Recently in Main Course Category

We're big risotto fans around here and with the downpour of rain yesterday and the day before, I was ready to tuck in to a bowl of it.  But, it's Spring.  I can't just ignore that fact and make our usual Chicken Mushroom and Bacon risotto.  My tastebuds just wouldn't let me.  I needed something fresh and zesty.  That's right.  Zesty.
 

I'd say these lemons are juiced and zested as, brew. 

Moving right along. 

One of our favorite Spring risottos is Jamie Oliver's Asparagus, Mint and Lemon risotto and I just happened to pick up a bunch of new season asparagus at the market yesterday.  When I let Sophie know what was for dinner she said, "I hope it doesn't have that green stuff in it."  Great.  But what's that?

 

Greek olives sitting on the back shelf of the fridge?  You win.  In the pot you go.

 
Risotto with Chicken, Lemon and Olives
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Asparagus, Mint and Lemon Risotto

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + more for drizzling
4 Tablespoons butter
2 sticks celery, washed, trimmed and finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
12 ounces arborio rice
4 ounces dry white wine
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - poached and diced
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
10 to 15 greek olives (I would have liked to use firmer green olives but these tasted just fine), pitted and halved
zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 to 5 ounces grated parmesan

In a medium stock pot, heat chicken stock over low heat.

In a large heavy bottomed pot heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add celery and onion and saute until soft and translucent.  You don't want it to color. 
Add arborio rice to onions and celery and stir constantly.  You want the rice to become sticky and slightly translucent around the edges. 
Add wine all at once and stir constantly until it is completely absorbed. 
Once the wine is absorbed, add the chicken stock one cup at a time and stir until each cup is completely absorbed before adding the next cup of stock. 
Once the rice is tender but not overly soft (you don't want mushy risotto), add the last cup of stock, remove from heat and beat in remaining 2 Tablespoons butter, lemon zest and juice and parmesan.  Stir olives in.  Drizzle with olive oil and cover for around 5 minutes (or as long as it takes you to set the table).  Serve topped with a little extra grated parmesan.

I recently received a Staub pot for my birthday to fill the gaping hole caused by leaving my Le Creuset back home in New York and have been using it like crazy.  One pot chicken meals are my favorite so far in this pot and I've been searching for them.  I found this one in my Happy Days with the Naked Chef cookbook by Jamie Oliver.  It seems odd but was tasty and really moist.

 

I love bubbly butter.



 

Do you see that thing on the end there near the, um, tail?  It's the tail!  They leave it on here in NZ.  It grossed me out for a long time and I used to cut it off when cooking but now, I embrace the tail.



Chicken in Milk
(from Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver)

1- 4 1/2 lb organic chicken
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick of butter (approx 114 grams)
olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked (I totally sinned and used dried sage, it definitely suffered)
zest of two lemons (use a potato peeler to zest them into wider strips)
10 cloves of garlic, skin left on
2 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 375º F and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken that can go in the oven.  Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden.  Remove pot from heat, put the chicken on a plate and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot.  This will leave you with the tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan, which will give you a lovely caramelly flavor later on.

Put the chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, (bring ingredients to a boil) then cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, removing the lid for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.  Baste with the cooking juice when you remember.  The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce that is absolutely fantastic.  (Fish out the garlic from the sauce and use in your mashed potatoes if desired.)

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide onto your plates.  Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds.  Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

 

This is a super easy and quick recipe that I tried out the other night.  I'm not usually a thigh girl (well, nevermind) but these were great.  The whole house smelled like bbq chicken.

Devilled Chicken - serves 2
Taste Magazine

2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp white wine vinegar
pinch cayenne pepper (I didn't have this so I used some tandoori seasoning)
1 tsp mustard powder
4 boneless chicken thighs
baked potato or kumara, to serve
green salad, to server

Mix tomato paste with the vinegar, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and a pinch of salt to make a paste. Rub this over the chicken, then grill (broil) for about 7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. If necessary (I did this), roll and skewer chicken first to hold it in shape. Serve with baked potato or kumara (sweet potato) and salad.

(from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, Vol I:)

Beans
1 pound Great Northern or navy beans
8 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Chili
12 ounces Mexican beer (not dark)
2 cups diced onions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and diced
4 Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed cumin seeds
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 tablespoons ground New Mexico chile
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed by soaking
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
Cilantro leaves for garnish

To make the beans: Pick over the beans for debris, then place in a sieve and rinse well. Place in a large pot. Add the water, onion, garlic cloves and a grating of black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until the beans are tender. Add the salt during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

To make the chili: While the beans are cooking, place the beer in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, green chiles, oregano and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the chicken into strips, then dice. Add to the pot along with the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the ground chile and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place the tomatillos, minced cilantro, vinegar and salt in a food processor and process to a salsa consistency. Stir into the chili. Add the drained cooked beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning; add salt if desired.
Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese over each serving and broil until the cheese is golden (or skip this step and simply let the cheese melt into the hot chile). Garnish with cilantro. Serves 6.

Then, the next morning you can make this with your leftovers:

I found this recipe in Healthy Food magazine.  I also found some organic diced pork on special the other day so I've made this twice in the last two weeks.  I've substituted spinach for the rocket both times with no problems.

Pork, tomato, cannellini bean and rocket stew
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

    * 750g lean pork, diced
    * 1/4 cup plain flour
    * 2 tablespoons olive oil
    * 1 onion, cut into thin wedges
    * 4 tomatoes (about 600g), diced (I used 1-400g can with the
juices)
    * 1 1/2 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
    * 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    * freshly ground black pepper
    * 1 cup baby rocket

Instructions

Step 1  Preheat oven to 200ºC. Lightly coat pork with flour. Heat 2
teaspoons of the oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole dish over
medium heat. Add a quarter of the pork and cook, stirring
occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
Cook remaining pork, in 3 batches, adding more oil as required.

Step 2  Add onion to casserole and cook, stirring, until soft. Add
tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Return pork to casserole,
cover and bake for 45 minutes.

Step 3  Remove casserole from oven. Add the beans, cover, and bake for
a further 15 minutes, or until pork is tender. Season with pepper,
stir through rocket and serve immediately.

I've become more adventurous with my cooking since arriving here.  I like to think that it is out of necessity as food and almost everything else costs so much.  So making things at home is almost always cheaper than eating out.  I even convinced the girls to eat this. I just held putting the Curry paste in until I after I had dished their plates.

Chicken Green Bean Curry with Coconut Milk
Makes 2 or 3 servings

Ingredients

    * 1/2  pound  green beans, ends trimmed
    * 2  boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (10 to 12 oz. total)
    * 1  tablespoon  salad oil
    * 1  to 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared Thai red curry paste (or 1
tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon
chili powder, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne)
    * 1  can (14 oz.) reduced-fat coconut milk
    * 1  teaspoon  sugar
    * 1  can (8 oz.) sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained (I left
these out)
    * Fish sauce or salt

Preparation

1. Slice beans diagonally into 1 1/2-inch lengths. Cut chicken into 1-
inch cubes. Place a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When pan
is hot, add oil and beans; stir-fry 2 minutes.

2. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned,
about 4 minutes. Add curry paste, coconut milk, and sugar. Reduce heat
to low and stir until curry paste is well blended. Add bamboo shoots;
continue cooking until hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Add fish sauce to taste.

In honor of tonight's Big Night party, here's our favorite risotto recipe from Jamie Oliver's Cook with Jamie cookbook. The original recipe calls for twice as much butter & goat cheese as we've used, and it's still very rich - I think you could make it just with olive oil and skip the butter entirely. At any rate it's definitely our new favorite risotto recipe, hope you like it as much as we do!

1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 package 'Baby Spinach & Arugula' blend
1/2 onion, chopped fine
4 tbs butter
1-1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4-6 cups chicken stock
1/2 lemon
1 cup grated parmesan
4oz goat cheese

The spinach

• Melt a tablespoon of butter and a splash of olive oil in a large skillet
• Add a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
• Add 1tsp ground nutmeg (or grate fresh)
• Add baby spinach & arugula, cook for 5 minutes, moving around in pan until it's evenly dark & wilted
• Take off heat, set aside until risotto is ready

The risotto

• Warm chicken stock in a saucepan on stove
• Melt 2tbs butter in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan
• Add onion, saute until it starts to turn brown
• Add rice & stir until it starts to turn clear on edges
• Add wine, stir until wine fully absorbs into rice (keep stirring or it will stick to pan)
• Add chicken stock, around 3/4 cup at a time, stirring until each absorbs into rice
• When rice is slightly firmer than you'd eat, add the final stock (it should be looser than you'd expect) and take off heat

The mix

• Chop spinach very fine (or use food processor), then add to risotto & stir
• Add last tablespoon of butter, parmesan and squeeze lemon juice into risotto
• Add salt & pepper to taste, stir
• Fold in half the goat cheese
• Serve into dishes, sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top, drizzle with olive oil (if desired, it's already pretty rich!) and serve with parmesan

Adapted from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook.

This recipe calls for the addition of sherry at the end. We aren't sherry drinkers so I just added the cream cheese before blending. You could easily add cream or milk as well. I may try it next time without the addition of any dairy substance. It was delicious!
Servings: Makes 6 servings.

6 tbsp butter
1 small onion, thinly sliced
24 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
6 cups light chicken stock or broth
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup cream cheese

In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour.

Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then add the cream cheese and transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again and serve.

Our girls don't like tomato sauce on their pasta so I remembered that I used to make Carbonara pasta before we were married.  I dug out my old recipe and it was as delicious as I remember.  We've been using this recipe maybe twice a month now because it is so darn easy.  Throw in some peas if you like (my kids won't eat them).

This recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef cookbook.

1 pound dried penne
10 slices of pancetta or bacon (I've used prosciutto as well and it's great)
olive oil
5 egg yolks
7 tablespoons heavy cream
4 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente.  While the pasta is cooking, slowly fry the pancetta in a little oil until crispy.  Break it up a bit, then put it to one side.  In a bowl big enough for the cooked pasta, whisk the egg yolks, cream and half the Parmesan.  When the pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately toss it with the warm, crispy pancetta and egg mixture.  Make sure you add the pasta immediately as it's the residual heat that will cook the egg yolks but still leave the sauce silky and smooth.  Season well using the salt, pepper and remaining Parmesan.

I made a ham for Easter and used the leftover ham and bone to make this yummy soup yesterday. The recipe is from Everyday Food Magazine. Gotta love Martha!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 bag (16 ounces) green split peas
ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

In 5 quart heavy pot with lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add broth, split peas, ham bone, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover; simmer until peas are soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make croutons: in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Remove and discard bone from soup. Lightly mash the peas or if you want, puree 1/2 the soup in a blender, return to pot. Add ham cubes, and simmer until heated through. If necessary, thin with water (I added about another cup). Serve topped with croutons.