Chicken Provençal

Ingredients:

1 pound cherry tomatoes in various colors
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1/2 cup brine-cured black olives, drained (pitted or un-pitted, doesn’t matter)
6 large garlic cloves, left in their peels
1 lemon, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Sprigs of rosemary and thyme
Salt and pepper
3 1/2 lbs varied chicken parts like drumsticks, thighs and breasts (I used 2.5 lbs of chicken with the same amount of the other ingredients, and it felt right.)
1/4 cup water or chicken stock


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F and place rack in the middle.

Toss together tomatoes, onion, olives, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 13×9 inch or other 3-quart shallow baking dish. Push vegetables to sides of dish to make room for chicken. Arrange the chicken in baking dish so it has a bit of room to breathe and the pieces are not too close. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the chicken as well, and place the lemon slices on top.

Roast for about 20 minutes and then add the water or stock to the pan. Place pan back into the oven and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170°F.

Let chicken stand 10 minutes before serving, and then serve with vegetables and pan juices. Pairs great with mashed potatoes and sweet corn. Also, this is exactly what I would want to eat on a winter's day, if we had winter in LA.

Serves 4.
(Almost) as found on Sassy Radish.

The Best of Trader Joe's

maybe I'll make this into a series.

at the moment... feast your eyes on one delicious sandwich recipe:

1 baguette, sliced all the way through and cut into thirds
"Trader Giotto's" pesto Genovese (fresh)
Italian truffle cheese, in slices
Italian-cured turkey breast (the one that's all peppery)
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp oil
salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Caramelize the onions by cooking them in the pan over medium-low, stirring constantly to make sure they don't burn. Caramelizing takes a long time. Do other things. or do ahead.

Once onions are ready, assemble all items for pretty much the best sandwich you've ever had in your life. Serves 3 and keeps well.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Pear, Bell Pepper, and Cilantro Salsa

(recipe from Epicurious)


Ingredients:

Salsa
2 firm but ripe Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup finely diced seeded red bell pepper (about 1 large pepper)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeno chiles (about 2 medium chiles)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about small 2 lemons)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Chicken
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, halved horizontally
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter, divided
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2/3 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup pear nectar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Salsa

Mix all ingredients except cilantro in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Stir in cilantro.

Chicken

Season the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper. Place flour in wide shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Place on baking sheet.

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken breasts to skillet and cook on high until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Add broth directly to skillet and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Stir in pear nectar, mustard, and lemon juice. Keep on high heat until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes.

Place 2 chicken breasts on each plate and top with pear sauce. Serve with salsa and a side salad of arugula.

Serves 2.

三杯雞 (Three Cup Chicken)

This is my mom's take on San-Bei-Ji, which is a traditional Taiwanese dish. The three cups called for are sesame oil, rice wine, and soy sauce. Limited resources means this recipe is a little less traditional, but definitely just as delicious.

Ingredients:
12-14 chicken legs (Chop large ones into smaller pieces as necessary)
10 large shiitake mushrooms, stems off and halved
3 stalks green onions
6 cloves of garlic, minced
4-5 thin slices of ginger, skin off and julienned
1/8 cup vegetable oil, 1/8 cup sesame oil
1/2 a beer
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sugar


Chop off the base the green onion; julienne the white section of the green onion, and chop the green section into large pieces, about 1 inch long.


Heat both oils over medium high in a large pan. Once the oil is hot, add in the green onion whites, garlic, and ginger.


When the spices have released their flavor, add in the chicken. After letting cook for a minute, add in the soy sauce, beer, and sugar. Stir thoroughly, and reduce heat to medium low.


Stew for fifteen minutes.


Bring the heat back up to high, and wait for the liquid to reduce (approximately ten minutes). Add in the mushrooms and the green onion greens, and let sit for an additional 2 minutes. Serve with steamed white rice. (Serves 6-8.)

Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter

Let it be known that I trussed and cooked my first turkey, Thanksgiving 2008, and it turned out to be honestly the best turkey I've ever had. This is not quite as impressive as it sounds, since my family is one of those that usually opts out of the whole dinner thing. We went to Marie Callender's last year. But all that is beside the point. This recipe really does make a moist (and I don't use that word lightly; it's on a short list of words I find very distasteful) and flavorful turkey. It would have been great for some cold turkey sandwiches, had my family spared me any leftovers at all.

(Recipe from Tyler Florence)...put it in your pocket for next year.

Ingredients:
1 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
8 strips bacon
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go (It sounds unpleasant, but I found it to be a oddly soothing experience). Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered.

Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3-4 hours total.

About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stovetop. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

Cuban Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/4 cups diced tomatoes (canned works)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 cups water
1 cup white wine or apple juice
2 cups long-grain rice (I substituted purple rice)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken breast halves and sauté a few at a time until lightly browned on all sides. Remove chicken and set aside. Drain excess fat, leaving 1 Tbs. in the skillet.

Sauté the onion, garlic, pepper, and potato for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not burnt. Add in the remaining ingredients, aside from the wine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the wine, chicken, and rice. Stir well and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes more.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 loaf of garlic focaccia bread
2 small chicken breasts, pounded
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
baby greens or spinach
1.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (not the dehydrated kind in a bag), julienne cut
1 large portobello mushroom, sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced
jar of garlic pesto
dried oregano
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by slicing the focaccia lengthwise (horizontally). Spread the garlic pesto on the top half of the loaf.

Season the chicken on both sides with a little bit of salt, pepper, and oregano.

in a medium skillet, saute the onion over medium heat in the olive oil until onion is translucent. Push onions to one side and cook the chicken, turning over occasionally until inside is fully cooked and both sides are golden brown. Set chicken aside.

Continue to saute the onion, adding in the sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for a couple minutes. Take the skillet off the fire, and layer the onion tomato mixture across the focaccia bottom. Place the chicken breasts as the second layer, and the mozzarella cheese on top of that.

Place the skillet back on the fire and saute the mushrooms for a few minutes, adding just a little bit of water. When the mushrooms are soft enough (and smell delicious), add these on top of the cheese. Finish off the sandwich with a layer of lettuce or spinach and the focaccia top; slice the sandwich into quarters. Serves 2.

Perfect for a picnic.

Turkey Burrito

(adapted from "Gary's Turkey Burritos" on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds ground turkey
1 (7 ounce) can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 small onion, diced
1 (16 ounce) can black beans
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
burrito-size flour tortillas
1 tbsp of olive oil

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the turkey first, cooking until browned. Add in the onions and saute for a few minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and corn. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer 10-20 minutes until liquid reduces. Stir occasionally.

Separately, heat beans over medium-low in a small pot.


Place a piece of foil over the stove burner, and one by one, heat the tortillas for a minute each, flipping a few times. Top with beans and filling, and sprinkle cheese across top. (Sour cream optional.) Wrap the burrito up and serve piping hot with a wedge of lime on the side. Serves 6-8.