Giving Dinner Some Zing

Meat is a given at any meal.It's the basis of a week day meal .It's the star of a Sunday dinner. Yet ,a plain roast chicken or London Broil can be blamed and almost tasteless .The lifesaver to this is a good marinade.Add zippy or tangy bath and then you have a flavorful treat. Marinade for chicken can come in a variety of styles.The New York Times Dining section writer, Melissa Clark used Green Goddess salad dressing to her roast chicken recipe in her column has also used yogurt too.These can give tangy flavor ,especially when adding garlic and different types of spices.Personally Id prefer a lemon or lime juice mixed with olive oil for a fresher and more subtle flavor.You can also try a Caribbean jerk inspired one too using fiery chiles along with paprika for color. A beef or pork roast can also be spiced up with a well seasoned marinade.Most home chefs try teriyaki one,which is tasty.You can spice this up with a tablespoon of fresh chopped or shaved Ginger.Worcester sauce is another good ingredient, brining out the beef.s tender sweet and savory flavor.If you want to add some zing think about a spicy Korean or Szechuan inspired marinade.This can have just crushed peppercorns along with a mélange of different chiles for an exciting bite. your everyday roast doesn't have to be everyday.Liven up. Chocekn,or London broil along with any other meat with zippy zesty marinade.It's a great way making anordinary dinnernigthextra ordinary.

Shakshuka, Simple Yet Exotic

Northern Italians have a wonderful dish called tomatoes and eggs. It's just a simple mix of the two ingredients with a hint of garlic usually eaten with a crusty loaf of Italian bread. Surprisingly enough it has a Middle Eastern cousin called shakshuka. It's a spicier version and just as tasty.

The dish was the subject of Melissa Clark 's A Good Appetite in yesterday's New York Times Dining section. Ms. Clark first ate this wondrous dish in Israel during Passover. It fit in with the dietary rules of the holiday .however it would make a nice brunch or lunch  dish for any Spring  weekend. Unlike the Italian version it has many different spices such as cumin and paprikaalong with cilantro. It also has rich chunks of feta cheese added to it (although I suspect you can forgo the cheese so you can enjoy the taste of tomatoes and eggs)

Cooking it is also similar to pomodori e uovi.Both require skillets and olive oil.Unlike pomodori e uovi though, the tomatoes are cooked first until they thicken WIth the Italian version the eggs are  mixed in,and cooked til they're scrambled Shakshuka has the eggs dropped in with the yolks intact , and cooked similar to sunny side up ones.The feta is then added o n top. Since it's not  a cheese that melts,it adds some texture to the dish. You can serve shakshuka with any kind of crusty bread or pita as well as with hummus, the way Ms Clark ate it in Israel.

Tomatoes  and eggs are always a good combination. Try them with an exotic twist with added spices and feta in this traditional dish.It makes for a tasty brunch or lunch treat.