Chicken Stock from Scratch - 5 to 6 cups

Adapted from: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/how-to-make-chicken-stock and https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-stock-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-68755

Ingredients

• 1 chicken carcass (from a 4-6 lb chicken)
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Parsley stems
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional
• 10 peppercorns, optional

Directions:

• Strip the chicken carcass of meat: Use your hands to pull and peel the meat off the bones. Transfer the meat to a container and keep in the fridge to use for whatever.
• Make the stock: Into a large stock pot or Dutch oven add the chicken carcass – bones, skin and any random bits. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems and peppercorns if using.
• Cover with water and simmer: Pour 10 cups (2.5 qt) of cold water over the ingredients in the stockpot and turn the heat to medium, just until it begins to have a low boil, then reduce to medium low (or whatever temp you need to keep the stove at for a gentle simmer). You want the stock to simmer and never boil. Boiling can cause the fat and proteins to emulsify and give you dark, greasy stock.
• Skim the stock: Push the ingredients down to make sure they are submerged in the water and let the stock simmer on medium low for the next 3 hours. Cover with a lid. Check every 45 minutes or so and use a spoon to skim any scum that may form off the surface. This is not an exact science. If you lose track of time, and it simmers for 4 hours that’s Ok. You’ll just have a more concentrated stock and might need to add water. If you’re short on time and you only have 2 hours then you’ll just have a lighter stock. That’s Ok too. There is no room for perfectionists in stock making!
• Strain the stock: Layer a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Set it over a large bowl, then ladle the stock into the lined strainer. Press on the solids to release any additional liquid. When it’s done you should have between 5 and 6 cups of stock depending upon how much it has reduced.
• Cool: Allow to cool on the counter, then refrigerate. This allows any fat to rise and solidify.

NOTES: 

• Carcass of roasted chicken after removing the cooked meat does not yield enough flavour. 
• Also, when cold the stock will turn to a soft jelly like due to gelatin. Gelatin gives the stock richness that you don’t get in liquid store-bought stock. Gelatin is good! 
• Homemade stock is not salted, so it can be massively reduced to make things like jus without becoming too salty. You cannot make fine sauces like jus using store bought stock. Note however that homemade chicken stock has a small amount of natural salt. If you reduce it by say 90% or more, you will begin to taste it. Think of it as natural seasoning!

Salsa (Multiple)

 Source: Pati Jinich

Jalapeño Salsa Verde with Cumin (makes ~2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and  rinsed
• 3 to 4 jalapeños, to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
• ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, leaves and tender upper stems

Directions:

• Preheat the broiler with a rack 2-3 inches from it. Place the tomatillos, jalapeños, and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil for about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the tomatillos are charred and mushy. Alternatively, you can char them on a preheated comal, griddle, or skillet preheated over medium heat, but it will take a few minutes more.
• When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic cloves and remove the stems from the jalapeños. Drop the tomatillos, garlic and 1 or 2 jalapeños into a blender.
• Set a small skillet, griddle, or comal over medium-low heat. Once it’s hot, toast the cumin seeds and oregano for less than a minute, stirring constantly until fragrant and browned; don’t let them burn. Scrape into the blender, along with the salt. Pulse until fairly smooth but you can still see the tomatillo seeds. Taste and add the remaining jalapeños as desired.
• Pour into a bowl. Stir in the cilantro and serve. The salsa will keep for up to 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

Chile de Árbol Mixed Salsa (makes ~2 cups)

Ingredients

•  ½ pound tomatillos, husked and  rinsed
•  ½ pound ripe plum tomatoes
•  10 to 12 dried chiles de árbol, or to taste, stemmed (with seeds)
•  3 garlic cloves, peeled
•  ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste

Directions:

• Place the tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles de árbol, and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until the tomatillos and tomatoes are soft, cooked, and their skins are just starting to peel, and the chiles have rehydrated.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ingredients to a blender, add the salt, and pulse until fairly smooth but the tomatillo seeds are still visible. The salsa will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 5 days.

Lemon Pasta

 Source: https://www.loveandlemons.com/lemon-pasta/

Ingredients

•  8 ounces spaghetti
•  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats
•  2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus more for garnish
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
•  ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
•  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
•  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
•  Chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until al dente. In the final minutes of cooking, reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.

2.  A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Heat the butter until  it foams, then reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until  fragrant. Remove from the heat if your pasta is still cooking.

3. When the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it from the pot to the skillet with the butter mixture. Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and cook over low heat, tossing until a sauce forms and lightly coats the pasta. Add half the cheese and toss to incorporate. Add the lemon juice and remaining cheese and toss again, cooking until the sauce is smooth. If it becomes too thick or clumpy, add more pasta water as needed to loosen it. Season to  taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.

4. Garnish with more lemon zest and fresh parsley. Serve with more cheese.

Baked Zucchini - Serves 1-2

 BAKED ZUCCHINI 

Adapted from: RecipeTinEats

Yield: 2 servings

Time: 20 minutes total

Ingredients

• 1 small to med zucchini (King Soopers size)
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp breadcrumbs (panko or matzo meal)
• 1/2 tbsp parmesan or other cheese, grated (pre-grated actually good for this recipe)
• Optional: Small wedge of lemon

Equipment: Bowl to toss, small baking tray with rack preferred, airfryer or convection oven

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F with oven shelf high on the rack (no preheat necessary if using airfyer)

2. Trim ends of zucchini. Cut lengthwise into 6 wedges. Cut across in half for a total of 12 small wedges.

3. Toss zucchini in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper. Sprinkle with most of the breadcrumbs.

4. Line the zucchini in two rows next to each other, skin side down. 

5. Sprinkle with the rest of the breadcrumbs and the cheese. 

6. Bake or airfry 12 minutes until parm is golden

7. Serve immediately

Chile Verde Stacked Enchilada with Eggs

Servings: 4

Source: Pati Jinich 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying tortillas
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 of a white onion, halved and slivered (about 2 cups), plus more chopped for assembling the enchiladas
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 pounds fresh green chiles such as chilaca, California, Anaheim, New Mexico, or poblano, roasted, sweated, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-x-½-inch strips
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• 1½ teaspoons dried marjoram, or 3  tablespoons fresh
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 12 corn tortillas
• 8 eggs
• 6 ounces (1½ cups) shredded Mennonite, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the slivered onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until softened. 
• Add the garlic, cook for another couple minutes, until the onion is completely wilted and the garlic has changed color. 
• Stir in the flour, mix, and cook for another minute, until it smells a bit toasty. 
• Add the chile strips, salt and marjoram, and cook for 3-4 minutes until moist but not wet. Stir in the broth, bring to a simmer and cook 5-6 minutes more. Remove from heat.
• Transfer the chile mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Return the chile verde sauce to the same saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Heat ¼-inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, quick fry the tortillas, one at a time, 20-30 seconds per side, until lightly browned. The oil should be bubbling around the tortillas. Place on a paper towel covered plate to drain. Alternatively, you can heat the tortillas on a preheated comal or skillet set over medium heat.
• Separately, cook two sunny side up eggs per person to desired doneness.
• One by one, dip a tortilla in the chile verde sauce and place on a plate. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon onion. Follow with the next tortilla and repeat a couple more times to make a stack with layers of cheese and onion in between. Top with more sauce, two eggs, and garnish with cheese, onions and chives.

Pumpkin Apple Empanadas

Source: Pumpkin Apple Empanadas - Pati Jinich

Pumpkin Apple (makes ~18 -5" Empanadas):

INGREDIENTS (Filling)

• 2 piloncillo cones, (16 ounces) or 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• Juice of an orange, (about ½ cup)
• 1 2-inch piece of canela or true cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves, stems discarded
• 1½ pounds (3 to 4) Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into small dice
• Juice of 2 limes, (about ¼ cup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

• Place the piloncillo cones, 1 cup water, orange juice and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and let the piloncillo completely melt, about 8-10 minutes. 
• Add the clove berries, mashing with your fingers as you do, along with the apples and lime juice, and stir. Raise heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the syrup has thickened and the apples have gained an amber color.
• Add the vanilla and pumpkin puree, stir, cover partially (as the mixture will get jumpy), reduce to medium-low, and continue cooking for another 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture will look like a soft puree with apple chunks. Set aside and let cool uncovered. As it cools, it will thicken a bit more.

INGREDIENTS (Dough)

• 2.2 pounds (about 8 cups) all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups vegetable shortening or lard
• 1 cup sugar
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 3 large eggs, divided

 DIRECTIONS (Dough):

•  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the shortening and break it apart with your fingers, combining it with the flour, until it feels like a fine coarse meal. Add the sugar and mix again. Add the milk and one of the eggs, lightly beaten, incorporating as you knead for a couple minutes, until you get a homogeneous dough. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, beat the remaining 2 eggs to use for sealing the empanadas and the egg wash.
• Cut the dough into quarters. On a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at time to under ¼-inch thick. Then cut out circles of about 4½-inches in diameter.
• One by one, add a tablespoon of apple filling and a ½ teaspoon of chopped pecans. Brush around the edges of the dough circles with the beaten egg. Close the empanadas, encasing the filling and sealing the edges with your fingers, and then seal the deal by pinching with a fork. Place the formed empanadas on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the filling; you can gather scraps of dough together and reuse. You will need to bake in two batches.
• Brush the tops of the empanadas with egg wash, then place in the oven. Bake for 23-24 minutes, until lightly golden on top and a bit more browned on the bottom.
• You can eat empanadas hot or at room temperature. They will keep for 5 days in a tightly sealed container.

Baked Feta Pasta - Serves 4

BAKED FETA PASTA - creamy and hearty in 45 minutes 

Adapted from: Washington Post

Yield: 4 large servings

Ingredients

• About 2 pints (16-18 oz / 500 grams) cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt
• 1 block (7 ounces / 200 grams) Greek feta cheese - REAL feta cheese (sheep or goat's milk for the correct texture), such as Atalanta brand
• 1/2+ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, as desired
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: Dash of dried Italian herbs (e.g., oregano)
• 12 oz medium-length dried pasta, such as campanelle, trotolle, rigatoni or rotini (anything that captures the sauce well)
• Fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional, but colorful)

Equipment: 9x13" baking dish, oven, large pot for pasta

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

2. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, combine the tomatoes, garlic and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Sprinkle with some salt and toss to coat. 

3. Place the block of feta cheese in the center of the tomatoes and garlic, top with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, and sprinkle the entire dish with red pepper flakes, Italian herbs as desired, and a little black pepper. 

4. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst their skins.

5. After 20 minutes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta (don't rinse).

6. Mash the feta and tomatoes with a fork or potato masher. Mix until evenly combined and creamy. Add the pasta and mix, adding the reserved pasta water as needed if it looks a little dry. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. 

7. To serve, divide among bowls and top with plenty of basil leaves.

Classic Baguette

 

Source: Classic Baguettes Recipe | King Arthur Baking

Yield: 3-16” Baguettes or 6-8” Demi Baguettes

Ingredients

Starter (Poolish):

• 120g Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 113g water, cool 80F
• 1/16 teaspoon active dry yeast or instant yeast or 25g healthy sourdough starter

Dough

• 420g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 255g water, lukewarm 105 OF
• all of the starter
• 9g sea salt or 12g table salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast

Timeline (~19 hours):

1. Make Poolish + Rest/Mature= 14 Hours
2. Make Dough + Rest#1= 45 minutes
3. Fold + Rest= 45 minutes
4. Divide Dough + Rest= 15 minutes up to 1 Hour
5. Log Fold & Final Shape + Rest= 1 Hour
6. Bake= 24 to 28 minutes

Directions:

1. Make Poolish: Thoroughly mix starter ingredients together to make a soft dough. Cover and let rest at room temperature for about 14 hours; overnight works well. Success= the starter should have expanded and become bubbly.
2. Make the dough: Mix and knead everything together by hand or mixer to make a soft, somewhat smooth dough; it should be cohesive, but the surface may still be a bit rough. If you're using a stand mixer, knead for about 4 minutes on medium-low speed (speed 2 on a KitchenAid); the finished dough should stick a bit at the bottom of the bowl. Place the dough in a lightly greased medium-sized bowl, cover, and let the dough rest and rise for 45 minutes.
3. Fold + Rest: Remove dough from container and gently deflate the dough then fold its edges into the center, then turn it over in the bowl before letting it rise for an additional 45 minutes, until it's noticeably puffy.
4. Divide Dough + Rest: Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased work surface. Gently deflate it and divide it into three equal pieces. Round each piece of dough into a rough ball by pulling the edges into the center. Cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
5. Log Fold & Final Shape + Rest: 
1. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough slightly then fold it nearly (but not quite) in half, sealing the edges with the heel of your hand.
2. Turn the dough around 180° and repeat: fold, then flatten. Repeat this whole process again; the dough should have started to elongate itself. 
3. With the seam side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 16" log. Your goal is a 15" baguette, so 16" allows for the slight shrinkage you'll see once you're done rolling. Taper each end of the log slightly to create the baguette's typical "pointy" end.
4. Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans; or into the folds of a heavily floured cotton dish towel (or couche).
5. Cover them with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise until they're slightly puffy ("marshmallow-y"). The loaves should certainly look lighter and less dense than when you first shaped them, but won't be anywhere near doubled in bulk. This should take about 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature (about 68°F).
6. Note: Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F with a cast iron pan on the floor of the oven, or on the lowest rack. If you're using a baking stone, place it on a middle rack. Start to heat 1 1/2 cups water to boiling.
6. Bake: 
1. If the baguettes have risen in a dish towel or couche, gently roll them (seam-side up) onto a transfer peel and then roll back over onto a piece of parchment, seam-side down. If you don't have a transfer peel, roll the baguettes onto a piece of parchment (seam-side down) and then place the parchment on a baking sheet.
2. Using a baker's lame (a special curved blade) or a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make three to five long lengthwise slashes in each baguette.
3. Load the baguettes into the oven. If you’re baking on a stone, use a baker’s peel to transfer the baguettes, parchment and all, onto the hot stone. Carefully pour the boiling water into the cast iron pan, and quickly shut the oven door. The billowing steam created by the boiling water will help the baguettes rise, and give them a lovely, shiny crust.
4. Bake the baguettes on the pan, or on a stone for 24 to 28 minutes, or until they're a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them on a rack. Or, for the very crispiest baguettes, turn off the oven, crack it open about 2", and allow the baguettes to cool completely in the oven, until both baguettes and oven are at room temperature.
7. Storage: Store any leftover baguettes in a paper bag overnight; freeze for longer storage. Thaw and reheat just before serving.

Easy Crockpot Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy - 4 to 5 servings

Crockpot Slow Cooker Chicken & Gravy - 4 - 5 servings

Adapted From: Plain Chicken

Time: 6 hrs

Equipment

5-6 quart slow cooker / crockpot

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts 
• 1 can (10.5 oz) low-sodium (or unsalted) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 envelopes (0.87 oz each) chicken gravy mix
• Optional: 1/2 cup chicken broth or water 

Directions

1. Add chicken breasts to 6 qt crock pot
2. Whisk together the soup, gravy mix, and broth. Note: You are NOT making gravy from instructions on the envelopes. You are simply mixing the powder with these ingredients here.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and set the crockpot on low for 4 hours. 
4. Break the chicken into bite size pieces. Serve with the soup mixture over mashed potatoes or steamed rice. 

Salted Coffee (cà phê muối)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 TBSP Heavy Cream
• 1 TBSP Sugar
• 1/4 TSP Salt
• 1 Coffee

BLUF: Salted coffee is a mixture of salted foam that provides a creamy top to dark, Robusta coffee.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Brew your Coffee
2. Place salt, sugar, and heavy whipping cream into a deep cup or bowl and whip it up until you get soft peaks.
3. Add Step 2 to the top of your coffee
4. Note: This is also excellent iced.

Sate Chicken, Celery, and Noodles (Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side dish)

INGREDIENTS 

Noodles:

• 7 ounces of dried wide noodles
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 Tbl Canola Oil

Chicken:

• 8 ounces Chicken
• 1 Tsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Tsp Dark Soy
• 1 Tsp Fish Sauce
• 1.5 Tsp Soy Sauce

Seasoning Sauce:

• 1/2 Tsp Sugar
• 1.5 Tsp Fish Sauce
• 1.5 Tsp Soy Sauce
• 1.5 Tsp Sate Sauce
• 2 Tbl Water

Other Mise en place:

• 1 1/2 Ginger (pealed and minced)
• 3 Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
• 1/2 Red Onion (thick wedges)
• 8 ounces Celery Stalks (sharp diagonal long, thin slices)
• Celery Leaves from above

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Noodle Preparation:
• Boil the noodles for approximately 6-minutes until cooked and just slightly firm
• Drain, flush with cold water, and drain well
• Transfer to a plate
• Toss with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the canola oil
• Spread out to dry and cool completely, about 15 minutes
2. Chicken Pre-cook Preparation:
• Combine chicken, cornstarch, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce and set aside 
3. Seasoning Sauce Preparation:
• Combine fish sauce, soy, sugar, sate sauce, water and set aside
4. Stir-fry:
• Heat wok to medium-high
• Swirl 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Add garlic and ginger then stir for 15-seconds
• Increase heat to high, add chicken. Cook for 1-min then flip and cook for another minute.
• Transfer to a plate
• Add onion, celery, and celery leaves to the pan and stir-fry for 2-minutes and then transfer to plate and hold with chicken.
• Reheat the pan to high, add 1.5 tsp canola oil, swirl oil and then add the noodles. Allow to sear 1-2 minutes.
• Return the plated chicken and vegetables to the pan. Stir to combine with the noodles, then pour in the seasoning sauce.
• Stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes then plate and eat immediately.