Roast Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Herbs

I've had some really good luck with recipes I've culled from newspapers or their websites. Two of my favorites are The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Oregonian. I know there are others I've missed, but the food editors at these two seem to understand the workings of the "real" American kitchen and the woman who cooks there. Lest you think me a slacker, I am an au courant foodie and while I follow the New York Times and other prestigious food pages, I no longer live a New York Times lifestyle. When we left the east coast it was with the intention of simplifying a life that had become overly complicated. So, just as I peel layers of an onion I'm peeling away those layers of my "skin" that represent possessions, habits and ideas that weigh me down. It's amazing how little it takes to live graciously and travel with ease. While I love to cook, I've come to appreciate the merits of fast and easy and a more simplified approach to eating. This recipe which comes from FOODday's Best Recipes for 2008 meets all those requirements. It uses bone-in chicken thighs so it is inexpensive as well. I really like the work these folks do. This is a nice recipe.

Roast Chicken Thighs With Tomatoes and Herbs

Ingredients:
3/4 of a large (12-ounce) onion cut in 1/4-inch slices
6 to 8 cloves garlic, crushed but not chopped
1-1/2 pounds cherry or other small tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh marjoram or thyme (divided)
Kosher salt
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 medium)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons herbs and 1 teaspoon salt; toss until everything's nicely mixed. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt.
3) Arrange chicken thighs on two heavy rimmed baking sheets, with space between chicken pieces. Distribute tomato mixture and any juices around chicken so it's in an even layer around but not covering chicken.
4) Roast until chicken is totally tender when pierced with a knife (or reaches 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 35 to 45 minutes. During roasting, check that tomato mixture isn't burning. If they're getting too dark, pour in a few spoonfuls of water or chicken broth into the pan.
5) When done, transfer chicken to a serving platter. Put a large sieve or colander over a bowl and carefully scrape tomato mixture into the sieve. Make sure you catch all the juices, which are delicious. Deglaze any browned juices on pans by pouring on a bit of water and scraping to dissolve. Add this liquid to vegetable juices already in bowl.
6) Drain vegetables for a few minutes; spoon around chicken. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon herbs and serve. Pass a bowl of reserved juices at the table to drizzle over chicken and vegetables. Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe and photograph from FOODday.

Creamy Carrot Soup with Port Wine and Ricotta Cheese

This is a marvelously simple and inexpensive soup that's sure to satisfy. It looks extravagant but it will feed six people for less than five dollars. My first version of this soup contained no wine or cheese but as my palate developed I began to play with flavors. Some worked, others didn't. This one, at least to my tastes, is delightful. It can be served hot or cold and can be made several days before serving. Use extra salt if you are going to serve it cold. Hot or cold, it will please the palate and the eyes. .....and then just when I thought I was done with this post, the universe conspired to prove me wrong. Did you know there is a World Carrot Museum in Britain? It has more information about the carrot then you'll ever need, or probably care, to know. I mean no disrespect - this endeavor is obviously important to someone, but I do wonder how folks come up with this stuff. Do people really visit carrot museums?

Creamy Carrot Soup with Port Wine and Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup minced onion
5 cups (about 2-1/2 pounds) sliced carrots
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (part-skimed O.K.)
3 tablespoons port wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Dill sprigs for garnish

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
2) Strain carrots, reserving broth. Transfer carrots to the jar of an electric blender. Add ricotta cheese and 1 cup of cooking liquid. Process until smooth. Fold puree back into reserved liquid, whisking until smooth. Bring back to a simmer. If serving hot, remove from heat and stir in wine and dill. If serving cold, reserve wine and dill to finish just before serving. Let soup cool to room temperature; transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours before adding wine and dill. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold. Yield: 6 servings.

Banana Fritters - Homely Yeastly Pleasures

Years before there were ice rinks, city kids - at least those living in Chicago - learned to skate outdoors. When polar winds blew in, the fire department would flood vacant lots and create ponds for us to skate on. There were no lessons; we learned to do by watching and long determined practice. Prized even more than mastering a figure eight was the invitation to join the "whip." Once balance and forward motion were achieved Crack the Whip - a.k.a. Crack the Skull or Chip the Teeth - was the game of choice. Moms weren't fond of the game; that necessitated the posting of lookouts who were skilled in determining ETA. By the time adults reached the ice we looked like cherubs auditioning for the choir of angels. My knees are a testament to the effects of gravel playgrounds and bumpy "pond" ice. Claire, my friend, and I would stay on the ice until our lips were chapped clear up to our noses (effort - in all things - was and still is shown by curling the tongue around the upper lip). When the cold finally numbed our spirits we'd head to Claire's for hot chocolate and - if we were lucky - fritters. I suspect my fondness for crullers and fritters is intertwined with happy memories of that time. Strangely enough, my children hated pond skating. I planned an adventure to introduce them to "real" ice but they weren't impressed and we had to continue with those brutal early morning sessions at the ice rink - my own warped version of "what I did for love." Today's recipe for banana fritters is simple, but there are some tricks needed to produce a tasty and non-gummy treat. The bananas must be "nasty" - really ripe, blackened fruit. All ingredients should be at room temperature. The temperature of the oil must remain a constant 350 degrees F. and you must resist the temptation to make large fritters (they will burn before they're cooked through). Because there is no sugar in the batter the fritters need some sweetening. I roll the fritters in an orange sugar but cinnamon or vanilla sugar also serve the purpose. This wonderfully old-fashioned treat is best served warm with French press coffee or hot chocolate. Happy dunking!

Banana Fritters

Ingredients:
1 pound very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons dark rum or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups vegetable oil
1 cup flavored granulated sugar
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Place bananas, eggs, milk, rum, zest cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until blended. Stir in yeast and flour. The batter should resemble egg whites beaten to soft peaks. Let sit, covered, for 30 minutes.
2) Place oil in a large, heavy saute pan or electric skillet (my choice for this recipe). Heat until oil is 350 degrees F. Using a soup spoon, drop ovals of batter into hot oil and cook, three or four at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. The oil must be deep enough to allow the fritters to float or they will brown too quickly and be gummy in the center. Drain. Roll in flavored granulated sugar. Repeat until batter is gone. Arrange on a serving plate. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve warm. Yield: 24 fritters.

Orange Sugar: Combine 3 tablespoons orange zest with 1 cup sugar. Rub peel into sugar. Spread on a baking sheet and allow to dry for 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in refrigerator.

This recipe is being sent to Yeast Spotting, an event sponsored by Susan at Wild Yeast

Thai Corn Fritters

Several years ago I brought a batch of corn fritters to a potluck supper and there met a woman who was most curious as to how they were made. As I reheated them she jotted down the recipe and asked me to give it a more interesting name. Without too much thought I blurted out, "Asian Hush Puppies." Six months later I found the recipe bearing its new name and lacking mine in one of our smaller local newspapers. I also had the bad luck of hearing a guest, obviously delighted to see the fritters, say, "I love Dimitra's hush puppies." That started me to thinking. When is a recipe really your own? They say that there are five basic plot lines around which all stories develop. Are there a hundred source recipes that are parent to all others? How often do we see Ina doing Julia doing Larousse? Is there anyone who doesn't have a recipe for brownies or lemon bars they swear to be their own? You have to smile, but keep in mind the recipe police take this business very seriously. There are rules. One prestigious competition recently released rules so complicated you'll need a PhD just to sort them out. I'm going to enter out of sheer orneriness. The basic rule of thumb for originality is at least four changes to a "mother" recipe. It's actually hard to plagiarize a recipe. Ingredient lists are not subject to copyright but accompanying directions or descriptions can be. The very clever can claim loads of recipes as their own. Are there food lawyers to assist the food police? My corn fritters illustrate a problem not easily solved. They were probably the creation of a frugal pan ra ya (wife) and every Thai household had its own version of corn fritters. I suspect the French codified the recipe and travelers and soldiers carried their version of it home. I had them in a restaurant and this is "my" version of Thai Corn Fritters a.k.a. Asian Hush Puppies. I love to make them with fresh corn but thawed, frozen corn is an acceptable substitute. Rice flour binds the ingredients and helps them brown, but all-purpose flour can be substituted. Pimento is not a Thai ingredient; it's used here to provide a punch of color and it may be omitted. The fritters in the photograph are not fully cooked; one side was only lightly browned so you could see the "innards." These are an easy, fast and inexpensive treat.

Thai Corn Fritters

Ingredients:
3 cups fresh or frozen, thawed corn
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 small bunch chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped scallion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup chopped, drained pimento (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3/4 cup rice or all-purpose flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
4 tablespoons water
Vegetable oil for frying
Sweet chili sauce (i.e. Mae Ploy) for dipping

Diections:
1) Place corn, garlic, cilantro, scallion, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, pimento, soy sauce, flour, eggs and water in a large bowl. Mix well. The mixture should be able to hold its shape with out being stiff. Add more flour if needed.
2) Cover bottom of a large skillet with oil. Place on a burner over medium-high heat and cook until it shimmers. Drop 1/4 cup mounds of batter into oil and round with a spoon. Cook until a very light golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with sweet chili sauce. Yield: 12 fritters.

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon, Jus Lié, Wine Sauce and Shrooms

I'm not an extravagant gal. My favorite cut of beef is a flat iron steak, but occasionally I'll put on the dog, flirt shamelessly with the butcher and come home with tenderloin so gorgeous that the mere idea of what's to come makes my mouth water. Year ago I learned a technique that guarantees perfectly cooked filets. It starts, of course, with good beef and, if you can afford it, grass fed beef is the way to go. I have the butcher take a center cut filet and slice it into steaks that are 1-1/2 inches thick. Once home, the beef is refrigerated, sans wrapping, for several hours on a rack in order to dry its surfaces. About an hour before cooking take the filets from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. About 30 minutes prior to cooking, select 2 heavy skillets large enough to hold the beef, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place one skillet on the rack and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. My skillets are cast iron - doesn't get much heavier than that. You'll need a 10-inch pan to make four filets and a 12-inch pan for six. I use twine to loosely tie the steaks to a fairly uniform size and shape. Place the second skillet on a burner over high heat. Meanwhile rub each filet with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon per side, and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt and pepper. When the skillet is smoking hot add the steaks and cook, without moving, for 3 minutes. Turn and cook, again without moving, for another 3 minutes. Transfer steaks to the pan in the oven to finish cooking: 2 to 4 minutes for very rare; 4 to 6 minutes for rare; 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare and 8 to 10 minutes for medium. If you are working with a non-professional oven use the higher time limit suggested for each category. Keeping in mind how hot the handle is going to be, remove the skillet from the oven and transfer steaks to a serving platter. Remove twine. Tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you like, the skillet in which the steaks were seared can be used to make a lovely sauce. I'm including a recipe for a jus lie and a quick wine sauce in case you need one or the other. Michael Chiarello has a treasure of a recipe for sauteed mushrooms that is a marvelous accompaniment to the filets and I'm passing that on to you as well. Enjoy - tomorrow we die!

Pan-Seared Filet Mignon

Ingredients:
4 center-cut filets mignon, 1-1/2 inches thick
4 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Half an hour before cooking, adjust a rack to lower third of oven. Place a heavy skillet on rack and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tie filets into uniform shapes. Set aside.
2) Place another heavy skillet, stovetop, on burner over high heat until it is smoking.
3) Meanwhile, rub each side of steaks with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle very liberally with coarse salt and pepper. Press seasonings into surface of meat.
4) Place steaks in skillet and cook without moving for 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to transfer steaks to skillet in the oven. Roast 2 to 4 minutes for very rare (cold center), 4 to 6 minutes for rare, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, or 8 to 10 minutes for medium. Transfer steaks to a serving platter, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 steaks.

Jus Lié

Ingredients:
4 cups low-sodium beef stock, divided use
5 teaspoons cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Bring 3-1/2 cups of stock to a boil.
2) Mix cornstarch with reserved 1/2 cup stock. Whisk into simmering stock and cook until the mixture thickens and is clear. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cubed butter, divided use
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or scallions
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine
1 cup jus lie or canned beef consomme
1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Using the skillet in which steaks were seared, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
2) Add wine, raise heat and bring to a boil, scraping fond from bottom of pan. Reduce until almost gone; add stock, herbs, tomato paste and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until sauce coats a spoon. Remove from heat; whisk in reserved 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until sauce thickens and is glossy. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Michael Chiarello's Button Mushrooms

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds whole small button mushrooms, wiped clean
3 tablespoons butter
Gray sea salt (kosher salt may be substituted)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves

Directions:
1) In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add mushrooms. Do not move mushrooms until they have caramelized on bottom (mushrooms will release liquid if moved and we don't want that to happen). When bottoms are caramelized, toss them and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
2) Add the butter. Cook and toss for 5 minutes, until beautifully browned. Season with salt and add garlic. Saute another 2 minutes, and add thyme, lemon juice, and white wine. When liquid is evaporated add parsley and toss to distribute. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

Quick Fix Chicken Paprikash

My refrigerator is packed to the rafters with leftovers. It's time for a salvage operation and until it's over no morsel is safe from the deft hands and sharp eyes of a woman on a mission. Once in, I found the remains of a chicken and peppers from a vegetable platter - in my world those are the components for a quick and easy Hungarian meal that is drop dead delicious and on the table in 30 minutes. This is an amazing recipe. When you read it there seems to be nothing to commend it, but once you try it you'll be hooked. I've called this Chicken Paprikash because it's made with sour cream and sour cream is what separates paprikash from it's cousin goulash. For best flavor you'll need both Hungarian sweet and hot paprika. You can, of course, cut back on the amount of butter and the type of sour cream you use in the dish, but there are so few ingredients it's beat to stick to the recipe as it's written. One other caution - don't let this sit around. The noodles will begin to soak up the sauce and the dish will be dry. I really hope you'll try this one. It's really tasty for something so easy to do. I make this a couple of times a year.


Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 can (10.5-oz.) condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 to 3 cups hot cooked egg noodles

Directions:
1) Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add onion and saute until tender and lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper and cook until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in sweet paprika, hot paprika and salt. Stir flour into sour cream and whisk into sauce until smooth; bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
2) Fold in chicken and noodles. Cook, stirring, over medium heat to warm chicken and noodles, about 3 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

I'm sending this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights sponsored by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast.

This recipe is adapted from one developed by Linda Faus for FOODday at OregonLive.

My Family

My Daughters: Lara and Melissa















The Grandsons: Zach, Drew and Joshua

Persian Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

I love the beginning of a new year. The slate is wiped clean and the days that lie ahead are mine to savour, squander or share as I see fit. I began the new year in front of the fire reading Tillie Olsen's Tell Me A Riddle. She passed two years ago this day and it seems a fitting way to honor the power of her voice and the words she's left behind. I've read this story so often that whole portions of it have been committed to memory. I've learned that when you love a book, it loves you back. So, tears and all, it was a lovely way to start the day. I've made no resolutions but I have renewed my goal to learn one new thing each day. I've also renewed my commitment to ideas passed on to me by two outstanding women. Forty years ago, while hiking in the Canadian Rockies, Bob and I met a family who hiked with us into the Valley of the Ten Peaks. The family was led by the grandmother who was familiar with the trail. As we walked she shared her secret for aging well. It had nothing to do with diet or beauty aids. It was an intent to go through life with at least two friends - one ten years younger and the other ten years older than herself. The goal was to learn from both and keep rooted in the past, present and future. My other inspiration was a seventy-something hiker, this one with a cane, who fought age with movement and resisted the lure of a rocking chair. It took some time but she reached her goal. Persistence pays! On this first day of the new year, I won't speak to you of pan de muertos or hiker's gorp, but in keeping with the theme of renewal I do have a new, more festive recipe to share. I think you'll like this version of an old Jeff Smith recipe. I sampled the meatballs last night, so I have no hesitation in recommending them to you. I'm going to serve ours in pita pockets, but if you want something more substantial rice pilaf would be lovely. Happy New Year to you all. This year will be unlike any other in our country's history - a special inauguration day is coming. We've waited such a long time for this. God bless us and the country we love. Let's hope it is a good year. It will certainly be one of change, challenge and opportunity.

Persian Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fine ground bulgur wheat
2 cups boiling water
2 pounds lean ground lamb
1/2 cup fonely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup very coarsely chopped pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Place bulgur in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain well.
3) Combine ground bulgur, lamb, onions, pine nuts, olive oil, eggs, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, lemon juice, dill, mint, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well.
4) Form into 1-1/2 inch balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until just cooked through.
5) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add onion and saute until tender but not brown.
6) Heat yogurt in a small saucepan to a gentle simmer. Mix cornstarch with water; add to yogurt, stirring until smooth and thickened. Add onions and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Keep warm.
7) To serve, place meatballs on a large platter. Drizzle with yogurt sauce. Yield: 6 servings.