Instant Love: Roasted Chicken

I don't cook meat very often, but I sure do love a roasted bird. I didn't start roasting things until about a year ago, and I'm glad I did.  A roasted chicken is so good, and so easy.  I'm sure there are ways to spruce this up, but a basic roasted chicken does it for me.  I take a couple of tablespoons of butter and mix it together with some salt and some spices (in this one, about 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. lavender, and 2 tsp. thyme).  Using my finger, I separate the skin from the meat and rub about half of the butter-herb mix directly onto the meat.  The rest of the butter I put on top of the skin - it usually doesn't stick very well, so I just plop some butter here and there, on the legs and breasts, and it melts nicely to make it brown.  Inside of the cavity of the chicken, I put some lemon and onion slices and a few cloves of garlic.  Cook at 350 for about 1 1/2 hours for a 3 pound chicken.  About an hour into the cooking time, I like to pour a cup of white wine over the bird to give it a little moisture and extra flavor.  About 15 minutes prep, then hang out, enjoy a simple home-cooked dinner, and save the rest for luncheon leftovers!

Note: you can usually get away with more salt than you think, especially rubbed outside of the skin.  And, when in doubt, add more butter and a sprinkle of dried herbs on top!  Also, paying the extra dollar per pound to get an organic, free range bird really is worth it.  It tastes fresher, mine have always come out more moist than their processed counterparts, and it feels a touch better for the soul.

Instant Love: Arugula Pesto

I might enjoy fall pesto variants even more than the traditional summer basil pesto. It'd be a hard choice. Maybe my love for a kale or arugula pesto is based in part on the fact that it reminds me of warmer days and sun and fresh tomatoes with pasta, all of which are sadly lacking as winter gets closer and closer. And, since I get home from work as the sun is setting, my internal clock says it's time for sleep and my cooking energies wane. Pestos add a snappy spruce to a quick weeknight meal, without much effort. Plus, added bonus, greens tend to be cheaper than basil, so you can get a lot more pesto for a lot less moolah.

Basically, all you need for a pesto is a nut, a green, some garlic, and some oil. A friend of mine even made one last week with green onions and almonds. As Roomie says, add a little garlic and some cheese, and you can make anything good, so pestos can be an easy way to add a little spinach or kale to your diet if you don't like the flavor too much. The process is simple: pulse some nuts, garlic cloves, and salt in a food processor until coarsely chopped, add your green of choice, and run your food processor while pouring in olive oil until your pesto is smooth. Stir in some parmesan if you'd like and you're ready to go. For heartier greens, like kale, you'll need to cook them first, but a fresh arugula or spinach can go straight into the mix.

For this batch, I used about a half a bag of baby arugula, a half cup of walnuts, 2-3 garlic cloves, and about a tablespoon of lemon juice (plus a lot of olive oil). Add the garlic cloves and lemon juice in intervals - you don't want them to overwhelm the flavor, and they can be easily added in later. Also, if fresh garlic flavor is too strong for your liking, hold the cloves in boiling water for about 30 seconds (e.g. water boiling for pasta) or pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds - it'll cut the bite a bit. Slather the pesto on a tomato-mozzarella sandwich (like this one here), dollop on some hot pasta, or simply eat with some crusty bread.

Instant Love: My Immersion Blender (and some soup)

Favorite Kitchen Tools

There are a few things in our kitchen that I use all the time. My bright red cast iron dutch oven, my santoku knife, my knife sharpener, a cutting board and a heat resistant spatula are usually all I need for a meal. The immersion blender, on the other hand, is one of those devices I don't use regularly, but whenever I do, I am in awe of how much easier it makes my life.  As I've mentioned previously, I am a clumsy woman and a damn clumsy cook.  Anything requiring the transport of hot heavy liquids into a standing blender usually ends in disaster.  Plus, I hate lugging out the blender or food processor and cleaning it and inevitably not cleaning it well enough so having to clean it again.  Such a pain.  That, my friends, is where my immersion blender comes in. Just one little device I can stick into the pot I'm already using, then rinse it off and stick in my dishwasher. Amazing!  Why don't I do this more??

Last week, I had a few foodie friends over for a New American themed dinner party where people were instructed to prepare a course and bring an appropriate beverage pairing.  In keeping with the season, I made a Celery Root Puree Soup (paired with prosecco, for those of you who were wondering). 

Celery Root Soup

1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large celery root (2 1/2 to 3 lbs), peeled and chopped
2-3 medium yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup white wine (or one 187mL mini-bottle)
2 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped
4 cups stock
1 tbs. dried tarragon
1/2 cup shredded gruyere

In a large stock pan, saute the shallots and garlic with some salt and olive oil.  Add celery root and potatoes and stir till covered with oil.  Add white wine and cook about 3 minutes (to cook off the alcohol).  Add stock, apples, and tarragon and cook until celery root and potatoes are well cooked, 30-40 minutes.  Puree using immersion blender until smooth (strain through sieve if you want it even smoother).  Add gruyere and stir until melted.  Serve hot with additional gruyere (or gruyere chips - just bake some shredded gruyere until light brown). 

Instant Love: Apple Crisp

Despite spending most Thanksgivings growing up helping my grandma make the requisite apple and pumpkin pies, I have never been able to master a pie crust.  When they're on sale I buy the pre-made dough that's already conveniently rolled out. But whenever I try to make pie crust at home, it turns into a mess and an utter failure.  Which is a shame, because tis the season for apples and for pies, and I love pies.  To satisfy my cravings for sweet, warm desserts, I've discovered the crisp.  It's the same pie filling that grandma taught me well, but without the hassle of a crust. Grandma never used actual measurements, though, so sorry for the lack of precise cups and tablespoons and whatnot. 


Get a bunch of apples and peel them if you'd like (I usually don't to save some time).  Then slice them thinly (say a quarter inch thick) and toss them together with sugar and a little cinnamon, maybe some nutmeg.  Use enough sugar to cover the apply slices well.  Put the apples in a pie pan or baking dish.  I also add some frozen berries sometimes if my apples don't fill up the space to my liking (as I did in the picture above).  


For the crust, you'll need: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 6-8 tbs. soft butter, 1/3 cup sugar, a pinch of salt, and some cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix it all together and drop it on top of the sliced apples. 


Bake in 375-degree oven until the apples get bubbly and the crust gets nice and brown (around a half hour).  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. 

Instant Love: Arepas

I'm pretty sure every Latin American country has some sort of corn-based dough that is grilled, steamed, or fried.  Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but there are a lot of variations.  Tortillas, sopes, pupusas, huaraches, tamales, chuchitos, garnachas (they're fun to say). I love me the arepas. I haven't had one in a really long time (surprisingly, not a areperia in Pittsburgh) but while visiting some friends in New York this summer, we stopped at Caracas Arepa Bar for a late lunch, and the memory of those corny sandwiches has stuck with me.  Essentially, arepas are really thick tortillas that you can cut and stuff with all sorts of things - black beans, pinto beans, pulled pork, avocado, cheese, sour cream, you name it.  Eat it like a messy sandwich.  Or just pile the good stuff and eat it with a fork. 

You have to buy "masarepa," not just plain masa or masa harina or corn meal.  I don't know why, but I tried it once with Maseca and it was a total fail.  I got my masarepa at the Mexican grocer in the Strip, but I'm pretty sure major grocers will carry it as well. Follow the directions on the bag.  It's really easy: buy masarepa, add water, fry. Add cheese at your leisure.  Couldn't be more simple.   

Instant Love: Peach and Shrimp Quesadillas

Believe it or not, I got the idea for these from a Better Homes and Gardens (or BHG) magazine I read at my mom's house this summer.  Sometime in the spring they had a great issue with a bunch of ideas about what to do with fresh summer peaches.

I sort of just made up my own peach salsa using scallions, some diced red pepper, peaches, some cumin, and lime juice.  I tossed in chopped shrimp that I poached earlier that day, and voila--delicious quesadilla filling.  Of course the glue in a proper quesadilla is a healthy sprinkling of shredded cheese--I used Monterey Jack.  I also think that toasting these in an oiled skillet, slowly over low-medium heat, is key, otherwise the tortillas burn before the filling is heated through and the cheese melts.

I served mine with some farmer's market-fresh corn salad and a dollop of light sour cream.  Cheesey, tangy, shrimpy, yum.

--K, recalling that quesadillas can come in many forms 

Instant Love: Summer Panzanella

It's been a long time since I've written on this blog. It's been so long now I feel like what I write should be fantastic, so I've been avoiding it.  Kind of like when you meet someone interesting, and you're thinking about calling them, but then you don't for whatever reason and then too much time passes and the whole thing is just too darn stressful.  Too much time has passed! I feel the same way when I don't cook for a while - after a few weeks I don't want to make anything unless it's going to be fabulous, because now there's anticipation.  So I procrastinate (and eat a lot of quesadillas and frozen Kashi meals).

That's why I was excited when Roomie showed me her new idea for this "Instant Love" section of the blog.  It reminds me of the "Like" button on Facebook: non-committal yet effective.  Also, it's perfect for those mid-week meals that I love, but don't feel like writing out a recipe for.  The throw together meals of last-minute inspiration and cravings.

Panzanella's are one of my favorite go-to meals, especially when I just need to get myself back into the cooking vibe (say, after traveling in South America for a month). Panzanella is just a bread salad, with crusty country bed, tomatoes, onions, and whatever other veggies or greens you'd like.  You can also do sweet versions, tossed with berries and almonds and a little whipped cream/creme fraiche. Plus, it's a salad with bread.  I mean, seriously, how good is that?

All you need is some day-old bread (a half loaf usually works for me), cut or torn into chunks (you can also toast it in the oven for a few minutes to get the desired crunched).  I tossed this one with fresh tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers from the farmers market, and some chopped basil from the garden.  My tomatoes were super juicy, so I didn't need any extra vinegar for the dressing.  Toss it all together in a big bowl with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for few minutes before serving.  Voila!

Instant Love: Summer Tomato Bruschetta Drizzled with Balsamic Syrup

 

-Whisk together about 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar and 1 T. light molasses in a heavy saucepan, and heat over medium-high heat for about 10-12 minutes until the mixture has reduced to a nice syrup.

-Meanwhile, take the best tomatoes you can find in your yard or at the farmer's market, chop them up, toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and fresh pepper, and set aside.

-When you're ready to eat, slice some baguette or country bread into thin slices, rub with a cut garlic clove, and bake in a 400-degree oven until bread is lightly toasted.

-Spoon tomatoes over crostini, and drizzle with balsamic syrup.  Delightful.

--K, reminiscing about when this particular version was consumed at a resort on the Mayan Riviera

   

Instant Love: Avocado "Fries"

"Instant Love" is my new tag idea for quick bites that don't really require a serious recipe (although our recipes are always more like recommendations than dogmatic prescriptions).  These posts will generally have few ingredients and can come together quickly.  "Instant Love" is a simple, delicious food idea put forth with, well love.  Obviously.

So, when my brother spots something exceptionally delicious-looking online, it's fairly certain he will attempt to create the dish within a week's time.  So, you can understand why I was thrilled when he sent me this link about crispy, creamy avocado fries about a week before I was slated to arrive in NY for a family visit.

Sure enough, my first night in NY with the fam was spent drooling over these delights, and trying to coax my mother to taste a bite (she is, as you can probably tell already, an extremely picky eater.)  Of course, Joey and I didn't fight her too hard...more for us!  They're really easy to prepare if you have a just ripe, but still firm large avocado sliced up nicely, hot canola oil, and panko.  We added a few squeezes of lime juice and were, well, blissed out.

--K, blissed out.