ORGANIC CHIKEN WITH BEANS & CRUSHED RED BEETS

2 large or 3 medium beets, trimmed
salt and ground pepper to taste
olive oil
1/4 cup kosher salt for blanching
1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and cut on the bias into 2 or 3 pieces each
1 cup yellow wax beans, ends trimmed and cut on a bias into 2 or 3 pieces each
4 organic skin-on breast, preferably with the wing attached
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/3 cup corn or vegetable oil
1/2 cup buch fresh lemon thyme or thyme, leaves stripped and leaves and stems held separately
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 red wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle the beets with salt, pepper and cover with olive oil. Wrap each of the beets in aluminum foil and bake on the for 1 hour or until they are very soft. Lower the oven to 200 degrees F. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the beet skins and chop flesh coarsely.
3. While the beets are roasting, blance the green beans: bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Prepare an ice bath and stir the remaining salt. Immerse the green and yellow wax beans in the boiling water and blance for approximately 2 1/2 minutes, until crisp and tender Transfer immediately to ice bath and let stand for 2 minutes. Drain the beans and set aside.
4. Tightly wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and keep in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes to seal the plastic wrap.
5. Bring a large pot of water to 160 degrees F. Lower the chicken breast into water and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. In a wide saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and beets and season with salt and pepper. Cook, crushing beets with a fork, until the mixture is chunky, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.
7. In a large, saute pan over medium heat, heat the corn oil until very hot. Unwrap chicken breast and dry completely. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place the breast in the pan, skin side down and add to the pan plus 1 tablespoon of butter and thyme stems. Basting the chicken frequently saute the chicken until the skin is crispy and deep golden brown. Do not flip the chicken. remove the chicken breast to a plate. Drain the pan of all the fat and dab off all the burnt pieces. Add the honey to the pan and return to medium heat. When the honey bubbles add the vinegar, 1/2 cup and thyme leaves. Simmer until thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, swirl pan to incorporate, and season with salt and pepper. Fold in beans and cook just until sauce is warmed through.
8. On each of 4 plates, spread some beat-shallot mixture. Center a chicken breast on the beets, and spoon the pan sauce with beans over the entire dish.



So this recipe was adapted from Flavor by Rocco Dispirito. What a welcomed change from the normal chicken recipe that you see. Beets are not something that I eat a lot. All I remember as a child is that purple jar on the supermarket shelf that I was given and I (as any child would) asked "what is that?" If you have ever eaten that you probably have never tried beets since then and this story was repeated by everyone that I presented this dish to. But, let me tell you this is nothing like that jar your mom served you when you were a kid. The sauteing of the beets with the shallots and butter was really good. You still had the sweetness of the beets but the shallots gave it another depth of flavor that I was excited about and my guenie pigs (co-workers) loved. So if you are a long time hater of beets, I say give them another try. It might surprise you.

Picnic Sesame Chicken with Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

4whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, or 2 pounds chicken tenders
2 teaspoons coarse salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
¼ cup (2 ounces) vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup (2 ounces) good-quality mayonnaise
2 cups (8 ounces) sesame seeds, lightly toasted (see note)

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

½ cup (4 ounces) Dijon mustard
½ cup (4 ounces) honey
¼ cup (2 ounces) cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup (4 ounces) canola oil
¼ cup (2 ounces) mild olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Wash the chicken and pat it dry. If using whole breast, cut them crosswise against the grain into 2 1/2 – inch strips. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt and pepper. Put the sesame oil, vegetable oil, soy sauce, and mayonnaise in a small bowl; and whisk to combine. Place the chicken and the mayonnaise mixture in a heavy-duty zippered plastic bag or in a glass bowl. Toss or mix to cover all the pieces (if using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap), then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 425 F with the rack in the upper third (but not highest position) of the oven. Pour the sesame seeds into a gallon-size zippered plastic bag. Transfer the chicken pieces from the marinade into the bag with the sesame seeds. Press on the bag lightly and try to coat each piece of chicken with seeds. Lay the pieces in one layer on an aluminum foil-lined shallow baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is opaque throughout.

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: put the mustard, honey, vinegar and lemon juice in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse 6 to 8 times to combine well. Slowly add the canola oil and then the olive oil through the feed tube with the processor blade running. When the sauce has thickened and all the oil is added, add pepper to taste and process to mix well. (To make the sauce by hand, whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add the canola oil and the olive oil in very thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Whisk in pepper to taste.) Store the dipping sauce in a covered, non reactive container for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before serving.

Place the chicken under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat element for 1 to 2 minutes or until the seeds on the top are toasted but not burned. Allow the chicken to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature before refrigerating. Serve hot or cold with the Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce.

Note: To toast the sesame seeds: Put the sesame seeds in a large, dry, heavy skillet set over high heat. Shake the pan briskly back and forth to move the seeds around, or stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the seeds turn light golden brown. Transfer immediately to the prepared baking sheet to cool; the seeds will continue to cook briefly, so be careful not to over brown.


This recipe was adapted from The New England Table by Lora Brody. So I tried to do something that was not so “frou, frou” as my best friend calls it. He says I really need bring down my cooking to a level that everybody would understand. This I had to listen to from a man who has a Yacht Master watch that cost more than six months of my rent, I digress. But, I gave it a try anyway. So overall this was something that I was satisfied with but not thoroughly enjoyed. I think what threw it off for me was the sesame seeds. I didn’t really like the dry taste that the sesame seeds provided. It gave me something in my mouth that was not pleasant (if you know what I mean and get your mind out of the gutter.) So I would have tried this done this without the sesame seeds or maybe breaded the chicken with bread crumbs or panko to keep with the Asian theme. But, if you like the dry taste in your mouth, then go right ahead and eat the damn thing. But me, I could do without it. Happy cooking until next time.

Champignons Sautes a la Crème (Creamed Mushrooms)

2 Tb of butter
1 Tb of oil
2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
1 Tsp of flour
2/3 to 1 cup of whipping cream
1/8 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Optional: 2 to 3 Tb Madeira
1 to 2 Tb of soften butter

Saute’ the mushrooms in the hot butter and oil for 4 to 5 minutes, but don’t let them brown any more than necessary. Add the shallots or onions and toss over moderate heat for 2 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook slowly for another 2 minutes while stirring.

Off heat, blend in the cream and the seasonings. Then boil down rapidly until the cream has reduced and thickened. Add the optional wine, and boil for a moment to evaporate its alcohol. Correct seasoning.

Off the heat and just before serving, fold in the butter using a rubber spatula.

This is another recipe adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. In an earlier post I mentioned that I accidentally made this recipe. But, I am so glad that I did. This was sooooooo good!!! When I first made it I was a little pissed that I made such a stupid mistake but I was lucky enough that I had bought enough mushrooms for this recipe and enough to complete my original recipe. I first started out by just putting into some Tupperware wondering “What the hell am I gonna do with this shit.” Then I tasted it. My Gawd!! It was soooo good!! I first started out by using some French bread to scoop it up and that first taste was sublime. I think I ate half the container standing over the kitchen sink. Then I knew that I had to do something with what was left. So I immediately grabbed some chicken breast from the freezer and grilled it. This as a topping on that little piece of chicken made it all worth while. A few weeks later I had a weekday date that I had to entertain a night time caller and I made this again with some simple mashed potatoes and asparagus, needless to say……. I got sum after that meal (wink wink). Well until we meet again.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND BITTER GREENS

1 pound penne or other pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 pound Italian pork or turkey sausage
1 cup chopped broccoli rabe, chard, arugula, spinach, broccoli florets, or zucchini
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, grated
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, with juices
½ cup grated imported Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir. Return to the boil and cook, uncovered, until al dente, according to package directions. Drain well.

In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium heat (omit if using pork sausage). Add the meat and brown the meat lightly. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the green vegetable, mushrooms, carrot, basil, and oregano, and cook in the pan drippings over medium heat until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juices and stir well to combine. Return the meat and drained pasta to the pot and add the Parmesan. Simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

So this was another attempt at doing something that was not so upscale and any average person can do. This recipe was adapted from Nathalie Dupree Cooks Quick Meals for Busy Days. Don’t get too caught up in the ingredients listed such as the broccoli rabe or the “imported” Parmesan cheese. Regular fresh or frozen spinach and regular
Parmesan cheese will do. When I took the first taste it brought me back to my college days when I had little money and I would create a pasta dish because pasta would last for days in the fridge, and if I really wanted to splurge I would add some sort of meat to the pot. Overall, this was an easy dish that I had in my bag of tricks (and I’m sure that most of you out there do too) before I stumbled on this recipe. What drew my attention was the use of broccoli rabe. Overall a pretty standard dish that can be added upon to your taste with the addition of some additional herbs, some zucchini, or maybe some sun dried tomatoes, yummy.

POTATO GRATIN WITH MUSTARD

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
6 Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 garlic clove, cut in half
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 teaspoons yellow or brown mustard seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a shallow, baking dish (about 12 by 7 inches) with butter
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sliced potatoes, garlic, and milk and set over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let simmer until the potatoes just begin to get tender. About 8 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the cooking milk. Combine the milk with the heavy cream and whisk with the mustard. Season well with salt and pepper.
4. Layer the potatoes in the baking dish sprinkling the flour and scattering the cheese between the layers. Pour the cream, mustard, and milk mixture over the top of the potatoes.
5. Scatter the the remaining cheese over the top of the potato mixture and sprinkle with the mustard seeds. Bake until the potatoes are completely soft and the cream has thickened and just started to bubble, about 25 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and transfer the gratin to the rack and broil until the top is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

This recipe was adapted once again from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes. Yet another stellar recipe from "The Stewart." Like I have said so many times before, she can do no wrong. Who would have ever came up with a potato gratin recipe with Dijon mustard? I would have never thought of something like that in all my life!!! So I guess you can tell from my opening lines that this dish was delicious. Again the Dijon mustard was something that was an unexpected change that I just loved. But with me anything that is different I might think is the "bee's knees." But, you be the judge and tell me what you think. Till we meet again. HAPPY COOKING!!!

Macaroni Quattro

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 medium onion, diced
½ cup all-purpose flour
5 ½ cups milk
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for cooking water
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 ½ cups (about 4 ½ ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) fontina cheese
1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) Gorgonzola cheese, broken into small pieces
1 pound ziti or mostaccioli pasta
8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish; set aside. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until soften but not browned, about 5 minutes. While the butter is bubbling, add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to coat the onions, for 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and become thick. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and all the cheese. Set the cheese sauce aside.

2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the pasta, and cook 2 to 3 minutes less than the manufacturer’s instructions, until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside underdone. Transfer the pasta to a colander, and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking; drain well. Stir the pasta into the reserved cheese sauce.



3. Shred about 3 slices of the prosciutto to yield ¼ cup; set aside. Place half of the remaining prosciutto in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta mixture. Place the remaining prosciutto in a layer over the pasta, and top with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle the shredded prosciutto on top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack, and cool 5 minutes before serving.


This recipe was also adapted from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes. This was yet another stand out recipe that I will have to remember if I wanna impress someone. I was a little nervous about the amount of different cheeses that I really haven’t used before. I had tried all of them before but I was unsure how all of them mixed together would taste. But, I should never doubt what “The Stewart” has handed down to me from her ivory tower that is Turkey Hill. So if you are in the mood for some good ole mac and cheese but don’t wanna have the usual mixture of cheddar cheese and Velveeta (that my step mom used to make, you all know what I am talking about so get you noses out of the air), give this a try. Good luck till next time

Coq Au Vin

A 3 to 4 ounce chunk of lean bacon
A heavy, 10 inch, fireproof casserole or a electric skillet
2 tb butter
2 ½ to 3lbs cut up frying chicken
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ cup cognac
3 cups young, full-bodied red wine such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, cotes du Rhone, or Chianti
1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock, or canned beef bouillon
½ tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
¼ thyme
2 bay leaf
12 to 24 brown braised onions (see recipe)
½ lb. sautéed mushrooms (see recipe)
3 Tb flour
2 Tb soften butter
A saucer
A rubber spatula
A wire whip

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardoons (rectangles ¼ inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.

Saute the bacon slowly in the hot butter until it is very browned but just lightly Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole.

Season the chicken with salt and . Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Standing back away from the flame, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Salt and pepper the chicken.

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to the simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off fat. Then raise heat to a boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 ¼ cups. Adjust the seasoning. Remove from the heat, and discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it, and baste with the sauce (*) if the dish is not to be served immediately, skim the fat from the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. It can wait indefinitely.

Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to

Oignons Glace A Burn
(Brown – braised Onions)

For 18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1 ½ Tb butter
1 ½ Tb oil
A 9 to 10 inch enameled skillet
½ cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth


When the butter and oil are bubbling in the enameled skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. If they don’t brown uniformly, its okay.

Then either braise them as follows:
Pour the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet that you prepared previously. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tinder but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are, or follow one of the suggestions at the end of this recipe.


Champignons Sautes Au Beurre
(Sauteed Mushrooms)

A 10-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
Salt and pepper


Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned slightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
(*) sautéed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.


So this recipe was adapted from Mastering The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck. Before the whole Julie and Julia craze, I had this cookbook in my library. Belive it or not I found my copy of this book in a used book store for $3.00 (hence the concept of this blog The Second Hand Cook.) Can you believe that!!! Now I log onto ebay and I find people hocking their damn copies of this book for up to $75.00. Crazy huh? So, onto the recipe. Make sure that you read the recipe fully and know everything that you need before you begin. This is truly ambitious dish to make for anyone who has never had any cooking experience or someone who wants to be bold. So first of all if you have never cut up a whole chicken…… don’t!!!!! Have your butcher do it for you at the local supermarket, if that option is available or you can purchase a whole cut up chicken. I hacked that damn chicken the fuck up. I think I used like 3 different knifes and I ended up ripping that bird up with my hand because I was so fustrated. They make it look so damn easy on the Food Network!! So first the mushrooms…… I ended up cooking the wrong damn recipe. I made creamed mushrooms instead of sautéed mushrooms, that recipe will follow, so look for it. The mushrooms were pretty easy. The sautéed onions were a pain in the ass. Only because they were not available when I went to the damn store. I went to 2 grocery stores before I found pearl onions. These are not something that are at the local grocery store that I normally go to. So I had everything that needed and I began my cooking. So no major missteps with everything and I was done after about an hour and half. My critique is that it came out okay but it tasted a little “winey” (the wine was wayyy too prominent) if you know what I mean. If you are gonna try this I say reduce the wine amounts by about half and increase the beef stock to make up for it. But, overall it was a very tasty dish and is meant to be served when guest come over and not when you are home alone (belive it or not, that is how I spend my Friday nights.) I did this over the snowstorm of 2010 in the DC metro area. So I had nothing else to do but sit around for 2 days and cook. So if I was gonna be trapped in the house I might as well try one of Juila’s most decadent dishes. Well...... till the next entry.