Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

One dish meals

October 15, 2011 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

I was just thinking how much I love one dish meals for weeknights. What could be simpler? You’ve got your carbohydrates, vegetables and proteins all in one. You can serve it in a lovely flat soup bowl and hopefully the recipe will only cause one or two pots to be dirtied, so clean up is a breeze as well. The Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Sausage recipe in my last entry is a good example but there are so many. Gnocchi with Shrimp and Snowpeas, Veal Stew with Rosemary and Lemon on Polenta, Orecchiette with Shrimp and Broccoli Rabe, all listed earlier here are other great ones. Think of the many combinations you can make – use your imagination. Combine things you love and you won’t go wrong. Remember to relax, have fun, and pour love into it!

Farfalle with lamb sausage and escarole.

Veal stew with rosemary and lemon

September 22, 2011 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

I made this last night for dinner. It should serve 4 but it was so good we cleaned it all up. You really should make this ahead of time or on the weekend to have time to simmer the veal the full hour and 15 minutes. I rushed it and only simmered it 45 minutes and it was still so tasty and good. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

VEAL STEW WITH ROSEMARY AND LEMON – serves 4
2 tbs. olive oil
1.5 lbs. boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbs. unsalted butter
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1.5 large carrots, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup tomato sauce, preferably homemade
1 heaping tbs. coarsely chopped rosemary
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 tbs. chopped fresh basil
Polenta with Parmesan, for serving

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the veal, (use a paper towel to dry the meat first.) season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the veal to a plate.

In the same casserole, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the celery, onion and carrot and cook over low heat until softened and golden, about 8 – 10 minutes. Add the wine and boil over moderately high heat until almost evaporated. Add the tomato sauce, rosemary and veal, along with any accumulated juices. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring once or twice, until the veal is very tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or you can rush this to 45 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Spoon the Polenta with Parmesan into bowls, top with the veal stew, finish with the chopped basil and serve.

Make Ahead The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Weeknight entertaining chicken

September 21, 2011 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

This is my son Zach’s favorite chicken. We make this over and over as you can get two recipes out of a quart of buttermilk and what else are you going to use that for? And buttermilk lasts a long time so you can do it 3 weeks apart. It is a take on a Nigella Lawson recipe as I have fiddled and changed it. Great for weeknight entertaining as you do the most work two days ahead of time. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do – and it’s super easy – with an easy clean-up to boot!

BUTTERMILK ROAST CHICKEN – serves 4
1 3.5-pound chicken
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns, or 1 1/2 tsp. coarse ground pepper
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 heaping tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
10 juniper berries, smashed
1 tablespoons honey

Butterfly chicken by placing breast side down and using heavy-duty kitchen or poultry shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone, turn chicken over and press gently on the breastbone to flatten.

Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, peppercorns, salt, rosemary, juniper berries and honey. Seal bag securely, massage all ingredients together and refrigerate for two days. Turn over and massage more during the two days, when you think about it.

Take chicken out of the refrigerator 30 – 45 minutes before roasting. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil and use a rack. Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rack in the roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 40 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue roasting until well browned and your meat thermometer measures 155 – 160 degrees in thigh meat, about another 10 -15 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter or carving board and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.

Sunday night Cornish hens

September 18, 2011 by Mary Frances 6 Comments

I love this dish because it’s quick and easy and looks fancy – fancy enough for a Sunday night dinner! The bold flavors are imparted from the mustard and teriyaki – flavorful components in of themselves, along with the onions and lemons just sliced. So no washing and chopping of fresh herbs makes it a quick fix! My mustard is a hot and sweet combo. I will post that recipe in the next few days. It’s nice to always have some on hand as it keeps well in the refrigerator. In the meantime, you can use Dijon or Nance’s.

MUSTARD TERIYAKI CORNISH HENS
2 Cornish hens
Olive oil
2 large onions – sliced in 1/4’ thick slices
1 1/2 lemons – sliced in 1/8” slices
4 rounded tsps. of Mary’s mustard – recipe to come, or use Dijon or Nance’s
1.25 tsps. dried rosemary, crumbled
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and dry the Cornish hens. Cut off all visible fat and butt piece and then cut down the back portion to separate the 2 breasts to make 2 distinct halves. You should have 4 halves. Rub olive oil in a thin film on a rimmed baking sheet. Alternate slices of lemons and onions to form a large rectangle. Lay the Cornish hens halves on top and put a rounded teaspoon of mustard on each one and spread all over the skinned surface with a brush or knife, Sprinkle dried rosemary over all and then brush with the teriyaki sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 -30 minutes. Baste at least twice, starting at 15 minutes. Your instant read thermometer should read 150 – 155. Let them rest on a platter for at least 10 minutes before serving. The lemon and the onions will give their juices along with the hens to make a wonderful mixture. You can even eat the roasted lemons with the hens, skin and all – like a fresh, preserved lemon!

Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

One dish meals

Veal stew with rosemary and lemon

Weeknight entertaining chicken

Sunday night Cornish hens

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