Pesto-Baked Chicken

(adapted from Saveur magazine)

I'm super-excited right now because I just ordered a subscription to Saveur magazine. I've clearly missed the fact that magazine subscriptions don't make a ton of sense in a world where you can find nearly-identical content online, but hey, why not buck the trend? I picked one up for a flight home, found a coupon for a cheap subscription, and there you go. I mean, the feature was pesto. Pesto, people! Pages and pages of pesto...

Among those pages I found this recipe for pesto-rubbed chicken. The recipe is really intended for the grill (which I do think would kick it up a notch, as they say), and they offered a baked alternative for those of us without a backyard. It's a nice variation, and an easy variation to make - just whip up some pesto, spread it under the chicken's skin, bake, spread a little on top of the chicken, bake a little more, and serve. I omitted the pine nuts, since I am just not a fan.

(The magazine also had a one-page photo and story of the Oak Park Farmers' Market donuts, which is SO awesome, because my mom and I used to ride our bikes there every Saturday morning and eat donuts and fresh raspberries on the curb while listening to the live bluegrass band. Once we even volunteered and helped to sugar the donuts in the basement kitchen!)

Also, this recipe marks Joef's and my official transition to adulthood, as we accompanied this chicken with...wait for it...brown rice. That's right, folks, we've officially made the switch. I sort of love white rice (esp. with a little parmesan cheese), but you know, sometimes you have to move on. Whole grains and all that business. Yes, it's brown rice from here on out for Joef and Julia.

So:

2 cups packed basil

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 clove garlic, quartered

4 chicken thighs

Salt

Pepper

Preheat oven to 475.

Using your fingers, loosen skin from meat on chicken and spread half the pesto in between skin and meat. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and season generously with salt and pepper.

 

Cook chicken in the oven, skin side up, for 25 minutes; rub with remaining pesto and cook until chicken is cooked/juices no longer run pink.

Serve with brown (!) rice and arugula salad.

Stuffed Seafood Shells

I have to say I'm a little bit proud of this one. Not because it was perfect - I think there's room for improvement, and plus I broke a major cooking rule with the combination of cheese and seafood - but because I truly made it up. Not a family recipe, not an improvisation - just made it up. Which, upon reflection, is probably why there was room for improvement - but hey, whatcha gonna do.

This made way more than we could eat. I'd say it'd serve 3-4 people; it does not make for good leftovers. If you have ideas for how to improvise on this, I'm taking suggestions. But overall, my only real hesitation is the ricotta-seafood combo (maybe just the scallops with some other seasoning for the filling? omit ricotta?); it was really pretty tasty.


You'll need:
1 egg
3/4-1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb bay (small) scallops, chopped in food processor
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced or roughly chopped
Olive oil
28 oz can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 lb seafood "medley" (I found a great one, frozen, that had cooked clams, calamari, mussels, shrimp, etc.), defrosted
18-20 jumbo shells

Preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl, combine your ricotta, egg, parsley, and scallops. Mix, then season with salt and a little pepper. Set aside in the fridge.

Meanwhile, get your water boiling and cook your shells. Cook them very al dente - probably a minute or two less than you usually would. When they're done, rinse them briefly in cold water.

Prep an oven dish by drizzling it with olive oil, then add your San Marzano tomatoes. Break them up with a wooden spoon, then add garlic, dried parsley if you want, the fresh tomatoes, and more salt and pepper. Add your seafood medley and stir around a little.

Take each pasta shell and fill it with a spoonful of the ricotta-scallop filling. Place the shell in the oven dish and nestle it in the tomato sauce. Repeat until your dish is full; use a spoon to drizzle some of the sauce over the tops of the shells as well.

Pop the oven dish in the oven and cover with tinfoil; cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil, turn oven to 400, and cook another 15 minutes. (The sauce came out kind of liquidy - maybe not using tinfoil would help the sauce thicken. Your call.)

Serve!

Betty's Oven Beef Stew

This is Joef's favorite meal. His mom makes it the best, of course - it's her recipe, to give full credit. But I think we got it pretty close tonight. It takes several hours, but most of that time is in the oven, so it's perfect for a weekend. A great, hearty meal just in time for fall.

2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
1 1/2 lbs beef chuck cut in 1" cubes/stew meat
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cans condensed tomato soup
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried basil
5 smallish potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 handfuls or so baby carrots
1-1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a ziplock bag; add the meat and shake to coat.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium and add the meat to brown on all sides. In a casserole dish, add the soup, 2 1/2 cups water, onion & basil.

Bake at 250 for about 1.5 hours. Remove and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 2-2.5 hours. Turn the heat to 400 for the last 1/2 hour, and remove foil. Throw in the peas right before serving. Serve with crusty bread - butter the bread if you're feeling decadent.