Ok so here’s the deal with this one: you can cook a whole chicken, incredibly juicy & tender, in 45 minutes. Whole chicken. On a weeknight. Yep! You’ll even have time for seconds.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 6lbs
2 tablespoons softened (not melted!) butter
1-2 teaspoons salt
herbs of your choice, I used sage, thyme & rosemary
lemon slices (about 6)
veggies for roasting (optional)
Recipe:
Wash the whole chicken, remove the gibblets & pat dry with a paper towel.
Lay the chicken out on a cutting board so that the backbone is facing up.
Starting at the tailbone, use kitchen sheers to cut along one side of the backbone first, all the way to the top of the neck. Repeat on the other side.
Pull out the back bone, you can make an extremely flavorful stock with this! Or just discard.
Turn the chicken over so the belly side is up.
Press your palms on the chest of the chicken & press down hard. The chicken should flatten slightly.
Use the kitchen sheers to cut off the tips of the wings. The wing tips cook faster & will burn if you leave them on.
Mix the butter with the herbs & salt.
Lift up the skin and slide your hand in there to make room for the lemon slices. Then, slide in a lemon slice with a little of the seasoned butter under the skin for the breasts and thighs. Rub any leftover lemon around the skin on the outside of the chicken. Same with any extra butter.
Use a large cast iron pan (or roasting pan if you don’t have a cast iron). Lay your chicken in the pan with the belly side up. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Place the chicken in a preheated oven at 450 for 30-40 minutes. Make sure the internal temp of the chicken is at 165 degrees before you eat it!
If you’re adding in vegetables, keep an eye on the timing. Add them when the chicken has already cooked for 15-20 minutes, depending on what veggies you’re using/how long they take to roast.
Who else loves the hearty, creaminess of Spinach & Artichoke dip? Want an eggless version? Look no further!! This recipe will take you 20 mins tops & has 5 simple ingredients.
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
1 box frozen spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 cup plain unflavored yogurt (can sub sour cream)
1/3 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Recipe:
Strain the spinach in two layers of towels, you want as much moisture out of it as possible.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, yogurt, cheese, and the spinach. You don't need to add salt because the cheese is salty.
Pour the mixture into an oven safe bowl & bake on 375 for 15 - 18 minutes.
Sprinkle paprika if you want but it's delicious without it! Enjoy with tortilla chips, pita bread, plantain chips, whatever you like with your dip!
Oh em gee... probably my favorite dessert ever! And I finally built up the confidence to try making it. The process for macarons is tedious because you need to be really precise & careful at every stage or you'll mess them up. But, if you do follow the process correctly, you'll end up being so happy with the results! Here's my take, enjoy!
Time: 1 hour total for about 25-30 macarons
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond flour, finely ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 medium egg whites (or 2 large)
food coloring if desired
Recipe:
Combine the powdered sugar & almond flour then sift them together into a bowl. Set the mixture aside.
Mix the egg whites in a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Increase the speed to high then add in the sugar, half at a time. If you are using food coloring, pour that in now. I used 3-4 drops of color for mine.
Leave the mixer on high until you see stiff peaks start forming. Stop the mixer.
The wet ingredients are ready when you can take some into a spatula & the batter falls off in the consistency of lava.
Slowly, half at a time, mix in the dry ingredients. Fold them in slowly, careful not to over mix. After half the mixture is incorporated, add in the second half and do the same folding.
Once the mixture is combined, you can scoop it into a piping bag.
Pipe the batter into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, using a macaron template (I got mine on Amazon with a silicon piping bag) or just average about a quarter size for each round. You want to give them enough room to expand slightly as the batter settles.
Once all of the rounds are piped out, lift the cookie sheet & drop it down hard, so it bangs on the countertop a few times, turning it on each bang. This will get rid of any excess air bubbles.
Leave the macarons out for 15-30 minutes until a slight shell appears over them. To test this, gently press your finger on one of them and if no batter comes off onto your finger, they're ready to go!
Bake on 300 for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are hard but not browned.
Allow the macarons to cool for 20 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Then, let them cool completely on a cooling rack before filling them.
For the filling, I made salted caramel, dark chocolate ganache, cream cheese icing, and a pistachio filling made by boiling butter, half & half, ground pistachios, and confectioners sugar.
One of my favorite movies ever!! Ratatouille is incredibly beautiful, healthy, & delicious! Contrary to how it looks, it's actually not difficult to make! Just takes a little patience, and a mandolin slicer. Here's my take on it.
Time: 1 hour, 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 Italian eggplant
3 almost ripe Roma tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
5 basil leaves (fresh)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
In an oven safe pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil & the diced onions for about 30 seconds-1 minute. Use medium-low heat so it doesnt burn. Then, add the garlic.
Wait 30 seconds before pouring in the tomato sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes then tear up the basil leaves & drop them in.
Use a mandolin to slice the zucchini, squash, eggplant & tomatoes very thin.
Arrange them around the pan that the sauce is in, so that the slices alternate between each vegetable. Continue all the way around the pan, until you run out of slices.
Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Sprinkle the oregano, thyme, salt & black pepper on top.
Cover with parchment paper & bake on 375 for 45 minutes.
Remove the parchment & bake for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Classic flavors, easy to make, and really inexpensive too! My kinda meal! Tried making this for Meatless Monday & I'm really excited to have it be a regular on our list. Here's my take on it.
Time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
Chana Masala:
1 can chickpeas
1 red onion
2 tomatoes (medium sized or 2 Roma tomatoes will work)
Tip: Indian grocery stores sell the batter already mixed in the refrigerator section. Easy peesy! I've had it before and it's not bad!
2 cups dry long grain rice (I used basmati)
1 cup dhal / split peas
1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon salt
Recipe:
Cut the red onion & tomatoes in halves, then add them to a small pot & fill with enough water to cover everything. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover & bring to a boil.
Strain the chickpeas & toss with turmeric, then set them aside.
After 20 minutes, pour the onion, tomatoes & boiling liquid into a food processor & pulse until smooth.
Using about 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil, lightly fry the cumin seeds for a few seconds at the bottom of the pot. Careful not to put the heat too high or they will burn. Add in the other spices as well, stirring to combine. Just allow them to fry for 10-15 seconds.
Pour the mixture back into the pot, stirring it to combine with the spices & oil. Add in the fenugreek leaves, garlic & ginger paste as well.
After about 2 minutes, add the chickpeas & potatoes. Cover & let boil for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Serve with rice, naan or dosa!
To make the dosa:
Soak all of the ingredients except the salt in 4 cups water for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight). Then, pulse the mixture with the soaking liquid (add in the salt as well) in a food processor until slightly grainy but mostly smooth. The mixture should be fairly thick.
Next, pour 1/2 cup of the batter in the middle of a non-stick pan. You can pour a little vegetable oil down before to ensure it won't stick.
Wait about 5 seconds before using the bottom of a ladle or large spoon to spread the batter around, in a circular motion. Careful not to press too hard or you'll break the dosa.
After about 30 seconds, you'll notice it start to crisp slightly around the edges. You can add about 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil on it & spread it around with a spatula. Do not flip it.
Add the chana masala in the middle of the dosa, then gently lift up one side over the mixture, then roll it over to completely close the dosa, sealing it with the other side. Use the spatula to lift it off the pan & transfer to a serving dish or plate.
Enjoy! We used a delicious tamarind & date chutney to go with ours.
A gorgeous Spanish dish! Paella seems so intimidating. I tried making it for the first time yesterday and I have to say... it's really not that hard! If you have good quality ingredients & a good paella pan, you're golden. my take on it is a little spicy & packed with incredible flavor.
Time: 45 mins, serves 2
Ingredients:
2-3 cups jumbo shrimp, peeled & deviened, tail on
2-3 cups cooked mussels (can use uncooked but it's a pain to wash & takes longer to cook)
1 cup paella rice (can substitute any short grain rice)
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies (this is where the spice comes in, if you don't want it spicy you can use plain canned diced tomatoes)
1 cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup sweet green peas
3 cups chicken stock (can use 1 chicken boullion cube with 3 cups of water)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1.5 tablespoons safflower oil (or any high-heat oil)
1/2 lemon
Recipe:
Tip: The best way to do this is to get a Paella pan. To serve 2 people, I bought a 13.5 inch paella pan from Amazon. Worked wonders!
Heat the oil & onion in the paella pan on medium heat. After 30 seconds, add the garlic, then give it another 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes.
Pour in the paella rice & toss to combine.
Sprinkle on the smoked paprika & the saffron, then add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover. I used my pizza stone to cover the paella pan because I don't have a large enough pan cover. Reduce the heat to let the mixture simmer while it's covered.
After about 20 minutes, uncover the pan & use a spatula to stir. You may notice some rice sticking to the bottom of the pan, that's okay. Paella should have a nice crust at the bottom. Not a thick crust, but a nice crunchy layer.
Add in the seafood and green peas then cover to allow it to cook for 5 more minutes. Keep the heat on medium.
Once the seafood is cooked, add in the parsley & lemon wedges & serve! Squeezing the lemon juice over the paella before eating it gives it a wonderful fresh taste!
A classy, sophisticated side dish that is so easy to make! Here's my take on it.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
4 rustic potatoes
5 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
Cooking oil spray for the pan
Recipe :
Preheat oven to 425. Cover a glass Pyrex dish with foil & spray to coat with cooking oil.
Put the garlic cloves inside the butter so they begin to infuse.
Wash & dry potatoes, then take them one by one to cut on a cutting board. You're going to want to lay 2 chopsticks on either side of the potato to avoid cutting straight through the bottom (so the potatoes fan out like the picture above).
Cut about 1/4 inch thick slices through the entire potato (until your knife hits the chopsticks). Do the same for all 4 potatoes.
Place the potatoes into a bowl of cold water as they are finished being cut. This will wash out some of the starch from inside the potato before you bake it. Make sure they are dry before baking, though.
Arrange the potatoes in the Pyrex dish & fan them out slightly with your hands. Sprinkle salt & black pepper as desired.
Brush the garlic butter mixture on top of each potato. Cover with aluminum foil & bake for 35 mins.
Take the potatoes out of the oven, uncover them, then brush more of the butter mixture on them.
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of each potato, trying to get some inside the little slits.
Brush with more butter & bake again UNCOVERED for another 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are golden, cooked through.
Winter is for yummy warm hearty soups! You don't have to go out in the cold to enjoy a nice bowl of Udon. Here's an easy vegetarian homemade recipe that will be worth your while.
Time: 2 hours (most of this is the mushrooms soaking)
Ingredients:
1 pack udon noodles
1 pack shiitake mushrooms (can be sliced or not)
water
green onion
soy sauce
salt & pepper to taste
egg if you'd like to add it to your udon
Recipe:
First, wash the mushrooms & then place them in a tall Tupperware / container. Add water to cover the mushrooms (and about 1/2 cup more)
Place another Tupperware / container pressing on top of the mushrooms to keep them from floating. Cover with clear wrap & refrigerate for at least 1.5 hours (overnight is better).
Next, make the udon according to the package (pretty much add them to boiling water then straining them & putting in an ice bath so they don't over cook).
In a medium sauce pan, add the broth along the mushrooms (you can slice them at this point if they aren't sliced).
Bring the broth to a boil, add in a couple splashes of soy sauce (depending on how much you like, I used about 1.5 teaspoons).
Add in the udon noodles and pepper if you like.
Crack an egg one by one into the pot so it poaches in the liquid (if you like).
What a delicious start to Fall soup meals!! There's nothing better than a creamy healthy bowl of Butternut squash soup infused with fresh ginger, chili powder & sage!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 medium sized butternut squash
1/2 cup freshly chopped ginger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
2-3 Sage leaves (sage is pretty strong so you don't need a lot)
Salt & pepper to taste
water as needed
1 tablesooon vegetable oil
Recipe:
Peel & chop the butternut squash into small cubes.
Add the vegetable oil & onions to a large pot on medium heat. Let simmer until the onions are transparent, then add the ginger & garlic. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, sage, & the chili powder (can add the salt & pepper at this time too). Stir to combine.
Once the squash is seasoned, add enough water to completely cover the top of the squash. You should raise the heat at this time to high so it boils.
Cover & let the squash boil for about 15-20 minutes (stirring & adding water as needed occasionally).
Once the squash is fork-tender, you can use an immersion blender to smooth it out.
You can test for salt at this time. Add fresh sage to garnish & serve!
