Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

This came from Ina Garten (Food Network), and it is so tasty. Next time I think I'll try it with just chicken breasts because I don't love breaking down a chicken...but it was pretty great.

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2 lbs) chickens, cut into eighths
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablesponns Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5-10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 T of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining T of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 min. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

Mrs. Rigg's Sugar Cookies

Mrs. Riggs didn't know she would become this famous. Laurel had her as a teacher growing up, and she makes amazing sugar cookies. Beautiful, perfect to cut out and use at school for the kiddos. That's what we'll be doing! Emma and I will be making them to share with her soccer team on Saturday. Maybe I'll be able to add some pictures to this post! Thanks for sharing this recipe Laurel.

Mrs. Rigg's Cookies

1c margarine

1c sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 c flour

Cream margarine and sugar together.

Blend in egg, salt, and vanilla.

Add flour and stir until combined.

Put in fridge overnight.

Roll our 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.

FROSTING

2/3 c crisco

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

4-5 T milk

Cream crisco and 1/2 sugar. Add vanilla. Then add milk and remaining sugar, alternating bit by bit until combined.

Pizza Dough, You Too Can Make!

This is Cynthia Pedregon's Pizza Dough recipe from her 1994 cookbook. I have a friend who wanted this recipe, and I thought that perhaps it was time to post on the ol' blog. It's easy to make (and multiple crusts too), and easy to adapt to the GF peeps. I hope you enjoy.

Denise

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This is the basic pizza dough recipe. You may make variations on it by using chopped herbs in the crust. I like to sprinkle chopped rosemary, sea salt and and olive oil around the rim of the crust just before baking - this make a softer crust.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 cup warm water

- 1 tablespoon yeast

- 3 cups flour

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 cup olive oil

METHOD:

1. In a measuring cup, lightly stir the sugar, water and yeast and set aside to rise.

2. Measure the flour and salt into a food processor and blend. Slowly pour in yeast mixture and then 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix until dough just forms a ball. Avoid overworking the dough.

3. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large mixing bowl. Gather the pizza dough to form into a ball. Turn dough until it's coated with olive oil. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you are unable to use the pizza dough immediately, you may punch the dough down and turn it over to rise up to a total of four times.

4. To shape the pizza dough into a 12" round, place a ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using the heel of your hands, press the dough into a circle.

NOTES:

Corn Meal Pizza Dough:

1. Instead of 3 cups flour, use 2 cups flour and 1 cup yellow corn meal.

2. Follow Pizza Dough recipe instructions.SOURCE: Cynthia Pedregon

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How I Learned to Like Kale

You may or may not know this about me: I am not a big fan of vegetables. I have grown so much in the 11 years that Matt and I have been married...mainly thanks to Myra, who has always cooked me amazing dishes, filled with incredible veggies. Not only has she cooked for me (and my family), but I have been able to learn how to cook from her.

That said, now that we live in Vancouver, which is one of the "greenest" places I have ever been, we are exposed to all sorts of Farmer's Markets and local produce. The one vegetable that I've never been able to eat is kale. I mean, WHY? I think it can retain it's shape for years if left unattended! (ask me why I know this sometime).

On our recent trip down to the States, I picked up a Bon Appetit magazine. In it was this article:

http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2009/10/how_i_learned_to_love_kale

Which led to this recipe being made for dinner on Sunday night. Let's just say, I could have licked the pot clean. I hope you enjoy!

Spaghetti with Braised Kale

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Recipe By: Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

1 pound lacinato kale (2 bunches), large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2" slices

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 pound spaghetti

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

finely grated Parmesan Cheese

PREPARATION:

Rinse kale. Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt; cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add kale and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by teaspoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Add lemon juice and 2 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Sprinkle spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes:

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

One serving contains the following: (Analysis includes one tablespoon parmesan cheese per serving.)

Calories (kcal) 420.6

%Calories from Fat 31.3

Fat (g) 14.6

Saturated Fat (g) 2.8

Cholesterol (mg) 5.0

Carbohydrates (g) 59.2

Dietary Fiber (g) 5.6

Total Sugars (g) 3.1

Net Carbs (g) 53.6

Protein (g) 15.4

Slow Cooker Sunday: Spanish Rice

Another Slower Cooker Recipe that we love!!! Even though it sounds like a side it is really more of a casserole that works as a full meal. This one is actually a two day process if you decide to cook the meat the day before but really worth it. I cook the beef in the slow cooker the day before with a great recipe that I will add later. Denise has had it both with pork and beef and says she prefers the beef. We have only had it with beef and love it that way. I also like to double the veggies. You can also make it purely vegetarian by omitting the stock and meat. Hope you enjoy!

Spanish Rice (from The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II)

3 Poblano Chiles, halved, stemmed, and seeded

6 tomatoes, halved

3 cloves garlic

1 large white onion, cut into 6 pieces

1 1/2 cups Shredded Beef (recipe I use to follow later)

2 cups uncooked rice

3 cups beef stock or water

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup grated Monterey Jack or sharp chedder cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano (I just use regular oregano)

Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish

Sour Cream, for garnish

Preheat the broiler. Place the chiles, tomatoes, and onion skin side up on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler and grill for about 10 minutes, until the skins are blackened. Cover the vegetables with a damp kitchen towel and let rest for about 20 minutes. Peel off the chile adn tomato skins or scrape them off using a paring knife. Slice the chiles into 1/4-inch strips and coarsely chop the tomatoes, garlic, and onion.

Spread half of the shredded meat in a layer in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour half the rice on top of the meat. Spoon in a layer of the roasted chiles, tomatoes, and onion. Add the remaining meat and the rice. Soon on the remaining chiles, tomatoes, and onion.

Combine the water or stock and salt in a small bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Pour into the cooker. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole. Serve hot sprinkled with parsley and a dollop of sour cream.

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Hi all, it's Denise, back again with a one dish wonder! I made this for dinner this week, and it was a hit! I think if you want to make it, I would double the sweet potatoes and onions, because we ran out of the chicken-to-potato ratio. Really tasty!

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Recipe By: Real Simple

Ingredients:

3- 4 boneless chicken breasts

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 onion, cut into 1 inch wedges

6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

3 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9x13" baking dish, toss the sweet potatoes, onion, thyme, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Nestle the chicken among the vegetables and drizzle with the maple syrup.

3. Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through, 55 to 65 minutes.

Hope you enjoy!

Steak Salad

The other recipe from the going away party, this is from Giada De Laurentiis. It's delicious. The recipe explains a pretty way of serving this, but I just threw it all in a bowl. Still delicious.

Serves 4

1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large head Belgian endive, thinly sliced crosswise (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
3 cups fresh baby arugula
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 oz Gorgonzola, coarsely crumbled
Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
salt and pepper
1 pound steak (such as New York, rib-eye, or filet), pan-fried or grilled and chilled

In a large bowl, combine the lettuces, tomatoes, and half the cheese. Toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the salad on a platter.

Cut the steaks crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the steak slices atop the salad and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the steak slices and serve.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.

Yield: 1 2/3 cups