When a Turkey is too much...a Roasted Chicken will do

It's been a while since I've made an actual roasted chicken. It might be the laziness in me, I usually just buy a Costco rotisserie chicken and use that to make a quick pot pie, chicken noodle soup, or chicken salad.  However, I was feeling a little more homemakery...(that's right, I made up a word) lately and wanted to make a nice dinner for Paul. He loved it, I still don't really like roasted chicken or turkey - but it was pretty delicious.

I used Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken recipe. Couple of changes though, I didn't use fennel, I added Golden Yukon potatoes, and celery. I would definitely leave out the lemon next time I make it. I just don't like lemon with roasted chicken. Also, I was a bit lazy and didn't melt the butter, next time I will though - would have made my life easier.

I used my wonderful handy dandy Le Creuset Braiser, but any large oven-safe pan is great for this one pot meal.

I took the chicken out of the pan and rested it on a ridged cutting board tented with foil for about 10 minutes while I made the gravy from the drippings.  Of course, I also set aside the roasted veggies, because I used the braiser to make the gravy, didn't want to waste all that delicious flavor.

  

I made your basic gravy. Equal parts flour and chicken fat skimmed from the drippings, browned with about a tablespoon of minced shallots (optional). Added enough drippings (and a little chicken stock) to make a nice gravy, stirring constantly until thickened and boiling for at least one minute to ensure no weird flour flavor. At the end just add a tablespoon or two of heavy whipping cream per each cup of gravy.  So the recipe would look something like this:

Saute over medium-low heat: 1 tablespoon minced shallot in 2 tablespoons chicken fat

Add: 2 tablespoons flour and mix until lightly browned

Add: 1 cup chicken drippings or stock

Bring to boil stirring constantly and boil for about  minute

Add: 1-2 tablespoon(s) heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper to taste

I like to make a lot of gravy, so I usually just make as much gravy as the chicken fat will allow me to.

I plated this with steamed freshly shelled peas. Paul loved it, and I'm sure you will too!

Mahalo no i heluhelu 'oe

Saturday Breakfast

Don't you love waking up Saturday morning, lazing about then having a great breakfast that didn't take too much time to make?  I love it, especially this Saturday. Friday, Paul woke me up around 6AM, I asked him where he was going. He said work. I totally thought it was Saturday.  

I was really bummed.

Late Friday night, I saw that we still had a bag of those cute little buttery Golden Yukon potatoes, about a week old, so I knew I needed to cook them soon. Paul asked me to cut his hair, so I knew I was going to be up for at least another 20 minutes which is how long it takes to make these deliciously steamed potatoes.

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter with a dash of olive oil to bring the smoke point up on the butter, over low heat. Add your 1 lb to 1-1/2 lbs of miniature potatoes (or large chopped regular potatoes), with an 1/8 cup of water and a little Kosher salt.  Steam on low heat for about 20-25 minutes. If you're worried about burning the potatoes, feel free to shake up the pan with the lid firmly locked in place - try not to open it up.

I like to use this pan. It's the best for steaming potatoes. But really, any heavy enameled cast-iron dutch oven pan with a good heavy lid will work.

Le Creuset Curved Dutch Oven

Once cooled, I just put them in the fridge.  

Saturday morning while listening to KBay and watching the Tennis U.S. Open, I melted some butter with a dash of olive oil, tossed in the potatoes with a little chopped onion and sweet red and orange bell peppers, a little  fresh thyme, Kosher salt and pepper.

Paul's breakfast; a little bacon, over hard eggs, Boudin sourdough toast and the breakfast potatoes. Only thing missing for me was the Pepper Plant Chunky Garlic Sauce from Gilroy, CA.  I really need to get Paul to order me some.

Anyways easy peasy.  And yeah, it was as delicious as it looks :)

Mahalo no i heluhelu 'oe

Football Season & Prosciutto Sliders

So things that you will need.  Sweet rolls, prosciutto, some kind of cheese, I used Gouda, hamburger mixed with french onion soup mix (as directed on the box), 1 diced onion, mayo and pickle.  I know you want specific measurements, however, you ain't gonna get it.  Live a little and just cook!

 Make a little well in enough hamburger to cover up your little slice of cheese.

Once nicely formed, lightly flour the hamburger patty then wrap in yummy prosciutto.

Make plenty of these - they go fast.

Pan fry until cooked and they look delicious.

Caramelize the diced onion in some of the drippings from frying the sliders. 

Build your sliders.

Enjoy this season!  Hooray for football!

Chocolate and White Chocolate Rice Pudding

Trying to figure out how to make white chocolate taste like something beside vanilla...it's really a no go, but whatever.  And just so you know, in my endeavor to make it taste like white chocolate, I used too much and the rice pudding wasn't as thick as it usually is.  That being said, nothing wrong with experimenting in the kitchen. Basic recipe is from Ina Garten - 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rum-raisin-rice-pudding-recipe2/index.html

But I don't like rum raisin so I tried to figure other flavors - I like my macadamia nut and coconut recipe, but Paul doesn't like it, so I'm trying other flavors.

Here are the culprits...there was also supposed to be sugar in the pic...eh *shrug*

Cooking the rice for 8 minutes in just water and kosher salt, covered.

 Getting the chocolate ready for the rice - the wet stuff is the vanilla paste.

Added the half-and-half to the rice - bring to boil then simmer uncovered 25 minutes.

 Tempering the egg with some of the rice pudding.

 Mixing the egg into the rice pudding and cooking for about a minute.

Mixing the rice pudding in with the milk chocolate chips.

 Mixing the rice pudding in with the white chocolate chips. Used way too many chips.

Still tasted alright.  I will try again :)

What to do with leftovers...Think...Think...Think, Pasta again?

Really, when you have a bunch of leftover stuff from making other dinners, what else are you gonna make?  I had; mushrooms, grilled chicken, patty-pan squash, spinach, gruyere and Parmesan cheese - sounds like pasta to me.

Wedged the patty-pan squash - my Mom thought they were cute and just had to have them and she insisted on whole wheat pasta.  Just a tip with whole wheat pasta - cook it 2 - 3 minutes longer than instructed on the box - that way you get a more acceptable al dente.

The sauce was just a little cream and 1 cup each, grated Parmesan and gruyere.

Wasn't too bad for leftovers.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

 Yes...this is a NEW POSTING!!!!  WHAT?!!!  And I don't even have all the steps in pictures, LOL!

Stuffed Pasta Shells is your basic lasagne recipe but just a little bit more fancy.

For the sauce - make your basic marinara with or without Italian sausage.  I have to feed Paul...so there is always meat :)

The shells you of course boil first to al dente.  Drain and stuff with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and chopped Italian parsley...all fresh of course.  Nicely line them all up in your prettiest 9x13 pan that has a layer of white sauce.

Slather on top of the shells your marinara sauce, then layer the remaining white sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Bake 350º until golden brown and bubbly.  Serve with freshly baked french bread and a wedge salad...I'm so into wedge salads right now.  Enjoy!

Recipes:

Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce (this is just guesstimating - I just go with the flavor I want at the time)

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage
• 1/2 Sweet Onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp each - Oregano (dried), Basil (dried),  Rosemary (dried)
• OR 1 Tbs each - Oregano (fresh), Basil (fresh), Rosemary (fresh)
• 1/4 cup Italian Parsley (fresh - chopped)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic (minced) optional
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1-14.5 oz can diced Italian tomatoes
• 1-8 oz can tomato sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1 - Brown meat with onion. 2 - Add all herbs and spices.  3- Add tomatoes and tomato sauce.  4 - Cover and simmer on very low flame for at least 15 minutes or longer.

White Sauce

• 3 Tbs Butter
• 3 Tbs Flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
• 1/4 cup Italian Parsley
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1 - Melt butter and add flour (if using fresh garlic - put it in here), stirring constantly until fully mixed and slightly golden brown. 2 - Slowly whisk in milk until thickened.  This is where you will adjust the milk content until it's as thin or thick as you want it to be. 3 - Whisk in rest of ingredients.  Bring to slight boil for at least one minute, stirring CONSTANTLY!

Shells and Cheese Stuffing for Shells - just use the recipe on the box.

Boxing Day Dinner

The beginning of any good meal starts with the making of croissants.

Because there were only four of us, we decided to make just a turkey roulade - recipe by Ina Garten.  She's awesome.  I have every single one of her cookbooks!

Cooked and yummy!

The roulade is stuffed with a fig and cranberry stuffing - it's delicious!

All pretty on the plate!

I totally forgot to buy green beans!  I had tomatoes and mushrooms in the fridge, so I did roasted tomato gratin stuffed with sauteed mushrooms, shallots and herbs de provence.  Not, bad.  Actually, I think they were the best part of the meal :)

Baked a turkey thigh for my Dad because he doesn't like turkey breast.

Boxing Day Dinner!  Hooray!  and Delicious!