Chicken and Spinach Casserole

* Make Ahead * Weeknight Winner *

I know you have all run out and tried making your own rotisserie chicken. And you have probably looked at your new rotisserie and realized there is room for *gasp* 2 chickens!

It’s your lucky day – I have the most delicious way to use that second chicken for dinner the next night. Isn’t it beautiful? You can thank me later.

Chicken and Spinach Casserole       

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Serves 6

2 cups torn bread

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 lbs packed flat-leaf spinach, washed

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup white wine

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1½ cups half-and-half

½ tsp fresh lemon juice

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Preheat oven to 450˚. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt. Set aside. In a medium pot, heat 1½ teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add spinach; season with salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander, let cool, then squeeze out water. Coarsely chop.

Wipe pot clean and heat 1½ teaspoons oil over medium. Add onion, garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.

Add wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.

Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach and chicken; season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and top with bread pieces.

Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes.

Editor’s Note: Assemble and refrigerate this, uncooked, a day ahead. Add bread before baking.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

Garlic-Lemon Rotisserie Chicken

* Healthy * Weeknight Winner *

As many of you know, my oven broke last week and a new one was not installed until two days ago. In the meantime, the helpful husband decided to buy a rotisserie for the grill. Having absolutely no idea how to make my own rotisserie chicken, I limped around Google until I found what appeared to be a straight-forward and simple recipe.

Little did I know, this recipe would blow our collective minds. We have made it twice in one week. It’s A-Maz-Ing. I don’t know much about chemistry, but something absolutely magical happens when you put these ingredients together. We are not wing fans, but we fight mercilessly over the wings on this bird. Next on the agenda – buying a smoker so we can make 45 lbs of wings with this recipe!

I’m going to link you directly to the recipe for Garlic-Lemon Rotisserie Chicken but here are some pictures of ours in the making!

Grilled Curried Salmon

* Grilling * Healthy * Weeknight Winner*

I have slowly been making my way through all the fresh fish available near our new home. Literally. We eat constantly now. I need to exchange the dinner table for a treadmill. But I digress. Salmon was on sale last week so I bought a ton of it. (Did you know salmon freezes just beautifully? Just blot it dry and wrap lovingly in freezer paper.) Indulging in my new-found love of curry, I decided to try something new. My entire family enjoyed it and there were plenty of leftovers as I cooked an entire side of salmon. Oink. Breakfast the next day was scrambled eggs with crème fraîche and salmon. Lunch was salmon salad on croissants. Oh the indulgence!

Grilled Curried Salmon

Serves 6-8

½ salmon (1 side), cut into 6-8 pieces (You can cut it into 4 pieces if your family loves seafood and just cleaned the entire house for you.)

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

1 small onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

3-4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Sliced lemon, if desired

As always, I recommend gathering all your ingredients together. Professionals call this mise en place – harried housewives call this So very glad I did this ahead of time, as the curry powder was under the couch with Buzz Lightyear.

Combine the garlic powder, pepper, curry powder, salt and lemon zest in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Take heavy-duty foil and fold it in half to create a square or rectangle (about 12 x 12 inches). Pat salmon dry on both sides and place in center of foil, skin side down. Sprinkle as little or as much of the seasoning mixture over the flesh as you desire. Top with onions and tomatoes and if desired, a slice of lemon.

Fold the foil over fish to form a packet and seal tightly.

Have your helpful husband grill the packets, covered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your fillets) until fish flakes easily with a fork. Then allow him to open the packets so if anyone’s fingers get steamed, they’re his. Unless you need a facial.

Serve with sticky rice and vegetables.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

Slow-Cooker Bolognese

* Make Ahead * Slow Cooker * Weekend Meal *

Admit it. Sometimes you want a robust, hearty meat sauce in the summer. But no one likes standing over a hot stove all day when it’s 80 degrees out. Here is the perfect solution – a little sautéing and throw everything in your slow cooker for the day.

The original recipe does not call for skimming the fat from the sauce during the slow-cooking process. I would recommend using a wide, flat spoon to skim the fat off the top as it cooks. We had quite a bit accumulate and while a little is wonderful for flavor, you don’t want a greasy sauce.

Editor’s Note: Do not attempt to make this sauce unless you have a 6-quart slow cooker. If yours is 3-4.5 quarts, cut the recipe in half or you will not be able to fit the sauce in the cooker!

Looking for a healthier alternative to pasta? Try Dreamfields Pasta – it’s only 5 grams of digestible carbs per serving and we could not tell the difference in taste or texture from regular pasta!

Slow-Cooker Bolognese       

Courtesy of Cook’s Country

Serves 8 to 12

3 tbsp unsalted butter

½ small onion, chopped fine

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped fine

½ rib celery, chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp tomato paste

3 lbs meatloaf mix, or 1½ pounds ground chuck and 1½ pounds ground pork

Salt and pepper

3 cups whole milk

3 cups dry white wine

2 (28-oz) cans whole tomatoes, ground in blender until smooth

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until foaming. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened but not colored, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add meat, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up meat, until crumbled into tiny pieces and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add milk, bring to vigorous simmer, and cook until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, and thyme; cover and bring to boil.

Transfer mixture to slow cooker, cover, set temperature to high, and bring to boil.

Once mixture comes to boil, remove lid and simmer until sauce is very thick, 7 to 8 hours.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Make Ahead: This recipe can be partially made the night before so that it’s ready to place in the slow cooker in the morning. Complete steps 1 and 2 and refrigerate the mixture in the Dutch oven. The next morning, bring the mixture back to a boil, transfer it to the slow cooker, and proceed as directed.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

Spicy Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers

* Grilling * Healthy * Weeknight Winner*

I am in love with the seafood in southern Maryland!! I saw these gorgeous, colossal shrimp at the fish market and took them home! The helpful husband was dying to try out his spanking-new grill, so we opted for a spicy marinated shrimp and steak dinner. The shrimp were delicious – they had kick but it was not overwhelming. Since they only need to sit in the marinade for 30-60 minutes, these work perfectly on a weekday or weekend!

Spicy Grilled Jalapeño and Lime Shrimp Skewers

Courtesy of Cook’s Country

Serves 4

Marinade

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped (or more if desired)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp grated lime zest, plus 5 tbsp juice from 3 limes

6 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

Shrimp

1½ lbs extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ tsp sugar

1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

For the marinade: Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade; transfer remaining marinade to medium bowl.

For the shrimp: Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and butterfly. Add to bowl with marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coals) and burn until coals are covered with fine gray ash. Meanwhile, thread marinated shrimp on skewers and sprinkle one side of shrimp with sugar.

Pour coals into pile on one side of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and let heat for 5 minutes. Grill shrimp sugar side down over the hot part of the grill until lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip skewers and move them to cool side of grill. Close lid and let rest until other side of shrimp is no longer translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, slide shrimp into medium bowl and toss with reserved marinade. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

Port-Braised Short Ribs

* Make Ahead * Weekend Meal*

I can often be seen skulking down the aisles of a grocery store, my shopping cart conspicuously full of 10 or so packs of short ribs. It’s a bit of an obsession (I have the same problem when I see oxtails) – I have to buy all the ribs available when my grocery store has them in stock. Maybe it’s the fear that other people will discover them or it could be the wicked gleefulness I experience when packing these gorgeous nuggets into the freezer. Either way, I am an addict.

We’ve tried quite a few recipes (Korean braised, red-wine braised, apple-juice braised) and this one is tops for sure. My neighbor hailed them as, “The best short ribs ever.” My husband couldn’t talk for the first 5 minutes of the meal as his mouth was constantly full. And the kid’s ringing endorsement of, “Mmmmm!” required no translation.

Although you could throw these together on a weeknight, I’d suggest making this meal on a cooler spring weekend. Once everything is in the pot, you can let it simmer as long as you have patience. For us that was about 2 hours and then the fighting forks came out. We served them over buttered egg noodles with a sprinkling of fresh parsley. Heavenly.

Port-Braised Short Ribs

Courtesy of Cook’s Country

Serves 4 to 6

5 lbs beef short ribs (6 to 8 English-style ribs)

Salt and pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups low-sodium beef broth

1½ cups ruby port

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup Minute Tapioca

1 sprig fresh rosemary

First, let’s get our ingredients together. I always have everything out on the counter a) to make sure I know where everything is and b) to make sure I have everything (senility is a bitch!). (Please ignore the sand dollars in the background - we're still in the process of unpacking and my 20-month-old son has been helping.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375˚. Season ribs with salt and pepper and arrange bone-side up in roasting pan. Don’t worry if they’re crowded – they will shrink while cooking.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and roast until fat has rendered and ribs are browned, 1½ to 2 hours. Transfer ribs to paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons rendered beef fat and discard remaining drippings.

(While the ribs are cooking, cut up your onion, carrot, celery, garlic and parsley for garnish if desired.)

Reduce oven temperature to 300˚. Heat reserved fat in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onion, carrot, and celery until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, port, vinegar, tapioca, rosemary, and ribs to pot and bring to simmer.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened and ribs are completely tender, about 2 hours. Transfer ribs to serving platter. Strain and skim sauce. Serve, passing sauce at table. (For easier dining, I use a fork to shred the meat off the bone and serve it over egg noodles with some sauce ladled on top.)

Here is an up-close-and-personal look at the finished product. They are so succulent and juicy!

Make Ahead: Ribs and sauce can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, heat sauce and ribs together over medium heat until ribs are warmed through.

For a printable version of this recipe, please click here.

Please excuse the interruption in our regularly scheduled programming - my family is relocating to another state. I will be back as soon as humanly possible! In the meantime, keep calm and cook on!