Orange Chicken and Kugel

Not a Noodle Kugel

Shumon spent the day with us playing with his new computer and iPhone. He joined us for dinner. We started with The Hungry Cat Salad as we call it. It is one of our favorite salads. We have made it many times. You can get the recipe from our blog of: Nov. 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

For the main course we made Roasted Chicken with Clementines & Arak from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi. This is a fantastic Chicken dish. You slice down the Clementines and they roast with the chicken. The Clementine skin be comes tender and delicious and is a delight to eat.

We saw a recipe for a Potato Kugel in the Los Angeles Times and made that in addition to the chicken. We felt the Kugel was not as great as we remembered our mother’s to be. I need to see if I can find my mother’s Noodle Kugel recipe.

Roasted chicken with Clementines & Arak

Jerusalem

Ottolenghi & Tamimi

SERVES   4

6-1/2       tbsp arak, ouzo, or Pernod

4       tbsp olive oil

3       tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

3       tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2       tbsp grain mustard

3       tbsp light brown sugar

2       medium fennel bulbs (1 pound total)

1       large organic or free-range chicken, about 2-3/4 lb., divided into 8 pieces, or the same weight in skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

4       Clementines, unpeeled (14 oz total), cut horizontally into 1/4-inch /

1       tbsp thyme leaves

2-1/2       tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

salt and freshly ground

black pepper chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

All the intense flavors lavished on the poor chicken—arak, mustard, fennel, Clementines with their skins, brown sugar—somehow manage to come together in a sweetly comforting dish you will always want to come back to. Serve it with plainly cooked rice or bulgur.

Put the first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add

2-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper. Whisk well and set aside.

Trim the fennel and cut each bulb in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Add the fennel to the liquids, along with the chicken pieces, Clementine slices, thyme, and fennel seeds. Stir well with your hands, then leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours or overnight (skipping the marinating stage is also fine, if you are pressed for time).

Preheat the oven to 475°F. Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a baking sheet large enough to accommodate everything comfortably in a single layer (roughly a 12 by 14‑inch); the chicken skin should be facing up. Once the oven is hot enough, put the pan in the oven and roast for 35 to 45 minutes, until the chicken is colored and cooked through. Remove from the oven.

Lift the chicken, fennel, and Clementines from the pan and arrange on a serving plate; cover and keep warm. Pour the cooking liquid into a small saucepan, place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and then simmer until the sauce is reduced by one-third, so you are left with about 1/3 cup. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken, garnish with some parsley, and serve.

Potato kugel with sour cream and Parmesan

LA Times

Total time: 2 hours

Servings: 6 to 8

Note: Serve the kugel with sour cream or extra virgin olive oil.

2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (about 8), scrubbed, unpeeled

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 onions, chopped (3 cups chopped)

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (5 teaspoons)

1 1/3 cups sour cream, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste, divided

Cayenne pepper to taste

2 large eggs, beaten

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Paprika for sprinkling

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover by about 1 inch and a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 35 minutes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute, then stir in the garlic.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the potatoes while still fairly hot. Cut them in a few chunks. Mash them thoroughly with a potato masher, not in a food processor. Add the fried onion and garlic mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and mix well.

4. Add one-third cup sour cream and three-eighths teaspoon nutmeg, or as desired, and salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Add beaten eggs and mix well.

5. Thoroughly grease a 2-quart casserole with olive oil. Add the potato mixture and smooth the top thoroughly. Bake the kugel uncovered until it is firm, about 40 minutes. The kugel can be made ahead of time up to this point, then refrigerated up to 2 days before serving; to finish, reheat (covered with foil) in a 300-degree oven before continuing with the recipe.

6. Shortly before serving, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the remaining 1 cup sour cream with the remaining one-eighth teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste. Spoon the sour cream mixture over the kugel in dollops, and spread it gently to the edges of the kugel; try not to spread the sour cream to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the sour cream evenly with the grated cheese, then with paprika.

7. Bake the kugel until the topping sets and browns lightly, about 10 minutes.

8. If you would like a browner topping, broil the kugel, checking often, no longer than 1 minute, until the topping is dotted with brown. Serve hot.



Each of 8 servings: 286 calories; 7 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 15 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 66 mg cholesterol; 5 grams sugar; 101 mg sodium.

Lobster and Shrimp Fried Rice

We had two great Chinese dinners and we ordered lobster at both. The lobsters were excellent.

Newport Seafood's Special Lobster and a wonderful sauce. We also had a lobster at Lunasia, that was served tempura style. It was also extraordinary. We brought the leftover Lobster home and all of the empty lobster shells. We removed the Lobster meat from the shells and used it as a basis to make a Lobster Fried Rice. In addition, we steamed some shrimp and added it at the end to the fried rice. We had also brought home pea tendrils that were leftover. They went into the rice. It was a delicious and hearty dish. We then took all of the Lobster Shells and added them to a stock pot, making Lobster Broth that we froze. It will be used in a future seafood paella. 

Potatoes and Fish

Shumon stopped by and we invited him to dinner. We had left over potatoes that we heated up and placed upon a salad. We then covered the potatoes with smoked salmon.  It was great.

Veal Pasta and Date Salad

One of the richest pasta that we make is: Le Cameleon's Braised Veal with Fresh Pasta From Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells. To make this creamy rich veal based pasta, we picked up beautiful veal shanks at McCall’s Meat and Fish. We love this pasta. The sweetness of the carrots and the richness of veal are perfect together. To make it even richer we added some marrow! It is expensive because the veal that we use is the best. No Parmesan Cheese for this style pasta!

We started with a Fresh Date and Parmesan Salad, the dates are excellent right now.

A Hit (Soup) and a Miss (Pasta)

Chris at The Cheese Store of Silverlake gave us a large end piece of Proscutto. We decided to use it to make Spaghetti Friuliano, from a recipe we found in the New York Times. We also made a very thick Polenta Soup with Spinach from a recipe in Bon Appetit. I liked the soup more than the pasta. We probably won’t make the pasta again. I would make the soup.

Spaghetti Friuliano

Adapted from Andrew Carmellini, Locanda Verde

New York Times

TOTAL TIME

25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

         Salt

         3 large egg yolks

         1/2 cup heavy cream

         1 pound spaghetti

         2 tablespoons butter

         1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

         4 ounces (about 1/2 cup) sliced speck, cut into short ribbons

         4 cups shredded savoy cabbage

         3/4 teaspoon ground juniper

         1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, or as needed

         1/2 cup grappa

         1/2 cup grated fiore sardo or similar aged sheep’s milk cheese, plus additional for serving

PREPARATION

1.   Bring a large pot of salted water (2 to 3 tablespoons salt per gallon) to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream.

2.   Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente (usually about a minute less than the package recommends). In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onions and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add speck and sauté for another minute. Add cabbage and sauté for 2 minutes. Add juniper, pepper and half the grappa. Stir well.

3.   When pasta is ready, reserve about a cup of the cooking water. Drain pasta and add to pan with the cabbage mixture. Add the egg and cream mixture and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add just enough of the reserved cooking water to make a creamy sauce; all may not be needed. Turn off heat and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

4.   Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and remaining grappa. Stir well. Serve with additional cheese.

YIELD

4 to 6 servings

Polenta Soup

Bon Appetit

yield: Makes 6 servings

active time: 40 minutes

total time: 40 minutes

This thick soup has a texture almost like porridge.

ingredients

         6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth

         3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)

         3 tablespoons all purpose flour

         3 tablespoons butter

         2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed

         Coarse kosher salt

         8 ounces baby spinach leaves

         Ingredient Info: Polenta is sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Italian markets. If unavailable, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal and cook about half as long.

preparation

Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 cup hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cupfuls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 25 minutes. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper.

Ladle soup into 6 bowls and serve.

Risotto of The Vigil

Every Christmas season we make Risotto of Vigil from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. This dish has become our Yearend tradition. It is a heavy risotto, that warms the body and the soul.

Because it has so many different meats and vegetables in it, every bite gives a different flavor hit. It easily reheats in the microwave. A dish that keeps on giving.

You can find the recipe for this wonderful risotto at our blog of: Dec. 22, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Pear Salad, another fall treat. Pears, Crumbled Goat Cheese, Feta, and Lettuce. We used a little Olive Oil, Salt and Saba to dress the lettuce. We like fruit based salads!

Thai Turkey Soup

Who would think that with left over turkey, you can make a FABULOUS Thai soup by making Turkey Broth? We didn't expect this soup to be a great as it was. This is a definite keeper of a recipe. Can't wait to make it and eat it again. Just delicious!

Thai-style Turkey Soup with Tamarind, Lemongrass and Fragrant Herbs

Los Angeles Times

Note: The soup can be served with steamed jasmine rice for a more substantial meal. Galangal, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind pulp, Thai basil and fish sauce are available at Thai and general Asian markets.

1       tablespoon vegetable oil

2       large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

4       ounces (about 4 large) shallots, thinly sliced

1       quart turkey or chicken stock (low-sodium canned broth can be substituted for some or all of the stock)

2       sticks of lemongrass, root trimmed and outer leaf discarded

1       ounce sliced ginger, about 5 (1-inch diameter) "coins" sliced ¼-inch thick

1       ounce sliced galangal, about 5 (1-inch diameter) "coins" sliced ¼-inch thick

5       large kaffir lime leaves, split in half

2       red jalapeños, 1 halved (to flavor the broth) and the other thinly sliced (for garnish)

1       star anise

1       (3-inch) cinnamon stick

1       ounce (about 1½ tablespoons) tamarind pulp, seeds removed (juice of one large lime can be substituted if unavailable)

1       (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1       tablespoon fish sauce

2       tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1       slender Chinese eggplant (about 6 ounces), cut into ¾-inch wedges

3       ripe but firm roma tomatoes (about 8 ounces), cut into ¾-inch pieces

1-1/2 cups leftover turkey meat, diced or picked into bite-size pieces

2       green onions, thinly sliced

1       cup Thai basil leaves

1       cup cilantro leaves

1       cup mint leaves

1 or 2 limes, cut into wedges

Heat a 3- to 4-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil followed by the sliced garlic. Cook the garlic until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, careful not to burn. Immediately add the sliced shallots and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in the stock, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, halved jalapeño, star anise, cinnamon and tamarind to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the solids. Return the broth to the pot and add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and salt, and bring back to a simmer.

Add the eggplant and tomatoes. Cover once again and cook until the eggplant is tender but has not lost its integrity, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the turkey meat and remove from heat. Ladle the hot soup into large bowls and serve with sliced green onions, thinly sliced jalapeño, herbs and lime wedges on the side allowing for each person to finish to their taste.

Thanksgiving

Fall Salad from Barbrix

Beet Salad

Turkey on Rotisserie

Perfection!

Turkey Surved Over Orange Flavored Noodles

Robert & Darryl's Green Been Casserole

Dressing from Cook's County

Pear Pie

Persimmon Pudding

Pumpkin Flan

Chocolate Pie

Great Wines

We decided to have a Thanksgiving Dinner, but we would only make the Turkey. This is a dinner that usually doesn’t make a lot of sense to make, it is time consuming and many restaurants serve the dinner, making it easy to go out and get a traditional dinner. The downside, of course, it is great to have leftovers!

We had used our new rotisserie several times, and I was feeling more and more confident that we could do the turkey on it. The difficulty was making sure that the spit was balanced and that the dark meat and white meat were equally done.

Bottom line, as you can see from the pictures, it turned out perfectly.

We started with a wonderful appetizer: Pureed Beets with Yogurt & Za’atar from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi. We first had this dish at Mozza. Ottolenghi was in town promoting his new cookbook: Jerusalem, and they had a special dinner for him. The cookbook is beautiful. 

What was amazing, however, was the recipe we used. Cathy found a recipe in TheSplendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper for Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio). This recipe was for a spit roasted capon, we substituted a Heritage Turkey from McCall’s Meat and Fish. What made the dish so incredible was another recipe from the same cookbook for: Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds, a medieval preparation of pasta that the sliced turkey was to be served over. Everyone loved it! This is a new go to Turkey recipe for us!

We started the dinner with an Autumn Salad from Barbrix. It is a great salad and perfect for this dinner. Robert and Darryl brought a home made green been casserole. They even fried their own onion for the topping.

We purchased a fantastic Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding from Cook’s County to serve alongside of the Turkey. They also provided us with a Chocolate Pie.

Tom and Scott brought a Persimmon Pudding. Barbara brought 3 desserts! I especially loved the Buttermilk Pie. She also brought a wonderful Pumpkin Flan and Pear Tart. Oh my god! We were having a sugar rush, because we each had to try a small piece of each.

Bea brought Great Wines.

This was a Thanksgiving to be thankful for!

Christmas Capon (Cappone Natalizio)

The Splendid Table

Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Since capon replaced swan and peacock as a favorite on 16th-century banquet tables, it gradually became the meat of holidays, especially Christmas. The original version of this dish from 19th-century Reggio had the capon turning on a spit over an open fire. In my version, the fire becomes an oven. I have remained true to the rest of the recipe, however, including flavoring the capon with sweet wine and prosciutto. Tucking a piece of prosciutto into the bird's cavity has been common practice since at least the days of Lucrezia Borgia. To eat the kind of roast capon gracing the table today in the region, substitute another 1/2 cup white wine for the Marsala.

[Serves 6 to 8]

6-to-7         pound capon (organic free-range preferred)

½         lemon

Salt and freshly black ground pepper

1/8         teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3-ounce piece of Prosciutto di Parma, coarsely chopped

½         cup dry white wine

½         cup dry Marsala wine

Method

Working Ahead: Season the capon 24 hours before roasting.

Seasoning the Capon: Rinse the bird under cold running water. Pat it dry and trim away all visible fat. Rub it inside and out with the lemon half, gradually squeezing out the juice. Then sprinkle the cavity and all of the bird's skin with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Tuck the prosciutto into the cavity. Set the bird on a platter, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Roasting the Capon: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Truss the capon if desired. Lay the bird, breast side down, in a shallow roasting pan just large enough to accommodate it. Roast 25 minutes to the pound (2-1/2 to 3 hours), or until an instant-reading thermometer tucked into the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F.

After the first hour, begin basting the capon with a third of the white wine. After 20 minutes, add another third. Wait another 20 minutes and baste the capon with the last of the white wine. Then begin basting with the Marsala, using a third at a time. Baste the capon every 20 minutes with the Marsala and spoonfuls of its own pan juices. If the juices threaten to dry or burn, add a little water to the pan. During the last 30 minutes of roasting, turn the bird over to brown the breast area.

Serving: Warm a serving platter in a low oven. Carve the capon by slicing the breast meat into thick pieces and dividing the leg meat into three or four pieces. Arrange the pieces on the platter. Skim the fat from the pan juices and pour the juices over the capon. Scatter the prosciutto pieces from the cavity over the sliced meat, and serve hot.

Cook's Notes Substituting Turkey: Leaner turkey is a fine stand-in for capon. The cooking time is shortened to 15 to 18 minutes to the pound.

Tagliatelle with Caramelized Oranges and Almonds

Tagliatelle con Arance e Mandorle

The Splendid Table

Lynne Rossetto Kasper

At 16th-century banquets this pasta accompanied poultry and meats. Try the combination with Christmas Capon for an important dinner. The sweet pasta makes an unexpected and very good dessert.

[Serves 10 to 12 as dessert or as a side dish with Christmas capon]

1      quart water

3      large Valencia or navel oranges

8      tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter

1-1/2   cups orange juice

2/3      cup sugar Generous
1/8      teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6         quarts salted water

1         pound imported dried tagliatelle

3 to 4  tablespoons sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup (5 ounces) freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1      cup whole blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Method

Working Ahead: The sauce can be made several hours ahead; cover and set it aside at room temperature. Reheat to bubbling before adding the pasta.

Preparing the Orange Zest: Bring the 1 quart water to a boil. Using a zester, remove the zest from the oranges in thin, long strips. Boil 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Making the Sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Using a wooden spatula, stir in about 1/4 cup of the orange juice and the 2/3 cup sugar. Melt the sugar in the butter over medium heat, frequently stirring in more spoonfuls of orange juice to keep the sauce from crystallizing (reserve about 1/3 cup for finishing the sauce). Once the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally as the mixture slowly turns amber, about 2 minutes. Once it reaches deep golden amber, blend in the pepper and two thirds of the orange zest. Cook only a second or two, to protect the zest from burning. Step back from the skillet and, at arm's length, pour in the last 1/3 cup of orange juice. It will bubble up and possibly spatter, then will thin the sauce to the ideal consistency. Turn off the heat.

Cooking the Pasta: Have a large platter and dessert dishes warming in a low oven. (If you are serving this with the capon, the bird should be ready. Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop in the pasta, and cook until tender but still a little resistant to the bite. Drain in a colander. Reheat the sauce to a lively bubble. Add the pasta to the skillet, and toss to coat thoroughly. Turn it onto the heated platter, and sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon, cheese, almonds, and lastly, the remaining orange zest. Mound small portions on heated dessert plates, and serve hot. Or place the capon atop the pasta, and serve.

Pureed Beets with Yogurt & Za’atar

Jerusalem

Ottolenghi & Tamimi

scant 2 lb medium beets (about 1 lb in total after cooking and peeling)

2         cloves garlic, crushed

1         small red chile, seeded and finely chopped rounded

1         cup Greek yogurt

1-1/2         tbsp date syrup

3         tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish the dish

1         tbsp za'atar

salt

TO GARNISH

2         green onions, thinly sliced

2         tbsp toasted hazelnuts, coarsely crushed

2         oz soft goat's milk cheese, crumbled

The beet is one of very few vegetables with a strong presence in the cuisine of almost every group in Jerusalem: it colors pickling juices on the Arab table and is used in most meze selections; it is the base for Ashkenazic borscht and hamitsa, a refreshing cold version of the soup; and it forms the basis for another soup, of Iraqi Jewish and Kurdish origin, where the famous semolina kubbeh is served.

Beets also cross cultural lines with the flexibility of an acrobat. On Yotam's tour of the city while filming a documentary about Jerusalem food, he met Michal Baranes and Yakub Barhum. They are a mixed couple, she is Jewish with Moroccan ancestry and he is a Muslim from the Arab village of Ein Baffa, on the outskirts of the city. At their restaurant, Michal, the chef, does some cross-cultural fireworks with her food, featuring elements from her Moroccan heritage, alongside very current Israeli themes and many traditional Palestinian dishes she learns from her cooks, who are mostly local. One of Michal's most useful tools is chrein, the horseradish and beet relish used in practically every Ashkenazic household. She puts it in her prawn "falafel"—minced prawns and chrein, rolled in panko crumbs and deep-fried—making scrumptious fish cakes that look like falafel but taste nothing like it.

You will be surprised how well beet works with chile and za'atar. Its sweetness takes on a seriously savory edge that makes it one of the most popular salads among OttolenghVs customers. You can serve it as a dip or a starter, with bread, or as part of a meze. If the beet is watery and the dip ends up runny and doesn't hold its shape, consider adding a little mashed potato to help thicken it. Date syrup can be replaced with maple syrup.

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.

Wash the beets and place in a roasting pan. Put them in the oven and cook, uncovered, until a knife slides easily into the center, about 1 hour. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut each one into about 6 pieces. Allow to cool down.

Place the beets, garlic, chile, and yogurt in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the date syrup, olive oil, za'atar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt if you like.

Transfer the mixture to a flat serving plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it around the plate. Scatter the green onions, hazelnuts, and cheese on top and finally drizzle with a bit of oil.