Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley

Once again we made Pasta with Scallops, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, and Parsley. This is an excellent Pasta. It is easy to make and delicious. Highly recommend! You can find the recipe on our blog of: February 17, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe.

One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemon

One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemon was a great dish. I liked the combination of Dates and Lemon. We served it with Lemon Butter Orzo. This was a new twist to making Orzo for us. It is also a good recipe. We found two new delicious recipes!
 

One-Pot Chicken with Dates and Caramelized Lemon

Nothing Fancy

Alison Roman

 

3½ to 4-pound chicken, or 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on. chicken thighs or legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4      tablespoons olive oil, divided

1      lemon, cut into thick slices crosswise, seeds removed

2      shallots, halved lengthwise

4-6  medjool dates (3 ounces), pitted

4      sprigs fresh thyme or oregano, plus more for serving

1      cup water

2      teaspoons ground Urfa chile, or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Flaky sea salt

 

1.            This one-pot oven-cooked chicken is a true treasure. It's sweet and tangy and a little spicy, and just downright special. It's got the kind of bold flavors you wouldn't expect from such few ingredients, which I guess is part of what makes it remarkable. But it's also a rather flexible dish, able to be made with a whole chicken or chicken parts (bone-in skin-on thighs, if you please) for a more weeknight-friendly vibe. But what makes it really special is how it's cooked: first seared, breast side up, letting the legs and thighs brown and render, then lemons and shallots are fried in that fat, then water is added to provide adequate sauciness, cooking the chicken quickly yet gently. The lid is then removed so the top can finish browning. And then there you have, all at once, a chicken, that is both nearly fall-apart tender and deeply golden brown on all sides. A chicken revelation!

 

1.            Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.            Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large (at least 8-quart) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pot breast side up, and using tongs or your hands (be careful!), press lightly to make sure the skin comes into even contact with the pot bottom. This is your chance to brown the legs and render that excess fat! It's rarely offered in whole-chicken recipes, so take advantage. (If using parts, just sear the chicken skin side down.)

3.            Cook, without moving, until the chicken is nice and browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Seriously, no peeking! Nothing exciting will happen before 5 minutes, I promise you.

4.            Add the lemon slices and shallot, maneuvering the chicken however you need so that the slices come into contact with the bottom of the pot. Let everything sizzle in the chicken fat until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes.

5.            Add the dates, thyme, and water. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the Urfa chile and place the lid on. Put the Dutch oven in the oven and roast until the dates are plump, the lemon is jammy, and the chicken is almost but not totally cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes (it will look mostly cooked through and a little anemic from getting covered with the lid).

6.            Remove the lid and drizzle the chicken with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced by half and the top of the chicken is an illustrious, glistening golden-brown, another 20 to 30 minutes (depending on if you're using parts or whole bird).

7.            Let the chicken rest in the Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and carve. Serve along with the shallot, lemons, and dates, with some more thyme and flaky sea salt sprinkled over.

 

DO AHEAD This chicken can be made a few hours ahead, then kept in the Dutch oven at room temperature. If you wish to reheat it before serving, pop it back into the oven without a lid for 10 to 15 minutes or so.

Lemon Butter Orzo

The Endless Meal

 

Lemon butter orzo is a simple side dish that's deliciously buttery with fresh lemon flavor. In less than 15 minutes you can have a rice-like pasta side that goes well with nearly any main course.

 

What is orzo

While orzo looks a lot like rice, it's actually a tiny, grain-shaped pasta. In Italian, the word orzo means barley as it resembled unhulled barley.

 

Ingredients

 

1       cup orzo

1½    cups chicken or vegetable stock

½      teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper

2       tablespoons lemon juice, fresh is best!

1       tablespoon butter

1       tablespoon minced parsley, optional

 

How To Make This Lemon Butter Orzo Recipe

 

1.            If you've never made orzo before, don't worry, it's very easy. Cooking orzo is just like cooking rice!

2.            Put the stock, orzo, salt, and pepper into a pot and bring it to a boil.

3.            Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer it gently for 10-12 minutes. You'll know it's done when there's no visible liquid left in the pot and you see little holes over the surface of the cooked orzo 

4.            Now, all that you have to do is mix in some butter, lemon juice, and minced parsley and your lemon butter orzo is ready to serve

Sausage and Pineapple

We tried this recipe for Sausages With Tangy, Gingery Pineapple. We didn't particularly like it. Others obviously did. We won't make it again, but it might appeal to you. Try it and let us know.

Sausages With Tangy, Gingery Pineapple

New York Times

 

Debate ham and pineapple pizza all you want. There’s no denying the goodness of caramelized pineapple paired with crisp-edged sausages. In this easy weeknight meal, a tangy lime- and ginger-spiked dressing cuts the richness of the meat and tempers the sweetness of the fruit. Serve this with some crusty bread to mop up the drippings.

 

Ingredients

 

2       cups pineapple chunks, in 1-inch pieces

2       tablespoons dark brown sugar

2       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4       teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (from 1 1/2-inch piece)

4       teaspoons finely grated lime zest (from 1 to 2 limes)

Kosher salt and black pepper

½      teaspoon ground allspice

⅛      teaspoon ground cayenne

1       large red onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons

1       pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage

½      cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped

 

For The Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette:

 

1       tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste

1       small garlic clove, finely grated or minced

½      teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated or minced

Kosher salt and black pepper

3       tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 

Preparation

 

Heat oven to 450 degrees and, if you like, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, toss together pineapple, sugar, oil, ginger, lime zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, allspice and cayenne until well combined. Stir in three-quarters of the onions. (Reserve remaining onions for serving.)

Spread pineapple mixture onto the sheet pan in one layer. Nestle sausages among the pineapple mixture. Roast until fruit is caramelized and sausages are browned and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip the sausages and toss the pineapple mixture.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine lime juice, garlic, ginger and a big pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in oil. Taste and season with more salt and lime juice if you’d like.

Pull the pan out of the oven, drizzle vinaigrette over sausages and pineapple, and toss gently to combine. Garnish with reserved onion and cilantro, and serve.

 

Fava Bean Puree and Past

Home Grown Fava Beans

We planted Fava Beans but for some reason had only a small crop. It did yield us enough however to make Fava Bean Puree which we really like. We served it on Toast Points. You can get the recipe on our blog of March 28, 2006. Click the date to get the recipe. We tried a new recipe for Zucchini Pasta. We actually decided we prefer our traditional recipe. You can see our traditional recipe You can find the recipe for this simple and delicious pasta in our blog of: June 19, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. This is one of those dishes that makes me realize I could be a vegetarian (theoretically speaking - I will never give up my love a great steak!).

Caramelized Zucchini Pasta

New York Times

 

This recipe transforms two pounds of grated fresh zucchini into one cup of caramelized zucchini that’s rich, sweet and jammy enough to become a pasta sauce. Cooked over moderately high heat in a combination of olive oil and butter, the zucchini fries in its own juices and concentrates its flavor. Adding garlic and basil lends sweetness, but consider adding anchovy, preserved lemon or red-pepper flakes. As browned bits appear in the skillet, deglaze with a few tablespoons of water, chicken stock or vegetable stock to help prevent burning and to incorporate all of those tasty caramelized bits into the sauce. With time and patience, you’ll have a not-so-pretty but delicious mixture, like caramelized onions made with zucchini. Eat it tossed with pasta, as is done here, or add it to sandwiches, pizzas or antipasti spreads.

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2      tablespoons unsalted butter

2      tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2      pounds zucchini, coarsely grated (about 3 large zucchini)

8      garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

½     cup basil leaves, stems reserved, plus more for serving 

Kosher salt and black pepper

1      pound ridged or curly pasta (like medium shells or casarecce)

½     cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino (about 1/2 ounce), plus more for serving

1      tablespoon lemon juice 

 

PREPARATION

 

1.            In a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. When it’s foaming, add the zucchini, garlic, the basil stems and half the basil leaves. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and cook until pooling with liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates and the zucchini starts to sizzle, 7 to 10 minutes. 

2.            Continue to cook until the zucchini is very soft, dark green, and reduced to about 1 cup, another 20 to 25 minutes. When you see a build up of browned bits on the skillet, add a couple tablespoons of water and stir, scraping up the browned bits. Repeat anytime more browning occurs. If you see burning, deglaze with water and lower the heat. (Caramelized zucchini can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; it also freezes well.)

3.            Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the zucchini is about done, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta. If the zucchini is ready before the pasta, keep cooking it; the zucchini will only get better the longer it cooks.

4.            When the pasta’s drained, remove the herb stems from the zucchini. Reduce the heat on the zucchini to medium, then add the pasta, 1 cup pasta water, and the Parmesan. Stir until the pasta is glossed with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining basil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more basil, Parmesan and black pepper.

 

Steamed Black Cod in Fermented Black Bean Sauce

 

Black Cod in Fermented Black Bean Sauce is a wonderful fish presentation. The texture of the fish is very flakey and the sauce permeates the fish. We serve it with Steamed Rice. Since Snap Peas are in season we served them as a side. Simply sautéed them in Butter. You can get the recipe on our blog of December 21, 2020. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Spring Asparagus

 

Spring gives us the best Asparagus. There are many way to serve it. This is one of our favorite ways. Steamed for about 4 minutes. Smothered with Brown Butter then sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. It is a great appetizer!