Grilled Zucchini Coins

One of my favorite things about spring is the abundance of gorgeous and delicious vegetables. Let's face it, most vegetables need some serious help to invigorate any sort of flavor and I just don't believe anyone who says that vegetables are naturally delicious, because quite honestly, there's a reason why eating them seems like a chore for most people.

I'm a huge fan of roasting, but now that windows are open and warm air is streaming in to our tiny apartment, limited oven use is a must. While roasting does tend to bring out the most wonderful flavors, grilling can have the same effect. Since we live in a tiny Jersey City apartment with no personal outdoor space to speak of (yet), I once again broke out the Foreman to whip up some zucchini coins that transformed the standard vegetables from eh to mmmm. The salt is a must to bring out the delectable flavors, just make sure that you don't overdo it on the grilling - nothing says ack more than squishy veggies. Instead, grill for a few minutes only, get some nice brown crispy marks and chow down.

Grilled Zucchini Coins
1 large zucchini
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper

Slice zucchini into thick coins and spread out on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and generously sprinkle salt and a little bit of pepper on each side of the zucchini. Grill until tender, serve and enjoy!

I know I've made some easy dishes here on TAA, but it honestly doesn't get simpler than this. Oh, and did I mention that I picked up two zucchinis from Fresh Direct for a mere $1.49 total? You really can't beat that and the fact that it's a healthy side dish is just the icing on the cake. Ooooh, cake...

Sweet 'n Savory Pineapple Chicken with Couscous

While Shaun and I are typically 'eat out on the weekends' people aside from most breakfasts, this weekend, we decided to enjoy a light dinner at home on Saturday night before heading over to a friend's party later in the evening. Though I did place my first Fresh Direct order a few days ago, I'm all about using up just about every item of food in our pantry - but both of those points are stories for another time.

While cleaning out said pantry yesterday, I came across a giant can of pineapple (only God knows when I bought that thing). Combined with my new 4lb pack of chicken breasts (don't worry, I didn't use all of it), I knew I had the makings of a fun new dinner of the sweet 'n savory variety - my favorite kind. And the warm weekend weather was just begging for some grilling. Since we currently have no outdoor space whatsoever (again, more on that later), I was relegated to breaking out the Foreman Grill - certainly a fine way to grill it up, but fell a bit short of truly grilled deliciousness (and did I mention that it's a pain and a half to clean? Yeah, it is.) Take a closer look at how I got 'er done.

Sweet 'n Savory Pineapple Chicken with Couscous
1 large can chopped pineapple
1 lb. chicken breasts or tenderloins
6 tbsp light brown sugar, divided
3 tbsp dijon mustard, divided
3/4 C pineapple juice, divided (drained from can)

Prepare couscous on stove top according to the package. Let sit, covered, while you prepare the chicken. Drain the canned pineapple into a measuring cup and reserve pineapple chunks in separately bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/4 C pineapple juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 tbsp light brown sugar. Whisk together until combined. Add chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes. On a Forman Grill (or actual grill), grill the chicken, making sure to get some carmelized grill marks on the chicken pieces. Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add the mixture to a skillet, bring to a boil and then let simmer and reduce, adding the pineapple pieces to the sauce. Add the grilled chicken and toss to coat. Serve over prepared couscous.

Could it be any easier? The whole meal, save for the marinade, took about 20 minutes and you really can't beat that. So what do you think?

Sundried Tomato & Olive Tapenade

You may remember my tales of our Kentucky Derby slash Shaun's Birthday party last week, where I prepared the most chocolately, alcohol laced brownies of all time and a new twist on classic hummus. Of course, I didn't stop there.

For yet another chic cocktail food, I once again consulted Giada DeLaurentiis' Everyday Italian since all of her recipes are nothing short of classy, simple and delicious to boot. When I stumbled upon her Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade, I knew it was the perfect addition to my Derby spread. Though Giada serves it up with endive leaves, I personally am not a huge fan of the taste. Not to mention that I have an unhealthy obsession with crackers. I'll pretty much eat them with anything slathered on top. Anyhow, let's get down to the goods...

Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade
Adapted from Everyday Italian
3 cans black olives
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

In a food processor (or a blender would probably work as well), combine drained black olives and sun-dried tomatoes, including the olive oil they were packed in. Pulse until the mixture is smooth, but still with chunky bits of olives and tomatoes. If for some reason your mixture is dry, add a bit of olive oil and mix until smooth. Mine was very oily just from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, so no extra olive oil was necessary. Serve with crackers, corn chips, endive leaves, crostini or pita chips.

Could this spread be any easier? The sundried tomatoes give a nice bite while the olives maintain a sublty salty flavor. This recipe makes a lot of tapenade, but can you ever have too much when hosting a party? Well, in my case, you can because I had a lot left over...but I'm chalking that up to the fact that my mother always taught me to have enough food for an army and then some when having company. I even served it up in a super sweet tea cup and saucer since there's nothing more unusual looking than a giant bowl of tapenade. Instead, opt for a small serving dish (or in this case, cup) and garnish with the dipping materials.

So what do you think? Are you a fan of tapenade? What's your favorite party food?