Author: binner216@comcast.net

One Way to Stuff a Chicken Thigh

I’m always ready for a new cooking adventure, so the idea of stuffing a chicken thigh entered my mind. I love using boneless, skinless, chicken thighs because they are always tender, juicy, and flavorful. I love them grilled and they respond well to oven roasting too. In fact I have prepared them in many ways, but I’ve never tried to stuff them.

Tasty they may be, but they are not what one would call uniform in size and thickness. There are several muscles at play here  that create a flattening challenge. Patience and the tried and true meat mallet and plastic wrap finally resulted in a pretty even playing field.

A note here about fat. Thighs do have a certain amount of surface fat…juiciness does not occur in a vacuum after all. In a nod to health and fat intake I do remove most of that surface fat, but in another nod to tasting yummy, I leave a little on.

I decided that my filling would be a combination of good and evil. I started with crimini mushrooms and shallots. I sautéed them in a little olive oil until they were reduced to flavorful bits and spread them on the flattened thighs.Here is where the healthy train derailed a bit. I added a modest pat of Garlic Herb Cheese before rolling the thighs into plump torpedos. To help them stay rolled, I wrapped them in a strip of bacon.

I am having an ongoing love affair with sheet pan meals. I love the ease of having everything in one place even if they don’t always cook for the same amount of time. Once my little torpedoes were ready, I centered them on a foil-lined pan (another easy step; cleanup is throwing the foil away). They were surrounded by brussels sprouts, potatoes and onions, and maybe just a little more bacon which had gotten a bit of a head start. Everything was done in about 30 minutes.

The chicken was delicious even though a bit of the cheese oozed out (happily onto the vegetables). This was an elegant meal, suitable for company, but easy enough to be a welcome weeknight supper.

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Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Servings: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 4 Ounces Crimini Mushrooms Finely chopped
  • 1 Large Shallot Finely chopped
  • 1 Clove Garlic Finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Garlic Herb Cheese Like Alouette
  • 2 Strips Bacon
  • Salt & Pepper
Instructions

  1. Trim the excess fat off the chicken thighs. Using plastic wrap and  something flat and heavy, pound the thighs to as even a thickness as possible. Try to make them 1/2" thick or less.

  2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms and shallots and cook until golden. About 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Set aside.

  3. While the mushroom mixture is cooking, form the Garlic Herb Cheese into small logs. Wrap loosely and put in the freezer. Chilling the cheese will keep it from oozing out too much.

  4. Lay the thighs out smoother side down. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Divide the mushroom mixture between the the thighs. Top each with a garlic cheese log. Roll up carefully and wrap a strip of bacon around each thigh bundle. Secure with a toothpick if necessary.

  5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25- 30 minutes. Serve with sides of your choice.

To Make this a Sheet Pan Dinner
Note: To create a sheet pan dinner, toss brussels sprouts, chopped potatoes, and onions (or vegetables of your choice) with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and maybe a chopped strip of bacon. Roast at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes before adding the chicken to the center of the pan. Continue roasting as noted above.

As the title suggests, this is just one way to stuff a chicken thigh. Grab your meat mallet, use your imagination and create your own tasty torpedos.

Visions of Meatloaf Dancing in My Head

The holidays are approaching at seemingly warp speed. With shopping and baking and decorating it’s hard to give much thought to dinner. Dinner is still very important. It gives you the strength to shop and bake and decorate. So, my proposal is to stock the freezer with hearty meals filled with comfort and joy and more than enough love. Soups, casseroles and of course some wonderful marinara or bolognese make for a happy freezer (and dinner table). This musing isn’t about any of those. It’s about Meatloaf.

I love meatloaf. It can take so many wonderful forms. It is easy to make. Just combine any ground meat or meats of you choice with some eggs, bread crumbs, and seasonings and there you have it. I have made many varieties over the years and have shared one or two right here. This go round I’m sharing my new favorite. I love this meatloaf!!! My ground meat of choice was turkey, but this would work with any ground meat that you desire. Eggs and bread crumbs were there of course because I wanted the  meatloaf to remain a loaf and these two ingredients make the perfect glue. Onions are an absolute necessity and for this rendition I added some fresh spinach. Before they went into the bowl, I cooked them in a little olive oil. I like my meatloaf to have a smooth consistency and this seemed to do the trick. The last ingredients were grated Pecorino Romano and some Pesto ( click here for the recipe). In an unusual move on my part, I didn’t use garlic. Hard as that is to believe, this didn’t need it. The healthy dose of pesto provided just the right amount of garlic zing along with all of the other wonderful notes this beautiful green paste provides.

When times are busy, it’s good to cut prep time whenever possible. so I made a large batch and froze it in individual meatloaves. This reduces the baking time and I think they look really cute on the plate.

I took two of my mini loaves out of the freezer and and when they had thawed (safely in the refrigerator), I centered them on a rimmed baking sheet. Why that much room, you may ask. Because they would go into the oven on their own, but they wouldn’t be lonely for long. After about 10 minutes (give or take) I added some olive oil tossed green beans. These were frozen Haircots Verts. It’s winter here so fresh green beans, if they can be found, are not always very tasty. The frozen ones are always tasty no matter the weather. Another 15-20 minutes in the oven and my loaves and beans were ready for plating. Rounding out the dish and making this a comfort food classic was a scoop of creamy mashed potatoes.This was a plate of pure love and comfort and really took very little immediate effort on my part. Best of all, there are more little loaves in the freezer to bring tasty joy to the holidays.

Pesto and Spinach Meatloaf
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Pesto and Spinach Meatloaf
Print Recipe
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until soft and just beginning to brown.
  2. Add the chopped spinach and continue to cook until the spinach is very wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients, stirring until everything is blended together.
  4. Form into 4 small loaves. If you are not baking them immediately, freeze them in individual zip top bags.
  5. To bake immediately, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and place the loaves down the center.
  6. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Add the green beans to the pan spreading them around the loaves.
  7. Bake another 15 minutes or until the loaves are cooked through and the beans are tender crisp. Serve
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Mama D’s Best Pot Roast, Ever

We are definitely falling into winter. The days are shorter, the air is colder, and snow has dusted the ground more than once. Hearty comfort food seems like the thing to do. It was time to come to grips with my love/ hate relationship with Pot Roast. Perhaps hate is too strong a word. Maybe I just haven’t had the perfect pot roast. I am here in the winter laden Midwest for the long (cold) haul, so the time has come to find it.

What I’ve always loved about pot roast is how it makes the house smell. My challenge was developing a recipe that tasted as good to me as it smelled. I looked at lots of recipes from slow cooker style to Beef a la Mode and everything in between.

I decided that oven braising would give me the aroma that I loved and would make the apartment warm and toasty too. This also gave me a reason to use my large Dutch Oven. Porcelain clad cast iron, bright red, and weighing in at about 15 pounds, its ability to hold heat evenly would be just the vessel to house my roast. Granted moving it from place to place was an upper body workout in itself, but the effort would be worth it.

I like the traditional vegetable trio of onions, carrots, and potatoes so I knew they would be active participants. I can’t do anything without garlic, and bacon is my guilty pleasure so they had to be in the mix as well. My herb of choice is rosemary which was still growing on the balcony. So, now that I had my cast of characters in place it was time to get on with the show.

The perfect pot roast starts with the perfect chuck roast. Boneless, well marbled, and weighing in at around three pounds it was ready for its closeup. I heated my dutch oven to screaming hot on the stove, added some olive oil and plopped the roast in and covered it with a splatter screen. The browning had to be extreme and the screen kept the kitchen and Papa D from getting too upset. Once it was delightfully brown on all sides, I removed it from the pan and added some thick peppered bacon that I had chopped up. Then came onions. Lots and lots of onions. I let them soften and begin to brown before I added an almost obscene amount of garlic. Once everything looked perfect, I nestled the roast back in. Braising requires liquid to gently surround the roast so I used a combination of beef stock, red wine, and Worcestershire sauce. Simple and traditional, but that can be a very good thing.

All that was left to do was cover it and pop it into a low (300 degree) oven. The dutch oven now had to be weighing far more than 15 pounds so I didn’t pop it in as much as I grit my teeth, held my breath, and shoved it in. It spent the next hour and a half getting extremely happy and perfuming my home beautifully.

I pulled the pan out of the oven (the maneuver was a modified clean jerk) and added some gold creamer potatoes and baby carrots. The cover went on and the pan went back in the oven. While everything cooked for another hour, I iced my biceps and had a glass of wine.

Finally it was time to bring it all together. The roast was perfectly done. Tender and juicy, but holding itself together. I admired its beautiful brown crust as I moved it to the platter.  I lifted all the lovely vegetables out of the pan and heated the golden liquids on the stove adding a splash more of wine to help loosen all the yummy bits. I shook up a slurry of water and flour and whisked it into the gravy. I let it bubble for a few minutes while I cut the roast into respectable slices.

Mama D's Perfect Pot Roast
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Servings
6
Servings
6
Mama D's Perfect Pot Roast
Print Recipe
Servings
6
Servings
6
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Season the roast generously with salt and pepper. Heat a 6 Qt. Dutch Oven over high heat.
  2. Add the olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. Add the meat and sear until well browned on all sides. Remove the roast from the pan and set it aside.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon and let it soften for a minute or two. Add the onions and toss to coat. Cook until the onions begin to soften. and brown.
  4. Add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer. Remove the pan from the heat and nestle the roast back in.
  5. Combine the stock, wine, and worcestershire sauce. Pour around the roast. The liquid should come about halfway up the roast.
  6. Tuck the rosemary sprigs around the meat. Cover the pan and place in a preheated 300 degree oven. Roast for 1-1/2 hours
  7. Add the potatoes and carrots to the pan, tucking them around the roast. Cover and continue to roast until the vegetables are tender, approximately 1 hour.
  8. Remove the roast from the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Leave all the liquid in the pan.
  9. Place the pan on medium heat and add a splash of wine. Scrape up any brown bits. Shake together the flour and water and stir into the pan liquids.
  10. Simmer the gravy until it thickens. Slice the meat. Drizzle with a little of the gravy. Put the rest of the gravy in a bowl to pass at the table. Serve with the vegetables.
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The result was a plate of goodness. The roast was oh so tender and still tasted like the wonderful beef that it was. The veggies were melt in your mouth delicious. We cleaned our plates and filled them again. We made ourselves stop so that we could enjoy Pot Roast sandwiches on another day.

At Summer’s End…Corn & Tomatoes

It is the middle of September here in Illinois. Our Summer (and what a summer it was) is winding down, but isn’t quite ready to surrender to Fall. As much as I love Fall, these last summer days are quite splendid. A most recent one was everything a day at this time of year should be; warm and sunny, and best of all very little humidity.

It was a day for an outing. Nothing big or extravagant, just some time to be out in weather that we will be wistfully looking back on in a few months. We ventured out to Oswego, a small town not far from home. Like many towns in this area it was originally a farm town that has succumbed to a bit of suburban sprawl in recent years. In spite of that, there are still areas that hold on to that small town charm.

Our first stop was at Fox Valley Winery. This is a family owned winery that we have visited for many years. Father and son have been making wine using mostly Illinois grapes for longer than that. While many of the wines are sweet, there are several that are delightfully dry, and one was the perfect choice for this day.This Rose is a blend of Landot Noir, Vignoles, and Chambourcin grapes all grown in Illinois. The result is a dry rose with a lot of body and just the right amount of fruitiness. Paired with a modest cheese plate  and enjoyed on the patio it was a delightful lunch. Even though the winery sits on the edge of a semi-busy highway, the lush hedges and beautiful surroundings make it easy to tune out the occasional road noise. When the colder weather does arrive, we will move inside to enjoy another wine, Petite Pearl, in front of the massive fireplace.

As we sat and enjoyed our wine and cheese, we mused about the plan for dinner. This is Illinois corn country and having grown up here we are corn snobs. While we will occasionally try “imported” corn, nothing tastes better than corn grown close to home. This is by the calendar a little late for corn around here, but this has been an unusual Summer and we wondered if  there might be a farm stand that still had corn. As luck would have it, a quick Google search told us that there was a farm stand nearby that might be able to help us out. That led us to Keller’s.

While not quite as big as some “Farm Stands” in the area, Keller’s does offer activities and wares three out of the four seasons. Like me, Keller’s is on the cusp of the changing seasons; offering the end of the summer bounty while constructing their Corn Maze and laying out their Pumpkin Patch. The barn was in transition as well. Bags of apples (they have a Pick Your Own Orchard) and bins of gourds, and mini pumpkins shared space with corn, tomatoes and peppers.

After a quick stroll around the barn, we headed for the corn table. We filled our bag with as much as we thought we could eat at one meal (Papa Diehl’s appetite for fresh corn is somewhat of a legend). Knowing that I was going to need the biggest pot in my kitchen, I opted to round out the meal simply with some fresh tomatoes. I figured that I would decide on the protein later. With our treasure trove of corn and tomatoes it really didn’t matter. The husked corn and ruby tomatoes were things of beauty.

Here is how I cook corn: Fill a pot big enough for the corn to have some room with water. Add the corn and about a tablespoon or two of sugar. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and leave it on the burner covered for about 20 minutes (a little less time if the ears are small). Serve with butter, salt, and pepper to taste. That’s it. Pretty straight forward and it always works.

The tomatoes were so beautiful, sweet, and juicy that all they needed was salt pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

So we toasted the end of summer with another glass of the Fox Valley Rose as we ate the corn and tomatoes to our hearts content. I think that there might have been some Grilled Country Ribs (that are now in the refrigerator) on the plate, but it really didn’t matter.

When I think back about this summer, this may be one of my fondest memories; sweet corn that has just enough juicy crunch to delight the palate and the sweet and salty taste of sliced tomatoes. So simple, so fresh, so perfect.

Panzanella-Palooza: The Summer Edition

Over the years I have sung the praises of the Panzanella Salad. Italian peasant fare, vegetables combined with dry bread cubes and a vinaigrette dressing. It is an established fact that if it is summer there will be panzanella salad in Mama D’s Kitchen of Love. This summer is no exception. In fact it has become the reigning go to supper here, appearing at least weekly in various shapes and forms.

Panzanella got its start in Tuscany long ago with onions being the star of the show. Later tomatoes took over that position and modern panzanella was born. Bread, usually stale has also been a principle player. Thrifty Tuscans didn’t want even the most stale bread to go to waste so they would soak it in water and add vegetables to make a meal. This is probably how it got its name. Pane means bread and zanella means deep bowl. If you have wet bread and vegetables you are going to need a deep bowl.

Making so many Panzanella salads this summer I have come to a few conclusions. I wanted to share some of those along with a recipe or two in case you want this to be your Panzanella-Palooza Summer, too.

  1. The bread you use is important, it is bread salad after all. The bread should be sturdy, crusty and maybe a little stale. Sourdough is my current bread of choice. I am always searching for a loaf that has the flavor and smell to take me back to San Francisco. La Brea Bread Company (available at Caputo’s) makes one and I just got another great loaf at Mariano’s bakery. Don’t worry if your bread isn’t stale. You backyard grill or even your oven can create the perfect croutons for your salad.There are lots of other good choices including Ciabatta and French. I’ve made several wonderful salads with Multigrain Baguettes as well. Use what you love or have on hand.
  2. Tomatoes get lonely so give them some company. Summer vegetables are hitting their stride right now and most of them play well with tomatoes. Onions should always be invited to the party. Cucumbers, bell peppers, summer squash and zucchini are great bowl mates too. Artichoke hearts (I use frozen for convenience) are a welcome addition as well. If you love the vegetable it will love being in your salad.
  3. Having a variety of vegetables makes for great flavors. Having a variety of textures makes for a great salad. I like to mix raw and cooked vegetables to achieve that wonderfully interesting balance. This summer, I have been grilling many of the vegetables. Tomatoes, onions, and peppers have all had a turn on the grill before jumping into a salad. Tomatoes grilled just enough to release their juices combine beautifully with crunchy red onions….etc.
  4. When it comes to dressing, simple is probably better. The recipe below is not very complex, but if you are feeling a bit fancy it is a great match up to any salad.
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    Mediterranean Vinaigrette

    A twist on the classic vinaigrette with plenty of lemon and more than a hint of garlic. Add any fresh herbs of your choice. This is wonderful on a Greek salad, but it would be equally delightful as a dressing for grilled vegetable or a pasta salad. It makes a great marinade as well.

    Ingredients
    • 1 Medium Lemon Juice and zest
    • 2 Cloves Garlic Grated
    • 1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
    • 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes Optional, to taste
    • 3 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Herbs Parsley, thyme, basil, or you choice
    • Kosher Salt and Pepper To taste
    • 1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
    • 1/4 Cup Olive oil
    Instructions

    1. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake until completely blended. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

    As the summer has gone on, I have stripped it down. Some good olive oil warmed with a few smashed garlic cloves is a lovely base. Combined with a flavorful vinegar, salt and pepper it lets the beauty of the vegetables shine through.

  5. Add some protein and make your salad a meal. Use anything that sounds good to you. Leftover chicken, cured meats, beans, grilled sausage or steak all work well. Then there is cheese. Who doesn’t love cheese? Fresh mozzarella or cubed Asiago have found there way into my salads, but the best discovery has been Grilled Feta. It is firm and dense enough to hold up to the grill’s heat though it does need to be watched carefully. The time and effort is worth it.
  6. Herbs make everything better. Chop up a handful of whatever you love and add them to the salad. Basil, parsley, and chives are my current go tos.Here is a Basic Recipe for a Summer Panzanella Salad…it is very grill forward and leaves room for all kinds of interpretation.
    Print
    Summer Panzanella Salad

    A basic recipe for Panzanella salad that takes advantage of Summer's bounty.

    Servings: 2
    Ingredients
    • 3-4 Ounces Crusty Bread Stale is great!
    • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
    • 2 Cloves Garlic Smashed
    • 1 Medium Onion Any variety
    • 2-3 Medium Tomatoes
    • 2 Cups Chopped Vegetables Whatever you love
    • 1/2 Cup Chopped Herbs Any variety to taste
    • 2 Tbsp. Vinegar Your choice
    • 1 Cup Chopped Protein Anything
    • 2 Ounces Cheese
    • Salt & Pepper To Taste
    Instructions

    1. In a small pan heat the oil and garlic gently . Once the garlic begins to sizzle take it off the heat and let it steep.

    2. Slice the bread about 1 inch thick. Brush both cut sides with a little of the olive oil and toast in the oven or on the grill. It should be dry and lightly browned. Let it cool then cut it into cubes. Place in the bottom of a deep bowl.

    3. If you are grilling vegetables, brush them lightly with some of the garlic olive oil and place on a medium grill. Tomatoes can be cut in half horizontally  and will only take a few minutes. Cherry tomatoes can be skewered. Other vegetables whether cooked whole or chopped should be tender and lightly charred. Cut any whole vegetables into bite size pieces. Put these on top of the bread cubes.

    4. Cut or chop raw vegetables into bite size pieces. Roughly chop the herbs. Cut your protein into bite size pieces as well. All of these can be put on top of the bread cubes. Toss everything together.

    5. Add the vinegar to the remaining garlic olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. If the salad seems a bit dry add a bit more olive oil. 

    6. Let the salad sit for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.  Taste and adjust any seasonings. Divide between 2 plates and serve.

    As you can see, this is a very general and basic recipe that will lend itself to any direction you want to head in. There are so many vegetables that would enjoy winding up in this kind of salad. Play around..that’s part of what Summer is all about. Know too, that as Fall approaches and winter comes along, there will be lots more Panzanella Salads.