dinner

Chicken Ragu over Polenta

by Lisa on February 1, 2013

Every now and then, an ingredient that we’ve never used before will catch our eye. We immediately take it home and wonder what to do with it. A little research later, we often find a delicious recipe to try. When Jeromy picked up a stewing hen at the farmer’s market, I was skeptical. I came home, and a little search of the internets later, I found this recipe for stewing hen ragu. In the middle of the winter, what could be more comforting than a bowl of chicken ragu over polenta? The recipe itself is time intensive, but most of it is hands-off. The worst part is that it makes your house smell amazing as it cooks, but you can’t eat it until the next day.

I used a stewing hen, which is an older chicken and the meat needs a lot more coaxing to tenderize. You can also use a regular chicken, but you’ll want to increase the amount of tomatoes by another can since there is a lot more meat on a regular chicken than on a stewing hen.

The savory combination of rich chicken meat stewed in wine and tomatoes is brightened by adding lemon juice and parsley right before serving. Served over creamy polenta, this dish will please a large crowd or a small family with a lot of leftovers.

Chicken Ragu Over Polenta

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3.5-4 hours

Keywords: entree chicken tomatoes

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

3-4 pound stewing hen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
¾ cup red wine
1 can (28 oz.) plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
½ cup water, plus more as necessary
Pinch ground cloves
Zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
2 teaspoon parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
6 cups of water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups of corn meal
3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

First, butcher the bird. Remove the legs and set aside. Cut off the backbone and remove any excess fat around the cavity and wing tips. Set the breast on a cutting board, meat side up and use a heavy object to crack the breast bone, so that the bird lies flat.

Season the legs with salt and pepper.

Over medium heat, heat a Dutch oven or heavy pot.

Add the oil, then add the legs and wings of the chicken. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate, turn over the onions to avoid burning, then repeat the process with the breast section. Remove to a plate.

To the pot add the rosemary, red chile flakes and garlic. Sauté until fragrant.

Add wine and let it cook down until it has almost completely evaporated.

Add tomatoes, water, ground cloves, and lemon zest to the pot. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken back to the pot and cover as best as possible with the tomato, wine mixture. Add extra water if necessary. Cover the pot with a lid and turn the heat down very low.

Stir occasionally.

Stew the chicken until the meat is tender and beginning to fall off the bone, 3.5-4 hours. The liquid should be at a easy simmer during this time. If the pot seems dry, add a 1/4 cup of water.

Let the chicken cool to room temperature in the tomato sauce and store overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day, pick the chicken meat off the bone and add it back into the stewing sauce.

Reheat the ragu, add additional water to loosen if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Add lemon juice and remove from the heat. Stir in parsley and serve over polenta (prepared with this recipe).

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Culinate.

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{ 8 comments }

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

by Lisa on June 20, 2012

I’ve never been a big fan of meatloaf, but I do like meatballs. Weird, right? They’re basically the same thing. Maybe it’s the name that gets me—who would want to eat a loaf of meat? I realize the answer is a lot of people. There are many meatloaf lovers out there, I’m just not one of them.

A redeeming quality about meatloaf is the make ahead and freezability of the dish. As a working mom, I’m constantly looking for ways to save time while also putting a nutritious meal on the table for my family. I made these turkey muffins with the thought that if I didn’t like them, I could live with it because Jeromy would still eat them. As it turns out, I didn’t have to worry about it.

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree turkey

Ingredients (12 muffins)

non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups chopped arugula
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper
1 pound ground white turkey meat

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, olive oil, feta, salt and pepper.

Once combined, add the turkey and stir gently, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Spray the cups of a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill each cup about 1/2-3/4 full of the turkey mixture.

Bake until the internal temperature is 165 degrees, or at least 25 minutes {or longer, depending on your oven}.

Once baked, use a paper towel to soak up any excess oil on top of the muffins, then run a knife around the edge of each cup to remove the muffins cleanly. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.

The pictures really don’t do justice to how much I loved these muffins. A lot of time turkey meat can get really dry but these stayed wonderfully moist and flavorful. I use some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in place of some of the olive oil, which I think gives the muffins a rich flavor.

I intended to freeze some of them, but we ate them too quickly for that to happen.

These were also kid-approved; I made them for our neighbors and was happy to hear that their almost 3 year old could not get enough.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

{ 4 comments }

Israeli Couscous Salad with Merguez and Preserved Lemon Dressing

by Lisa on April 26, 2012

Out of nowhere, I started received Food & Wine’s daily recipe e-mails. I don’t often take the time to unsubscribe from e-mail lists, I just delete them as they come in. Unsubscribing would make things easier, but then I could miss out on a gem like this recipe. My husband is a huge fan of merguez sausage, so when I see recipes that include it I always give them a try. Traditionally merguez sausage is made with lamb. I was intrigued when I saw buffalo and pork merguez at the farmer’s market, so that’s what I used.

The original recipe called for rice, but I prefer the texture of Israeli couscous. Have you tried it before? It’s one of my favorite ingredients for quick and easy dishes. Once you make this dish, I’m sure it will be one of yours too.

Note: I happened to find preserved lemons on the olive bar at Whole Foods, but you can also get them at specialty food stores.

Israeli Couscous Salad with Merguez and Preserved Lemon Dressing

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: salad entree side Mediterranean

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

1 1/3 cup Israeli couscous {prepared according to package}
salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 preserved lemon, rind only, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon harissa
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
1/3 cup pitted Picholine olives, chopped (2 ounces)
1 pound merguez sausage, sliced long, cut in half, then cut in 1/2-3/4 inch chunks
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

In a saucepan, prepare the couscous as directed. Fluff and set aside in a large bowl.

While the couscous cooks, prepare the dressing. In a bowl, whisk all but 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, lemon juice, preserved lemon, garlic, harissa and cumin. Combine the dressing with the couscous and mix well. Add the olives, fennel and season lightly with salt.

In a skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the sausage and cook over medium high heat until browned, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel. Allow it to drain briefly, then add it to the couscous along with the tomatoes and parsley.

Toss to combine and serve.

This can be prepared ahead and served at room temperature.

When you make a recipe from Food & Wine, you expect it to be good. You don’t expect it to be this good.

This could work as a side dish, as a light dinner or lunch.

All of the flavors meld together beautifully. The harissa and merguez give it a spicy smokiness while the fennel, lemon and tomato cool it down a bit.

This has found a place in my permanent recipe collection. I’ll never skip the F&W Daily Recipe e-mail again.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine.

{ 4 comments }

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

by Lisa on December 19, 2011

Let’s take a short break from cookies and sweets today, shall we? Don’t worry, I’m nowhere near done with my holiday baking but we do need to eat real meals too!

A couple of years ago, Jeromy and I attempted to cook every recipe in Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis within a year. We didn’t succeed, but we did find this recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo that we have come back to over and over again.

Last week, I was looking for something filling but not too heavy and quick to prepare. Caroline’s bedtime coincides with our dinner time so we’re almost always eating after she goes to bed. Some nights, if I’m really on top of my game, we can eat dinner between the time Jeromy gets home and when we start Caroline’s bedtime routine. Since that doesn’t happen very often {eek}, quick meals are pretty essential in our house.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Serves 4 {or 2 very hungry adults, with some leftovers}

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
5 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
5 tablespoons basil, chopped

Method

In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high then add the shrimp and sauté until cooked through.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the shrimp back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir to combine then remove from the heat. Add in the parsley and basil; season to taste with salt.

Serve with a baguette for soaking up the juice.

If you like your dishes less spicy, go easy on the red pepper flakes.

I hate to admit it, but I prepared the full recipe for us instead of cutting it in half {I accidentally bought the full amount of shrimp} and we ate almost all of it. Let’s just keep that between us.

I love how the freshness of the parsley and basil balances out the spice from the red pepper flakes.

A quiet dinner for two. After the baby goes to bed.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Italian.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

by The Splattered Apron

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 cup dry white wine
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
5 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
5 tablespoons basil, chopped

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the shrimp with the salt and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high then add the shrimp and sauté until cooked through.

Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, garlic and oregano; simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.

Add the shrimp back into the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Stir to combine then remove from the heat. Add in the parsley and basil; season to taste with salt.

Serve with a baguette for soaking up the juice.

{ 1 comment }

Family Recipe {Sitoo’s Stuffed Shrimp}

by Lisa on July 5, 2011

My Sitoo {Arabic for grandmother} is a phenomenal cook. My mom always tells me about the meals my Sitoo made when she was young and they sound amazing.

My grandparents lived in a big house not too far from us growing up so we’d often stop by unannounced. At this time, it was just my Sitoo and Jidoo living in the house but as soon as we walked in the door the entire kitchen table would be full of food. Just things Sitoo had on hand. It was pretty incredible and showed me from an early age what to do when company arrives unexpectedly—feed them!

This picture was taken the morning of my wedding. Not our best looks, but it’s one of my favorite pictures of me and my Sitoo.

She’s not going to be very happy when she sees that one

Anyways, Sitoo doesn’t really cook now that she lives in her senior dorm and all of her meals are provided for her. Luckily, I have some of her recipes to make myself. One of my favorite dishes that Sitoo made is stuffed shrimp. Years ago when I asked her for the recipe she said it was pretty much a little of this and a little of that, she didn’t have anything written down. Sadly, I never wrote down what she did while I watched her make it. Lucky for me, I mentioned this to one of my aunts and she had written down the recipe while watching Sitoo right after she got married in 1976. She still has the recipe and shared it with me. Naturally, I had to make it right away.

{Sitoo’s Stuffed Shrimp}

Ingredients {Serves 2, plus a little leftover}

1 pound shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 roll Ritz crackers, crumbled
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stick, diced {or less, depending on how much onion—it should be in even amounts}
1/4 lb butter {1 stick}, softened
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the softened butter and garlic.

Chop the onion and celery.

Melt about half of the garlic butter in a pan and sauté the onion and celery until soft, but not browned. Then add the crumbled Ritz crackers and mix well to combine and add the lemon juice. The mixture will look very dry, but that’s how it should be. {Sitoo told me tonight that she would also add a splash of sherry wine at this point; next time I will do that. As she described it, just enough to make you think, “oh, there’s a little sherry in this” but not more than that.} Remove from the heat after 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the rest of the garlic butter in a separate pan and pour into a baking dish. Rinse the shrimp and place in one layer in the baking dish.

Spread the stuffing over the shrimp in an even layer. If these shrimp were extra large or jumbo, they’d be big enough to stuff, but since these were not that big I prepared the shrimp as a baked dish. The flavor is the same either way.

Pop this in the oven for 30 minutes. When it’s done, the top will be nice and brown and the shrimp will be pink and cooked through.

This dish is the epitome of comfort food for me. It reminds me of my Sitoo and spending time with her in her kitchen.

I wouldn’t eat this every day, or even every week, I don’t want to even think about all of the butter in this dish. But occasionally, indulging is okay. Especially when it’s a family recipe.

Sitoo called tonight to see how this dish turned out and I told her how much we loved it.

Of course, it’ll never be exactly the same as when Sitoo makes it—it’s her creation and she included poultry seasoning in the stuffing {which I didn’t have on hand}. But when I want a dish that will feel like home, it’s nice to know this one is there for me. Thank you, Sitoo, I love you!