Monthly Archives: February 2016

Boozy Chicken

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A sip for you, a splash for the birdie, sip for you, splash for birdie … oh wait, that’s a good way to never get dinner on the table.

So you have a bunch of prunes. Now what? Simmer them in Armagnac (or Cognac if you prefer), toss them in a pot with chicken, splash with even more Armagnac and leave them to frolick.

Not only will the house smell marvelous, you will then get to tuck into a cozy meal with a sauce worthy of bread sopping or bowl-licking (I myself prefer the latter).

This dish makes a wonderful Sunday supper, but is also elegant enough for a dinner party feast. It’s delicious as leftovers too. The chicken dish is wine-friendly, so have fun with your pairings — just about any medium bodied red or white will do. We chose a Cartograph 2013 Floodgate Vineyard pinot noir from the Russian River Valley in Northern California. I dig this wine. It’s the kind that lures you in as it’s a chameleon in the glass — fruity, chocolaty, mushroomy, leafy. Delightful!

 

 

Salmon with Lingonberry Sauce

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This dish packs a wallop of flavor and is easy, healthy and quick enough to turn around after a long day seeing patients.

I paired the salmon with braised fennel and artichokes — a winning combination if you ask me. We opened a soft, silky merlot from one of our Sonoma County wine club wineries, Chateau St. Jean. If anyone can bring Merlot back into our good graces, it’s Chateau St. Jean. Although it perhaps didn’t pair overly well with the salmon, it’s definitely the type of wine I look forward to cracking open again. And again. And again. Cheers!

braised fennel

 

 

Cuban Supper Club

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We just entered our 5th year of Supper Clubbing with the same three couples — a marvelous feat. We started the group in 2011 and despite moves, job changes and babies, the eight of us still manage to get together every other month or so for a themed dinner. I love this crowd and have enjoyed getting to know everyone through great food and wine over the years.

Saturday night was a Cuban-themed meal chosen by our lovely burb-dwelling hosts (it’s always an adventure for us city folk to cruise on through the suburbs). It’s like a different planet out there. So. Far. Away.

Appetizers:  fried plantains and crunchy ham and potato croquettes with a heavenly smoky aioli.

Main Dish: Ropa vieja (Cuban meat stew) over rice, black beans with bacon and green beans with bacon. The ropa vieja is a slow-cooker wonder. One of those dishes that makes me want to bust out my crock pot.

Dessert:  Cuban coconut rum flan. I was (scarily) assigned dessert for this particular evening, not my strong suit. In fact, this was the first time since the group’s inception that I have been charged with making dessert. I welcomed the challenge, however, as it pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone.

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Not too pretty to look at, I must say, but the men all went back for seconds and demolished the thing, so I will take that as a good sign. Perhaps I shall start making dessert more often …

 

Clementine & Kalamata Compote

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Easy, delicious and a spectacular way to liven up leftover roast chicken. I definitely made this less “candied” than the recipe called for by cutting way back on the sugar. The result? A bright and savory relish to adorn just about anything — spoon it into yogurt, sprinkle it over roast duck or just eat it right out of the jar. Enjoy!

Candied Clementine and Kalamata Compote 

1 cup sugar (I used about 1/4 cup)

10 to to 12 clementines, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 TBSP orange liqueur

24 pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped

Scatter half the amount of sugar you are using over the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the clementine slices over the sugar, then scatter remaining sugar over the top. Cover the crock with a kitchen towel, cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours or until the clementines are soft and a syrup has formed at the bottom. Uncover and drizzle the liqueur over the top. Cool the compote and then gently mix in the chopped olives. Refrigerate and enjoy.

(recipe adapted from Art of the Slow Cooker by Andrew Schloss)

On The Menu

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Saturday

It’s Supper Club night and the theme is Cuban. I am bringing dessert and plan to make a Cuban coconut rum flan. I have no idea what the remainder of the menu entails, but I look forward to devouring what our friends choose to create.

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Sunday

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Monday

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Tuesday
  • Leftover night

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Wednesday
  • Steaks with mushrooms sauteed in red wine and shallots: I am going to wing this as I go along. I will post my loosely followed recipe, assuming it’s worth posting.
  • Roasted tomatoes with Stilton and arugula: Yes, I know I just made this. It was that good. Plus, I have a love affair with blue cheese.

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Thursday
  • We are likely having leftovers again tonight. That, or omelets based on what’s left in my refrigerator. I already know that by the time we get to Thursday, I will be zonked. I have a very busy work week …
  • Some kind of vegetable or big-ass salad