Tilapia in Papillote with leeks, asparagus and compound butter

Tilapia on Andrea the Kitchen Witch??  No, you're eyes aren't playing tricks on you.  Tilapia IS what today's post is about and, get this, I actually liked it!  This is a Kitchen Witch first!!  For those of you who don't know the Kitchen Witch does not like fish.   Unless it's batter dipped and deep fried, then it's pretty tasty.  Outside of that version the Witch was pretty convinced that all fish tasted like the dirty water it was pulled out of.  Eww.  She tried to make fish a few times before for the Husband (who adores fish) and every time the Witch was grossed out, tried a bite and couldn't do it.  The last time she tried to make fish, the fish had gone bad unbeknownst to her and well, that was scarring, let's just leave it at that.  Then came along Jenn, from Jenn's food Journey.  Jenn and I have been BFF (Blogging Foodie Friends) for a while now.  Her blog is awesome and she has been known to turn out a mean tilapia dish.  Week after week the Witch read Jenn's blog, looking at fish dish after fish dish and wondering, why, oh why! can't I like fish too???   The Witchy family had been asking for some variety in their protein choices,"Please can we have fish?"  Time after time the Witch said "I'll think about it" and promptly walked directly past the fish department in lieu of pork or chicken.   Suddenly, that changed.

One day while at the Sunflower Farmers Market the Witch found herself in front of the seafood department and wouldn't you know it, but out of her mouth came these words: "I'll take a pound of tilapia, please".  Proudly the Witch took her fish home and put it in the freezer.  There it stayed for over a month (so much for  bravery!) before she finally got up the courage to make the fish.  When she did, she was a HUGE baby about it; the Witch actually cried and pitched a full on hissy fit about the fish, one that her 5 yr would have been proud of.  It wasn't cute people.  The Husband said something snarky along the lines of "Watch, you'll discover that you love fish and it'll become your new favorite protein".  That really really pissed off the Witch at the time, but as it turns out, he was right.   The dish that Jenn recommended I try first was Parmesan Garlic Tilapia.  It was really really good!   If you're looking to convert a fellow fish hater, try this one.  It worked for the Witch (and she's a tough sell let me tell you!!)

Damn that Husband for being right (again)! As it turns out, the Kitchen Witch doesn't hate all fish.  As a matter of fact, after having tilapia the first time her mind hasn't stopped creating fish recipes.   Now the Witch realizes that papillote isn't a new cooking method in the slightest, and the flavors here aren't new or innovative.  Leeks, asparagus and white wine have been paired with fish more often than not;  they're good with fish!  The papillote method is a very easy to assemble, it's impressive to serve and most of all provides perfectly cooked moist fish every time.  I'll be the first to admit the tilapia isn't the most flavorful fish (which is why it's a great 'starter fish'), so if you have a favorite white fish, please use it here.  The fish could have used some more herbs, too, but my herb garden is only producing chives and parsley so far this year.  If you have fresh herbs, use them!  The finished dish is beautiful on the plate and tastes pretty darn good, too.  I hope you give this a try!

Tilapia in Papillote with leeks, asparagus and compound butter
makes 4 servings
4 tilapia filets
2 leeks dark green cut away, sliced into quarter moons and rinsed well
20 asparagus spears
1/2 stick butter
2 T fresh minced parsley
15-20 chive stems, minced
1/2 t dried oregano (or 1t of fresh minced)
1/2 lemon, cut into rounds
1/4 c Chardonnay or other dry white wine
kosher salt and pepper
12 grape tomatoes
parchment paper

Preheat oven to 400F

Make the compound butter first by combining the softened butter, a few pinches kosher salt and pepper along with the herbs.  Mix well to make the compound butter.  Place butter in the freezer while assembling the papillote.

Cut the parchment paper into large rectangles, about twice the size of the fish.  Make the parchment look like a fat lopsided heart - this will aid in rolling the papillote.

Rinse and dry your fish.  Season fish with kosher salt and pepper on both sides.

Lay 5 asparagus spears down on the parchment paper.  Lay a small handful of leeks on top of the asparagus.  Top the leeks with the fish.  Now take 1/4 of the compound butter (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and place it on top of the fish.  Top the butter with 2-3 lemon rounds and finish with 3 cherry tomatoes on top of the lemons.  Drizzle the fish with 1T white wine.

Fold the papillote, heavily creasing the paper as you go to seal in air and juices.  Place sealed papillotes on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven, cut the papillote open and slide the entire contents onto a plate.  Drizzle the juices on top of the fish and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator Amount Per Serving Calories 273.1 Total Fat 13.7 g Saturated Fat 7.7 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g Cholesterol 86.0 mg Sodium 551.1 mg Potassium 643.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 11.8 g Dietary Fiber 2.5 g Sugars 2.5 g Protein 25.2 g

Chopped at Home: Beets, Endive, pork and sweet chili sauce

A round of Chopped at Home happend this past weekend at the Kitchen Witches' home.  Good friend and cooking buddy Eric brought the ingredients for our challenge.  This time we had the following to work with:

Pork Loin roasts (2 of them, rolled and tied from the butcher)
4 bunches of fresh beets
Endive
Sweet Chili Sauce

Our rules were simple:  Make something for dinner using the secret ingredients and any pantry items I had on hand and the meal needed to be as low carb as possible.

The beets were easy.  We decided to roast them with some olive oil, salt & pepper.  When they were half way done we drizzled them with the sweet chili sauce.  The sweetness of the beets was maximized by the roasting and the sweet chili sauce was a nice glaze.  The heat in the chili sauce wasn't very prominent, it really cooked out, but ever now & then you'd get a hint of spice and it was a nice contrast to the beets.  We decided to throw the endive into the roasting pan with the beets when they were 3/4 of the way done.  The bitterness of the endive was tempered by the sweet beet and chili sauce glaze.   I am a tried & true beet hater.  I even grew some a few years ago to see if homegrown beets would be better than store bought ones (turns out nope, beets taste like beets regardless of where they're grown LOL!).  But you know what???  These beets, they were amazing!!  Really really good.  Sweet, earthy and delicious.  They will definitely be made again!

Now, onto the pork!  A wet paste of dijon mustard, thyme, extra hot horseradish, garlic and S&P was made from my pantry ingredients.  I also had fresh parsley and rosemary on hand so I minced up a lot of that, too.  We decided to half the roasts, slather them with the mustard sauce and herbs then re-roll the pork into a nice bundle.  More mustard on the outside covered with the fresh herbs and the pork went into the oven.  It LOOKED good, the mustard paste tasted good, sure hope it is good!  Verdict:  Success!!  The strong flavors of the mustard rub accented and seasoned the pork perfectly.  The fresh herbs added a great spring time flavor, as well as color, and really lightened things up.  When the pork was paried with the beets, well it was divine!  Sweet beets, savory pork laden with herbs and mustard.  Yeah it was good stuff!!!  The pork is defiantly another hit and one I'll be making again!

This round of Chopped at Home was incredibly successful in this Witches' opinion.  Eric, I'm pretty sure that we'd hear Ted Allen telling us that we are indeed the Chopped (at home!) CHAMPIONS!  Now where's our check for $10,000??  Ha ha ha!

Beets and endive with sweet chili glaze
Makes 4 servings
4 bunches beets, washed and peeled
6-8 heads endive, trimmed and halved
about 4-6T olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1 jar sweet chili sauce (or make your own, awesome recipe here!)

Herb and Mustard Roasted Pork
makes 4 servings
1 pork loin roast, about 1.5 lbs
2T dijon mustard
1/2 t dried thyme
1/8 t white pepper
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t extra hot prepared horseradish
4 springs rosemary
1/4 head parsley minced
Butches twine for tying roast

Prepare beets and endive:
Preheat oven to 450F.  Peel the beets and trim the tops & root end.  Put them into a roasting pan and drizzle with 2-3T oil, kosher salt & pepper.  Reduce oven to 375F after putting the beets in.  Roast beets for about 45 min, stirring twice during that time, then add about 1/2 bottle (or 1/2 c) sweet chili sauce.  Stir well to coat beets evenly.  Continue roasting for another 30 minutes.  Add trimmed endive to roasting pan, drizzle with the remaining oil and sweet chili sauce.  Stir well to coat endive in the reduced sauce glaze and roast for 30 min longer.  Bottoms of beets will be deeply browned and caramelized.

Prepare pork:
Mix the wet rub by combining mustard, thyme, salt & white pepper and horseradish into a small bowl.  Stir well to combine.  Finely mince the parsley and rosemary.

Unwrap pork and remove the butcher twine/wrap.  Slice pork roast in half long wise.  Slather the inside cuts of the pork with the mustard mixture, about 1T for the inside.  Sprinkle herbs on the mustard and press both halves of the pork together.

Using butchers twine tie the roast back together, using 3-4 knots.  Coat the outside of the roast in remaining mustard mixture and then encrust it with the remaining herbs.  Place crusted roast on a sheet pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145F minimum for medium-med well cooked pork, up to 160F.  Do not let it cook longer than 160F.  Remove roast and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.  Remove and discarding strings as you slice the roast.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

 Is there anything that ranks higher on the comfort food meter than a pot pie?  I didn't think so.  Pot pie is really one of my favorite dishes of all time.  Sure it's basically a chicken soup or beef stew in a crust, but man, something happens to that soup or stew when you add pastry.  It changes from ho hum, albeit delicious, to holy hell that's GOOD stuff!  Just ask anyone, I can pretty much guarantee you that pot pie is a comfort king amongst your friends and families.  Now imagine what a rock star you'll appear to be to those pot pie lovers when you present this fresh baked, home cooked, pure deliciousness of a pie.  And best of all, it's really not that hard to do!

Being a Kitchen Witch, I make my own pie dough.  The food processor makes quick work of it and it's always tasty and delicious.  If you aren't a pastry maker feel free to use refrigerated pie crust, it comes in a red box and you unfold the sheets of pastry and put it into your own pie pan.  If you don't have a pie pan (and that's OK!) get a frozen pie shell for the bottom and use the boxed pastry for the top crust.  Pie plate problem solved!   Look for refrigerated pie crust by the eggs & cheese, that's where it is in my store.

The Witch uses chicken thighs in her pot pie, it makes a richer more flavorful gravy and I like the flavor of dark meat better.  If you like white meat you can use breast meat, however the flavor won't be as rich.  Breast meat is also a lot harder to shred, so you may have to cut it into cubes.  No matter, it'll still be delicious, regardless of the type of chicken you choose to use.  I added a few green beans to this pot pie, they were on sale this week and their bright green pop of color was nice in an otherwise golden pie.  Frozen or fresh peas could be used instead.  As always, add or subtract the veggies based on what your family likes, but a mix of carrots, celery, onion, potato and either bean or peas can't be beat!

Chicken Pot Pie
makes 8 servings, 1 slice each
For Chicken stew filling
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (thighs will be a LOT more flavorful)
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
2 ribs celery, sliced
1/2 medium onion fine mince
2 cloves garlic, diced fine
1 russet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4 in chunks
about 10 green beans sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T butter
kosher salt & pepper to taste (about 1.5t salt and 1/4 t pepper)
EITHER 1 t Better than Bullion chicken flavor OR 1 chicken bullion cube OR 1 can chicken broth
6 cups water * if using chicken broth then reduce to 4 cups water
2T corn starch
1 egg for eggwash

For Crust:
4T very cold butter cut into cubes
4T vegetable shortening
2.5 cups flour
1.5 t kosher salt
1/2 c (give or take 2T) ice water

Make crust first by combining flour, salt and fats into a food processor bowl.  Pulse 4 times to cut fat into flour.  Add 1/3 c water, pulse 2-3 times and test to see if it can form a ball by squeezing dough together.  If not add more water, 1T at a time, until dough will stay together when squeezed.

Divide dough into 2 sections, one slightly larger than the other.  Form dough into a disc about 3/4 inch thick and wrap both in plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour before rolling out.

Make chicken stew next.  Heat a medium size pan over medium high heat and melt butter.  Once it stops foaming add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic.  Sautee for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and other veggies are starting to soften slightly.  Add the chicken, herbs, salt & pepper and water.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and the bay leaf from the cooking liquid and allow to cool (discard bay leaf).  Add the potatoes to the cooking liquid and cook for 10 minutes.  Potatoes will not be fully cooked.  Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch dissolved into 2T water, making a slurry, add the slurry to the stew stirring well.  Increase heat to a rapid simmer and gravy will begin to thicken considerably.  You want this pretty thick, a lot thicker than normal gravy, so it doesn't just run out of your pot pie.   Once chicken is cool shred it and remove any fat and gristle.  Add chicken and cut green beans to the stew and stir to coat everything.  Turn heat off and set aside.

Roll dough out using the slightly larger disc for the bottom crust.  Place bottom crust into a pie pan and dock (poke with a fork) the bottom and sides slightly to release air while baking.  Fill the crust with the stew.  Roll out remaining disc of dough to make top crust.  Crimp the edges together well.  Brush top with eggwash and cut a few slits in the top dough to release steam.  Place pot pie on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45-60 minutes, or until pie is golden browned and gravy is bubbling through the vent slits.  Allow pie to cool for 15 minutes before slicing and enjoying!

Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator Amount Per Serving Calories 349.9 Total Fat 16.0 g Saturated Fat 6.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat 3.9 g Monounsaturated Fat 4.1 g Cholesterol 67.5 mg Sodium 787.7 mg Potassium 449.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 37.2 g Dietary Fiber 2.9 g Sugars 1.3 g Protein 13.6 g

Israeli Couscous salad with beans and tomatoes

Israeli couscous, have you all seen or tried this yet? Ever wonder what the heck it is? Well, Israeli couscous isn't a strange and exotic grain. It's not a grain at all, rather, it's pasta, just like all couscous. Yes, you read that right, ALL couscous is really just tiny beads of pasta that cook up super quick due to their tiny size. Israeli couscous is no different except its beads are larger than normal couscous, making them more pearl like. They cook up very fast also, less than 10 minutes, and are tasty! I like to get my Israeli couscous from the health food store, they have it available in bulk and you can buy as much or as little as you'd like. It's really really cheap, too, bonus!

Israeli couscous is toasted from the factory. Personally, I wanted more of that roasty toasty flavor so I decided to further brown my couscous in melted butter. Nothing wrong with that! A small amount of onion was added for flavor, but not so much that it overwhelmed the delicate toasty flavor of the couscous. The Witch used chicken broth to cook the couscous in for additional flavor, but if you're looking to make this dish completely vegetarian water or veggie broth would work just fine also. As the couscous cooks it releases a lot of starches which make the texture of the cooked Israeli couscous more like a good risotto than couscous.

Because this was an entire meal I knew that I needed some protein in there somewhere so I added white beans that I have in my pantry. The soft texture and gentle flavor of the cannellini bean was delightful against the soft, rich creamy flavor of the couscous. Having an abundance of cherry tomatoes from the garden it was a no brainer to add a handful of the sweet red treats into the couscous. Feta cheese was in the fridge and its flavors as well as very granular texture again worked fabulously with the couscous. Now all it needed was a dressing! In a small mason jar, or any jar with a lid, add the juice of half a lemon, a touch of honey to counteract the tart of the lemon and 2 parts olive oil. I just eyeballed the amount in the glass jar, when it looked like I had a 2:1 ratio of oil to lemon juice I stopped. It was about 3T of oil. A touch of garlic and fresh herbs including mint, oregano and parsley completed this easy and tasty dressing. The dressing will make a lot more than you need for one serving, you'll actually be able to get about 3 couscous salads out of this dressing, so save the leftovers in the fridge for another tasty salad.

The final results of this are savor, rich, creamy, tart, sweet and plain yummy. The herbs in the dressing added great flavor, just enough to keep you interested in taking another bite. The tomatoes give bursts of sweet tart flavor that counter the rich creamy taste of the couscous. A nice salty tang is provided by the feta and the creamy beans kept me full for hours! This recipe was developed as a quick and easy lunch for myself. Imagine my surprise when the Little Witch wanted to try some (shock!) and then declared that she LOVES couscous and wanted more! (double shock!) If you're looking for a quick lunch, easy side dish or a meatless main course, look no further than this Israeli couscous dish. Enjoy!


Israeli couscous salad with beans and tomatoes
makes 1 main dish sized serving
1/2 c Israeli couscous
3/4 c chicken broth OR water
2 t butter
1 T minced onions
1 T minced green pepper (optional)
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1/3 c white beans (cannellini beans), drained and rinsed (1 can will make 3 salads)
2T feta cheese
3t dressing, recipe follows

Lemon herb dressing
makes enough for 3 salads
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 parts olive oil, approx 3T
1t honey
1 clove garlic sliced thin
pinch kosher salt & pepper
fresh minced herbs: parsley, mint and oregano (small bit of parsley, 5 leaves each mint & oregano)

Make dressing first: combine all ingredients in a small lidded jar and shake well to mix. Set aside.

Prepare salad:
In a small sauce pan heat butter over medium high heat until it foams. Once the foaming stops add the uncooked couscous, stir to coat all pearls in butter. Toast for 2 minutes then add the onions. Stir to coat onions in butter and continue to toast for 3-4 minutes longer, until couscous is browned and smells nutty.



Add the broth or water and bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Add the beans, cover the pan and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Check couscous for tenderness, if soft all the way through then drain couscous of any remaining liquid. Return to pot. Add the dressing, tomatoes and feta, stir well to coat everything evenly. Enjoy!



Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator
Salad only, no dressing 1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 459.6
Total Fat 9.6 g
Saturated Fat 4.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 25.0 mg
Sodium 308.7 mg
Potassim 294.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 16.6 g
Dietary Fiber 4.8 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 17.7 g

Nutrition Facts calculated at SparkPeople recipe calculator
Lemon herb dressing only -- 3 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130.5
Total Fat 14.0 g
Saturated Fat 2.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 10.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 96.3 mg
Potassium 14.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 2.9 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 2.1 g
Protein 0.1 g

Summer Squash Gratin

The Witch has some SERIOUS over achievers in her garden right now. Yes folks, its that time of year again, ZUCCHINI and CROOKED NECK SQUASH is here!! Yay says the Witch as she pulls her first veggies out of the garden. Hooray for my beloved green zucchini and tasty yellow crooked necks! My mind swims with ideas on how to prepare these treats from the garden. But after a few weeks the song changes from YAY zucchini! to UGH! more freaking zucchini?? What the hell am I supposed to do with all of these???? After your friends and family have taken on their fair share you're still left with TONS of green and yellow fruits and the usual prep method of planks sauteed in olive oil until golden brown just isn't seeming as delicious as it did 2 weeks ago.

So after some serious squash overload I went to my favorite go to place for recipes, blogs! While browsing I saw that Siri over at Siriously Delicious had posted one for Summer Squash and potato gratin. Gratin you say? Hmmm...I like cheese. Yes, gratin it is! Cheese is a key component to gratin. A quick trip through the fridge shows Emmental Swiss cheese, something the Little Witch picked out (she has great taste! What can I say?), a small chunk of mozzarella and as always Asiago. Those 3 cheeses sound pretty darn good together, the swiss for a robust cheese flavor, the mozz for the melting factor and Asiago has a pungent flavor that's just delicious.

When seasoning the dish I kept it simple, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Powder?? Yes, powder. I used garlic and onion powder fairly often, in specific dishes, mostly because I like the way they perform in some ways. In dips, sauces and dressings the powders are great because you don't get a sharp bite that you can get from fresh garlic and onions. I like it in marinades too, as the garlic powder won't burn like fresh garlic will. The main reason you'll see me use onion powder or dehydrated onions in place of fresh is because my Witchy Sissy has an onion allergy, poor thing, and can't have fresh onions. Powdered or dehydrated is fine, however. So when I know she'll be eating a dish I'll use the powdered stuff. In the case of this gratin I used it for 2 reasons: I wanted a light flavor of onion, this is a squash gratin, not an onion one and I feared a fresh onion would overpower the squashs' delicate flavor. And 2, my Sissy was going to be eating it. 'Nuff said! The simple seasonings really highlighted the flavors of the squash and cheese resulting in a delicious side dish that makes me excited to pull more zucchini and crooked neck squash out of the garden. Thank you, gratin!

Summer Squash Gratin
makes 8 side dish servings or 4 main dish servings
1 zucchini
1 yellow crooked neck squash
3 oz good quality Emmental Swiss cheese
2 oz mozzerella cheese
1 oz Asiago or Parmesean cheese
1 t Kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
4 sprigs thyme OR 1t dried thyme
about 1/2 c heavy cream (a little less is just fine)
1/2 c fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F

Slice crooked neck squash in half and remove the seeds if desired. The larger the squash get the more pronounced the seeds are. Its a personal preference, if you dislike the seeds, remove them, if not leave them in.

Using a food processor with a slicing disc OR a mandolin slice the zucchini and yellow squash into thin rounds. Place slices on paper towel to absorb moisture. You will want a single layer of squash on each towel, yes you'll go through quite a bit. Don't skimp on this step or you will have a watery gratin.

Shred cheeses and reserve cheese.

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray.

Begin assembling the gratin

First layer: yellow squash first. Use about 1/2 of the yellow slices in the first layer. Sprinkle squash with about 1/4 t kosher salt, some black pepper and a light dusting of garlic and onion powder. Next layer 1/4 of the shredded cheeses on top of the seasoned squash slices.

2nd layer: zucchini rounds. Use 1/2. Season as above (salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder) then top with 1/4 of the cheese. Pour 1/2 the cream over the squash on this layer.

3rd layer: Yellow squash, seasoned as above and add the thyme, then cheese.

4th layer: Remaining zucchini slices, seasoned and the remainder of the cheese. Pour remaining cream over top of the cheese. Top the cheese with the bread crumb.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until browned on top and bubbly. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving so the cheese has time to solidify before slicing. Enjoy!


Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 127.3
Total Fat 9.6 g
Saturated Fat 5.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Cholesterol 30.2 mg
Sodium 372.7 mg
Potassium 169.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 4.2 g
Dietary Fiber 0.8 g
Sugars 1.3 g
Protein 7.9 g

Roasted tri color potatoes with herbs and cheese

Roasted potatoes are a staple in the Witch household. The browned bottoms, crispy and chip like compliment the soft and creamy insides while the skin is crispy and salty. If you're a potato lover you have got to try these!

The potatoes take about 30 minutes to roast, making them an ideal side dish. While you're working on the main dish these little gems mind their own business, getting all delicious in the oven with very little interaction from you. Adding an herb oil to the finished potatoes brings out all the bright flavors in the herbs and compliments the earthy potato nicely.

If you've never tried a Peruvian blue potato this is a great place to experiment. They taste like a regular potato but have a great blue color. Their flavor is slightly more earthy and really good. The blues are my favorite roasting potatoes, not just for their flavor, but its fun to eat blue food! Baby Yukon golds, Red Bliss or any fingerling potato will work fine here too. I hope you enjoy this easy and tasty dish!


Roasted potatoes with herbs and cheese
makes 4 servings
8 small potatoes, red bliss, yukon gold and Peruvian blue are all fantastic
3 T olive oil
3/4 t kosher salt, divided
ground pepper to taste
fresh herbs including chives, parsley, rosemary and thyme, minced
fresh grated Asiago cheese, or cheese of your choice, about 1/3 c grated

Preheat oven to 425F.

Wash and scrub potatoes. Cut potatoes in half. Pat potatoes dry with paper towels.

Place potatoes on a sheet pan and drizzle with 1.5 T of oil, 1/2 t kosher salt and pepper. Toss potatoes to evenly coat in oil and salt. Place potatoes cut side down and put into the hot oven.

Roast for 30 minutes until the bottoms are browned and the potatoes are soft.

While potatoes roast make the herb oil by mincing your herbs very fine and stirring into the remaining oil with the last 1/2 t of salt & pepper. Stir well.

Once potatoes are roasted remove from sheet pan and put into a bowl. Pour the herb oil over top and toss. Add your grated Asiago cheese, toss. Top potatoes with any extra cheese, if desired, and enjoy.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 382.3
Total Fat 13.1 g
Saturated Fat 2.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.0 g
Cholesterol 6.3 mg
Sodium 465.4 mg
Potassium 1,431.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 59.4 g
Dietary Fiber 7.5 g
Sugars 2.7 g
Protein 8.6 g

Greek grilled chicken thighs

Sometimes in the middle of winter you need a burst of fresh summery type flavors. Ya know, just to remind yourself that the cold will end someday and warmth will return. This chicken dish did just that, reminded me of summer with its bright lemon and herb flavors.

Its no secret that the Witch adores Mediterranean and middle eastern foods & flavors. There's just something about smooth creamy hummus and warm pitas that make my heart happy. When you add highly seasoned and grilled meats into the mix, it just becomes a symphony of flavors that make my heart sing. Cumin, lemon, garlic, oh my!

The marinade on the chicken is quite simple, lemon, garlic, herbs and spices. Something magical happens when you combine these common ingredients with chicken and grill it. The garlic is spicy, the herbs are subtle and the tang of lemon cuts through the spices creating a savory delight that just has to be tried. The hint of cinnamon tells you that this is something special and not your usual chicken dish. I highly recommend eating this chicken with pita bread, hummus and lemon garlic rice (post to come soon!)

Greek style grilled chicken thighs
makes 2-3 servings
juice of 1 lemon
1 t oregano
2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
1/2 t coriander seed ground
1/2 t ground cumin seed
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch cinnamon
1 T olive oil
1 lb chicken, thighs or breasts, boned & skinned

Mix everything but the chicken together in a bowl. Add the chicken and marinade for 1-2 hours.

Grill over high heat until internal temperature of 165F is reached. Remove chicken and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with feta cheese if desired.

If you don't have an indoor grill or access to an outdoor one you can also just cook these in a sautee pan, simply add a little oil to the hot pan & cook.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 162.8
Total Fat 8.6 g
Saturated Fat 1.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.7 g
Cholesterol 76.4 mg
Sodium 561.6 mg
Potassium 268.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 3.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.6 g
Sugars 0.4 g
Protein 18.5 g

Lemon herb roasted chicken quarters

A good friend of mine asked me for more dark meat chicken recipes. I'll be the first to admit I was stumped, simply because the Witch is a chicken breast kind of girl. Boneless and skinless, please! That's all I really knew growing up, so it makes sense that it'd be what I know today. For some reason it was drilled into my head that dark meat is gross, stringy, greasy, funky tasting. So, I avoided it like the plague!

The Kitchen Witch decided that she was being far too discriminatory against a whole half of a bird. What had the dark meat ever done to deserve this reputation? The Witch decided to be a grown up and do what I've been trying to teach the little Witch, try a bite. How do you know you won't like it if you don't try it?

So I did. And I liked it! Not funky. Not greasy. Not stringy. It actually has flavor. The left overs are about a million times better than breast meat; they don't get that fridge flavor that white meat seems to pick up. Add the fact that dark meat is half the price of its pale counterparts and I'm a happy Witch.

So here it is Kelly. Simple, flavorful, and easy to prepare! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks again for the gentle push outside of my comfort zone, it is appreciated :)

Lemon herb roasted quarters
makes 5 servings
8-10 leaves sage
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs oregano
1 small handful parsley
4 cloves garlic smashed
3/4 to 1t kosher salt & a few grinds of pepper
zest and juice of 1 lemon
3T EVOO
5 chicken quarters, or 5 legs & 5 thighs

Mince herbs. Add everything but the chicken to a bowl and whisk well. Pour over chicken quarters, rub it in. Allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.

Roast on a sheet pan in a preheated oven set at 375. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180.

Look at how golden and crispy the skin got. It was delicious!

Nutrition Facts Provided by SparkPeople Recipe calculator
5 Servings, skin removed
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233.4
Total Fat 12.9 g
Saturated Fat 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.5 g
Cholesterol 105.0 mg
Sodium 347.0 mg
Potassium 320.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 0.2 g
Protein 26.5 g

Supreme Pizza pasta salad

On the menu tonight is Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad. Really, Kitchen Witch, another pasta salad? Yes! Indeed yes another pasta salad. Pasta salad is so versatile. Its perfect for summer time eating what better way to use summers fresh produce in its finest forms?

This pasta salad has a tomato dressing, pepperoni, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and cheese, both mozzarella pearls and asiago cheeses. Its literally a supreme pizza in a bowl. Feel free to customize the toppings to what your family enjoys.

I found fresh mozzarella pearls (very small balls, 1/4 inch!) in the deli case of my grocery store. If you can find them they are worth the cost; sweet, creamy, delicious nuggets of cheesy goodness that are perfect size for pasta salads. If you find them I highly recommend trying them.

Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad
serves 4
3/4 lb pasta, spirals
3 roma tomatoes
1 green pepper diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
3 green onions sliced thin
1 clove garlic
1 sprig oregano minced
2 T red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
Salt & pepper
20 pepperoni slices
6 baby portabello mushrooms
1/2 c mozzarella pearls
1/4 c fresh grated asiago or Parmesan cheese

2 T olive oil for sautee

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, about 7-8 minutes.

While pasta is cooking put the tomatoes and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

In a large bowl mix the oregano, vinegar, 1/2 t kosher salt & fresh ground pepper. Whisk in 3 T olive oil to make a thick dressing. Add the pureed tomatoes and garlic. Whisk to incorporate well. Reserve 3/4 c of this dressing for the pasta.

Dice bell peppers and slice green onion. In a preheated skillet add 2-3t olive oil and the peppers & onions. Cook about 5 min over medium high heat or until they are softened slightly and start to take on a bit of color. Add to the bowl with the tomato dressing. Stir.

Quarter mushrooms and sauté them in 2T olive oil until golden browned on all sides. Remove and let cool.

Once pasta is cooked drain well. Pour cooked pasta onto a sheet pan and pour the reserved tomato dressing on top, tossing to evenly coat pasta. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cool cooked mushrooms with pasta also.



Cook pepperoni in the same skillet about 2 minutes on each side or until it crisps and has rendered out a lot of the fat. Drain pepperoni, crumble once cooled.

Once pasta and mushrooms are cooled prepare salad. Add the mozzarella pearls to the pepper/tomato mixture, topping with the pasta and mushrooms. Add grated asiago cheese and toss well to coat evenly with dressing and veggies. Enjoy at room temperature for fullest flavor.



Nutrition Facts provided by Spark People Recipe Calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 622.7
Total Fat 34.1 g
Saturated Fat 9.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 18.3 g
Cholesterol 45.7 mg
Sodium 1,223.1 mg
Potassium 375.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 60.7 g
Dietary Fiber 4.5 g
Sugars 3.1 g
Protein 21.5 g

Herb wine grilled chicken

I've posted my recipe for herbed chicken breasts in white wine sauce. Its a favorite around here. I use the basic marinade often, it makes chicken taste SO GOOD!!!

This week I decided to marinate the breasts for 4 hours and grill them over charcoal. Boy was that a great decision!!! The chicken took on some lovely color from the grill and the long marinade gave the chicken fantastic flavor. I poked the chicken breasts aggressivly with a fork in all directions, on both sides, to allow more of the marinade penetrate the chicken. The fork marks were not visible on the finished product and the chicken was juicy and flavorful.

I used fresh herbs from my garden, as of right now I have 4 to choose from: sage, thyme, oregano and chives. All 4 made it into this marinade. I also used chablis white wine, again it was what we had. Any dry white wine will work. If you're not a wine drinker you can use white wine vinegar, about 2T, in place of the wine. Its not exactly the same but it'll impart a tangy yet sweet flavor to your meal. My Witchy Sissy uses vinegar on hers and loves it.

Herb wine chicken
makes 2 servings
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 c dry white wine like chablis or chardonnay
fresh herbs finely minced (about 10 chive stems, 1 sprig oregano, 6 sage leaves and 3 small thyme sprigs)
3 cloves garlic chopped fine
1/2 t kosher salt
pepper to taste
2 T olive oil

In a small bowl mix the herbs, wine, salt, pepper, garlic and oil. Pour over chicken breasts that have been punctured with a fork on both sides, in both directions so marinade can penetrate meat. Allow to marinate for 4-6 hours.



~*~Kitchen Witch Tip: Allow your meat to come to room temperature before grilling or cooking it. You'll have a tender piece of meat that won't dry out on the outside and be undercooked inside. Having your protiens at room temp helps ensure even cooking as well, since the interior of the meat is the same starting temp as the exterior. While food safty is always important, leaving your chicken out on the counter in the marinade for a few hours (up to 2 hours) is safe, as long as you cook it to an internal temerature of 160.~*~



Cook chicken on a hot grill or sautee pan. Cook about 7-8 minutes on the first side or until the sides begin to turn opeque. Flip and cook about 5-6 minutes on second side, until internal temp reaches 160.

Nutrition Facts provided by Spark People recipe calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 372.5
Total Fat 9.7 g
Saturated Fat 1.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.7 g
Cholesterol 136.9 mg
Sodium 1,316.9 mg
Potassium 620.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 3.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 54.8 g

Grilled shrimp with lemon and garlic

Shrimp meals are one that I go to on busy nights, or days when I don't feel like cooking but want to eat something good. Shrimp is awesome for that, they cook in no time, are able to take on pretty much any flavor you put on them and are just plain good. There's something about shrimp that make an otherwise ordinary meal into something special in a way that no chicken breast can.

I realize that most of my, ok ALL, of my shrimp recipes involve garlic, herbs and lemon or white wine. This one is no exception. I promise as the summer grows and more herbs become available I'll widen my perspectives. Until then I give you grilled shrimp with lemon garlic and fresh herb marinade.

Grilled Shrimp with lemon and garlic
makes 2 servings
14 large shrimp
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large clove garlic sliced thin
about 5 chive stems minced
1 sprig oregano minced
1/2 t kosher salt

Mix everything but the shrimp together in a small bowl.

Peel, devein and remove tails of shrimp, put them into a bowl. Pour the marinade over top, toss the shrimp to evenly coat each shrimp in marinade. Allow to marinade for 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Once its hot add the shrimp.


~*~Kitchen Witch Tip: Lay shrimp in a circular pattern. By the time you get the last shrimp on the grill pan you'll be back where you started & can start to flip them in the order in which they were laid down. Shrimp take very little time to cook and even less time to overcook and turn rubbery. For most 'large' shrimp (21-30 count) it takes only 2-3 minutes over medium high heat to cook perfectly.~*~

Flip shrimp and finish cooking, 1 minute longer. Remove promptly and serve.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 56.4
Total Fat 0.9 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 74.5 mg
Sodium 654.4 mg
Potassium 102.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1.4 g
Dietary Fiber 0.1 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 10.1 g

Orzo salad with asparagus, tomatoes, spinach and feta

After a hard days work in the yard I was in the mood for a light, refreshing veggie packed pasta salad. I had orzo pasta in the pantry just for this - I love how the small rice sized grains pick up the dressing flavors and are small enough to allow you to get a bit of everything into one bite. The vegetables needed to be able to stand up to the acidity of the lemon juice dressing, both asparagus and spinach fit that niche nicely. Sweet cherry tomatoes add a bright burst of color and help balance the lemony tartness. Creamy salty feta is the final touch, bringing the whole salad to a harmonious balance.

For the dressing I selected the freshest of herbs, ones from my own garden. The oregano is a classic paring with lemon, chive adds a nice mild onion flavor and parsley, well what can't stand a touch of parsley? I wanted just a hint of garlic in this dressing, really just a perfume of it if you will. I had a lot of garlic for the shrimp I made along with this dish (shrimp recipe will be posted soon) so I borrowed about 1/2 a cloves worth. Making a paste of the garlic helped distribute its potent flavor amongst the salad.

Feel free to use any veggies that your family likes. I'm looking forward to making this many more times through out the summer, using the best of what the garden has to offer.

Orzo salad with Asparagus, Tomatoes, Spinach and Feta
makes 6 side dish servings
1/2 lb orzo pasta
8-10 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends snapped off and then cut into 1 in pieces
about 15 leaves of spinach washed and cut into small chunks
1/3 to 1/2 c feta cheese
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
small bunch of chives (about 15 stems)
2 sprigs oregano
small bunch parsley (maybe 1 T minced)
3 T EVOO
1/2 clove garlic
1 t kosher salt

First, make the dressing. Finely mince all the herbs and put into a bowl. Mash the garlic with a pinch of salt, once you have a paste put it into the bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice onto the herbs, add remaining salt and EVOO. Whisk it well to emulsify the dressing.

Cut up the spinach and add about 2 T of dressing to it. Toss well. The acid in the dressing will start to break down & wilt the spinach. Add the quartered cherry tomatoes on top of the spinach.

Cook the orzo. When there's 1 minute left add the chopped asparagus, cook remaining 1 minute, the asparagus should have taken on a bright green color and be tender crisp. Drain well.

Add orzo asparagus to the spinach & tomatoes. Whisk up the dressing again and pour it on top of the orzo, toss well to coat everything evenly. Add the feta cheese and serve.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180.8
Total Fat 9.6 g
Saturated Fat 2.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.4 g
Cholesterol 7.8 mg
Sodium 412.2 mg
Potassium 411.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20.8 g
Dietary Fiber 3.1 g
Sugars 0.7 g
Protein 6.2 g

Steak with Red Wine Garlic marinade

New York bone in strip steaks were on sale last week, BOGO so of course I had to get some! I hadn't made steaks since last summer so my husband was pretty happy to see the steaks. What I was looking for was a flavorful marinade that would enhance the steaks great flavor. The inspiration for this marinade came from Jenn at Jenn's Food Journey, a great blog that I throughly enjoy. Jenn made an awesome steak sandwich but it was the marinade that caught my eye most of all.

Simple on hand ingredients turned an ordinary steak into a special occasion meal. I was very pleased with this marinade, the steak turned a beautiful brown, not sickly grey as some home cooked steaks can do. The red wine caramelized in my screamin' hot cast iron pan which enhanced the steak flavor. Mmmm is really all I can say about this one. It'll be used on many more steaks from here on out!

Red wine marinade
enough for 2 large steaks
1/2 c red wine
2 cloves garlic sliced thin
1 t dry Italian herbs
1 T EVOO
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 T Worstershire sauce
1 t soy sauce

2 steaks (NY bone in strip is pictured, about 8 oz each)

Mix everything together in a large zip top bag. Add your steaks and allow to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

Scrape off garlic slices and pat meat dry before cooking.

To cook steaks:
1. Open a window and a door, its about to get smoky in here!
2. Preheat oven to 400*
3. Heat a cast iron (or heavy bottomed skillet, NO TEFLON PLEASE!) over high heat until it smokes.
4. Place dried off steak in the pan, cover with a splatter screen to mitigate mess and cook about 5 minutes on 1st side or until deeply browned. The wine will caramelize the meat and help you get a deep brown which translates to deliciousness.
5. Flip steaks and transfer to the oven until cooked to your desired level of doneness. For me that was about 4 minutes to get to medium.

That's it!



Nutrition Facts
2 Servings (8 oz NY Strip steak each, only 55 calories are from the marinade)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 552.5
Total Fat 25.7 g
Saturated Fat 9.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g
Cholesterol 130.7 mg
Sodium 576.9 mg
Potassium 5.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Sugars 4.0 g
Protein 66.8 g

Coq Au Vin

One of my good friends Kelly sent me a link to The Amateur Gourmet and his version of Coq au Vin. Immediately I knew that I too must make this. As I'm sure many of you have realized by now I'm a sucker for long slow braised dishes, and dishes that include wine. Well, my friends, this one has both :) And its wonderful!!!

There are a TON of steps to making this meal. Lots of little, simple things, but a LOT of them nonetheless. I'm pretty adventurous in the kitchen and even I was thinking about half way through, "This better be some damn good chicken for all this flipping work!" I'm happy to report that it was worth the work.

When my husband took his first bite of Coq au Vin, he looked at me and said "This is the most complex sauce, its like a good chocolate in that regard". Do I love that man, or what?? He's so right too, its a very deep flavored, complex and yet oh so comfy cozy home cooking.

And the smell...dear Lord, the smell!! Forget April Rain or Apple Breeze air fresheners, they need to sell Coq au Vin scented febreeze. The smell was out of this world good.

My 3 yr old daughter even enjoyed this meal. She told me "its like a restaurant Mom, but its our own house!" What an astute little girl I have :) It really was out of this world. If you have 3-4 hours and want to impress your friends and family, I highly recommend making this dish.

Coq au Vin
serves 6-8
adapted from Molly Stevens and The Amateur Gourmet
1 chicken cut into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast and 2 wings)
1 bottle red wine (I used el cheap-o boxed Burgundy wine, worked great!)
1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic crushed but whole
1 t dry thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 t kosher salt
1/3 t pepper
4 strips bacon, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 T tomato paste
1 bag pearl onions (next time I'm using cipolini onions I think they'd be a lot better)
1 pack cremini mushrooms (or white mushrooms)
3 T butter
1/4-1/2 c flour for dredging

First do all of your prep work: chop veggies, measure herbs, dice bacon, cut up chicken (if using whole) and pat it dry. Preheat oven to 325*

In a heavy bottom pan - I used my trusty enameled cast iron Dutch Oven - cook bacon until crispy. Remove and reserve bacon bits.



Season chicken pieces with 1 t salt. Dredge chicken in flour on both sides. Put chicken pieces into the hot bacon fat and cook until very browned. The browner the better here. Brown chicken in 2 batches for best color and results. Set chicken aside.



Add diced onions and carrots to the pan, adding 1 T butter if needed (I had enough bacon fat in the pan still), cook about 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir well, scraping up as many browned on bits from the pan as you can.

Once the onions start to brown add the tomato paste. Stir paste into the veggies very well and cook about 5 minutes, you'll really start to smell the tomato paste as it cooks and browns.



Add red wine and herbs, bring to a boil. Scrap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the cooked on fond from the bottom, incorporating it into the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook about 15 minutes or until reduced by half.

Once wine has reduced by half add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and remove 1/2 cup of the braising liquid for later use in the pearl onions. Add bacon and chicken to the braising liquid, legs and thighs in first, wings and breasts skin side up, on top. Cover the top of the dutch oven with parchment paper or tin foil (I used foil) and place lid on top creating a very tight seal and put it in the oven.

After 15 minutes flip the breasts over so the skin side is in the braising liquid, recover with foil and lid, cook an additional 60 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the garnish of pearl onions and mushrooms. In a sautee pan (I used my trusty cast iron skillet, man I love that thing!) melt 1.5 T butter. Once it stops foaming add the bag of pearl onions. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir well, recover and cook 5 additional minutes. Remove lid, allow liquid to evaporate and onions to brown, about 5-10 minutes longer. Once onions are browned add the reserved braising liquid, bring to a boil and reduce to glaze the onions. Remove onions to a small bowl, scraping out as much of the liquid from the pan as possible.



Melt remaining 1.5 T butter, once it stops foaming add the mushrooms and cook until they are very browned, about 10-15 minutes at my altitude. They may give off a bit of moisture, just keep cooking them until they are nice & toasty. You may need to add 1-2 t EVOO to keep things moist while cooking (I did). Once mushrooms are browned reserve them with the pearl onions.

~*~the original recipe didn't call for this but I just couldn't resist deglazing the pan, it was so brown from the onions and mushrooms, it seemed a waste to just throw that wonderful fond away. The Kitchen Witch added about 1/2 c red wine, deglazed it and added the wine to the mushrooms & onions. Feel free to do the same if you so desire~*~

Now, this last step will depend on how much of the braising liquid you have left in the pan. I had about 1 cup, 1/4 c of that was fat, so skim off any fat (I used a gravy separator) and didn't really see any reason to further reduce that as I wanted some extra sauce (for my mashed potatoes). If you have more than 1 cup of the braising liquid left you might want to reduce it some. Either way remove the chicken pieces to a plate & cover to keep warm. Remove bay leaf & discard.



Once liquid is reduced (or not) add the garnish to the liquid, stir to mix.
Serve chicken pieces with the onion/mushroom/carrot/bacon pieces and sauce over top. Excellent with garlic mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 377.3
Total Fat 11.0 g
Saturated Fat 5.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 106.1 mg
Sodium 780.3 mg
Potassium 601.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.0 g
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g
Sugars 8.8 g
Protein 32.4 g

Basic Pot Roast

My husband is an all American, red blooded male, meaning he loves pot roast. To him, there isn't a better way to cook a piece of beef. I appreciate this very much because pot roast is not only delicious, its super simple. And when you get the roast on sale, its completely affordable too.

I think the hardest part of making a pot roast starts at the store and choosing a cut of meat to roast. Top round, bottom round, chuck cross rib roast, chuck 7 bone roast, boneless pot roast, the list goes on and on. If you don't know what you're looking for you can end up with a roast that's dry and flavorless. Who wants to play that game of Russian roulette with dinner, much less your wallet, roast can be pricey!

Kitchen Witch tip: Look for a CHUCK roast. Really any cut from the chuck and you'll be good to go. Bone in or boneless, that's up to you. Bone in will take longer to cook but you'll get a more flavorful dish, and the bones can then be used to make beef stock. And don't pick the leanest one you see, that marbleizing of fat and tissues is what causes the roast to be so tender and flavorful.

Our local grocery had boneless chuck roasts on sale this past week for $2 per pound. I of course bought 2, one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer. I also like to grind my own chuck to make ground beef, but thats another blog entry. Today its all about the pot roast.

Basic Pot Roast
makes 6-8 servings, depending on size of your roast
1 2-4 lb beef chuck roast
2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine OR 1/2 c water and 1 T each soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar
1 small onion sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 ribs celery cut into 2 inch chunks
4 carrots peeled and cut into 3 in chunks
drizzle of oil

Preheat oven to 300*

Pat dry roast. Cover each side with 1 t salt and 1/8 t pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a dutch oven or heavy oven safe pot over medium high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Turn heat off, add vegetables, herbs and liquid. Cover pan and put into a 300* oven.



Roast for 4 to 6 hours. (Boneless roasts are ready to go at about 3-4 hours, depending on size, bone in can take up to 6 hours) You really need the roast to have at least 3.5 to 4 hours in the oven to develop a fork tenderness. This long slow moist cooking method (braising) dissolves the collegens in the connective tissues of the meat, making it very savory and flavorful. It also helps give the meat its fall apart tenderness that is a hallmark of pot roast. Skimping on the cooking time will yield a tough and chewy roast.

See how the meat is falling apart tender on the edges? Thats what you're looking for.

Once roast is cooked and very tender remove it from the pan, cover with foil and allow to rest while the gravy is being made.

Strain the juices off the vegetables. Skim off any fat that collects on the top of the juices. Return the juices to the cooking pan (over high heat) and bring to a boil, allow to reduce by 1/3 to 1/2.

Serve roast with the cooking vegetables, mashed potatoes and the gravy. Sit back and enjoy the compliments on a job well done.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 443.6
Total Fat 19.2 g
Saturated Fat 7.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.5 g
Cholesterol 196.6 mg
Sodium 272.9 mg
Potassium 1,151.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.6 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 58.8 g