Veronica Julep

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Blood Orange and Rosemary Roasted Chicken Thighs

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When it is cold and getting nasty outside. There is not much better in the world then coming home to the smell of something wonderful roasting in the oven. Like  blood oranges and rosemary. They are so beautiful together. Oh, and that smell it just warms you up from deep inside your bones. It’s great for a wonderful pick me up on the coldest of winter days. This recipe is beautiful for company or a family weeknight evening because it is so quick and easy to make.There are only three ingredients blood oranges, chicken thighs and rosemary. Five if you include pink salt and olive oil.

Read on

 

The first ingredient is blood oranges. This citrus fruit is gorgeous in color and wonderfully delicious. Super vibrant and is available in New England from November to late February. They are excellent to cook with because of their sweet flavor and, in the winter, all that vitamin C helps keep you healthy in those dark months.

The second ingredient is rosemary. Rosemary is very hearty. It can grow almost anywhere. I’ve seen it live outside into the beginning of cold of winter. Some people prune it into topiary shapes even.  Rosemary is a great flavor to add to just about anything it’s very versatile. There is something so sweet and almost sharp about it that makes its’ yummy flavor shine through.

The next is boneless skinless chicken thighs. I must admit I’m not the biggest poultry fan but, there is something about chicken thighs that make them the exception. Their dark meat is just really juicy when you roast it. I tend to use chicken thighs for almost all of my chicken dishes. Aside from the deepness of flavor they are also less expensive then their more famous parts of the same bird being the breast.

The first step is to rinse the thighs in cold cold water. Then, pat dry. That will give us the best texture for the thighs.

Next preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit then pour a little over one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch glass pan and roll about to cover the entire bottom of the pan. This adds flavor and keeps the thighs from sticking to the pan.

Line up the nine boneless skinless chicken thighs like this in the pan. It is okay to crowd that are on the sides. They will roast just fine the oven is hot enough.

Next wash your blood oranges. Set aside. We will be leaving the peel on during roasting.

Next trim your rosemary. You will need three stalks between five and six inches long (or the equivalent). Rinse them and gently and ever so gently pat dry.

You’ll need about this much. Left hand for size.

Snip in half.

Arrange like so for even flavor dispersement while roasting. Also, you eat with your eyes first so let’s show them what you’ve got. It’s great when everyone arrives home to show them just how pretty dinner is even before it is in the oven.

Next roll the blood orange on the cutting board pressing down roughly but, not too hard. This will get the juices flowing. Slice the first blood orange in half.

So beautiful. I almost hear a… boom when I pop them open every time.

Then, slice like so.

Cut the two middle quarters in half from pole to pole.

Halve the outside quarters.

Arrange like this in the pan. This arrangement will help the juice distribute evenly.

Slice the second blood orange the same way. Except when you get to this step, this time cut in half pole to pole the middle quarters. Then, set the domed quarters aside.

Add the new halves like this.

Next squeeze the domed quarters over all the thighs in the pan. Roughly to get out all the delicious juice.

Drizzle with a light amount of extra virgin olive oil and a few big pinches of pink salt. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 23-28 minutes.

This is about 10 minutes in.

This is done. You will know it is ready when you slice it open and juices run clear.

Once out of oven tent with foil. This helps the juices redistribute themselves inside the meat and the blood oranges. Serve.

I usually serve this with roasted cubed potato (and rosemary) or with rice. This recipe is always a crowd pleaser. The colors are just stunning which makes it quite the feast for the eyes.

Recipe

1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (two times)

9 Rinsed and Dried Chicken Thighs

2 Blood Oranges (medium are fine but large are better)

3 long Sprigs of Rosemary

Pink Salt

Roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 23-28 minutes.

This recipe is simple to make and only uses three ingredients. When blood oranges are something that can’t be come by I substitute clementines but, any citrus would really work. As always, try it, create it but, make it your own.

Hot Caprese Pasta

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Pasta and fresh ripe local tomatoes. There’s just something so special about that combination that always makes my mouth water. I love when the tomatoes finally turn their perfect shade of ripe. There isn’t anything much better than plucking a warm one off the vine and just chomping into it. Yum.

Read on

 

The key to this recipe is the three fresh ingredients.

Fresh tomato (as mentioned above). With this recipe I prefer two different colors of either the grape or cherry variety.

Fresh basil with that subtle sweetness that takes any dish Italian or otherwise over the top and it makes it simply taste and feel fancier. Basil plants can easily be found at any farmer’s market, garden store or even the nearest grocery store. Fresh basil is everywhere and really inexpensive. I like having it around especially in the winter for it’s brightness in flavor and in color.

Fresh mozzarella. I never knew as a little kid in the suburbs in the 1980’s that there was something as magical as fresh mozzarella. I always thought mozzarella was only shredded (like the kind my mom bought when we would get to make our own pizzas on quiet movie nights in). That soft creamy texture is just divine. This dish just wouldn’t be the same without it.

The first thing I like to do when making this is mince the garlic. Finely dice, sprinkle with pink salt and smear the garlic onto the board with the face of your knife almost like frosting a cake but rougher. Do this a couple of times gathering back into a pile in between each pass. This way the garlic is super broken down so, even though it will be raw in this dish it won’t give heartburn.

Take salted minced garlic and place in the bottom of a large bowl. Lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Next, start your water for pasta in a large pot making sure to add lots of salt. The pasta needs room to move. If not, the pasta will get gummy and won’t hold it’s shape up.  Linguine is my recommendation. It really is solid.

Next the tomatoes. These guys are little, slippery and oh so delicate.

The trick is to use a serrated sharp knife. The knife in the photo below is one of my favorites. I use it all the time. It is made by a company called Royalton. They have been around for a very long time. This knife came with DB when he moved in and was immediately recognized by me as one of the set of knives commonly referred to in my youth as sharp-knives-we-weren’t-allowed-to-touch from my Mother’s kitchen growing up. She used it for everything, her mother used one for everything and now I use it for almost everything. Different actual knife but, great quality. It was made from stainless steel in Japan, is always super sharp and super easy to clean. For me it’s a real go to.

Take the first tomato and slice in half top to bottom.

While still holding it firmly turn a quarter turn then slice it again top to bottom. The key here is to keep it together as much as possible until you are done slicing it. More juices will be retained and so will the shape. Yum. The tomatoes will really pop in your mouth.

Once all the tomatoes are quartered drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Small is key. Add a pinch of pink salt. Then give a gentle stir and let sit. This way the flavors will mix and make this dish even brighter.

Next dice the fresh mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes. Make sure you hold it firmly but, still gently so we can save as much liquid as possible. After that take scissors and shred up about half a small handful of basil (little strips, they really add the the presentation).

Pick your serving dish and drain the pasta. Supper is pretty much ready at this point so make sure everything is ready.

Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of the post colander bowl.

Add super hot right out of the boiling water pasta. Drizzle with olive oil.

Add half the cubed mozzarella.

Stir with tongs. This is key because we want things to melt not get squished.

Next add the rest of the mozzarella to the bowl for the big mix. I know it looks like there is not a lot here but, it’s a big, big bowl.

Add pasta. Tong stir.

Pour the beautiful tomato mixture over the pasta.

Add the shredded basil

Drizzle liberally with balsamic vinegar. Tong stir then eat.

This is one of those things I could eat all day everyday.

Recipe

1 or 2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes two colors (preference is one giant one but, two small pints work just fine)

1 big clove of garlic

Pink Salt for sprinkling

1 box of pasta of your choice (preferably long and wide shaped)

1 large ball of fresh mozzarella in 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil (altogether for recipe)

very shy 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (altogether for recipe)

half a handful of fresh basil (scissor shredded)

Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping. This recipe is easy peasy to make and the ingredients are inexpensive. A perfect weeknight supper. Enjoy.

Late Summer Cherry Rhubarb Pie

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The weekend is just around the corner and what better way to enjoy it than with a great pie filled with late summer delights. Two of things my family wait for all year is for cherry and rhubarb.  Both of these elusive delights are at the height of their season then.

Read on

 

Cherries start blossoming on the mid eastern coast of the US around the end of April (thus the cherry blossom festivals in the DC area at that time). They begin blooming more north by latitude weekly. Some of the sweetest I’ve ever eaten come from Michigan. The very sweetest (that I used for this recipe) come from Washington state. There is something about the soil near Hood River maybe it’s the mountain dew or maybe it’s the vegetation but, they are just super tangy sweet. Tang being key.

Rhubarb grows all over the world. In the US it grows wild in the summer in the most northern states. Suited to be cultivated between late July and early September. It is a beaut and quite the treat to behold.

The first step is to pit the cherries. I have heard *cue announcer voice* a million and one ways to pit cherries. Frankly, I’ve tried a lot of different ones. The one I’ve found that works best is the one I grew myself. Just my hands. Plain and simple.

I start by removing the stem then, grab the fruit by either side and just rip open. Seriously. -It’s best to do over a bowl as to collect the juice (very important). –

Next turn the cherry and split in the same fashion. The pit is tightly wrapped it needs to be wiggled out.

A little more digging to pop the pit then, boom it’s out. This is some time later but, so beautiful. Anything that is actually tasty is worth the effort. This is what the amount needed looks like. I’m using a biggish thanksgiving mash potato sized bowl worth. They equal about three and a half cups worth (recipe at the bottom of post). A bit more or less is fine, more is better but, it’s what makes most since for your size pie plate that really should decide it.

After the last cherry is pitted, wash your hands. Right the second you are finished. Cherries will stain your hands quite quickly and quite badly. Scrub as soon as possible to get ahead of the stain setting in. Pretty huh?

Next up is the rhubarb. Peel it. You really should. I know it is more work  but, I’ve found it makes the rhubarb both softer and sweeter. It makes all the difference. Once peeled cut into one inch cubes and add to cherry bowl.

Add the granulated sugar.

Then flour.

Next pink salt and powdered sugar.

Stir well but, gently. Almost more folding than stirring. The texture of the pie filling is best if the pieces are well coated on all sides and still firm.

Fill room temperature crust lined pie plate with filling and top with approximately 1/3 a stick of butter cut into cubes. The butter combines up with the flour to thicken up the filling. Well, and adds some extra unctuous.

Next the pie top. Make some holes in the top crust so the filling can steam out a bit. Use a knife or my favorite, little cookie cutters. Place top on top of pie. Be careful to center. It doesn’t need to be perfect but, very close to centered is very best. Then brush with a solution of 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of milk (whole perferably) fork mixed together. This will help it brown nicely.

Connect the two crusts. This is important so it doesn’t bubble off. Here I am using just the tip edges of a fork to go around. Once the circle is complete use a knife to cut the extra off the edge of the pie plate.

The last step before we stage the pie in the oven is my Mother’s trick. She always sprinkled the top of sweet pies with a decent amount of granulated sugar. That way when it comes out it sparkles.

Place pie on cookie sheet. If not, it will bubble over which is tasty but, messy. Then wrap the sides of the crust with aluminum foil to keep the quick cooking edges from burning.

Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove the foil. Return pie to oven for another 20 to 27 minutes until crust is golden brown. Voilà.

Let cool at least a little before slicing into and enjoy.

My favorite way to eat any pie is a la mode. Look at that filling. O la la. Enjoy.

3-4 cups of fresh cherries pitted

1 1/2 cups of diced and peeled rhubarb

1 cup of white granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of flour

1 heaping tablespoon of powdered white sugar

1/2 tsp pink salt

Enjoy.

Boris Karloff’s Guacamole

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Imagine my surprise when minding my own business, just waiting to clock back in from lunch and THIS image pops up on my Instagram feed (my friends are the coolest). I take a screenshot then, spend the next few hours waiting to clock out so I can make this. I’m not sure of the newspaper this came from exactly. through the research I did no one else seems to know either. I think that makes it extra intriguing. Transylvania Times? Also, judging from the photo this article ran in the 1950’s or early 1960’s, most likely. Boris Karloff’s guacamole. Yum.

Read on

 


I must say that I adore monster movies especially the ones made the first half of last century by Universal Studios so, this is by rights mind-blowing. It is odd to think of the man who is scary enough to be cast as Frankenstein’s monster or the Mummy to ya know, just cook food, especially guacamole. At the time this recipe was published in America this was VERY ethnic. Most of the country had never even heard the word. There are many wonderful parts of this article. My favorite is when it is described as “an avocado based sauce”. It’s referred to as a sauce!?! I’d go as far as topping but, sauce was the best way to describe it to the general public of the day. Also, the simple elegance of the added Sherry is lovely.
The finished dish is also lovely.

First step is to halve the avocado. As even as possible as it makes the slicing easier. Either way it will be much so don’t stress too much about this fact.

Next step, the slicing. It is important to cut as close as you can to the skin without going through. I always poke here and there but, close makes for easier removal from the skin bucket.

Same thing crosswards. Also, my favorite cooking tool is in this shot. It’s an old school wooden handled serrated knife. It’s the kind of knife my parents always used because it can cut through anything and… never needs to be sharpened.

Next step, the grand squish. I find it the easiest way to get the flesh out and BONUS it’s already mashed afterwards. It’s a win win.

Add minced onion.

Misty tomato and chili adding shot.

Add sherry. Voila. Mr. Karloff adds sherry. When I read it it seemed like dated overkill but, when I tasted it it is really a revelation. -it really is- I won’t make guacamole without it ever again. The sherry just makes everything taste more crisp and fresher. Also, at the cayenne. That with the sherry really sets it off. This is the best guacamole I’ve ever tasted. Try it for yourself.

Recipe

2 very ripe avocados

I small onion, minced

1 medium tomato chopped fine

1 tbsp of canned chopped green chilies

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp of sherry

dash of cayenne, optional

pink salt, pepper

Enjoy!

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