Roasted Zucchini and Onions

We eat this all the time.  It is easy (but not fast) and the caramelized veggies are delicious.  I have a tendency to prefer the squash very well cooked; feel free to roast for less time if you like.  This general method works for many different vegetables.  Any leftovers are wonderful in a frittata.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Parmesan cheese – optional
  

Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2.      Cover a half sheet pan with foil (I like using non-stick foil).

3.      Cut zucchini into ½ inch pieces.

4.      Cut onion into 1 inch pieces.

5.      Toss veggies on the sheet pan with the olive oil, salt & pepper.

6.      Roast for one hour, tossing occasionally.

7.      Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the zucchini and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Lemon Rosemary Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken makes regular appearances for dinner.    Feel free to use any variety of marinades or dry rubs on your chicken.  As for the chicken, I prefer an air chilled organic chicken or a kosher bird (already brined!) or any bird from a local source.  Weber makes a beer can chicken cooker (called"Poultry Infusion Roaster") that is very helpful. 

We usually cook this on a gas grill, but a charcoal grill will also do.  Just be sure to cook the chicken over indirect heat.  Any leftover chicken is great for sandwiches.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 4-5 pound chicken
• 1 lemon
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• Salt & pepper (watch the salt if you use a kosher bird)
  

Directions:

1.      Zest the lemon (I highly recommend using a microplane rasp, which can also be used to grate the garlic) and juice it as well.

2.      Mix together the lemon zest, juice, garlic, mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper.

3.      Rub the marinade all over the chicken and refrigerate uncovered for 2-4 hours.

4.      Remove chicken from the fridge about one hour before it’s going on the grill.

5.      Preheat all burners on your gas grill on high for 15 minutes.

6.      Fill the reservoir on the roaster with a couple of garlic cloves and some beer (or anything you feel like using!).

7.      Turn off the middle burner and put the two outside burners to medium (on our Weber) and roast the chicken over indirect heat.  The temperature inside the grill should be around 350 degrees.

8.      Cook for 45-60 minutes, or until the temperature in the breast measures 160-165 degrees, or 170-175 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh.  Start checking the temperature after 45 minutes.

9.      Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, transfer to a board, carve and serve.

Note:

The carcass makes great stock.  I put it in a pot that night along with some onion, carrot and celery.  I add some water the next day and simmer for a few hours.  Strain and stash in the freezer.  

Ground Beef Chili

This chili is delicious and easy to put together, but it does need some time to cook.  The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated with only two changes that are noted below.  It has two aspects that I find interesting.  First, you make your own chili powder from ground dried chilies.  Second, the ground beef is mixed with a bit of water and baking soda to encourage browning and to keep the meat tender and juicy.  The baking soda works on both fronts. 

This makes about 2-3 quarts

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef (the recipe purposely calls for 85% lean since the fat carries flavor, I think it is too fatty)
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 cups of water
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Salt & pepper
• 6 dried ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded and torn into one inch pieces
• 1 ounce tortilla chips – OR – 2 corn tortillas torn into pieces (you could also use a couple of tablespoons of cornmeal)
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 14.5 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I used Olo's Chipotle paste in a tube that I found at Sur La Table)
• 1 15 ounce can pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix two tablespoons of water with the baking soda, and mix in the ground beef until thoroughly combined.  Set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Place ancho chilies in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and toast, stirring frequently for 4-6 minutes.
   
4. Place anchos, tortilla chips or tortillas, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, thyme, and 2 teaspoons pepper in the bowl of food processor and process until finely ground, about two minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.
   
   
   
   
5. Process tomatoes and their juice in the now empty processor until smooth.
   
6. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until softened, about 4-6minutes.
   
7. Add garlic and still for another minute.
8. Add ground beef mixture to pan and cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the beef is browned. 
   
   
   
   
9. Add the chili mixture and the chipotle and cook for 1-2 minutes to bloom the spices.
   
10. Add the 2 cups of water, the beans and their liquid, the tomatoes, and the sugar.  Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any fond.
    
11. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours.
12. Remove the chili from the oven and let stand, uncovered for 10 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar and season to taste with salt.
    

This may be made ahead and frozen.

Serve with any of the following:

Cheese, sour cream, chopped white or green onion, avocado, cilantro, lime 

Corn muffins are great with chili too!

Beef Braised in Wine

This is one version of pot roast, and really consists of my basic recipe for any braised beef or lamb.  Start with browning the meat (chuck roast, short ribs, veal or lamb shanks), remove and brown a pureed mirepoix, add wine and reduce, add canned tomatoes/stock/water and herbs, and cook for hours.  Voila - a delicious cold weather meal with tender meat and a deeply flavorful sauce!  I tend to make these braises at least a day ahead since I like to chill them to make excess fat removal easier.  Braises are a wonderful winter dinner party do-ahead meal since you can - and should - make at least a day ahead, and it can be made weeks ahead if you freeze it.  

Please feel free to adjust any ingredients to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 pound chuck roast
• 1/4 pound of pancetta - diced
• 3-4 carrots
• 3-4 celery stalks
• 1 large onion
• 4-6 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1-2 tablespoons umami paste (optional)
• 1 bottle of dry red wine
• 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• bunch of thyme tied with string into a bundle
• 4 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
  

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 300 degrees.  
2.  Saute pancetta in a large dutch oven over medium heat (I used a #26 Le Creuset) in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until crisp.  Remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.  Pour off all but a couple of tablespoons of fat.

3.  Season roast with salt and brown deeply on all sides in now empty pan over medium high heat.  This should take about 8-10 minutes Remove and set aside.  Again, pour off all but two tablespoons of fat.

4.  Finely chop the carrots, celery, onions and garlic in a food processor (almost puree) and add the the pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium high heat, scrapoing the pan frequently as the vegetables brown.  This will take about 10-15 minutes.

5.  Clear a spot in the pan and add the tomato paste and umami paste and stir until brown, about one minute.

6.  Pour the bottle of wine into the pan, scraping up any brown bits, and reduce over meduim high heat for 8-10 minutes.  

7.  Add the tomato3s, thyme, bay leavess and the roast to the pan.  Taste and adjust the salt.

8.  Cover and put in the oven for 3-4 hours, checking now and then on the progress.  The roast is done when it is very tender.

9.  Refrigerate the roast overnight and remove the hardened fat.  Reheat and enjoy (or freeze to enjoy later).

Irish Brown Bread

My nephew and his wife traveled to Ireland and returned raving about the delicious brown bread they enjoyed while there.  My sister, never one to shy away from a baking challenge, researched and found this recipe from the Wall Street Journal.  I am so glad she did!  It is easy to make and so crunchy good!  It is great warm out of the oven with some butter. I love it for breakfast toasted with a bit of cream cheese or almond butter and jam.  Also good with smoked salmon.  A keeper recipe for sure!

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups (19.25 oz.) King Arthur Irish Style Flour or stone-ground whole wheat flour
• 1 3/4 cups (7 oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (3 oz.) natural wheat bran
• 1 1/4 cups (6 oz.) steel-cut oats
• 1/2 cup (1.30 oz.) wheat germ
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 quart plus 1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature (I use one quart, and rinse out the bottle/carton with about 1/3 cup water to get the extra 1/2 cup.  It seems silly to me to buy more buttermilk for just the 1/2 cup!)
  

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray two 9 X 5 inch loaf pans with non-stick spray.

2.  Mix all the dry ingredients until well combined.

3.  Add the buttermilk and mix until all the dry ingredients are evenly moist.

4.  Divide dough equally among the prepared pans.

5.  Bake until golden and crusty, about 50 minutes.  Unmold and cool and a wire rack.

Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad

I was looking for a new and different salad earlier this week and came across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite blogs.  It is both delicious and easy, and filled with good for you ingredients.  Find the recipe here:  Warm Butternut Squash and chickpea Salad.  I roasted the squash about 10 minutes longer to make it nice and brown.  

Ready to eat!