Lemon Thyme Chicken

I live in Silver Spring but work in Baltimore—and by the time I get home weekdays I am done. But I am also hungry and feel the need to be rewarded with a good dinner. To be at the ready I do my major grocery shopping on Saturday and cook all Sunday afternoon. Usually I fix one meat dish, like baked chicken or pork tenderloin, make a pot of soup and a casserole. When I stagger in the door Tuesday night, all I have to do is steam some green beans or warm up a baguette and dinner is served.

Lately I’ve been relying on a recipe for Lemon Thyme Chicken from the Barefoot Contessa. The dish generates a lot of savory juices which you can spoon over cous cous or rice. I have that Sunday night with asparagus for a proper sit down dinner, then use the leftovers later in the week for a salad made with butternut squash and olives, or granny smith apples and dried cranberries.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (2011)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts with skin and bone still attached
(The original recipe asks for skinless, boneless and, I’d argue, flavorless chicken breasts. If you are going to eat meat, it’s best to acknowledge it’s origins upfront)

1/3 olive oil
9 cloves of garlic, minced
1/ 3 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon of finely grated lemon zest (The kick is well worth the effort!)
2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs for decoration
Salt and paper to taste
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Process:

Sauté the minced garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute at a high heat. Take off the burner immediately so the garlic does not brown. Add wine, lemon zest, lemon juice,
oregano and thyme along with 1 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper to taste. Pour into a 9" x 12" Pyrex dish.

Pat the check breasts dry, then salt and pepper them. Place the breasts skin side down into dish then flip them over so that the now-oiled skin side is up. Tuck lemon slices around the chicken and cover with aluminum foil

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then let chicken brown for another 10 minutes or so. If the chicken is done but is still pale, run under a broiler for 2 minutes. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes, then serve on a bed of cous cous, rice or orzo with fresh thyme. Be sure to generously spoon the pan juices over the grains to get the full, fattening pleasure of this dish.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Rumor has it that another heat wave is on its way so we’d better face it with salad for dinner. An Iranian friend of mine loves feta and watermelon and swears she could live on it all summer long on. Here’s an adaptation of a recipe from DC’s Komi, a Greek-come- nouvelle-cuisine restaurant I hope to actually visit one day when I have enough money. Until then this salad will do. Arugula gives this sweet and salty combo an additional nutritious punch. I serve this salad with hardboiled eggs and steamed green beans—both of which were cooked the day before and have been waiting in the refrigerator with the cold melon.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of arugula
½ half of a fennel bulb, sliced thin
2 cups watermelon cubes
4 ounces of feta, roughly crumbled

Process

Mix together the olive oil and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Combine the arugula and fennel with the dressing and set aside to wilt a bit. Next add the watermelon and feta. Toss and serve immediately with a sourdough baguette.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

August 15 is Julia Child’s birthday. To mark the occasion, I usually bake Reine de Saba, a dense cake full of chocolate, rum, almonds and butter. The recipe comes from Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and was evidently one of her favorite treats.

The recipe makes a single layer measuring 8” across—and that is fine, just enough. The cake is so rich you only need a (very) modest portion to feel happy and satisfied. Sometimes it’s fun to build a dinner around dessert: have a simple tomato soup, a dark leafy green salad and a baguette and let this regal chocolate cake be the finale!

Recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1983)

Ingredients

For the cake:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate (Buy the very best you can find! 4 oz is equal to a large bar of Ghirardelli’s chocolate. Scharffen Berger is also an excellent brand.)
2 tablespoons dark rum*
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup slivered almonds, finely ground
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup cake flour
3 eggs, separated

For the icing:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 tablespoon rum*
6 tablespoons butter
Handful of slivered almonds for decoration

*If you don’t care for rum, substitute with strong coffee.

Process, Cake

Butter and flour an 8” round cake pan and set aside.

In a double boiler over medium heat, gently melt 4 oz of chocolate. Add the rum and set aside as well.

Cream the butter and 2/3 cup of sugar together in a ceramic bowl, then add the yolks and beat thoroughly.

With a clean set of beaters, whip the egg whites in a large bowl until they begin to foam. Add cream of tarter and salt and continue to beat. When the egg whites start to hold their shape, add the 2 tablespoons of sugar, bit by bit. When at last the egg whites are very stiff and can be “dalloped” into the shape of a candy kiss, stop.

Quickly return to the chocolate and rum mixture and stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate to the butter-and-sugar bowl, then add the ground almonds, almond extract and flour. Mix thoroughly.

Next, stir a forth of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate batter to lighten the texture. Fold the remaining egg whites into the batter, turning the bowl as you go. The goal is to blend the ingredients without over-mixing so that the egg whites will make the cake rise.

Turn batter into the floured cake pan and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Test for done-ness by inserting a toothpick or sharp knife 2- to 3- inches towards the center of the cake. If it is not clean, bake for an additional five minutes. The texture should be dense like a brownie.

Remove from the oven and let the cake rest for 10 minutes or so. Run a knife around the cake pan’s edge and turn onto a large plate. Cool cake completely before icing it.

Process, Icing

In a double boiler, melt 4 oz of semisweet chocolate. Add 1 1/ 2 tablespoons of rum and stir until smooth. If the chocolate “clumps,” start to add the butter and spoonful at a time and beat until you achieve a creamy consistency.

Ice the cake from the center out using long, curving knife strokes. I only ice the top and decorate with a half-handful of slivered almonds at the center to create a sort-of “sunflower.”

If there are any leftovers, securely cover with several layers of plastic wrap to keep the cake moist. Cake should keep for a day or so.

Pork Tenderloin

We’ve come to that odd phase in the year when it can get soft and springy in the afternoons but you still need a wool coat in the mornings. As the weather vacillates, so do your cravings, and the solution is pork tenderloin. Roast one up over the weekend, and when it’s cold and mean on Monday, serve it with some comforting sides like sautéed kale and baked sweet potatoes. But if it's warm on Wednesday, serve round two with something light like a salad of cous cous and baby peas. Then take a walk after dinner—it’s still light out.

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking (1997)

Ingredients:

1 pork boneless tenderloin, approximately 1.5 to 2 lbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried thyme, rosemary or tarragon (Or use fresh if you are lucky enough to have some on hand. I’ve used a combination of “Provencal -Frenchy” spices like thyme, sage and lavender. Try some variations and see what you prefer.)

Process:

Position the baking rack to the center of the oven.

Select a Pyrex dish that will accommodate the pork loin, but is neither too snug nor too spacious. (If the tenderloin roasts all alone in a large pan, the meat will cook too quickly and dry out—never a good thing in a roast.) For a 2-pound loin, I usually use a 9” x 9” baking pan.

Rub the tenderloin with the spice and olive oil mixture. Put in an oven pre-heated to 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250 and let it roast for 65 minutes. Slow cooking keeps the pork loin tender.

Remove from oven and loosely wrap the tenderloin in aluminum foil and let it sit for 15 minutes to complete cooking. You can slice it right then or gently reheat it later. To avoid dry slices, do not carve the roast until you are ready to serve it.

Tofu Veggie Scramble

This is one of those go-to recipes that can make a quick dinner on a “school night.”A dash of turmeric and a generous handful of grated Pecorino Romano gives the dish a sunny flavor akin to scramble eggs and might persuade those who are suspicious of tofu to give it a try.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living, March 2008

Ingredients:

1 container (14 oz) of firm tofu

2 teaspoons of olive oil

½ red onion, diced

1 large orange of red bell pepper cut into ½” pieces

1 ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

3/4T teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon coarse ground pepper

6 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Process:

Drain tofu and place on a couple of paper towels on a dinner plate. Remove more water by covering the tofu with second plate weighted with a small, gently heavy object like a mortar and pestle or a paperweight. Leave for 15 minuets or so. Transfer tofu to a shallow bowl and “rice” into rough chunks with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and peppers until soft. Add the tofu, tomatoes and spices and cook for three minutes more. Remove from heat and toss in the grated cheese. Serve immediately with rice and a steamed green veggie like broccoli or green beans for a colorful, nutritionally balanced meal.

Berry Shortcake

Everyone agrees that the best berries come from a farmers’ market or, better yet, a pick-your-own farm. But for berry shortcake, the debate still rages from year to year: what vehicle, what kind of cake, should your berries have? I grew up with slices of Sara Lee Pound Cake as a base. I always liked to peel the brown crust that came off in one piece and eat it first. But now Sara Lee pound cake seems too sweet and, I suspect, the ones available now were baked in April and have been quietly soaking in their own preservatives in refrigerated stoarge.

Some savvy grocery stores display angel food cakes next the strawberries in the produce aisle. And while angel food is a (comparatively) low-fat alternative, that cake lacks the heft—and the indolence— to soak up the juices of over-ripe berries.

My ideal shortcake nowadays is a low-key, slightly sweetened biscuit; the buttery quality of the pastry lets the tang of the berries sing through, and sweet biscuits can absorb the juice without getting soggy.

The July-August 2008 edition of Cook’s Magazine featured a recipe for peach shortcake which can be readily adapted to other summer fruits. I made a batch of strawberry shortcakes for a recent family party. They went over so well that I plan to make another batch with a combination of late-summer fruits like blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.

For the fruit—

2 pound of berries (or other in-season fresh fruit)
3 tablespoons sugar

Wash and pat the fruit dry. Cut into bite sized positions, sprinkle with sugar and set aside. If you are planning to serve the dessert later in the day, store the fruit in the refrigerator. But be sure to take it out an hour or so before serving so that the fruit can taste its best.

For the shortcakes—

2 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoons baking powered
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold buttermilk
1 egg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. Next, stir in the melted butter; some clumps will form as the butter hits the cold buttermilk, but, incredibly, that’s desired to create a richer shortcake.

Pour the buttery liquid into the dry ingredients and quickly pull the dough together with a spatula. Stir for only 30 seconds or so.

Line a cookie sheet with a length of parchment paper. Butter a 1/3 cup measure. Use the cup to scoop a portion of dough and turn it onto the cookie sheet to form a shortcake. You might have to re-butter the measuring cup after a time or two. Space the shortcakes two inches apart. If you are judicious with your portions, you should get about six or seven shortcakes. Sprinkle each with sugar and bake for 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Let the shortcakes cool before serving. In the meantime, beat up some fresh cream:

For the cream—

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour cream into medium ceramic bowl. Add a scant tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla. Beat with a mixer or, for the brave and those trying to work off some pre-dessert calories, beat by hand with a wire whisk until soft peaks are formed. Keep the cream refrigerated until it is time to build the shortcakes.

To serve—

To build a shortcake, slice one in two with a sharp knife. Cover the bottom half with a more-than-generous spoonful of berries. Add the top, a dollop of cream and a berry for garnish.

Indian Chicken Bits

The original recipe for these savory bits comes from Madhur Jaffrey, the Julia Child of Indian cookery, by way of my friend Lois, a consummate yet practical foodie.

It’s one of those gratifying recipes that tastes as if you put a lot of effort into it but is actually quite easy. And it lends itself to multiple uses—you can quickly cook up a batch Wednesday night, then have the leftovers later in the week in a dinner salad or for cocktail-hour snacks. Try them for a picnic!

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Quick and Easy Indian Cooking (1996).

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs. boneless skinned chicken breasts

1 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil ( I use olive oil)

Process:

Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Raw chicken tends to be damp and rubbery, so don’t “carve” the meat; use long swift knife strokes to cut the bits. Set the pieces aside in a chilled bowl while you prepare the spice mixture.

In a separate bowl, stir together the pepper, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, paprika, salt and thyme. Pause to appreciate the rich smell of the combined spices! Add the garlic and stir in 1 tablespoon of the oil. The mixture will form a stiff paste. Stir the spices into the chicken so that all of the pieces are evenly coated and let sit for ten minutes or so.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Quickly stir fry the chicken until the surfaces are opaque; the pieces should not be fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a baking dish, spreading the bits into a single layer. Cover with a piece of foil that has been lightly coated with oil and place in an 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and serve immediately, or drain and reserve for a cold dish.

I serve Indian Chicken Bits with rice or cous cous and a sturdy green vegetable like asparagus.

Theme and Variations:

For a distinctive dinner salad, mix about a cupful of Indian Chicken Bits with a small mango cut into large cubes. Toss with a bag of pre-washed arugula and two tablespoons of Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette. Top with half a handful of toasted pecans. Serve with warmed sour dough rolls or the commercial nann now available in most grocery stores.

According to Lois, the Indian spice mix is quite good on grilled chops and seafood. Marinate item in the spices for ten minutes, then grill until done.