Creamy Liver Salad

Since I talk so frequently of using whole chickens, and the goodies that come along with the chicken, I wanted to share a recipe for the liver. I am well aware that liver is an acquired taste, one that I was not a fan of until very recently. Even the name does nothing for it...liver is an awful word rolling off the tongue.
The Shed at Glenwood is responsible for opening my mind again to this little loved meat product. They make an incredible chicken liver and bacon bruschetta! My recipe is similar, but I decided to forgo the bacon and keep it simple. Having come to love it, I am hoping that I may convince you to taste it with fresh taste buds!

Creamy Liver Salad

Ingredients:

1 Chicken Liver

1 Green Onion, Thinly Sliced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons of Mayonnaise

Salt and Pepper

1 Piece of Toast 

Cooking:

Pour your oil into a frying pan on medium heat. Let the oil get hot, you will see the oil begin to shimmer in the pan. Salt and pepper your liver, then using tongs, place into the frying pan. The liver will cook very quickly, just a couple of minutes on each side.  You will want a little color on it, but don't burn it. Remove the liver from the pan and chop into small bits. Place the green onions into the frying pan. Cook until just slightly softened. The color will go even brighter green. In a bowl, combine your liver, onions, and mayonnaise. Add a little more salt and pepper to taste, then spread on toast and enjoy!

Coke Can Chicken

I love buying a whole chicken at the market, and I am a really big proponent of organic, cage-free chickens. Yes, they can be more expensive, but the flavor is so much better. Buying whole is a way to keep your meat costs down, as you pay extra for someone else to butcher the chicken. The great bonus about a whole chicken are the bones for stock, the liver and heart for frying up (perfect with eggs for breakfast!)
This is a really popular method of cooking chicken, but my husband and I just recently started making it. He has been making this dish lately, with a beer can, and I cannot get over how moist and delicious the chicken meat tastes. I wanted to do a version with soda to see if the flavor noticeably changed, but I came to the conclusion that it's not very important what is in the can, so long as it's steaming the chicken from the interior while the skin roasts.
Last week, I made a version roasting two of my favorite vegetables, fennel and cauliflower, in the pan, and coating the chicken with a peppery, anise flavored rub to compliment those two vegetables. It's one of my favorite yet.


Pepper Anise Rub

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon of Thyme
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Caraway Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Red Pepper
1 Star Anise

Preparation:

In a spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle, grind your spices together until mostly smooth.


Coke Can Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Whole Chicken

1 Can of Coke, Half Empty (Or beer, or any other 12 oz can of beverage you like!)

1 Head of Cauliflower, Chopped Roughly
2 Bulbs of Fennel, Sliced Thinly
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon of Salt 
Pepper Anise Rub

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and coat the entire bird in the rub. Place the coke can upright in a roasting pan and place the bird carefully over it. The can should almost entirely fit within the bird and it will keep the bird upright. Place the vegetables around the bird in the pan and sprinkle on the salt and olive oil. Put the pan into the oven and roast for one and a half hours. Carefully remove the bird and carve!

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

I'm not a particularly picky eater, but there are a few things that I won't eat, and sweet potatoes are one of them. However, my husband loves them, and since we are celebrating his 30th birthday next week, I felt I should make something just for him. Inspired by Tartelette's gorgeous pumpkin tarts, I made a sweet potato version. You can tell that I have a long way to go before I reach her level, but it was fun to try something a little more advanced. For the crust, I modified Grace Parisi's delicious recipe a bit, and for the filling, it's an adaptation of a sweet potato cheese cake recipe, topped with toasted meringue.

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

Makes approximately 12 Tartlets or 2 Whole Pies

Crust Ingredients:

1-1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Stick of Butter, Chopped into Tablespoon Sized Bits
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/4 Cup of Ice Water


Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients with the exception of the ice water. Pulse until the butter is in small crumb pieces. Slowly drizzle the ice water into the mix while pulsing. Once the mixture is moistened, remove from the food processor onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This dough can be made ahead.

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and place into a ramekin or pie tin (you can also make these in regular sized pie tins.) Trim the excess dough. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove crust. Drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees, and remove the pie weights or beans, and bake until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Filling

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes, Cooked
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
2 Eggs
4 Ounces of Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons of Sugar 
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients and whip on high speed until they are fully combined and light and fluffy. Pour into the crust. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the filling is fully set.


Meringue Topping

Ingredients:

4 Egg Whites
1/4 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
3 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar (If you don't have Agave Nectar, you can substitute 5 Tablespoons of confectioner's sugar)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to broil. In a mixer on high, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together until it is a soft foam. Begin adding your agave nectar (or sugar) and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. In a piping bag, or a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off, pipe small dots of meringue across the pie surface. Place the pies back into the oven for approximately 1 minute or until the tips of the meringue are just toasted.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

With the holidays rapidly approaching, and numerous events to attend, I wanted to share one of my easy, go-to party recipes. It's dead simple and it's delicious on crackers, sandwiches, burgers, you name it! This is really my version of pimento cheese, but I like using roasted red peppers for a slightly different kick.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Cheddar, Grated (You can do this very easily with the food processor)

3/4 Pound of Cream Cheese

7 Ounces of Roasted Red Peppers, Drained

2 Tablespoons of Hot Sauce

2/3 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You can add more hot sauce if you like a little more heat. Scoop out of the processor and serve!

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

I have a weakness for all things British, especially proper tea time. I think there is something lovely about breaking the day just before evening falls with a light snack and some caffeine. The caffeine part is probably not the best habit for a good night's rest, but I do love strong black tea! 

Scones are a traditional offering for tea, the soft crumbly texture goes down very well with a strong cuppa. These scones use the same ingredient in a Starbucks Green Tea Latte, Green Matcha. Matcha is a finely ground high grade green tea, and you can find it at tea stores, or online. I got mine here and you can use it to make green tea lattes at home, as well as scones! A little goes a long way and the flavor is more intense than with the whole leaves. 

In this recipe, the bitterness of the chocolate perfectly offsets the sweet, fragrant green tea and helps keep the scone a little more moist. I also think that chocolate makes everything better! 

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

6 Tablespoons of Cold Butter, Chopped into Small 1/2 inch Cubes

1 Ounce of 70% Dark Chocolate, Chopped into Small Bits

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream, plus 2 Tablespoons

2 Teaspoons of Green Matcha

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and whisk together. Put in the cold butter cubes and with a pastry blender or a fork, mash the butter into the dried mixture until the mixture is crumbly with pieces no larger than a pea. Put the chocolate into the dry mix. Meanwhile in a saucepan, pour 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the matcha powder. Whisk the two together on medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat as soon as it starts to bubble. Whisk occasionally until the cream comes to room temperature. Whisk the egg into the cream. The cream must be room temperature or it will cook the egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir with a spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Take your hands and gather the dough into a ball against the bowl. When it is coming together in one piece, roll or flatten the mound out on a lightly floured surface. You can use your hands to flatten the dough. It needs to be about an inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into wedges. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a silicone sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining heavy cream. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They cook very quickly. You want the edges to be just lightly browned, but no more than that as they will get very dry. Remove and allow the scones to cool before serving.

Apple and Smoked Bacon Salmon Patties

Growing up part of a large southern family, you learn to cook for many, rather than few and the recipes shared are always budget-friendly. I can remember going to my grandparents house, helping to make drop biscuits and salmon patties for twenty people, while busily catching up on the weekly gossip. Sometimes when I'm feeling especially nostalgic, picking the bones from a can of salmon, squishing the mixture between my fingers and hearing the sounds of grease spattering soothes the longing for days past. 

Apple and Smoked Bacon Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

1 Can of Salmon

4 Slices of Smoked Bacon

1 Small Apple, Diced

1/2 Red Onion, Diced

2 Tablespoons of Water

1/2 Cup of Whole Oats

1/4 Cup of Flour

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon of Salt and Black Pepper, Each

Cooking:

Carefully pick the bones from the salmon, and then wash the salmon in a fine mesh strainer to remove most of the fishiness. Fry the bacon in a large pan and reserve the grease for frying the patties. Remove the bacon and chop. Toss in your onions and apples into the bacon pan. Add the water to degrease the pan, be sure to scrape up the brown bits from the bacon. Once the onions are translucent, pour them into a large mixing bowl with your salmon, bacon, oats, flour, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir until combined. In the same frying pan, pour a tablespoon of grease back into it, and bring it up to medium heat. Take a ball of mixture about 2 inches in diameter and flatten into a 3/4 inch disk. Place into your frying pan. You can add multiple patties, but there should be about an inch around each patty for even frying and maneuvering. You will probably need to do this in several batches, adding more grease as needed. Fry each patty until golden brown on each side. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Once all patties are fried, finish them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

The classic preparation for a salmon patty is in a drop biscuit with yellow mustard, but you can eat them in any way. In the picture above, I used a dijon mustard with capers and honey.

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

 

With the last rays of summer drifting away, I am slowly, slowly adapting to fall. Actually, I think I'm getting into fall, and then, with a new week, another cold front moves in and I want summer back all over again! So, clinging to the last warmth of the year, but acknowledging that summer is gone and we need something hearty,  I'm sharing my Quinoa Stuffed Tomato recipe. 

Quinoa, if you haven't already heard of it, is an amazing Peruvian grain. I use it like couscous, and it's so much better for you. It's a fantastic source of protein, and it takes flavor wonderfully!

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes

1/2 Onion, Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Cup of Quinoa (Black or White or Mixed, as Shown Above)

2 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 Tablespoon of Butter

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

4 Tablespoons of Crumbled Feta Cheese

Salt to Taste

Cooking:

Slice the tops off the tomatoes, just at the apex of the curve so that you have a nice bowl shape. Take the tops and dice the edible bits to reserve. Scoop out the innards of the tomatoes carefully with a spoon and place those with the diced tops. You may need a knife to cut away the spines from the outer walls of the tomato. 

In a small dutch oven, pour in your olive oil and saute your onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add in the the reserved tomato guts, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir for another minute. Add in the quinoa, butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the stock is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add salt to your taste. Removed the quinoa from the stove. 

On a baking sheet, place your 4 tomato bowls. Fill them with the quinoa mixture and top with a tablespoon of feta. Place into an oven at 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the feta is browned just slightly at the top.