Perfect Whole Roasted Chicken
For a perfectly roasted chicken, all you have to do is season the chicken well and throw it in a hot oven for about an hour.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 lb; rinsed; patted dry)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cracked white pepper
- 1 lemon (halved)
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 4 springs rosemary (roughly chopped)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 3 carrots (peeled; cut into thirds)
- 3 ribs celery (peeled; cut into thirds)
- 3 onions (peeled; cut into quarters)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Season the chicken both inside and out with kosher salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken.
- Place the lemon rinds and the bay leaves inside the chicken’s cavity.
- In a small bowl, combine the rosemary and butter. Rub the chicken both inside and out with the butter and stuffed the remaining butter between the skin and meat.
- In a 9 by 13 inch roasting pan, add the carrots, celery, and onions. Place the seasoned chicken in the roasting pan over the vegetables.
- Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 50-60 minutes until the juices run clear and the thermometer registers at 160°F.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow for cool for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in chicken stock and white wine and bring to boil. Then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half until thickened.
Spicy Turkish Rice
A rice recipe I save for special occasions like Thanskgiving and New Year’s Eve. A touch of sweet from cinnamon and currants, a touch of spiciness with fresh blackpepper, and the final nutty touch of roasted chestnuts.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups rice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon currant
- 1/2 bunch dill (finely chopped)
- 5-6 chestnuts (roasted; peeled; quartered)
Recipe:
- Melt the butter in a wide pan and sautee the onion over medium heat.
- Once the onions are translucent add the rice and sautee the rice over medium heat until they are translucent.
- Add all the spices, dill, and chestnuts and mix well.
- Pour the chicken broth and 2 cups of water and turn the heat high. Once boiled, turn the heat to simmer and cook until rice absorbs all the water and holes form on the surface of the rice.
- Turn the heat down. Cover the rice with a paper towel, put the lid on and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Real Pumpkin Pie
With the fall’s harvest, everywhere is decorated with colorful fresh pumpkins. It is the perfect time to bake a pie made with real pumpkin.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh pumpkin pure
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half-n-half
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1 9 inch unbaked deep dish pie shell
Recipe:
- Blend the pumpkin and half-n-half together in a medium size mixing bowl.
- Mix the sugar and spices together thoroughly and stir into the pumpkin mixture.
- Slightly beat the eggs and then add to the pumpkin mixture.
- Pour into the 9 inch unbaked pie shell.
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350°F and bake 45 to 60 additional minutes. Pie is done when inserted knife comes out clean.
- Cool pie on wire baking rack.
Fresh Pumpkin Soup
A soup with freshly harvested fall flavors of just-picked pumpkins and tart apples to warm you up on a crisp autumn day.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 cups fresh pumpkin puree
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tart apple (peeled and chopped)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
- pinch of salt
- pinch of blackpepper
Recipe:
- Combine all the ingredients except the pumpkin puree. Bring to boil and then let it simmer under the apples are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree to the soup. Bring to boil and then simmer for an hour.
- Cool soup slightly; process in batches in a blender. Transfer to a large saucepan; season with salt and pepper to taste and heat through. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Baking with Fresh Pumpkin
Finally I got the tine to cook the pumpkin we bought back in October. Plan is to bake a pumpkin pie and have pumpkin-apple soup. But first the fresh pumpkin needs to be baked and pureed. And we are not wasting anything; seeds will be roasted as well.
- Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast.
- In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil.
- Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender.
- Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it.
- While the oven is hot, roast the pumpkin seeds as well.
Extra pureed pumpkin also freezes nicely. Place 1 to 2 cup portions in freezer bags and lay flat in freezer.
Spicy Carrot Pickles
If you ever have a hot sandwich in Tartine, one thing you would remember for sure is the pickled carrots served with it. You will wish that you could have more and more. When I saw the fresh baby carrots in the farmer’s market, with no hesitation I bought three bunches and search for the best spicy carrot pickle recipe. Sweet, spicy, crunchy.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, cracked
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- Heaping 2 teaspoons salt
- Heaping 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 pounds small (finger-sized) carrots
Recipe:
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, thyme, garlic, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, salt and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup vinegar.
- Wash the carrots and put them in a large, heatproof bowl, and pour the warm brine over them. Cool to room temperature.
- While the carrots cool, wash 2 quart sized canning jars and their lids in warm, soapy water.
- When the carrots and brine are cool, distribute the carrots evenly among the jars, arranging them snugly. Divide the brine evenly among the jars. The carrots should be covered completely by the brine. If they are not, add a mixture of 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water to cover.
- Seal firmly and refrigerate for at least 3 days, or, preferably, a week. Carrots are dense and take time to absorb the brine. Covered and refrigerated, the pickled carrots should last a month or two.
Turkish Style Cauliflower and Carrot Tempura
Ingredients:
- 1 medium cauliflower (cut into medium-size florets)
- 1 large carrot (sliced into finger long 1/4 inch thick pieces)
- 1 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 eggs (separated)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup iced water
- oil for deep frying
Recipe:
- Cook the cauliflower florets and carrots in boiling water for 5 mins. Tip into a colander, rinse under the cold tap, drain well and set aside.
- Put the flour in a large bowl with a pinch of salt. Whisk the egg yolks and iced water together, then whisk into the flour with the oil to make a smooth batter. In a separate, clean bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Coat some of the cauliflower in the batter then use a slotted spoon to carefully lift into the hot oil. Deep-fry the cauliflower for 2-3 mins until golden and puffy. Drain on kitchen towel and continue with the rest in batches. Sprinkle the cauliflower with salt and serve with a bowl of garlic yogurt sauce.
Izmir Meatballs
Classic Turkish style meat balls recipe but this time oven cooked in tomato sauce.
Ingredients (for 4):
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 potatoes
- 2 tomatoes
- 4-5 cubanelle peppers
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
- extra light olive oil for frying
Recipe:
- Peel and grate the onion. Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Take walnut size piece from the meatball mixture and round it in your hand and roll the meatball to a thumb-like shape.
- Peel the potatoes. Wash and pat dry them with a paper towel. Cut the potatoes into wedges. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the potatoes wedges and arrange the fried potatoes along the edges of an oven safe dish.
- Use the same oil to fry the meatballs. Arrange the fried meatballs in the middle of the potato wedges.
- Fry the cubanelle peppers briefly and place them over the meatballs and potatoes.
- Grate the tomatoes and pour the pulpy juice over the dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook for 20-25 minutes and serve warm.
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- Kusursuz Fırında Tavuk | Perfect Whole Roasted Chicken November 30 2009
