I'm Backkkkk!

     In my last post, I promised to share a bunch of Thanksgiving recipes. Well not only has Thanksgiving come and gone, but so has Christmas, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day. So many tasty holiday treats went unshared due to my hectic travel schedule, work and wedding planning. While none of these things will be slowing down anytime soon, I feel that I have a better balance of LIFE. While I many have just found my "balance" again, I never stopped cooking. Girls gotta eat!

Stuffed Herby Chicken

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in
6 ounces garlic and herb goat cheese
Fresh basil leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Loosen the skin from the chicken, leaving one side attached.
Stuff cheese and 2 basil leaves under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Serve with pasta and roasted carrots.


Truffle Tagliarelle

Ingredients:
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp white truffle oil
1 package pasta
1 tbsp chopped chives
Parmesan

Directions:
Bring large pot of water to a boil.
In a saute pan, heat cream over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Add butter, truffle oil, salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together over low heat.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Mix cooked pasta into sauce, using the cooking water to your liking to keep the pasta creamy.
Sprinkle with chives and parmesan.


Roasted Carrots

Ingredients:
Bunch of carrots
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp minced parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss carrots in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley.
Transfer to a sheet pan in one layer and roast for 20 minutes.
Season to taste.

You Fancy, Huh?

     Contrary to popular belief, the time you should be making your significant other engagement roast chicken is not before the engagement, but rather after the engagement. Here's why:

1. It shows him how much you care and that even though you are engaged, you will not stop doing special things for him

2. Engagement chicken looks fancy and now that you've got a diamond ring on your finger - you, my friend, are fancy

3. It looks like you slaved away in the kitchen all day when this meal is in fact quite simple

4. It makes leftovers, which means you can pack him lunch for work the next day and all of his co-workers will tell him how lucky he is (not like he needs reminding)

So, to celebrate my recent engagement to the love of my life, we're doing post-engagement roast chicken tonight!

Post-Engagement Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (4 lb.) roasting chicken

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

Olive Oil

2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced

2 carrots, diced

Kitchen string

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove and discard chicken giblets. 

Salt and pepper the inside of the chicken, then set chicken in a roasting pan.

Place garlic and 2 quarters of the lemon inside of the chicken. Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wings under the body so they don't burn.

Toss the rest of the lemons, onions and carrots in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread around the chicken in the roasting pan.

Roast the hour for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Let it sit 10 minutes, then carve the chicken onto a platter. Serve with onions, carrots and roasted potatoes (recipe follows).

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Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. red potatoes, washed and quartered

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp. minced garlic

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic together in a bowl until coated. 

Spread potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer. Roast for 35-40 minutes, remembering to toss every so often so they do not burn.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with parsley.

Serve warm.

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No...I mean...MORE Soup for You!

     Not to send you on soup-overload or anything, but it's a rainy day here in Chicago and I can't continue to ignore all of the yummy fall vegetables that have been popping up in the farmers markets lately. Also, it's supposed to jump back into the seventies tomorrow which is totally unexceptable for soup, so I need to get this recipe out while I can (because I don't have 6 months of freezing cold weather ahead of me or anything)...

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Ingredients:
1 (3 lb) butternut squash
1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 apple, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chili powder, to taste ~~~ CLH
4 pieces thick cut bacon
2 tbsp. reserved bacon fat
Goat cheese, crumbled
Maple bacon croutons, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Trim the top and bottom of the butternut squash. Cut the squash into quarters lengthwise, then cut each quarter in half. 
Arrange squash on a baking sheet. Brush melted butter over squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 45-50 minutes. (TFD: You'll know it is finished when you can pierce it easily with a fork)
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Sautee shallots, garlic, carrots, celery and apple until softened - about 7 minutes.
Add chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove skin from roasted squash then puree in a food processor or blender. 
Blend pureed squash and soup together until smooth, then return to pot. 
Stir in cider vinegar, cinnamon and chili powder. 
Cook over medium-low heat for about 5 more minutes or until warm. 
Fry bacon in pan over medium heat until done. Remove from pan, reserving 2 tbsp. for the croutons. Dice bacon into bite size pieces and set aside.
Prepare maple bacon croutons (recipe follows). 
Serve warm soup in bowls and top with croutons, diced bacon and crumbled goat cheese.


Maple Bacon Croutons

Ingredients:
4 (1/2 inch thick) slices day old bread
1 tbsp. grade B maple syrup
2 tbsp. reserved bacon fat
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Dice bread into bite size cubes. Toss with maple syrup, bacon fat, paprika and salt and pepper.
Fry in pan over medium heat until grill marks appear and bread is crunchy, tossing the cubes around every so often to that all sides are golden.

Tomatopalooza

     I have never gotten the flu shot. In fact, I make fun of people who do (like my boyfriend) and honestly I never get sick - but this year it got me. 

     I've been on my death bed for the past week with the flu, unable to eat, drink and especially entertain. My boyfriend's parents were visiting us in Chicago and even though I didn't get to spend very much time with them, I'm definitely enjoying the pounds of tomatoes they brought us from their garden back home. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a big thing to us city folk, so tonight it's Tomatopalooza in our household. 

Fresh Salsa

Ingredients:
3 lbs tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, diced*
1 medium white onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste

* CLH: Reduce if you want it less spicy

Directions: Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until chopped. 
TFD: I prefer chunky salsa, so I blend for just a few seconds. 
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Caprese Skewers

Ingredients:
15 grape or cherry tomatoes
15 fresh mozzarella balls
15 fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Balsamic glaze
5 wooden skewers

Directions:
Using the wooden skewer - spear tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Repeat until you reach the end of the skewer. Place on a serving dish and pour olive oil over skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Serve. 
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Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ Grilled Gruyere Croutons

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs roasted tomatoes
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes ~~~ CLH
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grilled gruyere croutons, recipe follows
Grated parmesan cheese
Extra basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes. 
Heat the rest of the olive oil in a large pot. Add onions until softened. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook a couple minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add basil, can of tomatoes, chicken broth and roasted tomatoes out of the oven. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 hours over low heat. 
Transfer ingredients from pot into a blender. Blend until smooth, leaving a few tomato chunks. 
Top with grilled gruyere croutons, parmesan cheese and basil leaves. 
Serve warm. 


Grilled Gruyere Croutons

Ingredients:
1 loaf fresh italian bread
Gruyere cheese, sliced
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions: 
Heat pan on stove over medium heat. 
Cut bread into four 1/2 inch thick slices. Spread melted better on one side of each slice. Layer gruyere on the side that is unbuttered, then top with another slice of bread, buttered side up. 
Place sandwiches on warmed pan and grill until browned. Flip and grill until the opposite side is browned and cheese is melted.
Remove from pan and cool. 
Cut into 1 inch cubes.