Autumn Potato Gratin

Cook Time: 35 min

Level: Easy
Yield: 8 servings


Ingredients

4 pounds mixed baby potatoes, such as Red Bliss, Peruvian Purples, and Fingerlings
2 cups heavy cream, plus some to cover
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary
2 garlic cloves, cracked
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Halve the potatoes and toss them into a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper.


Meanwhile, put the cream, butter, herbs, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, to infuse the cream with flavor. Season with salt and pepper.


Pour the hot cream mixture through a strainer over the potatoes, (discard the herbs and garlic), if there is not enough cream to go 3/4 of the way up the potatoes then pour some additional cream on top to make up the difference. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and top begins to brown. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Chicken Cutlets with Herbs

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 loaf baguette bread - day old is fine
4 pieces chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
1 large egg
Several sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
A handful fresh chives, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Olive oil, for sauteing cutlets

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Tear bread into pieces and place on baking sheet. Toast bread until deep golden brown, 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and coarsely grind into bread crumbs.

While bread toasts pound out chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour, reserve. Beat egg with splash of water in shallow dish.

Transfer bread crumbs to a plate and season with herbs and poultry seasoning.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Coat chicken in egg then bread crumbs and add to pan. Saute until golden and firm, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

From: foodnetwork.com

Orange Balsamic Rock Cornish Game Hens

Can't wait to try this on Christmas Eve!

Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Intermedate
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

6 hens, rinsed and pat dry
Coarse salt
Coarse black pepper
1 cup defrosted orange juice concentrate
1 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 to 8 stems rosemary, chopped


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Line 2 baking pans with foil for easier cleaning. Set a baking rack in each pan. Split hens and butterfly open and place 3 hens in each baking pan. Season the hens with salt and pepper liberally. Mix the orange concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pour evenly over the hens. Sprinkle with rosemary and roast 15 minutes at 425 degrees F and 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

From: foodnetwork.com

Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

A recipe that surely deserves to be in Rachael Ray's top 10 Best Recipes!

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth


Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.


Arrange chicken in a baking dish, 9 by 13-inch. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grill seasoning or salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

From: foodnetwork.com

Greek Mixed Grill Kabobs and Pine Nut-Orzo Salad

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

Salt
1/2 pound orzo
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1/4 cup green olive tapenade
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 lemons, juiced and 1 zested
1/3 plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds firm white flesh fish, halibut or swordfish, cut into 12 (2-inch) chunks
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 12 (2-inch) chunks
Black pepper
You'll also need: Metal skewers


Pine Nut-Orzo Salad

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
8 Greek hot peppers, for garnish
1/4 cup kalamata olives, for garnish
2 tomatoes, diced, for garnish
1/2 cucumber, diced, for garnish


Directions

Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high.


Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta salad. When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente.


While the pasta works, in a small bowl combine the garlic, oregano, rosemary, tapenade, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon with about 1/3 cup EVOO. Place the fish and chicken in separate shallow dishes or bowls and season with salt and pepper then divide the dressing between the bowls and coat the fish and chicken evenly. Skewer the fish and chicken on metal skewers. Grill the chicken 10 to 12 minutes until firm and juices run clear, and the fish for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning the kabobs frequently.


Drain orzo and combine with pine nuts, onions, parsley, feta crumbles, the juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the orzo salad with 3 pieces each of chicken and fish along side. Garnish plates with a couple of hot peppers, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers on each plate.

From: foodnetwork.com

Parmigiano and Herb Chicken Breast Tenders

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 4 BIG servings

Ingredients

* Olive oil, for frying
* 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water

Breading:

* 2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
* 1 cup shredded Parmesan
* 6 sprigs or stems fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped, 2 to
3 tablespoons
* 6 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, 3 tablespoons
* 2 handfuls chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* Simple tomato sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a nonstick cookie sheet in oven
with a tin foil liner.

Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over
medium to medium high heat.

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Wash hands. Place flour
in a shallow dish. Beat eggs with water in a second dish along side
the flour. In a third dish, combine the breading ingredients. Coat
chicken in flour, then egg, then bread and cheese mixture. To keep
your hands clean, ask for plastic gloves at the butcher counter. To
ease your clean up, try using disposable tin pie tins for the flour,
egg and bread crumbs.

Cook chicken until deeply golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes.
Transfer to cookie sheet in preheated oven and finish off for another
5 minutes cooking time. Cook chicken 5 or 6 tenders at a time in a
single layer, adding additional oil if necessary. If the chicken
begins to brown too quickly lower heat slightly. Serve chicken hot or
cold with green salad or, complete as a Parmigiano.

Simple Tomato Sauce for Chicken Parmigiano:

* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 small white onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (14 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
* 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
* 1 cup chicken broth or stock
* A handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
* Coarse salt
* 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone
* 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Set water on to boil for pasta and prepare according to package
directions for al dente. Before coating chicken, add oil, onions and
garlic to a saucepan to cook medium low heat. Stir occasionally for 10
minutes while you are working on the chicken. Add both cans of
tomatoes and a cup of chicken broth and bring sauce to a bubble.
Reduce heat to a simmer until ready to serve. Stir in torn basil and
season sauce with salt, to your taste.

Place a little of the sauce on the chicken tenders, top with the
shredded provolone and Parmigiano. Place in oven or broiler to melt
the cheese and then serve. Coat the hot, cooked pasta lightly with
sauce then serve.

Enjoy!

From: foodnetwork.com