Roast Chicken with Lemon & Olives

This is the closest I could find to a moroccan recipe I've had at restaurants in DC. Of course, I've tweaked it a little. ;-)

• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1+ tsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 roasting chicken (mine was 4.5lbs)
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 lb fingerling potatoes (or red)
• 1 jar pitted kalamata olives (no, we're not using the whole jar, but you will end up eating most of them while cooking...if you're an olive person like me).

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine thyme, oregano, oil, garlic & salt plus a handful of chopped olives (I used about 6) in a small bowl.

Gently loosen the skin from the breast of the chicken.

Spread herb & olive mixture evenly under the skin.

Place lemon quarters inside cavity.

Place chicken, breast side up, in dutch oven.

Add potatoes & more olives (I used about 12 olives) around the chicken).

Roast chicken for about 17-22 minutes per pound. You know it's done when the thigh registers 180 degrees. Should take a little over an hour, depending on the size of your chicken.

Pan-Seared Scallops with Fennel Puree

This recipe came from Martha Stewart. If you have the time, the fennel really makes this scallop dish sing.

• 6 large sea scallops
• coarse salt
• sunflower or other neutral oil
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed & chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 3 coups whole milk (or, enough to just cover the fennel)
• 2 tbsp butter
• ground black pepper

For the scallops: follow the recipe for "Perfectly Seared Scallops" in my seafood section.

For the puree:

1. In a small pot, combine chopped fennel & milk & bring to just under a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a simmer.
2. Cover & cook until fennel is completely tender (it should not offer any resistance when pierced waith the tip of a knife) but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes.
3. Drain in a sieve, reserving liquid.
4. Cimbine fennel and 1/4 cup reserved liquid ina blender & blend on high speed until smooth, about 4 minutes. Add more liquid a teaspoon at a time as necessary to keep the blending running smoothly.
5. Transfer to a fine sieve set over a large bowl or measuring cup and press with a rubber spatula to extract as much puree as possible. Make sure you do this step well or you will have runny puree and it doesn't work as well.
6. Discard remaining solids & rinse sieve thoroughly. Return puree to the sieve and set ovaer a bowl to drain for 1.5 hours longer. Yes, 1.5 hours longer. Again, I skipped this step and paid for it.
7. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Stir in butter.
8. Spoon 1 tbsp puree onto each plate and top with a scallop slice. Garnish with fennel fronds and serve.
   
   

Garlic Pot Roast

This really is just a standard pot roast recipe. I stole the basics of it from Martha and made some changes to make it my own. I suggest you do the same. You could add mushrooms, replace the potatoes with celery, use water instead of broth, add more wine....

• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3lbs)
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 2 tsp coarse salt 1/2
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1.5 c chopped carrots
• 1.5 c baby carrots
• 1.5 c chopped red potatoes (skins on)
• 1 can of beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

1. Using the top of a sharp paring knife, make 20 small evenly space slits about 1.5 inches deep all over the roast. Insert garlic pieces into the slits as far as it will go.

2. In a dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Carefully add meat & sear on both sides until well browned (4-6 minutes per side).

3. Add salt, pepper, onion, carrots, potatoes and bay leaves as well as 2/3 cup (or more) of the beef broth.

4. Cover and reduce heat to med-low & cook for 3 - 3.5 hours, turning 2-3 times until very tender. Add more broth or a little red wine as needed so that there is always a little liquid in the bottom.

5. Transfer meat to a cutting board & let stand 10 min before serving with vegetables and drippings.

Slammin' Spaghetti Sauce

I didn't realize a little lemon zest makes such a difference but it really adds something!

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• two 14oz cans of tomatoes, w/ juices
• pinch or two of red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or basil, I've done both) + more for garnish
• coarse salt
• freshly grated black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onion & cook until soft & light golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Add the garlic & cook another minute.

Add the tomatoes & juices & bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Add the red pepper flakes & lemon peel, then lower the heat & simmer for about 20 minutes, taking time to smash the tomato pieces so the sauce is more pulpy than chunky.

Stir in the chopped parsley.

Check for flavor and salt & pepper to taste.

Sauce will keep one week in a tightly sealed container in the fridge. Just heat it when you want it and pour it over pasta.

*you can also add about 1/2 lb of ground beef to make a meat sauce

Standing Rib Roast

Special occasions call for rib roast. This has been the gospel according to martha. The end.

• 1 tbsp lemon pepper
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1.5 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• standing beef rib roast (recipe rub is for a 6-pounder)
• 2 cups beef boullion

Combine lemon pepper, paprika, garlic salt, rosemary & cayenne pepper; rub over roast.

Place roast with fat side (don't we all have a fat side?) up in a large roasting pan.

Insert a meat thermometer and bake uncovered at 325 until roast reaches 130 for medium-rare. (Actually, the temp. for medium rare is 140 but it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven...)

Allow 23-25 minutes per pound for rare, 27-30min per pound for medium (160) and if anyone wants it darker than that, they can put theirs in the microwave because I'm not letting you ruin an entire standing rib roast because one person likes their meat overcooked. We good? Ok.

Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Don't forget the best part - the Au Jus:

1. Pour the meat juices from the roasting pan into a glass measuring cup and skim off the fat.
2. Add boiling bouillon to pan & stir to scrape the bottom of the pan and get everything all mixed in.
3. Stir in the mean drippings and serve on the side.

Chinese Egg Drop Soup

This is great for when you're fighing off brochitis like I am. Soup is always great for when you're sick but this also has two extra great things - ginger & garlic. Seriously good medicine.

• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp medium dry sherry
• one 2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 cup dried fine egg noodles
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1.5 tsp sesame oil

Bring stock, soy sauce, sherry, ginger & garlic to a boil in a 2 quart heavy saucepan.

Remove ginger & garlic with a slotted spoon & discard. Or, finely chop the garlic and leave it in. You could also mince the ginger and leave it in.

Stir in noodles & simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 4 minutes.

Stirring soup in a circular motion, add eggs in a slow, steady stream.

Simmer, undisturbed, until strands of egg are cooked, about 1 minute.

Remove from heat & stir in scallions (to taste) & sesame oil.

Season with salt.

Mom's Ham & Bean Soup

There are few things I love more than being in the kitchen with my mom. I try so hard to absorb as much information as possible so I can have my recipes turn out like hers. They never do. The beauty of this recipe is it's simplicity. She doesn't overwhelm it with all kinds of seasonings and extras (a bad habit of mine). So the lesson is, keep it simple and you'll be able to bring out the best flavors of your main ingredient. Simple. Lovely. Again, there aren't amounts on some of the ingredients because you should add an amount that you like. Make it your own!

• 1 leftover ham bone (ours is from Easter. Apparently ham keeps longer than regular meat because it's been cured. Makes sense but I didn't know that. Did you?)
• one 1lb bag of dried navy beans
• celery, chopped fine
• onion, chopped fine
• carrots, chopped fine
• bay leaves
• cornbread (to go on the side with your cucumber & vinegar salad) - these are my moms direct instructions. If you're making ham & bean soup, you clearly will be making cornbread to go with the cucumber & vinegar salad.

Rinse the beans & cover with water in the pan.

Put them on the stove, bring to a boil and skim off the froth. (or you could soak them overnight).

Reduce heat & add the ham.

Let them cook until the beans get soft (at least an hour).

Add chopped celery, carrots, onion, bay leaves & maybe some celery leaves for added flavor.

Simmer until the beans are completely tender and your family can't stay away from the pot anymore. Also, as my mom suggests, consider serving with cornbread, and a salad of cucumbers and vinegar. I love my mom :-)