A Week of New Recipes -- Day 7: Roast Chicken with Panzanella

Beautiful, huh?  You know how they say, "Make a rainbow on your plate..."?  Well, I definitely got the red part of the rainbow covered! 

Day Seven - the last day of the week of new recipes.  This was actually the second time I tried this recipe (even though it was in the new recipe plan, it looked too good to wait for a few weeks back).  The last time I tried it we took lots and lots of pictures, because it was so cool to make croutons from scratch and when all of the items were mixed together they looked so lively.  Unfortunately, my camera was on manual focus during the process and I didn't notice until I uploaded them on the computer :(  Oh well, all's well that ends well, right?  And this definitely ended well.

While I had the chicken roasting in the oven, I just put together a few ingredients...

Tossed...

And then we enjoyed.  :)

I loved making these recipes this week.  So many fresh, great ingredients and simple ways to mix things that I never would have thought of on my own.  But I must be honest, I am ready for food I do not need to read the directions for in order to make.  I am ready for some Tiffany Food, the kind that has a recipe living in my head.  Maybe some tuna casserole and mashed potatoes ;) 

This recipe, like several others this week, will make it into my regular planning.  It is nice to know that after I make them a few times I will not need to look at the directions anymore, and they too will become Tiffany Food.  Which is a good thing, because they sure were tasty!



*I used chicken thighs for this recipe instead of a whole chicken.  It was easier that way, and still tasted great.

INGREDIENTS:

• One 5- to 6-pound chicken (OR CHICKEN THIGHS)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the chicken breast side down on a work surface. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone; pull out and discard. Open the chicken like a book and flip skin side up. Press on the breast until the bone cracks. Pat dry.
2. Place a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Rub the chicken all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil; season well with salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast side up in the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast until the skin is crisp and golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted into the thigh, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before carving.
3. Meanwhile, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet; toast until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, parsley, garlic, remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and the vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and toss. Serve the chicken on top of the bread salad.

(Recipe from rachaelray.com)

COST = $10.05       PER SERVING (3) = $3.35

A Week of New Recipes -- Day 3: Steak-and-Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing

I spent over an hour yesterday cleaning up after the asparagus explosion.  I was finding pieces of green everywhere, and I probably will be for days (or weeks... but hopefully not months!).  After spending so long in the kitchen I didn't know if I would be excited to try a brand-new recipe and spend more time in the kitchen (the first time going through a recipe is always much longer than the subsequent times, you know how it goes).  But I plowed through, and boy, am I glad I did!

Day three found me working with the freshest of ingredients once again.  I had potatoes, spinach, a lemon, an onion, tons of garlic, tomatoes, some steak, and a loaf of bread in front of me.  I love fresh ingredients.  They make me feel like I am doing a magic trick... taking a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and I get something (hopefully) amazing in the end.  THIS is the kind of stuff our bodies were meant to have!  I have come a long way from Kraft Mac n' Cheese and Rice-a-Roni ;)

And look at what I did with all that!

Once again, we loved this meal.  This week is having quite the success rate!  My husband loved it because it had steak, something I rarely cook -- who am I kidding?  I never cook steak.  Usually if we are eating red meat it is coming off the grill, and I have done nothing to make that happen.  I just enjoy it -- and let me tell you, I really do enjoy it.  (If you want good BBQ find a Brazilian to make it for you, you will not be disappointed.  Lucky for me to have married such a man, huh?) 

A view of our typical meat eating experience -- top sirloin
surrounded by veggie meat.  What can I say?  I like both!

While he was enjoying the steak-iness of it, I was amazed at how good my own made-from-scratch dressing was.  WOW!  I have made dressing before, but this was on par with the stuff from the pros, and a lot lighter feeling.  Again, we must give this meal a ten.  (Now before you think we are too easy here, last time I did a Weekly Meal Plan from Rachael Ray I think we gave almost everything a score in the 7-9 range, with only one 10, so this really means something.  Take our word, try it and see for yourself.)

The only change this time was I added some tomatoes to it.  It was something like Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes
• 6 cloves garlic—3 thinly sliced, 2 crushed and 1 finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 whole wheat country loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound skirt steak, cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces, at room temperature
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• One 6-ounce bag baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a saucepan, combine the potatoes and crushed garlic with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch; season with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the mustard, lemon peel, lemon juice and finely chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add the sliced garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to paper towels to drain. Add the bread cubes to the pan, season with salt and pepper and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Season the steak with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.
5. Quarter the potatoes and add to the vinaigrette, tossing well. Add the onion and spinach, season with salt and pepper and toss again. Divide the salad among plates and top with the steak, garlic slices and croutons.

COST = $13.75        PER SERVING (3) = $4.59
(Recipe from rachaelray.com)