Tag Archives: main dish

Polenta with Sausage and Peppers

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This creamy polenta is a great base for a weeknight meal. Cooking the polenta over the lowest setting limits sticking and eliminates the need for stirring, while a pinch of baking soda speeds up cooking. One of the toppings for serving over the polenta that could be prepared simultaneously is juicy sausage, tender vegetables, and a savory sauce that clings to the polenta.

This recipe was developed with Bob’s Red Mill yellow corn polenta. Coarse-ground grits also work well. Avoid quick-cooking or instant polenta and cornmeal. Either sweet or spicy Italian sausage links work fine. Make the choice depending on the tolerance of the eaters.

Creamy Polenta

  • Servings: 4 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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POLENTA

Ingredients

  • 4 ½ cups water
  • 1 cup coarse-ground polenta
  • 1 tsp. table salt
  • Pinch baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

Directions

  1. Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Whisk in polenta, salt, and baking soda. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk until smooth, cover, and continue to cook until grains are tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes. (The polenta should be loose and barely hold its shape when drizzled from whisk; it will continue to thicken as it cools.)
  3. Remove from heat, whisk in butter and Parmesan, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep covered until ready to serve.

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Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

TOPPINGS

Sausage and Peppers Topping

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • ½ cup water
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
  • 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
  • ¼ tsp. table salt
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Bring sausage and water to simmer in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook until sausages register at least 135 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. (If skillet contents begin to sizzle, add ¼ cup water.)
  2. Uncover and, using paring knife, pierce each sausage in 8 to 10 spots to release fat and juices. Continue to cook, uncovered, moving sausages as necessary, until dark fond forms on bottom of skillet, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer sausages to cutting board.
  3. Add garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits. Add peppers, onion, and salt; increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently until vegetables have softened, 6 to 8  minutes. Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and stir until no lumps of flour remain. Add chicken broth and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer.
  4. Slice each sausage in half diagonally. Return sausages to skillet, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over polenta and sprinkle with parsley.

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Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated

Pan-Fried Breaded Pork Chops

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Look for beautiful good-quality pork, such as Berkshire, and ask for center-cut loin chops with bone. That being said, we were recipients of some meat from a recently butchered pig. Our friends gifted us a few cuts that were already wrapped in freezer paper. When we thawed them, we realized there were two loin and two shoulder chops, as opposed to center-cut loin chops. In the end, it didn’t make any difference.

For the bread crumbs, use day-old firm white sandwich bread or French loaf, cubed and whirled in a food processor, for about three cups of soft, fluffy crumbs. Take note: dry, fine store-bought crumbs will not yield the same result.

Make sure to fry these chops very gently over medium-high heat, to allow the bread-crumb coating to brown slowly, creating a crisp, golden crust. We paired ours with some Spanish-Style Butter Beans and toasted garlic bread.

The most important thing is to bread the chops early and let sit uncovered in the fridge for a couple of hours. It really makes a difference. The crust sautés beautifully without being greasy or falling off.

Pan-Fried Breaded Pork Chops

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 (8-oz.) center-cut pork chops, about ½-inch thick
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup milk
  • Small pinch of cayenne powder
  • All-purpose flour, for sprinkling
  • 3 cups fresh bread crumbs (from 8 slices crustless day-old sandwich bread)
  • 1 cup clarified butter/ghee, extra-virgin olive oil or lard, plus more as needed
  • Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

  1. Lay pork chops on a baking sheet, and season well on both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Combine eggs and milk in a low, flat bowl. Season with salt, pepper and the small pinch of cayenne.
  3. Sprinkle flour generously over the chops on both sides, then shake off excess.
  4. Submerge the floured chops in the egg mixture, and turn them over several times to coat well. Leave chops in egg mixture for 5 minutes.
  5. Use your left hand to remove a chop from the batter and drain off excess liquid. Place chop on a baking sheet and, with your right hand, heavily sprinkle with bread crumbs on both sides. Repeat with remaining chops.
  6. Sprinkle each chop again with crumbs, patting with your hand to make sure crumbs adhere and coat well. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to fry.
  7. Set a wide cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add clarified butter to a depth of ½ inch. When butter is hot, lay in the chops without crowding, and let them fry very gently, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until beautifully golden brown. (Turn down heat if they seem to be browning too fast.) If your pan is small, cook in 2 batches and keep finished chops warm in a 250-degree oven.
  8. Blot cooked chops on paper towels. Transfer to a warm platter or individual plates. Serve with lemon wedges.

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Recipe by Davis Tanis for The NYTimes Cooking

Spring Chicken With Mushroom and Lemon

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For a main course, chicken-noodle anything is always an attractive option, and here, boneless, skinless chicken thighs come together with button mushrooms and a sauce of chicken broth, white wine and crème fraîche for a bright, filling stew.

To make it sparkle, it’s all finished with a generous handful of tender sweet herbs and lots — lots! — of lemon zest. To serve, ladle over egg noodles, or fresh pasta, such as pappardelle; all are a good choice.

Spring Chicken With Mushroom and Lemon

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1 lb. button mushrooms, or a mix of other mushrooms, sliced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, for dusting
  • 2 large shallots, diced
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • ½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 12 oz. wide egg noodles or wide-cut pasta, for serving
  • ¼ cup crème fraîche
  • 1 cup frozen peas (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp. snipped chives
  • 2 Tbsp. roughly chopped dill
  • 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped tarragon
  • 1 Tbsp. roughly chopped mint
  • 3 Tbsp. roughly chopped chervil or parsley
  • Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 Tbsp.)

Directions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When butter sizzles, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer mushrooms to a plate, and set aside.
  2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dust lightly with flour; shake off excess. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same Dutch oven and turn heat to medium. When butter sizzles, add half of the chicken, letting it brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove from the pot. Add remaining chicken and repeat, setting aside the chicken. (You may have to add more butter or oil.)
  3. Add shallots to the Dutch oven, and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bay leaf and wine, and simmer for about 2 minutes, scraping the pot to deglaze any browned bits. Return chicken to pot and turn heat to high.
  4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, then raise heat to high and let liquid reduce by half, about 5 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, cook noodles or pasta in salted water.
  6. Add reserved mushrooms, crème fraîche and peas, if using, to the stew. Reduce sauce again, until thickened to a gravy- like consistency, a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. To finish, stir in half of the chives, dill, tarragon, mint, chervil and lemon zest, reserving part of the herb mix to sprinkle over top.
  7. Drain noodles or pasta, transfer to a warm serving platter and spoon chicken and sauce on top, and finish with more of the herb mixture.

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Recipe by David Tanis for NYTimes Cooking

Chickpea, Chard and Porcini Soup

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This hearty soup gets its big flavors from the earthiness of porcini mushrooms. If desired, use canned white beans, such as cannellini, instead of the chickpeas, and kale or spinach in place of chard.

Feel free to add in additions of your own. We included a bay leave and about 1/2-pound of small baby potatoes that were quartered. And for some odd reason, those small potato pieces took much longer to get soft, so keep checking on them, if using.

The porcini broth was a bit underwhelming so The Hubs decided to enhance the flavor with some mushroom flavored Better Than Bouillon. When cooled, we covered and refrigerated the soup overnight, then reheated some for lunch the next day, it was delicious!!

Chickpea, Chard and Porcini Soup

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  • 3 cups hot water
  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (may substitute vegan butter, such as Earth Balance)
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • One (14 -oz.) can diced tomatoes, plus their juices
  • One (14 -oz.) can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups baby potatoes quartered (optional)
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
  • 1/4 tsp. fine sea or table salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 oz. (1 bunch) Swiss chard, stemmed and shredded
  • Parmesan, hard goat cheese or other flavorful hard cheese, shaved (optional; may substitute vegan Parmesan)

Directions

  1. Soak the porcini in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, reserving the soaking water. Rinse the mushrooms briefly under cold water (they can be gritty), pat dry with a clean dish towel and coarsely chop. Strain the mushroom soaking liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels into a bowl.
  2. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the olive oil with the butter. When the mixture is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, rosemary, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and simmer gently until the flavors meld, 20 to 30 minutes. Add the chard and cook until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
  4. If the soup seems too thick, thin it out with a little water. Discard the rosemary. Taste and add salt and/or pepper as needed.
  5. Ladle into warmed bowls, drizzle over some olive oil, and top with the cheese shavings, if using. Serve hot.

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Recipe from the Washington Post

Butter-Lemon Roasted Chicken with Herbs

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A whole roasted chicken with citrus and fresh herbs always brings me back to my childhood when Mom would make Sunday dinner and serve her Orange Juice Chicken/Turkey. To this day, whenever The Hubs and I cook a similar recipe, those warm memories come flooding back.

This simple roasted chicken recipe from Milk Street makes a buttery yet bright sauce. Tucking fresh herbs and lemon halves in the cavity flavors the juices for the incredible sauce; cooking mellows the lemon’s acidity. We used a mix of rosemary and tarragon sprigs for the cavity, and chopped for a garnish.

Roasting on a flat wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet allows for improved circulation, resulting in better browning and even cooking. Resulting in a super-juicy chicken with crispy skin.

With just a handful of ingredients, and a mostly hands-off approach, this dish comes together quickly. While the bird roasts in the oven, you can attend to your guests, and/or prepare any sides you wish to serve.

Butter-Lemon Roasted Chicken with Herbs

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4-lb. whole chicken, patted ry, fat near the cavity removed and discarded
  • 6 tarragon OR rosemary OR thyme OR flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 1 Tbsp. chopped
  • 1 lemon, halved crosswise
  • 1 Tbsp.extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and ground pepper
  • 3/4 cup dry wine
  • 4 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into 4 pieces

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Place the chicken on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Place the lemon halves and the herb sprigs in the cavity, tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and tuck the wings back.
  3. Brush the bird with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the thighs reach 175°F, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. tilt the chicken so the juices run out of the cavity into the pan, transfer to a cutting board; let rest.
  4. Meanwhile remove the rack and pour half of the wine onto the baking sheet. Scrape up any browned bits, then pour the mixture into a medium suace pan; add the remaining wine. Simmer over medium until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat, untie the chicken, remove and reserve the lemon halves. Carve the chicken, transfer to a platter and pour on any accumulated juices. Return the sauce to simmer, then remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted.
  6. Add chopped herbs, then squeeze in 2 tablespoon juice from the lemon halves. Season to taste. Serve the sauce with the chicken.

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Recipe from Milk Street

Braised Chicken with Endive

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This Braised Chicken with Endive is a reinterpretation of coq au vin. This Food & Wine recipe features white wine-marinated chicken thighs and caramelized endive in a gorgeous pan sauce. So yes, we fell in love with yet another braised chicken dish. The flavors are just amazing, and amped up by using homemade chicken stock which bursts with depth of flavor.

You may have to brown the chicken in two batches (we did), so as not to crowd them in the pan which would steam the thighs causing flaccid skin. Not the result you are looking for.

If you’ve never had braised endive, you are in for a treat! Mske sure to get Belgian endive, which is shaped like a torpedo and grows to about six inches in length. It has tender white leaves with either yellow or red-colored leaf edges. The leaves offer a soft texture and delicate crunch with a pleasantly bitter flavor.

And our potato side dish also used homemade chicken stock and were the creamiest little spuds ever!

Braised Chicken with Endive

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, fat trimmed
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 tsp. black ppper
  • 3 thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 4 Belgian endive heads, trimmed and halved lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped mixed tender herbs (such as chives, parsley and tarragon)
  • Crusty bread for serving

Directions

  1. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; place in large bowl. Add wine, and turn chicken to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in refrigerator at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken from bowl; reserve 1/2 cup of the wine liquid. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, and sprinkle evenly with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; set aside.
  3. Cook bacon in a large nonreactive skillet over medium, stirring often until crisp and fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a small bowl; set aside. Reserve rendered fat in skillet. Place chicken thighs skin side down in skillet. Cook over medium-high, undisturbed until skin is deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer chicken skin side up to a large plate, set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet, discard the remaining drippings.
  4. Return skillet to heat over medium-high. Add endive halves, cut sides down. Cook, undisturbed until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip endive cut sides up, and add stock, cooked bacon, and reserved 1/2 cup of white wine. Nestle chicken skin side up, in skillet. Bring to a boil over high.
  5. Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Roast until endive is tender and a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers at least 170°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken and endive to a large platter, reserving sauce in skillet.
  6. Bring sauce in skillet to a simmer over medium-high. Simmer, undisturbed, until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes.
  7. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, mustard and herbs. Spoon sauce over chicken, and sprinkle with slat to taste. Serve with crusty bread if desired.

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Recipe by Liz Mervosh for Food and Wine

Chicken En Cocotte

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With very little prep involved in this Chicken En Cocotte—or in a pot—and most of the cooking being hands-off, you should get this tasty recipe on your short list. You will not get crispy skin from this method, in fact it gets discarded, but you will end up with super-moist poultry meat. We oooohed and aaaahhhed all the way through dinner.

Cooking the chicken breast side down allows the delicate white meat to gently poach in the wine while the legs bake up above, a technique that helps equalize the cooking of the white meat (done at 160°F) and dark meat (done between 175°F to 180°F). Allowing the chicken to rest breast side up after prevents the white meat from overcooking.

The sauce was just amazing, we even spooned it over our side dish of Spanish Potatoes in Olive Oil, a perfect companion to the chicken because they both share several ingredients: white wine, garlic, onion and thyme.

NOTE: Don’t use a Dutch oven smaller than 7 quarts or a chicken larger than 4½ pounds. If the bird fits too snugly, there won’t be enough space for heat to circulate, hindering even cooking.

Chicken En Cocotte

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 5 Tbsp. salted butter, divided
  • 1 large yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
  • 10 thyme sprigs
  • 1 4- to 4½-lb. whole chicken, wings tucked and legs tied
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven over medium, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the onion and garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer. Lay the thyme sprigs on the onion mixture.
  2. Using paper towels, pat the chicken dry then season with salt and pepper. Set the chicken breast side down over the thyme and onions. Cover and bake until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F and the thighs reach 175°F to 180°F, 55 to 65 minutes. Using tongs inserted into the cavity of the chicken, carefully transfer it to a large baking dish, turning it breast side up. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Tilt the pot to pool the liquid to one side and use a wide spoon to skim and discard the fat. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup (with solids), about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, the lemon juice and mustard. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Remove the legs from the chicken by cutting through the hip joints. Remove and discard the skin from the legs, then separate the thighs from the drumsticks. Remove the breast meat from the bone, remove and discard the skin, then cut each crosswise into thin slices. Arrange the chicken on a platter. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, stir in the tarragon and serve with the chicken.

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Recipe from Milk Street

Slow-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

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For you seasoned lamb lovers and recent converts, this slow-roasted method delivers mild, flavorful meat with a tender texture and a perfectly rosy medium-rare hue all the way from edge to center, surrounded in a crisp layer of browned, crackly fat. Got your attention now?

Here, we are going with the classic combination of garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, and some shallots, which bring their milder allium sweetness to the mix. These aromatics are cooked down in olive oil, with a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, and a few minced anchovy fillets (another classic lamb pairing). And don’t worry, those fillets won’t taste fishy in the final roast.

When applying a rub to the meat, it’s important to really work the salt deep into as many cracks and crevices as possible. Ideally, you want to let the mixture sit on the lamb for at least a day.

There’s a difference between edible and fantastic. That difference usually comes down to how crisp the fat is. After the lamb has rested for half an hour or so (which gives ample time for temperature differentials inside to even out), pop it back into a 500°F oven for about 15 minutes to fully crisp. The lamb fat crackles and those bits of garlic and shallot brown, lending a rich sweetness to the salty crust.

Your meat should be gloriously juicy, crispy on the outside, and because of its low, slow cooking, perfectly evenly cooked and extra-tender. Mmmm good!

Slow-Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb

  • Servings: 8-10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium cloves garlic minced (about 1 Tbsp.)
  • 1 medium shallot, minced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 6 anchovy filets, minced (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • One 6- to 8-lbs. boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to even 1-inch thickness and trimmed of excess fat

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-third position and preheat oven to 275°F. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, shallot, anchovies, rosemary, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots and garlic are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small heatproof  bowl. Stir in salt and pepper.
  2. Rub half of the mixture inside butterflied lamb leg. Roll leg and, using butcher’s twine, tie securely at 1-inch intervals. Rub remaining mixture over exterior of lamb. Cook immediately or let rest uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours for best flavor and texture.
  3. When ready to cook, place lamb, fat side up, on a wire rack set in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest section of lamb registers 125°F to 130°F for medium-rare, or 130°F to 135°F for medium, 2 1/2  to 3 hours. Remove from oven and let rest, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
  4. While lamb is resting, increase oven temperature to 500°F. Return lamb to oven and roast until exterior is deep brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Remove twine with kitchen shears, transfer lamb to cutting board, slice into 1/4 inch slices, and serve.

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Recipe by J. Kenji López-Alt for Serious Eats

Coriander Braised Pork with Oregano and Feta

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Utterly delicious; wonderfully tender and rich, and easy to make as well. This simple, rustic braise is based on the pork stew called afelia from the Mediterranean island-country of Cyprus. The red wine, reduced to concentrate its flavor, lends depth, but the citrusy notes of ground coriander and a spoonful of lemon juice added at the end, balance the richness of the pork.

The oregano and parsley aren’t needed until it’s time to finish the sauce, so you can prep the herbs while the pork cooks. Serve the stew with crusty bread, simply prepared potatoes or a hearty grain such as bulgur, steamed rice or egg noodles would work nicely as well.

Don’t use coriander that has gone stale. This dish relies on the spice for its unique flavor, so it’s important to use coriander that is fresh and fragrant.

Coriander Braised Pork with Oregano and Feta

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 Tbsp. ground coriander
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (½ cup)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pork, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and the bay; stir, then distribute in an even layer.
  3. Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 25 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 15 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a medium bowl. Using a large spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Select More/High Sauté and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to about 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
  5. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, then stir into the pot. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Press Cancel to turn off the pot. Stir in the pork, oregano and lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with feta and parsley, then drizzle with additional oil.

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Recipe from Milk Street’s cookbook “Fast and Slow”

Pork Tenderloins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Green Olives

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Oodles of flavor in this simple and quick weeknight recipe. Inspired by a recipe in “How to Roast a Lamb” by chef Michael Psilakis, two umami-packed ingredients are used for this dish: sun-dried tomatoes and olives. But instead of applying the ingredients to lamb, they are used as a big Mediterranean flavor boost for lean, mild pork tenderloin.

They are combined to make a relish-like pan sauce to finish pork tenderloins seasoned with Dijon, garlic and oregano. A quick sear followed by pan-roasting ensures the meat gets caramelization on the exterior, but also cooks speedily. Serving suggestions: a simple salad, carrot medallions, crusty bread, or rice or orzo pilaf. BTW, you will need an oven-safe 12-inch skillet for this recipe.

Don’t sear the pork until deeply browned. Instead, aim for light, spotty charring, which takes about 4 minutes. Also, don’t worry if the drippings in the skillet become very dark and even smoke lightly during roasting. Deglazing the pan to make the sauce will loosen the drippings.

Confession. It was our intention to cut the amount of meat in half (keeping the other ingredients the same). While at the grocery store, we both had a senior moment because we picked up a pork loin filet, and not a pork tenderloin, which usually come two to a package. In all honesty, the cooking times worked just as well with the filet. All-in-all, we loved the dish which we paired with cooked carrot medallions and a side salad.

Pork Tenderloins with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Green Olives

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh oregano, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 1¼-lb. pork tenderloins, trimmed of silver skin, halved crosswise
  • 1 medium shallot, halved and thinly sliced
  • ½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of oil, the minced oregano, garlic, mustard, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the pork, turn to coat and rub the seasonings into the meat.
  2. In an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the center of the thickest piece reaches 135°F or is just slightly pink when cut into, 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven; the handle will be hot. Using tongs, transfer the pork to a platter and let rest while you make the sauce.
  3. Set the skillet over medium and add the shallot. Cook, stirring constantly, until the shallot is lightly browned, about 1 minute.Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, vinegar and ¼ cup water, then cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the tomatoes are plumped and the mixture has the consistency of a loose relish, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Thinly slice the pork and return to the platter. Spoon the sauce over it and sprinkle with the chopped oregano.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Courtney Hill for Milk Street

Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill

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Loved this shrimp and rice recipe from Milk Street, where we found it in a recent issue of their magazine under Tuesday Night Dinners. We try to have a seafood/fish dinner at least once a week, and this was not only easy, but delicious!

Spanakorizo, or spinach rice (literally translated), is a homestyle Greek dish. The addition of shrimp creates a complete one-pot meal. With dill and lemon as accents, the flavors are fresh and bright, but a little butter used to wilt the spinach and olive oil drizzled on as a final flourish add a satisfying richness. To simplify prep, look for shrimp that are sold already peeled and deveined.

Don’t use a wide pot, such as a Dutch oven, to make this recipe. We found that a large surface area can result in unevenly cooked grains. The narrower diameter of a saucepan is the better choice. Don’t peek at the shrimp after adding them to the rice, except while stirring them into the rice after the first 10 minutes. Keeping the lid on traps heat in the pan so the shrimp cook through.

Greek-Style Spinach Rice with Shrimp and Dill

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. salted butter
  • 2 5-oz. containers baby spinach
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
  • 2 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 lb. extra-large (21/25 per pound) shrimp, peeled (tails removed), deveined and patted dry
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest, plus 3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan over medium-high, heat the butter until bubbling. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted but still bright green, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, including any liquid released by the spinach; set aside.
  2. Set the same pan over medium-high. Add the oil, shallots and ¼ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring often, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, 2½ cups water, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to low and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, season the shrimp with salt and pepper.
  3. When the rice is done, remove the pan from the heat. Quickly and evenly scatter the shrimp over the surface, re-cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the rice and fold in the shrimp. Re-cover and let stand until the shrimp are opaque throughout, another 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add the spinach with its liquid, the dill and the lemon zest and juice, then fold until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with additional oil.

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Recipe by Rebecca Richmond for Milk Street

Black Pepper Beef

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Hands-down better than your local Chinese take-out, this Chinese pepper steak recipe is a quick and easy stir-fry loaded with tender beef, peppers and onions in a luscious brown sauce. It hails from “The Woks of Life” by the Leung family.

Most of the time required for this recipe is in the preparation, but it’s not actually difficult to pull off. So long as you have everything prepared and within reach, things will go smoothly at the wok. The active cooking time in your wok or pan is less than 15 minutes before it’s ready to be served with steamed white rice.

Avoid any “pre-cut beef for stir-fry” that your grocery store sells. It usually looks like long rectangular beef sticks, cut from lean beef. These are too thick and chunky, and generally turn out tough. So what IS the best cut of beef for stir-fry?

The original recipe called for beef tenderloin. At nearly $35 per pound, we decided to go for something more reasonably priced and chose sirloin. Another option is flank steak, but we don’t advise using chuck roast which was listed as a substitute.

With several different pepper spices, we opted to use the lower amount, 1 1/2 tablespoons of ground black pepper. Using a full 2 tablespoons will likely be too much. While black pepper is a constant companion for salt in American kitchens, you don’t see it very often in Chinese cooking (it’s almost always white pepper.)

Black Pepper Beef

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • For Velveting the Beef:
  • 1 lb. flank steak, (or sirloin steak)
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1/4 tsp. table salt
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup beef stock or water, warmed
  • 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. sesame oil
  • For the Pepper Seasoning:
  • 1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorns
  • For the Rest of the Dish:
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1″pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1″pieces
  • 1 medium red onion, cut into 1″pieces
  • 4 oz. cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 Tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine
  • 2 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp. water

Directions

  1. Slice the beef into 1 1/4-inch cubes. Then velvet the beef: in a medium bowl, mix the beef with 2 Tbsp. water, 1 tsp. cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. neutral oil, and 1/4 tsp. table salt. Toss to coat, then set aside for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Make the sauce by mixing together the beef stock, cornstarch, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, ketchup, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
  3. Make the pepper seasoning in a small bowl by combining black pepper, white pepper, ground Sichuan peppercorns, and salt. Season the beef cubes with 2/3 of the pepper mix, pressing the spices into the beef. Reserve the rest for later.
  4. Cut the bell peppers and onion into 1-inch pieces. You can also cut them into thin strips if you like. Just make sure that the pepper and onion pieces are all about the same size, so they cook evenly.
  5. Heat the wok over high heat until smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to coat the wok. Sear the beef on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. Give everything a final stir, transfer it to a plate, and set aside. The beef should be about 80% cooked.
  6. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Toss in the ginger, and caramelize for about 10 seconds. Then add the garlic, bell peppers, and onions. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour the Shaoxing wine around the perimeter of the wok, then stir-fry for 1 minute.
  7. Add the sauce mixture, and stir it around to deglaze, loosening any browned bits in the wok. Combine 2 tsp. cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Drizzle half the slurry into the wok, stirring constantly until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
  8. Add the beef along with any juices. Gently toss with the sauce and vegetables until combined.
  9. At this point, if the sauce is not thick enough, add the remaining cornstarch slurry and stir-fry for another 10 to 15 seconds to thicken. Once the sauce is simmering and thickened to your liking, transfer it to a serving plate, and serve it with steamed rice!

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Recipe from The Woks of Life by Bill Leung

Pork Pot Roast with Apricots, Cardamom and Ginger

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In a word, ASTOUNDING! Also, elegant, classic and simple. It’s a one-pot meal that’s perfect for Sunday night. Yes it takes a while to make, but most of it will be the time spent in the oven. Pork and fruit are the perfect pairing, as we’ve seen time and again with recipes like holiday ham with pineapple rings, or applesauce spooned over pork chops. It’s that pleasure of sweet-tart-savory combinations.

In this version, chef-author Molly Stevens uses dried apricots because their pale orange flesh collapses into the sauce, which comes out every bit as pretty as it is tasty. The cardamom lends the whole dish its exotic perfume, while being backed up by a gang of other compatible flavors—ginger, turmeric, cayenne, garlic and orange.

This company-worthy dinner can be served over couscous, wild rice, or as in our case, garlicky mashed potatoes which became the perfect vehicle to hold that lovely sauce! If you care to pair the meal with wine, off-dry Riesling or Pinot Gris make good companions.

Pork Pot Roast with Apricots, Cardamom and Ginger

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • One 4 1/2 to 5-lb. boneless pork shoulder roast, preferably Boston butt
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium leek, white and pale green part only, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion (about 6 oz.), coarsely chopped
  • 6 cardamom pods, husks split and discarded, seeds lightly crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne
  • 1 Tbsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and bruised
  • 3 strips orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler (each about 3 inches by 3/4 inch)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 cup dried apricots (about 6 1/2 oz.)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees
  2. Trim any especially thick bits of fat from the pork, but do be sure to leave some. Roll and tie the pork (or have your butcher do it for you).
  3. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Pour the oil into a Dutch oven that will hold the pork snugly (4 to 5 quart works well), and heat over medium heat. Sear the pork on all sides, until deeply browned but not at all burnt, 15 to 20 minutes total. Transfer the pork to a plate.
  4. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, and return the pot to medium heat. Add the leek, carrots, and onions, stir in the crushed cardamom, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables begin to soften but do not take on much color, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, orange zest, and bay leaf and cook until the spices are quite fragrant, another 2 minutes.
  5. Add the wine and let it boil for 4 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the apricots and boil for another 2 minutes.
  6. Place the pork on top of the vegetables and fruit. Add any accumulated juices from the plate. bring the liquid to a simmer and spoon some over the pork. Cover the meat with sheet of parchment paper, pressing down so that it almost touches the meat and the edges extend over the sides of the pot about an inch. Cover and slide the pot onto a shelf in the lower third of the oven to braise. Check that the liquid is simmering gently, every 30 minutes and give the pork a turn. If the liquid is simmering too aggressively, lower the oven heat 10 or 15 degrees. Continue to braise gently until the pork is fork-tender, about 2 hours in all.
  7. Remove the pork from the pot and set it on a carving board or platter to catch the juices. Cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Return the pot to the top of the stove and skim off as much surface fat as you can with a wide spoon. If the sauce is very thin reduce it by boiling over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. It should be the consistency of a thick vinaigrette. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour any juices that have accumulated under the pork into the sauce, and stir.
  9. Remove the strings from the pork, and carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with sauce and apricots.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Molly Stevens book “All About Braising”

Roast Duck with Orange and Ginger

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For a festive occasion, a burnished whole duck makes quite an impression — fancier than chicken and more elegant than turkey. When I was growing up, Mom roasted duck a few times a year, a favorite for most of the family.

I remember as a young teen going out to eat at a Chinese restaurant for the first time because it was my sister’s birthday and that was her venue of choice. Picky as I was, I was not a happy camper as I walked in, but was a convert when I walked out because I had ordered Wor Shu Opp (pressed almond duck).

Roasting the duck is not so difficult to do. Seasoning the duck ahead and leaving it in the fridge overnight helps to deepen the flavor and keeps work to a minimum the following day. This one is seasoned with orange zest, along with fair amount of ginger and five-spice powder, which gives it a marvelous perfume. We paired ours with a Kobocha-Cauliflower Mash.

The ingredient list is minimal, and the hands-on prep doesn’t take long—most of the time the duck is either in the refrigerator or the oven. Because the bird gets glazed often, the skin will be a gorgeous burnished tawny color, but the skin won’t be extra crispy.

Keep in mind when serving more than 4 people, you will need two ducks. Of course there is no need to wait until a special occasion…

Roast Duck with Orange and Ginger

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

For the Duck:

  • 1 Pekin (Long Island) duck, 5- to 6-lb.
  • 3 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. five-spice powder
  • 1 large orange, zested and cut into 6 wedges
  • 1 Tbsp. grated ginger
  • 1 Tbsp. grated garlic

For the Glaze:

  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 2 Tbsp. Demerara sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 piece ginger, (2-inch) thickly sliced
  • 3 star anise

Directions

  1. Rinse duck and pat dry. Remove neck and giblets and save for another purpose. Remove excess fat from cavity and tail area and trim off a bit of flappy neck skin. Prick duck skin all over with tip of sharp paring knife, making sure not to penetrate meat.
  2. Mix together salt and 5-spice powder. Season interior of duck with 1 tablespoon salt mixture; use remainder to generously season exterior (you may have a little left over).
  3. Combine orange zest with grated ginger and garlic, then smear mixture inside cavity. Place orange wedges in cavity. Tie legs together. Secure neck flap with wooden skewer or toothpicks. Place duck on rack in roasting pan breast-side-up and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
  4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, bring duck to room temperature and make the glaze: Bring orange juice, honey, sugar and soy sauce to a simmer. Add sliced ginger and star anise, then reduce mixture until you have a medium-thick syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Roast duck for 2 hours, carefully pouring off fat and turning duck over every 30 minutes. Paint with glaze and roast for another 30 minutes (2 1/2 hours in all). Tent with foil if the glaze begins to get too dark. Duck is done when the temperature at the thickest part of the leg reads 165 degrees.
  6. Paint the duck once more, keep it warm and let rest for 20 minutes. Use poultry shears to cut into quarters (remove backbone first) or carve in the traditional way, removing legs from carcass and slicing breast.

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Recipe by Dave Tanis for NYTimes Cooking

Mustardy Cider-Braised Pork Chops

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Braising doesn’t always mean long cooking times. For tender cuts like pork chops, the secret to a great braise lies in the method, not in hours on the stove. First, a hard sear on the meat, as well as halved shallots and apples, creates a beautiful fond (the wonderfully delicious caramelized little bits left in the bottom of the pan after cooking).

Deglazing the pan with a tart-savory combination of hard cider, vinegar, and stock loosens up that layer of browned goodness and reduces down to gravy in about 20 minutes. To finish, the chops simmer in the sauce until they’re cooked through. Voilà: cooked-all-day depth in just an hours time.

Our changes? If it serves 4, then why only use 3 shallots? We added a fourth one, so each serving received two halves (and next time we may be inclined to add even more). Our intuition took over when thinking about the amount of time the apples actually cooked. The original directions have you put the browned halves back into the pan when the chops get added back. If you want firm apples, then by all means, wait until then to add them to the pan. If like us, you prefer softer bites, then arrange them cut side up when placing the thyme bundle into the sauce.

Otherwise, pretty much everything was spot on. Make sure to use a very large pan to hold all of the ingredients. And that sauce—it was sooo good, you may be tempted to drink any leftovers… Serve with egg noodles, polenta or mashed potatoes.

Mustardy Cider-Braised Pork Chops

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 1½”-thick bone-in rib pork chops (about 2 lb. total)
  • 3 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 3 medium Granny Smith or Gala apples, halved through equators, remove core and seeds
  • 4-8 medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise through root ends
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • ¼ cup Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sweet hard apple cider (such as Angry Orchard)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 10–12 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
  • Finely chopped chives (for serving)

Directions

  1. Pat four 1½”-thick bone-in rib pork chops (about 2 pounds total) dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper. Heat 2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high. Working in batches if needed, cook pork chops, turning halfway through, until deeply browned, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate.
  2. Working in batches if needed, cook 3 medium Granny Smith or Gala apples, halved through equators, and 3 medium shallots, peeled, halved lengthwise through root ends, cut sides down, in same skillet, gently pressing down on them with a spatula to create contact with pan, until golden brown on cut sides, about 2 minutes (it’s okay if shallots fall apart). Transfer apples to plate with chops.
  3. Reduce heat to medium, add 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, to pan, and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and 2 tablespoon unsalted butter; stir to coat shallots. Pour in 2 cups sweet hard apple cider, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, scraping up browned bits and flour stuck to bottom of pan and incorporating into liquid.
  4. Add thyme bundle and apple halves arranging them cut sides up, and bring mixture to a simmer. Partially cover (use a baking sheet if you don’t have a lid) and simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place pork chops in sauce, and partially cover. Simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a pork chop registers 145°, 7–10 minutes. Remove from heat; sprinkle with finely chopped chives and season with more pepper to serve.

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Recipe by Inés Anguiano for Bon Appétit Magazine