The rest of you, don’t worry!  It’s good, I tell you — really good!  It makes great use of several sale ingredients, and doesn’t taste a thing like a Lean Cuisine.  Think of it this way:  with the calories you’ll save on dinner, you can justify having a bowl of ice cream while you watch the Olympics or American Idol later on tonight.  I’m just sayin’.  Some of us like incentive plans.

Don’t ask me how the idea of coconut curry got lodged in my head…but I’m pretty sure it happened sometime between 8:45 and 10:00 this morning.  Nevermind that during that time I was perched atop a bike, sweating my face off at the gym.  Thoughts of food know no bounds for this twisted blogger; bizarre cravings pop up at the oddest moments, even whilst spinning.  It’s an illness.  I’m working on it.

Enjoy!

COCONUT CURRY WITH CHICKEN & BASIL

Serves: 4

Weight Watchers Simply Delicious Cookbook, (copyright 2002), p. 96.

• 2 t. canola oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large), 1” dice
• ½ t. salt
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. minced fresh ginger
• 1 T. packed brown sugar
• 2 t. Thai red curry paste
• ½ t. ground cumin
• ½ lb. fresh asparagus (on sale), cut diagonally into 1” pieces
• 1 c. coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand is on sale; find it in the Asian aisle on the bottom shelf) **see note**
• 1 T. fish sauce
• ¼ c. fresh basil (on sale), chopped, plus additional sprigs for garnish

• Hot cooked rice for serving (I love the Texmati that’s on sale this week)

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet, then add the chicken and sprinkle with the salt (it may be necessary to do this in batches; do not crowd your chicken!).  Saute until browned on all sides, then transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil in the same skillet over low heat, then add the onion, garlic, and ginger.  Saute until fragrant and the onions are softened, about five minutes.  Stir in the brown sugar, red curry paste, and cumin; cook one minute, stirring constantly.  Add the coconut milk, the fish sauce, and the chicken; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for five minutes.  Add the asparagus and stir to combine.  Replace the cover and continue to simmer for an additional three minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and asparagus is crisp-tender.  Stir in the basil.  Serve chicken curry over rice; garnish with additional basil sprigs if desired.

**NOTE:  the recipe calls for only a ½ cup of coconut milk.  I couldn’t resist…I added a whole cup.  Obviously my version is well over 8 points, for anyone who’s counting!

Today I’m warding off whatever illness might be coming our way by channeling my inner Jewish Grandma.  I’m not Jewish or a Grandma, but surely you’ve heard of Jewish Penicillin?  I’ve got a batch of homemade chicken stock simmering away on my stove, and this stuff smells heavenly!  I totally get why chicken soup is renowned for its medicinal benefits – just one big whiff of this simmering stock can clear stuffy nasal passages and ward off whatever ails yah’.

For some of you, this post will seem pretty basic, and if it is, I apologize.  But for others, I hope it’s a nifty little lesson in Cooking 101.  I wish that someone had shown me how to make homemade stock back when I was starting out in the kitchen.  It’s really a wonderful item to keep on hand in your freezer, and can add a wonderful richness to soups, stews, and sauces.  It’s a good thing to have in your repertoire, up your sleeve, or wherever else you’d like to stash it.

Also, it’s pretty difficult to mess it up, which is always good news for beginner cooks, right?

So!  Let’s make some stock!

If you’ve perused the sale ad this week, you’ve probably noticed that “soup chickens” are on special at .99 / pound.  I got a GINORMOUS chicken yesterday for about $6.00!  These chickens are older hens, whose egg-laying days have long since passed.  You’d certainly understand the meaning of “tough old bird” if you tried to use this particular chicken in any normal application – for instance, if you fried it up and served it with mashed potatoes and gravy.  The meat would be tough and stringy, and leave you to wonder where you went wrong.  So, although their meat is not ideal for straight up dining, these chickens are packed with flavor, so they’re perfect for making stock.

There’s really not a hard and fast recipe here.   You don’t need to measure anything precisely; as long as you add the basics to your pot, you’ll be good to go.  More good news is that some of these aromatic vegetables (parsnips, carrots, leeks, and celery) are also on sale this week!  You can make as much as you like; all you really need is time.

BASIC HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK

Yields:  2 quarts

• 3 ½ lb. soup chicken (this was half the chicken for me; I froze the other half)
• 1 very large carrot, trimmed and chunked
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped (leafy tops included)
• 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, trimmed and sliced down the middle
• 1 yellow onion, unpeeled (leave the skin on, it adds color to the stock)
• 1 parsnip, trimmed and chunked
• ½ bunch fresh parsley
• 6-8 peppercorns
• 1 t. salt
• Enough cold water to cover all of these ingredients once they’re in the pot

Rinse your chicken and place it in a large Dutch oven.  Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Pour enough cold water over the ingredients to cover them (for my batch, this was about 8 cups).  Bring the mixture up to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat so that you maintain a bare simmer (a few little bubbles are popping up here and there).  Use a fine mesh strainer or a spoon to skim off any scum that comes to the surface.  Set your timer for two and a half hours and walk away (two and a half hours is your minimum cook time; you can let it go for up to five hours).  Come back to the stove now and then to be sure your stock isn’t boiling too hard. (*See notes*)  Take notice of how lovely your kitchen smells.

Place a clean soup pot in your sink, and set a large strainer inside the pot.  Line the strainer with a large piece of cheesecloth or a scrupulously clean kitchen towel.  Using tongs, remove the large chicken pieces and toss them out (the meat will be totally spent at this point and isn’t worth saving).  Pour the rest of the contents of the stockpot into the lined strainer, and drain off the stock.  Lift up the strainer and press on the solids to extract as much liquid as you can.  Throw out the contents of the strainer (but not your towel, of course!).  You should have approximately 8 cups of gorgeous, clear chicken stock.  Taste it, and season with salt if desired.  Use it immediately to make soup, or chill it down quickly and freeze it for a rainy day.

**NOTES**

1). This is important:  do not keep your stock at a rolling boil.  Fat particles will separate into tiny bits and become permanently suspended in your stock, resulting in greasy, cloudy (read: unsightly and GROSS) stock that you won’t be able to fix.  And you won’t want to serve it either because it will look fowl foul (chicken humor, haha!).

2). If you’d like a lower fat stock (and if you’re not in a hurry), chill your finished product over night.  The next day, all of the fat will have solidified on top of the stock.  I know, it looks kind of gross, but you’ll be able to scoop it all off and dispose of it quite easily with a big spoon.

What I mean to say is, YOU WILL LIKE IT!  Even No-Thank-You-Boy digs right in, and he doesn’t usually eat anything that doesn’t say JIMMY JOHNS somewhere on the label.  This stuff is good, baby.  Really good.

Now before I get you all excited, a slight confession:  I am fully aware that this dish is going against my ‘let’s lighten up’ rule but I had to make an exception.  I’m delivering dinner to a good friend who just had a baby (Hi, Baby Chloe!), and this is my standard “I’m-taking-dinner-to-a-sick-or-newly-unpregnant-friend” dish, so it is what it is.  It’s not light, and if you over-indulge it will definitely add to your, uh – bottom line, shall we say.  But let’s don’t worry about that today.  Bikini season is a long way off.  If you’re having calorie angst, add a few minutes to the old treadmill when you’re at the gym tomorrow.

Chicken and Rice.  It’s what’s right with the world!

Note:  Here’s the fine print.  This isn’t the kind of dinner you can throw together in a skinny minute; it’s a little time consuming to make.  I recommend it for Sunday dinner when you’ve got a little extra time on your hands!  On the bright side:  this freezes beautifully!  If you freeze it, be sure to thaw it completely before baking.  Enjoy!

CREAMY CHICKEN & RICE WITH PEAS, CARROTS, & CHEDDAR

Serves:  8

Source:  The Best Make Ahead Recipe, by the Editors of Cooks Illustrated. Pp. 248-249

• 4 T. butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• Salt
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• ¼ c. flour
• 6 c. chicken broth (Imagine broths are on sale)
• 1 c. heavy cream or half-and-half
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5; Value Packs are on sale)
• 1 ½ c. long grain white rice
• 1 – 1lb. bag frozen peas and carrots medley (about 3 cups)
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• Ground black pepper
• 1 recipe (2 ¼ cups) Toasted Bread Crumb Topping (see below)
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400.  Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.  Slowly whisk in the broth and the cream.

Add the chicken breasts, partially cover, and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low, cover completely, and cook until the thickest part of the chicken breast registers 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, 10-15 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.  Stir the rice into the pot, cover, and continue to cook over low heat, stirring often, until the rice has absorbed much of the liquid and is just tender, 20-25 minutes.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into bite-sized pieces.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the shredded chicken, peas and carrots, and cheddar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour mixture into a 9 x 13” pan and sprinkle with the crumb topping.  Cover tightly with foil (freeze at this point).  Bake until the casserole is bubbling and hot throughout, about 1 hour.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the crumbs are crisp, 15 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Note:  I love to keep an extra batch of this in my freezer.  I try to make a batch whenever I have on-the-verge-of-stale bread hanging around my pantry.  These crumbs are great to have on hand!

TOASTED BREAD CRUMB TOPPING

Makes enough for 1 9 x 13” casserole

Source:  The Best Make Ahead Recipe, by the Editors of Cooks Illustrated. P. 242

• 4 slices good quality white sandwich bread, quartered
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 2 T. minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325.  Pulse the bread and butter in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 6 pulses.  Spread the crumbs out over a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden and dry, 20-30 minutes.  Let the crumbs cool, then toss with the parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.

This is one of those recipes that I only break out during the coldest winter months.  Not because it’s difficult to make – mostly because I can’t be trusted when leftovers are hanging around.  It’s the ultimate comfort food, and  I love it more than almost any other recipe I have in my repertoire!

With a freezing cold weekend ahead, you’re gonna want to have this pot pie on hand to warm up your chilly chill’ens.  It’s not hard.  You don’t even have to do the lattice crust if you don’t want to but I’m obsessive compulsive picky about these things.  Not that my family would even notice –they just want to dig right in!

A few notes on the recipe: I like to use leftover chicken (light and dark meat) for this recipe.  If you have it on hand, obviously skip the poaching step and just add it in at the end.  If you want to be extremely frugal, you can poach one of the whole chickens that are on sale this week — but  I was feeling quite lazy and didn’t want to deal with de-boning cooked chicken.

This filling is extremely versatile. Add or delete whatever veggies you like (don’t choose anything too watery though).  You don’t have to use two crusts; you could just pour the filling into your pie plate and use one crust on top.  If you don’t like pie crust (what’s wrong with you?), you could easily top it with biscuit dough instead.  Either way, prepare to be addicted.  You’ll be wishing winter would never end!

BEST EVER CHICKEN POT PIE

Serves: 5-6

Source:  ?!  I don’t know!  I’ve been making this for YEARS!!

• 1 box pie crusts, at room temperature

• 2 c. of diced raw chicken (I used a mixture of boneless breasts and thighs)
• 1 c. broccoli florets
• 1 large carrot, small dice
• 1 large leek, washed well and thinly sliced (white and pale green part only)

• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour

• 3 c. whole milk
• 1 large chicken bouillon cube (I like the Knorr brand, they’re really big!)

• 1 c. grated Parmesan (this is on sale this week!)
• 1 c. frozen peas, thawed (Birds Eye are on sale this week)
• 1 box pie crusts, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 425.  Unroll one pie crust and place in a deep-dish pie plate.  Line the pie plate with foil and fill foil with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake crust for 12 minutes.   Remove from oven and set aside.  Remove foil and pie weights when cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, place the raw chicken, broccoli, carrots, and leeks in a shallow pan.  Add enough water to cover; season with salt.  Bring pan to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are beginning to get tender, 12-15 minutes.  Do not overcook chicken and vegetables. Drain well and set aside.

Place the milk and the bouillon cube in a large measuring cup and microwave on high for 3 minutes or so, or until bouillon cube is soft enough to dissolve when stirred with a whisk.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring.  Add the milk and bouillon mixture in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about  5 minutes.  Blend in the grated Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.  Add the cooked chicken and vegetables along with the peas and mix well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into the crust, then top with the second pie of crust, crimping decoratively if desired.  Use a sharp knife to cut slits in the top of the dough to vent steam.

Bake pie for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and crust is beginning to turn golden brown.  Spoon pie into shallow bowls and serve.

And by a “lived in” smell, I definitely do not mean the aroma of a seventy-two pound black lab or a laundry basket of overflowing with dirty gym socks.

The lived in smell I’m talking about is the warm and welcoming aroma of something downright delicious simmering away on the stove – a delightful smell that immediately greets you when you trudge through the door at the end of a long day of school or work.

A smell that makes you happy you’ve got a momma who’s overly-consumed with her culinary addiction psychosis hobby.

For instance, a big ol’ pot of tortilla soup.  Tortilla soup after all, is fluent in the language of YUM.  And its favorite phrase is “Welcome home!”

We enjoyed this soup with my favorite roasted vegetable quesadillas.  Also, just thinking ahead to next weekend; this soup would be a great way to use up any extra scraps of Thanksgiving turkey!  Just a thought … always thinkin’!

TORTILLA SOUP WITH CHICKEN

Serves:  6-8

Source:  Recipezaar.com; Recipe #85800

• 3 T. vegetable oil*
• 8 corn tortillas, diced small
• 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ½ c. chopped cilantro, divided
• 1 – 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (Red Gold brand is on sale this week)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 T. cumin
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups chicken broth* (Swanson’s canned broth is on sale this week)
• 1 t. salt
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 4 cooked chicken breast halves, shredded or chopped

GARNISHES:

• shredded cheese
• diced avocadoes
• sour cream
• 2 corn tortillas, sliced thin and fried crisp (optional)*

In a large dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the tortillas, garlic, half of the cilantro, and onion, cook and stir for 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil.  Add the cumin, chili powder, bay leaf, and chicken broth, and return to a boil.  Reduce heat; add salt and cayenne and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and stir in the cooked chicken and remaining cilantro; continue to simmer until chicken is warmed through.

Ladle soup into heated serving bowls.  Garnish with shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, and tortilla strips.

*NOTES:  The original recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of oil, but since I’m a health nut and all (laughs out loud, slaps knee), I cut this in half.  Feel free to use the full amount if you’re the indulgent type.  I’ll never judge.

*Also, if you’re going to make the soup earlier in the day, count on it thickening up a little bit, thanks to the starch in the corn tortillas.  I needed to add a bit more chicken broth at the end to thin it out for serving.

*And finally, while the fried tortilla strips are not at all difficult to make, you might not want to futz with them.  I’ve served this soup with a big handful of crunched up Tostitos and my family has been none the wiser!

Believe you me, there was just no way I was going to disappoint a child who had chicken on the brain so early in the day!

On the way home I tossed around a few different recipes, but ended up settling on one I’ve been making for a couple of years now. It’s quite simple actually, but the roasting method gives it such a great flavor, it’s become a stand-by for me. And with whole chickens on sale for .99 / pound, this meal was a total bargain! Would you believe I got a four and a half pound chicken and a few extra legs for around $5.25! Crazy, right?

On top of that, the nice people at the meat counter will cut your chicken up however you like, which is so awesome, because I can’t stand cutting up raw chicken. Creeps…me…OUT!! I’d never make it as a chef.

You could easily throw this together on a busy work / school night; there’s not too terribly much prep work involved. Since the chicken is already cut, you’ll simply need to chop the vegetables of your choosing, and toss them together with a short list of seasonings.

Now, I must run along. I’m in a hurry to get this posted because the chickens are only on special through TONIGHT! Hop to it!

Oh, just one last thing – you’ll notice there are no vegetables in the picture. That’s because there were NONE LEFT for the photo shoot! Not a single one, can you believe that? Those DamKids gobbled them all up — I actually had to fight the little twits for my fair share of brussel sprouts. There must be something to this roasting method…it makes everything taste good. ENJOY!

ROAST CHICKEN DINNER

Serves: 4-6

Source: epicurious.com

• 1 (3½ – 4 lb.) chicken, cut up
• 2 – 3 T. olive oil (you’ll need to adjust this if you use the optional carrots and brussel sprouts)
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ½ t. salt
• 1 ½ t. ground black pepper
• ¾ t. Herbes de Provence
• 3 small to medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I used the russets that are on sale)
• 2 zucchini, trimmed, cut in to thirds, then quartered into small spears
• 1 medium onion, trimmed, halved lengthwise then sliced
• 3 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced about 1/3” thick (optional, I used them)
• 12 brussel sprouts, trimmed and halved (optional, I used them)
• ½ – ¾ c. chicken broth
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice

Place oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat the oven to 500.

Pat the chicken dry, then toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, minced garlic, 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and the Herbes de Provence in a very large bowl. (If chicken seems dry, you might need to drizzle on a bit more oil). Arrange the chicken, skin sides up, without pieces touching in a roasting pan (I had so much chicken that I had to use two pans) leaving a 2 inch boarder around the edges of the pan.

Toss potatoes, zucchini, onion, carrots, and brussel sprouts with remaining oil, remaining salt, and remaining pepper in the same bowl, then spread the vegetables in 1 layer around the chicken, arranging zucchini skin sides up. Stir together the broth and lemon juice and pour in to pan around chicken and vegetables (you may need to add more broth to be sure that all of the vegetables are sitting in it).

Roast uncovered until chicken is pale golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes; rotate pan(s) half way through cooking time to ensure even cooking. (Mine took an additional 10 minutes or so because again, I had so much chicken!)

Remove pan from oven and preheat broiler. Broil chicken and vegetables 3 inches from heat until chicken is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Serve chicken and vegetables with pan juices.

*Note: I made a simple gravy with the pan juices. Here’s how I did it: remove all of the chicken and vegetables to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter with 1 tablespoon of flour and set aside. Strain all of your pan juices, and return them to the pan. Place the pan over medium high heat and scrape up any remaining bit from the bottom of the pan. Add in the butter and flour mixture and whisk to incorporate. Continue to cook and stir until mixture comes to a gravy consistency. Transfer to a bowl and serve with the chicken and vegetables.

I’ve tried for several years to make the traditional lamb gyros at home, but I always come up short; the at-home version never tastes nearly as good as what you’d find at an authentic Greek restaurant, or from a street vendor for that matter.  So, I’ve thrown in the (dish) towel on the lamb version for now, and make my gyros with chicken instead.  This version is pretty darned good, I have to say.  Five out of five members of the DamFam love them — even No Thank-You Boy, who doesn’t like a da’gum thing these days… so that says a lot!

The prep work here is minimal, but the flavors are big – the chicken is marinated for a short time in a simple blend of olive oil, cumin, garlic, and oregano.  After a quick trip under the broiler, we’ll layer on a creamy yogurt feta sauce, top it with some crunchy cucumbers, lettuce, and tomato, then wrap it all up in a warm, fluffy pita.  I’m famished, aren’t you?

As for a side dish, I’m going to toss together a simple veggie roast of Yukon Gold potatoes and fresh asparagus.  We probably don’t need much of a starch since there’s bread in the main course, but I have half a bag of Yukon Golds hanging around, and I need to use them up.  Because honestly, allowing good potatoes go to waste is a travesty, any way you slice it.  Also, this blogger never met a potato dish she didn’t like.

Actually, I’ll retract that.  This blogger despises her mother’s German Potato Salad.  Just keepin’ it real…(and I do apologize, Mom … the rest of your cooking is stellar)!

And by the by, if anyone has a good lamb version of gyros they’d like to share (like say, if you’re a certain reader whose family owns a lamb and veal business), feel free to chime in.  You know who you are!

Enjoy!

CHICKEN GYROS WITH YOGURT FETA SAUCE
Serves: 4

Source:  The Deen Bros. Cookbook by Jamie & Bobby Deen, and Melissa Clark.  Pp.178-179.

• 1 ½ lbs. chicken cutlets, sliced in half lengthwise ** see note below **
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed, more if you’re big on garlic
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 container of plain yogurt (Dannon is on sale), or Greek yogurt
• 2 oz. crumbled feta cheese (Athenos brand is on sale)
• ¼ c. minced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 ½ T. chopped fresh dill
• 2 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice (fresh, please – we’ve had this discussion)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 slices pita bread (I love and adore Kangaroo Brand), warm
• Shredded romaine (on sale)
• Diced tomato and sliced cucumber for serving

In a large bowl, place the chicken, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste; toss to coat.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, feta, red onion, garlic, dill, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Set aside to chill until serving time.

Preheat the broiler.  Spread the chicken cutlets on a baking sheet.  Broil 6 inches from heat for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook time.

To serve, divide the chicken, sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber evenly among the warmed pitas.  Fold and serve.  Pass additional sauce at the table, if desired.

** NOTE ** to make the cutlets, place a chicken breast on a work surface and carefully slice it in half horizontally, forming two thin slices of chicken, then cut the slices in half top to bottom to form four long pieces, gosh I hope that makes sense!)

ROASTED POTATOES & ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN

Serves:  4

Source:  Epicurious.com

• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces
• 1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1” pieces
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1/3 c. Parmesan cheese (I’m using the shaved Parm’ that’s on sale this week)

Preheat the oven to 450.  Place rack in upper third of the oven.

Toss together asparagus, potatoes, oil, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large shallow baking pan, spreading evenly.  Roast, stirring once, 20 – 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with cheese and roast until cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 3 minutes more.

It’s like the Wonder Bread of the produce department, isn’t it?  The red-headed stepchild?  Seriously, I don’t know of a single self-respecting foodie who would ever serve it at her dinner table.  Something about it just screams “1978”, when all our mothers served us salads of iceberg lettuce and Wishbone dressing, ala Carol Brady.

Happily, we’ve all grown up to expand our salad horizons.  Thanks in part to well stocked grocery stores (like Sendik’s, naturally), it’s easier to try a wide variety of more exotic greens like spicy arugula, bitter endive and raddichio, and gourmet mixed baby lettuces.

Lest poor, lowly iceberg go the way of the eight-track, there are still some instances where a substitution just won’t do…a hunk of crisp iceberg on a BLT for instance, or finely shredded iceberg on taco night.

Here is my absolute FAVORITE use for iceberg:  as a holder for these delicious Chinese Lettuce Wraps.  The leaves add the perfect crunch, and are sturdy enough to stand up to the savory ground chicken filling.

A quick tip about iceberg:  if you bought a head earlier in the week, and despite its charming cellophane wrapper, it’s gone a little floppy on you (hate that!), just fill a mixing bowl with ice water, cut off the root of the lettuce, and immerse the head in the water for an hour or so.  Drain it off and give it a good spin.  The cells of the lettuce will have plumped themselves up with the chilly water, and voila – your iceberg will be revived!

No need to thank me, I live for this stuff.

CHINESE LETTUCE WRAPS

Serves: 6

Adapted from SAVEUR.com

• 1 ½ lbs. ground chicken (regular or breast meat, or a combination of the two)
• 3-4 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely diced (very finely, and your kids will never even know they’re in there!)
• 3 scallions, finely chopped, plus additional sliced scallion for garnish if desired
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. oyster sauce
• 1 T. sherry
• 1 t. cornstarch
• ½ t. sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 T. vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced water chestnuts, drained
• 16-20 iceberg lettuce leaves
• 1 can crunchy rice noodles for serving (optional, but kids adore them!)

Place the ground chicken meat into a large bowl along with the mushrooms, and scallions.  Combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, cornstarch, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl, pour over chicken.  Mix well.  Let stand 15 minutes (mine went for about an hour and it was fine).

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and water chestnuts, cook and stir for  a few minutes.  Add the chicken mixture; cook, stirring and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, about 5-8 minutes.  Transfer to a serving platter, surround with lettuce leaves.  To serve, spoon the filling in to the lettuce leaves.  Garnish with rice noodles and chopped scallion if desired.

By the by, we loved these wraps tonight with steamed jasmine rice and boiled edamame on the side.  ENJOY!

I woke up a while ago and the house just didn’t feel right.  Uncomfortable, steamy, hot and sticky… I like to think I’m too young for hot flashes, but obviously, something was not right.

Well apparently, the air conditioner hadn’t been working all night long.  I went down to the basement thinking (hoping?!) that I probably just needed to change out the furnace filter (we’re not very good at keeping up with that sort of thing around here, if you want the truth) and all would be well.  But no such luck.

The filter is fine.  Much worse I fear, is that the furnace is covered in a thin layer of ice and frost, which can’t possibly be good.  I find its frozen state slightly ironic, since the rest of the house feels like the rainforest, and my hair (a very reliable humidity indicator) is curling wildly even as we speak.  Nice visual, right?  Yeah, it ain’t good.

I hate problems with the house.  They always give me a bad feeling in the pit of my checkbook.

While I’m sitting around waiting for the repairman to show his face and give me the bad news, I’ve turned my attention to dinner. You’re probably wondering how and/or WHY I would possibly be thinking about dinner at a time like this?  When I’m so hot and crabby?!  Well, that’s how I roll.  Planning dinner is a great diversion from the problem at hand.  Also, I’m a little obsessed.  It’s an illness.

Any hoo, I’m an absolute fool for a good Cobb Salad, which is what I decided to make tonight.  Light and fresh, they’re the perfect warm weather dinner.  I adore them so much in fact, that I ate a Cobb Salad from the North Shore Bistro every single week for the full nine months that I was pregnant with my third kiddo.  Do the math, that’s like, 40 salads.  Don’t believe me?  Ask my husband.  He was my Cobb Salad courier every time I had a craving.  A Cobb Salad mule, that’s what he was.  I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the title.  Let’s just see if he really reads my blog like he says he does.

This version is dressed up a bit with the addition of fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts,  and a lovely, light vinaigrette.  I used the sale marinated chicken breasts from the meat counter (Italian, they were terrific), sale romaine lettuce, stem tomatoes, and Patrick Cudahy bacon.  Economical AND delicious, does it get any better?

Impress your diners by chilling off your plates in the freezer before you plate the salads; it adds a nice touch and will make you look like a pro!

At least something around here will be nice and cold.  Humph.

COBB SALAD WITH HERBS AND SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Serves:  6

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, August/September 2008 p. 55

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (again, I used the marinated ones from the meat counter)
• 1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ¾ c. fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley, basil, mint, and chives), chopped (not minced)
• 2 large avocados, pitted and diced
• 2 larged stem tomatoes, seeded and diced
• ¾ c. crumbled blue cheese of your choice
• 1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted (you could easily swap in pecans or walnuts for much less $$ than the pine nuts)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled, and crumbled
• Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Additional fresh chives, chopped for garnish

Place 6 large salad plates in the freezer to chill.

Preheat your grill to medium high.  Grill the chicken breasts until well marked and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.  Cool; cut in to small dice.

Combine romaine and herbs in a large mixing bowl.  Toss with just enough dressing to coat lightly, 4 – 5 tablespoons.  Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the avocado, tomatoes, blue cheese, pinenuts, and chicken together with 3 – 4 tablespoons of the dressing.  Remove the plates from the freezer.  Divide the greens among the plates, arranging the lettuce in a circle with a small hole in the center. Mound the chicken mixture in the center of the lettuce on each plate, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and chopped chives and serve.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

• ¾ c. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ c. good quality sherry vinegar
• 2 t. finely grated lemon zest (from about one lemon)
• 1 t. sugar
• 1 clove garlic minced finely or pressed
• ½ t. Dijon mustard
• ½ t. salt
• ¼ t. ground black pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup or jar with a tight fitting lid and whisk or vigorously shake to combine.  You can refrigerate this for up to five days, but allow it to come to room temperature and stir well (or shake again) before serving.

There’s a hilarious scene where the two of them are discussing the wedding menu (or, ‘monyu’); flamboyant Franck tries to convince stressed-out George (or, ‘Mr. Bonks’) that he must serve either veal (‘vol’), seafood (‘sah foot’), or the lowly, cheaper chicken (‘the chipper chocken’).  George, who is trying to pinch pennies, of course opts for the ‘chipper chocken’.  He then rips his old ‘tux-ah-doh’ straight down the back,  heads off to the grocery store in a huff, and proceeds to rip the stockboy a new one over the outrageous cost of hotdog buns.  A crazy shopping cart chase through the aisles ensues, where product displays tumble left and right, and  George lands himself in jail, where poor Nina (Diane Keaton) has to come to bail him out.

Remember that scene?  You don’t?  Well then you must go rent the movie.  It’s delightful from start to finish!

You’re probably asking yourself where this conversation could possibly be headed.  And so, before I digress much further (like, by busting out the complete soundtrack for you), I want to tell you about this ‘chipper chocken’ recipe that I made tonight.  It’s my favorite dish to make out of plain old, boring ‘chocken’ breasts.

The refreshing Greek flavors of oregano and fresh mint really liven up these pretty skewers.  The whole meal came together quite quickly – you’ll just need a little time to marinade the chicken.  While the chicken marinates, pull together the delicious Greek salad, prepare a box of couscous or rice pilaf, and toast some pita bread.  Dinner is served!

GRILLED CHICKEN, RED ONION, & MINT KEBABS WITH GREEK SALAD

Serves:  4

Source:  epicurious.com, originally published in Bon Appetit Magazine, July 2001

• 1 ½ lbs. skinless boneless chicken breast halves (on sale!), cut in to 1-inch pieces
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. dried mint
• 1 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• 1 bunch fresh mint (one clear plastic box from the produce department)
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 metal skewers (or wood, just soak them for an hour beforehand so they don’t burn up on your grill)
• Greek Salad, below

Mix chicken, oil, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Let marinate 30 minutes (mine went two hours with no trouble).

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.  Pull off the large mint leaves from their stems.  Alternate chicken, onion, and mint leaves on skewers, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill until chicken is just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 9 minutes total.  Serve with Greek Salad.

GREEK SALAD

Yields:  about 4 ½ cups

• ¾ lb. stemmed tomatoes (on sale), seeded, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 c. diced seeded peeled cucumber (about 1 large, on sale)
• 1 c. diced red bell pepper (from 1 large)
• ¼ c. pitted kalamata olives, halved
• ¼ c. diced red onion
• 3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 ½ T. red wine vinegar
• ½ t. dried oregano
• ¼ c. crumbled feta (half of a 4 oz. box)

Toss the first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.  Gently mix in cheese.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the Chicken Kebabs!