Roasted Chicken with grapes, shallots and garlic

Posted on February 1, 2012 by overload
Roasted Chicken with grapes, shallots and garlic

This is such an easy recipe, I can’t believe I never thought of it before.  There I was, faced with a whole large chicken wondering what to do with it.  I knew I had thyme and rosemary in the refrigerator and figured I could always make a decent roasted chicken with that.  Add a little white wine with some stock at the end for a simple pan sauce and I’d have dinner done.  But that just wasn’t inspiring me.  And that’s when it happened. “Dad, I’m hungry.  What can I eat?  Can I have some Goldfish?” my son asked.  “Why don’t you eat … Continue reading →

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Chicken Tinga

Posted on January 25, 2012 by overload
Chicken Tinga

My family and I are taco and burrito fanatics; having some version nearly weekly.  Sometimes it simply ground beef with some spices while other times it may be slowly braised beef or carnitas.  This time it was shredded chicken for burritos. Tinga refers to any kind of shredded meat simmered in a spicy, smoky tomato sauce.  It’s extremely easy to make and the heat level can be adjusted for whatever your tolerance.  The recipe below is middle of the road with enough kick to satisfy the heat seeker in your family while not blowing the roof off the wimp (sorry … Continue reading →

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Rolled Chicken with proscuitto and spinach stuffing

Posted on January 15, 2012 by overload
Rolled Chicken with proscuitto and spinach stuffing

With all the Holiday happenings and being that I still have to make a living with insurance (Medicare renewal time of year is crazy), December was a whirlwind and I was just not able to add to the site.  It’s not that I wasn’t cooking or taking photos; I just couldn’t find the time or the energy to sit down and finish a blog.  I hope everyone had had a wonderful Christmas or whatever you celebrate that brings your family together and a safe and happy New Year.  We spent ours with a flu ridden son vomiting through the night.  Nothing … Continue reading →

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Sausage Herb Dressing with dried cranberries

Posted on November 21, 2011 by overload
Sausage and Herb Dressing with dried cranberries

Thanksgiving dinner just isn’t complete without dressing to go with the turkey.  While some prefer to stuff it in the cavity while the bird cooks, hence the name stuffing, I prefer to cook it separately.  I find the turkey cooks more evenly and the dressing crisps up on the top yet remains moist inside. Now I know many people will be grabbing boxes of Mrs. Cubbison’s and doctoring it up, but really – how hard is it to cube bread and toast it a little.  The difference in flavor is night and day; one tastes like cardboard (not that I’m an … Continue reading →

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Cider Brined Turkey with rich kettle gravy

Posted on November 15, 2011 by overload
Cider Brined Turkey

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I figured it was time to share my recipe for a perfectly roasted, juicy turkey.  Since we will be spending it at my mother in law’s house and I will be released from turkey duty, my family was overjoyed that we’d be having a turkey dinner early.  Along with the turkey we had an amazing sage sausage stuffing with dried cranberries, celery root and potato mash, and cranberry/bing cherry sauce; all of which will be posted soon. Turkey can be rather dull unless you add flavor in some way.  Some heavily season and deep fry it(I’ve … Continue reading →

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Tortilla Soup

Posted on November 10, 2011 by overload
Tortilla Soup

Between setting the clocks back and the change in the weather, there’s no doubt that fall has arrived.  While still ridiculously mild compared to most of the country, there’s still a noticable difference here in Southern California.  So on that note I decided it was time for a spicy tortilla soup with all the trimmings.  While some versions might be easier than this one here, such as opening up various cans and adding them to a pot, this one will excite your taste buds.  I’m blessed to live in an area that has a wide variety of chiles available, but if you can’t … Continue reading →

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