Autumn Roasting Racks

Back in August I gave you my Summer Roasting Rack & let you know that I do change them up for the seasons.  So here is my version for autumn. Hope you Enjoy!


Autumn Roasting Rack
4 vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch carrots, peeled & quartered
1 lb fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
1 cup black olives, halved
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
S & P
1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence 
Drizzle of Olive oil

Mix all together in the bottom of your roasting pan.  Place a 5 lb bird on top of the rack with the skin seasoned with olive oil, S&P, & Herbs De Provence and stuffed with a quartered lemon or two and as much garlic as you want. Roast at 425 degrees for an hour and a half. Put the bird on the carving board & let the bird rest, tented for about 20 minutes before you carve.  Taste test veggies, give them a good toss and adjust seasonings as needed.  Put back in cooled oven to keep warm.  Serve veggies on the side.

Artichoke & Feta Relish Served with Salmon

A friend recently asked if I had any ideas for using up a bunch of feta cheese, and I remembered this recipe.  I came up with it it in college to jazz up salmon for a dinner with friends.    I was having 4 people for supper, got a great deal on the fish, but wanted to step it up. I came up with this to top the seared salmon.
On a very thin budget you can get pretty creative.

Artichoke & Feta Relish
1 14 oz can of Artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
4 green onions, sliced (use about 3/4 of the onion)
4 oz Tomato Basil Feta
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Saute the green onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat for around 5 minutes, add the artichoke hearts and saute another 5 minutes, remove from the the heat, add the cheese and toss with other tablespoon of olive oil.  Set aside to cool.  Serve with salmon.  Keep leftovers in an air tight container in fridge - they won't last long. It is wonderful cold too!

My Lunch - Salmon with Artichoke Relish and Savory Sweet Potatoes

The salmon above is a salmon fillet seasoned with lemon pepper and seared in hot frying pan coated in cooking spray.  Serve the salmon on top of sauteed spinach with a drizzle of blue cheese dressing over top of the fish.  Add relish and serve.  Small fillets make a wonderful lunch! 

The relish is also wonderful over chicken, and can be served hot or cold as a dip. My friend that brought this recipe back to me even used it as a filling for a sandwich.  Hope you enjoy!

An evening with Norman Bates...

It is scary how fast time flies. A month or two ago we found out that the oldest movie theater in our town was going to be playing Psycho (hate that I have to even say the original, but I will).  I noted it & to my surprise it actually fit into our schedules.  Last night we realized how long it had been since we had even been out and about in town, just us.  We had a great meal on the patio at El Rey's Burrito Lounge. We enjoyed Queso Del Rey, margaritas, chardonnay, chicken and steak tacos. Followed by the Hitchcock classic on the big screen.  It was fun to watch this movie with an audience, & the old theater was the perfect place.   The Capri Theater typically hosts the independent film circuit. They will also throw in some classics for one night only, like last night.  Seeing  them on the big screen really does take the classics to another level.  It feels good to support local resources & grateful to those who work so hard to preserve our local landmarks.

A little Queso Del Rey never hurt anyone & vino served from a beaker - definitely original!

Fancy Wild Rice

This dish screams Fall. I think it would be perfect for Thanksgiving, and went wonderfully with the Roasted Orange Cornish Game hens & grilled broccoli the other night.  Hope you Enjoy.

Fancy Wild Rice, serves 3 to 4
1 6 ounce box of  Long Grain & Wild Rice, classic recipe (not instant)
2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
Dash of Herbs de Provence

Cook rice according to package, however use chicken broth rather than water and 1 tablespoon of butter.  When there are only ten minutes remaining for the rice melt the other tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan and toast almonds.  When rice is done add to the saute pan, with raisins and herbs de Provence, toss well & serve.

The golden raisins are sweet and perfect with the toasted buttery crunch of the almonds.  It takes the rice to a different level.  Next time I think I may go with more almonds and raisins (1/3 cup each) & maybe top with a touch of chopped parsley. Didn't know how my husband would react to the dish, but he loved it. Would be perfect with grilled chicken, fruit marinated chicken dish, or roasted turkey.

Michael's Italian Meatloaf & October Roses

This time of year I would start to allow my roses to go dormant. After the horrid summer my roses looked as if they were completely fried. However, Friday I noticed things had changed - the rose garden looked like it was April. We may have to wait until 2011 to go dormant...

Rock 'N Roll

Dolly Parton in front of Voluptuous (total accident, but pretty funny)

OK - Meatloaf was something I never had growing up.  I always thought of Randy from "A Christmas Story" pushing his food around, singing about how much he hates meatloaf!  This point of view was completely changed when I was introduced to Italian Meatloaf by Michael Chiarello.  Wow this is an amazingly perfect comfort food for a cool evening. Here is my  take on his delicious dish & it deserves a better name than meatloaf in my opinion.

Italian Meatloaf
Inspired by Michael Chiarello
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons sherry
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 Crimini mushroom caps, diced
2 teaspoons diced garlic
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumb
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil & parsley
2 eggs
1 1/4 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Salt & Pepper
1 cup of marinara
2 tablespoons of sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove beef from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature while you prep.  Saute diced onion, pepper, & mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat, add garlic & salt and pepper, saute until slightly dry, add butter and sherry - allow to reduce.  Once the onions and peppers are soft, remove from heat, add to a plate (include liquid) and allow to cool in the freezer.
In the meantime add all other ingredients to a bowl, except the Marinara and olives. Add the cooled peppers, mushrooms, and onions & mix together.  On a large, greased dish add the mixture and shape into a loaf.  Combine the marinara and olives & spread over the top of the mixture.  Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes (just check that the meat reaches at least 160 degrees).  Remove from oven and let rest for about ten minutes before serving.  I served with smashed red potatoes, green beans (for him) & English peas (for me).
Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Hope you enjoy - heads up the leftovers are even better!  Also check out Michael's store Napa Style - I have gotten some of my favorite things & gifts there.