Veal Chop with Roasted Onion-Mushroom Salad and Rice - Adapted from Bobby Flay

For those opposed to veal, we think this recipe would be good with pork or chicken as well. For the veal, marinate the chops in 1/4C olive oil, 1/4C fresh rosemary, 2 minced garlic cloves and the zest from one lemon. Marinate the chops for several hours, turning frequently. When you are ready to cook, slice a medium onion into 1/2" slices and toss with olive oil and garlic with some sliced mushrooms. Use just enough oil to coat the onion and mushrooms and one clove of garlic. We had some leftover white rice, about 2C, which we combined with 1/4C carrots, 1/4C celery, and one green onion which had been chopped and sauted. To this mix we added 1C chicken stock and simmered until the liquid was absorbed.

The chops and the veggies take about the same amount of time to cook, so start them together. On our Weber, we grilled the chops for 7 min. and then turned for another 5 min.....perfect for medium rare.

Just before serving, chop the onion and then toss with the mushrooms and diced tomatoes, 1/3C olive oil and 4T vinegar, and 1T fresh thyme.

We served the dinner with a chilled rose`.

Ricotta and Herb Stuffed Chicken - Adapted from Gourmet July 2007

The original recipe is made by cutting out the backbones of 2 whole chickens and flattening flattening them, skin side up. We decided to use only 2 split breast halves - skin on and not boned. You will have to adjust the amount of stuffing you make based on the amount of chicken you want. These quantities worked for the 2 breasts and 8 shells. First saute 4 cloves of chopped garlic and cool. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 4C ricotta cheese, 2 large beaten eggs, 1C grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1/4C chopped fresh oregano, 1/4C chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the cheese mixture under the skin of the chicken. Prepare 8 large pasta shells by boiling in water until just flexible. Drain the pasta and stuff with the remaining cheese mixture. Bake the chicken in a 400 F oven for 30 min and then place the shells in the oven, covered. Cook for another 30 min.

We served the dish with steamed asparagus and chilled white wine.

Green Salad with Roast Chicken and Tarragon-Mayo dressing

This is a nice summer salad that makes use of leftover grilled chicken and goes together very quickly assuming the chicken is leftover. Make the dressing by mixing 1/2C Mayonnaisse with 2T Tarrigon vinegar, 2T fresh chopped tarrigon and 2T chopped parsaley. Dress the greens and the chicken and serve with sliced tomatoes, crusty bread and a chilled dry white wine. A nice salad for a hot summer evening.

Marinated chicken thighs with asparagus packets - Adapted from Gourmet

We have made this dish with all parts of the chicken and the wraps offer endless variations. Start by marinating the chicken in 3/4C soy sauce, 1/3C brown sugar, 2 large garlic cloves, minced and 2T chopped fresh ginger. This is enough marinade for 8-10 pieces of chicken. Marinate the chicken for several hours. Right before cooking, make the the packets with your favorite raw vegetables. We used white asparagus, vadalia onion, red skin potatoes and sliced tomatoes. Put the veggies in aluminum foil with 2T olive oil and the herb of your choice, salt and pepper to taste. Both the chicken and the packets take about 20 min on the grill. Serve with a crusty bread and a dry white wine. This is a nice outdoor summer meal for the grill......no hot kitchen.