Wednesday Recipes

Here are today's six recipes. Enjoy!

TARRAGON CHICKEN

This comes from Nigella Lawson in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Nigella wrote, “I hesitate even to call this a recipe. Don't think of that sauce-heavy French traditional dish, but rather a quick way of infusing poultry with a liquorish herbal hit of summery freshness. You can marinate it in the fridge all day in advance, but if planning ahead is not one of your strengths, then know that even half an hour at room temperature does its bit.” Time: 1 hour; makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 3- to 4-pound chicken

3/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup olive oil

Malden salt or other flaky sea salt

Preparation

Butterfly chicken by placing it breast-side down and, using kitchen shears, cutting along both sides of backbone and through small rib bones. Discard backbone, and place chicken in a large plastic bag with zipper. Add 1/2 cup tarragon, the lemon juice and zest, and olive oil. Expel as much air as possible from bag, and make sure marinade coats chicken. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour and up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan, spread flat, breast side up. Roast until skin is crisp and golden, 35 to 45 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt to taste, and cut into 8 serving pieces. Transfer to a platter, and garnish with remaining tarragon. Serve, if desired, with salad and roasted potatoes.

CHOCOLATE BABKA

This comes from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “Baking a chocolate babka is no casual undertaking. The Eastern European yeast-risen coffee cake has 14 steps and takes all day to make. But the results are worth every sugarcoated second – with a moist, deeply flavored brioche-like cake wrapped around a dark fudge filling, then topped with cocoa streusel crumbs.

“If you want to save yourself a little work and love Nutella, you can substitute 1 1/2 cup of it for the homemade fudge filling. Also note that you can make this over a few days instead of all at once. Babka freezes well for up to 3 months, so if you need only one loaf now, freeze the other for later.” Makes 2 loaves.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

1/2 cup whole milk

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus a pinch

4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing bowls and pans

For the Fudge Filling:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Pinch kosher salt

6 ounces/170 grams extra bittersweet chocolate, preferably between 66 and 74 percent cocoa, coarsely chopped

8 tablespoons/1 stick unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Streusel:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the Syrup:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan or a bowl in the microwave, warm the milk until it’s lukewarm but not hot (about 110 degrees). Add yeast and a pinch of sugar and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until slightly foamy.

In an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, or in a food processor, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the lemon zest (if using) and the nutmeg. (If you don't have a mixer or processor, use a large bowl and a wooden spoon.) Beat or process in the yeast mixture and eggs until the dough comes together in a soft mass, about 2 minutes. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl and doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon more flour at a time until it does, beating very well in between additions.

Add half the butter and beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Beat in the rest of the butter and continue to beat or pulse until the dough is smooth and stretchy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Again, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Butter a clean bowl, form the dough into a ball and roll it around in the bowl so all sides are buttered. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place (inside of a turned-off oven with the oven light on is good) until it puffs and rises, about 1 to 2 hours. It may not double in bulk but it should rise.

Press the dough down with your hands, re-cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (or, in a pinch, for at least 4 hours, but the flavor won't be as developed).

Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cream and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into a bowl. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Filling can be made up to a week ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before using.

Prepare the streusel: In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Stir in melted butter until it is evenly distributed and forms large, moist crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Streusel can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.

Prepare the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 2/3 cup/158 milliliters water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.

Butter two 9-inch loaf pans, then line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of paper hanging over on the sides to use as handles later.

Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll one piece into a 9-by-17-inch rectangle. Spread with half the filling (there's no need to leave a border). Starting with a long side, roll into a tight coil. Transfer the coil onto a dish towel or piece of plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer for 10 minutes. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

Slice one of the dough coils in half lengthwise to expose the filling. Twist the halves together as if you were braiding them, then fold the braid in half so it’s about 9 inches long. Place into a prepared pan, letting it curl around itself if it’s a little too long for the pan. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until puffy (it won’t quite double). Alternatively, you can cover the pans with plastic wrap and let them rise in the refrigerator overnight; bring them back to room temperature for an hour before baking.

When you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Use your fingers to clump streusel together and scatter all over the tops of the cakes. Transfer to oven and bake until a tester goes into the cakes without any rubbery resistance and comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. The cakes will also sound hollow if you unmold them and tap on the bottom. An instant-read thermometer will read between 185 and 210 degrees.

As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, use a skewer or paring knife to pierce them all over going all the way to the bottom of the cakes, and then pour the syrup on top of the cakes, making sure to use half the syrup for each cake.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

CHICKEN IN MUSTARD

This comes from Melissa d’Arabian of The Food Network’s Ten Dollar Dinners. Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Inactive Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/chicken-in-mustard-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

1/4 pound white button mushrooms, quartered

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock, plus more if needed

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sour cream

Super Buttered Noodles, recipe follows

Super Buttered Noodles:

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 pound egg noodles

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon sour cream

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse and dry the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs on both sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the Dutch oven and cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and flour and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flour flavor, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tarragon. Turn up the heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine, allowing to bubble for a minute or two. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven. Add enough chicken stock to reach halfway up the sides of the chicken. Cover, place in the oven, and braise for 45 minutes, removing the lid halfway through.

When finished, remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add the mustard and sour cream and whisk to blend well. Return the chicken to the pan and allow the flavors to meld before serving, about 5 minutes. Serve over Super Buttered Noodles.

Super Buttered Noodles:

In a large pot filled with boiling water, dissolve the bouillon cubes and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander and then nestle the colander into the pot so some of the pasta water goes into the pot as the pasta continues to drain. Remove the colander and stir the butter and sour cream into the pot until the butter melts. Add the parsley and the noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine well. Pour into a serving bowl and serve.

SKILLET ROSEMARY CHICKEN

This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. Total Time: 40 min; Prep: 15 min; Cook: 25 min; Yield: 4 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/skillet-rosemary-chicken-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large

Kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves

1 clove garlic, smashed

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

BIG CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

This comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman. Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Prep: 20 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 25 min; Yield: 12 to 14 servings; Level: Easy

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/big-chocolate-birthday-cake-recipe.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

Cake:

4 sticks butter, plus more for greasing

8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups boiling water

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 whole eggs, beaten

Frosting:

3 cups heavy cream

24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.

Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.

For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.

Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.

Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

ASIAN CHICKEN WITH PEACHES

This comes from the Tablespoon e-newsletter, and begins, “So many flavors, so little time! You can get this easy supper on your table in less than an hour.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.


Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 lb)

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups pitted sliced peaches, thawed if frozen

2 green onions, whites and greens separated, sliced on the bias

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Lime wedges

Cooked white rice

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. In 12-inch ovenpoof skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Rub chicken breasts with salt; add to skillet. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until browned on first side. Turn; cook 3 to 4 minutes longer or until browned on second side. Transfer to plate; cover to keep warm.

Add peaches and green onion whites to skillet; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until beginning to brown. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar and the water; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until caramelized. Remove from heat.

In small bowl, mix remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar, the rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. Place chicken on top of peaches in skillet; brush rice vinegar mixture over breasts. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Top with green onion greens. Serve with lime wedges and rice.