I kept the left over chicken and it's bones, and made stock with it. I originally was going to just keep it for stock, but I was not in the mood to make dinner - so stock became Chicken Soup.
I put all of the left over chicken in a stock pot, covered the whole thing with water. In goes, 1 teaspoon of salt, couple pinches of pepper, a couple of chopped up carrots, a couple of chopped up celery, 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, oregano, wrapped up with kitchen twine), and 1 chopped up onion. I even like to throw a 1/2 cup of White wine if I have it or if I just so happen to be drinking it while I am cooking...
I turn the burner onto Medium and cover the pot and let it go for about an hour.
This last chicken soup consisted of carrots, celery, whole wheat egg noodles, and mixed chard (swiss chard, kale, red chard). I cut up a whole bunch and added it to by soup broth... now this is after I strained the broth and separated bones from meat and threw the meat back into the broth.
OR just keep the broth for chicken stock... to use in other stuff!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday Dinner
I remember, back in the day, when Damon and I were still living in Bozeman - we had a family frat house going. It was fun. We did a lot of Sunday dinners. It was great food and friends, and music, and hanging out. I don't get to do that a lot here in the city, but this year, I'm going to try.
I have also been reading this book by Barbara Kingsolver: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's about growing food and eating seasonally, and where our foods come from. It's eye opening and sad - but good at the same time. It's gotten me to shop locally at farmer's markets and eat more seasonally. So yesterday was a Sunday dinner of seasonal vegetables and a roast chicken. It only takes about 2 hours start to finish. This meal would also suit the busy person by allowing the art of the multi-task; fold your laundry while the stuff is in the oven...
Roasted Chicken w/Orange and Garlic (from Martha Stewart, don't judge)
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 navel oranges (preferably organic), 1 zested, both cut into 2-inch wedges
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs
1 whole chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds)
2 red onions, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges (I didn't have red onions so I used Shallots, worked out nice)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt into a paste.
Combine garlic paste, butter, zest, and chopped thyme. Gently separate skin from breast of chicken, and rub half of the butter mixture under the skin on each side. Season with salt.
Fill cavity with 2 orange wedges, 1 onion wedge, and thyme sprigs. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet, and tuck wings under. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Scatter remaining oranges and onions around chicken. Dot oranges and onions with 1 tablespoon butter mixture.
Roast for 30 minutes. Brush chicken with remaining butter mixture. Flip oranges and onions. Rotate sheet, and roast for 15 minutes more. Remove oranges and onions if caramelized. Roast chicken until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Roasted Root Vegetables and Greens
6 red potatoes, quartered
6 mixed carrots (orange and purple - or if you don't find the purple ones just the old fashioned kind will work)
1 Bunch of Kale
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Shallot chopped
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Oregon
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Chicken Broth
Preheat Oven 400 degrees
Throw everything into a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Pour onto a large casserole, add the broth, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove foil and roast for another 10 minutes.
NOTE:
If you decide to put the chicken and the Vegetables together to roast in the oven, add about 30 minutes to total roasting time. For the veggies, you will want to keep the foil on for about 45 min and then remove the last 10...just to brown the veggies. Mind the greens, you don't want to turn them into crunchy fall leaves.
Enjoy!
I have also been reading this book by Barbara Kingsolver: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's about growing food and eating seasonally, and where our foods come from. It's eye opening and sad - but good at the same time. It's gotten me to shop locally at farmer's markets and eat more seasonally. So yesterday was a Sunday dinner of seasonal vegetables and a roast chicken. It only takes about 2 hours start to finish. This meal would also suit the busy person by allowing the art of the multi-task; fold your laundry while the stuff is in the oven...
Roasted Chicken w/Orange and Garlic (from Martha Stewart, don't judge)
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 navel oranges (preferably organic), 1 zested, both cut into 2-inch wedges
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs
1 whole chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds)
2 red onions, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges (I didn't have red onions so I used Shallots, worked out nice)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mash garlic and 1 teaspoon salt into a paste.
Combine garlic paste, butter, zest, and chopped thyme. Gently separate skin from breast of chicken, and rub half of the butter mixture under the skin on each side. Season with salt.
Fill cavity with 2 orange wedges, 1 onion wedge, and thyme sprigs. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet, and tuck wings under. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Scatter remaining oranges and onions around chicken. Dot oranges and onions with 1 tablespoon butter mixture.
Roast for 30 minutes. Brush chicken with remaining butter mixture. Flip oranges and onions. Rotate sheet, and roast for 15 minutes more. Remove oranges and onions if caramelized. Roast chicken until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reaches 165 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Roasted Root Vegetables and Greens
6 red potatoes, quartered
6 mixed carrots (orange and purple - or if you don't find the purple ones just the old fashioned kind will work)
1 Bunch of Kale
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Shallot chopped
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Oregon
1 teaspoon fresh chopped Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup of Chicken Broth
Preheat Oven 400 degrees
Throw everything into a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Pour onto a large casserole, add the broth, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove foil and roast for another 10 minutes.
NOTE:
If you decide to put the chicken and the Vegetables together to roast in the oven, add about 30 minutes to total roasting time. For the veggies, you will want to keep the foil on for about 45 min and then remove the last 10...just to brown the veggies. Mind the greens, you don't want to turn them into crunchy fall leaves.
Enjoy!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
From the actual Cook Book....Appetizer Section
OK, here it goes. I am actually doing this!
I can’t have a dinner party or any kind of party with out having appetizers.
This is a fact about me that almost everyone knows that has come to dinner or a party at my home: I am NEVER on time. I really want to be on time with dinner. I REALLY do. But there is some kind of force of nature that does not allow me to be on time. That is why I always make appetizers. At least when my guests arrive I have something to feed them. They have to have something to eat! I always have something for them to drink and I’ll be damned if their drunk before dinner!
Tip from Michelle: Serve appetizers if you don’t want your guests drunk before dinner.
Curried Shrimp
Ingredients
1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbls butter
1 tbls Yellow Curry Powder
1 tbls Garlic finely chopped
2 tspn minced fresh Ginger
1/4 cup Rice Wine
In a medium skillet or sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter but do not let it separate. Add the garlic and mince ginger and saute it for about 1 minute. Add the curry and wine, frequently stirring until smooth.
Add the shrimp, folding the shrimp into the sauce and frequently shaking the pan for 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and firm. Serve immediately with sliced pita bread or baguette.
I can’t have a dinner party or any kind of party with out having appetizers.
This is a fact about me that almost everyone knows that has come to dinner or a party at my home: I am NEVER on time. I really want to be on time with dinner. I REALLY do. But there is some kind of force of nature that does not allow me to be on time. That is why I always make appetizers. At least when my guests arrive I have something to feed them. They have to have something to eat! I always have something for them to drink and I’ll be damned if their drunk before dinner!
Tip from Michelle: Serve appetizers if you don’t want your guests drunk before dinner.
Curried Shrimp
Ingredients
1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tbls butter
1 tbls Yellow Curry Powder
1 tbls Garlic finely chopped
2 tspn minced fresh Ginger
1/4 cup Rice Wine
In a medium skillet or sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter but do not let it separate. Add the garlic and mince ginger and saute it for about 1 minute. Add the curry and wine, frequently stirring until smooth.
Add the shrimp, folding the shrimp into the sauce and frequently shaking the pan for 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and firm. Serve immediately with sliced pita bread or baguette.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Apples for Dessert
I love dessert. I love it too much. Because I love dessert so much, I have been trying out things that are maybe...more healthy choices. It's all about the choices this year. So the following dessert is an adaptation of something I saw out of (don't judge me) Martha Stewart's Living.
Apples for Dessert:
2 Granny Smith Apples Cut in half and the core scooped out, so there is a small bowl in the center of the apple.
2 Tablespoons of Butter cut up into small cubes
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of chopped mix nuts (I used almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds)
1 Tablespoon Flax Seed
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 Cup of Oatmeal
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl mix all of the above ingredients together, except for the apples, until the butter is incorporated. The consistency should be similar to a crumble topping.
Cut the apples in half and scoop out the core so you have a small bowl in the center of the apple. Turn each half over and slice a piece off so that the apple can sit flat in a baking dish. Do not peel apple.
Put the 4 halves in a small baking dish. Fill each apple with the mixture. You can completely cover it, so it's not just in the core. Bake at 375 degrees until apples are soft and topping is crisp - about 30 minutes.
It's delicious by itself, or with ice cream. It's also a VERY easy dessert to make.
Enjoy!
Apples for Dessert:
2 Granny Smith Apples Cut in half and the core scooped out, so there is a small bowl in the center of the apple.
2 Tablespoons of Butter cut up into small cubes
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup of chopped mix nuts (I used almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds)
1 Tablespoon Flax Seed
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 Cup of Oatmeal
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl mix all of the above ingredients together, except for the apples, until the butter is incorporated. The consistency should be similar to a crumble topping.
Cut the apples in half and scoop out the core so you have a small bowl in the center of the apple. Turn each half over and slice a piece off so that the apple can sit flat in a baking dish. Do not peel apple.
Put the 4 halves in a small baking dish. Fill each apple with the mixture. You can completely cover it, so it's not just in the core. Bake at 375 degrees until apples are soft and topping is crisp - about 30 minutes.
It's delicious by itself, or with ice cream. It's also a VERY easy dessert to make.
Enjoy!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Crock-Pot Time
I have been trying to make sure that we eat dinner at home at least 5 days a week. So, far we have been pretty successful. It definitely makes us feel a lot better to know that a) We are saving money by eating in and b) We are saving calories and potential weight gain by eating in.
Today, I am a little bit cramped for time and will not be home to make dinner. To keep up with our eating at home, I opted for a crock-pot meal. I looked up several varieties on line last night and decided on Chicken Cassoulette. I looked over the recipe and decided to change it up a bit to my liking. So with that, finally, my first recipe!
Chicken Cassoulette in a crock-pot
2 15oz Can of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
3 cups Chicken Broth (low sodium)
4 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1" cubes
8 oz cooked bacon (I use the end piece bacon, they are chunkier)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 tomatoes diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Sherry
2 tablespoons Molasses
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Chop the bacon up into medium sized chunks and fry in a saute pan over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes. Add all of the yellow onion and cook until slightly carmalized.
Turn the crock pot on low and add the bacon and onion. Put the pan back on the burner, add the chicken, browning all sides. While the chicken is cooking add all of the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Once the chicken is browned, add it to the crock pot. Give everything a good stir and cover. Cook on low heat all day long (about 7-9 hours). Serve w/a nice crusty artisan bread.
Today, I am a little bit cramped for time and will not be home to make dinner. To keep up with our eating at home, I opted for a crock-pot meal. I looked up several varieties on line last night and decided on Chicken Cassoulette. I looked over the recipe and decided to change it up a bit to my liking. So with that, finally, my first recipe!
Chicken Cassoulette in a crock-pot
2 15oz Can of Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
3 cups Chicken Broth (low sodium)
4 Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1" cubes
8 oz cooked bacon (I use the end piece bacon, they are chunkier)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 tomatoes diced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Sherry
2 tablespoons Molasses
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Chop the bacon up into medium sized chunks and fry in a saute pan over medium-high heat, for about 2 minutes. Add all of the yellow onion and cook until slightly carmalized.
Turn the crock pot on low and add the bacon and onion. Put the pan back on the burner, add the chicken, browning all sides. While the chicken is cooking add all of the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Once the chicken is browned, add it to the crock pot. Give everything a good stir and cover. Cook on low heat all day long (about 7-9 hours). Serve w/a nice crusty artisan bread.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Still...nothing.
I am trying to decide whether or not a blog is a good idea for me. I REALLY like the idea of it, but I am no good at the maintenance. I think this year, I am going to try. I am going to put forth an effort and try to get some recipes up. I have to really accept my creative energy AND my flakiness. This thing may evolve, into God or Sam only knows what!
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