Roast chicken with fennel and baby artichokes
After what felt like three endless months of Polar Vortex, a momentary jolt of spring came this weekend. Sometimes unusual weather is all it takes to spur creativity. If the weather doesn't have to be the same today as it was yesterday, then why should my food be? So, spring cooking earlier than expected.
Whereas full-sized artichokes rightfully have a reputation as ornery -- threatening teeth outside and itchy, hairy hearts inside -- working with the babies is a breeze.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. baby artichokes
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup chicken broth (or water or white wine)
Juice of 2 lemons
Peel of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse the artichokes under cold water; peel off the first couple layers of tough, dark green leaves to reveal the gentler ones inside; chop off the top half inch of each choke; and halve or quarter the tender remains. Keep the halves in a bowl with a tablespoon of the lemon juice to prevent browning.
Over high heat, brown the chicken thighs in olive oil with salt and pepper. Remove them from the pan and add the fennel and onion, scraping any brown bits off the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook the fennel and onion until soft and semi-translucent, no more than 5 to 10 minutes. Clear a small space on the pan and add the chili flakes, allowing them to brown for 30 seconds before stirring them in. Then add the lemon peel, remaining lemon juice, chicken broth, and artichokes. Fold it all together, place the chicken thighs on top, and roast in the over for 15 to 20 minutes. The thighs should be a golden brown and the liquid almost full evaporated into a nice sauce. Serve over rice or Israeli couscous.
Shaved fennel, radish and grapefruit salad
This is a recipe from Gourmet. Not sure I've ever been disappointed with a Gourmet salad, especially from the Gourmet Today cookbook.
I took a shortcut here because I didn't have fennel seeds but wish I hadn't. The dressing was a little flat and could've used...something. Maybe not fennel oil exclusively; a pinch of chili flakes would've done the trick. In any event, no shortcuts on this one.
Rigatoni with sausage and fennel
This one comes from Lidia's Family Table, one of the many cook books that have piled up in our kitchen thanks to Anna's employer. I've generally not been that thrilled with the book, but this one is a winner because it hits most of what I look for in a recipe: It's fast, it's cheap, and it pays off.
I'll save myself some time and just link out to the original.
Grilled beets and bulbs
This recipe is a bit of a strange combination - vegetables that I often associate with winter cooked in a method saved for summer. The sweet cippolini onions and beets are nicely balanced by the char from the grill. The smokiness can be almost overwhelming -- I'd recommend trying serving this topped with something to smooth out the flavor. (An orange aioli, perhaps?)
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb beets, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 bulb fennel, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1/2 lb cippolini onions, peeled or not
A few cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Olive oil
How to
Raise a grill to medium heat. Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl until the vegetables are well coated with oil. Put the vegetables in a basket on the grill and toss occasionally until they are well browned and the beets can be pierced with a fork with only a little resistance. Serve warm or at room temperature.