Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Fall is here and it's time for comfort food! One of my favorite recipes is lemon rosemary chicken. We tried it during our Rotary International Exchange in UK and it is one of our favorites ever since.

 This chicken is best when served hot with fresh baked bread. Great family dinner which is easy to cook in one large cast iron pan. If you don't have one, use a frying pan to brown meat and vegetables and finish cooking in a large pot covered with a lid.

You will need:

8 chicken drumsticks and thighs, bone-in, skin on

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 medium carrot, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 slices of turkey bacon, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 rosemary sprig

6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

salt, black pepper

olive oil

 

Cover a bottom of you cast iron pan with olive oil and set your stove on medium heat. Add chicken and brown all over. Add onion, carrot, celery and bacon and continue cooking all together for about 10 minutes. Decrease heat if needed. Add potatoes and cook until it will brown evenly on all sides. Add chopped garlic, stir and cook for about 3 more minutes. Squeeze half a lemon on top of your meat and vegetables, add a rosemary sprig and seasonings. Stir, let it cook for about 5 more minutes, then add some water to cover your ingredients. Heat to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and let it cook until ready, about 30 more minutes.

Enjoy!

Comfort time, comfort food

As the temperature goes down so is my desire to have a healthy salad. I am trying hard but my body is asking for soups, potatoes, meat and bread. This is all about the change of season!

I'd really like to share with you an easy recipe today. You can make it in no time, just like I made it last night. It's called corn goulash.

You will need:
ground beef, about 1 lbs
1-2 spoons of light olive oil
1 middle size onion, chopped
some mashed potatoes
1 can of cream style corn
some shredded cheese, I used mix of Cheddar and Monterrey Jack
salt and pepper to taste
rectangular baking dish

How to:
Brown beef, add chopped onion and cook about 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Drain the grease if any. Spray the sides and bottom of the baking dish with a cooking spray and transfer meat & onion into the pan.

While the beef is cooking cook and mash the potatoes. Add some milk, butter and seasonings to taste. Spoon it evenly on top of meat & onion mixture.

Evenly spread the cream style corn on top of mashed potatoes and add some shredded cheese on top.

Preheat the oven and bake at 400'F for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted  on top.

You are done, enjoy!

What's for dinner?

We are celebrating spring in the garden but it is still chilly at nights.
Nothing beats comfort food in the winter. Potatoes, pasta, white breads are maybe not the best friends of your waist line but they sure taste good!

I was thinking of simple dinner the other day and then remembered of great recipe I saw earlier on Katrin's blog, spaghetti alla matriciana. Katrin lives in Italy so this dish is served pretty often on their dinner table.

The recipe is so simple to make and since this is video supported by lively Italian song it seems like fun to make. I have no idea what the song says but I do like the pasta dinner idea!

So I will make it tonight :)

Russian Pelmeny

Have you ever tried PELMENY?

This is traditional Russian dish which has been known for centuries and still very popular this days.

Originally the idea of pelmeny came from China but spread quickly in Siberia, Russia. Women of several families would gather together during the cold time of year to make hundreds of these little guys. They would store it outside the window in sacks like little frozen stones. When needed all they had to do is throw them in a salty boiling water! Great quick hot meal for a cold day!

The process of making these is not quick, thought. That's why a lot of people this days prefer to buy a frozen pre-made pelmeni from a supermarket. In some parts of Russia where I have been there is also an inexpensive little restaurants called Pelmennaya where the only dish is served - pelmeni! They are making these with different fillings and serving it with ketchup, butter, sour cream, vinegar or tasty sauces - mmmm... yum!

Since we don't have places like this here in Arizona we are making it ourselves from time to time. It takes time and effort, but it tastes sooo good!

I would not say it is an elegant dish or not exactly a dieting material :) but who can resist a little treat from time to time!