Hen and Dumplings

For stewing the hen and broth:
1 (3-4 pound) chicken
3 quarts cold water
3 medium carrots, peeled
3 celery stalks
1 small onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 1 clove grated
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black peppercorns
1-1/4  cups dry white wine
1 large leek, white & green parts cut into medium dice and washed; green top washed and reserved
1 cup torn herbs, like parsley, dill, chervil, chives, for garnish

For dumplings: 
1 slice white bread, crust removed and bread torn into small pieces
1/4 cup stock
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
6 ounces ground veal or chicken
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sliced chives
zest of 1 lemon

1. In a 6-quart stockpot, combine chicken with cold water.  Bring to simmer over high heat.  Begin to skim away any fat or scum from surface.  Add one carrot, one celery stalk, onion, split garlic head, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon salt, peppercorns and 1 cup wine.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 2-1/2 - 3 hours.

2.  Transfer chicken to cutting board.  When cool enough to handle, remove skin and meat.  Return bones to the pot.  Simmer, uncovered, 1-1/2-2 hours and add leek tops for last 30 minutes.

3.  While stock simmers, prepare dumplings.  Heat oven to 450 degrees. Soak bread in 1/4 cup chicken stock for 5 minutes, squeeze out excess.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large, oven-proof pan over medium heat.  Add shallots, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and saute 7-8 minutes.  Meanwhile, mince soaked bread and about 10 ounces of the reserved chicken meat and skin. In a bowl combine, minced bread/chicken mixture with ground veal or chicken, eggs, chives, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp salt.  Add shallots.  Form into golf-ball sized dumplings and refrigerate 1 hour.

4.  Heat pan used for shallots over medium heat and add remaining butter.  Gently add dumplings to skillet and let cook, undisturbed until browned, 5 minutes.  Use soup spoons to gently flip dumplings.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake 12-15 minutes until firm, basting dumplings with butter form pan midway through cooking.

5.  Pour stock through a fine-mesh strainer.  (You should have about 2 quarts. Top with water if necessary.)  Discard vegetables and bones.  Chop remaining leeks, carrots and celery into bite-size pieces.  Return stock to simmer and add chopped vegetables and remaining wine.  Simmer until just soft, about 4 minutes. Add herbs and remove pot from heat. Divide dumplings among 4-5 bowls and ladle soup over top.

Omelet Roll-ups

These little rolls are filled with flakes of smoked salmon and cream cheese but easily substitute, cooked spinach, ham and/or cheese.

4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup flaked smoked salmon
1 tablespoon chopped chives or dill
1/4 cup cream cheese
ground pepper

1.  Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with pepper.

2.  Heat half of oil in a small omelet pan and pour in half of the beaten eggs.

3.  Swirl the eggs around the pan until the base of the omelet is lightly set.  Push the set parts into the uncooked center and continue cooking until completely set and lightly golden on the underside.

4.  Flip the omelet and brown the other side for a few seconds. Turn out onto a cutting board.  Repeat with remaining eggs to make a second omelet.

5.  Mix together the salmon and cream cheese and season with pepper.  Spread mixture on one side of each omelet, leaving edges clear.

6.  Roll-up each omelet tightly and cut across into slices.  Sprinkle with herbs.  Serve warm or cold.

Whole Roast Chicken

A basic roast chicken recipe can be most useful to have on hand.  A roast chicken is a meal on it's own or the start of any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.  

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary, thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1 4- to 5-pound organic chicken
1 small lemon, halved crosswise
1 medium head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
3 stalks of celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced

1. Position rack in the bottom third of oven; preheat to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine butter, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Loosen the skin from the breasts with your fingers and spread butter mixture under it.  Place the lemon and garlic in the cavity.  Tie the legs together with kitchen string.  Place carrots, celery, and onion in a large broiler-safe pot.  Put chicken breast-side up on top of vegetables and put the lid on. 

3.  Roast the chicken for 1 hour.  Increase oven temperature to broil.  Uncover and broil until golden brown, about 6 to 10 minutes.  A thermometer inserted in a thigh without touching bone should register 165 degrees.  

4.  Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.  Serve sprinkled with remaining herbs and 1/2 tsp of salt.  

Slow Cooker Hot & Sour Chicken Soup

1 whole chicken (3-1/4 pounds)
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks of celery, trimmed & chopped
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
10 cups water
2 stalks of lemongrass (4 inches), bruised
1 piece fresh ginger, grated (2-1/2 inches)
2 fresh long red chile peppers, sliced thinly
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fish sauce
3 tsp brown sugar
1 can, 15 ounces, mushrooms, drained
2 baby bok choy, trimmed and chopped
6-1/2 ounces vermicelli noodles
1/2 cup firmly packed cilantro leaves

1. Remove and discard fat and skin from chicken.  Place chicken, carrots, celery, onion and the water in a 4-or 5-quart slowcooker.  Cook, covered, on low for 8 hours.

2.  Carefully remove chicken from slowcooker; shred the meat using two forks.  Discard bones.  Strain the cooking liquid through a seive; discard the solids.

3.  Return the strained liquid to cooker with lemongrass, ginger, chiles, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms and chicken.  Cook, covered, on high for 30 minutes.  Stir in bok choy.

4.  Meanwhile, place noodles in a medium heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water; stand 10 minutes and drain.  Divide noodles among serving bowls.  Ladle hot soup over noodles.  Serve sprinkled with cilantro. 

Light Eggnog

Introducing a lighter and healthy Eggnog recipe just in time for the holidays.  (And it's also dairy-free.)

Ingredients:
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup raw honey
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tblsp whole cloves
1 tsp pure vanilla

1.  In a kitchen blender, add the almond milk, egg yolks, raw honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, and then blend for a minute until smooth.

2.  Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add the whole cloves, and heat over medium heat.

3.  Cook the eggnog for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken and slowly cook the eggs.  It will be frothy at first.

4.  Let the mixture get hot but not boil or simmer, if it's close to boiling then whisk vigorously and remove from heat temporarily.

5.  Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.

6.  Strain to remove cloves, then place in an airtight container and chill 6-8 hours.  To serve sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.

Brown liquors work best with eggnog so to spike it try: bourbon, rum or brandy.

One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

12 ounces Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
12 ounces red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces shallots, peeled and halved
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled
4 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3-1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (our 8-piece pack)

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475.  Toss Brussels sprouts, potatoes, shallots, carrots, garlic, 2 tsp thyme, oil, 1 tsp rosemary, sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 tsp pepper together.  In a second bowl, combine butter, remaining thyme and rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 tsp pepper and set aside.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Place vegetables in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet, arranging Brussels sprouts in center.  Place chicken, skin side up, on top of vegetables arranging breast pieces in center and leg/thigh pieces around the perimeter.

Brush chicken with herb butter mixture and roast until breast registers 160 F and thighs/drumsticks 175 F, about 35-40 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter and let rest 10 minutes.  Toss vegetables in pan juices add to platter with chicken.

Green Eggs & Ham Soup

Is it too early to start making soup?  This creamy, green soup is made with just flavorful pureed topped with a poached egg and ham.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 ounces of thick cut ham

1 small onion, chopped

2 gloves of garlic, minced

4 cups of chicken broth or stock

4 cups of chopped broccoli florets

2 cups of chopped cauliflower florets

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1/8 tsp salt

4 cups of baby spinach

1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

8 cups of water

2 tablespoons of distilled vinegar

4 large eggs

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add ham and cook stirring often until browned, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

2.  Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and onion to the pot.  Cook, stirring often, until softened about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add broth or stock, broccoli, cauliflower, thyme and salt.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 6 minutes.  Add spinach and parsley.  Remove from heat and stand, covered, until spinach is wilted about 5 minutes.  Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.  Cover to keep warm.  

3.  Meanwhile, bring water and vinegar to boil in a saucepan.  Reduce heat to bare simmer and gently swirl water in a circle.  Break an egg into a small bowl then submerge the bowl into simmering water and gently add the egg to pan.  Working quickly, repeat with all eggs.  Cook 4 minutes for soft set, 5 minutes for medium set and 8 minutes for hard set.  

4.  Serve bowls of soup topped with a poached and egg and some ham.