italian chicken/creamed spinach/roasted potatoes

this is dustin's favorite chicken. and this is also how i got val to eat spinach. the chicken is really easy. if you start the chicken right after you put the potatoes in the oven they should be done around the same time. also, if you start the spinach after you put the chicken in the oven you can keep it warm on low until everything else is done. the chicken will be juicy and tender, the spinach is decadent and smooth and the potatoes are crispy on the outside and silky on the inside. this is a great cold weather menu. and what to do with your left overs? don't worry, there won't be any!










for the potatoes
1.5 lb red potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 tsp paprika

preheat oven to 350
heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a small saucepan or skillet. add the crushed garlic cloves and let the garlic infuse the olive oil for about 10-15 minutes. remove the garlic and discard. let the oil cool while you cube the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. toss the potatoes with the oil and remaining spices. transfer the potatoes to a greased baking dish large enough so the potatoes can be spread into a single layer. place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, tossing the potatoes about half way through.

for the chicken

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup of flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup italian dressing

1 cup white wine (optional)

1 cup chicken stock (2 cups if not using white wine)

cut each chicken breast in half. mix the flour with the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder. melt 3 tbsp of the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, making sure to shake off any excess. once the butter is sizzling add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. turn each piece over and pour the italian dressing evenly over each piece of chicken. transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes until chicken is done. remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken pieces on a plate, cover with foil to keep warm. return the pan to medium heat. carefully pour in the wine, if using, and stock. use a whisk to scrap up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. continue to simmer until liquid has reduced by half. add the remaining 1 tbsp of butter and use a whisk to help it melt into the sauce. once sauce has thickened slightly remove from heat and spoon over chicken pieces.

for the spinach

1 10 oz. package frozen spinach

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

a pinch of nutmeg

 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

thaw the spinach, drain all excess liquid. chop the spinach and set aside. heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. add the shallot and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes or until the shallots turn translucent. add the spinach and toss it to coat in the olive oil and shallot mixture. add the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg and reduce heat to low. stir to combine. continue to cook for about 5-10 minutes until cream has thickened. take off the heat and add the cheese. stir to combine and serve.

where do our groceries come from? support the american, your local economy

now, i normally do not like to tell people what do to when it comes to spending their own hard earned money. having said that, i do feel that it is important (and rather easy) to support the american, as well as our local economy. we can do this by buying products and goods that are sold by american companies and manufactured in local facilities.

today when i went grocery shopping for a few items i made sure to look at the labels carefully to see where things were made or packaged and where the company headquarters are located. after i found everything on my list i realized that only one thing i bought was outside of my region, the midwest. and it was easy! and everything i bought this time i have bought before and was familiar with the brand. i normally shop at pick n save and one way to almost guarantee you are getting a local product there is to buy a generic brand. because pick n save is only in the midwest they manufacture and package their goods in the midwest. walmart on the other hand (and i have nothing against walmart, i shop their also) is a national chain, so they facilities nationwide because they ship to their stores nationwide.



so the picture you see here is a map of the places where my items came from.

a) gold peak (made by coca-cola) -atlanta, ga
b) bounty -cincinatti, oh
c) kraft - northfield, il (also has facilities in nj, wi and ny)
d) roundy's -kenosha, wi
e) pre pac produce -milwaukee, wi
f) crystal farms (dairy products) -lake mills, wi
g) cottonelle -neenah, wi
h) kemps (diary products)- minneapolis, mn

panini with fontina/roasted asparagus/caramelized onion/prosciutto

(makes four panini)
for the caramelized onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

for the roasted asparagus
1 bunch asparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the rest of the panini
8 slices of bread
4 tbsp butter, room temperature
4 tbsp stone ground mustard
1.5 cups shredded fontina cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 slices prosciutto




preheat oven to 400 start with the onions. heat the oil in a large skillet on low heat. add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. continue to cook over low heat, stirring every 5 minutes, for about 30-40 minutes. add the balsamic vinegar and cook another 5 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated.

meanwhile, trim the asparagus and toss it in the olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper. arrange the asparagus on a lined cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes.

to build the panini: lay four slices of bread on a flat surface. spread 1/2 tbsp butter on each slice, then lay the bread butter side down. spread 1 tbsp of the mustard on each slice. use 1/4 of the fontina cheese on each slice, then top each with a slice of prosciutto. divide the onions evenly between the sandwiches-ensuring a smooth even layer. lay the asparagus length wise across each sandwich. sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the sandwiches and top with the other slices of bread. butter the tops of the bread with the remaining butter. carefully place one panini in a non stick pan over medium heat. place a panini weight* on top of the panini. cook for about 3-5 on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

*you do not have to use a panini weight, you could also use a garden brick covered with tin foil. you can also just use a dinner plate with a heavy canned good on top.

______________________________________________________________________________

this is one of those foods that has a quieting effect on people. you put it on the table and it just gets quiet. after people get over the initial shock of it all, they get the idea that maybe they should eat it. after that it all becomes a blur. you get the chewiness of the bread, the creamy cheese, the salty prosciutto, the sweet mellow onions, the crispy asparagus and the tang of the mustard in every bite. its good. its crazy good. the flavors are so amazing together you will race to finish the sandwich. then come the "are you going to finish that?" looks and it turns into a fight to keep your panini from being stolen right out from under you! trust me when i say it is worth the fight to keep your panini. you'll thank me later :)

chicken stock

chicken stock 
(makes about 8 cups or 2 quarts)
chicken carcass some meat and skin
(breast/thigh/leg bones are fine)
1 large white onion
4-6 medium carrots
4-6 ribs of celery
10 peppercorns
1 tbsp salt
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped parsley or 2 tbsp dried
cold water
cheesecloth

arrange the bones from the chicken in the bottom of the pot. if using a whole carcass it is easiest if you cut or tear it into smaller pieces, this will allow you to stir more easily. peel the onion and cut it into eighths. peel the carrots and slice them and the celery in half. add the rest of the dry ingredients to the pot. add enough cold water to cover everything, cover and cook on the lowest heat setting for 12-18 hours. line a strainer or colander with cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl. carefully spoon out the chicken and vegetables and place them in the lined strainer. allow all the liquid to run off the meat and veggies, then dispose of them. reline the strainer with new cheesecloth and carefully pour the rest of the liquid into the lined strainer, allowing small bits and herbs to be kept out of the stock. allow the stock to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. a thin skin will form on top of the stock. carefully spoon off this layer and discard, then refrigerator remaining stock. remember: after chilling the stock will become gelatinous. this is because in the cooking process a lot of gelatin was extracted from the chicken bones. if not using within a week-freeze in a clean ice cube tray then transfer frozen cubes into a zip lock baggie. the stock will last about 3 months in the freezer.

i love making stock! it's one of those "set it and forget it" tricks that can add a TON of flavor to so many different things. you can use stock for soups, quick pan sauces, gravies, to flavor rice, or pasta sauces. its especially easy if you use the frozen stock cubes. you could even measure 1-2 oz. into each cube so you know exactly how much you are using before you thaw it. but the good news is you don't have to wait for it to thaw to cook with it, it'll melt into whatever you are cooking just fine. i swear there is a healing power in this magical broth, why just today it turned a bad case of the winter blues into a delightfully cozy meal alongside warm bread and butter.

lemon and herb roasted chicken/honey balsamic pearl onions/rutabaga mash

for the chicken
1 5-7 lb roasting chicken
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 lemon
1 stick of herb butter*, room temperature
2 tbsp olive oil

 for the pearl onions

2 tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

1 10 oz. bag of frozen of pearl onions

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

for the rutabaga mash

2 large rutabaga

3 tbsp herb butter*

salt and pepper to taste

*i prefer using herb butter, but you can use plain butter with fresh or dried herbs mixed in

preheat oven to 375.
to prepare the chicken: remove any innards that came with the bird. rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with a paper towel. use 1 tsp of the salt and 1 tsp of the pepper to season the inside of the chicken. place the bird in your roasting pan, breast side up.  use your fingers to separate the skin from the flesh, being careful not to tear or rip the skin. separate the skin from the entire breast section and both legs. spread the room temperature butter evenly under the skin on the breasts and legs. slice the lemon into 1/4 inch slices and place under the skin of the chicken. drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. tuck the tips of the wings under the bird to avoid burning. place in 375 degree oven and cook for 2 hours,  or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165.


to cook the onions-warm the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. pluck the leaves off the sprigs of thyme and drop them into the warm oil. let the thyme infuse with the oil for about 5 minutes. add the frozen onions and increase heat to medium-high. continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. the onions should begin to brown. add the balsamic vinegar and honey, stir to combine with the onions. continue cooking until almost all the liquid is gone.


to cook the rutabaga-peel the skin and outer layer of the rutabaga until the light yellow/orange flesh is exposed. chop the rutabaga into 1/2 inch pieces. drop the rutabaga in a large pot of boiling water. boil for 15-20 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the rutabaga. drain the rutabaga and transfer to a food processor. pulse the rutabaga until in it smooth and there are no large lumps. cut the herb butter into smaller pieces and pulse it into the rutabaga until is melted and combined thoroughly. add salt and pepper to taste.

__________________________________________________________________________________

roasting a chicken is a daunting task for many. but fret not- it really is simple. part of the beauty in cooking a whole chicken is the rustic quality of the finished product. it doesn't have to look like it does the magazines, it just has to taste good. try adding crushed garlic cloves, sliced lemons and fresh herbs to the cavity before roasting-the flavor is fantastic and the possibilities are endless. as for the onions and rutabaga-they are easy to make and are also pretty quick recipes. they pair well with pork recipes as well.  if i can get one bite of everything onto my fork and taste it all at once my taste buds dance, but my soul takes a deep breath. here's to your deep breath.