Rustic Roasted Chicken (Ode to Irma)

I grew up with about 4 different types of entrees as a kid, and roasted chicken was always my favorite. Irma - one of the women who raised me and Jess - made it with raisins and onions, and served it with tons of jus over white rice. This was typically our fanciest meal and reserved for Friday night Shabbat dinners. When I told Justin about the significance of the roasted chicken, how it recalls Irma, Shabbat, and my ultimate childhood comfort and warmth, he found and cooked up this Jamie Oliver recipe. Not only is it the best roasted chicken we have ever made or had, but its rustic style reflects the culture of our kitchen.  


I hope it fills you with all kinds of goodness. - J & J

kosher organic chicken this guarantees a brined and well-raised bird

onions (2-4) amount depending on how much you love onion

carrots (2)

celery Stalks (2)

garlic (1 bulb)

olive Oil

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

lemon (1)

fresh thyme, rosemary, sage small bunches and whatever combination / ratio you want

*Recommended: serving with any kind of wild rice mix cooked with broth (I love the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley). The Rice Plus Anything Stew is also great for leftovers.

To prepare your chicken

• Take your chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven 
• Preheat your oven to 475°F
• There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them 
• Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled 
• Pile all the veg and garlic into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil 
• Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the bird 
• Carefully prick the lemon all over, using the tip of a sharp knife 
• Put the lemon inside the chicken’s cavity, with the bunch of herbs 

To cook your chicken
• Place the chicken breast down on top of the vegetables in the roasting tray and put it into the preheated oven 
• Turn the heat down immediately to 400°F and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes 
• Baste the chicken halfway through cooking, turn the bird over breast up, and if the veg look dry, add a splash of broth or water to the tray to stop them burning 
• When cooked, take the tray out of the oven and let bird rest for 15 minutes or so 
• Cover it with a layer of tinfoil and a tea towel and put aside.

To carve your chicken
• Remove any string from the chicken and take off the wings 
• Carefully cut down between the leg and the breast 
• Cut through the joint and pull the leg off 
• Repeat on the other side, then cut each leg between the thigh and the drumstick so you end up with four portions of dark meat 
• Place these on a serving platter 
• You should now have a clear space to carve the rest of your chicken 
• Angle the knife along the breastbone and carve one side off, then the other 
• When you get down to the fussy bits, just use your fingers to pull all the meat off, and turn the chicken over to get all the tasty, juicy bits from underneath 
• You should be left with a stripped carcass, and a platter full of lovely meat that you can serve with gorgeous roast veg over rice

Disgustingly Easy Dijon Salmon

I AM FUCKING DELICIOUS.

Hi! Greg here, long time eater, first time food blogger. I whipped this up the other night and got high marks from my famished guests - perhaps you will too.


salmon fillets
dijon mustard
lemon
extra virgin olive oil
fresh parsley
salt & pepper
that's it, seriously dude.


In a small bowl, mix a couple nice dollops of dijon with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and a teaspoon of olive oil. Salt & pepper to taste.


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. On an oiled/buttered pyrite pan or cookie sheet, place your salmon fillets skin side up. Bake approximately five minutes, then, using a spatula, turn the fillets over, and add your dijon sauce on top - as little or as much as you'd like. (I went conservative - but you may want to drown your fish. There's no denying the tastiness!)


Bake another 5-7 minutes - more if you like your salmon over-cooked - remove, garnish with a little fresh parsley, and serve hot. You simply cannot screw this up. Bone ape tits!

Crock Pot Lamb Stew

lamb (1 1/2 lbs) shoulder or stew meat
carrots (4) chopped
celery (4 stalks) chopped
onion (1) chopped
potatoes (3) medium size, diced
thyme fresh
bay leaves (2 leaves)
beef stock (2 cups)
water (1 cup)
olive oil (1 1/2 tbl)
garlic cloves (8)
salt to taste
black pepper to taste


In large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat.  Saute carrots, onions, and celery until they soften and onions become clear.

In another pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil.  Chop 4 cloves of garlic and rub on lamb.  Place lamb in pan and brown all sides.  About 5 minutes.

Dice potatoes into 1" cubes.  Chop the remaining garlic.  Place the lamb and vegetable into the crock pot.  Add the beef broth, water, garlic, potatoes, bay leaves, and thyme.  

Cook for about 4 hours.  It's ready when the lamb meat flakes off.  Remove the bones if you prefer.

Mango Wrapped Sweet & Spicy Bacon

bacon (1/2 lb)
mango (1)
maple syrup
cayenne pepper
crushed red pepper
fennel seeds


This dish is partially inspired by Grub.  If you haven't been to Grub, go now.  Or, at least, after you make this dish.


This one is simple.  Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.  Wrap a cookie tray with foil.  This makes clean up easier.  Now, lay the bacon on the tray.  Brush with maple syrup.  Dust with cayenne pepper and sprinkle very lightly with crushed red pepper and fennel seeds.  A little goes a long way.  Place in oven.


After 10 minutes, remove the bacon.  At this point there may be lots of juice in the tray.  So, you'll want to drain that off carefully.  Brush with maple syrup and dust with cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper (very lightly) and fennel seeds.  Return the oven for about another ten minutes (or until desired crispness).  Remember the bacon continue to cook after take it out.


Cut the mango into slices between 1 1/2" and 2" long.  Once the bacon has cooled enough touch, wrap it around the mango and enjoy.

Fennel Salad

I am giving life without gluten and high GI foods a try. I developed some acne after hitting my late 20s / early 30s, and wanted to give this remedy a whirl after speaking with the lovely Natalie Lapointe. This is day one, and I am already inspired by my forgotten veggie recipes. It's crazy how much there is to eat out of the ground. Even if I eat a snickers tomorrow, it's really nice to shake up my food rut a bit.

Serves 2

fennel bulb (1) sliced paper thin

lemon (1 tbs) freshly juiced

olive oil (splash)

thyme (1 tsp) chopped

parsley (1 tbs) chopped

salt (to taste)

Cut off the fennel fronds, base, and core. Slice paper thin. Throw in everything else and mix with hands.  

If you want, experiment with more thyme and parsley, the flavor changes tremendously with these quantities.

Chicken Soup for the Blogger's Soul

whole chicken (aprox 4lbs) 
onion (1) chopped
celery (1 1/4 cup) chopped
carrots (1 1/4 cup) chopped
water until it covers the top of the chicken
olive olive 
fresh lemon juice (1/4 T) 
bay leaves (3)
garlic cloves (4)
fresh ginger (1/2" piece) sliced
majoram (1 t)
salt (1 t)
black pepper (1 t)
honey (1 T)


Heat oil with medium heat in a large pot. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until they soften. Add water, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. 


Quarter chicken, remove skin, and add to pot along with seasonings. Simmer for 60-75 minutes. 


Remove chicken and let it cool until you can easily handle it. Pull chicken from bones and return the meat to the soup. Let cook at low heat for about 15-30 minutes. Let it cool and adjust seasoning to taste.


You can also cook some pasta and/or potatoes separately and add to soup before serving.

Pasta Bolognese

(From Sarah!) This is an Italian sauce recipe I learned from my friend Cristina, and tweaked a little bit.  The celery is KEY.  And, if you are not a pork eater, you can use more of the other meat, and it is definitely just as good.  Also, I like to splurge on the San Marzano crushed tomatoes - definitely worth the few extra bucks!
 
pasta 
ground beef (1/3 lb)
ground veal (1/3 lb)  
ground pork (1/3 lb)
celery stalks (2-3 stalks) diced finely
carrots (2-3 medium) chopped
onion (1 medium) chopped
garlic (2-3 cloves) crushed
olive oil 
salt & pepper (to taste)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
parsley (to taste)
basil/oregano (if desired, to taste)
crushed tomatoes (2 big cans)


Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a large sauce pot, and heat on medium. Add meat, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and spices to taste. Saute until meat is cooked through, stirring consistently to break up the meat and make sure the veggies don't burn.


When all is cooked, add crushed tomatoes, stir in, and reduce heat to low/medium. Let simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes, and adding more spices as needed.


Cook pasta according to directions on package. Serve sauce over pasta and top with grated cheese if you'd like.


*If it tastes a bit bitter, you can always throw a bit of wine or balsamic vinegar in there to sweeten it up!