Try these delicious recipes to celebrate dad

Arts&Life dining-in

COURTESY OF ANNABEL COHEN

Grill Mastery

Try these delicious recipes to celebrate dad this Father’s Day.

In the past, Father’s Day was easy. There would often be grilling. With dad in command of the tongs.

But after what we’ve been through, there’s been so much cooking. Grilling, bread making, salads that before we only imagined making after reading so many recipes. While we may all want to pile in the car and actually eat out — in a restaurant — chances are most people are eating at home on Father’s Day.

Annabel Cohen Food Columnist So, let’s go to the grill. Let’s all cook together. Everybody make something. After all, everyone’s a cook, baker, a griller, a vegetable gardener. If there’s anything 2020 has taught us, we really can do everything. Here are some recipes to get you in the mood.

OLIVE OIL, LEMON, GARLIC CHICKEN WITH HERBED DRIZZLE

Za’atar is a blend of herbs and spices with sesame seeds. There are many commercial versions of za’atar available at Arabic markets. It often includes dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, sumac and marjoram.

Ingredients 3 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts, thighs or a combination of the two.

1 /3 cup lemon juice 1 /3 cup za’atar

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or any other good quality oil) 2 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 Tbsp. grained Dijon mustard

Drizzle: 1 cup olive oil ½ cup lemon juice ½ cup chopped cilantro ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 2 tsp. kosher salt 1 tsp. black pepper ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste

Directions

If the chicken is very “thick,” slice through it horizontally into thinner halves. Otherwise, place chicken in a large bowl.

Add all the marinade ingredients and toss the chicken to coat well. Cover and chill at this point for up to a day ahead.

Combine the “drizzle” ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

Heat grill to medium-high. Arrange the chicken on cook for 8-12 minutes (depending upon how thick the meat is), until just cooked through. Do not overcook.

Serve with the drizzle spooned over the filets. Makes 6 servings.

FLANK STEAK WITH HONEY GARLIC LEMON ONIONS Ingredients 2 pounds flank steak Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil, for drizzling 1 tsp. smoked paprika Fresh chopped cilantro, garnish (optional)

Onions: ½ Tbsp. veg oil 2 large onions (about 1½ pounds) 1 tsp. chopped garlic ¼ cup honey ¼ cup barbecue sauce ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Place meat in a shallow dish. Season the meat well with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika. Cover and chill up to 24 hours.

Remove steak from marinade. Grill steak 10 minutes (about 4-5 minutes each side) for medium-rare (140 degrees F) or until slightly charred on both sides and transfer to a cutting board and let rest about 5 minutes. Slice very, very thin against the grain.

Prepare onions: Slice onions into ¼-inch slices.

Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.

Brush onions with honey lime sauce and grill until charred. Separate into rings.

Drizzle any remaining honey lime sauce and collected juices over beef. Makes 6 or more servings.

MACHUS SALAD

Recently someone asked for the Machus salad recipe. It was not my salad, but it was delicious in my memory. I found a copycat recipe online that was loose and old-fashioned, made with iceberg lettuce and bacon. I updated it and made it a bit … more. You don’t have to serve bacon to make this nostalgic recipe bring back the memories.

Ingredients Dressing: ¼ cup white sugar ¼ cup white vinegar 3 Tbsp. olive oil (not extra virgin) 1 tsp. kosher salt, to taste

Salad: 16 cups chopped lettuce (iceberg or Romaine) (about 2-3 heads) 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup thin sliced red or Bermuda onion 1 cup chopped cucumber ¼ cup chopped radishes ½ cup crumbled blue cheese Fresh ground pepper, garnish

Directions

Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour half the dressing and toss. Add more dressing if needed. Serve with fresh ground pepper to taste. Makes 6-8 servings.

DIJON AND GARLIC ROASTED NEW POTATOES Ingredients 3 pounds small new potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into halves ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup Dijon mustard, or to taste 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes 1 Tbsp. dried basil flakes 1 Tbsp. kosher salt ½-1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread the potatoes in a shallow baking pan (disposable aluminum pans work great) in a single layer as much as possible. Cook the potatoes about 40-50 minutes, carefully turning them occasionally with a spatula, until tender. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.

CORN BREAD WITH CONFETTI PEPPERS Ingredients 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 Tbsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup water or milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed, drained well 1½ cups diced mixed bell peppers, red, yellow and green Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Place flour, cornmeal, baking power, baking soda, cayenne pepper and salt in large bowl and stir to combine. Stir or beat in water or milk and egg until just combined. Add corn and pepper and stir or beat until just incorporated. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Serves 8.

MIXED BERRY COBBLER Ingredients Topping: 1¼ cups flour

1 /3 cup oatmeal

½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon ¼ cup orange juice ½ cup (1 stick) margarine, cold, cut into pieces

Filling: 8 cups blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, or combination (no strawberries) ¼ cup cornstarch ½ cup sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 2-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the topping: Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix well. Add the butter and pulse a few times more. Add the orange juice and process until the mixture is just combined.

Toss the berries with the cornstarch and sugar and spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish. Drop spoonfuls of the dough over the berries. The dough will not cover all the berries. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes or until the dough is golden and the cobbler is bubbly. Let cool before serving so that the fruit filling will set slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.