Onion-Rosemary Focaccia

I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but...

I didn't realize today was Fat Tuesday.

Soooo, yeah. While I scrounge around my kitchen to see if I have the fixings for some deliciously sinful and thoroughly fattening dessert to make with my boys this afternoon, I'll leave to you with another way to use up all that fabulous bulk pizza dough.

Onion-Rosemary Focaccia
Recipe from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Prep time: 30 minutes   Bake Time: 30 minutes

1/4 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp for drizzling
1 lb (about grapefruit-sized) Olive Oil Dough, or another preferred bread dough.
3/4 tsp dried rosemary, OR 1 1/2 tsp fresh
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat a small skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion slices in 2 tbsp of EVOO until softened, but not browned. Set aside.

Don't fully cook these here or you'll have extra burnt onions on your focaccia.

2. Prepare a cookie sheet either with parchment paper, nonstick spray, or some EVOO so the bread won't stick. Set aside.

3. If working with a large container of dough, dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1lb piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

There are two pounds of dough left in my tub. Half of this...

...makes one cute little ball!

4. Flatten the dough into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick round, using your hands. Place the round on the prepared cookie sheet, and poke the surface with your fingers, creating dimples.

Those are adorable little two-year-old dimples on this dough.
Kieran will eat this dough raw if I don't watch him too.

5. Spread the softened onions sparingly over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1 inch border at the edge. Allow the majority of the dough to show through the onion as bare dough (you may have leftover onion; that's ok!). Sprinkle with rosemary, coarse salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Finish with a light drizzle of EVOO.

Sprinkle on your fixings! But don't go nuts: less is more.

6. Allow the focaccia to rest and rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425, with an empty broiler tray on the bottom rack, while the dough rests.

7. Place the cookie sheet on a rack placed in the center of the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray and close the door quickly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crust is medium brown. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Golden. Beautiful. Wondrous.

I love this bread. My Picky Eater loves this bread (with the onions picked off). My two year-old loves to help me make this bread. It's that awesome, and that easy! The secret to it's fabulous-ness is the pre-made dough. And honestly, it doesn't matter to me if you use the dough recipe that I like, or you pick something up from your grocer's freezer. Whatever you like to use is totally fine! I love how adding a few savory toppings totally takes this from plain ol' dough to a bread worthy of any fantastic Italian dish. Or as an appetizer, with cheese and fresh fruit, at a cocktail party!

You could even take leftover wedges and crumble a little goat cheese on top to munch on while watching that movie you've been dying to see after the kiddos go to bed. ;) Oh the possibilities...

Best Brined Turkey

Let's take a moment and talk turkey, shall we?

I love roasting chickens and turkeys.  And I'm pretty predictable about the flavorings I use to season them. A combination of citrus fruits, select herbs, and some garlic is my all-time favorite way to go.  I also love to put butter, preferably a compound butter, under the skin while slathering the outside with EVOO and plenty of salt and pepper.  I've found that doing this extra step with the skin, helps to keep the white meat a little more moist.

But nothing prepared me for just how moist a brined turkey could be. O.M.G.

Isn't brining a turkey (or any other kind of meat for that matter) kinda hard though?  I mean you've first got to find a container to not only hold the bird, but also all these gallons of Super Salty Water on top of it!  And then it's got to sit somewhere and then you have to pull it out and then....................

I will interrupt this whining thought-process to just say that brining really IS that easy.  It's NOT a lot of extra work. And what little extra you do is TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Best Brined Turkey
Recipe from Ree Drummond
Prep time: 15 minutes   Cook time: 1 hour-ish   Brining time: 16-24 hours   Rinse time: 20-30 minutes

Yes, I including a lot of "times" up there.  Don't let this scare you!  I swear to you this is easy.  I have two small children and one big dog and have made this turkey three times.  You. Can. DO THIS!!

3 cups apple juice or apple cider
2 gallons cold water
4 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups salt
2 cups brown sugar
3 tbsp peppercorns
5 whole bay leaves
Peel of three large oranges

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Turn off the heat and cover. [NOTE: If you do not have a pot big enough for 3 gallons of liquid, leave out one or both gallons of water at this point.  Add in the missing water when you pour the brine solution into your brining container]

I love that this uses all ingredients I pretty much keep on-hand.

Dump it all in and stir.  See? Not so difficult.

2. Allow the brine to cool completely, then poor into a large brining bag or pot. Place the uncooked turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 16-24 hours.

Yes, I used our large (CLEAN) cooler to brine a 15+lb turkey.

I was in a cooling hurry and needed to add some ice cubes.

Turn it a few times to coat, but leave it breast-side-down to soak.
Turn the bird over a few hours before pulling it out to distribute the flavor.

3.  When ready to roast the turkey, remove the bird from the brine. Submerge the turkey in a pot or clean sink of fresh, cold water for 15-20 minutes.  This soak will remove the excess salt from the outside and result in a much tastier gravy.

It's winter. We left the cooler in our detached garage overnight for "refrigeration."

Even if you like things salty, DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!!
Salt is easy to add, kinda impossible to take away.

4. Discard the brine. Remove the turkey from the water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method.

Ready to roast!

I looked up the exact time and temperature instructions for the size bird I had.  But after brining I went ahead with my usual flavor "treatment," since it seemed appropriate for the brine.  I halved a head of garlic and quartered an orange.  I stuffed these, with an extra sprig or two of rosemary, inside the cavity.  I rubbed half a stick of unsalted, softened butter underneath the skin, and massaged extra-virgin olive oil on the outside. A generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and this beauty was ready for the oven!

And it was delicious. I don't make turkey any other way anymore.  It's that good.

Chicken Rosemary

When Rob and I were dating, I wanted to let him know that I was a good cook.  The best way I knew how to do that was to make one of my mom's most fool-proof recipes.  You know the kind.. the one that's SO EASY, with SO FEW INGREDIENTS that even the most Non-Cooks of Cooks can put together.

And bonus that this one also happens to be a long-marinating, slow-cooking kind of meal that perfumes the whole house with it's incredible aromas.

Chicken Rosemary
Recipe from my mom

3 lbs chicken pieces*
1 (16oz) bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing
Garlic powder, optional
Crushed, dried rosemary
2-3 potatoes, cubed

*My mom always used bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and thighs, however I tend to use boneless, skinless breasts because I always have them handy.  Follow the recipe exactly if you prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken; reduce the cooking time a bit for boneless, skinless pieces.

1.  Lay out chicken pieces in a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle each piece with a little garlic powder, if desired, and pour dressing over all chicken.  Cover and let marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours.

Just a little sprinkle of garlic powder

2.  Preheat oven to 325.  Pull the chicken out of the fridge and turn the chicken in the marinade.  Sprinkle each piece with rosemary.

I think I used about 1 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary

3.  Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.  Add the potatoes to the pan, stirring a little to make sure the cubes get covered in the marinade.  Return to the oven for another 45 minutes. TOTAL COOK TIME IS 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES.

Keep chopped potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown.

 
If you're going to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I'd recommend adding the potatoes after about 20-30 minutes, and then returning to the oven for at least 40 more minutes.

When I was little, I was always a one-chicken-leg kind of girl.  But the first time my mom made this, I ate 3-4 legs and I don't know how many scoops of potatoes.  The chicken is tender and juicy, the potatoes are soft and comforting....this is just an amazingly flavorful dish.  And best of all, you only need to add a vegetable, like steamed green beans or a tossed salad, to round out this meal.

Beef Burgundy

This is it.  THIS is my victory recipe.  This is the one where I was dancing around the kitchen singing "Weeeeee are the chaaaaaaampions my frieeeeend!!!"

Wondering why?

When most people say they don't like a particular food, it's generally a single ingredient.  For as long as I've known Rob, he has despised two complete dishes: Beef Stroganoff and Beef Burgundy.

And that's ok.  I respect that.  God knows there are a number of foods I don't like.  That early in our relationship, I wasn't too much into cooking yet so I didn't really know what was in either one, and accepted that these would never grace our dining room table.  Until I saw a recipe for Beef Burgundy.

How, I asked myself, is it possible that my Committed Carnivore despises a dish where tender bits of beef are cooked for hours in an entire bottle of red wine???  Rob had no answer for me, but continued to insist that he'd never eat it.  Oo, I sense a CHALLENGE!!!

I bided my time.  For YEARS I waited for the right recipe, the right time.  Yay for me that once I found that recipe, the perfect time was right around the corner!

Beef Burgundy
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence

4 bacon slices
3-4 lbs beef stew meat
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cognac
1 bottle dry red wine, such as Burgundy
1 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 tsp dried thyme OR 8 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb cremini mushrooms
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
Pinch sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

1.  Put a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove it to a paper towel; crumble when cool and set aside to use for the garnish. 

Julia Childs Tip: pat the meat dry before seasoning.

2.  Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the beef to the pot in batches. Fry the cubes in the bacon fat until evenly browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pot to a plate.

Do NOT crowd the pot!!

3.  Return the browned beef to the pot and sprinkle the flour over the meat; stir to make sure everything is well coated and there are no lumps.  Pour in the Cognac and scrape up the flavorful bits in the bottom of the pan. Cook and stir to evaporate the alcohol.  Pour in the red wine and beef broth; then add the tomato paste and herbs. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the liquid starts to thicken and has the consistency of a sauce; this should take about 15 minutes. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

The. Whole. Bottle!!

4.  While the beef simmers, finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor (if you're a Mushroom Person, you can slice or quarter the mushrooms).  Uncover the pot and add the mushrooms, garlic, and pearl onions, along with the pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn up the heat slightly and simmer for 30-45 minutes longer, until the vegetables and meat are tender.

If you like mushrooms, quarter, slice, or leave them whole instead.

5.  Remove the bay leaves and rosemary sprig (and thyme sprigs if you used fresh).  Stir in the butter to finish up the sauce.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and the reserved crumbled bacon before serving.

A little butter at the end adds a luxurious shine to the sauce

The absolute second I saw this recipe, I knew... I knew I had Rob.  How on earth could my guy NOT enjoy a dish that STARTS WITH BACON, the beef cooks in bacon fat, and uses TWO kinds of alcohol I know he loves.  Sure, there are mushrooms in it but by using a good quality mushroom and chopping them finely, they pretty much melt into the sauce and amp up that beefy flavor.  Oh yeah, his taste buds were in for the shock of their lives!

I've heard that Beef Burgundy is often served over egg noodles.  I've never really understood that one so I chose to serve this with some fluffy mashed potatoes.

p.s. In case I haven't been obvious enough about it, yes, he loved it!

Roast Pork Loin with Fig Sauce

You know how when you're looking through a new cookbook, and everything looks just so dang tasty, but there's one recipe that jumps out and says "OOO!!  PICK ME!  PICK ME FIRST!!!!

This is definitely a worthy first-pick.


Roast Pork Loin with Fig Sauce
Recipe adapted from Giada Di Laurenitis

Fig Sauce:
2 1/2 cups port wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
8 dried figs, roughly chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 tbsp honey

Pork:
1 (4ish lb) pork loin
2 tbsp rosemary extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the fig sauce ingredients over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half.

I keep dried figs on hand to snack on...and pretend I'm eating Fig Newman's. ;)

2.  Remove the cinnamon sticks from the sauce and blend using an immersion blender (or ladle into a blender or food processor) until smooth.  You can make this sauce a day ahead of time (WOOHOO!!!!); just reheat before serving alongside the pork.

Not to be confused with regular red table wine.  Port is more like a dessert wine.

3.  Preheat oven to 425.  Let pork loin sit out at room temperature at least 30 minutes.  In a small bowl, combine the oil, rosemary, salt (yes, you really do need a whole tablespoon), and pepper.  Rub this paste all over the pork.

Massage time!!

4.  Place pork in a large, heavy bottom skillet or roasting pan.  Roast for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes to get an even brownness.

5.  Let the pork rest 10-15 minutes.  While the pork rests on the cutting board, heat the skillet over medium heat and add the chicken stock.  Scrape up the yummy brown bits off the bottom and let simmer 10 minutes.  Slice the pork and drizzle the jus over top.  Serve alongside the fig sauce.

Luscious, a little sweet, tangy, glorious.

This would be amazing with some mashed potatoes; however if you want to shake things up a little, try it with creamy polenta.  Y.U.M!!!!!

And in case you're wondering, Gavin didn't really go much for the fig sauce but he INHALED the pork without it.  He asked for seconds AND made it clear, more than once, that I could make this recipe again.  Happy Mama!!

Beef Tenderloin with Chocolate & Rosemary

We've all been there, right?  That Big Night coming up...the night where you need to impress.  The night where not just any dinner will do.  You need a fancypants dinner.  A dinner where your guests say "holy freaking cow" after just one bite.

Ooooooooo

Not only will this dish totally meet the Big Night/Fancypants Dinner criteria, but it's also super easy to make.  No joke!


Beef Tenderloin with Chocolate & Rosemary
Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger

One 2-lb beef tenderloin roast
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cloved garlic, minced
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary

1.  Preheat oven to 425.

2.  Season the meat with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat until HOT.  Add the meat and sear until well browned on all sides (about 10 minutes total).

A HOT skillet will get that perfect sear and seal in those juices.

3.  Transfer the meat to a rack set on a baking sheet.  Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 140 F for medium-rare (about 45-50 minutes).  Remove it from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes before slicing.

If you're pressed for time, chop everything ahead of time.

4.  While the meat cooks, make the sauce.  Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in the same large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the shallots, carrot and celery and cook, stirring a few times, until softened (about 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the wine and broth and stir in the tomato paste; be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the tenderloin!!  Add the bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/2 (about 40 minutes).

Chopping the veggies smaller will help them cook faster.

5.  Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan.  Stir in the cocoa powder and rosemary and season with salt and pepper.  Serve on the side with sliced tenderloin.

The smell of the cocoa and rosemary hitting the hot red wine mixture is INTENSE.

Even though this does take a little while to make, don't be intimidated by the steps.  All you're doing here is browning meat, moving it to the oven to roast, and making a pan sauce.  That's it.  Easy, right?  Right. :)

And if you haven't yet tried the combination of beef and cocoa, you seriously need to.  The beef comes out juicy and tender; the sauce is luscious and flavorful without being overly rich.  The cocoa powder deepens the flavor while the fresh rosemary brightens it.

So if you have a Big Night coming up, consider splurging on a beef tenderloin and wow-ing the taste buds off your guests!

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

The other night, as this was baking and the glorious aroma of it was scenting the air, I made an off-hand comment about this dish being a meat log covered in meat.

Really, that pretty much sums it up.  If you like Pig, you'll LOVE this.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin
Recipe slightly adapted from Claire Robinson

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1-2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves, PLUS 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems
5 large garlic cloves: 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed
2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each
6-ish slices bacon, cut in half

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Rub the mustard mixture over the surface of the tenderloins and wrap in plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (I marinated mine for close to 6 hours). 

Simple ingredients. Strong flavors.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

The bed for the tenderloins

3.  Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a baking dish. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with slices of bacon. 

Tucked in with a bacon blanket

4.  Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the tenderloins, registers 160 degrees F. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing.

Took this pic with my phone.  Not too shabby!

Yup, a log of tender pork, covered in a bacon blanket.  I don't think it gets any better than that!