Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

I can't believe it has been over a year since I have last posted a recipe!  A lot of things have happened in this past year.  I got engaged, moved all the way across the country from Cincinnati, OH, to Denver, CO, ended a postdoctoral fellowship, and started a new job. These last 3-4 months especially have been so hectic.  When I moved back to Cincinnati after graduate school, I moved into a 3 bedroom house.  After living there for 5 years, I think I tried to fill every available space because packing up that house was a monstrous job.  Fortunately, I donated and got rid of a bunch of stuff, but it still was a haul to move everything across the country.  I can't thank my dad, my uncle, and our friend Mark for driving the moving truck through breakdowns, unexpected stops in Columbia, MO, and bad weather.

This dish was one that I could make on a weeknight that wouldn't take too long to prepare, and it cooks in one dish, which makes clean up a breeze.  When I first made this, I used a whole chicken that I broke down myself, but believe me, it's much easier to just buy a chicken that is already cut up into 8 pieces.  With the lemon and asparagus, it is perfect recipe for spring/summer, make it while the asparagus is still in season, you won't regret it!

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

    adapted from Martha Stewart

    serves 4

• 1 1/2 small new potatoes, halved or quartered if potatoes are large
• 4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
• 1 chicken cut up into 8 pieces (about 3 lbs)
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  Place the potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan (I used a 9 x 13 glass pan), scatter the garlic cloves over the potatoes and season with salt and pepper and dried thyme.  Roast the potatoes, tossing once, until the potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.  

Scatter the asparagus, lemon, and remaining butter around the chicken.  Roast until the asparagus is tender and the juices on the chicken run clear, about 10-15 more minutes.  Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.  

Notes:  Be sure to squeeze the lemons over the whole dish, the roasting mellows the acidity, and really brightens the dish.  

I hope to get back to posting more regularly now that I am settled into my new place.  I hope you try this dish and enjoy!

Cheddar Topped Shepherd's Pie

It's almost St. Patrick's Day, and recipes are popping up all over my favorite food blogs, and I thought this recipe for Shepherd's Pie would fit right in.  Shepherd's Pies has a meat and vegetable filling, either made with ground beef or ground lamb, which is topped with a mashed potato crust.  When I saw this recipe from Martha Stewart, I knew I wanted to try it.

This recipe is easy and made with ingredients that are usually refrigerator and pantry staples.  I only had to pick up some authentic Irish cheddar from the store, and I was able to whip this up in no time.  The only thing that takes a lot of time is all the vegetables that have to be chopped.

The only change to this recipe I made was to partially cook my ground beef before adding it to the pan.  Recently, I was lucky enough to win a contest from Serious Eats.  It was a Super Bowl contest, and the prize was 10 lbs of ground beef to use at your Super Bowl party.  The beef was shipped in 2 lbs. packages, and we only used 4 lbs. on Super Bowl Sunday, so I had 6 lbs. sitting in my freezer.  This was really high quality meat that contained a lot of fat and marbling, so if your beef has a high fat content, you may want to partially cook the meet before adding it to skillet to get rid of some of that extra fat.  If your ground beef is very lean, this step isn't necessary.

I thought this was a hearty, homey dish that is quick and easy. Next time I think I will try add some peas in the dish as well.  Happy St. Patricks Day!


Cheddar Topped Shepherd's Pie
   serves 6-8

• 2 lbs. baking potatoes (I used Idaho Russets), peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 6 medium carrots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 celery stalks, halved (if large) and thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 to 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold Mature Cheddar)
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, place the potatoes in large pot and cover with salted water (about 1 inch above the potatoes).  Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile heat a 5 quart Dutch oven, or a large heavy-bottomed pot, over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, celery, onion and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables. Add the flour and the tomato paste, cook for at least a minute to incorporate the flour and tomato paste.  Add the beef and cook until it is no longer pink.  Add 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil, simmer 1 minute.  Pour the beef filling until a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Drain potatoes and return to the pan, cook over medium heat until the water is evaporated, about 1 minute.  Keep stirring so the potatoes do not stick to the pot.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the whole milk (start with 3/4 of a cup and add up to 1/4 cup more until the desired consistency is achieved), and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.  Mash until the potatoes are smooth and season with salt and pepper.

Drop dollops of the mashed potatoes over the beef filling, spread to the edges of the dish with a spatula (it won't be a very thick layer, but it will puff up a bit in the oven).  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake until the topping is browned and the filling is bubbling, about 15-20 min. (Mine was ready by 15 minutes).  Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

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French Potato Salad

I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law this weekend, and I wanted to serve a potato salad, but most potato salads are covered in mayonnaise (which I like), but I wanted to keep things a bit lighter because I was preparing a lot of other dishes. I decided to make a French Potato Salad that I saw prepared by the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. The potato salad is dressed with a light vinaigrette and a bunch of fresh herbs. I added some fresh green beans from my garden as well. It is easy to prepare (you can make it the night before you plan on serving it), and it tastes great. If you are in the mood for a different type of potato salad, I highly recommend this one.


French Potato Salad
serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound small white boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces (I used fingerling potatoes)
  
• 1 pound small red boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are still firm, but easily pierced with a fork. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the pot so they will cook through as well Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes and green beans to allow them to steam for 5 more minutes. Place in a medium bowl, and toss gently with the chicken stock. Allow the liquid to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my favorite side dishes. It is extremely simple, and it tastes great. Any potato would probably work in this recipe, but I like to use fingerling or small new potatoes. They are not as starchy as other types of potatoes and remain creamy on the inside while the outside develops a crispy crust. I am just posting the simple base recipe for roasted potatoes, but you can also mix things up by adding smoked paprika, parmesan cheese, or herbs such as rosemary and thyme. They are all wonderful variations on a great dish.


Easy Roasted Potatoes
serves 3-4

• 1 lb. fingerling potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet and scatter the garlic cloves amongst them. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes to evenly coat every piece with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread the potatoes back out into a single layer. Place the potatoes in the oven and roast until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside, but give easily on the inside when pierced with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.