2 egg yolks

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add flour and cook to form a paste. Whisk in chicken stock and lemon juice. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens. In a separate small container, add a few spoonfuls of the warm sauce to the egg yolks and stir. That will temper the yolks and keep them from over cooking. Add the tempered egg yolks to the pan sauce and stir until smooth. Season with salt if necessary.

Finally, the vineyard has been pruned, mowed and sprayed – just in time for more rain. I worked on it continuously for 10 days, doing little else including making dinner most nights. Feeling guilty about that, last Friday night I whipped up some simple shrimp rolls.

Shrimp is great for a quick dinner because it doesn’t take long to cook. I also usually have a bag of raw shrimp. Thawing and peeling it doesn’t take long and having the shrimp shells in the freezer is great for making fish stock later.

Shrimp Rolls
2 lbs. shrimp
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic power
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 rib celery, small diced
1/2 onion, small diced
1 carrot, grated
1 c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. Italian breadcrumbs

Peel, rinse and dry the shrimp. Toss with Old Bay Seasoning, pepper and garlic powder. Heat the olive oil in a skillet. When hot, add enough shrimp to cover the bottom of the pan. Working in batches, cook on medium heat until they begin to turn a light pink. Flip the shrimp and cook the other side. Don’t walk away, this process is quick and overcooked shrimp are rubbery. Remove the shrimp from the pan to another dish when done.

Let the shrimp cool while chopping and preparing the vegetables. Mix the mayonnaise with the vegetables and then add the shrimp. Ideally, the shrimp should be whole and not broken up with too much stirring.

The pan had tasty juice left in it from cooking the shrimp. I decided to add it to the mixture and included breadcrumbs to tighten it up as well as add Italian flavors.

Serve the shrimp mixture on Hawaiian Rolls, plain hot dog buns or other types of rolls. I served mine open-faced on a toasted honey wheat bread slice. A side of cooked spinach helped to round out the meal.

Sunday was a beautiful day, but storm clouds started gathering in the evening. I had the ingredients for a vegetable chowder and decided chowder would be comforting to enjoy while it rained.

Vegetable Chowder
1-1/2 quarts potatoes, small diced
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cans green chilies, chopped
3 tsp. garlic, minced
1-1/2 c. frozen corn
1 c. fat-free Half-and-Half
1 c. low-fat sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Bring potatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves to boil in a large pot. Add salt and pepper if the stock is not salted.

In a separate skillet, sauté onions with a pinch of salt and pepper until tender. Add chilies and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. When the potatoes are fork-tender, add the contents of the skillet to the pot. Add corn and return the chowder to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and slowly stir in Half-and-Half and sour cream. Taste and adjust seasonings.

I garnished with grated Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro.

The buds are bursting all across my vineyard. Hopefully we are past the early spring freezes. I pruned like a mad woman all weekend. It’s tricky now that the buds are opening, because the slightest bump will damage them. Damaged buds don’t produce fruit.

The work is lonely, slow and methodical as I go through the rows. I feel a Zen-like peacefulness while training, tying and clipping each arm of each vine, paying careful attention to bud placement on the cordon wire. I revel in the smells of spring, the sounds of little birds chirping or owls hooting, and the feel of the sun warming my neck while cool drips of sap fall from each cut. My hands, arms and back ache. My neck and face are pink from the sun and wind. I love every minute I spend outside and wouldn’t trade that work for any office job.

Cilantro Chicken
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, julienned
5-6 cilantro sprigs, stems and leaves separated
1 cup wine or chicken stock
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper and cumin. Sear each side in a hot skillet drizzled with olive oil. Remove chicken, add butter and sauté onions and chopped cilantro stems. Cook until the onion turns golden. Add the wine or stock and chicken to the skillet and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare wild rice per the package directions. Before serving, stir in chopped cilantro leaves, cover and let sit while preparing a pan sauce.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and move onto a plate. Cover and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Add lemon juice to the skillet. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally while the juices in the pan thicken. That will take about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve the chicken with the cilantro and wild rice, spooning the pan sauce over both. A fresh green salad with vinegarette dressing is a great compliment to the earthy cumin and cilantro flavors in the chicken and wild rice.

If you have a cilantro aversion – interestingly linked to genetics and the lack of a certain enzyme – substitute fresh parsley, leaves and stems. Then I guess the recipe would be called Parsley Chicken.