7 posts tagged “aromatherapy”

Amidst the boxes and moving supplies, my husband and I had our first Hammontonian supper in our first new house on the floor of what would be our new dining room.  This would also be my husband's first experience with a "real" slice of the best pizza in town.  After the first bite I fell back in love and my husband was finally starting to understand the infatuation with my old hometown.
 
But, of course, a new house is never a home without the owner's own personal touches. For most this involves some heavy-duty renovating, but for me this initiation is always the first home-cooked meal. After the boxes were unpacked and all the dishes and cookware were in their designated areas, I was ready to venture out to my old town's best Italian markets. I much prefer supporting family-owned markets to the big corporate shopping food malls. Not only is the food fresher and tastier (the produce sections are like stepping into an orchard in the summertime) but, also, I feel like it's a family reunion every time I go in. The owners are always there in the store to greet you by name and are right there in the trenches slicing the meat or stocking the shelves. I've been to Italian markets in other towns and as soon as I tell them I'm from Hammonton they give me an apologetic look and tell me I'm spoiled. And they were right.
 

After shopping down the glorious aisles of fresh Italian fare, I came home to begin my own housewarming dinner. Forget the scented candles; nothing makes a house feel like a home like the sweet, soul-tingling scents of garlic, tomatoes and fresh basil. I decided to not compromise the integrity of these delicious tomatoes by cooking them so I make a pasta sauce al fresco. Basically, this "sauce" is made warm by the hot pasta and tastes so fresh, it's like eating in a garden right in the comfort of your own home. This dish is perfect on a hot summer weeknight when the last thing you feel like doing is making a complicated meal. It's also great for when you just want to sit by the pool and let dinner make itself in your kitchen by letting the tomatoes marinate for a while. The tomatoes can marinate at room temperature for up to four hours or for as little as 30 minutes. The longer the mixture sits, the juicier and tastier it will become.
 
With every forkful, my husband and I began to feel more and more like this house was finally our home. And there really is no place like home!

Summer Pasta al Fresco

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
 
Ingredients
 
1lb dried thin spaghetti
3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of fresh basil, julienne
1 ½ -2 pints of good quality olive oil (enough to almost cover the tomatoes)
½ c. best quality grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
1 tblsp. salt and pepper, plus more to taste

 

Directions
 
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add chopped tomatoes, garlic and basil. Pour in olive oil until it nearly covers the tomato mixture. Add tablespoon of salt and pepper and mix well. You can leave this mixture covered at room temperature for up to four hours or for at least 30 minutes. The longer this mixture sits, the juicier and tastier it will become.
 
Cook pasta according to manufacturer's directions. Drain and add back to the empty hot pot. Pour the fresco sauce on top and mix well with Parmesan cheese. Transfer to serving plate and add fresh julienne basil for garnish and more cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

 Love the moving boxes and lack of placemats!!

I don't know about you, but after a rough day there is nothing more therepuetic than taking out my frustrations on innocent vegetables. I know, I know...violence is never the answer. But there's just something about smashing garlic cloves and hacking into hardy veggies that just brings me peace about the things I cannot control in my life...like jury duty.

 

 

 

 And this stew has it all: onions, zuchinni, squash...you name it, I maim it! And the best part is that after all the mayhem, there is this heavenly pot of veggies stewed to perfection waiting to fill my belly and ease my angst!

 

 Anger Management Veggie Stew

 

Ingredients

 

3 cloves of garlic, smashed

1lb or 16 - 20 baby bellas, halved

1 medium zuchinni, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

1 15 oz can of white kidney beans

1 28 oz can of diced tomatos in puree (or you can use canned whole tomatoes, chopped)

2 Tblsp. fresh rosemary, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

 

Directions

 In a medium pot over moderate heat saute garlic and mushrooms in extra-virgin olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add zucchini and onion to the pot and season veggies with salt and pepper. Saute another 5 minutes. Add beans, cumin, tomato and chopped rosemary. Bring stew to a bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

 

 

 The original recipe suggests serving the stew over potato and cheese pancakes, but I prefer making my grandmother's zuchinni fritters. Just whisk together 1 cup of pancake mix, 1 egg, 1 grated zuchinni, 1/2 cup of grated parm and fry them up like little pancakes. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting sick is no fun, no matter what the movies tell you.

 

Staying home from work because you are sick shouldn't count. Your whole day off goes by and all you have to show for it is a chapped nose, a trash can full of tissues and a hangover from your overdose of NyQuil. This is why I opt for more natural and homeopathic remedies. Call me a hippie, but they work! Echinacea, Zicam and a few hot showers and I'm on the road to recovery.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, can cure me of my cold like a hot bowl of my mom's chicken noodle soup. The aroma of the bubbling pot in my kitchen, stewing for three hours is even better than Vick's rub as it opens my nose up to the sweet smells of onions and celery and chicken broth ( a warmer welcome than harsh manufactured eucalyptus, wouldn't you say??). 

The thing about mom's soup is that you can really go ahead and make it your own. Use whatever ingredients make YOU feel better--afterall this soup's only obligation is to do just that! You can use frozen or fresh chicken pieces, frozen or fresh veggies; veggie, beef or chicken broth...whatever YOU want! The other thing I love about mom's soup is that it's wonderfully lazy, so that even when you're not feeling well you can whip this up by just roughly chopping veggies and literally throwing everything in the pot and covering it with water. It's really that easy!

 

Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup (a.k.a. Recovery Elixer)

Ingredients

2-3 raw chicken pieces (2 thighs, one bone-in breast)

4-5 chicken bouillon cubes

1 celery stalk (cut into chunks)

1 large carrot (cut into chunks)

1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies

1/2 can tomato paste

1 onion, thinly sliced

salt, pepper to taste (you'll need a generous amount!)

egg noodles

 

Directions

Whip out your biggest pasta pot. Pour in a little EVOO, then toss in the sliced onions. Once they have softened slightly throw in the carrots and celery. Stir a bit. Now add the chicken and cover with water. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once the soup has been been for a while, lower the temp and let the soup simmer for 3 hours. Take a nap. Blow your nose. Wash your hands and about a half hour before the soup's done, put up a pot of water and boil your egg noodles. Keep noodles separate from the soup as the noodles tend to soak up all the flavor, leaving you with a less-than-stellar broth.

Shred the chicken meat frm the bones and put back into the broth. Pour soup over the noodles and enjoy! And get well soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Fact: Chili was my favorite member of TLC.

 

So I've been lazy and today I'm sick so I'll be even lazier with my posts today.

The gist: I made chili. It was cold outside. You figure the pun out in your head.

I got the recipe from a co-worker who obtained it from the foodnetwork.com.  I never had chili like this before; full of spices like cinnamon and cumin.  I added my own spin on it by subbing the kidney beans with a can of "chili beans" be accident. I washed off the chili sauce and was left with a variety of beans that I think worked great with the meal. Gotta love those food bloopers as vox neighbor Julie says!

 

 

Chili in Bread Bowls

Foodnetwork.com

 

 

Ingredients (for the chili)

1 1/4lb  lean ground beef

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 c. red wine

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15oz. can black beans

1 15 oz. can red kidney beans

1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes with jalepenos and spices, drained

 

Directions for chili

 Heat 2 tblsp vegetable oil ina large stock pot over med heat. Add beef and cook 5 minutes, until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. 

 

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to med-low, partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients for Bread Bowls

Cooking Spray

1 lb fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed

1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Directions for Bread Bowls

Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a ball.  Place balls on prepared baking sheet, top with shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes (note: mine took WAY longer than 15 minutes to bake. with my oven it was more like 30-40 minutes!).

 

Remove from oven and when cool enough to handle, sut a small portion from the center making a bowl for the chili.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoon chili into bowls and top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My dear, sweet Greek Nestie & Vox(!) friend Elly posted this recipe on her food blog a few months ago.  I gave it a try and modified to my personal preferences.  Elly prefered 4 chicken thighs, but in it's place I used chicken breasts.  I kept the breasts in the pan while I sauteed the onions and garlic rather than removing them in order to keep the chicken nice and moist.  Other than that, it's all Elly! Thank you, Elly for your wonderful dishes that have become some of my husband's and my favorite dinners!

I absolutely love one-pot meals.  My mom used to cook one-pot meals for us all the time and still does to the day.  One-pot meals provide an easy-going cooking process with all of your veggies and proteins all without cleaning and utilizing a lot of different pots and pan. This dish is savory and delicious and it just makes you feel good at the end of any day. The spices along with the sweet aromatic smells of the garlic and onion are sure to lift your spirits.  This recipe serves 2-4, but really is a good amount for two.  The bright green of the just-wilted spinach and the creaminess of the white beans completes the dish that feeds all the senses.

 

Hope you enjoy!

 

 

Elly's Chicken with White Beans and Spinach

 

Ingredients

 

3 slices of bacon (chopped)

4 chicken breasts

1 small onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 c. dry white wine

1 c. chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. oregano

1 can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups fresh spinach

salt and pepper

 

Directions

 

In a large saute pan with lid, cook the bacon until it has released its fat.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

 

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sear it in the bacon fat on both sides.  Push breasts to the sides of the pan, making a well in the center for the onions and garlic.

Add the onions and cook until tender.  Stir in the garlic until fragrant.  Stir in tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute.

 

Add the wine to the pan to deglaze.  Cook for about 2 minutes, scrapping up the browned bits.  Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, mash about 1/3 of the canof beans into a paste.  You can use your hands or a fork until you reach the right constistency. Add the wholes beans and mashed beans into the pan after ten minutes. Cover and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  

Add back in the bacon and the spinach.  Cook just until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes.  And, as Elly says, serve with some crusty bread to sop up the "tomato-y goodness" and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight was so bitter cold and windy, I needed my aromatherapy, so I made Rosemary's Chicken!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's practically the same recipe as the Classy Chicken,but a different herb (rosemary) and a different wine for the gravy (Reisling instead of a dry white). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Reisling provided a perfect compliment to the rosemary's sweet, piney taste. The gravy was so silky and savory...I just had to take a picture of it!

 

Hey, I'm proud of my gravy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, I confess...I really just wanted to do a mac-n-cheese shout out to our WC Nestie, Katie! No recipe though, dear...just Velveeta!

 

 

 

So until I can find my digital camera, your imagination will have to do!

My absolutely favorite dinner to make would have to be, hands-down, roast chicken.  It's so simple and yet the first time I made it I felt so nervous and then completely proud of the end result.  The smell of the chicken, garlic and thyme permeating through the house...good lord--it's my kind of aromatherapy. On an episode of Top Chef (Season 2) Elia made a roast chicken to serve as an example of the vice "pride".  I didn't get it then, but I most certainly do now! 

Enjoy!

 

UPDATE! Guess who got a new digital camera!!!

 

 

Popper and all! That's some classy chicken 

The World's Classiest Chicken

Ingredients:

6-8lb roasting chicken

2 large lemons or 3 small lemons (quartered)

2 bulbs of garlic (cut in half, horizontally, paper and all)

6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme (or rosemary or both if you prefer!)

olive oil

salt and pepper

kitchen string

 

For Gravy:

3 tblsp butter

3/4 c. white wine

salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions:

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash the bird in cold water, making sure to remove the package inside containing the neck nad gizzards.Pat dry with paper towel.

Throw in some salt and pepper inside the cavity and add the garlic, 1/2 the amount of quatered lemons, and fresh herbs.

Tie the legs together with string and fold the wing under to ensure even cooking.

Rub a generous amount of olive over the bird. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add remaining quartered lemons to the pan.

A good rule of thumb is to roast the bird for 15 minutes per pound and then add 20 minutes to the end.  So for an 8lb-er, you would roast for 2 hours and 20 minutes. 

Once finished, remove the bird from the pan and set aside to rest with a blanket of tin foil over it.  Transer the roasting pan, with all of it's glorious drippings, to your stovetop to make the gravy.

Over medium heat, begin to simmer the drippings, remove all lemons or any other big pieces.

Add wine and butter and be sure to scrape the bottom to incorporate in the gravy.  Allow for the sauce to thicken and simmer until reduced to a nice glaze.  If the gravy is still too thick, add a tiny bit of flour but make sure to use a whisk.

 

 

My friends REALLY love classy chicken.