Spork or Foon?

Chicken Meatball Sliders

 
 

Sometimes, leftovers create super awesome next day meals, similar to the meatloaf sandwich. Now, is there anything more unappetizing than the sound of a meatloaf sandwich? Not to this girl, there isn't. Until I tried it. Heaven in a leftover sandwich.

A few months back, I posted about chicken meatballs. Now, chicken meatballs are one of my favorite things to make.  Jack loves them and they are much leaner than their beef/pork/veal counterparts, and just as tasty. These were leftover from the meal I posted back then.

And no, I don't mean I just made them 2 months later.  That would be gross.  And slightly dangerous, I presume.

A friend had come over to hang out, see mine and Jack's new place, and meet our dog (I mean, really, who wouldn't want to meet our little Remy?) and I had lots of extra food to get rid of, so I made some of these sliders, hoping they would be ok and that he wouldn't even notice that I was hocking leftovers onto him.  

He didn't. Score. 

But I guess now I ruined that. 

Leftover or fresh from the oven, these sliders are awesome.  Tender meatballs packed with flavor from freshly chopped garlic, sharp parmesan, and lemony parsley, topped with gooey, melted fontina cheese and peppery arugula in between two doughy potato rolls. 

I feel doughy just thinking about it. 

Chicken Meatball Sliders

For the Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Sauce:
1 35-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano, preferably)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 finely chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

12 mini-potato rolls (or mini hamburger buns)

Fontina Cheese

For the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray well with cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until just incorporated. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Roll meatballs into 12 balls, approximately 2" in diameter. 

Arrange meatballs approximately 2" apart on baking sheets. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet and keep the oven on. 

For the Sauce: Remove the whole tomatoes from the can.  Reserve the juice for another use.  Roughly chop tomatoes (keep the juices that come out of the tomatoes for the sauce). Set aside. 

Heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  When glistening, add garlic and cook until garlic is brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes (and their juices) to pan and let cook for 2 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Add parsley and red pepper.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Set aside until ready to use. 

To Assemble:  Lightly toast the potato rolls. Separately, top chicken meatballs (that are still on the tray) with a small slice of fontina cheese and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the fontina is nice and melted.  Carefully place the meatball on the bottom half of the potato roll, top with 1 tbsp. sauce and a small amount of arugula, and top with the other half of the potato roll. Serve immediately. 

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas

 
 

This'll be a short post today, as I have lots of things going on. 

I saw this quick Chicken Paella in Bon Appetit Magazine and thought it would be a quick, easy dinner to throw together.  And it was.  In about an hour, the entire dish was finished and I was left with a delicious dish that left me food for days (and days, and days... I think it's time to get rid of the leftovers). 

Tender chicken thighs are rubbed with smoky paprika and cooked on a bed of basmati rice, simmering in a broth of chicken stock, tomatoes, saffron, onions, white wine, and roasted red peppers as the grains soak up the juices and result in a deliciously tender, creamy rice and tossed with spanish chorizo (to keep it healthier, I actually used andouille chicken sausage) and crisp sugar snap peas that lends a wonderful textural contrast and a refreshing change to the dish.  

Now, paella purists may have me blackmailed for this one.  Is this exactly like paella? No.  Is it a nice substitute for those of us who lack paella pans (like... 99% of the population?) and the time to put in to make the beloved dish? Absolutely.

Jack especially loved this, but is now demanding more Top Chef-like meals, so you'll be seeing some very complicated recipes in the coming weeks. I'm going back to my roots. I've been slacking. 

Quick Chicken Paella with Sugar Snap Peas adapted from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large chicken thighs with skin and bones, excess skin and fat trimmed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 4 ounces 1/4-inch-thick slices fully cooked smoked Spanish chorizo (or, for a healthier option, spicy chicken sausage)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar
• 2 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix white wine and saffron threads in small measuring cup; set aside. Combine salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper in small bowl; rub spice mixture all over chicken thighs. Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and sauté until fat begins to render and sausage browns, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer chorizo to large plate. Add olive oil to skillet. Add chicken thighs to skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with chorizo.

• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add long-grain rice and stir to coat. Add wine-saffron mixture and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, and roasted red peppers. Bring to simmer. Stir in browned chorizo. Place chicken thighs, skin side up, atop mixture in skillet. Cover skillet tightly with foil, then cover skillet with lid. Bake paella until rice is almost tender, about 25 minutes.

• Transfer chicken to plate. Stir rice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter snap peas over. Return chicken to skillet, nestling into rice. Cover with foil and lid. Bake until snap peas are crisp-tender, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Easiest (and Best) Roast Chicken Ever.

   
 
 
 Updated from the Archives.

About a year ago, I made (read: molested) a roast chicken straight from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School Lesson Plan.  Though moist and juicy, the skin on this chicken left something to be desired.

The chicken was rubbed down with butter and then tied and trussed like a... well... chicken. And frankly, I hate trussing chickens.  For some reason, it reminds me of changing a baby's diaper. And since it reminds me of changing a babies diaper, I fear for my unborn child, because I'm sure trussing a chicken is nothing like chaning a diaper.

This is why I love Alice Water's Roasted Chicken, which, in true Alice Water's fashion, is much less of a hassle to make, focusing only on a few ingredients and minimal fussing (read: molesting).  Garlic and fragrant herbs such as rosemary and thyme are tucked under the well seasoned skin and tossed into the cavity of the bird.  The bird is then placed in a roasting pan and tossed in the oven.  No molesting with butter. No trussing like a babies dieaper. Just turned once at twenty minutes, then again twenty minutes later.  That's it.

The result was a moist chicken with crispy skin that bursted with the flavors of sweet thyme, woody rosemary, and pungent garlic.  This golden skin crackles as the knife cuts through, revealing the tender white flesh as the juices of the meat dot the blade likemorning  dew. It is a roasting dream come true.

Jack and I always eat roasted chicken with Jack's favorite side: Fresh green peas sauteed in a bit of sugar and butter with pearl onions and romaine lettuce cut in a chiffonaide.  He's so classy like that.

Recipe - Adapted from Alice Waters - The Art of Simple Food

1 chicken weighing 3 1/2 to 4 lbs.

Several sprigs fresh thyme

Several sprigs fresh rosemary

3 cloves garlic, sliced thick

salt and freshly ground pepper

oil for the pan

Remove the giblets from the cavity of 1 chicken weighing 3 1/2 to 4 lbs.

Remove the pads of fat inside the chicken. Tuck the wing tips up and under to keep them from burning. Season, 1 or 2 days in advance, if possible.  Sprinkle inside and out with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Put a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary under the skin of the breast and thighs and within the cavity. Add a few thick slices of garlic clove under the skin.

Cover loosely and refrigerate.  At least 1 hour before cooking, remove and place in a lightly oiled pan, breast side up.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Roast for 20 minutes, turn the bird breast side down, and cook for another 20 minutes.  The turn the breast side up again and roast until done, another 10 to 20 minutes.  Let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew

In my pre-cooking days, I was not a big fan of flavor.  I ate dry cereal (Lucky Charms, no matter the age, thankyouverymuch), turkey and cheese (one slice each) sandwiches on whole wheat with relish (still do, no shame in that), and any kind of pasta with minimal sauce.  And cookies, of course (of course).

At that same time, I was very into astrology and horoscopes.  Scorpios are fiercely loyal (check), intense (check), intensely private (yup), dramatic (double check), and wise beyond their years (umm???....).  

According to Tarot.com "Scorpio is the only sign that has three animal totems. First, there is the well-known Scorpion with its active tail. Second, as the Scorpio learns to master its passion and hold its instincts at bay, it changes into the Eagle. The Eagle has more perspective, for it flies high above the surface of circumstances, swooping down with its power only to kill prey for food. In its third form, the Scorpion becomes the always-peaceful dove. The real meaning of Scorpio is thus shown. Scorpio is about metamorphosis. Scorpios transform the painful poisons of possessive passion into a higher consciousness based on universal love."

I've got three animal totems?! Holla! Whatever those are they must be special. Because that makes a shape shifter much like Sam Merlotte from True Blood - from a Scorpion who will kill you to an eagle that flies high to a dove!? I'm a hot commodity.

Scorpios are in the 8th House (Transformation aka Shapeshifting Holla) and are ruled by the planet Pluto. When it comes to food, Scorpios are known to enjoy foods as fiery as their personalities:  foods like Indian, Thai, West Indian, etc.

Well, that just isn't true! I would think to myself.  Is everything I stand for a lie? Am I not the Scorpio I thought I once was?  AND Pluto is not a planet??? 

Who am I?

Little did I know that I just needed to come to my senses. Maybe it's because I cook, maybe because my palatte is more refined, or maybe I just realized that one can't go through life eating dry sandwiches with relish and Lucky Charms marshmallows, as much as I tried. 

But it happened. I love food that is packed with flavor. So when I received my daily (weekly? I can't keep track) email from Saveur Magazine for quick weeknight dinners, I immediately headed off to the supermarket to make this dish. And quick it was.  It takes about 30 minutes to throw together, and luckily, I had all of the spices on hand to make the frangrant, complex Iraqi spice mix that is suggested for the dish (you can use curry powder if you don't have all of the ingredients for the spice mix).

No tricky or complicated methods here. Just simple cooking to create a delicious stew of fall-off-the-bone chicken, tender potatoes, firm chickpeas, and a deliciously flavorful broth.

You don't even need to be a Scorpio to enjoy the dish.  But if you want to fly around the streets with a killer tail, you'll have to have been born between October 23 and November 23. Sorry. 

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew adapted from Saveur

1⁄4 cup canola oil
6 cloves garlic
3 small onions, quartered
4 medium waxy-style potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. Spice Mixture or curry powder
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 skinless chicken legs (about 1 lb.)
4 skinless chicken thighs (about 1 lb.)
1  19-oz. can chickpeas, drained
4 pieces khubuz al-tannour (Iraqi flat bread),
   naan, or pita
1 lemon, quartered

1. Heat oil in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, potatoes, bay leaves, spice mixture, turmeric, and salt. Cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot occasionally, until onions and potatoes are golden, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and 3 1⁄2 cups water; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until chicken is tender and cooked through, 20–25 minutes.

2. Add chickpeas; cook for 5 minutes more. Taste the stew and season with more salt, to taste. Line 4 bowls with torn pieces of the flat bread. Ladle stew over bread. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over each bowl and sprinkle with sumac.

SERVES 4

Top Chef with Teanna - Season Six, Episode 9, Part 2 - Pressed Chicken with Calamari Noodles

I have to keep this one short and sweet - Jack and I are moving (AGAIN) this week to our permanent apartment! 

Here is the winning restaurant wars dish from restaurant Revolt(ing). Michael Voltaggio made a Pressed Chicken with Calamari Noodles.

Let's talk about the brilliance that is Michael Voltaggio. Michael is so brilliant, that in this past Wednesday's episode, his dish prompted Natalie Portman to ask "Who is his dealer and is he accepting new clients?" Toby Young is kicking himself for not thinking of something so witty. 

But that is an episode that I will discuss with next week's dish. And there is a lot to discuss... like the uncomfortable innuendos that were being thrown around the table about a prick. It was... odd.

Here's what I changed:  You know with any Voltaggio dish, you're going to be doing some crazy stuff.  Like putting frozen calamari steaks through a meat press.  I couldn't find calamari steaks, so I just got the largest pieces of calamari that I could find and cut them into noodles with a pairing knife.  No freezing required. Secondly, I do not have an immersion circulator, so I just poached the chicken in 2 cups of chicken stock, extra garlic and thyme, and added a lemon slice to really bring out the flavor.  I then followed the rest of the instructions for the chicken by pressing a large frying pan on top of them and then crisping the skin when they were ready to serve.

The broth was delicious and reminded me a lot of the Cardamom Tomato broth that Kevin and Jennifer made in a previous episode.  Michael's broth wasn't as sweet, as there was no sugar, but the sweet, licorice flavor of fennel and the citrusy lemongrass added the perfect flavor profile to this dish. 

Although the recipe is challenging, it is definitely adaptable to the home kitchen if you put your mind to it.  Click herehttp://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/pressed-chicken-with-calamari-noodles-tomato-confit-and-fennel-salad for the recipe. 

Oh, and here is a real picture of the other dish that Kevin and Jennifer made a few weeks back.  I had to replace the crappy iPhone photo.

Top Chef with Teanna: Season 1, Episode 7 - Restaurant Wars - I'm Not Your B-, B-!

Yes, my friends, it is here. My favorite Top Chef Theme and yours: Restaurant Wars.

In Season 1, Tiffani, Dave, and Harold teamed up with an American Workshop Concept, serving classic American Food such as Tuna Tartare (don't ask, it's not classic American, but they did it as sort of an homage to a dish Harold created in Episode 5), Roasted Chicken, and a Fruit Crisp. It doesn't sound too impressive, but one thing we have learned over the years in Top Chef is that sometimes simple is better. Let's see if it worked.

They were against Leanne, Stephen, and Miguel's Spanish restaurant, Sabor. Their menu included a tapas trio, red snapper with crispy risotto cakes, and olive oil ice cream. 

It turned out that the American Workshop won, due in no small part to Dave's friendly demeanor at the front of the house, which won over diners and judges alike. 

Let's get down to what was really important in this episode. If you thought it was the food, you are strongly mistaken. No, no. It was the line that was heard round the world.  A little ditty that goes a little something like this:

I'm not your bitch, bitch!

Ah, yes. Sweet, often nervous and fidgety, Dave, put the evil Tiffani in her place once and for all. And not only did he put Tiffani in his place, he started what is now the Bravo TV phenomenon of creating T-Shirts for their reality TV programming.  You, too, can now thank Dave for your Housewives of Orange County T-Shirt with two orange slices going across your boobs.  It is capitalism at its finest. Click here for your very own I'm Not Your Bitch, Bitch T-Shirt.

This was a great week for me for several reasons - All of the dishes were relatively simple, there were no recipes with hundreds of ingredients (there were no recipes at all, being that these were pretty straightforward), and I would have carte blance to prepare what I like. 

I could not find sashimi grade tuna, so I skipped the Tartare Course and went straight to the main.  I was rifiling through my first EVER (seriously, I remember it like it was yesterday) Food and Wine Magazine, with a section from Thomas Keller and his pastry chef for a delicious summer meal with Roasted Chicken. He served the chicken with wilted arugula heirloom tomatoes with a summer succotash and pickled pearl onions.  

Score. 

I only followed the recipe for the pickled onions, but used the rest as a guide.  I've linked to Thomas Keller's Roasted Chicken Recipe, which is the most beautiful recipe ever. Dry Chicken. Salt Chicken. Put Chicken in oven. Leave it alone for an hour. Eat it the way I tell you (yes, he tells you how to eat it).

I then made a Banana Flambe Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. Yes, it sounds as good as it was.  I will post about it tomorrow. 

Thomas Keller's Roasted Chicken 

Thomas Keller's Quick Pickled Pearl Onions

Vine Ripened Tomatoes Stuffed with Summer Succotash adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

¾ cup green peas

½ cup corn kernels

¼ cup yellow onion, diced large

8 firm, ripe heirloom tomatoes (about 5 ounces each)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons snipped chives

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and corn and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and corn, transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Slice off the bottom of each tomato so it sits flat. Using a knife, cut around the center of each tomato to form a cone that can easily be removed once the tomato is baked. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil and set them in a large pie plate, stem side up. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and roast just until tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then spoon out and discard the centers to make room for the succotash.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoons of the butter in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the onion until very soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the green beans and corn and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the chives and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the succotash into the tomatoes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Game Bird Wrapped in Prosciutto with Polenta

A fantastic recipe from my new favorite Magazine, La Cucina Italiana.

I know this looks like a lump on a plate.  For some reason, I could not get a good photo of this.  But I do have to say that I don't think any photo could do this dish justice.  

I love the back story behind this dish.  Beginning in 1275, the head of the ruling council of the Venetian Republic was required to gift local red footed wild ducks to the nobles at Christmas time. Therefore, local hunts in Marano were organized and were gifted after being larded, stuffed with herbs and roasted on spits.  This tradition lasted (and the type of bird expanded to all game birds rather than just local red-footed ducks) through the 16th Century, when Christopher Columbus brought corn to Europe from the Americas and introduced polenta to the Italians.  The duck hunting ceased quickly thereafter, but the ritual still holds its legacy: a local saying:  "Un grasso e un magro come i osei de Marano" (a fat one and a skinny one like the birds in Marano), describes two people of different size, and is still said throughout Venice

Originally, the recipe calls for quail, and I totally thought I hit the jackpot and found a place that sold quail. I was wrong, my heart was crushed, my friend said I was lucky because quail "looks like pigeon and ew, who would eat pigeon?" 

Sigh.

Regardless, this recipe is OUTSTANDING!  Moist, plump cornish game hen that is robust with flavor sits atop a creamy polenta and is surrounded by earthy, tender mushrooms and sweet carrots and topped with the pan sauces as a dynamic finishing touch.

It doesn't get much better than that.  

Ingredients - Adapted from La Cucina Italiana

4 cups chicken stock

Salt

1 cup coarse cornmeal

4 cornish game hens

Freshly ground black pepper

8 fresh sage leaves

8 thin slices speck or prosciutto

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small carrot, finely diced

1 small shallot, finely chopped

⅓ cup dry white wine

½ pound fresh wild mushrooms such as trumpet, crimini or porcini, trimmed, halved or quartered, if large

2 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Extra-virgin olive oil

Special equipment: Wooden picks or 6-inch skewers, soaked well before using, if bamboo (if you have them.  If not, I just used toothpicks)

Instructions

Heat oven to 450°.

Meanwhile, discard any innards from cavity of cornish game hen; rinse inside and out, pat dry and season cavity and outside with salt and pepper. Put 1 sage leaf into the cavity of 1 cornish game hen; place a second sage leaf on top of breast side. Wrap breast of cornish game hen with 1 prosciutto slice, turn and repeat on the other side. Thread cavity closed with a skewer (or toothpicks). Repeat with remaining cornish game hen.

In a large ovenproof skillet, heat butter over medium heat until melted and bubbles form; add cornish game hen, breast side down.  Sear for 7 minutes, breast side down, then turn breast side up and sear for another 7 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 6 minutes; roasting until just cooked through (check inner thigh—meat will still be slightly pink, and a thermometer should read 165 degrees F).

Remove pan from oven; transfer to a plate. Reserve pan (with drippings).

In a separate heavy saucepan bring chicken stock to a boil; gradually whisk in cornmeal. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until polenta is very thick and pulls away from side of pan, 8 to 10 minutes.

In the reserved chicken pan, add carrot and shallot to skillet (skillet handle will be very hot; use a heavy pot holder to handle); place pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrot is tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to medium-high and simmer for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, garlic, chives and pinch salt and pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Spoon polenta and vegetables onto plates. Top with cornish game hen. Drizzle with pan drippings and serve.

Chicken Curry with Homemade Roti

 

While I suffered from the killer cold from outer space this weekend, the only thing I craved was spicy foods.  I hoped that it would: A. Allow me to taste strong spices since I couldn't taste anything else and B. clear my nasal passages. 

Well, this dish definitely did the trick.  I love Indian food because it is so complex, yet is relatively healthy.  I added what felt like 1000 seeds from the chili peppers and kept pouring pepper sauce into the dish.  It definitely cleared up my stuffy nose for the time being, yet still seemed pretty subtle in spice for me.  However, when my boyfriend took a bite, his face flushed red and he reached for the water. So you may want to take note when making this dish that you might want to tone down the spices a bit.  

This is a fantastic dish that incorporates a lot of wonderful spices and flavors and pairs perfectly with basmati rice and homemade roti.  

Curry Chicken Recipe Serves 4

1 cinnamon stick
4 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 tablespoons Vegetable Or canola 0r sunflower oil
4 chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tomatoes & 1 Can Crushed tomatoes
2 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 Cut chilis
1 tablepsoon pepper sauce (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add onions saute until golden brown. Add crushed pepper, garlic, ginger to the onions and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken to the onions. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Add the remaining spices and mix well. Stir for a couple of minutes letting it setle into the beef. Then Reduce heat to medium, cover dish and let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes stirring inbetween so that beef does not stick to bottom of dish .

Add the crushed tomatoes can and also the cut tomatoes and stir well . Let it cook for another 15 minutes or so stirring and checking the dish inbetween or until beef is tender.

The Best Caesar Salad In the History of the World.

I'm not a Caesar Salad kind of girl.  I don't like crutons (I know, I know! Who am I???).  I hate creamy dressings.   I prefer my salad under dressed, and am the typical New York City "dressing on the side" kind of girl.  

But something in me changed when I saw an episode of Jamie Oliver at Home. In it, Jamie took the crusty old Caesar salad to a whole new level.  You won't find any dry old chicken breast, clunky dressing, or crusty crutons in this salad.  Oh no.  Here, Jaime roasts chicken legs on top of torn up ciabatta bread (which creates the most wonderful, flavorful cruton you will ever taste), a proper caesar salad dressing (with anchovies! Don't be scared!), lots of rosemary, and some pancetta (I used bacon) to round it all out.

What you get is an unbelievably dynamic and rustic Caesar salad. Moist chicken, smoky flavors from the pancetta (bacon), crutons that are both crisp and moist at the same time and packed with flavor, and an deliciously flavorful dressing that amps up the entire experience.

You have not lived until you have eaten this salad.  Seriously.  Everything up until this point has been a dream.  You're actually not even reading this post right now. 

Proper Chicken Caesar Salad adapted from Jamie at Home

4 chicken legs, skin on

1 loaf ciabatta bread

3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 thin slices pancetta or bacon

1/4 clove peeled garlic

4 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained

3 oz freshly shaved Parmesan, plus extra for topping

1 heaped tablespoon creme fraiche

1 lemon, juiced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 or 3 heads romaine lettuce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the chicken legs in a snug-fitting roasting pan with the pieces of torn-up bread. Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix with your hands to make sure everything is well coated, then lift the chicken legs up to the top, so they sit above the bread. This way, the bread will soak up all the lovely juices from the chicken, giving you the best croutons! Pop the pan into the preheated oven.

After 45 minutes the chicken should be nicely cooked. Take the pan out of the oven, drape the pancetta or bacon over the chicken and croutons, and put back for another 15 to 20 minutes for everything to crisp up. The chicken legs are ready when you can pinch the meat off the bone easily. When they're cooked, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside for the chicken to cool down slightly.

Pound the garlic and anchovy fillets in a pestle and mortar or a Flavor Shaker until you have a pulp. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, lemon juice and 3 times as much extra-virgin olive oil as lemon juice. Season dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Pull the chicken meat off the leg bones - you can use 2 forks to do this, or your hands if you're tough like me - and tear it up roughly with the croutons and the bacon. Wash, spin dry and separate the lettuce leaves, tear them up and toss with the chicken, croutons, bacon and creamy, cheesy dressing. Scatter with some Parmesan shavings.

Braised Chicken Leg and White Beans with Rosemary and Garlic

I must say that I am a very lucky girl. That beautiful dish you see above is courtesy of my boyfriend, Jack.  He is, by all accounts, a fantastic cook.  I almost can attribute my love of cooking to him – but I won’t because he’ll gloat and rub it in.  But frankly, before I met Jack, my idea of a good meal was one piece of turkey and one piece of American cheese on dry whole wheat bread… with relish.  I never knew the wonders of simple flavors, like salt or lemon zest, that heighten the flavor of a dish, or the earthy taste of rosemary, the “foresty” (Jack’s adjective) scent of thyme, the wonders of roasted garlic, or the sweetness of sautéed onions.

I just finished reading Molly Wizenberg’s (Orangette) book, A Homemade Life (buy it -  seriously).  In the book, she mentions that her boyfriend at the time (now her husband), Brandon, is the more experimental cook of the two.  Where Molly is “hunched over a cookbook, hanging on every word, he’s at the stove with his fingers in the pot.”  If I weren’t paying attention, I would have thought Molly was talking about Jack and me. There were many times I would read this book and smile, thinking of Jack. I must admit, I sometimes envy his ability to pick up a few ingredients and create something without relying on a recipe, but at the same time, it inspires me to think off the page and trust my instincts.

Sometimes, he’ll work with a recipe to learn about the flavors and then the next time, he’ll wing it, eyeing measurements and adding his own spices and touches.  His mind is always churning.  We both absolutely love Alice Water’s the Art of Simple Food, because her recipes are a canvas to make it your own. If my boyfriend does work with a recipe, it is from her book.  Her recipes are like color by numbers – there is a guideline, but no one is forcing you to color within the lines.

Just so he doesn’t get a big ego, I tell him the food sucks, because I’m a big baby.  He often knows I’m lying from the smile that I try desperately to hide, the sighs that leave my lips, and the clean plate that sits in front of me.

The fact of the matter is I’m a better cook.  So there.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  After writing this post, I asked my boyfriend to read it, thinking that he’d appreciate my acknowledgement of his talents in the kitchen.  He instead edited my post as if he were Editor-in-Chief of Random House and then proceeded to tell me I know nothing about ingredients. 

This is why I have to tell him his food sucks.  

BLECH! Don’t make this recipe! (Ok, ok make it.)

Braised Chicken Leg and White Beans with Rosemary and Garlic adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

4 chicken legs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 onions, sliced thick

5 garlic cloves, sliced thin

2 bay leaves

2 rosemary sprigs

4 tomatoes, diced large

1.5 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons dry white wine

 

1 cup dried white beans

Salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves

For the Chicken:

Season the chicken a few hours before with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Heat a heavy bottom pan over medium heat.  Add olive oil and place the chicken legs into the pan skin side down and cook until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes.  Turn and cook for another 4 minutes.  Remove the chicken an add onions.  Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side up, and pour in any juices that have collected.  Pour in chicken broth.  The liquid should reach halfway up the chicken; add more if needed. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cover and cook at a bare simmer or in a 325 degree F oven for 45 minutes.  When done, pour the braising liquid into a bowl and skim the fat.  Discard the bay leaves and rosemary stems.  Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

For the Beans:  Soak beans overnight in 4 cups of water.  Drain and transfer to a heavy pot.  Add water to cover by 2 inches.  Bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and skim off any foam.  Simmer gently for 2 hours or so, until the beans are tender.  Add more water if necessary during the cooking.  Season to taste with salt.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan or skillet, warm olive oil over low heat.  Add garlic and cook just until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes.  Stir into the beans, taste for salt and adjust as needed.  Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to marry.