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Roasted Herbs de Provence Chicken

Roasted Herb de Provence Chicken
Roasted Herbs de Provence Chicken

I love roasting whole chickens. They are kind of like a blank palette. By just putting your favorite flavors together and following some basics, it becomes almost fool proof. I like to try new things all the time, but this is pretty much my basic standard roasted chicken. It’s herby and flavorful, but not overpoweringly so.

If you are not familiar with Herbs de Provence, you should give it a try. Herbs de Provence was first combined in the seventies. It was a mixture of herbs usually found in the Provence region of France. There is no standard recipe for Herbs de Provence. There are many variations as there are with curries. The mix can include any or none of the following: thyme, basil, savory, fennel, rosemary, oregano, marjoram or tarragon…and sometimes lavender. If you shop around and read ingredients, you’ll find no two bottles include the same variations. I always look for the ones that include lavender. Lavender may be the ingredient that drew me in the first time I ever opened a jar and smelled it. The funny thing is, the original mixture did not include the lavender. Lavender was added later to mixtures sold in the US. It appealed to our image of the fragrant fields of lavender in Provence. My personal favorite blend is this one from Williams-Sonoma.

Roasted Herbs de Provence Chicken

1 whole roaster chicken, 5 to 7 pounds, giblets removed, rinsed and dried well
1 T. olive oil
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 t. onion, finely minced
1 t. Herbs de Provence
1/4 t. poultry seasoning (optional)
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place the dried chicken in a large roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Gently slide a spoon between the breast meat and the skin to separate the two. Do this on each side. Then using about 1 or 2 teaspoons per side, put some of the mixture under the breast skin and rub it around (this is totally optional). Use the remaining mixture to rub all over the rest of the bird. Also optional, you can tuck the wings under the bird so that the tips don’t burn and tie up the legs with some kitchen twine to cook more evenly (trust me…it’ll be just as wonderful if you skip that step)!

Put the chicken in the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Cook about 20 minutes per pound. For a 6 to 6.5 pound chicken, roast for about 2 hours. To test doneness, I’m terrible about using a meat thermometer. I just grab the end of the leg, wiggle it a bit and if it wiggles…it’s done. That’s how technically savy I am!

When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Trust me…waiting even a bit longer is better. The chicken will be moist and it will be so much easier to carve.

 

Notes:

  • So, carving? I’m no expert, but I do think there is a really great way to carve the breast. I like to remove the whole breast by cutting down along the body, then slicing the whole breast in slices on the cutting board. It looks much nicer that way.
  • Use the pan drippings to make an awesome gravy and serve with mashed potatoes and your favorite veggies!
  • If you like your chicken with a crispy skin, this recipe will make you happy! Starting off with a dry chicken and that high heat of the oven will ensure crispiness!
  • The poultry seasoning is optional in this. I sometimes add it…or not. It adds a little more of an earthy-herby flavor.
  • Go ahead and toss some bay leaf, lemon peel or onion into the cavity if you like. It all adds a bit of flavor. Just don’t stuff it too much, that will change your cooking time.

 

 

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Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad
Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

With so much going on last week, I felt like I was walking around in a haze half the time. Both global and personal events had me preoccupied. So, in that haze, I made a pot of quinoa last night to accompany dinner, only to realize I’d made so many different things, no one even wanted it. I stuck it in the fridge and figured I’d make a salad with it. Well, here it is! I just started pulling things together and this became the best lunch I’d had in a long time! I could hardly stop eating long enough to take some photos and get this written up.

This salad is a combination of textures. The crunch of the pepitas and the quinoa, and creaminess of the black beans and mangoes are wonderful. And the bit of sweetness from those mangoes and the currants against the savory citrus dressing is so good! I could eat this all day. This salad will be great to pack up for my daughter’s lunches this week or as a side dish for a light and healthy dinner!

Enjoy…and in light of so much heartbreaking news recently…peace.

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

3 C. cooked red quinoa, cooled
2 ripe mangoes, cubed
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 C. frozen sweet corn kernels
1/4 C. currants
2 green onions, sliced
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 C. roasted pepitas

Citrusy Vinaigrette
juice of one lemon
juice of one lime
1/4 C. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. cumin
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the salad ingredients, up to the parsley, in a large bowl. Combine the dressing in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine and get it all covered. Refrigerate for an hour before serving. Toss in the pepitas just before serving to keep their crunch.

 

Notes:

  • I like to rinse my quinoa before cooking. If you don’t have a really fine sieve, line whatever sieve you do have with some paper towel. You’ll have to really shake those little buggers off afterward, but it is worth it. Rinsing removes the saponins (a substance that makes quinoa bitter) and really makes a huge difference. This is the quinoa I use.
  • Pepitas are pumpkin seeds. Find them in the nut section of your store.
  • I used Champagne mangoes in this salad. You can use any mango. They just happened to be on sale this past week. This was my first time trying them. Their texture is a bit creamier than most mangoes, they have a really pretty golden color, inside and out and they get really sweet when left out on the counter.
  • This year, 2013, has been declared, “The International Year of Quinoa” by the United Nations! Read about the global importance of this super nutritious grain.
  • If you’d like more nutritional information about quinoa, check out this great source: World’s Healthiest Foods!

 

Red Quinoa and Mango Salad

 

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Vegetable Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Vegetable Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

When I was still in the “just-thinking-about-maybe-at-some-point-starting-a-food-blog” phase, I really didn’t think I’d be going this far in the vegetarian direction. I think my daughter not eating meat has really had an impact, a good one, on all of us. We do still eat meat, but rarely. It’s surprising to find that there are so many vegetarian options that are satisfying in a way that doesn’t make you stop and think, “I’m only eating this because it’s healthy…I’d rather be eating a pork chop right now.” You know what I mean. Healthy and vegetarian can be delicious and satisfying.

That’s where portabellas come in. They are a fat, meaty, flavorful fungi and really versatile. Stuffing them this way, with the sautéed vegetables and just a bit of breadcrumbs and cheese, tastes like they can’t be good for you…but they are! It looks so cheesy, but there really is very little. Between the mushroom and the vegetables, there is so much flavor, you really don’t need a lot of cheese or fat to make it taste good.

Don’t worry, meat-eaters! I actually do have a great steak idea coming soon! It came to me this afternoon and I am so excited to share it! In the meantime…enjoy these babies…they’ll make you happy!

Oh…and this mushroom humor may may not make you happy…Why was the mushroom a big hit at the party? Because he was a really fungi! :)

Messy? Yes. Sometimes messy is delicious!

Vegetable Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

4 large portabella mushrooms, wiped with a damp paper towel and stalk trimmed
2 T. olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
4 – 6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 – 3 cloves garlic, minced
large handful of spinach
pinch of dried oregano, crushed between your fingers
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 C. dried breadcrumbs
1/4 C. grated Parmesan
1/4 C. mozzarella cheese (I use the mozzarella made with 2% milk)

Line a sided baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub each mushroom with a bit of olive oil and set them on the sheet, stalk side up.

In a 12″ sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil then the onions. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes, then add the zucchini and continue to cook as the zucchini begins to soften. Next add the red pepper and tomatoes. Cook for another few minutes. When the onions have become translucent and soft, add the garlic. Cook for one minute and add the spinach.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Once the spinach wilts, remove the pan from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, up to the Parmesan. Stir to combine.

Divide the mixture in four; I spread the mixture out evenly in the pan and using my spoon, just slice through like a pie to divide equally. Stuff each mushroom with a quarter of the mixture.

Bake in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. Now, top each with about 1 tablespoon of the mozzarella and continue baking for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is just beginning to get golden on top.

Notes:

  • Serve this with a big salad and a small side of pasta with olive oil or butter.
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Tilapia en Papillote

Tilapia en Papillote

We eat this dish a lot! For several reasons. We try to eat fish once or twice a week and this is so easy and really flavorful. Tilapia is a really bland fish, but it’s perfect for the bold flavors from the lemon, whole grain mustard and capers. This cleans up so easily too! Bake and serve in the paper pouch. Easy peasy. And the last reason we’ve been eating it so much lately is…it’s one of those things that has been so difficult to photograph! So, this last time I decided whatever it was, I’d post it. I mean, this recipe is just too good not to share with you. And really, coming from a girl who’s never, ever been very photogenic…I can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for this guy.

Just before getting folded up!

 

Tilapia en Papillote

4 Tilapia fillets
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1 C. grape tomatoes, halved
2 C. baby spinach
1/2 small red or sweet onion, finely diced
1 T. small capers, drained
juice and zest of one whole lemon (about 1/3 C.)
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 t. whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 t. sea salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/8 t. cumin
chopped fresh parsley

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees or your grill on high.

Cut 4 sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil to about 15 to 18 inches. Lay each sheet out on your counter. Place one fillet centered on the right side of each sheet. Divide the vegetables, up to the capers, over the top of each fillet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients up to the cumin. Pour about 2 tablespoons over each fillet.

To seal the packet, fold the parchment in half like a book. Take one corner and fold it up toward you then go along the entire edge folding the paper up and over until you’ve sealed the packet all the way around. If you are using aluminum foil, I like to place the fish dead center, then bring up the sides and just fold down to form a canoe shape. Use whatever technique works best for you.

Place the packets on a baking sheet if baking in the oven and bake on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish. If grilling, place the packets on the grill and grill for 15 minutes at a medium high heat.

Remove when done and either serve in the packet or slide the contents onto a dish. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Tilapia en Papillote Served with Baby Kale and Steamed Brown Rice

 

Notes:

  • Let’s be honest, the parchment certainly looks impressive and is technically the proper material to use, but aluminum foil is easier to fold and is much quicker when you are in a hurry. I use both. It just depends on how many oooh’s and aaah’s I’m fishing for that night. Fishing? No pun intended there.
  • I change this up sometimes and add whatever veggie is calling to me front the veggie drawer. Slices of green or yellow zucchini in the summer are really good and so pretty. No red pepper in the fridge? I’ve used jarred roasted red pepper instead of fresh…that’s really delicious too!
  • This fish is really good served with rice and maybe some dressed greens.
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    Buffalo Baked Blooming Onion

    Buffalo Baked Blooming Onion

    I think I know why our friends have been avoiding us lately. It may have something to do with developing this recipe. We’ve eaten about four whole onions in the past week trying to get this just right! So, all my friends out there, you better be making this one. I always say, “if everyone eats it, then no one has bad breath!”

    This is my healthy take on the deep fried version! I think we all know just how horribly unhealthy that one is. Yes, it tastes pretty good, until you start feeling nauseous from all of the grease. I’m not going to try to tell you that this tastes just like that one. It doesn’t. But I will tell you that this one is really delicious and the added Buffalo flavor makes it even better.

    Buffalo Baked Blooming Onion

    1 large Vidalia onion
    2 T. olive oil
    1 T. Buffalo sauce
    1/2 t. Tobasco sauce
    1/2 C. Panko
    3 T. all purpose flour
    1/8 t. kosher salt

    Dipping Sauce
    1/4 C. non-fat or light sour cream
    1 T. mayonnaise
    2 T. Buffalo sauce
    a few dashes of Tobasco
    1/8 t. salt

    Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment.

    Cut about 1/2 inch of the stem end of the onion. Leaving the root end intact, peel the outer skin. Lay the cut end down on your cutting board, and starting about 1/2 inch down from the root, cut through the onion into four equal sections. Now, go between each of those sections and cut about four more sections, cutting 1/4 inch apart. That’s it!

    Turn the onion over, root end down and gently spread the petals apart.

    In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Buffalo sauce and Tobasco. Set aside.

    In a medium bowl, combine the Panko, flour and salt. Set aside.

    Place the onion on your lined baking sheet and brush it all over with the oil mixture. Now for the messy part…pick up the onion and holding it over the medium bowl, cover it well with the Panko mixture. Return it to the baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

    While it’s baking, combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce.

    Pull it apart, dip in the sauce…and save an awful lot of calories!

    Notes:

    • I combine the Buffalo Sauce (I use Frank’s) with the Tobasco because I like some heat. It does not come out spicy with the Buffalo sauce alone. You can adjust to your liking…add even more if you like spicy!
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