"Boscoe Cooks".....Simple Sunday Supper.....Chicken, Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes and Onions

As a kid, I used to dread Sundays.  It meant "getting dressed" and  going to church, doing homework and racing home for Sunday dinner around 3:00. As I got older,  the dinner ritual usually interfered with the "important" stuff I was doing, like playing football, tossing back a couple of beers with the guys while watching a game or working on cars. It also meant that you would be "throughly" cleaned up and present yourself at the dining room table looking thrilled to be there. The dinner was always formal. This meant it was "linen" everything, a zillion dishes and seemed to go on forever.  The truth of the matter was that it was usually a wonderful meal and a fitting way to end the week. When I graduated from college and moved away to New York City, Sunday afternoons took on a whole new feel.  The "structured" format was gone, and now I was free to have friends drop by for munchies, pizza or take out.  Eventually I started cooking casseroles and anything you could prepare on a small hibachi. My Sunday afternoons revolved around friends, food and casual get togethers.  The formal sit down dinner was gone, but the desire to bring friends and family together over good food persisted, and it still does today.  I enjoy an occasional roast with all the trimmings, but on Sundays I usually prepare meals that are simple, satisfying and don't involve a boat load of linen or china. Tonight I chose to go with Roasted Chicken Thighs, Fresh Green Beans with Thyme and Oven Roasted Potatoes and Onions with Olive Oil, Rosemary and Thyme. The dinner comes together quickly and takes little "thyme" to clean up.  Bon Appetit!

For the Chicken: Rub the thighs with minced garlic. Brush with olive oil and then salt and pepper them liberally.  Sprinkle crushed rosemary, thyme and lemon zest over the chicken and roast in a 350F oven for approximately one hour, or until done. 

For the Green Beans: Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the green beans. Let the green beans simmer/boil for 4 minutes, then remove from heat and drain in colander. Return beans to pot, toss in fresh thyme, several pats of butter and then salt and pepper to taste. 

For the Roasted Potatoes and Onions:  Cut up potatoes and onions into quarters, then toss them with olive oil.  Add fresh chopped rosemary, thyme and coarse salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (I use Montreal Seasoning) Roast in single layer on baking sheet in a 450F oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Toss the potatoes and onions every 15 minutes to ensure even roasting. (Roast these first, cover with foil and set aside.  Put these back into the oven with chicken the last 15 minutes of roasting) I have two ovens, so I prepared these and the chicken simultaneously. 

"Boscoe Roasts" Pork Loin "Soyaki"

Last year a friend turned me on to "Soyaki", a unique teriyaki sauce and marinade which is sold under the "Trader Mings" label at Trader Joe's. I fell instantly in love with this concoction. Not only did it taste "freshly brewed", but it shared similar flavor characteristics with my own version which is somewhat time consuming to make. I took this phenomenal sauce and added a little extra ginger, sesame oil and minced garlic, and bumped it up another notch.  Try adding some of your personal favorites as well. Sometimes I fire it up with some hot chili sauce or chinese mustard.  Not only is this great on beef, pork and chicken, it can also be used in chili, on seafood and in meatloaf.  Give it a try. You'll be glad you did

"Boscoe Cooks".............Herb Crusted Chicken Pot Pie........Comfort Food For The Soul

I must apologize for not staying in touch these past 6 days. It's just that life got in the way, and the next thing I knew, most of the week had come and gone without any input at my end. Of course a dear friend passed away, I developed a serious infection in two of my teeth and Verizon decided to once again screw up my internet for 3 days. So I guess I do have a pretty good explanation for my absence, and a very good reason for craving comfort food............. especially something that's rich, satisfying and easy to prepare. The first thing that comes to mind is my Herb Crusted Chicken Pot Pie with its flaky herb crust, rich creamy sauce, garden fresh vegetables and chunks of dark and white chicken. This dish is all about comfort.........your favorite torn jeans, flannel shirt, fluffy slippers, oversized tee shirt, pj's, bathrobe, etc.......... and begs you to dig in, kick back and relax. I hope you'll agree...............

Herb Crust

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6-7 teaspoons  (approximately) ice water

Blend first 5 ingredients in food processor until herbs are finely chopped. Add the butter and shortening and blend until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and using a fork, mix in ice water a little at a time, until dough forms moist clumps.  Gather dough into ball and flatten it into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill it for 30 minutes. 

The Chicken, Veggies and Sauce

Ingredients:

2 pounds of cooked chicken portioned into bite size pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup fresh or frozen green beans in 2" lengths. If frozen, defrost

1 cup 1/2" cut cubed potatoes

24 pearl onions, peeled and left whole, OR one box frozen pearl onions. If frozen, defrost

2 cups of 1/2" cut carrot chunks (2-3 medium carrots)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

12 button mushrooms, quartered

1 cup celery, cut into 1/4" slices (2 stalks)

1 cup peas (fresh or frozen. If frozen, defrost

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For The Sauce:

3 cups of home made chicken stock, or low salt canned 

1 cup light cream

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning

1/4 cup dry white wine

For The Egg Wash:

1 egg yolk, beaten

1/2 cup light cream

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the garlic.  Saute for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, onions, mushrooms, green beans, celery and potatoes. Saute for 5 minutes. Set aside with chicken. Wipe skillet clean. Add 6 tablespoons of butter, melt till slightly sizzling and stir in the flour to create your roux. Stir constantly until cooked and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and cream, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and stirring frequently, cook for another 10-15 minutes or until sauce reaches the consistency of very heavy cream.  Stir in the poultry seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add white wine and stir thoroughly. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 400'.  Place chicken, sauteed veggies and peas into a 13"x9" baking dish. Pour cooled sauce over chicken and veggie mixture, and stir to incorporate. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes.  Roll out on lightly floured surface into a rectangle 15"x11". Use rolling pin to wind up the dough for transfer to the baking dish. Unwind the dough across the top of the pot pie filling. Fold overhanging dough back underneath itself so that the folded edge is flush with the lip of the baking dish. Flute the dough if desired.  Combine the beaten egg yolk with the cream and brush liberally over the crust. Cut 6 - 1 inch slits in the pastry dough, starting at the left side and moving to the right, so that you have 2 on the far left, 2 in the middle and 2 on the far right side. Place pie on a foil lined baking pan and put into center of the oven.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until hot and bubbling.  If crust should start to brown too quickly, place a sheet of foil over it for protection. 

ENJOY