Crispy Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Clean and halve the brussel sprouts.  Toss with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, olive oil and fresh rosemary.  Lay out flat on a big baking sheet.  Roast at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes.  Be patient.  Let them get crispy.

If you really have a lot of time on your hands (like two hours), peel each leaf off of every single brussel sprout.  Follow the same directions as above but roast for less time (or at least keep a closer eye on it).  You'll get the best crispy brussel sprout chips (?) ever.

Skillet Carrots & Shallots

Super easy veggie side dish if you have to bring something to thanksgiving this year.  Heat a heavy cast iron skillet with one tbs butter and one tbs olive oil over medium-high heat.  Toss in quartered carrots and shallots and some rosemary.  Stir once in a while but for the most part, let them get nice and brown for about 20-30 minutes.  Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Favorite Roasted Chicken

I have blogged about this recipe before but I just made it again for company and it's been promoted to favorite roasted chicken recipe.  Your home will smell like lemon and rosemary and the chicken will fall off the bone.  Thanks Nigella.  

Note that this recipe is definitely a plan-ahead type of thing but you can reduce the roasting time if you need to do so.  Just roast at 300 instead of 250 for about 45 minutes covered and then at 375 uncovered for another  20-30 minutes until crispy and golden brown.  Still, following the actual times and temperatures in the recipe below is totally worth it.  It makes a big difference.

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, cut into pieces as in the photo

3-5 fingerling or young potatoes, in small chunks (optional)

1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves

2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths

fresh rosemary sprigs (be generous)

3 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

salt

freshly ground black pepper

red pepper flakes to taste

METHOD: 

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F.  Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into a roasting tin or baking dish and add the garlic, lemon, and rosemary.  Add some quartered young or fingerling potatoes if you wish.  

Toss everything with olive oil and white wine, then top with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Use your hands to rub the seasonings on the chicken.  

Tuck some lemon and rosemary under the chicken skin and some garlic under the breast bones.  

Squeeze one of the lemon chunks over the chicken and then place the leftover lemon piece back in the pan. 

Cover tightly with foil and cook at low heat for 2 hours.  Remove foil and cook uncovered at 300 degrees for another 30-45 minutes until the chicken turns golden brown and the lemons begin to scorch. 

Farro Salad with Grilled Chicken & Green Beans

This salad is great served warm or cold. It just takes a little coordination with the hard boiled eggs, the grilled chicken and the blanched green beans... but if you have any of those prepared in advance, it makes this salad a snap.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups semi-pearled farro
3 cups chicken broth
2 eggs, hard boiled and cut into wedges
1/2lb green beans
2-3 chicken breast fillets
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup minced fresh parsley
crushed red pepper
salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp mustard (I used a garlic aioli kind)
juice of a half lemon
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
1. Marinade the chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, lots of parsley and a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice. Let rest for about 20 minutes while the farro cooks.
2. Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients. Let rest in the fridge
3. Cook the farro according to package directions, using the chicken broth instead of water. Farro cooks more like pasta than rice, so don't wait for it to absorb all the broth. You might have to strain the liquid. Once cooked, let the farro cool down.
4. Grill the chicken and cut into strips. If you dont have a stove top grill, just cut the chicken into strips and pop it in the oven or sautee it in a pan.
5. Blanch the green beans in salted water.
6. Toss the farro with the green beans, lots of parsley, and the dressing in a large bowl. Reserve a little dressing to top the feta cheese and the eggs after the next step.
7. Add the feta cheese and the hardboiled eggs.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel & Golden Beets

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Toss golden beets and fennel slices with salt, pepper, olive oil, and thinly sliced garlic.  Nestle the chicken among the vegetables and roast until golden brown about 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Spicy Rosemary Almonds

This is much better than buying roasted & salted almonds.  You can control the salt and it's a super easy, flavorful, and healthy snack.

Toss whole raw almonds with just a little olive oil to lightly coat each piece.  Then mix in salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and dried rosemary.  Lay flat in a baking dish and roast for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Roasted Potatoes & Golden Beets

To cut down on the potatoes, I used half the potatoes I normally do and replaced it with golden beets.  Cut the beets in slightly larger cubes than the potatoes since they'll tend to cook faster.  Toss with olive oil, thyme, salt & pepper; roast for 30-45 minutes.
Served with thyme & parmesan chicken tenders.

Thyme & Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders

INGREDIENTS:
1lb Chicken tenders, or chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup bread crumbs, seasoned with:
- 1tbs dried thyme,
- red hot pepper flakes,
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 tbs grated parmesan
Pinch of salt
Olive oil or melted butter

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking dish. Dip chicken tenders in olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt (remember, the parmesan is also salty so keep it light).  Coat with bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Golden Beet & Fennel Gratin

 

for 2-3 people
INGREDIENTS:
2 golden beets, thinly sliced into half circles
1 fennel, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbs butter
1 1/2 tbs all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tbs chopped thyme
3/4 cup shredded gruyere or parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:
Lightly grease a heavy skillet.  Layer beets and fennel carefully.  Roast for about 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees until soft and slightly golden brown.  A few minutes before the vegetables are done, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour, stir until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk and thyme.  Continue to stir constantly until sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Add salt & pepper.  Pour sauce over beets and fennel.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil for about 6 to 8 minutes and serve immediately.

Here's a recipe for a broccoli gratin: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/gratin-of-broccoli-bchamel-10000000521306/

One Chicken, Lots of Meals.

If it's only one or two of you for dinner, buying a whole chicken is usually a bad idea.  But since I've found a Sun Marin Farms through Cookbook my only option is to buy whole chickens.  Thankfully, they're very petite but what I've started doing to get more out of each chicken is this: The day I buy the chicken, I use the chicken breast for one meal and I freeze the rest of the chicken for a later date.  Tonight, for example, I'm using the rest of the chicken to make broth.  We'll have soup and salad for dinner tonight.  Then, I'll shred the meat and use it to make little puff pastry tarts, turnovers, or byrek for tomorrow's dinner.

Here's some recipes:
1. Roasted Chicken
Roasted Chicken Breast with Cauliflower, Fennel & Green Beans
Cilantro, Garlic & Lemon Chicken
Slow Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken 
Pesto Roasted Chicken

2. Chicken Salad
Pear Salad with Poached Chicken
Farro Salad with Grilled Chicken & Green Beans

3. Chicken Broth

4. Chicken Soup

5. Chicken Byrek