Chicken with lentils

The chicken was tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, salt and pepper, then roasted at 350 with wedged onions for an hour and 15 minutes.  The lentils come from the Zuni Cookbook.  Warm 1/4 cup olive oil in a 3 qt saucepan.  Add 1/2 cup each diced celery and carrots, and 3/4 cup diced onion.  We added garlic, even though it didn't call for it.  Add a couple of pinches of salt.  Cook until softened.  Add a bay leaf, few thyme sprigs, 1 1/4 cup small black or french lentils, rinsed.  Add 1 cup of red wine and 1 cup of warmed chicken broth.  (Warm 2 cups chicken broth total).  Turn up heat, bring to a simmer.  Stir occasionally.  Add more chicken broth as the pan gets close to becoming dry.  (As if you were making risotto).  Continue until the lentils are cooked.  (May not use all of the 2 cups). Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.  Stir in 2-3 tbsp olive oil while still over heat and stir.  Serve.  Pita on the side.  This dinner needed a sauce, in my opinion.  We served it with plain nonfat yogurt, which was good.  Kind of a mix of many mediterranean countries.

For Jack, a creamy salad dressing.  Mix a couple of tsp of grated parmesan with some dijon vinaigrette and a tbsp of mayo.  Stir.  Toss with romaine and tomatoes. 

Shrimp in a roasted red pepper sauce with bulgar pilaf.

First, I think I need to start using my real camera instead of my phone for the photos.  It's just so much easier.

Tonight's dinner was shrimp in a roasted red pepper sauce with a bulgar pilaf and salad.

Shrimp in a roasted red pepper sauce:  This is adapted from "The new mediterranean diet", using what was in my pantry.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil.  Add shrimp and cook quickly on both sides.  Remove.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil.  Add 1 med chopped onion and 1/4 cup minced parsley.  Cook about 10 minutes, until soft but not browned.  Add 2 jars roasted red peppers (I sliced mine, then rinsed the brine off of them) and 1 can diced tomatoes.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup red wine and boil to cook the alcohol off.  I let mine simmer for another 10 minutes.  Puree using an immersion blender.

Put some saffron in warm water to bloom.  Add it along with 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to the sauce.  Stir.  Add the shrimp back into the pan.  Cook on low until shrimp is warm.  Serve at once.

Bulgar Pilaf:  (Also adapted from "THE NEW MEDITERRANEAN DIET")

Warm 3 cups chicken broth.

Saute 1 med chopped onion until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add 1 1/4 cup barley.  Stir.  Add 1 can diced tomatoes.  Stir and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the broth and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, on med, covered 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cook another 15 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.  When I tasted it at this point the barley was still pretty firm, so I returned it to med-low heat for another 10 minutes.  Let sit another couple of minutes covered.  Stir in 1/4 cup minced parsley.

Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore 

This is adapted from "Cooking Under Pressure" .  I used the pressure cooker, but you wouldn't have to.  Just increase the cooking time when you add the chicken.  If I was not using the pressure cooker, I would have left the skin on the chicken and browned it first.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in pressure cooker.  Add 2 med chopped onions.  Saute a couple of minutes.  Add 2 chopped celery stalks and 1 chopped green bell pepper.  Saute another couple of minutes. Deglaze with 3/4 cup red wine.  Add 1/2 pound thickly sliced mushrooms.  Stir.  Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp fennel seed, 1 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper.  Add skinned chicken thighs and legs (8).  Stir.  Add 1 28oz canned tomatoes, chopping them coarsely.  DO NOT STIR.  Put the lid on and bring to pressure.  Cook 9 minutes.  Bring pressure down using the quick release method.  (I let mine come down naturally since I was doing other things)  Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 2 minced garlic cloves.  Simmer until raw garlic flavor is gone.  I simmered mine for about 20 minutes while I finished the rest of dinner.

I served this with orichiette (from March 2011), steamed broccoli and salad.

Jack said the flavors made his "taste buds tingle and dance with joy".

Italian Bean Soup:

Cook one cup small white beans until tender.  Drain reserving liquid.  

Put 1 slice pancetta or bacon, 1/3 cup chopped parsley, 3 small chopped carrots, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 chopped onion into a food processor and process until almost a paste.  Heat a couple tablespoons olive oil.  Add the paste and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes.  Add 3 cups chicken broth and 1 cup reserved bean juice.  Add 1 bunch chopped kale and 2 cups white beans.  Simmer 15 minutes.

I followed the basic recipe from Essentials of Mediterranean Cooking.  The boys and I agree that we prefer the way I've always made this. 

The old recipe:

Cut a couple of italian sausage links into bite size pieces.  Brown in a little olive oil.  Remove.  Add 1 chopped onion, a couple of chopped carrots, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, a pinch of thyme, and a bay leaf.   Cook until soft.  Add 1 bunch chopped kale and stir.  Return sausage to pan.  Cover with chicken broth and let cook until kale softened and sausage cooked.  (The longer, the better flavor).  Add a couple of cups of white beans and cook until warmed through.

Here is a spin on a mediterranean/middle eastern meatball.  Normally this would be made with lamb, but I found a few recipes that called for ground beef.  Since we bought part of a cow last winter, and I have a freezer full of ground beef, I decided to go with it.  This isn't from one particular recipe.  In the future, I would increase the seasonings for more of a wow factor. 

Meat balls:  1 1/2 pounds ground beef mixed with 1/2 tbsp of thyme and oregano, 2 tbsp sumac, salt and pepper to taste.  Make small patties.  Cook in olive oil.  Sprinkle with more sumac to taste.  I served this with hummus, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, tzatziki, feta, and some homemade pita.

Spanish dinner with Barbara

I didn't take any pictures last night, and all of the recipes from our dinner are found elsewhere in this blog.  We had gambas al jillo (which we added halved baby bellas), tomatoes in olive oil and balsamic, tortilla espanola, aioli, and a crusty baguette.  It was wonderful to see you last night Barbara!

Sausage pasta and Broccoli

Broccoli alla Romana (from Mediterranean Harvest):  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan.  Add 1 minced garlic clove, after a few seconds add 2 pounds broccoli florets.  Toss until all broccoli is coated with oil.  Add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Remove broccoli when tender, then reduce wine and pour over broccoli.  (I actually like this better when you use less white wine and add some chicken broth and red pepper flakes.  But, I guess that makes it a different recipe.)

This is from Mario Batali.  A little reminiscent of hamburger helper, the Italian style.  Very homey, a hit with the kids.  Heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil.  Saute 1 minced onion.  Add 1 pound italian sausage, casings remove.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add 6 tbsp tomato paste.  Cook another 8 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup white wine.  Cook until reduced.  Add 1/2 cup whole milk.  Salt and pepper.  Simmer 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook 1 pound dried pasta ( I used small macaroni noodles) until al dente.  Remove 1 cup pasta water.  Drain noodles and add to sauce.  Toss, adding reserved pasta water as needed for correct consistency.  Top with grated parmesan.