Mexican Chicken Soup

I've continued to cook a whole chicken at the beginning of the week as a money saver (vs buying $$$ boneless skinless) and also to help me create fast dinners throughout the week. This week I made a whole roasted Mexican chicken which I used in soup and plan to use later alongside braised greens for an easy weeknight dinner.

Mexican Chicken Soup

• 1 7 lb Chicken
• Spice Paste: Equal Parts Cumin & Chile Powder, Cayenne, Garlic Paste, Olive oil
• 3/4 Yellow Onion, quartered
• 3/4 Red Pepper, quartered
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and halved
• 1/2 Serrano Chile, seeded and halved
• 2 Celery Stalks, cut into quarters
• 1 Leek, halved
• 3 Cloves Garlic, unpeeled
• 1 can San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes, tomatoes only
• Canned Whole Green Chiles, drained
• 1-2 Chile en Adobo
• Chicken Stock
• Oregano

First I preheated by oven to 450 degrees. I smothered the chicken with the spice paste and a generous sprinkling of S&P. I roasted for 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees then an additional 2 hours at 350 degrees (20 mins/lb). While the chicken roasted I prepped my soup.

I heated canola oil in a pan over medium high heat and charred my vegetables (about 10 mins). You want to keep them in large pieces so you get the charred flavor without disintegrating your vegetables. I used an assortment of vegetables I had in my fridge but you could just as easily do this with just a jalapeno, onion and fresh tomatoes. As the vegetables char, move them to a blender along with the canned tomatoes, green chiles and chile en adobo. Allow the outside of the garlic to char then remove from casing before adding to the blender. Deglaze your pan with a 1/4 cup of chicken stock and add to the blender with a handful of fresh cilantro. Blend this to a pulp then add to a soup pot. Add 3-4 cups chicken stock, 1 tsp oregano and simmer until the soup reduces by half, or achieves your desired consistency.

When your chicken's internal temperature has reached 180 and the juices run clear, shred the breast and wing meat and add to the soup. I also had some par cooked red potatoes leftover from my cast iron quiche which I cubed and added to the soup. Toss in a hearty amount of fresh cilantro and serve.

This was really flavorful and stick-to-your-ribs despite being a relatively light soup. I will definitely make variations of this again using whatever veggies I have in my fridge. As a sidenote, I used homemade chicken stock leftover from my herb roasted chicken a few weeks back. It quickly defrosted and gave the soup a very homemade feel!

pps...the skin on this chicken was DIVINE! definitely try this spice rub!

Trout with Roasted Cauliflower and Red Cabbage

Lately I've been craving proteins other then the standard chicken, sausage, beef. I decided to pick up a trout fillet to see what I could do with it.

Trout with Roasted Cauliflower and Red Cabbage

• 2 Trout Fillets
• 1/4 Red Cabbage, sliced
• Cauliflower, thinly sliced in mandoline
• 1 Can Cannelleni Beans
• Rosemary
• Chicken Stock
• Lemon
• Butter

First I roasted the red cabbage and cauliflower in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Once browned and crispy I removed and set aside. While the veggies were roasting I simmered the can of beans with a bit of butter, rosemary and chicken stock until the flavors had combined. The last step was to cook the trout. I S&P'd, dredged in flour and cooked in vegetable oil over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once browned I set aside and deglazed the pan with a bit of vegetable stock and a dab of butter. Prior to serving I lightly mashed the bean mix and topped with the roasted vegetables and trout.

There were good things and so-so things about this dish. The trout was cooked perfectly and paired really well with the crispy fried veggies. The lemon was a must to cut some of the butteryness of the fish. The bean mix was good, but was a bit heavy for the other things on the plate. I think trout is probably best served with lighter accompaniments ie fennel slaw or something along those lines. All in all a good first experience with trout!

Cast Iron Quiche

If you can believe it, I still don't own my own cast iron skillet. Last week after we took some leftovers home from R's mom I was left with a big cast iron skillet that I just had to use as much as possible before returning. Thanksgiving week is always so busy and filled with heavy food that I wanted to make something light we could have for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack that wouldn't interfere with all the feasting. This skillet quiche was the perfect thing!

Cast Iron Quiche

• 3 Red Potatoes, boiled, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch Asparagus, halved and lightly sauteed
• 1/4 Onion, minced
• 1 Leek, finely chopped
• 1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• Rosemary, minced
• 3 Deli Ham Slices
• 6-8 San Marzano Canned Tomatoes, halved
• Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• 6 Eggs, whisked
• 2 tbs Cream or Milk

After boiling the potatoes until just barely soft I sliced on my mandoline into thin rounds. I sauteed the leeks, onions, garlic and rosemary until soft and the asparagus until they were still quite crisp. Then I got to layering. In a pam'd cast iron skillet I layered the potatoes, covering the base of the skillet. Next I sprinkled 1/2 of my onion/leek mixture, 1/3 of my cheddar, and the slices of deli ham. On top of the deli ham I layered all of the asparagus, followed by the remaining onion/leek mixture and another sprinkling of cheese. I placed the halved san marzano tomatoes around the outside of the pan, and two in the center. I poured my whisked eggs over the whole thing and topped with a shredding of cheddar and parmesan. Lastly I drizzled with olive oil and cooked in a 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until browned. You'll know its done if you insert a fork or skewer and it comes out clean. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Cast Iron Asparagus Quiche

Later in the weekend we enjoyed it as a light dinner alongside a delicious cheese plate!

This quiche only got better as the days went on, it was light, flavorful and great for any time of the day!

Thankful

 Bloody Mary Bar with two kinds of olives, pickled vegetables, etc. 

 Pies cooling in the hutch.

 Turkey view one,

 Turkey view two.

 We finally had an opportunity to use these gorgeous monogrammed linen napkins, a wedding present from Deirdre!  (Please disregard the laptop in the background.)

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all ate as well as we did.  This is the second year that Trevor and I have hosted Thanksgiving, and we have been patting ourselves on the back(s) since Thursday.  Our smoked turkey was moist and perfectly seasoned.  The dressing, the potatoes, the pumpkin pie... it was all delicious (except for my pecan pie, which was a little undercooked).  Whitney, Mom and Maggie were kind enough to make the trip down to Austin to celebrate the holiday with me and Trevor and we were so happy to have family in town.  We have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Sister Ravioli & More

Last week Sarah was in Austin for work. I was sooooo happy to have her here, and we took full advantage of her company to do some fun things around town.  We had dinner at Fonda San Miguel on Thursday night (recently named the best Mexican restaurant in the state by Texas Monthly Magazine), lunch at Bess Bistro on Friday (Sandra Bullock's restaurant), lamp shopping at Uncommon Objects on South Congress, went to a Robert Earl Keen concert Friday night, took Cindy for a hike on Saturday, and had a pizza party/ horror movie marathon on Saturday night.  I'll let Sarah chime in with her movie reviews.  As far as straight up suspenseful horror movies go, I think we would all recommend The Descent. Sarah and I actually screamed out loud, and Trevor had to put his wine glass down because he was afraid he would jump and spill it all over the sofa.  

One of the highlights of the weekend was the ravioli that Sarah and I made for dinner on Friday night.  I whipped up a pasta dough in my cuisinart, I think it was around 3 cups of flour and 5 whole eggs.  Sarah  made the filling: a bag of fresh spinach gently wilted in some olive oil along with two bunches of basil, some freshly grated nutmeg, a tub of mascarpone cheese, a generous handful of grated parmigiano reggiano and salt and pepper to taste.  I made a simple, spicy tomato sauce with some chopped onion and garlic softened in butter and olive oil, to which I added red pepper flakes and a can of peeled san marzano tomatoes.  I let this bubble away for a bit before pureeing with the stick blender and seasoning to taste.  The three of us easily cleaned our plates. What a treat!

Although I was sad to say goodbye to Sarah yesterday, I am looking forward to Whitney's arrival on Tuesday and my mom's arrival on Wednesday for Thanksgiving.  Trevor will certainly get his fill of Springborn women! 

Roasted Eggplant & Goat Cheese Pasta

Eggplant is one of those foods that I have discovered in my "adult" life. When roasted, it melts into a rich and creamy texture that alone can be tossed with pasta for a yum dinner. For this no fuss dinner I roasted alongside sausage and tossed with radish greens and goat cheese.

Eggplant & Goat Cheese Pasta

• 1/2 Eggplant, cut into 1" cubes
• Sweet Italian Sausage, broken into pieces
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• Fresh Rosemary, minced
• Vegetable Stock
• Radish Greens

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant, sausage, garlic and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in a pyrex for 30-40 minutes, tossing half way through.

When you remove the pyrex from the oven, deglaze the pan with a swirl of vegetable stock, scraping up all the brown bits. Next add a heavy handful of arugula and 1-2 ladles of pasta water. Toss and cover to wilt the arugula. Lastly, toss the sauce and pasta, top with goat cheese and serve!

Curry Chicken Salad

Hello from Austin! I've got some overdue posts from last week of quick and easy dinners. As part of our money saving week I made a bunch of lunch food including curry chicken salad. For a quick weeknight dinner I paired with a salad of sliced radicchio, radishes, carrots and arugula. YUM!

Curry Chicken Salad

• 2 Chicken Breasts Roasted & Shredded
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Curry Powder
• Shallots
• S&P

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Stew

It is chilly in Austin. So cold that I wore Uggs and a fleece coat last night when I took Cindy for a walk. I am taking full advantage of the weather to prepare my favorite hearty meals for dinner.  Monday night I made a much more successful variation of homemade Chicken Divan (milkier cheese sauce, chicken cut into thin slices instead of cubed or pulled, mustard powder instead of curry), and last night I made a Moroccan Spiced Lamb Stew inspired by my Aunt Amy's recipe for Moroccan Spiced Short Ribs.  We like our food to have a good amount of kick, so I kept the spice levels pretty much the same as in her recipe.  Instead of beef short ribs I substituted a pound of beautiful lamb stew meat, some diced new potatoes, and a handful of frozen peas.  I served the stew with some buttery couscous studded with chopped golden raisins.  

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Stew

Serves 4

1 pound lamb stew meat

1-2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp canola oil

1 onion, diced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1 (heaping) teaspoon cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 large bay leaf, broken in 1/2

2 cloves garlic

1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 cup grated carrots

1 1/2 cups diced potatoes

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 1/4 cups water

1 cup stock (I used beef, it was what I had on hand)

1/4-1/2 cup red wine

Salt & Pepper to taste

• Place lamb stew meat in a large ziploc baggie with a good amount of kosher salt, pepper, and the flour. Seal and shake until meat is coated.  In a deep dutch oven or other heavy pan (with a lid) heat canola oil until shimmering.  Add lamb to pan and cook over medium-high heat until well browned on all sides.  Remove meat to a plate or bowl and reduce heat slightly. 
• Add onions to pan and stir, scraping up browned bits from bottom (you can add a splash of water/wine/stock to help deglaze if necessary).  Add spices, ginger and garlic to the pan and let onions soften and spices toast for 3-4 minutes.  Add carrots and bay leaf let cook for another minute.  Add peas, potatoes, and lamb back in and stir in water, stock and wine.  Be sure to stir and scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  
• Simmer covered on the stovetop over low heat, or alternately cook covered in a preheated 325 oven for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until meat and potatoes are tender and stew is fragrant.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over couscous, rice, or with a hearty bread to sop up the sauce.  

Hangover Brunch Pizza

On Monday I was graciously given the day off after a loooong work weekend! I woke up at around 10:30 to catch the 74th hour of the Today Show with Hoda and Kathie Lee. While this show is pretty annoying, I find myself enjoying it due to having met Kathie Lee as a kid. I secretly appreciate her for embracing her inner obnoxiousness (and alcoholicness). ANYWAYS....I happened to tune is as Chef Donatella Arpai was making a hangover brunch pizza. I loooove breakfast pizza and was inspired to make one myself.

Hangover Brunch Pizza

• Store Bought Naan
• Canola Oil
• Robiola Cheese (like an Italian Cream Cheese)
• Goat Cheese
• Rosemary, minced
• Garlic, minced
• Hot Red Pepper, thinly sliced rounds
• Caramelized Onions & Capers (optional)
• 4 Eggs
• Arugula

I started out by preheating my oven as hot as it could go. I took two baking sheets, wrapped with foil and placed in the oven to also preheat. After about 30 minutes, I placed my canola-oil-brushed naan onto the baking sheet. After 3-4 minutes when the bottom of the naan had browned, I removed and topped the browned side with the ingredients. I layered slices of robiola cheese, crumbled goat cheese, rosemary, garlic, hot pepper slices and the caramelized onions and capers. I drained a bit of the egg whites off the egg then slowly placed 2 eggs on each pizza. I carefully transported back to the oven and cooked for another 5-6 minutes or until the egg white had cooked through. If its slow to cook, tent with foil inside the oven, the reflective heat will help cook the egg. I removed from the oven and topped with the arugula, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh ground pepper.

I've never used naan as a pizza base before but it's pretty perfect! It gets very crisp while remaining sturdy enough to hold all the toppings. The robiola cheese was creamy but crisped up in spots, creating an awesome texture. I could easily eat this every night of the week!

Herb Roasted Chicken with Curried Brown Rice

With an upcoming wedding R and I are doing everything we can to watch our spending. While we can only do so much to limit our bills, there are always ways to reduce your food costs. Whether it's walking a bit further to a less expensive grocery store or cooking more items from scratch...meals are a great area to cut costs.

One of the #1 ways I cut costs is by using one ingredient across a few meals, it not only helps to avoid waste but challenges me to be creative with what I have in house! Cooking a whole chicken in the beginning of the week is a great way to fill your fridge with tasty leftovers that can be used in soups, sandwiches or casseroles. This was my second attempt at cooking a whole chicken and it turned out delic!

Herb Roasted Chicken

• 1, 2.3 lb Chicken, giblets removed
• 1/2 Lemon
• Thyme & Rosemary Sprigs
• S&P
• 1-2 tbs Butter, room temperature

Curried Brown Rice

• Brown Rice, cooked according to package directions
• Apples, cubed
• Celery, Sliced
• Yellow Onions, sliced
• Mushrooms, quartered
• Cumin
• Curry
• S&P

Total Cook Time: 1 Hour

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Remove the giblets from inside the chicken and pat dry. Massage the butter onto the outside of the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub salt and pepper on the inside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the 1/2 lemon & herbs. Place on a roasting pan, or in a baking dish with sides at least 1" high. Place the chicken into the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 20 minutes per pound. Cooking the chicken at an initial high heat will help crisp up the skin.

After placing your chicken in the oven, cook your rice according to package directions (typically 45 minutes). With a 2.3-2.5 lb chicken, your rice and chicken will be done around the same time. Before the rice is done, saute the apples, celery, mushrooms and onions. When they are just soft, add in the oregano, curry and cumin to taste. This mixture will be added to the rice.

When the chicken is done (juices run clear), remove to a carving dish, tent with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. If you want to make a gravy, place your baking dish over a low flame and add vegetable stock, scraping up any brown bits. Then slowly sprinkle in flour, whisking furiously to combine until it resembles the texture of gravy.

This chicken was so moist and delicious. For such minimal preparation it really came out wonderfully and we'll have the leftovers for the rest of the week! In true "no waste" fashion, I also decided to make chicken stock for the first time. I removed all the edible meat and placed the carcass in a soup pot. I covered with water and added herb sprigs, celery stalks, 1/2 yellow onion and S&P. I simmered (covered) over a low temperate for 4 hours then strained and popped in the fridge for later use.

Italian Wedding Soup

I am always looking for the next easy weeknight meal and last week I made a simple recipe for Italian Wedding Soup from Giada De Laurentiis.

A few weeks ago when I made meatballs I froze half of the mix for later use. Before leaving for work in the morning I moved the meatball mix to the fridge to defrost. After that I only had to purchase a few basics to pull this dinner together!

Italian Wedding Soup

• 1" Meatballs
• Vegetable Stock, keep warm in separate pan
• Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Escarole, triple rinsed & rough chopped
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tbs Parmesan

Melt 1-2 tbs of butter or olive oil into the bottom of the soup pan over medium-low heat. Drop in the yellow onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until slightly softened. Add the hot vegetable stock, then drop in the meatballs and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Next, drop in the escarole and cover, cooking for another 4-5 minutes or until tender. Lastly, whisk together the 2 eggs and 2 tbs parmesan and slowly stir into the broth to form wisps of egg.

This was SO yummy! While the flavors were very simple, they came together to make a wonderfully comforting weeknight meal.

NYC Marathon Adventures

It has been a busy week surrounding the NYC Marathon, filled with foodie adventures. I briefly talked to Mark Bittman, self proclaimed "avid home cook" and journalist for NYTimes (among others. I almost (!) had the chance to meet Bobby Flay when he was interviewed by RW Editor-in-Chief David Willey but got stuck at the office (boooo!)

The biggest foodie highlight of the week was dinner at famed NYC Italian restaurant, Del Posto.

Photo courtesy of DinePrivate.com

Early in the week I had a wonderful dinner with our international editorial and sales staff at Del Posto. Part owner Joe Bastianich is an avid runner and fan of Runner's World Magazine and gave us a great deal to hold our International dinner in their private Barbaresco room. In addition to the wonderful food (see below) the room's dramatic barrelled ceilings, Persian rugs and soft candle light really made the meal special!

Runner's World International Dinner Menu

Antipasti

Roasted Autumn VEGETABLES with Robiola Sformato & Truffled Hazelnuts

Primo

GARGANELLI Verdi al Ragu Bolognese

Secondi

Dover SOLE with Chestnuts, Watercress, Black Truffles & Trumpets

Dolci

Tartufo al Caffe- Dark Chocolate, Sant Eustachio Coffee & Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

While the entire dinner was delicious, the dishes I liked most were those that typically fail to catch your eye- specifically the delicious bread & butter and vanilla ice cream served with dessert. It says a lot about a restaurant when they pay attention to even the smallest details!

Out & About: Indulging

When 50 of your coworkers come into town- you know you are going to end up at the bar. To celebrate the near-end of our busy weekend we got a table at East Village hot spot, Ella. After a few hours of dancing and plenty of Jack Daniels, R and I stopped by Crif Dogs for one of my favorite late night indulgences...a Spicy Redneck, which consists of a bacon wrapped hot dog topped with chili, jalapenos and coleslaw. It was the perfect way to end the night!

Photo Courtesy of MightySweet.com

After sending 60 Runner's World clients, family and friends off to the 2010 ING Marathon start R & I celebrated Marathon Sunday at bars around the UES. In a final indulgence, we shared a Nutella & banana waffle from the Wafels & Dinges truck before falling into a coma like sleep.

It was a great NYCM week and I'm looking forward to my next trip to Austin, TX!

Red Cabbage Gratin

This weekend I flew to Chicago for a dear friend's wedding (Congratulations, Michelle and Doug!)  I was able to catch up with many old friends and, while waiting at the airport, read many magazines.  The most recent issue of Saveur magazine features a collection of recipes from a group of foodies/farmers in Oneida County, New York.  I was really struck by this collection of recipes for earthy, homemade fare like Sweet Corn Chowder, Braised Leg of Lamb, Spiced Pumpkin Cake, and in particular, a Red Cabbage Gratin.   

I served my gratin with a pan fried pork chop topped with some fresh sage from the garden, which I fried until crispy in butter and the leftover pork drippings in the skillet.  I also made a quick batch of homemade applesauce with two peeled/cored/diced apples, a dash of cider vinegar, about 1/4 cup water, a little sugar, a little freshly grated cinnamon and 1 bay leaf broken in half. I simmered the ingredients together covered for ten minutes then uncovered for about five minutes to let the excess liquid boil off.  I then removed the bay leaf and mashed the apples with my potato masher.  The bay leaf and cider vinegar gave this applesauce a complex,  grown up kick.  

Mmm, and yes, this dinner was as good as it looks in the above photo. 

Red Cabbage Gratin

Saveur, November 2010

Serves 6 

3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

9 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1 1/2 small heads)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350.  Grease a 3 qt. round or oval baking dish with 1 tbsp. butter, add cabbage and set aside.  Combine cream, paprika, sugar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until mixture just begins to simmer.  Pour cream mixture over cabbage and stir to combine. 

In a medium bowl, toss together Parmesan, walnuts and bread crumbs and sprinkle evenly over cabbage and dot top with remaining butter.  Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake until cream is absorbed and cabbage is tender, about 50 minutes.  Remove foil, increase heat to 400, and continue baking until topping is browned and crisp, about 15 minutes more.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

My Notes:  

I roughly halved the recipe as I knew Trevor and I wouldn't want to be eating cabbage for the rest of the week. I used about 2/3 a head of red cabbage, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp sugar, S&P to taste and about 1/3 cup of each of the topping ingredients.  I heated the oven to 375 and cooked the gratin covered for about 30 minutes, and then uncovered for about 10 minutes.  

Glazed Sea Bass with Ginger Butter Sauce

I bought a piece of Striped Bass at the grocery store today and when I got home I started googling recipes because I had no idea how I wanted to prepare the fish. In addition to the fish I knew I wanted to serve the butternut squash that had been lingering in my refrigerator along with a bag of brussels sprouts.  I found a recipe for a sea bass baked with a honey soy glaze and then finished off with a buttery cream sauce infused with ginger and shallot.  I am not a master saucier and I rarely make one sauce for a dish, let alone two. However, both sauces were simple and I was intrigued as to how they would work together.  I didn't follow the recipes exactly (i.e. I didn't measure my ingredients before using them and I substituted cooking sherry for white wine).  While the outcome was very tasty, I think the sauces overwhelmed the fish.  This sauce combination might be better with a more bland fish, like a tilapia.  If I made this dish again, I actually might try combining the sauces, making a honey soy glaze that was infused with ginger and soy and finished off with a nice pat of butter.  You cook and you learn!