Let’s cook!

Dutch Oven Rosemary Chicken

3 – 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breast

1 package of sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 lemons, halved and juiced (keep the halves)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, diced

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 1 spring fresh rosemary

2 handfuls of red potatoes, halved

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and add salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until semi tender, about 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, dice the rosemary and garlic.

Transfer to a bowl and add salt, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and juice of one lemon.

Mix well then add the chicken and coat.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin turns light brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Turn the chicken.

Add the mushrooms.

Add the potatoes, rosemary sprig, juice from the last lemon, and throw in the lemon halves. Place in the oven and cook for 25 – 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Time to plate.

Here is a close-up:

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Herb Crusted Whole Roasted Chicken

1 Whole Roasting Chicken 6 – 8 lbs

3 tablespoons Canola oil

2 cups Pinot Grigio

1 lemon, half and then slices for the other half

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 medium onion, quartered

handful fresh rosemary

handful fresh sage

handful fresh thyme

2 sticks of carrots, chopped

1 celeary stalk, chopped

Stuff the inside of the chicken with onion, chopped garlic, and lemon half.

Place dutch oven over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of oil. Place the chicken in and lightly brown.

Remove the chicken add carrots and celery to the pot.

Cook on high for five minutes then add wine.

Scrap the bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon and turn off the heat.

In a bowl add 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil and chopped herbs.

Mix well and then cover the chicken.

Place the chicken back in the dutch oven and top with lemon slices.

Place in the oven and bake for 1.5 – 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before you start carving.

Here is the close up of the finished chicken:

You can pour the sauce from the chicken juices over the chicken but you will notice how juicy this is without it.

Happy Cooking!

Let’s cook!

Spicy Aromatic Chicken

4 chicken breast, with bones and skin

1/2 lemon, cut into wedges

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

14 oz can chopped tomatoes in juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

pinch of sugar

14oz can artichoke hearts, drained

8 black olives, pitted

Rub the chicken breast with lemon.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven.

While the oil is heating chop up the onion.

And garlic.

Add the onion and garlic to the dutch oven and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the chicken breast and cook for 8 minutes on each side.

Add tomatoes and wine.

Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Cover with lid, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and add artichokes and olives. Let cook for another 10 minutes.

Here is the pot of chicken cooked.

For this dinner Jen made wild rice which is one of my favorites. Now she did let me plate so here is how I plated the dish.

Here is another view.

Here is the close-up:

Jen did a great job and this recipe is one of my MUST TRY meals (I have lunch tomorrow too!)

Happy Cooking!

French Style Chicken in Dutch Oven

1 whole chicken, giblets removed and discarded

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 small celery stalk, chopped

6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Pre-heat oven to 250. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

In the dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil until just smoking.  Add the chicken breast-side down. Scatter the onion, celery, garlic, bay lead, and rosemary around the chicken.

Cook until the breast is lightly brown which takes about 5 minutes. Use a wooden spoon and insert into the cavity of the chicken, flip breast-side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are slightly brown which takes another 5 minutes.

Remove the dutch oven from the heat and place a large sheet of foil over the pot, then cover tightly with the lid and transfer to the oven.

Bake chicken for an hour and half. Once the chicken shows 160 degrees transfer the chicken to a serving plate.

Cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from the pot throught a mesh strainer.

Add lemon juice and pour into a pan and set over low heat.

Time to make the eggplant.

Sauteed Eggplant and Roasted Garlic

1 eggplant

1 onion, sliced

1 head of garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

Add garlic to foil

Wrap in foil the garlic and add to the oven (I did this while the chicken was cooking).

Cut the eggplant in slices then, slice the eggplant into 1/4″ slices.

In the saute pan add onions, roasted garlic, and eggplant with olive oil.

Cook until eggplant is cooked.

Time to make this meal complete. Take the jus sauce from the chicken and pour into a serving dish.

Here is the final plating:

This was a great Sunday dinner and even though it took awhile to cook, I did enjoy it.

Happy Cooking!

Cuban Style Pork with Arborio Rice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup paprika

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rum (and one shot for you)

3 tablespoons of chopped garlic

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops (1 inch thick), trimmed, and cut into cubes

2 cups of white onion, chopped

2 cups arborio rice

1 – 48oz chicken broths

1 can diced tomatoe

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

16 large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cups of artichoke hearts that have been in water

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, cut into strips

salt and pepper

Combine paprika, lime juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, rum, 2 teaspoons of the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin in a medium bowl, stirring to make a paste.

Add pork to the bowl and stir to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pork, and make sure you leave any excess spice mixture in the bowl because you will use it later. Cook the pork, stirring, until just cooked on the outside which is about 4 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a plate.

Put the dutch oven back on the stove and add onion and the remaining garlic and cook for 4 – 5 minutes (make sure stir often)

Add rice and cook, stirring until coated with the onion mixture.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, capers, turmeric and any of the remaining spice mixture.

Preheat your oven to 350. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low simmer, cook for about 15 minutes and make sure you stir occasionally.

Stir shrimp and artichokes into the rice.

Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add pork and any accumulated juices from the plate.

Scatter roasted peppers on the top, cover and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Here is how I did the plating:

So if you are ever looking for a dinner that is full of spice and has exotic flavors you should really try this.

Tomorrow night we are going to a party and I will write on Saturday morning about the appertizers one of our friends Brooke is making.

Happy Cooking!

Check back tonight for recipe/pics.

Happy Cooking!