Greek Roast Chicken

My friend Kristy is Greek-American, and she is married to a man from Greece. I made a roasted Greek chicken for dinner the other night, and so I asked her for her recipe. Here it is!

Kristy Vahaviolos Kyriskopoulos' Greek Chicken

Whole Chicken
6-8 whole cloves of garlic
oregano
salt & pepper
1 lemon
4-5 potatoes
olive oil

Clean and rinse chicken then place it in a large roasting pan. Peel, cut and slice (lengthwise, creating long moon-shaped slivers4-6 slivers appx per potato) potatoes and add to pan. Clean garlic cloves and throw them in pan. Lightly dust whole chicken and potatoes with oregano...depending on how big the chicken is, that's how much oregano...a light dusting, you don't want the whole chicken completely covered in oregano, but well dusted. Season with salt and pepper (kosher salt is best if you have). Squeeze whole lemon over chicken and potatoes and then drizzle, quite heartily, with olive oil. I probably use 1/4 cup in the end. If you don't, it won't be as Greek tasting...don't ask how or why, but if your chicken and potatoes are well coated with oil, the chicken will have crispy, deliciously seasoned skin and will be slightly browned, and the potatoes will be well cooked but not falling apart, with the edges softly cruchy (seems oxymornic, but get it right and you will see what I mean)! I put it all in a 375 oven for almost 2 hours, turning potatoes every 30 minutes or so and swishing around the pan juices too (no need to baste). Then I serve the chicken and potatoes with a hunk of peasant bread, a sliver of feta and a glass of red wine (yes, this hearty dish seems to go well with red...try it!)...and if you close your eyes, you think you are in Greece!

"Chocolate Thunder" chili

My friend Nicole's brother-in-law recently won a Brooklyn chili cook-off. With colder weather on its way, this recipe should help warm you up.

Andrew Hughes "Chocolate Thunder" Chili

2 ears sweet corn
3 cans red kidney beans (rinse only 1)
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 large sweet onion
1 red onion
2 shallots
1 bulb garlic
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or pork
1 cup beef stock
3 T chili powder
2 T garlic powder
2 T onion powder
1 T ground red pepper
1 cup shaved dark chocolate
1 large can peeled tomatoes
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
2 T sugar
1 t sweet basil
1 t oregano
1 bay leaf
1 t thyme
1 t ground cumin
2 t Kosher salt

1. Cut corn off ears and placing kernels in a pan to be roasted or fried. Add salt and red pepper to taste. (Note: It is OK if the taste is stronger than you would normally like because it will settle when combined with the other ingredients.) When corn is cooked and a bit blackened, set aside.

2. Finely chop all onions, shallots and half of the garlic bulb, combine and set aside.

3. In large frying pan, combine all meats and start browning over a low flame. Begin to add seasoning, but use only half of your measured amounts until the meat is fully browned. Continue to add spices until you get to you desired spicy flavor. Refer to above note. Begin to add the chopped onions, garlic, shallot mixture, use three quarters of the mixture. Cook the combination over a low flame for 30 minutes while adding a half a cup of beef stock. Taste and add seasoning. Once the desired spiciness is achieved, then add two tablespoons of chocolate and stir for another 10 minutes. A lot of the liquid should be reduced by this time. Keep warm over low flame.

4. Pour all cans of tomatoes into a food processor and add sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, the remaining onion, garlic, shallot mixture and pulse until tomatoes make a chunky sauce. Then place in a large slow cooker or pot. Add bay leaf, three whole pieces of garlic and cumin.

5. Over a low flame, place the tomato mixture and begin to add the corn, then the beans, then the meat mixture and stir. This mixture can cook for 30 minutes to 4hours with no problem.

6. And final step, this is what helps to make this chocolate thunder chili and is the family secret, add a spoon full of shaved chocolate on top to mix. The family secret is that the chef and one other member of the house hold are allergic to chocolate.

Easter Loaf

This recipe doesn't come from a sister...it comes from Papa/Dad/Uncle Walt! He found the original 3x5 card this recipe was written on by his mother, and he asked me to upload it to Sister Kitch'n. According to Papa, this dish is not only tasty, but fantastically delicious!

Save water smoked butt is cooked in.

1 1/4 lb. Pork or pork shoulder ( 1 piece )

1 1/4 lb. Veal ( in one piece )

1 1/2 lb. smoked butt

1 dozen eggs

1 loaf bread

Chives or green onions

Boil these meats a day before cubing.

Method:

Cube meats and bread. Beat 10 to 12 eggs.

Add to first mixture with chives or green onion tops. (Do not use white onion portions )

Salt and pepper. If this looks dry, add a little of the juice from the smoked butt to have mixture moist.

Set oven at 350 degrees.

Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till set together.

Cool before eating.

Papa's note: she used a rectangular bread loaf pan.

Kelly's Czech Goulash

Last year, when I was in Prague, I tried goulash for the first time--and I couldn't believe that our family--we ARE Bohemian, thanks to Papa--never ever makes this for family gatherings!! It's SO GOOD!! So when I got back to Ireland, I started researching Czech goulash recipes. (Czech goulash is quite different from its gross older brother, Hungarian goulash, which I tried in Budapest--yuck). I combined elements from a few different recipes and here is the tasty final product! I made it for the first time tonight and it blew my roommates' minds. Adjust amounts to your taste, I like more onion and paprika and less salt--it's a work in progress!

3 tablespoons cooking oil
3 medium sized onions, chopped
1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cubed
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons paprika (I use both sweet and hot paprika--faaavorite ingredient!)
2 teaspoons caraway seed
3-5 tablespoons flour, depending on desired thickness
About 8 oz crushed tomatoes, chopped
About 3 cups of cold water
Salt and pepper to taste
Marjoram, Parsley, sour cream

Heat oil in a large pot on medium heat.
Add onion and cook until wilted.
Add beef. Brown.
Add garlic, paprika, caraway seed, salt, pepper, flour. Cook about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and about 3 cups of water.
Bring to boil, then cover and simmer at least an hour.
Serve with sour cream, marjoram, and parsley. I love it with whole grain bread and saurkraut.

Eat while thinking of the Anna Dolejshi, Jan Slivka, Maria Kuchta, Andrew Katovsky--and Great Grandma Slivka Smithe!

Simplest Butternut Squash Soup

I make a big pot of soup at least once a week for Chris to have for lunch. So, I'm always on the look-out for new recipes to try. I found this one in yesterday's newspaper. It is so simple that I was a little skeptical (how could it possibly be good???), but I decided to try it out and it is DELICIOUS! Oh, and it is vegetarian, too!!

I would say that whole milk is a necessity - don't try to get away with skim or 1% or else it just wouldn't be as tasty.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 3 lbs)
2 larger leeks, white parts only, split lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups whole milk
3 cups water
salt, pepper

Directions

1. Peel the squash. Remove the seeds and string, then cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Toss into a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the leeks, milk, and water; salt generously and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the squash is soft enough to mash when pressed lightly with the back of a spoon.

2. Using a blender, food processor or immersion blender, puree the soup in batches until it is very smooth. It may be thick: Thin to your desired consistency with milk or water. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reheat if necessary. (This soup is at its best when truly hot.)

3. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, spoon over the apples and nuts, and garnish with a little crème fraîche or cream.

Split Pea Soup

Chris has been asking for soups lately, so every Sunday night I make a big pot and he brings some to work every day for lunch. With the weather getting decidedly fall-like this weekend, he requested split pea for the week.

I was busy for most of the day yesterday, so I knew I'd have to rely on the Crock-Pot from Grandma/Nana/Mom/Aunt Flo/Manna to do most of the work while I slept. Assembling the ingredients took about 10 minutes - and 10 hours later the soup was ready!

For the vegetarians out there (or meat eaters like me who don't like ham!) this can be made without the ham or chicken broth. Just be sure to use vegetable broth for the flavor boost. I kept the pieces of ham on the larger size so I can easily pick them out - haha!

1 bag green split peas (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 yellow onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced (you can include the leaves, too!)
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
Fresh ground pepper

Layer the above ingredients in the slow cooker in the exact order shown above. Do not stir. Cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours.

Potato Pancakes with Avocado Mash and Eggs

This recipe is from this month's issue of the Rachel Ray magazine. I made it for breakfast today and it was delicious! While the recipe calls for a full onion, I used only about a third of one and the flavor was more than enough.

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds shredded baking potatoes
1 grated onion
4 eggs
2 avocados
Chipotle-flavored hot sauce

Directions

Place 1 1/4 pounds shredded baking potatoes in a kitchen towel and squeeze to remove any moisture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 grated onion, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Divide the potato mixture into 4 mounds in the skillet and pat into 4-inch pancakes. Cover with a sheet of foil and cook, turning once and adding 1 more tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, until browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter. In the same skillet, cook 4 eggs sunny-side up with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for about 1 minute. Mash the flesh from 2 avocados and season with salt. Top each pancake with some avocado, an egg and chipotle-flavored hot sauce.

Serves 4.

A little bit of housekeeping

Hi Girls!

I re-designed this blog a little bit. When you look at the page's left side you'll see different categories such as "dinner" "appetizers" "brunch", etc. This will help you locate a recipe in a jiffy!

I also added a search function to the left side of the page, so you can use this method to find a recipe, too.

Happy cooking!!

Meghan's Homemade Pizza

Meghan emailed this recipe to me while ago. I'm posting it here so we all have access to it!

Easy Dough from Scratch

¼ oz. (2 ½ teaspoons) package Active Dry Yeast

½ teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 to 2 ¼ cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

½ teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, proof the yeast and sugar in 1/3 cup lukewarm water for 10 minutes, or until it is foamy. Stir in an additional 1/3 cup lukewarm water, oil, 2 cups flour, and salt. Blend mixture until it forms a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of the remaining ¼ cup flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Put the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it to coat with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it is double in bulk, and punch it down. The dough is now ready to become a pizza!

Constructing the Pizza

2 tablespoons Olive Oil (separated)

7-8 cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced

7-8 Roma Tomatoes, thinly sliced

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Approx 8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

Lots of freshly shredded Parmesan

1 package Basil, finely sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat a 9x13 sheet pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Knead dough in hands, stretching to the general shape of the pan. Once dough becomes too large to handle, drop onto pan and pull edges so that the dough covers the entire pan. Let rest.

Sauté sliced garlic in olive oil on medium heat until garlic is in beginning stages of turning brown. Set aside.

Prior to piling on the toppings, revisit the dough, as it may have retreated slightly from the edges of the pan. Stretch the dough to ensure that it covers the entire pan. Immediately layer toppings, beginning by covering the dough with sliced tomatoes, a generous sprinkle of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, then cubes of mozzarella, followed by sliced basil and lots of freshly shredded parmesan.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 mins (until edges are no longer soft and beginning to slightly brown). Kick the heat up to broil and cook for an additional 5 mins, or until the cheese is crispy.

Using a spatula, remove pizza from pan and let cool on cutting board for 5 minutes. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Parsley Lemon Butter Salmon

I HATE seafood--this recipe is the only fish I eat! Easy and simple and sure to impress the roommates.

college dorm kitchen portion (for 1):

4 oz. salmon fillet
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
pepper, garlic salt, and parsley to taste

Heat pan on medium. Melt butter and lemon juice in small dish. Mix in garlic salt, pepper, and parsley. Brush each side of fish with butter sauce. When pan is heated, place fillet skin-side down and cook 4-5 minutes. Brush with butter sauce again before flipping, and cook the other side for 4-5 minutes. I usually pour the remaining sauce on the fillet just before I take it off the heat. Great with cold black bean and pea salad--we college ladies have to get our protein somewhere!!

Easy Roasted Vegetables

1 green and 1 yellow zucchini, alternately peeled and sliced 1 inch on diagonal
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced into rounds
8 oz mushrooms sliced in half
4 plum tomatoes, quartered lenghtwise
1/4 C olive oil
Melissa's Organic Chile Seasoning (in produce section of market)
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C Cilantro sprigs (leave whole w/stem)
Shredded hard cheese, such as Manchego or Parmesan

Preheat oven 450. Take large piece of foil and assemble vegetables. Drizzle w/olive oil and sprinkle generously with Melissa's seasoning and salt and pepper. Lay cilantro over evenly. Cover w/2nd piece of foil and seal tight by folding ends together. Roast 20 minutes and turn off heat. Let sit in over an additional 10 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle w/cheese.
Serves 4 as side dish or 2 as entree.

Moore Family Potato Casserole

1 stick butter
8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 cans undiluted cream of celery soup
1 sm onion chopped
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
24 oz bag frozen hash brown potatoes

Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions, saute until softened. Add soup and cream cheese and stir until cheese melts and thick sauce forms. In 9 x 13 pan, greased, put 1/2 potatoes, top with 1/2 sauce and 1/2 cheddar cheese. Layer remaining ingredients. Bake 350 1 hour uncovered. May need to adjust cooking time if using a casserole dish.

Raspberry Cobbler

Saw this recipe in a recent issue of The Red Eye about farmer's markets. It comes from Mandy Piedt of Piedt Farms. Although I haven't tried it yet, it sounds delicious and appears to be quite easy. I'm posting it here so I can toss the torn newspaper article :)

Pour a half cup of melted butter into a 7x11 baking dish. In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder. Pour over the butter (do not stir). Pour 2 cups of raspberries over the batter and butter (do not stir) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until crust is golden. Let set and serve.

Sweet Chex Mix

Here's a recipe Meghan sent me several months ago. I'm posting it here so I always know where to find it :)

1 lb white chocolate
6 cups Crispex
3 cups Cheerios
2 cups dry roasted mixed nuts
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 large bag of M&Ms

Melt chocolate. While melting, stir rest of the ingredients together. Pour in white chocolate and stir well. Pour mixture onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Break up into pieces.

Sopa de Lima (Yucatan Lime Soup)

Chris and I enjoyed this soup while in Mexico a few months ago. Allow me to pat myself on the back when I say that the version I made tonight was better than what we had in the Yucatan :) I'm surprised how much of an afterthought the limes are in this recipe - the juice is squeezed in right before serving. The fresh avocado and cilantro are super important garnishes, so don't skip them!

This recipe comes from Emeril Lagasse.

Ingredients

• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
• 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
• 8 cups chicken stock or canned low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Cut the tortillas into 1/4-inch strips. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and, when very hot, fry the tortilla strips, in small batches, until lightly golden and crisp, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Season with salt, to taste. Repeat until all tortilla strips have been fried. Set fried tortilla strips aside and reserve the vegetable oil.

Transfer 1 tablespoon of the reserved cooking oil to a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, celery, carrot, and jalapeno pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and Mexican oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring, until the tomato is softened and has released its liquid and the mixture is nearly dry, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow simmer and cook until the chicken is just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the soup and set aside until cool enough to handle. Allow soup to continue simmering.

When the chicken has cooled a bit, shred into bite size pieces and return to the pot along with the green onions and lime juice. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and the soup is piping hot. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and ladle the soup into wide soup bowls, with a handful of tortilla strips added to each bowl. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro and serve immediately.

Appetizers

Not sure if I have posted this here before, so please forgive me if I have. But, this link has a very handy list of 101 simple appetizers that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less. Could be useful if you are preparing anything for a Super Bowl party on Sunday!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/dining/19mini.html

Hooray for Sisters!

According to a recent study published by the University of Ulster, having a sister increases your odds of being happy and well adjusted. Researchers quizzed 571 people aged 17 to 25 about their lives and found those who grew up with sisters were more likely to be happy and balanced. They said the influence of girls was particularly important after distressing family events such as marital break-ups.

Women are generally more expressive and open to emotion than men, and often serve as the glue that keeps families close. "Sisters appear to encourage more open communication and cohesion in families," says study author Tony Cassidy. That sense of connection translates into better mental health for the siblings.

Stir-Fried Turkey in Lettuce Wraps

I saw Martha Stewart make this on The Today Show this morning, and it looked so good and so simple. I had every ingredient except the fish sauce on hand, so it was a breeze to throw together. For the vegetarians in the crowd, this could easily be made with tofu, but the fish sauce was pretty crucial to the flavor so perhaps you'd have to find a suitable substitute for that.

1/4 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons fish sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalepeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey
Bibb, Boston or iceberg lettuce, washed and leaves separated

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Heat a large skillet over high until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add shallot, ginger, garlic and chile. Stir until fragrant (30 seconds). Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through (5 minutes). Add half the sauce to the skillet and stir another 2 minutes. Serve in lettuce leaves with remaining sauce. Squeeze with a lime if you have one.

This year at Christmas we received Slow Cookers from Flo and Walt. I have enjoyed making a couple of dishes already this week and look forward to more! I made a Greek Leg of Lamb that, I must admit, was outrageously delicious!!! With the leftovers, I made a creamy soup the next day. Opa!

4 to 5 lb boneless leg of lamb (bought mine at Trader Joes)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
In slow cooker on top of stove over med-hi heat, heat oil. Generously sprinkle all sides of lamb with salt and pepper and brown in oil on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside on plate.

1 large onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 T crushed, dried mint leaves
1 T dried oregano
1 t dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 C chicken broth
2 C beef broth
1 1/2 C red wine
Saute onion and garlic in leftover oil in slow cooker on stove top a few minutes. Add dried herbs and stir 1 minute. Add broths and wine, salt and pepper. Bring to simmer. Place rack in liquid and move pot to slow cooker base. Place lamb on top of rack. Cover and set heat to low. Cook 8 hours. Serve with roasted potatoes, pearl onions, eggplant, green and yellow zucchini, all cut in 1 inch cubes (in roasting pan with olive oil, salt and pepper, 400, 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until done) and homemade Tzatziki Sauce (2 C good Greek yogurt, I use fat free, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 1/2 T olive oil, 1 t dried dill week, 1/2 C chopped cucumber, squeeze and drain any extra water from cucumber, salt and pepper. Mix all and allow flavors to blend several hours in refrigerator).

If there are leftovers make soup: use remaining au jus and vegetables. Blend and add Tzatziki until desired creaminess. Add shredded meat if desired.

A New Years Day request from Sister Meghan to Sister Mary:
"Can you give me the recipe for Strange Flavor Eggplant?"
Sure can! I learned this recipe from Chef Nancy Kelly probably about 18 years ago. Always delicious as well as intriguing. It's Thai in origin and can be served with cucumber slices, thinly sliced and toasted baguette or sesame crackers.

Strange Flavor Eggplant

1 large eggplant, roasted (Preheat oven 450, poke eggplant all over w/fork, set on cookie sheet in center of oven and roast 1/2 hour, or so, until cooked through. Split in half, cool, scoop out flesh and put into blender or processor and puree)
1 T minced garlic
1 T minced fresh, or jarred, ginger
1/4 C fresh green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 to 1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 T roasted peanut oil


3 T soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
1 t unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T hot water
Mix together in a small bowl and set aside.

1/2 t toasted sesame oil

If medium frying pan, heat oil, add ginger garlic, pepper and green onion. Saute to flavor oil. Add pureed eggplant and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add bowl of sauce mixture and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from stove and add sesame oil. Chill or serve at room temperature.