ROASTED CHICKEN WITH RICE

This recipe was developed by Iraqi cookbook author Naz Deravian, and enhanced by a suggestion from a Jewish cook in India. Although it has a lot of steps, it’s not at all complicated. It’s fun and interesting to make. The chicken turns out very moist and the rice makes a delicious side.

A couple of notes:

I use jasmine rice, but basmati, Texmati, Texas pecan rice, and long-grain white are good substitutes.

The saffron is strictly optional.

Use a Dutch oven that can comfortably hold the entire chicken with a little room to spare, since you’ll be cooking the rice alongside it.

About turmeric: lead contamination is a serious issue with off-brands and even some name brands. Unnaturally brightly colored turmeric may have its color enhanced artificially. Cooking will not rid the turmeric of lead. Choose turmeric by the standards listed in this article from Premier Labs.

Turmeric can stain badly so protect clothing and countertops (a paste of baking soda and water can remove yellow stains from counters).

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH RICE

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 1/2 pounds
• salt and pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped finely
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric (see note above)
• 1 1/2 cups rice (see note above)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 whole green cardamom pods
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• olive oil as needed
• pinch saffron (optional)
• pinch sugar (optional)

Remove excess fat from the chicken. Generously salt and pepper the chicken all over; if time allows, store uncovered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator half an hour before cooking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in the Dutch oven. Add the onions, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods (crushed to expose the seeds), and saute about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are golden. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle onions lightly with salt and add the garlic. Cook another two or three minutes. Then add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and cook one more minute. Turn off the heat, let the onions cool for a few minutes, then scrape them out of the pan, transfer to a bowl, and set them aside. Do not wash the pot.

Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of turmeric over the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the Dutch oven. Put the chicken in, breast side down, and lightly brown it over medium heat (adjust heat as necessary). After five minutes, flip the chicken over and brown the back the same way.

Spoon the onions around the chicken (not on the chicken). Pour 2-1/2 cups of water into the pot, avoiding pouring it over the chicken. Bring the water to a boil, put the lid on the Dutch oven, and place it in the preheated oven. Bake, covered, for 50 minutes.

If using the saffron: grind it with the sugar in a mortar and pestle, or the back of a spoon. Put in a small dish, cover with 2 tablespoons very hot water, and set aside.

Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Allow to drain. Set aside.

After 50 minutes are up, remove the pot from the oven. Using a spoon, carefully add the rice around the chicken. Scrape any rice that falls on the chicken down into the liquid. Drizzle the lemon juice and (if using) the saffron water over the chicken. Replace the lid and return the pot to the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove pot from oven and let stand five minutes. Remove the lid and tilt the pot so that any liquid still in the chicken cavity can flow out. Tilt the pot so that the liquid circulates into the rice. You may have to do this a couple of times. Replace the lid and let sit 10 to 15 minutes.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the chicken with leafy herbs like cilantro, chopped green onions, and chopped parsley. Carve right in the pot and scoop up the rice along with each serving. Plain yogurt goes nicely with this.

Image by Dr. Muhammad Amr on Unsplash.

TURKEY BURGERS

Photo by Yuliia Zhyvotok on Unsplash 

It’s been several months since I purchased ground beef but I think it was around $9 or $10/pound. (That’s for grass-fed local beef. YMMV.) What I have bought frequently is ground turkey, which ranges from $4.99 to $9.99/pound. The cheaper product is labeled dark ground turkey from the legs and thighs. The lighter colored, more expensive ground turkey is white meat from the breast. Sometimes the packages are labeled with fat percentages. See this helpful page from the National Turkey Federation.

I am not going to declare that you can’t tell the difference between ground turkey and ground beef when it’s cooked. The flavor is not the same, nor is the texture or browned exterior. But it’s definitely much cheaper and lower in cholesterol, both of which recommend it. I use it in lasagne, cannelloni, enchiladas, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, breakfast sausage patties, tacos, soups, and so forth.

Compared to ground beef, ground turkey is mushy. I mix in 1/2 cup panko to every pound of turkey and let it sit, covered, in the refrigerator for an hour or so. Ground turkey is also bland, and I season the holy hell out of it when I add the panko. Because turkey is leaner, it doesn’t exude fat when it’s cooking like beef does, so frying meatballs or patties requires lower heat and oiling the pan. It’s easy to burn when cooked on high heat.

Test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. The cut-and-peek method won’t work with ground turkey.

And like ground chicken (which is a good substitute), assume raw turkey is full of salmonella. Therefore: thoroughly wash everything the raw turkey comes in contact with in hot soapy water. Bowls, knives, plates, and especially your hands. I’ve had poisoning from undercooked poultry and trust me, you do not want to experience it.

TURKEY BURGERS

• 1 pound ground turkey (I much prefer the dark meat)
• 1/2 cup panko
• 1/4 cup grated red onion
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• big pinch cayenne

Mix all of the above together thoroughly. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.

When ready to cook:

Heat wide cast iron frying pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add enough neutral oil (such as sunflower or canola) to generously cover the bottom of the pan.

Pat the ground turkey into four equal patties, each about 3 to 3-1/2 inches across. Carefully place them in the heated, oiled pan (if they won’t all fit, cook two at a time and then keep those warm in a warm oven). Cook slowly, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°. If they start to get too dark on the underside, reduce heat. They will not shrink in size like ground beef burgers do.

Serve with favorite burger accompaniments – toasted buns, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, etc.

See also Greek Turkey Burgers.

SPINACH AND SAUSAGE STUFFING

I am putting this here not because it’s breaking any new ground, but because my husband has been raving about the turkey dressing I made this year. I want to record how I made it because I will otherwise forget in a few days, never mind next year.

SPINACH AND SAUSAGE STUFFING

• 1 loaf sourdough ciabatta from Winco (the flat bread thing in the bakery section)
• 1 loaf white Artisan brand bread
• 1-1/2 cups onion chopped small
• 1-1/2 cups celery chopped small
• about 3 cups raw spinach
• about 3/4 pound ground pork
• Penzey’s breakfast sausage seasoning
• Penzey’s poultry seasoning
• turkey and/or chicken broth
• salt & pepper
• sunflower oil

A couple of days ahead, tear the bread into small pieces. Cover and set aside, like in the garage. Also a couple of days ahead, mix about 1 tablespoon Penzey’s breakfast sausage seasoning into the ground pork. Rewrap it and put it in the refrigerator.

Thanksgiving morning, slowly saute the celery and onion in some oil over medium heat. Let it cook fairly slowly until the celery loses its bright green color and softens. Add the sausage, torn into small pieces, and continue to cook. When the sausage is almost done, add some poultry seasoning – maybe 2 or 3 teaspoons, plus salt and pepper. Cook another five minutes, stirring every minute or so.

Tear up the spinach and add to the torn-up bread. Don’t worry about the spinach stems.

Scrape the celery/onions/sausage into the pot with the bread and spinach. Add broth to the now-empty pan and scrape up the bits, and pour those in too.

Mix like crazy. Add more broth so all the bread is moistened.

Taste and add more poultry seasoning and/or salt.

Pack into pan it’s going to bake in. Pour some more broth over it until it feels like maybe there’s too much broth. Cover and set aside.

After the turkey comes out of the oven, bake the stuffing at 350 until center tests 165 degrees.

SCRAPPLE

Image by Flipboard on Unsplash

I forgot entirely about this until just now, when I came across the recipe elsewhere. Scrapple used to be made from the little pieces left over after slaughtering a hog. This is a lot easier, assuming you’re not in the hog business. Makes part of a good breakfast on a cold morning.

SCRAPPLE

• 1 lb ground pork or turkey
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon anise seed or fennel seed
• hot pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste
• 1 quart water or chicken stock
• 1 cup cornmeal

Sauté pork and onion together until pork is cooked through. Add spices plus salt and pepper to taste; cook a few moments longer.

Add water, bring to a boil, and slowly stir in cornmeal. Reduce heat and simmer for five or ten minutes, adding more water if necessary.

Line a bread pan with foil. Pour hot pork-cornmeal mixture in. Let cool. Store in freezer, covered with more foil.

To cook: defrost, slice, and saute in a little oil. It’ll probably fall apart but that’s ok. Cook until browned on both sides.

Eat with maple syrup and fried/poached eggs.

MAPLE-BUTTERSCOTCH BARS

Another cookie recipe that’s fast to mix. These look plain and homely so a dusting of powdered sugar would not go amiss.

• 1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 2 teaspoons maple extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and maple extract together. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each one in thoroughly before adding the next. Combine the flour and baking powder; mix into the egg-sugar batter. Stir in the walnuts.

Scrape into greased 9-inch square pan and bake 23 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove pan to wire rack.

Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes about 16 to 20 squares, depending on who’s doing the cutting.

SOFT GINGER COOKIES

Photo of raw and powdered ginger by Julia Topp on Unsplash.

Fast to mix and bake. Finely minced crystallized ginger can be added for an extra spicy flavor. Chopped walnuts would make a good addition.

SOFT GINGER COOKIES

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup mild molasses
• 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 1 rounded tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 325.

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in molasses and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add gradually to butter mixture.

Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until cookies spring back when touched lightly. Cool on wire racks.

FROSTING

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (dark or light)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Boil sugar, milk, and butter together for one minute. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes before stirring in sugar and vanilla. Frost cookies.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

BUTTERMILK COOKIES

Very fast to mix up.

• 1/2 cup soft butter (one stick)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like cookies
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream the sugar and butter together, then beat in egg and vanilla. Mix flour with salt and soda and add it to the butter, alternating with the buttermilk.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire rack to cool.

Frosting

• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• confectioners’ (powdered) sugar as needed
• Finely chopped walnuts

Combine butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat in enough sugar to make a creamy, spreadable frosting (2 to 3 cups). Frost cooled cookies, then flip upside down and dip in chopped nuts.

Makes about 3 dozen.

DRYING THE LAST OF THE SUMMER BASIL

Photo by Karolina Kołodziejczak on Unsplash

I’d like to say my basil plants looked like the one above. Through no fault of their own, they met with some misadventures, causing them to look a bit wonky. Still, they continue to produce – but not for much longer, as they are producing flowers and will be going to seed. Around the 23rd of this month – the dark of the moon – I’ll be starting new ones. I can’t count on the fall and winter plants to be as luxurious as the ones I started last spring and which grew in full sun.

I like to keep dried basil on hand for times when there’s little of the fresh to be had.

I harvested a plateful of leaves, both Thai basil (Siam Queen) and two Italian basils (Profumo di Genova and heirloom Italian Genovese). I plucked off the tough stems, as those will not crush easily when dried.

I spread the leaves out on a pizza pan and put the pan in a 175 degree oven.

After about 20 minutes I checked. A few leaves still had a springy quality so I returned the pan to the oven for about three more minutes, when all the leaves were dry and still had a basil aroma.

Into a jar….

… and after reaching into the jar and crushing the leaves with my fingers.

I’ll be continuing to harvest and dry until the plants are exhausted for the summer.

DATE AND PRUNE CAKE

Image by Mohammed Alorabi on Unsplash

It’s mid- to late winter. The berries, stone fruits, and melons are still months away. But dried fruit can make delicious desserts to tide one over until then.

This was adapted from a coffee table cookbook, California the Beautiful Cookbook (one of a series of “The Beautiful” cookbooks published in the early 1990s) by John Phillip Carroll. Not a dud recipe in the bunch, with gorgeous photography throughout. Easily available used.

DATE AND PRUNE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9″ or 10″ springform pan.

• 1-1/2 cups chopped dates
• 1-1/2 cups chopped prunes
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1-1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure orange extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine dates, prunes, and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over and stir until butter is melted. Set aside to cool.

Add the brown sugar, eggs, and orange extract to the date mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. Mix in the salt, baking soda, and flour. Lastly add the walnuts.

Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes (could be longer or shorter time). Remove cake to cooling rack. After 10 minutes, run a table knife around edge of pan, then remove outer collar. Allow to cool completely.

This only needs a bit of ice cream or whipped cream, but is delicious without any accompaniment. This cake will improve after a day or two. Very good served with a wedge of blue cheese.

Wrap airtight to allow to age.

Note: the prune taste comes out a bit strongly in this cake so if you don’t love that dark, intense taste, feel free to substitute more dates or other similar dried fruit such as figs.

BLUE CHEESE SCALLOPED POTATOES

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Last night I made a super-simple version of this, and it was good. That was a bechamel sauce with some blue cheese melted into it, seasoned with nutmeg, cayenne, and dry mustard. Poured the cheese sauce over sliced potatoes & onions, and baked in a covered baking dish for an hour at 350. Took the foil off, turned the broiler on, let it get a little browned.

But this is the version I made some years ago for a dinner party, and it was a huge hit. It’s considerably more glamourous. The original recipe came from Epicurious.

BLUE CHEESE SCALLOPED POTATOES

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound onions (3 medium), sliced thinly
2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 pound blue cheese
1/4 pound whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sauté onions, stirring occasionally, in oil until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Peel potatoes and slice paper-thin crosswise (slightly less than 1/16 inch thick). Combine potatoes and cream in a 2-quart heavy saucepan (potatoes on top may not be completely immersed) and bring to a boil. Watch and stir this. It will scorch easily. Remove from heat and cool to warm, about 30 minutes.

Transfer one-third of potatoes with a slotted spoon to a lightly oiled 3-quart shallow baking dish (reserve any cream in pan), spreading them in an even layer, then sprinkle evenly with half of onions and one-third of each cheese and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Make 1 more layer each of potatoes, onions, cheeses, and seasoning in same manner, then top with remaining potatoes and remaining cheeses. (Do not season top layer.) Pour reserved cream evenly over top and cover tightly with foil.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400°F, then remove foil and bake until top is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.