Haddock & Olives

Prep Time:
40 Min

Cook Time:
20 Min

Yields:
4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 2-ish pounds of fresh Haddock
• 2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz.
• 1/2 cup chopped, pitted green Olives
• 1/4 cup capers (with juice)
• 2 tbls dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º.
2. On medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until softened, but not browned.
3. Add white wine and bring to a boil.
4. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer on low heat for 20 – 30 minutes.
5. Transfer tomato sauce to glass baking pan and place Haddock fillets on sauce.
6. Place in oven and cook until fish is just cooked through and flakes with a fork, between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on thickness of fish.
7. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

Chicken & Artichoke Casserole

Prep Time:
10 Min

Cook Time:
60 Min

Yields:
4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2-2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs (or breasts)
• 1 can quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water)
• 10-12 large Spanish Olives, stuffed with pimentos
• 1 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Place chicken in a 3 quart casserole dish.
3. Drain artichoke hearts and place them on top of the chicken.
4. Cut olives in half and sprinkle on top of artichokes.
5. Add white wine. Season to taste.
6. Cover with casserole lid or aluminum foil and place in center of preheated oven. Cook until chicken is done and tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Smack 'N Cheese

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
50 Min

Yields:
4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups cauliflower florets (1 head) I used more, almost two heads
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt I used Maine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted Cabot butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream I used Half & Half
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese I used Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar. I also added about 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese for a little kick.
• Next time I’m going to add a bit of diced pancetta for a flavor and texture boost.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Toss florets in oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and lightly browned, about 20 – 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and reduce heat to 350º.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, two to four minutes. Whisk in cream and cook for five minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat and stir in salt and pepper and all but two tsp. of cheese. Stir over medium-low heat.
4. Place cauliflower in an 8 x 8 glass baking dish or four 10-oz. ramekins. Pour cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes.

Sweets & Beets

Prep Time:
5 Min

Cook Time:
40 Min

Yields:
4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lbs beets w/ greens.
• 1 lbs sweet popatoes
• 1 head of garlic
• 4-8 pcs crusty bread

Directions

1. Start by cutting the greens from the beets, and washing and draining them both. Save the beet greens for later. Scrub the beet and sweets and cut both ends. Cut the top from a large head of garlic so all the cloves are exposed.
2. Put them all in a casserole dish, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Let them hang out in a 400º oven until the beets are fork tender,  the sweets are creamy soft, and the garlic is golden brown and fragrant.
3. While the veggies roast away in their bright red juices, prepare the beet greens by removing the tough red spine. (I put them into my brand new counter top composting bucket. Isn’t it adorable?) Wash the remaining leaves thoroughly – they can be gritty – and give them a large chop.
4. When the veggies have finished cooking, move them from the casserole to a plate to let them cool a bit. Pour the oil – now brilliantly colored from the beets – into a saute pan and heat. Cook the beet greens for about 3 – 5 minutes, until the turn dark green and tender. I add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar for extra flavor.
5. While they’re still warm, peel the skin from the beets. I like to leave the skin on the sweet potatoes, but that a personal call. The skins slip easily off both.
6. Put some crusty bread into the oven for a few minutes, and while it is hot spread a clove of roasted garlic on each piece.
7. Serve the vegetables on a warm bed of greens with a hunk of garlic swathed bread.

Pizza Pot Pie

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
40 Min

Yields:
4-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium summer squash, quartered and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 20 oz jar marinara sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 box ready-made pie crust (2 per box)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º and brought the pie crusts to room temperature,
2. Put first crust in a deep dish pie plate and cover the bottom of the crust with shredded mozzarella.
3. Heat olive oil in large saute pan then add onions, mushrooms, garlic, and squash.
4. Cook over medium heat until softened, 8 – 10 minutes. I had a bit of good red wine left over from the night before and added that, too. This is completely optional…but adds a very nice flavor and depth.
5. To the softened veggies, add the marinara sauce and let that simmer for about 15 minutes on a low heat.
6. Let the sauce mixture cool a while before adding it to the crust covered with the mozzarella.
7. Before adding the top crust, sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the filling.
8. Finished constructing the pie with the second crust.
9. Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown, maybe with some sauce bubbling in a couple of places where it escapes the bounds of the pie crust.

I would definitely advocate for a pie guard, like the one you see under the pie above or a cookie sheet to protect your oven.

Perfect Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 20
Min

Cook Time: 60 Min

Yields: 4 – 6
Servings

Ingredients

• 1 roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 lemons
• 1 head, garlic
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth
• fresh oregano
• fresh rosemary
• Fresh tyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º.
2. Cut lemons in half and place one half into the cavity of the chicken. Slice the remaining into ¼” rounds and make a platform for the chicken. Rest sprigs of herbs on the slices and place the chicken on the bed of lemons and herbs.
3. Put chopped shallot and three or four cloves of garlic into the cavity along with the lemon half. Insert the rest of the garlic cloves under the chicken skin, both top and bottom.
4. Douse the chicken with wine and chicken broth, then salt and pepper liberally. If the neck and gizzards came with the bird, place them around the chicken. Be sure to salt and pepper them, too.
5. Place the roasting pan in the center of the oven and cook until the juices run clear and the leg twists easily at the joint, about 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on the size of the bird. You can baste the chicken during the cooking and add more broth if necessary.
6.