Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Chicken with Vinegar

How often have I said that "it looks complicated but it's really easy" about a recipe? Well, I'm saying it again.
This was delicious. Aaron and I are really liking sauces with our foods - no dry meat around here, thank you.
Serve with mashed potatoes, roast potatoes - whatever you want - and a vegetable.


chicken with vinegar
Gourmet January 2006; originally published 1974

Makes 4 servings.

1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 medium)
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine - I used white grape juice and cut the sugar
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (8 fl oz)

Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Cook chicken:Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over once, 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a small (13- by 9-inch) flameproof roasting pan, arranging it in 1 layer. Once all chicken is browned, roast, uncovered, in oven 15 minutes.

Make sauce while chicken roasts:Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add garlic, shallots, carrot, thyme sprigs (2), and bay leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.Finish sauce and chicken:Add chicken broth to sauce along with any juices from roasting pan and bring to a boil. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve onto chicken in roasting pan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Continue to roast chicken, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes more.Transfer chicken with tongs to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, uncovered, in turned-off oven.Meanwhile, boil sauce in roasting pan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a scant cup, then remove sauce from heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and pour sauce over chicken.

Make sauce while chicken roasts:Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, then add garlic, shallots, carrot, thyme sprigs (2), and bay leaves and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until vegetables are browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, vinegar, sugar, and remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 5 to 10 minutes.Finish sauce and chicken:Add chicken broth to sauce along with any juices from roasting pan and bring to a boil. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve onto chicken in roasting pan, pressing on and then discarding solids. Continue to roast chicken, uncovered, until just cooked through, about 15 minutes more.Transfer chicken with tongs to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, uncovered, in turned-off oven.Meanwhile, boil sauce in roasting pan over high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a scant cup, then remove sauce from heat and swirl in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and pour sauce over chicken.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Scroll down

I just posted a beef and broccoli stir-fry, but it was one that I started a while ago, so it posted further down. It's yummers!
Oh, and please add a label for your recipes - I went ahead and put labels on the previous ones. This makes them easier to find, I think.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Two Awesome Risotto Recipes

To go with Aunt Annette's roasted chicken recipe (which we had last night and it was wonderful!). Aaron and I *heart* risotto. Actually, the whole family does. It's creamy and cheesey and warm and comforting - one of my favorite cold weather foods. Here are our two favorites:

Risotto con Parmigiano-Reggiano
Bon Appétit May 1997
(RISOTTO WITH PARMESAN)
Makes 4 First-Course or 6 Side-Dish Servings.

5 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover saucepan.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; sauté until very tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups warm broth. Boil gently until broth is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add another 1 cup broth; stir until broth is absorbed. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and shaved Parmesan.

So I didn't have the parsley. Didn't miss it! I had one little lonely shallot and threw that in. Mmm Mmmm good!

Lemon Broccoli Risotto
Gourmet November 1991
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Serves 4

4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 pound broccoli, cut into flowerets, quartered if large, and stems cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

In a large saucepan bring the broth and the water to a boil and in the broth simmer the broccoli flowerets for 3 minutes, or until they are just tender. Transfer the flowerets with a skimmer to a bowl and reserve them. To the simmering broth add the broccoli stems, the zest, and the lemon juice and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
While the stems are cooking, in a large heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened and stir in the rice, stirring until each grain is coated with the oil. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth, stems included, and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring constantly, until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding the broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each portion be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still al dente. (The rice should take about 20 minutes to become al dente.)
Stir in the reserved broccoli flowerets and simmer the risotto, stirring, until the flowerets are heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

A good, quick dinner with leftovers (for our little family anyway). You can use sweet sausage or spicy. I used sweet, thinking my kids would be more likely to eat it if it weren't spicy. They didn't touch it, so next time I'll just use the spicy Italian sausage for Aaron and I to enjoy. If you prep the cheeses and onion ahead of time (Aaron did mine for me) then it comes together really fast.

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (or penne, which is what I used)
1 pound Italian sausage links (sweet or spicy)
1 c. chopped onion (seriously, who measures out a cup? I used a medium yellow)
4 garlic cloves, minced
S & P to taste
2 (14.5 ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
Cooking spray
1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions - you want it on the chewier side since it will be baking too. Drain and set aside.
  2. Remove casings from sausage (don't forget this step - I did and it's no fun to try to remove them from hot sausages!). Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Combine cooked pasta with sausage mixture. Place half of pasta mixture in a 4-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serves about 8 - great with a salad on the side.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Garlic Chicken from Memory

I apologize but I can't find my recipe and its been about 2 years since I've made this dish...so amounts are approximate...

1 large roasting chicken
Garlic - chopped (how much depends on how much you like garlic...I would say...a minimum of 6 cloves...but I think I've used 12)
Rosemary - to taste but probably about 5 sprigs?
Olive Oil (or canola if you'd rather)
1 lemon
1 onion

In a bowl mix the chopped garlic with 2 (?) sprigs of rosemary (chopped finely) and the olive (or canola oil). Thoroughly coat the outside of the chicken with the mixture (so use however much olive oil you need to coat the chicken well). Wrap the chicken in saran wrap..let it sit for at least 2 hours but up to 24 hours. Unwrap. Cut the lemon and onion into quarters and stuff them inside the chicken...also place a couple sprigs of rosemary in the cavity.

Roast the chicken...I think I roast at 375...but roast it at whatever temperature you normally roast chicken.

Serve with small potatos or rice (we like rice)

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This is my take on Giada's recipe. Since I make large batches of marinara sauce with meat already in it, I just omit the meat from the filling and use my sauce. This is a super easy go-to recipe for a weeknight. I can prep it and then let it sit in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it off. And if I already have the sauce made and in the freezer, it comes together super fast!



Olive oil
14 manicotti
1 (15-oz) container whole milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan (splurge for the good stuff!)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce with meat in it, or:
1 pound ground beef and
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. butter, cut up

If there is not meat in your sauce, then brown it with the onion. You can then add it to the marinara sauce or the cheese filling. Your choice, enjoy the flexibility.
If you are like me and the meat is in your sauce already, then proceed as follows:
Cook the manicotti about 4-6 minutes - you want it slightly softened, but with some bite. Since it will be baking in all that saucy, cheesey goodness, you don't have to cook it all the way. Oil a baking sheet so when you take it out of the boiling water they don't stick together. While they are cooling, mix together the filling.
Combine the ricotta cheese with 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Add the garlic.
Preheat oven to 350.
Spoon half of your sauce over the bottom of a 13X9X2 inch pan. Fill the pasta with the cheese mixture. Place them on top of the sauce in the pan. Cover with the rest of the sauce and then sprinkle over the cheese. Dot with butter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with a delicious salad and life is heavenly!

Okay, so what I do is split this recipe because my family is small. I use two 8X8 pans and freeze one. Sometimes, the filling doesn't fill them all. I just add more ricotta and mozzarella. So this will serve 4-6 people, depending on their hunger level. Those with bigger families, double it! And it makes for great leftovers.