Are your days jam packed? Tired of take out? Want to enjoy having a home-cooked meal with your family? Here, Debra Ponzek shares her simple and savory recipes, which you can make hours before dinner or the day before.
Recipe: Buttermilk grilled chicken (on this page) Recipe: Farro salad with grilled asparagus and corn (on this page) Recipe: Nectarine and blackberry crisp (on this page)In a large bowl combine the buttermilk, garlic and spices. Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer in a large baking pan. Cover the chicken with the buttermilk mixture, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight(at least 12 hours).
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill so that the coals or heating elements are hot. Lightly spray the grill with vegetable oil. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides, over a medium heat, until it is cooked through 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the pieces. Remove from the grill when cooked.
Serves 6-8
In a medium-size pot, bring 4 cups of water and farro to a boil. Cook for about 25 minutes, until the farro is tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium. Lightly drizzle the asparagus with the olive oil and grill for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Remove from grill and season with salt and pepper. Cut the asparagus 1 inch from the top and then cut the remaining stalk into 1⁄4-inch pieces.
Reduce the grill heat to medium low and grill the corn for 5 to 6 minutes total, turning it to grill each side, until the corn is slightly charred and the kernels are cooked through. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels away from the cob with a sharp knife.
In a large bowl, combine the farro, scallions, corn, asparagus, tomatoes, and chives. Toss with enough of the lemon vinaigrette (see below) to moisten the salad and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice and salt until the salt is dissolved.
Whisk in the olive oil and season with pepper (and extra salt or lemon juice, if necessary) to taste.
Serves 6
Preheat oven to 375. Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. In a large bowl combine the nectarines , blackberries, lemon juice and zest. In a small separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and sugar. Add the cornstarch mixture to the fruit and gently toss to combine. Transfer into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the fruit with the oat topping to evenly cover. Bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Oatmeal crisp topping
In the bowl of a food processor combine the sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Add the butter a piece at a time until the mixture begins to come together like wet sand. Remove from the processor.
Serves 8
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