Chicken Pot Pie With Savory Crumble Topping

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Serves 6

This recipe relies on two unusual ingredients: soy sauce and tomato paste. Do not omit them. They don’t convey their distinctive tastes but greatly deepen the savory flavor of the filling. When making the topping, do not substitute milk or half-and-half for the heavy cream.

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium carrots , peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 cup)
• 2 small celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 10 ounces cremini mushrooms , stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (see note)
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste (see note)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 3/4 cup frozen baby peas

Crumble Topping

• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (see note)

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until chicken is just done, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
• 2. FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces ranging from 1/2 to ¾ inch each onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Set aside.
• 3. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.
• 4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.
• 5. Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, then continue to simmer until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons parsley.
• 6. Stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce. Pour mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish or casserole dish of similar size. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve

SPAGHETTI WITH FRIED EGGS

Time: 20 minutes

Salt

1/2 pound thin spaghetti

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard

2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

4 eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

2. Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

3. Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

SPAGHETTI AL LIMONE

1 lb spaghetti (457g) 1 garlic clove, for rubbing lemon juice from 2 lemons, freshly squeezed 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (74ml) salt to season 1 cup parmigiano cheese, finely grated (235ml), plus extra for sprinkling a bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped the zest of 1 lemon, freshly grated

To start your Spaghetti al Limone:

Place spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water and stir immediately to prevent from sticking. Cut garlic in half and rub exposed area along the interior of a large serving bowl. This way the flavour of raw garlic will cover the inside surface of the bowl. Discard the garlic. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil while stirring. Stir well until the ingredients have emulsified. Mix in salt and parmigiano cheese. When the spaghetti is al dente­, drain and add to the serving bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle with parmigiano cheese, parsley and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Per 4 person

PASTA AL FORNO

1 lb rigatoni pasta (450g) 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (60ml) 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 large eggplant, cubed 15 infornate olives, pitted and chopped 10 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 2 dried chili pepper, crushed (optional) 1 jar of tomato puree (750ml) 0.8lb freshly grated mozzarella (400g) smoked scamorza cheese, as much as desired, roughly chopped freshly grated parmigiano cheese for sprinklingsalt to taste

To start your Pasta al Forno:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan heat up olive oil and sautí garlic, eggplant, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and chili peppers for a few minutes. Add tomato puree and salt. Let cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat. Drain rigatoni, add to the saucepan, sprinkle with some parmigiano and cook for another 30 seconds. Place half the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding a layer of half of the mozzarella, half of the scamorza and another sprinkle of parmigiano cheese over the pasta. Add the remaining rigatoni, and follow with a final layer of all the cheeses. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Per 4 persone

lentil soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
• 11 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Oven Roasted Turkey with Leeks and Dried Fruit Recipe

2 leeks, roots trimmed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
2 turkey tenderloins
1/4 c golden raisins
1/4 c dried cranberries
1 tsp fresh thyme

1. Trim off the dark green part of the leeks, leaving the white and just an inch or two of the light green part. Cut the leaks almost in half lengthwise, leaving the halves attached at the root end. Rinse under cool running water, separating the leaves gently to rinse out the dirt and sand. Pat the leeks dry with a paper towel.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, turning often. Remove from the pan and let cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a sharp knife to butterfly the turkey tenderloins. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and pound each tenderloin to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle the surface of the turkey with salt and pepper. Place one cooled leek in the center of each tenderloin. Scatter the raisins, cranberries and thyme over the leeks. Dot the top with the remaining tbsp of butter.

4. Gently roll the turkey over the filling and tie with two pieces of kitchen twine. Repeat with the other tenderloin. Season the outside with salt and pepper.

5. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same saute pan over medium high heat. Add the two rolls of turkey to the pan and sear all over. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, until an instant read thermometer stuck into the meat registers 160 degrees. Take the turkey out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting crosswise into medallions.

Makes 4 servings.

Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.