Month: October 2015

Roast Chicken (that works!)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

As Lisa could tell you, I’ve never really been able to find a good roast chicken recipe.  I’ve complained to her for years that either the bird turned out undercooked or overcooked and I was convinced it was the recipe’s fault.  But then again, I would keep asking myself, was it the recipe or was I just not able to follow the directions?

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In general, roasting an entire bird always seemed like the kind of meal that I would make once I’d “made it” – a sort of rite of passage into “real cooking.”  To my delight, however, I found this wonderful recipe that was easy to follow *and* the chicken turned out perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside.

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The cast iron skillet really has proven itself to me to be one of the most affordable and useful tools to keep around in the kitchen.

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It’s been amazing how much of a difference it made for this chicken, and despite the fact that I’d forgotten to buy a meat thermometer, it still turned out great.  I served this with the mushroom risotto from the same book.  I could wax on, but let’s get to the details.

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken (about 3 lbs)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • salt
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh sage
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 1/2 lemons, cut into wedges
  • coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Thirty minutes before cooking the chicken, take it out of the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel.  Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over a medium flame and add the butter.  It should be enough to coat the bottom of your skillet.  Once the butter starts to foam, season the bird with salt, then place it in the skillet (any side down is fine) and allow to brown, 6-8 minutes.
  3. Once the first side has a nice golden crust, flip the chicken and repeat the borwning process on the remaining three sides.  Sticking a long pair of tongs into the cavity of the bird is a good way to handle the flipping.
  4. When the entire chicken is browned, take it off the heat and drop the rosemary, thyme, sage, and garlic into the cavity.  Keep the chicken in the skillet or, ideally, transfer to a rack set on top of a rimmed baking sheet.  (Using the already-hot skillet can cook the bird unevenly on one side.)
  5. Roast the bird until a cake tester feels hot to the touch or the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 145 F (I just did it for about an hour, or about 20 minutes/pound.)
  6. Once the bird is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for ten minutes on a rack, loosely covered with foil.  Squeeze lemon juice over the top and finish it with coarse salt and pepper.

From Twenty Dinners by Ithai Schori and Chris Taylor.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

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I’m one of those people who brings lunch almost every day. And since I am making lunch for me, I also make it for my husband. It kills me to spend $12 on a lunch that is neither as good nor as nutritious as what I can bring from home. And once you get used to doing it, you’ll find that it really doesn’t take that much time or effort. When my son was in school, he used to beg me to make lunch for him rather than having him buy it like the other kids. What mother could resist that? I later also found out that his friends used to offer to pay him for parts of his sandwiches! He swears to me that he never actually took advantage of this potential scheme to augment his allowance….

I love to bake bread when I can. Everything about it is appealing. I love the way the dough feels underneath my hands, when I am kneading it (I do NOT use a bread machine, but go ahead if you like) and the smell – oh that smell – and of course, the taste. And for me – it’s relaxing. It just says home to me. And even though I never bake with preservatives, homemade bread actually holds up better than store-bought bread. Go figure.

Today I am making two loaves of honey whole wheat bread. It makes wonderful toast and is also great for sandwiches. You can freeze one of the loaves for later or give it away to what is certain to be a grateful friend.

My recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Bread Book, a slim volume that I have had on my shelf for about 30 years. There is no celebrity chef behind it, but I have made many breads from it over the years and they have all been delicious.  It may be out of print, or replaced by a newer, sexier version. If you can find a good, clean used copy, I think it is worth getting.

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Whole Wheat Honey Bread

Yield: Two 9 x 5 inch loaves

Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast or 4.5 teaspoons loose dry yeast (I buy mine in bulk from http://www.nuts.com)

1/2 cup warm water (I run hot tap water and if it feels hot, but not burning to my fingers, then I use it)

1/3 cup honey (any kind – this time I used buckwheat)

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

1/4 cup shortening (I use Crisco for this)

1.75 cups warm water

3 cuos stone-ground whole wheat or graham flour (I like King Arthur brand, but other barands are fine)

About 3 cups of unbleached all-purpose or bread flour

Crisco for greasing bowl and pans

Directions

  1. Warm your oven to the lowest possible setting (mine is 170 degrees F.) As soon as it comes to temperature, turn it off and leave the door closed. Warm a large bowl with hot water. My bowls always come out of the cabinet cold.
  2. Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir in the honey and allow it to proof for about 10 minutes. As soon as it smells yeasty and is bubbling, it’s proofed and you know that your yeast is good.  IMAG0767 (1)
  3. Add the shortening, 1.75 cups of warm water, salt and the 3 cups of whole wheat flour. Stir well until the dough is smooth.
  4. Stir in enough all-purpose or bread flour to make the dough easy to handle. This will take a bit of practice and is dependent on temperature, room humidity and flour. Once you learn what it should feel like, you can make any bread. At this point, I like to let my dough rest, covered for about 10-15 minutes. I find that it allows the gluten to form and the flour to be properly absorbed and so you need to add less flour when kneading in the next step. It makes for a finer crumb in my opinion.
  5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface (use the all-purpose or bread flour for this) and knead it until it is smooth and elastic. This takes about 8-10 minutes.
  6. Place the dough in a greased large bowl and roll the dough around so that it is covered with the shortening or oil.     bread dough ready for risingCover it with a tea towel or plastic wrap and place the bowl in the warmed oven to rise for about an hour.
  7. Dough is ready when an indentation remains when made with two fingers.  IMAG0771_1
  8. Punch down the dough and using a bread scraper, divide the dough in half. If you must use a knife, use the back side of the knife (the dull side). If you want the loaves to be exactly the same size, use a scale to weigh the pieces. I’m not so inlcined and don’t mind a little difference, so I don’t bother. Flatten each half with your hands or a rolling pin into a rectangle, about 18 x 9 inches. Fold the dough crosswise into thirds, overlapping the two sides. folded bread doughTightly roll the dough towards you, beginning at one of the open ends.    forming loavesPress with your thumbs to seal the dough after each turn. Pinch the edge firmly to seal. With the side of your hand, press each end to seal. Fold the ends under. 
  9. Place the loaves seam sides down in 2 generously greased loaf pans. Brush lightly with melted butter, margarine or Crisco. loaves ready for rising
  10. Lightly cover the loaves with the tea towel or waxed paper and allow to double. This takes about 40 minutes to an hour depending on temperature and other factors. I have so many yeast spores in my apartment that mine rises fairly quickly. loaves ready for bakingAfter 30 minutes, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  11. Place the loaves on the lowest rack so that the tops of th epans are in the center of the oven. Bake until the loaves are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with your knuckles or a wooden spoon – about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans and allow them to cool on a wire rack. I wish you could smell my house!

“Thai” Chicken Burgers with Coconut Rice Pilaf

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Today was one of those perfect fall days. The air was crisp, the sky was a clear, true blue and there was only a whisper of a breeze. My husband and I took a long walk, meandering through streets and neighborhoods that we normally never go through. It is a favorite past-time of ours and we love to walk until just before the point of exhaustion. We arrived home and I still was happy to make dinner. Tonight I made slightly spicy “Thai” chicken burgers, a green salad and then I had to decide what to do for a side. As Frances said in an earlier post, the sides are what can take something that you make all of the time and send it to a new level. I decided to concoct some coconut rice pilaf. I always have coconut milk on hand because if you are cooking a meal for people who keep Kosher or are vegan, it’s a wonderful substitute for dairy. And I buy Basmati rice in 10 pound bags because we love it that much. Everyone has their own pantry staples and mine always include a nice variety of nuts and dried fruits, so I knew that I had the makings for a delicious pilaf without having to go to the store. I also keep some kind of chutney on hand and this time I had Major Grey Mango Chutney which was a nice accent to the burgers.

Thai chicken burger and coconut rice

“Thai” Chicken Burgers adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow

Yield 3-4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground chicken, white or dark meat

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

1 bunch finely chopped cilantro

2 shallots, finely minced

1 teaspoon red pepper paste (I used Harissa, but you could use red bean paste with chili or Korean red pepper paste)

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons of a neutral oil (I used Grapeseed, but canola or safflower oil would be fine)

Directions

  1. Using your hands (I know, I know, but you just have to!) thoroughly mix everything except for the oil together. Wetting your hands in cold water, form either 3 patties or 4 patties about 1 inch thick. I made 3, but if you are a very small eater or being good about your diet, by all means make 4.
  2. Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and then add the oil.When the oil sizzles if you drop a tiny amount of water in the pan, add the burgers. This will spatter so understand ahead of time that you will have to wipe your stove top when you are finished. Get over it.
  3. This part is going to depend a bit on the size of your burger. I made 3 burgers out of 1 pound of chicken and cooked them for 6 minutes on the first side and 8 minutes, covered on the second side. My burgers were pretty thick so they were wonderfully juicy, but fully cooked when I finished. Do allow your burgers to sit in the pan with the heat turned off for 5 minutes before serving them. This will allow the burgers to absorb back all of the juices that otherwise would run right out the second you cut into them. You do not want to undercook chicken. If the burger looks nicely browned and seems firm to the touch, it’s probably done.

Coconut Rice Pilaf

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati Rice (Texmati rice will do if you can’t easily find Basmati rice. I buy mine from Amazon…)

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried currants or Sultana raisins

1/4 cup of blanched slivered almonds

1 stick of cinnamon bark

1 15.3 ounce can of full-fat coconut milk

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 cup clover honey or other light colored honey

zest of one orange

Vanilla Soy milk, almond milk or regular milk

Directions

  1. In a small skillet melt the butter and saute the chopped shallot and currants or raisins until the shallots are softened.
  2. Add the turmeric, cardamom, orange zest and honey and mix through. Set aside.
  3. In a medium pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the coconut milk and enough of the other milk to make 2 generous cups. Add the cinnamon bark.
  4. Bring the milk to a boil and add in the rice and give it a stir. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low so that the liquid simmers. Cook for 14 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  5. Warm the currant mixture just until the honey is liquified and then pour it into the cooked rice and gently mix it through. Let the rice sit for a few mionutes to finish absorbing the liquid.

Kimchi Casserole (“Chigae”)

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Growing up in a Korean household, I ate dinner every night with chopsticks and rice and all sorts of delicious casseroles.  Upon graduating college and going out into the real world, I always craved eating Korean food but never really stocked up my pantry to make it until more recently.

kimchi chigae

Thankfully, I was just visiting home and my dad whipped up a classic Korean casserole that really gets the sinuses going since it’s so spicy.  The beauty of living in New York or near a computer is that you can in fact get most of the ingredients for this because it is really just kimchi boiled into a soup, and so I’ve added some links here to help with that too.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chopped kimchi 
  • 2-3 cups water
  • 4-6 oz pork tenderloin, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
  • 1/2 container of Soft Tofu
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil (can also find this in grocery stores in the “Asian” section)
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 sugar
  • 1 cup chopped button mushrooms (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat up a medium sized pot over high heat.  Add the sesame seed oil and cook the pork in the oil.  Once the pork has changed color, add the Kimchi and continue to stir and sauté until the pork is cooked, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add about 3 cups of water or just enough to cover the kimchi and pork in the pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat, and then add the tofu.
  3. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, and then bring the soup down to a simmer.  Add the sugar and soy sauce and optional button mushrooms.  Cover the pot, and let the soup cook for about 15 minutes.  (My dad says at this point to open all your windows so that that smell doesn’t stink up your whole house.)
  4. Serve immediately with lots of rice.

Korean Feast

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

When I visit my parents in LA, both Matt and I tend to stuff our faces with Korean food for almost every meal (and yes sometimes that includes breakfast).  The thing with Korean food is that there’s always a main dish and then seemingly 400 side dishes that all complement the main entree, as well as rice.

Korean Feast

While I won’t be chronicling all the dishes my parents made, I’ll post one or two that have ingredients that are fairly accessible.  In the meantime, here’s just a snapshot of what an average Korean meal in LA looks like.

Mushroom Risotto

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Recently, I discovered that I actually do like mushrooms, as has my husband, after we both thought we didn’t like them.  And now that we’re in the middle of Fall, I figured that it would be fun to try cooking up something heartwarming and creamy.

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I found this recipe in a new book that a friend was so excited to buy, that basically maps out a bunch of dinner party menus.  While it was only a dinner party for two, we tried one of the first sets of recipes, serving this mushroom risotto with a roast chicken and a kale and bacon salad.

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We had plenty of leftovers, and it was surprisingly easy to prep and serve.  Who ever said dinner parties are hard to prepare? (I’m only half-joking.)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 large shallot, finely diced
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 12 mushrooms, I just used shiitake (but the original recipe calls for a mix of morel and shiitake which I’m sure would have also been delicious)
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 bunch fresh parsley

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat and add the shallot.  In a separate saucepan, warm up the chicken stock.
  2. Once the shallot is translucent, add the garlic and sweat it for another minute.
  3. Add your rice to the shallot garlic mixture and stir everything until it is coated with butter.
  4. Now add the wine and stir constantly until it is all absorbed.
  5. Ladle in the hot stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly.  When the stock is nearly evaporated, add more.  When you’re about halfway through the stock, chop up your mushrooms and add them to the mixture and stir.
  6. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper, but remember that it will get saltier when you add the cheese.
  7. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and then the Parmesan.
  8. Let the risotto rest for 2-3 minutes, and then serve immediately.

From Twenty Dinners by Ithai Schori and Chris Taylor.

Vegetable Chili Con Carne

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

chili con carne with vegetables

I have made this recipe many times, including a meatless version where I substitute different beans for the meat. It always disappears. I found the recipe in Jane Brody’s Good Food Book. Not only does it taste wonderful, but it is colorful to look at and you can enjoy it guilt-free. I usually serve it with homemade cornbread and a green salad. Full disclosure – I almost always make this with a good quality canned bean or variety of beans. However, I happened to have some heirloom beans from Ranch Gordo in my pantry that I decided to cook up first. I was introduced to Rancho Gordo beans on a trip to Napa Sonoma with Frances and our son a couple of years ago. We had a wonderful dinner at the Culinary Institute of America and they made these scrumptious beans – just full of great flavor. I was hooked. I can’t find them in stores in Chicago, but they are easy to purchase online. They have varieties that I have never seen anywhere else and they will add such wonderful flavor, color and texture to soups and salads and chili. One large bean cooked up so beautifully that all I did was add a bit of truffle oil and some shaved parmesan and it was dinner just as is.

This chili freezes well and is a great pot luck addition to any buffet. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. Try it – you won’t be disappointed.

Vegetable Chili Con Carne adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book

Yield: 6 – 8 Servings

Ingredients

Chili Base

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons EVOO

1 pound very lean ground beef or substitute with three 15 ounce cans of drained and rinsed beans (black and chickpeas make a great combination)

1 28 ounce can of tomatoes in puree, coarsely chopped (if the tomatoes are packed in juice, add 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste)

2 15 ounce cans drained and rinsed kidney or pinto beans

1 large diced sweet pepper, any color

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (optional)

1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup fresh, canned or frozen corn kernels

Seasonings (Make sure that your spices are FRESH!)

2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

5 teaspoons chili powder (Rancho Gordo also makes a wonderful chili powder)

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 Tasblespoon crumbled oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Garnishes

Plain Greek yogurt

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cilantro

Directions

  1. In a very large deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until translucent.
  2. If using meat, add it now, breaking it up and stirring it until it is browned. If you are using very lean meat, you should not need to drain off any fat. If using only beans, then add the mixed beans now and immediately go to Step 3.
  3. Add the tomatoes and the puree (or if the tomatoes are packed in juice then add 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste) and all of the seasonings. Heat the mixture until it is bubbling. Then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer the chili for about 30 minutes.
  4. Add the kidney or pinto beans, peppers, carrots and celery. Simmer the chili, covered for another 30 minutes. Then add the corn, cover the pot and simmer for about 10 more minutes.
  5. Garnish and serve.

Roasted Asparagus and Bell Peppers

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

I love baking some fresh fish for dinner and am always trying to mix up the sides that I serve it with.  Recently I bought a bunch of asparagus but then after adding dill and almonds thought, this is kind of something I do all the time.

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While rooting around my produce drawer in the refrigerator, I happened to discover some bell peppers I’d nearly forgotten about that I had purchased recently at the farmer’s market.  I sliced it up, added it to the asparagus and boom!  Pretty and yummy appetizer of roasted vegetables.

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I also had started to make something like a tzatziki when I realized that I was missing most of the ingredients, but then I ended up just discovering that a little bit of Greek yogurt, mixed with some lemon juice, salt and pepper results in a wonderful sauce that went well not only with these roasted vegetables, but also with the white fish that I ended up serving as the main meal.

Ingredients

For the Greek yogurt sauce

  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Vegetables

  • One bunch asparagus
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  • 2  tbsp chopped dill
  • handful of sliced almonds
  • salt pepper to taste
  • EVOO
  • Lemon zest (optional)

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Toss the asparagus and sliced bell peppers in olive oil and then spread on a sheet of foil covering a baking pan.
  3. Sprinkle the salt and pepper, dill and almonds over the veggies.
  4. Roast for about 30 minutes.
  5. In the meantime, for the sauce, mix the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper until thoroughly mixed together.
  6. To serve, spread some of the sauce on a plate, and then place the roasted vegetables on the sauce once they are cooked.  (Optional: add some lemon zest)

Simple Goat Cheese and Orange Salad

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

At some point when I first started cooking, I loved using Mark Bittman’s books.  He was all about only using a few ingredients and trying to distill complex recipes into simple ones.  I bought a book that focused on easy meals and nearly forgot about it until I was digging around for something else and found it.

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This is an easy salad that again just proves that a few ingredients can make for a delicious and impressive starter.

Ingredients

  • Bunch or box of arugula or spinach
  • 3-4 oz goat cheese (I like getting the herbed goat cheese logs)
  • whole pecans or crushed pecans
  • 1 orange, and its zest
  • olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Set the oven to broil.  Slice goat cheese into slices and press the crushed or whole pecans into the slices.  Put the goat cheese and pecan slices on a pan and into the oven and broil until the tops of the pecans look charred, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the arugula (or whichever greens you choose) with the zest of an orange, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Peel and slices the oranges and toss in the salad.
  4. Serve the tossed greens and place the goat cheese slices on top.  Serve immediately!

From Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express.

Italian Beef Barley Soup

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ Leave a comment

Italian Barley soup ingredients

Now that I have this wonderful beef stock on hand, I want to use it to its fullest advantage. This recipe is simple to make (and yes, you can use prepared stock) and is very hearty – just wonderful for these cooler autumn evenings. It’s a dish that can be made ahead and when you get home from work or a busy day with the kids, you have magic on hand.  All it really needs to complete the meal is some crusty bread and if you are feeling REALLY ambitious – a green salad. And leftovers are great to take for lunches. I’m just sayin’.

Italian Barley Soup   Italian Barley soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

1.5 quarts (6 cups) Homemade Beef Stock

2 cups water

3/4 cups barley

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup carrot, diced

1 cup yellow onion, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

1/2 cup hearty red wine

1 piece lemon peel (zest only, please) – about 2 inches by 1/2 inch

Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Kosher Salt to taste (I start with a teaspoon and add more if necessary)

1/2 Tablespoon dried basil

1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano

1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 bay leaves, dry or fresh

1/2 Tablespoon dried fresh rosemary

14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

Fresh grated Parmesan, Romano, Asiago or Cubeddu cheese

Directions

  1. Bring the stock and water to a boil. Add the barley and turn the heat down to a light simmer. Add the holy trinity 0f carrots, celery and onion, garlic, red wine, lemon peel, salt and pepper and simmer covered for 2 hours. Stir frequently so the barley doesn’t stick.
  2. At the end of 2 hours, add the herbs, tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook for on more hour. Continue to stir often so the barley doesn’t stick. Adjust seasonings.
  3. When ready to serve, ladle into bowls and top with cheese.