Roast Chicken with Smoky Tomato Sauce

To me, the mark of a great chef (and this isn't my recipe so I'm not claiming trophies here), is someone who can take mundane ingredients, in this case chicken, tomatoes, corn, spinach, wood chips... and make a decadent, rich meal. Skills-wise this is an easy meal, great for four and would impress anyone. My only advice would be to give yourself some extra time for smoking the tomatoes. What should have taken 30 minutes took an hour. Recommended.

Roast Chicken with Smoky Tomato Sauce

1 3.5 to 4 lb chicken, backbone removed, chicken quartered
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
4 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Spinach

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
3 9-ounce bags fresh spinach
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
Smoky Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Chicken - Preheat oven to 450f. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Place chicken, skin side down, in skillet. Cook until skin is brown, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over; place skillet in oven. Roast chicken until just cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Add corn, shallots, and garlic; cook 4 minutes. Add wine lemon juice. Boil until liquid is reduced, about 4 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, and adobo.

Transfer chicken to plate; tent with foil. Spoon off fat from sauce in skillet. Add corn mixture to skillet. Simmer over medium-high heat until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Whisk in butter. Stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Spinach - Melt butter with oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add bag of spinach to pot; stir until wilted. Add remaining spinach in 2 batches, stirring until wilted. Stir in adobo' season with salt and pepper. Discard garlic.

Divide spinach among plates. Top with chicken. Spoon corn sauce over. Drizzle Smoky Tomato sauce around and serve.

Smoky Tomato Sauce -

1 cup eucalyptus or cedar wood chips (I used hickory)
6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Line large pot with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Scatter wood chips over. Cover tightly; cook over medium-high heat until chips begin to smoke, 10 to 12 minutes. Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on steamer rack. Place in pot atop chips. Cover pot; smoke tomatoes until tender, 16 to 18 minutes.

Puree tomatoes in blender until smooth. With blender running, pour in oil. Add cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.

Recommended Drink - Chardonnay

Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

If Hoover is my Sous Chef, watching every flame and tasting every ingredient, Pinot seems to have placed herself as my new Art Director, checking lighting and ensuring that there are small, black hairs in every shot. Mom, this one goes out to you. Made me think of eating those clean feeling vegetarian meals growing up. I think you'd like this one. Everybody else out there who enjoys greens with a tart but cheesy flavor would like these as well. Quick and easy too.

Potato, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

1 1/3 cups peeled Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/3 cups Salsa Verde (jarred or fresh recipe here)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

Place baking sheet in over and preheat to 275F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8-12 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese.

Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cups (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling pressing to compact. brush with oil.

Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

Recommended Drink - Sauvignon Blanc

Fettuccine with Sausage, Sage, and Crispy Garlic

I was pleasantly surprised that I hadn't made this yet, and really I'm just putting it on the blog purely for me, so I don't lose this recipe in the stacks of cooking magazines and cookbooks that litter my house. This particular meal is an adapted Bon Appetit recipe. I find it to be one of the lighter pasta meals I make. I've also had success with this as a (car) camping meal, because the number of ingredients is relatively few and it cooks up fast using minimal pots. The key, that sets this apart, is the crispy garlic, adding a nutty crunch to an already great meal.

Fettuccine with Sausage, Sage, and Crispy Garlic

1 lb fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 - 2 lbs Italian Sausage, casings removed
1/2 pound wild mushrooms, sliced (these are called "Chef's Choice", a blend, out here, but basically anything but Buttons, Crimini, or Portobellos)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago Cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic slices and saute until light golden, about 45 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to bowl.

Increase heat to medium-high; add sage to same skillet and stir until beginning to crisp, about 10 seconds. Add sausage and saute until browned, breaking up with a fork. Add mushrooms and cover for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir, continuing to cook until the sausage is a deep brown and crispy in spots.

Drain pasta; add pasta and remaining tablespoon butter to skillet. Using tongs, toss pasta with sausage mixture. Add crushed red pepper, if desired; season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to large bowl. Top with crispy garlic and grated cheese.

Recommended Drink - Chianti

Grilled Lemongrass Beef with Vietnamese Herb Salad

Over the last couple of years, as I've refined my cooking techniques (and become shockingly snobby) I've noticed that less ingredients is usually better. It often seems that if there is more than 7-8 ingredients, something is going to get lost. This isn't true with Southeast Asian cooking however. Put together the long list of ingredients and you can still taste each one, but like brief fireworks that shine and die before moving on to the next flavor. This recipe came from a book loaned to me by a fellow chef at work (Thanks Bryan!), Hot Sour Salty Sweet, a great light, and after the prep, easy meal. Vegetarians out there could easily just use the salad recipe with fried or grilled tofu.

Grilled Lemongrass Beef with Vietnamese Herb Salad

Grilled Lemongrass Beef

2 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
2 shallots
1 serrano chili
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
1 lb beef rump roast or eye of round, trimmed of all fat, sliced into 1/8 inch slices
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, dry roasted

With the food processor running, slowly add the first 8 ingredients, stopping and stirring if necessary, and puree. Combine beef and vegetable puree in a large bowl and marinate for a minimum of one hour. Thread the beef onto wooden (soaked in water) or metal skewers and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Grill over medium high heat, about three minutes per side for medium rare. Serve with the salad.

Vietnamese Herb Salad

4-5 cups loosely torn Butter lettuce.
1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 small or 1 large cucumber, peeled (if large), chopped into quarters

Dressing -

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons rice or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bird or serrano chile, minced
1/4 cup carrot, shredded

To make the salad, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. For the dressing, whisk the first six ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Then add the carrot. Add 1/4 cup of dressing to the salad and toss. Add more dressing if desired. Serve with the beef.

Recommended Drink - Sauvignon Blanc

Poached Eggs with Gorgonzola Polenta Cakes, Wilted Spinach and Bacon

So here's the follow up to the Steak and Polenta post. If you didn't make that no worries, just use the polenta recipe from that post to make this one. A great little different breakfast.

Poached Eggs with Gorgonzola Polenta Cakes, Wilted Spinach and Bacon

Leftover polenta
4 eggs
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and spun dry
Water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Bacon, cooked in a skillet and then kept warm in the oven with the polenta

Butter a muffin pan. Pour in leftover polenta so it only fills the bottom 1/2 inch of each muffin section. Cover with foil and chill for at least 4 hours (ideally over night).

Preheat oven to 350f.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add four of the polenta portions and dry grill until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on oven proof plate, keeping in the warm oven until ready to serve.

Heat 1 cup water in a large skillet or saucepan until boiling. Add spinach, tossing in the boiling water until completely wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.

Boil 3 qt. water in a 4 qt. sauce pan. Add vinegar and reduce heat to slow simmer. Add eggs, quickly in succession, poaching until desired doneness, about 5 minutes.

On a plates, put bacon, two polenta cakes, a portion of wilted spinach and finally top with poached eggs.

Recommended Drink - Bloody Mary

Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Polenta, Fresh Spinach and Petite Syrah Sauce

It's slow season in Tahoe these days. Money is tight, so I've decided to do a two part blog entry where you use leftovers from the first one to create the breakfast that is the second. My love affair with polenta continues, a hearty, easily malleable side dish. This is a great early winter, late fall dish.








Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola Polenta, Fresh Spinach and Petite Syrah Sauce

4 cups cooked loose polenta (depending on the type of dry you use, cooking times will vary)
2 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onions
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon oregano, crumbled between your fingers
1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
4 filet mignon steaks
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup petite syrah
1/2 cup beef stock
Fresh baby spinach

Cook Polenta according to the package directions and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add the onion and cooked until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft and they no longer hold any shape. Add the oregano and stir to incorporate. Using a rubber spatula put the vegetables into the polenta, stirring to incorporate fully. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep warm.

Heat a skillet large enough to hold all the steaks over high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper and then cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove steaks from pan, put on plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Meanwhile, put the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan, adding the garlic and stirring quickly for 10 to 15 seconds. Add the wine and stock and boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any bits of meat. Reduce to 1/3 cup.

Scoop a serving of polenta onto each plate followed by a small handful of fresh spinach, then the steaks and finally the sauce.

Recommended Drink - Petite Syrah

Fried Eggs over Warm Lentil Salad

Have you ever been making a meal, finishing off one part and while you're cooking the other you keep finding yourself eating the first part, because it's too good to stop? This is that meal. The lentil salad is great, tasting light and fresh despite the bacon (which, as this blog has proved, only makes a meal better). Liza, I'm not sure if this was as good as your "Lentils du Puy" from the Fit For Human Consumption blog, but it did come from your buddy Ruth. Anyone looking for a completely different, and excellent, kind of breakfast experience should look no further and make this.

Fried Eggs over Warm Lentil Salad

2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped
3/4 cup lentils, preferably lentilles du Puy
6 ounces thick-cut bacon (5 slices) cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 large eggs
1 cup baby spinach

Wash leeks in a bowl of cold water; lift out and drain well in a sieve.

Put lentils in a 2-quart saucepan, add cold water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until just tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Add leeks, celery, and corrot to fat remaining in skillet and cook, stirring, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar and boil until most of it has evaporated. Remove skillet from heat and stir in tarragon, half of bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Set skillet aside.

Drain lentils well and stir into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels. Add oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Break 4 eggs into skiillet and fry until whites ae just set but yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter, season with salt and pepper, and keep warm, covered, while you fry remaining 4 eggs.

Divide lentil salad among four plates. Tope with spinach and eggs and scatter remaining bacon over.

Recommended Drink - Chardonnay