I read about this in Bon Appetit magazine. I had never heard of cooking chicken in a cold iron skillet with no oil or butter and I had my doubts this would work. Chicken thighs skin down in a cold skillet lets the fat render slowly and makes the chicken so crispy! Here is the link to the recipe:
I cook the chicken partially done, you just want to get it brown and crispy. Remove the thighs from the skillet and set aside. I add peeled, sliced sweet potatoes right into the chicken fat. I usually do a couple layers to cover the bottom of a large skillet. I sprinkle a little garlic powder, sea salt and top with the chicken thighs. Baked in the oven at 425* for about 30 minutes until potatoes are done. The flavor of the potatoes with the chicken fat is amazing. You could also use russet or red potatoes or any veggie your heart desires.
This dish has everything I love in one pan.. Chicken, seafood and rice. It is way easier to make than I ever imagined. I cook the poor man’s version of true paella. Saffron is expensive y’all! I buy Mahatma long grain yellow rice with seasonings included. I spend most of the dinner budget on really nice, fresh, large shrimps.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 chicken thighs
2 cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, chopped
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
Seafood stock, about 2 cups
1 pound Hillshire smoked sausage
1 package Mahatma Yellow rice
Salt & pepper
6 scallops
1 package of frozen mussels
1-2 pounds of shrimp
1 bag of frozen sweet peas
Directions
In a large paella pan brown your chicken thighs, remove & set aside when they are almost done. Add sausage, celery & onions, brown. Remove and set aside. Deglaze with white wine.
In paella pan add rice, salt and pepper to pan and saute until all grains of rice are coated with oil of the pan, add chicken thighs, shrimp, scallops, mussels, and sausage and onions. Bury the seafood in the rice so they will cook.
Add broth, frozen peas & cover entire pan tightly with foil. Simmer until rice is done, mussels have popped open and shrimp is pink.
Since I was a kid in South Alabama, Friday night was always fish night. This is a classic dish. This recipe was created by Pierre Troisgros a French chef whose restaurants received three stars in the Michelin Guide. So simple & so delicious! I discovered it watching Anthony Bourdain one night and had to make it my own. I’m not sure if it is exactly like the famous chef’s recipe but it taste good to me.
¼pound fresh sorrel, I have used spinach in a bind.
1 ½pounds salmon fillets
2tablespoons chopped shallots
½cup dry white wine
1cup heavy cream
2tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper
2tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat a tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add shallots, add the sorrel. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
Add the cream mixture, the cubed tomato, salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper and place in the skillet. Cook one & one-half to two minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
Pour the sorrel sauce into a warm platter. Add the cooked salmon & Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
90% chance of heavy rain, flash flood warning, high of only 68* It’s hard to enjoy these rainy days when you have a 45-minute commute to work each way and that is on a dry day. What I can do is have dinner ready when I get home. The smell of a crock pot full of soup when you open the door…ahh yes!.it’s the simple things in life that are the best! Before work this morning, I washed my Hurst’s HamBeens and got them ready for the crock pot. There is no need to soak the beans when you are going to cook them 5-7 hours on high in the crock pot. Perfect timing for a pot of soup, left over ham from Easter & rainy weather.
Ingredients:
I pkg HamBeens 15 Bean Soup, 8 cups of water or chicken, beef, or vegetable broth. I use vegetable broth. Leftover Ham bone from Easter, 1 large diced onion, 1 clove of garlic, minced, 1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz) a cup & a half frozen cut okra, juice of 1 lemon, and a dash of red pepper flakes & the ham flavor packet that comes with the beans.
I don’t exactly follow the recipe on the bag of beans. I add okra and I throw everything in the crock pot at once. I purchased a Hamilton Beach Programmable FlexCook 6 Quart Slow Cooker awhile back & I don’t know how I ever lived without it. I can start cooking or change the temperature setting from my desk at work.
This soup is perfect with cornbread, biscuits, French bread, crackers or grilled cheese sandwich and a glass of chardonnay. I’m about to change into my new comfy tie-dyed palazzo pants, my Willie Nelson t-shirt, light a scented candle or two, pour a glass of wine, grab a bowl, sit back and listen to the rain. Enjoy!
Japanese cuisine, including tabletop hibachi & sushi, in an airy, minimalist space with a bar. My son and his girlfriend took me out to dinner tonight for sushi. I love this place! Waxahachie has several sushi restaurants & I have tried them all. Osuba ranks at the top of the list. They have great food and awesome service. We started out with Miso soup & pot stickers. I tried something new this time, Shu Mai, a steamed Japanese shrimp dumpling that was delicious. I ordered the Luck Roll.
Tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, crab stick inside, fish egg and crunchy outside with spicy mayo on top .
Shu Mai
Gyozas
Miso Soup
If you are ever in Waxahachie, Texas and in the mood for sushi you must try this restaurant.
Easter is over & everyone has gone home. Time to relax and use up some leftovers.
Angel Hair, Asparagus & Tomatoes
After all the holiday meal celebrations I was in the mood for something light. I had leftover tomatoes & asparagus & a chilled bottle of sweet Riesling. I turned the oven on 350* to preheat, rinsed the asparagus & tomatoes. I have these neat little potato wraps I pick up at Dollar Tree that make my life so simple. I took my foil wrapper & added chopped asparagus, cut two tomatoes in half & placed on top of the asparagus. I drizzled olive oil, salt & pepper, and minced garlic. I folded the veggies in the foil wrapper and cooked for about 20 minutes. I prepared just enough angel hair for one person. Once the pasta was al dente I drained & and set aside. In a skillet add about a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the chopped asparagus & tomatoes, then stir in the pasta. Add a little drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper, grated Parmesan cheese & toss. Plate & Pour yourself a glass of wine! Set up your tv tray & head for the sofa. Time to relax. Enjoy!
Asparagus alla Milanese (Asparagus, Fried Egg & Parmesan Cheese)
Recipe is three ingredients, asparagus, eggs & cheese. Steam or grill your asparagus, top with a drizzle of Olive oil, salt & pepper, fried or poached egg & grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or your favorite cheese. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and looks stunning once plated. The warm runny yoke makes a great sauce for your asparagus. This dish screams SPRINGTIME.
Lox & Bagels
Another very simple yet fancy looking addition to my Easter brunch is Lox & Bagels. You will need plain or everything bagels, cream cheese (I prefer whipped creamed cheese, it is fluffier) smoked salmon, capers, tomatoes, & purple onion. Just slice your bagels in half if they are not already pre-sliced. I like to lightly toast mine, spread the cream cheese on both sides, add a layer of smoked salmon, a few capers, & thinly sliced tomato. I like purple onion sliced or diced but if you are not into onions simply leave that out. I purchased mixed fruit cream cheese for the kids who are not into smoked salmon.
Also, on the menu is blueberry muffins, strawberry Danish, all purchased in the bakery section of my local HEB grocery store, along with fresh fruit, iced hazelnut coffee, and of course the best part of brunch… mimosas! In honor of April’s full moon, “Pink Moon” the champagne will also be pink.
Easter Dinner
Spiral cut honey ham, roasted turkey, Pineapple casserole, mashed potatoes, roasted rainbow carrots, rice pilaf, deviled eggs with caviar, watermelon, feta, & mint salad, brown & serve rolls. For dessert, pound cake with peaches.
Pineapple Casserole is a classic southern side dish that goes perfectly with ham. It might sound a little odd to some of you but don’t knock it until you have tried it! It is sweet, salty, & addicting. I use the recipe from Southern Living minus the sugar. It takes around 30 minutes to prepare.https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/pineapple-casserole-recipe
Watermelon salad with Feta & Mint (takes about 25 minutes to prepare) I cut 1 seedless watermelon in half. I use my melon baller & scoop out all the sweet red flesh, trying not to get too close to the rind. You can cube the melon if you prefer. They’re are really no rules. I add the watermelon to a bowl, add crumbled feta & about a half cup of coarsely chopped mint leaves, & the juice of half a lemon, toss & chill. This is really all you need to do for this kid friendly version of the recipe. Sometimes I pump it up by adding a small sweet onion, diced, & about a cup of coarsely chopped kalamata olives. You can spice it up even more by adding a shot or two of Tabasco sauce.
Basic Deviled Eggs with an upgrade!
Boil your eggs, peel & split lengthwise. Scoop out the egg yolks into a bowl. Add mayonnaise (Duke’s is the best), sweet relish, mustard, salt & pepper. Mix with a fork until everything is smooth. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle the top with paprika. Now for the upgrade! Try topping each of eggs with parsley, bacon bits, green olives, capers, caviar or smoked salmon. Lately my go to has been caviar. I’m not talking about expensive Beluga caviar. I get mine at Walmart. Surprised? You can pick up 2 oz. of Romanoff Black Lumpfish Caviar for less than $5.00. It is delicious too! I put it on top of roasted potato wedges with sour cream but that is a recipe for another time.
You will learn if you follow my blog that I love to celebrate a lot. Family times & celebrating each other is what makes life Sweet. I love to cook & entertain but I don’t feel guilty when I buy a cake rather than baking one myself. That’s not to say I won’t spend a weekend baking now & then. Making memories, hanging with family & friends, sipping champagne or a new cocktail I read about is what is most important to me, not putting pressure on myself to produce outrageous complicated food. This grandmother wants to enjoy the people around me and have fun. You’ll see! Stay tuned.
Holladay Cooking 