Spices

I love those few spice combos in my cupboard that seem to make everything taste better. I have a great garlic based spice, a great curry and last night I finished off my favorite Shis-Kebob spice. I have never gone wrong with shis-kebobs since I started using this. So if you are in the market for a good rub for some amazing summer grilling, definitely hit this one up. It's called All Natural Souvlaki Shis-Kebob Spice, by Simply Greek. I most likely will continue to add new spices that I love, to this blog.

http://www.simplygreekfoods.com/product_info.php/products_id/73?osCsid=00881pc81040kvg2qv67c9i0i1

I just bought the spice here, ps. I am also trying a couple others.

Easter Menu 2012

Honey Roast Chicken with Shallots and Peas from BHG (Better Homes and Gardens)

Creamy Potato Salad from Williams Sonoma

Garden Salad with Balsamic dressing

Buttered Rolls

Strawberry Cheesecake with a hint of Coconut and Lime

So for this Easter I tried several new dishes. From the above menu, the only cheaters were the salad and the rolls. I had every intention of making my Mother-in-law's rolls, but considering that our guests were arriving 30 minutes after church finished, fresh rolls just weren't going to happen. So thank you Costco for making such soft American rolls here in Mexico (Mexican bread is somewhat flavorless and dry, in my opinion). I also, last minute, opted for a salad instead of the roasted Cauliflower, again it was a time sensitive dish.

So without further ado, here are my tried, tested, n tasty recipes that I uncovered, with all my notes and comments...

Honey Roast Chicken with Shallots and Peas

This recipe is very tasty! Totally easy to do as well. You pretty much cant mess it up. For me, the chicken was perfectly moist after 1 1/2 hours. Let's face it... a key part of roasting chickens, turkeys, or just cooking meats in general, tends to be a. the quality of meat and b. the time and temperature it's cooked at. So for chicken, I personally like spiking the heat up an extra 50-100 degrees for the first ten-twenty minutes (or until the outside is just about all white) this helps seal in those juices. Since, my hubby ran home from church to stick in the oven, I just had him turn on the oven to "2-3" (our oven is terrible and doesn't have degrees and since it is a fickle gas oven, the temperature fluctuates as the gas is released then turned off throughout the cooking). I turned it down after forty five minutes, when I got home, and had it slow cook just a little at the end.

As for fluctuations with ingredients.

I withheld the lemon slices (they don't have lemons here, in Queretaro, only limes), since I ran out of them trying to make the lemon curd for the cheesecake. I would def use them in the future though as I am sure it improves the presentation and due to the fact that I am a big honey and lemon combo fan.

I am also guilty of withholding the tarragon! I know, I know, it seems like such a key ingredient, but again it was a Mexican problem. I can't seem to find several different spices here. In the end the dish still turned out yummy, and I have no doubt the tarragon would also help it.

I also opted for the additional chicken broth instead of the wine. Since we were having the missionaries over and I know that the wine wouldn't cook out well enough in time, I just skipped it. I couldn't serve an alcohol dish to a bunch of Mormon Missionaries on Easter!

I also lathered a bit more butter on my chicken and eyeballed the honey.

For the sauce, mine wasn't thickening very well after simmering it for fifteen minutes. I sprinkled in some flour and whisked it quickly to avoid clumps. No clumps, but still prob could have used a little more for a better consistency. Be careful with gravies. There is a fine line between too much and not enough flour. Too much and its too thick, too little and it's too thin. It also tend to thicken as it sits. If I make gravy slightly in advance I keep it thin until I am ready to serve it, then I thicken it just a wee bit more. Still be careful it's not too much flour otherwise, when your guests go for a second helping (and if it's good enough, they will) it will have settled to be too thick.

Everything else was pretty true to the directions.

ingredients

• 
  
  3 1/2 - 4 pound whole broiler-fryer chicken
• 2
  tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 1/2
  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4
  cup honey
• 2
  tablespoons fresh tarragon
• 1
  cup peeled and sliced shallots
• 1
  cup champagne, sparkling wine, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2
  cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2
  cups fresh or frozen peas
• 1
  small lemon, thinly sliced

directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse chicken cavity; pat chicken dry with paper towels. Skewer neck skin to back; tie legs to tail. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan. Brush with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2.Roast, uncovered, for 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours or until drumsticks move easily in sockets and chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees F). Brush with half the honey and sprinkle with half the tarragon. Roast 5 minutes longer or until the chicken has a golden brown glaze.

3.Remove chicken from pan and tent with foil. Transfer roasting pan to stove top. Add shallots, champagne, broth, remaining honey, and fresh peas (if using). Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes, until juices thicken slightly and shallots are tender. Add frozen peas (if using) and lemon slices to pan. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. To serve, return chicken to pan, sprinkle with remaining tarragon, and top with additional honey, if desired.

from the test kitchen

• Tip Pan Stew ChickenArrange chicken skin-side-up in a shallow baking pan. Brush with butter, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Brush with half the honey and sprinkle with half the tarragon. Roast 5 minutes longer until honey forms a golden brown glaze. Continue as directed in Step 3.

nutrition facts (Honey Roast Chicken with Spring Peas & Shallots )

Servings Per Recipe 6,

Calories 811,

Protein (gm) 52,

Carbohydrate (gm) 47,

Fat, total (gm) 44,

Cholesterol (mg) 209,

Saturated fat (gm) 14,

Monosaturated fat (gm) 18,

Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 9,

Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 3,

Sugar, total (gm) 38,

Vitamin A (IU) 1166,

Vitamin C (mg) 31,

Thiamin (mg) 0,

Riboflavin (mg) 0,

Niacin (mg) 19,

Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1,

Folate (µg) 52,

Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 1,

Sodium (mg) 461,

Potassium (mg) 730,

Calcium (DV %) 61,

Iron (DV %) 4,

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie

3 oz. (6 Tbs.)

Creamy Potato Salad

As you will soon find out, I am a HUGE fan of Williams-Sonoma recipes. I found this one and believed the ingredients looked tasty. This was not a fan of my husbands and to tell you the truth, it wasn't the star of the meal, but I am still posting it for the following reasons...

a. I loved the herb combo and it created an appealing presentation

b. I loved the fact that this potato salad incorporated yogurt and sour cream, instead of just mayo. (I am not a huge fan of mayo, though, my hubby is!)

and c. Again, I had to omit the lemon (or lime in my case), since I ran out of limes. Again, I really think this would have helped the flavor.

So for those reasons I still am posting this. Its a great started recipe and I think that with some improvements it could be a real gem.

So for adjustments...

Red potatoes are hard to find here. Sometimes the stores and markets carry it, sometimes they dont. I found the baby yellow potatoes and they were SUPERB! I think I would even do these next time instead of hunting for the red ones. They were perfectly smooth and creamy. Don't be deceived though, the potatoes could have just been a good product here in Mexico. Probably opt for whatever potato tends to be the creamiest and smoothest in your area.

Like I said I didn't have enough lime, boo! (Especially frustrating because I am usually well stocked, but when I went to the local market to get my fresh ingredients for the meal, many of the shops were closed because of the holiday).

Also, Ryan didn't care for the celery add-in, so I might omit it next time.

As for additions in the future...

It needs a little more punch. Some kind of flavoring would help it do this. Maybe even a little extra salt might have made the flavors pop better. Of course, it might have been just the lack of lemon. So next time, I will just be sure to add the lemon for the next step to perfection.

So here are the instructions...

Serve this salad with a batch of your favorite barbecued ribs or chicken for an old-fashioned summer picnic. If desired, add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs or 1/2 cup chopped red onion with the potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 8 green onions, white and light green portions,
  thinly sliced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus
  parsley sprigs for garnish
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus mint sprigs
  for garnish
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, plus basil sprigs
  for garnish
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil until tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and let cool completely in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch dice.

In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice, green onions, celery, and the chopped parsley, mint and basil. Add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to mix.

To serve, transfer the salad to a large serving bowl and garnish with parsley, mint and basil sprigs.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series,Summer, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

As for the cheesecake. Everybody liked it, but me. I don't know, but I am an extremely picky cheesecake fan. In my opinion the recipe I used had too much egg yolk. I felt like the cheesecake was eggy. So, I am not going to post it. But for my personal reference, it was the recipe from the Pillsbury Springtime recipe book. Maybe I will return to it and make some adjustments with the ingredients. I want it to be smoother and creamier too. Also, not quite enough punch of flavor. Was it the lack of sufficient sugar or maybe a punch of salt would have helped? I also ran out of lemon for this. See a theme here? So, note to self, make sure there is enough lemon before playing too much with the flavors. For this cheesecake I wanted to use a lemon curd topping garnished with strawberries, but again lack of lemons steered me into a strawberry direction. Considering all the lemons used in this meal, it was prob a good thing too. I love dishes that compliment each other, but that don't over exhaust a flavor.

For a strawberry sauce, all I do is cut up strawberries (or any other fresh fruit) and stick them in a sauce pan. Then I add a bunch of sugar (prob about a cup for 2-3 cups strawberries cut up) and maybe a TB of cornstarch. Then turn on the heat to medium low and start stirring till the strawberry juices leak and the cornstarch starts to thicken the sauce. I add a little water if it's thickening too much, but ideally I would have the ratio perfect to avoid reducing flavor. Still, it's good and is great for crepes, inside cakes, or on top of cheese cakes!

So, back to the cheesecake... I will still be on the hunt for a superb one! If you are in need of one and want to try the one I described, let me know. Again, all the boys raved about it, so maybe it's just me.

On a side note, I found this lemon curd recipe. I haven't tried making lemon curd, so I look forward to trying this one out. I am posting it, mostly for my own reference, so that I can try it out once I stock up better with limes/lemons. I am foreseeing a crepe morning!

Lemon Curd from fine cooking

3 oz unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

---

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer, about 2 min. Slowly add the eggs and yolks. Beat for 1 min. Mix in the lemon juice. The mixture will look curdled, but it will smooth out as it cooks.

In a medium, heavy-based saucepan, cook the mixture over low heat until it looks smooth. (The curdled appearance disappears as the butter in the mixture melts.) Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. It should leave a path on the back of a spoon and will read 170°F on a thermometer. Don't let the mixture boil.

Remove the curd from the heat; stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd to a bowl. Press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming and chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

variations

For lime curd, substitute fresh lime juice and zest for lemon.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : per Tbs.; Calories (kcal): 50; Fat (g): 3; Fat Calories (kcal): 25; Saturated Fat (g): 1.5; Protein (g): 1; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 1; Carbohydrates (g): 7; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 5; Cholesterol (mg): 30; Fiber (g): 0;

photo: Rita Maas

From Fine Cooking 26 , pp. 52-54

April 1, 1998