Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy

I have been craving all sorts of comfort foods lately thinking (erroneously of course) that they will somehow make all of my worries magically disappear.  I have been carrying a higher than normal level of stress lately and am still figuring out how to deal with all of it. To add to all of this internal chaos going on in my head, I recently gave up diet soda (my intake of this beverage has probably contributed to corporate profits increasing significantly over the years) which has diminished my desire for sugar laden foods (at least there is one positive outcome here!). So in the absence of diet soda, getting a temporary boost from sugar and in seeking to get to a less-stressful place, I have begun to go for long walks and seek refuge in comfort foods. Which in of itself is not a bad thing, as long as the comfort food choices I am making don't have any other unintended consequences and that the walking gets me back to running.

Of all of the comfort foods out there, for me there is nothing more comforting than a Sunday dinner meal of a roasted chicken with pan gravy. I don't even need the mashed potatoes or the stuffing, just the chicken and pan gravy. A perfectly roasted chicken with a gravy flavored from the juices of the chicken along with the flavors of lemon, thyme, garlic and some chicken stock in one bite can make me feel like all is right with the world, at least for a little while. A little reprieve is better than no reprieve at all.

In my family I am the one who is always asked to make the gravy, even when I am not the one making the chicken, turkey or roast.  Even though what goes into or on the chicken, turkey or roast affects the gravy, somehow it always manages to come together, almost perfectly. For years I used to rely on heavy cream to add richness to the gravy, but have learned that the juices of the roast and some of the fat along with some good stock and a little flour can make an incredibly flavorful gravy. 

My father was the one who always made the Sunday and holiday dinners. It was a memorable Thanksgiving dinner one year when I (at age 10) thought that the saucepan on the stove was filled with 'dirty water'. I proceeded to empty it so I could wash and put the pan away before the company came (my obsession with no dirty dishes in or near the sink started early). The 'dirty water', I subsequently learned, was actually the stock my father had gotten up early to make. That was a year where there was only enough gravy for everyone to have about a spoonful of over either the turkey or mashed potatoes, you had to choose.  Ironically because my father never made me feel worse than I already did when I saw the expression on his face when he discovered what I had done, I felt even worse.

As much as I love making a bread stuffing for a roasted chicken, the flavor of the gravy is enhanced significantly when the cavity of the chicken is seasoned only Kosher salt and pepper and then stuffed with a head of garlic, fresh thyme and a lemon.  Such simple ingredients create such great outcomes.

Some melted butter, a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper is all that is needed to season the skin of the chicken. A six to seven pound chicken all tied up (I personally like the larger roasting chickens) roasted at 425 degrees for approximately 90 minutes. No basting necessary. How simple is that?

When I don't have homemade chicken stock, I will use the Knorr's concentrate.  It makes more stock than I need, but then there is always a use for chicken stock!  Other than the stock, the juices and some of the fat from the chicken, you only need two tablespoons of all-purpose flour, a little more Kosher salt and some pepper.  These are the makings of a gravy so delicious that you could be happy with just the gravy!

Once the chicken is removed from the roasting pan, all of the drippings are poured into a bowl.  After skimming off two tablespoons of the fat and reserving for use, the rest of the fat is skimmed off and discarded.  The remaining drippings are returned to the pan along with one cup of chicken stock and placed on the stove over medium-high heat.  Using a whisk, all of the bits are scrapped up.  The two tablespoons of fat are combined with the two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and mixed until smooth.  The fat-flour mixture is added and whisked into the pan. Continue cooking until well combined and the pan gravy is slightly thickened.  A little salt and pepper to taste and you will have a most delicious pan gravy, one where you will want to consider licking the pan.  Yes, it is that good.

There is something regal about serving gravy in a gravy boat as it makes serving something simple feel like an indulgence. From my perspective, a gravy boat is a need to have serving item because it is so multi-dimensional.  Beyond gravy, it can be used for serving dessert sauces, for chutneys and conserves, and all sorts of other sauces. Hey, it can even be a great container for a flower arrangement!

Allowing the chicken to rest for at least fifteen minutes not only gives you time to make the pan gravy but it creates a much juicier chicken.  Even a great pan gravy cannot salvage a dry roasted chicken.  I served the roasted balsamic onions with this roasted chicken and didn't even miss the mashed potatoes. Maybe my quest to make comfort food isn't such a bad thing after all. 

Recipe

Roasted Chicken with Pan Gravy (a slight adaption of Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken recipe)

Ingredients

a 6 to 7 pound roasting chicken (Perdue roasting chickens are plump and flavorful)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 large bunch of fresh thyme

1 lemon cut in half

1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1 to 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chicken stock

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Remove giblets from the chicken and rinse out the inside cavity. Generously salt and pepper the inside of the cavity, then stuff with lemon and garlic.  Place in roasting pan.

3. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine and tuck the wings under the chicken.

4. Pour melted butter and olive oil over the chicken.  Using a brush or your hands ensure the entire chicken has been coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Roast the chicken for approximately 90 minutes or until the juices run clear from the leg and thigh area when cut.

6. Remove chicken from roasting pan and place on a platter.  Let rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.

7. Pour all of the juices and fat into a measuring cup.

8. Remove 2 tablespoons of fat and place in a small bowl.  Continue to remove the rest of the fat.  Return the juices to the pan.

9. Add 1 cup of chicken stock to the juices in the pan and cook on high heat for approximately 5 minutes scraping up all of the bottom of the pan.

10.  Mix the 2 Tablespoons of fat and flour together until smooth. Add to the pan.  Using a whisk, blend in the flour mixture into the juices/stock in the pan.  Continue to cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes until the gravy is thickened.

11. Pour gravy into a gravy boat.  Serve with the carved chicken.

In less than two weeks I head back to the midwest to attend my niece's high school graduation.  As she approaches the rite of passage from high school to college, I have found myself thinking how quickly the past almost eighteen years of her life have seemed to pass. The concept of time changes the older I get. In reminiscing, I couldn't help but recall so many of the times she and her brother spent time in our home. From going to museums, to the pumpkin patch, to the city, to restaurants, to the neighbor's pool down the street, to the sleepovers, and yes, to the meltdowns, I have been able to watch her and her brother evolve into amazing young adults. As an aunt, I might be just a tiny bit biased in my view of them.

From the time my niece and nephew were babies, my sister and brother-in-law have always been generous in allowing the kids to stay with us for weekends as well as allow us to take them on trips.  Sure it gave them a respite and some time to focus on their relationship, but we choose to see this as an unselfish gift.  The combination of the quality and quantity of time spent with them explains why we have such a close relationship today as making and creating memories strengthened our bond and further built upon the foundation of our relationship.  If someone were to ask me to choose between spending quantity time or quality time with them, I would first wonder why a choice had to be made and then I would wonder whether or not growing the relationship really mattered to them. For me quantity begets quality and vice versa. And I truly believe the relationship I have with my niece and nephew today would not be what it is if my sister and brother-in-law asked me to choose.  Thank goodness they didn't.

White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

As I was shopping at the grocery store this weekend I came upon the biggest, most beautiful, luscious looking stemmed strawberries. At first I passed them by but then I went back to get them thinking they would make a great Mother's Day gift for some of my neighbors. They were the most perfect strawberries for dipping in chocolate.

There is something decadent about a chocolate covered strawberry.  The combination of the sweetness of the strawberry and creaminess of the chocolate makes it an irresistible indulgence. If you have ever walked by a Godiva Chocolates when they have chocolate dipped strawberries in the window, they seem to beckon you to come into the store.

And just one chocolate dipped strawberry is all one needs to satisfy a sweet tooth.

I couldn't decide whether to dip the strawberries in dark or white chocolate.  But then I thought why choose?  Why not just make some dipped in dark chocolate and some in white chocolate?

Cutting the chocolate into thin chards makes the melting process easier. Once the chocolate is chopped, it is placed over a saucepan of simmering water.

When I dip the strawberries I generally remove the chocolate from the heat as the simmering water will continue to increase the temperature of the chocolate which may cause it to breakdown. When this happens the sheen of chocolate is affected causing the chocolate to set up having what looks like a film over it.

I like to double dip the strawberries.  Once the chocolate sets up on the strawberry, you dip them into the chocolate again.  This is what makes them a little more decadent.

Recipe
White and Dark Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients
2 to 3 dozen large stemmed strawberries
12 to 16 ounces Dark Chocolate Ghiradelli Candy Making and Dipping Bar
12 to 16 ounce White Chocolate Ghiradelli Candy Making and Dipping Bar

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop chocolates and place over simmering water until melted.
3. Dip strawberries one at a time in either the white or dark chocolate.  Dip one side of strawberry, then the other to create a finished V look. Place dipped strawberry on parchment paper and allow to set.
4. Once set, dip the strawberries a second time.  Place on parchment paper and allow to set.
5. When set, place in white cupcake papers and arrange on a platter to serve.  

From the time I was ten years old there have been many women who have come into my life and became what I call my surrogate mothers.  They were always women who I admired and learned from. Whether these women were in my life for short or long periods of time, I have treasured all of them. Since moving to the east coast, there have been women who have taken me under their wing, looked after me, and shared their wisdom with me. I have felt incredibly blessed to be the recipient of their kindnesses and generous hearts.

I have a friend who believes in past lives. People who come into our present day lives have also had a role in a previous life, thus explaining why we often have an unexplainable connection to people that cross our paths.  Regardless the concept of past lives is true or not, I do believe that people come into our lives for a reason.

Roasted Balsamic Glazed Onions

How many of us heard the mantra 'eat your vegetables' growing up?  From the mushy canned asparagus to the hard to describe color of canned peas, I developed an aversion to eating all kinds of vegetables at a young age. I don't think any of us would have had to be reminded or coaxed to eat our vegetables if they were fresh, not canned or frozen, and roasted.

Vegetables are transformed they when roasted. You almost feel guilty eating them because anything tasting that good has to be a high- calorie-not good for you food. If only my first experiences eating vegetables were ones that were roasted, I probably would have considered becoming a vegetarian. Well maybe my eating habits wouldn't have shifted to that end of the continuum. Most likely they would have landed somewhere in the middle.

Of all of the vegetables I have roasted, hands down red onions are my favorites, particularly when a balsamic glaze is poured over them. When red onions are roasted they have a sweetness to them that makes them even more addictive than the high-calorie-not-good-for you foods. And if they weren't good enough all on their own, the added balsamic glaze puts them in the beyond sinfully good food group.

They are the perfect vegetable to serve with chicken, turkey, pork or fish. The roasted balsamic glazed onions served with a roasted chicken and some mashed potatoes create a perfect comfort food meal anytime of the year. And who doesn't need their soul and spirit nourished by comfort food?

It all begins with four pounds of medium-sized red onions.

The onions are cut in half before the red skins are peeled away.  Don't be tempted to cut off the root ends as it will make it difficult to keep your onion wedges intact during the roasting process.

This recipe calls for cutting the onions into 3/4 inch wedges.  You can also cut them in 3/4 inch rings, however, if you choose that option you will peel the onion while it is whole before cutting.

All of the onion wedges are put into bowl and lightly tossed with one quarter cup of extra-virgin olive oil.

The onions are placed on two aluminum foil lined baking sheets, cut side down.  The aluminum foil ensures the onions do not stick to the baking sheets as well as make clean up easy. Once the onions are spread out over the baking sheets, they are sprinkled with kosher salt and pepper.

The onions are roasted at 500 degrees for 45 minutes. Halfway through the baking process the onions are turned and the baking sheets are rotated.

The red onions caramelize and soften in the roasting.  Pieces of the onion will blacken but not to worry. Once the balsamic glaze is added all of the flavors meld together.

The balsamic glaze is made while the onions are roasting.  Melted butter, sugar and balsamic vinegar, once cooked, become a slightly thickened glaze used to pour over the onions. Finish by sprinkling some sea salt over the top.

Recipe
Roasted Balsamic Glazed Onions (slight adaption of recipe in Bon Appetit from long ago)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
4 pounds medium sized red onions
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt, sea salt and pepper

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
2. Peel onions and cut through root end into 3/4 inch wedges.
3. Place cut onions in large bowl and toss with olive oil.
4. Arrange onions cut side down on baking sheets.  Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper.
5. Roast onions for approximately 45 minutes, turning onions once midway and rotating pans in the oven.  Onions will be browned and tender.
6. While onions are roasting, melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat.
7. Add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves.
8. Remove from heat and add balsamic vinegar.
9. Return to heat, simmer until mixture thickens slightly, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Arrange onions on a platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze, sprinkle with sea salt and serve.
Note: Onions and balsamic glaze can be made one day ahead.  After cooking cool and then refrigerate. Cover separately.  Rewarm onions in 375 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes.  Stir glaze over low heat to rewarm.  Combine and serve.

We all get used to some of the predictability in our lives, helping to give us some balance. Whether it's a routine we create for ourselves to begin or end the day or a pattern of behavior that leads to the outcomes we are seeking, we can all be creatures of habit.  Sometimes we have habits that are hard to break or even harder to give up. But then there are also those predictable habits that bring a little bit of sanity and joy to the chaos of our lives. These habits often turn into predictable routines that we look forward to with anticipation. They can be as simple as talking with your best friend at the end of the day, getting a morning email from someone you are smitten with, or going out for a run. 

It is when there is a disruption to these routines that we realize how important were or how much they meant to us.  As busy and hectic as life can be, nothing is more important than staying connected to those important to you as well as taking time to things for yourself. When we become 'too busy' to make that end of the day call, send the morning text or email or find time for a run, we begin to create a new habit, the habit of unpredictability. 

Panna Cotta w/ Balsamic Strawberries

It has been several years, maybe longer, but I am still one of those mourning the loss of Borders Bookstores.  At least weekly I would spend hours browsing in this bookstore. It was my secret little treat to myself. Invariably my decisions to buy a book at either Borders or on Amazon would be because I could actually see, hold and spend time with a book without anyone looking over my shoulder.  I am someone who needs to have a book jacket speak to me and then read the first few pages to see if I get hooked. If it's a cookbook, I need to find at least one recipe that I find interesting. I have yet to find a bookstore that I love spending time in like I did at Borders. But because I love holding the book I am reading, yes I find reading hardcover books so satisfying (am still fighting the switch to reading on a Kindle), I am still browsing in bookstores. Although it's now just a different experience. Earlier in the week I went to a Barnes and Noble to look at a cookbook I had read about.  As I went through it, I decided it wasn't what I thought it was or wanted it to be.

But as I was slowly walking through the aisle of the cookbook section, I stopped and looked at some of the Italian cookbooks. With as many Italian cookbooks that I own, I definitely didn't need another one. But Fabio Viviani (I had no idea who he is/was as much as I watch cooking shows) has a new book, Fabio's Italian Kitchen. There was a bit of snarkyness (is that a word?) in his writing that I found a little humorous. He also had a recipe for Panna Cotta that was made differently than all of the other Panna Cotta recipes I have tried and made before. The combination of his writing and the Panna Cotta recipe intrigued me enough that I left with the book. In my world this would be instant gratification.

Over the years I have experimented with a variety of Panna Cotta recipes always in search in the perfect recipe. Some of these have included a Buttermilk Panna Cotta, one that uses honey instead of sugar, and one with a higher cream to milk ratio just to name a few.  Never had I made one where there was an ice bath step in the process, but OMG, this seriously is the best Panna Cotta I have ever made.  I seriously think it is the closest thing to Panna Cotta perfection. Finally, my search for the perfect recipe has ended and I no longer have to look at another Panna Cotta recipe again, except out of curiosity.

I am self-confessed chocoholic, but put Panna Cotta on the dessert menu in a restaurant and suddenly the thought of eating chocolate for dessert seems like a terrible idea. There is something about the taste of the creaminess of this Italian 'cooked cream' that is so satisfying that it just beckons to be ordered, to be eaten for dessert. It is not as rich as creme brulee and not as sweet as flan. For me panna cotta is the perfect of all custard-like desserts.

The recipe called for serving the Panna Cotta with a red wine reduction sauce. But I knew I wanted to make it with the balsamic strawberries.  Even though I have gone on the the rant of "I will only eat freshly picked native strawberries" awhile back, the strawberries in the supermarket are actually transformed by the brown sugar and balsamic glaze.  So all I needed from the grocery store to make this recipe were the strawberries because I had everything else in either the refrigerator or the cupboard.

The gelatin and milk are combined in a heavy saucepan allowing the gelatin to bloom for approximately 20 minutes. Then the heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt are added and cooked over medium heat for approximately 6 to 7 minutes or until gelatin and sugars have dissolved.  This mixture definitely needs to feel warm to the touch.

The original recipe called for one and half teaspoons of vanilla, but I didn't think that was enough. So I increased the amount of vanilla to one tablespoon. When getting the ingredients ready for this panna cotta I suddenly remembered I had bought some vanilla bean paste a few weeks earlier. So I went with the bean paste. One tablespoon of vanilla bean paste equals one tablespoon of vanilla extract. The benefit of using the bean paste is that it added some flecks of the bean to mixture.  But if you only have vanilla extract, don't worry about not having any flecks.

After the mixture is cooked, it is placed over an ice bath for 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken slightly. I was amazed that the ice bath actually began to thicken the panna cotta.  Having never put panna cotta in an ice bath before putting in bowls or ramekins I wasn't sure what to expect.  Definitely stir the mixture before pouring into the serving dish of your choice. 

Once the mixture is poured into serving dishes, you cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to six hours or preferably overnight.  This is a very easy dish to put together the night before.

While the Panna Cotta is chilling, I made the balsamic strawberries.  What's so nice about these berries is that three simple ingredients turns strawberries into a sweet, slightly tangy sauce.  

Cut up as little as a pint of strawberries and as much as a quart. Remove the greens and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Light brown sugar is mixed with the balsamic vinegar and poured over the strawberries.  I generally like to make my strawberries early in the day to allow the berries to soak up the brown sugar and vinegar mixture.

The berries also deepen in color which makes them look even more appetizing.  A few months ago I had brought a panna cotta with the balsamic strawberries over to a neighbor's house as I was assigned dessert. No one ever had this combination and everyone loved it.  Actually they were surprised at how much they did like it, because the thought of balsamic vinegar and strawberries was not one they thought would have worked.

When the panna cotta is thoroughly chilled, top with a couple tablespoons of the berries and some of the macerating liquid. You can also unmold the panna cotta, serve on a plate and place the berries on top. This panna cotta is so creamy delicious it almost does not need to be served with anything else. For the less adventuresome in your family or amongst your friends, serve theirs plan but make them take a bit of someone else's with the balsamic strawberries. I would bet they will be asking for you to pass the balsamic strawberries.

Recipe

Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries (Panna Cotta recipe slightly adapted from Fabio Viviani in Fabio's Italian Kitchen)

Ingredients

For the Panna Cotta

3 1/2 teaspoons Knox gelatin (slightly less than two packets)

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

6 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract)

pinch of sea salt

For the Balsamic Strawberries

1 pint of ripe strawberries, leaves removed, and cut into bite sized pieces

3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

For the Panna Cotta

1. Place gelatin and milk in a medium sized heavy saucepan and allow the gelatin to bloom (20 minutes was suggested)

2. Add cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.

3. On medium heat, heat until gelatin and sugar dissolves.  Approximately 6 to 7 minutes.  The mixture should be warm.

4. Put mixture in a glass bowl over an ice bath for 30 minutes to allow to slightly thicken.

5. Stir mixture and then pour into ramekins or the serving dishes of your choice.  Depending on the size of ramekins or bowls you use, it will make 5 to 8 servings.

6. Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

For the Balsamic Strawberries
1. Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar. Pour over cut strawberries.  
2. Let macerate in the refrigerator for several hours.

When getting ready to serve the Panna Cotta, top each one with two tablespoons of strawberries and some of the liquid.  You can also unmold the Panna Cotta using the same aforementioned presentation.  Serve extra strawberries on the side.

Last week I promised myself that I would walk and/or walk/run five days a week as challenging as my work schedule can be.  In week one I lived up to the promise.  I don't know if I feel better because I exercised or if I kept a promise I made to myself. Most weeks begin with good intentions and then I let life get in the way, rarely putting myself first. There is no time like the present to make a paradigm shift.  I can give more if I feel better.  So it should end up being a win-win.

As I was walking on the beach one night this week, I texted my sister a photo of the ocean. That text communication turned into a conversation that I think had the phrase 'get ready for another marathon' in it.  I haven't gone back to read the text because I was in shock.  More than a decade ago, more like 15 years ago, it was my sister that pushed me to begin running. Needless to say, it wasn't easy to begin running as an 'older' adult. But I built enough stamina and endurance to first run a few 5ks, the some 10ks, then some half-marathons, then a 20 miler, and then two marathons. Honestly, I felt my best when I was running. I am not sure I am up for another marathon, but would like to be able to run another 10k sometime during the summer.  One thing is for certain, I won't be running a race with my sister. She is seven years younger, even more competitive than I am, and let's just say I had a bad race experience with her once.  I love my sister dearly, but hearing her say 'suck it up' doesn't even begin to describe the experience.