I've cooked this meal at least 97 times. It's my go-to crowd pleaser. Chicken breast, seasoned with chipotle pepper and some kosher salt, and then, after grilling, drizzled with lime. Grilled peppers and onions with fixings like guacamole and salsa on the side. (Sometimes I buy the guacamole and salsa from Whole Foods. Shhhh).
My family knows this meal. We eat it at least twice a month.
This is what my dinner rut looks like, which isn't terrible.
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My husband thinks this chicken salad is ludicrous. Raisins and nuts in chicken salad? Stop the insanity! I offered it to him for lunch. He turned it down, ran out the door, said he would buy lunch. He probably went to Subway. Sigh.
Me? I think it's the only way to eat chicken salad. So much flavor!
This dish is inspired by the prepared foods section at Whole Foods, where they sell it by the pound. The recipe is not posted on their website because, let's face it, who is going to spend $13 on a small container of chicken salad when they can make it at home for half the price. Oh wait. Me. I buy it.
Not anymore.
It's so easy to make.
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Week night cooking is exhausting. Totally exhausting. I'm constantly searching for week night meals that meet the following criteria (1) short prep and cook time; (2) use some of my CSA veggies; (3) fresh, light, and healthy; (4) rely mostly on kitchen staples (no trip to the super market required) (5) tastes good. I've been hitting my target with the book Good For You, Easy Healthy Recipes for Every Day. This Spicy Ginger Beef and Bok Choy is a great example.
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Much like that Jean Claude Van Damme video, this roast chicken will blow your mind.
This was my first roast chicken and it was the easiest piece of meat I've ever cooked.
How did I do it? I followed most of Thomas Keller's instructions, taking the chicken out of the plastic, washing and patting it dry, and letting it sit in my refrigerator for a day in a half (this drys out the skin a bit). I also brought the chicken to room temperature, leaving it on the counter for about 90 minutes before I roasted it. Then I stuffed some garlic cloves, thyme, salt, and pepper into the cavity, tied the legs together (which was my lazy attempt to truss the chicken), patted it with some olive oil, doused it in fresh thyme and a little sea salt. I chopped up some vegetables (leeks, turnips, purple potatoes ), drizzled them with olive oil and salt, and nested them around the chicken in a Lodge pan.
Next I put it in the oven (which I had pre-heated at 475 degrees) for 25 minutes. I set an alarm. Tick-tock. Tick-tock. At 25 minutes, I lowered the temp to 400 degrees and then, forty-five minutes later, it was done. I pulled it out of the oven and let it rest. I did not baste it. I did not move it. I did nothing.
These "techniques," which require very little work, produced one of the best roast chickens I've ever tasted. The chicken skin, infused with thyme and accessorized with sprinkles of sea salt, was crispy, fatty deliciousness. Underneath that crispy skin, were hunks of juicy, white breast meat to eat a long side caramelized root vegetables.
Mind. Blowing. I'm sure the fact that this gorgeous chicken was from a local farm helps a bunch with the taste factor.
Continue reading "Crispy Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables" »
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This little sandwich is all that's left of what the New York Times calls the "Bo Ssam Miracle." Bo Ssam, a Korean slow roasted pork dish, is definitely a party pleaser. According to David Chang, the chef behind the recipe, ssam is Korean for enclosed or wrapped. Indeed, after about six hours in an oven set for 300 degrees you get a pork shoulder wrapped in an envelope that is crispy with fat, salt, sugar and is, therefore, crazy delicious.
I made it for seven guests for my husband's birthday dinner and it couldn't have been easier. That is if you read the recipe all the way through before you make it. I didn't do that. But even in spite of a few hiccups, my bo ssam came out perfectly, and left all my guests exclaiming, "best meal ever" as they undid the top button on their jeans.
Continue reading "Momofuku's Bo Ssam, A Party Pleaser that Couldn't Be Easier " »
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It's January. Resolution time. Cleanse time. Winter citrus time. Burger time? Probably not, but, pssst, want to go get some burgers? If you do, I highly recommend Elevation Burger. The burgers are grass fed, ground on location, cooked on a griddle, dressed with real cheese, and tucked in your choice of a soft bun (690 calories) or crisp lettuce (550 calories). There are diet coke options galore from a new age soda machine: cherry, vanilla, and many others that I can't remember. Mandarin oranges (or french fries cooked in olive oil), on the side.
Continue reading "Elevation Burger: Grass Fed Cows and Diet Coke Options Galore" »
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Now it's time to plan for Christmas! First comes the decor. Have you decorated your tree yet? Marcus and I are trying to figure out how to put up a tree and protect it from Josie. All our beautiful glass ornaments. Disaster!
Then comes travel? My family lives in Boston and Marcus' family lives on the eastern shore of Maryland. With a one year old, we decided not to travel on the 25th, so this year, as a way to bring our family together, we are celebrating Marcus' boyhood tradition of Ukrainian Christmas on January 7. Everyone is coming to our house.
I can't wait.
I've already started planning the menu. Stuffed cabbage, or halupki, as my husband calls it, can be delicious. Unfortunately, I've tried many bland versions as well. The key, I think, is to heavily season the meat, and make a flavorful sauce.
Continue reading "Halupki (Stuffed Napa Cabbage with Sweet and Sour Sauce)" »
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As far as I'm concerned a meatball is the perfect food. Delicious. Versatile. Convenient. Make a batch and freeze them to pull out whenever a craving strikes. Eat them on a sandwich or with pasta. Or let them fly solo with a salad on the side. Make them with beef, pork, or, as My Uncle Sonny makes them, with ground turkey. Season them the Italian way or add Asian flavors.
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