Herb Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

As soon as temperatures drop, I switch my cooking style from frequent grilling to roasting. I love roasting pretty much any kind of vegetables, and a nice whole chicken is such an easy and elegant main course. I saw a recipe like this at work, and loved the idea of roasting the chicken and veggies all in one pan.

I rubbed an herb butter all over the raw chicken, making sure to get some butter under the skin. I chopped a couple carrots, parsnips, and potatoes into bite sized chunks, and tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. I spread the vegetables in the bottom of my cast iron casserole pan, and placed the chicken right on top of the veggies. When the chicken was done, I let it rest on the cutting board, and placed the pan back in the oven so the vegetables could finish cooking. Served with a salad, this was a simple and comforting Sunday night dinner.

I could never write a cookbook, because I'm way too lazy when it comes to writing down recipes. This was made up on the fly, but I'll do the best I can to tell you what to do :) This is a recipe you could easily play around with, depending what you have around the kitchen.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the following ingredients to make an herb compound butter:

6-8 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tsp fresh lemon zest

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop your root vegetables, trying to cut the pieces into a consistent size. I used 2 large carrots, 2 large parsnips, and 4 or 5 new potatoes (skin on). Toss the vegetables into your roasting pan or cast iron pot, and toss with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse a whole chicken and pat dry. Season the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper, and put slices of lemon inside. Rub the herb butter all over the chicken, pushing lots of the butter under the skin. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, and place into the preheated oven.

Cook the chicken until a thermometer reads 165 degrees. If the vegetables are not soft and getting crispy, remove the chicken and put the vegetables back in the oven until they get to the level of doneness you desire. Serve the roasted vegetables alongside slices of the roast chicken.

Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Wheat Berry Salad

If you are a regular food blog reader, you have maybe seen a variation of this recipe before. Cate of Cate's World Kitchen first called it to my attention, and the original recipe was posted by Molly of Orangette. I had some wheat berries that I thought would make a great addition, and through googling I discovered Kevin from Closet Cooking had already successfully tried a version of this salad with wheat berries. I ended up mostly following Kevin's recipe, but added in spinach like the original recipe called for.

I knew Joe would have questioned my judgment if I served the simple spinach, butternut squash and chickpea salad for dinner. Adding the wheat berries was a perfect way to add some heft to the salad, creating a healthy and filling dinner entree. We both loved this, and found the chilled salad made excellent lunchtime leftovers. I'm going to try to stop cooking with butternut squash now that we're getting closer to spring... but I might have to make this one more time before the cutoff!


Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Wheat Berry Salad
Adapted from so many other great bloggers!
(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound squash (peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces)
2 1/2 cups cooked wheat berries
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons cilantro
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup tahini, lemon and yogurt dressing

Directions:
1. Toss the squash in the oil, salt and pepper to coat.
2. Bake in a single layer in a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes flipping once in the middle.
3. Mix the warm squash with the spinach so that the spinach wilts. Add the wheat berries, chickpeas, red onion and cilantro and toss with the dressing.

Tahini, Lemon and Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup cup Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
1 clove garlic (finely minced)
salt and pepper to taste
½ to 1 cup water

Directions:
1. Mix everything and add water to get it to the desired consistency.

Moroccan Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

I was first inspired to make acorn squash when I saw a recipe for quinoa and mushroom stuffed acorn squash at work. It was part of a vegetarian thanksgiving class, and I thought it sounded like something I'd enjoy making for a regular weeknight dinner. I grabbed the whole packet of recipes from that class, and managed to make the Sweet Corn and Gouda Bread Pudding as part of Thanksgiving dinner at my parents house. Then, I lost the recipes, and forgot all about acorn squash.

It didn't take long for it to come up again, though, when Cate blogged about Stuffed Acorn Squash in December. After that I felt like I saw acorn squash at every grocery store I went into, but I was always in a hurry, or already had a week's worth of meals planned. Trying acorn squash was always just one recipe below the weekly cut off. Finally, this week, I realized spring would be here before I knew it, and then I will soon be trading squash for asparagus and peas. The time had finally arrived; I would try acorn squash this week!

I searched the internet for various recipes, and ended up back where I started. Cate's recipe was a vegetarian adaption of a Martha Stewart recipe that had been blogged about multiple times, and Cate had already done the hard work for me. The bulgur was mixed with onions and garlic that had been sauteed with cinnamon and nutmeg, and the sweet and spicy smell was amazing! Joe and I were both practically drooling from the smell alone. The mixture was perfectly seasoned, and the golden raisins added the perfect touch of sweetness. A half squash paired with a salad was a perfectly balanced meal, satisfying and also really healthy. Make this before the weather becomes too spring-like, or else try to remember it for next fall when it'll really hit the spot!

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

adapted by Cate's World Kitchen, from Arugulove, originally from Martha Stewart, October 2009

3 small to medium acorn squashes halved and seeded

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp. course salt, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup bulgur wheat

2 1/4 cups water

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

3 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

1 1/4 cups cooked or canned garbanzo beans

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the squash halves cut-sides down in a greased 9×13 inch casserole dish or roasting pan. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

While the squash is in the oven, heat the oil in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the onions, cinnamon and nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and fragrant (5 to 7 minutes) adding 2-3 tbsp of water after the first two or three minutes to keep the onions from drying out or burning.

Add garlic, and cook for an additional minute.

Add remaining teaspoon salt and the bulgur, and stir to combine. Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit covered for 5 minutes.

Fluff the bulgar with a fork, and add the raisins, parsley, pine nuts and garbanzo beans. Stir together to combine and adjust seasonings if necessary

When the squash is soft, take it out of the oven. Let it cool a little and scrape out enough of the flesh to form 1/4 inch thick bowls.

Mix the squash flesh into the bulgur mixture. Divide among squash halves, and return them to the oven. Bake until warmed through and tops are browned, about 12 to 14 minutes.

Serves 6.

Two years down, a lifetime to go...

I got the new Ina Garten cookbook, Back to Basics, for Christmas this year. A few short days later it was my second wedding anniversary, and I knew that was the perfect occasion to test it out. We had initially planned a pretty posh dinner out for this anniversary (Blackbird in Chicago), but the state of the economy has hit close to home and we decided to be a little more financially responsible this year. There will be a dinner at Blackbird in the future, but for now we decided a nice night at home was the best way to celebrate.

There are tons of recipes in Back to Basics that sounded perfect to me, and I settled on Roasted Potato Leek Soup and Herb Marinated Loin of Pork. It sounded classy, romantic, and cozy on a freezing cold Chicago night. And since our anniversary was on a Monday, the meal I chose was also one that could be mostly prepared the night before. The soup was made almost entirely the night before, and then the last few ingredients were added when I reheated it on Monday night. I also did the marinade the night before, so I only had to throw the meat on the grill when it was almost dinner time. I did simple roasted broccoli as a side, and the meal ended up simple yet nice enough to feel special.

The soup was good, but not the most amazing thing ever. I ended up roasting the veggies for about half the time, then boiling them in the broth until the potatoes were soft. It might be my cheap pan, but the potatoes and leeks were browning way too much for my tastes. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the end result, because while I was cooking I really worried this dish might be a waste of time.

The pork, however, was FANTASTIC! It was so moist and flavorful, and grilling it was so much easier than the baking or broiling methods we've used in the past. Even a few days later, the pork was great left over. It was elegant on its own, and would also be delicious served on rolls as mini sandwiches for a party. And since the tenderloins were sold with two in a package, I froze the second one and get to make this again in the near future.




Roasted Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Shallots

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
4 cups chopped leeks (4 leeks), white and light-green parts, cleaned of all sand
1/4 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces crème fraiche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (see note)
Crispy shallots, optional (recipe follows) ** I didn't make these, but it sounds like a tasty addition**

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted.
Remove the pan from the oven and place over two burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the
chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

(I did things a bit different here. I roasted the potatoes and leeks about 20 minutes, and when they seemed to be browning way more than softening I decided to change things up. I moved them to a saucepan, and added the broth to that. I simmered it until the potatoes were soft, then added things in and pureed it. I did scrape the brown bits from the pan as described above.)

In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the purée into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to purée the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, crème fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasoning.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese and crispy shallots, if using.

Crispy Shallots

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Directions:
Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Reduce heat to low, add shallots slowly to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

Herb Marinated Loin of Pork

Marinade:
grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp minced garlic (6 cloves)

1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt

2-3 pork tenderloins, 1 lb each

freshly ground black pepper

(I did a half recipe of the marinade, and one pork tenderloin)

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or at least 3 hours. (I like to put the bag in a bowl, just in case).

When you're ready to cook, preheat the grill. Be sure to brush the grill with some oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then grill, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 20 minutes--until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. **Use your meat thermometer, or you will do what I used to and overcook it!**

Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Thanks to The Food of Love for typing this shorter version of the recipe for me to use!

Roasted Green Beans with Cremini Mushrooms

I want to share this recipe for two reasons...

First, last week was really long and this was one of the only decent things I cooked. I started my new job, which is great, but the training left me devoid of energy by the time I got home each night. On Thursday I decided I needed to cook something, because even though I was exhausted I was seriously missing spending time in my kitchen. So I want to share this because it's one of the only new things I have to share.

Second, this is really a fantastic combination of fall flavors. I know it's getting a bit late to cook green beans, but as long as they look decent and are reasonably priced I will keep using them. Green beans are my favorite vegetable, so I have a hard time letting them go at the end of summer. Cremini mushrooms seem very fall like to me, and take on a great flavor when roasted. This is a simple yet elegant side dish; easy enough for a weeknight, yet nice enough to serve guests.

This is one of those recipes that doesn't have exact measurements. I'll give you guidelines, and you can make it your own. And if you don't have any, go buy some Herbes de Provence. I use it to season so many dishes, and I find that a little goes a long way. Frequently, when I want to add some seasoning to a dish but don't have a specific plan, I add a sprinkle of this herb combination and find the seasoning ends up perfect.


Roasted Green Beans with Cremini Mushrooms

1 lb fresh green beans
1 pack cremini mushrooms (approx 6 oz)
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper
herbes de provence

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the ends of the green beans. Clean and trim the mushrooms, then cut into quarters. Slice the shallots into thin pieces, and mince the garlic. In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and herbes de provence, and toss to coat well.

Spread the green beans evenly on a jelly roll pan lined with a silpat (optional). Roast for about 25 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. The beans are done when they're tender and starting to lightly brown. Be careful not to overcook, and get lots of the shallots and garlic on your plate with the green beans. Enjoy!

It's Roasting Season!

I didn't realize what cooking technique was missing from my kitchen until the weather started feeling like fall. Yes, if you're also living in Chicago, you're probably wondering what I'm talking about! But remember a couple weeks ago when we pulled out our fall coats before the weather went back to the 70's? That's when I made this dish :)

The cooking technique I'm referring to is roasting, and in the last month or so I've been reminded of how much I enjoy roasting veggies. I bought a head of cauliflower at the store a while back, and didn't have any specific intentions of what to make with it. When I got home I remembered a combination that I had really enjoyed last fall. I think I found the recipe somewhere online, but it's really flexible depending what you have around. Just toss together the key ingredients, add extra herbs or seasoning you're craving, and roast for 20 or 30 minutes. This mix of ingredients might surprise you; cauliflower can be a lot more tasty than you might expect!


Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
2 cloves garlic
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Optional- fresh thyme or other herbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into manageable pieces. Put into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle minced garlic, lemon zest, and salt and pepper on top; toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once or twice, until cauliflower is becoming tender and golden brown.

A Taste of the Islands

Recently, our friends Jess and Henry went on their honeymoon to St Lucia, and they can back with a gift and a challenge. The gift was the exotic treat of banana ketchup, and the challenge was to use it in my blog. Now I'm sure they would still be friends with me if I just ate the ketchup and left it at that, but I knew I couldn't let them down on blogging out it.

What a treat it was! My initial thought was that it would be just like regular katchup with a little banana flavor, and I assumed it would have tomato as the base. It turned out to be much more banana based than I expected, with the vingear taste that was exactly like regular ketchup. Joe and I each tasted it on its own, to really get the flavor. Joe liked it with fries, while I prefered to use it as a base for a marinade.

Shrimp seemed like the perfect canvas for my marinade; it felt like banana ketchup was meant for seafood. I made a marinade with olive oil, banana ketchup, salt and pepper, and scallions. I put the cleaned shrimp in a baggie with the marinade, threw it in the fridge, and forgot about it for a couple hours. When I was ready, I put the shrimp on skewers and grilled them under the broiler for a few minutes. Shrimp cooks quickly, so be sure to keep an eye on it! The resulting shrimp were tender and flavorful, with just enough banana flavor to keep it interesting. I had planned before hand to only buy enough shrimp for one dinner, and I have a feeling I would have eaten any leftovers that same night if there had been any extra!


I found a great new side dish in this month's Bon Appetit. The recipe for Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin jumped out at me as soon as I saw it, and I knew it would pair nicely with the shrimp. I loved this side dish! I've only recently discovered quinoa, and I love it as a new alternative to our standby couscous. I made the full recipe for 8, figuring I'd take it for lunch during the work week. It made at least 8 large servings, and by the end of the week I was ready to change up my lunch menu. But it was a great summer side dish full of flavors that I love. I highly recommed this, and hope to make it sometime soon to share with friends.

Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini, Garbanzo Beans, and Cumin

from Bon Appetit August 2008

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 teaspoon turmeric, divided

1 teaspoon smoked paprika, divided

2 cups water1 cup quinoa (about 6 ounces), rinsed well, drained

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini (about 5), trimmed, quartered lengthwise

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine garbanzo beans and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil; press in garlic and stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare barbecue (mediumhigh heat). Place zucchini on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat evenly.

Place zucchini on grill; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to work surface. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add zucchini, green onions, and parsley, then garbanzo bean mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Fresh Produce Improv

After last week's farmers market visit, I had some beautiful produce laying around the kitchen, calling out for me to use it. The tomatoes I bought were perfectly ripe and a gorgeous red color, and I knew I couldn't resist the two-toned asparagus for long. I had also picked up some Mediterrian Seasoned Feta cheese at Trader Joe's, and I knew it's flavors would pair perfectly with these vegetables. My first inspiration came from Proud Italian Cook's Roasted Tomato and Ricotta Tart. Her blog is full of delicious looking Italian treats, and I knew that this Tomato tart would be the foundation of my own Tomato and Asparagus Tart.

A visit to our nearby grocery store, however, changed my plans. I try to avoid the regular grocery store near our house, going instead to the fantastic Mexican grocery store that is a short 2 blocks from my condo. This store has great values on beautiful produce, and has a pretty solid assortment of regular groceries as well. They don't carry everything a regular grocery store has, though, and I ended up in front of a cooler full of phyllo dough, but no puff pastry to be found! So I went to plan B-- Tomato and Asparagus Tart with Phyllo crust.

This was an adventure, since I have never used phyllo dough before. I found some tips on Bridget's blog, and just decided to see how things turned out. My phyllo didn't fall apart too much, and I was liberal with melted butter as I put the layers together. I roasted the tomatoes and asparagus separately before putting the tart together, so the cooking time was not too long. The tart did end up a bit soggy on the bottom, but the combination of flavors was enough to keep me happy. It felt like a summery dish, and would be great to make again as an appetizer when we have company over.

I roasted the tomatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbes de provence.

The asparagus were roasted with oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Not going to lie to you, it's getting late and Blogger keeps posting this picture sideways. So that is just how it's meant to be. Once the veggies are roasted, here's what you do.

Put a layer of phyllo dough on a baking sheet, and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top, smooth out, and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 5 phyllo sheets stacked up. As you're using the phyllo, keep a wet dish towel covering what you're not using, to keep it from drying out.

When the layers are in place, spread the feta cheese on top, leaving a 1 inch edge around the outside. Top the feta with the roasted vegetables. Fold over the layers of phyllo, and brush the edges with more melted butter. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

I was too excited to eat to take any successful post-baking pictures, but in the picture at the beginning of this post you can see the tart in the bottom corner. It was so good, and now that I've tried using phlyo I'm excited to see what else I can do with it!