Mini Greek Lamb Burgers

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers

Served in pita bread and topped with a yogurt sauce, these are anything but your ordinary hamburger.

Ingredients

            Serves 4

	½	cup plain yogurt
	½	English cucumber, seeds removed and diced
	1	tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
		Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
		Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
		Olive oil, for greasing
	1½	pounds ground lamb
	2	tablespoons Pecorino cheese, finely grated
	1	tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
	2	scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
	4	cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
	4	whole wheat pita breads, toasted and halved into pockets
	4	cups mesclun or mixed greens

Directions

1.    In a mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt together with the cucumber, dill, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.  Season the mixture to taste with salt and black pepper.  Then, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2.    Preheat the grill to medium-high, and brush the grate with olive oil.  In a bowl, combine the lamb with the Pecorino, oregano, scallions, garlic, and lemon zest.  Season with salt and black pepper.  With your hands, gently mix the meat and seasonings together, being careful not to compress the meat.  Form the mixture into 12 to 16 small ½-inch-thick patties.

3.    Place the patties on the preheated grill.  Cook, flipping once, until well browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, and if desired, season the burgers with additional salt and black pepper. 

4.    Stuff each pita pocket with some of the mesclun mix.  Then, arrange 1 or 2 of the lamb burgers on top of the lettuce.  Drizzle the top of each sandwich with some of the reserved yogurt sauce and serve immediately.

Great Graduation Gifts

With this being graduation season, you might be looking for a few creative gift ideas to give that recent high school grad. And though, in such cases, I would normally advise giving money to that highly educated, yet poorly paid teen, I am sure that some of you are looking for a more thoughtful (or at the very least – humorous) gift idea. So today, I'll offer you my top gift ideas for that high school grad.

Ten Gifts for High School Grads:

• A digital camera – for use in photographing all of his/her high school friends (so he/she may hopefully remember some of their names when the 10-year reunion comes around...)
• An acoustic guitar - so the grad can play the role of the “quiet and sensitive, yet oddly sexy musician” at his/her college campus
• A Crock-Pot (preferably filled with cocktail sausages, meatballs, or some other form of thoroughly unhealthy finger food)
• A potted plant (not to be confused with a pot plant...)
• Several pairs of flip-flops with the note “For the Dormitory Showers” and a photo of a fungus-ridden foot attached to the label
• A corkscrew – for the grad that spent 7 years in high school and is now legally old enough to drink
• A year-long supply of toilet paper - the gift that keeps on giving
• Some clothes hangers – that way the kid doesn't have to steal all of his/her parent's hangers when he/she moves out
• A pet snail (most college dormitories don't allow pet dogs, cats, or rodents...)
• A summer job – let's be honest here, the grad is really just looking for money, so why not use that grad as cheap labor to mow your lawn, paint your fence, and reshingle your roof?

End of Days, Part XXI

It's never too early to begin thinking about what you will wear to your End-of-the-Mayan-Calendar Party.  After all, if the world does come to an end on December the 21st, you may be wearing that ensemble for a very long time.  So in an effort to help you make the correct fashion choices, allow me to offer you the following Apocalyptic clothing suggestions:

• First, be sure that whatever you wear is loose enough to permit you to run.  After the zombies start roaming freely, you'll thank me for that tip...

• Select neutral clothing colors such as gray or camouflage.  Not only will this make you far less noticeable to potential predators, but neutral color should also go well with the duct tape you will be using to repair the clothing.

• Be sure to wear extra pairs of socks and underwear - you're going to need them...

• Finishing your ensemble off with a flammable scarf or hat is a great fashion decision.  Let's be honest here, after the power goes out, you're going to need something to burn for heat...

• And lastly, whatever you wear - be sure it has A LOT of pockets.  That way you can stuff your pockets with Twinkies, fruitcake, and other never perishables and survive well into the post-Apocalyptic world.

Surviving Your Kid's Summer Vacation...

With school soon ending for the year, you might be asking yourself, “What am I going to do with the kids all summer?” Well, don't worry. Today, I'll share with you some of my favorite entertaining ideas for children. Not only are they fun activities, but they should keep the kids occupied long enough for you to enjoy a bit of your summer as well.

• Set up a swimming pool. And that's not to say that you have to dig an expensive in-ground affair this week in preparation for school's closing. But an affordable swimming pool will keep your children (and their friends) occupied for the entire summer. Plus, having a pool allows the kids to slack off on their daily hygiene. Let's be honest here, after an entire school year spent fighting with your children to take their daily (or in some cases - weekly) showers, you can rest assured that your children are getting rinsed off at least once a day during their swim sessions.
  
  
• Send the kiddies to summer camp! Not only will they learn valuable life lessons during their time away from home, but they will also make new friends, weave some baskets, and have many a humorous tale to share about their summers at band camp...
  
  
• If sending your children away to summer camp isn't an option for you, then make your own summer camp. While the children are attending their final days of school, take the time to move all their possessions out of their bedroom and into a large tent pitched in the backyard. That way your children will have all the comforts of home without actually being in your home all day. It's win, win!
  
  
• I know I've given you this tip before, but it really does work – grease up a piglet and let it run loose about the house. Your children will chase that piglet to exhaustion morning, noon, and night. And you'll rest assured that your children are not only up and about getting exercise, but all that pig exposure might just help the kiddies build up an immunity to next season's pig flu.
  
  
• And lastly, if your children aren't really the active sort, then get them each a Kindle (or similar device). You'd be amazed how a flashy new e-reader can preoccupy your children's attention long enough to get them to read a book or two this summer. And let's face, anything that gets your children to drop their video game controls and pick up a book, is a good thing.

Have a great summer!

Top Ten Date-Ending One-Liners

So, you're on a date, it's going terribly, and you just want to go home? Well don't worry, because I'm here to help. Today, I'll share with you my Top Ten Date-Ending One-Liners. Simply select one of the suggested sentences below, repeat it to your date (stating it with conviction), brace yourself for any following slaps that may potentially follow, and then get the check and go home confident that you will never hear from that horrible date again.

Top Ten Date-Ending One-Liners

1. I have to blow my nose. Could I see your sleeve please?

2. Oh no, that's not dandruff. I just have lice.

3. When we go back to my place, I'll show you my dog, Skippy. After he died, I had him stuffed. He now hangs on the wall over my bed.

4. I like your perfume. It reminds me of my grandfather.

5. Would you excuse me for a moment? I have to go check in with my parole officer.

6. I have to go to the restroom. And when the waiter comes with our desserts, could you have him send mine into the bathroom? I'm going to be in there for a while...

7. “Gigli” is the world's greatest movie.

8. My wife will just love you.

9. I have pet worms.

10. I can't wait to show you my collection of toenail clippings. I've been collecting them from all over the world for the last 12 years.

Orange Salad with Pan-Fried Goat Cheese

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Orange Salad with Pan-Fried Goat Cheese

The trick here is to not overcook the cheese. If you fry it for too long, it will end up dry and crumbly.

Ingredients

            Serves 4

	2	bunches (about 8 ounces) watercress or arugula, well washed and dried
	2	large oranges, peeled and segmented
	3 – 4	radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
	½	cup extra-virgin olive oil
	2	tablespoons balsamic vinegar
	1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
		Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
	1	cup Panko breadcrumbs
	2	teaspoons dry parsley
	1	teaspoon garlic powder
	2	small logs (about 6 ounces each) goat cheese, cut into ¾-inch slices
	1	large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1.    In a large mixing bowl, toss the watercress or arugula together with the oranges and radishes.  Then, in a small mixing bowl, whisk ¼ cup of the olive oil together with the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.  Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and black pepper.  Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

2.    In a shallow baking dish, toss the breadcrumbs together with the dry parsley and garlic powder.  Season the mixture well with salt and black pepper.  Dip the individual slices of goat cheese in the beaten egg, allowing any excess egg to drip off.  Dredge the goat cheese in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture, being sure to coat all sides of the cheese well in the breadcrumbs.

3.    Heat the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking.  Arrange the breaded goat cheese in the hot skillet and pan-fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Remove the goat cheese and drain on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. 

4.    To serve, divide the prepared salad between 4 serving plates.  Drizzle the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette.  Then, top each salad with 3 of the pan-fried goat cheese slices.  Serve immediately.

For If You Can't Sleep...

Have you ever had one of those nights when you just can't seem to sleep? Well, I did last night. And my lack of sleep aside, I thought that today I would share with you some of my favorite insomnia cures.

• A cup of warm milk is a classic insomnia treatment that many people swear by. Unfortunately, it is a treatment that I find completely repulsive. However, despite my less-than-positive opinion of hot milk, I do find some value in this suggestion. I find that when I cannot sleep, getting out of bed and performing some mindless task can actually help. So when I can't sleep, I sometimes walk out into the kitchen and warm myself up a saucepan of milk. And though I have no intention of drinking the midnight brew, standing in front of the warm stove, swirling a pan of milk is somewhat hypnotic and can help me fall asleep.
  
  
• Counting sheep is another classic sleep-aid. But I must admit that every time I attempt to visualize a bunch of sheep for the counting, I find myself becoming preoccupied with the question – why sheep? I mean, I can understand the idea of counting something to the point of bored exhaustion, but who decided that we should all count sheep? And why? Now, I really don't have an answer for you here. In fact, the only conclusion that I have reached is that someone at one time looked at some sheep and thought – those look like giant, overstuffed pillows; let me try and sleep on one! And, of course, after countless attempts that person either became tired of attempting to sleep on the frightened sheep and either gave up to take a nap elsewhere or was knocked unconscious during a sheep stampede... Whatever the case, I find that counting something readily available is a bit more effective than counting sheep. Counting books on a bookshelf, stains on your blanket, and hairs on your knuckles are all effective sleep aids.
  
  
• And my last sleep aid is perhaps the simplest of them all – reading. Of course, don't pick up an interesting book, because that will just capture your attention. But keeping a boring book on your nightstand is a great way to lull yourself to sleep. So pick up that college psychology book, that dictionary, or that copy of “The Scarlet Letter” (or anything by Hawthorne, really...), and let the words put you to bed.

Good night.

End of Days, Part XX

As this is my twentieth installment in this series of End-of-the-Mayan-Calendar entertaining tips, I think it is a good day to remind you that party throwing is something to be enjoyed, not dreaded.  So with that thought in mind, let me offer you a few tips that should help take the stress out of your Armageddon party planning.

• When it comes to planning that perfect menu, remember - whatever you make is going to taste infinitely better than the birch bark bread and grub butter sandwiches your guests will be eating during their post-apocolyptic lives.

• If you can't find an interesting group of people to invite to your end-of-days party, don't worry.  That means there will be fewer people weighing down your ark when the world floods in a most Noah's Ark-ian manner.

• When deciding on the perfect decorations for your party, forget about all the expensive and labor-intensive decorations you find in popular magazines.  Instead, keep things simple and decorate the house with affordable, practical decorations, like Twinkie garlands and battery-operated lanterns.

• And lastly, if you don't think you'll be able to lose the weight and fit into that two-sizes-too-small party outfit you've selected, don't worry.  After the zombies rise, you'll be getting plenty of exercise running for you life.  If you don't fit into that outfit at party time, you certainly will soon after...

Kitchen Myth Busters

I recently had someone ask me why I don't pour a bit of oil into the boiling water when I'm cooking pasta. And this conversation got me thinking about all the commonly held kitchen myths. And today, I would like to debunk a few of those myths, starting with pasta water.

It is believed by some that pouring a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a boiling pot of pasta will keep the pasta from sticking together. And though it is true that oil does keep pasta from sticking together, one tablespoon is hardly enough to de-stick-ify an entire pound of pasta. In fact, to truly achieve this goal you would have to float a rather thick layer of oil over the top of the boiling water – a dangerous concept to say the least – as most middle school science students can tell you that oil and water do not mix. Let's be serious here - many a kitchen fire starts with an inexperienced cook trying to mix those polarized water molecules with those neutral oil molecules. So if you're worried about your pasta clumping together, do as I do – drain the cooked pasta first, and then toss it with some olive oil before serving.

Then, there is the myth that fish is done cooking when it can be easily flaked with the tines of a fork. Well... that's true, the fish is done when it flakes. But the fish was also done well before it was flaking out. So the better test of a fish's doneness is to poke it with a knife. If the fish is firm and opaque all the way through, it is done. And when cooking fish, the rule of thumb is: a 1-inch thick piece of fish takes between 8 and 10 minutes to cook.

And when it comes to old wive's tales, one of my person favorites is: if you sear a piece of meat, it will seal in the juices. And this is simply not true. You sear a piece of meat to enhance it's color, texture, and flavor. You don't sear it to seal in the juices. And if you don't believe me, think of it this way – if you get a sunburn, you still sweat. And the case does not change for a piece of beef. When you cook the outside of a steak, the juices still run out of it just as easily.

So I hope that helps clarify a few points of contention in the kitchen. Of course, cooking is in many respects a subjective art. So if you believe in one of these kitchen myths, don't let me stop you from believing. I suppose in the end we all enjoy a bit of harmless superstition.

Spring Pasta with Broiled Chicken

OPEN KITCHEN with NATHAN SCOTT

Spring Pasta with Broiled Chicken

The sauce for this pasta dish is nothing more than fresh goat cheese.  Can’t get much easier than that!

Ingredients

            Serves 4 to 6

	3	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
	2	teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
	1	tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
	8	cloves garlic, peeled and minced
	1½	pounds (about 4 to 6) chicken cutlets
		Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
	1	pound dry penne, or other short pasta
	1	pound asparagus, trimmed and cut on a bias into 1-inch pieces
	8	ounces fresh or frozen peas
	½	small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
	5	ounces fresh goat cheese, room temperature

Directions

1.    In a nonreactive container, whisk 2 tablespoons of the oil together with the lemon juice, chives, and 2 cloves of garlic.  Place the chicken in the container, coating the cutlets in the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, better 1 to 2 hours.

2.    Preheat the broiler, and place the oven rack in the upper third of the oven.  Remove the chicken from the marinade, and arrange the cutlets on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Season the cutlets well with salt and black pepper, and then broil until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove the chicken and rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

3.    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Following the package instructions, cook the pasta in the boiling water.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the asparagus and peas to the pot.  Continue to cook until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender.  Remove from the heat and drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. 

4.    In a large skillet set over medium heat, sweat the onion and remaining 6 cloves of garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until tender.  Remove from the heat, and add the drained pasta and vegetables to the skillet, along with the goat cheese.  Stir well, allowing the cheese to melt and coat the pasta.  If necessary, add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the cheese sauce.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.  Spoon the finished pasta into serving bowls, top with the sliced chicken, and garnish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped chives.