Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler

From the master of simplicity, Mark Bittman

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 leek, well washed and chopped

Salt and black pepper

2 cups quartered button mushrooms

1 1/2cups chicken stock

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 medium carrots, cut into coins

2 boneless chicken thighs, diced

1 cup peas, frozen or fresh

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits

1/2 cup buttermilk (see note)

1 egg.

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the leek, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has released and evaporated, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Add stock and rosemary; bring to a boil, and let bubble for a minute or two, then add carrots and chicken and reduce heat so the liquid simmers. Cook until carrots are almost tender and chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Add peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are brightly colored and just tender, another minute or so; fish out rosemary stem and discard.

3. Whisk cornstarch with a few tablespoons of broth to make a slurry. Add slurry to pot and stir until liquid thickens slightly. Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and set aside.

4. Put flour in a food processor with baking powder, soda and salt. Add butter and process until mixture resembles small peas, no more than 30 seconds. (You can also do this by hand, using two knives, a fork, your fingers, or a pastry cutter). Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in buttermilk and egg until it just comes together; it should be sticky.

5. Drop spoonfuls of batter on top of vegetables and chicken and smooth with a knife, covering as much surface area as possible but leaving a few gaps for steam to escape. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden on top and bubbly underneath. Scoop into bowls and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk, gently warm milk until it’s about 100 degrees; stir in a couple of teaspoons of vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Goat Cheese

This is a delicious appetizer or side dish, completely addictive and perfect for a goat cheese lover like me. Just don't pay attention to just how much cheese you're putting in, you'll feel better about yourself.

from Food and Wine, Alain Coumont

Time: 1hr, 15min
Serves about 12

Ingredients

12 medium tomatoes (3 pounds)
1 2/3 pounds fresh goat cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. Cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. In a bowl, combine the goat cheese with the egg, garlic, basil, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spoon the goat cheese mixture into the tomatoes, mounding the filling 1/2 inch above the rim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Bake the tomatoes for 35 minutes, until tender and browned in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms, Risotto Style

from Bittman's Blog, NY Times

I'm not sure why I had never thought of this before. I mean, why couldn't you cook any pasta like risotto? But thanks to Bittman, my mental lapses have been remedied. Any pasta comes out tasting absolutely delicious, creamy and decadent. And it's only chicken broth to blame!
Sign me up.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed

1 shallot or small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups crimini, shiitake or button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1/2 pound cut pasta like gemelli or penne, or long pasta broken into bits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 boneless chicken thighs, diced
Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional.

Preparation

1. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften and begin to brown on edges, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy and coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little salt and pepper, then wine. Stir and let liquid bubble away.
2. Ladle stock into skillet 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring after each addition and every minute or so. When liquid is just about evaporated, add more. Mixture should be neither soupy nor dry. Keep heat at medium and stir frequently.
3. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it; you want it to be tender but with a tiny bit of crunch. When pasta is about 3 to 4 minutes away from being done, add chicken and stir to combine. Continue to cook until chicken is done — it will be white on inside when cut — and pasta is how you like it. Taste, adjust seasoning, garnish with parsley and Parmesan if using, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Gnocchi a la Romana

Roman Style Baked Semolina Gnocchi

from the NY Times, livin' it up, Roman Style.

1 hour plus 4 hours’ chilling

1 quart plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 3-ounce piece Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 14.5-ounce can chopped tomatoes

Freshly ground black pepper.

1. In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, combine milk, nutmeg, salt and 4 tablespoons butter. Bring just to a boil, lower heat to medium and immediately start adding semolina in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Keep whisking to make a smooth mixture. Reduce heat to very low and cook, stirring, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in half the cheese and the egg yolks.
2. Use some of the oil to grease a baking sheet. Spread hot dough on baking sheet to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until very cold, 4 hours or overnight.
3. Heat remaining oil in a saucepan, add garlic and onion, cook until soft and add tomatoes. Simmer gently about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Use a little remaining butter to grease a shallow baking dish about 9 by 13 inches. Use a 2- to 3-inch round cookie cutter or a glass to cut disks of chilled dough. Keep dipping cutter in cold water to prevent sticking. Lift disks off baking sheet and arrange, slightly overlapping, in baking dish. Scraps can be kneaded briefly and smoothed out to allow for a few additional disks. Sprinkle disks in dish with remaining cheese and dot with remaining butter. Bake about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
5. Gently reheat sauce. Serve gnocchi with some sauce alongside each portion.
Yield: 6 servings.

Chile Relleno Tart

from Bon Appetit, December 1996

What makes this tart extra-special is the blue cornmeal; it gives the base an extra depth of flavor and heartiness. But cheese, chiles, and pastry, I mean, really, what's not to love?

Serves: 8

Crust

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup blue cornmeal* or yellow cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons (about) ice water

Filling

• 3 large fresh poblano** or New Mexico chilies
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Colby cheese

• *Blue cornmeal is available at natural foods stores and some specialty foods stores.
• **A fresh green chili, often called a pasilla, available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

For crust:
Combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in water by tablespoonfuls until mixture forms moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter 11-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan; trim to fit, reserving scraps. Place pan on heavy baking sheet. Bake until crust is set and edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. If crust cracks, gently press small bits of reserved dough into cracks. Transfer pan to rack and cool.
For filling:
Char chilies over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Seal in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop chilies.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle Gruyère and mozzarella over bottom of crust. Sprinkle chilies over cheese. Combine eggs, cream, goat cheese, butter, salt and pepper in processor; blend well. Pour into crust. Sprinkle with Colby cheese.
Bake tart until filling is golden brown and set, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve warm or at room temperature.