Two of the people in my life are my childhood friends Jennifer and Carolyn. We were friends in Junior High school in Watertown, South Dakota until I was dragged across country at 15 to live in New England (sorry mom and dad). Back in prehistoric times, aka as the 80's, if you didn't write a letter and send it via Pony Express you lost touch. We had a thing called "long distance phone calls" and they simply cost to much so I wasn't allowed to make any and therefore I lost touch with everyone.
Fast forward to 2008 and I find myself on Facebook and reconnecting with a lot of my SD friends. We have all grown into different people then we were back when Loverboy was on the radio, but we have found new interests that intertwine us. For Jennifer, Carolyn and , it is the love of all things food. We are foodies, if you will.
One day in January Jen posted that she had started to cook her way through Melissa Clark's cookbook "In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite".
Through that posting she suggested the following recipe for Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli. It was so easy and yummy! I got the recipe off of google and made it a few nights later. S really enjoyed it and even though it says that it serves 4, it served 2 very hungry adults!
Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
Serves 4
2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2. Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.
I served it with some basmati rice and a dirty martini, thank you very much!
Fast forward a week and Carolyn posts that she made the following two recipes for her family. That's it. I am biting the bullet. I am buying this cookbook now!
We had a few teenagers eating this meal with us and they loved it. I am not a fan of dark meat so I added a few chicken breasts into the mix. I cooked them for about 15 minutes longer then the drumsticks. I also doubled the recipe to make sure that I had enough of the yummy sauce to ladle on the chicken. Granted, I had to brush my teeth after eating this meal due to the double garlic but my heart loved it all!
Not-My-Grandma's Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Oregano
serves 2
1-1/2 lbs. chicken drumsticks
1 tsp kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
EVOO, as needed
5 garlic cloves
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 large lemon
2 tsp dried oregano
(a) Preheat broiler. Rinse the chicken, pat dry with paper towels, and place in 9 x 13 pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Broil the chicken, turning once, until light golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
(b) While the chicken is broiling, make a garlic paste by either using a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic with 1 tsp kosher salt or mincing the garlic with a heavy knife, then using the flat side to smear and mash the garlic and salt into a paste. Alternatively, you can make the paste in a blender if your blender can handle such a small amount. (I minced with a knife and smashed together). Stir the lemon juice and the remaining 1/2 tsp pepper into the garlic paste.
(c) Lower the oven temperature to 425. Using a pastry brush or spoon, slather the chicken on all sides with 1/3rd of the garlic mixture, a sprinkling of the oregano, and a drizzle of oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, slathering more of the garlic mixture, oregano and oil in two more additions (approx. every 7-10 minutes). The chicken is done when it's golden brown and cooked through.
OMG!!! So very juicy, tender and pure yumminess.
Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad
Serves 6-8
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
2 heads broccoli, 1 lb. each, cut into bite-size florets
3/4 c. EVOO
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. roasted (Asian) sesame oil
lg. pinch crushed red pepper flakes
First, in a large bowl stir together the vinegar and salt. Add the broccoli and toss to combine. (I used a bit more vinegar). Then, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute (smells awesome). Stir in the sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or chilled, up to 48 hours. Adjust the seasonings if necessary and serve.
Melissa calls this sexy broccoli. I am betting if Mrs. Bush made broccoli this way that the President would have liked it...no LOVED it. I think the next time I am in Kennebunkport I will make my way to Walker Point with a big bowl and see if I can share it with the President. This dish is incredible. The acid of the vinegar "cooks" the broccoli similar to the way a ceviche is accomplished. Look how beautiful and bright green the broccoli got without cooking it.
The fourth and final recipe is for Chili. I asked S what he would like for me to make for Superbowl Sunday and this is what he requested. I have been on a quest for the chili that would satisfy what S was looking for in a big bowl of meat and beans. He likes my standard chili, which is from the Silver Palate cookbook, but it wasn't his favorite.I think it was too "fancy" for him vs. the basic all-American classic chili. I have tried other recipes and they have too much cumin for his taste. I found Melissa's recipe on the New York Times website. This one,unfortunately, is not in her cookbook but it is the winner.
Melissa Clark's Classic Beef and Bean Chili
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup mild chili powder, plus additional, to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne, or to taste
3 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Sour cream, for serving if desired
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Brown the beef, breaking up with a fork, until golden brown and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Remove beef with a slotted fork to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot.
Add the onion, pepper and garlic; saute until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cumin and cayenne and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 1/2 cups water and remaining 2 teaspoons salt; simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
Here is my half eaten bowl with some shredded cheese nicely melted throughout. S loved it and it is now my go to chili.
So there you have it. The four Melissa Clark recipes that I have tried and loved. I am now going to pour myself another cup of coffee, figure out what I would like to try next in this joyful cookbook and dream about the day that Jennifer, Carolyn and I are in a kitchen cooking together from this cookbook. It might be when we are using walkers and need hearing aids but trust me, it will happen. We will invite Melissa Clark and Zuckerberg. I am sure they will be dying to join us.
