Roasted Chicken

Yes, there are a million ways to roast a bird--here's mine.

1 chicken (really?)
1 lemon
1 onion
4 or so sprigs of rosemary
spice blend
olive oil
twine
2-3 cups of chicken broth
oven

Rinse the bird and pat dry.  Chop up the lemons and onions, and break the rosemary springs into 2" pieces.  Make a spice blend--I use kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.  Season the cavity of the bird, and stuff it with the lemon, onion, and rosemary.  Truss the bird (I have no idea how to do this correctly; I just tuck the wings in and do one wrap around the bird; and tie up the legs).  Rub generously with seasoning, then drizzle with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 450.  Pour the broth into the roasting pan.  Roast the bird for about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned.  Reduce the temp to 350, and roast for about 2 hours, basting frequently.

Eat.

Potato Leek Soup with Roasted Sausages

OK, so this is really easy to make, but I think my recipe is perhaps tastier and easier to make than some.  Enough with that.

3 1/2 to 4 pounds spuds (yukon golds are my favorite)
1 large onion
3 large leeks
2 quarts chicken or veggie broth
2 bay leaves
salt 'n pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2-3 tbs butter
2-3 green onions
sausages (I used chicken with basil and sundried tomato)
crusty bread

Clean and chop the leeks.  Peel and chop the onion.  Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the veggies and some salt.  Saute, stiring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Peel and chop the potatoes into 1" or so hunks.

Add the spuds to the veggies, and pour in the chicken broth.  Add the bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft.  Remove from heat.

Cook the sausages per package directions (I pan roasted them in a little olive oil--grilled is really good too).  Chop the green onions.

OK, now it's time to go motor boating!  Kind of.  I guess they're called immersion blenders.  Anyway, these things are very handy, and much simpler than trying to puree the soup in a food processor.  So, puree away.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with green onions.  Serve the sausages and bread on the side.  If you want, you can slice up the sausages and add them to the soup.

You don't even need matching plates and bowls (OK, so I get a 1 for presentation).

Rigatoni with Roasted Squash, Bacon, & Pecans

This is a great fall dish.  Guaranteed to warm the insides (especially with all the garlic!).

1 acorn or butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped into 1" cubes
3-4 slices thick bacon or pancetta, chopped
1-2 ounces pecans or walnuts
1 medium onion, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
8 ounces dried rigatoni or your favorite pasta
olive oil
2 tbs butter (optional but . . .)
about 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
dried or fresh sage leaves
salt 'n pepper
freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Cut the squash in half and spoon out the seeds.  Peel and chop into about 1" cubes.  Put the squash in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper.  Spoon onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once (use a metal spatula).

Chop the nuts in 1/2 and toast in a hot pan for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix in a little olive oil.

Saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium low heat until fully cooked.  Remove the bacon to a small bowl, and spoon out most of the bacon fat.  Add a little olive oil to the skillet, and saute the pepper flakes and onions for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and the butter and cook another 2 minutes or so.  Add the squash, bacon, nuts, and sage and stir thoroughly.  Add the cooked and drained pasta, toss, and serve with the cheese.

Southwestern Beef Empanadas

Yesterday's spinach, veggie, and potato empanadas were so yummy we decided to make more!  This time, the filling is a southwestern meat chili colorado.  Did I spend the weekend cooking, taking pictures, and eating?  You bet.  So here's the filling recipe:

1 onion, peeled and quartered
1 red bell pepper, cored and quartered
1 bulb garlic, trimmed to expose the cloves
4 tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
8 ounces tomato paste
1 -2 large ancho chilies
1 chipolte chili
1 tbs each cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds
About 1 tbs salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs red chili powder
1 cup beef broth
2 lbs beef brisket or flank steak (I used leftover smoked brisket)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Put the onions, bell peppers, garlic bulb, and tomatoes in a large roasting pan and drizzle well with olive oil.  Roast the veggies in the oven until browned a bit, about 15 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and let cool.  Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb.

Put the ancho chili in the hot oven for maybe a minute.  It will swell up like a blimp.  Remove from the oven, core and remove seeds, and put it, and the chipolte, in a bowl of hot water to soak.

Toast the cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds in a hot pan for about 1-2 minutes.  Grind to a powder (I used a small coffee grinder-or use a mortar and pestle).

Put all the vegetables, garlic, chilies (drained), ground spices, chili powder, and about 2 tbs olive oil in a food processor and puree.  Add the salt and pepper, beef broth, and tomato paste, and puree some more.

Put the puree in a large saucepan.  Finely dice the brisket or flank steak, and add to the puree.  Bring to a low simmer, partially cover, and simmer for an hour or so.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Make the empanada dough, and the empanadas, per yesterday's post.  Serve with refried or seasoned black beans, and rice.  Enjoy!!

Variations--make burritos or soft tacos with the filling, and fill or top with chopped lettuce, cotija, jack, and/or cheddar cheese, chopped tomato, sour cream, and avocado.  Or leave the meat out of the filling, and spoon warm over roasted chicken, pork, or ? as you might use a mole sauce.  Heck, I'd spoon it over scrambled eggs for breakfast.  Can you say heuvos rancheros???

Pumpkin Pancakes & Waffles

Hi there, Marci here. Stuart has graciously allowed me to invade his blog and do a guest post. This summer Stephanie and I had the pleasure of staying at The Mission House Bed & Breakfast in Iowa City, Iowa. Owners Shirley and Ray Hendrickson made us feel right at home, and Shirley prepared the best pancakes we have ever eaten, so we just have to share them with you. Let's get started:

Ingredients
1 cup pancake/waffle mix
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp. each ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg)
2 tbsp. sugar

2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk (we use soy, but regular is fine)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix, just pumpkin)

Beat the eggs for a minute or two, then add the pumpkin, oil, and milk. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add them into the pumpkin-egg mixture just until smooth.

You can make the batter the night before and refrigerate it. For pancakes, you may need to thin it a little bit - just play around and see what you like best. These are really good on a crisp fall morning, with some bacon (mmm, bacon......), maple syrup, and fresh fruit on the side. And if you ever find yourself in Iowa City, stay at The Mission House - you won't regret it! http://missionhousebedandbreakfast.com/

Spinach, Veggie, & Potato Empanadas

These are great fun to make and eat! You can fill them with anything you want, from savory to sweet. I made up this filling today, but I use Tyler Florence's recipe for the dough from the Food Network site.

Filling Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 tbs oil

2 medium potatoes, peeled, par boiled, and finely diced

1 large bag spinach

1/4 cup or so of chicken or veggie broth, or water

Spices

1 tsp salt

Ground pepper

1 tbs garam masala

1 tbs coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Cooking the Filling

Saute the onions in oil until soft. Add bell pepper and garlic and saute about 3-5 minutes more. Add all the spices and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the broth or water to keep from sticking. Add the potatoes and stir thoroughly. Add the spinach and saute until wilted. Remove from heat and let cool.

The Dough

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup masa harina corn flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

1 large egg beaten with 1 tbs water (for egg wash)

Mix or sift the flour, masa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in melted butter. Gradually add water while working the dough with your hands. The dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Roll into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Assembly

Lightly flour a rolling pin and the counter. Divide the dough into 1/2. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 4 inch or so cookie cutter (or a large can?), cut out as many circles as you can. Re-roll the trimmings and cut more circle(s). Repeat with the other 1/2. Then re-roll each circle, if you want, to get a nice even thickness (and so you can stuff more filling in them!).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon about 2 tbs filling into the center of each dough round, leaving about a 1/2 inch border. Brush the edges with egg wash, and fold dough over in 1/2 to enclose the filling. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.

Place the empanadas on a greased baking sheet and brush the top with egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the top of each to release steam (they will blow up!). Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

We served them with rice and beans. Enjoy!!

Yummy Lasagne!

This is a nice recipe for lasagne, and because Steph has a casein intolerance, this is cow milk free. The cool thing is that the buffalo mozzeralla, mixed with an egg, has the flavor of cheese and the consistency of ricotta. If cow is no problem, use grated mozzarella and parmesan.

Lasagne noodles, 8 sheets (I use fresh sheets from Pasta & Company)

Base sauce (see my earlier recipe), or your tomtaoe sauce recipe

1 large container,buffalo mozzarella, mixed with one egg

1 tube, Isernio's chicken italian sausage

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 can jumbo black olives, sliced

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil and butter. Add 1/2 cup of white wine, boil until reduced, then add the ground sausage. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is lightly browned. Add the tomatoe sauce, and if not already spiced, add 1 Tbs each of thyme, basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. Ground black pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl to rest (ahh?) and cool down.

Saute the mushrooms over medium high heat in olive oil until the liquid reduces. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Use a 9X14 or bigger baking dish. Layer the lasagne noodles, spoon and evenly spread the cheese, then add mushrooms, and olives, then add a layer of sauce. Repeat 4 times, or more.

If you want to use parmesan, sprinkle at each layer and on top.

Bake, 350, covered with foil, for about 30 minutes. Then bake uncovered until the pie is boiling hot. Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes or so, then serve.