The Cookbook

[Aqua Letifer]

Milk Chicken

I defy you to find a better way to cook a whole chicken. Try it.

1 whole chicken
1 stick unsalted butter
like a spoonful of olive oil
½ a cinnamon stick
1 bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
2 lemons, very halfassedly zested, then quartered
10 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
550 ml milk

1. In a pot, brown the chicken skin with the butter and olive oil. Just a couple of minutes per side.
2. Put the chicken on a plate to pour out the butter from the pot but keep a film of the buttery goodness on the bottom.
3. Add all the ingredients into the pot, then at last the whole chicken.
4. Cook on 375 for 90 min.

[Mik]

Yum.

[Catseye3]

For those of us doing low carb, here is a TNT good-tasting LC gravy.

Paleo Herb Gravy

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 large onions, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
6-8 peeled cloves of garlic
S&P to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or other flavoring, like Kitchen Bouquet or something
(Optional) A splash of heavy cream

Add onions, garlic, broth and thyme to medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 30" or until the onions and garlic are really soft.

(Really really soft. The success of this recipe depends on this.)

Correct seasonings and add soy sauce. Process with butter until uniform. Add cream if you want a creamy gravy.

[brenda]

@aqua-letifer That looks excellent, Aqua. Love sage that's fresh.

At first glance, I thought Mik had posted this, and I was about to tell him he sounded just like Aqua.

That would have been a compliment, of course.

[Catseye3]

Some salads, for healthy low-carb eating for folks on the TNCR diet/fitness challenge:

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Mediterranean-spinach-salad-with-garbanzos_-tomatoes_-radishes_-and-sumac-lemon-vinaigrette-345291

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Fresh-Mediterranean-Salad-MyRecipes-247043?columns=3&position=18%2F82

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Mediterranean-chicken-salad-368552

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Carrot-almond-salad-308714?columns=3&position=22%2F70

https://www.yummly.com/recipe/The-greenest-salad-308620?columns=3&position=18%2F69

[Mik]

Saw this today - looks yummy!

https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/12/potato-kugel/?fbclid=IwAR2BPyNNtaTd3JmpTZiLOSwUvrrdw51h8MqhERSlKsSYAZKzfgUo6qb-7Vs

[George K]

@mik looks like a lot of work great!

[Catseye3]

Cold Pea Salad

You can make this salad ahead of time on the day you want to serve it, but add the almonds at the last minute. The salad is still good the next day but it's best served on the day you make it. Wonderful served with sliced tomato and avocado and chicken for lunch.

16-ounces frozen petite peas (do not thaw)
6 ounces smokehouse (or roasted) almonds
1/2 cup chopped green onions
8 ounces chopped water chestnuts
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method
Remove the excess salt and chop the almonds:
In a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water, rinse the almonds to remove the excess salt. Spread between 2 paper towel layers and pat dry. Spread on a cutting board, and coarsely chop with a large knife.

Combine the salad ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the peas, scallions, and water chestnuts to the bowl.

Gently fold the salad into the mayonnaise dressing. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add the almonds:
Just before serving, stir in the chopped almonds.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: Chicken Marsala

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup shallots, minced
1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cups dry Marsala
2 cups chicken stock
½ lemon, juiced
Parsley, to serve

PREPARATION

1. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise, then cut the larger half again horizontally, creating 3 cutlets.
2. Place the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder into a wide shallow dish and stir to combine.
3. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking gently to remove any extra flour, and set aside.
4. Heat oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side, 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
6. In the same pan, add more oil or butter as needed.
7. Add garlic, shallots, and cremini mushrooms to the pan, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom the bottom of the pan until the mushrooms are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
8. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala wine and scrape all caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
9. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice and allow mixture to come to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
10. Turn off the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cold butter and stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
11. Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 more minutes, flipping halfway through.
12. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pasta, potatoes, or rice. Enjoy!

My result:

Comments:

Very, very tasty. Lots of interesting flavors - lemon, parsley, shallots, and mushrooms.

I couldn't find cremeni mushrooms, so I used white mushrooms. Still tasty.

If I make it again, I'll make sure that the chicken breasts are thinner, so they cook evenly. Some of the thinner portions ended up being a bit tough.

[Mik]

Chicken Marsala was the first meal I cooked for MFR. still a favorite.

[George K]

@mik said in The Cookbook:

Chicken Marsala was the first meal I cooked for MFR

Got a good recipe?

[Mik]

Cooked it so many times I just wing it. Flour and season the chicken, saute, add mushrooms, maybe a little shallot, and wine, finish with butter and parsley. Once wine has reduced. Will add a little veal demiglace if I have some sitting around.

[Mik]

ORECCHIETTE WITH SARDINIAN SAUSAGE RAGU

¼ CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
4 MEDIUM GARLIC CLOVES, CHOPPED
½ CUP DRY WHITE WINE
¼ TEASPOON SAFFRON (OPTIONAL)
14½ OUNCE CAN TOMATO PUREE (1½ CUPS)
1 POUND SWEET OR HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE, CASINGS REMOVED, BROKEN INTO ½-INCH OR
SMALLER PIECES
KOSHER SALT
1 POUND ORECCHIETTE PASTA (SEE NOTE)
1 OUNCE PECORINO ROMANO CHEESE, FINELY GRATED (½ CUP), PLUS MORE TO SERVE
½ CUP ROUGHLY CHOPPED BASIL, PLUS MORE TO SERVE

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, combine the oil and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden
brown, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the wine and saffron, then cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by
about half, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the tomato puree, sausage and 1½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the pieces of sausage are no longer pink at the center, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook,
stirring occasionally, until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and
return to the pot.

Transfer the sausage mixture to the pot with the pasta, then stir in the cheese and 2 tablespoons of
reserved pasta water. If the sauce is too thick, stir in additional pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until
the desired consistency is reached.

Taste and season with salt, then stir in the basil. Serve sprinkled with
additional basil and cheese

[Mik]

My beloved MIL's Chicken Casserole recipe. Love this stuff.

[George K]

Tonight's dinner: Roasted Spatchcock Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (5-lb.) whole chicken
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3 oz.) salted butter, softened
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 2 lemons), divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
12 ounces small red new potatoes, halved
8 ounces small carrots with tops, trimmed
8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of backbone, and remove backbone. (Discard or reserve for stock.) Turn chicken breast side up, and open the underside of chicken like a book. Using the heel of your hand, press firmly against breastbone until it cracks. Place chicken in a large rimmed baking pan. Tuck wing tips under chicken so they don't burn.

Combine garlic and salt on a cutting board. Using the flat edge of a knife, mash into a paste. Combine garlic paste, butter, thyme, zest, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the garlic mixture. Rub remaining garlic mixture under skin of chicken breasts and thighs.

Bake chicken in preheated oven 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Reduce heat to 400°F. Arrange potatoes and carrots around chicken; return to oven, and bake 20 minutes. Arrange Brussels sprouts around chicken, and spread remaining 2 tablespoons garlic mixture on breasts; return to oven, and bake until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°F, about 20 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice, and let stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken, and serve with pan juices.

Results:

Chicken was really really good. Juicy, well-cooked through and through. Definitely a "make it again" chicken.

Veggies - blah. All of them were undercooked. Carrots too crisp, potatoes on the edge of not being done enough.

I'll make it again, but I'll skip the veggies, doing them separately.

[brenda]

@mik your MIL sounds like she's from Minnesoooooota!

[Catseye3]

For Brenda?

Sauerkraut Latkes

Ingredients
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1-1/2 cups shredded peeled apples
1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 cup canola oil
Optional: Sour cream and chopped green onions

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, apples, sauerkraut and eggs. Combine the flour, salt and pepper; stir into potato mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into oil; press lightly to flatten. Fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, using remaining oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Top with sour cream and green onions if desired.

[Horace]

my wife doesn't like cheeseburgers very much, but I was convinced to try something different in the recipe by a youtube channel called Guga Food.

I sprinkled some MSG on the patty. She had a bite of mine yesterday and loved it and requested I make cheeseburgers for lunch today. Maybe there's something to this MSG thing.

Also put some truffle aioli fancy mayo on the buns and grilled them. Maybe that was important.

[brenda]

@catseye3 said in The Cookbook:

For Brenda?

Sauerkraut Latkes

Ingredients
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1-1/2 cups shredded peeled apples
1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 cup canola oil
Optional: Sour cream and chopped green onions

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, apples, sauerkraut and eggs. Combine the flour, salt and pepper; stir into potato mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls into oil; press lightly to flatten. Fry in batches until golden brown on both sides, using remaining oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Top with sour cream and green onions if desired.

Hmmmm ... try it and let me know what you think.

[Catseye3]

@brenda said in The Cookbook:

Hmmmm ... try it and let me know what you think.

No, I should have been clearer. I was bringing this recipe to your attention because I thought it'd be something you'd like.