Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Waldorf Salad

Here's another Thanksgiving classic... with a little twist. Adapted from a recent Pillsbury Christmas collection, this Waldorf salad features just a hint of sweetness. Very festive over a bed of baby spinach or mixed greens.

Waldorf Salad

1 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large apples, cubed
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Combine ingredients and chill slightly before serving.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Pumpkin Bread

With Thanksgiving approaching, doesn't pumpkin bread sounds good? This recipe, adapted from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula Deen, has a lovely flavor... much better than so many mixes, which have strong clove and allspice overtones. You'll get 2 large loaves, or quite a few minis, perfect for gift-giving. You could also use this for a trifle, alternating layers with whipped cream, vanilla pudding and pumpkin butter, drizzling a little caramel sauce over the top, as suggested in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients; fold into dry. Add nuts, if desired.

Bake in two loaf pans for approximately 1 hour, or until tester comes out clean. For muffins or mini-loaves, begin checking after 20 minutes.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Roasted Chicken

I recently had the pleasure of reading Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes and other Kitchen Stories by Bonny Wolf. She is a firm believer in the words of Julia Child, who once said, "You can always judge the quality of a cook or a restaurant by roast chicken." Wolf has several suggestions for achieving something close to culinary perfection...

1. Buy a smaller chicken and brine it, or opt for a kosher bird.
2. Season the exterior, but don't bother trussing.
3. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan.
4. Pre-heat the oven for at least 15 minutes.
5. Bake the chicken at 475 degrees until nicely browned and the breast reads 160 degrees and the thigh reads 165 to 170 degrees with a meat thermometer. Plan for 15 minutes per pound.
6. Resist the temptation to open the oven, baste or turn the bird while it roasts.
7. When the chicken is done, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
8. "Carve, serve and graciously receive compliments."

If you're not able to brine the bird, consider salting the interior and exterior amply, sprinkling plenty of black pepper and a simple seasoning mixture, such as herbs de Provence and grill seasoning, and drizzling with olive oil or cooled, melted butter. If possible, do this well before cooking, covering the chicken and keeping it refrigerated until meal preparations begin. Use even more salt than you think you should for optimum flavor. I also suggest squeezing a little lemon over the bird before roasting, then stuffing the lemon, a whole head of garlic cut in half and a handful of herbs into the cavity.

Delicious!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Mushroom Ragu

First, let me tell you, I'm not a mushroom person. But I love to make dishes for those that are. This sauce, adapted from Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis, is perfect served over egg noodles and a nice, pan-seared chicken. It's also ideal on top of polenta for an elegant dinner with your vegetarian friends (poor dears... more meat for the rest of us, though).

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 lb. chopped wild mushrooms, chopped such as cremini and oyster
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup Marsala (dry)
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
handful of basil leaves

Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Set aside.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper.

Increase the heat to nearly high and saute mushrooms until tender and all of their liquid has evaporated, about another 8 minutes.

Stir in the Marsala (removing pan from heat first if using a gas range), reduce heat to medium-high and simmer mixture until the fortified wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add in the chicken broth and simmer until sauce has reduced by half, about 30 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheese and parsley. Tear basil leaves over and serve.

Skillet Pasta with Chicken

On those busy nights, don't you just long for a simple meal without the mess? Rather than microwaving something prepared from the freezer, give this recipe from Cook's Country a try. This would also be delicious with asparagus. I've omitted the roasted red peppers to make it more kid friendly.

Skillet Pasta with Chicken

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced or grated
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic gloves, minced
8 oz. (2 1/2 cups) uncooked tubular pasta, such as ziti or rigatoni
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon of the butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Set aside.

Add the onion, oregano and remaining butter or olive oil to the pan. Saute the onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.

Pour in the ziti, covering with chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Stir in the broccoli and cook about 8 minutes, until bright green and still a little crunchy.

Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juices. Continue to cook mixture until pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender. Serve with grated Parmesan.