I am not sure about you, but the holidays seem to leave me in a whirlwind.  They always sneak up on me, and just run right through our household.  I never feel like we have enough time to really enjoy them.  And every year, on January 1, I say the same thing, “this year will be different”.  Now, I find myself staring at the calendar as I flip to December, wondering how I am going to get everything done, with no idea of where to begin.  I hate it.

I do know, that having a couple meals planned out in advance seems to help.  I am a big fan of one-pot meals, during moments when I feel like life is taking whirling by, and no better time then the holidays.  Right?  This is only one of many one-pot meals I love, and it is a favorite.  My friend, Evelyn, introduced this to me, early in our relationship.  When I first saw it, I thought she was losing her mind.  I mean, prunes with chicken?!  Then I tried it.  I was sold.  I have changed around the recipe over time.  Now I add rosemary as well as fresh Meyer Lemons.  Otherwise, it is the same comfortable meal, that I had for the first time 10 years ago.

This recipe is filled with flavors from zesty lemons, all the way down to gooey, sweet prunes.  In my opinion there is nothing like slow-braised chicken fat, mixed with lemon, rosemary, prunes, and a little sugar;   yum!  I am sure if you put this on the table, even the pickiest of your eaters will love it!

Recipe:  Chicken Marabella 

* was developed and featured for Eat Boutique

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Braising, Chicken, Dinner, Easy, Lemons, Marabella, Marbella, One-Pot Meal, Prunes, Rosemary

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WOWZA!  I was really excited when I read about the March Charcutepalooza Challenge;  brining.  I have been wanting to brine a brisket, to make my own Corned Beef, ever since I received the Bi-Rite newsletter, last year. Cathy and Kim, our taste-buds thank you for picking this challenge.

This month’s challenge gave us two options to play with.  The Apprentice Challenge, where we could simply brine a whole chicken or pork chops.  The Charcutiere Challenge, where we could brine, and then corn, a piece of beef, such as brisket.   I have brined a turkey before, so I decided to forgo, the Apprentice Challenge, and grab the Charcutiere Challenge by the horns.

It would be unlike me if I did not deviate away from the required suggested recipe, and this challenge was no exception.  The recipe in Michael Ruhlman’s book Charcuterie:  The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing for brining has the addition of “pink salt”.  As I have mentioned before, I have a problem with using pink salt, and especially after Dominique taught me, that I do not need to use it.  I did omit it from this challenge.  Brining is simple;  dissolve salt, and sugar, in water,  then add warm spices to it.  I used unprocessed sugar, which gave my brine a nice amber color.  The spices I used were juniper berries, black cardamon pods, bay leave and some yellow onion.

Since there are only two of us, and we don’t need to be eating brisket for days, I went with 2 1/2 pounds of beef.  This would be enough for a traditional corned beef dinner as well as a little extra for hash.  I picked up a beautiful cut of beef brisket at the market.  Once my brine mixture was ready, I submerged the brisket into the salty bath, put a small plate on top of the meat, to hold it down, covered my pot, and put it into the fridge;  out of sight, and slightly out of mind.  I did check, every couple of days, to make sure the brisket was still well submerged.  Finally, day seven approached, I could not wait.  I figured the process would work, or I would risk making us sick or kill us for not properly brining meat.  The brisket, was slightly pink in color, very firm, and definitely smelled like corned beef.  I rinsed it very well, patted it dry, and simmered it long and slow, in a  mixture of minced onion, garlic, tomato paste and white wine.  After the brisket was done cooking, I let it cool, overnight.

I tossed around the idea of simply reheating some of the stock, and drizzling it over slices of the meat, but, I wanted more.  I made a glaze using Jamesons Irish Whiskey, grainy mustard, honey, and brown sugar.  I lightly painted the slices of corned beef, with the glaze and gently reheated for a few minutes.  It reminded me of candy chicken with a “kick”.

* serve with Roasted Cabbage and Roasted Carrots

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Brine, Brisket, Charcutepalooza, Corned Beef, Dinner, Glaze, Irish, Potatoes, Recipe, Roasted Cabbage, Roasted Carrots, St. Patricks Day Dinner, whiskey

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We love lamb.  Clearly we do not eat it enough, and we should change that.  The other day we were craving some tender, young lamb;  unfortunately, we did not have access to our favorite lamb, so I picked up some ground, New Zealand lamb from Wholefoods.  We tossed around the idea of grilling up some lamb burgers with roasted red peppers, and feta.  Or maybe something new, spicy lamb tacos.  Or a hearty lamb meatloaf with roasted vegetables.  Then it hit us, what about a lamb pie without the doughy crust.

I love combining citrus, very strong herbs and lamb together.  They really go hand-in-hand.  For this recipe, I used a lot of fresh Meyer lemons, rosemary and garlic for the base of the flavors.  I added depth with some red-wine and fresh, heavy cream, to make it, well, creamy.

The topping of our “pie” was an old favorite potato, the russet.  I sliced the potatoes very thinly, then over lapped layers, on top of the ground meat.  The finishing touch was more fresh herbs, a drizzle of  fresh cream and a splash of olive oil;  baked to until bubbly, and creamy.  It was rich, decadent and flavorful with every bite.  Slightly citrusy.  Slightly creamy.  Very complex.  Add a salad or roasted baby asparagus, and you have a perfect meal.

What is your favorite lamb dish?

Recipe:  Lamb Pie

3 pounds ground lamb
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, zested
1 lemon, juiced, use one of the lemons that was zested
2 sprigs of rosemary, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 pint heavy cream
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
3 russets, scrubbed and sliced thinly
olive oil

Heat oven to 425.  Lightly oil a large baking dish.  In a large frying pan, cook the lamb, over low-heat, until gray in color. Drain the fat from the cooked lamb.  Add the garlic and rosemary, stir, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the wine, stir, and cook over low heat, until slightly reduced;  about 15 minutes.  While the meat is cooking, thinly slice, the russets.  I use a mandoline, to get uniform slices.   Pour the meat mixture into the baking dish.  Squeeze the juice from one lemon over the top of the meat.  Cover the top of the meat, with slices of potato, overlapping to create a seal.  Pour the cream over the top of the potatoes.  Sprinkle the zest from one lemon and a few pieces of rosemary over the top.  Drizzle lightly with some olive oil.  Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, and the juices from the ingredients are slightly bubbly;  about 40 minutes.  Serve.  Eat.

If you liked this post, check these out:

Lamb and Turnip Pie

Slow Cooked Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Juicy Lamb and Purple Potato Pie

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dinner, Garlic, Gluten Free, Lamb, Lava Lake, Lemon, Meyer Lemon, Pie, Recipe, Rosemary

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Summer kind of hung out for a couple weeks and then skipped right out the door.  I cannot even say Fall is here;  it forgot to stop by.  Winter seems to have arrived.  Wet.  Gloomy.  Soggy.  Definitely soup kind of weather.

I whipped up this batch of what soon became a delicious soup by using only a few things I had laying around the house – stock, onions, carrots, some fresh mushrooms and a gorgeous bag of porcini mushrooms.  It was sort of like a “old mother Hubbard, when to the cupboard” sort of meal.  In fact, our cupboards are so bare (will tell you why I am letting them get bare another day), that I am even on the brink of no olive oil and had to used my prized tea seed oil.   This is a vegetarian based soup as well.  Unfortunately, I find vegetable based stocks rather bland but you add porcinis along with the rich, earthy broth that comes from soaking them, the soup takes on a whole other life.  Balanced, dirty (“earthy but I like the word dirty) and deepen.  Soup for the soul!

Before I go into the recipe, I am sure you are asking or wondering, what is tea seed oil?  Tea seed oil is one of the greatest finds from Earthy Delights.  It has the lowest level of saturated fats and is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, omega fatty acids and vitamin E.  I love that it can be used at a high cooking heat as well, making it perfect for stir frys.

* served with a leafy green salad and fresh baked scones

How do you like to cook with barley?

Recipe:  Porcini Barley Soup

1 yellow onion, small mince
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tea tree oil (or olive oil)
3 carrots, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 oz. porcinis
1/2 cup warm water
8 cups vegetable stock
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced into medium slices
kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon, white pepper corns
1 2/3 cup barley

Put the porcinis in a bowl with the warm water.  Let set for 30 minutes.  Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, stir and lower the heat to low.  Let the onions cook for 5 minutes.  Add the carrots, stir and let cook for 5 minutes.  Add the stock, the porcinis with their broth, the garlic and half of the sliced mushrooms.  Bring to a low boil, season with salt and add the pepper.  Lower the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.  Add the barley, stir, keep on low heat.  Cover and cook until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in the rest of the mushrooms.  Serve.  Eat.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Sassy Radish Porcini Barley Soup

Vegacious Chickpea and Porcini Soup

New York Times Mushroom Barley Soup

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Crimini, Dinner, Mushroom, Porcini, Recipe, Soup, Tea Seed Oil, Vegetables

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I made a soup the other night and instead of boring old muffins, biscuits or that “warm crusty” loaf of bread I decided to play around with my scone recipe (which I have never shared as of yet).  I wanted them to be flavorful, not boring.  I wanted them to compliment a warm mushroom based soup I was serving for dinner so they could not be over-powering.  I did not have much on hand and did not want to run to the store so I used some grated Parmesan to give them texture and last minute I added some fresh cracked black pepper.  Perfect!

Have you tried making scones;  if so, what is your favorite way to spice them up?

Recipe:  Savory Parmesan and Black Pepper Scones

2 cups ap flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, I like to use Kerry Gold for scones
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, more or less upon your taste-buds

Heat over to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  In a food processor, add the flour, salt and baking powder, give it a whirl just to combine the ingredients.  Feed the butter into the food processor a couple pieces at a time, while it is running.  Continue to do so until all the butter is added and the mixture is crumbly.  Add the cheese and pepper, give a couple whirls.  Drizzle in the buttermilk just until is comes together.  It will be a little crumbly but when you knead with your hands it will come together.  On a floured service, knead the dough for a couple minutes, to bring together.  Form into a ball and roll into a circle that is 3/4″ – 1″ high, cut the circle as you would be cutting a pie, you should have 6 – 8 sections, depending on the size you like.  I go for 8.  Put onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 20- 25 minutes, until golden.  Serve.  Eat.

If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:

Dana Treat Savory Scones

Farm Girl Savory Cheese and Scallion Scones

Lara Ferroni Savory Cream Scones

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bread, Dinner, Parmesan Cheese, Savory, Scones

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Hay Hay it’s Donna Day is back after a short but sweet summer break.  The past couple weeks I have been tweeting and asking, what do you want.  Sweet?  Savory?  Everyone came back with savory.  Savory it is.  I picked an easy and delicious spicy chicken dish with pumpkin.  Vegetarians – let’s see your take on this recipe, maybe a little tofu or just an extra dose of pumpkin?  Don’t have pumpkin available in your part of the world, maybe add some butternut squash or kabocha?

Please have your entries in to me by midnight of the 31st of October.  Complete rules can be found here.  Please keep in mind: Participants may make that exact same recipe as is, or put their own spin on the same recipe by altering an ingredient or two, while remaining within the theme.

Recipe:  Spicy Chicken, Pumpkin and Roasted Garlic Rice

• 2 x 200g chicken breast fillets, skin on
• 350g pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated
• 2tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup torn basil leaves
• ¼ cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
• 2tablespoons olive oil, extra

Preheat oven to 220ºC (425ºF). Place the chicken, pumpkin, garlic, olive oil and chilli on a baking tray and toss to combine. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and place in a bowl with the pumpkin, rice, basil, vinegar and extra olive oil. Mix well to combine. Slice the chicken and serve with the rice. Serves 4.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chicken, Dinner, Donna Hay, Food Blog Event, Food Blogging Event, HHDD, Pumpkin, Recipe, Roasted Garlic, Spicy Chicken

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Short ribs are available year round so why do I only make them in the summer months?  I love them, I should be making them year round.  Now I cannot blame it on the balmy sunny summer weather for peaking this interest in me as we live in San Francisco.  I really should be making these more often as they are amazingly delicious.  Slightly spicy.  Slightly sweet.  And a little bit zippy thanks to the addition of fresh ginger.

I am going to apologize immediately for the recipe as it is made by taste.  I don’t measure anything, I just pour, mix and pour a little bit more.  We prefer them a little spicier so I add a lot of sriracha as well we love ginger so I go a little heavy on that.  I feel the longer you marinate them the better, so allow at least 3 hours if not overnight.  Then fire up the grill and cook them to perfection.  These ribs are perfect served with grilled white corn or a hearty green salad.  No matter what you serve with them you are going to love sinking your teeth into their meaty and juicy goodness.

Enjoy!  Have a safe and memorable long weekend!

What will you be grilling this Memorial Day Weekend?

ps… recipes are below.  Having problems with google docs & PDFs … no pretty pictures but the recipes are there.  Will try to fixed next week!

Recipe:  Sriracha Marinade

Recipe:  Grilled Corn

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Beef Short Ribs, Corn, Dinner, Ginger, Grilling, Recipe, Sriacha Marinade, Sriracha, White Corn

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We had an impromptu dinner party a couple weeks ago.  I wanted something good, fast and easy to make, so I used one of my fall on tomato sauces.   You know me I always have to take it to another level, so we did make fresh pasta, bucatini, to go with the sauce.   Our friend Chelsea wanted to learn how to make pasta using our new gadget so it was the perfect excuse for a mini lesson and dinner.

I have two tomato sauces I use if all else fails or for last minute dinners.  I like this one as it combines pancetta and carrots – something wonderful about adding carrots to your pasta sauce, it adds a nice depth.  We like this sauce spicy so we do add extra heat, but adjust to your liking.  Whenever I make this particular sauce, I usually add a handful of arugula to this as it not only looks pretty but it gives it an extra zippy bite.  This time, though, I made a nice salad with an aged balsamic dressing.

Add a couple bottles of Italian wine, some bread, a bowl of olives and you have the perfect impromptu meal!

Recipe:  Spicy Tomato Sauce

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dinner, Homemade Pasta, KitchenAid, Pasta, Recipe, Sauce, Spicy, Tomato

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We had an early tomato appearance at our house last week.  I normally wait until May or June before buying the first of many tomatoes;  but, they looked so pretty at the store that I could not refuse.  I love heirloom tomatoes not only because of their amazing sugary sweet taste or their juicy texture;  also, because they are not perfect.  I love the different shapes, sizes, bumps, lumps and many colors.  As soon as I saw these two odd shaped yellow and red ones I knew they were coming home with me.

I had help making this tart.  No, not Lenny;  that would have warranted a video to entertain you.  I had E & M of MEM.  I mentioned to them that I was going to make a tart out of tomatoes and their interest was definitely peaked.  The girls have really taken on a huge interest in food and cooking, especially Ella.  I have to say I admire her many questions and the desire to learn.  She was there every step of the way, from lining the tart pan, to mixing the filling, to layering the tomatoes and then on to photographing even before  sampling.  She helped with setting up the tart on different plates until we got it just right as well she waited with anticipation after every click of the camera – wanting to see the picture, to make sure they were okay.  Maggie, was not far behind, trailing after her big sister and wanting to do just as she was doing.  Now we know we have some foodies in training;  but, maybe there is a career of photography lurking also!  It was definitely fun to have help making this tart, especially 20 little fingers and two big smiles!

The base of this tart is a slightly peppery and flaky crust.  We made a goat cheese based custard filling for the base of the tart and then layered slices of the beautiful heirloom tomatoes over the top.  Tomatoes and goat cheese are not complete without a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of maldon salt and fresh thyme from the garden.   Serve this with a mixed green salad lightly dressed with white balsamic and olive oil, as well as a nice of Rose!  Perfect!  The girls even loved the taste of the tart!

How do you like to use your Heirloom Tomatoes?

Recipe:  Savory Tomato Tart

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Baking, Dinner, Easy Meal, Foodies of the World, Goat Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Kid Friendly, Recipe, Savory Tart, Tart, Thyme, Tomato Tart

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I received an email from a reader a few weeks ago asking if I had an asparagus soup recipe.  The email captured my attention immediately as Loreen started talking about how it was almost asparagus season in Northern Nevada.  This brought me back to a childhood memory of picking asparagus with my Aunt Adele, when I was about 4 or 5 out at the Woodward Ranch.  I remember that day well, we were around the back, near the kitchen window, and the area was really wet.  She had an apron on and we were swashing through the water, snapping tender slim pieces of asparagus.  I remember loving it.  I continued to read Loreen’s email while cherishing this memory.  The next paragraph was her introduction to me about how we were related.  I had to go back a couple times to re-read what I thought I had read.  There was a distant cousin who found me through Chez Us.  What a small world….. the Internet continues to amaze me.

I love asparagus soup but it is one of those things that I normally only order when out.  We were both pleasantly surprised at how delicious this recipe came out.  It really did not need the cream as the texture was perfect;  but, it could not be considered cream of asparagus soup without it.  Thank you, Loreen, for inspiring me to make this soup!

Recipe:  Cream of Asparagus Soup

click the above link for a downloadable recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Asparagus, Cream of Asparagus Soup, Dinner, Easy Dinner, Recipe, Soup

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I have been dreaming about making homemade macaroni since I first saw the latest and greatest KitchenAid attachment.  I guess I am a sucker for their attachments;  but, have you tried them?  I could be a spokesperson for them but am not.  This comes from the heart, I love all of the ones we own.  In fact that KitchenAid mixer was one of the best gifts we have ever gotten and is put to great use all the time.  Okay, back to the attachment.  Why didn’t I purchase this sooner???  Fun!  Fun!  Fun!

I was not sure how it was all going to come together so I stuck with their basic pasta recipe for the first go around.  It was fine;  but, next time I will go with one of my pasta recipes.  There is not much to say about it really … you make the dough, pull of walnut size pieces,  throw the pieces into the shoot and presto, you have fresh pasta within seconds.  Really!  It took less than an hour to make the dough and crank out a pound of fresh macaroni.  Since I was going to be baking the dish that the macaroni was going to go into I did let it dry for about 5 hours.  I basically made it in the morning, rolled the pasta in some semolina flour (on a cookie sheet) and let it sit on the table and dry.  Easy!

Not only have I had this attachment on my mind for the past few months;  but, I have had macaroni and cheese tucked back into my thoughts.  We had some fantastic macaroni and cheese a couple months ago and I have not been able to stop thinking about it.  As well I had dinner with some friends a couple weeks back and the same topic came up as Allison is opening a restaurant, called Little Mac, and you guessed it … macaroni and cheese.

This recipe was inspired by my conversation with some great ladies over dinner as well as the dish I ate awhile back.  Using fresh macaroni, just took it to another level.  The fresh pasta is combined with a creamy sauce made of  bacon, dijon mustard and three different cheeses:  Parmesan, Fiscalini Cheddar and Gruyere.  It is comforting, creamy, slightly smokey and not your typical macaroni and cheese.  I guess you could say it is more of an adult version.

Recipe:  Macaroni and Cheese

Click the printer icon for a down-loadable PDF of this recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cheddar, Dijon Mustard, Dinner, Elbow Macaroni, Fiscalini Cheese, Gruyere, Homemade Pasta, Macaroni and Cheese, Parmesan, Recipe

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This is going to be short and sweet.  Remember that delicious Beet and Goat Cheese Galette we had the other night?  We needed something wonderful to go with the leftovers we had the other evening.  I have been craving potato soup.  And I love being able to sneak leeks into any dish I possibly can;  remember, someone banned them from our house?

This soup is dairy free but still very creamy.  The addition of bacon definitely adds a lot of flavor.  It was warm and it was delicious!

What is your favorite Potato based soup?  What sort of potatoes do you think works best?  Do you have a secret family recipe that you like to use?

Recipe:  Potato and Leek Soup

Click the printer icon for a downloadable PDF of this recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bacon, Dairy Free, Dinner, Leeks, Potato Soup, Recipe, Soup

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