Roast Chicken with Mustard-Thyme Sauce and Green Salad with Olives

This recipe sounded really yummy - a good Sunday supper!
 
INGREDIENTS

• 10 1/2 cups water  
• 1/2 cup coarse kosher salt 
• 3 tablespoons honey  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice  
• Peel from 1 lemon, cut into long strips with vegetable peeler  
• 1 bay leaf  
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs plus 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 4 1/2-pound chicken (giblets reserved for another use)
• 2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

Green Salad with Olives

PREPARATION

• Bring 10 1/2 cups water, coarse salt, honey, lemon juice, lemon peel, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs to boil in large pot. Cool slightly, then refrigerate brine until cold. Place chicken in very large resealable plastic bag; add brine and seal. Refrigerate chicken 6 hours.
  
• Drain chicken from brine; rinse and pat dry. Place chicken on plate. Let stand uncovered in refrigerator at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
  
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan. Roast chicken 20 minutes; add 1 cup broth to roasting pan. Roast chicken 20 minutes longer; add 1 cup broth to roasting pan. Roast chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170°F, about 45 minutes. Let chicken rest 10 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, pour juices from roasting pan into 2-cup measuring cup. Add more broth if needed to equal 2 cups. Simmer butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Whisk in broth mixture; bring to boil. Stir in mustard and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
  
• Slice chicken. Divide chicken among plates. Drizzle with sauce and serve Green Salad with Olives alongside.

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 143 | Total Fat: 11.8g | Cholesterol: 28mg

Fudge

This recipe is very very close to Nana's holiday fudge recipe. Of course, Nana would make a double-triple batch! Sometimes she added a half-teaspoon of orange extract too. And she nearly always added some nuts.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar
• 2 squares (2 ounces) (60 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) half-and-half (or light cream)
• 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 x 2 inch (20 x 20 x 5 cm) pan with about 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of room temperature unsalted butter. Set aside.

In a heavy 2 1/2 - 3 quart saucepan, place the sugar, chocolate, light corn syrup, and half-and-half. Over medium-low heat stir the ingredients, with a wooden spoon, until it comes to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid for about 2-3 minutes to allow the sides of the pan to wash themselves down and dissolve any sugar crystals. Remove lid and clamp a candy thermometer onto the side of the saucepan and, making sure it does not touch the bottom of the pan, boil the mixture gently (adjust the heat as necessary) until the temperature reaches the soft ball stage (236 degrees F) (113 degrees C). Do not stir or shake. (Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water if any granules form.) 

Remove from heat and drop the 2 tablespoons of butter on top of the fudge, but do not stir the butter into the fudge. Allow the fudge to cool to lukewarm (110 degrees F) (38 - 43 degrees C). Remove the thermometer and add the vanilla extract and salt. Beat the fudge (you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon or with an electric hand mixer) until it begins to lose its shine and is nice and creamy. Pour into the prepared pan and let cool for several hours before cutting into squares.

Store and serve at room temperature.

Makes one 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) pan of fudge.

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/chocolatefudge.html#ixzz0zjT9ovGQ

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

This pizza turned out soooo good!  I don't have a deep dish pizza pan so I substituted a quiche pan.  I deviated from the recipe just a bit.  I put the cheese on the crust and baked it for 10 minutes, then added the toppings and tomatoes.  (My toppings were pepperoni, Italian sausage, and sauteed mushrooms.)  Then 10 minutes before it was 'done', I added some shredded mozzarella to the top instead of Parmesan.  Next time I make it I'd like to cook the sausage whole and crumble it; cut back on the garlic a bit; add onions; and a small sprinkle of sugar to the tomatoes.

Dough Recipe

• 2 packages rapid rise dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 5 1/2 cups flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer (e.g. KitchenAid), dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the vegetable oil, olive oil, cornmeal, and half of the flour. Beat for 10 minutes. Attach the dough hook and mix in the remaining flour. Knead for several minutes with the mixer. (Note: because the dough is very rich and moist, it would be difficult to do this by hand.)

Remove dough and place on a clean countertop. Cover with a very large metal bowl and allow to rise until double in bulk. Punch down and allow to rise again. Punch down a second time and you are ready to make pizza!

Oil your deep-dish pizza pan. Depending on the size of your pan, place some dough in the pan and push it out to the edges using your fingers. Put in enough dough so that you can run the crust right up the side of the pan. Make it about 1/8-inch thick throughout the pan.

Filling for a 9- or 10-inch Pan 1/3 pound sliced mozzarella cheese 2 cups Italian-style whole peeled tomatoes, drained and squished 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon oregano 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt to taste 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the cheese in tile-like layers on the bottom of the pie. Next put in the tomatoes and the basil, oregano, garlic, and salt, reserving the Parmesan cheese for the top. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the pie and you are ready to bake.

Variations: Before you put on the Parmesan cheese and olive oil drizzle, you might like to add any or all of the following:

• Italian sausage, hot or mild
• Yellow onions, peeled and diced
• Pepperoni, sliced thin
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Green sweet bell peppers, cored and sliced thin

Bake the pie in a 475°F oven until the top is golden and gooey and the crust a light golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

Don't want to make a whole turkey this Thanksgiving Day?  Try this Rachel Ray recipe for a delicious herb-stuffed and roasted turkey breast.  Sooo good!

Ingredients

• 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 lemon, scrubbed clean
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• 6 fresh bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
• 2 to 3 cups apple cider
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.


Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.


Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.


Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.


Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.


Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.