The Best Roasted Chicken

You know what I love?  I love a meal that seems really fancy and involved and adult, but it really isn’t.  It’s really super simple, but delicious and grown-up and all kinds of impressive.  Roasted whole chicken, ahoy!

Roasted chicken is the perfect meal for someone who is new to cooking and looking to impress.  You prep it, you stick it in the oven and you leave it.  And then you have juicy, crispy, aromatic deliciousness.  Some roasted potatoes and steamed green beans and you know what you have then?  Sunday dinner.  Good ol’ fashioned Sunday dinner.  Especially with this recipe.

There are a few specific but simple steps to get this extra crispy, extra juicy chicken just right.

First things first, wash the chicken really well, inside and out.  I know some people are a little squeamish dealing with a whole raw chicken; deep breaths, you can do this.  I’ve found it helps to sing the Super Chicken theme song.  You know, Super Chicken?  This guy?  Totally helps with the eww-factor.

Sidenote: Most chickens come with a bag of giblets, usually stuck in the cavity.  BE SURE TO REMOVE THIS BEFORE PREPARING YOUR BIRD.  The last thing you want is a plastic bag of giblets roasted into your chicken.  THAT would ruin Sunday dinner, trust me.

After you wash it, you’ll want to dry it thoroughly.  Bone dry.  Inside and out.  This is going to help the skin crisp up quicker without needing butter.  Just dry that bird out good.

I like to stuff the bird with a combination of fresh herbs and citruses.  Lemon and rosemary are a classic mix, though I usually toss an orange in for a little sweetness and fragrance.  Before stuffing the cavity, be sure to do a light salt and pepper rub.  I like to do a fresh, coarsely ground pepper and sea salt combo; it helps for a nice salty crust.  Grind a bit in a small bowl and combine for your rub.

After stuffing the bird, run your finger between the skin and meat to create a pocket on both sides of the breast.  There should be a small opening near the bottom of the breast on either side; just gently separate the skin from the tissue without puncturing the skin.  In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, salt, pepper, fresh chopped rosemary and thyme and a little bit of olive oil to a paste.  Rub this paste under the skin, on top of the meat.  You can massage the outside of the breast to get the herb rub to distribute evenly.  It’s amazing how flavorful the skin and breast will get from this rub; insane.

When dressing the bird, tie the legs together tightly with twine.  I do a figure 8 between the two legs with a couple of knots to make sure it stays tight throughout the roasting.  Tuck the wings in close to the body, sticking the ends between the thigh and body to keep them in place.  Keeping the body tightly packed will help it crisp up even more so. 

Before roasting the chicken, let it sit with the aromatics and citruses in it for about an hour.  This will allow the flavors to really seep into the chicken before baking; it will make all the difference in the flavor.  Bake it at a high heat for about 30 minutes to develop the crisp skin then lower the heat to continue roasting all the way through.  After lowering the heat, I like to baste the bird every 15 minutes or so to keep it juicy.  This is a really important step to keep it from drying out.  If you don’t have a baster, you can just spoon the juices on top of the bird.  Be sure to get all areas; the breast, wings and legs.    You’ll want to roast the bird until a meat thermometer reads 160º in the breast or 180º in the thigh or leg.  This is the minimum temperature to serve chicken safely at; be sure it roasts for long enough.

See that blackened rosemary?  After about 5 minutes, your entire house will smell like roasting rosemary.  It is the loveliest, most comforting scent, and it will leave you salivating for the next 90 minutes before you can actually dig into that bird.

Which, by the way, is delicious.  Super crisp skin, super juicy meat, with a lemony, herbal flavor laced in.  It is crazy delicious, and it will impress anyone you serve it to.  You don’t even have to tell them how easy it is; let them think you are an absolute culinary genius.  Mmm.  Sunday Super Chicken.  BUCK-ACK!  THG

The Best Roasted Chicken

1 4-5 lb. whole roasting chicken

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

2 medium lemons, 1 zested and both quartered

1 small orange

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

3-4 stems fresh rosemary

2-3 stems fresh thyme

2 tsp. olive oil

Remove giblet bag from chicken cavity.  Wash bird thoroughly.  Dry completely inside and out.  Place in a roasting pan or large casserole dish.  In a small bowl, combine sea salt and cracked black pepper.  Rub a small amount to coat the inside of the cavity.  Stuff cavity with lemon and orange quarters, garlic, all but 1 stem of fresh thyme and all but two stem of rosemary.  Using your finger, gently separate the skin from the breast meat.  In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, finely chopped thyme leaves and rosemary leaves, sea salt and pepper, and 1 tsp. olive oil.  Mix well to make a paste.  Rub paste under skin on top of breast meat.  Massage outside of breast to evenly distribute the rub.  Rub the remaining 1 tsp. of olive oil on the outside of the bird.  Generously season with sea salt and pepper.  Tie legs together over breast with twine; tuck wings into the legs.  Place remaining rosemary stem between legs.  Let bird sit for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.  Roast bird in middle of the oven for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 375ºF and continue to roast, basting every 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast reads 160ºF or into the leg/thigh reads 180ºF, about 60-75 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes.  Slice and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

 

“Coffee and Doughnuts”

This week has been overwhelming.  I’m pretty glad it’s over.

Sometimes life becomes too much, you know?  Stress and heartbreak and worry and guilt all pile on at the exact same time, and it’s hard to see your way out of it.  Sometimes you need a push, sometimes you need something new to look forward to.  Sometimes you just need time.

We lost our family dog, Delaney, this weekend.  It was sudden, and shocking, and incredibly heartbreaking.  Trying to navigate this has been really difficult and the only way to get through it is with routine.  Food, photos, blog.  Rinse and repeat.

For Mother’s Day, my brother Ryan decided to make gumbo for our mom.  Mom loves New Orleans and all things Cajun/Creole, so gumbo it was.  I was in charge of dessert.

and

Coffee and doughnuts.  Or, more specifically, café au lait mousse and homemade beignets.  A little twist on a Southern classic.

The mousse is made with instant espresso (available at most grocery stores) and white chocolate.  I added a little cinnamon and nutmeg to help mimic the chicory flavor that is usually found in New Orleans coffee.  Light, frothy and rich, with a nutmeg whipped cream on top.  Delightful.

The beignet recipe came from the New Orleans cookbook Cooking Up a Storm.  Most beignets are made from a sturdier dough that is rolled out and cut into squares before frying.  This recipe is a bit more rustic; a thinner batter that is spooned into the oil like a fritter.  The result is smaller, lighter, oddly shaped little doughnuts.  Still delicious.

It’s amazing how much a sweet treat can improve a crappy situation.  Tons and tons and tons of sweet treats. 

What is your favorite comfort food in times of distress?  THG

Café au Lait Mousse

1 cup heavy cream

3 Tbsp. instant espresso

1 Tbsp. hot water

12 oz. white chocolate

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large pinch nutmeg

1 large pinch ground cinnamon

5 eggs, separated

1/4 cup sugar, divided

Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks.  Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together espresso powder and hot water until a thick syrup forms.  Set aside.

In a double boiler, melt white chocolate and butter over medium high heat.  Once melted, whisk in espresso mixture, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Set aside.

In the double boiler over medium heat, whisk together egg yolks and 1/8 cup sugar.  Continue to whisk over heat until yolks reach 140ºF.  Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk egg whites on high speed until cooled down and thickened considerably.  Set aside.

In the double boiler again, whisk together egg whites and remaining sugar until whites reach 140ºF.  Transfer to stand mixer and whisk to stiff peaks.

Fold egg whites into yolks.  Fold white chocolate mixture into egg mixture.  Finally, fold whipped heavy cream into egg mixture.  Spoon into coffee cups and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.  Serve chilled with spiced whipped cream.

Makes 8 coffee cups

Beignets (from Cooking Up a Storm)

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

pinch of nutmeg

Canola oil

Powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk water, milk and egg together.  Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and nutmeg.  Whisk well to combine until smooth and free of lumps. 

In a medium saucepan, heat approximately 3” of canola oil over medium high heat to 350ºF.  Drop spoonfuls of batter into canola oil.  Fry until golden brown all around, turning once, about 3-4 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel lined cookie rack.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Makes approximately 2 dozen

 

Contributing Post at Newlywife

Hello friends! 

I was recently asked by the lovely Emily and Megan of Newlywife to become a guest contributor. Yay!

Newlywife, for those of you who haven’t yet visited, is written by Emily and Megan.  They are cousins, both married to guys named Matt, who are navigating their way through the first few years of marriage.  Every type of topic is covered: finances, home décor, relationship, life’s difficulties and its triumphs.  It’s a really great blog, funny and insightful and lovely.  I’ve known Megan since we were kids, we danced at the same school as children.  Emily and I however have been joined at the hip since age 11.  She’s the best in the world, truly. 

I will be posting once a month on various food/marriage related topics.  For my inaugural post, I’ve written about how to being cooking and meal planning for separate tastes.  Any omnivores out there married to vegetarians?  This post will be helpful for you. 

So come by Newlywife today and read all about cooking!  And marriage!  And say hi to Emily and Megan while you’re at it!  THG

WWW.NEWLYWIFE.COM

 

Blogs & Coffee

A while back, my friend Emily from Newlywife and I decided that we wanted to do something to connect our blogs.  But we didn’t want to stop there.  We wanted to develop a network of bloggers, a place to share our support, creativity and inspiration with one another.  And thus, Blogs & Coffee is born.

Why Blogs & Coffee?  Because who doesn’t love blogs and coffee? 

We want to organize a regular meet-up for bloggers and people interested in starting blogs.  So, we are getting started in June.  We are organizing a brunch on Saturday, June 2nd at 11:00am.  Coffee, food and good conversation amongst other bloggers; a place to toss around ideas, advice and anything blog-related.  If you are in the Bay Area, or can make your way to the East Bay that Saturday, we would love to have you!  You can RSVP to blogsandcoffee@gmail.com.  We will send you the location of the first meet-up once you RSVP.  Join us!

 

Blogs & Coffee

Saturday, June 2nd

11:00am

RSVP by May 26th to:

blogsandcoffee@gmail.com

Be sure to “Like” us on Facebook too!

www.facebook.com/blogsandcoffee

 

Guinness Battered Fish N’ Chips

I eat a pretty healthy diet.

I’ve always eaten lots of fruits and veggies, drink water (mineral water, but water nonetheless), I don’t eat tons of processed foods. I had a bit of nutritional training with my massage certification, so I feel like I know not only what to eat but why.

This is healthy, right? It’s fish! Fish is good for you! There’s lemon in it. That’s a fruit! And potatoes! This meal is TOTALLY healthy.

Okay, I’m kidding, not delusional. I know that wet battered fish deep fried in oil isn’t TOTALLY healthy. But, I am a big believer in the balance in life. I eat healthy, I walk everyday, I take care of myself. So, if I want to indulge in fried food every now and then, I allow myself that pleasure. What’s the point in living if you’re not going to occasionally do the things you love?

One of my great loves in life is food. Not always the healthiest food either. But, I don’t eat fish n’ chips every day. I don’t smother everything in butter and cream and sugar. So, if I want Oreos for dessert one night, I have Oreos. If I want a cheeseburger for lunch, I have a cheeseburger. I know that the good food in my diet outweighs the bad. It’s about balance.

This is a good indulgence. Using Guinness in the batter instead of a lighter ale imparts a richer, deeper, more bitter flavor. Lemon pepper to compliment the fish and spicy Cajun seasoning to punch up the flavors just a bit really elevate this dish (I used Slap Yo Mamma! Seasoning that my brother and his wife got from New Orleans). Baking powder really gets the batter to fluff up nicely when being fried. Yummers.

I did a red wine vinegar aioli on the side for dipping. You guys, this aioli is insane. Creamy, vinegary, salty, such an incredible pairing with the fish and fries. I could seriously eat a pound of this aioli. The trick to getting it to an incredibly smooth and creamy consistency is to add the oil to the egg yolks very, very slowly, about 2 teaspoons at a time. It takes forever, but it’s worth it, trust me.

The fries are just Trader Joe’s frozen fries. I liked them a lot, especially for pre-made frozen fries. Not too soggy.

What’s your favorite indulgent meal? THG

Guinness Battered Fish N’ Chips

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ Tbsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. lemon pepper

1 ½ tsp. sea salt, divided

1 tsp. Cajun seasoning

24 oz. Guinness stout

½ cup corn starch

½ tsp. black pepper

2 lbs. cod fillets, cut into 1” strips (as uniform as possible)

Canola oil

 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon pepper, 1 tsp. sea salt and Cajun seasoning. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in Guinness, and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove batter and fish strips from refrigerator. In a small dish, mix together corn starch, ½ tsp. sea salt and black pepper. Dredge fish strips in corn starch mixture and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat 3 inches of canola oil to 350° over medium-high heat. Dip fish strips in batter and coat completely. Carefully lower battered fish strips into hot oil, about 3 at a time. Fry in oil until batter is set and golden-brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat with all fish strips. Serve immediately with French fries.

Serves 6-8

Red Wine Vinegar Aioli

3 egg yolks, at room temperature

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 tsp. sea salt

¾ cup grapeseed oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice and sea salt until mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Add in 2 tsp. of grapeseed oil and whisk vigorously until well combined and creamy. Repeat with remaining oil, 2 tsp. at a time (mixture should begin to resemble mayonnaise). When all oil has been incorporated, add 1/8 cup of red wine vinegar and whisk to combine. Add remaining vinegar and whisk until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes approximately 1 ½ cups

 

Sunday Brunch

First things first, I must apologize for my absence last week. Shawn and I got our loan pre-approval (yay!) and have been hitting the “we’re-buying-a-house” work pretty hard. It’s been almost 2 years since we moved in with my parents to begin saving for a home; WE ARE READY. So, I apologize for the neglect last week, and also any future neglect that may happen in the coming weeks/months while I try to balance this work/blog/home buying/life thing.

Last Sunday, we had a brunch. My cousin Mike and his family were up from Bakersfield visiting his wife Jen’s grandparents, and they stopped by on their way back down Sunday morning. I love brunch (doubt that I’m alone in the sentiment). There is so much bread and cheese and powdered sugar involved in brunch, am I right? I generally don’t really like breakfast too much (typical breakfast food is much to heavy for me first thing in the morning), and yet I love brunch. Go figure.

My mom and dad decided that the best course of action would be for everyone to make a different dish. My dad made strata, a baked casserole-like dish consisting of egg, pancetta, cheese and crusty French bread. Insane. So, so good, especially the crunchy, toasted bread on top. Yum. My brother Ryan made a dish of potatoes and peppers; incredibly flavorful and just a little spicy. Really great savory dish considering the amount of sweet we had going on.

My mom made Dutch pancakes. These are, and I cannot understate this enough, THE GREATEST BRUNCH FOOD YOU WILL EVER EAT. A spongy, very eggy baked pancake filled with fruit and eaten in slices. So insanely delicious, like a bite of pure happiness. She made one with fresh strawberries (my favorite) and one with apple compote for the filling. Mike and Jen’s 2 little kids, upon seeing the Dutch pancakes, both proclaimed “breakfast pie!” and immediately dove in. Super cute kids.

I decided to go with a brunch classic: cinnamon rolls. Who doesn’t like cinnamon rolls?

I had made a batch of these the day before as well. Emily and I decided to have a Scarlett O’Hara marathon by watching Gone With The Wind and the first half of the mini-series Scarlett. We both went through simultaneous Scarlett O’Hara obsessions recently, with me reading the original book and Emily seeing GWTW for the first time and reading the sequel. Such an iconic and classic story, though we both agreed that the mini-series sequel was laughably bad. Timothy Dalton as Rhett Butler? Clark Gable you are not, my friend.

So, I made a batch on Saturday and then made two batches on Sunday. Yes. 3 batches. It’s amazing I’m not currently in a bread and sugar coma right now.

I based the recipe on the Neely’s. I decided to forgo the nuts and instead I added orange zest and orange juice to the rolls and the glaze. Orange-cinnamon rolls are such a great combination, with the heavy spice of the cinnamon and that little zip of freshness and tartness from the orange. Yummers.

What’s your favorite brunch food? And, more importantly, Clark Gable or Timothy Dalton?  THG

Mike’s Cheese and Pancetta Strata (adapted from this recipe)

6 oz. pancetta, cubed

1 loaf crusty sourdough French bread

1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

8 eggs

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 pinch pepper

Butter a 9×13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.  In a frying pan set over medium-high heat, fry pancetta until brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels and allow to cool to room temperature.

Cube bread into 1” pieces and put into prepared baking dish.  Add pancetta and cheeses, mixing with hands to distribute evenly.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, Tabasco, Dijon mustard and pepper.  Pour mixture evenly through baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour until strata is set and crispy on top, golden-brown.  Serve immediately.

Serves 10-12

Laura’s Dutch Pancakes (from the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook)

4 eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

3 cups strawberries, sliced

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs.  Sift in flour and salt together in a small mixing bowl.  Add flour mixture to eggs, alternating with milk, until a smooth batter has formed.  Butter the bottom and sides of a cast iron skillet.  Pour batter into skillet.  Bake in the middle of oven for 20-25 minutes, gradually reducing heat to 350ºF.  The pancake should puff up along the sides and be crisp and golden-brown all around.  Remove from skillet.  Fill with sliced strawberries and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into slices and serve.

Serves 8-10

Orange-Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from this recipe)

1/2 oz. (2 packages) dry active yeast

1/2 cup warm water

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

zest of 1 large orange

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast and warm water.  Let stand for 5 minutes to soften yeast.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and salt until well combined.  Whisk egg mixture into bowl of yeast until well combined.  Whisk in 1 cup of flour, then melted butter until smooth.  With the mixture set on low, add remaining flour 1 cup at a time, waiting until each cup is completely combined.  Mix well until strong dough is formed and springs back when tapped.  Place in a greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap.  Let rise until doubled in size in a warm place, about 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest.  Punch down raised dough and dump out on a floured surface.  Roll into a 12×15” rectangle.  Brush dough with melted butter.  Pour sugar mixture evenly over dough.  Working on the longer end, roll somewhat tightly into a log.  Cut off the ends.  Cut log into 8 even pieces.  Place slices in a greased 9” round baking pan.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size again, about 1 hour.  Bake at 400ºF about 30 minutes, until rolls are puffed up and golden brown.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract.  Whisk in orange juice until smooth and at a good, thick consistency.  Pour over cinnamon rolls.  Serve at room temperature.

Makes 8 rolls

 

Truffled Truffles

I have an insane sweet tooth.

Really.  I challenge any one of you to a sweet-tooth-off.  It is sickening the amount of sugar I can consume in one sitting.  I can have frozen yogurt, ice cream, candy, cake, cookies anytime, anywhere.  I sometimes have to deliberately decide to NOT eat sugar.  It’s a disease.

 

These babies are an indulgence.  A sweet, salty, rich indulgence.  An absolute must for anyone with a sweet tooth.  An absolute must for anyone, period.

Okay, so they’re not technically truffles.  They’re caramels.  But “truffled truffles” sounds so much cuter than “truffled caramels”, don’t you agree?

Quick sidenote: Shawn took the photo on the right.  I love how they look suspended in air.

Chocolate-covered salted caramels.  Sounds fairly basic; delicious, but basic.  The thing that heightens these particular treats is the addition of truffle salt and truffle oil.

The salt is just a sea salt with small pieces of shaved truffle added in.  Very, very flavorful.  Truffles have such a unique flavor; earthy, rich, sweet, salty.  They taste like everything all at once.  I received a jar of truffle salt and a can of truffle oil in the stocking this year at Christmas.  I’ve used them fairly sparingly; neither of them ingredients I can afford to regularly stock in the house (this is the Humble Gourmet, remember?).  But, I decided to be bold.  Daring.  Frivolous.  I added the salt and oil to my caramel with wild abandon.  Totally worth it.

Truffle and sweet go incredibly well together.  It’s just so complex a taste.  You get that great, sea salt hitting you right as you bite in, the rich bitterness of the chocolate, the creamy, sweet vanilla flavor, and then, at the very end, that savory, subtle taste of the truffle. 

These are definitely one of the most decadent, luxurious desserts I’ve ever made.  The caramel is so smooth and creamy, with a thin layer of dark chocolate, and that truffle.  The truffle is totally what elevates these little confections from sweet little candy to rich indulgent dessert.

I must make these again.  And again.  And again. 

Drat.  There goes my modest truffle budget for the year.  THG

Truffled Truffles (Chocolate-Covered Truffle Caramels)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed

1 tsp. truffle salt, plus more for topping

1/4 tsp. truffle oil

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 lb. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

To begin, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spray or brush the parchment with vegetable oil.  Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar, water and corn syrup over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Continue to let boil, undisturbed, until the sugar melts and caramelizes to a light, golden amber color.

While sugar is caramelizing, combine cream, butter, salt and truffle oil in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Allow butter to melt and cream to simmer.  Do not boil.

When sugar has caramelized, remove from heat.  Working quickly, whisk the cream mixture into the sugar mixture; be careful, it will bubble up quite a bit.  Add in vanilla and whisk to combine.  Set over medium low heat and continue to cook until a candy thermometer reaches 250ºF.  Remove from heat and carefully pour onto parchment paper lined baking sheet into a thin layer.  Refrigerate until set, about 2-4 hours.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and nuke for one minute.  Remove and stir well.  Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Remove caramel from refrigerator.  Cut into thin strips.  Roll each strip into a ball, about 3/4” in diameter.  Add caramel ball to chocolate to coat completely.  Remove with a slotted spoon, being sure to drain off excess chocolate, and place on a fresh parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with a small pinch of truffle salt.  When done, refrigerate again until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.  Serve chilled.

Makes approximately 30 “truffles”

 

Honey-Lavender Pots de Creme

I’ve been feeling a bit more feminine lately.  Girly.

Painting my nails, wearing heels, pretty hairstyles.  I’m usually fairly lax with my beauty regimen, but lately I’ve been making a bit more of an effort.  Don’t really know quite why.  I blame the Fashion and Beauty section of Pinterest

This dessert is very girly.  Lavender!  Honey!  Whipped Cream!  Tiny, cute ramekins to contain all the lavender and honey!

Now, it must be noted that this is one of Shawn’s favorite desserts.  He, however, is NOT girly.  Just the dessert.

I want to eat this little dish of creamy deliciousness, in a floral chaise lounge while getting my toenails painted, hair fluffy and perfectly curled, in a poufy tulle skirt.  While watching a romantic comedy.

Girly, girly, girly.  It’s fun sometimes.  THG

Honey-Lavender Pots de Crème

3 cups heavy cream, divided

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided

1/4 cup dried lavender buds, plus more for garnish

6 egg yolks, at room temperature

2/3 cup honey

1 Tbsp. sugar

large pinch of salt

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300ºF.

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups heavy cream, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract and 1/4 cup lavender buds to simmering.  Remove from heat, cover and let steep 15-20 minutes.  Drain to remove lavender buds.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, honey, sugar and salt together until thick and smooth.  Whisk in 1/3 cup of heavy cream mixture to temper the eggs.  Whisk in remaining cream until smooth.  Pour into individual ramekins, about 3/4 full.  Place in a large roasting pan and fill pan 2/3 full with water.  Cover with foil.

Bake in the middle of oven until sides are set and center is still jiggly, about 40-45 minutes.  Remove from water bath and refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours.

While pots de cremes are baking, whisk 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp. vanilla and powdered sugar in a stand mixer to stiff peaks.  Refrigerate.

Serve pots de cremes cold with a dollop of whipped cream and lavender buds.

Serves 8

 

Mole Chicken Burritos

I love slow cookers.

The idea that I can throw ingredients into a pot in the morning, simmer them all day, and in the evening have a ready-to-go dinner waiting for me is magical.  And with a schedule like mine, with club events and working until 8:00 some nights, not having to think about dinner is very handy.  And, if done right, what comes out of the pot is insane.  Super tender, super juicy, super flavorful.

This chicken is bursting with flavor.  Spicy, but not too hot, a rich bitterness courtesy of Guinness stout in place of chicken broth, and a smooth hint of chocolate.

Sidenote: I am loving using chocolate in a savory dish.  Seriously; it’s a pretty brilliant combination that I hadn’t tried up to this point.  Making this dinner, I was reminded of the scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she talks about making rice and chicken with chocolate sauce, which then proceeds to explode out of her pressure cooker.  Oh, Holly Golightly, you’re such a kook.

ANYHOO, mole chicken.  This chicken cooked in the stout and spice mixture for about 9 hours, low and slow.  It was so tender, it quite literally fell completely off of the bone.  This, my friends, is exactly what you’re looking for.  Tender, tender chicken.  Awesome.

I made a roasted tomatillo and avocado sauce to go with it.  Tomatillos roasted in the oven with a head of garlic, avocado, lime, yogurt and spices, all blended into a smooth, silky sauce.  Essentially, pureed guacamole; but the texture of this, with the creamy avocado and yogurt, is phenomenal.  I could eat gallons of this.  So good.

The idea that this meal cooked all day virtually unaccompanied is just the cherry on the pie of this dinner.  Or rather, queso fresca on the mole chicken burrito of this dinner.

What’s your favorite slow cooker meal?  THG

Mole Chicken

1 14 oz. can of Guinness stout

1/2 cup water

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 whole chicken, quartered

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large slow cooker, combine Guinness, water, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper, sea salt and cayenne pepper.  Add chicken, flipping over once so that both sides are coated.  Cover and simmer on low for 8-10 hours until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Remove chicken from slow cooker.  Remove bones, skin and cartilage; discard.  Shred chicken meat.  In the slow cooker, add chocolate to the liquid.  Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.  Add chicken back in to mixture and mix to coat.  Cook over low another hour.  Serve hot on warm flour tortillas with black beans, spanish rice, queso fresca and avocado sauce.

Serves 6-8

Roasted Tomatillo and Avocado Sauce

2 large tomatillos

1 medium head of garlic

2 medium avocados

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. ground paprika

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut tomatillos and head of garlic in half across their equators.  Coat with olive oil.  Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, turning tomatillos halfway through.  Once roasted, remove garlic from the skins.  In a blender, puree tomatillos and garlic until smooth.  Add avocado and puree.  Once smooth, add lime juice and yogurt and blend to a smooth consistency.  Pour into a bowl.  Add paprika, black pepper and sea salt and mix to combine.  Serve immediately.

Makes approximately 3 cups

 

Lemon Herb Biscuits

This past week has been CHILLY.  Rain, cold wind, almost no sun.  It felt like the heart of winter right on the cusp of spring.

I want spring to be here.  Blossoms, sunshine, fresh flowers.  The hills in the East Bay are green as Ireland during the spring (but brown the rest of the year).  Everything just looks and smells so fresh; the sparse bleakness of winter becomes a distant memory.

These biscuits are my attempt at ushering in the spring.  Light, bright and fragrant.  Zesty lemon and earthy sage and thyme.  A little butter, a little honey.  A little plate of springtime.

One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is that our seasons run into each other.  Winter is never too cold, summer never too hot.  Because of this, produce that may only be available most parts of the country for a couple of months can be available here even longer.  Shawn and I had a Meyer Lemon tree in our old backyard that bloomed all year round.  My dad’s tomato garden sprouts from July to October most years.  Huge varieties of produce available anytime you want them.  It’s nice.

The lemon in these biscuits are fresh off of my mom’s backyard tree.  Fresh herbs, buttermilk, a little sea salt and sugar.  So good.  Lemon just tastes like sunshine, doesn’t it?  Really fresh lemon, so bright and juicy and puckeringly tart.  It almost warms you up just to eat it.  I always considered lemon and citrus in general to be a springtime treat more than winter.  That sweet-sour deliciousness just pairs so perfectly with crocus and daffodils and cherry blossoms.  I think citrus should rethink it’s seasonal availability

What is your favorite springtime flavor?  THG

Lemon Herb Biscuits

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, 1/2” cubes

2 Tbsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely minced

1 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely minced

1 cup cold buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Butter a large cast iron skillet.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and sugar.  With a pastry cutter, cut in cold butter cubes.  Mix well until the mixture resembles small pebbles.  Add in lemon zest and herbs; mix to combine.  Create a well in the middle of mixture.  Pour in buttermilk and mix to combine into a ball of dough.

Dump on a well-floured surface.  Roll out to 1/2” thick rectangle.  Using a floured 3” biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits and fit snuggly into the cast iron skillet.  Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining buttermilk.  Bake in the middle of oven until golden brown on top, about 30-35 minutes.

Makes 8-10 biscuits