Mediterranean inspired Chicken, Potato and Green Bean Sheet-pan Supper

03/08/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

I always thought that when I retired, (Yes, RETIRED! More about that in an upcoming post.) I’d spend my days making elaborate meals! Meals that took lots of planning, shopping for exotic ingredients and hours in the kitchen. I’ve kind of surprised myself with my recent desire for simplicity. Simplicity of ingredients, quick cooking and easy, often one pan, clean up! Additionally, anything I cook usually makes two appearances. The roast chicken below became chicken salad for lunches, two days in a row. I am sure I will continue to explore elaborate and exotic adventures in food, but they will not be as frequent as I’d thought they would be.

Sheet-pan suppers are gaining in popularity for good reason. They are quick, nutritious, delicious one pan alternatives to the crock pot. Don’t get me wrong, I love my crock pot for many things. But, you will never get crispy skin on a chicken or roast potatoes, in a crock pot! Also unlikethe crock pot, you can prep, cook and serve in 45 – 60 minutes, which fits in better with my current state of spontaneity!

For this recipe, I suggest you spatchcock your chicken. It will cook quickly and evenly and provide a safe, steamy haven for the green beans. If you do not know how to spatchcock a chicken….Google it and watch a video or two. Alternatively, you could ask your butcher to remove the back bone for you. Just make sure you retain it, for your scrap bag of chicken parts, for stock.

For the Mediterranean inspired chicken, potato and green bean supper

Organic ingredients whenever possible

1 half-sheet, sheet pan

1 fresh young chicken 3-4 pounds, preferably organic, spatchcoked and patted dry

7-8 cloves of garlic, minced

leaves from 4-5 sprigs of fresh oregano, minced

zest of one lemon, finely grated on a microplane

juice of zested lemon

Mix the garlic, oregano, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a small bowl with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 large lemon, sliced thinly

3/4 – 1 pound of fresh green beans, ends removed, uniformly sized

1 pound tiny red and gold potatoes, quartered

Salt and Pepper

additional olive oil

Drizzle a little olive oil on the sheet pan. Pile the green beans in a tight pile, in the center of the pan.

Place the flattened chicken over the green beans, ensuring the beans are all tucked underneath it.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and massage it in! Place a couple teaspoonful’s of the garlic, oregano and lemon mixture, under the skin. Place a few lemon slices under the skin as well.

Place the potatoes around the chicken, in a single layer. Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture. Toss well to ensure they are coated.

Season well with salt and pepper and Greek style seasoning. (Greek blend offered by numerous spice companies.)

Pop it in a 400′ oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the temperature in the thigh registers 165′.

Let the chicken rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

I hope you will give this meal a try!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Orange – Oregano Roast Chicken with Olive Gremolata

02/11/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

Do you eat as much chicken as we do? The versatility, the convenience and the price all contribute to the reason it shows up on our plate so often. Diana Henry has by far, the most versatile, interesting and flavorful chicken recipes. While she has an entire book devoted to the proud bird, titled A Bird in the Hand, this recipe is from her newest book Simple. Simple focuses on recipes that include things you typically have in a well stocked pantry. My large bag of Cara Cara oranges led me to choose this recipe for last nights dinner. It’s quick and flavorful, and I had all the ingredients on hand. It’s simple enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for a dinner party.

Adapted slightly from Diana Henry’s newest book, Simple

For the chicken – this is best if allowed to marinate overnight

6 whole chicken legs, trimmed of extra skin and fat

1/3 cup chopped oregano leaves

8 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

juice of 2 oranges, and thinly sliced rind of 1 orange

2 oranges, thinly sliced

1/3 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

Finely chop the oregano, garlic and orange rind. Place it in a large bowl that you will marinate the chicken in. Add the juice from the orange and the olive oil. Mix well. Add the chicken. Massage the marinade into the chicken, with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the gremolata

1 cup mixed green and black olives, pitted and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 red Fresno chiles, seeded and finely chopped

zest of 1 orange

2 Tablespoons chopped oregano leaves

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 Tablespoon of orange juice

1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar

a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the olives, garlic, chiles and orange zest together on a cutting board. Place in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside to let the flavors infuse.

To prepare the chicken

Heat the oven to 375′. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven proof sauté pan, that will allow the chicken to lay flat in a single layer. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Finish with the chicken skin side up. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place the orange slices under and around the chicken. Return to the oven and roast another 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165′ on a thermometer. Scatter the gremolata on top. Serve from the sauté pan with couscous or roasted potatoes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Italian Wedding Soup

10/24/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

As I say goodbye to the best summer ever in the Pacific Northwest, I try to convince myself there are benefits to the cooler weather. I replace my t-shirt with my favorite sweater, my flip-flops with my awesome purple suede boots, and snuggle into a bed fitted with soft flannel sheets and a fluffy down comforter. Drifting off to sleep, I dream about SOUP! Not July’s cold, fruity, melted popsicle like soup but hearty, hot, fill your belly, warm your soul, go on to live another day kind of soup! Butternut Squash Soup, White Bean and Kale Soup, Lentil Soup, Beef and Barely Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup (always on hand in the freezer for unplanned cold or flu), and soups I have yet to invent, soups from foreign lands, made with spices, beans and grains I have never tried. I snap out of my pre-winter doldrums and find myself almost giddy with excitement. I have stock to make, bones and veggies to roast, broth to clarify, beans to soak, and recipes to research. Where’s my tureen? I think I need a new stock pot! “Dave, I’m heading to Restaurant Supply, I’ll be back in an hour”!

It has been pouring heavy, bone-chilling rain all week. We’ve had a fire three nights out of five. I finally made time to make a pot of soup. I absolutely love Italian Wedding Soup. I have no idea when or where I first had it, but I always order it when it’s on the menu! I love the combination of the rich broth, the little one-bite meatballs and the strong, bitter greens, traditionally endive. In researching recipes, I learned this soup has nothing to do with weddings. Per Wikipedia, the term “wedding soup” is a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase “minestra maritata (“married soup”),” which is a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meats go well together. As you can imagine, there are hundreds of variations of this soup. My version is a combination of Whole Foods and Ina Garten’s recipes tailored to what I had on hand.

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground chicken

1 pound ground chicken Italian sausage

1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs

3 cloves minced garlic

4 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

2 tablespoons fresh minced oregano

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk

salt and pepper to taste

Mince the garlic, parsley and oregano. Place the meats, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, eggs, milk, garlic and herbs in a large bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add a little more milk if the mixture is too dry and not sticking together. Add a few more bread crumbs if the mixture is too wet and falling apart. Make a “test” meat ball. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the skillet. Fry the test meatball until done, about 4 minutes on each side. Taste the meatball and adjust the seasoning. Proceed making small meatballs with the remainder of the meat. The chicken mixture is a little sticky. Dampening your hands with cool water will help. Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350′ to set the meatballs. Set aside until ready to add to the soup.

For the Soup

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

3 cloves minced garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

3 quarts rich chicken stock – I used the new Pacific Foods Organic Bone Broth – It’s as close to homemade stock as you can get!

1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted, organic diced tomatoes

16 ounces small pasta, I used mini-shells

16 ounces baby kale, or chard, or spinach or endive or any combination

salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Percorino Romano cheese

Sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot, about 5-7 minutes. Add the white wine and stir. Add the stock and tomatoes. Bring to a slow simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer slowly. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and prepare the pasta. Cook about 5 minutes, drain and add to the soup.*** Return to a slow simmer. Stir in the grated cheese. About 5 minutes prior to serving, add the greens. Cook just until the greens slightly “melt” into the soup. Ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with additional grated cheese and a little minced parsley.

***Both of the recipes I referenced instruct you to cook the pasta in the soup. NEVER do that with any pasta. You will end up with a big, cloudy, sticky mess. As a matter of fact, it is often best to keep the pasta out of the soup entirely, until ready to eat. Just place a little pasta in the bowl and then pour the hot soup over it when ready to serve.

Build a big roaring fire, pour yourself a glass of Pinot Grigio, and hunker down with your hot bowl of soup. We’ve got about 5 more months of this!

Have a great evening,

Laura

Greek Style Salad and Chicken with Herbs

06/20/2014 by Laura 1 Comment

Here in Seattle, I can visit a different neighborhood Farmers Market everyday of the week from early June through late September. I visited the Lake City Farmers Market yesterday afternoon. It was my first visit to this particular market, and my first “summer” market shop. Needless to say, I got a little excited and a bit carried away. I found many late spring treasures: last of the season asparagus, fava beans, English shelling peas, green garlic, garlic ramps, farm fresh eggs and farmstead feta cheese. There were also some early summer things from the warmer, Eastern part of the state: cucumbers, peppers and even a few tomatoes. I had no immediate plans for anything I bought. I just knew it would all be wonderful.

Quickly surveying what was available from my garden, the chicken breasts I thawed earlier in the day, and my haul from the market, I decided on a Greek Salad and grilled chicken for dinner.

Dave was at rehearsal and not around to help me with photos, so I had not really planned on posting this meal. I took a few shots along the way that turned out fairly well, and since the meal was really delicious, I decided to share it after all.

Like I mentioned earlier, I had originally planned to throw the chicken on the grill for a few minutes. Once the chicken breasts were on the plate and liberally seasoned with olive oil, chopped oregano, lemon zest and salt and pepper; they just seemed to say “roll me up and sauté me”! Ok then, that’s what I did and I will definitely do it again. Next time, I will hold back a little feta from the salad and include that in the center as well as the herbs.

Roll the chicken from the longer edge. Tie with kitchen twine or secure with toothpicks. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan. Sauté the chicken breasts on all sides, until done…about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little white wine. Slice the chicken into rounds and serve with the pan drippings and the Greek Salad.

Laura’s Greek Style Salad – adjust the ingredients and proportions to your personal taste

Cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced

Red bell pepper, chopped into bite size pieces

Purple onion, quartered and then thinly sliced

Pitted kalamata olives

Feta cheese, cut into cubes

Cherry tomatoes, halved

2 Tablespoons fresh oregano, coarsely chopped

Fresh cracked pepper and freshly ground salt

Juice of one lemon

Good quality, fresh, peppery olive oil

Chop all ingredients and place in a bowl. Gently mix with your hands. Add the lemon juice and enough olive oil to coat the vegetables. (Olive oil to lemon juice ration is typically 3 to 1.) Adjust the seasoning. Chill until ready to serve. I plated the salad on butter lettuce leaves.

I harvested our first of the season tomatoes this week! Having a ripe tomato this early is a big accomplishment in Seattle! I took a chance and planted earlier than usual this year. Luckily, the weather has supported that decision with mild temperatures and alternate days of rain and sun.

Quick Clam Linguine

06/04/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

This is one of our favorite, quick week night meals. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry. It is especially good when you have oregano, parsley and basil available from the garden but dried herbs will do in a pinch! We first posted this about a year ago. We decided to post it again with new photos. I hope you agree, the photos are improving!

Ingredients

6-8 servings

36-48 ounces canned clams, drained, juice reserved

2 cups dry white wine

1 large white onion

8 cloves of garlic

juice of 1/2 of a lemon – about 2 Tablespoons

1 teaspoon dried oregano – or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil chiffonade*

1/2 cup good quality, peppery olive oil

fresh ground black pepper

kosher salt

optional – 3-4 per serving fresh, clean steamer clams in shell

fresh grated parmesan for serving

additional minced parsley for garnish

linguine, prepared according to directions

Drain the clams in a colander with a bowl beneath it to catch the clam broth. Set both aside.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves, and set aside.

Chop the parsley, oregano and basil, and set aside.

Warm the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottom sauté pan. (It is a lot of oil, but it is the base for the sauce.) Add the onion and garlic and sauté gently about 5 minutes. Add in the oregano and the red pepper flakes. Sauté another 5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Add the white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce about 5 minutes. Add the reserved clam broth and the lemon juice. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Stir in the basil, oregano and chopped parsley. If you are adding fresh clams, place them in the pan now. Yes – there are some mussels in the picture. Dave keeps thinking he does not like mussels. I cooked a few as a “test”. He still thinks he does not like them! Is there anybody else out there that likes clams but not mussels?

Start your pasta water. Once pasta water comes to a boil, add the reserved clams into the sauté pan. Reduce the heat to very low. Do not simmer the sauce after you have added the canned clams, you want to just warm them. (Overcooking will make them tough and chewy.) I am sure you know to NOT eat any clams or mussels that did not open up, right?

Adjust the sauce for seasoning. You may need a little more salt or pepper. To serve, place a portion of fresh hot linguine on a plate or bowl. Top with the sauce and garnish with fresh grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and the steamed clams, if using. Serve with a tossed salad and crusty baguette bread top sop up the broth.

Spring has Sprung! Lamb Chops and Roasted Asparagus

03/25/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

You know we’ve passed through that dark, seemingly endless tunnel of winter, into the lighter days of spring when those lovely green spikes begin “stalking” you! Yes, I am talking about ASPARAGUS! There are no in-betweeners when it comes to asparagus – you either hate it (Dave) or cannot get enough of it (me). And so it begins, lamb chops and asparagus, halibut and asparagus, asparagus and shrimp stir fry, asparagus quiche,…. and Dave repeatedly asking “asparagus AGAIN”? Ah, the cycle of life.

Laura’s Lemony Galicky Lamb Chops with Roasted Asparagus

2-3 chops per person

For the marinade

Juice of 2 large lemons

finely chopped lemon peel, from one lemon, for garnish

1/3 cup peppery olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped fresh oregano, plus a little extra for garnish

4-6 cloves of garlic

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients well. Pour over chops, cover and marinate at least two hours, or overnight. (I usually use a zip lock bag….but that is not very photogenic.)

While the grill is heating, prepare the asparagus. Trim the ends and peel the lower tougher part, if needed. Place in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. I either place the pan on the grill, next to the chops or cook in my small toaster oven. Either way – it will take about the same time as the chops to cook – 10 minutes. Season asparagus and chops just prior to serving and garnish with the finely minced lemon peel and oregano.

We served our meal with a quick couscous side dish. I also like quinoa or Greek style roasted potatoes with this recipe. Enjoy!

Mediteranean Inspired Lamb Chops

04/04/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

No need for mint jelly or anything else with these lamb chops. Marinated overnight with lemon, oregano and garlic the lamb takes on the combination of flavors in the most delightful way.

Marinade for 4 – 6 lamb chops

1/2 cup chopped, fresh oregano

1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

10-12 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup bright, citrusy olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt, pepper

Coarsely chop the herbs and garlic.

Put into measuring cup or mixing bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine, olive oil and mustard and generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Whisk all ingredients together.

Place lamb chops in a heavy zip lock bag, or glass dish for marinating. Pour marinade over chops. Marinate all day or overnight in refrigerator. Turn the chops over a couple times to distribute marinade evenly.

You can grill or broil the chops. I prefer the grill. Let the chops come to room temperature before cooking. Cook to medium rare, or to your preference.

We served these with springy baby zucchini and sunburst squash sautéed with purple onion, salt, pepper, and dill in a little olive oil and a splash of dry vermouth.