Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
chicken quest
Yeah, this is a strange thing to write about on the heels of vegan biscotti. Anyway, after a trip to Sanagan's Meat Locker, arguably the best butchers in town, I persevered in my lifelong quest for the holy grail of evenly-roasted chicken. Here is the triumphant result.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Move an oven-rack about 4 ins from the bottom.
Wash and dry a fresh chicken.
Lay down a thin layer of 1/4 c coarse salt lined up approximately with the contact points of your chicken's breast, wings and legs on a cookie sheet. Lay the chicken loosely (to allow heat circulation), breast-side down, on the salt, following Nigella's wisdom about the back-fat self-basting a bird that looks as though it's taking a dive. Rub exposed parts with crushed garlic. Lay sprigs of rosemary or other herbs across the back, in the creases between legs and body, and in body cavity itself. Crack some black pepper on top. Roast halfway at 25 minutes per pound.
Remove the bird from the oven to flip it. Then flip it onto its back. (There will still be enough salt on the cookie sheet to hold up the chicken. With a knife, gently flake off excess salt from the browned breast, wings, and legs.
Lower oven heat to 350F. Continue roasting until the juices between thigh and breast run clear.
Let stand about 5 minutes before carving.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Move an oven-rack about 4 ins from the bottom.
Wash and dry a fresh chicken.
Lay down a thin layer of 1/4 c coarse salt lined up approximately with the contact points of your chicken's breast, wings and legs on a cookie sheet. Lay the chicken loosely (to allow heat circulation), breast-side down, on the salt, following Nigella's wisdom about the back-fat self-basting a bird that looks as though it's taking a dive. Rub exposed parts with crushed garlic. Lay sprigs of rosemary or other herbs across the back, in the creases between legs and body, and in body cavity itself. Crack some black pepper on top. Roast halfway at 25 minutes per pound.
Remove the bird from the oven to flip it. Then flip it onto its back. (There will still be enough salt on the cookie sheet to hold up the chicken. With a knife, gently flake off excess salt from the browned breast, wings, and legs.
Lower oven heat to 350F. Continue roasting until the juices between thigh and breast run clear.
Let stand about 5 minutes before carving.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
vegan biscotti
For people who don't want egginess. Contains whiskey, which cooks out during the dual baking process and leaves airspace where the alcohol was.
1. Hazelnut:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
2c ground hazelnuts
1c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c rice or agave or barley syrup
2T vanilla
1T baking powder
1/4 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for 45 mins. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool to tooth-shattering crunchiness.
2. Maple walnut with black pepper:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
1c chopped walnuts
2c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c maple syrup
1 tsp black or white pepper
2T vanilla
1T baking powder
1/4 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for 45 mins. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool.
3. Poppyseed:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
2c poppyseeds
2c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c barley, agave, or rice syrup or honey
1 tsp black or white pepper
2T vanilla
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for an hour. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool.
1. Hazelnut:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
2c ground hazelnuts
1c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c rice or agave or barley syrup
2T vanilla
1T baking powder
1/4 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for 45 mins. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool to tooth-shattering crunchiness.
2. Maple walnut with black pepper:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
1c chopped walnuts
2c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c maple syrup
1 tsp black or white pepper
2T vanilla
1T baking powder
1/4 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for 45 mins. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool.
3. Poppyseed:
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine until it comes together into a firm dough>
2c poppyseeds
2c AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1c barley, agave, or rice syrup or honey
1 tsp black or white pepper
2T vanilla
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup whiskey or enough to moisten
Shape into 2 flattened, square-ended logs. Bake for an hour. Cool on a rack.
Slice 1/2in thick. Stand slices up on the same cookie sheet, leaving 1/2in airspace between.
Bake for another hour@275F. Turn oven off. Leave in oven to cool.
Friday, February 12, 2010
apricot cookies
These are good breakfast cookies... in threes.
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Cover in water and boil until water is absorbed:
1 c dried apricots
Drain.
Empty into a bowl.
Add
1/4 c honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c sunflower butter
1/4 c sunflower seeds
Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Use a wooden spoon to combine:
2 c quick oats
Shape into 1" balls. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Flatten to puck-like proportions with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven off and cool in oven. Store covered in fridge.
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Cover in water and boil until water is absorbed:
1 c dried apricots
Drain.
Empty into a bowl.
Add
1/4 c honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c sunflower butter
1/4 c sunflower seeds
Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
Use a wooden spoon to combine:
2 c quick oats
Shape into 1" balls. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Flatten to puck-like proportions with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven off and cool in oven. Store covered in fridge.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Granolas
Preheat oven to 250F.
Combine with fingers or a powerful mixer until pleasingly clumpy:
3 c rolled oats
1 c soft pitted dates or softened dried apricots
1/2 c peanut, sunflower or nut/seed butter of your choice
1/2 c brown sugar OR 1/3 c agave, barley, maple, brown rice syrup or honey
2T cocoa (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
Lay out on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Watch during last 10 minutes, especially (but not only) if using brown sugar instead of a syrup or honey: as soon as water content depletes, sugars caramelize so quickly that the mixture can burn in 3-5 minutes. Leave in turned-off oven and cool to room temperature.
Combine with fingers or a powerful mixer until pleasingly clumpy:
3 c rolled oats
1 c soft pitted dates or softened dried apricots
1/2 c peanut, sunflower or nut/seed butter of your choice
1/2 c brown sugar OR 1/3 c agave, barley, maple, brown rice syrup or honey
2T cocoa (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
Lay out on lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Watch during last 10 minutes, especially (but not only) if using brown sugar instead of a syrup or honey: as soon as water content depletes, sugars caramelize so quickly that the mixture can burn in 3-5 minutes. Leave in turned-off oven and cool to room temperature.
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