Simply Delicious Recipes

THE Best Hot Wings, Just in Time for the NFL Playoffs

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:20:00 +0000

My hot wings are baked, not fried. Not that you're gonna save any calories, because I use a stick of butter for the sauce. And serve them with bleu cheese and ranch dressing.

Yikes, right?

Well, honestly, you have no business eating hot wings if you're worried about the calories. Hot wings are throw the diet to the wind and splurge for the big game food.

The advantage to baking, and not frying, is that baking is so much lower maintenance. I'm rarely in the mood to stand over a fry pan. So I bake instead, and I can guarantee you that everyone who tries these wings absolutely loves them. If I do say so myself. . .

For this recipe, you will need:

4 dozen chicken wing pieces, exluding tips.
Olive oil
Louisiana (or other) hot sauce, 2 12 ounce bottles (just to make sure you have enough!)
Spices of your choice: I use seasoned salt, pepper, red chili flakes, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and/or paprika
Butter, 1 stick
Bleu Cheese and/or Ranch Dressing

First of all, you'll prepare your wings. Take them out of their packaging and put them all on a big platter. Liberally season the wings all over with a generous coating of your chosen spices. I just sprinkle each spice over all the wings and them toss them around together with my hands to make sure they're covered evenly. With the red chili flakes and the cayenne pepper, I add pinches at a time to make sure I'm not using too much. I like a REALLY hot wing, but not everyone else I'm serving does, so I take care with these spices.

Next, divide the wings put them into two gallon-sized ziploc bags (they won't all fit in one) and pour in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil into each bag. Zip the bags and shake the wings around to coat with the olive oil. Next, pour about a half-cup of the hot sauce into each bag and shake again to coat. Leave the wings in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours to marinate.

When you're ready to prepare the wings, preheat the oven to 375 degress. Usse two baking sheets and place wire cooling racks inside them. Spray the surfaces with PAM (or other) cooking spray. Spread the wings over the racks inside the baking sheets and bake the wings for about 40 minutes.

When the wings are done, melt a stick of butter in a large mixing bowl. Then add a cup and a half of hot sauce and mix well. Throw the wings into this sauce mix about 6-8 at a time and coat them well. Next, the wings go on a platter. When you've got them all coated and transferred to the platter, they're ready. Serve with the bleu cheese and ranch dressing, for dipping. I also serve with celery and carrot sticks, for dipping in the dressings.

Also, make sure you reserve the butter and hot sauce mixture, in case your family/guests want extra for their wings. My older son likes to mix some of the sauce in with ranch dressing and then dip his wings. I've tried that, too, and it's pretty delicious!

National Championship Chili and Queso

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:17:00 +0000

In our house, we love our game food. And tonight's the National Championship. That's right. Number 1 Alabama and Number 2 Texas.

Since it's 5 degrees outside (and well below zero degrees when you factor in the windchill), and our world has been covered in snow since Christmas Day, we voted on chili as our go-to dish for tonight. This is my standard (and so simple!) chili recipe, but I'm titling it National Championship Chili because this is the first time I've published it. I think the name gives it a little swagger, too!

National Championship Chili

For a solid 6-8 hearty servings (I'm feeding big guys with big appetites), you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cans of Bush's Best Chili Beans in Chili Sauce (Medium) -- I like Bush's best, but use whatever brand of beans you like.
1 yellow onion
6-8 garlic cloves
2 fresh jalapenos
Chili Powder, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper -- all to your taste. I add the spices a a couple of points during the cooking, testing after the first addition to see how much more I might need (I always need some more!). If you're patient enough to do this, you'll end up much happier with your results than if you use a standard measurement.

Super Simple Prep

Brown the ground beef in the bottom of your chili pot (I know you have one!). When the beef is just about browned through, add the onion, garlic and jalapeno, all of which you will have chopped pretty fine while the meat is browning. At this point, I also add the first round of spices. I'm pretty generous with the chili powder and cumin (although less cumin than chili powder). I use just a pinch of the red pepper flakes. Then a liberal dose of the garlic powder (don't ask me why I use garlic and garlic powder, but it works for me), a liberal dose of salt, and a pretty liberal dose of black pepper. But you use the spices the way you like -- don't be afraid!

After the veggies have softened and the meat is fully browned, add your cans of crushed tomato and tomato sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes and then taste. At this point, I always have another go round with the spices, but you be the judge of your own chili.

I let the meat, veggie and tomato mixture simmer together for about an hour, to let the flavors gather. Then I add the two cans of beans. I don't drain the beans, because I like the chili sauce, so it all goes in the pot.

I let this all simmer together for another 30 minutes or so. And we're done.

Serve with oyster crackers, tortillas, or tortilla chips.

Queso Dip So Easy I Can't Even Take Credit

Especially since I use Velveeta "Cheese."

Get out your crockpot (I use a smaller one) and throw in about 2/3 of a large brick of Velveeta, sliced. Then just add whatever chili-friendly ingredients you want. Tonight I threw in some chopped jalapenos and a can of Rotel tomatoes and chilis. Once the queso has melted down, I add about three ladles of my chili to the mix. Yummy.

Mix and match the chili, the queso, the chips, etc. any way you want.

Simple Lemon Dressings for Steamed Asparagus

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Here are some simple ways to dress up steamed asparagus.

Before adding the dressing, however, make sure that you have steamed the asparagus according to instructions provided on this blog. Once the asparagus is done steaming, take it out of the pan or pot and run it under cold water for a minute. Then allow it to drain on paper towels for a minute or two, until dry.

Lemon Juice and Fresh Black Pepper
You can't get any more simple than this. Just take a fresh lemon or two (however many you need for the amount of asparagus you have prepared) and squeeze over the asparagus. then grind fresh black pepper over the asparagus, to your taste. Serve.

Lemon Butter
Still pretty simple. You're adding some calories with the butter, but I'm a big believer in using butter in moderation -- nothing else matches the taste. For this dressing, you melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan wide enough to accomodate the asparagus. Once the butter has melted and is bubbling, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Let the mixture simmer for a minute or two, then remove from heat and toss in the asparagus, turning gently to coat. Serve. This recipe is for 1/2 pound of asparagus, so multiply the amount of lemon and butter according to the amount of asparagus you have.

Asparagus, Storage and Prep for Cooking

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:37:00 +0000

Here are some things you need to know about asparagus.

Storage
The first thing to know about storing asparagus is that you really should be prepared to use your asparagus within a few days of picking or purchase.

The best way to store asparagus to place the asparagus, bottom ends down and standing up, in a pitcher filled about 2 inches with water. Replenish the water as necessary. This will keep the asparagus fresh for a few days.

Another way to store asparagus is to wrap the bottom ends of the asparagus in wet paper towels, and then place them in a plastic bag. Store in the refrigerator.

Preparing the Asparagus for Cooking
When you are ready to use your asparagus in a recipe, you will need to snap the asparagus stalks to get rid of the tough part of the bottom base of the stalk. The way to do this is to hold a stalk of asparagus with one hand at each end. You then bend the asparagus until it snaps in two. It will automatically break at the correct point.

The Lasagne Mi Mama Taught Me

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:19:00 +0000

This is the lasagne recipe I learned from my mom. Thanks mom!
My family loves this recipe -- it's something the kids ask for regularly.

Ingredients
1 large box of lasagne noodles
1 can of tomato sauce
2 cans of crushed or diced tomatoes -- I use crushed, but my mom uses diced. If you do use the diced tomatoes, be sure to drain them thoroughly before using in this dish.
1 pound of ricotta cheese
1 pound of firm mozzarella cheese, grated (or you can use the pre-grated kind), plus extra
2 cups of grated parmesan cheese, plus extra
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 lb. of mozzarella and 2 cups of parmesan. Mix thoroughly.
Add the oregano, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to your taste, and, again, mix thoroughly. At this point, taste the mixture. You may want to add more of any or all of the herbs and spices, depending on how pronounced you want their taste to be. I've been doing this recipe for so long that I add all four ingredients by sight now.
Set the cheese mixture aside.
Boil the pasta water, throwing in 2 tablespoons of kosher or sea salt.
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
While the pasta is draining, prepare a 9" X 13" rectangular baking pan by pouring about 1/3 of the can of tomato sauce in the pan and swirling it around to cover the bottom thoroughly. At this point, I sprinkly a little extra oregano in the bottom of the pan.

Assemble the Lasagne
1) Layer the bottom of the pan with lasagne noodles. Overlap them slightly, so that the cheese and sauce don't leak through.

2) Drop cheese mixture by the tablespoonful onto the layer of lasagne noodles, spacing about 1/2 inch apart.

3) Spoon crushed or diced tomatoes over the cheese mixture until the cheese mixture is lightly covered with the tomatoes. At this point, I sprinkle a handful of extra mozarella onto this layer.

4) Repeat steps 1-3. During Step 3, substitute the mozzarella with parmesan.

5) Pour tomato sauce lightly around the edges of the lasagne, to keep the noodles tender while baking.

Cover the lasagne with aluminum foil and baked, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Remove the lasagne from the oven and let it set for another 15 minutes. Serve with a green salad tossed with your favorite vinaigrette. Serves 6 with one hearty serving each, or 8 with a smaller serving.

Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:33:00 +0000

It's a rainy St. Patrick's Day in Kansas and I'm thinking about comfort food. One of my favorite quick Italian comfort foods is Pasta with with Butter and Parmesan. This recipe is very easy to prepare, and melt-in-your-mouth good. Accompany it with a tossed salad dressed lightly with your favorite vinaigrette.

Ingredients
1 pound of long, flat pasta -- I use either linguine or tagliatelle
1 cup of grated, fresh parmesan
3-4 tablespoons butter
Nutmeg, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste (optional)

Preparation
Grate the parmesan and set aside. But keep the parmesan out and ready in case anyone wants extra.
Boil your water for the pasta, throwing in a couple of tablespoons of kosher or sea salt. Add the pasta once the water is boiling, and cook until al dente.
Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the pasta water.
Return the empty pasta pot to the stove and throw the butter in. Once the butter is melted, add about one-half cup of the pasta water and let it reduce for a couple of minutes.
Add the drained pasta to the pot with the butter and toss. Add extra of the reserved pasta water if you need a little more moisture.
Add the grated parmesan and toss well with the pasta.
Sprinkle nutmeg to taste and toss again.
Serve the pasta in individual bowls. At this point, folks can add extra parmesan or nutmeg, if they like.
Add salt and pepper, as well, if that's your preference -- I personally like a little salt and pepper on my helping.

Variation with Sage
Follow the recipe above, adding this step:
While the butter is melting, add a cup of loosely packed, chopped fresh sage leaves and saute until the sage shrivels. Proceed as above.

Things Every Cook Should Have in the Pantry

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:28:00 +0000

A well-stocked kitchen will save you plenty of time and money. If you keep the right supplies on hand, you will always have the ability to create a meal for yourself or your family.

Beyond the Basics
In addition to the very basics like flour, sugar, cornstarch and cornmeal, I'd recommend that any cook have the following items at hand at all times in his or her pantry. This list doesn't include refrigerator, freezer or spice cabinet items -- those lists are for another post :)

Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes can be used in sauces, soups, stews, salsas. Unlike most fruits and vegetable, they retain most of their nutritional value when canned. In fact, canned tomatoes contain MORE of the anti-oxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes (which I would recommend having on hand when THEY are in season, because you can't beat the taste of a fresh tomato!). I keep crushed, diced and whole canned tomatoes on hand for a variety of uses.

Broth
I keep chicken and beef broth on hand at all times. Vegetable broth is another option for you. Broth can be used for soups and stews, and in pot roasts. I sometimes use broth as a flavoring when I saute or stir-fry: I spray non-stick cooking spray in the pan and toss in about a half-cup of broth as the the veggies are cooking. I also cook my rice in chicken broth instead of water (I trick my mom taught me). Finally, the kids love broth and noodles (any kind of bite-sized pasta) or tortellini in broth, sprinkled with parmesan, as a quick meal.

Pasta
Keep pasta of many shapes and sizes on hand so you can whip up a quick pasta dish on a moment's notice. I'll be updating the pasta category on this site regularly to provide you with ideas.

Rice
I keep good old Uncle Ben's rice on hand, as well as wild and/or brown rice for those times when I need a heartier rice.

Salsa
My family loves salsa and chips as a snack (so keep chips on hand, too!) We have taco night pretty regularly at our house, so it's good to have salsa on hand for that. I also like to use salsa as an ingredient in my chilis.

Beans
I keep a selection of canned and dried beans in my pantry. I like pretty much any kind of bean, and their uses are endless. I confess that I use canned beans much more frequently than dried, but that's because I have so little time for cooking. When I DO have time I prefer to use the dried beans to make dishes like ham and beans or minestrone.

Tuna Fish
I love tuna fish, and can eat it straight out of the can. And now you can buy all kinds of tuna snack options in the grocery store: one of my favorites is Starkist Zesty Lemon Pepper Tuna. Aside from that, though, tuna salad is a great go-to for any family. Tuna can also be used in bean salads, green salads and a variety of pasta recipes.

Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs show up as an ingredient in a wide variety of recipes. For example, there are a number of delicious pasta recipes that include breadcrumbs. I always have them on hand for bake-fried chicken or porkchops, which is a family favorite. I also use them in my meatballs and meatloaf, and for stuffed tomatoes, mushrooms and onions.

Olive Oil and Canola Oil
These two cooking oils should be in every pantry. Both are high in monounsaturated fat. Each will be needed at different times, depending on what you're preparing. I also keep non-fat cooking spray in the pantry, as a non-fat option.

Potatoes
Need I say more? Potatoes are so easy to prepare in so many ways.

Peanut Butter and Jelly
And not just for the classic PBJ. I like toast with peanut butter, peanut butter on celery sticks, and the kids will just grab a spoonful of peanut butter to eat on the fly.

Bread
We use buttermilk bread for sandwiches, which are so easy to make from so many ingredients. I also like to keep a hearty multi-grain bread on hand -- I'll spread peanut butter or butter on it for a quick and filling snack before a workout.

Macaroni and Cheese
I have kids, and kid are hard-wired to love Mac-N-Cheese. Unless their parents have deprogrammed them through an intense regimen of organic cookery. And, truth be told, I actually love any mac-n-cheese, too, whether homemade or boxed. So we usually have a few boxes of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese on hand for when we need a quick side dish.

Ramen Noodles
Another kid staple. Ramen noodles are easy to prepare, and have the added benefit of getting the kids ready for college life.

Nuts
Keep several varieties on hand for quick and delicious snacks. I also use almonds and pine nuts frequently in recipes.

So there you have it. I'm sure others have ideas about must-have pantry items and I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to post any suggestions and we might just start a new list!

The Best Pie Crust Ever

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:34:00 +0000

This recipe will give you a deliciously flaky crust. I think it's as close to perfect as you can get.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup Crisco shortening
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup of milk

Preparation
Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Add salt. Mix salt and flour thoroughly with a fork.
Add shortening and cut into the flour/salt mixture, using either a pastry cutter or a fork. Keeping cutting until the mixture forms roughly pea-sized balls.
Add the vinegar, one teaspoon at a time, and incorporate it completely into the dough.
Next, add the milk about 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing constantly, until the dough is consistent enough to form a ball. Test frequently while adding the milk because you want to add just enough milk to ensure you can form a ball. If you add too much milk, the dough will be too heavy and you'll lose some of the flakiness that defines this recipe.
Once the dough is ready, form it into a ball. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour before rolling it out for your pies.
If you need to, you can leave it in the refrigerator overnight, but I wouldn't leave it in the refrigerator more than 24 hours.
When the dough is ready, roll and enjoy!

Sebastian's Dirty Rice

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 04:53:00 +0000

My husband's office is having a "soul food sampler" lunch tomorrow. Evidently, he was one of the last people to get to the sign-up list and ended up having to bring dirty rice, which was one of the last few items that no one else had signed up for.

His first move was to ask me how to prepare dirty rice. His second, third and fourth moves were to suggest, in a variety of ways and over several days, that I should prepare the dirty rice for him. I resisted, for his own good, and, finally, he was faced with the reality that I was going to leave him on his own for this particular project.

Not that I don't know how to make dirty rice. I just figured it would mean that much more to the folks in his office if he put a little love into the dish he's gonna share with them.

Well, he got home late and still needed to cook, so he ended up taking a bit of a shortcut. Which I'm sure all of you busy cooks can appreciate.

So, in the interest of promoting what's quick and easy AND still tastes good, here's tonight's recipe for dirty rice:

2 packages of Zatarain's Dirty Rice Mix
2 lbs. turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion

Follow directions on package, substituting the sausage for the traditional chicken livers. By the way, the chicken livers are what gives dirty rice it's muddy color, so you're rice might not be so dirty if you use the sausage. Personally, I like the livers -- and when I make dirty rice that's what I use.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:08:00 +0000

This isn't a recipe, but I thought I'd share a list of the things I bought tonight at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in between basketball games.

Peppermint Bark
White chocolate with crushed peppermint.

M&M Chocolate Bark
Milk chocolate with embedded M&M's

Chocolate-Covered Candied Orange Slices
I got the whole candied orange slices dipped in dark chocolate. They also had dark-chocolate covered orange rinds, but I opted for the whole slice.

Dark Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows
Three marshmallows on a stick, dipped in dark chocolate. Gotta be good.

Chocolate-Covered Twinkie
I have never tried one of these, but I'd be a fool not to.

There were so many treats to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down to just those things. I was like a kid in a candy store. Oh, wait. . . I WAS in a candy store!

Collard Greens, Southern Style

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:50:00 +0000

I had never had collard greens until I met my husband. He introduced me to this classic from the American South, and I've perfected my own recipe over the years.

My opinion is that the strength of the seasonings for collards are very much based on individual taste. While I like a strong onion and garlic presence in my collards, others might not. I'd recommend that you experiment with the ingredients in this recipe until you've found the combination that suits your taste.

Ingredients
4 bunches of collard greens. Remove the stems and ribs, pulling the green leafy sections free. Then rinse the greens thoroughly in the sink, being sure to get rid of any grit. Tear the collard greens by hand into bite-sized pieces.
1 large onion, chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
3 ham hocks (you can also add salt pork or bacon, just fry it up first)
Salt
Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes

Preparation
Spray cooking spray in a large cookpot and heat over medium-low heat.
Once the pan is hot, toss in the onion and garlic and stir until they soften up -- don't let them get brown, though.

Place all of your greens in the pan, along with the ham hocks and cover with water.

Add salt and pepper to your taste. (I use about 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper for this amount of greens.)
Add several dashes of red pepper flakes.

Bring the greens soup to a boil and them reduce to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about one hour, or until the meat is falling off the ham hocks and the greens are soft and tender.

I serve these greens with cornbread and either fried or bake-fried chicken.

For Valentine's Day: Aphrodisiacs

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 21:14:00 +0000

Certain foods are said to have aphrodisiac qualities. So, in honor of Valentine's Day, I'll offer a list of my favorite aphrodisiac foods, along with simple serving suggestions.

Chocolate Truffles
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, heat the cream to just a simmer, over low heat. Then, pour the cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes, until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it's smooth. Let the mixture cool for about an hour,and then beat until the mixture is creamy and lighter in color. Refrigerate the mixture for at least two hours, until firm.

Pour cocoa power into a shallow plate. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out bite-sized balls of the refrigerated chocolate mixture. Roll the balls in the cocoa platter and place them on a separate serving plate, lined with waxed paper.

The truffles are ready to serve with a fine champagne!

Asparagus
Asparagus doubles as an aphrodisiac AND my favorite vegetable. It also goes well with almost any fish or meat, making it an ideal side dish. No matter what I'm serving my asparagus with, I like to steam the asparagus for 5-7 minutes (testing at 5 minutes), until it is tender yet crisp. Then I rinse it quickly under cold water and let it dry. Sprinkle just a little of your favorite lemon vinaigrette and serve.

Garlic
If you really love somebody, garlic breath doesn't matter. Check out my Decadent Baked Brie recipe on this site. It is the essence of indulgence.
Otherwise, use garlic whenever possible in cooking because not only is it an aphrodisiac, it is also incredibly good for you.

Strawberries and Raspberries
There's a reason you always see images of a strawberry or raspberry floating at the bottom of a champagne glass. They're sexy fruit! They're beautiful to look at, and anyone can look sexy eating a berry. Just pout a little while you're doing it and you're ready for a MySpace layout.

Oysters
Despite all the warnings about the dangers of eating raw shellfish, I love raw oysters on the half-shell. And perhaps because I believe the hype, I DO feel prety sexy when I swallow one of those suckers!
There are a couple of theories about why oysters are considered to be aphrodisiac. First of all, and most famously, oysters resemble the female sex organ. On the scientific side, oysters contain large amounts of zinc, which is directly related to higher progesterone levels. Which could mean higher libido levels for men, since zinc deficiency can result in impotency.

Wine
Need I say more? The Italians say "Drink wine and love longer." Who are you to second-guess the greatest wine drinkers in the world?

Lemon Garlic, and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:27:00 +0000

If this isn't the best roasted chicken you've ever tasted, feel free to send a recipe for anything allegedly better. I'll try to look at it with an open mind.

Once again, I give credit to mi mama for this recipe. It's simple and elegant. And after you enjoy it fresh out of the oven, you'll find yourself picking the carcass tomorrow for lunch.

Lemon Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 large roasting chicken (4-5 lbs.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large lemon
3-4 garlic cloves, quartered
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Sea Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a baking rack in a shallow roasting pan and spray with non-fat cooking spray.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on the rack in the roasting pan.

Pour olive oil on chicken and rub it all over the chicken skin.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice all over the chicken. Place used lemon halves inside chicken cavity.

Using your fingers, slide half of the garlic slices under the chicken skin. Some should go between the skin and the breast meat, while some should go between the skin and the thigh and leg meat. Place the leftover garlic slices inside the chicken cavity.

Place one rosemary sprig inside the chicken cavity. Remove the leaves from the other two sprigs and sprinkle them all around the outside of the chicken skin.

Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity. Sprinkle more salt and pepper all over the chicken skin.

Place the chicken in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, breast side up. Turn the chicken over and roast for 30 minutes. Once again, turn the chicken over, and roast for 20-30 minutes. Check to see if the chicken is done by sticking a knife between the leg and the thigh -- if the juices run clear, the chicken is done. If not, roast for another 15 minutes and check once again.

I serve a variety of vegetables with this chicken: broccoli, asparagus, brussels sprouts, green salad. I can also recommend rice, orzo pasta, or gnocchi as a second side dish.

Note: If the chicken comes with heart, liver and gizzards, I always roast these alongside the chicken, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. They'll be ready after 30 minutes.

Spaghetti with Garlic and Olive Oil

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:55:00 +0000

You'll thank me for this. Actually, you'll thank my mom 'cuz I got it from her.

It's so simple and quick to prepare, you'll feel guilty for loving it!

You're welcome.

Ingredients:

5 fresh garlic cloves, minced very fine

¼ cup of olive oil

3 dashes of red pepper flakes

1 cup of chopped fresh parsley

3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus extra per serving

1 lb. of spaghetti

Preparation:

Fill a large pot with water for spaghetti. While you're waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan slowly over low-medium heat. When the oil's hot, toss in the minced garlic, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to your taste. The garlic will cook very quickly, and you don’t want it to get brown, so watch it like a hawk. Once I throw the garlic into the olive oil, I typically stir it around in the hot olive oil a few times and then take it off the heat to finish cooking. It should turn no more than a very light gold color.

Once your water is boiling, toss in the spaghetti. When the spaghetti is al dente (cooked but firm to your tooth), strain it in a colander. When the spaghetti is thoroughly drained, place it in a serving dish large enough to accommodate it. Pour the olive oil sauce over the pasta and toss thoroughly. Then, add the chopped fresh parsley, and the 3/4 cup grated fresh parmesan, and again toss the pasta thoroughly. Serve.

You can add more parmesan per individual serving. Sprinkle with extra salt and pepper per individual serving if you like, as well.

Simple Tomato Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:13:00 +0000

This is the most basic of all tomato sauces. It's delicious and easy to make, so make it a go-to recipe for those busy days when you know you need to eat but don't want to give in to the temptation of eating out ONCE AGAIN.

Note that the recipe calls for fresh basil. This is absolutely not negotiable. Dried basil has its place in many recipes, but this is NOT one of them. During the spring and summer months, I keep a couple of fresh basil plants out by my patio. Unfortunately, I'm not skilled enough with plant life to keep those puppies alive in my house during the colder months. Lucky for me, though, I can easily find fresh basil in most grocery stores year round. Which means you can, too. Spend the extra dollar or two b/c this recipe is worth it.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

5-6 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped fine

2 regular cans of crushed tomatoes

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 dash of red pepper flakes

1 cup of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Spray the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan and turn the heat on medium. Mince the garlic and chop the onion. When the pan is hot, toss in the garlic and onion, plus a dash of red pepper flakes, and sauté until the garlic and onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Watch them to make sure they don’t get hot enough to get brown. You want them soft and translucent.

Once the garlic and onions have sautéed, add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes, and then toss in the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste, return the sauce to a simmer once more for about 15 minutes.

Serve this sauce with spaghetti, cooked al dente. Sprinkle with fresh shaved parmesan.

Decadent Baked Brie

noreply@blogger.com (CMasinton) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:02:00 +0000

I have a recipe for baked brie that is mind-blowingly delicious and ultra-decadent.

Here's what you need:

One 8 oz. wheel of brie

3-4 tablespoons of butter (oh yeah!)

5 FRESH garlic cloves, minced VERY fine (more or less to taste, if you like)

1/2 cup of sliced almonds (more or less to taste, if you like)

1 baguette, sliced into thin rounds

Here's how you prepare it:

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a pie plate with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Place brie wheel in the pie plate. Spread butter evenly over the top of the brie wheel, taking care not to puncture the rind. Sprinkle the minced garlic evenly over the top of the buttered brie wheel. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the brie wheel, and sprinkle extra around the sides of the wheel.

Bake the brie wheel in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes.

To serve, spread brie over baguette slices and enjoy.

I like to serve this with a nice, crisp white wine to counterbalance, but not compete with, the very strong flavors in the baked brie. I choose Kris' Pinot Grigio. But there are other options. As an alternative, try either a California Chardonnay or a Chianti.

Final note: Eat this with someone you love deeply, because you will both have garlic breath for the next 12 hours. But it's worth it!