Election Night Chicken

Lately I have had a hankering for chicken piccata, so tonight I decided to do a repeat of Ina Garten's chicken picatta that I made before here. I tend to not repeat many recipes as there are always so many new ones that I want to try, however, tonight I decided to go back to one that we enjoyed once before since I knew it was quick, easy, and tasty. One of the things I love about chicken piccata is the tang and bright fresh flavor from the lemon and that was what I was really craving. It was also a perfect meal for tonight since it is quick with it being election night. We ended up with plenty of time to not only enjoy a home cooked meal, but also watch all the exciting election coverage. Tonight's repeat chicken piccata was just as yummy as the last time we had it! A wonderful repeat. Russ gives it a 9 once again.

Our Old Favorite Stir Fry

Recently I talked about how my sister made the comment that I was fairly critical of stir fry recipes and I admitted that she is right (see this post). I mention that there is a recipe that there is an older Cooking Light stir fry recipe that we love that we used to make frequently and then for some reason have not made since I started blogging. Well, tonight I decided to revisit it to see if we still love it like we remember and in hopes of blogging about a chicken stir fry recipe that we really love. The recipe is for Kung Pao Chicken.

To make the Kung Pao chicken you start by adding a little bit of oil a non-stick skillet or a wok if you happen to have one. Then add the broccoli florets and some of the ginger and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add just a little bit of water and cover the pan and let the broccoli stem until it is done like you like it. For stir fries I like to have my vegatables slightly on the crunchy side. Then remove the broccoli from the pan and set aside. Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the remaining ginger, crushed red pepper and chicken. Saute for a couple of minutes. While the chicken is cooking add the chicken broth, hoisen sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, and minced garlic to a bowl and wisk it all together. Then add the sauce to the pan and let it cook for about a minute until it thickens. Then add the broccoli and toss it to mix everything together and coat it with the sauce. Serve over hot rice and top with peanuts. I did make two additions to the recipe by adding bamboo shoots and onions to it. I love both bamboo shoots and onions and think they work well with the broccoli and add a little complexity and more texture to the dish. Also, the pictures are of Russ' plate without peanuts since he doesn't care for them in his food; I on the other hand love the crunch and saltiness that they add.

I absolutely love this simple stir fry. It takes little preparation, cooks quickly and is an entire meal in and of itself. Now, if you don't happen to keep ingredients like hoisen sauce, rice wine vinegar and ginger around I don't want this to turn you off from this recipe. When I first started cooking I wanted to try different Asian recipes, but was concerned that I would end up with a fridge and pantry full of bottles of sauces that I would never use again. Well, I finally bit the bullet and bought hoisen sauce and made this recipe. I now have a pantry and fridge full of Asian ingredients that all get used frequently. Back to my review... I really enjoy the slightly sweet, yet spicy sauce in this dish. The sauce really makes this for me and is part of why I am often critical of sauces in other stir fries. I think this sauce is incredibly well balanced with a hint of sweet from the hoisen sauce and a punch of flavor from the garlic and rounded out with a kick from the crushed red pepper. We usually serve this over brown rice, but tonight we used white as we were out of brown. Both work well, but we prefer the brown as white tends to be fairly bland. Russ rates this a 9.

Since Cash has not made an appearance on the blog in far too long here are a few new ones of him including one in his Halloween costume!

Chef Russ

While I do most of the cooking in our house, Russ is very involved. He does all the grilling, dishes, pictures for the blog and sometimes he takes the reigns and cooks the entire meal. Tonight was one of those nights when I had a meeting after work and knew I would come home hungry, too tired to cook, yet wanting a home cooked meal. Enter the sweetest husband ever who cooked up his new specialty that he has made once before for me, Pasta Puttanesca while I was at my meeting.

Russ loves this recipe because not only does it taste great, but he says it is fairly simple to prepare and all the ingredients are ones that almost always have in the pantry. I love it because it is delicious and required no effort on my part. It has great flavor from the capers and garlic, a nice kick from the fresh cayenne peppers from our garden, and fantastic color and texture from the olives. The tomatoes still take center stage and are just amplified by all the other tasty ingredients. I give it a 10 and Russ rates it a 9.

Tagine Night

Some weeks I have more recipes I want to try than nights for cooking and then there are other weeks where I am just at a loss as to what to cook. This week fell into the latter category. So, I started perusing some of my cookbooks, magazines, and several websites looking for some inspiration. I ended up finding it online at Cooking Light’s website. I love my tagine that Russ gave me for Christmas, so when I ran across a recipe that not only used my tagine, but also sounded super tasty I was sold. So, tonight we tried an older CL recipe for Chicken Tagine with Lemons and Olives.

To start with you let the chicken marinate in a little bit of lemon juice for about 30 minutes. I did use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs since I had some in the freezer that needed to be used. Once they have marinated then I cut them into large pieces and tossed them in the flour. Then I sprinkled the spice mixture (salt, pepper, cayenne, and tumeric) over them. Next you add a little oil to pan and brown the chicken on both sides. The chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through at this point, but I wanted it mostly cooked. Then set it aside and add a little more oil to the pan and sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger until they are soft. Next add the olives, lemon rind, cinnamon stick, and chicken to the pan. Finally add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling then you reduce the heat to a simmer and put the top on and let it slowly simmer away for about an hour. Once it is done you add the cilantro to it, however, I forgot to do this so we just topped ours with the cilantro. I served it over cous cous with a side of steamed broccoli.

This was very tasty and flavorful. I really liked the subtle lemon flavor and the tang from the green olives. It makes plenty of sauce which I liked and it was nice to put over the cous cous which soaked it up. The chicken was tender and flavorful. We both really enjoyed this recipe and while I did feel like I used a million bowls and plates while I was preparing it overall it was fairly simple to make. Russ rates the dish a 9.

Not quite vegetarian...

We recently went to the beach with some friends and on the way down Russ and I stopped and had dinner at a cute place in Milton, Florida. Russ ordered red beans and rice for dinner and it took me a little by surprise. You see I tend to think of red beans and rice as a vegetarian dish. One that I love, but that Russ would be underwhelmed by its lack of meat; however, what I forget is that it doesn’t have to be vegetarian in fact it usually isn’t. Russ and I both love beans, so I decided to put red beans and rice on the menu soon.

I didn’t have a recipe, so I went online and found an Emeril recipe that looked very tasty. It starts with dried red beans that I soaked in water overnight. When you are ready to get started drain the beans and set them aside. To get started you add bacon grease to the pan. I did this by cooking a couple pieces of bacon in the pan and removing it while leaving its grease. Next you add the onions, green pepper, and celery to the pot and season them with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Let the vegetables cook until they are soft. You can also add tasso ham as the recipe calls for, but I couldn’t find it and just left it out. Once the vegetables are soft you add the bay leaves, sausage (I used turkey sausage), parsley, thyme and ham hocks and let it brown for a couple of minutes.

In case you are waiting for me to say that I left out the ham hocks I’ll explain how Russ made sure they were included. I looked for them at the grocery store and I really did look, but I couldn’t find them anywhere. So, I called Russ on my way home to tell him that there was no ham hock in the store and I didn’t have time to stop anywhere else to look for it. Well, Russ absolutely hates going to the grocery store, but in this case he loves his pork enough that he stops on his way home and finds the smoked ham hock. So, thanks to Russ we did include the ham hocks. Back to the recipe… you then add the garlic and let it cook for a minute. Next add the beans and stock (I used homemade chicken stock). Bring it all to a boil and then lower the temperature to bring it to a simmer and leave it uncovered to simmer for about two hours. After two hours, mash about a ¼ of the beans against the side of the pot and then let it continue to simmer for about 15 or 20 more minutes until it is creamy and the beans are tender. Serve over rice and top with green onion slices.

This was very tasty. The beans had nice flavor that was both smoky and savory. The sausage complemented the beans well without trying to compete or overpower them. The beans were rather thick and somewhat creamy. I especially loved the green onions as a garnish. They not only added a punch of color, but also added a nice fresh flavor to it. Russ and I both felt like despite the beans soaking overnight and simmering for almost 2 and half hours that they still could have cooked for longer to be a little more tender. Russ also said he would have preferred if the bean mixture had not been quite so thick. Next time I can change this by not mashing the beans and by adding more stock as the mixture cooks. Overall we both thought it had wonderful flavor and was tasty meal. Russ rates it a 9.

Red Beans and Rice, Emeril Lagasse 2001

Yield: 8 servings

1 lb. dried red beans, rinsed and sorted over
3 tablespoons bacon grease
¼ cup chopped tasso or chopped ham
1 and ½ cups chopped yellow onions
¾ cups chopped celery
¾ cup chopped green bell peppers
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
½ lb smoked sausage, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
1lb. smoked ham hocks
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
10 cups chicken stock, or water
4 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers to the grease in the pot. Season with the salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the bay leaves, parsley, thyme, sausage, and ham hocks, and cook, stirring, to brown the sausage and ham hocks, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and stock or water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 hours. (Should the beans become too thick and dry, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.)

Remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

Leftovers Recreated

Now that it is October and January was months ago my poor New Year’s resolutions have been a bit forgotten. If you happen to remember they were to cook from some of the neglected cookbooks that are on my shelf and to create my own recipes. Tonight I somewhat resurrected my resolutions by creating my own quesadilla recipe. Apparently the only things so far this year that I am creating on my own are quesadilla recipes, but to my credit both have been very good.

Tonight I had several tasty leftover ingredients in the fridge that I didn’t want to go to waste, so I decided to combine them all for a tasty quick dinner. The ingredients I had were fresh spinach, goat cheese, and grilled chicken all of which go together really well. I sautéed the spinach with a little bit of chopped onion until it was wilted. Next I took the tortilla and put it in the nonstick skillet that I coated with cooking spray and layered the spinach, goat cheese, and chicken on top. I then topped it with a little more cheese and another tortilla. I let it cook until everything was heated through, the cheese had melted, and it was a browned on both sides. I served it with salsa and sour cream.

This was a super fast meal that was very tasty. The goat cheese complements both the spinach really well and the chicken adds a heartiness to the meal. I love fresh spinach and it cooks so fast and is such a beautiful color that it really makes the meal. These could not have been easier and while far from gourmet they were a perfect quick weeknight dinner. Russ rates the quesadillas an 8.

Ready for Fall

I love Fall and I get so excited about it every year and am just waiting for it to turn cool and crisp outside, so that I can make warm soups, chilies, and all the other yummy Fall and Winter dishes that I love! Like every year in the past I get impatient and at some point decide that while it is not as cool and crisp out as I would like that it is cool enough and I make my first soup, chili or stew of the season. The September issue of Cooking Light had a fantastic chili section that included a Venison, Sausage, and Black Bean Chili recipe. It just so happens that I still have a freezer full of venison and am still not quite sure what to do with it. So, this recipe kills two birds with one stone by fulfilling my burning desire to go ahead and declare it soup / stew / chili season and a way to use up some of the venison that has taken over our freezer.

To make the chili you heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and coat it with cooking spray. You then remove the sausage from the casing and add it along with the onion and garlic to the pan. I could not find spicy chicken sausage, so I went with spicy turkey sausage instead. Next add the venison to pan and cook until it is browned. I used ground venison instead of loin since we have lots of ground venison and both Russ and I prefer ground meat in our chili. Next stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the chicken broth, tomato (I used two cans of diced tomatoes), ancho chile powder, water, salt, and cumin to the pot. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour. Then stir in the black beans and let it continue to cook for ten minutes until it is heated through. Check for seasoning and add salt if needed. Serve toped with goat cheese and jalapeño slices.

This was a very simple and easy chili to make in fact I made it on a weeknight and usually I save dishes like this for a weekend when I have longer for it to simmer. The venison gave it a nice flavor and worked really well with the black beans. I didn’t have a lot of ancho chile powder left, so I used some chipotle chile powder too. The combination worked well adding a nice level of heat and smokiness to it. I especially loved topping it with goat cheese. This was a nice way of balancing out the heat and adding some creaminess to it. This was a nice change for us from just the traditional chili I usually make. I really liked it, but both Allen and Russ thought it was excellent! Russ rates it a 9.

Venison, Sausage, and Black Bean Chili, Cooking Light September 2008
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chili and 1 tablespoon crumbled goat cheese)

1/4 pound spicy chicken sausage
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless venison loin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2 medium)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese
Jalapeño pepper slices (optional)

Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, onion, and garlic to pan; sauté minutes or until onion is tender, stirring to crumble sausage. Add venison; cook 4 minutes or until venison is browned. Stir in tomato paste; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (through cumin), scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until venison is tender. Stir in black beans; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with crumbled goat cheese. Serve with jalapeño slices, if desired.

A Big Hit with No Meat!

Every now and then my meat loving husband will agree to a vegetarian meal if enough cheese is involved. Tonight was one of those rare occasions. Whenever I go through a new issue of Cooking Light I dog ear the pages of recipes that catch my eye. In the September issue this was one that not only did I dog ear, but also I kept coming back to each time I flipped through it. The recipe is for Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes, and Gorgonzola Sauce. Russ and I both love macaroni and cheese and Cooking Light touts this recipe as a grown up version by showcasing the pungent flavor of gorgonzola cheese.

To make this dish you start by heating the water and cooking the pasta. This dish comes together so fast that you have to start the pasta first or you will be sitting around waiting on it. Then heat olive oil in a pan and add the cherry tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt, and garlic. Once they have cooked for a minute or two then add the half and half and gorgonzola cheese and cook it for about two minutes while stirring constantly. Once it has thickened some add the spinach and allow it to wilt. Drain the pasta and then add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

This could not have been any quicker or easier to make. The most time consuming part is literally boiling the water for the pasta and cooking the pasta. This is a great weeknight dinner when you don’t have a lot of time or just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It is also a great one dish meal since it includes your veggies. The strong pungent flavor of the gorgonzola is fantastic and creamy. The sauce while still being light is rich and wonderful. The spinach and cherry tomatoes add beautiful colors to the dish and great, fresh flavors. We both thoroughly enjoyed this dish and it will definitely be repeated in our house. Russ rates it a 10.

Crazy about Squash

As you know I always love getting a new cooking magazine in the mail, however, this one was squeal worthy! Quite literally as I flipped through it I was squealing with delight over all the delicious recipes and was beyond thrilled to see a fantastic squash section. You see I didn’t like squash growing up because I thought it was all yellow squash and zucchini, neither of which I liked as a child. Since then I have not only grown to love both yellow squash and zucchini, but also to realize that there are so many other fantastic squashes out there that I absolutely love! After the first time I cooked with a butternut squash my cooking world was shaken. It is a totally different kind of squash then what I had known before and I loved everything about it. Well, tonight I tried a new to us squash, spaghetti squash, and I absolutely loved it!

Tonight I made Fine Cooking’s Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices. To make the squash you start out by cutting it into half lengthwise and roasting it. This was the hardest part. I have had trouble cutting a butternut squash before and my hand was sore for a day after cutting and peeling a pumpkin, but this spaghetti squash would not budge for me. We ended up eating later tonight than planned because I had to wait until Russ got home for him to cut it in half. Now don’t let this turn you off from this recipe or any squash recipe for that matter as I now have a new trick. Literally the next day I was reading more of the articles from this issue and in the back it includes tips for cutting squashes and tells you to prick it with a fork in several places all over and microwave it for just a minute or so and let is soften just a bit so that it will cut easier. Anyway, once cut in half you scoop out the seeds and roast it at 350 for about an hour. Then remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Then use a fork and rake out the flesh into strands. While the squash is cooling I added oil to a skillet and put the mustard seeds in and covered it. The seeds pop and once the popping has died down then you uncover it and add the butter. Next add the onion, ginger, cumin (I used ground as I couldn’t find the seeds), and coriander and let cook until the onion is soft. Next add the tomato (I used canned petite diced tomatoes) and chile to the dish. Next toss in the squash and finally season with salt and toss in the cilantro.

This was fantastic! I absolutely loved the soft, warm Indian spices and the mild, delicious flavor of the spaghetti squash. The texture of the squash with the soft onions and tomatoes was perfect. This is one of my top ten favorite dishes I have ever made. I could have eaten a bowl of it with nothing else for dinner and been beyond thrilled. Russ liked the dish, but was not as crazy about it like I was. The main reason that Russ didn’t care for it as much as he felt like it had too strong of a squash flavor. In reality it is a mild squash, however, Russ strongly prefers the flavor of sweeter squashes such as butternut, pumpkin and acorn, so to him this was too “squashy”. Russ gives it an 8, while I give it a strong 10.

Spaghetti Squash with Indian Spices, Fine Cooking November 2008

Serves four to six.

1 small (3 lb.) spaghetti squash
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup seeded and chopped tomato
1 small serrano chile, seeded and minced
Kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon. Set the squash halves cut side down on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, and bake until strands of flesh separate easily when raked with a fork, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Taste a few strands—they should be tender. If not, continue to bake. Set the squash halves aside until cool enough to handle. Use a fork to rake the cooked squash flesh into strands. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mustard seeds and cover. The seeds will start popping; cook until the popping subsides, about 1 minute. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, and coriander and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, chile, and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to soften and the chile is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and add the squash to the skillet. Continue to cook, tossing with tongs, until heated through, 1 to 3 minutes. Toss in the cilantro, season to taste with more salt, and serve. You can bake the squash in advance and then finish the dish right before serving.

Tough on Stir Fry

The September Cooking Light had a section on stir fry recipes and despite loathing stir fry night as a child I now am drawn to stir fry recipes and had to give the Curried Chicken and Cashews recipe a try. To make the dish you start by combining the chicken broth, water, fish sauce, sugar and rice vinegar and setting it aside. You then cut the chicken into strips. Once cut heat the oil in the pan and then sauté the chicken in batches until cooked. When the chicken is cooked set it aside and add more oil to the pan. Then sauté the onion, ginger and garlic for one minute or until lightly brown. I added red bell pepper to the dish, so I added it right before the onions and then let it continue to sauté with the onions etc. Then add the curry powder and chiles to the pan and sauté for a few minutes. Next add the chicken back into the pan and the sauce and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Serve it over rice and top it with cilantro and cashews.

I talked to Jess on the phone shortly after making this dish and told her that it was just okay. She commented that I am a tough critic on stir fry dishes on the blog. I think she is right; I am tough on stir fry dishes. To me there are two keys to an excellent stir fry 1. not overcooking or undercooking the ingredients and 2. a tasty sauce. The first just takes practice to make sure you get the vegetables cooked, but not limp or that you don’t leave them to crispy. This is somewhat personal preference too. I tend to like them cooked through, but with some texture left and definitely not limp and overcooked. The sauce is where I think I tend to become critical on a new recipe. To me it does not take an inordinate number of ingredients to make a tasty sauce, but I want it to have some complexity, some heat, and a fairly substantial flavor. To me the sauce in this dish was not complex or substantial. It did have some heat from the chiles and I did like the curry powder in it, however, the rest of the sauce just fell short and left the dish somewhat bland. All in all there are better recipes out there including one that was a staple in our house in the pre-blog days and has yet to make an appearance on the blog (not to self, add it into the rotation in the next few months) and a few that have made an appearance such as . This was quick and easy and I did enjoy the curry and cashew combination and the addition of red bell peppers, but I don’t think I’ll make it again. Russ was in agreement rating it a 7.

Curried Chicken and Cashews, Cooking Light September 2008

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup chicken mixture and 3/4 cup rice)

1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
3 small dried hot red chiles, broken in half
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup dry-roasted salted cashews, chopped
3 cups hot cooked short-grain rice

To prepare sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients; set aside. Cut chicken across grain into 1/4-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Cut strips into 3-inch-long pieces. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add half of chicken to wok; stir-fry 2 minutes. Spoon cooked chicken into a bowl. Repeat procedure with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining chicken. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic to wok; stir-fry 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add curry powder and chiles; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sauce and chicken to wok; stir-fry 1 minute. Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with cilantro and cashews. Serve over rice.

My New Toy

I love kitchen gadgets and really can always find a few more that I would like to have, but our kitchen is getting full so I have to make sure it is something that I really want and will use in order to buy it now. While up in Pawley’s this summer I went to one of my favorite cooking stores and found a utensil that Jamie Oliver had used on a recent episode of Jamie at Home, a bean cutter. I had never seen one before, but I knew if I ran across one I would just have to get it. So, I picked it up and was anxious to try out the recipe Jamie had made on the episode. It is Grilled Butterflied Monkfish with a Sweet Runner Bean Stew.

To start out making the stew you put all the beans through the bean cutter and they end up in gorgeous, thin slices. Next you add olive oil, anchovies, garlic and the chile to a pot and let them cook until the anchovies have broken down. Next add the tomatoes, beans, and rosemary to the pot. Season it with salt and pepper and bring it to a boil. Once boiling turn it down to a simmer and cover the pot. To prepare the fish (we used grouper instead of monkfish) we salt and peppered it and grilled it. I skipped the gremolata that looks and sounds delicious, but we ran out of time. Serve the fish over the beans.

We both absolutely loved the runner bean stew. Beans and tomatoes are one of my very favorite flavor combinations and mixed with the savory rosemary it is just fantastic. I also really liked the texture of the thin slices of beans. I would highly recommend a bean cutter as it was a neat tool to use and cut the beans slices that were a perfect thickness. The beans complemented the grilled fish very well and made for a beautiful presentation. All in all this was a delicious meal and that I anticipate us making again in the future. Russ rates it a 10.

Back to Blogging and Cooking

So, my poor blog has been on the back burner lately. In fact cooking has been on the back burner lately. Life has been busy with changing jobs, adjusting to a new routine, and becoming an Aunt to Andrew and Walt. I have truly missed cooking and blogging, so I am excited to finally feel like I am back in a place where I can find the time for both. I have been cooking some, so you will see those posts coming up in the next few days. I do backdate them as I like to keep up with how many blog worthy meals we cooked each month. So, here we go again…

We love to grill in the summer and tonight we decided to try a new Grilled Maple Salmon recipe out of the July Cooking Light. The marinade is super simple with only three ingredients - rice wine vinegar, orange juice, and maple syrup. You put the marinade and salmon in a plastic bag and stick it in the fridge for three hours. After three hours you remove the fish and pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan and bring it to a boil and let it reduce down. Once reduced take the salmon and grill it and baste it with the reduced sauce.

This was a very simple recipe that packed great flavor with just a few ingredients. I really like the sweetness from the maple syrup and the tang and citrus flavor from the orange juice. We didn't have quite 3 hours for it to marinade, so I think it would have been even better if we had let it marinade for longer. This is a solid, simple marinade for salmon. Russ rates it a 9.

Roasting with Friends

I have mentioned several times on previous posts how one of the best parts of living in Birmingham is having both of our families within about a ten mile radius. I am not sure I have mentioned that one of the other best parts is having so many childhood friends living within that same radius. We have friends that we have known since preschool and elementary school just minutes away. While we love all our friends, old and new, it is really special to have memories with someone that date back twenty plus years. As is life not all of our friends from growing up still live here in Birmingham, however, lucky for us they tend to come and visit their families every so often and we usually get to see them too. This week Julie, Brian, and their precious little ones were in town for a few days. So, tonight Sumner, John, Julie, and Brian all came over for dinner. It was a fun time catching up, sharing some wine and food, and maybe even playing a little Wii!

I decided to make a dish that could be in the oven when everyone arrived, so that all I had to do was pull it out and place it on a serving platter when it was done. These are the types of dishes that are great for entertaining as it maximizes the time you get to spend with your guests and it allows you to have the kitchen cleaned up before your guests arrive. For tonight I made Mediterranean Chicken with Mushrooms and Zucchini from one of the recent issues of Fine Cooking.

To start you mix the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Next add the olive oil and mix it well until incorporated. Then take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and set it aside to use later. Next take your roasting pan and scatter the pearl onions over the bottom. Then add the mushrooms placing them cap side up. Stir the vinegar mixture and then brush the tops of the mushrooms with the mixture. Then scatter the pancetta over the mushrooms and onions. Next arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, over the mushrooms and onions and brush them with the remaining vinegar mixture. Place this in a preheated oven (400) and roast for 30 minutes. While it is roasting toss the zucchini with the reserved vinegar mixture. Next combine the wine, rosemary, balsamic vinegar and salt in a measuring cup and stir together. Once the chicken has roasted for 30 minutes remove it from the oven and pour the wine mixture around the chicken. Then scatter the zucchini around and lower the temperature to 375. Put the chicken and vegetables back in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes more or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

This was a very savory and delicious dish. The chicken was tender and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. I really liked the flavor combination of the mushrooms, zucchini and onions. The rosemary and balsamic vinegar both gave great flavor that was savory and earthy. Like I mentioned earlier I love dishes like this when I am having friends over. When everyone arrived the dish was roasting in the oven and all the dishes I used doing prep were already in the dishwasher or put away. It makes for a nice relaxing dinner where you can enjoy everyone’s company. Roasting meats and vegetables is also a very simple process that if you have not tried before I would encourage you to do so. Russ rates this dish a 9.

Mediterranean Chicken with Mushrooms and Zucchini, Fine Cooking

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups peeled red pearl onions (6 to 7 oz.), halved if large
8 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, stems trimmed
2 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1/3 cup)
4-lb. chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces, trimmed of extra skin and fat, patted dry
2 small zucchini (4 to 5 oz. each), trimmed, cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick half-rounds
1/2 cup medium- to full-bodied red wine, such as Merlot or Syrah

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbs. of the balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs. of the rosemary, the brown sugar, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the olive oil and mix well.

Scatter the pearl onions over the bottom of a metal, glass, or ceramic baking dish that measures about 10x15x2 inches. Add the mushrooms, cap side up. Stir the vinegar mixture to mix well; spoon 1 Tbs. into a second small bowl and reserve. Use about half of the remaining mixture to brush the mushroom caps. Scatter the pancetta over the mushrooms and onions. Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up, on top of all, and brush with the remaining vinegar mixture. Roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the zucchini with the reserved 1 Tbs. of the vinegar mixture. In a measuring cup, combine the wine with the remaining 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp. rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375°F. Pour the wine mixture around the chicken and then scatter the zucchini around the chicken, keeping it toward the edges of the pan as much as possible. Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer registers 165ºF in several pieces of chicken, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. With a slotted spoon, arrange the vegetables and pancetta around the chicken. Sprinkle the vegetables with a little salt.

Tilt the roasting pan so that the juices gather in one corner. With a large, shallow spoon, skim as much fat as possible from the pan sauce. Spoon a small amount of sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Put the remaining sauce in a pitcher to pass at the table.

Fresh Berries

This summer I have had a container herb garden again. I don’t know that I have mentioned it much on the blog, but I have enjoyed it just as much as I have in the past years. We have incorporated the herbs into many meals and they have been delicious. Even though I have loved my container garden, I dream of having an in ground, large garden someday. You see when we redid the backyard I was hoping it would work out to have a large fruit, vegetable and herb garden, but the shade, trees, layout etc. all worked against me and it just didn’t work out. It is probably for the best as I am not sure I have the time to take care of a larger garden right now, but I can still dream right and at least we have Mentone. That’s right, Mentone has a garden of sorts. There are all sorts of things growing up in Mentone and among them are blueberries and blackberries in the summer. This past weekend Russ, Jason, Allen, and I all picked berries. Thanks to Russ being a fabulous picker we ended up with lots of berries. Picking the berries was relaxing and fun and something I look forward to doing again next year. So, until I get a large garden of my own I’ll enjoy some yearly berry picking up at Mentone.

So, what does one do with lots of fresh blueberries and blackberries? Well besides eating lots of them as a snack everyday I decided to make a pie for my Dad’s birthday. There have been so many great blueberry recipes in all of my cooking magazines lately that it was a tough choice of which to make, but in the end I decided on Fine Cooking’s Black and Blueberry Pie with Lemon-Cornmeal Crust.

To make the pie you start by making the dough. You start by adding the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and lemon zest into a bowl. Then begin adding the cold butter by cutting it into the dough. Once the butter is still in large pieces add the cold shortening and continue cutting it in until it is pea size. With a fork add the lemon water until the dough comes together. Then wrap the dough in two discs and cover with plastic wrap. These need to chill for at least 60 minutes or up to a couple of hours. While the dough is chilling you can start the filling. Start by combining sugar with the cornstarch, allspice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Then toss the black and blueberries with the mixture until they are all coated. Then set this aside. Once the dough has chilled roll out one half of the dough and roll it out over the pie pan. Let the dough fall in and cover the bottom and sides. Then add the filling into the pie. Next take the other disc of dough and roll it out. Cut it into strips and then lay these out on top of the pie in a lattice formation. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and put them in the open spots in the lattice. Next put the entire pie in the freezer to rest for 15 minutes. Have the oven preheated to 425 and put a baking sheet in to let it heat up. Remove the pie from the freezer and brush the dough with melted butter and then sprinkle with sugar. Put the pie on the heated baking sheet and let it bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 375 and let it bake for an additional 60 to 80 minutes or until bubbly in the center. Let it rest and cool prior to serving.

This was an excellent pie. I really liked the subtle lemon flavor that was in both the dough and berries. The cornmeal in the dough added nice texture and flavor and overall the dough was easy to work with when it came to rolling out and forming the crusts. The berries were center stage as they should be and had great flavor and texture. Russ and I both felt like it could have been a touch sweeter, so next time I would increase the sugar in the berries slightly. I really liked the combination of black and blueberries and felt like the proportions worked out really well. Overall this was a wonderful pie with fantastic fresh, hand picked berries. Russ rates it a 9.

Black and Blueberry Pie with Lemon-Cornmeal Crust, Fine Cooking

For the dough:
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. table salt
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) cold vegetable shortening
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice combined with 1/4 cup ice-cold water

For the filling:
2/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. table salt
5 cups room-temperature blueberries (1 lb., 10 oz.), washed and drained on paper towels
2 cups room-temperature blackberries (10-1/2 oz.), washed and drained on paper towels
1/2 oz. (1 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter
1 oz. (2 Tbs.) melted unsalted butter

Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir the flour, cornmeal, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, begin to cut the butter into the flour. While the butter is still in large pieces, add the shortening to the bowl and continue to cut the fat into the flour until most pieces are the size of large peas.
With a big fork, stir in the lemon water, 1 to 2 Tbs. at a time, until the mixture looks shaggy but is moist enough to hold together when pressed. With well-floured hands, gently gather and press the dough into two equal disks, handling it only enough to make the edges of the disks reasonably smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 60 minutes, but preferably 2 to 4 hours, before rolling.
Roll the bottom crust: Roll one disk of the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch metal, glass, or ceramic pie plate (I like to fold the dough in half and unfold it into the pan). Don't stretch the dough as you line the pan, or it will spring back when baked. If necessary, trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Refrigerate until needed.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk 2/3 cup of the sugar with the cornstarch, allspice, cinnamon, and salt. Add the blueberries and blackberries and toss gently until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Fill and top the pie: Roll the second disk of dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 13-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3/4-inchwide strips. Pour the fruit filling into the pastry-lined pie plate, being sure to include any dry ingredients remaining in the bowl. Lay five of the dough strips over the pie, parallel to each other and spaced evenly (use longer strips in the center of the pie and shorter strips near the edges).
Carefully fold back the second and fourth strips a little past the center of the pie and lay a long strip of dough across the center of the pie, perpendicular to the other strips. Unfold the second and fourth strips over the perpendicular strip.
Next, fold back the first, third, and fifth strips and lay a new strip across the pie, perpendicular to the folded strips. Unfold the three strips over the new strip.
Use this alternating technique to weave in three more strips (two go on the other side of the pie), completing the lattice top and evenly covering the pie. Trim the strips to overhang the pie by 3/4 inch.
Roll the overhanging bottom dough and the strips together into a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie pan.

Crimp the edge. Cut the cold 1 Tbs. butter into small pieces and dot over the open areas of the lattice. Freeze the assembled pie for about 15 minutes to relax the dough.

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and set a foil-lined heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet on the rack. Heat the oven to 425°F. Just before baking, brush the lattice top with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar. Put the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake until the fruit is bubbling consistently at the center of the pie, 60 to 80 minutes more. This is important—if it isn’t bubbling near the center, it hasn’t thickened yet. If the crust starts to get too brown, cover it loosely with foil during the last few minutes of the baking time.
Let the pie cool to just warm before serving.
The dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, or up to 2 months ahead and frozen. And the baked and cooled pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Hot Off the Grill

July is proving to be one of our busiest months of the year. I am in the midst of changing jobs, we went to the beach for several days for the 4^th, and we just seem to have lots of plans with friends and family. While we are having a very fun, busy month we are not finding much time to cook or grill. July for some reason just begs you to grill out and bake with fresh berries and we really have not had time for either. So, tonight we decided to dust of The Egg and finally grill out some chicken.

The latest issue of Fine Cooking has a tasty recipe for Grill-Roasted Honey Barbecue Chicken that I had been dying to try. To prepare the chicken you start by butterflying it which I happily let Russ handle. While he was doing this I started making the rub. In a small bowl you mix the olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, fresh thyme, black pepper, chipotle pepper, and garlic together. One the chicken is butterflied and patted dry you spread the rub all over the skin side and let it sit for about 30 minutes. While it rests you can go ahead and make the honey glaze. To make the glaze you combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and chile paste in a small bowl. You then take ¼ a cup of the glaze and set it aside. Once the chicken has rested you grill it. I would tell you how to do this, but I really don’t know as Russ is the grill expert in our house. Fine Cooking does give great instructions in the recipe if you are not familiar with grilling. You do brush the glaze on the chicken while it is on the grill. Once the chicken is done you remove it from the grill and serve it with the remaining glaze drizzled over it.

This chicken just screamed summer grilling! It had a wonderful tasty outside with tender, juicy meat on the inside. I really liked the sweetness that the honey added to the dish and the overall balance of all the delicious flavors in the rub and glaze. The drizzled glaze on the chicken once it is done just makes the dish. This was a wonderful meal that we would recommend if you are looking for a fun meal to grill on a hot summer night. Russ rates the chicken a 9.

Grill-Roasted Honey Barbecue Chicken, Fine Cooking

2 Tbs. olive oil
2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1 clove garlic, minced
4-lb. chicken, butterflied, patted dry
1 recipe Honey Glaze

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, salt, chili powder, paprika, brown sugar, thyme, black pepper, chipotle powder, and garlic. Rub all over the chicken and between the breast meat and skin. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Set aside 1/4 cup of the honey glaze for drizzling over the cooked chicken.

Gas-Grill Instructions:

Heat all burners of a gas grill to medium low. An oven thermometer resting on the grill grate (over the hot zone of the charcoal fire) should register about 450°F with the lid down, or you should be able to hold your hand a couple of inches above the grill for 3 or 4 seconds. If it’s hotter than this, lower the burners slightly. Brush the grill grates with a stiff wire brush and then wipe with a lightly oiled wad of paper towels.

Set the chicken, skin side down, on the grill, cover, and cook until it’s nicely browned and easily releases from the grates, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully during this stage and if a flare-up occurs, move the chicken away from the flames until they die down. If necessary, squirt the flames with a little water to quench them.

For a three-burner gas grill, turn the middle burner off and set the front and back burners to medium low. For a two-burner grill, turn the back burner off and set the front burner on high.

Move the chicken to the cooler zone of the grill (an oven thermometer set on the cooler part of the grill (with the lid down) should register about 350°F). Brush the bird with some of the glaze, cover, and cook, brushing with the glaze every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thighs registers 165° to 170°F, about 30 minutes. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Carve and serve drizzled with the reserved glaze.

Charcoal Grill Instructions:

Prepare a charcoal fire with a hot zone and a cooler zone by pushing all the coals to one side of the grill. An oven thermometer resting on the grill grate (over the hot zone of the charcoal fire) should register about 450°F with the lid down, or you should be able to hold your hand a couple of inches above the grill for 3 or 4 seconds. If it’s hotter than this, let the coals cook down. Brush the grill grates with a stiff wire brush and then wipe with a lightly oiled wad of paper towels.

Set the chicken, skin side down, on the grill over the hot zone of the fire, cover, and cook until it’s nicely browned and easily releases from the grates, 5 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully during this stage and if a flare-up occurs, move the chicken away from the flames until they die down. If necessary, squirt the flames with a little water to quench them.

Move the chicken to the cooler zone of the grill (an oven thermometer set on the cooler part of the grill (with the lid down) should register about 350°F). Brush the bird with some of the glaze, cover, and cook, brushing with the glaze every 5 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thighs registers 165° to 170°F, about 30 minutes. Check on the fire occasionally; it may be necessary to add fresh charcoal as the fire dies down. Let rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Carve and serve drizzled with the reserved glaze.

Honey Glaze, Fine Cooking
Yields about 1/2 cup.

1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. ketchup
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp. Asian chile paste, like Sriracha

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients. Set aside 1/4 cup of the glaze for drizzling over the cooked chicken.

The glaze may be made up to 3 days ahead.

A Perfect Summer Dinner

Lately the days have been hot and hotter and by the end of the day Russ and I both want just a light, fresh meal for dinner. Tonight’s dish is exactly that – light and fresh and perfect for a hot summer night.

Tonight I made Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Herb Salad and White Balsamic Vinaigrette from the May issue of Fine Cooking. This came from the quick and delicious section, so it is quick and easy for a weeknight dinner. You start by making the dressing. You mix both the white balsamic and white wine vinegars together with the shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Then you slowly whisk in the olive oil into it until combined. Next you season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Now I usually stay away from convenience items because they are more expensive and I just prefer to chop my own onion, garlic etc., but when it comes to chicken cutlets I let the grocery store do the pounding. This to me is worth the extra little bit to not have to pound away at the chicken. Once the chicken is seasoned you heat the olive oil in a skillet and then cook the chicken until it is browned on both sides and just cooked through. Next toss the mixed greens and herbs with the salad dressing reserving some of the dressing to drizzle over the chicken. To plate the dish you place the chicken on the plate and drizzle it with the reserved dressing and top it with a large pile of the mixed greens and herbs. For the herbs I used a mixture of mint, parsley, and basil.

This was a very quick and easy and absolutely delicious! It was light and fresh with the bright dressing just topping it all off. The dressing was perfect with the shallots adding a nice flavor and texture and the mustard adding warmth and tang. We both also loved the mixture of mixed greens and herbs. Russ felt like the parsley was a little too strong, so next time I’ll cut back on it a little bit and add a little more mint which was a great flavor addition to the meal. The herbs definitely made the dish feel and taste like summer. The chicken complemented the salad perfectly and was very tasty with the drizzle dressing over it. This was close to the perfect summer dinner and Russ rates it a 10. This will definitely be repeated in our house.

Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Herb Salad and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Fine Cooking May 2008

1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. white-wine or cider vinegar
One-half small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. olive oil; more as needed
8 boneless, skinless, thin-cut (1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick) chicken breast cutlets (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb.)
5 cups mixed baby greens
3 cups mixed fresh, tender herb leaves, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, chives, tarragon, basil, and chervil, roughly torn if large

In a small bowl, mix both vinegars with the shallot, mustard, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 3 Tbs. of the oil.

Season the chicken on both sides with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tsp. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Working in two to three batches to avoid crowding, cook the chicken until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm. If the pan seems dry at any point, add 2 more tsp. of oil.

Combine the greens and herbs in a large bowl. Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette and toss well. To serve, arrange two cutlets on each serving plate and drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken. Divide the herb salad among the four plates, piling it attractively onto the chicken.