This is a tangy, fragrant, garlic rosemary and chicken dish that goes great with buttery polenta or mashed potatoes. It’s fairly easy to put together, the key ingredient being the fresh rosemary.
Rosemary requires a little preparation, it must be stripped from its stem, and then bruised, either with a mortal and pestle, or another method is to hit the herb on a cutting board with the back of a heavy knife. This bruising method brings out all the flavor and scent within the herb. Rosemary is completely edible, just be sure to remove any of the woody stems. Also, herbs go through ‘seasonal’ phases just like vegetables. Winter rosemary will be drier, with thicker stems, and will require more care in preparation. Good spring rosemary is so young and new, that you can even eat the stem. (Easy test, if the stem bends easily in half without fraying or breaking, it’s soft enough to eat.)
The best part of this dish is the combination of the lemon, garlic, and herb to make a fantastic heady aroma. I pan fry the chicken for a nice crisp crust, and the crunch of the fried rosemary is wonderful. It’s a great dish for entertaining, with just a little effort the chicken can be plated to look just as fancy as any restaurant dish.
Serves 4
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless and thawed)
1 stick (8 tbs) Butter
1 tbs fresh minced garlic
1 tbs Lemon Juice
3-4 Good sized Rosemary branches (One case of the store bought)
½ tsp of Salt
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil.
Allow at least an hour between preparation and cooking, so that the chicken has a chance to marinate.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, dice the butter into several smaller pieces. Add the minced garlic, and microwave 30-45 sec to melt the butter. Strip and bruise the rosemary leaves, and then add to the butter mixture. Finally, add the Lemon Juice, and the Extra virgin oil, and blend gently. Allow the rosemary to steep in the mixture for a couple minutes while its still hot.
Take the chicken, and trim off any fat. Score or poke the chicken with a fork a few times, then salt the meat rubbing it into the chicken on all sides. Place the chicken in a medium sized bowl, and pour the rosemary garlic butter over the chicken, stick a few sprigs of rosemary into the scores in the chicken, so that they’re tucked into the meat. Make sure the sauce evenly covers the chicken on both sides of the meat. Cover the bowl, and let sit for an hour. (If longer, refrigerate)
When ready to cook, take a large nonstick skillet (large enough to grill all four breasts, or at least two at a time), and place on the range at medium high, allow the pan to get nice and hot, then remove the chicken from the sauce, shredding most of the butter before going into the pan.
Sear the chicken until crispy on first one side, then the other, (around 3-4 minutes per side) then reduce heat to medium, and spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the breasts. (If you don’t use all the butter that’s okay, but the more rosemary and garlic you get in the pan the better.) Cook the breasts in the pan for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve the breasts on a plate and spoon rosemary and juices back over the chicken (and side dish). Inhale deeply and enjoy!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My Hot and Sour Soup
Rich and meaty, with a lot of flavor and spice, I can pretty much guarantee this Hot and Sour soup will be unlike any you order in a restaurant. I originally started trying to mimic a restaurant soup that I liked, but over time the broth has evolved into something quite different. It has a lot of beef and mushroom flavor, combined with sharp sours and a good slow burn of spice.
Also, this recipe calls for “Tones Beef Base” stock. Tones is sold at Sams club, has a high beef concentration and a very rich flavor. For best results, if you can’t get Tones, use a quality beef stock with full flavor, not just bouillon cubes!
*This also includes my method for getting beautiful egg strands in soup. 2 tips: 1) Egg white only, 2) Make sure the broth is NOT boiling when the egg is added.
Hot and Sour Soup
8 oz Pork (One medium pork chop w/out bone)
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper
3-5 Shiitake Mushrooms Fresh/Dried
2 tbs Warm water
4 oz Bamboo Shoots (half can)
6 oz Firm Tofu
2 1/4 tbs Tones Beef Base
7 Cups Hot Water
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
3 tbs Soy Sauce
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (not for the faint of heart)
1/8 tsp fresh Minced Garlic
3 Egg Whites
Serves 4
Prepare the pork by adding the salt and black pepper directly to the meat, then cut into very thin ¼ inch strips. Set aside. If using dried Shiitake Mushrooms soak in warm water prior to cooking, then slice into thin strips. If using fresh, slice in strips, then soak 2 tbs warm water prior to adding to soup.
To make the stock: Pour hot water in a big soup pot. Add the beef base, and stir lightly until blended, then add Garlic, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Cayenne Pepper. Bring to a boil stirring lightly, then reduce heat to simmer, Medium Low, or Low. While simmering add pork strips, and shiitake mushrooms w/ mushroom water. Stir enough to make sure the pork strips have separated and are cooking through.
Slice tofu into thin bite size slices, ¼ inch thick. Very thinly slice bamboo shoots into tiny strips. Add tofu and bamboo shoots to broth.
Cover pot and allow broth to simmer at least ten minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Next remove pot from heat (but leave the burner on) and allow the broth to calm. When the liquid is still, gently pour in the egg white. Stir once, gently. Then return to heat, stir lightly to make sure no egg is stuck to the bottom.
Simmer for 2-20 minutes. (Like any good soup, longer cooking times help the flavor.)
Serve in bowls and enjoy.
Also, this recipe calls for “Tones Beef Base” stock. Tones is sold at Sams club, has a high beef concentration and a very rich flavor. For best results, if you can’t get Tones, use a quality beef stock with full flavor, not just bouillon cubes!
*This also includes my method for getting beautiful egg strands in soup. 2 tips: 1) Egg white only, 2) Make sure the broth is NOT boiling when the egg is added.
Hot and Sour Soup
8 oz Pork (One medium pork chop w/out bone)
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper
3-5 Shiitake Mushrooms Fresh/Dried
2 tbs Warm water
4 oz Bamboo Shoots (half can)
6 oz Firm Tofu
2 1/4 tbs Tones Beef Base
7 Cups Hot Water
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
3 tbs Soy Sauce
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (not for the faint of heart)
1/8 tsp fresh Minced Garlic
3 Egg Whites
Serves 4
Prepare the pork by adding the salt and black pepper directly to the meat, then cut into very thin ¼ inch strips. Set aside. If using dried Shiitake Mushrooms soak in warm water prior to cooking, then slice into thin strips. If using fresh, slice in strips, then soak 2 tbs warm water prior to adding to soup.
To make the stock: Pour hot water in a big soup pot. Add the beef base, and stir lightly until blended, then add Garlic, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Cayenne Pepper. Bring to a boil stirring lightly, then reduce heat to simmer, Medium Low, or Low. While simmering add pork strips, and shiitake mushrooms w/ mushroom water. Stir enough to make sure the pork strips have separated and are cooking through.
Slice tofu into thin bite size slices, ¼ inch thick. Very thinly slice bamboo shoots into tiny strips. Add tofu and bamboo shoots to broth.
Cover pot and allow broth to simmer at least ten minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Next remove pot from heat (but leave the burner on) and allow the broth to calm. When the liquid is still, gently pour in the egg white. Stir once, gently. Then return to heat, stir lightly to make sure no egg is stuck to the bottom.
Simmer for 2-20 minutes. (Like any good soup, longer cooking times help the flavor.)
Serve in bowls and enjoy.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
This is my husband’s favorite, and was well loved when I served it at Christmas dinner for my parents as well. This dry rub was originally in a recipe for lamb, and I’m sure it would go wonderfully on a lamb roast as well. The best part of cooking this roast so often is I’ve discovered the perfect cooking method. The outside is nice and crisp, while the inside is tender and juicy. Also the slow cooking time will fill your house with the scent of garlic and rosemary and leave your mouth watering!
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
1 Pork tenderloin, boneless, 2-4 lbs.
3 tbs fresh minced garlic (usually in a jar)
2-3 large sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (or one package from the store)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare rosemary by stripping the leaves from the stems and bruising.
Place rosemary in a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
Place the Pork roast in a large preferably covered roasting pan, score the roast on both sides.
Rub rosemary garlic mixture into the meat, generously covering the entire roast. (You can do this step before heating the oven, and allow to ‘marinate’ for up to an hour, but I usually do it just before cooking.)
Place roast in oven UNCOVERED for 30-45 minutes. If it’s a smaller roast, go with the shorter time.
Then reduce heat to 375, COVER and cook for an additional 45 minutes per pound. (A 2 lb roast you would cook for an additional 60 minutes, a 4 lb roast would be an additional 2 to 2.5 hours cooking.) You can check for doneness with a temperature probe when internal temp is 160 degrees.
When roast is cooked through, remove from oven, uncover, and allow to rest for ten minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
1 Pork tenderloin, boneless, 2-4 lbs.
3 tbs fresh minced garlic (usually in a jar)
2-3 large sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (or one package from the store)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare rosemary by stripping the leaves from the stems and bruising.
Place rosemary in a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
Place the Pork roast in a large preferably covered roasting pan, score the roast on both sides.
Rub rosemary garlic mixture into the meat, generously covering the entire roast. (You can do this step before heating the oven, and allow to ‘marinate’ for up to an hour, but I usually do it just before cooking.)
Place roast in oven UNCOVERED for 30-45 minutes. If it’s a smaller roast, go with the shorter time.
Then reduce heat to 375, COVER and cook for an additional 45 minutes per pound. (A 2 lb roast you would cook for an additional 60 minutes, a 4 lb roast would be an additional 2 to 2.5 hours cooking.) You can check for doneness with a temperature probe when internal temp is 160 degrees.
When roast is cooked through, remove from oven, uncover, and allow to rest for ten minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Benihana Inspired Japanese Onion Soup
This is my quicker cooking take on Japanese onion soup. Unlike French Onion Soup, that has a rich beef flavor with bread and cheese, this is a clear broth veggie and chicken stock soup. I was trying to come up with a soup that has the same garnishes and light flavor as Benihana’s famous Onion Soup, but I wanted a soup that could be made on a small budget in a quick amount of time.
This recipe makes enough to serve two as a meal, or four as a light appetizer.
Japanese Onion Soup
2 cans (12-14 oz Each) Vegetable Broth
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 tbs Dried Minced Onions
2 dashes Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup fresh White Mushrooms (sliced very very thinly)
1 cup (about 4) Green Onions sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup Frenches Fried Onions (Other recipes tell you how to do these yourself, but I prefer to spare myself the money and the mess by using Frenches.)
Pour the Chicken and Vegetable broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil, reducing heat to Med-low, and add the Minced Onion, Garlic powder, Sesame Oil and salt and allow to simmer for 10 minutes for the flavor to be fully blended.
While soup is simmering, assemble 2 bowls for soup, (if serving four, half the measurements per bowl) add 2 tbs of Frenches Onions, then about the same amount of sliced mushrooms, then 2 tbs of green onions in the dry bowl.
Once soup has fully simmered, ladle broth into the bowls, covering the garnishes.
Serve hot with spoons and enjoy!
This recipe makes enough to serve two as a meal, or four as a light appetizer.
Japanese Onion Soup
2 cans (12-14 oz Each) Vegetable Broth
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 tbs Dried Minced Onions
2 dashes Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup fresh White Mushrooms (sliced very very thinly)
1 cup (about 4) Green Onions sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup Frenches Fried Onions (Other recipes tell you how to do these yourself, but I prefer to spare myself the money and the mess by using Frenches.)
Pour the Chicken and Vegetable broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil, reducing heat to Med-low, and add the Minced Onion, Garlic powder, Sesame Oil and salt and allow to simmer for 10 minutes for the flavor to be fully blended.
While soup is simmering, assemble 2 bowls for soup, (if serving four, half the measurements per bowl) add 2 tbs of Frenches Onions, then about the same amount of sliced mushrooms, then 2 tbs of green onions in the dry bowl.
Once soup has fully simmered, ladle broth into the bowls, covering the garnishes.
Serve hot with spoons and enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)