Skillet Chicken Thigh

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt

onion powder

garlic powder

black pepper
2 teaspoons ghee
2 teaspoons seasoning blend of choice (porcini seasoning don't use salt if using this, herbes de provence, 21 salute etc )
Direction

1. Trim off excess and unsightly fats and skin from the thighs. Using kitchen shears, carefully take the bones out.
2. Flatten the meat, pounding the thighs until uniform for even cooking.
3. Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion posder.
4. Heat cast iron skillet in medium-high heat.
5. Melt ghee in pan and add 4 pieces of chicken skin-side down.
6. Cook for 10 minutes, rotating pan by 45° about every 2 minutes or so, until skin is browned cracklin' looking.
7. Flip chicken and cook for another 8 minutes, again rotating pan by 45° every 2 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (about 180°F).
8. Transfer chicken to wire rack and rest for 5 minutes.
9. Repeat 7-9 with the remaining chicken.
10. Cut up chicken (or not) and garnish with sliced scallions or parsley.

Source: Nom nom paleo   

Porcini seasoning

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:
1.5 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
1 cups coarse kosher salt
1.5 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 tablespoons dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Pulverize the mushrooms and mix with all the other ingredients. Store in airtight container.

Cast Iron Pan Care

How To Restore a Rusty Cast Iron Skillet

1. If you need to strip old seasoning, put pan in self cleaning oven and cook for 2 hours.  Alternatively you can soak in Easy-Off for 24 hrs in a heavy duty trash bag, then rinse thoroughly with soap and water.  Soak in 1:1 ratio of distilled white vinegar and water (to remove lye).  
2. Remove all the rust: Use fine steel wool to remove rust from affected areas. Scour the skillet until the area returns to raw cast iron.
3. Wash the skillet thoroughly: Wash the cast iron with warm water and mild dish soap. Scrub with bristle brush, gentle scouring pad, or mesh sponge if needed. 
4. Rinse with cold water then dry the skillet: Thoroughly dry the cast iron immediately with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
5. Place a cookie sheet covered with foil on the bottom rack of oven.
6. Preheat oven to 200°F with the pan to open the pores of the iron a little. Turn off oven.
7. Take pan out and set it on a paper towel.
8. Pour a little oil on it (preferrably 100% pure flax seed oil), and rub the oil all over the pan with your hands, making sure to get into every nook and cranny.
9. Rub pan off with paper towels or a cotton cloth until it looks like there is no oil left on the surface. The pan should look dry, not glistening with oil. 
10. Put the pan upside down in a cold oven. 
11. Turn the oven to a baking temperature of 450°F (or as high as your oven goes) and let the pan preheat with the oven. 
12. When it reaches temperature, set the timer for an hour. After an hour, turn off the oven but do not open the oven door. 
13. Let it cool off with the pan inside for two hours, at which point it’s cool enough to handle. This is the first coating.
14. Again rub on the oil, wipe it off, put it in the cold oven, let it preheat, bake for an hour, and let it cool in the oven for two hours. 
15. Repeat. You need at least 6 coatings.

How to clean

1. Wash your warm pan with hot water and use a sponge or stiff non-metal brush to remove cooking residue. 
2. Slough off tough bits of stuck-on food by pouring a cup of coarse kosher salt into the  still-warm skillet. Squeeze a folded kitchen towel with tongs and scrub the pan with the salt. Toss the salt and rinse the pan with hot water.
3. DRY IT COMPLETELY. Place it on the stove-top over low heat for 5 minutes. 
4. Rub it with a little shortening, lard, bacon grease, or vegetable oil. 
5. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes more, remove from heat, and allow to cool. 
6. Wipe with another cloth or paper towel to remove excess grease.
7. Store in dry place.

Source: Read the article: Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How To by Sheryl Canter

Branzino with Peppers and Olives

Ingredients

1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
2 large whole head-on branzino, scaled and gutted

20 pieces cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

12 whole kalamata olives

1 red bell pepper, cut up about the same size as the tomatoes
1/4 cup chicken or seafood stock
1/4 cup dry white wine

Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Black Pepper

Sea Salt
Olive oil

torn flat-leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and another clean rack right on top of it; preheat to 475 degrees.
2. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Run in tap water to cool.  Remove skin from potatoes.
3. Rinse fish and dry with paper towels. 
4. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with about 2 tbsp. olive oil.
5. In a sheet pan, toss the potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, Italian seasoning with a generous amount of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour stock and wine on bottom of the pan. Stir a bit.  
7. Place potatoes in bottom rack and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Arrange the fish on the top rack, making sure any dripping from the fish goes to the potatoes below it. 
9. Roast vegetables and fish until fish is cooked through, when it's just opaque in the center, when a fork inserted goes through the fish without resistance (about 20 minutes).
10. To serve, place the roasted vegetables with its sauce on a serving platter and set the fish on top.  Drizzle with more olive oil. 
11. Fillet and remove bones for the inexperienced.
12. Serve with pan roasted asparagus or sauteed spinach.

*Inspired by Frank Prisinzano's IG post.

Easy Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, sweet onion preferred, peeled and cut in half

1 28 ounce canned whole peeled San marzano tomatoes with its juices

Directions

1. Crush the tomatoes wit your hands.
2. Put the tomatoes, onion, butter, and salt in a 4- to 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to a slow but steady simmer. 
3. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the tomatoes are no longer watery and the sauce has reduced, about 45 minutes. The sauce is done when the butter has separated from the tomatoes and there is no remaining liquid.
4. Remove and discard the onions.
5. Toss with cooked spaghetti and add grated Parmigiano.

Notes:

You may add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste if you want to thicken the sauce.

You can brown a couple of garlic cloves in a little olive oil in the saucepan before adding the ingredients.

If sauce is too acidic add a carrot to absorb the acidity. Toss out the carrot when you discard the onion.

Brown some diced pancetta, or sausage with casing removed, or salted pork etc in olive oil before adding the tomatoes for depth of flavor.

Meatballs

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil 

1/2 large onion, 1/4-inch dice 

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1 pound ground beef 

1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed

 2 large eggs 

1 cup grated Parmigiano 

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley 

1 cup breadcrumbs 

1/2 cup water 

Directions: 

1. Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. 
2. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. 
3. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool. 
4. In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and bread crumbs. Squish the mixture with your hands. 
5. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. 
6. Add the water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. 
7. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. Add salt if needed. 
8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
9. Shape the meat into desired size. I prefer meatballs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter. 
10. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. 
11. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use.

Pan Roasted Asparagus

INGREDIENTS

1 lb fresh asparagus
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTION
Put asparagus, butter, salt and pepper in a skillet and cook over medium heat.

Cook for 10 minutes, depending on the  thickness of the asparagus, turning once in awhile for even cooking.

Easy French Fries

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium)
6 cups peanut oil
Sea or kosher salt

Directions:

1. Cover your largest baking sheet with paper towels for draining.
2. Wash and scrub potatoes, then dry.  Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks. 
3. Place potatoes in heavy, deep frying pan, dutch oven or cast iron pan.
4. Add oil just to barely cover the potatoes. 
5. Turn burner to high and bring oil to a rolling boil, which will take about 5 minutes. 
6. Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes are limp but exteriors are beginning to firm, about 12-15 minutes. Do not stir; they will just break.
7. At 20 minute mark, gently loosen any stuck potatoes using a thong or spatula.
8. Continue to cook until crisp and golden to your liking, just about 5 to 10 minutes longer, stirring only if absolutely necessary.   
9. Using a skimmer remove potatoes from oil and spread them on the prepared sheet pan.
10. Sprinkle hot french fries with fine salt and serve immediately.

You can save the oil for later use.  It can be refrigerated and reused for future use. Stores up to 3 months.

Source : Smitten Kitchen

Creamed Cucumber Slices

Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon diced scallions
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions
In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, milk, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Place cucumber slices and scallions in the bowl, and toss to coat with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Chill 30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Source: Allrecipes

Scallop Carpaccio

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
Kosher salt
Pepper
8 ounces sea scallops
Flaky sea salt and thinly sliced radishes, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash scallops then dry with paper towels.
2. Freeze the scallops slightly, about 1/2 hour, then slice thinly crosswise
3. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, chives, olive oil and lime juice; season with kosher salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Arrange the scallops on a platter and top with the ginger-chive pesto. Season with flaky sea salt and garnish with sliced radishes. 

Source : Food and Wine

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
4 Large Tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 cup Arborio Rice
Olive Oil
Basil or oregano leaves
salt

breadcrumbs
potatoes (optional)


Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out the insides, then chop up and reserve (along with all the liquid and seeds). 
3. Saute onion gently in olive oil until soft.
4. Add arborio rice to the pan and stir for a few minutes. 
5. Chop the tomato pulp and add all of it, plus 1/3 cup of water, to the onion and rice, 
6. Fold in a few torn basil or oregano leaves and a good sprinkling of salt, lower the heat and simmer the rice, covered, for 10 minutes. 
7. Spoon the par-cooked rice into the tomatoes and put them in a small, oiled baking dish.
8. Top with a few breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
9. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes. The tomatoes will shrivel a bit. Let them cool for a bit before eating.

Suggestion: slice up potatoes and put them around the base of the tomatoes before putting them in the oven, as the Italians do.

Source: The Wednesday Chef