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Tandoori-Style Roasted Chicken (great hot or cold!)

26 Aug

We picked up another pastured bird from our share at Restoration Farm this week, which reminded me how delicious the last one turned out.

While I decide what to do with this one (as Hurricane Irene churns her diabolical way up the Eastern Seaboard in our direction and I am checking batteries, gathering candles and surveying our canned goods), let me share this easy and extremely tasty recipe that tasted great right out of the oven, but also made for an excellent quick-grab out of the fridge in the following days, re-heated as well as cold!

This tandoori-style chicken was a recipe for whole chicken that Leandro picked out from a magazine (EveryDay Food, from Martha Stewart). He thought the picture looked very tasty and we had everything we needed in the house, except maybe the ginger. Since I am encouraging him to start eating chicken off the bone, letting him select the recipe worked out very well. I just tweaked the original to our tastes (more garlic, more spice) and it was smooth sailing!

Tandoori-style oven-roasted chicken

1 whole chicken (4-4.5 lbs), rinsed, patted dry and quartered (skin on)

1 cup plain non- or low-fat yogurt

½ yellow onion, roughly chopped

2-inch piece ginger, peeled (with vegetable peeler) and sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled

3 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cumin

1 – 1.5 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Place chicken pieces in a gallon-size zip-top bag. In a blender or food processor, blend all other ingredients until smooth and pour into bag. Seal and shake and refrigerate (4 hours to overnight).

Preheat oven to 500°F. Place a wire rack in a foil-lined baking sheet with sides. Place chicken parts on rack, skin side down, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Roast until begins to char and flip for a total of about 35 minutes. Reduce heat to 450°F and roast until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 more minutes (insert meat thermometer into thickest part of thigh to check). Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

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Party Snacks: Oven-Charred Tomatillo, Tomato and Hot Chile Salsa

22 Aug

If you are lucky enough to get a handful of tomatillos in your CSA share or find them in your grocery store, this recipe for a small amount will make your tastebuds very happy (or scream in agony if you overdo it on the hot peppers) and won’t take you very long at all.

There are very few commercially prepared salsas that I like; most are too sweet or too tomatoe-y or just boring, so making my own makes a lot of sense. Once you see how easy tomatillos are to char, you will probably become adventurous with your own flavor combinations.

Tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is indeed in the same family as the tomato, as well as the ground cherry (or cape gooseberry), which it actually resembles more, in looks, if not flavor. Native to Mexico, tomatillo has green or sometimes purple fruit, surrounded by a husk that gets papery as it ripens; it has always reminded me of a Japanese lantern.

When you buy, look for firm fruit with the husk still on (they will keep for a month in a paper bag). When you buy green ones, avoid any that are yellowish.  To prepare them for cooking, remove the husk and wash off the stickiness on the skin.

Although tomatillo is most often used for salsa verde (green sauce), I used purple ones in this recipe. I charred them under the broiler with red tomatoes and mixed them together for a deep and satisfying color.


Roasted Tomatillo, Tomato  and Chile Salsa

7-8 tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half

Tomatoes of your choice, in an equal amount to the tomatillos, sliced in half (if using cherry-types) or chunked to the same size as the tomatillo halves

1 fresh hot chile pepper of your choice (I use jalapeño)

2 Tbs red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs cilantro, chopped

1/8 tsp lime juice

1/8-1/4 tsp coarse salt

Place tomatillos, tomatoes and whole chile pepper on a baking sheet and broil, turning once (carefully!) with a spatula when the tops start to char (my sturdy, but not so high-powered toaster oven took 10 minutes on each side {!} but a stronger oven could do the job in half the time, so watch out!)

When the vegetables are charred, let them cool until you can peel them (over a bowl to catch the juices). Discard peels and add tomatillo and tomato to bowl. Also peel the pepper and BE WARNED: this is a small amount of salsa, so you don’t want to go overboard on the heat. I use only half a jalapeño and remove the seeds and it is still pretty searing on the tongue. So…add roasted chile at your discretion/peril.

I break my salsa up with a fork – unnecessary if you are going to use a blender at the end. Stir in remaining ingredients. For a smoother texture, pulse a few times in a food processor or blender (I prefer chunkier and I hate extra equipment to wash, so I skip it). Garnish with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.

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Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

17 Aug

Beets keep for three weeks or so in the fridge (You should always cut the beet greens to an inch before storing and use the beet greens right away), so if you have any in the cool box waiting for inspiration, this is a simple dish that results in big flavor and gorgeous visuals.

I think you will especially like the vinaigrette (and you can reserve some to use on salads later in the week; it really perks up a simple, seasonal fresh from the garden tomato and cucumber salad like the one I had today with a bit of feta).

This became an instant top ten for my mom; we are all big salad eaters around here (except for my son, but nevermind; we’re working on it) but even those most dedicated herbivore needs a wake up for the taste buds. Beets and goat cheese have become a classic flavor combination with good reason, so don’t wait ’till you see it on a menu. DIY!

Thanks to Adriana for inspiring this recipe in a comment on an earlier beet recipe (beets and greens with orange). https://hotcheapeasy.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/roasted-beet-salad-with-orange-and-beet-greens/.

Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

5-6 medium beets, tops trimmed to one inch, roots intact, washed and dried

3-4 Cups baby salad greens (spinach goes very well with this, as does arugula), washed and dried (if using large leaves, tear into bite-size pieces)

2 oz crumbly goat cheese

¼ of a red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Handful of walnuts/cranberries (optional)

Vinaigrette

¼ Cup sherry or other mild vinegar (scant; reduce if using full-strength white or wine vinegar)

1 generous tsp prepared mustard (Dijon preferred)

¼ tsp agave nectar (or honey)

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets loosely in foil and roast about 40 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from foil and cool. When you can handle them easily, peel with your hands. You may want to use gloves or put your hands in a plastic bag to peel, as the beets stain fingers pink. Cut into small bite-size chunks.

Lay a bed of salad greens on a plate, top with beet chunks, and optional red onion, walnuts and cranberries. Dot with goat cheese.

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad just before serving (You may want to pour dressing after the goat cheese to keep it from getting colored. You may also want to drizzle less rather than more to really enjoy the exciting flavors of the salad ingredients).

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Watermelon Gazpacho (and a cry for help)

14 Aug

Have you ever tried a lovely new recipe that is almost -, just short of-, achingly close to- perfect, but that you know needs a spike, a dash or a splash of something, but you can’t quite figure out what it is?

Well that’s what is happening with this Watermelon Gazpacho.

As is, it is a cool and refreshing welcome cross between a soup and a sorbet with which to greet guests. In Puerto Rico, some restaurants bring you a complimentary shot of fish soup or chicken soup to relax you while you read your menu options. At a recent poolside birthday party I attended here on Long Island, a server carried round trays of long elegant shot glasses of tomato gazpacho as part of the hors d’oeuvres and they were delicious starters. This watermelon gazpacho is a sweeter version of the same idea. It is gorgeous in its summer pinkness, accented by green mint or lime. My book club friends liked it a lot, as did my colleagues the following day when I tried it out on them.


However, I can’t help feeling like it needs something zingy to really complete it. I didn’t want to blend a spicy element in; I feel that is needs more side-by-side contrast. One suggestion was a drizzle of seasoned chile oil, so I have included that option here. It may be as simple as a pretty curl of green chile pepper or a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes and I will try that soon too. The original recipe, from Vegetarian Times, calls for verjus rather than vinegar, but I didn’t have any, so perhaps that is the missing element?

So, even as this recipe gives a truly lovely result in its current incarnation, and I encourage you to give it a try, I am asking your help in making it perfect. Let me know before the watermelon season is over!

Tips on selecting watermelons below.

Watermelon Gazpacho

2 lbs watermelon flesh, rind and seeds removed and chopped (approximately 6 cups)*

1 clove garlic, peeled

¼ medium red onion, peeled and chopped (about 1/4 cup)

½ medium cucumber, peeled and seeded (about ½ cup)

¼ medium red bell pepper, chopped (about ¼ cup)

1 inch thick slice day-old bread, any real hard crust removed

2 Tbs red wine vinegar (you may want to add more to your taste; do it 1 Tbs at a time)

2 Tbs fresh lime juice

Kosher or sea salt to taste

2-4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

(optional: hot pepper/chile oil for drizzling; hot pepper flakes for sprinkling?)

Mint leaves for garnish

In the food processor or blender, add all ingredients except olive oil, salt and mint. Puree until smooth (or relatively smooth; I like the tiniest bit of chunkiness myself). Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil (about 2 Tbs) and season with salt. Serve cold, garnished with mint and drizzled or sprinkled with something spicy.

*The sweeter the watermelon, the sweeter the gazpacho. To buy a perfect whole watermelon, look for an even shape that would indicate even ripening. You DO want there to be a yellow mark somewhere on the green rind; that yellowed spot indicates the place the watermelon sat, getting field-ripened and sweet, instead of being picked too early to develop. Then listen to the fruit. A couple of raps on it with your knuckle should produce a hollow knock, not a dull thick thud.

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Vice Pops – frosty treats with a splash of mischief

12 Aug

Put together a few grown-up friends with a flair for flavor exploration during a sizzling hot summer and you have a recipe for mischief-making in the kitchen. That’s how “Vice Pops” were born.  What could be cooler than an ice pop or more relaxing than a summer cocktail? And what could make more sense than putting them together in one handy frozen lolly?

This experiment came with its challenges. Too much booze and the pops won’t freeze. Too little and…well, what’s the point?  Ashley, Maryanne and I put our heads, taste buds and (pathetic) math skills together to figure out the right flavors and proportions. We also had to strategize. It takes up to eight hours for alcohol-laced pops to freeze. When would we test drive them?  We sorted it out and took advantage of a get-together with friends two days later to get feedback.

And the feedback was terrific. “The espresso pop gets three thumbs up,” said Cara. It also had to be consumed the most quickly; it didn’t freeze hard and has great potential as a slushy.

The cilantro mojito reminded Jainy of cilantro water drunk in India to keep cool.  It was probably my favorite, as I like tart much more than sweet and I think they are the coolest looking.

The orange mango (which had the least alcohol) froze the most solidly. Me being me, I’d add a dash of lemon or bitters the next time for more complexity. And we all liked the passion fruit; nothing could be more tropical. We did notice that for some reason the alcohol in the passion pops really concentrated on the bottom. And…if you like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain….(had to do it, sorry), you will really like the coco loco!

You will see that the basic proportions for freezing are 1.5 cups of juice to 5 Tbs alcohol (except for the mango-orange). So there really isn’t a lot of alcohol in there; just enough to take the edge off, as it were. I hope to have time to try some more variations; once my mint grows back from the scalping I gave it recently, mojitos will be on the frozen menu. That brings caipirinhas to mind as well. I am also interested in how berry syrups will work.

The other lesson learned from this experience: if you are going to serve pretty frozen pops at a party, make sure you have a few nonalcoholic ones for the kids! We didn’t and the kids were very keen to get their hands on the vice pops. Teetotallers will appreciate an alcohol-free pop too…

Vice Pops

(stir ingredients together and pour into pop molds. If you don’t have pop molds, use ice cube trays, cover with foil and poke toothpicks through the foil for little handles. Freeze for eight hours)

“Oh-wow!” (Mango-orange with rum)

¼ cup orange rum

3.5 cups orange-mango juice

“Passion Pop” (Passionfruit and rum)

1.5 cups passionfruit cocktail

5 Tbs white rum

“Coco Loco” (Ashley asks if this name is lame. I think so, but I leave it up to you, dear reader. Pineapple with rum)

1.5 cups pineapple juice

5 Tbs coconut rum

“Java Rocket”(coffee and chocolate)

5 Tbs Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka

2 Tbs Hersey’s Chocolate Syrup

4 oz whole milk

“Cilantrojito” (cilantro and lime)

1/8 cup (1 oz) white rum

¼ cup lime juice

1 cup water

1 tbs cilantro leaves, slightly crushed

2 tsp agave

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Natalia’s Refrigerator Pickles (prep in 30 minutes, eat in 24 hours)

11 Aug

 

 

Refrigerator pickles are kind of like entry-level preserving for those of us who aspire to be like Martha Stewart, but don’t have the time, patience or domestic staff.

I started making them last year with a bumper crop of CSA pickles and zucchini and had so much fun, instant gratification and praise that I have kept going. I actually entered them in the Long Island Fair last fall, but the jar cracked and put me out of the running (wardrobe malfunction of the foodista variety). I will try again next year (so don’t even think about trying to enter this recipe on your own!).

These are a really popular item at BBQs and nice hostess gifts for wherever you are going to have dinner. By all means play around with the ingredients; I think turmeric is crucial, but leave it out for a more pure dill flavor.

And really, they don’t take more than 30 minutes to get in the jars if you arrange your ingredients ahead of time. Use labels to keep track of ingredients and Best By date (they keep about 3 months in the fridge).

Natalia’s Refrigerator Pickles

2 lbs medium Kirby cucumbers, sliced (I prefer spears, but you can also do rounds. Zucchini can also be substituted. Do not eliminate turmeric if using zucchini)

1 medium onion, sliced thin

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (1.5 cloves per jar)

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp whole mustard seed

1 tsp turmeric (This stuff stains! Careful!)

Several sprigs fresh dill weed

4 whole dried bay leaves (1 per jar)

1 1/3 cups brown sugar

13 TBS distilled white vinegar (approx ¾ Cup)

13 TBS white wine vinegar (approx ¾ Cup)

1.5 Cups water

  1. Divide cucumber and dry ingredients (except sugar) evenly between four quart jars with lids.
  2. Stir together brown sugar, vinegars and water.
  3. Pour vinegar mixture into the jars, screw on lids and shake well to combine. (Don’t worry if there doesn’t seem to be enough liquid to cover. The contents shrink after a day)
  4. Cover and chill. You can start eating them after 24 hours and they will keep up to three months in the fridge. Eat the onions too!

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Cool Off with Cold Chicken Chinois

10 Aug

The hot weather begs for cold chicken that you can really get your hands into.

This is yet another New York Times-inspired recipe for which I happened to have some — but not all – of the ingredients on hand so I had to adapt. I very much liked the Asian inflections in the chicken, but what I noticed most was how moist and tender the chicken stayed and how well it absorbed the flavors with the long, slow simmer. I will be trying the same technique with different seasonings in the cooking liquid in the very near future. In the meantime, do try the wrap idea at the bottom; we took it to the pool for a light evening meal and it was just the thing.

I simmered this one at night when the temperature had dropped, since it was going into the fridge for the next day anyway! Link to the original NYT article at the bottom!

Chilly Chicken Chinois

(factor in overnight refrigeration)

1 lb. boneless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

1 two-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thick

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1 star anise

2 scallions

Season the thighs generously with salt and pepper. Place in a heavy pot and add enough cold water to cover. Add the ginger, garlic, star anise and scallions. Bring to a gentle boil, scooping out any foam. Turn heat to very low, cover and simmer ever so gently for an hour.

Transfer the thighs to a bowl to cool. Skim the fat off the surface of the remaining liquid. Reduce the liquid by half over high heat (5-10 minutes), then strain it over the thighs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Serving suggestions: Sprinkle with cilantro, slivered scallions and sesame oil. Or….

Quick chicken wrap ideas

Spread a wrap or your choice with mayonnaise. Add cucumber, sliced lengthwise, pieces of chicken, slivered scallions and cilantro. Add a sprinkle of lime/sesame oil and a drizzling of Asian Stir Fry Sauce https://hotcheapeasy.wordpress.com/?s=asian+stir+fry+sauce roll up and serve.

You can do the same by substituting hummus and roasted vegetables for the mayo, stir-fry sauce and cucumber.

Article from nytimes.com which inspired this dish. You will note David Tanis recommends free-range birds; I used organic thighs from Costco with very good result.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/dining/chicken-simmered-and-chilled-city-kitchen.html?_r=1&ref=citykitchen

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Chickpea and Tahini Salad

8 Aug

Regular readers know my love for chickpeas. I love my Gingery Marinated Chickpeas (Greta Garbanzo https://hotcheapeasy.wordpress.com/?s=greta+garbanzo&submit=Search,) but decided it was time to freshen up my outlook.

Thus, this Chickpea and Tahini salad…perfect to accompany summer BBQ or Mediterranean buffet, an excellent side dish to just about anything, and best of all, easy! I made this a few hours ahead, and the little bit that remained made for great leftover snack lunch!

Chickpea and Tahini Salad

2 29 oz cans of garbanzos/chick peas/ceci, rinsed and drained

½ red onion, sliced thin

2 ripe tomatoes, seeds and gel removed and chopped

1 Tbs cilantro leaves (can go to two if you like) chopped fine

1 Tbs mint leaves (can add another Tbs if desired) chopped fine

4 Tbs tahini

4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced super-fine

4-6 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs water

Salt to taste

Place chickpeas, onion, tomato, cilantro and mint in a bowl

In a separate bowl, whisk tahini, garlic, lemon juice and water until blended

Toss dressing in salad. Salt to taste.

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Macaroni and cheese with style (yes, you can make a roux) and spinach

6 Aug

The perceptive examiner of the picture in this post will probably agree that I did not choose an auspicious time to tart-up a macaroni and cheese dinner. I should’ve reached for a box of Annie’s Organic (and believe me, as much as I believe in a home-cooked meal, I reach for the Annie’s with great frequency in stressed times) rather than set out to make a white sauce while my over-tired, over-heated, under-snacked and therefore unpredictable pre-K maniac was in the room. If you decide that I am actually the maniac for trying it, well, I won’t argue.

A proper white sauce is creamy and smooth and tonight’s, while creamy, was not quite as smooth as normal. But I decided to post anyway, because I want to convince you that making a roux isn’t so hard. If I could do it passably well under this evening’s circumstances, imagine what you can do with better timing and fewer interruptions. And to those who get too critical, I say most of the lumpiness in the picture is due to the cheese, which I do not allow to cook much at all, since I don’t want it to get hard or stringy!

A roux is a mix of fat and starch and it adds thickness to dishes. The idea is to get the fat to activate the starch in your flour without burning it. It is the binder for a rich gravy, a thick gumbo, and unctuous macaroni and cheese. This one is blonde – which means it is not colored, so it requires little precision. All you have to do to make this happen is watch your temperature and keep stirring. I mean it.

For more background on roux try Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roux

To make your own, try this!

Creamy, cheesy and easy

Macaroni and cheese with style and speed (and spinach)

½ box pasta of your choice, 6-8 oz (we prefer small shells for this)

1 Cup frozen cut or chopped spinach

2 Tbs butter (salted is fine)

4 tsp all-purpose flour

¾ Cup whole milk

½ Cup grated grana padano or parmigiano reggiano or other cheese of your preference, grated fine for even melting

Salt to taste and additional grated cheese to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions, adding frozen spinach 4-5 minutes before pasta is ready. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime, melt 1 Tbs butter in a heavy skillet at low heat (save 2nd Tbs for later in the recipe). When any foaming subsides, stir in flour 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring frequently until each teaspoon of flour is completely blended in. Then continue stirring while mix (roux) thickens into a paste. Continue cooking at least five minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning or coloring (you need this cook time to get the floury taste out).

Add milk and raise heat to medium and stir frequently until liquid becomes thick and creamy. Stir in cheese, stir just enough to mix and then add pasta and spinach mixture and reserved butter. Mix thoroughly and salt to taste. Serve with additional grated cheese.

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Slow-Roasted Grape Tomatoes (For pasta, bruschetta or sandwiches)

3 Aug

Here is more to do with those gorgeous tiny tomatoes that are so abundant and sweet at this time of year!

I’ll give you the link for the original recipe which I didn’t have time to do completely. I saw it in The New York Times recently, but didn’t have time nor basil to prepare the special oil, so I modified to suit what I had at home, basically eliminating a step and that’s the recipe you’ll find below. Here’s the original  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/health/nutrition/26recipehealth.html

My version is lovely summer fare – bright and sweet and yet with depth. It also requires very little work and I did it successfully in the toaster oven, limiting the heat index in my kitchen! You can serve it on crusty bread or over pasta, but I popped a fair few into my mouth just as they were….
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Italian Seasoning

1 pint grape/cherry/Sun Gold tomatoes

1 pinch salt

1 pinch sugar

2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1-2 Tbs Italian herbs/Provencal herbs

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line an oven dish with aluminum foil and spread tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with sugar and salt, then coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with herbs and roast for about 30 minutes, so that tomato skins are crinkling and splitting, but not fallen apart. Cool and serve on garlicky toast as bruschetta, as sandwich spread or mixed into hot pasta.

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