Lemon Marinated Fried Chicken

A while back we stopped at a little country restaurant sitting just off the interstate after visiting our favorite outdoor flea market.  My husband is a big fan of traditional country cooking, or cookin', and decided on the fried chicken after it was recommended by other diners. 

After a couple of minutes of not only watching, but listening, to him devouring his chicken I asked him if they needed to get a room.  He looked up, still holding a chicken leg and asked what me what I was talking about.   I responded he may want some privacy since he was making out with his chicken.  And the phrase 'make out chicken' became not only an inside joke, but a standard on which he would judge all other chicken.

Fried chicken is not something I make very often.  I've found that it's difficult to get right and it's also pretty hard to beat the KFC that's right down the street.  I spotted this recipe for brining the chicken first and decided it was worth a shot.  Just after picking up the ingredients, Ina Garten featured Thomas Keller's fried chicken on her show and the technique, and most of the ingredients were the same so it seemed like the universe was encouraging me to do this.

If you haven't brined meat before I encourage you to do so.  Pork chops, turkeys, and now chickens have all marinated in a brine bath in my fridge and the results are always pretty much awesome.  Something about the brine helps flavor the meat while keeping it juicy.  It takes a little time, but is easy and pretty much fool-proof.

So how did Lemon Marinated Fried Chicken measure up against make out chicken?  I don't think there was any contest.  Both my husband and daughter said it was the best fried chicken they had ever had.  The breading was perfectly crisp and the chicken was moist, tender, and full of flavor.  Move over make out chicken - there's a new bird in town!


Lemon Marinated Fried Chicken
slightly adapted from Taste of the South, January/February 2013

1 (5-pound) whole fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces

Brine
4 cups water
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
6 lemons, halved
6 cloves garlic, smashed
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme
4 cups ice

Breading
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs

Peanut, canola, or vegetable oil for frying

1.  If chicken breasts are large, cut them in half.  In a large pot, combine 4 cups water, salt, sugar, lemons, garlic, bay leaves, pepper, and thyme for brine.  Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.  Add ice, and let cool completely.

2.  Add chicken pieces to brine, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  Remove chicken from brine, and pat dry with paper towels.

3.  Preheat oven to 350°.

4.  In a large shallow dish, stir together flour, garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper for breading.  In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs.

5.  Heat a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat.  Fill about halfway with peanut oil; heat to 360° on a deep-frying thermometer.

6.  Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, then dip in buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture again.  Coat and fry larger pieces first so they can continue to cook in the oven.  Lower chicken into oil, and fry in batches until brown and crisp, approximately 6 minutes.  Transfer to a baking sheet with a cooling rack set over it, and place in the oven to continue cooking.  Chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of breasts registers 165°, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.  

Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Cobbler aka The BEST Chicken Pot Pie Ever

I'm struggling on where to start on describing how good this Roasted Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler is.  Think of the best chicken pot pie you've ever tasted and imagine it ten times more delicious.  No exaggeration.  It's that good.  Which is why I'm renaming it the Best Chicken Pot Pie Ever.

Rich and creamy, it is comfort food taken to a new decadent, yet still completely comfortable, level.  The first thing you taste is the buttery, slightly crispy around the edges, light, and fluffy biscuit topping.  Cloud-like in texture, yet sturdy enough to stand up to the filling.  The filling is creamy and flavorful and satisfying.  Not gloppy or bland like a lot of pot pie fillings tend to be.  

Don't let the recipe scare you off.  There are several steps, but each is easy and the whole thing takes about an hour or so.  I've included some changes in the Cook's Notes that I plan to make the next time I make it to reduce the steps and prep time.  I've also included some suggestions to reduce the overall calories since this is not a dish for those on a diet.  Life is about balance and that includes the occasional splurge.  If you are having one of those days or need something extra special, make it as written. Just make it!

The whole thing is just fabulous.  This is my new go to recipe for chicken pot pie.

Cook's Notes:  I've included the recipe pretty much straight from the cookbook below but plan on making the following changes next time to lighten it up a bit and to reduce the prep time.  Use 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to saute the onions.  Substitute half and half for the heavy cream.  Use a package of frozen mixed corn, peas, and carrots instead of fresh carrots and separate bags of frozen veggies to save time.  This should also eliminate the need to simmer the chicken stock for 15 minutes.  Feel free to omit or sub seasonings as needed.  I used a pinch of fennel seed instead of fennel pollen and it worked fine.  

Another way to reduce the calories and fat is by halving the topping recipe.  You would still have a delicious layer of topping just not quite as thick.

Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Cobbler
slightly adapted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, Cheryl Day & Griffin Day

For the Filling:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 peeled carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 celery ribs, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
5 cups store-bought roasted chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
One 8-ounce package frozen pearl onions, thawed
1 teaspoon fennel pollen
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the Topping:
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, but into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, plus more for brushing the tops

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°.  Butter a 9 x 13 x 2" baking dish.

To make the filling:  Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper, lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Stir in the cream, raise the heat to medium, and cook, covered, until all the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the flour in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. 

When the vegetables are tender, lower the heat and whisk the flour paste bit by bit into the broth until combined.  Add the roasted chicken, peas, corn, pearl onions, fennel pollen thyme, sage, cayenne, and nutmeg, cover the pot, and let the filling simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk until completely incorporated.  Add the butter and, working quickly, cut it in with a pastry blender.  You should have various-sized pieces of butter, from sandy patches to pea-sized chunks, and some larger bits as well.  Gradually pour in the buttermilk and gently fold the ingredients until you have a soft dough and there are no bits of flour in the bottom of the bowl.  You should still see lumps of butter in the dough.  If the dough seems dry, you may need to add a little more buttermilk.  The dough should be moist and slightly sticky.

Transfer the filling to the prepared baking dish.  Arrange the unbaked topping over the filling, leaving about 1/5 inch between them.  (I used a large ice scream scoop but you could roll the dough out and cut it into pieces if you prefer.)  Brush the topping with the remaining buttermilk and bake for 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.  

Chicken Apple Meatloaf with Tarragon Tomato Gravy

Boy, meatloaf is a tough subject to photograph.  I fix a lot of meatloaf around here, using tried and true faves and trying new twists on what has to be one of the ultimate comfort foods.  But I never post about any of them because that which is often drool worthy in person, just doesn't translate in photos.  Let's face it - meatloaves are often damn fugly.  I'm making an exception here because Chicken Apple Meatloaf is just different enough to be interesting and it was really, really delicious.  

The meatloaf itself is pretty basic, ground meat, onions, celery, bread crumbs and a few seasonings.  Ground chicken is a bit of twist but nothing too drastic.  It gets interesting with the addition of dried apples, an ingredient I've never used but am kind of in love with.  Diced bits of the apples add a subtle sweetness to the mixture that places against the generous pinch of cayenne I added in place of poblano peppers.  

The recipe calls for an ingredient I've not only used, but never heard of before - Pickapeppa Sauce.  Fun to say but not so easy to find.  The header says it is a Jamaican sauce made from mango, tamarind, tomatoes, and spices and can be found at my local grocery.   My local grocery doesn't stock Pickapeppa Sauce in it's international foods aisle and I didn't feel the need to track it down.  With Pickapeppa Sauce now on my radar, I will be keeping an eye out for it.  The Pickapeppa Sauce coats the meatloaf before it is placed in the oven and I simply substituted good ol' ketchup.  

On to the tarragon tomato gravy.  Another first for me was making demi-glace, a brown sauce that serves as the base for other sauces.  A little research has educated me that what I made is not truly a demi-glace but a shortcut version which is fine with me.  It does serve as the base for the tomato gravy which is pretty much little more than the demi-glace, tomatoes, tarragon, salt, and pepper.  I added a smidgen of sugar to counteract some of the acidity in the tomatoes and on first taste wasn't impressed with the gravy.  A few bites later and I was a convert.  It is perfect with the meatloaf and is an example of two recipes elevating one another.

A big hit around here, this will be a regular around here.  I have some demi-glace in the freezer but think that you could easily just use beef stock which would make this recipe easy and delicious!

Chicken Apple Meatloaf with Tarragon Tomato Gravy
adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe, Elizabeth Sims with Chef Brian Sonoskus

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup diced celery 
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup diced dried apples (about 4 ounces dried apples)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Pickapeppa Sauce, or ketchup
Tarragon Tomato Gravy (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Saute the celery and onion for about 5 minutes, or just until tender.  In a bowl, combine the chicken, egg, bread crumbs, apples, sauteed vegetables, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Form the mixture into a loaf shape on the foiled lined baking sheet.  Cover the top of the meatloaf with the Pickapeppa Sauce or ketchup and bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until browned on top with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.  

Serve with the warm gravy.

Tarragon Tomato Gravy

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cup demi-glace (recipe follows) or beef stock
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a heavy saucepan, combine the tarragon, demi-glace or beef stock, tomatoes, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat and immediately reduce the heat to low to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.  Add the pepper the last minute of cooking time.  Serve immediately.  

Demi-Glace

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste

In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the vegetables.  Cook on high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, or until caramelized.  Add 1 cup dry red wine and cook uncovered over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by one-half.  Add 4 cups beef stock and 2 tablespoons tomato paste.  Stir together well, decrease the heat to medium, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until reduced by one-quarter.

Cool and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.  Can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps

Simple recipe.  Simple post.

Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps are included in the 30 Minute Supper section of the current issue of Cook's Country.  Fifteen minute supper was more like it!  

Simply whip up a caesar dressing, toss some romaine in it, chop up some rotisserie chicken, and wrap it all up in a tortilla.  I added some leftover bacon, because let's face it, I always add bacon.  Wrapping the wraps was the most difficult part and that wasn't hard after I channeled my inner Chipotle burrito maker.  My tips - tuck in the sides first, tightly tuck in the stuffing, roll and then use a tiny bit of dressing on the edges to keep them sealed.

I loved these wraps and can see this being a regular around here.  

Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
Cook's Country, June/July 2012

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (2 1/2 pound) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat shredded into bite-size pieces (3 cups)
1 romaine lettuce heart (6 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Whisk mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, and garlic together until combined.  Whisk in oil slowly until thoroughly incorporated.

Toss chicken with half of dressing and toss romaine with remaining dressing.  Lay tortillas on counter.  Divide chicken equally among tortillas.  Top chicken on each tortilla with 1 cup dressed lettuce mixture and roll into wraps.  Serve.

How to Make Chicken Stock From a Rotisserie Chicken

I love rotisserie chickens.  Their convenience and versatility make them irresistible to me.  I love to cut up the meat and use it in chicken salads, soups, and pot pies.  More often than not, I leave behind more than I use.  I've always felt bad about spending so much on a convenience item, using only a little bit and then tossing it out.  I knew there had to be a way to squeeze out some more use from these little birds.

Enter chicken stock.  I've watched my beloved Ina Garten extol the virtues of homemade chicken stock for years, but her version is certainly not economical (3 chickens!!!).  After finding a recipe to make chicken stock from a rotisserie chicken from Soup Chick I was ready to go.  

This is so easy.  I can't believe I waited so long to do this.

Toss your used up bird, some veggies, herbs, and some peppercorns in a large stockpot or Dutch Oven.  You don't have to peel the onion, but probably should remove the sticker.

Cover with some water and bring to a boil.

At this point I decided to add in a bunch of fresh parsley since I had it.  Pretend like I added in Step 1.  Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for an hour and a half. 

The chicken, veggies, and herbs will have released all of their loveliness and you will be left with a pot full of concentrated flavor.

Let cool slightly.  Remove the chicken, vegetables, and herbs with tongs.   Discard.

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer.

Pour into containers.  Refrigerate or freeze.

Chicken Stock
adapted from Soup Chick

1 Rotisserie Chicken carcass (with remaining meat and skin)
1 medium onion, not peeled, cut in half
1 carrot, cut in half
1 celery stalk, cut in half
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
small bunch of parsley
12 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in large stockpot or Dutch oven (4-5 quart capacity).  Add 2 quarts of water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 1 hour 30 minutes.  

Let cool slightly.  Remove chicken pieces and large pieces of vegetables.  Discard.  Pour stock through a fine-mesh strainer into container(s).  Refrigerate, or, if not planning on using within 3 days, store in freezer.

When ready to use, skim fat from top of stock.  

Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

With a package of ground chicken staring at me every time I opened the refrigerator, I set out to do something with it.  I've made a variety of burgers using ground chicken in the past but find they are always a little bland and dry.  It was a cold, rainy Saturday and soup seemed just the thing.  Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup.

Smitten Kitchen is responsible for introducing me to food blogs and therefore directly to credit (or blame) for my addiction to the genre and to starting my own blog.  Deb's photography and writing continue to inspire me so when I went looking for a chicken meatball recipe, hers was the one I used.  

These meatballs were delicious.  I rolled 'em up really small for the soup and made a few larger ones for tasting.  A panade is the secret to keeping them moist.  Panade is a fancy word for a completely unfancy mixture of bread and milk.  Ham adds a big hit of flavor here.  I would have preferred pancetta, but the Canadian bacon I had worked just fine.  One of the things I loved about this recipe was being able to use of bits and pieces of leftovers (hamburger buns, Canadian bacon from a Christmas gift basket, a couple of shallots).   Perfect to help me waste less food.  Don't skip over the tomato paste/olive oil topping.  It was my favorite part and added extra moisture and flavor.  

The soup was basic and the perfect backdrop for the meatballs.  A lovely, slightly different soup that we all enjoyed immensely.  

What was the first food blog that made you swoon?

Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

Chicken Meatballs
Smitten Kitchen (originally adapted from Gourmet)

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits, 1 cup (I used leftover hamburger buns)
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta or Canadian bacon, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped (I used 2 shallots)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided
3 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with a rack positioned in the upper third of the oven.  

Soak bread in milk until softened, about 4 minutes.

Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper in a large skillet until onion is softened, about 6 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Squeeze bread to remove milk.  Discard milk.  Lightly beat egg in a large bowl and add chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, and parsley.  Mix together until all ingredients are well combined.  Form into meatballs and place on baking sheet.  Note:  If making meatballs for soup, make small balls, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter.  

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon tomato paste.  Brush mixture over meatballs.  Bake until cooked through, about 15 - 20 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 thyme sprigs
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup egg noodles
salt and pepper
Chicken meatballs

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent and softened, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until it become fragrant, about 30 seconds.  

Add thyme and chicken stock and cook over medium-low heat until carrots are almost tender, about 15 minutes.  Add egg noodles and cook until they are done.  Remove thyme stems.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add meatballs (6-8 if you are using small meatballs) to bowl.  Ladle chicken noodle soup over and serve.

FFWD - M. Jaques Armagnac Chicken

M. Jacques Armagnac Chicken is the perfect dish to represent the the intent and beauty of Around My French Table; food that pairs the elegance and technique of French cooking with the comfort and warmth we enjoy sharing food with those that we love the most.

This is as simple as throwing a chicken into a pot with some vegetables and wine, slapping a lid on and then letting it cook for an hour.  In re-reading the last sentence, the visual I paint is of one rushed/possibly angry cook.  A self-portrait, perhaps?  Dorie would have written something like: A well-seasoned bird is lovingly nestled on a bed of vegetables that have been gently tossed in oil and kissed with herbs.  Cover the pot with a lid and place in a piping hot oven for an hour while the flavors marry and mingle.  Oh-so-carefully remove the lid and stare in wonder at the terra cotta color of the chicken as you breathe in the lovely aroma from the sauce that was magically created.

Please, please know that I'm not making fun of Dorie.  Nor do I think I could write as beautifully as she does.  Her incredible ability to write recipes that give the reader the feeling that she is standing there beside them is why she is my absolute favorite cookbook author.

The wine here is armagnac but I wasn't willing to shell out $$$ for a bottle of booze that I may never use again and used Dorie's option of brandy.  I don't particularly like prunes, but wanted to try using some here.  As luck would have it, earlier in the week a co-worker was walking around offering up individually wrapped prunes as a snack (so many jokes there but I'm going to leave it). I took four and used them here.  They didn't melt into the sauce as Dorie said they may, but they did impart some sweetness.

My chicken didn't brown up as well as I had expected but was tender and juicy.  I have a terrible time skimming fat (again, using incredible self control to leave the obvious jokes alone) and just left it in.  The vegetables and the sauce were the best parts of dish.  Perfectly cooked, the veggies were super flavorful, especially when scooted around in the sauce.

Easy, elegant, and French.  Like I said, the poster child for Around My French Table and Dorie herself.  You can find the recipe here.

To see the lovely creations prepared by rest of our group, visit French Fridays with Dorie.

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

One of the things I love most about traveling is gathering inspiration to cook after trying new foods. Back to back trips recently to San Francisco and the Caribbean provided plenty of inspiration but little time to cook. I've been too busy to even blog about two wonderful events I attended with the Kentucky Food Bloggers Group but hope to feature recipes inspired by that weekend soon.

As much as I love to travel, I miss cooking while I'm away. I miss my kitchen. I miss putting food in front of my family that I prepared. So I've been super anxious to get back to it, but you guessed it, haven't had time!

This recipe for Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken was a perfect dish to transition me from the luxury and indulgence of vacation dining to the everyday, stick-to-your-ribs kind of cooking I typical do. Tender, sticky, sweet, slightly smokey/spicy barbecue chicken was just what we needed on a blustery, busy weekday. A great use of your crockpot if there every was one!

Linking to:

Tastetastic Thursday

Crockpot BBQ Beer Chicken

How Sweet It Is

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 large breasts)

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces beer

32 ounces barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Season chicken with onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Add beer and 24 ounces of barbecue sauce.

Cook on low for 8 hours, tossing once or twice if desired. After 8 hours, shred and add remaining barbecue sauce. Serve as desired.

Chicken Apple Sausage and White Bean Soup

I love chicken apple sausage but have a hard time coming up with ways to cook with it. I'm pretty sure I've attempted to use slices of it in soup before but the results must have been lackluster at best since I can't remember for sure. Or, I had a deja-vu moment.

Anyway, I know for sure that I made this soup recently and that it was quite tasty. Sweet chicken apple sausage is added to a basic soup mixture that includes a mixture of veggies and cannellini beans. You could certainly throw in some spinach or kale to make it more hearty and Italian but I loved it as is.

I encourage you to try this soup and let me what you think!

Linking to:

Mouthwatering Mondays

Chicken Apple Sausage and White Bean Soup

1 12 ounce package chicken apple sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (15.8 ounces each)

2 cans chicken stock (14 ounces each)

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Slice sausage links in half and then slice thinly. Add olive oil to Dutch oven and cook sausage over medium-high heat until sausage is slightly browned and has rendered some of its fat. Remove from pan with slotted spoon, place in bowl and set aside.

Add butter to pan and let melt. Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 7-9 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute or two making sure to scrap up fond from bottom of pan. Add beans, chicken stock, red pepper flakes, and thyme. Simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add sausage and cook for another ten minutes. Remove sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Cookbook Review - Modern Hospitality & 3 Recipes

I am a sucker for any cooking show and faithfully watched the first season of MasterChef. Whitney Miller was my favorite from the beginning because her food looked good and she was always a good competitor.

The second season of the show didn't hold my interest but I was excited to check out Whitney's cookbook. Based on her performance on the show and the good reviews on Amazon, I bought the book sight unseen.

The book itself is lovely with a feminine, vintage feel and lots of beautifully styled photos. The recipes are Southern and, for the most part, simple. My initial reaction was that some of the recipes are too simple; a recipe for scrambled eggs that calls for only eggs, salt and pepper? However, this recipe focused on the technique and since it is the same one that I use and I am famous for my scrambled eggs, I decided it was a worthy inclusion.

After making three of the recipes and pursuing several others, I think a few more details could have been included in spots. For example, the recipe for Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Blondies didn't indicate whether the mixture should be mixed by hand or with an electric mixer. I mixed it by hand and it was fine, but think an electric mixer would have resulted in a more consistent end product.

All of the recipes are true to Southern ingredients and flavor profiles but with a nod to making them slightly healthier and more modern. She also takes some non-Southern dishes and uses ingredients indigenous to this region of the country to put her own spin on them such as Butter Bean Hummus and Turnip Green Pesto.

I tried the Buttermilk Pan-Fried Chicken, Cauliflower Mac N'Cheese, and Sweet Potato Butter Blondies and would make all three again with some minor tweaks. The Buttermilk Pan-Fried Chicken was good, but nothing extraordinary. While I appreciated her technique of pan frying the chicken to get a crisp coating, I felt it lost some of that once finished in the oven. I also think this dish needed a bit more seasoning.

Cauliflower Mac N'Cheese is sure to be a hit with kids and an awesome way to incorporate an underused and unappreciated vegetable in their diet. My daughter thought that there was cauliflower and macaroni in the dish based on the name but loved it even without her beloved pasta. I would probably reduce the amount of milk in the dish for a slightly thicker sauce, but this was pretty awesome as is.

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Blondies are another clever recipe featuring a hidden healthy veggie in the mix. I loved these bars and can see this being a go to recipe when I want to a quick sweet treat. Instructions or suggestions on how to cook the sweet potato would have been a nice addition. I cooked mine in the microwave until soft and then just scooped out the flesh. These bars are a great blank slate and easily could be upped a notch with the addition of salted peanuts, chocolate chips or a simple glaze.

While probably too simplistic for advanced home cooks, Modern Hospitality is a great resource for simple, delicious Southern cooking.

Buttermilk Pan-Fried Chicken

Modern Hospitality, Whitney Miller

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Season both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the black pepper. Stir together the buttermilk and egg in a shallow dish. Combine the flour with the cayenne and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper on a plate.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture and then coat in the seasoned flour. Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and place on the baking sheet. Bake until cooked through but still juicy (about 155F on an instant-read thermometer), 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serves 3

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Blondies

Modern Hospitality, Whitney Miller

Unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed

2/3 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with unsalted butter.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in the beaten eggs, sweet potato, peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Add the flour mixture ingredients and mix well.

Spread the batter evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the blondies into squares or desired shapes.

Cauliflower Mac N' Cheese

Modern Hospitality, Whitney Miller

8 cups cauliflower florets (1 head)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp table salt

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Toss florets in oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce to 350.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in cream and cook 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and all but 2 Tbsp cheese. Stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Place cauliflower in an 8X8-in glass baking dish or 4 individual ramekins. Pour cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Blondies

Modern Hospitality, Whitney Miller

Unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup butter, melted

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cooked sweet potato, mashed

2/3 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with unsalted butter.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in the beaten eggs, sweet potato, peanut butter, vanilla, and cinnamon until combined. Add the flour mixture ingredients and mix well.

Spread the batter evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 18 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut the blondies into squares or desired shapes.

Easy Chicken Tacos

Cook's Country does it again!

These chicken tacos are delicious, quick, and easy. Their incredible flavor is the result of some unusual ingredients in a Mexican dish. Garlic and minced chipotle peppers are cooked in a tiny bit of butter. Orange juice and Worcestershire is brought to a boil and then chicken is added. The chicken is poached in this spicy sweet sauce until done. The cooked chicken is removed from the pan and rests while the sauce cooks down.

Orange juice and Worcestershire sauce are already kind of strange in tacos, but the next ingredient is even more unusual - mustard. A smidgen of mustard is whisked in and then the chicken, in its newly shredded form, is tossed in the sauce. The chicken is incredibly tender and full of flavor. Added to warmed tortillas with some sour cream, guacomole, and shredded cheese and it was one of the best tacos I've ever had.

The topping options are endless: corn, black beans, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa... I also think these would be amazing as a topping for nachos or added to soup. Amazing Mexican food in minutes? Ole!

Easy Chicken Tacos

Cook's Country, August/September 2009

12 flour tortillas (6-inch) 3 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Salt and pepper

Optional taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, diced avocado, and sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes.

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chipotle and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 cup cilantro. Bring mixture to a boil, and then add chicken. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to simmer in the covered skillet until the chicken is done (160 degrees) about 5 to 10 minutes more.Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest.

Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat and whisk in the mustard. Set the skillet aside.

Uncover the chicken and using two forks, shred it into bite-sized pieces. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro and stir until everything is well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with tortillas and desired taco toppings.

Butter Chicken

I have a confession to make.

I frequently blog about a dish just so that I will have easy access to the recipe later. I know I go on about how blogging allows me to explore new things, meet new people, blah, blah, blah. Often, it is for me and me only.

This is one of those dishes. I found this recipe for Butter Chicken a while back on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Apparently butter chicken is an Indian dish. I know very little about Indian cooking but am not drawn to it and would have probably passed on this gem if the name gave any indication of its roots. I read some squabbling about how butter chicken is made and not made and that this was not an authentic recipe.

Authentic or not, it has become one of my favorites. I have made it several times now and love it more each time. Chicken is marinated in an exotic blend of spices, garlic, and lime juice. Onions are sauteed until tender in butter (hence, butter chicken) and then the chicken is tossed in and cooked until browned. A duo of canned tomatoes and tomato sauce are added and the mixture is left to simmer for a half hour or so. Heavy cream is the final touch and adds a rich creaminess.

The forgiving nature and adaptibility of this dish is one of the reasons I love it so. I have used chicken tenders, whole and cubed, and skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs or skinned chicken would work beautifully. I have used lemon juice in place of the lime and half and half as a substitute for the cream. I always forget it that it is supposed to marinate overnight and find that an hour or two in the marinade is enough to add spice, heat, and tenderize. I plan on playing with the vegetables and try adding cauliflower, peppers, and carrots.

Flavor wise, this dish is heavenly and is why I keep coming back to it. The coriander, cardamom, and cumin add smoky depth and cayenne provides the heat. It is rich, acidic, spicy, creamy - just everything you want on one lovely plate. Basmati rice is the traditional side but I prefer lightly buttered egg noddles. A hunk of crusty bread is a must to mop up every last drop of the sauce.

Please, try this. I think you will love it as much as I do.

Note: I have copied the original recipe below, but I add a little less butter (3 tablespoons) and less cream (about 1/3 - 1/2 cup). I also reduce the cayenne to about 1/4 teaspoon and omit the cilantro based on my personal preferences.

Butter Chicken

via Tasty Kitchen - lillieknits

4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
¼ teaspoons Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cardamom
1 whole Lime, Juiced
1 whole Onion, Diced
¼ cups Butter
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 pint Whipping Cream
1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.

Brunswick Stew & a Cookbook Review - Mary Mac's Tea Room

Years ago, when my husband was my boyfriend, we went to Atlanta quite a bit. I had heard or read about Mary Mac's Tea Room and always wanted to eat there but never made it. So when I saw Mary Mac's Tea Room: 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta's Favorite Dining Room at the library I picked it up.

Mary Mac's Tea Room opened in 1945 during a time when Southern women opened restaurants and called them tea rooms as it made the business sound more respectable. Mary Mac's is the last of sixteen tea rooms that were once in Atlanta. The restaurant and menu has remained largely unchanged and it is considered a landmark in Atlanta. I love the tradition of having a jar of pencils and order forms on each table for diners to write their own orders.

This cookbook is a primer on Southern specialities and is full of dishes that are unique to this part of the country. Fried Chicken, Country Ham with Redeye Gravy, Grilled Liver and Onions, Fried Okra, Peach Cobbler Fried Green Tomatoes, Collard Greens and Pot Likker are just a few of the 125 recipes included in this cookbook. It is evident that the current owner and author, John Ferrell has taken great pains to keep the spirit and the tradition of the food alive. Full of colorful photographs and antedotes on the history of the restaurant, the book is well organized and the recipes easy to follow.

The first dish I made was one that I have heard of but never tired. Brunswick Stew is a combination of pulled pork and chicken. I wasn't sure of the combination at first but was sold after taking a bite. I further simplified this already simple dish by using prepared barbequed pork from the grocery. Use of a rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken would make it even easier. Hearty and tasty, this will be a regular in our rotation of easy weeknight meals.

I also made the Country Fried Steak and Gravy. Cubed steaks are dredged in flour and then browned. A gravy is made from the pan drippings and onions and then the mixture is finished in the oven. This was pretty good, but not the type of country fried steak I am used to or was hoping for; however, I think this could be a really good, and still authentic, dish with a few additions.

This is a great cookbook for those interested in Southern cooking. You can buy it at Amazon where it is a bargain at a little of $10 or at Mary Mac's Tea Room.

Brunswick Stew

Mary Mac's Tea Room: 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta's Favorite Dining Room, John Ferrell

Serves 4

2 cups finely chopped barbecued pulled pork

1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken

2 tablespoons salted butter (I used unsalted)

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 (5-ounce) can whole kernal can, drained (I used a 8-ounce can)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dash of hot sauce

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce (I omitted since my pork was already sauced)

Combine the pork and chicken in a bowl; set aside. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat and saute the onions until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn; cook for 5 minutes. Add the pork and chicken; reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the salt, pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and barbeque sauce to the pot. If the stew is too thick, add water to reach the desired consistency.

Chicken B'Stilla

I had never heard of Chicken B'stilla before seeing it in Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. As I read the ingredients I was surprised that that something so foreign and exotic, pretty much contained stuff I already cook with all the time. Basically it is a bunch of ingredients I know but put together in a different package.

Chicken thighs are marinated in onions and an intoxicating blend of spices and then poached in chicken stock. I never use chicken thighs. I normally don't like dark meat even though it is heralded as having more flavor. In the spirit of trying new things, I picked up a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and was pleasantly surprised at how good they are (and how much cheaper they are than chicken breasts). The aroma from the cinnamon, ginger, coriander, and saffron is unbelievable! The cooked chicken is removed from the broth and it is reduced down with a generous helping of lemon juice. Honey (currently my favorite ingredient to cook with) is whisked into some eggs and this mixture is added to the broth. The chicken is added back in, sprinkled with toasted almonds, and then placed in a blanket of buttery phyllo dough. Cinnamon and sugar finish off the pie and it is baked until the dough is golden and flaky.

This was one of the more interesting dishes I have ever made and I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did. But in reality, it's just an exotic chicken pot pie! What's not to like?

My only criticism was that there were too many almonds. This is an odd thing for my to complain about because I LOVE almonds, but the crunch was a bit off putting. My daughter enjoyed this one too!

French Fridays with Dories' rules prevent us bloggers from posting the recipe, but I found it online here.

French Country Chicken with Herbs and Honey

As promised, another recipe from my newly acquired stack of Cook's Country magazines. This one comes from their 30 Minute Supper recipe cards and has been a 30 minute supper in my house a couple of times recently. Chicken is cooked in a skillet until done. The chicken is moved to a platter to rest while artichoke hearts get a quick browning and then chicken broth, honey, and herbes de Provence are cooked until reduced, creating a sweet, herb-y glaze. Butter is added and a splash of white wine vinegar adds a hit of acid at the end.

The first time I made this I used chicken tenderloins and left out the artichoke hearts. It was super quick, easy, and delicious. The second go around, I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts and canned artichoke hearts and piled the whole thing over pasta. Still super quick, easy, and delicious. The sauce is the best part and I literally was sopping it up with my garlic bread and barely refrained from using my fingers. I think it would be delicious with pork chops too and plan on planning around with different veggies like potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and peppers.

Give this one a try!

French Country Chicken with Herbs and Honey

Cook's Country, June/July 2009

4 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breasts (about 3 pounds), halved crosswise

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (9-ounce) box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken skin side down until well browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until meat registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil.

2. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add artichokes and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes; transfer to platter with chicken. Add broth, honey, herbs, and any accumulated chicken juices to skillet and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vinegar. Pour sauce over chicken and artichokes. Serve.