Cooking Method: Marinating

Basic Bulgogi

We were invited to our friends Kim and Scott's house in Pacific Palisades for dinner on Saturday night. Their home sits at 1,500 feet overlooking the Pacific ocean on a clear day. The had a Lodge Hibachi grill on a table outside. It was magical! They cooked this Basic Bulgogli marinade beef, which was probably some of the best I have ever had. The marinade is out of this world good. I don't even like Korean food. I will be making this very soon, though the setting at our house is missing a lot of the magic! What's better than sharing a meal with great friends under the stars? Nothing! Oh, and one looks a tad younger among the glowing fire at night! The meal was topped off with gourmet chocolate (that's a whole other blog post!) S'mores. What a great evening!

Bulgogi, literally "fire meat", is a gui (Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle. It is also often stir-fried in a pan in home cooking. Sirloin, rib eye or brisket are frequently used cuts of beef for the dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Harissa Chicken

My friend Jessica gave me a tube of Harissa. Harissa is a hot chili pepper paste, which is the basic flavoring agent in Tunisian and Moroccan cuisine, it's extremely versatile. This Harissa Chicken is incredibly easy to make on a sheet pan. You can adjust the amount of Harissa you use, depending on how spicy you like it. My husband calls it the ketchup of Morocco.

By Leslie Blythe

Ottolenghi’s Simple: Chicken Marbella

In the early '80s, Chicken Marbella, became a staple of New York dinner parties, especially for Passover Seders. It is so easy and incredibly delicious. The quintessential recipe came from The Silver Palate Cookbook, which was one of the most popular books in the '80s. This version of Chicken Marbella is from Yotam Ottolenghi's new cookbook Simple. Instead of prunes he uses dates, molasses instead of brown sugar and replaces the parsley with fresh oregano.

By Leslie Blythe

Japanese Deviled Eggs

I created these Japanese Deviled Eggs yesterday for a dinner party we went to. The eggs are marinated in soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and ginger. I love experimenting with new versions of a classic dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Za’atar Roast Chicken with Green Tahini Sauce

This Za'atar Roast Chicken is marinated overnight in lots of spices, onions and lemon. It makes the chicken super juicy and moist on the inside. It’s then topped off with Za’atar right before roasting. Za’atar is a Middle Eastern herb blend typically made from dried thyme, marjoram, oregano, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Variations of this herb and spice blend go back to medieval times and it's common in all the countries of the Middle East. Serve with Green Tahini Sauce.

By Leslie Blythe

Grilled Fairy Tale Eggplant with Rosemary

Fairy Tale eggplant offers a delicious, delicate flavor and delightfully creamy bite. They are smaller than regular eggplant at mere two to four inches, this variety is less seedy and less bitter, too. It gets tender quickly when cooked. This Grilled Fairy Tale Eggplant with Rosemary is quick to grill or roast in the oven.

By Leslie Blythe

Pesto Chicken Avocado Salad

This Pesto Chicken Avocado Salad uses pesto dressing 2 ways, to marinate the chicken and dress the salad. You can make your own pesto or buy store bought.

By Leslie Blythe

Lemony Honey Mustard Marinade for Grilled Chicken

This Lemony Honey Mustard Marinade for Grilled Chicken is my new favorite marinade. I will be making this all summer. It's super simple and makes the chicken moist and tender and packed with flavor. The chicken can be cooked on the grill or on a stove-top grill pan if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

By Leslie Blythe

St. Augustine Marinade for Tri Tip

I went to my favorite butcher to buy some meat and they had a bunch of tri tips already marinaded in bags. There were 5 different options so I asked for the most popular, which is called St. Augustine Marinade for Tri Tip. It was delicious. The marinade is white wine,  orange marmalade, and Worcestershire sauce. Here is my version.

By Leslie Blythe

Strawberry, Basil, and Balsamic “Slablova”

My daughter Zoe made this beautiful Strawberry, Basil, and Balsamic “Slablova”, which is inspired by a pavlova-for-a-crowd recipe on Food52. This is a Kosher for Passover version. The meringue slowly bakes to achieve a crackly crust and an irresistibly soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior texture somewhere between a marshmallow and angel food cake. For a non-Passover occasion, cornstarch or arrowroot starch are good substitutes for the tapioca starch.

By Leslie Blythe