Okay, well maybe you won't cry because you're not an exhausted, hormonal, pregnant woman. And you're probably not mental. But, I am all of those. And when my husband told me this was the best chicken he's ever had, I started crying from joy. After he stared at me in open-mouthed amazement, and then stopped laughing, he said, "Maybe you're over-reacting just a little bit?" Okay, okay, that's probably true. But, it was nice to hear such a lovely compliment on my cooking, particularly something that wasn't straight from someone else's recipe.
I roasted a chicken two nights ago using a really simple recipe that is part my own and part from Mario Batali's Pollo al Diavolo recipe in his Molto Italiano cookbook; I even learned how to properly truss the bird by watching a video on foodnetwork.com (that's the beauty of having your laptop in the kitchen with you). One trick I learned from my mom is to stuff your poultry with lemons or oranges. The citric acids do a great job of keeping the bird tender and juicy. It came out really tasty and was even better as leftovers. I can see using this recipe for both family dining as well as entertaining.
Courtney's Lemon Mustard Chicken
1 4-5 lb chicken, rinsed and patted dry
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs dijon mustard
1-2 lemons cut into wedges
-- Preheat oven to 400F.
-- Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper.
-- Stuff cavity with lemon, making sure that you reserve one wedge to seal the opening
-- Truss the chicken, and stuff remaining wedge in neck opening
-- Brush entire chicken with 2 tbs of the olive oil
-- Place on rack in a roasting pan and roast until browned but only about half-cooked, about 40 minutes*
-- In a small bowl, combine black pepper, a pinch of salt, and mustard. Stir well.
-- Drizzle in remaining 1 tbs of olive oil, whisking until blended
-- Remove the browned chicken from the oven and brush entire bird with the mustard mixture
-- Return to oven and continue roasting until the juices run clear when a thigh is pricked, about 30 minutes*
-- Let rest for 10 minutes before carving
-- Drizzle with pan juices when serving
*I have a convection roaster, so my roasting times were shorter than those listed above. After I I added the mustard mixture, I only cooked it for another 20 minutes. You may need to adjust your cooking times accordingly.
During this time of year, I love turning to squashes and root vegetables. There is something so "harvest-y" about them that really appeals to me. So I returned to Molto Italiano for its Root Vegetable Mash recipe -- it's essentially a veggie puree. Again, I added a few touches to make it my own. Mario calls for chives, but Whole Foods was out of them, so I skipped it. I also like this kind of dish with a sweetish taste, so I used more than the pinch of cinnamon that the recipe called for and added nutmeg. This is another one that tastes better as it sits making leftovers even yummier.
Root Vegetable Mash with Orange Zest
makes 4 servings
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch-thick rounds
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium turnip, cut into 1/-inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium parsnip, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tbs of extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest of one orange
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
-- Combine the carrot, potato, turnip, onion, parsnip, and sweet potato in a 4-quart saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook untill all the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
-- Drain the vegetables. At this point, Mario says to pass the them through a food mill. I don't own a food mill. I used my Cuisinart food processor instead.
-- Stir in the cinnamon, olive oil, and orange zest. This is where I added the nutmeg as well.
-- Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the chives and serve.
One of the things I like about trying out new recipes is that they often allow me to cook with foods different than those I typically use. The parsnip is a perfect example. I have eaten parsnips before, but somehow in my 35 years, I guess I have never seen one in its natural state. When I got to the produce section and went to find the parsnips, I found that Whole Foods hadn't labeled all of its veggies -- so there were about 10 different items that I knew could have been parsnips, but I was uncertain which one. Finally, I checked out the handy reference book they have there, and figured out that the parsnips look like white carrots. Am I the only one who didn't know that?!
I didn't cook last night -- I try not to cook on Friday nights as a rule. And tonight we're going to a friend's house for pizza with the kids. So, no cooking again until tomorrow night. I have no idea what I'll make.
Note: Mario Batali recipe references are courtesy of "Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home", by Mario Batali, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2005.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Can't Beet It
I love beets -- I love them in salads. But, I've never really tried too hard to make them at home. I always thought that they would be difficult. I couldn't have been more wrong. Yesterday I went to Chowhound and got some suggestions on how to roast them. It was so easy and the beets came out great. Here is what I did:
-- Scrub four baby beets, leaving the roots intact, and cutting the greens to about an inch from the top of the beets (this helps retain the beets color and liquid)
-- Don't peel the beets
-- Put them in a sheet of tin foil with a generous amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper
-- Wrap them up in the tin foil so that you have a neat little package
-- Roast at 375 for about 45 mins (depending on the number and size of beets you use)
-- Test doneness with a toothpick; it should come out of the beets easily, but make sure not to roast them until they're mushy
-- Remove from oven and let cool
-- Once cool, use a paper towel to rub off the skin. You won't believe how easy it will be to peel the beets this way
And here is what I did for the salad:
-- Slice the beets into strips
-- Create a viniagrette with olive oil and orange juice in a 1:1 ratio, add salt and pepper to taste
-- Add the beets to romaine lettuce and goat cheese (or any number of other ingredients to your choosing)
-- Toss the beet viniagrette into the salad and added a little more salt and pepper
I served it with a ribeye steak and some asparagus tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Delicious!
Now, what to make for tonight's dinner...
-- Scrub four baby beets, leaving the roots intact, and cutting the greens to about an inch from the top of the beets (this helps retain the beets color and liquid)
-- Don't peel the beets
-- Put them in a sheet of tin foil with a generous amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper
-- Wrap them up in the tin foil so that you have a neat little package
-- Roast at 375 for about 45 mins (depending on the number and size of beets you use)
-- Test doneness with a toothpick; it should come out of the beets easily, but make sure not to roast them until they're mushy
-- Remove from oven and let cool
-- Once cool, use a paper towel to rub off the skin. You won't believe how easy it will be to peel the beets this way
And here is what I did for the salad:
-- Slice the beets into strips
-- Create a viniagrette with olive oil and orange juice in a 1:1 ratio, add salt and pepper to taste
-- Add the beets to romaine lettuce and goat cheese (or any number of other ingredients to your choosing)
-- Toss the beet viniagrette into the salad and added a little more salt and pepper
I served it with a ribeye steak and some asparagus tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Delicious!
Now, what to make for tonight's dinner...
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Soup Only Gets Better
So, I made the escarole soup last night and it was tasty. But, I let it sit in the refrigerator and had it for dinner again tonight and it was even tastier. All of the flavors blended and mellowed overnight. My mother makes it with beef meatballs, but this is the first time I've had it with turkey meatballs. They worked out just great.
Of course, I was the only one on the house who loved it. My daughter has an excuse -- she's a toddler -- she's not supposed to like green veggies such as escarole. Although she was a fan of the broth, orzo, and the meatballs. But my husband who came home late and decided that he would rather have prepared dishes from Whole Foods than my homemade soup. I am trying not to be insulted... I think I am going to freeze the rest and pull it out once the weather gets colder. At least I know my mom will eat it when she comes to visit.
Now I need to figure out what to make for tomorrow night. I've got some asparagus that needs to be eaten as well as some baby beets. I wonder if I can find something that incorporates them both...
Of course, I was the only one on the house who loved it. My daughter has an excuse -- she's a toddler -- she's not supposed to like green veggies such as escarole. Although she was a fan of the broth, orzo, and the meatballs. But my husband who came home late and decided that he would rather have prepared dishes from Whole Foods than my homemade soup. I am trying not to be insulted... I think I am going to freeze the rest and pull it out once the weather gets colder. At least I know my mom will eat it when she comes to visit.
Now I need to figure out what to make for tomorrow night. I've got some asparagus that needs to be eaten as well as some baby beets. I wonder if I can find something that incorporates them both...
Monday, October 16, 2006
Cooking with the Junior League of New Orleans
Anyone who knows me know that I am not exactly Junior League-esque. But, my best friend who is from New Orleans gave me this classic cookbook called The Plantation Cookbook from The Junior League of New Orleans. I've had the book for almost a year and haven't tackled more than one or two recipes in it. Reading Julia Powell's book has inspired me to go back into some of my more neglected cookbooks and try some new recipes. Hence, my family's trip to the Bayou last night.
So our menu from last night consisted of Tomatoes Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chicken Dijon. I was going to also make some asparagus, but since I had so much chicken (for just two adults and one toddler), I decided to forgo the green veggie just this once. Both recipes were really rich, but definitely yummy. I cut them both in half since the recipes were for 8 portions. The only thing I might do differently is to go very lightly on the cracker crumbs on the chicken. I tend to have a heavy hand for that kind of thing, and it can make the chicken end up tasting drier than it is. Next time I'll only sprinkle a few on for texture. But, the tomatoes were perfect and even Sofia (my toddler) loved them.
And, I am generally not a dessert maker. I am just as happy to buy some ice cream or a pie from the bakery. But Rick (my hubbie) saw that I was going to town in the kitchen and asked if I was going to make dessert too. Rather than brain him (as I was tempted to do), I checked to see what recipes from the cookbook I could make with what I had on hand. It turns out that I had everything I needed for caramel squares. They came out just as they were meant to, but next time I would serve them with a dollop of whipped creme or vanilla ice cream on top.
So, here are the recipes (and FYI, I chose not to use nuts in the tomatoes and dessert):
Tomatoes Stuffed with Mushrooms
8 medium-size tomatoes, firm but ripe
1 stick butter
1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 ounces Roquefort cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Worcestershire -- a dash
8 teaspoons ground almonds (optional)
Paprika
Wash tomatoes. Slice off tops, spoon out soft insides, and turn shells upside down to drain. Melt butter and saute mushrooms until moisture has evaporated. Blend sour cream and flour with mushrooms, and cook over low heat until thick and bubbly. Add Roquefort and stir until smooth. Add parsley, sherry, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and let cool. Stuff shells, sprinkle with almonds and paprika, and bake in 375 oven until bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Chicken Dijon
16 chicken pieces, boned
Salted milk (for each 1/4 cup of milk add 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup Dijon-type mustard
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Pepper
1 cup fine cracker crumbs
Soak chicken pieces in salted milk 1 hour. In separate bowl, mix sour cream, mustard, paprika, celery salt, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and garlic. Let stand one hour. Dry chicken and sprinkle with pepper. Heavily coat chicken pieces with sour cream mixture, sprinkle with crumbs, and place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 and continue baking for 20 minutes.
Caramel Squares
1 stick butter, softened
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Garnish: 1 pint whipping cream (optional)
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix. Add eggs and pecans. Mix. Pour into a greased flat pan 13 x 9 x 2" and bake in 375 oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool, then cut into squares, or cut into eight portions, and top with whipped cream.
Note: All recipes are courtesy of "The Plantation Cookbook", B.E. Trice Publishing, New Orleans, 1972
So our menu from last night consisted of Tomatoes Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chicken Dijon. I was going to also make some asparagus, but since I had so much chicken (for just two adults and one toddler), I decided to forgo the green veggie just this once. Both recipes were really rich, but definitely yummy. I cut them both in half since the recipes were for 8 portions. The only thing I might do differently is to go very lightly on the cracker crumbs on the chicken. I tend to have a heavy hand for that kind of thing, and it can make the chicken end up tasting drier than it is. Next time I'll only sprinkle a few on for texture. But, the tomatoes were perfect and even Sofia (my toddler) loved them.
And, I am generally not a dessert maker. I am just as happy to buy some ice cream or a pie from the bakery. But Rick (my hubbie) saw that I was going to town in the kitchen and asked if I was going to make dessert too. Rather than brain him (as I was tempted to do), I checked to see what recipes from the cookbook I could make with what I had on hand. It turns out that I had everything I needed for caramel squares. They came out just as they were meant to, but next time I would serve them with a dollop of whipped creme or vanilla ice cream on top.
So, here are the recipes (and FYI, I chose not to use nuts in the tomatoes and dessert):
Tomatoes Stuffed with Mushrooms
8 medium-size tomatoes, firm but ripe
1 stick butter
1 1/4 pounds mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 ounces Roquefort cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons dry sherry
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Worcestershire -- a dash
8 teaspoons ground almonds (optional)
Paprika
Wash tomatoes. Slice off tops, spoon out soft insides, and turn shells upside down to drain. Melt butter and saute mushrooms until moisture has evaporated. Blend sour cream and flour with mushrooms, and cook over low heat until thick and bubbly. Add Roquefort and stir until smooth. Add parsley, sherry, salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and let cool. Stuff shells, sprinkle with almonds and paprika, and bake in 375 oven until bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Chicken Dijon
16 chicken pieces, boned
Salted milk (for each 1/4 cup of milk add 1/4 teaspoon salt)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup Dijon-type mustard
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed
Pepper
1 cup fine cracker crumbs
Soak chicken pieces in salted milk 1 hour. In separate bowl, mix sour cream, mustard, paprika, celery salt, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and garlic. Let stand one hour. Dry chicken and sprinkle with pepper. Heavily coat chicken pieces with sour cream mixture, sprinkle with crumbs, and place on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake in 400 oven for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 and continue baking for 20 minutes.
Caramel Squares
1 stick butter, softened
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Garnish: 1 pint whipping cream (optional)
Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Mix. Add eggs and pecans. Mix. Pour into a greased flat pan 13 x 9 x 2" and bake in 375 oven for 20-30 minutes. Cool, then cut into squares, or cut into eight portions, and top with whipped cream.
Note: All recipes are courtesy of "The Plantation Cookbook", B.E. Trice Publishing, New Orleans, 1972
Beyond Turkey Burgers?
I bought some ground turkey for dinner, but I am hoping to find a different way to cook it -- I normally just make turkey burgers. I am going to check on Chowhound and see if I can find any good suggestions. I'll write later about what I've found.
Also, I am going to post about last night's New Orleans-inspired dinner. It was a tasty one!
Update: I found a good use for my ground turkey: turkey meatballs in Escarole soup. The following recipe is from a board post at Chowhound.com. I can't wait to try it for dinner tonight.
Escarole And Orzo Soup With Turkey Parmesan Meatballs
If desired, grate a little extra Parmesan cheese for passing; a sprinkling over the soup will echo the flavor in the meatballs.
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 ounces lean ground turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1/2 medium head)
Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Bring 8 cups chicken broth to boil in large pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.) Ladle soup into bowls and serve
Also, I am going to post about last night's New Orleans-inspired dinner. It was a tasty one!
Update: I found a good use for my ground turkey: turkey meatballs in Escarole soup. The following recipe is from a board post at Chowhound.com. I can't wait to try it for dinner tonight.
Escarole And Orzo Soup With Turkey Parmesan Meatballs
If desired, grate a little extra Parmesan cheese for passing; a sprinkling over the soup will echo the flavor in the meatballs.
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
12 ounces lean ground turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
3/4 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
4 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1/2 medium head)
Whisk egg and 2 tablespoons water in medium bowl to blend. Mix in breadcrumbs; let stand 5 minutes. Add turkey, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper; gently stir to blend. Using wet hands, shape turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on baking sheet; cover and chill 30 minutes.
Bring 8 cups chicken broth to boil in large pot. Add carrots and orzo; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Add turkey meatballs and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chopped escarole and simmer until turkey meatballs, orzo, and escarole are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Rewarm over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.) Ladle soup into bowls and serve
Why A Chronicle of My Kitchen?
Why am I writing a blog about cooking for my family? For no good reason, really. I like to try to recipes and wanted to chronicle my reactions to them and how I might tweak them next time. Plus, I am in the middle of reading Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously and have been inspired to blog about my adventures in the kitchen. I am not as ambitious as Julie Powell to take on Julia Child -- plus I don't think I have it in me to make aspic or kill a live lobster.
I am not a "foodie" -- I like relatively simple recipes with ingredients that I can pretty easily get at Whole Foods, my local supermarket, or my farmers' market. My love of food comes from my Italian side, specifically my grandmother. She comes from hearty peasant stock in the South of Italy. She passed down a love of food and cooking to my mother, who passed it down to me. At my core, I'll always be just an Italian girl from Jersey who takes simple pleasures in cooking for family and friends -- and I'll always urge you to have a second helping!
I am not a "foodie" -- I like relatively simple recipes with ingredients that I can pretty easily get at Whole Foods, my local supermarket, or my farmers' market. My love of food comes from my Italian side, specifically my grandmother. She comes from hearty peasant stock in the South of Italy. She passed down a love of food and cooking to my mother, who passed it down to me. At my core, I'll always be just an Italian girl from Jersey who takes simple pleasures in cooking for family and friends -- and I'll always urge you to have a second helping!
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