Lemon Chicken

it’s been a while since i last posted.  unfortunately a stomach bug got the best of me, needless to say writing about food didn’t feel like the best thing to do.  but the good news is that i’m back and better than ever.

i’m going to be quite frank with you…i’m not very good at writing my own recipes.  what i am good at is taking other’s ideas and transforming them into something else.  sometimes that something else will be a close relative to the original, while other times you can’t even see the slightest trace from the first dish.  so when i had chicken starring back at me, i thought back to yesterday’s Today show.

Ina Garten presented a simple, but surely flavorful lemon chicken.  i could have taken the recipe as is, but instead i looked at what it could become.  all the ingredients were cleverly chosen, and i knew better than to mess with them…besides this is Ina we’re talking about.  it’s the process that i tinkered with.

i chose to marinate my chicken.  i find chicken breasts can be a little tough; lemon juice is a sure way to combat any of those issues.  i discarded the sautéed garlic and used fresh uncooked instead.  once it goes in the oven the garlic will perfume the chicken and oil.  to make it easier i also thought to change how the ingredients were listed.  i hope you like this as much as i did.

lemon chicken
1/2 c olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c white wine
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
salt and pepper

in a large baking dish add the garlic, white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. marinate for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

pat the chicken skins dry then brush with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. cut one of the zested lemons in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. if the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Chile Verde

i’m all about the 30 minutes meals, no so much rachael ray, but i think you get my point.  when i’m hungry, i’m hungry.  more than 30 minutes during the week is not going to happen.  but every once in a while i enjoy a good long cooking dish whose addictive aromas take over the entire house.  i save those for the weekends. because who doesn’t love to be still in your pajamas stirring something on the stove while a fire is flickering with michael buble playing the background.  it just doesn’t get much better than that, and yes i realize i just described something reserved for people a bit older than 23…but i can’t help it. try this one this sunday…

Chile Verde
4 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can tomatoes, juice reserved, chopped
2 large poblano peppers, roasted, cut into thin strips

cover meat with cold water in a large pot, bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 40 minutes. drain and remove from pot. add olive oil, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt to same pot that was used for the pork and cook over medium heat. cook until onions soften. return pork to the pot and add tomatoes and peppers. cover and reduce heat to simmer for 1½ hours. serve.

tips

• the chipotle dipping sauce goes really good with this too.
• you can enjoy this pork as is, or you can wrap it up in a tortilla.
• once the pork is done cooking and it is drained.  you want to use the same pot for the veggies because it still has all the flavor of the pork.  the biggest rule in cooking is to never let flavor go to waste.

Substitutions

everyone’s been in a situation where you’re making a recipe or looking for one when you notice you don’t have one of the ingredients.  some stop right there.  but the best cooks solider on, knowing they can, as tim gunn would say, “make it work.”  here’s a few that can get you through those difficult times.

Buttermilk – 1 cup milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar

Brown Sugar – 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses or dark corn syrup

Fresh Herbs – for 1 tsp fresh do 1/2 tsp dry; for 1 tbs fresh do 1 tsp dry

Currants – raisins or dates

Tomato Paste – let 1 cup tomato sauce reduce to 1/2 cup

Bacon – pancetta or smoked ham

Dry Breadcrumbs – make your own with fresh bread

Butter – replace some with applesauce…for every 4 tablespoons of butter do 3 tablespoons of applesauce and 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bisquick – 1 c flour, 1 1/2 tspbaking powder, and  1/4 tsp salt mixture

Leftovers

you made a huge meal, and now you’re stuck…with leftovers.  if you’re me, you don’t want to eat the same meal twice in a row.  it was good the first time, but now it’s time to move on.  the best way to reuse meat leftovers is to put the meat into dishes that normally require you to cook the meat separately first.  here’s some suggestions.

salads

asian chicken salad - romaine, chicken, mandarin oranges, crunchy noodles, cucumbers with asian dressing

taco salad – ground meat with taco seasoning, over a mix of greens, shredded carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, with crunched doritos.

butternut squash salad

soups

curried butternut squash  - butternut squash, onions, celery, carrots, chicken broth, and curry powder

potato and leek – potatoes, leeks, onions, celery, carrots, white wine, chicken broth, and milk/cream

chicken noodle -  chicken, noodles, celery, carrots, onions, chicken broth, garlic

sandwiches

meatloaf - sourdough bread, meatloaf, and ketchup

chicken salad – chicken, celery, grapes, white wine, mayonnaise, on whole wheat

quesadillas – pork, provolone, mozzarella, pico de gallo, sour cream, tortillas

other

chicken pot pie – chicken, gravy, celery, carrots, onion, peas, corn, lima beans, pie crust

pizza – veggies, meat, pizza crust

zucchini boats – ground meat, tomatoes, zucchini, cheese

stuffed squash – meat, rice, tomatoes

stuffed peppers – meat, onions, corn, black beans, oregano, cumin, poblano pepper, garlic

this list should get your mind thinking and give you some new ideas to try.

Vegetable Bolognese

by the time i get to friday i want a nice big bowl of pasta, and i’ve been wanting to try giada’s vegetable bolognese …what a match made in heaven.  it’s a nice substitute for a traditional meaty bolognese, and all the veggies kept the dish very light.  the following recipe is my version, and when i say “my version” i just left out some ingredients that i didn’t have on hand.

Pasta with Vegetable Bolognese
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 pound short cut pasta
1/4 cup parmesan, freshly grated

cook the pasta according to package instructions. drain and add to sauce when pasta and sauce are ready.

place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. add the fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. add the red wine, cook for 3 minutes. add mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated. toss with Parmesan and serve.

tips:

• when it says to chop the carrots, onions, bell pepper, and celery just do rough chop (big pieces).  that way you’re leaving most work for the food processor, but you’ll help it along.
• you already should know how i feel about parmesan. (see tips for penne a la carbonara)
• short cut pasta means: rigatoni, campanelle, farfalle, penne, etc
• want to bulk it up even more?  add some ground meat.
• most times fresh herbs are best, except for oregano.  fresh oregano is very strong and can be quite over powering.  so in this instance i say use dried.
• cremini mushrooms are also known as “baby bellas”  or baby portobello mushrooms.  don’t have them?  substitute button mushrooms.
• complete the meal with a simple side salad.
• the original: giada’s rigatoni with vegetable bolognese
• need more help?  email me at avavmail@gmail.com

P.S. hopefully soon i’ll have my camera back and i’ll put up pics.  it’s easier to make anything once you know what it’s suppose to look like.