White Bean Salad

Originally this post was going to be about making various vinaigrettes. I had made three different vinaigrettes and had big plans to photograph them and offer several recipes along with a tutorial about how to make and customize them.

Then, I ate them in various dishes and forgot to take the pictures.

I'm sorry.

But the salads were good.

I will do it soon, though, because the basic formula for The Vinaigrette is indispensable for the summer salads, regardless of whether the salads are full of greens, beans, potatoes, vegetables, pastas, or a combination. 

For most of the people for whom I cooked Saturday evening, the main course was a white kidney bean salad marinated in a lovely red wine vinaigrette (with a side of tomato basil focaccia).  For the two of my family who don't like beans so much, a salad topped with sauteed chicken marinated in the same vinaigrette was the main show.  Both were easy, fresh, and summery, and both were delicious.

In this salad, I suggest de-seeded cucumbers.  To do this, peel your cucumber (if needed), and slice it in half lengthwise.  With a spoon, scrape out the seeds.

Slice it and dice it accordingly.

The longer this salad marinates, the better it tastes.  At least 30 minutes is necessary, and leftovers only get better.  If you do have leftovers, store the bean mixture by itself (not with the greens) in the fridge.


White Bean Salad
serves 4-5 as a main course

• 2 c cooked cannellini beans
• 1 c chopped red onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1/2 cucumber, de-seeded and chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped (or a handful of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered)
• 5-6 cups fresh greens (to include plenty of arugula)
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
• garlic croutons, preferably homemade (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the beans, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes.

In a 1/2 pint jar or other small container with a tight fitting lid, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Tighten the lid and shake like crazy.

Pour over the bean mixture and mix well.

Allow to marinate at room temperature at least 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Give it a taste and adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary.

Arrange the greens among the plates.  Top evenly with the bean mixture, spooning extra marinade from the bottom of the bean bowl over the beans and greens.  Top each plate with crumbled feta cheese and garlic croutons, if using.

Squash and Mushrooms with Black Japonica Rice

Every time a I make a meal, I feed not only my daughter, myself, and the two men in my own family, but also 3 other adult men.  Because my daughter and I are so severely outnumbered, once the cool weather sets in, I find myself making more meat based stews and casseroles and such. Well, today I felt I really needed to get back to my vegetarian heart and make something hearty, but a little less heavy.

Enter black japonica rice (and that butternut squash that has been sitting on my counter for almost two months).  The other day I bought a mixture of black and mahogany japonica rice thinking it might work out well with my aging butternut squash, and then I bought some mushrooms (because rice always tastes great with mushrooms).  With very few other ingredients (garlic, onions, celery...), that rice and that butternut squash became a delicious, filling meal that even the men raved about.

According to the few articles I could find on the internet, black japonica rice originated in China, but is also grown here, in the US.  While I understand that wild rice (which is also black in color) is actually a grass, japonica rice is still a rice, thus, still a grain.  It has an earthy but mildly sweet flavor.  At first, I thought the dish I had in mind might benefit from toasted walnuts on top, but the rice kind of held its own in the "nutty" department as well, and the walnuts didn't work.   Parmesan worked extremely well, but just a small amount was all it took.  I still think a smoked cheese, just a bit, might work, too, but not a soft cheese such as gouda or even provolone.

The original recipe that inspired this dish was a recipe from Real Simple for Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms and Fontina, which I haven't actually tried yet.  It just looked so good to me for at least the past week that I was determined to make that squash/mushroom/sage bit sooner than later.  Well, it finally landed on top of the black japonica rice, and it rocked.  The sweetness of the squash and the earthiness of the mushrooms (and the sheer grooviness of the sage when combined with those two vegetables) just enhanced the same sort of flavors that the japonica rice already offered, only the rice's flavors were much more mild.

Also, the package of rice I bought suggested a rice to water ratio of 1:2.  I found that by using two cups of water, the rice was still very wet at the end of cooking and resting time, so I've modified the recipe below to allow for the moisture in the onions and celery because I don't like mushy  rice.

All in all, any time my husband says to me, "Hey, this is really good - is there bacon in this?  Is there more?", and it's vegetarian,  I win.

Squash with Mushrooms and Black Japonica Rice
serves 4-5

For the rice:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 c black japonica rice (or mixture of black and mahogany japonica rice)
• 1 3/4 c water
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Squash and Mushrooms:

• 1 2lb butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, and chopped into 1" chunks
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, halved or quartered if large
• 1/4 c fresh sage leaves, torn or roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add celery, onion, and garlic.  

Saute for 5 minutes.  Stir in rice.  

Saute for 1 more minute.  Add water and salt; stir again.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer.  

Simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let rest about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the squash, mushrooms, sage, garlic, oil, salt (I used about 3/4 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper in a large bowl.  Mix well to coat.

Turn the vegetable mixture out onto two 15x10" pans.  Roast in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Divide rice between plates.  Top with roasted squash and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Be sure to check out the #cookielove blog hop going on all of December for some of the best cookie recipes in the blogosphere!

Mediterranean Style Stuffed Mushrooms

Love these meaty little guys!  When the rest of my family is having steaks or burgers for dinner, I opt for these delicious main dish stuffed mushrooms.  They are great on their own, but even better served over hot whole wheat linguine or fettuccine tossed with oil and parsley.  Mmmm.

There are so many wonderful things to say about portobello mushrooms; sliced, chopped, grilled, baked, sauteed, stewed, or stuffed, they are easily my favorite mushroom.  And really, the caps can be stuffed with pretty much any tasty concoction you can devise.  These are my "Mediterranean" version.

When shopping for them, do try to find them in bulk bins in the produce section so you can choose wisely; all too often the mushrooms wrapped in plastic tend to be slimy or moldy.  When choosing, look for firm, unwrinkled caps with a good, earthy fragrance. Avoid the ones that look a little dried out and shrively, or smell moldy (or like they've just returned from the swamp).  I store my mushrooms (all fresh ones) in a brown paper bag (such as a lunch bag) in the driest part of my refrigerator, and I only buy as many as we'll need for that week.  In my experience, leaving them in any plastic type packaging leads to moisture issues, which can result in either a slimy, stinky mushroom or a dried out mushroom, but the paper bag allows them to breathe and absorbs excess moisture.  However, be careful where you store them - if you store them in a high moisture area, they will deteriorate quickly because the bag will also take on the moisture of the foods around it.  When you are ready to use the mushrooms, use a damp towel (paper or otherwise) and gently wipe the mushroom clean.

Mediterranean Style Stuffed Mushrooms
serves 4

• 4 oz feta cheese
• 6 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 Tbs sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 Tbs onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 4 medium size portobello caps (about 8-10 oz), stems removed and wiped clean
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly oil a shallow baking tray.

In a small bowl, combine the feta, olives, tomatoes, basil, onion, and garlic.  Mix well.

With a small spoon, carefully scoop out the gills of each mushroom, like this:

Using a pastry brush, baste each mushroom inside and out with the olive oil.  Place on the prepared baking tray.
Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the mushroom caps.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes, or until mushroom is tender and cheese is just beginning to brown.

Serve immediately.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

It's getting time to say good-bye to all that lovely eggplant.  I have two more waiting on my counter just begging to be turned into Eggplant Parmesan one last time.  Sigh.

The cool weather is teasing us here in the upper Midwest, and I'm feeling the pull.  As some summer staples are nearing their season's end, I'm feeling more inclined to make casseroles, stews and breads (hmm, maybe those eggplant are destined for a baked Eggplant Parmesan casserole, thick with sauce and mozzarella...mmm!).  It's odd how innately in tune to the seasons our bodies are that we can switch from shorts and dresses and summer pastas one week, to jeans and sweatshirts and chilis the next.  Maybe it's just part of living here where all the seasons are so pronounced, but it's a part I really, really love.

Here is this year's last homage to one of my favorite foods of summer.  And it even tastes good cold the next day.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

Serves 6

• 2 eggplant, peeled if desired, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 12 oz dried whole wheat rotini or fusilli pasta

• about 20 kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425F.  Lightly oil two 10x15" baking trays.

Combine eggplant, onions, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper 2 Tbs olive oil in a large bowl.  Toss well.

Divide evenly between prepared baking pans.  Roast in preheated oven about 40 minutes, or until tender, stirring once half way through.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing.  In a small jar with tight fitting lid, combine 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar, 3 Tbs olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Cover tightly and shake well.

Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking al dente.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 tsp of the pasta water.  Transfer pasta to a large bowl (I like to use the same one I used to prep the veggies so that any left over seasoning goes back into the dish).  Add the roasted vegetables and mix well.  Pour the dressing over and mix again.  If the mixture seems a bit dry, add some of the pasta water.

Serve topped with chopped kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Ooh-la-la.

Beer Braised Pot Roast and Potatoes

Horseradish - would you believe I can't find the root anywhere around here?  Not at the farmer's markets nor in any of the grocery stores.  Well, I did actually find some at one grocery store, but the cashier didn't know how to ring it up; she couldn't find the code listed, so she called someone from produce, who didn't know what it was, either (neither the root nor the code).  The produce guy called another produce guy, who called someone else, who called a manager, and all the while the line of customers waiting to check out was growing longer.  The good people in line behind me were alternating between being annoyed at the hold up and conversing about the "mystery root".  After several minutes of the store personnel trying to figure out how they could sell it to me, what it was, passing the root from person to person (by this time there was quite a crowd handling the odd looking root), off color jokes about the aptly named root (at which I laughed and agreed), I gave up and ended up purchasing a bottle of prepared horseradish.  Which pales in comparison by way of flavor, but definitely lends something good, none the less.

This pot roast is a slow cooked, heady mixture of beef, horseradish, garlic, onions, herbs and beer.  I love to add the potatoes right into the slow cooker so they soak up all that yummy flavor and juice, and then hand mash them with the garlic and onions as a side dish to the roast.  When I use the slow cooker, I don't like to "attend" to the contents, so I keep the potato chunks large enough to maintain their form during the long cooking time (smaller chunks get done much sooner than the meat and become too mushy for my taste).   Also, the slow cooker tends to cook the flavor out of a lot of seasonings, so don't be alarmed by the amount of each of them in this dish - just go with it; you'll be happy you did. Served with a green vegetable salad and some crusty bread, this is a most satisfying meal with hardly any work involved.

*Note - When I make this, I often make two roasts; one for dinner and one for sandwiches throughout the next few days.  Two 2 1/2 lb chuck roasts fit nicely in a 5-6 quart slow cooker.  The only amendments to the recipe you'll need to make is to double the flour, salt, pepper mixture in the beginning (to accommodate both roasts), double the horseradish, increase the thyme and rosemary, and use the whole bottle of beer.

And the broth makes a wonderful gravy (1 Tbs butter to 1 Tbs flour to 1 cup of broth) to mix with the shredded beef later in the week.

Beer Braised Pot Roast and Potatoes

• 2 1/2 - 3lb chuck roast (preferably free range, grass fed/finished)
• 1/4 c flour
• 1 Tbs kosher salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 Tbs prepared horseradish
• several fresh sprigs thyme and rosemary (don't be shy)
• 2 bay leaves
• few good pinches caraway seeds (optional)
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 5-6 large red potatoes, halved
• 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup dark beer (a good stout is very nice)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat.

In a shallow bowl, mix flour, salt and pepper.  Dredge the chuck roast in the flour mixture, using your hands to pat in all the flour mixture.  Carefully place the roast in the pan (it may splatter) and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until deeply browned.

Transfer the roast to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.  Turn the heat on the skillet or dutch oven off.  Pour the beer into the pan and scrape all the little blackened bits from the bottom.  Set aside.

Spread the prepared horseradish on the roast.

Toss in the onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, caraway (if using) and potatoes.  Pour the beer (with all the flavor bits from the bottom of the pan) over everything.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This 6 qt slow cooker has 2 roasts under the potatoes

Cover and cook on low 8 - 9 hours or on high 5 - 6 hours. When the meat is extremely tender and falls apart, it's done.

When ready to serve, remove the roast to a serving platter and keep warm.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs (if herbs still have the stems, pluck those out, and discard the bay leaves), to a large bowl and mash with a fork or hand masher.

Serve with an ice cold beer and enjoy.

Spinach and Feta Thin Crust Pizza

Making your own pizza is easy and fun - the possibilities for topping combinations are nearly endless.  The crusts are easy to tailor, too; thick, thin, herbed, cheese stuffed...  And the sauces!  Red sauce, white sauce, pureed beans, no sauce at all...  The best part, though, is that it's inexpensive, not very time consuming, and the whole family can get involved.  Pizza is just good, no matter how you look at it.

A few kitchen items I use when I make pizza include my food processor, a rolling pin, a pizza peel and a pizza stone.  No, you probably don't need any of those things, but I find they make the process easy and improve the quality and flavor of the finished pizza.  If you do not have a pizza peel or stone, you can always pat the crust into some jelly roll pans (or cookie sheets) and bake them on the bottom rack, but you will get a crisper, more evenly baked crust with the stone.

For this pizza, I like a thin, crispy crust.  It's pretty simple to achieve this with a basic pizza dough recipe; more yeast and less oil yields a thicker, more bread-like crust, and less yeast and more oil will turn into a crispy, thin crust.

Working with yeast isn't as tricky as a lot of people tend to think it is, and that is especially true with a pizza crust.  With this recipe, we will "proof" the yeast before we add it to the dry ingredients so that there won't be any Oops My Yeast is Dead surprises.  We'll feed the yeast some honey while it hangs out in some warm water and when it foams, we'll know our yeast is happy and our crust will be awesome.  If it doesn't foam, you need to go buy some new yeast and throw the old yeast away.  There is really no need to check the temperature of the water with a thermometer - it just needs to be warm enough to not be too hot.  It should be between 90-105 degrees, so you should be able to put your fingers in the water without needing to pull them back out right away, and it should be warmer than your hand.

The dough recipe makes enough for two 12-14 inch pizzas.  You can either use it all  now, or freeze half; after the rise, form half of the dough into a ball, wrap it well in plastic wrap and freeze.  Thaw when ready to use.

For the dough:
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp raw honey
1 cup warm water (about 90-105 degrees)

Pour the water into a 2 cup (or larger) measuring cup.  Quickly stir in the honey and yeast, breaking up any clumps of yeast.  Set aside to rest for about 3-5 minutes, or until there is anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch of froth on top.  It will look like this when it is ready:

Meanwhile, insert the blade (the dough blade is ideal, if you have one) into the food processor.  Place the flours, salt and 1 Tbs olive oil into your food processor.  Give it a few pulses to mix.  When your yeast and water are ready to go, turn your processor on "dough" speed and slowly pour the yeast mixture through the tube.  If the flour looks a little dry, add some more water by tablespoons full until it catches and creates a ball.  Let the ball whirl around in there for about 30 seconds (this the "kneading" part we are able to skip by letting the food processor do it for us).

Place the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil in a large bowl.  Remove the dough (it will be sticky) and place it in the bowl, turning to coat in the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap (or even a clean towel) and set aside to rise for about 45 minutes while you get the rest of your pizza ingredients together.

Spinach and Feta Thin Crust Pizza
makes one 12 - 14 inch pizza

2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c shredded Provolone cheese
3 c chopped fresh spinach
 5 or 6 sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 c thinly sliced red onions
a handful of pitted olives, chopped or sliced
1/4 c shredded fresh Mozzarella cheese
3 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
Grated Asiago or Parmesan
1/2 recipe thin crust pizza dough (above)
Cornmeal for dusting the peel

Preheat oven (with stone) to 500F. *If you are not using a stone, lightly oil two jelly roll pans or pizza pans and adjust your oven racks to the lowest level.

Dust your pizza peel generously with cornmeal. Divide the dough in half (decide if you will be making two pizzas - if not, wrap the other half of the dough in plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate).  With a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough directly on the pizza peel into a 12-14" inch round.  *If using pans, either roll it out or pat it into the prepared pans.

Using a pastry brush, evenly brush the olive oil over the whole crust.  Sprinkle with the minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and provolone.  Top with spinach, tomatoes, onions, olives, Mozzarella, Feta, and grated Asiago or Parmesan.

Slide onto the pizza stone and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is just beginning to lightly brown. *If using pans, place them on the bottom rack and continue as directed for baking time.

Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Technically, eggplants, like cucumbers or tomatoes, are fruits, not vegetables.  But since they are eaten as a vegetable, I fully intend to refer them as such (plus, it's just easier and less confusing that way).  Honestly, I don't care what they're called; I just like to eat them.

Eggplant in season, much like a cucumber or tomato, is an entirely different vegetable from the eggplant shipped up from warmer climates during winter or spring.  Out of season, eggplant tends to be spongy, bruised, and bitter, and who would want to eat something like that?  If you've only ever eaten eggplant in that state, well, you have my deepest sympathies.  Right now, the farmer's markets are brimming with shiny, firm, sleek eggplant, and since it only comes once a year, I'm roasting, baking, frying, mashing, dressing and otherwise loving it.  It's so fresh that it doesn't need to be peeled or salted and pressed to help disguise the bitterness of age.  Baked, like the Eggplant Parmesan recipe I'm about to share, the eggplant takes on a creamy goodness that bears no resemblance to it's winter counterpart.  And it's a wonderful thing.

I love the traditional baked eggplant parmesan casseroles, layered with marinara and oozing with mozzarella.  But sometimes, I just want a lighter, but filling, pasta dish.  In this recipe, we'll bread and bake the eggplant cutlets, whip up a quick, fresh tomato basil sauce and serve it over pasta.  All those fresh ingredients working together on the plate make this dish heavenly.

When choosing your eggplants, look for ones that are about 3-4 inches in diameter, with shiny purple, taught, unmottled skin.  Try to avoid the larger ones for this dish if you can because those tend to have more seeds and seem to harbor more of those bitter qualities.  If for some reason you question the integrity of your eggplant, you might want to prep it with salt; after you cut your rounds, salt both sides of each round and place on a cooling rack or in a colander for about 30 min to allow the salt to bring out all the bitter juices.  Rinse the salt and pooled juices from each slice and squeeze the excess water by gently pressing them between your palms, and then pat dry with a towel.

Eggplant Parmesan with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Serves 6.  30-40 min cooking time.

• 2 medium eggplants (about 2lbs), peeled if desired, and sliced into 1/2" rounds (slicing on the diagonal makes for a larger cutlet, and is especially nice when you reach the narrow neck of the eggplant)
• 1 1/2 c dried bread crumbs (preferably homemade)
• 1 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbs water
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
• Fresh Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 13-14 oz pkg spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine pasta 
• Grated Parmesan or torn pieces of fresh mozzarella for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

On each of 2 15x10 jelly roll pans, spread 1 tsp olive oil with a pastry brush.  

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  In another shallow bowl, blend together the eggs and water with a fork so there are no gloopy chunks.  

Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture, turning to coat.  Shake off the excess egg and dredge the slice in the Parmesan mixture (use your hands to add more, if necessary).  Place each slice of eggplant on the prepared baking sheets.  When all the slices are coated, slowly drizzle a little olive oil over the tops of the prepared eggplant (about 1/2 tsp per slice).  It should look like this when you are done:

Place the sheets in the preheated oven for 20-25 min, turn the slices and bake another 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden.

• Meanwhile, get your pasta pot and tomato sauce going.  Prepare the pasta according to package instructions.  The sauce only takes about 5 minutes, so plan accordingly so everything is finished at the same time.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

• 3-4 large tomatoes (about 2 lbs), diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• few pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c chopped fresh basil leaves (loosely packed)
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

In a 12 inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the garlic for about a minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and juice, salt and pepper, and stir.  Reduce the heat and allow the tomato mixture to simmer uncovered about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in the basil and balsamic vinegar.  Stir well and remove from heat.  *If you are not ready to use the sauce right away, cover, leaving a vent, to keep warm.

Divide the pasta between 6 plates.  Top with 3-4 eggplant parmesan slices and a big spoonful of the sauce.  Top with either more grated Parmesan or with torn pieces of fresh mozzarella.

Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

This chicken recipe is for a delicately flavored, slow roasted chicken.  I choose this recipe when I want to have left overs for other dishes and I don't want the herby or garlicky flavors of the chicken to be so pronounced.  This chicken has a mild lemon flavor, allowing the chicken to taste like, well, chicken.  Even though I love well flavored chicken dishes such as Herb Baked Chicken, there is something both elegant and favorable about a modestly seasoned roasted chicken.

Roasting a chicken is a pretty simple concept, but discussions about time and temperature get as heated as discussions about politics and religion.  Personally, I prefer a slow oven because it allows me more time to do other things while dinner is cooking, and I've never accidentally over-cooked it to the point of being dry.  In fact, slow roasting the chicken helps to keep it moist and tender and keeping it uncovered for the entire cooking time allows for perfectly golden skin with only one or two bastings.  I've found that the cooking  temperature is quite forgiving; it can be cooked at 250F for five hours, or 275F for four hours or 300F for three hours (approximately - it really does depend on the size of your chicken and what, if anything, you've stuffed it with), so depending on my schedule, I can choose a temperature to allow for how much time I need to get other things done.

When I make this recipe, I like to make two chickens; one to eat for dinner and one for sandwiches, soups, and other recipes later in the week.  I figure if the oven is on, I may as well take advantage of it.  I really dislike buying deli meat (nitrates, preservatives, price, the factory from which the animals came...), so I often will roast a turkey or a ham and freeze it in 1-2 lb portions to have on hand for sandwiches for those members of my family who like those things.  This chicken is great for that since I'm already making one and it's hardly any more work to pop in another.

This recipe calls for the lemons to be "zested".  By grating the yellow peel (not the white pith beneath the yellow peel - that part is bitter not at all tasty), the intense flavors of the oil are released and it makes a perfect seasoning. Since we are using the peel, I would strongly suggest buying organic lemons and just giving them a quick wash.  If you've never removed the zest from a citrus fruit before, it incredibly simple.  Get yourself a lemon and a hand-held cheese grater (the box type graters aren't the best for this, in my opinion, because the zest tends to get stuck in the little holes and I can't stand trying to clean it out).  Apply a little pressure and swipe the grater along the peel, trying not to go too deep and get any of the bitter white pith.  Continue over the peel of the entire lemon.  That's it.

To test whether the chicken is done cooking, I watch for the skin to begin shrinking slightly back at the bottom of the drumstick, test to see if the thigh is easily pulled away from the body of the chicken, and if that's so, the juices pooled there will be clear. If those things don't happen, the chicken is not done cooking. The FDA recommends a temperature of 180F for the dark meat (light meat will read 170F).  Keep in mind if you do use a thermometer that the chicken will continue cooking and rising about 10 more degrees during it's resting time after you remove it from the oven.

Slow Roasted Lemon Chicken

• 2 whole 4-5 lb chickens (preferably free range and organic), washed and patted dry inside and outside
• 8-10 sprigs fresh sage, roughly chopped, stems and all (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 organic lemons, zested and quartered
• 4 tsp sea salt
• lemon zest (from above mentioned lemons)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 300F.

Place each chicken in its own roasting pan.  

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, lemon zest, paprika, and black pepper.  Rub 1/4 of the mixture inside the cavity of each chicken. Next, place half the sage and garlic cloves into each cavity, followed by 2 onion quarters, 4 lemon quarters for each chicken (it'll be a tight fit, but mash it all in there).  

Drizzle 1 Tbs olive oil over each chicken and rub around to coat.  Next,  divide the remaining zest and seasoning mixture evenly between both chickens and rub that around, too.

Tie the legs together (I use the abundance of twist ties I have lying around).

Each chicken should look like this:

Place the chickens, uncovered, into the oven.
After about 2 hours, use a large spoon and baste the chickens with the juices in the pan.  If you want to, you can baste it one more time before it's done, but it's probably not necessary.
Cook for about 3 hours, or until the chicken tests as done.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest about 15 minutes before cutting.

Easy Taco Salad

 

When I menu plan for the week (and I do because I'd spend a lot more money at the grocery store than I really need to spend if I didn't menu plan), I always allow for super speedy dinners on those nights I know are going to be busy.  This Easy Taco Salad is one of those quick "go-to" meals for us.  And I especially like that I can feed 6 people a healthy, delicious, filling meal for under $7, including fruit on the side.

For the chips, I could just buy a bag of chips, but I prefer to bake corn tortillas in the oven.  I like that I can decide how they are cooked, how much and what kind of oil is used, what type of corn is used, and it's less expensive.  My favorite are the organic sprouted corn tortillas from Food for Life (they are in the freezer section of the grocery store because there are no preservatives to give them a lengthy shelf life).  There are 12 tortillas in a package.  I baste them with a little olive oil and run a knife through them to create eight chip size wedges per tortilla.  I just spread them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake them for about 8 minutes or until they are golden and crispy (no need to turn them).  With only two trays, I usually do two separate batches.

Leave a little breathing room between your chips to ensure even cooking

Remove them from the oven when they are golden

While the chips are cooking, I warm some chili beans on the stove (you could add some cooked shredded chicken or beef to the chili beans, too), and prepare our toppings.  At our house, everyone likes different toppings on their salads, so I usually chop some lettuce, red or green onions, bell peppers, avocado, tomato, etc, shred some cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, monterey jack, etc), and set out some salsa and sour cream.  The chips are placed on each plate, topped with about 1/2 cup of warm chili bean mixture, then topped with whatever each person likes.  The salsa acts as a "dressing" for this salad, so I prefer a slightly cooked version.  Add some fresh fruit on the side, and dinner is served in about 15 minutes.

Easy Taco Salad
serves 6

• 12 6" corn tortillas
• 2 - 3 tsp olive oil
• sea salt
• 3 cups prepared chili beans
• 4 - 6 cups chopped lettuce
• a handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups (6-8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (or other cheese you enjoy on your tacos)
• 1 1/2 c prepared salsa

Suggested various toppings:

• chopped red or green onions
• chopped green or red bell peppers
• chopped tomatoes
• chopped avocado
• sour cream

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a pastry brush, lightly paint the oil on both sides of each tortilla.  Stack the tortillas and cut them through into 8 wedges (you should have 96 wedges).  Layer them on baking sheets, allowing at least 1/2 inch between each chip.  Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for about 8-10 minutes (depending on the kind of tortillas you are using).  When they are golden, but before the edges turn brown, remove them from the sheets and allow to cool.  (Note - depending on how many baking sheets you use, you may need to do a few batches.  If you use more than one rack in the oven, be sure to turn the trays or swap them from top to bottom to ensure even browning.)

Meanwhile, warm the chili beans in a pot on the stove. If you would like to add cooked beef or chicken, stir it in with the chili beans and adjust the flavors to your liking.

Divide the chips evenly among the plates.  Top each plate with 1/2 c of the warm chili bean mixture, a good handful of chopped lettuce (and cilantro if using),  and some shredded cheese.  Drizzle about 1/4 c of the salsa over each salad.  Top with which ever toppings appeal to you.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread

Generally, "eating local" is ideal because it is economic, healthy, and usually abundantly available.  The growing region in which I live has so much to offer, it's hard to believe that we might need anything other than what we already have.  But it's not hard to believe that we might want them.  I like oranges and orange juice, but we can't grow them here very successfully.  I like olives and olive oil, but again, not from here because our weather isn't forgiving enough to nurture those plants and trees.  What about lemons, limes, figs, and avocados?  No, no, no, and no.

With the citrus, we do have them available in the grocery store, but the flavor pales in comparison to where they thrive; an orange eaten in California or Florida tastes drastically different than an orange eaten in Wisconsin.  I can't attest to the flavor of the lemons and limes as well, but I have to assume the situation is similar.  My kids like oranges, so I will buy the oranges, but even though they've never eaten the fruit in its home region, they notice the severe fluctuations in flavor and quality, too.

Could we live a healthy life without those things?  Sure.  But personally, I rely on olive oil and lemons, at the very least, and they are pretty much staples in my home.  And I'm not ready to ditch coffee or the occasional chocolate.  So, I do make exceptions.   For me, oils and olives are exceptions because they are prepared and preserved before they are sold, as opposed to whole fruits and vegetables, allowing the rest of us to enjoy them as well.  And I do make exceptions for lemons because we don't eat them whole (like we do with oranges); we use them to flavor or enhance a dish made with our own local offerings, the same as we do with any other seasonings.  With cocoa and coffee, I look for fair trade and organic versions.  There are several whole foods we like that are not locally grown, such as mangoes, pineapples and bananas, and we do buy them during their growing seasons, but they are not staples because they are not grown here.

One such food is the avocado.  I don't buy them often, but I like them with bean based Mexican style foods, instead of sour cream, which I also like (and find in abundance locally).  And I love them with this grilled mushroom sandwich, even though I could probably either use a homemade mayonnaise instead of the avocado or just skip the smear all together and just use basil leaves, because I like all of those things, too.

So, for the most part, I'm okay with occasionally enjoying the fruits and vegetables of another region, as long as they are purchased during their growing season and not relied upon as staples, unless they are minimally prepared and preserved (such as the oils and olives).  It is important that we understand the vast amount of food our individual growing regions have to offer so we can enjoy as much of it as possible, in as many different ways as possible.  In today's society, it's a gift to be able to enjoy olive oils and specialty vinegars from Greece or Italy, wines from California and France, various nuts and beans and so on, but only if it's used in conjunction with a dish made primarily from locally grown foods.

Anyway, now that I've rambled, here's the recipe for these delicious barbecue fare "burgers".  I do want to mention a bit about the ciabatta bread, though.  If you need to purchase a premade loaf, try to find one that is extremely fresh so the crust is still soft enough to bite into without squishing all the sandwich contents out the sides (I can't stand it when that happens).  Otherwise, you might consider making one yourself.  I use the recipe in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, and it's so easy;  just mix the flour, salt, yeast and water, let it rise, shape it and bake it - no kneading at all.  I absolutely love their breads and method.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Basil Avocado Spread
Serves 6.  Approx 10 min prep time.  Approx 8 min cook time.

For the spread:

• 2 avocados
• 2 Tbs basil leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed (through a garlic press, or finely minced if you don't own a press)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the mushrooms:

• 6 large portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Baby lettuce leaves
• 1 16oz loaf ciabatta bread, sliced lengthwise and cut into 6 equal bun size portions

Place the mushrooms in a 13x9 pan, gill side up (if they don't fit flat in the pan, use a gallon size resealable storage bag).  In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste).  Pour over the mushrooms, turning the mushrooms to coat, but ending with gill side up again (if you are using a bag, pour the marinade in with the mushrooms and gently shake to coat).  Set aside.

Cut the top and bottom off the red bell peppers (reserve for another use). Run your knife around the inside to remove the core and seeds.  Slice each pepper into three square chunks, like this:

Set the peppers on top of the mushrooms (or toss them into the bag) and set aside.

Cut the avocados in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.  Place the avocado into a small bowl along with the basil, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt and pepper (to taste), and mash everything together with a fork.

Slather the basil avocado spread on the bottom half of each ciabatta "bun" and top with baby lettuce leaves.

Oil the grates and fire up the grill.  Place the peppers and mushrooms (gill side up) on the rack over direct heat, and grill about 4-5 minutes.  Turn the vegetables over and grill another 4-5 minutes, basting the tops of the mushrooms with any left over marinade.

Place one bell pepper square and one mushroom on top of each of the prepared ciabatta buns.  Place the top on the sandwich and serve.

Summer Vegetable Soup

It's Soup Day today at my house.  Or, more accurately, it's Clean Out the Fridge Day.

I woke up early enough to make it to the Farmer's Market shortly after it opened, so I had the greatest pick of some fantastic produce.  Even though I frequent the farmers markets for as long as they run (where I live it is until mid October), this 'early to the market' thing is such a rarity for me, I ended up making three trips back to my car today because I couldn't carry it all; baby romain and salad leaves, eggplant, corn on the cob, carrots, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, green and yellow beans, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, green and purple peppers (I have never seen a purple bell pepper before, and they were so pretty, so I bought some), kohlrabi, chard, and blueberries.  I think I bought something from every vendor there and spent just under $40 for everything.  Gosh, I love that place.

Anyway, when I came home, I realized I needed to clean out the refrigerator so I had a place to stash my haul.  A lot of the things I found in there were still good, but nearing the end of days, so I just set all the old contents on the counter and considered what kind of soup we'd be having for dinner.  Two giant tomatoes were very ripe, so I decided to make a quick tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, onions, and basil, which would be the base of the soup.  To that I added about a cup of chopped carrots, a zucchini, about a cup of green beans, a couple stalks of celery, and some water (and of course, salt and pepper).  In simple, thin brothy vegetable soups like this one, I like to stir in some beans (in this case, Cannellini) and some greens (today I used the chard I just bought).  And, to off set the tomatoes, a little red wine vinegar.

My family always likes to eat soup with bread (who doesn't?), so I made focaccia dough in the breadmaker, topped it with garlic, olive oil, oregano, olives and parmesan, and baked it in the oven.  We had slices of cantelope for dessert.

Nice.  Simple.  Quick.  Delicious.

Before I give the recipe, would you like to see my purple bell pepper?  Seriously, the only time I've ever seen a purple pepper, the poor thing was about an hour from turning black and biting the dust.  But this one is not the same at all; it's crisp and tastes bright and fresh, like a green bell pepper, but a little more bland flavor, almost watery.  I was surprised to see it was green on the inside and the wall is firm and thicker than I had expected.  I think we'll use them in fresh salads, although I might saute some just to see what happens with the purple color.

Here is the Summer Vegetable Soup recipe.  All portions are approximate, so if you like carrots, add more, if you don't like green beans, add a cup of something you do like (peas are good), etc.  Serves 6-8.

Summer Vegetable Soup

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2-3 large tomatoes, diced, with all their juice (or a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes would suffice)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 med white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped basil (not necessarily minced, but not a large chop, either)
• 2 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 c sliced carrots
• 1 c zucchini, chopped
• 1 c green beans, cut into 1" pieces (or use frozen if you don't have any fresh)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 6 c water
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 c cooked white beans such as Cannellini, Great Northern or Navy (or 1 15oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 4 cups chopped chard or spinach leaves
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium/high heat in a dutch oven or soup kettle.  Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and 1 tsp salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 min until the tomatoes start to break down and onion is translucent.  Add carrots, zucchini, green beans, celery, water, remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, or until green beans are tender.  Stir in white beans and chard or spinach.  Simmer another 10 minutes, or until greens are wilted.  Remove from the heat and stir in red wine vinegar.  Serve topped with parmesan cheese.