easy | COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE

chicken and parsley

June 8, 2013 § 25 Comments

A new look for COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE! I have been wanting to make a theme change and spring seems like the perfect time to do it. I do prefer this theme…

Finally, a complete herb garden is growing out back! When we moved into the Cottage Grove House I was delighted a small herb garden was established with mature thyme, rosemary, mint and chives. Then it occurred to me one day while at the market purchasing basil, cilantro and parsley, I needed to expand my garden! Here we are four years later and I have succeeded. We have nine herbs living happily ever after in my garden. I chose herbs we use regularly and I am learning how to take cuttings from the plants to help promote growth. So far they are producing and thriving. We built these little boxes and strategically placed them here and there in close proximity to the kitchen door.

thyme, sage and chives

Chicken and parsley

Originally I was going to make this chicken with chives. I chopped parsley for the boiled baby potatoes and chives for the chicken. Then I accidentally tossed all of the parsley into the chicken pan! I stood there a minute looking at it wondering how I could so quickly change the outcome of my plan by one simple movement. In the end it didn’t matter. The chicken was delicious and you really can not mess up simple boiled potatoes, right? So if you would like to try this chicken with chives instead of parsley let me know how it turned out!

I n g r e d i e n t s

4 large boneless chicken cutlets
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup parsley

M e t h o d

I have been purchasing cutlets form the market. They are thin sliced breasts without skin. If you are using whole chicken breasts, place them one at a time between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and lightly pound with a mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a large sauté pan. Add the chicken breasts arranging them in one layer. Cook over medium high heat, turning once until the centers are cooked, but still moist, no more than 8 minutes. Transfer the breasts to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pan and stir to mix. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken a little. Pour over the breasts and serve right away.

Serves 4.

buon appetite.

simple blueberry crostata

June 6, 2013 § 63 Comments

I can not express how much I enjoy reading all of the amazing food blogs I am conversant with! I started my little blog a few months ago and the myriad of information I have acquired in this short time is genuinely treasured. I realized right away I was overwhelmed because I want to cook so many of the delicious dishes and desserts I delight in everyday. My bookmark bar is out of control! I sincerely appreciate the inspiration and enlightenment from all of my new found internet friends.

Last week I saw this sweet post from The Suburban Soapbox. I loved reading this because while celebrating her 100th post, she fired up her oven when it was 95° to make this crostata! Bookmarking the page I decided right then I was going to make the crostata too. The next day when I stopped by Whole Foods I noticed they were having a one day sale on blueberries. Instantly I thought “Crostata”! $1.99 a tub for organic blueberries from California. I bought three tubs and over the course of the weekend I made two crostata’s! They were sensational! I think I ate 1/2 of the second one all by myself!

Here’s the recipe exactly as Kellie posted it. However, I know you would enjoy a visit to her blog.

I n g r e d i e n t s

3 1/2 cups blueberries, washed and drained throughly
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
zest and juice from one large lemon
1 ready-made pie crust rolled out into a circle

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter

M e t h o d

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, flour, sugar, lemon zest and juice thoroughly. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll out the dough. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and butter together for the topping using a pastry blender or fork until large clumps form. Pour the blueberry mixture into the center of the dough making a mound and leaving a one inch border around the edge of the crust. Crumble the topping mixture over the blueberries evenly. Fold the crust up over the edge of the blueberries pinching to create pleats. Repeat the process until all the edges have been folded up over the blueberries.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

linguine with chicken sausage (linguine con salsiccia di pollo)

June 4, 2013 § 40 Comments

Pasta with a parsley pesto is sufficient for a midweek dinner. However, with a strapping young lad at the dinner table I decided to add chicken sausage to give it a little substance. Dinner does not get any easier than this. Dinner is ready in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. For us, a one dish meal.

I n g r e d i e n t s

1 pound of good quality linguine
1 pound of italian chicken sausage
1 large bunch of parsley
4 scallions
5 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup of freshly grated pecorino romano
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
a shake or two of red pepper flakes

Place a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Cook the sausage and prepare the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.

If the sausage is in casings, remove the casing and break up the ground chicken in a skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 smashed garlic cloves to the skillet. Continue to cook until nice and brown. Lower heat to keep warm.

For the parsley pesto, place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended. If you are not using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, scallions and garlic, place in a bowl with pecorino, olive oil and pepper flakes and stir well.

Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto and sausage.

Divide into serving bowls and serve with freshly grated pecorino.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

simple midweek baked cod

May 30, 2013 § 45 Comments

An easy baked cod recipe. I made this fish on a evening after a long day at work and it was perfect. I realize how important a simple midweek dinner recipe is when I get home ready to drop. These cod filets went together easily. I served them with dill mashed potatoes and an arugula salad.

I n g r e d i e n t s

4 cod fish filets
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt
1 lemon, sliced thinly into rounds
1/2 cup olive oil
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
several sprigs of thyme

M e t h o d

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lay out 4 large pieces of parchment paper on your counter. Coat both sides of your fish with panko bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and place one filet on each piece of parchment paper. Place a few lemon slices onto fish, a sprig or two of thyme, 3 smashed garlic cloves and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on each. Close up the parchment by meeting the tops together and rolling them down. Fold the end underneath to seal. Place the fish in a baking dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes. You may check one by carefully unfolding to make sure it is done and seal it up again.

Serve right away, allowing your dinner companions to open their own parchments!

dill mashed potatoes

I n g r e d i e n t s

3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
handful of fresh dill, stems removed
3 tablespoons butter
salt / pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add diced potatoes and fresh dill. Boil until potatoes are fork tender, approximately 10 minutes. Drain and return to the pot over a medium low heat and allow the additional water to steam out. Turn off the heat, add butter and smash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper according to your liking.

Serves 4.

buon appetite.

lamb chops with minted pea mash

May 28, 2013 § 36 Comments

It is still cool and rainy here in Seattle. Memorial Day usually inspires outdoor grilling, however, the rain never stopped yesterday. Turned out to be a perfect day to grill indoors and perhaps make a fennel and gruyére gratin. This was the first time I cooked lamb and it was delicious. I always thought in order to have succulent lamb it needed to be braised for hours in a stew. We used the most simplest stove top grilling technique and we were pleasantly surprised how well it turned out. I wonder how many other cooking misconceptions I have! The fennel gratin was a perfect accompaniment to this dinner. Unlike a potato gratin the fennel is light and the gruyére gave it a comforting element needed for a cool rainy day.

Served with a minted pea mash and a fennel gruyère gratin.

Ingredients

2-3 lamb cutlets
olive oil
salt and pepper
a few wedges of lemon and/or fresh mint to serve

Method

Heat a ridged grill pan and brush both sides of lamb with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the cutlets over high heat until browned on both sides. I cooked for 4 minutes each side and they were medium rare.

This was suppose to be a mint puree. It turned out a little thicker than I expected and instead of thinning it out I decided to keep the consistency as a mash. Very enjoyable. I seem to have been a little stuck on peas and mint lately in my posting. I just love using what is in season and freshly harvested.

Ingredients

8 oz. of fresh peas
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
sprinkling of salt and pepper
about 8 mint leaves
1 squeeze of lemon

Method

Cook the peas in boiling water until tender, then drain. Stir in the butter until it melts. Transfer peas to a blender or food processor. Add the cream, salt and pepper, mint leaves and lemon juice and blend until smooth. Serve warm.

f e n n e l a n d g r u y è r e g r a t i n

Ingredients

3 fennel bulb, trimmed of outer leaves
salt and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated gruyère cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim the fennel tops and save any feathery fronds for later. Quarter the bulbs and cook in lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes until tender. Drain well and place the fennel in a buttered gratin dish. Sprinkle the reserved fronds on top. Season with salt and pepper, pour on the cream and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes. I sprinkled a few uncooked fronds on top after baking.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

greek chicken cutlets and tzatziki

May 22, 2013 § 26 Comments

Here is a delicious Greek chicken recipe for you to make. I have been able to find chicken cutlets at most markets these day. If you can not find cutlets you may simply slice a chicken breast horizontally into three flat slices. You could pound them out a little more with a meat mallet if you like. Served with tzatziki, spanokópita, mache’ salad and greek olives.

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets
a dusting of all purpose flour
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons of large capers, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons of hot water

Method

Lightly pat both sides of chicken in flour. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the smashed garlic over medium high heat and cook until the garlic is aromatic. Add the chicken and fry until golden. Turn the chicken over, season with salt and pepper and continue to cook other side until golden. Turn again, season and squeeze in the lemon juice, add the capers, parsley and hot water. When it starts to bubble put a lid on the pan and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and serve right away.

t z a t z i k i

Ingredients

16 ounces of full fat plain greek yogurt (I really like Fage)
1 large cucumber, peeled and grated
1 handful of dill, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt

Using your hands, after you peel and grate the cucumber, squeeze out the excessive juice. Place in a bowl and mix well with all the other ingredients. Taste and add salt to your liking.

serves 4

buon appetite.

linguine pesto and roasted tomatoes (linguine e pomodori arrostiti)

May 18, 2013 § 26 Comments

I wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen in the middle of the week. I am so content when I am able to chop by hand instead of using a food processor. Normally midweek I return home just before 6pm. I am usually very hungry and you can only imagine how ravenous my 15 year old athletic son feels. I do not like to purchase convenient pre-made packaged foods, and for this reason I keep my Tuesday to Thursday dinners simple. Two or three ingredients, nothing too fancy, wholesome and satisfying. With all that said, this dinner fits well into a midweek menu. I understand the best pesto is hand made, not using a food processor. If you have the time it is well worth chopping this by hand. Otherwise, it is a very nice mid week “whirled in the food processor” dinner!

For an extra creamy texture I added 4 ounces of soft goat’s cheese to this pesto.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Put a large pot of water on the stove over high heat. Prepare tomatoes for roasting and make the pesto while you are waiting for the water to boil.

r o a s t e d c h e r r y t o m a t o e s

24 cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Toss tomatoes with olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in oven for approximately 20 minutes, depending on what size you are using. Once the skins are wrinkly and they look roasted remove from oven and set aside.

p e s t o

1 large bunch of basil, leaves only
3 cloves of garlic
small handful of raw pine nuts
4 ounces soft goat’s milk cheese
3/4 cup freshly grated good quality parmesan
approximately 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until blended.

Once your water is at a roaring boil add a tablespoon of coarse grain salt and drop your pasta in. I used one pound of linguine. Cook until al dente, linguine cooking time is approximately 9 minutes.

Drain pasta, return it to the pan (off the heat) and toss with pesto.

Divide into serving bowls and serve with roasted tomatoes and freshly grated parmesan on top.

Serves 4

buon appetite!

asparagus potato soup with a lemony drizzle

May 16, 2013 § 20 Comments

Last week I was profoundly inspired while reading a beautiful post in My French Heaven. Stephane’s Simple Crème d’asperge was magnificent! I loved her minimal ingredients and simplistic method of cooking asparagus soup. I happened to have asparagus in my refrigerator and decided right then and there we were going to have her soup. Her recipe was indeed wonderful. We loved every silky spoonful!

Next trip to the market I was awe struck at the sight of a mountain of asparagus! I had to buy some more. I picked out a nice bunch and then noticed the price per pound. I do not think I have ever seen asparagus so modestly priced. Do you think I bought too many? Obviously we are having a very productive asparagus growing season here in Washington state. Our temperatures have been warming up for several weeks topping out at 80° for a couple of days. This week the rain is falling and it has cooled off to a comfortable 65°…perfect!

This soup recipe is very different from Stephane’s. Her soup was so smooth and much lighter. And the nutmeg added such a nice subtle flavor. Using a blender rather than straining gave this soup a heartier consistency. I added a drizzle of lemon dressing to give it some zing.

Ingredients

2 large bunches of asparagus, remove tough lower stem, cut into pieces
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 quart of vegetable broth
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped fine

Method

In a heavy soup pot heat butter over medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the potatoes, asparagus, salt, pepper and stir to coat well. Pour the vegetable broth in and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and slow boil until potatoes are tender. Blend the soup to desired consistency.

L e m o n y D r i z z l e D r e s s i n g

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
a pinch of salt

Mix all three ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Drizzle on top of individual servings.

Serves 4, with leftovers.

buon appetite.

caramelized onions and hamburgers

May 13, 2013 § 25 Comments

This is simply delicious. I love to make a nice spicy sauce for our buns and top with caramelized sweet onions. This evening I served these with roasted potatoes, garlic aioli and a power green salad, which consisted of baby spinach, mizuna, chard and kale.

s p i c y p i n k s a u c e

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce (tapatio or cholula)

Put all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Set aside, perhaps in the refrigerator.

h a m b u r g e r s a n d c a r a m e l i z e d o n i o n s

Ingredients

1 pound of good quality ground chuck
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced into rings
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 thyme sprigs
1 large juicy tomato, sliced
handful of lettuce of your choice
4 sesame buns

Method

Start your barbecue. I use a briquette grill so I need to get it going first. You may use a grill pan on the stove, lightly brushed with olive oil.

Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and fry the onions over low heat until they are golden and sticky. Add the thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt and continue to fry stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 15 minutes until they get a little crisp.

Put the ground chuck, parsley and egg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Remove your rings and mix well with your hands and shape into four large flat patties. The should be about 4 inches in diameter and not more than 3/4 inch thick.

Grill the patties over a hot grill until they are nicely browned. Make sure they don’t get smoked and try not to allow them to dry out by cooking too long. They should be cooked through but moist and juicy. If you prefer to have a cheese burger, cover your patty with a slice of cheese and let it melt. Gouda or gorgonzola is a nice cheese to use.

Place all of your condiments on the table in separate bowls. Heat the buns on the grill of a couple of seconds. Put the patties inside the buns and serve right away, letting everyone around your table make their own by adding sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and warm onions as they like.

r o a s t e d p o t a t o e s

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Cut your potatoes into your desired shape and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss well to fully coat the potatoes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast until nice and brown, approximately 45 minutes. Make sure to give the baking sheet a shake now and again and turn your potatoes over for even browning.

The g a r l i c a i o l i I made was a very simple version I discovered a few years back. I just use mayonnaise with a little olive oil and a few pressed garlic cloves. Sometimes I add different herbs to add another nice flavor.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

pasta with baby artichokes (orecchiette con carciofini)

May 9, 2013 § 37 Comments

The majority of my dinner inspiration occurs while taking a stroll through the produce area of the market. On this visit I came to a halt in front of the baby artichoke arrangement. Instantly I knew I was going to try them in a sauce for pasta.

Never having prepared baby artichokes before I knew with a little trimming you may eat the whole thistle. After a little research I found it is very necessary to soak your trimmed artichokes in lemon water, otherwise they turn an unsightly brown hue. I read a couple of appetizing sautéed baby artichoke recipes and came up with an idea. Shallots instead of onions. Herbs from the garden. And one of my favorite pasta sauce ingredients, pancetta.

This is very simple and not too rich. The three herbs really give it a fresh spring-like flavor. For this dish I chose orecchiette because it is my son’s favorite. He calls them hard hats.

Ingredients

12 baby artichokes, cut the tops and stems off and pull off any thicker outer leaves
1 lemon, halved
4 shallots finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1 cup dry white wine
1 pound orecchiette pasta
handful parsley, finely chopped
handful mint, finely chopped
handful basil, finely sliced
freshly shaved grana padano parmesan

Method

Squeeze your lemon into a large bowl of water and drop the lemons in too. As you are slicing your artichokes add them to the bowl so they do not turn brown.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skill, over medium heat add your olive oil and pancetta and cook until brown. Add shallots and garlic and cook another 4 or 5 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until the edges have turned a nice golden brown. Add wine and reduce. Cover pan, lower the heat to simmer and cook another 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While pasta is cooking chop the parsley and mint together. Slice the basil into little strips.

After your pasta has cooked and before you drain, reserve 1/2 cup of your pasta liquid.

Stir the reserved pasta water into your artichoke sauce and bring to a soft boil. Add drained pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss to combine and coat well. Turn off heat. Serve right away topped with cheese and basil.

Serves 4

buon appetite.

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