Friday, September 25, 2015

Anniversary, Recipe Trial.


As you will have read, it was our 43rd wedding anniversary on Friday. We basically don't like to go out at the weekend, we figure the service is not as good and the restaurants more crowded. Not always true I know, but very often. So, we decided to have a kind of grazing meal so I didn't really have to cook. We ended up with 10 minute Risotto, Smoked Salmon dressed with thinly sliced onions and capers followed by Brie with crackers, the whole accompanied by a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

Having posted the 10 minute Risotto recipe the other day, I decided
I would try it. But then I thought I had bitten off more than I wanted to chew. Eventually it turned out to be good though, but it needed at least another 4 minutes in the microwave and a couple of tablespoons more stock than called for in the recipe. At one point I thought the rice was never going to cook, It was very crisp for the whole time specified. Luckily the extra 4 minutes did the trick. Not even sure, if I make it again, I might add yet another minute. I decided to add mushrooms and prosciutto which were good too. We both enjoyed it. I love asparagus risotto (surprise, surprise) and want to try the recipe with that in the future, but the mushroom and Prosciutto was a good combination. It was better than standing stirring for a long time which is the object of the exercise.

Here is a nice simple, but tasty, way of cooking chicken. I keep home made herbes de Provence in my stores.


Bon Apétit - Mary Frances Heck

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup herbes de Provence
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 3 1/2–4-pound chicken
  • Lemon wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 475°. Mix garlic, herbes de Provence, oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over inside and outside of chicken. Place on a wire rack set inside a roasting pan.
  • Roast chicken until skin begins to brown, 25–30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes longer. Let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with lemon wedges.
  • DO AHEAD: Chicken can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool. Cover and chill; bring to room temperature before serving.
Have a great weekend.
 

17 comments:

  1. Happy belated anniversary!!

    betty

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  2. Replies
    1. It was Ivy. I was pleased the risotto worked too.

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    2. Very cool. Always nice when things work out like that.

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  3. Hi Jo - congratulations on your anniversary ... and how sensible to have a simple delicious supper - it sounds really tasty. Cheers Hilary

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    1. Thanks Hilary. It was good. Mind you the risotto wasn't that simple.

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  4. The chicken recipe looks so good. Glad you had a good anniversary!

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  5. I don't know what's wrong with my microwave but I always have to cook things for longer than the recommended time. Glad it all worked out in the end. Sounds lovely Jo.

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    1. It may be something to do with the wattage. As I understand it they are all different. You could certainly make something like this with shrimp Pinky. I did think of using the smoked salmon in it.

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  6. I never thought of the issue of going to a restaurant on the weekend but it makes sense. It sounds like you had a lovely Anniversary day

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    1. We rarely go out on the weekend Birgit. But yes, we did have a good day.

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  7. When our anniversary or any day we want to celebrate with a meal falls on the weekend we go out later in the afternoon, right before the rush, or do lunch. We hate standing in line to wait for a table. :)
    Happy Sunday because I think I already wished you a Happy Anniversary!

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    1. Good idea Yolanda. We hate that too, but the biggest problem is the lack of quality at a weekend when they are busy.

      Thanks either way.

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  8. I don't like going out when it's busy, either. Fortunately we've found some nice hole in the wall places that aren't packed on weekends, so if we want to celebrate our anniversary, we do so by going out there. It's just nice to not cook on your anniversary. But then again, smoked salmon sounds better than an average restaurant meal.

    Happy belated anniversary!

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    1. Not only that, but we had lunch out last Thursday, lunch out on the 14th and we will be going out again on the 1st. As I appear to be totally incapable of controlling what I eat in a restaurant, especially in a Chinese buffet, probably just as well we stayed at home. Have you tried the risotto Bryan?

      Thanks for the good wishes.

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