Big Bang Chicken

May 13th, 2011

I know I was on a roll with my Provencal dinner, but until I actually prepare the whole meal for the recipients of my donation of a meal for six, I will defer from posting the recipes.  The most heartwarming response from all of my blogging buddies on the clafoutis has me reeling.  You are all wonderful people.  Susan of Schnitzel and the Trout alerted me to a recipe for clafoutis that she prepared from Barbara’s blog Moveable Feast.  Barbara then commented to let me know about the recipe.  The beauty of it is that it can be prepared ahead of time.  Racheld of Lawn Tea gave me great tips on assembling the clafoutis in the winner’s home when I deliver the dinner.  I will be preparing Barbara and Susan’s recipe soon to see how I do.  All of you are very supportive.  Thank you.

Now on to Big Bang Chicken.  Doesn’t that name grab you?  I do not know the origin of the name.  Maybe it came about because you get a “big bang” for your buck with this.  It is a great company dish for very little money.  The recipe was in The Fresh Market & Friends Cookbook;  A 25th anniversay publication.  The Fresh Market now has more than 70 stores in 15 States.

To give you some background, a couple of weeks ago I went to The Fresh Market in Hendersonville.  The Fresh Market and I have a long history.  The very first Fresh Market was started in Greensboro, NC where David and I lived for many years.  The year was 1982 and this innovative food store had just opened.  Imagine my delight in walking into a grocery store illuminated by soft lights with classical music playing in the background and artfully arranged vegetables and flowers filling my eyes.  There were bins of specialty grains and a whole section for gourmet jelly beans.  The smell of coffee was in the air and samples were available for sipping.  The deli displayed wondrous plump rotisserie chickens and the bakery looked like something out of a Paris Patisserie.  I was in love.  A weekly visit to The Fresh Market became a routine.

When we moved to the North Carolina Mountains I was happy to see that The Fresh Market had preceded us to the area  I visit the Hendersonville location at least once a month.  I saw their cookbook on my last visit and knew that I had to have it.  Many of the recipes in it are from people from Greensboro and each of the recipes underwent a thorough vetting to determine it’s goodness before being  included.

This chicken casserole is very easy to assemble and has a special kick of flavor from the marinated artichoke hearts and the sherry and fresh herbs.  Served with rice, crusty bread and a salad, you can’t go wrong.

BIG BANG CHICKEN

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
all-purpose flour
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
2 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, with juices
2 (15 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, with juices
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sherry
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Dridege chicken in flour then place in pan and brown for 10 minutes.  Add Garlic and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Add artichoke hearts, stewed tomatoes and mushrooms; remove from heat and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Cover and bake 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, add sherry, fresh herbs and spices then bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered.

Printable recipe

A New Approach to Pizza

February 6th, 2010

One of my favorite food writers is Mark Bittman. The New York Times columnist and author of the bestselling books How to Cook Everything and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, has just come out with a new book called Food Matters; A Guide to Conscious Eating. As a nation, we have all become aware of changes in our health and the increasing obesity of our population. Diabetes is epidemic and heart disease is effecting more and more people. Our food supply, in my opinion, has become questionable. Have you noticed that the whole chicken you buy from the Supermarket has a strong chemical smell when you open it from it’s plastic wrap? And what is going on with the inhumane treatment of beef cattle just so we can enjoy a good steak at a reasonable price? There are very few family farms left where chickens scratch in the barnyard and cows munch grass in the pasture. Agribusiness has taken over and it is not a pretty sight. But what can we do about it? In his book Food Matters, Mark Bittman lays out the statistical facts about what is happening to our food supply and offers alternatives on how to eat better and save the planet. His premise is to eat less meat and only from reputable sources, avoid refined carbohydrates like white flour, rice and bread, and avoid junk foods at all cost. We should be eating more fruits and vegetables and visiting our farmers markets to support our local farmers. I have discovered that there are alternatives in our meat supply too. You can find organic free range chickens and beef that has been raised in the pasture. You may have to pay a little more, but it is worth it.

Pizza is one of my favorite foods. The great thing about pizza is that it is adaptable. You can make it very unhealthy if you load it up with fatty pepperoni, sausages and lots of cheese on a white flour crust or you can modify it to a healthier alternative. Let’s start with Mark Bittman’s easy whole grain flatbread. He states ” The simplest bread is nothing more than water and flour”. In this case he uses whole wheat flour and water. He oils the pizza pan, scatters onions and rosemary over the pan, heats it and then pours the flour and water mixture over the hot pan and bakes it until done.


It comes out of the oven crusty around the edges with a few charred onions peaking out from the sides. To make it pizza you can add a smear of tomato sauce, lots of sauteed vegetables, a little cooked meat and a light sprinkling of cheese. Put it back into the oven on broil just to melt the cheese. Here are the details.
EASY WHOLE GRAIN FLATBREAD
A 12″ rimmed pizza pan (Mine was 14″ so I increased the flour and water)
1 cup whole wheat flour ( I used 1 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups water ( I used a scant 2 cups )
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
Put the flour into a bowl; add salt; then slowly add 1 1/2 cups water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Cover with a towel, and let sit while oven heats, or as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of thin pancake batter.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the oil in a 12-inch rimmed pizza pan or skillet (along with the onion and rosemary if you’re using them) and put in the heated oven. Wait a couple of minutes for the oil to get hot, but not smoking; the oil is ready when you just start to smell it. Carefully remove the pan (give the onions a stir); then pour in the batter, and return the pan to the oven. Bake 30 to 40 minutes,* or until the flatbread is well browned, firm and crisp around the edges. (It will release easily from the pan when it’s done.) Let it rest for a couple minutes before cutting it into wedges or squares.
Easy Whole Grain Pizza: When the bread is done, top as you would pizza, using a relatively light hand. Smear a thin layer of tomato sauce on first if you like, then add a sprinkling or crumble of cheese and thinly slice sauteed vegetables, cooked meat, olives, onions – whatever. Turn on the broiler and put the pan under the heat until the ingredients are hot and bubbly. Let rest, then cut and serve.
* My flatbread cooked very quickly. It was ready in 30 minutes and I turned the oven down to about 425 degrees F.

You can use any ingredients you wish for your toppings. I used tomato sauce with a sprinkling of oregano and hot pepper flakes, sauteed red and green peppers and onions, a leftover cooked chicken breast, shredded and a sprinkling of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. This is definitely a new approach to pizza and I loved it.

Printable recipe

A Dinner Party From the Past

October 27th, 2009

The above picture appeared in our newspaper back in 1975. It is so funny to look at this again. I was so skinny and David had lots of hair! That is the kitchen in the first house that we bought. It was this sunny kitchen that sold me on the beautiful old house. Our friends Jim and Janice were the first people that we met in Greensboro. They lived next door to us in our first apartment and Janice and I took cooking classes together. They later moved away from Greensboro, raised a family and we lost touch. Recently we have reconnected and Jim and Janice just moved to Black Mountain, just over the ridge from us. We decided that it would be fun to get together and cook again. Janice and I recreated the menu from 1975. The recipes all came from our cooking instructor Irena ( Kirshman ) Chalmer’s cookbooks published by Potpourri Press.









Here we all are, a little older but still having lots of fun, the girls taking their positions behind the counter and the guys pouring wine and setting the table. Since Jim was pouring in the old picture he is doing the honors again.

The first course for our dinner party is Coquilles Saint-Jacques Nantaise or Scallops with shallots, butter and breadcrumbs. I have to warn you, this is rich with lots of butter even though I cut back some, but it was delicious. Click on the name for the recipe.


The entree was Tournedos Henry IV with Artichoke Bottoms and Sauce Bearnaise. There is more butter in this, but the bearnaise sauce is worth it. It took the two of us to make the bearnaise. The filets are flattened, cooked in clarified butter and then flamed in brandy. They are topped with the artichoke bottom holding the bearnaise sauce. This dish was sublime.

We served simple roasted potatoes and asparagus with this. We roasted the halved potatoes drizzled with olive oil and rosemary skin side down for about 20 minutes. We then added the asparagus tossed in oil to the pan and continued roasting until done.

After all that decadence we decided that we wanted something light and easy for dessert. We made a Raspberry Whip. This is nothing more than whipped egg whites to which you add a little sugar, raspberry preserves and framboise or raspberry liqueur. What is so great about this dessert is that you can adapt it to many flavors; perhaps orange marmalade with Grand Marnier.

We had such a good time doing this meal. It is not often that we eat like this anymore but it was well worth it to bring back some of these classic recipes. Cooking together with friends is one of the joys of life.

Summer’s Last Hoorah

September 27th, 2009
Okay, so I know Summer is officially over, but I just can’t seem to relinquish my dependency on freshness of the season. Last weekend, I experienced a rare morning when I actually got watch my preferred channel on TV for a brief bit (instead of Noggin, Disney, or PBS – the channels my daughter prefers)! What did I turn to? The Food Network, of course! After 1 episode each of Giada and Ina, I had 2 meals checked off my weekly menu. The Barefoot Contessa’s Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin paired with Greek Panzanella were perfect finds to say farewell to Summer.

My husband, Michael, loves bread, and all things carbohydrate. While I, too, am a carbaholic, it’s not often that I work bread into a meal. Call me unAmerican, but it’s just not something I think about! The toasted french bread pieces in the Greek Panzanella made Michael an instant fan! I substituted Mozzarella for the Feta cheese, and omitted the olives. If anyone has a trusted brand of creamy, non-pungent Feta, please let me know. We didn’t miss it, though, with the Mozzarella in it’s place.

The oregano in the marinade for the pork ties in wonderfully with the vinaigrette for the panzanella, making the 2 a very suitable pair. Plan a little bit ahead b/c you need 3+ hours to marinate the pork, and about 30 minutes for the flavors in the panzanella to marry. It’s not a difficult dish by any means, but plan a little bit ahead for the marinade in particular.

Penny introduced me to pork tenderloin when Michael and I were dating. It’s such a wonderful & versatile cut of meat, and so much more interesting than that “other white meat” alternative (aka, chicken)!

If you still have a hankering for the freshness of Summer, give these recipes a whirl.

Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, zest grated
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
  • Good olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork tenderloins on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven and roast the tenderloins for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meat registers 137 degrees F at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it’s just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.


Greek Panzanella
Ingredients

  • Good olive oil
  • 1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 1 red bell pepper, large diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
  • 1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup good olive oil

Directions Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed. Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl. For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Croque Monsieur: Barefoot Thursday

April 23rd, 2009


I would like to offer a special thanks to Kathy of All Food Considered for choosing Croque Monsieur for the second Barefoot Contessa recipe this month. My passion for French food is long standing, but I had never made this decadent sandwich before. Perhaps it is because it is so decadent; bread, ham, cheese, white sauce and more cheese. I hate to admit it but I do not have a natural affinity for cheese. There was a time when I would not touch the stuff, but over the years I have allowed certain cheeses to prove their goodness to me. Gruyere is one of those cheeses. I think I learned to like it during the fondue era of the 70’s. Parmesan is another favorite and I liberally slather pizzas with it. So Croque Monsieur appealed to me on all levels and it did not disappoint.

The only change I made to the recipe was the bread. Ina uses Pepperidge Farm white bread and although I like it, I like my Bread Machine Rosemary Focaccia better. I will include that recipe also. The recipe came from a Better Homes and Gardens Bread Machine cookbook.


BREAD MACHINE ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

3/4 cup water
2 Tbls olive oil
2 cups bread flour
1 Tbls sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

3 Tbls olive oil
2 to 3 Tbls chopped rosemary
Course salt to taste

Add first six ingredients in the order given to the bread machine. Process on the dough setting. Remove dough from bread machine. Cover and let rest for ten minutes. Grease a 12″ round pizza pan. Roll or pat dough into pan. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Make depressions in dough with fingertips. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with rosemary and coarse salt. Bake 15 to 18 minutes.

CROQUE MONSIEUR ( I made half of the recipe )

2 Tbls unsalted butter
3 Tbls all purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 tsp kosher salt ( I omitted )
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Printable recipe – Rosemary Focaccia
Printable recipe – Croque Monsieur

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

© Penny Klett, Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen. All rights reserved.