Cook with Claire

Lemon and Honey Chicken with Haricots Verts & Green Tomatoes

2012-04-23T13:52:00.002-04:00

I have a new favorite recipe! A marinade that includes lemon, honey, garlic, olive oil, and oregano...yum, what's not to love! This is a one-pot, easy, and very delicious recipe. I bet it will be your new favorite, too!

Lemon and Honey Chicken with Haricots Verts & Green Tomatoes

adapted from The Washington Post, April 11, 2012

Freshly squeezed juice of 2-4 lemons (to equal a 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup honey (and a little more for drizzling on top)

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

3-5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 1/2 to 4 pounds chicken drumsticks and bone-in thighs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 to 6 small tomatoes, a mixture of kumato and Green Zebra or green tomatoes, cut into quarters

1/4 cup cool water

12 ounces haricots verts (thin French green beans)

In a large glass measuring cup or bowl whisk together the lemon juice, honey, the oregano, garlic and oil (season with salt and pepper to taste). Add chicken pieces to a gallon-size resealable plastic food storage bag. Pour marinade over chicken in bag. Seal the bag, pressing as much air out as possible. Massage to work the marinade into the chicken. Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour (refrigerate if desired).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange the chicken pieces (thighs, skin side up) in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or roasting pan, keeping as much of the marinade on them as possible. Discard the remaining marinade. Scatter half of the tomatoes evenly among the chicken, then pour in the water. Drizzle (about a tablespoon) of honey evenly over the chicken. Roast for 45 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and browned in spots.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the haricots verts and cook/blanch for about 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cool water to stop any carryover cooking.
Add the blanched haricots verts and the remaining (uncooked) tomato quarters to the baking dish or pan, snuggling them into the pan juices and around the chicken in small bunches. Return to the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with more fresh oregano if desired.

Sweet Tea

2012-04-15T23:08:00.002-04:00

My husband graduated from Clemson University. Clemson is located in South Carolina. We took a road trip there over Easter break and had such a great adventure! These pictures are from our visit to the beautiful Issaqueena Falls in Walhalla. I think this is the beginning of many visits back to Clemson, South Carolina. If you know anyone who is a Clemson Tiger then you know these people bleed orange! If you know anything about iced tea then you know that in the South they drink theirs sweetened. I just love Sweet Tea! I couldn't help but order a glass whenever we were out --had the kids ordering it, too! My oldest asked if we could make it at home. We'll try. :)

Sweet Tea (Southern Sweet Iced Tea!)

6 tea bags (Luzianne or Lipton is fine for this recipe)

2 cups boiling water

1 cup sugar (add another 1/2 cup if you like it really sweet)

6 cups cold water

Place tea bags in a 2-cup capacity (or larger) glass measuring cup. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the tea bags. Cover and allow to steep for 8-10 minutes. Remove tea bags (do not squeeze them). Pour tea into a 2-quart capacity pitcher; add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add 6 cups of cold water to pitcher. Chill in the refrigerator and serve over ice.

Pastry Dough

2012-04-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

My youngest had been asking to make little fruit tarts. A few weeks back we did just that. Since then, she has made several batches of her own pastry dough whenever I am (conviently) out running errands--"I know the recipe, Mom. It is just flour, butter, salt, and water. It's easy." Good for her! This recipe for pastry dough has always worked for me. We made a couple batches the day we decided to make some tarts. My daughter filled some mini tart pans and also made some free-form tarts. Just add fruit, sprinkle with sugar and a few teaspoons of butter and bake off at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. I also like to heat up some apricot jam and brush the top of the baked tart with the warm jam. Delicious!

Pastry Dough

1 stick cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/2-cubes)

1 ¼ cups flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

2 -4 Tablespoons ice water

Put flour and salt into large bowl. Using a pastry blender, blend butter into flour until incorporated (you will have lots of little lumps). Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ice water over mixture and gently stir with a large fork until incorporated. Gently squeeze a small handful to see if it holds together without cumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Use the heel of your hand and smear the dough against the bottom of the bowl in a forward motion, about 4 times - this will help to distribute the butter. Gather dough and place it on a sheet of plastic wrap --forming it into a disk by pressing down on the wrapped dough. Chill, until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

2012-03-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

Here's another very easy and very delicious recipe! I make this quite frequently when the weather gets warm. It tastes great hot or cold, can be used to make quesadillas & fajitas, or just stick it on a skewer and it makes a great appetizer. You'll love it just like my family does...hope you try it!

Grilled Lemon Chicken
adapted (slightly) from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 - 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (oregano or rosemary would also be good)
2 pounds boneless & skinless chicken breasts

Place chicken into a gallon-size, zip-loc type bag. Whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Seal the bag and place into a dish (in case of leakage) and refrigerate. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Heat charcoal grill and cook breasts for 8-10 minutes per side until just cooked through. Remove to dish and cover with foil to allow juices to distribute before slicing.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

2012-03-18T21:44:00.001-04:00

Raspberry vinegar was on sale at Whole Foods so I had to buy some! :) I know that strawberries are not in season and I did feel guilty buying non-local produce but these organic strawberries were also on sale! Strawberries and spinach are quite the pairing. I made this extra simple with just the two main ingredients but you could add feta cheese and toasted nuts (maybe pecans or pine nuts). Yum!

Raspberry Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon clover honey
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

This makes enough to dress 6 ounces of spinach --add as many stawberries as desired!

My Recipe Index: A work in progress

2012-03-11T22:34:00.001-04:00

I am trying to make my blog a little bit easier to navigate. As you can see from the previous post I have created a RECIPE INDEX. I have a little bit more to finish but I will get it done this week for sure. Hopefully this will help all my family and friends to get into the kitchen and do some cooking or baking. I am counting on it! :)

Claire's Recipe Index

2012-03-11T22:03:00.001-04:00

HORS D'OEUVRES AND FIRST COURSES
Burrata with Figs, Basil, and Balsamic
Burritos: Sweet Potato and Black Bean
Claire's Famous Quesadillas
Corn, Black bean, and Cheese Quesadillas
Corn Pancakes
Crudites: How to Prepare and Store
Garlic Shrimp
Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers
Hummus with Caramelized Onions & Garlic
Potato, Corn, and Leek Frittata
Potato Skins
Salad: Arugula, Manchego, and Caramelized Pecan with Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette
Salad: Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Salad: Ceasar (the Easiest!)
Salad: Endive, Frisee, Radicchio, Pecan & Blue Cheese with Port Vinaigrette
Salad: My Dad's (aka: the best salad ever!)
Salad: Rosalie's Summer (Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado, & Cilantro)
Salad: Spinach, Fennel, and Apple with Cider Vinaigrette
Salad: Spinach and Nectarine with Taragon Buttermilk Dressing
Salad: Spinach with Oranges and Zesty Honey Lemon Dressing
Salad: Spinach & Strawberry with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Party Sliders (beef)
Tomato and Caramelized Onion Tart

SOUPS AND STOCKS
Any Kind of White Bean Soup
Beef Broth
Chicken Broth
Chicken Stock
Chicken in a Pot (Mary's and Sarah's)
Claire's Chicken Broth Challenge!
Golden Potato Soup
Leek & Parsely Matzoh Ball Soup
Salmon, Potato, and Corn Chowder
Turkey Stock
Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

MAIN COURSES
Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
Meat: Beef Tacos
Meat: Brisket
Meat: Claire's Spaghetti and Meatballs (A favorite!)
Meat: Crock-Pot Carnitas (pork)
Meat: Grilled Flank Steak (easy!)
Meat: Grilled Garlic Lime Pork Tenderloin
Meat: Manly Tomato Sauce & Meatballs
Meat: Mary's Meatballs and Sauce
Meat: Meatloaf 101
Meat: Sliders (beef)
Meat: Short Ribs (beef)
Meat: Sweet & Sour Pot Roast
Meat: Veal Francese
Poultry: Claire's Chicken
Poultry: Chicken for Recipes (aka Roasted Chicken)
Poultry: Chicken and Brown Rice Pilaf
Poultry: Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas
Poultry: Chicken (or Turkey) & Mushroom Pie
Poultry: Chicken Tacos
Poultry: French Chicken in a Pot
Poultry: Grilled Lemon Chicken
Poultry: Pad Thai - American Style
Poultry: Parmesan Chicken (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)
Poultry: Parmesan-Crusted Chicken (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
Poultry: Thai-style Chicken with Basil
Seafood: Fish in Cream Sauce (super easy!)
Seafood: Garlic Shrimp
Seafood: Salmon Loaf (from the pantry!)
Seafood: Tuna Salad - Two Ways

Pasta
Claire's Spaghetti & Meatballs (a favorite!)
Macaroni & Cheese Casserole
Mary's Italian Meatballs & Sauce
Mary's Penne with Eggplant
Pad Thai - American Style
Pasta Carbonara (aka Bacon Pasta!)
Pasta Primavera
Pasta with Leeks and Peas
Sausage, Mushroom, and Onion Tomato Sauce (serve with Penne or other pasta)
Tomato Sauce with Butter & Onion

Vegetarian
Burritos: Sweet Potato and Black Bean
Quesadillas: Sweet Potato and Black Bean
Sarah's Black Beans and Rice (addictive!)
Tomato Sauce with Butter & Onion

SIDE DISHES
Casserole: Macaroni & Cheese
Potato, Corn, and Leek Frittata
Potato Skins
Quesadillas: Corn, Black Bean, and Cheese
Quesadillas: Claire's Famous
Salad: Arugula, Manchego, and Caramelized Pecans with Golden Balsamic Vinaigrette
Salad: Caprese Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes
Salad: Ceasar (The Easiest!)
Salad: Endive, Frisee, Radicchio, Pecan, & Blue Cheese with Port Vinaigrette
Salad: My Dad's (aka: the best salad ever!)
Salad: Rosalie's Summer (Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado, and Cilantro)
Salad: Spinach, Fennel, and Apple with Cider Vinaigrette
Salad: Spinach and Nectarine with Taragon Buttermilk Dressing
Salad: Spinach with Oranges and Zesty Honey Lemon Dressing
Salad: Spinach & Strawberry with Raspberry Vinaigrette

CONDIMENTS AND SAUCES
Gravy: Make-Ahead!
Hummus with Caramelized Onions and Garlic
Red Onion Marmelade
Sausage, Mushroom, and Onion Tomato Sauce
Sofrito
Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion

BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH
Baked Polenta: The easiest recipe!
Banana Bread
Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chunks
Basil Breakfast Strata: WOW!
Blueberry Muffins
Buttermilk Waffles
Buttermilk Waffles with Caramelized Sugar Coating
Corn Pancakes
Energy Muffins
Frittata: Potato, Corn, and Leek
Granola: The BEST!
Grits: the easiest grits recipe ever!
Kiwi Bowl
Soda Bread: American and German
Soda Bread: Irish!
Strawberries: Au Natural
Tomato and Caramelized Onion Tart
Whole Wheat Quick Bread: Juniata's recipe

DESSERTS
Brownies: Man-Catcher!
Butter Pastry Dough
Cake: Alice Medrich's Cocoa Fudge Cake
Cake: Blackberry Buttermilk
Cake: Claire's Famous Heirloom Cake
Cake: Cocoa Fudge with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Cake: Coconut Cake
Cake: Heirloom
Cake: Lemon Buttermilk Poundcake
Chocolate: Dipped Strawberries
Chocolate: Shavings and Curls
Cookies: Bittersweet Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti
Cookies: Claire's Chocolate Chip
Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Cookies: Crumiri (Italian Polenta Cookies)
Cookies: Gingersnaps (The Most Coveted!)
Cookies: Oatmeal Coconut with Chunks and Chips
Cookies: Oatmeal Molasses
Cookies: Oatmeal Shortbread
Cookies: Shortbread
Cookies: Shortbread (Glazed)
Cupcakes: Miniature Double Chocolate
Cupcakes: Mocha Chip
Frosting: Chocolate Sour Cream
Frosting: Old-Fashioned Portsmouth
Frosting: Royal Glaze/Icing
Muffins: Banana with Chocolate Chunks
Quick Bread: Banana
Quick Bread: Irish Soda
Tart: Raspberry (The Easiest!)

BEVERAGES
Hot Cocoa: The Real Thing
My Favorite Milk
Picpoul de Pinet: a favorite white wine

PROCEDURES ("HOW-TOs")
Chocolate: How to make chocolate shavings and curls
Crudites: How to prepare and store
Lemongrass: 101 Primer (how to trim)
Romaine Lettuce: How to Store
Strawberries 101: How to trim
Royal Frosting: How to prepare for a project with kids (frosting cookies, etc.)

HEALTHY SNACKS
Banana Bread: My Grandmother's
Cara Cara Oranges
Energy Muffins
Kiwi Bowl
Wild Blueberry Muffins

"How's Your Drink?" by Eric Felten

2012-03-06T19:51:00.005-05:00

I really must tell you about this wonderful book by Eric Felten. I knew absolutely nothing about cocktails when I began reading this delightful book. My choice of drink is a glass of champagne. I now want to try every cocktail described in this smart little book. I will leave the actual mixing of these cocktails to my husband. I think we might need to plan a little party! :)
Get the book here >How's Your Drink? by Eric Felten

Short Ribs

2012-02-28T13:22:00.002-05:00

Our friends Jennifer and Eric invited us to a fabulous dinner party a few weeks back. Jennifer prepared a scrumptious dinner with braised short ribs as the star. They were incredibly delicious! My husband loved it and I knew I needed to get the recipe and make them for my family. I wasn't surprised when Jennifer told me that the recipe was from Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I have never made a recipe of Ina Garten's that wasn't a keeper. This recipe is no exception. Use whatever amount of veggies you prefer, no need to stick exactly to the recipe. The key to this recipe is to make it in advance and reheat it...allows the flavors to develop. I also think it might be better with bone-in short ribs. I will try that next time because I am sure the bones would add more beef flavor. Another important note - Jennifer was smart to use more short ribs than called for in the recipe. There is plenty of braising liquid for the ribs so I think one could easily put 10-12 short ribs in this recipe. I wish we had because my family loved them and were asking for seconds!

Short Ribs
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

6 to 12 beef short ribs, trimmed of fat (bone-in or boneless)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 to 2 onions chopped

2 to 6 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 small fennel bulb, chopped see my Fennel 101 primer here
1 leek, cleaned and chopped, white part only

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 (750-ml) bottle Cotes du Rhone or other dry red wine

Fresh rosemary sprigs

Fresh thyme sprigs

one or two bay leaves

6 cups beef, turkey, or chicken stock

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the short ribs on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven and add the onion, celery, carrots,
fennel, and leek and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour the wine over the vegetables, bring to a boil, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme to the pot.

Place the roasted ribs on top of the vegetables in the Dutch oven and add the beef stock and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the pot and set aside. Discard the herbs and skim the excess fat. Cook the vegetables and sauce over medium heat for 20 minutes, until reduced. Put the ribs back into the pot and heat through. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.

Buttermilk Waffles with Caramelized Sugar Coating

2012-02-13T11:57:00.003-05:00

I love it when my kids ask to bake or cook something with me. Sometimes they just make requests for their favorite meals, which is wonderful as well, but it makes me extra happy when they want to get into the kitchen and create something! My youngest was asking to make homemade waffles this weekend. She and her siblings have been enjoying real belgian-style waffles almost every Sunday for the past several months. We've been loyal customers at a waffle stand at our favorite farmer's market. We all agreed that their waffles were the best we had ever tasted. Alas, they haven't been there for the past several weeks so we have been missing our favorite waffles. As we mixed up the batter my youngest suggested that we sprinkle the waffle iron with sugar before we poured on the batter. She had noticed the waffle maker doing something similar. WOW! What a difference it made to have that little coating of caramelized sugar on the waffle. Can you see it in the picture above? It really made my favorite waffle recipe even better! I hope you try it!

Get my favorite Buttermilk Waffle recipe here!
Sprinkle heated waffle iron with a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar to get the caramelized sugar coating. YUM!

American and German Soda Breads

2012-02-06T19:38:00.004-05:00

My older daughter's 7th grade Girl Scout troop came over for lessons in baking and flower arranging. This picture shows the fruits of our labor...didn't they do a beautiful job with the flowers? They did a great job in the baking department, too. Remember my very first blog post? Well I sure do! I posted the recipe for Irish Soda Bread. It is on the far right in the picture. In the middle is American Soda Bread and far left is German Soda Bread. All delicious and all very, very easy to make! My daughter made the American and German breads again today..see her hands in the pictures below! *Also, check out my video below. I am demonstrating the technique for cutting butter into the flour mixture. *

American Soda Bread

Adapted from a McCall's March 1996 recipe

2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Set aside 1 teaspoon of flour. Also, set aside a couple more tablespoons flour for kneading at the end.

Sift two cups of flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add oats and sugar. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors fashion, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in walnuts, toss until coated with flour. Pour in buttermilk; stir with fork until dough comes together. Knead in bowl 8-10 times, with your hands, sprinkling a little flour onto dough to keep it from sticking to your hands. (This can also be done on a lightly floured kitchen counter.) Transfer dough to parchment lined baking sheet and pat into a 6-inch round (does not need to be exact). Sift remaining 1 teaspoon flour over the top of the loaf. With a serrated knife, use a sawing motion to cut 1-inch-deep by 4-inch-long X across top of loaf. This part is optional. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bread is golden and sounds hollow when top is tapped. Cool on rack.

German Soda Bread
Adapted from a McCall's March 1996 recipe

1 ½ cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups rye flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 to 2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a piece of parchment on a baking sheet. Set aside 1 teaspoon of flour. Also, set aside a couple more tablespoons flour for kneading at the end.

Sift flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl. With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors fashion, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in caraway seeds, toss until coated with flour. Pour in buttermilk; stir with fork until dough comes together. Knead in bowl 8-10 times, with your hands, sprinkling a little flour onto dough to keep it from sticking to your hands. (This can also be done on a lightly floured kitchen counter.) Transfer dough to parchment lined baking sheet and pat into a 6-inch round (does not need to be exact). Sift remaining 1 teaspoon flour over the top of the loaf. With a serrated knife, use a sawing motion to cut 1-inch-deep by 4-inch-long X across top of loaf. This part is optional. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until bread is golden and sounds hollow when top is tapped. Cool on rack.

Finished German Soda Bread

Finished American Soda Bread (Girl Scout favorite!)

The BEST Granola!

2012-01-31T16:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I mean THE BEST! I have been searching for a recipe like this ever since I had a similar-type of granola at a little cafe in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. What I love most about this recipe is the perfect combination of not-too-sweet and salty. It is really delicious and, I have to admit, somewhat addictive. :) I host a little study/play group on Wednesdays for my 11-year old son and a few of his buddies. They study while my girls are at choir practice. The goal is to get the "study" part done ASAP so there is more time for "play". I always start our meetings with a healthy and delicious snack. I know they will love this and can't wait to hear what they think. This recipe was one of the simplest to make and is simply scrumptious! I hope you try it!

The Best Granola
from Food 52
Adapted very slightly from Early Bird Foods' Farmhand's Choice Granola

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
1 cup raw sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1 1/4 cup raw pecan halves, left whole or coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
Coarse salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, pecans, syrup, olive oil, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread granola mixture in an even layer on baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring (with a large metal spoon) every 10-15 minutes, until granola is toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove granola from oven and season with more salt to taste - I used another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Let cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If your house is like mine it won't last more than a week!

Ready for the oven below...

Just out of the oven...don't forget to sprinkle on a little more salt!

Chicken Tacos

2012-01-11T12:57:00.002-05:00

Here is another easy one! These chicken tacos were inspired by the recipe from the Homesick Texan. I adapted it to include more of my favorite ingredients (cilantro, fresh organic grape tomatoes, and lime) and made it a little less spicy than the original recipe. It was a hit at my house!

Chicken Tacos

1 whole chicken, cut into quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled and whole
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 stalk of celery, cut in half
1 leafy stem of cilantro
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of peppercorns
1 tablespoon of kosher salt

Ingredients for the sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pint organic grape tomatoes
1 chile -canned chipotle chiles en adobo
1/4 medium yellow onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime - juice from 1/2 or 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Tortillas, lime wedges, avocado, and sour cream for serving

Place the chicken in a large pot along with the garlic, onion, celery, cilantro, bay leaf, pepper and salt. Cover with water, bring the pot to a boil and then simmer 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the pot and when cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred either with your hands or two forks. This can be done a day or two in advance.

Strain the broth (can also be stored in frig for a few days.). Reserve 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Place remainder in quart-size freezer bags, in 1 or 2 cup increments, for future use!

Place 1/2 cup of the chicken broth into a blender. Add to the blender the tomatoes, chipotle chile, onion, garlic, cumin, cilantro, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. In a medium-sized pot, heat sauce and chicken over medium low heat. Cook while occasionally stirring for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasonings. With the heat still on, add the shredded chicken to the pot and stir until the chicken is well coated and has been re-heated.

Serve chicken with warmed-up corn or flour tortillas, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and lime.

Chicken (or Turkey) & Mushroom Pie Boone Tavern Inspired

2011-12-06T13:34:00.000-05:00

This wonderful dish was inspired by the recipe for Boone Tavern Chicken Pie. My mother attended Berea College in Berea, Kentucky and worked at their Historic Boone Tavern Restaurant during her undergraduate years at Berea. She owns a wonderful cookbook written by then Boone Tavern owner and her one-time boss, Richard Hougen. The Look No Further cookbook was first published in 1951 and you can still find a few copies on Amazon. I think the key to this recipe is the Fricassee sauce --I followed the recipe exactly for this part and then used Michael Ruhlman's 3-2-1 pie dough recipe. This recipe is perfect for leftover turkey. Yum!

Chicken or Turkey Mushroom Pie

2 cups of cooked chicken or turkey cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups of fricassee sauce

1 pound of baby bella (or any other type) mushrooms, sliced

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups chicken or turkey broth (heated)

1/4 cup chicken or turkey fat (skimmed from chilled broth)

1/4 cup flour

pie dough -enough for two 9-inch pies (one for bottom, one for top)

1 egg, beaten (for brushing top of pie crust)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make fricassee sauce: heat chicken or turkey fat in sauce pan until melted -whisk in the flour. Allow flour and fat to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the hot broth and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

Saute' sliced mushrooms in frying pan in a little olive oil and butter - salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out pie dough and place into pie pan with about 1/2 inch overhang. Fill dough with chicken, mushrooms, and pour fricassee sauce over chicken and mushrooms. Roll out other pie dough and place over the top. Pinch edges of bottom and top dough together. Brush beaten egg over top crust and make two or three slits to allow steam to be released during cooking.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Little people always love to help! Someone made their own little clementine tarts. They were pretty tasty! :)

Turkey Stock

2011-11-22T11:10:00.001-05:00

I have been making lots of turkey stock over the past few weeks. Whole Foods has a large inventory of turkey wings and legs in the meat department these days. I just can't get enough of this very rich, delicious, and extremely flavorful stock! I have been making soups, used it for my make-ahead gravy recipe, and will be using it for my stuffing. I love the dark meat that comes from the legs. I have been adding it to soups, rice pilaf, and turkey pie - yum! This is a very easy recipe - just a little bit of work yields amazing results!

Turkey Stock
3-5 lbs of Turkey wings or legs (or a combination of the two)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
several sprigs of fresh Italian parsley
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut in half
2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut in half
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf
12-16 cups water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange wings/legs in a single layer in a large roasting pan, scatter onions over top. Roast for 1 ½ hours until wings/legs are browned.
Remove wings, legs, and onions from roasting pan to a 5-to 6-qt stock pot. Also add carrots, parsnips, peppercorns, bay leaf, and parsley sprigs to stock pot.
Place roasting pan over moderate heat and add 1 cup water to roasting pan, bring to simmer and stir/scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of roasting pan. Once pan is deglazed add the liquid to stock pot.
Add 10-12 cups of water to stock pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Reduce to simmer and let simmer, uncovered for 3 hours.
Remove meat pieces and place in dish or bowl. Save meat for another use. Remove any large vegetables to a bowl and discard. Strain (with strainer and cheese cloth) the broth into a large bowl, pressing any vegetable pieces to extract as much liquid as possible.

Refrigerate broth overnight or until completely cool. OR use right away! Keeps for a week in the refrigerator or frozen for several months.

Slow Food vs Fast Food

2011-10-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

If Slow Food is up against Fast Food then I'll pick Slow Food as the winner everytime. Slow Food, food you cook yourself at home, is fresher, healthier, and cheaper than Fast Food. The people at Slow Food USA want everyone to know and understand this, so.....The Slow Food Movement has issued a $5 Challenge! Why $5? A typical Fast Food meal costs $5 per person. They are trying to help us all to get back to the basics - cooking real food for our families. I love it!

Cilantro Lime Rice

2011-09-22T00:01:00.002-04:00

This recipe is as easy as they come and packs a big punch in the flavor department. I like to serve this with crock pot carnitas, sweet potato burritos, or quesadillas. So simple, so delicious. Perfect! I hope you try it. :)

Cilantro Lime Rice

1 bay leaf

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2-3 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped medium fine
juice of 1 lime

juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup long grain or basmati white rice
1 ½ to 2 cups water (look at the directions on your rice package –it may be 1 cup rice and 1 ½ water or 1 ¾ water)

Put oil in saucepan and heat on medium. Sauté the rice in oil until almost translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add water and bay leaf, bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to simmer and cover pan. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered for 20 minutes. Remove lid and transfer rice to large mixing bowl and fluff with fork.

In small bowl or measuring cup whisk salt, lime juice and lemon juice together until salt is dissolved. Pour mixture over rice, using a spatula toss well to evenly coat rice with lime/lemon mixture. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Toss well to distribute cilantro.

Happy Birthday, Fitzy!

2011-09-08T22:35:00.000-04:00

While I am not posting a new recipe this is still a food related item of sorts. My dear friend Fitzy is all over my blog. She and her boys are frequent dinner quests at our house. Alright, I can already hear her saying, "What??? We haven't been over in a while, Goldie!" My response, "Yeah, you're right. We need to get some more Fitzy & Sons dinners on the calendar." In any case, people are always asking me about her and interested to hear what she is doing. She will probably KILL me for posting this but it is her birthday today. Happy Birthday to Fitzy! Lookin' good, pretty lady! ("I'm just sayin'!")

Dionysios Learns to Cook!

2011-08-20T12:50:00.001-04:00

Remember my daughter's good friend, Ellie? This is Ellie's older brother, Dionysios. He goes by Denny or Dio. He is starting his sophomore year at college and wanted to take some cooking lessons. He will have a stove in his new campus apartment so he is ready to ditch the campus cafeteria food. When I asked him what his goals were for learning to cook he said he wanted "to eat healthier food". Oh, how this impressed me! "Of course, I will give you some lessons", I said. He then added, "I would also like to impress the ladies". That's ok by me, too. :)

We had a great afternoon with Denny and his friend Pietro (visiting from Italy). I was a little bit embarressed to make Caprese Salad with Pietro but he was so helpful and sweet. A true Italian gentleman. He brought a beautiful piece of Parmigiano Reggiano direct from Parma, Italy. Delicious!!!

Oatmeal Shortbread

2011-08-11T22:01:00.002-04:00

Have you ever clicked on any of my "Food Link Favs"? If I had to choose my MOST FAVORITE it would be Pastry Studio! Baking is one of my true passions and every Pastry Studio recipe that I have tried has turned out perfectly. Her pictures are beyond amazing and I love the simplicity of the site layout. Each post is given so much time and effort...the detailed instructions and thoughtful descriptions. It is just super fabulous! I feel so very fortunate to be able to read her blog each week and I can't wait to see the next post. My goal is to make every single recipe on the Pastry Studio blog!

My youngest fell in love with this oatmeal shortbread. You can see her little hands pressing the dough into the tart pan. Below are all the steps but you will find the recipe right here...Oatmeal Shortbread Recipe (at my favorite blog)!

Pasta Carbonara (aka Bacon Pasta!)

2011-08-07T14:44:00.003-04:00

Well, it has been a while! Fitzy called the other day and said, "I am really getting sick of Salt Potatoes!" :)

I have missed my little blog and have tons of photos to upload. I just need to choose what to post first. How about another easy, quick, and very tasty recipe? Hmmm....got it! Pasta Carbonara or "Bacon Pasta", as my youngest calls it, was a hit at our house.

Pasta Carbonara

adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

1/2 pound cubed pancetta or bacon

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 pound spaghetti

Cut the pancetta or slab bacon into strips not quite 1/4 inch wide. Lightly mash the garlic with a knife handle, enough to loosen the skin, discard skin. Put the garlic and olive oil into a medium sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium high. Sauté until the garlic becomes golden colored, remove and discard it.

Put the strips of pancetta or bacon into the pan, and cook until they just begin to crisp at the edges. Add the wine, let it bubble away for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Break the 2 eggs into a large serving bowl. Whisk them lightly, then add the two grated cheeses, freshly ground pepper (a good amount), and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly.

Add cooked drained spaghetti to the bowl, and toss to coat all the spaghetti. Add bacon and toss again. Enjoy!

Salt Potatoes

2011-06-15T18:53:00.001-04:00

This must be the easiest recipe ever! Only two ingredients....salt and potatoes! Three if you count the water. I saw this recipe on America's Test Kitchen on Sunday and within a few minutes I was in the kitchen measuring out the salt. The potatoes cook in very salted water and then form a salt crust when removed from the boiling water. The inside is creamy and wonderful and the outside is salty and crispy. Perfection!

Salt Potatoes
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

2 to 3 pounds small yukon gold or red potatoes
14 ounces of kosher salt (not iodized)
8 cups water

Wash potatoes under cold water, set aside (do not pierce or remove skins). Bring water to boil in an enameled cast iron pot. Add salt and stir to dissolve, add potatoes. Boil on medium heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove potatoes from pot and allow to cool on rack for a minute. You will see the crust form instantly! YUM!

Piano Recital Cake

2011-06-08T16:29:00.000-04:00

My Heirloom Cake is always a huge hit. My oldest had her first piano recital on Sunday so we had to make sure we had some yummy refreshments to celebrate. If you have never made it then you are really missing out. It is my MOST requested recipe and for good reason. This is the best tasting cake ever....really.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

2011-06-01T18:23:00.002-04:00

I just served these for dessert at a dinner party a few nights ago. I had Fitzy and her boys over (and Sam) and another family. This is so easy and a great make-ahead dessert. The key to this dessert is to freeze the cookies before you fill them with softened ice cream. These are always a huge hit with kids and adults! I hope you make and enjoy these many times during the summer. That's what we do at my house! :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

1/2 gallon homemade vanilla ice cream (or Haagen-Dazs Vanilla)
48 homemade chocolate chip cookies

Make cookies, I prefer the recipe for my chocolate chip cookies (this can be done several weeks in advance!). After cookies have cooled completely, remove to wax paper lined sheet pan. Stack in single layers between sheets of wax paper. Store in freezer until cookies are completely frozen. When ready to make ice cream sandwiches remove ice cream from freezer and allow to soften (not melt!) about 10 minutes on the kitchen counter. Place one scoop of ice cream on a cookie and top with another cookie, press down and use off-set spatula to smooth sides. Place back on wax lined sheet pan and return to freezer until ice cream hardens (about an hour). Enjoy!!!

Strawberries 101: How to Trim

2011-05-17T11:49:00.000-04:00

This is what your strawberries should look like when you serve them up to your family and friends. Yes, of course you can leave them whole with the stems on or why not prepare some Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries? Fine. But....paleease don't just slice off the tops and throw them into a bowl without putting some love into it! Love is actually an essential ingredient no matter what dish you prepare ...it makes all the difference. :) xo

Important Note: I only buy organic strawberries! They are like little sponges so you don't want to mess with the non-organic variety (higher likelihood of being filled with lots of chemicals)!

Strawberries 101: How to trim

Rinse strawberries under cold water.
Pat each strawberry with paper towel until completely dried. Use sharp paring knife to hull and stem the strawberries ---see technique in pictures below. Slice stawberries in half (or fourths if very large). Put into a beautiful dish and serve! (Can be prepared several hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve.)