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Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

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Spanish Rice

Yield: 4 to 8 Servings
Adapted from: Marion Cunningham / Epicurious

Circa 2008: There are more versions of Spanish Rice around than you can count. I do know this one is good. It is vegetable heavy compared to most and it is delicious. I have added the thyme, parsley, increased the cumin and replaced the tomato sauce with a can of diced tomatoes.
Marion Cunningham wrote: “Of course, I don’t believe this dish is Spanish at all, but rather Cajun from Louisiana. I made it quite often in the 1960s. Then — as now — in home cooking, one had to watch the cost, and rice was an inexpensive way to fill out a meal; after all, rice feeds half the world. In most American homes at the time, rice was served buttered with salt and pepper. This recipe gave rice a little style, made it a delicious “fancy” side dish to serve alongside grilled meat or chicken. If you like a little added spice, put some hot pepper sauce on the table.”

Prep: 15 Cook: 15 – 20

  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 2onions, finely chopped
  • 2bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green seeded, ribs removed, and finely chopped
  • 2ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 3cloves garlic, minced
  • 2cups long-grain white rice
  • 114-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 2cups water
  • 1½tsp salt
  • ½tsp black pepper
  • 1½tsp cumin
  • ½tsp thyme
  • ½tsp parsley


Sweat vegetables:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onions, green peppers, celery, season with salt & pepper and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring.

Add the rice and stir together to mix.

Add the cumin, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper.

Add liquids:

Drain the tomatoes into a large measuring cup and add water to the tomato liquid to total 3 cups. Carefully add the drained diced tomatoes and the liquid to the rice mixture

Cook:

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is done, stirring once or twice. Don’t overcook the rice!

Salmon en Papillote

Salmon en Papillote

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Yield: 2 Servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 1993: I don’t make this often, but I’ve been doing it for a long time. This is a delicious fish and vegetable dish and you can vary the veg for new versions. I have included a simple dish of Sliced Potatoes with Chives below. Both recipes double or triple easily. You’ll get extra practice crimping parchment.  I will get some photos together soon showing the crimping process.

  • 26-8 oz boneless skinless salmon fillets
  • 1leek
  • 2carrots
  • 1medium zucchini
  • ½lb snow pea pods
  • dry white wine
  • vegetable oil
  • salt & black pepper
  • Parchment (baking paper)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Season the salmon on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cut the base from the leeks and cut the leeks in the green white area. Discard the dark green leaves or save for stock. The remaining leeks should be about four inches long. Cut the leeks vertically in half. Separate the leaves and wash under running water to remove any grit or dirt. Re-stack the leaves and cut in half to make stacks two inches long. Julienne the leaks to form slender match sticks. All the vegetables should be cut to the same size.

Peel the carrots and cut into two inch lengths. Cut lengthwise and julienne to form match sticks the same size as the leeks.

Slice 1/8 to 1/4 inch planks from zucchini lengthwise. Julienne on the diagonal.

Remove the vein from the spine of the pea pods and trim the ends. Julienne the pea pods on a diagonal to the same width as the carrots and leaks.

Cut about a ten inch square of parchment and fold in half to make a 5 by 10 inch rectangle. Fold the open sides over to make about a half inch seam. Open the parchment again and brush a light coating of oil around the edges. This will help seal in the steam when the packages cook. For a fancier presentation, cut the paper into a ten by twenty inch rectangle, fold over to form a 10 by 10 square and cut into a heart shape. Be sure to leave one edge uncut.

In the center of one side of the parchment make a bed of the vegetables, using one quarter of each per package. Place one of the salmon portions on top of each vegetable bed. Pour a tablespoon of white wine over the salmon. Close the other side of the paper over the salmon and re-fold the packages. Fold the paper a couple of times and crimp the edges well to insure a tight seal.

Place the completed papillotes in a shallow sided baking sheet and bake for approximately fifteen minutes.

The papillotes will be very hot when taken from the over. They can be placed on individual plates and opened at the tables or opened in the kitchen and the contents placed on the plates. In either case, you might want to cut a small slit in the edge of each papillote and tip the package to let the excess liquid drain before serving.

Serve with Sliced Potatoes with Chives and a white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

Sliced Potatoes with Chives

Yield: 4 Servings
  • 4medium potatoes
  • water
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2TBS butter
  • 1TBS minced chives

Peel and slice potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place in 1 1/2 quart sauce pan. Rinse a couple of times to remove excess starch, then add enough water to the pan to cover by 1/2 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt to pan.

Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to strong simmer. Cook until tender, approximately 12 minutes.

Drain potatoes but keep in sauce pan. Add butter and chives to pan and cover for a few minutes. Carefully stir or swirl to coat and place in serving dish.

Honey Garlic Butter Salmon In Foil

Honey Garlic Butter Salmon In Foil

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Yield: 4 Servings
Cafedelites

Summer 2016: This is similar in concept to “en Papillote” preparations, but the foil is a little easier for most people to use. The honey adds a nice sweetness to complement the garlic. You could use this recipe on the grill or on a campfire.

  • ¼cup butter
  • ⅓cup honey
  • 4large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2TBS fresh lemon juice (juice of ½ a lemon)
  • 1-2½lb salmon or whole filet (reduce other ingredients by half for 1 lb.)
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • Cracked pepper, to taste (optional)
  • Lemon slices (to serve)
  • 2TBS fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking tray / sheet with a large piece of foil, big enough to fold over and seal to create a packet (or 2 long pieces of foil over lapping each other lengthways to create your salmon packet, depending on the width of you fillet).

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat. Add the honey, garlic and lemon, and whisk until the honey has melted through the butter and the mixture is well combined.

Place the salmon onto lined baking tray | sheet. Pour the butter/honey mixture over the salmon, and using a pastry brush or spoon, spread evenly over the salmon. Sprinkle with a good amount of salt (about 2 teaspoons) and cracked pepper. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon to cover and completely seal the packet closed so the butter does not leak.

Bake until cooked through (about 15-18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish and your preference of doneness). Open the foil, being careful of any escaping steam, and grill / broil under the grill / broiler for 2-3 minutes on medium heat to caramelize the top. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately with lemon slices.

Braised Halibut with Leeks and Mustard

Braised Halibut with Leeks and Mustard

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Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from ATK

Spring 2017: This was featured on an episode of America’s Test Kitchen. It looked so tasty I made the next week. I think they went for 135°F, but I prefer fish more cooked through. I’m sure I hit at least 140°F. It makes a flavorful dish.

  • 46 oz boneless, skinless halibut
  • 6TBS Butter
  • 1lb cleaned sliced Leeks, white and pale green part only, about 3 cups
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½tsp salt
  • ¾cup dry white wine
  • 1tsp lemon juice
  • 1TBS chopped parsley
  • Fish spatula/ turner is very useful to get fish out of pan


Prep:
Remove the root end of the leeks. Cut the tops of the leeks where they start to turn dark green. Save the top for stock. Split the white and pale green part of the leeks in half and slice thinly. Rinse in cold water very well.

Cook:

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add fish, skin side up and cook 3 minutes. Remove fish to plate.

Add leeks to butter with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Sauté leeks for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add wine.

Bake:

Return fish to top of leeks, skin side down. Cover and cook for 10-14 minutes until fish is 135-140°F.

Remove fish and leeks to platter, cover.

Reduce sauce 3-4 minutes, add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over fish and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

Salmon With Anchovy-Garlic Butter

Salmon With Anchovy-Garlic Butter

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Yield: 2 Servings
Adapted from NY Times

July 2016: Anchovies? No, never! This recipe convinced me that anchovies add a nice umami complexity to not just this dish, but many others. I have expanded the directions here because the original ones burn the heck out of the garlic. The extra anchovies keep just about forever if embedded in oil in the refrigerator.

  • 3TBS plus 2 TBS unsalted butter, softened
  • 4anchovy fillets, minced
  • 1fat garlic clove, minced (or 2 small ones)
  • ½tsp coarse kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2(6-8 oz) skin-on salmon fillets
  • 2TBS drained capers, patted dry
  • ½lemon
  • Fresh chopped parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl, mash together the 3 tablespoons of butter, anchovies, garlic, salt and pepper.

In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the salmon, skin side down. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat to brown the skin, spooning some pan drippings over the top of the fish as it cooks. Add half the anchovy butter mixture and the capers to the pan and transfer to the oven. Roast until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on your version of cooked through.

Remove pan from oven and add remaining anchovy butter to pan to melt. Place salmon on plates and spoon buttery pan sauce over the top. Squeeze the lemon half over the salmon and garnish with chopped parsley.

Serve with Israeli Couscous and steamed asparagus.

Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs

Oven-Fried Chicken Thighs

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Yield: 6 servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 2015: I love nice crispy chicken thighs. Great flavor and the coating is a real playground for experimenting with additional seasonings. Based on personal preference choose plain, just flour coating, egg and flour, regular bread crumbs or Panko crumbs or use a variety.

  • 6large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For non-coated:

  • flour (optional)

For coated:

  • 2eggs
  • milk
  • 1cup seasoned bread crumbs, regular or panko
  • – or –
  • additional seasoned flour


Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line a quarter sheet pan with a Silpat, foil and spray or lightly coat with oil. If using foil, be sure to spray the foil with cooking spray or put a layer of parchment on top of the foil.

For all:
Arrange the chicken thighs skin side down on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, trim off any excess skin at the edges. Note: if you’re a crispy skin fan you can skip the trimming.

Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.

Plain:
Place chicken skin side down in the prepared pan.

My Mom’s way:
Put 1/2 cup of flour in a sturdy plastic bag. Add thighs, two at a time. Shake to coat. Remove from bag, shaking off excess flour.
Place chicken skin side down in the prepared pan.

For coated:
Line up two or three bowls for a breading station. In the first place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup flour, season with generous pinch of salt and pepper.

In the second beat the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and mix in about 1/2 cup milk.

Option1:

Re-dip the chicken in the flour a second time.

Place chicken skin side down in the prepared pan.

Option2:

In the third bowl or bag, add the bread crumbs and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

One at a time, dredge the thighs in the flour to coat completely. Shake or tap to remove excess.

Coat the floured chicken in the egg mixture, turning to coat completely. Drain excess.

Dip the chicken in the bread crumbs turning to coat generously or re-dredge the chicken in the flour.

Place chicken skin side down in the prepared pan.

Bake:

Bake for 30 minutes, remove and turn chicken over.

While the chicken is baking, make mashed potatoes or rice pilaf and you choice of green vegetable.

Bake for 20-30 minutes more until crispy and temperature is at least 190°F. Sounds high, but you want dark meat cooked through. It also breaks down the collagen, making the chicken tender.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve with:
Starch: Mashed Potatoes, Rice, Pasta.
Veg: Any

Special Seasoning

Yield: 1 lb Seasoning Mix
  • 4tbs white pepper
  • 4tbs black pepper
  • 3tsp garlic salt
  • 3½tbs sage
  • 1tbs coriander
  • 4tsp ground ginger
  • 1tbs plus 1 tsp cayenne
  • 2tsp clove
  • 2tsp allspice
  • 2tsp savory
  • 1tsp marjoram
  • 1tsp thyme
  • 1¼cups table salt

Add 2 TBS special seasoning mix to 1 cup AP flour.

Use this after the egg dip. Re-dip in egg and special seasoning for an extra thick coating.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

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Yield: 4 Servings
j. Kenji Lopez / Serious Eats

Summer 2017: Butterflied (spatchcocked) birds cook a lot faster than regular ones. The two zone cooking keeps the chicken moist and prevents the skin from burning. I’ve also made this with herbes de Provence seasoning added. It’s great either way.

  • 1(3½ to 6 lb) whole chicken, giblets saved for stock
  • Salt and pepper

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board, breast sidedown. Using sharp kitchen shears, remove backbone by cutting along either side of it.  Make sure to add the backbone to your stock bag in the freezer.  Turn chicken over and lay out flat. Press firmly on breast to flatten chicken. For added stability, run a metal or wooden skewer through chicken horizontally, entering through one thigh, going through both breast halves, and exiting through other thigh. Tuck wing tips behind back. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill, with legs facing toward hotter side. Cover grill. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 110°F, 20 to 30 minutes.

Carefully flip chicken and place on hotter side of grill, skin side down, with breasts pointed toward cooler side.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Press down firmly with a wide, stiff spatula to ensure good contact between bird and grill grates. Cover and cook until skin is crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 145 to 150°F, about 10 minutes longer. If chicken threatens to burn before temperature is achieved, carefully slide to cooler side of grill, cover, and continue to cook until done. Also check the thigh temperature for 165°F.  Do not leave the lid off for longer than it takes to check temperature.

Transfer chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Serve with:
Starch: Potato Salad, Grilled Potatoes.
Veg: Corn, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Green Beans

Chicken Dijonaise

Chicken Dijonaise

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Yield: 2 to 4 servings
adapted from Jacques Pépin

Circa 2006: Ooh this is good. I saw this on a Jacques Pepin show. It is a simple sautéed chicken breast with an absolutely delicious mustard cream sauce. I think on the show he used the red onion, endive and asparagus side shown below.

  • 2-4boneless chicken breasts
  • 1shallot, minced
  • 2cloves garlic, minced
  • 1TBS prepared Dijon mustard
  • 1TBS coarse Dijon mustard
  • 6 to 8oz heavy cream
  • vegetable oil

Heat pan over medium high until hot, add oil and heat until almost smoking. Brown chicken breasts, cooking for 2 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to hot plate in oven. Clean pan, heat until hot and add small amount of oil. When hot, add shallot and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until just translucent. Add garlic and cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Add both mustard’s and cook for 30 seconds. Add cream and bring to boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Return chicken to sauce. Cover and simmer slowly (5 to 6 minutes) until chicken is cooked through. Serve.

Suggested Sides:
Starch: Rice, Mashed Potatoes, Polenta or Pasta.
Veg: Red Onion, Endive and Asparagus, Asparagus, Green Beans

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

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Yield: 12 Muffins
Adapted from Yankee Magazine

2015: Jordan Marsh was a New England fixture for a long time. It was acquired by Macy’s around 2001 which saw the demise of the in-store dining room. They were well known for these blueberry muffins.

  • 8TBS butter
  • 1cup sugar
  • 2large eggs
  • 2cups un-sifted flour
  • 2tsp baking powder (HA: reduce to 1½ tsp)
  • ½teaspoon salt
  • ½cup milk
  • 1½tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½cups large fresh blueberries
  • 2TBS demerara or pearl sugar (for top of muffins)


Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

In a second bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar mixture along with the milk and vanilla.

Add the remaining whole berries and stir in gently by hand.

Spray a 6 (large) or 12 (regular) muffin baking pan with Baker’s Joy (or other non-stick spray). These tend to stick, so paper muffin cut liners are highly recommended instead of spray.  Fill muffin cups.

Sprinkle sugar on top of unbaked muffins.

Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin after several minutes to free it from the pan and cool on wire racks.

Additional Notes:

Yankee suggests using paper muffin liners when making these muffins, as the abundance of blueberries make them especially prone to sticking.

Focaccia

Focaccia

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Yield: Half Sheet Pan
Adapted from Anne Burrell

2014: This is a nice Focaccia recipe. It makes a half sheet pan sized bread. I quarter it when finished and freeze 3 of the quarters. It keeps well in the freezer and is quick to thaw and serve. Ten minutes in the oven heats it up and gives a slight crisp.

  • 1¾cups warm water, not over 110°F
  • 1package active dry yeast
  • 1TBS sugar
  • 5cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading
  • 1TBS Diamond Crystal or ½ TBS Morton Kosher salt
  • coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
  • 1cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • garlic butter (optional, see recipe below)

Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, 1 TBS of kosher salt, ½ cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5-6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft. Give it a sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky.

Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky.

Coat the inside of the mixer bowl lightly with olive oil and return the dough to the bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.

Coat a half sheet pan with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Put the dough onto the half sheet pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Turn the dough over to coat the other side with the olive oil. Continue to stretch the dough to fit the pan. As you are doing so, spread your fingers out and make finger holes all the way through the dough. (when the dough rises again it will create the characteristic craggy looking focaccia. If you don’t make actual holes in the dough, the finished product will be very smooth.)

Put the dough in the warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the focaccia with some coarse sea salt (optional) and lightly drizzle a little oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Add the optional garlic butter (if using, see below).
Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.

Garlic Butter

  • 4cloves garlic
  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 2TBS unsalted butter
  • 2tsp dried oregano
  • ½tsp red pepper flakes

Mince 4 raw cloves of garlic.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil with butter in a small skillet and melt over medium-low heat. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant and garlic is just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and season with salt.

When focaccia has finished baking, spread garlic butter over top with a spoon. Transfer to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, slice, and serve.

Extra bread should be stored in a brown paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes before serving

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