Garlic and Citrus Chicken, by Cheryl

I first saw this recipe from Giada over a year ago and have always wanted to make it. I needed a different idea to roasting a chicken that involved a variety of flavors. As you're eating the chicken you can taste the citrus and garlic... it is not overwhelming and adds a tangy taste. The skin was my favorite part (but it always is) as it was crispy and just to my liking! I will definitely be making this again! Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 orange, quartered
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• Kitchen string or butcher twine (I used tin foil)

Directions:

1) Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2) Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

3) Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning.

4) Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).

5) Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

Chicken Marsala, by Cheryl

Jon saw this recipe in Men's Health and was immediately drawn to it. The picture looked awesome so we went right out to the store and bought the ingredients needed for it. Now in our house I'm the one that cooks and he's the one who cleans up. This time we decided to make it a team effort, although after a while it was just easier for one person to cook it. Jon made this dish and he made it well! Yum!! Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to a uniform 1/4" thickness 1 cup flour (this was too much... 1/2 cup should be fine) 1 tbsp olive oil 2 ounces prosciutto, sliced into thin strips 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 3/4 cup marsala wine 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley salt & pepper Directions: 1) Season each breast with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, add the chicken, and coat the pieces evenly, shaking off any excess flour. 2) Heat the olive oil on medium in a non-stick pan. Add the chicken (don't overcrowd the pan; do 2 batches if necessary) and cook 3-4 minutes per side until the breasts are golden brown and are cooked through. Transfer them to a serving platter and keep warm. 3) Add more oil to the pan if needed, and saute the prosciutto for 1-2 minutes until it starts to crisp up. Add the mushrooms and continuing sauteing until they are well browned. 4) Stir in the marsala and broth, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon, by Diane

This is a recipe I have wanted to make for a long time, and actually did for a list of 30 things to do before I turned 30. It's an impressive recipe that makes one of the best dishes I've ever had- but be warned, it's extremely time-consuming. It took me about 5.5 hours in total, and there are almost 45 steps involved. It's also not the cheapest recipe to make since it requires a good cut of beef and a nice bottle of red wine among several other ingredients. However, it is Julia Child's most famous dish, and for good reason. The end result is a warm and filling stew with meat that melts in your mouth and amazingly combined flavors. Well worth the effort! Enjoy!

(Rather than typing the long list of ingredients and directions out, I am going to post the link below that will lead to a direct photocopy of Julia's recipe from her book, as well as reader comments that are helpful. Make sure to include, along with the 3 pages contained in the recipe, the other 2 pages- 1 for the onions and 1 for the mushrooms).

http://cooking.knopfdoubleday.com/2009/07/13/julia-childs-boeuf-bourguignon-recipe/

Plantains Two Ways, By Diane

This post is the second part of my Cuban adventure (the first part is the most recent post for Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew). I ADORE plantains, any way they come. I learned a lot about them in preparing for my Cuban feast last night, and decided to make them two different ways.

Plantains are like bananas in that they begin firmer and greener and end softer and brown. Green plantains have a more 'unripe' taste than the brown ones, which are sweeter. The brown ones usually get fried and are like a dessert item, called maduros (the 3rd photo down). The green ones usually get fried, then mashed and refried and sprinkled with salt to go with more savory items. These are called tostones (1st and 2nd photo). I've had maduros and tostones and love them both...so my kitchen adventure began.

There's no specific way to do either, you can't really mess them up. I chose to fry the maduros and rub them with brown sugar (or you can put them in some agave syrup but I didn't have any). For the tostones, I chose to bake them until they were crispy to make them a bit healthier. I mashed them into smaller pieces so that they could be like chips to go with the mango and black bean salsa I had as part of this meal, or they could be dipped into the stew. Enjoy!

Maduros:

Use plantains that are dark brown, the darker = the sweeter. Peel and slice them lengthwise, then cut into 2 inch long slices. Fry until both sides are brown and crispy. Rub with a little brown sugar until sugar melts and the maduros are coated. Serve warm.


Tostones:

Use plantains that are green. Peel and slice into 1/2 thick slices. Toss with 2 tsp. oil and 1 tbsp. salt (I used kosher salt). Place spaced out on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the plantains too, and bake for 10 minutes at 400 or until bottoms are slightly browned.

Remove plantains and mash with a flat surface (I used a drinking glass), then flip over (brown side up) and place back on baking sheet, making sure they are spaced out. Spray tops of the plantains lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with more salt, and bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Remove plantains and sprinkle with more salt if needed. Serve cooled.

Cuban Pork and Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Stew, by Diane

One of the reasons Cheryl and I began this blog was to branch out and try new ingredients and styles of cooking, and I don't think a Jewish girl from DC could have branched any farther out than Cuban food. :) I love island food- in case you haven't noticed from my recent posts- and Cuban food is no exception. One of my favorite things about it is that it is so pleasing to the eye as well as the tastebuds- every bite is like a rainbow. I also love the simplicity of the ingredients, yet they all taste so good when combined together. Finally, Cuban food is like soul food that happens to actually be good for you, it's packed with lean proteins, fruits, and veggies.

So, last night I created an entire Cuban feast- beginning with this stew. I got the recipe from Weight Watchers actually, so it was super healthy. Not to mention easy- you throw the ingredients into a slow cooker and go about your day. I served the stew with two types of plantains (see the next post), a mango and black bean salsa, and of course, the obligatory rice and beans. All in all, this was a FANTASTIC meal and probably the one I am most proud of so far since it's so beyond my comfort zone! I went to bed full and happy! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound lean pork loin, cut into 1 inch pieces
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 c orange juice
2 medium scallions, chopped (green parts only)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. cilantro, freshly chopped

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except the last two into a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

2. Stir in remaining two ingredients and cook covered for 5 more minutes.