 Knowing how much I LOVE roasted chicken, a very good friend sent me this recipe last week in the hopes that I would make it for him, not very sneaky, but effective! I loved the idea of the lemon zest, garlic and tarragon with the chicken and I thought that the orzo was an interesting and yummy sounding addition - especially since it cooks all in one pot! It was so delicious and easy and once it's in the oven you are pretty much done. Great for entertaining or a weekday dinner too, comfort food at it's finest. Inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite chefs, Nigella Lawson. One Dish Chicken + Lemon + Orzo 3 T olive oil 1 3½ lb chicken, preferably free-range and organic zest and juice of 2 lemons 3 big cloves of garlic, peeled and minced 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks 2 medium leeks, cleaned well and cut crosswise into 1/2" circles 2 tsp kosher salt ½ tsp chile flakes 2 tsp dried tarragon 4 cups cold water 2 1/4 cups chicken stock 1¾ cups orzo pasta 6 T Italian parsley, finely chopped leaves, plus more to serve Preheat the oven 350°. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based casserole/Dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid. Place the chicken in the hot oil breast side down until the skin is nicely browned, 3 - 5 minutes over medium high to high heat, then turn the chicken breast side up. Turn down the heat and add the lemon zest and minced garlic around the sides of the chicken and give it a quick stir into the oil as best you can. Scatter the prepared vegetables around the chicken, followed by the salt, chile flakes and dried tarragon. Pour in the cold water and stock until the liquid comes up about two thirds of the leg of the chicken, leaving the golden breast exposed, then add the lemon juice. Bring the pot to a boil uncovered. Once boiling put on the lid and place in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes. Take the pot out of the oven and stir in the orzo, around the edges of the chicken, put the lid back on and bake for another 30 minutes, the orzo should be soft and swollen by then. Remove from the oven and take off the lid and let it stand for 15 minutes, Give the orzo a stir to loosen any that has stuck to the bottom of the pan. The orzo will continue to soak up some of the broth as it sits. Stir in 4 T of the parsley, and then sprinkle over the remaining 2 T. Put some extra in a dish on the table for diners to add for themselves or sprinkle over as you serve. This dish is so gorgeous and home-y, I love to bring the pot to the table with the chicken whole. Bring a small dish to the table and carefully remove the skin and bones from the chicken with 2 spoons, stripping off the meat of the chicken, and shredding as you go. Stir the meat and orzo again before serving, add more parsley. You may want to offer parmesan to grate over too, YUMMY! Alternately, take the chicken out of the pot to remove the bones and skin, adding the meat back to the orzo.  Nothing tastes better when it’s cold outside than comfort food. I'm talking about the food we grew up with, the food our Mother’s cooked, simple, flavorful and fulfilling. This classic recipe from Marcella Hazan, speaks to those memories. So easy, with just 4 ingredients, the flavor is simply sublime. Meatballs are my son-in-law's favorite, so much so that my daughter now throws him a meatball party for his birthday every January. Inspired by my daughter Lily, these tasty meatballs are super easy and are baked not fried so you are free to get other bites ready while they're baking. Serve as sliders to a Super Bowl crowd (Go Niners!!) or over pasta with more Parmesan and a little chopped parsley for an easy dinner. Marcella Hazan’s Really Simple Tomato Sauce 1 - 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes 6 T unsalted butter 1 onion, peeled and cut in half pinch of salt Place the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt. Heat to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed. Discard the onion before serving. This sauce is incredibly versatile:
Meatballs 1/2 lb lean ground beef 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs 2 T milk or half & half 2 T good red wine (or all milk or 1/2 and 1/2) 2 T finely chopped parsley 2 T grated Parmesan pinch of kosher salt pinch of red pepper flakes and/or freshly ground black pepper 1/2 t onion powder 2 large eggs 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 T currants (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place meat, bread crumbs, milk, red wine, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, onion powder, eggs, garlic and currants (if using) in a large bowl. Mix everything together with your clean hands until evenly mixed. Form mixture into 2-inch meatballs (I used a 2 tablespoon scoop) and arrange on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed lightly with non stick spray. Roast for 12 minutes, until cooked through (you can cut one in half to see if they're done). Grab some slider buns, top with a meatball, spoon over some sauce, add grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley for color. Don’t forget the napkins! If doing spaghetti and meatballs, just heat the meatballs in the sauce for 10 minutes before tossing with the pasta.  I love finding recipes that are different from the norm. Perfect for Thanksgiving Day morning while you are watching the parade, this muffin recipe adds the surprise of rosemary for a subtle and intriguing twist. The lemon zest and spices are the perfect touch of zing. Yummy with your morning coffee, afternoon tea, or anytime in between. For a deliciously different dessert you could cut them in half and top with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce...mmmm! Rosemary-Polenta Pumpkin Muffins 1/4 c minced fresh rosemary, yes add all of this! grated zest of one lemon 1 3/4 c sugar plus 1 tsp 1 2/3 c flour 1/2 c polenta 2 tsp baking powder 3 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp salt 4 large eggs 3/4 c olive oil 3/4 c pumpkin purée, canned or homemade 2 T raw sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 20 standard muffin cups with paper liners. In a small bowl combine the rosemary and lemon zest and mash with 1 tsp sugar. In a large bowl stir together the sugar, flour, polenta, baking powder salt and spices. Put the eggs and rosemary mixture in the bowl of a stand mixture and blend at medium speed, add the pumpkin and slowly pour in the olive oil. Add the dry mixture mixing until just blended. Spoon batter Into muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the raw sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean, 20-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.  We have been experiencing an Indian Summer here in the Sierra Foothills these last couple of weeks, but with the leaves falling all around, I am starting to crave soup! This soup is light and hearty at the same time with the rich taste of roasted garlic underpinning all of the other flavors. The bacon adds a smokiness, the chard lends the healthy greens element and the parmesan adds the cheese-y taste we all love. Once you have the garlic roasted (you can even do the day before), this soup goes together quickly and makes a nice light lunch or comforting dinner with a simple salad and a loaf of good bread. Happy Fall y'all! Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with Bacon and Chard 4 heads garlic 2 T olive oil 8 oz bacon, chopped and fried until crisp, set aside 1 yellow onion, chopped coarsely 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" dice (optional but t thickens the soup nicely) 4 c chicken stock 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving 1 c heavy cream 1 bunch swiss chard or kale, stripped from the stems and coarsely chopped salt and pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tops off of the garlic heads, drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each head in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes until the cloves are soft, let cool. When cooled, press the garlic out of the skins and set aside. Fry the bacon pieces (I used a pot deep enough to hold the soup) until crisp, reserve for later. Pour out all but 2 T of bacon grease and add the onions and potato to the pan. Sauté until they start to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and roasted garlic. Purée with an immersion blender in the pot or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, if using a blender and add the cream, parmesan and chard. Cook until the chard is soft. Check for salt and pepper. Serve in bowls with the bacon and more parmesan on top.  I have taken quite the break from my blog and I do apologize. You see, my daughter Lily got married a couple of weekends ago. Those of you who have ever been the Mother of the Bride know what it takes to make a wedding day the best it can be and I think we succeeded. Congratulations to Michael and Lily Belli! And now for something chocolate! I love Ina Garten! She and I share many of the same philosophies about cooking. Her brownie recipe is the best I have ever tasted. Begin with lots of butter, really good quality chocolate, good vanilla and you really can't go wrong. Yes, there are some decent mixes in a box but it doesn't take that much more effort to make them from scratch and they are so much better. These brownies are more like a flourless cake, fudge-y and intensely chocolate. You could even cut them into rounds and serve as an elegant dessert with whipped cream and raspberries....or not. Love!  Ina's Brownies with options 1 lb unsalted butter 1 lb plus 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips 6 oz bitter chocolate 6 large eggs 3 T instant coffee granules, I use instant espresso granules 2 T pure vanilla extract 2-1/4 c sugar 1-1/4 c all-purpose flour 1 T baking powder 1 tsp salt 3 c chopped walnuts or other nuts, toasted (optional) 1 tsp cayenne pepper or milder chile powder (optional) zest from a lemon or an orange (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the bitter chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water or in a large glass bowl or measuring cup in the *microwave. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts (if using) and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake! Allow to cool thoroughly and cut into 20 large squares. |
Cheers!As a caterer for over 30 years, I have established a reputation for consistently creating original menus inspired by the occasion and the season, presenting them with an ease and elegance uniquely my own. Fresh, locally-sourced ingredients are the basis of my creative “from scratch” menus, which range from the classically elegant to rustic and whimsical. Categories
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"Love your recipes! Pat made your avocado toast a few weeks ago, delish! I'm taking them to a party in a few weeks, although the mushroom crostata looks pretty darn good!"
—Thanks, Melody Archives
September 2020
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