Lemon Roasted Chicken

Ina Garten's recipe for Lemon Chicken with Croutons was the inspiration for this recipe.  I used chicken breasts & thighs instead of a whole chicken and added carrots & peas otherwise it closely follows her technique.  It was great and will definitely be making it again soon.









Lemon Roasted Chicken


3  boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large vidalia (or sweet) onion sliced
6 carrots sliced
2 lemons halved & quartered
salt & pepper
4 T Butter, sliced
olive oil for pan
1/2 white wine
1 C chic broth
1c frozen peas

**Loaf of fresh bread from bakery such as a boulé  ( I used a rosemary boule)


In large Dutch oven drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil, sear chicken seasoned with salt & pepper to get a bit of brown coating on chicken.  You may need to do this in batches or have 2 pans going.  When all chicken is seared add onion, carrots, lemons stir to combine. Deglaze pan with wine add broth then put butter over top cover and roast till chicken is cooked through, about an hour.

Remove from oven pull chicken apart with forks to shred it and let stand 10 minutes  ( this will soak up more juices) then stir in the peas just before serving.

**While chicken is cooking cut or tear bread into cubes/chunks.  In large sauté pan sauté bread in olive oil tossing to coat, when bread is crisp remove to large serving platter.  You want bread to be a bit crispy for serving, like a soft crouton.


To serve Scoop everything from pot onto layer of croutons, allow to sit a minute so that juices soak into bread.  Chicken should be tender enough it begins to fall apart, you can pull apart any large chunks.  When serving scoop to bottom of platter to get down to bread.  The drippings make the bread yummy, there won't be a lot of liquid but enough to absorb into the bread.

toasted Rosemary Bread

topped with some fresh parsley before serving

Sweet Potato Casserole

The holiday cooking begins!  You have to love a recipe that can be made ahead, frozen, baked and served when needed.  Having some menu items ready to go takes a ton of stress off the day of cooking.  This recipe has been made by my family for years, I originally thought my dad's mother started it so when I asked her for the recipe she gave it to me but then told me she got it from my Aunt on my mom's side.  Aunt Ann originally from Arizona but a long time resident of Pennsylvania introduced this recipe to the family and it was an instant hit.  There are many versions out there, I'm sure many people have tweaked it over the years as I also have made minor changes.  You can't go wrong with anything under this topping!  This is my most requested recipe from friends.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c sweet potato cooked and mashed 

1/2 c sugar (I totally omit this and cannot tell the difference)

1/2 c butter

1/3 c milk

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Mix this all together in a large bowl with a hand mixer till just blended.  Pour into casserole dish and top with topping below.

topping:

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c flour

1/3 c butter

mix with a fork or pastry blender

stir in 1 c pecans

Top casserole dish with pecan mixture and bake at 350° for 30 min or till heated through with the topping bubbly.

If you choose to make this ahead make it completely then cover it tightly with aluminum foil or lid if your dish has one and freeze.  Take out the night before you need it to defrost in the fridge.  If you are short on fridge space put it in an ice chest in the garage so that it is cool but not freezing. 

Another tip for less stress in the kitchen during this busy cooking season is to make a little extra for your dinner when you are cooking ahead to put things in the freezer.  Roast a turkey breast or cutlets, if you've made your stuffing/dressing and sweet potato ahead you can have a mini Thanksgiving meal.  Also if I am doing a ton of cooking in one day or my fridge is full for the big day the night before is a good time to order that pizza!

Add caption

The handwritten recipe from my grandmother.

Lentil Soup

Storms are threatening---time for soup.  Soups have become meals for us this time of year and this is a hearty healthy option.  It is loaded with vegetables, high protein, fiber, so many vitamins and minerals it could probably supply a days worth of requirements.  It can stand alone or add a sandwich if you like.



Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

3 oz chopped pancetta
2 T olive oil
2 cans lentil
1 med onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 celery diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 T tomato paste
1 small can diced tomato, drained
4-6 c chicken broth
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
plain greek yogurt for topping

Directions:

In med soup pot saute pancetta in olive oil, add onion, carrot, celery, diced tomato, garlic.  When vegetables are translucent deglaze pan with broth then stir in all broth,  tomato paste, red pepper and lentils.  Let simmer for at least 30 min longer is fine.  I used hand blender to blend about 1/2 of the soup which gives it a thicker texture but leaves enough of the vegetables for texture.  This is strictly your preference if you like a thicker soup or not it will taste good either way.  Salt and pepper to taste, ladle into a bowl add a dollop of greek yogurt and a little grated cheese to serve.

**you could certainly add more vegetables also maybe other types of beans, mushrooms etc.

**Can also let this simmer in your crock pot if you are off for the day.

Minestrone

January is here and the cold weather has arrived so time for more soup recipes.  This recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis watching a Christmas special she did from Colorado I knew it would go over well at this house.  I have heard about Jim's Nan Taylor's Minestrone for years, but didn't have the recipe.  Here she is in her wedding picture on a previous post for Stuffed Peppers.  Well this recipe according to him comes as close as he can remember to hers.  Everyone has loved it, it is so healthy, hearty, easy which all means it'll get made often.  If you don't need the whole recipe package some for lunches it reheats well.  I made a few small changes here is her post at the Food Network site:  Winter Minestrone


Minestrone

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 onion
2 carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
3 oz pancetta chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 lb Kale, chopped
1 potato peeled & cubed
1 --14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 --15oz can cannellini beans
28oz of low sodium beef broth
1 chunk of Parmesan Rind
parsley, salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic about 10 min.  Add the Kale and potato saute for 2 more minutes.  Add tomatoes and rosemary sprig and simmer till tomatoes begin to break down.  Separate the beans using 3/4 cup of beans with some of the broth to puree them, I used the hand blender.  Stir this mixture into pot with rest of broth and Parmesan rind.  Simmer soup stirring occasionally till potato is tender.  Add the rest of the beans, parsley, salt and pepper to taste heat through.  Remove rosemary stem and Parmesan rind to serve.

If you want to make it even heartier add some lean beef.

Mario Batali's Arista Toscana

Happen to catch a new show on in the day time called "The Chew", a fun cast with varied recipes throughout the program.  Mario Batali prepared this recipe for pork it looked so good and seemed pretty simple to do so that was dinner that night.  I find the biggest stumbling block to cooking is deciding what to make, many times I stare at what I have available and then figure out what I can make without going to the grocery store.  Although I am .7 of a mile to the grocery store there are times you just don't want to go out again.  This was simple & hearty, always great when you can throw something in the oven and then use that baking time to get things done.  I served it with Japanese Sweet Potato mashed with toasted pecans which has a dark purple skin but inside is almost white, it had a slightly milder taste than our traditional orange yam.

Mario Batali's Arista Toscana

---adapted slightly

Ingredients:

Garlic Cloves (he calls for 24.....seemed a lot to me so I probably halved it0
2 Fennel bulbs sliced thin
    -----save Fennel tops (fronds), throw out ribs
4 large onions sliced thin
1/2 c olive oil
6-7 pounds Pork Loin Roast (he calls for bone in, I used boneless but would love to try it              again with the bone in cut just couldn't get it that day)  
salt & pepper
3 c whole milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

Smash 1/2 of garlic into a paste and put in bottom of roaster pan, add onion slices, fennel.

Make slits into pork and stick garlic cloves into them, salt & pepper generously.  Pour milk, some oil onto onion mixture, then lay pork on top of onion/fennel mixture, lay fennel tops over pork.  Roast 60-75 minutes reaching internal temp of 145° then remove meat to carving board.
Blend 1/2 of onion fennel liquid mixture in blender adding a drizzle of olive oil to form a sauce consistency.
Arrange slices of pork over the rest of sliced onion/fennel and pass blended sauce in gravy dish.

I used the emersion blender.

Roasted Pumpkin Curry & Coconut Soup

We have a number of friends who make the most amazing curry dishes, Rosy's are the best, maybe one of these days I'll get her to let me watch her cook and blog it.  She travels to specific stores twice a year to stock up on special spices & ingredients.  Her get togethers are legendary, always a good time with the most amazing food.  Our daughters who are friends since nursery school were college roommates and wow did Rosy ever keep their freezer stocked. 

We love curry flavor at this house and when I saw this recipe by Faith Durand I had to try it.  Everyone who tasted it said to make it again soon, which I will have to do before the squash season ends.  I did make a number of changes mainly because I didn't have shallots so used onion, red pepper flakes instead of fresh, cut back a bit on the garlic and used already cubed squash since it looked better than the whole ones at the market that day.  The recipe also calls for a Red Kuri Pumpkin but as the recipe says this works with any type squash.  If you like curry you will really enjoy this soup.  Really a healthy & hearty soup.

I adapted this recipe from:   http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/soup/recipe-roasted-red-kuri-pumpkin-coconut-soup-159051

Roasted Pumpkin Curry & Coconut Soup

Ingredients:

4 lb pumpkin or squash

2 T oil

2 cloves garlic

1 med onion chopped fine

1 T grated ginger

2 T tomato paste 

1 tsp curry powder  (I will increase this next time)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 13.5 oz can coconut milk

4 c chicken broth

1 tsp salt

juice of 1 lime 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400° 

Cut pumpkin into quarters, seed, and place in baking dish drizzle with oil and roast  in oven for about an hour.  You could also buy already cubed squash or pumpkin which I find at our local grocer during the season.  If using whole pumpkin when cooled remove skin.

In large soup pot/dutch oven type vessel saute onion, garlic, ginger for about a minute then add tomato paste & stir.  Add curry and red pepper and saute a minute then add squash/pumpkin and saute stirring frequently for about 5 min.  Then add chicken broth and simmer 15 min then add coconut milk and simmer 15 min more.  Puree soup carefully with hand blender.  Stir in lime juice and salt to taste.  Can be garnished with sauteed onions and coconut.  I served with toasted pita.

simmering just before blending

Tip for not making a mess of the immersion blender,
split the paper towel half way and cover pot.

Braised French Onion Chicken with Gruyere

It was one of our many rainy nights that this picture popped up in an email and I had to make it for dinner--go to:  The Kitchn  to see the picture of Faith Durand's original post you are going to want to make it also.  I first found this site from following Apartment Therapy great site for ideas and inspiration for any size home.  More of a design site and specific to some cities, but also has a cooking section.  The meal was perfect for the cold, damp night.  The sauce is a nice rich broth to form a stew consistency, I followed the recipe only changing the addition of mushrooms which I sauteed right after the onions in the same pan.  A slice of toasted bread to dip into the broth added to the hearty feel of this meal.  A side of roasted cauliflower which I roasted at the same time made it pretty simple which was a bonus.  A light side salad would be a great addition also, I think I'd like the fresh greens with the warm stew.  Here is my slightly adapted recipe:

Braised French Onion Chicken with Gruyere

Ingredients:

3 T butter
2 lbs onion, sliced ( I used 5 large Vidalia's sliced thin)
salt & pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms
1 garlic clove chopped fine (she calls for 4 cloves sliced)
2 sprigs Thyme  
                                    >  I didn't have fresh herbs-- used about 1/2 tsp for each of dried  
4 inch sprig Rosemary  
2 C chicken broth
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 T Dijon mustard
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (add some chicken breasts for the white meat eaters)
2 oz Gruyere Cheese, grated

Directions:

brown chicken

layer onions and mushrooms

This can all be done in separate pans if you want to get done faster.  In a large skillet melt the butter till it begins to foam then add all the sliced onion and let saute for about 40 min stirring occasionally.  When the onions begin to color a bit add the garlic, rosemary, & thyme continue to cook onions till you get that caramelized color----the more the better till just before burned.  Add 1 C chicken broth and deglaze pan scraping up bits from bottom, simmer a minute or so and then pour mixture into dutch oven or baking dish to cover bottom.  Return saute pan to burner and saute mushrooms till browned layer them on top onions.  Return pan to heat add some olive oil, salt & pepper chicken and brown on both sides, I did this in batches.  Lay chicken on top of mushrooms, add to saute pan the rest of the broth, the balsamic, and the Dijon whisk together and pour over chicken,  Put lid on dutch oven or wrap baking dish with heavy layer of aluminum foil.  Bake in 325° oven for 30 min.  Remove lid & top chicken with Gruyere and broil till cheese melts.  Serve in a bowl to allow for lots of sauce with a nice piece of toasted bread.  These directions are  condensed the original post goes into more detail if you'd like them go to The Kitchn .

The Gruyere melts quickly keep an eye on it.

Yum!