My ruminations on my life, my family, cooking, baking, and whatever else comes to mind
The snow is finally tapering off, and Emma has continued to delight in the opportunity to play!
Look at the snowmen!
Even this little one is bigger than me
Bounding along
Snow on the nose
Queen of the snow pile
Awww, time to go inside?
Thinking sleepy thoughts
We’re in the midst of our first real snow of the winter, and Emma is thrilled. She asks to go out often and sniffs and bounds through the snow with glee.
This recipe is one of Jamie Oliver’s. We thought we’d like this, as we like all of the ingredients, as well as breaded chicken, but somehow this just didn’t work well for our tastes. We won’t be making this again, but if it floats your boat, go for it!
Crunchy Garlic Chicken
Serves 4
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
12 saltines
4 tbsp butter, melted
leaves from 4 sprigs flat leaf Italian parsley
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1.5 lb thinly sliced chicken breast
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Place the garlic, lemon zest, saltines, butter, parsley, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a small food processor, and pulse until the mixture is well combined and the crumbs are very fine. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl.
Pour the flour into another bowl. Crack the eggs into a third bowl and beat them until just slightly frothy and smooth.
Dredge each chicken piece in the flour, then dip in the egg to coat completely. Let any excess egg drip off, then coat the chicken well in the seasoned crumbs.
Place each piece on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with non-stick foil.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the crumb coating is a deep golden brown.
Serve warm.
This is an iteration of my chicken cacciatore. It has a bit less chicken and even more veggies, making it even more weight loss friendly. We really enjoy this meal – a big bowl of tasty Italian stew, warming and satisfying for a chilly January evening.
Chicken Cacciatore
Serves 4
1.25 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into quarters
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small bottle (187 ml) red wine (I used a merlot)
1 28-oz can large diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 small zucchini (about 1 lb), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
1 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered
1/8 cup pitted black olives (about 16 olives), halved (I used kalamata)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.
Push the chicken to the sides of the pan and add the bell pepper and garlic, seasoning lightly with salt. Cook until the pepper softens, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any bits of chicken that stuck to the pan. Continue to cook until the wine is reduced to about 1/3 of its original volume, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors are nicely mingled.
While the stew simmers, heat the other 2 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the zucchini and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until they are tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the olives and a pinch of dried thyme, and stir to combine.
Add the vegetable sauté to the stew and gently stir to combine. Simmer for a final 2-3 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serve hot.
This easy, hearty, slow simmering soup can be made in a crock pot as well (still brown the meat, then dump everything in for 10 hours on low).
Beef Barley Soup
Makes 4 servings
1 tbsp canola oil
1 lb beef chuck roast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, sliced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 quart low sodium beef broth
2 tbsp brandy
1/2 cup pearl barley (not instant)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 bay leaf
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
Add the carrot and mushrooms to the pot and brown, about 2-3 minutes. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, brandy, and barley, and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the sugar and spices, stirring to combine, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer until the beef is tender and the barley is cooked through, about 1 hour.
Serve warm.
This is a fast and easy one pan dinner. Skinless boneless chicken thighs and small brussels sprouts are seasoned with salt and pepper, browned in olive oil, then braised in a somewhat dry white wine. I used a moscato (Beringer), but a chardonnay would work well here too.
White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs and Brussels Sprouts
Serves 2
1.5 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 lb small brussels sprouts
1 small bottle (187 ml) moscato wine
kosher salt and black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Trim the brussels sprouts and cut an “x” into each stem end – this will help them to cook faster and more evenly.
Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the chicken thighs and brussels sprouts. Brown the thighs well on one side, about 3 minutes, then turn them over.
Add the wine to the skillet and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and let braise for 5-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 160 degrees F.
Serve warm.
We love Chicago-style pizza, and there’s just none to be had in Seattle. I found a recipe for sourdough pizza crust on the King Arthur Flour website, and gave it a go in a cast iron skillet. It turned out really well! We went cheese-less, but if you want some, sprinkle it on before spooning the sauce over the crust. I was going to add some mushrooms too, but they didn’t look so great, so just meat this time around.
Deep Dish Sourdough Pizza
Serves 8
For the dough:
1 cup unfed sourdough starter
1/2 cup hot tap water
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
For the sauce:
1 8-oz can tomato sauce (I like Muir Glen)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (mine is a mix of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
For the toppings:
2 oz sliced salami
2 oz cubed ham
2 oz sliced pepperoni
Stir all of the dough ingredients to combine in the bowl of a stand mixer, then knead on medium speed until a smooth, slightly sticky ball of dough is formed – about 7 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled container, rolling the dough to coat in oil, and cover with a damp paper towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Rub a 12 inch diameter deep cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place the dough in the skillet and gently press it out to fill the skillet. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Press the dough again to the edges and re-cover. Let the dough rest for another 15 minutes. Press the dough out to the edges and slightly up the sides.
Cover the dough again and let it rise for a final 20 minutes. While this final rise is occurring, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake the pizza dough for 8 minutes.
While the dough is pre-baking, mix together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Remove the skillet from the oven and spread the sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edge. Evenly distribute the toppings.
Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the dough is cooked through and just starting to turn golden brown around the edges (should be fairly golden brown on the bottom), the sauce is bubbling, and the toppings are hot.
Remove the skillet from the oven and let the pizza cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
We made our traditional standing rib roast for Christmas dinner this year. We splurged and got a Kobe beef roast from the wonderful Snake River Farm. I documented the whole cooking process since it was such an indulgence. The roast was outstanding, though maybe not worth quite the premium price over a regular standing rib roast. At any rate, it was wonderful. 🙂
Beautiful marbling
Seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper
Probe thermometer in the center of the roast
Roasted to perfection
After resting for 15 minutes, removing the bones and carving a few slices
A beautiful dinner plate
Standing Rib Roast
Makes 6-10 servings
1 standing rib roast (small end), 4-6 lb (ask your butcher to slice the bones off and tie them back on for easier carving)
kosher salt and black pepper
The morning you are cooking, take the roast out of the packaging and loosely cover with paper towels. Let stand in the refrigerator until ready to roast. This allows the roast to dry out, which will make a better crust.
2-3 hours before you want to eat, heat the oven to 350°F. Place the roast bone side down in an 8×8 baking dish. Sprinkle liberally all over with salt and pepper, patting it into the meat and fat. Insert an ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in center of the thickest part of beef and does not rest in fat or touch bone.
For medium-rare, bake about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 140°F. Remove beef from pan onto carving board. Cover beef loosely with foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes until thermometer reads 145°F. For medium, bake uncovered 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes or until thermometer reads 155°F. Cover beef loosely with foil and let stand 15 to 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 160°F. Letting the roast rest after cooking allows the juices to resettle into the meat and makes for a juicier roast and one that is easier to carve.
When ready to carve, remove the strings holding the bones to the roast and lift the meat away from the bones. Carve thin slices from the roast and serve warm.
We participated in a corgi Christmas exchange again this year, and this year our secret santas were Wrigley and Emily of The Gray House Divided. They sent us some great little duck treats, a natural antler, and a Kong tug toy. Emma loves them all. 😀 Thank you Emily and Wrigley!
