I’ve posted the recipes for regular chicken stock and for rich duck stock here before, but I just realized that I’ve not put up recipes for beef stock or brown chicken stock yet.  This recipe is for brown chicken stock, but the recipe for beef stock is exactly the same, just sub in beef bones for the chicken pieces. Having these two stocks in your freezer, ready when you need them, will make you feel very rich indeed, as there in nothing better than homemade stock!  I’m including nearly a dozen pictures to make it as easy as possible to follow along.

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Here is the salad I made on the Valley Dish show yesterday. I created it especially for Tram after I was on the last time and made crisp mozzarella slices to go with a risotto dish. She’d mentioned that she loved the crisp warm cheese and I asked if she’d had warm goat cheese done the same way. She said that she had and would love to learn how to make it, this is how this salad came to be. I’m sure most of you have had something similar while dining out.  It is easy and delicious to re-create at home. Eliminate the shredded chicken to make a lovely vegetarian main-course salad. Here is THE LINK to the intro for the segment I was on, the salad and pudding making are not up up, so this is just a bit of a tease.

Tip: One of the best tips around; use dental floss to slice the goat cheese. It makes a perfectly clean cut, something a knife just can not do!

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Turkey-Day is only 5 days away!!! Complete Thanksgiving Planning Guide and Timeline.

OH MY GOODNESS!  I stumbled upon the easiest (we’re talking 4 ingredients – two of which are olive oil and S&P), most decadent, most delicious, most wonderful, richest, and probably one of the most fattening roasted chicken recipes – purely by necessity and accident. You see, I had a 3-pack (from Costco, of course) of Boursin cheese in my fridge. The entire thing was unopened and the expiration date was a few days ago… why the heck did I buy it? I don’t remember, all I can think is that I must have read the date wrong and intended to use it during the holidays. Boursin is too good and too pricey to waste, so I needed a way to use most, if not all, of it up – NOW!  I went to FoodNetwork.com and searched “Boursin” and this recipe, from the adorable Emeril Lagasse, was the first one I saw – plus it uses 2 packages – Perfect!

I had the pleasure of working with Emeril in 2001 when I was the producer of the Culinary Concert for the International Association of Culinary Professionals and he was one of the Star Chefs.

When I say he is adorable, I mean it! He is one of  the nicest, most genuine, sincere, warm, and sweetest guys around. Emeril dear, my taste buds and I thank you for this recipe, but my waistline and cholesterol levels curse you!

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My dear friend, Kim Howard, brought me a wonderful gift a few nights ago when she came over for a little party I had. From one cook to another, a gift of a pretty squash is just the most perfect gift. Kim found the red kuri squash at Whole Foods. She correctly knew that I would love to try something new and then share it here, with you. Thank you, Kim, love you!

Red kuri squash has a delicate chestnut flavor and is smooth and creamy. Like pumpkin, kuri is perfect for both savory or sweet dishes. It is thick-skinned, brightly colored a red-orange, and has the appearance of an oblong pumpkin without the ridges. It is available year round and can be baked, braised, pureed, or steamed. Served as a side dish, soup, or even dessert. Red kuri is a good source of fiber. It also provides vitamin A and vitamin C, some of the B vitamins, calcium, potassium, iron, riboflavin and thiamine. Low in calories and sodium, this deep-colored squash also contains beta-carotene.

When you see the name of the recipe, you may ask yourself, “What is a mélange?”  Mélange is a synonym for stew, you see, both Marissa and I have a nasty image in our heads when we hear the name “stew”, so I went a bit French on you and change the name. It sounds so much more gourmet, doesn’t it?! [Read more →]

This is part 2 of our recipe that began with yesterday’s slow-roasted tomatoes and the tomato water produced from seeding the tomatoes.

The sandwiches are rather complex, for a sandwich, anyhow. The various components may be used separately for a huge range of different dishes. Use the dressing for a salad or pasta; the chicken will stand on it’s own or may be chopped into a salad or pasta; and the peaches are fabulous on their own or chopped into a salad or topped with ice cream for a sweet and savory dessert. Plus those tomatoes from yesterday … well the sky is the limit with those beauties!

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I will be making this fall inspired dinner on an upcoming Valley Dish program. It’s so difficult to even imagine beautiful, cool, crisp weather when it’s still 100+ degrees out there, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do! To tell the truth what inspired me was a huge bag of carrots, from “you know where” in my fridge.  That said, I’ll be making a carrot soup too. In the recipe I suggest using purchased pre-julienned carrots for convenience; but feel free to peel, slice, and julienne your own – if you already have a bag of carrots hanging around at your house. By the way, I’ll be on Valley Dish tomorrow (9/30/10), where I will be judging a seafood cook-off instead of cooking! So if you have any desire to see me eat instead of cook, tune in at 3:30 PM, NBC channel 12.

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Believe it or not, I’m still trying to use up the “sweet” wine in our house. In my August 13th post, I used a bottle for a party beverage/punch. Today, I am “disposing” of more…

Sweet Chicken Breast and Fruits on Quinoa

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The final recipe for our preimere shot at “Cook Once – Eat All Week” is inspired by non other than Costco!  I don’t know if you’ve tried Costco’s Sonoma Chicken Salad or not. Honestly, it would be hard not to if you’ve been there during their prime “sample time”. But if you have, you already know how deliciously fabulous it is! They shred and chop up their own rotisserie chickens and package this tangy-sweet delight. With this recipe, you can make your own for much less. I know, I’m saying out load that there is actually an item at Costco where I can beat their price! Crazy Talk!

My friend and neighbor, Rainey, served Costco’s salad as a spread for crackers the other night and that is what inspired me to “copy” it.  Enjoy it that way (addicting) or as a main coarse. Either way, it couldn’t be easier!

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Today, on our continuation of “Cook Once – Eat All Week”, we will use the au jus acquired from roasting the chickens two days ago. If you have been using store-bought rotisserie chicken, no problem, it’ll work with trumped up chicken broth. The filling won’t be quite as rich as when using the au jus, but tasty, all the same. There are also some choices when it comes to the vegetables for today’s chicken pot pie. You can use the standard peas and carrots or a delicious medley called “organic foursome” I found at Trader Joe’s which also includes corn and green beans. Finally there are options for the topping. Ready-made raw pie crust or puff pastry. I used puff pastry and nearly burnt it while trying to achieve a browner color under the broiler… so be careful with that!

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This is dinner #2 using the shredded chicken from the post two days ago. I like to serve this salad a little warm/a little cold, pretty much at room temperature. When you get home from work, running the kids around, the gym, whatever it is you’re racing in the door from; throw the potatoes in the pot. Then change your clothes or get the kids set up with their homework, or whatever it is that needs to be done pronto. Then drain the potatoes and set them aside. Next, in-between doing all the things that get in the way of concentrating on making dinner, stop and make the vinaigrette and set it aside. And then when you’re ready to assemble it all; just slice the potatoes, and throw it in all together in a bowl and dinner is on that table before you know it. Please be sure to get one of those people, who always need to be fed, to set the table. I honestly hope you’re not doing that and making dinner, put those kids and husbands to work!

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