Tarragon - Dressed Broccoli (or green beans)

I found this recipe recently while going through an old pile of recipes that I reluctantly tossed because I will never get to prepare them. The dressing was meant for green beans, but I thought the sauce would be taken up better by broccoli.  Since we had a ginormous Costco bag of broccoli to get through, I took a chance this evening.  It was so nice and light.  I'll definitely try it again, perhaps on other vegetables as well.  But it works wonderfully for broccoli.  Always nice to have a new dance with an old friend.  As noted below, it can be served cold as well.  If there were any left over, I might be able to try that ;-)

Ingredients:  

1 pound of broccoli, steamed for 3-4 minutes

1 Tbsp coarsely chopped tarragon leaves 

1/4 cup scallions, white and light green parts

1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp mild olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, combine the tarragon, scallions, vinegar and salt and pepper.  Whisk in the oil. 

2) If you have a pot with a steamer, boil water and add the steamer insert for about 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green.  Remove from heat.

3) Toss with the dressing if planning to serve immediately.  

4) Otherwise, you can place the veggies in a plastic food storage bag after they cool, remove all the excess air and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.  When ready to serve, place the veggies in a serving bowl, add the dressing and mix to combine.  Serve immediately.

Sweet and Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates and Pistachios

Sweet & Spicy Roast Chicken with Carrots, Dates & Pistachios
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/sweet-spicy-roast-chicken.html?recipe_print=yes

By Jennifer Segal
Adapted from Melissa Clark's recipe in The New York Times

 I was a bit nervous making this for guests without trying it first, but it was totally awesome!  Everyone went back for seconds!  I served it with totally plain bulgur and string beans, and it was perfect.  I used skinless thighs and

bone-in chicken breasts, left them bone side down for cooking, left out the broiler step to crisp the skin, and left them to rest in the sauce, bone side up for 2 days.  Before serving, I took the chicken off the bone to soak in the sauce.  It was delicious!

3/1/19 - tried it again with boneless chicken breasts, and it was good, but definitely not as moist as with bone-in.  Definitely use all the sauce to pour over the chicken.

Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes, plus at least 6 hours marinating time
Prepared October 27, 2017


Ingredients:
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon orange zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from 2 oranges
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
6 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2½ teaspoons salt  (I used maybe 1.5 tsp salt)
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks and breasts)
3 cups ¼-inch sliced carrots
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced dried dates
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
2 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced, for garnish
¼ cup chopped salted pistachios, for garnish


Directions:

1) Make the marinade: In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, mustard, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, thyme, and salt.

2) Place the chicken, carrots, onions, and dates in a large sealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and seal shut. Massage to make sure everything is evenly coated with the marinade. Place the bag on a rimmed sheet pan to protect against leakage and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

3)Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.

4) Transfer all ingredients from the bag, including the marinade, to a rimmed sheet pan (do not line the pan with foil). Turn the chicken skin side up. Roast until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. About halfway through cooking, stir the carrots so that they don’t burn around the edges of the pan.

5) Turn on broiler (leave pan on middle rack), and cook 1 to 3 minutes more, or until skin is golden brown and crispy. Watch carefully: the honey in the marinade can cause the skin to burn quickly.
Transfer the chicken, carrots, onions and dates onto a platter, along with the sauce in the pan. Sprinkle the parsley, scallions and pistachio nuts over top and serve.

Nutrition Information

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Per serving (6 servings)
Calories:1,022
Fat:62g
Saturated fat:15g
Carbohydrates:59g
Sugar:49g
Fiber:6g
Protein:60g
Sodium:1306mg
Cholesterol:227mg

Mashed Butternut Squash with Maple Syrup

From Nourish indulgently healthy cuisine
by Scott Uehlein and Canyon Ranch

Butternut squash provides as much beta-carotene, potassium and fiber as sweet potatoes but with fewer calories because of its higher water content.

After scooping out the seeds, you can rinse them and let them sit in a colander for a while.  Separate the seeds from the squash that was attached.  Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and pat the seeds dry.  Bake ~ 15 minutes at 275 degrees or until they start to pop.  Mine were thin and did not actually pop, but I removed them when they started getting toasted, sprinkled them with salt and pepper and enjoyed them as is, shell and all.  Careful if you have diverticula, though.  This probably wouldn't be a good idea!

Makes 6  half cup servings

Ingredients: 
3 pounds butternut squash
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Pinch sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons unsalted butter

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2) Cut the squash in half (which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be), scoop out the seeds an place the halves in a large baking pan cut side down.  Add enough water to barely cover the bottom of the pan.

3) Bake for 50- 60 minutes, or until the squash is very tender

4) Scoop out the cooked squash and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl.  Add the maple syrup, salt and pepper and butter.  With an electric mixer, at medium speed, beat until smooth.

Butternut squash and tahini spread

From Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottalenghi and Sami Tamimi
Posted with some corrections LDCC  10/12/17

One of the most delicious parts of this book is the introduction that describes the growing relationship between the authors - two young men who were born the same year in Jerusalem, one in the Jewish west, the other in the Muslim east areas.  They didn't know each other growing up, but eventually met and became close friends and business partners.  They explain how Jerusalem is a tapestry of cultures - so much so that you can't tell where any food originated, as similar dishes blend together and reflect many origins.  They dare"... --to imagine that hummus will eventually bring Jerusalemites together, if nothing else will."  

After trying a chicken with barberry recipe, I saw some enticing spreads - this one and one with burnt eggplant that were very enticing! I promised a friend I'd bring a few dips to dinner this weekend, but that I'd be experimenting on her and her guests.  So, I tried this dip first - what good fortune ... for ALL of us!

Previous tins of tahini that I had tasted were very thick and pasty, making it difficult to work with and to taste anything but thick goo.  Truth be told, the large cans of tahini that I purchase for a particular recipe often stay in the back of my fridge, unused until they're finally discarded, because they're so difficulty to scoop out after refrigeration.  Any of you who know me, know that I do NOT like discarding any food! For this recipe, my husband picked up a jar of tahini from TJs that was thinner and easier to work with and had a much more subtle taste than the usual.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash (~ 2.5 pounds) peeled and cut up into chunks
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cinnamon
5 Tbsp light tahini paste (Trader Joe's Organic Tahini)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 small cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp mixed black and white sesame seeds (or just white , if you like)
1 1/2  tsp date syrup
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional)
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1) Spread the squash out in  a medium roasting pan.  Pour over the olive oil and sprinkle on the  cinnamon and 1/2 tsp salt.  Mix together well and cover the pain tightly with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 60 minutes, stirring once during the cooking.  Remove from the oven and leave it to cool.

2) Transfer the squash to a food processor along with the tahini, yogurt and garlic.  Roughly pulse into a coarse paste, without the spread becoming smooth - or use a fork or potato masher.

3) Spread the butternut in a wavy pattern over a flat plate and sprinkle with the sesame seeds, drizzle over the syrup and finish with cilantro, if using.

I tried to use pomegranate syrup or molasses in place of the date syrup, but preferred the date syrup most - or even omitting it.  The dip is an interesting change from usual hummus.  I didn't read the instructions carefully and made it smooth - which was good - but I'll try it chunky next time.