The Wooden Spoon Blog

With sunny days in the sixties predicted for the rest of the week, spring has arrived as far as I’m concerned. The farmer’s markets; however, certainly disagree, and spring peas are nowhere to be seen. While I wait for the season to catch up with me, I favor recipes that allow me to use frozen versions of the early spring vegetables. This recipe delivers the sweetness of spring I am craving.

Pea and Bacon Risotto

3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 bacon slices, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups arugula

Bring broth and water to a simmer in a small saucepan.

Cook bacon in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain.

Add onion and garlic to bacon fat in pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the garlic pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add rice, stirring to coat.

Add wine, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Next, add 1/4 cup hot broth mixture and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, 18 to 22 minutes. (Reserve leftover broth mixture).

Add peas and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté arugula in 1 teaspoon olive oil until just wilted.

Stir in cheese, butter, zest, and juice. Thin risotto with some of reserved broth mixture if desired and season with salt and pepper.

Serve risotto on bed of wilted arugula. Top with bacon.

Nothing makes our apartment feel more like a home than having a roast chicken in the oven. While getting the chicken dressed and ready takes a little bit of work, the subsequent hour and a half it spends in the oven offers the opportunity to whip together the rest of dinner, tidy up around the house, pay some bills, or catch up on what you missed from the Oscars last night. Many preparations of roast chicken require a heavy gravy to mask the end result: dry, flavorless meat. Cooking the chicken on a bed of celery, partially submerged in a pool of chicken stock leaves this bird succulent and juicy. The bright flavors from the fresh herbs transform a decidedly wintery meal into a meal perfect for this time of year when spring is just around the corner.

The Best Roast Chicken

5-6 ribs celery
1 4 lb. chicken
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped roughly
1/2 cup fresh sage, roughly chopped, plus several sprigs reserved whole
1/2 cup fresh rosemary, roughly chopped, plus several sprigs reserved whole
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 lemon, halved
1 bullion cube
2 cups warm water
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 475°. Arrange celery in a single layer in your roasting vessel of choice. I use a Le Creuset oval au gratin baker.  Our roasting pan and rack, along with many of our other wedding presents, are sitting in my childhood bedroom in my parents house, waiting patiently for their rightful owners to come and claim them. I digress…

Remove the giblets and rinse the bird, inside and out, then pat the outside dry with a clean dish towel. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken, inside and out, and massage the seasonings into the skin. Using your hands, gently work your fingertips between the skin and meat, on both the front and back sides of the bird. Once you have partially separated the skin from the meat, fill these pockets with the chopped garlic, sage and rosemary, saving a tablespoon each of the chopped sage and rosemary. Place the chicken on it’s bed of celery, breast side up.

Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon, and several sprigs of sage and rosemary. Tie the legs together with kitchen string (no one likes a loose bird), and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken to prevent burning.

Wisk together the olive oil, honey and mustard and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle remaining chopped herbs on top.

Dissolve bullion cube into warm water, breaking up with the tongs of a fork, and pour into roasting pan. Tent the chicken fairly tightly with aluminum foil and pop it in the oven.

Roast at 475° for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350° for an hour and a half. Remove the aluminum foil for the last half hour to allow the skin to brown. Let chicken stand, covered with aluminum foil, for 15 minutes before carving.

Truth be told. I am pretty lazy when it comes to side dishes. I have endless energy when it comes to the main dish, the pièce de résistance if you will, but when it comes to finishing out the meal with a side or two, all of my creative juices invariably run dry. I do have a few tried and true sides that make regular appearances on our table (I use the word table loosely since the only semblance of a table in our living/dining room is a big wooden chest that doubles as a coffee table and our dining room table). Of these regulars, this is the one HG most frequently requests.

I do not like Brussels sprouts when steamed or boiled; the taste reminds me of raw broccoli and their blandness makes me feel uncomfortably virtuous. Sautéing them transforms the flavors, and the sweetness of the shallots is the perfect compliment. Try this dish, it will not disappoint. This simple side might just become a regular in your kitchen.

Simply Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 lb Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved
salt and pepper

Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat until it the butter melts and bubbles. Add the shallots and cook, stirring regularly, for five minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the sprouts are browned slightly and the shallots caramelize and begin to crisp. I like them crispy.

Earlier this week, I revisited a recipe that I first tried last winter, when HG had just arrived home from the hospital where he had undergone minor surgery, and we holed up in our tiny apartment for a long weekend. With nothing better to do than monitor his pain medications, I managed to cook (and eat) my way through the entire current issue of Gourmet in less than 72 hours. HG gobbled down everything I put in front of him that weekend, but declared this dish particularly delicious. My taste buds couldn’t help but agree.

Inside-Out Eggplant Parmesan, adapted from Gourmet

For Tomato Sauce:

Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped basil

For Eggplant Stacks:

2 (1-pound) eggplants
4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
3 large eggs, plus 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 pound baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 pound cold fresh mozzarella, ends trimmed nibbled and remainder cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices

Make tomato sauce:
Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend tomatoes with juice in a blender until almost smooth. Add to onion mixture in saucepan with water, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil and keep warm, covered.

Bake eggplant:
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

Cut 12 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from widest portion of eggplants. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt (total). Bake on an oiled baking sheet, turning once, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. (I just left them on the baking sheet until I was ready to assemble the stacks). Leave oven on.

Make egg patties and sauté spinach:
Stir together bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, half of garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then stir in eggs and water.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop 4 rounded 1/3 cups of egg mixture into skillet and cook, turning once, until patties are golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and basil and stir until just wilted, then stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Assemble stacks:

Arrange 4 egg patties about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, 1 slice mozzarella, 1 eggplant slice, 2 more tablespoons tomato sauce, another eggplant slice, spinach mixture, and remaining eggplant. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

My alterations were minimal. All of the grocery stores near me were out of arugula, which the original recipe called for, so I used spinach instead. I reduced the parmesan in half, and replaced 3 of the 6 whole eggs the recipe called for with 3 egg whites. I also reduced the amount of olive oil throughout.

HG ate two stacks and I ate one, saving my second for lunch the next day. It was almost better reheated in the microwave (gasp!).