TasteFood

Sriracha Marinated Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

 
Why is it that when it's super hot outside, spicy food is the best antidote? The theory lies in the chile peppers. Their heat winds up our endorphins, radiating heat to our skin and causing us to sweat, which, in turn, cools us down. And, despite the calendar date, this is just what I need. The Bay area is presently in the midst of a record breaking heat wave. Triple digit temperatures are making up for the summer that did not happen this year. It's hot hot hot, and I am craving spicy food. 

This recipe attempts to remedy that. Consider it an Ode to an Autumn Heat Wave. Sriracha Marinated Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables takes a quintessential fall dish and ramps up the heat with a douse of sriracha. It's homey, rustic and firing on all pistons. So, if you will excuse me, I need to go and sweat a little.
 

Sriracha Marinated Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables

Spicy, fragrant and grounded with seasonal root vegetables, this is best served with couscous to soak up the juices.

For the marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sriracha
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the roast:
1 3-4 pound free range organic chicken
6 baby sweet peppers, or 2 bell peppers, cut in 2 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 large yellow onions, quartered
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut in 2 inch chunks
1 medium cauliflower, broken in 2 inch florets
1 large fennel bulb with fronds, ends trimmed, cut in 1 inch chunks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside. 
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.) Rinse the chicken and pat dry, including inside of the cavity, with paper towels; place in a large bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Coat all over the chicken, including inside the cavity and between the skin and breast meat. Transfer chicken to roasting pan, breast-side up. Add vegetables to the same bowl along with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Scatter the vegetables around the chicken in the roasting pan. Bake in oven 30 minutes. Remove pan and with tongs, carefully turn chicken over in pan, breast-side down. Continue roasting 20 minutes. Remove pan and turn chicken over once again, breast-side up. Continue roasting until thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer chicken to cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Stir vegetables in the pan with the juices and keep warm. Serve chicken with vegetables and couscous with reserved juices.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these TasteFood recipes:

Roasted Lemon Cilantro Chicken

 Cider-Brined Pork Shoulder with Caramelized Onion and Apple Confit

 

 

Skillet Chicken with Rice and Vegetables

 

and these recipes with sriracha from the foodblogs:
Stuffed Calamari in Sriracha Sauce from She Simmers
Sriracha Mayo French Fries from White on Rice Couple
Apricot Glazed Sriracha Chicken Wings from Eat Boutique
Beef Shortribs with Sriracha Marinade from Chez Us

  

Lasagna Night

 

My daughter announced the other day that she had just finished her 15th day of school. I was stunned. I could have sworn we had been back in the school routine for at least 3 months.

Since the beginning of September life has been a whirlwind of family activity revolving around school, carpool, activities, homework, dinners, entertaining and birthdays. As the children have grown older, it seems that time has sped up even faster with more and more commitments to attend to, including my work. I've already lost track of days, my car keys, a pair of flip flops and multiple shopping lists. 

Yesterday was another blur, when at the end of day the inevitable question "What's for dinner?" was directed to me and drew a blank stare. Luckily I had a stash of ricotta in the refrigerator, along with lasagna sheets in the pantry. A quick tomato sauce was easily prepared, and with a little assembly accompanied by a glass of red wine, a homey lasagna was produced to the satisfaction of all of us.

Lasagna

This recipe creates a dry and hearty lasagna, with little excess liquid and chunks of vegetables in the tomato sauce. If you prefer meat in your tomato sauce, add 1/2 pound browned ground beef along with the tomatoes. 
Serves 4-6.

For the tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano 
1 28 ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with juices
1 small can tomato paste
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the ricotta filling:
1 pound fresh ricotta
1 large egg
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the lasagna:
1 pound dried lasagna sheets
Fresh mozzarella, grated
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, grated
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Prepare the sauce:
Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot, red pepper and saute until the onion wilts, about 4 minutes. Stir in basil and oregano and saute one minute. Add tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, bay leaf and wine. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper and taste to adjust seasoning.
 
Prepare the ricotta filling:
While the sauce is simmering combine all the filling ingredients in one bowl and mix well.

Assemble the lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375 F. (190 C.)
Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of a deep baking dish. Lay a layer of dried lasagna sheets over the sauce, breaking the pieces if necessary to fit. Spread a layer of ricotta lightly over pasta.  Drop spoonfuls of the tomato sauce over the cheese without covering the sauce (or the lasagna will be very wet). Evenly sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layering process until the last amount of ricotta has been used. Top the ricotta with tomato sauce and cheese. Bake in oven until bubbly and turning golden brown, about 45 minutes. 

If you like this you might enjoy these other recipes from TasteFood:

 Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée

 Halibut Stew with Chorizo and Kale

Roasted Cauliflower and Tomato Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto and Arugula

This recipe was inspired by the contents of my refrigerator. It was a weeknight, I hadn't shopped, and I wanted to make an easy and satisfying one-dish dinner. Pasta is always useful in this situation. With a little digging in the refrigerator I unearthed a cauliflower, prosciutto and arugula, while the cheese drawer disclosed a couple hunks of Parmgiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese. 

Further inspired by a Cooking Light recipe as well as a similar recipe from Simply Recipes, I decided to roast the cauliflower and tomatoes and toss them with the pasta. The roasting process softens and chars the cauliflower, adding a nice depth to the dish, while shriveling and intensifying the flavor of the tomatoes. From there I digressed, improvising with my other ingredients. I baked the prosciutto in the oven until it crisped, and snapped the pieces into salty shards. Then I combined the cooked pasta with the cauliflower, tomatoes and prosciutto before tossing in the arugula and tumbling everything together so that the heat from the pasta would slightly wilt the peppery arugula leaves. Finally I scattered the dish wth a mix of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino cheese. The result was a healthy, satisfying weeknight meal which could be served warm or at room temperature. Digging in the refrigerator is fun, and I highly recommend it.

Roasted Cauliflower and Tomato Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto and Arugula
Serves 4

1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into 1" florets
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
3 ounces sliced prosciutto
1 pound penne
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups arugula, washed and dried
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup Pecorino Romana cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)
Arrange cauliflower and tomatoes in one layer on a baking sheet. Toss with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast in oven until cauliflower is tender and browned on the edges, about 20 minutes. 
While the cauliflower is roasting, arrange prosciutto slices in one layer on another baking sheet. Place in same oven and bake for 20 minutes as well.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Combine pasta, cauliflower, tomatoes, garlic and black pepper in a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Break prosciutto into shards. Scatter prosciutto and arugula over pasta and toss to combine. Combine the 2 cheeses in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over pasta and toss. Taste to see if more cheese is needed. Serve pasta with remaining cheese on the side.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these TasteFood recipes: 

Spaghetti with Shrimp, Broccolini and Basil

 Orecchietti with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

 Macaroni, Cauliflower and Cheese

or these cauliflower recipes from the Foodblogs:
Spicy Cauliflower Soup from A Veggie Venture
Roasted Cauliflower with Garam Masala from Stephen Cooks
Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad from Herbivoracious
Farfalle with Cauliflower and Toasted Breadcrumbs from the Kitchn

 
 

Sunday Supper: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

  
Rumor has it that this summer has been one of the coolest on record in the San Francisco Bay area with even more fog than usual. Luckily, we missed most of it, but I am not gloating. Instead, we witnessed record breaking heat and torrential rains in Europe, 100 percent humidity on the East coast and the excuse to wear fleece in Iceland. This has, indeed, been a season of extreme weather (although, for Iceland, I think extreme is more the norm).

Now we are home and experiencing some of that chilly San Francisco weather, but I can't say that I mind. After all, summer is winding down, school is starting, and my New England DNA has me programmed to look forward to a brisk autumn season. Not only does the fresh air beget fires and woolies, it also invites cozy, rustic cooking. And what better way to start the season than with a casual, comforting Sunday supper?

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

The heat of sausage mingles with earthy broccoli rabe and sweet red bell pepper. I like to serve this dish straight from the skillet, accompanied by a salad of mixed greens, fresh country-style bread and a glass of Côtes du Rhône. Serves 4.
 

1 pound orecchiette pasta

1/2 pound broccoli rabe, washed, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, crumbled
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for serving:
 

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente; drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, bring another large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 30 seconds; drain. Plunge broccoli rabe into a bowl of ice water. Cool and drain again. Lay in one layer on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry. Cut in 1" pieces. 
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add crumbled sausage to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel. 
Pour off all but one tablespoon of accumulated oil in the skillet. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Add red bell pepper, broccolil rabe, pepper and salt. Sauté one minute. Add sausage and cook until heated through.
Remove skillet from heat. Add cooked pasta and cheese to the skillet; toss to combine. Serve with additional grated cheese on the side.

If you like this, you might enjoy these other recipes from TasteFood:

Bacon, Broccoli and Tomato Pasta 

 Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni

Skillet Chicken with Rice and Vegetables

 

 

 

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée

 
Now that it's officially fall and the weather is behaving accordingly, one-pot dinners are favorite meals in our home.  Easy to prepare, comforting to eat, they please the entire family.  This week I made a Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée.  Mushrooms are abundant now, so take advantage of the varieties appearing in the market and use a combination in this fricassée.

Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Fricassée
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken breast halves, with skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lb. (250 g.) assorted mushrooms (such as white, cremini, shitake) stems trimmed, halved
3 leeks, white and pale green parts, cleaned, sliced in 1/4" pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1/4 cup (60 ml.) dry white wine
1/2 cup (120 ml.) chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper chicken all over.  Add chicken to skillet, skin-side down.  Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet.
Reduce heat to medium and add one tablespoon olive oil to skillet.  Add mushrooms and leeks and cook, stirring, over medium heat until leeks are vibrant and vegetables are tender but not too soft, 3-4 minutes.  Add thyme and sauté one minute.  Add white wine and simmer until most of the wine is evaporated.  Add chicken stock and return chicken to pan.  Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through, 5-8 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and tent with foil to keep warm. 
Add cream to vegetables and simmer until cream and stock reduce by a third and begin to thicken.  Arrange chicken on serving plates or platter.  Spoon sauce over chicken.  Serve with rice.

Try these other one-pot chicken recipes from TasteFood:

Braised Chicken with Porcini Mushrooms

Skillet Chicken with Rice and Vegetables







Hunter's Stew, Mediterranean-Style









And more from the Foodblogs:
Mediterranean Chicken and Spinach Rice Bake from Karina's Kitchen
Chicken, Garlic and Soy Stew from Bitten Blog
Tomatillo Chicken Stew from Simply Recipes
Chicken and Okra Stew from Foodblogga