Artichoke Chicken and Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin

Sundays are for cookin' in my house.  I normally don't get home until between 5:30 and 8 pm during the work week, so if I want to try a more time-consuming recipe I love to do it on Sunday afternoons.  It makes for great leftovers all week too!

I saw this Artichoke Chicken recipe on The Chew, a great daytime cooking show hosted by chefs, food lovers, and quirky personalities.  Check it out on ABC if you haven't before - I watch it when I come home for lunch (my office is 3 miles away).  It intrigued me for two reasons: 1) it only requires one baking dish (or Dutch oven); and 2) it won a cook-off hosted on the show.  OK, a third reason: it's really healthy and really delicious!

A coworker gave me some beautiful yellow squash from his friend's garden, so I wanted to experiment with a new recipe for squash as well.  Five minutes of internet searching gave me this fantastic Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin from the Kitchn.  I bought potatoes from the North Scottsdale Farmers' Market and used fresh organic basil, goat cheese, and parmesan cheese from Whole Foods.  Served with a spinach and avocado salad, this meal was a hit with the boys.  It's flavorful and easy - all you need is some time to cook it!  

I doubled the potato gratin because I had so much squash and cooked it at 350 instead of 400 so it could go in with the chicken, which required 90 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees.  Once the chicken was done, I cranked the oven to 425 and cooked the potatoes until they were soft, then removed the foil for an additional ten minutes.  The potatoes ended up taking almost 2 hours because they had to cook at a lower temp and there were so many of them with a doubled recipe, but it was well worth it.  I had accounted for about 2 hours of cooking time anyway; however, I wouldn't recommend making these recipes when you're pressed for time!

I did forget one step - pouring the milk over the potatoes - but we didn't miss it!

Artichoke Chicken

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 1/2-4 pound chicken legs and thighs

1 cup artichoke hearts (halved)

1 medium onion (cut into chunks - to match the artichokes)

1 pound white button mushrooms (halved or quartered)

2 tablespoons brown mustard

1 clove garlic (minced)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar because I was out of red wine vinegar)

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Place chicken, skin side up, in a baking pan.  

Distribute onion, artichoke and mushrooms over the top. 

Combine olive oil, mustard, red wine, red wine vinegar, garlic, dried spices, salt and pepper and pour over the chicken.   

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, basting every half hour.  Yum, right?

Potato, Squash and Goat Cheese Gratin

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow squash
4 small to medium red potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  (Again, you can cook at 350 if you make it with the chicken - it just takes longer to cook.)

Use a mandoline or chef's knife to slice the squash and potatoes into very, very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Toss the sliced vegetables with the olive oil in a large bowl.

Pour a small drizzle of olive oil in a casserole dish (around 8 or 9 inches square) and spread it around the bottom and sides. Place 1/3 of the squash and potato slices in the bottom of the dish—no need to layer them squash-potato-squash-etc.—then season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the goat cheese, scattered evenly in large chunks. 

Repeat with another 1/3 of the vegetables, seasoning again with salt and pepper and topping with the other 1/2 of the goat cheese. Finish by layering on the final 1/3 of the vegetables and seasoning with salt and pepper.  Below is the top layer before I added the cheese:

Pour the milk over the entire dish. Top with the parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until the top browns. 

Scatter on the fresh basil, if using.

Here are both finish products:

And the chicken is perfect:

Perfect potato/squash medley:

Serve with a spinach salad - a perfect dash of color (and nutrients)!

Enjoy!

*M*

Dairy-free, Gluten-free Stuffed Mushrooms

My mouth was absolutely watering reading this post from Clean Green Simple. Check out how beautiful these dairy-free, gluten-free stuffed mushrooms look! They were really simple to prepare and made for not only a delicious dinner side dish but also a crave-able lunch addition. Walnuts are a good source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, and mushrooms have been studied for their immune-enhancing effects. Most stuffed mushrooms have cheese and bread; this version is hearty and satisfying while also accommodating dairy or gluten intolerance. There are also some great ways to make raw stuffed mushrooms - check out this recipe from Happy Foody - but I wanted mine warm.

Ingredients:

6 mini portobellos (or 20 smaller crimini/baby bella mushrooms)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bell pepper (1/2 will be used for garnish)
1 1/2 cup raw spinach
1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small onion
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except mushrooms and vinegar and process until smooth.






Wash the mushrooms and carefully remove the stems, creating a pocket.




Evenly divide the filling between the mushrooms and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. I doubled the recipe and used a few larger portobellos in addition to the 6 minis, but I still had extra filling that was delicious for dipping cucumber slices and carrots!

Place the stuffed mushrooms on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened.




Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the pan onto a serving dish. Top with bell peppers (optional).



I served this with baked cod, roasted veggies topped with goat cheese, and a warm lentil/garlic salad.



Enjoy!

*M*

Speedy Supper #3 - Mustard-crusted Salmon

My efforts to simplify dinner have continued. This (shortened) week, our cook-at-home menu includes the following:

- Mustard-crusted Salmon with Parmesan Balsamic Cauliflower and a side salad

- Grass-fed beef burgers topped with portabello mushrooms and grilled peppers, served with a 3-bean crockpot dish and grilled sweet potatoes

- Grilled BBQ chicken spinach salad with walnuts, apples, and goat cheese

This might look complicated for those who don't cook often, but with a shopping list and a bit of planning, it's really easy. In fact, the chicken salad for Thursday night will be made even easier by grilling the chicken with the burgers on Wednesday night and heating the chicken in the toaster oven (covered, on convection setting) before serving. BBQ-ing is also great because it minimizes mess and clean up!

This salmon recipe, taken from my favorite cooking website Eatingwell.com, will surely become a staple in our house. It only requires 5 ingredients and is a great way to get inflammation-reducing omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Opt for organic sour cream, or try Greek yogurt instead!

Mustard-crusted Salmon
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb center-cut salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions (I used 2 6-oz portions to serve 2)
Dirty sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream (I used regular organic)
2 T stone ground mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
Lemon wedges
Dill to taste (optional)
Garlic powder to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Assemble ingredients:


Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil, then coat with cooking spray or olive oil. Note: I made this in my toaster oven on "broil" setting. It's great to avoid heating up the oven during the summer!


Place salmon pieces, skin side down, on prepared pan. Season with salt and pepper.



Combine sour cream, mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl. I ended up making extra to use it later as a dipping sauce.





Add dill if desired, as recommended by reviewers on the EatingWell.com website.


I also added some garlic powder:


Spread evenly over the salmon.



Broil the salmon 5 inches from the heat until it is opaque in the center, 10-12 minutes.


Serve with lemon wedges (I forgot these but they would be great!). I also served it with this delicious cauliflower recipe and a fresh salad. Salmon, cauliflower, and spinach? Bring on the super foods!